Category Archives: Events

Better Skin…Starting Now!

New Product Review: Cane + Austin Miracle Pad, $78 for 60 pads.

If you’ve ever had a peel at an aesthetician or doctor’s office you know what an effective rejuvenating and brightening treatment it is, but the costly series of recommended sessions and flaking experienced for days afterwards might have you thinking twice about doing it again. Thanks to this breakthrough product that rivals in-office procedures you won’t have to.

Last week I attended a beauty event at Space NK, where NY-based renowned dermatologist and dermatopathologist Dr. Craig Austin introduced his Cane + Austin Miracle Pad, a medical grade product for the masses. This pre-treated perfecting pad contains the highest level of buffered Glycolic Acid that you can buy over the counter (20%), antioxidants A, C, E in a phospholipid based liposome, Coenzyme Q10 and Witch Hazel. In layman’s terms this means deeper penetration, maximum exfoliation without irritation, tighter, glowier skin and anti-aging protection from further damage. Simply swipe it over your complexion and within days it will diminish fine lines, lighten pigmentation, decrease pore size, rebuild collagen and increase radiance. Recommended use is morning and night but I highly suggest you build up to that to avoid irritation.

I started using it once every other day and the first few times I noticed a stinging sensation (completely normal). After a few days I switched to once a day and was surprised to see my complexion was already more taut and had found its inner glow again! That was fast…next week I’ll swipe it on twice a day, morning and night.

I know you’ll love Cane + Austin Miracle Pad, available in October, 2013, but if you can’t wait until then to get started try Cane + Austin Retexturizing Treatment Pad, $60 for 60. With a similar formula and 10% Glycolic Acid it’s still very, very effective.

 

Change the World…One Smile at a Time!

I know how fortunate I am. I have two smart, thoughtful, talented, beautiful children and when they smile–which is very often–they light up a room!  Unfortunately, for many children around the world a smile isn’t a common occurrence. Those born with a cleft lip (a split in the skin of the upper lip) and/or a cleft palate (an opening in the roof of the mouth) can’t thrive because they might have great difficulty eating, speaking and often suffer social challenges as well. Luckily, there are people who care.

This Fall, top-ranked New York City Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon, Andrew Jacono, M.D, F.A.C.S., will lead a group of facial plastic surgeons working with HEALING THE CHILDREN NORTHEAST for a mission to Santa Marta, Colombia to perform surgeries on children with cleft lip and palate deformities, as well as microtia, a congenital condition in which a baby is born without one or both external ears or with an ear deformity. They’ll screen and operate on numerous children giving them new faces and smiles. You can make a difference! Every dollar counts. To donate, please click here.

Dr. Jacono is committed to helping those who don’t have the medical or financial resources to correct their facial deformities. He performs pro-bono surgery on victims of birth defects, domestic violence, traumatic events, war and cancer. For more information on Dr. Jacono’s philanthropy and charitable works, click here.

 

In Good Hands!

If you knew you could have a gorgeous manicure that would look as great on day 20 as it looked on day 1 wouldn’t you jump at the chance? Sounds like what we all did with gel manicures, that is until we discovered the potential consequences of lengthy exposure to the dangerous UV light that these required. I’m not willing to risk my health for a manicure and there’s no reason you should either.

Lucky for us then that SPANAIL just opened their first overseas shop of Japan’s prestigious salon Nail Quick where their safe Parfait Gel Manicure starts at $50. The process is similar to the usual gel manicure, a base coat followed by two color gel coats, optional sparkles, gems or other art and a topcoat, but each coat of gel is followed by up to only 5 seconds under the touch activated safe LED light instead of way more time under a UV light. I’m ecstatic with my Swarovski crystal studded, super-super-shiny, extra-durable, safe and chip-free-for-close-to-a-month results! Feel free to choose neutral tones (like I did) or get “notice me” nails in bright, fun, extra-creative colors and designs. Make an appointment at SPANAIL, 120 Sullivan Street, NYC. 646-476-3271, www.spanail.net.

If you’re not in the NYC area or are more the do-it-yourself type who’s just looking for beautiful colors with incredible shine I highly recommend SinfulColors’ SinfulShine with Gel Tech. It’s a self-curing polymer formula that’s five times glossier than patent leather! At only $2.99 with 32 shades to choose from you’ll want to snap them all up. Connect with their facebook page or purchase SinfulColors’ SinfulShine with Gel Tech exclusively at Walgreens and walgreens.com.

 

Work those Curls Girls!!!

Believe it or not…Wednesday, August 14th is Wear Your Hair Curly Day! You have less than a week to pledge to go curly (click here) for Garnier Fructis Style to make a donation to Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls on your behalf.

Give it a shot…celeb stylist Tommy Buckett of Serge Normant Salon in NYC shares his tips so your curls will never be less than perfect.

  1. Use a wide-tooth comb to avoid knots, tangles and damage. Start at the ends working upwards.
  2. Sleep on a silk pillow or wrap your hair in a silk headscarf before bedtime.
  3. Switch up your hair products seasonally. Warmer months call for lighter products that won’t weigh down curls.
  4. Before hitting the beach, saturate wet hair with a conditioning and protective oil treatment.
  5. After washing, gently squeeze excess water from hair and immediately massage an anti-frizz cream through hair before allowing to air-dry without touching.
  6. If hair is color-treated, indulge in a weekly conditioning treatment for added nourishment.

Buckett’s Product Picks: Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition Miracle Dry Oil, Garnier Fructis Style Curl Shaping Spray Gel, Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Moroccan Sleek Oil Treatment, Garnier Fructis Style Curl Calm Down Anti-Frizz Cream, Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition 3-Minute Undo Dryness Reversal Treatment

Looking to go curly but not sure where to start? Click here for style how-to’s. For more info. visit garnierusa.com.

(photo courtesy of sweetlemonmag.com)

 

The End of Frizz!

Product Review: Arrojo Defrizz Serum, $16 at www.arrojonyc.com

Last night, my in-laws (and 80 of their closest friends) celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary at Shanghai Jazz, a gourmet Asian restaurant/bar named one of the top 100 jazz clubs in the world. The food, music and planned festivities were absolutely perfect. The weather…not so much!

I had been looking forward to this evening for quite a while. I had my outfit picked out well before the invite arrived, a black silk dress paired with a beautiful baroque pearl bracelet, a gift from my mom. I’d planned on wearing my hair down so I wouldn’t look too formal but the rainy, misty, sticky weather had me worried. I normally straighten my wavy hair–some might call it curly–and in high humidity it tends to get big…very, very big!

I decided to take a chance. This was the perfect opportunity to think of my blog and try a de-frizzer–luckily, I have an arsenal of beauty products just waiting to be tested. Front and center on the bottle of Arrojo Defrizz Serum it says “eliminates frizz, controls flyaways and eases excess volume”–just the words I was looking for! But, would it actually work in weather this extreme?

After shampooing and conditioning, I towel-dried my hair and applied 4-5 drops to my palms before working it through every strand. I blow-dried it smooth and loosely braided it for about 10 minutes for some bend at the ends.

The air was thick with mist and drizzle, so I stepped outside with an umbrella to keep my hair from getting wet. So far, so good. My husband drove with the window half open, humidity filling the car. Still it held. In the restaurant the doors were open for good air-flow to accommodate the large crowd. No problem!

The attached photo is me at the end of the evening, after lots of schmoozing and bumping shoulders and dancing. Normally, under these circumtances my hair would have doubled (or tripled!) in volume. Not once did I feel the need to pull it back into a ponytail to tame it. Arrojo Defrizz Serum is a star!

If you have straight, smooth hair that never changes regardless of the weather, you won’t understand…and you won’t need this product. But if your hair tends to increase in size or frizz with any excess moisture in the air, you will find it life-changing!

Arrojo Defrizz Serum, $16 at www.arrojonyc.com.

Get your Hair Cut…Change the World!

Mark your calendars! If you’re looking for something fun (and worthwhile!) to do on Monday, April 22nd (aka Earth Day 2013) Aveda is planning to set the GUINNESS WORLD RECORD for most money raised for a charity by haircuts in a 24-hour period. With this global cut-a-thon, Aveda hopes to raise $5 million for clean water.

If you’re in the NYC area, stop by the Aveda Institute at 233 Spring Street between 12:00 and 8:00pm for haircuts priced from $20 – $40, specialty blow outs for $10, a silent auction, complementary massage, catered food and more! Not going to be in New York City? Click here to see what’s happening at your local salons.

(photo courtesy of Aveda)

You’re Invited! Bath & Body Works Event

Snow is predicted (again!) by weeks end, making it harder than ever to believe that warm weather is just around the corner. No matter how much snow may fall, I’m thinking Spring.

In my family, Spring has always been special–my brother, sister, daughter and I are all born in the Spring and share birthdays within days of each other. Beautiful flowers sprout up everywhere and I always receive more than my fair share of impromptu bouquets–the dandelion bunches are the absolute best! And a favorite activity of mine–strawberry picking–is always done in late Spring. My husband, kids and I head to Alstede Farms in Chester, NJ where we fill our bellies as much as we fill our baskets. When we get home, we whip up strawberry pies and strawberry preserves and as many other wonderful treats as there are recipes on pinterest. Click here for an easy and delicious strawberry shortcake recipe. If you’re not a baker yourself, Alstede’s homemade goods are for sale. My favorite? Their mixed-berry pie!

For an early taste of Spring yourself, mark your calendar for this Saturday, March 9th from 1:00pm – 5:00pm. At participating Bath & Body Works stores nationwide, there will be Farmers’ Market inspired events where you can try strawberry, peach and tangerine fragrances and other products from their new “Fresh Picked” collection. You’ll also get to test their latest soaps, creams and candles and go home with free samples of the new line’s Body Wash or Body Lotion. At their Spring Home Decor Workshop you’ll learn how to refresh and enhance your home, and you’ll even receive a Peach Candle, as a gift with purchase.

To RSVP “Yes”, click here.

 

Hollywood Waves at The Academy Awards 2013

If you watched the Oscars last night, you might have noticed a trend emerging, a return to Hollywood glamour. Jessica Chastain, Reese Witherspoon and Catherine Zeta Jones (among many others) sported Hollywood Waves hair, characterized by a side part, super-shiny waves beginning below ear level and not a hair out of place. It’s a style that pays tribute to screen legends, Veronica Lake and Rita Hayworth.

If you love this look as much as I do and your hair is at least a few inches longer than your shoulders it’s very easy to duplicate.

To do:

  1. Work mousse through damp hair (to add hold) and blow-dry using a round brush. I like Kerastase Mousse Substantive.
  2. Starting on one side, midway down hair shaft (slightly below the ears) wrap 2-3 inch sections around a hot curling iron (try the Bio Ionic Style Winder), held vertically. Work your way around entire head until all your hair is done.
  3. Let hair cool completely, then gently finger-comb to break up the waves for a slightly softer, looser look.
  4. Add a styling cream such as Bumble and bumble Grooming Creme  for added shine.
  5. Lock it in with a finishing spray like Paul Mitchell’s Awapuhi Finishing Spray.

Mane Event

blog post - agave healing oil

Product Review: Agave Healing Oil Treatment

At Mizu New York salon on Park Avenue and 59th I met up with world-renowned stylist, Fernando Romero, to test his latest breakthrough product, Agave Healing Oil Treatment. As he was working a few drops of it through my hair he explained the healing properties of the blend and how the gentle, non-greasy formula can even be used to rehydrate the skin. Not one to take anyone at their word I rubbed it into my arms and hands and he was right, it’s perfect! When he was done with the blow-dryer and flat iron my hair  was transformed. It was so incredibly silky-smooth and shiny I couldn’t stop touching it.

Agave Healing Oil Treatment works on all hair types to smooth, hydrate and de-frizz, plus it keeps hair color from fading and even moisturizes skin!

Agave Healing Oil Treatment,  $24 for 2oz., $48 for 4oz., available Spring 2013 at Sephora.  www.sephora.com

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