Fashion Week… LA

So I went to a couple of shows, my favorite being Ashley Paige. My fabulous friend, model extraordinaire, Caroline D’amore (left), was in the show so I was granted a back stage pass into the world of models, make-up and super slinky bikinis…
Also pictured with Caroline, Smashbox Cosmetic owner, Smashbox Studios owner and dear friend, Davis Factor. All make-up courtesy of Smashbox. I’m thinking an interview with Davis sometime very, very soon….

Beauty with a Heart…

It’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month and some beauty companies go above and beyond what is expected: they’re actually giving back…
“Breast cancer is the leading cause in death for women ages 40-55. Breast cancer kills approximately 41,000 women in the United States each year.”
These are just some of the staggering and frightening statistics of breast cancer. Please help and support the cause… if not by donating money, buy products that do.
Try boscia Rose Blotting Linens (below, right) and stay beautiful as you do your part in finding a cure! It’s a win-win!

Here’s a word (or several…)from the company:
“The Rose Blotting Linens are finely woven linen sheets infused with the exquisitely feminine essence of Rose that not only absorb excess oil without disturbing makeup but also soothe skin and uplift the psyche. These powder free sheets are made from 100% natural leaf fibers from the exotic Abaca tree plant and contain Rose, which naturally soothes and supplies fresh skin.”
“Ten percent of the proceeds of the boscia Rose Blotting Linens (SRP: $10.00 for 100 sheets) will be donated to support the Susan G. Komen Foundation, one of the leading breast cancer research organizations. Breast cancer is the leading cause of death among American women between the ages of 34 to 54 and the second leading cause of cancer death for all American women.”
Support your favorite products and support the cause!
Stay BEAUTY-FULL!!!
thank-you.

WEEKLY MUST-HAVE

(me posing in Cover Girl’s Smoothwear Lip Tints Barely Berry, #210)
Anyone who has read this blog knows that I have a fondness for red. In an August post, I wrote a Weekly Must-Have citing Stila’s POPPY convertable lip color as the “Bentley of all reds…”
Well now I stand corrected.
On a recent shoot that I did, a friend of mine turned me onto Cover Girl’s Smoothwear Lip Tints, a new product by the Procter & Gamble team. I reluctantly tried the gloss over my Labello Cherry chap stick (another red-tinted lippy) and to my surprise, I actually loved the way that it made my lips look. It wasn’t hooker red yet it gave my pucker the desired “volume” (plump) that so many red glosses cease to create. It also wasn’t gooey or smelly and it didn’t bleed into the cracks of my mouth (another MAJOR problem with reds…). So, kuddo’s to Cover Girl and their new and improved line of lip tints. I’m a major fan!

Try Barely Berry, #210 (right). The perfect blend of gloss and color – a chic red worn alone or over your favorite lip stick.

3 Tricks You Need To Know For HEALTHY HAIR

Last night, my dear friend, the beautiful Ms. Zoe Winkler (below, left), asked me how often she should wash her hair. I responded, “about every other day if your hair is healthy. Every third day if it’s more dry.” She said, “But I wash my hair every day. It gets so dirty, I have to.”

Here’s TRICK NUMBER ONE:
You never HAVE to wash your hair every day. It strips your hair of natural oils that stimulate hair growth and it thins the hair shaft. Instead, try washing ONLY THE FRONT of your hair… if you have bangs, just wash the bangs. If you don’t have bangs, wash the area that could/ would be where you’d have bangs. This is the part of your hair that you most often touch, thus it becomes noticeably greasey and oily much faster then the rest of your hair.

TRICK NUMBER TWO:
Instead of washing your hair, try using good old fashioned baby powder. I suggest pouring the baby powder into the palm of your hands and then applying directly to the scalp. Flip hair over and massage into the scalp as you would any regular shampoo. The baby powder absorbs oil, adds volume and masks the smell of dirty hair!!! There are quite a few products on the market from high-end companies such as BUMBLE & BUMBLE’S HAIR POWDER, but personally I find that baby powder does the trick for a fraction of the price (not to mention, the scent is very nostalgic)!!!

TRICK NUMBER THREE:
Using a paddle brush, brush hair from roots to ends PRIOR to washing hair. This evenly distributes the hair’s natural oils AND detangles hair for a clean shampoo. I suggest brushing your hair every day, but curly haired folks can’t always follow this rule so, at the very least, brush your hair prior to washing and then after conditioning!

Cooling Cucumber… Good for your body, Good for your face!

I recently visited a very interesting, “unconventional” spa in Los Angeles’ Korea Town. Aroma Spa & Sports is a full-service spa with treaments including body scrubs and massages. However, it most likely isn’t what you’re used to. Let me walk you through a massage:
First, I was led through the common room of exposed showers, hot tubs, cold pools, steam and sauna, into the treatment area (a large shower-like area with about a dozen water-proof tables and little Asian women clad in black bras and undies). Lying nude on the table, the masseuse trickled my body with oil and jumped all over the table, using hands, feet and elbows to dig into my muscles. She then washed my hair and scalp and flooded my body with a waterfall of hot water. Lastly, a refreshing and delightful cucumber mixture was placed on my face and left to harden.
Personally, I relished such an incredible experience, however I am well aware that not all people would find enjoyment in such a spa. So for the shy folks out there, I’m bringing you the cucumber mask!
Here’s how to make the cooling cucumber mask in the comfort and privacy of your own home:

Materials Needed:
1 Cucumber
A Peeler
A bowl with ice
A strainer.

Peel the ENTIRE cucumber into the bowl of ice and let sit until ice melts. Strain the water and apply the remaining cucumber to the face. Leave on for 15 minutes or until hard. Rinse.

I assure you that this simple mask will not only refresh and sooth but also take years (at least days…) from your face! Best when used prior to a big night out as the cool cucumbers have a tightening effect on the skin….

You have an at-home recipe? SHARE IT WITH US HERE!

TODAY’S TRICK…

Here’s something I’m sure you’ve waited a lifetime to hear… “your lips are just so… kissable.”
Okay, so I have the trick of ALL tricks for kissable, shiny, moisturized lips: VITAMIN E OIL (not the pills or the massage oil or a mixture of vitamin E, rose and other such nonsense… just pure vitamin E from the bottle does the trick). It’s what all the famous make-up artists use of their super famous clients. I use it every night before going to bed and during the day under AND over my daily lip color.
Better then any lip pumper, less goey then MAC lip glass, pure, straight-out-of-the-bottle Vitamin E Oil adds natural lustre and plump to any pucker… Guaranteed.
You’ve got a trick of the trade? SHARE WITH US HERE!!!

A little something SPECIAL

Always fabulous, Always Audrey…

This is by far, my absolute favorite new commercial (and I usually TiVo through all the advertisements!).
One word to the Gap creative team… genius!
Audrey Hepburn is the epitome of timeless beauty. Fit, fresh and classic.
Watch, listen and learn from the queen beauty whore herself (yes, somehow she has managed to resurrect herself from the grave…)!

I’m sure that everyone’s already seen this about a million times, but watch it once more and try and figure out what still makes Audrey Hepburn a beauty and style icon today.

P.S.

CHECK OUT CRAZY KATE!!!

Kate the Great????

Kate, So Great!!!

If you open any current fashion magazine, images of Kate Moss are bound to flood the advertising pages. From Burberry to Rimmel, Kate the Great is back with a bang. Who cares if she snorted an eight ball up her nose? Kate Moss is one sexy thirty-something, single mother with spectacular style and killer looks!
Or is she?
I am an ardent Moss fan, but I’ve gotta say, as of late, I’m a little disappointed in our waif. Granted, with a penchant for the wild life, one is bound to crease around the edges but honey, buy yourself some eye cream!!! After all, you’re a model… in lame mans terms, this means that you are sexier, hotter, skinnier and more fabulous then us common folk. This is why YOU get paid the big bucks! So start acting like it!

Kate, So Great???

What happened to our little waif?
Please, tell the beauty whore!!!!

WEEKLY MUST-HAVE

It’s been awhile, I know. But I’ve been crazy busy with a myriad of beauty inspired projects (to be discussed in later blogs…).
So let’s move on to some beauty banter. This week’s must-have is a product that I recently resurrected from the mucky shelves of my bathroom. It’s a product that I purchased some time ago in my favorite vacation spot, St. Barth. It is also a product with various uses (a “two-in-one” if you will). Ligne St. Barth’s Avacado Oil (see below) is a fabulous skin AND hair oil that moisturizes and replenishes dry, broken and chapped areas of the body.

I use it in conjunction with a regular lotion to add shine and lustre to my skin. And I even use it on the tips of my hair to help calm the frizzies. It smells delicious too – not too potent but subtle enough to evoke a “just been on vacation” aura.
The back of the bottle reads: “Applied on damp skin it’s softening and soothing. As an oil bath on damp hair (30 min.), it gives renewed vitality, life and body to your hair. Wash out with a mild shampoo.”
However you choose to use the oil, I can assure you that this product will become one of your absolute favorites!
P.S. Take a look at the ENTIRE line of Ligne St. Barth body and hair products!