Reader Question About Upper Eyelid Lifter

I got a reader question about Bremenn Research Labs Upper Eyelid Lifter, which I used for a while this past fall. In short: Does it work?

In shorter: No.

I'm not surprised by this result. Upper eye sagginess/puffiness is really hard to fix without some sort of surgical intervention. I know because I've consulted plastic surgeons about my own puffs (No, I'm not getting surgery. It just comes up in conversation!). Although some of my puffiness is from eating too much salt (see yesterday's post) a good chunk of it is from fat pockets bulging through spots where skin elastin is getting older and degrading. That sounds so nasty, but that's what happens to some people as they age.

[Other people have the opposite problem and start to lose fat around their eyes as they age, which makes them look old and hollow.]

Maybe someday a beauty company will make a miracle cream to un-sag our eyes, but as of now it doesn't exist.

If You're Gonna Spew, Spew Into This

Or, The Unfortunate Way I Found Out I Eat Too Much Salt

I try to eat healthily but have long suspected that I consume way too much salt (and sugar, while we're on the subject). I don't flavor my food with added salt, but I -- like many New Yorkers -- eat way too much takeout and prepackaged foods, AKA salt bombs. The main reason I suspected this was because when I wake up in the morning my eyes are sometimes so puffy I can barely open them.

I found out the hard way that I was right.

I got a violent case of food poisoning this past weekend thanks to some dodgy Thai food (via a sleazy delivery place) and after my body purged itself of the offending noodles I didn't consume anything besides watered-down grape juice for about 36 hours. Sorry I have to talk about puke but it's necessary to the story.

I woke up Monday morning expecting to look like a zombie with grotesquely swollen eyes. But! I glanced in the mirror and I looked refreshed. Zero eye puffiness, people! My eyes were wide awake, like I had just been on a detox cleanse. Because, if you think about it, that's exactly what I did.

I think my body was trying to tell me to stop feeding it such crap food so I am going to try my hardest to cut down on takeout and packaged foods and be more aware of hidden salt in the things I buy.

The sugar will be tougher. My mom just sent me a box of Girl Scout cookies!

In The Immortal Words of Pearl Jam, I'm Still Alive

Sorry I haven't posted lately; shortly after my Maleficent post I got a case of Be Careful What You Wish For and spent the next few days sleeping off a nasty bout of food poisoning! More details coming on that -- not gross stuff, but believe or not hurling up Thai food inspired a beauty post.

Other posts coming up:

• I answer a reader question: What happened with the Upper Eyelid Lifter?
• An ode to makeup artist Tina Turnbow and the new Tarte makeup collection
• What hair products are celebrity stylists obsessing about this awards show season?

Talk soon!

Good Night, Everybody!

I was going to post a picture of Sleeping Beauty to demonstrate what I plan on doing all weekend. But I came across this image of Maleficent during my search and remembered how much I love her. So here you go.

Have a good one!

Get A Blowout And Help Haiti

If you're in the NYC area you should definitely check this out. Now through February 6th at the Rare by Ruth Roche Salon you can get a blowout, a Pureology scalp massage and travel-size Pureology Essential Repair Colour Max (a color sealant) and Instant Repair (excellent detangler).

It'll only cost you $25 and 100% of the proceeds are going to Global Green USA's efforts to sustainably build more energy efficient and environmentally-friendly housing and schools in Haiti.

Rare by Ruth Roche Salon: 317 Church St. between Lispenard and Walker; 212-343-9133

L'Occitane Fabulous Serum is Just That

Every now and again beauty companies will hire me to come up with names for their products. It can be hard. Sometimes I'm not feeling clever and I just want to call it "Fruity-Smelling Shampoo" because frankly, that's what it is.

So I imagine the peeps at L'Occitane sitting around with their new serum trying to think of a name. They're like, "Well, it has shea butter in it, it's super hydrating, not sticky or heavy, and it protects skin against harsh cold weather. It's a fabulous serum." And a name was born.

I've been using this serum in the morning after my Dermalogica Multi-Active Toner and before my sunscreen lotion because it is so effing cold and my skin needs extra help. I don't know how they got shea butter into a lightweight serum, but they did and it works. Buy it here: usa.loccitane.com

[I'll throw in a mini tutorial for those of you who are new to serums: The point isn't to slather them all over your face like they're creams.  You only need one pump (or if it's in a bottle with a dropper, 2-3 drops) for your whole face. Any more than that and you'll get sticky. This is especially true with Vitamin C serums.]

Would You Wear a Blouse and a Pencil Skirt on a Date?

The TV has been showing nothing but trailers for the movie When in Rome for the past few weeks. There's something about them that is really bothering me, and I don't mean the awkward storyline.

There's a clip where Kristen Bell's friend asks her "What are you going to wear?" And the response is: "My navy blouse, a pencil skirt and some open-toe slingbacks."

It's taken out of context so I really hope the sentence before that was "Hey, did you hear about that really boring business meeting tomorrow?" and not "Hey, don't you have a date tomorrow?"

Because what twenty-something-age girl is going to wear a navy blouse and a pencil skirt on a date? EW!!! I don't care how many red carpet shots of Gwyneth Paltrow and Kate Moss in "sexy" pencil skirts you show me, this is not date attire.

If anyone sees this movie, please report back on this conversation.