Pure Heaven

I am in love. Darphin sent me an early holiday gift – a peek at their new dynamic duo – Predermine Firming Wrinkle Repair Serum and the Predermine Densifying Anti-Wrinkle Fluid. I can’t decide which I love more. Forget the science, which is compelling. It’s the pure luxury of the texture, scent, and the glow I get which has hooked me. The serum is light, hydrating, and gorgeous under my foundation. I already have a special post-foundation trick also – I tap a couple of drops onto my fingertips, rub it around in my hands and press it to my already made up face to set my makeup with an extra dose of dewiness.

In the morning have been alternating between the serum and the fluid – not really using both together – but choosing between luxuries. The fluid (lotion) is great for when I wake up with an extra pinch of tightness/dryness. I put it on under my primer. At night, I love it over my Skinceuticals Vitamin C Serum.

This morning, my husband asked me what new soap I was using to wash my face. He said it smelled unbelievable. I told him it was the Darphin Predermine Serum. Knowingly, he said, “Ah. . . Darphin.” He knows how much I love Darphin.

Pure love, pure heaven.

New Upper East Side Store: A Family Affair

There is nothing like the energy around opening a new store. Take hundreds of boxes of beauty products, mix in a bunch of bluemercury veterans, and voila: new store. Today, we opened another bluemercury location! It is on 3rd at 75th in Manhattan - a perfect neighborhood store next to Citarella and near EJs diner. I adore this location. It was a fun store to set up - we had staffers that have been with bluemercury forever, our new team of beauty junkies - even my daughters (in the picture) helped clean some shelves. We are so excited to have a new store and new team members in the bluemercury family. Come check it out!

1311 Third Ave
New York, NY 10021
212-396-1500

Sheer Nars Perfection

I often use the words NARS and perfection in the same sentence. Francois just knows how to do color, end of story, period. I spoke with Erin, our Marlton manager and product junkie extraordinaire on the phone and she told me I had to get the new NARS Multiple Tint in Cadaques. So I did. This is my new summer multiple from NARS. Although it looks like it is fluorescent magenta in the tube, it comes out as the perfect, sheer, happy, lively pink. This is my new go to for cocktail parties and dinners out. Love, love, love.

Inspiration, Transformation, & Tight, Healthy Skin

Every year, in our sleepy shore town in New Jersey, there is a race on July 4th called the American Mile. The race goes the whole length of the town - one mile. I have been “in” this race for the past five years. Last year, 2009, I ran an inglorious 12 minute mile. After the awards ceremony, my daughter, who was six at the time turned to me and said, “How come you never win anything?”

Talk about a wake up call. She was right. Admittedly, I had had 3 children in a span of 5 years and was not in the greatest shape. I had been walking and doing a little biking, but nothing strenuous. So I decided last summer that I was going to step it up. I started running on the treadmill at the gym last fall. First,1 mile. Then 2 miles. By the spring I had worked up to 3.5 miles 3 to 4 times a week.

This July 4, 2010, I ran a 7 minute mile, and won first place for my age group. (Yes, 40+. In fact, they said I would have won for the 30+ group.) The best part for me – the excitement of my daughters when I went up to collect my medal.

What’s even great are the side effects – I have more energy then ever, the skin on my face has tightened and looks healthier due to the blood flow from running, and I have dropped 5 pounds while looking more toned.

Slow, steady transformation is possible - sometimes we need a little inspiration from our children to kick start it!

The Drive by Eyeshadow Shop

The other day I was touring stores – stopping by one store every two hours – and my day ended with a stop off at our Marlton, New Jersey store. Bluemercury staffers Lynette and Melissa were so passionate and excited about the new makeup that had just come in, I couldn’t help but ask them for new summer eyeshadow ideas.

I have totally been in a rut. Stuck using my winter shadows, because I have no time to experiment and be creative. I just asked them for a quick recommendation, no trial. I just purchased and kept moving. Here is what I ended up with:

Melissa’s Recommendations








3 Bobbi Brown eyeshadows
1. Champagne (shimmery bone) for all over the lid
2. Heather (matte lavender) for the crease,
3. Eggplant (deep blue purple) for lining and/or a quick eye highlight.

I popped them into a Bobbi Brown 3 pan and now have a look to go. I must say, I wore this look over the weekend with a white dress and it was new, light and was great for an evening cocktail party.

Lynette’s Recommendations

3 Trish McEvoy Eyeshadows
1. Shell (light matte pink) for all over my lid
2. Golden Apricot (shimmery soft apricot) for the crease
3. Bronze (golden coppery brown) for lining

I popped these into my Trish McEvoy planner and am going to try them tomorrow for a meeting I have in Philadelphia.

I must say, our team is so talented. I felt like I went to a drive-in takeout eyeshadow place and my order was exactly perfect!

Paint by Number Sunscreen

I am completely obsessed with sunscreen. I went to St. Barth's for a friend's 40th birthday party and perfected my summer sunscreen regimen. In the scorching hot sun, at the beach, on a boat, and by the pool, I did not burn once.
During the morning before breakfast by the pool, I quickly slathered Kiehl's Dermatologist Solutions Super Fluid Daily UV Defense SPF 50+ on my face. Light and hydrating, this feels nice and light on my clean morning skin.


After breakfast, I stepped it up for the beach. I applied Skinceuticals Sheer Physical UV Defense SPF 50 on my face and back of hands. This is the powerful gorgeous new sister of my 10 year favorite, Skinceuticals Sport UV Defense SPF 45. Light, but with the same strong physical block, there is no other product like this. I won't go to the beach or into direct sun without this. I applied Skinceuticals Sport UV Defense SPF 45 to my chest and shoulders (this super strong block is essential since I always seem to burn my chest).

I followed with Peter Thomas Roth Continuous Sunscreen Mist SPF 30 light and airy sunscreen on arms and back. Then, the glam block: I sprayed Dermalogica Water Block Solar Spray SPF 30 on my legs for the sexy, hydrated look. This is oil based, has a heavenly citrus scent, and has a bonus of being SPF 30!
This is my summer sun routine and I am sticking to it!

Pimple Persistence

My skin has been breaking out more than ever since the start of this year. Not huge breakouts, just consistent. At any given time I have 1 to 3 pimples. This is new for me. I am finding if I am diligent, I can control the quantity and severity of the pimples. But, like dieting, it is taking huge discipline. My tools:

1. Wash face right after running. I have been crazy busy this year. In an effort to drive up my energy level, I have stepped up my exercise to running 3+ miles, 3 to 4 days a week. There is nothing like lingering perspiration to ruin the skin.

2. Cut the afternoon caffeine, switch to herbal tea. I am a Starbucks addict. A double tall skim no whip mocha is my daily morning drink. When I feel low in energy in the afternoon, I have been drinking another one, or a mocha frappucino. I think the extra caffeine and milk has been adding to breakouts and skin dehydration. It takes huge will power for me to order passion fruit unsweetened tea instead of a sweet, energizing coffee.

3. Cut the dairy. I love cheese. I am a non-meat eater so I get protein and calcium from cheese. I know this causes me to get pimples around my mouth. Resisting the parmesan on a salad or brie at a cocktail party is so hard.

4. Use Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta Daily Peel Pads when desperate. Last night I had 3 inflamed, red pimples right in a row on my right cheek. I used these salicylic acid pads before bed and nothing else. My skin was clear in the morning.




5. Cover and disguise with Bobbi Brown Face Touch Up Stick (my color - warm beige). I have this bad habit of grabbing any concealer in my drawer to cover pimples with (Laura Mercier, Cle de Peau, Trish McEvoy). The problem is that they cover, but actually the oil in them feeds my blemishes. This Bobbi concealer covers and heals. I keep one in my purse. (A hint - I had to go much darker than my bobbi skin foundation color to get the right coverage.).

Annoying pimples are new territory for me. My current road map is working for now.