Christopher Scott Interview: Macy's Stars of Dance, DWTS, Week 9

While everyone was watching the Dancing With the Stars finale, I was hitting the red carpet for collidEdance headed by 2013 Capezio A.C.E. winner Erica Sobol. At the tail end of the carpet, a publicist asked if I would be interested in interviewing Christopher Scott. Um…yes, please!

We talked about last week's Macy's Stars of Dance, why Derek Hough brought him aboard and what he used as his inspiration. This is an audio-only interview and I didn't edit it since I wanted to post it ASAP, so you are getting the raw footage.

For those of you that follow me to SYTYCD on AfterBuzz TV, please tweet Chris Scott and let him know you heard this interview. I'm working hard to get him on our show this summer once we hit the Top 20.

Listen below:



If you missed the Macy's Stars of Dance number, watch below:

DWTS Season 18: Elena Grinenko, Part 2

Second to last show of the season and it was a wild one. I think we all agree Meryl will win that Mirror Ball Trophy and I won't be upset about it. She had an incredible season. I felt more connected to Amy's journey, but she's going on to great things so I am not worried about her. I know I put James in second place. I don't think I really believe that's how it will play out, it's just me making a ridiculous prediction for a ridiculous season when it comes to manipulation and scoring.

A big thanks for Elena Grinenko for stepping in at the last minute when Lindsay Arnold couldn't make it. Grinya always offers a insider's perspective on Meryl, Charlie and Maks that we would never have otherwise. 

Who is going to win that MBT? Let me know in the comments below!

Dermalogica Skin Hydrating Booster Review

It's time for another beauty review with iFabbo and it's the perfect one for me to try out: Dermalogica Skin Hydrating Booster. If anyone has dry skin, it's me. From all the travel I do to winter climates, my skin is always dry. It's hard to keep it moisturized no matter how many glasses of water I drink or how much I slather lotion on my face.

Here's what I thought of the product:

Description of Product via Dermalogica:
Skin hydrating booster:

Hydrating fluid concentrate relieves dryness and fine lines. Help lift moisture levels and minimize fine lines by mixing into your prescribed Dermalogica Moisturizer or applying directly to parched skin. Hyaluronic Acid, Panthenol, Glycolipids and Algae Extract help restore moisture balance. Formulated without artificial fragrances and colors.

Benefits:
Hydrates tissues to smooth and minimize fine lines.
Use as a spot treatment or all over to revitalize skin.
Non-greasy formula is suitable for all skin conditions.

Ingredients:
Water/aqua/eau, Glycerin, Panthenol, Melissa Officinalis Leaf Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans, Glycolipids, Hydrolyzed Algin, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Sea Water, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, PPG-5-Ceteth-20, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Linalool, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil.

Does It Work?: For me, it wasn't a winner. I still had dry skin. In fact, I had to add an additional moisturizer booster to keep my skin hydrated. I used this product for a full six weeks to see if it was the type of product that took a reasonable amount of time to get going. My skin just never adjusted to this product.

Cost: $56

Where Is It Sold?: You can buy it directly off of the Dermalogica website where you can get a 15% discount off any booster purchase through May 31, 2014 by using the code BOOST at checkout.

Connect:
If you want to learn more about Dermalogica, visit their social media pages--
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram

Disclosure:  I was given a complimentary sample by Perlier and iFabbo in exchange for a review. I was not paid for this post. All opinions are my own.

AfterBuzz TV DWTS Season 18: Chelsie Hightower

I am so glad you all enjoyed Chelsie Hightower as a guest. Yep, she speaks her mind. Yep, we would love to have her back, but remember it took us four seasons to get her on. It's not easy to work around her busy schedule and she is no longer living in California. I know a lot of you want her in our studio each week, but let's just try for next season first.

This is the time of the season when it gets hard to say goodbye to the contestants. Everyone is worthy, everyone is talented, but only the Top 3 will be there to show off their freestyle dance. We spent a lot of time on Charlie-gate and I understand how frustrated you are about the judging situation….it's annoying. Carrie Ann Inaba is getting quite an earful on her Twitter account. Let me know your thoughts on Charlie-gate in the comments below.

If you missed the show, watch it below:

AfterBuzz TV DWTS Season 18: Henry Byalikov

It was so great to be back in studio this week. I missed everyone! We had a bit of last minute shuffling going on with Julz having to rehearse (not-DWTS related) and Sasha Farber having DWTS rehearsal. It's okay though because we had the amazing Henry Byalikov in studio with us. He's been such a good friend to the show back to our early days in Season 15 with just Suri and me. Go back and watch an episode, it's sooooo different from the panel we have now.

The Party Anthem week was eh-okay to me. I am looking forward to Latin Week with Ricky Martin. Now that's what I call exciting! Drew exited this week which I was sad about since he made a huge impression on me personality-wise.

I called NeNe again for an exit next week, but a few people made a strong case for Candace (No! I'm not ready for her to leave yet.) exiting.


Who do you think will leave? Let me know in the comments below.

DWTS Season 18, Week 5: My Thoughts

I am so sorry to have missed Disney Week on DWTS. As an avid Disney fan, I thought this was one of the best-executed shows from the costumes to the props, it was fun. Since I missed the AfterBuzz show this week because I was in New York for Hyundai's live 2015 Sonata launch (See photos here and here.), I thought I would give a few short thoughts on this week's show.

Opening Number: Mandy Moore did what she does best…use the space and choreograph for the camera. I loved Mark, Derek and Val on the steps. Their trio was my favorite highlight from the opening number.

Drew/Cheryl: While this wasn't his cleanest week, I love that he throws himself into each dance. What I adore about this season is that the cast is really likable. Drew has been one of the biggest surprises for me. Count me as a fan! (And how cute was the pep talk Cheryl gave him before the dance began?)

Charlie/Sharna: I don't care that he dropped the cane — that was spectacular! I am rarely a fan of props on DWTS, but the cane choreography was divine with the footwork. Sharna is one of the best choreographers on that show and she proved it with that number. Congratulations to Charlie for keeping up with such challenging steps. (And hello…he did a bumper with penguins--YES!)

Photo via @JonyCalderon11 

Danica/Val: I think this was her breakthrough week. She needed to really step out and distinguish herself since it's a talented group and we are halfway through the season. Val is one of my favorite choreographers on the show and this Quickstep showed off his skills nicely. I had to watch this routine twice though because the plates (AKA Lindsay and Jenna) stole the show. 

Amy/Derek: Amy makes everything look so easy. This week, we learned how hard it really is for her. While she is primarily an athlete, she shines in her performance every week. This piece was beautiful in a very pretty and quiet way. 

Witney/Cody: While I wasn't surprised it was the end of the line for Cody after Kristin Hope did her awesome Facebook-ology research. (His dance with Sharna was the fans' least favorite during the Switch-Up.) He had a really good showing in the Samba though. I don't agree with Donny at all. Cody is 17, he's not going to have a cheesy Disney grin. He went out on a good note and Witney proved she is a total star. Great first year as a pro!

NeNe/Tony: This was the perfect character for her and I loved what this pair did out on the dance floor. As for the package, they are two strong personalities and things will get heated in the rehearsal room. If you saw their emotion after the dance, you know they really like each other. However, Tony needs to take a constructive comment and roll with it. Carrie Ann shared that Derek's work with Nene helped her out. Any elite athlete or performer will seek out an additional coach for a big performance/event. It's no different in this situation. It only helped their case out on the dance floor.

James/Peta: Hello, star lift! James has proven himself to be such a contender in a jam-packed fight for the Top 4. I'm not sure I would call this a perfect 10 performance, but it was darn close. (And hello…he needed a costume, it's Disney Week!)

Meryl/Maks: I am always wanting more from Meryl and I always go back to wanting Maks to add more content for Meryl. However, I'm starting to think that it's because Meryl makes everything look so darn easy. It's effortless and that's a hard quality to come by. It was a cute routine and I had no problem with Meryl's footwear in this situation…it gave her a barefoot look for the costume — I get it.

Candace/Mark:  I'm glad she had such a good week after being unfairly judged last week. I loved Mark as a crab! How did Donny not understand what he was doing with his hands? I have to say I am rooting for Candace. She's not going to be in the Top 4, but her positivity and her message that  you can be sexy and still covered up is kind of awesome. 

Prediction for Elimination: NeNe--I think that package will hurt her votes a bit even though the producers probably upped the drama on their little tiff. 

Amy Purdy Scoop: While I was in New York, I ran into the Toyota executive who was responsible for bringing Amy onto the Toyota sponsorship team. (I had seen him at the DWTS show I attended with my niece, but we didn't get a chance to chat.) He first saw her at the TED Talk back in 2011 and approached her after the speech. He is such a fan and Toyota is truly supportive of all of her endeavors. On the sly, he also told me, "That Peta girl is something, isn't she?" I had to laugh.

(Disclosure: I hosted a show for Toyota for five years.)

Let me know your thoughts on Disney Week in the comments below.

DWTS Season 18: Artem Chigvintsev & Jenna Johnson

What a rowdy show! I hope you had as much fun as we did. It was a little crazy trying to get in all of our thoughts about Julianne Hough's judging, the Switch-Up, the low scores for Candace Cameron Bure and Macy's Stars of Dance.

Artem Chigvintsev and Jenna Johnson were so much fun. I hope to see Jenna back on the show when we kick SYTYCD back into high gear in late May.

If you missed the show, watch it below.

What are your thoughts on Candace's scores? Let me know in the comments below.