Coquette

Get Ready for Fall + Christmas with Jo Malone London

Jo Malone London has been a favorite brand of mine for years because they can do no wrong when it comes to wonderful fragrances! I just received their new Christmas Cracker for 2017 called the Crazy Colourful Christmas Cracker ($48) and am blown away from the three scented treats inside the beautiful box. I always love Jo Malone London boxes but this cracker box is just the cutest! It's the perfect way to try new scents and products!

Blackberry & Bay Cologne
I love this beautiful fresh scent of blackberries blended with bay and brambly woods. The smell is so light and fruity that I think this fragrance can be mixed well with other Jo Malone scents too. I have tried it so far with my Wood Sage & Sea Salt which smells so divine together! This 9 ml bottle is perfect to take on the go in your handbag or for travel. I think this could be my new favorite everyday Jo Malone London fragrance!

Basil & Neroli Body & Hand Wash
This floral neroli and basil fragrance is just so wonderfully fresh smelling. The clear gel lathers up nicely and leaves the scent softly on your hands and body. The 15 ml bottle is perfect for weekend getaways or your gym bag.

English Pear & Freesia Body Creme
The Jo Malone London body cremes are my favorite for their luxurious silky feel! I have never tried the English Pear & Freesia scent so this was particurly indulgent as the warm scent is perfect for the fall season. The fragrance contains pears, white freesias, amber, patchouli and woods. I love the small size of this body creme container because it's much easier to use than their larger jars (which I have dropped and broken before, only making myself need to repurchase a week later because of how addicting it is). The body cream absorbs really well into your skin so that the fragrance stays with you longer. This is one of the reasons I love their body creams, so much aside from making my skin super soft especially during the colder months!

The Jo Malone London Crazy Colourful Christmas Cracker is such a fabulous stocking stuffer or place on the Christmas dinner table like traditional Christmas crackers.

One of the recently launched scents for Jo Malone London is English Oak & Redcurrant. This wonderful scent is mixed with redcurrant, zest of green mandarin, rose with white musk is enveloped in roasted oak. It definitely has a warm feel to it to it that is making me feel cozy for fall and the onset of colder weather. I have the English Oak & Redcurrant Body & Hand Wash ($40) for my main bathroom sink. I love this scent so much that just lingers every so subtly on your hands after you wash it. My husband says it makes him feel like he's at a luxury hotel and that's exactly how I'd like my guests to feel when they come over! I'd also recommend this scent in their candle version so it can softly fill a room and make it feel extra cozy.

Shop Jo Malone London at jomalone.com.

Review products provided by Jo Malone London.

Dry Brushing with Saje

I first heard about dry brushing from my good friend Heather who is an amazing wellness expert. She always shares her wellness tips with me and I knew dry brushing was something I needed to try for myself. I received the Saje In the Buff Natural Bristle Dry Brush ($15.95) from one of my new favorite shops in San Francisco, Saje Natural Wellness. Saje is a Canadian brand that has recently made its way into the U.S. with boutiques in the Bay Area (San Francisco, Walnut Creek and Berkeley opening in November). You can see my blog post on my visit to the Saje boutique on Fillmore street from this summer. If you don't have one near you, don't worry the Saje web site sells everything you can buy in one of their boutiques.

Dry brushing is an ancient practice that's found a new surge in popularity from the wellness community. I've been doing this for the last two weeks before I shower in the morning and it's been a really relaxing and rejuvenating routine that I now can't live without. It's really important you dry brush the right way so make sure you read this dry brushing article by Saje.

Benefits of Dry Brushing:

• helps circulation and release toxins in body, (increasing circulation can help reduce the appearance of cellulite)


• stimulates lymph nodes


• rejuvenates nervous system by stimulating nerve endings in the skin


• helps your skin absorb nutrients better by unclogging pores


• helps muscle tone and evens distribution of fat deposits


• removes dead surface skin cells

(See more benefits from mindbodygreen)

How to Dry Brush

Dry brushing can be done daily, preferably in the morning to kickstart your nervous system.

1. Stand in your bath or shower, then gently brush skin in an upward motion towards the heart.
2. Start at the feet and hands, then brush upwards to stimulate the stomach, arms and shoulders.
3. After brushing, bathe as usual, then use an all-natural moisturizer to replenish your skin.

(Via Saje)

You can't just dry brush with any brush. I love using the Saje In the Buff Natural Bristle Dry Brush because it's made from natural sisal fibers that are from a species of agave. The bristles aren't rough and won't puncture your skin. By lightly brushing my skin, I can feel my blood circulating as I move the brush through my body. It's important to start at the feet and hands and the brush upwards to stimulate the stomach, arms and shoulders. Don't brush your more delicate skin on the face, neck or chest area. Also, make sure you aren't scrubbing. It's all about a light pressure that you can gently feel on your skin! Once you have brushed, taking a shower helps to futher remove the dead skin and the impurities.

Don't overwhelm yourself either. If you are nervous to begin, just start with your feet and legs. Do whatever you feel comfortable first and then work your way up and do more when you feel ready. Saje recommends that you start with dry brushing a few times a week for a few minutes and then rogress to once a day once you have allowed your skin to adapt to the sensation. It's important to always move the brush in an upwards motion towards the heart because this is why the lymphatic fluid flows through the body. I don't have a lot of "me" time but I do like taking the few minutes a day to do to my dry brush routine. It's so good for your body and your skin!

(Photo: Saje)

Shop for the In the Buff Natural Bristle Dry Brush at Saje.

If you are in San Francisco, take a visit the beautiful and tranquil Saje Natural Wellness boutique at 1913 Fillmore St.

Review product provided by Saje

Kiehl's Since 1951 Debuts at Sephora in SF

Two brands I love are coming together! Kiehl's skincare will now be in select Sephora stores (only 4 nationwide) and my Bay Area lovelies -- San Francisco is one of them! Head on over to the Sephora at 33 Powell Street in San Francisco (right where the Cable Car makes it's roundabout turn) and check out all of the skincare goodness from Kiehl's.

To celebrate Kiehl's from Friday, Oct. 6 to Sunday, Oct. 8, Sephora customers can enjoy the following from Kiehl’s, while supplies last:

• Complimentary services-Skin Diagnosis, Calming Eye Treatment, or Pampering Facial
• Personalize your own Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream
• Complimentary sample of Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate with a personal consultation
• Complimentary sample of Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate and Hydro-Plumping Re-Texturizing Serum Concentrate with your Skin Diagnosis,Calming Eye Treatment, or Pampering Facial
• Complimentary tote and samples of Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate and Hydro-Plumping Re-Texturizing Serum Concentrate with purchase of ANY 2 Kiehl’s items.

Doesn't that sound just amazing? Put it in your calendar and make a quick beauty stop by Sephora during your lunch break on Friday. You won't regret it!

Kiehl's is debuting also at Sephora's in New York (Soho and Times Square), Las Vegas (Sephora at The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace) and in November will launch at Sephora Santa Monica.

Shop Kiehl's at Sephora

Mineral Fusion Vibrant Shine Shampoo + Conditioner

Even though for the most part my hair is straight, I always felt like it lacked the shine I wanted, especially with my color-treated hair. My hair has never been looking better since I started using Mineral Fusion three months ago. I saw it in the beauty aisle at Whole Foods and just decided I wanted something chemical free, with good ingredients but nothing expensive anymore. Fast forward to two weeks ago, my long time hairdresser of 11 years remarked that he's never seen my hair looks so good and feel so healthy. That's when it all clicked in my head that this Mineral Fusion was like gold! It was really working!

I use the Mineral Fusion Vibrant Shine Shampoo ($9.99 on Amazon) and the Mineral Fusion Vibrant Shine ($9.99 on Amazon). There are actually a few different kinds based on your hair type or problem (Smoothing, Hair Repair, Strengthening, Curl Care, Lasting Color, Volumizing, Fortifying and Anti-Dandruff). I have never seen my hair more shiny and smooth! There is a light citrus smelling fragrance that smells wonderful when you are in the shower. Light-reflecting minerals and panthenol in the shampoo help with the shine, while mineral-rich clay gently cleanses your hair. The argan and sunflower oils in the conditioner help to polish and smooth hair. I really love the shine my hair has! The products are 100% vegan, sulfate free, gluten free, cruelty free, paraben free and is safe for color-treated hair. There is soy contained in the product so if you are allergic, be aware. All of the ingredients are here for the shampoo and here for the conditioner (click on ingredients tab).

I wash my hair every other day and my hair never feels like it's weighted down with product. It always feels clean and light. I'm done with overpriced hair products! This is full of natural and organic ingredients and it works amazingly well for my hair.

Shop Mineral Fusion Vibrant Shine Shampoo and Mineral Fusion Vibrant Shine on Amazon.