Sometimes I get fan letters from readers.  They always touch me (how awesome is it that somebody took the time out of their day to send a stranger, a message?), but I rarely post them.  I decided to post this one, because it caught me in the right mood, and it made me happy!

I loved your book!  (The beauty tips one.)

I’m still reading it, but I love how you are so matter-of-fact about facial products. I am a beauty product junkie and have been since I was two. I have always loved make-up and skin care and unfortunately have a deep desire to try the latest products (much to my fiance’s dismay). But I always tend go back to my tried and true.

When I read about the beauty industry from an inside view, it makes it seem a lot like heaven (who would possibly refuse free stuff?). I wish more people in the industry would be like you. I think if more young women could hear from people like you, the impact on their lives would be great. I used to take looks out of magazines and copy them even down to braiding my hair and putting butterfly clips in my hair for two hours!! Anyways, I just wanted to say thanks basically. Thanks for being so matter of fact and thanks for saying that the drugstore is just as good as the department store. Finally, someone tells the truth. Sorry if this was a bit long. Well, back to reading I go!

Sincerely,
M.F.

Next stop on the Summer of 30 Fun Bus: Cancun!

I’d never been to Cancun before, so really wasn’t sure what to expect–clearly, my image of it had been slightly tarnished by Girls Gone Wild commercials and crazy word-of-mouth Spring Break stories.  Nothing could have prepared me, then, for how clean, beautiful and relaxing it is.  (Although, perhaps the fact that it’s not, say, March helps!)

The kind folks at Royal Holiday brought me down here with a few other bloggers for 3 days to check out Park Royal Grand Cancun Caribe, an all-inclusive resort on a private beach featuring 2 pools, 2 jacuzzis, endless restaurants, activities like guacamole making, family-friendly beach games, 24 hour room service, a spa, and a brand-new bar that features killer mango margaritas.  (Um, I may or may not be sipping one right now, in fact.)

I am all-about the all-inclusive packages; how had I never experienced this before this year?  You set up everything in advance, and then: shazam!  Enjoy as many sushi rolls, pool-front tacos, portions of dessert, and yummy glasses of Sauvignon Blanc as you desire. 

My flight yesterday was damn-near painless: 4 hours direct from LAX to Cancun, and then just a 10-minute drive from the airport to the resort.  After everybody had safely landed and checked in, the group met for drinks, then dinner, then more drinks, ending in a late-night hot-tubbing.  (Jordan and I took a quick dip in the incredibly warm ocean, but hastily retreated back to the pool area when we realized that midnight swimming after cocktails is probably not the smartest idea in the world.) 

Day 2 has mostly been work for me (lots to catch up on after having just returned from England!) but I can see the beach from here and the water is just too blue.  I think it’s time to call it an afternoon.  More tomorrow!

Two weeks ago, I visited the brand-new McMillan Canale salon in Malibu on assignment for VanityFair.com.  (Check out my piece here!)  It’s a collaboration between stylist Chris McMillan and colorist Michael Canale, who are both insanely famous for their talent and long celebrity list…but are perhaps best known as the duo behind Jennifer Aniston’s perfect golden locks.

My hair was done by Chase Kusero, who is Chris’s right-hand man, and also one of the most distractingly good-looking people I’ve ever met in my life. While I felt guilty for cheating on Neil Weisberg and Amanda George at Neil George Salon, it goes with the territory of being a beauty writer!

Luckily, the cut and color Chase gave me are flawless; he just snipped a bit of definition and layers into my overgrown hair (it had been a long time since my last salon visit) and then added some soft highlights to my blondie, which is still recovering from the red hair fiasco of 2008.

Here’s the new look, at right, with my friend K. in London.  Do we look happy?  Yup, we are.

Devaney for WireImage

Bored at work?  Start here:

- 9 Summer Beauty Must Haves Under $9 (Spa Week Daily)
- Too Faced Papa Don’t Preach Blush (The Luxury Spot)
- Cover Girl Presents the One-Minute Smokey Eye (Betty Confidential)
- Farmhouse Fresh Whoopie Cream Shea Butter (Queen of the Quarter Life Crisis)
- Olay’s New Anti-Aging Body Wash (The Beauty Bean)
- How To Get Bikini-Ready (Splendora)
- Jessica Simpson’s Colorist Rita Hazan Spills the Dirt (Daily Makeover)
- 17 Summer Essentials (Alloy)
- Awesome Nail Polish Trends (StyleCaster)
- Kudzu’s Amazing Antioxidant Properties in Skincare (Short and Sweet NYC)

Lazy gals like me appreciate one-stop shopping when it comes to beauty, which is why my latest skincare love is Cor, a natural soap with nano-silver that penetrates skin for maximum results, and which acts not just as a cleanser, but as a moisturizer, too.

Silver has anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties and has been used in hospitals to speed cellular repair. Since Cor’s products also contain a bevy of collagen, silk proteins and fibers, the cumulative effect is a protective shield for the skin that locks in natural moisture.

Plus, the sericin silk proteins provide an SPF 15 UVA/UVB barrier, so in the unlikely event that you forget your sunscreen (which you never do, right? Right?!), at least you’re covered.

The soap effectively removes dirt, oil, makeup, blah blah blah, and so rocks my world, but I also love the Silver Anytime Moisturizer, which contains all of the goodness above, plus pentapeptides to stimulate exfoliation and skin renewal.  When I apply it, my skin feels softer, treated, happy.  Jolie likey.