Bath & Body

As in Therapy Systems new 24 Hour Body Lotion. I dare say it’s the best body lotion I used in 2011; and despite the $35 price tag, I apply gobs of it first thing every day just out of the shower. Here’s why:

a. The shea-butter-and-jojoba-oil formula make me feel like I’m living in Anthropologie (what is that delightfully citrusy yet buttery fragrance!?).

b. It actually “nourishes [my] skin with the lightweight feel of a lotion and the intense moisturizing benefits of a cream” — just like the description claims.

c. Its moisture absorbs quickly but actually lasts 24 hours.

d. It doesn’t clog my pores or irritate my skin.

e. I’ve had it for nearly a month and I’m only halfway through the bottle.

Gobs, I tell you.

When it’s cold, I’m rigid about using body lotion as much as possible to keep my skin hydrated.  My current favorites all come from Pacifica’s Magic Carpet Ride set.

For $28, you get three full-sized Body Butters, so you’re saving almost half of what it would cost if you bought them separately.  And the scents are amazing.  The three included are Indian Coconut Nectar, Tuscan Blood Orange, and a new scent called Island Vanilla.  Seriously, you guys, they’re fabulous.  I sometimes catch myself just opening the cap and sniffing the lotion even if I’m not putting it on – they’re that good.  (I make sure to do it when no one’s around, so I don’t look like a crazy person!)  The body butters themselves are delightfully moisturizing without being greasy or oily, and since I love to layer my scents, I really enjoy that there’s matching body washes to go with them.  I love finding favorite new products!

It’d been far, far too long since I’d visited a spa for some pampering, so when the chance came to try out Ona Spa in Los Angeles, a place I’d always been curious about, I jumped at the chance.  Originally, I was just going to go in for a facial, but strangely enough, the week before my appointment was scheduled, I started to get this weird shooting pain in one of my arms.  Being a semi-hypochondriac, I of course panicked and became convinced that I was dying, but then my friend suggested that it might be from stress since I could feel how tight my muscles were.  She sounded like she knew what she was talking about, so I decided to add a massage to my day in the hopes that it would help and luckily, they were able to accommodate me.

I showed up for my appointment bright and early on a Saturday (okay, fine, it was noon, but that counts as bright and early on the weekend after a long week of work).  The space is cozy and welcoming, and once you’re inside, you’d never know that busy Los Angeles traffic is waiting for you just out the door.  I snuggled into a big, comfy robe and lounged in a chair sipping a delicious coconut tea and reading fashion magazines (so relaxing!) until I was called in for my massage.  (more…)

As much as I love walking into a store and picking up beauty products, there’s something so fun about making them up yourself and customizing them exactly how you’d like them.  That’s the vision behind the new Truth Art Beauty brand from creators Caron Proschan and Emily Graham.  The two women were Harvard Business School classmates and share the belief that beauty products should be like food – natural, unprocessed, fresh and seasonal.  Making products this way is not only healthier, but it allows for better results because the maximum concentration of antioxidants and nutrients can be delivered to skin cells. (more…)

About four months ago, I had the honor of dogsitting an adorable white English bulldog. Life changes when you have a dog (even temporarily)—you start to plan your lunch breaks and work quitting times around the dog’s schedule.  You can be persuaded to be dragged out of bed at 6 am when you hear puppy whining and scratching at the door. But apart from the adorableness, the other part of your life that changes is the smell of your apartment.

Puppies emit a kind of wet smell and I noticed it permeating throughout my small 3 bedroom after a few days. It’s not exactly a horrible scent, but you never want someone entering to think your apartment reeks of eau de animal. To combat the smell, I tried a few things: Febreeze, perfume, opening windows but nothing seemed to work, except for certain diffusers and candles. This worked out well since one of my roommates is a secret pyro anyway. My favorite 3 scents to de-dogify my apartment:

1.  Thymes Candles are some of my favorite because the scents are beautiful, without being too strong or cloying. I have a sensitive sense of smell, so even sitting next to an overly arduous cologne sprayer on the 6 train can make me nauseous.  Thymes’s newest scent, Bergamot Vert, was my favorite combatant to doggy smell. As you can tell from the name, Bergamot Vert is a citrus-based scent with lingering scents of jasmine, red currant, and white musk.  It’s zesty and fresh–like inhaling a bowl of fresh lemons. I imagine George Clooney’s villa in Capri smells much like this candle. Bergamot Vert also is available as a body wash, bar soap, hand lotion, and bubble bath. (more…)

Target is one of my favorite weekend destinations (sad, I know…) so whenever they add to their greatness, I’m always excited.  They’ve just introduced a new line of face and body products called NIP + FAB and so far, I’m loving the three products I got a chance to preview.  The line was created by Maria Hatzistefanis to fill a gap that she saw in the marketplace for a serious, affordable mass-market range of products for both men and women and has already been a smashing success in the UK.  There are nineteen products in the line and out of those, I was able to try the Dry Leg Fix, the Eye Fix and the Scrub Fix.  (more…)

All summer and now into fall, I’ve been seeing red … spots. On my face and back. Usually, my skin is pretty dry and my acne exhibits self-control, but occasionally I get these nasty flare-ups. Could be stress. Could be hormones. Could be both. Who knows. All I do know is that only one thing has been working consistently to get rid of them–and it’s under $10: Alba Botanica Natural Acnedote Deep Pore Wash.

I don’t think I would have tried this product if I hadn’t gotten a sample in the mail to review, but I’m glad I did. It’s one of the few over-the-counter solutions I’ve seen at drugstore prices to contain maximum strength 2% Salicylic Acid via willow bark extract to deliver results right away, whether it’s a simple lessening of the redness or a soothing effect. And the non-comedogenic (uh, better be), 100% vegetarian, sulfate-, paraben-, phthalate-, petrochemical- and artificial-fragrance/color-formula even smells good, thanks to quite a few other “natural” ingredients such as lemon balm and green tea extract. I’m so impressed I’m actually singing. Seriously.

If you’re having acne problems, get this … and cross your fingers that you’re with the 70 percent of people the bottle claims saw improvement. I haven’t tried the rest of the line yet, but if it’s anything like the cleanser, I’m sold.

I’m a little obsessed with a new brand of body products that I was recently introduced to – 100% Pure.  The products are exactly what the name sounds like – they’re 100% natural and 100% vegan, which makes them great for people with sensitive skin who get easily irritated with additives (there are also no harsh detergents, synthetic chemicals, or artificial fragrances).

I tried out three different scents and products – the Cocoa Kona Coffee Hydrating Body Wash, the Blood Orange Body Scrub, and the Meyer Lemon Nourishing Body Cream.   (more…)