Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Self Magazine's Best of Skincare List

  • I'm a sucker for 'Best of Beauty' lists and couldn't resist clicking on the favorites that Yahoo posted courtesy of Self Magazine today.  It's an interesting mix of Mass, Class and Niche products, with plenty of them weighing in on the "cheap and cheerful" price spectrum.

  • Nice!

    Had to share...

    xox,
    DD
    (Photo: iStock)

    Real talk: It takes an arsenal of beauty products to be "no-makeup" pretty. Kind of daunting when you consider that more than 1,807 new ones were launched in the past year alone. So we enlisted 1,629 reader-testers to do the legwork for you.
    Check out the12 best skincare winners that will help you achieve that 'no-makeup' look before summer.




    (Courtesy of C&C)
    Best Gentle Cleanser:
    Clean & Clear Morning Burst Hydrating Facial Cleanser, $5.50
    At last, a truly egalitarian, good-for-all-skin-types face wash. The cucumber-scented gel formula left readers' skin "refreshed and not dry" and even "moisturized after use."
    One raved: "The little beads made my skin feel so clean and exfoliated."






    (Courtesy of Elizabeth Arden)
    Best Antiaging Cleanser:
    Elizabeth Arden Prevage Anti-Aging Treatment Boosting Cleanser, $39.60
    If you like your cleanser with benefits, meet your holy grail. Pricey, yes, but you won't need a separate exfoliator—this foaming cream contains a one-two punch of sloughing bamboo beads and a dead cell-dissolving enzyme. Plus, there's shea butter and glycerin to soften skin.
    "The slightly gritty texture was wonderful—I felt like it was really deep-cleaning my face," a tester enthused.



    (Courtesy of Yes to Carrots)

    Best Cleasing Wipes:
    Yes to Carrots Fragrance Free Gentle Cleansing Wipes, $6

    The busy (or sleepy, or um, just lazy) girl's lifesaver, these "soft, thick" fragrance-free towelettes "remove more dirt" and "cleanse my face better" than other wipes, two fans reported.
    A plethora of soothing, nourishing natural extracts—aloe, chamomile, jasmine—even leave behind "a healthy, youthful glow."




    (Courtesy of Clarins)Best Eye Treatment:
    Clarins Extra-Firming Eye Lift Perfecting Serum
    , $61

    This moisturizing fluid targets the stubborn eye area trifecta: dark circles, puffiness and crow's-feet—immediately by tightening with an oat sugar film and over time with circulation boosters like caffeine.
    "I could see noticeable results and coworkers even made comments," one tester marveled. Another: "I have both dark circles and bags under my eyes, and the serum lessened the appearance of both."
     


    (Courtesy of Shiseido)


    Best Serum:
    Shiseido White Lucent Total Brightening Serum, $125

    Powerhouse ingredients like antioxidant resveratrol and vitamin C aim to brighten, smooth and hydrate skin. Mission(s) accomplished:
    "My face felt like heaven—instantly smoother," a reader raved. "It moisturized, evened out my skin tone and blemishes, and gave the most radiant glow I've had in years," another said. "The best product I've used in a long time."



    (Courtesy of Burt's Bees)


    Best Tone Corrector:
    Burt's Bees Brightening Even-Tone Moisturizing Cream, $18
    This "light, fluffy" cream's texture is "similar to whipped topping" and "smelled so good I wanted to eat it—like lemon ice."
    But it's not all fluff—a bevy of brightening actives like daisy, lemon and orange extracts take aim at the most vexing of dark spots and hyperpigmentation. The proof is in the, well, pudding: "I noticed a difference the first day I used it—my face was brighter, more even in tone, and younger-looking," one tester wrote. "And it's 99 percent natural."

    (Courtesy of Bliss)


    Best All-Around Moisturizer:
    Bliss Triple Oxygen Ex-'glow'-sion Moisture Cream, $64
    Yes, the soufflé formula looks like a lightweight (it's even pink!). But it actually packs a hefty dose of hydrating actives, such as glycerin, shea butter, jojoba esters and even beads of vitamin E that "left my skin feeling softer than the cream I normally use," one reviewer reported.
    Another's take: "It's thick enough to thoroughly moisturize my winter-dry skin but didn't cause breakouts or an oily look."

    And perhaps the best testimony of all: "I'll be purchasing this," confirmed a tester.


    (Courtesy of Chanel)
    Best Antiaging Moisturizer:
    Chanel Le Weekend de Chanel, $115
    It may be called Le Weekend—but after you read this cream's ardent reviews, you'll want to slather it on 24/7.
    First: "It made my crow's-feet disappear," exclaimed one tester, thanks to gradually released glycolic acid that smooths lines, illuminates and boosts moisturization.
    But wait, there's more! You only need "a small amount" of the light, rosewater-infused formula, which "of all the antiaging products, had the best results—and smells like heaven in a bottle."

     

    (Courtesy of Target.com)

    Best Night Cream:
    Neutrogena Deep Moisture Night Cream, $12

    Loaded with deeply hydrating glycerin, this gel-like, freshly scented night treatment "absorbs well" (no pillow transfer) and "delivers serious moisture without any greasiness or breakouts," a reader revealed.
    But warning: It may be habit forming. "I tested this cream in the dead of a Midwestern winter and found myself applying it constantly because I loved it so much!"



    (Courtesy of Éminence)
    Best Face Mask:
    Éminence Red Currant Rapid Infusion Masque, $48.60
    Made of a combination of natural alpha hydroxy acids to exfoliate—lemon, passion fruit, grape, pineapple—plus honey to nourish, it sounds like a smoothie but performs like a facial (just faster).
    "It felt like a spa treatment at home, but only took two or three minutes to work," a tester said. And by work, we mean: "My face felt refreshed and rejuvenated, and appeared hydrated with more elasticity."


    (Courtesy of StriVectin)

    Best Peel:
    StriVectinLABS 5-Minute Weekly Glycolic Peel, $89

    This two-step system (primer, then peel gel) contains a total of 10 percent glycolic and lactic acids—the highest level available outside the dermatologist's office.

    And the results are comparable: "Coworkers even noticed my glow," a tester revealed. "The smoothness of my skin immediately after using this was incredible—it felt like satin," another said. Last—definitely not least—"My skin never looked better," raved one more. Consider us sold.

    (Courtesy of Dermalogica)

    Best Toner:
    Clear Start by Dermalogica Breakout Clearing All Over Toner, $22.35

    More than just a mist, this salicylic acid and tea-tree-oil spray "cleared my breakout in just two days," a tester reported. "I love that I can just spritz it on—so simple."
    The antibacterial properties are balanced by soothing botanicals like lavender, camellia and argan that make it "nondrying" and "leave skin feeling refreshed."

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