California Road Trip Style Giveaway ($750 value)

There’s really nothing like a California road trip, it’s one of my favorite times to try new cars and take in the scenery. After a big week in LA with Extra TV and Sunglass Hut, James and I took a road trip to Palm Springs in the new 2018 Lexus GS 350 F Sport.

Nic + Zoe, Instax + Ray-ban giveaway!

Going back to my Boston roots, I packed some new pieces from Nic + Zoe who do casual chic so well. Cool and comfortable is my go-to when doing any road trip as well as sunglasses. So I’ve rounded up some of my favorite road trip must haves and doing an Instagram giveaway.

Up for grabs is my entire Nic+Zoe outfit, Sand Dune Cardi sweater, Laid Back pants and Stripe Mix top, Ray-Ban Blaze Aviator and the Instax Mini 70 instant camera + film connected to my new Pretty Connected ‘Lara’ camera strap, ($750 value) on Instagram!

Sorry guys, dog and car not included!

Rules: Open to US residents only, all local state and federal rules apply. Winner will be picked at random April, 20th 2018. Head to instagram.com/prettyconnected to officially enter. Good luck!

More on the 2018 Lexus GS 350 F Sport:

When it comes to cars, I’m more of a comfort gal. My boyfriend can attest that this ride has some fury under the hood and handling that makes canyon carving fun. Since we were driving in LA and Palm springs, a desert roadtrip was in order. So its fair to say that this car strikes a nice balance between comfort and excitement.

It is such a smooth ride but when you change it from eco mode into sport, the instrument panel changes, as if the car has been woken up and is ready to break some rules. There were more than a few times when we took off and tested the claimed 0-60 time of around 4.5 seconds. The F sport adds quite a bit of performance with a growling 5.0L V8, tuned suspension, upgraded brakes and while we didn’t try out the base model, this one kept us giggling with its acceleration and tight handling. With the paddle shifters in Sport mode, its truly a joy to drive on the open road.

The interior is simple and refined and roomy enough to cart around all of our belongings without much hassle and it comes with the suite of safety tech you would expect – lane departure, warnings and the like. The controller for the infotainment system is a bit awkward and hard to use while driving, I hope that they update that design soon.

I loved everything about this car and the only thing that we disagreed on was the look of the front – for some reason James is very opposed to large grilles on cars, and this one has the ‘spindle grill’. But personally, I like it.

Cruelty Free BRÖÖ launches Aromatherapy Lotions + Hand Cream

broo hand cream

Beer in your hair, now barley on your skin. I’ve learned so much from BRÖÖ, the haircare line that took the DIY beer rinse – as in you literally pour a beer in your hair to add shine (the household trick Jackie Kennedy and other glamazons made famous), and based their haircare around. They blend a healthy mix of ingredients with Craft Beer that features malted barley which is jam packed with the B vitamins, proteins, and minerals while the antioxidant rich oils in Hops soothe.

broo aromatherapy lotion and hand cream available at walmart

That barley and hops magic found in beer inspired their new launch into skincare with BRÖÖ  Moods ($7.49), which features three aromatherapy lotions and one hand cream. The lotions are available in three scents, Reboot (Bergamot), Sleep (Lavender), and Unplug (Clary Sage), and a Connect Touch Screen Hand Cream (as in it hydrates and dries so quickly there’s no risk of greasy residue when you swipe right).

The lotions are packed with Barley, which as we established is rich in B Vitamins and proteins to nourish skin, Hops which is antioxidant rich and mixed it with Shea Butter, which is rich in Vitamin E and known to soften dry, rough, skin. The glowing combination is free of synthetic fragrance, silicones, petrolatum, parabens, phthalates, mineral oil, phenoxyethanol, PEGS, polyquaterniums, dioxane, dyes and EDTA.

Their cruelty free and all of the above is so important to me since I rescued Charlie, who as some of you know had several skin conditions when we rescued him (and a laundry list of allergies). That dog LOVES to lick my arms and legs – shorts season is coming! So I’m very conscious of what I put on my body since I’m always so nervous about what he ingests.

― READ ON →

My New Beauty Tips: How to Avoid Hair Breakage and Revive Damaged Hair

New Beauty Beauty Report 2018
New Beauty Beauty Report

I’m so honored to be in my favorite beauty magazine, New Beauty for The Beauty Report Issue sharing my tips on how to protect your hair from breakage! I always had beautiful, shiny hair until 2 years ago when I started getting addicted to color and last year when a stylist damaged my hair to the brink of daily tears. On the upside I learned and tried everything about how to fake it until your hair grows out and fix/prevent further damage.

Since I give a quick Q&A for the magazine, I wanted to dive into the subject more and what products you should look for since a lot of you have this issue. Lack of moisture can be a big cause of breakage and damaged hair. while there isn’t a shortage of hair strengtheners, split end menders, oils (bows down to Leonor Greyl), hair masks (Shea Moisture, and Kerastase are gold), and supplements (Nutroful is my ride or die) on the market, when addressing hair health and growth, I wanted to share additional tips that often get overlooked.

1. Trade in your towel for a microfiber towel or soft tee shirt. Your hair is most vulnerable when it’s wet which is why you should never dry your hair aggressively with a towel. Microfiber towels are more absorbent and gentler on strands. I’ve been using Aquis for over a decade so I’m partial to them (they come in a bunch of colors), but any brand should be fine. Alternatively you can also use a soft tee shirt, just be very gentle if you’re using a towel.

2. Stay away from hair elastics and opt for hair clips or ties that are gentler and use words like tug-free on the packaging. We make fun of scrunchies, although they are supposed to be making a come back, I personally sleep in a silk scrunchy (we don’t go out in public) and it’s best for preserving a blow-out. Grace Eleyae is a super cool brand, they have silk scrunchy and also silk inside baseball and beanie hats and silk turbans to protect your hair. Genius! Silke also makes a line of BEAUTIFUL silk hair wraps.

3. Sleep on a silk (satin works too) pillowcase! This is also better for your skin as well. It doesn’t absorb product the same way cotton can and is more gentle on your hair. Slip is really chic and comes in a bunch of colors and is so soft and luxe. Alternatively there’s The Hollywood Silk Solution or Starlet Satin, which are are great as well and boost hair and skincare benefits.

― READ ON →

The 411 on Glowing Skin

Eleni + Chris Arctic Mist

We’ll start with Skincare 101: If you want glowing skin, do not sleep with your makeup on. You’re clogging your pores, and not letting your skin breath! You’re also blocking your skincare products from working as efficiently as possible.

dr. dennis gross, clarisonic, eleni + Chris, Pixi, Urban RX, It Cosmetics brightening productsExfoliation is key! (you have options)

Make sure to exfoliate to help dissolve dirt, environmental damage and whisk away dead skin cells. There are a lot of ways to do this starting with exfoliating pads. There are not a shortage of great glow pads on the market, although I always bow down to Dr. Dennis Gross when it comes to getting my skin glowing. The Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Daily Peel (available in original and Extra Strength are always in my beauty draw). I also like Exuviance, Dr. Jeannette Graf, MD Skin Rejuvenation Exfoliating & Firming Pads and a handful of others.

Essences with exfoliating properties, glycolic/AHA acid, micellar water, or products with lactic acid are also great to help dissolve dead skin cells. There are loads of wonderful ones on the market like Caudalie Vinoperfect Concentrated Brightening Essence, Pixi Glow Tonic, It Cosmetics 3-in-1 Micellar Cleanser or new comer Ren Ready Steady Glow Daily AHA Tonic. You can also turn to SK-II Facial Treatment Essence which uses it’s iconic ingredient, Pitera, that’s packed with vitamins, organic acids and amino acids (it also exfoliates) to improve skin texture and make skin glow. Retinols also exfoliate and are great in the evening for anti-aging.

There are also loads of exfoliating masks on the market, like Ren Glycol Lactic Radiance Renewal Mask. Don’t overdue it with the exfoliation but start adding them into your regimen.  Some can be used daily, others weekly, read the directions and don’t over exfoliate.

Pick me ups!

Skin mists are great for keeping skin hydrated and glowing throughout the day! and an awesome reboot if your skin is starting to feel/look dull or dry. I’m obsessed with the Eleni & Chris Face Mist (actually the whole line, see my review HERE), hailing from the fjords of Normay whatever they mix with their glacier water (it’s +SEA3oil) makes my skin sing. If you want something less clean and more dewy you can’t fail with, Tatcha Luminous Dewy Skin Mist. On a budget, Vichy and Mario Badescu are great options!

Look for these in your Serums + Moisturizers

Look for peptide rich products filled with brightening ingredients like Vitamin C, Licorice extract, niacinamides. These ingredients can also be in your serums for a more concentrated dose of nutrients, just make sure to seal all your products with a moisturizer (or sleep mask in the evening). AHA’s + Vitamin C are a winning combination — Skinceuticals actually has a C+AHA dropper that’s one of my favorites (They also have an epic C E Ferulic as well). You can also mix a Vitamin C liquid Serum — like an Urban Skin Rx Super C Brightening Treatment or the legendary Triple C Lightning Liquid by COSRX, into your moisturizer or do a more conventional serum consistency like Sunday Riley CEO Brightening Serum. Vitamin C is a larger conversation which I’ll do a whole blog post about but as far as moisturizers, at moment I’m loving Kat Burki Vitamin C Cream and also for skin brightening Origins Ginzing Energy-Boosting Gel Moisturize, which brings me to my next point…

Google your products! I started using Clarins Double Serum and Origins Ginzing Energy-Boosting Gel Moisturizer and saw an immediate boost and glow with both brightening but didn’t see any of the usual suspects in the formula. Apparently it’s the Tumeric in the Clarins Double Serum (or combination with), And mix of the Panex Ginseng with Coffee Bean (coffee is great for circulation and de-puffing in eye products) in the Origins moisturizer that gives skin it’s glow. I’m familiar with these ingredients for other benefits but after seeing this result I’ll be more mindful when I see them in future products.

Quick Fix: Mask.

Masks are a great quick fix. Healthy skin takes work, and when we’re stressed, sleep deprived or just busy it can take a toll. So go extra hard on the hydrate mask and self care in hard times. I you fly a lot (or notice your skin is dehydrated), sheet masks are a great way to reboot. I’ve used and loved many but the Eleni & Chris Hydrate Sheet Mask post flight took my skin from zero to hero (they also have a GLOW mask but as far as I’m concerned the whole Eleni + Chris collection makes my skin glow). James also brings me back loads of K-beauty brightening masks when he comes back from Korea, the only issue is I never know what’s in them since they aren’t in english. There are a ton more brightening sheet masks on the market, post plane or as a pick me up they are the best! 

Bring on the highlighters

When all else fails, makeup to help you fake it until you make it. Skin Illuminators and liquid highlights are dull skin’s temporary best friend.

― READ ON →
1...323334...689Page 33 of 689