Another stop on the search for the perfect skin care routine

Like most women, I think I have tried just about everything there is to look younger, short of cosmetic surgery. I don’t have too much to complain about – some lines around my eyes, the occasional dark circle – but I definitely want to prevent looking any older than I have to. Good, consistent daily care is essential to getting and keeping the best looking complexion you can have, so to that end it has been my pleasure to try DHC’s reformulated line of co-enzyme Q10 anti-aging skin care products. The Q10 Essentials Set ($85) includes one of my already-favorite DHC products, the Deep Cleansing Oil (amazing for removing makeup), plus Q10 Facial Film Soap, Q10 Lotion and Q10 Cream.

The Deep Cleansing Oil is one of the best makeup removers, and it works well for any skin type. Just work a pump or two into dry skin and rinse off. It removes makeup, eyeliner, and mascara effortlessly, then lightly lathers and rinses clean away. Another cleanser in the set is a box of Q10 Facial Film Soap, incredibly thin sheets of soap that activate with water, completely dissolve into foamy lather, and quickly cleanse your face at the gym, while traveling, or just if you like that squeaky clean feeling after using the Deep Cleansing Oil. Even though my skin can hint at dryness, the Q10 Facial Film Soap work great for me.

After cleansing, I like to splash on Q10 Lotion. This toner gives an extra anti-aging boost, and if you apply a small amount with your hands instead of a cotton pad, you use less. I like to use just enough to leave my face damp, then I apply the last product of the set, Q10 Cream. A thin layer of this silky cream traps in the dewy layer of  Q10 Lotion for even more hydrating and anti-aging benefits. The Q10 Cream delivers just the right amount of hydration without being too heavy, just right for any skin type.

If you are looking for something new in anti-aging skincare, the Q10 Essentials Set is a great way to try the products at a discount, and you have a complete, morning and night routine in one set.

Afforable luxury: Alba Botanica’s new Rainforest Hair Care

We recently had the pleasure of trying Alba Botanica’s new Rainforest Hair Care, and now we fight with our teenage daughter over who gets to use the products! The smell is amazing, and the way it makes our hair look – super silky and shiny – makes us reconsider our recent drugstore-only hair care proclamation. Sure, these are more expensive at about $10 each for the Acai anti-oxidant shampoo and conditioner, but we think we will treat ourselves in this case

Age-Defying Daily Care from DHC

Everything you’ll need for an age-fighting, four-step skincare routine is available in DHC’s Q10 Essentials Set ($85, reg. individual 4-item total $117).

This skin-loving quartet works synergistically to help fight elasticity loss, and includes: A worldwide-bestselling makeup remover (Deep Cleansing Oil); convenient, just-add-water facial cleanser (Q10 Facial Film Soap); an age-defying toner (Q10 Lotion); and a rich, intensive moisturizer (Q10 Cream).

As we age, our skin’s natural levels of antioxidant co-enzyme Q10 diminish, leaving skin vulnerable to free radicals. And let’s face it, beautiful skin is healthy skin. Regular use of these products (recommended twice daily) helps promote the appearance of a smoother, more resilient-looking complexion.

Q10 Essentials Set

Dior Summer Sizzle

If you are in the market for some summer color…look no further than the Dior counter.  Lots of corals and browns with shimmer and pizzazz!  My new look started with the Dior Bronze Collagen-Activ SPF 15, in #2, Honey Tan.  I use this more as a face powder or a foundation than I do as a bronzer.  Such an outdoor look, healthy and matte, not shiny.  If I want more of the shimmy, I pull out my adorable looking Dior Bronze Couture Palette and whip a bit of the shimmery bronze powder on my cheekbones, and the coral gloss on my lips.  If I want to amp the color, I  slick on Dior Addict High Shine Lipstick in Designer Coral (love it!) and then put the coral gloss over top.  No look is complete until you brush on the Diorshow Mascara in black.  If you want that sultry eye, go for the Diorshow Black Out Mascara.  This is one quick and easy summer look without the tropical travel.  ***A Dior MUST for anyone living in the Boston area…Troy Surratt, formerly of another cosmetic line that will remain nameless, is now at Dior, and he and his team will be in the Boston Saks 5th Avenue on Thursday, June 18th for makeovers.  (sorry, I had the wrong date listed earlier)  This is the perfect opportunity to have your face done by someone that touches the celebs!  Think Liv, Jennifer, and now you! 

Finally, something that really works for frizzy hair

I have tried more anti-frizz products than I can keep track of. If a spray, serum, pomade, gloss, wax, mousse, gel, or cream promises to reduce frizz in any capacity, I have probably tried it. The one aspect of my hair that I find the most annoying is that it will frizz in any climate, and under the influence of just about every anti-frizz product. I’ve most recently been using Jonathan Product Create Weightless Smooth No-Frizz Hydrating Balm with mediocre results. Let’s just say my expectations for anything to actually work are severely compromised.

I stopped by Sephora last week with my mom, who was visiting from a small town in Florida, and she loves to stock up on all her favorites because we have no sales tax. We were in the haircare section looking for root boosters when I noticed Living Proof No Frizz products. The thing that intrigued me about the line is that their technology for controlling the frizz is not just another silicone-based coating (like every other serum on the market), but a new ingredient they call PolyfluoroEster. Living Proof claims it forms an extremely thin barrier on hair that protects from humidity and reduces surface friction (which also causes frizz). I can honestly say, after trying it, it really works! No other frizz control product has ever made my hair this frizz-free, soft, and silky, and I didn’t change anything else about my haircare. I don’t buy fancy shampoo or conditioner (I am using Garnier Fructis right now), and I don’t even take the time to blow dry or use a flat iron, which is what I used to have to do to get anything resembling frizz-free hair, and even then it wouldn’t last. Now, I can wash, condition, put in the No Frizz spray, put my hair up in a twist or a ponytail, and once it’s dry, it’s silky smooth with no frizz. Where can I get a case of this stuff??

The line is small and finding the right product for your hair is easy. There is a product for wavy/curly styles, in three versions for different hair textures, and a product for straight styles, also in three versions for your texture of hair. Depending on what you choose, you are getting either a spray or a styling cream. Because I have fine hair and because I am lazy and let my hair air dry, I opted for Wave Shaping, Curl Defining No Frizz Styling Spray for Fine to Medium Hair ($24 for 3.4 oz). My hair is naturally wavy, and the Wave Shaping product has a light hold to it, so my hair has nice bounce and no frizz whatsoever.

To learn more about Living Proof No Frizz, visit livingproof.com.

Spring is coming!

Spring is IN BLOOM with Prescriptives Spring Color Collection

The sun is peeking through the clouds here in the Pacific Northwest and we couldn’t be happier! We are already daydreaming about new sandals, capris, sunglasses and hanging up that winter coat for good. Before we get too carried away, at least we can revel in the new spring color collection popping up, like In Bloom from Prescriptives. If you crave fresh and pretty, take a look at these!

To make a real spring statement and move on from winter’s neutral palette, In Bloom Eye Color Duo comes with gorgeous soft colors to make your eyes pop. Personally, I don’t stick to only wearing shades in my Colorprint family, so don’t be afraid to experiment. The Eye Color Duo comes in Marigold, Sunflower, Lily and Petunia (my personal fav).

For me, nothing says “I am actually giving time to myself to look good” like a new lipstick. The new In Bloom Lipshine shades for spring are so fresh and pretty, it’s hard to settle on just one. Zinnia, Posy, Tulip, and Tuberose are all limited edition shades for spring, and the texture is a great mix of the shine of gloss and the buildable color of lipstick.

In Bloom Cheek Color Duo has two shimmery shades embellished with an embossed floral design, and housed in a limited-edition compact that also features a floral design. You can choose from warm or cool, and you can wear the colors mixed, layered, or individually.

When the going gets tough…

… the tough stop buying expensive salon hair products! Nothing makes me feel like I am washing money down the drain more than paying $20 for a bottle of shampoo. Sure, it’s fancy, or organic, but I just can’t do it anymore! My hair doesn’t care if it’s L’Oreal, Tresemme, Aveda, or Paul Mitchell – it behaves just the same. Lately, I am all about the bargain hunting. Last week, on a routine trip to Target, I found a killer clearance deal on L’Oreal Vive Pro Nutri Gloss shampoo and conditioner on sale for just $2.96 a piece. Woo hoo! Now that’s more like it. On the next aisle, Aussie Hair Insurance shampoo for under $5, and Infusium 23 Frizzologie conditioner for just over $6. All three – the L’Oreal, Aussie, and Infusium – have done wonders for my hair. I can use a small amount of shampoo and stick work up a lather, and I don’t need a gallon of conditioner to coat my long hair like I do with my many spendy brands. I won’t be going back to them any time soon.