Recently in Face Category

Sometime I wish I could rewind my life by 15 years and go back to an age when I didn't know what blackheads, whiteheads, and breakouts were -- ahh to be young, carefree and not have to worry about a beauty/skin regimen! These days the slightest little blemish is cause for anxiety (which of course only breads more blemishes). Luckily my skin has been behaving itself despite a recent spike in stress. I have however -- and I'm blaming this on the relatively long plane ride involved in going to and from Munich recently -- been having some blackhead issues around my nose. Given those obnoxious little spots I couldn't have been happier when I got a sample of  Biore Deep Cleansing Pore Strips ($7.87) to test out. The pack comes with 14 stripes to help un-clog pores/yang out nasty dirt (you should only use one strip a week). The technique is wonderfully basic and can be combined with Biore Blemish Fighting Ice Cleanser ($5.99). All you do is wash your face, wet your nose, and put on the strip for 15 minutes. Then peel and voila! I didn't get any of those annoying bubbles when I used the strip and I didn't find it irritating. That said a friend who was over at my apartment and tested a strip out did experience some irritation. The strips are a great alternative to a messy clay mask, but if you have sensitive skin make sure not to use this more than once a week and take it off as soon as it feels stiff!

For all the teen snobs out there as well as any older snobs who enjoy cutesy things, check out Eyeko! Nothing in the animation-inspired beauty line that hails from the UK retails for more than $8 and while it's only available online, Eyeko ships free worldwide! I particularly like their Rosy Pink Lip Gloss ($6, it's actually more of a balm since it practically imparts no color and not that much shine) -- it's the frugal version of Rosebud Salve and the new tinted balm from Fresh. Eyeko's polishes are also super cute. Each bottle retails for only $5.50, but be for-warned that the bottles are a lot smaller than they appear on the photo (9ml), though that does make them great for travel. The polishes come in a nice mix of colors that including a neon pink, a sheer pink, and a silver glitter color that after 3 coats is opaque. The Fat Balms ($8) are another good buy for those that like some tint and flavor in their balms and there's also a Magic Liquid Eyeliner ($8) in the line that you can dip into any eye shadow to create any number of eyeliner shades! The only thing I would stay away from are the face creams which seem like they might be irritating on sensitive skin. Check-out the full line here! 

We discovered the Cleansing Balm (I just got my second jar-- this stuff is addictive) from Hungarian cult fave skincare Omorovicza last spring at Neiman Marcus and have been obsessed with the entire line ever since. I love standing at cosmetic counters playing with different creams and asking for samples-- it's the best way to test and learn about new products!  What's even better than hanging out at the counters?  Having the samples sent to your door to test :)  Besides the Cleansing Balm (which all three of us love!) there are two products from Omorovicza that I just sampled-- the Gold Rescue Cream ($300) and the Rose Lifting Serum ($180).  There are a lot of products out there that address sagging skin and this one is mighty impressive.   I don't recommend it for our younger snob readers but if you feel like you need a boost, this is worthy of a try.

Rose Lifting serum:  Like its name suggests, the lightweight serum has a subtle scent of roses that I love.  I massaged it upwards from my chest to the top of my forehead-- it is lightweight and goes into the skin smoothly (no peeling and does not have the sticky texture that many lifting products have).  For use under make up during the day.

Gold Rescue Cream- An amazingly rich and hydrating cream with real gold, Omega 6 ceramide and other powerful ingredients that make even the most dehydrated and wrinkled skin youthful.  This is very rich and is best warmed in the palm of your hand before pressing into the  decolletage, neck and face.  It is too heavy for me during the day but at night it will be a nice cream to switch to during seasonal changes or while traveling.  Best for mature skin.

If you're out shopping this week, go to Neiman Marcus and check this line out. Or you can order here if you just want to take my word for it.

I recently went to Duane Reade where they have just introduced a slew of mid-range price point products including ones from Vichy and La Roche Posay as part of their skin care centers. I spent a good hour speaking with one of the center consultants (consultations are free), and got some tips about which products would be best for my skin based on my concerns and based on the results of a free skin analysis the consultant did (they use a slender stick that is lightly placed on various parts of the face to measure skin hydration, and where blackheads, acne, wrinkles and such are forming). I would highly recommend the consultation. The staff is surprisingly very knowledgeable and you can never loose when it comes to learning more about the health of your skin!

I was also introduced to a new collection of products from Vichy -- the LiftActiv CxP line. Targeted to those that are 40+, the line's products are meant to improve firmness and reduce the appearance of wrinkles while hydrating and smoothing the skin. Like all Vichy products, everything has gone through extensive testing prior to being released (Vichy tests their products on a range of skin types so their products are proven to work no matter your ethnicity), and the skin improvement stats are pretty impressive (78% of women found their skin to be instantly smoothed; 88% found their skin tauter and 91% felt their skin was softer). Click here to learn more about the line!   

I did something very unlike me. I'm totally not spontaneous and always think ahead (must be something about being German and going to a French Lycee for 13 years -- discipline and organization are in my blood!), but I decided on Saturday to book a trip to Bilbao, Biarritz and Munich and am leaving on Monday! I'm joining my family who I haven't traveled with in years and am excited to get out of the sticky NYC weather! Unfortunately I only have one day to pack and I already feel the anxiety! One thing is for sure, I will be bringing the Clarisonic Mia with me. I've been using the original Clarisonic for over a year now and I can't stress the wonders it has done for my skin! After one use your skin is significantly smoother and it doesn't take much more than a few weeks to see less fine lines, reduced pore size, and an improvement in the texture of your skin. Plus it removes makeup and when I do have little break-outs the Clarisonic is like speedy Gonzales in clearing them up! More after the jump!

This season M·A·C celebrates the idea of the Artist in every shade and stripe...makeup as art form. M·A·C has selected three individuals who exemplify this idea through both the subjects they choose, and the wildly individual styles and colours used to convey them. Bold, heroic, big; giggly, playful, clever; dramatic, original, abstract: Fall '09 as seen by Richard Phillips, Maira Kalman, and Marilyn Minter.  (jump for the complete collections!)

M·A·C Make-Up Art Cosmetics will be available for a limited time starting August 20, 2009.  

We love shu uemura cleansing oils (they are especially handy when removing fake lashes, never pull your false lashes off as it may rip your own precious lashes with it. I rub a bit of shu uemura cleansing oil on it instead and it slides off easily. Rinse the oil off and set the lashes on tissue to dry so that you can re-use them!) and we are OBSESSED with Japanese manga (comic books-- I stay up all night reading them whenever I'm home in Asia, they're addictive!).  Very excited about the limited edition Tokyo Kamon Girls cleansing oils by manga artist Moyoco Anno!

Japanese contemporary art meets the art of beauty in shu uemura's 2009 artist collaboration series, Tokyo Kamon Girls Cleansing Oils. Celebrated manga artist (manga is Japanese for comic), Moyoco Anno brings art to daily life with her unique and inspiring designs found on each of shu uemura's iconic Cleansing Oils. These limited-edition bottles are beautified with raditional kamon crests and images of women living in contemporary Tokyo.

Inspired by the expressions and characteristics that coexist in all women, Moyoco adorned each of the oils with a "Tokyo Kamon Girl" who represents the different emotions women across the world share in common. Suggested

Retail Price: $65.00 (Classic, Enriched and Fresh) or $75.00 (Brightening and Premium) at shuuemura.com and shu uemura boutiques worldwide.

Sylvie Chantecaille's personal pallette is a quad of gorgeous shades in golds, bronzes, and pinky roses-- so pretty against our slightly (fake) tanned skin!  I am bummed I'm missing Sylvie Chantecaille's PA at Neiman Marcus North Park on September 12th, if you are in Dallas, you must stop by and meet her!  This is one of the most luxurious cosmetic and skincare lines in the market, I love everything Chantecaille-- especially its Real Skin foundation, like its name, it just looks like real skin yet provides full coverage.  Real Skin is $62 at Neiman Marcus.com 
Jump for details of Sylvie's PA! 

EXFOLIATING CLEANSING: FOAM PURITY + ANTI-POLLUTION

Just got the new Chanel Mousse exoliante Pureté, I keep this one in my shower cuz I want my hubby to use it (he has really oily skin).  It is a de-polluting product that also protects the skin with purifying formulas (don't ask me how many black heads I get after a long week in NYC).

Bringing together the science of nature and the innovation of PRÉCISION, CHANEL extends this landmark collection to address the particular needs of combination-to-oily skin. At the heart of this high-performance, mousse-based formula: Tulip Tree Extract (what will they think of next!?!?), a natural de-pollution agent known to effectively stop environmental aggressors before damage is done.

This precious substance, secreted on the surface of the Tulip Tree's leaves, traps pollutants that are then washed away by rainwater. Adding to the efficacy, Bioglucane, a biotechnological ingredient, empowers the formula to help preserve and protect skin's barrier function.

This is a MUST HAVE for Combination-to-oily skin-- you will benefit most as gentle exfoliating beads and natural Meadowsweet Extract will help control surface oils.

I use this mostly on my T-zone but if you have oily skin, you can use it all over your face and chest.  $45.00 at Chanel.com and Chanel counters worldwide!

I was sent a sample of SkinMedica Hydrating Complex for review a month ago and am quite impressed with the performance of the product. I used the Hydrating B5 gel from Skinceuticals years ago and this is very similar. The consistency is a bit different though, it felt really sticky and weird on the hands at first but smooth it on the face and it literally disappears into the skin. I use it with my other products during the day and it enhances the benefit of my current moisturizers and I actually use less of it! Loving this product, it replenishes skin's moisture reservoir, stimulates natural production of hyaluronic acid and protects the skin against degradation of hyaluronic acid and elastin. Sounds like a cocktail everyone's skin can benefit from. $80 at SkinMedica.com