Google

Not to completely state the obvious, but GlossGlamZenFly is powered by Google Blogger. This past week, Google made some transitions and in the process a huge chunk of posts have mysteriously disappeared! I apologize for that and am currently investigating.

May 27th is Don't Fry Day!

The National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention has designated the Friday before Memorial Day as Don’t Fry Day – May 27^th 2011 a.k.a. Today! In order to help reduce the risk of Skin Cancer, the Council’s goal is to encourage sun safety awareness by reminding everyone to protect their skin while enjoying the outdoors on Don’t Fry Day and every day. 

Another event taking place on this day is moi meeting Skin Care Expert & Celebrity Esthetician Renée Rouleau at the W Hotel in Boston for my very own skin consult! Stay tuned and in the mean time, here are some tips from the lovely Renée:

 

Sun Protection Tip #1: Be aware of daylight coming through windows.There is a belief that the only time you get sun exposure (and therefore sun damage) is when you are outside. I’m here to say that this is just not true. UV light (that damages your skin) can penetrate windows at any daylight hour. Shade your windows at home and at work!

Sun Protection Tip #2 – Apply sunscreen or sunblock to the entire face, neck and chest – GENEROUSLY.Did you know that an SPF 30 only protects the skin 4% more than an SPF 15? And as you go up in number, this percentage lowers. The real truth behind sun protection is not the SPF number, but how generously you apply it. Published medical studies have shown that most people apply 1/3 to 1/2 the recommended dose of sunblock. A little dab won’t do ya! First thing in the morning, I apply a thick coat to the face, neck, ears, tops of hands and chest (my exposed areas of skin) for an important defense against the UV rays given off from the sun. Since the skin on my face is oily and acne-prone (I’m a skin type #2 in my nine skin types), and since sunblock should be applied generously, it is so important to find one that is formulated for your skin type and won’t feel greasy or cause breakouts. I use my Daily Protection SPF 30, which gives both UVA and UVB protection and dries to a matte finish on the skin. It works amazing under my makeup since it’s so light.

Sun Protection Tip #3 – Get your car windows tinted.The side and rear car windows do not filter out any damaging UV rays, so consider tinting your car windows. I recently purchased a new car and had my car windows tinted with a special tint that is used on military planes that cuts out 95% of UV rays, yet is not very dark in color. This esthetician means business when it comes to my skin!

Sun Protection Tip #4 – Wear sun protection clothing.I know it may sound like I live my life in a dark cave–this is hardly the truth! I own a Harley Davidson and spend my free time out on the open road, plus I love running outside when the weather is nice. So to protect my skin from the damaging rays, I purchase special sun protective clothing (light jackets and shirts) to wear when I’m outdoors for long periods of time. Most shirts offer only 5 to 9 SPF whereas sun protective clothing can offer up to an SPF 58.

Sun Protection Tip #5 – Apply mineral powder throughout the day.You’ve always heard how important it is to apply sunblock every 2 hours, yet if you’ve got full makeup on, this may not be practical. Mineral powders are all the rage these days, and have a natural sunblock built in them (usually a minimum SPF 20). Keep one in your handbag and dust it on your skin throughout the day since direct sunlight, as well as the oils your skin naturally produces can degrade protection. I also dust mine on the tops of my hands since my morning application of sunblock will wash off when I wash my hands.

Bottom line: Research shows that 78% of all sun damage is from incidental exposure (the times when you think you aren’t exposed, but you are). The truth is every time daylight sees your skin (inside or out, winter or summer), you increase how rapidly your skin will age. So if you want to get really serious about lowering your risk of skin cancer and preventing premature skin aging, practice these tips. You really do have a say in the matter of how your skin will look and act when it’s older, but the choice is yours.

 

Available at www.ReneeRouleau.com

Glowology

Think of it as a summer school subject, for those who spent their hours in biology dreaming about vacation. Glowology is kind of like a science. The science of looking beautiful, revealing great skin and keeping up with Eco-Friendly status.

The only supplies needed are amazing products and skin that is seeking out nurture! Everyone gets and A+

After sampling a few goodies, it is clear that The Balm is a new staple in my life.

My knees will never quit thanking me. The Balm is enriched with organic Shea Butter and other lovely ingredients such as Lemon and Orange, Sunflower Oil, Salicylic Acid to soften rough areas and Bilberry - a powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant that helps ward off pre-mature aging. Applying is over night to feet is the perfect in-between pedicure treatment. I like applying it to my knees after the shower.

Glowology's Heavenly Honey Wash and Sugar Mama Scrub compliment each other as well. 

The wash is formulated to gently clean sensitive skin and the Scrub somehow magically exfoliates sans the feeling of sand paper that seems to be the status-quo these days.

Basically, all you need to do to pass this class is Mama Scrub you legs, shave, Balm up your knees and head to the nearest beach!

Glowology can be found at www.Glowologyskincare.com

Bright for the 4th

I'm going for the super bright look this weekend.

A little color blast....

And a little Hard Candy......

Tarina Tarantino

I love me some Kabuki  brushes! All round and plump-like.

Currently I'm diggin' this one from Tarina Tarantino.

It's available at Sephora and just looking at it makes me smile.

Currently Craving : Oribe Volumista

Personally, I like to puMp up the vOluMe when styling my hair.
Just used Volumista from Oribe while visiting a friend and now it must be mine!!!! It's $29.99 at www.Oribe.com

Sometimes shopping at your friends house is better then the mall (especially when "your friend" is a hair stylist) just saying....

Loreal's Showering us with Spring goodies

Common brands that provide great results are few and far between. Loreal stands alone, always raising the bar by providing luxuriously affordable-products that everyone can afford. This spring there is a delightful array of goodies to keep you looking gorgeous.

Studio Secrets Professional Magic Perfection -

The first and most likely to cause an instant grin is this little jar of preparation.

It can be worn alone or under makeup, it's a base that fills lines and minimizes the appearance of pores. Soft light weight powders within the formula provide and instant mattte look.

I've used it both alone and with make up. My forehead was the test, because lately there have been some fine lines appearing that I'm not too please about. It worked wonders and filled in with out caking and lasted all day.

As far as color discrepancies are concerned, Loreal has three moisturizing formulas to keep your face all one hue! One to combat redness, one to illuminate and add warmth to light skin tones, and one that adds glow to mediums skin tone.

Age Perfection Hydra-Nurtition

Remember that forehead I mentioned? I've been slathering this on it.  This cream penetrates deeply to hydrate and moisturize, just a couple things on the list to fight aging. I enjoyed the silkiness of the cream, definitely non-gooey.

Concentrated Lash Boosting Serum and Double Extend Lash Boosting Mascara

Prior to applying mascara, the serum acts as a conditioner to protect lashes. This was my favorite. We underestimate the wear and tear caused by daily application from mascara. But who wants to by-step amazing lashes? I adore the idea of conditioning first, and the mascara went on smoother as well.

Go 360 Clean

OK, so I got a kick out of these! The cleansers feature the first ever Scrublet tool, containing 500 super soft and tiny bristles. It's reusable and there a cute storage spot for it on the cleansing bottle. It's not harsh like those disposable scrub pads and yet does a much better job cleaning out pores with out looking like your cat scratched you. I like popping the Scrublet in and out of its storage place, it's such a neat idea. And it's the perfect product for traveling too!

Colorist Secrets Shine Gloss

Sure you have colored your hair on your own at some point. But have you given yourself a shine enhancement? In ten minutes an amonia-free vibrant flow of tresses can be yours! 
The claim is that it lasts up to four weeks. It's been two weeks and my shine is still pronounced! If you don't try it now, definitely try it mid summer when your hair begins to feel the effects of sun, sand, and dryness.

If you are in the market for affordable beauty enhancing this spring (and I know you are) march down to CVS or Walgreens or Walmart or your local Supermarket or....you get the picture.

Smack It!

You know when you really need to apply lip gloss or chap stick or whatever.....and you are eagerly fumbling through your purse and can only seem to locate your keys and a pen?

Apparently Lip Smakers is on top of this because I came across these Jumbo Lip Smacker packs. 
Looks like a guarantee that you will be able to address your lips sans a GPS.

Currently Craving

I can never get enough of eye creams. Loreal has taken the cue from vibrating mascaras and such to bring us Collagen Mirco-Pulse Eye. 

It gets rid of puffiness with the vibration collagen steps in to battle wrinkle/dark circles. My next trip to CVS will include this for sure.

Napoleon Perdis Loves his Mom

Mothers Day is almost here. Sure, all you can really think about is Cinco De Mayo. 

After you break up with Mr. Petron once again and are done nursing your hangover, get down to Target and snatch up NP's Mum's the Word limited edition cosmetic kit 4 yO mAMa!

The kit includes cult favs from Napoleon Perdis: Eye Shadow and Blush Palette featuring an array of matte shades, a full-size Long Black Mascara, deluxe sample sizes of two DéVine Goddess Lipsticks and a deluxe sample of Auto Pilot Pre-Foundation Primer. 

The package is imprinted with a beautiful floral watercolor, and  bundled together with a matching greeting card for mom. 

Hooray for all the Mommies!

Erno Laszlo Firmarine Treatment Bar

What's all the fuss about?

LASZLO BLUE Firmarine Treatment Bar, is what it's about. It is a firming face soap for slightly dry to slightly oily skin.

The oceanesque bar contains Spirulina Maxima and Algae Extract to firm skin by helping cell renewal and improving skin’s texture. Vitamin C and E provide long lasting anti-oxidant protection, while glycerin, Soribtol and Palm Kernel help hydration and retain moisture by binding water to the skin.

I've been using it at night and can feel something happening. Not a tingle and not a tightness. It kind of feels like my skin just got a light work out and a stint in the sauna. The bar has a rather spring scent!

Another plus is that if you have to travel, throw it into a plastic baggy. That's all that is necessary to take it with you and then plop it back into your vanity when you return home.

Nordstrom, Saks, or Erno Laszlo's online shop have this Firmarine Treatment Bar waiting for you.

Exuviance

 

Exuviance Brightening Bionic Eye Cream is clinically proven to combat dark circles, bags, and crows feet. What a trifecta! 

It is available at Ulta stores and  online by clicking HERE. I have not tried it yet because I'm in the midst of trying too many other products. If I do get to it soon then you will be the first to know.





A dear acquaintance of mine has been raving about it, and was shocked that I had not sampled this so called "miracle". At least that is what she calls it. So that is why it seemed worthy of a post.

Beauty on the Go

Since there was a plethora of goodies to try, I decided to take them on vacation with me. It was the only way to do it right! NP and Pixi cosmetics are not just super fabulous and easy to access no matter where you happen to be (available at Target for under $35). They are innovative and the hues fit perfectly into any spring wardrobe. Each item was wonderful but I had to narrow it down.

These are my favorites from each line:

NP - Napoleon Pardis

Eye Primer

Basically if you hit the floor running every morning and need to bu sure your eye shadow stays put all day and night.....this is what you need. I don't usually mind if my eye makeup wears off during the day, because I do different eyes in the evening.

However, on vacation, I wanted to keep it simple but long lasting, and was extremely surprised with the results!

......shhhh don't try this at home: not that I condone falling asleep with makeup on - I'm just saying that it happened to me after a few cocktails. My eye shadow actually looked pretty damn good when I woke up. So ya, that's how great it is. Like I said though chicas, Don't try it at home. I'm 100% obsessed.

On the Double Pen

       Transform into a cat-eyed queen with this  wand of jubilation. The other end contains a coral cream blush. It's been living in my purse ever since! The coral is perfect.

        A great tip from Napoleon is to tilt your chin up to see the contour of your eyelid, and apply your pen as close to the lashe line as possible. For a deeper cat-eye, use an eyeliner pencil to mark with small dots where you want the liquid eyeliner to start and end. Close one eye and connect the dots. Finish by lining eyes with a pencil and add a few coats of mascara.

Glamorista Mascara - A thin brush that's on point with extending lashes. Self explanatory. Pretty Awesome. 'nuff said.

Romance Set - On the go. An array of colors for eyes, lips, and cheeks. I like the way it fits perfectly into my purse pocket and the texture of the outside of the set. Sweet packaging and even sweeter hues for application. The deep lavender shadows are complimentary to everything.

Pixie 

Flawless Primer - So I didn't know a product like this was available at an affordable price. I'm ashamed to admit I pay a redic amount of dough for my primer. Pixie's primer absorbed quickly and set the tone for the rest of my transformation from me to moi. It was not oily and filled my fine lines exactly as I expected. I'm still hooked on the fact that it's only a fraction of a fraction of what I paid for my last primer and works just as well!

Lux bronze palette - The bronzer gave me a nice glow. It offers a few shades so that sometimes you can use it as a blush and other times a bronzer. I like to use all the shades together and get well rested glow.

Just for fun I took this pic the other day while shopping. In case you're curious what the aisle that you should be shopping in looks like........

Bargain Lip Gloss

Just in time and in the midst of spring! I'm raving about Mode Lip Glaze Glide On Wet Shine Gloss. It's kind of like the M.A.C.'s Lip Glass. The difference is that Mode's Lip Glaze contains almond oil so its not sticky icky!

Available in fresh spring colors for $4 at www.modecosmetics.com

Burberry to launch Color Cosmetics Line

Eye shadow just got a bit more high class. Burberry will be launching a line of Cosmetics. More info to come.....stay tuned!

Elemis Travel Duo

That's right, we are talking Elemis once again. In honor of Earth Day today, Elemis introduced a limited edition Exotic Lime & Ginger Travel Duo set to benefit CARE's Climate Change Innovation Fund.

Elemis will donate $10 per sale (100% net proceeds!) to CARE's Fund.

Since Elemis is an Earth Conscious skin care brand to begin with, it was only natural for them to get on board.

The Exotic Lime  & Ginger Duo contains essential oils of Citrus and Ginger and is free of silicones, parabens and mineral oils. If you are an avid traveler then the size of these beauties will make your heart  flutter. They fit perfectly into that annoying Quart bag and most importantly they nourish the skin and smell amazing! 

The hand and body wash contains extracts of Thyme, Nettle and Chamomile in a deep cleansing Soya, Wheat and Milk Protein base. The lather was pleasing if I do say so myself. The Hand and Body lotion contains purifying peptide from Moringa Seeds, detoxifying Camphor Bush and skin-smoothing Paracress in a lipid rich Sesame Seed and Shea Butter base. This Dynamic Duo costs $20 and will be available for the rest of April 2010 exclusively at Elemis' online shop www.timetospa.com

Scents such as ginger and lime are definitely the kind that transform your shower into a mini spa visit makes for a delightful morning wake up call. At least that's how it made me feel.
In addition to the smell, the lotion is not greasy. I always feel the need to address the grease factor since so many lotions these days are better off being used to fix a squeaky door. Elemis' lotion quickly absorbed into my legs and arms and provided hours of softness and my hands were residue free  : )

Hamptons in a bottle : Montauk

Bond NO 9 has a new addition. Memorial Day is the unofficial beginning of summer, right? And summer is when our well heeled friends flock to the Hamptons, right? Andy Warhol loved Montauk..... that's right, and this was the inspiration behind the new scent.

It launches exclusively at Saks on Memorial Day. The fragrance includes heart of hyacinth, Lilly of the valley and honeysuckle: top notes of wild bergamot, white laurel and blueberry, and a drydown of amber, driftwood, silver maple and red oak.

The summer induced scent comes in two botthles. I'm digging the yellow one myself!

Happy Birthday and other upcoming news

Due to the arrival of my inevitable  30th Birthday AnD  lovely trip to Cali, I've been under the radar, or under the web? Anyhoo just because I haven't been writing, does not mean I haven't been testing!

Lots of fun reviews coming up including:

Self Tanners, Exfoliators, Cosmetics for less and more. Please forgive me while i was doing this.....

 

   Being 30 on the West Coast

Tan Accelerator

Elemis - The name still rolls off my tongue so smoothly. Luxury level skin care at its best my friends! 

Even better, the British brand's new Tan Accelerator rolled into my suitcase on a recent trip and I'm spreading the word. It should pretty much become a staple in your beach bag this summer.

Tan Accelerator is a pre-tanning lotion with Glucose Tyrosinate (no that's not a dinosaur),  it's an amino acid precursor of melanin. You already know that melanin protects the skin, well the GT helps stimulate your skin by boosting skin's natural melanin production. 

Fair skin has nothing on this tube....Tan Accelerator increases the tanning power of pale skin - And for the olive to darker girls and guys, it still contains a low SPF so that there is some protection for those that tan easily like moi. It's active ingredients are the Glucose Tyrosinate, Macadamia Nut Oil, and Shea Butter. Anything with Shea Butter is truly amazing, isn't it?

The claim is that applying two weeks before sun exposure can help alleviate any first day redness that comes with many vacations. I waited until vacation and used it for 4 days on alternate legs and arms to see the difference. Aside from looking a little discolored the first couple days until each limb caught up, the results were quite pleasing in the end. Maybe I should come up with a new tactic for product reviews, I had to explain myself a couple of times. Ha! But that just goes to show how well it works.

My tan was definitely deeper. Also my legs are usually first to fade in color, but since my return, my stomach has actually faded first (and I did not use it on my stomach).

This sealed the deal for me!

It also doubled as moisturizer one evening when  my  body lotion went M.I.A.  I'm super psyched for a deeper tan this year and that it's really affordable, only 25 dollaroos.

Elemis's Tan Accelerator is available at Nordstom and Bergdorfs and online at www.timetospa.com

Darphin Hydraskin Essential

This Spring, Darphin is introducing the most luxurious $50 face cream ever- Hydraskin Essential. It’s a super-moisturizing emulsion featuring ingredients like Butterfly Lavender and Organic Shea Butter for the softest, healthiest skin… 

 

To celebrate the launch,  Darphin is inviting women to share their favorite $50 luxury at www.50littleluxuries.com. For every tip shared, a donation will be made to the IDEAL Providence Farms to purchase school supplies for children in Ghana (these are the children of the women harvesting the Organic Shea Butter in Hydraskin Essential as part of Darphin’s efforts to support the community.)  

 

Celebs have already shared theirs- some favorites include:

 

Emmy Rossum treats herself to buying a favorite TV show DVD series and coffee ice cream.

 

Kara DioGuardi indulges in an extra long pedicure massage.

 

Becki Newton spoils herself with fresh flowers.

 

Whitney Port’s $50 pleasure is a manicure and pedicure.

 

Perrey Reeves picks up a great new plant for her garden.

 

On April 21^st, the 50 most creative entries will win a preview of Darphin’s favorite $50 luxury- a full-size Hydraskin Essential. And a grand prize winner will be treated to a New York City Spa Getaway for two- with transportation to NYC, 2 nights at the Surrey Hotel, Darphin treatments and more. Sounds like a fun little contest girls!