Your Pre- and Post-V-Day Guide to Full Body Decadence

Women love nothing more than being pampered  — aside from chocolate, of course — and now we can combine the two! There are some fantastic, non-gimmicky treatments available all year round, not just for Valentine’s or Easter. You’ll need no excuse to try these beauty treats out because chocolate is actually great for the skin.

Photo Credit: Karin Herzog Chocolate and Oxygen Treatment image – www.KarinHerzog.co.uk

Karin Herzog Swiss Skincare formulated the original chocolate facial, combining the benefits of oxygen and antioxidants from chocolate. We know that antioxidants are great for the skin, but believe it or not, the antioxidant concentration in cocoa is twice that of red wine, two to three times that of green tea, and four to five times that of black tea – and it tastes better! The Karin Herzog Chocolate and Oxygen Facial starts with a cocoa-kick in the shape of a divine-smelling chocolate cleanse followed by a gentle but very thorough scrub with the finest marble spheres. Next, there’s a phenomenal and lengthy lymphatic drainage massage with Monoi oil infused with cocoa beans to stimulate the removal of toxins. The face is then lavished with a deep penetrating Oxygen-rich mask and finally, in a layering action, vitamin-rich Choco Cream is mixed with pure Swiss cocoa powder and applied to the skin. Then, a warming layer of melted chocolate is added to insulate the skin. While the chcolate sets, your hands get a blissful massage treat and you get to enjoy the mouth-watering aroma. Leave looking totally refreshed and even-toned with your skin feeling superbly nourished, soft and smooth. In case the smell ignites your insatiable craving for the sweet-stuff, you’ll receive a yummy bar of Cadbury’s on the way out! Karin Herzog Chocolate and Oxygen Facial, £75 is available in salons nationwide and in London at West One Beauty, W1 (020 7486 1415) and The Grange Hotel’s new spa, St Paul’s (020 7074 1000). (Verdict: GGI)

Photo Credit: Karin Herzog Choco Trio – www.KarinHerzog.co.uk

At home, try the Karin Herzog Chocolate Trio, a potent and rewarding kit that both smells and feels heavenly. The regime encourages inter-cellular activity, collagen production, repair and healing, cellular-rejuvenation and helps fight free radical formation. All three products: Chocolate Cleanser, Choco2 Treatment Cream and Chocolate (moisturiser) combine cocoa with stabilised oxygen, water and multi vitamins, so you have a powerful and potent defence against the effects of ageing. For a limited time only it’s “three for two” on all Karin Herzog skincare at http://www.karinherzog.co.uk/ so get shopping!

Photo Credit: Chocolate Room, Strip, Chelsea +44 (0) 20 7590 0050 or www.2strip.com

On to the best waxing boutique in London, which has an exclusive chocolate Lycon wax. Renowned for its almost pain-free Brazilian wax treatment, Strip has a dedicated treatment room for de-fuzzing chocolate-lovers. Lay back and watch TV on the flat screen in the decadent velvet and silk-surround of the Chocolate Room, filled with the fragrance of cocoa. The Lycon chocolate wax looks and smells like melted Cadbury’s when it’s smoothed over the skin. It’s left to set for a few seconds, shrink-wrapping the hairs (even very short ones), before being peeled away from the skin and taking the follicles with it. To follow, Lycon So Yummy Double Action Oil is massaged into the treated area to comfort and soothe the skin – and it’s chocolate-scented! Strip’s Brazilian wax is £45. Booking number for Strip Chelsea: 020 7590 0050. Lycon So Yummy Double Action Oil available at Strip Chelsea, priced at £15. Call 020 7590 0050 (Verdict: GGI)

Photo Credit: Lip Gloss Truffles www.madbeauty.com

Finally, in honour of chocolate season, pop these sweet treats from beauty company Mad Beauty in your makeup bag. Lip Gloss Truffles come in a set of three flavours: White Chocolate, Praline Milk Chocolate and Caramel Chocolate.  Be careful, they look and smell so much like the real thing! £6.99 from www.madbeauty.com.

Love from London,

Kate

Photo credit: Dr.  Steven Dayan

INTRACEUTICALS OXYGEN FACIAL – Now that the holiday season is in full swing, there is not a second to lose.  Your skin needs to look its best 24/7.  The holidays come once a year, and with the onslaught of parties, get togethers, and family obligations, thank goodness it is only once a year.  Nevertheless, it can be difficult to attain glowing skin anytime of year.  Combine end of the year deadlines with the pressure of the holidays, throw in some wintry, dry weather, and you have a recipe for a skin disaster.  Is it possible to have luminous skin throughout these crazy times? The answer, thankfully, is yes, and comes in the form of the Intraceuticals Oxygen Facial.  This facial, unlike oxygen facials of past generations, gives you immediate and noticable results that beg for a night on the town.

First step, locate a spa in your area offering this incredible facial.  Make sure it is truly the Intraceuticals Oxygen Facial. It provides a cooling, calming, topical hyperbaric oxygen application that infuses moisture, vitamins, and antioxidants into the skin.  Don’t worry, the term “hyperbaric oxygen application” might sound scary, but in truth it is a very soothing, 50 min treatment, that leaves your skin, well, in a word glowing.  The esthetician uses a small wand in multiple passes over your face, and it feels like very (very) gentle suction. The woman who did my facial did half of my face first so I could compare the treated side to the non-treated side. It is true, mirrors don’t lie. When I looked in the mirror and saw how the fine lines were dramatically reduced, and my skin looked plump and rejeuvenated, I was very excited for her to do the other side of my face.

I have had plenty of facials in my time. I have sensitive skin and more times than I would like to recall, I have left a facial looking like I just had some sort of odd torture session done to my face.  Not with this facial.  After this facial, you and your gorgeous skin will need to hit the scene.  This facial, with its instant and visable results, requires a night out. You cannot go home and sit on the couch after this facial.  The payoff is truly incredible.  Put it this way, after my oxygen facial I was WISHING I had a high school reunion to go to that night.  It is that good!

Lucky ladies in the Chicagoland area can book one or a series of Intraceuticals oxygen facials  at Dr. Steven Dayan’s Watertower location.  The 50 minute facial, performed in the relaxing treatment room pictured above,  will run you $200, but if you book a series of six facials, Dr. Dayan’s True Skin Center will give you $400 worth of products to coordinate with, support, and extend the benefits of your facial.  The products include hyaluronic acid (HA) based mositure binding cream, HA based contour eye gel, and HA gel. 

FINAL VERDICT - RDW (RUN DON’T WALK) – Sound too good to be true? It gets better.  This is the facial that keeps Madonna’s facial looking like porcelain.  This is the facial that Justin Timberlake and Eva Longoria swear by.  This facial is a must for all brides and mother’s of the bride.  Believe it or not, this facial can even be performed on sun burnt skin.  Come to think of it, this facial is for anytime of year, not just the holidays.  But can you think of a better gift for yourself?

Photo Credit: Chanel, Saks.com 

Guest Bag Lady: Arianna Gold

I believe that the perfect makeup is the ultimate accessory. Maintaining your natural skin tone, and giving it a little boost with spectacular accent colors on your eyes and lips, can change your appearance for the better.

Women with porcelain or fair complexions tend to chose lip colors in lighter hues such as pink, nude or peach. Fair skinned redheads look best with apricot colored lips with honey undertones that bring out their naturally warm, reddish-pink coloring. Ladies with olive skin look lovely in golden undertones or any shade of berry or brown. For brown skin, deep reds - brick or burgundy colors – with fuchsia undertones work best.

Eye shadow is where the real experimentation happens. There are basic guidelines to follow with application, but eye color offers an opportunity to veer off course and take a risk with your look. For brown-eyed girls, any shade ranging from plum to gold can really work. Blue eyes look best in the beige to brown family. Pastel colors such as grays, lavenders, silvers and violets make blue eyes pop. For lighter blue eyes bordering on gray, the best colors are deep gem stone blues, greens and charcoal. Iridescent colors really bring out light gray eyes. If you have hazel eyes with touches of green and gold speckles throughout, the best shades are honey golds, greens and browns. Those colors really bring out the tiny shimmers in your natural eye color. Green eyed gals should stick with lavender, brown and deep greens. 

The hottest new eye colors for fall run the gamut. Zac Posen’s Fall 2009 show sent girls down the runway with big hollowed out eyes and huge lashes, and various shades of taupe on the upper eyelid with smoky black underneath. The look was tough, moody and slightly goth – but still very beautiful.

Chanel’s Fall 2009 show was the polar opposite. The “Collection Venise” pulled colors from the beautiful and ancient city of Venice, using iridescent greens and blues to channel the city’s vast watery surroundings. Chanel’s idea of the perfect smoky eye mixes shades of gray and white, a bit more subtle than the typical black charcoal look of a smoky eye.

Reminiscent of the wonderful carnivals of Venice with their beautifully sculpted masks and costumes, Chanel’s limited edition burgundy-red crème shadow is another big hit for fall. Most of Chanel’s fall lip palette is pink-brown, including: Clandestine, a rich brick color, Captive, a classic brown tone, Amusing, a beautiful rosewood, Comedia, a true rose hue, and Instinctive, a pinky-nude. The glosses have a pink-gold base that really shines. All of these colors are really appropriate for any skin color and absolutely perfect for fall.

The “it” colors for eyes and lips this fall are purple or plum. Although they can be a drastic change from your everyday routine, these colors really pop for any eye or lip. Choose a hue that really works for you, whether it is a deep plum or a light lavender. It is important to maintain a balance. If you use a very deep purple shade on your eyes, your lips need to take a backseat. Opt for a nude or mauve color and let your eyes stand out. This is true for both eyes and lips. If you choose a deep plum lip color, choose a shimmery taupe or beige eyeshadow.

Color is key! Show off your personality and make your eyes and lips truly pop this season.

Photo Credit: Erno Laszlo

Seasonal changes take more of a toll on your skin than you probably realize. Depending on the climate in which you live, your skin has to adapt to summer dry or humidity, along with salt water, chlorine and sunshine. While wearing sunscreen is the single best protective measure you can take during the summer months, there are many fantastic ways to get your summer skin ready for Fall.

As Labor Day comes and goes, and we’re faced with seasonal changes, I like to up my exfoliating routine. By this point, I’ve spent lots of time in the ocean and have quite a bit of dry skin. For your body, it’s easy to use the same exfoliant that you’ve been (hopefully) using on your bikini line through the summer. To keep your routine simple, try buying products at your local drug store, which will cut down on runs to your closest department store during the work week. St. Ives In-Shower Exfoliating Body Polish is effective and doesn’t leave a residue. To achieve a great exfoliation, start at the soles of your feet and work upwards along your body in a circular motion. A loofa can also be used with or without body polish for extra invigoration. If you’re one of those people who likes to make her own products, try adding ground nuts and kosher salt to olive oil and voila! For the face, I cannot get enough of Roc Microdermabrasion Cleansing Disks, which have both a rough and a soft side. Use the rough side first to scrub away dead skin cells and then flip it over for a surge of cleansing moisture. Remember, it’s important to moisturize after each exfoliation.

As Fall arrives and continues into Winter, your skin will get increasingly dry, so it’s important to switch both your face and body moisturizer to something a bit heavier. Although I love something rich, I’m also devoted to the gym, and find that most heavy moisturizers trap the sweat between my skin and the moisturizer film, which creates the worst feeling ever. I’ve found the best of both words in Neutrogena Fragrance-Free Body Moisturizer. As for face, just because the summer is over doesn’t mean that you can shelve your sunscreen. I find it easiest to use a moisturizer with sunscreen in one, because I don’t have time in my daily routine to apply two products. For this, I must go to Bergdorf’s, but it’s totally worth it. Stick with what works for you; every woman’s skin is different so taking product advice from your closest girlfriend may or may not pan out for you in this category. That said, I’m devoted to Erno Laszlo Antioxidant Moisture Complex SPF 15. I have combination skin with mild acne and this works for me. It’s a bit expensive, but sometimes a girl has to splurge.

If you suffer from the “summer sandal heel cracks,” use your body moisturizer on your heels at night and wear socks to bed. If your dry skin doesn’t vastly improve in a week or so, try something a bit heavier. I like L’Occitane’s Shea Butter Foot Cream because it’s not greasy and is easily absorbed. Also, if you’ve been wearing nail polish all summer, give your nails a breather (literally) and go bare for a week or so. This will keep your nails healthy and white because there’s nothing worse than the dreaded yellow nail!

Happy Fall!