ProductWhores

Fall For Pumpkin

My favorite, favorite part of fall is all the different pumpkin products that come out once the weather gets a little cooler.  Starbucks has the Pumpkin Spice Latte and a fabulous Pumpkin Muffin, and then there's Pumpkin Soup and William Sonoma's Pumpkin Bread Mix... It's all good.  So of course I love all of the pumpkin themed beauty products too.  If you're looking for a good splurge to kick off the beginning of autumn, treat yourself to June Jacobs' Perfect Pumpkin Peeling Enzyme Masque.  It's a thick skin purifier that smells delicious - totally like the spicy filling in a pumpkin pie.  You smooth it on your clean skin and let it sit for 10 minutes or so while the natural enzymes gently exfoliate your dead skin cells and infuse your skin with the pumpkin's repairing benefits (including age-fighting anti-oxidants and Vitamin A).  It's so relaxing because it's literally impossible to be stressed out when you're inhaling the soothing pumpkin scent.  It's the kind of masque that you put on before you recline on your couch while reading a magazine to de-stress from a bad day.  When you rinse it off, your skin is smooth, glowing and soft to the touch.  (And you'll probably totally be craving a Pumpkin Spice Latte, but that's a whole different issue...)  I'm going to be using this masque all season long as my weekly treat on Sunday nights while I watch "Brothers and Sisters" and mentally prepare myself to face the work week.  I highly suggest you do the same.     

Facial in a Jar

My skin doesn't like anything harsh on it.  I can't do lip plumpers, and if I use any exfoliator that's too chemically based, my face screams out in pain.  So when I discovered Bioelements Kerafole Deep Exfoliating Mask, I was delighted!  Finally an exfoliating mask that doesn't make me want to cry and hit people (hmm, anger management problems?)  This mask, while it initially does tingle a lot, leaves skin feeling smoother, looking brighter and really helps to control my blackhead problem.  The creamy texture takes a little getting used to at first because you can't really see where you've put it.  The huge advantage:  the UPS guy doesn't have to witness me in a face mask, which I know he must appreciate.  It contains no synthetic fragrances, artificial colorants or animal by-products, and is glycolic acid-free.  Not only does it make my skin glow, but the mask smells fresh (like sea water) and at $45.00 is a bargain, in my opinion.  What a great product to help your skin stay healthy in between facials and you won't use a lot so the jar will last a long time.  You gotta love anything that will last a long time - except for airport security lines or work days or DMV appointments... Okay, I'm stopping now.

Photo courtesy of Bioelements

Chocolate Cupcake

I'm slightly obsessed with cupcakes right now. And by slightly, I mean, I've eaten one almost every night for the past week and a half. I've actually gone out of my way to visit different cupcakeries (I think I just made that word up, but technically if that's all the place serves, that's what it is, right?) in the greater Los Angeles area. It's bad for me on all levels - gas money, travel time, cupcake money, bigger pants... And yet, I can't seem to stop eating them. (And for the record, my favorite right now is Yummy Cupcakes. If I ever leave Los Angeles, I'm going to miss that place even more than The Coffee Bean). Anyway... this fits in nicely because Lush has a bunch of fresh face masks and the one that I like the best so far (out of the three I've tested) is called Cupcake. (It's like we were destined to be together, isn't it?) They're all made from fresh ingredients and are refrigerated for maximum freshness, so you know they're (drumroll please...) fresh. The Cupcake mask is for problem/oily skin, but it worked well on my normal skin too. And it smells like chocolate. Really, that's all you would've had to say to sell me on it, but the bonus is that it left my skin glowing. The only bad thing about it is that it looks kind of gross - sort of like grainy mud. But then again, it's not like you're putting on a face mask and heading out for the night anyway - they're more of a watching TV/reading magazines kind of activity, so I guess that doesn't matter. Also, be aware that because they're so committed to keeping their masks fresh, you can't order them for delivery and can only purchase them at a Lush store. I want to say that's really admirable on their part, but it's probably just a clever marketing ploy to get you into their stores so you'll spend even more money. And it totally works. The people at Lush are evil geniuses! Evil geniuses, I tell you!

Get Out Of Trouble

There's something calming about a face mask. When you put it on, it gives you a built in excuse to grab a drink, sit on the couch, watch some bad TV and read gossip magazines while it dries. (At least I hope it does. That's what I've always loved about them). One of my favorites is Origins Out of Trouble. It's billed as a mask for troubled skin, but I've used it for years and my skin is usually pretty clear, so I don't think that's a requirement. It contains salicylic acid, which helps to keep breakouts away - always a good thing - but it still smells fresh and clean. That's important to me because I've tried some masks that really reek - not a big selling point. Who can relax when their face smells like rotten eggs? It's kind of hard to tell how well masks work because you don't use them every day, but my face always feels great when I take this one off, almost like it does when I get done with a facial at Burke Williams (Ahhh, Burke Williams). It's reasonably priced too, only $20 for 3.4 ounces, enough to last a long time unless you're a face mask addict who can't stop putting one on every night. (I don't know if there actually are face mask addicts, but I'm constantly surprised by the things people get hooked on. I guess if I had to pick something to be out of control with, masks are the way to go).

Dessert for Your Skin

I used to think that I hated the taste of pumpkin. When I was a kid, I put it in the same category as quiche and pea soup, all foods that your parents try and convince you taste good, all foods that you secretly slip to the dog when they’re not looking. (Well, maybe not the pea soup – even dogs draw the line somewhere). And then I got older and realized that I actually love pumpkin. So when I saw Jaqua Pumpkin Papaya Puree Enzyme Face Masque, I was eager to try it out.

This exfoliating mask (I’m not sure why they’re spelling it the French way when the company is based in Santa Barbara) smells fantastic – just like pumpkin pie, with a hint of the promised papaya. It goes on smoothly and dries quickly, all huge pluses in this type of product. And like the website suggests, it definitely left my skin glowing. It’s hard to tell how well it exfoliates dead skin, since that’s not exactly something you can see, but my skin felt soft and moisturized when I washed it off, so that’s a good sign. And did I mention that it smells fantastic? All in all, I couldn’t find one bad thing to say about this mask. Making it even sweeter (see what I did there?), it only costs $16 for a 4 ounce jar, so you'll still have money left for dessert when you're done shopping.

Now if The Cheesecake Factory would only decide to start carrying their pumpkin pecan cheesecake year round, my life would truly be complete.