drink it up

1. Ren Instant Firming Beauty Shot 2. Dermadoctor Wrinkle Revenge Serum  3. Clarins Hydra Quench Bi-Serum 4. Perricone MD Hyalo Plasma   5. Peter Thomas Roth Viz 1000 Serum 

Taking care of your skin couldn't come at a better time. Most of the country is swept up in Arctic temps, which will leave your skin chapped, red, and dehydrated. Maybe you live in Arizona and are dealing with dry, desert landscapes that equally create Arctic-like havoc on your skin. Or maybe you have oily skin, which breaks out really easily, so the idea of a heavy moisturizer has you terrified. Regardless of your environment, or fears, most of us need more water in our diet, and coincidentally on our face.

That's where Hyaluronic Acid comes in. It sounds scary and potentially dangerous but it's quite the opposite. Hyaluronic Acid (aka Sodium Hyaluronate) is naturally occurring in our skin and plumps up the cells with water-like moisture leaving your skin lubricated, soft and fine lines filled in a bit (if you want a lot of filling, then you get this filler which is primarily made up of Hyaluronic Acid).

The five serums that are featured all contain high amounts of Hyaluronic Acid. A cosmetic chemist once told me that Hyaluronic Acid is a very expensive ingredient, so if you see it high on the ingredient list then that probably explains why you have sticker shock. I have personally tried 4 out of the 5 serums and can tell you that they were like a drink of water for my skin, without feeling greasy (my favorite one is the Perricone Hyalo Plasma though. It has a cushion-y texture that my skin loved and needed). Just apply the serums to clean, dry skin; let it absorb and then follow with your moisturizer (or if you're oily skin, then that is your moisturizer!).

Has your skin changed with the season too? Have you needed to change your skincare routine because of it? I'd love to hear what you're using!

faux real tan

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I don't know about you, but I hate letting go of summer. Maybe it's because I have a summer birthday. Maybe it's because I cannot seem to stay warm in the winter. Maybe it's because I love the beach and swimming. And maybe it's because I hate to let go of my tan- even if it's a fake tan (which it almost always is).

Well if you're like me and want to extend your summer glow into Halloween, than here are a couple of products that will help you look sun-kissed and breakout free, while avoiding the dreaded oompa-loompa face:

1. The Clarins Radiance-Plus Golden Glow Booster is practically pure Dihydoxyacetone, aka DHA, which is the ingredient that tans your skin and is in every sunless tanner. The joy of having a practically pure form of DHA is this: you can buffer it with whatever you want, so it's customizable. Basically, just use your regular moisturizer, add 3-4 drops of the Booster and mix- then spread on your face, neck, etc. This is wonderful if you're already using a specific moisturizer and don't want to switch to something else just to sunless tan.

2. Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Glow Pads come in a box with individual towelette packets that are soaked with an encapsulated DHA, so it's time released and therefore looks more natural. What really sets these pads apart from so many other facial sunless tanners is that they contain Alpha and Beta Hydroxy Acids, so you're exfoliating and brightening your skin while you sunless tan. Genius!


I have personally used both of these tanners and can vouch for their amazingness. Just make sure you spread these babies into your hairline, down your jawline, into your chest, around your neck and up by your ears- no lines of demarkation here! I use this body lotion year-round to keep my limbs from looking pasty, and then my face and body match all the time. It's faux-tan magic!

I also think it's best to sunless tan at night, that way it doesn't effect your makeup during the day. Any sunless tanners you're crazy about?