You might remember me talking about the beauty subscription service Birchbox last month. For the April edition, the creative team at Birchbox teamed up with Women’s Health for a great collection of wellness  and beauty products. I liked that the items were chosen as the products to compliment my skincare routine. My Birchbox was filled with simple ways for me to improve my overall look.

Lucky for me, one of my favorite brands Kiehl’s was included in my selection. Kiehl’s Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate is packed with vitamin C, which is really good for my skin. Kiehl’s has an amazing skincare line, so I was glad to try out the serum as well. I also enjoyed the sample of Nexxus Youth Renewal shine-boosting serum and a full-size of Simple Revitalizing Eye Roller. The coolness of the cucumber extract felt very soothing on my eyes.

For awhile it seemed as if every cosmetic line was making a BB Cream. I usually use Dr. Jart with a SPF. This month, Birchbox introduced me to Supergoop! The CC Cream is the latest craze and Supergoop! made a product that provides corrective coverage as well as a SPF 35. Even better, it protects my fair skin against UVA and UVB exposure.

As a bonus, Birchbox subscribers were offered a free year’s subscription to the essential wellness magazine, Women’s Health. Want to try Birchbox for yourself? Click here for a personal invitation and enjoy the perks of a beauty service tailored to your lifestyle.

We have a winner! It was a close vote at the end, but more on that later. First, let’s recap the latest designs from the Final Three before they headed to the Lincoln Center.

Three days before the big Finale, the designers were given $500 each and a quick trip to Mode followed. Patricia worked with her assistant Layana and struggled to make her collection more cohesive.

When Patricia looked back on her experience on Project Runway, she felt that she had evolved as a designer. She wanted to created a common thread throughout her collection and her favorite piece, a pair of leather pants were a challenge to finish in a polished manner.

Michelle realized that the judges wanted to see more color in her clothing line, so she added more yellow and red tones. I absolutely loved her girl-gone-hunting with the wolves collection. She balanced the fierceness very nicely with lovely softer pieces.

She  also collaborated really well with Amanda who was proud to be a part of the design process. It was smart of Michelle to take the judges’ comments as consideration but remained consistent with her own vision. She might tone down some of the accessories, she teased. Why was her model walking around with a compass, anyway?

Stanley hoped to build a more youthful look in his collection. Tim warned him of avoiding the dreaded vintage lady look. He worked desperately to overhaul several dresses and constructed the dresses while he fitted the clothing on his models. To create a youthful presentation, he changed the makeup choices for his models. However, the time got away from him quickly and he left too much at the last minute in the workroom.

Special Visit for Family & Friends

As a much-needed break, their families stopped at the workroom. Michelle’s husband surprised her and she became very emotional. Stanley’s mother calmed his nerves for a little while. Patricia’s kids laughed and danced with her, and she found her motivation again. Even Tim shared a special moment with the designers as they were reaching the final lap of their journey.

When everyone was packing their pieces for the runway show, Stanley realized how far behind he was and Michelle offered to help him. It was clear that being in the spotlight on his own was a very uncomfortable position for him.

Read the rest of this entry »

We’ve made it to the Final Four: Michelle, Patricia and Daniel. Each designer were given $10,000 to create a 12-piece collection for the fall season. They are sent home to start their masterpieces.

Tim started his home visits with Patricia’s childhood home in Taos, New Mexico. He was greeted with a delicious meal with her family, and was very impressed with her cultural influences in her designs, such as white and black horse hair for a cape, but he advised her not to take her aspirations too literally.

In Portland, Michelle was happy to spend time with her family again. It was nice to see that she seemed more relaxed, and I liked the dark tones in her wolf-inspired designs. Tim just warned her not to over-design her looks.

Daniel’s mix of inspirations- astronomy and his trip to Berlin and other influences were everywhere. At his design studio in Austin, he appeared like a mad man, with an uncontrollable mop of hair.

Stanley’s collection was reminiscent of the ’60′s. The dramatic line looked very expensive. In his West Hollywood, he and his partner sat down with Tim, and Stanley shared memories of his sister who passed away last year. (Interesting fact, Stanley auditioned three times before he was cast on the current season.)

Read the rest of this entry »