The intense instructions read like one is about to perform self-surgery, advising  to “place the leaflet where you can see it while carrying out the treatment”,  “make sure to tie your hair back” and “over the next week your skin will need extra care.” Call Her a risk-taker, but The Beauty Bug was confident enough in Her peeling skills to apply the peel in the bathroom while leaving the instructions in another room. She may of even applied 4.5 pumps of the peel – She lives on the edge.

The results were impressive. The Beauty Bug’s skin felt renewed and was visibly smoother and softer to the touch. It was more even-toned,  and felt fresher and new from the exfoliating alpha hydroxy acids. and Overall, the system was very easy to use and the benefits will only get better with continued use!

Disclosure: A press sample was provided to The Beauty Bug.

Boots No7 Advanced Renewal Anti-Aging Glycolic Peel is available at ShopBootsUSA.com for $24.99.

Every beauty buff knows that in the world of makeup, fall collections reign supreme. Following in order of importance (and some could argue are tied  for the #2 slot) are the Holiday and Spring collections. That being said, The Beauty Bug never really got excited about spring collections – undoubtedly there’s always that unwearable pastel green or the pink that resembled the Frosted Peppermint Pink lipstick that She bought all throughout 6th and 7th grade.  Perfect if you’re painting Easter eggs, but the yolk stops there. But Tarte is changing all of that.  Their new spring collection brings vibrant colors, strong pigments and versatile, wearable products. Included in the collection are the Maracuja Divine Shine Lip Glosses ($21), bright, shiny thick glosses with buildable color and staying power, Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush ($25), 4 new shades of the award winning, long-wearing blushes  infused with natural clay that produce that perfect lit-from-within glow and Maracuja Blush and Glow ($32), a cheek tint and luminizer that lay beautifully over foundation (not cakey or heavy). The Beauty Bug’s picks include the Glisten and Natural Beauty Glosses, Buff and Glisten 12-Hour Blushes, and Moonlight and Candlelight Blush and Glows. Get your healthy dose of Maracuja Oil (oil from passion fruit seeds rich in Vitamin C and essential fatty acids) now at Sephora stores and online.

Disclosure: Press samples were provided to The Beauty Bug.

Has Joan Rivers had some work done? #Oscars

— Dana Weiss (@Possessionista) February 26, 2012

No, but it bugs me when they spell “WEAR” wrong. RT @MissKellyO Question does it bug you when people where sunglasses on the carpet? #oscars

— a milania parody (@TheFauxMilaniaG) February 26, 2012

Watching #ERedCarpet and a chick brags about her dress being made with “cruelty free” silkworms. Where’s Nell Carter? #gimmeabreak

— JD Harmeyer (@jdharm) February 26, 2012

Why are most of these publicists fat? Celeb stress? No time to workout? #ERedCarpet

— Forever 20Somethings (@forever20tweets) February 26, 2012

My money is on Adele for everything. #Oscars

— a milania parody (@TheFauxMilaniaG) February 26, 2012

Gwyneth Paltrow is sexy dressed as an egg-white omelet.

— Wesley Morris (@Wesley_Morris) February 27, 2012

You should stay away from nun dresses when you’re only 20. #girlfrimthedescandants #Oscars #Eredcarpet

— N C (@prgirl73) February 26, 2012

oh goodie. billy crystal has some “surprises” in store for us tonight. maybe a soliloquy on how he’s irrelevant to acting? #Oscars

— a milania parody (@TheFauxMilaniaG) February 26, 2012

https://twitter.com/#!/VanityFair/status/173917935637762048

Sasha made an ash of Seacrest

— Derek LLoyd Saathoff (@dsaathoff) February 27, 2012

Just to demonstrate how much like high school E! is: After Cohen struck, all of Ryan Seacrest’s coworkers are audibly cackling at him.

— Wesley Morris (@Wesley_Morris) February 27, 2012

Oh, crinomy, Ryan. Borrow Glenn Close’s green tux and get on with it, already.

— Jane Larkworthy (@WmagJane) February 27, 2012

I have the same earrings JLo is wearing! I wonder if her’s are from Claire’s too. #oscars

— Alyssa Hertzig (@alyssahertzig) February 27, 2012

Sandra Bullock just said we’re “having sexy times tonight”. Right said, Fred. #oscars #ERedCarpet

— Thrillist (@Thrillist) February 27, 2012

A reminder: Your TV probably has a non HD channel you can see Billy Crystal on. #Oscars

— Jose Arroyo (@seethingwithjoy) February 27, 2012

oh i see some paint drying in the living room. fascinating. #oscars

— Sandra Bernhard (@SandraBernhard) February 27, 2012

There’s no contest — it is moi! #BestDressed #Oscars

— Miss Piggy (@MuppetsStudio) February 27, 2012

Someone should tell Billy his face is dead. #Oscars #tweetroast

— marc maron (@marcmaron) February 27, 2012

Not into Filly Crystal’s new FACE

— Amber Katz (@Glambr) February 27, 2012

Angelina Jolie has one thing in her mind : “I want to adopt Octavia Spencer”

— Delia Langan Jewelry (@ShopDeliaLangan) February 27, 2012

If the Academy had a sense of humor, The Artist would’ve won best Sound Editing.

— Bill Clinton (@PimpBillClinton) February 27, 2012

DID YOU SEE ME!?

— JLosNipple (@JLosNipple) February 27, 2012

Brad & Angelina look like Ken & …home wrecker Barbie. #princessprobz #Oscars

— Princess Problems (@PrincessProbz) February 27, 2012

Remember when this happened? Via @MTVNews: Sacha Baron Cohen’s Dictator Spills Ashes on Ryan Seacrest at #Oscars on.mtv.com/zBv5pN

— MTV (@MTV) February 27, 2012

How much does the Academy pay George Clooney for playing “The Interested Attendee” in all these cut-aways? #oscars

— Andrew Fitzgerald (@magicandrew) February 27, 2012

holy crap. this circus so late performance is amazing. #Oscars

— Ben Morton (@NashvilleBen) February 27, 2012

if i were a presenter, i’d lie about the winner and then scream “JUST KIDDING LOLOLOLZ!!!!” and see how many people laughed. #oscars

— a milania parody (@TheFauxMilaniaG) February 27, 2012

Emma Stone looks absolutely stunning in Lindsay Lohan’s former career. #Oscars

— braden graeber (@hipstermermaid) February 27, 2012

Someone needs to have “the talk” with Morgan Freeman about the earring. #Oscars

— Dave Hill (@mrdavehill) February 27, 2012

The Artist wins Best Score. Duh. #Oscars

— Movies On Demand (@MoviesOnDemand) February 27, 2012

Don’t forget about me!!

— Angelina Jolie’s Leg (@AngiesRightLeg) February 27, 2012

The Peter Lamas Citrus-C Facial Cleanser is available for $19 at PeterLamas.com. 

Disclosure: A press sample was provided to The Beauty Bug.

The above photo pretty much sums up Friday nights in The Beauty Bug household. The Beauty Bug’s candle of choice this week  - June Jacobs Citrus Bergamot.  After a week of nonstop conference calls, meetings, and powerpoint decks filled with corporate nonsense, it’s just what the relaxation fairy ordered. The fresh, light scent is incredibly calming and tranquil, and can even somehow help to dull the snores of a very tired bulldog (Miss Edith Rose).  Notes include citrus, shea blossom, pure vanilla, clover honey and sandalwood. As soon as it’s lit, it fills the house with warmth and winding-down vibes. The scent is so soothingly intoxicating, that if The Beauty Bug didn’t know better, She’d swear it had some sort of transitive power and was releasing pacifying currents into the air to take you away to a dreamy, dozy state. Pair it with a cup of your favorite, and forget about it – you’re out within 25 minutes.

 Disclosure: A press sample was provided to The Beauty Bug.

Just months after her divorce, Katy Perry is lashing out…in Ulta. This month she’ll release her own line of fake eye lashes on Ulta.com. Surely, they’ll be trimmed with cupcakes and lollipops.

• The best part of about this story? The Beauty Bug Husband sent Her an email with the link and the subject read: “crazy woman loses arm“, and that pretty much sums it up. A New Orleans meshuggah injected “bath salts” into her arm at a party, which lead to an uncontrollable infection, which ultimately lead to the amputation of her arm. Clearly she didn’t watch the Chris Hansen Dateline investigation.
  
  

• Open wide, ladies and get ready to suck! Japanese housewife Chikako Hirama did. She was concerned about anti-aging and designed this Pupeko mouthpiece to combat the tell-tales signs. The tool inserts into mouths, creating an O-shaped expression that enables the user to suck in and puff out their cheeks. Cheek and jaw muscles tighten and the face looks fresher.  It’s yours for only $40. A bargain.
  
  

• While most of the normal world received lipgloss and socks in their Christmas stocking, 7 year-old Poppy, the daughter of Sarah Burge, the woman known as the human barbie, received a liposuction voucher worth about $11,000. The Christmas before Poppy received a voucher for breast augmentation, which she can redeem at age 18, if she chooses to. Suddenly, Toddlers and tiaras seems so….normal.

Disclosure: Press samples were provided to The Beauty Bug.

Q: I’m 46 years old and recently I’ve noticed a few dark brown splotches on the top of my chest and my upper forehead. What might this be?

Dr. Gersner said: “This is probably a combo of melasma & solar lentigo. Most likely caused by sun damage just appearing now. YouthCode Dark Spot Correcting Illuminating Collection is perfect treatment for dark spots from sun damage.”

Thank you to everyone who submitted a question – everyone should have received an email with their answer!

If this collection were a movie, it’d no doubt be TWINS, with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito. While at first the nudes and neon combo may seem to be a bit like an unlikely pairing – they actually do compliment each other.  The easiest way to use it is to do what makeup artists have been preaching since day one – focus on either the lip or the eye, but please, puhh-lease, NOT BOTH.  Pair a soft, nude eye with a neon lip or a bright eye with a nude lip. The centerpiece is the stunning limited edition nudes palette – a staple that everyone needs in their stash. Nobody does nudes like Bobbi – she’s been in this game for years and know neutrals – so buy two and tuck one away for safekeeping.

The collection also includes the new, limited edition Ink Liner in Really Black, because strong liner goes with any face, (it’s great for perfecting the winged cat-eye), three sheer, super-shiny new glosses in Citrus, Cosmic Pink and Ultra Violet (The Beauty But likes to use the Ultra Violet over a red lip to cool it down a bit), two playful shadows in Ultra Violet Shimmer Wash (this one is a fooler – it provides a beautiful sheer pop of col0r) and Bluebell Eye Shadow, three new shades of lip color including Atomic Orange, Neon Pink and Uber Beige and the most delicate and universally flattering blushes – Nude Peach and Nude Pink. 

Get it now online, and at your Bobbi Brown counter.

Disclosure: Press samples were provided to The Beauty Bug.

Upon entering the gleaming white and red paradise, The Beauty Bug was greeted by Chantal Sanders, CLARINS Senior Director of Boutique & Spa Development. Ms. Sanders is a little Twizzler of a thing, in a pencil skirt, sporting bewitching blue eyeliner, never-ending lashes and the skin of a 29 year old French woman. She quickly gets down to business, telling The Beauty Bug about their signature treatments that She was going to experience  – the Melting Honey Hot Stones Massage and the TriActive Facial. The Beauty Bug could talk to Chantal all day – she’s traveled the world, has a mesmerizing accent, gets weekly facials and was dropping skincare knowledge like a boss.

Chantal next gushes about her 3 favorite CLARINS products that are her life lines – the Beauty Flash Balm, the Hand and Nail Treatment Cream, and Gentle Eye Makeup Remover Lotion. The Flash Balm (not to be mistaken as Flash Bomb, as sometimes printed and heard) allows her foundation to look radiant all day long, and sometimes She’ll even apply a thicker layer and use it as a mask if she has a big night out (what she refers to as The Cinderella approach). The Hand and Nail Treatment Cream penetrates all 4 surfaces of the hand (back, front, cuticles and nails) isn’t sticky, smells, divine and is a staple for her carry-on as she travels from city to city. Chantal next confesses that she goes through one retail sized Gentle Eye Makeup Remover per week, adding “I could drink that stuff.” It has the same PH as tears, is oil-free, and treats lashes without dehydrating.

Next, The Beauty Bug then made Her way to the treatment room to let the magic begin.

The TriActive Facial

When getting facials, The Beauty Bug always separates the treatment into segments – BE (before extractions) and AE (after extractions). But not with the Triactive Facial. Oh no. There is no pulling, extracting or excessive heat involved.  Instead, a series of more than 80 intricate hand movements combined with super-concentrated professional strength products that are exponentially more effective than those made for home use (one application is equivalent to using the at-home version for 7 days) The TriActive concept is defined in 3 distinct stages: preparation and priming of the skin with cleansing and a lymphatic drainage massage, absorption of active ingredients including a personalized mask and massage, and finally, optimization of results. The Beauty Bug’s aesthetician gave her the most comprehensive cleanse and exfoliation that She’s ever had, followed up by hot compress massage, face mask, eye mask, and more massaging. At times it felt like there were more than 2 hands at work, but it was just her masterful aesthetician.  She was so skilled, that when The Beauty Bug left, She expected to see her  juggling or basket-weaving. After the hour-long treatment,The Beauty Bug’s skin was plump, even in tone, and radiant.

Melting Honey Hot Stones Massage

The Beauty Bug’s next treatment (currently only offered at this Bloomingdales location and at the Madison Avenue Skin Spa in NY) was a combination of hands,  honey, and hot stones. By using four distinct shaped marble and slate stones  – a tear drop stone for specific use on the legs and arms, heart and disk stones for the stomach and abdomen, and the diamond stone for the back – precise heating zones are activated, draining and eliminating deep knots and tension. As the massage therapist aligned the stones down The Beauty Bug’s spine, it felt like a warm surge of energy was traveling up her back and  She could feel the tension releasing. The best part of the massage? No oily residue or post-massage shower required.  The professional melting honey gel changes form three  during the course of the massage, going from a cream, to an aroma-therapeutic fluid oil, and finally, with the application of water, a milky emulsion that is completely absorbed by the skin.

Thanks to Clarins, The Beauty Bug lived like a European for a day  – minus the croissant and accent.

The TriActive Facial ($90) and the Melting Honey Hot Stones Massage ($110) are available at Clarins Spas.