Current Addiction: Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eye Colour

My Laura sticks clearly get a lot of use!

I must admit, I have a strange relationship with eyeshadow. I get stuck in a rut with the same color. Let’s face it, eyeshadow is hard to apply, takes a lot of time and sometimes is messy. For a busy mom, eyeshadow can be daunting.

Leave it to Laura Mercier to solve this problem. I am completely addicted to these handy dandy eye shadow sticks. Swipe on one lid, swipe on the other lid, and out the door.

There are a ton of colors, but here are my go to choices:

1. Neutral weekend day: Rosegold (gold/pink) all over lid, black eyeliner, mascara and done.

2. Festive work day (yes, I am feeling that way this December!): Sandglow (light bronze) all over lid, black eyeliner, mascara and done.

3. Creative day: Amethyst (browny/purple) all over lid, then sandglow all over lid, black eyeliner, mascara and done.

4. Party: Sandglow all over lid, popped up with Cocoa (topaz brown) in crease and outside corners, black eyeliner mascara and done.

Four handy sticks, a couple of swipes, many looks. We all need simplicity sometimes!

Laura Mercier Caviar Sticks come in 19 colors, are $26 each and are available in store and online.

The Teenage Acne Cure

A call I receive a lot from friends is the call for help with their teenager's acne issues.

I have a simple, straightforward cocktail that I always recommend. My friend stopped me the other day and said it cleared up her daughter’s skin right away—and nothing else had worked!

1.  Wash your face with M-61 Power Cleanse at night.

2.  Spread Dermalogica Breakout Clearing Overnight Treatment over problem areas before bed.
3.  If you need to wash your face again in the morning, use a gentle gel cleanser, like M-61 Perfect Cleanse.
4.  Do not pick at or touch your face at all, ever.  No exceptions.

Simple, straightforward and it works!

What's On My Desk...

Besides stacks upon stacks of presentations previewing beautiful products for next spring? Here are a few products that I'm excited about right now – some in store, some coming very soon!

1. Shampoo for Beautiful Color by Oribe. This is their most popular shampoo and is great for maintaining color. I need to hide it in the shower from my husband and kids.

2. Bumble & Bumble's new Pret-A-Powder Dry Style Extender. I continue to wash my hair less and less – helps me maintain color and reduce split end damage to my hair. This is perfect when applied to the roots to give a little extra lift and to dry up extra oil.

3. SkinCeuticals' new Antioxidant Lip Repair. Hyaluronic acid plumps and silymarin (milk thistle extract) and Vitamin E provide antioxidant protection. The creamy non-oily format makes it perfect under lipstick.

4. Seaberry Oil by Fresh. Seaberry, cranberry seed and sweet almond hydrate and soothe during the winter.

5. Laura Mercier’s Enlightenment Eye and Cheek Palette. We're definitely going on our holiday vacation to the Caribbean this year, and this is the perfect resort palette – arriving soon to our stores. I love the blushes and the Pure Glow eyeshadow (the coppery one, bottom left).

And, of course my UC Berkeley mug – it’s my 20th reunion this year, yes, I am that old. Go Bears!

Paris Vogue Chic for the Holidays

I am mesmerized by all of the Vogue Paris fashion editors that carry absolutely nothing except for their phones.  I'm not sure how they do it, but I am inspired. After all, who really wants to carry a big purse full of stuff?

Trish McEvoy’s new Portable Beauty Rose Collection just hit my desk and it is the perfect compromise.  The chic quilted silver case has everything you need right inside: a well-edited collection of 4 brushes and every necessity for touch-ups, or even to complete a workday-to-cocktail, plain-face-to-smokey-eye transition.

Brushes, eyeshadows, blushes and lips, plus room for a credit card and some cash. Oh to be free of the big mom bag. This, your phone and you're out the door. Just like Emmanuelle Alt, Geraldine Seraglio and Capucine Safyurtlu.

 photo via QuiteContinental.net

5 Things I Love Right Now

Just Hit My Desk: Delicious Molton Brown Holiday

The best ever holiday hand wash - frankincense and allspice. More sweet and spicy than frankincense. Love the hand lotion and candle too.

Going in my bag to go home with me ASAP! Coming soon to bluemercury stores!

A Day In The Life

* Read "The Most Lucrative Form of Flattery" by Alix Strauss