5 Favorites

This Urban Decay Naked Illuminated, $29, is a whole lot of shimmer with a little bit of bronzer.  To say I'm obsessed is even underestimating how much I like it (and I'm not really into shimmer, glitter, sparkle...).  I like the way it looks dusted across my decolletage. I guarantee once you see it in person you're going to want it, too. Like what you see?  Read on because there's a few more things I'm coveting right now.

The Body Shop Honeymania Body Scrub, $ 20, is part of a whole collection that uses Community Fair Trade honey made from the nectar of thousands of wildflowers.  I'm a big fan of gentle body scrubs and this one's exfoliating beads are large and round so it's gentle on my skin.  Plus, it makes my shower smell like flowers!

Skinceuticals Advanced Pigment Corrector, $90, not only helps to rid hyperpigmentation and brown spots, but it's also proven to keep them away.  Formulated with a potent blend of ellagic acid, salicylic acid and yeast extract, it's comparable to, yet safer than hydroquinone.

Nivea Lip Butter in Vanilla & Macadamia Kiss, $3.99, smells like a fresh baked holiday cookie, but don't worry it doesn't taste like one.   The butter-like balm almost satisfies my cravings for sweets (is that all mental?) and keeps my lips soft and moisturized.

L'Oreal Voluminous Butterfly Mascara, $8.99, has a plastic wing-tipped comb that really helps to divide my lashes as I swipe.  The curve in the brush and the bristles help to create that sexy, added lash look at the corners.  With my almond shaped eyes, it almost gives me cat eyes!

The Beauty Loot that Got Me Through NYFW

New York Fashion Week is over and while I had a great time checking out the shows and interviewing glam squads and designers, I'm excited to get back to my normal routine.  You know – actually have a life.  As a reporter, covering fashion week is far less glamourous than you'd think.  It's a 25 hour, eight day week that allows for little to absolutely no sleep due to intense deadlines and non-stop shows.  I guess you can say it's a bitter, sweet week.  Here are the hero products that got me through it without looking like a hot mess. Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray, $39

It's the perfect combination of a dry shampoo and a hair spray.  On days when I skipped a shampoo and had to be at a show at 7am (Victoria Beckham on Saturday morning) I spritzed this on my roots and through my hair and it added volume and a bit of workable control. Backstage tons of stylists were using dry shampoo as a styling product, not just to control oil. You'll be hearing more about this in another post.

Kerstin Florian Correcting Eye Rescue Pad, $100 for 5

I stopped by Robert Verdi's Suite in the middle of the week to check out some new product launches and found these eye pads.  I literally put them on right then and there in the middle of the day and like a mask, they helped to soothe fine lines around my eyes and depuff underneath (which at this point was much needed).

Laura Mercier Oil Free Tinted Moisturizer, $42

As the days went on I began to get paler and paler.  I normally don't wear any face makeup so I bought this tinted moisturizer in a shade darker than I normally would wear and mixed it in with my moisturizer to dilute it a bit and applied it daily to create a lively appearance.  Otherwise I would have been walking around looking like a corpse.

Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Strips, $9.99

I've written about these before and have worn them over and over.  They're real nail polish strips that you stick on your nails and last up to ten days.  I chose a metallic fishnet pattern and decided to rock them because I knew they wouldn't chip during my busy week.

My Travel Beauty Must Haves

So for the past six weeks I've been on the road.  Between press trips and TV segments I've been all over America. After five segments, a red carpet event, ghost tour of New Orleans, the Sundance Film Festival and thirteen flights later I'm back in NYC.  As glamourous as it sounds, it's been rough! There have been some beauty products that were staples in my carry-on that I could not have survived without.  They're not all that  pretty, but they get the job done!

Veripur, a moisturizing hand sanitizer that actually protects your hands from germs for four hours.  Between all of the airports and planes I've been on, this has been my go-to.  Unlike other hand sanitizers, this one's really moisturizing so my hands don't feel dry when flying and the four hour protection is key.

KohGenDo Macro Vintage Essence Mask, a face mask loaded with moisturizing ingredients.  Each time I arrive at a hotel room I use this for ten minutes to restore moisture back into my face before a TV segment. It gives my skin a great boost.

Blistex Lip Massage, a lip emollient that hydrates and protects.  This goes beyond chapstick or lip balm for me.  I whipped this one out for my winter travels.  It's a thick ointment-type of lip protectant that really hydrates and I don't need to reapply it often.

Beat Dry Skin this Season with These Nourishing Finds

Winter brings snowy days, cold winds, along with dry, chapped skin. The cold winter weather is our skin’s worse enemy – dryness, chaffing, and soreness from head-to-toe.  I think we can all do without.  Have no fear – more than anything I can't stand feeling dry, so I went on a mission to ensure it won't happen to me, not this year, not ever.  So here you go BeautySweetSpot readers: tips to prevent that horrible feeling and my favorite product picks. Tip #1

Use a good quality body wash like SoftSoap Ultra Rich Shea Butter Body Wash, $5.99 which also moisturize. Some soaps may seem innocent but they actually dry out your skin. This one is super creamy and contains butters and antioxidants to nourish your body right at the start of your day.  Another tip:  The hotter the water, the more your drying out your skin.

Tip #2

Post shower, apply moisturizer within three minutes while your skin's still damp.  It allows the moisture to seep deeper into your skin.   My favorite is Olay Quench Plus Touch of Sun Body Lotion, $8.49.  The Quench line of Olay products are super moisturizing, but not too heavy or sticky and this one acts a gradual self tanner.

Tip #3

Don’t forget your hands and feet. Apply a cream specifically formulated for hands and feet each day.  They tend to be a bit richer than normal body lotions.  After applying, wear socks to help your feet soak in the moisture. My favorite hand cream by far is Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Moisture Hand Cream, $17.  I also love L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand and Foot Cream Duo, $15.  Plus, it's much more pocket friendly.

Tip #4

Apply lip balm throughout the day, such as Burt's Bees Nourishing Balm with Mango Butter, $2.99. Your lips can get super chapped during the winter months. They're cheap enough where you can have one in every bag, desk, and jacket so there's no excuses for dry lips!

Tip #5

This is perhaps the most important one!  Don’t forget to exfoliate once a week to remove dead skin cells and make all of this moisturizing more effective.  Lush Bubble Gum Lip Scrub, $8.95 and DermaDoctor KP Duty Body Scrub, $44 are my go to's.