Yogurt Facials

I was reading Shape magazine the other day and someone wrote in about how they use yogurt to give themselves a facial. I keep a lot of plain yogurt on hand because I like to mix it with raspberries and other things for breakfast or for a snack. So I figured, why not? I covered my face with plain yogurt for about 15 minutes and rinsed it off. My face felt refreshed and smooth. Also, I was concerned the yogurt could irritate my skin but it did not. I would definitely do this again. It's a cheap way to give yourself a boost and a mini-facial. I kind of just spooned the yogurt on to my face and let it dry. It dries quickly.


Top Shelf Recommendation:
Dannon plain (non-fat?) yogurt. Pat it on your face and let it dry. Rinse clean.

Avocado Madness !

My friend Carrie wants all of my readers to know that avocado is good for fingernails. Growing up my mom, a.k.a slimdi@aol.com never let me eat avocado because she said it was fattening (what's not?) Anyway, I love avocado. I think it's a great addition to salads and turkey sandwiches. I also like avocado with eggs. I really have no idea if avocado helps protect your fingernails, but I thought I would pass along Carrie's advice. If you're cool enough to have a name like Carrie, you're cool enough to be part of the beautybabe's blog.

Coming up tomorrow ... beautybabe dishes on yogurt facials.

Top Shelf Recommendation:
Mac Lip glass lip gloss. Love it alone or over lipstick. Yeah baby! And go eat some avocado.

Lancome's Back and She's Better Than Before ...

My dear friend Erica told me she had a blast at the Lancome counter the other day at the mall (Wish I had been with her.) Now, Lancome, even after all these years makes me think of my mom. For years she was a devotee. She always wore the same lipstick (Champagne?) unless she was wearing a special shade of red. And I can still smell various Lancome creams. Ok, so back to Erica, the realtor. She bought herself a small party tub of products: foaming fash wash (Loves it!), eye cream (very important), tinted moisturizer, Raspberry flavored Juicy Tube lip gloss and exfoliant for the face. Boy did this girl have fun. She says she was feeling icky - you know bored with her skin care routine and like she needed a little boost. In other words, she needed a change. Now this Jersey girl turned Boca Bombshell says her skin is A+. Good for her. It's OK to change your skin care routine. I do it all the time. Well maybe I'm not the best example, considering that I buy way too much product. Love that product. Today a friend told me that Sephora was her church. To that I said, "Honey, it's my heaven. Seriously, the reason I haven't written about Sephora yet is that I am waiting for that perfect moment, a time when I am feeling less than thrilled with the world and find solace at Sephora.

Top Shelf Recommendation:
From the Gap of all places.
A new lip gloss called Slip Gloss. Looks sticky, feels silky. Looks like a Lancome Juicy Tube, but with a wand. I bought it and tried it today. Very nice, just a hint of shimmer.
$12.50 at a Gap near you.

Heaven.

Imagine how I felt when I saw all this make-up! This photo was taken at my friend's wedding. Congrats Jaime and Greg!

Mini-Mani ? Mini-Me?

I had some time to kill today before my haircut, so I decided to treat myself to a mini manicure. (For once my nails were looking respectable so I'm trying to keep 'em in shape). Trouble is, mini-manicures are hard to find in Charlotte. When I lived in the Big Apple, I could get a mini-mani everywhere (sometimes a mini-mani and pedi). In the City, they're quick and cheap, maybe ten dollars. But in Charlotte, manicures are upwards of 15 bucks. Today I decided to put my foot down. Well, better make that my hand down. I told the girl in the walk-in salon that I just wanted a polish change. No parrafin wax, no sugar scrubs, no frills, you get the point. She followed my instructions and gave me an $8 polish change. I gave her a $2 tip. Exactly what the doctor ordered.

Top Shelf Recommendation:
If you have coarse hair or thick hair and it's feeling a little dry, try Aveda's Cherry Almond Bark conditioner. It will do the trick. Use two to three times a week, based on hair type.

Follow-up

Yesterday I was talking about the wonders of mascara. I meant to mention one that I really like that I bought during Christmas. It's called Illusionist, by Estee Lauder. I use 01 (black) . Illusionist is a curling mascara, but I like it because it's got a great wand brush. I find I get clean lashes with a nice tint. No glob, goo or mess. (By the way ... it's a good idea to buy new mascara every 3 months or so. You want to avoid bacteria growth. And don't share mascara either, except in dire emergencies!)

On a different note, I keep having these wedding nightmares. I'm slightly concerned because the wedding is already over, like two months ago. Anyway, last night I dreamt that my incredible make-up artist Gayle York showed up late to do my bridal make-up. Weird dream. It was very stressful. I felt like I couldn't breathe. But Brides-to-be -- I promise that Gayle will never be late. She is talented and prompt.

Now, to conclude ... I must quote my wonderful friend Erica.
She had a less than perfect experience at Sephora looking for a tinted moisturizer. In her email to me she said:
"Anyway, my summary of that experience is never to take beauty advice from a girl that looks like a male clown."

Ain't that the truth! Have you ever been at a make-up counter and thought, "Why am I asking this person for advice." The beautybabe never understands why women at make-up counters don't look better. How hard is it to look pretty when you have the world of products at your fingertips?

My brother's girlfriend Kelly says that when she worked at MAC the customers would come to her because she was the only girl that looked normal (i.e. no goth) .

Top Shelf Recommendation:
Looking for a good tinted moisturizer? Try Laura Mercier's. I love it. I've used it in "sand" for a long time. I got my cousin to use it, too. My only advice - in the winter you made need to mix it with a little moisturizer as it's very light. But I hear it's what the pros call a "layering product."

With a Wave of My Magic Wand

Hey, I got some new mascara. I've been wanting to sample the new Lash-in-a-tube concept for a while. So when I was shopping with my friend Joanna we stopped in an Ulta and I bought some. Actually we went in to browse, but who browses when make-up is involved. It's shop, drop and squeal. Anyway, I like Ulta. Stuff's real cheap. Anyway, I liked the new mascara. I got dark, pretty lashes. (But wait! I thought I already had those) Eventhough I liked the product, I have to admit I couldn't tell what the difference was between this stuff and other mascaras I've ever used. Believe me. This beautybabe has tried 'em all. Now, on a more practical note, one cool aspect to this lash-in-a-tube concept is that the product is very clean and doesn't seem to spill over. Good if you travel or carry it with you during the day.

Top Shelf Recommendation:
Physicians Formula Lash-In-A-Tube
Available at Ulta (beautybabe's 2nd heaven) and other drugstores.

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