The Best Intensive Body Moisturizers, Ever

This category covers the very best intensive body moisturizers, regardless of price. Feel free to weigh in on your favorites. This list is actually comprised of two separate lists:
1) The Beauty Insider's Picks: My own personal list of the best products in that category, in no particular order
2) The Popular Vote: The results of a poll I did of over 1000 beauty-savvy consumers, in order of popularity.

The Beauty Insider's Picks
1. Yu-Be Moisturizing Cream: This exotic product has very down-to-earth benefits. Created by a young Japanese pharmacist in 1957, it’s since become a staple for its ability to heal peeling, parched skin on knees, elbows, and feet. It’s packed with healthy hydrators like glycerin, vitamin E and B12. $29.95
2. Surgeon’s Skin Secret: Another decades-old standby, this basic yet effective formula contains nothing but beeswax, light mineral oil and lanolin. You can even use it on your lips. For travel, the same formula comes in a handy lavender-infused stick. The packaging is nothing to rave about, but the unbeatable, unfussy formula and modest price tag make it a best bet. $13.95
3. Lotil Cream: Formulated in England, where they know a thing or two about dry skin, this cream is a staple in British medicine cabinets for its ability to heal cracked, split skin, and prevent it from recurring. $16.50
4. Deep Steep Moisture Stick: Adorable packaging aside, this is one seriously ingenious little stick. An all-natural blend of cocoa and shea butters and essential oils melt on contact, relieving dry skin without greasing up fingers. It comes in two inspired scents: Honeydew-Spearmint or Grapefruit-Bergamot. $16
5. Aquaphor Original Ointment: If it’s gentle enough for a baby’s bottom, it’s gentle enough for your knees. Originally formulated to treat a baby’s delicate skin, this fragrance-free, preservative-free formula is safe for even the touchiest types. It soothes raw, irritated skin and helps heal dryness. $16.50 (approx.)
6. DDF Glycolic Intensive Cream 18%: Spread a little of this thick cream on dry patches before bed, and you’ll wake up to stunningly silky knees, elbows, and feet. It even helps control mild cases of psoriasis. $39
7. Elon Skin Repair System: This heavy, extremely moisturizing cream stays put, continually delivering soothing moisture to skin that is dry, rough and cracked. $19
8. Osmotics Tri-Ceram: This innovative cream contains a patented formula that is designed to replenish the skin’s ceramide deficiency, which can cause skin disorders such as eczema, atopic dermatitis and psoriasis. If this cream can help heal those skin conditions, imagine what it can do for everyday dryness. $30
9. Atopalm MLE Cream: This steroid-free cream soothes irritated, dry, flaky skin without any unwanted side effects. Gentle enough for even the most sensitive, this concentrated cream can be used all over, or only on seriously dry parts. $30
10. Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream: This basic, non-irritating formula can be used on face and body to seal in moisture. It’s so light, it doesn’t aggravate acne or leave skin greasy, but so hydrating that, when used regularly, it heals painful cracked fingertips. $10 (approx.)

The Popular Vote
1. Vaseline Petroleum Jelly, $3 (approx.)
2. The Body Shop Body Butter, $16
3. L’Occitane Pure Shea Butter, $35
4. Avon Moisture Therapy Intensive Extra Strength Cream, $6 (approx.)
5. Aquaphor Original Ointment, $16.50 (approx.)
6. Cocoa Butter
7. Lush King of Skin, $10.20
8. Nivea Creamy Conditioning Oil, $6.99
9. Kiehl’s Intensive Treatment and Moisturizer for Dry or Callused Areas, $21
10. Shea Butter

The Best Body Creams, Ever

This category covers the very best body creams, regardless of price. Feel free to weigh in on your favorites. This list is actually comprised of two separate lists:
1) The Beauty Insider's Picks: My own personal list of the best products in that category, in no particular order
2) The Popular Vote: The results of a poll I did of over 1000 beauty-savvy consumers, in order of popularity.

The Beauty Insider's Picks
1. Acqua di Parma Relaxing Orange Soft Cream: I took this entire collection on my honeymoon to St. Barth’s, and the hip blue packaging and luscious light citrusy scent won over me and my husband. This soothing, deeply hydrating cream is infused with the anti-aging benefits of vitamins A, C and E, plus orange blossom extract to make skin vibrant and glycerin to trap moisture. $55
2. Christiane Celle Calypso Perfumed Body Cream (Mimosa): This rich, luxurious cream is flowery without being fussy. I love the beautiful glass jar and the way it hydrates the most parched skin. $56 (approx.)
3. Nivea Renewal Night Crème for Body: Ceramides and vitamins F and H provide some serious skin therapy, firming and strengthening your skin while you sleep. The relaxing fragrance offers therapy of the aromatic kind, putting your senses in the right mood for slumber. $9.51
4. Archipelago Botanicals Soy Milk Hand & Body Body Crème No. 3: I don’t know what it is about this cream that has me reaching for it above almost any other. It’s addictive. I sent a tube to my cousin, and it became an instant favorite. Maybe it’s the soft, clean-smelling, barely-there scent, or the soothing, hydrating formula. I can even use it on freshly shaved skin without a hint of irritation. $15
5. Enessa After Bath Body Oil (Fresh): Most body oils have warm, spicy aromas, but this one is really unusual. It’s just as luxurious as other body oils, but it absorbs quickly and leaves behind nothing but a fresh, clean scent. It’s formulated with a combination of oils, including golden jojoba, grapeseed, safflower and essential oils of lemon, mandarin and orange. $28
6. L’Occitane Honey Harvest Body Balm: I love the warm sweet smell of honey, a great moisturizer, and this balm is packed with it, along with other nourishing ingredients like propolis and royal jelly. The creamy texture absorbs quickly and leaves my skin yummy and silky. $33
7. Fresh Rice Dry Body Oil: The company describes the scent of this amazing oil as “camellia and grapefruit deepened by luscious bourgeon de cassis, ripening into a fruity, earthy essence.” I call it addictive. I can’t stop slathering this oil on my arms and legs, or enlisting my husband to rub it into my shoulders. It’s got botanicals designed to warm muscles, and leaves skin silky, not greasy, with a gorgeous glow. $42
8. Dr. Hauschka Rose Body Oil: I know that a lot of people find a pure rose fragrance rather grandmotherly and old-fashioned, but I love it. This smells like walking through a rose garden after a summer shower, and it soothes skin and spirit while leaving behind a subtle sheen. $31
9. Benefit Bathina “Touch Me Then Try to Leave…” Cream: This cooling cream is so girlie and indulgent, it instantly became a favorite. The scent is seductive yet subtle, and it absorbs easily, leaving you moisturized but never greasy. $26
10. Neutrogena Body Oil with Sesame: This has been a standby since college, and it’s still hip. The subtle scent of sesame is sophisticated and slightly Asian-inspired, and it’s instantly relaxing. Plus, this is a “light oil” that absorbs instantly, leaving skin silky, not greasy. $15 (approx.)

The Popular Vote
1. The Body Shop Body Butter in Cocoa, $16
2. Clinique Deep Comfort Body Butter, $23.50
3. Bath & Body Works creams, $14-28
4. BeneFit Bathina “Touch Me Then Try to Leave”… Cream, $26
5. Avon Moisture Therapy Intensive Extra Strength Cream, $6 (approx.)
6. eSoaps Whipped Cream, $6
7. Lush Dream Cream, $19.95
8. Natural Esscents Body Whip (any scent), $7
9. Nivea Crème, $3.69
10. Origins Ginger Souffle Whipped Body Cream, $26

Impractical Skincare

Now that I am no longer pregnant, my skincare options have opened up. I can go back to using some of the products and ingredients I steered clear of during my pregnancy, so I was excited to pull out a few products from a line that I have been waiting to try and to test and give them a shot. This line contains a couple of products for morning and a couple for evening. In the evening, I used the wrinkle reducing serum and the eye cream, and liked them well enough, so far. But the next morning, I went to use the morning products and decided to read the labels to see which product should be used first. I couldn't believe what I read. The label says that each of these products should be left on for 15 minutes before applying makeup or the next product. 15 minutes for each product to penetrate. Who has an extra half hour to tack on to their morning routine? I am lucky if I can find the time to smooth on a cream or two, but to wait 15 minutes after each step to let it penetrate? Not a chance. So I am going to test the products, since I have them and they do look interesting, without waiting, and see what happens.

Any other examples of completely impractical skincare advice/routines/products? I'd love to hear about them!

The Frump Factor: Nursing Attire Part I

Thank goodness I have a gorgeous newborn with a full head of hair, because her beauty helped to detract from my feelings of frumpiness last night when I toted her along to a meeting. In preparation of a visit with the flatiron that never happened, my hair was pulled back. I wore a black sleeveless wrap front jersey dress from James Perse, BCBG black patent d'Orsay pumps, and a Donna Karan pink wrap cardigan. Nothing worked. The dress didn't seem to fit my postpartum body, the cardigan hung listlessly, and my hair looked dated and frizzy. Yuck.

In a way, dressing as a nursing mother is more challenging and more fraught with opportunities for disaster than maternity fashion. It's hard to keep from looking disheveled while nurturing another human being. Somehow, it always seems to show. So, for myself and the other nursing mothers out there, I plan to research some of the options for nursing mothers, from the conventional to the not-so-obvious, and I'll start with the upiquitous nursing cami.

The Glamourmom Nursing Tank: Let me start by saying that I ordered this in a size too big, a medium instead of a small, based on the company's own sizing information. I recommend ordering according to your shirt size and not according to your bra size, unless your breasts are extremely large. Because of this, the tank is just a little too big throughout the whole body. Otherwise, these offer great style (there are now longer, tunic-length versions available, as well as some trimmed with lace), great fabric, and great versatility. They're comfortable and reasonably stylish, and can be worn as underwear or outerwear, and even to bed. I do have a couple of gripes, however. First, the nursing closure is tricky at best, and requires two hands sometimes, which is tricky when you have a hungry, crying infant to deal with. Second, I wish it wasn't so obviously a nursing tank, but the straps very clearly show the nursing closure, taking away some of the glamour and putting the emphasis on the "mom" part of the name. Otherwise, I consider these an essential.

Check back for more nursing fashion reviews!

The Post Baby Body

I admit it. I'm lucky. It's been less than 4 weeks since Eva was born, and I've already lost my pregnancy weight. But my body still has a long way to go to look anything like it did pre-baby. Here's what's wrong:
1. I still have the discoloration on my stomach from whatever they applied to it during the c-section.
2. My incision site is still puffy and ugly and covered with tape.
3. The skin on my stomach feels dry and crepey and a little rough, and when I bend over, even the littlest bit, it wrinkles up like an accordion.
4. My stomach still protrudes a little.
5. My breasts are either massive and painfully engorged, or sad and lopsided, depending on how much Eva has been eating.
6. I have no muscle tone due to lack of exercise.

So now begins the work of getting things back in order. Check back often as I report on what works and what doesn't on the long road back to normalcy!

The Best Body Lotions Ever

This category covers the very best body lotions, regardless of price. Feel free to weigh in on your favorites. This list is actually comprised of two separate lists:
1) The Beauty Insider's Picks: My own personal list of the best products in that category, in no particular order
2) The Popular Vote: The results of a poll I did of over 1000 beauty-savvy consumers, in order of popularity.

The Beauty Insider's Picks
1. Palmer’s Skin Success Eventone Fade Milk: This light, sweet-smelling, easily absorbed lotion really works wonders to erase dark spots, scars and acne marks. When I use it regularly, my skin feels silky soft. $8.60
2. L’Oreal HydraFresh Moisturizing Body Spray: I’m not normally a fan of spray-on body products, as I find them hard to control, but this lotion made me a convert. This is the one I reach for on hot and humid Florida days because it is so light, refreshing, and non-sticky. It absorbs instantly, leaving nothing but clean-smelling satiny skin behind. $5.99
3. Frederic Fekkai Moisturizing Body Lotion with Shea Butter: The skin on my body is problematic, with dry limbs and pimple-prone areas on my back and chest. This lotion feels light and is oil-free, but, with a combination of shea butter, grapeseed, macadamia nut and sunflower seed, it’s still luxurious and moisturizing. $32
4. DDF Retinol Energizing Body Lotion: I gave a bottle of this to my aunt, and she was hooked on this anti-aging cream for the body. It contains just as much retinol and antioxidants as the corresponding face product, and regular use makes skin more vibrant and youthful. $90
5. Caswell-Massey Beauty Nectar Lotion: I first discovered this more than ten years ago, when it came in a beautiful glass flacon with stopper. It has since been repackaged in a less inspired, but more practical, plastic pump bottle, but the formula hasn’t changed. This lush, peach-colored lotion is packed with a trio of fruit acids and vitamin E to smooth out rough spots and leave skin gleaming and soft. $20
6. Neutrogena Body Clear Body Lotion: I love that this easy-to-apply lotion moisturizes and clears acne at the same time. Skin is left soft, not dry, and even telltale scars are diminished. It’s also not greasy or sticky. Too bad it’s discontinued. N/A
7. Lubriderm Daily UV Lotion SPF 15: Use this in place of your regular daytime body lotion, and you’ll get a light, fragrance-free, quickly-absorbed lotion and sunscreen in one easy step. $8 (approx.)
8. Peter Thomas Roth AHA12% Body Lotion: Most body lotions with powerful doses of AHAs pack quite a punch, but this formula is gentle and soothing without sacrificing the exfoliating action of acids. This fragrance-free lotion smoothes out rough patches, evens out skin tone, and won’t lead to body breakouts. $40
9. Fresh SugarBath Body Lotion: I love all three scents of this addictive lotion: Lily, Lemon and Lychee. The texture is amazing—light and luscious—and the sophisticated-sweet scent is never cloying or obnoxious. I use this in the evening, when I want to pamper myself before slipping into bed. $30
10. La Mer The Body Serum: This silky serum, while not technically a lotion, hydrates like one while treating skin the way a face serum would. It gradually fades pigmentation problems, spider veins and blotchiness while hydrating and soothing. $150

The Popular Vote
1. Bath & Body Works, $9-17.50
2. Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Lotion, $6 (approx.)
3. Nivea Original Lotion, $7 (approx.)
4. Aveeno Creamy Moisturizing Oil/Daily Moisturizing Lotion/Skin Relief (tie), $8/$7/$11 (approx.)
5. Avon Moisture Therapy Lotion (original), $8 (approx.)
6. Curel Daily Moisture Therapy Lotion, Original Formula, $9.50 (approx.)
7. Keri Moisture Therapy Lotion, Original for Dry Skin, $7.29 (approx.)
8. Kiehl’s Crème de Corps, $15
9. Lush Sympathy for the Skin, $19.45
10. Simply Satisfying Soaps Satisfyingly Soft Hand & Body Lotion (any scent), $8.79

The Perfect Gift - For Yourself!

If only I'd seen this earlier. Sephora has come out with a brilliant gift idea that would have made every girl on my gift list happy. It's called the Scent Sampler. Basically, you buy your lucky giftee a $50 fragrance gift certificate, and it comes packaged with an assortment of ten hot new fragrances. She tries them all, picks her favorite, and then redeems the certificate at her local Sephora for full-size bottle of her fragrance of choice. It also gives fragrance fanatics a chance to try all the hot new scents without making several trips to Sephora. So simple, yet so perfect. We all know how dicey it can be to try to choose a fragrance for someone. Either you take your chances with such a personal purchase, or you resort to buying them more of what they've already been wearing. Why didn't anyone think of this sooner?
Fortunately this is one gift you can easily give yourself, especially if, like me, your hectic scheduel doesn't give you much time to roam the perfume section of your favorite department store. Now if only someone would do this with candles and other home fragrances as well (my latest obsession for the last several months has been to find a signature scent for my home!).