A Fistful of Fresh

Photo courtesy of Fresh.

Passion, Berry, and Honey.

So it was a long week. A very long week. A full day shoot turned into a full day of writing and interviewing then an awesome lecture at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston by Robert Edsel of Monuments Men (He says George Clooney, who is heading up and starring in the movie, is the nicest person and dedicated to the men and women at the core of the story). The next day I was dealing with our kitchen ceiling falling in then heading to an overnight at The Charles Hotel and an awesome progressive meal at Rialto and Henrietta’s Table. Friday was another shoot day, which also happened to be the day our sister-in-law went into labor with our nephew and my husband’s family’s first grandchild. Needless to say by the time I surrounded to the couch on Friday night clutching my cell phone I was a chapped, tired mess.  As my ongoing battle with dry everything continues (even my hair needs some TLC) I rely on five or so lip balms to keep me hydrated. One of my favorite moisturizing tinted balms is Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment with SPF 15. Just in time for the holidays they have introduced the Fresh Sugar Stars Mini Collection, eight small tubes in shades like Cherry, Berry, Passion, as well as the advanced lip treatment. Each tube is about half the size of a regular one and perfect for fitting into a clutch on your way to an event and is sheer enough in color you can apply anywhere. The gift set is really only missing Coral and Berry, and I will have to pick up both colors as I would like to try them. The fun packaging makes it a no-brainer gift this holiday season.  $65.

The Best Laid Plans

I’d be the first person to admit I like to keep a schedule; I have two electronic calendars and a handwritten Moleskine Classic Planner in purple. So when I saw that Bluemercury’s founder Marla Malcolm Beck had partnered with legendary makeup artist Trish McEvoy (one of the most organized people in the business) I was excited to see the result. Behold, the Trish McEvoy Holiday 2013 Power of Makeup planner collection available only at Bluemercury.  When I moved back from Verona six years ago and had made a bit of money the first thing I spent it on was a black quilted planner from Trish McEvoy filled with a velvety foundation and concealer, lip gloss, and a volumizing mascara.  Each product did exactly what it promised, and I was impressed at how well thought out the line was as a whole and at the option of refillable compacts. I carried the planner with me everywhere because it kept each piece of my makeup organized and in place until it finally gave out and had to be replaced. The Holiday 2013 planner, a rich raspberry suede quilted case, holds 12 pieces inspired by the timeless beauty of Brigitte Bardot, including brow shaper, Beauty Booster SPF 15 Lip Gloss in Sexy Nude, Intense Gel Eye Liner in Deep Aubergine. The planner just debuted at Bluemercury for $165. 

PS. Bostonians, Bluemercury just opened two new locations at 160 Newbury Street in Boston and 1245 Market Street in Lynnfield.

A Luxurious Way to Start the Holiday Season

The couples suite at The Spa at the Mandarin Oriental. Photo courtesy of Mandarin Oriental.

I had the great luck of previewing the Mandarin Oriental Boston’s new, seasonal Frankincense Massage Ritual at their beautiful spa. The hotel is lush in itself, but the spa is a wonderful departure from the hectic hustle and bustle outside. I arrived 30 minutes early to take advantage of the 16,000-square-foot spa’s facilities including the Quart crystal steam room, bathing suit optional vitality pool, and the relaxation lounge where your spa therapist greets you. When you first arrive at the spa they invite you to take a seat while they check you in and exchange your shoes for slippers. They also offer you hot tea and a warm hand towel before showing you into the changing rooms and giving you a toiletry kit with toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, and a razor. After changing into a soft robe, I grabbed a towel and ducked first into the steam room, alternating between that and the nearby ice fountain before finishing with a quick dunk into the vitality pool. I then headed into the lounge where sofa-like chairs are fitted with blankets for your comfort and a table held dried fruit, pumpkin seeds, almonds, tea, water, and fruit. My therapist, Kenny, showed me to one of the nine treatment rooms and I took a seat in the comfortable lounger as he started to explain the essence of the 80-minute treatment. I was intrigued that the ritual focused heavily on the feet and scalp, and as someone who loves having her head touched I was excited. The first step in the ritual was the foot treatment with sea salt, Mandarin Oriental's signature Quintessence oil and calendula from Cape Cod. Kenny gentle washed my feet with the water and dried them before excusing himself so I could settle onto the massage bed on my stomach. Kenny wrapped my feet in warm paraffin wax before using long, gentle strokes on my back with AromatherapyAssociates’ De-Stress Mind Body Oil made with wild chamomile, frankincense, and petitgrain oils. The scent was mild, but I was able to catch the frankincense, which having been raised going to church and spending a lot of time in them when I was living in Italy, was warm and nostalgic.  After I was sufficiently relaxed he had me turn over so he could work on my scalp. This, to me, was the best part of the treatment and I came close to sleep a few times. I very much enjoyed that my head, feet, and back were focused on and I could feel it when my treatment was over. As usual I felt relaxed and settled, but most interestingly to me, I felt longer and lithe. At just over five feet tall I welcome any opportunity to feel elongated. The treatment runs December 1-31, and costs $215 on weekdays and $235 on weekends.

A Polished Look

‘Tis the season for cocktail parties, festive dinners, decadent galas which means blow outs, makeup, and unchipped nails (especially if you are holding a Champagne flute). Just in time to save the day,  Ciaté released its Mini Mani Month of nail polishes ($58). From Snow Globe to Party Shoes and Confetti, the limited edition kit contains 23 mini polishes, including top and under coats, a funnel, and a secret full sized polish. Ciaté polishes are thankfully 3-free so you don’t have to worry about harmful chemicals as you brush your way through the holiday season. 

A Few Of My Favorite Things

These two Chanel lipsticks, Rouge Allure Radieuse ($24, left) and Rouge Allure Velvet in La Precieuse ($24, right), are part of the brand’s limited edition Holiday 2013 collection. The three blushes I wrote about the other day are part of that collection. There is a third lip color, Rouge Allure Velvet in La Desiree, a vampy Bordeaux, but these two are my favorites. I’m always a little nervous about matte lipsticks admittedly, but am planning on prepping my lipsticks with Sara Happ’s The Lip Scrub in Vanilla Bean ($24) or Fresh Brown Sugar Lip Polish ($22) before I apply the rich colors. With a season full of personal and work events for me that means a different lip look each evening and would be perfect to the opening of Boston's new Peter Marino-designed Chanel flagship store on Newbury Street. The brand's press office has confirmed the store will be opening the first week of December. I cannot wait to see the new space and the custom art that Marino had commissioned for the store. 

A Winning Hand

After a lifetime of New England winters I have the market cornered on scarves and boots and gloves, but that doesn’t mean I’m not searching for the eternal answer to dry hands. After a long weekend of cooking and then cleaning pots and pans, my digits are especially beat up. Here are a few of my favorite hand creams.

L’Occitane’s Shea Butter lotion ($28 for 5.2 oz., $12 for 1 oz.) is by far my favorite hand cream. I’ve been using the thick,  hydrating, nongreasy lotion for years and it is a cure-all. I keep a large tube in my nightstand and smaller ones in my purses. Perfect for before bed application. A little goes a long way. 

Bluemercury’s extremely chic and smart founder Marla Beck gave me a sample of her M-61 Vitablast C Hand cream ($19) when I met her a few months ago and I keep it at my work desk. Made with Vitamins C and E, gallic acid, and aloe it is nongreasy and great for constant reapplication. It is also 100 percent paraben- and synthetic fragrance-free.

I’ve been on the Aromatherapy Associates bandwagon since I was introduced to co-founder Geraldine Howard at a breakfast at the Mandarin Oriental Boston a few months ago. She is a true master oil blender and a cancer survivor and one of the most inspiring women I’ve met. Her Renewing Rose Body Cream ($56) has been appropriated for hand use.  The rose scent is light enough I can wear it throughout the day. 

The Aesop store opened in Boston last year and I love the brand’s  Resurrection Aromatique Hand Balm ($25). It is a bit thinner than the other hand creams and maybe a tad bit oilier but I would still use this throughout the day. It has the light herbal scent Aesop is known for and it also works great as a night hand cream. 

And a cheap one but another favorite is Gold Bond Ultimate Intensive Healing Hand Cream. I love the light scent. It is a little thicker and greasier so it makes a great option to slather on before bed. It does the trick every time. 

And next on my list to try is La Mer’s The Hand Treatment ($75). 

A Fine Line

I noticed grey hairs about two years ago and after a while (a long while) panicking and plucking turned to letting it happen. I still haven’t gotten my hair dyed to cover the grey hairs and fully intend to, but I thought I’d let it go a bit longer before I pulled the expensive trigger. A few months ago I noticed fine lines around the left corner of my mouth….the part of my face that gets more exposure to the sun if I’m driving and that really stopped me in my tracks. The grey hair was something I couldn’t stop but I could fix…but the fine lines around my mouth brought back summers full of errant sunblock behavior.  I cringed remembering one particularly bad sunburn on my face after spending a day on a jet ski in Florida…without reapplying sun block, no hat. (I’m literally grimacing as I write this.) A few weeks ago I discovered the Verso line of skincare that contains Retinol 8, a complex of Vitamin A and polyphenol extracts. Retinol is one of the few things that is going to work to dim the appearance of fine lines, and more recent iterations of it aren’t as drying and stinging as their predecessors. Verso, a Swedish line, is paraben-, sulfate-, and phthalate-free. I am just using the eye serum and night cream right now, but they also have a day lotion and cleanser. The eye serum and night cream are very gentle, non-sticky, and absorb quickly. Some nights there is a tingling sensation, but it isn’t painful or drying. I have a slight change in the lines around my month and it is definitely enough to encourage me to continue using it. I will report back after I finish the first bottle!

Ps. I am still loving the post shower Rosehip Body Oil from Kora Organics by Miranda Kerr. Really light scent and non-clogging.