Top 10 Beauty Products to Get Your Glow On
Sun bathing is so 1980. Achieving a summer glow without the damaging rays is the way to go. Here are the top 10 beauty products to get your glow on: 1. Gabriel Cosmetics Zuzu Luxe Bronzer 2. L’Occitane En Provence Pivoine Flora Shimmering Oil 3. CoverGirl Champagne Enhancer as a highlighter 4. Laura Mercier Foundation Read more
LATHER Go Coconuts Body Scrub and Body Whip Review
There is nothing I love more in the summer (or for a mid-winter wake up) than the scent of coconuts. The fragrance makes me nostalgic of my childhood spent on the beaches of Rhode Island--from Prudence Island to Narraganset and Portsmouth, the scent of coconut-scented sunscreen filled the air. Read more
The Body Shop New Lip Gloss Collection Review
I’m a sucker for good lip gloss. You can never have too many and you’re never too old for a juicy, fruity, super shiny gloss. The Body Shop’s new Lip Gloss Collection is packed with juicy flavors, mouth watering shine, and moisturizing glazes of color. With 11 super-glossy shades Read more
Aveeno Protect + Hydrate Lotion Sunscreen Review
Life after Melanoma for me has been an interesting balance of educating myself and others about the dangers of the sun and skin cancer awareness ... and finding ways to enjoy my time in the sun without being totally paranoid. Part of that mission has included trying every sunscreen Read more~ Nando
Did I throw you off with the title? I know! It’s January! But I am participating in Proactiv’s 12 Days of Christmas…and I happen to be the 5th day of Christmas…albiet a little late. (And those who know me IRL know there is no other way!)
In this video I review Proactiv’s Makeup Removing Cloths, something I’ve been meaning to do for a while. For the blogger’s selected, Proactiv is giving $200 to our charity of choice. I chose One Child Too Many, a Brendan Kizer Foundation. This is a charity that is not only local to me here in Northeast PA, but I also knew Brendan Kizer before he had Non-Hodgkin’s Burkitts Lymphoma and eventually Burkitts Lukemia when he eventually passed away at age 16. He was a wonderful kid.
So check out my video, try not to laugh at my voice (I have a bad sinus infection), but you can tell me that you like the blue walls in my bathroom. Read more
Congratulations!
You survived the Holidays. We all know that even though the Holidays can be a great time of year, spending time with our loved ones, all those amazing treats (peppermint bark anyone?), dancing the night away on New Year’s Eve…they can also be the source of an insane amount of stress.  There’s the obsessing over the perfect gift for your very particular sister (normally a gift certificate would suffice, but she did help you put up with “that thing” and said she’d keep quiet about it), battling deranged last minute shoppers for that parking spot (that I know you saw me waiting for and my blinker’s on, so don’t try to sneak in or it’s WAR), planning the perfect Christmas dinner menu (did they say they are or were vegans…or is it vegetarians…and what’s the difference again…), being stuck at the airport for days (and of course it’s the one time you didn’t bring a change of clothes in your carry on) and the list goes on. And this year you handled all of that stress with more grace than  Kate Middleton during her engagement announcement to Prince William. There were absolutely no minor or major breakdowns, but breakouts on the other hand… Read more
Happy 2011! Hopefully you are ringing in the new year with a positive attitude that this year will be even better than 2010! Have you made any skin care resolutions? I know I have…especially as I realize that I am not getting any younger.
Just in case you missed any of these posts, I’ve put together my list of the best beauty products reviewed in 2010 by A Girl’s Gotta Spa! Was your favorite listed?
1. Skin Care:
Renée Rouleau Vitamin C & E Complex
2. Bath & Body:
There is no question that the cold air wreaks havoc on our skin and for many of us, dryness is a huge concern. In anticipation of the cold temperature outside and the dry heat indoors, skin care expert, Renee Rouleau, offers A Girl’s Gotta Spa! readers some precautionary steps to take to prepare your skin for the cold front!
-Reanalyze your current routine:
How do we know when it’s time to change up our daily skin routine? The key is to really listen to your skin. If your skin doesn’t feel comfortable then a product is not working how it’s meant to. It’s time for a change! Ask yourself if your skin feels too tight or maybe you’re discovering excess oil. What product in your routine might be causing these symptoms? Is one of your moisturizers leaving a greasy residue? Or if your skin is flaking then perhaps it’s time to go easy on exfoliating. If you have questions that can’t be answered on your own, take a look at our 9 Skin Types or e-mail Renee Rouleau for suggestions!
Bottom line: If the products aren’t working, your skin will let you know! Read more
I am a native Rhode Islander (go West Warwick Wizards!) and I love all things about the ocean and New England. It’s no wonder I had such amazing skin when I was younger since I spent so many days swimming in the ocean (err looking at boys.) I’m planning at some point to make my way to Stone House in Little Compton RI some time in 2011 (it’s on my I really want to go here list) simply because I have heard so many people rave about their spa. What could be more perfect than staying in a historic building in Newport County to take in all that my quaint home state has to offer?
Since it’s the holidays, here are some Peppermint spa treatments that Stone House has on their menu:
Peppermint Pedicure $45
Cooling Peppermint Pedicure completely natural and intensely nourishing and hydrating. This pedicure utilizes natural peppermint essential oil and organic sugar.
Peppermint Massage $75
Fresh, cool, and lively, Peppermint massage is wonderful for the circulation, this sparkling scent invigorates the mind, increases memory and concentration, and relieves fatigue. You will be massaged with super-absorbable exotic oils and peppermint essential oil. Read more
Did you experience Melasma when you were pregnant? Did you know that it can last well past pregnancy and that repeated exposure to the sun without wearing SPF only makes it worse? Well I am certainly proof of that (especially considering that my youngest is 3 1/2!) I wear side swept bangs exposing the left side of my forehead. Little by little I began to notice brown spots, but just ignored them and used concealer to hide the problem. Then one day, while on vacation with my boyfriend this summer, he kept staring at that section of my forehead. When I asked if something was on my face, he reached over and tried to rub my forehead telling me my makeup was coming off. I sighed and finally had to face the fact that the age spots were not going away, in fact, it had gotten worse in the summer sun.
I am very blessed to be able to work with celebrity esthetician and skin care expert, Renee Rouleau. Working with her also means I am an avid reader of her skin care blog, which meant I knew what the solution was: Vitamin C works wonders on age spots. Just a few months before she had sent me her Vitamin C & E Treatment, but due to the myriad of skin care products I receive on a regular basis to test and review, it simply sat on my bathroom counter. After talking with Renee, I knew I had to use her Glycolic Serum at night (7 days on 7 days off) and her Vitamin C & E Treatment religiously. I made sure it sat next to my moisturizer (which also happens to be her Daily Protection SPF 30) so that I wouldn’t forget to apply it. Read more
Have you heard of the natural skin care company Pattern? About 2 years ago I wrote about their Black Pepper Body Wash (no it won’t make you sneeze) and now that they’ve come out with two new scents, Nutmeg and Sage, I wanted to re-introduce this brand to you.
I’ve been using their Sage Body Wash and lotion, which I’d describe as a clean scent. I’m not sure what I expected (I choose not to read the ingredients so that I could decide for myself how the product smelled and felt) considering that Sage is a something I mainly consider a spice for a Sunday dinner. The first word that entered my mind when I took in the fragrance was: cotton. If you are familiar with Bath & Body Works Cotton Blossom (that was a staple of my youth), that’s what this scent reminds me of. And that’s right on point as the essentials oils used in this body wash and body lotion are sage, star anise, grapefruit and cotton flower. Read more
There are certain scents that, when I close my eyes, remind me of holidays past. Does this happen to you? Crabtree & Evelyn’s Pomegranate Body Wash and Scented Soap does just that. The fragrance of pomegranate is fused with season-inspired notes of mulberry, citron and mistletoe making this the perfect complement to your bath and body collection for Christmas.
The body wash contains moisturizing ingredients like shea and cocoa butter, glycerin, mistletoe extract and tangerine peel oil. The scented soap is triple milled and smells equally as fabulous as the body wash. I adore how fragrant these two products are. Not overwhelmingly so, but just enough that the scent lingers on your skin and in the air for a good bit of time after your shower. Read more
Here is a guest post from Brennan Evans, Director of Spa Operations at Willow Stream Spa at Fairmont Scottsdale Princess!
Winter weather unfortunately can lead to dry, flaky skin. Here is an at-home spa remedy for keeping your skin hydrated and nourished!
Depending on skin type/sensitivity this can be repeated once or twice a week. Healthy skin aids in the efficient removal of toxins from the body.
In addition to these tips, Willow Stream Spa at Fairmont Scottsdale is offering two very fun and festive treatments this holiday season: Read more
