Beauty411

Nailtiques Summer Foot Care

You've bought the perfect wedge sandals to pair with the perfect summer dress.  Are your feet ready for their close up?  It's summer and with feet (and toes) on display, a few steps will make sure they look their best.

If you can, I'd recommend starting out with a professional pedicure and then maintaining it at home.  Because feet and particularly ankles, are exposed in sandals or on the beach, Nailtiques Avocado Foot Creme is perfect for conditioning dry and calloused areas.  A tip is to cut the toes off a pair of athletic socks and slip them on after applying the Avocado Foot Creme.  The cloth moisturizes the creme into your feet, leaving toes free for polishing.  Condition cuticles with Nailtiques Oil Therapy and shape nails with Nailtiques two-sided Cushioned Sponge File. Add your favorite polish (go high style and try a shade from the new Essie Neon Collection) and you're ready to bare your soles!

Nailtiques products are available at Folica, Drugstore.com and Ulta.  For additional information check the Nailtiques website.  Do you have a  favorite products for summer foot care? 

Pacifica Solid Perfume

Pacifica Hawaiian Ruby Guava Solid Perfume is my new latest summer fragrance obsession.  And the best part is, I discovered it completely by accident.  While on my lunch hour a couple of weeks ago, I popped into a medi-spa to see what skincare lines they offered and got distracted by the Pacifica display.  I knew I was going to be travelling for business and thought that solid perfume would be a great way to avoid the "plastic bag" issue. When I took one whiff of the Hawaiian Ruby Guava, the fragrance was intoxicating.  It's fruity and tropical and citrusy. Instant aromatherapy.  On top of that, there are no preservatives, there are natural essential oils and it's vegan. The price?  Small, too at $ 9.00 (although prices may vary by retailer).

Pacifica Hawaiian Ruby Guava Solid Perfume is part of a collection of nine solid fragrances, each of them heavenly in their own right.  The Pacifica line also includes candles, soaps and body butters (I definitely want to try those).  The adorable little tins are very collectible and very addicting.  I'd encourage you to check the website to see if this line is available in your area and give the Pacifica Solid Perfumes a try.

Caress Brazilian Exotic Oil Infusions Body Wash

Caress Brazilian Exotic Oil Infusions body wash captures the essence and spirit of Brazil in this new line that also includes Moroccan and Japanese Exotic Oil Infusions.  This body wash blends the rich consistency of Passion Flower Cream and the silkiness of Acai Fruit Oil resulting in soft, silky skin.  The acai berry, found in the palm trees of the Amazon, has gotten serious buzz about it's antioxidant properties. 

When I first tried Caress Brazilian Exotic Oil Infusions body wash in the shower, I really was amazed at how nice the fragrance is.  It leaves the skin moisturized, hydrated and leaves a luscious sheen.  This is a body wash that I would repurchase without hesitation.  Everyone knows that Brazilian women are noted for their beauty and sensuality; bring a little of that home with Caress Brazilian Exotic Oil Infusions body wash. Caress Brazilian Exotic Oil Infusions body wash is available at food, drug and mass retailers nationwide. 

FHI Heat: Platform SE Styling Iron and Hot Sauce

FHI Heat, a well-respected name in styling products, really delivers with the new Platform Special Edition Styling Iron.  I've been using this styling iron with 1" blades and have been very pleased with the results.  There are so many features that make the FHI Heat Platform Special Edition different from other styling irons on the market, including:

• It's lightweight and not as heavy as other styling irons I've used.
• The largest quantity of crushed tourmaline crystals, which means highest negative ion count and less damage to hair.
• Rounded corners, which prevent hair from snagging and getting caught.
• Quick to heat up; variable temperature settings to 450 degrees.
• Triple Nano technology (Nano-Titanium, Nano-Titanium Dioxide and Nano-Silver particles), which produces superior conditioning and shine with less static.

All of those things add up to a great styling iron.  What's most important to me is using a styling iron that is least damaging to my color-treated hair and provides an excellent glide with easy styling.  FHI Heat Platform Special Edition Styling Iron delivers on all counts! 

I also have been using the Hot Sauce hair conditioner in conjunction with the styling iron.  This product is a moisture-based, heat activated conditioner that is applied to hair prior to heat styling.  Hot Sauce is made with jojoba crystals suspended in a cream base.  When you apply heat, the jojoba crystals dissolve and penetrate into the hair shaft, conditioning the hair and improving the texture, which is different than silicone-based products.  I also like that it doesn't weigh my hair down. 

You can find FHI Heat products at hair salons and beauty stores nationwide, as well as the online store. 

Avon flower & petal fragrances by Cynthia Rowley

Avon and Cynthia Rowley have created a one of a kind limited-edition fragrance duo in time for Mother's Day.  The complementary fragrances, flower and petal, symbolizes the bond between mothers and daughters. The flower fragrance has notes of florals--Casablanca Lily and Freesia; warm woods, like Cashmere Woods, Velvet Woods and Sandalwood and Warm Vanilla and Skin Musk.  The petal fragrance is lighter in spirit and scent.  It is a "floral green" fragrance with Lilly of the Valley.  flower is housed in a white bottle (50ml) resembling a keepsake jewelry box, with a moderen/vintage feel to it.  petal is in an identically-shaped, smaller (30ml), pink bottle.  Both have tags featuring the floral pattern that was on the Cynthia Rowley for Avon color collection. 

Of the two fragrances, petal is my favorite.  flower is priced at $30.00 and petal is priced at $15.00.  Avon products are available nationwide through Representatives (call 1-800-FOR-AVON to locate one or check here) or online at www.avon.com. 

Clairol Perfect 10 Haircolor

An unplanned vacation.  A beyond-busy week at work.  A scheduling nightmare trying to get in to my stylist for a color boost.  All of this combined is what lead me to pick up a box of Clairol Perfect 10 Haircolor (part of the Nice 'n Easy line) while at Target last weekend.  I was hesitant, but I had seen the advertising and thought--actually prayed--that I wouldn't have anything to lose.

Perfect 10 Haircolor is a three step system similar to most other color at home kits.  You mix the tube of color into a bottle and apply to your hair.  But this applicator is different than anything else out there.  At the top of the applicator bottle, instead of a nozzle, there is a comb-like attachment, that the haircolor is dispensed from.  The last step is an intensive conditioning treatment that seals and maintains your color.  I found the color easy to apply and loved this new applicator.  I left the color on for the recommended 10 minutes, plus an extra 5 minutes, as directed, to cover gray.

What makes this product different from other at-home haircoloring kits?  First, the time factor; it cuts processing time in half.  I love that!  Also, the pH in this product is lower, that means the formula is more gentle on your hair. So what about the results?  That's really what matters, isn't it?  Overall, I really liked this product and would definitely consider buying it again if I were in a pinch.  The problem that I have with Perfect 10 Haircolor, is that in only 10 (yes 10) days, my grays are popping up again.  I expect better staying power than that, especially when I use a shampoo for color treated hair, a heat protectant product--in other words, I go through great lengths to insure that my color-treated hair is protected. 

Clairol Perfect 10 Haircolor costs about $13.99 and is available at most drug and discount stores, including Target.

TestTube: Not only for science class!

TestTube is a subscription-sampling program from NewBeauty that allows you to try new products and then review them.  Four times a year, you receive a TestTube, filled with deluxe samples; you might also receive full-sized products. Some lines you will be familiar with, others may be ones you've never heard of.  As you try the products, you can provide feedback.

For example, I just received a TestTube last week.  Here's what I got:

• SkinMedica Dermal Repair Cream (deluxe sample)
• Jansen Beckett AlphaDerma CE (1.0 oz. retail = $49.95)
• dr. brandt crease release cream (.5 oz)
• Victor & Rolf Flowerbomb eau de parfum (deluxe sample)
• Supersmile professional whitening toothpaste (full size)
• Anastasia brow gel (deluxe sample)
• Colorscience mineral lip pencil (full size)
• $25 gift card for spalook.com

The cost of each TestTube is $29.95, plus $8.95 for shipping.  You can cancel participation any time.  I've been a subscriber for a couple of years now and I believe the value of each TestTube is easily worth well over what you pay.  If you're a beauty junkie like I am, the TestTube is a great way to get exposed to beauty and skin care brands you might not be familiar with.  This is a TestTube you don't need be in science class to get!

Sally Hansen Hard As Wraps for Nails

Sally Hansen Hard As Wraps is a nail care product for fragile, soft, torn, chipped or cracked nails in need of protection.  Sign me up!  I will admit it...my nails are definitely in need of some TLC.  Every one of those categories applies to me.  When I saw this new product, I couldn't resist trying it. 

You apply the Sally Hansen Hard As Wraps treatment like a nail polish.  The formula contains an acrylic gel that seals and hardens nails with an instant, long-lasting, wrap like surface and a smooth, shiny finish.  Nylon fortifies nails and helps to prevent chipping, peeling and splitting.  What it doesn't contain is Toluene, Formaldehyde or DBP. The package suggests applying 2-3 coats of the treatment, just like nail polish.  There are 20 shades to choose from. Even after seven days, I have found this product to be an excellent protectant.  My nails have not chipped, peeled or split and are actually growing!  I plan to purchase a couple more colors, I like it so much. If you're looking for a product to help strengthen and fortify your nails, give the Sally Hansen Hard As Wraps a try.  You can find it at drugstores like CVS and Walgreens and discount stores like Target.

Bond No. 9 Saks Fifth Avenue For Her Perfume

Bond No. 9 perfumes are a sensory trip through the neighborhoods of New York.  Add another stop:  Saks Fifth Avenue. Saks commissioned Bond No.9 to develop a fragrance befitting the iconic retailer.  And like shopping at the quintessential department store, Bond No. 9 Saks Fifth Avenue for Her is glamorous, chic and luxurious.  The fragrance opens with top notes of jasmine and tuberose, develops into a lush gardenia and dries down to base notes of vetiver and vanilla.  To my nose, sometimes all-white fragrances can be overcoming, but not so this one.  The Saks Fifth Avenue for Her fragrance is evocative of the department store in that there are so many discoveries once inside.  Although initially a big floral, this fragrance continues to evolve and become more beautiful the longer you wear it. 

The bottle is also as distinctive as the fragrance inside, displaying the retailer's new white on black logo. There is an accompanying fragrance, Saks Fifth Avenue for Him, which is equally as elegant. The Saks Fifth Avenue fragrances are part of a growing Bond No.9 collection that now numbers over thirty. Bond No.9 fragances are available at Saks Fifth Avenue, in the Bond No.9 boutiques and on the website.

Evening Edged in Gold Perfume

Evening Edged in Gold is a new perfume by Ineke, that can only be described as sultry, sensual and memorable.  Ineke is a classically trained perfumer who creates original, artisan fragrances in her studio in San Francisco.  Evening Edged in Gold is the fifth in her alphabetical collection of fragrances.  This perfume opens with bright top notes of plum and gold osmanthus, then warms to middle notes of Angel's Trumpet, saffron and cinnamon bark, with base notes of Midnight Candy, leather and woods.  To my nose, this fragrance is an elegant floral/oriental; sophisticated, unforgettable and flat out seductive.  You can order Evening Edged in Gold, as well as all of the Ineke perfumes at Ineke.com.  Evening Edged in Gold was my first experience with Ineke perfume and it certainly won't be my last.