7 Things I Love Right Now

1. Bobbi Brown Mini Mask Trio. Who doesn’t love a mask for every time of day! Whether you’re feeling dry, dull, or grimy, there is a mask in this kit to address your concerns.

2. Barney's private label ankle boots. Comfy and well priced, I buy a new pair every year.

3. Oil. Perfect for parched skin, I love Hourglass No. 28 Lip Treatment Oil ($42). La Mer The Renewal Oil ($240). Kiehl's Daily Reviving Concentrate ($46).

4. WBJ and NYBJ afternoon updates. Perfect snack-sized headlines to keep up on the local business news of the day!

5. Near & Far: Recipes Inspired by Home and Travel. The latest genius cookbook of favorite food blogger Heidi Swanson, 101cookbooks.com. Her sauces, dressings and combinations are to die for. Definitely gifting this to foodie vegan friends this holiday season.

6. Mighty Leaf Chamomile Citrus Tea. They serve it on Virgin Airways, which I take when I fly back and forth to California (we are opening a number of stores there!). It is delicious and keeps me hydrated and warm!

7. Brow pencils. My eyebrow hair is going gray. I had thick thick brows when I was a kid and never even contemplated a brow pencil until I was in my thirties. Eyebrow pencils are so easy - swipe and done. My favorite: Trish McEvoy Precision Brow Shaper ($28.50) in Natural.

I Love Molton Brown

We have carried Molton Brown in our Bluemercury shops for over 16 years. There is a reason – they are geniuses when it comes to fragrance.

My newest favorite is their handsome and warm Tobacco Absolute Body Wash ($30). Just the name begs for a warm library, leather couches and a good book! Masculine and spicy but warm enough to be unisex, this is definitely going straight from my desk into my shower. I'm sure I will have to fight over it with my husband.



I also love the sweet new elderflower/champagne holiday scent of the Limited Edition Vintage 2015 with Elderflower Bath & Shower Gel ($33). I think I love the little deep grey knot and the shimmery visual the most. It screams holiday and, with the matching Body Lotion ($44), is the perfect festive gift for a friend or colleague.

I do love Molton Brown...

Holiday Favorites... One for you, One for me!

I must confess – holiday makeup sets are always so great, I tend to buy them for my friends AND for myself. You get everything you need for party season in super compact elegant kits. My favorites so far:

1. The Steven Klein edition of the NARS Dead of Summer Dual-Intensity Eye Shadow Palette ($49). This shadow formula is smooth and silky. I make it a point to pick up every single palette NARS offers in this formula. Pop a primer on your lid, like Trish McEvoy Eye Base Essentials ($27) in Bare, and swipe the Silver Lavender all over your lid. Line with the magnificent eye liner pencil in black (Via Veneto) that comes in this kit and you are good to go! To smoke it up even more you can line your eyes in the deep Black shadow and use the coppery Plum color in the crease.

2. Laura Mercier Master Class Colour Essentials Eye & Cheek Collection ($125) with matching brush set. All you need for a fabulous makeup kit and options. Includes my favorite neutral eyeshadow combo – Buttercream with Allegro with Quartz. You then line your eyes with Black Ebony Cake Eyeliner and highlight your cheeks with a combination of Winter Bloom and Rich Raspberry. Perfect travel set.

3. Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit ($80). This gorgeous cheek palette speaks for itself!

4. Nudestix Magnetic Eye Color ($24) eyeshadow sticks – just swipe and you are good to go! Use Angel all over your lid, highlight with Immortal, and you are done! Perfect for your office desk to pop up your eyes for night time. 

Stock up for the coming year – I am!!!

New and Notable: Fragrance to Die For, For Him

I must admit, if there were the equivalent of a foodie of fragrance, I would be it. I only like perfection when it comes to fragrance. So it's no surprise that one of my favorite brands, Acqua di Parma, brought out a new fragrance for men that is out of this world: the new Colonia Club ($100).

Elegant, masculine, fresh, clean with a hint of romantic spice – all I can think about is a cozy library, a leather couch, and tons of beautifully bound books. The combination of vetiver, mandarin, mint, neroli, musk and lavender is out of this world.

Not only am I trying to get my husband Barry to wear it, I have sent it to some of my favorite beauty industry company presidents. This one is the best men’s fragrances I’ve seen in a while.

Dear Mom: Please Bring Us More Bumble and bumble

My oldest daughter has this incredibly thick long hair, plays sports, and washes her hair every day. She left me a note on my desk before school one morning asking specifically for Bumble and bumble. I knew I would have to buy the super jumbo litre size (my daughters go through shampoo like it’s water). I ran to my local bluemercury store and grabbed the Creme de Coco Shampoo ($57) and Conditioner ($59).

The basic Seaweed would have been too light (but perfect if your kids have normal hair) and the Thickening was not necessary for my household. She is in love and gave me a huge hug after she used it the first time – it smells heavenly and her hair is silky smooth! Thank you Bumble!

Pure Love

I love the beauty business. The amazing La Mer team sent me a sneak peek of their brand new face oil: The Renewal Oil ($240). I have a million face oils in my cabinet, but this one is surely the winner. Most oils give deep hydration. Somehow this one also gives your skin an amazing glow. (They say it is The Miracle Broth and the lime tea concentrate).

One night I used it alone after washing my face — no other treatment — and my skin was hydrated, plump and glowing in the morning. I think this would be amazing over a quick peel or mask and/or a vitamin C serum. Or just alone and pure...

7 Things I Am Loving Right Now

1. Bobbi Brown Greige Eye Palette ($70). Beyond perfect for fall daytime eyeshadow and I love the navy color of the outside!

2. Alice Hoffman's mesmerizing new book The Marriage of Opposites, about Camille Pissarro's childhood in St. Thomas and the influence on his artistic perspective of the bright sun, reflections on the water, and the people.

3. Oribe Run-Through Detangling Primer ($36). The adult version of No More Tangles. Anyone remember?

4. Trish McEvoy Power of Makeup Planner Collection Effortlessly Natural ($168) and Trish McEvoy Power of Brushes Collection Effortlessly Natural ($158). As all of you know I am a Trish addict. The planners travel everywhere and her brushes last a million years.

5. The skinny scarf. It's everywhere. I just picked up one for fall. So easy.

6. RéVive's new Intensité Line Erasing Eye Serum ($350). Anything that has the words "RéVive" and "eye" in it works. This one uses powerful RES Technology and Line Relaxing Complex to soften lines and crow’s feet and tighten skin around the eye area – like an instant good night’s sleep!

7. Diptyque Baies Room Spray ($65) and also their Feulle Lavande. I just noticed we are getting low at home and with fall coming I need to restock. I love the matching candles too, but we don't light them because of the kids!