Instantly remove self-tanner streaks and buildup with just a little water!

Earlier this week we got a package from Neiman Marcus—which perplexed us because we’ve been trying to cut back on the shopping… Turns out we made it onto their PR list (woohoo!) so they sent along a sneak preview of their “Camp Gorgeous” gift (and we’ll be sharing all the deets in a post next week). The cute beach bag was stuffed with samples, and Kate Somerville’s ExfoliKate Intensive Exfoliating Treatment was among them.

We’re self-professed exfoliation junkies, and this product feeds our addiction (while being extremely good to our skin). This treatment features not one, not two, but three modes of exfoliation—fruit enzymes, lactic (AHA) acid and microbeads—to give you your softest, smoothest, most radiant skin yet. At the same time, salicylic acid goes to work on less-than-clear pores, rosewood and cinnamon boost sluggish circulation, and a slew of antioxidants target free radicals.

Upon smoothing on the bluish-green cream, you give your face a little scrub, and then the tingling begins. You wait 30 seconds to let the enzymes and lactic acid melt away dead skin cells before rinsing. Upon gazing in the mirror we were met with a fresh, rosy complexion that was super-soft to the touch. Trust us, this is a must for anyone looking to get their glow on—and it’s a great exfoliation option before self-tanning.

May 31, 2013

3 types of exfoliation in one tube

It’s been raining for DAYS down here, and frankly it feels like we live in Seattle instead of South Florida. But of course we know that the sun will come out once again (maybe tomorrow—OK, bad Annie reference), and when it does we’re ready thanks to Australian Gold. If you’ve ever tried one of their products, you’re surely familiar with the amazing scent—and if you haven’t tried it, we strongly suggest you do. But aside from the smell you’ll just want to eat up, you get even more…

Sure you can self-tan before a beach weekend, but if you don’t have a chance (or you forget), you might be reluctant to bare your pale, pasty skin. And that’s where Australian Gold’s SPFs with instant bronzers come in. Whether you choose one of the Sheer Coverage Continuous Sprays with Kona Coffee Bronzers or one of the Spray Gels with Instant Bronzer, both offer the broad-spectrum protection you need, plus the golden glow you want. But be forewarned: The bronzer does have a tendency to rub off on clothes, so you might want to skip the light-colored bathing suit and cover-up.

SPF with an instant bronze bonus

June 5, 2013

It’s almost as if our skin knew June was Acne Awareness Month, and it reminded us to focus on blemish-blasting products by freaking out last week. Maybe we’ve been testing too many serums and creams, or maybe it was PMS, but despite not knowing the exact cause, we did know we needed some help—STAT. Of course we busted out our Clarity MD system as soon as things got out of hand, but we couldn’t have made it through the break out without Miracle Skin Transformer Acne Control.

When we first tried Miracle Skin Transformer Body SPF 20, we fell in love instantly. It was just what we needed to make our bare legs look that much better (bye-bye veins, hello radiance)—so we couldn’t wait to see what the new acne-control complexion enhancer would do for our spotty skin. After washing, we applied it like moisturizer. It glides on so easily, and leaves your skin looking smooth and flawless in mere seconds. On the acne-fighting front, it contains salicylic acid and anti-microbial peptides to speed healing and prevent new breakouts, and it also works to control oil production so you can be matte and shine-free. We’ve been wearing it under our tinted moisturizer (and dare we say it doubles as a primer as well), and we actually forgot about our flare-up until we washed our face that first night. Seriously, this tinted treatment is a miracle, and we can’t imagine surviving future breakouts without it!

June 11, 2013

Transform skin from pimply to perfect

OK, who doesn’t want to look like Cindy Crawford? (We do, we do!) No, there’s no secret to growing six inches and losing 10 pounds overnight, but you can get supermodel-worthy skin with Meaningful Beauty. If you haven’t been living under a rock (or possibly found yourself watching infomercials at 3am), odds are you’ve heard of this anti-aging skincare line, which is fronted (and developed) by Cindy herself. The new Advanced Basic System is comprised of 5 simple steps (you also get 2 bonus products), and here’s the skinny on a few of the stars of the line…

Crème de Serum: Combining the power of a serum and the moisture of a cream, this anti-aging wonder contains plumping hyaluronic acid, line-minimizing peptides and a slew of antioxidants to shield skin from environmental damage. The “swirls” of product mix when you pump it, and it absorbs super-fast to leave silky skin behind.

Antioxidant Day Crème Broad Spectrum SPF 20: Since we need all the antioxidants we can get—and we like to do better than SPF 15, this moisturizer/sunscreen has us covered. And we love that it also contains bearberry extract to brighten up those pesky dark spots.

Glowing Serum: This comes as a “bonus” in the 5-piece system, and a true bonus it is. This serum kicks your complexion up a notch with soy protein, marine botanicals and exfoliating pumpkin extracts so you can really get your glow on. It’s ideally used in the morning (when we can all use a little help) under moisturizer, but you can use it anytime skin needs a little pick-me-up.

5 steps to supermodel skin

June 19, 2013