I was just introduced to Erno Laszlo skincare and it’s quickly becoming a favorite. Erno Laszlo was a famous eccentric dermatologist from Hungary that came to America and opened an institute in 1939. His mantra is “Beautiful skin takes commitment, not a miracle.” (You’ll see that later on when we get to the famous splashing technique). Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn,  Grace Kelly and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis were all clients of his. I’m a sucker for luxurious products, so of course I was excited. Jeanie and Sherry gave me a bunch of good stuff to try, including sample of the Hydra Therapy Sleep Mask, which I mentioned here. I love masks you can sleep in, so I was especially excited to try this. I loved it so much I ended up purchasing the full size.

I talked to Julie, a representative from the brand to learn more about the line and get recommendations according to my skin type. At the risk of boring you with  too many specifics, my skin is pretty sensitive and acne prone. If I use the right products, everything can be fine. BUT, one wrong mask and I’ll be recovering from a breakout for weeks. I’m always wary of over-drying and make it a point to use lots of moisturizing products (think oils, masks, that REN emollient cream that I love).  I told Julie I had dry but acne-prone skin. We talked about it more, and decided on a program for combination skin, and she sent me these products to try. It felt like Christmas. Shout out to @shopanomie on Instagram for the photo inspiration)

How cute are those tiny bottles? When Jeanie and Sherry originally gave me the pre-cleansing oil and mini treatment to try, I didn’t read the instructions and was apparently using them incorrectly. Julie explained that you’re supposed to rub the wet treatment bar over the pre-cleansing oil on your face, and the two mix together to make a creamy emulsion. Much better results. I also got to try these eye creams. They’re all great, but I think I like the Firmarine best. The first one I tried, TranspHuse, is an age fighting, moisturizing eye cream. The Luminous is a detoxifiying, cooling gel. The Firmarine forumla hydrates for smoother, firmer under eyes.  Spirulina Maxima encourages collagen production & boosts firmness. Sodium Hyaluronate & Glycosaminoglycans hydrate, increase elasticity & smooth the skin. Aloe Extract calms, soothes & moisturizes. They’re all a clear, gel formula that doesn’t irritate my eyes at all.

Here’s the cleansing ritual I tried:

Before I use the Erno products, I take my makeup off using Bioderma cleansing water. Then, I follow with these four steps:

One: Phelityl Pre Cleansing Oil: For dry and combination skin types that want to remove impurities before they wash their face, it’s rich in 12 essential oils full of fatty acids to nourish and protect the skin. I’ve used cleansing oils in the past, (I use the ones from Shiseido because they’re extra soft). This smells wonderful and feels awesome on the skin. I take my time rubbing it in before I add the soap because it feels so great.

Two: Sea Mud Deep Cleansing Bar: Enriched with 26 essential minerals, this magic bar is supposed to detoxify, cleanse and hydrate. Here’s how to use it: Fill the sink with hot water, dip the bar, and gently rub the bar over the Face (the oil is still on the skin at this point). Repeat to create a rich lather and massage the face. Then comes the famous splashing technique. Splash 20 times in the accumulated water, then splash another 10 times with clean water. This is apparently the magic trick. I’ve seen bloggers/vloggers talk about gathering product from the bar with a wet Clarisonic brush and using that, but I haven’t tried that yet. The first time I tried this, I washed the oil off before using the soap, which was more trying. The two together is a perfect formula.

Three: Light Controlling Lotion: This is called a lotion but it’s what most of us would refer to as a toner. It controls surface oil while minimizing the appearance of pores. This is the product I was most hesitant about. I stay away from toners because I associate them with alcohol and drying out the skin. I was pleasantly surprised at this one. Clove Oil eliminates bacteria & serves as an antiseptic, while glycerin naturally binds moisture to the skin. The result is clean, refreshed skin and tightened pores. Sweeping it over the skin with a cotton pad (I use the ones from Shiseido because they’re super soft) gently exfoliates and it makes my face feel super clean.

These three products come in this set, which I’ll be purchasing once my samples run out/when my no buy February is over.

Four: Oil Control Day Lotion with SPF 15: It seems like a basic moisturizer with an SPF of 15, but I love the way the whole system works together. It’s described as  a moisturizer for oily skin that needs moisturizing, but also needs oil control. Glycerin plus antioxidant Vitamins A, C & E hydrate, repair and renew the skin. Avobenzone (3%) & Octinoxate (7.5%) protect from UVA/UVB rays.

Don’t forget to use the code TIRAMISU to get 10% off these and any other products you like at Elementsbeautyshop.com or in their Carytown boutique.

*This post is a sponsored collaboration with Elements Beauty Shop.  All opinions are my own.

Elements also partnered with Chic Stripes, Worthy Style, Sweet Caroline RVA and Kristel Poole. Be sure to check out their posts too!

My favorite things to relax with.

The most amazing vanilla tea (This links to Amazon but it’s cheaper at your local grocery store. I got mine at Martin’s) | A Candle that smells like Abercrombie (in a good way?) | A hydrating lavender mask | The sweetest little teacup. The softest, most wonderful lounging pants (I can’t wait to get another pair in black).

1. Mason Pearson Styling Comb from Elements Beauty Shop: I bought these for my dad and my boyfriend this past Christmas and they both really like them. My dad had always used type of plastic combs that are free in hotels, so he was excited to have one that’s made by hand. The plastic comes to the factory in Switzerland from Italy in a sheet, where it is die-cut into the general shapes of the comb styles. From that point, until the comb is finished, everything is done by hand. Each tooth is cut, one at a time, on a special saw. The comb is then tumbled in a polishing drum to smooth the surface.

2. The Red Lindsay Lambswool Scarf from Ledbury: Everything from this store is so luxurious and has me wishing they made clothes for women too. They’re kicking off a big warehouse sale this Thursday with a Mardi Gras-themed party in their downtown Richmond showroom. Sweaters, blazers, accessories and discontinued shirt styles will be up to 75% off through Monday the the 16th.

3. Statesman Socks from BoldFoot: Frustrated by design under a concept called “planned obsolescence,”(the amount of time a brand wants its products to last before they fall apart and you’re forced to replace them) and the fact that just 3% of apparel sold in the U.S. is made in the U.S., my former coworker, Brad, launched Boldfoot just last year. Boldfoot aims to prove that “American-made” stands for something, and is starting with awesome socks. They’re 100% American-made from cotton grown right here in the states.

4.  The McDaniel Chambray: Another classy pick from Ledbury.

5. Caswell-Massey Shaving Brush: My boyfriend really wanted one of these for Christmas. I didn’t realize that Elements carried them until after I’d already bought him one from The Art of Shaving in Short Pump Mall. I wish I’d seen these though. A much cheaper price-point ($35 vs. $85) and it’s a local business.

6. Jack Black Supreme Cream Triple Cushion Shave Lather: I bought this to go with the brush. He says he only needs to use a little bit of the product and it’s his favorite thing from the Jack Black line.

7. Luncar Eclipse Tie from Richmond Thread Lab: I showed my friend Molly this roundup as I was working on it and she made sure I didn’t leave out this company. I love this tie and this grey one.

8. Candy Valley Cake Pops: How awesome are these?! I first tried these when they made these adorable custom geckos for our client’s book launch and I’ve since had them at company parties, bridal showers, and football parties. If you’re guy has a sweet tooth, these are perfect. AND, they’re taking orders up until the 13th!

Get 10% off any purchase from Elements Beauty Shop with the Code TIRAMISU.

Just picked up this dainty little thing from Need Supply in Carytown.

PS: Cat Bird also has a pretty version (which is what I saw first), but it’s $$$.

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The lovely Tiffany Williams of Chloe+Isabel knows supporting the local arts community in Richmond is important to me, so she offered to collaborate on a fundraiser for Richmond CenterStage.

Chloe+Isabel is a jewelry company based out of NYC where everything is designed in house. Everything is hypoallergenic, nickel- and lead-free, and has a lifetime guarantee.

Richmond CenterStage is a 501c3 organization whose mission is to provide diverse local and world-class performing arts, transformative arts education experiences for students of all ages, and inspirational venues—all to strengthen the cultural and economic vitality of Greater Richmond. I’m the current chair of the Richmond CenterStage Associates board, where we support the foundation by spreading awareness and raising funds. Here’s a few of us from the group at one of our fundraising events.

  One of my favorite parts of being involved with this organization is participating in Lights Up.  Lights up is a free weekend of youth and the arts at the Genworth BrightLights Education Center with  30 workshops, master classes, lecture-demonstrations and live performances featuring the Resident Companies of Richmond CenterStage. Children get to play in an “instrument petting zoo,” with cellos, violins, trombones, and other instruments that might not get to experience if it weren’t for this organization.

Now that I’ve convinced you of the worthy cause, here’s how the fundraiser works: I picked out ten items from the Chloe+Isabel collection. ALL of the profits from these ten items will be donated to Richmond CenterStage. Click here to see/shop these items! Thank you, Tiffany, for being so generous and I’m excited to see which jewels you all choose!

This is the second post of a collaborative series of posts with Elements Beauty Shop about skincare. (Check out the first one here.) Because it’s been super cold here in Richmond for the past week or so, we decided we’d share some winter skin savers.

My skin tends to be on the dry side, so I like to use hydrating masks year round. I’ve started to incorporate some extra moisturizing products into my routine for winter. I like to keep most of my routine the same (cleanser, moisturizer) so I like to pack in the extra moisture in the form of oils and balms. Here are a few of my favorites:   

1. REN Vita Mineral Emolient Rescue Cream: I love using this on any spots of dryness  (like the corners of my mouth). I’ll put it on before I go to bed, and even dab it on over my makeup throughout the day if I need to.

2. CV Skinlabs Restorative Skin Balm: Sherry and Jeanie had nothing but good things to say about this stuff. The consistency reminds me of Elizabeth Arden’s Eight Hour cream: that thick, vaseline texture that’s good for super, super dry spots.

3. REN Rose O12 Moisture Defense Oil: This smells amazing, obviously, but it seriously does the job too. I mentioned it first in my Best of Ren post, where it’s described as a “blanket for your skin.” I like to put this under my moisturizer before bed.

4. REN Vita Mineral Omega 3 Optimum Skin Serum Oil: Leslie, the Ren rep mentioned here, was kind enough to send me a bottle of this to try and it’s great! It’s not quite as thick as the rose oil, so I can use this one during the day too. Omega 3 from Vegetal Plankton and Gold from Pleasure Oils are supposed to promote natural cell renewal and optimum moisture levels to restore firmness and elasticity.

5. Erno Laszlo Hydra Therapy Memory Sleep Mask: I can’t even believe how soft my skin is when I wake up after using this. It has the coolest texture. Apparently it’s “based on memory foam developed for the NASA space program, the weightless gel texture bounces back, cushioning the skin to restore youthful elasticity overnight.” How crazy is that – NASA?! I bought this last month and it’s my favorite new product.

If you have issues with dry lips, Jeanie and Sherry recommended the Pure Marula lip balms. It has micro-encapsulated marula oil, beeswax and mango butter for barrier protection and Kokum oil for skin rejuvenation. I can’t wait to try it.

Use the code “Tiramisu” at ElementsBeautyShop.com for 10% off your purchase!

I’m also super excited to tell you about the Elements Beauty Shop Pin To Win contest! All you have to do is create a beauty wish list on Pinterest (here’s my board), and you could win a gift card! ! Check out the details in the image below and click through to enter on Facebook.

*This post is a sponsored collaboration with Elements Beauty Shop.  All opinions are my own.

PS: Elements also teamed up with a few more bloggers, so be sure to look out for their posts (I’ll be sure to share them on my Facebook page).

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I got this makeup bag for Christmas (which I LOVE). I did a “What’s in My Makeup Bag” post a while ago, and I’ll be doing an updated one soon.

Express has some really great wear-t0-work staples. I talked about the portofino shirt here, and now their Barcelona Cami has caught my eye. I was shopping with my friend Emily, who was looking for things to wear for her job as a statistician (Models, SomersD, Basel? What?!), and she picked up a couple of these. The shape reminds me of the silk camis at J. Crew (I talk about those here) but these seem a lot sturdier and I love that they’re reversible.