WHAT: A 5K Run and 5K Walk, Health Expo and Finish Line Festivities

WHEN: Saturday, May 1, 2010 – One Week before Mother’s Day Weekend

WHERE: Begins in Times Square and finishes in Central Park (www.iboughtittoday.com after party to follow @ 12:30, Cask Bar NYC, all are invited!)

WHO: 40,000 dedicated men, women and children

WHY: To raise awareness and critical funds for women's cancers research, treatment, counseling and outreach programs.

BACKGROUND: Created in 1993 through the committed and collective efforts of the Entertainment Industry Foundation, Lilly Tartikoff and Ronald O. Perelman, the EIF REVLON Run/Walk For Women has grown to become one of the nation’s largest 5K fundraising events. To date, the Run/Walks (in Los Angeles and New York) have distributed nearly $60 million dollars for cancer research, treatment, counseling and outreach programs. Thanks in part to these funds, new treatments are being developed and lives are being saved.

Event Hotline (212) 379-3199

You can participate as either a runner or a walker. Simply register in this year’s event and be a part of helping to defeat women’s cancers. Help raise funds for the Run/Walk beneficiaries so they can continue with life saving research and provide valuable services to the women in our lives – our mothers, sisters, aunts and daughters.

We’ve got the Womentum. Cancer doesn’t stand a chance.

With one in three women predicted to develop cancer in her lifetime, everyone has felt the effect of women’s cancers. Now it’s time for women’s cancers to feel the effect of us – our determination, our strength, our optimism, our refusal to surrender. In a word, a word that the EIF REVLON Run/Walk For Women embodies uniquely every year … our Womentum.

Just one week before Mother’s Day, the morning of Saturday, May 1st will be like no other. Buoyed by the knowledge of the difference you are making and exhilarated by the energy of the Run/Walk crowd, you will discover the part of yourself that lets you be a part of something bigger than yourself … your Womentum.

You don’t have to be a woman or an athlete – you just have to care about winning the fight against women’s cancers!

HELP/HOPE

Beyond the cheering and confetti lies the knowledge that we are participating for a purpose: to raise enough money to move the dial in the fight against women’s cancers.

THE www.iboughtittoday.com 2nd ANNUAL AFTER PARTY!!

This year our Mimosa Fundraiser will be hosted by Cask Bar NYC.  Event participants, friends and family are invited to continue the day with us and continue to fundraise, Saturday, May 1 @ 12:30. 

The bar is contributing proceeds from every mimosa sold to team www.iboughtittoday.com.

This years event is being hosted by Halle Berry, Jessica Alba, Jessica Biel, Dr. Oz, Jesse L. Martin & Trey Songz.  Last year the team got to pose with Jimmy Falon, is 2010 the year of Berry and Oz?

REGISTER NOW 

DONATE NOW

The days of compromising style to maintain a fitness regimen are over so no more excuses. It's time to hit the gym in style.  Tave developed Physhion knowing full well (she is raising four boys) that reaching into the depths of a bag for lip gloss can turn even the most put together woman into a red faced lunatic.  

With several styles to choose from there's a Physhion bag for every woman.  The bags compliment any look from corporate suit to yogi fashionista.  My favorite, the Vixen (shown below) had women bag-stalking me. The compliments didn't stop and even while it sat quietly in my house guests couldn't keep their eyes off of it! The bags come fully equipped with programmable gym locks, gym pass holders, removable waterproof pouches, key chain holders and several pockets for shoes and water bottles. 

You can stash the entire contents of your handbag, toiletries, gym clothes, sneakers, Hint water, Gnu Foods bars, your cell, an iPod and I'm going to even go so far as to say a small laptop - effortlessly.  Don't believe me?  Take a look inside.

Looking for a stylish diaper bag?  This will more than do the trick and have the mommies going gaga.

See the Italian patent leather and espresso snake skin piping details for yourself at Equinox Fitness Shops and Pure Yoga East or online at Physhion.com and eBags.com.

You no longer have to be one bag away from driving a Whole Foods shopping cart down Fifth Avenue. It's not sexy.  Follow Physhion on Facebook and Twitter to be the first to know about new products and special offers!

"Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives."

You know what I mean.  Time slips away and before you know it that youthful glow is gone, replaced with wrinkles, crows feet, spots and scars.

My personal struggle has just begun.  With typically dry skin and a sensitivity to detergents I find it impossible to stay in hotels and it's always a very expensive winter at the beauty counter.  Rashes, dry patches and the onset of fine lines have had me poking around to find the solution to all of my problems, present and future.

Having given Intraceuticals Rejuvenate Moisture Binding Cream (Suggested Retail: $89.00) a test run after meeting with Michelle Peck (check out this great piece on her in Interview) for a product introduction I felt like there might be some hope for my face surviving this winter.

The cream is light yet nutrient dense and it delivers a healthy dose of antioxidants, squalane and jojoba.  I have to be honest, I indulge in dark chocolate and red wine often.  Though they may also contain antioxidants they aren't as kind to the skin.  What I really love about the cream is that it isn't sticky.  It soaks into the skin leaving you looking naturally moisturized.  I can't say the same about my winter creams of past.

How Does it Work?

• Vitamin A, green tea and macadamia oil are powerful antioxidants to support healthy cell growth and help reduce free radical activity
• Aloe Vera, geranium and jojoba oil help to soothe, calm, and condition the skin
• Wheat germ helps to restructure the skin and reinforce the skin’s barrier
• Used in combination with Intraceuticals Rejuvenate Hydration Gel you'll maximize and prolong the benefits of the Intraceuticals Rejuvenation Infusion Treatment

Just when things were looking up, they got even better.  Two weeks into my new relationship with Intraceuticals Rejuvenate Moisture Binding Cream I met with Michelle Peck again, this time to receive an Intraceuticals Infusion Treatment.  Until I got the full scoop from Michelle on who hearts this 'facial' I had no clue that this is the treatment of the stars (and people determined to look like them). Ehem.

This is the only treatment to use therapeutic-grade oxygen to help deliver targeted active serums and incredible de-aging benefits to skin’s structural layers.  Brighter, fresher, and visibly firmer, lifted and more flawless, the results are seen and felt in just one treatment and last far longer. 

I walked unwound and relaxed to look at myself in the mirror.  The cooling sensation felt throughout the treatment in tandem with Michelle's approachable and sincere nature sent me off to dinner that night with an inner glow shining through noticeably improved skin. 

Yes, that's right.  I went to dinner straight after getting a facial, and I looked better than ever!

How Does It Work?

These elements achieve instant and dramatic results:  

• Therapeutic-grade oxygen under pressure aids the delivery of age and other defying actives to deeper layers of the skin while cooling and calming it to prevent irritation, inflammation or redness.
• Unique Rejuvenate Serum contains a unique low-molecular weight Hyaluronic Acid and a powerful vitamin and antioxidant combination. The Hyaluronic Acid helps deliver the other active ingredients more effectively and instantly hydrates the skin.
• The result is firmness, less visible fine lines and wrinkles and improved facial contours as well as an overall radiance.
• Nourishing antioxidant blend fights free radical aging
• See younger firmer, undeniably lifted skin in just one treatment

INSIDE SCOOP: This treatment is the go-to before an important event, special appearance or any other big day. From e-profile photos to reunions to red carpets, Intraceuticals Infusiontreatments deliver amazing ROI – radiance on investment.

Justin Timberlake is quoted as saying "It makes my skin look dope." So how do you get 'dope' skin too? Get dialing.

The New York Intraceuticals Clinic
Yasmine D'Jerradine
30 E. 60th Street
New York, NY 10022
212-588-1771

Treatment Support Products seal in and supplement skin nutrients for the maximum synergistic effect and longer lasting results.  Shop the online store for products for every skin type and concern. 

1.) A Gratitude Wrap from Lululemon.  Why?  Because it's cozy and would be great to throw on over my gym clothes to get to and from intenSati without a bulky winter coat!

2.) Blinged Out Band-Aids from Charles & Marie. No, I'm not kidding. I cut myself in the kitchen regularly, so why shouldn't I have accessories for my boo-boos?

3.) I really want Jillian Michael's stylist.  Next best thing, a Moncler Coat.

4.) Two weeks at any Splendia Luxury Hotel, but I'd like to start with asking Santa to send me to Hotel Arts in Barcelona!

 5.) This really should be at the top of my list.  I'd like two of each please.  What!?...you get a discount on 12!  

• Wolffer Estate Vineyards Merlot 
• Cakebread Cellars Cabernet
• Cantina Frentana Rubesto Montelpulciano
• La Cream Pinot Noir
• Ridge Zinfandel
• Maretima Primitivo Sicilia

Rose-Marie has endured a personal struggle; she found out the ugly beauty truths behind the cosmetic industry the hard way.  She lost her hair, her memory and suffered greatly because of her one true love, dabbling in all of the products the beauty industry mass markets.  As a makeup artist to the stars, Rose-Marie knows true beauty, she knows that the skin we live in is the same skin we live in for the rest of our lives.  "Look after it."  She couldn't live without color, so she took it upon herself to find a better way.

In preparation for my one-on-one with Rose-Marie, I pulled out all of my make-up tricks to try to look my absolute best.  She saw right through my mistakes, she saw something beneath my heavily applied mask. Something that I often fail to realize.  I have good, youthful skin that I will destroy if I'm not as kind to it as I am my body.  Exercise, organic foods and natural products have become a part of my daily ritual.  Why should my cosmetic routine be anything less?  Why should I hide what I have and hurt what I have while I'm at it?

Each product in the rms beauty line is manufactured with Rose-Marie watching every step of the process.  From sourcing organic food grade ingredients at whatever cost and finding labs to test and develop each ingredient without harming a single animal or human in the process, she's watching.  Scary but true, she said "Just because a product claims to not have been tested on animals doesn't mean that one of its ingredients hasn't been."  She claims she's happily difficult when it comes to production, that the labor involved can be grueling, but she hopes for a day when everyone knows the truth and she'll be there holding the solution.  Rose-Marie has proudly created the cosmetic line that will reshape the way women prepare themselves for the world.  She has set the bar high for competitors, with no one taking the challenge to create small batch, hand made cosmetics that have your personal health in mind.

Rose-Marie wiped my slate clean and dabbed into the tiny pots of color on her work table, a little pink here and bit of shine there.  All of the colors multitasking as cover up or eyeshadow base, lip to cheek color, shimmer for you lips, eyes, cheekbones and nose.  I left with six small jars of color weighing next to nothing, no spillage, no bulky bottles all working in tandem to create looks from office appropriate to evening ready. 

My two faves are the simply vanilla lip & skin balm $25 and lip2cheek in muse $36 (pictured).

As the 2009 Editor's Pick by Natural Solutions Magazine for Best Eyeshadow in their "Beauty with a Conscious Awards," rms beauty is celebrating by offering their trend-setting eyeshadows at a new "come hither" price.

This fall the runways at New York's fashion week proved that rms beauty is always keeping on trend. Glossy, reflective eyeshadows were seen on all the major catwalks, just like the luxurious finish seen in the rms beauty cream eyeshadows.

For a special limited time, all rms beauty cream eyeshadows are specially priced at $28 - offered in 6 shades, these light reflecting cream eyeshadows create a sheer, refined metallic glow with all the benefits of raw mineral pigments without the dryness that occurs with minerals alone. They have a subtle, glossy, light reflecting quality to them giving them a very unique finish, both modern and youthful.  rms beauty cream eyeshadows double as an eye cream to nourish and moisturize eye area separating them from commercial eyeshadows that accelerate aging and emphasize lines. It works wonders on dry or aging eyes.

Visit rms beauty to purchase Rose-Marie's products and for more information on the complete line.

Superskin Moisturizer
Special blend of pomegranate fruit extract, cranberry seed oil and natural-source vitamin E.
Improves skin elasticity, prevents moisture loss, and helps to protect from environmental damage.
Leaves skin looking and feeling plump, firm and rejuvenated.
 
Superskin Concentrate
·        Intense, aromatic blend of 100% pure plant oils including softening argan and organic rosehip oils, soothing neroli, lavender and chamomile essential oils.
·        Leaves skin radiant and youthful.
 
Click here and here to watch Liz Earle sourcing Superskin ingredients Shea Butter and Kigelia in Africa
 
Liz Earle Naturally Active Skincare is available at:
www.lizearle.com
Customer Centre: 1-800-515-5911
STUDIO at Fred Segal, Santa Monica, CA

Be sure to check out our or original post in the Archives.

The scale hasn't budged, but then you wonder,...

"How did that Hershey's Kiss wrapper get in my pocket?"

More often than not, we think we're right on track with our diet and fitness only to be haunted by the scale or the seam of our pants.  Beyond a few poor food choices, medications and health conditions also play into how our weight fluctuates. 

Now you can keep track of what you eat, when you eat it, when you exercise and more with Food IQ 3. 

This iPhone diet and fitness tracking application was designed with customization in mind.  You can track everything from calories eaten to sodium levels (hello blood pressure). 

Diabetics can easily monitor carb and sugar intake right from their phones.   

Food IQ 3 is one simple and easy to use app that allows you to count calories and fat by just selecting the foods you have eaten from a database. You can track the medications you've taken, keep notes, log your weigh-ins and also find out just how many calories you burned on that treadmill.  

Take a peek at how easy it is to track the broccoli you've eaten and see how it plays into the progress of your day:

Here's a snapshot of Food IQ 3's dynamic health condition and medication tracking:

Here's a quick list of features unique to Food IQ 3:

• Track any number of nutrients
• Set a daily target for any number of nutrients
• Set display order for nutrition information
• Meal summaries
• Meal categories
• Exercise tracking with over 2000 exercises
• Redesigned weight tracking
• The ability to edit any portion of any meal, including serving size and time
• Near instant startup
• Blood Glucose and Medication tracking
• Choose which food categories to include in searching
• Share custom foods and recipes with other users
• Text file download for meals

Food IQ 3 offers an incredible and affordable add-on.  For less than $20 a year you can sync the data from your phone to a web interface at www.myfoodiq.com.  The site is a great way to backup your information in the event you lose your phone or need to reset it.  Additionally, if you are away from your device you can log in to update your information.

For more information on the app visit www.myfoodiq.com or visit the iTunes store to get it today for just $1.99.

Be sure to check out my original review HERE and head to Sephora.com to buy HerCut today!

Here's what Sephora has to say:

HerCut redefines hair care by working with the form, shape, and movement of your own personal hairstyle. Why? For your hair to perform at its very best, each strand needs to be supported with shampoos, conditioners, and styling aids that work with the natural behavior of your hairstyle. Accordingly, HerCut created products based on the five basic cuts (like the bob, long layers, etc.). Every formula utilizes cut-specific polymers—combined with controlled positive, negative, and neutral charges—to deliver the specific, optimal styling benefits each cut needs to look its best. Shag haircuts will have the separation, depth, and dimension they deserve, while long-layered looks will move effortlessly in all the right places. It's new technology in hair care. Where will it take your next haircut?

Recently (while not wearing any perfume) I received a compliment on my fragrance.  Slightly embarrassed (like I said, just not in the budget) I shrugged it off. Then, I received another compliment about how great I smelled.  I couldn't figure it out.  There's nothing so amazing about my unscented body wash or drugstore brand lotion.  Then, I realized, it was my hair.

I was in desperate need of a trim, my hair was fried and I was starting to look like a witch. It was time to break out some products from my secret stash and pray for a miracle.  A good friend of mine from college swears by Moroccanoil Treatment, a professional Argan Oil-infused hair product with a serious cult following that my hairdresser introduced me to.  My friend’s hair always looks amazing, but it's thick and curly and I'm sure it isn't easy to manage (Catherine, how do you do it?).

Without time to get to my hairdresser, I reached for Moroccanoil Treatment.  After shampooing I rubbed a little between my palms and combed it through my hair.  The first thing I noticed was how rich it smelled.  By rubbing it in prior to blow-drying, I was using it as a shine product, but it can also be used as a finishing product and as a styling product. 

Beyond the fragrance and multiple ways to use it, the treatment protects against UV damage and other environmental hazards.  The Moroccanoil Treatment formula contains Vitamins A, E and F (Omega 6), as well as phenols and tocopherols to nourish the hair and scalp, promote healing and repair and relieve dry, itchy conditions (thanks to the miracle like properties of the Argan Oil it contains). 

The results were astounding.  While blow-drying I had no difficulties getting my brush to cooperate and it actually looked like I had just cut my hair.  My locks were shiny, supple and full of life, not to mention the overall color of my hair was richer, more true it itself, not sunburned and frizzled.  A classy apothecary style glass jar (3.4 fl. oz.) retails for $39 and the smaller size (0.85 fl. oz) just $14.  My hair is pretty long and I only use a dime before styling or on my ends when pulling hair back into a sleek ponytail.  It lasts forever (I started using it months ago and I still have half of a large jar) and it covers a dozen duties.  It’s no wonder that the pro-products won two coveted Stylist Choice Awards: “Favorite Prestige Styling Product” and “Favorite Product You Can’t Live Without.”  If that doesn’t say it all, keep reading.

After figuring out that my “secret weapon” solved my hair styling woes and pitched in while out of perfume, I had to learn more about the brand.  There's nothing more luxurious for your hair than a deep conditioning treatment.  Salons charge a fortune, so doing at home is the way to go.  I opted for the Moroccanoil Intense Hydrating Mask, an intensive, heat-free, rinse-out deep conditioning treatment that treats hair with moisture and protein, adding shine and elasticity.  The best thing about this product is that it works without weighing down locks and it has reduced the amount of conditioner I use.  The mask is now a part of my weekly routine and at $31 (8.5 fl. oz.) it will last a few seasons and keep my hair tame during the blustery, high static prone winter months ahead.

Fashionistas!  Celebrity stylist Robert Vetica, author of the new book "Good to Great Hair" uses Moroccanoil products to style Salma Hayek, Kyra Sedgwick and Rosario Dawson.  Have you ever seen them with a bad hair day? Need more proof?  Enzo Angileri, another celeb stylist used Moroccanoil Treatment to create Grammy looks for Taylor Swift and Katy Perry.  More?  Star stylist Jenny Cho recently used the product on Claire Danes and Sandra Oh.  You need some glimmer in your life!  I'm loving Moroccanoil Glimmer Shine Spray.  One sprits of this wallet friendly finishing spray goes a long way to create an invisible veil of luminous shine.  Infused with Argan oil to protect hair from the damaging effects of UV rays and free radicals, it creates a smooth radiant finish, while strengthening hair.  I reach for this whenever I forget to use the Moroccanoil Treatment before styling (rare!) or for a night out on the town. Who couldn't use some glimmer to perk things up at just $24 (3.4 fl. oz)?

Okay, so it smells great, multi-tasks, and?  Moroccanoil supports women and families by harvesting the Argan oil under a free trade program in the Souss-Massa region of Morocco.  Revenue from the project provides income to families, helps improve working conditions of rural women (used for reading, writing and basic management classes, as well as modern infrastructure and technology that help make harvesting easier and more efficient), and even helps ensure long-term management of the Argan forest.

What separates Moroccanoil's products from its imitators (impostors are out there) is its exclusive manufacturing technique and how the precious oil is processed and handled.  Only Moroccanoil products are made and refined in Israel, a country with one of the highest manufacturing standards in the world, at a state-of-the-art facility that expertly preserves the integrity of the oil's nutritious components.  Genuine Moroccanoil has a bright turquoise label with a large copper "M" in the Moroccanoil Logo.  Check out the snapshots and be sure to purchase your Moroccanoil products from a salon near you using their locator linked HERE.

I can’t say enough about this industry pioneer.  Check out their incredible website at Moroccanoil.com for additional product info, updates, the salon locator, product launches and more. 

Brooklyn Bowl

61 Wythe Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11211  T: (718) 963-3369

This is not just a bowling alley, it's a destination.  From the minute you walk in the door, you are NOT transported to the bowling alley your memory serves up from childhood birthday parties.  This place has it all.  Part nightclub, part bowling alley, all food.  The lanes are perfect, the bowling shoes won't have you looking for odor eaters and the food (Blue Ribbon) will have you going back for more. I recently went just to eat.

Must Haves

Rock. And Roll. Fries

Gravy, cajun spice, provolone & cheddar.  The first time fries alone have me wanting to revisit. 

Mac & Cheese

Baked with breadcrumbs.  Four thumbs up.  That means two people I know really thought this broke the cheese mold.  Sorry, couldn't help myself.

Fried Chicken Platters

New York Magazine featured the platter in their most recent issue.  Matzo-meal-and-flour coating, Pullman bread, scores high on the chicken bucket list as pretty good cold the next day.

You should definitely head there early to reserve a lane while you calorie-load for the energy it takes to strike.  Not into counting to 300?  Check out their live music line-up.

Egg

135 North 5th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11211 T: (718) 302 5151

I love breakfast.  Really.  When I'm at home it generally ends up being the same go-to of organic peanut butter, fresh preserves and organic cinnamon raisin bread.  Though I love it, it gets tired, and finding a place that dishes up a local and organic jumpstart to my day just minutes from home really rocks.  Not to mention, the French press coffee is up there on the top of the java charts.  I can't say enough about how worthwhile the caffeine shakes are from a pot for two (for one). 

Must Haves

2 Eggs Any Style

I went poached. Get the Organic White Toast.  I never thought toast could be so amazing, light and buttered with some kind of scrumptious oil.

Eggs Rothko

Easy cooked egg in the hole of Amy's brioche.  Grafton cheddar.  I could go on, but do I really need to?

Buttermilk Biscuit

Don't let this "side" fool you.  It's huge and yummy.

The wait to get in for breakfast or brunch can get long and frustrating, but it's rare to find too many waiting early in the morning on a Saturday.  Who gets up early in Brooklyn anyway?  Head over around 9AM, the coffee will perk you right up.

Siggy's Good Food

76 Henry Street, Brooklyn Heights, NY 11201 T: (718) 237-3199

I'm an organic addict.  Finding a full menu of organic foods really brought my addiction front and center and fed every ounce of my needs.  Plotted on a quiet block in Brooklyn Heights, Siggy's is a great spot for lunch with a friend or for an afternoon of grazing while reading the paper.

Must Haves

Cheese Lover Heaven

Though I ordered something else, my lunch date offered me a bite of her cheese lover.  I fell in love at first bite and considered fighting her for the plate.  Brie De Marze, sliced green apples & un-sweetened fig spread topped with slivered almonds & olive oil.

Garden Veggie Sandwich

Avocado, tomatoes, cucumbers, alfalfa Sprouts, shaved Carrots, lettuce & homemade parsley hummus.  This was the healthiest wrap I've ever encountered.  After sampling the focaccia, I'd swap the wrap for the thicker bread and still feel really good about what I had for lunch.

Organic and Biodynamic Wines

The list is extensive and features some of the best organic wines I've samples.  Definitely go with anything from Frey.

Beyond how nutritious and delicious the food at Siggy's is, the prices are perfect and the portions are sizeable.  Their lunch specials featuring half soup and half sandwich are economically ideal.  I'd give my laptop for a cheese lover right now.

Brooklyn Heights Wine Bar

50 Henry Street, Brooklyn Heights, NY 11201 T: (718) 855-5595

After lunching at Siggy's I wandered a few store fronts down Henry Street to Brooklyn Heights Wine Bar.  Though I only had one glass of Montelpulciano (my favorite, must be the Southern Italian blood in me), I really loved the atmosphere.  It was quiet, but it was early and our bartender said that the place, which opened in June definitely draws a crowd.  I eyeballed a jar of marcona almonds with bacon that has my name on it for a return visit.  I couldn't help but peek into the kitchen, immaculate and spotted with cheeses and pastas, I can't wait to get back for a little bit of everything, which the menu makes easy.

I'll report back after a healthy dose of taleggio and prosciutto.  Who's buying?

This concludes my Brooklyn Eats roundup!  This is the first article iboughtittoday.com has featured just about restaurants, and I'd love your feedback. 

Do you want more? 

Well, I do, so I have to go throw something together to eat!

Today I have two must haves for you.  The first, unplanned, came to me last night. 

I have been a La Mer devotee for years.  Creme de la Mer, one of my few insanely overpriced indulgences, is so absolutely worth every cent, I can't give it up.  I have extremely dry skin, and even during the summer, dry patches strike.  When I first heard that J. Lo bathes herself in this stuff (Google it, I swear), I figured I'd try to get my hands on a sample.  Once I did, there was no turning back.  Rich but gentle enough to use as an eye cream, and so concentrated that a little goes a long way, the price tag becomes less of a factor.  At just over $100 bucks an ounce, yes, shrieks at the cosmetics counter!  The deal is that the ounce can easily last 6 months, you can ditch your eye cream and the results are astounding. Don't believe me?  Bloomingdale's always has samples, ask and you shall receive (enough for a few weeks).

The real deal, must have, no way to say no is La Mer's The Powder.  I bought a jar of it when I ran out of Bare Escentuals Mineral Veil.  Now, any BE user knows that stuff is pretty amazing for $19.  I was at the Bloomie's counter picking up my Creme de la Mer when I was taunted by a gift with purchase requiring me to spend a bit more (okay a lot more).  I went for the powder, testing it on my hand, astonished by how the little granules just sat glistening.  I'm a sucker, so I fell for it and received enough samples with my GWP that I haven't been back to the counter since.  That was in April.  No, not April 2009, April 2008!

Yesterday, after a fun weekend with family I posted a few pictures from our outings on Facebook.  In a matter of minutes I was told how great my skin looked. I owe it all to that powder.  For $65 I haven't even made it half way through the jar in over a year.  It's packaged so securely that even the salesman explained that it won't be contaminated by the environment, and it will stay fresh forever.  Mineral Veil, though much less expensive isn't so well packaged, doesn't nearly get me the compliments, and wouldn't come close to lasting three months, let alone two years (that's at least how long I expect the jar to last).

The only con sitting among the list of pros is the jar is glass, heavy and way too big to carry.  I got around this for about $4.  Sephora sells little refillable plastic powder dispensers.  Fill it up and you're good to travel.  I have to admit that the jar is pretty enough to leave out on my dresser, so the size doesn't bother me a bit. 

Not sold yet?  One aesthetician called my skin "milk" on a day when I was wearing the powder.  MILK!

What a compliment!  A compliment that if I hadn't been wearing the powder might have gone more like "spoiled" milk.  If you treat yourself to ONE thing this month let this be it.

I feel like I owe you a few more suggestions to make up for the shortage over the last few weeks.  As many of you know, I have made it my business to try to swap out as much of my grocery list as possible for organic food.  It was difficult at the start.  I went through my cabinets after reading Jillian Michaels Maser Your Metabolism (awesome book--I'll review this soon enough) and found that most of what I had stashed was filled with preservatives and ingredients that I couldn't even pronounce.  Red Dye Number XXX isn't something that I can justify ingesting.

Within weeks I realized that if I can't get an organic version of what I'm looking for, chances are I don't really need it in the first place. Contrary to the excuses that most people rely on (cost and taste) organic food isn't all that much more expensive, it's often on sale and it tastes better and lasts much longer than many conventional foods. 

One of my absolute favorite finds is Gourme Mist.  Remember the Misto?  The Misto is a refillable pressurised sprayer that you add your own olive oil to to limit the amount used when dressing a salad or spraying a frying pan.  The problem with the Misto was that a.) it was expensive and b.) it would get clogged easily.  Gourme Mist is very affordable, it tastes delicious and it comes with 100% USDA Organic Olive Oil.  It's eDiets approved and has just five calories per serving.  What's even cooler is they sell small travel sized misters for under $6, perfect for trying, travel or for the backyard when grilling.   

Gourme Mist is non aerosol and propellant free.  I gave a few samples to other health minded associates and the feedback was A+ across the board.  Their flavored vinegars had taste testers asking for more.  From Organic Canola to Pomegranate Balsamic Vinegar, the flavor combinations went amazing on salads, grilled chicken and my favorite was on pork chops.  The mister makes it easy to keep portions controlled and still enjoy the heart healthy benefits of olive oil. 384 servings of organic olive oil for just $8.99 is a steal.  Check out your area here to find Gourme Mist in a store near you or order it direct from gourmemist.com.

I hope that these two product suggestions (though very different in nature) keep you going and get you excited for the next to come!

It has been an incredible year for iboughtittoday.com.  The site has turned into the place for unearthing must haves and a platform for discussing everything from effective face cream to a good beach read.

$2 Per Razor x 52 Weeks = $104 Year x 60 Years = $6,240.

• One underarm wax at a midtown spa: $24.

$24 + Gratuity of %20 = $30 x 2 Per Month = $60 Per Month x 12 = $720 Year x 60 Years = $43,200.

• One underarm treatment at Lily Laser Spa: $125.

$125 x 6 Treatments over 8 Months ($93.75 Per Month Average) = $750 PERIOD.

It takes basic math to see clearly that daring to be hair free is not only valuable for confidence and aesthetic happiness, but it makes financial sense. I'll add that laser is much less painful than waxing, and I no longer can fathom enduring a painful luxury only to have to do it over and over again.

To get started call Kate at Lily Laser Spa for a free consultation and patch test at (212) 206-7300.

ENTER CONTEST HERE NOW

I was recently generously given a Kinara Red Carpet Facial Kit. The lovely woman who gave me the product described the kit as: "Halle Berry’s must have skin care routine." I was intrigued.

Up until last winter I considered myself blessed in the skin department. As the sand in my hourglass tips down, I’ve been noticing the development of fine lines and dullness that leave me feeling shriveled up. The winter wasn’t kind and being on the verge of turning thirty doesn’t help.

The morning after I received the kit I eagerly ripped into the box. Having spent a few years in a packaging design firm, the first thing I noticed was how well packaged the components were. Each bottle and tool tidily fit into place, housed in a neat red and black box labeled kinara signature treatment, followed by the claim three steps to closeup-ready skin without risk of irritation; the only side effect is loving how you look.

I was revved up and grabbed at the instructions. With everything described clearly and concisely in four easy steps, I set aside some uninterrupted time to give myself the royal Halle Berry treatment in the confines of my bathroom.

Flipping back to the cover of the instructions I noticed the following: “Olga can’t personally perform every facial (unfortunately). But this simple brush-and-bowl application will bring about the unique sensations and flawless glow that have made Kinara a destination for all those seeking results now and healthy skin over time.”

Before I could begin my facial, I needed to know who Olga was and a little more about Kinara.

Kinara is a skincare clinic, spa, hair studio and boutique located in West Hollywood’s design district.

Kinara means ‘on the edge’ in Hindi and that’s where Yugoslavian-born skin expert Olga Lorencin-Northrup plans to stay, offering experiences clients can’t find anywhere else.

While it was clear to Olga that the market needed a spa like Kinara, she also knew it needed skin care products that met those same exacting standards.

Olga’s years of research, knowledge and hands on experience have culminated in the development of the Kinara skin care line.

From the age of 12, Olga has been mesmerized by skincare. After years of being immersed in the business, well-known skincare guru Ole Henriksen asked Olga to join him, practicing among the best estheticians. People waited months to book a session with Olga. It was the beginning of the buzz. Those “in the know” wanted the best; they wanted Olga. And she made them look great. Beauty editors began to take notice. They knew she had the answers to the questions their readers wanted to ask most. Olga had the secret to keeping people beautiful. There was only so much she could do working for someone else. She had to venture out on her own, and in 2000 that’s precisely what she did.

Olga’s mission now is to spread the word about her products so everyone can enjoy the amazing benefits once only known to her celebrity clientele.

With this knowledge I was ready to get down to business. I pulled out the peel, neutralizer, mask, brush and bowl and set them out in step order to commence my at home spa morning. I was also lucky enough to get my hands on Kinara Purifying Cleansing Gel ($40.00).

Step 1 requires clean, dry and cool skin. I gave the cleanser a go (there is a sample included with the kit too) and was pleasantly surprised. Not a trace of makeup was left and my skin felt instantly cool and fresh.

Though the instructions mention the possibility of a tingling sensation that could border on mild burning (eek), it actually felt invigorating. I could sense something was happening. I was excited! Step 2, post peel and reveal is a neutralizing deep pore steam cleaning. In just five minutes I had breathed some life into my sallow skin. The best part of the kit is Step 3, the perfect, plump, hydrate and revolutionize mask. The mask felt amazing being brushed on with the included brush (the bristles feel great). Fifteen minutes later my skin really did look ten times better than when I woke up.

Step 4, Mirror, Mirror! I followed the mask with the included sample of Kinara Intense Moisturizer as indicated for those with dry skin. You also receive a complimentary sample of their Rehydrating Cleanser and Lactic Acid Hydrating Serum. While running the risk of sounding too proud, I was seriously red carpet ready in twenty minutes, well, my face was anyway.

The price of a basic facial runs upwards of $100, add on pore treatments and masks and you’re running a spa tab close to $300. The Kinara Red Carpet Facial Kit costs $145. You will easily squeeze a few months worth of weekly peels out of the kit, so the savings are incredible and the results are astounding.

Here’s the good news. For simply sending us your name, e-mail and home address, you will be entered in a drawing to win a FREE Kinara Red Carpet Facial Kit. The lucky winner will be picked and announced on Monday, August 31, 2009!  ENTER HERE NOW!

For more information on Kinara products and spa services check out their site here.

They say you're going to love it there...

Gilt Fuse gives you inside access to a new lineup of fashion, exclusively for women. They feature a wide range of styles to mix and match. Dress the way you feel: edgy today, boho tomorrow and preppy the day after. It's your style, Gilt Fuse lets you express it.

Tell them what you think...

If you're a Gilt member you'll have immediate access to Gilt Fuse when it launches Wednesday, August 12. Then in the fall, Gilt Fuse will have a much wider release. That's why they need you to tell them what you love and what you just like. Not a Gilt member? Sign up with our exclusive invitation:

www.giltfuse.com/iboughtittoday

For men

Gilt Fuse is tailored just for women so if you're shopping for menswear, don't miss their exclusive men's selection on Gilt.

Don't miss it!

Gilt Fuse launches Wednesday, August 12, at noon Eastern Time.