Spring treats from Lancome, Patricia Wexler and Tarte

Lancome Juicy Tubes
and Juicy Gelee

Patricia Wexler
Advanced No Injection Lip Plumper

Tarte Inside Out Lipgloss and
Sunburst Beaded Bronzing Lotion

Spring means new colors and shades and tints and hues! I am excited for each season to see what comes out from my favorite cosmetics companies.

Juicy Tubes Smoothie, is a delicious blended gloss that smells (and tastes) sweet and yummy. Smells like candy! Each color has a bit of sparkle to make your mouth shine and shimmer. These look especially pretty outside in the sunlight where the glow of the sun makes lips glimmer! I received many a compliment wearing my Juicy Tubes Smoothie. Lancome's Juicy Tubes are super popular because they are light and easy to wear, they make lips look sexy and pouty with high shine.

Also from Lancome is the adorable little pot of Juicy Gelee. Same consistency as those Juicy Tubes but in a small jar. Talk about major shine! WOW. Click here for Lancome's excellent glosses! And look at this, I must get my hands on this color right now!

Patricia Wexler MD is a renowed dermatologist who is recognized for being on television and in magazines. She has her own line of products including Fastscription, instant skin solutions without needles and a doctors visit.

The Advanced No Injection Lip Plumper works, period. I was surprised at how well it plumped my lips. A friend of mine was looking for a good lip plumping product and without hesitation, I suggested this one. You apply it with a brush and within seconds you will feel a tingle. Minutes later, your lips are fuller. Why bother with collagen injections when you can simply use this?

The No Injection Lip Plumper also comes in spring-like colors such as Rose and Baby Pink- light, glossy shades that offer a bit of sparkle and high shine. After using the lip products and seeing how they work, I'm anxious to try the No Injection Wrinkle Smoother! Thank goodness technology is so advanced.

An award winning brand, Tarte is always coming out with new and fun products like the Inside Out Lipgloss, Powered by Borba Nutraceuticals. Lick those lips with amazing results.

Here's the deal: Borba makes delicious powders you add to water for a simple way to get nutrients. The idea is to feed your skin from the inside out. I've tried a few of their powders and love them- makes drinking lots of water easy and tasty. Well now, Tarte has paired up with Borba to create these wonderful glosses. Don't worry about licking your lips because wearing this gloss is actually good for you!

The glosses, which come in three shades (Pale Pink, Hot Pink and Nude), are powered by Acai, Green Tea, Grapeseed, Vitamins A, C, E and K as well as Lychee Extract. Not only are your lips well nourished and moisturized but they receive a dose of vitamins too! How brilliant is that!? The glosses smell good and taste too good to be a lip product.

Tarte is also introducing Sunburst, Beaded Bronzing Lotion, a moisturizer with teeny spheres of bronzer. You rub this lotion on for a bit of pigment and the little beads break open to reveal bronzer. Your skin is at once moisturized and given a healthy glow. It's fun to apply this anywhere you want a little color as well as moisture. Leave it to Tarte to come up with nurtients in lipgloss and bronzer beads in lotion. I love it!

Jo Malone

For years I've been reading about Jo Malone fragrances and candles and Jo Malone this --and that. I never had the pleasure of trying out her fragrances until very recently. The perfumes are supposed to be incredible. The scents she creates are rumored to be purely intoxicating! Imagine wearing perfumes or lighting candles that carry the delicate scent of Lime Basil and Mandarin...Honeysuckle and Jasmine...Amber and Sweet Orange...and the combinations are never ending.

I had the opportunity to try the Red Roses and the Pomegranate Noir Colognes. There is nothing more lovely than the clean, floral scent of delicious roses! It is the ultimate feminine smell, in my humble opinion.

Jo Malone's Red Roses is a big bouquet of the most fragrant roses you would ever be able to find. She combines seven different types of roses and layers crushed violet leaves and a hint of lemon fpr a result that is pretty and soft. I sprayed a bit on my wrists this morning and now, hours later, the scent is still there. I cannot stand perfumes or colognes that evaporate as soon as you spray them on your skin! I want to smell it all day and with this, you do.

Pomegranate Noir is designed to be worn with Red Roses cologne. This spicy fragrance is created from pomegranate, frankincense and patchouli. It's sultry and sophisticated. Combined, these two colognes make a very sensual scent. The Pomegranate Noir isn't for the shy girl, it's strong and bold but layered with Red Roses, it's bound of have people asking "What perfume are you wearing?" Why, it's my Jo Malone scents of course!

If you haven't already purchased a Valentines Gift for that most special someone...may I suggest a little something from Jo Malone? Each gift comes in a cream colored box with black trim. And it beats the tired box of chocolates and bundle of flowers any day.

Tokidoki for Smashbox

The Tokidoki collection for Smashbox is inspiring on many levels. The artwork for one. Not only are the illustrations on the boxes so cute but open up a compact to find the embossed pictures on the mirrors, nice detailing! A little surprise.

Artist Simone Legno created enchanting "Japanimation" pictures which adorn each item in the collection. I pulled out my sketchpad to design my own collection after seeing these adorable pictures and the colorful collection. Art is always inspiring to me. Cosmetics are inspiring. Doodling on paper gets the creative juices flowing. Things like this make you wonder what you can make and do.

Further inspiring are the shades of Tokidoki. Try mixing and match colors to come up with your own combinations. Use the Skin Tint in Bella, a flushed coral, as lipstick or cheek color. Mix in a dash of Light Luminizing Lotion and see what happens. Dab a touch of the off- white eye shadow under eyes as well as on the lids. Layer the lip glosses. Have fun, that's what Tokidoki is all about!

The eyeshadows (with colors like off- white, baby blue, peach and brown in the Modella palette and Celebrita offers soft gray, pink, white, and purple) each have a hint of sexy shimmer, they are blendable and of excellent quality as you would expect from Smashbox. Four small squares of color make up each palette.

Artificial Light Luminizing Lotion gives skin an opalescent radiance. It tones down any ruddiness and when the light catches the skin, notice the glow! This product blends well all over the face.

Being such a lipgloss lover, I was anxious to get my hands on the glosses! There is Drammatica, a shiny pinkish red. Yes, it's dramatic! Dolcissima is a peachy pink color that is suitable for every event whether it be out for coffee or work or a nice dinner or running to the store. I use Drammatica for those fancy awards shows and galas and banquets that I so often attend while Dolcissima has a place in my purse for every other time. Perfect consistency, high shine and mixed together the colors blend well and look super flattering to my skin which is light.

Soft Lights and Brush Set in Dolce Vita is a whispery pink blush. The fan brush is fluffy and wide, the cheek color comes in a big round pan. Dolce Vita gives a hint of light rosy color that is subtle and soft.

The Stellina Makeup Mirror is exactly what you need in your makeup bag when you are out and about, a girl on the town. It's a tiny round mirror that comes in a darling pouch. The mirror is very sleek and high quality. I love the little stars and hearts that are on the it-- makes me smile whenever I open the compact to check my makeup/teeth/eyebrows etc.


You can purchase the Tokidoki products at Smashbox.com or Ulta, Nordstrom or Bloomingdale's. However, the Soft Lights and Brush Set is only available at the Holy Land or as it's known to everyone else, Sephora.

Public Service Announcements

My very favorite scent in the whole world, Sharon Bolton's LUV will be appearing at the Fashion Day Soiree in Hollywood. Tickets are on sale now. I will never know how Sharon captures the scent of ocean air and mixes it with the most heady, fragrant gardenias but I don't question it, I just wear it and instantly feel happier.


Someday not only will I drive my Infiniti FX 35 but I will own a Kooba bag! These highly sought after bags are loved by fashionistas and celebrities alike. This is their newest creation, it can be a hobo bag or a tote depending on how you use the straps. Click here for more info and colors. I like the white, and you?



Sienna Miller stars as the Andy Warhol muse Edie Sedgwick in Factory Girl. I just did an interview with David Dalton who was in the midst of all the craziness for real, back in the day. He was Andy's assistant and knew Edie- the scene was insane. His book, Edie Factory Girl takes an in-depth look at Edie and Andy and is a fantastic slice of 60's pop culture. Please read the interview I did with David here.


AND finally, go here to check out an amazing Ebay auction to benefit RSVP to Help which will benefit these causes: Habitat for Humanity, Help USA and Philadelphia Soul Charitable Foundation.

What a great opportunity to make a difference. You can bid on all kinds of things like packages to spend time with a favorite celeb, a car, sports stuff, fashion goodies, vacations and more. Here is the offical page with offical spokesmen Jon Bon Jovi/Kenneth Cole.

Ile De Tahiti

Ile De Tahiti

You will love this tropically scented, exotic goodness from Bath and Body Works. Discover a whole bunch of new creams and butters and scrubs that are based on the beauty secrets of those luscious Tahitian babes! The Ile De Tahiti line is so scrumptious and if you like anything floral or tropical, this is for you!

My favorite is the Tiare Flower Inu Body Lotion. "Precious Tiare Gardenia is entwined with crushed Bamboo wrapped by exotic Ylang-Ylang, tropical Frangipani and opulent Tuberose." I adore anything gardenia- scented and in fact, I loved this lotion so much that I went to Bath and Body Works and used my holiday gift card to buy more. It comes in a gorgeous blue glass bottle.

The Tiare Flower Pure Tamanoi Balm can be used as a lotion or applied to your pulse points like a perfume. It comes in a pan and is thick like a wax but soft like butter. Another product that you want to dive into because the scent is so lovely. I use this on my elbows and cuticle beds, along with applying it where I spray perfume. We need a candle of this stat!

I can see myself becoming addicted to the Coconut Vanille Scrub. This is not super sweet coconut, it's a pleasant scent that transports you to the beach with your toes in the warm sand. The scrub contains coconut pulp, vanilla beans and Manoi oil. It washes off to reveal soft, fragrant skin. I like to use this after shaving my legs and then slather on some lotion to seal in moisture.

There's more! Besides the scents of Tiare Flower and Coconut Vanille, there is Fei Banana. When I walked into the shop, the girl standing at the door started telling me how much she loved the Banana scent. It doesn't smell like a banana right out of the peel, it's gentle and sultry, mixed with gardenia, jasmine and vanilla. YUM.

You can find these products online or at a Bath and Body Works shop near you.

Straight - Big - Curly - Smooth

Jonathan Shampoo Weightless Smooth

Matrix Vavoom Bust Out Body

This past week I've had big and curly hair as well as straight and smooth. I am enjoying the Vavoom Bust Out Body Shampoo and Conditioner on days when I want enormous hair. And when I want hair that behaves, I reach for Jonathan Product, the line created by celebrity hair stylist, Jonathan Antin. Remember him from the show, Blow Out?

Jonathan Product Shampoo Weightless Smooth Cleansing Creme cleans hair without an overload of bubbles and foam. It's a gentle product that cuts down on the frizz factor. This shampoo and conditioner is free from any harsh ingredients and is 100% vegan. It smells tropical and very pleasant. The Weightless Smooth Creme Rinse softens the hair cuticles so when you blowdry and style your hair, it lays nice and smooth but not flat to your head or greasy. Both products contain proteins, oils and exotic butters to keep hair looking and smelling fabulous.

I also tried the Jonathan Product Silky Dirt- Shine & Define Creme. This potion is created from cucumber/rose essential water, grapefruit extract, pomegranate extract, exotic butters and more natural ingredients. This product smells so good, I want to lick it! You can use Silky Dirt on wet or damp hair to define and control your luscious locks. I took a small amount and warmed it in my palms, then ran it through the ends of my hair while damp and then again after I blew my hair dry pulling the curls out with a round brush. Result? Smooth and soft hair. I am anxious to see how his Create Root Volume Brushable Lifting Spray works. Because half the week I like my locks silky smooth and the rest of the time, I want....

..HAIR CLEAVAGE! That's right, big wild Vavoom hair! ...The Vavoom Bust Out Body Shampoo & Conditioner won't let you or your hair down. I used to think I had the worst hair in the world, frizzy and thin. With a ton of effort, I could get it to be presentable using hot rollers and back combing and hair spray. You know what the problem was? I didn't have the correct products!

Bust Out Body will plump up those hair strands while conditioner adds volume so you are left with hair that is full of body for the whole day. My hair is lush from morning until night with no extra hairspray applications necessary!

Whether you want full hair that won't quit or hair that is sexy and smooth, there is a product out there to help you achieve what you want withouth damaging delicate tresses. Aren't you so happy for hair technology?

Christian Breton

I had never heard of Christian Breton which always makes me wonder what else is out there that I don't know about? Christian is a French beauty specialist whose products are being sold around the world. He has a line of skincare and makeup, take a look right here. I enjoyed looking at all the colors and products that this line offers. The site is hip and modern, go ahead and take a peek. Since I'm such a lipgloss junkie, of course I made a beeline right to the Lollipop Lipsticks.




Lollipop Lipstick is a gloss that will make your lips shine! It's not sticky, goopy or heavy. The shade I tried is called DOM DOM, and it's full of glitter but nothing that would make you look like a teenager that loves Hello Kitty and boybands. It's subtle but fun.

I love anything that sparkles and shimmers. You can use this alone or over a lipstick to give a bit of a POP. Lollipop Lipsticks come in several shades that either give lips an irridescent shine or contains some glittery goodness. Check it out here.



I like the shape of this bottle of nail polish! Cool idea, isn't it? Good for storage. I tried the shade called Bare White. Pale colors are always nice for when you aren't in the mood to go dark but want a bit of color and shine on your nails. The consistency of the polish is very nice being neither thick or runny. One light coat dries quickly which is always a plus for girls who are on the go!

These nail colors come in tons of sassy hues, check out I Love Paris, isn't it pretty?

Astara Mask Madness!

There is nothing more relaxing than taking the time to do a mask and indulging in some quiet time while the face mask works it's magic. My friend Lisa loves to steam her face to open the pores over a bowl of hot water, but I use a very warm washcloth to get the same effect. I recently discovered the Astara Masks and let me tell you, these are excellent. I can't decide which one I like best. All three masks gave my skin a lovely, pink cheeked hue making me look young and healthy.

The Blue Flame Purification Mask will clean your clogged pores and leave you looking fresh-faced. This blue mask doesn't flake off or make your skin tight when it dries. The skin feels and looks clear and clean after you wash it off. The Blue Flame contains aloe vera, tea tree oil, vitamin E, sage, lavender among other delicious ingredients.

The Sea Mineral Mask feeds your skin nutrients that come from the sea such as kelp and spirulina. This gem in a bottle multitasks by exfoliating, moisturizing and oxygenating the skin. Also contains jojoba beads. You probably know that jojoba is an excellent ingedient for hair, skin and nails. Many nutricious goodies are found in the sea so its no wonder that the Sea Mineral Mask makes your face look like you just had a professional facial.

The Golden Flame Hydration Mask is for those days when the skin needs some extra attention and moisture. This can be used around the eye area for extra hydration and to soften fine lines. Golden Flame heals skin with aloe, essential oils and vitamins. This is perfect to use once or twice a week when sallow, dry skin needs a burst of TLC.

Astara Skincare is a botanical line that boasts natural ingredients to heal and nourish skin. I love their philosophy of "providing health, harmony, bal­ance and a youthful glow to the skin." Astara utilizes things found in nature such as "flower essences, antioxidants and botanical extracts" to bring health and radiance to skin. I would be interested in trying more products from Astara, especially the Blue Flame line to keep the pores clear and smooth and clean.

If you want to try all three masks to suit whatever your skin may need, you can purchase them here.

Gardener's Hand Repair

Even winters in southern California, land of perpetual warmth and sun, can take a toll on hands. I constantly have my hands in soapy dishwater, bathwater or I'm cleaning something or other like a tub or sink or countertop. I wish my maid, cook and nanny hadn't quit! (ha ha!)

To battle the dry skin, I keep a tube of Gardener's Hand Repair next to my kitchen sink. When I'm done washing endless pots and pans, I slather this on all over my skin to protect and moisturize. This product contains shea butter, alpha-hydroxy, oatmeal, extracts of chamomile, lemon peel, and many more soothing and natural ingredients.

It's a rich cream that smells lightly like lemon. YUM. Daily use will soften up that rough, scaly alligator skin. I'd like a tube in travel size so I can keep it with me at all times and rub it in all day long no matter where I am. Try it on feet and legs too!

Anti-Aging Report, Volume III

Redermic

Relastin

Pronutrex

Peter Thomas Roth

Lift Fusion

Last summer I was hanging out with a group of friends when one of the guys said, "You know, you look pretty good for being thirty four." Uh...err...thanks? I suppose compared to the sun worhipping women of southern California, having pale but healthy skin makes one appear to look younger. Perhaps?

If there was a fountain of youth I would be drinking from it everyday, I am that vain. And I'm not opposed to a shot of Botox if you didn't have to keep going back every so often. I want to look young and bypass wrinkles and saggy skin and loss of collagen and crepe paper eyes and dark circles and all of that. And I know I'm not alone.

My focus has shifted over the last year from being obsessive about pimples and oily skin to being obsessive about taking the very best care of my skin that I can. Thank goodness there are loads of products on the market with new ones coming out all the times to help keep us looking youthful and I need to mention we must protect our skin from the sun as well.

I have been testing some of the best wrinkle creams on the market for the past couple of months. It's unfair to say that none of them have completely erased my fine lines because you must use these over and over- commit to using them on a daily basis and when I am constantly using new lotions and creams on my skin, I never give just one product a chance to work it's magic for a long time.

I saw a difference in my skintone using Relastin. The eye cream is super silky- like PhotoFinish by Smashbox. The face cream made my skin smoother shortly after the first application. I could use this under my makeup without getting any shine. Relastin contains Zinc and boasts the ability to reduce fine lines and wrinkles. There is a lot of scientific study supporting the abilities of Relastin, you can read much more here. Its well worth reading about.

I also tried Peter Thomas Roth, Unwrinkle. I love the name. This is a fabulous brand and one that stands out because of the high quality of every single product. Unwrinkle contains "wrinkle relaxing and anti-aging peptides and neuropeptides." Because I have had really good experiences with this brand in the past, there is no doubt that it does what it says which is soften skin and reduce wrinkle appearance.

La Roche Posay's product, Relastin- Daily Fill In Anti-Wrinkle Firming Care will "soothe apperance of deep wrinkles." It increases firmess, contains Vitamin C and Hyaluronic acid which are both beneficial to skin, restoring moisture. This product feels like you are feeding your face nutrients rather than just laying a cream on top. This worked best for me when I applied it, let it dry and then used this.

PronutrexWrinkle Serum will do a couple of things: it will reduce fine lines and wrinkles, it will heal and nourish your skin and will fade age spots. I would love to use this non stop for a few months and really see it's magic work. There are some nice ingredients packed into this product like Vitamin E and Aloe Vera Oil among other things. Like I said, it would be nice to use this all the time because I believe it would get rid of the nasty forehead wrinkle I have.

LiftFusion comes from the same people who developed the great Lip Fusion. This product carries the Good Housekeeping seal of approval which means its backed by the good, discriminating folks at GH. Right on the package, it says this stuff is "more effective than Botox" which I believe means you could get a shot of Botox and it will wear off but use of this product will carry a long lasting effect. You will see a reduction in wrinkles within ten minutes of use. Again, I'm sure with dedication to a product like this you WILL see a difference.

I do have sensitve skin but had no problems with any of the above mentioned products. These are all top wrinkle fighters and if you want to fight the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines, you must take care of your skin every single day of your life.

I have to tell you that since I've been using good products, I have noticed that my skin is in better shape, the texture is smoother and some old age/sun spots around my eyes have faded. My mother uses whatever cream or lotion is on sale at Walmart and has gorgeous smooth skin so I think it all comes down to being consistant and staying out of the sun. You must get proper rest and hydrate your body, eat healthy foods. And if you do find the fountain of youth, please do pass that information along to me.

DERMADoctor

Picture Porefect

Feet Accompli

Wrinkle Revenge

Wrinkle Revenge Cleanser

DERMADoctor offers high quality skin care and their site is a treasure for answering your skin questions, addressing skincare concerns and easy online shopping. I am such a lucky girl because I got to test some products and was pleased with what I discovered. Now I have another cool brand to add to my every growing list of favorites.

I love the purple packaging with a cartoon of a female doctor in her white lab coat. Is this the brains behind the brand, Dr. Kunin?

PicturePorefect boasts the ability to reduce the appearence of pores and blackheads. You apply this non irritating cream twice a day to create a flawless face. Just a dab will do! Then you can smooth on your moisturizer and makeup. I felt a very slight tightening in my skin when I used this, maybe it was those pores shrinking up?

If there is one thing I cannot stand on myself or other people it's dry, scaly feet. Have you ever noticed that some women (and men too) forget hygiene from the ankles down? Throughout the year, I try my best to keep my feet looking smooth and toenails clipped and polished. In Southern CA, flip flops and sandals are always in style so your feet need to be kept looking tip-top. Feet Accompli soothes feet, gets rid of dryness and nasty things like scaling, itching and cracking which may be the dreaded Athletes Foot.

Every night before bed, I rub a liberal amount of Feet Accompli into the nail beds of my toes, on my heels and all over my feet. Then I slip on some cotton socks, mainly because I'm cold, but also because wearing socks keeps the lotion on my feet and not on my sheets. My cute size 8s have never looked better! Even my normally rough heels are soft like velvet.

Wrinkle Revenge Eye Balm is my newest obsession. You cannot beat the texture of this buttery cream. I've been applying this morning and night to my eye area and if I am home all day, then I apply it during the day too. I am fearful of wrinkles especially as my birthday is two weeks from today *sob!* I wear huge sunglasses and am suddenly very interested in keeping any signs of aging at bay. This product is gentle, doesn't have an odor, contains all kinds of good ingedients and will improve the appearence of fine lines.

Glycolic Acid Facial Cleanser is kept in my shower so I can utilize the powers of glycolic acid daily! This cleanser "rescues the skin from the ravages of daily life" and contains powerful ingredients that exfoliates and cleans the skin. It's gentle enough to use every day and is non irritating, contains nothing to clog pores and will leave your skin looking healthy.

I loved using DERMADoctor products. Yet another wonderful brand that I am excited to share with you. On their website, they also sell tons of other brands. It's one stop shopping at DERMADoctor! Happy Shopping...