Sephora Skin Care Gifts For All On Your Christmas List

No need to be frazzled during this Christmas shopping season when shopping for much needed skin care gifts. Here is a list of effective skin care products and gift sets for everyone on your list that come as a great value !

 

Your little sister in high school who is fighting acne. This kit contains all the necessary acids that dryout blemishes, but also contains essential oils that help restore moisture.

    Recommendation: Murad Acne Complex Starter Kit $33

Your mommy {dearest} eager to combat the aging process. This PTR kit is packed with peptides to help reduce fine lines and wrinkles by 72%.

Recommendation: Peter Thomas Roth Un-Wrinkle Kit

http://sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P227701&categoryId=B70

Your girlfriend who leads a high stress lifestyle that is starting to wear on her distressed skin. Stressed skin can have the appearance of looking very dull. Bliss' oxygenating skin care trio is powered by Vitamin C to bring life back to tired, lackluster skin.

Recommendation: Bliss Glow-Ho-Ho Radiance Revving Triple Oxygen Trio $75
 http://sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P298305&shouldPaginate=true&categoryId=4326#moreInfo

Your sun worshipping west coast relatives who still need to be told about the damage of tanning. This moisturizer is tinted, which makes it a great option for the winter and it also contains SPF 15 allowing it to protect from the strong rays that still manage to damage our skin during the cold season.

Recommendation: Dr. Dennis Gross All-in-One Tinted Moisturizer SPF 15 $44

Your hubby who of course has perfect skin and only uses soap. The packaging of this mask is great for males. Just like the tube, the mask is all black and works with mineral rich clays to purify the skin and tighten pores. Great after his daily workouts!
Recommendation: Boscia Illuminizing Black Mask $34

For everyone and anyone on your list that wishes for perfect skin....The Clarisonic! I rave about this product all the time, because it is in fact one of the best skin care products on the market. It offer a gentle, manual brush exfoliation that deep cleans and refines. Use the Clarisonic daily or weekly, depending on how often you exfoliate, while pairing with an appropiate face wash.

Recommendation: Now is a great time to buy, because Clarisonic is offer their Mia Cleansing Systems for just $119.

Selma Hayek Skin Care Line: Nuance @ CVS

CVS is a great place to find beauty products at bargain prices. Nuance by Selma Hayek is a new skin care line that is inspired by Selma's grandmother and exotic ingredients from around the world. One thing that I liked about the products, other than the affordability, is that the natural, effective ingredients were high up on the ingredient list, validating their potency. The skin care and cosmetics products in particular that scored the highest reviews and that are my faves are Renewing and Brightening Facial Serum, AM/PM Anti-Aging Super Cream, and Wild lime Exfoliating Facial Gel. Watch this clip to hear about Selma's favorites: 
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Fall Time Exfoliation That Won't Break The Bank!

During the dry, cold season of Fall finding a way to exfoliate your skin without causing irritation and dryness can be hard to do. The good news, especially for all of you with sensitive skin, is that an effective gentle exfoliation can be as close as your refrigerator. 100% whole milk contains many enzymes and fatty acids that dissolve dead skin, cleanse, and hydrate the skin all at once. Try soaking a soft wash cloth in milk at night and patting over your face three or four times for smooth, clean skin. This ritual is best for people with sensitive, dry, and/or mature skin. 

Kim Kardashian's Wedding Makeup

Kim K's wedding photos have been out for a while, but after watching "Kim's Fairytale Wedding" this weekend and admiring her look (as usual) I was so happy to see how natural and soft her makeup looked. The idea of looking like the prettiest version of yourself is so true and can be achieved so easily by choosing colors that complement your skin tone and staying away from bold colors. Try Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, the queen of the "natural look", for natural looking makeup options on your big day. Kim's makeup artist focused on her best facial features (her eyes) and used a line up on Lancome products to achieve her look, click here for details.

Brushes That Won't Break The Bank!

Target is one of my favorite bargain beauty stores. While shopping at the super Target in Alexandria I found some good quality e.l.f. brushes ranging from $1 to $3!!! Unbelievable prices. These brushes are great options for teenagers looking to start their makeup kit or a seasoned makeup maven that needs a few more essentials.

Beauty on a Budget

With the abundance of skin care products on the shelves of our local drugstores it is hard to know which ones are worth buying and actually work. For the month of October I will be sharing some effective products that can combat the most popular skin care concerns, all of which can be found in your local drugstore. The best part is they won't break the bank!

Red Door Spa, Harrah's, Atlantic City

I had the pleasure of receiving an Essential facial at Red Door Spa in Harrah's Casino and Hotel in Atlantic City over Fourth of July weekend. It completely surpassed my expectations! I like how every Red Door Spa isn't exactly the same and seems to take on the look and feel of its location. The Red Door Spa in Atlantic City is huge, with a separate area that is includes a steam room, jacuzzi, and sauna. Elizabeth Arden products are loaded to aromatherapy. My favorite was the exfoliant used in the essential facial and the cremy mint mask. With the purchase of a spa treatment you can enjoy the spa facility all day. Four Stars!!!

Prom Makeup @ it's BEST!

Prom makeup should be flirty, fun, and age appropiate. If your skin is well prepped by being exfoliated and moisturized to create a smooth canvas, loads of makeup is unneccesary. Some sparkle on the eyes and a pop of color on the lips and you're all set. Here is a pic of my favorite little sister before her prom a couple of weeks ago. Makeup by yours truly.

The Dewy Look...

J.Lo really knows how to achieve the dewy look. Personally this is my favorite makeup look, especially for the summer. Today I mixed my liquid Loreal True Match and Avenda Tourmalines moisturizer to achieve a sexy, natural glow.

Spa in the Spotlight: NYC's Spa Butterfly

Spa Butterfly
I needed some travel therapy over President's Day weekend and went to New York for the day with a girlfriend. Spa Butterfly was a pleasant surprise while on my way to Grand Central station. For a "nail salon" spa, it was so inviting, clean, and "esthetically pleasing" as I always say. I had the Axxium Gel Manicure and loved it! As someone who doesn't like to do artificial nails, but I'm never really satisfied with how short a natural nail manicure last either; Axxium Gel is the best of both worlds. Gel is applied to dry manicured nails. No need for polish, but go with the darker colors!

www.spabutterfly.com