I thought having the best hair stylist in the world is all that it would take to make my hair fabulous and manageable but the truth is, it’s only half the battle and a battle I was losing. Although my hair cut was amazing and my stylist could blow it out all smooth, I could not replicate the nice, soft, frizz-free fringe at home.

I kept hearing all the buzz about Sedu products and how they were the best but at their high price tag I thought it was some kind of gimmick and kept buying relatively inexpensive brands through beauty supply stores (Babyliss, Chi, Salano).

The problem with those brands was always weight and temperature. I thought I needed something hot and fast to blow out my fringe quickly but I always had frizzy hair with a kink from the round brush. Even after having lessons from my stylist I kept having the same issue. So I thought maybe the lower heat and speed of the Sedu would make a difference combined with the Tourmaline ionic generator.

And I hate to report it, but it really, really did. Continue reading »

Having fair, sensitive skin means that I’m constantly battling things such as a pimple or tiny scratch leave a red mark. And my red marks really show up and tend to take forever to heal. Using heavy retnoids and creams to make it disappear weren’t an option for me since my skin would often react to the very cream designed to heal!

Several years ago a dermatologist recommended SkinCeuticals Phyto+ to me because it’s a botanical green gel that contains Kojic acid, arbutin, and natural alternatives to hydroquinone that are designed to work synergistically to not only reduce and eliminate discoloration but also help heal your skin. The anti-imflamitory ingredients such as cucumber and thyme soothe skin and a hyaluronic acid base hydrates. What this means to me is that my skin is calmed almost instantly and what maybe took 6 moths to a year to heal (if at all) can usually heal within a month.

I use it at night under other creams, I find it a little too sticky to use during the day (but if you have the time to wait before applying creams and letting everything dry, then daytime might be fine for you). A little goes a long way so one bottle can last me about six months.

BUY AT: DermaDoctor

Character lines may all be well and good but I want to keep the crowes feet at bay for as long as I can. And since the under eye skin is the most delicate and for me, the hardest to find a good cream for, I have been trying everything under the sun in terms of finding an eye cream.

But the sun, as we know, is a huge ager. So I was happy to discover Murad’s Essential-C Eye Cream with an SPF 15. Since most regular face SPF creams are too heavy for my under eye area (causing millia or make-up to ball), it was nice to find an spf made just for the eyes and promised to help work on wrinkles.

It’s become a staple eye cream for me for day-use only; it hydrates, protects and I think it’s helped lighten dark circles. I love the pump bottle (less contamination + you can see how much product is left) and the size (perfect for travel but lasts about 2 months for me). What I don’t like is that if it gets directly into your eyes it stings like crazy. I haven’t had sensitivity issues with other creams the way I have with this but if I can avoid it getting into my eyes, it’s great.

BUY AT: DermaDoctor

It seems like everyone I know is always on the hunt for the perfect eye cream. The cream that will solve wrinkles, dry skin, dark circles, puffiness, millia and be non-irritating. I’m not sure if that cream exists (and I swear I’ve tried almost all of them) but this one is pretty close.

My issues are lines, dark circles, dryness and sensitivity and the SkinCueticals Eye Balm has helped me with this. It’s become my go-to eye night cream; when I wander to try something new, I almost always come back to this.

It goes on easily, is absorbed quickly, and doesn’t make my under eye concealor ball up or make my eyes water. It does hydrates and soothes really well. It doesn’t, however, do anything for dark circles or a lot of puffiness.

If you need a rich, soothing, hydrating without being sticky cream, this is a good one to try. Don’t take my word for it; reviews on countless other make review sites always list it at the top of the list, too.

BUY AT: DermaDoctor

It was a stressful time when I first moved to Los Angeles and it showed on my face; it was blotchy, red, terribly dry with not so nice pimples here and there. So I booked myself a spa package at the Ole Henriksen Spa for an afternoon of relaxation and pampering. I knew that a massage and scrub would help but had my suspicions about the facial since most facials always made my sensitive skin worse, not better.

But other spas did not have Maki.

In one hour she literally transformed my skin from blah to wow. Not only did she make my skin wonderful from the outside, but gave me so many tips about how to keep myself and skin healthy from the inside with vitamins and relaxation ideas. With her help, my skin has never looked better and that’s why I’ve been a devoted client for over three years.

So when she told me she was working on her own skincare line, Mambino Organics, I was thrilled; her passion for natural, organic, simple skincare was finally coming to fruition. And for me, it came at the perfect time.

Dry skin has always plagued me and, when I began to spend a lot of time in air conditioning, I couldn’t find anything that would help. Most body moisturizers were thick, goopy and greasy. They always seemed to have harsh, fake scents added that I just didn’t like. However, her Moisture Me After Shower Body Oil, with it’s amazing smell of orange and lavender, quickly absorbed into my skin leaving it super soft without being greasy or shiny looking. Just natural and hydrated.

Continue reading »

Every magazine and skincare expert agrees – exfoliation is good. The problem for me has been the products for exfoliating – the mitts, the scrubs, the brushes. The mitts almost always get gross or moldy from being left in the shower and they don’t travel well since they don’t dry fast. Scrubs are a mess and get expensive if you use them every day. And brushes, well the handles fly off or they hurt. So what’s a girl in need of exfoliating to do?

Pick up the Supracor Spacells Facial Sponge. I’ve heard people using it on their face but I reserve mine just for the body and it does a remarkable job which is what you need when more skin is starting to show for summer. What I love is that it’s a mitt shape so you put your hand in and start rubbing your skin in circular motions and you can actually feel a difference from the inside out.

It claims to help stimulate blood and lymph flow to eliminate toxins and promote skin regeneration. What I noticed is that it just really sloughed off the dead skin and made the new skin glow. Having sensitive skin I was concerned it might be too harsh but it’s so gentle, leaving no red marks behind. Perfect for before shaving!

It’s made from a special material that is naturally anti fungal, antibacterial and allergen free so you don’t have to worry about keep it in the shower. And because of the material it dries instantly – perfect for travel.-

BUY AT: Fred Segal

It’s true – I don’t own lipstick. Can’t stand it; the way it looks, the way it smells, the way it lasts. I’m a pretty natural makeup wearing kind of girl so it’s mostly clear lipbalms or gloss for me. But sometimes I want a little oomph and so I turn to coloured gloss. But finding one to love has been hard because I have criteria.

No parabens, no gluten (I’m allergic, don’t want to digest), must look natural (not too shiny and goopy) and must last longer than 10 minutes. Tall order that has been hard to fill, let me tell you. But when I saw a woman with the prettiest natural lips and complimented her she said, “Honey, nothing is natural in this town (LA), it’s Bare Escentuals new glosses. Needless to say, I high tailed it to Sephora.

The Buxom Lips gloss in Dolly is a perfect match for me – a neutral pinky shade that looks like my lips just better – glossed, full without being FULL and completely natural. With no parabens or gluten it’s safe to reapply often but you don’t have to – it lasts quite a long time. And my hair doesn’t get caught in it when the wind blows nor do people stare at my ULTRA SHINY HUGE LIPS. Because they’re just regular and pretty. Perfection in a tube!

BUY AT: Sephora

Having sensitive, reactive skin makes finding a good anti-aging skin serum hard. I wanted something moisturizing but not heavy. Something that will help lesson the aging process but won’t be harsh on my skin (no glycolics, please!). And I want something that’ll give me results fairly quickly instead of having to put my skin through a bad stage first. And I can safely say I have tried everything from prescription retinoids to every department and dermalogical store with very bad results (and wasted money).

Jan Marini is a name that I hear a lot in Hollywood – from facialists to actresses to magazines. But I held off because years ago I tried one of her creams that had acids in it and nearly burned my face off! But the Transformation Serum kept coming up as something I should try. So I finally did.

I love the dropper bottle; this makes getting the product easy and little waste. I use only a couple of drops for my entire (cleansed) face. I put it on morning followed by my SPF and in the evening just on its own. This has improved my skin greatly (even before the Clarisonic), adding moisturisation, even tone, reduced redness and clarity. My skin feels hydrated without feeling heavy or clogged.

Big price tag but a little goes a long way and for someone like me who can’t use a lot of creams, it’s worth every penny.

BUY AT: Skinstore (especially when they have their 20% off sales, like right now!)

I heard about the Clarisonic when it first came out on the market but I balked at the nearly $200 price tag. Especially since I have very sensitive, reactive skin that has never done well with microdermabrasion or scrubs.

But over the next year, people I knew who had beautiful or much improved skin were raving about it. People on messageboards were raving about it. Oprah raved about it. Still, I was hesitant until months of travel had left me and my skin weary and I thought I’d give it a try and forked over the money.

Money very well spent.

Within one use I noticed a difference in my skin; clearer, fresher, smoother. I kept my receipt just in case my skin flared up in the morning or later in the week but it never happened. Instead, my skin continuously kept improving – fewer blotches, dry patches, redness and no breakouts. Using this has helped me reduce my skincare regime – I just use a cleanser, serum and moisturizer. No more scrubs, no more masks, no more monthly facials. So is it worth it? I definitely think so. And if you’re not sure, buy it from a place that offers an easy return and try it out. And if you’re still nervous buy the sensitive brush attachment which is gentler on the skin. You’ll go from petting pretty to being pretty.

BUY AT: Amazon, Sephora and Nordstrom

I’m always on the search for an everyday conditioner that is lightweight yet moisturizing for my fine, knotty, curly hair. It’s been hard. Conditioners are either too heavy, leave a film, don’t get the knots, smell funky, are a million dollars or simply don’t moisturize enough. I kept searching in hope that since I was a Goldilocks, that something would eventually be just right.

And I think that something is John Masters Organics Citrus & Neorli Detangler.

I’d heard the raves on message boards about this organic, parabean-free conditioner but I had resisted it for a long time. Why? It wasn’t the $14-16 price tag for 8oz (although that didn’t help) but I think it was because I had previously had bad experience with “Green” conditioners. The smells, the film, the strange hair that came out after. But I caved and glad I did.

The first thing you’ll notice is the scent – it really is citrus and neroli. It’s fresh when you put it on but it doesn’t linger in your hair after. The next thing you’ll notice is that a little bit will go a long way. I have very long hair and I just use a small amount and this product leaves my hair virtually tangle free without being weighed down. My hair is almost downright bouncy.

And the last thing you’ll notice is that you’ll want to buy it again and again because it works. And it’s organic. And parabean free. And makes you pretty. So don’t hesitate like I did – just get it and do some good for your hair and the environment. Everyone gets pretty that way. Win win!

BUY AT: & Whole Foods.