February 15, 2019

Possibly the most luxe lip balm ever, go "green" with your oral-care routine and an instant skin-radiance reboot courtesy of RMS Beauty.

Serious soothing for chapped lips

While I am ever-so-grateful to have the flu behind me, I simply cannot believe the effect it had on my skin. Once I felt well enough to get back to my skincare routine, I was faced with quite a challenge: What to do with my bumpy, sensitive mess of a complexion. I attempted to tackle the problem with Blaq’s Peel Off Mask thinking the charcoal would suck all of the toxins out of my pores, but the action of removing it left my skin red and aggravated. Fortunately, I had Eau Thermale Avene’s Soothing Sheet Mask to calm things down, but after that I had literally run out of energy and had to call it a night.  

My skin seemed to be somewhat back on track the following morning, but my lips are another story. They are beyond dry and so flaky that I could actually pick away sizable patches (but I won’t out of fear of being left with an even bigger mess). The various lip balms I have scattered around the house haven’t been able to smooth things over, so I think it’s time to call in the big guns—in this case, Dr. Barbara Sturm’s new Lip Balm. Packed with plant-based oils, butter and waxes (think lanolin, beeswax, shea butter, avocado oil, cocoa seed butter, coconut oil and sunflower seed oil), just writing about these ingredients makes my lips feel a little more comfortable. You’ll also find vitamin E for antioxidant protection to prevent environmental assaults from making matters worse.

Yes, $55 may seem like a steep price to pay for a lip balm, but if it makes you feel any better, you can also use this soothing salve on dry cuticles—and it also adds sheen to cheekbones, brow bones, eyelids and any other spots you usually use highlighter.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to see if my local Saks or Neiman’s carries Dr. Sturm so I can (hopefully) run to the mall and get one STAT.

Does your toothbrushing routine need a fresh start?

What day is it today? I semi-seriously ask because it’s been five days since the plague (a.k.a. the flu) descended upon my house. My son was the first to succumb, followed by me 36 hours later. As I write this, my husband is in bed moaning between fits of coughing and asking me to take his temperature.

Thank G-D I woke up this morning feeling relatively back to normal (at least normal enough to go to Trader Joe’s and CVS for more Lysol), but I can’t remember the last time I did my full skincare routine. Was it Saturday night between cleaning up my son’s vomit in not one, not two, but three bathrooms and putting wet towels on his 104-degree body? Nah, I think it was Saturday morning before I took him to urgent care for a flu test. (My mother’s instinct was spot on, and I knew I had to get him Tamiflu STAT.)

With my clarity restored this morning, I realized I was just about out of toothpaste—and even Amazon Prime wouldn’t be able to get a tube of Marvis Classic Strong Mint here fast enough. That’s when I remembered I received a package from Hello last week (things are looking up!). I grabbed the Activated Charcoal + Hemp Seed Oil and vowed to get my personal care back on track.

Takeaway #1: The first time brushing with a black toothpaste is a bit disconcerting. However, my mouth felt super-fresh and clean, and the mintiness definitely rivals my usual go-to.

Takeaway #2: I normally use a vibrating toothbrush, which tends to be a bit messy if I don’t take extra effort to keep my toothbrush and my head as close to the sink as possible. I probably noticed this more with the black Hello toothpaste since my sink is white and my countertop is cream-colored marble. Yet, I was able to side-step this potential problem by using the non-vibrating Hello toothbrush with charcoal-infused bristles—and I have to say it was nice to revisit this low-tech method of oral care.

This “fresh” start has me rethinking my brushing routine, because I kind of like this natural approach—i.e. no nasty chemicals or ingredients—that works to whiten teeth as it removes plaque and promotes overall good oral health. I’m sure I’ll get used to the black color, or I’ll just have to clean up after myself a bit more.

Another upside about Hello is that you can set up automatic shipments every one, two or three months so you always have a fresh toothbrush and you never run out of paste. Now’s there’s something to smile about!

The one product you need to make it until spring

Whether you survived the polar vortex or are lucky enough to live in more temperate climes, odds are you are so over winter at this point. After a few weeks of relatively chilly weather down here in South Florida, and go so sick of all of my sweatshirts and sweaters I resorted to raiding my son’s closet for a few new options.

Your skin is likely feeling fed up with winter as well, and it’s possible that all the hydrating masks in the world may leave you wanting even more of a radiance boost—and now’s the time to fake it until we make it (so spring, that is).

The latest from RMS Beauty couldn’t have arrived at a more perfect time, because nothing gives the skin a lit-from-within glow like a highlighting powder—and there are three brand-new, all-natural Luminizing Powder options to choose from.

Offering the ease of a powder with the moisture of a cream, their ultra-fine mineral pigments attract light to all the right places, whether you prefer a traditional champagne hue, glowy rose-gold or bronze-tinged highlight. Whichever you choose, you’re guaranteed a lit-from-within luminosity that is sure to help you get through the home stretch of winter.