Spring Skin: My Favorite Moisturizer Picks

As winter SLOWLY but surely winds down, your skin might be going through some seasonal changes of its own. Your poor epidermis has endured the harsh, drying chilly months and needs to repair itself with luscious moisturizing treatments. A great lotion will bring your skin softness, balance and lasting-moisture. Have you ever skipped applying face lotion for an extended period of time? Your face tends to feel dry, itchy, and dull without the moisture. The moment you lather it with a hydrating formula it feels instantly revived, bright, and beautiful. Moisturizers heal and highlight glowing skin and the number one step to looking gorgeous all over is maintaining healthy, hydrated skin.

Here are some of my favorite moisturizers that are gonna help transform your skin from dry to divine:


Eucerin
The brand's collection of healing moisturizers are fast-absorbing, gentle, and calming on the skin. If your skin is feeling flaky a few pumps of this creamy solution should do the trick. This is one of the few lotions that truly satiates my dehydrated, itchy winter skin. ($ 9.00, drugstores)

Bath & Body Works Triple Moisture Body Cream in Japanese Cherry Blossom
Japanese Cherry Blossom is one of my favorite scents. The floral aroma literally makes it smell like Spring and the rich, lathering cream infuses moisture into the skin. Enjoy the aroma in the bath too with Bath & Body Work's Shower Gel. It's hard to not indulge in all of the Cherry Blossom products which include a fantastic hand lotion and body spray. If you really want to impress house guests, stock the guest bathroom with entire collection.($12.00, Bath & Body Works)

Orlane Active Hydrating Body Care
The potassium-rich ingredients stimulate water flow to the cells making your skin look and feel plump and hydrated. The lotion's papaya extract evens out skin tone and re-texturizes. Although the pump cream is a bit pricey, the overall results will be well worth the splurge. ($100.00, Neiman Marcus)


Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion with SPF 15
This drugstore favorite is a cheap, effective way to keep your skin looking youthful and protect it from UVA and UBA rays. Just a few minutes of incidental sun exposure continuously over the years without protection can cause premature aging and wrinkles on the body. This formula gives long-lasting moisture and protects the skin from daily sun exposure and future damage. Aveeno also contains natural Colloidal Oatmeal which is known for its ability to soothe dry, itchy skin. ($9.49, drugstores)

Yu-Be Moisturizing Skin Cream
This brand is the #1 selling medicated vitamin-enriched cream on the market today in its native Japan. A pharmacist created the glycerin-based formula in response to a women who found petroleum-based products too greasy and messy. The formula is so effective, that Sumiyo Tsuzuki, the first woman to ever summit Mt. Everest, carried a tube with her to protect her skin from the harsh, high-altitude climate. The creams do smell quite medicated, but the power of the formula is so rich and non-greasy it really doesn't matter.

L'OCCITANE Shea Butter Ultra Rich Body Cream
The cream has a high concentration of Shea Butter (25%) and is also enriched with linseed, mallow, sweet almond, honey extracts, apricot oil, and vitamin E. A little goes a long way and the tub should last a while. I also love the cream's jasmine and ylang ylang essence aroma.   

Lierac Super Body Cream for Ultra Dry & Keratotic Skin Specially formulated for super duper dry skin, this rich body cream contains a lipid-replenishing complex that provides instant comfort and reinforced hydration. The cream also contains Lactic Acid, a naturally occurring alpha hydroxy acid derived from milk used for soothing and exfoliation. It helps the shedding of dead skin cells which increases cellular turnover.

The Passing of a True Hollywood Legend

Elizabeth Taylor died today at the age of 79. She was one, if not, the most beautiful screen legends of our time and a trailblazer onscreen and in her personal life. As one of the greatest actresses of our time she is known for her fiery roles in Cleopatra, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, The Taming of the Shrew, and BUtterfield 8. Dame Elizabeth was best known, however, for her penchant for jewels, marriages, and her glamorous Hollywood life. She married eight different times (twice to Richard Burton who is considered the love of her life) and captivated the the paparazzi and her fans with her dramatic personal life and screen presence. Her full-throttle love affairs, divorces, and marriages intrigued the world as did her unapologetic pursuit at finding happiness and love on her own terms. She blended her public and private persona as one and lived her life for the world to see. She was truly a star. She also deeply cared about her organizations and devoted much of her time and energy to AIDS-related charities including helping to start the American Foundation for AIDS Research (AmfAR).

Elizabeth Taylor never did anything subtly. She wore big jewels, glitzy over the top outfits and accessories, alluring makeup that accentuated her trademark exotic eyes, and big Hollywood hair. Her public life and loves were also for the world to see and no matter what she did, it was done without a sense of fear or need to please others.

Her beauty, grace, and captivating violet-eyed stare have made her one of the most iconic figures of the 21st century. The Oscar winning actress defined glamour and will be forever remembered as one of the original and most recognizable sex symbols and beauties of our time. She was also a true humanitarian and a truly gifted actress. She was and always will be an unforgettable legend.


Take a look at some of my favorite Elizabeth Taylor photos here:

My Favorite Prego Lady's Favorite Prego Products

      

Is it me or has there been a major surge of pregnant celebrities popping up over the past few months? It seems like the hottest new celeb. trend has been sporting a big ol' prego belly. Victoria Beckham, Mariah Carey, Jewel, Natalie Portman, Kate Hudson, Alicia Silverstone, and Alyssa Milano are just a few of my Hollywood faves rocking a baby bump.    

While I love how fabulous each of these prego stars are, my absolute favorite superstar mommy-to-be is without a doubt...MY SISTER! I'm so thrilled to become a first time aunt this August. You better believe I'm going to spoil my nephew-to-be rotten and of course get him up to speed with all the guy grooming essentials he's going to need in life! 

Taking care of herself and her little tomato (his current size and therefore nickname) are my sister's priority and therefore finding pregnancy-safe products are essential. There are so many uncertainties, safety concerns, body-changes, and unique skin-care issues during one's pregnancy. Finding great products that are safe yet effective is not an easy feat. In fact, many brands claim to be "all-natural" and organic but are not, so it's important to find a brand you can trust. 

Luckily my sister recently discovered Belli Skincare and has been raving about the brand ever since. She and I both wanted to make sure all my mommy, mommy-to-be, and potential mommy-to-be readers got properly acquainted with this fantastic line.

Belli Pregnancy was developed by a physician who created the line for his then pregnant wife. Together they founded the entire Belli brand which includes products for pregnant women, new moms and babies.  

Belli Pregnancy products are teratology screened for safety. The company searches over 16 million medical research articles in thousands of journals and uses this info. to exclude ingredients with even remote links to birth defects or problems with pregnancy. Their Belli Motherhood line is properly screened to avoid ingredients linked to harmful effects during breastfeeding and their Belli Baby line is screened extensively for any chemicals which can act like hormones that might interfere with normal development of the reproductive system. They're also the #1 recommended brand by OB-GYNS. 

Here are some of the products she has been using:

Acne Cleansing Facial Wash- This acne cleanser smells great and according to my sister is gentle on the skin and does a great job of keeping it clear. An effective acne wash is key since your hormones are going a little wild and clear skin is essential for a glowing pregnant look.  

Elastic Belly Oil- This moisturizing oil nourishes the skin and protects against dreaded stretchmarks. The oil also has a calming lavender and almond oil aroma. This is my sister's favorite product. 

Anti-Cholasma Facial Sunscreen SPF-25-This lightly tinted moisturizer is thick and creamy, albeit a bit pasty. Although my sister thought the sunscreen didn't blend as well as other sunscreens she's used, she did say it was effective and gentle on the skin. 

My sister says she's excited to test out the rest of the line and in a few months use the Belli Motherhood line too. In fact, her only real complaint, was that she wished the Belli Pregnancy line came with a regular facial moisturizer for day and night use. So, Belli keep the products coming! 

Also, for those of you thinking about adding Belli to your beauty routine, listen up! Until March 21st, when you shop Belli skincare a portion of the proceeds will go to the March for Babies. When a shopper spends $100, they can pick one of three complimentary Belli Duo sets (up to $38.50 value) as a token of their thanks for supporting the March of Dimes. This is a great cause and a great way to help support the organization and help ensure that all babies are born healthy.

For more information follow Belli Skincare on Twitter: @BelliSkincare and of course me on Twitter: @beautybuffblog

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Fall 2011 Backstage Beauty-Kate Spade

Although New York Fashion Week for Fall 2011 has come and gone there are plenty of fantastic beauty trends to get excited about and start replicating. Check out the backstage beauty trends that dominated the catwalk:

At Kate Spade a retro look complete with cat eyes and coral lip stick was shown.

 

Makeup: Romy Soleimani for Jouer Cosmetics on Beauty.com
Inspiration: Modern Day Jean Shrimpton in New York. “We are creating a very modern Jean Shrimpton look, reminiscent of David Bailey photographs. 

Soleimani created a cat eye using the Eyeshadow in Licorice on the lid as a liquid liner on the top and bottom. She then coated the lashes with lots of mascara to create the look of false lashes. The lip was a vibrant coral and the cheekbones were highlighted with the Camellia highlighter.

Get the Look:

• Jouer Luminizing Moisture Tint set with Mineral Face Powder
• Jouer Powder Eyeshadow in Licorice
• Jouer Eye Definer in Noir
• Jouer Conditioning Mascara in Noir
• Jouer Crème Eyeshadow in Feather
• Jouer A mix of Hydrating Lipsticks in Simone & Meredith
• Jouer Highlighter in Camellia     

Fall 2011 Backstage Beauty-Rebecca Minkoff

Although New York Fashion Week for Fall 2011 has come and gone there are plenty of fantastic beauty trends to get excited about and start replicating. Check out the backstage beauty trends that dominated the catwalk:

At Rebecca Minkoff a strong eye with an apricot lip was shown.

Makeup: Sarah Lucero for Stila Cosmetics
Inspiration: Urban Gypsy with a twist of edgy bohemian was seen all over the runway at Rebecca Minkoff. Stila created a strong eye and soft lip look to compliment the collection. The look is a fun mix on textures – just like the clothes on the runway.
 

Get the Look:

• Stila Sheer Color Tinted Moisturizer
• Stila Eye Shadow in Chinois
• Stila Eye Shadow in Espresso
• Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner in Stingray
• Stila Kajal Eye Liner in Topaz (waterline)
• Stila Glamoureyes Mascara
• Stila Convertible Color in Gerbera
• Stila Lip Glaze in Apricot