Friday Giveaway: Revision Intellishade Tinted Moisturizer

A Good Friday deserves a good giveaway, right? Today’s giveaway stars Revision Skincare Intellishade tinted moisturizer with SPF. I’ve blogged about it, written about, told anyone who would listen about it, and now I get to give it away. It is, hands down, my favorite BB (beauty balm). It comes in only two versions, which, I know, is crazy, but I find that it not only wears well alone, but pairs perfectly with all other products. I mix it with pure sunscreen to thin it out, I combine it with foundation to lighten the color when I’m pale, and I mix it with bronzer to make it darker with I’ve got an airbrush tan. The formula is smooth and has a barely there finish. I have two to give away: the Original, with a subtle shimmer, and a matte version.

Enter here to win, and good luck!

Update: The product comes in two versions, not colors. (It’s one-color-fits-all.) The Original isn’t really shimmery so much as it leaves a dewy glow. No glitter here, folks.

Need to Change Your Face Cleanser? Swap to Renée Rouleau and Get a Discount.

Not sure what you're looking for? These are some of my solid favorites.

I’ve always been a fan of Dallas aesthetician Renée Rouleau’s products. They work. Simple as that.

If you’re not digging your current product lineup, now’s the time to try something new. How about something from Renée Rouleau? Go through your cabinet and grab all the non-Renée Rouleau stuff you’re not into and bring it into the spa through Saturday, April 6, and you’ll get 15 percent off a related RR product. For example, if you’re swapping out a cleanser, you’ll get a discounted cleanser. Lotions and potions can be empty, brand new, or anything in between, but if you bring in something that’s gently used, it’ll be donated to The Family Place for women affected by domestic violence.

The spas have two locations: Plano and Dallas, which although is usually by-appointment only, will be open Tuesday to Friday from 9:30 am to 5 pm for this special occasion.

Friday Giveaway: Nude Skincare Bundle

It’s hard giving up this bundle of skincare goodness, but I love you and want the best for you. And Nude Skincare is definitely some of the best. Natural skincare isn’t just for hippies these days. Lines like Nude are merging chemical-free formulas with high performance power. Today’s giveaway includes Nude’s Radiant Day Moisturiser ($52) with n-probiotic active cell nutrient to “stimulate skin to produce its own anti-ageing ingredients,” Miracle Mask ($48), an exfoliating treatment with “natural AHAs with rice beads to transform tired and uneven skin to soft and glowing,” and the ProGenius Treatment Oil ($78), an omega-rich formula that “provides a precisely balanced diet for the skin.”

If this sounds good to you (and really, how could it not?) enter here to win.

Get Pampered. Give Back. All Happening at Lily Med Spa Tonight

photography courtesy of Lily Med Spa

September is National Hunger Action Month, and Lily Med Spa is doing their part to raise awareness. Tonight, from 3 pm to 6 pm, the spa is offering champagne, wine, and hors d’oeuvres, as well as special prices on Botox, Juvederm, photo facials, MicroLaser peels, Jane Iredale makeup, and more. For every treatment purchased, Lily Med Spa will donate a meal to the North Texas Food Bank. While services must be purchased during the event to receive the special prices (and have a meal donated), they can be redeemed at a later date. Take advantages of these prices, which will let you feed your ego as well as someone in need.

Margaux Anbouba is a ShopTalk Intern.

Renée Rouleau’s Anniversary Product Sale is Back: 15% Off Everything

You can find your skin type and start with The Basics collection.

Every year esthetician Renée Rouleau offers her online shoppers a 15 percent discount on all Renée Rouleau goods purchased at www.reneerouleau.com. It’s a helpful little deal for products that are truly effective, but can add up at the register. You’ve got until August 26 to stock up on discounted skincare products. Just enter HP2012 in the promotion code box at checkout.

Don’t Have Time for a Facial? Try These 3 At-Home Products.

Summer wrecks my skin, and I have less time then ever for facials with my kids’ summer camps and sports. Anything you like to use at home to get facial-like results? –Sheryl

There are a handful of products that will deliver more dramatic results than your daily wash/tone/serum/moisturize routine. My favorites: Masqueology single use sheet masks, Renee Rouleau Triple Berry Smoothing Peel, and Kate Somerville Exfolikate.

Jump for details.

(more…)

I’m in Love. With Anna Wintour’s Facialist.

photography courtesy of Joanna Czech

Her name’s Joanna Czech, and now, lucky for us, she lives in Dallas and works at Neiman Marcus downtown. You may have already heard the chic beauty genius is operating in Big D, but have you booked yet? Here’s why you need to pick up the phone:

1. Her current clientele includes Cate Blanchette, Uma Thurman, Christy Turlington, Kate Winslet, and more. (She was Kim Cattrall’s personal skin and wax girl during Sex & the City movie filming.)
2. Treatments are customized. Rather than booking a one-size-fits-all service from the menu, she’ll analyze your skin and recommend a facial that is the perfect fit for you.
3. She knows what she’s doing. (She studied biology and pre-medicine in Poland.) If you’re interested in what’s happening to your face, she’ll walk you through each step of the process, explaining why she’s applying this cream and how that machine works.
4. Her playlist is interesting. It’s nice to have a break from The Nature Store soundtrack. (Not that I don’t like simulated rain sticks.)
5. You can make it a one-stop shop. On top of facials, she’s a real eyebrow guru (I’ve turned my brows over to her), waxing expert, and, if you make it a full day with her, you can snag her for a mani/pedi, too.

Thanks, Anna Wintour, for recommending Joanna to Ken Downing so our faces could have a turn under her skilled hands. This skin savvy will cost you (facials begin at $250), but it’s worth every penny. Call Neiman Marcus’ Michael Flores Salon with Cerón to book.

Texas Summer Beauty Challenge: SPF For Acne-Prone Skin

photo courtesy of StyleSheet

Live through a Texas summer and you know: survival is the goal. But don’t let three-digit temperatures get the best of you. Tune in to our Texas Summer Beauty Challenge series. Intern Kristi McCann is tracking down expert advice to help you get through the summer and look good doing it.

FOR FACE PROTECTION EVEN WITH SENSITIVE OR ACNE-PRONE SKIN:

We’ve all heard the lecture a thousand times: wear sunscreen to protect your skin from the sweltering sun. It’s easy to remember to lather on SPF when you’re at the pool or beach, but wearing an everyday sunscreen is just as important, especially on your face. We hate feeling like we’re clogging our pores with some of the options out there, so we talked to Dr. Peter Malouf, founder of the Center for Skin and Cosmetic Dermatology, for his sunscreen recommendations. (more…)

Blissful Giveaway: “That’s Incredi-Peel” Glycolic Resurfacing Pads

photography courtesy of Bliss

We’ve got three boxes of Bliss’ new That’s Incredi-‘Peel’! glycolic resurfacing pads to give away. The spa, famous for it’s cheeky cosmeceuticals that aim to slim, tighten, and smooth, has created this box set of 30 individually packaged pads that act as little overnight facials to reduce fine lines, wrinkles, and dark spots. From Bliss:

We’ve reinvented the ‘peel’ with these convenient, single-step, no-rinse peel pads, engineered with innovative technology that gradually releases powerful levels of exfoliating glycolic acid throughout the night for serious skin renewal without the harsh irritation. Plus, they’re packed with soothing witch hazel and licorice extract and hydrating glycerin for extra-gentle results. Finally, the secret to smooth, even, radiant skin is ‘revealed’!

To enter to win this giveaway, click here. Good luck!

More Nest News: Elemental Herbology Beauty

photography courtesy of Elemental Herbology

It’s a Nest kind of week. The shop’s just so full of interesting and fun things, do you blame us? Now at Nest: Elemental Herbology.

Consider this British line the middle man between cosmeceuticals and natural products. You won’t find it at Whole Foods, but look at the label and you’ll see it’s chock full of herbs, plant oils, and flower extracts that are there to provide antioxidant properties and skin nutrition. Plus, left out are the uglies: synthetic fragrances, artificial color, mineral oil, sulphates, and paraben preservatives. Pop open any tube or bottle and you can smell the delicious earthiness. New Yorkers and Californians are blessed with the stuff in stores scattered about the coasts, but the only place it’s stocked in the south is at our dear sweet Nest.

1. Cool & Clear facial cleanser. You can smell the antibacterial ingredients tea tree oil and lavender, but it’s not drying.
2. Moisture Milk ultra-light facial hydrator. Three patented technologies help brighten the skin while herbs purify and vitamins and green tea provide antioxidant properties. Perfect for 100-degree temperatures.
3. SOS Circulation Serum. The claim is that it invigorates circulation to improve appearance of cellulite. I’m not sure that it actually works (although the caffeine, sea salt, and grapefruit oil ingredients are proven to increase circulation, draw out toxins, and encourage lymphatic drainage), but I love the way it feels on the backs of my thighs. Psychological thing, perhaps.
4. Perfect Clarity blemish minimizer stick. I like having a more natural replacement for healing blemishes (I’ve given up picking), but all the potent ingredients are here: salicylic acid, lactic acid, sulfur, rosemary, lavender, and tea tree oil.

Fancy Pants Giveaway: PaloVia At-Home Skin Renewing Laser

This PaloVia at-home laser kit can be yours with the small price of filling out an entry form.

Before and after shots as part of the PaloVia press kit.

I have not used this bad boy myself, so I can’t promise you you’ll look like your teenage daughter after a few uses, but I can tell you the PaloVia Skin Renewing Laser’s purpose (to “reduce fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes”) and its retail price ($499).

The spiel as it was pitched to me:

The PaloVia™ Skin Renewing Laser™ is the only FDA-cleared, at-home laser clinically proven to reduce fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes. Now, the same patented laser technology proven by dermatologists for more than a decade has been adapted and perfected for use at home. It delivers a visible improvement in fine lines and wrinkles in just one month. The laser generates short pulses of micro-fine laser light that reach deeply into the skin’s sub-layers, where wrinkles form, treating the aging support structure. Then the body’s natural healing process sweeps away older, damaged tissue and rebuilds it with fresh new collagen and elastin – the crucial building blocks of smooth, youthful skin. Best of all, it fits seamlessly into your life – because it’s fast and easy to use. Each treatment session takes just 3-4 minutes. Use it daily for one month, and then just 2 times per week to maintain your results.

The kit comes with the laser, pre-treatment gel, charger, storage case, and instructions. The initial phase requires once-a-day treatment for 30 days (but remember only 3-4 minutes) and the follow-up maintenance consists of twice-a-week touch-ups “ongoing.” To to win this loaded weapon, enter here.

Book These Treatments Now: Natura Bissé Facial at Ritz-Carlton and Tan and Teeth Whitening at Facelogic

A South Seas tan. (photo courtesy of South Seas)

I’m not going to pretend life is hard as an editor  forced to review to facials and airbrush tans for the job, but I’ve been through my fair share of mediocre treatments and tan jobs ala Oompa-Loompa. But I love risking my body for the price of potential orange streaks so that I can tell you, dear readers, which treatments to try and which treatments aren’t worth the dough. Three services you must enjoy: Natura Bissé Aroma Awakening facial at The Spa at the Ritz-Carlton and the airbrush tan and Da Vinci one-hour teeth whitening at Facelogic.

Jump for details.

(more…)

Meet Aesthetician Kate Somerville This Week. Your Face Will Thank You.

My can't-live-withouts: Quench Hydrating Face Serum, Deep Tissue Repair Cream with Peptide K8, and ExfoliKate Intensive Exfoliating Treatment.

I have picked my can’t-live-without skincare products from brands all over the board. I’ve got my earth-friendly Hugo Naturals soap stock, luxurious Chanel Hydra Beauty Gel Creme, beloved Revision Skincare Intellishade tinted moisturizer, etc. But if you asked me my two favorite skincare lines ever, it would come down to Renee Rouleau (whose purse we spilled yesterday) and Kate Somerville. These are lines that I love from wash to moisturizer and everything in between. My love affair with the Kate Somerville line began when I had the opportunity to sit down with Kate and talk product. Her understanding of skin from the inside out and passion for results is what drives this collection of lotions and magic potions. (Read up on her philosophy here.) The deal was sealed when I played with several products from the line. Each one had a glorious texture and an immediate effect on my face. You have an opportunity to meet Kate, too, in a Master Class at the Kate Somerville counter at Neiman Marcus Willowbend on Friday, and I highly recommend it if you’re in the market to see difference in your skin. Friday, April 27 at 11 am or 2 pm. Reservations can be made by calling Gina at 972-629-1700 ext. 1333.

If you can’t make this work, consider picking up the Glow Kit. You’ll be as head over heels as I am. I know it.

What’s in Aesthetician Renée Rouleau’s Bag?

photography by Matthew Shelley, design by Charlotte Tobin

We’re lucky to still have access to Renée Rouleau here in Dallas. The aesthetician is always en route to LA and New York to pretty the punims of celebs, but she still makes time for her Dallas clients. When she’s out of town, you can rely on her line of products to keep your skin in check. (My favorites include the Luxe Mint Cleansing Gel, the new Glow Enhancing Cream, and most recently, the Soothing Eye Makeup Remover.) She’s fun to spot at events, too, always with a matching mani and eyeshadow job and occasionally a quirky and whimsical accessory (like her pink fascinator and faux tattoo at DIFFA). I knew it would be fun to look in her bag.

Renée's Valentino bag

1. Crossfit socks.
2. Tina Craig ostrich wallet
3. Payment reader
4. Motley Crue ticket stub. “I grew up in the 80s.”
5. Water. “Hydrated skin is healthy skin.”
6. Wisp toothbrushes. “For in between clients–my career is spent inches from people’s faces.”
7. (from top) MAC Cremesheen Glass in “Fashion Scoop” and “Loud & Lovely,” and Lancome Color Fever Gloss. “I love color.”
8. Business card holder
9. Renee Rouleau Daily Protection SPF 30 and Synergy.
10. Duracell Instant Power Charger
11. Vintage lock. “My husband gave me this from Tunisia.”
12. Lab sample of “new top secret product”
13. Keys to Harley. “I have a 2009 Sportster with loud pipes and a custom paint job.”
14. Mini nail files and Colore Science Mineral Powder SPF 50 as a “way to touch up sunscreen through the day.”
15. Altoids and Band-Aids. “It’s part of a woman’s survival kit.”
16. Renee Rouleau Skin Drink. “To keep my skin hydrated on the go.”
17. Jewelry: beaded bracelet from Cape Town (“One of my favorite cities”) and Shona earrings and necklace for “going from day to night.”
18. No Picking Twisty Toy.
19. Renee Rouleau samples. “When I hand out business cards, I also hand out a sample.”
20. Rosetta Stone. “I’m French and my husband’s French, so I use this to keep fresh on my French.”
21. iPhone
22. Photos with husband.
23. Ted Baker “Hoola” quilted iPad case.
24. Vogue sunglasses.

Peek into more purses.

Eyes Burn After Removing Your Makeup? Not with This Stuff.

I hate using facial cleansers to scrub off stubborn eye makeup remover. I feel like I’m scrubbing off layers of my young eyelids with all the salicylic acid in my cleansers. I don’t always love eye makeup remover, either. It either does the job and is full of grease, does the job and burns like hot lava, or stays gentle on my skin but leaves mascara crunchies behind. Behold the power of Renee Rouleau’s new(ish) Soothing Eye Makeup Remover. It is both mighty and gentle with its pH balance of 7.2 (apparently similar to tears). It’s also oil free, fragrance free, and all that healthy jazz. Only $19.50 at Renee Rouleau spas and online.