Love this do-it-yourself hand softening routine in this month's Self:

1.  Mix 1 cup of sugar with 3 cups of whole milk or cream.

2.  Scoop up the wet sugar and exfoliate your hands, spending extra time on dryness-prone knuckles and cuticles.

3.  Soak hands in the remaining liquid for five minutes to let the milk's fat and lactic acid soften skin.

4.  Rinse and rub in a cream with petrolatum (to trap water) and dimethicone (which reduces greasiness and temporarily fills in fine lines). 

5.  Massage cream into nail plates, too, then buff off with a towel for a quick shine.

(11/08, pg. 163) 

A good cream to use is the St. Ives Collagen Elastin lotion I like so much because it includes both of the recommended ingredients.  I also like the idea of slathering on straight-up Vaseline for a rich moisturizing effect.  Then I would add to the list to slip on some gloves for at least thirty minutes to make sure all the moisturizing goodness is absorbed thoroughly.  A perfect pampering routine for a lazy day at home, catching up on your dvr'd shows, no?

I love it when birthdays are celebrated and we get to benefit!  Piperlime is two today and we get to reap the rewards.  If you purchase anything from them today, you will get $20 off on your next order.  And 1 out of every 100 orders will receive $100 off their next order.  You never know if it could be you!  I love this deal!  You have to place your order by 11:59 PT, so don't dilly-dally.  Happy Shoe-pping!  

I love Claudia Schiffer's running around town look she sported this week. Her outfit incorporates some of my favorite fall trends: moccasins, grey and layers. I'm particularly drawn to the orange in her look. I've developed an affinity toward orange ever since my sister brought me back a beautiful orange scarf from Greece earlier this year. It's about the same burnt orange color of Claudia's shirt and I've been wearing it nearly everyday. It oddly goes with just about anything. Who knew orange was so versatile?

Here are some pieces similar to Claudia's that you can get to help build up your fall wardrobe. The best part is that all of these can layer as the temperatures continue to drop!

A swingy cropped jacket. A tissue thin tee. Hip moccasin boots.

Dark blue denim jeans. Round, gradiated sunglasses.

A handheld satchel. A waffle knit scarf.

There has been a lot of chatter about Marilyn recently - from last month's Vanity Fair anniversary issue to yesterday's blog from Lucky, all sorts of things are being published about Ms. Monroe.  The Lucky blog talked about Marilyn's beauty regimens, found via Miss-Vintage.com (you still with me?).  Marilyn is known for many things, and her skin is one of them.  According to Miss-Vintage, Marilyn would take ice baths to firm her skin.  Ice baths!  Now, for me, the idea of even slightly cold water is incredibly unappealing.  But Marilyn had good skin.  And maybe this is part of the secret.  I know athletes will take ice baths to soothe muscle injuries, so I started reading more about it.  According to Runner's World, an ice bath "constricts blood vessels and decreases metabolic activity, which reduces swelling and tissue breakdown."  Hearing this makes me think that Marilyn was onto something.  She was known to work out in order to keep her body toned and if she was active then she was also straining muscles.  These ice baths would have served to keep her body in good shape and reduce any swelling, keeping her legs looking toned and svelte.  Maybe even keeping cellulite at bay?  I looked for articles regarding the beauty benefits of ice baths and came up empty.  Even so I wonder if ice baths would be beneficial to firming skin for days you want to look extra taut?  I don't know if I could stomach an ice bath, no matter the potential cellulite combatting possibilities.  I cried when our hot water was broken last winter and I had to take ice cold showers (hey. the tears helped warm me...).  And I also read on Running Times that ice baths could lead to spontaneous fainting if the ice is too cold.  "Spontaneous fainting" is never on my list of to-do's. All the same, I'm curious to know if any of you more adventurous readers would take a dip in an ice bath?

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I'm glad I don't live in a cold environment any more because, if I did, I would be forced to splurge on these stitched leather gloves from Banana Republic.  I'm a fan of the black because they look biker-chic, but they also come in brown, violet, and orange.  Soft, warm and stylish, I'd be tempted to keep them on inside.

My hubby and I got into the Halloween spirit over the weekend and carved some pumpkins. We had so much fun doing it we half-seriously considered getting more pumpkins to carve the next night. The interesting thing about pumpkin is that not only does it make great pies and Jack-o-lanterns, it is also rich in vitamins that make it great for your skin. So when InStyle brought my attention to this Pumpkin Spice Polish this morning I took notice. This sounds like the exfoliant I need in my life - it cleans, scrubs and polishes and can be used on face and body. And while contemplating all this pumpkin goodness I remembered a few years ago when I was home for Thanksgiving and my brother's skin looked really good and I asked him what he was doing different. He admitted that his girlfriend (now fiance) had given him a pumpkin peel. And seriously his skin looked flawless, like it was lit from within (which is a weird way to describe my brother). So Stephanie, if you read this today, you have to tell us what pumpkin peel you were using. Because now I'm obsessing.

These are probably the cutest lunch boxes I've seen in a long time, so I had to share them with you.  Taking in your lunch is the savvy thing to do, especially in this economic environment, and having a bag this cute to tote your salads in just adds incentive.  They would make a great gift too, especially if you filled it with reusable tupperware of various sizes, an ice pack and maybe even a refillable drink container.  I'm partial to the giraffe print, but the argyle is purple-perfect and the leopard print is always in style.  And these are only half of the designs offered...   

My Vichy lotion ran out this week, so I've been testing out a new moisturizer, Aveeno's Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer with SPF 30.  Since I'm in the business of bringing you all the latest, I thought this would be a good one to test out.  I was reading this month's Women's Heath and this blurb from dermatologist Francesca Fusco, M.D., about the lotion, caught my attention:

It's got a soy complex - a big bonus because soy is rich in antioxidants.  This lotion also helps plump up lines and wrinkles, keeps oil under control, and helps prevent sun damage.  Also nice:  The formula contains tiny light diffusers to make skin look glowy. (11/08, pg 76) 

I liked the idea of looking glowy, so I decided this would be my moisturizer test subject.

Here's what I think:

I am a big fan of the Simply Vera by Vera Wang line at Kohl's.  The collection has a lot of basic black and grey pieces that are great for building a wardrobe.  And because it's Vera Wang, basics always have a slight twist to them to make them structurally interesting.  I've had my eye on a few pieces and, lucky us, they are on sale for 30 - 50% off through the weekend so now is the time to pounce.  And it's not just apparel - it's her accessories and shoes too.  And pajamas - satin pajamas.  This sale is definitely worth checking out!