Waxing Poetic
My bikini waxer is like a good friend. She knows all about my work, my family, and she sees me completely naked at least once a month. I guess there was a time when this whole waxing process made me really shy, but no longer. I have been a slave to waxing for almost 8 years now and sometime at the end of year 2 I just decided to give up on the embarrassment situation and give in to the fact that waxing is just a part of my monthly maintenance like mani/pedis and/or eyebrow shaping and that is nothing to be embarrassed about. I remember when brazilians became the rage, and Vogue covered J. Sisters salon on the Upper East Side. Their writer noted that her relationship was such with her “J. Sister” that the waxer actually told her she thought she was pregnant based on her stomach being a bit bloated during a waxing session– and it turned out she was! I laughed when I read that because I could totally imagine that happening to me. (On another note, the J. Sisters is not all its cracked up to be. You are in and out in 2 minutes, literally, and there is no bedside manner, if you like that sort of thing, which I do. Also, they use honey wax which tends to inflame my skin for a day so I am red and irritated.) I have found the best waxing (and pedicures for that matter) to be at Rescue Beauty Lounge on Gansevoort in the Meatpacking District. Rose is by far the best waxer, and friend, and I recommend her to everyone. Check out Rescue here.
18 Days and Counting
Skincare update: I have been using the Wexler kit for approximately 18 days, and my skin is looking awesome. I have figured out what makes this line so special. The Wexler system includes a glycolic acid peel that is to be used once daily. You apply the peel with a little pad, leave it on for 2 minutes to do its work, and then apply a neutralizer. Right now my skin is clear, healthy, and almost poreless. I am loving this kit. The only problem with the line is that I have had a terrible time finding the full size items outside of the test kit. Either they are selling out all over, or the stores are seriously undertsocked. I did find several full size tubes of the face wash in the Bath and Body Works on the Upper East Side and promptly snatched them up. I have tried everything for problem skin on the market- seriously. This is the best so far!
Reporting from 10022
I am not sure if you heard the news but in a wonderfully inventive PR turn, Saks revamped their designer shoe section and created a shoe floor so large, it got its own zip code. 10022 is the location for all things shoe fetishists desire- sky high Louboutins, sexy Jimmy Choos, and the requisite Chanels and Guccis. I love fashion so of course I love shoes, but I am not a shoe fanatic. I would rather drop $300 at the MAC counter than on stilettos, no matter how crazy that may sound. However, a stop into the 10022 zip code did fill me with a desire usually reserved for the cosmetics floor. Right now I am loving the Christian Louboutin nude patent stiletto with its little hint of red on the sole and heel. I especially love the way they look with black tights. I also have a crush on the nude and black Chanel ballet slippers that are a seasonless classic. On another note, Fifth Avenue is starting to get dressed up for the holidays. The big tree is being decorated, and people are ice skating at Rockefellar Center. Exciting!
The Hills Have Eyes
I am going to take this opportunity to write about my guilty pleasure, The Hills. I am an avid MTV reality show watcher (Pageant Place being a new and fabulous fave), and to me the Hills is sort of that Holy Grail of this genre. Fashion, backstabbing, gossip, the Hills has it all in spades. One thing that I find particularly interesting about these shows is the eye makeup worn by all the main “characters.” I first noticed it way back in the days of Laguna Beach when Kristen Cavalleri would line her eyes in dark black liner. It looked great on camera, and soon I noticed all her compatriots doing the same. The Hills girls are no different, except that they either have a makeup artist prepping them or someone gave them a very successful tutorial about how to create the perfect kohl-rimmed cat eye. Notice LC’s liner on the next show. It is absolutely perfect- dark but not too dark, lined all around her eye with the best little upswept cat’s eye tail.
New Shampoo Obsession
I gave the whole Fructis experiment thing a fair shake. I really tried to make it work. In retrospect, the idea was ill conceived from the get-go. I cannot expect a “shampoo plus conditioner” in one to work on my very thick, course hair. After reviewing an old Allure and realizing that Pantene Classic Clean has won its “best shampoo” award several years in a row, I decided to give that a whirl. I usually go for the more glamorous shampoo concoctions like “Severely Straight” or “Tropical Moisture,” that sort of thing. So, purchasing a boring old shampoo named “Classic Clean” just doesn’t excite me. Well, in this case, the product proved me wrong. It is exciting! It leaves my hair soft, clean, and shiny. I am totally loving it. I am not a huge fan of the Pantene fragrance, but the results of using Classic Clean completely override that little issue.
Prime Time
I believe that I may have stumbled upon the antidote to the Bare Minerals short term wear situation. It is called Prime Time, and of course I learned about it on QVC the other night. Prime Time is a foundation primer from Bare Escentuals. An eyelid version also exists, which I quickly snapped up. Yesterday was my first Prime Time test run. I worked in the office all day, which is an excellent test for my foundation. By the end of the day, the BE foundation was still going strong, as was the BE shadow which usually only lasts about 45 minutes on my eyelid without the primer. I think that I am thrilled with the new primer situation. I am going to be paying close attention to my skin because primers have a tendency to break me out.
Dry Shampoo? It’s Totally True!
My sister recently visited me in New York, and in addition to our usual shopping, she told me she was on a mad hunt for hair powder. I had to admit not knowing how to direct her on her quest. This was not something I usually looked for and/or purchased. What luck when, on a quick pre-brunch trip to the local Rite Aid, she found a spray powder shampoo on the shelves by the brand SG, Salon Grafix. I was dubious that this would work for her but tried to keep an open mind. She called me two days later with the results. She loved it and wanted me to get some ASAP. Not being one to turn down any fun new beauty products, I obliged. For girls with very thick, course hair that requires lots and lots of style time, it is important to wash your hair every other day. (Mainly because 2nd day hair always looks shinier and flatter- the ultimate goal.) The problem with 2nd day hair is that, if you are used to washing everyday, you may miss that freshly shampooed smell and feel. This is where hair powder, or dry shampoo comes in. It actually absorbs oil and leaves hair smelling awesome (better than actual shampoo) so you feel like you shampooed on those “in between” days. Plus your hair looks really great. I have been won over by SG as have others apparently because it is very hard to find. If you are interested, I think Rite Aid stocks this almost exclusively.
QVC’ed
I am totally guilty of watching QVC when they are featuring beauty products. How can a beauty addict not watch? The makeup companies bring in their top makeup artists/salespeople to help pitch the products and, while talking price and value, they impart terrific makeup tips and do fun makeovers while you watch. I am especially guilty of tuning in to the Bare Escentuals show. First of all, I am amazed at what the company has done in regard to revolutionizing the world of foundation. I love to listen to the numbers of kits and cases that literally fly off the “shelves” of QVC in mere minutes. (250,000 makeup kits were sold during yesterday’s show.) But mainly I get a thrill out of watching the makeovers and revisiting the “swirl, tap, and buff” technique made famous by the brand. While it is true that I have tried it over and over again and promptly retire it to my makeup drawer because it just does not last on my skin, after watching one of the QVC segments, I am easily tempted to give it another try. I am also one of those people who is too embarrassed to order form QVC, so I take mental notes on what I saw that I liked, knowing that I can go buy it from Sephora the next day. It looks like I am falling into the same old pattern. I pulled out my BE kit today and applied it this morning– and I am just dying to hit Sephora today for one of the new BE eye kits they featured last night.
Blast off
I just purchased Cover Girl’s new Lash Blast mascara. I have to confess that one of the main things that spurred my purchase decision was the adorable advertising campaign with their new spokesmodel, Drew Barrymore. I also love the bright orange tube and the super cool plastic wand. Packaging and promotion aside, the mascara is great. After about 3-4 strokes per eye, my lashes are standing at attention and are 100% clump free. This is a new fave!
Recovering Addict
I have hesitated to write this post for several weeks because the subject is one that brings me both joy and sadness. I find joy in remembering the good times and sadness when I consider the current state of affairs. I am writing about my local Loehmann’s store, the original New York designer discount outpost on 7th Ave. and 17th St. I was introduced to Loehmann’s by my first boss in advertising. Beautiful and fashionable, I would have followed her into the dollar store if she told me she had bought a fabulous bight pink fake fur coat there. My addiction to Loehmann’s was immediate. I had hit the fashion jackpot. Unique designer clothes at euphoria-inducing prices. Loehmann’s was my retail therapy high, and this consumer’s drug of choice. I quickly assessed when new shoe, accessory, and fashion deliveries were sent to the store, and I would stake out the departments with the keen eye of a hunter. If I couldn’t afford an item that day, I would hide it and come back when I could afford it. I can remember some of my better Loehmann’s purchases- a pair of peach Marc Jacobs pants, a satin Donna Karan trench, a black Pamela Dennis dress (back when she had a dress business), a lavender cashmere sweater set for $89. Storied purchases aside, I could also find the coolest pieces by unknown designers. Shirts, pants, and sweaters that were inexpensive but looked like the came from an expensive boutique. Loehmann’s was my little secret, my special place. However, it is with a heavy heart that I reveal that the store has either been discovered or is suffering from the absence of a good buyer. Over the past two years, I have noticed a new Loehmann’s. The store is picked over, the products are similar to what can be found in a Marshall’s or TJ Maxx, and the terrific brands are gone. The Back Room does have some of the same designers they used to stock, but the items they have are limited. The selection is gone. The shoe department may be the worst hit of all. The selection is terrible. I haven’t bought a pair of shoes in over a year, and believe me, I have absolutely tried. I scour that department almost weekly. Although I do not want to give up on it entirely, I am almost there. However, I’ll always have the memories.
