Gasp!

There are many reasons I love New York. There's the Park (Central Park to be exact), the bagels at H&H, the look of exasperation only New Yorkers give when tourists are blocking the sidewalks as you run late to work (that's of course a close second to being pushed through the subway doors!). But my undisputed favorite thing about the island is the opportunity to visit a "performance art" exhibition at the Moma (since when did stabbing your hands become art?), attend an Opera at the Met, dine in one of the undisputed top Italian restaurants (Locande Verde I'm sorry you're going to have to move over for Maialino) and close out with a nice set of Jazz all in one evening. Second to this dazzling array of festivities is of course the bargains. Where else do sample sales (designer overstock at 75% off retail) constitute your main source of shopping? How about $25 mani/pedi's that last 2 weeks? And of course there's spa week.

Not unique to only NYC, spa week is a bi-annual tradition hosted in major cities all over the US where top spas offer their services at a fraction of the price. I always take this opportunity to visit my go to aesthetician, let's call her A, at a certain vino inspired salon housed in a NYC landmark (have you guessed which spa I'm talking about?). The tricky thing about facials is that you should never trust your face to a novice because all that extracting and squeezing can lead to serious and permanent damage if not done in the right hands. Walking out of a facial with radiantly smooth and even skin is a more challenging task than you might imagine. Luckily A extracted without a mark...until this time. I walked out the spa with what was a bruised, almost blood shot crater on my chin. And I swore I didn't have a pimple on my chin going into the service, oh my god! All I could think was this is going to be permanent, my skin is going to scar! So I set fast to work to minimize and curtail the damage. On went a calming serum with bisabolol (a derivative of chamomile) and I put aside all my highly active products (ie. vitamin C serums, concentrated creams, etc). For the next 3 days I applied Skinceuticals Blemish Control Gel religiously to help clear the breakout and followed with a brightening, dark spot correcting treatment to discourage hyperpigmentation (we will cover this miracle worker next time). I then wanted to gently encourage micro-resurfacing to slough off the dead, bruised skin cells by cleansing with the help of the Clarisonic and my fav glycolic based cleanser. By Sunday night the awful nightmare literally transformed to radiant, glowing skin. Crisis averted!

Usage tip: If you ever have a bad experience at a spa call the manager immediately. Visit a derm if it looks serious and you can always reach to me of course! The reality is your skin needs a spring cleaning every 4-6 months so at the very least bi-annual facials are a must. (Just ask J who's hooked!). To find a properly qualified aesthetician ask friends and family for a referral or look through your look paper and see if any are quoted in skin related articles. Bottom line do your research!

The result: As my mom always said there's not a problem in the world that can't be solved and my skin now has this ethereal glow.

Wax On, Wax Off

Have you ever paid someone for a service or task only to find out that you could have saved your hard earned dollars and done it yourself? Take for example buying your morning coffee/tea vs. making it yourself. Let me run the numbers for you real quick: green tea or morning coffee at Starbucks $1.75, box of 12 tea bags or a pound grounded coffee $4.99, saving yourself the extra $16 for 12 AM pick me ups? Priceless. Yes I make my own morning tea but my thriftiness doesn't stop there.

I've always been a big believer in waxing vs. shaving but the bi-weekly appointments started feeling a bit like a rip off (no pun intended!) when I quickly realized that the aesthetician wasn't doing anything I couldn't do at home given the right tools. Most luxury spas count on Depileve for their wax since it is high quality, efficient and professional. Unfortunately a couple of years ago this salon/spa exclusive wasn't available to the common folk like you or me but thanks to the growing e-businesses doors have been opened. For small areas like the upper lip or underarm, which don't require precision like the eye brow, I count on Depileve Monoi of Tahiti Stripless Extra Film Hard Wax. As the name implies this is a stripless wax which instantly hardens on skin as it binds onto the hair. Once hard you simply pull at the edge to remove the strip for hair-free, soft skin. I find that hard wax is better suited to smaller areas because it's cleaner (no left over sticky wax on skin), easy to use (No Dummies for Waxing books needed!) and most importantly it removes hair more efficiently. The only catch is that you must purchase a wax warmer (think a little stove inspired device that keeps your wax at the proper temperature when you need it) but trust me the investment pays off. A quick easy thing that you can do at home so you can skip the spa/salon visits (who has the time?!) and invest the money you will be saving for some hot strappy summer sandals!

Usage tip: Always make sure the area is clean and oil-, moisture- and deodorant-free. Test the temperature of the wax on your hand first to make sure it's not too hot then apply with a wood spatula in direction of the hair growth (target sections no larger than 2 inches). You want to make sure the wax you apply is thick enough that is grabs the hair and will all pull off together without breaking into pieces but not so thick that it can't dry (no thicker than 2-3cm). After applying the wax wait a second or two and then gently pat to help it lock-in every bit of hair. Grab the corner and pull the strip in the opposite direction of the hair growth. If you didn't remove all the hair you can repeat in smaller amounts on those areas. After you've finished make sure there's no leftover wax pieces and apply a calming lotion to the area.

The result: Money in the bank and a newly acquired skill set that will ensure you're always hair-free without needing an appointment!

Being a Lady

True story: at a very early adolescent age my mom took me for my first waxing appointment (I was a bit of an early bloomer as people say…). I remember the shock and horror I felt with what I thought was nothing short of a barbarian experience. As my mom pleaded to get me out of the car she said, “You will just have to learn that to be a beautiful lady there will be some physical pain involved.” Years later I realize yes it does hurt to look beautiful! Just look at we subject ourselves to…injections, lasers, peel and yes we still are quite fond of our waxing. While the results of waxing are amazing (no razor bumps, baby soft skin, slower hair growth), the cost can be quite prohibitive (did you know Brazilians are costing upwards of $100 a pop these days? Craziness!).

As always I love a good deal and welcome DIY alternatives so I was overjoyed after I found Nads Body Wax Strips. After sampling various wax strips I found the Nads' to be easy, efficient at “grabbing hair” and virtually pain-free. The convenient pre-waxes strips feature a unique weave technology that makes all the difference helping it to conform to your body shape for optimal gripping. Simply warm up each strip by rubbing it in between your hands (think the motion you would use to dethaw chilly hands) and apply it to the desired area following the direction of hair growth. Smooth the strip on your skin by again rubbing along the direction of hair growth and then with one seamless and painless move grip the end of the strip and against the hair growth. It’s important to remember that the motion should be a horizontal pull that stays adjacent to the skin surface versus pulling upwards in a vertical motion causing painful hair breakage. These strips are amazingly convenient for large areas like the legs and arms (we will cover smaller more precise areas like the underarm and bikini in the next post). At $4.89 a box you will get enough to last 3-4 treatments and each strip can be used 2-3 times before the stickiness wears off. I’m not sure what they are calling us these days…recessionista, frugalista or whatever but this is the spa waxing alternative for any lady on a budget.

Usage tip: Make sure skin is clean and free of any oils/moisture before waxing to ensure optimal hair gripping. Nad's kit comes with cleansing towelettes that clean while superficially desensitizing skin for added comfort. After waxing treat skin with the Soothing and Finishing wipes (also included in the kit) to nourish, remove any leftover wax and restore softness.

The result: Baby soft, hair-free skin that lasts longer than multiple shaves….isn’t that rough hair growth compliments of the razor a major turnoff anyway?

Vacation State of Mind

Fresh off a restful yet adventurous, relaxing yet soulfulfilling vacation I'm back and submerged into the "real world." Gone to waking up to the sounds of the tropical birds and breakfasting while my eyes feasted on the visual serenity of the crystal clear ocean and back is waking up bleary eyed to the sound of my blaring alarm and scarfing my breakfast as I read the 1oo plus work emails received overnight (side note: why do people feel the need to send work emails at 11pm, 2am, 5am and 7am?! We get it, you're dedicated...aka. brown noser but seriously find something else more fulfilling to do with your time...hint hint!). So it is clear that I'm in severe vacation withdrawal mode.

Enter my vacation comfort food or in another words Kiehl's Imperial Body Balm. I open the jar and my nose picks up the notes of the ocean, seal salt and sand sprinkled with hints of coca butter, reminding me of my after-sun oil, and coconut, a divine snack we devoured sea side. I am transported back. Ahhh! But besides the sensory experience this luxuriously rich treatment nourishes my sun/sea salt exposed skin that is feeling a little less than soft and supple. Yes these environmental aggressors do deplete skin leaving it more leathery than silky requiring some serious tlc. This balm is like boot camp for your skin as olive oil, shea and cocoa butter deeply hydrate and fight free radical damage to combat premature aging resulting from dryness or harsh climate/environmental effects. Honey and glycolic acids help slough off dead skin cells and jump start cellular regeneration for softer more radiant skin. This treatment will remind you of an enveloping, soft cashmere that restores the comfort and goodness for your skin.

Usage tip: As always when is the best time to apply a moisturizer? Directly post-shower to "lock-in" moisture. In addition to the all over application this treatment can also be used for needy, stubborn areas like the elbow or feet. Make sure the product is properly absorbed before dressing.

The result: With just one whiff I'm transported back to the calming sea and with each application my skin is lulled back to baby softness!

Art

There’s something intoxicating about the first day’s of Spring. The weather warms up, people make a mass exodus out of the buildings and into the outdoor cafés and parks, scarfs are replaced by sunglasses and our winter skin comes out of hiding. Slowly but surely layers of clothing are stripped to bare collarbones, arms, backs and ooh who can forget about the legs?! It’s as if we come out of hiding and the catcalls from the construction workers begin (just think years from now when you’re pushing a stroller and looking a bit disheveled with no catcalls in sight you’re going to miss the friendly harassment!). But as you dare to bare give people a reason to do a double take or linger a little longer with Spring’s hottest accessory from our favorite trendsetting fashion house, Chanel.

The brainchild of Peter Phillips, Chanel’s cosmetic Creative Director, Chanel’s Temporary Skin Art tattoos let you express yourself in a new art filled way. Think classy not trashy (ie. NO Jesse James’ stripper, tattoo covered mistresses here…and what was he thinking?! Sandra move on!), these body art pieces personify the iconic visuals of Chanel. Double C signs, humming birds and pearl strands are just a few of the temporary tattoos that are available. Adorn you collarbone, back, arm, wrist (like Sarah Jessica Parker did at the Oscars) and even ankles with this sexy accessory. I look at it as a way to play “dress up” albeit in an unconventional, daring way. I’ve always wanted a sophisticated inking but battled with the thought of its permanent status. Now I can play away! Timeless and appropriate these designs transcend space and occasion making them fitting for afternoon tea time as well as date night (catch him off guard with some strategically placed art!). So be unpredictable and adorn that gorgeous skin with the art you've always lusted for.

Usage tip: Learn from the pros and color in select bits and pieces of the designs with a liquid eyeliner like the Chanel makeup artists did at the Spring fashion show to customize and personalize your art!

The result: Delectably devious jeweled skin just in time for the warmer days!

On a side note I will be on vacation next week so check back on the 12th for a new post (don't worry I will be trying product to report on when I'm back!).