When daily routine gets old and the cold weather begins…sometimes the only place you really want to be is on a warm, sandy tropical beach.

Here are a few beauty products that can help you feel like you are on vacation instead of in your bathroom shower:

Coconut Body Butter by The Body Shop:

This intensely moisturizing body lotion is a great way to stay soft in the cold weather and smell like you came from a warm beach.

Made from organic, cold-pressed, virgin coconut oil and community trade shea butter, this 24-hour body butter will keep your skin soft and supple.

Style your locks with David Babaii’s  Bohemian Beach Spray which uses eco-friendly and exotic ingredients like sea salt from the Dead Sea and Volcanic Ash from the South Pacific.

Not only does this styling product work on wet or dry hair to give sexy, just-got-back-from-the-beach volume, but it’s made with kiwi and shea butter to keep your hair soft and healthy.

The icing on the cake: 10% of profits go to the WildAid foundation…so even if you can’t be on an African Safari at least you can be doing your part to contribute to WildAid’s mission to save the our planet’s wildlife.

Tocca Beauty Scented Candles have a way of sending you into a  sitting-in-a-hammock, tranquil state of mind.

Tocca’s Havana Candle, scented of sugarcane and rum makes you dream of pirates and exotic crystal blue bays.

Tocca’s Montauk Candle, scented of sea grass and fresh air will have you dreaming of lighthouses and the sound of crashing ocean waves.

Tocca’s Tahiti Candle, scented of tiare flower and coconut will have your bathroom smelling like a romantic island honeymoon.

Bon Voyage!

Posted in Cold Weather Beauty, Hair, Skin ~ 0 Comments

I love the fall and winter season, but my skin and my hair do not. This time of year brings on dry, itchy, flaking skin that irritates us and even ages us. Below are three steps to bring back youthful, supple skin and hair and prevent the yucky dry weather from taking its toll:

Step 1: Stop frizzy, dried out hair: During this time of year I often make the mistake of using a heavier conditioner to keep my strands soft. Ultimately, I end up with greasier, weighed down hair.

Solution: Hair mask! You can apply a hair mask once a month or as often as once a week depending on your strands. I love Ojon Restorative Hair Treatment. I coats your hair in a grainy, greasy, strange smelly mess, but then ends up giving you perfectly soft, shiny healthy hair without a trace of greasiness.

Step 2: Prevent flaky skin and exaggerated wrinkles on your face: The dry weather sucks out all the youthful soft and suppleness of my face. This is really two steps in one. You have to get rid of the dry skin by exfoliating and then prevent it by moisturizing. Many experts suggest using a facial cream with alpha hydroxy acid which acts as a two in one step process by exfoliating the top layer of the skin while moisturizing it. This can be an effective solution, however using a moisturizer with alpha hydroxy acids on sensitive skin can cause further redness, flakiness and irritation. Therefore I suggest using separate products for each step.

Solution: Use a mild exfoliant (not something with large beads that scrape the skin!) like Dermalogica’s Gentle Cream Exfoliant made with lactic acid, salicylic acid, lavender and aloe vera which combined help gently remove dead skin and sooth irritation. Then use a deep moisturizer at night like Prevage Anti-Aging Night Cream or take it one step further and use a 24 hour cream.

Step 3: Stop using soaps in the shower that dry out your skin and make you itch all over! Often times I find myself using a bar of soap in the shower and find myself lathering lotion on my dry skin afterwards. It’s messy, sometimes downright greasy, and even gets on my clothes. Oh yeah and it takes forever to rub in.

Solution: Use a moisturizing body wash like Kiehl’s Creme de Corps Nurturing Body Washing Cream which uses mild glycerin soap to cleanse and jojoba oil and shea butter to moisturize the entire body. Using a creamy body wash prevents itchy, flaky skin and gives you a break from slathering on loads of moisturizer after the shower.

Posted in Cold Weather Beauty, Face, Hair, Skin ~ 1 Comment

Facial Sunscreen is extremely important to wear everyday. Typically makeup and daytime facial lotions come equipped with SPF 15 or 30.

These products can help prevent skin damage and wrinkles, however, most dermatologists will recommend that you use a separate skin sunscreen that has a higher SPF.

It is also recommended that those with sensitive skin should rely on one moisturizer for day and night to keep their facial routine consistent. In this case it is very important to apply sunscreen in the morning before your moisturizer.

Below are list of three facial sunscreens ranging from affordable to luxury:

Inexpensive: Vanicream SPF 60 (picture above). Vanicream is a great brand that works great for senstive skin.

Vanicream is free from dyes, fragrances, parabens, and other common chemical irritants. You can grab a 4oz tube at your local pharmasist for about $15.

Moderate: La Roche-Posay Anthelios 60 Ultra Light Sunscreen Fluid. La Roche Posay provides a facial sunscreen that eliminates shine with a matte finish.

This sunscreen is also made with Senna Alata, a tropical leaf extract which La Roche-Posay claims to be a powerful skin antioxidant. A 1.7oz bottle is $27.50.

Expensive: Chanel UV Essentiel Protective UV Care Anti-Pollution SPF 30+. Percision by Chanel provides a facial sunscreen with mineral and plant based ingredients such as licorice extract which Chanel claims help to erase evidence of sun damage. A one ounce tube is $48.

Read about how to get a natural looking bronze on Bravadora!

Posted in Skin, Summer Beauty ~ 0 Comments