For those of you that are new to the brand Philosophy, this is the perfect starter set for you.  It is an effective skincare line and comes at a completely affordable price.  This set includes Philosophy’s best-selling skincare products all designed to promote radiantly clear and smooth skin.  And coming in fairly large sizes, The Miracle Worker will last long enough for you to see real results.  I highly recommend it to those of you looking to try a new line but don’t want to spend a ton on purchasing an entire skincare regimen.

The Miracle Worker contains:

• 8 oz Purity Made Simple One-Step Facial Cleanser
• 8 oz The Microdelivery Exfoliating Wash
• 2 oz Hope In A Jar
• 0.5 oz Hope In a Tube
• 1 oz The Microdelivery Peel Crystals
• 1 oz The Microdelivery Peel Gel

Do any of you use Philosophy products?  I’m a huge fan of their body care line and especially their holiday sets. Check out my previous post on another Philosophy holiday gift set I’m definitely picking up!    And head over to Sephora.com to see more from their holiday collections.

Until next time girls and boys…  xoxo

Glowelle is the ultimate beauty drink that helps fight signs of aging by nourishing the skin from the inside out.  It is a dietary supplement that contains high antioxidant nutrients, botanicals and fruit extracts and is made with all natural ingredients with no artificial flavors, colors, or sweeteners.  It comes in two different forms (liquid and powder) and has been clinically tested with amazing results.  The clinical studies have shown that Glowelle:

• helps to protect the skin by helping to reduce some of the skin effects induced by moderate sun exposure
• increases antioxidant activity in the body, which may help slow down skin aging
• helps even skin tone, contributing to younger-looking skin

Now I’ve never been the one to stay on top of taking my daily supplements (especially when they come in pill form).  But not only does Glowelle contribute to a healthy and natural glow by providing the supplements my body and skin needs, it tastes really good as well!  It comes in two different flavors, Natural Raspberry Jasmine and Natural Pomegranate Lychee (my fav), and only counts for 100 calories in the ready to drink bottles and 50 calories in the on-the-go stick packs.  I’ve been using the on-the-go stick packs and absolutely love what I’m seeing.  It’s only been a week so far and I can already see a difference in my skin.  My skin feels smoother and I feel healthier!  How much more could I ask for?

So being the little scientist that I am, I had to do more research and see what exactly is in this wonderful concoction.  Here is what I found out:

• Apple Extracts- rich in polyphenols which is a powerful antioxidant
• Beta-Carotene- the precursor to Vitamin A which is key to fighting free radicals
• Cocoa Extract- a natural source of polyphenols which help to improve the skin’s texture and moisture level
• Coenzyme Q10- a natural antioxidant of the skin which works with Vitamin E to reinforce the skin’s natural protective antioxidant barrier against environmental danger
• Goji Berry Extract- a well-being botanical traditional to Chinese medicine that is packed with beneficial antioxidants
• Grape Seed Extract- a natural source of polyphenols that neutralize the destructive free radicals created by sun exposure
• Green and White Tea Extract- containing polyphenols called catechins which may keep the skin from becoming inflamed after exposure to the sun, increase the survival of skin cells, protect the skin’s structural integrity, and diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
• Lutein- a carotenoid antioxidant which decreases some of the harmful effects of free radicals
• Lycopene- another antioxidant carotenoid that is effective against singlet oxygen- a particularly pernicious type of free radical
• Maritime Pine Bark Extract- a natural source of antioxidant polyphenols which supports a healthy response to skin redness
• Pomegranate Extract- being one of the foods with the highest antioxidant levels on the planet, it provides powerful protection against free radicals
• Quercetin- a type of polyphenol that may inhibit the enzyme that degrades collagen, protect skin cells against free radicals formed from sun exposure, and even out skin tone
• Selenium- essential trace mineral that is a key component to one of the body’s primary antioxidant enzymes
• Vitamin C- essential nutrient for the production of collagen and a potent antioxidant that regenerates Vitamin E
• Vitamin E with Mixed Tocopherols- another essential nutrient that protects the skin’s moisture barrier and a powerful antioxidant that shields free radicals

Wow!  Jam-packed with all those goods, Glowelle definitely has a promising product.  I know I’m impressed!    Try it out for yourself and let me know what you think.

Until next time ladies…  xoxo

*clinical study and ingredient information provided by www.glowelle.com

Last week I mentioned how much I love La Prairie’s products and how if I could afford the entire line, I would!  What I didn’t mention was how much more my boyfriend actually enjoys the line as well!  He will probably kill me for mentioning this (haha), but its true.  La Prairie is just as male friendly as any other line.  I mean yes, it may come in very pretty packaging, but the efficacy of their products works across both genders.

My boyfriend’s favorite line from La Prairie is the Radiance Collection.  Well just last month, La Prairie came out with The Radiance Premiere Collection, Limited Edition.  It is an introductory collection of travel-size items that allows you to experience the luxury of La Prairie at a fraction of the cost.  Included in this set:

• Cellular Radiance Concentrate Pure Gold
• Cellular Radiance Cream
• Cellular Radiance Eye Cream

Now the exciting news I received last week is that La Prairie is also making The Skin Caviar Premiere Collection (the line that made La Prairie world famous), which will be available in stores next month and The Anti-Aging Premiere Collection (my absolute favorite line from La Prairie) coming out in January 2010.  It looks like I’ve found the perfect stocking stuffers for this upcoming holiday season!    So if you’ve ever been interested in testing out the luxury of La Prairie, I highly recommend picking up one of these collections.  I promise you will never want to experience anything less.

Until next time my loves…  xoxo

Many skin care companies are coming out with lines specifically geared towards sensitive skin, which is great news.  It can be difficult finding the right treatment choices when dealing with sensitive skin.  However, just because a product line claims to be for sensitive skin, I always recommend doing a test patch first.  It’s better safe than sorry when dealing with a condition like this.  The primary goal for treatment of sensitive skin is to calm and cool the skin while increasing the skin’s ability to create a barrier from the environment.  When purchasing a product, stay on the lookout for ingredients like aloe vera, chamomile, allantoin, azulene, and licorice extracts which help to calm and soothe the skin.

One skin care line that I’ve always been a true fan of is Origins.  Origins teamed up with Dr. Andrew Weil, the foremost authority on integrative health, and developed a collection of sensitive skin treatments that optimize the skin’s defenses while targeting a wide array of skin concerns.  Made of a potent blend of health-promoting plants and herbs, this line has shown to be a promising treatment for those with sensitive skin.  The entire line includes:

Plantidote™ Mega-Mushroom Face Serum

Plantidote™ Mega-Mushroom Face Cleanser

Plantidote™ Mega-Mushroom Face Cream

Plantidote™ Mega-Mushroom Treatment Lotion

Plantidote™ Mega-Mushroom Eye Serum

Plantidote™ Mega-Mushroom Face Lotion

Plantidote™ Mega-Mushroom Eye Makeup Remover Pads with Therapeutic Benefits

Dr. Andrew Weil for Origins™ Conditioning Lip Balm with Turmeric

Plantidote™ Mega-Mushroom Body Cream

Plantidote™ Mega-Mushroom Skin-Calming Face Mask

In addition to being a great line, Origins still holds true to their Recycling Program taking any empty beauty container (Origins or not) and recycling them for you.  Dr. Weil has also promised to donate all profits from his line of products with Origins to the Weil Foundation, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting integrative medicine through training, education and research. And as if this couldn’t get any better, Origins is offering a free Skincare Set with any skincare order until October 3^rd on Origins.com.  With four different sets targeting aging, brightening, firming, or repairing you get deluxe samples of a cleanser, serum, and Origins popular Modern Friction gentle dermabrasion.  How great is that?

So to all my sensitive skinned beauties, I feel your pain but stay positive.  There are so many promising products out there! 

Until next time everyone…  xoxo

Anti-Aging Anti-Wrinkle Eye Line Filler is a skin smoothing formula with powerful peptides that fills lines immediately and works to rebuild wrinkled areas over time.  You apply your regular eye cream and allow it to fully absorb.  Then you gently pat this line filler directly on wrinkled areas around the eye such as crows feet (or even those notorious wrinkles between your eyebrows) and watch them slowly disappear before your eyes.  It’s the perfect pick me up throughout the day.

Anti-Aging Concealer SPF 20 comes in three natural-looking shades that banish under-eye darkness, discoloration and redness anywhere on the face, and offers long lasting coverage for a flawless look.  It also keeps future damage at bay with UVA and UVB sun protection factor 20 and includes potent antioxidants and collagen enhancing ingredients.  Now as a person who cannot leave the house without concealer and SPF, this one I am super excited about!  How often do you get a concealer that not only hides your flaws, but benefits your skin concerns as well?  This is something that La Prairie has always been known for with their makeup.

Being a retail trainer for La Prairie has definitely taught me a lot about skin care and I really have them as a company to thank for where I have gotten in this industry today.  So if anyone has any other questions or interest about La Prairie as a line, please let me know!  I’d love to hear from you.    And don’t forget to check out their 3 new fragrances (Life Threads- Silver, Gold, and Platinum) that are also launching this fall as well.

Until next time dolls…  xoxo

So being the OCD person that I sometimes am I quickly took my pillowcase and pillow and threw them both in the wash.  I normally sleep on my right-hand side and had been rather lazy lately by not washing my face before bed (I know…  total beauty faux pas).  So I figured that had to be it!  I had also just read an article in the new Glamour magazine about your pillow being the dirtiest spot in your bedroom.  According to a British study, our pillows “host a miniature ecosystem of human skin cells and dust mites, plus up to 47 different types of fungi.”  Can anybody say, “DISGUSTING”?  Eww… Eww…  and Eww again!  So as advised by the article, I washed not only my pillowcase, but the actual pillow as well.  They also recommended replacing your pillows every two to three years, which I will definitely be doing soon.

Now with my pillows all nice and clean, the only problem I had left was getting rid of little Tommy ASAP.  It’s hard for people to take you seriously working in the beauty industry with a big fat zit on your face.  So I did a spot treatment with one of my favorite clarifying masks.  Boscia Clarifying Detox Mask is a deep cleansing clay mask that contains pure botanicals, herbs, and select ingredients like kaolin clay which is great for drawing out impurities, absorbing excess oil, and detoxifying the skin.  It also contains anti-irritants and antioxidants to soothe the skin and protect it against the appearance of aging.

Normally, you would apply a thin layer all over cleansed skin 1-2 times per week.  But because I was desperate to get rid of this thing, I used the mask as a spot treatment and applied it a little thicker in one area.  By the next morning, the swelling around my pimple had gone down significantly and the redness was practically gone!  My skin was already on its way to recovery in just one day, which is a miracle since breakouts on the cheeks take longer to heal.  I definitely recommend picking up this clarifying mask as it’s a great product, botanically based, and preservative free.  So eco-chic! 

Write to me about your beauty nightmares and how you solved them.  I’d love to hear form you.

Until next time everybody…  xoxo

Dull skin is usually due to an accumulation of dead skin cells.  When we fail to exfoliate and unveil that more youthful skin underneath, we tend to lose that “glow”.  Well don’t fret, there are so many options out there to help you.  The simplest one I can recommend is to exfoliate!  Find an exfoliant that’s right for you and start off using it 1-2 times per week.  Please keep in mind that overexfoliating can be very damaging to the skin so you could be doing more harm than good.  Steer clear of those overly abrasive exfoliators like St. Ives Apricot Scub.  Now I know everybody on the planet has probably used that one, but its way too much for the delicate skin on your face.  Scrubs like that can actually cause tears in the skin and really do a lot more damage than simply removing the dead skin cells that lie on top.  Overstimulation of the skin can also lead to breakouts.  So depending on your skin’s sensitivity, stay on the lookout for scrubs with soft rounded beads (a gentler option) or scrubs with grounded seeds (a more abrasive option).

Now on top of preventing a buildup of cells, you want to make sure you’re treating your skin to the best serums and moisturizers to keep the growing cells healthy.  All of this combined is what brings about that youthful, radiant glow.  Sephora has just launched 5 new limited edition sets for the holidays (can you believe its that time already?) and I have found the perfect one for all of you concerned with dullness.  Sephora Favorites Radiant Skin Regimen Deluxe Sampler contains deluxe-sized samples of top brand products that are guaranteed to keep you looking young and fresh this holiday season.

Sephora Favorites Radiant Skin Regimen Deluxe Sampler includes:

• 1 oz Bliss Fabulous Foaming Face Wash
• 1.35 oz Cosmedicine Medi-Morphosis Self Adjusting Exfoliator
• 0.5 oz Perricone Advanced Face Firming Activator
• 0.23 oz DDF Wrinkle Resist Plus Pore Minimizer Moisturizing Serum
• 0.24 oz Kinerase C8 Peptide Intensive Treatment
• 0.14 oz Murad Essential-C Eye Cream SPF15
• 0.4 oz Philosophy Hope in a Jar
• 1 oz Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion
• 0.5 oz Peter Thomas Roth Max Sheer All Day Moisture Defense Lotion

Doesn’t it sound amazing?  And at a value of $143 for $38, you seriously CAN’T beat it!  Mine is already on its way in the mail.  I can’t wait!  Make sure you guys check out all the other value sets at Sephora as well.  They’ll make great stocking stuffers for those you love, even if that means stuffing your own! 

A PhotoFacial is an anti-aging treatment that reduces hyperpigmentation, redness, fine lines, and wrinkles through a form of intense pulsed light that safely penetrates all levels of the skin.  It results in a more youthful appearance and normally requires little to no downtime.  Most PhotoFacial treatments start at $1500 for a series and are usually offered at medi-spas.  Now I don’t know about you, but I certainly don’t have that much money growing off my money tree.  So when Kinerase came out with PhotoFacials Sun Damage Reversal System Introductory Kit, an at home treatment for $100, I was super excited.

Kinerase PhotoFacials Sun Damage Reversal System Introductory Kit is an at-home system that features three products that reverse the signs of sun damage in as little as four weeks.  The set contains an Exfoliating Cleanser (to be used AM and PM), a Day Moisturizer with SPF 50 (yippee!), and a Night Moisturizer.  Instead of using intense pulsed light, these products are packed with active ingredients that replicate the benefits of an in-office procedure.  This system is truly worth every penny is the perfect way to reverse the damages of summers past.  Just keep in mind that everybody will experience different results.  The more damage you have, the more drastic the results will be.

Until next time guys…  xoxo

Now there seems to be some controversy over whether or not drinking plenty of water is good for you skin.  Well I am here to tell you OF COURSE IT IS!!!  Since when is drinking water bad?  Now drinking plenty of water might not cure dry or dehydrated skin, but water can definitely help maintain a healthy complexion.  The skin is sort of a barometer of our health and you can definitely determine the overall health of a person just by looking at their skin.  When things aren’t going right on the inside, our skin screams out warning signs on the outside.  So paying attention to our skin runs deeper than just trying to look good.  It’s about feeling healthy as well!

Drinking water daily is important to our overall health because water is needed to assist in most of our bodily functions.  Water not only helps carry necessary nutrients throughout the body, it also assists in flushing out the harmful toxins as well.  For example, by helping to increase blood circulation and cleaning out the toxins, dark under eye circles and breakouts can be diminished.  In addition to transporting the good stuff and getting rid of the bad stuff, water also helps to maintain muscle tone, which in the face, prevents wrinkles and maintains suppleness.  And these are just a few examples of what water can do for the skin!

So what I’m basically trying to say is STAY HYDRATED!  And for those of you who can’t drink just plain water, sparkling water is fine too.  Just make sure you’re not drinking too many flavored waters with sugary syrups, as sugar triggers inflammation within the body eventually leading to wrinkles.  So if you have to, throw in a few fresh fruits to add your own healthy flavor.

Ok, so you’re probably wondering how all of this ties into BCB Eco-Fridays.  Well I have found the coolest eco-friendly water product out there!  SodaStream has created an at-home sparkling water machine that is popping up more and more at spas across the country.  Not only can you make your own bottled sparkling water in your very own home, you can adjust it to create your perfect amount of fizz!  How cool is that?  Even better, this gadget doesn’t require electricity or batteries.  Their products and bottles are completely recyclable, free of harmful toxins, and will save you from spending so much on individual bottles of water that you probably forget to recycle anyway.  Check out their website and learn more about SodaStream now.

Until next time…  xoxo

Not only was the restaurant great, but the company we spent it with was just as amazing as well.  I had the pleasure of meeting the wife of one of my boyfriend’s business associates who actually is the heart of this post today.  At the end of our lovely meal, this wonderful woman pulled out two little sachets as a gift to both my boyfriend and myself.  She mentioned that she always makes a little gift for people she knows she is meeting for the first time.  I was so touched by her selfless act that I just had to tell you all about it here on BCB.  Inside our sachets was hand made jewelry that she had created herself and a beautiful piece made of larimar stone.  Larimar is a rare stone found only in the Dominican Republic and represents peace and clarity, emitting an energy of healing and love.  It a beautiful stone and I will always remember this beautiful woman for it.

Now throughout our dinner we carried on many conversations but one that stuck out in particular was what this lovely woman did for her own skin.  I wish I had a picture to show you but this older woman did not have a single wrinkle on her face!  She had gorgeously healthy looking skin.  She told us a story about this 60 year old woman she had met when she was younger who looked no older than 25.  She asked the woman what her secret was and the woman told her olive oil.  From then on, my new friend used olive oil on her face daily!  Little did she know that olive oil truly is a beauty secret that has been around for centuries.

Here are some different ways olive oil (a natural antioxidant and anti-inflammatory) can give you an all over beauty treatment:

• Mix ¼ cup of virgin olive oil (to hydrate and protect the skin) with 1 egg white (to nourish and tighten the skin) and apply the mixture as a mask to the face and neck to help smooth, tighten, and hydrate.
• Mix 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil (to loosen layers of dead skin) and ¼ cup of sugar to slough away rough spots like the elbows and knees.  Can also be used with a coarse salt all over the body to tone and stimulate the skin, while keeping it hydrated.
• Pure olive oil can be used to keep hair soft and tangle free by applying to the hair and scalp and left overnight.  Follow with a great shampoo the next morning for frizz free locks.
• Take care of neglected tootsies by dipping your feet into warm olive oil for a few minutes and buffing them with coarse salt, and rinse.
• Apply olive oil all over to soften dry, irritated skin and to treat sunburns after spending a day at the beach
• For a quick treatment to tame frizzy hair and fly-aways, apply a few drops to your hands and comb through hair with your fingers.

If you have any other olive oil tricks, please comment and share with us your experiences!  And if you’d like to see more useful home remedies, click here and check out this awesome book.

Until next time everyone…  xoxo