BEST OF BEAUTY Continued

When you want to know the best, you go to the experts. We consulted four beauty professionals, who shared their favorite products. Now you know their secrets to getting the look.

The beauty industry never stops trying to lure you into buying new primping products. With each season comes a slew of new lip glosses, eye shadow palettes and hair products that promise to do the kind of things miracles are made of. Consumers find themselves swimming in a sea of claims and cures. The never-ending dilemma seems to be which to pass up and which to convert to.

We’d like to ease the stress of such life-altering decisions. Here, we provide you with opinions from industry professionals. These are the people who know the products inside out and have cut out most of them to provide clients with superior service. Take a look at the products that make their best of beauty lists.

Barbra Jo Batterman professional makeup artist

• Lip Gloss: Clinique Long Lasting SPF 15, $14, Dillard’s at Meadows mall. It is not tacky and a nice shine.

• Lip Liner: MAC Lip Pencils, $12.50, Nordstrom at Fashion Show mall. They are wonderful. I use them all over the lips, blot, reapply with a lipstick, and they tend to keep your lipstick on longer; not drying.

• Lip Conditioner: Kiehl’s Lip Balm SPF 15, $9.50, Kiehl’s at the Forum Shops at Caesars. It seems to be everybody’s favorite; I mix with lip liner and apply all over.

• Lipstick: Chanel Rouge Hydrabase Creme Lipsticks, $25, Macy’s at Galleria at Sunset mall. They tend to stay on and don’t run. I love the creamy feel.

• Blush: Nars Cream Blush, $24, Neiman Marcus at Fashion Show mall. It has a smooth and silky consistency. Even on oily skin, it lays smooth.

• Eye Shadow: MAC Eye Shadow, $14, Macy’s at Meadows mall. It has been my favorite. They have a huge color range and I think they are reasonably priced. I love that you can buy them with magnets so you can just replace what you need from your pallet.

• Eyeliner: Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes, $16, Sephora at Town Square. It stays on!

• Mascara: Shu Uemura Fiber Xtension Mascara, $23, Sephora at Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood. Says and does it all. One coat is plenty, but if you choose to build, you can and your length will appear double!

• Concealer: Laura Mercier Secret Concealer, $22, Saks Fifth Avenue at Fashion Show mall. It gives a nice coverage without falling into lines. A great consistency without looking heavy.

• Foundation: LaPrairie Skin Caviar Concealer Foundation SPF 15, $170, Neiman Marcus at Fashion Show mall. It is the Creme de la Creme of foundations. It is silky, smooth, beautiful, and expensive. It does include a concealer on top of base.

• Loose Powder: Kryolan Anti Shine Powder, $36.55, www.ShowFace.com. I use it either with a brush or a puff and it is silky enough that you don’t get powder build up. It is colorless so it is not necessary to change colors for the seasons.

• Pressed Powder: Lancôme Color Ideal Pressed Powder Precise Match Skin Perfecting Pressed Powder, $31, Dillard’s at Galleria at Sunset mall. Does not feel heavy but it does give you a nice coverage. It doesn’t feel thick.

• Brow Product: Kevyn Aucoin Precision Eye Brow Pencil, $24, Neiman Marcus at Fashion Show mall. It goes on smooth, stays on, and I love the brush at the end to brush through your brows leaving a very natural look. You can roll it up or down so you don’t lose anything in sharpening.

• Brushes: Trish McEvoy brushes, $20 to $53, Nordstrom at Fashion Show mall. She makes beautiful brushes. It is worth the investment. They are your tools and should last you for years. I especially like her shadow brushes. They work with a lot less work and they wash up beautifully.

• Brush Cleaner: Cinema Secrets Brush Cleaner, $24, GetYourBeauty.com. It’s the one and only one. In a matter of seconds, you witness the make-up being dissolved from your brushes and leaves them with a fresh, clean fragrance.

• Facial Cleanser: Murad AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser, $35, Ulta. It is great for normal to dry skin. Although it exfoliates, it removes all traces of makeup and leaves your skin feeling refreshed.

• Eye Makeup Remover: Pevonia Botanica Ligne Yeux Eye Makeup Remover, $28.50, Spa Bellagio. One swipe and it is gone. No rubbing and pulling necessary.

• Eye Cream: La Mer The Eye Balm, $130, Saks Fifth Avenue at Fashion Show mall. Helps to diminish appearance of lines and wrinkles. Your under eyes feel smooth and soft. I use day and night. Use sparingly!

• Facial Scrubs: YSL Instant Pur Gommage, $44, www.yslbeautyus.com. Granule-free exfoliate, nonabrasive and leaves skin feeling smooth and soft.

• Wrinkle Treatment: Guerlain Intenserum 14 night treatment, $205, Guerlain at the Shoppes at Palazzo. By day seven, you see a difference in your complexion. Works well on your neck too!

• Facial Moisturizer: Eckstein Biocor Moisturizer. Rich enough for the dryness in the desert. Hydrating and concentrated.

• Face Mask: Murad Exfoliating Acne Treatment Gel, $53, Ulta. Helps to remove dead skin without creating more oil.

• Body Lotion: Clinique Deep Comfort Body Butter, $23.50, Macy’s at Galleria at Sunset mall. It works well on younger skin. It can also help eczema.

• Bronzer: Guerlain Terracotta Bronzing Powder, $42, Neiman Marcus at Fashion Show mall. Great pigment.

• Self Tanner: Guerlain Teracotta Sunless Tinted Self-Tanning Gel, $50, Sephora at Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian. Immediate tint within two hours.

• Sunscreen: Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Sunblock SPF 85, $9.94, Target. Nongreasy!

• Nail Polish: OPI is long-lasting and has a great color selection and great price. OPI Paint & Go nail lacquer, $6.99, Ulta.

• Products I can’t live without: Guerlain Orchidee Exceptional Complete Care Eye & Lip Cream, $180, Guerlain at the Shoppes at the Palazzo. It’s concentrated, hydrating and dual purpose. Artificial eyelashes. They are fast, easy and look very natural if so desired.

• Products I wished were in Las Vegas: Madina Milano — they make a product called cheek sculpting fluid that holds your blush on. … I love it! Maybe soon…

• Best Beauty Secret: When you are in a rush and don’t have time or choose not to do your eye makeup, with your blush brush, brush a bit of blush over your eyes and you will pull your whole look together.

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Beauty Tips / Spa Experience

When it comes to outward signs of aging, there’s no shortage of theories about the causes. In recent years, several beauty products containing hyaluronic acid (HA) have been introduced into the market, ranging from vitamin supplements to Hyaluronic acid gel injections. However, most people are looking for better ways of keeping a youthful appearance without invasive procedures.

So what is hyaluronic acid exactly?

Beauty is not just skin deep; in fact, the health and beauty of your hair, skin and nails is directly affected by the nutrients that you provide your body with internally and externally. One of these exciting nourishing ingredients is called hyaluronic acid. HA is capable of holding 1,000 times its weight in water. Since it is one of the most hydrophilic (water-absorbing) molecules in nature, HA is often described as ‘nature’s moisturizer,’ providing the body with essential moisture and a viable way to erase wrinkles.

Hyaluronic acid is a key component of our collagen structure, including the joints, skin, veins and eyes. Hyaluronic acid’s lubrication abilities have made it one of the best anti-aging beauty secrets available on the market today. HA’s major role in the skin is to help regulate moisture levels by absorbing water and slowly releasing it as the cells in skin become dehydrated. By drawing in and holding onto water in the outer cell layers, HA enables effective skin hydration, delivery of nutrients and removal of toxins. Without an adequate amount of HA, nutrients cannot be moved into skin cells and waste cannot be eliminated from cells. When HA is taken as a supplement, it moisturizes from the from the deepest layers of the skin to the outer layer, helping to maintain smooth, elastic skin.

Science and hyaluronic acid

Hyaluronic acid supports healthy skin, as noted in a study published by the Journal of Cellular Physiology in 1998. The study showed that HA helped reproduce healthy skin cells. But as we age, the HA content of the skin changes due to two separate clinically proven factors: the body decreases the amount of HA it produces and begins to distribute it differently. So instead of the deepest layers sending HA to the surface layers of the skin, it reverses making skin look dehydrated and wrinkly.

Supplementation is one of the key factors in counteracting the body’s inability to produce HA. This new scientific evidence is paving the road for hyaluronic acid and other important nutrients like grape seed extract, Lutein and Lycopene to become the skin care of the future. Studies show benefits from oral supplementation within one to three months. In fact, the ABC program 20/20 aired a special on the small village in Japan known as Yuzuri Hara, where 10 percent of the population is 85 and older. The show attributed the people’s lack of cancer and heart disease, as well as their increased longevity, to a key component of their diet, hyaluronic acid.

Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring protein in the body. It has been used orally with no adverse reaction and incredible results. There is considerable evidence that the loss of HA is directly involved in the acceleration of aging. Nutritional supplementation of HA is an excellent way to help support and protect your body from the negative effects of aging. This ‘internal cosmetic’ breakthrough is allowing more and more people to feel younger and healthier as they age.

Top 5 Ways to Treat Wrinkles

For many people, wrinkles are part and parcel of everyday life. People agonize over the fact that they have wrinkles when they first start getting wrinkles, but after some time, they get used to the fact that their skin is aging and they stop being bothered by it. Most people fail to realize that there are actually treatments available to both avoid and remove wrinkles, and that doing so is not as hard as they believe. This article aims to highlight the top 5 ways to treat wrinkle and to give readers some idea of what these treatments are and how they work to reduce and remove your wrinkles.

The first and most popular treatment for wrinkles is undeniably Botox. This treatment produces instant results and is extremely popular among busy, working women. Botox is essentially a toxin that, when injected into certain muscles, relaxes and paralyses those muscles that typically cause wrinkles, thus removing wrinkles by allowing the skin to relax. Botox treatments are a short-term solution, however, and for continued results you have to continue the treatments indefinitely. Once treatment is stopped, your wrinkles will eventually return and become as they were before treatment started. Many people choose Botox over other treatments, however, because of how fast they get results. Upon injection of Botox, wrinkles take a mere ten minutes to disappear.

Second, and one of the latest and most effective forms of forms of treatment to become available, is a Vitamin C lotion. This treatment has its origins in health spas, where it was commonly used after facials in order to maintain the soft and supple skin that was the result of a good facial. People soon realized that the lotion was effective at treating wrinkles as well, and companies soon began manufacturing for sale as a form of wrinkle treatment. The lotion helps improve the skin´s natural healing ability, as well as reduce the severity of wrinkles and fine lines.

In third place are collagen injections, which are a fairly recent development in the fight against wrinkles. This treatment involves injecting collagen under the areas of skin affected by wrinkles in order to ´plump´ up the skin and stretch out wrinkles. When done properly, this treatment can have your skin looking good as new, without any sign of wrinkles.

In recent years, as the fight against wrinkles has gained more attention, many pharmaceuticals companies have various creams and lotions designed to remove wrinkles or to reduce their severity. Most of these creams are available over the counter at local pharmacies or drug stores and they vary in their effectiveness. Most do produce results eventually, and the difference lies mainly in the length of time that you have to continue using the treatment before seeing positive results.

Acid or chemical peels have also been gaining popularity. These sometimes painful treatments involve ´burning´ the outer layer of skin to reveal tighter, healthier skin underneath, thus removing wrinkles and other blemishes on the skin.

Related Articles

Cosmetic wrinkle fillers have taken a big step forward with the recent launch of Babor’s revolutionary new wrinkle filler based on freeze-dried hyaluronic acid.

Babor claim that their new product offers a real alternative to injected collagen fillers or cosmetic surgery.

Hyaluronic acid which is naturally present in your skin has the capacity to hold over 200 times its own weight in water. It’s this moisture-giving ability that was responsible for much of the plumpness and softness of your skin in your teens and twenties.

Hyaluronic acid is well known to the anti aging industry - you’ll see it in most anti aging creams - precisely because of this amazing ability to deliver moisture to the skin’s surface. The difference with Babor’s wrinkle filler is the way in which the hyaluronic acid gets to your skin.

You may have tried - or thought about trying - one of the many wrinkle fillers or line fillers that have come onto the market in the last year or so. Wrinkle fillers in the past attempted to fill wrinkles from the top of the skin’s surface - a bit like plaster fills cracks! Some of them also had light reflecting particles to fool the eye so the wrinkle appeared to disappear. If you’ve tried any of these you may have had mixed results with the creams leaving a white film on the surface or not blending with make up or other creams - particularly around the eyes.

What’s new with Babor’s wrinkle filler is that Babor have freeze dried the hyaluronic acid molecules shrinking them to a third their natural size. In this minute form the spheres hyaluronic acid can reach the deepest layers of the skin. Once in contact with moisture and warmth, the tiny spheres swell to normal size and expand the tissue beneath the wrinkle - literally pushing the wrinkle out and smoothing the skin. Magic!

“The effect…is incredible. The filler takes effect after about an hour and lasts all day, due to the network-like structure that is formed on the uppermost layer of the skin—smoothing out wrinkles.”

Dr. Paul Cain, CEO, BABOR Cosmetics USA

The product has been rigorously tested in Babor’s state of the art research labs in Germany and tests show that it is not only safe but highly effective. Babor claim that their wrinkle filler - used daily - will actually stimulate and strengthen the collagen structure in the skin. For good measure they have added high levels of polysaccharides, amino acids and vitamins, to protect your skin against further damage.

Not only that but since it has a very smooth texture and sinks in rapidly - it should work very well with any make up or moisturizer you put on top.

I haven’t tried this product yet myself although I am very tempted. As it is very new that there are very few reviews available from customers. Having said that it does seem to offer a solution to many of the problems I’ve experienced in the past with other wrinkle filler products. I also like the fact that it is offering a long term anti aging benefit - unlike other short term wrinkle fillers. It is sensibly priced - although certainly not a bargain buy.

If it really is a cosmetic wrinkle filler that can replace injectible fillers then it’s certainly going to be worth it.

Which products provide noticeable and lasting results? Which products are top performers at rejuvenating your skin?

How effective is the product you use? The topical wrinkle reducing product market is exploding. How does the consumer determine which products are effective? How does the consumer determine which product is right for them?

In this article we offer our readers a comprehensive list of anti-wrinkle products based on our evaluations. We reviewed the over 200 products currently available for the treatment of wrinkles. Our assessment included review of the following product attributes: long term effectiveness for wrinkle reduction; instant reduction of fine lines and wrinkles; antioxidant protective properties delaying skin cell aging; skin renewal and collagen stimulating properties; and skin smoothing and firming properties. Based on the outcome of our evaluation of these product attributes we ranked each product accordingly. Our list is presented in descending order based upon the cumulative score of product attributes. • Be certain to consistently apply the product(s) you choose in accordance with its directions for use;• Pay special attention to your neck and hands while applying the product(s) you choose, as these areas reflect your age;• Always use sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of at least 15;• Drink at least eight glasses of water a day to stay well hydrated;• Avoid excessive intake of caffeinated and alcoholic beverages, as they may contribute to dehydration and exacerbate the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles; and be sure to get adequate rest every day: (more…)

1 Rejuvinol™

2 AlphaDerma CE ™

3 Lift Fusion™

4 Neuvage™

5 TYK Revelation™

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