Tools of the Trade: Clarisonic

I’ve been meaning to write this post for a long time and to sum it up in a few words – if you aren’t using a Clarisonic yet, you should be. Let me tell you why.

I first received my Clarisonic for my birthday last year and loved using it. My mom got it through a QVC deal so it came with some Peter Thomas Roth products.

clarisonic-tsv-5.11.2013

I had only been using it for a few months and I had to go on a business trip where I left it in my hotel room. The hotel was never able to find it and I suspect a cleaning lady got a very nice Clarisonic that day.

The interesting part of this story is after a few weeks of not using my Clarisonic, my skin was terrible. I couldn’t believe what a difference the Clarisonic had made and I didn’t even realize it until I couldn’t use it anymore. I immediately ordered a new Clarisonic and have been happy ever since.

So before you decide to get one for yourself, let me tell you what the Clarisonic is and the science behind it.

You may have seen many other cleansing devices that look similar to the Clarisonic, but let me share the difference. The Clarisonic is a sonic micro-massage tool that deeply cleanses your skin. The Clarisonic doesn’t spin or vibrate, it oscillates at over 300 movements per second. This loosens dirt and oil to cleanse your pores, which in turn allows your skin to absorb your cleansers, toners and moisturizes better than before.

Courtesy of Clarisonic

Image via Clarisonic

Here is a link to a more detailed easy-to-read research study if you want to know more: Clarisonic Clinical Study

Now that you know why you should get a Clarisonic, which one should you get?

I personally use the Mia 2 because it is foolproof to use. It has a timer so as you are using it, it vibrates to let you know when to change position. It offers two speeds, low and normal. When you cleanse your face with the Clarisonic, you cleanse your forehead for 20 seconds, each cheek for 10 seconds and your nose and chin for 20 seconds.

The other great feature of the Mia 2 is that you can use it multiple times before you have to recharge it again. I usually only end up having to charge it maybe once a month or less.

I have the pink crocodile Mia 2, which is unavailable right now. Sephora has a fun Hollywood Lights limited edition Clarisonic Mia 2 that is see through and lights up. I would probably get this one for myself if I didn’t already have one.

p384712-av-02-hero

Here is a quick video on how to use your Mia 2:

There are a ton of different brush heads and you have to determine which one is right for you. In any case, you should change your brush head once every three months.

I hope this answered all of your questions about the Clarisonic. In the future, I hope to try out other Clarisonic devices and share my favorites with you.

Have you used the Clarisonic? What do you think about it?

For more Tools of the Trade, click here.


Fall Style at Saks Fifth Avenue

Last week, I was invited to meet the Contemporary Buyer at Saks Fifth Avenue, Paige Cerand, at a special event kickoff fall fashion.

invitation

This was perfect timing, as I know we are all wondering what items are must haves for fall. Paige was kind enough to take some time to walk us through the store and pair together a few looks while pointing out the top trends for fall. But first, I have to mention Paige’s fabulous Helmut Lang dress, which would look great in anyone’s closet.

paige cerand

Here are Paige’s top trends for fall:

In terms of color, the most popular are pine green, merlot, navy and some red and plaids. This display is a great example of what to expect:

color trends

We had a few models present to show off a few of the looks. Remember all of those florals from spring? Well you can incorporate them into your fall wardrobe now. Moto jackets and asymmetrical leather jackets will be in high demand. If you are layering them, remember to keep that feminine touch, for example pair the leather with florals or with a feminine blouse.

models

A big theme we kept touching on was the idea of borrowing from the boys, but giving the pieces a sexy edge. In other words taking a hard edge and making it feminine. The idea of pairing textures is another theme you will see in all of the looks:

mixed textures

Trophy skirts are another big trend for fall, making them the central piece of any outfit.

trophy skirt

coat 4

You will also want to invest in a few pieces of outerwear. Coats and jackets with leather sleeves and/or fur trim:

coats 1

coat 2

One of my questions for Paige, was what items can I invest in for fall that will stand the test of time and not go out of style in a season? Some good investment pieces include:

coated denim

What are your favorite trends for fall? I would love to hear your recommendations in the comments.


It’s Clinique Bonus Time at Belk!

It’s Clinique bonus time at Belk, now until supplies run out. With a $27 purchase you will receive six samples with a summery makeup bag, including:

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This time they published a guide on what to do with your samples and how to put your look together:

wk27_clinique_getthelook_080314_1To get to my $27 minimum purchase, I would get one of two combinations. Either the Repairwear Intensive Lip Treatment ($27) or a combination of the Wave After Wave All About Eyeshadow Duo ($20) and the Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara ($10).

What Clinique products are your favorites?

For more Clinique beauty posts, click here.


You’re Invited: Kate Spade Hello Tokyo

I was generously offered the opportunity to host a party at Kate Spade at the Somerset Collection next Thursday, August 14, 2014 to celebrate the launch of their new Tokyo Collection. If you are in the area next Thursday, I hope you can join us!

Kate Spade Invitation

In honor of the new collection, I took a special trip to the store to photograph some of my favorite pieces to share them with you.

Kate Spade Small Square Studs ($38)

I couldn’t find this particular color online, but these are a great blue/green/purple color that sort of changes depending on the angle. I already have the studs in clear and pink/gold.

earrings

Idiom Necklaces

I didn’t see these online, but I loved these necklaces, the gold one says “Good as Gold” and the silver one says “Find the Silver Lining.”

idiom necklaces

Happy Hour Flask ($40)

I’ve mentioned this flask before, and own it myself.

flask

Day Tripper Earrings ($48)

daytripper earrings

Say Yes Keyring ($48)

I loved this keyring because it looks just like the one from the first Sex and the City movie.

love

Hello Tokyo Clutch ($298)

hello tokyo

Cedar Street Maise ($298)

The Tokyo Collection promotes these bright new colors and I love it!

maise maise2

Karolina Pump ($328)

These aren’t in the Tokyo collection, but still a staple in the store, I love the sparkle!

karolina

Kate Spade Lana Pump ($350)

I ended up getting these for myself during a ridiculous sale and paid less than half of the price, so yay!

lara

Denim Kimberly Dress ($548)

I loved the novelty of this dress, the denim with the embellishments…so cute! This is perfectly on trend for fall.

denim

What are your Kate Spade favorites?


Friday Favorites: Fun Finds

For today’s Friday Favorites post, I wanted to share some fun things I recently stumbled upon (the links are in the titles if you click on them it should take you straight to the item):

1. Bath & Body Works SmartSoap Dispenser

This is so new that I can’t even link to it online. Bath & Body Works has developed these awesome no touch soap dispensers and is testing them out in select locations. I recently stumbled upon them when I went to get more handsoap. I bought two of them, one for the kitchen and one for the bathroom. We are in LOVE with them! You just wave your hand underneath the dispenser and out comes the soap. They are currently selling the refills three for $18, so now is the time to try them out.

bbw dispensers

2. Pastel Multi Chevron Stackable Bracelets ($19.99)

I first saw similar bracelets on another blog, but they were sold out. I liked them so much I needed to hunt them down and get my own pair.

chevron bracelets

3. Snakeskin Print Clutch ($26.97)

I love this green clutch from The Limited. What a fun clutch to perk up an outfit.

snakeskin clutch

4. Jonathan Adler Champagne Pop Candle ($42)

I love champagne and this candle is so decadent. This would be a great gift. What better than to have the sweet aroma of champagne permeating your house?

champagne pop candle

5. VS Collection Peep Toe Pump ($49.50)

I love these pink leopard peep toe pumps!

vs leopard

What fun things have you found this week?

If you would like to join the Oh Hey Friday Linkup with The Farmer’s Wife and September Farm just click the button below for more details.

 

For more Friday Favorites posts, click here.


Roland Mouret for Banana Republic

When I first heard about Roland Mouret’s capsule collection for Banana Republic I was thrilled! You can see Roland Mouret dresses on my favorite television characters on shows from White Collar and Revenge to Mistresses and Suits. The dresses are gorgeous, but not really in my price range…until now!

Roland Mouret’s 30-piece capsule collection launches today at Banana Republic and I have no doubt that it will sell out fast, so you want to make sure to buy early. All of the pieces are made from Banana Republic’s Sloan fabric which is stretchy and clings to every curve.

Don’t be afraid to hunt down your favorites on eBay. I’ve done that with the last few limited edition collection and had great results.

Here are my favorite pieces from the collection:

Sloan Sheath Dress in Black or Pink ($140)

item1.rendition.slideshowVertical.Banana-Republic-Roland-Mouret-2014-Look1

Sloan Colorblock Sheath Dress ($140)

This dress is already out-of-stock, but you can search for it here on eBay.

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Sloan Zip Jacket in Black ($130)

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Sloan One-Shoulder Dress ($140)

item7.rendition.slideshowVertical.Banana-Republic-Roland-Mouret-2014-Look7

High-Waisted Pencil Skirt ($89.50)

pencil skirt

White Button Front Shirt ($69.50)

white button front shirt

Vee Dress in Black or Navy ($140)

vee dress

What are your favorite looks from the collection?

To check out my previous post on Banana Republic’s Issa Collection, click here.


Wine of the Week: Protocolo Tinto

I received this week’s wine from my friend Jessica, as a hostess gift for my recent wine party. She mentioned that it was one of her and her husband’s favorite wines. I decided to test it out on Bachelor in Paradise Monday; turns out I really liked it.

protocolofinal

The Protocolo Tinto is a Spanish Tempranillo wine, that is aged for three months in a seasoned oak barrel. You will mostly find Tempranillo wines in Spain because that is where the black grapes are grown. This had a fresh blackberry taste and I actually thought I could taste some spices, but after further thought I think that was mostly the oak I was tasting.

If you wanted to add some fruit to this it would make a great Sangria. It will run you about $6-8 depending on where you find it.

Let me know if you’ve tried this wine and if you have any wines I should try in the future.

For more Wine of the Week posts, click here.


Covert Affairs “Elevate Me Later” Recap

As this episode begins, things seem to be getting hot and heavy with Auggie (Christopher Gorham) and Hayley (Amy Jo Johnson). Right away Auggie gets a lead on “The Postman” the only lead they have in the Chicago attacks. Unfortunately, Auggie has to connect with his old flame, Natasha Petrovna (Liane Balaban) in order to track down the lead.

At the office Annie (Piper Perabo) wears a Scrunched Sleeve Blazer by Helmut Lang (sold out) and a mint blouse. This Kensie Women’s Stretch Crepe Blazer ($50.99) and this Chrissy Tulip Blouse In Mint ($38.99) are similar:

white blazer

Auggie and Annie head to Paris to meet with Natasha to see if she will help them with a mission. Annie wears a Jonathan Saunders Lucy silk and cotton-blend jacquard dress (sold out). I liked this Tadashi Shoji Corded Lace Sheath Dress ($328) to recreate it:

red floral dress

Annie gets dressed up to try to find a way into the bank. If Natasha decides to help them in their quest, she’ll need to work her end. She wore the Roland Mouret Atria Wool Dress ($1,295 pounds). This Banana Republic Sloan Sheath ($140) is a great match:

red sheath

It doesn’t take long for Auggie to jump into bed with Natasha and she agrees to help them on one condition, getting all of the charges against her dropped. Auggie tries to explain to Annie that he didn’t mean to sleep with Natasha, but it didn’t take him very long to forget all about poor Hayley. Annie wears the IRO Ashville Leather Moto Jacket (sold out) and carries the Stella McCartney Falabella – Small Shaggy Deer Tote (sold out). To recreate the look, I chose this Calvin Klein Women’s Faux-Leather Moto Jacket ($159.50) and this Kate Landry Bucket Hobo Bag ($79):

blue jacket

Annie needs to find a way into the bank, so she reaches out to Ivan Kravec (Martin Csokas) pretending to be a gun sales representative. Before her date with Ivan, she needs to get Natasha’s code key. Unfortunately, the CIA refuses to make a deal with her and Annie has to steal it, unbeknownst to Auggie. On her date with Ivan, she wore a navy fit and flare dress with gold/bronze strappy heels. I really loved this Sleeveless Lace Yoke Skater Dress ($29.99) and this Steve Madden Rykie Ankle Strap Heel ($109) to recreate the look:

navy fit and flare

Annie is able to give him just enough to keep the charade going and then she drugs him and gains access to his computer. Auggie is furious with Annie for running the mission her way without any consideration to his feelings.

She tries to make amends with him back in D.C., but he called in sick and she didn’t get a chance to connect with him. They did find out that their trail leads them back to Ivan, so it looks like Annie will have to see him again. Back in D.C. she wears a Peaked Lapel Blazer by Smythe (sold out). This was a hard one to recreate, but I did find this Denim & Co. One Button Leather Jacket with Pintuck Detail ($121):

leather blazer

Annie tried to make amends with Natasha on Auggie’s behalf and it seemed to work because she showed up at his doorstep at the end of the episode. Now what will he do about Hayley?

What did you think about this episode?

If you missed it, you can watch it here.

For more Covert Affairs recaps, click here.


Beauty Review: Baby Foot Peel

I first heard of the Baby Foot Peel from my friend Erin who posted about it on Facebook. Imagine my surprise when there was a beauty product I had never heard of before. I immediately set out to learn everything I could about what the heck the Baby Foot Peel was.

IMG_2446

Turns out, it is a pretty awesome idea, natural foot exfoliation. This was music to my ears because lately getting a pedicure is like torture for me, I have become so ticklish that it is hard to get through all of the scrubbing and buffing required to keep my feet sandal ready. So I was game to test this out. I also have been reading that filing your feet actually creates more dead skin and requires your calluses to grow back even stronger.

How it Works

Baby Foot Peel uses 17 different natural extracts which peel the dead skin from your feet. The main ingredient is Fruit Acid, or Alpha Hydroxy Acid  (AHA) which reduces the adhesive (desmosomes) that hold dead skin together.

Diagram from Baby Foot USA

Diagram from Baby Foot USA

I had some big calluses from sandals and heels and recently my heel calluses have started to crack from wearing sandals too much. I took some before pictures so you can get an idea of the results. I get pedicures every two weeks and this was at the end of a two week period.

Baby Foot Peel Befor

How to Use it

To use Baby Foot Peel, you can purchase it from their website for $25. When you first get to the site there will be a prompt for your email address and they will send you a 10% off coupon, so I recommend doing that.

The kit comes with two foot booties and tape to help you secure the booties.

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After reading various reviews, it is recommended that you soak your feet for about an hour before you put on the booties. I wish I would have done this, but I was in a hurry, so I just put them on after a shower. The booties will take off some of your nail polish, so I would do this before you paint your nails. I also would not recommend moving around in the booties. The mixture makes it slippery and it is easy to slip and fall. You could always put socks on over them if you really needed to walk around.

IMG_2454

Once you use the booties, the peeling could start anywhere from a few days to a week. The whole process takes about two weeks. The more you soak your feet the faster it comes off. You’ll notice it more when you get out of the shower. Some people even recommend to soak your feet a few times a week during this process. When I do this again I will definitely soak my feet more throughout the process.

Results

It took about a week for me to see any significant results. At first, your feet will get very dry, but resist the urge to put lotion on them. That is just the Baby Foot Peel working its magic.

When you Google search Baby Foot Peel pictures, you end up seeing crazy pictures of people’s skin peeling off like a snakeskin. My results weren’t that dramatic. The process was more like flaking or having all of your dead skin crumble off. I was able to go about my business and wear sandals and pumps for the most part. A few days the tops and sides of my skin were flaking off which was a little embarrassing when I was heading to a meeting, but that was the worst of it.

Here is the play-by-play of what happened:

Baby Foot Results collage

The big question is would I do the Baby Foot Peel again?

Yes, I would. I initially expected more from the peel, but I did see good results. It significantly reduced my calluses and overall did a great job, without have to get a full pedicure. It didn’t fully get rid of my calluses, but I think it could if I continue to use it on a regular basis.

You can do Baby Foot again after waiting two weeks from your initial application. This is probably something I would do once a quarter to keep my calluses in check. The next time I do it, I will definitely soak my feet more to see if I get even better results. Baby Foot Peel recommends that you do this once every two months. I’m not sure if I could deal with my feet peeling that often, which is why I will start with once a quarter.

Have you tried Baby Foot Peel? What were your results?

Click here for more beauty posts.


Mistresses “An Affair to Surrender” Recap

As Mistresses kicks off this week, I wonder if Savi (Alyssa Milano) actually does any work. Every time she arrives at the office she seems to get called away immediately on some personal issue. Harry (Brett Tucker) and Savi finally find a buyer for the house and can move on.

Joss (Jes Macallan) starts the move in process with Scott (Justin Hartley) and he is wondering if she loves him back. She finally says the words and she doesn’t pass out, so that is a good start. We also find out that Scott owns a restaurant with a sexy supermodel and they want Joss to throw the grand opening. And of course she wants to bring in Harry as the chef. I don’t see why she can’t let him go for crying out loud!

Karen (Yunjin Kim) decides to break up with Jacob (Matthew del Negro) because she doesn’t want to stop seeing Anna. This woman is the queen of bad decisions!

April (Rachelle Aytes) can’t seem to let Daniel (Ricky Whittle) go, even though he is married.

Here are some of my favorite looks from this episode:

Joss

While Joss and Savi condo hunt, she looks great in the Rag & Bone Jefferson Blazer (sold out). I liked this Choies Blazer ($37.99) because it was a great color match:

blue blazer

As the girls come over to help Savi pack up the house, Joss wears the cutest shirt that says “Chardonnay. Late nights. Boys.” I’ve heard that you can find this shirt at Macy’s, but I also found this one at Spreadshirt for $29.40:

chardonnay

Joss meddled again in Harry’s affairs and her new restaurant owner wants to hire him as the head chef. He ultimately decides to take the job and she gets her way by keeping him from moving to Australia. She wears an Embellished Silk Tee by Rebecca Taylor (sold out). I loved that tee, but was able to find this INC Sequined Cap Sleeve Tee ($54.99), which gives you that same pop of sparkle:

rebecca taylor embellished tee

Scott finally mans up and calls Joss out on her meddling with Harry. I don’t think she was listening though. Joss lounges around in the Splendid Marina Eyelet Stripe Tee ($31.99):

splendid marina

Savi

Savi also dressed to impress while condo hunting. She wears the Vince Dot-Print Silk Tank Top ($78) and the Stella & Dot Crosby Link Necklace ($128):

crosby link necklace

She ultimately decides to break escrow and keep the house. It will cost her a lot of money and she will have to buy out Harry, but you can’t put a price on home. Savi wears the Joie Masha Silk Top (sold out). I found a similar Masha Top ($218) in a different print, but its practically identical:

masha top

Karen

After she breaks up with Jacob, Karen has a hard time getting in touch with Anna after she misses her appointment. Karen wears an Alice + Olivia Two-Tone Leather-Collar Blazer ($208). This H&M Fitted Jacket ($39.95) is a good alternative:

pink blazer

Karen gets an address for Anna, but discovers that she lied and never even lived there. She finally has to reach out to Jacob for help in finding Anna and he figures out that this is the real reason she broke off their relationship. Karen wears a Karen Millen Cotton Jacquard Shift Dress (sold out). As an alternative I liked this Tahari Bateau Neck Sheath Dress ($76.80):

karen millen

Anna finally shows up at Karen’s door and she thinks that Jacob wants to get back together with her…little does she know. Karen wore a Helmut Lang Tidal Printed Cowl-Back Top (sold out). I thought this Pam & Gela Sofia Tie Dye Tee ($125) was similar:

helmut lang cowl

April

April has a hard time breaking things off with Daniel, but after her daughter tells her that sleeping with a married man is gross, she seems to take the hint. She wears a Joie Terabithia Blouse (sold out). I found this similar colored Sophie Max Solid Crepe Georgette Blouse ($52.80):

joie terabithia blouse

At the end of the episode Anna runs into Karen and Jacob together which I’m sure she will take well.

What did you think of this episode?

If you missed it, you can purchase it on iTunes.

For more Mistresses recaps, click here.


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