You caught me!

So, yesterday I went to the mall with my friend Jaimi. We were headed to an outdoor shopping mall but the traffic was nasty-looking, so we headed in the other direction. Smart move. While my favorite store Sephora didn't have the exact lipgloss I was searching for Saturday, I did end up buying a new lipstick that I think will be perfect for summer. Can I blame Sephora for being low on stock on a lip gloss called Orgasm? Probably not. Not only is the lipgloss supposedly the perfect color for everyone (sheer nude-peach with slight shimmer), it also has a name that makes you want to scream. Really. So my friend Gabby asked me, if when I hit SouthPark, whether or not I bought make-up. What a question. Does Gwyneth Paltrow wear Chanel (she's got a major Chanel diaper bag - or so says VH1) ? I mean, really. Anyway, I'm looking forward to using my new Dior Addict lipstick. I'll have to let you know if I get any compliments.

Top Shelf Recommendation: Bliss' Steep Clean. I am seriously addicted to this product that helps cleanse the skin and loosen dirt from pores. Seriously, I have many products that I use a few times and forget about. But this is one product that I really like. It's a light exfoliant and it smells fresh. Never gritty and won't leave residue on your face. Nor will it turn your face red or splotchy or blotchy. Too bad it's so pricey. www.blissworld.com

Glow Baby Glow!

When you want some color, but could do without a "mystic" (spray-on)tan, try Bobbi Brown's All Over Bronzing Gel. Bobbi's bronzing gel will give you a healthy glow that will make people take notice. Another benefit? Bobbi's All Over Bronzing Gel has an SPF 15. One word of caution. This is a bronzer, not a self-tanner. So apply generously, and expect to see color right away. You may want to try a little bit on the back of your wrist to see how the color blends. www.bobbibrown.com

Top Shelf Recommendation: Remember how I mentioned a fabby new toothpase in my last post? I don't even know if this stuff is new or old, but it does taste yummy. It's Marvis, Paradise Fruit Mint. Even the tube is pink. (Got to love pink) Don't worry the toothpaste is white. For my Charlotte readers you can buy this at Bamboo Apothecary at Philips Place.

Gettin' Published

Check out my first professional beauty article. Thanks to everyone who helped make it happen.
http://www.duluthsuperior.com/mld/charlotte/living/style/11458515.htm

I guess I am officially a beauty writer now. And speaking of beauty ... I'm really enjoying my new toothpaste. I'll fill you in tomorrow.

La Mer for La Mom

My mom swears by La Mer. She says it's the only cream that doesn't make her itch or twitch, or something like that. Anyway, I recently received a sample of their hand cream. Apparently, Slimdi (aka my mom) knows what she's talking about. Not only did the cream soften my hands, it smells divine. All during the movie "Fever Pitch" (love Drew! love Jimmy!) I kept sniffing my hands. Definitely better than having hands smell like buttered popcorn. Anyway, I've got many more products to tell you about but my radio work calls. Play ball! Oh yeah, someone emailed me and asked me about Du Wop's Lip Venom. I've used it. Who knows if it can really plump my pout ... but it sure awakens the senses. Very strong cinnamon flavor. You may want to try this out before pulling out the Visa, Amex, Discover etc.

Top Shelf Recommendation: Coppertone's new continuous spray "sport" sunscreen (waterproof, no spills!) Available at CVS, Target, Eckerd. Just remember, it only works if you apply it before you lay out, not two hours after gettin burnt.

Dollface

I am tired tonight, but I wanted to share one of my new favorite products with you: Tarte's cheek stain in Dollface. The reason I like this lovely product is simple: It make me look and feel pretty. Not tan, Not bronzed but beautiful. It glides on my cheeks and gives me that ... well you know, that glow.

Top Shelf Recommendation: Anything that makes you feel good. Go for it.

My apologies

So, it's come to my attention that I've been a bit delinquent on the blog scene. (Hasn't anyone ever heard of WORK!) Seriously, My apologies. I've been busy writing about beauty for The Charlotte Observer. But that doesn't mean that I've lost interest in all things cosmetic. Hey, that has a nice ring to it, doesn't it. Maybe some day I could have my own column or talk show and call it "All Things Cosmetic." Well, I've been snooping around the beauty counters and here's one top-notch recommendation. This spring think fresh. In other words ladies, go sheer. Glow, don't show. I like products that make you feel flushed, not like you're running a temperature. Think fun and flirty and don't forget your sunscreen.

Top Shelf Recommendation: Bobbi Brown's pot rouge for lips and cheeks.
Sun-kissed is perfect for dark haired beauties. But if you're a natural blond (and aren't we all) you'll be happy to know she's got a lot of colors at the counter.
Available at www.bobbibrown.com

I'm Just Curious

I never thought I'd say this, but I like Britney Spears' new perfume Curious. It's a lovely, light scent that makes me think of a spring evening. Shhhhhhh. Don't tell anyone that I like something by Mrs. Federline. I mean, she really is becoming skanky. Anyway, I'll also plug Elizabeth Arden's new Green Tea Summer scent, which is fresh and fruity. Won't overpower you or your co-worker. I know some people fear perfume. Why fear it? I say, fear W instead. Perfume should compliment you, your mood and your sensibilities. It should not make you feel like you need to hold your breath. Now that's scary.

Top Shelf Recommendation: Essie Smoothies hand and body lotion. I like Pomegranate& Mango.

Ah Choo

You know how some people swear by zinc lozenges? I swear by Kleenex. Boy, do I have a nasty cold. Yep. And I'm on the radio to boot. What do you do when you have a cold? I think I'm going to take a bath and put some droplets of chamomile in the tub. Why not? Even my teeth hurt. I know. I know. Sinuses. So, when you don't have a cold and you want to accentuate your skin, try prepping it with primer. Laura Mercier has a great one that makes your foundation or tinted moisturizer glide on perfectly. As it should. I used to think primer was just an extra step. Then I tried it. Primer works. You'll see.

Top Shelf Recommendation: I know this isn't a beauty product, but if you're down and need a sweet pick me up, go for chocolate. I love Cadbury mini-eggs. Delish!

Jumpin' for Juniper

I know. I know. Last blog I bitched about BBW ... for those of you who don't know the lingo, that's Bath and Body Works. Anyway, I do like their products. And just to prove it to you I'm going to tell you about one of them. Well, make that two. Let's say you've just finished hitting the tennis ball around for 45-minutes and are about to spend another hour doing some power yoga ... you may want to cool off in between the two activities but may not have time to rinse off. The beautybabe says spritz, spritz, spritz. Thanks to my good friend Gabby, I've discovered BBW's Juniper Breeze Body Splash. It's not too strong, but still, try not to over do it. Gives you just the right amount of scent so you don't have to worry about offending any yoga buddies or the instructor.

Top Shelf Recommendation: So if you're in BBW, treat yourself to their Chocolate Fondue tutti dolce lip gloss. Delish!

Bath and Body What?

Have you noticed how upscale Bath and Body Works has become? Actually, that's not one hundred percent accurate. The store still carries its trademark soaps and scents, but it's recently added some top of the line brands like C.O. Bigelow and another line from Provence, France. I tried out some of these higher end products and have to say they are very luxurious. I enjoyed a lip balm made with shea butter from a honey-based line. I also tried some products with lavender and rose. I love rose products. I was going to buy some eye make-up remover but it was 15 bucks. I thought that was a lot of money for a small container of product. (Even the beauty babe has to resist temptation sometimes.) In any case, I've read that the company is also adding some high end cosmetic lines too, like Awake, but only in their flagship stores. I'm always amazing how busy BBW is on the weekends. We were in the Concord Mills store and people were lined up at the cash register.

Top Shelf Recommendation: Pop Beauty lip gloss: kitten. Give your lips something to purrrrrrrrrrrrr about. Available at Sephora and Nordstrom.