Ya’ll know about Miracle Skin Transformer, right? This tinted moisterizer glides on like a primer, benefits skin like a serum, and protects and evens skin like a foundation. 
What its got: full spectrum sun protection, enzyme Q10, and vitamins A, K, and E. What it ain’t got: parabens, sulfates, synthetic fragrances, synthetic dyes, petrochemicals, phthalates, and triclosan.
The formula comes in six shades plus translucent. Why the shape of these color samples resembles an array of ethnically diverse vaginas is inexplicable. 
McNamara aimed to create a multifunctional product that would nourish skin, even imperfections, and provide adequate sun protection. This isn’t a particularly new concept, but one she magnificently executed with this super-blendable, medium coverage mousse-like cream. Do consider the all-in-one nature and the size (1.7 oz) when weighing the $48 price tag.
Awhile back RHNY‘s Alex enjoyed dermaplaning (and a chastising) and it looked really interesting. Basically dermaplaning is an intense glamour shave with a sharp razorblade. The process removes fine hairs, dead skin cells, and excess oil on the skin’s surface.
A local spa I’ve been meaning to try had a special on a dermaplaning facial. Why not, right?
Many of you will love, love, love dermaplaning. It has been around forever. The simple procedure is safe and noninvasive. The visible results are better than anything you’ll find in a bottle.
The dermaplaning removed all kinds of gross stuff that daily exfoliators can’t reach. Less expensive, noisy, and dusty than microdermabrasion, dermaplaning is superior for immediately improving skin texture and appearance.
After the dermaplaning, the esthetician applied a series of treatments including a customized peel. The word “peel” especially when combined with “chemical” sounds dramatic, but there several acids of various intensities such as salicylic, glycolic, and lactic which can be costumized into a buffered cocktail. She finished up with a standard facial routine, steaming, extractions, and the layering of several delicious products to seal in goodness. She also sent me home with some excellent samples from IS Clinical.
Four to five days out, distressed areas are still gently flaking and uncovering renewed skin. Texture continues to improve; discoloration and lines are less evident. Makeup glides on and less is needed overall.
I’m converted. For less than $100, I saw far more dramatic results with this one visit than I ever have using an entire bottle of $100 cream consistently everyday. I’m pro DIY whenever possible, but sometimes a professional’s touch warrants the investment.
If you are interested but intimidated by professional treatments, dermaplaning is a great place to start. The service is relatively affordable, relaxing, and delivers pretty dramatic results with no downtime.
Holding down Ohio, gorgeous DC reader KB wrote requesting advice on how to fake a Miami glow in the Midwest:
Next KB, you gotta decide on liquid or powder formula. Both have advantages and disadvantages, therefore it is worthwhile to have one of each in your arsenal for different occasions and purposes.
Budget: Organic Wear Liquid Bronzer, Bonne Bell Gel Bronzer.
Powders are more a common choice, but also the source of many a makeup mistake. Finding the right color is super challenging. For the most part, avoid red or orange undertones (unless you are a red-head). Look for a brown base. Go too dark for your skin tone and risk looking muddy. Fair-skinned folks look for light brown sandy shades. Often when a brand offers two shades, the lighter one can look orange and the darker one is too dark. Think café au lait.
Aero Minerale isn’t the first foundation in a spray can, but it is one of the better mass market options. Super long-wearing and matte, the finish and staying power make sense for the warmer months when emollient bases tend to migrate. 
A few words of advice when applying the poor woman’s airbrush. First, go easy and work in sections. This stuff dries pretty quickly. Also, keep it off the hairline and work inward. Blend with fingers or a sponge. The full coverage and finish make powder optional. 
With most budget foundations, the color range sucks. Spray foundation requires a perfect match or it looks very masky, so this product isn’t going to be for everyone, but Aero Minerale also makes bronzer and colorless primer versions which require less color precision.
Josie Maran, best known for her stint as a cheesy Maybelline spokesbitch and Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model, launched a “natural” beauty line with the goal of using sustainable, cruelty-free, and ethically sourced ingredients where possible.
Let’s acknowledge the obvious: natural makeup doesn’t have the best reputation for performance. Good face isn’t up for compromise. Therefore, natural makeup must be judged against the same standards as its synthetic counterparts.
When compared with other luxury brands, Josie Maran’s GOGO Instant Natural Volume Argan Mascara fails to impress. For starters, the brush isn’t great. Add to that the clump of product that failed to disperse and sat on the end of the wand defiantly. Third, the formula causes lashes to stick together into little spikes. Not especially lengthening or thickening, GOGO Instant Natural Volume Argan Mascara is utterly mediocre.
Josie claims the mascara contains organic, cruelty-fragrance-toxin free ingredients, however glance below – some of the components are natural, but there are definitely a few WTFs on the list.
Don’t get whiplash; after the financially indulgent Kinerase experiment, I’ve taken a detour away from luxury lane and made a sharp right down two-for-one-alley. Despite previously unimpressive experiences with RoC, I decided to give RoC Deep Wrinkle Night Cream a chance because, frankly, I had a coupon. What? I ain’t too proud to use a coupon. 
Low expectations sometimes result in pleasant surprises, and RoC Deep Wrinkle Night Cream delivers more than a pleasant surprise. RoC Deep Wrinkle is a truly results-driven product. The formula doesn’t contain any revolutionary ingredients; it relies on glycolic acid, retinol, copper, and vitamin C. This must be a particularly effective and well-balanced blend, however, because I discern a noticeable reduction in forehead creases and crows feet after only about two weeks of consistent nightly use. 
After 28 days of religious use, it is time to reveal the results of the Kinerase C8 Peptide Intensive Treatment experiment. Kinerase C8 Peptide Intensive Treatment makes the following claims: 1) noticeably younger-looking skin in 28 days, 2) reduces the appearance of wrinkles by 34.9%, 3) improves additional signs of aging. Let’s break these down shall we?
Noticeably younger-looking skin in 28 days. Noticeable to whom exactly? The product delivers general improvements in skin texture, but I doubt anyone other than the user would notice the mostly imperceptible changes.
Reduces the appearance of wrinkles by 34.9%. I have to call bullshit on this one. In actuality, 11% is a generous characterization of the wrinkle reduction capabilities of this product.
Improves additional signs of aging. This is a pretty broad and vague claim, but “additional signs of aging” includes (at a minimum) a reduction in hyper-pigmentation, improved texture, and less breakouts. C8 does little to nothing for hyper-pigmentation or discoloration. Kinerase improves skin texture and make-up glides on beautifully, but the moisturizing properties are insufficient to make it an all-in-one complete product. As for breakouts, incidentally, yes, Kinerase will help, but acne relief isn’t the targeted aim of this product.
In sum, Kinerase C8 is a pretty decent product and a good way to work the benefits of kinetin, a semi-rare ingredient, into your regime. When taking into consideration the hefty price though, many of you may be disappointed by the lack of dramatic results.
By day fifteen, a major purge begins and weird impurities emerge from the cheeks and jaw line. This creates a serious temptation to extract, but self-control is the order of the day. A hen-pecked look just won’t do for an event this Friday.
On day seventeen, met up with a friend who described my face as “glowy.” One more night of treatment must eliminate any remaining imperfections.
Today is the big day and skin is looking pretty great, but four days (or 20) was barely enough time to make that happen. After sweating whether or not C8 has the power to uncover the freshness, it is obvious that there just isn’t enough resurfacing action in this product when used alone.
After stumbling in inebriated, it is a wonder the treatment even made it on last night. As a result of its application, my face looks better than I feel.
No longer able to resist, my own lack of will power caused reaggravation. This episode confirmed my previous suspicions that Kinerase C8 Intensive Treatment does not make an ideal spot treatment.
After three weeks, skin still feels and looks better immediately after application, but cumulative results are negligible to non-existent. Next week will conclude the experiment, and perhaps the true test of Kinerase will be whether it is missed when it is gone.
This week, the resurfacing benefits of Kinerase C8 Peptide Intensive Treatment kicked in. By the eighth day, one spot basically vanished and the other is flaking off. No new redness or inflammation has developed. The next morning, make-up applies effortlessly. By day nine, cumulative results seem like a meaningful possibility. 
Skin is imparted with a pearlescent quality on day ten. The treatment improves skin texture, making it appear different, better, smoother, and more even. By day eleven, façade looks better than it has in a while. Skin feels cool to the touch, and the under eye skin nourished.
Noticeable flaking in some areas triggers the need for daily physical exfoliation – an absolute necessity for uncovering the sought-after freshness.
Over the final two days of the second week, C8′s purging impurities, but it hasn’t done a lot for reducing the appearance of fine lines or hyper-pigmentation. At what amounts to (conservatively) $2 a day for a 28 day treatment, the next two weeks must bring more than imperceptible improvements to justify Kinerase’s expense. 
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