smooth skin from head to toe...

I have a habit of slathering myself from head to toe with moisturizer. This should be done daily (I believe) and immediately after bathing while skin is still damp to lock in moisture. Moisturizing can be time consuming but after a few weeks you'll have your routine down and see the difference. This is an easy step towards smooth skin. Shikai is a great body lotion and one of my long time favorites. The scents are fresh and clean. Also available non-scented. The lotion feels light on the skin and is perfect for sweaty summer months. Experiment until you find a lotion or body butter that suits you. Just avoid anything containing mineral oil!

fun in the sun...

When the sun is high and the weather is hot a good sunscreen is needed. Korres is great as I mentioned before. My latest favorite, as mentioned by Angelina as well, is Dr. Hauschka mineral sunscreen. Mineral sunscreen sits on the top of the skin instead of being absorbed which many believe can be harmful because of all the chemicals in sunscreen. Available in a range of SPF and as a spray as well. Order here are receive two free Dr. Hauschka trial sizes. Offer available until June 30th.

a good solid Lipstock...

Tired of reapplying your chapstick every five minutes? For lips that can't quite seem to remain soft and supple, Lipstock is a wonderful cream lip conditioner definitely worth trying out. Made with all natural conditioning ingredients such as Watermelon seed oil, Organic Avocado oil and Shea butter. Your lips will gain everything except for that annoying feeling of dryness that comes with using the standard petroleum based lip balm.

back from vacation...

...and before I know it, I am back. Vieques was amazing and highly recommended for those who love to lounge at isolated beaches (above). I always have a great time whenever I travel to Puerto Rico. I stayed at a wonderful apartment on the water with my sister and her friends. I always pack light for the Caribbean, one carry on bag. All you need is a bikini, hat, book and large scarf. Oh and a dress for the plane. My bag and dress (pictured above) are from my friend Mona's beach line Float. She is kind enough to offer all Flawless Beauty readers a 20% discount on all orders through June 30th. Enter flawbeau08 in the discount code box. Click here to see the collection.
While on vacation, my sister and I explored the local fruit stands and discovered the amazing properties of fresh papaya! Papaya is a great natural exfoliant for the skin and very healthy for the body so eat half then make a mask with the rest. The enzymes in a papaya soften and heal by fighting free-radical damage while dissolving dead cells from the skins surface. Similar to pineapple. Just mash, apply directly to skin and leave on for 15 minutes or so then rinse.

Another thing Vieques had a lot of...mosquitoes (yuk). Tea Tree Oil is a great natural mosquito bite soother. I feel like it is a decent insect repellent as well. I always travel with a small bottle when going somewhere humid. Available at most beauty or health food stores.

guest blogger Amanda Martin...

Guest blogger Amanda Martin is co-contributer to 110 Sullivan. She is also better known to some as mother of the adorable Luna from Luna is My Dog (a must-read for pet lovers everywhere!).

Dear Flawless Beauty,
I know that you're, like, totally obsessed with facials, products AND celebrities. It's ok, you don't have to hide it anymore, I am too. Sometimes, I just need to know what Jessica Simpson wore to her birthday party and what size Ashley Olsen's coffee was today! Then I was thinking, how great would it be if someone blogged on Flawless Beauty not just about an amazing spa experience, but the celebrity action involved too!?

Thanks to my lovely Fiance, I was treated to my choice of spa treatment at the infamous Christine Chin Spa in the Lower East Side, which, I quickly discovered is the celebrity spa of choice. As soon as I walked in the waiting room I noticed on the coffee table there were portfolios of celebrity headshots. Three books worth of signed messages, including "thank yous," "I love yous" and "your a savour." Kate Moss, Padma Lakshmi, Carmen Kass, Karolina Kurkova, Eva Longoria, etc etc etc! Little ole' me has an appointment in the same secret beauty lair as Kate Moss?!

Upon arriving, I was greeted by Miss "Mean" Christine - a nickname given by a Vogue editor when Christine left not one pore uncleaned. Her Yorkie BeeBee was with her as well as her army of estheticians.The newly updated spa (moved from a smaller space on Rivington Street to Orchard Street below Delancy) was executed beautifully. I appreciated that it was not just about form, but about function. The waiting area was clean and relaxing. The lighting was dim except for underneath the cabinets where there were a mix of fabulous facial ingredients.The rooms were spotless and had a private bathroom in each.

For my treatment I chose microdermabrasion, something I have never had done before. Afterwards, I was given a green tea calming mask to soothe my skin and I am happy to report no peeling, redness, or any other bothersome side effects. I'm enjoying the softness of my newly discovered skin. Christine Chin's products give the results I need in the scents I like, only that of cleanliness. I was willing to purchase some after the treatment. I left with her signature Nourishing Toner (pictured above), I've used it everyday since and still love it! Overall the pricing was about right for the quality, service and location. I would return again for my next treatment.

My only disappointment of the day was not running into any of the aforementioned celebrities in her small waiting room. Next time I hope...

I also hope all of you can try Christine Chin and please report back to any sightings! Oh and service recommendations too!

XOXO,

Amanda "soon-to-be-Jemanda-officially" Martin

guest blogger Jess G. ...

Guest blogger Jess, is the Creative Director of Cult Beauty blog and the newly launched Cult Beauty website. Jess has a great eye for beauty trends and products that are definitely bathroom shelf worthy!

Right. Hello Flawless Beauty fans! This guest blog comes from across the pond. I write to you from London, the still swinging heart of Blighty. It’s been a long year of blogging and website building here at Cult Beauty and the Cult Beauty blog, but we were thrilled when the Flawless Beauty blogger asked us to whip up a little guest entry for her lovely blog.

We snapped up the opportunity immediately and decided to give you a best of list for the coolest new natural and organic (and we mean it… no green-washing here) brands from this side of the sea:

1. Pai Skincare: it’s a wonderfully gentle yet effective capsule range made by-hand in London proper. The products are so fresh they’re never more than a few weeks old when you order them. The founder’s whipping up a batch of cleanser for us as I type this. We’ve heard from a little birdy that it might be coming to US shores soon.

2. Ila Spa: Seriously beautiful bath salts, facial oils, body balms and more made with Himalayan salts, Moroccan Rose Otto Oil and more fragrant ingredients, all packaged in opaque glass containers in the English countryside. Their facial oil is already a cult item in the UK.

3. Ilcsi: This range is a staple in virtually all Hungarian bathroom cabinets. Still made by the same Auntie Ilcsi that founded the brand half a century ago, it’s so fresh you need to refrigerate the products once you buy them. They use healing Hungarian mineral waters and mud, Stonecrop, Sour Cherry, Carrot and Rose Petal. Fragrant and so good for you that you could eat it.

4. Kirsty Mcleod: This renowned facialst helped Marcia Kilgore get Bliss off the ground in the UK. She had the loveliest little studio in London’s Pimlico neighbourhood but has since upped sticks and started a family. The good thing is that before she did that, she started a range of amazing cosmetics. You’ll find everything from Arctic Raspberry to Pineapple Enzyme in them. The Clarifying Clay Exfoliator is our favourite because it doubles up as a mask and a zit cream. Multi-tasking.

5. The last thing we want to tell you about now is a little beauty secret… one of our favourite skincare experts in London is launching her skincare range at the end of the year. She gives amazing facials and happens to be an expert on Cult Beauty as well! Check out her profile here. We love Sarah and have big hopes for her range!

We’ll leave you with those nuggets of beauty wisdom from the UK for now. For a daily dose of insider beauty news from London, be sure to check out our blog, http://www.cult-beauty.blogspot.co.uk

And, you, Flawless Beauty blog readers, are the first in the States to hear about the online debut of the Cult Beauty website! That’s right… it’s open for business. Check out the cult selection of beauty brands and products, read about our panel of experts and peruse our beauty editorial for the latest in beauty. http://www.cultbeauty.co.uk

guest blogger Mercedes Sullivan...

Mercedes Sullivan, Co-Founder/CEO, Aguacate & Co. (www.aguacateandco.com), and proud signer of the Compact for Safe Cosmetics.

If you haven’t read it, Stacy Malkan’s “Not Just A Pretty Face” is a fascinating book, a kind of “Fast Food Nation” for the cosmetic industry that lays bare some of this little regulated industry’s dirty secrets. Consider this: surveys show the average woman uses between 12 to 20 products per day containing about 160 chemicals, many of them untested and with unknown health risks. That’s in addition to the chemicals that have known health hazards and are still allowed in many products. The effects and total exposure resulting from the combination of the two is still widely unknown.
But for all the gloom about the toxins that are allowed into personal care products (and thus our bodies), the tone of the book is one of promise. For each toxic chemical and health detriment, Malkan traces the beginnings of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, catalogs progress and highlights the positive trends emerging in green science and business. In fact, in an interview, Malkan says, “My hope for the book is that readers will use it to launch their own investigations into the products we bring into our homes, the companies that make them, the government that is supposed to protect us, and the ways we can work together to create a green economy that is healthy for people and the planet."

For more information, visit:
www.NotJustaPrettyFace.org
www.SafeCosmetics.org
www.cosmeticdatabase.com

guest blogger Angelina...

Angelina, founder and buyer for Beklina speaks about her green boutique and her some of her favorite beauty finds. Visit Beklina the blog as well...

Beklina is a small family run boutique in Northern California. Comforted by nature, inspired by design, Beklina is passionate about living at the harmonious crossroads of the two. We hand select the best available in sustainable style. Our fashion is modern organic, reflecting Northern California's grace and beauty. Beklina believes clothing and design can be precious, radical, nurturing, healing and wonderful.

Here are some of my favorite beauty products:

The best sunscreen ever....

All of the products I love smell wonderful. I can't stand synthetic fragrance, only real plant oils for me. My nose always knows too!

Weleda has a wonderful line and their deodorants are amazing. The double as perfume, but all natural for sensitive noses.

I also love the Pangea Organic line. Their lip balm is always a nice treat anytime of day. Egyptian Fennell is my favorite.

Oh and we also recommend always having a hat on hand in Summer. Here's a great easy-to-pack carefree hat that we love. Available at Beklina.

taking a little break...

Above photo of Vieques via Stuck in Customs.

I'm taking a little break, off to Vieques in search of amazing beaches, time to think and a break from the computer! Be back in a couple weeks, in the meantime, keep checking Flawless Beauty for a fun guest blogger or two!

product reviews...

Here's a great write up on Domino Magazines website concerning beauty products. Click here to read. Very informational, they discuss every product on the shelf...and look at that adorable baby succulent. I almost forgot about how much I love plants in the bathroom!

Speaking of plants in the bathroom, there is an amazing show by the very talented Tim Walker on exhibit at The Design Museum in London. I wish I could go! Click here to see what Domino blogger Rita Konig had to say about the exhibition.

a little Sunday inspiration...

The theme for today is all white. I pulled the above images from Apartment Therapy. They had a great post on color themed bathrooms. I added in the silver tub because it's awesome and how amazing would that look in an all white bathroom! I also added in the picture with the wallpaper because I love the idea of an all white bathroom surrounded in print and pattern. There are also some great detail shots in most of these images, there seems to be a theme involving fresh flowers...

cool down with Saaf...

Summer is quickly approaching, time for quick cool down showers. Rinsing with cool water increases circulation in the body and adds a rosy glow to the skin. Also a good trick for people with dry or itchy skin which is easily irritated with hot water. While rinsing, clean with Saaf Pure Shower Gel. Light, refreshing and just right for summer with hints of mandarin, lavender, patchouli, ylang-ylang and Clove. Available at Beautorium. For an extra treat, moisturize your skin afterwards with Saaf Body Balm.

lavender soft skin...

Another great bath recipe from all natural beauty...

• 3 T dried Lavender flowers*

• 1 1/2 cups whole milk, cream, or combination

• 1/3 cup Honey

Process lavender flowers in a blender until they become a powder, turning off the blender and scraping down the sides as necessary. Whisk together lavender powder, milk and honey in a glass bowl. Pour into a jar. Before each use, shake the jar and pour half of the mixture into the bath. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Makes enough for 2 baths.

*Dried lavender flowers can be found in the spice section of gourmet and specialty stores.

Enjoy and relax...

relax with Lulu...

Looking for an amazing facial? Expert skincare advice? I highly recommend LuLu at Scientifica. The space is private and calming. The experience uninterrupted. Lulu will make you feel instantly comfortable. She then works with you to develop a skincare plan, learning about your lifestyle and explains how it coincides with the glow and clearness of your skin. She developed and uses Scientifica products, my favorite is the Hydra-Pure toner, which contains properties that help skin resist water evaporation. For appointments or to order products click here.

the luxury of Jatamansi...

If you asked me what is my most desired product of the moment, I would have to say anything from the organic Jatamansi line by L'Artisan Parfumeur. While searching for products in Paris I came across the L'Artisan Parfumeur, a wonderful candle/perfume shop. On the shelf I noticed this wonderfully simple and beautiful glass bottle of expensive bath oil. I took one sniff and was sold, although honestly they had me at the packaging. Come to find out the line is organic and is available in body lotion, body oil and perfume. Available in the US at Bergdorf Goodman...for a price.

orange is the smell of summer...

New York City has reached the 80's and I finally get to bare some shoulder. This morning I applied the Sweet Orange body sunscreen by Korres. The scent is light and sweet, the texture absorbs well and I came home without tan lines. If you are looking for a good sunscreen for your body and face I highly recommend. Ideal for sensitive skin and water resistant. Another wonderful product by Korres.