Happy Monday ladies!  How was everyone’s weekend?  I hope all my east coasters were able to safely enjoy the snowstorm.  I spent most of my weekend staying warm and cozy right here inside the apartment.  There was no way I was trekking through the snow to head out to holiday parties and what not.  But now that the storm has passed and I’m able to make it out for a little more holiday shopping, trust that I will be passing by my local M.A.C. counter to pick up some digs from their new winter collection aptly named Warm & Cozy.

Launching this week, Warm & Cozy by M.A.C. is the perfect winter collection including lots of yummy neutrals as well as great skincare to help soothe and heal what the harsh weather has caused.  Earthy combos have always been my fav so I feel like this collection was made just for me! And with the Mineralize All Over Lotion and the Care Blends Essential Oils, my skin is sure to start feeling divine!

Check out some pics of the collection below and head to maccosmetics.com for some fabulous samples of makeup looks.  And in case you were looking to place an order online, enter promo code OVERNIGHT at checkout for free overnight shipping until tomorrow evening.

Until next time ladies…  xoxo

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

Eczema has plagued many members of my family and unfortunately many of my friends as well.  Eczema is an inflammatory, painful itching disease of the skin, acute or chronic in nature, with dry or moist lesions.  Attractive right?  Fortunately as I have grown older, my eczema has dramatically decreased and now only affects my legs during the season changes.  I get it right at the back of my knees and have found ways to keep it under control by doing what I do best: testing out and trying all the products you can think of until I find the ones that work for me.

Well just a couple months ago, I came across an article in Allure Magazine that discussed a study done on eczema patients using coconut oil and olive oil.  I’ve mentioned before here on BCB the wonders that olive oil can do for your skin, but surprisingly not coconut oil.  I know I’ve mentioned before how much I love anything and everything coconut so I was surprised that I never thought of writing about this benefit of coconut oil before.  In fact, my boyfriend uses coconut oil as his body moisturizer every day and his skin is perfect!  So there’s gotta be something to it.

Well in this study Allure refers to, 52 patients applied either coconut oil or olive oil twice a day for four weeks.  The study found that although both significantly alleviated skin dryness, coconut oil had a stronger antibacterial effect- “clearing 95 percent of skin infections involving Staphylococcus aureus bacterium, which is believed to exacerbate eczema.”  Because coconut oil is absorbed into the skin more quickly than olive oil, it doesn’t feel as greasy on the skin either.  Try them together with this detoxifying firming scrub I wrote about earlier on BCB.

So after reading this article, and stealing some of my boyfriend’s Health Support Raw Organic Coconut Oil, I did a test patch on my skin and found it to work wonders!  It immediately alleviated the itching, instantly moisturized the dry cracks I was experiencing, and seemed to clear up my eczema breakouts much more effectively than the ointments I had been using my entire life.  It was amazing! There’s nothing better than finding a product that works for you. And I always say there’s nothing better than using a natural source free of chemicals on your skin.

So what natural skin remedies do you guys use?  Share with us and leave a comment! 

Until next time friends…  xoxo

Around this time of year, most of you probably switch up your skin care routine and incorporate more hydrating treatments and facial creams.  Well, that’s great!     Just don’t forget about the skin on your body as well.  Be sure to exfoliate more and look for ingredients like shea butter to soothe rough, dry or chapped skin.

In the early 1980’s, Olivier Baussan, Founder of L’Occitane, made his first trip to Burkina Faso and discovered shea butter.  Since then, L’Occitane has worked with a handful of local women and entrusted them with the secrets of shea butter preparation – which is why shea butter is known as “Women’s Gold.”  As a company, L’Occitane has assisted these women in building a stable future for themselves and their families.

Click here to watch a fascinating video on the production of shea butter in Africa.

L’Occitane’s Moments in Africa Soap Set is a new, limited edition holiday set that benefits not only the women and families of Burkina Faso, but also ORBIS, a non-profit organization dedicated to fighting preventable blindness around the world.  100% of the proceeds are donated to ORBIS through the L’Occitane Foundation.

So take pleasure in these three hand soaps perfumed with essential oils of lemongrass, eucalyptus, and orange and enjoy the carved depictions of these special moments in African life:  The Morning Harvest, The Wedding Day, and Children at Play.  You’ll be doing a good thing not only for your skin, but for others around the world as well.

Click here to see more of L’Occitane’s Shea Butter Collection.

Until next time my beautiful people…  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!