Tuesday, June 30, 2009

my first facial

Confession: I have never had my nails done - fingers or toes. Why pay others when I can do the same with a bottle of polish and a steady hand? Besides, wet nails are the best defense against nighttime munchies.

I also never had a facial until last week when I cashed in a gift certificate at the ACAC Spa. At home I am very good to my skin. But just as I can’t resist browsing at Sephora or the Belk beauty counters once a week, I can’t resist testing moisturizers, foundation, and powder - from mattifying loose minerals to botanical-infused night treatments. Around 90 percent of the time it leads to clogged pores, and occasionally a full-on breakout if an ingredient was particularly irritating. After testing two illuminating moisturizers and a new sunscreen last month my skin was looking less than fabulous and my usual arsenal wasn’t quite rising to the challenge. It was time, as a male friend put it, to have someone else to torture my skin into shape.

As the New York Times pointed out in this article, facials are not a proven defense against wrinkles. But as my spa visit verified, they are fantastic for fighting dullness, clogged pores, and fading spots and unevenness. Thanks to the gentle and thorough work of my esthetician, Carol, during my hour long custom facial my skin is clearer than it has been since Sephora came to town last year.

Carol also stocked me up with a couple products to keep things clear between appointments. I may never go back to grainy scrubs after using Dermalogica’s Gentle Cream Exfoliant, which harnesses alpha hydroxy acid to cut through dead skin, oil, and grime. I have tried a lot of scrubs over the years, but my skin has never been this soft. Now I’m curous about some of the other chemical-based exfoliators I’ve seen out there, like the renowned ExfoliKate by Kate Somerville.

I’m also loving Dermalogica’s Special Cleansing Gel; this soap-free cleanser foams beautifully and leaves my skin clean and fresh without tightness or dryness. Like all of the Dermalogica line, both products are free of artificial colors and fragrances, mineral oil and lanolin.

Of course as always, the best thing anyone can do for their skin is wear sunscreen religiously. Carol says to steer clear of sunscreens with PABA (Padimate O or octyl dimethyl PABA) which can irritate skin and cause breakouts.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

summer candy crush

Every few months I fall into a major candy obsession. Last time it was for liccorice, easily satiated with a box of Good&Plenty. Before that it was marshmallow; I obsessed over my favorite candy blog, unable to pick a poison, until it passed. This summer I have fallen hard for limited edition Strawberried Peanut Butter M&Ms.

Summer is a bit of a no man’s land for candy; it sits between Easter’s egg-shaped, pastel-wrapped confections and Halloween’s candy corn and fun-sized menagerie. Its blistering weather make us yearn for ice cream, and when we turn to the AC bliss of the movies we are more often lured by super-sized popcorn than overpriced candy.

M&Ms secured their place as summer candy in the 1950s with their “Melts in your mouth, not in your hand” slogan - just the thing moms need to hear before shopping for snacks. And in terms of summer flavors, whoever developed this gem for the M&Ms “Transformers” film promotion is a genious. Somehow peanut butter enrobed in strawberry flavored chocolate and covered in that trademark crisp candy shell brings back all the nostalgia of childhood summer play dates at the pool. Whether it was natural peanut butter on 12-grain or Jiff on a slice of Wonder, peanut butter was always paired with strawberry jam and a fun size bag of M&Ms for dessert. Strawberried Peanut Butter M&Ms balance these flavors perfectly - not too sweet or salty.

So far this treat is hard to find locally, and Kroger seems to be the best bet for the medium size bag. Unfortunately for my waistline I have only found the single-serving bags at Maryland grocery stores. If you like the idea but can’t commit to a huge bag, order vanilla or cake batter frozen yogurt at Arch’s with strawberries and Reece’s Peanut Butter Cups.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

fresh hair

The hazard of eating fresh at Subway? After a leisurly lunch my hair smells like a $5 Footlong, thanks to our table’s close proximity to the bread oven. Nothing makes an afternoon drag quite like the ghost of lunchtime past wafting around your head.

Black Vanilla Leave-in Conditioner from Carol’s Daughter is my go-to quick fix on hair days that are not bad so much as they are slightly off. It quells minor frizz and poof, and somehow transforms slightly greasy into soft and silky. It also leaves hair perfectly scented with creamy vanilla and coconut milk, and not a trace of odious sandwich on days like today. My favorite trick is to mist hair generously, brush out any tangles, twist up into a bun and let dry for 10 minutes; it leaves my tresses perfectly beachy in every sense of the word. $11.50 for 8 oz at Sephora.

Photo courtesy of Sephora

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Flip-Flops for Friends

What is summer without a few (or many) pairs of flip flops? Old Navy at Barracks Road kicked off the season with their $1 flip flop sale, and through this Sunday they’re spreading the joy to the Boys & Girls Club with a little help from the community. Buy two pairs of flip flops - one for you, one for the Club - to help the store reach their goal of donating 150 pairs and get a coupon for 10 percent off any purchase between June 28 and July 4.

And if you visit the store this Saturday, take advantage of $2 women’s, girl’s, and toddler tank tops or pick up some half-priced items for Dad - all men’s department items are half off through Sunday.

Photo courtesy of Barracks Road Old Navy

Friday, June 12, 2009

how to survive swine flu without really trying

It’s official; swine flu is an official pandemic (i.e. a new illness with a global spread) and two local residents have taken ill (read about it here).

As the Center for Disease Control and Prevention emphasizes, this is hardly a cause for panic; deaths worldwide are lower than typical winter viral infections. Nevertheless, who wants to get sick just when we’re can finally expect some sun between the thunderstorms? The CDC’s top piece of advice is to wash hands regularly and use antibacterial sanitizers when out and about (we love these purse-size foams from Bath & Body Works). After all, marketing ourselves as Virginia’s Wine Country plus our historic attractions guarantees a steady stream of tourists for the rest of the summer and we’re just a hop, skip and a jump from D.C. Who knows what kinds of germs are passed around our little town?

But the CDC also strongly advises tuning in to the community plan of action (you know, just in case). All our great daily news services are sure to provide up-to-the-minute information, but it’s also worth bookmarking this page from the City of Charlottesville. It contains links to the CDC and the swine flu hotline and a handy map to Virginia’s confirmed cases. On the off chance that Charlottesville becomes some kind of Outbreak-esque ground zero, the city will post our plan of action here. In the meantime, it’s a great one stop shop for all your credible swine flu informational needs.

Click here to read about local testing and treatment (featuring an interview with Bethany’s mom!)

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