Beauty – Page 167 – Forty, Flirty & Fabulous

SLEEKskin Anti-Aging Skin Kit

I know that sometimes it is hard finding the perfect combination of products to keep your skins looking smooth and youthful. A good system that is easy to follow is what everyone needs. SLEEKskin Anti-Aging Skin Kit ($215.95) is a daily facial regime for women who want professional skincare that are easy to do at home, and gives a spa quality result. It is “designed to turn back the visual signs of aging and prevent further damage.”

The kit comes with the following products, with descriptions from the website (I have also added prices to buy the products separately). Also, the order that you see them in is the order that you use them day and night:

Glow ($38.95) is an exfoliating cleansing gel formulated to promote skin rejuvenation, even skin tone and to repair and defend against sun damage with an effective cocktail of Vitamin C, Lactic Acid and Green Tea antioxidant nutrients. Since Lactic Acid is less intense and less drying than Glycolic Acid, Glow makes an excellent cleansing choice for those with hyperpigmentation, dry, and combination skin types. Glow is also ideal for use as a daily brightening antiaging cleanser.

Boost ($38.95) a toner that improves skin tone and conditions skin with anti-oxidant Vitamin C and natural solvents and astringents that dissolve residue and restore pH balance. Vitamin C and Lactic Acid combine to promote cell turnover, repair sun damage, reduce the appearance of hyperpigmentation and encourage skin lightening.

Enriched with a combination of active peptides and proteins to supplement skin, Renew (98.95) is a serum that supports natural collagen levels to restore skin’s elasticity and promote healthy, youthful skin. This triple action collagen renewal serum restores the body’s own collagen, while stimulating new collagen production. With continuous use, Renew will deliver a more luminous complexion, re-contour epidermal cells and decrease visible lines.

A light-weight cream that relaxes facial muscles, nourishes skin cells and moisturizes, Transform (78.95) helps to achieve the appearance of youthful, healthier skin. Daily application can dramatically reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles thanks to the presence of muscle-relaxing Hibiscus Extract, as well as increase collagen production, improve elastin and skin firmness.

I like this kit, but I caution that these products are professional quality and are quite potent. My skin was a bit red the first few days I tried them. Now, I am used to the products and like the smoothness I am seeing. I especially love the Transform cream that you apply after the Renew. It is moisturizing and soothing.

You may purchase the kit or the products separately at www.sleekmedspa.com/boutique

New Products From Lipstick Queen

My favorite lipstick maven, Poppy King, has come out with some bright lip colors for fall. I love wearing light shear lip glosses in the summer, but when the temperature dips, I like to wear brighter colors for the fun of it!

I love the 15 Minutes of Fame lip gloss ($16.50USD) which is inspired by Andy Warhol’s Pop Art movement. He predicted in 1968 that, “In the future, everyone will be world-famous for fifteen minutes”. Kind of evokes todays reality stars, huh? This shiny, not shimmery gloss is available in 15 shades ranging in very light pink, bright orange and dark red. A color for everyone! These glosses are fantastically glossy and full colored, which is great for the fall. I have shade 14 Minutes — Gorgeous Grape. It is dramatic and fun, great with a little neutral shadow, black liner and lots of mascara.

Chinatown Glossy Pencils ($20.00 USD) This jumbo sized pencil (that comes with a jumbo-sized sharpener) comes in 5 bright colors that glide on so smoothly. Don’t be afraid of the shades because they are super sheer and moisturizing. My favorite color is Thriller, a sheer scarlet red. I do not wear reds because they make me look like a kid wearing mom’s lipstick; but this one is fabulous. If I keep the rest of my face in neutral colors, I actually look cool and sophisticated.

I highly recommend that you visit www.lipstickqueen.com and purchase any of the fab products. They are all great!

Pink Venus Embrace — Get Closer to the Cause

Gillette has released a new pink Venus Embrace ($9.99 – $11.99) to help women “Get Closer to the Cause” of eradicating the spread of breast cancer. Every three minutes in the U.S., a woman is diagnosed with this devastating disease, so together with eight other Procter & Gamble^® (P&G) brands, Venus has joined the fight to find the cure.

I have tried — and I love — the Venus Embrace. I love that Procter & Gamble is donating to this extremely important cause. The Pink Venus Embrace comes with a breast self-exam “how-to” booklet. According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, self-exams should be performed monthly (around the same time the average woman changes her razor blade). So, it’s a good idea to work them into your shaving routine; conveniently before or after shaving your underarms.

The shaver itself comes with these great features:

— A shaving surface that adjusts to the natural contours and curves of a woman’s body. This allows the blade cartridge to sit flatter on the skin for a closer shave.

— A Protective Ribbon of Moisture fully surrounds the shaving surface for a smooth glide.

— A Soft Grip handle that feels great in the hand and improves control, even when wet.

Read more about this great shaver at www.gillettevenus.com.

Clean up with FURTHER SOAP

Want clean hands and a clean conscious? FURTHER SOAP($18.50 8 oz) is made from the glycerin derived from the distillation of biofuel.

I really like using this hand soap. I love how it is basically a recycled product and is biodegradable. The scent is an infusion of essential oils of bergamot, olive and exotic grasses. It smells bright and fresh and cleans without stripping the skin. My husband likes it too, which is a plus!

They have recently created a candle made from purified waste grease from Mario Batali’s restaurant Mozza. It is the same scent as the soap, so I’m sure it makes the house smell heavenly!

Visit www.furthersoap.com to learn more and purchase the soap and the candle.

Palladio — Natural Cosmetics at an Affordable Price

Palladio Beauty creates affordable makeup that is actually good for you. The products are enriched with herbs and vitamins and come in quite a variety of products and shades.

Some of the products I have tried are:

Herbal Lipstick ($6.00) — This vanilla-scented lipstick’s formula contains “diamond clusters” that are touted to create an irresistible look of frost and glimmer on the lips. Out of the 40 shades, I tried Precious, a rosy pink. It is shimmery, but not glittery and the color was subtle and was moisturizing too.

Mosaic ($10.00) — is five harmonizing hues of pinks, tans and browns combined in one powder kit. They can be used individually or blended together to create a single shade to match your skin type. They can be used as an overall bronzer, blush, eye shadow or an overall face highlight. I tried Sun Kissed, a light bronzer. It is very soft and pretty, and is available in 8 kits of blush or bronzer.

One of may favorite Palladio products are the Baked Eye Shadows ($7.00 for single colors; $8.00 for trios). These are highly pigmented, shimmery and last longer than regular shadows. They are available in 12 single shades and 8 trios. I love the glimmer and choices of colors that these shadows offer. Fun!

Visit www.palladiobeauty.com to learn more about these great products and to find a store that carries them.

Everyday Minerals Fall Collection

Everyday Minerals has release new color makeup that matches the color trends seen at Fall 2009 Fashion Week. The colors are crisp and pretty, just like a lovely fall day.

I love the Everyday Palettes ($10.00), portable eyeshadow palettes that contains 4 loose mineral shadows and a tiny bamboo brush that is used to dip into the sifter holes that contain the shadows. Two new collections are:

Lavender Collection (light lavenders to deep purples) – complete with Ballet Slippers, Love Letters, Romance Novel, and Wine Tasting Eye Shadows
Jane Austen Collection (peaches, browns and greens) – complete with Dreaming Dandy, Anna Karenina, Southern Belle, Jane Eyre.

The Blush, ($8.00) is very pigmented and a little goes a long way. The large amount of product that you get for the price is amazing. New colors for fall are:

Time Share — Soft muted earthy pink matte shade, to love and to kiss!
New Mom — A deep, reddish matte pink with earthy undertones.
Sand Cherry –A gorgeous deep peach with cherry undertones and tons of sparkle!

The fall collection also includes lip glosses, lip balms and single eye shadows. You can purchase these products at www.EverydayMinerals.com.

DevaCurl MirrorCurls

DevaCurl hair care is an exclusively designed hair care system for curly, wavy and chemically processed hair. They have removed all unnecessary chemicals that can be harsh on curly and wavy hair and have added extra botanical and moisturizing ingredients that cleanse, condition and re-hydrate the hair.

MirrorCurls ($25.00 1.7 oz) is newest addition to the DevaCurl product line. This shine serum is silicone-free, water-soluble, botanically infused, and 99% natural. It is touted to bring moisture, maximum curl reflection and a bright shine to curls and waves.

I love the scent of this product; it is fresh and lemony. Although this isn’t a heavy product, a little goes a long way. And like it claims, MirrorCurls leaves you with very shiny curls!

Visit www.devachansalon.com to purchase MirrorCurls or to find a salon near you.

It Cosmetics Nail Love

It Cosmetics Nail Love Cuticle and Nail Oil Pen ($12.50) is a cool and affordable way to make your nails and cuticals look and feel fantastic.

The product description from IT Cosmetics is that Nail Love, “treats and conditions cuticles and strengthens nails with hydrolyzed collagen, plus this exclusive formula has an anti-yellowing complex! Combine that with the healing eucalyptus leaf oil and you’ll see this pen packs a whole lot of Nail Love!The beneficial ingredients including a Pro-Collagen blend plus Vitamins A, C, E and Pro-Vitamin B5 work to strengthen and protect your nails over time!? The Healing Eucalyptus Oil, Sweet Almond Oil and Jojoba seed Oil work to heal hangnails and torn cuticles giving a soothing effect you can feel immediately. Now that’s something your nails and cuticles will love!”

To use this product I first apply the oil by twisting the base of the pen to release it, and then brush the product on the nails and cuticles. Then I used the rubber cuticle pusher and push back my cuticles. The last step is to rub the excess oil on my nails and cuticles.

I think this is a great product to help keep cuticles healthy and it gives the nails a nice shine, too! The cuticle tool cap is also really convenient.

Visit www.itcosmetics.com to learn more and to purchase the Nail Love pen. Enjoy!

Aestelance Hair Care

Aestelance Dry Scalp and Hair Collection

Aestelance is a hair care company that believes that the fusion of “aesthetics” and “balance” is based on individualized care for your hair and scalp. The website claims:

“The key word for this is “your” because each person’s hair and scalp is unique. This “made to measure” hair and scalp care method sets itself apart from the one size fits all approach commonly found in mass-marketed products. Instead of developing products that arbitrarily focus on only one characteristic of hair, Aestelance takes into account the various scalp & hair conditions, textures and styling requirements. It’s all about balance: well-balanced hair on a well-balanced scalp.”

I tried the Dry Hair and Scalp System from Aestelance. This system is to help tight and itchy scalps and dry hair with a lot of static. The products I tried that are made to care for these symptoms are:

DF Shampoo for dry hair (fine) and scalp ($18.00 8 oz) contains silk proteins and amino acids to volumize and strengthen chemically-processed and color-treated hair. It also contains extract of hops, avocado and basil to add shine and condition hair without weighing it down. It is mild and balances a dry, flaky scalp.

Hydrate Leave-In Conditioner for fine to medium hair ( $17.00 4 oz/$29.00 8 oz) gives fine hair greater elasticity, bounce & sheen. Aloe and herb extracts bring essential moisture to the hair and scalp. Silk proteins and color protection have been added to prevent color fade.

Mud Mask moisturizes all types of hair and scalp ($17.00 4 oz/$29.00 8 oz) This instant moisturizing treatment is a combination of Dead Sea mud and minerals, and natural herb extracts. Mud mask leaves your hair feeling silky smooth. It supplies vital elements, prevents flaking, makes hair more manageable and adds sheen.

I really like the look I get from this system. My hair is fuller and softer. I haven’t seen much difference in my scalp, because I haven’t had much trouble with it being dry in the past. Also, the longer I leave the Mud Mask on for the softer and shinier my hair is.

Visit www.aestelance.com to learn more about these products and to find a salon near you to purchase them.

La Mer The Hydrating Facial

The luxury skincare line La Mer has released a new skin treatment called The Hydrating Facial ($250.00 for 6 applications.) This is a 100% cotton two-zoned mask that is claims to hydrate, nourish, smooth and condition skin and leave it with a healthy glow.

La Mer’s Hydrating Facial contains a trio of transformative benefits that are touted to make this new product so effective. They are:

Super Hydrators – The Sea Moist Ferment, a special blend of dark green algae gathered from all over the world in countries such as Japan, Indonesia, Brittany and the US, infuses the skin with intense hydration.

Super Anti-Agers – Marine plant algae such as Ascophyllum Nodosum and Aparagopsis Armata help to diminish visible signs of aging. Dark spots and discoloration begin to fade in appearance, revealing a clearer, more even complexion. The Hydrating Facial also contains cellular lipids and plant extracts derived from melon and avocado to provide a smoother skin texture.

Super Energizers – Ultra soft to the touch, the spun-lace cotton mask is embedded with tourmaline and Mariponic Ferments that energize and set molecules into motion. The Hydrating Facial mask drives the formula into the skin, boosting hydration.

When making The Hydrating Facial, a high energy inversion process is used to blend the formula together creating a liquid crystal structure. This gives the formula the properties of both a solid and a liquid. As a solid, the formula suspends and protects the ingredients while still on the mask. When applied to the skin, the formula has the properties of a liquid as it delivers activity to the skin.

Two use the facial, you place the top mask that goes over the eyes and nose first, then the second half that goes over the bottom half of your face. You leave on for 8 minutes, remove then smooth on the rest of the product.

I enjoyed this a lot. As the weather grows colder, my skin gets flakier and I need extra hydration. This is super hydrating and is a great evening treatment. I was also happy that I didn’t break out after the treatment. I used it a couple of days ago and my skin is still soft. Nice!

The Hydrating Facial will be available in October 2009 at select Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, and www.lamer.com