Suburbia Revisited With Grandma Merle Norman

After a six week stint in suburban America, Monkeybaby is back in New York. Our nostalgic experience granted us the chance to indulge in Doritos, aimlessly wander around malls (haven't been in one of those in a while!) eat Frosted Flakes for breakfast and even go to 7 Eleven for a slurpee. Although I didn't miss almost getting run over by belligerent cab drivers and paying six dollars for tuna on whole wheat, I did miss all that the Big Apple has to offer: seeing the Lion King on Broadway every night, standing and dreaming in the middle of Times Square while sporting my "I Love New York" t-shirt, and keeping a camera in tow so I can take pictures of myself with every major celebrity I see (you all should check out my latest with Corey Feldman and that one guy who was the fourth to get kicked off Big Brother 3!). No, seriously folks, it's great to be back in the city. I missed all of you!
Since I was in the suburbs and immersing myself in all that the "rest of the country" has to offer, I went into a, u hum, Merle Norman store. OK, I'm not necessarily proud of this because this is the kind of makeup that your grandmother's mother Beatrice probably used when she met your great-grandfather Theodore while getting a 5 cent malt. For those of you who aren't familiar with the brand, it was established in the 1920s by Ms. Norman herself and a "studio" can be found at pretty much every mall in the States. With its mauve and white signature packaging, "young, fresh, and innovative" are definitely not the adjectives I'd use to describe the brand. Although the products are not cheap, the packaging (particularly the eyeshadow palettes) suggests otherwise.
While at the shop, I decided that instead of being a big beauty snob, I should try a few things because perhaps the products are in fact good. So I picked up the Luxiva Eye Ink in black and the Luxiva Ultra Thick Mascara. The eye ink (a liquid eyeliner) is almost identical to MAC's liquid eye liner and I am pleased with the results: a clean swipe of black liner that adds instant sophistication. The mascara, on the other hand, is rather goopy and clumps easily. I can assure you that I'll be going back to my old standby, Lancome's Hypnose mascara. I would write more but I see Gary Coleman and Scott Baio in the distance. Gotta get my camera ready and take those photos!

It's A Miss With Neutrogena's New Spray Sunblock

I'm a loyal fan of Neutrogena's Ultra-Sheer, Dry Touch Sunblock SPF 30. I slather it on everyday and could barely contain myself when I discovered that the company launched its Fresh Cooling Body Mist Sunblock SPF 45 with helioplex. Helioplex, along with its counterpart mexoryl, is one of the strongest UVA (the nasty ray that's responsible for lines, wrinkles and discoloration) filters on the market. However, I've got to be honest here and say that I'm pretty disappointed with this product. Due to its high alcohol content, the formula tends to dry out my skin and has a rather unpleasant fragrance. Sprays are definitely a lot more convenient and easier to apply on the arms, legs and back, but turn the bottles around on most of these formulas and you'll see that the very first ingredient is alcohol. What does everyone think of these new SPF sprays that are invading the industry?

Your Ticket to Shine-Free Skin

Plagued with oily skin? Factors such as genetics, hormonal changes and sweltering summer heat all contribute to excessive oil production, causing breakouts and unwanted shine. Instead of caking on heavy powders that can clog pores and lead to breakouts, invest in some blotting papers. Boscia's Green Tea Blotting Linens are perfect for instant oil and shine absorption, without smudging makeup. The sheets are made from 100% Abaca Leaf fiber and infused with Green Tea, a potent antioxidant that protects skin from free radical damage. Don't let oily skin get you down; the upside to having an oilier complexion is that fine lines and wrinkles take a lot longer to develop.

Beauty For Our Babies

Beauty products aren't just for people; our beloved pets deserve the best products on the market too. Individuals, myself included, are increasingly spoiling their animals with fancy treats, ridiculously adorable outfits and doggy daycare services. Thank goodness the clever folks at Kiehl's caught on to this trend and created a whole line of products for our best friends. I've been bathing Makena, my Boston Terrier of twelve years, with the new Kiehl's Cuddly-Coat Grooming Shampoo and Conditioning Rinse every week. The lavender-scented formulas are enriched with Chamomile Flower Extract and Palm Kernel to thoroughly cleanse and soften fur. Her coat hasn't been cleaner or shinier. Here's a photo of Makena taking her weekly bath...isn't she the cutest little creature ever?

Drumroll Please...

Exciting news in the beauty world of late! Clairol is now selling their cult-favorite Nice'N Easy Colorseal Conditioning Gloss separately. This conditioner works wonders for hair by sealing in color and adding a ton of shine. You don't have to color your hair with Nice'N Easy, nor do you have to color your hair at all, to be utterly consumed with this product (this comes as great news for those of us who would buy the Nice'N Easy coloring kits just to get our perfectly manicured hands on the conditioner). It's like lip gloss for your locks!

Meet the Magical Pen

Charles Revson revolutionized the world of beauty with one secret weapon: advertising. His "Cherries in the Snow" and "Fire and Ice" campaigns catapulted the company into enormous success with the help of his muse, Dorian Leigh. With my vintage ads of Fire and Ice, Moondrops and Fatal Apple, (what would the world do without Ebay?!) I'll always have a soft spot for the glamour and classic aesthetic Revlon was founded on.

While perusing through the drugstore aisles of mascara, nail polish and hair color the other day, I came across Revlon's new Makeup Eraser Pen for lips and eyes. The portable pen has a soft antibacterial tip that is packed with botanicals, such as vitamin e and aloe, and powerful makeup removing ingredients that instantly erase mistakes, smudges and smears. This is also a must-have for us gals that always sport a bright red/berry lip color! I've now got one in my makeup bag and am going to get a second today for my at-home makeup box. Now if only there was a magical wand that could erase the calories from hot-fudge brownie sundaes, life would be perfect!

The Beautiful People II: Ojon's Conditioner and Restorative Treatment

As promised, here's a followup review on Ojon's Ultra Hydrating Conditioner and Restorative Hair Treatment. Being thoroughly impressed with the shampoo, I had to get my hands on the daily conditioner and mask. I must say, I'm just as pleased with both of these products. The Ultra Hydrating Conditioner is a rich, buttery formula that contains 100% pure Ojon oil to moisturize and soften dry, chemically-treated hair. The yummy smelling conditioner also makes for a great detangler and will not weigh hair down. Ojon's Restorative Hair Treatment is an oil-based mask that is used before shampooing. The treatment is almost like a balm that requires you to rub it between your palms (which then turns the product into an oil) before applying. Leave on for about twenty minutes or longer and shampoo out. The instructions also encourage using the balm/oil as a cuticle moisturizer and leave-in conditioner.