FAVOURITE | New forever beauty products in 2010

PLENTY OF people in the beauty world don't have forever beauty products. Why would we when a huge chunk of the job is trying everything out that comes to market?

Rarely have I bought something over and over again. If ever. Honestly, whether they'll tell you or not, the beauty folk often call in what they use or if they're so backlogged with reviewing stuff (ahem, my default state), then they beg off new products, already so mired in countless products they have to use.

Usually, I use whatever's on hand, whatever I am trialing that day/week/month. Maybe it's not like that in real life. I guess there's some sense of brand loyalty but it's hard to develop a taste for one thing when you've got 20 on the docket to try.

Here are a few from 2010 for which I'll be happy to plunk down cash when they run low or wear out.

Alpha-H

I'm all over this brand like white on rice. In 2010, Glyolic Acid has changed my 30-something skin for the better. The range is described as Glycolic based Anti-Ageing. They should add acne-fighting and Rosacea-styming to that description too. Gorgeous stuff. The Essential Hydrating Cream, Liquid Gold Intensive Night Repair Serum and the Daily Essential Moisturiser all get my humble blogger stamp of approval. Particularly the first two... packed with Vitamin A, Vitamin E,  Glycolic 14%, Niacinamide, Licorice Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5...  

Hourglass Femme Rouge

I rocked this shiz on the Vail ski slopes over the Christmas holiday in the brilliant berry Nocturnal. Why not? It was moisturising, stayed on, has rich pigment, the tube's refillable, it's got none of the nasties that are found in many lipsticks and, well, I was in the mood for a bit of glamour wherever I could find it as I didn't have the full ski bunny outfit. Instead, I wore my mother-in-law's 1970s ski pants that were almost a foot too short, a second-hand pastel camo coat from my sister and a helmet. If it can withstand the weather and wear of skiing and make anyone dressed as mad as I was feel glamorous, it's a keeper.

L'Occitane Peony Lip and Cheek Water

Has cut down my every day routine by a huge chunk of time. Swipe a bit onto my cheeks after I put on my RMS un-Cover Up in 22, once across the lips before blotting it with a finger, wiggle some mascara into my eyelashes or pile a bit of bright lipstick on the stain that's created a nice base and I'm good to go. It's super light, easy to blend before it sets (unlike many lip and cheek stains), has a natural, lovely peachy-pink colour and -- the real kicker -- makes me actually look like a refreshed, younger version of myself.

Alexa Rudolfo Bois Nu Candle

Just take the lid off and your entire house smells amazing. Light the sucker and it'll last for hours. Clean burning, long burn time, beautiful (and re-usable) glass containers with gorgeously heavy lids. I have two in a small one bedroom place and that's all I need. The scent is slightly musky but not overbearing. It smells expensive.

Oral-B Professional Care SmartSeries 5000 Electric Toothbrush

This one has taken some getting used to. As in, I can't mindlessly run it across my teeth for a few seconds before going to bed. You have to individually brush each tooth with the round, rotating brush head, like the dental hygenist does. The rubbery nubs and bristles are seriously whitening too and there's a timer so you know when you've done two minutes. My smiles loads brighter than it was before and my dentist is so much happier to see me than he was at the end of 2009. 

[Can't find a pick of the brush online. Boo.]

Babyliss Hair Brush

I still have to cut knots out of my hair. True story. It gets so tangled and matted during the winter when I have a scarf or collar rubbing against it all day. Often times I would just tuck it under on itself and leave it, like a giant dreadlock, until warm days. Conditioner was no match for it and even my favourite brush -- the one I've had for EIGHT years, my Marilyn -- couldn't make any but a superficial difference. Enter the Babyliss brush... a combo of boar bristles and spikey plastic ones that massage my scalp and instantly fix my mop. I dragged it through  my hair and had tamed the previously un-tamable mess in less than 30 seconds. My hard has been looking sleek since (also thanks in part to at Vidal Sassoon). I'm still trying to find a voltage converter to use my Root Boost, but I bet it would have made the 2010 list if I could've used it.

TRIED AND TESTED | Estee Lauder Sumptuous Extreme Lash Multiplying Mascara

Wow.

This stuff makes my lashes look as long as the legs of a supermodel.

I previously thought DiorShow Black Out was the only premium mascara on the market that could achieve such a look. Eyeko was a close second for a tubing/more moderately priced product.

Not so anymore. The Estee Lauder Sumptuous Extreme Lash Multiplying Mascara formula is smooth -- not clumpy or dry. The color is an inky black. Eyelashes are coated in just a few swipes. A bit too much might be deposited, particlarly on corner bottom lashes as you're trying to wing out upper corner lashes, but it's not a deal breaker.

It's been my go-to since it showed up in my mailbox a few weeks ago. 

If you have long, fine, blonde lashes like mine this stuff'll make your eyes pop and your lashes look so long people will ask you if you're wearing falsies. Again, a question I only got when wearing DiorShow Black Out in past.

Not sure what you did to your formula, Estee Lauder, but it's magical.

We weren't going to post anything here until we finished the re-design, but, sheesh. You make a mascara that goes on like this and we have to say something.

Check out the other mascaras we swoon over.

FROM THE FRONT | Sephora Collection Skincare

SEPHORA IS the Shangri-la of beauty in most of its markets. The Champs-Élysées boutique is a subterranean wonder. Union Square, though diminutive in floor plan, is expansive in its offering.

The brand is also pretty good at duping all sorts of amazing cosmetics and beauty tools, with a solid following for said tools, many of its color cosmetics and, recently, its more foundational items (primer, makeup fixant, wrinkle filler et al) in the gun metal gray containers in the end-of-aisle displays.

I've heard not just a few of the smaller brands stocked by Sephora grumble that once they're actually in the door and on the shelf, there is a lurking fear that their products' doppelgangers will one day end up on Sephora's own brand display. That said, I think they do a good job of differentiating their own brand stuff, in look at least, from the brands they currently stock. [If any brands disagree, EMAIL ME and let me know!]

Sephora's new skincare offering reminds me of a mash-up, in appearance, of a few other beauty brands but I can't think of them off the top of my head. Ole Henriksen? Murad? The collection, named hydrosenn+ after the trademarked hero ingredient HydroSenn+™ (apparently 'a breakthrough plant-derived hydrator') has fourteen SKUs.

The micro anti-ageing range has 4 SKUs within that 14, including a serum -- the must-have beauty product category of the year (and possibly next few years as I don't see anything to rival it on the horizon).

I give the brand credit, though.

These new products -- like the serum -- are free from ingredients that regular feature on big-box beauty labels, including parabens, sulfates, phthalates, GMOs and triclosan. That said, many things still crop up that aren't entirely savory. That said, I'm not expecting raw, organic, hand-picked blah blah blah beauty here. Nor should you. It's minimum input for maximum profit. That's how most of beauty works. Lots of cheap fillers, a few actives (whether or not they're in active amounts or states in said product) to highlight on the label and on the market they go.

[If you're curious about what goes into your beauty products and don't understand what something is when reading the ingredient list, don't just sit there! Be proactive. Copy the word and Google it. There are heaps of independent, reputable sites that will tell you what it is, why it's used in personal care products and if there are studies backing up the claims that it's safe/unsafe, etc.]

The products come in innovative packaging -- airless pumps, face wipes, roller ball applicators, pads -- as well as the usual jars and tubes.

Prices range from $7 to $32, so on the affordable end of the spectrum.

Check out the whole collection below.

		1. Supreme Cleansing Foam $15 A foam that removes makeup and cleanses the complexion in one simple step.
		2. Instant Moisturizer $20 An intensive moisturizer, radiance booster, and wrinkle fighter.
		3. Flawless Moisturizing Lotion SPF 15 $22 An exceptional daytime moisturizing lotion.
		4. Age Defy Moisture Cream SPF 15 $30 A complete antiaging treatment and day cream.
		5. Instant Depuffing Roll-On Gel $15 A de-puffing eye gel that instantly leaves eyes looking fresher and brighter.
		6. Age Defy Eye Cream $24 A complete eye cream that fights puffiness, dark circles, and crow's feet.
		7. Super Loaded Age Defy Serum  $32 An ultra-moisturizing serum to firm skin and fight wrinkles.
		8. Smart Dual Action Exfoliator $24 A facial exfoliator with two textured creams in one jar.
		9. Express Cleansing Wipes $9 A packet of biodegradable, pre-moistened wipes for cleansing the face, eyes, and lips.
		10. Instant Eye Makeup Remover $8.50 A refreshing eye makeup remover gentle enough for contact wearers and those with sensitive eyes.
		11. Eye Makeup Removing Pads $9 Pre-moistened pads that remove makeup while strengthening and moisturizing lashes.
		12. Instant Refreshing Toner $12 A hydrating mist that refreshes and tones skin after makeup removal.
		13. Nourishing Hand Cream $7 A three-in-one cream for hands, nails, and cuticles.
		14. Super Supreme Body Butter  $25 An ultra-rich body cream that provides intensive hydration.