After all that smooching under the mistletoe and thank-you kisses for the gifts, your lips have had it. Okay, I exaggerate…..however, this cold weather does wreak havoc on delicate skin. You want lips that are luscious, plump and line free? Stop pouting, (It creates lines!) and try some of these products that’ll get you through the winter. Remember, weatherwise, the worst is yet to come!
The fragile skin on our lips simply doesn’t retain moisture as well as the skin on other body parts. Let All About Lips by Clinique instantly moisturize them while optical-diffusion polymers scatter light and soften the appearance of fine lines. The cream absorbs instantly and also helps prevent lipstick from creeping about. The addition of green tea extract and vitamin E help neutralize free radicals for anti-aging benefits.
Available: Fine department stores and http://www.clinique.com
Getting rid of those little lines around the lips gives a more youthful appearance, and helps keep lipstick from crawling into little crevices. Instant Line Filler by Renee Rouleau contains vitamin C, marine algae, and hyaluronic acid spheres that are like tiny micro sponges that expand when they react with moisture in the skin to plump up wrinkled area. This product should be used with moisturizer for full effect. Can also be used around the eye area to make those pesky crow’s feet fly away!
Available: http://www.ReneeRouleau.com
In our new, and hopefully temporary economy, she might be cutting back on her purchases, but trust me, she doesn’t want her skin to suffer. The gift of great skin care is always welcomed and enjoyed. This season, we bring you the best of the best for all budgets, to help her, or you, usher in the New Year with a flawless complexion.
This year, give her the gift of beautiful skin along with some beautiful artwork. ReVive has created their first special edition collection, “Artbag”. The canvas bag features the work of wildlife artist and conservationist, Charley Harper, who was famous for his stylized geometric graphics. On this pretty little pink cosmetics bag, we see Harper’s “Song Sparrow” which he created in 1954 and will certainly remind her that spring will be here in a few months.. Inside, are four of ReVive’s most fabulous products – Fermitif Neck Renewal Cream SPF15, Moisturizing Renewal Cream, Sensitif Cellular Repair Cream SPF15, and Eye Renewal Cream. $250.00
Available: Saks Fifth Ave and http://www.reviveskincare.com
If your Cinderella, (or you m’dear!) has spent too much time at the ball, and needs to look her best for yet another soiree, she’ll appreciate the Absolute Radiance Lightbox from Orlane Paris that will make her radiant in just seven minutes. The kit contains six full eye and face treatments that will take her into the New Year with skin that’s dewy, plump and velvety. For the eyes there’s a Dazzling Eyes Ritual, to be followed by the Shimmering Masque Cream – you mix the ingredients together fresh every time for an at-home treatment with luxe spa quality results. Lastly, apply the Evanescent Cream which will energize and oxygenate the skin. In less than ten minutes, she’s ready to face Prince Charming, or the cute guy, across the room. $200.00
Available: Saks Fifth Ave and http://www.neimanmarcus.com
Is there someone on your list that’s getting a little facial procedure from Dr. Santa? If so, help her (or him) take it to the next step by giving them the Obagi Condition & Enhance System. It’s specially designed to compliment procedures such as Botox, fillers, laser treatments and peels. The eight products serve four functions – prepare, repair, maintain, and protect the skin. The products include cleanser, toner, SPF 35 cream as well as a hydroquinone cream for hyper pigmentation, and an exfoliating cream. $210.00
Available: Dermatologists Offices or http://www.lovelyskin.com
I have a dare for you. Open your medicine cabinet – or anywhere you keep your skin care products – and try to find one item with ingredients you understand. Unless you’re a natural, organic or eco-beauty devotee, you’re probably going to be hard pressed to do so without a degree in cosmetic chemistry. Most of the cleansers, moisturizers, serums, etc., that we use on a daily basis are of the chemical-laden variety, and though they haven’t necessarily been proven unsafe, it is known that 70 (yes, seven- zero) percent of what we put on our skin is absorbed into our bloodstream. Just a tad scary when I think about the decades’ worth of parabens, sulphates, phthalates and beyond that have already seeped into my system.
Thankfully, now more than ever there are aptly available natural products on the beauty market. However, it’s important to be armed with the proper knowledge to delve into this realm. For instance, I’m a bit of a sucker for anything that says “all-natural” on its label, but what does that even mean? Anything followed by something-or-other –free instantly entices me to buy, buy, buy – after all, it has to be better for me and the earth if it’s free of something right? Well, yes and no. Certain chemicals common in beauty products can seriously alter the natural balance of your skin, and do more harm than good in the long run (irritation of the skin at a molecular level is known to cause aging). Here is a compact cheat-sheet of ingredients your beauty supplies should be void of and what they are and do.
Parabens: a type of preservative used in most products that has recently been linked to breast cancer in continual doses
Sulphates: a cleaning agent found in everything from shampoos to face washes to toothpaste that can be very irritating, and disrupt the moisture level in your skin.
PEGs (Polyethylene Glycols): Found in antifreeze – and your favorite toner probably – that can be chronically irritating to sensitive skin.
Phthalates: used in softer plastics, like the bottles storing your moisturizer, which can leak into the product, and has been known to cause birth defects
Mineral Oils, silicones and paraffins: create a film over your skin that prevents it from breathing or accepting moisture, which can lead to bacterial imbalances, breakouts and irritation
Now that you are armed with some vital ingredient dont’s, here’s a list of some skin care do’s we love that love our skin in return (without all the above mentioned no-nos).
Origins’ Drink Up Intensive Overnight mask is chock-full of mouth-watering ingredients like avocado oil, mango butter, pomegranate and apricot kernel oil to name a few that encourages moisture to be replaced and stored away for safe keeping while you sleep. Top the non-greasy, intensely hydrating mask off in the morning with Origins’ GinZing Refreshing eye cream to brighten, depuff and smooth with the help of chestnut seed, apple and cucumber extracts. Plus, the naturally derived caffeine provides a nice tingle to tired eyes in need of waking.
Available: Macy’s, http://www.origins.com
Looking younger isn’t only about smoothing out wrinkles. That’s only a very small part of it. Youthful skin is light and bright. Here are some potions that will light up your youth!
Voted “Best Beauty Breakthrough Product 2009” by Allure Magazine, Neocutis Blanche contains prescription strength 4% Hydroquinone that will fade freckles, blotches and spots. While many lightening products make skin dry, Blanche also contains Shea butter and jojoba oil to keep skin soft as well as anti-oxidants and peptides for additional youthful benefits.
Available by doctor’s prescription. For more info: http://www.neocutis.com
As a typical redheaded kid, I had freckles that I didn’t think were very cute. Every summer, when they were out in full force, I’d slice up some lemons and rub them all over my face, drying out my already dry skin and often squirting lemon juice in my eyes. Of course, the freckles didn’t fade. Hello adulthood and the advances in skin care! Hello Amla Skin Brightening Lotion by Anokha. Made with the amla fruit (a small sour fruit from Asia, where they love their brightening lotions), it contains a high concentration of vitamin C as well as other vitamins, and even some mango for moisturizing. Created by NYC a plastic surgeon, the lotion is also recommended for post surgical and laser procedures. Now I make lemonade with those lemons!
Available: http://www.anokhaskincare.com and Dr. Nina Naidu, NYC
After all that smooching under the mistletoe and thank-you kisses for the gifts, your lips have had it. Okay, I exaggerate…..however, this cold weather does wreak havoc on delicate skin. You want lips that are luscious, plump and line free? Stop pouting, (It creates lines!) and try some of these products that’ll get you through the winter. Remember, weatherwise, the worst is yet to come!
The fragile skin on our lips simply doesn’t retain moisture as well as the skin on other body parts. Let All About Lips by Clinique instantly moisturize them while optical-diffusion polymers scatter light and soften the appearance of fine lines. The cream absorbs instantly and also helps prevent lipstick from creeping about. The addition of green tea extract and vitamin E help neutralize free radicals for anti-aging benefits.
Available: Fine department stores and http://www.clinique.com
Getting rid of those little lines around the lips gives a more youthful appearance, and helps keep lipstick from crawling into little crevices. Instant Line Filler by Renee Rouleau contains vitamin C, marine algae, and hyaluronic acid spheres that are like tiny micro sponges that expand when they react with moisture in the skin to plump up wrinkled area. This product should be used with moisturizer for full effect. Can also be used around the eye area to make those pesky crow’s feet fly away!
Available: http://www.ReneeRouleau.com