Ricky's In NYC: Edgy Beauty Store With Lots To Offer

Ladies, do you know Ricky's?!

If you live in New York City, and you like everything beauty, then you darn well know where Ricky's is located.

We're not telling you to move to Manhattan, but there are advantages to living in a very big city, when it comes to tracking down your favorite beauty must-haves. The supply is almost always there. In other words, you CAN usually find a certain makeup, skin product, hairspray, flat-iron with no problem.

And if you can get a chance to walk into a Ricky's NYC store, well, you've hit the beauty jackpot!

Everything under the sun is here.....and at great prices! Look what we just found:

1. Babyliss Professional Hairdryer--Titanium Tourmaline 3000 ($89.99, now on sale for $59.99).

2. Burt's Bees Milk & Honey Body Lotion ($11.99, now on sale for $5.99).

3. St. Ives Olive Cleanser ($7.99, now on sale for $4.99).

We're just scratching the surface.

By the way, if you can't get into a Ricky's NYC, don't despair. Let your fingers do the walking. Just click here.

Is Courteney Cox' $9 Drugstore Beauty Buy Really A Good Thing?!

Courteney Cox.

We think she's a gorgeous, dark-haired celebrity. So, who wouldn't want to follow any beauty advice she gives out?

We recently picked up on a little tidbit from the Cougar Town actress, regarding at-home hair color. BUT------we're not sure we would be following her suggestion.

So, let's look closer......

Courteney Cox claims she is a loyal fan of Clairol's Natural Instincts Brass Free Brunettes in 5C Medium Brown:

"The $9 drugstore beauty item I buy every 28 days."

Are we to believe that a celebrity like Courteney Cox relies soley on at-home boxes of hair color? That she doesn't use a professional stylist to dye her hair?

Who knows. She could use both, and maybe when her gray roots peek through, she uses a little drugstore Clairol before she gets to her stylist?

If you gather information about Natural Instincts, you would find that this is a demi-permanent hair color. In other words, it lasts through about 28 shampoos, all without ammonia. That means, it is healthier for your locks. And it covers your grays.

The brass free formula that Courteney Cox is raving about, neutralizes unwanted red or orange tones in the hair. That's a good thing.

But the problem with using a demi-permanent hair dye on darker hair is the unwanted build-up or deposit of color that remains on the hair. In other words, you start off with a medium brown, and a few months later, that same box shade you use, begins to look black, even jet black.

And trust us......we've been there. We have watched our dark brown locks turn goth in a matter of months. And then, we had to out-grow it all. Not easy, and patience is a virtue.

As we've always repeated here: Remember---it's easy to go dark, when coloring hair. But if you want to un-do the darkness, you've got quite the challenge on your hands.

Permanent hair color sounds even harsher to hair. Yes, maybe in terms of resulting drier texture and so on, but at least a permanent hair dye eventually fades to a lighter shade. So you don't have to worry about heavy color deposit, at least in our experience.

By the way, if you have great luck using a demi-permanent hair color like Natural Instincts, good for you. And good for Courteney Cox. We have not been so lucky.

Beauty Tip From Korea: Found In Viscose 'Italy' Towel

In yesterday's beauty article, we talked about getting rid of back acne. And now, we're taking this a step further.....

We just learned about an amazing beauty tip from Korea, that involves super exfoliation with just one, inexpensive, little wash cloth, called the Italy towel, or the Ddhe Meeruh cloth, as it's called in Korean. And the fabric is made of viscose.

You can pick up these Korean bath cloths in Asian markets for less than $2. And we found some on Ebay at a great 7-piece deal here.

These rough, 'Italy towels,' as they are called, are not for the faint of heart. You will see dead skin cells roll off your body as you apply the wet cloth in circular motions across your skin.

Perform this bathtime beauty routine after you shower or bathe, when your skin has been exposed to water for several minutes, and you will see some big changes in the texture of your skin. Little by little, you will note smoother, softer skin with a healthy glow.

We're not promising your cellulite will disappear (not that you have any), but remember: Circulation is important when it comes to healthy skin. And a good, strong bath massagepushes the body into action.

We conclude that this is a wonderful beauty tip from Korea!

How To Get Rid Of 'Bacne' And Enjoy Sexy Backless Tops

Backless tops and backless dresses are sizzling hot for summer 2011. A lot of famous faces are wearing them----like VS model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. But before you dare to go bare back there, make sure you've got nice, clear, smooth back skin.

Nothing worse than a few unsightly break-outs or back acne! You've heard of the term, 'bacne', as we know it. And yes, you actually have pores back there that can become clogged.

Your back rarely gets bared on a day-to-day basis. But when summer rolls around, it's time for bikinis and tops that show off that beautiful back. And since you're not always examining this part of your body, well, bumps and break-outs can pop up there.

So, first thing....You should invest in a body brush, a bath brush with a long handle. Slough off those rough areas. Routine exfoliation can make a big difference.

And the best thing we've found is a great bacne fighter by Dr. Murad, called Murad Clarifying Body Spray ($37, at murad.com. This is a super formula in a salicylic acid and retinol-based spray.

It's gentle enough for daily use. After you shower or bathe, just spritz on a thin layer, let dry, and go. Murad Clarifying Body Spray kills bacteria on contact. And yes, you CAN reach those hard-to-get places with its revolutionary 360° spray. It works upside down to zap those break-outs that might be forming on impossible-to-reach body parts. You can spritz on Clarifying Body Spray from head-to toe.

Here's to clear, smooth skin, way back there.

How 'Bout A Brazilian Peel: Not What You Think--This One For The Face

No, this isn't like a Brazilian wax Ouch!

The Brazilian peel is actually for the face and neck, thank goodness. It's a new, at-home prescription strength glycolic acid peel by Advanced Home Actives ($78, 4-monthly treatments, at sephora + ships for FREE). The company claims that the Brazilian peel is 5 X stronger than the leading over-the-counter product. Plus, this chemical peel is a 30% glycolic grade combined with the anti-aging beauty berry acai from the Brazilian rain forest

Now, you know, we, here at BeautyTipToday, love our glycolic acid peels. So, anytime a new self-neutralizing peel that you can apply at home is introduced, we take notice.

What's so great about chemical peels like glycolic acid?

It's simple. Your healthy skin returns. Texture improves, along with better tone, smoothness, and firmness. And those pesky fine lines and wrinkles appear less nasty.

Jan Marini, skin care expert explains the beauty of the amazing glycolic acid:

"Its molecules are so small that they penetrate more deeply, dislodging dead cells and lifting the skin, giving it a smoother appearance. And glycolic acid also helps get rid of age spots!"

We can all have nice nice skin. It takes time and a few trusted products. And trust us.....glycolic acid should be in your beauty arsenal.

Celebrities Love The Little White Dress In Summer: So Can You

Ladies....Say hello to the LWD! That stands for 'little white dress", of course. And that's what you should be slipping into, when you get the chance this summer.

Celebrities like Jennifer Hudson, Eva Longoria, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Carrie Underwood, are all workin' the LWD. And so can you! Check out these lovelies.

And yes, it's okay if the little white dress is ivory, off-white, cream, and so forth. You get the general concept here. As long as the dress is in the white-ish category, that spells summer, light and breezy, along with showing off that sun-kissed glow!

We found some super cute, little white dresses at venus.com. And they're having a sale, so the prices are great for the budget fashionista.

We adore this V-neck Ruched Dress ($34, at Venus. This is a sleek, curve-hugging LWD. In easy care poly-spandex. Available in X-Small, Small, Medium, and Large.

The LWD is a simple and striking look every woman can pull off. And you can have fun with your accessories. Check out Eva Longoria's tangerine-colored shoes!

Ooo LaLa! Votre Vu Lip Balm And Hand Cream In One

We like this beauty concept a lot. Votre Vu has a wonderful 2-in-1 lip balm and hand cream. It's called Bebe Duette Luxe Lips Framboise & Hand Creme ($27.65 --2-pack, at votrevu.com. Perfect for the purse, ladies.

So, the price is higher, but, the Votre Vu brand is quite luxurious. And in case you're wondering, Votre Vu is a 2-year-old Paris-based skin care line, developed by a family in France with more than 80 years experience in custom blending formulations.

The vitamin-infused lip balm is heavenly. And we give thumbs up to the framboise, sheer raspberry balm. This color looks gorgeous on everyone. And the balm is made with UV filters for added protection under the sun.

The hand creme is a rich, moisturizing base in an almond/coconut scent. Yummy! And your hands will be well-protected because Votre Vu has enriched the product with sun filters for UVA/UVB protection to maintain skin tone and to help keep hands looking youthful and soft.

AnnaLynne McCord is hooked on Vu's Duette Lux Hand Creme. "I love this lotion. It smells so good!".

And Patti LaBelle agrees with Vu's Lip Balm/Hand Creme product duo. "This is fabulous!"

Votre Vu's Bebe Duette Luxe Lips Framboise & Hand Creme is another great beauty item to toss in your summer beach bag.