Sale doesn’t always=Good idea

 

Cosmetic procedures are not the place to scrimp and save!

 

 

 

Sales can be incredibly tempting at times like these, but be careful not to get swept away by this kind of bargain…

Like your mom always said, if it’s too good to be true, it probably is.

-Lisa

Image courtesy www.tvscoop.tv.

Bangs will save you $$$

If your beauty budget has been downsized and quarterly Botox injections are no longer an option, check out my post on AOL stylelist for tips on how to deal.

 

-Lisa

Lounge lizard

 

 

That's me, blogging from the plush W lounge.

 

 

I must admit, I didn’t mind the W Hotels Worldwide Backstage Lounge at Bryant Park one bit. Having spent most of fashion week hustling between venues scattered along the West Side Highway with nary a taxi in sight, the lounge was a welcome retreat. In theory the lounge was meant to attract celebrities and promote the W brand, in reality I used it as a quiet spot to sit, snack, check my email (yes, I lugged my old, leaden laptop with me) and rest my feet. 

I did have one interesting “celeb” sighting at the lounge—Retro Kids. These guys are a blast from the past. They might be related to Kid n Play and they definitely hold Run DMC in high regard. When I asked the pr person for W who they were she had to Google them. Apparently they’re just a group of 80′s enthusiasts, but I’m sure there’s more to the story.

 

Retro Kids at the Tents.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More on the benefits of the W lounge: snacks!! There were Popburgers, Billy’s Bakery cupcakes, Smartwater, Veuve Cliquot, mini Chambord bottles and some weird juice in cans that I didn’t quite catch. All in all, I’d say they were well stocked. Unfortunately, it was too early in the day for me to start on champagne, but I did sample the Popburgers and they were tasty. Oh, I almost forgot about the lovely gal with the old-fashioned cigarette tray loaded with Bliss skincare samples. She was a hit, let me tell you. I snagged a deluxe sample of Triple Oxygen Instant Energizing Mask and a couple of shaving products for Max. Let’s just say I was thoroughly satisfied with my W lounge experience. 

 

Talk about a modern take on the cigarette girl.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adorable, individually wrapped Billy's cupcakes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-Lisa

Eco-friendly marketing=Bad for you

What are you smiling at?

When a friend forwarded me a Hollywood Tans press release yesterday, she knew exactly how I would respond—with outrage. If you know me at all, you know I’m obsessed with sun protection and that I can be extremely persuasive on the topic. So I read the release, which informed me that the company is launching energy efficient tanning booths with iPod jacks and better cooling devices…so you can do your part for the environment while soaking in mainly UVA rays which increase your risk of developing cancer and most certainly lead to premature aging in the form of wrinkles, age spots, sallowness and loss of elasticity? Seriously? You can listen to Kanye and feel a cool a breeze while you’re willingly absorbing this known human carcinogen, so you won’t get bored or hot and you’ll stay longer. And if you stay longer, you might achieve that extra shade of bronze that will mutate DNA in your skin cells and suppress your immune system and increase your likelihood of melanoma by 150%! I’ve made my point and at the risk of sounding preachy, I truly believe it’s unethical to encourage people to help save the environment by patronizing these tanning booths. Recycle something. Turn off the lights when you leave a room. Carpool. Bring your own bags to the grocery store. Do something, anything but this. On the bright side, think of the unblemished, glowing, taut skin you’ll maintain by skipping this mindless ritual. Think of the bouncer who may card you at the bar, even though you’re well into your 30’s. Isn’t that worth the price of a tube of broad-spectrum UVA/UVB sunscreen with an SPF 30 or higher?

-Lisa

Dry-but-broken-out blues

Having just returned from four blissful days in the warmth, my skin is staging a not-so-subtle protest against the drastic temperature and humidity changes to which I have subjected it. Generally what happens when the temperature rises and I spend more time in the sun (and thus wear copious amounts of sunblock), my face gets very sweaty, my pores clog and the breakouts begin. Of course the real damage doesn’t hit until I board the plane back to NYC and the desert-like airplane air starts to suck the life out of my skin. Then, as I wait outside in the 11-degree winds for a taxi, the dry-as-a-brick phase commences, eventually causing the current state of affairs—sandpaper with a smattering of zits. This has happened before, and no doubt will happen again. My plan of attack is usually to alternate between glycolic exfoliating (a private label product from Dr. Bruce Katz’s office) and moisturizing non-foaming (Cetaphil or La Roche-Posay Toleriane) cleansers. This solution works about 50% of the time and is not entirely satisfying. If I could run out and get microdermabrasion I would, but it’s not fiscally prudent. Hmmm, I do love a good microderm session, it leaves you good and glowing for a good 48 hours. Oh well. In the absence of disposable income for derm-office solutions, I’m seeking counsel from anyone who knows what I’m talking about.

-Lisa

At last, my love has come along

I’m back from Miami, where I enjoyed a long weekend of hanging with girlfriends, relaxing by the pool with my Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock SPF 45, and generally feeling really lucky to have escaped NYC winter, even for a short time. What I didn’t predict was the fulfillment of a cookware dream. Oh Le Creuset 6.75-quart French oval oven in flame, how I have pined for you. When my friend Steffie suggested we check out the outlets at Sawgrass Mills, I had no idea I would be browsing the candy colored coffers of my first Le Creuset outlet store. The average outlet shopper probably saunters right by this shrine to cast iron on her way to Neiman’s Last Call. Not me. I made a beeline for it and took my time evaluating their offerings, scouring the shelves for true bargains (not the I’m at the outlet/sample sale/warehouse so it seems like the time to buy something buys). Lo and behold, I came across the “seconds” section in the back of the store. These are slightly damaged items the factory deems unsuitable for sale in traditional retail stores, but to the naked eye, they’re 99.9% as good as the others. As luck would have it, they had my dream pot in stock in seconds. She’s a real beauty, if I do say so. Fortunately, the store ships the ridiculously heavy cookware to you and I’ll be reunited with it in a matter of days. I’m already thinking about the new dishes I’ll be cooking: the short ribs, the chicken thighs, the pulled pork…let the braising begin!

-Lisa

Post-tan report

Not my foot, but an excellent example!

Last night, after a full day of exercise/meetings/nails/wax/hair appointments, I finally got the spray tan. In an effort to curb the cost of all the beauty spending I did yesterday, I got the spray tan at a popular tanning salon. It pains me to even walk into a business that makes 99% of its money off of charring people in tanning beds and insisting that it’s not at all harmful. Grrr. I mean we all know that the UV exposure can lead to premature aging (age spots, wrinkles, sallow, sagging skin, need I go on?) and, more importantly, skin cancer. And yes, I’m a hypocrite for even patronizing their salon. The problem is, I don’t know of any NYC spas/salons that are open at 9pm on a Wednesday evening for spray tanning. I do have a preferred spot for personal airbrush tanning, but it costs twice as much as the booth in the tanning salon, and it closes at 7pm (I reserve their pricey services for major events only). But I digress, the point of this post is to tell you that the results of the booth tan were pretty good, except for the soles of my feet, which are DARK BROWN. I followed all of my own spray tan commandments and it still happened. I guess the thick, slippery coating of “barrier cream” that the salon provided just wasn’t a match for my ultra-dry, thick-skinned (but happily polished with Essie Clutch Me If You Can) feet. I showered this morning and diligently exfoliated the camo-looking areas, but it looks I’m stuck with dirty-looking feet until they molt on their own. The moral of the post is, you get what you pay for. If I had sprung for the personal airbrush tan, I may have gotten sculpted abs and pristine feet, but I might have felt guilty checking out the sales at Bal Harbour.

I’m off to the airport! I’ll be back on Monday with tales from Miami.

-Lisa

Plan for a (spray) tan

Insert me, wearing sunglasses and hat, in full shade, looking sun-kissed.

Today I am firing on all beauty cylinders. In preparation for my trip to Miami (leaving tomorrow!!), I’ve come to the realization that I have been neglecting my personal grooming routine in a profound way. My appointment schedule includes: mani-pedi, wax, haircut and color, and, if time permits, a glorious spray tan. I must tell you I have mixed feelings about the spray tan. On the one hand, I’m proud of my pale skin and strive fiercely to protect and preserve it. On the other, I feel like a pale whale when I put a bathing suit on. It really bothers me that a spray-on coating brown stuff that feels like Pam somehow makes me more confident in less clothing. It’s ridiculous when you think about it, but it seems to make me a hair more confident when I tie on the swatches of lycra and spandex that pass for my modest suits. With that said, I must exalt the virtues of proper spray-tan preparation. It is absolutely imperative to exfoliate with an oil-free scrub at least twice in the days approaching the tan. I’ve tried many scrubs and always return to DERMAdoctor KP Duty Body Scrub. I’ve been using it for years and nothing compares to its ability to smooth my skin, neck-to-toe. Other than sloughing away dead skin, the other extremely important thing to do before a spray tan is slather thick body lotion on the palms of your hands, the soles of your feet, your finger and toenails, and rubbed more sparingly into knees, heels and elbows. The point behind this odd ritual is to prevent the self-tanning solution from turning these thicker/dryer areas into leathery orange patches that will instantly alert everyone to your faux bronzing ways. One more thing: Like highlights, spray tans should never be more than two shades from your natural skin tone, or you’ll risk looking like a glazed donut…yes, I’m still on the low-carb diet!

-Lisa
Image courtesy www.backyardcity.com.

Forget mascara?

I probably have 4 mascaras in rotation at the moment—one for everyday use, one for sleepy weekend days, one for when feel like navy and one for big events. The thing is, I’ve got nothing to complain about in the fringe department. They’re longish and fullish, but blond. I certainly wouldn’t turn my nose up at some lash enhancement that doesn’t require a hammer and chisel to remove before bed. The smart scientists over at Allergan (a.k.a the Botox people) discovered that Lumigan, their eye drops for glaucoma patients, have the welcome side effect of longer, fuller lashes. At the end of January, they’re launching the FDA-approved, prescription lash-lengthening version (it’s 5% of the strength of the glaucoma drops) of the drug under the name Latisse. Allergan’s clinical trials showed that daily application for 16 weeks yielded longer, thicker, darker lashes. That’s scientific proof that this stuff works…I know, I know, you’re waiting for the bottom line. Here it is: Latisse will set you back $120 for a one-month supply. That’s $4 a day, which is at least what my favorite redhead spends on Starbucks! These are tough times and while some of us may be cutting out mani-pedis and facials, this could be the next big thing. If I were a gambler, I’d put my chips on Latisse. I think we all know at least three people who would trade their daily no-foam, non-fat lattes for seriously amped lashes.
-Lisa
Image courtesy of sephora.com