Prep for Valentine's With Help from Ricky's NYC!

I live on the West Coast, so I don't have the ability to shop at awesome places like CVS or Ricky's NYC. But for those of you who can, be sure to swing by Ricky's to check out these products.  Ricky's NYC wants to help you get ready for Valentine's Day (which is just around the corner...eek!) with the items listed below.

Get date ready with Mattese Elite lipstick ($10) in Provocative, Porn Star or Blow, rich,seductive colors that will entice.

Pump up the volume with an Amika Pink Cheetah Hair Dryer ($160), leaving locks looking sexy and full.

Set the mood with Earthly Body Massage Candles ($13.99), which melt down to a silky,
massage oil that moisturizes skin. With names like “Naked in the Woods” and “Dreamsicle,” they’re sure to lead to a night to remember.

I have to ask: do you have any big plans for Valentine's Day?  Me?  I'm working late and so is my hubby.  How romantic.  Leave me a comment and let me know what you're doing!

Get Lippy for Your Valentine

So...Valentine's Day is almost here.  Yikes.  that means my birthday is almost here too!  Do you have plans yet for Valentine's Day (or should I say Valentine's Night?!)?  I do!  You're going to be sooo jealous when I tell you this, but my Valentine's Day plan includes working late.  Boy, do I know how to live or what?

My husband and I have been together forever, so we don't make special plans on Valentine's.  I guess we fall into the "I don't need Hallmark to tell me when to love my partner" camp.  But still, I get that it's a fun "holiday" and that special plans can make it all the more exciting. 

I received the tips below from makeup artist Jemma Kid.  Here is her advice to getting an enviable, romantic red pout, just in time for Valentine's Day.

Application:
- No lipstick looks good on chapped lips and some matte lipsticks dry lips even more. Keep lips smooth and moisturized with a balm containing natural oils, such as beeswax, and SPF. If you have chapped lips, apply balm and after a few minutes massage gently with a soft toothbrush or muslin cloth.

- Dab foundation around the lip are and over the lip itself. It will tone down any redness and ensures the line of the lips will be sharp and defined.

- Use a matching waxy lipliner to prevent any bleed around the lips. Spend time drawing the outline, making sure the lips are completely symmetrical and the bow is even. An uneven top lip shows up with red lipstick more than any other color. Start at the V of the Cupid’s bow and take the liner right into the corners.

- Fill in the lip with the pencil to hold the lipstick in place and make it last longer. Go over the pencil color with a lip brush, working it into any creases.

- Paint on the lipstick using a lip brush for precision, starting in one corner and working inward. Use the tip of the brush for the edges and the flat of the brush for larger areas. Blot with a tissue and apply another coat.

- Add a dab of gloss in a clear or slightly lighter shade at the center of the lower lip and press your lips together. High-shine glossy lips create instant glamour, make the lips look fuller, and draw attention to your mouth-a luscious evening look.

Attitude:
- Red lips spell grown-up glamour and should be worn with confidence.

- Hair color is irrelevant when choosing the right shade of red – it’s skin tone that counts. Pink tones are best suited to cooler “blue reds,” while darker, Mediterranean, and Asian skins are better suited to “orange reds.”

- Deep, plumy reds look fantastic on dark skin, cool blue-based reds suit pink-toned and pale skin, while orange-based reds are less draining on a warmer complexion (but make sure it doesn’t accentuate any redness in your cheeks).

- Red lips will be the focus, so keep the rest of your make-up minimal.

- A red-tinted lipgloss will give a more subtle effect.

- Try not to touch your mouth so you don’t risk smudging the lipstick. Matte finishes are more resistant to smudging than gloss.

Jemma says: “Lip color is one of the most fun and accessible areas of make-up, and also one of the most noticeable. From pretty and natural through classic and sophisticated to glamorous and vampish, how we make up our lips can change our mood in an instant”

Non-Fattening Chocolate for Valentine's Day

Wow--Valentine's Day is Sunday. I don't know about the rest of you, but 2010 seems to be flying by. Valentine's Day is insanely commercialized and it's kind of a silly holiday, but if you're looking for something sweet, skip the chocolates and check out these chocolate-inspired beauty products:
Body Deli's Dark Chocolate Truffle Botanical Butter Scrub, $32
Made of extra fine dead sea salts and certified organic raw cacao beans and organic cocoa butter, this scrub polishes skin and leaves a delicious aroma. Pure, all-natural therapeutic essential oils are used to impart the healing essence of true aromatherapy on the skin. The Body Deli recommends using the scrub on wet skin 2-3 times per week to achieve the best results. The Body Deli products are made of fresh, natural ingredients and packaged in recyclable containers. All products contain an expiration date to showcase when they lose their max. potency.

Sephora Espresso Chocolate Collection, $10-$16
Bath and body products lightly scented with a rich espresso chocolate fragrance. This tantalizing scent blends energizing espresso with indulgent chocolate for a downright addictive result. Each product contains deeply hydrating ingredients, such as Aloe Vera and Jojoba, for delectably soft skin.

Dylan's Candy Bar Chocolate Cupcake Collection, $16-$22
Savor the flavor of celebration with something downright sinful and delicious. You can't miss the most crave-worthy cupcake treats! Dylan's Candy Bar Chocolate Cupcake Collection is chock full of decadent delight.

Shop to Your Heart's Content at Sephora!

Cupid’s bow is aiming for a beauty-full place this Valentine’s Day. Follow his arrow and it’ll lead you to Sephora, where an alluring array of beauty bounty awaits you. Anything and everything that will light her fire and spice up his night is available, affordable and above all, romantic. From soothing skincare sets to fresh fragrances, there is something that both you and your Valentine will adore.

Treat your sweetie to beauty:

• Sephora Brand Chocolate Espresso Bath & Body Collection ($12 - $16) – Create your own at-home spa experience for less with this delicious blend of energizing espresso with indulgent chocolate.
  
• Kat Von D Painted Love Lipstick in A-Go-Go ($18) – Seal his V-Day card with a kiss after you’ve slicked on this rich and sexy red lipstick from Kat Von D.
  
• On10 Hershey's Chocolate Fans Scented Soy Wax Candle ($20) – Give in to her chocolate cravings with this mouth-watering natural soy wax candle tucked in a portable tin.
  
• Anthony Logistics’ The Perfect Shave Kit ($50) – This ensemble is a must-have for a romantic weekend getaway, making sure his skin is smooth and refreshed for those close-ups.
  
• Sephora Brand Sweet Candy Lip Gloss ($7) – Pucker up! In eight yummy flavors, this skin-conditioning treatment will leave your lips moist, soft, and deliciously irresistible. The color choices are decent, and the price sure is right!
  
• Lily Pulitzer Eau de Parfum Spray ($48 - $68) – She’ll smell as sweet as candy with this delightfully pink, pretty, and flirty celebration of feminine style and gusto. Plus the bottle will look great on her vanity.
  
• NARS The Love Set ($49 a $73 value) – Get pretty in pink with this sleek black box packed with pinky peach hues of blush, lip gloss and lip pencil. This includes their famed Orgasm blush and likewise suggestively titled Pillow Talk lipgloss and Sex Machine velvet matte lip pencil. What more could you need?
  
• Jean Paul Gaultier LE MALE Eau de Toilette Spray ($39-$77) – Let your sweetie indulge in this scent-sational blend of cinnamon, cumin, wood and musk. Jean Paul Gaultier's packaging is unique and cheeky...just like him!
  
• Philosophy Candy Hearts Lip Duo ($20) – Show your lips some love with this seriously tasty treat in two irresistible flavors – pink bubbly and angel food cake. These tubes will make your lips shiny and yummy. Plus they're packaged with iconic conversation hearts on them--cute!!
  

Head over to Sephora before Saturday, or go online to place your order.

Get Ready for Valentine's Day

I'm not really much of a fan of Valentine's Day. I guess I just feel like I don't need a special day to tell my husband how much I love him. Because honestly? I love him more than I've ever loved anyone or anything else ever...every single day of the year. And I think he knows that.

Some people go crazy on Valentine's Day and really go all out. They buy flowers, jewelry, chocolate, and pay for fancy-schmancy dinners. Good for them! Why not! Right now, were so buried under the mountain of bad news that it might be fun to forget all the seriousness of the world and focus only on love.

If you're not like me and you celebrate February 14th, here are some suggestions for you:

WHIP YOUR SKIN INTO SHAPE WITH ST. IVES
Don't let dry, flaky winter skin stand in your way of a romantic evening. To get irresistably touchable skin, all you need to do is pick up a few St. Ives products. First, use St. Ives Whipped Silk Body Wash. This wash offers a uniquely luxurious lather that deep cleans as it provides skin with essential moisture. The unique formula is whipped with vitamins and natural emollients to create a soft, light cream that cleanses without over drying for an indulgent shower experience.

After your shower, use St. Ives Whipped Silk Intense Body Moisturizer from head to toe. This soft, light textured cream glides on easily and absorbs quickly without a greasy feel. Hydrolyzed Silk Protein delivers therapeutic moisture, while vitamins and natural emollients soften and smooth skin to a silky finish.

SWEETEN UP WITH MARK!
Valentine's Day is one of the sweeter holidays of the year. And you can make it even sweeter with a few goodies from mark. Check out:

• Candy Kisses Lip Glosses ($10 set) – This set includes three delectable and creamy lip glosses in a portable "candy-like" clear pot. Each gloss is deliciously scented like your favorite desserts!
• Kissinks Lip Tintmarker ($7) – Need some kissproof color, quick? Now your lips can really make a lasting mark! These Lip Tintmarkers are all you need for a semi-permanent, yet see-through lip stain that lasts for hours. It’s so long-lasting, you’ll find that you won’t need to reapply for the rest of the day!
• Sweetheart Deal Kits ($20) – These two different collections contain four coordinating shades that add up to a flirty look for Valentine's Day – or any day!

I'll have more Valentine's ideas for you tomorrow!

Every Man Jack for Valentine's Day

If you've read my blog for awhile, you no doubt know that I love Target. And there's no shame in buying beauty products from the big-box retailer. In fact, Target has been stocking their shelves with more and more interesting bath and beauty products lately. One fun line of products is just for men and I've mentioned them before: Every Man Jack.

Every Man Jack products are very cool looking. Their square bars of soap look like wood, and all of their products have a decidedly masculine, wood-grain packaging design. For Valentine's Day, they have assembled their best selling products in a special gift box. The box is available online from everymanjack.com for $16. The individual products are also for sale separately at Target and include:

• EMJ Body Bars in Cedarwood: Neatly boxed together, Every Man Jack's three bars of soap look as good as they smell. The Cedarwood scent is very masculine, but the aroma isn't overpowering and doesn't linger. Store these bars in your dresser drawers and your clothes will smell amazing!
• EMJ Body Wash in Cedarwood: If you prefer a liquid soap to the bar soap, you'll enjoy this product. You get the same great Cedarwood scent in luscious body wash form.
• EMJ Shave Gel: Ladies, you'll want to steal this unscented, dye-free shave gel for yourself! I personally love that it doesn't contain any dyes. My women's shave gel has a pretty nasty, very fake blue dye that makes my gel messy and scary looking. Not this stuff! It's a pleasure to use, and the added Vitamin E leaves skin smooth. Nice for him AND for you!
• EMJ Face Cream: After your man shaves, he'll need to moisturize his skin. This face cream is also fragrance free and dye free, so it won't irritate his sensitive skin.

Men love being pampered, so EMJ products are perfect for Valentine's Day. The price is right, and you'll enjoy these products just as much as he will!

Mon (Red) Cherie

Have you heard of Thymes? Chances are if you've gone to nice gift shop or high end market, you've seen Thymes products. They sell all sorts of bath and body goods that are packaged beautifully and smell great.

Now Thymes is debuting their newest collection, Red Cherie. You can select from a wide variety of Red Cherie products--from bath salts to body wash, to hand soap to body lotion. The products are moderately priced and look great. The Red Cherie scent combines wild cherry, pomegranate, passion flower, and jasmine. The Red Cherie line of goodies or any of the Thymes products would make for an excellent Valentine's Day gift....or a gift for any occasion.

For a store near you or to order, go to www.thymes.com.

Pucker Up and Be Sweet For Your Valentine

I love products with interesting packaging. And one product now on the market (in time for Valentine's Day) is packaged in a way that is both functional and cute. It doesn't hurt that the product itself is great as well.

What am I talking about? Bella Il Fiore's new Sweet Talk Sets.

These sets combine three girly-girl essentials--breath mints, lipgloss, and a mirror--in one cute, easy to carry tin. Whether you need a mid-afternoon freshen up, or you're heading out for a romantic night with your special someone, the Sweet Talk Set's compact design and fun products are for you.

Two sets are available: a Spice set that contains cinnamon mints and sheer red gloss, and a Sugar set that has peppermint mints and a sheer pink gloss. But glosses are ultra-moisturizing and provide just a hint of color. Each set costs $15 and would make an excellent Valentine's Day gift for your BFFs.

Sweet Talk Sets and other super-feminine Bella Il Fiore products are available at Kitson, Henri Bendel, Ritz Carlton Spa, and online at bellabeauty.com.

A Kiss For Your Valentine

I can't believe Valentine's Day is just a few weeks away (that also means my birthday is just a few weeks away--ugh!). So over the coming weeks, I'll be talking about some products to get you ready for a beautiful, kissable Valentine's Day. Today we'll start off with the kissable aspect of things.

Hopefully you all have someone special in your life, or at least someone to share a February 14th smooch with. In order for you to be at your most kissable, you need to make sure you don't have funky breath. Even if your Valentine's Day includes a garlic-filled dinner, you can still have a kissable mouth with French Kiss gum.

This gum was developed by Dr. Harold Katz, aka America's Bad Breath Expert for his celebrity clients. It is designed to reach below the tongue's surface to absorb bad breath odors. By chewing a few pieces, you can feel confident that you have a fresh, kissable mouth 24/7.

What's also great is that it doesn't contain artificial sweeteners like asparatame or saccharin. French Kiss gum is available at www.therabreath.com. Three packs of twelve pieces of gum costs $9.00. Not bad!