Author Archive

My grandmother, who is 86, and has enjoyed a life of soft and smooth skin let me in on a secret once while I was battling all kinds of skin problems.  Her secret was to shelve all the irritating scrubs, masques and treatments I was layering on my skin.  Her whole life, she said, she only used 1 product on her face- a gentle soap and water. Well, I don’t think I could survive on just soap (I mean my skin does need moisturizer every day), but I took the spirit of her advice to heart: only to use the bare essentials and to let your skin breathe. This is particularly important if you have sensitive skin, since the more products you layer on, the more likely it is that something will end up irritating it.

We already discussed in a previous post, that sensitive skin can be triggered or worsened by using products with added irritants such as fragrance and dyes. Makeup can also be cause for potential sensitive skin flare-ups, since it masks skin. But even if you’re steering clear of those ingredients and using makeup that doesn’t irritate your skin, it’s still good to keep your skincare routine Simple.

So what are the must haves? (more…)

To put it simply: Sisley’s Orchidée Highlighting Palette, the centerpiece of Sisley’s Spring 2012 collection, is the best bronzer I’ve ever used.  This bronzer/blush/highlighting powder isn’t just pretty to look it, it instantly gives your complexion a radiant, sunkissed glow that is so gorgeous yet so natural. I’ve found that many bronzers can make skin look either cakey and dull or otherwise too shiny (almost metallic and unnatural), but Sisley’s Orchidée palette strikes an amazing balance between giving your skin added color yet making it look as if it comes from within. (more…)

Hairdryers, like everything else in beauty, has it’s prestige brands and its mass brands.  And like everything else in beauty, the mass stuff has really stepped up its game and is quickly becoming as good as a lot of the prestige stuff- but at a much more affordable price.  Case in point: the new Revlon QuietPro Dryer which promises to cut drying time and noise by 50% each, while retailing for a very reasonable $30. (more…)

Prestige skincare brand SK-II, famous for their miracle ingredient Pitera has just gotten even more luxe with the newest additions to their LXP line. LXP which stands for “luxury multipled by Pitera” are the brand’s creme de la creme (no pun intended) products which contain the most amount of Pitera.  What does Pitera do again? A quick refresher- this patented ingredient derived from sake yeast by SK-II scientists after they noticed that Japanese workers’ hands were unusually youthful after working with the yeast, promises long lasting hydration, speeds up the skin’s own natural rejuvenation process, and acts like an antioxidant – all contributing to a more youthful appearance with continual use.  And judging by the legions of SK-II fans who flock to the line, Pitera and the line of products which contain it, really do work. (more…)

We love Cecilia Wong’s brand of gentle yet effective skincare and her holistic approach to health and beauty. After experiencing one of her amazing custom facials and trying her products, we were curious to learn more about the lady behind the brand.  Read on below as we get the scoop on her latest obsessions!

ONE.  Herbalism. Growing up, my family practiced Traditional Chinese Medicine. We used herbs in every way possible. You could say this rubbed off on me, as I now incorporate my knowledge of herbs into my products. I’m really into studying the benefits and effectiveness of herbs and how they affect the aging process. It’s fascinating!

TWO.  Cecilia Wong Skincare Black Currant Serum. Inspired by my love of juicing and the signature product in my natural skincare line, this divinely rich serum is packed with vitamins and nutrients. It only takes a few drops of this serum applied daily to my face and neck to hydrate and fight off fine lines and wrinkles. My skin glows instantly!

THREE. The Barnes and Noble Nook Color. I love to read and collect books, but life in the city means space is limited. The Nook allows me to own and read as many books as I want at a time, without cluttering my home – or handbag!

FOUR.  Andrea Bocelli’s Music. His voice is like an angel and it calms my mind and soul. My morning ritual is to burn aromatherapy candle, turn on his music and meditate. My all time favorite song of his is “Caruso”.

FIVE. Hong Kong. Hong Kong is my favorite place to be. It truly is a city that never sleeps! There is so much energy, great shopping, food, surroundings (that rivals NYC) and people.

Yesterday, I was invited to the Dolce & Gabbana showroom for the launch of Dolce & Gabbana The One Sport fragrance for men. Now we don’t usually cover too many men’s topics here on TDO but I wasn’t about to turn down an invitation from Dolce so I headed over to check it out.  The showroom had been transformed into a mini-amphitheater and we were led through a demonstration of all the scents and ingredients that go into making the fragrance.  And then, we were shown the video above featuring model Adam Senn. Twice. On the big screen. And I immediately understood why all these lady editors were in the room. (more…)

There’s something about March that seems to make me extra tired.  Maybe it’s because the weather changes day-to-day, causing me to feel extra blah on gray days.  Maybe it’s because it’s cold and rainy and I’m so antsy for spring. Maybe it’s because I have extra sensitive skin in between seasons. Or maybe it’s just because it’s always one of the busiest times at work.  Oh yeah, and Daylight Savings doesn’t help either. All I’m saying is, March is tough and I’m always looking for some extra help in the energy department.

The folks over at  Simple Skincare asked me to share some of my favorite pick-me-up tips.  Let me know if you use the same tactics and what some of your tips are! (more…)

Moroccanoil, the miracle hair treatment that launched a million copycats, just introduced its collection of luxurious body products and its lineup of chic orange and turquoise bottles have already made its way front and center in my bathroom. It’s not just that the packaging is so pretty- the stuff inside is just as delicious. (more…)

My entire life, I’ve had issues surrounding my eyes and vision. In addition to wearing glasses since the age of 3, I’ve also undergone multiple surgeries and (needless to say) have very sensitive eyes. I also have astigmatism. What’s that, you say? Well if you’ve ever been fitted for contacts and what you thought was the $50 fitting fee turns out to be more like $250… odds are you probably have it too. Astigmatism is when your cornea is misshaped and can’t create focused images even if there’s no distance vision problem. And for us lucky ones that have this, we’ve always had much more limited options when it comes to the kinds of contact lenses we can wear. Until recently, that meant that  we had no choice but  to stick to the bi-weekly or monthly disposables.  I remember -even a decade ago- being incredibly jealous of my friends who had the daily disposable lenses, while I was still doing the rub and clean routine every night.  I mean, really?  I was waiting for some contact lens company to get with it and not leave us blurry eyed folks out of all the fun. (more…)