Category — Beauty

In case you haven’t caught on yet, I’m a huge fan of body scrubs, creams, and whatever other skin softening products I can get my hands on.  I obsess over my skin – gotta have that bare confidence, and it starts with your skin, and I seriously hope it pays off in spades when I am old and [less] wrinkly than my friends.  Ha.  Okay, I kid.  I’m going to make all of them scrub, exfoliate, and hydrate away, so they can be [less] wrinkly, just like me!

So let’s talk scrubs.  There are oh so many scrubs available at every price range, but all have two common elements - a moisturizing liquid and a coarse exfoliating agent – and, lo and behold, the mix can be recreated at home without much trouble.

One of my latest “swoon list” participants (oh yes, I have a laundry list of products I swoon over!):  Brown Sugar Body Scrub.  So to the grocery store I went.  At first I thought I’d make a brown sugar scrub, but I quickly realized none of the brown sugar options had the coarse-ness I was looking for.  In the end I chose an unrefined sugar (and it worked beautifully!)  Did I mention everything I needed was at the grocery store?  Score!

DIY Sugar Scrub:

• 1 cup Coarse Sugar (or brown sugar for a less coarse version)
• 2 Tbsp. Honey
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Any High Grade Oil such as Jojoba or Sweet Almond Oil (I used Sweet Almond Oil)
• 1/2 tsp. Fresh Lemon Juice or Lemon Oil (If using oil use 1/8 tsp.) (Optional)

Pour the brown sugar into a bowl and add in the oil until the brown sugar is moist, but not over-saturated.  Next, stir in the honey and mix.  Finally, add fresh lemon juice, stir again, and voila!

On a side note, the lemon keeps the scent light and fresh, but it’s not necessary, so if you’re looking for warmer tones – the sugar and honey will smell buttery sweet on their own.

The scrub leaves your skin feeling incredibly soft and the scent is amazing!

I stored my sugar scrub in an air tight container and quickly realized with a bit of ribbon, your homemade sugar scrub would make a great gift too (hint hint: mother’s day!)

Do you have any DIY beauty tricks?  Do you ever make your own beauty treatments?

And for a chance at winning a $1,500 shopping spree, designer clothes, and the best in beauty, enter the Style Your Spring Sweepstakes at www.beauty.philips.com!

Philips Satin Perfect is an innovative solution for women who are looking for a simple, at-home hair removal tool to ensure they are ready for any outfit at a moment’s notice. Satin Perfect is a cordless, total body epilator that removes even the shortest hairs in one stroke, so skin stays silky smooth for up to four weeks. It includes an extra-wide epilation head with textured ceramic discs to remove even the finest and shortest (.5MM) hairs.  Visit www.Beauty.Philips.com for more information on Philips female hair removal products.

Compensation was provided by Philips via Glam Media.  The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Philips.

So I’m going to get on my soapbox for a minute … bear with me.  We all spend all of this time, effort, and money on our beauty regimens.  We all have make-up brands we live for and moisturizer we can’t live without, but other than a quick brush and floss, what are you doing for that smile?  A great smile is such a huge part of your look, but we put so little focus on it.  Celebrities all have these enviable pearly whites, because they put so much effort into their teeth.  And as summer rolls around, and a great pair of sunglasses and a big smile are key to summer beauty, even with the sweetest new shades, without the mega-watt smile, you’re really only half ready.

Plus, we’re all guilty of putting our teeth through the ringer.  Coffee?  Guilty.  Soda?  Guilty.  Tea?  Guilty.  Red wine?  Guilty.  Guilty.  Guilty.  Okay, it’s official, I’m awful to my own pearly whites, while I spend hours and plenty a pretty penny on every shade of lipstick under the sun.

In comes REMBRANDT® INTENSE STAIN® Stain Dissolving Strips.  And thank goodness for that, the guilt was piling up and I was starting to think my teeth weren’t as shiny white as all the celebrities’.

I’ve used at-home whitening strips before … and I’ve hated them.  For our own wedding, I attempted to whiten with whitening strips that I was less than in love with. Have you ever tried pulling off those gloppy strips post-whitening-treatment?  Yuck.

But the geniuses over at REMBRANDT® did one better and figured out a way to make the strips dissolve.  And kudos to a disappearing act well-done!  The REMBRANDT® INTENSE STAIN® Stain Dissolving Strips are so easy to put on, dissolve in a few minutes, and taste great.  I opted to use the strips before bed, no rinse, no problem.  I instantly noticed how shiny and clean my teeth looked, shoving my sparkly grill in my husband’s face, slurring “Look at this!  Look how pretty my teeth look!” between gritted teeth.  My husband loves me.  A lot.

REMBRANDT® INTENSE STAIN® Stain Dissolving Strips dissolve on your teeth in minutes to easily remove tough stains caused by coffee and wine.  Get a whiter smile in 2 weeks.  Visit www.rembrandtboutique.com to learn more or purchase REMBRANDT® products. 

REMBRANDT® INTENSE STAIN® Stain Dissolving Strips & REMBRANDT® INTENSE STAIN® toothpaste together:

REMBRANDT® INTENSE STAIN® platform uses 3x Triple Action ActiShield™ technology to:

• Remove: helps gently remove tough stains like coffee, red wine and tea
• Repel: works like an invisible shield to help repel future stains
• Restore: strengthens the enamel to help prevent daily acid wear

Visit www.rembrandtboutique.com to learn more or purchase REMBRANDT® products. 

Compensation and product was provided by REMBRANDT® via Glam Media to facilitate my review. Johnson & Johnson Family of Consumer Companies is a sponsor of Glam.com. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of REMBRANDT® or Johnson & Johnson Family of Consumer Companies.

I’d like to thank my Grandma on this one – she’s been lathering up her skin with every lotion, body wash, and serum for as long as I can remember, and her skin is like butter.  It’s also no secret that I am a total magpie to good beauty product.  I don’t discriminate – drugstore finds are just as fantastic as the department store splurges, and I pile all on my skin generously.

When my husband and I moved in together, I think the thing he was most shocked by was the incredible amount of product I bring with me (and the uncanny appearance of dinner on the table each night … you’re welcome, honey!)  I see, I buy.  Promises of smooth skin, clear skin, exfoliated skin, moisturized, younger-looking skin: I want it all.  In my twenties I know the anti-wrinkle potions might be a bit ahead of my time, but I like to be prepared.

Exhibit A: the shower ledge (just the shower ledge)

But amidst the chaos, I do have some tried and true secrets to perfectly smooth skin:

1. Be kind to your skin and your body.  Ease up on caffeine when you can, sleep at least 7 hours (no excuses), get a little sun if you don’t get any (guilty) or ease up on the sun if you might be over-doing it, and drink so much water.
2. Exfoliate.  I love a great body scrub – nothing too abrasive – a scrub will make your skin instantly smoother (best kept date night secret!)  I’m also completely enamored with exfoliating gloves.  A friend suggested these puppies for smoother wedding arms, and I’ve been devoted to the scrubby gloves ever since.  They carry them at Target or any drugstore.  Amazing and inexpensive.
3. Keep your skin clean.  If your skin doesn’t get too dry, a good old-fashioned bar of soap is OK, but I love washes and bursts (they’re super moisturizing and they smell amazing.)
4. And last, but most definitely not least, COVER yourself in sunscreen.  Wear it all day, everyday.  Buy makeup with SPF in it.  Then put more sunscreen on.  And … bonus, every day you’ll smell like the beach – what’s better than that (short of actually going to the beach)?

What are some of your perfectly smooth skin secrets?

And for a chance at winning a $1,500 shopping spree, designer clothes, and the best in beauty, enter the Style Your Spring Sweepstakes at www.beauty.philips.com!

Philips Satin Perfect is an innovative solution for women who are looking for a simple, at-home hair removal tool to ensure they are ready for any outfit at a moment’s notice. Satin Perfect is a cordless, total body epilator that removes even the shortest hairs in one stroke, so skin stays silky smooth for up to four weeks. It includes an extra-wide epilation head with textured ceramic discs to remove even the finest and shortest (.5MM) hairs.  Visit www.Beauty.Philips.com for more information on Philips female hair removal products.

**Compensation was provided by Philips via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Philips.

For the next few months I’m going to talk about my budget-friendly “beauty cheats,” as I like to call them.  I love beauty.  I’m a product junkie.  I have creams cluttering my bedside table like they’re going out of style.  I buy nail polish with every grocery shop.  I LIVE for Chanel rouge.  But all of these splurges are just that – splurges.  Splurges I so cannot afford.  But there’s a bare confidence that comes from getting gussied up, from pampering away, and feeling beautiful.

So in keeping with a budget-friendly beauty spirit in the coming months, and without further ado, The Ultimate DIY At-Home Manicure + Pedicure (because I change my nail polish almost every other day and I’m not sure I’ll ever afford that many manicures):

1. I like to set up everything I need first:  polish remover, nail file, nail clippers, cuticle stick, polish corrector, clear base + top coat, and color of choice (today’s pick: the perfect shade of nude.)
2. I remove any previous polish, then cut and file all of my nails, fingers and toes, so that they look relatively even.  I also tend to keep my finger nails fairly short because I am forever typing/baking/chewing-on-my nails.
3. After filing and buffing (optional) my nails, I like to run a scrub over my hands and feet to exfoliate and remove any excess nail/skin.
4. Next up, I wash and dry my hands and feet really well, creating that clean surface to work on.
5. Paint base coat, two coats of color polish, and top coat, then let dry completely (I stress this because I totally empathize with the need to do 42 other things, including text, laundry, a quick trip to the store, etc., etc.  Just chill.  You deserve it.  And your pretty polish job deserves it too.)

What are some of your at-home beauty routines?

And for a chance at winning a $1,500 shopping spree, designer clothes, and the best in beauty, enter the Style Your Spring Sweepstakes at www.beauty.philips.com!

Philips Satin Perfect is an innovative solution for women who are looking for a simple, at-home hair removal tool to ensure they are ready for any outfit at a moment’s notice. Satin Perfect is a cordless, total body epilator that removes even the shortest hairs in one stroke, so skin stays silky smooth for up to four weeks. It includes an extra-wide epilation head with textured ceramic discs to remove even the finest and shortest (.5MM) hairs.  Visit www.Beauty.Philips.com for more information on Philips female hair removal products.

**Compensation was provided by Philips via Glam Media.  The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Philips.

I am not what you would call a “tattoo person”; in fact, I am the antithesis of a tattoo person.  I mean, I don’t even have my ears pierced (more on that, here).  This is one part fear of messing with my skin, one part fear of “the look” from my parents (yes, I am a grown-up), two parts chicken … wait … how many parts is that?  Okay, a lot of parts chicken.  But these tiny tattoos in small and unexpected places – wrists, fingers, heels, necks – I’m totally smitten.  Temporary tattoos here I come! (bock, bock, bock! – yeah, that’s chicken-speak for “chicken”.)

Images here + Pinterest

Visit Glitter Weddings – WEDDINGS FOR THE TYPE-A BRIDE {WITH GLITTER ON TOP}

Currently craving all things dipped in gold. Continue to blame the Holiday bug.  And don’t laugh at my dream pig.  Stare at that little gilded piggy bank, and within minutes, you’ll want one too.  It’s the power of the pig.  But seriously, how fabulous would he look on a mantel or fireplace ledge?  So chic.

1. ASOS Horse Clutch, 2. Jennifer Behr Sailor’s Knot Headband (Similar), 3. AREAWARE Pig Bank, 4. Ted Lapidus Sunglasses, 5. NARS Polish in Kismet, 6. Marc by Marc Jacobs Hobbes Cardigan, 7. Givenchy Gold Cap Ballet Flats (Similar), 8. House of Harlow Feather Row Ring, 9. ASOS Premium Spiked Cuff (Similar), 10. Giles & Brother Railroad Cuff, 11. Bobbi Brown Chocolate and Gold Eye Paint Pallette

{image a la Into The Gloss}

Confession:  I don’t throw perfume away, I just buy more.  I think I’m up to 20 bottles.  Is this normal?  Are you a picky perfume chooser or a perfume hoarder?

Check out Glitter & Pearls on facebook and twitter and blog lovin’!

{image a la buycosmeticsonline.net}

My favorite Magazine, Glamour, sent over a full-sized bottle of Dior Addict Lip Maximizer.  Yay!

From GLAMOUR + Dior:  This revolutionary product boosts volume instantly thanks to a unique blend of fillers that smooth and moisturize leaving lips irresistably plump.  Apply over lipstick or under gloss for volume and shine.

Let me preface this guinea pig attempt by saying, I am totally wary of lip plumping anything.  For starters, the word “filler” scares me.  And lip plumpers make your lips tingle.   I’m fairly certain your lips weren’t meant to tingle, set to cell phone vibrate.  But I go for it.

The bottle is gorgeous.  I am so taken with the pretty packaging I am tempted to rate this product with five stars and call it a day.

The first thing I notice is the minty taste/smell of the gloss – yum.  The consistency is perfect – thick but in a good way and glossy enough to not need anything over it.  The color is a creamy clear whitish-pink – easy “A” in my book.  My lips are tingling and it’s freaking me out a little.  Then again, if they didn’t tingle, would I think it’s working?  Probably not.  (The tingling eventually subsides and your lips wind up feeling cold – which I actually like.)

BONUS:  Use the code (GLAM1) for free shipping at Dior.com!

No Doubt frontwoman Gwen Stefani, was named the newest face of cosmetics line, L’Oréal Paris. She’ll be fronting the brand’s Infallible Le Rouge Lip Color campaign … and with her signature red pout, Infalluble Red should fly off of the shelves.

“I can’t believe I get to be one of the L’Oréal Paris girls. I love playing dress up, on stage or shooting videos, it’s always been one of my favorite parts of being in a band.”

The above black and white shot is one of the first preview shots made available to the public from Gwen’s L’Oréal Paris campaign, and her first television commercial aired at the Golden Globes.

via People

{image a la Refinery 29}

I heart Matte everything.  First it was nail polish, and now gloss, er, lipstick. 

NYX just launched Soft Matte Lip Creams that deliver a shine-free lip in one easy swipe, and the liquid formula is lightweight, like a gloss, but creamy enough (think liquid lipstick) to create an easy, plush matte finish.

The collection of eleven shades has it all— from a bright fuchsia (Addis Ababa, anyone?) to a bold red (aptly titled, Amsterdam) —even their nude (called Stockholm) is uber glamorous.

If you have been wary to venture into the land of lipstick (and by all means, do), then try out one of these slick lip creams – not quite a lipstick, not quite a gloss = practically perfect.

NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams, $6 each, available at NYX Cosmetics.