The latest beauty obsessions we can’t live without
While our makeup regimen changes almost daily (new mascara tester here, super-trendy nail polish there), we’re quite rigid when it comes to our before-bed essentials: make-up-dissolving cleanser, night cream, eye serum, and lip balm. But lately, out of pure curiosity, we’ve added another product to the mix: MD Lash Factor Eyelash Conditioner ($140). The formula, which purports to lengthen, thicken, and volumize lashes in as little as four weeks, is applied in a quick swipe to the lash line each evening before bed. Our jury’s still out on its effectiveness, but until we prove otherwise, we’re choosing to believe. Pick up a tube at www.procytestore.com and test it for yourself.
There’s something about swampy-smelling green face masques that gets us every time. Our latest must-have? The Sea Plasma Botanical Facial Masque ($24) by the Body Deli. Available at www.thebodydeli.com, the gel smoothes on cool and tingly; cucumber juice, aloe vera, and fresh sea plant extracts help hydrate and rejuvenate stressed-out skin in as little as 15 minutes. Just be sure to keep this one chilled in the fridge (it’s marked with an expiration date) — and beware of confused boyfriends foraging for a late-night snack.
We’ve had Kiehl’s Superbly Restorative Body Lotion ($35) in mind for this particular column for what feels like forever; at the very least, it’s been months since we started hoarding samples at our desk. As with any hand and body moisturizer, the key points are feel (this one’s lightweight and silky) and fragrance (derived from orange and eucalyptus essential oils), but this lotion is so much more. It’s made with organic argan oil and argan leaf extract, the former sourced from a fair-trade women’s cooperative in Morocco. Even the bottle is made from 100 percent recycled plastic. You’ll find it at Kiehl’s (112 Newbury Street, Boston, 617.247.1777).
Despite everything we know about inhaling an errant spritz of hairspray, the new Lacca ($23) from Oscar Blandi, available at Sephora, sounds almost good enough to eat. Formulated with sugar, a natural moisturizer that also keeps static at bay, and honey, for its conditioning shine, the spray delivers on its promise of a voluminous, frizz-free hold that lasts. Blandi’s inspiration? A homemade hairspray from his father’s salon back in the old country.
Last year it was lip plumpers we couldn’t get enough of, and Lip Venom from DuWop was the god among them. This year we’ve moved on to bigger and better body parts with the cult-favorite brand’s new Cheek Venom ($24). We love its cinnamon scent and warm feel on contact, and the circulation-stimulating formula inspires our ideal flush — only longer-lasting than the real deal. Stock up at Sephora (Prudential Center, 800 Boylston Street, Boston, 617.262.4200).
