Best Beauty Always

Marc Jacobs Splash 2010 Summer Collection

Inspired by the simple pleasure of sitting and enjoying the rich and beautiful sweets at a patisserie, Marc Jacobs introduces three new limited edition Splash Scents packaged in the signature oversized, heavy glass bottle.

Marc Jacobs Apple is fresh, fruity and aromatic, while Marc Jacobs Pomegranate captures the lusciousness of the fruit, and Marc Jacobs Biscotti combines soft vanilla and floral citrus.

All three Splash Scents are available starting this month at fine department stores and at Marc Jacobs boutiques, while supplies last.

Balenciaga Paris

A new fragrance just made for springtime is in stores now. From the haute couture House of Balenciaga comes Balenciaga Paris, described poetically in press materials: "Immediately, the demure violet note makes us think that Balenciaga Paris is a light fragrance, as pleasant as sunshine. In Balenciaga Paris, we find the first moments of April, floral breezes and blossoms from milder days. A spring-like feel: airy dresses and fleeting glances. A bouquet of violets also has an old-fashioned tone, the antique charm of a few dried petals that we find between the pages of a book by Colette, traces of memories, the work of art so fine that is the past... But soon, a peppery note reveals itself and swells over calm, mossy wood. Foliage that breathes in the secret hours of night. Then, another more nocturnal facet of nature expresses itself. A sensuality becomes clearer. The shadowy color of the liquid within already says something of its mystery. It is a fragrance full of light with a few dark apertures. Balenciaga Paris is a lovely paradox. It is a fragrance that becomes life: that melds with living. Balenciaga Paris offers itself and guards itself... Wear Balenciaga Paris and become a close yet inaccessible woman who strolls under leafy arbors...

Well, who doesn't want all that? And I just love the bottle and cap.

Balenciaga Paris eau de parfum spray retails from $95, and the fragrance is available in shower gel and body lotion, too.

SJP NYC

Just ahead of spring - and the May release of Sex and the City 2 - a fruity floral fragrance inspired by Sarah Jessica Parker's character, Carrie Bradshaw, is debuting this month at Macy's.

SJP NYC is built around a wild strawberry accord. It features top notes of Italian mandarin, white osmanthus and wild red strawberries; mid notes of gardenia, honeysuckle, mimosa and red rose damascenia; and base notes of sandalwood, vanilla absolute, rum flavor and creamy musks.

The eau de toilette spray is available in 15, 30 and 60 ml sizes, priced from $25, and a 200 ml body lotion retails for $25.

Flawless Foundation

I've always been afraid of liquid foundation. I worried about getting it on evenly and blending it at the jawline, so it looked natural. And I didn't care much for the way it felt heavy on my skin, or how it looked at the end of the day. So you can imagine my concern when a beauty consultant suggested I try Studio Gear Flawless Foundation.

I had stopped by the makeup counter looking for something new to try, to even out my skin tone and brighten up my face. Specifically, I told her I wanted something for over-50 skin. I have to say, I didn't ask her how old she is, but she looked to be about my age and her skin and makeup looked fantastic. It turns out she was wearing the Studio Gear Flawless Foundation, so she had my attention. She took her time matching my skin tone to the perfect shade of makeup, and gave me some tips on how to apply it. Studio Gear recommends applying foundation with a brush, which they sell.

I took home a bottle in the 'linen' shade and have been wearing it for a couple of weeks. I've applied it with a brush and with my fingers. The brush will take a little getting used to, but it does have the advantage of keeping the product off my hands. Best of all, I like the way it looks and feels.

Studio Gear Flawless Foundation is a silicone emulsion makeup. Silicone ingredients provide a little shine (or maybe glow is a better word for makeup) and a great finish and also seal in moisture. I wash it off thoroughly at the end of the day and moisturize. The Studio Gear product includes ingredients for UVA and UVB protection (SPF 10), plus antioxidants A, C and E.

There are a number of silicone based foundations on the market. Check out an earlier post about Face Atelier.

What's Works for Crow's Feet?

I had an email SOS from a friend the other day. She is a few years shy of the legal age for viewing this site but, since her concerns about the crow's feet developing at the outer corners of her eyes is a pretty widespread issue, I decided to post about it.

She asked if I had any recommendations for stopping them in their tracks, but I have to admit I have not been too concerned about my own outer-eye area, so have not investigated eye creams or other options for correcting them.

It seems that crow's feet, like most wrinkles, are part of aging, and can be affected by sun exposure, smoking and even our facial expressions including smiling. But do keep smiling, and check out this report by Greg Hillebrand, Ph.D., about a study of facial wrinkles. Also, use moisturizer and wear sunglasses when you are outside.

I did tell my friend about a few eye-area products that are on the market now and easily found in stores, including some from Olay,  Garnier, and L'Oreal, and one that I am trying and will talk about at a later date. But how about you? Any advice for my friend? And what about spa treatments and dermatological procedures? Any advice from our experts about treatments that work and what us over-50 beauties can expect from them? Please comment!

And, dear friend, in my humble opinion, the best way to deal with wrinkles of all kinds is with equal parts prevention, treatment and acceptance.

KINeSYS Spray Sunscreen

Did somebody mention sunshine? You bet I did, in my last post, and I'm doing it again today: Sunshine! Bring it on. Actually, it is bright and sunny here today, and the sunshine is reflecting off the several inches of snow on the ground. Beautiful, really, but not the skin-baring, summer fun kind of sunshine I'm dreaming about.

The reason I mention this at all is because I received a sample in the mail not long ago of a spray sunscreen from KINeSYS, Inc. It is an oil-free, alcohol-free sunscreen with Parsol 1789, a trade name for Avobenzone, a full spectrum UVA absorber. The product also contains ingredients for UVB protection. According to the literature that came with it, the product contains powerful antioxidants, is very water and sweat resistant, hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic. It comes in SPF 15 and SPF 30 versions.

I can't speak at all about the product's effectiveness as a sunscreen, but I can tell you a little bit about my application experience. The directions are to "spray liberally and evenly to all exposed areas 30 minutes before sun exposure. Goes on wet and will dry in 2 to 3 minutes. For face, spray on hands first, then apply. To increase protection re-apply every two hours or after swimming or exercise." I followed the instructions, spraying liberally on each forearm: one with the mango scented version, the other with an unscented option. You don't have to rub it in or touch it all if you don't want to, but I will tell you that both sides did dry after a few minutes and did not feel at all oily to the touch. I like that I didn't have to rub it in, so no product was left on my hands.

The mango scent was mango-y, but I would choose the unscented version. A third sample, called SPF 30 Girl, came in a vanilla-green tea scent.

You can read about the company at its Web site. KINeSYS also makes sunscreen in a stick, said to be good for hard to protect skin on lips, ears, face and age spots. The KINeSYS products are available at stores in the U.S. and Canada, and online. The 4 oz bottle of the unscented product sells online for $18.99 U.S.

Harajuku Lovers Sunshine Cuties

Did somebody say sunshine? I am so ready to start thinking about/living summer (yep, let's just skip spring and get right to the warm, sunny stuff!) so I thought I'd get the ball rolling with news of the release of Harajuku Lovers fragrance in these adorable, limited edition dolls.

All your favorites - Love, Lil' Angel, Music, Baby and G are back and dressed for the beach in darling swimsuits. Pictured above is "Love" since Valentine's Day is almost here. She's ready for summer fun in her vintage inspired one piece, removable wrap around sunglasses and red hibiscus flower.

If you're a fan of the fragrances, or know someone who is, these collectible 10 mL eau de toilettes retail for $30. But be warned, just like summer they are around for only a sort time and then they'll be gone. Get them quickly at Macys, Nordstrom, and Sephora and online at macys.com and sephora.com.

Vitamin E Oil for Nails

Here's a quick tip from a friend of mine who has suffered with brittle, splitting nails. She has had success with some well known branded nail strengthening products, but after realizing that the ones that worked the best for her contained vitamin E oil, she switched to just that and says her nails respond very well to a daily dab of oil at the cuticle.

Let me know if this works for you!

Have a Lush Valentine's Day

Fan's of Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics will want to drop a hint early to get one of the limited-edition Valentine's Day gift sets, including the True Love Gift pictured. The set includes an aprodisiac-infused Sex Bomb Bath Bomb, red glitter Love Soap, moisturizing Yummy Yummy Yummy Shower Gel, plus Vanilla Dee-Lite Lotion and Heavanilli Massage Bar. The True Love Gift is SRP $44.95 and is available in stores and online.

Revlon Colorstay Mineral Lipglaze

 

It's another Makeup Monday - where did last week go? - so I thought I'd share a recent purchase that brought a little fresh color to my makeup routine. Revlon's long wearing mineral lip gloss has been on the market for some time, but I found it in two new colors and believe me, on these gray winter days a little pop of color is exactly what I need. The pink is called perennial pink and the coral is continuous coral.

The Colorstay Mineral Liplglaze is a gloss lip color in a single applicator. I've tried the long lasting lip products that have one end for color and the other end to apply shine, but here it is all in one. As Revlon says, it "provides a glossy seal of conditioning color," and it was comfortable to wear and did not feel dry. And I still had some on after a delightfully long meal with friends!

A new lipstick can be a fun and fairly inexpensive way to brighten up your day and even bring spring around a little early. I paid $8.99 each for the Revlon Colorstay Lipglazes.