Pure Love

It is not often I am completely blown away by a new BB Cream/Tinted moisturizer. But I am. Our staff has been raving about Trish McEvoy’s new Beauty Booster Tinted Moisturizer SPF20. I stopped by our new Summit store and picked up Shade 2. I am in love.

It goes on smooth, the coverage is a little better than the average tinted moisturizer (which I need given my ever increasing hyperpigmentation that is coming with age). And it is filled with hydrating hyaluronic acid AND oil-free.

This is my new go-to daytime foundation product, weekday and weekend!!

6 Products I Couldn't Live Without in Istanbul

My husband and I ran off to Turkey for our 10th Anniversary. What a spectacular trip.


We started in Istanbul marveling over the Bosphorus, ran down to Ephesus, the site of one of the most spectacular Roman ruins in the world, and wrapped up staying in an underground cave in the middle of the country in Cappadocia. It was the trip of a life time.

Needless to say, I packed a whole suitcase of beauty products and realized that there were 6 important ones! Here they are:

1. Darphin Intral Toner. This was my nightly scrape the grime off my skin toner, used post cleansing. Istanbul is a city of 20 million people and is rated as the European City with the worst traffic. Coming in from a day of touring I needed a sensitive toner just to scrub at my skin with before doing a mask.


2. M-61 Fast Blast. (Full disclosure, I did create this product). My daily brightening, refreshing, revitalizing, wake up my skin mask. Also used every single day to add luminosity and brightness.


3. Skinceuticals Sheer Physical UV Defense SPF 50. Used in Ephesus. We were in direct sunlight as we poured through the sites, and even with a hat on, I needed a ton of sun protection. We also did a lot of trekking in Cappadocia and my skin was parched.


4. La Mer New Moisturizing Soft Cream. Cappadocia cooled down a lot at night, as we went outside to admire the bright stars, I really felt like I needed a moisturizer.


5. Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20 in Nude. An oldie but goodie, this was exactly the coverage I needed for day and night.


6. Bobbi Brown Creamy Lip Color in Crystal Pink. This was my go to, neutral lipstick the whole trip. Wore it with my T. LeClerc Tendre Lip Pencil and I was all set!

Favorite Restaurants: Sunset, Bebek, and Mikla.

Favorite Sites: Istanbul, The Cisterns, Ephesus, and ballooning & trekking in Cappadocia.

Hamam: Ayasofya Hurrem Sultan Hamam – completely ancient and right next to the Aya Sofia site. Spectacular scrub and massage.

Favorite gifts: Evil eyes for the kids, pashminas from the Cashmere Shop, spices and teas from the Spice Market.

My Mom's Bluemercury Favorites

I have been staying at my parents' house. I wandered into their bathroom and discovered that my mom's vanity looks like a bluemercury store! Some of her favorites:

1. La Mer Crème de la Mer Moisturizing Cream and The Cleansing Lotion (such a La Mer junkie, but who isn't!)
   
   
2. Trish McEvoy Eye Base Essentials in Nude and Demure (She had 3 of each!)
   
   
3. Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation Broad Spectrum SPF 15 in Warm Beige 3.5 (my color too!)
   
   
4. Frederic Fekkai Salon Technician Color Care Shampoo and Conditioner in Jumbo Size
   
   

5. Trish McEvoy #3 Snowdrop and Crystal Flowers Eau de Toilette (She has been wearing this since Trish and I started working together!)
   
   
6. Bliss Lemon + Sage Body Butter
   
   
7. Skinceuticals Physical Fusion UV Defense SPF 50
   
   
8. Molton Brown Thai Vert Fine Liquid Hand Wash and Heavenly Gingerlily Bath & Shower
   
   
9. Laura Mercier Creme Lip Colour in Mistress (She has always loved bright red)
   
   

Also in her cabinet: Oribe, Bumble and bumble, Laura Mercier, RéVive, Hampton Sun, and more!

A true beauty junkie...

Fall Palette: Too Pretty to Use

I have been staring at the new Estée Lauder Palette Violette Underground. I have it sitting on my desk, open. It is like the perfect fall artwork. They nailed the fall colors with a deep burgundy, midnight metallic blue, deep copper and warm bronze. I love the design also. My 9 year old stopped by the office last week and looked at it and said WOW! That seems to be the appropriate word!

Power Cleanse and the power of sunscreen! | Guest Blog from Sandy Rothman

As far back as I can remember, I was always the last one in the ocean. My parents wanted to just get that extra ounce of coppertone on my un-tanned, city skin. My hair was as light as my skin and I was quite prone to the easy burn when left to my own devices with said sunscreen.

I am so thankful for that extra push with the coppertone because after years of beach time and lifeguarding, I am not yet wrinkled and brown-spotted. Today's sunscreen is stronger and more water-resistant, and I always follow the directions and "apply liberally" while everyone else waits impatiently for me...

The only real issue I have with the new, improved, broad-spectrum protection sunscreens, is that they are very nearly quite impossible to remove at the end of the day (reapply, reapply, reapply!).

This summer, after trying every wash & soap I found in my friend's beach house to no avail, I took my M61 Power Cleanse to the outdoor shower (my fave! - the outdoor shower & the Power Cleanse).

The Power Cleanse, with its strong glycolic acid, completely melted off the heavy sunscreen! Amazing, my face felt totally clean! So...I tried it as a bodywash...BEST EVER!! Not a trace of the sunscreen remained!

So, if you are waiting impatiently for me to be finally sunscreened & ready for the beach, know this: I will be quick in the shower afterwards now due to my bonus find with the Power Cleanse!


– Sandy Rothman

Bobbi Haul at the Beach

I just drove from NYC brand meetings to the shore. When I arrived, I decided to open a bag of Bobbi Brown goodies given to me at a marketing planning meeting. I adore everything in the bag, especially the new Longwear Foundation (it is VERY longwear) and the new BB Cream. I love my job!!!


In my haul:

1. Bobbi Brown Longwear Foundation
   (NEW! - my color is Warm Beige 3.5)
   
   
2. Bobbi Brown BB Cream SPF 35
   (Keep an eye out in October - my color is Medium)
   
   
3. Holiday 2012 Sparkle Glitter Eye Shadows
   (Can't wait for this holiday launch - if my daughters were teenagers, they would be all over this!)
   
   
4. The Bellini Lip and Eye Palette
   (Keep an eye out in October)
   
   
5. Moonlight Pearl Lip Gloss
   (A gorgeous sheer lilac - coming this holiday season)
   
   
6. Bobbi Brown Nail Polish in Black Pearl
   (Keep an eye out in October - So going on my toes for fall!)

P.S. I am very addicted to my new Twilight palette ($60), which I just picked up at a Bluemercury in Suburban Square.

A Trip Back to Madrid

I was in NYC for meetings and Tom Ford gave me a bag of goodies, including this gorgeous aqua bottle of Tom Ford's new Neroli Portofino Eau Fraiche Body Splash. The scent and texture reminds me of when I was an exchange student in Madrid at age 21. I lived with a Spanish family and their daughter, Laura, used to splash this cologne water all over her body before we went out at night. It had this heavenly, clean but complex citrus scent that seemed to blend in perfectly with the hot, festive Spanish nights. This is that scent!!! I adore it. This is my new summer splash for those hot days and nights.