When a tooth whitenening gel directs use via a cotton swab I've found it much easier to use a child's size toothbrush (obviously very gently). It makes for extra precise application of product. Additionally I've found I can more easily get it to the back of my front teeth as well as the front of them. Keep in mind that there are whitening products where this wouldn't apply such as when use is with a tray or an applicator is included in or attached to the product. You would also only do as directed by your dentist if you were whitening under his or her care.

Also, a child's sized toothbrush works wonders just for regular brushing. My Mom's dental hygienist told her about brushing with one and gives her a new child sized brush with every cleaning. My teeth have looked great ever since I've been using small brushes for both regular brushing and when using my whitening gel. However, I'm also in love with my ergonomic toothbrush by SuperSmile. And use it about every other brushing. It's called SuperSmile New Generation Toothbrush and the 45 degree angle cleans my teeth brilliantly and is gentle on my gums. Oh and another really cool thing about it is it stands up on its own!

So for an incredibly super smile...get yourself a quality child's sized toothbrush (I think mine is Oral B) and the SuperSmile Introductory Whitening System (just wait till you see what's included in the kit). You will be so sparkling happy you did!

I told you yesterday about Calvin Klein's gorgeous and seductive fragrance Euphoria and Bliss' incredible The Youth As We Know It Extrordinary Eye Cream but i haven't yet told you about the incredible instant lift and cellulite products I also indulged in.

I purchased three products from HydroPeptide and I'm so beyond sold. Check out Cellular Transformation Growth Serum, Instant Peptide Miracle Mask and Anti-Wrinkle Polish and Plump 2 Step! You are going to flip out! I'm so impressed with my results!

 For cellulite I knew to lean towards a product that causes a fluid shift because that's what always works for me I guess perhaps because I tend to retain water; but additionally I wanted a firming one as well. So I went with Alchemie Forever times two! First I use Q Switch Optimizing Body Contouring Gel for mimizing my cellulite and water retention and then follow with Erbium Body Lotion which incredibly firms my thighs and stimulates collagen production.

 Now I'm not only in love with being in love; I'm also in love with Alchemie Forever!

I find it so funny how I’ve written so many times about how a break up from a relationship often kicks us into gear to get as gorgeous as we can. Whether it be make-up, skincare, hair and spa treatments or weight loss we seem to all agree that a break up is a huge motivator!

However, have you ever noticed how conversely, a new relationship, does that as well? I had to giggle today because I’ve met the most incredible man (I think I’ve told you about him already) and suddenly I want to buy perfume, instant face lift creams, the best of the best eye creams and topical serums and all of a sudden I have this new rebirth of wanting to actually exercise!!

So I decided to take baby steps with my whole new euphoric punch drunk self (mainly because I didn’t have the money to do it all! LOL) and started with just a fragrance and a new eye firming cream.

I seriously went on this hell-bent mission to find the best smelling fragrance (that also induces love and desire…) and fell in love with the scent of the aptly named Euphoria by Calvin Klein. It’s described as sexy, provocative and sensual…and boy is it ever! I love it!

For my eye product I needed a lift and wrinkle repair so I went with a sure thing.  Bliss The Youth As We Know It Extraordinary Eye Cream is just that…extraordinary! In fact, I've never met a Bliss product I didn't love!

I can’t wait till my next date with this kind, handsome and wonderful man…one) because he is all those things; but two) I like feeling this motivated to get gorgeous and I don’t want it to go away! I know…I know…I should want to do this stuff for myself without the little boost of love energy but I’m human and a motivator is a motivator is a motivator.

Hey new mom’s and new mom’s to be. Have you heard about Royal Hiney? It’s the cutest line of skincare products just for you!

The regimen was developed specifically for babies and mommies to be! The brand is lovely along with being gentle, safe and effective. And with names of products like God Save the Queen Anti-Stretch Mark Cream (which by the way was clinically tested and proven to reduce the appearance of stretch marks by a whopping 72%!), Cheeky Monkey Teething Gel (cherry flavored and gives immediate relief) and Ouchy Grouchy Ointment (for baby’s boo-boos) it’s absolutely adorable as well!

And if you know a new mom or a mommy-to-be you have got to check out Royal Hiney Gift Set Box. It comes with Baby Posh Wash (gentle and tear free wash), Royal Crackle Spackle (ultra thick cream that helps heal and prevent diaper rash) and Baby Body Butter (incredibly moisturizing baby lotion enriched with lavender, chamomile and honeydew)! It’s sure to be the best gift at the shower!!!

Just when I thought something couldn’t be better than it already is; Clarisonic proved me wrong!

I’ve always loved my Clarisonic Skin Care System as does anyone I’ve ever told about it. I was always amazed at how many of my girlfriends actually bought the system, after either watching me use it at my house or after I just talked their ear off about it. I mean it made all the sense in the world for them to believe me (cause when it comes to skincare they know I know what I’m talkin’ about) but I still thought the price might have deterred them. But as it turned out they dropped close to two hundred bucks quicker than a New York minute and every single one of them were so glad they did. It is indeed worth every penny; but still it’s a little bit of an investment albeit a very good one!

The Clarisonic Skin Care Brush is clinically proven to be more than twice as effective as traditional cleansing by hand. Additionally it removes makeup 6 times better. It also makes the skin look and feel younger and smoother and increases product absorption such as vitamin C serum. I love how it reduces the size of my pores and it’s gentle enough to use twice daily.

 Here’s a copy and paste of how it works since I don’t understand the technology well enough to explain it myself.

The Technology:

The outer (stationary) brush and the inner (oscillating) brush work synergistically with your skin to create a deep cleansing zone. The inner brush oscillates back and forth at a sonic frequency of more than 300 movements per second. This zone between the two brushes gently flexes the pores to loosen dirt and oil giving you a clean you can't get with cleansing by hand.

Now Clarisonic offers Clarisonic Plus Skin Care System with Spot Treatment. It offers three speeds for facial cleansing but now has a spot therapy mode for the body such as the hands, elbows and feet. It also works wonders on the décolleté which often is an area of extreme sun damaged skin.

It costs about $225 which is thirty or so dollars more than the classic system but worth every penny!

Have the skin you’ve always dreamed of…face and body with The Clarisonic Plus Skin Care System with Spot Treatment. The system also comes with trial sizes of Clarisonic’s fabulous skin care products. 

Today I was reading an article on Yahoo or AOL that directed me to the rest of the article on Cosmopolitan.com about ten things you don’t know about attraction. I think it was even called that. Sorry I didn’t note the source but I never thought I’d really think another thing about it other than a giggle or two to share with a girlfriend.

But later in the day I got to thinking about one of the things it said. It was something along the lines of the woman dressed in red is the one that men will be attracted to most in the room or bar or wherever the two came to cross paths. I’ve always figured that because it just sort of seems innate to be most attractive in red. I don’t know why…but I too have always thought that, but have never found a red dress that looked good on me, but I have always wanted one.

The article said that the reason men are attracted to red is because of cultural things they’ve grown up associating red to romance such as Valentine’s Day. To me, I think it’s just hot and they like it…but then again I’m no psychologist.

But it did pique my interest being that I’m a single girl and I’ve kind of had my antennae up lately for romance. However, I knew (although I did search my closets just in case) that I had no red anything. But then I got to thinking…hey…I have no red dress or clothes but I do have red lipstick and nail polish. It made me ponder if that would work just as well. The problem is I feel kind of scary when I look at myself with red lipstick on…kind of hard. I’m like too blonde or fair or something…not sure…but it hasn’t been all that attractive when I’ve tried the color in the past.

So today my mission was to find a red that would look good on my lips as well as my fingers and toes! Below are the shades of reds that I found. I’d love for you all to tell me any scoop you have on cute red cosmetics, clothes, shoes or accessories and share them with us. I’m willing to try. But in the meantime here’s what I have found. They are all stunning and I can’t wait to try them out!

Lip Colors:
Illuminaire All Day Mineral Lip Color “Bliss” (ruby rouge)
LipFusion Plump and Replump Liquid Lipstick “Runway” (red and plumps!)
BlingFusion Micro Injected Collagen Color Shine “After Hours” (perfect red)
Colorescience Guilty Conscience Lip Polish “Seduction” (scarlet silver)
DuWop Private Red “Self adjusting to make your own signature shade of red!”

Nail Colors:

SpaRitual Nail Lacquer “Hunk of Burnin Love” (cherry red crème)
SpaRitual Nail Lacquer “Dangerous Liaison” (poppy red shimmer)
SpaRitual Nail Lacquer “Last Call” (candy apple red crème)
SpaRitual Nail Lacquer “Hot Blooded” (classic red crème)

So what’s next in my new organizational bag o tricks? Well I went to the Dollar store and bought all kinds of containers to really get me motivated to keep this new way of life (for me anyway) going. And the timing couldn’t have been more perfect. School supplies such as desk organizers were abundant. Additionally there were stackable plastic bins and baskets (of all sizes, shapes and colors) zip bags and more.

I spent less than twenty bucks and got a bunch of items to place my products and beauty supplies. I placed hair styling tools in the deepest one because I have two blow dryers and a couple of curling and flat irons. It fit nicely on the bottom shelf of one of the cabinets below my sink. On top of that I placed another one with all my hair products such as hairsprays, gels, leave-in conditioners, extra shampoos and conditioners, etc. That cabinet is now my hair cabinet! I even labeled it with really cute letters that were actually meant for spelling out your child’s name for their room!

The other side was brilliantly organized (if I don’t say so myself! LOL) with the top half housing three of my four new desk organizers. Actually two of them were kitchen utensil ones. One contained makeup and perfumes. The next had serums, concentrates, lip and eye skincare products (basically any small products). And the last was filled with day creams on one side, specialty creams in the middle section, and night creams on the other side. Underneath that shelf was another bin filled with nail polish, polish removers, tools and any manicure/pedicure items I kept.

Next I needed to place only my favorite products that I use for my AM and PM regimens in my right hand (so to speak) drawer. In the drawer, along one side were small candle votive holders that I also bought at the dollar store which I filled individually with q-tips, cotton balls, and cotton pads that fit perfectly in these makeshift toiletry containers! The next row included candleholders (sans the candle’s again) with beauty tools such as tweezers, eyelash curlers, etc. The left hand drawer is home to all my smile needs. Toothbrush, toothpaste, floss and whitening products.

The last two rows of the right hand drawer I placed my two coveted regimens. This is what I chose and narrowed my products down to:

AM Regimen

Dermelect Detoxifying Oxygen Facial Commission
MD Skincare Alpha Beta Daily Face Peel 2-Steps
Lancaster 365 Cellular Elixir
Caudalie Anti Aging Serum Eyes and Lips
Murad Intensive Wrinkle Reducer
Neostrata Ultra Daytime Skin Soothing Cream AHA10 SPF15

PM Regimen

Boscia Purifying Cleanser
Topix Replenix Retinol Plus Smoothing Serum 10X 
Obagi Elastiderm Eye Treatment Cream
Peter Thomas Roth Unwrinkle Night Cream

This is probably a no-brainer for those of you who are very organized people…but for those of us who aren’t exactly anal when it comes to organization I think I may have a solution for you and me. I am so tired of looking for things in my bathroom drawers, tote bags, medicine cabinets and the like; that I changed my life this morning for the better!

Every morning I’m constantly searching for my medicine bottles. I take 5 or 6 different medications (which include my vitamin supplements). And the problem is half the time I can’t find them because the day before I’ve set them down somewhere else. For instance, I may walk into the kitchen with one (or a couple) of the bottles when I’m getting my water and then I either leave them there or even forget if I had swallowed them or not while I was in there. I’m going to buy a compartmentalized pill container today at the pharmacy to keep my medication insanity in check.

Additionally, my skincare and makeup are in total disarray. I have no idea where any of it is…or which ones I use in the morning, evening, before applying makeup, which ones to take with me to the shower and which ones are empty, old or just plain don’t like.

So this morning when I was in the midst of this whole recurring nightmare I decided to put my shower on hold and get my (beauty and health) life in order!

I started by taking everything out of my bathroom (including removing the drawers) taking the glass shelves out of the medicine cabinet, everything off the counters, out of the bathtub and shower, and even the poorly folded towels and linens out of the cabinets. Next I took all the cleaning products out from underneath the sink until the room was completely bare. I then coated the place with the appropriate bathroom cleansers and scoured that bathroom until it had the “Mr. Clean” shine.

While the bathroom floor was drying after my ‘manic-state’ mop I walked into my bedroom where all the items were that I had recently stripped from their unorganized places. I folded all the towels and washcloths (properly) and placed them neatly back into their home. They looked so good…and it only took a few minutes to make this one change. Next I dumped out my drawers onto newspaper because I knew there would be broken makeup that would ruin my carpet had I not spread down the paper first. I sprayed a bleach type cleanser in the drawers and wiped them out and the shelf-paper turned out to be really pretty…I never even knew how intricate and colorful the little flowers on that paper were!

I placed a wastebasket next to me on the floor and just started canning products that were either almost empty, makeup coated, ones I never or rarely used, and basically got rid of the majority of the bottles, jars and containers. It was difficult but I just remembered to kind of parallel it with weeding out my closet. That’s always difficult to do; but I tried to keep in mind, the “if you haven’t worn it in 6 months, you’re probably never going to” rule and just did it!

Next I cleaned up all the products I wanted to keep and placed them in separated Ziploc bags. Foundations, concealors, blushers and bronzers in one. Eye shadow, liner, mascara, pencils, etc in a snack size bag and Lip colors, plumpers, balms, glosses, etc in another. Then to take that one step further I took my favorite product from each and placed them into its very own bag. This bag consists of the makeup I can't live without and use pretty much daily. It's also the one I throw in my purse if I want to have it on hand if I go somewhere. The following is what I ended up with in my narrowed down bag and I couldn’t be more thrilled!

• Duwop Fountain of Youth Foundation in Bisque. Best foundation with the best and easiest applicator!
• Bare Minerals Get Started Eyes, Cheeks, Lips Kit. The kit even includes its own appropriate brushes for each!
• Duwop Sub-Surface and its compliment Duwop Surface in Sandalwood! Try this killer concealing combo!!!
• Nuxe Poudre Eclat Prodigieux Multi-Usage Compact Bronzing Powder. I’ll never be without this!
  Love my Kabuki Brush. Definitely a main staple in my makeup bag!
• Oh my goodness….another favorite of mine that I will never be without is my Too Faced Lash Injection. In an instant, my blonde short little lashes are transformed into gorgeous long lashes I never even dreamed I could have.

This completes my narrowed down makeup bag! However, stay tuned to this series…because there’s much more to come! This organizational episode has taken this whole day…however, from now on I will have much more time to write, do errands, work, and take time for myself…and time is such a precious commodity. So at the end of the day as I look back on taking all this time to get my “beauty” in order…I’ve paved the way for leaps and bounds of free time in the days to come!

I hate shaving and I know I’m not the only one. It’s a royal pain in the behind and I can’t stand being stubbly the very next day. I keep thinking that there has to be a better way.

I’ve tried waxing but I always seem to miss a fair number of hairs. It also tugs on the skin and causes spider veins, something I’m genetically predisposed to. So what am I to do? Chemical depilatories smell terrible and have to remain on the skin for a significant period of time.

Aside from permanent laser hair removal, that leaves epilators. The first ones came out back when I was in high school and I asked my parents for one for my birthday but believe it or not, the sales lady talked them out of it because there had been so many returns. People reported that it was just too painful to use.

So I was interested to know how the next generation of epilators stands up. Has anyone heard of Emjoi? The company touts that the Emjoi Epilator is comfortable and highly effective. Could this really be true? My guinea pig ears perked up. I recently had the opportunity to put the Emjoi Emagine Epilator to the test! There’s also the Emjoi Divine which is conveniently cordless and a little more affordable but has fewer tweezer heads.

Overall I will say that I LOVE my Emjoi! I do however want to caution any of you interested in purchasing an Emjoi about going in with realistic expectations. First of all, I wouldn’t exactly describe the process as “comfortable”. After all, your hairs are being removed from the root. You’re going to experience a little discomfort but I certainly wouldn’t say it’s painful. It’s like little stinging pin pricks - no big deal. Second of all, it won’t get every single hair. Some will be stubborn and resist or break off. What I love is that you can go over missed areas without worries since there’s no tugging on the skin like with waxing. If there’s a hair, the Emjoi will grab it. If there’s not, nothing happens. I was able to get the large majority on the first pass which really pleased me. Following the process, I’m left with mild temporary red bumps that dissipate after only a few hours.

I give the Emjoi Emagine Epilator two enthusiastic thumbs up! It is so nice to be fuzz free without the need to shave. Plus, the effects lasts and lasts. Emjoi Hair Removal devices are perfect for me. When hairs do start reappearing, I simply do another pass of my Emjoi. Easy Peasy! I have to say that I have not yet been brave enough to use it on my bikini line or underarms. Some women claim that it doesn’t hurt if the skin is held taut. Can any of you offer any advice? The Emjoi has been getting rave reviews from customers so I know I’m not the only one in love with this dandy epilator!

The other day my good friend was telling me about her humiliating experience at her weekly book club a while back. A new member attending for the first time happened to know my girlfriend from years back and didn’t know that she was a regular member. When Melissa showed up to the meeting she was excited to see the new member (and her friend from the recent past) so she walked over to her and tapped her on the shoulder. When the new member turned around she shouted, “oh my gosh…Melissa…I haven’t seen you in so long…how are you??” Melissa responded with a heartfelt and genuine “I’m fine thank you…it’s so great to see you! I didn’t think you lived around here anymore, but I'm so glad that you do!” The new member, (we’ll call her Jane Dopey), retorted with, “Yes I still do, and I’ve got to tell you that it’s so great to see that you’re not so thin and cute anymore! I used to be so jealous of you when you were so incredibly beautiful!” Needless to say, it hurt my girlfriend’s feelings tremendously. I was so sad when she told me that story because she IS still gorgeous and incredibly beautiful! And secondly, who would ever say such a thing?!?

I realized a lot of people say a lot of really hurtful and needless things. My mind instantly brought to surface something that had happened to me years ago. I thought it was tucked away forever; but the brain has an amazing way of triggering memories that you may or may not want to remember. However, this particular memory ended up taking a 180 recently because of Mr. Frederic Fekkai!

When I was a young impressionable woman in my late teens or early twenties I went to a salon to get a haircut. I was so excited to go to this particular salon because it was where all the really cool, rich people in the town where I grew up got their hair done. I never thought I would ever get to go there; but I had saved up some money and decided that I wanted to use my “life savings” for a trip to this really cool salon. They had popular men stylists (who also happened to be gorgeous) and they served wine and cheese and the atmosphere was really hip and the place was decorated like no beauty shop I had ever seen with my Mom or Grandma!

A few years prior to this, every boy in America had the infamous Farrah Fawcett poster on their bedroom wall. I happened to have long blonde wavy hair so I thought that Farrah’s haircut would be so cool and cute and seemed like I had the hair that would work for it.

So after waiting in the reception area for what seemed like a decade; I was finally called back to the stylist’s chair which in my mind was basically a throne fit for a princess. I sat up in it so tall (even though realistically my height was about 5ft) and proud.

The handsome male stylist asked me what hairstyle and cut I was looking for. I looked into his dreamy eyes and told him that I would like to have Farrah Fawcett’s hairstyle. He looked at me and said, “Well I can cut it and blow-dry it like that but you’re never going to look like Farrah Fawcett. So don’t think that just because you’re going to have her haircut that you’re going to be gorgeous like that.”

My heart sunk and I felt like throwing up but I just said, “oh I know that, of course not, but I’d still like that haircut because the last time I got my hair cut they did it too short and I hated it, so at least it will still be long even though I won’t be beautiful like her.”

He proceeded with cutting my hair and it was pretty; but still I was just crushed by his remark. I couldn’t even enjoy the hair or the experience that I had just spent my life savings on. However, I still left there feeling like I had the style that I had asked for and made a promise to myself be sure and never hurt someone’s feelings by saying something that doesn’t need to be said.

Thirty years later it’s 2009 and sadly Farrah has passed away. Every magazine to date has her gorgeous face and hair on their covers and she was still unbelievably beautiful. Her signature wavy locks still absolutely gorgeous!

I started to notice with all the media coverage people started noticing my wavy locks and started commenting on how my cheekbones and eye color were very similar to hers and that my hair was strikingly indistinguishable from hers.

After about the third comment I finally had to allow myself to believe it; and I felt myself grinning from ear to ear. What better woman to look like? And what a blessing to finally feel like I wasn’t a complete fool for asking for that haircut all those years ago. Additionally, the lesson I learned from it was golden just like the color of our similar hair. It never really mattered if I thought I looked like her or not…what mattered was how I felt; and that I would never hurt anyone’s feelings like that stylist did and always keep in mind that everything seems to come full circle when you keep your head held high and take the high road.

Now I realize I’m no Farrah Fawcett but I still felt pretty when people started commenting after viewing all the recent magazines. I knew that my hair was indeed gorgeous and I knew it was not only a gift of genetics but more likely from the help of a few products.

What a compliment and honor to be getting these recent remarks. I can’t even imagine anything better when it comes to compliments about my hair. This is what I’ve been using lately and has got to be what is going on.

Frederic Fekkai

• Weekly use of Apple Cider Clarifying Shampoo to remove residue and product build-up.
• Weekly use of Ageless Crème Luxe Hair Treatment to revive luster, health and luster of your locks.
• Daily use of Luscious Curls Shampoo to cleanse and define curls and add bounce.
• Daily use of Luscious Curls Conditioner for silky gorgeous curls without weighing them down. Defrizzes and detangles!
• Finish with Luscious Curls Waves Spray and Glossing Sheer Shine Mist.

Get curly, wavy, gorgeous and sexy hair with Frederic Fekkai! And the compliments you’ll be getting won’t be too shabby either!
 

I’ve written many times on the “beauty opportunity” of a romantic break up. A perfect time to do a deep exfoliation masque or peel, take a long relaxing aroma-therapeutic bath, detoxify your skin, body and mind, buy some new makeup, get a haircut, or whatever it is you do to feel fabulous and beautiful.

I call it an opportunity (albeit a painful one) because that’s exactly what it is. A time to give yourself a make-over because we all know that when we look good…we feel good! Not to mention the rewards we reap when the blankety blank sees us and realizes what he or she has lost!  However, having said that…the makeover is not only a conscious opportunity to improve but I think it’s downright innate or instinctual. I know there have been many times where I was so hurt over a breakup I immediately went into “FPCon “get gorgeous” Charley” mode without even consciously knowing I was doing it. It’s like… Ok I need a drop dead gorgeous hairstyle and a few facial treatments and I’ll be fine! And what’s more...is it really works!

Now, making up (not with your lover but as the title suggests) is fine and I’ve found extremely effective; however, going overboard is not. This is not the time for rash decisions about extreme changes such as plastic surgery. Not even close…so only head for products and treatments that make you shine; not change into someone else. Additionally, you don’t want to regret what you did and have that additional burden layer the present pain of the broken heart.

So I decided to give you a few ideas about some great products for a more beautiful you at a time when you could really use it. In fact, I’d try them even if you’re not going through the pain and stress of a break-up cause these priceless picks will make you so pretty!!!

Renew and repair your locks with an extremely deep moisturizing conditioning treatment. And Alterna Ten Hair Masque is just the ticket!

Say so long to fly-aways and frizz with Alterna Hemp With Organics Repair Gloss. The combo of the masque and gloss will impart shine that you’ve only dreamed of!

Whiten your teeth with Go Smile Whitening Kit. It’s quick and easy to use and a whiter brighter smile is probably one of the best ways to feel gorgeous and happy!

Get laser hair removal! No more worries about it costing thousands of dollars…you can now do it at home at a fraction of the cost of in-office laser hair removal. Check out FDA approved Silk’nSensEpil.

To finish off the gorgeous new you… Bare Minerals Get Started Kit includes everything you need for a flawless make-up application to look absolutely radiant.

Best heartbreak remedy ever!

My plan today was to write about packaging. Specifically pain in the butt packaging that is hard to open; difficult to impossible to get the last of the product out of the container, pumps that are known to fail, etc. However, I couldn't find what document I had saved my list in. And the list was quite impressive because I had been taking note of poor packaging both in products that I have had to fight with as well as customers’ complaints and remarks on different beauty websites.

Well it hit me today after I had given up on this article that conversely I did have a few products in which I absolutely love the packaging! Below is a list of a few of my favorite containers in terms of ease, efficacy and delivery of product.

Here’s four primo packaged products!

Caudalie has two of their products nominated:

Vinoperfect Radiance Revealing Mask
This mask is not only the best mask ever for achieving brilliant radiant skin; it’s also easy to use! Simply twist open, disperse product directly into soft brush that’s attached directly to the container and sweep it on. It feels good immediately, rinses off easily and its plain fun to use!

Anti-Aging Serum for Eyes and Lips
Fabulous anti-aging serum with incredible customer reviews. The tube has one of the best pump dispensers I’ve ever used. Additionally you only need a tiny drop so it lasts a nice long time.

Olay Regenerist Filling and Sealing Wrinkle Treatment
Best value for a wrinkle filler! The skinny little pointy tip makes for precise delivery to targeted areas.

Elizabeth Arden Pure Finish Mineral Powder Foundation SPF 20
The product’s two little slogans I found in the description content speak volumes and I didn’t think I could say it any better!
Pure Minerals. Pure Comfort. Pure Perfection.No Mess. No Waste. No Kidding!

I had just written in forums a minute ago how excited I was that I had stumbled upon a website that was previewing a whole section of products with their customers' highest rated reviews. In the forum I inserted the link to SkinStore.com's The Results are In page. The reason I was so excited today when I was shopping on the site is because that's one of my favorite ways to shop. I've found that once I started factoring in other customer's opinions into my normal way of shopping for beauty and healthy skin products (ie: trial and error, ingredients list, product brand and reputation, etc) I started to acheive the best success in choosing the perfect product(s) for me.

After I had discovered this mode of shopping I started writing many articles using that same "shopping theory," so that I could share what I felt were the all around best products with you. So today when I found that Customer Favorites promotion and content on SkinStore.com I just had to tell you all about it. But once I started to copy and paste not only their link but all my links to archived blog entries that encompass this type of shopping I realized the list would be too long for forums so here we are with another blog entry. But check it out. Simply choose the link that applies to whatever you're looking for and click. You'll be thrilled you did. I can promise you that!

Self Tanners

http://www.beautyresearch.com/blogs/beauty-research/archive/2009/05/28/bronzed-goddess-5-star-rated-self-tanners.aspx

Eye Products

http://www.beautyresearch.com/blogs/beauty-research/archive/2009/05/27/best-5-star-rated-eye-skincare-treatments.aspx

Skin Care Regimens

http://www.beautyresearch.com/blogs/beauty-research/archive/2009/05/25/the-ultimate-in-skin-care-regimens-all-5-star-rated.aspx

Hair

http://www.beautyresearch.com/blogs/beauty-research/archive/2009/05/21/beautiful-hair-care-5-star-rated-series.aspx

Make-up and Cosmetics

http://www.beautyresearch.com/blogs/beauty-research/archive/2009/05/20/make-up-and-cosmetics-with-5-star-ratings.aspx

Bath and Body

http://www.beautyresearch.com/blogs/beauty-research/archive/2009/05/19/bath-and-body-beauty-products-with-5-star-ratings.aspx

Anti-Aging

http://www.beautyresearch.com/blogs/beauty-research/archive/2009/05/18/anti-aging-products-with-5-star-ratings.aspx

Specialty Beauty Products

http://www.beautyresearch.com/blogs/beauty-research/archive/2009/05/15/specialty-beauty-products-with-5-star-customer-ratings.aspx

Shopping using customer reviews and ratings info.

http://www.beautyresearch.com/blogs/beauty-research/archive/2009/05/14/title.aspx

The link to SkinStore.com's The Results Are In Customer Favorites page and promotion.

http://www.skinstore.com/Search/Search.aspx?avs=Special+Features|Customer+Favorites

If you’ve avoided exfoliating due to hyper sensitivity or tight, dry skin, you’ll be happy to know that there are products on the market that are gentle and suitable for you. Rather than suffering the effects of dull, rough skin, try a product that’s intended for sensitive types. You might be surprised at how effective gentle exfoliators can be.

While you want avoid products with strong chemical exfoliants, you may be able to cautiously use products with low concentrations of acids combined with skin conditioners. Tracie Martyn Enzyme Exfoliant is one such product that’s perfect for sensitive skin. It does contain low levels of exfoliating acids and slightly abrasive particles but I found that the product did not produce the irritation of other exfoliants I’ve tried and actually left my skin feeling soothed and hydrated. If you are hypersensitive, avoid massaging the product onto the skin. Massaging will increase the exfoliating effect but only do so as your skin can tolerate. The first time you try it, only leave it on for about 5 minutes. If your skin can tolerate the product, try going a little longer next time. If at any point you feel stinging or burning, wash the product off immediately.

My skin looks amazing after I use Tracie Martyn Enzyme Exfoliant. While exfoliators often leave my skin temporarily red, I don’t experience any redness at all with this one. On the contrary, my skin looks and feels calm and purified. I do have to warn you that the product has a fairly strong smell that I find a tad unpleasant. I think it’s due to either the algae extract or the essential oils. The algae is also very rich in color and if you have a fine complexion like me, you may see a hint of green left on your skin after you rinse. Don’t be alarmed if this happens. I found that when I used the treatment in the evening, there was no trace of green after my morning shower the next day.

Another great exfoliator for sensitive skin is H2O+ Sea Mineral Scrub. I have to admit that when I first applied the scrub to my skin, I had my doubts as I didn’t feel the normal scrubbing action of typical exfoliators. The product is very thick and rich and actually uses smooth beads rather than abrasive particles to slough off dead, dull skin cells. I was pleasantly surprised at how effective the product is. It really does polish your skin smooth. What’s more, I was left with a silky, conditioned feel to my skin.

Make sure to use a gentle, non-irritating moisturizer after you exfoliate to keep your newly polished skin hydrated. I love Atopalm MLE Face Cream. It’s perfect for soothing skin that’s been irritated by exfoliating treatments. I love the way it glides on after a good exfoliation.

Hopefully I’ve given you some encouragement that there are exfoliating options for even dry, hypersensitive skin. Experiment carefully of course but don’t abandon hope of finding a product that works well for you.

The other day I was feeling really bummed out because I had virtually no money yet really wanted to buy some new clothes or make-up or anything that would make me feel half-way attractive. Obviously there are much bigger things in life to be bummed about but the bottom line is vanity is real and we all struggle with it from time to time. But the kicker this particular time was it wasn’t to go to some fancy event or anticipated dream date or anything like that…it was simply to be halfway cute at our little county fair!

My wheels started turning…I thought…hmmm…for a new little sundress I could go to Ross or Target and flip flops and surely that couldn’t cost more than twenty bucks and while I was there I could surely find a new little makeup item or a wrinkle filler or something! I could even; purchase a new Wet and Wild lipstick and nail polish for less than five dollars. Needless to say, I jumped in my car and was on my way.

As luck would have it I found a cute little white cotton top with brown beading (knowing I already had a great little pair of brown cigarette pants (think Audrey Hepburn!) at home that would look perfect with it), a new pair of high-wedged flip flops with similar beading and the best facial products I had stumbled upon in a long while.

Here’s where the Olay products come in. I wanted to find a product for my sagging jowls which I knew would eventually rear their ugly heads because my grandma and my mom both had them for about as long as I can remember. But with all the incredible products I’ve tried and spent a lot of money on to tighten that skin pale in comparison to the one I found that melodramatic day.

• Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream is a brilliant cream containing a high concentration of amino peptides, an intracellular fortifier and a touch of “precious marine proteins.”  I happen to think the whole jar is precious! At about thirty bucks you can firm sagging skin (including the dreaded jowls!), smooth your skin’s surface and restore elasticity. And I noticed immediate results. I used it along with Olay Regenerist Eye Lifting Serum. I applied the eye serum around the eyes and around my mouth concentrating on my marionette lines. Next I used the Micro-Sculpting Cream all over my face and neck and concentrated upward circular massage around my jaw line and my brow bones.

I haven’t been so impressed with an anti-aging product such as these in a very long while. Everything from my outfit to my face turned out just the way I had hoped…actually even better than I had hoped. My day at the fair was so much fun however after a corndog, a corn on the cob on a stick, and a funnel cake I’m not so sure I’ll be sporting those Audrey Hepburn skinny pants again!!!