Organic Pharmacy Opening!

As you know we attended the opening of The Organic Pharmacy's first US location in Beverly Hills the other evening. Upon first arriving we were in awe of the amazing smell of the place. We walked around and scoped out the scene - snacks were provided by the farm and bubbly was flowing.

There were a bunch of ladies gathered around a laptop in the back, so of course we had to find out what the fuss was about. The Organic Pharmacy has software which will scan your body for toxins; therefore they can tailor products and skin care treatments to your specific needs. We weren't able to try it out, but it's amazing none the less. In the back behind this small consultation office is their treatment room.

All the action was in the store's front. We took our time going through the various products. The Organic Glam cosmetics seemed to be a popular attraction, of course we had the scoop on those first.
We mingled with Rebecca who works for The Organic Pharmacy, she introduced us to their rose products, hence where the wonderful aroma was emerging. I really can't express how unbelievable all of their products smelled. We were really enthralled with the Antioxidant Face Firming Serum. You only use a few drops of this product in lieu of a night cream on damp skin. Seriously, for hours after I could smell the product which was tested on the outside of my hand. Simply fabulous!

Rebecca also filled us in more on the toxin scan. Apparently, when any of the staff is feeling a bit unwell, they scan themselves and find out where their body needs assistance. Hormone levels also attribute to outcome and can pick up on menstruation cycles and pregnancy. Even an unnamed celebrity was shocked when she got herself scanned and the results picked up on her pregnancy which she hadn't announced to anyone yet, not even her family. That just goes to show that The Organic Pharmacy means business if you're ready to purge your body of toxins and lather only the finest organic products on your face.

With all this talk of being healthy and detoxing we gladly chomped on tiramisu, cheesecake, and champagne along with the rest of the crowd.

The Organic Pharmacy 453 N Beverly Dr. Beverly Hills, 90210

Get Parisian Pretty with Sothys

Planning a trip to Paris soon? Me neither, but oh, it would be ever so nice. Luckily I have all the French luxury I need right in my own shower because of a couple new products from Sothys. With spas in both Paris and New York, L'Institut Sothys offers "the quintessential French spa experince." Sounds wonderful, but not in this economy!

So I'm so happy that they've begun a collection called Aroma Sothys and are offering it to all of us who can't afford a trip to Paris and would never step a single foot in that cold, mean place called New York. The line includes both a scrub and a shower gel for a full body treatment. Both products contain 100% natural active ingredients and essential oils knows for their exceptional affects on both your body and spirit.

Just like John Frieda's Root Awakening, the Energizing Shower Gel relies on eucalyptus oil - we're sensing a beauty trend! - along with cardamom, nutmeg and neroli essential oils. And their Delicious Scrub is simply yummy. It includes spices, ginger, nutmeg, orange, and mandarin which soften and delicately perfume the skin. Ohh la la!

Four Seasons Resport & Spa, 300 South Doheny, Los Angeles.

I massage my ass with diamonds

Being based in LA means it takes a lot to wow us. But of course leave it to the infamous La Mer to make sure we get our daily dosage of diamond dust - literally. Their newest product, The Body Refiner is packed with 1.75 carats of pure diamond dust to deliver a cushiony resurfacing treatment that both polishes and softens the skin. You're probably thinking, "WTF? What a waste of diamonds, those rocks should be around my neck." Maybe, or you could have the sexiest skin ever for bikini season.

The Body Refiner really is the best way to smooth out skin. We prefer to rub it on our ass or areas that have imperfections or cellulite. You don't need a whole glob of it either, a little rub goes a long way. Besides, what's better than getting naked and rubbing diamonds all over yourself?

"To create the most effective exfoliator on earth, we incorporated the hardest material on earth - diamonds. When diamonds are crushed and polished they provide an extremely thorough yet gentle exfoliation," says Loretta Miraglia, Senior VP of Product Development and Innovation.

All I do is massage it in circular motions until the larger particles have completely dissolved into my skin. As the refiner goes into your skin, La Mer's piezoelectirc (electronically-charged) minerals - tourmaline and sea quartz - convert the massage action into energy, helping to stimulate circulation and awaken skin. I suggest using this product right before a shower because you will need to rinse off after using it.

The Body Refiner only needs to be used once or twice a week for results of a radiant surface. I love getting intimately close with La Mer's diamond dust.

La Mer $110 for 6.7 oz. Purchase online or at select Saks Fifth Avenue or Neiman Marcus stores.

Happy Caffeine Month!

Happy National Caffeine Awareness Month!

If you voted yes on that non-diet soda the other day or are still recovering from a gay dance party and needed an extra shot in your latte, don't feel bad! It's all in honor of National Caffeine Awareness Month! OK OK...so they're more advocating that you be aware of caffeine and it's potential harmful effects, but whatever if you need a wake me up, then go for it! That's what my furry friend Coffee Cat told me.

In honor of the month DermaQuest hit me with their best shot literally, two of their top products have caffeine in them to wake up boring skin. I tried out the DermaFirm which is supposed to reduce the appearance of cellulite and firm the skin. When testing it out I noticed that it provides a cooling and calming sensation to the skin so you can feel it working. While primping for a night out I glazed on the C-Lipolic Lip Enhancer. The clear gloss makes my lips naturally brighter, although I didn't see as significant a change as the model lips pictured.

So go on and Caffeine it up!

DermaQuest products available at Pure Med Spa 8500 Beverly Blvd., Suite 798 Los Angeles, 90048

Lush helping to Save Our Seals

Sorry to manipulate your emotions with the dangerously cute picture above, but we had to talk about Canadian Commercial Seal Hunt, the largest mass slaughter of marine animals in the world. More than 275, 000 seals will be killed this year, most of which are only a couple of weeks old and with no means to defend themselves or escape. Although 69% of Canadians and 80% of Americans disapprove, the "hunt" continues, and Lush is doing what it can to stop it with their Save Our Seals Campaign.

Their new bubble bar in the shape of a baby seal, created especially for the campaign, was named "First Swim" because many of the seals that are killed are so young that they have yet to go into the water. A full 100% of the proceeds from the bar are going to Sea Shepherd, an organization that directly intervenes on the high seas to stop sealers from killing baby harp seals. Furthermore, you can stop into any Lush and sign a postcard declaring that you're against the seal hunt - Lush will be sending them directly to Canadian Prime Minster Stephen Harper. You can even add your name to the online petition here.

Lush Cosmetics, 312 N. Beverly Dr., Beverly Hills.

LA Makeup Show rundown

So we spent this past Sunday perusing around the CalMart's penthouse for the LA Makeup Show. This is first time ever that this event was held in LA, but we hope it'll be back, you know because of our awesome entertainment industry and all.

The Makeup Show brought forth lots of makeup enthusiasts from experts to students to us. Our favorite part was visiting each booth and watching the elaborate makeup transformations. It was amazing, especially since the pro-makeup world is adjusting to everything being in HD and IMAX. It's more important than ever that makeup comes out natural looking, because the last thing any celeb wants is dark circles or a blemish to pop up on screen.

We learned a heaping helping of information when talking to vendors about whats new or releasing soon. The economy might be sad right now, but we're thinking many of these pro-lines will be just fine. It was really exciting to see the painted models and we popped in on a few of the instructional seminars that were going on.

This model was at the Makeup Forever area drawing quite the crowd for obvious reasons.
See you next year Makeup Show!

March Makeup Madness!

Get naked Metropolitan style

The recently launched Metropolis Body is selling some super sweet soaps, body scrubs, and shower gels. The big city beauty site only provides customers with hand made products containing natural ingredients. That means you can actually read and understand what your putting on your body.

I recently tried out the Cafe Cannelle which literally smells just like fresh cinnamon buns. The 8 oz jar will last for awhile if you only use a little bit per bath. The ingredients are: raw sugar, ground pumice, jojoba oil, sunflower oil, and fragrance. The pumice and raw sugar do an excellent job of exfoliating the skin, while the oils make it silky smooth.
The vegan soaps also look really delightful too and at $4.50 a bar are a soaping good deal.

Order online and in honor of the launch the first 25 orders will receive goodie bags with their purchase!

Waste not, want not with Sacred Glo

From highlighters that can be used on face AND body to a pomade for your hair and skin, multi-tasking products are a great way to save some bucks in a "Not in this economy!" type of climate. So hooray for Sacred Glo candle/lotion/glass because their products are all three at once.

First it's a paraffin-free candle infused with all natural shea and soy butter. (The completely natural candles emit no harmful toxins or black sooty residue.) Then it's a warm body oil or lotion - it can even be rubbed in it's solid form on the body and is a great moisturizer.

"Sounds like some kind of S&M thing," you may be thinking. We'll no, the unique property of the soy bean oil causes it to heat to just 2 degrees about body temperature. While the oil will be comfortably warm, it will never be hot or painful. So rub away (but blow out the candle first!).

And because the oil easily pours out, when you're all done, you have a nice glass. No waste! Our swollen landfills will love you for that. Sacred Glo candles are available in four varieties, get them here.

Your hands need TLC too!

I hate to do it to you, but I had to post this horrific picture of Sarah Jessica Parker's hands that was taken when she was out and about in London last May. It's my way of shocking you into realizing that you must take care of your hands. We put a lot of time and care into the skin on our face, but let's make sure we also give a little TLC to our manos so that we don't end up with hands like those.

My Partner in Pretty and I got fabulous Youth-Renew Caviar Hand Treatments from the wonderful folks at Pevonia while attending the Spa Expo last weekend. My hands are still as softer than I can ever remember them feeling before and they are so gorgeous that even Angelina would be jealous of them.

The treatment because with active enzymes to brighten the skin and an exfoliation with Jojoba beads. My skin was visibly lighter, brighter and baby-new compared to the skin on my arms. And then they were slathered in the luxurious Youth-Renew Caviar Hand & Foot Cream. Containing a super-powered anti-aging blend of Caviar, Marine Collagen, Retinol, Vitamins A & E, and super hydrating Shea Butter, my hands are still super soft. Plus from the average 5 star rating this product gets from reviewers at DermStore.com, it's safe to assume that this is one beloved product.

Get it at DermStore.com or at The Spa at Le Merigot (1740 Ocean Ave, Santa Monica)

Get Pretty the RAW way

After hearing supermodel Carol Alt on The Howard Stern Show talking about how going raw changed her life, I was definitely intrigued, but not enough to give up my juicy burgers from the great Hamburger Marys. Luckily I can pursue her healthy raw regimen with her new line of healthy skin care products she's helped developed called Raw Essentials.

Based on the idea that our bodies were never designed to assimilate synthetic chemicals, by "feeding" skin raw ingredients, it becomes more nourished, naturally healthy and balanced. As your body absorbs up to 60% of what is placed on its skin, Raw Essentials claims that many traditional skin care products may provide short-term results, but will also encourage long-term damage and premature aging. Instead, these raw products - made with ingredients as close to their unadulterated, "alive" state as possible - allow your skin to absorb antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids.

I've heard all this stuff was good to eat but, with the exception of anti-oxidants which we've covered many times before, I didn't know how good a lot of these ingredients were for my skin. For example, a mineral like sulfur is an essential component of connective tissue that provides soft, elastic skin. Plus I've been hearing that omega 6 fatty acids that are found in nuts, whole grain breads and acai berries and should be part of my diet. But I didn't know that these fatty acids were also nature's perfect moisturizer and shown to improve common skin conditions such as eczema.

If you have a history of sensitive skin with redness and itchiness, it doesn't get any better than Raw Essentials. Raw-Covery Facial Revive Wash is even made up of 40% pure aloe so that your skin can be gently moisturized and softened. Raw-activate Daily Revitalizing Facial Moisturizer is also 40% pure aloe along with including anti-oxidant rich coconut oil.

My fave of the line has to be the Raw-lief Bath Booster bath salts. I really do feel as if I'm getting a spa treatment at home as the salts work to soothe my muscles and moisturize my skin. There's no fancy schmancy bells and whistles with this product, just a good clean way to relax and have fabulous skin after your bath.

Get Raw Essentials here.

Have a little luxury with Beau Bain Bath Bombs

Because we're in a Not in the Economy kind of mood when it comes to pricey spa treatments, I wanted to introduce you a luxury that you can enjoy right at home. Beau Bain is French for "Beautiful Bath, and their wonderful products will give you just that.

We had the pleasure of testing some of their famous hand-made bath bombs (it's a tough job, but someone has to do it) and we can see why these decadent bombs can be found in fine spas, hotels and private baths throughout the world. First off, as the picture of their Lavender Collection proves, they're absolutely gorgeous to look at. All are in perfect spheres, and are such little pieces of artwork that you kind of feel bad ruining them by using them.

That is, until you realize how beautiful your bathroom (or your entire one-bedroom apartment, if you're me) smells. The fragrance is like a refined, luxury spa, and I love that even after my bath, I can still be surrounded in the soothing aroma.

Plus, post-bath you'll find that your skin is smooth and moisturized. Oh, and your bathtub also isn't stained. Love that part.

A collection of Beau Bain Bath Bombs, is also a great gift idea. With floral, lavender, ice cream and fruit to choose from, each woman will have a favorite. Get them here.

Have a Lush-filled Valentine's Day

Wanting to get your special someone some luxury this Valentine's Day? Look no further than Lush. It's really the perfect place to go to pick up something that will make your honey swoon, and it doesn't get better than the True Love Gift. The picture above doesn't do it justice. It's a giant, sparkly red heart-shaped box that will make even the most cynical, "so not into lovey dovey crap," kind of girl let out a high-octave squeal. It is so Pretty!!!

It contains 6 Lush best-sellers: two bath bombs (Sex Bomb and Vanilla Fountain), a massage bar, Honey I Washed the Kids Soap, a white chocolate Honey Trap lip balm and a Melting Marshmallow bath melt: all perfect for a romantic night for two. Or, if you're this Pretty, you'll squeal and then say "I'm going to have some ME time" and luxuriate all on your lonesome. I know, I know, not very romantic, but well "me time" is important.
But if you are a true romantic, than Lush's Happy Valentine's Gift trio is also just what you need. This gift is made to be shared: start off with their soul mate soap pair called You Wash My Back, then soak in a tub together with the Melting Marshmallow Moment bath melt. Afterwards, share a sensual massage with the honey-chocolate Soft Coer solid oil.
And let's not forget the option of buying the BF something too! I have my eye on this awesome Shave the Planet Gift for him. It's perfect as the BF likes pampering products, but doesn't want anything too girly. It's got Shave the Planet shaving cream, Cosmetic Lad moisturizer to soothe his sensitive face, Bamboo soap to tone and give his skin a fresh aroma, and a Business Time massage bar to "get him in the mood to get busy." So cute!

Get them at Lush (312 N. Beverly Dr., Beverly Hills)

xx
Nicole

This worked even on the grossest heels ever: mine

As I've mentioned before I've inherited the driest of dry skin from my mother. And with that comes extremely high-maintenance heels. I swear, if I skip scrubbing them for just a couple showers, they turn into dirty callused monstrosities. And sometimes they even crack and bleed! SO Not Pretty. I get so embarrassed about it, that I scrub before I get a pedicure (where they will be scrubbed yet again). I can't have a stranger see my feet in such a gross condition! And even still, this one time the pedicurist's eyes got really wide when she saw my feet and went "um...this will be extra."

So yeah, I'm a perfect candidate for anything to do with riding my heels of dry, cracky calluses. When I came across VB Cosmetics' Be Silky Callus Spray with Tea Tree Oil I had to immediately try it. Instructions are simple: after soaking your feet, spray this oil on, wait a few minutes, and them scrub your heels. Repeat if necessary.

Well I had to repeat this process about three times, but yes, it worked!! After the first dosage, my little file was getting all sorts of nasty skin off my heels. I had to pull out my collection of food scrubbers - I collect a lot - and I found that this doesn't work so well with the file part of the Ped Egg Pedicure Foot File (though maybe my file isn't sharp anymore?) but it worked magically with the buffer part of it. I just had to keep dosing my heels in the oil again and again.

It was a tough, labor-intensive and very annoying process even with this oil: curse those callused heels! But they're in way less embarrassing shape than they were before. I read that pros use this Callus Spray and I can see why! A word of warning though: this is some heavy-duty stuff. Directions say to wear gloves (eek!) during the process or at least make sure you immediately wash any skin that's touch this oil with soap and water. I need to be extra careful when using it and keep my cats and dog out of the bathroom while I get my scrub on. But I'm so happy to have this and can bust out sandals with less hesitation now.

Get it here.

Celebrate Chinese New Year from the comfort of your own shower

Hey Pretties, did you know that it's officially 10 days until the Chinese New Year? Well Lush does, and they're going to help you celebrate with their new limited-edition Double Fast Luck Emotibomb.

It's scented with their popular Karma aroma and designed in the shape of a symbolic, lucky coin. Hopefully this year will bring more luck to us all than this past year!
Turn on your shower and place it on the floor before you get it. It will release a wonderful spicy-orange scent and give you some good Karma for the coming year. They sell out pretty quickly online, so in case it's not there, pick it up at a Lush store!

Lush; 312 N. Beverly Dr., Beverly Hills.

Delicious skin from some delicious products

Our newest way to pamper ourselves Pretty at home is by using all-natural products from the Fresh Body Market. While most other companies use extracts, the folks at Fresh Body use real fruits and veggies. Everything's vegan and paba-free, and uses the natural healing powers of these good-for-you foods. Take for example their adorable milk baths that come in coconut, chocolate and pretty pink strawberry and come the in the cutest little milk carton container.

I took a milk bath last night and no matter how old you are, there's just something so fun about bubbles!! Loves it!

But this stuff has some serious benefits too. It's main ingredients are organic coconut milk and vegetable glycerin. The hydrating coconut milk serves to penetrate and moisturize skin while minimizing the damage to sun exposure (like sagging and blemishes), and the glycerin contains anti-aging properties. Basically when you step out of the bath, your skin is silky smooth and good enough to eat!

But really, the greatest part is that these bubbles don't just fizz out into nothingness after a few minutes. They last a long time, so you can chill out in your bubbles for as long as you want. I also was worried that the strawberry smell would be too cute and overwhelming, but instead it's subtle and nice. Oh yeah, maybe because it's made with real fruits and veggies instead of synthetic ones.

They also offer a whole slew of other skin-saving products like this Skin Yogurt Duo that includes a cleanser and moisturizer made with cherries and soy yogurt. Cherries contain powerful anti-oxidant properties while soy yogurt proteins, amino acids, and lipids for rapid hydration and cell regeneration. But seriously, how cute is this yogurt packaging?

Be sure check out the very cute Q-cumber Facial Soap. That's so on my wish list!

Get sensitive with Suki

Just when you thought the world was too tough, Suki comes out with Sensitive Cleansing Bar. Using 100% organic ingredients, this aromatic body bar includes ginger to not only sooth skin but to also draw upon its anti-inflammatory properties. Since trying out Dr. Weil for Origins I've learned about the benefits of anti-inflammatory ingredients, so I always welcome it in skin care products.

The bar also included pure vegetable oil to cleanse without drying out the skin, shea butter to soften, and lemongrass to gently purify. Best of all, it's vegan and wasn't tested on any Pretty animals. Sensitive to the world and sensitive to skin, which is a welcome respite on a tough day.

Available online at SukiPure.com or at Whole Foods, 11666 National Blvd, Los Angeles.

Buffy still has a stake in my heart

This Pretty has a little streak of geek in her and that part is oh so looking forward to the debut of Dollhouse next month staring the very sexy Eliza Dusku. You may recognize her from Buffy the Vampire Slayer which makes sense as both shows are brought to you by the same creator. Hopefully this show will live up to all the hype!

But while we haven't been seeing much of Sarah Michelle Gellar lately, Buffy still lives on in a couple of Pretty things.
My lust for Lush has clearly been established, and Buffy the Backside Slayer was such a hit with me that I gifted my whole family with their own bar this past Christmas. With an intoxicating milky, creamy, almond and lavender infused aroma, the soothing scent of this bar is only part of it's power. This little bar does more than just clean your skin and smell yummy: it's a way powerful exfoliator - almost a bit too scratchy at times, but no worries, it's worth it. Your whole body will feel soft and smooth and will be left with wonderful coat of oil all over it, that I even skip my post-shower baby oil routine when I Buffy my backside.


If you haven't yet made a visit to West Hollywood's Hamburger Mary's, you really should. No, I'm serious, you really should. Between drag queen bingo on Wednesdays, Karaoke on Thursdays, and $1 Mimosa's on the weekend, this place is gay heaven on earth and is every bit the fun time the music on its website promises to be.

Oh yes, they also serve fantastic burgers and my fave is Buffy the Hamburger Slayer. It's a half pound burger "stabbed with garlic cloves and doused in red wine." Oh my god it's so good. Whoever told you to mix red wine with red meat was right on. And whomever decided to soak that red meat in red wine is my hero.

Lush; 312 N Beverly Dr, Beverly Hills.
Hamburger Mary's; 8288 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood.

Earth Therapeutic your way to relaxation

So I got a lovely present this Christmas to help with relaxation and sore muscles: an Earth Therapeutics Anti-Stress Body Wrap. This was an especially wonderful gift because I didn't know I needed it, and I was oh so glad to have it after my first use.

Put this baby in the microwave for a couple minutes to heat it up, and then drape it anywhere where you're sore or tired like on your feet or back. I love draping it over my shoulders to relax all the tension I carry there. My favorite part is that it's stuffed with a calming blend of chamomile and lavender and the scent is activated and it's a lovely aromatherapy to help me calm down.

It's now the first thing I reach for when I'm having trouble sleeping, or am hunched over my computer. Come to thing of it, I should be using it right now...

My mother was right about one thing...

Along with frizzy hair, freckles, and impatience, I also inherited my mother's dry-as-a-bone skin. To stave of the arid desert on my arms and legs, I took her advice to always, always rub Johnson & Johnson's Baby Oil all over as soon as I turn off the shower and before I even think about drying off. I thought this skin-saving process was as normal as brushing your teeth and having a bottle of baby oil in the shower was as necessary as soap and shampoo. (I still don't know exactly how this stuff is used on babies...).Until I spent one night at a friend's house in high school and desperately dug around for a bottle only to come up empty-handed. You mean there are people that don't use baby oil after they shower? Well no wonder I always get compliments on my soft skin!

So please, fellow Pretties with dry skin, try out this $4 miracle. Rub some oil on your legs (especially on your calves, elbows and heels where scaly skin appears quickest) after you shower and before patting yourself dry with a towel. After a few times, you'll realize why my mother was always right. Your skin will feel soft and smooth -- plus you'll be saving lots of money on expensive body lotion.

Lush = last-minute shopping panic button

Did any of you try parking at the Landmark in the Westfield Mall yesterday? Not Pretty. The streets were bustling with the panic of last-minute shoppers. Luckily I was only there to see The Wrestler, not to buy gifts.

So for all of you procrastinators out there needing to get something quick for a special Pretty in your life, check out Lush's Enchanted Holiday Gift. It includes 9 holiday-themed bath beauties including their famous bombs, bubble bars, a soap, and a delicious "Let Them Eat Cake" lip balm. How do I know? Well...I kind of bought it as a present for me. What? At least I can count on getting one thing on my list that I really, really want!

My first bath was with the Snowdrops Bath Bomb which left little slivers of glittery goodness floating in the tub with me (so cute!) and made my whole apartment smell wonderful.

Get yours now at the Lush on Beverly Dr. and they'll give you a "mystery box" full of other products. How can you go wrong?

312 N. Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills.