5 Products For More Restful Beauty Sleep

Anyone here in need of some serious shut eye? I know that working as hard as I do during the day, I crash the moment I go to bed…yet there is always something on my mind that I am thinking about sometimes keeping me from going into a deep sleep.

Through trial and error I’ve come up with 5 products you can’t live without to get the beauty rest you need to keep you looking fresh and glowing for that 9am meeting with the boss.

1–me! Bath Lavender Lullaby Bath Ice Cream: LOVE this fragrance that devours your senses with this incredible bath treat. So soothing, calming and relaxing–if you are not ready to meet the sandman after taking a bath with this amazing aromatherapy product, I would seriously be surprised.

2–Skin Like Butter Aloe & Shea Butter Lotion in Unscented. When your skin is deeply moisturized you have less of a tendency to scratch at your skin during the night, plus your skin will thank you for shedding those ugly flakes. This lotion is non-greasy despite the name and keeps your skin hydrated.

3–Travertine Spa Linen Spray in Lavender. Just like the bath swizzle, the scent of lavender is so relaxing. Lightly mist your bed linens a few hours before climbing into bed so that the fragrance can disperse. Take slow deep breaths to take in the aromatherapy properties and let your mind drift off to less stressful thoughts.

4–Dream Essentials Sleep Mask in Solitude. This lavender scented sleep mask will whisk you away to a deeper, more restful sleep. I never realized how much my sleep mask made a difference in the way I slept until I used it. It blocks out the light 100% (even when lights from cars driving by shine in your face!), is comfortable to wear (it will take a few days to get used to it) and overall is something I cannot live without.

5–Dr. Harry Henshaw Enhanced Healing Podcast. Dr. Harry Henshaw has a free podcast on itunes where you can download his wonderfully restful music. Each song is 5 minutes long and I downloaded several to create an hour’s worth of music. Dr. Henshaw uses binaural audio tones that magically subdue you. Believe me, I was a skeptic when I first listened to this music until I played it for a few nights in a row for my kids at bedtime–and they all slept through the night (for once!) Hallelujah! I gave it a try myself and haven’t used any other music since.

Have you found the perfect products that help you sleep better? Share them with everyone in the comments!

lavender oil

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Posted on May 22, 2008 by Shannon Nelson in beauty, Spa 5 Comments

Valery Joseph Salon Summers in the Hamptons

If I was rich and could afford to stay in the Hamptons…or if someone wealthy would simply invite me to stay at their posh estate, I would surely be front and center at Valery Joseph’s salon.

Socialites rejoice. The eponymous Upper East Side salon that is so in-demand it opened a second location a few blocks away from its Madison Avenue flagship location is gearing up to open their Hamptonsâ€™ location for the third summer in a row. From Memorial Day through Labor Day, Hamptonites and those who â€œsummer in the Hamptons ,â€ aka the salonâ€™s clients, can continue to look the part when frolicking in the sand and sun as Valery Joseph Salon is bringing beauty to them.Â Read more

Posted on May 15, 2008 by Shannon Nelson in beauty, salon 1 Comment

ReVive: Moisturizing Renewal Cream Review

I know I am not laten with wrinkles, but I am very aware that my skin is aging. My face sags in places it never did before, fine wrinkles seem to pop up everyday and there are plenty of days I just don’t want to be reminded that I am almost 34. Shortly before Fashion Week I began trying ReVive’s Moisturizing Renewal Cream. I always seem the most skeptical of expensive creams ($165), but when I began getting compliment after compliment on my skin, it made me a believer.

ReVive’s Moisturizing Renewal Cream is a night cream that is not as thick as it looks in the jar. It is a “dry” kind of night cream–meaning I felt no oily residue as I smoothed it over my skin. It just seemed to absorb as quickly as I applied it. The Moisturizing Renewal Cream contains glycolic acid, so while your skin is being hydrated it also utilizing this exfoliant to shed your dead, dull skin cells.

When I met David Evangelista he was flabbergasted when I mentioned my age and how many kids I had during our conversation. He genuinely asked, “Really? You Look 12! Wow, I thought you were college-age let alone in your 30′s with 4 kids! Your skin looks amazing. You really look so much younger.”

I know I keep posting this same picture over and over, but not only did my makeup look outstanding (thank you Lancome!) but my skin looked ridiculously fabulous too!

This is great stuff and I cannot deny it based on the results. Have you tried it?

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ReVive

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Posted on April 14, 2008 by Shannon Nelson in anti-aging, beauty, skin care 6 Comments

Review: Travertine Spa’s Petal Body Cream

If you can’t go to the spa to get that softer than silk feeling on your skin, then bring the spa to you. Travertine Spa may be a California-based luxury skin care company, but here in the mountains of Pennsylvania I can create my own sanctuary and bathe my skin in softness with their Petal Body Cream.

Travertine Spa‘s Body Cream is made from Jojoba Oil, which minimizes water loss from the skin therefore keeping it perfectly hydrated. The fragrance is “Petal” and is a light floral scent that has a sweetness to it. Just saying that it is “floral” makes it sound plain, but from bottle to skin, the scent is diverse and is inherently pretty.

Posted on March 23, 2008 by Shannon Nelson in bath and body, beauty, skin care 1 Comment

Review: Freeze 24/7 Freeze & Go

(Before Freeze & Go)

(After Freeze & Go)

I certainly don’t enjoy showcasing my big ugly forehead to the world–but here it is in all its glory. I think nothing explains a product better than before and after pictures. These images are the results of using Freeze 24/7′s newest product, Freeze & Go. No photoshopping, just actual diminished fine lines and wrinkles in a matter of 10 minutes.

While my wrinkles aren’t gone forever, Freeze & Go plumps the skin to diminish their appearance and brightens it. I applied it over my makeup, so you can see what a difference it made just in the tone of my skin and in absorbing any excess oil. While the product is a cream, it is non-greasy and non-oily, so it can smooth over your makeup without disturbing it.

Freeze & Go is portable and the removeable mirror reveals the top for dispensing the cream. The bottom of the pod-like package twists to give you a set amount of product with each twist. I only needed to twist it twice to get what I needed for my forehead. The first few times you use it you will notice that your skin feels a slight tightening sensation. It only lasts a few minutes and then is no longer noticeable. However, week 2 into using Freeze & Go, I didn’t even notice it anymore.

I’d say it works. Have you used it?

Other Freeze 24/7 reviews:
ArcticLift Neck Firming Cream
Instant Targeted Wrinkle Treatment

Posted on March 22, 2008 by Shannon Nelson in anti-aging, beauty, skin care 12 Comments

Review: KLEAN Bath & Body Soaks & Body Polish

It’s been a while since I’ve gotten some products from KLEAN Bath & Body, but I could hardly pass up a chance to try out some of their new products, as well as their newest scent.

KLEAN Soaks: I chose KLEAN’s Dead Sea Soak. The ingredients are very cut & dry–Dead Sea Salt, solar salt, dendric salt, coconut oil, lavender buds (because I chose lavender as my scent) & essential oil. When you open the bottle the lavender scent whisks you off to a place of relaxation. While strong in the bottle, I found it less so once it mixed in with the water. While it wasn’t as strong as I would’ve liked it to be, the soak was still amazing for my skin. (A Milk Soak may be next for me!) Read more

Posted on March 18, 2008 by Shannon Nelson in bath and body, beauty, skin care 3 Comments

Review: Wylde Ivy All Olive Lotion

Local Pennsylvania bath & body company, Wylde Ivy, caught my attention about a year ago. It wasn’t until I saw Ashlee’s company newsletter a few months back announcing that she was pregnant with twins that I finally decided to scoop up some of her products to review. Now I am kicking myself for waiting so long as I sit here with skin as soft as cashmere.

The main ingredient in Wydle Ivy’s products is Olive Oil, which most know is a fabulous emollient for the skin. The only time something fatty is good for you (and not feel guilty about it) is in Olive Oil based products. Wylde Ivy’s All Olive Lotion is just what your dry skin needs with its rich, creamy texture of olive butter and olive extract. I’m using their Blackberry Cotton Candy scent and honestly–OMG. What a sweet true to life fragrance. At different points you can smell a fresh, ripe blackberry followed by sticky sweet, sugary cotton candy. Yum.

Not only does their All Olive Lotion smell fantastic, but the lotion literally glided over my skin, quickly absorbed and left my skin feeling so supple and soft.

Wylde Ivy’s All Olive Lotion is $7.50 for a 4oz. tube at www.wyldeivy.com

Posted on January 6, 2008 by Shannon Nelson in bath and body, beauty, skin care 1 Comment

Review: Kaeline Argarome Bain & Argarome Jour

I’ve recently had the pleasure of trying out a product that is new here in the U.S. called Kaeline Argatherapie from Xandra Renouvelle. Argarome Bain (bath oil) and Argarome Jour (facial serum) are 100% natural and are a combination of Argan Oil and essential oils. Argan Oil is exclusive to Morroco, as the fruit from the trees it is harvested from are indigenous to this region.

I honestly had never heard of Argan Oil until this point and the thought of using oil on my combination skin made me feel skeptical that it could actually help my acne. I don’t have acne in the sense of needing any medication, but I am prone to bad break outs that make me feel like I am 13 all over again.

Argarome Jour: This serum is good for all skin types and should be applied in the morning before or in place of your moisturizer. What I did was use it alone every other day and on the off days use it in combination with my normal moisturizer. Rose oil is added to the Argan Oil/essential oil combination. The scent of the serum is Ok; I had expected a rose scent, which you can smell only a little bit, but the overall scent is hard to describe. The scent only lasts a short period of time though, as the serum absorbs into your skin quickly.

You only need a pea size amount of the Argarome Jour to smooth over your face and it is not greasy feeling. Amazingly, I absolutely saw results in the tone and reduction of inflammation to my skin. If I can refer you to my recent review of Conair’s Infiniti Nano Hair Straightener, you can see a recent picture of me and my acne-free skin. I’m really quite impressed.

Argarome Bain: When I received this bath oil, both Brody and I had a cold. The rosemary, lavender and lemon essential oils worked fabulously to help relieve our congestion, while also softening our skin. I only put half a capful into Brody’s bath (with no baby toys so that he wouldn’t ingest the oil) and 2 capfuls into my bath. It was so relaxing and soothing. This is definitely on my list as one of my favorite bath oils.

Here are a few of the wonderful things Argan Oil can do for you:

* Alleviates acne & reduces scarring
* Adds vitality to hair and nails
* Reduces skin inflammation & irritation
* Hydrates skin and softens fine lines

Here in the U.S. Kaeline Argatherapie is only available through Xandra Renouvelle, which I am happy to say is mom owned and operated. Visit the website to learn more about Argan Oil and to see a complete list of Kaeline products available: www.xandrarenouvelle.com

Posted on December 26, 2007 by Shannon Nelson in anti-aging, bath and body, beauty, skin care 5 Comments

Review: Ceci Cela Lip Balm & Body Bar

I adore the scents of almonds in beauty products and love all natural products– I get the best of both worlds in Ceci Cela’s lip balm and almond moisturizing body bar.

The body bar combines a natural vegetable glycerin base with oatmeal, shea butter and Vitamin E while the lip balm is a combination of beeswax, aloe and Vitamin E. The lip balm is also infused with essential oils (and does come in Spearmint as well).

I loved that the soap resembled a massager with one side of the soap being smooth and the other having individual rounded nubs that also have pieces of oatmeal in them for gently exfoliating the skin.

Both products were great in texture and I loved how well moisturized my skin and lips felt. The almond scent was heavenly, as well.

Ceci Cela products can be found at Fred Segal Beauty, Paul Lebrecque and if you are in Paris, at Colette.

Posted on December 14, 2007 by Shannon Nelson in bath and body, beauty, skin care 1 Comment

Review: Dr. Bragi Age Management Marine Enzyme

I had recently written about Dr. Bragi’s Age Management Marine Enzyme on Beauty Pro. I’ve been very intrigued by it and finally had the opportunity to try the product out for myself. I don’t want to reiterate what I’ve written before, but I do want to share with you what I thought after testing it out for a few weeks.

The marine enzyme is a serum that is odorless and colorless. You need to use only a pea-sized amount at the most–and honestly even a pea-sized amount was too much product for my skin. When I first gave it a try, my skin felt tacky and slick. I knew that I applied too much, despite the small amount I smoothed over my face. It’s pretty amazing how little you need. Once I figured out the right amount for my skin type (which is combination), then I couldn’t physically feel it on my face anymore.

There definitely was a noticeable difference in my skin’s appearance (fresher looking) and that it seemed to keep my skin well-hydrated. Dr. Bragi actually recommends that you keep the product in your refrigerator, as heat is what activates it.

This is a super product–and now that I am done testing it out on its own, I’m currently testing it out with a handy little device called the Baby Quasar (review to be posted soon) with amazing results.

Dr. Bragi’s Marine Enzyme is available at Bliss Spa’s nationwide & online and for my UK readers, at Boutique Unique London.

Posted on September 19, 2007 by Shannon Nelson in anti-aging, beauty, skin care 2 Comments

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