These Ain’t Beer Goggles – Get Wine to Get Gorgeous!

There are very few things that can’t be improved with a glass of wine. Sipping a crisp sauvignon blanc transforms a Lean Cuisine into convenient fine dining; nursing a glass of pinot noir turns trashy TV into quality entertainment and clinking glasses of bubbly during girls night in begets glamour from even the juiciest gossip session. There’s really no limit to the beauty of wine, which is why it’s no wonder that wine can help keep you beautiful! Studies have proven that drinking a glass of wine a day can improve your cholesterol level, fight cancer-causing free radicals in the body, improve cardiovascular health and lower the risk of coronary heart disease. All great things for your insides… but what about your appearance?

Wine’s got you covered, literally. But wait. Put down the corkscrew and back slowly away from the bottle, gals – putting actual wine on your skin could get real messy real quickly. Luckily many beauty companies have managed to extract the antioxidants from wine and pack them into fabulous products to keep your hair and skin looking healthy and vibrant!

Caudalie was among the first companies to use stabilized polyphenols, among the most powerful natural antioxidants, in skin care. Resveratrol, one of the first stabilized molecules derived from the polyphenols found in fermented grapes, stimulates cellular renewal and is approximately 10,000 times more powerful at combating free radicals (the nasty little buggers that damage cells and cause skin aging) than Vitamin E. I love, love, love Caudalie’s “First Wrinkle Serum, a concentrated antioxidant serum intended for women who are beginning to see the first signs of aging and fatigued skin. What makes so amazing is how quickly it absorbs into the skin, leaving a smooth, soft, almost powdery feel. It contains light moisturizers along with an army of free radical fighting antioxidants, hydrating hyaluronic acid and an amazing, subtle fragrance from the addition of orange pulp, carrot and iris butter. It keeps skin smooth and luminous and at $60 for a 1oz bottle, it’s pricey, but like a fine wine, it’s so very spluge-worthy!

Wine snobs may disagree, but the hottest varietal of the moment is most definitely merlot. Stylist to the stars, Ted Gibson, has created a new line of products with a proprietary merlot complex, intended to protect hair from environmental “undesirables” and leave locks looking shiny and fabulous. The line includes “Tame It Shine Lotion,” a frizz-smoothing serum that leaves hair soft and sleek, “Fix It” gel, which provides oomph and control and “Build It Blow Drying Agent,” which lifts hair at the roots providing betty-boop-like body and shine! Prices range from $20-30 and are on sale now at blissworld.com!

Not that any one of us need another excuse to pop a bottle, but when it comes to your beauty bothers, remember that no one likes whining, but really, who doesn’t love wine-ing?

Cheers, girls!

We Want Dead (Sea) Skin!

Of all the bodies of water in all the world, the name “The Dead Sea” doesn’t quite give off the strongest “beauty” vibe. If you’ve ever been to the briney basin, you know that it’s soupy, stinky and if you float in it long enough it starts to sting where the sun don’t shine. Why then, am I so excited about Minerals Dead Sea Collection, which just launched exclusively at Target?

Almost 100,000 visitors each year flock to the Dead Sea for far more than the buoyancy phenomenon it’s famous for. The Dead Sea is sought out for its miraculous therapeutic powers – proven to help heal skin and respiratory disorders. The water’s composition includes a very low concentration of sulfates (which can be drying and damaging to the skin) and a higher concentration of healing bromide ions than any other body of water on earth. Stubborn cases of psoriasis that resist most therapies seem to yield to the combination of mineral-rich sea water and the allergen-free, unpolluted atmosphere at the Dead Sea. When I was lucky enough to take a dip in this extraordinary pool, I first found myself amused and mind-boggled by the inability to sink in this dense water. (That's my friends and I floating in the pic above!) After leaving the water, though, I found myself more amazed by the texture of my once weather worn skin! After days in the hot desert sun, my skin had become dry and rough, but after leaving the Dead Sea's healing water my skin felt softer and smoother than ever- Not at all what I had expected from my skin after a “day at the beach.” I rushed to purchase some Ahava skin care products – which are filled with therapeutic minerals from the Dead Sea, but was disappointed to find that many of the products cost more than $50! I bought a few gift sets for some very special people, and resigned myself to enjoying my skin’s post-dead-sea glow while it lasted.

I can’t wait to try Minerals Dead Sea Collection! According to the company, the products’ formulas are rich in minerals sourced directly from the Dead Sea, and are comparable in formula to Ahava’s products, but they are available in the U.S. at a much more affordable price. Additionally, the line is 100 percent paraben and sulfate free, and the minerals included are those that are found naturally in the composition of skin.

The initial six items include a salt scrub; a body lotion; an exfoliating body wash; a body butter; a mud bar soap and a dead sea salt water. (The latter is 100 percent Dead Sea water and can be used as anything from a face wash to a spider-bite treatment). Prices range from $3.99 for soap to $9.99 for body lotion.

I’m hoping these new products will not only bring back memories of my dip in the Dead Sea, but will also bring back my “Back from the Dead” After-glow! Go get your dead (sea) skin now, gals!