March 2011 Archives

If you’re in the market for a new cleanser that really works, then listen up. We recently came in contact with the brand-new Benefit Foamingly Clean Facial Wash, and you know what? Our skincare regimen has gotten a complete overhaul.

This delightful, pearlescent cleanser strips away impurities and leaves behind gorgeous, glowing skin in just seconds. We’ve taken to using it daily in the shower, especially after a long and grueling workout, to really clean out the gunk from our pores and ensure no unsightly blemishes will appear.

This cleanser is best on normal-combination skin, so if you’re on the oilier or drier side, you may want to skip it. But our skin actually tends to dry out quite a bit in colder temperatures, and the creamy texture has helped to bring moisture back to our visage thanks to the product’s tri-radiance complex: a blend of ingredients that capture and maintain water on the skin’s surface and develop the skin’s reserves of water.

Plus, the packaging is just too pretty for words! We love the mint green bottle with the faux cork cap — it’s minimalist and at the same time totally chic.

Now, you may be thinking a cleanser like this must cost upwards of $50+. Well, you would be (thankfully!) very wrong! Benefit Foamingly Clean Facial Wash retails for just $21 at benefitcosmetics.com. How can you beat that?

Want smooth, buttery soft lips that stay that way for hours and hours? Then you simply must invest in a tube of Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Dark Chocolate & Cherry Lip Butter.

Yes, the name of this product is unbelievably long. But you know what? We’ll let that slide, because ever since we’ve started slicking it on our pout, we’ve noticed a vast reduction in the amount of chapping and dryness.

The soft and smooth feel is thanks to a host of good-for-the-lips ingredients, including Vitamin E, and petrolatum. And let’s not forget Palmer’s cocoa seed butter, which helps to moisturize and nourish lips even if they’ve been wreaked havoc on by this horrible winter that just doesn’t seem to want to end!

And that’s not all. The taste of dark chocolate and cherry is so luscious, it’s all we can do not to keep refreshing our lips every 10 minutes. Luckily, the formula lasts much longer than that, so we only have to reapply once or twice a day.

In a nutshell? This is one dessert we’re unbelievably happy to snack on.

Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Dark Chocolate & Cherry Lip Butter retails for $3.30 at palmers.com.

If you travel as much as we do, you’ll need a host of easy to grab, easy to fly with beauty products that are TSA-approved. All of these are amazing, because they don’t even need to go in that annoying plastic bag!

Sheet Masks
We’ve waxed poetic on the topic before, and we’ll say it again — we love a good sheet mask. 15 minutes with one on your face and it’s smoother, firmer and unbelievably moisturized. You can find them at the drugstore or high-end boutiques, so there’s definitely one for every budget. We find them imperative while traveling — they eliminate dry skin in a jiffy!
Try myfaceworks I Need to Replenish, $55 for 6 at myfaceworks.com

Cleansing Wipes
Forget the bulky, oversized cleanser bottles at home. With a cleansing wipe, your makeup comes off and your skin looks and feels fresh in seconds! And, an added bonus? They can be thrown in any purse, laptop bag or suitcase without a TSA agent breathing down your neck.
Try The Body Shop Tea Tree Cleansing Wipes, $12 at thebodyshop.com

Nail Polish Remover Towelettes
We have a nail polish problem — we like to change it up way too often for our own good! Who wants to carry around nail polish remover? Luckily, these remover-soaked pads remove every trace of polish in under three minutes and majorly cut down on the bottles and jars we have to fit in our carry on.
Try Deborah Lippmann Stripper to Go Lavender Remover Mitts, $12 for 6 at deborahlippmann.com

Press On Nail Polish
In keeping with the changing nail polish theme, leave the polish bottles at home, too! Tons of brands are now coming out with sticker-like polish applicators that are sized for multiple fingers. From basic pinks and reds to crazy patterns, there’s definitely one out there for you.
Try Sephora by OPI Chic Prints for Nails, $15 each at sephora.com

Help Remedies Packs
The perfect travel companion? The seven different packs of meds, bandages and more within the Help Remedies line. We’re completely enamored of every single one, like “I can’t sleep” (16 dyphenhydramine caplets) and “I have a blister” (hydrocolloid bandages perfect for those pesky bumps).
Try Help I Need a Lot of Help, $28 for a pack of 7 at 3floz.com