What’s It All About: Say buh bye to our guys come September as men love to hole-up in their “man cave” all football season long!  But this season is going to be different!  This “His & Her Guide To Football” has a variety of great ideas to get the girls and entire family involved in game day!  Family game-day fashions, festive home décor plus fun beverage and snack options

Question #1 A Woman’s Favorite Question: “What Should I Wear?”

“The reason women don’t play football is because 11 of them would never wear the same outfit in public.”  Phyllis Diller

Game Day Gear

• The first thing any sports fanatic does on game day is put on his favorite team shirt or jersey, and while there are loads of apparel options for men out there, it’s more difficult to find merchandise for women and kids!

• Old Navy has just launched a great selection of NFL and college licensed apparel made for every member of the family available Old Navy-stores or www.oldnavy.com , all under $25

• These Cardinals and ASU Devils tees come in different logos and silhouettes for adults, children and toddlers at a great price- all are under $25.00.

• Victoria’s Secret PINK also just released its new co-branded collection with the NFL – tees, sweats and even lingerie!  Instead of saying “form meets function” you could approach it from a different angle and say “sexy meets sports!” Victoria’s Secret Pink-stores or online, www.pinknation.com, $10.50 – $68.00

• Havaianas complete the outfit and come in a range of colors – Havaianas University offers collegiate teams (available for baby, kids and adult) on www.us.havaianas.com, $14.00-$22.00

Question #2: “How Can I Decorate My Living Room w/Team Spirit?”

“There’s room for boys’ and girls’ football in the world-that’s what I believe.”  David Beckham

Game Day Décor

• You can still have team spirit while having your home look stylish
• Comfortable, customizable, with over 900 fabrics
• Full range of furniture beyond recliners – sofas, sectionals, loveseats, etc. -perfect for game day and beyond
• XZIPIT by La-Z-Boy recliner – you can zip in and zip out your team, can change during each sports season

2 Great La-Z-Boy Options Are:

1. Metro Apartment Sofa
   
2. Metro Sofa
   

   La-Z-Boy- stores or online, www.la-z-boy.com, sofas starting at $599

Question #3: “I Want To My Family A Healthier Option Than Chips & Dips!”

Game Day Munchies

• Here are some more “sensible” options for game day
• Some great ideas from Genesis Today and Sensible Portions

Arizona Cardinals Punch

-8 oz Genesis Today Acai Berry Juice
-8 oz Genesis Today Pomegranate & Berries with Resveratrol
-8 oz sparkling water

*Combine all ingredients in a punch bowl, serve throughout the day, over ice

All of Genesis Today juices:

• Have up to 1,000% of your daily value of Vitamin B12 for healthy, natural energy,
  • Counter balances the junk food that comes along with game day

These Genesis Today juices:

• Incorporates exotic superfoods that offer high levels of nutrition
  • Loaded with antioxidants that support youthful appearance
  • Find them at www.genesistoday.com + Safeway, Safeway Lifestyles, WalMart Superstores & Sam’s Club
  • Or click on the store locator for further assistance http://superfoods.genesistoday.com/store-locator

Sensible Portions’ line of Straws, Pita Bites and Bagel Tops snacks are all-natural chip alternatives with 130 calories or less per serving, and pair great with traditional game day dips.

• http://www.sensibleportions.com/#/content_wheretofindus
• Veggie Straws and Veggie Chips offer up 30% less fat then conventional potato chips.
• Each straw is a masterful blend of veggies and is a light and airy treat built for the seasoned “snacker!”

“Football is like life – it requires perseverance, self-denial, hard work, sacrifice, dedication and respect for authority.”  Vince Lombardi

(Clairol sent me products to try and compensated me for my time; however, the thoughts and opinions in this article are my own.)

Baked, fried & burnt!  For those of you who know me, your mind immediately jumps to my cooking.Yes I am the girl with the limited culinary skills enabling her to burn even the simplest of sustenance…TOAST. However no need to 911 the fire department this go around because when you hear the battle cry “baked, fried & burnt” I’m referring to my hair. This summer, my work on morning news broadcasts had me hopping on planes, trains and automobiles to far off lands such as San Diego, Tampa, Chicago, Philadelphia and Phoenix.  Between the humidity, sun and heat, my hair’s been struggling to find a balance not to mention a RX.  My color’s tweaked, faded and gray roots are (I’ll put it nicely) peaking out.

So with my hair stylist, Todd, on vacation this week for his birthday, I decided to experiment and step out of my hair color comfort zone (Todd let’s remember, I’m a beauty expert, this is what I do for a living, don’t be a hater).  After a bit of debate, vacillating between whether I’m “medium brown or dark brown,” I opted for Clairol’s Nice ‘n Easy Color Blend Foam in “medium brown.”The directions on the box & insert were easy to follow because they had lots of photos to guide you on how easy it is to mix & apply the color.  Talk’s cheap people, I love visuals and appreciate that Clairol figured this one out.  Pour 2 ingredients into a bottle, 3 shakes to mix, then squeeze the midsection of the bottle and apply to hair.  It’s that easy. First, I zoned in on my root line since it needed the most help using my fingertips to give me maximum control.

What surprised me is while the color blend foam processed, I wasn’t a prisoner stuck in my bathroom.The foam is drip & mess FREE so for the 25 minutes it took to process, I was able to read a magazine, answer emails, fold some laundry and get other things accomplished in the interim without making a mess all over my home.  The freedom to multi task was really useful. Rinsing it out was painless, efficient and the 2 minute conditioning treatment reminded me of the protectant seal you can pay extra for at the car wash, but wonder if they really deliver on it? Is that dealio a gimmick?  Well in this case, Clairol DOES make good on their word start to finish: from mixing up the foam to applying it, from conditioning to blowing dry my hair…now my baked, fried & burnt reputation doesn’t extend into my appearance, just my cooking abilities. Thus it’s probably time I face the music and enroll in a cooking class and ultimately blog about that too.But I hope they don’t make me don a chef’s hat because I would hate hide my shiny luxe locks underneath it.

(Read on if you want to win a free trip to LA in Jan 2012 to attend the People’s Choice Awards!  It’s a really neat opportunity!)

Clairol Nice ‘n Easy Color Blend Foam

• Available in 18 shades
• Covers up to 100% of gray for 8 weeks
• It’s a permanent foam hair color option that delivers dimensional, true-to-you color results
• $8.99 to 9.99 drugstore.com, cvs.com & drugstores nationwide

http://www.clairol.com/niceneasy/NNEFoam/index.jsp

• Surfing Clairol’s site will explain the features & benefits in more detail

WIN A TRIP TO LA & THE PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS…

1. http://on.fb.me/qKk6y7 Clairol Nice ‘n Easy wants women who have tried and loved Color Blend Foam to share their experiences on the Clairol Facebook page during the month of August as part of their Foambassadors’ program.
2. To enter the contest, Clairol fans should share their before/after photos via Clairol’s Facebook page and explain why they love Color Blend Foam and why they should be Clairol’s Foambassador at the 2012 People’s Choice Awards.
3. Winners are selected on a weekly basis, over the course of five weeks, to win a supply of Color Blend Foam & to be featured as Clairol’s profile picture.
4. Fellow FoamFans vote on for their favorite at the end of the five weeks to be the official Clairol Foambassador at the 2012 People’s Choice Awards.
5. The grand prize winner will receive an all-expense-paid trip to Los Angeles, complete with VIP treatment, including hair, makeup, wardrobe and a limo taking them to the show in style.

Wishing You Great Color Results & Luck Winning The Contest!

You Have Nothing To Lose (Except your grays!)

Section I: The Makeup Collection

Stacy:“Twilight Beauty, recently launched, it’s a new cosmetics brand themed around the movie with 2 distinctive collections: Luna Twilight and Volturi Twilight. The brand’s goal was to create two lines that women can fall in love with much as they did with the movie PLUS create a bevy of products true makeup consumers can’t live without.

”Luna Twilight: Collection no. 1

• Reflects the power of Edward’s love for Bella despite the obstacles that stand between them.
• Haunting trees wrap the componentry to recreate the forest backdrop featured in the movie’s numerous romantic moments.
• Avail Dillards, Nordstroms & online www.twlightbeauty.com
  1. Twilight Venom $16 from Duwop the creators of the popular ‘Lip Venom’ is a shimmering crimson lip stain suspended in a venom-laced lip conditioner with an intensely potent bite. It’s formula plumps and hydrates with argan oil, avocado oil, olive oil and vitamin E.
  2. First Light Body Glow $34 this gorgeous body illuminator contains just enough subtle eye-catching sheen to give your skin an otherworldly beauty and glow. Apply just above your check bones.
  3. Immortal Glow $22 A breakthrough blend of mousse and cream blush that glides on effortlessly and finishes satiny smooth. Each blush hand blends three distinct colors to create a “mélange” that forms a pattern unique to each individual blush.

The Volturi Twilight is the 2nd collection and represents the largest and most powerful reigning coven in the acclaimed novel’s vampire world. The crest of the powerful Volturi family is the centerpiece and logo of the brand. The line has a sharp clear prismatic quality halved with a solid timeless black, symbolizing the never ending struggle between good and evil, right and wrong, love and lust. 3 Standouts include…

1. Enrapture Lip Gloss $12 Super sheer, vitamin e laced glosses in two shades with just enough gold shimmer to bring out your inner sinner. Obsess – The hottest magenta with gold shimmer and a just picked raspberry scent. Arsenic – Sheerest back that goes on clear and leaves a trace of gold shimmer with a delicate licorice scent.
2. Labyrinth Loose Shadows $12 Seven seductive shades of decadent shimmer shadows in gorgeous stackable components.
3. Reign Scented Body Mist in “Wicked” $18 beautifully colored shimmering scents to awaken your senses and those around you. 4 scents

Section II: Behind-The-Scenes…

Ashley Green who portrays vampire “Alice Cullen” clued us into her beauty products essentials being…

1. Band-Aid Blister Block for protecting her feet from blisters while wearing stilettos
2. BORBA Micro Diamond Cleanser
3. Dermalogica SPF
4. Rose bud lip gloss
5. Shiseido tinted moisturizer is great.
6. Becca cosmetics PLUS…

Robin Matthews Key Makeup Artist on the New Moon Set Offers a List of Products she used on the actors…

1. Shiseido moisturizers; they sink completely into the skin and don’t interrupt the foundation process.
2. Stila Convertible Colors
3. Laura Mercier Products
4. Anastasia’s line for brows
5. Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler

Section III: Do It Yourself & Fangs

D.I.Y: Make Yourself Up a la Alice Cullen, Rosalie Hale or Victoria How Did We Achieve This Look w/ Jess? …

1. Primp/Prep skin, especially sensitive skin, with a protective serum. On Jess I used Olay’s Regenerist DNA Superstructure UV Cream
2. Use your liquid shimmer as you would foundation and blend an even application to your face and neck.
3. Laura Mercier “ Secret Brightening Powder” dust across your skin
4. Nars Soft Touch Shadow Pencil in “Angel Noir” smoked out around the eye orbitals
5. Dust Paula Dorff charcoal eye shadow in “Slinky” lightly across the hallows of your check bones using a eye shadow fluff brush
6. Cherry Chapstick, Smith’s Rosebud Lip Balm or the Twilight Venom for the “bitten lip” look.
7. Finish by taking a powder brush and dusting Twilight’s First Light Body Glow since all Twilight Vampires sparkle in the sunlight
8. AND for the final touch, to be the envy of all, check out Jess’s new set of “choppers” compliments of Extreme Makeover Dentist Dr. Bill Dorfman www.billdorfmandds.com

EAT YOUR WRINKLES AWAY & DON’T PACK ALL YOUR LOTIONS AND POTIONS…Borba and DeLuscious Vitamin Enhanced Cookies Reese Witherspoon has started eating anti-ageing cookies. The ‘Legally Blonde’ star is reportedly a huge fan of beauty giant BORBA’s DeLuscious Vitamin Enhanced Cookies which contain acai, an ingredient which claims to combat fine lines and wrinkles. The tasty treats come in different flavors including Oatmeal Raisin and Chocolate Toffee White Chocolate, and boast more than nine minerals and vitamins.

Safety Girl Roadside Emergency Kit $44.99

Garnier Nutritioniste created the Ultra Lift Pro Deep Wrinkle Roller $16. It’s a wide body roller ball loaded with an eco friendly, “green chemistry” serum that massages a dose of hydration into your face and gets the circulation going in your sinuses, neck and shoulder blades.

On the go Oscar Blandi Pronto Colore Touch Up Pen No time to squeeze in a salon visit before a trip out of town – no problem! This Instant Hair Color Pen is a fast, convenient, and easy to use touch-up pen for unwanted grey hair and roots. The unique pen applicator allows the color to glide onto strands for a natural finish. The Colore Pen, unlike anything currently on the market is also commitment-free, as it washes out after each shampooing. Price: $23.00, Available at Sephora

CVS Soft Skin Spray, travel size $2.99 1. Use w/ cotton pad to remove makeup 2.Use in bath to soften/treat the water 3. Spray on body for an immediate “I didn’t just get off the plane” glow 4. Spray on dry heel, cuticles, elbows, hair (great right out of the pool/ocean) 5. Mix with liquid foundation, powder shadows to change the consistency

Are you sore and “puffy” from the flight? Jet Lag Legs kit which includes Stimulating Soak, Anti-Fluid Gel and Firming Body Therapy (all 2 Fl. oz so they are airplane friendly)

These are great for after flying as they relieve muscle soreness, swelling and fluid retention that usually occurs from a long flight

Michael Marcus Cosmetics’ signature sable brushes are housed in a sleek compact case that holds 9 brushes upright for easy identification. A perfect travel kit companion, it’s only slightly thicker than a passport, and is also a great every day go-to for purses. So unique, it’s been featured in Time Magazine. Price: $98 Availability: www.michaelmarcus.com

A brighter smile and fresh breath instantly and on the go SMiLE Touch Ups On the beach, at a picnic, on a long plane ride or road trip – GO SMiLE Touch Up® ampoules are a great way to keep your smile brilliant, anytime, anywhere – and they taste great, too! They use a patented Ampoule Technology™ Delivery System, with a milr daily-use level of hydrogen peroxide, and a burst of minty or fruity flavor. Throw them in your bag and Flip Pop and Touch Up whenever you need a whitening boost or to freshen up your breath! They will keep surface stains from setting in to help you keep that new, super-bright smile. Price: $8, available at www.gosmile.com and Sephora
Copyright © 2009, KTLA-TV, Los Angeles

Stacy: “Just like having an emergency exit plan at work in the event of a disaster, we need our own exit plan to get us out of our afternoon beauty slump! So I’ve come up with a kit! Here’s what you need…”

Beauty Office 911 Survival Kit

• Febreze & Fabric Dryer Sheets
• Paper Towels
• Vaseline
• Pink Highlighter
• Black Sharpie
• Paper clips & Rubber Bands
• Travel Size Hairspray
• Nail File or Pack of Matches
• Stain Removal Stick
• Stapler
• Olive Oil, Salad Dressing, Banana Peel (yes a banana peel)

And here’s what you can do with the kit…

Anchor…”With 4th of July 2 days away, we are all getting ready to celebrate, picnic and barbeque at local beaches, lakes and pools! This morning Beauty Expert, Stacy Cox is back with the hottest beauty essentials to keep you, AND EVEN YOUR PETS!!!!??? Feeling pampered and sun savvy! Wow Stacy, your pets too??”

Stacy…”Yep I even did some beauty research for our dogs, and I will cover that base in just a sec! But let’s take a look at the latest innovations in Sunblock…”

FACE & BODY…
Freeze 24 7 Ice Shield Facial Cleanser with SPF 15
The FIRST-EVER Wash-On Sunscreen with SPF 15 and UVA/UVB Protection in a Facial Cleanser $48

Bethesda Sunscreen Soap
Multi-Vitamin SPF 10 – 4.5 oz – $8.00 Introducing the World’s First All-Natural Sunscreen Body Bar with Multi-Vitamins that Nourishes the Body. Bethesda Sunscreen Soap contains a combination of healing and therapeutic properties that moisturizes as it protects the body from the harmful rays of the sun. The soap leaves behind an unnoticeable protective layer that provides daily sun protection. Talk about getting it all done in the shower!

Arcona’s Sunsations Sienna Mineral Makeup $45
Aronca is a Los Angeles based spa that’s help give celebrities like Katherine Heigl, Diane Lane, Mandy Moore, Sarah Michelle Gellar & Regina King their glow! With this mineral makeup they developed a breathable foundation with SPF 25 sun protection that brushes on powder-light, yet it offers good coverage. Protect skin from sun damage and premature aging with titanium dioxide and zinc oxide plus antioxidant vitamins C and E. Seven shades, in easy to use brush-on tube.

HAIR…

Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray
Salt-infused styling for fullness, hold and a cool, matte finish. $21.00 Rekindles summer with that sexy, wild, wind-styled texture you get after an ocean swim (which always seems a shame to rinse away)

Or try this Homemade Version…the recipe is eight ounces of water, two tablespoons of sea salt and a dab of hair gel. Put it all into a spray bottle and shake until dissolved. Spray onto hair and scrunch to bring out your natural waves.

Pets Need Sun Protection too…
Doggles Pet Sunscreen about $8
Fun in the sun is not complete without sunscreen for your dog! Prevent sunburn on your light colored dog and reduce the amount of sun bleaching on dark colored dogs.

And for the Grand Finale…
Inflatable Shower Cabana gets rid of chemicals and pool chlorine fast so your hair and skin don’t take a beating!

Available at Bed Bath and Beyond for $19.99, this unique inflatable poolside shower and cabana features the classic cabana stripe tent top and roll-up privacy curtain with tie backs. It easily connects to a standard garden hose and is complete with a built-in shower head and on/off water valve.

On KTLA Morning News, I finally got to turn the gender table, so to speak, and feature the best skin products for MEN!  Plus I demo’ed a couple easy do-it-yourself aftershaves and shoe deodorizing powder you can craft at home!   In the health and beauty market, one of the fastest growing segments happens to be one of the most difficult to reach–MEN. Last year, men spent more than $16 billion worldwide for personal care products, reflecting greater than a 7% increase worldwide.” 

Here’s what we covered during the segment…
Billy Jealousy’s Six Pack $40

• • Six Pack ensures that your silhouette appears chiseled and not chunky
• • Great to use daily and to apply before hitting the gym for a workout

6 Pack stimulates the body’s lymphatic system through a delivery system of caffeine which enables bioflavinoids to breakdown and liquefy the fat! 

OLAY DEFINITY ILLUMINATING EYE TREATMENT $25.99
Just launched this past July, the Illuminating eye treatment diminishes the look of darkness and wrinkles for highly defined luminosity around the eyes.  Small in size, it sits on night stands discretely, will make it through airport check points and make men’s eye wrinkles less obvious.

VOLCANIC MUD SOAP $18
Can’t get your partner to part w/ soap?  Here’s the best one for face & body.

• • Contains ground oatmeal to scruff-off dead skin
• • Defends against breakouts on face and body
• • Supercharged with detoxifying volcanic mud

Active Ingredients
GINSENG, SUMAC, GOTU KOLA, DONG QUAI, WATERCRESS – Bioelements Adaptogens – Support and strengthen the skin, helping it withstand stress
VOLCANIC MUD EXTRACT – Stimulating, detoxifying
OATMEAL – Soothing, abrasive
OLIVE OIL – Healing, soothing

NXT Hot new men’s line from CVS!
Pricing out at about $4.99 per product, this simple 4 step line from CVS has packaging that literally lights up alluding to the fact that the ingredients are light, great for sensitive skin with natural essential oils and a minty scent! You won’t need your Snoopy night light anymore!  Yay!

Do-It-Yourself…

Transformer Foot Powder…

• • ¼ cup cornstarch or rice flour
•  • tablespoons of baking soda
• • 1 tablespoon finely ground, dried calendula petals
• • 1 to 2 drops essential oil of geranium

Place all the ingredients in a jar or resealable plastic bag and shake well to mix.  Sprinkle powder on feet or directly in shoes overnight to deodorize them.   Another fun one… 

007 Skin Bracer…

• • ¼ cup pure vodka
• • ¼ cup witch hazel
• • ½ tablespoon lemon zest
• • 1 teaspoon camphor spirit

Want a “shaken not stirred” attitude?  Mix together all the ingredients and let the mixture sit for a few days to allow the ingredients to mix & strengthen.  Store in bottle w/ a tight lid and splash on skin after shaving!

1. MAC cosmetics
2. Mary Kay cosmetics
3. Bare Minerals makeup
4. Bobbi Brown cosmetics
5. Face cosmetics
6. Smashbox cosmetics
7. Chanel cosmetics
8. Benefit cosmetics
9. E.L.F cosmetics
10. Merle Norman cosmetics

I am surprised to see Face made the list and Stila did not. I am shocked to see Merle Norman cosmetics is in the top ten, but my Grandmother would be pleased! I think it’s a generational thing here. Oh and Benefit didn’t show up either which is kinda lame! Their messaging, branding and packaging are so innovative and cleaver!

Star sightings this week … Wed. Comedian Sinbad in Studio City at Aroma Cafe and Thurs. James Spader shopping on Larchmont with his “merse” and fluffy white puppy. He was my favorite in “Less Then Zero” but the dog, the purse, the chili peppers on his “dad shirt” made my gay-dar almost leave me blind and deaf. Oh and on Dec. 20th at Katsuya my mom and sat next to Pete Wentz and Ashlee Simpson and Mary Louise Parker. That place is such a scene it’s over my head really.

1. 24/7 Skincare the pricy national brand products & the creators of the face wash/sunblock in-one (which I think is brilliant) have developed a line exclusively for CVS. It arrived in stores last month! Prices cap around $49.99 which isn’t cheap but loaded with Gaba a key wrinkle buster your face is sure to perk up pretty quickly.

2. Skin Effects By Dr. Jeffrey Dover I love the Instant Deep Wrinkle Eraser for $21.99 loaded with Hyaluronic Acid, the line is exclusive to CVS. It’s their first Dermatologist-developed anti-aging available at mass.

3. Lumene Skincare this is a Finnish Brand that incorporates pure, indigenous, ingredients from Artic Nature such as cloudberries, Arctic white peat and pure Finnish spring water and there’s no testing on animals.

4. NXT Men’s Skincare (okay get this, at this Access Hollywood Party I am supposed to give men a shave with these products, I am assuming it’s just like shaving your legs right? Someone chime in here. Can’t you just see me shaving Academy Award Winner Russell Crow and I “Sweeny Todd” him. Oy Vey. At any rate, this new men’s line debuts in March and it’s going to be off the hook. Why you ask? Because the packaging lights up. No kidding it glows when you walk past it. No need for our Snoopy night lights any longer. The products are Paraban free (added chemicals you don’t need) and are fab. for sensitive skin!

HAPPY SHOPPING