Recently in Body Category

I read the most bizarre article in Bazaar yesterday, advocating a cleanse diet and starving yourself for 5 days (well you get to drink juice but still, it does not sound healthy!) I am very disappointed in the magazine for even mentioning it in their pages let alone asking a writer to undergo the diet. Sure, she lost 8 pounds in 5 days but imagine the toll it took on her body. I am a believer of moderation; moderate eating, moderate exercise, moderate drinking (yes- I love wine and champagne but in moderation:) etc etc. I have been a size 0 my entire life (now a size 00 due to the 'tweaking' of sizes by American designers), I have never been on a diet (Kelly can attest to this though I have watched her and her sister try some of the most insane diets known to man) and never plan to. I believe the reason my weight has been the same since I was a teenager (other than my pregnancy) is because I have never starved myself (my theory is the minute you get off a diet, you gain back the weight plus more because your body fears being starved again so it will store reserves of fat in case you do it again! No, I am not a doctor but it makes sense doesn't it?).

Seriously, I have simply loved food too much to put myself on any kind of diet and it turns out my healthy attitude and love for food is the reason I am thin and healthy. Furthermore, drastic dieting will not only hurt your health, you will end up with wrinkly saggy skin because the weight loss/weight gain cycle will stretch and stress out your skin. Your organs will also suffer as they need nourishment to function properly!

So I propose all of our Beauty Snob readers to make a New Year resolution - STAY AWAY FROM FAD DIETS! Why not eat everything and anything you want, in moderation (I just ate a piece of chocolate- and I do not feel guilty nor will I do any extra miles on the treadmill. One piece of Fauchon chocolate is a pleasure! Now had I ate the entire box, that would be a different story). I know it is easier said than done but if you do not deny yourself, you won't feel the urge to binge. Listen to your body and give it the proper respect it deserves.

I know it's all about tights now but when I wear a dress, I want to show my legs! And to show them in their best light, I always make sure they shine and glow. Remember the glitter days? I put so much glitter powder my legs looked like a Christmas tree. Now that things are more subtle, as am I, the Nars Monoi Body Glow is my secret to fabulous looking legs. The coconut oil is infused with the Tahitian tiare flower (Tahitian gardenia) giving it the most sensual, delicious scent. There is a tiare flower left in the bottle so you can see what it is and also it continues to infuse while in there (although I doubt very much). The shine is not glittery and it is not oily either, you just get this nice healthy glow from well hydrated skin. You just can't get that glisten from lotion. This oil is unlike other oils that leave you sticky and slick, it actually absorbs into your skin so you look as if you have super supple skin. Although this product is best seen in the day, make sure you do not use this as a tanning oil, you will literally be frying your skin. You should use a oilless sunscreen before if you plan on spending some time in the sun. This is a luxury worth it's weight in gold. NARS Monoi Body Glow II $59 at Sephora.

I have been running around like crazy trying to get all of my Christmas shoping done. (I waited until I got back to Alabama to finish my shopping.... yes I know, very stupid especially considering there is only one mall in my town) Needless to say I've been a little preoccupied. So when my mama asked me what I wanted for Christmas, I realized that I had not spent any time thinking about what I wanted for myself. I called up one of my best friends in the world, Andrea Ashe, and asked her if she had tried any new body lotions lately. She immediately began telling me about Laura Mercier's Tarte au Citron body lotion and I just had to check it out for myself. It is fantastic! It smells wonderful. I know the name makes you think of a fruity smell but it is not fruity at all. It is creamy and moisturizing while leaving a fresh, slightly sweet smell that doesn't interfere with your perfum. If you are still in need of a gift idea for yourself, I would definately suggest this body lotion. Laura Mercier Tarte au Citron body lotion, $40, sephora.com.

I got all this stuff for my husband to use and I end up using all of it because he refuses to raise his standards in his hygienic rituals. Like a prisoner, soap and water is all he needs. Well too bad for him and good for me because I have been enjoying the Anthony Logistics products. This Mud Exfoliating Bar serves the same function as the Sea Salt Scrub I reviewed, it is great for pre-shaving because of the oatmeal infused in the soap bar. But this has many properties that the Sea Salt Scrub does not, mud is a natural defense against odor and we all know that boys have not cornered the market on that bodily function. This bar also has mint which is so invigorating in the morning and makes me feel so tingley and alive. I actually got this for my husband because of his love of mint and eucalyptus when I force it on him. Men really love that sensation when used in their nether regions. Don't ask me why, I mean, if its so darn sensitive down there I would think this would hurt them. But whatever, "don't ask don't tell" is my policy regarding that kind of stuff. This soap is also super moisturizing with aloe and glycerin so you get a whole treatment in one convenient bar. At Spa Look for $18.

I’ve always been a huge fan of sea salt. Ever since I began learning about beauty treatments I’ve understood the great effects it had on skin. I’ve used it from everything from exfoliator to a way to cure an infected piercing. Right now I am totally coveting this Lime Coconut Sea Salt Exfoliator by Aedes De Venustas. The mix is all natural and the smell is delicious! It’s always nice to have a great, fruity, exotic scent in these dark and cold winter days. I really recommend the sea salt exfoliator because it will help your skin but is gentle and won’t tear it apart like other exfoliating mixes I’ve used in the past. This will leave your skin feeling silky and awesome and leave it glowing. $45 at vivre.com
Sea Salt Exfoliator at Vivre

Oh the joy of exfoliating away dead, rough, dull skin! I was really excited to use this product, even though Anthony Logistics is supposed to be for men, but whatever, skin is skin, right? Actually I was expecting something rougher since it is meant for tough male skin but this is very mild. The granules are rounded so it doesn't itch or hurt when scrubbing, which is good and bad. I like a good beating but I guess that is just psychological, it is not that good for your skin to tear it up with super coarse scrubs. I love using salt based scrubs because it detoxifies your skin as well as your entire body. If you are feeling sick or had a hard day, a good salt scrub does wonders. Another great use, pre-shaving (legs and under arm)! It gets your legs silky smooth for that perfect date shave =) The scent is very soft and has hints of marine life, which is a good thing even though that might have sounded like I just said you'll smell like you do after a trip to Sea World. It is more of a kelp scent rather than anything fishy. I use this all over and love the sense of true cleanliness - it claims to soften elbows and heels but I didn't get great results, those spots require serious industrial strength scrubbing, which this is not. Keep this in mind as a stocking stuffer! $25 at SpaLook.com.

I've been sick and traveling for two weeks and my skin is seriously suffering, I am not kidding, my body is starting to feel like the python scales on my favorite bags. Lucky for me however, I came home to find a box of Shea Terra Organics Shea butter body cream, Dead Sea Salt scrub and Silk and Shea butter body lotion made of organic ingredients from African herbs in the Miombo Rainforest of Central Africa. The products promised ultra hydration while reducing signs of aging. What perfect timing! I was feeling dry and wrinkly and could not wait to try it. I managed to get my disgruntled hubby (because I've been gone for so long) and my son fed, bathed and in bed and locked myself in the bathroom to try all my new goodies. The Dead sea salt scrub was amazing, non oily but hydrating, it left my skin smooth as silk. I then put on the Miombo Mango Indigenous shea body butter and my skin immediately bounced back to life. The 40% organic shea butter completely quenched my thirsty skin and gave me back my youthful glow. I am now a total addict and plan to travel with my jar of Mango shea butter. $18 at Shea Terra Organics online store.

Read more about the inspiration behind the line here.

Nude is a new line from England that is all organic and biocompatible, meaning all the ingredients are ones your body can recognize. This process allows your body to react naturally to deliver greater results. One of the qualities that sounds most interesting to me is the protection of our skin's acid mantle. Easier for me to quote their pamphlet:

"In addition to damage from the outside world, skincare products ordinarily remove the acid mantle, leaving the skin vulnerable. The microflora become imbalances which leads to subclinical irritation. The body respond to this irritation by creating free radicals and a collagen digesting enzyme. The result is premature aging of the skin."

Most beauty products are now aware of the importance of organic ingredients but I like the fact that this line was created with that in mind at its inception. There were so many great products that I loved but the one that I was most drawn to was the Smoothing Body Refiner to reduce stretch marks. I have been using the Decleor Vitaroma Body with great results, but hey, I am addicted to beauty products and will always try the next best thing. And good thing I did because I love it! I've only been using it for 2 weeks but I love the texture and the smell so the act of applying this gel (it is between a gel and a cream) is incredibly pleasing. My only interest and expectation is that this smooths my stretch marks and weird tummy wrinkles caused by pregnancy but this supposedly will break down fat cells and contribute to weight loss. A clinical test involving 80 women in a controlled environment found that this product alone, without changes in diet or exercise, resulted in an average weight loss of 6 pounds and an overall loss of 1 1/2 inches over the period of 6 weeks. I am always skeptical of those claims and like I said, I only expect surface results but that would be a nice bonus! I will keep you posted on how things go. Nude Smoothing Body Refiner available exclusively at Barneys for $70.

I usually find Lush products to be a total hit or miss. They’re either over the top smelly and I can’t even keep them in my bathroom or I totally love them and get super upset when I run out. Honey I Washed the Kids falls into the second category. I’m sorta in love with this soap. It’s made with honey and is incredibly moisturizing. It leaves my skin so soft and smelling slightly sweet. I use it after a particularly rough weather day and my skin always bounces back to normal. Sometimes the cold weather takes more of a toll on my skin then the hot weather and I find that this soap makes it all right again. I definitely recommend it for anyone who’s skin needs a little TLC. $7.75 at usa.lush.com

Holy beauty heaven!! Looks like Santa has done his market research and created the most awesome beauty set the world has ever seen! I mean, who wouldn't want a luxurious pink leather trunk filled with everything you could possibly want from Bobbi Brown? It's like going to the Bobbi Brown counter and taking home their entire display (but brand new and unused of course). If someone bought this for me for Christmas, I would be a very very happy wife (hint hint). I feel like a little kid in a toy store looking at this, it makes me all anxious with giddiness and desire. I would go home and play with it for hours and get really mad if someone even remotely look at it much less touch it. There is a total of 60 items, including foundation, brushes, eyeshadows, blushes, bronzers, lip glosses, lash curler, mascara, make up remover, moisturizer, eye cream, the list goes on. Exclusively for Neiman Marcus, you can get this whole thing for $2000.

The entire list of contents in this make up trunk is after the jump.