Winter Skin 2011: Philosophy's Purity Facial Cleanser

Simplicity is key when after a long day with up to 6 hours of optimal sunlight and you are perpetually in sleep mode as the air turns arctic and the word "snow" is uttered by everyone.
Yes, all I want to do is hibernate, but before I can do so, I must get rid of the daily environmental ruminants that are on my face.
The last thing that you need to worry about is mascara that won't budge when you are trying to get it off or blush and foundation stains on the bathroom sink from a battle lost from a seasonal cleanser.
Luckily for me I have placed some faith in Philosophy's Purity facial cleanser, had I not have tested it in a store, I probably wouldn't have thought it was for me.
It has a list of things that I thought would not pertain to me, such as, its creamy.
What? me? oily skin, needs a cream to get skin clean?
Yes, actually, Its quite effective at helping calm my slick skin and washing off my makeup in under 5 minutes. Nice!

disclaimer: product was purchased by me

Winter Hair 2011: Sulfate Free Shampoo

I feel like lately there has been a lot of information about sulfates in shampoos. Even back when I was a teen and seeing a hair dresser, they told my mom to find sulfate-free shampoo to cut back on the dryness. In the 90's it was hard to find shampoos that were sulfate- free and in the family budget. Now, there are over 500 shampoos on the market and many that are in supermarkets but less than a handful are sulfate-free. Whats up with that?
So what is the big deal with sulfates in shampoos?
For one, sulfates can cause dryness and as a woman with relaxed hair and dry scalp, the last thing I need is extra dryness, especially in the winter!
There is a long list of great sulfate free shampoos, I encourage you to look up and see which SLS free shampoos would work for you. I've heard great things about John Masters Organics Shampoos but while browsing Whole Foods last month, I decided to try Avalon Organics Lavender Nourishing Shampoo.
The results have been quite a change since I'm so used to suds galore, now there are little to no suds and upon the rest of the hair care routine ( conditioning and blow drying), I saw little to know dandruff flakes from my scalp. This could come from a number of new changes to my hair routine but what I'm seeing so far is working!

disclaimer: product was purchased by me

Happy 4th Birthday to LTBB!

Yes, its our 4th birthday weekend and we are celebrating in snow style!

So, what are we going to do?

-Enjoy the snow and take tons of pictures!

-Catch up on swatches for your viewing pleasure.

- Have a cup of Vosges Bianca cocoa.

Thank you for all the love!

xoxo L

Winter Hair 2011: Phytospecific Revitalizing Treatment

It didn't occur to me it was winter until last week, seriously! Late November to mid-December, the weather has been bearable her in NYC, but last week came like a brick wall. While my friends were stuck stranded on the highways with snow up to their knees, I was enjoying the temporary mid day heat of Las Vegas for a few days and came back to the arctic ice rink weather of NYC in the latter part of the week.
Pre-holiday vacation, I started amping up on hair care for my strand survival, primarily through pre-treatments and experimenting with sulfate and paraben free shampoo ( will have more info in the next post). With that said, a few weeks ago I was encouraged by a friend to try Phyto's Phytospecific Revitalizing Treatment as a pre-treatment, pre- shampoo moisturizer to use while watching an episode of Veronica Mars on instant Netflix and before my hair treatment ritual.
I've now been using the treatment for more than a month, both before shampooing and as an SOS when my strands are dry and I have to say that this oil has worked wonders.
Since using the treatment, my dandruff has decreased significantly ( this can also be attributed to 1. my diet and 2. another hair treatment and/or 3. switching to a sulfate-free shampoo) and a direct application, my strands are moisturized without the weight and there is no oily residue with my hair. An extra added plus, a little goes a long way.
I'm hoping that starting my 4 part self-made treatment regimen ( pre-shampoo, shampoo, condition and smoother) will initiate better hair health in the spring. Time will tell and I'll definitely keep you posted.

Photo: Sephora.com

disclaimer: product was bought by me with the intent to use and review.

Best of 2010: Anna G's beauty picks!

Yes, its 2011 but we are still celebrating our highs of 2010.
Anna G's back with her best of for 2010! You can also catch her giving you the 411 on dating and relationships on BAS.

These are her favorites!

Classic " Go To" Product of the Year: Neutrogena Oil-free moisturizer, SPF 15. When I run out of eye cream, or it's too hot for eyecream, I just sub this, and it still does the trick.

New Discovery of 2010: OPI for Sephora nail polish, especially with all the chrome, gray, and purple-y colors.

Dream product you want: Chloe shower gel. I know it's not that crazy, but right now, spending more than $15 on body wash as a freelancer seems like a pipe dream.

Beauty favorite for under $10: Burt's Bees Pomegranate lip balm

Beauty Favorite for over $10: Davine's Oil Non-Oil. For those of us with thick and unruly hair, this is the shit.

Disclaimer: All products were purchased by Anna.