Get Summer-Ready Skin!

As the weather heats up it pays to take special care of your skin. The heat and humidity can be stifling, so you have all the more reason to indulge in products to help exfoliate dead cells, combat shine, and revitalize your complexion. Feast your eyes on these easy yet highly effective ways to help keep calm, cool and collected this summer:

Mélange Apothecary

This fabulous store has an online presence so anyone can indulge in their home and personal care items no matter where you may live. I tried the Custom Blend Mandarin and Vanilla Shea Butter Revitalizing Lotion, after using the Vanilla Sugar Scrub with Honey and Shea and wound up feeling like I was on a tropical vacation with the softest, best smelling skin ever! I promise that any product you order from Mélange Apothecary will smell wonderful and leave you with a sense of sheer happiness!

Everyday Minerals

I am in love with the All Natural Powder Foundation in Beige Neutral by Everyday Minerals. It truly does go on light but gives your skin a very even tone. Some powders look mask-like, even when it's mineral-based, but not so with this gem. The Theme Park Blush, a pinkish coral shade, was also a hit with me. With just the tiniest hint of sparkle, it looks like your cheeks are glowing from within, not like you are a space alien. The prices are great, too! This company was created by a working woman with a husband and two children so she is no stranger to leading a hectic life and wanting to look gorgeous doing it. I applaud you Carina!!

Sea Breeze

I remember Sea Breeze from years ago, but now it's even better than ever. Sea Breeze Sensitive Skin Fresh-Clean Astringent contains both clove and eucalyptus oil so it deep cleans your skin without harsh chemicals that can leave it dry or flaky. Put a little on a cotton ball and wipe it all over your face after your normal cleansing routine. You'll see the dirt and other impurities that just cleansing can leave behind! My skin feels fresh and comfortable, not tight, after application, the way some astringents have a tendency to leave it.

Use these products to help you look and feel your best this summer. Glowing skin is by far our best beauty accessory. It's possible to enjoy warm weather without wilting like a spent flower! Remember, beautiful skin is always in!

Yours in Beauty,

Glam Diva

Your Beauty Questions Answered: Vacation Hairstyles Brandi: I am looking for a vacation hairdo and pictures of hairstyles for a beach vacation. DivaVillage: Hi Brandi, thanks for asking a great beauty question! Vacation prep is stressful enough without having to fuss over your hairstyle. Here are some tips for fabulous vacation hairstyles, including how to keep your hair healthy afterwards! Vacation Hair Tips Follow our steps to get the perfect beachy layers that will have everyone thinking you just came fresh off the sand! Traveling is always difficult for a diva, how do we easily pack all of the essentials we need for our hair? Here are some tips on how to help you keep it simple so that you can relax and enjoy your trip instead of having to worry about your vacation hair! Recently, trend-setting celebrity Jennifer Garner stepped out with a natural yet chic hairstyle. Get Jennifer's same hairstyle with these simple steps! After a vacation, it’s more than likely that your tresses have undergone a few changes from all that sun, sand, and fresh air. We’ve got tips on how to repair your sun damaged hair! Want more hair tips? Check out our comprehensive Hair Guide, which offers tips on celebrity hairstyles, easy updos, and haircare! We hope that helps, and don't forget to tell us how your vacation went! The DivaVillage Divas

Natural Nail Care: Check out What's New!

In a world where we are all looking to recycle, reuse, renew and be kinder to the environment, don't let nail care slip by as a place where you think you can't include going green. Nails are highly porous, so think carefully about your nail products, knowing they are a sponge for whatever you are using on them. I've recently tried these two products with great success and can't wait to tell you about them!

Butter London Horse Power Nail Fertilizer:

The herbal ingredient Horsetail, said to be beneficial for brittle nails, is the star of this clear formula that you apply each day for 7 days, then remove and start over. I wear my nails shorter in the colder months with dark polish, but in the warmer months I tend to wear lighter polish and grow my nails a bit longer. This product really works to keep my nails strengthened as I type away every day on the keyboard. All Butter London products are 3 Free, meaning they contain no formaldehyde, no toluene, no DBP. Please do check out their fabulous website, stores and salons.

Priti Soy Polish Remover

This doesn't have the freaky chemical smell that most polish removers do, and for that I am truly thankful. It made fast work of my polish and didn't dry out my cuticles, either. I wish I lived in the East Village of New York City so I could visit the fabulous Priti spa for luscious services with organic products! Priti also makes their own polishes that are formaldehyde, toulene, and DBP free. It is important to note that both the polish and the polish remover are completely safe for pregnant women, too!

Be kind to your nails, Divas. And remember the famous words, "Jewels, not tools." Before you go using your nails as tools, stop and remember to think of them as jewels; treat them with the love and respect you would a treasured piece of jewelry!

Yours in Beauty,

Glam Diva

With summer right around the corner, getting your body into beach-ready mode can be a chore. A good exfoliating scrub can be just what you need to get your countdown to summer started, and it  will also help you work up a great tan with your self-tanning products of choice.

You'll need to exfoliate at least once per week for maximum benefits, so pick out a quality body scrub that buffs away dead skin cells and nourishes the skin with vitamins; it's the easiest way to create smooth and silky skin with a natural glow! Here are just a few great scrubs we discovered on a recent roundup in the beauty aisle:

Carol's Daughter Mango Melange Sea Salt Body Scrub

A quick look at the ingredients list on the Mango Melange Scrub will have you dreaming of a tropical fruit salad! It's made with pineapple, tangerine, sweet mango and hints of sandalwood for a refreshing and uplifting scrub that's sure to give your senses a burst of energy! The scrub can help buff away dead skin cells to leave you with a healthy glow.

Nicole Miller Oatmeal Scrub

Not only does this body scrub feature a rich set of fragrances including bourbon and apple, but the oatmeal-based bar of soap from Nicole Miller comes with a rope attachment so it can easily hang in your shower. It's a more masculine scent - perfect for those athletic types - and will leave your skin buff and smooth, well-prepared for your favorite moisturizer.

Jericho Relaxing Salt Scrub

After a hard day's work, nothing beats a long soak in the tub with relaxing music and some soothing bath products. Begin your spa-like experience with the Jericho Relaxing Salt Scrub, a coconut vanilla oil infusion that can revive tired skin and leave it superbly nourished and soft. This is a great scrub for those extra-stressful days that leave you ragged; just scrub away tension and stress and soak up the oils for a relaxing treat any day of the week!

 Find more Body Scrubs

Get Gwyneth Paltrow's Iron Man Makeup from Estee Lauder

The gorgeous Gwyneth Paltrow stars in the new movie Iron Man, and as the current Estee Lauder spokeswoman, she is sporting beautiful Estee Lauder makeup throughout the film.

I'm showcasing some of my favorite colors here, so check them and get them for yourself!

Tender Blush in Peach Nuance - This blush is actually three colors in one and comes with the unique U.S.-patent-pending butterfly brush. You can easily apply a kiss of color or work a full-on sculpted look, depending on you mood. This blush gives Gwyneth Paltrow's cheeks a perfectly flushed look for her nightime shots in Iron Man.

Hydra Luster Lipstick in Plum Frost - I am such a lip gloss fanatic, but this lipstick really feels like a gloss on yours lips. This lipstick is smooth as silk, and it's the furthest thing from the dry, unflattering lipsticks of yesteryear. Plum Frost is a great color, too; it works well with my olive skin tone, and also looks fab on Gwyneth Paltrow who has a gorgeous pale complexion. Use this in the daytime to achieve a subtle lip color like Gwyneth in Iron Man.

Silky Eye shadow Duo in Pink Dusk - These shadows can be worn together or separately. Right now I love a neutral shadow (either of these colors alone would be perfect) with colored eye liner and/or colored mascara. A soft shadow color lightly accents the eyelid while allowing the blue/green/purple liner or mascara to stand out. These Estee Lauder shadows are long lasting too, so they won't fade away as the day goes on. Gwyneth uses this eye shadow to achieve her daytime look in the Iron Man movie, and it will work great for your everyday look as well!

I can't say enough about how much I love Estee Lauder products. They are making a great effort to show that they are current and know what women of all ages want in makeup and skincare products. If you've avoided Estee Lauder products because maybe your grandmother wore it or you thought it was geared toward an older generation, please do go to a counter or check out the website; you will see that Estee is very with it!

Yours in Beauty,

GlamDiva

(Gwyneth's photos courtesy of Estee Lauder website)

Oh, the beauty products I have in my home ... it's really unbelievable all the makeup, hair, and skin products I use every day! One of the best things about being the Glam Diva is that I have the opportunity to let you in on the best of the best in beauty products! So without further a due, let me share with you which products I'm loving at the moment:

Ted Gibson Brazen Brown Shampoo and Conditioner

I've tried my share of color depositing shampoos and conditioners and this Ted Gibson Brazen Brown Shampoo & Conditioner is by far the best. The color is fabulous, it doesn't smell strange, and a little goes a really long way. You can truly keep your hair color looking good for many extra weeks with the use of Ted's shampoo and conditioner. I love you Ted!!!!

Flirty Little Secret Bronze Edition

I raved about the original version of this great product and now they've gone and added bronzer to it! If you aren't into the full on self-tanning thing, a little swipe of this shimmery Flirty Little Secret bronzer on your legs, décolletage, or all over your body, will have you looking hot in no time. And don't forget it contains firming ingredients and those pheromones that ‘subtly inspire confidence and a flirtatious mood around you'...well, who could turn that down?!

Xen-Tan

As a shameless self-tanning addict, I am always looking to try the new self-tanners that come onto the market, as I know strides are continually being made in the formulations. Immediately, I noticed Xen-Tan Dark Lotion smells great, unlike some other self-tanning formulas. When I applied it, I got a really good, natural-looking color. I have dark hair and an olive skintone so this is perfect for me. Do wear gloves or coat your hands in some sort of cream to keep it from staining them!

Xen-Tan also has a product called Transform, which is a daily moisturizer with gradual self- tanner. It's perfect to keep your tan looking glorious year round, or you can use it on its own to ease into warm weather clothes like shorts and mini dresses!

The Olsen twins and E! personalities Giuliana Rancic and Samantha Harris are big fans of Xen-Tan products!

Lisa Hoffman Spa Shower Cleansing Gel

I am a complete freak for bath and shower products and am so happy to have found Lisa Hoffman's (yep, she's Dustin's wife) wonderful line. Skin is cleansed and you get a light feeling of moisture with this fresh smelling shower gel.

Florida Foam

With the hot sticky weather approaching, I'm so glad I have Florida Foam to come to my rescue. I have oily skin and an oily scalp, and this product keeps shine at bay all day! The oat flour protein in this formula absorbs oil without drying out your skin or scalp. Get some of this, NOW!

Yours in Beauty,

Glam Diva

 Wow ‘Em with your Glamorous Brows

 

 

Your eye brows play a huge role in the total look of your face. These brow products can help keep your brows looking beautiful and well groomed, even if you are a little late for your brow waxing appointment. Tame, texturize, and fill in your way to glorious brows in the blink of an eye!

 

 

Chanel - Perfect Brows is a can't miss mirrored compact complete with three brow powders, so you can blend up the perfect color. Bonus mini tools include an application brush, a brow brush, and tweezers so you can groom on the go if needed.

 

 

Trish McEvoy Brow Builder - I have never, with all the beauty products I've tested and loved over many years as a beauty product junkie, seen a product like this brow builder! Tiny fibers are encased in a gel that easily and believably fills in sparse brows or helps give regular brows that sexier, fuller look that is all the rage right now. You will dig this stuff ... it is amazing!

 

Lancome Brow Groomer - Applied like mascara, this formula helps keep brows in place and adds a bit of subtle color, too. You can use it over brow pencil and it won't flake or fade, all day or all night.

 

 

Put some wow in your eyebrows with a little extra special attention to these sometimes overlooked eye framing wonders. The shape of your brows totally affects the balance and look of your face so make sure you are making the most of what you have in the brow department.

 

Yours in Beauty,

GlamDiva

 

 

Recipe for Perfect Legs

With warm weather approaching, we all begin to get excited about shorter dresses and skirts, shorts, and naturally, swimsuits. This means legs, legs, legs, on display for the whole world to see. I've got tips on how to make sure your legs are in tip-top shape for coming seasons. It's a snap to get your legs looking stunning. Check out my ingredients for the recipe to give you flawless legs:

 

Fitflops - These flip flop style sandals help tone and trim your legs while reducing strain on your feet, knees and back. I got a pair last year after reading about them, and I had to get on a waiting list for them to become available in the US! You can feel them working, yet they are quite comfortable to wear, anywhere, anytime. If you are not in a regular exercise routine, these shoes make it easy to do something good for your body. Believe me, your legs will thank you.

 

 

Gabriel Couzian Washing Oil - With all the shaving and exfoliating we do during the warm weather, it is paramount to give your skin the moisture it craves to be healthy and look beautiful. I use this oil in the shower and it gives my skin, especially my legs, a succulent drink of hydrating moisture that lasts and lasts, long after I dry off and go on with my day. This is really great stuff!

 

 

DermaQuest DermaGlow Self Tanner for the Body - Never in my entire life have I used a self tanner that smells this delectable! This one smells like pina colada and you don't get that annoying odor that most self tanning products give off as they undergo the process of ‘tanning' your skin. I get a glorious color from this too, but the fact that it smells good is a huge plus for me. I put this on my legs year round as I simply cannot deal with white legs - it's just not my style!

 

 

Per-Fekt Body Perfection Gel Brilliant - A sheer, slightly glimmery gel product that helps hide little imperfections on your skin. A true gift for fairer skin tones that might not want to risk a freaky look from the wrong self tanner shade, this gel will give you a sun-kissed glow that will rock the world of everyone around you. The shea butter in this formula helps keep your legs soft and touchable, too.

 

Personally I live for spring as it is conducive to all these leg-baring fashions, and the heat is not quite as unbearable as in the summertime! Start getting your legs in warm weather readiness mode now, and you can hit the town with legs that will be the talk of it!

 

Yours in Beauty,

GlamDiva

 

 New Skin Creams Target Various Issues

A person's mind can easily become boggled by all the jars, tubes, and bottles of skin potions that promise to rid you of wrinkles, sun spots,  and acne - and let's not forget those who make claims to be ‘similar to or better than Botox.' I've used many skin products on my face in my time as a certified product junkie, beauty writer, and salon and spa employee and manager. I can tell you very honesty what you already know in your sane mind and deep down in your heart ~ no skin product is going to get rid of the wrinkles or fine lines on your face.

It angers me when companies make these claims, because it is simply not possible for wrinkles to disappear unless you get some sort of filler to plump them up or paralyze the muscle the way Botox does. Even with the use of these treatments, remember that your wrinkles still exist! When the injectable wears off, you are faced with the choice of refilling or going on with life with your wrinkles in tow. Obviously this is a very personal choice. I would never begrudge anyone his or her chosen beauty routine no matter what it entails. Personally, I feel better about skin creams that say they can "soften fine lines and wrinkles," because that is an attainable goal with a topical product and it shows they know our level of intelligence. I want to buy skin cream from a company that respects me, and I want to use their creams and still respect them when I wake up in the morning!

Having said all that, here is a rundown of some of the newest skin creams on the market. I'll tell you what they claim to do and at what cost to you. The technology ands new ingredients coming to the market daily are nothing short of phenomenal. I am a firm believer in "to each his own" with anything relating to beauty products, as each person's body chemistry is different and products will have varying levels of success with each indivual. Now, let's get to the actual products:

Best Skin Creams

DermaLastyl-B $89.00 for two month supply with free shipping

This face cream says it renews the natural tropoelastin to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and help prevent the onset of new wrinkles. I like that it says ‘reduce' and doesn't claim to wipe them off your face forever. It is said to contain other ingredients to help relax facial muscles, promote collagen production, and to help protect against photodamage. The website contains clinical study information too, as well as a section called "The Science of DermaLastyl." DermaLastyl-E is their eye serum, which is also available through their website.

Elizabeth Arden Prevage Anti-Aging Night Cream $125.00 with limited free shipping offer

Prevage has really made a name for itself in the anti-aging category. The new night cream contains Idebenone, a powerful antioxidant and one of the current darlings of the skin care world. Claiming to soften, firm, hydrate and brighten your skin tone, the cream comes in a jar with what they call "customized one touch dispensing." I'm not quite sure how that works; I would certainly assume that with the push of a button, the cream shoots up out, but I'm worried that a lot of cream could be left in the jar that you can't get to with the one touch dispensing. Perhaps I'm misunderstanding and one touch dispensing helps you to be able to get every single drop of Prevage.

 

Estee Lauder Re-Nutriv Ultimate Youth Cream $250.00 with free shipping

To "prolong skin's youthful appearance" is the promise of the new cream from Estee Lauder. Clarity and tone will visibly improve, and fine dry lines will be plumped away with moisture. They never say it will make lines a thing of the past; I gotta give them that! With 23 patents pending worldwide, Re-Nutriv Ultimate Youth Crème has a lock on "The Youth Molecule-Resveratrate^TM." The website info says that day after day, year after year, your skin will look "vibrant, hydrated and healthy." They are obviously not worried about your skin becoming immune to the effects of their cream. Erin Lauder still looks young, but she is young. I wonder if she uses this?

Dr. Brandt r3p Cream $125.00

Described as "a superior anti-aging formulation of three intense polypeptides, and potent antioxidants to refinish, replenish and retexturize your skin," Dr. Brandt's cream boasts polypeptides, the BBF of Idebenone in the skin care arena. Using the term "diminishes" to explain what it can do for fine lines and wrinkles, I give props to the doctor as, once again, he is not claiming he is going to go Houdini on your face and you will wake up the next day wrinkle free. The doc recommends you use this at night, and apply extra moisture afterwards if you experience dryness or peeling. Oh how I loathe dryness and peeling!

Dr. Perricone StimulCell $155.00

Which side of the fence are you on in the stem cell debate? Well it really doesn't matter with this new cream-serum as the proteins, peptides and lipids which make up the StimulCell formula are the replicated signals delivered by skin stem cells that help restore and renew the skin's surface to a visibly more healthy, radiant and youthful looking state. Formulated for evening use, this cream-serum claims to make the skin more "smooth, supple and younger looking." By eating the doctors' 10 recommended super foods and using this revolutionary new cream-serum, he believes you will be well on your way to good health and glowing skin.

 

Yours in Beauty,

Glam Diva

Get the Blues ~ in a Good Way!

Part Two: Blue Fingernail Polish

Blue fingernail polish is something that reminds me of my new wave or punk rock days of long ago, so it's a bit amusing to me that it is such the rage now. I wore it a few months ago and even with my nails filed short, I didn't really think it looked very good, but I got many compliments from friends who loved it. Definitely make sure you wear dark blue polish on nails that are short (below fingertip length) and that your cuticles are in check and moisturized, as the blue polish will surely draw attention to your hands. Here are a few pretty blue polishes that caught my attention:

Chanel Blue Satin - This is available on various places on the web, but can be hard to find at Chanel counters. Some light makes it look almost black but it contains a pretty iridescence that is rather mesmerizing!

OPI Yoga-ta Get This Blue - The shade of this blue polish is ultra fabulous and I can see this as a ‘go to' toe color with strappy sandals for summer. That's the nice thing about nail polish colors that scream "look at me!" ~ if you aren't so excited about wearing them on your hands, your toes can be a fun way to experiment.

Napoleon Perdis Poolside - A long wearing, super high shine polish that will make you part of the trend in no time. Napoleon has a lot going on! Check out his website to see all his fine cosmetics.

Essie Aruba Blue - I love Essie polishes as they last and I don't have problems with sparse coverage like with some nail polishes. A quality line with many gorgeous shades to choose from, including a beautiful lighter blue called Aruba Blue.

Models, celebrities, and soccer moms are all sporting blue nail polish for spring, so if the mood strikes you, do give it a try. What do you have to lose? Nail polish remover and a few cotton balls will erase anything you aren't please with in the polish department. It's so easy to be blue for day, in a good way, with the cool new blue nail polishes!

Stay Beautiful,

Glam Diva