How can you tell if your skincare product is working? If you find yourself destroying the bottle to get every last drop of it's goodness out before tossing it. This little bottle above? Ole Henriksen Truth Serum. One ounce of pure goodness. I can't explain what it does, precisely... but I can assure you that I look better when I'm using it consistently. This week I ran out. No biggie, I assumed. Day 1... no big deal. It's day 7 now and the girl in the mirror isn't nearly as cute as the one I was peeking at last Thursday.

What does it do? It certainly plumps the skin, as advertised. Vitamin C is reported to stimulate collagen and visually improve the skin's texture. It also seems to even out my skin tone and give me a general glow. Add to that it's light, energizing scent (as expected, it smells gently of citrus), natural ingredients and non-sticky texture. It is my absolute favorite facial serum. I'm on bottle 6 and I'm considering seeking a way to buy it in bulk. It's fantastic. Clearly it only works while you're still using it, but it's not nearly as pricey as many of the other half used bottles in my cabinet. For a fraction of the cost, I'm getting beauty in a bottle. I'm addicted to it and can't keep it a secret any longer. You must try it out if your skin is suddenly looking a bit dull.

So... my new little bottle and I would like a few minutes alone. After all, we've missed one another.

Almost every woman I know loves flowers. They are delicate, their beauty is fleeting, they range in color from vibrant violets to palest yellow. Men may find it difficult to comprehend the importance of the occasional surprise bouquet. Blooms only last a few days, but those memories... those memories last forever.  But imagine if your days were spent creating floral arrangements. What would it be like if your office was a veritable haven for orchids and exotic blooms? That's Jennifer McGarigle's place in the world. She's the Rachel Zoe of flowers. Styling them into unexpectedly pretty pieces of living art. While it may be true that all beauty is fleeting, cut flowers are an indulgence and a natural wonder that is perhaps the most evanescent of any of our personal indulgences. And yet - can you imagine a flowerless world? Setting aside the basics of the food chain and the purpose they serve in the world... Can you imagine a world with no blossoms. A wedding with no bouquet? Roses with no blooms? Think of the many color configurations we would miss. Do something wonderful for yourself this week...buy an arrangement of flowers for yourself. Yes, I'm encouraging you to order yourself a professionally arranged bouquet. Big. Baudy and bodacious. Walk into a florist. Pass slowly through the store looking at every variety of flower on display. Determine what kind of flower inspires your imagnation. Are you an orchid lover or do those gerbera daisies set your heart on fire? Decide what you love. Then, walk up to the counter and order yourself a decadent arrangement and have it sent to your home (trust me, it's no fun driving home with a water-filled vase in the car). 

Think of this as investing in yourself. I guarantee it will be a mood enhancer many days to come. {If you're pressed for time, visit Jennifer's flower bar for inpiration.}

Bits of Beauty is in the midst of a series of posts uncovering "Everyday Beauty" as seen through the eyes of her fellow bloggers. I loved the entry by Daydream Lily as well as so many of the others. My post will be featured next week, so I'll keep you posted on the link once it goes live.

While sharing my thoughts on the concept, I realized I could go on at length about the many ways I create, define and experience beauty in my life. It's all around us, and in many ways we create it for ourselves. I believe a beautiful mind does indeed produce rose colored glasses. In other words, we are responsible for our own happiness and our own opportunities to see the wonder and majesty in the world around us. I think it's an interesting topic, so I plan to explore it with you next week.

In the meantime, have a lovely and beautiful weekend!

InStyle does such a great job each year of the "best of" beauty buys. Before I subscribed, I would wait with anticipation for this amazing issue. Of course, now everyone has their version. 145 products you can't live without, Top 100 Beauty Must-Haves, etc.

And in the spirit of spring (for this is when those yummy issues hit the stands) I thought I'd share my own gotta-have-it-or-I-might-just-die products. I'd love to know yours as well!

For starters, from the neck down, I adore fresh. Their Brown Sugar Body Polish *sigh* is heaven. I delayed buying it for so long because it seemed overpriced. I was wrong. It is so vastly different from the other body scrubs I've used. The oil has more 'slip' and the granules of sugar are so much more textured. In this case, a little really does go a long way. I've never tried anything quite like this. It the allows me to achieve the supreme smoothness than this product allows. It is truly wonderful.

After, I use the fresh Sugar Lychee Body Lotion. This duo keeps me happy and smooth - and the scent is subtle enough to leave you open to any fragrance of your choice. Although.. I do also use an amazing Kiehl's body moisturizer as well. Girl needs options!

 
I've discussed my love of the Bliss Labs collection ad nauseum here before. So let's just call these perennial favorites. Specifically the oxygenating mask, Youth as We Know It serum and Youth as We Know It Moisture Cream are irreplaceable in my nighttime beauty arsenal.

Enter... my new BFF. I'm loving the Dr. Brandt Lineless Cream for day. Am I the only one who thinks it's particularly challenging to find the right moisturizer to wear during the day? I have the most difficult time. But now I just apply this with my Clarins UV 40 every day. That's right. UV 40, baby. It's the only way to go.

And now, for the makeup...

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer. It's amazing, in my opinion. The "nude" shade matches my slightly yellow/olive skin perfectly. It offers just enough coverage while still allowing "my skin" to be visible. I've recently begun to use her primer beforehand as well. It does seem to help the tinted moisturizer adhere a bit better, but I like to use as few products as possible to achieve the best result. So...I'd say you (and I) can live without the primer (sorry, makeup artists...I'm a tough sell!)

While we're here, I loooove her "undercover pot" concealer. I can't say enough good things about it. One side of the product is for under the eyes, the other is for any discoloration on the face you'd love to downplay. Put it this way, this finally took the place of my Dior SkinFlash - which I was hoarding. LOL.

NARS Oragsm blush. What can I say. It's simply the best.

Chanel Glossimers are exactly what I look for in a gloss. Sheer with the right amount of color deposit. Never sticky. The perfect amount of shine. Some have shimmer. Some do not. I do prefer shimmer on the lips. Of all the wonderful options at the counter, I gravitate towards "Glow" the most. At least right now. Who knows what they'll release next :)

And my holy grail of shadows? Chanel Dunes. The quad contains a matte espresso, a shimmery taupe (perfection!), an almond color and the most perfect shade of shimmery peachy pink. It really is the quad I've been searching for my entire life. I can't believe how much time I wasted with the other collections. This really is a great group of colors that can be worn to look subtle or va-va-voom dramatic. I'm in heaven.

And, for that perfect bit of shimmer wherever you want it (brow bones, corners of the eyes, cheek bones...) Imust have the Chanel Poudre Douce Almond Powder. I nabbed the very last one at the department store I was just at. And if you don't buy them first, I'm out to buy up all of them I can. It's that good.

So... how about you? What are your beauty essentials?

Suddenly I'm obsessed with all things Giada de Laurentiis. I'm not sure what it is. I would say it's a byproduct of too much Food Network. But that would be wrong. Hers is the only program I watch from that channel. She's adorable. Her great smile, her petite Italian frame, her vivaciousness. She's just gorgeous. Oh, and on top of it all... she's an amazing chef.

And while she's inspired me to try new cooking new things in decidedly Italian new ways, the thing I'm most obsessed with presently is her hair. She has the exact same amount of natural wave in her locks that I do. And that shock of perfectly highlighted hair in the front does wonders to showcase her fiery eyes.

So once again, my loyal, patient, tolerant hair stylist will see me schlepping celebrity photos into his salon. Fortunately I've already got her length and texture... but I plan to beg Ryan (aforementioned hair guru extraordinaire) to humor me by telling me how difficult it would be to give these locks and some Giada-inspired color.

Yes, he'll give me "the look"...you know the one. The one that says "are you sure?" and "this again?" at the same time. But if I can achieve this perfect balance of light and dark locks it'll be worth it. And maybe, just maybe, when I come home from my appointment tomorrow I'll possess enough Giada-like talent to whip up Seared Steak with Arugula and Roasted Pepper Salad as well as the lovely and talented Giada herself might.

Stay tuned!

Same woman. Different makeup. The model is 20 (gasp!). So... before you get too heavy handed with your bronzer or powder today, I beg you to put some thought into your appearance. Quite a transformation by makeup artist Lisa Butler and some fantastic lighting. 

These are from Paris Vogue, November 2008. Here's the rest of the story...

(Editor's Note: is it just me, or isn't she is a total hottie in the 40's shot? Gives me some beauty tips for the future. Hello, Michelle Pfieffer!)