On Target

I ask you rhetorically, have you ever left a Target store, without spending at least $100 bucks???  It is the Newton's Apple law of retailing, impossible to defy...

Spuh-lurge!!!

I love my friend Linda Levy.  She and I can get equally nuts over a new born puppy as we can a good lip gloss.  We make no distinction in our passion.  When Linda came in gushing and glowing about  St. Tropez Self-Tanning Mousse  and the brilliantly configured application mitt,  I was immediately intrigued.  In addition,  there wasn't the vaguest glint of carrot hue to her even, natural looking "tan".  Best of all???  Linda's BFF  Lynn, is friends with one of the main movers and shakers at St. Tropez.  She was confident she could make a connection so I could sample it.  Love that too!!!

Of course I already knew about St. Tropez products.  They always receive tons of great press and editorial raves, for their ability to recreate what only nature truly can.  What  prevented me from purchasing it on my own???   $$$,  plain and simple,  it is much more expensive than the Jergens and Sublime products, (I have been haplessly cheating with).

I generously received, both the Self-Tanning Mousse that Linda described as well as the Self-Tanning Lotion, (sadly, they forgot the amazing mitt).    The mousse is a gentle white foam, that is meant to be used as
a gradual daily self tanner.   I have been applying it with an unused powder puff, to my face only before bed.  The lotion was a surprise, right out of the bottle.  It is a pine green liquid!!!  I couldn't imagine how I was going to come out of this without looking like Mrs. Sprout.  Fortunately, it glides on quickly and you can definitely see if anything is splotchy.  A little also goes a very long way, which is reassuring since the bottle retails for $30.

Here's the scoop,( from someone who has been self-tanning since the advent of Coppertone's Q-T)   St. Tropez Self-Tanning Liquid  is genius.  I am the same color I used to be after spending long days at Jones Beach, with nary a UVA or UVB ray in sight.  What is missing is that unmistakable tell tale orange.  This also somehow manages to make my freckles less noticeable because the tone has more natural cast to it.  St.Tropez also makes other products as well, that tan instantly and wash off later.  Oh.  I almost forgot this other slice of joy...there is almost no smell whatsoever...like I said, genius.

So, here I am gushing and glowing as well.  Worth the spuh-lurge, Girls.  This is in a class by itself.  When my sample runs out,  I will be running to replace it.  The perfect sunless suntan???  Worth every  $$$.

xox,
DD

The Simple Life

 What kind of a world do we live in, when a Kardashian,  (I don't have the vaguest clue which),  can spend $400k on a car for her husband???  It's soooo 2008.  Obviously those K Sisters are not having to make the tough choices...when to splurge and when to cheat.

Beauty Rebate...Beautiful!

I frequently check in with my friend  Dr. Elizabeth- Chabner Thompson,  about the newest anti-aging products she is using on her patients and to find out what's in the pipeline, often having debuted in Europe first.  What can I share with my readers Dr. T???   Ooooooooh,  moulah!!!

Avon Calling

The very first glycolic pad I ever used, was Avon's Clinical Advanced Retexturing Peel.   They were simple to use, well priced and left my skin with a perpetual glow.  I was so enamored with this product, that I recommended it to anyone and everyone.  I am sure they thought I was leading a double life as an Avon Lady.  I can't recall where I purchased them from and I used them for quite some time, before falling in love, with a similar product by Dr. Denese.   I eventually left Dr. Denese in the dust after moving on to my latest product crush, Peter Thomas Roth's Un-Wrinkle Pads.   Having recently tested some new products from Anew's Regenerist  and Clinical line, I think it may be time to look at Anew,  well...anew.   The results are stellar.

O.K. Darlings, crunch time...I missed part 2 of the Real Housewives of New York's Reunion Show on Monday, because we were celebrating my beautiful, hilarious friend Naki's Birthday.   I am hunkering down, incommunicado, from 8-10, while I catch up on 2 and catch 3.  I am even powering off on my Blackberry.  This is serious.

P.D.G.'s

Public Displays of Grooming...Uggghh!   During my commuter days, long ago,  I was frequently surprised by the P.D.G's  of my fellow passengers.  Offenses included, but were not limited to;  fingernail clipping,  polish removal and application,  nose hair trimming and the unforgettable fellow, who tackled his 5:00 o'clock shadow, with a Sunbeam electric razor.

Alice Through the Looking Glass

Or more correctly DivaDebbi. OY!!!. Those of you who know me personally, know I am pathetically technically challenged and the existance of this Blog is akin to a weeping Madonna.

Yesterday I noticed that "Blogger" was offering new "Designer" templates, to update the look of your Blog, without having to hire a web designer. Ooooooooo I couldn't resist looking. Of course, because of the short comings mentioned above, I never backed up my original layout. Big mistake.

8 hours later and with the help of my husband, who is Steve Jobs, compared to me, we know why my Blog won't post all of my the usual features, but not how to fix it. Urggghhh!!!.

I have enlisted the cyberworld's help, through Blogger, trying to keep my melodrama to a minimum and put in an urgent call to Chris Yemahya, who is a Web Master, who will gently pull me out of this descent into madness.

In the interim, if comments still work, let me know what you think of how my site looks so far...Alice and I both loved all those pretty colors, too bad nothing is making any sense.

xox,
DD

Smitten Kitten

I do indeed, love when my beauty stars align with beauty sample deliveries. Last night I received a sample of Caress Whipped Souffle Bodywash in Blackberry Vanilla.

When I was growing up, there was always a box of kittens nesting in the cedar basement, of my Grandparent's Brooklyn home. They were prodigies of Audrey, their cat and the neighborhood slut. I remember firm warnings about, "Cat Scratch Fever" and being doused with Bactine.

After surveying the nicks and nibbles inflicted by Scoots, (for sure there is eagle blood coursing through his veins; he is definitely sporting talons), I thought it would be prudent to wash every inch of my body, with an old fashioned bar of Anti-bacterial Dial Soap. Best to avoid "Cat Scratch Fever"...don't ya think???

After imagining that I would shrivel instantly from a soap I normally associate with a Surgical unit, I was smitten with the texture of Caress Souffle Bodywash. It is light, rich and silky, (definitely moisturizing enough to use in place of shaving lotion) and has a pleasant berry fragrance, not overly cloying or pungent, (which is sometimes the downfall of mass market bodywashes). It was utterly soothing and just what I needed. It is also available in Peach.

For $4.99 in a whopping 15 oz. bottle, this product has the feel of an upmarket bodywash and left me feeling soft and super clean...and I got to skip the Bactine.

So Kittens, give this one a whirl...it's a beauty bargain and one that I will purchase in the future.

xox,
DD

Say Hello to Scooter!!!

Thank you one and all for putting your thinking caps on, on behalf of Kitty. Soooooo many adorable suggestions!!! Try as I might, people names just don't suit him. I have decided on Scooter or "Scoots" for short, which feels right.

Will the Lovely who suggested Scooter please contact me at www.Debbio@richardsonline.com??? Goodies are coming your way!!!

xox,
DD and Scoots

True Beauty

I am still laughing over the emails I've received from friends who read my last post..."You got a kitten"??? Yup!!!

He is a beautiful, sweet, affectionate boy...the only problem is he is still without a name, just like Audrey Hepburn's "No Name Slob", in one of my all time faves Breakfast at Tiffany's.

His given name is "Dodger". I prefer people names for pets. I have looked through the top 1000 names for cats, the most popular baby boy names in the U.S. and the most popular cat names in Italian, Greek, French, and the Gaelic countries...Nada!!!

So my faithful Blog readers, I am appealing to you! Just leave me your name suggestion in the comment section. If you name No Name, I will send you a package of beauty goodies with my thanks!

You'll both deserve it...

xox,
DD

The Melting Months

The humidity is already starting to creep up in New York, giving me pause to think about my eye cream/serum/moisturizer/primer/tinted moisturizer routine...somethings got to give.

As if a Genie was looking over my shoulder, that afternoon I received a sample, (via messnger)!, of COVERGIRL & Olay's Simply Ageless Serum Primer... Thank you Beauty Gods!!!

I used it yesterday for the first time. Multi-tasking as always, I applied it and then went to check in on what fresh commotion my new kitty was stirring up in the bedroom. When I came back, I looked in the mirror and literally hummed a few bars of "I Feel Pretty" to myself. Wow! Flawless. Primed. What I didn't realize was how hydrating it was. I could easily have skipped the additional moisturizer...by midday I was a puddle.

Today I tried again, this time just using eye cream, Simply Ageless Serum Primer and Revlon's Spa Illuminator in Bronze Light. A much better plan. My skin feels hydrated and dewy, not excessively oily---no mop and shine today.

I loved the light, creamy texture of this newly combined product, Olay's Regenerist Serum, on its own, as a slippery, eel like feeling, (that literally makes my skin crawl, despite a devoted following). It promises, "8 hours of continuous hydration, a facelift effect, Amino-Peptides to improve texture, glycerin to firm skin's appearance, and increased rate of exfoliation over time". As well, it is oil free and suitable for sensitive skin. Now that's multi-tasking.

CoverGirl & Olay's Simply Ageless Serum costs $13.99 and will be available in mass-market outlets nationwide in July. Don't fret...you will still have two thirds of the summer left to try it. If it really helps me achieve results, I will be sure to continue using it, long after the melting months.

Here's hoping...

xox,
DD

Sublime

I have two friends who keep their "Spray Tanner" on speed dial. "Christina", gets high marks for creating a streakless tan, adding a little definition where you need it and making everyone feel uninhibited, whether you are buck naked or in a paper thong. Sublime! The last time I wore a dress as short as the one I wore to the SATC2 premiere, was in the third grade. I thought a visit to Christina beforehand seemed like a great idea...apparently it did as well, to the dozen people already booked ahead of me.

Ruh-Ro...plan B. I had been toying with buying J.Glo's fave, Scott Barnes Body Bling a temporary tanner, that gets high marks for color on the body, but low marks for color on the clothes. I have used other L'Oreal Sublime products, that both include a dollop of self tanner; their daily moisturizer and tinted gel bronzer. I do think they have got a good thing going... pleasant smell (for self tanner), effective and very well priced. There latest offering, Sublime Bronze One Day Tinted Gel was on sale at CVS for $10.99. Done.

Christina wasn't available, but in a pinch, I can recruit my husband to do a first class job of applying self tanner to my flip side, (I recommend also bring along a warm sudsy wash cloth, just against your "buddy" refuses to believe their palms will be carrot hued in a few hours...we have been down that rabbit hole before).

I think Sublime Bronze One Day Tinted Gel is a clear winner. I like the ability to apply it and be confident that it is streak free, with no surprises. The color was rich and natural, there is no unpleasant smell, no transfer to my clothes and it removed evenly and effortlessly in the shower. I tried it on my face only, in place of moisturizer and sans makeup to a pool party on Sunday. It remained flawless and streak free, even after I applied sunscreen.

Kudos L'Oreal...Sublime One Day Tinted Gel is.

xox,
DD