French Beauty, Oo La La

Have I mentioned how much I adore all things French?  Well, I do...French major in college, love French food and fashion, and dream of heading back to Paris.  Along with that comes a love and admiration for French beauty products.

Two of my fav Frenchie brands are L'Occitane en Provence and Institut Esthederm.  One hails from the countryside of Provence, the latter, the haute skincare labs of Paris.  Here are a couple of their products I can't do without:

Lavender Vinegar, L'Occitane - this little tin bottle packs a powerful punch when it comes to pimples.  Dab it on over trouble spots, and let the natural properties of lavender dry out and heal the area.  Love it!  $14 www.loccitane.com

Cellular Water Gel, Institut Esthederm - This cooling moisturizer has the texture of pudding, and feels amazing going on.  It's super hydrating, and I have the softest, smoothest skin when I use it. $58 www.spacenk.com

Green Tea Solid Perfume, L'Occitane - Solid perfume is ingenious.  It's perfect to keep in your bag for touch-ups during the day, and great for traveling and getting through airport security. Not only is it convenient, the scent is beautiful...light, airy and a bit watery. $9 www.loccitane.com 

These beauty products are my little way of feeling French each and every day.  :)

I should work for Lucky...

As I was reading my favorite mag, Lucky this month, I realized on page 103, "Yo!  I own those shoes!!"  

Is that not the bestttt feeling in the world?!  Lucky is my fashion and shopping magazine of choice, and when I see a type of clothing in there that I've already been sporting (been there, wore that), I feel so good inside.  It makes me totally reassured in my fashion sense.  Says inside head: "Yes, I am on the mark when it comes to style, and I'm even spotting the trends before the magazine, haha!"  

It may be in my advantage that I don't have a 6 month lead time, but I like to ignore that fact and give myself more credit.  :)

This time, not only am I excited that I already own and have been wearing around these adorable wedges (when the weather permits)...but they only cost me $20 at Target!!  Yes, a pair of hot wedges featured in Lucky came from Target.

Who says fashion has to cost an arm and a leg?

'70's fabulous Xhilaration Tonia Wedges with wooden heel cut-out, celery green - $19.99 in stores, $17.99 on www.target.com.

Erno Laszlo and the "Splashing" technique

Once upon a time, during my college days, I coulda shoulda woulda interned at the Erno Laszlo U.S. office in Soho.

Erno Laszlo is a skincare company with a history.  Dr. Erno Laszlo was a renowned Hungarian dermatologist and over 75 years ago, he created the world's first dermatological skincare line. During World War II, he came to America and opened his flagship center on Fifth Ave., the Erno Laszlo Institute, where he treated the rich, glamorous, and famous of the era, including Greta Garbo, Truman Capote, Audrey Hepburn, and Jackie Kennedy Onassis.

He held strong and defined principles on skincare, and created stream-lined, no frill skincare products.  One of my favorite products from his line (not really his line anymore, per se, as he died in 1973) is the Sea Mud Soap.

A simple charcoal chalky soap made up of concentrated dead sea minerals, I feel it really gets all the gook off, and leaves my skin feeling taut and clean.  More than the actual product, I like the ritual one is supposed to follow when using it.

Called the Splashing technique, you fill a small bowl with warm/hot water, dip the soap in, and rub the bar over your face, so it looks kind of sooty.  Dip the soap again and work up a little lather on your face and lightly massage it in.  Then, splash your face 20 times with the "treatment" water, and 10 more times with hot running water.  According to the doc, this is the way to properly cleanse the skin.  It's kind of refreshing to splash your face with water that many times, and I like it, although this is not the routine for a lazy, rushed person, haha.

The Dead Sea Soap and "splashing" are to be followed by toner and moisturizer according to skin type, and as a girl who read somewhere in 7th grade of the optimal "cleanser, toner, moisturizer" skincare routine (and have followed it to this day!), I couldn't agree more, and I really enjoy (although can't quite afford) his straight-forward line of products and ways of taking care of skin.

Regardless of the facial soap you use...why not try the Splashing technique?  I think you'll be pleasantly surprised-- your skin will feel so...clean!

Erno Laszlo counters and products can be found at select Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Nordstrom, as well as online at www.ernolaszlo.com.

Let Beauty Week Begin...

It's a new week, and with the help of constant perusals of Beauty Blogging Junkie and Lucky magazine, I have decided to crawl out of my recent beauty and fashion rut.

In honor of my renewed desire to be awake, alert, and fashionably-attired for work each morning, I'm going to post about all the beauty products I know and love this week. 

First up: Garnier Fructis Style Smoothing Milk.  

I'm not typically a "branded" girl when it comes to haircare; over the years, I've found that most shampoos/conditioners/stylers do a fine job on my hair, regardless of price or brand. 

Then about 3 years ago, I was turned on to Garnier Fructis Style Smoothing Milk by a friend.  I literally do not straighten my hair without it anymore.  

My hair is sort of frumpy-half wavy by nature, the only benefit being that with a little styling, I can have either bedhead waves or slick straight hair.  Straight and smooth hair seems to look less messy and more "done" so it tends to be my hair texture of choice.  But, detangling, combing, blowdrying, waiting for the straightener to heat up, and gliding the iron over my thick head of hair takes a bit longer than my "always running late" self would like, and most rushed mornings, I stick with the easy to manage wavy look.

By combing a dime-size drop of the smoothing milk through the ends of damp/wet hair, achieving the straight hair look becomes just as simple.  The hair lotion reallyyy helps with detangling, and I swear blowdrying my hair is 10 times faster when I use it. The hairbrush glides through my un-tangled hair like a dream I tell you, and I only need a light once-over with the straightener (if anything), to get the smoothest, sleekest straight hair I so badly want.

The first time I used Garnier Fructis Style Smoothing Milk, I was so impressed, I couldn't stop running my fingers through my hair.  I was in love and I never turned back.  I bet you won't either. 

Garnier Fructis Style Smoothing Milk is available at most drugstores, including Rite Aid, Duane Reade, and Walgreens.  It can also be found on www.drugstore.com for $3.48.  Not a bad deal.