Skin, Hair, and Body Therapy

I had the pleasure of chatting with a great Dominican entrepreneur Carmen Polanco. With over 15 years in the pharmaceutical industry in various capacities including research and development, sales and marketing, this Dominicana has introduced her own natural and organic skincare company Agora Skincare.


You know we Dominicans love our natural skin and hair care products, and in these eco-conscious times, it's the perfect opportunity to introduce this line of natural beauty products.

Agora uses 100% natural essential oils, plant ingredients instead of synthetic chemical whenever possible in their products, and use no synthetic fragrances or artificial colors in their hair, skin and body care products.

Here are a couple of products from the Agora Skincare line:

Mojito Body Scrub:
Refreshing organic honey, turbinado raw sugar blended with mango butter, neem oil and vitamin E, naturally exfoliates for super supple skin and a healthy glow while our mint blend of essential oils will jump start your journey to a delightful day. • Gentle enough for all skin types • Paraben, mineral oil, petroleum, and artificial color FREE • Contains mango butter, neem oil, vitamin E and blend of mint essential oils
Price: $22.00

Milk and Honey Spicy Citrus:
Cleopatra would be jealous. Milk and Honey give this rich lotion its hydrating and soothing quality while the crisp citrus scent of lime and ginger will uplift your mind. · Perfect for dry skin · Absorbs into the skin quickly · Paraben, mineral oil, petroleum, and artificial color FREE · 87% organic content Use: Apply to entire body as often as needed throughout the day to hydrate and nourish the skin. Reapply as needed to rough patches or chapped areas.
Price: $14.00


To learn more about Agora Skincare and the complete line of products go to: http://www.agoraskincare.com/.

Celebrate your inner balm-shell!

Since we’re going to have a longer winter, might as well stock up on a cute, stylish lip balm to fight against the harsh wintry weather (and might I add a lip balm that tastes and smells good). Pin Up Balm lip balm is a fun throwback with modern appeal. Packaged in cute retro slide-top tins adorned with old-fashioned pin-up girls, Pin Up Balm is flirty, sexy, and sophisticated. With over 40 fabulous flavors to choose, from Strawberry Cheesecake to Raspberry . And for an added bonus, Pin Up Balms are packed with avocado oil, beeswax, and Vitamin E, providing every Pin Up girl with top rate lip nourishment.

Y ya que el día del amor y la amistad es la semana que viene, saca $4 y dale un cariñito a tus amigas – http://www.pinupbalm.com/.

The return of the 80s with Too Faced’s Smurfette Collection!!

Good morning all. Hope everyone had a fantastic weekend. My weekend was pretty uneventful, but thats ok everyone needs some down time.

Being a child of the 80s and totally obsessed with make-up, I was immediately drawn to the Too Faced Cosmetics Smurfette Collection. I love the packaging; it might be childish and immature but that’s what makes it so much fun!

The Smurfette Collection includes...



Smurfette Mood Swing Lip Gloss, $18.50: I had the pleasure of trying out this mood activated lipgloss. It starts off Smurfy blue and changes into different shades of berry pink depending on the wearer's emotional state! I must admit I felt like I was 10 years old again, but it was nice because it was a genuine girly girl excited emotion.

So Smurfy Eye Shadow Collection, $32.50: A chic palette that includes four complimentary eye shadow shades -- two of which are debossed with the classic Smurf daisy and Smurfette's silhouette. I simply love the eye shadows. The colors included are matte pink, a bold navy blue, a shimmering glittery gold, and a glittery bronze. I loved it so much I’ve invited my make-up obsessed BFF to play around with the colors on my eyes (I’ll have pics of that this weekend).

Smurfy Eyed Liquid Liner, $17.50: Two long-lasting, fast-drying liquid eyeliners, in Smurf-inspired blue and white shades formulated with sparkling, micro-glitter for added impact and edge!

So Smurfy Illuminating Face Powder, $26.00: Created in the image of Smurfette, this multi-shade palette brightens and tones with a combination of soft, color-correcting shades that blend together for wear on any skintone.

This fun and flirty assortment is available at Sephora stores and at sephora.com. As a limited-edition launch, the young at heart, hipsters looking for a dose of trendy nostalgia and any glamour girl that lives to play with makeup will need to act quickly to get these stylishly chic items before they sell out!

For the Mami to Be

I don't know why, but I never know what to give mami-to-be for Christmas. If you’re anything like me and need some help, here is a great suggestion. But Hurry! There are only a couple of days left to go shopping and you definitely DO NOT want to show up without a present for the pregnant one.

I bought this for my sister a couple of years ago, and I personally think it’s a great gift any time of the year. I absolutely love Images by Ellyn. The frames that this company makes are for sonogram pictures. It’s the sweetest thing ever! And it’s special because it’s the first picture of the baby. The frames have great quotes and sayings on them like: An Image of An Angel, First Time I Saw Your Face, We Can Bearly Wait to Hold You!, and my favorite Under Construction.

These frames are available at Destination Maternity and retail for $26 for more information on Images by Ellyn visit http://www.imagesbyellyn.net/.

Green is the New Black

This holiday season I’ve come across some great affordable gifts for the eco conscious person in your life.

Sarah Pinto’s 2009 Weekly Planners --It’s almost the new year and time to make that New Years resolution to get and stay organized. Sarah Pinto’s 2009 Weekly Planners are a simple, functional and fun organizational solution. These durable planners measure 5” by 7” and are made with recycled paper and soy based ink. With five unique cover designs, Sarah Pinto’s 2009 Weekly Planners are a stylish, eco-friendly answer to your busy everyday schedule.

These planners are available at sarahpinto.com and Amazon retailing at $25. Another added bonus for the holiday season is that a portion of proceeds from one of the planners goes to CPMC Pediatric Cardiology. Check out these great planners at http://www.sarahpinto.com/.

Celebrate Green! Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations and Traditions for the Whole Family ($17.95) is a book full of ideas for greener celebrations, from holidays to birthdays, weddings, baby showers, and more. Written by a mother and daughter who love to celebrate, but are also concerned about the environment, Celebrate Green is a great guide for making a more green Christmas, but also a good gift idea, since it can be referenced year-round. Printed on 100% recycled FSC certified paper.

Lynn Colwell & Corey Colwell-Lipson are always looking for new holidays to celebrate green, so go check out their website, http://www.celebrategreen.net/ and let them know of any great ideas!

Cloud B Twilight Sea Turtle
A wonderful gift for older children, the Twilight Sea Turtle™ is designed to raise awareness about endangered sea life. The shell of the Sea Turtle features illuminating images of five endangered sea animals. The winner of the Creative Child Top Choice of the Year Award, the Twilight Sea Turtle™ is available at specialty boutiques nationwide and retails between $34 and $36. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the Twilight Sea Turtle™ supports an international conservation organization. For more information on The Twilight Sea Turtle™ and other friends in the Twilight series, check out http://www.cloudb.com/

Holiday Gift Guide!!

We’re heading into the holiday season this week (the most wonderful time of the year). Sure there’s a whole month left to shop, but the reality is it’s time to start thinking about gifts.

So, from today until the last minute possible I will be posting gift suggestions for everyone: kids, parents, siblings, friends, even the dog!
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We all have women in our lives — mami, hermana, tia, prima, BFFs! Gifts for pampering are always appreciated!

It's easy to feel pale and lifeless during the winter, especially when you’re not in a warm tropical country. Mystic Tan's Shimmer FACE is the perfect cure for your winter-face blues.

Shimmer Face adds a sophisticated, healthy-looking glow and is the perfect highlight for cheeks, forehead, eyelids and decolletage.
Retailing at just $26 for 2.5 ounces, Shimmer FACE makes a great pre-holiday treat for you and a great stocking stuffer for all the special women in your life. Mystic Tan's Shimmer FACE can be found at Sephora (http://www.sephora.com/) and Barneys New York (http://www.barneys.com/) and online at Beauty.com.
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Give those tired/dry hands and feet a special treat with Scandle Helping Hand or Sole Survivor treatment packs. Each pack contains a pair of special moisturizing socks or mositurizing gloves (one size fits most) and a 4oz Travel Tin (infused with tea tree & lemongrass essential oils). Simply massage Scandle oil into the skin and wear socks or gloves when relaxing for the ultimate spa treatment! ($23.95)

Relax and indulge with this specially formulated multifunctional 2 in 1 product! Add a few scoops of our specially formulated & natural dead sea salt to your bath and experience the theraputic benefits of a salt soak for your body or combine them with the soothing oil from the Scandle Body Candle to transform the salts into a a gentle warm exfoliating salt scrub for skin. Comes in 8oz jar with scoop. Refills are available! ($17.95)

Both available at http://www.scandlecandle.com/.

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Let the shopping begin!

Bueno Bonito y Barato

A couple of weeks ago I went to a HBO screening and received a sample of CoverGirl LashBlast mascara. I must say I've looked around a bit for a good mascara at a low cost and I think I've found that in this product. I'm not a big fan of CoverGirl makeup, but LashBlast does a pretty decent job of separating the lashes, making them thick and long. This was truly a pleasant surprise.

I've read a lot of complaints about this mascara clumping, but I haven't had that problem. All you need is 2 coats, that's it. The only thing I'm not crazy about is the thick brush. It's akward to hold a big handle and try to apply the mascara, but once you get used to the size, it's easier to apply.

If you're looking for volume, LashBlast is definitely one to try. I'm in love with this mascara, I don't think I'll go hunting for a different one for a while.

(available at drug stores i.e. CVS, Walgreens for about $8)