9 Beauty Products to Run Out and Buy This February
Winter doldrums don't stand a chance when you have bright eye shadows, beach sticks, hair-thickening potions and more awesome beauty products to play with
I always thought "tinted moisturizer" was a misnomer. Sure, it's tinted, but moisturizing? Not really. I still need to slather on my regular face cream underneath. The folks at Bare Minerals felt the same way, and they also thought the BB and CC creams on the market were inadequate -- promising a zillion benefits but delivering on few. That's why they set out to create Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue, $29, a truly moisturizing, good-for-your-skin tint. And let me tell you, this stuff is a dream. It goes on silky-smooth -- it feels like whipped water -- and gives you a true "tint" of coverage (not too much but just enough). As far as ingredients, it has antioxidants, marine botanicals and SPF. Don't even think about calling it a tinted moisturizer.
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Pore Strip Upgrade
It's hard to make a cult classic product even better (and you risk upsetting legions of devoted fans), but Bioré's done it with the Bioré Deep Cleansing Charcoal Pore Strips, $7.99. Take everything you know and love about the original pore strips and upgrade it with charcoal, which detoxifies and draws out even more gunk from your pores -- and they're black, which makes them exponentially more fun to use. Even the diehards will rejoice.
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Instant Vacation Glow
I have a minor obsession with cream blush. (It's the makeup item I hoard the third-most -- after mascara and eyeliner pens). And my current favorite is the Charlotte Tilbury Beach Stick, $45, -- specifically in Las Salinas, the perfect flushed pink shade for my pale skin. Obviously, the name is amazing -- who wouldn't want something called a beach stick? -- but the texture is what really does it for me. Instead of settling into pores and fine lines like other cream blushes, this one sits on the surface and actually blurs imperfections. My skin looks so good when I wear it that I've been neglecting the rest of my cream blush collection.
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Scent of a Lady
Whether you're a Little Monster or you love to hate Gaga, we can all agree that the Lady's made a splash in the fragrance world. It all started with Fame, the first and only black perfume and an incredibly sweet-smelling scent. Now, there's Eau de Gaga, $48, an unusual blend of violet, lime and leather. The same way Gaga has become more sophisticated (i.e.: wearing minimal makeup and performing with Tony Bennett), her scent preferences have evolved, as well. And this fragrance is sure to appeal to both fans and haters alike.
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The Ultimate Eye Mask
If you dream of becoming the third member of Daft Punk, and you also want to fight wrinkles, have I got the beauty product for you: the Illumask -- the most affordable at-home LED treatment on the market. The latest genius invention from these mask makers is the Illumask Anti-Aging Light Therapy Eye Mask, $29.95, which targets crows feet and crepe-y eyelids. Each mask contains 30 red light treatments (similar to the kind you'd get in a dermatologist's office), and the results are impressive. Plus, you'll be all set when Halloween rolls around.
I don't mind the winter. (I went to college in Maine if that tells you anything.) But there's a shift that happens around the middle of February that leaves every cold-weather-dwelling person -- myself included -- itching for a tropical vacation. Sadly, I haven't had the luxury of spring break for more than a decade, but I do have oodles of beauty products to cheer me up. And the new beauty products launching this February are some of the most summertime-joy-inducing I've seen in quite some time. There's an ultra-moisturizing tinted moisturizer from Bare Minerals, Lady Gaga's zesty new fragrance, Charlotte Tilbury's aptly named Beach Sticks and many more that are guaranteed to get you through the rest of winter (smile intact).
