The other day I saw a famous dermatologist on TV talking about his skin care line. I only caught a bit of it so unfortunately I can’t remember his name (or everything he said), but I do remember a couple of things he said that so resonated and paralleled my whole philosophy in terms of the most important steps in a proper and effective skin care regimen. I was thinking…man is he ever en pointe!

The first point I heard him make was his first and foremost beauty tip (well besides not smoking cigarettes…but that’s just a given) which is exactly how I’ve lived my life since I was 18 years old. For as long as I can remember people have asked me how my skin has stayed so young and healthy looking growing up on the beaches of Southern California with all the sun and environmental attacks. My answer has always been the same…which is: I’ve never gone to bed without washing my face. Of course I should have also said, I’ve always worn sunscreen, but that simply would not have been the truth. I baked my skin as a teen just like many in my generation did. Now of course, I’m a huge advocate of sunscreen…but the bottom line is back then I just didn’t use it. That’s not to say I didn’t suffer damage…because I certainly did. But as far as what saved me from other pollutants was my faithful commitment to removing my makeup and cleansing my skin before bed.
 
The next portion of my theory that parallels the doc’s in terms of great skin care are three very important steps in your daily regimen. If you can’t do anything else…you can at least do these three very easy and important steps which are: Exfoliate, Cleanse and Nourish! You could actually even do this in two steps with multi-tasking products which cleanse and exfoliate in one easy step/product such as Hydropeptide Anti-Wrinkle Exfoliating Cleanser along with a supremely sophisticated multi-tasking moisturizer such as Murad Essential C Moisturizer which nourishes, hydrates and protects. Both products have the highest of ratings from both professionals as well as the clients/users.

I’m thinking I should get something really cool for Mother’s Day this year because I was also born on Mother’s Day. I mean that’s a valid request…right? Well actually I think we all should get something really cool this Mother’s Day. And I know exactly what we should choose!

Whether you have someone buy it for you or you buy it for yourself as your own special gift…you so deserve one of my 2011 Mother’s Day gift picks I’ve chosen from www.spalook.com and www.skinstore.com. They are the perfect choices if I may so myself!
 
These wonderful Mother’s Day gifts are placed in order according to price (lowest to highest) but any one of them are absolutely brilliant and all are 5 Star Rated!

To look incredibly (yet naturally) tan and sport a gorgeous summertime glow choose Jane Iredale Tantasia. It’s the best self-tanner to hit the beauty market EVER. It’s streak-free, provides the perfect color tan and is hydrating to boot. Priced right at Spalook.com for $26.

For those of us who want to smell amazing and absolutely captivating…L’Occitane Cherry Blossom Eau de Toilette is the perfect springtime scent. Its forty-six dollars at SkinStore.com.

Everyone wants a Clarisonic Cleansing System. Check out the Clarisonic Mia Sonic Cleansing System in Yellow! The perfect “spring cleaning!” found at SkinStore.com priced at $149.

Luminess Air New Beauty Edition Medium is an air-brush makeup application system which is the most amazing cosmetic tool and makeup collection you’ll ever try. Priced at $199 (valued at $532) it’s the must have gift from Spalook.com.

The ultimate Mother’s Day gift is the expensive pick of the day…but worth every penny. Baby Quasar MD is the proverbial cosmetic surgery and injections replacement. It works brilliantly for issues related to aging and it can be done at home. The device is available at SkinStore.com for $795.

We must! We must! We must lift and firm our bust! Ok that old 8th grade cheer was ridiculously immature and corny (on my part)…but I think that’s exactly how many of us feel. As we age the skin and muscles of our chest area seem to succumb to the forces of gravity, sun damage and other environmental attacks along with weight gain and loss, pregnancy, breast feeding and a host of other factors which negatively affects our once youthful appearing bust and décolleté. For many of us, what was once a luminous peaches and cream skin tone that boasted firm elasticity and accurately placed anatomically correct breasts… is now a saggy, hyper-pigmented, stretch marked, transparent and vertically challenged mess.

But all that has changed (and can change us as well) thanks to the recent cutting edge science within the beauty and skin care industry.  Did you know that there are now topical products on the market that actually lift and firm the bust without any assistance from cosmetic surgery? It used to be that the only way to a firmer, lifted breast was via plastic surgery. But now there are many quality products with superior firming and reparative ingredients that can be applied topically resulting in a smoother, firmer and lifted appearance. Additionally, many bust enhancing tonics and preparations also erase wrinkles, stretch marks and dark spots, increase the elasticity and thickness of the chest wall skin, replenishes much needed moisture and even prevents future damage.

Sampar Lift Me Up Bust Cream is an invisible toning fluid formulated with active ingredients which firm and restore density and promote elasticity.  This is probably my favorite of all the “bust pick-me-up” products I’ve tried because it works and results can be seen as soon as the first use!

The most well reviewed and highly rated bust enhancing product I’ve found via the web (but haven’t yet tried) is Decleor Aroma Sculpt Bust Beautifying Toning Gel. Described as formulated with an “exclusive cocktail of eight active Essential Oils and Phyto-Firm Complex” this gel is reported to smooth, firm and lift the bust and repair décolleté damage. It provides an instant firming effect and leaves an invisible film which not only tones and lifts but leaves the skin with a beautiful luminous glow.

Bye, bye, paper thin nails and sore, cracked cuticles… If you’re with me, you desire long, healthy, beautiful fingernails and soft supple skin surrounding your nail beds.  I get so frustrated with cracked and dry cuticles and I’m constantly trying to soothe and repair them by applying and re-applying hand lotion…albeit to no avail. It just ends up a vicious cycle with no resolve.

A few weeks ago, I was introduced to a couple nail and cuticle oils that are super fab!  These oils use little to no chemical ingredients and use natural botanicals to smooth out cracks in the nail and surrounding nail bed.  The first brand I tried was SpaRitual Cuti-Cocktail Nail and Cuticle Oil. I couldn’t help but be impressed with all the 5 star ratings, so I was excited to give it a try. It worked brilliantly due to its impressive ingredients and formulation. SpaRitual combined Evening Primrose, Grapeseed and Aloe oil to concoct an aromatic and smooth product which promotes nail growth and heals the cuticles to the most glorious perfection.  As I was reading the customer reviews, I was impressed with the positive feedback as well as how thrilled the users were with their results.  Of course, they are also quite excited that the product is formaldehyde and toluene free!

While doing my research I decided to take a peek at another nail conditioner which also boasted the advantage of being chemical free.  Elon Lanolin-Rich Nail Conditioner-Tube is also a healing, soothing and repairing oil that rebuilds cracks, repairs splits, and smooth’s out the edges of the nail. It too is highly recommended by its users.  This lanolin cream immediately moisturizes dry nails and cuticles and gives great satisfaction without the long wait.  Both nail oils come at a great price and contain healthy ingredients for even the most vegan of beauty addicts!

We try to stay on top of the latest ingredients and the hottest products here at Beauty Research. One of our priorities is discussing the newly discovered antioxidants on the market. I cannot stress just how important it is to incorporate at least one antioxidant into your daily skin care regimen. Antioxidants are skin savers when it comes to damage repair and protection.

Since all skin experiences daily damage as well as the effects of aging at some point, everyone needs an antioxidant. These wonder ingredients help reduce and prevent fine lines and wrinkles, loss of firmness and discoloration. No wonder we recommend them time and time again!

After Karen pointed out a new product by Perricone MD that has gotten absolute rave reviews from consumers, I just had to check it out. I find that often the best ingredients are the ones that are already present in the skin. That’s because we know that they are compatible with the body and effective. One antioxidant that the body produces on its own is Glutathione. Now you might be thinking about how great it is that we actually produce this antioxidant and maybe you are concluding that it should take care of things on its own. The problem is that Glutathione starts to deplete with age, the environment, stress, poor diet, certain drugs, illness, etc…. This of course lowers the skin’s ability to repair and protect itself and then the dreaded signs of aging begin to appear. The solution is to restore depleted Glutathione and bring it back to healthy, optimal levels that will provide repairing and protective benefits.

Perricone MD Acyl-Glutathione has produced impressive results by restoring what’s been taken away. It’s really ingenious because as we know, nature often supplies us with the best defenses. Perricone MD Acyl-Glutathione is simply giving nature a little boost.

If you have any experience using this new product, please share your feedback and experiences with us.

Yesterday I wrote about Baxter of California Bar Soap which is a quality glycerin bar soap formulated with aloe and botanicals which make for a pleasant cleansing shower product and experience for men. I had mentioned how it seems most men prefer bar soap, but oftentimes don’t realize how harsh most ‘grocery store’ bar soaps can be. Baxter of California bar soaps not only cleanse thoroughly but also nourish, moisturize, repair and protect the skin as well.Today I wanted to tell you all about a great way to try many more of the quality skin care and shave products that Baxter of California also offers within their superior line formulated exclusively for men.Baxter of California Travel Kit is chockfull of professional grooming products for men. It comes with a Daily Face Wash (for all skin types), a Daily Protein Shampoo (which actually removes DHT from the hair which is a male hormone that can adversely affects the hair’s growth), an Oil Free Moisturizer, a Super Close Shave Formula, an After Shave Balm, one each of the hotel sized bar soaps I wrote about yesterday, and a custom Baxter of California Travel Bag. And the best news of all…the whole set is only fifty bucks!Check out all the great Baxter of California products at the Baxter of California Store I found exclusively on Beauty.com.

 

Virtually every man I’ve ever known or consulted with in terms of skin care has told me that they prefer bar soap to other types of cleansers.

I also get many comments from the wives of men who wish their husbands would use something other than bar soap…assuming it’s a bad thing. And of course something strong and harsh like typical grocery store bar soaps probably aren’t ideal for their skin and certainly not for their face, especially if they’re interested in anti-aging or a more nourished,  radiant and metrosexual looking skin.

Typical bar soaps tend to dry out the skin. I remember my skin used to itch so bad after using them after my bath or shower and my skin always felt so tight and creepy until I applied gobs of lotion. And how on Earth men can stand that is beyond me…But luckily they no longer have to. They can have their bar-soap and great, soft and supple skin too!

Ladies and gents (specifically gents!) please allow me to introduce to you an amazing skincare line for men called Baxter of California. The brilliant men’s skin care line offers a variety of men’s products for skin, shaving needs, bath and body, anti-aging and more. But what I specifically wanted to share with you today is two incredible bar-soaps that every man will love.

Baxter of California E-D-A Cleansing Bar is a bar soap that is a shower sensation for men. It comes in a pack of three glycerin bars in either Bergamot Pear Essence or Lime Pomegranate and may be found at www.beauty.com for only $14. The unique bar soap (which is formulated with soothing aloe) cleanses the skin thoroughly and does not rob the skin of much needed moisture. In fact, the glycerin seems to replace it. The scents are pleasing and the bars are long lasting.

Murad Hybrids Skin Perfecting Primer is the Spackle that Rules!

Fill in the gaps and wrinkles with the ultimate primer. It not only smoothes out fine lines and wrinkles, it also primes the skin for a better makeup application.
 
Murad Hybrids Skin Perfecting Primer- Matte Finish is an excellent primer which provides you with a perfectly prepared canvas for the flawless application of foundation. A smoother skin provides you with a smoother surface in which to paint.

The perfecting primer evens out tone and texture and has a subtle tint which hides obvious flaws and skin imperfections. It is formulated with “light enhancing minerals” which promote a luminous and radiant glow. Additionally, Murad Hybrids Skin Perfecting Primer-Matte Finish minimizes large pores significantly and balances out excess oil production and is oil-free to boot.
 
Murad brand offers this exceptional primer for less than forty dollars. I bought mine at SkinStore.com for $35.

Luminess Air New Beauty Edition!!

Wouldn’t it be great to find a make-up tool that would flawlessly apply your foundation every single time without fail? I’m here to tell you…there is one available now!  Luminess Air offers a great makeup application system that uses an air brush tool and compressor to apply your foundation, blush, bronzer, primers and highlighter brilliantly and beautifully.

Luminess Air New Beauty Edition-Medium is my new makeup and beauty Godsend. I can’t believe it’s taken so many years (decades no less) for someone to think of this ingenious idea. Think of the beauty of an airbrushed painting…flawless, flowing, light, controlled and perfect…and that’s how your foundation, blusher and bronzer can look from here on out. The system is less than two hundred dollars and can be found on SkinStore.com. It has seriously been the best 200 bucks I’ve ever spent in my life in terms of beauty.

And if that’s not enough in and of itself…it also comes with a self-tanning upgrade kit…which allows you to do your own air-brushed tanning right from home.

The entire kit includes the complete system featuring the compressor, a travel bag and the Stylus pen (the actual tool that applies the flawless finish), includes 4 Satin Foundations, some Shimmer, a Bronzer and their signature Primer/Moisturizer which I’ve found to be an essential component of the whole system. And as stated previously, for a limited time the Kit also contains the fantastic Tanning Upgrade Kit which includes a Tanning Stylus and two bottles of tanning solution.

I purchased the kit for Medium toned skin, but they also offer one for fair, tan and dark skin complexions too. The system is very user-friendly...and I'm betting you'll agree that it's the best beauty purchase you've ever made as well!

What the heck is with men and using sunscreen? I live near the beach in Southern California and I have a neighbor who is darker than me (in terms of natural complexion) yet he still burns without fail and seriously does not get it! The truth is simply that anyone can burn. The rays of the sun are relentless and do not pick and choose whom they radiate. Sure, a person with a fair complexion will succumb more readily; but every skin color from the most fair to the darkest can and will burn under certain circumstances.

I’ve noticed this with so many of my male friends. I have one who owns a boat rental at the marina on the bay and he works there virtually 24/7 and rarely applies sunscreen. His 27 year old skin is already damaged and leathery. Additionally, he is already and pre-maturely ridden with pre-cancerous skin lesions. He’s finally decided to start using it…thank goodness.

I decided it was not only imperative but my duty as well to inform you all of two of the most widely talked about sunscreens/sun-blocks that I know of due to the best reviews from those within the male gender themselves.

Men prefer lightweight and easy to use products. They also need a high sun protection factor due to a variety of reasons such as occupation, involvement in sports, denial in terms of compliance and/or need, and their sometimes innate perception of invincibility. These are factors that I took into consideration (along with reviews) in which helped me choose the best two sunscreen products for you guys.

Jack Black Sun Guard Very Water Resistant Sunscreen SPF 45 and Menscience Androceuticals TiO2 Sunblock SPF 30 are highly rated non-greasy lightweight sunscreen products that men require and want. They are both broad spectrum in terms of protection, provide moisture and anti-aging benefits and protection, both are sweat and water proof, and offer great sun protection. Neither will drip into your eyes whether you’re playing racketball or sweating out in the sun during a game of golf…and both are inexpensive and can be found easily at SkinStore.com.

For only eighteen dollars you can sport gorgeous eye makeup without ever a need for worry.  Too Faced Shadow Insurance is a highly concentrated (lasts a long time!) little tube of miraculous silicone based primer that transforms your eye shadow application into the professional look worthy of royalty.

The primo primer contains vitamin E which soothes, calms and conditions the eye lid and surrounding eye area. It extends the life of the eye shadow application until it is purposely removed. No more creasing, oily seepage, or fading.
 
Too Faced Shadow Insurance creates an amazing matte like canvas which makes blending and application easy and on point. Color is locked down and stays that way till you want to remove it.

My favorite attribute of this product is how it builds a barrier between the makeup application and the oils of the skin. I’ve never had a creasy looking set of lids since I started using it. Additionally, it evens out my uneven skin tone and fills in my little creppy lines providing a smooth base for a superb application and finish.

Now this is insurance worth buying!
You can find it at SkinStore.com or the Too Faced Store on Beauty.com!

Interested in skincare products that use stem cell regeneration?  Skin care has taken a whole new approach right down the proverbial skin care scientific lane.

There is a new product on the market called Dermelect Resilient Stem Cell Regenerating Treatment.  It takes free radical agents which can and will reverse damaged skin and leave it looking softer and much more supple. This treatment involves a nice rich luxurious cream that can break down damaged skin with the production and revitalization of stem cells derived from the stem cells of the Alpine Rose.
 
It reverses skin damage by developing a layer of new skin from different stem cell reservoirs.  With your newly produced cell regeneration, you can achieve a new softness and vitality to the skin of your face and neck which results in a much younger, youthful and firmer skin.

If you love soft, beautiful and younger looking skin (which exudes brilliant elasticity and revitalized luminosity), you’ve just got to try epidermal regeneration via Dermelect’s amazing anti-aging product…Resilient Stem Cell Regenerating Treatment.

This is cutting edge science with futuristic results!

Save your hair! Use a quality round brush to smooth out curls and frizz instead of your flat iron. There are indeed quality flat irons which aren’t potentially damaging, but you can absolutely get a gorgeous smooth head of hair with a round brush and blow dryer alone.

The damage you can save to your hair by using a proper quality brush along with blow drying your hair is not only significant, but huge. Styles end up looking more professional, shiny and manageable by making this little change. It takes some getting used to but you’ll find before long you too will be a pro. The secret is using clips to separate sections of the hair along with using a professional round brush specifically for blowing out hair and a quality ion blow dryer with the proper diffuser in order to force air to blow directionally.

Here are my picks for your three “must-have” hair straightening savers:

Clips: Goody Flexible Claw- This package of two clips is available for just under four bucks on Drugstore.com. They are snag-free with covered hinges, hold well, yet gently, without digging into the scalp. This pair of clips makes sectioning for styling a breeze.

Brush: Frederic Fekkai Round Brush is handmade in France via Frederic’s specifications and offers supreme control.

Blow Dryer: CHI Pro Low EMF Professional Hair Dryer with Diffuser, Model GF1505 is the ultimate blow dryer with perks to include ceramic, anion and infrared technology. It’s a great deal at an incredible value right now on Drugstore.com for a mere 89 bucks! And that’s a savings of $80.99, because it’s regularly priced $169.99.

I’ve rarely ever written about a product without trying it out first for myself…but today’s featured product has the best buzz and superior reviews I’ve ever heard or reviewed… that I just had to tell you all about it before I even tried it for myself! Now we can all try it together and share our opinions and reviews as well.

Perricone MD Acyl-Glutathione is probably the first product where 100 percent of the reviewers agree that not only is it the best in terms of overall rating (efficacy, etc.), price value (and mind you it’s $175…which for me speaks volumes in terms of its worth and value), and ease of use.

Here are just a few samples of the ratings and reviews that you may find on the web: “No More Needles,” “Say Goodbye to Deep Creases,” and “Fountain of Youth in a Little Black Jar!” I found these three on SkinStore.com, but there are many, many more found throughout the internet as well as throughout the industry as a whole.

I pre-ordered  mine at SkinStore.com and it says that it is expected to ship on April 21st …so you may want to get on it ASAP…just as I did. It’s going to be a highly sought after product…I’m almost certain of that.

So here’s the 411 on this amazing Perricone MD Acyl-Gluthatione anti-aging product:

This unique formulation slows down the aging process, repairs damage, provides long-term defense against future damage and is considered both preventative as well as corrective in nature. It is said to erase away even the deepest of creases, superbly corrects and repairs skin texture, tones up skin elasticity exponentially and minimizes pore size while hydrating effectively.

This is probably the best product in terms of anti-aging that has hit the market in decades according to the reviews of so many satisfied customers. It’s 5 star rated…across the board.  And I for one can’t wait to try it!

I’ve always been surprised at the vast array of inventory available at www.drugstore.com, but today I realized how impressed I am as well. I was searching online for Connoisseurs’ jewelry cleaner…which of course I ended up finding on Drugstore.com. Connoisseurs Jewelry Cleaner is an amazing product that cleans precious jewelry such as gold and diamonds by simply dropping the piece into the tray and dipping for thirty seconds and then follow with rinsing and wiping with a clean soft lint-free cloth…And the jewelry comes out looking sparkling, shiny and new in just a few minutes!

However, the other thing I wanted to mention was how impressed I was with the jewelry available and sold on Drugstore.com. Have you ever heard of Emitations Jewelry? It’s the best fake (for lack of a better word) jewelry I’ve ever seen. The cubic zirconia ear-rings are the most authentic (without being…lol) looking diamonds I’ve ever purchased. I’m so sold on cubic zirconia now that I’ve discovered Emitation’s Jewelry for so many reasons…which include (just to name a few) the look, the price and the worry-free feeling of possibly losing them.

Additionally, Drugstore.com offers another amazing jewelry brand called Amour. In particular, I was sold on a two-carat black diamond total weight fashion silver ring black rhodium plated which is now on special for $294.99 which is a $595.01 savings on its original suggested price of $890.

I’ve found a new jewelry store…I sure hope you have too!