To Botox or Not To Botox...
Feb 17, 2012That is the question. And I get asked it a lot. There's no right answer except what's best for you. If you're going to get it, here's my one piece of advice: go to a dermatologist known for giving natural-looking results. The goal isn't to make you look 10 years younger. It's to make you look instantly refreshed in a way that your anti-aging moisturizer can't. You should still look your age, and you should still be able to move your eyebrows. The below "before" and "after" are untouched photos taken of my friend (she's letting me use these images of her sans makeup, so I promised I wouldn't say her name), a thirty-something who got Botox for her first time to minimize the appearance of her crows feet (crinkles around the eyes). Can you see the difference? Would you try Botox?
Smart Beauty Apps
Feb 14, 2012Thank goodness for brainy science peeps who can use their techie prowess to create awesome innovations for the beauty industry. While we fiddle with our iPhones we can try on hundreds of nail polish colors and get personal hair consultations. Cosmetic companies have released some amazing beauty apps. Click through the gallery to see a few we’re having fun with right now:
Top 5 Bath & Body Picks
Feb 10, 2012
I mentioned previously that I'll be at Bath & Body Works this Saturday at Oakbrook Center for the big party celebrating their Pink Chiffon fragrance launch. You're invited, and I hope to see you at the store. It'll be worth it for anyone who wears pink (score free product!), is one of the first 50 peeps to say I sent you (score another free product!) and who enters the raffle (you may win a trip to Hawaii or a bedroom makeover!).
Plus, we can get our hair braided together (for free, of course) at the cool braid station. Choose a ribbon scented with your favorite Fine Fragrance Mist and it will be weaved into the braid. In addition to the fun, I do have a serious job to do -- share my top product picks and beauty tips with you.
Here's a sneak peek of my top 5 BBW products...
Slatkin & Co. Flower Shop Candle: Smells like a garden -- soft, floral and powdery.
Caribbean Escape Anti-Bacterial Gentle Foaming Hand Soap: Now that I'm a mom I feel like I'm scrubbing in every time I wash my hands, which is a lot. I like the fresh, fruity scent and that the formula doesn't dry out my hands.
Moonlight Path Shimmer Mist: This is the perfect body shimmer to spritz on legs and arms for Valentine's Day. It gives skin a light sheen and sparkle. It'd also be pretty to wear with a swimsuit during a beach vacay.
Pink Chiffon Fine Fragrance Mist: Brand spanking new, the delicious Pink Chiffon scent is as sweet and sugary as it is frothy and light.
Warm Vanilla Sugar Intense Moisture Body Butter: I love a thick butter to keep my legs from getting scaly in the winter, and this one is even better with a hint of vanilla.
Best Beauty Buys for Moms event Highlights, Photos & Giveaway!
Feb 9, 2012
$300+ gift bags, manis and brow waxes, raffles prizes galore, delicous food, a stocked bar and a crowd of happy mamas and moms-to-be all made our sold-out event a huge success. Enjoy this video montage highlighting the night's festivities and the recap of my presentation. Plus, enter for your chance to win the coveted gift bag.
My top 10 beauty picks and tricks for busy moms
1. Meaningful Beauty Skincare. Yes, beautiful mom Cindy Crawford partnered with the esteemed Dr. Sebagh, but what I appreciate even more is how streamlined and affordable this skincare line is.
2. Phyto haircare. Sure, our hair is shinier and thicker during pregnancy. But our dreamy hair days are numbered. Phyto's new Phytokeratine line has shampoo, conditiioning treatment and serum created specifically for fragile, weak hair and damaged ends.
click to see the rest of my tips and to enter the giveaway...
3 Legit, Inexpensive Exfoliators
Jan 24, 2012
Skin has a way of taking on reptilian qualities this time of year. In order to allow your creams and serums to fully penetrate your skin, exfoliation is key. The Beauty Girl and I are both maj fans of ExfoliKate (check out her interview with Somerville!), but the stuff can cost you close to $90. Here are three great exfoliators, at lower price points, that I’m digging right now:
Queen Helene Gentle Oatmeal 'n Honey Natural Facial Scrub ($5) Cheap, gentle and light enough for everyday use: it’s the Cetaphil of exfoliators.
It’s esthetician approved and the creamy formula sloughs off dead skin cells lickety-split.
Biore SkinPreservation Even Smoother Microderm Exfoliator ($14) A quick 30-60 second massage of the alumina 
crystals, the same type used in professional microdermabrasion, clears all traces of sallowness. It’s also infused with ceramides and antioxidants that amp up its anti-aging benefits. My makeup is going on smoother.
philosophy the microdelivery micro-massage exfoliating wash ($8-$58) Virtually fragrance free with eensie weensie particles, it’s far from irritating. Again,
a 30-60 massage reveals a refreshed, glowy complexion. I’ve found that the scrubbing action works up a satisfying, light froth. Use it at night to clear pores of a day’s worth of grime and prep skin for the rest of your nighttime routine.
(Posted by Cody)
Give Yourself A Realistic Winter Tan
Jan 20, 2012You don't need to flaunt the fact that you were in a tropical destination during winter break by coming back with an obnoxious, unhealthy tan (it will peel off anyway). Nor do you need to overcompensate for having not been away by loading on the bronzer (it will make your face look more dirty than anything). Read the story I wrote below for makeup.com and follow these self-tanning tips for a natural looking way to warm up your winter skin. 
Click here for more self tanning tips...
You're Invited! Best Beauty Buys for Moms event on Feb. 6th
Jan 9, 2012
Last year's event was such a success, Bump Club and Beyond and The Beauty Girl are partnering again. This year's night out -- Best Beauty Buys for Busy Moms -- is going to be even bigger and better! Treat yourself to a night of pampering and FUN PLUS style and beauty product 411 from yours truly. Every ticket comes with your choice of a mini-manicure or brow shaping from Bliss Spa, food and a gift bag worth $100+ in beauty products (they're gonna be filled with lots of amazing stuff!). We’ll be giving away thousands of dollars in beauty products and services as well as a brand new Promenade stroller from phil&Ted’s. Click here or the invite to purchase tickets to the Feb. 6th event.
Hand Sanitizers for Germaphobes
Jan 5, 2012
Baby Rex is already 4 months old. He's growing like a champ and hasn't caught the slightest bit of a cold -- even with my hubby and I being under the weather (I hope I'm not jinxing myself!). To keep my little guy germ-free, I've been spritzing and slathering myself with every hand sanitizing wipe, spray and wash I could find. Two of my favorites:
CleanWell. The products are alchohol free, kill bacteria with plant oils and beyond affordable.
Eve Echo. If ever there was a luxurious way to clean, this is it. I appreciate the pretty packaging and enjoy the various lightly scented formulas such as lavendar and sweet mango to name a few. Plus, the company donates their profits to help impoverished women with business.
Here's to starting out the New Year with a clean slate!
WGN TV Segment: Fashion & Beauty Picks for Moms
Dec 29, 2011To my fellow moms out there, my most recent TV segment is for you. Click here to see my beauty and fashion picks that will make you feel and look like you know what you're doing.
Hot Winter Skin Saviors
Dec 19, 2011In the dead of the snowy, bitter winter, my skin is sometimes nothing short of, well, dead. I wish I could snap my finger and be transported to my favorite spa—a girl can dream. In the meantime, I’ve found some products that not only save parched skin, but also bring home some spa coziness.
My typically wind-burned cheeks have stayed comfortable with a skincare line called Vitaphenol. The cleanser and daily moisturizer contain Coenzyme Q10, antioxidants and vitamins A, C and E. The cleanser takes off makeup without stripping skin and the moisturizer has a nice, light, fast-absorbing consistency. I love that the products are anti-aging and moisturizing without being heavy duty, gloppy creams.
Flaky, scaly limbs are not to be ignored. Fiery, itchy legs have actually kept me awake in the middle of the night and the only cure is more Clarins Tonic Body Treatment Oil. Made with hazelnut oil and rosemary, geranium and mint extracts, it’s kind of like a spa in a jar. I coat myself in the stuff while I’m still damp from the shower and I pat the excess onto my face—keeps me dewy!
Only thing better than a fab body oil: a warm body oil in candle form. The Earthly Body 3-in-1 Massage Candle is made with
massage oil rather than wax. You light the wick, enjoy it as a candle for about twenty mintues or so, and then you can pour the warm oil onto your skin and use it as a moisturizer. How cool is that! I’ve been using the “Skinny Dip” scent, which is vanilla-y and musky, but there are several other scents to choose from (might I say a fabulous holiday gift?).
(Posted by Cody)
Nicole Pearl, The Beauty Girl, has written for national publications including Allure, Cosmo, Marie Claire, Self, In Style, Seventeen, and more. She's covered NYC and LA Fashion Weeks, has appeared on TV as a top beauty and style expert and has been a guest speaker for corporations. The Beauty Girl blog is Nicole's exclusive insider notebook, sharing her V.I.P. access to the latest in beauty. Welcome! Still curious about Nicole? Click here. To book this beauty expert for parties, events, TV segments, media tours, personal consultations and appearances, email info@thebeautygirl.com
