Belle Belle Beauty

Five Favorite Scrubs for Spring

I can rattle all sorts of reasons for scrubbing it up this time of year: self-tanning, time of renewal, glow-y skin, silky legs, and on and on. Yesterday was the first day of spring after all. Down with strep throat this week, I’ve being playing spa at home while I recover. All in the name of research, right? Before you run out and stock up your shower for a new exfoliator or body polish, I wanted to share my five favorite scrubs I am reaching for right now.

Elemis Spa Home Tranquil Body Polish takes me back to an amazing spa (now long gone – RIP) I used to visit that featured Elemis products. The line is elegant and exotic all at the same time. This polish has fine granuals made of natural rice that actually have a pretty active exfoliating effect. There is no greasy residue but the formula does contain Cupuacu butter to smooth and condition. Essential oils of patchouli, mandarin and ginger add to the spa-like effect – absolutely love this fragrance. This scrub is great for prepping legs for a self-tan. Available at here.

AHAVA Smoothing Body Exfoliator also has a to die for fragrance but the formula is slightly different with a gommage texture. I actually like how this prevents the scrub from sliding around while you work it into the skin. The Dead Sea plant extracts and granules, actually quite large, but very gentle, clear skin and improve circulation. I particularly like this for those stubborn bumps on the back of my arms. Available at AHAVAUS.com and Nordstrom.com.

Avalon Organics Lavender Luminosity Exfoliating Enzyme Scrub is what I’m turning to for my mug these days. This enzyme scrub is super gentle but still sloughs away flakey and dull skin. Both fruit enzymes and walnut shells work as exfoliants while botanical extracts calms skin. The formula is made with at least 70% organic ingredients. Available at natural food stores, Whole Foods Market and www.avalonorganics.com.

Alba Botanica Natural Hawaiian Exfoliating Body Wash will send you straight to the South Pacific. We are having a little seasonal cool down this week, so I am counting on this body wash to keep me in the spring mood. As an exfoliating body wash, this is slightly more gentle while still using Pacific seas salts to detoxify and exfoliate. The citrus scent is great for a little boost in the AM. My skin is super soft post-sudsing up thanks to Jojoba, Macadamia, Avocado and Sweet Almond Oils. Available at natural food stores, Whole Foods Market and www.albabotanica.com.

bliss fatgirlscrub provides a little slim down – who wouldn’t want that? While the Himalayan pink salt exfoliates, the peppermint-scented formula tightens skin. The action promotes circulation, reducing fluids that cause lumps and bumps under the skin. And the removal of dead skin preps skin for any other slimming products that you use post-shower. Available here.

AN EDITORIAL SAMPLE WAS PROVIDED BY THE COMPANY AND EVALUATED TO DETERMINE OUR OPINION OF THE PRODUCT IN THIS POST. PLEASE SEE THE DISCLOSURES PAGE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION REGARDING OUR POLICIES FOR USING EDITORIAL SAMPLES.

Net-a-Porter Adds Beauty!

Now we can find makeup, hair care and skin care on our beloved Net-a-Porter! I love the brands they have curated for their new department including many favorites and some I can’t wait to learn about. The department includes a select edit of these brands: 3Lab, Aesop, Beauty Works West, Chantecaille, Ilia, James Read, Joya Ames Soeurs, Le Métier de Beauté, Natura Bissé, Phillip B and Sarah Chapman. “As we have developed our content, beauty is such a big part of fashion” says Alison Loehnis, managing director, in WWD. We here at Belle Belle Beauty aren’t surprised to hear about the importance of beauty in the fashion world. In honor of the launch, here are some of our favorites:

I can vouch for Net-a-Porter’s crazy good customer service. It is one of my favorite online stores. Beauty customers will experience the same level of service they are known for. Every purchase arrives in luxurious black boxes, tied with ribbon. Any favorites jump out to you? I’d love to know in the comments!

If you are reading this in a reader or email, make sure to click through to see the slideshow.

KORRES Volcanic Minerals Volumizing Mascara

I remember my first experience with KORRES – I was trolling the aisles of Sephora with my good friend in New York City on a winter day about 10 years ago. We stumbled across a small display with the most decadent body butters (which I was hooked on for years). Since, I’ve fallen hard Korres Lip Butter in this shade. And now you can add a mascara to that growing list.

First, a little about KORRES. The company is rooted in Greece with a commitment to natural skincare, color and body products. Evolved from the oldest homeopathic pharmacy in Athens, KORRES today strives for environmentally friendly formulas.

Their newest mascara is derived from volcanic soil to give the deepest, darkest color. While the product discription talks a lot about volume, I’ve found length is where this formula prevails. The glossy, luminous finish with a natural look is perfect for the spring “not too done” look. It leaves my lashes feeling conditioned, but still wears well throughout the day. The tapered brush head has cross-hatch bristles, making it easy to get even those small lashes in the bottom inner corner.

Polymers derived from Sunflower Seeds adds luminosity and depth to deep obsidian black color. Cotton extract mimicks the strength of cotton fibers, improving the strength of your lashes while you wear the mascara. And Vegetal Waxes, Thyme Extract, Quackgrass, and Marine Algae extracts condition and hydrate.

Available at Sephora.

MAC ‘Mineralize’ Moisture Foundation Broad Spectrum SPF 15

I’ve always found that, generally, MAC foundations didn’t play quite as well with my drier skin (exception being this one). When I started reading up on MAC’s newest foundation, I knew everything could change. The MAC twitter team assured me this formula would be a great match for my drier skin.

So, I headed off to my closest (and beloved counter) to see Jennifer. Tulsa folks, Jennifer at Saks is a treasure – you guys need to visit her stat if you haven’t already. I was matched with NW20 – sometimes I prefer the warmer tones to counteract the redness in my skin. Admittedly, I would also probably be fine with NC20.

Off the bat, I was impressed with the lightweight liquid texture. The coverage is buildable, but you can go fairly sheer because the combination of powders creates an optical blurring effect. Officially, the finish is satin, but I get a pretty glow-y look. I love the healthy, luminous finish. What probably sets it apart is the 77-Mineral Complex, Shea butter and vitamin E, making it comfortable on my drier skin. Bonus: I get a long day of wear out of this foundation.

Available online MACCosmetics.com, Nordstrom and Dillard’s.

Anastasia Beverly Hills ‘Hypercolor’ Brow & Hair Powder

I’ve been eying the bold streaks on the runways the past couple of seasons. I was particularly swooning over Peter Som’s multicolored neon accents (above) in his Spring 2013 show last month. The problem: my hair is dark dark brown. I just figured nothing would show up on my strands and resigned myself to boring single tone hair.

Well, I was wrong. And I’m okay with that. Because I’ve been playing with Anastasia Beverly Hills Hypercolor Brow and Hair Powder and am happy to report it looks just as vibrant on my dark locks! Below, I am wearing Electric Blue, Ultra Violet and In The Pink. I was so thrilled that the pigment-rich oxides were robust enough for dark hair.

The formula is designed for both hair and eyebrows. You can use a brush, but I prefered holding a small peice of hair inbetween my finger and the pot and sliding the strands you want to color in between. Then, flip sides. Silicone makes the powder ultra smooth and soft so it slides on but also stays in place. I haven’t tried it yet, but word is this can also be used as eyeliner. How fun is that?

While these swatches above were on my regular styled hair, it is recommended you set with hair spray or brow gel. The color will rinse out in one to two washes. Available at Nordstrom and Ulta.

The Wet Brush

I’ve always heard combs are best for wet hair, especially my fine, long locks prone to breakage. Literally, since high school, I’ve been vigilant about combing, not brushing post-shower. Once again, the industry I love – beauty – is shaking up my routine with their latest and greatest.

I’ve heard rumblings about the Wet Brush. And I’ve spotted it on visits to the Dry bar where I loved the way it glided through my hair. After hearing it wouldn’t damage and was actually good for my strands, I had to make one mine. Now, with the purple shade in my hot little hands, I’m firmly on the bandwagon. This isn’t just any brush – the fine bristles efficiently and gently move through my wet strands, detangling and prepping hair with ease.

The Wet Brush can be used on dry hair as well and feels insanely good. This brush will reign supreme in my book for dry hair styling, but the Wet Brush’s bristles massage and stimulate the scalp. This promotes blood flow to the cuticle and stimulates hair growth. Put this on your drugstore shopping list or pick one up at Folica.com, drugstore.com and Sally Beauty Supply.