Indulge Your Sweet Tooth With Calorie-Free Treats

It seems unheard of that a line of beauty products would actually make one's mouth water but then again no one said philosophy's bath and body products weren't unique. I can never decide which hunger-inducing concoction I want because I want them all. Between their decadent pink frosted layer cake and their delicious crème brulee 3-in-1 shampoo, shower gel and bubble bath bottles, I'm surprised more people don't eat this stuff straight from the bottle. 

The latest calorie-free bath desserts from philosophy are equally delectable: Crispy Marshmallow Bars and Cookies n' Cream ($16, Nordstroms). The aromas take me back to two fond and frequent memories from childhood: the warm oozing smell of melting marshmallows from a freshly baked batch of Rice Crispy Treats and the satiating aroma of ice cream and air conditioning in a Ben and Jerry's on a warm summer night. My overly persistent sweet tooth was going berserk while using the mixture of both washes in the shower this morning. I felt like I had eaten my weight in dessert by the time I toweled off and for the first time I actually hadn't! They do have the recipes for these fan favorite treats on the label of the bottles, so you can be sure a fresh batch of bars will pop up in my oven sooner or later.

On top of their intoxicating fragrances, the lather in these solutions are fantastic. I hate when you have to use a ton of gel to wash your whole body and have to replenish the bottle frequently. For these cleansing formulas you really only need a  few squeezes to cover your whole body. The gels are non-irritating and make your skin feel soft and supple after use too!

I literally had a smile on my face while using the wash this morning, (not too many soaps have caused me to do that) so I'm pretty sold on these two gems. Since I'm not a morning person, actually getting excited about showering and starting my day is a refreshing change and I certainly have them to thank.

Buy your favorite philosophy set or a collection of yummy dessert gels between now and September 26 on philosophy.com and you'll be eligible to receive a free gift of fan favorites (Amazing Grace Shampoo, Bath and Shower Gel, Hope In A Tube Eye and Lip Firming Cream, Amazing Grace Body Emulsion and Hope Oil-Free Sunscreen). All you need to do is spend $65 or more and enter promo code gift4me at checkout (while supplies last). Plus, if you spend $50 or more shipping is free! It's a win-win people!

Get Your Dirty Hair To Look Good This Summer!

Designer Lela Rose recently presented her 2011 Resort collection and collaborated with some amazing professionals to get her models looking beachy beautiful and summer irresistible. Beauty.com had Michael Shaun Corby, Alterna and celebrity makeup artist Napoleon Perdis transform the gals into warm weather vixens with coral lips, peachy/nude eyes and casual faux bobs. The makeup was subtle yet mesmerizing and the hair looked effortless chic.

Having a great warm weather hair style is important in the summer. I tend to be out and about much more when it's nice out and want my hair to be a willing participant in all the fun. Unfortunately, humidity often puts a giant sweaty damper on my hair's parade. Fortunately, thanks to Beauty.com I had the pleasure of trying out some summer-friendly products and my hair is officially hooked.

Alterna Caviar Anti-Aging Dry Shampoo has saved me from the days when a good hair wash is needed but impossible to squeeze in. Girls you understand. Unless you have an adorable cropped bob, the hair washing process can take what feels like forever. I'm not a fan of walking around with wet hair on my way to work and I have to set aside some serious blow drying time to have it not look like a bird's nest. Also, since I've been trying to work out as much as possible (we'll see how long that lasts) it feels like I have to wash/dry every day. Not a big fan of that either. I look best with at least day-old hair. Amazingly, this dry shampoo takes the sweaty oils out of my strands and adds sexy volume in its place. I know! Amazing tradeoff right!?

I've also been using Alterna Caviar Anti-Aging Working Hair Spray which makes styling my 'do actually manageable. The spray is infused with caviar (a rich source of Omega-3 fatty acids) and the Age-Control Complex increases the elasticity and strength of your hair. I've never had the type of tresses that cooperate when I want a pretty ponytail, a voluminous pompadour, or general sleekness (frizz, cowlicks and rattails have been my hair's usual MO), so I'm realizing how important my relationship with hairspray really is. It's been sort of a revelation that when you spray it on, your hair actually does what you want it to do. How novel!

These two hair tools are perfect to throw in your work, gym, or beach bag, especially when you're not sure what you're going to be doing after and how much time you'll have to prep. Both helped extend the life of my blow out and made my hair looked refreshed, polished and ready to be seen-anywhere.

So remember, you can transform your dirty strands into your best hair day ever by using the right products! Thanks to Beauty.com and Lela Rose's team for introducing me to such runway ready products!

Lauren Conrad's 'Glamorous' Locks

Lauren Conrad graces the cover of the current issue of Glamour Magazine and lets her signature long loose wavy locks flow freely. The "Hills" star practically invented the California beach chic look and has been giving Jennifer Aniston's famed hair style a run for its money since her "Laguna Beach" days. Celebrity hairstylist Charles Baker Strahan has been working with Whitney Port (who was also photographed for the cover story) for the past two years and started working with Lauren last year. Strahan gave LC and Whitney their gorgeous 'Glamour' 'do's (like the pun!?) and told me what he did to get their hair looking bed-head sexy and supremely "it-girl" stunning. 

The New York based stylist says he wanted to maintain a sense of effortless glamour in the looks he was creating. "I wanted to create hair that was soft, natural feeling, healthy looking and vibrant".

Step 1: Strahan started by making sure the hair was properly hydrated so that he'd get the best results from his styling products. He used Herbal Essences Hydralicious Shampoo and Conditioner to moisturize the strands of the two reality cuties. 

Step 2: The hair guru then used Tousle Me Softly Spray Gel and The Long Term Relationship Split End Protector from Herbal Essences. "The spray gel provides a memory like hold which allows me to run my hands through the hair easily. If we have fan [blowing] on it, the hair is light and moveable." he says.  Strahan likes the Split End Protector cream because it has heat protection so your hair will look and feel healthy even after heat styling like he did with curling irons used on Conrad and Port's locks to add oomph and movement.

Step 3: Strahan used the Split End Protector cream as a pomade to smooth away fly-away hair instead of using silicone based products which he says makes hair look oily and weighed down. 

So with just a few products that you can easily grab at your local drugstore, you too can achieve Lauren Conrad's luscious locks! 

P.S. No "Heidi Montag diva alert" here! Strahan said Whitney and LC are super supportive of each other, great girlfriends and a pleasure to work with!

To get the same long loose curls Whitney maintains try the Hot Tools Jumbo 1" Marcel Curling Iron. It gives you enviable curls without going into Shirley Temple territory, which is anything but sexy! 

Images of Lauren Conrad and Whitney Port from Glamour Magazine

Kérastase Online Purchase/Samples Giveaway-Today Only!

The one and only Kérastase is having an amazing samples giveaway today!! Today and only today people! Kérastase online members are eligible with an online purchase to choose from FIVE amazing sample collection trios which encompass the most needed and well developed treatments: for Color Treated Hair, Fine Hair, Thick, Dry & Rebellious Hair, for Normal to Dry Hair and finally for Dry, Rebellious Hair. 

Check out the website for more information. You'll enjoy two complimentary samples with any purchase you make and three samples with any $85 purchase today! Not bad people! You know how much you love your favorite hair treatment brand, so capitalize on products you'd already be spending loot on today! 

Man Maintenance: One and Done

Good news for all the guys who hate dealing with all the specialized bottles of this and that. This is the “one and done” answer you’ve been looking for.

While women tend to relish in the plethora of products available and “necessary” for the beautification process, men tend to have a proclivity for keeping things pretty simple in the grooming department.

From what I’m told, the fewer products and steps needed to walk out the door with a squeaky clean exterior the better. So for those gentlemen who feel like their bath tubs are already jam-packed with bottles of ‘poo (that’s short for shampoo for those of you who are unfortunately lingo-challenged), big toe cleaner, arm pit cleaner, belly button cleaner, nose hair cleaner and the yellow rubber duckies that keep you company during your (hopefully) daily showers, The Beauty Buff has the solution to simplify your life. And to the dudes who use shampers to clean every crevice of their being, stop, that’s kinda weird. Use this instead and stop being so lazy. You know who you are.

Badass Hair’s Ultimate Cleansing Cream ($19.00, The Beauty Mark) is a head to toe secret weapon in the fight against boy grunginess. Badass Hair (pardon my French) is the hair care line by Scott Fontana who runs Fontana Salon in Beantown, USA. The creamy formula effectively washes your manly hair, manly face and manly man-bod with its rich combination of vitamins, proteins and natural botanical extracts. The wonder-tube also reduces hair and scalp dryness and softens the skin with its emollient packed solution.

So instead of feeling claustrophobically crowded with endless bottles of ‘poo, bars of soap and facial mumbo jumbo, you and your duckies can take the traffic-jam out of your showers and enjoy a single bottle filled with cleansing possibilities.