July 2009 Archives

Stiletto Jungle shows off three options for getting in on the multi-strand necklace trend.

All Lacquered Up shows you step-by-step how to save your split, cracked nails with Orly Nail Rescue.

Gwyneth is spreading the detox joy and Allie is Wired has the details.

Bag Bliss loves Alexander McQueen's Skull Knuckle Duster Whipsnake Clutch!

Bag Snob finally finds a Dior bag worthy of buying!

Beaty Snob is testing out the Darphin Denblan Whitening Toothpaste and is liking the results.

Coquette loves these transitional cardigans that are perfect for a summer breeze before that first hint of fall.

Couture Snob Open Toe Booties: Snob or Slob?

The Daily Obsession finds out what Pixi Beauty creator Petra Strand is currently obsessed with.

See who made this weeks Fab Faves on Fab Sugar

I'm Not Obsessed shows you where to get 'Gossip Girl' Blake Lively's chic Treesje bag. Did I mention it transforms into a clutch?

KRISTOPHER DUKES is wanting, wearing, and hating Silk Robes.

Second City Style's resident male editor attended Miami Swim Week and shares his views on hot swimwear trends for 2010.

Shopping and Info wants a Rick Owens black leather jacket for Fall.

StyleBakery.com shows how to cook up the perfect summer weekend look for under $100

Stylehive wants you to get gilded and glamorous with 24k gold beauty products!

The Beauty Stop has 5 ways to get rid of freckles.

The Fashion Bomb compiled 100 Fashionable Items to bring with you on vacation--a one stop guide fit for any jetsetting fashionista.

Visit The Shoe Goddess for a chance to win a $200 Saks gift certificate!

Tot Snob is running a month long giveaway! 30 days of 30 Paper Culture prizes starting next week. Make sure to keep informed with Tot Snob.

V-Style is giving away NuNaat hair care products to the reader who has wavy or curly locks.

Love that weighty bag and high, high heels? eye4style has tips on surviving your accessories from a leading physical therapist!

Before and After of a woman in her 30's, post-pregnancy

I had Thermage done 2 weeks ago to get rid of wrinkles and extra skin left after 2 pregnancies. And I am already seeing results. I'm not going to lie, I am too embarrassed and vain to put up pictures of myself so this isn't me up here. But I will divulge that I have a serious muffin top that folds over and below that is scrunched and crumpled up skin like that of an elephant. It's like my skin collapsed and is now in a pile. Needless to say, this bothers me beyond words. I would never get a tummy tuck because I am too much of a chicken when it comes to knives. So when I heard of Thermage, I immediately knew this was the best option for me. I went to Dr. Alex Liu, who I interviewed for the story on peels. I was very impressed by him so he began consulting me on various potential procedures I needed (well, mostly wanted), including Thermage.

Thermage uses high frequency radio waves that penetrates deep in the skin to stimulate new collagen growth. My wrinkled skin was caused by the breakdown and collapse of the underlying collagen. This radio wave heats up the collagen under the skin. Dr. Liu recommends heating the skin 7 degrees Celsius (surface skin temperature is around 31 degrees and during treatment it increases to 38) as 37-38 degrees Celsius is when skin biopsy studies demonstrated noticeable increase in collagen growth. Over heating the skin (up to 41-42 degrees Celsius) can lead to a accidental skin burn. There is no cutting or invasion of the skin or body of any kind. It just heats up the skin to the point where your collagen is stimulated to regenerate but not hot enough to damage any surrounding cells. The radio waves weaves around healthy cells because of its frequency pattern, unlike laser which zaps through everything in its path. I just want to reiterate this point because there is a lot of misconception about Thermage. A hand held wand is held over your skin that emits radio waves, there are no lasers, cutting or chemicals used. The only thing "cutting" is its cutting edge technology. The procedure is not new but the medical devise used now is 2nd generation and is incredibly high tech.

Estee Lauder has just released their limited edition Sensuous Gold collection and it has the soft feel of fall written all over it! I'm going gaga over their nail lacquers ($18) which have an awesome pearl-esque shimmer to them and come packaged in a gorgeous two-wall bottle. They've also got these fun lip glosses ($18) that are made up of three layers that blend together for a shiny, light pout. The collection's signature eyeshadow quad ($35) is another stand-out (especially with its hammered design!). It doesn't work on my skin-tone, but my friend Cristina who has a much darker complexion tried it and the colors worked well blended together and really popped when paired with a slate gray liner. 

Nordstrom has also got a pretty good deal going on right now where for every $29.50 or more Estee Lauder purchase you receive a summer-to-fall transformation kit that includes Re-Nutriv Ultimate Lifting Creme (7-day supply), 9-shade Eyeshadow Compact, a full-size Pure Color Long Lasting Lipstick in Wild Ginger, More Than Mascara in Rich Black (10-day supply), and three cosmetics bags ($125 value. Offer ends August 2, 2009, at 11:59 p.m.).

The complete list of products after the jump!

I'm all about trying to whiten my teeth now. I am planning on getting laser whitening done at my dentist's office but I figured I should aid in the effort first by doing something simpler. I have used other whitening toothpaste but it has this extra taste that leaves my tongue feeling weird. It is bad enough to make me dread brushing my teeth, which is definitely NOT a good thing. So when I was buying all my regular Darphin products, the owner of the store I got to (Temptress in Manhattan Beach) said that I "MUST TRY" this toothpaste. She told me I can bring it back if I don't like it and she'll give me my money back. OK, no risk, I like that. Plus, it's only $20. I can't say that it is turning my teeth completely white like Ross on Friends (he over whitened and his teeth glowed in the dark) but it is definitely brighter and I love the taste! No weird aftertaste, in fact, it is fruity and minty and very yummy. It is also a good idea to use whitening toothpaste before and after a dental whitening treatment, definitely after to maintain the newly sparkling pearly whites. At Neiman Marcus for $20.

I've written about my devotion to Bach products before -- Ladies and Gents, I swear by this stuff!! I experience mild stress on a daily basis and it's usually over frivolous stuff; a few drops of Bach's Rescue Remedy on my tongue and a deep breath has added years to be life! Needless to say I've tried a bunch of their other products and while none have worked as effectively for me as their Rescue Remedy, I do like their creams so it's worth mentioning that they've just launched Rescue Gel ($12.95, available in Whole Foods). The gel provides relief for stressed muscles, aches, pains, stiffness, and tightness. Even more exciting, for anyone on a budget and suffering from Acne, the makers of Bach have just launched a whole new line called Pure & Clear. Learn more about it after the jump!

The Wonder Bar is a facial cleanser made from a special MOOR clay from Heilmoor of Austria. This clay contains the essence of over 700 herbs and plants from the 3,000 years it took to create it. This MOOR essence is incredibly valuable for its benefits to the skin. There is also an algae formulation called Chlorey'nahre that's in this cleansing bar. All of that is a lot of confusion names and compounds but I have been using this cleanser and to put it plain and simple - it has changed my skin completely. Basically, the cleanser detoxes your skin. If you have clogged pores, it will extract all the gunk out. I get regular facials so I don't have that problem, but my husband does not facial so I had him use this. After the first couple of days, he got all these whiteheads, his clogged pores were purging itself. Now his skin is radiant like mine. OK, I am HUGE on exfoliating. After using the Wonderbar, I have not needed to exfoliate. After a good lather and rinse, my skin is soft and smooth, even though there is nothing abrasive in it. It is super mild. I have creamy soft baby skin. I'm not kidding. And my husband won't need to hear me nag about getting facials anymore, in fact, it has gotten rid of his rosacea. The Wonder Bar is cheaper than most cleansers I use, a 25 gram bar that last 4-6 weeks is $40. You can also get the 5 gram trial size good for 1-2 weeks for $10. It does not take off eye makeup so you will still need an eye make up remover afterwards.

There's frugal and then there's FRUGAL! This is the second kind! I first across Udderly Smooth in the Virgin Islands where it's widely used. I'm not sure that I would have dared try it had I known that this cream was initially created for dairy cows! But, my feet were completely cracked and I needed a quick-fix remedy. Pretty much nothing in the line is priced over $6.50 and their Udderly Smooth Foot Cream with Shea Butter ($5.79) has just the right amount of thickness and grease (think -- happy medium between L'Occitane's Milk Concentrate and La Roche-Posay sunscreen), and while it's greasy, it absorbs quickly and is only lightly scented. I use it on my feet and my elbows and it's truly a life saver if you live or are traveling anywhere where you're faced with a very dry heat. Their marquee product however is Udderly Smooth Udder Cream ($4.49) which is like the foot cream only lighter (plus it's water-based so it won't leave a greasy residue). Both provide all-day moisture (unless your skin is severely cracked in which case you might have to use it more frequently). The only thing that stops me from using the Udder Cream on a daily basis is that the scent is too light for my taste. Would you dare try Udderly Smooth?:)

Bag Snob - Dior is not for grandma's anymore, the Granville Handstitched Cannage tote will convince you.

Couture Snob is ready to sell her soul for these Christian Louboutin Bianca python pumps.

Tot Snob has the Joie Fall collection for your casual chic tots.

Comic-con is not for nerds anymore, Fab Sugar reviews the fashion of the celeb hotties who were there.

Nitrolicious takes a look at LA designer MM Couture's Fall collection.

She Finds points you to the Ugly Truth fashion.

Bella Sugar's trend alert: white nails! If Gwen Stefani says its cool, it must be =)

OK, truth be told Jessica Szohr's character Vanessa on Gossip Girl is tied with Jenny as my least favorite. Don't like their style, don't like their fashion sense, don't like their plot lines...you get the idea:) About two weeks however I was out at an event my friend Cristina helped put on at Christie's when a friend said there was a surprise party going on that we should all go to afterward. He goes "you know Ed, Jessica...they'll all be there." Little did I know that when he said Ed and Jessica he meant Ed Westwick and Jessica Szohr. So there, in the hidden backroom at Kabin in NYC I came face to face with both of them. They both seemed wonderfully friendly and laid back (so weird to hear Ed speak with his English accent..I'm used to the Chuck voice!). I was surprised at how great Jessica looked in person though. She had very defined arms and a natural look (I'm sure she was, but it didn't look like she was wearing makeup). With her in mind and a picture in hand, Pauline Youngblood Soli founder of Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics gave us some tips on how to lighten up our summer look. Read her tips after the jump! 

I use not one but THREE of the Dior Show mascara series. I start with the Dior Show Blackout (it thickens every lash!), followed by the Iconic (acts like a curler and separates any clumpiness from the Blackout) and end with a coat of the original Dior Show mascara. So yes, when it comes to eye make up, Dior is king! I'm so excited about the launch of the Fall 2009 Dior Brow Styler, Dior's latest breakthrough product. It has a retractable brow pencil featuring an applicator brush to lift and sculpt the brow, available in one easy-to-wear shade: Universal Brown. I just got this in my inbox so I have yet to try it, will head to a Dior counter after lunch today and give you a full report! Availability: July 2009 @ Nordstrom, August 2009 @ Dior Beauty Counters Nationwide. Retail: $28.00