I’ve long been a fan a Perricone MD. I believe in his science-based approach to beauty and skincare (also now, cosmetics.)

I tried this cream in a sample kit I bought from Sephora and I was instantly obsessed. It is AMAZING under makeup, creating a smooth, radiant finish that lasts all day. It provides moisture without grease or shine, while supercharged ingredients like ALA, DMAE, and vitamin C ester work behind the scenes to nourish, protect and diminish fine lines and wrinkles.

I love a multi-tasker.

If you don’t like primers, this is your answer to what to put on before makeup. Or, put this on before primer if you like. At the moment, I am using this alone under my favorite BB cream. 

Apparently, I love all things Canadian: my Dad, my fabulous new friend and neighbor, N., my beloved Marcelle mascara and now, this Miracle 10 AHA cream.

Where to begin? Because I certainly wasn’t looking for an alpha hydroxy acid product. Historically, AHA’s and I haven’t gotten along very well. We tend to start out okay, but then, over time, I get flakey and dry. And red. (And, ultimately, resentful.)

But I was introduced to Miracle 10 when I interviewed Gilt Co-Founder and Glamsquad C.E.O. Alexandra Wilkis Wilson because she included the brand’s (amazing) cleanser in her list of can’t-live-without-beauty-products. They assessed my skin online and sent me a regime to try, including the cleanser, toner, this weightless serum, this AHA cream and a heavier night cream. After some research, I became intrigued with the brand and decided to commit to it for a month.

Two months later, I’m still using it all religiously. Actually, I recommend the whole line—the products do work together in the regime Miracle 10 will customize for you—but I like to stay focused here so I’m honing in on this wonderfully gentle, extremely nourishing, carefully exfoliating AHA cream. No redness. And definitely no dryness. The cream combines lactic acid 6%, with vitamin E and hyaluronic acid (the stuff that’s in skin-plumping injectibles) to create skin brightening, pore tightening AHA magic.

Perk: Miracle 10 is offering a 25% discount to BeautyMama readers with the code “BeautyMama.” No minimum purchase. And free shipping on orders over $75. Yay!

I grew up in Miami in the ’70s and ’80s when sunscreen was, shall we say, less dynamic. Basically there was Coppertone 8 and white zinc oxide. Maybe there was more in the middle, but I can really only remember people with oil slicked tanned skin laying out and their fairer counterparts under hats with zinc on their noses.

As a kid, I do not recall sunscreen being a rule, the way I make it a rule for my alabaster-skinned daughters. I actually feel physically fearful when their porcelain skin is exposed to the sun for more than 10 minutes. My mom should have instituted that rule because my girls got their milky complexions from ME. One summer in tennis camp, I got so fried, I had to wear that white zinc on my entire face and a baseball cap.

So I’ve known for a very long time that:

A: I am not a person who tans

and

B: I don’t just not tan, I burn painfully and quickly.

So I can’t really tell you why, when we went on vacation recently, I found myself closing my eyes and tilting my face to the sun thinking Tan Thoughts. Read more

As winter sets in, it might seem counter-intuitive to exfoliate, but it’s one of the best ways to keep turning over dry skin and maintain radiance. You just have to be gentle. I am in LOVE with this Tata Harper Regenerating Cleanser. It’s the kindest exfoliator I’ve ever met, with an extremely fine grit that combines fruit enzymes, clays and essential oils. It smells so subtly divine—but results are anything but subtle. I have combination skin and tend toward redness—when I use use this cleanser consistently, I definitely see an increase in radiance and a decrease in inflammation. My skin also seems more balanced.

Here’s how it works as a 4-in-1, according to Tata:

Apricot Seed Powder gently and effectively exfoliates the skin to reveal smooth and glowing new skin

Pomegranate Enzymes dissolves debris and blackheads, while reducing the look of pores

Willow Bark is a natural form of salicylic acid, helping to fight breakouts and reduce redness & inflammation

French Pink Clay detoxifies the skin, stimulates circulation and helps reduce pore size

(This cleanser is also free of all soaps, detergents and alcohols, suitable for all skin types, all year-round.)

The cold, dry weather is really gaining momentum here in NYC. Even though my legs are covered every day, I miss my self tanner. It’s just too drying to use during the winter on a regular basis. That’s why I put this cream back into rotation.

I love a good drugstore find. Jergens really beat all brands to the punch with this, the first BB cream for body in the U.S. And like a great facial BB cream, Jergens BB Body Perfecting Skin Cream does it all—and does it well. It hydrates, illuminates, firms and evens tone instantly. When used daily, it actually improves skin over time.

I have been using the formula for light skin tones on my arms and legs religiously. It goes on sheer and dries quickly. My favorite part is the lovely blurring effect it has on the skin that really diminishes imperfections. It also delivers a nice, subtle sheen. I’ve been a little lax on self-tanning my lily-white gams and this made me feel confident walking out the door in a pencil skirt. I plan to mix it with my beloved Jergens Natural Glow all summer. It’s really a no-brainer.

As a mom past a certain age and with limited time for extra curricular beauty, I tend to skip a lot of makeup trends because they’re either too experimental or require too much energy. (Hence, BeautyMama’s mission.) There’s a life stage for neon eyeshadow and purple hair—and then there’s the more straightforward beauty of motherhood.

That said, I tend to have a lot of fun with nail polish. It’s quick, it’s temporary and I can share it with my daughter. I can get really into trendy polishes: black, white, beige, caviar effect, glitter, nail art—I’ve donned it all. Sometimes a great manicure can really make a day just a little bit better.

Nails inc is one of my favorite polish lines. It’s a very fashion-forward nail brand. This is probably not the line where you’ll find your ultimate nude. (Although the polishes are all really wearable.) Their collaboration with the ultra-cool, very fashion-y Alexa Chung produced some of the most interesting polishes I’ve ever seen. The line features six polishes that each have their own “fabric” effect. As in, leather and lace, silk and sequins, camouflage and cashmere. Literally. It’s so so cool. And don’t worry, it’s formulated without parabens, sulfates and phthalates

Check out the whole line here. And look out for photos of my black leather effect nails on my Instagram feed!