There’s big news here at Teen Corner this week:

I GOT MY PERMIT… I am a student driver! Yay!

(If you’ve yet to get your permit, and would like a little tip from little ol’ Bree, let me just say this: Read The Manual . This is not a test you can pass with common sense alone—because, those people at the DMV? They are tricky folks. They try to throw you off with their big words and complicated questions that could easily be answered if they just asked them in an un-tricky way. Geeesh.) (Also—if for some reason you don’t pass the test on the first try, don’t worry, there’s always tomorrow.) (Just saying.)

Now that I’m a driver , my freaky mother is going nuts about the sunscreen thing. Since my face will no longer be under the protection of the tinted back windows, she says I need to make a habit of applying sunscreen daily. Personally, I think the woman is crazy, but after rummaging through a pile of her beauty products, I found this:

NARS Makeup Primer SPF 20

This primer is so lightweight, it sort of melts into my skin and disappears. And my foundation looks even better than it did before. (Which I didn’t think was possible.) The only problem I’m having is remembering to put it on… I might have to put a sticky-note on the bathroom mirror as a reminder! (Also, this is no substitute for the real sunscreen deal, but for someone like me, it’s a step in the right direction.)

Along with the primer, there’s a few other things I want to tell you about to help create flawless skin:

Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Stress Control Foaming Cleanser

This foaming cleanser contains salicylic acid and is really gentle. My sister’s skin is sensitive, yet she gets frequent breakouts on her forehead (if she would just listen to me and pin her bangs back during volleyball practice, she might not have a problem. But I’m just her older sister—what do I know?). When used daily, this cleanser helps to fight pimple-causing bacteria.

ThermaClear Heat Enabled Acne Treatment

This handy little device is the hit of our neighborhood. All of our friends come over to borrow our ThermaClear (even the boys—no joke!). (Before you gross out, please know that we thoroughly clean it with rubbing alcohol between uses. Thoroughly .)

Here’s how it works: Acne is formed when excess oil and skin cells clog a pore, allowing bacteria to be trapped and become inflamed. ThermaClear spot treats acne with a burst of thermal energy that penetrates the skin, much like a laser treatment at the dermatologist’s office, and neutralizes the underlying bacteria allowing skin to heal faster.

It doesn’t hurt at all, just feels a little warm, and it really works!

Don’t forget to work on your Halloween costumes—there’s only 10 days left (Bailey and I are going as Fook Me & Fook You from Austin Powers!).

Hope you have a great week.

xo,

Bree

Teen Corner comes to you a day early this week, because—drumroll please—I’M GOING FISHING!

I’m not kidding. It’s the coldest day of the season so far, and my best friend Andrea and I are going to be out on the river with my Dad. It’s going to be just the three of us (a little father-daughter bonding thing, I guess) with no MySpace, no cell service, and possibly no Creme de la Mer (I’m trying to convince my mom to let me bring along her jar) for an entire weekend.

Before you go and peg me a spoiled brat for the whole Creme de la Mer thing, let me just say—it’s not mine, and I don’t use it every day. But the stuff works. Especially when it’s cold and windy and my normally good skin gets all chapped and dry. Gross.

Andrea and I consulted on the phone last night and came up with a little list of beauty essentials for our trip:

• Boots No 7 Quick Thinking 4-in-1 Wipes —I know I always talk about these, but they really are an essential part of my beauty routine. Fishing trip or not, these are coming along.
• Clinique Acne Solutions Emergency Gel-Lotion —because I’m not taking any chances. If there happens to be cute boys on the river (please God, let there be cute boys on the river) they will be charmed by my smashing personality and exquisite fly-casting ability—not blinded by a huge zit on my face.
• Nivea Original Moisture Body Lotion —there are probably two dozen different body lotions here at my house that do an equally great job, but I just love the way this one smells. (This reminds me of the time a guy-friend came to our house for the first time and was like, "what’s with all the lotion?" I hadn’t noticed before, but as I took a look around the kitchen and living room, there were no less than 8 full-sized bottles of lotion sitting in plain sight. Our family might be crazy, but we all have soft skin. Ha!)
• Vaseline Intensive Rescue Heal & Repair Balm —I’m actually packing this product for my dad, whose legs get dry and scaly after standing in the cold river in neoprene waders for hours on end. It’s so thick and creamy and relieves dryness and discomfort in seconds. (This will also be my backup in case my mom won’t let me bring the Creme de la Mer—I’ll use it to protect my face from windburn.)
• Neutrogena Healthy Defense Oil-Free Sunblock Stick SPF30 —because I’m not allowed to step outside without sun protection, and this one is just easy.
• Chapstick —a good ‘ol standby that never lets me down.

I’m not bringing any makeup—the fish (and cute boys) will have to appreciate my natural beauty (ha)—but, seriously, I’m looking forward to my weekend outdoors. Andrea and I are psyched!

Hope your weekend is as fun as mine is going to be.

xo,

Bree

Our first trip to the beach this season happened yesterday, where we enjoyed a gorgeous summer day along the shores of Lake Tahoe (in the shade!) and spent hours catching up on our magazine reading.

While we love a lazy day at the beach as much as the next girl, getting our beach bag ready is always a chore. Gone are the days of heading off to the beach with nothing but a towel and a girlfriend or two. (Gone are also the days of perfectly flat abs–but no sense getting nostalgic here.)

Nowadays, beaching-it takes a little planning and a lot of packing.

Aside from the essential beach umbrella, wide-brimmed hat and iPod, here’s what else you can find in our beach bag:

1. Boots Quick Thinking 4 in 1 Wipes: Great for wiping around our irritated eyes when sand, salt and sunscreen start taking their toll. (Even greater for the car ride home when 45 minutes seems like an eternity with beach grime in our pores.) These Quick Thinking wipes cleanse, tone, remove makeup and moisturize all in one swipe. Brilliant!

2. Neutrogena Ultra-Sheer Dry Touch Sunblock SPF 55: Complete UVA/UVB protection with Helioplex. Along with a big hat, this sunscreen leaves the skin on our face wondering if it’s even at the beach.

3. Laura Mercier Lip Kisses SPF 15 : Sun protection for our lips with a sheer, high-gloss finish. We like it in Nude Beach.

4. Shiseido Refreshing Sun Protection Spray: This light, waterproof formula makes protecting our hair simple and easy. The bottle even sprays upside down making it easy to reach the back of our head without having to play Twister.

5. Bobbi Brown Lip Balm SPF 15: This colorless lip balm feels silky smooth on our lips. Bonus: we also use it on our cuticles!

6. Dior Diorshow Waterproof Mascara: Thick, lush lashes in a waterproof formula. Just because we’re at the beach, doesn’t mean we can’t look fab.

7. Neutrogena Cool Mist SPF 30: Again, Helioplex gives us ultra protection while the cool mist spray bottle keeps us feeling fresh and cool in the hot summer sun.

Now that our bag is packed, beach-going will be a breeze. We can’t wait until next weekend.

Congratulations to Jennifer Garner on being named the new spokeswoman for Neutrogena.

Come September, we’ll see her gorgeous face in Neutrogena print ads like Kelly Preston, Hayden Panettiere and Gabrielle Union before her.

The first products she’ll represent will be the Anti-Oxidant Age Reverse line and the Healthy Defense SPF 45 Daily Moisturizer with Helioplex.