babyassface

nothing like some chocolate and bourbon in the shower

This skin care product was mentioned in one of Bellasugar’s “Lovely Links” a couple of weeks back. Oddly, the link wasn’t to a beauty blog, but to Epicurious. 

The product - Max Brenner's Brazilian Brown Sugarcane and Cocoa Nibs Body Scrub. 

For those of you unfamiliar with Max Brenner, it’s a Willy Wonka wannabe chocolate restaurant/retail chain that originated in Israel.

There are only two in NYC and epicuriously they are only 7 blocks away from each other. 

I’m a chocoholic, so it was really difficult to be there, in the Max Brenner store, surrounded by the sound of vats of swirling chocolate, the panoramic sight of chocolate, and the smell of coco, so thick in the air, that just inhaling could cause diabetes.

How I didn’t pull an Augustus Gloop is beyond me.

Thankfully, their chocolate is so ridiculously expensive that I walked out with only the scrub.  I would like to think it was will power, but seeing as I checked the side of jar to see if the ingredients would actually kill me if ate them or just cause painful intestinal convulsions, I’m guessing willpower had nothing to do with it.

The scrub contains brown sugar (an amazing exfoliant), Ivory Coast Cocoa Butter (improves elasticity and contains antioxidants), Ghanian Cocoa Beans (exfoliates and stimulates) and Indonesian Cinnamon (warms and increases blood flow).

Not sure why they added the Vanilla Bourban scent. Maybe to hook alcoholics as well as chocoholics.  Max Brenner, have you no conscience?

The effect of the scrub is nice, but no more special than any other sugar scrub and it's got oil in it, so it feels like you put baby oil on in the shower.  But what makes this scrub so luxurious and addictive is the smell.  Even hours after using it, my arms still smelled like chocolate.  Believe me, it took every ounce of self-control not to eat my own limbs.

The thought of my obituary is the only thing that kept me from ingesting it.  Found dead in the shower, naked, clutching an empty jar, with a lethal dose of Max Brenner Brazilian Brown Sugarcane and Cocoa Nibs Body Scrub in her bloodstream.

winterize your hands

My hands are hating this weather. They go from being nestled in warm, toasty gloves to being thrust out into the bitter cold, every time my touch screen phone rings.  (Yes, apparently gloves and touch screens aren’t compatible, Steve Jobs.)

And if we don’t want to end up with granny hands, we’d best not abuse our little friends. They dial phones for us, type emails for us, open jars for us and, perhaps most importantly, get money out of  ATM machines for us.  They’re like our own little, personal assistants.

And we’re like Meryl Streep's character in The Devil Wears Prada.  

Since Hallmark hasn’t yet created a category of cards for apologizing to our hands (although, knowing them, I’m sure they’re working on it), I’ve got the perfect way to make it up to them. A luscious body scrub created by celebrity manicurist, Nettie Davis. 

When Nettie started mixing up her own, all natural scrubs for her clients, the response was overwhelming.  And before she knew it, she was the proud proprietor of NettieScrub™. 

I tried the NettieScrub Grapefruit Body Buff. It's made from sugar, grape seed oil and pure essential oils. It's for all over body use, but I especially love using it on my hands this time of year.  It exfoliates really well, smells like sunshine, helps repair cuticles, makes nails look like you just applied clear polish, and leaves hands moisturized and silky smooth.  After using it, I kept staring at my hands, because they were so smooth and radiant, they looked like they belonged to a wax figure version of me.

Treat your hands well and they won’t make you look like an octogenarian. 
I think that's fair. Don't you?

me so eco pretty

There are lots of “all natural” beauty products slathering around out there.  But Eco-Me Body Scrub is different.  Not only is it 100% natural, but it’s also Do-It-Yourself and has reusable packaging.  This is the kind of product Martha Stewart would come up with if she were eco-friendly. (She would also run people over with a Prius instead of an SUV.)

When my Eco-Me Body Scrub arrived in the mail, I was taken aback.  I had received an empty jar with a tiny vial of essential oil and a loofah pad in it (which could explain why my body scrub was making a rattling noise).

Unlike other products that claim to be “all natural”, I’m positive this one is, because I saw my two hands making it, with my own two eyes (Huh...?  What...?)  Here’s how it works:  you just mix the white granulated sugar and olive oil (provided by you) with the essential oil blend (provided by them).

When I used this scrub in the shower, I was blown away.  At first, I thought maybe I was just a huge ego-manic and thought it was so great because I’d made it.  But I’m pretty sure that’s not it. 

The texture of the scrub was perfect- not too rough or too soft.  The olive oil left my skin feeling super soft, moisturized and silky all day (and not greasy in the slightest).  And the smell is one of the most joyful, uplifting scents ever.

The smell makes me as happy as this photo (if there were a pint of Ben & Jerry’s under the bird’s other wing).  

When you’re done with the scrub, you can just buy a re-fill of the essential oil and reuse the jar until the end of time.

100% natural. Eco-friendly. Eco-nomical. (It’s only $7.50).  What’s not to love?

Eco-Me also has a line of home cleaning products, pet products and baby products worth checking out.

This holiday season, remember nothing says “I love you and don’t want you to poison yourself with toxic chemicals” like a gift from Eco-Me.

This is the least messy body scrub I've ever used and not just because the jar is empty. 

Lather of Arabia

The founder of Bella Lucce has my dream job.

A few years back, I had my own aromatherapy company. While I was using ingredients indigenous to my kitchen cabinets (like my exfoliant made from granola, and my Honey Body Glaze, basting brush included, so you could glaze yourself like an Easter ham), the founder of Bella Lucce was scouring the earth, to find the “most insanely natural, deliciously decadent ingredients” known to woman.  (I’m sure her decadent granola collection is in the works.)

My favorite new soap, the Moroccan Lava Cleansing Bar, hails from her new Arabian Odyssey collection.  And considering I have 8 different bars of soap in my shower right now (I wish I were kidding) that should count for something. 

This soap is handmade in small batches, with exotic ingredients like mineral-rich, Moroccan lava clay (deep cleans and detoxifies).  Natural oils and shea butter (moisturizes).  And Turkish coffee (exfoliates and improves circulation).

It leaves my skin clear, soft, smooth, moisturized and beyond supple. And it smells amazing- vaguely like an exotic version of a warm cup of milk with honey, and cinnamon.  (Which is odd, considering it contains none of the above.) 

If for some strange reason, I had to get sucked into a computer, like the girl from Poltergeist got sucked into a TV, this would be the website where I’d want to spend all my time.

Oh, my God what was she doing in there?  She covered herself in every product at once. 

Exotic Date & Wild Honey Buff. Coconut Mango Bath Bliss. Detoxifying Ginger-Wasabi Masque.  The website is like a Travelocity for skin, helping it to plan its next exotic vacation. 

As luck will have it, I just finished the bar (of soap, not the legal exam).  I promised myself I’d use some of the 7 other bars in my shower before buying a new Moroccan Lava Bar.  God give me strength.   

Moracca Lava Bar.  I will find you, just stay alive no matter what occurs! ... I will find you.

The entire Bella Lucce collection is paraben-free, silicone-free, petroleum-free, dye-free and sulfate-free.

fight the daily grind with this coffee grind scrub

I’ve been trying to cut back on coffee.  I get addicted too easily.  One cup always seems to lead to more and bigger cups. (Nancy Reagan was right.)  And God forbid I don’t drink it for a day, I end up with a splitting headache.

This photo was labeled “woman with migraine”.  Personally, I think it should have been filed under “woman psychically trying to move a glass of water”. 

I do miss coffee though.  So I was thrilled, when a friend told me about this amazing coffee body scrub she found at a spa.

All I had to do was smell Juara Invigorating Coffee Scrub and I was headed to the register before I even had the lid screwed back on.

This stuff is like a decadent spa treatment that you’d get in Indonesia somewhere. Actually, the whole Juara line is derived from Indonesian beauty rituals.

They even have a section on their website called “mini-rituals”.  It’s nothing to do with giving virgins paper cuts (get it?  mini-rituals?) but rather little, purifying or moisturizing or brightening, pre-packaged treatments.

So, anyway, where was I... telekinetically moving water glasses, paper cuts... oh yeah.  Coffee is used to stimulate circulation to the skin, and is also known to be a powerful antioxidant. (Is it just me or do you see the words “powerful antioxidant” so much, that your mind reads it as blahblahidants?)

Anyway, this stuff is amazing.  It smells like a combination of dark chocolate and delicious, rich coffee beans. Just rub this finely ground coffee (soaked in luxurious oil) in a circular motion and it generates a latte-type creaminess that cleans (you don’t need to use soap), exfoliates and leaves skin feeling super smooth, soft and invigorated.  (It's a little messy, but I think it’s worth it.)

If you need some motivation to get up in the morning (besides receiving a paycheck, so you don’t have to live in a refrigerator box) this may be just the enticement you’ve been looking for.

If you want to find out where you can buy it at the best price, feel free to use the "search the web" box to the right.

 

And the winner of the Japanese invention prize is... a washcloth?

What could possibly make the Salux Nylon Japanese Beauty Skin Bath Wash Cloth so special that it was named winner of the Invention Prize of Japan? 

I mean there are so many amazing Japanese inventions.  Like the life-altering noodle guard. 

At first, I thought it prevented hair from getting in your noodles, but actually it prevents noodles from getting in your hair, which makes it so much more ingenious. 

And lest not forget the Japanese shoe umbrella. 

They must have assumed that the human buttock would shelter the back of the shoe. 

Yet, with all these amazing inventions, a washcloth was crowned winner?

How is that possible?  Well, it supposedly dries quickly, so it doesn’t get moldy like a loofa.  It’s machine washable. It’s really long, so you can exfoliate your back.  And it stimulates blood flow.   None of which sounded all that medal-worthy to me.

But seeing as it beat out the noodle guard, I had to give it a try. It definitely exfoliates well but the amazing thing: upon using this washcloth, I would have sworn Starbucks had opened a location in my shower (which actually wouldn’t surprise me).  I felt super invigorated.  It got my blood flowing, so much that I think it should be considered a form of cardio.  No joke. Now, after a week of using it, my skin looks healthier, feels super baby-ass-like and has a glow.  It’s like oxygen-rich blood has reached layers of skin, that its never ventured to before.  

It's only $3.50 on Amazon, so in order to make the shipping cost worth it, I recommend getting a bunch of them for friends and family this holiday season.  I wouldn’t usually recommend giving a wash cloth as a gift, but this one won the Invention Award of Japan for God’s sake.  And I now know why. 

I believe the Salux Nylon Japanese Beauty Skin Bath Wash Cloth is deserving
 of its prestigious award and all seven adjectives in its name.

I know you can get it on Amazon, but if you want to find out where you can buy it at the best price,feel free to use the "search the web" box to the right. 

my feet feel pretty. oh, so pretty.

This summer you need to get your shoes the perfect accessory. Pretty feet. (No, that’s not the name of a product). Yes, I know feet aren’t usually an accessory or pretty, but I think that’s anatomical profiling and I won’t stand for it.

And let’s face it, if your feet are going to be running around this summer half-naked and posing on the cover of Vanity Fair. Oh, wait, that was Miley Cyrus.

If you think about it, our feet are the Cinderella (pre the glass slipper incident) of our body parts. They’re used and abused. “I don’t care if you’re bleeding and have blisters, feet, these shoes are cute and stomach wants to walk to get some ice cream.” And that poor little pinky toe, crammed in there like a Japanese commuter.

Have you seen this? It's crazy. And I thought turtlenecks made me feel claustrophobic.

Is it any wonder our feet look like, uhh… feet? But in true Cinderella fashion, there is a happy ending.
(Today, the role of the prince will be played by the Moom Volcanic Pumice stone.)

There are lots of pumice stones out there, but I think the Moom is the best. Here's why. It's handcrafted from real volcanic rocks. It's round, so it gets into all the curves of the bottom of your foot and won’t cut into your hand. Unlike most pumice stones, it’s bacteria and mold resistant. And it’s guaranteed for as long as you own your feet.

This stone totally rids feet of roughness and calluses. So they are left feeling really soft and smooth, kind of like baby’s feet only much, much bigger.

This pumice stone has transformed my feet into my best feature. OMG. How sad is that?

I've gotten some emails asking where people can find the products I talk about in my posts. Feel free to use Google “search the web” box, to the right, to find out where you can find it (and for how much).

It's the Xanax of body scrubs

They’ve invented a combination anti-depressant and body scrub?  Really?  I know who I’m voting for to be the next Nobel Prize Winner… 

Origins Gloomaway™ Grapefruit body-buffing cleanser.  

This grapefruit-licious scrub/cleanser definitely takes me to my happy place- that beautiful meadow in the Sound of Music.

Wait. Who the hell is she? That’s not Julie Andrews. And why is she dressed in all black?

Oh, of course, it's the German version of happiness.

But I digress. Gloomaway smells just like sunshine.  No, it’s not just you.  I’m not really sure what that means either.  It smells like, if you looked out your window, you’d see unicorns and Care Bears frolicking.  Hopefully, that analogy was a little clearer.

It’s a gentle exfoliant, but it definitely gets the job done, because my skin feels amazingly soft, smooth and silky after.  And it creates a little foam as you rub it around – yet another sensorial treat.  And like most anti-depressants, it’s completely addictive.   I add it to my shopping list when I’m only halfway through the tube because, God forbid, one day I’m in the shower and squeeze the tube, only to find it empty.  It would be a very sad day indeed.

The one time I ran out of it, I came to, on my bathroom floor,

 only to find I had drawn this on the wall with an eyeliner pencil. 

I think an even better name for it would have been Xanaxdo.

world's best body scrub

I’m so addicted to exfoliating I sometimes worry I might hit bone. And of all the body scrubs I’ve ever used Kiehl’s Crème de Corps Soy Milk & Honey Body Polish is my absolute favorite. 

It’s got Shea and Jojoba Butters and Sweet Almond Oil. They blend it with ground Luffa Fruit.- aka: a Luffa sponge. (I’m glad they didn’t go for the sandpaper.) Then they add honey and soymilk. It’s like a nutritious, delicious smoothie that you spill all over yourself. 

The little pieces of Luffa fruit feel like millions of microscopic Russian women masseuses on Xanax (it’s strong yet gentle scrubbing), removing any haggard, dry, unholy skin. 

And like the name says you do actually feel like your skin has been polished to an amazingly smooth finish. Think Venus de Milo except with arms. (Unless you got a little over zealous with the scrub.)

 

And while this scrubs packaging isn’t exactly pretty, it’s so good I’ve given it as gifts. And I’m not even afraid that people will be insulted that I think there skin looks like it needs to be exfoliated.

 

You can buy the books on tape version of this package at Barnes and Noble.

I've gotten some emails asking where people can find the products I talk about in my posts. Feel free to use Google “search the web” box, to the right, to find out where you can find it (and for how much).