Skin Care

NIA 24- Niacin Powered Skin Therapy

Niacin Skincare, NIA24 I am a bit fanatical about skin care. I slather on sunscreen at least once daily. I cleanse every morning and night. I exfoliate at least twice a week. I moisturize.

But the truth is, I am a recovering tanorexic. While strolling around campus in the early 90s, I caught a glimpse of my reflection in a window, and was horrified. I looked to be part of LeStat’s entourage.

That one event kicked off a spree of tanning bed sessions in the middle of the winter. 20 minute minimum? Hell no, turn that timer up to 30!

NIA24 is a skincare line that utilizes Niacin to repair and fight the visible signs of sun damage (what you and I know of as "aging"). Why Niacin? When Niacin is expertly delivered deep into the skin, it stimulates DNA repair and helps build the skin barrier from the inside out. That’s what I love about this line… NIA24 knows you’ve sinned, forgives you and works with you to repair the damage you did in your youth.

Upon beginning to cleanse with NIA24, I broke out! But don’t stress if this happens to you, breakout can temporarily occur as your skin adjusts to the increased Niacin. The breakouts clear quickly, but don’t start this regimen the week of your wedding!

NIA24’s Gentle Cleansing Cream has the consistency of a mask, it’s so amazingly rich. Jet-setters, rejoice! This cleanser doesn’t even require water to rinse off! You can simply remove it with a tissue, if you need to cleanse during your red-eye flight.

My personal favorite product from the line thus far is the Sun Damage Prevention 100% Mineral Sunscreen, a UVA/UVB SPF 30 with a matte finish. The mineral formula has an almost powdery consistency, excellent for wear under foundation. Added Vitamin E helps keep skin soft and beautiful!

Note: The author used these products prior to becoming pregnant! Please check with your doctor if you are pregnant, before beginning this regimen!

Click HERE to head over to NIA24 to read more about these products, and to find a retailer near you!

Jaqua Beauty: NEW Hand Soaps!

Jaqua Beauty, Pink Buttercream Frosting, Hand Soap I heard from the team at Jaqua that their latest launch was inspired by their customers. Turns out, Jaqua loyalists had been using their incredibly moisturizing shower syrups and shower cremes as hand soaps! (Upon learning this, I was immediately horrified that I hadn’t thought of doing the same).

Available in Pink Buttercream Frosting (scented like a birthday cake) and Pink Champagne (a citrusy effervescent scent), these hand soaps by Jaqua are incredibly gentle on the skin. Infused with fruit and plant extracts, Vitamin A, C, E and aloe; this hand soap leaves hands both feeling soft and smelling divine.

Each handsoap is available in an 8.5 oz. size, and retails for $14 at Jaqua Beauty.

Alison Raffaele Naturally Inspired Beauty: Primer And Foundation

Alison Raffaele got her start in the beauty business working for Bobbi Brown. Despite having access to any beauty product on the market, she couldn’t find a concealer of high enough caliber to cover dark under-eye circles, including her own! It was precisely this beauty dillemma that led Alison to launch her own line in 2000.

Now, in 2008, Alison Raffaele is launching new products while simultaneously giving some old favorites a makeover. The Alison Raffaele organization is committed to using natural ingredients whenever possible, in both product and packaging. This re-invention process will happen in three phases, the first of which is a reformulation of Alison Raffaele True Concealer, Reality Base, Transparent Finish and the tools that go with them.

Alison Raffaele products have always been free of mineral oil. But the updated formula has also removed talc and parabens from the product, and added a proprietary anti-oxidant complex of Pomegranate, Goji Berry and Resveratrol extracts referred to as "Frutta di Vita." The sexy packaging redesign is even environmentally conscious! Whenever possible, packaging is created from recycled, recyclable, or biodegradable materials. All secondary packaging is 80% post-consumer waste or greater.

I had the opportunity to sample both the Face Forward Primer in Age Response (a new launch), and the newly formulated Reality Base Foundation. Face Forward is simply amazing! This Alison Raffaele foundation primer has an SPF 15, and quickly (I mean lightning fast) dries to a matte finish on the skin. Foundation wears beautifully when applied over it, lasting longer, looking smoother and staying put. I love this product so much, I’d even use it as a matte sunblock on days I choose to skip foundation!

Alison Raffaele Reality Base Foundation is housed in a lean pump-styled bottle. The first time I applied Reality Base, I dispensed four pumps of product into my hand. WAY too much. The second time, I pumped twice. STILL too much! Turns out, I am able to get full coverage out of this foundation using only one pump. The updated Reality Base formula blends so beautifully, you simply don’t need as much foundation as you would normally use (which is a victory in itself, isn’t it)? Take into account the removal of potentially harmful ingredients like parabens and the addition of natural ingredients that help the skin thrive, and it’s tough to not declare this foundation a winner.

Face Forward Primers (age response and Acne Response) retail for $44. Reality Base Foundation retails for $38. If you’re in the market for paraben-free, talc-free, mineral oil free, gluten-free and fragrance-free, keep your eye on the ever evolving selection of Alison Raffaele! The new products should be available online by March 3rd. Click HERE to head over to Alison Raffaele online!

Korres Natural Products: Olive and Rye Day Cream

This amazing day cream by Korres Natural Products is the perfect addition to any anti-aging arsenal. Amazingly rich, this day cream absorbs into the skin in a flash, allowing for perfect makeup application. Clinical tests support that this product significantly reduces fine lines in a 2-month period.

Rye extract reduces wrinkles and firms mature skin. Olive and Vitamin F build up the skins natural defenses. Equally as important as what is in this product is what is NOT. This Dermatologically tested moisturizer is Mineral Oil Free, Silicone Free, Propylene Glycol Free and Ethanolamine Free.

Korres Olive and Rye Day Cream retails for $38. Need an even more hard-core solution? This incredible moisturizer also comes in a version to wear at night. Click HERE to check this product out at Sephora.com or Click HERE to check this product out at Beauty.com.

MAC Cosmetics N Collection, Mineralize Skinfinish Natural

I’m just wild about MAC’s new N collection. Why? The focus of these shades is to supplement your natural beauty, not to mask it. Isn’t that precisely what we’re all in search of… makeup that improves the appearance, but makes it look like you’re wearing next to nothing?

Of all of the products I sampled from the now-beloved N collection, MAC’s Mineralize Skinfinish pressed powder ranks as one of my absolute favorites. This powder perfects the appearance of the skin, evening out skintone and minimizing shine. It also blends perfectly, leaving no evidence you’re wearing powder at all. In fact, it blends so amazingly that when I sampled one in a color at least two shades too dark for me, it still looked natural. As a result, this pressed powder can even double as a fantastic matte bronzer.

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish is available in 6 fleshtoned shades: Light Medium, Medium Plus, Medium Deep, Medium, Medium Dark and Dark. This product retails for $24.50 on the MAC website, and department stores like MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural.