St. Ives Microdermabrasion Scrub Gentle But Tough

We've talked many times before about cleansing and exfoliating the skin you're in.

If you want to uncover the smooth, healthy glow, then you have to work at it.

Especially when it comes to your face and neck, you need to scrub to smooth away the dull, dead skin cells. Don't worry, you have plenty of skin cells to spare.

That's why we were interested in St. Ives' new Elements skin care line.

We took a look at St. Ives Microdermabrasion Scrub ($7.99, drugstores). This gentle but tough scrub is blended with fine mineral crystals and soothing chamomile. The tube is only 4 oz.. We wish it came in a larger size.

The product is strong enough to use every day, but also kind to your skin. It won't leave your complexion all rough and red. It smells heavenly and the formula itself is made up of very fine mineral crystals. The lather isn't heavy, more like a cleanser consistency.

If you're looking for an inexpensive scrub, then try this one by St. Ives. And get your inner glow.

For more infromation, visit http://www.stives.com/.

Fringe Is In! Fab Fringe Sandals For Summer Style

Fringe is in!! And this time we're talking feet. Celebrities are letting their shoes do the walking this summer in fringe sandals.

From Lauren Conrad to Jennifer Love Hewitt to Jessica Alba, and Reese Witherspoon, fancy feet are in. And we love this look!

A pair of sexy fringe sandals by Jimmy Choo will run you about $945, and the adorable tan ones Reese Witherspoon is wearing as she walks through the airport, are from France and wear a price tag of over $300, by Gerard Darel.

But there are cute fringe sandals for much cheaper. All you have to do is dig around. We found these black suede fringe thongs by Candela, the same ones Lauren Conrad is sporting. The sandals retail for $245, but we found them for $147 online, http://www.bluefly.com/.


And if you would like a dressier pair to wear in the evening, take a look at the gorgeous Kenneth Cole 'Know-Veau' sandals we found. A three and a half inch wood stiletto heel. It comes in bark and natural.

But don't pay the full price of $79.99. You can pick up a pair here--- http://www.overstock.com/ for only $42.99.



These fringe sandals spell instant sex appeal, and should become a summer staple, along with your straw fedora hat.

Diminish Spider And Varicose Veins With One Daily Pill?

The pill is called Venacura. You take one pill daily. The bottle costs $49.99 for a month's supply. The result? Hopefully, greatly diminished or elimination of spider veins and/or varicose veins.

We're not sure we believe all the hype, but Venacura has been big throughout Europe for years. Apparently an active ingredient known as Diosmin 95 is the magic bullet here, in giving you back strong, vein-free legs. And Venacura is bragging that their supplement is the only one available here in the U.S. with Diosmin 95.

According to the Venacura website, Diosmin 95 is clinically proven to work:

The strength of your veins are controlled by several nerve endings. These nerve endings play major roles in the contractile and relaxing response of the vein by releasing chemicals called neuromediators. It is important that your neuromediators do not breakdown and that a healthy amount is maintained in your veins. This keeps the vein from becoming too relaxed, which prevents varicose and Spider Veins.

Diosmin 95®, the key ingredient in Venacura has been clinically proven to keep the neuramediators in your veins more active for a longer period of time. Keeping the neuramediators more active will prevent and reverse spider veins. The addition of Diosmin95® is healthy for people with both normal veins and those with varicose or Spider Veins.

More women than men get varicose veins. Often times, the condition develops following pregnancy, the use of birth control pills, excess weight gain, or even genetics, where weak veins are passed down through the generations.

We took a look at the testimonials at the Venacura website. Most customers raved about this one a day pill. And many also agreed that results take a while to see. About a month or more to notice spider veins diminishing in color.

It might not be the perfect solution to the stubborn problem of spider veins and varicose veins. But if this little supplement can lighten these pesky red and purple lines, then it's worth the price, especially now that wearing shorts and bathing suits are just around the corner.

To learn more, visit http://www.venacura.com/.

Jane Iredale 24-Karat Gold Dust For Blush Kissed Beauty

We like this cute, little Jane Iredale cosmetic pixie dust in a jar. And for $12, you can't go wrong.

You're really getting blush-kissed beauty with just a sprinkle of powder. It's called Jane Iredale 24-Karat Gold Dust Minis, pictured in Rose Gold.

This shade is so pretty and light, and perfect for summer days ahead. What we adore about this Rose Gold dust is its quick convenience and all-in-one purpose.

Just lightly brush or dab on lids, cheeks and lips, as this silky all-over powder leaves a gorgeous hint of color.

Jane Iredale uses real 24-Karat (food grade) gold to gild the skin. You can even mix it with a moisturizer for the decollete or into a gel to work into your hair. A super beauty product to also use in the evenings when you want a little extra shimmer. Especially attractive under candlelight.

Jane Iredale 24-Karat Gold Dust Minis come in 9 pretty shades. Available at www.drugstore.com.

"The most beautiful cosmetic you can wear is a healthy skin." -- Jane Iredale

"Jane Iredale's Skin Care Makeup "Beauty with Benefits" combines the most up-to-date colors with skin-care benefits that conventional makeups can only envy."

New Eyelash/Brow Serum Featured on Today Show Really Works

Long. thick eyelashes and natural, fuller brows, are what everyone wants. But many of us have been stuck with limp, sparse lashes and brows. Frustrating, to say the least.

Sure, there are some new beauty products designed to give you longer, thicker hairs, but those are prescription-based and very expensive.

Now there's a new beauty treatment in drugstores developed to grow you length, thickness, and volume on both eyelashes and eyebrows. And we think it's reasonably priced at $49.95 a tube (free shipping at http://www.drugstore.com/). It's called RapidLash Eyelash Renewal Serum.

This easy-to-apply-in-a-tube, resembling eyeliner, has been featured on the Today Show, and with very good results. It is made with advanced polypeptides.

RapidLash becomes part of your beauty routine:

A simple once a day application. Ideal for women and men with brittle, weak, thin or short lashes and eyebrows.

The reviews are quite positive. In fact, some women claim the product works so well, that the lashes grew so long, and they had to trim them back. And most found they grew longer lashes within 3 weeks.

We would be interested in RapidLash for brows, too. Nothing worse than having eyebrows get sparser and thinner as years go by. We've been there. We have learned that a fuller, more natural brow frames your eyes quite effectively. Makeup legend Sandy Linter taught us that one.

We think RapidLash Eyelash Renewal Serum is certainly worth a try.

Brown Sugar Body Polish Scrubs Away Rough Skin

Any beauty treatment that smells just like Nestle's Toll House Cookies, is alright by us.

And when the product can give you back soft, silky skin, then this is worth the high price tag of $65. Remember: a little goes a long way. A big, economical jar of 14.1 oz.

We are talking about Fresh Brown Sugar Body Polish (at http://www.fresh.com/, http://www.sephora.com/, and other beauty shops).

Women and men are really getting their scrub on with this delightful-smelling and effective buffering spa quality body polish.

So what's the big-to-do?

Every body should exfoliate. Your skin needs to get rid of dry skin cells and rough patches, especially at elbows, knees, and feet. But you also need to bring the moisture back, And this invigorating body polish does just that with almond oil and other all-natural ingredients like ginger root extract, peppermint, and citrus oils.

Meanwhile, if you would like to make your own brown sugar body polish, it's quite simple to do. And you can pick up organic sugar at places like Whole Foods Market.

We found this recipe at Healthy & Green Living at care2.com. The recipe is adapted from Organic Body Care Recipes by Stephanie Tourles:

Recommended for all skin types except those with acne (use with care on sensitive and environmentally damaged skin).

INGREDIENTS
1 cup organic brown sugar
1 cup white granulated sugar
¾ cup almond, soybeans, hazelnut, or macadamia nut base oil
2 teaspoons cinnamon, powdered
2 teaspoons ginger, powdered
2 teaspoons nutmeg, powdered
40 drops cardamom essential oil

In a medium-sized bowl, combine all ingredients except the essential oil. Using a whisk, blend ingredients thoroughly, making sure to break up any lumps of brown sugar or spice. Add the essential oil drop by drop, blending after each addition.

Spoon into a storage container with a tight-fitting lid.

Massage approximately ¼ to ½ cup of scrub onto pre-moistened skin using circular motions. Rinse.

Brown sugar body polish is a really addictive addition for the bath/shower. Smooth skin is just a sweet teaspoon away.

Fekkai Brush-On Hair Color For At-Home Convenience

We've never met him, but we've always had a crush on this superstar hairstylist Frederic Fekkai. And his celebrity client list is an impressive one. The beautiful heads of Salma Hayek, Victoria Beckham, Tyra Banks, Debra Messing, and on and on.

The Manhattan-based Frederic Fekkai has a unique at-home haircoloring box you can try. It's been out for almost a year now, and a lot of women like this brush-on permanent hair color. So we thought we would take a look inside the box.

As far as we know, Fekkai Salon Color is the only at-home color kit that comes with a brush and bowl technique, just like one sees in a professional salon. It isn't cheap at $30 a box, but a lot cheaper than heading to the stylist every month.

Fekkai Salon Color comes in 20 delicious shades, and promises long-lasting color with gray coverage and a 40% increase in softness and shine.

Here's what is in the box:

Each Salon Color comes with one application of Frederic Fekkai's signature, three-product coloring regime and the essential tools to achieve a "just stepped out of the salon" look:
- Pre-color Treatment provides targeted repair, guarding ends and dry sections against oversaturation.
- Professional Color delivers a triple-conditioning complex of luxurious butters for moisture and radiance, as well as soothing extracts to help calm the scalp.

You can buy Fekkai Salon Color at beauty stores: http://www.sephora.com/ and http://www.ulta.com/.

Take a look at the customer reviews. The only potential problem we could see, was that a number of blonde women complained that the Fekkai shades were darker than what the stated color should be. So maybe go a shade lighter?