Since I have oily skin with clogged and congested pores, I am so thrilled to see that there are more solutions on the market that address the concerns of people with my skin type. While I do have a few wrinkles just like everyone my age, my skin is still oily like that of a teenager’s and I struggle to keep my pores clear. I wish I could have my own personal esthetician to perform extractions whenever necessary but that’s just not possible.

I can’t tell you how excited I was to see that there’s a new tool from Bliss skin care. I wish I could get to a Bliss spa every day but if I can’t get there, the next best thing is to have it come to me. Bliss facial products are really effective and the Bliss skin care products I have tried have done wonders for my complexion. Recently bliss skincare introduced the Bliss Pore-Fector Gadget, an at-home tool that uses sonic technology to remove impurities and excess oil from the pores. While I can’t say I’m completely ready to give up my esthetician, this thing really does a good job at keeping my pores clear in between facials. My Bliss skin is a force to be reckoned with! Bliss skin care products keep congestion from building up which means I have fewer breakouts. I would also recommend Bliss Steep Clean. This is a treatment mask that decongests in just 15 minutes. This mask from bliss is also an exfoliating treatment so it leaves the face feeling smooth and soft. With the Bliss Pore-Fector Gadget and the Bliss Steep Clean, your pores will love you!

I know I have talked about the Clarisonic brush cleansing system over and over again but now I have the exciting job of announcing a new addition to the Clarisonic family, the Clarisonic PLUS Skin Care System with Deep Pore Cleansing – Blue. This is the absolute best choice for anyone who has clogged pores like me and has particular trouble getting the skin around the nose squeaky clean. You can use the new system with a Clarisonic Cleanser or any other. The Clarisonic Gentle Hydro Cleanser has been quite popular but people with oilier skin seem to prefer the Clarisonic Refreshing Gel Cleanser. The new system also works with any of the Clarisonic Brush Heads. Many people choose to purchase the Clarisonic Dual Brush Head Pack – Normal when they buy a system so that they won’t run out. Clarisonic Replacement Brush Heads take up little room and it’s always good to have extras on hand. In case you missed the last announcement pertaining to new Clarisonic offerings, there’s also the Clarisonic Opal, a system for treating the symptoms of aging around the eyes. I have seen some great Clarisonic Reviews for both the Clarisonic PLUS Skin Care System with Deep Pore Cleansing – Blue and the Clarisonic Opal.

Now since oily and congested skin types often suffer from breakouts, I just have to recommend one of my favorite products from Murad Skin Care. The Murad Acne Complex Kit is a real life saver for those of us who are still breaking out. Murad Products not only give you results, they help you maintain those results year after year. This acne kit contains the Murad Clarifying Cleanser along with the exfoliating acne treatment gel, the acne spot treatment and the skin perfecting lotion all with the fine quality ingredients found in all Murad acne fighters. I always encourage people to get a second opinion so be sure to check out all of the Murad Acne Complex reviews to get detailed info from other people who have used this kit. One of these days I would love to check out the Murad spa in Southern California and thank Dr Murad for such wonderful products.

As the song goes…I wish they all could be California girls…I’m thinking that there certainly must be something to these particular lyrics because many cosmetic and beauty brands offer products which revolve around this theory of a particular California look. People from California tend to have a reputation of being the “beautiful people,” so as I was pondering why this seems to be, I got to thinking about all the makeup and skin care products I use that indeed include the name of the state, whether it be in a description, or the name of a color shade, a name of a brand, or within the name of a product line. In other words, California sells!

Typically when we think of the “state of beauty” (aka California) we picture smokin’ hot women with tanned bods, photo perfect smiles, and GQ looking guys. And I think we do that because there is indeed quite a bit of truth surrounding it. I’m not sure if it’s an echoic by-product from the state’s film industry, or if it’s perhaps a financial demographic issue, or the easy access to beauty treatments and products, or perhaps the gorgeous sunshine (making outdoor activities so much easier such as exercise), or just plain ole vanity…but whatever the reason…California does seem to lead the nation in setting and potentiating the beauty precedence and standard.

Below is a list of my all-time favorite California inspired products!

For women:  Too Faced California in a Compact: Beach Bunny is the perfect way to sport a California glow all year long no matter where you live! Not only does it impart a beautiful sun-kissed glow…it also minimizes pore size, neutralizes blotchiness and smooths out the skin’s texture. It’s only 29 bucks at Spalook.com.

For babies: Yes…even California babies have access to being California beautiful. Check out California Baby brand at Drugstore.com. The line is natural, fun, safe, effective and is also a great serious skin care line for adults with sensitive skin. I love California Baby The Basics Tote, French Lavender. It’s only $13.99 and is the best gift you can give a Mom or her baby!

For men: Of course, men aren’t excluded from the California look and swagger. Check out Baxter of California at Beauty.com.  You can’t go wrong with their stylish travel bag (Baxter of California Travel Kit) which includes everything a man needs to sport a handsome metrosexual California look.
 

When talking to my friends about hair, we all agree that keeping our styles looking nice while maintaining good health is a real battle. Everyone knows just how damaging the daily shampooing is along with the effects of blow dryers and flat irons but can we really do without or is there a way to have our cake and eat it too?

I’ve come to believe that healthy hair is a matter of treatment and prevention. Taking steps to prevent the damage are important as are the steps to treat the damage and keep it from getting worse.

The Frederic Fekkai hair brand has some of the best products out there for treating damaged hair. Frederic Fekkai products continue to impress me year after year. With all of my experimenting, I always come back to Frederic Fekkai hair care products to get great results. If your hair is suffering from daily abuse of washing and heat styling, I would definitely recommend using a repairing treatment on a regular basis to undo the damage and maintain better health. Frederic Fekkai Ageless Creme Luxe Hair Treatment is an amazing Frederic Fekkai hair mask. It restores moisture, elasticity and manageability over time. You only need to leave it on for three minutes so it’s pretty easy to work it into your beauty routine once or twice a week. I find that Frederic Fekkai Ageless Creme Luxe Hair Treatment produces results that are right up there with the Frederic Fekkai Protein Rx Anti Breakage Treatment Mask.

If you’re really pressed for time or don’t like hair masks in general, you have to check out Frederic Fekkai Overnight Hair Repair. This is a brilliant treatment product that sits on your hair all night so that it can work its magic while you sleep. Now you might be thinking about how gross it would be to have a hair product all stuck to your pillow but the reality is that Frederic Fekkai Overnight Hair Repair absorbs instantly and doesn’t transfer any kind of residue onto your linens or your face. Simply wash it out the next morning with any Fekkai Shampoo and follow with the corresponding Frederic Fekkai Conditioner. I really love the Frederic Fekkai Clarifying Shampoo and the Frederic Fekkai Full Volume Shampoo. As for conditioners, I have to say that Frederic Fekkai Glossing Conditioner is my favorite. Frederic Fekkai Overnight Hair Repair is a bit of a splurge but it is absolutely worth it. The Frederic Fekkai spray on treatment is a full 3.4 ounces which will give you a lot of overnight applications. If you went to the Fekkai salon and got professional treatments, you would pay much more and you wouldn’t be able to sleep while your hair is being repaired (unless of course that gossip magazine makes you doze off).

Fekkai hair is strong, healthy and resilient. Fekkai hair products are always up to the challenge and continually produce superior results.

So treating is only part of the story. The other half is prevention. I know it’s hard, but you have to make some sacrifices if you want healthy locks. Daily shampooing does a number on your hair so try to skip a day here and there. All you need is a good dry shampoo and the best one I have found is from Klorane. I regularly use Klorane Gentle Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk to keep my hair looking fresh. Klorane shampoo dry products absorb oils and dirt but the formula also gives my hair volume. Klorane dry shampoo is even a great product to use if you want to conceal dark roots between colorings. I love it! Apparently I am not alone. Try to find a Klorane dry shampoo review out there that isn’t glowing! Make sure to also check out the Klorane Award-Winning Essentials Kit. It comes with the Klorane Gentle Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk along with the Leave-In Fluid with Papyrus Milk to style your hair. You’ll be amazed how well you can freshen and style your locks without causing more damage and you don’t even need to follow with Klorane conditioner. Klorane Laboratories are dedicated to developing outstanding hair care for beauty consumers all over the world.

No one brings to mind the term “self-actualization” quite like the multi-talented Sean John Combs does. He is the epitome of doing it all, and looking really hot while he’s doing it! No matter what it is…the pop culture icon can do it…and whatever it is…he does it really well. He’s a producer, a fashion designer, a philanthropist, a father, an accomplished business man and a celebrity. Everything he touches seems to turn to gold (as they say) because he knows what works and what doesn’t work. He knows what’s hot and what’s not. He oozes class, magnetism, amazing sense of self, sensuality and most of all…he must smell incredible! Obviously, I’ve never had the pleasure of actually sampling how his signature fragrance smells on him personally, but I have smelled Sean Jean Fragrances on others…and it’s absolutely intoxicating!

The pop icon (also known as P Diddy and Sean Puffy Combs) with all that swag has created a line of fragrances which have seriously brought sexy back. The fragrances are bold, captivating, enticing, addictive, macho as well as metro, and sexy as hell!

Sean John I Am King Eau de Toilette is an intense fragrance for men which stirs up all kinds of titillating moods and exotic emotions such as power, confidence, victory, and closeness. It’s fresh and clean, yet magnificently sensual and masculine due to the unique myriad of handcrafted notes Sean John chose to use and blend together. Sean John I Am King Eau de Toilette is a brilliant blend of fresh and zesty tropical fruits such as tangerine and cranberry along with the class and notoriety of the Imperial French Berry and precious woods.

There’s nothing worse than two black circles around your eyes after aggressively removing your makeup. It seems that so many make-up removers stop short when it comes to effectively removing all of your eye makeup, especially water-proof mascara.

Thankfully, Pevonia brand has come to our eye makeup residue rescue! Pevonia Yeux Eye Make-Up Remover cleans away all eye-makeup with complete ease and efficacy. It not only cleans, but decongests the pores around the delicate eye area as well as thoroughly cleanses the lashes and both lids. The effective, yet uber gentle solution combines the properties of lettuce, arnica and cucumber for a soothing and thorough cleanse. By just simply swiping (without using excessive friction or aggressively rubbing) the debris is magically dissolved.

The aqueous and irritation-free formulation is perfect for those with sensitive eyes and even for those who wear contact lenses.

Pevonia Yeux Eye MakeUp Remover is so refreshing and has a virtual flawless record in terms of ratings and reviews. Customers boast such statements as “I will never be without it!” Love it!”  “hassle free” and “makes eye makeup removal easy!” I too have to agree with every one of those statements!

I’ve never used an eye make-up remover that completely dissolves every last bit of mascara (even waterproof) so gently and so easily. My eyes are sensitive AND I wear contacts and it’s never once irritated them. I purchase my Pevonia Yeux Eye Make-Up Remover from Spalook.com and I buy two at a time, so I too am never without it!

Tip: Remove eye make-up with those little round or square cotton pads because cotton balls often leave little fibers behind in the lashes which can cause irritation.

When in the market for products to promote hair growth and hair thickening, be sure to go with professionally recommended products. Even better…go with what many dermatologists and doctors who specialize in hair transplants would recommend.

It only makes sense that doctors whose practices are primarily dedicated to skin, scalp and hair issues would be the best resources for any inquiries regarding which products and brands are best for treating hair loss and/or thinning hair.

My research concludes that many of these specialists would recommend the hair nourishing system by Viviscal. Viviscal Hair Nourishment System Maximum Strength is a hair fortifying dietary supplement which contains 60 tablets (which is a one month supply) of vital nutrients (including their exclusive AminoMar C Marine Complex) that have been proven to promote hair growth in both women and men.

Keep in mind, the results may take a while considering the product works in line with the natural growth curve and cycle of the hair’s natural growth pattern. Many users start noticing a difference within 3 or 4 months, but Viviscal says to expect 6 months before results are achieved due to the system’s workability within a “four-stage” time frame.

Viviscal Hair Nourishment System is a veritable bargain at only $59 per one month supply. The system is valued right and the excellent reviews are vast. This product has positively changed the lives of many of its users in terms of self-esteem and excitement. The reviewers tend to be grateful that there is finally a dietary supplement on the market that truly does what it claims.

It’s valid indeed!

Fragrance is a challenging subject when you’re in the online world. Out of all of the products we talk about, fragrance is the one that is the most difficult to describe. Scent is really very personalized and since the world of fragrance is so vast and varied, it is not always easy to describe perfume and cologne. To keep things simple, I always recommend sticking to a collection of products that have the same scent. That way you can layer without worrying about competing fragrances.

Philosophy has some of the most interesting and unusual fragrances on the beauty market. While it can be easy to go nuts with everything they offer, I think it’s best to stick to pre-assembled set so that your fragrance world doesn’t turn into a circus. Philosophy Summer Grace Fragrance Layering Set contains both the spray fragrance and the perfumed firming body emulsion. In a way you’re combining Philosophy Skin Care with Philosophy the fragrance. With the Philosophy Summer Grace Fragrance Layering Set you can moisturize and firm your body with a lotion that has the same scent as your perfume. Now that is brilliant!

Layering sets also make for perfect gifts. And since we are always trying to express our gratitude to the mothers of the world, I just had to draw attention to the Philosophy Amazing Grace Mothers Are a Gift Set. For fans of the Philosophy Amazing Grace fragrance, this is a real treat. It comes with the Amazing Grace Perfume spray plus the fragrant body butter (richer than the Philosophy Amazing Grace Lotion and the Philosophy Amazing Grace Body Emulsion) and bath/shower gel that can double as a shampoo. Of course, you really don’t need a justification for getting the Philosophy Amazing Grace Mothers Are a Gift Set for yourself, weather or not you’re a mother. Fans of the original fragrance can rejoice to no end with this fabulous Philosophy Amazing Grace Gift Set. Make sure you also check out Philosophy Pure Grace, Philosophy Unconditional Love and of course all of the wonderful Philosophy Skin Care products. You’ll be surprised at what an extensive collection of Philosophy products there is available.

Elizabeth Arden also carries fabulous sets that are great for gifting or spoiling yourself. The Elizabeth Arden Red Door Fragrance Set is a gorgeous packaged fragrance set that contains the classic Elizabeth Arden perfume spray from the signature scent of red door Elizabeth Arden. Along with it is the body cream and powder with the same fragrance. Elizabeth Arden Red Door Fragrance Set is a winning combination.

Of course I just cannot talk about fragrance or Elizabeth Arden perfume for that matter without mentioning Elizabeth Arden Pretty Eau de Parfum since I think this is just an exquisite scent that exudes both floral and fruity notes. Elizabeth Arden Pretty Eau de Parfum makes me feel feminine and of course pretty, just like the name says. You really cannot go wrong with any of the Elizabeth Arden Parfum sprays or sets. Elizabeth Arden fragrance has enjoyed a huge success in the beauty market for years due to popularity and quality. I always recommend Elizabeth Arden perfumes for gifting and for treating yourself. Be sure to check out other Elizabeth Arden products as well such as the fine collection of anti-aging solutions from the Elizabeth Arden skincare collection.

Just recently, I had to go to a special event which required a polished look from head to toe. As luck would have it, I ran out of that precious commodity called time. And most of us know that that indeed happens quite often with our busy daily lives. Additionally, we don’t always have the extra money to go pay for a professional treatment on top of the time we also have very little of.

That is why I just had to report on a new little saving grace product from the well-known manicure and pedicure brand Sally Hansen.

You’ve probably deduced by now that the aforementioned event and the “un-polished head-to-toe look” (to which I ran out of time) were an “un-polished” set of toe and finger nails. I happen to have my cool little (and mess-free) polish remover pads Barielle Love Your Nails Acetone-Free Nail Polish Remover Towelettes which quickly and efficiently removed my old enamel but I still had to run and buy a new polish because my old ones were too thick and gloppy to use. So I ran to the corner pharmacy looking for an easy to use polish which would be fresh, professional and fast-drying. I headed straight for the Sally Hansen section because I figured if any brand would have something close to what I needed I knew it better be a brand dedicated to nail products, tools and a huge array of colors to choose from. My eyes immediately locked on to the Sally Hansen Color Quick Fast Dry line. They had the perfect pink but I was still a little leery about using a color applying vehicle that wasn’t a typical bottle of nail enamel. But since it said it “Click, Color and Go,” I felt it was the perfect choice. And I can’t even begin to tell you what a great choice it was!

Sally Hansen Color Quick Fast Dry Nail Color Pen (I chose sheer pink) was the best nail color polish I have ever tried or used. It dried immediately (which easily allowed for me to do two coats before I had to leave), no messy mistakes, provided a glass, porcelain type finish and looked like I had just walked out of the nail salon with a gorgeous professional looking manicure.

I will never pay for (nor take the precious time) to go get a professional polish change again…and I promise, if you try Sally Hansen Color Quick Fast Dry Nail Color Pen, you will never have to either!

By the way, I paid close to eleven bucks for my Nail Color Pen but I just found it on Drugstore.com for only $7.58!!