Fishy Beauty

There’s something fishy about the latest rage in pedicure treatment. Instead of pumice stones or razors, ladies can now rely on tiny nibbling carp to slough away dead skin. Dozens of “doctor fish” are poured into a personalized pedi-tank to munch away at your calluses, but they won’t ever bite away your live skin because they are toothless. The treatment has previously been popular in Turkey and several Asian countries. It gained momentum in the U.S. when Vanessa Williams’s character Wilhelmina tried the treatment on Ugly Betty. And now the Virginia-based salon Yvonne Hair and Nails offers the service. So far, customers give the painless, piscatorial method a thumbs-up. The salon’s owner hopes to turn the nibbling treatment into a full-body experience. I don’t know how I feel about this one. There’s something a wee bit creepy about having small toothless fish munch away at my calluses. I’m dying to hear what you all think about this one!

n*

Matte Lips for Fall

Matte Lips are in this fall and I have to say that at first I was a bit bummed since I’m a total gloss girl. But I decided to give matte lippies a second chance and found some truly luxurious colors. Here are my picks:

Nars Afghan Red

Bobbi Brown Lipstick Color Palette

MAC Viva Glam

L’Oreal Colour Rich Lipstick in Chocolate Truffle

 Clinique High Impact Colour in Red-y To Wear

 CoverGirl Continuous Color in Bistro Burgundy

Don’t they all look so creamy and smooth!

n*

Beauty Maven of the Week – Lipstick Jungle

The Fall TV Lineup has begun and I’m pretty excited to catch up on my favorite shows. One show that I accidently stumbled upon last fall was Lipstick Jungle. I was hooked. I love the characters and the story lines keep me engaged. I was quite happy that the first episode of the second season did not disappoint. So in honor of one of my guilty pleasures the Beauty Mavens of the Week are the ladies of Lipstick Jungle: Lindsay Price, Brooke Shields and Kim Raver.

n*

Where There’s Smoke There’s Fire!

Ah, the elusive smoky eye. It’s probably one of the most sought after beauty techniques. Use the tips below and you’ll be on you way to sexy, smoky eyes in no time!

*courtesy of glam.com

n*

Scrub Away the Blues

 

My microdermabrasion experience got me thinking about exfoliation. I’ve always been good at using body scrubs but my face has been completely neglected when it comes to exfoliation. Lucky for me, glamour.com put together a great list of exfoliates that I can’t wait to try.

MD Skincare Alpha Beta Daily Face Peel has two steps and takes two minutes: In step one, a pad with glycolic and salicylic acids refines texture and tone. Step 2 neutralizes the acids with vitamins A, C, E, and green tea extract.  

Tracie Martyn Enzyme Exfoliant is both a physical and chemical scrub, which means it contains both tiny particles to slough off dead skin and keep your pores clean, and also has fruit acids and enzymes to draw the icky stuff out. Sounds like the perfect combo!

Kate Somerville ExfoliKate is an at-home version of celebrity aesthetician Kate Somerville’s famous facial. A potent brew of lactic and salicylic acid, plus enzymes found in papaya and pineapple, help dissolve dead skin cells. Microbeads sweep the whole mess away. 

Biologique Recherche P50 Lotion Ok, so this one combines witch hazel and onion extract which doesn’t sound appetizing. But those ingredients, plus lactic acid, work together to seek and destroy the gunk that clogs pores, so it’s worth it to just hold your breath and spread it on. 

Sonya Dakar Triple Action Organic Scrubs The LA aesthetician’s face scrubs are made with protein-rich, non-abrasive Linipack seeds and alpha hydroxy acids, which slough off dirt, dryness and encourage skin cell regeneration.

I’ll let you know how it goes as I give them a shot. Have you all had any luck with exfoliating? Let us know!

n*

Spa Review – Skinpeccable

So last week was LA’s Spa Week and I was excited to try out a spa treatment that I’ve never tried before. I chose Microdermabrasion. I get a lot of massages and I love them but I’ve been seriously slacking on my facial game. So I made an appointment with Skinpeccable, a Cosmetic Dermatology & Laser Center for an Impeccable  Microdermabrasion. I was a bit nervous since it was my first time having this sort of treatment but the technician put me at ease and 30 mins later I had noticeably smoother, brighter skin. My skin looked even better the next morning. Overall, I was pleased with my experience and with my results. The staff was friendly and professional and the facilities were, well, impeccable. They did try to upsell me a little bit but they weren’t obnoxious or pushy about it which was refreshing. I’m thinking about going back to help get my acne scars lightened also. 

Oh! And as an added bonus, I met Sweet Pea from Project Runway in the waiting room. She was super sweet and very down to earth – I’m a fan. 

Skinpeccable

11611 San Vicente Blvd

Brentwood, CA 90049

310.979.SKIN

www.skinpeccable.com

n*

Laura Mercier – Cherries Noir

Laura Mercier’s new Fall 2008 Collection, Cherries Noir looks a bit…familiar. I guess it’s not a huge surprise since all of this season’s looks are all about deep plum and burgandy colors. Cherries Noir is inspired by 1940’s glamour and introduces a new lipstick, Lip Velvet, a rich and voluptuous formula containing a blend of moisturizing, anti-aging, anti-oxidant, and plumping ingredients to give your lips that  pouty effect we all crave. Lip Velvet comes in 5 pretty demi-matte shades: Cassis, Cherry Blossom, Mocha Rouge, Naked Rose & Royal Plum. 

 

Eyes are warmed with tones of cashmere, cocoa and wine using six new shades of Matte, Lustre and Sateen Eye Colors: Bamboo, Cashmere, Coffee Ground, Kir Royal, Stellar & Primrose.

Add a hint of luminosity to the cheeks with the Illuminating Powder in Mocha Spice Quad and you are transported to the sophisticated glamour of classic Hollywood. Laura Mercier Illuminating Powder is comprised of four different shades in one color family that blend together perfectly onto the skin adding illumination and radiance to any skin tone.

So what do you think? Are you going with MAC’s Cult of Cherry or will you give Laura Mercier’s Cherries Noir a shot?

n*

 

 

Beauty Maven of the Week – The 60th Annual Emmy Awards Edition

 

Honestly, I’m not the biggest fan of award shows but I do like seeing what all the stars are wearing. Here are a few of my picks for best dressed.

America Ferrera looking stunning at the 60th Annual Emmy Awards. I went to USC with her and not only is she gorgeous but she is a sweetheart!

I love Heidi Klum. I think she always looks great and tonight is no different.

Debra Messing in Monique Lhuillier

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brooke Shields looking pretty in pink

 

Nicolette Sheridan. Love the dress. Not a fan of the facial expression!

 

Who was on your best dressed list? Better yet, who was on your worst dressed list? Have a great week!

n*

Beauty News Snippets

 

Bare Escentuals on the Go!

In celebration of Sephora’s 10-year anniversary, Bare Escentuals created this portable, limited edition flow-through brush filled with Mineral Veil, the original on-the-go essential.

A “Best of Sephora” award-winner, Mineral Veil provides the ultimate translucent finishing touch to makeup, infusing skin with softness and light for airbrushed perfection. It gently absorbs oil and minimizes the appearance of lines and pores for a fresh, flawless look all day.

Happy Anniversary Sephora!

Vincent Longo Limited Edition Flower Shadow Collection

Vincent Longo’s Flower Trio Eyeshadows are carefully selected combinations of unique colors that make color-matching a breeze. Vincent’s formula smoothes on easily, so you get mistake-proof application, and wears all day for a fabulous, lasting look. Inspired by Mediterranean wildflowers on La Riviera Dei Fiore in Italy, the alluring vibrancy in these artistic, feminine ensembles will bring your eyes to life!

These must-have, delicate flowers will help you create truly irresistible eyes. They are sleek, easy to use, and travel friendly, so don’t leave home without your flower power!

 

 

World’s Most Expensive Body Cream?

This Month, Kanebo is launching what it believes  to be the most expensive body cream on the market.

At $400 for 6.7 oz, indeed Sensai Premier Body Cream outpaces at least one of the category’s most prestigious competitors, La Mer, which sells its body cream for $195, a bargain — comparatively speaking — for a 10.3-oz jar.

But will consumers think the product is worthy of such a price tag?

“We are pretty confident that the body cream will be just the right fit and we are quite confident the consumer will respond to it,” said Juliano Gomis, national training director, Kanebo Cosmetics USA. Sensai Premier.

What do you think? Will you be plunking down 400 bucks to snag a bottle of the cream?

Patyka’s US Launch

Eco-friendly French skin care firm Patyka is opening its first store in the U.S. next month, a 450-square-foot outpost that will be located in Manhattan’s West Village.

“The idea is to combine organic and luxury,” Andrew Corrie, president of New York-based Patyka USA, said of the Ecocert-certified brand’s positioning.

In addition to showcasing the brand’s 50-plus face care products; body oils, creams and washes, and fragrances (priced from $32 to $59), the new space, at 33 Carmine Street, will have a room for facial treatments and a cosmetics consultation area.

All you NYC readers have to let me know all about it once it opens its doors!

Have a great weekend!

n*

Keeping it Sexy!

It was about time Mavens,  I finally joined the gym!  It’s been a long time coming, and I’m glad I got back to it.  My problem now is making sure I find a really good sports bra in order to keep the girls from sagging.   Mavens you know that we all wish that they could stay perky forever.  A friend of mine was telling me about a Clarins bust gel and lotion that supposedly works miracles.  When you use both the cream and gel, they work together to promote firmer surface skin and contours the “natural bra” (the triangle of skin from the base of the breasts to the chin).  It also claims to revitalize and moisturize the skin. The gel is used in the morning while the lotion is used at night.

I’ll be giving it a try, anything to preserve my sexiness! LOL!

vettie