December 22, 2017
NARS knows foundation, new products that make hairstyling fun, get all your greens without taking a bite, a holiday gift anyone would love to get and a mascara made just for extensions.
Foundation that works as hard as you do
Makeup technology has come a long way, and today’s long-wear foundations are vastly different than the formulas of yesteryear. Now it’s possible to get all-day coverage that actually looks like real skin (rather than spackle)—and NARS new Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation is the latest makeup innovation that can take your base to a whole new level.
Available in 33 shades that resist fading for 16 whole hours, this radiance-enhancing formula also works to improve your skin while you wear it. It features a Skin Optimizing Complex of raspberry, apple and watermelon extracts that maintain your skin’s youth-imparting elastin and improve surface texture. Yet another advance is its Specialized Recognition Pigments that adapt to your skin tone and ensure color stays true throughout the day.
No-makeup-makeup may still be a thing, but we all know that certain circumstances call for coverage that stays put, and this is just the foundation to do it!
This brand puts the fun back into hairstyling
Back in 2016, four Canadian besties started wondering why and when haircare got so serious—and put their heads together to create a fun, whimsical range of products that delivered real results. Shortly thereafter, Design.Me was born and now with 250 salon retailers in the U.S. and Canada as well as an international presence, there’s been no looking back.
I recently had a chance to try two of the tightly-edited line’s products and both exceeded my expectations. The first, Fab.Me, is a pre-styling treatment that I can never see myself not using. Protection from heat and color fading, detangling, reduced blow-dry time, split-end smoothing, frizz control and shine enhancement are just a few of the benefits packed into this mist, and I was so intrigued I had to open the bottle and get a closer look. The consistency is thicker than a liquid, but it didn’t weigh my hair down the slightest bit. It’s truly awesome.
I’m also been on a volumizing kick lately, so I’ve been trying a variety of root-lifting products. Most of them are just too hard to control, which leaves me with a ton of product on my head and not the anti-gravity boost I’m really after. Once I tried Design.Me’s Puff.Me, my days of experimenting were over. The unique pump releases a small cloud of powder that makes it easy to get it just where you want it—then you massage it in and your good to go. (The regular version is designed for normal to thick hair, but the Puff.Me Light is perfect for giving fine hair a lift.)
So even though life might not always be all rainbows and unicorns, but with these products at least your hairstyling can be!
A healthy hack for holiday drinking
The holiday season is at full tilt, and you’re likely attending (or hosting) a slew of soirees between now and New Year’s. In my world, booze is a given at any and all of the parties I attend, which can easily derail all of my sober healthy choices. After two (or three) drinks, pizza is always a good idea, right?
What if you could get a dose of vitamins and vegetables with your cocktail (and I’m not talking about the olives that come in your dirty martini)? You can with 8Greens! These dissolvable fizzy tablets are packed with spinach, wheatgrass, kale, blue green algae, spirulina, aloe vera, chlorella and barley grass (and no sugar, dairy, gluten, wheat, salt, preservatives or allergens)—and they’re sure to take your vodka soda or margarita to a healthy new level.
And if you’re looking for other ways to work more greens into your diet, you’ll want to check out the new 8Greens Cookbook penned by 8Greens founder, Lady Dawn Russell (because there’s no such thing as too much). Featuring 40 EASY recipes and tips for making the most of your meals, it also makes a perfect gift for your healthy friends and family if you’re still trying to figure out what to get them.
Cheers to a happy, healthy holiday season!
Yet another dream gift I’m definitely not getting
Tonight’s the first night of Chanukah, so many of us have presents on the brain. I have no idea what my husband and son have up their holiday sleeves this year, but I do know one thing: I will not be getting today’s featured product, Dior’s L’Or de Vie La Cure.
I find this limited-edition offering to be so interesting because Dior makes a new Le Cure “vintage” every year, and 2017’s version features a super-antioxidant called Yquen sap extracted from the vine of the same name. According to Dior, this concentrated extract can boost collagen production by 50%--and that’s no joke (but neither is the $2,200 price tag).
Here’s the kicker… This set is actually sold out on NeimanMarcus.com (but you can still get your hands on the 2016 edition, which features a quartz stone applicator here). So, if Chanukah Happy happens to bring you this over-the-top skincare splurge, you officially win the gift game this year.
Mascara made just for lash extensions
I recently shared a few products that help you extend the life of your lash extensions, but what’s the point of helping them stick around if they don’t look fabulous? Many of you who splurge on eyelash enhancement may skip the mascara either because you simply don’t need it, or because you’re afraid of damaging them—but Beauty Garde’s Oil-Free Mascara has you covered (because we can all benefit from a swipe or two, extensions or not).
This extension-safe mascara delivers even more length and volume than you already have, and it’s also great for strip falsies because it won’t interfere with adhesive. Sure, you can use it on natural lashes, too, and this gentle formula is ideal for those with sensitive eyes and contact-lens wearers.
P.S. Beauty Garde offers an Oil-Free Liquid Liner as well (and it’s great for disguising any visible extra glue after applying strip or individual false-lash clusters), so now you can safely take your false lashes to the max!