SOS: Save Our Skin





           It’s that time of year again – the air is brisker, the coats are essential, and unfortunately, your skin is suffering. Well, mine is at least. As soon as that snap of cold hits, I suddenly transform into something quite similar to a snake – the skin on my cheeks and forehead is so dry it begins to flake, my lips crack, my hands ache from dryness, and my body is as soft as sandpaper. Lovely, right? Thankfully, in my years of beauty product obsession, I have found some incredible healers that prevent the dramatic molting from occurring.

Contrary to the look of this slightly spooky black and white photo, oils are not to be feared.

          I have very dry, sensitive skin, but I get an oily t-zone. In a humid climate, such as India or NYC, my skin does fairly well in the spring and summer – it appears moisturized, and even has a slight glow. In a dry climate, like California, or basically anywhere during the fall and winter, I look like I’ve aged more than a few years. Thankfully, I’ve found a magic combination that seems to keep my skin supple and healthy-looking rather than dehydrated and parched. I only cleanse at nighttime in the shower – I first remove my makeup (pre-shower) with Amore Pacific Cleansing Oil, which is a splurge and a half but absolutely amazing, and afterwards, cleanse with Mario Badescu’s Acne Facial Cleanser. I finish my routine by mixing several drops of tarte’s pure maracuja oil with Sanre Organic’s Siesta Sunset face cream, which contains avocado and seabuckthorn oils. I religiously wear eye cream (currently tarte’s C-brighter maracuja eye treatment) for its “preventative aging” properties. I wake up with the soft, redness-free and dewy skin that I have always dreamed of. In the morning, instead of cleansing, which I find dries me out immensely, I simply tone with Thayer’s Rose Petal Toner, to get rid of oilies on my t-zone, and smooth on a light layer of whatever day cream I’m using; at the moment it is Mario Badescu’s A.H.A. and Ceramide Moisturizer. I follow with my makeup application. If I happen to get a breakout, I spot treat, rather than using an all-over acne serum, which I find dries me out. I use the classic Mario Badescu Drying Lotion. The lesson here? To “winterize” your favorite cream, add facial oil, like the aforementioned tarte product. Don’t believe the common misconception that oil will break you out. In fact, it will help acne. Facial cleansing oils (R.I.P. Shu in America) are some of my favorite products to try on the planet.

Are my lips chapped?!

          Lip balm is essential for everyone – men, women, and children. I probably have enough to supply them all. I think my lips are the first thing to feel the cold, as they go from kissable (or so I’d like to think) to pathetically dry in a matter of minutes in the brisk air. I can’t deny my love for classic Spearmint Chapstick, but if you want something a little more special, and much more pricey, By Terry and Sara Happ both make incredible products that smell divine. If it’s color I’m after and I will be walking for miles on the chilly streets and braving the windy gusts in Manhattan, I go for tarte’s LipSurgences, since I’m partial to matte lips if I wear a bright and basically every other matte dries me out to the max. Lively, a deep bright pink shade, flatters seriously everyone. The peppermint scent and tingle of these is quite addicting as well.

 I am almost as picky with body creams as I am with my foundation. There are only a handful of products that I’ve found that actually bestow immense moisture, don’t cause sensitive skin breakouts and flare-ups, and do not offend my nasal passage to the highest degree. Kiehls Crème de Corps Body Butter is my ultimate, but the high price tag can be a bit off-putting, so in a penny-pinching move,  Aveeno’s Skin Relief Moisture Repair Cream does the trick.

While this hair looks awesome in editorials, the same cannot be said for it in real life.

         Friends, I’ve recently discovered a miracle for my seriously fried hair. What is it, you ask? Shea Moisture Restorative Conditioner. I’m fairly certain it is not intended for my lame white girl hair, but boy does it penetrate and leave my strands soft and silky. Preceded by Oribe Moisture Shampoo and followed by one pump of Kerastase Elixir Ultime, I can actually see light bounce off my hair, which is a feat that I have been unable to complete since going blonde.

Obviously, I glow this much, if not more

          Last but not least, a product that helps you fake it (til you make it): RMS Beauty’s Living Luminizer. Formulated without any harmful chemicals and choc full of coconut oil, this super organic highlighter is a god-send for skin that has been pelted by the elements. Worn on the tops of cheekbones, beneath the brow bone, on the cupid’s bow of the lips and the tip of the nose, people will never guess you’ve basically been suffering from pneumonia since October 1^st hit. It’s not obviously shimmery, either, so guys, feel free to apply and get compliments.  

It goes without saying that a healthy diet will help your skin as well. Right now I'm loving Green Monsters - Spinach/banana/cocoa/flax/protein smoothies that I make daily in my beloved Vitamix and look quite putrid but taste delicious and are full of nutrients to heal you from the inside out.

P.S.: I would have done a proper product photoshoot for this, but I have been beyond busy between moving, work, and school. I'm quite pleased with the shelving I've installed in my bathroom. Here are some instagram photos; official shots to follow soon.

 

Pre-Fall Favorites

          I’m sick of summer. More specifically, summer in New York. Yes, beach days are great, but the city in the sweltering heat is quite unmanageable. You leave your home looking what you think is wonderful and by the time you are at work, makeup is smudged and sweat-through, hair is frizzy, and you’ve sweat through your white dress. If fall started tomorrow, I’d be quite alright. I’ve amassed quite a large inventory of fall clothing, all of which I am unable to wear, and it just stares at me, dejected, in my closet. The poor sweaters, coats, and boots!

This fall, there are a couple of things I’m obsessed with style-wise (and beauty-wise, of course).

British Racing Green

Image found on Pinterest

 

           I’ve always been a fan of all the greens - lime, chartreuse, kelly, and most of all, hunter. For fall, shades of green are everywhere, and I’m a fan. My main goal is to get my hands on a deep green leather bag, preferably this one by YSL. You can wear the color with everything you normally would pair black with, which makes an outfit new and exciting. Another way to wear the color is in clothing, and Aritzia’s house brand T.Babaton makes the perfect button-down (only available at Aritzia stores), a steal at $110 compared to the classic Equipment blouses.

          A deep green cat eye is an unexpected, yet subtle twist on a classic – Bobbi Brown’s Long-Wear Gel Liner in Ivy Shimmer Ink and an angled brush is ideal for this. Or line the inner rim of your lower lashes with MAC’s Technakohl Liner in Jade Way, for a louder look.

 

Deep, Dark Lips

From Oyster Magazine via Le Fashion

 

          As I’ve gone gradually blonder over the past  two years, I’ve tried to go “darker” in my accessory and makeup choices, to prevent myself from looking too bubblegum. Blonde hair needs to be toughened up. I recently picked up these earrings from Topshop, which are almost like a faux gauge, but simple spike studs also do the trick to go bold.

          For makeup, the easier way to go from Barbiesque to something more Daria (the 90’s tv show, obviously) is a dark, plum-tinged matte lip. With clean skin, a touch of highlighter, and just mascara on the eyes, this look is modern and edgy. Don’t be afraid to rock it if you happen to be brunette or redhead, but be sure to prevent it from going too gothic by pairing it with hyper -feminine ruffles or lace.

          My pick for this look is Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Cruella, which I picked up at the gorgeous Nars boutique on Bleecker Street this weekend. A subtler, sheerer option is Tarte's Lipsurgence Lip Luster in Moody.

         I’m just waiting for the first leaf to fall before I pull this soon-to-be-staple out of my makeup archives.

Stubbs & Wootton

Super-heroine shoes

          Ah, smoking slippers – the new ballet flat. This shoe shape is everywhere, from Steve Madden to Christian Louboutin. But my pick for the slipper of the season is the quintessentially preppy classic, Stubbs & Wootton. These embroidered loafers come in every style of embroidery imaginable, from yacht-clubby crests, to a more punky version featuring one shoe with a devil wing and the other with an angel wing.

          While they are certainly not cheap, starting at $330 per pair, these shoes are timeless. Even my grandmother rocks them! J.Crew currently has an exclusive collection, and Stubbs & Wootton also several boutiques in preppy mainstays: Madison Avenue, Palm Beach, and East Hampton, where you can get a glimpse of the entire collection and choose a loafer that truly fits your personality.

Mizuki Jewelry

Image via Fragments

 

          If you haven’t noticed, tiny pendants of crosses, owls, hamsa hands, stars, and everything in-between, are all the rage right now. Featured on the necks of every girl from Brooklyn to Birmingham, they are a fun way to give a glimpse of your personality and tastes. As an April baby, I am partial to diamonds, and when I discovered Mizuki pendants (particularly the moon symbol necklace; yes, sometimes I want to channel Practical Magic), at one of my favorite boutiques, Red Bird, in Berkeley, CA (a must-see for anyone in the Bay Area: they have a perfectly-curated collection of clothing, jewelry, and accessories, that is unmatched anywhere), I was in love. While the moon pendant I am lusting over is a little (read: a lot) out of my price range right now, a girl can dream, right?

          Black diamonds mixed with gold are less bling-bling, but just as luxe, as the typical platinum and crystal combo. A peek at Mizuki’s website reveals the stunning assortment of pendants, charms, and chains they offer, which are also available at Neiman Marcus stores nationwide. This is not just a fall pick, but a forever pick, the ideal (albeit pricey) gift for a friend, parent, or sibling.