Winter is my favorite season by far, but beauty and skincare routines can require a little tweaking this time of year. Indoor heating systems can deplete your skin of moisture, making it appear dull, dry, and sallow. Luckily, there are lovely products to combat these effects and leave your complexion luminous! Think luster, like pearls, rather than sparkly diamonds for your face. You want glow rather than glitter!
Exfoliate
Kate Somerville's Exfolikate is, without a doubt, the creme de la creme of exfoliators everywhere. It employs fruit enzymes to really get skin glowing and even out your complexion. Getting rid of your skin's dry, dead cells truly makes a difference, and a tube lasts forever.
Moisturize
A moisturizer that contains brightening properties will keep your face hydrated and glowing. I swear by oxygen creams, and this one by Bliss also contains vitamin C to give skin an extra brightening boost.
Prime
In addition to keeping your makeup smooth and in place, primers can also multitask like mattify or brighten your complexion. I like Urban Decay's Brightening Complexion Potion; Benefit also makes a great many luminizing primers, like Girl Meets Pearl.
Enhance
Tarte's Smooth Operator Illuminating Serum is like magic in a bottle. It looks especially great when you apply a thin layer over your forehead, cheeks, nose, and chin right before you put on the rest of your makeup. I like to mix a a drop or two right in with my foundation, or even just wear it alone (it's juuust tinted enough!) This will literally transform your entire complexion and make it look like your skin is magically lit from within.
Hydrate
Start squeezing fresh lemon juice into your water and sip all day. This will work wonders for your skin more than anything else. Drinking lemon water has an incredible variety of health benefits, and a lovely glowing complexion is one of the many. Try to use fresh lemons when you can, but if that's inconvenient there are little powder packets called True Lemon that you sprinkle into your water like sugar packets! It tastes exactly the same, and you're still getting the benefits of lemon. If you insist on drinking Coke, well, lemon is really delicious in that, too!
Are there any other luminizing tricks you use to get your skin glowing?
Monday, November 21, 2011
Monday, November 14, 2011
If Money Were No Object...
...what beauty products would you own? A Clarisonic? La Mer creams? Expensive, exclusive perfume? A makeup bag of nothing but Chanel? Here's a little peek into my own indulgent luxury wishlist. Some are more attainable than others, some are a bit outlandish, but that's part of the fun! Let's dream big, shall we?
La Mer The Eye Concentrate: This is the only eye cream I've heard of that honestly, truly reduced undereye circles. I trust Beauty Bets, y'all. $165 for 0.5 oz.
Rodin Olio Lusso Face Oil: The most luxurious-sounding oil contains jasmine, primrose, argan, neroli, rosemary, and a host of other lovely essential oils. Its creator, Linda Rodin, sounds like someone I'd want to hang out with as well. Or at least explore her fabulous madcap apartment. $140 for 1 oz.
Dior AirFlash Foundation: Nothing could be more glamorous than misting on your foundation, am I right? I want to know how long a bottle lasts. Anyone tried it? $62 for 2.3 oz.
Guerlain Rouge G Jewel Compact Lipstick: As pricey as Tom Ford but infinitely more gorgeous, this lipstick is encased in a stunning silver compact. Engraved with the word "glamorous", of course. $47 for 0.12 oz.
MAC Makeup Brushes: Not just one brush; ALL the brushes. I don't even want to know what this would cost. Part of the fantasy, you know.
Cartier Panthere Ring: If you've never read about the Marchesa Casati, the woman who inspired Cartier's iconic panther jewelry, you need to right now. $55,500 (I wish that was a typo!)
Diptyque candles: I'd have one (or three!) in every room. The leftover glass jars would be lovely for storing all those MAC brushes, too. $60 for 6.5 oz
Guerlain personalized perfume: Yes. Legendary perfumers Guerlain will custom blend your own fragrance. You get 24 different-sized bottles, totaling up to two liters (and five years' worth) of eau de parfum. This is the holy grail of luxury. Price available upon request. Sighhhh!
Your turn! What's on your luxury wishlist?
La Mer The Eye Concentrate: This is the only eye cream I've heard of that honestly, truly reduced undereye circles. I trust Beauty Bets, y'all. $165 for 0.5 oz.
Rodin Olio Lusso Face Oil: The most luxurious-sounding oil contains jasmine, primrose, argan, neroli, rosemary, and a host of other lovely essential oils. Its creator, Linda Rodin, sounds like someone I'd want to hang out with as well. Or at least explore her fabulous madcap apartment. $140 for 1 oz.
Dior AirFlash Foundation: Nothing could be more glamorous than misting on your foundation, am I right? I want to know how long a bottle lasts. Anyone tried it? $62 for 2.3 oz.
Guerlain Rouge G Jewel Compact Lipstick: As pricey as Tom Ford but infinitely more gorgeous, this lipstick is encased in a stunning silver compact. Engraved with the word "glamorous", of course. $47 for 0.12 oz.
MAC Makeup Brushes: Not just one brush; ALL the brushes. I don't even want to know what this would cost. Part of the fantasy, you know.
Cartier Panthere Ring: If you've never read about the Marchesa Casati, the woman who inspired Cartier's iconic panther jewelry, you need to right now. $55,500 (I wish that was a typo!)
Diptyque candles: I'd have one (or three!) in every room. The leftover glass jars would be lovely for storing all those MAC brushes, too. $60 for 6.5 oz
Guerlain personalized perfume: Yes. Legendary perfumers Guerlain will custom blend your own fragrance. You get 24 different-sized bottles, totaling up to two liters (and five years' worth) of eau de parfum. This is the holy grail of luxury. Price available upon request. Sighhhh!
Your turn! What's on your luxury wishlist?
Friday, November 11, 2011
Bobbi Brown Party Shimmer Brick
Isn't this new limited edition Party Shimmer Brick from Bobbi Brown the Best Thing Ever?!? It's perfect for all those holiday parties and will look just as gorgeous in summer, too. Use the full compact for shimmer on your face and decollete, or use each individual side as an eyeshadow. So pretty! Plus, clever martini packaging? This girl is sold!
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