Baby you've got it!

It has been my experience that some of the best products, find you. At the start of winter I was walking through Target, hiding from the boy to prolong my shopping experience, and suddenly I stopped dead in my tracks. Seduced by the sweet smell of Johnson & Johnson baby lotion, I found my way into the baby section. Rows and rows of that famously powder pink bottle beckoned me. I was helpless to resist its charm, reminiscent of all that is good and clean and sweet about babyhood. Amongst the barrage of J&J and Burt’s Bees products were a few new names and one that I’ve repeatedly passed up, California Baby. Developed by a mother, their product line consists of vegan, gentle washes, shampoos, moisturizers and creams for babies, kids and sensitive adults. 

I had heard of the line in the past and actually used to give a friend a hard time for using their sensitive scalp shampoo.  Though my teasing was based solely on the idea of a forty-year old man using baby shampoo, it was all in good fun. However, one of their decadent products has me eating my own words. California Baby, Calendula Cream, to date is the single best moisturizing cream I have ever used. Fabulous enough to bump L’Occitane’s best-selling Lavender Crème Main hand cream out of my number one spot. Yes…its that good.

Botanically based, this cream is packed with vegan, concentrated, and organic ingredients. Aloe Vera, rosemary, French lavender and Clary sage paired with concentrated Calendula (Kal’len’dula) officinalis extract soothe and moisturize even the most dehydrated skin. Calendula is a genus of species of annual or perennial herbaceous plants in the daisy family, Asteraceae or the pot marigold. It has anti-viral and anti-inflammatory properties, which make it perfect for soothing irritated tissue. In fact, after discovering the product myself, I went online to see what other consumers had to say regarding its performance and scent. I was surprised to find out that many of the women raving about the cream were individuals suffering from Eczema or severe cases of Dermatitis.  Even some women who are breast cancer survivors and have suffered skin damage from radiation treatments/scaring---rave about Calendula Cream and how it’s helped their skin to heal and recover. Did I mention it’s a baby product too?

The cream is light, fluffy and has a calming herbal scent. It completely absorbs into the skin, does not leave a film and the scent is not over powering. It smells fresh with a touch of lavender, reminiscent of a spa. Being a bit of a germaphobe, I wash my hands incessantly. Naturally this leads to desert dry skin and cracked knuckles. This cream has single handedly brought my skin back from the dead. No more granny hands! I keep it on my nightstand and it serves as my evening retreat. You can pick it up at your local Target and some Whole Foods stores. A 2 oz. jar will set you back  $12.99 and the 4 oz. retails for $22.00.

Whether you have kids or not, the baby product section of some retail stores can prove to be highly rewarding, especially if you have sensitive skin or allergies. The California Baby line of products is amazing. In my humble opinion, that’s saying a lot for a vegan brand.  Its hard to find eco-cosmetic companies that can actually master the science that is the fine art of creating the perfect “cocktail” of a product----that actually works. For example: You can open any random jar of vegan “miracle” moisturizer and it literally is just a crème base with a healthy amount of lavender oil---and that’s it! Next thing you know, your fingers look like you’ve been into the fried chicken, your skin is nowhere near soft and you smell like an apothecary. The California Baby brand does just the opposite. Their line of products mixes essential oils and botanical elements that not only smell divine but work together to create a product that actually works! Shampoos and washes that don’t irritate your skin and moisturizers that soothe cracked and dry skin. They also offer pregnancy products/gifts, Diffusers and Oils for your nursery room/bathroom/home, Bath & Hair products, sunscreens and so much more. All just as their tagline reads: Safe, Natural and Fun for babies, kids and adults.

visit California Baby online!

Gotta Get Down on Friday...

For all my LA peeps and valley homegirls, Sephora is having a grand opening this Friday, September 9, 2011. A new shop is opening up at the Northridge Fashion Center! Regular hours of operation will be Monday-Saturday 10am - 9pm and Sundays 11am-6pm. 

If you come early to the grand opening this friday, you'll have the chance to win a free Sephora Gift Card! That's right! For the first 100 clients in line at the grand opening, they will give out FREE Sephora Gift Cards with mystery values worth up to $100 bucks!! The value range is : $10, $25, $50 or $100. So at the very least you can walk away with $10 bucks! And if you're a registered Beauty Insider, you can get a free Sephora Makeup Bag. If you're not registered, don't sweat it! Head over to Sephora.com and click on the Beauty Insider link at the bottom of the page to sign up. 

Hope to see you there! <3 

A Barrel of Kisses....

The boy surprised me yesterday afternoon with this little gem <3  It wasn't enough that we already had a lovey-dovey breakfast at the valley-famous, More than Waffles restaurant. Afterwards we strolled over to Michael's to check out the Labor Day sale and drool over the new Halloween Decorations. I love strolling on a Saturday. le siiiiigh. 

 Anyway he slipped this treasure into the cart! Isn't he the best poopie in all the world? He knows I have a serious Root Beer addiction and I could never have enough lip balms. He knows me <3

REVIEW

Packed with eight different red, blue and yellow lake dyes and a warning label to boot, I'm guessing its not the healthiest of lip balms. lol but I don't care. It smells yummy and brings back the Bonnie Bell days of Dr. Pepper Lip Smackers and soda pop kisses. A top pick in my book. 

Like father like daughter

Mermaids, 1990

Remember watching your father shave his face? The gentle gravely sound of the blade as it glided over each hair, swishing of the water deluting each stroke. I remember feeling very envious of such a grand task to perform in the morning. After all, at the time, it didn’t take much for a little girl to get ready. And by the time sixth grade came along, I couldn't wait to shave my legs. Of course I’m much older now and times have changed. Most days, shaving is more of a chore than coveted ritual. But this summer I decided to change that! Usually I go for the convenience of your basic soap and water lather to get rid of wolf girl. But by adding a little more time and indulging in the addition of a shave cream to my routine, I’ve found that my skin is softer and my legs look fantastic.

Did you know?

Since most of us shave in shower, we ladies have a leg up on a lost art in men’s grooming, the traditional wetshave.  Wetshaving is just what the term implies---keeping the surface to be shaved (in this case our legs) wet with plenty of hot water before, and during the entire shave. With a layer of hot water (not scalding) between your skin and the lather, the blade skims the surface instead of dragging on it. Which is the main cause of irritation, redness, shave bumps and razor burn. In fact, it’s best to always shave after a hot shower. Washing your body will cleanse the surface of any dirt/oil, exfoliate the skin and raise the hairs up to be shaved. Heat from the water before a shave will also soften the hairs for more effective cutting.

Add a quality shave gel to boot and you’re ready for smooth sailing. Some of the best, most expensive brands come from across the pond, like England’s Taylor of Old Bond Street. Or if you prefer the natural route, Trader Joe’s makes a vegan alternative, Honey Mango Moisturizing Shave Cream. It retails for about $5.00 bucks and smells absolutely divine! 

Call me nostalgic but I like to go for an over-the-counter, time-honored tradition from my father’s routine, Edge Shave Gel for Men. I have yet to experience anything other than a perfect shave using this product. No nicks, cuts, razor burn or bumps! And I just love the clean, fresh, dude scent----Im just nutty that way.  For just a couple bucks you can pick it up at Target, CVS or any other drug store.

* an extra tip : After a hot shower your pores are open, take advantage of this opportunity to moisturize! Immediately out of the shower, apply a generous coat of body oil to sooth dry knees and seal in the moisture! Remember, moisture keeps skin supple now for a (not-as-many) wrinkle free future!   

It pays to clean

This week I decided, "Enough is enough!" Generally I'm a very neat, very clean person---all of the time. However, on occasion I will let certain areas get a little out of control. My beauty pantry is one such messy cavern of shame. "What kinda of a guru am I?" I thought. Hair products mixed in with lotions, oils in the medicine bin, empty band-aid boxes, tampons in the cotton ball bag!!! stop the insanity! ....so I finally did :o)


BEFORE

AFTER

I realize because of the sheer volume of stuffage, it may not look better but trust me it is! I actually brought all the products I use everyday, up to eye level on the middle shelf. And the bottom shelf is the hair floor. I also threw away a LOT of old products, expired products, empty bottles and boxes. Not only did it give me more space but I actually found something that I had lost and eventually thought to believe didn't exist!......

That's right! A $50 dollar gift card for Sephora that I'd received two years ago for my birthday! Talk about magic money! You know when you find an extra couple bucks in an old jacket pocket, jeans or in the center console of your car? It felt just like that---even better! I was actually feeling pretty bad about missing a Sephora grand opening in Pasadena that morning. I would've been able to win a free gift card....but it turns out I didn't need to! There was one waiting for me at home! Do you know whats in your closet?

not so sure

So I finally got a hold of some O.P.I shattered, crackle polish. Thanks to my mom of course. But I'm not so sure how I feel about it. First I tried the Cobalt Blue Shatter over a hot pink. It seemed to throw a purple cast and absorb some of the pink hue. I don't know, I wasn't thrilled with it. I feel it would be really hard to make this color look good over anything but a stark bright white lacquer. Plus it's a shimmery crackle polish, which means it won't pair well with another shimmery polish. In my opinion the two would cancel each other out. So you'd have to go for an opaque, flat color underneath. 

That same evening I decided I couldn't handle the blue shatter so I swapped it for this look : Black (opaque) crackle polish over Essie's smooth Lapis of Luxury, a dreamy ocean blue. On site, I did enjoy this combination better. Once finished with a juicy topcoat, it had a very vinyl appeal. And I can't wait to wear Lapis on its own. 

All in all, O.P.I's Shattered line is a fantastic, quality product. It go's on very smooth, the crackle effect is neat to watch and it dries very fast. I found the more you layer it, the less of a crackle effect you'll end up with. So the challenge is to get one even brush stroke over the entire nail or two ---without layering the product. In my humble opinion, I don't think this product should be available in shimmery colors. Shimmery colors reflect light and generally require at least two coats to build the color, otherwise you end up with a thin veil of color which can be drowned out or absorbed by other hues. So far the navy and black shatter polishes are my favs. 

* O.P.I Shattered Polish can be found at any beauty supply store and costs between $7 and $8 bucks

*Essie Polish can be found at CVS and any beauty supply store and retails for about $8 bucks

"with fingernails that shine like justice!" ---cake

Usually I avoid wearing red nail polish. It's always seemed very common place, trite and overused to me---boring. Until now! Maybe it was my mom, or the opening credits to Showtime's, The Big C, but I've been very inspired to wear a lot of red this summer. So during a late night run to CVS, I picked up a bottle of Essie's Forever Yummy. And indeed it is so very yummy, scrumptious and looks like trouble!

Until recently, Essie Nail Polish was only available at select beauty supply stores. Now you can find a decent selection of their basic collection and new summer launch at CVS! Each bottle retails for $8.00 bucks! Its not as good O.P.I but its a great over-the-counter nail lacquer. Quick Tip : One thing to avoid is applying a base coat to your nails before applying the color. I've found the Essie formula is just not thick enough to handle a 3 coat application : base, color, top coat. I had chipping the very next day---which is unacceptable. But if you just apply the color and a top coat, the product will be able to grab on to the surface of your nails and hold. I redid my manicure following this formula and one week later the product is going strong and chip free!

One last lament on red fingernails <3 My grandmother recently gave me a faux Eisenberg bracelet that she picked up at an estate sale. You know that borderline tacky rhinestone jewelry that was made very popular in the 50's and 60's? A time when broaches and clip on earrings were considered chic <3 I've taken to wearing the bracelet everyday----no matter the outfit. And I've found that the extra sparkle is not only fun but makes me very happy. Not to mention anything that sparkles looks fabulous next to a bright creamy shade of red. So sparkle and wear red ladies.....daaahling you won't regret it!