Recently in Body Category

A cool new eco-friendly line of products has just launched this month at C.O. Bigelow and Apothia at Fred Segal. It's called Body Conscience and it was started by a chemist named Barbara Schiller. Schiller has hyper-sensitive skin so she wanted to develop a line that was so mild that it was actually edible (ironically a number of the products look like blocks of chocolate!). Everything in the line is free of sulfates, petrochemicals, parabens, synthetic colors, dmdm hydantoin preservative, etc. To boot the products are created with fair trade vendor/partners, biodegradable, cruelty-free, devoted to packaging made of post-consumer recycled and recyclable materials derived from sustainable sources, and green (they have a refill program that lets you re-use the Body Conscience containers). The line launched with 16 products and their signature product is their 3-Minute Shower Body Polish ($85 for a 6-oz. set of three bars and $75 for a 9.5-oz. jar, refill pouches are $65 pouch), which is meant to cleanse, exfoliate and moisturize all at the same time thus reducing shower time and saving water. More after the jump! 

Bath & Body Works has recently come out with some new lines that target two of most women's biggest areas of concern -- stress and sleep. As for the first concern, they've have Lemongrass Cardamom, a scent which they've got in the form of a Body Wash & Foam Bath, Body Lotion, Body Mist, and Pillow Mist. I could see how the scent could be soothing -- mostly because it's fairly potent -- but for me personally it had a bit too much spicy-ness (the line is supposed to sooth stress without inducing sleepy-ness). I'm a much bigger fan of their Sleep Line which is made-up of two collections Lavender Vanilla and Lavender Chamomile (delicious combinations!). Now don't get me wrong this is no Ambien replacement, but for those days where I've found myself just a little bit restless I've long found that a drop of lavender in each of my palms could work wonders, so I wasn't surprised that I was soothed when I lathered myself with the scrub ($16) and spritzed the pillow mist ($10) -- stress relieving AND sleep-inducing!

Do you have any go-to beauty products to treat your stress and/or insomnia?

Portico Spa has just been re-launched with a new bath and body collection and unlike most brands that stick to using certified organic ingredients, natural botanical extracts, essential vitamins, and recyclable packaging, Portico comes with frugal price points. Nothing in the lines retails for over $25 and prices start at just $7! The collection includes soap bars, cleansing body washes, moisturizing body lotions, rose water-based hydrating body mist (is it just me or are body mists the new "it" beauty product? Seeing them all over now). The products come in three scents --

• Blood Orange + Jasmine which is described as fresh, zesty, and sweet
• Amber + Olivewood which is described as rich, sensual, and exotic
• Cucumber + Grapefruit which is described as light, crisp, and clean 

Everything in the line is 100% free of petrochemicals, parabens, artificial colorants, propylene glycol, silicones, and sodium lauryl. My fave scent is their Amber + Olivewood (love the soap!), smells just like the candles I have scattered all around my apartment! 

Now that the weather is cooling down and I'm pulling out my fall clothes, I'm ready to slough off the last of my summer (self) tan.  I found this amazing buffing towel named "BUFFED" that reaches even the most difficult areas to exfoliate (the back!).  It is just like a towel except made of an exfoliating fiber that will buff the skin and improve circulation (so important as we age, those bumpy things under the skin are entirely avoidable with proper maintenance). 

Mine just came in the mail yesterday along with the Fiber Lash mascara Beauty Snob Sharon reviewed (I'm a sucker for new mascaras, especially ones with lash building fibers!) and I used it in the shower this morning.  It felt kind of rough but my skin was incredibly smooth and soft after.  The best part is you just throw this in the washing machine along with your towels, so easy! 

Get it at ModelCo $16 (they have a 30% off sale right now!) 

If you regularly shop for cosmetics in France you've likely heard of Melvita -- they're hugely popular over there and now that the 25 year old company (a pioneer in natural and organic cosmetics -- a lot of their products are so natural you can eat them -- seriously!), has been acquired by L'Occitane they are hitting the US with a bang! They just launched their website and in November you'll be able to buy their full line of products online (stores will begin rolling out at the end of the year). Stay tuned also for a Melvita giveaway on Beauty Snob in the next few weeks! The company was founded by Bernard Chevilliat, a biologist and beekeeper, who wanted to create a company that celebrated bees and helped disseminate a message of ecological and humanistic concerns.  All of the products hail from Ardèche in France and meet the criteria of the Ecocert Ecological and Organic Cosmetics frame of reference. More on the line after the jump!

Oprah and I have similar tastes; I love Hermes, she loves Hermes... I love Natura Bisse, she loves Natura Bisse and keeps it in her green room for celeb guests on the show... I love Farm House Fresh, she loves Farm House Fresh-- you see a pattern here? Our latest obsession, the FHF Heel Glaze, smells so yummy I want to eat it sometimes! Made of genuine honey and aloe leaf juice with pineapple and papaya fruit extracts, it coats my feet in a velvety protective layer of softness and makes it feel like baby skin! I love the little brush applicator (but sometimes feel like I'm basting myself for the oven)-- it keeps everything mess free cuz this can get a bit sticky and messy but so worth the trouble! I got mine at Cooper Spa at Craig Ranch-- call 214-383-1010 to order! Tell them Beauty Snob sent you for free shipping in the United States. Or you can order online here.
(warning: The orange honey will leave a light orange color on your towels but will wash out.  Just rub it in really well so your skin absorbs it and you'll have baby soft heels!)

I've been running on little sleep and lots of coffee these past few weeks and that inevitably leads to pounding headaches and sore muscles. So, now that I finally have some time to take a second and breath I've been indulging in some nice, long baths -- something I literally have not done in 15 years (I saw a water-bug in my bathroom years ago while taking a bath and swore them off!). While I've re-discovered that simple baths can be relaxing in-and-of-themselves, I've been adding  Noah's Naturals Lavender Sea Salt Soak ($11.46 for 30oz) to help ease my stress and seriously, I get out of that tub feeling like a new person. It's so perfect for a nice soak before bed because the sea salt leaves my skin soft and the lavender smells amazing (almost made me fall asleep in the tub once!). The packaging is also hard to beat given this product's price point and there's enough to last for many, many, many baths to come!

There are other things to worry about in life than dimply saggy arms but let's face it, we all want toned and firm biceps!  Now if you're not willing to put in the time at the gym, chances are you will not achieve Jennifer Aniston worthy triceps but you can try to improve your arms' tone, firmess and definition with a jar of cream.  According to Orlane, by addressing the particular physiology of the skin on the arms, the cream is able to preserve and improve their contours. Not a body lotion but rather an intelligent response to the arms' unique aging process (or so says Orlane).  I don't know how sold I am on this, I've tried all kinds of products on tightening and most just peel off or leave me feeling greasy.   Refining Arm Care from Orlane is $85 at neimanmarcus.com

Or you can try the "Tina" way of achieving firm arms:

1. Do triceps dips on a toddler wooden stool while pretending to be fascinated with the  Transformers your son is stacking up on your belly (good core work!)

2. Do push ups with toddler on your back with 10 of his favorite Transformers and try not to let any of them drop.

3 sets of 15 reps a day per exercise and let me know how you look!  

I'm not brave when it comes to pain. I'm that person at the doctor's office who can't stand still, who keeps taking deep breaths while telling themselves it's going to be OK when all I have to do is get blood drawn! Seriously..AHH! Waxing and sugaring have thus similarly always given me slight anxiety. Of course they never end-up causing nearly as much pain as I build-up in my head... Why can't we sometimes just learn to relax!?? Any case given that my last wax was a little over three weeks ago I'm due for a touch-up, so I thought why not be brave and frugal and do the little touching-up myself for once!? In comes Parissa Express Wax Stripes . No heating, messiness or spreading is involved and the stripes are clear so you can see exactly what you're doing. I used their Bandes de Cire -- Visage & Bikini (the front of the box I have is in French, but pretty self-explanatory!). More after the jump!