How pH Levels Effect Your Beauty!

I can safely assume that we have all heard the following saying at least once before in our lives. "You are what you eat." And yes, it is true. Well, you may not actually BE that cheese burger or that Caesar salad, but your skin and how you feel is definitely affected by what you eat and drink!

I’ve heard this information a many times in countless magazines but I was never told why this happens.  Finally, I found out why from one of the worlds leading Dermatologists - Dr. Jeannette Graf. M.D. The reason why what you eat & drink effects how you look is because what you eat & drink effect your bodies pH level, and your pH level affects how your skin looks and how well your body works!

Dr. Jeannette Graf M.D. speaking at the Beauty Influencer Event.

On August 4th I attended an exclusive event in Manhattan in honor of Dr. Jeannette Graf (read about the fabulous event by clicking HERE!!) where she supplied us with a wealth of knowledge concerning skincare and beauty. The biggest point that Dr. Graf made was that in order to have beautiful looking skin on the outside, your insides must be healthy as well. (Like my mother always told me “True beauty starts from within!“ I guess its true in more ways then one! lol) The pH level of our bodies correlates with the way our skin looks and how we feel, as well as how healthy we are in general.

Dr. Graf showing us how to use pH testing strips to determine our bodies pH level.

An easy way to test your pH level is to buy pH testing strips. (EMD colorpHast pH Test Strips, Full pH Range 0 to 14) The more alkaline (the opposite of acidic) we are, the better our skin looks, the better our body functions and the better we feel! The perfect pH level would be in the about 7.5 - so make that your goal!

A whole bunch of pH strips!

So, I tested out my own pH level (you just put the little tester strip on your tongue for a few seconds and it tests the pH level from your saliva) My pH level was a perfect 7.5 - I was very happy! 

My pH level of 7.5

To reach a good pH level, its all in what you eat and drink! Here are some tips to make sure you are eating and drinking properly while pursuing a perfect pH level!

• Drink enough water! If you feel like you are having trouble drinking enough water throughout the day, trying drinking it at room temperature. Also adding a lemon or lime into the water increases your bodies alkalinity.
• Eat foods that are high in antioxidants such as blueberries, red kidney beans, cranberries, artichokes, blackberries, prunes, raspberries, strawberries, apples, black beans and pecans.
• Always try to make sure that your diet is colorful!! Like Dr. Graf said “If your food is always beige - that’s a problem!” Colorful food are the ones with vitamins and antioxidants!
• Always try to get in your servings of fruits and vegetables. Leafy greens like spinach and kale are especially good for you.
• Try to avoid alcohol as much as you can. Not only is this bad for your pH levels, but horrible for your entire body! So try to either cut out or cut down on the drinking!
• If you want, take a mineral supplement daily. Minerals neutralize acids, meaning if your body is acidic (low pH level) then the minerals will neutralize them and your pH level will become more alkaline and raise.
• In addition to mineral supplements, you could also take probiotics or vitamin D3 (2,000-4,000 units are recommended) so help raise your pH level.

So if you want clearer, more glowing skin, then stop looking for that miracle skin serum and start working on your pH levels!

XOXO Chloé

Dr. Jeannette Graf's Beauty Influencer Event!

Last Wednesday evening, August 4th, I attended the Dr. Graf Beauty Influencer event. The event was in honor of Dr. Jeannette Graf M.D. who is a Board Certified, Clinical and Research Dermatologist. Her advice and honest talk about beauty & skin care science has made her one of the most sought-after experts in her field. I was extremely honored to be in her presence.

Dr. Jeannette Graf & Karen Oliver (owner of Karen Oliver & Associates)

Karen Oliver & Associates and Genevieve Santos, of Gorgeous on the Go (Genevieve is in the gray) with Dr. Jeannette Graf M.D.

This fabulous night was hosted by these lovely ladies!

The event took place in midtown Manhattan at the Metropolitan Club on the terrace. Despite the awful humid weather, it was absolutely lovely up there! The views of the city were beautiful.

When the I first arrived I was immediately greeted by Carol Straley and Karen Oliver of Karen Oliver & Associates, as well as Genevieve Santos of Gorgeous On The Go. They were all very sweet and made me feel welcomed! (Sometimes it can be a little strange being only 18 years old and being invited to events that are mostly filled with grown women in their 20’s, 30’s and 40’s.) Next I met the lovely Dr. Jeannette Graf and as silly as it sounds, I felt star struck! I have heard of her many times before the event and I have seen her on TV, read her articles in magazines (right before I went to the event I just finished reading an article of hers in Allure magazine!), I know of her website (Ask Dr. Graf) and my mother has her bestseller book! (Stop Aging, Start Living: The Revolutionary 2-Week pH Diet That Erases Wrinkles, Beautifies Skin, and Makes You Feel Fantastic) It was such an honor meeting her and she looked radiant and beautiful!

After meeting the hosts of the party &checking in, I started mingling with some other guests and started munching on the delicious h'orderves and drinking my pellegrino with lemon! (The older guests were drinking wine &champagne, and from what I’ve heard it was a great selection.) I was lucky to be able to bring a guest with me, so I brought my best friend Lynn. 

My best friend Lynn, and I.

We mingled with the other guests together and met some fabulous people!

I met Cindy (DRbrookyln730)

I also got interviewed, which was really cool. I was a little nervous at first - but we all know that I am comfortable in front of the camera!

Yours truly getting interviewed!

Then, Dr. Graf started speaking and give us all insight on how what we eat and drink really effects the way our skin looks through our bodies pH levels. It was extremely interesting! (click HERE to learn how your pH level directly affects how beautiful your skin will be!!) Dr. Graf’s lecture on how our skin & beauty is affected by our pH levels was very informative and eye opening!

If you look to the left side of the photo, you will see me standing with my best friend Lynn along with Emmy Award winning Celebrity Makeup Artist - Kevin James Bennett. It was such an honor to meet him!!

After Dr. Graf spoke, she started signing copies of her bestselling book Stop Aging, Start Living: The Revolutionary 2-Week pH Diet That Erases Wrinkles, Beautifies Skin, and Makes You Feel Fantastic and each guest received one along with a box of pH testing strips (EMD colorpHast pH Test Strips, Full pH Range 0 to 14) so that we could get to work and start testing our own pH levels!

Dr. Jeannette Graf M.D.

Dr. Graf signing her bestseller book "Stop Aging, Start Living"

When I finally got my book signed by Dr. Jeannette Graf I had to take a photo with her! Someone like her is such an inspiring and wonderful role model for me. Not only is she extremely intelligent and very well educated, but she is also very beautiful and charismatic. The best combination - beauty AND brains!

Dr. Jeannette Graf M.D. and myself, Chloé of ChloeBeautyNYC

 And of course, Lynn got her own copy of Dr. Graf's book! Here is her photo with Dr. Graf as well!

Dr. Jeannette Graf M.D. with Lynn.

In addition, each guest received a fabulous gift bag filled with products from Glytone, Avene and Rene Furterer. Look how stylish those big bags look! I love the black, white & hot pink combo!

The contents of the fabulous gift bag!

All in all, this event was a fantastic experience and I am so thankful that I was one of the beauty influencers chosen to be invited! I met a ton of very sweet and talented individuals who I am so glad to have met! I will always remember this night & the fabulous wealth of knowledge that I gained from Dr. Jeannette Graf M.D.

Thanks for reading!

XOXO Chloé

Review: Miracle Skin Transformer

Do you believe in miracles?

A brand new breakthrough product, The Miracle Skin Transformer claims to leave skin completely transformed and hydrates, enhances skin tone and protects - leaving skin looking smooth, luminous and perfected in only one step.

The past few days in NYC have been in the high 90's and very humid. I was in need of a foundation that resembled a tinted moisturizer, was very light on my skin but also offered sun protection and evened out my skin tone while adding color to my face. I decided to try out this makeup and see if it really would transform my skin and keep it looking gorgeous and fresh - even on a hot, humid summer day. At first this product almost sounded too good to be true, (like some products that promise a lot but don't really deliver.) but I was totally proved wrong! It really lives up to its promises and is going to be a pretty popular product in my makeup bag this summer! (especially on hot humid days where I don't want to be bothered with powder or liquid foundation!)My skin tone was evened out beautifully, my face was moisturized (no need to apply my moisturizer beforehand - this did the job!), my skin looked like it was glowing and best of all, it was very light on my skin, it almost felt like I was wearing no face makeup at all. In addition, I wore this out at night and I put a light dusting of my Make Up For Ever HD powder and that combo gave me a totally matte, yet weightless finish. I loved it!




So, here are the juicy details on The Miracle Skin Transformer!

What it claims:
• Antioxidant moisturizing tinted skin enhancer with UVA/UVB SPF 20.
• Instantly transform your skin in one application.
• Leaves skin smooth, luminous and air-brushed in seconds.
• Pumps the skin with natural ingredients for anti-aging benefits.
• Instantly covers imperfections to leave a smooth, matte finish for an even complexion.
• SPF 20 shields skin from harmful rays and protects from environmental damage

After wearing the product, theses are the pros & cons I've come up with!

PROS
• Uses natural active ingredients such as saw palmetto extract, passion fruit, CO Enzyme Q10, Vitamin K and Vitamin A.
• Buildable coverage - you are able to layer for more coverage, or use it like you would a tinted moisturizer.
• Sun protection, SPF 20
• Evens out your skin tone
• Moisturizes and keeps skin hydrated throughout the day
• Gives a soft matte finish, yet is still luminous
• Very bendable
• weightless, very light on skin
• Perfect makeup for hot/humid weather
• Also comes in a colorless option, for flawless skin texture w/o color, or to use as a primer. (or if men want to wear it for a perfected complexion as well)

CONS
• Offers only light coverage, so if you have blemishes, it either wont cover them or you will need to layer the product a few times to cover darker marks/imperfections.
• Limited color choices. Only comes in 3 colors (light, medium and tan) and colorless. There is no color option for you girls who are very tan or those who have gorgeous chocolate or ebony skin tones.
• $48 is pricey (in my opinion) for a product that isn't always part of my daily routine.

A swatch straight out of the bottle.


Half-way blended. See how creamy it looks?! I love it - great texture!


Fully blended. Light-weight & provides a smooth appearance with a soft-matte finish.


MY OVERALL OPINION:
I really like The Miracle Skin Transformer! It is a great product to have in your makeup collection and its a necessity on days when you want a light-weight moisturizing foundation that still gives light coverage & a soft-matte finish. I am not sure if I will be buying the full sized version when it becomes available to the public on August 1st, mainly due to the $48 price tag on a product that I wont be using everyday. (I am more of a pressed powder or liquid foundation type of girl! lol) This 5ml sample that I got is enough to last me about 5 or 6 more full face applications, so once I am done with this little tube, I will truly know if I want to spend to get the full sized one! But, if you are a girl who cant live without her tinted moisturizer or if you love a light foundation for daily use - then this is definitely the product for you! The Miracle Skin Transformer will truly be the miracle your skin has been wishing for!!

Thanks for reading my review on The Miracle Skin Transformer! Click here to get your own FREE travel sized (5ml - just like the one I have in the photos!) tester and see for yourself how great this product is! ENJOY ♥

XOXO, Chloé

Best Self-Tanner!

As summer is right around the corner, so is a summer tan! But this summer I will not be laying out in the sun and baking myself daily in order to achieve that nice rich, dark tan that I desire! Yes, everyone loves a sexy, summer tan, but nobody loves skin damage or the harmful affects that the sun can have on our precious skin. Thankfully we can find a perfect alternative to that rich summer tan in a bottle (or spray can!) and be much nicer to our skin!

Many of you have asked me what my favorite self-tanner is and after thinking about it for a while, I have finally made my decision (and trust me, I have tried many!) My favorite self-tanning product, hands down is - St. Tropez Self Tan Bronzing Spray!

St. Tropez is one of the best self-tanning brands that I have ever tried. I was never left with an orange, fake looking glow. Every time I used one of their products, I was left looking beautiful with a true brown-colored tan, just like if I would if I spent a week in the Bahamas! Out of all their self-tanning products, I like the spray the best. It is much easier to get an even tan with no streaks when you are spraying yourself, because the number one culprit of streaky tans are not involved in this tanning process! (Your hands!) Since there is no need to rub in any product, the chance of you streaking is practically non existent! (But of course, make sure to exfoliate your skin from head to toe first!) In addition, without the need to rub in the self-tanner, there are also no orange palms!! 

My routine for using this self-tanner is as follows : First I hop into the shower and I get all my shaving out of the way. Then I exfoliate my whole body from head to toe! (Make sure to pay special attention to around your knees and elbows!) Then once I am out of the shower, I put my hair up into a bun & put a little plastic shower cap over my hair (to avoid getting self tanner in it) and then I evenly spray the tanner all over my body. I do one layer, and allow about 10 minutes for it to fully dry 100% and then go over once more with a 2nd layer for a deeper, richer tan. After the spray is fully dried, I put on some loose clothing and go off to bed. When I wake up in the morning, I take a quick shower with only water to rinse off any excess tan, towel off gently (do not rub or scrub your skin dry! This might exfoliate the tan off & you will be blotchy!) or air dry and then I am good to go with a gorgeous rich, brown tan all thanks to my St. Tropez self-tan bronzing spray!

Happy Self-Tanning!

XOXO Chloé

If you prefer to use a lotion or a mousse formula for your self-tan, St. Tropez also offers them! Which ever formula you choose, the result is always a rich, brown tan - just like you were vacationing in St. Tropez :)