About Ayren

  Dear Retinol, We go way back. I’ve known about you since I was a kid (and my mother had her own tryst with you). I’ve been using you myself for at least a decade—when I first noticed that the squint lines around my eyes were becoming more noticeable. You do everything for my skin—you treat fine …

Whenever I enter the mall through a department store, I make a bee line away from the fragrance counter. Don’t get me wrong. I LOVE eau de parfum and cologne, but, once the counter person starts spraying and I start smelling, it turns into a head-spinning event that requires a 10-minute walk outside the mall …

The name of this skincare line reminds me of a tomato sauce. Maybe because it rhymes with “marinara” and I’m typing this post before lunch(??) But, probably because it evokes in me the outdoors, like a vine of ripe heirlooms surrounded by fresh lavender and chamomile (#yesIgarden). The company’s founders would probably suggest the later. …

I’ve been to various spas (shout out to my faves: Skin by Mamie in New York City and Mandarin Oriental DC) over the years, but I still get all nervous and stuff beforehand. Why? I have no clue! Maybe it’s because I have to walk around in a public facility in a towel or bathrobe …

  When it comes to bar soap, I’m typically a Dove girl through and through. Why? It’s a matter of practicality, really—everyone in my little family (my dry skinned hubby, my sensitive skinned toddler, and me with crazy-combo skin) can use the same gentle-yet-cleansing soap, so I’m not having to buy three different bars for the …

Messy ponytail, pimply chin, tomato sauce splattered on shoulders, no makeup, dark circles under the eyes… If I was generalizing, I’d say that those were the tell-tale signs of a frenzied mom (specifically one strollering a tot or two). But, I’m not a generalizer, especially now after chatting with these beauty expert mamas who know …

Whether it’s growing thick  between the furrows of your brows or dotting your chin (ack! ack! ack!), unwanted facial hair  can be embarrasing. Period. And it’s also not all that uncommon–millions of women are affected by misplaced facial hair (think: above the lip or on the cheeks) each year. In most cases, the condition is hereditary. …

Once upon a time blue eyeshadow and liner were cool. Then they weren’t. Judging from the leagues of models whose eyes were coated in the royal hue during New York Fall 2013 Fashion Week, it’s cool again. And for good reason—it’s one of the only shades on the color wheel that (depending on the blue you …

I can’t remember the last time I wore a gold or silver nail polish. Can you? For the last few seasons it’s been all about bright pink or stripes or studs and stickers. But, one of the new nail trends emerging at New York Fall 2013 Fashion Week stars metal-looking lacquer…and I like it. These …

If you’re one of the many women (including myself!) who attempts to do their own extractions (aka squeezing the gunk out of your pores), STOP! P.S. Sorry for the exclamation—I’m yelling more at myself here than at you. When a patch of blackheads is staring at you in the mirror, I know how hard it …