Romy Raves

I have always been drawn to Eminence Organic Skin Care products because they are made of all natural, good for you ingredients and especially because these products really tantalize my senses. Eminence’s products are colorful and grab my attention visually, but it is their amazing smells (which are all natural) that win me over every time.

These products contain the highest possible levels of all-natural fresh organically grown herbs, fruits and vegetables which are hand-picked and hand-mixed with pure waters drawn from a thermal hot spring lake containing minerals and trace elements found nowhere else on earth. Eminence products are handmade in Hungary, not mass produced, without any heating or hydrogenating processes. So they are beautifully made in addition to making a difference in your skin.  And I have a few new favorite products in the line, which I would love to share with you.

I am absolutely in LOVE with the Tropical Vanilla Sun Cream SPF 32! Why you ask? It smells deelish (kinda like berry vanilla), has a very appealing high level of SPF and most importantly it offers an amazing level of contiuous hydration and moisture for my winter parched skin. It has shea butter which is calming and emollient; zinc oxide which is an anti-inflammatory and blocks UV rays; and vanilla which is soothing and improves circulation. My skin is really adoring this product and I find myself turning to it over my other moisturizers with SPF because it gives my skin a supple and luminous glow.

I am also really enjoying the yummy berries and cream smell and gentle exfoliation of the Blueberry Soy Exfoliating Cleanser. It contatins blueberry juice which tightens pores and is high in antioxidants and phyto-nutrients; pineapple extract which is an enzyme that dissolves proteins; grape extract which fights free-radicals, detoxifies and helps to prevent pigmentation; soy milk which is rich in isoflavones and vitamin B; and a proprietary blend of vitamins and enzymes to combat free radicals. Doesn’t it sound good enough to eat? I just love how this product appeals to my foodie self as well.

IMO, Eminence has some of the best, yummiest and most effective facial masques in the skincare market. And the new Raspberry Pore Refining Masque is no expection. OMG, this masque smells like a combo of raspberry jam and cassis–love that! And then I put this yummy edible concotion on my face and it hydrates, freshens, rejuvenates and tightens all at the same time–I likie! This masque also contains more good for you ingredients like: raspberry juice which tightens pores and fights free radicals; honey which is moisturizing and nourishing; blueberry juice which also tightens pores and is high in antioxidants; blackberry juice which tightens pores and is high in vitamins B, C, K, and Omega-3;  and the same proprietary blend of vitamins and enzymes to combat free radicals.

To partake in this wonderful feast for the senses, you can buy your Eminence Organic Skin Care Products HERE. What are your favorite organic skincare products? Do Tell!

Tags: Blueberry Soy Exfoliating Cleanser, Eminence Organic Skin Care, Raspberry Pore Refining Masque, Tropical Vanilla Sun Cream

Inquiring minds want to know what this fabulous trend maven is up to and where does she get her latest scoops and insider information? Lucky you, here is a glimpse of events that I have recently attended or am planning to attend, all in an effort to share the latest and greatest with you:

Go Green Los Angeles Expo

I attended this all-things-green and eco friendly this past weekend at the Los Angeles Convention Center. I must admit that I find the trend towards all things green very encouraging, and like that many companies in all categories are creating products that showcase the best of the green movement.  A few of the products that really caught my eye at this expo were:

Vapur

A completely collapsible reuseable water bottle, that is designed to be rolled and tucked away. It is perfect for airline travel cause you can fill it on the other side of security. What an inspired eco friendly idea and I love the pink color!

 Further Hand Lotion

Both the beauty maven and the foodie in me was pretty impressed by this fully sustainable beauty product concept. This yummy smelling lotion is made out of used vegetable grease that is sourced from restaurants like Mario Batali’s Mozza (can you say squash blossom pizza? ). Basically, this used oil is turned in biofuel (which is used to drive cars BTW) and glycerin happens to be the byproduct of the biofuel distillation process. This glycerin then becomes the base of this citrusy green lotion thus taking the recycling process further–too cool!

  People Towels

A quick-drying, reusable personal hand towel that you carry with you and it is made of lightweight, 100% organic, fair trade cotton. This is an inspired green alternative to paper towels in public facilities and I adore the LOVE design (what a perfectly green V-day gift).

Bag Lady Promotions Los Angeles: Kick Off Your Heels and Network Event

This is a members only local networking group geared towards women entrepreneurs. It attracts a diverse assortment of women who all have the common goal of growing their business locally and I always meet amazing women at these events (like my new soul sista SavvySassyMoms and the addictive S’muffins created by Carmen at Gotta Have S’more) This months event was held at Focus Self Defense Fitness in Culver City and we had a lot of fun learning Krav Maga and schmoozing.

The International Salon & Spa Expo (ISSE)

I am SO excited about attending ISSE in Long Beach, California this weekend because it is the biggest professional cash-and-carry beauty exposition and educational event on the West Coast. I cannot wait to scout the latest and greatest beauty trends and products. And please make sure to follow me on twitter @romyraves for my real time trend updates from the expo floor. And stay tuned for exciting blog posts in the near future about my newest discoveries.

Natural Products Expo West March 2010

Natural Products Expo West is the premier trade show for the healthy products industry, it is attend by over fifty thousand industry leaders and it is ranked as one of the top 100 shows in the US. This is a huge intense, overwhelming and amazing show and I love every minute of it.  The foodie and healthy gal in me loves discovering the latest and greatest in the natural food world. Stay tuned for more discoveries after the expo.

Tags: Bag Lady Promotions, Expo West, Further Soap, Go Green Expo, ISSE, Krav Maga, People Towels, S'muffins, Vapur

Having been obsessed with beauty products since I was a tween, makes me one finicky beauty consumer, and for that reason I am still super skeptical about the efficacy of natural and organic products. In my experience, they just don’t work as well as there more chemically laden counterparts. Well, all that is starting to change with some of the innovative products I have tried lately, and one of the leaders in my transformation towards liking organic products is The Organic Pharmacy and their beautifully made effective 100% organic products.

Right now my winter parched skin is loving the Organic Pharmacy’s Antioxidant Face Firming Serum because it intensely moisturizers, lifts, calms and heals my skin all at once–and it has a fresh yummy citrus scent too. This serum contains rose hip, grapeseed, alphalipoic acid, DMAE, carrot and grapefruit oil and it claims to reverses sun damage, lift and tone the skin, reduce wrinkles, and absorb free radicals. This serum has been nicknamed ‘the instant face lift oil’ because your face looks refreshed immediately after using it. I use a couple drops of this concentrated serum morning and night and my skin stays hydrated and happy all day and night. This is such a fabulous product that I am planning to keep in my regular beauty arsenal.

I am also very impressed with the Organic Pharmacy’s Collagen Boost Mask.  Right now my skin is dry, sluggish and stripped of its vitality because of the harsh winter elements and not enough sleep (which I am sure many of you relate to ). Every time I use this miraculous mask, my skin just drinks it up and instantly looks hydrated, healthy, youthful, lifted, and brighter (it is a perfect mask to use before a special night out). I really can’t believe how transformed my skin looks in such a short period of time–it really gives your face a noticeable boost. This mask contains aloe and seaweed gel, alpha lipoic acid, DMAE, CoQ10, horestail, ginseng and propolis.

So I must admit that these wonderful organic products have opened my eyes to the potential power and health benefits of less processed beauty products, how about you? And you can find all of these wonderful Organic Pharmacy Products HERE. If you have discovered any wonderful organic beauty products, please share your tips in the comments section of this post.  

Tags: 100% Organic, Antioxidant Face Firming Serum, Collagen Boost Mask, Organic, Organic Beauty, Organic Skin Care, The Organic Pharmacy

If you are anything like me, I steer clear of the Black Friday shopping frenzy because NOTHING is worth waking up at 4am and fighting the crowds for–plus personally I think the whole concept is a psychological marketing trick of more hype than substance. However, I must admit that I was curious this year, so I did venture out at 11am to shop, and honestly there were no great bargains to be had and the crowds were minimal.

In contrast to Black Friday, Cyber Monday has tremendous appeal. From the comfort of your own home, you can scour cyberspace for the best deals around, no crowds, no lines, and no nonsense. You might fare better if you are tech savvy, but there are plenty of bargains to be found.

So in honor of this special day, I would like to share a few special offers from some of my favorite brands that are definitely worth checking out:

• Senna Cosmetics: Cyber Monday Deal, November 30th ONLY. Romy Raves Readers receive 20% off all regular priced items as well as FREE shipping with the code BEAUTY20. Offer only valid 11/30/09. All new customers will also get 11 skincare samples with their 1st order. I LOVE their Form-A-Brow Kit, read my review of this fabulous product HERE

• Skin 2 Skin Care I am a huge fan of this advanced, anti-aging, certified organic skincare line. Read my rave review of this amazing line HERE. And now through December 2009, they are offering my loyal readers 20% off their entire skin care line with the code Romy20

• Sarah Horowitz Parfums This is a fragrance line I adore! The parfums are very unique, artisanal, and the kind of scents that people stop you and ask what you are wearing. To learn more about why I love this line, read my review HERE And now through December 2009, Romy Raves readers will receive a 20% discount on their yummy Perfect Bliss fragrance on either a Perfect Bliss 1.7 oz. eau de parfum or a Perfect Bliss Body Creme when you use the coupon code BLISSOUT09

• Bobbi Brown Cosmetics This is definitely one of my all time favorite cosmetic lines because they always have amazing wearable colors that catch my eye, and their beautiful collections are timeless–LOVE the holiday collections. And here’s an added incentive to check out the current holiday offerings: Bobbi Brown Friends and Family Offer of 20% off any order on BobbiBrown.com from November 30^{th –} December 2^nd

• Jeune d’ age Organics (To Better Skin) This is a wonderful new skin care line that I have been trying out and loving! It is a beautifully made and uses high grade antioxidants and certified organic ingredients that make your skin glow. I am especially loving the Hydrating, Firming Anti-Aging Serum that makes my skin supple and comes in an inspired environmentally friendly recyclable box made of flower seed paper that you can plant and watch it grow, love that! And Romy Raves readers will get 25% off all purchases now through December 7, 2009 by using code RomyRaves.

Happy Shopping!!

Tags: Bobbi Brown, Cyber Monday, Deals, Sarah Horowitz Parfums, Senna, Skin 2 Skin Care

Greetings Beauty Ghouls! Have you come for your pumpkin fix today? Gotta love that beautiful orange ball of antioxidants, vitamins and tastiness! You are in for a real treat, because today I am sharing some of my favorite pumpkin beauty delights for your sensory pleasure. And in a special homage to Halloween (and because I am a girl who LOVES her treats), I am giving away a handful of these delicious rave worthy seasonal goodies in my Halloween Giveaway on Saturday, October 31st (so make sure to come back for your chance to score some treats!)

Scandle Body Massge Candle in Pumpkin Pie Spice

Right now body massage candles are all the rage! And what’s not to love? Here’s the rub (literally): you burn one of these fab candles for a little while, enjoy the fragrant aroma, and then take the yummy, emollient, hot liquid (made of soy and shea butter, aloe vera, jojoba oil and 100% body safe fragrance oils) and rub it on your hands, feet or on your partner if you are so inclined. It is divine! It feels and smells ‘oh so good’! I love the warm healing feeling on my sore muscles and dry extremities and it is so relaxing. And the pumpkin pie spice reminds me (and the emotional trigger points in my brain) of all the joys, warmth and yumminess of the season. I am especially loving the cute travel sized tin that burns for 15-30 hours and is perfect for those romantic fall getaways. The Pumpkin Pie Spice is only available in Limited Edition so make sure to get yours soon!

Sanitas Pumpkin Enzyme Mask

This is a yummy smelling, wonderfully gentle mask that is packed with enzymes from fresh, organic pumpkin that naturally exfoliate, soften and even out skin tone. This mask is formulated with a blend of essential fats and vitamins to moisturize and nourish the skin and to help neutralize free radicals that contribute to premature aging. What I really like about this mask beyond the fantastic smell, is that it subtly exfoliates my skin and makes it feel hydrated, clean and smooth. If you have ever tried a pumpkin mask before, you know that they tend to be harsh and irritating to some skin types, but this one is so mild, I think it could even be enjoyed by the most sensitive skin types.

Eminence Yam & Pumpkin Enzyme Peel

I LOVE the beautiful colorful organic products made by Eminence. I have used many of these products over the years and they are incredibly well-made, effective and smell divine. The Yam & Pumpkin Peel is no exception, it looks and smells so good you can almost eat it (but please don’t!) This is more of an aggressive active product compared to the Sanitas mask mentioned above. When I put this mask on, I really feel it working and doing something to change my skin and afterwards it looks clear and smooth. This mask contains yam and pumpkin pulp, vitamins, and glycolic and lactic acid–that’s alot of skin changing stuff, no wonder I can feel it working!

Philosophy Pumpkin Spice Muffin Flavored Lip Shine

I just discovered this yummy seasonal gloss the other day at Sephora and instantly fell in love with it! I, of course, was drawn to the fact that it had the word pumpkin on the package, loved the warm golden coppery color, and the pumpkin scent was just right. Then I tried it on and it had the perfect amount of shine, a hint of warm shimmery color and my favorite part: it tastes like pumpkin pie! That’s a winning trifecta in my book!

I hope you enjoyed these autumnal beauty treats and make sure to come back on Halloween for a chance to win some treats of your own!

Tags: Eminence, Fall, Halloween, Organic, Philosophy, Pumpkin Beauty Products, Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin Spice, Sanitas, Scandle Candle, Seasonal, Sephora, Treats