Spring Cleaning – Basic Skincare 101

Ahh Spring, time to ship shape with cleansing abound.  And we aren’t talking about sweeping, dusting and purging your home, we are talkin’ about exfoliating, tightening and brightening.
Spring means color and new beginnings, so let’s get our groove on ladies and jump into Spring skincare 101.

Cleansing

First things first, cleansing.

Not only is everyone’s woman’s type different from one another but the transition from season to season can reek more havoc than static on Japanesed straightened hair.
So it’s best to start from the ground up: choose a cleanser that’s right for your skin.

• Don’t choose a cleanser based on price or appearance, base it on the results of your skin.

Oh I know, I’ve done it too, ran out of a beloved product only to be at Walgreens and lured by another product’s claims and price.  The reality?  I end up with dingy skin, an extra few bucks in my wallet and feel obligated to finish off the bottle before I allow myself to spend more money and go back to my tried and true ways.  Don’t skimp ladies (and gentlemen if you are man enough to admit you are reading this).  We’ve only got the skin we were born with so take care of it.

Moisturizer

With that being the perfect segue to our next step: moisturizer.

No matter the skin, we all need moisturizer.  I personally adore toner in between le cleanse and le moisturizer but it certainly isn’t necessary but probably more a luxury.

• When choosing a moisturizer identify if your rosy cheeks prefer an emollient, cream or serum.

After all these years of slathering and tapping creams onto my mug, I’ve realized that said mug much prefers serum.

Eye-Creams

I have day eye-cream and night eye-cream.  I do not see a difference between either.

• Two for one has never been better and I’ll admit, the wool covered my eyes, kaching.
• But an eye-cream that tightens (albeit for only a while) and/or gives a lift to those smile lines is a keeper in my book.
• Another unsolicited piece of advice: water.  The more water you drink the more it adds plump to your skin in the healthiest of ways.

Exfoliate

Maintenance is the final step.  And what we mean by maintenance is: be consistent.

• I exfoliate a la Clarisonic or a la a facial scrub once a week.  Any more for moi is too much and my skin revolts.

Favorite Product Resources

• Kiehl’s
• bliss
• SkinStore

Beauty basics.  Who knew we were so wise.
Catch us next month.

Thanks to Shannon for her fabulous fashion posts!  Shannon Cavanagh-Estrada is co-owner of Pitch! Press.  Her expertise lies in styling, trend-forecasting, design consulting and working in the public relations arena.  For more information on Shannon, visit www.pitchpress.com.

You may also enjoy:

• Spring Fashion Trends 2010
• Menswear Mania
• Long, Lean and Fashionably Ready for Life
• Call of the Wild
• Beauty Call
• Bargains and Deals
• Dutiful Domestic Diva, Take Your Time Back
• New Year, New You, Blah, Blah, Blah

Put away the snow plows ladies and get ready for Spring’s splendor of oxford shoes, small bags, and tribal trends!

Oxford Shoes

My personal fave and at the top of my Must Have List for les printemps 2010: Michael Kors silver toed oxfords – chic, sleek and elegantly understated, these lace-up lovelies are the perfect addition to a seersucker suit or crisp bermudas.  Just need to get my legs in ship-shape, or bermuda-shape before I make oxford outing.

Small Bags

Good things come in small packages and Spring’s small bag trend is proof positive.  Out with the enormous and in with the intimate.  Bags have gotten smaller and so should the stuff we schlep around.  From structured minis to slouchy and slim the small bag trend will be good to your pocket book and good to your back, neck and shoulders. (Welles Drawstring Pouch)

Tribal Trends – Less is More!

Tribal trends have been on the tundra and on the horizon for some time.  There is an easy way to incorporate the tribal frenzy into your wardrobe by sticking with our Busy Bee Lifestyle Mantra: less is more. One doesn’t need to compete with the high priests of South Africa and go head to toe.  No no no, one needs to layer in a little at a time.  Whether it be a stunning scarf, beautiful belt or slimming skirt, one piece at a time ladies.  (Tribal Trends)

Check back next month for more tips and new spring fashion trends for 2010! And if you want us to blog, write, spew about something specific, post it below and I’ll get on it as soon as I get back from buying my oxfords!

Thanks to Shannon for her fabulous fashion posts!  Shannon Cavanagh-Estrada is co-owner of Pitch! Press.  Her expertise lies in styling, trend-forecasting, design consulting and working in the public relations arena.  For more information on Shannon, visit www.pitchpress.com.

You may also enjoy:

• Menswear Mania
• Long, Lean and Fashionably Ready for Life
• Call of the Wild
• Beauty Call
• Bargains and Deals
• Dutiful Domestic Diva, Take Your Time Back
• New Year, New You, Blah, Blah, Blah

No need to wait for Spring Cleaning, January tis the Season for Cleanin’!

Best start to a new year: a clean closet.  Here at Busy Bee we’ll have your
closet ship shape for the low low cost of free if you follow these simple
nonnegotiable rules:

If You Haven’t Worn it in a Year, Toss it!

If you haven’t worn it in a year: toss it.  Nope.  Zip it!  Don’t want to
hear it.  If you haven’t worn it in a year, no matter the reason, toss it (or
donate it: Salvation Army.  Collecting dust is a national pastime for most unworn garments and accessories.  The twelve month mark means its pink slip time peeps.

Ripped, Yellowed, Pilled, Oh My

Ripped, yellowed, pilled, oh my.   Garments missing zippers, sporting a
hole or are the soup du jour for les moths may not be worthy of donation,
but cotton can be recycled as cleaning rags or more (Green Cleaning:  37 Uses for Old Clothes), wool and synthetics are most likely worthy of the trash.  Same goes for seriously scuffed shoes, broken heels, outdated bags, and belts that are too short, too tight and anything too beaten up.

If it’s Not Flattering, Don’t Wear it, Consign it

If it’s not flattering don’t wear it, consign it.  Just because it looked good on the rack, or looked good on the runway, doesn’t mean every garment flatters every silhouette.  It is ok, more than ok, to admire something from afar and to admit we are not all Kate Moss.  If it accentuates what it shouldn’t, drop it at your nearest consignment shop, stat.

A Surplus of Suits and Special Occasion?

A surplus of suits and special occasion?  There are charities a plenty for women reentering the work force (Dress for Success) and teenagers in need of a prom dress (Princess Project).  Keep your receipts as you’ll need them come April 15th, but donating like-new suits and dressy attire are always en vogue.

Organize It

Organize it.  If you can’t see it, you won’t wear it.  A neatly arranged closet lends more wardrobe functionality and more outfit options.  Have jewelry displayed  (Esculonsays, belts visible, clothing by color, and bags by size (KANGAROOM Storage).

Go forth our fine friends.  Be victorious.  And when you surface from your self imposed war zone, post a comment back here telling us how invaluable we are.  A little flattering goes a long way for those of us that fish for compliments!

They’re here, the holidays.  If our daily To Do List isn’t full enough, the holidays just sent the To Do List into a tizzy.

First things first.

What are you going to wear?!?!  Remember our motto: less is more.  Less prints, patterns, accessories, even makeup.  And, if you are a dedicated reader of this finely written, hugely intellectual, incredibly informative blog, then you should have most of what you will need to get through the festivities already in your closet.

Keep it Simple

Keep it simple this holiday season. Reach for your slimming black pencil skirt, add a little extra starch to the collar of your crisp white shirt, ladle on the pearls, slip on the classic pumps, grab a small understated chic clutch, pin the hair back, apply some red lip-stain.

Mix it Up

Now, that wasn’t so bad was it?  Wait!  What’s that you say?  You have 2 more parties to attend and a family holiday celebration to boot.  Settle down honey, that’s nothin’.

Switch out your blouse with a figure flattering turtleneck sweater, belt and boot it, and you’re on your way.  2 looks down, 2 more to go.

Pull out the trousers, slip on some velvet flats, take the dry-cleaning wrapper off the crisp white shirt for round II, cinch it with skinny belt but add a brooch over the buckle, grab a wrap and “Hello Dolly”.

Next!  Back to the skirt, slide into a simple, loose cami, slip on the boyfriend blazer, pin the brooch to said blazer’s lapel, and boots on.  Hair loose or tied back, either works.  Simple CZ stud or otherwise, and to the receiving line you go.

Whew.  That was fun.

Prioritize

Now Dancer, now Donner, now to the To Do List.  Prioritize it.  Then Prioritize the prioritized list from smallest to largest tasks.  Ready, set, go.  Do the smallest, get ‘em outta the way, tackle the largest by location and price.  Put an ad on Craig’s List for wrapping elves and eggnog pourer, and you are done.  Cooked.  Put a fork in you. Scream from the rafters “And to all a Good Night!”.

You are most welcome and see ya’ next year. Freshen up the mascara, fasten the diamond studs (CZ or real it doesn’t matter) and your chariot awaits.

Knits!

I love knits.  Granted I live in a mono-smog-season-climate, but I love knits nonetheless.  For the most part they are fashion fool proof.  Note the ‘for the most part’ I put in there.  We’ll touch on the do’s and don’ts later.

Tweak Your Knit for a More Stylish Look

Knits are not only a necessity for most of you during the next few frigid months, but can be downright stylish when tweaked just a tad.  The accessory du jour, the belt, which has been du jour for a couple of years now, looks fab when cinched over a one size too large turtleneck.

Boyfriend cardigan?  Better when draped with pearls.

A slim pencil skirt (a wardrobe staple at this point if you’ve been reading these ever-important posts for more than a few months) with tall boots (picture just below the knee) and a roomy cowl neck are smokin’ hot on any shape and go from work to play.

Fair Isle sweaters are all the rage  with celebs layering the N.E. staple over a grungy yet somehow chic flannel shirt.  This may be a good place to segue into the quick do’s and don’ts of sweater swank.

Finding the Right Fit

As coveted as a look may be because it looks so so so cute on a celeb, that right there is your: red flag. Remember ladies (and gents if you are reading a blog posts on sweaters) that celebs are like supermodels: freaks of nature.  And I mean that in the nicest way.  Supermodels are tall, we’re talking just under 6’ barefooted.  While celebs are miniatures sometimes just under 5’ (Mary Kate & Ashley, Stallone, need I say more).  So the longwinded point is, what looks fabulous on one frame, doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll be flattering on all.

• Don’t over bulk.  Knits can be gnarly if you are trying to load too much on to your frame.
• Pass it on if too small – As sad as it may be, if your dry cleaner shrinks your fave sweater and it now proudly produces your naval, pass it down, pass it along, pass it off.
• Stay away from color blocking – you don’t want to look like a game of Twister in the dead of winter.

With all that being said, happy sweater weather until next month!

You may also enjoy:

• Ghoulish Glam
• Menswear Mania
• Fall Fashion Fabulosity
• Long, Lean and Fashionably Ready for Life
• Call of the Wild
• Beauty Call
• Bargains and Deals
• Dutiful Domestic Diva, Take Your Time Back
• New Year, New You, Blah, Blah, Blah