i was raving to the hubs this weekend about how much i love kate somerville’s exfoliKate intensive exfoliating treatment, how it’s my new favorite facial product, how i can’t believe how much better it is than other masks i’ve tried. dear hubs, in turn (most likely in an effort to get me to stop waxing poetic about beauty products) asked if i’d blogged it. and i stopped, mid-sentence (just as he’d hoped)…because i couldn’t believe i hadn’t shared this one with you all!
so. exfoliKate! it’s basically a super exfoliator/mask that only takes 30 seconds to use. in addition to regular exfoliating beads, it uses fruit enzymes and other goodies to really and thoroughly scrub every bit of dead, tired skin from your face, and leave you glowy and gorgeous. of all of the facial masks i’ve tested, this is the one that stays in constant weekly rotation at my house, because i see such a huge difference every single time i use it.
not cheap – $85 for the smaller size (which should comfortably get you 10-15 applications). but it’s supposed to be “almost” as good as a facial with kate herself. i haven’t had the pleasure, but i would definitely say it’s “almost” as good as some of the best facials i’ve had. when you look at it that way, it’s practically a bargain!
i spend a lot of time talking with beauty experts these days…call it an occupational hazard. and, without fail, when i ask them what one thing women can do to keep their skin at its best, every single one yells “sunscreen!” without hesitating.
even as a girl with fairer than fair skin, i resisted sunscreen for a long time. bad smell, bad skin results…just bad. but the technology has finally caught up with the need, and in the last few years, i’ve noticed that it’s possible to get sunscreens that are pretty near flawless these days. in case you’re as skittish as i am about the whole thing, i thought i’d share my 3 favorites.
last summer, i discovered clarins uv plus sunscreen spf 40, and it’s still one of my absolute favorites. because it’s a physical sunscreen (as opposed to chemical), it’s great for sensitive skin, lasts all day (chemical typically lasts 2 hours). plus, the little bottle is TSA-friendly, which is a major perk.
for a little more heavy-duty protection, i’ve recently fallen hard for kate somerville’s new protect spf 55 serum sunscreen. because it’s a chemical sunscreen, i’d normally turn up my nose. but this formula didn’t produce any of the negative skin reactions i’m used to with chemical blocks – in fact, my skin’s in love! it does have a bit of a “sunscreen smell,” but when i layer kate’s addictive deep tissue repair (it smells just like fresh peaches, and makes my skin oh-so-happy) over the top, it’s undetectable. and, it’s definitely the most moisturizing yet non-oily sunscreen i’ve found.
last but not least, when the weather turns warm, you’ll find a bottle of kinesys spray-on sunscreen somewhere near me at all times. it’s just the thing to spray on your neck, shoulders and chest when you decide to sit outside and enjoy an iced latte. the tiny size makes them perfectly portable, and they go on without any effort (or nasty smell). plus, at $6 each, i can afford to stash one in every makeup bag i own.
whichever sunscreen you choose, lather it on, ladies. most experts will tell you no one uses enough. now that you’re armed and ready, head out and enjoy that sun while it lasts!