Recently in Face Category

This is one of those things that when you see it you just have to try it. This Cleansing Balm looks like black mud but it is not a mask, it dissolves into an oil that thoroughly cleans your skin and leaves your skin moisturized and enriched with minerals and vitamins. It is made of Hungarian thermal mud and Hungarian healing water, which are both rich in minerals and allows a deep pore cleanse, drawing out all the gunk and impurities. And it takes off makeup like you would not believe. You start on the cheeks and work in a circular motion to break down the balm, once it is oily, you work it up to your eyes and it will remove anything you have on, including stubborn waterproof mascara. This is meant as a one step process, you clean your face with this and wipe, not wash, it off leaving all the oils and minerals behind as a treatment for the skin. The instructions says to wash with water but the SA told me to leave it on. I don't like the idea of makeup traces left behind, so I am opting for the wash with water route. Everything about this is really incredible and I highly recommend it, except, it is really pricey, a jar of this stuff is $102 and if you wear makeup everyday, or even if you don't and just want to use this daily, you can go through this in a month. Exclusively at Neiman Marcus.

Today is my wedding anniversary-- 8 magical years and a beautiful son later, we're still blissfully happy (okay so we fight like all couples do but it never lasts more than 5 minutes and I always win-- I think my hubby has finally figured out the key to happily ever after ;). We are going out to a romantic dinner tonight and I have my schedule carefully planned out-- have our 4 year old son fed and bathed before the baby sitter arrives plus be dressed and ready myself.  I've developed a quick but efficient beauty routine with the aid of the amazing brightening system from Orlane called Absolute Radiance pack, it has everything I'll need to have my complexion glowing as brightly as the first day we met-- all in 7 minutes!  It felt like a science project at first but once I got the hang of it, it's been really easy to give myself this mini facial while I dry my hair!  Here are the 3 easy steps:

1. Apply eye gel under eyes, cover with eye patch
2. Mix powder into cream pack and let foam for 30 seconds, apply Glowing Skin Masque and let sit for 5 minutes (while eye patch is still on, you apply the mask around it).
3. Rinse and apply Evanescent Cream et voila, the skin of a 25 year old. 

I swear it is pure perfection!  Make up goes on smoother and your complexion will seriously glow!  $200 at Neiman Marcus.

What about you, do you have any quick tips and tricks to perfect skin before date night?

All photos from people.com

I had the chance to ask Ramy Gafni --Celebrity Makeup Artist and Eyebrow Guru -- what he thought about the above celebrity photos. See below for what the expert had to say about Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Garner, and Jennifer Connelly's eye brows along with some tips for achieving the right brow shape!
Ramy Gafni: What I see when I look at these photos of Jennifer Garner, Drew Barrymore and Jennifer Connelly is that your facial shape (round, oval, heart shaped or square) does not determine your brow shape. Some people are born with a thicker eyebrow, like Jennifer Connelly, and some with a less strong brow, like Jennifer Garner. The key is to take the brows you're born with and shape them into the most flattering shape for your individual facial type.

* A round face looks best with a stronger, straighter eyebrow which can add needed angles to a round face.

* An oval face looks best with a medium fullness and classic arch.

* A long face looks best with a stronger, higher arch.

* A square face looks best with a slightly rounder arch to add needed softness.

The above are just guidelines, however, as you have to take into account not just your facial shape, but also how thick or thin your "virgin" eyebrows are to begin with, how dense or sparse your brow hairs are, the size and shape of your eyes, how close set or far apart your eyes are, your age and finally, what look you are trying to achieve. More after the jump!

The weather has recently turned muggy and every time I leave the house I feel like my face is melting off.  This is why in the summer months I like to switch to a lightweight powder foundation; it's easier to touch up and doesn't feel like I'm clogging my pores.  La Mer just came out with an amazingly lightweight powder foundation-- I got it last week and am in love with it!  You can control the coverage depending on how much you apply it and of course being La Mer it also includes skin treatment benefits along with SPF protection.  I love the way the texture of this powder; super soft and fine, and it feels like nothing on the skin no matter how often I re-apply!  

A signature Radiant Ferment (no idea what that is but sounds like yogurt) continuously improves clarity and brightness to illuminate the skin. I was told there are airspun seaborne particles in it (again, no idea but am picturing foam bubbles from the ocean waves) - some of the lightest materials on earth - and that's what makes the flawless finish last all day no matter how much I sweat.  I slapped some of this on before running to my kickboxing session the other day and it held up really well.  I was even able to reapply afterwards without it gunking up.    

The Treatment Powder Foundation SPF 15 is $95 and available now at select Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, and www.lamer.com

I'll admit it, when I first heard of Josie Maran's line of products I did not plan to try or buy anything (I know, such the beauty snob huh?!?).  But then I got a sample of the Argan Oil and have decided re-form my opinion on models turned beauty entrepreneurs.  This legendary, lightweight oil, grown organically in Morocco, is rich in vitamin E and essential fatty acids but does not feel sticky as a lot of E oils do.  I used it this morning as a moisturizer (absorbs amazingly fast) and then used it all over my body from head to toe (including my cuticles) and split ends. For a mom who does not have a lot of time in the morning, this is almost a miracle product.  My skin has had a subtle glow all day but I don't feel greasy. 

Best part is it's 100% organic!  Housed in a recyclable glass bottle with an easy to use applicator, I even used it on my son's rash and the redness went away almost immediatley.  The only drawback is the scent, it stinks.  But god is it good.  Just make sure you spritz on some perfume afterwards.  $48 at Josiemaran.com

Val Garland, the Artistic Adviser for YSL Makeup, only comes to Saks NYC once a year so I was ecstatic about the opportunity to meet her and attend her Master Class (even at 8:30am!). Garland introduced a host of YSL's signature products along with the new summer looks. While Garland demonstrated how to apply all the products on a model (on the left), Johnny Burnais -- the Business Manager for YSL at Saks - helped show me what products worked best for my skin tone and how to apply them. Ladies, if you are ever, ever, EVER at Saks NYC you must stop by the YSL counter and ask for Burnais he is absolutely wonderful -- friendly, funny, but most of all honest and he knows the YSL line in and out (plus Bravo junkies, you'll recognize him from Tim Gunn's Guide to Style!). He showed me a bunch of products and two major stand-outs were YSL's Top Secret ($52) and their Touche Eclat ($40, this is YSL's biggest seller -- one is sold every 10 seconds!). Top Secret is great for an instant remedy for tired skin (think early mornings, when you get off a plane...) or for when, for example, you're going to the gym and don't feel like wearing makeup. It works instantly -- you'll immediately see that your skin has a radiance to it and feels baby soft. Top Secret is moisturizing, but it works best layered over a moisturizer. Jump for more on Touche Eclat and the YSL 2009 Summer Collection!

I saw this roller thing at Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills and without thinking I touched the roller not knowing it was full of really tiny and really sharp pins! It didn't hurt or anything when I got pricked but I was startled. Of course I had to ask what it was for. The Leaf & Rusher line is developed by a plastic surgeon and nurse from a Beverly Hills practice, their clintele is a long list of A-lister celebrities who do the advertising for them because they do not. Their Active Serum
($118) contains Retinol and Vitamin C to improve the surface of the skin but when used with the Derma Roller ($118), it penetrates the skin 4000% more than with just a topical application. Makes sense to me. So you apply the serum first, then lightly roll the Derma Roller over the entire face avoiding the eye area. The 90 surgical grade pins pushes the serum into the skin but because our skin is super thin, the pins are actually very very short so it will not hurt or cause bleeding. I was rolling it all over my hand and although it did not feel good, it also did not hurt and I imagine with regular use it will no longer bother me. Very interesting, right? I am pretty sure I can benefit from this roller with any type of serum or even a glycolic peel, although don't take my word for it, I am no doctor. Just telling you what I plan on doing =)

Want perfect looking skin without spending a fortune? Maybelline's Dream Liquid Mousse Airbrush Finish is damn near perfect! I never would have even given this a thought had I not seen it on my friend Melinda. She had just arrived home from Florida and I thought her glow was due to the fresh ocean air and being outdoors but she informed me it rained the entire trip and she didn't get to spend much time in the sun. I asked her why she was glowing and she gleefully told me "it's the new Maybelline foundation! I bought it because the model in the ad looked so good" (note to advertisers, your expensive models are paying off!). Now my friend is a very advanced Beauty Snob-- she is a hard core beauty junkie (her monthly Neiman bill can attest to this) and she does not hesitate to spend thousands of dollars on a jar of cream if she likes it. So I was shocked to hear she bought a bottle of $9 foundation and even more shocked to find out that she uses it more often than her $150 bottle of cream foundation!

Of course I had to investigate even though I had my doubts and fear (will the cheap foundation make me break out? will the color match? and how will I know what color to choose since there are no samples?). I ended up buying Nude beige in 3.5-- it looked most neutral in the bottle. I went home and washed my face and applied without much expectation.  The minute I pumped the first drop, however, I knew this was good stuff.  The consistency is smooth and lightweight (I didn't even need to blend with moisturizer!) and it left the most amazing velvety texture. I am not saying I'll replace my Chanel, Chantecaille or Cle de peau cream foundations but let me just say this is one heck of a foundation for the price point! I even used it on my photo shoot in LA last week. Jump to see photo--

Buy Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse Airbrush Finish here, $8.75 at Beauty.com.

I have enjoyed researching organic skin care for Earth Day, and learning more than I care to know about the harmful effects of the chemicals I've been using :(

Amala skincare came across my path recently and I am very impressed with its line of certified organic products. Formulated with only whole plant ingredients, sourced from fair trade farm partners across the world. There's absolutely zero artifice in this brand and packaging is designed with recycled materials and soy-based inks. Five percent of their net profits are also donated to farm partners.

There are four collections:
- Hydrate (with jasmine) - for dry skin
- Purify (with blue lotus) - for oily/acnegenic skin
- Rejuvenate (with cocoa bean) - for mature skin
- Detoxify (with myrtle) -

But I don't really follow rules and I mix and match different products from each collection.  Here is the

Beauty Snob Amala Routine: Scrub, Yogurt Mask, Collagen Mask- Instant firm and glowing skin.
 
Amala is available at Barney's New York here.

I love the hydrating Yogurt mask, it gives my skin moisture without making it feel heavy or greasy.  $58 at Barneys.

I have had my share of hard nights-- in my 20's it was from dancing all night, but now in my 30's it was mostly from my son. Teething, fevers, stomach bugs, ear infections, you name it and he's gotten it since starting pre-school at age 3. But I can't blame him for all of my hard nights. There are the few occasions when I'm working in NYC and have to stay up late at events (I know, such torture to have to attend parties, right?). You all should know the effects of hard nights-- dry skin that lacks luster.

Well now there is a serum specifically created to tone, tighten and firm skin that's taken a beating. D'Andra's "Hard Night, Good Morning" is an aloe based formula that contains tighterners, antioxidants and essential oils-- just the answer to leave skin looking flawless and fresh-- especially after a late night with too many cocktails! Just don't expect it to cure your headache in the morning. The Serum is $155 here.