Romy Raves

I am smitten with Tom Ford and IMO he is a pure fashion and beauty genius. Everything he touches is modern, innovative and classy. Oh and not to mention he is very easy on the eyes which just adds to his appeal. But I digress, I am here to tell you about a couple of the perfumes in his fab private blend collection that I am loving right now. These are exclusive high end fragrances and they just exude quality and complexity.

White Suede

This is the musk of raw desire and it smells like elegant suede and smooth leather, heightened by velvety rose, warm amber and sensuous musk. I describe this as a sophisticated musk that smells smoky, sexy, earthy, and a tinge floral. This is a multi-layered musk with a lot of dimension and I love wearing this on winter nights when I want to feel warm and sexy. But this is not your run of the mill perfume, it lasts and lingers in a beautiful way and the dry down gets even sexier IMO.

Champaca Absolute

This is a floral oriental composition with a sensuous heart note of Champaca, the magnolia-like flower. This is followed by the notes of Tokajii Wine and Cognac (the oenophile in me totally digs this) as it warms to the skin with Vanilla Bean, Amber and Sandalwood. I describe this as a sultry, sensual, warm, earthy, spicy oriental fragance. It has an alluring quality that makes me feel like snuggling with my man by the fire with a full bodied glasss of red wine (sounds divine right now since I am in NY without my honey and this is his all time favorite city). The dry down on me is a lusty vanilla and just puts me in the mood, if you know what I mean.

Tom Ford Fragrances are powerful, mood enhancing and shifting, and beautifully sexy. When he comes out with a new fragrance, I am the first in line cause they are that good. You can find these wonderful fragrances online at Neiman Marcus. What are your favorite sexy fragrances? What kind of scents put you in the mood?

Tags: Champaca Absolute, Perfume, Tom Ford Fragrances, Tom Ford Private Blend, White Suede

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

If you have ever eaten a macadamia nut, you know how insanely yummy, creamy and full of flavor they are, more of an indulgent specialty nut rather than your run of the mill kind of nut, right?  Now imagine all of these wonderful, rich, luxury qualities translated into a line of hair care products, doesn’t that sound divine?  To me, YES!

Let me introduce you to my new favorite line of hair care products Macadamia Natural Oil. These products are the bomb! OMG, I am so in love with these fabulous products I don’t even know where to begin. This inspired line of products combines two of the worlds most rare, valuable and lightweight natural oils Macadamia Nut Oil from the South Pacific with the wildly popular Argan Seed Oil from North Africa’s Berber region into a beautiful line of luxury hair care products.

Macadamia Nut oil is a coveted beauty ingredient because of its uncanny ability to mimic the body’s own natural oils, allowing for unparalleled absorption and rapid penetration into the hair and skin. It has a rich concentration of essential fatty acids, natural antioxidants and vitamins that leaves hair deeply nourished and revitalized. Argan Seed Oil restores strength, shine and softness to dry, brittle hair while nourishing hair damaged by chemical services.

By combining both of these stellar oils in the Macadamia Natural Oil line, the results are even more impressive together. The benefits of this dynamic oil duo include: improved strength and hair quality; radiant shine;  hair that is deeply nourished, revitalized and silky smooth; softens thick, coarse hair; eliminates frizz and tangles; revives over-processed hair; no oily residue or build up; helps repair follicles, improves elasticity and increases nourishment; the natural UV protection extends the life of color treatments; and it reduces drying time up to 50%. Wow, that’s a powerful combo, don’t ya think?

So what am I NUTS about? Everything! First, the artisitc green and brown filagree package design is beautiful and totally catches my eye. Second, the hero product Healing Oil Treatment is amazing. It smells sweetly divine, absorbs instantly, smooths my hair and adds a beautiful shine. Then, the Rejuvenating Shampoo gently cleanses my processed hair while being hydrating at the same time, plus I love the way the bottle looks in my shower; the Nourishing Leave-In Cream is light weight, hydrating and gently mends my hair; and the Deep Repair Masque (with a little healing oil mixed in) is my new ‘put my hair back to health’ treatment conditioner. My hair just adores this deep conditioning product which it drinks it up. This treatment masque really hydrates, rejuvenates and makes my hair so healthy and shiny after I use it. And one more unexpectedly wonderful perk, because of the amazing absorption of these products, it significantly reduces my blow drying time too–overall just FAB!

Obviously, I am crazy about the Macadamia Natural Oil Products (maybe the foodie in me really responds to the whole yummy nut thing) and I think you will be too. Right now Macadamia Natural Oil is offering a “Get Hooked” Sample Pack which includes a mini Healing Oil Treatment and a 1 oz. Deep Repair Masque for only $5 plus free shipping. This is a $15 value and a great way to get a feel for my two fav products from this line. You can order your sample pack HERE.

And because I am such a huge fan of this product line, I am also offering a fabulous GIVEAWAY: A beautiful Macadamia Natural Oil Salon Intro Kit valued at over $100 to one lucky Romy Raves reader. This amazing set includes full sizes of the Shampoo, Leave-In Cream, Healing Oil Treatment, and the Deep Repair Masque along with 3 mini travel size oils and a healing oil infused comb.

All that you need to do for your chance to win this set is post a comment on this blog post telling us about your favorite hair treatment products and also what sounds appealing about the Macadamia Hair Oil products. That’s all you need to do. I LOVE comments and want to encourage my readers to regularly post comments and share your thoughts. This contest will end at midnight PST on Sunday, February 28th, 2010. The winner will be selected using Random.org. You must have a U.S. shipping address in order to enter and only one entry per person.  Good Luck!

Tags: Argan Oil, giveaway, Healing Oil Treatment, Macadamia Natural Oil

I am a mother to an uber cool, six year old hipster boy who totally cares about how he looks, especially his hair. And he is all about the Faux Hawk.  He just loves his ‘do’ and all his little friends comment on it and love touching it, and he likes that too.  However, being an active little boy means that he gets into things and he needs some industrial strength product to keep his faux hawk in tact and withstand his ‘active boy-ness’.

This beauty maven hunted long and relentlessly until I found the perfect ‘little boy Faux Hawk holding Nirvana’ called (and you’re gonna love this) Hard Up Hard Holding Gel by Short by Sexy Hair. This is the most awesome, industrial strength hard holding hair gel on the market.  It totally keeps his faux hawk in perfect condition throughout his day (which I love) and when he comes home he still looks adorable and hip thanks to Sexy Hair (the irony kills me ) 

And not only does this fab ‘I can’t live without’ hair product withstand the test of time, it also washes out easily at night and does not damage his precious hair.  And I also use this megawatt gel when I want a super sleek ponytail that doesn’t move, and I tell you it doesn’t move! And I also love the large pump dispenser, which makes it super easy to access and use during the morning rush to get ready for school.

Kudos to the Sexy Hair geniuses who came up with this fool proof hard holding product, I am a fan and so is my kindergartener.  You can find out more about this great product HERE.

Tags: Faux Hawk, Hard Up Hard Holding Gel, Sexy Hair Products

This savvy beauty maven is always on the hunt for the best beauty treatments and services around, and I recently had a delightful facial with Gayle Miller at Guy Matthew Salon and Day Spa in Agoura Hills, California.

 What made this facial so special you ask?  I would be delighted to tell you. First of all, Gayle is a gifted pro and knows her way around skin care products. She uses one of my all time favorite skin care lines called Epicuren. This is an active and effective line of products and I am always impressed with the results it delivers.

Second, Gayle has a very gentle yet thorough technique that really gets your skin clean and glowing. She gives your skin a thoughtful analysis and designs the facial to meet your needs. She decided that this beauty blogger needed the works, so in addition to cleansing, a relaxing massage and extractions, I tried two of her different exfoliation services and finished it off with an oxygen treatment. And let me tell you, my skin looked and felt divine after this triple whammy!

Let me tell you a little more about each of these wonderful services. First, I had Diamondtome Microdermabrasion, a gentle yet effective microderm treatment. This got rid of my surface flakes and unevenness.  Next, was my personal favorite part of this facial, the Hot Enzyme Three Layer Peel (sounds scarier than it is, I promise.) This consists of three different Epicuren products that are layered on the skin to pack a powerful punch. I liked the spicy zingy first step and how smooth and supple my skin felt after all three steps–this was a pretty unique feeling treatment to this savvy beauty junkie. And the last step and icing on the cake was the Echo2 Plus Oxygen Treatment, which gently sprays vitamins, minerals and oxygen right into the skin and gave my skin a fantastic and youthful glow, a perfect special occasion treatment.

Gayle has a delightful demeanor and I would highly rec giving her facial a try, especially if you like a more gentle and renewing facial with beautiful skin results.  And here’s the BEST part: Right now she is offering Romy Raves readers a special introductory price of $65 which includes a classic facial with all the trimmings PLUS ANY 2 of the special treatments I have reviewed above. That means you can get a facial with microderm and/or a three layer hot enzyme peel and/or an awesome oxygen treatment all for for a steal. These treatments typically cost about $100 each or $20 to add on to a regular facial which is regularly $85, SO needless to say this is a fabulous bargain not to be missed!

Guy Matthew Salon and Day Spa is located at 30115 Agoura Road in Agoura Hills, California. To book a facial with Gayle call (818) 889-0212. And remember to tell her Romy Raves sent you!

Tags: Agoura, Diamondtome Microdermabrasion, Echo2 Plus Oxygen Facial, Epicuren, facial, Gayle Miller, Guy Matthew Salon, Hot Enzyme 3 Layer Peel