Recently in Body Category

My male friends are pretty evenly divided between metrosexules who know more than you could ever imagine about upkeep and those friends that look at face cream and say "dull and tired skin!?? what is that?":) I have to admit that for my part I don't pay too much attention to men's beauty products, but I do have a handful of pet-peeves and therefore have compiled a short list of products that I think are completly George Clooney-worthy!

First-up smell-- I was out the other night at the new lounge in The Plaza (a DJ spinning Jay-Z at The Plaza, what do you guys think about that?? Personally I love it! Such a great mix of classic and modern). Anyway, I spotted this guy Matthew I know wearing Dior's Fahrenheit and it smelled amazing -- wonderfully manly and fresh.
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It's a little odd because people always think you can get anything anytime in NYC, yet where I live on the Upper East Side, not only do most places close early, when it comes to eats, there's nothing besides cheap, greasy take-out and expensive Jean-Georges-esque restaurants! With one exception -- Fig and Olive -- I am there 3-4 times a week for lunch or dinner (I don't cook unfortunately), and love it there especially in the summer when they use fresh figs (versus dried when figs aren't in season). Needless to say, I love figs and olives and my eyes brightened when I came across Naturally by Upper Canada Soah & Candle Makers. Their line of products include Sweet Vanilla Fig ("Detoxifier"), and Pressed Olive Avocado ("Skin Protector"), and for a more fall smell -- Cranberry Moro Orange ("Purifier"), scents. I tried both the Hand & Body Wash ($12) and the Coarse Salt Scrub ($15) both of which, like all the products in this line, are free of parabens, mineral oils, and synthetic dyes. Each product is also made with (as the name implies!), botanical extracts and all natural ingredients, oils, and mineral complexes. The smells are great while not being over-powering and while I don't love the Hand & Body Wash so much for my body (not moisturizing enough), it's great for hands -- refreshing pick-me-up!

I'm never been a fan of 2-in-1 products (all-in-one shampoo and conditioners being the worst), so I was a little wary of Philosophy 3-in-1 shampoo, shower gel, and bubble bath. I've had my eye on them forever because of their wonderful "flavors" (Champagne, Red Velvet Cake, Margarita -- all of which rank amidst my favorite things to eat/drink...the question though is do you want to smell like any of those things..). I have gifted Philosophy sets a few times when I've been invited to parties where I didn't know the host that well...I figure why get a bottle of champagne when you can be more original and get your host some Bubbly:) That said, until recently I hadn't tried any of their products myself. Now that I have though I have to say I'm a little obssessed with them..It's one of those things where you try one and kind of have the urge to try them all! Though I would never use these as a shampoo, they are wonderful for shower gel and bubble bath (not the longest-lasting softness and a little foamy-ier than I typically like, but come on who else is going to leave you smelling like cinnamon buns!. If you're worried about the smell, it's not that long-lasting (which can be good or bad), and while you can distinctly make-out that say Red Velvet Cake actually smells like red velvet cake, it's not in an obnoxious-turn-your-stomach-upside-down way (like so many of those awful candy/chocolate-scented products aimed mostly at youngsters). After trying and liking Red Velvet, I also picked-up Vanilla Birthday Cake and Mimosa both of which were delicious:) If you're not feeling foodie, Grace (selected as one of Oprah's favorite things for 2005!), is a wonderfully feminine, floral option.

Because I'm into short shorts, but not my pasty legs and because I can't keep getting a Mystic Tan every few days, I've been trying-out countless self-tanners lately. My fav splurges are Guerlain and ModelCo. No matter which you get, if you spray too much, you can spread it around and you'll seriously look flawless. Guerlain smells awesome (sweet vanilla), and ModelCo is a nice cocoa butter and if you don't like the traditional spray can they have innovative self-tanning gloves. Each glove contains the exact amount of self-tanner needed for a full body application or enough for a deeper bronze coverage for arms, legs, and decolletage...fun and effective alternative:)

For the best steal alternatives I think L'Oreal's lotions work well. They smell strong, but not bad (rosey) and Jergens is good for those who don't like strong smelling tanners and their line of tanners gets the job done very well. Though stay alert to avoid little streaks. Loved Jergens Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer and the Natural Glow Express Body Moisturizer -- they moisturize, tone and add a healthy summer glow to your skin -- magnifique!

Another steal is Sally Hansen' Airbrush Legs and Sally Hansen Airbrush Shimmer. The shimmer comes in one shade and adds a subtle, soft, sexy glow, while Airbrush legs comes in five natural looking shades – not to tan, but to match most skin tones (Sally Hansen sees this as an alternative to panty hose!).
The one line I just have to point-out as not liking is Aveeno -- I ended up looking like a dark-orange, streaky mess:(
PS Stay tuned -- I have an appointment to go to Sundara Airbrush Tanning Salon next week (can't wait to get pampered after doing everything myself for these past few months!) -- they're supposedly one of the best spray tan salons in the city and customize color to suit your skin tone by manually matching and spraying on the color!

I've been a little on edge lately because my boyfriend is moving into my apartment next week! If you can imagine my apartment is a mess of clothes, shoes, magazines, and beauty products and I have no excuse for the chaos of stuff because I have 2 huge closets in my bedroom and one in my walkway (I'm very lucky because closet space is unbelievably hard to come by in NYC!). Anyway besides the pressure of cleaning-out (I'm so bad at parting with things...not in a creepy way like the people you see on Oprah, but I always think that you never know when something might come in handy or back in style down the road!), I have been obsessing over looking perfect for when he gets here. He's been living in Cali for the last year for work (we met in college), so this is going to be a big change (a good one I hope!). I've been on over-drive looking for new and amazing products! I'm totally loving eco-friendly nude right now -- the packaging is very futuristic, but simple and sleek in a very Stella McCartney-esque way.

I've been using nude's Smoothing Body Refiner ($70), after I shower in the morning and it's moisturizing enough to carry my body through the day and it might just be in my head (ie me hoping and convincing myself), but I feel that my tight area is a bit firmer (the refiner has cupuacu butter and natural probiotics for smoothness and moisture). The refiner is supposed to also fight cellulite and promote weight loss...unfortunately I can't attest to that, though how I would love to find a cream that could wash away my fat and make me loose some lbs without exercising..a girl can dream right?

I made the most amazing discovery when I was out in the Hamptons the other weekend. I was at this club Dune which is one of the hottest spots out there (Memorial Weekend I spotted Leonardo DiCaprio and Bar Refaeli!), and I'm sitting at this table when next to me one of my girlfriends busts out this Lip Gloss from ModelCo that has built-in lights and a mirror!! When in any crowded or dim space you can imagine how great something like this is -- not to mention how high-tech chic and glam she looked!!:) It's been a longtime since I've been this excited about a line. ModelCo is an Australian-based brand started by a former model agent and it's made, they say, for the style conscious and time-crunched woman, which I can totally see in their product line-up which is full of quick-fixing and multi-purpose products. You can browse their products here and jump for a rundown of my favorites!!

Melange (french verb meaning to blend or mix), is a fab boutique in Cali's Sherman Oaks. They have a sit-down fragrance bar with over 80 fragrances and essential oils allowing you to create your own personal fragrance which can then be blended into a bath, body or home product of your choosing (over 15 to choose from). For those not in the Sherman Oaks area, their website offers a wide variety of blends and single notes that they can blend for you into any of their product bases. I absolutely love the Melange Apothecary Body Creme in their Peony and Violet blend! It's so refreshing in a floral potpourri way that takes me back to my grandmother's apartment (she was a fan of faux-flowers and potpourri -- so stereotypical granny, I know!). Melange also, on occasion, has small, private group blending events and classes on perfume-making and natural products and they'll store your unique formulas and product preferences on a private customer profile so you don't have to remember everything that went into your bath, body or home fragrance product! Jump for details on the boutique and their website!

SpaRitual has just launched some new moisturizing lotions and bath salts! Besides smelling and feeling great (looove Eucalyptus..more on that later in the post!), the lotions are 83% USDA Certified Organic, paraben-free, and infused only with consciously sourced Organic Essential Oils (Australian Eucalyptus, Egyptian Geranium, and Somalian Frankincense), and Instinctual Organic Bath Salts infused with Madagascan Ginger Oil. This line is great because it mixes amazing quality with an eco and spirit-conscious philosophy. SpaRitual claims (and something about the way their creams smell makes me agree...), that their lotions calm the mind, relax the body and recharge the spirit. Read more for a mini-rundown on some of their stand-out products!

Many of you probably know Bamford as a luxury organic clothing label. Bamford was started by Lady Bamford who besides bringing us wonderfully fashionable organic clothing also brought us organic food from her farm in the Cotswolds and now, she brings us a range of organic and natural body care products! Bamford Body will be available stateside come fall at Neiman Marcus and Barneys (and tentatively by the end of the year on their website). I had a chance to check-out some of their products at the Soho Grand this week! Bamford Body Collection is all-natural and unisex. I love that both the scents and the packaging lend themselves to both men and women and unlike so many products these days that are heavy on the fruity scents and lavender, Bamford's line is made of rosemary, chamomile, geranium, and eucalyptus (all traditional English scents). The whole line right down to the packaging is very clean and fresh. There are several lines within the Bath Collection that offer luxurious products for bath, body, and baby. The organic products meet the highest organic standards possible and the botanic ingredients and essential oils are wonderfully pure. For any mamas or those expecting -- the baby products are great for protecting precious little tot skin! Another great little tidbit is that all of Bamford's packaging is degradable, recyclable, and they use the most sustainable materials available for each individual product, sourced from local UK and European suppliers. Read more for info on their various product lines that most-certainly embody modern luxury at its finest:)

Most girls don't believe me when I tell them this but I only need to shave once a week and I have never waxed any part of my body before. I have virtually no hair on my arms and very little on my legs so I have never fretted over shaving or waxing. I know this sounds gross but I often just borrow my husband's razor and use my shower gel to shave. Obviously, this is not the most efficient way of doing things and I often nick and cut my legs. So I decided to purchase a real ladies' razor the other day and got a bottle of E.O.S shaving cream. All I can say is, wow! Who knew shaving was so fun and satisfying? My skin is left baby soft and I have not cut myself since! (Knock on wood). Do you all use shaving cream? Is this the secret I've been missing out on? Very curious. If you love shaving cream you must try the ultra moist EOS shaving cream in Rasberry Pomegranate. $4.99 at Drugstore.com or a Target near you.