With all of the new product innovation that has spurred such competition amongst beauty brands, a few cosmetics stand out as being particularly unique. Special effects have given us products that allow us to look flawless while doing the following:
1. Glowing in the dark
Wow everyone at a party or club with fluorescent makeup! These products provide a pop of color both day and night. During the daytime, they provide ordinary pigmented color and react with UV light to glow in the dark. For your lips, try the Stila After Glow Lip Color ($18 at Sephora), which is a long-wearing moisturizing lip crayon that comes in two bright colors: fuscia and tangerine. Then, dust the rest of your face and/or body with the Make Up For Ever Fluo Night ($31 on www.makeupforever.com). This finely milled loose powder comes in a variety of colors (including a translucent white) and can be mixed with other cosmetics to enhance colors and turn them into fluorescent formulas. Both of these products are limited edition products (the Fluo Night is an older product and a little harder to find), so scoop them up while you can! And you can't forget about the nails. The Glow in the Dark Nail Polish ($6 at American Apparel) is a convenient, affordable option.
2. Sleeping
The biggest beauty crime is not washing off your makeup before bed. However, the bareMinerals Pure Transformation Night Treatment ($60 at Sephora) changes what we think about sleeping in makeup. It's a pigmented powder that works its magic as you sleep. Formulated with minerals, this powder hydrates, smooths, minimizes pores, and brightens so that you wake up with a more even skintone and a luminous glow. The feature that really differentiates it from other night treatments is that it provides coverage. You fall asleep with a flawless complexion and wake up with a more naturally flawless one as well ;)
3. Swimming
Want to look fabulous from the beginning to the end of your next pool party? Well, with Make Up For Ever's Aqua products you can. It features a collection of waterproof eye cosmetics (shadows, liners, mascara, and eyebrow corrector) and lip cosmetics (pencil and color). The line even contains an Aqua Seal ($21 at Sephora) that allows you to convert any powder eye cosmetic into a waterproof liquid one. However, the Aqua collection is missing waterproof face cosmetics. But don't worry because the Make Up For Ever brand does make a Face & Body Liquid Makeup ($40 at Sephora) to provide waterproof coverage for
the face and body. Since oil and water don't mix, many waterproof formulas tend to be super oily or waxy. However, the Face & Body Liquid Makeup is nice, since it's water-based, so no breakouts! And fix those more specific imperfections with the Tarte Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Waterproof Concealer ($22 at Sephora). Feel free to dive, splash, and frolic in the water without worrying about smudging or running!
In general, you should reserve these products for occasional rather than regular use, with the exception of the Pure Transformation Night Treatment (since it's a gentle skincare + cosmetics product). The ingredients that make a product glow in the dark or waterproof can be harsh, but vary based on each product. I usually advocate healthy products only, but some of these products do contain parabens as well as other toxins. But honestly if you're using them once in a while, it's not a huge a deal. Also, there are only 1 or 2 of each of these product types currently on the market, and there aren't any healthy alternatives available. The take away? These products are super fun, and you should definitely use them for the occasions for which they are meant :)
...continuing from last week's post, there are also many beauty trends that have emerged over the past decade. There's always one product that acts as a catalyst for these trends. However, many brands have later presented new and improved as well as healthier versions of these original products. Check it out:
1. Gel Eyeliner generally comes in a pot or pan. It has a creamy formula that glides on when you apply it with an eyeliner brush. The liner dries on your eyes and doesn't budge as easily as pencils often do. Plus, they have a more natural finish than many liquid liners do. Overall, gel liners produce a rich color and allow for a neat application.
Out with the old...Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner ($23 at Sephora)
Today, many color cosmetic brands make a gel eyeliner, but Bobbi Brown was the founder of this magnificent concept. I must say that I'm a huge fan of gel liners, and Bobbi Brown definitely has the best color selection with plums, blues, light browns, shimmers, etc. However, it contains parabens as well as BHT. Also, compared with other brands, Bobbi Brown's liners are smaller and dry out quickly given the price.
And in with the new...Buxom Lashliner ($16 at Sephora)
In general, it's tough to find a paraben-free gel liner, but Buxom makes one. The only downside with the Buxom liner is that it only comes in 2 shades, brown and black, though it is equally as creamy and long lasting as the Bobbi Brown one. I prefer to stick to the Buxom for everyday work/school wear because of the healthier formula. But I break out my pretty Bobbi Chocolate Shimmer or Graphite gel liner for special occasions and nights out :)
2. Mineral Makeup is makeup that is derived from compressed minerals. Some of the benefits are that minerals tend to be more natural, more nourishing, and have large particles that don't get absorbed into pores. Thus, they may be less irritating than other makeup products for sensitive skin and those with acne.
Out with the old...bareMinerals Original Foundation Broad Spectrum SPF 15 ($27 at Sephora)
I know many of us swear by our bareMinerals makeup. The company is definitely a genius...it started the mineral makeup craze, making their foundations a beauty best-seller. Now, minerals are in blushes, eye shadows, powders, foundations, etc. The problem with bareMinerals foundation is that it contains bismuth oxychloride. Bismuth Oxychloride is derived from a processed
form of lead and is generally used in mineral makeup to improve the product’s
texture and long-lasting effect. Many consumers find this ingredient
extremely irritating and like talc, some research shows that inhaling bismuth
oxychloride may be associated with respiratory disorders. From my experience, the coverage of this foundation is really nice, but it gives my oily skin an unnatural and excessive shine. It also was a little bit drying and looked cakey by the end of the day.
And in with the new...Jane Iredale Amazing Base Loose Mineral Powder SPF 20 ($42 on skinstore.com)
Jane Iredale also developed a mineral foundation that is in the same loose powder form as the bareMinerals one. Since this product isn't sold at Sephora, you may not have stumbled across it yet. But if you love bareMinerals, you'll love this loose mineral powder. Like bareMinerals, it also offers mineral-based protection and medium coverage, but I've found that the Jane Iredale formula was a little bit silkier and more hydrating. More importantly, it is free of bismuth oxychloride.
3. Cheek Stain is a more natural-looking, light-weight form of blush. In the old days,
people piled on the "rouge" to make a statement. Now, people tend to use blush to give a slight boost of color that gives the appearance of a natural, healthy glow. Cheek stains usually come in a gel or stick form and offer a sheerer level of coverage.
Out with the old...Benefit Cosmetics Benetint ($30 at Sephora)
Benefit came out with the first major cheek and lip stain a few years ago. Although I must say that's pretty natural looking and easy to apply, it also contains a large amount of methylparaben as well as BHT.
And in with the new...Perfekt Cheek Perfection Gel ($28 at Sephora)
Perfekt is a relatively new brand that makes some very nice healthy products. The Perfekt Cheek Gel is not only toxin-free, but also contains vitamins and antioxidants. It is much more light-weight and natural-looking than the Tarte product, so your glow looks like it comes from within. And the gel allows you to more easily build your own level of coverage.
4. CC Creams or complexion
correcting creams are a hybrid skincare makeup product that has multiple benefits. They
combine multiple skincare products - moisturizer (hydrates), primer
(protects and smooths), serum (repairs and protects), foundation (blurs
imperfections and evens skin tone) - into one, easy step. Although they are are very similar
to BB creams, the focus of CC's is on color correction for issues like
redness or dark spots, meaning that they often have slightly heavier
coverage, a lighter feel, and contain more vitamin C than BB's.
Out with the old...Smashbox Camera Ready CC Cream Broad Spectrum SPF 30 ($42 at Sephora)
Although tons of CC creams have hit the market by now, Smashbox made one of the first ones. The coverage, hydration, light-weight feel, and long-lasting effect make it a good CC cream. However, this product uses oxybenzone as a sunscreen ingredient, which is controversial because there is some research that it is related to hormone disruption. Another downside for me personally is that it's not oil-free, so it's not as ideal for my blemish-prone skin.
And in with the new...Stila Color Correcting Cream Broad Spectrum SPF 20 ($44 at Sephora)
Stila does not use oxybenzone or other toxins in its CC cream, but the formula offers all of the same CC benefits (looks and feels just as nice) as the Smashbox product. Instead, it uses physical sunblocks, which provide a strong defense against sun damage. And it's oil-free!
5. Retinol is probably the
ingredient you hear about most with anti-aging products. Retinol is a
form of vitamin A that is naturally occurring the body. It boosts
collagen production and promotes cell turnover, keeping your skin firm
and fresh. So, retinol creams are a part of many women's skincare
routines.
Out with the old...RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Night Cream ($18 in drugstores)
Many of us may have seen TV ads for RoC. RoC is the mother of retinol products with their retinol eye cremes, face cremes, serums, etc. Although RoC retinol cream can be conveniently found at most drugstores, it contains parabens and BHT.
And in with the new...Kate Somerville RetAsphere 2-in-1 Retinol Night Cream ($85 at Sephora)
Parabens in the RoC formula shouldn't stop you from using a retinol cream. Other brands like Kate Somerville make a comparable, healthier product. This retinol cream also contains ingredients like seaweed extract and hyaluronic acid to lock in hydration as well as a RetAsphere Smart Release Carrier system to prevent irritation and dryness associated with retinol use.
So, if you love these products, make sure you're using the healthiest, more effective versions of them. Hope this helps you do so!
