Archive for the 'Skin Care' Category

My hands have now officially made it onto the “Body Parts I Wish I Slathered Consistently With Sunscreen At a Younger Age” list. Also on this list: neck, chest and feet.

I just recently started thinking about wrinkles on my hands. When I see women at malls and grocery stores who’ve obviously had some “work done,” the one thing that always confirms my suspicions is the appearance of the skin on their hands. The hands tell no lies, girlfriend.

Now I’m FREAKED OUT about all the years of sun damage my hands have endured. I know I can’t turn back the clock (sigh), but at least I can do the right thing now. Lippmann Collection Rich Girl ($24), a moisturizing hand cream with SPF 25, has entered my life at just the right time. Its active ingredients (oxtinoxate, octisalate and avobenzone) protect hands from UVB and UVA damage, the two major types of sun radiation.

While I don’t have age spots (yet), Rich Girl is also supposed to gently fade these tell-tale signs of aging with a “botanical lightening complex” of grape, mulberry and saxifraga (a perennial plant) extract.

I think it moisturizes my perpetually dry hands just as well as Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Hand Cream ($17, but no SPF) does, but Rich Girl makes my palms feel a little greasy — not annoyingly so, but still. Good thing I don’t walk around on my hands, lol! I think the light powdery fragrance makes up for the slightly slick feel.

Lippmann Collection Rich Girl SPF Hand Cream

Price: $24
Use: To protect and moisturize hands
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B

Lippmann added a small, but nice touch by attaching the twist cap to the tube. Just turn the cap, give the bottle a squeeze, and then turn the cap back in the opposite direction to close it. I seem to have a knack for losing hand lotion caps, and I really appreciate this one.

The 3-oz tube will set you back $24, which is way, way out on the expensive side. I’ve been going through this stuff pretty quickly, too, because I wash my hands a lot. Because it is so pricey, I’ve supplemented it with the far cheaper Lubriderm Daily Moisture Lotion with SPF 15 ($8). The big problem with Lubriderm’s lotion, though, is the gargantuan 16-oz bottle it comes in — perfect for a counter at home but not ideal for a purse.

Also consider Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Age Shield Hand Cream with SPF 30 ($6 for a small 2-oz tube), another inexpensive alternative (although it doesn’t make the same anti-aging claims) to Rich Girl.

You can find Rich Girl at Nordstrom stores, or check it out online.
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Thanks to French beauty brands like Vichy, your drugstore beauty shopping experience may be more interactive in the not-to-distant future.

The 77-year-old French skin care and makeup line, known for products formulated with mineral-rich waters, is leading the charge to change the drugstore beauty department experience by adding in-store beauty advisers and offering free samples and testers — perks previously reserved for boutiques and department store beauty counters.

Five years ago, Vichy introduced their products in CVS and Brooks Pharmacy drugstores in the US. Unlike other drugstore beauty lines that were stocked on regular store shelves, Vichy began selling its products through in-store “dermatological skin centers” staffed by trained beauty advisers.

Today, Vichy skin care centers can be found in select Rite Aid, CVS, Duane Reade and Longs Drugstore stores, and, by the end of this year, Vichy plans to have them in a total of 1,000 stores nationwide.

“The presence of the dermatological skin care centers has elevated drugstores’ beauty departments, noted Philippe Patsalides, general manager of Active Cosmetics USA, the L’Oréal division that houses Vichy. Drugstores ‘are perceived as convenience stores, but they are working to change into beauty destinations.’”
- Women’s Wear Daily

Remember the rise of beauty vending machines a few months ago? Now we’ve got the opposite end of the customer service spectrum.

Although one of the reasons I like shopping at drugstores is the fact that I can browse without really having to interact with legions of salespeople, I like the notion of having a beauty adviser available if I have questions.

I haven’t been to a drugstore with a Vichy dermatological skin center yet, but I’m looking forward to checking ‘em out.

What do you think about staffed drugstore beauty counters? Do you think they might lead to higher prices? Would you prefer to shop drugstores on your own?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Are you always pressed for time? Do you squeeze in quickie gym workouts on your lunch hour? If you’re one of those gals who could use a few extra minutes in your day, then *toot* *toot*, climb aboard the spray moisturizer train. Much quicker to apply and faster absorbing than traditional body lotions and creams, spray aerosol or pump moisturizers definitely save time.

They shave minutes off my morning routine, freeing up time for important things like feeding the neighbor’s tabby cat (he’s such a user!) or having a second cup of java.

Here are two spray-on moisturizers I like. The first will set you back a pretty penny; the second will save you a few bucks.

Splurge: ModelCo’s Skin Drink Airbrush Moisturizer

At $30, ModelCo’s Skin Drink Airbrush Moisturizer costs an arm and a leg, but this green tea-scented aerosol works like a dream. It requires virtually no effort to moisturize your entire body with this bad boy (lazy people, raise ya’ hands up!). You don’t even have to massage it in. I like to wait about 30 seconds after spraying it on to let it dry before putting on clothes. This is the fastest moisturizer I’ve ever used, hands down, and gives me more time to pursue my various attempts at world domination.

The 230-ml can is about the same size as a large can of hairspray, but it still fits comfortably in one hand. The nozzle creates a large radius of mist, which covers lots of skin surface area, and the spray even works when you hold the can upside down (to get hard-to-reach places like your back, thighs and bum… that might be TMI).

When I first used it I was tempted to over-spray because it’s just so fun and easy to do, but a little spray goes a long way.

Vitamins and natural extracts like ginkgo, papaya, green tea and bamboo make ModelCo Skin Drink Airbrush very skin friendly. As a moisturizer, I found it about as effective as Lubriderm Sensitive Skin Lotion, but not quite as moisturizing as Aveeno. Its biggest drawback is price. Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A

Steal: CVS Soft Skin Spray

Not one to be outdone, CVS carries a great spray-on moisturizer of their own. Soft Skin Spray is a drugstore option patterned after Avon’s Skin So Soft, a famous liquid moisturizer spray (which, incidentally, works well as a bug repellent, even though it wasn’t intended to).

Unlike ModelCo’s Skin Drink, CVS Soft Skin Spray is a liquid spray, not an aerosol. CVS carries a small 2-oz travel bottle for $3. That’s a pretty good deal, perfect for a gym bag or shower caddy.

Because of its liquid spray pump, expect to spend a little bit more time and effort using Soft Skin Spray than you would with Skin Drink. I also have to physically rub the product into my skin for it to absorb, and that takes a minute or two.
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Philosophy’s Amazing Grace fragrance always makes me feel girly, clean and fresh. It’s a light, soft floral scent with a touch of musk, and many of the Amazing Grace products are among Philosophy’s bestsellers companywide.

Over the years, Philosophy has introduced a host of different body care products in Amazing Grace. I’m a girl who loves her showers (no camping unless there’s running water, yo!), and I’ve tried several of the Amazing Grace scented bath gels, lotions and scrubs. Here are just a few of my favorites!

Don’t be fooled by Perfumed Buffing Wash’s (shown above) girly packaging because it’s no joke. The bottle claims it’s a gentle wash, but I’ve used this stuff to buff the heck out of the roughest parts of the skin on my elbows and feet. Fine exfoliating grains make it a highly effective deep cleanser. $26 for a 16-oz. bottle. Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A+
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Clean & Clear makes a pretty bold statement on each and every $7 tube of Clean & Clear Advantage Acne Spot Treatment…

“100% of people showed clearer skin in just one day.”

Even though I have to disagree with them, because for me it took a little longer than one day to see results, I gotta give credit where it’s due. Clean & Clear Advantage Acne Spot Treatment works, and it works without benzoyl peroxide. This stuff’s got some serious anti-acne game.

The active ingredient is salicylic acid, 2%. The instructions suggest applying the milky, non-stick formula up to three times per day. Because it dries quickly and completely vanishes once massaged into the skin, it can be used as an on-the-go spot treatment when time’s of the essence.

I’ve been using it for about a month now, once in the morning before applying sunscreen, and then once again at night before moisturizing. An amount the size of a pea covers all of my acne hot zones — forehead, cheeks, nose and chin. With daily use, a single tube should last between one and two months.

Pimples just hate this stuff. Usually, right after (*ahem*) “Aunt Flo” pays a visit, tiny pimples erupt on my forehead and remain there for about two weeks. This time around, my forehead still broke out, but it was much clearer within four days of using the spot treatment; by the end of a week, my forehead was smooth and zit-free.

My face is an equal opportunity pimple factory and has been since my late teens… Whenever I’m feeling stressed out or don’t get enough sleep I get painful red pimples, especially around my nose. Most of the time, they’ll take at least a week to go away, but Clean & Clear has cut that down to three days. I just hope it continues to work as well as it has.

Other Anti-acne Stars

• MD Skincare All Over Blemish Solution
• Clean and Clear Invisible Acne Patch

Ironically, I’ve gotten mixed results from products containing salicylic acid. That’s why I was so surprised by this one. Up until I hit my 30s, I was strictly a benzoyl peroxide user.

Patience
If Acne Spot Treatment doesn’t work for you, don’t get discouraged. Every acne sufferer I’ve ever known has had to try a BIG number of different products to find ones that work for them. Acne can feel like a weight on your shoulders (I know from experience), but if you feel you’re looking for answers (also try acne.org) yet haven’t made much progress on your own, consult a dermatologist if you can. They may be able to offer suggestions you haven’t considered before.
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There’s a magical place on every surfboard known as the sweet spot — the place in which you achieve perfect board balance. When you find the sweet spot, standing up on your board is a breeze.

When I first heard of Sweet Spot Labs, I thought it was a surfing supply company, but that is so not the case. It’s actually a line of cleansers, wipes and mists for your private girlie parts. Yes, *those* parts.

I got to wondering, “Do my girlie parts actually need a separate cleanser? Or is this just marketing mumbo jumbo?”

Think about it — we use separate products to wash our face, body, hair, teeth, hands and even feet. I know that when I’ve used some body washes on my face, my cheeks and eyes felt dry, tight and uncomfortable.

Still, I’ve always thought girlie parts cleansers fell under the body cleanser category. Have I been wrong?

Earlier today I dashed off to the city to meet the fabulous Bella (of BellaSugar.com) for coffee and to catch up. That girl sure can blog! The entire Sugar Inc. network of blogs and sites for women has been up to big things lately. They’re full of surprises.

I was going to head over to Saks to see if I could find the Nars Bridal Palette Bella talked about a few weeks ago, but I hurt my knee jogging up a hill last night, and after the little bit of walking I did in SF this morning, I think I’m done moving for the day. Time to ice my wounds!

I hope you’re fully bipedal and feeling pretty today.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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All soaps, shower gels and exfoliating scrubs have one glorious thing in common: they make us feel clean and pretty. And most of the time, cleansers and scrubs — true to form — look and smell clean and pretty, too.

Oh, but not so with MAC’s Volcanic Ash Exfoliator ($19). To be blunt, it looks like dirt — magical dirt.

As you might expect, it’s the jet black volcanic ash in the product that makes it look the way that it does. The feeling I got looking at my arms and legs in the shower after I worked the fine, scrubbing grains onto my freshly rinsed skin was one of impressed confusion. I was impressed because the product felt effective (like a good, deep cleanser) and confused because my skin looked covered in soot. COOL!
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