review: redken nature's rescue.

the most natural thing to do when one returns from a vacation is to attempt to preserve and prolong the things that made it magical.

fresh on the heels of my bermuda getaway, i'm loving redken's nature rescue collection, which smells like the sea (not in the fishy way, more in the sweet and vaguely salty way). the collection offers a standard shampoo and deep conditioner, plus two products i'm pretty sure are totally original to this line.

refining sea polish is an exfoliant, but not for your scalp, for your actual hair shaft! in practice, this seems to conflict with everything we've come to know as true for how to care for one's hair, but my hair was noticeably shinier after using it.

radiant sea spray is another perplexing, but oh-so-tempting product. the scent of this spray is motion activated, so as your summer love rakes their fingers through your hair, they reap the benefit of the scent. mara, my favorite guest writer on, was so delighted by this product she snatched my mine. hope her husband is loving the smell!

note, all redken products are sold exclusively at licensed retailers.


editor's note: in accordance with the ftc regulations, please be advised that MakeupLovesMe.com received a sample of this product for review.

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review: dr dennis gross extra strength alpha beta facepeel.

beauties, my cruise to bermuda was not hard on the eyes. this is a little beach that i fell in love with because the huge coral rocks formed a secluded wading pool. i seriously contemplated missing the boat home because i didn't want to give up this place or it's dark 'n stormies (ginger beer + rum for the non-bermuda visitors among us).

however, the air -- or more accurately the recycled air in my cabin -- was giving me the dull appearance of someone with a 30 pack year smoking history. plus, the cabin was the size of my thumbnail, upon returning my nyc apartment looks palatial. because of the limited space situation i went with a minimalist beauty packing philosophy (i know, i know - a travesty) my go-to two step facial replenisher was dr dennis gross extra strength alpha beta facial peel -- which i used every other night.



here's me + the boyfriend (doesn't quite look like we are posing for the same picture, does it?) after a few uses (on me, not him). i'm giving good face, no? get your own incredibly portable glow pads at qvc.com, $35 for 10 packs, which include step 1 and step 2.

and beauties, it's good to be home.

editor's note: in accordance with the ftc regulations, please be advised that MakeupLovesMe.com received a sample of this product for review.

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nyc: best facial under $100.

the best facial in nyc -- hands down -- is at mario badescu on east 52th street.


their traditional european facial is only $65 - it includes cleansing, massage, steaming, thorough extractions (the key to any good facial), and an individualized mask treatment. you know something inexpensive is good when rich celebs are into it - and everyone from jennifer aniston to martha stewart counts on mb for their skincare needs.

beauties, i'm leaving for my cruise to bermuda in two days (!!!) - and i want to put my best face forward. i visited the spa on monday for the traditional european facial + vitamin C treatment (add $35) with esthetician maria. my friend and i joke about "mario badescu face", because the extractions are so good that customers leave look significantly more blotchy than when they arrived. about 3 days afterward skin calms down, and by 1 week out from the clarity and glow is unparalleled. my gorgeous skin is starting to show and should be it's prime for the trip - perfect timing!

visit mariobadescu.com to learn more or call 800-BADESCU to get involved.


editor's note: in accordance with the ftc regulations, please be advised that MakeupLovesMe.com received this service gratis for possible review.

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stila sparkle waterproof liquid eye liner.

beauties, it's not easy to get me to cheat on my beloved urban decay liquid liner, especially with a sponge brush (ew!), but stila's sparkle waterproof liquid eye liner has my eyes wandering.


even though the liner has a sponge brush, it's still easy to apply in a neat single line, perhaps because the sponge applicator is very firm, almost like a pencil liner. it's waterproof quality goes hand in hand with it being super long wearing - like it will be on the next day if you don't use makeup remover before bed. plus, the liner comes in 9 shades - ranging from blacks and browns to bright blues, greens and purples. bora bora - an electric blue - is perfect for the blue eye trend. $22 a liner at stilacosmetics.com.


editor's note: in accordance with the ftc regulations, please be advised that MakeupLovesMe.com received a sample of this product for review.

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how to: fishtail braids.

tribal inspiration has taken hold of summer style. the fishtail braid draws on this theme, and the style is just as natural for a day at the beach as a formal affair (i wore my hair in a fishtail braid to a wedding this past weekend).

i'm captivated by the style, but after a failed attempt to create the style at home i visited hadar at salon AKS for a fishtail tutorial. it is surprisingly easy - instead of 3 sections like in a traditional braid just divide hair into 2 sections. next, exchange a small piece a hair from the outside of one section and place it in the other section (similar to how you start a french braid). alternate doing this from one pile to the other until you get the end of your hair.

here's hadar's handiwork on my friend sheila:

here's how mine turned out:

i still think it's a little bit tricky to do on yourself, so i recommend you grab a friend and a glass of wine and get to work on each other's hair before hitting the bar or the beach.

special tip from hadar: if you have layers be sure to include some pins around the base when you're done to prevent it from looking too messy.

and if you're still confused or you want yours extra perfect for a summer occasion, book with hadar at salon AKS, on the corner of 54th street and 5th ave.

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shobha madison avenue revisited.

earlier this week i visited shobha's remodeled madison avenue location for brow shaping and bikini waxing. the new storefront is in the same building as their previous madison location but one floor down, much more spacious, and a colorful treat for the eyes.


i do not trust a soul who does not have a shobha ID with my brows. i have had other famous brow specialists make my eyebrows so thin and arched you would think i had walked into their salon and said "make me look like a porn star, please." since that experience, i swear by shobha. while i'm less selective about my nether region, they also do an excellent bikini wax.

my most trusted brow vizier is anjali, but this appointment was with manju, the senior brow specialist at the madison location. i was pleased to see that manju easily incorporated the same tenets for shaping my brows that anjali uses (not too arched and not too thin in the front!), giving me a brow shaping that i can be proud of. shobha's consistently outstanding work makes me fall in love with them with every visit.

to learn more about the shobha experience visit shobhathreading.com.

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review: shellac nails at angelo david salon.

shellac is one the many newer uv light nail polish systems to create longer lasting manicures, my beloved calgel being another version. since i have only calgel'ed i was curious to try out another long lasting mani.

unlike calgel, shellac is not about nail art, you choose one shade from a somewhat limited number of colors. i went with a near-black berry shade named fedora. the whole process took about 1 hour, which was a rather pleasant hour for me because i spent it in the very comfortable angelo david salon and since it was friday afternoon, there was wine to be sipped. when the hour was up my nails looked flawless - and very shiny.

they stayed this exactly this way for 5 days, but on the 6th day one started to chip...then the polish just peeled right off in a clean sheet from that nail. quickly after, all the other nails followed. so much for the 2 weeks i was told the service would last.



editor's note: in accordance with the ftc regulations, please be advised that MakeupLovesMe.com received this service gratis for review.

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review: bobbi brown illuminating bronzing powder.

last week my favorite stila bronzer fell on the bathroom floor and shattered. if this was on twitter, someone would re-tweet that statement and add the hashtag "#firstworldproblems". trite as my problem may be, bronzer is a necessary part of my AM routine. without it, i do not look a member of the living.


luckily, i've fallen in love with a new bronzer very quickly (women are so fickle nowadays, hm?). bobbi brown's illuminating bronzing powder comes in 6 shades - mine's aruba - a light golden bronze. i always think bronzer needs to come in more shades than just light and dark - so i love that bobbi helps women to zero in on a shade that really works with their skintone. the formula's got a little shimmer, but no overt glitter. $33 at bobbi counters and bobbibrowncosmetics.com.

i've said this before, but i can't resist saying it again because it's how i truly feel, and you can't fight your feelings: every time i try bobbi's products i fall more in love with the brand.


editor's note: in accordance with the ftc regulations, please be advised that MakeupLovesMe.com received a sample of this product for review.

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