Make up du jour

Hi guys, I don't usually do make up posts, but thought this one that i did last Saturday looked particularly good. It was during the daytime, so I didn't want to do something too heavy.

I did a very natural foundation since I hate the cakey look. I finished it up with a mineral powder and some rose blush and a light bronzer.
For the eyes, I did a a light smokey with shades of ivory, a medium grey and a charcoal grey. I added some eyeliner to the base of my lashes to create more volume. I used a combination of 2 different mascaras to maximize my lashes (no, these are not fake - they are all me!). For the eyebrows I used some wax and a filler.
Lastly, I wore a tangerine color lipstick - I love going bold for the summer time!

Foundation - Vitalumiere aqua by Chanel #20

Powder - Mineralize skinfinish by Mac Medium

Blush - Joues Contraste by Chanel Rose Bronze

Bronzer - Aruba by Sephora

Setting Spray - Ultra radiance facial re-hydration by Benefit

Eyebrow - Brow zings by Benefit and speed brow also by Benefit

Eye Shadow - Scoot, Vanila and Silver Ring by Mac

Eyeliner - Magic Ink by Benefit

Eye pencil - Stylo Ebene by Chanel

Mascara - Volum'Express Colossal Cat Eyes and Volum'Express One by One both by Maybelline 

Lipstick - Mandarine Bolero by Givenchy

Thank you so much for reading this post and I hope you've enjoyed this easy to do make-up!

100% Pure shampoo and conditioner

Since I've moved to San Francisco, I've become more and more selective with the products I choose to use. There is a concern here in Northern California with what kind of substances we are allowing into our bodies either through food, cosmetics or the environment. 

With that in mind, I am constantly seeking natural products that are free of heavy chemicals. However, if a product does not deliver, I don't see the point in keep using it just because it is natural - I might as well make my own homey mix and use it instead.

With hair products I've had quite a bit of disappointing experiences. My hair is thick, dry, colored and curly - the ultimate challenge for the hair industry! I've always been a Kerastase junkie (I still love their products!) and putting that kind of expectation into natural lines almost seems unfair.

I've recently started using 100% Pure shampoo and conditioner daily and have to say: I love it! My hair feels light and moisturized, the scent is delicious and the price is just right. I've done some research on the line and found out they have an entire collection of natural cosmetics including make up and skin care products.

I would definitely recommend the Honey & Virgin coconut duo of shampoo and conditioner which is the one I've tested so far. 

You can learn more about the brand directly on their website: http://www.100percentpure.com/default.asp

Thank you so much for reading and hope you have enjoyed it!

La Roche-Posay - Effaclar

Every time I travel to France, one of my favorite hobbie is to go to a local pharmacy and pick new products to chose from. French pharnacies are definitely the best, nothing to do with Walgreens (love you, Walgreens!), but you can find all fabulous cosmetic brands from Vichy to Caudalie, and of course my very favorite: La Roche Posay.

I have been addicted to their sunscreen for the longest time, and their thermal water spray is a must have. Now, I've found an entire line that I love and now I am definitely hooked! The line is called Effaclar and it's designed for acne prone skin.

Forget the clean and clear from your teen years. This is some serious stuff. They even have anti aging products for sensitive acne prone complexions.

So I just went ahead and bought everything I could get my hands on. The daily gel cleanser, the micellaire water, the matte moisturizer, the Effaclar cream and the FABULOUS serum. I know it seems quite a lot, but it's definitely worth it. My skin is feeling cleaner, softer, more even and the pores are significantly smaller.

For those who have read my skin regimen, I continue to wash my face with a wash cloth and avoid to touch it. Then, I will clean it with the toner. Next step is to apply either the cream (during the day time) or the serum (for the the night time). Last but not least is to apply the matte moisturizer which leaves my skin hydrated but not greasy. I love it! I would definitely recommend this line for anyone with acne prone or oily skin, it's absolutely amazing.

Thank you for reading and hope you've enjoyed it!

The "REAL" scrub

Exfoliating your skin is very important. It's the key to keep it free from dead cells, moisturized and glowing. It should be done at least once a week, but some people may prefer to do it twice or maybe even three times a week.

Now onto the next subject: finding the perfect scrub. There are so many products out there that it becomes challenging finding the one that suits you. I've tested many and there are a few that I really like, such as the Pate delice from L'Occitane.

However, this scrub is different, it's entirely organic and maid with local Hawaiian ingredients. I picked it up during my last trip to Kauai at the Koa Kea Hotel. They actually sell the entire line at their SPA inside the hotel.

It's by Malie organics and it has this delightful vanilla and coconut scent. It leaves my skin very smooth, nourished and radiant. I am totally in love with this product!

What about you guys? What's your favorite scrub?

Thank you for reading and I wish you a happy Tuesday!

L'Occitane - favorite products

L'Occitane is one of my favorite brands. More so after being to their hometown of Mane en Provence. There I visited their factory, drove through their lavender fields and stayed at their hotel and spa Le Couvent des Minimes.

What I really love about their products is that you can easily identify the ingredients that they are made from. And the same way that quality ingredients are crucial to make a great dish, great quality ingredients are also key for well-balanced, luxury cosmetics that actually work.

So I've decided to share with you some of my favorite products from L'Occitane:

Their lavender shower gel and eau de cologne. A great combo for a peaceful night of sleep. I usually use these after coming home from a stressful work day. The shower gel helps me wind down and the cologne gives me that clean scent that gets me ready for bed.

Another one of my favorite combos is their Almond shower oil  and delicious paste. These I generally use when my skin is feeling a bit dry. I will wash my skin with a coin size of the shower oil applied to a wash cloth and then scrub my entire body with the paste - it's truly delicious!

The last product I will share here is the Verbena exfoliating shower gel. It's a refreshing shower gel with some very light scrub to it. It vitalizes the skin and leaves a clean and fresh feel to it. Pure bliss!

Thank you for reading and hope you've enjoyed these products as much as I do!

Reader's Q & A

Hi all, I've decided to start posting responses to my readers questions on the blog,.I'll share with you my expertise on a wide range of subjects and try to the best of my ability to respond to your questions. So here is the first one that come from my British sister and bff Holly:

"Ok, put me on a strict diet! What do I need to eat, breakfast, lunch and dinner. X"

First of all, I want to thank you for asking me this question while I am very busy in France stuffing my face with cheese, bread and pate! I don't feel self conscious at all! And even if my last meal alone had enough calories to feed an entire family for a whole week, I will keep my cool and simply avoid jeans and anything with buttons and zippers at all cost. Thank God, for pregnant lady pants for us non-pregnant women! 

Muffin top? Whatch-ya-talking-about? I will get back on track as soon as I leave the land of bakeries on every corner! Promised!

Without further delays, here is the diet SOS after the holiday marathon (I know, I know, I won't tell anybody you had 30 eggnogs and 25 candy canes between mint and cherry):

1. Cut on carbs:

You are bloated. You have to take drastic measures for at least a couple of days. The easiest way to de-bloat yourself is to cut every single carb from your diet immediately. Forget the bread, pasta, potato or sugary foods for the next few days.

Please keep in mind, this is not supposed to be permanent. Carbs are a important part of your diet and should be reintegrated back at least for breakfast once the de-bloating process is complete (for me, it takes about a week depending on the size of the diet damage).

2. Drink water:

Dehydration can make you hungry! Or at least make you think you are hungry. If your stomach starts to tick drink a large glass of water before eating anything, it may be that you are just thirty.

3. Eat healthy foods:

Your body need nutrition, so everything that you eat should supply you with the maximum amount of vitamins, proteins and fiber per calorie. Why eat a twinkie when you can have an apple or even some baby carrots?

Add as many vegetables, fruits, leaves and lean proteins as you can possible do to you daily diet.

4. If it doesn't look like food, then it shouldn't be eaten:

This one should be common sense. Why should we eat things that don't resemble food at all? Soda, Cheetos or ketchup will give you very little nutritional value, fill you up with calories and artificial substances that should not be ingested to begin with.

I hope this help you get back on track, Holly!

Thank you so much for reading and hope the tips were helpful.

Beauty Tips - YSL Touche D'Eclat

On my fashion night out's perusal I discovered my newest cosmetic favorite: YSL touche d'eclat concealer.
This lightweight concealer gives you just enough coverage without the occasional lump. The skin is left uniform and radiant looking since its luminous points give you that magazine-cover glow usually acquired through Photoshop.
Needless to say that I am completely addicted to it!

Thank you so much for reading and hope you enjoyed the beauty tip!

Beauty Tips - Andy Warhol + Nars

After a very, very long wait, the make up collection Andy Warhol + Nars is finally a the stores! The palette of color as well as the packaging have been inspired by the pop art genius. The line is absolutely amazing and I can't wait to get my hands on these goodies.

The product line ranges from eye shadows, to lipsticks to nail polishes and more! Everything with an additional hint of pop. Now available at Sephora or you can buy the collectors edition at Gilt.com

I hope you all enjoy the shopping! Bisous!

Beauty Tips - New hair products

It's official, I am addicted to beauty product! There, I said it! Now onto the next 11 steps to get rid of my addiction...

Anyway, on my last trip to Wallgreens (I know, it does seem like I spend an awful amount of time there, but they are a block away from my office, totally not my fault!), I found these two products and took them home with me to test.

Now onto the good news, they are A-MA-ZING! My hair is looking lighter, silkier and both of them have these amazing scents almost perfume like. So here are my discoveries: 

Go Blonder shampoo and conditioner by John Frieda, indicated for all types of blond hair, they light up the hair color over time and leave the hair moisturized and shiny. You can buy them here.

I am in love with the entire sulfate free line by L'Oreal! This is the third product I've tried and no disappointments so far. Its a win win situation when you can have your hair deeply moisturized with a masque that is free of heavy chemicals. All of this is possible with this amazing 5-minute-treatment. You can buy this here.

Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy the products! Bisous!

Beauty Tips - Benefit's Ultra Radiance

Benefit  is a San Francisco native brand. Founded by the twin sisters Jane and Jean over 30 years ago, the cosmetics brand believes in doing make up the right away, with products that actually work!

I personally love the vintage feel around the brand, all the marketing ads and packaging reflect that pin up feel. The products are simply amazing, every time I test one of their products I become chemically dependent of it.

So last weekend I was around the Fillmore neighborhood and decided to stop by and check out the new stuff they have in and found this gem: The ultra radiance facial spray! It leaves your skin smooth and silky and it can be applied after the make up to fix it. Simply amazing!

The vintage looking paper bags.

I just love their product packaging!

Le voila: the ultra radiance spray, perfect for all types of skins, including sensitive ones like mine!

Benefit also offers services such as their brow bar, lash tinting, threading and of course free make up sessions. Simply purchase a product or two and they will gladly put your glam on. Can't wait to stop by again!

You can find the nearest store to you here.

Beauty tips - Here comes the sun!

Summer is about over in the Northern hemisphere. But since San Francisco is a planet of its own, September and October are the warmest months up here, so I am preparing for heat specially on my upcoming trip to LA!
My skin is very sensitive, it always has been. Anything too harsh, too oily or too acid will make me breakout even in my body. After a searching for years, I recently found peace with the Sunforgettable from Colore Science, I've already talked about it here.
But our bodies also need to be protected against the damages the sun can leave. That's where this perfect combo comes in handy! I bought them at this little pharmacy in Lyon (thank God for those!).

The perfect combo - Anthelios spray XL format factor 50, this will keep your skin safe from the sun + Posthelios which is the deep moisturizing lotion intended to sooth the skin after being exposed to the sun.

You can get these here .

XOXO and enjoy the sun!!!

Fraxel - no pain, no gain

So, as I've previously mentioned here, I had several skin issues during my teen years and acne was far the worst of them. I've tried everything, from soaps to heavy antibiotics and nothing seemed to work. So I ended up having a very aggressive treatment with Accutane which did solve the root issue and put a end to my acne ordeal. However, I was left with some scarring as well as rosacea on my skin.
So through the years I came to terms with my skin learning how to take care of it since it's extremely sensitive. But the scarring remained a problem. That is until I heard about Fraxel, a skin laser treatment that is  performed with a special machine that uses fraction laser to force the skin to produce collagen and therefore getting rid of the scars, aging signs and sun damage.
So I decided to try it and bought a package of 4 sessions at Aura Skin Spa. I am familiar with the place since I had my laser hair removal done there as well. Aura is great, clean, the staff is very friendly and the procedures really do pay off.
Anyway, going back to Fraxel, what I can say is two things: first, it is extremely painful ; second, it works! The painful portion of it is only during the procedure, I didn't experience any pain during the recovery. The feeling is the same as if you had a ball full of hundreds of needles being rolled across your face, that happens in multiple passes (about 8). I was given some Valium to calm down and some Vicodin for the pain as well as had some numbing cream applied to my face each time about an hour prior to the procedure, but even so I felt excruciating pain.
The nurse that performed all of my procedures, Jennifer is just a sweetheart and understands my need to put on gospel music for the procedure (I keep chanting in my head: Oh Lord, help me!). She is also very professional and honest when it comes to increasing the intensity of the laser.
Now, the results: smooth, uniform, silky skin like I have not had since my acne ordeal started! I love it! I've seen about 70% improve already and wanting more.
Summing up, I heart Fraxel, even though I went to have the 4th procedure yesterday and look very red and swollen. I heart Fraxel, even though I can't leave the house for 3 days (Thank God, it's Memorial Day weekend!). I heart Fraxel and could hug the person who invented it (short, tall, tomboy, chubby, stinky, I don't care!). I really heart Fraxel!

Aura's facade

Their waiting room - look at this place!

A lot of UP-TO-DATE magazines to flip through

Snack corner with several tea flavors - Yum!

1h prior to the treatment the meds come, they gave me 1 Vicodin and 1 Valium

Alcohol pads to clean the face, numbing cream, and stress ball (couldn't go through the procedure without it)

Already with the numbing cream on

My lovely nurse, Jennifer!

Jennifer already in the procedure room, about to start

The laser beast, look at the size of this thing!

I wanted to be very comfy for the procedure but elegant at the same time

My look:

Shirt - Twentyone

Sweater - Ya Los Angeles

White jeans - Burberry

Pumps - Via Uno

Bag - Coach

Sunnies - Tiffany & CO

Make up class - learning from an amateur

My last post had a disclaimer that I find very important: I am no MUA, nonetheless I love make-up! The shiny packaging, palette of colors, the different textures (powder, cream, foam, liquid, mousse, spray), the smells and most importantly, how make-up empowers women.

Just a touch of red on the lips and we are ready to conquer the world! I know it, I feel it too, the days when I roll out of bed straight to the shower and out in 5 minutes without my glam on I feel closer to Norma Jean than to Marilyn Monroe. So here is one easy to do make-up that will make you look fabulous in less than 5 minutes, promise!

The look: fresh and healthy, with a little smokey on the eye lids.

1. Building the Foundation - I have been using this all in one foundation from Chanel for years. It doesn't look cakey and at the same time gives me great coverage. It used to be called Teint Innocence but after it has been reformulated for additional moisturizing it's called Vitalumiere. My color is number 20.

2. Staying put - on my everyday make-up I just use the Vitalumiere, but since I was going to a party I wanted to stay put all night long. So I add a layer of loose power by Mac.

3. Looking peachey - next step was to add some rose to my cheekbones. I like to do this in a 45 degree angle across from my cheek to sculpt my face. I think it makes me look thinner, Hallelujah!

4. Priming the primer - In the past, before I knew Benefit's primer Stay don't Stray, I used to suffer from a horrible condition: smudging eyes! God knows how I would sweat under my eyelids and end up with eye shadow all over. So this how it's done: apply a small dot of primer on the palm of your hand and then apply it all around your eyes and eyelids. This will also prevent those horrible concealer bumps. Next use a good liquid or pencil eyeliner to draw a line close to your lashes.

5. The glam momento - eye shadows are the best part of the whole make up routine, it's where we can take the biggest risks without looking like bozo. So I chose the one sweep by L'Oreal, which has a curved large brush which allows you to put on three complimentary colors at once! This saves you a loooot of time! 

6. Fake the mascara - No make-up looks done without the stiletto lashes. I just recently found this new Voluminous false lashes from L'Oreal and it works! I feel borderline drag queen with my 5 inch lashes. 

7. Kiss and tell - The final touch is the lips, but since I had already smokey black eyes I decided to go a little more neutral. I combined Chanel's #34 lipstick with their new lip gloss. It's almost like a collagen injection, the lips look plump and daring.

What about you guys? What is your favorite 5 minutes make-up?

Beauty Tips - Hair Care

Having curly, thick and colored hair is definitely a challenge. Specially if your color includes highlights like mine does. The secret? Moisturize! Moisturize! Moisturize!
So here are the products I use on a daily basis to keep my hair at check:

Kerastase Noctogenist - this night mask is a life savior! Simply apply it before going to sleep (I usually use a towel to wrap my pillow to avoid any mess) and wash your hair as you normally would in the morning. The hair looks shiny, silky and the frizz is gone.

Kerastase Reflection - indicated for colored hair, this line has a wonderful scent and is light enough to be used on a daily basis. I wash my hair twice with the shampoo followed by a 15-20 minutes mask. It is a TLT (total life transformation)!

Moroccan Oill mask by Organix - I recently found about this one on a trip to Walgreen's down the street. I've heard wonderful things about moroccan oil products for a long time now but have never had a chance to try them (I'm very faithful to Kerastase!). So I picked one of these up and guess what? It works! It leaves your hair very smooth and the smell is just delicious!

All of these products are available on most cosmetic stores, but you can get them directly from Strawberrynet which is the website I usually use for my beauty products. I hope you enjoy these as much as I do! XOXO

Beauty - Face

, 

As a teenager I had a lot of issues with skin, acne being the worst of them. As I came into adulthood I came to terms with my skin, I've learned to work with I've got to look my best.
Lately, I've learned a bunch of new tips and have come to love some great products. So here is how I take care of my face:

1. L'eau thermale Avene - I have a least 3 of these bottles in my bathroom cabinet, can't live without it! What I do is instead of wetting my face to wash it with regular tap water, I spray the l'eau thermale all over my face, it hydrates and leaves my skin glowing.

2. Wash Cloth - since I've met my lovely beauty esthetician Justine, you can contact her here I've learned not to touch my skin anymore, I use a wash cloth to wash my face and my body. It has definitely improved my skin.

3. Cleanser - I wash my face most of the times with a mild soap, SkinCeuticals Gentle cleanser and Vichy's Purete Thermale are my favorites! When I need something to clean deeper, I use Biotherm's biopur, that happens about 1-2x per week.

4. Sunscreen -  I have been a fan of La Roche Posay's Anthelios for the longest time, but once I moved to California, my skin started to behave differently, I found out about Colore Science and fell in love! It's a powder sunscreen that protects your skin without leaving it oily.

5. Anti wrinkle - let's face it, aging doesn't feel that good and I want to look as young as I can possibly do! So when I turned 25 I have made a resolution, to get some anti wrinkle on my skin on a daily basis! I've been using the Vichy's Neovadiol GF which was prescribed to me by my dermatologist Dr. Andrezza Nascimento and so far it has been working like a charm!

What about you? How do you take care of your skin?