MAC Care Blends Essential Oils ARE ESSENTIAL For Good Winter Skin. Also, A Word About Paper Towels

Okay, I have few skin things I need to discuss. First of all, I'll disclaim that my skin isn't perfect. BUT, it's looking better than it ever has before. Because I FUCKING WORK AT IT. AND because I've been treating it like a boss and have committed to a few products I will probably never stray from.

First (again -- because I know I just said first before), I've been using only paper towels to dry my skin. Yes, it's wasteful, but so is having bad skin when you could have good skin. (The unbelievably talented Joanna Vargas shared this tip when I visited her for a facial last year. It wasn't until recently though that I tried it out, and the results have been as obvious as a fart in a car.) Plus, I try to pull double duty and use said paper towels to wipe up my bathroom a bit, so I'm reusing AND making my bathroom cleaner. WIN.


Second, I've been WAY into Fresh's Lemon Sugar Body Lotion, which I've been using as a daily moisturizer on my face, even though it's for your body. Your face is part of your body, right? I don't care if it doesn't say "FOR YOUR FACE" on the packaging. It works like a dream.

($28, Fresh.com)

I have super annoying rosacea and dry skin. Almost no moisturizer works as well as Sugar does. It doesn't leave me as red-faced as Mrs. Claus, and it's light and doesn't get greasy like a Biggie Fry.

BUT, it's winter as fuck out, and my forehead's been killing me softly, so PRAISES that I discovered MAC's Care Essential Oils. Now I KNOW that adding oil to your face sounds like going to the doctor and asking for fat injections in your thighs, but THIS SHIT WORKS.

($19.50, MAC)

I've only tried the grapefruit and chamomile, but I've seen all I need to know. I mix a little in with my Fresh, and BOOM. Best happy, hydrated winter skin. Silky smooth and soft but not greasy or oily. Get familiar.

Somaly Mam: Bid On Beauty For A Beautiful Cause

Yo. Today is International Women's Day, and many good-hearted beauty professionals have come together and set up an eBay auction to benefit the Somaly Man Foundation -- a nonprofit public charity whose vision is to put an end to sexual slavery.

Some background on Somaly Mam: Somaly is survivor of human trafficking. Somaly was sold into sexual slavery in Cambodia by a man who posed as her grandfather, forced to work in a brothel with other young girls. Beaten, raped and tortured, she finally escaped, and at age 30, became a spokeswoman for women and children tortured in Cambodian brothels. In 2006, Somaly was honored as Glamour Magazine's Woman of the Year for her courageous work in fighting sexual slavery, and she has been profiled as a CNN Hero in recognition of her brave fight to save so many young, innocent victims from this horrible silent crime.

The auction starts today, and some of the items up for auction include:

+ Cut & color with celebrity stylist David Evangelista
+ Tickets to the Diane von Furstenberg Spring 2010 Runway show in September 2009
+ Over $1000 in Givenchy Le Makeup, skincare, and fragrance
+ The new Dior L'Or de Vie Skincare Collection
+ Autographed Anya Hindmarch handbag
+ 3-month Equinox Fitness membership
+ VIP tickets to see a live taping of Rachael Ray
+ Lots of beauty products from brands including Fresh, Guerlain. Dior, Sephora, and Frederic Fekkai!!!

I know lots of us don't have a ton of spare cash right now, but if you're looking to pick up a gift for Mother's Day, a bride, someone's birthday, and you want to be able to spend somewhere where your money can give back, this is a great way to do that.

+ Bid here! Bid high! Bid often! Good luck!

LeSportsac Sample Sale -- Apparently Sucky, Target Bodegas, Not Much Better, IMO

Hi guys. I'm back! Still recovering from my LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG-ass trip to L.A. for the MTV VMAs, chasing Jonas Brothers and Tokio Hotel. It was an amazing and TIRING experience (like three - four hours of sleep per night but worth all the exhaustion), and I missed almost every second of Fashion Week. And seriously, it was SO hard for me to tell Marc Jacobs that I couldn't make it to his show. He almost cancelled it on my account, but I was like NO! Marc, girl, you look AMAZING, you're in LOVE, you're all fin de siècle ON DAT ASS with the elevated runway... you PULL YOURSELF UP BY THE GRUNGEY DOC BOOTSTRAPS AND YOU GET OUT THERE AND YOU SHOW THE WORLD YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO BREAK THROUGH, MARC JACOBS! So he did it! I was stayed at the Roosevelt Hotel -- by the way I NO LONGER recommend that place because they're phasing out their Fresh products!!!!! I know! And their customer service is pretty crappy, and the carpets are dirty, and they have that dumb thing where the showers only have half a glass wall instead of a whole wall or at least a fucking shower curtain, so the entire bathroom floor gets soaked. And I assure you, I'm not even a hotel snob. Or at least I wasn't until I stayed there.

But speaking of Fresh, their Sugar Lemon Body Lotion, which I use as a facial moisturizier because it's too dear to use all over, is the best thing that's ever happened to my face:

($28, Fresh, Sephora)

Anyway, I did get back to NYC in time to attend the Target Bodega launch -- Target's popped up four Bullseye Bodega stores from September 13 - 15, packed with products that won't hit regular Target stores for another 45 days. (Locations here.)

I gotta be honest -- the design was the coolest part of it:Target wallpaper...

But the products were meh. With the exception, however, of the beauty products -- The 'Jay's totes stepped it up, and their new capsule beauty products have more of a Sephora feel. Napoleon Perdis products -- I freaked the fuck out over their mascara last month, and my love has only increased -- are there as are Jemma Kidd. However the Jonathan Saunders clothing felt and looked really cheap to me. More Jonathan Martin than Jonathan Saunders. Like they'd already been washed. Yuks. The Converse stuff was zzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

And some of the seasonal housewares felt like dollar store crap (roosters and turkeys? really?). The Michael Graves housewares and kitchen gear was nice, but nothing out of the ordinary there.

But by far the best thing going at the Target bodega was the Sigerson Morrison shoes -- real suede for under $40. Observe:

(Photo: Nitrolicious)

Great, great fun holiday shoes that remind me of the fun embellished "9 West" (from back when they were "9" and not "Nine") pumps my mom had from the early '80s. I also loved these:



Yet I bought none because I've bought about 432 pairs of shoes lately. Must show SOME restraint, people! Apparently the Sigerson Morrison shoes will be in select Targets October 12 and online around then too.

Oh yeah, we also saw Jerry Seinfeld and wifey at the party! Random! And I ran into an old friend, Mark Van Holden, who was shooting the event, which is the only reason me and my boyfriend got our photo snapped:

You know, because paps just follow us EVERYWHERE! I'd also like to point out the sad irony of popping up a store made to look like a bodega in areas of New York where bodegas can't even afford to stay in business. But, I love Target, and I'm a fucking hippocrite. Anyway, point is, the party was fun, but I really don't think that you need to rush out and hit up the Bullseye Bodegas. Seriously. If you miss it, you miss it. And that's coming from someone who lurves Target.

Anyway, I almost hit up the LeSportsac sample sale, but Racked's report that it was Le Sucksack prevented me from a'wastin' my times yesterday on my quasi-day-off. Thanks, guys! I'd just as soon stay home and buy this cuters mcghee bag off Karmaloop:

($88, LeSportsac, Karmaloop)

Tons of promo codes here. Also, that model's eyes are bugging me out.

Here's a photo of some Hollywood Boulevard "fashions" for you to consider. Bye for now! Much more to come but I gotta go to the gym and read about Obama to undo all the hurt I did from filling my body with avocado and bacon cheeseburgers (like the good Jewish girl I am) and time spent away from the CNN.

... And the Winner Is...

Mikki won the Lush Retro Giftbox giveaway with an answer so sweet (literally), she killed the competition with heartwarming, not-too sappy (HARRRR) motherly love:

The nape of my daughter's neck after a pancake breakfast. She always gets syrup in her hair, so when I nuzzle her she smells like herself but extra sweet. A true accomplishment for her!

Congrats again, Mikki!

I'm on the West Coast for wurk, staying at a hotel with Fresh Sugar Lemon lotion in the bathroom (don't think for a second I won't be swiping a handful of those if I encounter the housekeeping cart in the hall), truffle fries good it oughta be a crime (those aren't in the bathroom), and a photo of Lou Reed over my bed (if you know where that is, please don't stalk me... unless you wanna buy me more truffle fries) so MK, take the wheel! Move that bus!

Also, check out this hilarious Scarlett Jo-related exchange at Style It.

Plus, photographic evidence of my trip:

Shirley Feeney = RESPEK!