Bath & Body

I put salt on pretty much everything, so you can imagine how delighted I was when I heard about the Dead Sea Salt products from Ahava.  I get to combine my love of salt with my love of beauty products!  It’s like a win-win on every level.  I tried two out of the three products (I didn’t try the Natural Dead Sea Body Mud because I was afraid that it would be too messy, but I think I’m going to have to remedy that soon because now I really want to).

The first product that I tried was the Liquid Dead Sea Salt.  It’s a body wash that you can easily squeeze onto a loofah, which is my personal favorite way to use a liquid in the shower because then you can really lather it up.  It smells sort of fresh and salty, a little bit like the ocean (which makes sense).  It’s made with an extremely high concentration of Dead Sea minerals (32%), so it’s fantastic for your body, which is the reason I was so interested to try it.  (more…)

Every time I’ve tried anything from Farmhouse Fresh, I’ve become totally obsessed with the product. Everything they make smells ridiculously good and works really well, so I always gets excited when they put out something else I can get my hands on.  My new obsession is their Honeysuckle Blood Orange Custard.  It’s the perfect moisturizer for the summer because it’s a light formula – it’s made up two parts – half of it is a whipped shea butter and half of it is a nourishing aloe gel with fruit cells in it, so it has an airy consistency to it.  It’s great for the hot weather because it’s not too heavy or greasy.  Like all their products, this one smells amazing.   (more…)

If I had a bathtub, I would bomb it this spring … with luscious bath bombs from Lush and Hugo Naturals. Lush recently sent a box of their new Easter-themed bath bombs as stylish, fun and healthy alternatives to candy baskets this weekend. (Pictured above: Donkey Oaty, Happy Easter Gift, Candy Fluff, Hippy Chick). The idea: Buy several sugar-scented bath bombs and place them in a gift basket just like you would marshmallow chicks and chocolate eggs! I initially balked at the idea of using my shower as a tub but I got inspired by my Lush-loving friend, who can’t get enough of the surprises inside their fresh, organic and handmade products. This got me thinking, why not celebrate spring with bath-goodies baskets for all your spa-day deserving friends? Kind of fun, eh? (more…)

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Just a few months ago, I was telling a friend that I was dying to find a new perfume to break me out of my recent fragrance rut.  Well, wish granted!  In the past few weeks, I’ve tried out a bunch of new fragrances that will be in my rotation for the foreseeable future.  (more…)

After a week of pre-Oscar parties like Vanity Fair’s and the Sheer Cover-sponsored Dare2Care benefit, tons of celebrities and a few of us lucky beauty bloggers braved the ice-cold, blustery winds on the beach in Santa Monica today to stargaze at the annual Independent Spirit Awards. There, Black Swan took home top awards and celebrity spottings included ISA and Oscar nominee Mark Ruffalo (had to take a photo), Nicole Kidman (in a stunning L’Wren Scott red lace pencil dress), a very pregnant and glowing Natalie Portman (in a short yellow Givenchy number), Zoe Saldana (in awesome, vermilion Brian Atwood pumps), and Uma Thurman and newcomer Jennifer Lawrence (both most elegant in all-white Dolce & Gabbana).

Backstage doing touchups for the presenters was sponsor Aveeno‘s official spokesperson and branding consultant Patrick Melville, whose clients includes Demi Moore, Heidi Klum, Tom Cruise and Harry Connick, Jr., to name a few. An absolute sweetheart with an intriguing New York-London accent, Patrick was very calm, cool and collected despite having to touch up so many aggressively wind-blown hairstyles. So calm in fact, he just decided to “go with it” and not “fight nature.” (Beachy waves and messy updos galore!)

Aveeno had quite possibly the most serene lounge set-up in the area, complete with Aveeno Active Naturals product displays (new Nourish + Moisturize Conditioner, Positively Nourishing Calming Body Wash, Daily Moisturizing Lotion and Skin Brightening Daily Scrub). Celebrities like Diego Luna enjoyed drinks and snacks in the chic, Art Deco-inspired, glitter-adorned ELLE Green Room. Other sponsors, some of whom had awards in their name, included Jameson (the official house spirit of the evening along with G. H. Mumm Champagne), Piaget, Acura, Stella Artois, LG Cinema 3D, HTC, smartwater and Netflix. All in all, despite the cold, it was a great, laid-back ceremony filled with tons of humor (thanks in part to host Joel McHale) and stars who seemed like they were in the best of moods — the perfect ramp up to tomorrow’s much-hyped Oscars!

I don’t really have rosacea, but I do get occasional red, patchy areas when my skin gets dry in the winter. And there hasn’t been much I can do about them short of covering them with concealer. I recently heard really good things about Ole Henriksen Black Currant Complexion Oil, $32, and since I’m a fan of essential oils as moisturizers, I thought I’d mix it into my routine and see if it helped even out my overall complexion. Surprisingly, the extra step works!

Simply rubbing three drops (no more!) between my hands and patting on my face before applying moisturizer or foundation has helped even out my skin tone and bolster my usual moisturizer for winter. I dare say I could even go without foundation if I was feeling up to it. Infused with apricot kernel oil, black currant oil, cypress, geranium and lemon, this little potion is engineered to do a variety of things including moisturize (with vitamin E), protect your skin from environmental damage, soothe, sanitize, tone and energize by boosting your skin’s metabolic activity. The only caveat I’d throw out there is the scent; a cross between rose geranium and tea tree oil that I don’t mind, it could be a downside for those who don’t like strong, floral or herbal scents.

I’ve been using Parisian hair care brand Leonor Greyl (a rumored celeb favorite that’s gone on tour with both Madonna and Gwen Stefani) off and on for about a year now, and I must say their beautifying oils are not only some of the most glamorous “natural” products I’ve encountered, but the Huile de Palme (for hair) and Huile de Magnolia (for face and body) are quite the little miracle workers when it comes to moisturizing dry skin and hair.

Free of the chemicals and additives found in most hair products (sulfates, parabens, silicones, etc.), Huile de Palme (literally “palm oil”) is an environmentally friendly blend of botanical and vegetal oils that protects hair health from the elements, such as sun, surf and chlorine. It’s a pre-shampoo treatment, so you can apply it to dry hair and leave it on anywhere from a few minutes to overnight, depending on your hair texture and/or conditioning needs. (more…)

Another holiday, another panic attack: What on earth is there left to get for the man in your life? Well, a good home-cooked meal should work, but if that’s not your idea of a special gift, I suggest you say “I love you” with:

… a Hot Shave
I recently got the chance to check out Alexander’s for Hair, a mid-range, family-owned, all-in-one spa and salon in west L.A., and I thought, “What a great place to take my [insert any family member here]!” Formerly the male-targeted Reeder’s Barber Shop, complete with beers and flatscreen TVs, Alexander’s for Hair has undergone a recent makeover to suit its growing clientele base, offering more services for both men and women as well as eco-friendly hair products by Eufora and high-quality GRAM skincare by Dr. Bernard Gramlich (you should see his skin!). Helmed by new owner Krissy Smith and her mom Jeanne Phares, the salon has both a small-town feel and a cosmopolitan flair — perfect for those who want luxurious treatment but find super-high-end salons and spas either intimidating or just not worth the extra dough. Best of all, while you’re loved one is getting his Signature MVP Hot Shave, you can indulge in a Eufora Deep Conditioning and Scalp Treatment (free this month with any color service), a fantastic facial, a mani-pedi or a delightful (and affordable) deep-tissue massage (ask for Barbara!). Ah, the perks of co-ed bliss.

Alexander’s for Hair is located at 11515 W. Pico Blvd. in Los Angeles. Call (310) 473-0462 to make an appointment. Readers, mention the code AFHGO through February and you’ll get 30 percent off your service!

… Custom Kicks
If the love (or like) of your life is a label-savvy jet setter who frequently blends street style and upscale threads (or just likes any of the aforementioned), he’ll appreciate the new G3 collection by Ryz, the brainchild of former president of Adidas America and Adidas Japan Rob Langstaff. (more…)

I don’t think I’m going out on a limb by saying everyone probably likes flowers, chocolate and/or fragrance as a Valentine’s Day gift. But do they LOVE it? Well, “mind-blowing” might not be the first thing I’d think … more like “predictable, but sweet. I’ll take it.” Leave it to Strange Invisible Perfumes to prove me wrong. Their creative take on the ol’ tried and true is simply eye-popping. (Oh men of our lives, are you reading this?!?)

A team effort with floral designer Holly Flora and San Francisco-based chocolate artisan Cocoa Absolute, SIP’s “ultimate Valentine’s Day delivery” offers four options of drop-dead gorgeous, creative bouquets paired with limited-edition organic, botanical perfumes and a delectable box of hand-crafted chocolates. (Just outside of L.A.? Call and see if they’ll make the trip.)

While pricey ($205–$542), the results are absolutely swoon-worthy. In addition, the flowers can be customized by request (if what you want is available), and since the chocolates are optional, you can always adjust according to your budget.

P.S. If you’re in the neighborhood, drop by SIP’s Venice, Calif., boutique tomorrow (Feb. 5) for a trunk show. There will be champagne, cupcakes, jewelry and plenty of limited edition fragrances to sample before you take the plunge!

Strange Invisible Perfumes is located at 1138 Abbot Kinney Blvd. in Venice, Calif. To order a V-Day delivery, call them at 310-314-1505 by February 11, 2011.