Think Pink

I know most of us have orange on the brains as Halloween's this weekend, but this month there are so many great products that support breast cancer research- I'm thinking pink! The GHD flat iron is the tool I turn to for straight, glossy hair- this collection of pink perfection will enable you to have a Good Hair Day every day!
Affordable & fun stocking stuffers are hard to find (stay tuned for my super stocking stuffers post.) These make-up to go kits from Sephora are a $50 value & a steal at $15!

From jeweled lids to jeweled lobes, these pink sapphire earrings by Andrea Montgomery are stunning in their simplicity. These would be great to tuck away for the holidays or Valentine's Day & a lot less calories than chocolates!

One can never go wrong with one of Bobbi Brown's shimmer bricks! Swipe a singular shade on your lids for soft shimmery eyes or blend the shades for an all over ethereal glow!

Elizabeth Hurley still rocks out her fabulous style, and comes up with beautiful collections to raise money for breast cancer research. The Elizabeth Hurley Lip Design Collection for Estee Lauder has a quad of wearable pinks in an adorable pink clutch.

Speaking of bags, try this adorable Splendor bag by Moni Moni. Stephanie Pratt sports it, too!
There are so many ways to give back this month, please support these or any efforts. Breast cancer touches someone's life every minute of every day. Save the ta tas!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Spotted- Addressing Hyperpigmentation

Feeling a little spotted after enjoying the summer sun my beauties? La Papillon's resident expert, dermatologist Dr. Noelle Sherber is here to help!

Leopard print accessories are everywhere in this fall's fashion magazines, but it is definitely not a good look for your most important accessory, your skin! Summer sun often leaves brown spots on sun-exposed skin. Spots that fade fully when your skin gets a break from the sun are freckles (ephiledes), but spots that stick around are true sun spots (solar lentigines). Sun spots can be treated in several different ways, and evening out your skin tone is one of the best things you can do to make your skin look more youthful. Hydroquinone is a commonly used ingredient to fade hyperpigmentation (dark areas) in over-the-counter and prescription products, but you should use this under the care of a dermatologist since in some people it can cause unwanted darkening of pigmentation (called ochronosis) rather than the desired lightening - your dermatologist can make sure to catch this early if it happens for you. The spot treatment in Kate Somerville's new Complexion Correction Kit contains hydroquinone. Kojic acid is another ingredient that lightens unwanted pigmentation without causing as much irritation as prescription-strength hydroquinone can. SkinCeuticals Pigment Regulator is a good kojic acid good product to try. Additionally, professional-strength chemical peels can help to lighten sunspots, such as the SkinMedica ReJuvenize peels need to be performed every few weeks in conjuntion with a good at-home regimen for an optimal result. Of course it's important to wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen while using these brightening treatments so that UVA and UVB light don't continue to stimulate those pigment-producing cells that you're trying to treat! If you've tried topical treatments for 2-3 months without sufficient improvement in stubborn spots, or if you just want to get a more instant-gratification immediate result, laser treatments or intense pulsed light can work wonders. Intense pulsed light (IPL) {I use the Sciton BBL system in my practice} is the first laser or light-based therapy that I typically recommend to my patients because there's no significant discomfort or downtime. IPL feels warm but not painful, and you can wear makeup immediately afterwards. Some people get flushed from the treatment, but that's more common when I'm treating redness with the IPL than when I'm treating brown spots. Over the several days following treatment you'll see your brown spots start to break up and look like coffee grounds. The coffee grounds should be gone in about a week, and your spots should fade over the next few weeks. Depending on how dark your spots are and how long you've had them, several treatments may be needed, but most of my patients have dramatic improvement after one session. Fall and winter are the best times for IPL treatment because I don't perform these treatments on people who have a tan - I've had patients come in with burns who were treated with IPL elsewhere despite having a tan... Be sure to have these treatments performed by a board-certified dermatologist because determining the correct energy settings for your skin is the key to a beautiful result. Madeleine and I are planning a very exciting first for La Papillon in November - a whole day of in-spa IPL on Friday the 5th! If you have brown spots or red areas that you'd like gone before the holidays this will be the perfect pick-me-up for your skin to give you a great holiday glow! See you then...

Xo, your Diva of Dermatology
Noelle Sherber, M.D., F.A.A.D.

Files from the Brow Whisperer

Oh you moms out there, how you put yourselves last! Taking care to make sure your family is always pulled together, but often putting yourselves last. To say this clients brows were overdue would be a bit of an understatement & she knew it!

First off a trim was in order. Even if you can't get in to see your esthetician every 3 weeks, a conservative trim keeps the illusion of your brows being groomed & in place. Then wax applied both below & above the brow strengthened and established her shape. I often have people with sparse brows or fair hair express reservation at getting their brows waxed, but as you can see in this "after" picture her brows look fuller since they are now defined. What a difference 5 minutes can make in your appearance if you make yourself take that time for yourself! Speaking of wanting to see a difference in your skin, check out tomorrow's post from Dr. Noelle Sherber. It will be her very first 'Ask the Derm Day' post & it focuses on hyperpigmentation!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Fabulous Find Friday

Since yesterday I did somewhat of a "jeers" today I will do a "cheers." I read about this conditioner in Lucky magazine & ripped out the contributor's review that waxed poetic about it. Seeing as how this one was a much more affordable $30(in comparison) to the other Lucky magazine recommended Phillip B Amber Shampoo that was less than life changing, I decided to give Davine's *Love* Conditioner a chance when I got an Amazon gift card recently. How to describe my hair? I'd go with undecided. Straight at the top, a bend or "fingerwave" in the middle towards the ends, topped off with a smidge of frizz. This conditioner, while in an awkward ice creamish container smells faintly of wildflowers and makes my hair, well behave.

*Loves* it.

Peace. Love. Love. M

Maybelline Falsies Mascara

Oh Girls, I really try to be nice when it comes to beauty products- I do! Very rarely will I talk poorly about make-up, since I feel that in someway all my make-up products are my children. However I've seen some positive reviews of this product & yours truly has a different take on it- so of course I needed to share. First off I have long lashes(thanks Latisse!), but oily skin so it's a struggle for me to find a mascara that doesn't end up with me looking like a football player. I tend to loathe waterproof versions however- you can't build the product & end up rubbing your poor lashes out to get it off. I don't know what I was expecting with Maybelline's Falsies Mascara, but let's just say the name gave me "false" hope. The brush was interesting, rather flat & the wand flexes a bit when applying. It went on well, that wasn't the issue, though it still smeared slightly like most do on me. What I had the problem with was getting it off! I tried everything- standard remover, milky cleansers, even resorting to Lancome's BiFacil dual phased eye make-up remover, but to no avail. It didn't create tubes the way Blinc mascara does- but I just couldn't get it off! It drove me crazy for 3 days straight. Have any of my beauties tried it & if so - what's your take on it?

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Smashbox

Is it too early to be compiling my wish list for Santa? I have an excuse as my sister's baby is due in just two weeks & she wants to be done Christmas shopping this week! Annually Smashbox unveils their holiday WISH collection that benefits the Children's Miracle Network. This WISH kit is a steal of a deal with 6 lipglosses in it for $29. I always say lipgloss has healing powers & this WISH collection really does help those in need!

Have my girleens seen Burlesque's movie preview? It actually looks pretty amazing & has my much adored Kristen Bell in it. I guess I should admit that the uber delish Cam Gideot & McSteamy Eric Dane being in it is an additional plus, insert *sigh* here. Smashbox created this Burlesque limited edition kit with jewel tones that's perfect for fall.


While I was drooling, ahem, perusing the site, I also noticed this very wearable collection put together by Florence of Florence & the Machine ( run & download her debut, Lungs now!) I'm a big fan of Smashbox's kits, they're great deals & anything that's not my cup of tea makes a great stocking stuffer! Which is your favorite kit my beauties?
Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Behold the Power of Make-Up

Unfortunately Halloween came a little early for my friend, client & trusty dog walker last week! She literally had a run in with a dog, colliding head to head with a pooch while catching a frisbee that resulted in 7 stitches! Murphy's Law would have it that there was a wedding she wwould be reading in that she was so looking forward to!

While I wanted to leave the stiches alone to keep them clean in order to promote optimal healing, I was able to neutralize the discoloration using just 2 different concealers. I used Paul & Joe's Under Eye Concealer 03 which has pink undertones applied softly with a concealer brush to cancel out the blue in the bruise, while I turned to Clinique's All About Eyes in shade 02(it was a winner in my Glammies last year- you can see why!) That shade had yellow undertones which helped cancel out the red in the bruise. I often joke that I'm a beautician- not a magician(my sister even gave me a tank top with that saying on it) but short of a magic wand I think my poor friend B's eye looked great without looking too cakey!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Must Have Make-Up Monday

Anyone who knows me, knows how important brows are to me! They're the frame of the face. After I shape any client's brows, I always take them to the make-up bar & show them how to properly fill their brows in. Smashbox's Brow Tech has been a cult favorite amongst make-up artists for years & I finally picked up their new Brow Tech To Go.

This trio is a special collection that was put together for QVC's Viewers choice Awards- so it's a great deal. I got the Brow Tech To Go in Taupe, as well as their Lip Enhancing Gloss in Allure & Soft Focus Powder Eye Liner in Gunmetal.

The brow tech is fabulous & a great tool for beginners since it's very soft. A little tip I give most clients is to start off with a taupe shade so you don't over do it. The angle of the pencil allows for precise, yet natural application. The gloss is the perfect neutral for heading into fall, though I usually prefer a brush applicator on my glosses. Their new Soft Focus Eye Liner is a nice idea in giving a less defined, more smudged liner effect. The Gunmetal shade is gorgeous, but there is some fall out with product when applying- so tap off excess before you do so. All in all this set was a great deal, with all 3 products being ones you'll actually use!
Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

HBA Expo

I was up in NYC for the Heath & Beauty Expo last week. Guess who I ran into the first day girleens?!?! None other than the fabulous, adorable, spunky Mally of Mally Beauty! She couldn't have been any nicer- seriously it was so refreshing to meet a celebrity who exceeded my expectations! It was a great way to start to a jam packed calender.
Days were filled researching & with conferences. Sorry for the lovely photo quality, but there was poor lighting in this conference. That curly haired social media maven with slightly possessed flash eyes is non other than Karen Robinovitz creator of Purple Lab. She was so inspiring in her talks of how social media played an integral part in launching her make-up line(a dream of mine!)

But of course Partner in Crime & I found the time to have some girl time! I annoy her so always making her take photos:) We went to Dos Caminos (Jennifer Aniston is a fan) for homemade guacamole and cucumber & mango margaritas the first night. Delish!

The second night we went to my absolute fav- Spice Market. I am obsessed! Of course I called my NYC girls to come join- here's Leah, the amazing national artist for Paul & Joe Beaute. So talented, make sure my local beauties mark their calenders for December 2nd, 3rd & 4th when she's in town for La Papillon's holiday weekend!

I also finally got to connect with one of my BFF's (gorgeous) sisters, Saree while up in the city. She's such a beauty inside & out! We had an amazing time over cherry blossom mojitos!

There's nothing like good friends- yes?

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

MomzShare Event

This past weekend La Papillon was a proud sponsor of Baltimore's MomzShare Event! MomzShare is a fabulous group of mostly mom bloggers who get together, network & raise money for a great cause & we all know moms make the world go round!
This was our fabulous host @scarymommy holding up some of the giveaways!

Women came from around the tri state area for good conversation & good food (provided by Piv's Restaurant) on a gorgeous fall night!

Of course everyone ends up in the kitchen for cocktails & dessert!

Cupcakes from Charm City Cupcake celebrated all aspects of social media, with Facebook, Twitter & YouTube screened on them!

The surprise hit of the night? Skittles infused vodka! Just separate the flavors & infuse in mason jars or a covered glass container for 2-3 days. Strain out the undissolved bits & voila- Halloween treats for adults!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Files from the Brow Whisperer

Years of plucking had left this client with an overly rounded "dated" brow. Hair coming down in the front of the brow also closed in the eye.
An instant lift was created by taking just a smidge off the beginning of the brow, which opens the eye. I carefully waxed above the brow to help give the illusion that the tail end of the brow is fuller. I then showed my client what a difference brow powder can make & she left ready to conquer the world!
Peace. Love. Brow Whisperer. M