nivea

Imagine All the People, Living for Today

I've never felt so alive.  Like most New Yorkers, I normally avoid Times Square at all costs on New Years Eve, but this year was different.  Joe and I experienced something that would have been on our bucket list  – had we known experiencing New Years Eve in this way was an option.  Our night?  As guests of Nivea, we were VIP's at a Great Gatsby themed party at the Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square.  Only pictures can even begin to capture the feeling and energy of the evening... 

Champagne was flowing, of course.  The party was surreal, but the real magic was being escorted by Nivea through Times Square. I say it's the energy of New York, the vivacious, electric, optimistic energy that keeps me alive.  Feeling this energy, in that moment was something different.  People from all over the world, a million of them, standing behind barricades – cheering, freezing and even slapping us high five – all there, for a common reason, a new beginning in the best city in the world.

Walking hand in hand with Joe and my group of media friends up to the Nivea stage (where we watched Icona Pop preform) was, what I thought was the best experience I've ever had in NYC.  (Except for the time I met the pigeon man in Washington Square Park who put the dirty birds all over me.  Such a NY moment.  Pic here.)

Of course I've always said you couldn't pay me to go anywhere near Times Square on New Year's Eve (or ever), but this night made gain appreciation for the cross roads of the world. Fast forward  T-20 minutes until midnight.  Our group moved back outside, again avoiding the hustle and bustle into a private area, and counted down into the new year.  Now this was the real high.  I'm still trying to figure out where the tons of confetti fell from, but it came down fast – as if Heaven exploded.  Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York" was playing and in the middle of the million of us, it felt for a few seconds, maybe, that it was just Joe and I... looking up, laughing and dancing.

5 Favorites

It was hard to pick five favorites for this post, but trust me when I say this... everything that goes into these posts is worth every penny.  Being that I receive packages upon packages of new beauty loot daily, I can't possibly cover it all.  So here I bring you my fave moisturizer, the body scrub that's keeping my skin fresh this summer, a breakthrough in hair styling and of course, some new nail products.  Enjoy!  I've been using Restorsea's Rejuvenating Day Cream and their night cream for quite a while now and I don't see myself stopping anytime soon.  Even though the consistency of the day cream is a bit thicker than you'd expect for summertime, I'm not going to switch anytime soon.  My skin's smooth and radiant.  What more can a girl ask for?

Now this is innovative.  Last week I attended an event for Color Wow and was amazed by their Brass Banned Correct & Perfect Mousse demo.  There are two different colors; a purple mousse for blondes and a teal mousse for brunettes, which both correct brassiness.  I've never before seen color correction in a styling product and am super impressed by the technology.

While it's called a body scrub, I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of suds it created.  Nivea's Lathering Body Scrub feels luxurious.  Normally when I use an exfoliant in the shower I always use a body wash afterwards, but that wasn't the case with this.  It did both jobs really well.  The microbeads are so tiny and gently and vitamin E even moisturizes as you pamper.

Julep's Freedom Polymere Top Coat is the perfect hybrid between a gel and regular clear polish.  You swipe it on just like you would a clear top coat, but it's just a bit thicker and formulated with polymers that act like gel.  Besides leaving your nails chip-free for about two to three days longer, the shine factor is covetable. I'm also kind of obsessed with their Nail Growth Revitalizing Serum. It's no joke.

My go-to mani color for the summer isn't coral for once!  CoverGirl's Outlast Stay Brilliant Polish in Mint Mojito pops even against my alabaster skin and I'm sure will look great with a tan, too.  Plus, it lasted a full week.

My Intern Scores an Exclusive Interview with Charlotte Ronson, Her First Hand Experience

Young and inexperienced, I was a nervous wreck getting ready to meet Charlotte Ronson at the Nivea "Kiss of Style Cap Contest" VIP Preview. Even though it was not the first event I attended on behalf of Jeannine, I was still unsure of how I would handle the extra responsibilities of interviewing a fashion designer for BeautySweetSpot readers. Luckily, Ronson made it easy and we discussed her fave beauty products, a fun additive to her upcoming fashion show and guiltiest pleasure.

The intimate setting itself made the whole process less intimidating. After just a brief introduction from Charlotte Ronson about the Kiss of Style Cap Contest that debuts on August 1st, the few attendees were left to create their own cap design and spin the wheel to win one of Ronson's rompers from her Fall 2012 collection.  After creating my yellow and purple cap, I won the romper!   It was then time to put my nerves aside and do what I was there to do. I came to find that all the nerves were for nothing when Ronson was more then happy to answer a few questions from the obvious newbie.  So here you go BeautySweetSpot readers!

What does your role and partnership with Nivea include?

I had the chance to design my own cap for their kiss moisturizer which is fun, and I get to judge the competition for someone's own personal design to actually be seen in stores.

What are some beauty products you can't live without? 

I always have my Perfect Kiss Lip Glosses that I make with Sephora. I like the color Annabelle, which has a red tint to it, and Eleanore which is more of the natural pink gloss that I always have in my bag. As well as Nivea underneath the gloss to keep my lips moist and protected from the sun, air-conditioning and anything else. It is good to keep them healthy.

What can we expect to see from you at NYFW?

Well, September 7th is my runway show. Hopefully, you'll see a great collection. There will be bags in the collection this time. I am also working on collections with Sephora and JCPenny.

Out of everything that you do with your career and success, what is your favorite thing that you do?

Just the the design process in general, when I am able to get to it.

What is your guiltiest pleasure?

Melted cheese. Any kind of cheese. Just when cheese is melted on top of anything, I am a fan. Fries, mozzarella sticks. Anything!

Kate Middleton's Favorite Beauty Products

I'll admit, like everyone else in the world, I have a bit of a girl crush on Kate Middleton.  Who doesn't want to be a princess?   I admire the way she stepped almost seamlessly into the role of royalty, yet is still very relateable.  In three days the world will be celebrating the first anniversary of the royal couple so I rounded up some of Kate's favorite beauty products.  Yes, she really uses these things, so I guess you can call them princess approved. Heaven Bee Venom Mask - given to Kate right after her engagement by the Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla, the claim is that it's a "natural alternative to Botox," but  like synthetic snake venom (which is common in skincare), the bee venom works to temporarily freeze facial muscles for immediate tightening and lifting.  Kate also had a Bee Venom Facial with Heaven Skin Care Founder, Deborah Mitchell right before her wedding.

NIVEA Pure and Natural Day Cream - throughout the year Kate was spotted at Boots on Kings Road in London purchasing this cream.  This shows the princess not only mixes highs and lows in fashion, but also with her beauty buys!

Bobbi Brown Cosmetics - right before her wedding she was seen purchasing the brand's eye and face makeup.  Remember, Kate did her own wedding makeup, and kept her look natural accentuating her features.  Bobbi Brown is known for helping you create the best version of yourself, which is perfect for brides.

Karin Herzog Skin Care - This UK brand is a cult favorite to many celebs.  The managing director for the brand, Julie Cichocki, clarified that Kate's a regular user of the Professional Cleanser, Vita-A-Kombi 1, Vita-A-Kombi 3 Spot Zapper and the Oxygen Face Cream.

Kerastase Treatments - Her long time hairdresser, Richard Ward, treats Kate's tresses with Kerastase Rituals, which are their in-salon treatments, but Kerastase deep conditioners are available for purchase and you can do your treatment at home.

Man of the Moment: Sean

Ladies, meet Sean, a 29-year-old financial advisor who just moved out of NYC to PA and seems to have a really good sense of humor!  Besides sports (duh) he lists literature and music as some of his favorite things.  Sweet.  Read on to find out more about how he preps before dates, what he thinks of his grooming routine and more. What’s in your medicine cabinet?

You mean besides incredibly life-like hair dolls from all of the girls I have dated? I have a lot of Nivea products.  There is really no reason for that.  I mean, it’s not like I set out one day and said, “Sean, Nivea is the right product for you.”  It just kinda happened.  I’m talking Nivea shaving cream (or is it gel? Maybe foam? Not entirely sure), after shave, and body/face wash.  I use Garnier shampoo, because once in college this super hot chick told me my hair smelled nice and, well, if it ain’t broke, why fix it? I was also turned on to Tom’s toothpaste.  I used to stick to Colgate toothpaste, since I went to college at Colgate at all, but I think that Tom’s Wintergreen toothpaste is just the bees knees and brand loyalty only goes so far for me.

What product can’t you live without and why?

Air is definitely one product I cannot live without.  I mean, I could live without it for like, 37 seconds maybe, but after that things start to get pretty dicey.  I also think toothpaste, deodorant, soap, and other stuff that will prevent me from looking and smelling like I live under the Queensborough Bridge are pretty important.

How would you describe your grooming habits?

Three words: Consistent, thorough, animated.  Merciless.  Insatiable.

Now be honest, how would a woman describe your grooming habits?

Literally just asked this random chick sitting beside me in Starbucks.  She gave me a disgusted look, got up, and walked away.  I’ll take that as a tacit endorsement of my grooming habits.

When prepping to go out on a date what are the three things you make sure you do?

Inflate the doll, dress her up in a real cute dress or appropriate seasonal attire, and try to make sure she stays away from all sharp objects until we reach our destination.  Oh, and I also like to make sure my breath smells good, my facial hair has been properly groomed, and I like to make sure my hair is comfortably styled somewhere between “I was at an Animal Collective concert at BAM last night I just got out of bed even though it’s 7pm” and “I’m a soulless Goldman Sachs drone”

If you could have one night with any celebrity who would it be and why?  More importantly, what would you do?

Clooney.  And I would do whatever leftover chick he didn’t sleep with that night.  Seriously.  I mean, Do you think George Clooney ever sits up at night and worries about what is going to happen to him in his next life? I mean Christ! How can anybody have this awesome of an existence? Oh I just dumped Elisabetta Canalis so now I’m just going to plow Stacy Keibler for a couple months for fun. No biggie. Nothing serious. Just a little flingy poo. He must have signed a deal with the devil or something. No other way to explain it. Here is a question for you: If somebody told you that you could have George Clooney’s life but you’d die at age 40 would you do it? I’d do it in a heartbeat. All I need is 29 years of his life and I’d happily call it a day.

What’s the first thing you notice about a woman?

Personality.  Ha, no, but seriously, I’m not really a “tits” man or an “ass” man or one of those weird fetish guys who like feet or hair or anything like that.  I like the whole package and I don’t discriminate against race, creed, or height.  Equal opportunity: It’s not just a hiring practice at McDonald’s, it’s also my dating philosophy.

What’s your guiltiest pleasure?

Besides the 9 year old Filipino boy tied up in my basement?  I guess I’d have to say that being a die-hard fan of the Emmy award winning (note: I have done no actual research to determine if any Emmy awards were in fact won by this franchise, but I have to assume that many were) television series The Bachelor and, it’s ugly step-sister, The Bachelorette.

WIN A Meet & Greet with Me & Rihanna Plus More...

I'm super excited to fill you in on a giveaway and contest I've been keeping secret for quite sometime!  I love rewarding you guys with goodies, but this one is really fun!  Are you ready?  It includes two Rihanna tickets to a concert this summer, a possible meet and greet for you to fly with me to hang with the songstress and tons of prize packs along the way!  Here's the scoop: PART ONE

Nivea is sponsoring Rihanna's summer and fall tour and is doing a Skin 2 Skin challenge on their Facebook page.  Check it out!  All you have to do is enter and when you fill out the form in the "Title" put BEAUTYSWEETSPOT.com and share your entry with all of your facebook friends and encourage them to enter too using BEAUTYSWEETSPOT.com in their title as well.

Here's my entry Soft & Sweet Summer Love.  Feel free to vote for me!

The person with the most "Likes" on their entry in the contest at the end will win a meet and greet with me and Rihanna and runners up will receive concert tickets and prize packs.  The contest ends on August 8th.

PART TWO

That's not all! I also have two tickets extra to give away to Rihanna's Uniondale, NY concert on July 19th to giveaway to my loyal BeautySweetSpot.com fans. Here's how to win 'em:

- Follow me on Twitter @beautysweetspot and RT the giveaway and post

- "Like" BeautySweetSpot on Facebook

- Comment below proving the above (showing links to your tweet AND/OR a comment on BSS facebook wall and as a BONUS your Nivea entry)

The winner will be announced under the comments section of this blog post, via BeautySweetSpot's Facebook page and on Twitter on July 12th.

GOOD LUCK!

Prom Prep 101

Today I'll be doing a Satellite Media Tour appearing on 27 TV stations across the country talking about preparing for the prom. I'm really excited because I know how important prom season is and love the fact that I have the opportunity to share some beauty secrets for all of the ladies and gents who will be attending!  By far, the best accessories for prom are clear skin, a bright smile and kissable lips. Since skin care is a main concern for most teens, it's important to start taking care of it now and not wait for the night before the prom.  God forbid you get a pimple!  I recommend using the new Clearasil Ultra Acne + Marks line.  The face wash doubles as a mask and contains 2% salicylic acid in it to remove dirt and oil from your pores and help clear and prevent break outs. Leave it on for 10 minutes once or twice a week for a deep clean.  If you get a pimple or see a mark starting to form from a pimple, use the spot treatment.  The salicylic acid will clear it quickly and it also has licorice root and Vitamin B3, which helps to diminish the mark.  I like it because it's a lotion, so it doesn't dry your skin out.

Then, from pre-prom photos through to the after party, your smile is your best asset!  Start prepping it with Crest 3D White Advanced Vivid Enamel Renewal Toothpaste.  It removes up to 90% of surface stains in just two weeks.  I use this whole collection, which you can learn more about here.

Finally, I recommend accentuating your natural features.  It's your prom so you don't want to over do it with makeup.  Nivea Lip Care came out with a line called "A Kiss Of..," which features A Kiss of Shine, A Kiss of Color and A Kiss of Moisture.  Each one is available in a variety of shades.

All products are available at drugstores.  Want to know more?  Comment below with your questions and I'll answer them!

*This post was sponsored.