Pamper Her With Last Minute Beauty Gift Ideas

Still looking for the perfect gift for the beauty lover on your list? Below I have listed products from Kate Somerville, Beautyblender and Macadamia Natural Oil. All of them are great items to help the recipients get smooth skin and hair. They are:
 
Kate Somerville Celebrate ExfoliKate — The Ultimate ExfoliKate Kit ($162.00 USD $240.00 Value). This holiday season, give the gift of great skin with this limited-edition kit, featuring ExfoliKate for the face and ExfoliKate Body. These treatments use fruit enzymes to eliminate dead skin cells instantly, revealing healthy, glowing skin after just one use. This set contains:
– 5 oz ExfoliKate Intensive Exfoliating Treatment
– 5 oz ExfoliKate Body Intensive Exfoliating
Both products polish skin, revealing a smooth, glowing complexion. Highly effective in combating acne, including stubborn blackheads, these products also help fade discoloration while promoting healthy skin, a healthy glow, and a healthy you. 
 
This is my favorite exfoliator ever because it makes skin glow and pores appear smaller!  I use this twice a week and it really makes my skin clearer and smoother. I know that it is pricey, but it is so worth it. Exfoliation is so important to youthful skin, so go ahead and splurge!   Visit www.katesomerville.com to learn more and purchase.
 
The Beautyblender Holiday Set ($30.00 USD) — This ultimate make up sponge applicator has been created by celebrity makeup artist Rea Ann Silva who specializes in HD-Ready makeup for her stars. Beautyblender’s patent-pending elliptical shape makes application foolproof by allowing you to access hard-to-reach areas with stunning ease. Its suede texture is sensual to the touch and its unique curves fit the contours of your face, leaving your makeup stunning and undetectable – it’s no wonder why makeup artists and celebrities including Kim Kardashian, Brandy, Kat DeLuna, Cassie, Erin Andrews, Kirsty Alley, Wanda Sykes and Tiffany Evans love it! Not to mention, the Beautyblender Holiday Set comes complete with the Blendercleanser, a lightly lavender-scented cleanser that’s free of dyes and skin irritants, to keep your new favorite makeup tool fresh and clean. Visit www.beautyblender.net to purchase this fab set in a pretty red pouch.  
 
Macadamia Natural Travel Kit ($29.95 USD) — This fantastic hair care line combines the miracle properties of Macadamia Nut Oil and Argan Seed Oil with special blends of nature’s most nourishing botanicals, providing the ultimate in hair rejuvenation and maintenance for all hair types. Benefits include improving hair strength and manageability, radiant shine, eliminating frizz while reviving hair damaged by heat, wind, oxidation and over-processing. Travel Kit consists of:
 
Rejuvenating Shampoo: Sulfate free, Paraben free and Color Safe, this coveted shampoo gently cleanses and replenishes moisture.
Moisture Rinse: Everyday conditioner for all hair types that gently nourishes, detangles, moisturizes and protects hair.
Nourishing Leave-In Crème: Tames unruly locks, improves shine and adds texture, while providing an extra dose of nourishment.
Deep Repair Masque: Provides the ideal, intense revitalization for dry, damaged hair, while improving elasticity and shine.
Healing Oil Treatment: This can’t-live-without therapeutic wonder product is ideal for all hair types, providing nourishment, smoothing and a long-lasting, tangle-free, frizz-free finish with intense shine.
Oil Infused Comb: The first-of-its-kind, this revolutionary comb is infused with Macadamia Healing Oil Treatment, dispensing oil (and all of its benefits)on the hair
with each use.
 
Don’t let hair oil scare you away! Instead of making hair greasy, Macadamia Oil actually makes hair soft and manageable, and very shiny.  Available in at professional salons nationwide and Ulta Beauty Stores.  For specific salon locations, visit the Macadamia Salon Locator at www.macadamiahair.com.

Scrubs, Peels and Masks — Oh My!

Cold weather starting to make your skin look dull? Try exfoliating or treating your skin with a rejuvenating peel or mask. The three below are luxury products that may completely change the texture of your skin. Give one a try!

Ona Spa Rejuvenating Pumpkin Peel ($60.00 USD) This mask is described as, “A highly effective, deliciously scented exfoliation treatment to dramatically improve clarity and texture of all skin types, diminish fine lines, and reveal silky, smoother, more radiant skin.”

The ingredients are Pumpkin Pulp extract, water, sunflower oil, avocado oil, corn meal, corn starch, C12-C15 alkyl benzoates, glycerine, glycolic acid, bromelain enzyme, papain enzyme, asafetida extract, phytohyaluronate, phytocollagen, willowbark extract, calendula extract, green tea extract, lavender extract, allantoin, panthenol, carrot tissue extract, vitamin E acetate, liquapar optima, essential oils of orange and frankincense.

What I think: My skin is becoming more sensitive the older I get. The instructions on this mask say to leave on for 10 minutes (which I did) and it may tingle for the first few minutes and then stop. Well. this tingled the whole time and even stung a bit after a while. When I rinsed it off, my skin was very red and my pores were irritated. The next day, the redness was gone and my skin looked fine, but I didn’t notice much of a difference in the texture or my pores. I do think that this mask smells fantastic and if your skin is not sensitive, give it a try.   

The Indige Skincare Anti-aging and Deep Cleansing Salicylic masks ($100 for 4 masks) are like a salon facial at home. They are weekly micro-peels with a natural botanical alpha-hydroxy acid that causes the dead skin cells to exfoliate. The mask’s function is two-fold: To deliver medicinals to the skin for repair and revitalization and to loosen and remove dead skin cells in order to stimulate the rejuvenation process.

The Anti-Aging Mask uses a combination of AHA’s and botanicals to reduce fine
lines, rehydrate your skin and even out complexion tones, a gentle micro-peel at
an affordable price. The Deep Cleansing Mask helps treat problem skin such as
blemishes, blackheads and pimples through a combination of salicylic acid and
botanicals, exfoliating dead skin which holds bacteria. Simply apply the masks to your face for 30-45 minutes once a week and you’ll have that glow which comes from healthy, well-moisturized skin.

Indige Anti-Aging mask lightens and brightens skin, improving radiance and
balancing pigmentation, increases the appearance of firmness and elasticity and
reduces skin roughness and texture with a powerful micropeel. The mask is
activated when is comes into contact with wet skin.

What I think: This was difficult to apply as your face needs to be wet and has to stay damp for part of the application. When I did figure out how to correctly apply the mask, I really like the results I received. My skin glowed and looked smooth and was very gentle on my sensitive skin.

Visit www.indigeskincare.com to learn more and you can purchase these masks at your dermatologist’s office.

Kate Somerville ExfoliKate ($85.00 USD) — This is my favorite of the three products that I tried. This intensive exfoliation can be done twice a week for glowing skin with minimal irritation.

visit www.katesomerville.com to purchase and learn more. Enjoy your beautiful skin!

More about ExfoliKate:

  • Fruit enzymes clarify skin by removing dead cells & eliminating bacteria
  • Highly effective in combating acne, including stubborn blackheads
  • Polishes skin, revealing a smooth, glowing complexion
  • Healthy skin, healthy glow, healthy you!

What I think: I love this product! It makes my skin instantly glowy and clear.

Luxury Skincare by Kate Somerville

 

Kate Somerville is the creator and director of Kate Somerville Skin Health Experts which is a renowned medi-skin clinic in Los Angeles. She has partnered with top dermatologists and cosmetic surgeons to promote the integration of skincare and medicine. This has resulted in fantastic products that not only make your skin look great, it is very healthy too! 

HydraKate Gentle ($65.00 1.7 oz) — This is a facial scrub that contains the naturally occurring enzymes, Papain and Bromelain, to help to digest dead skin cells and unveil luminous skin. The gentle scrubbing beads help to lift dry and damaged cells from the surface allowing the enzymes to penetrate pores.  The claim is that “this unique blend helps to gently stimulate circulation, detoxify skin, refine texture and improve elasticity. It’s a must-have for clean, clear and radiant skin.”

I love this scrub! You are supposed to use it twice a week by applying a small amount to entire face. You then leave it on for 2 minutes only and rinse with tepid water. They say that redness may appear for up to 20 minutes due to the increase in circulation to the under layers of the skin, but my face only looks glowy and soft after I use it. It really gets rid of all of the dead skin and impurities in my skin and I have been known to use it more than twice a week! 

HydraKate Line Release ($150.00 1 oz-) — This is sold exclusively through QVC and will be available at the Kate Somerville website in fall 2009. This is a very lovely serum (I call it my skin crack, because it is SO addictive)! Line Release contains  a blend of peptides and collagen builders to help to improve skin texture and tone.

When I apply Line Release, there is an immediate tightening of my skin, and it looks so smooth.  It can be applied either in the morning or night once a day. It includes “HSC Complex –  Counters loss of lipids from skin due to washing, stress, environment or excessive UV exposure, Hyaluronic Acid – Aids in holding water in the skin’s surface to increase softness and suppleness and Leuphasyl® – Reduces the depth of expression wrinkles and is a safer alternative to Botulinum Toxin A.” I have never tried botox, but this gives me great results on my forehead wrinkles. Awesome! I know it is very spendy, but if you have the money go for it! 

Check out these and other fantastic Kate Somerville products at www.katesomerville.com. Enjoy!

Kate Somerville’s Sun-sational Products

Kate’s Somerville’s luxury skincare line carries wonderful products to get you through the summer. Both the serum sunscreen and the tanning towelettes reviewed below are made with the same care and quality of Kate’s other skincare items.

Protect SPF 55 Serum Sunscreen ($45.00 2 oz) — “This mild, antioxidant-rich sunscreen is free of oils, parabens and alcohol. This formula was made with innovative technology which gives high-level protection against skin-burning UVB radiation and aging UVA rays. This serum is mild, quick-drying and non-whitening. AM Apply daily to face, neck, and chest. Apply liberally 20 minutes before sun exposure and as needed. Reapply after swimming or exposure to water.”

When you first apply this sunscreen it is white, but when you rub it in the white disappears completely, unlike other high SPF sunscreens. It is really creamy, so you can skip your moisturizer if you wish, especially if you have oily or combination skin.

Each Somer360°™ Tanning Towelette ($48.00 for 8) is” concentrated with a paraben-free self-tanning formula to give you a quick and even application with no streaking. Somer360°™ Unfold towelette and apply to dry, clean skin in a circular motion over your body. Wash hands immediately. Towelettes will produce a uniform, natural-looking glow within 2 to 4 hours. For a deeper tan and to maintain your glow, reapply as needed.”

Self tanning is always tricky, especially if you are my 13 year old daughter and you think you can throw your clothes on after tanning and act all crazy! She tried a tanning towelette and it did streak on her.

But not on me. I made sure I exfoliated first, then put on my swimsuit and applied a towelette all over. I let myself dry for a couple of hours before I put my clothes on. It does take a while to dry, but the color is a very lovely light brown. If you do it right, it is worth the wait!

You can purchase these wonderful products at www.katesomerville.com or at Sephora, www.sephora.com.