Monday, June 30, 2014
Fashion Flash Monday
The lovely Josephine of Chic at any Age is this weeks Fashion Flash host as always, our group does our best to bring you the best of our blog on beauty, fashion, wellness and fitness.
Josephine recently joined our group. She and her family split their time between their homes in London and St. Tropez. In my next life, I think I may want to be Josephine...
Please click here to read our contributions this week. This week I wrote about my all time favorite skincare La Peau, 6 years in, I've tried a ton of product, as you know. This is the one I am never without...
xox,
DD
Saturday, June 28, 2014
Nuance Age Affirm Glycolic Cream Cleanser
 |
| Salma Hayek Glycolic Cream Cleanser $15.99 CVS Greenwich Ct. (less expensive anywhere else) |
I recently remembered how much I used to adore the benefits of Dr. Jeffrey Dover's Glycolic Cleanser, when a colleague I recommended it to informed it has vanished from the shelves.
It was perfect. And it was cheap. (Aging inventory still exists on Amazon. Tick tock...)
With that bee back in my bonnet, I purchased Peter Thomas Roth Glycolic Acid 3% Wash at Sephora. I was relieved to wake up with normal vision the next morning after this "foaming" cleanser, that in reality was a drippy liquid mess, seeped into my right eye.
'Nuff said.
Salma Hayek's Nuance skincare line, was created exclusively for CVS. The Botanical skincare, is based on the natural recipes and remedies her grandmother used to cook up.
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Tom Ford Counter...
I attended a Polyvore evening event on a gorgeous rooftop in Rockefeller Center a few weeks back. With such close proximity to Saks Fifth Avenue (yes, that one), what were the chances that I would skip a cruise thru their illustrious cosmetics department???
Exactly none.
I had the feeling this was going to be my long awaited Tom Ford counter encounter...The one where I would finally breakdown and spend $50 on a lipstick, though it has always resonated poorly with my usual spendthrift being; seriously...is their wax embedded with precious metals? What am I missing? Better yet, why am I lusting???
 |
| Debbi OShea and Jamal Walker of Burberry |
I had the good fortune of never quite making it to the TF counter. Instead, I met acclaimed N.Y. makeup artist Jamal Walker, who resides over the Burberry Cosmetics Counter, a line that is not available in Greenwich, where I usually shop for my cosmetics.
How fortuitous.
Jamal, who is well known for his professional work for photo shoots and private client events, was perfectly versed on all things Burberry. (You can see his work on his Facebook Page and call him directly at 201-875-0887.)
I told Jamal I was on a mission to find the perfect lipstick and liner; something softer than what I usually wear, but with enough definition that I wouldn't look washed out. I then let him choose what he thought would look best. I also asked him what is the one product I can't leave the counter without.
 |
| Burberry's Fresh Flow Luminous Base Nude Radiance |
 |
| Dusty Rose Velvet Lip Cover |
 |
| Sepia Lip Liner |
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Monday, June 23, 2014
Fashion Flash: All the Best of Beauty, Fashion and Wellness for Women 40+
This week Deb Chase, Fashion Flash Founder and author of The No Nonsense Beauty Blog is our host. Deb has worked incredibly hard to find a diverse group of top bloggers to contribute to Fashion Flash. She does a ton of work behind the scenes on all of our behalf and I'm grateful and appreciative.
Please click on this link to see what our group was up to this week. My DivaDebbi post includes my RoC giveaway in celebration of my blog achieving over 1,000,000 views. It's not too late to join and RoC has also stepped up with some products to giveaway so we will actually have two winners.
In addition, there is a Fashion Flash Book Review of Diane Keaton's new book, "Lets Just Say It Wasn't Pretty".
Enjoy!!!
xox,
DD
Flutter
TIBI v neck top / Hot pants / Jimmy Choo leather sandals, $895 / Tory Burch tote bag, $340 / Chanel bracelet / Crystal necklace / Shiseido pink eyeshadow / Dolce Gabbana lips makeup / Smashbox travel kit / Pier 1 Imports floral decor / 8 in. W x 10 in. H Geometric Wallpaper Sample-282-64053SAM at The Home...
Sunday, June 22, 2014
Burt's Bees Pink Grapefruit Facial Cleansing Towelettes
 |
| Burt's Bees Pink Grapefruit Facial Cleansing Towelettes 30/$6 |
After removing my eye makeup I started using CVS facial towelettes as an interim step. They are gentle enough, so it's gratifying to see how much dirty work those towelettes actually accomplish.
I have a soft spot for all things pink grapefruit, (I have been using Neutrogena's Pink Grapefruit Body Wash for years), so when my friends at Tractenberg offered me the opportunity to sample Burt's Bees Pink Grapefruit Facial Cleansing Towelettes, I did not demure...
Saturday, June 21, 2014
Stila Stay All Day Vinyl Lip Gloss
 |
| Stila Stay All Day Vinyl Lip Gloss $24 |
Stila's newest launch in the long wear lip category is a gloss, following the success of their Stay All Day Lipstick. It's been garnering quite a bit of buzz and after reading a rave on Beauty Editor, about their fantastic, moisture rich long wear, I decided I had to give it a whirl.
I'm not usually a fan of long wearing lipsticks, for the same reason you probably are not; they tend to leave lips looking stained, but parched. Nahsopretty...
I was quite hopeful that Stila had cracked the code with their Stay All Day Vinyl Lip Gloss.
Thursday, June 19, 2014
1,000,000 Pageviews and a Giveaway for my Lovely Readers
 |
| DivaDebbi cracks one million pageviews! |
Yay! This week my blog DivaDebbi reached an exciting milestone; my pageviews exceeded 1,000,000! Needless to say, I couldn't have gotten there without my loyal readers and subscribers. I so appreciate your loyalty and support, though truly, I wish I had a nickle for everyone one of you who told me they ran out and purchased a product based on my recommendation :0...Seriously, nothing makes me happier. I hope I've steered you from some duds along the way, as well.
While I still purchase a ton of product on my own, I am also indebted to my P.R. friends at Rpr Marketing, Kaplow, Tractenberg, Melissa Kelz, DKC, Red Letter, Konnector, 5W, Woods & Co., Creative Media Marketing, and Kip Morrison & Associates for all their hard work and generous offers to sample.
As a Brand Ambassader for RoC Skincare, they generously sample me a lot of product. Though specifically designed and recommended for the face, they will probably fire me for saying I have used many of their products on my body. They are gently formulated and IMO a 'lil Retinol is a good thing for areas like the hands and decollete.
As a thank you, I am going to do a giveaway from my personal stash. I emailed RoC today and told them I'm going to do this...fingers crossed they will pitch in some additional products so we can have two winners!
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
Fashion Flash: The Best of Everything for Women 40+
This week the fabulous Cindy Ingalls, who writes the exceptional Prime Beauty Blog is our host for Fashion Flash. Each week we strive to feature our best blogs on beauty, fashion, fitness and wellness for women over 40.
Please click here to see what we have to share with you this week, including my favorite cheap and cheerful substitute for Bobbi Brown Long Wear Eye Gel.
Enjoy!
xo,
DD
Monday, June 16, 2014
Sunday, June 15, 2014
Perricone No Mascara Mascara
 |
| Perricone No Mascara Mascara $30 |
Credit thy debit please...
I read about the latter from one of my absolute must read blogs, Musings of a Muse. I love Isabella Muse's reviews and I urge you to check them out. She writes about a prodigious amount of product each week and also includes photo swatches. I was shocked when she told me this is not her full time job...I have no clue how she finds the time--particularly when important things are happening, like the season finale of Game of Thrones...
Like me, Isabella is always on the hunt for her "Holy Grail" of different product categories. When she declared No Mascara Mascara, (one of Perricone's first forays into cosmetics from skincare,) as her new Holy Grail mascara, with impressive pictures to match, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. Additionally, it is a full lash treatment and I'm all for hardworking twofer's.
Friday, June 13, 2014
Peter Thomas Roth Glycolic Acid 3% Facial Wash
 |
| Peter Thomas Roth Glycolic Acid 3% Facial Wash 432 |
A colleague of mine likes to catch up with me every few months to pick my brains about my latest product loves and have me weigh in on her current skincare routine. (Besides Diva, my other alias at work is Dr. Deb.)
She reminded me that in the past, I had turned her on to Yale educated, Dr. Jeffrey Dover's Glycolic Cleanser She's right; it was an outstanding rrecommendation...to begin with, Dr. Dover's line was sold exclusively at CVS so it was cheap and cheerful. It also had an amazing gel texture, was infused with just the right amount of glycolic acid and left both of our faces dewy and glowing. I had long forgotten it..
Sadly, its been discontinued and even Dr. Dover doesn't sell it on his website. I did a quick scan of both EBay and Amazon and assured her that plenty of product is still out there...just not to wait years to purchase it.
Naturally, it planted a little bee in my bonnet about the virtues of glycolic cleansers, so while I was at Sephora today getting a new Clarisonic Mia brush head, I picked up Peter Thomas Roth Glycolic Acid 3% Facial Wash. PTR is well known for his Glycolic pads and I have used and liked them myself, so I figured his cleanser would be a safe bet.
Wrong...
Thursday, June 12, 2014
TotalBeauty's Faux Glow Tutorial
Everyday I am besieged with emails from publicists asking me to share step by step makeup hair and makeup how-to's as worn on the Red Carpet.
The looks, though often beautiful, are created by top hair and makeup artists. They are complicated, require expertise and lets face face facts; just because it looked flawless on Angie, Jennifer or J.Lo, it doesn't have a thing to do with you or me.
I think TotalBeauty does a fabulous job with their online makeup tutorials...why? They keep it simple.
I liked this one on how to fake glowing skin...we can all use a helping hand on a morning when sleep evades. I thought it was worth sharing and so I am...
xox,
DD
|
Fake your way to glowing skin with this tutorial
|
|
Everyone wants glowing skin -- but sometimes your face just won't cooperate, no matter how many products you slather on. Fake it till you make it with this step-by-step tutorial. It's sure to become your new everyday look for spring.
|
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Fashion Flash
This week my friend Kari Soyntjes who writes the truly fabulous Fab Over Forty is hosting Fashion Flash. Of our growing group of bloggers that comprise Fashion Flash, I've know Kari the longest as both our blogs are published by TotalBeauty.
She did an outstanding job organizing our posts this week on beauty, fashion, health and wellness for women over 40. Click here to read more.
Enjoy!
xox,
DD
Monday, June 9, 2014
Navy Blazer; Fashion Staple
MaxMara navy top, $360 / Emilio Pucci navy blazer / Chloé tiered ruffle skirt, $885 / Christian Louboutin slingback shoes / Christian Louboutin slingback shoes / Anya Hindmarch striped handbag / Valentino patent leather belt / Cutler and Gross tortoise eyeglass, $495 / Pier 1 Imports floral home decor
Sunday, June 8, 2014
Burt's Bees Honey & Shea Sugar Scrub
 |
| Burt's Bees Honey & Shea Sugar Scrub $13 |
If I could buy Burt's Bees Radiance Lotion by the gallon, instead of an 8 oz. tube, it would be worth the schlep. My skin drinks it up and I love the very quiet iridescent glow that the natural crushed Mica leaves on my skin. Infused with sunflower oil, Royal Jelly and aloe, it keeps my skin smooth and toned.
When my friends at Tractenberg PR offered me the opportunity to sample Burt's Bees new Honey & Shea Sugar Scrub, I answered with an enthusiastic, "yes, please" before I even finished the email.
Friday, June 6, 2014
Come to a Spa Event: Equinox Armonk
I love when my beauty stars align; even more so when I'm need of some TLC. I've been a Personal Shopper for more years than I care to mention. It can be glam, but there is still an element of schlepping that can't be denied.
The first time my back went "out" was in my twenties. If you've never experienced the nerve wracking pain of a misaligned disks, I envy you. When it "goes" it seems to happen doing the mundane; brushing your teeth or bending down to feed a pet. The reality is that it was building to this point for quite sometime.
People approach back pain differently; hard floors, pain killers, Acupuncturists, Orthopedics are just a few of the options. I work with a Chiropractor and a massage therapist. I found myself reeling while in NYC on Wednesday, marring a lovely day. Fortunately, my Chiropractor was available late in the day and after electric stim and contortions that might have made the heroine of 50 Shades of Grey blush, he snapped me back in place.
Even more fortuitous, I received a call from my Master Therapist and Esthetician Denise Liquore, inviting me to visit her at her new home in the Equinox Spa in Armonk, N.Y., and inviting me to come back for their Spa Event on Monday night.
Done and done...
Thursday, June 5, 2014
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz
 |
| Anastasia Beverly Hill Brow Wiz $21 |
I came very late to the brow party. Until my brow stylist Danielle Sampieri walked me through the fine points, with her fine point tweezers, I paid my brows very little mind.
She taught me how important a properly shaped and finished brow, (yes, that means daily product) frames the face and make your eyes pop. Suffice to say, the lady in the nail salon tending to your bikini line may not have that skill set.
Once you see the difference, there's no backtracking. For me, it would be like facing the world without lipstick or liner--not happening. Along the way I have tried a lot of products, gels, powders and pencils. My only complaint is that my brows would sometimes appear a bit done.
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
Fashion Flash
This week Melanie of Society Wellness is hosting Fashion Flash for the first time! Melanie is a professional dancer and certified Yoga instructor who walks the walk for good health and fitness. Her beautiful site features always interesting and informative posts on health, nutrtion exercise and stress reduction. We welcome her warmly!
Please click here to read Melanie's post and the rest of the FF gang are advising this week for women over 40 and feeling fantastic.
Enjoy!
xox,
DD
Monday, June 2, 2014
Sunday, June 1, 2014
Buxom Nude Lip Foundation
 |
| Buxom Nude Lip Foundation $19 |
I finally finished Andrea Q. Robinson's book "Toss the Gloss". I wrote my preliminary review a few weeks back. (http://divadebbi.blogspot.com/2014/04/book-review-toss-gloss.html).
Had I purchased it in paperback, my copy would be dogeared. Instead I opted to receive it more quickly by downloading to my Kindle. Though I "bookmarked" dozens of pages of her product suggestions, nicely offering them at both class and mass price points, I had no clue if I would ever be able to retrieve them...fortunately it was easier than I thought.
One of Ms. Robinson's pet peeves is lipstick shades. Forget red, this is a woman who doesn't even like rosy passed a certain age. Back in the day, when she was President of Ultima II, she was the one who introduced us to "The Nudes", one of the most successful cosmetic launches of all times.
She firmly believes this is the right course for a more youthful appearing mouth.
I am a huge believer in the power of relying on your closest Gal Pal's for the unvarnished truth.
