Thank You!

I love a product that makes my job easy, so I love the way this Talika Instant Beauty Serum prepares the skin for makeup (or not). I used it on the W Magazine job with Jennifer Lawrence (below) and I loved the silky, tightening, pore refining quality it gave the skin. When your skin looks this good, you can dispense with all the foundation and just spot cover with a good concealer. No need for powder, either, since it has a glow-y, semi-matte finish. Available at talika.com. $53 and worth it.

Its been a long time since I’ve updated, but I’m back with some product reviews after spending two weekends in Los Angeles with a client for the Golden Globes and the SAG Awards, my 50th (!) birthday and a starring role in an independent film. Apologies to all.

I’ve discovered some great new products, but I wanted to start off with this fantastic eye treatment. Sampar’s Eye Rule formula not only moisturizes and de-puffs the eye area, but the applicator itself is nothing short of genius. The package instructions suggest storing the unit in the refrigerator which at first made no sense, but after my first use, I understood. You compress a button on one end of the applicator releasing the product and distributing it onto the cold steel ball bearing on the opposite end. The coolness of the ball bearing works in tandem with the incredibly soothing formulation to eliminate puffiness and protect the delicate skin around the eyes. I love a great product, but when the package is also engineered in a really well-thought-out way, I get very excited. A little pricey but worth it. $78. Available on the West Coast at Fred Segal or online at samparusa.com.

I love this Elizabeth Arden Gunmetal 02 pencil smudged around the rim of the eye as a fresh alternative to the usual black. If you are wearing the new dark lipsticks of the season, it’s neutral tone keeps the attention on the lips and doesn’t overwhelm or propel the wearer into “Goth” territory. I noticed that it also seems to enhance the color of my brown eyes, bringing out the lighter, golden tones, especially when applied to the inner rims. And being in pencil form, its easy to control the intensity. Widely available. $16.

I love a darker lip for fall, but for some people, a deep red/plum/burgundy lipstick might feel a little too dense for daytime. This Korres Lip Butter in Wild Rose is sheerer and glossier than a lipstick, but still adds the substance that this Fall’s looks demand. It also happens to feel great on your lips. A total steal at $10. Available at Sephora.

Though I usually subscribe to the theory that you get what you pay for, thankfully there are a few products out there that really perform well at budget prices. For years I’d really been stuck on L’Oreal’s Voluminous line of mascaras, but Covergirl’s Lashblast Volume mascara is even better. Though I sometimes get complaints from people that waterproof mascara is hard to remove, I’m partial to them for two reasons: it doesn’t run as much (duh), and for those of you who have stubbornly straight, hard to curl lashes like mine, it actually sets them in place and keeps them from falling down again after using the lash curler. I also love that Lashblast comes in very black for maximum definition. For more information on getting hard-to-curl lashes to behave, check out my blow dryer trick here, which I learned way back in the nineteen-eighties from the late, great, Kevyn Aucoin. Widely available. Around $7.

I love this double layered compact from Sensai which conveniently houses three superior, treatment-formulated products. A “colourless concealer”, (I would call it a primer), A super-moist cream concealer, and a super-fine pressed powder. While I would not recommend this compact for oilier skins, it would be hard to find anything else that could treat dry and sensitive skins as effectively. The concealer color is right on – not too pink or yellow, and the primer really seems to minimize the appearance of pores and fine lines. The texture of the powder is similar to the Sensai Bronzing Powder reviewed here earlier – silky, fine, and with the slightest amount of shimmer to add some luminosity. The compact is also engineered well – light and thin enough to free up a lot of handbag space. Imagine having to drop a only a lipstick and this compact in an abbreviated evening clutch or minaudiere. And though its not visible in the photograph, there is a sufficiently large mirror under the second layer. Continue Reading…

The people at Kanebo sent over more of their excellent Sensai products last week, which will be the focus of my product reviews this week. These lipsticks went on like a dream and have real lasting power. The pigments are dense, and the texture rich, creamy and luminous. Truly a superior product and worthy of the price, which actually clocks in at substantially less than some comparable luxury lipsticks. What’s more, I now have a new color to add to my favorites - LT16, a vibrant coral-red with tons of substance. Its a great color for right now, straddling the line between my beloved reds and the tangerine tones so popular this summer. Its the perfect late-summer-into-fall color, and will transition beautifully into resort and even spring 2011. From left to right, above: LT03, LT01, LT06 – perfect for this fall’s deep dramatic lips, (though I’d love to see this gorgeous cool-toned brick color as a neutral on deeper toned skin), LT16, and LT07. Available at Bergdorf-Goodman. $40.

I wanted to talk about two products that I’ve come to count on and have been using for years:

Not only do I love the texture of this day cream, but the smell of the rose essential oil contained in it’s formula is so incredibly luscious. I’ve always felt that in addition to making a client look beautiful, its also my job to make them calm and relaxed before a red carpet event, photo shoot, or what-have-you. Using products that smell good really helps create a relaxing environment. I used this on the models for my recent Avon shoot, and the great thing is that you can also mix it with other products to enrich it further, or simply blot with a tissue for a matter look. Having said that, even though the product is fairly rich, it also happens to absorb quickly. The results are outstanding and I always get positive comments from anyone I use it on. I mixed it with the Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Gold Capsules recently and it worked beautifully. Also, a little really goes a long way, so one tube should last you months.

I know this is old news, it having been featured on Sex and the City, and as editorial fodder for almost every popular magazine ad nauseum, but it really is a good, effective product for normal to dry, or even very dry skins and it deserves the attention it gets. Around $40. Available at Whole Foods and The Cure Shop.

Okay, there seems to be a theme here. I guess I just love the scent of roses. This is a product that really gives you a bang for your buck, and that’s probably part of the reason for it’s popularity. Lips, cuticles, rough elbows and almost anything else can benefit from the moisturizing and soothing properties of this balm. And the retro packaging is an attraction in itself. Due to it’s popularity, Rosebud now comes in other “flavors” such as Minted Rose and Menthol and Eucalyptus (which one of my clients appears to be very attached to), but I haven’t had the courage to try them. I’m sticking with the basics for now. Available at Sephora, and it now comes in a yucky plastic tube for those who prefer to add more completely un-biodegradable refuse to the waste stream . Around $6.

I’ve been using the two skincare products that Kanebo sent me for a few weeks now (skin treatments take a while to test) and I have to say that these products really work. My skin’s appearance has really changed – the texture is smoother and more even, and unlike a a lot of other products that claim to hold in moisture, these products really seem to do the trick. The Kanebo people sent me all sorts of scientific statistics about ingredients and so forth, but the proof is in the products’ performance, and I’ve really noticed a difference. They are not cheap, but on the other hand, I’ve used products that cost twice what these do, and they didn’t impress at all. Using the Hydracharge serum and cream together is ideal, but I’ve found that each product is very effective in its own right. I’ve also found them unbelievably gentle on my super-sensitive skin. All products, including this one, should be spot tested for sensitivities. Available at Bergdorf-Goodman and online only at Neiman-Marcus. Hydracharge Essence, $150. Hydracharge Cream, $160.