Fridays with Felicia: Volume 5

Fridays with Felicia: An intimate look behind the curtain as I share my favorite style/beauty discoveries and ThisThatBeauty shenanigans from previous week.

“Fridays with Felicia” keep getting better and better. I’m like fine wine over here! LOL. Each week I take great joy in sitting down with you and sharing the highlights of my week. So lets get this party started!

My week began with the best 30-minute facial I have EVER had. Please allow me to digress for a second and overstate the obvious.   I am not one to willy nilly dub a product or service “the best”. When it comes to skincare, I am not new to this…more like true to this. At the tender age of 10 I started blowing my allowance on beauty products. Most dermatologists and chemists I talk to are shocked by my depth of skin care knowledge. And the proof is in the pudding, or shall I say “the skin”…Dr Neal Schultz of DERM TV once examined my skin under UV lights and told me that I have the least amount of sun damage he’s seen in over 30 years of practicing. So you see, I really know my stuff when it comes to skin! So having said ALL that (yes, I am known for going off on long rants)…it is not very easy for a product or service to garner the honor of “BEST”.

So back to my opening sentence — I started my week with the best 30-minute facial ever at Exhale Spa. Spa Director, Caitlin Conn administered Exhale’s signature 30-minute   G.R.N. facial. The service is designed specifically to combat the adverse effects of environmental toxins on the skin. Going in, I was somewhat skeptical because 30 minutes seemed like a short amount of time to achieve the kind of results I typically seek when having a facial. However, given the efficacy of the eco-conscious products and strategic focus of the esthetician’s technique, my facial left my skin looking like new money. My face felt refreshed, not red and swollen. My pores were virtually invisible and my complexion beamed!…all of this in about 30 minutes. I was pleasantly surprised to notice that the benefits of my facial were instantaneous. In the past I have left the spa somewhat red, tender, and in need of the night off to give me skin time to recuperate. With the 30 minute G.R.N. facial I was fresh faced, glowing, and off to my next meting of the day. I tried to do good “after” shot but this was the best I could do. Here I am afterwards in the locker room with no makeup (well maybe a little smudged mascara:))

During one of Dany Sanz’s rare jaunts to the US, I had the opportunity to meet with Dany and the Make Up For Ever team at the official press launch of their newest product, Aqua Cream — a collection of versatile waterproof colors. My artist buds at Make Up For Ever had initially shared a first look at Aqua Cream back in February when I was in LA, but the product had not officially launched. At that time, the line included shades primarily for eyes and cheeks. Fast forward to May and the collection is now available at Sephora and includes colors that are appropriate for eyes, cheeks, and lips.

At the press preview Dany Sanz shared her inspiration behind creating Aqua Cream. Very simply put, she responded to a need. For years Dany had fielded requests from artists to create a product that is totally waterproof….not water-resistant or long-wearing under humid conditions, but completely waterproof! Dany shared that it took two years to develop the product into something that she could be “proud” of because as Dany says, “I wanted a true product because I don’t play”. Get it Dany!

After having played around with the products since the soft launch in LA back in February, I must tip my hat to Dany Sanz and the MUFE team. They have succeeded in creating a product that lives up to its claim of durability.

Aqua Cream was created to meet the needs of the makeup artist working in extreme environments as well as the consumer with oily lids or watery eyes. The collection is available in 21 highly pigmented creamy shades that work beautifully as a stand alone product or as a base for layering. My favorite shades are: #1 Anthracite (silvery charcoal shimmer), 14 Satin Brown (warm brown shimmer), 15 Taupe (taupe brown shimmer), 16 Pink Beige (pinky beige shimmer), 20 Intense Blue (bright blue sheen)

In case you’re wondering, yup…I’m still rocking my romantic Grecian braids. They’re just so comfy and easy for the warm weather.

When it comes to makeup, I am a bona fide know-it-all (there, I’ve admitted it). So when a product knocks me off my stool I can’t help but blab about it here, on ThisThatBeauty. During a recent press visit to the Lancome Boutique in NYC, I had the opportunity to check out the summer collection and try a few products. When I initially swatched TEINT IDOLE FRESH WEAR (shade Suede 2w) on the back of my hand, I was not certain the product would match my face. It seemed a wee bit off to me…see for yourself:

The next day I decided to give TEINT IDOLE FRESH WEAR a whirl and wouldn’t you know…it was love at first application! Girls I have to tell you, this one totally threw me for a loop. Not only does the shade match PERFECTLY, it completely mimics skin and is undetectable . Go #TeamTEINTIDOLE!

As I applied the product to my skin (with my fingers) I could not help but marvel in how the shade was a perfect compliment to my complexion. The shade appeared to start out a bit light on the skin but it kind of adjusted and blended beautifully. I was in all types awe and oh-my-god-ness. What a gorgeous product!

TEINT IDOLE FRESH WEAR boasts 18 hours of coverage while skin feels completely bare. While I can not vouch for the 18-hour claim, I can tell you that my makeup stayed in place throughout my 10+hour work day without a single touch up (or primer underneath). I am truly impressed. The fresh, weightless formula gives sheer to moderate coverage and feels as gentle as lightweight moisturizing lotion. The coverage looks like beaming bare skin. My pores and imperfections are instantly minimized and flawless skin is revealed. I especially like that TEINT IDOLE FRESH WEAR has mattifying properties, an oily girl’s best friend! The skin is left feeling naturally matte, not sucked dry. They say a picture is worth a thousand words…so in the interest of brevity, take a look at the super up-close shots of my skin. In the pics I am wearing TEINT IDOLE FRESH WEAR in SUEDE 2W, AGELESS MINERALE BLUSH in BRILLANT BERRY (a new fav!) and JUICY TUBES 100% NATURAL ORGAN Gloss Ultra Brilliant in SHEERFULLY SWEET.

And here’s an EXTREME close-up of the foundation and blush. Can you tell where the makeup begins and skin ends? I can’t…and that, my friends, is a good thing! #TeamMartha

I love it when a product really delivers on the “wow”. The aforementioned items deserve your full attention, beauty girls! If you want to get in on the Lancome love fest, visit your local Macy’s counter through June 6 and take advantage of the current beauty booty offer. Spend $32.50 or more (I highly recommend buying TEINT IDOLE FRESH WEAR) and receive The C’est Le Gift, Love Lancome tote filled with deluxe beauty samples of some of Lancome’s most popular products (a $122 value). Click here for the full deets.

Stay tuned to ThisThatBeauty for more on Lancome. On June 10 I will dish on the Summer 2010 Bronze Rivera Collection.

During the week I attended a skincare event at Robert Verdi’s Luxe Lab with Carmindy of What Not To Wear. While this was indeed one of my favorite events of the week, I am saving the exclusive deets for a future post. You guys know how intense I am when it comes to skincare. It is not a game… you’ve seen my step by syep regiment. Carmindy opened my eyes to a missing link in my skin care routine and I can not wait to do a deep dive with you guys and share all that I have learned. For now here are a few fun facts to hold you over:

– Carmindy and I share the same dermatologist, the best in the business — Rosemarie Ingleton.

– Carmindy and I have shared similar Hyperpigmentation struggles.

– Carmindy  believes that beauty starts from within (That’s a hint. stay tuned for the upcoming post and exclusive details)

Lets close out “Fridays with Felicia” with my manicure of the week. These days it seems the kids are all abuzz about Ginger and Liz. They’re the hot new nail lacquer on the block.   If you’re in need of a “Boy Toy” Look no further than Ginger and Liz. “Boy Toy” is described as a “fun and flirty robin egg blue shade with an aquamarine base. The peacefully cool shade is a mix of relaxed bohemian and pretty prepster.”

Happy Friday!

xo,

Felicia