2007 November

November 5, 2007

Sipping seasonal martinis, mingling with friends & family and donning your favorite party dress – yes, it’s that time of year again – the holidays! Every BG should have at least two killer dresses that she can wear to various functions throughout the holiday season. Wearing a great dress always makes me feel beautiful and confident. That’s why I especially love the holidays because it gives me a justifiable reason to play dress-up and rock a pretty party dress. Whether it’s a dinner party at one of your girls’ houses, your company’s soiree or a festive family get-together, you should always look fabulous. Here are a few of my favorite fashionable finds. Enjoy!

ECI Beaded Cut-Away Shift Dress: $188 Available at Nordstrom www.nordstrom.com

BCBG Max Azria Strapless Metallic Lace Dress: $360 Available at Nordstrom www.nordstrom.com

Max and Clio Wrap-Style Dress with Tie: $96 Available at Macy’s www.macys.com

Kenneth Cole Reaction Sequin Dress: $126.75 Available at Macy’s www.macys.com

BCBG Max Azria Black Strapless Dress: $412 Available at Nordstrom www.nordstrom.com

Isaac Mizrahi for Targer Trapunto Silver Birch Dress: $49.99 Available at Target www.target.com

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Getting Great Skin

November 1, 2007

How many times have you waken up to a huge, ugly pimple staring back at you in the mirror in the morning? Unless you have flawless skin like fellow BGs Halle Berry or Jennifer Lopez (and they probably have had their days too), odds are that this unpleasant occurrence has happened to you many times before. I know that I can go a few months without experiencing a breakout, but when I do it’s awful.

As most of you already know, acne is caused by several factors, but the most common culprits are hormones and stress. Because we BGs have such full and busy lives, developing stress is almost inevitable. That’s why I try to keep my stress levels down to a minimum as best I can, but when I just can’t shake my issues and pimples begin to appear, I break out my all-time favorite weapons of acne destruction! Using these following items helps get rid of my unwanted guests every time.

I LOVE this stuff! It has these green micro-scrubbing beads that gets rid of dead skin and leaves my skin feeling clean and refreshed.

I’ve been using this stuff since high school and it has never failed. I place it directly on a pimple overnight and it mysteriously disappears by the morning. It’s like having your own cortisone injections right in your own bathroom!

My mother actually introduced me to the wonders of Oil of Olay. I use it once in the morning and again at night. It makes my skin feel and look smooth and soft. I know there are a lot of expensive moisturizing creams and lotions out there, but this one is the best to me!

• NEVER sleep in your makeup. Sleeping in your makeup allows bacteria to seep into your pores overnight. If you want to know the best way to remove your makeup, get the 411 from my fellow blogger Yummy over at http://yummy411.blogspot.com/ for her take on baby wipes VS. makeup wipes.

• Moisturize, moisturize and moisturize some more! Your skin requires moisture in order to function properly.

• Don’t pick or squeeze your pimples. I’m guilty of this too, but the dark spot caused by hyper-pigmentation is not worth it because it can sometimes take months to fade.

• Be sure to only use non-comedogenic and hypoallergenic products on your skin. These products will not clog pores, which will prevent breakouts.

• Don’t scrub your face. Gently wash your face by massaging your skin with your hands or a super soft face towel. Washing your face harshly will irritate the skin that could result in breakouts.

• Exfoliate!! Removing layers of dead skin cells is essential to keeping your skin looking fresh.

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