My Lips Are Sealed

Though you probably don't believe me, once I put my face on in the morning, the last thing I want to do is spend another minute on it. I hit the ground running and need to look pulled together, all day long.

Short of tattooing my lips, I am always on the look out for lip product with industrial strength staying power.

When I bumped into Revlon's new ColorStay Ultimate Lipcolor during one of my CVS hauls, I stopped in my tracks...Up to 12 hours of wear with an "ultra-conditioning top coat" built in??? Irresistible. Could it really be done??? Long lasting and non-drying in one applicator??? The shade I chose was "Mauve Miracle", at last, did I find the weeping Madonna of long lasting lip wear???

Kind of. The applicator picks up a lot of product and a little goes a long way, so use it sparingly. It dries to what appears to be a glossy finish, it hung in there until it was time to brush and floss, but was it truly an all-in-one, that required no additional surge of moisture? Nah.

Fortunately, I recently had the opportunity to try Model Josie Maran's, (delectably delicious) Plumping Lip Gloss, in Daring. Josie Maran created her collection with luscious natural ingredients, to suit her own desire for luxurious makeup, minus all of the chemical irritants. This is by far, the best Lip Gloss, I have ever used!!!

In tangent, this duo is unstoppable, which was kind of the point, in the first place...That's all.

xox,
DD

September's Slippery Beauty Slope

I hate September. Highlights need to be toned down, hair goes limp, tans (that we are not supposed to have in the first place) fade, nails crack, colds emerge and don't get me started on trying to figure out how to get dressed in the morning.

My sister Loren called me the other day, to inform me that Vogue says perms are back..."Aren't you ever going to Blog about your perm"??? "Must I tell everything", I snarled. "Well, perhaps you should, at least as a cautionary tale".

This on the morning that I showed up at my hairdresser Billy's salon, insisting that he lop 3 inches off the bottom, bluntly, 10 days after just having it cut. I am in the throws of the mid-season uglies.

Once upon a time, (in September, naturally), we were both single and living in New York. I decided my hair needed a little oomph, and despite having a ton of it, with a natural wave, decided to get a perm.

Loren called me up to find out how it turned out..."Well, I don't know", I replied.

"Whaddya mean, you don't know"???

"I am afraid to look in the mirror".

"Don't be ridiculous. How bad can it be??? I am coming right over".

Of course she was right, truly, how bad could it be??? Nothing like an older sister to bolster your confidence. I prepared some tea and waited for Loren to arrive, brimming with new found hope...

Shoulders squared, I opened the door--- which Loren promptly fell through laughing...When she regained her composure, she greeted me thusly..."Hel-lo VAGINA HEAD". Which started her peels of laughter all over again.

Be-atch!!! Despite her glee, she certainly had a point. Whatever possessed me and how would I recover from this??? Not quickly, I assure you.

So... as a cautionary tale, before you cut, color, straighten or God forbid perm, consult an expert, query a friend and take a good long look in the mirror.

Take it from me, 8 months is a long time go without looking.

xox,
DD

Naturals by Lauren Hutton- Come Fly with Me

I have watched Lauren Hutton, many times, promoting her natural look makeup kit, the Face Disc, for ages. I am apparently, not alone, since nearly 1,000,000 did more than watch...they pulled the 800 number trigger and purchased it.

I remember Lauren Hutton, as a gap toothed cover girl, with an imperfect nose and an unusual speech inflection...She was imperfectly perfect, which some how, made it A.O.K., if your parents gene pool did not produce Christie Brinkley.

For someone whose mantra has always been to enhance your own natural beauty, it seems natural, that she would take the leap, creating a new Face Disc, called Naturals by Lauren Hutton, that took the artifice out of the formulas. In: Grape Seed Oil, Green Tea, Vitamins, Bamboo and Avocado Oil. Out: Synthetic Preservatives, Fragrances and Dyes and Sulfates. Good enough to eat.

Soooo...what's inside the Face Disc??? For starters, for someone who is forced to check her cosmetics carry-on, due to weight restrictions, the thought of one, flat, light weight, multi-tasking compact, left me breathless.

I opened it and simply stared---makeup hues from mint to ochre, 5 concealers, 4 of them for "spots" a cement colored eyebrow filler, a "nose" and "eye pooch" shader, a contour shadow to define cheekbones and hide your "wardle", (you say wardle and I say waddle, you say to-may-toe and I say to-mah-toe), plus an oak toned eyeliner and tongue colored blush. (JANE...how do you stop this crazy thing)???

Of course, I love a good challenge, too, and Naturals by Lauren Hutton, thankfully comes with a simple step by step instruction book. If most of what she was suggesting needed fixing, wasn't yet broke, might I actually be ahead of the game???

In a word... yes!!! Is it time to ditch the rest of my stash??? Hardly. But it least it will fit in my handbag, next time I fly. You know what that stale cabin air can do to a girls face...

xox,
DD

Lullabye and Goodnight

One of my fondest, early memories, is literally, hopping in my crib, after being bathed and tucked into fresh pajamas, with a warm bottle. (O.K., I was 3 and loathe to give up my crib to my forthcoming sibling). In those days, parents were much less milestone mindful and it amused my parents endlesssly, that they may have had the only child on the planet, who joyfully, tucked themselves into bed each night.

Recapping my week, ff you think for one second, that women aren't shopping again, lemme tell ya, it ain't so...in fact, they are pow-WAH shopping. September is not yet over and I am one pooped Personal Shopper. A little pampering was definitely in order!

I tend to shower in the morning, only because it wakes me up. I was very tired and with an early morning meeting on Saturday, decided to shower at night and use my new Glowology Heavenly Body Wash and Lovely Body Lotion, by Noodle & Boo. Both were were formulated for sensitive skin, are hypoallergenic and are not tested on animals.

Noodle & Boo, was developed by Christine Burger, to meet the needs of her own young sons sensitive skin, (can you wager a guess what their nicknames are)??? These lovely, natural, delicately scented products, gently nourish and replenish the skin. No wonder the original line expanded...Mom's everywhere were snagging it for themselves and rediscovering their own baby soft skin, in the process.

I hopped into bed, feeling happy and relaxed, nearly transporting back to the womb, as I settled into my fresh bed. I think I may even make a habit of this whole new routine. I am even considering adding warm milk--- I promise, you too, can sleep like a baby, even without the Amaretto...

xox,
DD

Darling Readers:

Though I am somewhat loathe to admit it, I have my weak moments of succumbing to celebrity mania. TotalBeauty, (who along with Glam Media), publishes DivaDebbi, does a fabulous job of editing "Best" and "Worst" lists. I can't resist them, so when they are published, I will share them with you too. See if you agree with who makes this list, for good or for bad.

Lady Gaga, looked like kahkah, no?

Enjoy!

xox,

DD

MTV 2009 Video Music Awards Best and Worst Looks

Taylor Swift was princess-perfect while Lady Gaga went above and beyond

While "space punk" appeared to be a red carpet theme, these artists all brought their individual style to MTV's 2009 Video Music Awards (case in point: Lady Gaga). Here, we present our most crave-worthy (and cringe-worthy) picks for hair and makeup.

See the looks

Queen For A Day

A pixie must have sprinkled fairy dust on me the other night as I slept...it's the only explanation for yesterday's magic karma...

On the way into the the tents for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, to meet Linda and Peter Levy, the inimitable Bill Cunningham of the N.Y. Times, snapped my picture, (though quite possibly, he was more interested in my ruffled handbag). Either way, if the shot makes it into his Sunday video, I will retire, having reached the pinnacle of my career.
Onward, to the lovely Brian Reyes show, where every look was as fresh and earthy as the Natural Geographic photos that inspired the collection. Afterwards, we went up to the American Express Skybox, where some Platinum and Gold Card members, smartly took advantage of their Premium Access Program and enjoyed the show in style and had the chance to purchase, some choice selections from the Spring collection.

No surprise, that I honed in on a beautifully boned, sea blue, v-neck sheath dress. With some pixie dust and Spanx, it fit like a glove!!! Australian style icon Kate Nobelius, was on board to interview Brian about the collection for the press and photographers. Kate asked if she could "impose" on me to model... well---if I had to...!!! I would love to get my hands on that loop, so one day, it can be embedded on my tombstone.

The last stop of the day, was a visit to reknown fashion stylist Robert Verdi's Luxe Laboratory for a "Fashion Week Retreat". There, in collaboration with the CVS/Reinventing Beauty team, they created a sleek and chic beauty lounge. Fellow Beauty Bloggers had a chance to relax, enjoy a light lunch, Tweet and preview CVS's latest offerings from Essence of Beauty Fragrances, Garnier, Dr. Jeffrey Dover, Mission Skincare and many others.

The cherry on my day, was spending a delightful 20 minutes chatting, with "the" Christophe of Beverly Hills, while he suggested products for my hair type and luxuriously, freshened my blow out. I can't wait to try them and report back.

Last up, was a makeup touch up session with celebrity artist Jake Bailey, who was in town to do Katie Perry's makeup at the VMA Awards. Jake used Cover Girl products exclusively and succeeded, (where I had failed on my own), to find Simply Ageless foundation and blush shades, that matched my complexion perfectly. Jake told me the secret is to go, "darker than you would imagine, using a lighter hand and always applied with a brush". I finally understand the definition of "flawless finish". Divine.

Back to the real world, at home, with an evening Board Meeting breaking up at 9:30. I overheard two of my friends and fellow Board members commenting on how fresh I looked after a long day...and they should only know!!!

Here's wishing you a little pixie dust too...

xox,

DD

Taking Care of Business

As a Personal Shopper, September is, hands down, the busiest month of the year for me...There is something about all the rich fabrics and colors, that put women in the mood to shop and substance, that makes it feel like money well spent. It's hectic, but wonderful and I love catching up with my clients at Richards and helping them figure out their best looks for the season.

Ironically, it's also Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in N.Y., where designers and makeup artists, are showing their Spring 2010 collections. Just when you have the whole Fall thing down pat, it's already time to start processing the new silhouettes and palettes of what lies ahead.

In the midst of all of this, I also spent two days attending a TotalBeauty Blogger Summit, where we had the opportunity to meet with executives from Chanel, Loreal, Victoria's Secret, Kiehls, and Molton Brown, to learn about their latest launches and newest products. We met with the Public Relations team at Trachtenberg, who represent dozens of brands, including Philip b., N.Y.C. New York Color , Avon, Korres, Footpetals, Stella McCartney Fragrance and many more well known beauty companies. We also spent time with the P.R. team, who represent the exclusive products at Warren Tricomi's Beauty Atelier at the Plaza Hotel, like Sponge, Sjal Skincare, Reversital, Becca cosmetics, and Whish. Suffice to say, I will have oodles, of new products to review and give you the scoop on.

I adored meeting the faces behind Blogs I read and love, like Butterfly Diary, Beauty 411, Beautiful Makeup Search , Jolie Nadine , Lipschtick and Tempt'd. They are the best in the business and I admire their talent and passion.

Most importantly, the TotalBeauty team put together a great list of speakers, who shared information on how to enhance our Blogs, so that you, our readers, will continue to be engaged and excited. I learned a ton and learned I don't know a ton! I have already implemented some changes, like creating links for you and suggesting past Blogs you might enjoy at the bottom of my posts.

Divadebbi is different from most Blogs, as I write about what pleases me, (or not) and often relate current beauty and fashion events to my own experiences past and present. I'd like not to stray too much from my original vision, because I feel it works for me, but I value your feedback and I am open to adding features you might like to see.

xox,

DD

Padma Lakshmi - A Woman of Many Tastes

You already know Padma Lakshmi, as the Emmy nominated Host, of Bravo's hit food show, Top Chef, she beguiles us, with her sophisticated beauty and palette.

What else does Padma have up her sleeve these days??? Probably a gorgeous matte gold arm bangle, with dangling semi-precious stones. Padma, recently launched her namesake jewelry collection at Bergdorf Goodman and women are gobbling it up. This week the collection arrives at Richards and Mitchells in Connecticut.

It shouldn't be too surprising, that she sows inspiration from things found in nature, seeds, pods, leaves and beans. Hmmm...edible.

The "Padma customer", embodies her own effortless style, that of mix matched designers and interesting juxtapositions, like a cocktail dress with a motorcycle jacket over it. The collection is versatile and moves from day to evening with ease...need more drama??? Simply layer. Gotta have it??? You can. This is the kind of jewelry that women will treat themselves to personal, affordable---a bon bon.

Enjoy!

xox,
DD

Grandma---What Great Skin You Have...

It is no secret that I have a love-hate-tolerate relationship, with Bravo's Real Housewives franchise...Love New York, hate New Jersey, tolerate Atlanta and Orange County. New York has my undivided attention...I would skip a Presidential address in their favor. New Jersey??? Uh, no Jersey. I don't really "watch" Atlanta or Orange County, they are more like TV muzak. They exist in the background, while I Blog, text, check email's, rearrange drawers and skim magazines.

However, one scene in a recent Real Housewives of Atlanta, stopped me in my pantie straightening tracks...Lisa Wu and Ne Ne Leakes, were attending Lisa's Grandmother's 92 Birthday party in L.A. My first thought was, WOW!, she looks amazing---what is this woman using on her skin??? Ne Ne, who is no slouch, had the same thought and after complimenting her, had the wits to ask her beauty secret. Are ya ready??? VASELINE!!! Yes. VASELINE!!!

Ne Ne, seemed as dumbfounded as I was... I could see her mental calculator whirring, on how much she, (me, we) all spend on lotions and potions, only to see Grandma, at 92, looking much more peach than pit. Best of all, she, me and we, probaby already own it.

So, whaddya say Girls??? Any one out there game give it a try??? I certainly can't see a downside, it's F.D.A. approved as a skin protectant and has been around for almost 140 years.

If they do see an uptick in sales, I hope the good folks at Chesebrough-Ponds, will see fit to send Grandma a Birthday gift...she earned it.

xox,
DD

Lush and Luscious

Six weeks ago, I started my Latisse You Tube videos, inviting viewers to follow my eyelash growing journey. Unless you are living in Appalachia, chances are you have already heard about this latest beauty phenomenon. You didn't think I was going to pass this up, did you???

A sensible person, might have chosen to discontinue using Latisse, when as forewarned, they reacted with excessively red, itchy eyes. Not me. Despite feeling like I was walking around with ground glass in my irises, nothing was going to deter me from my beauty mission. As far as I am concerned, it is strictly an occupational hazard...Would a soldier leave his foxhole because he was cold??? Would a surgical resident blow off a procedure because she needed a nap??? Of course not. Gotta tough these things out...

After the third week, I was home free and became my own Gia Pet. No more discomfort, but not much of anything else was happening either. Most people start seeing dramatic results at the 4-8 week mark, with full results at 16 weeks. True to my middle child roots, at the 6th week, I am starting to achieve Stephanie lashes. Stephanie, is Richards knock out Assistant Jewelry Buyer, who has the most lush, luscious lashes in the Western hemisphere. (For the record, her mascara of choice is Maybelline's Full and Soft).

Suffice to say, I am ecstatic. You wake up looking prettier and feel prettier all day. Do I think it's worth the expense? Yes, I do...after all you wear your face everyday. Latisse, depending upon your budget, is the equivalent of just another something in your closet and certainly not something, that's working a little magic everyday.

If I continue growing my lashes with Latisse, until the recommended 16th week, I will definitely make a new You Tube video. I suspect it might get a lot of views... because I am going to have to buzz them.

xox,
Dd