Five for Friday: Multitasking Miracles in a Jar (or Tube)

Ever ask someone about a classic moisturizer and get this answer? "Oh! I use ________ for EVERYTHING! Face, hands, cuticles, lips, eczema, elbows, feet, bug bites, windburn, sunburn, steam burns, even flyaway hairs!" The list of uses seems to go on and on, doesn't it?Well, maybe they're on to something. And these five classic formulations seem to be the most popular answers. For the record, my

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to all my US readers celebrating the holiday! We're just wrapping up a MAJOR feast at my parents' house, and food coma is imminent.

I hope you're all having a wonderful day filled with delicious treats, friends, family and laughter. Personally, I'm incredibly thankful for the way this year has turned around. The end of 2008 and the beginning of 2009 were pretty tough, with my

Prada L'Eau Ambree

Prada L'Eau Ambree came to my attention when my friend K announced that she'd just purchased it. I'd never known her to wear anything but Hanae Mori and Chanel Chance, so for her to pick another fragrance, it had to be good.

So of course, I stopped by my trusty Neiman's beauty floor to sniff it. L'Eau Ambree is Prada's latest, a modern take on traditional amber. Notes include cedrat, rose de

Five for Friday: Autumn Fragrances, Part 2

When I finished my last post on autumn comfort scents, I couldn't help feeling that there were other bottles just waiting forlornly in my perfume cabinet for their very own mention. And indeed, there are more than five scents I wear this season. Here are a few more that tend to end up in heavy rotation during the autumn months:1. Narciso Rodriguez wears a bit heavy on me during summer (if I'm

Sensuous Skin, Even in the Dead of Winter

Ah! What's this I spy on the Estee Lauder site? Sensuous, in a dry oil spray!My dears, this has "holiday party" written all over it. I've already named Sensuous as one of my favorite fall scents, and now that it's available in a smooth, moisturizing body oil spray, it's even better.How can you beat a product that makes you smell sweet, keeps scaly winter skin at bay, and gives you a gorgeous

Out on the Town With Bare Escentuals Buxom Babes

Bare Escentuals' Buxom Babes About Town set combines four petite plumping glosses with four plumping pencils that work either as liners or lip colors.

The colors in the image here look a little bit washed out (I wish I'd taken my own photo), but they're actually quite pretty and offer a nice selection of shades.

As you might know from previous reviews, I'm a fan of the Buxom lip polishes; they

Five for Friday: The Forgotten (Travel Essentials)

Don't you just hate it when you go on a trip and forget some truly critical beauty goods? I tend to forget the same things every time, for various reasons, which I'll explain below. Check out my five most forgotten items, and my favorites in each category:Lip Balm. Oh, I always pack plenty of glosses, and sometimes some lipsticks, but good old lip balm? I always forget it. Let's face it - even

Forever Krystle, Revisited

Does anyone remember Forever Krystle? This scent was truly ahead of its time. In an era when the only name in "celebrity fragrance" was Elizabeth Taylor, this was a perfume based on a fictional nighttime soap character. That's right...Krystle Carrington, oil queen extraordinaire from Dynasty, had her very own fragrance.And this powdery, floral scent is what I most associate with my grandmother's

Just a Spoonful of (Lemon) Sugar

Friends, please indulge me an Andy Rooney moment. There's something I just don't understand; maybe you can enlighten me, or at least nod your head in agreement.Why is the smell of sugar associated with lemons?I like the clean, crisp scent of Fresh's Sugar line, but it seems completely incongruous with the name. I understand the use of the Sugar name as far as ingredients go; a few of the original

Add Some Sheen to Your Skin With Sephora Dry Oil Spray

If you haven't yet been convinced that I'm pretty unwilling to let go of summer, based on some recent posts, this one will definitely put you over the edge (and yes, I'm aware that we're into November now).I was browsing around Sephora recently and had warm weather on my mind. Again. I was looking for something vacation-worthy, and when I meandered over to the Sephora brand bath & body display, I

SmoothAway We Go

I'm sure you've seen the ever-present infomercials for SmoothAway, the hair removal product that the company touts as "the fastest selling, most popular women's product in Europe." Hmmm. Dubious claim. So, does this miracle product really work?I picked up SmoothAway for $10 at the drugstore and decided to give it a whirl. Each package comes with two pink plastic mitts, one large for areas like

Satin Hands, Courtesy of the Pink Cadillac

So. Let's talk about Mary Kay. I've gotten lots of earnest emails over the years from enthusiastic Mary Kay reps, offering to send me products or hoping I'll mention Mary Kay (and their name) on the blog. Generally, I politely decline, for two reasons:1. I just can't support some of Mary Kay's sales tactics. Mary Kay is multi-level marketing at its worst, and often leaves its reps worse off than

NARS Blush Duo: Everybody's Got a Hungry Heart

Everybody needs a place to rest
Everybody wants to have a home
Don't make no difference what nobody says
Ain't nobody like to be alone

Everybody's got a hungry heart
Everybody's got a hungry heart
Lay down your money and you play your part
Everybody's got a hungry heart

Just wanted to start your day with some lyrics from the Boss! NARS Hungry Heart Blush Duo was part of the Spring 2009

Coffee House Smackdown

Back in high school I had a serious obsession with a line of creamy Lip Smackers. I think they were a sub-brand of the original -- I vaguely remember packaging that was just a bit different, they had pearlized caps, and the formulations were creamier and had a bit more color. The ones I had were all in the tan/brown family (VERY mid-'90s), and had flavors like nut, chocolate, vanilla, and the

Five for Friday: Autumn Comfort Scents

Some fragrances just seem to go better with a sweater, don't they? When the temperatures drop and the leaves change, I tend to reach for creamy, spicy scents, many of which have some vanilla in the base. Here, five of my favorite fall comfort scents, straight from my own perfume cabinet. What are your favorite fall fragrances?1. Serge Lutens Rousse is everything you could ever want in an autumn

The Expensive Hotel Smell: L'Occitane Bergamot Tea

Remember the Spa Smell we talked about a few months back? It's that light, slightly herbal whiff of scent that you immediately associate with bathrobes, massages and soft music. Erno Laszlo Gentle Body Exfoliator has it, and so does Darphin Age-Defying Lip Balm.

Now I think it's time to christen another scent category that has some serious luxury associations.

The idea came to me while I was

Three New Travel-Loving Scents from Tocca

Tocca's new Aqua Profumata series - meant to evoke a journey through southern Italy - is essentially a collection of fancy, luxurious body sprays.Having been a longtime fan of Tocca's candles and bath and body items, but a waffler when it comes to their fragrances, I had to sample the new offerings. Overall, they're pleasant and lovely, but none of them really blew me out of the water. They're

Meyer Mania

I've been slightly obsessed of late with Meyer lemons, those delicious little citrus fruits that smell wonderful and taste like a cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange.Our kitchen has been churning out Meyer lemonade, and even a tasty new cocktail we invented, the Meyer Mojito (white rum and mint, but replace the limes with Meyer lemons, and swap out some of the club soda and sugar for a

A Little Piece of Paradise at The Body Shop

Another post about The Body Shop! (For now.) A few of you commented that you always pass it by and rarely go in - and the same goes for me. However, I think that'll soon be changing, as they really do have some lovely things in-store these days. And this one's truly a keeper, although it isn't exactly new.

If you feel a case of the winter blahs coming on, and need to transport yourself someplace

Sinner or Saint? Be Both With Kat Von D's New Fragrances

TV tattoo artist Kat Von D has expanded her makeup line at Sephora with two sister fragrances, Saint and Sinner. Cute concept (although it isn't the first time it's been done), and one that lends itself quite well to fun packaging.Honestly, the packaging is what I was after when I sought out the Kat Von D fragrances at Sephora. I didn't expect either fragrance to be that good, but I thought that

Get the Look: Scarlett Johansson at the Tribute to Cinema

At the Moet & Chandon Tribute to Cinema in Tokyo on October 20, Scarlett Johansson sported a messy sideswept bob, styled by David Babaii using products from his David Babaii for WildAid line. Want to recreate the look for your next fancy hair occasion? Check out David's tips below. (I only wish we had the breakdown for Scarlett's makeup, too!)1. Rough dry hair with Hair Polish applied to damp

Dress Up Your Deodorant with Donna Karan

For years I'd been hearing that Donna Karan Cashmere Mist Deodorant/Anti-Perspirant was a "cult favorite beauty item." I even heard stories of women swooping by the Donna Karan counter and buying up the entire stock! But for the life of me, I could never figure out why. I mean, come on, it's deodorant! What's the big deal?Well, I finally tried it out, and...I'm a convert. It's great. Just great.

Perfume Reincarnation: Jo Malone Lotus Blossom & Water Lily

As I was passing through Bloomingdale's recently, on my way to buy birthday presents and boots, I stopped by the Jo Malone counter for a little sniffage.

Lotus Blossom & Water Lily was my pick for the night, since I couldn't remember having sampled it before. It launched last year with a sister scent, Dark Amber & Ginger Lily, together comprising Jo Malone's Kohdo Wood collection.

There was an

Sorry TLC, I DO Want Scrubs

One of my favorite recent innovations in the skincare is the "instant facial" - a scrub that combines both chemical and physical exfoliants in a single tube, to deliver double-whammy smoothing power.

The first one I tried - and still my favorite - was Prescriptives Instant Gratifaction Skin Renewal Peel. Its combination of beta hydroxy acids and finely-milled exfoliating pumice delivered

L'Occitane Honey & Lemon

Is there anyone out there who doesn't like the combination of honey and lemon?Honey and lemon in tea, honey lemon cough drops (remember those old Ludens cough drops? Before they changed the recipe? Those were delicious)...there's just something so comforting about the combination, that reminds you of curling up on the couch with a cup of tea. And possibly a Snuggie.Anyhow, L'Occitane's latest is

More Lip Pencils for Pink-Lipped People

To get the full background on my problem with lip pencils, click here to read this post from June. Bottom line, sometimes they're a necessity to help keep lip color where it belongs, and to extend its staying power. But most of the popular "nude" pencils look orange or muddy on me, so I sing to high heaven whenever I find one that's truly pink-toned. Like self-tanner, this is one of those topics

Weekly Rewind, 10/26 - 11/1

Happy Day-After-Halloween, lovelies! (Or, actually, Happy All Saints' Day.) Did you dress up for the big night? I was Amy Winehouse, getting arrested by a state trooper with some creepy facial hair - check out an action shot here. And while you're on the couch nursing your Halloween hangover, why not catch up on last week's posts:

The Luna Twilight makeup collection is surprisingly pretty and