Beauty Chat is off to Las Vegas for the “BlogWorld & New Media Expo!”

Check back for exciting features coming back on Monday, November 12th. We appreciate every single one of you, so it’s not our style to just leave you hanging

Next week, here’s what you can look forward to on Beauty Chat:

• “Day 2” of Denice and Elana’s personal journey with Pilates
• Reality TV show recaps of Dr. 90210 (Leeann) and The Hills (Brook)
• A look at the mastermind behind “My Chic Things” – The oh-so-unique Elizabeth Anderson
• Hair product reviews by Mellori
• A Beauty Chat staff photoshoot featuring all of us, you definitely don’t wanna miss!

Make the rest of your week great… and your weekend even better! (New giveaways and contests approaching as well.)

~ Elana

Denice’s Personal Story: So my palms are sweating and I am so nervous!  I am not the most coordinated person, nor am I in any sort of physical shape, but I am entering the world of Pilates.  My mom suggested I try it out; she does it twice a week.  I thought, “Sure, why not.  If she can do it, I can do it”.  Well, I thought Pilates was similar to yoga. 

BOY WAS I WRONG! My editor, Elana, and I signed up at the Body Center in Claremont California.  Jeff Fairley, owner and director of physical therapy, helped us get situated.  Jeff gave us the grand tour of the center and briefed us on the Pilates machine.  That’s right, I said MACHINE!!!  Who knew Pilates was on a machine!

After we became familiar with the machine, it was off to our semi-private session with Stephanie Stevens, our STOTT Certified Pilates instructor.  The class had two other women in it and it was held in a comfortable room.  Stephanie helped with our positioning and form on the machines.

The class was an hour long, and boy did I feel it!  It was not a cardio type of work out, but a muscle strengthening type of work out!  I was a bit uncoordinated and clumsy on the machine (and yes, I did see Elana stumble a bit too!), but Stephanie helped us out and encouraged us to keep going.

The next day I was sore, but it felt great.  I loved it and I am looking forward to “Day 2″ tonight! Check back to see my progress.

Elana’s Personal Story: ….So I’m finally down with  Pilates. Thank heavens that Denice invited me to try this amazing workout for weekly sessions. I’ve always had a sort of athletic-shaped body – flat stomach, strong legs, and a defined back.

 Yet, amidst my long hours of writing, proofing, e-mailing, and pitching story ideas to PR reps and fellow bloggers (and trying to fit lunch somewhere in between), I find myself eating a few too many dark chocolate Milky Way mini-bars and chocolate chip cookies, or skipping meals altogether! Yes, I know, totally unhealthy. So in trying out a new fitness course of action, I look forward to regaining my toned shape. I hope Pilates inspires me to hit the gym much more frequently than I am now – not at all!

Yes, Beauty Chat readers, the editor of a Blog who preaches the importance of maintaining a healthy body inside and out is not taking care of her health as properly as she should.  This is why I’m so happy to take on a challenging, new fitness regimen.

So with tonight being “Day 2″, we are both excited. My energy is a bit charged, as compared to my fright from last week, because I now know what to expect. In fact, I am already predicting the type of breathing exercises we are going to do. It’s not easy y’all! But Pilates definitely works every muscle in your body. The next day at work, Denice and I compared who had the most aches. I’m not sure who won, but it wasn’t enough to stop us from continuing with Pilates!

Check back next week to see how we’re feeling from the session tonight ….

xoxoxo, Denice and Elana

Photo Credits: Denice’s camera. Can you tell we don’t know what we’re getting ourselves into? 

Okay ladies — gentlemen this involves you too — H&M is launching their new designer collection on November 8th, and the line is from…dum da da dum…the fabulous Roberto Cavalli!

Yes, the same man that regularly dresses stars such as Jennifer Lopez, Halle Berry, Victoria Beckham, and Lenny Kravitz, just to name a few, can now be your source of fashion inspiration as well.

When I heard that Roberto Cavalli was going to be selling his pieces at my favorite store, I was enthralled. I guess you can say I am a bargain shopper; I love clothes, and I love to buy them, but only of they are reasonably priced — hence my adoration for H&M. If the stores were located closer to me ( I regularly shop at the Pasadena and Irvine locations, both about 45 minutes from where I live), my entire wardrobe would consist entirely of the brand.

Combining hot trends with all-time fashion favorites, the company has a way of sparking excitement when their guest-designed collections are made available.

H&M regularly features lines from celebrities/designers. Past collections have been developed by Madonna, Stella McCartney, and Kylie Minogue. Now you can also add Mr. Cavalli to the list. “The Roberto Cavalli collection represents an exuberant, successful lifestyle,” says  H&M’s head of design Margareta van den Bosch.

How many of you buy Roberto Cavalli clothing? Or, how about even own one of his items? Not me. And it is definitely not because I don’t think his clothing is stunning, but because I don’t have the luxury of throwing down a heavy load of cash for a piece of fashion. H&M gives their customers the opportunity to get quality, designer brands without breaking the bank.

So, if you want to be one of the lucky men and women who get to flaunt your Roberto Cavalli H&M inspired pieces, I suggest you find out if they are selling the line at a location near you. Only 200 stores worldwide will be featuring the collection, which consists of 20 pieces of menswear and 25 pieces of womenswear. For the females, think fun, flirty animal prints. The men can expect a more classic, tailored look. Don’t delay; this collection will probably sell out quickly.

Happy shopping!

~ Leeann

Photo Credits: http://www.search.msn.com/image

Televised and print media often paint the ideal of women shaving creams as the answer to ooh la la soft and glossy legs.

Granted, such brands as Gillete Satin Care or Skintimate is a shower must-have in order keep those cacti-textured hairs from sprouting on noticeable areas of the body. What about, however, that ultra-sensitive part of our body that requires grooming for many of us modern-day women?

Of course your local nail shop lady is more than happy to perform the often tear-jerking task of “wax on, wax off” down there. Although pain comes with the territory of a bikini wax (men, bring to mind Steve Carell’s improv-waxing session in The 40-yr old Virgin), the baby-smooth result is definitely worth the “pain is beauty” proverb.

Is it, however, worth the biweekly average price of up to $50 (at more upscale beauty salons, up to $100), not including tip? For the budget fashionista, this may definitely burn a hole in the pocket of your Freedom of Choice jeans that you relentlessly scoured for at a discounted price.

Coming from an avid fashion disciple who must discipline herself to a limited number of card swipeage, spending $100 per month on grooming a rather inconspicuous area of my body seems a little draining. Whereas I would ideally love to say to heck with it all, and pay the posh price of laser hair removal to permanently rid myself of body hair, unfortunately I am not afforded that luxury. So comes forth the task of searching for inexpensive, yet quality products that are gentle for the skin, yet strong enough to reduce a bristly quality. 

While the following shaving creams specially target that intimate part of your body, they can also be used for other areas as well (bear in mind, some of these products are forthrightly named, but their titles have no bearing on the quality of the formula enclosed): Intimate Moments, Intimo Romance Total Body Shave Cream, Smooth Intimate Shave Cream, and Coochy Body Shave Cream. Although these products may be hard to find in your nearby drugstore, they have worked wonders for many women; so putting your Nancy Drew skills to the test might be worth it for these softly-formulated goodies, not to mention their inexpensive price range ($7.95-$17.99 depending on the ounces and where you buy it). Definitely, a luxury body care steal, wouldn’t you agree?

One well-known online resource where you can find the above shaving products is Amazon. Also, you might want to search for their respective Web sites, where you can also read up on great tips on how to perform an easy and effective shave. So, my glam gals on a budget – don’t be afraid to explore these grooming options, and save a pretty penny for those fall-inspired ankle boots for your oh-so-pretty feet.

Happy shaving!

~ Mellori

Photo Credits: www.allposters.com

As Beauty Chat’s resident Crazy Fan of MTV’s The Hills, I was so excited to learn that former cast member Elodie Otto (you may remember this incident), was set to launch her own bath and body line, Jolie en Rose par Elodie.  Since I consider myself an unofficial member of the “Team Elodie” band of followers, I was dying to talk with her about this new venture.�
With the launch her Web site and an OK! Magazine feature both debuting this week, what better time to sit down for a chat with Elodie to talk personal history, fabulously French fragrances, and of course, a little Hills lowdown?  Check out a snippet of my interview with Elodie from The Hills:

Q: What was your inspiration for Jolie en Rose?

A: My family was really the inspiration…we’re from the South of France, where I went to Pre-K and kindergarten; my grandmother actually still lives there. I spent every summer there, and I was just there this past summer.  The name, Jolie en Rose, is French for “pretty in pink.”  Pink is my absolute favorite color!  The fragrances are yummy, yummy, inspired by French foods and other delicious, amazing scents.

Q: Can you describe one or two of the selections?

A: Well, we have Barbe a Papa, a cotton candy scent.  If you literally translate the name, it means “Grandpa’s beard.”  It’s a fluffy, pink cloud of sugar and fun!  We also have Pomme d’amour, a caramel apple fragrance.  Pomme d’ amour means “apple of love.”  Right now, there are six fragrances.  There are so many things in France that I love – pies, fruits, chocolatines – so I definitely want to add more.

Q: Specifically, what types of products make up the line?
�
A: Each scent has its own body lotion, shower gel, and bubble bath.  And they’re all amazing! 

Q: How do we get them?

A: For right now, go to www.jolieenrose.com to place your order. In the future, I’m definitely looking to expand into retail locations. I’ll keep you posted!

Q: To coin a Heidi catchphrase, is this venture “just business, not personal?”

A: Well, business is business – I put my heart and soul into (my job at Bolthouse Productions) and I learned so much there, but now I’m using all my resources and knowledge for my own business, and it’s a new, wonderful thing to have in my life!

~ Brook

Photo Credits: Courtesy of Elodie!

As I was looking through my latest edition of US Weekly, I noticed an advertisement for “YogaToes ®”  At first glance these appear WEIRD!! They are oddly-shaped jelly toe separators that are meant to give your feet (and toes) a workout!  Well, my curiosity got the best of me and I had to try them.

According to YogaPros.com, YogaToes ® Toes Stretchers work while you relax. They stretch, strengthen, and align foot muscles. This increases circulation, can straighten bent toes, and even realign the bones. YogaToes seem  truly revolutionary. They relieve foot pain while improving strength, flexibility and appearance. Plus, they are said to tackle problems at their source, keeping your feet healthy, naturally.

So I ordered my YogaToes and waited for them to arrive.  I made sure that I had been wearing my peep toe heels and pointed toe shoes leading up to the arrival of my YogaToes. I was preparing my feet for their much needed workout!  Not that it was hard to prepare my feet; I am always looking for “the next best thing” to pamper my feet with.

I received the YogaToes on a Tuesday and was ecstatic to try them when I got home. I read the directions and put them on.  OUCH! It hurt at first, but as soon as they were on, and I relaxed on the couch, they felt much better.  I left them on for about 10 minutes; they began to become a bit uncomfortable.  The directions stated that it may take time to work up to having them on…I would say so!

I tried them for the next few days and they became more comfortable with each wear. I do not have MAJOR foot problems, so I did not notice any real problem fixes just that my feet were, I guess you could say…happier!

One thing that the packaging stated was to try the YogaToes hot or cold. I have yet to do that, but Beauty Chat’s Leeann did, and she preferred hers warm and toasty.

Needless to say, YogaToes will make a great holiday gift for the winter season! Amidst your shopping, however, I’d suggest ordering your own fabulous pair.

~ Denice

Photo Credit: My feet! (photographed by one of PlasticSurgery.com’s awesome designers – Kevin.)

This week on MTV’s The Hills, it was back to New York for Lauren Conrad and Whitney Port as they put the finishing touches on the Teen Vogue Young Hollywood event.  They were expected to arrive, do a presentation meeting with East Coast editor-in-chief Amy Astley and her staff, and jet back to L.A. to give Lisa Love a report.  Luckily, Lauren already had a boardroom-friendly dress set aside for this very occasion.

(Whitney presents her ideas for the Young Hollywood Party to the Teen Vogue staff)

When the girls arrived in NYC, the warm welcome was barely dished out before Amy broke the news that not only was Lauren asked to help out at a Marc Jacobs model casting, she would be leaving right now!  Thus, Whitney would be handling the meeting with the suits solo.  As Lauren made a mad dash for Seventy-Two Spring St., Whit faced her challenge with class and dignity (doesn’t she always?).  One by one, however, her proposals for the event were shot down – chandeliers, carpets, furniture…all were deemed “tacky,” “excessive,” or met with glares of collective disgust.

                           (Such luck: Lauren meets Marc Jacobs!)

Meanwhile, Lauren was immersed in the world of high fashion, pulling from racks and dressing models.  However, when approached by Marc Jacobs himself, she remained seated while greeting him to tend to her duties of “alphabetizing.”  I don’t want to lose faith in her professional abilities, but don’t tell me Lauren needs an etiquette lesson…

Back in L.A., we learn that in spite of the tension and turmoil, Lisa was told that the meeting was a huge success.  True to her passive-aggressive form, she took a shot at Whitney’s choice of meeting attire before informing Lauren that she did great as well.  So, who knows?  When The Hills on MTV eventually folds, there may be a future in fashion for them after all.

~ Brook

Photo Credits: www.MTV.com

 This week on Dr. 90210:

Dr. David Matlock is our featured Dr. 90210 plastic surgeon on episode 14. Although it has been a few weeks since we caught up with him, he seems to be on the same dating path as he was before: having fun with no pressure of a commitment! Despite the attempts of his daughter Jessica to convince him to settle down, Dr. Matlock has no interest in monogamy and intends to take advantage of his freedom.

In addition to his dating life, we also know that Dr. Matlock’s practice is thriving as well. This week we see how his surgical skills positively impact the lives of his patients.

The most moving segments of this episode of Dr. 90210 were those that contained breast cancer survivor Greta, Dr. Gary Motykie’s patient. What she has gone through in life, and what we see on this one-hour show, is amazing and touching.

And of course Dr. Will Kirby is back, treating another one of his famous clients – a “Brady.” To find out which member of the “Bunch” relied on our dermatologist for cosmetic improvements, check out my in-depth recap found on iEnhance.com.

~ Leeann

Image Credit: iEnhance.com