Allure Beauty Lounge during NYFW 2012

This year Allure Magazine is hosting a Beauty Lounge for guests and NYC-era to enjoy! In a pop-up shop-esque space, you can sample high-end fragrances, get mini makeovers or polish changes from Maybelline, quench your thirst w/ Diet Pepsi, or get mini-facials. Happening daily from now until the 14th, the Allure Beauty Lounge is conveniently located next to the Empire Hotel on 63 St and Broadway.

Bonus: all attendees get to pick up a free goody bag! You can also get a free Allure cosmetics case if you join the CVS Beauty Club- have your card handy!

September Highlights including FNO and NYFW

Happy September! Seems like my blog and I went on a summer vacation last month, but I am back in full gear! It's the fall season and love that things are back in motion.

Last night was Fashion's Night Out and got witness the crowds and shops celebrating this night. Lots of dessert, drinks and fun! My celeb sighting was Emily and Jef from the Bachelorette!

NYFW is also here and there's lots of events for those itching to get in! Get glam today and tomorrow at the Beauty Bus and get mini makeovers and touch ups from Hair Room Service celebrity stylists, NYC cosmetics, SinfulColors polish, and OSiS by Schwarzkopf Professional. Find these buses by Lincoln Center, between 67&68 street.

See you there!

I'm in Love With Food!

There is something about monthly Subscription boxes that I find intriguing.. Especially if it's a box of delightful snacks! At BlogHer 2013 earlier this month, I discovered the company Love With Food who graciously sent me a box for review. In this month's box, I snacked on vegan cookies, a snack pack of cherries, gingin (ginger) candied, glee natural gum, coconut toffee peanuts and pretzel sticks dipped in a lime mustard dip. Love With Food carefully selects these products -only 10 bucks a month- and I can't wait to see next month's! Subscribe by 8/31/12 and save $2 off September's box with the code: BATVIP. Enjoy!

Caress Endless Kiss Bodywash

It's almost the end of summer and to transition into the fall, I have been using more earthy scents- such as sandalwood. (Of course I still like the occasional juicy/fruity scents too!) The Caress Endless Kiss Silkening body wash in Creamy Vanilla & Sandalwood is perfect to get the rich aroma and smooth, silky skin. The vanilla balances out the woodsy scent by giving it a sweeter fragrance. And with fall just around the corner, your skin can still glow with sleeveless tops & dresses! My skin feels incredibly soft every time I use this, so I'm excited to try other Caress products.

(Note: I received this product for review.)

August Birchbox

This month's BirchBox had a back to beauty school theme which had products or tools to add to your beauty tool kit. It had an informative pamphlet but this months products were just okay for me. I liked the extra bonus of the shaver although I have tried this already.

Overall, I liked the DDF cleanser, which came in a generous sample size. I love trying new cleansers and this one fit the bill. It's gel like consistency cleansed my face well- especially for the summer. My next favorite product was their fragrance sample of Juicy Couture Viva la Juicy La Fleur. This floral scent has the right combination with a mix of fruity mandarins and wild berries. I wasn't too thrilled about the Comodynes tanning towelettes  & summer glow (partly because summer is almost over!). This would've been great to try earlier in the summer before my vacation. :) But I will try them before the summer ends to see how it compares to other self tanners I have already. A new surprise in this month called "Birchbox Finds" was the Schick Hydro Silk Razors- which I have already. and love It's a great extra, as always! I didn't try the Beauty Fixation Makeup Remover as these tiny Qtips are probably best saved for travel. They look good to have to fix any boo-boos. There's always something in the works at Birchbox and I cannot wait for next month's box!! If you haven't signed up yet.. they're only $10/month to get awesome samples. :)

Stay Fit & Dry with Marika Tek tees

As summer is winding down, just a few more weeks before Labor Day (eek!), I am amping up my fitness routine. This past few weeks I have been loving my Marika Venus crew neck dry wick short sleeve tee that is comfortable, stylish and effective! The fabric is incredibly soft and breathable which is great when doing an intense HIIT workout! Overall, I am pleased with my Marika active wear pieces in my gym wardrobe. They are cute and light so I feel great wearing them.

As a reader, I have a special bonus code to share with you to help you save 20% off your purchase. This tee can be yours for $22.40! (excludes shipping/tax) with promo code TEK20.

(Note: I received this product for review consideration.)

Brighten your skin with Lumene's Vitamin C+

A Finnish skincare brand that I am currently loving is Lumene. I have been incorporating their Vitamin C+ products in my daily routine this past month and couldn't be happier. This line contains Arctic Cloudberry which is a rare berry that is grown in a very short amount of time. First their Bright Skin Radiance Nectar is a liquid based gel that you can use alone, or before moisturizing. It's lightly scented and keeps my skin looking smooth and glowing. It's formulated to also exfoliate your skin.
The other Vitamin C+ product I received for review is the Pure Radiance Beauty Drops. There are 28 capsules in the jar- one for each day- and this is my favorite! It moisturizes and also leaves my skin feeling absolutely matte smooth. These are so easy to bring when traveling or just on the go. Definitely have seen an improvement in my complexion after incorporating these products in my routine.

Summer Travel Essentials: Lumene Cleansing Wipes

Wipes are a girls best friend! Especially on these hot, humid days! I recently went to an amazing Lumene event in the city which showcased their different lines. (Note: these Products from Finland are available at CVS stores!)
I instantly fell in love with their Vitamin C+ which I will detail in a separate post later.. But vitamin C+ = brighter skin!
For traveling the Lumene Sensitive Touch- perfect for those who have sensitive skin like myself- carries gentle cleansing wipes to remove makeup, dirt, oil-anything! It leaves your skin completely hydrated which is nice and doesn't leave a residue. You'll feel refreshed and who doesn't like that?

Also I tried their Cleansing Emulsion, for those who want to use a gentle cleanser. Also moisturizing and left my skin feeling amazing! Their Arctic Aqua Moisture Booster is the moisturizer you want for the summer- it is water based and doesn't feel heavy at all. It is completely hydrating and I definitely felt a difference after my first use.

Check out more blogs @ TotalBeauty.com

(Disclaimer: I received this product from this company's PR agency to test, try and share my thoughts with my readers.)

July Birchbox with Glamour Magazine

This month has been crazy for me- lots of travel and fun! Now that things are winding down, sort of, I am back to my usual gig here! While I was away, I received my Birchbox filled with goodies I wish I had on my trip!

This month's box curated with Glamour magazine focused on your senses! Got some amazing products, including brightly colored headphones as my bonus.

I received:

* Oscar de la Renta live in love sample- this is a beautiful floral fragrance to wear this summer. Keeping it closeby for touchups!

* sheer glo shimmer lotion- From Manna Kadar Cosmetics, this lotion will give you the glow your skin deserves. It's similar to other highlighters I have. 
* Laura Geller Double Dipped Lipstick in Caribbean Kiss- When you can't decide what color to wear, these dual lipsticks are perfect! 
* AHAVA Purifying Mud Mask- Clear our your pores with this awesome mud mask.. have it on right now as I type!

Best Makeup Picks for the Gym

7 Best Makeup Picks for the Gym

Looking good while you work out has never been so easy. See the products that'll last through your next sweat sesh

This is a TotalBeauty.com makeup tips article While it feels good to sweat in spin class, it's not as fun looking like a sweaty grease ball when class is over. And with these no-fuss, sweat-resistant products, you can look as good as you feel when your workout is over. See picks

How-to: Get Flawless African American skin

How to Get Flawless African-American Skin

Tailor your routine to fit your skin's specific needs now

This is a TotalBeauty.com skin care article Go beyond the obvious, all-encompassing skin care advice (you know -- like wearing SPF and drinking lots of water). Turns out your skin needs more ethnic-specific attention in order to look flawless. Here's what expert dermatologist Maryam Moinfar says you should do to get your best skin ever. Get tips

Summer Travel Essentials: Conair's new Hairdryer

One of my Summer Travel Essentials is bringing my own hairdryer. I know most hotels nowadays have their own but they're usually the ones on the wall and take forever to dry my hair. For my travels this summer, I'll be bringing the new Conair Infiniti You Reel Folding Handle Dryer. The handles folds neatly into the body of the dryer and the cord also reels into the handle which is perfect. It occupies less space in my suitcase and works like a charm.

Performance-wise? It's fabulous! It's super powerful and leaves my hair shiny and dry in great time. It has 3 heat and 2 speed switch settings (high and low) similar to what I'm using now. I've been using Conair's hairdryers non-stop since I was introduced to their Infiniti Pro Salon Performance AC Motor Styling Tool in 2010 (which I nickname the orange hairdyer.) It's salon-powerful but can be quite bulky for travel, which is why I'm so glad I have the new You Reel dryer as part of my travel essentials.

(Disclaimer: I received this product from this company's PR agency to test, try and share my thoughts with my readers.)
Check out more blogs @ TotalBeauty.com