Tag Archives: thebeautywall.com

Pro Lip Tip!

Makeup artists in the know always dab a bit of foundation on the lips to tone down natural lip color before applying lipstick. It’s the best way to  get a true-to-the-tube color.

(photography courtesy of wwd.com)

Win It! Holiday Gift Giveaway

“Tis the season for giving…which is why 3 lucky The Beauty Wall readers will win one of the following gifts from World Vision:

  • Silver Vines Cuff adjustable silver cuff bracelet with an intricately laced vine pattern designed by artisans in Old Delhi, India. (photo below)
  • “Prosperity” Cinnamon Box  approx. 3″x 3″ cinnamon bark box with Asian character for prosperity, containing 3 oz. of cinnamon from Vietnam’s renowned Cassia tree. (photo below)
  • Hand-Carved Serving Spoons – one-of-a-kind, approx 11″ olivewood serving spoons presented in a  hand-sewn African fabric gift bag from the Kenyan Kamba tribe.  (photo below)

TO ENTER: Just tell me which of the 3 you’d most like to win. You can write your comment on The Beauty Wall comment section below, on my facebook wall or on my pinterest Beauty & Fashion board. Forward to a friend to receive an additional entry. Winners will be randomly selected and notified via e-mail. Deadline is Wednesday, December 11, 2013 at 5:00pm EST. Good luck!

Make it a happier holiday for all! If you’re also in a giving sort of mood, check out the benefactor of these gifts. This year World Vision is making it easy to give back. Choose from numerous handcrafted gifts, look through World Vision’s annual Gift Catalog or donate directly to the Philippines Disaster Response Fund, created to provide emergency food, water, and hygiene kits to survivors of Typhoon Hayian, the storm that devastated Cebu Island in the Philippines last month.

 

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(photo of gift box courtesy of Pinterest)

Sole Searching?

Brrrrrr…it’s cold out there! When I’m chilled to the bone, one thing I do to stay warm is to hold a piping hot drink. Works like a charm! Which is why the timing was perfect for an invite to experience Sweet Lily’s Vanilla Latte Pedicure. I had a feeling it would do for my feet what holding said drink does for my hands, and then some.

Upon entering this respite from the hustle and bustle of  Tribeca I was led to an oversized comfy-cushy chair so a skilled manicurist could work her magic. My feet were soaked in a hot whipped cream concoction, scrubbed soft with a coffee bean scrub, wrapped in hot towels and massaged with a fresh vanilla bean body butter before being painted to perfection in a gorgeous plum shade of environmentally-friendly and health-conscious Zoya nail polish. Ahhhhh…sweet bliss!

This was by far the most soothing, relaxing, pampering and sole saving pedi I’ve ever received. I loved every second of it…so much so that it tops my holiday wish list. Maybe I’ll see you there…

Sweet Lily Vanilla Latte Pedicure, $74 / 60 minutes

Sweet Lily, 222 West Broadway, NYC. Call 212-925-5441 to make an appointment or for more information.

 

Nancy Answers: How can I prevent flyaways?

Dear Nancy, What is going on with my hair? Whenever the temperature drops my hair sticks up in every direction. Help! Sincerely, C 

Dear C, ‘Tis the season…for flyaway hair that is. Cold air, low humidity and the process of one thing rubbing against another is the perfect storm for static electricity. When you run a brush or comb through your hair or remove a hat that’s been on your head, electrons are transferred from one surface to another giving your hair a negative charge and causing your strands to repel each other like the ends of a magnet. But fear not…you don’t have to keep your hat on all season.

  • A humidifier is your best friend right now. Keep it running in your home and/or office to cut down on dry air.
  • Yes, you need to be groomed and warm but do keep brushing, combing and hat wearing to a minimum.
  • Use conditioner after every shampoo and deep condition weekly.
  • Add a leave-in throughout the day if necessary.
  • Hand or body lotion will work in a pinch. Too much and you’ll end up with the greasies so only apply a small amount to your hands and rub them together before lightly running them over hair.
  • Spray hairspray or Static Guard onto a brush before gently brushing to tame flyaways. You can even spray them onto a toothbrush, perfectly sized for those tiny, broken strands by your part.
  • A dryer sheet works well. Simple run it from roots to ends.

xoxoNancy

(photography courtesy of Pinterest)

 

Broken Beauty

I love this little trick that I learned about years ago!

With a little alcohol (the rubbing kind) and a butter knife you’ll never have to throw out a broken blush or eyeshadow ever again. Add a few drops of rubbing alcohol directly to the broken, dusty pieces of makeup until it’s soft. Then, take the butter knife and spread it across the container so it’s flat and smooth. Within a day or two days the alcohol will completely evaporate. When completely dry it’s good as new and ready for use.

(photo courtesy of ybskin.com)

Who’s a Pretty Boy??!!

Why should you have all the fun? Make this October 31st your dog’s best day ever by dressing him up in Fine Featherhead’s Pet Plumes. He’ll look sweet as candy and will get so much attention that he may stop begging for scraps and will instead beg to wear these Pet Plumes again!

You’ll also want to check out Pet Plumes with a Purpose where 10% of the proceeds gets donated to a corresponding assigned charity.

To purchase Pet Plumes and Pet Plumes with a Purpose, $10 and up, www.finefeatherheads.com

(photo courtesy of Fine Featherheads)

Wake up to Better Skin

Product Review: Korres Greek Yoghurt Advanced Nourishing Sleeping Facial, $45 at www.sephora.com.

I’m a superstitious chick so when a good friend of mine whom I hadn’t seen in a while told me how great my skin looked I knew it was only a matter of time before all hell broke loose. Well, wouldn’t you know it, 48 hours later my complexion did a 180. It went from glowing and radiant to ruddy and stressed.  I know it  couldn’t have had anything to do with the sleepless night, dry heat and the delicious chocolate covered salted caramels I’d been consuming. It had to be her comment!

It was the perfect opportunity for me to test Korres Greek Yoghurt Sleeping Facial, said to repair stressed skin overnight. Before trying, I was a bit of a non-believer since it usually takes more than a few days to see a difference with a skincare product but I was willing to give it go. I applied liberally, crossed my fingers and went to bed early. In the morning I was back to bright, fresh, healthy looking skin. Really!

Maybe it works so fast because of the soothing greek yoghurt concentrate or the combination of ingredients that include Tumeric extract, Sunflower Wax, Jojoba oil and Vitamin E. Whatever the reason, I’m just glad it does!

Hot Body!

On those days when my To Do List is a mile long and I have no time to exercise a 15-minute tone-up is better than nothing. And who better to go to than fitness guru Tracy Anderson, credited with keeping Gwyneth in top form.

This workout designed specifically for goop readers gets the job done. You will feel this!

Click here to go to video.

(video courtesy of goop.com)

 

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.