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A good daily skincare routine helps keep your skin well maintained, moisturized and healthy, but it can’t perform miracles on its own.  As your body’s largest organ, your skin’s condition is closely tied to your lifestyle such as how you eat, drink, sleep and exercise. Below we share some tips on how you can keep your skin healthy by making good lifestyle choices.

1. DONT DRINK ALCOHOL EXCESSIVELY

According to some studies, excess alcohol consumption can deplete Vitamin A levels in our bodies. Vitamin A is responsible for promoting cell turnover which keeps our skin fresh, youthful and healthy. In addition, Vitamin A is also important to helping our skin defend against free radicals, molecules that cause aging and damage by breaking down collagen fibers. Thus the result is that when our Vitamin A level goes down, our skin is unable to fight the bad stuff or renew itself, making it dull and damaged. Too much drinking can actually lead to faster aging.

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A few weeks before the holidays I was introduced to Dig Inn, a market to table “fast food” restaurant that New Yorkers might categorize as a “work day lunch spot.” Having been a freelancer for a while now working from home, I’d kind of fallen out of the loop with lunch spots for office professionals and was eager to check it out.  As it turns out, Dig Inn is the reincarnation of Pump Energy Food, a lunch joint that I did used to frequent while I was working an office job.  Pump was originally created for the New Yorker that craved healthy and nutrient rich foods- but the flip side was that it actually had that healthy (no butter, low sodium etc)  taste.  Dig Inn also serves healthy fare- but with the philosophy that being healthy doesn’t mean depriving yourself- but rather eating dishes prepared with fresh, high quality, wholesome ingredients and making smart choices.  In other words, the food at Dig Inn taste delicious but are still made with a conscious effort to be good for you.

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Having been a beauty blogger for over six years now, I’ve been lucky enough to learn from many of the top minds in dermatology about how to keep your skin healthy. There are so many opinions (and myths) out there about the best ways to take care of your skin- but regardless of brand or product affiliation, doctors and scientists all agree on a few important things.

 1.     Wear SPF every day regardless of weather

Everybody knows (hopefully) that hitting the beach without your trusty tube of SPF is a no-no, but doctors advise wearing protection every day regardless of if it’s sunny or not. Lack of sun protection is the leading culprit of a myriad of skin problems for people of all races and skin colors. Even in cloudy weather, harmful rays penetrate your skin causing all kinds of damage from premature aging to spots and pigmentation. In fact, sun damage can happen even if you are indoors by windows or while driving. To be safe, all dermatologists agree that applying a daily SPF is one of the most important things you can do to prevent skin problems.

2. Be gentle with your skincare routine even if you have problematic or oily skin.

I know when I was battling teenage acne, all I wanted to do was strip my skin of any oil by using the harshest products I could find. As it turns out, you’re not doing yourself any favors Not only does overusing harsh products aggravate existing skin problems, it can also cause more issues like tightness, redness, peeling and irritating of healthy skin. Instead, my doctors always recommended offsetting a medicinal product with a gentle moisturizer to help keep the skin calm.

Simple Skincare, a sensitive skincare brand I was introduced to years ago just launched in the USA with a great lineup of gentle products that are perfect for sensitive skin. They are the UK’s No. 1 Facial Skincare brand & have tapped me to be a brand ambassador for them this year. I’m super excited because I really love the products and now my bathroom will always be fully stocked with all the goodies.

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Whether you plan on rocking out hard this December 31st  or attend an intimate soiree (that’s me), New Year’s Eve is the best reason to try a festive new makeup look- and a few sparkles.  Below, I share some of my favorite new finds for the season.  May these great products make you feel extra beautiful this New Year!

Complexion

Clinique Moisture Surge Tinted Moisturizer:  Too many flutes of bubbly may dry out your skin so make sure to take preventative action with this new tinted moisturizer from Clinique which combines sheer layer of color with the brand’s best selling ultra lightweight moisturizer. If you’re going for a au-natural finish, this product does double duty as your moisturizer and foundation, or if you prefer a flawless finish, dabble heavier coverage foundation in trouble areas over.

Cle de Peau Refining Fluid Foundation: This serum-like foundation ranks as one of my all time favorite products and uses complex technology to make your skin look radiant and dewy under any type of lighting while a built in control powder prevents shine. The long lasting formulation stays as fresh at the end of the night as when you first apply it and the medium coverage provides a flawless finish.

Bobbi Brown Party Shimmer Brick: Having long been a fan of Bobbi Brown shimmer bricks, it’s no surprise that I think the special party brick in Oro/Argento is perfect for an evening look.  Whether you’re going for an overall warm or cool makeup look, this brick has got you covered, adding just the right amount of shimmer to highlight and brighten.  Try sweeping the gold across the brow bones to add a subtle twinkle to your eye.

Clarins Passion Face Palette: While this holiday palette is meant for the face, my favorite use is  to sweep it along the collar bones and decolletage for an all over subtle rosy finish that is sure to look great in photos.

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Most travelers to Portugal no doubt have Lisbon on their list of must-visit cities. But it’s actually in Lisbon’s outskirts that lies the real gem of the country. Sintra, located just forty minutes or so away, has long been the summer and vacation destination of centuries of Portugal’s monarchs- and for good reason. Nestled between the Sintra Mountains and the Atlantic Coast, this colorful city- also a UNESCO World Heritage site- boasts a charming downtown and centuries of rich culture and history all set amongst a lush natural setting. And it’s this jewel that Penha Longa Hotel, Spa and Golf Resort calls home.

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Thanks everyone for participating in the American Express Savvy Shopper program and sharing your online tips for smart shopping! Below are some of our favorite tips to help guide you through your holiday shopping and be sure to check to see if you’re the winner after the cut!

Don’t buy shoes online that don’t fit right regardless of how gorgeous they are! (more…)

If you haven’t submitted your biggest online shopping mistakes yet on this post- do so here to be entered to win $250 of merchandise or giftcards through AMEX’s  Membership Rewards partners. We will be picking the winner on November 30 so you still have a couple days to enter.

In part 2 of the American Express Savvy Shopper Program, we’ll be providing our picks for our top 5 must haves for the season.  I think these are particularly relevant right now in the midst of the holiday shopping season- some things to give and some things for yourself!

1. Tumi ‘Zuse Continental’ Carry On: Do your holiday travel in style this season with this versatile bag from Tumi.  I only pack carry-on when I can to save time at the airport and this bag fits into all domestic and international flight restrictions.  The best part of this bag is that there’s an expander so you can pack up to 1.5 in more of extra stuff.  Also, it’s 30% off on sale right now which is one of my favorite ways to shop online!

2. Bobbi Brown ‘Party to Go’ Palette: We love Bobbi Brown here at TDO and we love it even more when you can get a whole face palette for $25- or the price of a lipstick! This eye and lip palette provides beautiful day-to evening looks and is small enough to pop into the tiniest clutch.

3. Ugg Josie Convertible Boots:  A pair of cold weather boots are a must-have every winter, and this pair from Uggs does double duty.  Not only is it super comfortable and warm, it can also be worn two ways: with a tall shaft or folded over for a shorter boot.  For $250, it’ll probably be one the best purchase you make this season especially if you factor in how many times you’ll wear it..with everything!

4. Kate Spade ‘Pearl Street Drop Earrings’:  Every holiday season I always find myself drawn to something pretty and sparkly from Kate Spade.  This year, I’m obsessed with these oversized pearl drop earrings from Kate Spade which feature 14k gold posts, and smokey glass crystal details.  These would make a pretty gift for anyone but it’ll be hard not to get a pair for yourself too!

5. Ray-Ban Cat Eye Sunglasses:  Ray-Bans (which never go out of style) and cat-eye sunglasses (flattering on a lot of people) aren’t just for the winter- they’re for every season.  Finishing off our top 5 must-haves of the season is our pick for a pair of perfect sunglasses that last you month to month and year to year.

Now that holiday shopping is kicking into full gear, we’ve been tasked by American Express to blog about our take on making smart online shopping choices. Throughout this week, we’ll be providing some of our trusty tips on making smart shopping decisions for the season. American Express is also extending an opportunity for TDO readers to win $250 of merchandise or giftcards through AMEX’s  Membership Rewards partners.  You don’t have to be an AMEX cardholder to win… but you will need to share with us your online shopping mistakes and favorite shopping tips!

Ready?

In the comments below, share with us your biggest online shopping mistake.  We will publish a list of “top ten” mistakes submitted by our readers in the next week and select a winner of the contest who can choose $250 worth of merchandise or gift cards.

To kick things off, I’ll share a shopping mistake of my own…

Buying “final sale” clothing items when said item costs more than $20.  For $20 or under, I could probably take the risk of committing to a deep markdown without ever having tried it on.  But truthfully, I’ve bought too many things that were “marked down 85% but still $200 because it’s designer” which ended up not fitting… with no recourse. They now sit in a pile in the back of my closet- and just to think, that aggregated together, my mistake purchases could’ve totaled into something investment-worthy and fantastic. Sigh. You live, shop, and learn.

Now be sure to share with us your mistakes to enter to win (and so I don’t make them this season) and stay tuned for more tips this week!