Can't Live Without My Lipstick

I stopped into Bath & Body Works the other day to check out their new line, Shea Cashmere, but what I ended up loving was from their Aromatherapy line, something called Sleep - Warm Milk & Honey. In a deep cobalt blue bottle with little white stars, the body lotion was a yummy smelling blend of cinnamon and cloves, both from essential oils. The combination really does smell like some concoction that your grandmother might have whipped up on a cold night to help you fall asleep (now, I've never actually had warm milk, but if it tastes anything like how this stuff smells, bring me a glass!). Now, I cannot attest to whether it helps you sleep better because as much as I loved the fragrance, times are lean and I cannot afford to buy every beauty/skincare/bodycare product I fall in love with (I would be bankrupt for sure if I did), but I hope it will go on sale during one of B&BW's awesome sales. Or I will have to wait and put it on my Christmas list. Here's to sweet

I got this special offer from someone I used to work with who now works at Spanx (awesome gig, right?!). It's good to know people at cool companies! Especially a company that wants to make your rear look fab. Just in case the print is a little too small, the offer is 30% off at spanx.com when you enter the promo code spanxanniversary thru Sept. 14th.

Ok, so I stop at the mall today and head to the Prescriptives counter at Macy's to get my foundation (Prescriptives Virtual Matte in Fresh Camellia). After wandering around the counter for several minutes, someone finally comes to assist me. I make the transaction very easy, handing her the bottle in the exact color I need, thinking I will be out of here in a flash. Of course, normally, I'd want to check everything out, look at new colors, etc., but not this morning. Anyway, in the course of about a minute, this girl tried to sell me on just about everything, and left me feeling really crappy. She attempted to pawn off on me: serum, primer, powder, moisturizer, different foundation, a brush, new colors of makeup, and yet she forgot my free gift (which just to make my experience more annoying, there was supposed to be a choice of color palette for the GWP and all that was left was the color palette I did not prefer). Now, I know these salespeople work on commission, and I, pers

Check out these smokin' new eyeshadows shades from Kat Von D, a Sephora limited edition. Called Rock n' Roll Eyeshadow Duo , one side is a glittery formulation and the other is a satin shade. And as fierce as the color choices are, I am equally rocked by the names Ms. Von D has given these duos. Groupie, Motorhead, Air Guitar - oh my! But my faves are in honor of Kat's rocker boyfriend, and one of my all-time favorite metal hotties - Nikki Sixx : Livewire and Sixxshooter (the killer smoky duo pictured above). Gone on, show off your Wild Side with these new eyeshadows. Rock n' Roll is beautiful.

I love getting the Bliss catalog . I wish I could order everything in it - their fun product descriptions convince me I need every single item. Alas, no can do. But I still love when that catalog appears in my mailbox, like it did today. And in it, I found something that I may have to get. Lately, I have been admirably deep conditioning my hair on a weekly basis (before, it was like once every six months. Not very helpful.). Still, I do not have the long, shiny, lustrous locks I envy on others (think Kristin Davis, Penelope Cruz). A new item in the Bliss catalog might just help me achieve my goal. It's called the Hair Therapy Wrap . It's a terry wrap in which you insert three gel packs, place in the microwave for 80 seconds, and then put on your head for up to 30 minutes to make your conditioner even more effective by adding penetrating heat! Sweet.

Check out NM's beauty GWP for fall. With your purchase of $100 of beauty products (cosmetics and/or fragrance), you get a COMPLIMENTARY NM EXCLUSIVE CROCODILE-EMBOSSED TOTE IN CRANBERRY. Included in the tote are some great samples: • Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Intensive Exfoliating Treatment, 0.16 ounces • NM EXCLUSIVE Van Cleef & Arpels Féerie Eau de Parfum, 0.04 ounces • Prada Infusion d'Homme Eau de Toilette, 0.05 ounces • NM EXCLUSIVE Glowelle Beauty Drink Mix, 0.476 ounces • Laura Mercier Eye Basic in Wheat, 0.1 ounce • NM EXCLUSIVE Frédéric Fekkai Ageless Rejuvenating Shampoo and Restructurizing Conditioner packettes, each 0.3 ounces • Molton Brown Blu Maquis Fine Liquid Hand Wash, 1 ounce • Clinique Long Last Glosswear SPF 15 in Guavagold, 0.07 ounces • Dior Diorshow Mascara in Black, 0.18 ounces (yup, that's right Diorshow mascara sample!!) *Available online through September 15. In stores September 5-14. Reserve yours in store now by visiting Neiman Marcus, or

For Labor Day, I thought I'd write about a product that can make your hair care routine decidedly less labor-intensive! I've been trying to find a dry shampoo for months now, and have been disappointed until now. This Bumble and bumble Hair Powder (which is actually an aerosol spray) is the one I've been looking for. I have long hair and a 3 year old. I do not have time everyday (or even every other day) to wash and style my hair. Hence, the use of the dry shampoo to dry cleanse my hair, getting rid of that greasiness that can hit the roots and sides (especially noticeable since I pull my hair into the mommy ponytail at least 5 days a week). Unlike other dry shampoos I've tried, this comes in colors to match your hair color! Genius. I first tried Oscar Blandi's version, and while it smelled of lemony deliciousness, as a brunette, the white spray left my hair a dusty, powdery mess, with a gray haze, even after multiple brush-outs. And I didn't detect an