SMC beauty buys: darphin redness relief serum

i always just hate trying things from darphin. they're fantastic to use, work exactly as promised, and it feels like such an indulgence every time i put on a darphin product. so, i get all addicted. and truth in advertising generally comes at a high price, i'm sorry to say.

so now, just in time for summer (aka, my face's nightmare season), darphin has introduced this amazing redness relief soothing serum. which, honestly and truly, does just that. i was seriously skeptical - my face is fairer than fair, with only its borderline rosacea to add a splash of color. but this serum is going a long way toward delivering that milky, luminous complexion i dream of one day possessing. it's totally soothing to apply, and has a lovely fragrance as well.

sigh...guess i'm stuck with another can't-live-without product from darphin. the world is so unfair.

if you're in the market for a new serum, or if redness on your face plagues you during warm weather like it does me, this is one of those times i think it's worth it to give in and splurge. and one thing i'll say about darphin is the products do last for months. so, you can use my trusty "cost per wear" justification here. handy little tool, isn't it?

SMC how-to: the poor man's pedicure

it's hard to believe, but there was once a time i was completely convinced there was no reason to get a professional pedicure. thankfully, those days are well behind me - now, i'm about as high-maintenance as a girl can get.

however, the reality is that sometimes we need a little DIY action...maybe an event is coming up and you can't get to the spa, or maybe you just look down at your toes one day and realize you can't possibly leave your house wearing those gorgeous peep toes, because everyone will be doing just that...peeping at your less-than-perfect pedi.

fortunately, i've unearthed a few products that make the DIY version simple, seamless and - my favorite - quick.


first things first, the hardware: i just got the most perfect thing in the mail - it's a summer staple if there ever was one. it's a 10-piece pedicure kit from kiss that comes complete with literally everything you'll need for perfect summer toes. pumice stone, scrubber, clippers, cuticle pusher (the good, metal version) and nipper, buffer, and even toe separators for the polish. for $9.99 - seriously, that has to be the ultimate cheap thrill.


now, my pedi solution is cheap and dirty - after i remove my old polish, i just sand my toes down with a sugar scrub in the shower...that'll get you close enough, especially if you're not hunkering down for serious cuticle time. i happen to completely adore this version by airplus - and their foot lotion is literally the only thing that heals my heels after months of sandals.


i think everyone knows the sand/cut/file/buff routine, so i'm going to skip that and get to the polish. traditionalists will run for the OPI, and with good reason - i do love the staying power, and the colors are lovely. but i just tried out a new polish by bourjois that may have surpassed my OPI obsession. i love it because it's infused with vinyl, if you can imagine. translation: it dries superfast, and sticks without chipping like nobody's business. plus, what their color selection lacks in quantity, it makes up in quality. their rose vamp is the ultimate hot pink for hot days, and rose escarpin may just be the elusive 'perfect red'. definitely a toe must-buy.

so, start with some OPI nail envy, slap on that bourjois polish (remember the toe separators...that'll save oh-so-much time in touchups alone), and top it off with sally hansen's hard as nails, and you'll be sandal-worthy in no time!

what i'm gifting for father's day: kiehl's jesse james dopp kit

father's day is always one of those really tricky events for me - men are just tough to buy for in general, but i happen to have a lot of people in my family who, well, lack those "fatherly" hobbies (football and golf) that make for surefire gift solutions.

so, i was thrilled to come across this option from kiehl's, which feels like the perfect gift solution for a dad that's impossible to buy for.

in general, unless they're certifiably metro, most dads aren't into grooming products as gifts (the annual bottle of cologne notwithstanding). that's why i love this limited edition "jesse james" gift set from kiehl's. it's a compilation of their very best men's toiletries (my hubs is completely addicted to the ultimate man body scrub soap it contains), wrapped up in a rugged, manly west coast choppers (read: harley davidson legend) dopp kit.

so, he'll love it for the hell's angels vibe, and the body products will just feel like a bonus. fortunately for you, that bonus means a much better-groomed dad/granddad/husband/babydaddyfor months to come. i love a gift that gives back.

pick it up exclusively at kiehl's boutiques or online for $66, while they last.

SMC beauty buys: darphin 8 flower nectar

i know, i know - two beauty posts in a row! but there's a lovely deal going on over at darphin that i just had to share. through march 8 (that's saturday, ladies), if you spend $75 at darphin's website, you'll get a sample of their fabulous 8 flower nectar and their hydraskin light. use code BEAUTYBLOG to score this offer.

in general, darphin's products really strike me as the best of the best (though i will admit to really disliking the scent of their body lotion). i was first introduced to them when i had that fabulous facial at bluemercury a while back. their aesthetician used only darphin masks on my face, and i can tell you that my skin was incredibly grateful.

i haven't tried the hydraskin product that comes in this offer, but the folks at darphin were kind enough to let me check out the 8 flower nectar, and i have to say that it's one of my new favorite products. the scent is completely amazing, and it makes my skin ridiculously soft, even in the yucky winter weather. the website says it better: "Rejuvenating, nourishing and it helps to firm and minimize the appearance of lines and wrinkles, restores natural radiance, suppleness and resilience for overall youthful-looking skin."

yeah, what they said.

it is pricey (i gasped, i'll admit it), but i can tell you i've been using it for a week, and the bottle is still completely full - so i think you'll get serious mileage out of this purchase. or, better yet, pick up one of their other lovely products (i love their aromatic bath and body oil - just smelling it relaxes me, and again, it makes my skin so amazingly soft. yum.) and snag the free sample of the 8 flower nectar, so you can check it out gratis.

i hope some of you get a chance to take advantage of this lovely offer from darphin...these opportunities don't come around often! and in the meantime, i'll see if i can check out a few more of their facial products and let you all know how they fare.

SMC beauty buys: bobbi brown shimmer brick

i'd been hearing so much about the bobbi brown shimmer brick compact lately that i finally just couldn't take it any more, and had to try it for myself. friends had raved that it had near-magical qualities to brighten, highlight, and just generally make your skin look amazing - with almost no effort on your part.

after trying it, i have to admit: the stuff is pretty fantastic. i have just about the palest skin imaginable, so i tried out the pink shade. it works as something between a bronzer, highlighter and blush - i actually use it for all three. if you use the right brush, you can even use each of the shades separately as an eye color. i do so love a product that multi-tasks. when i'm feeling really lazy, i just throw a little on my cheeks and forehead, add a bit of mascara, and call it good.

in all, the shimmer brick compact is an excellent way to spend $38 of your beauty budget. you can pick up any or all of the colors at bobbi brown's website.

SMC beauty buys: resurrecting old classics

wow, are we ever overdue for a beauty post here at shoppingsmycardio!

lately, i've been on a quest for the perfect eye cream. now granted, my expectations are high. i want it to remove dark circles, prevent wrinkles, and generally make me look amazing. but that's not too much to ask, is it? anyway, after months and months, i still haven't found anything jawdropping.

until i find the grail, i'm glad to settle for clever tricks that accomplish the same goal. so, when a colleague suggested i stop by an event benefit cosmetics was holding at my friendly neighborhood bloomingdales, i decided to take her up on the invite. ordinarily, i run screaming from department store makeovers, but the truth is that i already own 90% of the benefit line, so i knew i'd be pretty safe. their products are just so cheeky and fun, i can rarely resist the marketing. bonus is that they actually work.

so, the head of their cosmetics department (i must have really looked like i needed help) worked her wonders on me, and taught me a trick i had never considered. and by god, it actually worked! natch, i rushed back home to try it for myself. and it worked again! best of all, i already owned all products involved, which you know never ever happens in the world of department store cosmetic counters.

anyway, here's the trick: take their eye bright pencil, and scribble (don't you love my technical terminology?) all over the dark parts in the inner corner of your eye, and the wrinkles at the outer corner, that you desperately want to hide. lightly, of course - no need to cause injury. top with a little bit of ooh la lift. blend lightly with finger until it all melts in. then add a little more eye bright on top if you need it, and dab (don't rub - it'll just rub right off) to distribute. top it off with a little lemon-aid on your lids (if you haven't tried this product, i can't say enough lovely things about it), and, well, it just works.

try this one at home, ladies - and report back! i'm anxious to see if i'm the only one, or if i've uncovered some deep, mysterious, dark-circle-hiding secret.

shoppingsmycardio's top 3 of 2007: beauty

it's been a big year here at shoppingsmycardio - it seems like there's always something wonderful we just have to have. so, it felt fitting to end the year with a roundup of my favorite beauty items, clothing and accessories from 2007.

beauty was actually the easy one for me this year, though i tried out more new beauty products in 2007 than i have in my entire life - by a landslide. but there were 3 products i tried that have definitely become new obsessions for me.

first up is caudalie vinoperfect radiance serum, which i discovered when i visited bluemercury a while back (hmm, speaking of beauty favorites of 2007...can a store be a favorite beauty product?). i am not one to spend crazy amounts on beauty products, so the fact that i was willing to shell out nearly $80 for this should speak volumes. this serum goes on silky smooth, and really just seems to make my skin glow. it claims to decrease redness and beauty marks over time, so i'll keep you posted on that front. but overall, this is my one "can't be without" facial product.

i've always been one of those people who didn't really see much of a difference between facial cleansers. i mean, if it gets the oil off and doesn't make things worse, that's really all i'm looking for. plus, i have freakishly sensitive skin (really, it's sad - just ask my team of allergists). so, for years, i was a dedicated cetaphil girl. but one day, a packet of samples arrived from a company called suki, and i took one whiff of their lemongrass cleanser, and the smell made me so happy that i knew i had to give it a try. it's really sort of a hybrid between a scrub and a cleanser, and it's literally so fabulous that it makes me excited to hop in the shower in the morning. well worth your $24.50.

and, last but not least is my favorite hair product of 2007. this one's tough only because i can't decide which product(s) from the ecru line to include, as i'm pretty obsessed with all of them (as you might recall from the post i did about them earlier this year). but i think i have it narrowed down to either the luxe treatment shampoo, which does a truly amazing job of cleansing without stripping, and the volumizing silk mist, which actually manages to give my obnoxiously heavy hair an amazing amount of volume. though truly, i've tried every product they make, and all are better than anything else in the same genre that i've tried. hair products that actually do what they say they will: genius.

so, there you have it: the best of beauty 2007. stay tuned this week for the rest of my 2007 favorites!

shoppingsmycardio addiction: bluemercury apothecary & spa

i recently got a chance to check out bluemercury, a new spa and apothecary that is growing at lightning speed, and just popped up in the san francisco area. i know, i know - another spa in san francisco? another beauty store? hear me out: the concept is pretty much sheer genius – and i’m completely smitten.

created by marla malcolm beck, the shop/apothecary section of the store consists of a large, but incredibly well-edited selection of skin, makeup and beauty products from lines like darphin, red flower, laura mercier, trish mcevoy, bumble & bumble…the list goes on and on (and on).

i have to admit that i’m a major beauty product snob at this point in my life, so it says something that i was jaw-droppingly impressed by the range of lines this relatively new shop has on offer. the reality is that a lot of these lines are really picky about what shops they’ll put their products into, so the fact that bluemercury has scored such amazing lines when it’s relatively new on the scene is incredibly impressive. i’m told that the company founder personally tests all products before letting them into the store – and that she still personally interviews every staff person. believe me, when you step into the store, it shows.

while i was visiting, i got the chance to try out their spa services with their “modern facial.” i’ve never been a person that goes for regular facials...the truth is that if i’m offered the chance to head to a spa, i’ll opt for a massage over a facial every time. but the esthetician at bluemercury literally worked magic – i walked out of the treatment room feeling more relaxed than i have after any massage, and my face was so soft that i literally couldn’t stop touching it all day. there’s no question i’ll be heading back to take advantage of her expertise (and the fabulously relaxing experience) in no time.

but my favorite thing about the experience at bluemercury was the staff. literally, from the moment i walked in the door, it was what i’ve been referring to since as the “anti-sephora” experience. everyone was incredibly friendly, but not obnoxious or forceful. i asked the store manager about eye cream recommendations, and the first thing she said was that we should talk after i had my facial, so that she could consult with the esthetician about my specific needs. and after my facial, as promised, she spent almost 20 minutes talking with me about the different ingredients in the various products, what she liked, why she liked it, what the company founder suggests, and why she suggests it, and ended up putting together a bag of samples that has me happier with my skin than i’ve ever been in my life.

honestly, i don’t think i’ll ever shop at sephora again.

most of their locations are east coast for now, though they do have a store in la and the new one in marin county. but they’re opening nearly 40 stores between now and the end of 2008. and, they have a website, so any of those products you get completely addicted to are just a click away.

to shop, peruse the spa offerings, or just check out all of the amazing products bluemercury has on offer, click on over to www.bluemercury.com.

what i want today: to be a lipstick queen

i have to admit, i'm always pretty much in awe of women who can really and truly pull off lipstick. i know, that sounds completely lame. but i'm talking really fabulously glamorous women (the same women that pull off liquid eyeliner). the ones that put on that perfect shade of red lipstick, and are suddenly drop-dead amazing, without a drop of makeup anywhere else on their perfect faces.

sadly, i have never been one of those women - i've always been pretty much completely terrified of the super-bold lipstick, fearing i'd come out looking more like a desperate, dita-von-teese-wannabee than an actually glamorous gal. but i recently came across a new line of lipsticks that makes me think it just might be possible.

designed by poppy king, the lipstick queen line (yes, i totally admit to being sucked in by the name and the gorgeous packaging) features an impeccably small selection of shades that are so well crafted you're virtually guaranteed to find that perfect color, without spending an hour at the lipstick counter in that oh-so-fun "wax on, wax off" game we've all played a hundred times.

crafted in both semi-sheer ("saint") and super-matte ("sinner" - told you i was sucked in by the marketing) versions, lipstick queen lipsticks have that fabulous vintage chic look that's absolutely everywhere this fall. any trend that promises to make me look fabulous and super-hip, all for under $20, well, that's hard to pass up.

to buy, check the color selections out online, then head over to your friendly neighborhood barneys.

what i want today: benefit's "justine case"

i knew i liked benefit cosmetics - really, they're kitschy, fun, clever...what's not to like? but it wasn't until they helped me drop 3 lbs. in 30 seconds that i really, really fell in love.

i recently got a chance to check out their new justine case (which i admit i prefer to think of as "just in case"...since i know no one named justine). most of the "best of the best" product packages you get these days are really only about 75% of the best, and 25% of stuff you didn't actually want or need, but end up toting around anyway, because they fit in the package. so, imagine how thrilled i was to realize that each and every item in the kit is actually something i'll use every single day! there's a trusty mini-bottle of the classic benetint for lips and cheeks, a minty fresh clear lip gloss, a concealer that actually isn't cakey and manages to work with my skin tone, and a little tube of eyecon, for those days when you need a little extra help with the eye puff issue.

so, how'd i drop all that weight i mentioned? i dumped all of the zillion containers of lip stuff, compacts, and various other products out of my handbag, and replaced them with this kit and a pack of bobbi brown blotting sheets. my chiropractor would be so proud! plus, there's an outside chance i can actually carry a clutch without constantly panicking that i've left something behind.

what i want today: ecru hair goods

i have to admit to something here: i've never once been actually impressed by the results i've gotten from a hair product. sure, there have been those i've liked more than others, and some i've been pleased with. but i've never really tried something, finished blowdrying, looked in the mirror and said "wow! that blankety-blank i just used is pretty freaking amazing!"

so, i was a little more than shocked when i looked in the mirror after trying ecru new york's hair products for the first time, and actually did say those words. the volumizing silk mist? i got actual, noticeable volume. the luxe treatment shampoo? lathers like crazy, rinses clean, and smells so good i've been forced to share it with my hubs. and the silk texturizing balm has replaced every other finishing product in my bathroom.

prices range from $18-32, but a little goes a long way with all of this stuff. unless, of course, you're forced to share.

what i want today: beauty bargains

this is part two of our quest to find you fabulous products at fabulous prices (if you missed the fashion edition of frugal finds, check it out here). we upped the ante a bit on this one: we didn’t consider any products over $25, and we really worked to find products that really were a cut above your average drugstore find (while a few drugstore products did make it onto the list, they all impressed us just as much as their high-priced counterparts). here’s what made the cut:

(head on over to TDO to read the second "frugal finds" installment!)

what i want today: fragrances by elizabethW

i was roaming through one of my favorite san francisco boutiques recently, and stumbled across a new-ish perfumerie i just have to share: elizabethw. to be honest, while i generally like the idea of new fragrances, i almost never switch...the novelty just always seems to wear off quickly. but the moment i started sniffing elizabethw's fabulous fragrances, i threw caution to the wind, and found myself spritzing samples on my wrist left and right. the scents are all incredibly well thought out - they have this amazing blend of simplicity and sophistication. too often with fragrances, i feel they're either so simple and light they're not worth the trouble, or they're so heavy that they just aren't practical for everyday wear, but the elizabethw options were, well, not to get too goldilocks about it, but they were all "just right." their website puts it slightly better: "clean, simple, sophisticated, elegant, and totally original"....my thoughts exactly! plus, i love that they're a san francisco-based company, and they're really taking the time to design every fragrance by hand.

of the scents i got a chance to sample, the ones i'm still thinking about are vetiver (a spicy, citrusy scent that reminds me of cinnamon, pine cones and orange peel), leaves (a clean, light, almost grassy scent that had me wishing for spring), and magnolia (a scent i've always adored, but never been able to find a perfume to recreate it...until now)...but really, i loved just about all of them. of course, if you want to know the actual contents of each scent, you can always check their official list...i sort of prefer to go with my gut on these things.

as you've probably guessed by now, i'm pretty well smitten with everything elizabethw has to offer (i can guarantee you there will be some items from their site on my holiday gift list!), but if you're not ready to take the fragrance plunge, try starting with one of their fabulous candles ($30), or the body cream ($28), which takes 'luxurious' to a whole new level. trust me....one whiff, and you'll be addicted too!