Coquette

NuFACE Trinity: Easy Anti-Aging Technology for You at Home

Taking care of my skin is a top priority of mine. For the last couple of months, I have been using the NuFACE Trinity Facial Toning Device before my regular evening skin care routine at least five times a week. The NuFACE Trinity is said to be like a 5 minute face lift. It tones the face while also improving fine lines and wrinkles. It is currently the only handheld micro current device that is approved by the FDA and uses the same technology used by aesthetic professionals. Some of the benefits of use are: firmer muscles, tighter skin, lifted brows, contoured cheekbones and a more defined jaw line.

From the Nuface website:

Microcurrent is a low-level current that typically operates in the range of 0-400 microamps. Microcurrent facial toning devices send soft, gentle waves through the skin in an effort to stimulate ATP production which drives production of collagen and elastin. Microcurrent facial toning devices drive cellular energy production which is needed to produce key structural proteins (collagen and elastin) throughout the skin.

There are currently three attachments that can be used with the NuFACE device. It comes with the microcurrent attachment and you can add the wrinkle remover attachment ($125) and the new lip and eye attachment ($149).

The device is very easy to use so don't be intimidated by it. I have both the microcurrent attachment and the wrinkle remover attachment for my NuFACE Trinity. I got a hands on tutorial from the NuFACE specialists at a press event in SF. From them, I learned how to use it and they watched me try it on myself. It's pretty easy so don't be intimidated by it! For the microcurrent attachment, I first wash my face completely so that it is clean. I then apply the NuFACE gel primer gel that comes with the device (I have since purchased another gel primer off Amazon for only $12.48.) The gel reminds me of when you get an ultrasound, it helps the device run smoothly over your face and helps conduct the microcurrent waves through your skin. If you feel a little static when you use the device on your face, it means you need more gel on the area. Keep this in mind especially when you get close to your hairline. I tend to apply the gel when I first start working on an area and then repeat that until my entire face is done. You will hear a starter beep when you place it on your face and as you slowly move it across your face, there will be an ending beep. The device comes with a booklet which has information on all the steps for using your device and you can also watch the how-to video online. After you are done using the device, you can wash the gel off your face. I have this routine down for my evening routine and it only takes around 5-6 minutes to do my face. I do this 5 times a week and after a few months, you can also bump it down to 3 times a week. See the pictures in the before and after gallery to show you how the cumulative results work.

The wrinkle remover attachment uses red light technology and should be used on a clean dry face. It does take more time to do this as you will need to keep it on specific areas of your face for minutes at a time. I don't do my entire face with this but I do spend a few minutes on specific areas I want to target such as my forehead and under eye area. If you feel like you need this, find ways to use this in times when you are idle such as watching TV or reading a book so you aren't bored starting at yourself in the mirror.

I tried the lip and eye attachment at the press event and saw how it can help lift eyelids and work areas that are hard to reach such as laugh lines between your nose and lips. The NuFACE specialist showed me how she got rid of her brow furrow lines which I could only notice if I looked really close up to her face. She mentioned that it took three months to get the results that I was seeing. Her success story is what motivated me to really be on myself to use the device correctly for 5 times a week. It is really easy and you will feel and possibly see results start to happen within a week.

After two months of use I can feel that my skin has more elasticity and looks more radiant. My under eye area had some slight wrinkles previously and I have seen it greatly reduced as well as the small lines on my forehead. I am loving how my cheeks feel and my defined jaw line. In a crazy coincidence, my friend happened to get this device at the same time as I did and we recently saw each other. Both of us could see a difference in each other's face. (She is in her early 40's.) The NuFACE Trinity is easy to use and takes only a little bit of time and dedication on your part. In the end, the results you will have will be worth it! I have had so many women come up to me in the last two months telling me how amazing my skin looks and thinking I am 10+ years younger than I really am.

Purple NuFACE Trinity ($325)
As a special limited edition holiday treat, get the NuFACE Trinity device in purple. This holiday gift set comes with a NuFACE Trinity device in purple with stand, a mini NuFACE Lifter Infusion Serum and silver clutch.

Digital Storefronts at Westfield Shopping Center in SF

(Photo: Instagram @pinganne)

Westfield Shopping Center
865 Market Street
San Francisco, CA 94103

This holiday season when you head into Westfield Shopping Center in San Francisco, you'll see three new digital storefronts from Westfield Labs in partnership with eBay Inc. Three digital stores: Rebecca Minkoff, Sony and TOMS are all located on the 4th floor from November 20 - Jan 12. Shoppers can browse and purchase over 100 products on an interactive touch screen. Once you select the items you want to purchase, you can checkout by pushing the order to your mobile phone either through a text message or short URL. Pay securely with PayPal and also get free home delivery for the goods! Sony products can also be picked-up at the Sony Gallery on the 3rd level.

If you shop at one of these digital storefronts, have fun by sharing your experience with the hashtag #digitalstore.

Clarins Essentials Eye Make-up Palette Collector Edition

Ever since I received the new Clarins Essentail Eye Make-up Palette ($45), I have been using it every day to try out all of the different colors and combinations. I don't normally wear eye shadow everyday, but in the case of this palette, I seriously couldn't help myself! All ten mineral eye shadow colors colors fit me so well and are universally flattering for everyone. I have gone light by just brushing on a bit of the light beige for a simple day look to going all out for evening. There is a plastic overlay that comes with the palette that numbers all the colors for you and shows you a few different ways on applying, contouring and highlighting your eyes.

This limited edition palette also contains a double sided pony hair brush for great eye-shadow application. I typically never use those tiny applicators from eye palettes but this one is perfectly usable! The whole palette is perfect for travel because this is all you will need for your eyes.

This palette was created as part of Clarins' initiative to minimize our environmental impact, and features carefully-selected materials and reusable packaging. Proceeds from the purchase of this palette will go to planting 10,000 trees in Brazil for medical or cosmetic use, which will help revive the Kuntanawa culture (Amazonia).

Today is also the last day for free shipping! Pick one up for yourself and another one for your mom or BFF for the holidays.

Free Shipping on ANY order - code NOVFREESHIP (valid 11/19-11/21)

Disclaimer: Review product was provided by Clarins.

How To Wash Your Face

(Photo)

November is National Healthy Skin Month and I for one am pretty passionate about good skin care. Dermatologist Dr. Susan Stuart from La Jolla Skin Dermatology shares her tips on the right way to wash your face. Her subtle tips can help make the difference in great looking skin, especially as we approach winter. Let's keep our skin looking radiant!

It's important to stimulate your lymph system to get much needed oxygen and blood circulating in your face. Also, be sure that you are using the correct cleanser for your skin type and Dr. Stuart recommends to avoid using bar soaps at all costs — they can really dry out your skin. She explains that, "the goal of face washing is to unclog pores and to dissolve dirt, makeup and remove excess oils. You may not realize that this is also a great opportunity to slough off dead skin cells by exfoliating."

(I use the Clarins' Gentle Foaming Cleanser with Shea Butter that leaves my skin soft. It doesn't feel stripped like most cleansers do for my skin.)

Begin washing your face starting at your forehead and work your way to your nose, then outwards to your cheeks and eventually down to your face and neck. A proper face wash is a really simple way to maintain the health of your skin.

Dr. Stuart’s Four Step Process for Correct Face Washing

Step 1: Begin by washing your hands. (You don't want all of the grease, grime and germs from your hands on your face, do you?) And, if you have on any eye makeup, remove it before you begin to cleanse.

Step 2: Wet your face completely with tepid water. Anything too hot will shock the skin and could even burst capillaries, resulting in those sensitive red marks usually found around the nose and cheeks. Next, squeeze a dime-sized amount of cleanser onto your fingertips and rub them together. Use your fingertips to massage the cleanser into your skin (anywhere from 30 seconds to a minute) in small and gentle circular motions.

Step 3: One of the best ways to ensure that dirt and makeup are removed is by using a muslin cloth when you rinse. In addition, if you gently scrub in small circles, the cloth also acts as a light exfoliant! Also, don't forget to rinse your hairline, your neck and the nooks on either side of your nose.

Step 4: Finish by splashing your face two to three times with cool water (not freezing cold—again, you don't want to shock your face) to close your pores and then pat your skin dry with a clean towel.

List of Face Washing Mistakes

Not washing your hands - Before you start with washing and cleaning of your face, thoroughly wash your hands. You do not want bacteria from hands to be transferred onto the delicate facial skin.

Don’t use cold water - It is a big mistake to rinse your face with cold water due to close the pores. Not only will the cold or hot water shock and irritate the skin, but it will also lead to varicose veins on the face.

Other Tips

Be cautious when applying facial cleansers. Never apply facial cleanser without moisturizing your face first. Most of these products are aggressive and should be mitigated by water.

Not rinsing and repeating. If you don't wash out well cleansing product, it will dry out your skin and clog pores. Rinse face until you completely remove the cleanser. Do not forget to rinse the area close to the scalp, as this leads to skin irritation.

Do not exaggerate with peeling. Exfoliation removes dead skin cells leaving smooth skin on your face. But if you do the peeling often, you can remove and dry up a new layer of skin, which will eventually weaken the natural protection of the skin of the face.

What about the towel? The towel you use for your face should always be clean and soft.

Never go to bed without first thoroughly cleaning the face of makeup and dirt. Leaving makeup overnight can lead to accumulation of fungi and redness and irritation.

Gilt City San Francisco Warehouse Sale - Saturday, November 23

The Gilt City SF Warehouse Sale is happing on Saturday, November 23rd! Buy your $10 ticket online to shop from Gilt's top brands from men's and women's fashion to home accessories at up to 90% off retail.

Saturday, November 23rd
9:00am - 9:00pm
Refreshments provided by HINT
Snacks provided by Special K
On-site mini-spa services by exhale
Music by live DJ

After you shop, tweet and instagram a photo of what you purchased from the Warehouse Sale by using the hashtag #RaidtheWarehouse to enter to win $100 of Gilt credit.

NARS Guy Bourdin Holiday Collection

Can we talk color? The new NARS Guy Bourdin Holiday Collection packs color with a punch! This limited edition collection features eye shadows, lipsticks, blush and nail polishes that will keep you cheery in cold weather and brighten up your completion. Don't forget that these are limited edition so get them before they are all gone!

The Cinematic Eyeshadows ($24 each) are so soft and pigmented. I love how they are buildable depending on how light or intense you want your eye. The eyeshadows come in 5 shades. I have it in Bad Behaviour which is a deep pewter, great for making a beautiful shimmery smokey eye. You can also use it wet which I do to lightly line my bottom lashes. For my brown eyes, I am looking at getting Rage (electric orchid) and the Cambodia (warm brown) to add to my collection. I don't normally like individual eye shadows but these are so compact, it makes it easy to store in your makeup bag and just have the colors you need.

Let's talk lips! Get some dramatic color with Short Circuit (coral) or Future Red, Goodbye Emmanuelle (pink) or Full Frontal (rose violet). If a more muted lip is your choice, you can't go wrong with Dusty Rose (not pictured). After a summer season of using sheer lipstick, it's nice to feel the impact of color of matte lipstick and not worry about the color fading off every half hour. Each lipstick is $26.

Blushes are a NARS cult favorite and there are three in the NARS Guy Bourdin Holiday Collection. Choose from Coeur Battant (magenta), Day Dream (peachy pink) and Exhibit A (matte red blush). Each are $29.

The nail polishes are beautifully bright and if I had to pick two to get, I would get No Limits (bright pink violet) and Follow Me (deep fuchsia). The other colors are Tomorrow's Red and Union Libre (blossom pink). Each nail polish is $19.

Disclaimer: Review products were provided by NARS Cosmetics for this post.

Winner of the Alexa Chung Book Giveaway

Congratulations to Sarah from East Wareham, MA for winning a copy of Alexa Chung's new book, IT in my recent giveaway. Thanks to everyone who entered on the blog, Twitter, and Instagram! More giveaways will be coming soon!

Coach Borough Bag: Spotted on Jessica Alba

(Photos: Zimbio)

Jessica Alba looks happy sporting her Coach Borough Bag in Pebbled Leather ($548 at Coach) while filming her upcoming movie, "How to Make Love Like an Englishman". She's wearing it in the perfect fall color Oxblood and from the looks of the stills, this bag works perfectly dressed up or casual for the weekend.

The Borough Bag in Pebbled Leather ($548 in Black, Oxblood, Alpine Moss)
13 3/4" (L) x 9" (H) x 5 1/2" (W)

It's no surprise this new Coach Borough bag has become so popular among trend-setting celebs like Sarah Jessica Parker and Lea Michele (see my previous post with lots of Borough eye candy). This durable bag continues the trend for subtlety in design among handbags. What I also love? That this sophisticated tote is completely affordable. (Get this bag on your holiday wish list now!) This is the perfect sized bag for everyday, not to big to carry around for fun weekend times, yet roomy enough for the office.

The Borough Bag also comes in polish calfskin ($598) in the regular size in black or teal.

The Large Borough Bag in Polished Calfskin ($898 in Black, Oxblood)
16 1/4" (L) x 11 1/2" (H) x 6 1/2" (W)

If you carry more to work such as a laptop and files, then you can go big with the Large Borough Bag where you can fit so much more. The long strap that's attached to the bag is perfect for when you need to carry the bag over your shoulders.

The large size also comes in pebbled leather ($798 in Black or Alpine Moss).

The Mini Borough Bag in Pebbled Leather ($378 in Black, Oxblood, Alpine Moss)
9 3/4" (L) x 7" (H) x 3" (W)

The Mini Borough is the perfect little crossbody bag which I am coveting in Oxblood for the holidays. The bag features three zippers and plenty of compartments inside for you to hold your essentials. The long strap is a great way to go hands free! You can also get it in polished calfskin ($398 in Black).

Shop The Borough Bag collection at Coach.com.

Related:
Preview the New Coach Borough Bags

Sweater Weather Gets Fun

Sweaters get way more fun this season from whimsical type to cute animals. It's time to have fun while keeping warm. Who could resist pink bunnies with the Quotation Cashmere Sweater ($238 at Bloomingdales) and the Joie Shirlene Sweater ($268 at Shopbop). Both of these sweaters showcase the animal print trend in different ways.

Here are more novelty sweaters I adore:

Pim + Larkin Cashmere Blend "&" Sweater ($98 at Piperlime)

Pim + Larkin Cashmere Blend Oui Sweater ($98 at Piperlime)

Hive & Honey Merci Sweater - Sandshell/Black ($69 at Piperlime)

Pim + Larkin Sparkle Owl Pullover ($98 at Piperlime)

Elizabeth and James Raincloud Intarsia Sweater ($298 at Shopbop)

Joie Valera Intarsia Sweater ($298 at Shopbop)

Aqua Cashmere Scattered Star Intarsia Sweater (on sale for $136.50 until 11/17)

Aqua Cashmere Heart Robots Drop Shoulder Sweater (on sale for $138.60 until 11/17)

Equipment Shane Crew Neck Sweater - Black/ivory (on sale for $239.99 at Piperlime)

Benefit's Limited-Edition Holiday Sets

As the holidays approach, I get so excited for all the various holiday palettes and limited-edition sets that are currently popping up at beauty counters near you. Benefit holiday sets are a perfect way to have everything you need in one place. I also think it is a great way to try sample different products. One tip: keep a kit in your desk drawer at work to instantly touch yourself up before going out at night or for quick touch ups. I love the packaging for this holiday season where the products are displayed inside a decorative metal tin that can easily be reused once you are done.

Nudes are in and for just $25 you can pick up the luv it up! makeup kit (colors above and at top) featuring three deluxe eye shadows (call my buff, nude swings, thanks a latte), a creaseless cream shadow and a dandelion ultra plush nude lip gloss (which has been living now in my handbag). At this price, pick up this little gem as a stocking stuffer and don't forget to get one for yourself too! View the PDF featuring instructions on how to apply.

If you're looking for a little more in a kit, the groovy kind-a love kit ($36) features everything for eyes, cheeks, and face. The kit includes the POREfessional (I use this on and around my nose), they're real mascara, benetint, dandelion and gimme fever cheek powder duo, 4 shade deluxe eyeshadow palette with double ended sponge applicator. The eyeshadows are wonderfully pigmented and buildable. I use these nude colors the most and I can never get enough! View the PDF featuring instructions on how to apply.

Disclaimer: Products were provided by Benefit for this review.