July 2008 Archives

There was an article in the NY Times a few days ago about how those that travel between homes find it hard not to forget things. It being summer and my going back-and-forth between NYC and the Hamptons I can definitely relate to this. I actually have been cutting-back on my trips because the packing and making sure I have everything stresses me out!!! Anyway, I feel really lucky in that writing about beauty products constantly gives me an excuse to try-out new products. So, I decided to leave a few things-out East to try when I'm there (and lighten my travel load!). I've been dying to talk about 3 AMAZING shampoos and conditioners that I've tried-out lately. I bet you're thinking I'm going to include Bumble & Bumble which I always tout as my favorite, but I've discovered some fab rivals for dry, oily, and colored hair -- See more after the jump!

La Mer's Creme de la Mer truly is, as the little paper that comes with the cream says, "coveted by those in the know." My mother is one of those no-nonsense women who has a handful of products that she stays loyal to and there is very little experimentation involved in her regimen. So I know that when she uses something, it must actually work. She, like so many women, swears by La Mer, so I'm so excited for their Hydrating Infusion to come-out, because it's one product I know I can give her that she will actually try-out!! And, on a side note, since I'm talking about my mother's beauty regimen, I've been using the body cream of another brand she favors -- M LAB (I've talked about it before), and while I'm not going to pretend that I actually know what this implies, M LAB’s skincare products are composed of 45-74% clinically active ingredients compared to most other lines which supposedly only have 10-20%. I don't particularly care for the smell (maybe it’s all the active ingredients that give it a sort of medical cream-smell!), but their body cream has just the right amount of greasy-ness and it will literally keep your skin as smooth as baby’s bum for days (and days and days – seriously), and luckily, the smell dissipates quickly...Love it! I think M LAB (especially their anti-aging creams), are a wonderful alternative for those that cannot quite afford La Mer, but still want an amazing product. That said, take one whiff of La Mer's cream and one look at my wrinkle-free (and botox-free), mother and you'll see why nothing can whole-heartedly rival La Mer. More about La Mer's newest product after the Jump!

If you knew my boyfriend, then you would know why the name of this company first sounded like an oxymoron to me. His usual "grooming" routine involves a bar of soap, and thats it. Lucky for us he agreed to use them for a week and tell us what he thought about them. =)

Ricks Review:The aftershave stuff (Soothe the Shaven Beast) felt pretty good. You don't have to use much of it so it will last a long time. It wasn't oily. The actual liquid is thin, its not thick like lotion. Smells pretty good too.The hair gel (Iron Grip) was OK. Its doesn't really have much hold and is not very thick (that can be good or bad). If your hair is longer you will need to use a big dollop of the stuff because its pretty thin, which means it could run out pretty quickly. One other thing, was because it was watery, when you open the cap it kind of goops all over if its been turned upside down. I guess the downside is the label says "strong hold hair gel" and its really not strong. This is light/medium hold hair gel.

My Thoughts: I like the fact that it wasn't sticky! It means that if I touch his hair my hands aren't left with disgusting goop all over them. Plus, the packaging was really clever and their website is cute too! And if one of your chief complaints with your man's aftershave is the overwhelming smell that most of them have, you will be happy with the light birch scent the aftershave leaves behind- very manly =)

MENS GROOMING WEBSITE!

Because I'm into short shorts, but not my pasty legs and because I can't keep getting a Mystic Tan every few days, I've been trying-out countless self-tanners lately. My fav splurges are Guerlain and ModelCo. No matter which you get, if you spray too much, you can spread it around and you'll seriously look flawless. Guerlain smells awesome (sweet vanilla), and ModelCo is a nice cocoa butter and if you don't like the traditional spray can they have innovative self-tanning gloves. Each glove contains the exact amount of self-tanner needed for a full body application or enough for a deeper bronze coverage for arms, legs, and decolletage...fun and effective alternative:)

For the best steal alternatives I think L'Oreal's lotions work well. They smell strong, but not bad (rosey) and Jergens is good for those who don't like strong smelling tanners and their line of tanners gets the job done very well. Though stay alert to avoid little streaks. Loved Jergens Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer and the Natural Glow Express Body Moisturizer -- they moisturize, tone and add a healthy summer glow to your skin -- magnifique!

Another steal is Sally Hansen' Airbrush Legs and Sally Hansen Airbrush Shimmer. The shimmer comes in one shade and adds a subtle, soft, sexy glow, while Airbrush legs comes in five natural looking shades – not to tan, but to match most skin tones (Sally Hansen sees this as an alternative to panty hose!).
The one line I just have to point-out as not liking is Aveeno -- I ended up looking like a dark-orange, streaky mess:(
PS Stay tuned -- I have an appointment to go to Sundara Airbrush Tanning Salon next week (can't wait to get pampered after doing everything myself for these past few months!) -- they're supposedly one of the best spray tan salons in the city and customize color to suit your skin tone by manually matching and spraying on the color!

UPDATE: Congrats to Katie!

Game Rules here.
For the month of July, we will be giving away a pair of sparkling LaVaque tweezers embellished with genuine Swarovski crystals retail $29.95 each week! All you have to do is tell me who these perfectly arched brows belong to. Hint- She is one tough swashbuckling girl! Leave your answer in comments! Winner will be selected via random drawing each Friday at 11:59pm. US residents only please! Winner will choose one of 13 colors! Thank you to La Vaque for this awesome giveaway!

For anyone who doesn't know, there is a serious heatwave going on in the New York City-area and in-between dealing with an old-school air-conditioner that's so loud it keeps me up at night and going to penthouse events with no AC (though the particular event I'm referring to was a cocktail party to honor Isabel Toledo and though there was no AC, I ran into Bag Snob Kelly's sister which totally made up for it!), I have turned to deodorants as my new best friend. I have long stuck to alternating between Chanel Allure for Men and Nivea Fresh for Men, but unfortunately both are ridiculously hard to come by state-side (I stock-up when I visit my relatives in Munich..while they're both for men, they're light -- though I have to say that Chanel I use only for the delicious smell because it's not that long-lasting...). Now that I've been amping-up on my deodorant usage though, I've been trying-out a whole bunch of new ones and there are a handful that stand-out as particularly snob-worthy! Jump for the best deodorants at a variety of price-points!

Update: Congrats to Mai Mai! This is the adorable Eva Longoria Parker!

Bag Snob must have for Fall 2008: Bottega Veneta Noce!

BagBliss is currently craving the re-introduced Fendi Vintage Olsen Twin Tote

First off... let me just say WOW! Toki is a natural collagen drink clinically shown to reduce fine lines and age spots (collagen injections anyone?). Collagen is a protein that gives firmness and elasticity to the skin making appear young and supple, as you begin to age past 30, collagen becomes more and more difficult for your body to make or store. Toki puts a large dose of collagen right back into your body and skin with three glasses a day! I tried the powder that you mix into your drinks, and found that 1) it's hard to have 3 glasses a day, every day because you can't always be home to make it or take it to go 2) there are really only a few beverages I would recommend adding this to. The powder has a tart lemony flavor that goes good in one thing -Lemonade. Also, it doesn't dissolve in cold liquid, so I would mix it into a few teaspoons of hot water (letting it dissolve) and then adding it to your lemonade... Or just get it in the tablet form =) Anyways, I really REALLY really enjoyed this. And am placing an order for my mother ASAP! Had I thought ahead I would have taken before and after pictures, but now you will just have to take my word for it!- And the word is GREAT!

Toki is available in several health food stores across the US, and you can also order from their website. $150 for a 30 day supply.