Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Etsy. I ♥ you.

If you are unfamiliar with Etsy, it's pretty much the coolest site ever. No longer do you have to travel to New York City, or spend months looking for a really cool, one of a kind, handmade piece. Artists of all kinds upload "shops" of all their goodies where you can make secure purchases via PayPal. For Mother's Day I bought the most unique ring for my mom... a real Sea Urchin to wear upon her finger...

This Staroftheeast beauty comes all the way from Turkey!


These are a few of my current lusts:


SpiroCreations: Custom fit. Gorgeous supple leather. Yum!!



Hand In Heart Necklace/Bracelet Multi Faceted Malachite and Sterling Silver
by my favorite: VeryMaryJewelry


Shehitpausestudios is by far one of my favorite photographers on etsy. He has been
featured in Nylon.



A little spooky, but this VooDoo bracelet by OrganicGirls
this one-of-a-kind is "loaded with various "charms" including tiny pocket knife, vintage rosary, old cross found in an arroyo in New Mexico, horn and bone objects, African trade beads, skull beads with tiny droplets of blood red Swarovski crystals."

I find SO much that is just TO DIE FOR on Etsy. I will definitely keep posting my favorites here.

Enjoy :)

Monday, August 10, 2009

For the love of Beautiful Skin!

I consider myself a product whore, and I know all my friends would agree. I'm addicted to savvy product packaging, which is really the main way cosmetics and skincare sell themselves; and then closely followed by its actual contents!


My loyalty to Sephora is so insane that every time I purchase something I receive a free gift, sometimes 2! Mind you that in order to receive a gift you must have 100 points (1 pt per $ spend). Anyhow, my only disappointment is buying a product so well marketed and packaged and being nothing but disappointed. I have combination skin that is frequently congested because of the dirty NYC air it breaths everyday. I have a hard time with products that are too oily (especially in the hot summer city), however I had always been great at making recommendation of products… skincare and makeup... to friends and have always been well received and even applauded for the *awesome* advice! I would like to begin my weekly “beauty.skin” review to once again, share the wealth as unbias a possible.

BLISS: clog-dissolving cleanser 6.7oz $28.00

Oh! This product is absolutely amazing for all skin types... including those who have problem skin. This product contains exfoliating enzymes that digest dead skin cells to leave soft radiant skin. I used to use products with acne medications because I thought they would help clear up my skin, and because my face was so tight after washing I felt that it must be helping my oily skin. Not the case. These cleansers tend to over dry your skin and leave your skin thinking it must produce more oil to overcompensate. More oil leads to more bacteria and more sebum that causes blackheads and pimples. EW!

The moment you massage this product on your face you will feel it working immediately! My face always feels really clean because it gets all my makeup off (unlike most gel cleansers) as well as the grim and dirt from my long day. This cleanser also doubles as a 5 minute facial mask, and gives your face a nice boost of glow (especially after those long nights out). The great citrus smell is one of my favorite aspects, compared to all those other products out there that have an unpleasant medicine smell.

I also recommend using this product with the daily detoxifying toner below.

BLISS: daily detoxifying facial toner 6.7oz $26.00


This toner is the perfect pair with the clog dissolving cleanser! The moment you use it your skin says "AHHHH." It minimizes the appearance of pores, detoxifies, and de-stresses your skin. Its sweet citrus scent is refreshing, and this product contains rose water to keep your face moisturized while it's being stripped of debris. I also use this on my back, chest and neck to exfoliate dead skin cells. I HIGHLY recommend both of these products to even those with the most sensitive skin!

Keep coming back for more beauty reviews and tips!!