What's HOT at Sephora? New Releases from Smashbox, NARS, Josie Maran & Jimmy Choo

HOT summer picks from Sephora!

Hot, sticky humid summers are a reality for those of us living in the NYC/Metro Area. So this is the perfect time to head over to Sephora to get matched up with some lighter primers, foundations, cheek and lip color. Along the way, pick up some natural products which also do double duty for skincare and sun protection. Of course don't forget to pick out a new summer fragrance for yourself! First, let's see what's HOT and new from Josie Maran:

Your Valentine's Date Night Primps

Special goodies to get ready for Valentine's Day.

This year Valentine's Day falls on a Sunday. So this means you and your hubby or beau may be making plans for a full weekend away. Hooray for that idea! Here are some of my favorite primps and beauty products to help you look, smell and even taste good for that special date.

Good Clean Fun
Start with a clean slate by adding some polish to your bath or shower. A body scrub like the ones from Svelta (Luxe Coffee and Raw Sugar) and Molton Brown's Ylang Ylang Comforting Body Polisher are deliciously decadent! Top your newly glowing skin with label.m Diamond Dust Body Lotion for some extra sparkle. Give your man a set of natural Man Cave ShaveGel and Post Shave Balm (or use it yourself) so he can get prepped too.

Bathing beauties.

Beauty Masks
No beauty ritual is compete without the inclusion of a nourishing facial mask. These unique facial treats use all natural, exotic ingredients delivered in some fun and unique ways.

PANDA Honey Elasticity Mask Pack by Skin 9 Village

Other fun beauty masks include the Shining Nature Purity Animal Tiger and Mediheal Dress Code Violet (see photo below). So easy to use, just open the packet and place on your face for about 20 minutes while you relax in the tub or out. You can also just focus on your eyes with these moisturizing/lifting Korean Salmon Egg Hydrogel Eye Patchs. 

Letting It All Go to Your Head
Well of course you want to your hair to shine for Valentine's Day Weekend! I really like label.m's Diamond Dust Shampoo and Conditioner as it is gentle, sulphate free yet leaves a deep shine mostly due to the plant extracts and oils included in the formulations. Oh and to be extra yummy, you might want to pack this Lulu 24K edible massage oil. Made with edible gold which is completely safe to ingest. Luscious!

Head Kandy Brush Straightener, NYC Lovatics by Demi & Josie Maran Whipped Argan Oil Hand Cream

Head Kandy Ceramic Straightening Brush 
This hair styling tool is great to pack for a weekend away as it not only grooms but straightens and styles all at the same time. Has a 60 second heat up, digital temperature readout/controls. Goes up to 450 degrees and unlike a blow dryer, is silent and takes up much less space in your overnight bag. Available online at www.headkandybrush.com & www.beauteque.com for the Korean facial masks.

NYC Lovatics, a dupe for Revolution (Makeup Revolution London)

Putting On a Good Face
NYC Lovatics by Demi Lovato is a lovely collection of natural looking cosmetics that travel well for a weekend away. The Natural Eye Palette is a dupe for my favorite Revolution Set I received for my birthday. Has mattes and shimmers plus two dual tipped applicators.

Lovatics Lip & Cheek Tints are a dupe for the ones made by Benefit, namely their Benetint Cheek & Lip Stain. However this tint is very fluid and light. The Cheeky Strawberry is a fresh, bright wash of color that complements a wide range of complexions. The Eyebrow Liner has a little grooming brush on one end. What I like about this collection is that it is relatively compact, delivers and travels well. If somehow I lost or dropped these cosmetics, I wouldn't cry too much as they are easily replaced. See the collection at New York Color.com

The Vinyl Room at Soho House, NYC.

Beauty products c/o the companies so listed herewith.

Gifts We Really Want - L'Occitane en Provence Hand Creams

L'Occitane en Provence - Memoirs of a Hand Cream Holiday Gift Set is the complete holiday package!

Provence, in the South of France: It always seems to be a challenge to choose just the right holiday gifts each year for our friends and family. Then there's all the boxing, wrapping and everything else. Well, not this year! On my last visit to QVC Studios, I heard about QVC Gifts. These are a special collection of holiday gifts that come in beautiful packaging, pretty much ready to set right under the tree.  These are top luxury labels from designers like Issac Mizrahi, Laura Geller, Josie Maran, WEN and Philosophy.

On L'Occitane de Provence's Set at QVC TV Studios.

L'Occitane en Provence
So I was very excited to see L'Occitane included among the QVC Gifts collection as this is a line I've been using for quite some time. In fact I keep a tube of their 20% Shea Butter and Lavender Hand Cremes in my makeup bags. L'Occitane's creams are made in France with real botanicals so you get all the healing benefits inherent to the plant. 

I keep a tin of L'Occitane's 100% Shea Butter in my first-aid kit.

  
L'Occitane's Lavender Hand Creme is so soothing and calming on long flights or car trips. My book, The New Woman's Herbal and Nutritional Guide extols the healing wonders of Lavender for burns, scrapes and irritations. It's like having a first-aid cream that also smells amazing. Just like the finest aromatherapy oils, the essential oils used in L'Occitane's hand creams are harvested from all over the world: Grasse, Turkey, Bulgaria and Morocco to name a few.

I always keep a tube of L'Occitane Lavender or Shea Butter hand cream in my travel bag.

Memoirs of a Hand Creme Set
Now that you know how GOOD L'Occitane Hand Cremes are, let me tell you about the beautiful set of 8 being offered in their Memoirs of a Hand Creme from QVC. Beautifully gift-boxed, it opens like a bed-time story book tied with a satin ribbon. Only it's a TRUE story! It tells the tale of their unrivaled 20% Shea Butter hand creme and all the others made from the most fragrant plants and flowers.

L'Occitane's Story of a Hand Creme opens to hold 8 of their full sized 30 ml hand cremes.

These are the same full 1 oz tubes sold at their NYC flagship store. I shop there so I know. This is a great value as each tube of hand creme retails in the store for about $12.  However, some of the cremes in this collection I've not seen in the store such as the: Pivoine Flora Hand Cream, Fleur Cherrie and the Rose 4 Reines Hand Cremes. You can gift the entire set or break it up into individual elegant stocking stuffers. There's plenty to go around, even if you like to save a tube or two for yourself!

The End!

L'Occitane Memoirs of a Hand Creme c/o QVC