2009 Favorite Things Countdown #9

It's no secret companies send me products for review. Some of them are met with giddy yelps of joy and some of met with gasps of "ugh". And sometimes those products I was not so excited about turn out to be wonderful beyond my imagination. Below is my favorite "ugh".

And as a blogger, I get to meet interesting people from time to time. Here is one interview that was fun to do (and made me realize I don't watch as much MTV as I use to.)

Favorite Thing #9: Payot Softening Deodorant Spray

As a blogger, sometimes I get items to review that I wasn't expecting. That was definitely the case with Payot Deodorant Softening Spray. Me? A French deodorant? Clearly someone missed the memo that I am a Suave 24 Hour Deodorant kind of girl. Yup. I'm a shvitzer. (TMI, sorry)

Here is a little background on Payot, since you probably haven't run into them very often.

Payot is the first skincare line developed by a doctor, Dr. Nadia Payot, also known as ‘The Godmother of French Skincare.’ She formulated the line in the 1920s, upon her return from an inspiring trip to New York City. In addition to creating a more pleasing aesthetic, Payot’s products were also developed to enhance the overall health and wellbeing of the woman who uses them. The doctor always approached skincare by keeping in mind that the skin is the body’s first line of defense against bacteria and germs. Payot products are formulated to help preserve the integrity of the skin, therefore, the total body.

As I mentioned, I am a Suave girl. I need odor and wetness protection. Payot promises to keep you smelling fresh by eliminating the oil that bacteria and germs need to thrive (and smell). This deodorant also keeps your underarms soft and irritation free with some help from Almond Extract. That all sounds good, but why should I switch? What is wrong with my regular stuff?

I turned to super friend, Xina, who is a natural health practitioner. Turns out, the big complaint about traditional deodorants is with aluminum, which is used to prevent perspiration. Metals have been linked to cancer and Alzheimer's Disease. However, studies actually proving this link are still in their infancy. If there is a risk, should you chance it?

So I tried Payot deodorant for one week. I didn't have high hopes. As I previously mentioned, I am a shivitzer (that means one who sweats, for those who don't speak Yiddish). I wore it for the first week and the only complaint I had was that there is a little sting if you apply it immediately after shaving. I would expect that with anything, so I can't hold that against Payot. I also wondered if the amazing odor control was due to the fact that my Super Strong Suave was left in my system.

So I wore it for a second week. It still performed perfectly, despite my last use of regular deodorant being more than a week behind me. That week the weather was cool for the summer, so I decide to extend my trial into a third week. I just can't fathom this deodorant is working this well.

During my third week, the weather hit and my stress levels soared. The Payot deodorant still worked beautifully. I'll say it. I didn't expect to, but I really like this! The more I learn about this brand, the more I am falling in love! I wish it were a little less expensive, but I have to admit, if you are looking for a non-traditional deodorant, don't less this pass you by! Plus their products smell SO incredible!


I was sent this product for the purposes of review.

I really like it. Check it out!


Allure and Sephora Show Love for Whitney Port


Last night at the Times Square Sephora, people were lined up to get a chance to see the new Whitney Eve collection and meet designer Whitney Port, star of The Hills and The City. The collection made its debut at Fashion Week in September and this freshman line has quite a bit of buzz.


Whitney has spent a lot of time and poured a lot of love into creating a collection she is really proud of, from casual pieces to much more structured dresses. The collection can be viewed at Whitney's website and select pieces are for sale on SeenOn!




I got a quick chance to chat with Whitney last night about her line, her makeup and looking amazing on MTV.

Gouldylox Reviews: What is your favorite piece in this collection?
Whitney Port: It would have to be the dress I am wearing. It closed my show at fashion week and I just love it.

GR: People often ask me to find out what products people on TV are wearing. I get a lot of questions about you. First off, you have amazing lashes! Be honest, are they real?
WP: (Laughing) They are all mine! I swear!

GR: Do you have help on the shows to look great? Or is it really up to you to look so fresh and radiant?
WP: We don't have hair and makeup on the show. I do everything. My makeup, my hair. It's all me. Ok, well, sometimes it's one of my best friends. She helps me out a lot.

GR: Your skin always looks amazing - dewy, but not too made up. What is your secret?
WP: I really like to use High Noon by Fresh. It just adds a tiny wash of color and a bit of a beautiful glow. Then I follow up with a little powder from Loreal. Honestly, that's it!


(photos by Abby Coplan)



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Summer Wrap Up : My Favorite Picks From This Season, Part 3

With so many, it is hard to choose, but here are the rest of my top picks from this summer.




Scent: This one is easy! I love Kai fragrance. Love it. The gardenia and white exotic flowers make me (and Mr. Lox) swoon. I can't say enough about this delicate fragrance!

Moisturizer for the Body: I have tried quite a few lotions, but none are leaving my skin as soft at Payot's Regenerating Dry Oil Spray. This light oil hydrates without being too greasy, which sounds weird for a huile, but is true. And it smells fantastic!

Shampoo: For my color-treated hair, nothing is coming close to working as well as EverPure by Loreal. The sulphate-free shampoo keeps my color from fading and leaves my hair feeling clean.

Conditioning Treatment: After getting a little creative at home, I found the best way to help my hair recover from the processing I was bestowing upon it was to steam a towel in the microwave and wrap it around my damp hair after applying Leonor Greyl Hair Masque. Madonna is rumored to use this as well, but I doubt she has to heat her own towel.

Sunless Tanning: This is a tricky one for me, as sunless tanning just makes me nervous (or doesn't work at all on my skin). Out of what I tried, my best results came from Mystic Tanning's Face Kit. The color that is deposited when you apply the tan helps to ensure it goes on evenly. It dried quickly and lasted for a decent amount of time.

Now that summer is over, what you are looking forward to this Fall? Tell me in the comments!

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In Honor of Shark Week: Payot Paris Cristaux Mineraux / Relaxing Bath Salts

One of my recent infatuations is with a French Beauty Company, Payot. Payot is a luxe brand and their products seem to have a fantastic signature scent. Fancy fact I didn't know, L'espace Payot is the most chic spa in all of Paris. It is so chic, only members are allowed to go. I recently reviewed their Dry Oil Spray and while I liked its hydrating abilities, I really loved the scent. Turns out, I am not alone. I am getting compliments left and right on this scent. The best part is that is lasts ALL DAY and ALL NIGHT.

As previously mentioned, I don't take baths. It's a shark thing. We discussed it. I need to get over it and can't. I can still appreciate a quality bath product. I just can't test them. That's why I have really brave girlfriends who do take baths. Thank goodness I do, because I would hate to deprive anyone of a chance to soak up the scent of Payot Cristaux Mineraux in the tub.

This time, work-pal Lindsay and Karma Dogs Co-Founder Bridget were kind enough to bathe in the luxury that is Payot Cristaux Mineraux. Here are their thoughts:

First, a bit about Lindsay. Lindsay is an amazing artist who also works at an ad agency with me. Plus she rocks the best cat eye daily of anyone I have ever met. Here is what she thought:

I'll tell you what, that bath salt couldn't have come on a better day! After 3 days of vending at Artscape I was beat by the time Monday came. I did make it in to work, but was in total zombie form. That is when I noticed the Payot Bath Salts on my desk. I was pleasantly surprised just by the fragrance, I couldn't wait to get home and take a relaxing bath. As soon as I finished my work, out the door I went. So my first impression of the smell was good, but once I opened the bag I found it to be really strong and that scared me a little. I was afraid it was going to be suffocating in the tub, but I was wrong. Mixing it with the water made it really mellow and allowed for it to be a relaxing bath. The scent is not what you would expect from a bath salt, most of them tend to be that soothing smell of lavender and eucalyptus, but this was a sweet fragrance. It smelled more like a cottony perfume which was a nice surprise. The best part about this bath salt was that scent really soaked into my skin. I didn't notice that my skin felt really soft after using it, but it certainly smelled nice. In fact today, even after taking a shower I still can smell light traces of it. I liked that it lingered after my bath, because it kept me in a relaxed mood.

Bridget is a special ed teacher who helped me found Karma Dogs three years ago. She is a connoisseur of bath taking (the opposite of me). She also loved the smell and thought the bath was very relaxing. She didn't notice a huge amount of softening, but she wasn't really looking for that. She liked how the smell stayed with her after the bath was over and was thrilled that it didn't leave an oily film in her tub that required a cleaning after the bath.


Both testers give Payot Paris Cristaux / Relaxing Bath Salts a thumbs up! Check it out!




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Payot Softening Spray Deodorant

As a blogger, sometimes I get items to review that I wasn't expecting. That was definitely the case with Payot Deodorant Softening Spray. Me? A French deodorant? Clearly someone missed the memo that I am a Suave 24 Hour Deodorant kind of girl. Yup. I'm a shvitzer. (TMI, sorry)

Here is a little background on Payot, since you probably haven't run into them very often.

Payot is the first skincare line developed by a doctor, Dr. Nadia Payot, also known as ‘The Godmother of French Skincare.’ She formulated the line in the 1920s, upon her return from an inspiring trip to New York City. In addition to creating a more pleasing aesthetic, Payot’s products were also developed to enhance the overall health and wellbeing of the woman who uses them. The doctor always approached skincare by keeping in mind that the skin is the body’s first line of defense against bacteria and germs. Payot products are formulated to help preserve the integrity of the skin, therefore, the total body.

As I mentioned, I am a Suave girl. I need odor and wetness protection. Payot promises to keep you smelling fresh by eliminating the oil that bacteria and germs need to thrive (and smell). This deodorant also keeps your underarms soft and irritation free with some help from Almond Extract. That all sounds good, but why should I switch? What is wrong with my regular stuff?

I turned to super friend, Xina, who is a natural health practitioner. Turns out, the big complaint about traditional deodorants is with aluminum, which is used to prevent perspiration. Metals have been linked to cancer and Alzheimer's Disease. However, studies actually proving this link are still in their infancy. If there is a risk, should you chance it?

So I tried Payot deodorant for one week. I didn't have high hopes. As I previously mentioned, I am a shivitzer (that means one who sweats, for those who don't speak Yiddish). I wore it for the first week and the only complaint I had was that there is a little sting if you apply it immediately after shaving. I would expect that with anything, so I can't hold that against Payot. I also wondered if the amazing odor control was due to the fact that my Super Strong Suave was left in my system.

So I wore it for a second week. It still performed perfectly, despite my last use of regular deodorant being more than a week behind me. That week the weather was cool for the summer, so I decide to extend my trial into a third week. I just can't fathom this deodorant is working this well.

During my third week, the weather hit and my stress levels soared. The Payot deodorant still worked beautifully. I'll say it. I didn't expect to, but I really like this! The more I learn about this brand, the more I am falling in love! I wish it were a little less expensive, but I have to admit, if you are looking for a non-traditional deodorant, don't less this pass you by! Plus their products smell SO incredible!


I was sent this product for the purposes of review.

I really like it. Check it out!

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Worth It? Payot Regenerating Dry Oil Huile Precieuse Minerale

I recently received a few products from a company I am not familiar with, a French beauty company called Payot. They are a little out of my normal price range (this oil is $59 for 3.3 oz), but some products are totally worth it, like this, so I was happy to be able to check it out.

Payot Regenerating Dry Oil Huile Precieuse Minerale "nourishes and moisturizes the skin without being greasy or making you shiny. This oil is infused with the energizing benefits of minerals and semi-precious gem stones. It leaves skin soft, supple and satiny." I have very dry skin so I was hoping that this body spray could deliver some serious results.

The first thing I noticed about this product was that it comes in a glass bottle and has a strong perfume smell. My klutz-iness has been well established, so I am terrified I will drop this glass bottle of expensive oil in the bathroom, breaking new bathroom tiles and ruining my Payot. Since I am renowned for my inability to walk and talk at the same time (I currently have a sprained ankle/foot from trying to do that), I promised Mr. Lox I will only use the glass bottle filled with oil in the bedroom, where there is carpet.

This Dry Oil does have a serious smell. At first, I didn't think I cared for it. But then, after wearing it for a few minutes (and digging how smooth my arms were), I decided I liked it very much. Much to my delight, my younger co-worker, Jess.I.E, commented how much she liked my perfume. After a few days of using this Oil Spray, I really, really like the scent. In fact, I am thinking of making it my new summer go-to scent. The best part is that it lasts longer than the perfume I normally wear. I am loving that!

Artie Lange, of the Howard Stern show, said of Paris Hilton, "she just feels and smells like a rich girl. You know, she is very soft to the touch, she smells rich, it's a whole thing she has going on." I think she must have been wearing Payot Regenerating Dry Oil Spray. It feels and smells tres luxe.

However, the Gouldylox question remains, it worth the price tag or is it better than less expensive dry oil sprays on the market? As a dry oil, I can't tell you to spend that much. However, as a perfume, this may be your new best friend (with benefits!).

I am digging this. Check it out!

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