A New York City Health and Beauty Blog

Travel makeup and beauty must-haves

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Many women tend to be brand loyalists when it comes to makeup and skin care products: once you find something that works with your skin type and your wallet, you stick with it. But when it’s time to take a trip, or if you pull long hours at work or school, you’ll want to have your favorite products in smaller, travel-friendly sizes. Not every skin care company makes travel-sized versions of their products, which can be more than inconvenient if you’re pressed for time.

But there are a few brands that cater to woman who want to take their favorite products with them in smaller packages. And their products are affordable and great for your skin, no matter what size they’re offered in—so you can use them both at home and on the go.

Itty-bitty skin care
For value, quality and sheer fabulousness, you can’t beat Philosophy. Their minimalist packaging and inspirational quotes are signatures of the brand, but their products are some of the best on the market, especially for folks with sensitive skin. They’ve made it easy to take Hope, Grace and Purity with you anywhere you go: their Birthday Girl gift set and their Travel Agent set give you generous amounts of each product—more than enough to last a few days away from home, but packaged to get you through airport checks with no fuss. They’re great to keep in your gym bag to use after workouts and a perfect size if you share a bathroom with a roommate. Little versions of other Philosophy products can be found anywhere their line is sold, like Sephora and Ulta.

Little packages for big looks
Makeup bags aren’t foolproof, and tossing your favorite lip gloss and eye shadow into a bag might not protect it from getting jostled around in your purse or tote bag. Smaller versions of your favorite makeup—and smaller tools to apply it—are ideal.

Target’s Sonia Kashuk line offers makeup brushes perfect for travel: their Purse Brush set is a full set of brushes, so you can apply all of your makeup with just a few little tools.

For travel-ready makeup, Sephora has a great selection: Too Faced’s Glamour To Go Pocket Pallette that works with a whole spectrum of skin tones. And Bare Escentuals offers adorable little eyeshadows with built-in applicators, in a dozen bright and sparkly colors. Toss it all in your Too Faced Perfectly Pretty Bag, which includes primer, eye shadow protector, and a lovely mascara.

Being able to carry your favorite makeup and skin care products with you doesn’t have to be a luxury. Find brands that you love, and that love their customers enough to offer travel-sized versions of their products—it might take some searching, but it’s worth a little time to look great wherever you are.

Whitney Jones is a freelance writer and editor living in the Midwest.

Six Products For a Beauty Junkie’s Easter Basket

Spring is finally here, and Easter, which is late this year, rapidly approaches. Pre-fab Easter baskets are crowding makeup off the shelves in drugstores, full of inexpensive toys and questionable quality chocolate bunnies with a single, staring sugar eye. Sometimes big girls get a decent quality box of chocolates or pretty flowers, but what would go in a beauty junkie’s ideal basket? Here are six things the Easter Bunny should consider in lieu of marshmallow chicks.

1.) Bubblegum pink Tarte TEN Natural Cheek Stain: Nothing is springier than bright pink blush, and this limited edition stain comes in an attractive, jeweled package. The saturated, wearable shade within is subtle enough to wear to work but adds a noticeable amount of cheek color in a creamy, blendable formula. A proprietary “super fruit complex” on the ingredient list contains goji, açaí and pomegranate.

2.) Super Chocolatey Angel by Thierry Mugler: I’ll admit that I’m pretty much a lifetime wearer of this controversial yet perennially popular fragrance. The unique blend of patchouli, honey, bergamot, vanilla, caramel- and yes, chocolate- certainly isn’t for everyone. Fans of subtle or clean-wearing fragrances generally don’t take to Angel, but if you want a sophisticated, foodie scent and like getting compliments on your perfume, this is possibly the most refined, grown-up and intoxicating chocolate perfume in fragrance history.

3.) Sweet Urban Decay Sparkling Lickable Body Powder in Marshmallow: It’s not bunny-shaped or chocolate covered and being “lickable” and flavored, it’s probably a product that’s really only for grownups. But Urban Decay’s Sparkling Lickable Body Powder in Marshmallow lasts way past when their Easter counterparts would have become stale and inedible, and leaves skin with a surprisingly subtle, sweet scented shimmer on exposed decolletage. The packaging, with a zebra print and tassled lid, is adorable, too.

4.) Grass-infused Bobbi Brown Hydrating Gel Cream: This hydrophilic, skin-plumping moisturizer has the added bonus of not getting strewn through every corner of the room and stuck to your jellybeans. In addition to nourishing tropical grass extract, it also contains reparative Vitamin E. But the high concentration of water-binding properties is really where this moisturizing gel shines.

5. and 6.) Adorably sweet Philosophy Sugar Chick and Philosophy Orange Jelly Bean Shampoo, Shower Gel & Bubble Bath: Philosophy’s famously multi-tasking bath products come in a massive range of limited edition and standard options, but these two would be absolutely perfect for a skincare and makeup themed easter basket. Who would have thought skincare and Peeps could converge so perfectly?

A pastel tinted pedi and mint-green facial mask would be cute additions to a beauty basket, too. What beauty products would you like the Easter Bunny to hide in your eggs this year?

Skincare: Where to Splurge, Where to Save

Would that every beauty junkie had a Black AmEx and a bottomless Birkin bag in which to stash their newly-acquired goodies. Alas, most of us have to thoughtfully allot our skincare budget to accommodate must-haves and holy grail potions, lest we run out and have to make do with a drugstore replacement until the Sephora order arrives or we can get back to the counter for a re-up.

Skincare differs from makeup in that it’s a more cumulative effect. You can swipe on a gorgeous Dior lipstick for instant oomph, but an amazing eye cream or soothing cleanser has a much more subtle effect, and may not be instantly noticeable even if it’s really, really good. So which big guns are worth investing in? Here’s a few factors to bear in mind when formulating your regimen of skincare-attack.

Splurge… Moisturizer: Hands down, the moisturizer you select has the biggest overall impact on your skin’s appearance and health. Hydrophilic (that means water-loving) ingredients like hyaluronic acid benefit most if not all skin types, but based on your particular skin concerns, the ideal moisturizer option may vary. Philosophy’s Hope In A Jar Moisturizer is widely praised for all skin types, and contains skin-renewing Vitamins A and E, and water-binding oat ingredients.

Save… Cleanser: There are some great cleansers on the market, such as those that utilize glycolic acids to exfoliate skin. For the most part, however fancy your cleanser is, you’re pretty much washing it down the sink. If you’re really into a certain cleanser or feel it has a big impact on your skin, it’s a nice splurge, but I strongly recommend that you check the latest Bioelements product reviews. In the end though, even unscented baby wash removes makeup and traces of sebum without stripping skin.

Splurge… Sun Protection: This is actually a half save/half splurge option, but it cannot be underscored enough that the sun is the single most age-accelerating factor facing skin. There are some great drugstore options, but Shiseido’s Ultimate Sun Protection Cream For Face SPF 55 PA+++ is pretty comprehensive. Just be careful not to use sunscreen too sparingly- the neck area and tops of hands often show signs of aging before the face because they’re easy to overlook.

Save… Toner: Like cleanser, a couture toner isn’t going to do anything bad to your skin, but it’s not likely to impact its overall appearance or texture very much either. Duchess Marden has a gorgeous rosewater toner if you’d like a luxury option, but the effects overall won’t far outstrip the benefits of regular rosewater toner.

Splurge… Treatment Products: While they don’t sit on your skin all day like a moisturizer, treatment products have a less fleeting effect than cleansers if they’re washed off like masks, and some can stay on skin instead of being washed away. Beta-hydroxy treatments like Dr. Dennis Gross Extra Strength Alpha Beta Peel is a good investment for oily skin, and a richer mask like Eve Lom’s Rescue Mask is a nice treatment option for dry skin.

What skincare products do you splash out on? Do you have any secret treatment bargains you swear by?

Seven Sunny Citrus Pick-Me-Ups

It’s mid-February, and spring is a month and ten days away. Roughly. Citrus-scented or citrus-based beauty products are one of the fastest and most efficient ways to feel a bit sunshiney, giving standard showers a bit of a spa feel- and offering a little reminder that even though there’s still (still!) snow on the ground in many places in the US, crocuses are closer than you think. Here are seven citrus options for facial skincare or bath and body:

1.) Philosophy Orange in Bloom Shampoo, Shower Gel & Bubble Bath: Philosophy’s line of multi-tasking hair and body cleansers often come in limited-edition or seasonal variations, and the generous 16 oz. Orange in Bloom variety should last until flip-flop weather rolls around.

2.) Fresh Sugar Rose Tinted Lip Treatment SPF15: Blushy lip hues are flattering to all skin tones, and this citrus-flavored formulation also has a hint of rose- a natural foil for orange and lemon scents.

3.) Jurlique Citrus Purifying Mist: Spray toners are a great way to freshen up, set makeup touch-ups or of course, bridge the cleansing and moisturizing steps of your skincare routine. In addition to essential oils of lemon and tangerine, Jurlique Citrus Purifying Mist has witch hazel and marshmallow to balance and hydrate skin.

4.) Eminence Citrus Lip Balm: This spa favorite can pair up with any color of lipstick or stain and locks in moisture with shea butter. Citrus oil, lemon balm, lemongrass oil, papaya and pineapple are among a list of pure but comprehensive exfoliating and moisturizing ingredients.

5.) L’Occitane Citrus Verbena Sorbet Body Cream: Clad in L’Occitane’s French-farmhouse style packaging, Citrus Verbena Sorbet Body Cream is fluffy, luxe and fresh. Lemon extract, grapefruit and verbena are the plentiful citrusy elements here- apply after bathing for full skin-softening benefits.

6.) Cake Citrus Squeeze Sinfully Smoothing Brown Sugar Scrub: One of the legacies of winter is dry, flaky skin. Even if you religiously moisturize each time you wash your hands or take a shower, skin can still lose surface moisture at a frustrating rates. Cake Citrus Squeeze Sinfully Smoothing Brown Sugar Scrub comes in a super-sized 21 oz. jar and has hints of vanilla and a sweet turbinado brown sugar base- which smell heavenly and gently slough off excess skin cells.

7.) Simpatico Solid Perfume #45, Coral: A retro-style tin not unlike the classic Smith’s Rosebud Salve, Simpatico Solid Perfume #45 at Anthropologie is comprised of rich beeswax, jojoba and reparative Vitamin E. Vetiver, citrus and ruby pomegranate notes are tempered by balancing musk.

Which citrus products do you reach for when you want to feel springy?

Four Tips For Glowy, Happy Winter Skin

As temperatures plummet, oftentimes so does the condition of your skin. Before you even step out into the frigid, windy air, the effects of winter on your face can frequently be seen and felt. But there are a few simple measures you can take to prevent the worst ravages of Jack Frostian climates on your delicate visage.

1: Cleanse gently. Consider switching to a cleanser that dissolves makeup and oil with a creamy or even oil base rather than a sudsy wash. Shu Uemura’s oil cleansers are legendary among makeup artists for their amazing clean finish despite a rich texture. Applied to dry skin, they gently foam with the addition of water and leave your face incredibly fresh. Oil cleansers can even, counter-intuitively, balance oily skin by breaking down sebum effectively.

2. Exfoliate. It may seem like scheduled scrubbing is less necessary when skin is drying out or dehydrating due to the cold, but in actuality, moisture can’t get deep into skin without regular removal of icky dead skin and stagnant oils. Even oily skin can become dehydrated and feel dry- which seems totally unfair when you’re still getting blackheads. A manual scrub is great to remove dead skin flakes (like Korres’ Pomegranate Scrub), but an enzyme based face wash or treatment can use gentle ingredients to exfoliate, too. (Philosphy’s Microdelivery Mini Peel Pads are a mild chemical exfoliant.)

3. Moisturize harder! Light moisturizers can suddenly disappear into thirsty winter skin, and even if you’re worried about clogging pores, you might need a stronger option in dry winter weather. Dry oils, like rosehip seed, can nourish and protect your skin and lock in much-needed moisture. A few drops of a product like Aubrey Organics Rose Hip Seed Oil on dehydrated areas can soothe and protect skin against windburn and other cold-weather pitfalls.

4. Don’t forget about your hands. Before my face ever starts showing symptoms of winter strain, I see signs of stress on my frequently washed hands. While skin is still a little damp, liberally apply a thick cream to the tops of hands every time you wash. L’Occitane’s Honey Orange Shea Butter is nice (with a pretty tin), but even the decidedly less sexy Aquaphor will keep hands from chapping and drying out.

Last but not least, don’t cast aside your SPF- sun can even reflect off snow and damage skin. But with a few preventative steps, you can keep skin (and makeup!) looking smooth and glowy in the coldest, most blustery winter days.