The Deep Cleansing Oil is one of the best makeup removers, and it works well for any skin type. Just work a pump or two into dry skin and rinse off. It removes makeup, eyeliner, and mascara effortlessly, then lightly lathers and rinses clean away. Another cleanser in the set is a box of Q10 Facial Film Soap, incredibly thin sheets of soap that activate with water, completely dissolve into foamy lather, and quickly cleanse your face at the gym, while traveling, or just if you like that squeaky clean feeling after using the Deep Cleansing Oil. Even though my skin can hint at dryness, the Q10 Facial Film Soap work great for me.

After cleansing, I like to splash on Q10 Lotion. This toner gives an extra anti-aging boost, and if you apply a small amount with your hands instead of a cotton pad, you use less. I like to use just enough to leave my face damp, then I apply the last product of the set, Q10 Cream. A thin layer of this silky cream traps in the dewy layer of  Q10 Lotion for even more hydrating and anti-aging benefits. The Q10 Cream delivers just the right amount of hydration without being too heavy, just right for any skin type.

If you are looking for something new in anti-aging skincare, the Q10 Essentials Set is a great way to try the products at a discount, and you have a complete, morning and night routine in one set.

We recently had the pleasure of trying Alba Botanica’s new Rainforest Hair Care, and now we fight with our teenage daughter over who gets to use the products! The smell is amazing, and the way it makes our hair look – super silky and shiny – makes us reconsider our recent drugstore-only hair care proclamation. Sure, these are more expensive at about $10 each for the Acai anti-oxidant shampoo and conditioner, but we think we will treat ourselves in this case

This skin-loving quartet works synergistically to help fight elasticity loss, and includes: A worldwide-bestselling makeup remover (Deep Cleansing Oil); convenient, just-add-water facial cleanser (Q10 Facial Film Soap); an age-defying toner (Q10 Lotion); and a rich, intensive moisturizer (Q10 Cream).

As we age, our skin’s natural levels of antioxidant co-enzyme Q10 diminish, leaving skin vulnerable to free radicals. And let’s face it, beautiful skin is healthy skin. Regular use of these products (recommended twice daily) helps promote the appearance of a smoother, more resilient-looking complexion.

Q10 Essentials Set

I stopped by Sephora last week with my mom, who was visiting from a small town in Florida, and she loves to stock up on all her favorites because we have no sales tax. We were in the haircare section looking for root boosters when I noticed Living Proof No Frizz products. The thing that intrigued me about the line is that their technology for controlling the frizz is not just another silicone-based coating (like every other serum on the market), but a new ingredient they call PolyfluoroEster. Living Proof claims it forms an extremely thin barrier on hair that protects from humidity and reduces surface friction (which also causes frizz). I can honestly say, after trying it, it really works! No other frizz control product has ever made my hair this frizz-free, soft, and silky, and I didn’t change anything else about my haircare. I don’t buy fancy shampoo or conditioner (I am using Garnier Fructis right now), and I don’t even take the time to blow dry or use a flat iron, which is what I used to have to do to get anything resembling frizz-free hair, and even then it wouldn’t last. Now, I can wash, condition, put in the No Frizz spray, put my hair up in a twist or a ponytail, and once it’s dry, it’s silky smooth with no frizz. Where can I get a case of this stuff??

The line is small and finding the right product for your hair is easy. There is a product for wavy/curly styles, in three versions for different hair textures, and a product for straight styles, also in three versions for your texture of hair. Depending on what you choose, you are getting either a spray or a styling cream. Because I have fine hair and because I am lazy and let my hair air dry, I opted for Wave Shaping, Curl Defining No Frizz Styling Spray for Fine to Medium Hair ($24 for 3.4 oz). My hair is naturally wavy, and the Wave Shaping product has a light hold to it, so my hair has nice bounce and no frizz whatsoever.

To learn more about Living Proof No Frizz, visit livingproof.com.

The sun is peeking through the clouds here in the Pacific Northwest and we couldn’t be happier! We are already daydreaming about new sandals, capris, sunglasses and hanging up that winter coat for good. Before we get too carried away, at least we can revel in the new spring color collection popping up, like In Bloom from Prescriptives. If you crave fresh and pretty, take a look at these!

To make a real spring statement and move on from winter’s neutral palette, In Bloom Eye Color Duo comes with gorgeous soft colors to make your eyes pop. Personally, I don’t stick to only wearing shades in my Colorprint family, so don’t be afraid to experiment. The Eye Color Duo comes in Marigold, Sunflower, Lily and Petunia (my personal fav).

For me, nothing says “I am actually giving time to myself to look good” like a new lipstick. The new In Bloom Lipshine shades for spring are so fresh and pretty, it’s hard to settle on just one. Zinnia, Posy, Tulip, and Tuberose are all limited edition shades for spring, and the texture is a great mix of the shine of gloss and the buildable color of lipstick.

In Bloom Cheek Color Duo has two shimmery shades embellished with an embossed floral design, and housed in a limited-edition compact that also features a floral design. You can choose from warm or cool, and you can wear the colors mixed, layered, or individually.

The list of brands includes Chanel, Christian Dior, Clarins, Estee Lauder, Lancome and more.

For all the details, visit http://www.cosmeticssettlement.com/.

Here’s my countdown to the best 5 products I bought in 2008!

• Chantecaille Bengali Bronzer – this is a limited edition bronzer, with part of the proceeds going to TRAFFIC, an organization helping to stop this endangered species from being traded to extinction.  I was hesitant at first about this bronzer, it had too much glitter, but once you sweep the glitter off, you are left with one of the most natural bronzers on the market.  It’s just a hint of color,  but in the winter, a hint is all I need.  Healthy, not pasty white is what I was looking for, and this delivered.

• .Urban Decay – Gash and Gravity Lipsticks -  While I’m not thrilled by the packaging…(I’m always afraid the little gunmetal dagger at the end of the tube is going to get me in serious trouble at airport security! J) the colors are the best.  Gash is a brighter reddish/berry that gives my face that extra needed color and Gravity is a bit more subtle and sheerer, but still in the reddish family.  Both have long-lasting stay power and fade away evenly. 

• Chanel Coco Mademoiselle Shimmering Touch – I found this gel wasn’t as strong as the perfume, but still gave a powerful punch of fragrance.  An added bonus is the hint of shimmer it leaves on the skin.  You can’t go wrong with this fragrance.

• Lush King of Skin Body Butter and Ultra Bland Face Cleanser – In the winter months, you just can’t beat the body butters from Lush.  They keep your skin moisturized like no other lotion can do.  Some days, I don’t even use lotion, this is enough.  Just rub it on during your shower, rinse off, and you’re ready to go.  The product goes quickly in the shower, but for me during the winter, it’s a must.  I like King of Skin with fresh banana; it just seems to work best with my skin’s chemistry.  Ultra Bland is one of those cleansers that you don’t appreciate until you don’t have it anymore.  It takes everything off, eyeliner, mascara, foundation, and leaves your skin moisturized.  This cleanser takes some getting used to, you have to wipe it off with a wet cotton cloth, but the results are worth it! 

• Giorgio Armani “Designer” Shaping Cream Foundation SPF 20. – I’ll admit, the first time I tried this foundation, I didn’t like it.  The second time a MA used it on my face, I was hooked and it’s been a love fest ever since.  In the summer, I don’t like to use foundation, but in the late fall and winter months, I need something to give me a glow.  This foundation evens out my skin tone, and gives me a radiance I would normally have to use shimmer to achieve.  You can layer this on for more coverage, but I find a little goes a long way.  This is my number one favorite product of 2008!

Have a safe and happy end of 2008 and a joyous and beauty filled 2009! 

360 Beauty

A new cosmetic store has sprung up on Connecticut Avenue in Washington, DC, within two blocks either way of Pure Beauty, Douglas Cosmetics and Blue Mercury cosmetic shops.

I first noticed this shop on the way to work a couple of weeks ago. It reminded me of the cosmetic shops I used to see in Paris before the mega-Sephora stores replaced many of the smaller boutiques. Needless to say, I had to investigate.

The hours were the first thing that grabbed my attention! — Monday – Friday, 7am-9pm | Saturday, 8am-8pm | Sunday, 9am-7pm…. That means you can get a beauty fix on the way to work, as well as on the way home!

Beauty 360 is an offshoot of CVS, offering boutique and niche cosmetic and beauty lines such as Paula Dorf, Clarins, ME, Canyon Ranch, Freeze 24/7, Cosmoholic, Pure, Talika, Japonesque, Bloom, Sampar, Fusion Beauty, Laura Geller, Stendahl, Borba, Blinc, Calvin Klein, Modelco, Pop Beauty, Ahava, Elizabeth Arden, Lavere, Dr. Brandt, It Cosmetics, Tini Beauty Mineral Essence and more! Many fragrance brands are also available.

Services offered include nail polish changes, mini-facials and make up application. Trained professionals are available to answer questions and to provide services.

Check their beauty calendar for a list of events each day from specific companies, offering free tip and gifts!

The shop that opened last week in Washington is the first of its kind, but more locations are soon to follow.
From the street, I thought I would be entering a tiny little shop, but the front of the store is really just the beginning, as the store wraps around a space that used to be part of a small miniplex theater, it ends up
in a bright new CVS store that offers all of their regular drugstore brands, as well as their boutique of European skin care lines, such as Vichy, Lierac and La Roche-Posay.

While not nearly as big and as comprehensive as Sephora, Beauty 360 is a welcome addition to our list of cosmetic shops in Washington, DC. It offers convenient hours and is conveniently located at the Dupont Circle metro stop at 1350 Connecticut Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20036. The next Beauty 360 opening will be in Mission Viejo, CA in the next couple of weeks. If you would like to see a shop open up in your area, send your zip code to Beauty 360 at the bottom of this page.

Happy Shopping!

-Judith