Wicked Beautiful

This past Sunday I got my eyebrows threaded at the mall. Not at a salon, but at one of those threading kiosks in the middle of the mall. Usually, I walk past those kiosks. They seem dubious to me, and I find the people who work there annoying. I dislike being accosted by a young man or woman holding a bottle of lotion or other beauty product and asking me "Can I ask you a question?" But I've always been fascinated by the threading kiosk. And on this particular day, it seemed that every time I walked past it, there was someone in the chair getting her eyebrows threaded. I started thinking about my own eyebrows. They look pretty good, but they need a little cleaning up. But still I was hesitant. So I went to the mall's espresso bar and had an iced tea while I mulled it over. When I decided to go for it, I realized I was low on cash. So I hurried to the ATM, a woman on a mission. And with my luck, by the time I reached the kiosk, the lady who threaded eyebrows was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps she went to the ladies' room, I thought. No matter, it gave me time to watch the threading demonstration on video without feeling pressured (and also, time to flee if I changed my mind). By the time the proprietress returned, I was confident in my decision to go for it. And I'm so glad I did.

Threading hair reminds me of playing cat's cradle. The threads used to remove the hair are manipulated much like that timeless childhood pastime. It took five minutes, and afterwards my brows looked great. Sure, it was painful, but not as painful as waxing. Now that I've had it done, I would definitely get it done on a regular basis to maintain my brows and to keep them neat.

This video explains the threading process. If you, like me, have always been skeptical of the threading kiosk, why not give it a try the next time you're at the mall? Once you try it, you might just realize you can't live without it.

MAC is having a huge sale online for three days only. Between June 16th and June 18th, receive 25% off your entire purchase. Go to www.maccosmetics.com or www.maccosmetics.ca and use the offer code SUMO. This offer only applies to the MAC websites in the U.S. and Canada, and is not valid in MAC stores or MAC counters in department stores. This offer is not valid on the purchase of gift cards or Viva Glam products. Now is your chance to stock up on your favorite MAC products. Now get shopping!

This past weekend I headed up to the North Shore to check out the new Nordstrom's that opened up in April at the Northshore Mall in Peabody. Nordstom's was one of my favorite stores when I lived in the New York metropolitan area, but it has only come to Massachusetts within the past year. At Nordstrom's, I received a facial from the counter manager at the Kiehl's counter. Kiehl's is one of those brands that I keep leaving and going back to. While I love their facial moisturizers, I have never found a cleanser that I liked. So I decided to get an expert opinion on just exactly which Kiehl's products would be good for my skin. And I learned that I have been misjudging the type of skin that I have.

David, the counter manager at Kiehl's, is also a licensed medical esthetician. When he invited me to have a half-hour complimentary express facial, it was an offer I couldn't refuse. I was impressed when he led me to the back of the cosmetics department to the facial room. I was expecting a mini-facial at the Kiehl's counter, but Nordstrom's has a spa/salon-quality facial room, complete with relaxing music, reclining chair, and steam machine. David assessed my skin and told me that it was dehydrated. I had always thought my skin was on the oily side, since I break out a lot. I admitted to over-exfoliating my skin in an attempt to keep my pores unclogged. Hence the dehydration. But I actually have normal-to-combination skin. He told me to exfoliate only once a week, and to use an oil-free or lightweight moisturizer. He also told me that I had some sun damage, but that my face has few lines and wrinkles. Basically, I have the skin of someone 8-10 years younger than my actual age (woo hoo!). David turned on the steam machine, and so began my facial.

More Kiehl's...

My facial started with an application of the Centella Calming Facial Cleanser, ($28.50 for 8 oz.) from the Dermatologist Solutions line. It's a gentle, non-foaming lotion cleanser. It's like Cetaphil, but unlike the esteemed drugstore brand, the Centella cleanser took up all of the makeup, including foundation, that I was wearing that day. It left my face feeling comfortable and clean.

More Kiehl's...

The next step was toner. David actually used the Ultra Facial Toner ($15), but I felt a slight tingling sensation. David had asked me before he started the facial to let him know if I felt any reactions to the products, as I would feel them before he saw anything. Sure enough, after I told him it was stinging, he could see that my face was a little red. So he recommended that I try the Calendula Herbal Extract Toner ($34.50 for 8 oz.) instead. It's alcohol-free and herbal-based. While purchasing it, I was shocked that a toner could cost over thirty dollars, but I bought it anyway because my skin is sensitive, and I do try to steer clear of toners that contain alcohol.

More Kiehl's...

After he removed the toner, David applied Ultra-Moisturizing Buffing Cream ($14.50). It's a gentle, cream-based exfoliant with mild scrub particles. He paid particular attention to my nose, which was clogged with tiny comedones and blackheads. After removing it, he massaged my face with a non-comedogenic oil to replenish some of the moisture that's been lost due to my habit of over-exfoliating my skin.

More Kiehl's...

Although David said my skin was dehydrated, and gave me the moisturizing facial, he recommended that I use lighter weight or oil-free moisturizers because my skin is actually normal-combination. For daytime, he recommended the Ultra Facial Moisturizer ($22.50 for 4 oz.). I chose to purchase the one without the SPF of 15, because I use a separate sunblock with an SPF of 45. I've used the UFM in the past and liked it, so I was happy to learn that it was just right for my skin.

More Kiehl's...

For nighttime, David recommended that I use the heavier Sodium PCA Moisturizer ($25 for 4 oz.). It's oil-free, but it's a cream, richer in consistency than the UFM. I've also used this in the past and liked it, so I felt like I was being reunited with an old friend that I had lost contact with.

After my facial, I treated myself to a refreshing pomegranate iced tea from the eBar, the Nordstrom's coffee shop, to further relax and unwind. Refreshed and revived, I continued my day of shopping. Later that day, when I got a glimpse of myself in the mirror in the ladies' room, I was impressed at just how clean and glowing my complexion looked. In particular, my nose was clean of the tiny blackheads that clogged my pores. Not only did my skin look good, it felt good: comfortable and healthy. I have high hopes that my skin has been diagnosed for its proper skin type, and that I'll be using a regimen of products that are right for my skin type.

Nordstrom's is using illustrations by fashion designer Ruben Toledo for their current ad campaigns, and I just had to share this image by him of a fabulous redhead shopping at the Nordstrom's on Massachusett's North Shore (note the nautical themes on her dress).

The “Look Your Best at Every Age” beauty happy hour event is taking place at the Boston Harbor Hotel on May 18th, from 6pm-9pm. Biolage haircare, Lancome skincare and well-known Boston nutritionist Courtney Little will be on-hand to provide free expert consultations to consumers who want to look younger without spending thousands on expensive treatments and surgeries. Here is the scoop on exactly what is going on:

* Receive one-on-one consultations from Biolage Artistic Designers and experience the transformative power of knowing the most flattering haircolor shades and the most age appropriatehair style unlocking your full beauty potential and looking your best at every age. And, celebrate the launch of Biolage’s first anti-aging haircare range, rejuvatherapie.

* Get an intimate one-on-one skincare consultation with Lancôme’s experts. Experience Lancôme’s amazing Skin Diagnôs machine to precisely identify your needs and to find your skin’s path to True Beauty At Every Age.

* Renowned local nutritionist Courtney Little will be on-hand to talk about simple ways to improve your health and well-being and how choosing the right foods can help you reveal a more youthful look.

* Diagnose your hair’s health by taking the “What’s Your Hair’s True Age” quiz at the designated kiosk.

* Mingle, sip cocktails, enjoy natural and organic hors d’oeuvres.

* Receive an exclusive gift bag loaded with $150 worth of beauty goodies, including Biolage rejuvatherapie, and enter a contest to win an exciting weekend spa getaway.

If you're in or near the Boston area on Monday, May 18th, why not stop by the Boston Harbor Hotel- 70 Rowes Wharf, Boston, (800) 752-7077. But space is limited, and all guests must RSVP at www.biolage.com\rejuvaevent to secure entry.

Although I'm trying to forsake department-store beauty products in favor of drugstore brands, one item I've always preferred from drugstores is mascara. So when my favorite drugstore-brand mascara was discontinued (it was Max Factor 2000 Calorie Mascara), I was at a loss. I tried other brands, but they didn't compare. For one thing, the 2000 Calorie Mascara didn't flake. And it came in brown. Not brownish-black, or blackish-brown, just brown, which was perfect if I wanted my lashes to be darker but still look natural. After all, not all of us want dark and dramatic lashes. But nowadays, I hardly ever see mascaras that aren't a mix of brown and black. And the other drugstore-brand mascaras that I've tried since 2000 Calorie Mascara have been very disappointing. But I think I've finally found the holy grail of mascaras.

Flirt's Lash-a-delic mascara lured me in with its bright pink box. But what sold me on it was that it came in Boogie Brown, a basic brown shade (it also comes in Mod Black and Groovy Blue). I wore it for the first time today and I was impressed. It passed the 8-Hour-Work-Day test:  if it hasn't smudged or flaked by the end of the day, then it passes. I wore it all day, and it was a cold and rainy one. On days like this my eyes water more than usual, but Lash-a-delic didn't smudge. It also didn't flake. When I got home from work, my lashes looked just as great as they did when I left the house this morning. Lash-a-delic is definitely a keeper.

At $14.00, Lash-a-delic is the perfect compromise between drugstore and department store brands. It's available exclusively at Kohl's department stores, or online at www.flirtcosmetics.com.

Starting with this review, I'm instituting a new ratings system. I'll rate products from one to five Boston "B's," with one being the lowest and five being the highest. So my BBB Rating (that's Boston Beauty Blog, not Better Business Bureau) for Lash-a-delic mascara is:

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The Soap & Glory line of bath and body products was born in 2007. Its creator, Marcia Kilgore, is best known as the creator of Bliss Spa and its immense product line that has conquered both America and Great Britain. Soap and Glory is her budget-conscious alternative to Bliss. With its retro-inspired packaging, including bright pink tubes and jars, vintage photos, and clever, pun-inspired names, it seems more of a Benefit knock-off than Bliss. But the line's collection of scrubs, butters, lotions, and hand, feet, and hair products places the same emphasis on spa-style pampering that Bliss does. Once again I found myself trolling the beauty aisles of Target in an effort to find some new beauty bargains. I had never tried Soap & Glory products before, and the cheeky S&G display (you can't miss it) lured me in that day. I purchased two scrubs, one for the face, and one for the body.

Flake Away ($9.99) is a body polish with shea butter to moisturize and sugar and peach seed powder to exfoliate. The shea butter-and-petrolatum-based scrub is richer than many sugar polishes, so it's easier to apply. However, the drawback to this is that the base seems to hold on to the scrub and keep it on my body, making it harder to rinse off.  Since sugar melts upon contact with water, I can only assume that it was the peach seed powder that remained on my skin. I had to use a washcloth to remove it, and even after stepping out of the bath, grit still remained. The first time I used it was in the bath rather than the shower, so the seeds floated in the water and were deposited back on my skin. But I haven't had trouble removing other scrubs in the bath. That being said, the next time I used it was in the shower, and that was when I realized that this product rocks! Flake Away did a nice job of exfoliating my skin, especially my legs (I used it before applying Veet hair remover), and it left my skin feeling soft. It rinses off much more easily in the shower, and I don't have to follow it with a separate body moisturizer. I would definitely repurchase it.

Scrub Your Nose In It ($12.99) is a dual-action face scrub and mask that claims to help refine large pores and prevent blemishes. It contains diatomaceous earth, which is basically sedimentary rock consisting of fossilized diatoms (hard-shelled algae) that has been grounded to a powder similar to pumice (thank you, Wikipedia). Thus, it's a mild abrasive that gently exfoliates. It is also extremely absorbent, so much so that the U.S. Center for Disease Control uses it to clean up toxic liquid spills, so it should make short work of the oil slick that has taken over my T-zone. Scrub Your Nose In It combines this diatomaceous earth with Kaolin clay to further combat large pores and blemishes, along with the exfoliating benefits of fruit acids such as sugar cane, willow bark, lemon, orange, and sugar maple extracts. It can be used as a scrub, but it can also be used as a mask if left on the face for three to four minutes. This products feels slightly cool and tingly when I use it,  and my face feels refreshed and smooth afterwards. While I can't say my pores look less visible, perhaps with long-term use I'll see a difference. But  I do like it as an additional oil- and acne-fighting product to add to my skin care regimen.

More Soap & Glory...

If you're expecting Bliss quality at a fraction of the price, you may be a tad disappointed with Soap & Glory. However, for the money, Soap & Glory products are effective, and are a breath of fresh air from the usual drugstore-variety bath and body products. Soap & Glory is available exclusively at Target, or online at www.soapandglory.com.

 

More Yes To Carrots...

I hate vegetables. I won't eat broccoli unless it's smothered in cheese sauce. I'll only eat green beans if they're baked in a casserole with cream of mushroom soup and fried onions. And brussels sprouts? Not on your life. I will, however, put vegetables on my face in the name of beauty. Sort of.

In my continued efforts to find green skincare products that won't break the bank, I recently invested in the entire facial regimen for Yes to Carrots. I've seen this natural line of skin, hair, and body products in my local Target for about a year, and they always seem to be flying off the shelves. Every time I checked out the Yes To Carrots section, there would always be something that was sold out. Once I made up my mind to try them, it took me two trips to Target to get all of the facial care products. The Yes to Carrots line is intended for dry skin, and, as the name implies, the products contain carrot seed oil and carrot juice, which are rich in anti-oxidant beta carotene to protect the skin against damaging free radicals, which can break down oxygen in skin cells and age the skin more quickly. The products also contain pumpkin and sweet potato, which have enzymes to exfoliate the skin, and a blend of 26 Dead Sea minerals to cleanse, purify and moisturize the skin.

The C is for Clean Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser ($9.99) is a creamy cleanser with gentle exfoliating granules. Although my skin breaks out, it's also on the normal-to-dry side, so I don't like gel cleansers because they dry out my skin. I prefer exfoliating cleansers to clear my pores, but many of those can be harsh on my skin. The YTC cleanser cleans and exfoliates gently.  It leaves my skin smooth and soft without drying it. 

In the morning, I follow the cleanser with the C Today or C You in the Morning Moisturizing Day Cream ($14.99). I prefer moisture creams to lotions, and although this cream is thicker than most face creams, it penetrates instantly without feeling heavy or greasy. In the evening, I use the C Through the Night Night Cream ($14.99).  It's richer than the day cream, but also penetrates quickly. I follow my morning and evening moisturizers with the Eye Can C Clearly Now Eye Contour Cream ($14.99). Unlike the day and night creams, the eye cream has the consistency one would expect from an eye cream. Its lighter texture ensures that it won't run down the cheeks and cause breakouts, like heavier eye creams can. 

Once a week, I like to treat myself to a face mask for a little extra cleansing. The Yes to Carrots C the Difference Exfoliating and Soothing Mud Mask ($14.99) lives up to its name. After using it my face feel so soft that I can't stop touching it. Sprig.com recently voted this mask one of the 10 Best Green Cleansers.

The success of Yes To Carrots spawned siblings in the Yes To family of products: Yes To Tomatoes for oily skin, and Yes To Cucumbers for sensitive skin. Like Yes To Carrots, the Tomatoes and Cucumbers lines also contain Dead Sea minerals as well as a blend of vegetables and sea extracts. Yes To Carrots, Yes To Tomatoes, and Yes To Cucumbers are free of parabens, petrochemicals, and SLS. I guess veggies really are good for you.

Yes To Carrots can be found at Target, and all three Yes To lines are available at Walgreens. Or go online to www.yestocarrots.com.

Old (i.e. young) Jane, 2000

Jane Cosmetics began life in the mid-Nineties as an inexpensive line of skincare and makeup aimed at teenaged girls. What made the line most appealing was that no single item cost more than $3. I first tried Jane products about nine years ago. I had just paid a visit to my first WalMart as the chain spread beyond its southern roots and came up north. I had only seen Jane products in magazine ads, and on seeing them in person, the funky packaging and cheap prices grabbed my attention. I purchased some of their GoodSkin skincare products, including a facial Soap Stick, a toner, and a moisturizer, as well as a few makeup items. The Soap Stick consisted of a stick of solid soap in a round tube that you pushed up from the bottom as you used it up, just like a solid deodorant. It was a brilliant concept, eliminating the need for a separate soap dish, and perfect for travel. But as brilliant a concept as it was, the soap inside the tube was too drying, and the moisturizer was not moisturizing enough. These products were just not intended for my then-30-something face. Yet it seemed that while the price points were perfect for the teenaged girls who made up the company's target consumer, these teenaged girls weren't buying enough of the brand. Sales were not up to snuff for the Estee Lauder Company, who owned Jane. To make matters worse, the budget stores and drugstores that carried the line didn't display it prominently. Jane Cosmetics were overshadowed by more established brands, as well as more blatantly tweenybopper lines like Mary Kate and Ashley. The brand was in danger of being eliminated altogether.

 

New (i.e. older) Jane, 2009

In 2004, an investor who had faith in the brand bought the company with an eye towards updating it. Her plan was to make the line appeal to women of all ages while still maintaining lower price points. This investor, today the company's CEO, vowed that she would replace her Chanel makeup, one piece at a time, with the new Jane products that she helped to introduce. She kept her word. Today Jane has re-emerged as an inexpensive yet quality drugstore brand, so much so that the ladies from The View voted Jane Cosmetics the best drugstore brand in 2007.

I decided to re-visit Jane Cosmetics, in an effort to break my high-end cosmetics addiction. In today's economy, I, like many people, just can't justify spending $30 on a foundation anymore. So back I went to my local WalMart. I purchased two Jane products: Nearly Foundation tinted moisturizer, and Blushing Cheeks powder blush. The Nearly Foundation comes in three shades, and contains an SPF of 30. With Oxybenzone, it protects against both UVA and UVB rays. I purchased the lightest shade, Fair. The shades are very pink-based, which is perfect for my skin with its pink undertones, but may not be neutral enough for yellow-undertoned women. But I am very pleased with it. The shade blends into my skin invisibly, and the coverage evens out the redness on the areas of my face where I break out. For $4.47, it has already replaced my LORAC ProtecTINT tinted moisturizer ($32). The Blushing Cheeks powder blushes are just like the powder blushes I bought nine years ago, proving the theory that if it ain't broke, don't fix it. And at $3.22 (at Walmart), the price hasn't changed much in those nine years, either. It comes in eight shades, with pinks, peaches, and neutral shades, so there's something for everyone.

In keeping with their intention to appeal to a broader consumer demographic, Jane Cosmetics has also added mineral makeup to their line. Their Be Pure Mineral Makeup includes liquid mineral foundation, pressed and loose mineral powder, mineral eyeshadow, and mineral powder blush. And Jane's media and marketing are also updated to appeal to women rather than teenagers. Their new advertisements feature young women rather than teenaged girls. Their website, www.janecosmetics.com, no longer has cute, Illustrator-generated graphics, music that starts playing as soon as you open the page, and the girl-power user forums typical of many websites aimed at young girls.

While the line no longer prices everything for $3, the new prices aren't much more expensive than that. Jane no longer makes skincare products, which is a shame, because I really did like the concept of the Soap Stick. Perhaps some day Jane will re-introduce them, with more moisturizing formulas. Until then, I'm happy knowing that I can get quality makeup at rock-bottom prices during this economic recession. Jane Cosmetics are available at WalMart, as well as drugstores such as Walgreens and CVS.

 

C.O. Bigelow has revamped its skincare line. The historic New York City apothecary, who joined forces with Bath & Body Works a few years ago to launch their skincare, bath, and body products nationwide, has streamlined, simplified, and updated their skincare products. No longer a Kiehl's clone with a dizzying array of different cleansers and moisturizers, the new C.O. Bigelow Face Collection consists of one cleanser each for normal-to-oily and normal-to-dry skin types, as well as a toner and a daytime moisturizer with SPF for each type. The Face Collection also features additional products for all skin types, including a night cream, an eye treatment, a face mask, a facial serum, and a dermabrasion cream.

I recently purchased the regimen for normal to dry skin. My new Bigelow regimen starts with the Vitamin-Boost Cream Cleanser ($10). It's a low-lathering cream cleanser that removes makeup and debris. I have combination skin that breaks out but can also be on the dry side, and I like this cleanser. However, I think it might be a bit too strong for very dry skin. I follow the cleanser with the alcohol-free Vitamin Booster ($12), a refreshing spray-on toner. I mist my face, gently press it into my skin, and then follow it with the All-in-One Protective Day Cream with SPF 25 ($19.50). I really liked the previous Bigelow day cream with SPF, and this one feels slightly less heavy but still rich enough to keep my skin soft. I finish my morning routine with the Triple Task Eye Treatment ($18). It targets wrinkles, undereye circles, and puffiness, and contains antioxidants.

I also purchased two of the products for all skin types. The Acai Repair Night Cream ($24) is the powerhouse of Bigelow's new skincare line. It contains a blend of antoxidant-rich fruits, including acai berries, mangosteen fruit, and chokeberry; as well as minerals such as copper, iron, and zinc; and multivitamins. The first day after using the Acai Repair Night Cream, I looked in the mirror in the ladies' room of the restaurant I was having lunch at, and I thought the tone of my skin looked a little better. I also purchased the Rice and Bamboo Gentle Dermabrasion ($18). It contains rice, bamboo, and bran to gently exfoliate the skin. It's creamy and slightly granular in feel, but not harsh. I use it three times a week.

I give the new line of skincare products from C.O. Bigelow high marks for streamlining my beauty regimen. The products are effective and pleasant to use (even if they are a bit over-fragranced, in my opinion). Almost all of the products in the Bigelow skincare line contain Bigelow's "Healthy Skin Complex," the company's proprietary blend of vitamins, minerals such as zinc, copper, iron, and magnesium, and antioxidant-rich berries (the only exception is Dr. Galen's Herbal Skin Tonic for normal-to-oily skin, the only holdout from the previous line, as it is one of the company's original products from the 19th century).

The new line of C.O. Bigelow products are visually pleasing. I admit, it was the packaging that first caught my eye. The new C.O. Bigelow skincare line retains the old-style apothecary labeling, complete with the Bigelow product number. But the cleansers now come in sleek tubes instead of plastic bottles (like Kiehl's), and the toners are in appealingly tall, skinny plastic bottles. The moisture creams and scrubs now come in plastic jars rather than the glass jars of Bigelow's previous skincare line, which is great for me since I have a habit of dropping beauty products in glass containers soon after purchasing them, resulting in broken glass and a lot of wasted product. This new line is also surprisingly affordable. Prices range from $10 to $24, so it won't break the bank. C.O. Bigelow products are available at all C.O. Bigelow and Bath & Body Works shops, as well as online at www.ilovebigelow.com and www.bathandbodyworks.com. Right now, if you buy any two items in the new C.O. Bigelow skincare line, you get a third item of equal or lesser value free. This offer is available in the stores as well as online. It's a great incentive to try C.O. Bigelow's new line of skincare.

When I lived in New York, I often visited Dylan's Candy Bar on Third Avenue. Dylan's Candy Bar is owned by Dylan Lauren, daughter of fashion designer Ralph Lauren. It is a glorious soda-fountain, sweet-shop emporium that used to carry a few dessert-related beauty items like scented soaps and bath products as well. The entire lower floor is devoted to all of the sweets and candies that we have loved since childhood, such as Hershey Bars and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, as well as newer favorites like Bertie Botts Any-Flavor Beans. The only problem was that Dylan's Candy Bar was ridiculously overpriced. A packet of two Reese's Peanut Butter Cups that costs 80 cents in the check-out aisle candy display at your local supermarket cost close to two dollars at Dylan's Candy Bar. But hey, it's the Big Apple, right? And you were paying for atmosphere.

Now Dylan Lauren has launched a line of bath and body products based on her Candy Bar shop. I received two of her Candy Lip Savers as Christmas presents. I'm glad I received them as gifts, because if I had been able to try the testers in Sephora (which exclusively sells them), I wouldn't have purchased them. Although the packaging grabs you with its brightly colored plastic jars and cute labels, these lip balms are all style and no substance. For starters, the two flavors, chocolate cup cake and birthday cake batter, smell exactly the same, which is to say a strange combination of some vague dessert-type flavor mixed with wax. They soften lips nicely enough, due to the combination of beeswax, castor oil, and shea butter, but I was expecting a delicious-tasting treat for my lips. Instead, they taste like the cheap no-name brand lip glosses I used to buy at the 5-and-10 store when I was in junior high.

Like the candy in her store, Dylan's Candy Bar Candy Lip Savers are overpriced. At $8 each, they are disappointing. Better, more flavorful lip balms can be found on Etsy for $3 or $4 dollars.