Smelling Groovy

Just bought this new perfume from Clinique. It's called "Happy to be." Great new scent. Kind of pear-scented, yet kind of musky. In other words, it's right up my alley. Spritz on a little after you shower to feel energized. I find the scent uplifting and so does my husband. In fact he's the one who first smelled it and said he liked it. By the way, Happy New Year. On a different note, I saw Bobbi Brown's name in the newspaper and again, it was spelled incorrectly. I'm not sure what the problem is here, but, please get it right. If I worked for Bobbi Brown's company, I would ensure she was properly represented.

Top Shelf Recommendation:
Oscar Blandi's Jasmine Hair Serum available at Sephora (God Bless Sephora!) Rub a few drops of the serum in your hands and through wet or dry hair to help style and calm flyaways. I mix a little with gel or mousse before I dry my hair. But remember, a little goes a long way.

Dry, Oh My!

It's come to my attention that folks need advice on how to handle dry, flaky skin - otherwise known as winter skin (at least in my book). There are hundreds of products on the market to deal with dry skin and many of them work well. For starters, I recommend using an unscented product that won't irritate already sensitive skin. Stay away from hot baths, which can also dry out the skin. As for reliable creams, I like Cetaphil's thick body cream as well as almost anything by Neutrogena. Both of these brands are available in the drugstores, the supermarket, Target etc. Want a trick for dealing with super dry hands (or feet)? Wear cotton gloves at night. You can find these at drugstores, too. Also, my mom swears by Vaseline. She rubs it into her nails beds every night. I also like Aquaphor. One last comment -- I used to rely on antibacterial soaps in the kitchen and bathroom. But my dermatologist said antibac products can be very drying. She suggested I buy a bottle of shower soap (like Olay or Dove) and use it for my hands. Great idea, although I had to search for a light scent that didn't knock me over. (Unscented anyone!) Bath and Body Works makes a thick hand soap with shea butter - I've just started using this to wash my hands.

Top-Shelf Recommendation:
Neutrogena and Cetaphil Body Creams

Hard as Nails, Not!

Have you ever wondered why some people are blessed with perfect fingernail beds and other people have rotten nails? Yep, the beautybabe's nails suck. They grow wide not long and they break easily. Seems to run in the family (that, along with weak stomachs and oh, never mind.) My mom's long time manicurist assured me they would get better as I got older. But that never seemed to happen. I've tried many products to make my nails look better. I'll be honest. Nothing makes them grow long -- but some polishes make them stronger. I guess that's a compromise I'm willing to make. They'll never look like Streisand's, but at least they won't break as much or catch on things.

Top Shelf Recommendation:
Mystic Nails - available at many super drugstores like Harmon Drugs in New Jersey.
p.s. Harmon execs -- if you are reading this ... please come to North Carolina and rescue me from my Harmon withdrawl. We need you in the South.