By, Sharon Curtis

If you live in Los Angeles, read popular fashion magazines, or watch E!, than chances are you’ve heard of Kate Somerville.

Kate is truly a pioneer in the world of skincare. She’s had a luxurious, highly-respected medi-spa on the charming street of Melrose Place in Los Angeles for over 13 years. Kate is responsible for giving her clients that radiant, youthful glow that we’re all looking for. It’s highly likely on any given day(especially award show days), to run into some of Kate’s celebritiy clientele including: Kate Beckinsale, Felicity Huffman, Paris Hilton and Jessica Alba.

Until recently, you had to visit the clinic in Los Angeles to experience the magic that Kate bestows on her clients. Well I’m happy to report that’s all changed.

The Kate Somerville line in now available to one and all, and is smart, simple and effective. It boasts a concise product lineup that’s easy to understand. Some of the standout products from the line are:

Exfolikate -  A 2 in 1 mask made up of fruit enzymes that clarify skin by removing dead cells and eliminating bacteria. Highly effective in combating acne, including stubborn blackheads. Polishes skin, revealing a smooth, glowing complexion. Healthy skin, healthy glow, healthy you!

Oil Free -  An Algae-based moisturizer that tones and hydrates the skin while working to help fight the appearance of lines and wrinkles. Skin appears tightened and refined. Rich sea plant extracts contain powerful amino acid to encourage collagen production.

Deep Tissue Repair -  An age-defying treatment formulated by Kate with ‘renew, restore, results’ in mind! It instantly softens and strengthens skin, promoting a supple and velvety complexion. Watch surface lines and wrinkles lift away as this proprietary formulation, blending Peptide K8™ with collagen builders, penetrates deeply to encourage cellular repair and reverse damage.

I’ve personally tried that above mentioned products and can honestly say that this is a terrific brand, with excellent products, at fair prices for the quality and legacy behind them. Julianne and I are planning a trip to the clinic and will report back about our experience.

I encourage everyone out there to check out Kate’s website for more information on her skincare line and ’star-studded’ medi spa (the services offered will make you drool).

www.katesomerville.com

By, Sharon Curtis

Even though this was a ‘Pro Pick’ just a few days ago, I felt it deserved some more play!

We’ve had so many emails about this fragrance and I know why. In an age where most fragrances are "been there, done that", this fragrance offers a fresh edge. As an added bonus, it only costs $38, a true bargain!

Our great friends at Benefit sent us a B Spot of our very own, and it’s been a love affair ever since we received it.

The fragrance is sweet, refreshing, seductive and ultra feminine. It’s made up of mango, freesia, peony, amber & sandalwood.

To honor B Spot, Benefit is having a special event that includes a complimentary makeup lesson and a gift with purchase of $65 or more.

Participating stores are:

Macy’s

Sun Valley - July 31-August 2

Downtown Seattle - July 31-August 2

San Antonio - July 31-August 2

Santa Rosa - July 31-August 2

Puerto Rico - July 31-August 2

Dadeland - August 7-9

Boston - August 7-9

State Street - August 14-16

Herald Square - August 21-23

To find more event locations or to purchase the fragrance directly, go to:

www.benefitcosmetics.com

Enjoy!!

 By, Sharon Curtis

I must say I am VERY intrigued by this new mascara. First of all, Lancome is offering this mascara as a limited edition item in limited locations. They really know how to drive the girls crazy!!

Here’s the skinny on this mascara…It’s called Oscillation, and it’s the first vibrating power mascara. It’s battery operated and offers 7,000 micro-oscillations per minute. The texture is creamy and glossy and works in harmony with the oscillation brush. The price is $34 and is only available in black.

This mascara will officially launch in fall, but lancome is wetting our appetite and offering a very limited amount, one day only, July 31st. (while supplies last).

Your best bet is purchasing it online at Lancome.com and Sephora.com since the few stores offering the mascara have very limited quantities.

By, Sharon Curtis

I’m so excited to announce a new fragrance launch from Ed Hardy. Although this fragrance won’t hit shelves until December, it sounds so yummy I just had to share.

Famed Ed Hardy designer Christian Audigier’s new brainchild will be named Love & Luck. The Fragrance was inspired by a painting from tattoo artist Don Ed Hardy.

The Love & Luck fragrance is described as "soft and elegant". It features top notes of bergamont, blood orange and red sake accord; middle notes of heart of black current, pink peppercorn, nectarine, jasmine petals and forbidden plum; and base notes of sensual musk, cedarwood, sandalwood and patchouli.

This eau de parfum will be available in a 1.7-oz. for $55 and 3.4-oz. for $75.

Be on the look out at Nordstrom, Macy’s, Dillards and Ulta stores during the holidays.

By, Sharon Curtis 

M Lab was kind enough to send me this luxurious, six piece skincare set and boy was I excited!

A little history on M Lab: It was originally launched at London’s prestigious Harrods Department Store. M Lab’s primary labroratory (Milibar Laboratories) had been formulating skincare for dermatologists and plastic surgeons for over 25 years. The goal for the consumer-based line was "to create, without limitations, the most effective and luxurious, no expense-spared, anti-aging formulations".

The thing about this line that really blew my hair back, was the fact that the clinically active ingredients in the products range from 45% to 74%. Could this really be true I wondered??

Apparently, M Lab has a secret way or "matrix formulation" to blend these active ingredients together, to form the most powerful products that address skin firming, fine lines, wrinkle reduction, and improve skin clarity, texture and color.

My nifty black bag contained: anti-aging cleanser (50ml), anti-aging toner (50ml), anti-aging treatment cream (15ml), anti-aging treatment serum (5ml), anti-aging day treatment spf 15 (15ml), and anti-aging eye cream (3ml).

I think that this set is a perfect way to try the line without making a large commitment. I felt the sizes of the products were enough to last long enough to judge their effectiveness.

After using the products now for over three weeks, I can report that they really are something special. Many, many skincare brands have crossed my path over the years and what really struck me about this line, was the obvious quality of the products and how quickly I saw results.

The most standout products for me were the anti-aging treatment serum and the anti-aging eye cream.

The anti-aging treatment serum offers such a healthy dose of peptides, anti-oxidants and hydrators, I immediately saw my skin become healthier and glowing.

The anti-aging eye cream was very light and absorbed quickly, so I knew it was penetrating deeply. It’s very important to me that my eye cream absorb fast, especially during the day. My makeup wore beautifully over it and I noticed a smoother, more even texture underneath my eye.

If you would like to indulge in this amazing skincare, check out mlabonline.com

By, Sharon Curtis 

It’s time again for Nordstrom’s annual Anniversary Sale. This is by far their best sale and the beauty offers are awesome. I just got done making my wish list.

The sale starts on friday, but you can go online and pre-order anything you want. I love the idea of being able to buy something before it goes into the stores to insure I get it, because as you know it’s all about instant gratification!!

There are some lines that offer a gift with purchase and some just have great deals or value sets:

They have a Prada’s Infusion d’Iris (one of my favorite fragrance’s) set right now, where you get a free $50 body lotion with the purchase of there $95 EDP spray.

They also have a set from Fusion Beauty where you get a free mascara ($38) with the purchase of an XL lip plumper.

Of course, MAC always has a special exclusive collection to honor the sale. This years collection is called: Color Forms and offers beautiful, vibrant colors.

The list goes on an on…So check it out.

The sale officially starts this friday (July 18th), but go to www.nordstrom.com to check out the offerings or to pre-order.

Happy Shopping one and all…

 By, Sharon Curtis

You must act fast on this one ladies..This is an amazing set exclusively at Nordstrom & Nordstrom.com. I loved it so much, I bought three for myself (I’m a little obsessed).

I saw this in person today and it comes in a beautiful, black NARS gift box. The value of the set is $100, but it’s being offered at $60 for a limited time.

This set contains all full-size products and everything you need for the classic smokey eye:

Black Moon Eyeliner Pencil

Black Orchid Mascara

Pandora Eyeshadow Duo

Eye Makeup Remover

Enjoy!!

Click To Purchase

 By, Sharon Curtis

Very exciting new..The ultra cool denim label Rock & Republic will be launching their line of beautiful cosmetic goodies this September.

The collection features an impressive 116 items and has an edgy rocker vibe to it.

Some of the "must have" items will be:

* Accentuating Bronzer/Highliter duo compact featuring 445 Swarovski crystals that will retail

 for $225.

* Caffine-infused Tinted Face Primer

* Imitate Mousse Blush

* Extremist Mascara (for lots of volume)

* Bound Gel Liner (promises to stay on all day)

The collection will be available at Bloomingdale’s, Nordstrom, and Neiman Marcus in the U.S. and Harrods in the U.K in mid-September.

I can’t wait to get my hands on it…

Just when you thought that Hope in a Jar from Philosophy couldn’t get any better..it did. It now comes with a broad-spectrum sunscreen (very important) and only retails for $45, which is a true bargain in my book! I love this moisturizer so much and I know that our readers are big fans too.

Here’s the full story:

Hope in a Jar Spf 20 - daily high performance moisturizer with broad spectrum sun protection we’ve given you one more reason to love hope in a jar. Give your skin the drink of water it’s thirsty for while protecting it from the harmful effects of the sun. Hope in a jar daily high performance moisturizer with spf 20 hydrates the skin, gently exfoliates and helps improve the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, texture and tone. This multi-tasking moisturizer helps prevent further sun-damage with multiple antioxidants and broad spectrum sun protection while inspiring a healthy, rosy glow.

Enjoy!

Each year, Shu Uemura comes out with a special, limited edition fragrance to mark the anniversary of the first Shu Uemura Beauty Boutique in 1983.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the first Shu Uemura Boutique, so Shu Uemura has created a very special fragrance trio. This trio is comprise of three fragrances, each of natural origin, formulated with Depsea Water and packages in the designs of Tokoyo-based artist Gwenael Nicolas. 

The three fragrances are:

Fleur de Rose

Sophisticated floral 100% natural origin fragrance with fresh floral amber note. Turkish rose to awaken feminine sensibility.

Fleur de Source

Pure, serene and refreshing cool feeling in a 100% natural origin fragrance with a floral spicy note. Watery papyrus and Egyptian basil essential oils evoke cool beauty.

Fleur de Terre

Energizing, luminous 100% natural origin fragrance with a fresh floral woody note. Precious Italian bergamot essential oils to provide revitalizing feel.

Each fragrance retails for $85 and is a limited-edition