The Art & Science of Beauty
You can look your best with a little help from technology.
Bright Lights, Beautiful Results
Dermatologists and spas have been using phototherapy for years, rejuvenating aging skin and combating acne with red and blue LEDs. It’s considered a safe and effective skin-treatment method. The ANSR: BEAM ($148; ansr.com) is a handy at-home phototherapy device that emits light waves that penetrate the skin. It doesn’t create the high heat and burning of laser treatments, so there’s no red or flaky skin after use. The high-intensity LED light waves work together to target different skin problems. The red light stimulates collagen to accelerate the creation of new, healthy skin cells, which evens out skin tone, alleviates redness, and reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. The blue light destroys the bacteria beneath the skin’s surface that cause breakouts and blemishes. Use it twice a day for improved skin texture and appearance. The ANSR: BEAM is cordless, battery-operated and rechargeable.
Many women think that foundation is the first step in makeup application, but there’s a way to make that foundation glide on more smoothly and last longer. Auto Pilot Pre-Foundation Skin Primer by Napoleon Perdis (napoleonperdis.com) provides an ideal base for flawless-looking skin. $39 at Dillard’s (dillards.com) and ULTA (ulta.com) in Orlando.
Sun ’n Fun
Kiss My Face (kissmy face.com) has sunscreen products for
all ages. Face Factor’s SPF 50 anti-aging formula with cooling cucumber and healing green tea extracts is just right for grownups, while for the little ones there’s the Sun Stick SPF 30 that comes in white, blue and pink. $10.99-$13.95 at Whole Foods Market (wholefoods market.com) in Orlando and Winter Park.
Touch-Ups on the Go
The super-handy Beauty Fixation collection by Japonesque (japonesque.com) boasts six different treatments, each containing 24 pre-filled, ready-to-use swabs. The collection includes makeup remover/touch-up, tinted lip conditioner, lipstick touch-up, nail polish touch-up, cuticle conditioner and pre-tweeze treatment. They’re $4.95 each at aveyou.com and at ULTA stores (ulta.com) in Orlando.
Up in Arms
You expect an antiperspirant to reduce sweat and odor—but how about one that also minimizes hair growth? DERMAdoctor’s Gorilla Warfare hair-minimizing antiperspirant ($29; dermadoctor.com) contains 14 botanical extracts that reduce underarm hair in eight to 12 weeks. And in homage to the primates that inspired its name, Gorilla Warfare donates a percentage of its proceeds to the Jane Goodall Institute.
A Boxed Set
You’ve done countless crunches but you still don’t have sculpted abdominal muscles like that knucklehead Mike “The Situation” on MTV’s Jersey Shore. What to do, what to do? Cheat. Abs in a Box Kit for Men and Women ($34.50; itcosmetics.com) may be an easy answer to a slimmer-looking waistline or a deceptively defined six pack. A kit contains an instruction manual, waterproof and sweatproof Ab Shadows and Highlighters, My Firm Abs Crème, Ab Setting Spray, and semi-permanent Ab Stain that lasts three to five days, plus two brushes to shade, contour and define your midsection.