You all know how much I love my Clarisonic Mia. I've been using it for years and it's one of those tools that I think is really invaluable for preserving beautiful skin. Many of you have written to me saying you'd love to own a Clarisonic, but it's not in your price range.

I contacted the people from Spa Sonic and they gladly sent a kit to review and kindly offered to give one away to a reader of the Daily Connoisseur! (More on that later.)


But first, what everyone wants to know: how does the Spa Sonic hold up to the Clarisonic?

This week's video gives you my in depth review and allows you to see both skincare brushes up close.

A few notable differences:

✦ The Spa Sonic is battery operated, whereas the Clarisonic requires a charger.
✦ The Spa Sonic brush head physically rotates in a circle, whereas the Clarisonic brush head vibrates.
✦ The Clarisonic is programmed to run for one minute. There is no timer on the Spa Sonic.
✦ The Spa Sonic includes four different attachments including: face brush, body brush, pumice stone and facial sponge.The Clarisonic Mia is only a facial brush.

There are pros and cons to each brush and my bottom line is this:

The Clarisonic is still the Rolls Royce of skincare brushes because of all of the technology behind it, but the Spa Sonic is an excellent runner up and is a great choice for people who cannot afford the Clarisonic. The Spa Sonic normally retails at around $60 (It's often on sale. As I write this it's available for $32 at Target, etc.).

The Spa Sonic is available at Costco, Target, Walmart, CVS and Walgreens. For more information visit www.myspasonic.com

If you are unable to see the video above, click here, look in the sidebar of this blog, or visit my channel: www.youtube.com/TheDailyConnoisseur

Giveaway

Spa Sonic is kindly offering to give away one Spa Sonic skincare brush to a reader of the Daily Connoisseur! This giveaway is open to US residents only (Spa Sonic's guidelines, not mine). Please enter via the rafflecopter widget below. I will announce the winner one week from today. Best of luck!


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Visit my Author Website

Like my Facebook Page

Follow me on Twitter

Sign up for my Seasonal Author Newsletter

Is it me? Or does this hairstyle remind you of Samantha from Bewitched? This modern take on the popular top knot has a very decided vintage feel to it... and I love it! Natasha Sunshine, founder of BYUTI Brentwood, shows us how.


Check out this week's video for the tutorial. Apologies for the sound quality! The salon was busy when we shot this. If you are unable to see the video above, click here, look in the sidebar of this blog, or visit my channel: http://www.youtube.com/TheDailyConnoisseur

Thank you to Natasha Sunshine and the entire team at BYUTI for collaborating with me on this fabulous hair tutorials!

For more on BYUTI Brentwood, visit them at www.byutiluxe.com

See you on Monday for the Spa Sonic vs. Clarisonic video (and giveaway) xx

Visit my Author Website

Like my Facebook Page

Follow me on Twitter

Sign up for my Seasonal Author Newsletter

I know the title is scintillating. A Ten-Second Updo? Well, we take a little more than ten seconds in this video because of the demonstration, but once you practice this easy updo, you'll be able to master it in ten seconds flat. Natasha Sunshine, founder of BYUTI Salon in Brentwood, shows us how.

First, secure your hair into a low side ponytail with a hair elastic. Then secure the bottom of the hair on the ponytail with an elastic, being sure to grasp on to a few strands of hair that are sticking out. Then gently push the bottom elastic until it meets with the top elastic. Wrap the long strand of hair that you have held onto around the updo. Secure with four or five bobby pins. Set with hairspray.

This is a messy, but controlled updo that is easy to do and has very pretty results...


Check out this week's video for the tutorial. If you are unable to see the video above, click here, look in the sidebar of this blog, or visit my channel: http://www.youtube.com/TheDailyConnoisseur

There is background noise in these videos. A viewer said she was annoyed by it in the comment section of the last video. We started shooting early in the morning when the salon was empty, and as the day went on, it filled up with customers. Pretend you are watching one of those fabulous backstage fashion show hair tutorials, which always have ambient background noise. Focus on the good, not the "bad". You could watch it on mute and still understand the tutorial. Don't be annoyed, be happy!

:)

Many people are asking where my dress is from. It's the Tory Burch dress featured in this year's fall/ winter ten-item wardrobe.

Many people also ask where the music is from. It is royalty-free music I have purchased from pond5.com. On YouTube you must use royalty free music. It's expensive! But you guys are worth it.

For more on BYUTI Brentwood, visit them at www.byutiluxe.com

Book News

♥︎ The manuscript for my second book is finished! My agent and I turned it into my editor this week. I love this book so much and I can't wait for you to read it. So far it is scheduled to come out around Christmas 2014. I will keep you updated.

♥︎ Lessons from Madame Chic is now going into its 4th printing! Also, Marshalls and TJ Maxx are now carrying our book. Thank you so much for keeping it going. It truly is the little book that could.


See you on Friday for another hair tutorial: a twist on the traditional top knot xx

Visit my Author Website

Like my Facebook Page

Follow me on Twitter

Sign up for my Seasonal Author Newsletter

A few weeks ago, as you know, I visited BYUTI Salon in Brentwood, where I go to get my hair done, to shoot hair and makeup tutorials. Last week you saw me with makeup artist, Georgette, and we learned a take on the modern smoky eye. Today you are going to meet my hairstylist and the founder of BYUTI Brentwood, Natasha Sunshine.

Natasha and her entire staff are incredibly talented. Every six weeks when I go to get my haircut I know I'm in for a treat!

Today Natasha is going to show us how to create glamorous and voluminous waves, perfect for the upcoming season.


To create these voluminous waves, Natasha recommends using a curling iron with a small barrel. Create curls in alternating directions as you go around the head, being sure to spray the hair with hairspray before curling. When the hair has cooled off, gently brush out the curls. Voilà!

The hairspray Natasha uses in the video is Pureology Strengthening Control Hairspray.

If you are unable to see the video above, click here, look in the sidebar of this blog, or visit my channel: http://www.youtube.com/TheDailyConnoisseur

As a celebration to kick off the month of December, I'm going to be posting three videos this week! Look for the other two hair tutorials I shot on Wednesday and Friday of this week.

Thank you Natasha and everyone at BYUTI Brentwood

For more on BYUTI Brentwood, visit them at www.byutiluxe.com

See you Wednesday for a tutorial on a 10 second updo (!) xx

Visit my Author Website

Like my Facebook Page

Follow me on Twitter

Sign up for my Seasonal Author Newsletter

Happy Thanksgiving. I hope you had a marvelous day yesterday. I am thankful for my family, my friends and for you dear readers. I feel as though we are all family. Thank you for showing up and for being a part of our beautiful community.

I am happy to come to you today with a very special giveaway. But first, a backstory...

A few weeks ago, Erica Silverman, my dear friend and literary agent, told me that her sister, Victoria Wilson, was about to publish a book on the life of Barbara Stanwyck. I was so thrilled to hear this because, as you know, I just love the golden age of Hollywood and Barbara Stanwyck is one of the most iconic screen actresses from the era.

Here's what Janet Maslin of the New York Times had to say about Victoria's book:

“860 glittering pages… it ends with a cliffhanger, creating eager anticipation for Ms. Wilson’s concluding volume… ‘A Life of Barbara Stanwyck: Steel-True, 1907-1940’ is not about the actress alone. It’s bigger and splashier. Stanwyck knew the most notable directors, writers, actors, studio chiefs and Broadway impresarios of her day, and Ms. Wilson is interested in all of them. A remarkable array of still photographs present
supporting characters like Florenz Ziegfeld, Annie Oakley, Clark Gable and Zeppo Marx, all of whom have their places in this account. An even more startling collection of movie ads and posters tells a riveting tale of sexism (about ‘Baby Face’: ‘You’ve never seen anything like this frank,
man-to-man story of a man-to-man girl!’), even as they chronicle Stanwyck’s career… The book describes how she evolved from an emotion-wringing actress into a sullen, bad-girl bombshell into Stella Dallas, arguably the most soapily self-sacrificing mother ever seen on camera… Regarding Ms. Wilson’s follow-up, no studio’s publicity department could offer a better set of coming attractions.”

A Life of Barbara Stanwyck Steel-True 1907 - 1940 is published by Simon & Schuster (behold the synergy!) and they were kind enough to send me a copy of this glorious volume and offered to do a giveaway to a reader of the Daily Connoisseur.

But before we get to the giveaway, check out these beautiful images S&S sent me of Ms. Stanwyck:






And here is a video of Victoria Wilson discussing the book:



This book would make the perfect holiday present for anyone who loves those classic old Hollywood movies...

Simon & Schuster are giving away one copy of A Life of Barbara Stanwyck Steel-True 1907-1940 to a lucky reader of the Daily Connoisseur. Please enter via the rafflecopter widget below. This giveaway is open to US residents only (the guidelines of this giveaway are set by the publisher, not by me). The winner will be announced on the widget one week from today. Best of luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


For more on Victoria Wilson, visit her at: http://www.victoriawilsonbooks.com/

See you next week for three very fun hair tutorials. Have a great weekend. xx

Visit my Author Website

Like my Facebook Page

Follow me on Twitter

Sign up for my Seasonal Author Newsletter

Last week I visited BYUTI salon in Brentwood, California and shot some hair and makeup tutorials that are perfect for the holiday season. This week kicks off those videos with BYUTI makeup artist, Georgette, and a modern smoky eye tutorial.

Georgette teaches us three essential tips to creating a dramatic, but modern smoky eye:

♥︎ Intensify the color in the crease of the eye
♥︎ Define the color in the outer "v" of the eye (think sideways v)
♥︎ Create a contrast of color with a lighter shade on the direct lid of the eye


Another new technique she used for this look is to only apply eyeliner to the waterline of the bottom lid. Because the crease is darkened, the eyeliner on the lower lid allows the eye to look bright, open and uplifted.

Georgette recommends finishing off this look with a bronzer and a neutral lip, to keep the focus on the eyes.

Thank you Georgette and BYUTI Salon! If you are unable to see the video above, click here, look in the sidebar of this blog, or visit my channel: www.youtube.com/TheDailyConnoisseur

For more on BYUTI salon visit: www.byutiluxe.com

I hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving this week. Come back to the blog on Friday for a very special giveaway of A Life of Barbara Stanwyck Steel-True by Victoria Wilson (including some amazing pictures and a great YouTube video of the author).

See you then!

Visit my Author Website

Like my Facebook Page

Follow me on Twitter

Sign up for my Seasonal Author Newsletter

This week we are talking about skincare updates. My skin has been "acting out" recently due to stress. Whenever this happens, I push the pause button and know that my body is trying to tell me to relax! Can you relate?

This video shares some tips I recently gleaned from my esthetician, Juliana, at Petite Spa. She recommended I use an oil for my skin. To which I replied, "An oil? Are you serious?"

She was, in fact, serious and I'm so glad I listened to her! I show you my calendula oil by Eminence in the video, but you can also use a coconut oil, sweet almond oil or even an olive oil (I hear this is one of Sofia Loren's beauty secrets), all of which can be purchased at your local grocery or health food store.

Many people have also asked me if I remove my makeup before using the Clarisonic. My answer is, I do now! I share how I remove my makeup in the video and show you what I am currently using for eye and face makeup removal.

Finally, many of you have written to me telling me you'd love to try the Clarisonic, but it is not in your budget. I am trying out the Spa Sonic, which retails at around 1/3 of the price of the Clarisonic. I'll do a more comprehensive review of the spa sonic, as well as a giveaway, in a few weeks.

If you are unable to see this week's video, click here, look in the sidebar of this blog, or visit my channel, www.youtube.com/TheDailyConnoisseur

I urge you to become a connoisseur of your own skin... learn to read it and more important, to listen to it. Listen to your skin when it is trying to tell you something. Never give up your curiosity about how to best care for it and don't make assumptions (like me, assuming that oil is detrimental to the skin!) about new ideas. The most expensive products don't always equal what's best for you. Look at the beautiful Sofia Loren... olive oil sure worked for her :)

This week I would love to know... what are your skincare updates?

See you soon! xx

Visit my Author Website

Like my Facebook Page

Follow me on Twitter

Sign up for my Seasonal Author Newsletter

How do I not get distracted by a bargain?

Should I have a budget in mind when I choose my ten-item wardrobe?

How do you look presentable when you are in the nursing phase of motherhood?

I answer all of these questions in this week's video and share insights from a male admirer of Lessons from Madame Chic.

If you are unable to see the video above, click here, look in the sidebar of this blog, or visit my channel: www.youtube.com/TheDailyConnoisseur

As always, I would love to hear your thoughts on any or all of the subjects discussed in this week's video.

What are your answers to these questions?

We took the girls to the Natural History Museum in Los Angeles this weekend. Looking at real dinosaur fossils never ceases to amaze me. Check out these two guys:


Lastly...

Expressing deep gratitude to our veterans today. Happy Veterans Day. Thank you for all you have done for us ♥︎

See you next week! xx

Visit my Author Website

Like my Facebook Page

Follow me on Twitter

Sign up for my Seasonal Author Newsletter