So Valentine’s Day is on the horizon like a shark in the water, and you don’t know what to get an important guy in your life. Well, I’ve got news for you: he wants to be pampered! While we may not admit it, guys like to feel and look good too! So here’s a go-to list for the modern man who could use a little love on the 14th.
1) The Art of Shaving Silvertip Badger Brush:
Every man needs a quality badger brush for when they shave, and this is the perfect one. To another male, the quality of a shave is not hard to perceive, and anything that produces less of a shadow is a necessity. Oh, and its design is attractive too, natch.
At Barneys New York for $180.
2) Yves Saint Laurent L’Homme After Shave Lotion:
So you got him that amazing brush. Now what? Well, he needs an awesome after shave lotion! L’Homme is personally one of my signature scents, and it is perfect and sexy for all hours of the day! Not too strong, but not subtle either, this is the ultra suave after shave every guy needs.
At Bergdorf Goodman for $48.
3) Clinique Anti-Fatigue Cooling Eye Gel:
Let’s face it: men like to go out, and sometimes, they don’t know their limits. We’ve all seen and felt this way at some point, but for some reason, it’s painful for the eyes (both his or hers and mine, since puffiness is not a good look). So Clinique came out with this magical product – a hangover cure for the eyes – that should be in every guys toolbox.
At Bergdorf Goodman for $26.
4) Byredo Loose Lips Candle:
They say that scent is the sexiest sense of the body. When activated by something pleasing, it changes the way you act and think, and men are not immune to this! Byredo, known for classic fragrances, also produces amazing candles. The luscious Loose Lips Candle (with strong notes of rose water, violet, morello cherry, rice powder and oris butter) will relax any guy’s nerves.
At Barneys New York for $65.
5) L.A Burdick Chocolate-Dipped Fruit:
And finally, the guilty pleasure for all: chocolate! Chocolate is a known antioxidant and is also known for reducing cholesterol and blood pressure. These healthy fruit “snacks” are sure to give your man a wonderful sugar high, and will keep him smiling for many a Valentine’s Day.
At Barneys New York for $46.
Evening primrose oil is known for its healing and moisturizing benefits. Kneipp’s Evening Primrose Intensive Balm, with its aromatic, light scent, is an intense and wonderfully soothing balm that heals the driest skin (like mine!). After bathing, I like to apply an oil (and this balm is certainly like oil) to seal in hydration and give myself a spa-like experience. Kneipp’s balm not only hydrates at the moment of application but also helps your skin retain moisture. With continued use, you can go a day without lotion (except, why would you?) and your skin will still feel supple. Along with primrose, it has sweet almond and jojoba oils.
But there is one odd ingredient: urea. Now, if I know my #foodiesproblems, urea is the cause of gout. Too much protein intake creates too much uric acid in the body, and that is not a good thing (it causes painful swelling in the joints). But apparently, it is great for the skin – especially problem areas like elbows and knees, and skin issues, like eczema. So, for those of us with dry or sensitive skin, this is the antidote! On SpaLook for $26.
If you’re not there yet, take my word for it. Once you pass 40, it’s very difficult to look at yourself naked in a full-length mirror. I did it the other day and almost passed out from fright. It doesn’t seem fair – I feel 25, why doesn’t my body look it anymore?!
The glimpse was my wake-up call; it’s time for a serious intervention on these strange, jiggly body parts that seem to be appearing by the hour.
Enter the HoneyBelle Bodybuffer, which I’m going to try (it’s for research!). It promises to exfoliate, soothe muscles, smooth skin, and most importantly, “dramatically diminish” the appearance of cellulite in a month or less. This little handheld device oscillates with micro and macro mechanical forces to improve blood flow, remove toxins in fatty tissue (gross!), and help your skin “rebound” to its normal appearance – which I hope is my 25-year-old self. Lord knows if it will actually work, but hey, it’s much cheaper than liposuction.
I’ll let you know how the Bodybuffer performs! In the meantime, do you have any anti-jiggle tips? At Bergdorf Goodman for $395.
Since I’m off scrubbing (after a revelatory talk with Renée Rouleau), I’ve been trying different exfoliating masks. Because even if I’m not scrubbing, I want to know I’ve reached a deep, dead skin-shedding clean.
Murad’s Pomegranate Exfoliating Mask serves a multitude of purposes: it has anti-oxidant rich pomegranates, hydrates, brightens, dissolves oils, and smoothes the surface by removing old, dull skin. Since it has so many benefits, it’s great for all skin types, and it also smells wonderful. With a gel-like consistency, the mask seems mild at first. Then about three minutes in, you start to experience tingling and heat – so you know something’s happening. The nice tingling – a cool sensation like tea tree oil or peppermint – lingers after you rinse it off.
This is as good as, or better than, a physical scrub. Minutes later, my skin was baby soft and silky smooth. I even had a blemish that vanished the day after using this mask; it pulls oils and impurities from the skin, so if you’re prone to breakouts this will help.
Each pack comes with six masks, so make it a routine. Use Murad twice weekly and your pores will be so clear you won’t need extractions on your next facial (I never get extractions anyway). The convenient, individual packaging is perfect for traveling, or even at the gym if you have a sauna there. Go on and create your own personal mini-spa! At Sephora for 22.50.
There are people who don’t like to smell like food, and I can relate if it’s, say, a rib eye steak scent, but candy?! Bring it on! I recently tested Prada Candy at their counter and literally stood there drooling. I ended up only getting the body scrub since it’s not quite as strong as the perfume or lotions. I love the scent, but in moderation (I don’t need my seven-year old licking my arm the way my puppy does!). However, if you want to tempt your Valentine, I highly suggest the body cream. Its scent is intoxicatingly sweet, not to mention it makes your skin velvety soft.
Eau de Parfum, Body Scrub, Shower Gel, and Body Lotion available at Neiman Marcus.
No soapy lather for me. I always use a proper shaving cream when shaving. Sometimes I experiment with different creams and compare notes with my husband – he claims my “tough” leg skin (compared to his silky face, I suppose) doesn’t require the use of shaving cream. That might be true, but a good shaving cream can actually prolong the need for the next shave.
Like Cremo Cream’s Superior Shave. It preps the skin to reduce the risk of nicks, cuts and irritation. Even better, it also makes the hair follicles stand up and extend out, so you get a closer shave, which means you can extend the time in between shaves.
I conducted a “scientific study” on myself yesterday: I used this cream on one side of my underarms and skipped it on the other. One day later, I can definitely see a difference. The anti-cream side is stubbly already, while the other is perfectly smooth. I tested on the underarms rather than my legs because underarm skin is irregular and prone to cuts during a shave. And when I get irritated, it starts to itch and nothing is more unsightly than watching someone scratch her armpits.
Cremo Cream is inexpensive and free of odors and fanciness – just a good ol’ shaving cream that get the job done. On Amazon
I went to Seattle for a five day trip to visit my brother and while it will be hard to believe based on all of the workouts I partook in while I was there, I successfully managed to gain enough weight to not fit into the pants I wore when I flew out to Seattle! Dang!! Just goes to show that while exercising is imperative for living a healthy lifestyle, being svelte is 75% about what you eat. To that end I have many, many, MANY gastronomic sins to make up for….That said, while I was in Seattle I partook in some awesome classes and indulged in one luxurious massage. First up was Emerald Rain (80 minutes, $240), a signature massage at The Four Seasons. The spa rooms in the hotel are incredibly spacious and they have soft, relaxing music playing. Their relaxation room is also one of the biggest I’ve ever been in and they’ve got a steam room and sauna. I figured I’d venture out of my comfort zone (I usually go for deep tissue massages), and try something new with Emerald Rain. The massage is inspired by Seattle’s notoriously rainy weather and starts with a foot massage. The therapist then uses eight essential oils,which one by one get dropped like rain onto the spine and then massaged into the skin. After that it progresses to a full-body massage. In insight I wish I had gone with a deep tissue massage, which I find not only more effective in releasing tensions, but while I like essential oils the amount of oils used in this massage did not work well with my very sensitive skin and I ended up with a break-out on my back. That said my therapist was great and I would definitely go back for a classic treatment given that my therapist was obviously very skillful. I ended up buying my brother a certificate for an 80-minute Swedish massage (he conveniently lives across the street), so I’m excited to hear about what he thinks of their traditional treatments!
As for fitness, I took two barre classes while I was in Seattle. One was at Pure Barre and the other was at Bar Method (both studios have locations all around the U.S.). While both classes offered a decent workout, I have to say I’m clearly spoiled by Physique 57 and Exhale because I didn’t find either class particularly challenging (aside from when we did things like push-ups, which I could do at home on my own…), and many of the exercises seemed to be tough on my knees despite the low-impact nature of the classes. My biggest issue with both classes was that the teachers didn’t go around enough correcting people’s form. In classes like these, which are based on small controlled movements it’s so important to have good form and it’s not always easy to know what good form is. I wouldn’t recommend either class unless you’re somewhat seasoned at barre classes because you’ll get minimal help and in terms of blasting away fat they’re not the most effective — though I must re-iterate that I only took one class at each studio.
The best workout I got while I was in Seattle was at Cappy’s Boxing Gym. An awesome workout that is as effective if you’re in top shape or completly out of shape (as evidenced by those in the class, which included just as many guys with six packs as overweight ones). The instructor was super friendly and addressed everyone by name. She consistently went around to help out students and the exercises changed every 1-3 minutes so we were always engaged in something new from burpees to push-ups to jumping room to punching bags…). Better yet the music was upbeat and there seemed to be a lot of camaraderie among students.
Just a few days ago, young, flaxen-haired thespian Dakota Fanning went and dipped her tips in pastel pink! While ombre hair dominated in 2011 – Kate Bosworth went light blue (possibly as a post-breakup rebellion), Rachel Bilson kept it semi-natural-looking with a soft chestnut to dirty-blonde progression, and Beyoncé twisted the concept by going from honey roots to dark-brown ends – I didn’t expect the trend to prevail into the next year. It seemed, well, played out.
But now that I’ve flipped through the last issue of Taiwan Vogue, where they styled a shoot featuring hair accented with varying shades of cotton candy, I’m feeling like it could be fresh again. Fresh in a nineties-grunge sort of way. Not that the look is for me! In my opinion, you need Dakota’s light locks and young age (she was born in 1994, mind you!) to even think about pulling this off. What do you think about dipped-dyed hair in 2012: snob or slob?
With Chinese New Year just around the corner, we got to thinking about Chinese women and their tricks for looking gorgeous. Read more about the Chinese Beauty Secrets for a Happy New Year at The Fashion Spot.
John Hardy at JewelSnob crafted a stunning collection of jewelry inspired by the blessed symbol, the Dragon.
Jessica Alba looked tres chic wearing a Chanel Resort 2012 at Red Carpet Fashion Awards.
butter LONDON™ and Founding Creative Director Nonie Creme introduces the new Spring/Summer 2012 nail lacquer collection. At The Find.
FabSugar delves into Gossip Girl‘s best looks so you too can get a piece of the series’ covetable season five fasion!
The Budget Fashionista: Helmut Lang Sample Sale!
The crowning jewel: the Nina Ricci Embroidered Jewel Clutch is so stunning it’s worthy of any red carpet. At BagSnob.
ShoeSnob advises you to is to capitalize on the deep discounts with year-round wear-ability. Here’s her list of Top 5 On Sale at Luisa via Roma: Priced to Please and Built to Last.
Think Geek Huey the Color Copying Chameleon Lamp will show your tot what a fantastical world we live in, in which science sometimes (almost all the time) seems like magic! At TotSnob.
Read about what the mansnob has to say about Paris Mens Fashion Week! At CoutureSnob
When I take my beauty routine into consideration, Champagne doesn’t normally come to mind. I love cosmetics and cocktails equally, but it’s a little counter-intuitive, right? Well, Fresh and Veuve Cliquot make a slightly shocking team, but it somehow makes so much sense! The “Cliquot in the Snow” beauty survival kit was conceived to get us through the winter, whether it’s dry skin or old-fashioned doldrums that have us down.
The cosmetic pouch comes with a selection of quintessential Fresh products, like their Sugar Lip Treatment with SPF15 (always a classic); Seaberry Restorative Body Cream To-Go, for moisture on the run; Crème Ancienne (a favorite of Tina’s…actually, a favorite of everybody’s!); Brown Sugar Hand Cream; and in keeping with the theme of bubbly, a Citron de Vigne Rollerball with a scent inspired by the Champagne itself. At this price, this jam-packed kit of freshness is not to be missed, even if your climate is warm and sunny…or if you’re in the midst of a post-holiday detox. Available at Fresh for $60 on February 1st.
