Skin Care

I have never taken to a hand cream/moisturizer as fast as the new Honeysuckle Rose Hand Creme by Olivina Napa Valley. Olivina uses a blend of hand-pressed olive and grapeseed oils in its products, along with other essential oils to create a highly moisturizing blend of ingredients. Plus, all of the products are free from chemical parabens, preservatives, sodium lauryl-sulfate and cruelty free.

I was first taken by the scent. Not normally a fan of rose-centric fragrances, I make an exception for this light and positively addicting scent. But what I loved about the Honeysuckle Rose Hand Creme was the incredibly lightweight formula (without it being too liquid like a lotion). It also was highly hydrating and absorbed into the skin within a minute or two after application. Plus, the scent lingers softly if you’re just looking for just a light scent to perk up your skin (and senses). The hand creme is only $18 for 2.5 oz at olivinanapavalley.com. I personally can’t wait to try out other products from this line!

As the daughter of skin care legend Sonya Dakar, Mimi Dakar Berry was born into the beauty business and has been working closely with her mom since she was a teenager. She’s now the Vice President of the company and handles (among other things) all of Sonya Daker Skin Clinic‘s special events, like the new rooftop treatment space. (Such a great idea! There is nothing nicer than getting pampered in such a relaxing space. I highly recommend it). We decided to check in on her and see what she’s obsessing over right now. Check it out below! (more…)

Great news for fans of the prestige skin care line, Elemis–two of its amazing body and facial spa treatments will be available at Bliss Spas starting in August! I love Elemis products (we’ve featured them several times on TDO) and am so excited that the spa treatments are going to be more accessible now–at all of Bliss’s US locations and internationally in its London and Hong Kong spas. Yay!

Bliss will feature Elemis’ Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Facial and Exotic Lime and Ginger Salt Glow treatments. The Tri-Enzyme Facial has been clinically shown to resurface the skin by up to 75% after just one treatment by stimulating the natural exfoliation of the top layer of skin. It smooths your skin and reduces fine lines, as well. The Lime and Ginger Salt Glow features a light body brushing, warm oil application, exfoliation, and moisturizing–using great Elemis products, of course.

These Elemis treatments will be launching at Bliss Spas on August 1st. You can find a complete list of Bliss locations at blissworld.com.

A good multitasking product, especially in skin care, is hard to find. However, the Miracle Skin Transformer just may be the exception to the rule. It a) moisturizes your skin, b) enhances your skin tone, and c) protects your skin from the sun with SPF 20. The company sent me a 5ml sample to try of the product, and after trying it a few days in a row, I believe it does all 3 things pretty well.

The Miracle Skin Transformer is basically a tinted moisturizer that is packed with SPF and natural active ingredients. It has a naturally derived silicone formulation that smooths out your skin and improves your skin texture and pore size. Though I can’t vouch for the long-term effects of this moisturizer, each time I applied it, it evened my skin tone considerably and my face felt soft and smooth. It’s very lightweight, which is a plus, though I’m not sure how well its moisturizing effects will hold up in the wintertime. To find out out more, check out miracleskintransformer.com, where it is available in 4 different shades (Medium was perfect for me)!

All of my friends know how completely obsessed I am with wearing sunscreen.  I never leave the house without putting it on my face and I’m constantly on the hunt for the next great one that will fulfill all my requirements.  (I’ve spent many, many hours of my life pursuing this quest, so I better look damn good when I’m middle-aged.  If my sister, who never wears sunscreen and spends her entire summer at the pool, has less wrinkles than me when we’re older, there really will be no justice in the world.  And I might have to cause her bodily harm).

My new favorite is Sonya Dakar’s Daily Face Shield.  For those of you who don’t know, Sonya is a world-renowned skin care expert so it only makes sense that her sunblock would be great, and it definitely lived up to my lofty expectations.  It goes on smoothly and is easy to rub in.  (My number one pet peeve with sunscreens is when they just sit on top of your skin and never entirely disappear.  That’s the worst, right?)  It’s also very moisturizing, so it won’t dry your skin out or cause your makeup to apply unevenly).  It gets bonus points from me for not being greasy at all – once you’ve blended it in, your skin is just soft and ready for any other products.  (This is my other big pet peeve with sunscreens.  I tried one once that seriously made my skin so shiny that I looked like I’d just done a 5 mile run on the treadmill.  I mean, come on!  Did no one test it before they put it out?  Who wants that?)  With an SPF 30 and UVA/UVB protection, it will keep all the sun’s harmful rays away from your skin, but it also has this really pretty lemongrass scent (no chemical or harsh smells to make you recoil in horror).  I’ve been using it every morning since I got it and I’m definitely a convert.  I might very well have found my holy grail sunscreen.  I think the quest is finally over!

Even though I tend to carry a big bag most of the time, I’m trying to be better about packing it so full that my shoulders hurt  after carrying it around all day.  (It is kind of a theme in my life that I have trouble packing light.  You should see the trauma I experience when packing for vacation!)  Recently though, I’ve tested out two new products that promise to help me pare down my product content.

DuWop’s new Flight Stick is kind of a genius invention.  Although it’s technically for travelers, anyone who needs a quick pick me up can use it.  Sephora calls is a “skin-enhancing, hydrating stick” and that about sums it up.  It’s a twist up stick that you apply to your face and then blend in, allowing the antioxidants and bit of caffeine in the formula to perk up your skin.  It does have a tiny tint to it, but I don’t notice any color when I apply it to my skin, so I think it would work equally as well on any skin tone.  What I do notice is a nice, cooling feeling that would be perfect on your descent into your destination, but I’m enjoying it on a regular basis as I run my errands in Los Angeles.  It just makes my skin look a little more awake and alive and the cooling effect is a nice bonus in the hot weather.  It’s also the perfect size to throw into your bag or carry-on and it has the added bonus of not needing your fingers or a brush for application, so it’s great for on the go. (more…)

Summertime means that it’s swimsuit season, which is both fun and dreadful. Who doesn’t love lounging at the beach or pool? On the other hand, who actually enjoys shopping for a bathing suit and being forced to examine your body from every possible angle? Blech. No matter what your body type, we all have those problem areas with cellulite, dimples, or just plain flabby skin.

Nude Skincare reached out to me to try a sample of their Smoothing Body Refiner, a lotion that aims to smooth and firm your skin, especially in the thigh, hip, and waist areas. It contains no parabens or sulphates, and instead uses a combination of peptides, amino acids, fig, mountain ash, green coffee, ginger, and natural probiotics. Independent clinical trials have actually shown that using the Body Refiner regularly over 3 months may result in weight loss and inches off! I jumped at the try it and have been using it for about a week now. So far, I can report that it does make my skin appear tighter and smoother, though it does have a bit of an unusual smell (maybe like clay?).

The Nude Skincare Slimming Body Refiner is available for $70 at Sephora–as well as at nudeskincare.com, where you can get a second bottle free by entering in the code SLIMDOWN at checkout! Let me know how it works for you if you decide to try it, too.

I’ve written before about my friend, the Kiehl’s addict, who is always trying new products and giving me tons of recommendations. I totally trust her judgment on all things Kiehl’s and beauty-related, so I wanted to share another one of her finds that has worked for me. If you suffer from allergies that make your eyes look dead tired all the time, this may work for you, too!

My hereditary undereye circles have plagued me forever, so I’m always looking for products that help alleviate the darkness/puffiness. My friend suffers from major allergies that cause her eyes to look tired as well, and she told me about a product she swears by: Kiehl’s Line-Reducing Eye-Brightening Concentrate. The cream contains a high concentration of Vitamin C and a patented ingredient called Haloxyl that not only combat dark circles, but fine lines as well. My friend gave me a spare tube of hers and it’s been part of my morning routine ever since. It’s great because it helps someone with hereditary dark circles, as well as circles caused by allergies. Have you tried this, or do you have any other remedies you want to share? Let us know in the comments!

Editors’ Note: Ever wonder what makes it out of the beauty closet and into our personal beauty routines? Despite the numerous samples we’re lucky enough to test, some of us are very selective about what we use everyday while others like to have a bit of fun! Our new feature, “Editor’s Closet,” will highlight a few beauty products a TDO editor is using that month…hope you enjoy and we welcome your feedback! (more…)

I’m always on the hunt for a good moisturizer, especially because I tend to use different ones during the day than I do at night.  I’d been looking for a new one to wear to bed and after testing out Philosophy’s Miracle Worker, this one will definitely be staying in the rotation for awhile.  I like my nighttime moisturizers to be thick, but not so thick that they make my skin greasy or make me break out.  Miracle Worker totally fits into this category.  It’s lightweight, but it definitely brings the moisture.  My skin was really dry there for a few weeks – I’m not sure what caused it, but it took a combination of Miracle Worker and an occasional coating of Clinique’s Moisture Surge to get it back to its non-flaky self.  Miracle Worker is described as a “rejuvenating, age-fighting hydrator that softens, firms and brightens the complexion.”

It’s hard for me to speak about the anti-aging results of it, mainly because I’ve only been using it for about a month and I don’t think that’s enough time to accurately evaluate that.  It’s definitely a great moisturizer though.  My skin is definitely softer than it was before I started using it and I think it’s glowing a little more too.  All good things!  If I could change one thing about it, I would love if they made a version with an SPF in it so I could wear it in the daytime.  But that’s a minor quibble since I can always find a moisturizer to work into my morning routine and good nighttime ones aren’t that easy to find.  Does anyone have any suggestions?