If you’re familiar with Fragrance Friday, you know I’m a huge fan of Kenzo perfumes. The latest flower in their Eaux de Fleurs collection is Eau de Fleur de Prunier (French for “plum”) is a powdery almond floral inspired by the Japanese plum (called ume in Japan…boy, you’re getting a  language lesson today!). Ume blooms in late January/early February, and Japanese poetry mentions the plum blossom as a traditional symbol of spring.

Like many Kenzo fragrances, I found this delightfully powdery. That’s one of my favorite things about the brand — the powdery elements in some of their scents makes the fragrance so feminine. This scent is both delicate and warm; the floral, fruity and almond notes are mixed artfully together in a way that makes Plum versatile and wearable, but still intriguing enough to garner constant compliments.  It’s the kind of fragrance I love to wear to bed and smell as I’m falling asleep. (Does anyone else like to fall asleep smelling their own perfume? Or is that just because I’m a beauty addict?)

Eau de Fleur de Plum is available for $55 in the 1.7oz size exclusively at Kenzousa.com.

Beyonce may sport killer heels while repping single ladies everywhere, but her tootsies apparently pay for it.

The reigning queen of pop-hop says, ”My feet take beatings…So I try to take care of them. I use this blue foot sleeve from Bliss Spa.” (Beyonce’s talking about Bliss Softening Socks, which help heal those heels and dry, cracked feet during the cold winter months.) ”It’s kind of like a sophisticated version of putting your feet in Vaseline and sleeping in socks,” Beyonce laughs, “but it helps!”

Sounds like somebody shoulda read our guide on getting soft, pretty feet…but then again, if I had to pick a body part of Beyonce’s to steal, her feet wouldn’t even make the top 10. Who’s with me?

Photo via ThisisMax.com

It seems like every third sentence I read in beauty magazines is “Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize”. But we’re not all estheticians who are taught how to get that perfect glow — and some of us fear we’ll commit the mortal moisture sin of clogging our precious pores and end up more gooey than dewy. How do you work in your acne gels and other treatments? Where does toner come in? We’ve got a quick, simple guide to turn any girl who’s confused by the barrage of products and systems out there into a luminously complected skincare starlet:

STEP I: CLEANSE & TONE

Wet your face and apply cleanser onto a cotton ball (tissues can leave residue on your skin — not pretty). Start applying to your face from the center (nose and the parts of your cheeks closest to your nose) and work outward. Tone afterward, using a cotton ball and making only one sweep over your face — using too much toner or astringent can dry your skin out of healthy oils.

MY PRODUCT PICKS: philosophy | purity made simple | one-step daily facial cleanser, Biore Pore Perfect Triple Action Astringent

STEP II: TREAT PROBLEM AREAS

Now’s when you apply your acne gel, eyelash conditioning treatments, et cetera. Apply them in quantities directed by the label (usually a pearl-sized dab’ll do ya) with your fingertips, or a foundation brush if your fingernails are on the long side. (We don’t want to scratch that sensitive facial skin!) For stubborn blemishes, choose treatments with salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide — they’re both proven to treat pimples very effectively.

MY PRODUCT PICKS: iQ Derma Clear Remedy Acne Treatment Lotion (for a salicylic acid treatment), Clean & Clear Persa-Gel 10, Maximum Strength (for benzoyl peroxide), Lashfood

STEP III: MOISTURIZE

First, pat eye cream along the brow bone and along your undereye area using your ring finger. (It’s the weakest finger, and we need minimal pressure here as this is the area with the thinnest skin.) After treatment products have dried completely, apply moisturizer as needed evenly over face, neck and decollete. If this is a morning treatment for you, apply sunscreen after moisturizer has fully absorbed. That’s it! Three steps — could great skincare get any easier?

MY PRODUCT PICKS: MAC Mineralize All-Over Lotion for a daily moisturizer; Mojave Magic Luminizing Moisture is a great sunscreen that does double duty with a hint of color to smooth out your complexion while it protects your skin.

As usual, MAC makeup is abound at this spring’s Fashion Week in New York City. MAC artist Charlotte Tilbury developed the vampy look to the left for Gwen Stefani’s L.A.M.B. runway. “The feeling was 1930’s prostitute — trampy, smoky eye, deep ‘rougeoir’ lips and beautiful pale skin,” raves Charlotte.

Here’s exactly what Charlotte did so you can copy the look to a T and score the style for your Halloween debut as any character from The Black Dahlia:

EYES:

• MAC Eye Kohl in Smolder and Fluidline in Blacktrack – blended and smudged around and into the eyelid for a feline-shaped eye.
• MAC Lip Treatment – dabbed on eyelid over eye kohl for a wet look effect.

FACE:

• MAC Face and Body Foundation – applied all over face to give pale, doll-like skin.

LIPS:

• MAC Lipmix in Crimson and Burgundy – blended together and applied to the lip. (Note: the Crimson shade is available at Pro stores only)
• Lip Pencil in Burgundy – applied around the lip to give an over-drawn shape to the mouth.

So what did you ladies do this weekend? Watch the Super Bowl, go to the movies maybe? Who, me? Oh, I just had a night out with the girls sponsored by Dove. Limo, dinner, ya know. No biggie.

Obviously, I’m faking my nonchalance, because that’s totally awesome. Yes, the good folks at Dove offered me and my girlfriends a chance to go out on the town, not to mention getting to try their newest scent in the Visibly Smooth deodorant line, Wild Rose. (It’s fab, by the way.) Check out the video below for some highlights of the good times we had:

Click here to view the embedded video.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Dove for providing us with a lovely evening out and keeping us ladies smooth and sexy-smelling to boot. The other girls are supposed to get back to me on how they felt about the product, but personally, I’m loving it so far!

DISCLOSURE: To participate in the Dove Visibly Smooth VIP program, I was provided with five (5) product samples to giveaway on my blog as well as ten (10) product samples for my guests, car service and compensation for dinner out with my friends. Dove provided me with these items so I could organize the event myself and without any influence from Dove.

Didn’t get that flat iron you asked for this Christmahanukwanzaakah? Not to worry: if you win our latest giveaway, you can buy your hairstyling goodies yourself. This week, we’re giving away a $50 gift certificate to MySalonTools.com!

My Salon Tools is your source for professional hair straighteners, blow dryers, and salon supplies. They have a complete selection of Kamisori Japanese steel shears — and if you’re lucky, $50 in hair product freebies just for you! To enter, just put your name and a valid email address you check often in the ContestMachine widget below. The giveaway ends and the winner will be announced on January 14, 2009. Good luck!

We here at The Beauty Bunny want to wish all our lovely readers a very merry Christmas! (Or, you know, happy Hannukah or fantastic Festivus or whatever floats your personal boat.) I’m spending time with my wonderful family this year, but some of the other ladies in the blogosphere have some lovely seasonal finds for you guys:

• The Beauty Brains discovered that reindeer trachea is useful for something other than laughing and calling Rudolph names. (Like Pinnochio!)
• London MakeUp Girl found some fab Christmas beauty booty for the boy in your life who’s comfortable with his sexuality.
• Secret Diary of a Beauty Addict has some sparkly Christmas makeup to help you get your glow on even in the harsh winter months.

Oh, and guess who else has some great stuff today? Your friends and family! Go share some holiday cheer already, kids.

Blustery snow days are here, and despite the holiday merriment, now is the winter of our skin’s discontent — in beauty terms, it’s the most dehydrating time of the year! Luckily, you don’t have to wrap yourself in Tauntaun intestines for top-shelf winter skin protection: leading dermatologists and authors of the Amazon.com bestseller Write Your Skin a Prescription for Change Katie Rodan and Kathy Fields have shared some expert skincare tips with us on how to fortify your skin so it looks fresh, hydrated and healthy in the cold, dry, harsh winter months.

• Hydrate your skin from the outside in: As the weather gets crisper and drier, switch to a heavier moisturizer and eye cream to keep skin well hydrated. Since the outside humidity determines how dry your skin is (not how much water you consume), slather on that moisturizer if you’re feeling dry. Turn on the humidifier — the humidity in your house should kept at 50%.
• Take warm showers, not hot ones! Although you may be tempted to take long, hot showers to ward off winter chill, avoid them; they actually draw moisture out of your skin and make you itchy. Instead, go for tepid, quick showers. And try switching to a moisturizing body wash. Follow this up by applying a heavy moisturizer to damp skin after bathing or showering to seal in extra moisture.
• Every day is “Sun”day. *Gonnnnnnnng* Just because summer is over doesn’t mean you should let your SPF guard down. Protect skin with a broad-spectrum sunblock containing zinc oxide, avobenzone or mexoryl every day of the year, even when you can’t see the sun. And be particularly diligent if you’re on the ski slopes: UV radiation increases 10%-12% for every 3000 feet of elevation.
• Stay kissable: Carry a lip balm with sunscreen (look for one with shea butter) and apply generously throughout the day. Use a gentle exfoliant at night before bed to remove dead skin cells. Avoid licking your lips and breathing through your mouth while you sleep: both can severely dry lips.
• Don’t forget your hands & feet! Hands and feet can be dramatically affected by cold, moist air. To keep them at their best, protect them from the elements by covering up — but immediately remove socks and gloves once they get wet: the moisture can cause dryness and cracking, and can even lead to a fungal infection. A great trick: blow dry your feet, paying particular attention to the area between your toes. Slough away dead skin with a pumice stone or a microdermabrasion paste, which can stimulate exfoliation while leaving behind a protective film. With cold and flu season in full swing, you probably wash your hands more often than usual — just remember to apply a thick moisturizer to hands after every wash.
• Avoid the frizzies: To combat seasonal hair woes such as static electricity, dandruff, spit ends and that dreaded frizz: wash hair less frequently, switch to a rich, heavy moisturizer, limit the use of your blow dryer, and decrease the setting of your flat iron.
• Think cotton: Fabrics made of wool or synthetics increase perspiration and can be irritating, especially to dry skin. Instead, opt for clothing made of cotton, especially the layers closest to your skin.

Oh, the joys of moving! I was subjected to them myself this past weekend, and I have to say it’s one of those life events in which looking gorgeous isn’t likely. Still, we all want to look as fab as we can whenever we can — and what if you happen to be helping a cute new boyfriend move?

Here are a few tips for staying at least moderately stylish through the harrowing experience:

• Pull your hair back — moving can be a sweaty experience, which very rarely creates a flattering look, plus your hair will probably get mussed anyway. Put your hair in a ponytail if it’s long enough, or if you have short hair like I do, wear a headband.
• Don’t bother with liquid foundation – you’ll sweat it off anyway. Instead, opt for mineral powder foundation like Pur Minerals to keep looking smooth.
• Keep eye makeup simple, and go for waterproof mascara. You’ll thank me later.
• Use a colored lip balm instead of lip gloss or lipstick to keep your lips from getting chapped and dry in the weather.
• To keep any makeup, moisturizer and what-have-you from sliding around in the heat, use Skindinavia makeup finishing spray. Trust me, it’s amazing. I couldn’t live in Houston without it!