Gesundheit.

The Place to Find Out About Good New Stuff.

Saturday, September 23, 2006

"You Won't Forget This Voice"

This one goes out to my cousin Lindsay, who is currently studying abroad in France. As if she has nothing better to do with her time than to read my blog, I know she will get to it some day. For you who like Bob Dylan, and for fans of Tom Waits... I'd like you to meet Micah P. Hinson. I first heard this dude when he opened for David Gray at the Avalon in Boston earlier this year. Granted, the Avalon is not exactly an arena, so the vibe of the show was more intimate and chill, but you have to figure that anyone who gets chosen to open for David Gray is pretty damn good to start with. So I can't even begin to convey to you all how entirely captivating Micah is when he starts strumming and then when he starts singing... sweet Jesus! Definitely something for the more melancholy times, but I would hope it becomes your first choice for those times. Seriously. You can buy Micah's albums on iTunes and check out his MySpace page. As usual, run, don't walk. You want to hear this guy.

Friday, September 15, 2006

"More Matte Madness"

Ok, so if you read my earlier post about Perricone's toner pads and my quest for the anti-shine, you may recall that I mentioned trying out a couple products in that effort. Its high time for me to introduce you to the other product that I tried that I really think I am in love with. I am obsessed with moisturizing my skin adequately both in the morning and at night. Tres importante. Unfortunately, until now that morning moisture kick has never quite agreed with me and ends up leading my skin into that late-morning shiny slickness that just doesn't quite go away. I used to try re-applying my powder, but that just made things progressively more cakey by the end of the day.
After reading Carmindy's comments on de-shining your face, I started thinking that I should run out and find myself a shine-defying product. I was informed, however, that most of these products are not that great for your skin, primarily because they just block your pores. That is bad. So, if thats the case, what is a girl to do, you ask? Behold.

Decleor's Aroma Purete Matt Finish Skin Fluid. I truly heart this stuff. Its so light, so fresh, and so.... mattifying! It glides on and parties so well with my foundation/base. And oil slicks - nowhere in sight! I use a pea-sized dollop on clean skin, and you know what? I think this tube is going to last forever! And that makes me feel a little more okay with the $38 sticker price. The indication is for combination or oily skin, so this is probably not the product for you if you have dry skin. But I actually consider myself the sensitive type, and that seems to be just fine. If you're interested in taking little Mr. Decleor for a spin, go to Sephora and ask for a sample to take home. They do that there. Don't let them talk you into just buying anything - those crazy (and kind of severe, no?) salespeople. Let me know how it goes.

Sunday, September 03, 2006

"Fight the Frizz That Is"

If you read any kind of major fashion magazine (booooo), you've probably read at some point about the Bumble and Bumble salon in New York, or their fantasmagoric hair products. Its time you hear it from the horse's mouth (wait, I'm not a horse...) - Bb really is magic. No joke. If you live in New York or are ever there to visit, stop by one of their two locations and try to get some of the magic to rub off on you.
But I'm not writing just about Bumble and Bumble today. I'm writing about your everyday frizz problem, and what Bumble has to say about it. This latest PSA is brought to you by a friend of mine who recently asked me what to do about her problem with flyaways and little frizzies. My answer was something that I want everyone to hear: run out right now and buy yourself an anti-frizz/glossing product! I'll recommend my personal favorite, which is Bumble's gloss, and which they also don't seem to make anymore. In its place is a product called defrizz. Its a silicone serum. It comes in a bottle. It means business. Now, this is not for the fainthearted. An anti-frizzing serum is probably best used on thick or curly types of hair. I'll get to the finer hair in a moment. For now, I want to make sure you know how to use the stuff. If you're just getting acquianted with a new hair product, no matter what it is, always start with less until you get used to what you're doing and how it works. With a silicone product especially, always lean towards use in moderation. So, in that vein, start with a pea-sized amount and rub between your palms. Apply gently to hair. BE CAREFUL not to start too much from the roots, else you give yourself a greased over look. Remember, you can always add more, but if you use too much you're stuck needing another shower.
Now, for fine hair, if you can find the gloss spray somewhere, that is my top recommendation. Another product I've found that works almost as well is ARTec's Textureline Shine Spray. This product may be harder to find than the Bumble product, if you can believe that. It is usually carried in salons, and sometimes in those outlet beauty stores.
Anywho, I hope this helps my friend AND you, little reader. Stay tuned.