When I’ve tried every drugstore brand in the book and can’t find satisfaction, I cadge skin-care samples from department stores so I can experiment on the cheap. And so it was at Barneys NY in Beverly Hills where I discovered my new favorite sunscreen, which has been a long time coming (it debuted in September) and might appeal if you’re an outdoor exerciser like me and have certain, um, requirements. Not that I’m difficult (!) but my sunscreen must offer tinted coverage (to even out skin tone and disguise freckles), have an SPF higher than 15 (see freckles, above), contain some treatment ingredients (if it’s going to be sitting on my face for 5 hours, it’s going to multi-task), and not be overly hydrating (I’ve already got a “glow” from my sweat). Continue reading “BEAUTY BOSS: Skin-Care Splurges and Tightwad Tips” »
About Laurie Drake
A third-generation Californian, Laurie fled to New York City after college to pursue a career in publishing, where she worked at Vogue as an editor and writer for 13 years before deciding it was time to come home. (After screaming at a dry cleaner on Second Avenue who had lost her favorite dress, she realized that the mean streets were making her…mean.) So she grabbed her then-husband and has been freelancing since 1991 from a condo in Santa Monica. Beauty is her usual beat, but she also likes to travel. Over the years she has written about beauty, health, and fitness for The New York Times, Allure (where she was a contributing editor), Glamour, Self, and the Los Angeles Times. (If you still have the July 2011 issue of Vogue, catch her story on the latest wrinkle fillers, “Custom Made.”)
BEAUTY BOSS: Skin-Care Splurges and Tightwad Tips
BEAUTY BOSS: Beautiful Nails
A year in the making, the Nail Bar at the Spa at the Beverly Wilshire hotel debuted last week, just in time to paint the fingers and toes of Emmy attendees visiting from out of town. But locals are flocking there too for a bit of luxury (and a break from street-corner salons that seat you cheek-by-jowl with other customers–and their cell phones). This plush retreat, done up by Barry Designs in rich textures and creamy colors, is on the hotel’s second floor, a.k.a. glamour headquarters owing to the pool, fitness center, hair salon, and spa (where Jennifer Aniston, Molly Sims, and Avril Lavigne were getting scrubbed, buffed, and beautified for the Emmys). Continue reading “BEAUTY BOSS: Beautiful Nails” »
Some Like It Hot!: Great Girlfriend Getaways
When the world is too much with us, it’s time for a weekend away with the girls (and I use that term loosely, being of a certain age). But girls we are, at least in spirit, and my favorite summer escape is to leave the marine layer that never burns off in Santa Monica for the dry heat of the desert, which warms the bones of those of us with runner’s knee and tennis elbow. Not only is it therapeutic, but it’s a bargain, with luxury hotel rooms at a fraction of the price (about two-thirds) of winter rates. We’re talking resorts, girlfriend, with spas, fitness centers, tennis courts, and golf courses. And even if you indulge yourself with facials, massages, afternoon mojitos, and 3-course dinners, the cost of a weekend is still less than the price of a good handbag.
Continue reading “Some Like It Hot!: Great Girlfriend Getaways” »
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