HEIDI!

So I'm kind of really obsessed with Heidi Montag right now. Let me start by saying I have seen one episode of The Hills, and it ruined my hopes and dreams, I want that hour back of my life. I have never cared for Heidi and her awful husband, and their lame publicity stunts, you're not fooling anyone. But then I see this People magazine cover and how she made herself look straight up crazy pants and I DIED! I always thought she was pretty, I didn't like her, but she was pretty. She made herself look awful, lets hope when the "puffiness" goes down, she looks better.

Perez Hilton had a post, amidst the plastic surgery madness, that her album only sold 650 something albums its first week. "HER ALBUM CAME OUT??" I thought as I sat at my friends apartment before we went to the Lady Gaga concert at Radio City. Being that I live for cheesy over produced pop music, I immediately purchased her album on iTunes. I will give you a second to run to the bathroom and vomit...

Do you remember when Paris Hilton came out with an album, everyone talked shit, but then you listened to it, and you actually loved it? Well, that's how I feel about Heidi's album. It's extremely over produced, the lyrics are absolutely vile, but if you can mute what she's actually saying and listen to the beat and the flow, it's so fucking fun. So I'm pretty much living for this album, and I want you to hear 2 of my favorite sounds, so hit play, and walk away from the computer and do something that will take your mind f what she's saying, you might enjoy!!

Contest Winner

Okay, so I know I said I'd announce on Monday, but its still Monday on the West Coast right? I was out of town at my boyfriend's (his name is Chris and he owns an ice cream bakery, I mean, what more could I ask for??? Check out his cakes Select Confections) Anyway, the winner of the contest (chosen by random selection) is ...

Miss Kriss!

I'll be shooting you an e-mail to get your address :) Now I'm off to eat a quart of cheesecake ice cream with almonds, vanilla cake, and chocolate chips, Chris and I made it before I drove back to NYC... Amaze balls 2012.

Dark Circles Dilemma

My cousin Tina asked me for help on dark circles the other day, so let me give my advise and what has worked for me...

Lets start with what can cause dark circles. Of course all of us know not sleeping can cause this problem, but also health reasons are a cause. Dark circles underneath the eyes can be caused by a food allergy, this might be a allergy that you didn't know you had, this is just how it comes out on your body, so people get a rash, you get dark circles. Lucky you. Dark circles on the inner corners of your eye can be caused by stress on your adrenal glands. You know that pain you get in your sides and stomach you get when you get really scared or super stressed out, that's your adrenals getting stressed. Lastly dark circles can just be hereditary, which just plain sucks, but I know many people who have been cursed with this.

Now lets talk some solutions. I'll tell you about what products have worked for me in the past, now let me start off by saying, eye creams are a sick obsession for me, I buy more damn eye cream than I could possibly ever finish using, the ones I've found that work the best have always been so expensive, so I've searched for cheaper ones, but all the ones listed have worked to some extent. First I'll start with the gels and serums, these light formula can penetrate deeper and faster into the skin than a cream formula.

Clarins Advanced Extra Firming Eye Contour Serum $58 contains active ingredient 'agrimony', which claims to eliminate dark circles, light reflective pigments immediately brighten the eye area . It also has a slight tightening and lifting effect. I used this faithfully for about 4 years and absolutely loved it.

L'Occitane Almond Apple Velvet Eye Gel $33 "A plant based complex" is what helps to reduce darkness in this gel. This one also contains light reflective pigments. I only used this briefly, but for a less expensive product, it worked really well!

CellMen Eye Dark Circle-XT $165 This is the absolute best product I have ever used for dark circles. It has a bunch natural Swiss like, Hydrolised glycosaminoglycans, Active stabilised bio-integral cells, Microhydrosome Gel, like I can't really tell you what those things are, but it works. They do have a woman formula. I did read once that Brad Pitt and the entire cast of Oceans Eleven used this line, it's kind of life changing. Only downside was I really needed a cream over top for hydration, but I do that anyway...

Now let's more to the creams, generally serums and gels work better on dark circles, but I've found these creams to do the trick.

La Mer The Eye Concentrate $165 This contains de-magnatized hematite which attracts the iron in your blood, used in conjunction with the silver tip applicator (used to apply and massage the product in) helps to eliminate dark circles. I remember when this first came out, I preached the hell outta this product. I made everyone buy it, it works very very well.

Natura Bisse Diamond Extreme Eye $185 This extra fierce product replaced the La Mer product above for me. I got one as soon as it launched, and I still use it from time to time. It contains Botanical Gotu-Kola, Calendula, and Horse Chestnut Extracts which eliminate dark circles and Edelweiss Extract which decongests. This is a super firming and lifting formula that also helps counteract the sometimes drooping effect caused by Botox. On a fun note, I sold this to Donatella Versace when I worked at Barneys (as well as about $3,000 worth of other skincare). She's one of my idols, she is a skincare addict like me.

Well, hope thats helps give you some guidance in your search for dark circle relief. Let me know if any of them work for you!

Not So Good

Normally I like to talk about products I love and you must buy immediately. But sometimes my bitchy side comes out and I want to inform you about how absolutely horrible sometime is, this I shall call "Not So Good" and I have 4 products who made the list this time around.

Chanel Sublimage Serum $400 for 1oz

As I was cleaning out my beauty bookshelf last night (I needed space for more random shit I bought) and I ran across this half used serum in the back. Here's why it's only half used...

They Say: It contains Vanilla Planifolia from the farthest reaches of Madagascar, 2x the amount contained in the Sublimage cream! "Wrinkles, loss of firmness, dehydration, lack of radiance and inconsistency in pigmentation are pinpointed at once for regenerating action, leaving skin revitalized, regenerated, radiant."

I Say: I use it everyday for about 4 weeks. The results I saw... Nothing. I mean, I have good skin, but I was expecting increased radiance, or maybe brightening the freckles under my eyes. Nope, nothing. $400, really? But after reading their description above, um, thats the most general statement I've ever seen. Most people I've asked say the same thing.

On The Upside: The vanilla smells good...

Kate Summerville Goat Milk Body Lotion $32 for 5oz

I had heard so many amazing things about the Kate Summerville line, and I needed a new body lotion, so I went for this one as it was recommended to me.

They Say: "Goat milk is prized for its restorative & healing properties. Full of vitamins, minerals & proteins, studies confirm this magic ingredient dramatically improves overall skin health. Naturally occurring enzymes gently work to exfoliate skin, leaving it healthier & smoother than ever before. Relieve dryness, sensitivity & irritation with this essential addition to any body-care program."

I Say: Are you kidding me right now? I smells like goat cheese the entire time I had it on. A girl who worked for them insisted is "has no fragrance" correct, it doesn't, and they should consider adding some to mask that horrid stench. Anyway, I thought if it smells bad it must work good, nope. The lightweight texture was okay for summer (however heat + smell = bad idea) but it didn't spread smoothly, I had to use lots of it, and it didn't hydrate. My skin felt gross while I had it on. Used the whole thing and was glad to switch to another body lotion, it sucked.

On The Upside: None. ExfoliKate It suppose to be life changing, but I would avoid this product at all costs.

Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Puff Eye Roller $12.99

I'm a sucker for gimmicks, this was no exception, roller ball application = I need it...

They Say: They claim is will instantly 'renew and refresh', and that after one week puffiness and darkness will diminish, and with continued use, the results will get even better.

I Say: The roller ball idea is a great idea, the pressure and massage technique does stimulate lymphatic drainage, but its not so easy with this product. The roller is only 1/3 out of the holder and while I was applying it, my thin delicate eye area kept getting snagged by the sharp edge of the applicator! OUCH! Also, barely any product came out, its hard to squeeze more out, and I didn't want to keep rolling it for fear of cutting my eye. After 2 weeks of use, my dark circle were worse than before use, I switched right back to my previous serum.

On The Upside: Its kinda cold, so it does feel a little refreshing... When it's not snagging...

L'Oreal Go 360 Clean Deep Facial Cleanser $6.99

Again, me with the gimmicks. After falling in love with another L'Oreal cleanser, I just had to try this one, much to my chagrin...

They Say: That it's a "deep-cleaning, high-foam gel, which unclogs pores as it removes oil, dirt and makeup". They bullet point that it will give you smaller pores, deeper cleansing, and softer skin. The fragrance has notes of naranji, orange flower, and mint.

I Say: For a "deep-cleansing" cleanser, my skin sure feels oily! Even after 2 washes, I still have an oily film. Now I don't like a stripped of everything feel, but I want a smooth clean feel, I didn't get that. As far as "high-foam" goes, yeah, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, a cancer causing lather agent, is the 2rd ingredient, and the 3rd is Coco-Betaine (a synthetic surfactant derived from coconut oil) also a lathering agent. Consumers love lathering agent because they make you 'feel' like the product is cleaning and doing something, its not. I used this for a week, twice a day, and my pores started getting bigger an bigger and I started getting little bumps. As for the smell, I'm big on smells, and this just doesn't smell clean, it smells kinda musky/floral, which isn't pretty... Maybe I'll use the rest as body wash...

OnThe Upside: The gimmicky reason I bought it, the Scrublet™, Feels really good! I'll probably use it with my old cleanser!

So there ya have it. Any products you want me to review, let me know and I'll give it my best shot!

First Contest!

Since I'm such a nice and giving person I've decided to have a contest. Well, that and the fact that my former employer left me with tons of product and I don't want it in my house anymore!

GLOWELLE Retail Value $89

GLOWELLE, is the most potent anti-oxidant beauty supplement on the market. It is clinically proven to even skin ton, protect against some of the damaging effects cause by the sun, and replenish anti-oxidants in the skin, which are essential for fighting off free radicals (those things that age your skin and destroy collagen). I am giving away a full 30 day supply in the flavour of your choice, either Pomegranate/Lychee or Raspberry/Jasmine. Here's what you've got to do.

1. Follow My Blog

2. Leave a comment on this posting

3. For a bonus entry, re-post this on your blog (be sure to leave a link in your comment!)

4. That's all, easy enough eh?

The contest starts tonight and ends on Sunday January 24, one winner will be announced on Monday January 25th. Get Into It!

Covering Freckles

My friend Nichole asked me on FB:

"Hello gorgeous. So I read your blog on the regular because you're a freaking genius and should be worshiped. I have a make-up question: As you know, I have freckles. Since moving to CA I've noticed my skin is super uneven in the "winter" because I'm in the sun 24/7. I have been trying to use a foundation when putting on make-up just to combat the blotches (whereas I usually to just conceal & bronze). But everything I have tried looks like I'm reppin the Jersey Shore rather Laguna Beach. Please give me your advice on something that can even my tone, not look too heavy and make my freckles not look like I'm just some freak that should be shot. Your guidance is beyond necessity at this point. Much love XXOO"

Nichole, you face a problem that so many women do and don't quite understand how to fix it. (BTW I finally watched an episode of Jersey Shore yesterday, whoa). First you need to prevent, wearing SPF daily is key when you freckle easy, I recommend wearing an SPF 30 moisturizer or in your foundation everyday. The freckles should start to fade off. Intermediate sun exposure throughout the day is way more damaging that the ray we get when we lay out at the beach. If you keep running in and outside throughout the day, you skin never has a chance to to put up its natural 'sun barriers'. This is why you need a high SPF during the day.

Now to cover the problem. Most people try to cover freckles with a foundation that matches their skin tone, but when you put a light foundation onto dark spots, they look ashy and bruised. The key is to go one shade lighter than your freckles, this way they will blend in with the rest of your face. This can be tricky as it won't blend into your neck as well, so be sure to blend down from the jaw bone and apply bronzer to the neck and decollete.

Its the difference of looking like this

Or like this

Ugh

Love You Long (Lasting) Time

One thing that has always annoyed the piss out of me is when I see girls who are piss ass drunk at 6am (or earlier) looking a complete wreck. Now, if you want to go get faced, please be my guest, but at least look fierce while doing it. I know some of you think that's impossible, but trust me, in my 'hey day' I'd be out till noon the next day and my face would look FIERCE! Let me give you a few tips.

If you're going out and plan to be dancing, sweating up a store, actin' all sorts of crazy, wear 'Matte' foundation. I understand you want to look all glowing and radiant, but that's what highlighter's for; dewy foundation will end up looking nice and dewy on your shirt or dress by 1AM. The foundation I use to wear has been discontinued, but I found an amazing foundation that I wore on Halloween (I was in drag as a 'Miami Vampire') Make Up For Ever - Mat Velvet + foundation is SICK! It has build-able coverage to conceal those lovely zits you got from not washing your face the night before and is extremely long wearing, so your skin will be looking flawless while you do the walk of shame the next morning.

Make Up For Ever Mat Velvet + $34 - Sephora

Nothing is sexier that a girl with eyeshadow on her cheekbones. Unfortunately I see girls sporting this look even when they're sober. My advice, always tap your brush after you dap into your shadow, this gets rid of some of the loose powder that might fall below the eyes. Also try applying some loose powder under the eyes before you start, any fallen powder will be easily swept away when you're done applying. When you're done be sure to apply some concealer, making the under eyes brighter makes you look more alert and at 4AM who doesn't need to look alert, be sure to throw it in your purse for touch ups as well.

To make sure your shadow stays on all night I like to apply the shadow wet, which can be difficult to work with, so using a shadow base is a great alternative. My favorite is Clarins Instant Light Eye Perfecting Base, a thin layer of this on the lid and under the brow keeps shadow on so well you might just get away with wearing it to work in the morning.

Clarins Instant Light Eye Perfecting Base 00 - $24.50 Clarins.com

More than probably anything in the world, I love being tan, I mean, who doesn't. But getting tan and staying tan is a real bitch. If you didn't have time to hit the tanning bed and don't want to wait for your self tanner to develop, try DuWop Revolution (available in Medium and Deep). It has SPF 15 which is great for day time, but has transfer resistant, super long wearing colour that will keep you bronzed and beautiful all night long!

DuWop Revolution Deep $28 - DupWop.com

Just so you can see how some of these product look, here's a picture of me from Halloween, I mean, I kinda make a pretty woman.

Yes, that's me on the left as a Miami Vampire... I just really wanted to dress slutty and wear vampire fangs, but with a tan...