Make Up Beauty Tips

Caudalie Vinotherapie Spa at The Plaza is revamping its menus! Both their wine and spa treatment menus are getting a refresher for summer. 

Mathilde Thomas, Caudalie's Founder, hand selected the newest addition to the French Paradox Wine Lounge in the vibrant Wolffer Estate Rose'. Calling it "summer in a bottle," the rose' complements the current collection of Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte vintages and adds a sparkling twist perfect for the warmer months ahead. The rose' is filled with fresh fruit aromas of peach and pear, with hints of rose petal and bursts of crisp acidity.  You may partake of a glass of this sumptuous wine for $10 a glass.


And if that's not reason enough to visit them, here's yet another.  Wanting to cater to clients seeking beach body readiness, a new signature treatment has been designed to instantly refresh the body and ensure a flawless glow.  The Refreshing Body Polish treatment features the Caudalie Merlot Scrub massaged into the body, while the Vichy Shower rains down on the skin followed by a heated towel wrap.  Those unfamiliar with the scrub will be surprisingly delighted by this freshly made treatment using brown sugar, grape seed oil, essential oils of peppermint, sweet mint and lemon, body lotion and the Caudalie Firming Concentrate.  This treatment is perfect for firming, exfoliating and nourishing body skin. Magnifique!

The treatment is just 20 minutes, thus perfect for clients-on-the-go or as an add-on to any of the other spa treatments.  The ideal pre self-tanning treatment is a great way to beat the heat as the Body Polish has a cooling effect that leaves skin refreshed.

Caudalie Vinotherapie Spa is located on the 4th floor of The Plaza located at One West 58th Street in New York.  To book an appointment, you make call 212-265-3182.  Happy Memorial Day, gorgeous angels! xo

So, can't keep all the spa goodness to myself!  OSEA has generously offered to lavish one For the Love of Beauty reader with a jar of their nutrient rich, seaweed based Organic Undaria Body Polish. Oh my gosh, I can't tell you how happy I already am for the winner. This is a true treat, ladies and gents!

Here's how you enter:

Visit OSEA Malibu website and come back to comment in the contest form below sharing what OSEA product most intrigues you or what part of their site you liked best. oseamalibu.com



1 Entry: Follow @OSEAmalibu on Twitter (include your twitter name in the comment below)     twitter.com/oseamalibu

1 Entry: Follow For the Love of Beauty @ftlob on Twitter (include your twitter name in the comment below)    twitter.com/ftlob

1 Entry: RT the giveaway notice shown below on Twitter and earn an additional entry in the giveaway


5 Entries: Post about this giveaway on your own Facebook Wall and earn an additional 5 entries.

10 Entries: Post a little shout out about this giveaway on your own beauty, fashion or social blog, link back to this posting (you can COPY shortened link if you'd like: http://ht.ly/2pHSV) and earn an additional 10 entries in the giveaway.  Your blog post can be as brief as 1-3 sentences with an image or a full posting if you'd like. (include your blog address in comment below)

NOTE: You must leave 1 comment per entry. Extra entries will only be able to be counted if you leave a comment for each one. xo
This contest is open to US residents only. One winner will be chosen at random to win this prize. Some restrictions may apply. Contest ends Sun., 8/22/10 at 11:55 pm (CT)


For more information about OSEA Organic Undaria Body Polish and other spa treatments from the brand, please view my post below or visit OSEA Malibu.

This nutrient rich, natural and certified organic ingredient laden body scrub is akin to bringing a luxurious spa treatment right into the comfort of your own bathroom.  I've quickly fallen in love with OSEA Organic Body Polish  as it treats skin from a number of different angles giving it a deserved label as a true multi-tasker. Let's explore.


This edible seaweed from the pure waters of Patagonia, is rich in sodium, iron, potassium, calcium and vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6 and B12. Undaria prevents the breakdown of hyaluronic acid in the body, which we have all come to learn is necessary in keeping skin smooth and firm. Without hyaluronic acid, elastin and collagen lose their 'glue' and skin sags and wrinkles.

The body polish contains natural exfoliants that feel gentle on the skin while delivering a stimulating scrub action.  This is not a harsh, gritty, irritating scrub. It uses small pumice grains to help remove dead cells along with a bio-scrub blend of acai and guarana. Guarana (caffeine) helps tone skin and has astringent properties, as well as assists in reducing cellulite.  Acai delivers a powerful synergy of anti-aging properties to skin, and hemp and passion fruit seed oils feed the skin Omega 3-6-9 essential fatty acids.

This was new to me, but I've learned that topical absorption of essential fatty acids (EFA's) has been shown in studies to be comparable to taking internal supplements, positively affecting the texture, suppleness and moisture content of skin. In other words, taking your vitamins from the outside in.


The intoxicating scent of this luxurious seaweed based body polish transports you to a place seemingly altogether divine. Organic melissa, lemon grass and Bulgarian lavender blend in an aroma that is truly transformative.  Other ingredients that aid in making this treatment completely irresistible include honeysuckle, organic babassu and rice bran oils.  The blend of these ingredients with the seaweed, pumice, acai, guarana, and essentail oils create a mixture that takes on a visual appearance and texture of almost a muddy-paste, and is very soothing to skin.  It doesn't dry on skin like a mud-based treatment does.  I am amazed at not only how productive yet gentle the exfoliation of Undaria Skin Polish is, but how hydrating the product is to skin simultaneously.  It provides a mantle of moisture once the polish is rinsed from skin with water, leaving skin smooth and soft to the touch.


It really does seem to transform one's bath or shower into a luxurious spa experience.  OSEA Organic Undaria Body Polish is perfect for getting your skin summer ready, but also aids skin long into the fall and winter months when drying, scaling and flaking can become issues. I am completely in love with this product and can recommend it to you highly with no reservations.


OSEA Malibu is an industry innovator in natural derived, marine-based skincare.  Their intent is to provide products founded on purity, quality and effectiveness.  Their unique blend of sea nutrients and essentail oils (sourced from all over the world) provides active, effective formulas for wellbeing.  OSEA believes in employing the power of the sea and its plant life to condition and balance skin for a lifetime of results than can be seen.  Over the past few years, I've watched as their product lines have grown to include cleansers, masks, skin essentials, treatment products, moisturizers, lotions, eye and lip products, and bath, body & massage products.



A staple in their line of offerings is the OSEA Sea Minerals Facial Mist.  I was a bit upset when I first tried Sea Minerals as it sprays a light green mist on skin.  I thought, "Huh, a company priding themselves on using natural ingredients from the sea and nature and they color their signature mist an artificial green?"  Joke's on me!  As it turns out, Sea Minerals owes its light green color to algae extracts and natural chlorophyll. Whew! With this knowledge, I've a newfound respect for this product. 

Sea Minerals is "swimming in nutrients directly from the ocean" as OSEA folks will happily tell you. It delivers healing ingredients and antioxidants directly to skin.  It promotes the skin's natural ability to absorb moisture and oxygenate.  The mist provides a therapeutic mineral treatment to skin; hydrating, healing and restoring balance to sun-exposed skin.  It's cool and soothing on application, and helps reduce skin redness and tightness.

Both Organic Undaria Body Polish ($60, 12 oz jar) and Sea Minerals ($30, 4 oz mist bottle) are available directly from OSEA Malibu and at select spas worldwide.





G I V E A W A Y    A L E R T:
Hold onto your hats, my angels, as your opportunity to win a jar of OSEA's luxuriously fantastic Organic Undaria Body Polish is coming to For the Love of Beauty later tonight! xo

Envision a skincare line infused with an ingredient so special, it has the power to help an apple heal itself after being punctured. Then imagine the ingredient comes from natural, plant stem cells. Factor in that 100% of subjects experienced visible decrease in wrinkle depth in clinical studies - 100%!

Nope, we're not talking about a Retin-A or a retinol product, not talking about products boasting acai berry, and one doesn't need to visit the dermatologist to reap its benefits. What's the ingredient? The latest buzz in skincare is a rare Swiss Apple called the Uttwiler Spatlauber.  These rare apples boast an extremely long shelf life; they last four months longer than typical shriveled apples. The Swiss Apple has a self-renewal power that rejuvenates aging, saggy skin. Apple stem cells are rich in epigenetic factors and metabolites that assure the longevity of skin cells.


Allow me to introduce you to Eclos!  Eclos uses the super apple to boost the production of human stem cells. It protects skin from stress, and decreases wrinkles for fresher looking skin. Eclos takes the revolutionary technology of super apple and plant-based stem cells to create younger looking skin. The application of plant cell cultures to maintain human skin stem cells is a breakthrough in anti-aging.

For the past two weeks I've been using three products from the Eclos line with fantastic results!  Truly, I've been amazed.  The three Eclos products I tested: Instant Radiance Facial Scrub, Skin Renewal Clay Mask and Cellular Activator Face Serum. 

The facial scrub with its dermabrasion properties gently but effectively exfoliates the skin leaving a glowy, healthy radiance. I noticed how smooth my skin was after the first use, but twice weekly application has also assisted my skin's overall texture. The scrub smells of a lovely aromatherapy-ish botanical scent, provided mainly I would guess by the rosemary, a highlighted ingredient that helps to restore and retain a youthful balance.  Other ingredients you'll appreciate of the scrub include ginkgo biloba (helps re-energize skin), willow bark (a natural beta hydroxy acid aids in exfoliation) both part of a PhytoPlex24 combination of plant extracts unique to Eclos, horse chestnut, gotu kola, green tea, turmeric, matricaria, cucumber, comfrey, West Indian Rosewood, vitamin E, palmarosa, cardamom, geranium and ylang-ylang.

The clay mask was an instant favorite too.  As one might expect, it helps to absorb skin impurities. The mask additionally invigorates, detoxifies and clarifies with its Kaolin Clay, Moroccan Lava Clay, anti-oxidizing green tea, rosemary and of course its Plant Stem Cell technology.  A thin layer is all that's needed to reap the effects (in fact, it's recommended).  I noticed a warming sensation the first couple of times I used the mask, which faded with additional usage.  This is typical for me, though, when using a clay or mud based mask. It's not at all irritating, though you will feel it tighten as the mask dries, generally after about 5 - 10 minutes.  What's amazing is how firm my face feels after rinsing the mask off.  My facial skin is definitely tighter, firmer (not that awful dry tightness though), to the point that I actually notice it when I wake up in the morning.  At first I wasn't sure if it was the mask or the serum providing the result (and probably long-term both work to produce the firming result), but even when not applying the serum - you know, just to do my own little test - the firmness is still there next morning. Please understand, this isn't an, "Oh, I think if I really concentrate hard enough I might just perhaps feel a little firmer in the face," kind of result; this is a, "Yes! My face is definitely firmer, even still this morning and I am amazed," kind of result.  As with the scrub, the clay mask uses the high potency plant stem cells extracted from the Swiss apple to stimulate skin stem cells, encouraging aging skin to behave like younger skin. It's enriched with the PhytoPlex24 to minimize the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and tired skin while delivering a smooth and radiant complexion. The mask's use of ginkgo biloba, turmeric & green tea's anti-inflammatory properties help slow the signs of aging, chamomile & cucumber soothe, revitalize and hydrate skin, horse chestnut and willow bark help to firm skin and enhance cell turnover and gotu kola improves skin firmness and elasticity by boosting collagen. Use of the botanical mask provides an aromasensory experience ... altogether now, deep breath in, and let it out. Again, in and out ... And once more ... in ... and out ..... now relax.

Alright, now for the serum. Love it!  Here's why. This is a light creamy-gel textured serum that once applied instantly reveals firmness and youthfulness to the skin.  You can feel it; you can see it; and it lasts.  Now this is a little funny, and shhhh please don't go telling people, but over this past week I've not been able to resist a double-task in the mirror delighting in what a noticeable difference I'm seeing in my skin.  Lines are definitely less noticeable, even forehead and those awful "11" lines between the eyebrows are diminished in appearance.  I am delighted that not only are the results visibly noticeable, I can actually feel how much better toned and resilient my skin is. Remarkable. The serum boasts many of the same ingredients as the scrub and the mask including the rosemary, turmeric, green tea, comfrey, gotu kola and more.



All Eclos products are FREE of parabens, sulfates, synthetic fragances & dyes, and petro-chemicals. (Happy Earth Month!)

The idea of using the rare super apple's plant stem cells as an anti-aging element in a skincare line is not altogether brand new. Super apple skincare lines are around and typically they are quite pricey. From Chantecaille's $260 Nano Gold Eye Cream to ReVive's $1,482 Peau Magnifique.  They're out there, but really, who can afford them? Not many. So here's the piece de resistance.  Are you ready for this?  Eclos is a drugstore brand of skincare.  Yep, that's right - drugstore!  Believe me, no one is more surprised than I to find such a fabulous, plant-based, sensory delighting, results driven, line of skincare coming from a drugstore.  The prices are going to blow your mind.

The whole range of plant-based Eclos products costs less than a single product from some of the other brands utilizing the super apple plant stem cells, and even two, three, ten times over (and then some). Eclos' range consists of Facial Cleanser Skin Prep, $14.99, Facial Scrub, $12.99, Clay Mask $12.99, Cellular Activator Face Serum $24.99, Moisture Therapy Regenerative Cream $24.99 and Restorative Eye Cream.  Check Ulta, Rite Aid, Walgreens.com and soon, CVS for this amazing line of anti-aging skincare. For more information about the brand, visit Eclos Beauty and their presence on facebook. Enjoy!

Ahhhhhh ....... heaven!

You know nothing takes the stress from a body and soul like a week long vacation on Florida's southwest beaches. I left my office Friday night headed toward Destin, Florida on a highway with bumper to bumper traffic through three states, all the weight of the world on my shoulders (and aching head and feet too, ai yai yai ... lol), and woke this morning to cool ocean breezes, a school of manaray floating through the crystal clear water near the shoreline, and a bear claw from Panera Bread with a hot cup of coffee and chicory - mmmmmmm, the good life! Amazing what this place does for my body, mind and spirit.

And speaking of "place", the first stop out enjoying the day, with no agenda in play? Patchouli's! Now, I was a little bummed when I pulled up to the strip where my favorite Florida store had been situated for the past few years only to find a sign for a completely different store in its place. Miss Lucille's is right nextdoor. (sidebar: They make a killer cup of joe!) Anywho, they were sweet enough to share with me that my beloved Patchouli's was well, alive and kicking, but had moved to Rosemary Beach. Yay ..... and I adore Rosemary Beach. So off we drove, my mom, my 15 year old daughter and I, 30 minutes or so east on 30-A, to check out their new digs. We stopped at Seaside on the way (made famous after Jim Carrey filmed The Truman Show there, but loved by those in-the-know way before then), a stop we wanted to make anyway, so convenient it happened to be on the way.

Okay, long way around it, but we finally arrived at Patchouli's - and here's where the beauty of the post comes into play (or did you think I'd forgotten I don't write a travel blog?). Patchouli's is one of the only places I know that carries The Soap Pedaler's fantastic soaps (oh my gosh these bars are "the bomb!") and other handmade bath & body products. I fell in love with these soaps a few years ago while shopping a street fair (in Rosemary Beach actually) where Celeste Cobena (aka The Soap Pedaler - she bikes, as in "pedals" and sells "peddles" soaps ... clever girl, isn't she ...) was selling her wares. I fell in love with the soaps then, and I stock up on them everytime I make a trip to the Destin area.

The Soap Pedaler's bars are luxurious hand-made soaps sold by the slice or pre-sliced and wrapped in distinct labeled paper. They are crafted in Florida with the finest, most exquisitely moisturizing ingredients. Each slice is loaded with Shea Butter, Vitamin E, and a delightfully luscious scent (Celeste has a fabulous nose for scents, by the way). One of my favorites she does is the scent for her Beach Bar, which smells subtly of Bobbi Brown's Beach fragrance, by in my honest opinion is even lovelier! Each soap is extremely moisturizing and leaves skin smelling lighty sweet. The Soap Pedaler's products started with soap, then sugar scrub, which locals will tell you in no uncertain terms are the best anywhere, and continued to make a full line of excellent, natural products for the bath and the body. She uses high quality ingredients, makes everything by hand, and delivers her goodies by bicycle! I'm completely in love with every one of her products and the earth friendliness of her local company as well.

Of course, while spending a few minutes in Patchouli's ... oh, who am I kidding, my daughter and I were in there for nearly an hour, we played and entertained ourselves with lipgloss swatching (selections include The Blam, LipFusion, Wallett and more), applying creams, candle sniffing, fragrance testing (including a fantastic variety of Bond No. 9 scents, Tokyo Milk, LoLLia, Antica Farmacista, Kai, b.e...) and much more. My mom couldn't take it any longer and walked the promenade dashing in and out of various stores before coming back for us. I had a plan for her return, though. Patchouli's features a little station where you can try their hand scrubs and trickle clear, fresh water from a glass urn over your hands to gain the full experience of these wonderful products. So as mom sauntered back in, I took her by the arm, headed for the scrubs and convinced her to indulge in the soothing experience of an instant spa treatment for her hands.

Mission accomplished! Mom, who never buys beauty products (yeah, don't ask, I must have been adopted or something as this apple fell far from the tree), left my quaint little store with her very own jar of handmade sugar scrub in the enticing scent of A Day at the Beach (a mango tea fragranced scrub) a la The Soap Pedaler. These scrubs are loaded with natural turbinado sugar; they exfoliate and provide vitamins and minerals to nourish skin and contains rich emollient oils and glycerin to maintain and restore healthy, soft touchable skin. (also includes soy oil, rice bran oil, olive oil, and rosemary oil extract) A 10 oz. jar retails for $15.
















So what did my daughter and I walk out with? Between the both of us, we carried out a bag full of fragrant, luscious goodies. Slices of The Soap Pedaler soaps ($6.50 - $7 a bar) in Beach Bar (it has a layer of sugary white sand on top to aid in exfoliating), Lavender Lemongrass, Sweet Tart, Sugar Shak, Lavender Rosemary Mint; a sweet lil' mini bottle of LoLLia eau de parfum in Imagine, two gorgeous Deborah Lippman Nail Lacquers - Hit Me with Your Best Shot (an elegant shimmery gunmetal gray) and Don't Tell Mama (a gorgeous shimmery dark forest green) and some bon bon candy-wrapped fragrance samples from Bond No. 9.

Status on my mission to eliminate all my stress via a trip to Pish Posh Patchouli's? Sweet success!

photos of patchouli's: Jessie Shepard

Mmmm ... the fresh, juicy decadence of Diana B. Sugar Scrubs

Imagine being able to mix and create textures to bathe with, as you would combine fragrances to personalize them. Sugar Scrub with a little Bath Gel for more slip and bubbles. Body Lotion and Sugar Scrub to shave. Add a scoop of scrub to soften and sweeten the bath water when you don’t feel like scrubbing. Straight scrub on pure wet skin for optimal effect followed by drying off and putting on lotion with a fabulous candle lit in the bathroom and nearby bedroom to scent your environment while you play with your products, refine your skin, tone and hydrate your skin and feel and smell wonderful. No rules, totally safe interchangeable products use fragrances all created to enliven your daily routine with playful intuitive choices that delight the senses and lift your spirits. That's what Diana B. gives you through her gorgeous, luxurious products.

Diana B. sugar scrubs are all natural, totally oil free, wax free, chemical free and are safe for the most sensitive skin.

Green Tea Desert Grapefruit contains powerful antioxidant Green Tea essence that helps to fight against free radical damage that ages skin prematurely. This formula contains sugar and salt with cane sugar syrup. Soothing Grapefruit essence helps to heal surface impurities with its high concentration of Vitamin C, also creating balanced PH for your skin.

REVIEW: More than twice the size of the average sugar scrub on the market, you'll want a jar of this scrumptious Diana B. Sugar Scrub in your bathroom for these hot summer months. I'm completely in love with her Green Tea Desert Grapefruit variety. Gentle on skin, light and refined in scent with an air of fresh green notes and juicy grapefruit, one can't help but be hooked on this scrub after just one use. Skin emerges from the bath smooth, hydrated, glowing and very lightly fragranced. Oh my gosh, this scrub is so lovely. It's a wonderful exfoliant to use before applying self-tanning products. (She also makes an award winning self-tanner - and it's fabulous.) The fact that it's oil free allows us to use this delight in the shower and tub without the aggravation of having to clean out a residue. There's nothing to clean up. Don't let the fact that it contains no oil fool you into thinking it's a dry scrub, though, as this is a juicy (not just moist) scrub in every sense. The sophisticated citrusy-green tea scent enlivens the whole room without being too sweet and definitely not over-powering. It's really more of a fresh, leafy scent than a sweet citrus scent. Yet the experience of ripe, juicy grapefruit is definitely present. This is a fragrance even the most particular of noses will enjoy. As the jar is so big, this will last you forever. It's definitely more than a three month supply. Diana B. Sugar Scrubs come in these inspired scents: Green Tea Desert Grapefruit, Maple Sugar Lychee Nut, Peach Frangipani Flower, Black Fig and Chocolate.

Diana B. products are available through a number of fine beauty boutiques, including b-glowing, one of my favorites (as you know). At b-glowing you'll always experience fantastic customer service, fast shipment, knowledgeable assistance with any questions you may have about their products, and delightful complimentary goodies with each purchase. They're just wonderful! x

L-R: soap, lotion, scrub, milk bath

Great name for a beauty brand, don't ya think? No, no ... it's not mine.

For the Love of ... is, however, an organic luxury bath and body product company located in Washington DC. The products are organic, mainly vegan and handcrafted by Kristina Libby. Kristina has an interesting story in that she left the corporate world to devote herself to her passion of creating organic beauty products for men and women. Recently featured in Daily Candy, the company is taking off big!

The company has a triple bottom line mission. Their goal is to make a great product and service while also having minimal environmental impact and an aggressive social mission. Libby says all their products contain only organic ingredients and meet the standards for organic certification. The products are also all packaged in recycled and reusable containers. Even their labels are created using a mass printing process which ensures minimal environmental waste.

They have taken the company a step further in this commitment and donate 5% of profits to charitable causes. The corporate goal is that by the year 2011, they will be able to donate 10% of revenue to causes of their choice. The causes are chosen because they do one of three things—they support women in micro-credit operations, they support women in the arts or they support community farming.


Homemade Soaps - When you’re seeking a quiet reprieve from a stressful day, turn to their Almond Goatsmilk Soap, a nourishing rich lather whose products hail from an organic farm in Vassleboro, Maine. Wild, fresh and fancy-free. For a more sensuous scent option, choose their Black Amber Honey soap. ($8.00 each)

Body Lotion - Slather on their nourishing organic body lotion. Lightly scented with blueberries and oranges, the lotion conjures up memories of your favorite summer-time retreats. The lotion is an incredibly moist product with a density much like your average cold cream. ($30)

Body Scrubs - Savor the sweet smell of their bestselling body scrubs. All of the scrubs use an organic olive oil, ground oatmeal and brown sugar base, ensuring that they are non-irritating on even the most sensitive skin. Scents: Summer Orange Blossom and Vanilla Almond ($20 each)

Milk Baths - Soothe your skin with a luxurious combination of almond flower, creamy white rose and nourishing oatmeal. This mixture is perfect for those suffering from dry, itchy skin. Pour a generous handful under warm running water. Sit back, relax and enjoy. After all, you deserve it. ($20)

For more information, please visit For the Love of ....

The quintessential Valentine's Gift - a little luxury for your pucker!

A lover of all things exfoliation, Sara Happ’s bathroom was well-stocked with scrubs. “I love the feeling of seriously smooth skin, the way you glow from head to toe after sloughing off dead cells. Heaven,” she says. Missing from her collection was any such product for her lips. She went to her (rarely used) kitchen and got to work. Months later, her sugar-based recipes were perfected. She mixed batches of product the way most people bake cookies, labeling and filling each jar by hand, tying each box with her signature white bow. Today, the line can be found at over 400 luxury boutiques worldwide.




Let me tell you, this product is brilliant! Sara Happ Lip Scrub is a luxury for the senses in more than just touch. Yes, your lips will be incredibly smooth, soft and supple. But there's more. The scents and flavors of these scrubs are just as heavenly as the results - decadent even. Eliminates dry, flaky skin to leave lips ridiculously soft - comes in the scent of: Cocoa (the one I have - mmmm, rich dark cocoa, just the smell of it gives away its quality essence), Cinnamon Sugar, Brown Sugar, Vanilla Bean, Almond Crème and Peppermint. ($24 - 1 oz jar) - these are nice sizes for a product of this kind.

Now, onto her newest delight - The Lip Slip. A balm like no other, the lip slip leaves no color, just the richest, glossiest hydration imaginable. Infused with Sweet Almond, Jojoba & Macadamia Nut Oils. Wear it all day. Wear it overnight. Results are immediate. This is not a waxy feeling balm, it's more a luscious, creamy gel with the properties of a high-end gloss. Sara's inspiration for the lip slip: The supple feel of a shimmery gold YSL calfskin bag. A bottle of Coco Chanel Mademoiselle. Your favorite camisole; soft, sweet, nude, girly and grand. ($24 - 1 oz jar)

There's just something sweet and special about receiving a gift wrapped in a little box with a bow. You know there's going to be something wonderful inside. Sara Happ lip products exceed expectation. You don't have to have a partner to enjoy kissable, healthy lips! You'll wonder how you ever lived without it. Find Sara Happ Lip Scrub and Lip Slip at b-glowing, Beautyhabit and Luckyscent.

7 DAYS ONLY


Get 25% off the entire LaLicious Collection including their new Travel Set!


Get everything your skin craves and deserves at 25% off by entering coupon code HOLIDAY08 when prompted at check-out. This is the last exclusive discount until 2009 they will offer, so take advantage!


Click HERE to shop now

Coupon Valid: November 3rd-9th.

Sephora's got some Fresh items for you! We all know about their famous Brown Sugar Body Polish, now available with a free Fresh Sugar Lemon Body Lotion and Bath & Shower Gel in travel sizes (in addition to the other free samples you're always able to choose with your online Sephora order) - enter promo code GETFRESH at checkout.


What else might you consider from Fresh?

New! Fresh Black Tea Age Delay Cream - $125 (ships for free!) - I'm dying to try this! I've heard all kinds of wonderful info about it and scored myself a little sample during a recent trip to Sephora. Will be trying it soon. Any of you try this yet? Let us know what you thought in comments below.

Fresh Firebird Mascara - $26 - for more on this new item from Fresh, click here.

Fresh Sugar Lipgloss - $25 - Comes in 11 fabulous shdes and is flavored sweetly of sugar (of course)

New! Fresh Fig Apricot Body Cream - $65 (ships for free!) - Fresh's body creams are among the best; dense and decadent fabulous moisturizing, healthy ingredients - just love them.

For more info or to purchase fresh from Sephora, please visit them online or in person.

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways ...

I'm so excited about Shea Terra Organics I'm finding it hard to control myself in the words I want to use here. I'm trying to recall how I first heard of the brand. Oh yes, it was when I did the piece on Sourcing the World's Best in Beauty earlier this month. Oddly, Shea Terra isn't one of the companies highlighted by Style (although I think it should have been); but in researching one of the products and companies they did highlight, I was brought to b-glowing, a favorite online store of mine.


Anyhoo ... while at b-glowing I was perusing some of their newer brands and lines and began drooling over the Shea Terra body products. I knew I had to have some. I am soooo glad I let temptation get the better of me on this occasion!


There's much to learn from Shea Terra and to talk about. As such, I'm writing a feature on a different product each day this week. I just can't bring myself to write all I want to say about the lot of them in this one article. Yes, they are that good!


First, a little about Shea Terra Organics:

• Products are 99-100% natural
• No Artificial Fragrances: Artificial fragrances can cause allergies and many contain carcinigens
• Shea Terra Organics uses only pure fruit and plant extracts to enhance the therapeutic value of our products. Don't expect an herbal, medicinal fragrance. Our carefully formulated fragrances rival some of the largest cosmetic companies without compromise to health
• Shea Terra Organics products DO NOT contain sulfates, parabens, silicone, artificial coloring or synthetic fragrance. The products are cruelty free
• Research and test sustainable, indigenous African ingredients for healing and reparative benefits. It's not enough to just moisturize with our products; Shea Terra uses the powers of Africa's oils, herbs and butters to create highly effective skin care treatments
• Use only sustainable raw materials to support preservation of the continent's rich and rare resources

Now, a little about their luxurious body scrub - Miombo Mango Shea Butter Dead Sea Salt Scrub

• Sourced from the depths of the Dead Sea and the expanse of the African savannah, Dead Sea salt and organic shea butter combine to produce this luxuriant, non-oily body scrub
• For this delectable treat Shea Terra begins in the Miombo forest of Central Africa where bush mangos sweetly scent the air
• Their succulent, juicy aroma begins with a note of tartness and finishes with a mouth watering, sun ripened sweetness
• Bush mangos are indigenous to the Miombo forest now endangered by foreign logging
• Ten times saltier than the ocean, Dead Sea salt promotes skin healing and cell renewal
• Combined with wild harvested African herbs of aloe ferox, kigelli, and African potato, reparative, organic shea butter deeply moisturizes the skin, penetrating deep beneath the epidermis to deliver valuable nutrients
• 99% Natural. Paraben Free. No Artificial Fragrance.

REVIEW:
Of all the Shea Terra body products I got, this one may have been the one I was least expecting to be wow'ed over. I was wrong! This scrub is absolutely wonderful. The salt crystals are rather course yet "melt" easily against and into the skin lending a great exfoliating experience. The delicate scent gives the appeal of biting into a sweet, ripe, juicy mango - absolutely delicious. The scrub not only buffs and polishes skin but provides superb moisturization to the skin. The surprising effect is glowing skin, soft and hydrated but not at all oily, even with its 35% butter and oil content. Again, this is a 99% all natural product (practically unheard of), full of healing sea salts, organic shea butter, soothing hydrating herbs and other organic ingredients, with a succulent aroma - 8 oz, $18. Love it! The scrubs are also available in these scents (which I'll speak more of in future posts this week): Bourbon Vanilla, Pink Guava Pomegranate, Lavender of the Khoisan



Shea Terra scrubs are available through these retailers: b-glowing, Nordstrom, Shea Terra Organics