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I sunk deep into a plush brocade love chair in the lobby of the Grand Hotel Tremezzo, a fresh cappuccino in hand, and sighed. Outside, the late afternoon sun warmed the pristine blue waters of Lake Como and I watched, transfixed, as it danced in sprite-like patterns across the surface ripples. Hotel lobbies are not my usual venues of choice for relaxation or inspiration, but there I was, sitting in one, in complete awe of the moment and willing time to pass just a little bit slower.

At first glance, the Grand Hotel Tremezzo seems so spectacular, so ornate, that it left me feeling a little breathless as I took in the lavish tableau before me. Built as an Art Nouveau palace, the hotel is richly furnished in period décor, its soaring rooms painted in regal shades of red, blue, and gold, housing a wealth of antique art and artifacts. It didn’t take long however, before I oddly began to feel at home (the nicest one I could imagine having, that is) as I wandered into the more private and intimate areas of the property. A reading room, located right off the lobby, had an eclectic mix of brightly hued sofas positioned around coffee tables that gave it a residential feel. A little further down, a cozy game room, housing an authentic 1800s billiards table, beckoned as I walked past. Unable to resist, I completely ignored the fact that I didn’t even know how to play ball, and challenged my travel partner to a game of pool. (more…)

When’s a better time to win the Meaningful Beauty 30 Day Skincare set than now that the holidays are winding down, and you’re thinking about a fresh start for the new year? We’ve been trying the kit for the past month and totally loving the results (not to mention the philosophy behind the skincare). And now we definitely want to share to give you the opportunity to try it out for yourself as well! Want to look Cindy Crawford Young? Here’s how:

• “Like” on over to our Facebook page and tell us your New Year beauty resolution! Be sure to tag your entry with #CindyCrawfordYoung
• On Monday December 31, we will announce the winner on our Facebook page — just in time for you to try out the new skincare for the New Year!

Happy holidays and good luck! x

One of my go-to brands for serious skincare during the winter is Vaseline (their classic Petroleum Jelly to spot treat chapped lips/hands/elbows/heels, anyone?) I love that it’s no-nonsense and highly effective, but when it comes to keeping me nourished from head to toe, obviously I can’t be applying that everywhere. Instead, these days I’m opting for their Vaseline Intensive Rescue line of lotions which utilize a moisturizing technology to penetrate the layers of skin to repair and keep it feeling comfortable and hydrated. Because this technology is designed actually to heal from within, instead of just create a barrier on top of it, you can actually start seeing natural changes to your skin after only a few uses. In fact, the lotion is proven to relieve dry skin after just one use and help heal dry skin in just three days. (more…)

With any skin care regimen, continual use is the key to seeing results. The greatest thing about Cindy Crawford’s Meaningful Beauty Regime is that you will see results. The second greatest thing is that the products are so easy to use that you’ll actually apply them for long enough to get there.

The System contains 5 main products—a cleanser, moisturizer, serum, neck treatment, and advanced super- antioxidant capsules. All the products are designed to work together to protect your skin from environmental factors and restore it to health. Now kits can be a bit intimidating when you feel like you have a ten-step regimen to remember. But, as it turns out, it takes about four minutes in the morning and three at night. I’ll break it down:

MORNING

The Cleanser is extremely mild with a creamy texture that leaves my skin feel very soothed and comfortable first thing in the morning. Like a good beauty blogger, I use it with my Clarisonic, which is designed to work for 2 minutes. Total time = 2 minutes. (more…)

ONE:  Reiko Kaneko Lip Tease Cup and Saucer –  Lauren Santo Domingo, once told Into the Gloss, that she finds early morning lipstick on coffee cups “vulgar.” Even though I’m inclined to agree, I have other words to describe this lipstick-stained teacup and saucer. Words like cheeky, flirty, whimsical, adorable, and perfect.  Perfect for frequent tea drinkers or even those who just like to have fine-bone china on display. So hey, don’t worry about setting the stain, it’s already taken care of. Kathleen

TWO: Julia Baker 6 Piece Purse Box — Julia Baker’s chocolates aren’t just for chocolate lovers… they’re for turning ordinary people into chocolate lovers. Crafted from the heart, each one of Julia’s whimsical truffles and hand-cut chocolates taste like a little piece of (the most delicious) heaven. The six-piece purse box is outfitted with 3 chocolates and 3 truffles, oozing with the most divine French Caramel filling. Any lucky recipient of this purse will want to take it with her whenever she goes, guaranteed.  Carolyn

THREE: Bouchon Bakery Cookbook – New from chef Thomas Keller’s gang (The French Laundry, Ad Hoc) and executive pastry chef Sebastien Rouxel, this cookbook is an aspirational work for any foodie. From French/American classics like brioche and Oh Ohs to the acclaimed Bouchon Bakery TKOs and Nutter Butters, recipes run the gamut from pastries to pet treats. Of course, no Keller cookbook is complete without beautiful photographs and thorough cooking/baking tips, which makes the book — at the very least — great coffee table material. Charli (more…)

A month or so back, I had the amazing opportunity to get completely made over by Cover Girl ambassador and celebrity makeup artist Jake Bailey for a fun street-style shoot. As part of the event, I interviewed Jake and asked him to share his fool-proof trick to creating a dramatic smokey eye  and how to get camera ready makeup — perfect for the holiday season! This is also our first video at TDO so we’re pretty excited! Thanks P&G Beauty!

Being pretty big fans of BaubleBar, we’re super excited to take over their 20 Days of Buried Baubles program and host the clue to  finding today’s $10 sparkler. In case you’re not familiar with this fantastic holiday program: every day for 20 days BaubleBar will be secretly marking down one piece of jewelry  on their site to just $10. But how do you find the hidden treasure? Well that’s we come in. Take a look at the hint we created below and use it to find your buried treasure over at BaubleBar.com!

These gem-uinely beautiful earrings will be perfect for your holiday portrait shoot.

Got it? Good luck finding these sparkly jewels!

Having maintained this blog for almost seven years now, it’s obvious that we at TDO think a lot about beauty. We’re always talking about new products we’ve found or are currently obsessed with or have always loved. Feeling (and sharing) beauty isn’t just skin deep to us, however — we truly believe that beauty has the power to make everyone feel confident, happy, and our best.

Recently we teamed up with Meaningful Beauty, a skincare regimen developed by Cindy Crawford and her dermatologist Dr. Jean-Louis Sebagh that addresses a lot of the skin challenges faced by women everywhere. As skin ages, it beings to lose luster, moisture, and elasticity (even for supermodels!). Meaningful Beauty skincare contains a powerful super-antioxidant along with rejuvenating ingredients coenzyme Q10 and lipoic acid to help combat a lot of those signs of aging and restore vibrancy. As part of this challenge, we were encouraged to use the kit ourselves for a month. Look out for a more detailed report on how we fared with that shortly.

The other half of the challenge was to participate in some activities that embodied “meaningful beauty” to us. For me, that meant doing things that positively impact others since those are the activities I find most rewarding. This week, I surprised my overworked boyfriend with a trip to the spa where he indulged in a much needed massage. Last week, I sent my mom an early surprise holiday gift — a hydroponic herb garden so she could grow fresh ingredients right at home. When I first started this challenge, I didn’t really know what kinds of activities I was going to participate in, but as it turns out, there are so many things you can do that positively impacts other. For me, that’s what meaningful beauty means — and creating happiness and positively is surely one of the keys to eternal youthful beauty.

I’m always most excited to write about new products that I’ve discovered, tried, and loved. Finding something (especially skincare) that really works is one of those rare things, that when it does happen, us beauty bloggers feel the need to tell everyone and anyone that will listen about its life-changing properties. The latest product on my bathroom counter that has been getting a lot of love is Algenist’s Concentrated Reconstructing Serum, which I fully credit for transforming my tight, dull (and even a tad wrinkly) patches into soft, radient, and smoother skin.

The Algenist Reconstructing Serum contains a slew of anti-aging ingredients. The heart of the formulation is alguronic acid, a bioactive compound derived from algae that helps simulate and promote cell regeneration. The product promotes the growth of new cells and shed old, damaged cells to improve skin texture, even skin tone, boost radiance  and diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. In addition to this proprietary compound, the serum also contains a peptide (a protein that instructs skin cells to do certain things i.e. produce collagen) and an algae based alternative to retinoid.  (more…)

We’ve written about how the cold weather can cause dry skin but did you know that your skin can also be prone to oiliness during this season? Simple Skincare’s Consulting Dermatologist, Dr. Jennifer Segal, explains why this is and how you can help keep the oil at bay during the season — very important to help you stay cool and looking chic day to night, holiday party after holiday party! Oh, and one extra tip from us? If you’re prone to oily skin, keep a packet of Simple’s Cleansing Wipes in your purse for mid-day refreshing! We find that it works wonders wiping away oil and sebum and leaves our skin feeling comfortable, never tight or dry.