Skin – Page 3 – Forty, Flirty & Fabulous

Powerful Anti-Aging Benefits With Affordable Boots No7

Boots is one of the United Kingdoms top cosmetic and skin care companies. I have recently tried their No7 line which is a range of hypoallergenic and dermatologically tested products using trusted ingredients. Women in the UK have been using Boots No7 for over 75 years, so they must know something, right? I LOVE the following products because they all address aging problems and have the ingredients to fight them!

Radiance Revealed Exfoliator ($9.99 USD) — This light and gentle facial exfoliator deeply cleanses, removes dead skin cells and refines pores, leaving skin soft, smooth and glowing with health. With grapefruit and watercress to help purify, plus pro-vitamin B5 to hydrate the skin.

I love how this scrub leaves skin soft and very smooth. It should be used once or twice a week. Gently massage a small amount onto cleansed, damp skin. Wash away thoroughly with warm water.

Protect & Perfect Beauty Serum ($19.99 USD) — Reveal younger looking, beautifully refined skin with this powerful blend of caring and skin restoring ingredients. Light and non-greasy, it glides on instantly softening and smoothing your skin. Then, with regular use, it works to renew your complexion, restoring radiance and helping to reduce the appearance of pores, fine lines and wrinkles in just 4 weeks. With concentrated levels of unique antioxidant complex and skin-firming pro-retinol complex to boost and maintain skin’s elasticity.

This is a very popular anti-aging serum in the UK so I was very excited to use it — and it did not disappoint. It is so light and is absorbs quickly, then makes the skin so soft and silky. Use day and night to supplement a moisturizing regime. Apply a small amount of serum to the palms of the hands and smooth over the face, avoiding the eye area. Finish with moisturizer.

Intensive Line Filler ($17.99 USD) — This is a clever quick-fix that leaves skin looking softer, smoother and more youthful looking. With light-diffusing particles to blur away the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. It’s been created to improve the appearance of deeper wrinkles too, with skin looking plumper and less lined in just 2 weeks. It’s all down to an exciting new development: hyaluronic acid spheres. They absorb water in the upper layers of the skin and inflate to many times their original size, appearing to push wrinkles up and away from within.

I love the instant lift to my skin’s texture that this gives. Plus, it gave my whole face a youthful plumping after just a few weeks uses. Smooth onto the places most vulnerable to expression lines: around your mouth and eyes, between your brows and across your forehead. Follow with No7 Time Resisting or Lifting and Firming moisturizers.

Visit www.us.boots.com or www.target.com to purchase. Enjoy!

I Scream For Eye Creams By AmorePacific, Boots No7 and Kate Somerville!

As an over-forty woman who tries a lot of eye cream, I know how indispensible this type of product is to make you look younger! I do not go a day without using eye cream because I will not allow lines and wrinkles around my eyes. Uh-uh. So finding the perfect eye cream is so important. Some really great new ones are:

AmorePacific Rejuvenating Eye Treatment Gel ($85.00 USD) — This lightweight eye treatment infuses the delicate eye area with intense hydration, fortifying the skin against aging. Its exclusive Radiance Eye Complex™ brightens dark circles, reduces puffiness, and protects skin against aging and fatigue. The complex includes:

-Bamboo Sap: Provides moisturization and epidermal cell regeneration.
-Hesperidin: Provides dark-circle care by improving micro-circulation in skin.
-Lotus Extract: Provides enhancement of aquaporin (celluar water-channel) expression.
-Hydrolyzed Green Tea Extract: Provides enhancement of skin protection power by anti-oxidant synthesis.

What I think: I love the light, cooling gel texture of this cream. I have noticed that it immediately plumps up the skin and smoothes away roughness. My skin looks soft and smooth and my eye circles have diminished. Visit www.amorepacific.com and www.sephora.com to learn more and purchase.

Boots No7 Protect and Perfect Eye Cream ($19.99 USD) Chase away dark shadows and puffiness and give skin a brightening boost. Created specifically for the delicate area around the eyes, this unique blend of protecting and renewing ingredients leaves skin soothed, smoothed and revitalized. With our patent pending next generation antioxidant complex, to help shield against free radical damage, plus our skin-firming pro-retinol complex containing lipo-peptides.

What I think: This cream is super-light and quickly soaks into the skin. You can apply it right before your makeup in the morning and still apply concealer if you need it. It does give the skin a little glow that really helps dark circles seem less noticeable. For a really great eye cream, it is also fairly affordable and easy to find since it is available at Target. Visit www.target.com or www.us.boots.com to learn more and purchase.

Kate Somerville CytoCell Dark Circle Corrective Eye Cream ($75.00 USD) — Revive your eyes with this ultimate eye cream that combines years of research and cutting-edge technology. Formulated with Peptide P-199, a revolutionary peptide that stimulates stem cell activity and restores the skin with new energized cells. CytoCell Dark Circle Corrective Eye Cream is clinically proven to treats all signs of aging around the delicate eye area. Claims and features are:

Reduces under eye dark circles by up to 60%*
Reduces puffiness around the eye area by up to 75%*
Diminishes fine lines and wrinkles around the eye area by up to 60%*
Helps to improve radiance, skin tone, and smoothness
Free of fragrance and parabens
Tested by dermatologists & ophthalmologists

*Based upon results from a 4-week clinical study.

What I Think: This is a very luxurious cream that plumps skin and makes your eye area look smooth and so young! I have noticed that after a few weeks of use, my dark circles look so much lighter. It is also non-irritating which my sensitive eyes appreciate. Visit www.katesomerville.com to purchase this great cream!

My tip is to apply it all around the eye bone (including under the eyebrow) because most eye creams lift and firm and this helps the upper lid from drooping!

Kate Somerville Nourish Daily Moisturizer

Looking for an anti-aging moisturizer that is gentle for every day use? It is so important that skin is kept hydrated as we get older and Kate Somerville Nourish Daily Moisturizer ($65.00 USD) is a light but very moisturizing cream. This product contains:

Matrixyl™3000 & retinyl palmitate, clinically proven to rapidly diminish the appearance of fine lines & wrinkles
Encourages collagen production
Rich in antioxidants, shields skin from free-radicals
Light feel, absorbs quickly & leaves skin balanced, fresh & healthy

I have being using this moisturizer for a few weeks and I love how it feels on my skin. It leaves my face soft and not greasy at all. I also love the fresh, herbal scent that the cream imparts. I have noticed that my skin looks smoother and brighter. Plus, it does not irritate my sensitive skin.

Visit www.katesomerville.com to learn more and to purchase this and many other great products!

Dry Skin Driving You Crazy This Winter? Soothe It With New Products for Hands and Body

When the weather gets cold and dry (and blizzards like it did in Kansas City this week), skin and nails really need to be nourished. My hands and feet especially have been cracked and my cuticles are peeling. I have taken this opportunity to try new products (or ones that are new to me) to get my skin feeling soft and hydrated.

Cures by Avance Hydrating Body Silk ($26.00 USD) is a weightless body milk which claims to transform the skin. I like to use this after a shower to lock in the moisture. My skin feels silky and soft afer use. To purchase, visit www.curesbyavance.com

It’s a known fact that winter air completely zaps the essential natural oils found in skin and hair but unfortunately, attention to the nails has long been neglected. Due to the sub-zero effects outside and the bone-dry heat that is pumped indoors, the nails take a real beating – quickly becoming dry and brittle which results in cracks, painful splits and very short-lived manicures (the shame!)

In order to prevent and combat these harsh effects, protect nails with Perfect Formula’s Daily Moisture ($29.00 USD)– a tried and true treatment that keeps nails long, strong and healthy. Formulated with Keratin, the main protein that makes up nails, Jojoba Oil, an excellent moisturizer that is similar to the natural lubricant of skin, and Vitamin E, this product instantly nourishes and strengthens dry, thirsty nails even in the most treacherous conditions.

To use, simply brush Daily Moisture on top of nails, under nails and on cuticles daily. Can be used on polished or natural nails. purchase at http://www.perfectformulas.com or QVC.com.

Caudalie Vine Body Butter ($36.00 USD) is deeply hydrating, with a delicious light scent and velvety texture melts into skin and provides all the therapeutic benefits and efficiency of Vinothérapie Spas. This lotion is perfect for anyone with very dry to damaged skin wanting an ultra nourishing, repairing and luxurious treatment. Apply morning and evening, massage gently into skin in upward motions.

I love the scent of this lotion, it is a bit fruity and is very refreshing. I like to apply it to my hands, feet and legs after shaving. Visit www.caudalie-usa.com to purchase.

Enjoy your hydrated skin!

L’Oreal Paris Age Perfect Hydra-Nutrition Day/Night Cream

My skin is getting drier as the weather gets colder. I usually have to amp up my hydration during the winter months, and L’Oréal Paris’ Age Perfect Hydra-Nutrition is the perfect nourishing day/night cream to help skin stay soft.

Specifically designed for mature skin and perfect for women who don’t have time to follow an extensive skincare regime (day treatment, day lotion, night treatment, night cream, etc.), Age Perfect Hydra-Nutrition treats skin to deep hydration and intense nutrition in one step and can be used both morning and night. The cream combines a unique Nutrient Complex enriched with calcium,and it envelopes skin to effectively nourish parched, sagging skin and leave it supple, fortified and resilient. Plus, the always classy Diane Keaton is the face of the product.

What I think: I love the texture of this product. It is almost like a balm, so thick. But it melts right into the skin and doesn’t leave it greasy, just really soft. I even use it in the morning before applying makeup. It keeps me hydrated all day long and my skin looks so smooth.

Price: $16.59, Available at www.lorealparis.com and chain drug, food and mass market retailers. Enjoy your younger looking skin!

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.

Give The Gift Of Relaxation With Comfort Zone, Dr. Hauschka and AHAVA This Holiday Season

Looking to give the gift of relaxation (or to or purchase some for yourself) this holiday season? Below are three natural and spa brands that you may never have tried before, but each one includes wonderfully smelling and calming products that will help you get through the busy and stressful holiday season.

Comfort Zone Tranquility Shower Cream ($38.00 USD). Transform your shower into your very own blissful oasis by using this Tranquility Shower Cream. Specially formulated with vanilla and rose oils, this shower cream provides a two-in-one process of cleansing and moisturizing the skin while relieving stress and muscle tension. I love the soft scent and the fact that the cream makes my skin so soft. It works well for shaving, too. Visit www.comfortzone.it to learn more.

Dr. Hauschka The Aromatherapy Bath Kit ($19.95 USD) has everything to create the ultimate bath experience. A perfect gift for anyone your list who deserves a little indulgence and at under $20, it won’t break the bank. It contains travel sizes of Lavender, Lemon, Sage, Spruce and Rosemary Bath products that help calm and soothe. I like to combine a few drops of Lemon and Sage in my bath. So nice! This is available at www.drhauschka.com

AHAVA Mineral Sparkles Holiday Gift Set ($20.00 USD). Put a little sparkle into your Holiday beauty routine with AHAVA’s Mineral Sparkles gift set. This exclusive set features three effective treatments to pamper and address the needs of the body and hands. These unique formulas are clinically proven to restore skin’s natural moisture balance for healthy and radiant skin. Powered by 21 essential Dead Sea minerals including potassium, calcium and magnesium, these treatments will renew your skin with soothing moisture. Includes Mineral Body Lotion, Mineral Hand Cream, Mineral Shower Gel and AHAVA’s Deluxe Chenille Bath Puff. Available at AHAVA.com

Enjoy!

Give a Little Bath and Shower Luxury This Christmas

Bath and body sets make fabulous Christmas gifts! The following are some of my favorites, but keep in mind that each company — The Body Shop, H2O Plus and Bodycology — have other fragrances and sets in various price ranges.

The Body Shop Spiced Vanilla Shower Scrub & Soften Gift Set ($29.00 USD) — Description: Conjure up memories of Christmas past and treat someone special with this indulgent gift set with moisturizing Community Trade ingredients and fragrant vanilla extract.

Includes:

8.4 fl oz Spiced Vanilla Shower Gel
1.7 oz Spiced Vanilla Body Butter
1.7 oz Spiced Vanilla Body Scrub
3.5 oz Spiced Vanilla Soap
Octagonal card box with PET window and red ribbon

The Body Shop also has a lovely cranberry and a zesty orange fragrances for the holiday, but my favorite is the Spiced Vanilla set. This would be an affordable and very welcome gift for anyone on your list

Available at The Body Shop stores and www.thebodyshop-usa.com

Sea Salt Spa Collection ($45.00 USD) — This mineral-rich gift set features our best-selling Sea Salt spa luxuries to gently polish, purify and restore skin’s natural glow. The set features:

European sea salts draw out impurities and replenish essential nutrients, leaving skin healthy and luminous
Rich shea butter, jojoba and coconut oils rapidly absorb into the skin, leaving it luxuriously soft
Moisture-rich marine botanicals, including provide deep hydration for visibly smooth, radiant skin
Imparts an invigorating oceanside fragrance, infused with notes of green tea
Presented in custom designed gift box

Gift Includes: Sea Salt Body Wash (12.5 fl oz / 370mL), Sea Salt Skin Smoother (12 fl oz / 340g), Spa Hydrating Body Gloss (1.9 fl oz / 56mL), Sea Salt Hydrating Body Butter (6 fl oz / 180mL), and hand-held wood bath brush with strap.

This scent is so fantastically addicting! It is soft and neutral so it would be good for men or women. H2O has a ton of other gift sets to choose from, too. Visit www.h2oplus.com to purchase.

Bodycology 6-Piece Gift Set(15.00 USD) : Available in classic scents, Sweet Petals and Brown Sugar Vanilla, this deluxe gift set boats a mixture of full-size and trail size products including Bath Gel, Body Lotion, Body Cream, Body Butter, Body Mist and Hand Soap. You can purchase these at Walmart.

Enjoy!

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.

REN Keep Young And Beautiful SH2C Serum

REN Keep Young And Beautiful SH2C Serum ($75.00 USD) is youth in a bottle! This light and lovely serum is gentle enough to use twice a day, but has really made a difference in the clarity of my skin.

So what exactly is this miracle product? The REN website states that its, “an advanced bio active serum formulated to keep skin looking smoother, firmer, younger and more radiant.”

Results:

Reduces and prevents the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
Skin looks plumper, firmer, lifted
Gives skin a healthy, glowing radiance
Corrects and evens skin tone
Keeps skin looking younger for longer

Bio Active Ingredients:

Hexapeptides from yeast stimulate skin renewal and synthesis of skin firming proteins
Native peptides act as a safe alternative to Botox to smooth expression lines, also encouraging natural collagen filling of fine lines
Glycosaminoglycans from corn provide lasting hydration, whilst hyaluronic acid increases moisture levels to plump up the skin
Sirtuin increases the longevity of skin cells to promote natural repair of sun damaged skin, whilst vitamin C corrects skin tone, illuminates and brightens the complexion

How to use:

Apply onto clean skin, follow with moisturizer. Use morning and night.An advanced bio active serum formulated to keep skin looking smoother, firmer, younger and more radiant.

Visit www.renskincare.com to learn more and to purchase this fantastic serum!