A recipe for tanning....

Beauty Wonkette hasn't tried this yet, but will. However, since Spring has most definitely FINALLY sprung, Beauty Wonkette worries that some of you will freak out when you catch a glimpse of just how pale your legs, arms, etc. are and do something foolish like expose yourself to rays..... This recipe appeared on the Juice blog and looked interesting, so BW decided to share :D


Your Best Tan Recipe
This technique is so easy, you won't be-leaf it.

Required time: About 30-40 minutes
Skill level: Goof-proof

Ingredients:
4 black tea bags
2 cups boiling water
Sponge or spray bottle

Optional:
Body lotion
Pure cocoa powder

Instructions:
When water has boiled, add the tea bags to steep. Leave in for 10-15 minutes, or until tea is dark and cool enough to touch.

In the meantime, take a shower to ensure your skin is oil- and sweat-free. Afterwards, make sure skin is completely dry.

Stand on something you don't mind getting dirty. If using a sponge, drench it in the tea and wipe all over your body. If using a spray bottle, fill it with tea and spray evenly. Let skin air-dry and apply another coat for a deeper shade.

Tea will stain clothes if wet, so make sure you're all dry before dressing. The "tan" should last 3-4 days.

Optional: For bonus color, mix cocoa powder into body lotion until you reach desired color and apply for an all-over bronzing boost.

Time to go HD.....

With high definition filming taking over Tinseltown, getting celebs ready for their close-ups has never been so vital. So Make Up For Ever's experts teamed up with cinema pros to create a new generation of makeup to withstand the scrutiny of HD technology. The result? Complexion perfection. Designed to make skin seem flawless when magnified 6x by a high-def lens, this simple, three-step system makes it utterly impossible for the naked eye to detect imperfections. Emmy award-winning makeup artist, Kevin Bennett was at the L.A. Makeup Show and was generous enough to show how everyone from the cast of Gossip Girl to Meryl Streep (who seems to be aging backwards lately) gets flawless. He started with Make Up For Ever's HD Primer Gel, then followed it with their foundation (which, btw, comes in TWENTY SIX shades....). He finished with Beauty Wonkette's HG for totally perfect skin - their HD Microfinish Powder... I use Monistat Chafing Relief Powder Gel as my primer (it is BEYOND AWESOME) and I skip foundation altogether. Quick, easy, and absolutely perrrrrfect!

Beauty Wonkette has praised this HD powder before and probably will again and again and again. Obviously, caking on powder doesn't cut it in the HD world, yet invisible, day-to-night staying power is still a must. While most powders are made of tinted talc or rice that leave behind chalky residue, this HD Microfinish Powder is made of 100% mineral silica beads less than seven microns small. The result is like frosted glass: as soon as it comes in contact with moisture, it becomes invisible. Total magic.

What to do: Dust it on with a large, round brush after applying your foundation (or do what Beauty Wonkette does and skip the foundation).

It's available at Sephora

Fight the urge to eat this !

Before we start, here's a Beauty Wonkette warning: DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS WHILE HUNGRY. Yes, it is that delicious and amazing effective. I've wanted to try this forever and finally did this weekend. My hair looks AND feels fantastic. You have simply got to try this - courtesy of the great John Masters....

John Masters' DIY Hair Mask

1 mashed organic avocado
1 Tbsp. of organic extra virgin oil
1 Tbsp. of almond or jojoba oil
2 egg yolks
Contents of vitamin E capsule
1/2 Tbsp. of wheat germ oil
10 drops of favorite essential oil (optional).

Apply to clean wet hair, wrap in hot towel and leave for 15 minutes. Rinse well.

NYC Spa Week: putting the ore in pore....

Beauty Wonkette stopped going to salons for facials quite some time ago. A new skincare regimen made those nasty extractions unneccesary and Beauty Wonkette learned how to do most of the other stuff at home. But, hey, it was Spa Week, so Beauty Wonkette went spa hopping in the interest of ummmmmmmm SCIENCE. There's alot of new stuff out there to be sure.

This discovery was fun.... It turns out that heavy metal is the key to a new beauty treatment promising soft, smooth skin. The "iron mask" facial (aka maschera al ferro) hails from Dermophisiologique, an innovative organic skincare company in Italy, where the treatment already has a large fan base.

The name of the deep-cleaning facial refers to its signature cream mask, which contains iron particles. Once the mask is on, a magnet is held over it to draw out the metallic particles (along with dead cells and impurities) and stimulate circulation, leaving you with plump, glowing skin. (Think of it as a giant Bioré strip for your face.)

Patented by Dermophisiologique in 1975, the iron mask treatment boasts results that are both deep cleansing and anti-aging. Beauty Wonkette is going to walk you through the process, which she found uniquely invigorating and truly unlike any other spa treatment she's experienced.

After removing impurities and make-up from Beauty Wonkette's face with a cleansing milk, the esthetician applied a cooling compress mask. As BW's eyes succumbed to a luxurious lotion set on top of them in lightweight pads shaped like flower petals, the aroma of a soothing essential oil mixture enveloped her entire upper body. BW was so tranquilized that she barely registered the drops of essential oils rubbed on her neck and relaxation points.

Refreshingly hydrated, her skin was then wiped clean and patted dry. The next step was the much-anticipated iron mask, a creamy emollient which the esthetician gently massaged over my face. A few minutes later, she handed BW a mirror, revealing a grayish coating like a clay mask, but without kaolin’s attendant drying sensation. The iron mask combines iron, lipids, beeswax, black cure oil, and zinc to create a magnetic field over the skin, stimulating a toning effect.

Poised with the mirror in hand, BW watched as the esthetician rubbed her face with a rectangular block - Dermophisiologique’s special magnet. Like a magic trick, the magnet transformed the gray solution on BW's face into a buttery-white hue as it lightly grazed the surface. What accumulated on the magnet, visible only up close under a strong light, was a minefield of miniature iron particles, along with blackheads and debris. If you’ve ever tried one of those Biore pore strips, the effect is similar, yet far more powerful.

Once the iron portion was removed, the beige-colored lower layer of the mask remained on BW's face for a few more minutes, allowing all the actives to be absorbed. The esthetician then swabbed my skin with a Dermomagnetic toner. Much of the latter part of the facial is customized for skin type, addressing sensitive, combination, dry or oil skin. The products used on Beauty Wonkette included Dermophisiologique’s Crema Occhi Optyma, Leni-K Crema, and Lozione Occhi Optyma.
Beauty Wonkette's favorite was the finishing seaweed treatment, which shrouded her face, neck, and decolleté in a detoxifying, tingling veil of marine botanicals.

So, did Dermophisiologique’s forceful-sounding iron mask fortify Beauty Wonkette's face with youth and vitality? You bet it did. Not only did my complexion appear dewey and glowing, but my skin was visibly plumper. The many actives in the treatment both infused my skin with moisture and seemed to stimulate the synthesis of collagen and elastin fibers under the surface. 24 hours post-facial, Beauty Wonkette skin was still basking in a renewed glow.

Right now the facial is only available in select cities here in the U.S. You can get it in New York, New Jersey, Palm Beach, and look out for it in LA and Las Vegas later this year. If you see it in your area, go for it. You deserve the splurge!

Beauty Wonkette sings: Summertime and my face is greasyyyy

Beauty Wonkette is very fickle when it comes to the question of toners. To tone or not to tone?!?!?! Ah, Beauty Wonkettes have been pondering this question for centuries... Well, okay, maybe not quite centuries, but for a long time. Beauty Wonkette has never really resolved this and oftentimes asserts that toner just isn't necessary. However, hot weather can also bring with it a problem for those of us with skin that tends to be oily. Increased oil production and shine leaves Beauty Wonkette feeling less than fresh.

To address this ever-present need, Lisa Price, aka Carol’s Daughter, created a specific regimen, called Wash Away the Oil which gently dissolves oil buildup while providing clean-feeling moisture that oily complexions crave. The Wash Away the Oil Toner provides a dose of nature’s grime-fighters: Lemongrass and Meadowsweet to help normalize overactive oil glands as Geranium refines pores and Açai Berry delivers film-free moisture. It's an incredibly refreshing blend and can be used after cleansing or whenever skin needs a toning boost. The elegant bottle contains a tiny spout for easy pouring onto the cotton ball or swab of your choice, perfect for anytime you want to be shine-free in a snap.

Available at http://www.carolsdaughter.com and Sephora

Have you fed your face today???

Heh....feeding her face is something Beauty Wonkette doesn't need a reminder for! But wait - the question actually was an inquiry as to whether you were giving your face is recommended daily requirement of vitamins and NOT what you were shoving in your perfectly lovely mouth :D. Everyone today seems to take vitamins of one kind or another, but what about vitamins in the form of a spray for your face? Sounds fair, doesn't it?

Well a new collection of face-saving skincare products from The Face Collection from C.O. Bigelow, contain three exclusive complexes that promise to renew, restore, protect and preserve skin. The Healthy Skin Complex contains a unique blend of super-boosted vitamins and antioxidants for healthy, strong skin; the Anti-Pollution Complex is formulated to shield skin from environmental aggressors like smoke and pollution by releasing potent vitamin C and E to protect skin; and the Skin Renewal Complex is formulated to combat signs of aging and skin dehydration, with vitamin D, soy and apple extract. The star product in the Face Collection is the Vitamin Boost Toner, a nutrient-packed formula that perks up fatigued, dull skin to encourage a healthy complexion, neutralizing negative environmental effects on the skin. Does it work? Uhhhhhhh Beauty Wonkette doesn't know, but she's been using this spray before she works out. Hey - if it gives Beauty Wonkette's workouts an an added invigorating boost she's gonna go for it! Seriously, though, anytime I feel fatigued and need a little pick-me-up, I've been spraying this stuff in my face. Although Beauty Wonkette truly doesn't know if this improves her skin, her senses definitely reap the benefits. Beauty Wonkette thinks she's gonna love this during the dog days of summer even more....

Available: C.O. Bigelow Apothecaries and http://www.bathandbodyworks.com

Lip Service....

If you are a regular reader, you've probably figured out that Beauty Wonkette is obsessively fixated on all things having to do with her pout. Pssssst..... Wanna hear about Beauty Wonkette's HG of the moment?

After winter wreaked some havoc on Beauty Wonkette's lips, she decided it was about time to get them back in shape. Sara Happ's lip scrubs answered the call of duty. One little scoop of this scrub will whip your pout into something smooth, soft, and kissable, and it comes in six flavors like almond crème, vanilla bean, and brown sugar. Better yet, Happ recently launched an after-exfoliator balm called Lip Slip, which smells like almond, jojoba, and macadamia. It hydrates your pout and puffs your kisser, without the sting usually associated with a lip-plumper gloss. Just be careful; when used together, it's hard to avoid licking your lips in public. Grin.

Beauty Wonkette got hers at Beauty Habit.

SALE ALERT - get 50-70% off Tiffany next month !!!

Planning a trip to the Big Apple? If you are, Beauty Wonkette suggests you time it to coincide with this amazing happening. Not planning a trip to New York? CHANGE YOUR PLANS.

The jewelry gods have smiled upon us. For Tiffany & Co. is unloading diamonds at 50 to 70 percent off. And they’re not the only ones: Cartier, Judith Ripka, Di Modolo, Damiani, Gucci, Maurice Lacroix, and Coach are all marking down their jewelry and watches as well (be still my heart....). Beauty Wonkette can guarantee a mob scene, because this kind of jewelry never goes on sale. Thank you, recession!

where, when, etc.
Carlton Hotel, 88 Madison Ave., nr. 28th St.; 5/7 (10–8); 5/8 (10–6), 5/9 (10–6); click here for more information

Beauty Au Naturale......

Although it is generally true that Beauty Wonkette is happy naked, that is NOT what we're talking about here. I know that so many of my fellow wonkettes are increasingly concerned about the prevalence of what might be toxic ingredients in the beauty products we use. And, of course, the desire for products that are clean, environmentally friendly, and as natural as possible has been on the rise for quite awhile now.

Well, Beauty Wonkette would be lying if she told you she only used "natural" products. Truth be told, if Beauty Wonkette finds a product that is effective, unless it is proven to be dangerous (i.e. toxic), she will use it and use it happily. But, if Beauty Wonkette can find a comparable "natural" product, even if it costs more, she'll go for it. Recently, RMS Beauty captured Beauty Wonkette's attention.

RMS Beauty's founder Rose-Marie Swift is widely acclaimed in the world of the major rags, having worked for almost all of them (Vogue, Harpers Bazaar etc). She’s also the makeup artist of choice for girls like Giselle. Lesser known is that she recently launched a gorgeous organic makeup collection under the moniker RMS Beauty. As a makeup expert she’s often asked about brands she’d recommend, but having recently dealt with a few health issues herself & understanding the implications of toxic chemicals in our beauty products, she realized there were none out there she felt really confident about. The resulting epiphany sparked the creation of this beautiful new color line that uses live organic ingredients, mineral colors, and Rose-Marie’s vast experience with makeup to produce formulations that actually work. There are no synthetics, petrochemcials, parabens or other nasties. In fact, there’s no artificial anything. Beauty Wonkette has now tried almost the entire line and every product delivered on expectations. Flushes of color for lips & cheeks, bursts of luminosity for skin, unstudied & natural eyes… and everything so super densely pigmented that a tiny amount goes a loooong way. The packaging is elegant, simple, clean, and everything is packaged in frosted glass which has the dual purpose of protecting the ingredients, as well as being able to be recycled. Beauty Wonkette thinks you'll be as pleased as she is. If you try it, let us know what you think!

more magic from Beauty Wonkette.....giggle

Ok, if all this magic stuff continues, Beauty Wonkette is going to have to shop for a new wand! (Beauty Wonkette doesn't know who sells magic wands and will just have to google....)

Anyway...... Back to serious business. Ahem.

What happens when you take ancient Egyptian beauty rituals and use them to invent a cream that heals everything from skin blemishes to cracked skin? You have Egyptian Magic, $26 - 4oz.. It’s a truly (not TRULY truly, but truly nevertheless)magical healing cream. Did you just have a new baby (read do you have new stretch marks)? Do you have dry, itching skin from the cold winter months? Need a hot oil massage? Need sun and wind protection? Beauty Wonkette could blather on and on.

This is a one-stop cream for all of your needs, that really works. A true multi-tasker. Why do you think Cleopatra had such amazing skin? This all purpose cream can help heal sunburns, blisters, stretch marks, skin discolorations, chapped lips, and works as a leg and facial hair shaving cream and for a hot oil hair treatment, to name a few. There are about 29 hair and skin issues it helps cure in all. Now if that isn’t an all-purpose cream, I don’t know what is… Madonna, stylist Gucci Westman, Actor Carlos Bernard are the many celebs and people devoted to the magic cream. Check it out. OH! Beauty Wonkette almost forgot to say ABRACADABRA!

Beauty Wonkette Takes the Edge Off Hair Removal

Beauty Wonkette is all happy and chipper because she is now certain that it REALLY is Spring. Ah we may have a few nippy days here and there, but the cherry blossoms are in full bloom and the daffodils have sprouted everywhere! And, even though Beauty Wonkette swims all year round, with the advent of Spring, Beauty Wonkette starts to get obsessed about hair removal.

Beauty Wonkette loves the results of a Brazilian wax, but no matter what anybody tells you, all the cachaca in the world isn't going to make waxing painless. Add to that the fact that this is a VERY busy time of year for Beauty Wonkette. The result? Ohhhhhh no! Tell me I didn't forget to make that waxing appointment AGAIN (ahem).....

Where all of this leads us is to the sorry spectacle that occurs about once a year when Beauty Wonkette makes a valiant effort to do a home bikini wax... and ends up with a messy bathroom and an even messier, um, situation. Tired of repeating this routine one more time, Beauty Wonkette ended up shaving when she couldn't get in to see the Hungarian sadist who periodically takes Beauty Wonkette's money as well as here dignity. Beauty Wonkette (not to mention Mr. Beauty Wonkette) really wasn't terribly pleased with the results and decided the pain was worth it.

But, Beauty Wonkette recalled that a couple of months ago, a gal at work had raved about a trip she had made to Shobha, New York's celebrated hair removal emporium. Beauty Wonkette had also assumed that there really wasn't all that big a difference between waxing (what she did) and sugaring (what they do at Shobha). Well, it seems Beauty Wonkette was quite wrong. This Shobha veteran reported that the sugaring didn't hurt nearly as much. In fact, she said it was so close to painless that she left the salon with an at home sugaring kit and was loving it. Ever the cynic, Beauty Wonkette thought, "Right, and I'm the Queen of England." Well, move over Elizabeth! This product actually works and works well!

Here's the lowdown:

The kit, which costs $30 (alot less than one salon wax btw)contains
* Shobha® Sugaring Gel (8 fl oz)
* Shobha® Talc-Free Powder (2 oz)
* Shobha® Denim Strips (6)
* Shobha® Sugaring Instruction Booklet
* Shobha® Spatulas (2)

•The sugaring gel adheres to hair, not skin, so it pulls less than wax and is much less painful.

•The natural gel is made up of sugar, lemon juice, glycerine, and water and is free of parabens, dyes, fragrances, petrols, resins, waxes -- and is vegan-friendly.

•Simply heat up in the microwave (about 45 seconds), use, and cleanup with warm water (or jump in the shower).

•IT WORKS BETTER THAN ANY WAXING PRODUCT BEAUTY WONKETTE HAS EVER USED for eyebrows, bikini, and upper lip hair.

So, if you can't make it over to a Shobha Salon, get yourself one of these kits. Beauty Wonkette gives it a definitely thumbs up. Oh, and if you do, here's a tip: when washing the recycled denim strips do not put them in the dryer (the directions don't mention this) as the remnant sugar, once heated in the dryer, makes the strips difficult to use again.

Could it be MAGIC??? Beauty Wonkette wonders....

Okay. FOR THE MOST PART (ahem), Beauty Wonkette really doesn't believe in magic. Really. So, when Beauty Wonkette read about Nude Skincare's Smoothing Body Refiner she sighed. You see, Nude claims that in clinical trials, this product reduced body weight by an average of 6.1lbs whilst waist, hip and thigh measurements were reduced by an average of 3/4" each. Uh huh. Suuuuuuure.

Well, I have to tell you that I deserve a smack in the face for being so cynical. I'm honestly impressed by this stuff. In fact, I think I may have developed an addiction to it. But first, a little bit about the company....

Nude is an eco-friendly skincare range fairly new to the American market, founded by Bryan Meehan, an Irishman who set up Fresh & Wild (sort of their version of Whole Foods). The line uses biocompatible ingredients that can be effectively utilized by the skin and safely metabolized by the body. This, as it turns out, is the key to the products' successful results and what sets it apart from other "natural" and/or "organic" product lines that are often nice, but not terribly effective.

Let's see. What else might you find interesting about the company? Well, founder Bryan Meehan's partner in Nude is Ali Hewson, wife of U2's Bono and a huge eco-friend. Ali is also dedicated to ethical business and has been instrumental in designing and testing the range and also pushing Nude to ensure their packaging and environmental impact are as responsible as possible. They are dedicated to producing products free from chemicals you would rather your body didn't absorb and are organic as much as possible. Christy Turlington and Helena Christensen have also been said to have lended some helping hands in product development.

I spent some time reading through their website and I was struck by the fact that they really seem very earnest and honest. Their products seem to receive uniform raves, with beauty editors on both sides of the pond referring to their cleansing facial oil as THE BEST cleanser ever. All of this is why I was so surprised by what I considered to be outrageous claims regarding the Smoothing Body Refiner.

Now, here's my story. Beauty Wonkette's older sister is obsessed, and I do mean OBSESSED OBSESSED OBSESSED with cellulite. She's tall and slender and in phenomenal shape, especially for someone who has had 3 kids - 2 of them twins! But, she DOES have some cellulite. Let me correct that. She DID have some cellulite. A few months ago, we went to a family wedding down in Florida and when we hit the pool, I noticed that every last trace of cellulite was GONE. Her skin looked absolutely fantastic. She said all credit was due to Nude Smoothing Body Refiner.

Fast forward. I can't really say I have cellulite, but for whatever reason - maybe because our new house has baseboard heat or because a grueling work schedule has deprived me of my full dose of body pampering - this winter has really taken a toll on my body's skin. About six weeks ago, I realized that I really looked like crap. So, I marched off to Sephora and got me some Nude stuff....

In texture, it's somewhere between a gel and a cream. According to Nude's website, "stimulating organic mountain ash, phytoactive ginger and ginkgo increase localised circulation and detoxify whilst green coffee and organic fig extract tone for visibly smoother, firmer skin. Bioactive peptides reduce the signs of aging whilst nourishing cupuacu butter keeps skin smooth and supple." It has a light, fresh scent and absorbs quickly into skin. It comes packaged in a sleek bottle with a pump dispenser that actually works. Recommended use is to apply it twice daily, once in the morning and once in the evening. I'm only applying in the morning and I can tell you I am definitely seeing results. These aren't staggering, mind-blowing changes, but noticeable changes for the better.

The appearance of my skin is more toned and it also feels firmer to the touch. And, it is definitely smoother and more taut. Nude claims their particular variety of ingredients help the body flush fat cells. Fat cells or otherwise, my body is definitely ridding itself of something! About a week after using the product daily I noticed I was peeing ALOT more often without increasing my water or other liquid intake (although I should note that I do drink ALOT of water). I consider it a positive, cleansing effect, but I'm not really sure.

It isn't cheap. About 7 ounces will set you back $70. But, the bottom line is that it really does seem to do exactly what it promises. Beauty Wonkette is willing to shell out the bucks for a product that has ingredients and packaging that she feels good about and is also impressively effective. In fact, I think I'm going to try out that facial cleansing oil everyone is raving about....

The Nude line is available at Sephora, Barneys NY, and Space NK, as well as the Nude Skincare website.