Do you “BB”?  A “BB” is a beauty balm and it’s the latest “it” product in the world of beauty.  Now, Garnier BB Cream Miracle Skin Perfector has been introduced here in the U.S.  Read on for my thoughts….

Beauty Balms are hybrid products that combine intense hydration with tinted minerals and Vitamin C; think of it as an amped-up tinted moisturizer. I like the fact that it’s kind of a cross between tinted moisturizer, skin care product and also has SPF 15 UVA/UVB protection. Beauty balms have been popular in Europe, Japan and Korea for years.  The U.S. has been a bit slow to embrace the “BB”. Now, many companies are adding beauty balms to their collections.

Garnier’s BB Cream Miracle Skin Perfector comes in two shades, Light-Medium, which I’ve been using and Medium-Dark.  I really like that the product provides a good level of hydration without being greasy—even with the SPF in it.  As far as coverage, in my opinion it’s definitely a sheer to light coverage.  This product is not going to cover acne scars or hyperpigmentation; it does, however, even out your skin tone and provide radiance.  I would describe it as the “healthy glow” effect.

This is the first BB Cream that I’ve tried, so I don’t have anything else to compare it to, but in general, I was impressed that the product went on smoothly, had a light, fresh fragrance, skincare benefits (Vitamin C, Hyaluronic Acid), sheer coverage, SPF 15 and on my combination skin, didn’t turn greasy.  No disadvantages unless you are looking for a product that provides a more medium coverage.  For me, it’s the perfect product to wear on the weekends or when I don’t need a foundation.

Garnier BB Cream Miracle Skin Perfector retails at $12.99 and is available at drug, discount and mass market retailers. Have you tried any BB Creams yet and if so, did you like this multi-tasking type of product?  Let me know in the comments!

How was your week? I really feel as though as I am starting to make progress, not only as far as losing weight on Nutrisystem, but making some of those changes in my head that are necessary to maintain weight loss.  Read on for more…

I think one of the reasons I’ve never been able to lose weight and successfully keep it off, is that I’ve always looked at each component separately and not all as part of one cohesive plan. For example, I could lose weight, but I never wanted to exercise.  So the minute I started eating “normally”, the weight came back.

This time, I feel like I’m really making progress in understanding that this is a way of life and that I need to make permanent changes.  I can’t just think of eating healthy or exercise as a means to an end (weight loss). The new Nutrisystem® SUCCESS™ plan has motivated me to incorporate some sort of exercise on a daily basis.

Now in addition to doing Zumba 3 times per week, on the off days, I’m adding in some work with light weights. And are you sitting down?  I bought a heart rate monitor so that I can tell when I’m exercising most efficiently.  That is huge, because it means I’m starting to change my relationship with the things that have always been my obstacles to permanent weight loss, which is my ultimate goal.

This week, I’ve lost .5 lb., making my total weight loss on Nutrisystem 71.5 lbs. to date.  If you’d like to try out the new Nutrisystem® SUCCESS™ plan, in celebration of their 40th Anniversary, Nutrisystem is offering 40% savings offer on all auto-delivery programs! For more information, please visit www.nutrisystem.com/success4u or call 1-888-841-2572.

If you’re following along with me, what permanent changes are you making to your lifestyle to be successful in your weight loss efforts?  Let me know in the comments!

Spring has sprung at Zoya with the introduction of TRUE, the new nail color collection.  Inspired by the runway looks of top designers, this collection features slightly muted and unexpected spring shades in six easy to wear, full-coverage creams and metallics.

You know that I’m such a Zoya fan—I love the shade selection and the wear-like-iron formula.  So I was surprised to see the colors in this Spring collection.  They are different from all of the other spring nails out there—not “pastel” per se, but subdued.

The Zoya TRUE Nail Collection for Spring 2012 includes the following shades:

• Cho (ZP585):  Vanilla shimmer metallic
• Farah (ZP586):  Latte beige cream
• Bevin (ZP587):  Pale sage green cream
• Skylar (ZP588):  Silvered slate blue metallic
• Tru (ZP589):  Gilded purple orchid metallic
• Lotus (ZP590):  Light lotus purple metallic

Each shade in the collection is full coverage and I found best color achieved with two coats. My favorite shade in the collection is Lotus, a gorgeous medium purple metallic with red reflects.   It’s a perfect every day purple and is not as unforgiving as some purples can be.  It should be a shade that will look good on every skin tone—this is a good one to add to your collection.

Zoya TRUE Collection nail shades retail at $8.00 and you can purchase at www.zoya.com.  What do you think of the TRUE Collection?  Are there shades you’ll be picking up for Spring?

One of the essential “tools” for a flawless makeup application is the primer.  Using a primer helps prepare the skin for foundation and enables the foundation to adhere better.  But if you’ve got acne-prone skin, sometimes finding a good primer can be tricky.  Read on for more…

The Murad Skin Perfecting Primer is designed for you if you’ve got acne-prone, oily or even stubborn combination skin.  This primer is genius—the matte formula has salicylic acid in it to help control acne breakouts, reduce oil and minimize the appearance of pores.  It’s also tinted, which helps to minimize the appearance of red, irritated skin. I love that this primer not only has serious acne-fighting ingredients, but there are also antioxidants, minerals, botanicals and Sodium Hyaluronate to moisturize skin.

It’s not drying or irritating—I’ve been testing it and honestly love the way it feels on my skin.  My skin feels like velvet after application! If you’ve been frustrated trying to find the right primer for your skin, I would highly encourage you to try this one, it’s that good.

The Murad Skin Perfecting Primer retails at $35; you can find it at Sephora, ULTA Beauty and www.murad.com.  Do you use a primer before you apply your makeup?

Of everyone walking the Red Carpet on Sunday night at the S.A.G. awards, Emma Stone was my absolute favorite.  She had everything working for her—a gorgeous Alexander McQueen dress (kind of retro ‘50’s—it hit just the right note) accessorized with stunning Tiffany and Co. jewelry. Read on for more…

No matter how many times I looked at celebrity coverage of the S.A.G. Awards, I keep coming back to Emma Stone being sheer perfection.  Here are the details of her S.A.G. Awards look:

Her makeup was by CHANEL Celebrity Makeup Artist Kara Yoshimoto Bua, who was inspired by the Alexander McQueen custom dress, as well as the actresse’s gorgeous hair, eye and skintone coloring.

She started by applying CHANEL Sublimage Fluid and Sublimage Eye to skin, followed by CHANEL Perfection Lumiere Long-Wear Flawless Fluid Makeup and REVLON PhotoReady Finishing Powder in Translucent.  Next, Exclusive Creation Horizon de CHANEL Blush was used for a “bright” cheek.

On eyes, REVLON ColorStay 16 Hour Eyeshadow Quad in Moonlit with REVLON Liquid Eye Pen in Black used to line eyes.  Lots of CHANEL Inimitable Intense Mascara in Noir finished the look.  Lips were done in a deep pink satin using CHANEL Precision Lip Definer in Framboise and CHANEL Rouge Coco Shine Sheer Lipshine in Sari D’Eau.

Hair was by styled by Mara Roszak of Wella Professionals who also used Emma’s dress as her inspiration.  “I wanted to create a smooth, polished up-do with a bit of a modern 50’s feel.”

Step-by-Step Styling

1.     Part the hair to the side then apply Wella Professionals Velvet Amplifier to wet hair and blow dry smooth

2.     Add a pump of Wella Professionals Mirror Polish to hands and apply lightly to hair, starting at the ends, to smooth out any fly aways

3.     Tease the crown of the hair to add a little height and pull into a mid-height ponytail

4.     Twist the ponytail and then wrap into a bun and secure with bobby pins

5.     Spray all over with Wella Professionals Stay Firm hairspray

Did you have a Red Carpet favorite from the S.A.G. Awards?  Let me know in the comments!

The new mark Fair Trade Body Collection products contain naturally derived ingredients to soothe, hydrate and comfort skin while also protecting it with good-for-you antioxidants.  And Fair Trade Certified ingredients means that the products are good for every body too.

The mark Fair Trade Body Collection is made up of the following products:

• mark Fresh Approach Hydrating Body Cleanser ($10)
• mark Do The Right Thing Smoothing Body Lotion SPF 15 ($12)
• mark Clean Up Time Conditioning Bath Soaps ($12)
• mark Change is Gonna Come Foaming Body Exfoliator ($12)
• mark Relief Effort Total Body Cream ($14)
• mark The Big Fix 15-in-1 Big Benefits Balm ($10)

Each product in the collection is fragrance-free and allergy tested and comes in fresh-looking packaging.  Favorite product?  I don’t know if I could pick one, they’re all wonderful. I love the Relief Effort Total Body Cream and The Big Fix 15-in-1 Big Benefits Balm, which is fantastic for keeping in your purse or in your car.  This product can do everything from moisturizing chapped hands and cuticles, to softening rough heels before crawling into bed.  It’s long lasting and a great value for $10!

Because the formulations feature Fair Trade Certified ingredients from countries across the globe, such as Vanilla from India, Cocoa Butter from Peru and Chamomile from Egypt, you can feel good about helping to contribute to a sustainable global economy. Each purchase from the collection helps promote local farming in developing countries, and all products are made up of ecological, all-natural ingredients like honey, white tea, cocoa and hibiscus.

The mark Fair Trade Body Collection can be purchased at meetmark.com or through a mark. rep.  If you’re looking for body products for winter that are eco-conscious as well as effective, give the mark Fair Trade Body Collection a look!

Did you watch the Screen Actor’s Guild Awards last night?  Sofia Vergara was stunning, wearing a rose-colored Marchesa dress and Lorraine Schwartz amethyst cuff and earrings—gorgeous!  Read on to get details on Sofia’s Red Carpet makeup look…

Sofia’s jewelry was all the inspiration celebrity makeup artist Kayleen McAdams needed to create a makeup look that is glamorous and easy to recreate at home.  All products used are by COVERGIRL, since Sofia is Brand Ambassador for the line.

Here’s the 411 on how to get the look:

On the face:  “I applied COVERGIRL TRUconceal Concealer #4 under the eyes and around the nose first, and then applied COVERGIRL NatureLuxe Silk Foundation in Nutmeg #360 using a sponge starting at the center of the face and then blending outwards. To set these creamy products, I used a good, fluffy brush and COVERGIRL Clean Pressed Powder in Soft Honey. To brighten the face, I applied COVERGIRL Cheekers Blush in Classic Pink along the cheekbones.”

For eyes:  “I started with COVERGIRL Liquiline Blast Eyeliner in Brown Blaze at the outer corner of the upper lash line and all the way along the bottom.  I applied COVERGIRL Eye Enhancers 1-Kit Shadows in Forever Fig over the entire lid starting at the outer corners and blending towards the center.  I then used COVERGIRL Eye Enhancers 1-Kit Shadows in Brown Smolder at the outer corners and along the bottom lash line. I finished the eyes with two coats of COVERGIRL LashBlast Volume Blasting Mascara in Very Black on both the top and bottom lashes. At the last minute, I decided to add a little more brown liner to the upper lash line to give it further depth.  Other than that, the look was all set!”

And lips: “I started with COVERGIRL LipPerfection Lipcolor in Eternal to fill in Sofia’s entire lip. To add dimension to the lip, I used new COVERGIRL Blast Flipstick Lipcolor in Vixen in the center to give it a little shimmer.”

What did you think of Sofia Vergara’s Red Carpet look?  I love that it’s a beautiful and surprisingly easy and affordable! You can find the COVERGIRL makeup products used on Sofia at www.covergirl.com or in your local drug, discount or grocery store.

Lots to report on this weekend, as I’ve just received my first shipment of the new Nutrisystem Success program! Since there are definitely some changes, I thought I’d share my thoughts on the new plan. Read on for more….

You may have read about the new Success program—there was alot of press when it launched in January. For me, it was all kind of abstract and it was only this week that I got the new program guide that would help me see where everything fit in. The program is still based on eating foods low on the glycemic index, but now they’ve added foods and protein shakes so that you stay more full between meals. The shakes are delicious; I’ve been having one mid-morning, between breakfast and lunch and it really helps curb your hunger.

So in addition to shakes, there are also SmartCarbs and Powerfuels. A SmartCarb is a low-glycemic carb and Powerfuels are protein sources; additions that help keep you fuller longer. Basically these foods add variety and for me, a little more flexibility into having my day structured so that I stay on plan and am not hungry.

Another change is called “My Daily 3”, meaning daily exercise for 10 minutes a day, three times/day. For some people, breaking exercise up into short segments might work better; for me, I’ll just stick with fitting in as many Zumba classes as I can during the week.

So far, I’m loving the new Success changes and it’s resulted in a loss this week of 1.0 lb., which makes my total weight loss so far, 71 lbs. If you’d like to lose weight and eat healthier or learn more about the new Nutrisystem Success plan, visit Nutrisystem.com and get on board today!

]]>