September 13, 2019

Get your skin fall-ready, a CBD makeup primer, the products you need if your kid has braces and sulfate-free haircare that gets the job done.

It's the first "Fall Friday"... Is your skin ready?

If you’re a big online shopper (or online shopping email subscriber), you’ve probably noticed that your inbox is bursting with all things fall. With the summer sales behind us, the steady stream of flowy dresses and barely-there tops have been replaced with chunky sweaters, lots of leather and (gasp!) coats—practically overnight. If you have a beauty bent, you’ve probably noticed that sunscreens, body oils and light washes of color have made way for new matte lipsticks, fuller-coverage foundations and, of course, richer moisturizers. My point here is that the change of seasons is often driven more by the calendar than the actual weather (especially when you live in Florida), as I unearthed my Chanel Vamp nail polish for my first official “fall” pedicure today.

It is a fact that the cooler temperatures and drier air associated with fall have an impact on your skin—and you should re-evaluate your skincare routine as you’re revisiting the contents of your closet. There are plenty of new high-performance moisturizers to sample (and many more on the way), but the latest from Clinique is worthy of a gander. 

Designed more for the injectable-candidate set than the brand’s iconic 3-Step “starter skincare” regimen demographic, the Smart Clinical MD Multi-Dimensional Age Transformer Duo serves up two formulas in one jar for plumping, firming, smoothing, lifting and more (sans needles). With peptides, hyaluronic acid, amino acids and a slew of other ingredients that work together to improve fine lines, wrinkles, uneven skin tone, slack skin and diminished facial contours, this two-step treatment approach has all the major signs of aging covered. (P.S. You can also buy these formulas individually if you find you need one more than the other.)

The “Resculpt” gel-cream provides a tightening sensation that works wonders on the neck and jawline, and the “Revolumizing” cream restores plump, supple skin to smooth crinkles and crevices. When used together, this one jar provides comprehensive anti-aging action that will help you love the skin you’re in the fall—and possibly have you passing over the turtlenecks and heavy foundation despite the flurry of fall fashion and beauty emails.

This new CBD line is coming for your makeup bag

Are we experiencing CBD fatigue yet? Apparently not, because the products keep coming—and now you can get your daily dose after applying your skincare and before you put on makeup thanks to Kush Queen. The luxury lifestyle brand behind the most decadent CBD-infused bath bombs EVER recently announced the debut of KINGDM Cosmetics, and there are a few “firsts” here in terms of CBD cosmetics.

For starters, KINGDM’s debut product is Foto Blur: The CBD Primer. Rather than relying on hemp seed oil (as many purported CBD products do), this makeup-maximizing serum harnesses nanotechnology to create teeny-tiny CBD molecules that can actually penetrate the pores—and deliver the soothing and calming benefits you’re after.

In bigger news, KINGDM is also launching a CBD Setting Spray in October and 20 shades of The CBD Foundation come November—along with THC-infused versions that will be available at select dispensaries. Yes, you read that right… This gives new meaning to the term “Beauty Buzz”—and obviously I’m all for it!

If your kid has braces, you need to know about this…

I’m a huge proponent of orthodontia (price tag aside), and if I had to do it all over again knowing what I know now and didn’t know then, I would have totally become an orthodontist (or a cosmetic dermatologist). I only had braces for about 10 months around 10th grade (although I recently got a retainer-based minor re-straightening), and my son is in the early stages of oral realignment with a top retainer, fixed bottom space-maintainer and headgear (which has affirmed my need for reading glasses, but that’s another story).

Beyond my overwhelming fear that he would lose his retainer at camp (he didn’t and got thousands of V-Bucks as a reward), there’s no way around the ongoing quest for cleanliness. Did you floss? Did you use the threader? “Mom, will you soak my retainer when I’m at school today?” The thought of the potential microbial growth on his oral appliances literally makes me sick to my stomach.

I basically found the equivalent to a Xanax for dealing with your kids’ oral hygiene—especially when they have braces or other fixed orthodontics. It’s called OrthoFoam—and if there was a way to safely spray Lysol into their mouths, this is basically it. The kids can brush with it, swish with it or use it to clean their retainers or aligners, and the bubble-gum flavor has managed to stave off any and all full-out brawls thus far.

Let’s be honest… Whether they’re at home or away at camp, unless you stand over your kid and monitor their oral-hygiene routine, you really have no idea what they are or are not doing, until the dentist tells you their teeth are literally rotting out of their head. This battle-free foam has given me major peace of mind that bacteria, tooth decay and overall mouth cleanliness are in check—because I don’t trust my kid in terms of oral health as far as I could throw him.

P.S. If you’re going the aligner-tray route instead of traditional braces, the AlignerFresh spray serves up sanitizing, breath-freshening and gradual teeth-whitening benefits with just a few spritzes a day (and it works for retainers, too).

A sulfate-free shampoo that actually suds!

I know, I know… A sulfate-free shampoo is the best way to keep our hair happy and healthy, but I can’t seem to get onboard with the lack of lather. I’ve tried many sulfate-free options, and somehow managed to make do (in the name of preserving the state of my strands) but I will admit that most of these hair-washing options leave me wanting. Then, out of the blue, I received TRUHAIR’s new Frothy Moisturizing Micro-Bubble Exfoliating Shampoo and Whipped Nano-Encapsulated Cream Conditioner—and suddenly all of my sulfate-free concerns are quelled. 

I first tried this dynamic duo after a long day of no-joke manual labor when my husband and I decided to put up our storm shutters ourselves as Hurricane Dorian approached (thankfully we were spared—but better safe than sorry). My hair was a hot, sticky, product-loaded mess and although I felt like Dawn (as in the dishwashing gel) was the only way to get my scalp and hair thoroughly clean, I decided to give these a whirl. And as luck would have it, they totally got the job done while being beyond gentle on my hair.

I’m giving this shampoo a major shout-out not only because it’s sulfate-free, but because you’d never know it was. It also features these little micro-capsules of caffeine for extra scalp and hair purification, while 17 amino acids help protect and moisturize each and every strand. Ideal for those of us who experience itching or flaking due to common mane mismanagement, this shampoo is a total winner.

I may be somewhat anti-matchy-matchy when it comes to clothes, but not when it comes to haircare. So I followed the Frothy shampoo with the Whipped Conditioner and it turned out to be the ideal combo. I got all the detangling and strand-smoothing I’ve come to expect from high-quality, professional haircare products—with none of the extra weight, greasiness or oily residue.

And let it be known, TRUHAIR is all about skincare-grade ingredients, natural extracts and high-tech hair formulations—and shampoo and conditioner are just the beginning. From root-concealing powders that add instant volume and color-reviving mousses to fun pigments that let you have fun with your color without the commitment, this is definitely a brand that should be on your radar!