Friday, July 31, 2009

Happy happy feet :D


Woof woof!

Your dogs are barking.

You put your toesies through a lot: Unsupportive flip flops, impossible high heels and the occasional running blister.

Now you can get the body benefits of yoga--for your feet. Pamper your tootsies with the new Flex-Tastic foot exerciser.

It looks like the toe separators you use while your pedicure dries, but this little gizmo makes your feet feel pretty, too. Just wriggle your toes through the Flex-Tastic to stretch, straighten and realign your tootsies. The company claims regular use will help ease tension in your feet and legs and boost flexibility and circulation. You're supposed to get results with as little as 5 minutes a day, but Beauty Wonkette likes to flex her feet while watching her favorite trashy TV show.

And unlike other similar gadgets, the Flex-Tastic costs less than $10.

Calling all NYC Wonkettes!!!

They say that the most beautiful women in the world reside in New York City and well who is Beauty Wonkette to argue? Sure, alot of it is due to the innate confidence of NYC gals, but we can’t turn a blind eye to the salons, spas and beauty events on every corner and at our disposal 24/7. So in celebration of NYC beauty, here’s an event sure to keep you as fabulous as ever.

One of Beauty Wonkette's favorite natural beauty brands is offering up a serious deal for you. The Aveda Institute New York is offering complimentary mini-facials chock full of Aveda’s botanically-derived skincare. All treatments last 30 minutes, are customized to your specific skincare needs and are performed by senior Aveda Institute students under the guidance of experienced instructors. After each treatment, students will recommend a regimen of Aveda products best suited for your skin type and if you purchase $50 in Aveda products, you’ll receive $20 off of any Institute service. Be sure to schedule your appointment right away, as space is limited.

The Aveda Institute New York, 233 Spring Street between 6th Avenue and Varick, Appointments and information: 212.807.1492, ext. 4

You've been a VERY bad girl !!!


You've got a secret, and you're desperate to keep it under wraps. You surely don't want Beauty Wonkette to find out now, do ya?

Maybe you played hooky to hit the beach. Or perhaps you threw caution to the wind and sauntered outside sans sunscreen. Either way, you got burned.

Beekman 1802 After-the-Sun soap hides the evidence--no questions asked. The bars are made with goat's milk to remove chemical residue from sunscreen and keep skin soft and moisturized. Ingredients like organic green tea extract, olive oil, lavender and aloe vera help jump start the healing process. And because the soaps are free of chemicals and artificial fragrances, they won't irritate scorched skin. Each package contains 10 mini bars, so you can sneak one in your bag and discretely lather up after a beach tryst or an afternoon romp. Yes, you have been BAAAD! But being a kind and forgiving Beauty Wonkette, I'm gonna help you out... You can grab this magic soap here :D

Monday, July 27, 2009

Grin and Bare it When in NYC

Always in search of a better--and more affordable--bikini wax, Beauty Wonkette's intrepid New York big sis ventured to Boom Boom Beauty Bar where prices have been reduced to a mere $39 for the whole shebang. Here's the scoop:

Having owner Malynda Vigliotti (aka Boom Boom) de-fuzz down there is sort of like having a pal do the job, which sounds weird but it's not. Malynda puts you totally at ease and gets the job done swiftly and efficiently.

No double-dipping. This is Malynda's motto. You can trust that she'll use a fresh stick with every swipe. (For coarse patches, she also uses dry wax--it pulls off hair in one quick tug.)

Take a brow. Congratulate yourself on a bikini wax well done and enjoy some expert brow grooming for only $18. Malynda gently tidies up rogue strands and creates a natural shape.

Looks like smooth sailing from here on out.

Boom Boom Beauty Bar, 35 7th Ave., (212) 229-BOOM,

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Eye spy


Although Beauty Wonkette is not all that big on makeup, the one product that she DOES use with moderate fanaticism is mascara. Seriously, Beauty Wonkette is happy when her lashes are sufficiently blackened, lengthened, and separated before she hits the road.

And with all of the random oscillating and polymer-coating mascaras out there, BW is frankly shocked that it took so long for someone to come up with this awesome one-handed mascara applicator.

We haven’t tried it yet, but we’re totally loving its pen-like structure.

The cap can be put onto the end of the wand, and the brush appears when you move a tiny slider. Plus, it’s designed so that air can’t get into the container so your mascara stays clump free and fresh for a super long time.

And really, no one wants to search the floor of their bathroom for their mascara cap that always manages to roll away the second it hits a flat surface.

Mascara Noir is made by Belvada and will retail for $25 when it hits salons later this month. Keep an eye out for it (no pun intended ;-)

Another reason to love NY (AND Andy Cuomo....

Beauty Wonkette remembers when a couple of years ago, there was a bit of a stir in the film industry about manufactured critic quotes being used in trailers and DVD releases to deceive audiences. And while the studios took some flack, no major legal battles ensued that Beauty Wonkette is aware of.

Now, fake reviews of a different sort are the focus of an initiative by New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo - and the beauty industry is up first. The AG’s office has recently been going after websites that post phony consumer reviews and comments about their products and procedures. It’s referred to as “astroturfing”, referencing the fake surface used on sporting fields.

A settlement has now been reached in the first case against a company called Lifestyle Lift which offers a “face-firming” procedure where they’ve agreed to pay $300,000 to the state of New York.

Like with any website that allows reader input and interaction, it can be difficult to discern which reviews/comments are legit and honest and which are bogus. But you know something’s up when the company sends an email out to its staff that reads “Friday is going to be a slow day - I need you to devote the day to doing more postings on the web as a satisfied client.” We’re guessing this was a key email in getting that settlement.

Cuomo’s crew is not stopping anytime soon. So fakers beware.

How do you guys judge what you trust and what you don’t? Beauty Wonkette is NOT A CYNIC, but usually is of the mentality that if something sounds way too good to be true, it often is.

Brush stroke....


A well-made makeup brush doesn't come cheap; you can easily spend $50 on a single foundation brush, or three figures on a ritzy set. However, to celebrate Nordstrom's annual anniversary sale, Beauty Wonkette's good friends (ahem, ok, ok - I don't know those people from Adam but still....) at LancĂ´me have created a four-piece set that's running for a paltry $52 ($119.50 value). "Declaring Indigo" comes with a high-gloss patent case, brushes for foundation, blending, blush, and a dual-tip one for eyes — all in chic indigo and black. Take it from Beauty Wonkette: makeup utensils never looked so fabulous.

$52 at Nordstrom.com

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Dr. Look Good is making free mouse calls....

Ok my fellow Beauty Wonkettes, this is too good to pass up!

Nab some free face time with a Beverly Hills dermatologist.

The doctor is in...your inbox.

Suffering from skin that's itchy? Sun damaged? Acne-prone? Are you buried under jars of face potions?

Whatever ails you, Beverly Hills dermatologist Dr. Zein Obagi is here to help--and he won't charge you a penny for his expertise. Just surf over to his site and ask for a "Mouse Call." Instead of making an appointment and shelling out $300 for an office visit, you just fill out a fast questionnaire about your skin issues and the products you currently use. In about a day, you'll receive a detailed response directly from Obagi or his team. Online consultations are free until August, when the price goes back to the usual $75.

Beauty Wonkette was VERY pleasantly surprised that Obagi didn't try to push products on us when we told him our sensitive skin woes. Check out a sample consultation here.

Drop Dr. 90201 a line and stop playing cat and mouse with your skin care routine.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

tip toe.... or TOE TIP :D


Ack! Tip toe, toe tip WHATEVAH! Bottom line (no pun intended here), Beauty Wonkette's (aka LOVER OF STILETTOS)feet are under ALOT of pressure. Yours too? Then it's time to some sole-searching and give your treasured tootsies some much-needed TLC. After all, you can’t get very far without them. Choose a scrub that’s developed particularly for feet, with granules for physical exfoliation and alpha hydroxy acids to chemically peel away dead skin. Beauty Wonkette is currently obsessed with Creative Nail Design’s Earth Warming Scrub because it becomes a moisturizing oil post-rinse, leaving your feet ready for your next step. Here's what CND says about it:

WHAT IT IS:

Warming, raw-sugar A.H.A. foot scrub that exfoliates, polishes, smooths and refines.

WHAT IT DOES:

• Provides instant warmth when activated by water.
• Provides triple-action exfoliation:
– micro-abrasion with raw sugar.
– once dissolved, the citric acid can penetrate the skin.
– warming action opens pores allowing deeper penetration of A.H.A.’s.

WHY YOU NEED IT:

• Water-activated warming effect provides comfort and adds an element of surprise.
• Provides progressive smoothing and polishing to reveal silky, beautiful skin.
• Soothes the senses with aromatherapeutic ylang ylang, lavender and geranium.

P.S. If you are really in the mood to pamper yourself, Beauty Wonkette HIGHLY recommends CND's Spa Pedicure Earth Moisture Masque too!

Body beautiful....


In Beauty Wonkette's perfect world, we all would (and COULD) be spending copious amounts of time and money on spa treatments every week. Alas, that may not be feasible for everyone (errrr ANYONE), so Beauty Wonkette urges you to take time out for yourself, even if only once in a while. If it’s in your budget, do what BW recently did, and go for a full-body overhaul, like the African Red Tea Body Cocktail purifying treatment at a Ole Henriksen spa. It will exfoliate and allow your skin to detox while someone rubs you down (moannnn). If you can’t splurge for the on-site real deal, fork over some dough for an at-home DIY version. The African Red Tea Body Collection ($65; www.sephora.com), which includes a body scrub, mask, and soufflĂ©, nourishes your skin from head to toe. The rejuvenating powers of African Red Tea are Ole's secret to beautiful skin thanks to the tea's skin-strengthening minerals and free-radical-fighting antioxidants that help slow down the signs of aging. Beauty Wonkette's verdict: most definitely worth the time spent.

Monday, July 13, 2009

Bring on the humidity! Beauty Wonkette ain't skeered...


The weather had gotten truly gotten to Beauty Wonkette and, more importantly, to Beauty Wonkette's locks. A couple of weeks ago, work took me to a city on the Gulf at the height of absolutely gross, soupy, swampy weather. As usual, Beauty Wonkette was in a hurry when packing and failed to bring her beloved Moroccan Cream. Nor did she remember the No Frizz. Soooooo, without a decent beauty supply store in sight (or on site), she did what she could with what was at hand. She oiled, sprayed, puttied, and even gelled ( do NOT ask ) her tresses in hopes of taming the frizz. All to no avail.

Then, roaming around a mall that did NOT have a Sephora, in low spirits (read utter despair), Beauty Wonkette happened upon a Lush store (in the most unlike place, it seemed)! Although no fan of Lush, BW was desperate, and so, on a whim, bought the Jasmine and Henna Fluff Eaze treatment. Skeptical at the saleswoman's claims that this would cure BW's puffball hair, she purchased it anyway and trudged back to her hotel and piled a dollop on her locks. (Note: Use a lot less than the jar says.) After letting it sit for twenty minutes and shampooing (twice), previously puffy hair was silky smooth, not greasy, and smelled amazing. And it was shockingly knot free. Humidity, do your worst- BRING IT ON! :D

7.8oz - $20.45

Thursday, July 9, 2009

SUGAR SHOCK


Beauty Wonkette warns you that you will NEVER look at soda (or condiments, or salad dressing) the same way after seeing this.

Beauty Wonkette believes we may all have a problem. A sugar problem.

Now, now, hear Beauty Wonkette out.

You try reading nutrition labels. But who the hell knows just how much a gram of sugar actually is, anyway? Luckily, a spanking-new site called Sugar Stacks does all the work for you. It uses photos of sugar cubes to show you just how the sugar in your favorite foods stack up, literally (there's 4 grams of sugar in each cube).

Are you sitting down? That bottle of orange juice in your hand? It contains about 11 cubes of the sweet stuff. That translates to 192 calories from sugar alone!

That energy bar in your purse? That's like gobbling 5.5 sugar cubes in one sitting.

Beauty Wonkette is only doing this because she loves you. The first step is admitting you have a problem. Soon, you'll kick your sugar habit (and cut empty calories) for good. Remember, O N E D A Y A T A T I M E ;-)

Saving face.......AND 25%


Beauty Wonkette knows that recessionistas everywhere are on the lookout for savings. Well, save your face (and your body and your hands and your lips...) with Juara.

JUARA is a unique fusion of natural Indonesian skincare treatments of ancient royalty and modern science. Utilizing high concentrations of pure and powerful active botanicals native to this lush tropical archipelago, JUARA's effective yet safe and gentle skincare line focuses on maintaining skin wellness, while feeling luxurious, elegant, and sensual to the touch.

For instance, Beauty Wonkette lovessss Juara's SPF20 Candlenut lip balm. It protects your pucker from UVA and UVB rays, is chicly packaged, odorless, paraben free, and loaded with linoleic rich candlenut oil and rich anti-oxidants.

Now, fellow Beauty Wonkettes, you can get 25% all Juara products AND shipping is gratis on orders over $75. Just enter code LUXEJUARA at checkout.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Unfortunately, zits are NOT just for kids :(


And because they are not, Beauty Wonkette brings you Sonya Dakar's Zit Zapping Recipe....

When you graduated from high school, you were probably looking forward to a life free of catty gossip, unrequited crushes, and ACNE.

Talk about a letdown. Turns out grown-up life is plagued with all the same problems. And the worst of it all? Breakouts. Clearly the most horrific reminder of adolescence this side of the yearbook photo. Still, adult acne calls for adult measures. Well, Beauty Wonkette is here to tell you to trade in those Stridex pads for this simple at-home zit-zapping recipe from L.A.’s skin guru Sonya Dakar.

Goods: one package of dry yeast, water (opt for the Evian), and fresh lemon juice.

Method: Pour yeast into a bowl and add water one drop at a time (approximately two tablespoons of water). Mix well after each drop until the mixture turns to a medium paste. Add a drop or two of lemon juice once the yeast has been mixed with the water, and keep stirring until the juice is blended in. Dab the stuff on your dots (but be sure to give it time to dry before hiding under the covers).

Worth a try. It’s cost-effective and a good alternative to throwing a tantrum and calling in sick.

Because you really are too grown-up to be making a mountain out of a molehill.


For more information about Sonya Dakar’s products, go to sonyadakar.com.

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