Makeup, Hair, Shoes & Beauty Reviews

Archive for the ‘Skin’ Category

As the summer begins, women have an important choice to make: Do I bravely bare my winter skin, translucent as it may be, and patiently wait for the sun? Or, do I fake it ’til I make it with tanning sprays and beds? Whichever the decision may be–but particularly if you’re a sun worshiper or you spend a lot of time outdoors–take this advice first and always start with a great sunscreen. Here are our picks for the season from some of the top names in the skin-protection industry.

La-Roche-Sunscreen

La Roche-Posay Anthelios 60 is a superlight sunscreen that packs a double-whammy punch: SPF 60 is paired with antioxidants that the company says protects your skin “down to the cellular level” while blocking both UVA & UVB rays. La Roche-Posay has long been touted as the mother of all sunscreens, so you can feel confident entrusting your snowy white legs to them for the season ($27.50, most national drug store chains, larocheposay.us).

From Peter Thomas Roth, an SPF 30 oil-free sunscreen mist is beyond convenient. Its “360-degree” spray goes on surprisingly evenly and the company’s claim of “no-rub” rings true. Give your body the once-over and come away from the beach with nary a zigzag tan line ($28, Sephora, peterthomasroth.com).

Nature’s Gate Aqua Block Sunscreen was developed for surfers and scuba divers, so you can trust that the SPF 50 formula will withstand a day at the beach or a marathon gardening session without breaking a sweat. The added ingredients of chamomile, shea butter and rosemary are soothing, not only to the skin, but to the senses as well ($8.99, natures-gate.com). Read the rest of this entry »

The fact that Jennifer Lopez ascribes to the gospel of La Mer for her perfectly smooth, radiant skin is fairly common knowledge, although her signature bronzed glow has little to do with the miracle cream. Chalk that up to the self-described “King of Bling” makeup artist Scott Barnes, who has been tending to the singer-turned-actress’ honey-gold complexion since Jenny from the Block became J. Lo. We caught up with Barnes on the set of Lopez’s new flick, The Back-Up Plan (a romantic comedy about a woman who chooses artificial insemination after tiring of the search for Mr. Right—very new millennium), to talk bronzer for summer and beyond.

What’s your advice for steering clear of that unfortunate orange aftereffect that some bronzers can leave behind?

My tip is don’t go too dark. I’ve crossed the line myself but it’s all about knowing when to say I’ve gone too far. People have called me “a man to glow with” because my whole thing is that bronzer should radiate, and to get that result the key is moisture.

So would you recommend cream-based bronzers over powder then?

Liquid bronzers, like my Body Bling, work well to this end, and I just repackaged my cult favorite in a squeeze tube that should be out by the end of the month. Read the rest of this entry »

ONLINE EXCLUSIVE

Remember the swinging sixties – totally groovy. Flower power…rock and roll… go go boots…miniskirts. Now you can relive it all with Eight Hour Cream 1960’s Celebration of the Decades Collection.

You’ll twist and shout when you dip into your Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant, the original formula of ultra-moisturizing petrolatum, vitamin E and re-texturizing beta-hydroxy acid. It smoothes, soothes, heals and protects dry skin.

We started Eight Hour Cream Celebration of the Decades with the fabulous fifties and now we’re on to the swinging sixties. Stay tuned for the next in our series. Peace.

EIGHT HOUR CREAM  Eight Hour Cream 1960’s Set ($42 value)

Designed for you to covet, collect and always count on, the Eight Hour Cream 1960’s Set honors Eight Hour Cream’s heritage as part of our “Celebration of the Decades” series.

You’ll twist and shout when you dip into your Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant, the original formula of ultra-moisturizing petrolatum, vitamin E and re-texturizing beta-hydroxy acid. It smoothes, soothes, heals and protects dry skin. 1.0 oz.

Eight Hour Cream Lip Protectant Stick SPF 15 is so funky and fun, you’ll want to move and groove with it everywhere. .13 oz.

All packaged in an Elizabeth Arden deluxe, red gift box.

shop online at elizabetharden.com

the back story behind the beauty duo who mask smile lines—and keep you laughing Kate Hudson and Rachel McAdams don’t use the same makeup artist, and Sarah Jessica Parker and Nicole Kidman aren’t seeing the same holistic healer. So how to explain their similar rosy glows and collectively perfect bee-stung lips? No, the answer has nothing to do with Photoshop. They’re all members of the cult of Benetint, the original lip and cheek stain from Benefit Cosmetics that’s been making fans of celebrities—and the rest of us—for over 30 years.

The brainchild of twin sisters Jean and Jane Ford, Benefit thrives on a quirky sensibility—a “laughter is the best cosmetic” policy that’s an extension of the founders’ own lighthearted approach to life. After making for the West Coast to pursue a short-lived career in modeling, the Indiana-born Fords launched their beauty empire in the late seventies with the idea that makeup could provide both physical and comic relief for women who, as the sisters put it, “might be having a case of the uglies.” Seven and a half million multitasking bottles of Benetint later, and the Fords are still doling out the pretty. “We don’t follow trends,” says Jean. “Our raison d’être is to create products to fix particular beauty dilemmas.” Their latest venture is a new scent trio due out next month. Read on to discover the method behind their makeup. continue reading…