Soak This In: The Konjac Sponge Rubs Away Bad Skin + Damage

This is a funny thing. We had never heard of the konjac sponge until yesterday, when we received ours in the mail. Yes, we've heard of the Buf-Puf cleansing sponge and have used one often.

Until now......

The Ashieda beauty company sent us a konjac sponge along with some other products from their line, which we will discuss at another time.

The skin care company prides itself on natural anti-aging, hydration, and skin renewal.

Now, when we first saw the sponge in the package, we laughed. What the heck was that hard, white Styrofoam-looking thing on a tiny string?!

Well, once you wet it in warm water, wring it out, then massage it all over your face + neck, you will know that Ashieda, a U.S.-based company, is on to a good thing.

The sponge is an all natural vegetable fiber from the Konjac  plant native to warm, tropical parts of Asia. The sponge is gentle even for babies and yet strong enough to deep-cleanse + exfoliate, tighten pores, encourage collagen production, naturally moisturize + protect the complexion.

You have to try this konjac sponge. It adds a healthy glow and sheen to your skin.

It's popular, and that's why it's temporarily sold out at Ashieda.

Don't worry. They will get more soon!

Meantime...check out their How To Video on the Konjac Sponge.

We give the konjac sponge 2 thumbs up!!

The White Blazer: Hot Spring 2013 Trend

You don't have to put much thought into it. In fact, it's a no-brainer.

The white blazer is a true fashion classic, and one you should add to your style list if you haven't done so already.

There's actress Naomi Watts looking all cool + crisp in a white cotton blazer with black sewn collar detail by Helmut Lang.

Then there's fashion icon Kate Moss all immaculate + modern in her white blazer by TopShop ($100, at Nordstrom's).

You don't have to spend several hundred $$$ for a decent white blazer like most celebrities often do.

We found an even cheaper white blazer at Forever21 ($32.80). See last photo.

The white blazer NEVER goes out of style. And it looks right with just about every piece you own.

 If you prefer ivory or cream to white, then that's alright, too. Whatever shade looks best on you!

When Good Actresses Wear Bad Girl Makeup

Punk: Chaos to Couture.

That was the theme for last night's annual Met Ball 2013 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 6, 2013 in New York City.

Just take a look at the uber dramatic, sparkly brows on 'Once Upon A Time' actress Ginnifer Goodwin.

We think it's beautifully done and quite the head-turner. So-ooooo severe!

Is this punk over-kill? Or right-on-target?

Mai Quynh, celebrity makeup artist, performed her edgy magic on the dark-haired star, she revealed.

Ginnifer "loves wearing edgy makeup" and that "Ginny loves to play up her eyes and wear fun makeup. She’s never afraid of color or going too bold, and lets me have fun and be daring with her looks."

The brows look very Elizabeth Taylor to the 9th degree in some respects.

Want the sexy, bad-ass look?

Here are the makeup  details:

Laura Mercier Matte Eye Shadow in Noir ($23) was used to create Ginnifer's bold eye look.

She applied it to her lashline, winged it out then connected it to her eyebrow – filling in the shape completely.

Laura Mercier Sequin Eye Colour in Black Ice ($23) over the lid, along the lashline and under the eyebrows, blending all together.

Laura Mercier Sateen Eye Colour in Seashell Pink ($23) was applied and blended all over  the lid---over the Laura Mercier Sequin Eye Colour in Black Ice, creating a gradual light to dark effect.

After applying individual faux eyelashes, Quynh
added a few coats of Laura Mercier Full Blown Volume Lash Building Mascara in Black ($24) to her top lashes.

Lastly, she rimmed her eyes using Laura Mercier Kohl Eye Pencil in Black Violet ($20).

Sounds exhausting!

Warm Summer Days Ahead Mean Hair-Free the Kalo Way

We all wish THAT hair would never grow back. You know what we're talking about----the hair that gets shaved, waxed, tweezed, lasered off, etc.

There are products out there that help keep the hair removal effects going. And here's another brand we found that also does the job. It's called Kalo Post Epilating Spray by Nisim ($57.40, 4.oz.).

This is a wonderful post-epilating spray or hair growth inhibitor made of natural ingredients like chamomile and oat protein + lipids. Kalo is sprayed on 3 times the day of hair removal and 3 times the next day.

"Kalo will prevent about 10% of the hair from growing back each time it is used after the hair has been removed by the root. You should notice results after about 2-3 hair removal sessions. Most people will require about 10-15 sessions to completely rid the hair. When used after shaving it will slow the hair growth down but the hair will still grow back. 100% Customer Satisfaction Guaranteed.".

Even if you only shave, Kalo still removes the stubble for several days. So this hair growth inhibitor could come in really handy, especially for those shorts + bikini days.

Rompers: Totally Chic + Fun For Spring/Summer 2013

Okay, not every woman will wear this look, but the romper is HOT for Spring/Summer 2013!

It's a one-piece combo top + shorts. WE found a bunch of inexpensive rompers at Forever21.

We think the romper equals FUN + CHIC when done right.

Here are 3 cute rompers we found:

 

1. Lace Combo Romper w/ Belt ($22.80). Love the class white chiffon top and contrast coral lace shorts.

2. Floral Romper ($22.80).  Adorable black/taupe floral pattern with drawstring waist + zippered slanted pockets.

3. Chiffon Romper ($24.80). Lovely, sleeveless romper with high polish button placket.

Gwyneth Paltrow Boasts About Look-A-Like Trainer Tracy Anderson's New Food Program

We know....lots of people dislike both actress Gwyneth Paltrow and her celebrity fitness trainer Tracy Anderson.

It's easy to hate, but it's wrong.

So, today we are celebrating People's Most Beautiful Woman of 2013 and her exercise expert.

We think these 2 ladies sure look alike. In fact, we looked fast at the bottom photo and thought it was Gwyneth also.

Both celebrities are in fantastic, slender shape. We know that both ladies work darn hard at it.

And diet plays a key role in maintaining that A-lister appearance.

So, if you've got $49.95 a day( for a 60-day pkg.), you, too, can get on Tracy Anderson's NEW home-delivered food program.

Good pal Gwyneth gives The Food Program by TA high marks at GOOP:

'It's amazing for anyone looking to lose weight, reset bad eating habits or just eat really well on a busy schedule,' she wrote.
'The ingredients are super-quality and fresh. . . and blast-chilled right after preparation to lock in key nutrients.'

We agree. It's probably a wonderful and beautifully planned diet program. But---you need a few bucks to play the game here. And if you want a 20-something stripper's butt like Gwyneth claims she has at , well, maybe this meal plan is your ticket.

Having said all that, we DO like Gwyneth's minimalistic fashion sense. We don't care for all her choices all the time, but here, we like the pretty Rag & Bone little black dress and black Theory pumps, along with her signature simple ponytail.

And it looks like Gwyneth's sleek style is rubbing off on pal Tracy. We love her copy-cat style, too.

24-Hour Makeup: Should We Really Believe The Hype? One Woman Is Suing!

This is an interesting story. As we've seen many times before, beauty companies get away with stretching the truth when it comes to the many things their skin care or makeup products can promise...such as all-day lip gloss, or in this case...24-hour lasting foundation.

In our own experience, we don't believe the hype 100%, but we do feel that if a piece of makeup claims to be LONG-lasting, then it probably does a bit better than the average cosmetic. But if we are purchasing a 24-hour foundation, we would be lucky if it would truly last half that time.

Here we go..... Lancôme Paris boasts about their Teint Idole Ultra 24H ($45, at Sephora). The giant beauty company says it took them 8 years to develop and finally launch a liquid makeup that is described as "A perfecting foundation with 24-hour staying power."

Yes, we said 24 hours long! Instantly, our little beauty antennae went up. We're sure that Lancôme is exaggerating somewhat. We haven't tried the Teint Idole Ultra 24H yet, but one woman has and is fuming, and suing for 'false advertising.'

Rorie Weisberg of Monsey, N.Y claims the Lancôme foundation does NOT last 24 hours.  Mrs. Weisberg's lawsuit claims that her son is having a bar mitzvah next month and that she put on the Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra 24H foundation in advance to see if she could look good in her makeup for the entire 25-hour celebration. Orthodox law states that makeup cannot be removed and replaced during the Sabbath.

Mrs. Wesiburg claims that the Lancôme foundation prevented her from looking good all Shabbat.

In a recent statement, Lancome and parent firm, L'Oreal say they stand behind their makeup and  the lawsuit has NO merit.

What do you think? Should beauty companies be held responsible for stretching the  truth when it comes to advertising?

Or should we all expect that 24-hour lasting anything isn't real in the world of beauty?!

Have you tried Lancôme's Teint Idol Ultra 24H?