Most magazine "beauty awards" are a total load of hooey - it's an opportunity for mags to give a yet a little more love to their advertisers. Prevention's 2009 Defy Your Age Beauty Awards are different - the winning products were chosen after being tested by 175 "real" (is there another kind?) women, all over the age of 40.

Each woman submitted to a Visia Skin Analysis (a multi-spectral imaging system that identifies problem areas of your complexion, including sun damage) both before and after the eight week testing period and seven dermatologists then evaluated the results to choose the winning products, all of which retail for under $50!:

Best Day Lotion with SPF: Olay ProX Age Repair Lotion SPF 30

Best Night Cream: Roc Multi-Correxion Night Treatment

Best Lip Treatment: Lancome L'Absolu Rouge La Base Revitalizing Lip Treatment SPF 10

Best Microdermabrasion Treatment: Estee Lauder Idealist Dual-Action Refinishing Treatment

Adult Acne Treatment: Avon Clearskin Professional Acne Treatment System

Hand Cream: Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Age Shield Hand Cream SPF 30

Eye Cream: Skin Effects by Jeffrey Dover Cell 2 Cell Anti-Aging Eye Treatment

To learn more about Prevention's Defy Your Age Beauty Awards winners, pick up a the latest issue, on stands August 4.

To win a gift bag with samples of the Defy Your Age Beauty Award Winners (pictured above!), leave a comment on this post by noon on August 7.

One winner will be chosen at random!  Good luck!

Tom Ford Miranda Sunglasses

Tom Ford sunglasses are one of my very expensive weaknesses...I have three pairs. You don't have to be a total dumbass and pay full price like I did though, become a member of the invitation-only Rue La La and on Monday, you can snag Tom Ford shades for a greatly reduced price! Click here to join: http://www.ruelala.com/invite/eye4style

Happy Shopping!

Like any good New York woman, I la-la-love Gossip Girl. And while I can't survive without a little S and B on my Monday nights, I'm also a huge fan of Brooklynite Vanessa Abrams, played by Jessica Szohr.  Jessica's really a natural knock out, so when the folks at Dove shared the following fashion & beauty must-haves from their spokesperson, I knew I had to share.

• Growing up in Wisconsin, jeans were my wardrobe staple. This summer I’m living in jean shorts because I can wear them so many different ways. I can either wear them casually with a button down and sandals during the day or dress them up with heels at night.
• The stylists I’ve worked with have really opened my eyes to fashion trends and experimenting with accessories. This summer boho headbands are my go-to accessory because they keep my hair off my face when it gets sticky out
• People don’t realize this, but we are filming the show all summer long in NYC. To help relieve the hot city heat, I’m constantly jumping in the shower to freshen up and stay cool. I love Dove go fresh Burst Body Wash. The nectarine and white ginger scent smells so good and invigorates me at any time of day! (Jessica's not exaggerating - this is one of my very fave shower gels. It's moisturizing too - and SO cheap.)
• Filming days can be long and brutal – especially in the heat of summer – so I make sure to stay hydrated and have lots of healthy snacks to keep my energy level up. But don’t get me wrong, I definitely stray sometimes – my favorite splurge is Cheetos!
• On a warm summer day, no need to cake on the makeup! I like to keep it simple. One of my favs is Napoleon Perdis mascara – it’s all I need in the summer!

If you can't get enough Gilt Groupe in your life, you'll be thrilled to meet kid sister Gilt Fuse. Focusing exclusively on contemporary women's brands like Plenty by Tracy Reese, Kova & T, Modern Amusement, CC Skye, TKO Orologi, RJ Graziano and BCBG, the site will offer deals of up to 70% off.

Gilt Fuse launches on August 12 at 12 PM EST, if you'd like an invitation to shop, click here!

Ever wonder what celebrities are thinking when they get dressed for red carpet events and public appearances? Yeah, me too. I gues we're not the only ones as MTV and Cotton have teamed up to create a web series called "What Were U Thinking?" that features an inside look at celeb style.

Each episode puts a celeb into the hot seat to discuss past and present fashion choices. First up is rock progeny Kelly Osbourne, whom I just love!  Check out the episode below and be sure to visit http://mtvcotton.com to see more.

Fashion news to share! Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen was today announced as the new face of London Fog®.

Debuting in the October issues of fashion, lifestyle and entertainment magazines (as well as via billboards and online), the ads feature Bündchen posing seductively (is there any other way?) in a classic London Fog trench, noticeably pregnant.

This is the first campaign that Gisele has appeared in since news of her pregnancy broke. The campaign was shot by fashion photographer, Nino Munoz at Smashbox Studios in West Hollywood in mid July.  

What do you think of the ads?  Is this too much Gisele or not enough?

While other bloggers may have moved on to fall and holiday beauty already, I remain firmly focused on summer. Do you know why?  It's ridiculously hot.  And humid.  Did I mention the humidity already? Seriously, it's close to unbearable.

Thankfully, I've got the new Sampar Eye Rule at my disposal. This clever eye cream dispenses through a click pen applicator with a steel rollerball.  Who cares? I DO. Because steel is cold - meaning this cream is positively heavenly to apply - not to mention the temperature helps to reduce any fatigue- (or ahem, alcohol-) induced puffiness.

Eye Rule is also chock full of key ingredients, including peptides (to fight fine lines/aging), argan oil (to moisturize) and white lupin extract (to combat dark circles).  Best of all, it's super light in texture (again, perfect for the season) - Eye Rule absorbs quickly and leaves no residue.

Snag your own for $78 at www.skin-one.com.

I'm off to Nashville for the weekend, so forgive the lack of updates. See ya'll (I feel more Southern already!) on Sunday night!

If you love Estelle's style, you're in luck! Designer Rachel Roy announced this week via Twitter that she'll be collaborating with the Brit pop sensation on a Spring 2010 jewelry collection.

For now, that's all we know but it's enough to get me excited.

What do you think? Is this collaboration a recipe for style success?

SPF is an OBVIOUS Summer essential, this is news to NO ONE.  But regardless, it's sometimes a challenge for even me to remember to apply in the mornings, particularly when I'm just going about my day as opposed to hitting a ball game or the beach.  For those occasions, Dermalogica's Solar Defense Wipes are IT.

These clever disposable cloths are perfectly saturated (not dripping. not dry.) with a pleasant smelling, non-sticky SPF 15 solution.  One wipe goes a long way too - I hit Orchard Beach (for the record, NOT "the Riviera of the Bronx") with these a weekend or two ago and needed just 2 to cover my entire body. They're also travel-friendly since they're not technically a liquid.

My only issue with this product? Why just in SPF 15, Dermalogica? You're a serious skincare brand, there's no excuse for going below SPF 30.

You can snag a package of your own at SkinCare RX for $22.