A Brightening Experiment

Last night, I had just flown in from California and was wide awake at 1 am. (Clearly, I was on West Coast time.) I was feeling adventurous and decided to try two new products - the new Bliss The Youth As We Know It Cleanser and Darphin's Clear White Brightening and Soothing Serum. (I am brightening obsessed right now.)

While I love both products, this cocktail combo was way too powerful for my hyperpigmented, somewhat dry, starting-to-lose elasticity-at-37 skin. My skin peeled right away. The kind of peel where you just sort of rub your skin and wonder what is coming off on your finger tips, and then realize it is just the top, dead layer of your skin.

The Bliss cleanser, with exfoliating salicylic acid, is a light, creamy cleanser with a clean fruity scent. This is perfect for dull, dry feeling skin. I am going to try it again tonight, without the extra powerful step of the Darphin brightener.


The Darphin brightening serum will be added to my collection of great, irresistible Darphin serums that includes: Hydraskin for moisture in the morning, Intral (launching April '08) for soothing redness post-peel or sunburn and Fibrogene for absolute dryness. Light in texture, this new serum (coming out in May ‘08) uses fruit acids and vitamin C to reduce hyperpigmentation, brighten and smooth the skin. No one does a serum like Darphin. I will be retesting this one on a different night, without a salicylic acid cleanser! While my little experiment had extreme results, the great news was that I had smooth, beautiful skin today.

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Superbowl Beauty?

Ok. There's no question I am beauty obsessed. I was watching the play-off games on Sunday. Both were played in freezing cold weather. One of the sportscasters mentioned that the quarterbacks were playing with Vaseline on their faces to protect from windburn/chill. I responded with shock and horror. Vaseline!

Tom Brady, Brett Favre, Philip Rivers, and Eli Manning would have done much better wearing either Kiehl’s All-Sport "Non-Freeze" Face Protector SPF 30 or Darphin's Intral Balm. Many of our clients who are die-hard runners, and are willing to run in 20-degree weather, coat their faces in these balms pre-run. Great emollient and moisturizing balms - both feel unbelievable on the skin.

Considering the Superbowl is in Arizona, most likely, my advice will not be necessary… maybe next year. Instead, how about a great sunscreen? Skinceutical’s Sport UV Defense SPF 45 is perfect for protection while training in the Arizona sun. Looks like beauty products are even relevant in sports… In fact, they are always relevant!

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Resort Time Packing List

Just went to Florida (Palm Beach) with my family. The amount of additional beauty products I felt compelled to bring is amazing. I brought exorbitant quantities of sunscreen including:

1. 4 tubes of Skinceuticals Sport UV Defense SPF 45 for my kids and my face. It's paba-free, oil-free, fragrance-free and great for all skin types. I won't go out in the sun without it, nor will I let my kids. It is the BEST sunblock on the market.

2. Skinceuticals New Active UV Defense SPF 15 with Mexoryl SX. Unbelievable texture - It feels like you have nothing on. Not strong enough for poolside or the golf course, but is the perfect shopping sunblock.

3. Two tubes of Remède SPF 30+ Firming and Contouring Lotion. This is for my personal indulgence - Family members are banned. Smells great, is highly moisturizing, and has sunblock.


4. Two tubes of Skinceuticals Physical UV Defense SPF 30. Great for kids’ arms, tummies, and legs.


5. One lab sample of Canyon Ranch’s new SPF 30 facial moisturizer. Stay tuned, this isn't on the market yet, I was just testing it! Amazing light texture!

6. Remède’s Translucent UV Coat Tinted SPF 30 Medium (Oil-Free). This is the foundation I use during warm weather, always. It is sheer and light and feels like you have nothing on. (This is currently being repackaged and will be back in stock soon!)

I had to completely change my skincare. For some reason (maybe I got slightly too much sun, NOT on purpose), all of my skincare products stung my skin, except Darphin’s Intral Anti-Redness Soothing Serum (which I used for moisture morning and night) and Darphin's Intral Redness Relief Recovery Balm. This balm is unbelievably soothing and hydrating and has an ethereal fruity scent that I can't put my finger on. (Both of these products are coming out in April - I was testing these too and they are fabulous.)


For color, I just couldn’t live without the following two products:

Bobbi Brown’s Chocolate Eye Palette – the shimmer wash in caramel toffee, champagne truffle, and cacao had this sort of sun kissed effect. (Currently not offered online; available at our Philadelphia [215.569.3100] or Suburban Square [610-642-5400] stores.)

AND

Laura Mercier’s Shimmer Block in Peach Mosaic – The perfect non-bronzer, bronzer – it’s a mix of peach, pink, and bronze shimmers which you swirl your makeup brush into to create the perfect sun kissed look.

I'm back now. Spring is around the corner and I am incredibly excited about all of the new products coming out!


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Makeup Treat in NYC

I had the great fortune last week to have two phenomenal Trish McEvoy makeup artists come to my hotel room in NYC at 7:30 am to do my makeup. I was taping a TV segment with Fox Business News and also had meetings scheduled with the beauty editors of InStyle, Vogue, and more. There is nothing like having your makeup done by a professional - They just know how to make you look your best.

I knew in order to look my best, I needed great skin. No matter how much makeup you put on, it doesn’t sit well if your skin is not exfoliated and moisturized. To prepare, the night before I pulled out my travel packets of MD Skincare’s 2-Step Alpha Beta Daily Face Peel and gave myself a quick, do-it-yourself peel. To follow the peel, I just put on a thin layer of Skinceuticals C E Ferulic and went to bed. In the morning, my skin was smooth and glowing. Even the Trish artists noticed!

The lead makeup artist, Geri (also head of product development for Trish McEvoy) applied Trish McEvoy’s new treatment foundation that is still under development. It was absolutely unbelievable. It’s not foundation; rather it’s skincare with color. I can’t believe it is not coming out until May – I can’t wait to start using it. Understanding the television medium, they also went heavy on concealer to hide any imperfections and dark circles from the camera.

It was a great treat and the perfect way to kick off my day with the press…

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Decorate in Minutes

It’s Saturday night and we have people coming over in 15 minutes for a last minute wine and cheese soiree before going out for dinner. It was so last minute, that I have nothing to decorate the house with. No flowers, no plants, no anything. I went through my candle cabinet (I keep a ton on hand for last minute hostess gifts) and found the Black Pepper Candle by Molton Brown. It is a chocolate brown candle in a huge gorgeous glass container – it is elegant in and of itself. I lit this in my kitchen, right next to the cheese display. It is striking and is a combination of black pepper, vetyver, and basil. It was so successful; I decided to put the stunning steel blue Molton Brown Wild Indigo Candle in my guest bathroom.

I love it when a plan comes together.

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Grimy Skin and Taking a Break

I took the train home from New York City to Washington DC last night. This was after a full day of meetings in New York City and no time to freshen up. My skin felt so grimy and dirty. I rustled through my cabinets and found the perfect fix.

After washing my face with a cleanser with light hydroxy acids, I took Caudalie Cleansing Water, put it on a cotton ball and swabbed my entire face to get the rest of the dirt and makeup off. It is soothing and oil-free - my skin felt clean after, but I wanted more.

I then used an Oxygen mask by Bliss for about 2 minutes. It foams up (almost like a shaving cream), deep cleans, and gets any bacteria off the skin. My skin felt refreshed and clean after.

Then I felt like a needed something balmy and moisturizing, but I did not want any intense treatment (no salicylic, glycolic, strong A, etc.) AT ALL. I pulled out Fresh's Mamaku Serum which smells like apricot and has a beautiful luxurious, balmy feel. It’s not a moisturizer, not a liquid serum, but something in between.

This morning my skin felt like I had had a mini-facial. I felt so good, I decided to slather on more Mamaku serum, a little eyeliner, mascara, and lipstick and go to work with a fresh face. Sometimes your skin just needs a break. So do you!

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Fall Cocktail

I am always looking for the perfect blend of products to get glowing, healthy skin. My concoctions change every couple months, when I decide they stop working, the weather changes, or I get bored.

I must say, I am in love with my latest nighttime cocktail. (I have morning ones too.) After I wash my face and make sure every bit of makeup and the day's grime is gone, I start with Phyto+ gel by Skinceuticals. This is a lightening, soothing gel with kojic acid. (I have an uneven, slightly freckled skin tone which seems to get worse as I get older). I wait about a minute, then put on Skinceuticals Vitamin C and E Ferulic (this, I call the glow serum, it is an unbelievable antioxidant).

The clincher, Darphin's brand new Aromatic Renewing Balm which smells like tangerine, and seems to lock in moisture, without being heavy.



I wake up in the morning and my skin looks unbelievably healthy, if I do say so myself. The greatest thing about this cocktail? No hangover.

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