Wicked Beautiful

We've Moved

2008-12-18T21:34:00.005-05:00

Wicked Beautiful is now on OnSugar, a new beauty blog platform. If you've been accessing Wicked Beautiful by its blogger.com URL, beautyhub.blogspot.com, please update the address. The new address is bostonredlox.onsugar.com, but, like the old address, the new address is mapped to Wicked Beautiful's own dot-com domain name, www.wickedbeautiful.com, which is the easiest way to find us.

The 12 Wicked Beautiful Days of Christmas - Day 6

2008-12-18T00:00:00.006-05:00

Continuing the snow theme, Day 6 of the 12 Wicked Beautiful Days of Christmas spotlights the Snow Wonder High Intensity Hand Cream ($8 for 1 oz.) from Bliss. It's part of their limited edition Snow Wonder line of creams and body butters. The High Intensity Hand Cream is rich but not greasy, and its frosty fragrance reminds you of a crisp winter day after a snowfall.

The 12 Wicked Beautiful Days of Christmas - Day 5

2008-12-17T00:00:00.002-05:00

About 10 or 12 years ago, Origins introduced their Ginger Float cream bubble bath as a limited-edition product for the holidays. Adding a handful of the cream to your bathwater infused it with the spicy but sweet fragrance of ginger infused with citrus. This ginger fragrance proved to be so popular that Origins made it a permanent staple, and expanded their Ginger Essence line with other bath and body products, as well as perfumes and a candle. While other Origins bath lines have come and gone, Ginger Essence has remained one of their most enduringly popular fragrances. This year, Origins is offering a variety of Ginger Essence Gift Sets. My favorite is simple yet sweet: The Gingerfest Gift Set ($35). It includes the original Ginger Float cream bubble bath in an 8-ounce jar, as well as 4-ounce jars each of Ginger Souffle Whipped Body Cream and Incredible Spreadable Scrub ginger body smoother. The products come stacked in a festive red-and-white holiday tube.

The smell of the Origins ginger products still takes me back to that magical first Christmas when the Ginger Float was introduced.

The 12 Wicked Beautiful Days of Christmas - Day 4

2008-12-16T00:00:00.005-05:00

On10 Cosmetics specializes in lip balms that taste like favorite flavors from a bygone era. Their Vintage Classic Lip Balms recreate old soda and candy flavors, and are packaged in tins that recreate the vintage packaging of the original product. The flavors are based on Schweppes sodas or Hershey's candies, many of which were discontinued decades ago. With many flavors to choose from, I opted for the Hershey's Velvet Sweet Chocolate ($9). It comes in a red and white tin with Santa Claus on it, so it's perfect for Christmas. The flavor is more hot chocolate than chocolate candy. It's smooth and subtle, with a little tingle to it (maybe it's the rosemary extract). It also has an SPF of 15 to protect your lips while you're outside sking, snowboarding, or just making snow angels. The Velvet Sweet Chocolate Lip Balm makes a great stocking stuffer, or Secret Santa present.

On10 Vintage Classic Lip Balms are available exclusively at Sephora.

The 12 Wicked Beautiful Days of Christmas - Day 3

2008-12-15T00:00:00.002-05:00

The 12 Wicked Beautiful Days of Christmas continue with Philosophy's Eggnog Latte 3-in-1 High Foaming Shampoo, Shower Gel and Bubble Bath, a holiday edition of Philosophy's popular line of food-scented 3-in-1s. It smells delicious, and satisfies that craving when I'm jonesing for a Starbucks eggnog latte. It leaves your skin clean and soft, and best of all, it has no calories. Like all of Philosophy's 3-in-1s, you get a large 16-ounce bottle for a mere $16. At one dollar an ounce, it's one of the best bargains of the holiday season. And it comes in an adorable faux-burlap bag with a festive holiday ribbon, sure to put a smile on the face of its lucky recipient.

The 12 Wicked Beautiful Days of Christmas - Day 2

2008-12-14T00:00:00.009-05:00

Lush's Snowcake Soap ($6.95 for 3 oz.) has become as much a holiday tradition as mistletoe, eggnog, and chestnuts roasting on an open fire. It's only available for a limited time during the holiday season. Snowcake has many, many fans of its creamy almond marzipan fragrance. People have been known to stockpile it when it comes out.

This year, Lush has introduced a companion Snowcake Shower Gel ($16.95.). It's only available online and it's extremely limited, so make sure to get yours now.

The 12 Wicked Beautiful Days of Christmas - Day 1

2008-12-13T00:00:00.011-05:00

"It's the most wonderful time of the year," legendary crooner Andy Williams will tell you. And he's right. Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year, especially for beauty fanatics. This is the time of year that cosmetic and skincare companies come out with special holiday-themed products, perfect for gift-giving. Or, if you're like me, you buy one to give as a gift and one to keep for yourself.

For the next 12 days, I will be counting down the 12 Wicked Beautiful Days of Christmas. You won't find any geese a-laying or drummers drumming, but you might just find fun or useful products to pamper, primp and please the ones you love.

The 12 Wicked Beautiful Days of Christmas begin with this adorable marshmallow snowman. He's actually scented goatsmilk soap, but he's so cute, you won't want to use him. Instead, you'll probably put him out on the coffee table every year as a Christmas decoration, just like Grandma did with those figural holiday candles from the Fifties.

This smores snowman is just one of many fun holiday soaps from Crazy K Bath and Body. Crazy K's etsy shop features several figural holiday soaps, many available in your choice of 300 fragrances. If you don't like snowmen (but who doesn't?), you can choose from snowball soaps, a santa soap, or a candy cane ice cream bar. And if you have anybody on your Naughty List, you can get them a lump of coal for their stocking. It's actually scented olive oil soap, so even if they've been naughty, they'll still be getting something nice. But you'd better hurry. Crazy K's last day of accepting holiday orders is tomorrow, so that she can get all holiday orders out on Monday.

We Wish Uemura Christmas and a Happy Shu Year

2008-12-12T00:05:00.008-05:00

Shu Uemura has partnered with Japanese photographer and film director Mika Ninagawa to create a holiday collection of makeup that evokes the rich palette of nature as captured by Ninagawa's photographs. The Mika Loves Shu Holiday Collection 2008 consists of three eyeshadow palettes ($65 each), two nail polishes ($16 each), three mini eyeliner pencils ($35 for the set), two sets of three Gloss Unlimited lip glosses in a cosmetic pouch ($40), three Rouge Unlimited cheek colors ($23 each), a cosmetic bag ($29), and a portable brush set ($85). The colors run the gamut of deep earth tones of black, brown, and green, to rich jewel tones of sapphire, amethyst and garnet, to bright tones of chartreuse, pink, yellow and orange, and everything in between. The eyeshadow cases feature Ninagawa's photography, as do the Chrysanthemum cosmetic pouch and the case for the portable brush set. The Holiday Collection also features four sets of false eyelashes.

The Mika Loves Shu Holiday Collection 2008 can be purchased online as well as at the three Shu Uemura boutiques, in San Francisco and Costa Mesa, California; and the one right here in Boston on Newbury Street.

Face It, I'm Not Getting Any Younger

2008-12-11T12:05:00.010-05:00

LORAC is a brand of cosmetics that has a huge following among celebrities and mere mortals alike. Founder and makeup artist Carol Shaw has been readying stars such as Nicole Kidman and Debra Messing for the red carpet for many years. Thus it's hard to believe that, in all my years of beauty addiction, I've never tried any of her products before now.

My skin has been acting up lately, with severe breakouts due to stress. Because of this, I've been treating my skin like it's oily and teenaged, and not like it's dry and aging. The sudden realization that I should be treating my skin with more age-appropriate products sent me running to my nearest Sephora for a foundation that not only masks my skin problems, but treats my skincare concerns as well. After trying several foundations, all of which were too yellow or too dark for my fair, pink-undertoned complexion, the Sephora makeup artist came over to assist me. She recommended Lorac's Breakthrough Performance Foundation ($38) in Porcelain, the lightest shade. She chose the Lorac line because Nicole Kidman uses it, and she's about as pale as I am. Lorac's Breakthrough Performance Foundation is an oil-free anti-aging foundation. It contains SMS Complex which, according to the Lorac website, "combines pre-aging, anti-aging, hydrating, and smoothing ingredients along with antioxidants to help skin appear youthful, rejuvenated, and radiant. It helps to counteract the signs of aging by increasing cell turnover, and promoting skin’s natural ability to produce collagen; which has been shown to strengthen the skin’s structure." Sounds impressive, but I'm hooked because it's oil-free and contains an SPF of 14.

I am very pleased with this foundation. Although I do have to use a concealer on my most problematic areas, the coverage looks very natural so it doesn't look like I'm plastering on makeup to hide my skin flaws. I can't attest to its anti-aging claims, but it's a very good foundation that I can wear with confidence every day. Now I'm hooked on Lorac, and I look forward to trying some of her other products. Will they make me as beautiful as Nicole Kidman? No, but I'd be happy just to look as good as I possibly can.

My New Favorite Website

2008-09-06T14:45:00.000-04:00

Besides Wicked Beautiful, of course.

I've just discovered a fantastic website. It's called Sprig, and they bill themselves as Your Daily Green Style Guide. If you want to learn more about living a healthier, greener lifestyle, then this is the place to go. Sprig features recommendations and helpful information on green fashions, accessories, beauty products, foods, and home and houseware products. They also profile celebrities at the forefront of the green movement (we're talkin' COOL celebrities, like Leonadro di Caprio or Kate Winslett, and definitely NOT Ed Begley Jr.).

The information on Sprig is offered in concise, encapsulated lists and columns to maximize absorption and minimize surf time (perfect if you surf the 'net at work). Their "Steal This Look" column tells you how to recreate a celebrity's interior, outfit, or makeup look, all green, of course. The "How to Eco-Chic" column offers green substitutions for things we use every day, like mascara or shower products. And their "Today's Products" gives you an at-a-glance fashion, home, and beauty product every day. My favorite feature is the "Best" list, in which they recommend several green products you can't live without, such as the Best Handbags for Fall or the Best Green Shampoos and Conditioners.

You can also sign up for the free Sprig.com email newsletters. Every Monday is the Fashion Newsletter, Tuesdays is the Beauty Newsletter, and Thursdays is the Home Newsletter. You can choose which ones you want to sign up for (I signed up for all three because I love fashion, beauty, and home ideas).

Zesty Zit-Zapper

2008-08-15T15:00:00.006-04:00

I'm a sucker for anything that smells like pink grapefruit. I don't actually like grapefruit, but I love skin, bath and body products that smell like it. So my latest acquisition is the new Oil-Free Acne Wash Pink Grapefruit Facial Cleanser ($5.99) from Neutrogena. Neutrogena has taken their classic Oil-Free Acne Wash with Microclear Technology and salicylic acid and added 100% natural extracts of pink grapefruit for an extra boost of Vitamin C. I've tried the original acne wash in the past but I always found it too drying. I prefer the pink grapefruit version. It rinses clean and smells invigorating, and doesn't dry out my skin like the original.

The Pink Grapefruit facial cleanser is part of Neutrogena's new line of pink grapefruit products. The line also includes an Oil-Free Acne Wash Foaming Scrub ($5.99) with microbeads, as well as a Body Clear bodywash ($6.99), both also with Microclear Technology.

Right now Neutrogena is sponsoring the Fresh Faces 2008 Concert Sweepstakes. Neutrogena®, the #1 dermatologist recommended skincare brand, is proud to present the Fresh Faces 2008 Concert Sweepstakes, where five lucky winners will have the chance to win a VIP trip for two to Los Angeles to attend the Neutrogena Fresh Faces 2008 Concert. The Neutrogena Fresh Faces 2008 Concert, starring Vanessa Hudgens, will take place on September 7 in Santa Monica, California, and Neutrogena is giving you the opportunity to be there in-person!

By logging onto www.neutrogenaconcert.com on or before August 18, you can sign up for the chance to be one of five lucky grand-prize winners.

The five grand prize winners will receive:
An all expenses paid, VIP trip for two to attend the concert in LA
A makeover
A back-to-school shopping spree
The chance to hang out back stage with Vanessa

In addition to the grand prize:
10 first prize winners will receive an iPod Nano and Vanessa’s new album “Identified”
25 second prize winners will receive a Neutrogena “Back-to-School” beauty bag with all of Vanessa’s must have products
50 third prize winners will receive an autographed copy of Vanessa’s hit CD

Not only is Neutrogena kicking off the back-to-school season with the Fresh Faces 2008 Concert Sweepstakes, Neutrogena is also proud to introduce Oil-Free Acne Wash Pink Grapefruit to its line-up of trusted skin-clearing solutions. This new line of Oil-Free Acne Wash Pink Grapefruit acne cleansers clears breakouts and provides an uplifting blast of grapefruit, leaving skin refreshed and clear for the first day of school.

Equality of the Sexists

2008-07-09T17:43:00.006-04:00

I don't know about you, but it used to piss me off every time I'd be behind an 18-wheeler with those naked girl mudflaps on the back. I never understood it. When I first started seeing them years ago, I rather naively thought it was the logo for a specific brand of mudflaps. But it wasn't an advertising logo at all! So what was the point of it? Was there even a point? Could the ubiquitous and iconic Mudflap Girl be nothing more than a sexist attempt to objectify the idealized but unrealistic standards of female beauty as determined by the uber-masculine and arguably misogynistic trucker sub-culture?

Fear not, feminists! Mudflap Boy is here, and retribution is at hand. Mudflap Boy takes the mickey out of the whole sexist trucker thing with a line of products featuring - you guessed it - a pointless naked man splayed out in a provocative pose. Mudflap Boy products include t-shirts, postcards, stickers, belt buckles, and trucker hats. Isn't it about time women sported a naked man on their wheels, whether they be 2, 4 or 18? Now we can, with the oval Mudflap Boy bumper sticker. And the Mudflap Boy trucker hat, t-shirt, and belt buckle will ensure your message will get noticed whether you're making a long-haul trip from Albuquerque to Boise, or just hanging around closer to home.

Mudflap Boy has been featured on Veronica Mars and Mad TV, and has appeared in several print magazines including Bust and Cargo.

Now that Mudflap Boy has gently poked fun at the trucker industry, does this mean women can wolf-whistle at construction workers next? Mudflap Boy products for women can be found at www.mudflapboy.com. Mudflap Boy products for men, including the double-entendre double Mudflap Boy t-shirt, can be purchased from www.mudflapboys.biz.

Fun 'n Flirt!-y

2008-07-09T16:31:00.016-04:00

I have to admit, the only reason I go to Kohl's is for their makeup lines. Although I love discount stores like Target and Marshall's, I've never found anything at Kohl's that I've just had to have - except for the makeup and skincare lines that are exclusive to them. They are all "diffusion labels" of Estee Lauder, which means you get department store quality at discount store prices, and without the pushy sales associates. Each line at Kohl's is like a mid-range version of an Estee Lauder company. American Beauty is like the Estee Lauder line - classic and traditional. Good Skin is like Clinique, with skincare products using the latest scientific advancements. Grassroots is like Origins, with an emphasis on natural ingredients. But my favorite of their lines is Flirt!, Kohl's youthful, funkier line of makeup aimed at the teenaged market. Flirt! is like the MAC Cosmetics of Kohl's, with an emphasis on color cosmetics (and unlike MAC, which launched some skincare products, almost as an afterthought after Estee Lauder bought the company, Flirt has no skincare products at all). Yesterday I left the house in stifling 90-degree humidity to treat myself to a mini-haul at the Flirt! display units.

With the advent of warmer weather, I always like to switch to lighter, sheerer makeup textures and colors. I couldn't resist Flirt's I'm Whipped Cheek Mousse ($12). Dab a little onto cheeks for a sheer, barely-there flush of color. It gives a youthful, dewy glow that looks more natural on complexions when it's hot and humid outside. I chose the shade Fantastique, a light peachy-pink, similar to Nars' Orgasm blush. It complements my red-headed-person's pale complexion perfectly.

Continuing with the mousse theme, I also chose the I'm Whipped Eye Mousse ($12). Like the cheek mousse, the eye mousse gives a sheer wash of color that doesn't look heavy or powdery like powder shadow can. I chose shade #7, Cross My Heart, a light pinky-peach (like the cheek mousse in Fantastique). It looks very bright in the compact but when applied it looks very natural.

Summer weather also means it's time to switch the heavy foundation for a lighter tinted moisturizer. I purchased Flirt's Act Natural Light and Sheer Foundation ($12). Although it contains an SPF of 15, it doesn't protect against UVA rays (the aging ones) because it doesn't contain Avobenzone, Titanium Dioxide, or Zinc Oxide. While I can't recommend it as a sunscreen (I use a separate sunscreen on my face anyway), I do love it as a sheer foundation. I hate heavy foundations anyway, and Act Natural Light and Sheer Foundation looks natural on my skin. And I applaud the wide range of shades it comes in. With my pale complexion, I usually pick the lightest shade of foundation within a line, and with many drugstore and budget lines, even the lightest shade isn't light enough. With Flirt, I was surprised to find that their third-lightest shade, Nude Envy, was perfect. While darker skin tones aren't as well-represented with the tinted moisturizer - perhaps because sheerer color can be more forgiving to within a few degrees of skin tone - Flirt also makes a stick foundation that comes in a greater variety of shades for both light and dark skin tones, with the choice of warm or cool shades of each color. And the pressed powder comes in the same shades as the stick foundation, so you won't have to test the powders separately to see what shade you take. If you take Nude Envy in the foundation, you take Nude Envy in the pressed powder. It's a no-brainer!

While I was at the Flirt display, I couldn't resist spritzing myself with their two perfumes, Flirtatious and Glamourazzi. Both have hints of vanilla, which is why I love them both. Flirtatious (pictured at top), their first fragrance, is an intoxicating blend of exotic wild berry, enchanting honeysuckle and creamy vanilla. I really love the combination of berries and vanilla. It vaguely reminds me of English trifle. Glamourazzi is Flirt's new fragrance, a sparkling blend of exotic flowers, spicy ginger and vanilla. It was a tough decision, but in the end Flirtatious won out. It's a better warm-weather fragrance, with its fruit and flower notes. Glamourazzi is heavier and spicier and would be great in colder weather, especially as a holiday fragrance. I'm sure I'll be going back to Kohl's to buy it once fall rolls around. Both fragrances retail for $35 for a 1.7 ounce bottle.

In keeping with their youthful theme, Flirt! teams regularly with young celebrities to create seasonal color collections. Past Flirt! Guest Creators, as they're called, have included singer Michelle Branch, actresses Milla Kunis and Vanessa Minnillo, and tennis superstar Serena Williams. Flirt! is available at all Kohls stores, or at kohls.com.

Ren and Primp-y

2008-07-08T19:11:00.004-04:00

Ren Clean Skincare claims to be the first company to pioneer the concept of clean skincare. In fact, the word Ren is Swedish for "clean." But Ren is actually a British company. The line is called "clean" because it's free of parabens, petrochemicals, coloring, preservatives, and other synthetic ingredients. But this line isn't one of those homemade-type lines that use natural ingredients that do nothing to benefit your skin. Ren uses advanced bio-actives (i.e. natural ingredients that are effective) in their products. Their packaging is vacuum-sealed to prevent air or other contaminants from compromising the effectiveness of the product, thus enabling them to eliminate all preservatives from their products.

I first reviewed Ren Skincare in my very first post on this blog. I tried the Rose Centrifolia Facial Cleansing Gel and the Rose Complex Moisturizer for Normal Skin. Back then, Ren only had two cleansers to choose from, the gel cleanser for normal skin and a cream cleanser for dry skin. Since my skin is combination, with clogged pores, I opted for the gel cleanser. But that was a year-and-a-half ago. Since I first reviewed Ren, they have come out with two more cleansers, one specifically for combination skin, and one for sensitive skin. Ren also introduced new moisturizers to go along with them. So I decided it was time to revisit Ren and try the line for combination skin.

I purchased the Mayblossom and Blue Cypress Balancing Facial Cleansing Gel ($32) and the Mayblossom and Konjac Balancing Moisturizer ($45). The cleanser is a lightweight gel containing extracts of antimicrobial Mayblossom, Willow Bark (a natural salicylic acid) and Australian Blue Cypress oil to clear pores and prevent pimples while it balances combination skin. I like the consistency of the gel cleanser. It cleans my face but doesn't strip it. I'm not sure it entirely removed all of my makeup, so I just used a second half-pump of cleanser and went over my face again. Since my skin is so sensitive and breaks out easily, I'd rather cleanse twice (at night only) than use something so harsh it causes a negative reaction to my skin. I follow the cleanser with the Mayblossom and Konjac moisturizer. It's a lightweight gel-cream with Mayblossom and Willow Bark to normalize sebum production, and Japanese Konjac root disperses sebum to reduce shine and hydrate dry areas. It feels a bit slippery when I first apply it, but it absorbs instantly into my skin. It's perfect right now with the summer heat and humidity, but in the colder months I might go back to the Rose Complex Moisturizer. Then again, my skin seems to break out with heavier moisturizers, so I might try to use the Mayblossom moisturizer all winter and see if my skin still feels comfortable. For now, using Ren's products for combination skin helps my skin to feel clean and balanced. They're not too heavy, nor are they not heavy enough. They're just right.

Ren has a wide range of facial care products for all skin types, including serums, eye treatments, and masks. In addition to facial care, Ren also makes clean body-care products, including body washes, lotions, and body oils. They've even branched out into fragrance and hair care. In the span of just a few short years, Ren has already garnered a celebrity following that includes Kate Beckinsale, Kate Moss, Kate Winslett, and a host of other celebrities not named Kate (including Jude Law, Christy Turlington, and Sting). The company also donates a portion of its proceed to charitable causes in Great Britain, proving that their conscious, as well as their products, are clean.

Cut-Price Couture

2008-06-30T03:21:00.000-04:00

I love Target. They get big-name fashion- and interior designers to create lines especially for them at reasonable prices. Now they've started carrying high-end fragrances in the cosmetics aisle, also at discounted prices. I've wanted to try Juicy Couture Eau de Parfum ever since I rubbed my wrist with one of those magazine-page advertisements in Lucky Magazine. Its slightly classic, slightly boho fragrance is an intriguing blend of fruit, flowers, sweets, and woodsy elements. It has top notes of watermelon, mandarin, pink passion fruit, bright marigold, green apple, water hyacinth, and crushed leaves. The middle notes consist of couture tuberose absolute, wild rose, and princess lily. Its base notes are made of creme brulee, vanilla, precious woods, and patchouli.

The Juicy Couture Eau de Cologne comes in a pretty pink box and a stunning glass bottle. The bottle is so beautiful that I keep it out on my dresser. It features the Juicy Couture pseudo-royal crest of two scotties flanking an orb, and the stopper is a faux diamond as big as the Hope Diamond. I feel like I'm holding the Crown Jewels every time I spray myself with the fragrance.

A one-ounce bottle of Juicy Couture Eau de Parfum costs $32.99 at Target. You can also purchase the 1.7 ounce-bottle for $39.99 (it retails for $65 at high-end department stores), or the 3.4-ounce bottle for $64.99 ($85 retail). When you buy the fragrance at retail department stores, the 1.7-oz. and 3.4-oz. bottles come with a signature Juicy Couture charm wrapped around the faux-diamond stopper. I guess the bottles that are packaged up for the discount stores don't come with that (at least my bottle didn't), but it's a small sacrifice to get the fragrance at such a great price. And the department stores usually seem to carry the two larger sizes, not the one-ounce bottle.

For those of you who are interested in trying Juicy Couture Eau de Parfum but are hesitant to purchase even the one-ounce bottle, you can also buy the .17-ounce mini-bottle of the pure parfum (below) for $12.99. It's a great way to try it before investing in a larger bottle.

Handmade Style Part Two: Handmade Fashion

2008-06-29T17:05:00.000-04:00

Part One of my two-part series of Handmade Style focused on handmade beauty and personal care items. Part Two focuses on handmade clothing and accessories. The photographs featured below are all items that I purchased.

Metal Sugar: Cupcake Power, Activate! Metal Sugar is Melissa, a Georgia native now living in Brooklyn. She works in silver and other metals, and her work has an ironic sense of humor to it. Witness the Cupcake Signet Ring ($75). A tough, bold ring in oxidized silver that looks punk or goth, you would expect it to boast a skull and crossbones or perhaps a razorblade. Instead, it is adorned with something as sweet and innocuous as a cupcake. I love the humor in that. Humor not your thing? Her pieces that aren't so tongue-in-cheek have an organic feel to them. Whether you're looking for something classic or fun, there are many styles to choose from with Metal Sugar.

AHPeele: Adam first met Hiromi right here in Boston. Now they are married and live in North Carolina, where they make and sell screen-printed t-shirts and other articles of clothing featuring Adam's designs. Many of his designs are influenced by Japanese art, but I particularly loved this long-sleeved Old Style Sailing Ship T-Shirt ($32). Ahpeele makes a variety of limited edition tees, hoodies, zip-up jackets, and even a dress or two. They use quality shirts like those by Bella and American Apparel, and each purchase comes with a card with instructions on how to launder your shirts to preserve the design.

Tortilla Girl: Becky, A.K.A. Tortilla Girl, is an American fashion designer living in Paris. In her spare time she makes and sells handmade clothing and accessories on Etsy. I fell in love with her Big Fat Heart Tote, a white cotton serge bag with a large red vinyl heart. Becky makes each one by hand to order, and for $3 extra you can choose to include a magnetic clasp closure for extra security. I get compliments on this bag everywhere I go with it.

Loopity Loop Glam: Loopity Loop Glam uses metal and stones to create a variety of jewelry, but it's her belt buckles that got my attention. I bought the Punk Circles Buckle ($36) (shown here), to accessorize my most favorite pair of jeans ever -the Lucky Brand Maddy Jean, if you're interested. It gives the jeans an urban chic sensibility that, when paired with the Cupcake Signet Ring and the Ahpeele Pirate Shirt mentioned above, creates one very cool ensemble.

Strap: If you're going to buy a cool belt buckle, you need a cool belt to go with it. Loopity Loop Glam uses belts by Strap in the photos on her Etsy shop. Strap cuts and dyes leather into accessories such as belts, wallets, wristlets, and even dog collars. Strap's belts come with their own buckle, but you can remove it and replace it with a different one. Buckles by Loopity Loop Glam fit perfectly onto Strap's belts. The Cowboy Belt shown here costs $40.

The House of Worn: Worn is a semi-annual independently published fashion magazine. This mag goes way beyond the typical 'zine that is usually expected of indie publishing. Worn is a professional-looking magazine. It measures 8.5"x11", bound, and is offset-printed on semi-gloss paper, just like other fashion magazines. The articles are well-written and informative (issue #5 boasts a fascinating look at Elsa Schiaparelli, one of my favorite designers). You can order one issue, a 3-pack, or purchase a two-year subscription (four issues, every fall and spring). With your subscription, you receive a one-inch badge from their artist series with every issue.

If you want to take the handmade pledge to buy handmade items, particularly during the holiday season, go here.

Ink and Paint

2008-06-27T09:00:00.000-04:00

Kat Von D, tattoo artist extraordinaire and star of television's L.A. Ink, has launched her own line of cosmetics with beauty super-emporium Sephora. Part pinup girl, part rocker chick, Kat's makeup collection is at once tough yet glam, much like the tattooed siren herself . The Kat Von D for Sephora collection features True Romance eyeshadow kits, glamourous Painted Love lip colors, and retro-inspired Autograph liquid eyeliners. The collection also includes makeup brushes, because the right tools are just as important for makeup as they are for tattoos. But you'd better hurry up if you want to get your hands on these items, because unlike tattoos, the Kat Von D collection isn't permanent. It's a limited edition. And if you order any Kat Von D Collection item from sephora.com, you get a free star tattoo (like the ones around Kat's eyes) with every order, along with the usual three free samples you get with any Sephora purchase. So if you can't make the commitment to a permanent tattoo, you can still look fierce and sport ink by Kat Von D, even if it's only temporary.

Handmade Style, Part One: Handmade Beauty

2008-06-26T15:20:00.000-04:00

As much as I am addicted to all things beauty-related, I now have a new addiction: Etsy. For those of you unfamiliar with Etsy, it's a website where people can sell their handmade items online. It operates a bit like eBay, but instead of customers trying to outbid each other for an item, they buy it outright for the retail price that the seller sets. Etsy has only been operating for three years but it has already garnered a worldwide following of crafters and customers alike. There are a wide variety of handmade goods on Etsy. Among other things, one can find ceramics, woodwork, knitted goods, clothing, jewelry, handbags, toys, ipod cozies, cell phone covers, and probably a million other things - including beauty items. Here is a rundown of some of my recent purchases.

Lollibomb: Lollibomb lives in New Jersey, where she creates her line of bath and body products. She also has a line of mineral makeup. I bought her Whipped Body Frosting ($9.50) in Birthday Cake. It comes in a generous 8-ounce tub, and the fragrance certainly lives up to its name. And Lollibomb's products are vegan. If her tempting fragrances and formulas don't grab you, her punk-rock-inspired packaging will.

Savor: Having tried Savor's soaps, I will never buy commercial soap again. Most commercial soaps take out the glycerin, a natural by-product of the saponification process, and replace it with chemicals. Savor's soap base is an all-natural vegetable soap. It creates a luxurious lather and doesn't dry out the skin. Her soap concotions are imaginative, like Smores ($4.50), or Raspberry Walnut Panna Cotta ($5.00). And her soaps are as beautiful to look at as they are to use - no standard bars of soap cut from a large loaf for Savor. My favorite soap is Sex Appeal (pictured here), an unusual but very successful combination of strawberry and roses.

Kisse Girl: Kisse Girl is one smart cookie. She realized that there was a place on Etsy for bath and body products for young girls. Her line is marketed to girls aged 8 and up. Since age, uh, over-thirty (and that's all I'm sayin') is included in that age bracket, I had no qualms about ordering the Skin Dessert ($5.50), a half-gel, half-cream body moisturizer. It reminds me of that line of children's bath and body products that Bath and Body Works used to make. Skin Dessert comes in three "flavors": banana, wild berry, and lemon berry, and contains glitter, so your kids - or you - will sparkle. Kisse Girl also makes shower gels, body splashes, and lip balms. Her products will make kids want to take a bath, and you know, it's never too early to cultivate girls' interest in bath and beauty items!

Anderson Soap Company: Dennis Anderson is one of Etsy's success stories. His soaps, solid perfumes, shower gels and lip balms have sold so well that he was able to quit his day job and now does Etsy full time. His whipped Soap in a Jar ($7.50) is a luscious concoction of soft soap that comes in a variety of yummy fragrances, including cotton candy, mango madness, lemon meringue, chocolate drizzle, and Plum Clafouti (!).

When I buy these handmade items, I know I am supporting independent crafters who often don't have the means to open their own shops or to sell their items to other shops. And what I get in return are truly unique items that I can't find anywhere else, often at very reasonable prices. If you'd like to take the handmade pledge to buy handmade items, particularly during the holiday season, go here. Support independent crafters! You'll be glad you did.

The Clinique Clique

2008-06-23T14:15:00.000-04:00

Do you like Clinique products? Well, join the club. The Insider's Club, that is. Clinique is starting up a new program called the Clinique Insider’s Club. And this is your chance to be a part of it.

Clinique will be selecting 20 women from submitted applications to be “Clinique Insiders.” The "Insiders” will get an exclusive sneak peek at the latest Clinique Skincare, and Makeup products and will have the opportunity to give product reviews and opinions which will be seen, heard and read on Clinique.com. Insiders will also have access to special upcoming events and will receive a special welcome kit which includes full-size Clinique products and a Flip Video digital camcorder!

Clinique is currently accepting applications to the Insider's Club. All you need to do is write a 50-word essay, and upload a one-minute video showing and telling why YOU have what it takes to be a Clinique Insider. You can apply at:
https://www.clinique.com/templates/user/sweeps.tmpl?OFFER_CODE=InsidersClub08.

Green Makeup

2008-03-25T13:36:00.000-04:00

Don't be alarmed. I'm not talking about disco-era green eyeshadow. I'm talking about Organic Wear, the new line of organic makeup from Physician's Formula. Organic Wear is the first Ecocert Certified organic line of makeup in the U.S. The line features pressed and loose powder, a tinted moisturizer with an SPF of 15, a liquid bronzer, a powder blush, concealer, and a powder bronzer, all containing natural organic ingredients such as jojoba seed oil, sunflower oil, and lavender essential oil. The line is 100% free of synthetic preservatives, harsh chemicals, parabens, and synthetic fragrances, and is 100% cruelty-free.

Being that my skin is so sensitive, I've been searching for makeup that is largely or completely natural. I had been wearing mineral makeup, but I found that it made my skin look powdery. So I bought the Organic Wear tinted moisturizer and the pressed powder to see if they agree with my skin. The results so far: no problems with my complexion, and the coverage looks natural, not powdery. The tinted moisturizer is heavenly in feel and appearance. It's light but gives a bit of coverage to make my skin look a little better than if I wasn't wearing any makeup. I layer it with just a light dusting of the pressed powder to set it, and I'm good to go.

Not only is the Organic Wear makeup eco-conscious, so is their packaging. Their patent-pending pressed powder compact uses 93% less plastic than a traditional compact. You can check out the entire line of Organic Wear makeup at www.organicwearmakeup.com. Organic Wear makeup is available at drugstores and discount stores such as Target and CVS.

Smells Like Clean Spirit

2008-03-23T20:11:00.000-04:00

Dove, most famous for their ubiquitous beauty bar containing one quarter moisturizing cream, has come a long way in the thirty-plus years since they first urged women to take the 10-Day Challenge to better skin. Today the company has been at the forefront of the movement to encourage women to feel beautiful not only on the outside, but on the inside as well. Their ad campaigns, bolstered by events and lectures, seek to encourage women of all ages to empower themselves through increased self-esteem. The company is best known for their facial and body skincare products. This month, Dove launches a new fragrance-based line aimed at young women called go fresh.

Dove go fresh "is inspired by the philosophy that women in their 20’s need to gain a fresh perspective – today’s 20-somethings pressure themselves to juggle major life issues and achieve success by the age of the 30. Dove go fresh will inspire these women to gain a fresh perspective, recognize a wider definition of success and ultimately feel beautiful!" The new collection includes body mists, deodorants, personal wash, hand and body lotion, shampoos and conditioners, and it encourages women to refresh, energize and cool off through three distinct scents:
-Refresh: waterlilly and mint
-Energize: sparking grapefruit and lemongrass
-Cool Off: green tea and cucumber

Additionally, Alicia Keys will help 20-somethings gain a fresh perspective this coming Monday (March 24th)! Airing during the first commercial break of the highly anticipated premiere of MTV’s “The Hills,” Dove go fresh presents “Fresh Takes!” “Fresh Takes” is a new micro-series created by Dove go fresh. There will be five 3-minute episodes, each one touching on a pressure point of 20-something women: beauty, career, dating, family and friends. Be sure to tune in! You can view the trailer here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=2C4IusV9K5c.

Of the three fragrances, my favorite is the Energize line. The sparkling grapefruit and lemongrass fragrance wakes me up in the morning. I especially love the Energize body wash. It contains tiny scrubbing beads to exfoliate as it cleanses. I layer it with the Energize deodorant and I'm ready to head out the door in the morning (and I'm not a morning person).

Fafi Girls

2008-02-20T12:07:00.000-05:00

In high school, whenever I was bored in class (which was a lot), I would doodle in the margins of my notebook. I didn't write things like "The Who," "The Stones," or "Led Zepplin" like the stoner kids did. I emblazoned my notebooks with sketches of hipster girls with punk hairdo's and funky clothes. Of course my sketches were cool - they just weren't very good. So when I got to college I decided to forgo the career in art and majored in history instead. Luckily for this world, there are those that have true artistic talent and pursue their passions. French artist Fafi is one of those people. Born in Toulouse, Fafi began painting her art on walls after she dropped out of school. Perhaps she was bored beyond merely drawing funky girls in her notebooks, but I'm not advocating dropping out - so stay in school, kids. Fafi started out drawing Martians before creating her trademark Fafinettes - funky, sassy girls that rocked the streets of Toulouse and subsequently, the world!

MAC's new collection heralds in spring with bright, clear, vibrant colors in packaging featuring Fafi's sassy Fafinettes. Her Franco-Japanimation-style illustrations are evocative of both street graffiti and fashion sketches. Each Fafi girl (Monoka, Ermine and Eriko) is "a nymphette with a Ph.D. in passion - she's an adventuress with a very animated love life! From Toulouse to Tokyo, the movie of her life is a rags-to-riches love story, an electric Technicolor dream in violet, coral and strawbaby anime." The Fafi Collection for MAC is a limited edition. It features 27 color pieces including eyeshadow quads, lipsticks, lipglasses, paintpot eye colors, a fluid eyeliner, a mascara, powder blushes, nail lacquers, and iridescent face powder. It also includes accessories such as brushes, vinyl makeup bags, t-shirts, a scarf, a tote bag, and Fafinette figurines. My favorite items are the Glaze Lipstick in Fun 'n Sexy (a bright pink that matches my iPod), the Lustre Lipstick in Strawbaby (a rich strawberry-pink), and the Iridescent Powder in Belightful, a sparkly nude that I wear as a blush.

And of course I had to get the Fafi Doll in Eriko, because she's a redhead like me!

If you want to get your hands on the Fafi collection, you'd better hurry. The line was launched just last week and already certain colors are sold out online. Also check out macfafi.com for more information on Fafi makeup and accessories, as well as sketches and events. Fafi also has her own website: www.fafi.net. Fafi had been painting the Fafinettes on walls since 1994. Since then she has designed toys and figurines and has collaborated with Sony, Adidas, LeSportSac, Coca-Cola, Elle, Vogue, and The Face magazines. As for me, I gave up drawing funky girls a long time ago. But that's okay. If I can't draw other girls, at least I can still paint my own face.

For good measure, a drawing I did in 1988 when I was in a band in college

NARS-issism

2007-12-30T19:44:00.000-05:00

I've recently rediscovered the NARS makeup line. Like every other beauty-forward woman on the planet, I've bought the NARS powder blush in Orgasm. Maybe it was the name, or the promise contained within it, but I purchased it in the hopes that, upon applying it to my cheekbones, I would instantly be transformed into an alluringly seductive siren that no man could resist. But alas, I was not. It turned out that I am so fair-complected that the color really didn't do anything for me. And after several months of using mineral makeup, I'm getting tired of the powdery look it gives me. Worried that it makes me look older, I've switched to cream-based makeup to give me a youthful, dewy glow. And what better way to start than with flushed cheeks?

NARS's Cream Blush ($23.00) in Guele de Nuit is everything on me that Orgasm wasn't. It's similar to Orgasm in that it's a peachy/pinkish shade with a hint of shimmer. But when applied to the cheeks, it goes from cream to powder and looks subtle when blended. A perfect flush of color. So far it hasn't turned me into an alluringly seductive siren either, but the name (loosely translated it means mouth of the night, whatever that means!) sounds sort of suggestive too, doesn't it?

When I purchased the cream blush, I also tried the NARS skincare line for the first time. I love using bar cleansers on my skin. I know soap is a bad word among some beauty industy-types, but what can I say, I love the feel of a big bar of soap in my hands, making a lather with it and applying it to my face. I feel my face wouldn't be clean otherwise. But I also know many soaps can be extremely drying. But upon seeing that big, white slab of NARS Purifying Soap ($22.00) at the NARS counter, I was intrigued. It looked beautiful, clinical, and modernist, like a piece of art. It just begged me to buy it. So I did. Created for NARS by Shiseido, the Purifying Soap promises to remove all traces of makeup, as well as purify the skin and help eliminate blackheads and clogged pores. Since my skin gets clogged and blemishes easily, I thought it would be a great alternative to the medicated acne products that have been making my skin worse rather than better. The Purifying Soap contains jojoba and macadamia nut oils to help prevent drying, as well as aloe leaf extract to soothe the skin. My face looks refreshed and feels softer after I use it, not dried out as it does with many other soaps.

So with a clear complexion and a subtle flush of color, maybe youthful innocence rather than alluring seduction might make me irresistable to men everywhere. A girl can only hope.

Organic Matter

2007-11-06T12:56:00.004-05:00

I've been a fan or Origins since Estee Lauder first introduced its nature-meets-science line of skincare products - discovering my first Origins counter in Bergdorf Goodman while working in NYC in 1990. I was intrigued by their simple yet inviting packaging and products incorporating natural ingredients. Years later, I worked part-time for an Origins shop, where I became a die-hard fan of products such as the Eye Doctor eye cream and the Constant Comforter moisturizer for sensitive skin. But when I saw Origins has introduced their Origins Organics line of skincare products, I had to give it a try, as the idea of organic skincare products sounds so healthy and beneficial.

Origins Organics is the first major skincare line to be USDA-Approved and certified organic by the National Organic Program. The vacuum packaging is sleek as well as hygienic. I purchased the three facial regimen products.

The Origins Organic Foaming Face Wash with 73% Organic Ingredients ($25) leaves my skin feeling clean and soft, but not dry and tight. It removes makeup well, and a little goes a long way (I can clean my entire face with just one pump). I love the clove fragrance - it smells just like Origins' Cream Bar but is less drying. The vacuum pump is easy to use. Overall, this is a really nice cleanser.

The Purifying Tonic with 95% Organic Ingredients ($25) contains organic willow bark, a.k.a. salicylic acid, to purify pores, while organic vinegar removes dead skin cells. Organic Lavender alcohol naturally preserves this product. I sweep some on with a cotton pad after cleansing and my face feels refreshed.

The Nourishing Face Lotion with 95% Organic Ingredients ($42.40) is a bit pricey for Origins, but well worth the money. It contains organic shea and cocoa butters to moisturize skin, but it's not heavy or greasy. One pump is all you need to moisturize your entire face while protecting it against free-radical damage. It also contains organic essential oils of clove, rose, lavender, patchouli, and red thyme, so it smells as heavenly as it feels. I can't stop touching my face after I use it.

The Origins Organics line also features an organic body bar and a lip balm.

Boston University To Host Beauty and Self-Esteem Seminar

2007-10-24T16:12:00.000-04:00

Did you know that only 2 percent of women around the world choose the word "beautiful" to describe their looks?

Did you know that 75 percent of women strongly agree that they wish “the media did a better job of portraying women of diverse physical attractiveness—age, shape and size"?

Did you know that 72 percent of girls 15 to 17 withdraw from life-engaging activities due to feeling badly about their looks?

Did you know that more than 90 percent of girls want to change at least one aspect of their physical appearance, with body weight ranking the highest?

On Saturday, October 27, the Woodhull Institute for Ethical Leadership and Dove will host “Beauty and Self-Esteem in Society: Freeing Ourselves and the Next Generation,” a panel discussion to explore the significance of these disturbing statistics and how they relate to today’s definition of beauty. Boston University will host the event, which is free and open to the public.

DEFINING BEAUTY FOR OURSELVES AND OUR DAUGHTERS
**Event to Empower Women of Boston: Insights on Self-Esteem, Beauty and Stereotypes**

WHAT: “Beauty and Self-Esteem in Society: Freeing Ourselves and the Next Generation” – a panel discussion with prominent women to discuss the evolution of beauty in our global society. This free event is open to the public and will feature:
· Insights on stereotypical beauty trends and its impact on women and self-esteem
· Current statistics on women’s perceptions of themselves – and how to change the thinking
· What mothers can do for their daughters
· Small group seminars on financial literacy, negotiation, public speaking, to name a few
· Insights from attending women – their thoughts on beauty, media and self-esteem

WHEN: Saturday, October 27, 2007 (Doors open at 9 a.m.)
Panel Discussion: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Small Group Seminars: 1:00 – 5:00 p.m.

WHERE: Boston University - Morse Auditorium
602 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, Massachusetts

PANELISTS:
* Naomi Wolf, author of “The Beauty Myth” and co-founder of The Woodhull Institute
* Dr. Nancy Etcoff, pscychiatrist, Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital and author of “Survival of the Prettiest: The Science of Beauty.”
* Monica Meehan McNamara, Psychotherapist and former research scholar at Wellesley and consultant at Harvard Law School ; Woodhull alumna
* Karla Jackson-Brewer, professor in Women’s Studies, Gender Studies and Africana Studies at Rutgers University; Woodhull fellow

MODERATOR:
Katie Orenstein, journalist and author, focusing on human rights and women in pop culture

Both Nancy and Naomi are available for one-on-one interviews and can discuss the following topics:
* The evolution of beauty in our society
* How pop-culture and media affect women’s self-esteem
* How Boston women can get involved with breaking stereotypes and creating a wider definition of beauty.

BACKGROUND:
The event is sponsored by The Woodhull Institute for Ethical Leadership, a non-profit organization dedicated to the empowerment of women and Dove, the global beauty brand.

2007-10-21T18:31:00.000-04:00

Go Sox!!!

Think Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness

2007-09-30T20:43:00.000-04:00

October is breast cancer awareness month. This past year, two scares in my family have made me aware of how crucial it is to get yearly mammograms, and to do monthly breast self examinations. A year ago this month, with my very first mammogram at the recommended age of 40, the x-ray revealed a lump in my breast. The subsequent biopsy showed that it was a benign lump, called a fibroadenoma, and was not cancerous. Two months later, however, my mother's yearly mammogram revealed a lump that turned out to be cancerous. Thankfully, they caught it in the very early stages, removed it, and with follow-up radiation treatments, she was declared cancer-free.

During October, many retailers and manufacturers donate money to breast cancer research, either through direct donations, or through the sale of special products from which part or all of the proceeds go towards breast cancer research. From Kitchen Aid mixers, to Papermate ball point pens, to lingerie and t-shirts, there are a variety of pink products to choose from. Many cosmetic companies offer special versions of their most popular products in October, in pink shades or special pink packaging, with proceeds going towards breast cancer research. Here is just a small sampling of the countless special cosmetic offerings for Breast Cancer Awareness month:

Philosophy offers a special version of their popular three-in-one shower gel. Shower for the Cure ($20.00) is a shower gel, bubble bath and shampoo in a special bottle adorned with the breast cancer pink ribbon logo. 100% of the Philosophy net proceeds from the Shower for the Cure is donated to the Women's Cancer Research Fund.

Estee Lauder's Pink Ribbon Collection 2007 features five products in special pink packaging. Estee Lauder offers a special Jeweled Pink Ribbon Compact and Brush Set. The compact is adorned with a pink rhinestone ribbon and contains Bronze Goddess Soft Matte Bronzer, with a retractable brush for flawless application. The Jeweled Pink Ribbon Pin is a simple way to show your support for Breast Cancer Awareness. For lips, Estee Lauder has developed three special shades of pink. Pure Color Crystal Gloss is available in Evelyn Pink, while Pure Color Crystal Lipstick comes in Elizabeth Pink, and High Gloss lip gloss is available in Pink Ribbon Pink. The purchase of any Estee Lauder Pink Ribbon Collection product will help Estee Lauder in North America donate $500,000 to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. But the Pink Ribbon Collection 2007 is almost completely sold out online, so check your local department store (soon!) if you want to get these items.

If you're unable to obtain these special Estee Lauder pink lip colors, there is another way to spread pink kisses in October. Hershey's Kisses offers special chocolate kisses in pink foil for Breast Cancer Awareness. Hershey's Pledge is the chocolate manufacturer's way of donating $300,000 to breast cancer research. You can go online to donate to the cause.

Fight unruly brows while fighting breast cancer. Tweezerman, the tweezer of choice among makeup artists and beauty pundits, has created a special pink petite tweezer case in support of breast cancer awareness. A pink ribbon emblazons the leather case, which contains smaller sizes of the Tweezerman trademarked Slant (TM) and Point (TM) tweezers. It's available for $25 at drugstore.com.

And for information on breast cancer, visit the National Breast Cancer Foundation. For instructions on performing breast self examinations, visit the Susan G. Komen for the Cure website. Their Promise Shop sells a wide range of breast cancer awareness merchandise, including Keep the Promise Rings and pink Cure (TM) The Bear Beanie Babies, and you can order a free BSE (Breast Self Examination) shower card, for quick and easy referral when performing a breast self examination.

Please, I urge everyone to be diligent about doing monthly breast self examinations and getting yearly mammograms. Share this information with your mothers, daughters, sisters, and girlfriends. Early detection is the key to beating breast cancer.

Bag Hag

2007-09-27T19:36:00.000-04:00

Dancing in clubs. Shopping at Barney's. Lunching in trendy eateries. We go everywhere together. Of course, I'm talking about my makeup bag. We're inseparable.

Makeup and travel bags from Stephanie Johnson will enable you to tote your most essential beauty items in style. I just purchased my first of what will likely be many. The Stephanie Johnson line features twenty-seven different shapes of bags, from small cosmetic cases, to travel bags, to satchels, to tote bags, in over eighteen different patterns of fabric to choose from. Many can double as stylish handbags. And the website's Vintage section offers visitors a second chance to obtain older, discontinued styles.

Most bags range in price from $20 for a small clamshell-shaped coin purse to $79 for a large trifold hanging travel bag. And the company's Steph & Co. line offers a more affordable alternative, featuring the same great shapes as the Stephanie Johnson line, done in fun graphic vinyl prints like the safari-inspired Kenya Brown (above) and the cherry-blossom-chic of Georgetown (below). And like all Stephanie Johnson bags, the Steph & Co. line also features Stephanie Johnson's signature stylish zipper pulls, like a piece of faux bamboo for the Kenya Brown bags. Steph & Co. prices range from $18-$36 dollars.

With twenty-seven shapes and eighteen different patterns, you're sure to find a bag that's most compatible with you. Of course, it can't tell you if that skirt makes your butt look big, or hold your hand while you sob into your Cranberry Cosmopolitan because that guy you met last night didn't call. But isn't that what our gay male best friends are for?

Three Steps to Fabulous Lips

2007-09-23T20:44:00.000-04:00

Today is the first day of fall, which means cooler weather is on its way. Personally, fall is my favorite season, but with the colder weather, I find my lips get drier and more chapped. But this fall, I'm ready to do battle with three (relatively) new products at my disposal. By following this three-step lip care routine, your lips will be smooth, soft, and full.

Step One: Exfoliate

The Lip Scrub by Sara Happ ($20) is an exfoliator that smooths and softens lips. Sugar gently buffs away dead skin, while petrolatum softens lips. You apply a small amount to lips, gently rub in a circular motion, and then tissue off. If a little of the scrub remains behind, I splash my lips with a little water and then wipe them off. My lips feel soft and smooth after using it. The Lip Scrub comes in six delicious flavors: Cocoa, Cinnamon Sugar, Brown Sugar, Vanilla Bean, Almond Creme, and Peppermint. My faves are Cocoa, Brown Sugar, and Cinnamon Sugar.

Step Two: Hydrate

Black Currant Lip Balm by Talulah Natural Skincare ($13) is a completely all-natural lip balm with pure shea butter and African chamomile to moisturize and soothe lips. It penetrates instantly to soften lips without feeling greasy or slick like so many tube lip balms do. And its light, clean taste isn't artificial. It's the perfect canvas to apply lip color (see step three).

Step Three: Plump

Buxom Big and Healthy Lip Polishes by Bare Escentuals ($18) is a collection of lip-plumping glosses that add fullness, color, and shine to lips. It comes in six colors, all named after, um, strippers. Dolly is a sultry mauve luster, Bambi is a blushed pink luster, Candi is a juicy strawberry luster, and Amber is a soft peach luster. Bare Escentuals recently added two new shades for fall: Ginger is a cognac shimmer, and Brandi is a candied plum luster. Buxom lip polishes look deeper in the tube, but on the lips, they add shine and color without looking garish or unnatural. And the cheeky packaging (no pun intended) is irresistible.

I use this liptastic trio every morning to ensure that my pucker is ship-shape, or should I say lip-shape (sorry!). If I feel my lips need even more help now that the weather is getting cooler, I repeat steps one and two at night before bed. Why not tweak your beauty regimen for fall and take extra care of your lips.

Down with Hollywood Hair!

2007-09-19T17:33:00.000-04:00

I've always been a fan of Dove products. Seeing that white beauty bar featuring one-quarter moisturizing cream takes me back to my childhood, when my mother used it. Dove's beauty bar is the only drugstore-brand bar cleanser that my skin can tolerate. But Dove has come a long way (baby) since I was a child (and I'm not telling you how long ago that was). Their line has expanded to include facial cleansers, moisturizers, deodorants, body care products, and haircare products. In addition to the beauty bar, I also use their facial moisturizers, deodorants, and liquid hand soap. But I had never tried their hair care products, so when Dove sent me samples of their new shampoo and conditioner to review, I was more than happy to try them.

Dove has reformulated their haircare line to cleanse your hair without stripping it of its much-needed natural oils. They recently introduced Dove Cool Moisture (TM) shampoo and conditioner with a touch of cucumber and green tea fragrance. They feature Dove's Weightless Moisturizers (R), which the company describes as "a unique combination of low-molecular weight ingredients" to help condition hair.

I'm just as impressed with Dove's haircare products as I am with their skincare and body products. The shampoo and conditioner are rich and creamy, and left my hair just as clean, soft, and healthy-looking as more expensive haircare products I've tried. And I love how effective yet affordable Dove products are. Dove Cool Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner each retails for about $4.00, and can be found in drugstores nationwide. I'm so finished with being talked into buying expensive shampoos and conditioners from my salon every time I get my hair done. I'm sticking with Dove.

As much as I love Dove's products, what I love most about them is the risk they take in departing from the usual beauty industry advertising standards. Dove's innovative Campaign for Real Beauty (you've all seen the commercials) celebrates women of all shapes, sizes, ethnicities, and ages, and encourages women to reject the unachievable standards of beauty that most of the beauty industry perpetuates and instead embrace their natural beauty.

Right now you can go to doveloveyourhair.com to check out their video exposing the "secrets" behind the seemingly effortless Hollywood Hair, as well as one Hollywood star's backlash against Hollywood Hair. "Heroes" star Ali Larter took up the gauntlet and challenged Hollywood Hair by going real on the Red Carpet, using nothing but Dove haircare products, and styling her own hair, for the Emmy Awards. And while you're there, enter Dove's Love Your Hair Ad Contest. Create your own Dove hair care ad and enter for a chance to win a trip to New York City and be featured in a Dove commercial. When it comes to haircare, if Ali Larter can keep it real, we all can.

In Memoriam

2007-09-12T14:11:00.000-04:00

Dame Anita Roddick, the founder of The Body Shop and champion of social causes, died suddenly this past Monday of a brain hemmorage. She was 64 years old.

Roddick opened the first Body Shop in Brighton in 1976 as a small, independent beauty shop devoted to making and selling natural skincare products. No one then could have imagined that her small shop would one day turn into almost 2000 worldwide. Under Ms. Roddick's leadership, The Body Shop earned a reputation for promoting ethical commerce and social practices. They pioneered the practice of fair trade, in which ingredients were sourced from indiginous communities (often poor) worldwide, thus earning the communities a source of income without taking advantage of the people or their resources. They were among the first to campaign against animal testing and the use of animal products in their cosmetics. The Body Shop also promoted many social causes, like Greenpeace, and Children on the Edge (which helped Romanian orphans), as well as causes to increase awareness about domestic violence, AIDS, and Hepatitis C, which Roddick had revealed this past February she had been carrying since 1971 when she had a blood transfusion during the birth of her daughter, although she didn't learn she had the disease until 2004. Most notably, The Body Shop was among the earliest opponents of animal testing in the cosmetics industry, thereby raising awareness among consumers about the practice.

In 2003, Queen Elizabeth II made Roddick a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire, which entitled her to be called Dame Anita. When she sold The Body Shop to French cosmetics giant L'Oreal last year, critics accused her of selling out. In her view, however, she did it to teach the major cosmetics manufacturer about fair trade and more ethical practices. And although L'Oreal owned The Body Shop, the Body Shop continued to be run independently of L'Oreal.

Ms. Roddick's legacy is not merely the many Body Shops worldwide that continue to bring the over 300 fair-trade-sourced products to consumers. It is also her committment to social causes, a committment that The Body Shop will hopefully carry on in her name.

Save the Cheerleader, Save the World

2007-09-10T23:07:00.000-04:00

The Make-up Scoop from the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards

MTV’s 2007 Video Music Awards had an abundance of fresh, glowing complexions paired with natural eye shadow shades that brought out the beautiful tones of apricot and nude lips many celebs were sporting this year.

Celebrity make-up artist Matin, who created Hayden Panettiere's flawless face at this year’s VMAs, gave Hayden a soft, natural make-up look that showed off her radiant skin and fantastic smile. Hayden’s natural look can be achieved with just a few key make-up items! To get Hayden Panettiere’s fresh look, try the following Neutrogena products:

v Healthy Skin Glow Sheers in Fair to Light
v Mineral Sheers Blush in Illuminator
v Mineral Sheers for Eyes in Clay
v Full Volume Mascara in Rich Black
v Lip Sheers in Pink Splash
v MoistureShine Lip Soother in Shimmer
v Shine-Control Blotting Sheets

About Matin:
Matin has worked with the who’s who of the entertainment industry and has been featured in magazines such as Allure, Harper’s Bazaar, Vanity Fair and Vogue. His personal client list includes Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Connelly, Liv Tyler, Rachel Weisz, Sheryl Crow

Don't Waste Your Money

2007-08-26T17:31:00.000-04:00

I don't know whether it's due to stress or to the synthetic ingredients in the skincare line that I was previously using, but lately my face has been erupting worse than Mount Vesuvius. I've always been prone to acne, but in the past few months my face has looked worse than it did when I was a teenager. So out of desperation, not wanting to do the Accutane thing (for a third time) and finding over-the-counter remedies barely effective, I shelled out $150 for the latest anti-acne "miracle": the Zeno Acne Clearing Device. This high-tech zit zapper uses a two-minute burst of heat, applied directly to the pimple, to kill bacteria. The manufacturer claims that Zeno can completely eliminate pimples, many within the first 24-48 hours, when this device is used. However, there are limitations as to what the Zeno can do, and unfortunately, you won't learn what those limitations are until you pay the big bucks for the device, open the shrink-wrapped box, and read the user's guide contained within.

I bought my Zeno with a face full of pimples and high hopes that this small device resembling a cigarette lighter would zap them away overnight. Sure, it sounds too good to be true, but the seal on the box proclaiming this product as being an Allure Magazine Editor's Choice for Breakthrough Product convinced me. After all, if Allure Magazine says it works, then why shouldn't I believe them? But when I read the user's guide, I learned that Zeno isn't effective on all kinds of pimples. In fact, it states that it's really only effective on pimples that are just starting - when you notice those small bumps on your face that may or may not turn into a pimple. It wasn't effective on my full-blown pimples, and even when I tried it on spots that I thought were going to become pimples, it didn't eradicate them. In short, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

I bought the original Zeno. It used to retail for about $200 and was sold in high-end salons and spas like Bliss Spa, until the manufacturer released the second generation Zeno Pro. Now the original Zeno is $150, and you can buy it at less-than-exclusive major drugstore chains such as Walgreens and Target. Now there is a third-generation Zeno MD. It's just like with iPods: when the first version can be improved upon, introduce another one and reduce the price of the one before it.

I don't know if the newer Zenos are more effective than the original one, but my experience with Zeno has convinced me never to spend a lot of money on something that makes claims that seem too good to be true. Zeno offers a 30-day money back guarantee if not completely satisfied. Needless to say I've already taken advantage of it. If anyone else has used Zeno, I'd love to hear what you have to say about it, positive or negative.

Naturally Beautiful

2007-08-15T19:09:00.000-04:00

I've recently decided to do more to take better care of myself, both inside and out. I'm cutting out diet colas and drinking sparkling spring water in an attempt to detoxify my insides and eliminate unhealthy additives. On the outside, I've started using a completely all-natural skincare line called Talulah Natural Skincare. Talulah Natural Skincare products contain no synthetic ingredients, no petrochemicals, no parabens and phthalates, and no animal products. Their face and body care products are truly clean, unlike some companies that claim their products are natural but use "safe synthetics" or preservatives. Talulah's products are completely vegetarian, and many are vegan. And none are tested on animals. Nicole Maust, the founder of Talulah, started creating skincare products out of her home in Portland, Oregon in 2001. Today Talulah Natural Skincare has moved beyond being a successful cottage industry to encompass a staff of people dedicated to enhancing their customers' external health through their natural, holistic products.

My favorite product is the Vanilla Bean Cleanser ($20 for 4 oz.), a melange of organic sugar (a natural source of alpha hydroxy acid), jasmine rice, saponified olive oil soap, Madagascar vanilla beans, and a host of essential oils. It both lathers and gently exfoliates, perfect for complexions that are sensitive to manual and chemical exfoliating products. And it smells great, too.

I am also very fond of the Oma Face Serum #1 ($22 for 1 oz.) for oily and blemished complexions (Talulah makes an Oma Face Serum #2 for drier skin types). It's a blend of essential oils that regulate sebum production while healing inflammation and scarring. For those who believe that you shouldn't put oil on oily skin, this serum consists of a base of grapeseed oil, a light, easily absorbed oil that helps oxygenate the skin cells. It melts into the skin and, once absorbed, skin feels super soft but not greasy or over-moisturized. It's a perfect way for oily girls to moisturize without using lotions or heavy creams that could clog the pores.

After a busy day at work, I like to unwind in the evening by luxuriating in a warm bath. Talulah's Saffron Body Wash ($23 for 8 oz.) in Orange Rind and Geranium is a perfect way to soothe both the body and the mind. It lathers just as well if not better than many synthetic or mass-produced shower gels without stripping the skin. And the warm, soothing fragrance is sexy without being overpowering - the kind of fragrance you could wear while sidling up to that someone special to get his attention without wearing perfume.

In addition to helping people take better care of their faces and bodies, Talulah Natural Skincare is also dedicated to making a difference in the community. Each year Talulah donates 20 percent of their profits after taxes to womens' social services through their Charitable Giving Program. Talulah really is cosmetics with a conscience.

Talulah Natural Skincare is getting ready to unveil their improved website this fall, along with a host of new products. You can visit their current website at www.talulahskincare.com.

Win RoC Skincare and Tickets to a Boston Movie Premiere

2007-07-05T15:51:00.000-04:00

Attention all Boston-area beauty and movie fanatics! If you live in or near Boston, or if you will be in the Boston area on July 12th, the good people at RoC Skincare want to send you and a friend to a movie premiere, and treat you to some of their fine products as well.

This year RoC is celebrating its 50th anniversary! To kick off the milestone birthday, and celebrate their French heritage, RoC® has also partnered with the Boston Film Festival to sponsor the premiere of “My Best Friend,” directed by famed director Patrice Leconte, in Boston. ROC is giving away TWO tickets (winner and her best friend) to the “Mon meilleur ami” premiere screening in Boston at on Thursday, July 12th at 7:30pm at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.

RoC is celebrating their anniversary at the premiere of "Mon meilleur ami" (My Best Friend) at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. One lucky reader has the chance to win two tickets to the premiere! Along with the premiere tickets ROC would also like to provide this line of products to the winner. (Products include: RoC® RETINOL CORREXION® Deep Wrinkle Night Cream, Deep Wrinkle Serum and Eye Cream).

The first person to email me at bostonredlox [at] [the url for this website] by 11:59 pm on Tuesday, July 10, 2007 will be chosen. Please include the word "ROC" in the subject heading and your mailing address in the body of your message, (no P.O. Boxes, please).

Bonne Chance!

About “My Best Friend”:

"Mon meilleur ami" is directed by famous French director Patrice Leconte and features a great cast. The highly entertaining comedy is about two business partners; Catherine and the unlikable Francois. Catherine cannot believe Francois has a best friend so she challenges him to set up an introduction between the three of them. Francoise scrambles to find someone willing to pose as his best friend and then comes an unexpected twist!

Urban Legend Number Two: The Knockout Perfume

2007-06-18T17:04:00.000-04:00

We've all been there. You're innocently walking through the fragrance section of a department store when suddenly, out of nowhere, a sales associate accosts you and spritzes you with a perfume so strong it could knock you out. Now there is an internet email going around that warns people about a perfume that can literally do just that. Only it's not true.

I have received yet another alarmist email from my aunt. Regular readers may remember the email she sent me in April about lead in lipstick that turned out to be an urgan legend. Recently, she sent me this email about this alleged knockout perfume:

MAKE SURE YOUR DAUGHTERS, FRIENDS, RELATIVES, ETC. KNOW!
>
> Th is was written by a guy from KVLY-TV in Fargo; see bottom of msg.
> This is true. Scary!
>
> This is something that happened to us on the way back from vacation
> last week. At first I didn't think much of it until now. The reason we
> were
> a little suspicious is we had been riding in a jeep all day with 100
> degree temps and we stopped at a truck stop for something to drink.
>
> When I was leaving, a young girl followed me out and asked what kind
> of cologne I was wearing.
> Well, after 7 hours in the car sweating, I don't think you could tell
> if I was or was not wearing any cologne. We just got in the jeep and
> said
> no thanks.
>
> Then it was about 3 weeks ago, I was at a service station in Birmingham
> getting gas. It was about 9:30 pm. I was approached by 2 men and 2
> women in a car. The man that was driving asked me 'What kind of perfume
> do you
> wear?'
> I was a bit confused and I asked him 'Why?' He said, 'We are selling
> some name brand perfumes, at cheap prices.I said I had no money. He then
> reached out of the car and handed me paper that was laminated; it had
> many
> perfumes on it. I looked quickly at it and gave it back. I said, have no
> money.
> He said it is OK, we take check, cash, or credit cards. Then the people
> in the car began to laugh. I just got in my car and said no thanks.
>
> Then I received this e-mail yesterday and it sent chills up my spine.
>
> Please read this. It is no joke. Here is the e-mail I was sent:
>
> Dear Friends:
>
> I know not all of you are women that I am sending this to, but am
> hoping you will share this with your wives, daughters, mothers, sisters,
> etc. Our
> world seems to be getting crazier by the day. Pipe bombs in mail boxes
> and
> sickos in parking lots with perfume. Be careful. I was approached
> yesterday
> afternoon around 5:30 PM in the Wal-Mart parking lot by two men asking
> what kind of perfu me I was wearing. Then they asked if I'd like to
> sample
> some fabulous scent they were willing to sell me at very reasonable
> rate. I
> probably would have agreed had I not received an e-mail warning of a
> 'Wanna smell this neat perfume?'
> The men continued to stand between parked cars, I guess to wait for
> someone else to hit on. I stopped a lady going towards them, pointing at
> them
> and told her about how I was sent an e-mail at work about someone
> walking
> up to you at the malls or in parking lots and asking you to SNIFF
> PERFUME
> that they are selling at a cheap price or at least compare to which one
> you
> like best.
>
> THIS IS NOT PERFUME... IT IS ETHER!
>
> When you sniff it, you'll pass out. They'll take your wallet, your
> valuables
> and heaven knows what else. If it were not for this e-mail, I probably
> would have sniffed the 'perfume' but thanks to! the generosity of an
> e-mailing friend, I was spared whate ver might have happened to me. I
> wanted to
> do the same for you.
>
> PLEASE PASS THIS ALONG TO ALL YOUR WOMEN FRIENDS AND PLEASE BE ALERT
> AND BE AWARE. IF YOU ARE A MAN AND RECEIVE THIS, PASS IT ON TO YOUR
> WOMEN FRIENDS.
>
> Ladies, this happened to me yesterday and I didn't smell the perfume
> either,
> thanks to this email. This is true. Believe me, I know. I was over by
> Big
> Lots in the parking lot at lunch time when I was approached.
>
> So either day or night, it does not matter. There were 3 guys together
> when I was approached. I called the police when I got back to my desk.
> Like
> the email says above, LET EVERYONE KNOW ABOUT THIS - YOUR FRIENDS,
> FAMILY,
> CO-WORKERS, whomever. It helped me. The first thing that popped into my
> head
> was this e-mail warning.
>
MAKE SURE YOUR DAUGHTERS KNOW

Once again I have consulted my trusty mythbusting source. Sure enough, like the lead in lipstick story, this one is also an urban legend. And there are several variations on it. There's the Little Rock, Arkansas variant. The Australian variant. The Singapore Variant. The Canadian Variant. All of them involve the same ether-disguised-as-perfume-to-take-advantage-of-you ruse. Bottom line, if you get an email about this, do what I do. Hit the "Delete" button.

Mineral Magic

2007-06-13T19:35:00.000-04:00

I stopped wearing foundation over a year ago. My complexion is so prone to congestion that I thought perhaps liquid foundation was contributing to the problem. So I cut it out of my makeup regimen. My skin cleared up somewhat, but I still battle blemishes on a regular basis. Because my skin still doesn't look as flawless as it could, I decided to try mineral makeup.

My package from Erth Mineral Makeup arrived last week and I've been dilligently using the products ever since. I've been using their Mineral Makeup Foundation, Mineral Concealer, Mineral Blush, Moth Veil, and two Mineral Eyeshadows. They're easy to apply and I can "do" my face in two minutes from start to finish.

By far my favorite product is the Mineral Concealer ($7.50). I've been using the shade called Wheat. In the pot it looks very yellow, but this is to neutralize any redness in the skin. When I apply it to the areas of my face that are red or broken out, it evens out my complexion and minimizes the appearance of breakouts. I apply it with a small flat brush as the first step in my mineral makeup routine. The concealer comes in four colors - three neutrals, and a green shade.

Next I apply the Mineral Foundation ($13) with a large fluffy brush. I use 1.0, which is the lightest shade. It looks natural with my skin tone and makes my complexion look smooth and even. The effect reminds me of that old Hollywood trick of filming aging actresses through gauze to minimize fine lines and wrinkles - not that I have a lot, mind you. But the mineral foundation definitely improves the appearance of my skin. And it has an SPF of 15 with titanium dioxide, so it protects against both burning and aging sun rays. The foundation comes in 7 shades.

After using the foundation, I top it off with the Moth Veil ($11). It's a colorless finishing mineral veil that helps minimize pores and further even out the complexion.

I add a bit of color to my face with the Mineral Blusher ($12.50) in Bloom. It's a bright pink color that, when applied, gives my cheeks a healthy rosy glow. The color is subtle and natural-looking, but it definitely makes a difference in brightening my complexion. There are four colors to choose from.

I also bought two Mineral Eyeshadows ($5.25) in Turquoise and Fern. Although they appear sparkly in the jar, they actually go on as a sheer wash of color for a natural, not overdone look. There are 16 colors to choose from, including brights, neutrals, and pastels for a variety of looks.

For $32.95 you can also try the 5-piece Mineral Makeup Kit. It contains three shades of the Mineral Foundation, a Moth Veil, and a mineral Warm Bronzer.

Erth Mineral Makeup retails for about half the price of other mineral makeup lines, and the quality is just as good. In addition to mineral makeup, they also make lip glosses and a line of natural skincare products, as well as several brushes for application of the mineral makeup. For quality and value, give Erth Minerals a try! And between June 8th through the 15th, any order over $35 will receive two free full-sized mineral eyeshadows. Erth Minerals's website is www.lushbrush.com.

Tea with Sugar

2007-05-31T20:13:00.000-04:00

Spring always makes me rethink my skincare and makeup routines. The weather is warmer, and I like to switch to lightweight products. On a recent trip to Sephora, I decided to try products from Korres, the line of natural apothecary products from Greece. I have never tried Korres products before but I've always been curious about them. So I purchased a cleanser and moisturizer.

White Tea Facial Fluid Gel Cleanser, $19.50, is non-drying, unlike many gel cleansers. My face feels fresh and clean, but not tight. And it smells comfortingly like tea. Sugar Crystal Cream Multivitamain Skin Shield, $36, contains vitamins A, C, E, F, and B5. It's lightweight but moisturizing.

The Korres white tea cleanser and sugar moisturizer feel great and smell divine. Basic, natural skincare that feels good and is good for the skin. Isn't that what everyone wants in a skincare routine?

It's Hip to Be Square

2007-05-22T22:00:00.000-04:00

My apologies for the Huey Lewis and the News reference.

Method, that eco-friendly line of house and home products, have introduced a line of personal care products. Called Bloq, this line of body wash, body lotion, shave cream, and soap come in square containers (hence the name - geddit?). The body wash, body lotion, and soap come in four fragrances: Beach Sage, Citron Leaf, Green Mint, and Water Flower, while the shave cream comes in the Green Mint and the Citron Leaf. I bought the body wash in Beach Sage and the shave cream in Citron Leaf. The body wash is very creamy and makes loads of rich lather, especially when you use it with one of those net lather poufs. The shave cream is unlike traditional shaving creams. It isn't a foaming lathering mess in an aerosol can, like most creams on the market. Instead, it's a non-lathering lotion that is very moisturizing and gives a smooth, close shave. And I adore the fragrances. Beach Sage is so comforting. It's reminiscent of those "oceany" perfumes, but with woodsy notes as well. Citron Leaf is both citrusy and green. As wonderful as the fragrances are, they are surprisingly unisex, so men as well as women would enjoy them. I look forward to trying more of the Bloq products. For under $6 each, they're a little bit of heaven in the bath.

Bloq by Method can be found at Target stores, or at the Method website.

Hello Pretty-Expensive

2007-05-16T03:08:00.000-04:00

If you're like me, but afraid to admit it (also like me), you're old enough to remember Hello Kitty when she was just for little kids, and you were among her first generation of fans. But beyond elementary school, you would have been considered too old to like Hello Kitty. Back in the day, if I had brought a Hello Kitty notebook or pen with plastic Hello Kitty dangly charm to class when I was in junior high, I would have been teased worse than the kid in the Star Wars t-shirt and floods. Heck, even he would have made fun of me. But now that Hello Kitty has reached such iconic status, it's cool for women of all ages to love her. Take Kimora Lee Simmons, for example. The model, cosmetics mogul, and fashion designer for Baby Phat has her own line of gem-encrusted Hello Kitty jewelry. This pave diamond pendant (above, below left) is available at Nieman Marcus online, and retails for $4,250. Too rich for your blood? Mine too! That's why I have Avon's version (below, right) for the low, low price of only $9.95.

I know what you're thinking. Sure, the Avon version doesn't even come close to the Kimora Lee Simmons version, but with the money I've saved, I could put a down payment on a car or take a vacation to Europe. Remember, cute doesn't have to cost a lot.

May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month

2007-05-08T22:08:00.000-04:00

With spring here, and summer just around the corner, now is a good time to make sure you protect yourself against the harmful rays of the sun. The months of May, June and July have more hours of daylight than any other time of the year. Not coincidentally, the month of May is skin cancer awareness month. Check out this article from the American Cancer Society to learn how to detect and protect your skin from skin cancer, including the proper use of sunscreen.

Always remember, no matter what your skin tone or type, no matter what the weather or season, it is important to apply sunblock every day. Make sure that your sunblock contains either Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide, or Avobenzone (also called Parsol 1789). These three ingredients have traditionally been considered the only ones that provide broad-spectrum sun protection, shielding the skin from both UVA rays (the ageing ones) as well as UVB rays (the burning ones). For the face, try a lightweight facial sunblock like the new Clinique City Block Sheer SPF 25, the latest in Clinique's City Block line of facial sunblocks. You can also protect your face with a daily moisturizer or tinted moisturizer with an SPF of 15 or higher. And in the warmer months, when short sleeves and pants mean more skin is exposed, apply sunblock to your arms, legs, back, and any other exposed area. Neutrogena has launched their new line of Sun Protection products containing Helioplex (TM), which can also protect the skin from both UVA and UVB rays. Try Ultra Sheer Dry Touch SPF 30 or SPF 45, sun protection for the body in a lightweight, sheer mist forumula for easy application.

And while you're protecting yourself from those harmful UVA and UVB rays, don't forget to protect your children. As a redheaded, pale complexioned person, I can still remember the horrible sunburns I used to get every summer as a child. Consequently, I was the nerd who wore a t-shirt over her bathing suit at the pool, but that was the best my parents could do at the time because there just wasn't that same level of awareness of sun protection that there is today. And experts say severe sunburns from childhood often are the cause of skin cancer later in life. Now, however, there are many excellent sun protection products for children. Crunchy-granola brand California Baby offers Water-Resistant, Hypoallergenic Suncreen SPF 30 that won't come off in the pool or at the beach. And it's free of chemical sunscreens.Remember to apply sunblock at least 30 minutes before leaving the house, and always reapply after swimming.

Of course, if you insist on looking like a bronze goddess instead of Casper the Ghost this summer, self-tanners are the way to go. There are many great formulas that look natural, not orange. Origins' Great Pretender Shimmery Self-Tanner for Body uses sugar-derived DHA to create a natural-looking tan. Use their Faux Glow Radiant Self-Tanner for the Face to ensure that your face matches the rest of your body.

In addition to preventing skin cancer, another benefit of using sunblock is that it prevents premature ageing of the skin. Skincare experts agree that there is really no such thing as an "anti-wrinkle cream," except for sunblock. So if you spend a lot of time outdoors and don't want to end up looking like one of the California Raisins, don't forget to "block up" before you leave the house. Remember, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of tretinoin.

Sheerly Beautiful

2007-05-07T17:58:00.000-04:00

I've grown weary of new fragrances that try too hard to be modern and different. They'll mix an odd combination of notes, taking something traditional like florals and blending them with something "edgy", like black pepper, or tobacco, or hemp. The result is the same: a not-unpleasant but instantly forgettable fragrance that smells like every other new fragrance out there. I'm talking to you, Rock 'n Rose by Valentino, or anything by Calvin Klein. But I'm always willing to try out a new fragrance just the same, in case there's an exception to the rule that pleasantly surprises me.

When the original Stella fragrance by Stella McCartney debuted a few years ago, I spritzed myself with some at my local Sephora and decided I didn't care for it. It was too heavy on the amber. I prefer lighter fragrances to those exotic, "sensual" ones. As a result of this experience, I never bothered with the subsequent Stella McCartney fragrances. And what did I miss as a result of my perfume pickiness?

I think I must be the last woman in the world to try Sheer Stella by Stella McCartney. I recently bought some at Sephora.com when I saw it was a new offering. The Sheer Stella eau de toilette is a lighter, more "floral-y" (not a word, I know) version of the original Stella. Sheer Stella's notes are lemon, green apple, celestial rose, and lastly, the amber which features so much more prominently in the original Stella fragrance (which is why I didn't like it). But I am loving the Sheer Stella. It's a bit strong at first, but it fades to a lovely soft citrusy-floral fragrance that is delicate and romantic. Sometimes I detect the fruity notes, which remind me of a green tea perfume I bought years ago at Barney's, even though there are no green tea notes in Sheer Stella. Other times, I detect the rose, which reminds me of the rose notes in the long-discontinued Laura Ashley No. 1 perfume, which I still miss twenty years later. Coming from such a modern young designer, Sheer Stella is surprisingly traditional, but not stuffy. And in my book, traditional has a better chance of becoming a classic than edgy does.

Being a new convert to Sheer Stella, I also didn't realize that the perfume is a limited edition. Each year around springtime Stella McCartney perfumes releases the scent in a different bottle. This year's bottle is of clear pink glass with a delicate floral design in gold. The bottle is as exquisite as the perfume. And, oddly enough, Sheer Stella has become somewhat of a panacea for me. I sometimes suffer from insomnia, and I've found that if I spritz myself with Sheer Stella about a half an hour before bedtime, it dries down to such a calming and relaxing fragrance that I fall asleep sooner. And at $52 for 3.4 ounces, it's more cost-effective than Ambien, without those pesky sleep-driving or sleep-binge-eating side effects.

I still haven't tried any of the other Stella McCartney fragrances, but I'm sure as heck going to the next time I'm in Sephora.

It's Back!

2007-05-05T20:10:00.000-04:00

"It's Back!" That's what the banners read inside Boots stores nationwide in Britain yesterday as the popular retailer received new stock of their wildly successful No. 7 Protect and Perfect Serum. The serum completely sold out all over Britain a couple of months ago after an independent research study on skincare products sponsored by a popular British television program concluded that the Boots serum was just as effective at preventing and repairing signs of aging as prescription creams. Boots stores yesterday were packed with shoppers no doubt going through withdrawal after being unable to obtain the serum for several weeks. So newsworthy was this event that, here in the U.S., CNN Headline News ran a story on it, with a correspondent "embedded" in a Boots store in London as swarms of shoppers swooped in to grab their bottles. To prevent people from buying the serum just to sell online, Boots limited purchases of the serum to one bottle per shopper, but that didn't stop some people from buying a bottle, leaving, and then returning later to buy another bottle.

In the U.S., the serum is called Restore and Renew. It can be found at Target or at Boots.com for $20.

Mechan-eyes Your Makeup

2007-05-04T03:07:00.000-04:00

Image courtesy of maybelline.com

As much as I love makeup, and you know I do, one thing I've never really been able to get the hang of is eyeliner. In fact, I never line my eyes, unless it's for a special occasion, and then I feel that it doesn't look right. I don't do well with eyeliner pencils. I can't get them close enough to the lash line, so the line it leaves encircles my eyes too much, making my peepers look huge. Liquid liner leaves too harsh a line and is hard to control. Ditto those creme liners in a pot that you apply with a flat brush, and they smudge, contrary to their manufacturers' claims. So what's a girl to do? I think I've found the answer. Mechanical eyeliner pencils. They come in a plastic case, and you swivel up the liner as if it was the lead in a mechanical writing pencil. The tip of the liner is so small that it makes it easy to get a thin, natural-looking line right up in the lashline, or inside the rim of the eyelid. Tarte Cosmetics introduced their Emphas-eyes retractable liner (set of two for $28, in black only) on QVC last month specifically for lining the inside rim for a more natural look.

In addition to Tarte's liner, a number of less-expensive versions can be found. Avon's Glimmersticks eyeliner comes in six colors and costs just $6. Maybelline's Line Stylist is also available in six colors, including white, and retails for $7. Max Factor, which just revamped their entire line, offers MAXeye Liner, in eight shades that can be used on your brows as well as your eyes (because I've always wanted "Green and Bare It" eyebrows!). They also sell for $7.

A new twist (excuse the pun) on the mechanical pencil is the Estee Lauder Automatic Eye Pencil Duo for $23.50. It's a double-ended pencil featuring the retractable eyeliner at one end, and the blending sponge tip usually found on wooden eyeliner pencils at the other end. Also unlike the other mechanical eyeliners, this one is refillable. It comes with one extra eyeliner cartridge, and refill cartridges are available for $11 each, in seven colors. The genius of this is that you can choose to refill it with a different color if you want to try another shade but don't want to pay another $23.50 for the pencil.

In addition to making it easier to line your eyes, mechanical eyeliner pencils have an advantage over traditional pencils in that they're self-sharpening. Thus they eliminate the need to carry a pencil sharpener in your makeup bag, or deal with the messy shavings they leave behind. I think I've finally found the solution to my eyelining problems. Now I, too can have those smoldering all-around-the-eyes liner look, just like Paris Hilton or the Olsen Twins. Hello, Gorgeous!

Britain's Next Topshop Model

2007-05-01T14:01:00.001-04:00

British supermodel Kate Moss can now add the title of fashion designer to her list of credentials. Last night the controversial covergirl unveiled her new line of fashions for British retail chain Topshop. She appeared at the Oxford Street shop in London, posing as a mannequin in the shop's window (above) as customers waited in line for the store to open. To prevent people from buying items just to sell on eBay, Topshop allowed customers to try on a maximum of eight garments, and limited the number of garments that they could purchase to just five during last night's preview. Moss's collection of fifty pieces includes skinny jeans, leather jackets, t-shirts, and minidresses. A summer collection is set to hit the stores in June.

Moss is the latest celebrity to create a fashion collection for a major retail chain. In March Madonna launched her collection for H&M.

Tea Zone

2007-05-01T03:09:00.000-04:00

We've all heard the old adage about drinking eight glasses of water a day to help your skin look its best. But what about drinking tea to help your skin? That's the idea behind the Get Gorgeous Herb Tea for Clear Skin from The Republic of Tea. Get Gorgeous is a red tea made with the South African rooibos herb. Rooibos is an anti-oxidant, and the company claims that drinking three to four cups of the tea a day will help improve the appearance of your skin by fighting free radicals, which break down skin cells and lead to aging. This caffeine-free, herbal blend also includes chamomile, orange peel, hibiscus, red clover, chaste berry, and burdock root.

I've been battling a nasty cold and sore throat for the past few days, so I figured I'd kill two birds with one stone and try to improve my skin while I improve my health. I've been drinking several cups of Get Gorgeous tea every day and I've gone through an entire container of the stuff. Do I see visible results in the appearance of my skin? Frankly, no. Granted, it tastes good -- kind of fruity -- but I think it's better for clearing the mind, like any good cup of tea will do, than for clearing the skin. And at $10 for 36 bags of tea, it's a bit steep (no pun intended). I'll just stick with my Twinings Indian Spiced Chai Tea, $3.49 at Shaw's Supermarket, thanks. The Get Gorgeous Tea is one of nine teas in the Republic of Tea's Red Tea line. All are equally pro-active, with similarly witty names (puns intended), including Get It Going Herb Tea for Regularity, Get Some ZZZs Herb Tea for Rest, and Get Lost Herb Teas for Weight.

Collector's Corner: Vintage Schiaparelli Ads

2007-04-26T22:52:00.000-04:00

Elsa Schiaparelli was an Italian fashion designer of the mid-Twentieth century. She opened her first fashion house in Paris in 1927. Schiaparelli was known for her offbeat, avant-garde fashions. She collaborated with Surrealist artists like Salvador Dali (most famously on a hat shaped like a high-heeled shoe), Jean Cocteau, and Alberto Giacometti. She also opened what could be considered the world's first boutique, where women could buy her designer clothing off-the-rack instead of being custom-fitted at a couture salon. I do feel the need to mention the fact that Schiaparelli has a connection to Boston, too. As a young wife and mother, in the years before she became a fashion designer, she briefly lived on Charles Street. In her autobiography, she complained about women not being able to walk in heels on the Boston sidewalks because of the cobblestones. Not much has changed in that respect. I once broke a heel on my most expensive pair of shoes (Anne Klein New York, $225 at Nordstrom's) after I just came out of a job interview. And, no, I didn't get the job. But I digress.

Like other fashion designers of her time, most notably Coco Chanel, Schiaparelli branched out into the world of fragrances. She introduced her first and most famous fragrance, called Shocking, in 1936. The bottle was in the shape of a female figure, modeled after Mae West -- a client of Schiaparelli's -- and it was designed by Salvador Dali. The name came from Schiaparelli's signature color, shocking pink. The Shocking line grew to include makeup such as lipstick and powder. Schiaparelli subsequently launched other fragrances, including Zut, Salut, Success Fou, Snuff (for men), and Sleeping.

In the Thirties and Forties, Schiaparelli teamed with a Hungarian artist named Marcel Vertes on a series of advertisements for her perfumes and cosmetics. Like Schiaparelli, Vertes was also an expatriate who made Paris his new home. The collaboration between Elsa Schiaparelli and Marcel Vertes was an inspired one. Vertes's whimsical, modern illustrations perfectly complemented Schiaparelli's avant-garde style and irreverant attitude. To me, these ads totally reflect the era in which they were produced. Later Schiaparelli perfume ads from the Fifties used illustrators other than Vertes, but they just don't capture the spirit and vitality of the designer and her fragrances in the same way that Vertes's ads did.

I started collecting Schiaparelli/Vertes ads two years ago because I wanted to get a few to mat and frame them. I found all of mine on eBay. They seem to be plentiful, and relatively inexpensive. Generally I've paid between $9 to $15 for them, except for one where I paid more because I got into a bidding war with another bidder. These Schiaparelli ads are a less expensive alternative to prints or lithographs for distinctive artwork for the home. One thing to look out for if you're planning to frame them is to make sure that the sizes of the ads are roughly the same. These ads were full-page ads taken from various magazines of the time. Because magazines come in all different sizes, the size of the ad depends on which magazine it was taken from. My favorite ad, for Sleeping (below), is smaller in size than my next two favorites, so I can't put them in uniform frames to hang together as a triptych.

The ads for Schiaparelli's perfumes are easier to acquire than the perfumes themselves. All were discontinued decades ago. Shocking and Zut were relaunched in the 1990s, only to be discontinued again. Newer bottles of Zut are sometimes available on fragrancenet.com. Shocking is available at perfumemart.com, but it is often sold out and on "waiting list only." Of course, you can still find original bottles of Shocking on eBay, but they command high prices. I have been outbid on every single bottle that I've bid on. I may have lost the auctions, but the irony isn't lost on me that, while I have many ads for Shocking, the perfume itself continues to elude me.

Urban Legend Number One: Lipstick May Be Hazardous To Your Health (NOT!)

2007-04-24T16:18:00.000-04:00

Today I received an email from my aunt. The subject read "Fwd: Warning About Lipstick." It read as follows:

Recently a lipstick brand called "Red Earth" decreased their prices from $67 to $9.90. It contained lead. Lead is a chemical which causes cancer.

The lipstick brands that contain lead are:
CHRISTIAN DIOR
LANCOME
CLINIQUE
Y.S.L
ESTEE LAUDER
SHISEIDO
RED EARTH (Lip Gloss)
CHANEL (Lip Conditioner)
MARKET AMERICA-MOTNES LIPSTICK

The higher the lead content, the greater the chance of causing cancer.

After doing a test on lipsticks,it was found that the Y.S.L. lipstick contained the most amount of lead.

Watch out for those lipsticks which are supposed to stay longer. If your lipstick stays longer, it is because of the higher content of lead.

Here is the test you can do yourself:

1. Put some lipstick on your hand.
2. Use a Gold ring to scratch on the lipstick.
3. If the lipstick color changes to black, then you know the lipstick contains lead.

Please send this information to all your girlfriends, wives and female family members. This information is being circulated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center Dioxin Carcinogens cause cancer, especially breast cancer.

So does this mean you should pitch all of your lipsticks in the trash can and become a lip gloss girl? Absolutely not! Reading this email, my first instinct was to take it with a grain of salt. Not only does it sound improbable that lipstick manufacturers would put a toxic substance in lipstick, I have learned from previous experience that the well-intentioned but alarmist emails that my aunt sends me, forwarded from several of her equally alarmist friends before her, always turn out to be urban legends. Suspecting this one to be the same, I consulted my trusted source for mythbusting: urbanlegends.about.com. Sure enough, the lead in lipstick story is a hoax. It has been in circulation since 2003. Here's what urbanlegend.about.com has to say about it:

Comments: False. This fear-mongering email is long on misinformation and short on verified facts. Laboratory tests have shown that some name-brand lipsticks sold in the U.S. do contain trace amounts of lead from the dyes used in their manufacture, but the lead content of these coloring agents is strictly controlled by the Food & Drug Administration to meet currently accepted safety standards and pose no serious health threat, according to a statement from the American Cancer Society.

Moreover, the message is both inaccurate and misleading when it implies that cancer is the main health hazard posed by lead exposure. Though it is indeed listed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a probable human carcinogen, lead has other, more direct health effects -- including brain damage, nerve disorders and reproductive problems -- that are far more worrisome.

Gold ring test will not detect lead in lipstick.

The handy home test for lead in lipstick touted in the email is bogus. Certain metals, including gold, may leave a dark streak when scratched on various surfaces, but this is an artifact of the metals themselves, not an indicator of a chemical reaction with lead or any other substance.

For accurate information on known and suspected health hazards associated with cosmetic products and ingredients, see the Cosmetics section of the FDA Website.

Update: A new version of this message circulating since September 2006 contains the additional claim that the material was authored by a Dr. Nahid Neman of the breast cancer unit of Mt. Sinai Hospital in Toronto. No such person exists.

March 2006 statement from Cancer Research U.K.:

The email appears to be one of the many hoax emails claiming that a variety of everyday products can cause cancer. We've had deodorant, shampoo, washing up liquid and now lipstick. None of these claims are true and just spread alarm unnecessarily.

December 2005 statement from the American Cancer Society:

Rumor:
In May 2003, an email began making the rounds claiming that many of the most popular lipsticks on the market contain lead and will cause cancer. The email then offers a way to test lipsticks to see if they have lead.

Fact:
A search of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Web site finds that lead content of coloring agents used in lipstick is regulated by that agency, and that the levels permitted are not a health problem.

So there you have it. Another beauty myth debunked. Lipstick does NOT cause cancer, so feel free to apply it with reckless abandon. Stay safe, stay beautiful.

Like Buttah

2007-04-22T20:02:00.000-04:00

It looks like spring has finally come to New England. Having been trapped indoors last weekend by the virtual monsoon that descended upon the northeast, the waters have now receded and today was a beautiful day. So I ventured out to the 'burbs to take advantage of stores that I can't find in the city, like Wal-Mart and Target. At Wal-Mart I discovered a little gem of a product from J.R. Watkins: the Shea Butter Lemon Cream. J.R. Watkins began as a family-owned and operated apothecary in the tradition of Kiehl's and C.O. Bigelow. Founded in Minnesota in 1868, the company had several national and international branches of the store throughout the late-19th-to-mid-20th century. Today, the brand can be found in major drugstore and retail chains such as Wal-Mart, Target, Duane Reade, Ulta, and drugstore.com. J.R. Watkins's products are a budget-conscious alternative to Kiehl's or Bigelow's if you're searching for genuine, honest-to-goodness old-tymie apothecary products.

The J. R. Watkins Shea Butter Lemon Cream is 4.6 ounces of creamy goodness that looks like frosting and smells like birthday cake, the yellow kind with lemon filling. Its moisturizing properties are derived from a combination of shea and cocoa butters, plus a blend of five oils - macadamia nut, avocado, apricot kernel, jojoba and coconut. It's a great multi-purpose treatment - perfect for dry hands, feet, elbows, and cuticles. I bought it to use on my hands throughout the day after frequent hand-washings and when my hands get chapped after doing the dishes, to avoid wasting my precious Perlier Risarium Black Rice Hand Cream which, being more expensive, I only use once in the morning and at night before bed. J.R. Watkins Lemon Cream absorbs quickly and doesn't leave hands greasy, just soft and velvety. And it's incredibly cheap - $4.30 at Wal-Mart, although it retails for $7.99 on the J.R. Watkins website.

The J. R. Watkins Shea Butter cream comes in four other fragrances in addition to the Lemon Cream: Aloe and Green Tea, Lavender, Mango, and Vanilla.

The Avon Lady

2007-04-19T18:11:00.000-04:00

Jillian Dempsey has a new calling - an Avon Calling. The Hollywood celebrity makeup artist and founder of Delux Cosmetics has launched her first makeup collection for Avon as their new Creative Color Director. The Jillian Dempsey Sheer Spring Collection consists of lipstick, lipgloss, and nail polish in matching colors, plus eyeshadow quads, face color compacts, and makeup brushes. The palette features "gentle whispers of color inspired by nature....subtle browns and bronzes with glistening corals and roses. Inspired by the season's soft color trend..."

And all this in addition to her busy schedule of being a Hollywood wife (she's Mrs. McDreamy), and new mom to twins. The Jillian Dempsey Sheer Spring Color Collection is very reasonably priced, with pieces costing between $4.50 and $11. It's available from avon.com.

A Whiter Shade of Pale

2007-04-17T03:29:00.000-04:00

Rembrandt whitening toothpaste has recently undergone a makeover. Their new packaging is as white and bright as the smile their products promise to give you. The modern, minimalist design was attractive enough to convince me to spend seven dollars on a 2.6 ounce tube of toothpaste. Rembrandt offers several varieties of whitening toothpaste. I chose the Rembrandt Premium Toothpaste with Fluoride and Peroxide in Fresh Mint. I've been using it for two weeks, and I can already see a difference. My teeth look whiter, and I drink at least two cups of coffee every morning, plus countless glasses of Diet Coke a day.

From the front page of rembrandt.com

So will Rembrandt toothpaste do wonders for my love life, like the picture above suggests? Probably not. But I do see a difference in how white my teeth look, and really, isn't that what it's all about?

Another One Bites the Dust

2007-04-16T14:49:00.000-04:00

And another one down, as word comes that online beauty retail site Gloss.com will be shutting down. L.A. Story broke the news last week that, come June, Gloss.com will cease operations. Gloss.com is an online source for many high-end cosmetic, skincare and fragrance lines, such as La Mer, MAC, Jo Malone, and Estee Lauder. The bottom line is that it just wasn't profitable.

Gloss.com joins other online beauty sites such as eve.com and beautyjungle.com that famously folded.

Sell-Outs

2007-04-15T15:19:00.000-04:00

Yesterday's post about the popularity of Boots's Protect and Perfect Serum got me to thinking about other beauty products that have been so popular that they sold out when they were first introduced. So here is a brief overview of some of the "must-have" products of the past decade that caused a run on the beauty counters.

Chanel Nail Polish in Vamp. The mid 1990s saw a trend for bright, pastel, and unusual nailpolish colors. Spearheaded by independent cosmetics lines like Urban Decay and Hard Candy, women were sporting talons in shades of blue, green, yellow, and anything in between. When Chanel introduced the nail polish color Vamp in 1995, it was a high-end version of the cheap Wet 'n Wild goth nail polish we all wore in college. A deep black-red, it was an immediate success. Chanel counters across the country couldn't keep it in stock. It spawned a matching lipstick. It was even mentioned by name in the short-lived television sitcom "High Society," an American knock-off of "Absolutely Fabulous" starring Jean Smart and Mary McDonnell as two highly successful but shallow fashionistas. "Vamp" has become one of those rare, iconic nail polish shades, right up there with Revlon's "Fire and Ice."

Dior Mascara Flash Highlights for Hair - Debuting in the spring of 1998, these were tubes of color in shades of blonde and copper, as well as unusual shades like blue, that gave instant highlights to the hair. They were like large tubes of mascara. The wand was like a large mascara wand that you applied to strands of hair in an attempt to recreate expensive salon highlighting. The lightest blonde shade was particularly popular and was frequently sold out.

Makeup Forever White Eyeliner Pencil - A trick of the trade for theatrical makeup artists and drag queens, white eyeliner pencil went "mainstream" in the mid-to-late 90s, after some fashion magazine or other used a white eyeliner pencil to line the lower inner rim of the eyes. This trend for lining the eyes in white led to other cosmetic companies creating white eyeliner pencils, but MUE was one of the few companies that made one before this trend. Consequently, it was sold out at many Makeup Forever counters.

Club Monaco Lipstick in Glaze - Monica Lewinsky's television interview with Barbara Walters in March 1999 was supposed to clear the air about her scandalous affair with then-President Bill Clinton. Who would have thought it would become more famous for the lipstick that she wore during the interview? ABC was besieged with inquiries, and soon Club Monaco stores were waitlisting their lipstick in"Glaze." The bronze eyeshadow, nude lipliner, and peachy blush that she also wore during the interview became best-sellers as well.

Stri-Vectin - This $159-a tube stretchmark cream became a worldwide phenomenon after it was discovered to be effective on wrinkles. It has spawned countless less-expensive imitations. The original frequently sells out in stores and online.

Being a beauty product addict, I am guilty of buying all of the above makeup products when they became popular. I admit, I even got on the waitlist for all of the Club Monaco makeup products that Monica Lewinsky wore, and I don't even like her! Such is the life of a hopeless beauty addict.

These Boots are Made for Flying (off the Shelves)

2007-04-15T02:29:00.000-04:00

The beauty world is abuzz with news that a drugstore-chain facial serum equals expensive prescription creams in the benefits it has on ageing skin. In March, a British television show conducted an independent study on skin care products. The researchers were astounded by what they found. They discovered that the Boots No. 7 Protect and Perfect Beauty Serum not only lived up to its claims to repair the skin, but was on par with prescription creams for sun-damaged skin. Last month Boots, the 150-year-old British retail chain, introduced its skincare and makeup to the United States. Their "No. 7" line of skincare and makeup has been sold in Britain for seventy years, and is the UK's number-one-selling line of cosmetics. In America, their products are sold exclusively in Target and CVS stores. Here's what boots.com has to say about the Protect and Perfect serum:

Scientifically Proven Skincare

No7 Protect & Perfect Serum - as featured on BBC2's Horizon - scientifically proven to repair skin aged by sunlight.

Professor Lesley Regan (one of the UK's most well-respected medical experts) joined forces with the BBC's flagship science programme, Horizon to investigate the world of cosmetic product claims. Having just turned fifty, her mission was to create an 'experimentally proven' beauty cabinet of products to help keep her looking youthful. Research led her to Manchester University where eminent dermatologist Professor Chris Griffiths carried out independent research on No7 Protect and Perfect Beauty Serum and scientifically proved that it repairs photo-aged skin and improves the fine wrinkles associated with photo-ageing.

Key product benefits:

Concentrated levels of collagen-boosting ingredients to smooth out lines and firm the surface of the skin

Skin-protecting antioxidants to help prevent damage from sun exposure, air conditioning and pollution.

Needless to say, after this television program aired, there was a run on this product. Sales of the serum, which debuted three years ago, jumped by 2000 percent. Currently the No 7 Protect and Perfect serum is completely sold out in the United Kingdom, both in the Boots retail stores as well as online. New stock is expected in a couple of weeks, but in the meantime, this item is being waitlisted. In the United States, the Protect and Perfect serum is called Restore and Renew. It's available (for the time being) at Target. But many people in the States who are wise to the hoopla over this product in Britain are buying Restore and Renew to sell it on eBay, where the $20 serum (17 pounds in the UK) has been commanding several times its price from people desperate to get their hands on this product. The chemist for Boots who developed the formula is currently working on an anti-ageing body cream, which is due out in October.

Of course, on learning of the miraculous properties of this serum, I ran out to Target and bought a bottle. I resisted the temptation to stock up on it, though. I'll give it the 4 weeks it claims it takes to see visible results before I decide if I can't live without this product. But it feels good and I haven't had any adverse reactions to it. As the much-maligned "Target Lady" from Saturday Night Live would say, "Approved."

Sweet Dreams Are Made of This

2007-04-13T17:40:00.000-04:00

I had the strangest dream last night. I dreamt that I was on my lunch break from a temp job. I had to go to the bank, and afterwards I was walking down Newbury Street, only it didn't look like Newbury Street, the way sometimes places, or people, don't look like what or who they are supposed to be in dreams, but you know it's supposed to be that place or person anyway. While I was on Newbury Street, Stacy London of t.v.'s "What Not To Wear" approached me. She told me WNTW had finally gotten around to me, two years after I nominated myself for the show when they came to the Boston area as part of their nation-wide mall audition tour (I actually did nominate myself when they came to Boston). Only I wasn't selected for the $5000, week in New York shopping spree. They selected me for a one-day mini-makeover to make me resemble a celebrity. Now I know WNTW doesn't do celebrity-inspired mini-makeovers, but the Style Networks's "Style Her Famous" does. It's sad when reality television makeover shows merge together in my dreams. Maybe I've been spending too much time on this beauty blog. Or maybe it was the cheese quesadilla I had for dinner last night.

When Stacy London and I got to the salon where my makeover would take place, Stacy and the stylist asked me what celebrity I'd like to resemble. "Jennifer Aniston," I thought to myself, but I asked Stacy what she would suggest, in case she had a better idea of which celebrity style would suit me. To my surprise she replied "Jennifer Aniston." "I was thinking Jennifer Aniston!" I exclaimed. Then she and the stylist explained that my Jennifer Aniston hairstyle would be very high-maintenance, with the cut, color, flat ironing, etc., and asked if I would be okay with that. I started to tell them that my hair was very important to me and if they did something too drastic I wouldn't be happy, but then I stopped myself. I was afraid that they would choose someone else if I wasn't on board with the makeover, and I didn't want to sacrifice the free designer outfit I would also receive as part of the makeover. But before the makeover could begin, I had to call my temp job and tell them I wasn't coming back to the office that day because I was selected for a reality t.v. makeover. And here's where the problems began.

I had to leave the salon to find a payphone. And for some reason, I just wasn't able to make the call. First, I didn't know the office's phone number off-hand, and I had to dig in my pockets to find the scrap of paper with the phone number on it. Then the phone wouldn't take my quarter, I couldn't read my own handwriting to read the phone number on the piece of paper, then I couldn't dial the number right, and then, inexplicably, there were suddenly twenty people waiting in line behind me to use the phone, which rattled me even more. After several false starts, I finally called the office to tell them I wasn't coming in.

I never did find out how I looked after my makeover. I woke up as soon as I hung up the pay phone. But I think I know why I had that dream. I do really like Jennifer Aniston's style, and if I was really chosen for a celebrity-inspired makeover, I would probably choose her. After all, she does have great hair. And I recently saw an ad on another blog for Sudzz FX Cashmere Shampoo, with a picture of Ms. Aniston returning from her salon with a shopping bag containing this product. So now I am seriously contemplating paying $41 for an 8-ounce bottle of shampoo. That's how easily prone to suggestion I am, that my dreams could lead to an expensive impulse purchase. SudzzFX haircare products are available at Hairflix.

The Diceman Cometh

2007-04-11T16:45:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was opening day for Fenway Park and the Boston Red Socks. Tonight will be the Fenway debut of their new star pitcher, Daisuke Matsuzaka, a.k.a. The Diceman. The Sox shelled out $100 million dollars to lure Daisuke to Boston from the land of the rising sun. In their home country, Daisuke and his wife, a former television presenter, are like the Posh and Becks of Japan. And like Posh and Becks, who have also come to the United States to start a new, obscenely highly paid life, the Matsuzakas are no doubt experiencing a bit of culture shock.

Dunkin' Donuts and the Red Sox - two Boston institutions. Looks like he's fitting in already.

Another example of East-Meets-West cultural intermingling is Tokidoki. Tokidoki's cute, anime-style artwork has been a favorite of pop culture fans for a few years, and is now gaining mainstream popularity thanks to some lucrative licensing deals. When I first saw Tokidoki's bags for Le Sportsac last winter, I assumed the artist was a cute Japanese girl who loved Hello Kitty and the Powerpuff Girls. Was I wrong! Tokidoki is neither Japanese nor female. Tokidoki is, in fact, an Italian man by the name of Simone Legno. Simone was so enamored of Japanese art and pop culture that he uses it as his inspiration for his designs, replete with hip Japanese women on cell phones, as well as cute, non-sensical things like baby supermen in diapers, pirate monkeys, and stars with happy faces (how very Japanese).

Last winter I managed to snag the last Tokidoki LeSportsac bag at the Macy's in Stamford, CT when they went on sale right after Christmas, and got it for a great price. I bought the "Bella" style (above). This is the Spring 2007 version. All of the Tokidoki LeSportsac bags come with a "qee" keychain (qee chain?). Qee is Tokidoki's signature character. Solid-color metallic qee keychains are also sold separately on the LeSportsac website.

I get a lot of compliments on my Tokidoki bag because it's so cute and unusual. Tokidoki LeSportsac bags are available at Le Sportsac and Tokidoki For LeSportsac. The bags are kind of pricey. The "Bella" sells for $130, and it's one of their smaller bags.

A more affordable way to own a Tokidoki design is to purchase some of the makeup from the Tokidoki collection from Smashbox Cosmetics. Following the popularity of Tokidoki's handbags, Smashbox launched their Spring 2007 limited edition range of eye shadow quads, lip gloss, skin luminizer, and cheek tints featuring Tokidoki's trademark designs on the packaging. They range in price from $18 to $30. They are available from Smashbox.com.

Will the Diceman overcome the clash of cultures to lead the Red Socks to the World Series this year? Only time will tell. But in the meantime, I'm all for exploring international relations through handbags and lipgloss.

Dancing with the (Super)Stars

2007-04-10T23:09:00.000-04:00

I admit it - I've been a fan of "Dancing with the Stars" since it debuted in 2004 as a summer replacement series. So of course I'm completely engrossed in the current season. One thing that strikes me about co-host Samantha Harris is that her clothes remind me of Superstar Barbie (and, come to think of it, both come with removeable microphones in their hands). I think she has single-handedly resuccitated the fashion for disco-era halter-back dresses. And I find it kind of distracting how her eyeshadow always matches her dress - that shiny, metallic eyeshadow also popular in the disco era. Honestly, it's all I notice whenever she's on camera.

Two weeks ago, Revlon was one of the show's sponsors. It seemed like every commercial break showed an ad for their new Molten Metal liquid eyeshadow. And that week, all of the women on the show - the celebrities, the professional dancers, and yes, Samantha Harris - wore shiny, metallic eyeshadow that matched their costumes. In particular, Heather Mills wore a bright green eyeshadow to go with her green costume. Coincidence? I think not.

Heavyweight Champ Layla Ali

The Molten Metal eyeshadows consist of pearlized pigment in a clear liquid base. You shake the product to mix the two together before applying. It comes in six shades (green actually isn't one of them). The Molten Metal liquid eyeshadows are part of Revlon's Limited Edition Collection and so, like disco, they won't be around forever. You can get them now at most drugstores for about $13.

And by the way, congrats to Samantha Harris, who announced on tonight's show that she and her husband are expecting a baby.

Italy on a Budget

2007-04-08T17:59:00.000-04:00

Have you ever seen those commercials for Perillo Tours to Italy? Aren't they annoying? And doesn't Steve Perillo, not the most attractive of men, at least look a little better now that he's grown a beard and ditched the white suits like his late father wore? Yup, time to step out of the old man's shadow now that he's no longer with us. Anyway, several years ago my mom and aunt went to Italy on a Perillo tour. As part of the conditions of the tour, they had to surrender to the Perillo company the frequent flyer miles they would have earned on their flights to and from Italy, and they were served chicken for dinner every single night under the arrangements the company made with the hotels they stayed at. Doesn't sound like your cup of espresso? There's another way to visit Italy on a budget. Sort of.

Drugstore.com has recently started carrying Cleo, a very reasonably priced line of Italian bath and body products. With prices ranging from $1.95 to $7.95, it's an affordable way to pamper yourself. The shower creams, soaps, body creams, and liquid hand soaps are yogurt-based, so they're ultra-moisturizing. And they smell yummy, with fragrances like red berries, sugar, vanilla, apricot, cherry, and chocolate cream. If Perlier Italian bath and body products (see my previous posts) aren't in your budget right now, then Cleo is an equally satisfying alternative. The packaging may cause some people to not take the products too seriously, but I think the pink and white bottles and jars are cheery, not cheesy. I like to think that I'm using the same products that young, hip, "girls on the go" in Italy are using, right before they hop on the backs of their boyfriends' Vespa scooters and ride around the Trevi fountain in Rome (I have a very active imagination, in case you hadn't noticed).

You can sample terrific Italian bath and body products no matter what your budget is. If Perlier is the American Express Travel Services of Italian bath products, then Cleo is the Perillo Tours -- minus the chicken, of course. Cleo can be found at www.drugstore.com. Currently, select Cleo products are 20% off, and given the recent write-up about them in the May issue of Lucky Magazine, they are likely to sell out, as they have in the past.

Got Rice?

2007-04-08T17:38:00.000-04:00

If you've read my last post, you will know that I've been whiling away my unemployment hours by watching the beauty presentations on the home shopping channels. And if you've read the post before that post, you'll also see that I am a recent convert to Perlier's new Risarium Black Rice line of skincare products. Perlier is the Italian line of bath and body products created by the Borgheses, the historic Roman royal family whose lineage includes popes, patrons of the arts, and one very well-known makeup magnate. Perlier is currently run by Prince Francesco and Princess Amanda Borghese, the son and daughter-in-law of Princess Marcella Borghese, of the eponymous makeup line. You can watch Princess Amanda and her son, Prince Scipione "Skip" Borghese, on HSN. Princess Borghese looks fabulous for a woman with three adult children. If she is using the Perlier Black Rice line of skincare then I'm never going to stop using it. FYI, Princess Amanda's younger son Lorenzo was the star of the television reality series "The Bachelor - Rome." (Apparently, Lorenzo picked one lucky lady at the end of the show, but it turned out she already had a boyfriend, so now he's dating the girl who came in "second," but I never watched "The Bachelor" myself. And besides, that's another story.) Anyhoo, Perlier's Black Rice line of skincare products is a fairly new line, which I've just dicovered late last month. I've been using the entire line of face care products, with the exception of the lip cream, which was sold out. All of the products contain Black Rice peptides, rich in essential proteins to help fight the signs of aging skin.

Having just raved about the hand cream, I give you, as promised, my review of the facial products that I am using from the line.

Perlier Risarium Black Rice Cleansing Milk- a slightly runny formula, it nonetheless makes my face feel soft and clean after I use it. It has a light fragrance and it rinses easily.

Perlier Risarium Black Rice Toning Lotion- I don't usually use toners, as I think they're too drying and are more of a marketing ploy. But I love the Black Rice Toning Lotion. It doesn't contain alcohol, so it's not drying. It does contain glycerin, for added moisture. It has a light, clean fragrance and feels refreshing.

Perlier Risarium Black Rice Extreme Age-Defying Line Reducing Moisture Face Cream with SPF 15 - This moisturizer for daytime has an SPF of 15, so it provides UVA/UVB protection from the sun, an important feature for everyone, but particularly for pale-complexioned people who burn easily like me. It is richer than the night cream (see below), and it provides the perfect amount of hydration.

Perlier Extreme Age-Defying Moisturizing Double-Effect Night Face Cream - I think this has turned out to be my favorite product so far. It is a dual-phase moisturizer that exfoliates and hydrates. Two separate chambers dispense a pink gel and a white cream, which you then mix together and apply to the face. At first I was disappointed because it isn't a rich cream, and I felt it didn't provide enough moisture. But when I woke up the next morning and saw how good my skin looked, I was sold.

Perlier Risarium Black Rice Extreme Age-Defying Line Reducing Eye Cream -This eye cream feels great and hydrates the skin under my eyes. I only have a few lines under my eyes, and it seems like they're less apparent, but mostly I like the cream for the way it feels.

Since I started using the Black Rice skincare line, I feel my skin looks brighter and fresher. I look forward to the cumulative effects of long-term use of these products. Perlier will be introducing an addition to the Black Rice line. The Risarium Black Rice Intensive 14 Days Age-Defying Beauty Program is an anti-wrinkle serum that temporarily fills in lines and wrinkles and offers a temporary lifting effect. I received a sample packet of this product with the Risarium Black Rice Age Defying Beauty Kit from HSN, which consists of the cleansing milk, toning lotion, and night cream bundled together. I don't have very many wrinkles, so I can't attest to the efficacy of this product as a wrinkle-reducer, but my skin felt velvety soft when I used it for the one-time application that the packet provided. I would consider trying the full size when it is introduced, possibly later this month.

Being half Italian myself, I have decided to embrace my Italian heritiage and have become obsessed with the Perlier line of skincare and bath products. And, for that matter, with anything Italian. The Perlier Risarium Black Rice line of products can be found at www.hsn.com, or at www.perlier.com. HSN is usually the better value, but for the month of April, the Perlier website is having a Buy One Get One Free promotion on all of the Black Rice products. The only exception to this being the better value is if you order the Age Defying Beauty Kit from HSN, which is a better value if you buy two kits than to take advantage of perlier.com's BOGO offer and buy each product separately and get two for the price of one.

Will Work for Lip Gloss

2007-04-08T17:07:00.000-04:00

In January, I was laid off from my job. Not that I was upset, mind you. I hated my job, and I was quite happy to leave without having to give the requisite two-weeks notice and/or train my replacement. Nevertheless, the job search has been slow going. But instead of growing frustrated, I am actually enjoying my "enforced vacation." I started this beauty blog to give me something to do while I am unemployed. Another thing that I've been doing, and I'm slightly embarrassed to admit it, is watching lots of home shopping on television. I always enjoy watching the beauty presentations, even the ones I don't usually buy from. And of all the home shopping channels, QVC is hands-down the best for beauty products. They have managed to score all of the big names in skincare and cosmetics, such as Prescriptives, Bobbi Brown, Smashbox, Philosophy, you name it, QVC probably sells it. A new addition to the QVC family is Tarte Cosmetics. Founder Maureen Kelly (an adorable redhead, like moi), started the company with her revolutionary cheek gel stains, and now the line incorporates color cosmetics for face, eyes, and lips as well as for the cheeks. So I thought I'd watch a recent Tarte presentation on QVC, since I had nothing better to do on a Friday afternoon at 4 pm. Although I was tempted by so many products, I decided to go for value for money, being that my funds are rather limited at the moment. So I splurged on a trio of lip glosses. The Tarte Vitamin Infused Lip Gloss Trio Powered by Borba is a set of three new lip glosses. What makes them unique is that they contain the same vitamin infusion found in the Borba line of skincare water: "Each gloss mixes a cocktail of acai, lychee, grape seed, and green tea extracts with vitamins A, C, E, and K." The three colors are: apple-a-day, a sheer, shimmery hot pink; om, a sheer, shimmery pale pink; and liquid sunshine, a sheer, shimmery nude. Each tube sells individually for $21 at www.tartecosmetics.com, but on www.qvc.com the trio sells for $45. Hurry up and get yours before the set sells out, like it did the last time it was offered on QVC. These lip glosses were also just named as an Editor's Pick for best lip gloss in the April 2007 "Best Beauty Buys" edition of InStyle Magazine.

I'm psyched that I've just scored a set of three lip glosses for such a great price. Now all I need is a job to keep me in lip glosses. If only I could get paid to blog about beauty...

Helping Hands

2007-04-07T23:32:00.000-04:00

LOVE LOVE LOVE this new hand cream from Perlier, the Italian bath and body line most famous for its honey cream bubble bath. After making bath and body products for decades, the company has branched out into skincare products. The Risarium Black Rice Hand Cream Intensive Age-Defying Beauty Formula SPF 15 (phew!) is, in a word, PHENOMENAL. This peptide formula contains 100% extract of black rice, an antioxidant. When I use it, my hands feel super soft, and they look better too. They actually look younger, if that's possible! I've started wearing nail polish again because I want to show off my hands. The cream, along with the rest of the Risarium Black Rice line of skincare products, is available from The Home Shopping Network at www.hsn.com, or from Perlier's website at www.perlier.com. The hand cream sells for $19.50 on HSN, and at the retail price of $25.00 on the Perlier site. Usually I buy it from HSN, which has better prices, and often packages some of the products into kits for added savings. But for the month of April, the Perlier website is having a special Buy One Get One Free promotion on all the Black Rice products. I just ordered two more bottles of the hand cream from the Perlier website to take advantage of the BOGO, as well as more of their facial products, which I've also previously purchased from HSN. I'll review the skincare separately, but I will say they are as good as the hand cream. I am hooked on the Risarium Black Rice line from Perlier.

Aloe, It's Me

2007-02-25T14:53:00.000-05:00

I have sensitive skin. It reacts to artificial ingredients, heavy fragrances, and product overload. My skin is not oily, nor is it teenaged, yet I've been battling breakouts for over twenty years! So when I saw the Body Shop's new Aloe line for sensitive skin, I decided to check it out.

First of all, before I discuss the products themselves, I have to clear the air about a mistake that I've noticed the Body Shop has made, on their website and signage in their shops. The Body Shop calls their lines of products "Regimes," i.e. the Aloe "Regime" for sensitive skin. It's become a habit among many skincare companies, not just the Body Shop, of referring to daily skincare routines as "regimes." It's REGIMEN, people, not regime - a skincare regimen! A regime is a dictatorial form of government, a regimen is a daily routine, be it skincare, exercise, etc. It's an all-too-common mistake made by cosmetics companies and professionals who really should know better. I particularly get a kick out of seeing home shopping hostesses referring to skin care "regimes" when they shill beauty products on tv! Maybe I should call in under the pretense of making a product testimonial, and point out this mistake to them live on national TV. Ah, I feel better now! Thanks for letting me vent. Now on to the products.

I took advantage of the Body Shop's special "Buy Two, Get One Free" skincare promotion. I purchased three products from their Aloe line for sensitive skin: The Aloe Calming Facial Cleanser ($12), the Aloe Gentle Exfoliator ($12), and the Aloe Soothing Day Cream ($14). I've come to the conclusion, through many years of trial and error, that I can't use any type of foaming or lathering cleansers. The Aloe Calming Facial Cleanser is a non-lathering, soap-free lotion cleanser that you can either rinse or tissue off. I prefer to rinse it off. I use it once a day, in the evening, and my face really does feel comfortable, and not tight and dry, when I rinse it off. It contains aloe vera gel and organic Babassu oil.

I don't usually use a cleanser in the morning, because too much cleansing can overstimulate the skin. So usually I just splash my face with tepid water, then use a moisturizer. But my pores do get clogged, so I like to use an exfoliator once or twice a week, in the morning in place of a cleanser. The Aloe Gentle Exfoliator contains jojoba micro beads for a very gentle exfoliation. Aloe vera gel and glycerin condition and moisturize the skin.

Although the Body Shop makes an Aloe Calming Toner, I don't like to use toners, so I didn't purchase it. I follow the Aloe Calming Facial Cleanser with the Aloe Soothing Day Cream. I like to use a generous amount, maybe a bit too generous, but my face feels soft and moisturized after I use it. The cream isn't too rich so I don't have to worry about it clogging my pores.

The Aloe Vera REGIMEN for sensitive skin also includes a night cream, a foaming facial wash, and a line of body products including a Comforting Bath Oil, Soothing Body Lotion, and Caring Body Balm. The Body Shop touts their new Aloe line as their best ever for sensitive skin. So far, I'm inclined to agree. You can purchase The Body Shop products online at www.thebodyshop.com or visit one of several Massachusetts locations, including Quincy Market, Washington Street, or the Prudential Center in Boston, and Harvard Square and the Cambridgeside Galleria in Cambridge.

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow?

2007-02-03T20:12:00.000-05:00

It's alarming how much hair ends up around the drain of my shower every time I wash my hair. So alarming is it that I am constantly checking my head for bald spots. Thankfully, there are none, which leads me to conclude that the hair loss is a result of breakage, no doubt due to my habit of pulling my hair back in a ponytail every day after I come home from work. So I decided to try the hair-strengthening products from Garnier Fructis to help with the situation.

I purchased Garnier Fructis' Length and Strength Fortifying Shampoo and Conditioner ($3.99 each). Featuring Garnier's "Anti-Breakage Conditioning System" for split ends, fragile, or hard-to-grow long hair, the shampoo and conditioner contain Garnier's "active fruit concentrate," including extracts of apple fruit and lemon peel. I've been using it for about a week, and already my hair feels stronger when I pull it back into a ponytail (because old habits are hard to break, even if my hair isn't).

I follow the Length and Strength Fortifying Shampoo and Conditioner with Garnier's Sleek and Shine Leave-In Conditioning Cream ($3.99) for frizzy, dry, or unmanageable hair. It features avocado and apricot kernel oils for moisture, and can be used on wet or dry hair. When I use it, my hair looks smoother and sleeker, almost as if I'd used a flat iron.

Garnier Fructis haircare products can be found at drugstores, as well as online at www.drugstore.com and www.garnierfructis.com.

I'm Too Sexy for My Skirt

2007-01-31T20:21:00.000-05:00

Remember that Seinfeld episode where Sue Ellen Mishke wore her bra as a top and inadvertently started an underwear-as-outerwear trend? Apparently Sienna Miller does, too. You've gotta hand it to her, though. Not every woman is secure enough to appear in public half-dressed. Sienna, the English actress better known for her boho chic fashions and on-again/off-again relationship with Jude Law than for any of her movies, appears to have overlooked something two days ago when she attended the afterparty in New York for the premiere of her upcoming film "Factory Girl." Dressed in black tights, black Spanx, a furry top, and leather jacket, the bottom half of her outfit was conspicuous in its absence. Was she running late and, in her haste to leave the house, forgot to get dressed from the waist down? Perhaps after the party she was going to audition for the Broadway revival of “Cats” (at least that would explain the furry top). Or maybe she spilled red wine on her skirt in the limo on the way over and in desperation, tried to pass this off as a “look.” And she's working this look for all it's worth. Her confident "emperor's new clothes" stride attempts to convey the fact that this was a deliberate fashion statement. And just like the loyal subjects in "The Emperor's New Clothes," onlookers at the premiere seem to be pretending not to notice anything unusual either.

Method to My Madness

2007-01-30T20:42:00.000-05:00

Those of you who know me, or have read some of my previous posts, will know that if I go to a store to buy a particular product only to find that it is sold out, it makes me want that product even more. I have visions of "women in the know" (whoever they are), scouring the aisles looking to buy out the entire supply of that highly coveted item, so that there are none left by the time I get there. The Green Tea and Aloe Foaming Hand Wash by Method is one of those items.

I first discovered it at a friend's house. There was something immensely satisfying about pressing down the pump dispenser and watching that bright green liquid from the bottle emerge as a pale green foam in the palm of my hand. When I went to Target a few days later to buy it, it was sold out. But only in this fragrance, and only in the foaming version (Method makes two other fragrances: eucalyptus mint and sweet water, and each fragrance also comes in a liquid soap formula). When I went back to Target a week later, they had gotten some more in, but there were only two left. Of course I bought them both, feeling quite proud of myself for scooping those "women in the know." Hell, maybe I'm one of those women in the know!

At $2.99 each, you, too, can afford to buy out the store's entire stock of Method Foaming Hand Wash. Method products are available at Target, or online at www.methodhome.com.

The Cold and the Beautiful

2007-01-30T17:14:00.000-05:00

New Englanders have been pretty lucky so far this winter. We just experienced the warmest winter on record - until January, that is. Now it's seasonably cold. Last month my heating bill was $50, this month it was $100! The cold weather, combined with the effects of indoor heating, can really dry out the skin. So I went to the C.O. Bigelow store in the Copley Square Mall to try out some of their own line of products for face and body. This venerable apothecary has been a New York City institution since it was founded in 1838, establishing a reputation for stocking hard-to-find and imported items as well as cult favorites. Two years ago they branched out nation-wide in partnership with Bath and Body Works, and began mass-producing their line of products, many of which were first created for their customers in the nineteenth century.

For my face, I purchased their Rose Wonder Cold Cream ($15). This was the first product the company created in 1838, as the number 001 on the jar's label attests to. Unlike most commercial cold creams, this one is mineral-oil-free, non-comedogenic and non-acnegenic. I use it at night to remove makeup and daily debris. Apply to a dry face and remove with a damp washcloth to cleanse and moisturize the skin.

I follow the Rose Wonder Cold Cream with the Triple Rose Water hydrating spray ($25). This is different from their Rose Water Skin Tonic, which contains witch hazel and is more like a proper toner. The Triple Rose Water is made with essence of rose damascena petals, obtained using the centuries-old method of steam distillation. It comes in a beautiful cobalt blue glass bottle with a spray applicator. The fact that it is the only one of Bigelow's own products that comes in an attractive box underscores how special it is. I feel very sophisticated for having such an elegant, luxurious item in my medicine cabinet. I can imagine it on a Victorian lady's vanity table, looking just the way it looks today. I'm not a fan of toners in particular, but because this product is mostly rose water, it doesn't dry out my skin. It gives the skin a refreshing boost of hydration to prep the skin for moisturizer. And the natural fragrance of rose is light, not cloying like many synthetic rose fragrances.

For a moisturizer, I decided not to continue with the Rose theme and bypassed the Rose Hydrating Gel Treatment ($20) because it left a matte feeling on my skin when I tried it on the back of my hand. It would be perfect for normal-to-oily skin, but my skin needs more moisture. Instead I chose the Incredibly Moisturizing Face Cream ($20). This cream gives my skin the moisture that it craves this time of the year, plus it has an SPF of 15. Just because it's winter doesn't mean the face is immune to the damaging effects of the sun, so remember to "block up" all year round. I also use this at night because it's so rich.

It's just as important to winterize your body skin as it is to hydrate your face, and for that, I've saved my favorite product for last. C.O. Bigelow's Lemon Body Cream ($19.50) is a generous tub of rich cream that smells divine - like lemon pastry cream - and is one of C.O. Bigelow's best sellers. It's so popular that it spawned a "lemon line" of companion products, including a lighter Lemon Body Lotion ($19.50), Lemon Cream Body Wash ($16.50), and Lemon Body Scrub ($20).

If you're new to C.O. Bigelow products, you can try the travel sizes of their most popular products, including the Rose Wonder Cold Cream and the Lemon Body Cream. In addition to the C.O. Bigelow stores, the line is also available at Bath and Body Works, or online at www.cobigelow.com.

Cheeky Tart(e)!

2007-01-28T21:42:00.000-05:00

For the most natural flush of color for your cheeks, nothing beats the cheek stains from Tarte. These award-winning tubes of solid gel give the sheerest hint of color, like you just pinched your cheeks. They even smell good - like Jell-O, with the fragrance matching the color of the stain. Blushing Bride, a deep burgundy, smells like Black Raspberry, whereas True Love, a sheer bright pink, smells like Strawberry - unless I'm just imagining things, which is entirely possible.

To give your lips a just-bitten hue of sheer berry to go with your flushed cheeks, try Tarte's Rise and Shine Plumping Lip Stain. The double-ended applicator features a tube of liquid lip stain on one end, and a tube of plumping lip gloss in a sheer cherry red color on the other.

If you're interested in trying Tarte's cheek stain and plumping lip stain, you're in luck. Tarte offers a full-sized True Love cheek stain packaged with a mini Rise and Shine lip stain. Called "Loving the Fast Stain," the kit is a bargain at $30 (the cheek stain alone is $28, so for $2 more you get to try the lip stain). It would be the perfect makeup look for Valentine's Day. I know it's a couple of weeks away, but I'm telling you now so you'll have plenty of time to go out and buy the set before that big Valentine's Day date. But the "Loving the Fast Stain" kit is only available at Sephora (Prudential Center, Boston) or at sephora.com.

"True Love" for Valentine's Day. Isn't that what we all want? Needless to say, I've got my "Loving the Fast Stain" kit already. Now all I need is a date...

Hard Candy Christmas

2007-01-26T20:12:00.000-05:00

Right before Christmas, I decided to give myself a haircut. Not a full haircut, mind you--I wouldn't be that bold. But I thought I'd change my look a little by cutting my usually eyebrow-skimming bangs very short, a la Bettie Page. As soon as I made that first snip, however, I knew I made a dreadful mistake. Half my bangs were now extremely short and the other half were long, So I had no choice but to continue cutting them. Now anyone who has ever had really short, retro bangs knows that it's a struggle to get them to lie flat. You either have to use a lot of hair product, or else hold them down overnight while you sleep with those little roller clips or that pink tape that my mom used to use in the Sixties when she set her hair. Having just butchered my bangs, I should have stopped there. But I didn't. I decided that since my bangs were now so short, exposing my eyebrows to the world, I thought I'd give my brows a dramatic reshaping. When will I learn?

Usually I have no problem waxing my brows. I use Aussie Nads hair removal (no jokes about the name, please), which is useless on my legs, but makes an awesome eyebrow wax. But I tried to overarch my brows this time, to match the retro look of my bangs. The end result was that my right eyebrow would have been two separate halves save for one thin hair connecting them together. CRISIS! In two fell swoops I'd managed to make myself look worse, not better. In the words of Seinfeld's Kramer, "I'm hideous!" And I was going home to my mom's house in Connecticut in two days for Christmas! Major damage control was needed.

The next day, I went to the Sephora at the Prudential Center to look for an eyebrow product. I opted for the Hard Candy Training Brow eyebrow pencil. This product is brilliant. One end is an eyebrow pencil, the other a clear gel to groom the brows. It comes in two shades: Dark-Haired Girl, and Light-Haired Girl. The Dark-Haired Girl works well for very dark brown hair, but would be too light for black hair. I chose the Light-Haired Girl, which, although intended for lighter brunettes, actually matches my brows very closely, and I'm a redhead. All for the low, low price of $10.

You can find Training Brow and other fine Hard Candy products at www.hardcandy.com. Aussie Nads is available at Drugstore.com. And in case you were wondering, I opted to flatten my bangs with those little roller clips, borrowed from, who else but Mom, when I went home for Christmas.

The British Are Coming! The British are Coming!

2007-01-26T16:48:00.001-05:00

In 1776 when this cry was first heard in Boston, it was a warning. I herald it as a celebration. I am devoting my first post on Beauty Hub to British cosmetics and skincare products that can be found in Boston. Being an anglophile, I love anything British. Lately I've been on a kick to try British products, in an effort to live vicariously through the English models, movie and television stars, and the average girls on the street who can pop into shops in Chelsea, Mayfair, Covent Garden, and other areas of London and come away with funky, fabulous beauty products (because watching hours on end of BBC America just isn't enough). As London in the Sixties was at the forefront of young, irreverant fashion, today it boasts a number of independent, funky beauty lines that give established American lines a run for the money; lines like Estee Lauder and, well, all of the other major US lines seem to be owned by Estee Lauder. These British lines definitely aren't your mother's makeup.

Pixi Beauty - Pixi Beauty was started in London in 1999 by the Sisters Strand - Petra, Sofia, and Sara - who are, in fact, Swedish. But their line is definitely British in feel. Bright colors, dual-purpose products, and practical solutions for common beauty problems underscore this cheery line. One of their most popular items is the Hydrotint Duo, which Pixi calls "a tinted moisturizer, lip & cheek tint, sunscreen and antioxidant day cream all in one." It's a tube of tinted moisturizer with a rollerball of lip and cheek tint at the other end. Perfect for those who don't like to wear a lot of makeup, or for when you don't want to pack a lot of makeup for traveling. My favorite product is their Sheer Cheek Color powder blush. The colors, even the bright ones, are clear and subtle. Pixi Beauty can be found at the Sephora in the Prudential Center, or at sephora.com. Their website, www.pixibeauty.com, is based in Britain. The prices are in pounds sterling, but you can place an international order. In particular, their skincare line is available from their website, and I haven't seen their skincare products for sale where I've seen their makeup.

Pop Beauty - a younger sister line of Pixi, literally. This is Sara Strand's line, started when she was only 22 years old. And Pop is definitely younger in feel. Unlike Pixi, Pop's emphasis is mostly on color for eyes, cheeks, lips, and nails, with lots of glitter. Their Lip Jams ($10) are small tubes of jelly-like lip gloss, perfect for carrying in a purse or pocket for instant touch-ups. Their Pop Up blushes ($19) are tubes of solid gel that give a subtle, just-came-in-from-the-outdoors flush to the skin. Their eye and cheek colors come in tins of striated multi-colored cakes of powder that can be used individually or blended together. And their prices are reasonable, perfect for teenaged budgets. Also available at Sephora, you can check out the complete line at sephora.com, or Pop's UK website, www.popbeauty.co.uk

Ren - Since 1999, Ren skincare has been providing clean, all-natural skincare products to those seeking products free from petrochemicals, artificial colors, and genetically modified ingredients and synthetic ingredients. Already boasting a devoted cult following among the glamourous and beautiful of Britain (Kate Moss, Kate Winslet, and Sadie Frost among them), Ren is now available in the United States. I first discovered the line at the C.O. Bigelow store in the Copley Square Mall. I received a sample of the Rose Centifolia face wash. It was silky and non-drying, and my face felt so comfortable after I used it. When I went back to purchase the full-sized bottle, it was sold out and there was a waiting list. That made me want it even more. When I went back a second time, it was still sold out. I finally managed to get a bottle, and purchased the companion Rose Complex moisturizer. I've been on an all-natural skincare kick lately, and Ren combines clean ingredients with cutting edge technology, definitely more sophisticated than some of the seemingly home made natural products on the market. Ren also makes a line of body products. Ren can be found at the C.O. Bigelow stores in the Copley Square Mall and the Northshore Mall in Peabody, as well as Barney's New York at the Copley Square Mall. Online, you can purchase their products from www.amazon.com, , or from their website at Ren Skincare, as an international order.

Cowshed Spa - Another all-natural skincare line, Cowshed Spa products are made and sold at the Babington House spa in Somerset, England, where they grow all of the botanical ingredients they use in their products. They can also be found at select spas and hotels in the U.K. as well as at the Soho House spa in New York City. Their formulations for face and body are creamy and nourishing. But this noble pedigree and limited availability belies a typical British sense of humor. All of the product names reference cows, such as Cheeky Cow moisturizer, Grubby Cow cleansing milk, and Cow Pat hand cream. They even make a line of products for babies, and a line of skincare for men. I purchased the Grubby Cow cleansing milk at Louis Boston (234 Berkeley Street, Boston, MA 02116), but you can order online from their US website, Cowshed Spa the products being shipped from the Soho House spa in New York.

And last, but not least, there's Lush, the handmade cosmetics chain that came to the United States three years ago after practically taking over the rest of the world. Since 1995, originally from Poole, in England, Lush invented the bath fizzies that have spawned countless imitations. They opened their first shop in America in San Francisco in 2003, followed quickly by their second shop, in Boston (woo hoo!). Their products often contain fresh fruit or flowers, and their handmade soaps, bath melts, and bath bombs can turn an ordinary bath into a blissful bathing experience. Continually experimenting with ways to minimize the need for preservatives in liquid products, they've pioneered the solid shampoo bar, solid bubble bath bars, and solid facial cleansers. If you order from the U.S. website www.lush.com, you will receive your products from their Canadian factory in Vancouver (and with the exchange rate being favorable to the U.S., you save some money on the prices of the products, but end up paying more for shipping). Or, you could just visit their Boston-area shops, at 133 Newbury Street, or just off of Harvard Square on JFK Boulevard. I feel like a kid in a candy store whenever I visit their shops.