It’s the Spring holiday season, and we’re feeling celebratory.  In fact, we’re feeling like spreading our enthusiasm throughout the cyberworld – so, we’re going to be packing a basket (is there a Passover version of this?  I’m not sure if there is, and Google isn’t helping.  It keeps giving me pics of Matzo, not Passover gift vessels) with just what you need to freshen up your look for spring:

Beauty products!!!

We’ll be posting a list of what will be included, as well as directions on how to enter, a bit later today … But just wanted to give you fair warning to keep your eye on us!

Xo,

AJ, Kai and Lily, as well as contributors Emma, Betsy and Monique

The New York Times ran an article on budget beauty in their Thursday Styles section.  It’s a subject we’ve covered before, and one that I’m happy to say that the Skin Deep columnist mainly got right.

(If you’re in beauty, you know that this is a rarity.  This column, and its various writers, rarely present an even-handed view of any subject.)

We differ on a few points, but overall the truth is that quality products CAN be found at mass.  Femme’s original budget-friendly tips, product reccos and ideas after the jump. read more »

I love the look of lipgloss, but hate the way I end up with half of my hair superglued to my lips whenever I wear it. I wish there was some way to maintain the shiny sexiness of gloss, without that stickiness.  Or at least come up with some sort of hair repellent.

It’s a pipe dream, I know – so until that happens, I’ll happily deal with my baby fine hair in my gloss (and force my boyfriend to ride with the windows up during the nice weather).  But if you’re looking for good gloss recommendations, check out these Femme-reviewed products:

FLIRT!

Milani

And join me in marveling at AJ’s collection – she names a few of her faves!

Meet Your New Cleanser

Glancing in my medicine cabinet the other day, I noticed many of my skin-care products, from my facial cleansers to my skin softeners, contain a common ingredient: oil.  Now this may sounds insane coming from a girl who has acne-prone skin, but trust me on this.  The right oil-based product can do a world of wonder for those of us who suffer from problem skin.  From dryness, to controlling oily t-zones, to makeup removal, oil cleansers and moisturizers are the natural cure-all.

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Make A Difference Skin Rejuvenating Treatment Lotion

Kai has already stated her love for Origins products, and believe me – it’s a love that we all share.  You can imagine our glee when we found out that the brand had launched a number of new products over the past few months. (If you guessed that there was squealing, you’d be right.  And if you imagined us jumping for joy, well … You’d also be right.)

Following is a round-up of the newest offerings from this beloved brand:

Launched in March 2009, Make A Difference Skin Rejuvenating Treatment Lotion (pictured above) and Make A Difference Ultra-Rich Rejuvenating Cream are the newest additions to Origins’ Make A Difference collection.

The Make A Difference Skin Rejuvenating Treatment Lotion prepares skin to receive the benefits of the entire line.  When used as the first step in the skincare process, the lotion delivers long lasting hydration that soothes and softens skin.  The lotion retails for $21.

The Make A Difference Ultra-Rich Rejuvenating Cream is an intensely hydrating facial cream that promises to “immediately replenish thirsty skin, providing long lasting moisture.”  The product has been shown to reduce fine lines and reinforce the skin barrier while restoring balance, hydration and health.  The cream is available for $36.

The line was created to help repair visible skin damage, and boasts a number of exotic ingredients.  These include The Rose of Jericho (a plant renowned for its ability to survive and thrive even after decades of drought), Trehalose (a corn-based sugar known for its reviving properties) and Sea Haricots (a brown algae rich in Vitamin C and anti-dehydration properties).

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Let’s play a fun game, shall we? Ten bucks says you don’t recognize this woman:

SO.MUCH.BETTER.

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And when do I manage to think squeaky clean?  Yeah, mostly when I’m contemplating cleansers. Beauty articles tend to focus on the serious long-term stuff like serums and sunblock, and for good reason.  A decade from now, you’re going to care a lot more about your Vitamin C serum and how much SPF you used than whether your facial moisturizer was too heavy one summer.  At the same time, though, there are few parts of your beauty regimen that really make as much immediate difference in the way your skin behaves as how and when you wash your face.

This, unfortunately, is a lesson that I had to learn over and over again during my acne-prone years: wash your face before bed, Kai.  No, I mean it.   Get your lazy ass up and wash your face NOW.  Having finally realized the power of the simple cleanser, though, I have been converted.  Never again shall I go to bed without freshening up first.  To that end, here are a few of my favorite cleansers:

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My best buddies: Tweezers

The hair removal process I subject myself to before going out:

1. Shaving (the usual suspects: legs, bikini lini, underarms)
2. Depilatory-ing (upper lip)
3. Plucking (eyebrows and the stray upper lip hair that Nair missed)
4. Trimming (my eyebrows, you perv)

Really?  I know I have PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome; it means I’m hairy.  Also, most likely infertile, but that’s not something that’s likely to be an issue in my life) and all, but that’s a bit extreme for a random night out, no?

As Lily mentioned yesterday, I’ve been playing with Biore’s new Skin Preservation line for “in between skin,” as all of the Femmeinistes fall comfortably within the “in between” years.  Lily is the science maven when it comes to beauty (don’t ask me unless there’s an animal involved), but I am an expert on the technical subjects of “nice feeling” and “nice smelling,” and being as I’m several years older than she is, I’m plenty picky about product effectiveness.  Here’s my deeply technical review.

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The new Biore Skin Preservation Skincare Collection

It’s no secret that our skin starts to show signs of change around the age of 25 – both biological (loss of collagen, resulting in declining barrier function) and environmental (those damn free radicals) causes contribute to this general loss of vitality, resilience and radiance.  Yet, the skin still hasn’t begun to show the wrinkles and folds that mark older skin (generally, that seen on women over the age of 40).

There are 21 million women between the ages of 25 and 39 who are not only too old for salicylic acid-based teen skincare lines, they’re too young for the anti-aging products that crowd store shelves.

Enter Biore, with the new Biore Skin Preservation Skincare Collection (pictured above).  This line is the first to cater directly to transitional skin, and is designed to not only preserve the skin’s youth (including its strength and radiance), but to noticeably improve the first signs of aging (including dryness, texture and ton, as well as reducing the look of fine lines).

The details on how this is achieved after the jump …

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