Recently in Cream Category

Face the new year and the upcoming bloom of spring with an extravagant skin cream.  Decadent and luxurious, CHANEL raised the bar in skincare with the creation of SUBLIMAGE TEXTURE UNIVERSELLE Essential Regenerating Cream, the ultimate in anti-aging luxury.

I received this over a month ago and didn't want to do my review without giving it the proper due diligence and length of time it deserves.  After using it nightly (and sometimes daily under make up if the weather is warm) for over a month, I am in love.  This is best for our beauty snobs in warmer climates or have oily/combination skin who don't want the weight of a heavy cream yet would like to have the anti-aging benefits of one. 

What I love is the texture of this cream-- it is like light weight cashmere; whipped to perfection so you can massage into your skin without the cream feeling sticky. I am all about the facial massage!  But the lightness ends at the texture, this is a super powerful hydrating cream that keeps my skin glowing all day long-- the perfect campanion to the SUBLIMAGE TEXTURE SUPREME which is for colder climates (or at night) so you can globe trot without missing a beat.  It's a bit early in the year to declare my favorites but this will definitely be on my best of list.  You must try this-- go to the Chanel counter and ask for a sample since it is a bit pricey.  $375 at Chanel.com

I've had one of the worst weeks ever:( I caught the flu (get a flu shot if you haven't!!!), and missed not one, but three birthday parties! My friend Mikael was planning a get together at a new fondue place La Cave des Fondues, my friend Lauren had a party at this super-cute dessert place Sweetiepie, and my friend Jane had what looks to me from pictures to be one of the year's best parties! It was a "Naughty or Nice Party" held at a Soho loft with Patron sponsoring it and fab gift bags (please, can someone tell me how I could get sponsors to pay for my next party!!!??), but that's not all -- all the stars from MTV's The Hills spin-off The City were there..not too shabby! Anyway this all leads me to feel very compelled to take care of myself so I get through the rest of the winter season happy and healthy! To that end, I'd like to talk about how much I'm jumping for joy about FINALLY having discovered a face cream to stop all the flaking and pealing my skin has undergone from the weather (even my two humidifiers weren't doing the trick). The magic face cream is -- dum dum dum -- Clarins Advanced Extra Firming Night Cream for Very Dry Skin! More about it after the Jump!

Get a $503 set of Diamond Extreme Eye and Diamond cream (full size) with a bronze clutch for $395 (25% savings!) for the Beauty Snob in your life this Christmas!  I've extolled on the virtues of Diamond extreme eye often and of course the Diamond cream is the ultimate indulgence in skincare. Natura Bisse never goes on sale so the set is really a great opportunity to try the products! This is one of the best gift sets of the season so don't miss out! $395 at Neiman Marcus.com

själ skincare, an organic approach to scientifically advanced skincare from Sweden, is a favorite among celebrities, models and fashion insiders in Hollywood.  I didn't know what all the hype was about so decided to do a little investigating on my own.  I got samples of the best sellers, orbe (eye contour cream) and kura (intense hydration cream) last week and have been diligently testing them to give you a full report.

sjal orbe: multi-tasking eye cream eye- This is a multi tasking eye cream designed to lift the eye area, reduce the appearance of wrinkles, fatty deposits, dark circles and puffiness.  At first I didn't like the eye cream, after applying, it'd 'peel' (a light exfoliatoin process perhaps?).  But after a week, I love it!  The area around my eyes is a bit softer.  It leaves a smooth coating (from pearl powder) which is perfect as a base for eye make up.  There is also loquat leaf for brightening and real gold, silver, germanium an copper for cellular repair.  At $175 it is comparable to the other luxury brands.  I will definitely be adding it to my rotation of eye creams.

(Jump for more!) Buy själ online at eLUXURY.com

I've never been a huge fan of facials. I never seem to be able to relax -- something about people touching my face always makes me uncomfortable and because of my pale and sensitive skin I usually worry that I might breakout. That said, I've heard wonderful things about Jurlique's spa treatments included their facials, but I have yet to try them. What I have tried is some of their products. The Australian-based brand's products are free of artificial colors and animal content, are never tested on animals, and Jurlique also farms and harvests many of the organic herbs and flowers that go into its beauty products! They just came-out with a new Biodynamic Beauty range to address concerns of aging skin with a blend of biodynamic and organic herbs and flowers combined with naturally derived ingredients to soften fine lines, wrinkles, and discoloration. The new collection is completely free of Parabens, Mineral Oils, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Synthetic Emulsifiers, Artificial Colors or Fragrances. After the jump get Amanda Dawson, Jurlique's Executive Director of Global Education, tips on how to create your own at-home spa treatment!

Start saving-up now because La Mer has four fantastic new Gifts of Beauty for the 2008 season:) I've tried La Mer before, but only when I've skimmed some from my mother. Otherwise, though I'm the first to splurge on anything beauty-related, La Mer still remains out of the price-range I'm willing to spend. That said, for those looking to treat their face to the crème de la crème (literally since it's the name of one of their holiday offerings!), see what La Mer is offering this coming holiday season!
The Crème de la Crème-- 16.5 oz. Crème de la Mer in a limited edition round mother of pearl box, $1,390 - available exclusively at Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and lamer.com
The Luxury Essentials -- Crème de la Mer (2 oz.), The Lifting Face Serum, and The Eye Concentrate in a limited edition mother of pearl round box, $630 -- available exclusively at Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus.
The Connoisseur Collection -- Crème de la Mer (2 oz.) and The Eye Concentrate in a pearlized holiday box, $395 -- available exclusively at Saks Fifth Avenue.
The Signature Collection -- Crème de la Mer (1 oz.), The Lifting Face Serum (15ml), and The Eye Concentrate (5ml) in a green cylindrical box, $240 -- available exclusively Bloomingdale's.

A few days ago I attended an event hosted by co- founders of Kiss My Face, Bob MacLeod and Steve Byckiewicz. The duo are truly pioneers when it comes to green beauty. They started their eco-conscious company on a 200-acre farm in New York's Hudson River Valley over 25-years ago, way before it was cool to be green. The event, which took place at the founders NYC Upper West Side apartment, was held to showcase some of the latest Kiss My Face products. I've never tried anything other than their deodorants (they're great buys..especially the Liquid Rock one!), but I got to check-out some of their newest products which include 100% natural/91% organic lip glosses (pictured on the left), which are free of parabens, SLS, phthalates, synthetic colors, and flavors. They've also go vitamins A&E to repair and protect your lips. They come in six flavors all of which will be available come November. Also previewed were the Kiss My Face Potent & Pure Organic Face Care products which will hit stores in January. The line includes products to cleanse, treat, and moisturize skin, but what's most remarkable is that the packaging is comprised of 65% post consumer corrugate and produced in a facility that utilizes wind power and water soluble inks. Of course all the products will come at affordable price-points which is all the more remarkable given the natural nature of all their products. Click here to check-out eco-friendly products you can get right now!

When Chanel comes calling, one must respond, and quickly.  Over Fashion Week, I was invited to a Chanel Beauty event and though I had fashion shows, showroom visits, and interviews that day with designers such as Oscar de la Renta-- I said yes.  One just does not say no to Chanel!  At least not one who has been obsessed with Chanel since college and who used to keep Chanel boxes in one's college apartment stacked wall to wall and floor to ceiling only so one can admire the prettiness of the black and white boxes daily. 

I've extolled on the virtues of the Sublimage eye cream often (remember the time I drove to Barneys in a thunderstorm and almost crashed my car on the freeway in an effort to apply my drug I mean eye cream on the way home?) but have never experienced the entire line so I knew I was in for a treat.  I did not expect the eye candy that greeted me, however, from the Sublimage line to its new Winter make up collection (which you will read about next week)-- Chanel knows how to throw a girly girl party!  We got our nails done, our necks massaged, and did I mention the delicious array of hors d'heurves and finger sandwiches?  I could have taken a nap after all that pampering-- all that was missing was my pajamas!