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Dr. Alkaitis: holistic organic skincare that make the skin glow

Esme Vos — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 04:07:55 +0000

If you are looking for a skincare regime that uses high quality organic ingredients and does not contain nasty chemicals, consider Dr. Alkaitis. I came across this relatively new product line recently when I received a travel kit containing the purifying facial cleanser, herbal toner, soothing gel, treatment oil, day creme, night creme, eye creme and mask. Dr. Alkaitis products differ from other skincare lines in the following ways:

the products are biologically active, certified organic and are edible (indeed, I wanted to eat the mask, which contains strawberry, blueberry and raspberry, because it smelled like a strawberry shake);
they do not use chemicals or synthetic materials;
they use 100 percent certified organic Aloe Vera gel as a product base; and
they do not test on animals.

Enough of that. What are they like?

All the products smell lovely without the overwhelming fragrance that accompanies mass market skincare products. They just smell fresh and delicious. The cleanser leaves the skin feeling fresh, but not tight and dry. The toner, which I use in the morning, wakes up my face with its wonderful zingy scent. The cremes are the star products. Both the day creme and the night creme resemble whipped mousse and when applied on the skin, absorb immediately. You don’t have that greasy, slippery feel. The eye creme is also very good and does not irritate the eyes (very important for someone like me who wears contact lenses). I used the soothing gel on a couple of warm days when my skin felt a bit too oily. I used the treatment oil on rough dry patches on my elbows and that worked wonders, although if your face feels very dry and raw (after skiing or sailing), that will work very well. I use the treatment oil on dry cuticles, too. Dr. Alkaitis has other products: mascara and eye makeup remover (the cleanser does not remove stubborn waterproof mascara), body washes and shampoos, and a lip balm.

In summary, I love these products and will continue to use them. It’s difficult to find good skin care that uses organic ingredients instead of harsh, harmful synthetics, and this one actually performs well. Best of all, Dr. Alkaitis does not make any outlandish claims that his products will suddenly erase the wrinkles from your face, like the mainstream beauty brands. He just delivers very good skincare products that work: they cleanse gently, moisturize effectively, and give the skin a good healthy glow. After a week of using these products, my skin looks much better.

A good way to try out the products is to order the travel kit ($45) which contains enough product to last for seven to twelve days:

Favorite Bobbi Brown palette for Spring 2010

Esme Vos — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 01:15:51 +0000

I love Bobbi Brown’s eye and lip palettes. The colors are suit so many different skin tones and the textures are wonderful. For spring 2010, Bobbi Brown does a palette that is much more colorful than her usual neutral tones.

Eye shades include:
Ivory Eye Shadow, Bermuda Pink Metallic Eye Shadow, Seashell Metallic Eye Shadow, Bonfire Metallic Eye Shadow, Tan Eye Shadow, Burnt Sugar Metallic Eye Shadow

Lip shades include:
Cabo Coral Lip Color, Salmon Lip Color, Shell Lip Color, and Coral Reef Metallic Lip Color

You can find the palette at Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman for $60. I have not seen it for sale on the Bobbi Brown website.

Favorite Spring 2010 makeup

Esme Vos — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 01:12:38 +0000

Spring 2010 Makeup Picks by Esme Vos on Polyvore.com

Items in this set:
LES QUATRE OMBRES DE CHANEL QUADRA EYE SHADOW – CHANEL -…, $56
Yves Saint Laurent Ombres 5 Lumières – Powder – Bloomingdales.com, $56
Yves Saint Laurent Complexion Palette Collectors Edition – Beauty -…, $65
Armani White Contrast Palette For Eyes – New Arrivals -…, $58
Lancôme Color Design Quad – NEW COLORS – Get Happy with Lancôme -…, $50

MAC All Ages, All Races, All Sexes Collection: neutral, wearable makeup for all

Esme Vos — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 01:45:41 +0000

MAC is best known for its flamboyant, dazzling ads showing models with lots of bright, sparkly makeup. But occasionally, the cosmetics company brings out color collections that are more suitable to daytime wear. MAC’s latest – All Ages, All Races, All Sexes – is one of those. In a way, it’s misleading because MAC already has a range of colors that suit nearly every skin tone and age group on the planet. But who can complain about the gorgeous eyeshadows in shades of taupe and brown, and new lipglasses in baby pink and sheer taupe?

A first look at Spring 2010 makeup

Esme Vos — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 00:45:05 +0000

When it’s cold and gray outside and winter seems to last forever, I cheer myself up by looking at the beautiful new spring makeup colors that we will soon be seeing in the shops. Here is my initial selection of spring makeup favorites from Dior, Guerlain and Clinique. I love the gorgeous packaging and the happy light colors.

A first look at the 2010 Spring makeup collections by Esme Vos on Polyvore.com

Items in this set:
Guerlain Eyeshadow Palette, $59
Guerlain blush, $49
Clinique Eyeshadow – Nordstrom, $18
Dior 5 Color Iridescent Dentelle – 2010 Spring, $57
Dior Poudrier Dentelle – 2010 Spring, $55

Clarins Lisse Minute: flawless face for the holidays and beyond

Esme Vos — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 03:50:51 +0000

It’s that time of the year when we have to attend a lot of holiday parties and galas. We’re tired, have too much to drink and not enough sleep, and our skin may not look as bright and cheerful as the holiday decorations around us. My skin rescue secret is none other than Clarins’s brilliant Lisse Minute (Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch Makeup Base). You apply it before you put on your foundation. The result is visually stunning. Every time I use Lisse Minute, my skin looks radiant, smooth, and dare I say, “photoshopped”.

But once you get used to the magic of Lisse Minute, you’ll find yourself using it everyday, not just for parties. Sometimes I use it alone (without foundation) just to give my skin an instant boost.

Click on the image below to buy Clarins Lisse Minute:

Bobbi Brown 20 percent off online orders Nov 30 through Dec 2

Esme Vos — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:52:27 +0000

Fans of Bobbi Brown cosmetics have an extra incentive to get the new holiday palettes now and to stock up on items they use regularly: 20 percent off all orders from the Bobbi Brown website between November 30 and December 2. The savings are quite significant given that there is no shipping charge if you order $65 and more, and there is no sales tax (note: in California, the sales tax is almost 10 percent). My top pick is the Chrome Palette which consists of gorgeous silvery colors for the eyes and lip shades that would look good on most skin tones. I have worn Bobbi Brown’s makeup in the past and I consider it to be consistently good. The shimmery eye shadows are not too sparkly.

But if the colors are too “cool” for your skin tone, or if you already have too many shadows like these, try the Earth Metal Palette below which has warmer colors.

Go to www.bobbibrowncosmetics.com.

Favorite Black Friday 2009 deals

Esme Vos — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 22:28:12 +0000

I’m keeping my eye out for the best Black Friday deals. Drugstore.com (and its affiliate Beauty.com) are holding amazing sales. These are the items I have my eye on:

(1) Borghese Essentials Holiday Set: this includes the Fango Active Mud, Tono body cream, Bagno di Vita foaming bath gel, two facial moisturizers (the moisture intensifier and day lotion with SPF 15) and more. This was already being offered for $47 at Drugstore.com and now it’s on sale for $34.99. If you were to purchase these products separately, it would cost you more than $150.

(2) JimmyJane Massage Candle: originally $55, this is on sale now for $38.50.

(3) Avalon Organics Hand and Body Lotion, Lemon: on sale for $8.24.

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Please click on the link below on Black Friday to get even more amazing deals.

Reviving the beauty ritual: cleansing

Esme Vos — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 01:26:39 +0000

There’s something reassuring and comforting about rituals. Instead of rushing around, mindlessly going through the motions without paying attention, how about slowing down and focusing on each movement, as in a Japanese tea ceremony? During these darker, colder days of winter, I’ve revived the beauty cleansing ritual with Clarins Crème Douce Démaquillante (Extra-Comfort Cleansing Cream). Although the label says “for dry or sensitized skin”, this cleansing cream works very well on my (normal) skin. It feels like luxuriously soft pillows of whipping cream, yet it effectively takes off all makeup. I love using it in the morning and evening, followed by the Eau de Confort cleansing water which has a slight hint of peach. Clarins has a rather unusual instruction on how to use this cleansing cream but I’ve come love this daily ritual:

Warm Cleansing Cream to skin temperature in the palms of the hands. Apply by gently placing the flat of the hands over the face. Hold for several seconds without pressing. Briskly lift the hands off the face. Repeat 5-6 times, including on the neck: the milk will gradually thicken and create a suction effect to lift off make-up and impurities without irritating or pulling the skin. Rinse with water or remove with a tissue.

If you are using the cream to remove makeup, you will discover that you don’t need a cleansing water or toner afterwards. There’s no residue to mop up. You might need mascara remover for certain types of waterproof mascara.

You can buy Clarins products in most departments stores or online at Clarins.com.

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Giorgio Armani makeup: subtle, exquisite colors for the holidays and beyond

Esme Vos — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 04:09:00 +0000

Giorgio Armani makeup favorites by Esme Vos on Polyvore.com

By now, you have seen the holiday makeup kits stacked up on cosmetics counters in department stores. For some reason, cosmetics companies believe that our faces should be as decked out as Christmas trees: that means lots of sparkly eye shadows, heavy blush, glittery powders in lurid colors, and more. This is a mistake. Many women will be going to a holiday party in a sequined dress or wearing more jewelry than usual. Applying heavy, sparkly makeup is vulgar and unattractive; it throws your entire look off balance. What to do?

Go to the Giorgio Armani counter and check out their makeup range. Armani has a few bold colors but even those go on sheer in the beginning, allowing you to build up more color, just in case you do decide to go for the Christmas tree look. To help you narrow down the best products, see the photo above. These are the Armani products I recommend (beginning from left, clockwise):

4-color eye shadow: finely milled powder makes this shadow silky and easy to apply, colors are gorgeous;This palette is called the Pink Light palette;
Single color eye shadow #5 – silky, rich brown color;
Blending blush duo: a cream to powder blush which gives the face a fresh, healthy youthful glow;
Rouge d’Armani: the latest lipstick from Armani, emollient yet long-lasting. The color above is #403, a warm red;
Luminous Silk Foundation: cited by most women as the best of all the Armani makeup products. This foundation goes on sheer and makes the skintone look more even; and
Luminous Silk Powder: use this powder to finish your look.

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