My eczema breaks out in two ways: one, if I’m in stressful situations (yup, during the SATs), or when the weather changes dramatically. My super sensitive skin is not dealing well with the combo of winter air and heaters-on-full-blast, and has decided to go into full rebellion mode. I’m getting scaly, itchy patches on the really thin skin on both sides of my nose, and since I don’t want to use uber-strong steroid cream on my face, I’ve turned to Clarisonic for help. The Clarisonic Mia is an exfoliator that uses the same brush head movements as an electric toothbrush: All I need to do is slough for about 20 seconds and slather on my normal night serum. The alligator skin is gone the next day.

curse you eczema, l-r: CLARISONIC MIA SONIC CLEANSING SYSTEM, $95.20, available at Spalook.com; CLARISONIC SKIN CLEANSING REPLACEMENT BRUSH HEADS, $35.00, available at Amazon Marketplace.

I have to have my hair out of my face with a headband when I’m washing my face. It’s a habit I picked up from my mom: she had a drawer full of ‘em in the funniest prints (bugs, plaids, animals) and emblazoned with the shiniest rhinestones. I’ve picked up mom’s penchant for headbands, but I prefer mine to be a bit more wearable in the event that I want to take them outside of the bathroom.

p.s. Can you tell I have an affinity towards bows? It’s pretty much the only place I’ll wear them.

the prettiest headbands around, clockwise l-r: BAND.DO HEART I, $20.00, $available at ban.do; MYSTYLELAB HEADBAND, $5.99, available at macys.com; ASHEVILLE YOU BE MINE? HEADBAND, $15.99, available at ModCloth; GAP BOW HEADBAND, $11.95, available at Gap.

Have you heard of LaNatura Organic Shea Butter Lip Balm? It’s definitely on my top 5 list. I was introduced to this brand by my sister-in-law–who is an esthetician by trade–on one of our family Hawaiian vacations. She uses only the purest of products on her clients, so I knew it was going to be a good treat once she handed one over to me to sample.

The shea butter leaves your lips feeling hydrated and smooth, yet they provide a glossy shine that is not greasy or tacky. The absolute best part are all the yummy flavors (25 to be exact), that smell just like the real thing. I’ve been lucky enough to try: chai latte, cherry drop, green apple, and vanilla bean. At $8 a pop, you can stock up now and give them to your besties or co-workers as a fun stocking stuffer. Oh dear, is it that time already? Almost, so do give them a try and let me know what you think.

lip balm: LANATURA SHEA BUTTER LIP BALM: $5.93 – $8.00.

Everyone from Cate Blanchett to my best friend have unabashedly raved about SK-II. It’s touted as being one of the most expensive beauty brands out there, but dedicated followers shell out big bucks month after month because it’s just that good. The story goes that the major component in SK-II was discovered after a monk spied the unusually youthful hands of elderly ladies who hand-stirred Japanese sake. Would you spend upwards of $400 for beauty products? I don’t know if I would yet (thank you mom for the good genes), but I would love to hear if any of you have tried the stuff!

SK-II, clockwise l-r: SK-II SKIN SIGNATURE CREAM, $205.00, available at Bloomingdale’s; SK-II CELLUMINATION ESSENCE HYDRATING SERUM, $220.00, Nordstrom; SK-II SKIN REFINING TREATMENT, $150.00 available at Bloomingdale’s; SK-II FACIAL TREATMENT CLEAR LOTION, $60.00, available at Nordstrom.

So we have a little item on Carrieres Freres Candles over on our newly redesigned home landing page (like it?), and I just wanted to give them some more context, because these are hands-down, the prettiest candles I’ve ever seen in person and I cannot believe that they’re not ubiquitous over here in the states. Get them now before they are so that you can impress all of your friends! (And if any boutique owners are reading, shove aside that basket of Hanky Panky thongs at your cash wrap and sell these instead!)

To give credit where credit is due, I saw these for the first time at the very beautifully conceived and executed Old Faithful Store in Vancouver’s Gastown, which felt a lot like London’s famed Labour & Wait. They both specialize in gorgeous renditions of everyday items. If you’re ever kicking around Vancouver, check it out: There’s a ton of excellent nearby shopping, too.

clockwise l-r: CARRIERE FRERES GARDENIA CANDLE, $45.00, Candleluxury.com; CARRIERE FRERES FIG TREE CANDLE, $45.00, Candleluxury.com; WIRE BASKET, $25.00, Old Faithful Shop; TWINE STAND WITH SCISSORS, $20.95, Old Faithful Shop.

We know crackle polish has been re-invented with the launch of Katy Perry’s OPI collection, but we’ve spotted some new lacquers that have recently hit the beauty bars.  If you don’t know what we’re talking about: crackle, blasted, shatter, or texture top coat (the names are endless) come in a range of fresh new colors.  With one application these polishes create a special shatter effect.  Our favorites are brighter and add a touch of rock star with amazing texture and shine.  The combinations are endless!

clockwise l-r: Sally Hansen Crackle Overcoat, $6.99 available at Walgreens.com; Nicole By Opi, Turquoise Texture, $7.99 available at Amazon.com; Mia Secret Crackle in Gold, $4.99 (17% 0ff) available at beautyencounter.com; nails inc. crackle top coat, $9.50 available at Sephora.

Don’t forget to enter to win a 5-night stay in posh Hawaiian Hotel – a $1225 value!

Marbleized makeup is the next big thing in beauty. The mix of light and dark pigments give your face multiple dimensions, adding depth and luster to your complexion, and goes from day to night with ease. They are a must-try! Here are a few of our faves:

clockwise l-r: MAC ‘Semi Precious’ Eyeshadow, $19.50 available at Nordstrom;Maybelline Marbelized Eye Studio, $7.00 available at Sears.com; Laura Geller Eye Rimz, $25.70 available at Apothica.com; TANtelizer Baked Bronzer, $32.00 available at ULTA.com;.

SHOP IT: Marbelized Makeup >

Since we’re fighting the heat and humidity, we ditched our heavy lipsticks for fruity lip gloss in pretty summer colors. We like to keep our makeup light and simple, and have chosen bright colors to help give our skin a fresh, youthful glow. The sweet and fruity scents are also a bonus!

WE LOVE:

1. Lancome Juicy Tubes, $18 at Lancome (featured)

2. ModelCo Glass Ultra Lip Gloss, $20 at Beauty Bridge

3. Clinique Superbalm Moisturizing Gloss, $14 at Clinique

4. Bare Escentuals Natural Lip Gloss, $15 at Nordstrom

5. LORAC Multiplex 3D Lip Gloss 3D, $22 at Sephora.com

SHOP IT: Fruity Lip Gloss >

After spending a day on the beach, we come home with hair that’s thick, wavy, and so surfer chic.  Sadly, we can’t go to the beach everyday.  Luckily, hair mavens love the look so much, they’ve created products for us to replicate it!  Here’s how to get summertime hair at home:

STEP 1: Once you’ve towel dried your hair, comb out any tangles at the ends.

STEP 2: Spritz a thickening spray like Bumble & Bumble Surf Spray into your roots and muss them up until they are slightly frizzy. This will give you that thick salt spray volume at the roots of your hair.

STEP 3: use a wide barrel curling iron to create random curls around your face and at your topmost layers. Remember, curl your hair away from your face, and start the curl halfway down the length of your hair for the most natural look.

STEP 4: After you’re done creating your curls, add a little bit of wax like the Bed Head Hair Stick to the tips of your fingers, and rub them together gently to soften the wax. Then, evenly add the softened wax to the tips of your hair. This will keep everything in place and make it look like you spent the day basking in the sand.

SHOP IT: Summer Tresses >

Pastel nail polishes made their big debut last summer, and now they’re back again with a vengeance! Summer’s the best time of year to sport pastels, and why wouldn’t it be? Few other palettes are as reminiscent of the summer and sun as these playful shades. 

Stash your dark, cooler nail polishes for the fall and winter. These pretty shades from Essie are perfect for frolicking in the warm weather. Give pastels a try, there’s a reason they’re in this season!

WE LOVE:

1. Essie Turquoise & Caicos, the perfect seafoam green
2. Essie Lilacism, a wonderful pastel shade of purple.
3. Essie Sweet Talker, a beautiful and bright sky blue.

TREND TIP:  Take a cue from our style director and try adding a bit of sparkle to just the tips.  Check out Emily’s step-by-step process here.