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We are honored to participate in this year’s Favorite Things!

Along with some of our very favorite bloggers, we’re listing our favorite products of 2006…

Skin Care
1. Philosophy’s Exfoliate Kit. This contains both The Great Mystery daily 1-minute facial (for daily use) as well as The Greatest Love hydrating microdermabrating facial scrub (for use 3 evenings a week). It has transformed my skin. No more pores, blackheads, or blemishes and it is great at diminishing the appearance of sun damage. The price is certainly right at $45.

2. Creme de la Mer. It really is a miracle broth! I had some minor surgery in May and it has really helped with my scarring. As a facial moisturizer, it is rich and smooth, not greasy. Easy to see why this has generated such a following.

3. Retin-A treats wrinkles and blemishes…what’s not to love. This is the one thing I missed the most when pregnant & nursing!

4. Botox. The results are amazing. No one else can tell that I’ve had it done, but when I look at photographs of myself from before & after, I can see the biggest improvement in my crows’ feet and the furrow between my brows. My friend “Dr. Mark” has a painless technique! I’m hooked!

5. Kiehl’s Lip Balm #1 is the best…I have tubes of it in my purse, car, kitchen,& nightstand.

Bath and Body
1. Bliss Glamour Gloves & Glamour Gloves Gel set. I recently read that the hands show age fastest…just compare the skin on the back of your hands to that on the inside of your upper arm if you have any doubts. This combo, worn overnight, cures whatever ails your hands…ragged cuticles, cracked & dry skin are all gone!

2. ADV Lime Coconut Sea Salt Exfoliator smells divine and really moisturizes as it exfoliates. From one of the most elegant beauty destinations in the world, Aedes in NYC.

3. AHAVA Bath Salts soothe overworked muscles like nothing else. A staple for me since I’m often in a rush and skip post-workout stretching only to regret it later.

4. Nars Monoi Body Glow II has the best tiare scent and it gives a beautiful subtle glow to arms & legs in the summer. In the winter, I love Neutrogena unscented oil.

5. The Zoom Weekender Kit will save your smile. It really works! You do need to have custom trays made by your dentist in order to use this one.

Fragrance
1. Released just a few months ago, Bond no 9’s West Side is a beautiful and modern rose scent. If you’re unfamiliar, Bond is a fragrance house in NYC whose scents are named for and inspired by neighborhoods in New York. Check them out…they’re amazing!

2. Narciso Rodriguez for Her is a close second. Clean and musky…I love it!

3. I have been addicted to Marc Jacobs’ fragrance since it debuted 4 years ago-it’s a pretty interpretation of my favorite flower. Annick Goutal Gardenia Passion and Kai are lovely gardenia fragrances as well.

4. Creed’s Fleurissimo is elegance in a bottle. Created for Princess Grace on her wedding day – it’s a beautiful classic floral.

5. Created by french lingerie house of the same name, Fifi Chachnil is a womanly fragrance in a cute, girly bottle. Powdery and pretty.

2. Another from Urban Decay, Primer Potion is the key to smoother and longer lasting eye makeup.

3. Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner. I was intimidated by this one, but it is so easy to use. It looks great, and lasts all day! I like Bronze Shimmer Ink and Granite Ink.

4. MAC Hug Me Lipstick. This is a new find…a great neutral with just a little bit of shimmer.

5. Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation. I tried this recently in Chicago & immediately fell in love. It is perfection in a bottle…glides on and disappears…leaving the appearance of flawless skin…and isn’t irritating. I wear shade 5.5.

2. Frederic Fekkai Sheer Hold Hairspray is the best…it is not your Grandmother’s hairspray!

3. Oscar Blandi Jasmine Oil Serum imparts a pretty (not greasy) shine.

4. Oscar Blandi Ancora Colore Conditioning System is a great color boost for both colored and natural hair. It comes in 3 shades for blondes, brunettes and redheads.

5. Frederic Fekkai Apple Cider Clarifying Shampoo, when used weekly, gets rid of build-up. A must-have if you use lots of products!

6. ghd styling iron, works better than the popular chi irons because the plates do not move and they are the exact same size to ensure even heating, negative ions are released to reduce static and create shine!

Hallelujah!!!

Bravo has a promising new show to tide us over until Project Runway’s Season 4!

from BravoTV’s website:

“Off the heels of the critically acclaimed “Top Chef” and the Emmy-nominated hit “Project Runway,” Bravo’s newest reality competition series “Top Design” offers a behind the scenes look at the creative, competitive and client-driven interior design business at the highest level.
The series features twelve aspiring interior designers who are united in their quest to create the “Top Design” in each episode in the series as they vie for cash to start their own design firm and a spot in one of New York’s finest designer showcases. Production, which begins this month, will take place in Los Angeles. “

Bravo’s website says Top Design is to air every Wednesday at 10pm, starting on January 31st!

The good folks at bloggingprojectrunway will also be bloggingtopdesign as well…can’t wait to hear their take on the new show!

Thanks to bloggingprojectrunway for the news! Hautemommas “heart” BPR!!!!!

I am a people – watcher. I hate to fly but love the airport. I was in heaven on our recent trip to Chicago in the hotel lobby. Maybe that’s why my favorite TV shows are goofy mindless people watching. Not only can you learn something about the subjects, you can also learn a thing or two about yourself.

One of my favorites is returning to Bravo on January 16th at 10. The Real Housewives of Orange County is a riot. It really is a trainwreck. Their use of the term Housewife is pretty loose. Most of the women aren’t even married. Their children are older. It is as far removed from my reality as a house

wife as it could be & it makes me so grateful for my family. I watch anyway. Like I said, it is a trainwreck. Check it out on Bravo in a few weeks.

Also on Bravo, Top Chef is actually useful…Think Project Runway adapted to the kitchen. There are some cool celebrities and challenges…and Bravo posts the winning recipes on their website. Love it!

Switching channels to TLC, Little People, Big World shows how the Roloff family meets the challenges of being short in stature. Their family is alot like yours & mine and seeing how they overcome everyday challenges is inspiring.

I am also a fan of What Not to Wear, 10 Years Younger and Honey We’re Killing the Kids.

Leave us a comment & let us know which shows you love!

We love the BagSnob and if you haven’t checked it out you must.

Not long ago, Chanel’s Black Satin caused a stampede at the counters. Bottles were gone in minutes.

Then they started turning up on Ebay for hundreds of dollars.

I learned of Noir Ceramic’s pending arrival via one of my fave morning reads…Blogdorf Goodman….and I got lucky yesterday. I was cruising through Dillards just as the boxes were being delivered to the Chanel counter. Here’s my haul…
I ‘m having my nails done tomorrow in the Noir Ceramic & will post a photo afterwards. The gloss is the new Paillettes Glossimer. It is the perfect shimmery pink…not at all dusky, but not bubblegum…I may need to go and secure a back-up of this one. I’m also thinking I need to get the Blanc Ceramic polish.
Update: Here’s a photo of Noir Ceramic on my nails. I love the iridescence…it looks much less harsh than the more matte black of Black Satin. It took 2 coats and 15 minutes of drying time but was well worth the wait!!
A big thanks to the beautiful Mina at Chanel for digging through the boxes for me!

Check out the Shredder Hand from compact-impact.com. It is a great convenient way to quickly shred small items, like those pesky credit card applications that come in the mail…everyday!

Again, wish I’d seen this for our gift list! Great gift for anyone!