Fall Favorites

I've received so many requests to keep up the beauty product blog and well, with all of these products I continue to search for (and eventually buy), I thought...how can I NOT?   So, I'm back, just in time to announce my fall favorites, some of which I've been saving for a few months, and others I've recently purchased and have already FALLen in love with.

Philosophy Purity Made Simple - One-step facial cleanser

This is one of those amazing products that works for ALL skin types.  Trust me, it's true!  I personally have oily skin and was suffering from some breakouts and dry spots and was a little skeptical about trying a product that isn't intended solely for problem/acne prone skin.  But, after using this cleanser as part of my daily regimen for about a month, I became a believer.  Not only does it do a great job of removing make up, but it also conditions your skin and makes it feel clean, but not dry.  It gets down deep in your pores and removes all of the impurities, leaving your skin feeling refreshed and looking flawless!  I LOVE this product (thanks Jules ;)
Retails for $20 for 8 oz. at Sephora (www.sephora.com)



Brazilian Blowout

Not to be confused with the BKT (or any other brand of keratin treatment, for that matter).  Yes, this is the actual name of the brand... 'Brazilian Blowout' (www.brazilianblowout.com).  I heard about this specific treatment earlier this year, but after having done the other keratin treatments a couple of times, I wasn't convinced that I was ready to try any of them again.  Then, after having daily battles with my hair and the heat and humidity, I started doing a little more research about the 'BB'.  Nicole Richie is said to be a huge fan of the treatment and after reading her blog, I was fully convinced.  I took the plunge and my first treatment was amazing/life changing.  I could take a shower at night, sleep on my wet hair, and wake up with bed-tousled waves that I just had to touch up with the quick twist of a flat iron.  And when I wanted to wear my hair straight, it dropped my drying time down to like 10 minutes max, a HUGE difference from the 30 minutes it was taking me prior to the treatment.  The only drawback I could come up with... The 'BB' doesn't seem to last quite as long as the other keratin treatments.  It lasted a good 8 weeks before a substantial amount of my curl came back, but I actually liked how it was more of a beachy-wavy look, rather than my natural spiral curls (ewww).  I had heard the more you do the treatment, the better it works over time, so after 12 weeks I went back for my second treatment.   It's been a week since the last treatment and I do LOVE how my hair is unaffected by the humidity, shows NO signs of frizz and just has that totally smooth, tame look to it.  If you want the benefits of lesser drying time, eliminating frizz, relaxing curls/waves for a smooth look, then I HIGHLY recommend this treatment.  I just don't see how people live without it!  They do the Brazilian Blowout at several salons and the cost can be anywhere between $200-$250.  Thanks to my AMAZING stylist, Carley at Matthew Michaels Salon located in the Audubon Park Garden District,(www.matthewmichaels.com) for a lovely job.  She never disappoints!



Chanel Perfection Lumiere

Still on the search for the PERFECT foundation and while I'm still not totally convinced I've found "the one", I think this one comes pretty darn close.  The newest addition to Chanel's foundation line, the Perfection Lumiere is a long-wear flawless fluid foundation with SPF 10.  You all know I'm not loyal to any specific brand, but I will say, I've been totally impressed with every Chanel product I've ever bought over the years.  I kept seeing advertisements for this new foundation (so all the money they spend on those things must really work) so on a recent trip to the Florida Mall, I wandered over to the Chanel counter at Saks (full well knowing I probably wasn't going to get out of there without so much as a mini-makeover).  Let me just say, it was well worth it!  After the make up artist applied the foundation with a foundation brush (I still haven't found one better than Sephora's Pro Foundation Airbrush #55 - A MUST have), I was immediately aware that I would be splurging on this item.  Maybe it was the mirrors, or the lighting, or maybe my skin is actually in really good shape right now...whatever it was, I had never seen such a flawless finish from ANY foundation.  With a $55 price tag (www.saksfifthavenue.com), I'm pretty sure this is one of those "you get what you pay for" items.  We'll see if it lives up to it's expectations (yes, I'll be counting compliments as a good measure).