Beauty's Product: iQ Derma Daily Renew Cleanser

iQ Derma is my breakout brand of the season. First their Restore Eyes takes years away from my eyes then their daily renew cleanser surprises me with a gaggle of fruit and plant extracts.

See, I met Mr. iQ Derma at the Total Beauty Summit in Manhattan Beach in May. His first words to our eagerly awaiting crowd of beauty bloggers was, "I bathe in parabens." Sigh. My first thought was, "Well good for you, you don't have breasts, a**$#!%." (Parabens are the mystery ingredient found in the majority of breast cancer cells. The link hasn't been proven but green beauty brands have preemptively taken them out.)

I figured I would never use Mr. Iq Derma's products based the above first impression. However I have to bite my tongue. I love his face wash and his eye cream is revolutionizing my skin care regiment. Luckily for me this face wash, while it does have the usual sodium laurel sulfates, is also packed with chamomile, witch hazel, nettle root extract, cucumber, green tea, and grapefruit peel extract. He's not all paraben.

Also, I have never smelled a face wash this refreshing. It smells like newly washed sheets at a beach house after a spring rain with the windows still open. It's a-MAzing and my skin loves it.

Carla Bruni: I LOVE Her!

Carla Bruni, french first lady, pop singer, former model, and Italian heiress is on the cover of the new Vanity Fair. As you may remember, I was somewhat confused by her outfit at YSL's funeral but I just LOVE her. I highly recommend listening to her newest album.

Beauty's Product: Pacifica Solid Perfume

I spilled the beauty beans a while back to reveal my oldest beauty secret, The Soap Opera. This visionary beauty store is of course the first to have Pacifica's Solid Perfume in a Tin on Sale. Pacifica's perfumer is a genius and if you have ever smelled one of their organic soy wax candles you will no doubt HAVE to have these new earth friendly perfumes. Check out the full product line at the Soap Opera's online outpost.

Jurlique's Biodynamic Celeb Fest

Remember when we were so smitten with Jurlique's Biodynamic Hand Lotion that we smothered it all over our entire body? Or when we swooned over our phone call with the Biodynamic king-pin CEO Eli Halliwell? Well from the looks of things, the celebs love Jurlique too.

This celeb studded Jurlique Biodynamic BBQ took place Saturday afternoon at Hillhaven Lodge in LA and celebrated the arrival of Jurlique’s NEW Biodynamic Beauty Range.
Film director and producer, Brett Ratner and CEO of Jurlique, Eli Halliwell were joined by biodynamic believers including: Salma Hayek, Rosanna Arquette, Paris Hilton, Stevie Wonder, Oliver Stone, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Gerard Butler, Francis Ford Coppola, Naomie Harris, Scott Caan, Jared Leto, Ileana Douglas, Claire Forlani, Nicole Esposito, Tracey Edmonds, and Sanaa Lathan.

Guests enjoyed an afternoon of relaxation and renewal with complimentary hand and food treatments using Jurlique’s signature Rosewater Balancing Mist and Rose Hand Cream, while sipping on Lavender Lemonade--specially created for the BBQ. The menu also included biodynamic and locally sourced food and biodynamic wine from Benziger winery.

Jurlique’s collection of plant and flower-based extracts, elixirs, and lotions are made from chamomile, calendula, lavender, and rose – hand-sown, hand-tended, and hand-harvested on its own certified organic, biodynamic farms in South Australia .

The NEW Biodynamic Beauty Range includes the Biodynamic Beauty Serum, Eye Cream, Refining Treatment, and Night Lotion. Each features a blend of biodynamic and organic herbs and flowers combined with potent naturally derived ingredients that soften the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and discolorations while helping to renew and strengthen skin. With continued use, Biodynamic Beauty encourages a smooth, fresh, luminous complexion and invites you to embrace every feature of your unique beauty.

Biodynamic farming can be considered “organic plus,” combining “biological” practices, such as organic methods of soil regeneration and pest management, with “dynamic” practices intended to attune the farm with the natural rhythm and the cycle of the land.

View more great Jurlique Celeb BBQ pics here.

Lipstick, To Die For?

Have you ever found a lipstick that was to die for? Did you ever wonder, as it rubbed off on your morning apple, if its ingredients were as nutritious as your breakfast? After reading this New York Magazine tid bit, I began to wonder, are women unknowingly killing themselves for beauty?

LVHM (owner of a long list of beauty companies including Givenchy, Dior, Donna Karen, Benefit, and Guerlain) is currently being sued by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. LVHM is not the only company with toxic ingredients. Sixty-one percent of lipsticks tested exceeded the legally acceptable amount of lead content. LVHM is taking the fall for all of the offenders because their Dior Addict Positive Red Lipstick tested over twice the legal limit for lead content. (To their credit LVHM does a remarkable amount of environmental and social stewardship.)

But let's get real, Lead!?! Are we not past the point in history where lead is still used in well, anything? Here is a list (an 11 page, double-columned list) of beauty companies who, by signing the Compact for Safe Cosmetics, feel we are as society beyond poisoning women through makeup and beauty products.

Personally, I am an organic fanatic but if there is a product that erases wrinkles or makes me look stunning, I will use it - toxic or not. My point is that women, while we may never unilaterally chose health over beauty, should be able to make that decision knowingly. Plenty of educated successful women chose to put toxins in their body on a daily basis, but these are informed choices. Smoking is bad for you, but some days for some people it's what they chose to do. Nowhere on any lipstick I have ever purchased does it say "Contains enough lead to sink a ship."

So what's a girl to do? First, make use of this database of 25,000 beauty products. If you search for your favorite product it will tell you on a scale from 1 to 10 exactly how toxic, carcinogenic, or legally restricted its ingredients are. 10 is the worst rating. L'Oreal's Hydra-Renewal Daily Dry Skin Cream earned this distinction. Intriguingly, not all of the healthiest products are from typically eco-friendly companies. Estee Lauder's Dew Dusting Powder earned an honorable rating of two.

Second, I have added The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and The Database for Safe Cosmetics to the "Links I Love" feature on the side bar. Finally, from now on I will do my best to let you know the ratings of all the products I review. It will be an effort, but in the words of one toxin embroiled brand, You're Worth It.

Beauty's Product: Zelens Skin Science from Bliss

I started this blog with a trip to Bliss San Francisco and I've become quite obsessed with getting Bliss-ed out whenever I can. Remember my fab pedi-colada at Bliss LA? Now these beauty wizards are introducing Zelens Skin Science, a skin care line created by plastic surgeons but based on the principles of Japanese Herbal Medicine. Sounds ingenious no? What do you all think? Would you try this line?

Beauty's Spa: A YonKa Facial with Sigrid Yorke

In the last four years I have only let one brilliant esthetician touch my face. Her name is Terri Exum and she works out of Spa Physiog in Carrboro, North Carolina.

But when your esthetician begs you to go to another esthetician, claiming that she is the genius facialist, you know you must go. I imagine this is somewhat like having your true love ask you to marry another man for some honorable reason like duty, responsibility, linage, or some such nonsense. I am not that honorable when it comes to vanity. Terri does a fantastic job, uses all organic handmade products, and my skin looks amazing. Done. No need to go anywhere else. Except that she had one very good point. Sigrid does extractions, and my blackheads had been incubating for years.

The masterful magician provoking this epic facialist love triangle is Sigrid Yorke. Trained by the rigorous standards of medical estheticians in Quebec, she is a remarkably skilled, mystically talented medi-facialist. Her facials, while relaxing, are also procedures meant to vacuum your epidermis of dirt completely. (If you have never had a facial treatment via Lucas Spray, pictured below, you MUST try it.) After each excavation into the depths of my facial skin she showed me her results. In total, the discolored gunk looked plentiful enough to fill a teaspoon.

On first glancing in the mirror post-facial I saw strawberry blotches sprouting from every available patch of skin. Sigrid is a professional however, and assured me that her techniques would lift my face to a new level of health, revealing an entirely new face the next morning. In truth I have never seen my skin look as radiant, youthful, and absolutely dirt free as it did 24 hours after Sigrid worked on it.

If you too would like brand new skin, Sigrid works out of the Skintopia Skin Care Center at Faces Plastic Surgery. Be prepared to wait for an appointment. I am not the first woman to discover the genius of her handiwork. In fact, even the gents are lining up for her facials.

If you can't find your way to North Carolina to work with this medi-facialist genius, you can purchase most of the products she uses by using the links below.

Cleanser: Cosmedix Purity Clean
YonKa Toner and Lotion via Lucas Spray!
Facial massage with YonKa Gommage 305
YonKa Alphaydroxy Peel (in-spa only)
Yonka Alpha-Complex
Yonka Fruitelia
YonKa Cream 54 and Yonka Serum
YonKa Masque 105

Beauty's Travel: Vogue's Age Issue is a Life Saver

I had an amazing trip to New York City. I was bowled over at every turn with the generosity of friends old and new, artistic gargoyles crammed into each nook and cranny of aging buildings, and fully organic mani-pedies. Beauty's SPOT used to live in New York and I must say, it's hard to leave. Literally. JetBlue may have Bliss on board but getting on board, at least tonight in JFK is one step to the right of impossible. Luckily, I had Vogue's age issue tucked into my lovely new white bucket bag. I am highly impressed by this issue (now that I have read it Kate Moss to Calle.) As a former Vogue subscriber, the journalism in this issue made me rethink the recycling bin reflex invoked by Vogue's lovely "we miss you" envelopes that arrive in my PO box every so often. There is a must-read, surprisingly down to earth retrospective of YSL by Andre Leon Talley. Another of my favorite pieces was on Ziyi Zhang, the delicate, astonishingly lifelike porcelain doll from Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. If you can't pry your fingers off of the five dollar newsstand price for this issue (which I totally understand given the cost of sustenance these days) this video is equally enjoyable and free thanks to the lovelies at Vogue and their mad men sugar daddies. Thanks again to our truly remarkable friends and also to our comrade in beauty blogging shenanigans Anne from the Jet Set Girls.

Travel Life Saver: Laura Mercier Mineral Powder SPF 15

Although I often claim Eminence Organics' Sun Defense SPF 30 is the be all and end all of mineral products, it does in fact have one flaw: the packaging. Do you have any idea what it's like to have found the perfect product (organic, SPF 30, absolutely invisible to the naked eye) and not be able to use it every day because the packaging is so effing impossible? Yes, you're women, of course you do. The Eminence Organics' Sun Defense brush through which the minerals are dispensed is a finicky miserly hag. Most days I fight the good fight or break the brush and MacGyver my way into the mineral treasure chest. On travel days, I don't have the time to mess.

Fortunately for you, my dispiriting conundrum has transformed me into a seeker of suitable minerals and/or SPF combinations. My last attempt, while a good piece of the SPF/tint/moisturizer puzzle, left me with uneven coverage and enough oil to solve our current energy crisis. Horror on Connecticut vaccay. Ran back to the city to hunt for minerals.

At long last, the Sephora in Union Square provided my sanctuary. After seeking aesthetic solace and testing every available powder with minimal ingredients I discovered, not surprisingly, that the much-hyped Laura Mercier Mineral Powder SPF 15 won the top prize. The coverage is complete and the final finish is practically perfect. It's not organic but Zinc Oxide and Pearl Powder are the only ingredients. The SPF 15 doesn't measure up to Eminence's SPF 30 but I don't have to break the effing container to apply it either. My skin drinks it in with a calming satisfied ease that assures me it is relatively earth and body friendly. I tried it with a number of different brushes and found the Sephora Brand Platinum Bronzer Brush was the Kelly Clarkson of the this impromptu contest.

Total Beauty Web Tour

Elke asks "are you on twitter?" Post in her comments and let her know!

Beckie and Jamie at Girl-Woman-Beauty-Brains-Blog helps you spot fake Tiffany.

Fabulous Over Forty discusses whether beautiful jewlery should be used for cosmetics or not.

Beauty Anonymous reviews Dior Bronze Matte Sunshine SPF 20 Bronzing Powder.

The Muse shares her haul from MAC Colour Forms! Check out product photos, swatches, and an FOTD from this Nordstrom Exclusive Collection!

Beauty Tyrant has discovered her Mommy's beauty secret - facial massage. She's sharing her new found 7-step facial massage especially for those who doesn't have the time for a monthly facial treat.

Viva Woman wants to know if you prefer eyebrow pencil or eyebrow powder to shape your eyebrows.

The Makeup Divas tells you what one of the most important items in a woman's beauty arsenal should be.

TR-TR-TR-TRIA! Learn about the TRIA - the 1st at-home laser hair removal sytstem. Visit Fifty-Cent Head and see if it works!

Monique at Beauty Girl Musings has tried and tested the new Marini Lash! Find out if it worked!

The Beauty of Life is giving away products from Bliss and Farfalla, worth over $80!

Beauty's SPOT has discovered the most amazing eye revolution in Elizabeth Grant's Caviar Eye Pads. Enjoy!

What beauty product put Beauty411's glow on? Check out her review of Kate Somerville Deep Tissue Repair!

Beauty Blogging Junkie has identified her holy grail concealer. Find out what it is here

How To Get Natalie Portman's Smoky Eyes With Nars Black Eye Kit-Talking Makeup.

Frappelattes has reviewed and found an effective cellulite solution!

Spoiled Pretty is enamored with ModelCo's Shimmer Airbrush Luminizer. The light-reflecting particles impart the most unbelieveable glow...it's so sexy, it's mist-ifying!

The girls from Beauty in Real Life, deliver the hottest hair trends for Fall 2008 from Guido Palau for Redken!

The Beauty Alchemist finds the hardest holding hairspray out there .

Glossypink has found a body scrub that will keep your skin glowing and smelling sweet!

Priti Organic Spa: Mani-Pedi, Ashram Style

Beauty's SPOT is indulging in the Travel part of our name this weekend - in New York City! Our first rule for travel is, "recieve a mani-pedi upon arrival." The transportation part of travel can be stressful and that is no way to start a vacation. We also find that checking in with your local beauty providers can give you an extra sparkle, not to mention the insider info on your ci-tay of choice. In a big beautiful place like New York this can be done organically at Priti Organic Spa.

We had the simple Mani/Pedi which included an organic geranium essential oil foot bath(pictured below), an organic sugar scrub, an organic geranium lotion massage, and some Preti Polish in Queen of the Night Tulip (#338.) Priti Organic Spa carries Zoya polish as well as their own line which is 100% free of the usual lurking carcinogens: toluene, DBP, and formaldehyde. Why in the hell is that stuff in nail polish anyway? We are most impressed with their polish remover which is organic, vegetable oil based, and as effective and the usual burning acid we subject ourselves to.

Our nails look fab and we picked up some toxin-free, sparkling, glow in the dark Priti Princess Polish for sissy! For more behind the scenes info and pics on Priti check out this post from New York Magazine.

Flock to Gloss: Primp Your Browser

Internet Explorer, Safari, and Mozilla are about to be browser history. Flock launched a new browser this week called Gloss and it's going to change everything. Flock, the first social media web browser, has been quietly operating out of their San Francisco Bay area office since 2005. With the launch of their new browser, Gloss, they now own and operate the world's only hot pink-colored, social media-gathering, internet browser.

I have been toying with Gloss for the past 24 hours and it's a social media, beauty, and fashion internet orgasm. Picture one browser, hot pink in design, and inclusive of EVERY site you visit. Your facebook, twitter, popsugar, glam, InStyle, RSS feeds, all in one place. You can download this, the smartest browser I have ever seen, for free. My honest opinion is that if you are in the beauty, fashion, PR or advertising world, you have no business using any other browser.

Here is what they have to say about it:
Flock, the first and only social Web browser that helps users connect, discover, and share the best of the Web, released its new Gloss Edition today. The Gloss Edition, which will center on fashion, celebrity news and entertainment, features media streams for fashion interviews, red carpet events and the latest styles from the industry’s top brands. InStyle, Glam.com, ThisNext and Popsugar.com are just a few of the partners that are now one click away for fashionistas, gossip hounds and celeb worshipers to get more of what they love, including profiles of the next best designers, who Angelina is adopting and how to dress for fall. Women in the workplace, at home, in school and around the globe are already visiting these sites daily; now they can access them all in one place at Flock and be the first to know when Matthew McConaughey finally puts his shirt back on, or when George Clooney decides to settle down.

L'Oreal Wants to Throw You a Party!

I need your help. L'Oreal has asked a handful of the most fabulous beauty blogs in the world to help launch their new Feria Hair Color line. I am so honored they chose me, however, none of my besties are willing to liven up their hair color. So I need five lucky Beauty's SPOT readers to party with.

Here is what's in it for you:

1) Two free sets of the new feria product

2) Party catered by L'Oreal at my place.

3) Free gifts from L'Oreal

Here is what I need from you:

1) Be willing to pose for before and after pictures (can be from behind if you don't want to be internet famous)

2) Attend said party at my place and take home free/makeup/hair color/gifts.

The party will take place in August at some time agreeable to all participants. Since this will be at my house (in Chapel Hill, North Carolina), I reserve the right to say you can't come if you creep me out.

My Favorite Brushes: Raw Minerals and Mineral Essence

I am in love with two make brushes. So much so that I have banished all the others back to the beauty closet. The Mineral Essence Kabuki Brush is luxuriously soft and provides a natural, soft look.Despite all the controversy about RAW Minerals and other companies who may or may not be posing as RAW Minerals, their Maximum Coverage Foundation Brush is one of the most amazing brushes I have ever tried. Full coverage is an understatement. I had a massively invasive facial today. Post-extraction I looked like the 16 year old version of myself, strawberry blemishes and all. I ran home to put on my Eminence Organic SPF 30 Sun Defense Minerals and I was finally truly convinced, I have found makeup brush heaven between these two gems.

Summer Spa Savings

A Native American word meaning “journey,” Mii amo is more than just an extraordinary spa in Sedona, Arizona’s scenic red-rock country. Ranked by Travel + Leisure readers as the world’s #1 destination spa, Mii amo offers 3, 4 and 7-night all-inclusive programs or “journeys” customized to individual intentions. Book any spa journey and save up to $740* this summer.

Through August Lifebooker is offering up to 50% off at Aqualia Spa. In fact all spa treatments (except massages, discounted by a still stellar 30%) are a full 50% off at Aqualia. This includes their new Photo Physio Vacuum Slimming Treatment, performed using Phyto Complex, Organic Green Tea and Ginger Extracts, which reduce stretch mark depth, as well as detoxify and hydrate the skin. Usually $180, this treatment can now be found exclusively on Lifebooker for only $90. Check this and more at Lifebooker.

Miraval

Elizabeth Grant's Caviar Eye Pads: Instant Eye Lift, Caviar Included

I always thought 27 would be the most amazing year of my life. I was most definitely right about that, but I never would have thought that 27 included sitting around my apartment with caviar on my eyes.

Elizabeth Grant's Caviar Eye Pads are the quickest way to luminescent, taut eyes. After only fifteen minutes with these dainty little strips draped over the skin around my eyes, they were taut and glowing all day long. The caviar extract and sea proteins provide a high concentration of Omega 3 Fatty Acids. I can only imagine the benefits of long term use. I know there are a few skin care lines starting to develop product around caviar. What do you think? Have you used caviar-based skin care?

Chit Chatting with Lisa Price of Carol's Daughter

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie use Carol's Daughter products for Zahara's hair but this natural brand is for everyone. I just got through speaking with Carol's Daughter creator, Lisa Price, and if you are new to the brand she recommends these products for Carol's Daughter beginners. Also, Lisa is now one of my favorite beauty entrepreneurs. She is so amazing!

Top Products for Newcomers to Carol's Daughter:

• Big Kahuna Shea Souffle
• Almond Cookie Eau de Toilette, Ocean Eau de Toilette
• Peppermint Foot Lotion
• Body Aches Bath Salts

(If you are not into baths she recommends sprinkling this on the shower floor and breathing in the aroma.)

With flagship stores from New York to Maryland, Carol's Daughter is also making strides all over the country via Sephora, Macy's, and Dillard's and with her second appearance on the Home Shopping Network (July 21-22.)

I am also very impressed with Lisa's frank discussion of her philosophy on natural and organic products. They do not use organics at this point but their products are 95% natural, never using parabens, petroleum, or any harmful preservatives. Lisa says she wants her customers to feel confident that the products are safe but she also needs to use some synthetics to deliver results. (For such high quality ingredients, I am in love with the low prices!)

For those of you who also manically make beauty products in your home and dream of the success of Carol's Daughter her primary advice is do your research! She says to stay current on packaging and label regulations because one mistake can really hurt a small company.

FHI Heat Platform SE Flat Iron and Hot Sauce: A Happy Hair Story

Earlier this week I raved about the FHI Heat brushes . Now their Platform Special Edition Flat Iron has forever changed my life. My hair and I have had a long, dramatic, love-hate relationship. FHI heat is the ultimate hair relationship therapist, providing the tools to bring about a healthy, loving, fun-filled relationship where previously there was only bitterness and resentment.

I knew I was going to have to try out this new iron (pictured above) sooner or later and, as with all things traumatic - like attempting to style my own hair, I put it off as long as possible. I set aside two hours, which is how long it has taken me to straighten my hair with every other iron I have tried in the last 7 years. I've spent hundreds, I've spent $20 and no iron was ever a match for thickest mane of hair anyone has ever seen on a white girl of Italian and Swedish descent. I had heard all of the hype about the FHI Heat Platform SE but I never thought it would be able to tame my hair with teeny little one inch panels.

I was so wrong. After 25 minutes my hair looks absolutely stunning, certainly as good as it can with out Daniel's help. I am in a state of shock at how quick the whole process was, how amazing my hair looks, and that I am now one of those women who can style my own hair. Here are the other reasons I think it's so fab.

1) The PTFC heating system allows the irons to heat to an impressive 450 degrees and recover lost heat effectively so that the iron remains very hot even when applied to damp hair, and the temperature stays constant. In other words - it's hot right away and you don't have to dry all the way before you start.

2) The cord is a long as my entire apartment.

3) It features snag-proof corners and easy-glide plates that offer greater durability, scratch resistance, and increased smoothness. It also features the largest quantity of crushed tourmaline crystals which results in the highest negative ion count; and it employs proprietary Nano-Fuzeion™ technology, which is a unique combination of Nano-Titanium, Nano-Titanium Oxide and Nano-Silver particles. Together, the triple function of the Nano-Fuzeion™ technology removes bacteria, toxins and static, producing superior conditioning and shine, while providing unmatched health and purification benefits for the hair.

4) FHI Hot Sauce (the little red bottle pictured above) is an amazing combination of jojoba oil, shea butter, algae extract, amino acids, and caster oil that protects hair from the heat.

5) FHI HEAT's Platform Special Edition has been voted "Favorite Flat Iron" by American Salon Magazine Readers (July 2008 issue) for Second Annual Professional Choice Awards by American Salon magazine readers for its second annual "Professional Choice Awards." States Les Haverty, Artistic Director of FHI Heat: "There is a reason why our Platform SE is our bestselling iron. It delivers high heat and amazing results, creating styles that last longer, and saving time spent in the chair. Stylists are consistently impressed by how effortlessly this iron glides through hair, even highly textured hair, creating glossy, shiny and super smooth hair!"

The FHI Heat Platform SE is available in a 1-inch size and retails for $195.00. The new technologically advanced FHI Heat products are available at fine hair salons and professional beauty retailers nationwide, via toll-free number at 877.FHI.HEAT (877.344.4328.)

Benefit's You Rebel: Another Piece of the SPF Moisturizer/Powder Puzzle

In an ideal world I would only ever use Eminence Organics SPF 30 Sun Defense Minerals. They are organic, portable, and the minerals have medicinal properties for problem skin. For days when I don't want to use a powder or when most of my time is spent in the pool or at the beach, I adore Murad's Pomegranate SPF 30 Lotion. But what about days when I want the best of both worlds? What do I do when I want an SPF, moisturizer, and concealer all in one? That is the day to reach for Benefit's You Rebel SPF 15 tinted moisturizer. If you are travelling or mom-ing or over-achieving let this product simplify your life. I wouldn't use it every day because it's a little oily for my skin but on days when your primping time is limited this product really does create a beautiful finish, and provide all the moisture, anti-oxidants, and SPF a busy girl could ask for. For winter or if your skin is more pale, try You Rebel Lite.

Also, check out Benefit's 75% off sale on their oldies but goodies. "Saying buh-buy never felt so good."

Shannon McArthur: Beauty's Music

Forgive me for deviating from Spa. Product. Organics. and Travel. but I have to share this with you. This adorable little tar heel is making brilliant music and his acoustic version of "Love in this Club" is hilarious and amazing. Check out my favorite tune of his, Your Number and Guy Like Me.

Product Rave: Guinot Hydrazone Corps

I forgive the French for having a million and two ingredients in their skin care products for a few reasons. One, their combination of classic and new plant-based ingredients is extremely effective. Two, the products tend to be luxurious, pampering, and divinely scented.

I recently tried Guinot Hydrazone Corps for the first time and I love it. The scent instantly transported me to the first time I played with my grandmother's Clarins cleanser and moisturizer. The scent is floral, sophisticated, and so French. My legs, after slathering them in this decadent body lotion, have the thick healthy glowing skin of French models. Not surprisingly this body lotion is packed with lipids and argon oil that repair skin and a Hydrocyte complex that locks in moisture. My last rave about this product is that the lovely soft pink color is reminiscent of Bermuda's pink sand beaches. Enjoy!

Total Beauty Web Tour!

Musings of a Muse shares the a review of Lancome Maharani Jewels Fall Collection featuring the gorgeous Elephant Bronzer.

Monique at Beauty Girl Musings has no visible cellulite...find out how she tested a cellulite-reducing gel and saw results!

Viva Woman finds out if the new Canmake Concealer Founder UV can really provide that natural finish, for skin that looks beautiful, even at point-blank range.

Get Twisted with a free giveaway at Girl-Woman-Beauty-Brains-Blog and win a FUNKY Twisted Silver bracelet and FUNKY pair of Twisted Silver earrings.

Alison of the Advice Sisters Guide to Life, Success & Happiness Blog reviews Sally Hansen Lip Lab, an entire line of affordable, effective, lip products that do more than beautify.

How to get the makeup look: Keri Hilson-Talking Makeup!

Fabulous Over Forty was never a mineral makeup fan until now! See what mineral foundation has won her over.

Bare Budget Beauty tells you why she loves Olay Regenerist Night Cream so much! It's her budget secret to great beauty sleep.

Beauty Tyrant shares some of her crazy beauty tips that work! Are you game for them?

Meredith at Daily Dose of Coffee has a Beauty -Filled Weekend with some other Total Beauty Bloggers.

Amber at Beauty Blogging Junkie reports on David Wright, Big Papi, Blake Lively, Lauren Conrad, and Chace Crawford at the vitaminwater Best of New York party's red carpet.

Beauty411 tells you about a portable skincare system that's as on-the-go as you are. Perfect for vacay!

The Beauty Alchemist tries out professional line Nix'ie Cosmetics.

At Fifty-Cent Head, experience the amazing perfume oils of Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab (BPAL) with an ongoing review series covering the company's Carnaval Diabolique-themed scents!

Beauty Anonymous introduces you to the smoky black colors of Exceptionnel de Chanel Collection!

The Makeup Divas tells you about a new mineral foundation that will leave your skin looking flawless!

Jenn and Christine over at Beauty in Real Life are having another giveaway, this time over $145 of Skinn Cosmetics!! Click here to enter.

Beauty Junkie in SF shows you how you can look like a superstar singer/songwriter with a few great products from MAC.

Beauty's Spot found a quick, well-designed, effective, at-home tooth whitener!

Love Gossip Girl? Glossypink tells you how to get Blake Lively's gorgeous makeup!

The Making of Vogue's August 2008 Age Issue

In case you can't watch video at work I'll summarize for you: Kate Moss peaked at 16, Chris Evert's best beauty advice is sunscreen, multivitamins, and listening to vogue stylists who say, "Go with the Nina Ricci."

Model.Live: Vogue Magazine Poses for Television

Model.Live is a new web-based reality show created by Vogue Magazine. Will you be watching?

Want to know more about the $31,000 per minute show? Check out this Wall Street Journal article.

FHI Heat Hair Brushes: Designer Looks for You, Drugstore Price for Your Wallet

The new FHI Heat Professional brushes are wonderful gems. Each design (Paddle, Cushion and Round) are available in two sizes. I have big hair, so I'm trying out the big brushes and quite like them. The round brush is perfect for smoothing out summer frizz, while the paddle brush gives my curl a good throttling.

Also of note, these brushes are designed to work with your heat producing blow dryer and straightener. Les Haverty, Artistic Director for the brand, says the groundbreaking Nano-Fuzeion™ technology first introduced to the industry by FHI Heat blow dryers and styling irons is now also utilized in the manufacturing of the new professional brush series. The patented fabrication process employs tourmaline, which creates negative ions. The negative ionization seals the hair cuticle, especially in the presence of heat, locking moisture into the follicle and resulting in strong, supple, glossy hair.

“The combination of tourmaline and nano-silver in these brushes makes every blow-out a conditioning treatment, as well as a styling experience,” says Haverty. “To recreate the celebrity looks we’ve made famous on the red carpet, the screen and the runway, hair must be healthy and in top condition. Damaged or dry hair is porous, brittle and unresponsive, so we developed these brushes to restore hair’s natural resiliency and shine as we style.” At 19.99 a brush thats a lot of bang for your buck.

Some final words of wisdom from this hair genius (pictured below):

“I reach for the Round brush when I want to blow-dry volume into the hair, and when I want to shape a really concise design, like a flip or a tuck,” he says. “I use the Paddle brush for detangling damp or dry hair, and also when I want to create a sleeker style a bit closer to the head. The Cushion brush has curved corners, so it’s really great for maneuvering and finishing off the design with holding spray.”

Stila's Rock the Vote Lipstick

Not registered to vote yet? You can get started at Stila's website starting today! With one more click you can purchase Stila’s Rock the Vote Red Lip Color. It will go on sale today (July 17th) at www.stilacosmetics.com, and 25% of proceeds from the first 500 sold will be donated to Rock the Vote. The long lasting pink-red hue guarantees you get noticed in more ways than one as you cast your ballot on November 4th.

Rembrandt Whitening Treatments

For three years I have been debating the value of zoom teeth whitening. Is it worth the six hundred dollar fee and the hours upon hours in the dentist chair? Six hundred dollars seems like a lot of money even if quitting smoking has saved me that amount numerous times over. Do I really want to risk having blinding, unnaturally white teeth? On the other hand drug store whiteners never really seemed to do the trick. Until now.

When I saw the Rembrandt Whitening Touch-Up Pen in Allure's Editor's Choice awards I decided to explore their entire line of whitening products. I carefully selected the following: the pen at $14.99, the 2 Hour Kit at $24.99 and the Whitening Strips (which are really more like pliable trays) at $24.99.

The combination of the three products has most definitely gotten rid of the old coffee and cig nasty yellowness and my teeth are sublimely naturally white again. The sun is bright enough down here in the North Carolina Summer. I don't want to go around blinding everyone with Jessica Simpson teeth. Check out the before and after pics and let me know if you think these products are worth the price tag.

Before Rembrandt

After the Two Hour Whitening Kit

After using the Two Hour Kit, Strips, and Pen