I had no idea that a bar of clay could be a panacea to so many different skin ailments, but Fresh's
Umbrian Clay Treatment Bar ($38) does the job. Umbria is a clay-rich region in Italy, and the treatment bar is made from pure clay. It has the appearance of soap, but once you feel it, you'll see that it's chalky, hard and much heavier and more fragile than soap.
Wow, It felt like Christmas morning when I opened up my big
Decade of Glamour box from Too Faced Cosmetics ($40). Wide-eyed and excited, I eagerly opened up the pink and black double doors to reveal a left and a right leaflet filled with six lip glosses, two lipsticks and a lip balm.
Then, underneath the main panel, there are three full-sized products.
Although Diane Von Furstenberg has discontinued her makeup line (let's all take a moment to mourn the loss of her awesome pink glosses), she can't let her love of makeup fade. So, each season she has decided to release one signature lipstick to complement her collection. Summer's choice will appeal to girls who were born to love volcanoes.
I've got a crush on a new cream blush! Cosmetologist Terry de Gunzburg, creator of the iconic
Yves Saint Laurent Touché Éclat and founder of By Terry, brings us a new (and, might I add, sensational) blush that I'd like to categorize as a cream blush. It's called
Rose de Rose Sheer Liquid Blush ($52), but it's really a cross between a cream and a gel texture.
Stila has decided to expand its popular
Kitten powder eye shadow into an empire with the release of a cream shadow called
Silk Eye Shadow Wash ($22). The super-long tube (1.1 oz) gets applied with a doe-foot applicator as a liquid form, and it dries to a powdery, crease-free finish.
I love that this shadow is so versatile.
Decoding the world of fragrance is not an especially easy task. Although most of us can probably discern a fruity scent from a woodsy one, it's harder to identify certain smells without going through training (as
Chandler Burr has said). That's why I delight in these
Florascent fragrance trial collections ($26.50).
If you're tired of having a bathroom cluttered with brand names, you might want to check out these labels from
Debranded Home. A pack of five stick-on labels ($9) lets you transform any plain container into a fancy-looking, brand-free label.
To make the most out of these labels, just reuse a plastic container.
Clarins HydraQuench Cooling Cream-Gel ($48) is on my list for
gym essentials. I like it because it's a great way to prepare your skin for post-workout beauty. You know how after you've just exercised your face is flushed, sweaty and tends to stay that way for a while even after you've showered?
Ever wonder what Reese Witherspoon might look like if she suddenly turned Posh? Now you can. Last night I ran across a brand-new website called
Taaz.
While I was browsing products in The Body Shop a few days ago, I bought this
Almond Oil Nail & Cuticle Treatment ($12). Not only did it have an olfactory allure (it smells like sweet nuts) but the formula really works. I love the fact that my cuticles actually feel soft enough after a few uses to be able to push them back with the rubber tip that is conveniently housed on the end of the cap.
