If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

 Sephora: The Ultimate Guide to Makeup, Skin, and Hair from the Beauty Authority (Hardcover) by Melissa Schweiger

I got my copy of SEPHORA yesterday and I have got to tell you it is an amazing resource for all beauty chasers.  Wether you’re a makeup junkie, a skincare lover or just like to know what’s in the stuff you’re putting on your face, you’ll find valuable info presented in a compelling format.

I haven’t loved a beauty book like this since Cindy Crawford’s Basic Face back in 199x.  I carried it around with me and flipped back and forth, my husband was completely annoyed but oh well.  If I went, so did the book, I had an especially long commute from Tokyo to the burbs and Japanese women on the train looked over my shoulder and sometimes even asked me about it.

Basic Face was a how to apply makeup guide without mention of specific products which was fab since I had little access to designer brands back then!  SEPHORA takes it a step further by recommending specific products to get the effects shown.  I’ll be referencing SEPHORA in posts to come for a very long time.  I’m especially crazy about the quotes, beauty company founders, and secret ingredients sections of the book. 

It also takes into account different preferences and conditions you may be facing, no ‘one XX fits all’ mentality here.  SEPHORA is full of visuals that will stop you in your tracks but at the same time chock full of insider secrets and tips.  The back cover proclaims “It will make you want to be as beautiful as beautiful as you can be - and Sephora makes it easy!”  You know what?! I do, I do, I do!

You won’t have to wait much longer, SEPHORA will be released in a few days.  Pre-Order available through Amazon

I’ve been using Luzern products exclusively for a week now and I am totally in love with the line.  I’ve been dying for Luzern to be my one and only but had some stuff to finish off first - I told you I’m a stickler for FIFO!  

This post is about the first product that needs to be called to your attention: Luzern’s Purifying Cleansing Gelee. 

A mild cleanser that left my skin feeling soft, clean and slightly moisturized.  Luzern’s products are totally natural sans chemicals.  If no one else will take care of you, this gelee will nurture and coddle your skin in these harsh weather times.  

It comes in a pump bottle, just pump out a nickel size and apply to your face.  It says it foams up but that wasn’t my experience, it glides on.  I used warm water just like the directions stated but the suds eluded me.  You just have to know it’s working and after you see the results you’ll be totally at ease and not need the suds.

A cleanser that’s gentle enough to care for windburn but also removed my eye paint without a problem.  I did take off mascara afterwords but I don’t like to rub too much cleanser in my delicate eye area.    

If you try it, let me know your experience!  Check out this video with some great style tips presented by StyleBakery on ABC.  If you haven’t heard of Luzern, get to a spa or their website ASAP to find out all about it.  There’s also a great definition of what Organic Cosmeceuticals are on their homepage.

 Quick Facts about Luzern:

• Certified organic plant extracts
• Pharmaceutical-grade actives
• Fresh-Mixed in small batches
• Paraben and formaldehyde free
• Hypo-Allergenic
• Non-Comedogenic
• No Animal Testing

Be the first to review a product on Total Beauty and win BIG!

Find a product that hasn’t been reviewed yet, review it and you may win big.

Here’s what you can win:

GRAND PRIZE (two winners!)

Receive a one-on-one telephone consultation with top dermatologist Dr. Murad and a basket containing all the products comprising the day and night Murad product regimen he recommends.

FIRST PRIZE (five winners!)

Receive a collection of free Murad products comprising a Murad regimen for the winner’s skin type.

SECOND PRIZE (ten winners!)

Receive one full-size Murad Intensive Wrinkle Reducer, worth $150.

Receive a $50 gift certificate to Sephora