On hiatus

My life is super crazy right now so I will be taking a short break from blogging but will be back soon!

Women+Wine+Budget Savvy Makeup Tips = Good Time

Join me October 29th, in Baltimore, at The Women's Wine and Dine event at Crush, (located in the terminally hip Belvedere Square), where amidst the wine pairing merriment two fabulous experts will speak about/help with how to get great Beauty & Style – on a budget!

Click here for more information

Hope to see you there!

Sometimes our purpose in life is to serve as a warning to others...

Came in to work (yes, I'm posting at work...shh...don't tell the boss lady), this morning to this lovely email from my SIL, N with the subject line reading: Topic for your blog. Prevage

After reading, I can't help but post...poor N...let this be a lesson to all of us, even good, over-hyped, products can turn on us. Yes, even the ones that have "proven results". Caution is key when trying anything new. Below is her review, ahem, email.

OMG
I am sitting here with my face ON FIRE...in a puffy rash & hives. Oh yeah. my neck too.
And apparently it doesn't go away for 5 days!!!! I get on a plane on saturday for work! DAMMIT
If you'd like the rest of my rash in a bottle, you are welcome to it.
I don't even know if I can get an appt at a derma tomorrow...uuurrggghhh.
I'm pretty. I guess my face is so puffy & red you can't see wrinkles..???

Thanks for sacrificing yourself in the name of beauty, N! I and all the other women of world who have had to hold their head, or hair, up high while suffering through a beauty disaster salute you!

If anyone has suggestions on how to help N get on her flight tomorrow red-inflamed-hived-face free please leave me a comment.

Do men make passes at girls who wear glasses?

Okay, so never mind the fact that the angle of this pic makes my forehead look abnormally large and the two deep creases that are happening on said abnormally large forehead, from the cocking of my brow, are making me seriously re-think the "Lox and Botox" session that my dermatologist is hosting this weekend, but I'm absolutely digging my new Vanni specs that I picked up from Paris West Optical this week. I would have never thought the shot of lime green would work with my coloring but Jordan and the Paris West team convinced me and now I'm finding it gives an unexpected highlight to my face. I'm totally loving the geek chic vibe they give off...and ps five random strangers complimented me on them in the past couple of days...all men.

Mark your calendars...

Spa Week hits the east coast October 13 - 19, (west coast ladies--it's happening now).
Click here for a list of participating spas in your area and more information on all that is Spa Week. Why is Spa Week so fabulous? 1. ) Special spa services are $50 and 2.) It's a great way to try out new spas and treatments without spending a fortune--some med spas are even participating, so go ahead and get your IPL hand treatment and Microdermabrasion on!

Most spas will be running extended hours during this fabulous week to accommodate all those that want instant beautification. Participating spas tend to book up quickly so make your reservation now, (I already did).

Happy spa hopping!

Mother's little helpers

To say the least, at this time in my life mornings, (and usually days and nights), are chaos. I get up earlier than everyone else in the house yet for some reason still only have about 30seconds to pull my self together before I head out the door for the school drop off and then to work. The following products are my life savers and a must for any multi-tasking moma on the go:

Tinted moisturizer - I'm partial to Bobbi Brown and Laura Mercier, but have recently developed a fondness for Remede's Translucent UV Coat. Why tinted moisturizer instead of foundation? It's something that's easily slathered on, and when I say slather, I mean slather. It's a sheer to light coverage that you don't have to worry about messing up or over doing and bonus-- I don't know a brand that doesn't come with an SPF 15 or higher so your doing double duty and protecting your skin while beautifying.

Lipstick Queen Oxymoron - This awesome matte gel formulation easily glides on lips, cheeks and eyes, giving you a fast shot of color to your face. My favorite color of the moment is Honest Politician, a subdued browny pink that gives off the "me, only better" vibe.

Sue Devit Eye Intensifier Pencil - On those day I don't have enough time for even a pale wash of shadow, let alone eyeliner, I use this chubby, velvety, smooth, pencil all over my lid and lower lash line. With a quick swipe of the built in smudger I have an instantly modern pulled together eye look. Surat, a bronzey taupe with just a hint of violet, is by far my favorite color for everyday.

And that's it...a swipe of mascara and I'm out the door...usually forgeting something that I will eventually remember 10 minutes into my commute...of course.

Big Shout Out to my gal pal J!

Who scored me the coveted-sold-out-everywhere-in-our-area-and-online-OPI for Sephora nail polish in Metro Chic at the Towson Town Center Grand Opening of Sephora. Boo to me for being stuck behind a desk and not being able to attend the ribbon cutting ceremony, but how awesome is my girl J, schlepping her kids to the mall on a Friday to aid in my quest for trendy nail polish????

Damn, I've got good peeps!

Livin' La Vida Loca

AGGHHH!!!!!! With the start of kindergarten and high school for my boys, and deadlines looming for work, my posting has been off. I'm waking up early (too early) and when I hit the bed my ass, (and body...and brain...), is tired. I should be caught up with my projects tomorrow (hooray!) and more at ease with my busy school chauffeuring schedule and will be back posting this weekend.

Hope everyone is Fabulous!
~Stephanie

Breast Wishes

Happy anniversary to me! Two years ago today I had a breast reduction and while the recovery was a tad rocky and the process forced me to take a hard look at how I identify myself, I wouldn't trade the experience--or the results--for anything. A story detailing my surgery and recovery is--hopefully--soon to be published...I will post links when I have them.

There ain't no shame in my game

Tried: Sweet Spot Labs product line

True to my word I tried this line-- the gentle wash, balancing mist, eau de spot and on-the-go wipettes in the citrus galbanum scent. And, since I'm sure ya'll want me to spare you the gory details, I will say just this: Sweet Spot Labs is a fabulous product line. It works. It smells yummy and makes you feel fresh and clean and lovely sans the angry irritated vagina reaction one normally gets from some other well known cleansers. I even received a compliment while using the eau de spot, again I will spare you the details on that-- TMI-- but if that's not a testimony to this product I don't know what is.

Can you just head to your local drugstore and get something similar from Summer's Eve? Absolutely. Call me an intimate grooming snob but, I'm so keen on this product line and its offerings and all of its premium-grade sweetifiers, vitamins, botanicals, and pH balancers that I don't think I'd let anything else come between me and my va-jay-jay.

Home Sweet Home

Ahhh...home. I'm so happy to be back from what could be described as one of the worst vacations ever. Not only did it rain, (like torrential down pour rain), almost everyday, the temp hovered around 55 degrees and I ended up being stuck in a house with 15 other people that I don't have the slightest bit in common with except that I share DNA with their grandson/nephew/cousin.

I was only able to test out one bug repellent for about a half hour the whole vacation--Avon's SKIN SO SOFT BUG GUARD Plus PICARIDIN, which worked amazingly well and smelled beautifully clean, but will most definitely have to test a few times more in an environment more conducive to, I don't know, Bugs, Sun and Fun. I did use a new, fun, mascara while I was away and also tried out some awesome organic bath products by Savor. Reviews and details to follow.

So happy to be back to my routine again.

Lobsters and puffins and whales, oh my!

Sorry my posting hasn't been up to par this week. I've been busy with my day job and trying to figure out how to pack the entire contents of my house so that it will fit neatly into a very small car carrier for our annual family to trip to Maine.

Ahh... Maine. Home of the 24 hour LL Bean, a place where the streets are cleaner, the smell of sweet salt water permeates the air, the lobsters are cheap and the whoopie pies are to die for. Most days I get up and run my fingers through my hair, throw it into a pony tail, slather on sunscreen, curl my lashes--eschewing mascara--and dab a little rosebud salve on my lips before I head out the door. I get back to nature. I kayak every morning and take a long mountain or ocean cliff hike, (depending on where we are at the time), in the afternoon.

Of course, I can't leave the product junkie side of me behind for too long...and since I'm liable to be jonesin' for a fix 3-4 days into our trip, I'm bringing along some natural/organic products to experiment with. Because I hate to smell of Eau de DEET, I'm bringing Anti Bug Badger Balm, Buzz Away Spray, and pretty much the whole "Original" Skin So Soft line, to see if I can come up with a concoction to ward of the vicious deer flies and gigantic mosquitoes without the smell and side effects of all those nasty chemicals. I'm also bringing my fav Korres Watermelon Sunscreen Face Cream, and Kiss My Face Sun Spray, and will most definitely be on the hunt for homemade bath and cosmetic products at local farmers markets...oh and I've decided to try out a crystal deodorant, but not to worry, should it fail I will be bringing along my trusty Degree Clinical backup.

So my lovelies, I will be signing off for about a week. I'm hoping to have some great adventures to share with you when I return!

OPI for Sephora

Hurry up and launch this line already would ya Sephora?????

I've been reading about it and hearing little snippets here and there and I'm dying to play with the new 54 long-lasting, chip-resistant polishes that are free of DBP, Toluene, and Formaldehyde. First on my list to try: "Metro Chic" (a gray khaki-ish shade that looks curiously like Butter London's Fash Pack) and "Never Enough Shoes" (A shiny shade of dense black infused with microscopic silver, gold and multi-colored sparkles).

So here I am Sephora Execs...waiting...ready to book my mani appointment as soon as you give the word...sigh...

Fish Food?

Yet another one to try before I die...
Check out the Jet Set Girls post on the Fish Pedicure at Yvonne Salon, (located in Alexandria, VA). A pedi where garra rufa fish ("doctor fish") swim about your feet and nibble the crust and callus away. Ewww...a shiver just went up my spine...I may need to think a little longer on this one.

Major Lash Deal/Steal!

For the ladies on a fab lash quest like me: Exclusively from Sephora, Limited edition, "The Lash Stash" a mascara kit with seven travel sized black mascaras that allows you to test-drive a new mascara every day until you find your true lash love.

The kit includes: Benefit A Little Bit BADgal Lash, Blinc Kiss Me Mascara, LORAC Publicity Stunt Lashes, Smashbox Bionic Mascara, Stila Multi-Effect Mascara, Sephora Brand Lash Plumper and Too Faced Lash Injection .

And for only $28--that's only $4 per mascara, and considering that a travel sized BADgal normally runs you about $9-- that's what we call a major SCORE!

I'm jumpin right on this bargain train, catch you ladies at the check out!

Tried: Too Faced Lash Injection Mascara

The claim: "This revolutionary formula is packed with elastic 3D-polymers that coat the entire lash and stretch past its natural end, creating a dramatic volumizing and lengthening effect".

My official reaction after two weeks of testing: Ehh....

The product definitely created volume and lengthened my lashes. But with dramatic effect? Not so much. It wasn't what I'd call super lengthening or super volumizing, and took more than a couple of coats to get to the desired effect. I would say that with the mascara my lashes looked like my natural lashes with just a tad of enhancement. It gave me a kind of soft, fluttery, look. Which don't get me wrong, is a great look-- a soft, pretty, look-- but I wasn't going for soft. I want look-at-me lashes, va-va-voom lashes. I want to bat a lash and have men come to their knees...okay, that might be going a bit too far, but you get the point; this mascara didn't quite deliver in that area.

So it's back to my quest for the mascara that will create the most perfect natural but dramatic lashes. I've heard some really good things about Blinc's Kiss Me mascara and one of the bubbly sales girls at Sephora told me that she and the rest of the gals at the Columbia store swear by Fresh's Supernova, so those will be next on my list to try, but for now it's back to my old faithful, BADgal Blue.

For the lazy girl in all of us

New at Sephora: ColorOn Eye Envy kits, ($25), one-size-fits-all mineral cream eyeshadow appliqués. Yep, appliqués. Stick them on your eye, rub gently, set with powder, (provided in kit), et voila a well fashioned eye in half the time it would normally take you and without the makeup mess on your vanity. Kits run from the tame color choices to the extreme, (i.e. the Exotic kit).

You know you want to try it! So stop into a Sephora near you and play with one today!

Practice Safe SPF

E.L.F. wants you to practice safe SPF and is offering yet another beauty bargain to help you on this quest--Free Hydro Tint with SPF 15 with a minimum purchase of $20. And, hello, that amount can get you a ton of cosmetic with this line. My pick on how to spend your $20: the "Get A Glow Kit" or custom made kit with the multistripe organizer bag.

Just use promotion code: EGHYDAR check out

File this under: To do before I die

Check out S.H. Rhee's article: "Lather, Wince, Repeat" chronicling her jimjilbang (Korean spa) experience. Although Rhee describes in detail how the spa’s skin sloughing regime is less than delicate, she readily admits her skin never looked so good post treatment. My curiosity is peaked! A little necessary spa roughness never scared me off in the quest for rejuvenated skin and body,(like the Thai massage at Canyon Ranch Spa, Las Vegas of 2005 that left me with bruised wrists and ankles). And if I'm not mistaken, I believe that a similar spa in Hollywood is the secret to a certain few buffed bodied actresses flawless, young looking skin.

Now, if I can just find a spa buddy to go with me...

Products on my radar this month

Here's a sneak peak at the products I will be playing with, ahem, testing this month:

• Face Boutique Sweep Clean Cleanser on a Cloth - No brainer there. Although, I am a little thrown off by the "for young skin" copy on their packaging...is 34 for too old for this product???
  
• Lipstick Queen Oxymoron in Honest Politician - I'm all about a multi-tasker and this multi purpose matte gloss for cheeks and lips just may fit the bill.
  
• By Terry Soliel de Rose - A tinited skincare enhancer that produces a golden glow and hydrated skin with out the normal self-taning agents, and since I'm a tad inept when it comes to self-taning I'm hoping for great things with this product.