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Share a Selfie…Change the World!

If you could help someone just by taking a photo of yourself, would you do it? Johnson & Johnson makes it that easy.

Their latest philanthropic campaign is simple. Just download their free Donate A Photo mobile app and for every shot you share, J&J will donate $1 to a pre-approved non-profit charity of your choice. You can protect a child from bullying, help children in Africa get clean water, help a baby in Bangladesh stay healthy….just by sharing a picture!

To do, visit donateaphoto.com for an easy how-to and register to get started. Choose a cause from the rotating list of charities, snap a #SelflessSelfie (or any other subject of your choosing) and upload your photo. Share it on Facebook, Twitter and/or Instagram to encourage friends to get involved, too.

One photo, once a day, change the world!

 

You Glow Girl!

Product Review: Pixi Perfection Palette in Lit-Up Lovely, $28 at www.pixibeauty.com

I’ve never been a huge fan of makeup palettes. I usually end up loving one or two shades and when “the chosen ones” are gone, I’m done with it. The second I saw Pixi’s Lit-Up Lovely, I knew that was about to change–I knew I’d used each and every shade and often! All the shades are neutral and sheer (even the darkest ones) so they truly complement all skin tones making it easy to create a variety of different looks with this one palette.

Eyes: There are 16 eye shadows ranging from vanilla to gold, peach, pink, bronze, chocolate and everything in between. They have a nice shimmer to them and can be worn alone or layered. Whether you’re going for a simple swipe of color or anything from pale and icy to dark and smoky, this palette can do it.

Cheeks: The 3 cheek powders are luminous so you’ll want to be stingy, a little goes a long way. Depending on your complexion they can double as highlighters.

Face: The face powders (a highlighter and a bronzer) are more matte and very natural looking. I like the highlighter for subtle contouring and the bronzer for a natural sun-kissed glow.

Pixi Perfection Palette in Lit-Up Lovely will give you a luminous, flawless face. Talk about appropriately named!

 

 

The Not So Forbidden Fruit

The fall season always gives me visions of apple pie and apple sauce and baked apples and apple everything so this past weekend we piled into the car and headed about 30 minutes away to Alstede Farms, a great pick-your-own farm (and so much more) about 30 minutes away. If you’ve never taken a bite of an apple straight from the tree I highly recommend you run, don’t walk, to your nearest pick-your-own farm and give it a go. Every apple is crisp, juicy and better than anything you could possibly buy in a grocery store.

Besides apples Alstede’s has pears, peaches, flowers, eggplant, blackberries, corn, potatoes and so much more, but it was apples we came for so after petting a few horses, goats and sheep and checking out the fancy chickens, turkeys and peacocks we headed into the orchards to pick. Of course we tasted a few just to make sure they’d be as scrumptious as we knew they would be and then we filled up our carton as high as it would go. When it was all said and done we had over 20 lbs. of apples!

We planned on baking something that very night but were too exhausted to do anything more than watch the Giants get defeated. A few days after putting them in the fridge and snacking on them every chance we got I noticed the pile was dwindling…it was now or never! We decided on The Barefoot Contessa’s Old Fashioned Apple Crisp. After school yesterday the kids and I got to work peeling, coring and slicing apples, zesting and juicing lemons and oranges, adding a little bit of this and a little bit of that and before we knew it we had the most delicious dessert ever. Truly!

Ready to give it a go yourself? You will not be disappointed! Click here for recipe.

 

Exceptional Epsom Salt

When I was a child, we had a huge box of epsom salt under the bathroom sink. My mom said it was good for me and would pour some in the tub before my weekly (!) bath. Then I grew up, went off to college and didn’t think about Epsom Salt until now actually. Turns out my mom was right, it is good for you.

Magnesium, a naturally occurring mineral is important for many systems in the body, especially the muscles and nerves. Epsom Salt, also known as Magnesium Sulfate, is easily absorbed through the skin when dissolved in water and can help you boost your magnesium levels. Here, some other uses:

  1. Soothe sore muscles by adding 2 cups of Epsom Salt to a tub of warm water. Soak for about 20 minutes.
  2. Polish skin by adding a tbs. of Epsom Salt to your usual face or body cleanser.
  3. Relieve a headache. Evidence suggests that soaking in a soothing epsom salt bath helps.
  4. To soften, deodorize and refresh tired feet add 1/2 cup Epsom Salt to a basin of warm water.
  5. Get textured, beachy-hair with a homemade sea-salt spray. Mix 1 cup hot water, 2 tbsp. Epsom Salt and a small squirt of hair conditioner in a spray bottle. Spritz hair and let air-dry.
  6. Draw out a splinter by soaking the affected area in an Epsom Salt bath.
  7. Easily clean tile and grout with a mixture of equal parts Epsom Salt and liquid dish detergent.
  8. Relieve itchy skin and bug bites by dissolving a tablespoon of Epsom Salt in 1/2 cup of warm water. Allow to cool before applying to skin with a compress.
  9. Boost plant growth, by adding a tablespoon of Epsom Salts to the soil below them weekly.

for product information or locations, visit www.drteals.com.

OroGold Rush!

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I recently met Denise Richards, accomplished actress and new face of OroGold Cosmetics. We were at the Grand Opening of NYC’s OroGold  store for a ribbon-cutting ceremony and Q&A session.

I have to admit, I’m a gossip junkie so I was more than excited to meet Denise and ask away…but then I found out I wasn’t allowed to ask any personal questions. What I was allowed to ask her about was beauty. And truth be told, this collaboration might help explain why she looks like she hasn’t aged a bit. Though she credits her looks with a clean, healthy lifestyle, eating lots of fruit, vegetables, olive oil and avocados she also uses OroGold’s skincare products containing pure 24K gold and cutting-edge ingredients. She absolutely raved about the Termica Energizing Mask, $598, which she says “you can actually feel working–you put it on and it heats up your skin and goes to work.” The heating action opens the pores allowing the active Vitamins A, C, E and Algae extract to really penetrate.  Another favorite is the 24K Vitamin C Booster Serum, $198, for instant illumination and anti-aging properties.

There’s no doubt about it, in person Denise is even more stunning than she is in photos…and that’s saying something. She has a glowing complexion and that “it” factor that can’t quite be quantified. The Denise I met seems smart, hard-working, down-to earth, relatable and clearly has very good taste in beauty products. For more information or to purchase, go to www.orogoldcosmetics.com.

 

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Party Starter!

Some days I have back to back events. Though they’re usually quite informative and lots of fun it can be stressful when one ends after the next one begins and I still have a third one to get to. Imagine my surprise (and joy!) when I opened the door to my final event of the day and saw a woman greeting me holding a martini glass with a scoop of ice cream! And not just any ice cream but booze-infused ice cream. If that’s not the best way to get a party started I don’t know what is!

Tipsy Scoop is an artisanal ice cream/cocktail hybrid, available in 18+ flavors like Kahlua Banana, Cake Batter Vodka Martini, Salted Caramel Apple Brandy, St. Germain & Tequila Mexican “Hot” Chocolate and Mango Margarita. Each serving contains about 5% alcohol so it will definitely do the trick and it’s delicious to boot!  Hmmmm….booze-infused ice cream…why didn’t I think of that!!!

Tipsy Scoop will cater your NYC event. Click here for more information.

Spritzes, Sprays & Mists, Oh My!

Need a facial fix? Want to boost your glow, re-hydrate your complexion or set your makeup? Look no further than a facial spray. They’re full of beneficial ingredients known to remedy whatever ails you.

Caudalie Beauty Elixer, $18 at sephora.com has been a favorite of mine since I first tried it almost fifteen years ago–one spritz instantly wakes up tired skin and leaves it tingling, tightened, refreshed, radiant…I can never have enough of this!

Evian Mineral Water Spray, $14 for 2 at beautybodybath.com is the ultimate multi-tasker. Spray this ultra-fine, pure mineral mist after your cleanser to further remove impurities, before you moisturize to better hydrate or after makeup as a setting spray.

Avene Thermal Spring Water, $18 at dermstore.com is the perfect facial spray for reactive skin. It contains silica and trace elements that soothe, soften and calm irritated, allergic, sensitive and even hyper-sensitive skin. Ideal for facial redness, post-procedure, dry/irritated skin and razor burn.

 

 

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.

 

Trend to Try: Braids

Braided styles feel fresh for fall, especially when worn in an up-do. This pretty style (courtesy of Aveda) works for all hair types, from fine and straight to thick and curly.

  1. Prep hair with a texturizer and blow dry hair smooth. Try Aveda Pure Abundance Style Prep, $24 at aveda.com.
  2. Use a tail comb to make a straight center part from forehead to nape of neck.
  3. Make an inverted fishtail braid on each side of the head, beginning at the crown and working to the back of the ear. Secure the end of each braid with an elastic band.
  4. Use hairspray to tame flyaways. You’ll like  Aveda Air Control Hair Spray, $24 at aveda.com.
  5. Add some fullness by gently massaging braids.
  6. Fold the braids over one another across the back of the head, just above the nape, in a crisscross fashion. Tuck ends under and secure with bobby pins.
  7. Finish with a light mist of hair spray for staying power.

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(photography and style how-to courtesy of Aveda)

The Animal Print: Fall’s Newest Neutral

Leopard print is having a huge moment this Fall–you’ll see it on everything from sweaters to dresses, skirts and accessories. My favorite pick is these animal print shoes that absolutely “make” any outfit they’re paired with! Try them with a pantsuit for a modern look, skirts and dresses for retro appeal or skinny jeans and a schoolboy blazer for instant cool.

Sixties Slingbacks in LEO, $148 at bodenusa.com.

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