Mischo Beauty: January 2010

Mischo Beauty + Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Fall 2010 Collections • February 11 - 18, 2010 • New York

We're two weeks away from the start of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, and I've started my count down! As I've said before, the backstage is the beauty lover's frontstage. So with that said, I'll be backstage reporting on fall trends in beauty (hair, skin, makeup & nails) as they relate to the collections presented on the runway- so please stay tuned! I'm also hosting an event with the chic beauty boutique, GEORGIA and I'd love it if you joined me! To RSVP, click here.

Mischo Beauty: Seche Perfect Nail™ Treatments

I think we've all seen the Seche Vite fast drying top coat in a nail shop. I know I can count on one hand the times I haven't, so there's no debating whether it works or not! But what is new to me are the Perfect Nail treatments. So, depending on your nail's need/issue, there's a specific treatment formulation:

- Retain: maintain strong, durable nails
- Rebuild: strengthen weak, thin nails
- Recondition: add flexibility to fragile nails

Now I wouldn't expect any miracles overnight, but with consistent use and a little TLC, I'm sure the wait will be worth it!

Disclosure: Products in this post were provided for consideration by the company. For more information, please see my disclosure.

Mischo Beauty Extra: Sally Hansen Diamond Strength No Chip Nail Color

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week is two weeks away and as you all know, the backstage is the beauty lover's frontstage! And with that said, I can't wait to see the Sally Hansen + Tracy Reese collaboration for Fall 2010. But, in the meantime, Sally Hansen released the Diamond Strength No Chip Nail Color collection over the holidays, which is supposed to stop nails from breaking because it's formulated with real diamond particles.

The colors pictured above are as follows:

- Candlelight
- Moonlit Glow
- Toast Of The Town
- Love Match
- Mon Cheri
- Lovestruck
- Hopeless Romantic
- Timeless

Now the funny thing is- is that the names of the nail colors sound as if they should have been released around Valentine's Day. Don't you agree? Anyway, I love the shades and hopefully they're not too hard to find at your local drugstores.

Disclosure: Products in this post were provided for consideration by the company. For more information, please see my disclosure.

St. Lucia On My Mind...

I can't begin to tell you all how amazing my trip to St. Lucia was! I'm seriously still trying to get back into the swing of things, and I've been back for more than a week!! We stayed in the beautiful Cap Maison Villa Resort & Spa's Oceanview Villa Suite with a private pool. And so, this meant waking up every morning to the fabulous view of the ocean. Need I say more? If you follow me on Twitter, then you've probably seen this, this and finally this photo posted earlier this week...

Have you been to St. Lucia? If so, what did you think? Do you have a favorite island getaway?

Mischo Beauty: Dream Cholesterol Conditioning Cap

So the last time I talked about "pre-pooing", I mentioned the steps- covering my hair with a plastic cap, sitting under a hooded hair dryer for about 30 minutes, and then shampooing. Well, while packing for my trip to St. Lucia, I decided to take time out to pre-poo, shampoo and deep condition. And, guess what happened? My hooded hair dryer decides to break down. Now I remembered buying a conditioning cap during my last visit to the beauty supply store, and so this ended up being the perfect opportunity to test it out.

The way it works is that it's "self warming", so it traps your internal body heat which helps with the conditioning process. Now I don't want you to think that this cap gets hot, because it doesn't- well unless you're running around or decide to workout with the pre-poo treatment in your hair. Anyway, this back-up didn't fail me because I loved my finished results. Bouncy, shiny hair was the goal, and that's what I ended up with!

Mischo Beauty: Body By Brigitte Wax Strips Kit

In preparation for my trip to St. Lucia, I decided to test out the Body By Brigitte Wax Strips Kits. The goal was soft, smooth and hair-free skin! Now there's a kit specifically for the face, brow and bikini, while the other kit is for the body, legs and arms. Now I've used wax strips on areas of my face in the past (before learning to use wax), so I had high hopes for these kits.

I liked the kit for the face, though I didn't use the strips on my brows (I would've had to cut the strips down to tiny pieces for better control- and that would have been too much trouble!). The strips were easy to use on all of the other areas of my face, and the kit comes with a pre-wax towelette (for cleansing the skin) and a post-wax towelette (for clean up).

I think the face kit is great for home use and easy touch-ups. I ended up using wax every where else. Are you a wax strip kit user? Do the strips work for you? Please share- I'd love to know!

Disclosure: Products in this post were provided for consideration by the company. For more information, please see my disclosure.

You're Invited: GEORGIA & Mischo Beauty Event

I hope you all enjoyed your weekend. Those of you who follow me on Twitter already know this, but I spent the last week in St. Lucia and it was fabulous! I had every intention of blogging, but when I set foot on the island, it was all over- instant paradise! Ahhhhhhhh! I'll update you more on that later...

The exciting news today is that- well, remember the post a few months back on the chic beauty boutique and salon called Georgia? Well, on February 12th from 6pm - 9pm, I'll join the owners, Jodie and Kiara, in introducing you to "The Trilogy of Perfect Skin Care." You'll learn more about the Duchess Marden, Georgia By G and Company, and Kroia skin care lines, all while toasting a new year of new beauty. I hope you'll join us!

Please send your RSVP's directly to me at: kitiya@mischobeauty.com

Everyone, please help Haiti!

I'm sure you all know about the devastating earthquake that hit Haiti a few days ago, and so my request for you today is simple: PLEASE HELP HAITI! I'd like to encourage you all to help in any way that you can! I'm a supporter of the American Red Cross, as many of you know (I'm a blood donor)- and I've encouraged you all to get involved in the past. The American Red Cross is one of many organizations involved in the relief efforts. Please visit whitehouse.gov and cnn.com, to find a list of additional organizations needing assistance.

Mischo Beauty Loves Yves Saint Laurent 2010 Spring Makeup Collection

It's your "YSL Beauty Girl" here and I couldn't write another post without letting you all know about their newest launch. Unfortunately, I don't have samples to show you, but from what I've been able to view of the collection, I think I pretty much want it all! My picks definitely include the two palettes below: #1 Face Highlighter & #2 Blush Highlighter

YSL Beauty describes the collection as: "This season the YSL woman represents allure and passion. She is Faubourg St Honore chic, an enigma of contrasts: intimate, sensual and decadent. She is forever...PARIS."

Visit yslbeautyus.com to view the entire collection and be sure to let me know your picks! Oh, and if you're in LA (sure wish I was!) check out the YSL Spring Makeup Event at Barneys, January 28 - 30th from 11am - 6pm.

Mischo Beauty Superstar of the Week: Kimberly Snyder

The "Mischo Beauty Superstar" series is back! Yay! And I'm happy to announce that this week's beauty superstar is Kimberly Snyder of "Kimberly Snyder's Healthy and Beauty Blog". I can't begin to tell you all how much I HEART Kimberly and her blog! And if you know me personally, I've probably already talked you to death about a "glowing green smoothie"! LOL.

Kimberly is a clinical nutritionist and yoga instructor, and her blog is filled with great eating tips, wellness advice and overall health information. Her blog is actually quite addictive- once you start reading, you'll probably spend hours on it. You'll definitely feel inspired to try something new to improve your diet after reading it, and you'll definitely come back for more.

If you've joined my "A Healthy, Sexy & Beautiful 2010" challenge, then you know I've already recommended her blog as a great resource! I'm encouraging you to check it out- and if you decide to visit, please let me know what you think!

What's your least favorite spa treatment?

I had to ask this question after sharing with you all yesterday, the fact that I hate body scrub treatments at spas. So now it's your turn to share!

So my question for you today is: What's your least favorite spa treatment?

Mischo Beauty Loves Three Whishes Pomegranate Sugar Scrub

As much as I love "spa-ing", I must admit - the service I like the least is anything having to do with a scrub! It's really weird, because I believe in exfoliation- you all know that I preach the "wonders of exfoliation" on this blog! Not to mention, my bathroom is full of exfoliants for the face, body, and feet. I exfoliate a few times a week, and don't mind doing it myself. I guess I dislike this spa service, in particular, because it's not relaxing or pampering- it's actually uncomfortable, but so necessary...

Anyway, back to the post! So I'm currently loving Three Whishes Pomegranate Sugar Scrub for two reasons. First, it's gentle on my skin (I'm not a fan of "rough" body scrubs with large granules- they make me feel like my skin is being scratched up!), and second- I love the scent. The bonus is that the scrub is all natural, made with organic ingredients, and is free of parabens, sulfates and petrochemicals!

Oh, and a quick tip I learned while in esthetics school- for a more thorough exfoliation-apply your exfoliant to dry skin (before showering), and then follow it with your normal shower routine (body wash, moisturizer, etc.) - the difference is amazing!

Disclosure: Products in this post were provided for consideration by the company. For more information, please see my disclosure.

Mischo Beauty: Biore Blemish Fighting Ice Cleanser & Deep Cleansing Pore Strips

I hope you all are enjoying the new year- new decade! I can't begin to tell you how anxious and excited I am about all the possibilities ahead, but more on that later- and back to this post! I was recently asked to test out Biore's Blemish Fighting Ice Cleanser and Deep Cleansing Pore Strips. Now I know I'm not a candidate for either product because- 1) I don't have oily/acneic skin and 2) Though I do have an oily t-zone, since I'm an esthetician, I pretty much know how to treat excess oil/congestion (remember my mini-facials?).

But, I decided to mention these products, because after browsing Biore's website, I was pleased to see that there was a whole regimen of products, and I love that! Remember- I'm always encouraging you all to start at-home skincare regimens, right! Anyway, for those of you who do have oily/acneic skin types- this is just another option for you (I promise to include more information, reviews and recommendations for your skin type on the blog!). Be sure to check it out and let me know what you think.

Disclosure: Products in this post were provided for consideration by the company. For more information, please see my disclosure.

Mischo Beauty School: Facial Masks 101

After last week's post on exfoliation, I received quite a few emails requesting a recommendation of a good mask. Before I suggest a mask, I need to know your skin type because generally there are two types of masks I recommend: setting & non-setting masks. Setting masks, which normally use clay as their base, harden and dry and absorb oil and remove dead skin cells. Non-setting masks can be used for normal, dry or sensitive skin and are primarily nourishing, moisturizing and soothing.

Benefits of masks include some of the following:

1. Tighten and tone the skin
2. Draw impurities out of the pores
3. Assist in clearing of blemishes
4. Hydrate & nourish the skin
5. Calm & soothe the skin

I personally use a combination of both mask types. I use a setting mask on my oily t-zone and a non-setting mask everywhere else.

Any questions? Love your skin.