Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Can a Serum REALLY Mimic the Effects of Botox?


Tata Harper has plump, youthful-looking, stare-inducing skin. Her skin is so luminous, it's difficult to concentrate on the words that are coming out of her mouth. Recently, Beauty Wonkette had a front row seat as Harper was explaining the active, all-natural ingredients (completely devoid of synthetics) in her latest set of skin-care products.  Despite the fact that Beauty Wonkette's mama told her not to stare, all Beauty Wonkette could do was stare at her seriously glowing, wrinkle-free, even-toned complexion. BW seriously had to sit on her hands because she had this weird impulse to reach out and touch it.  Beauty Wonkette DOES have some self control, however.  So, instead, we took a sample of her Boosted Contouring Serum, the first to launch in a new trio of serums (the others will debut next month) and slathered it all over our face for three days.
Harper has been perfecting the skin-tightening formula (there are 35 active ingredients) for the last three years. It's packed with the 29 actives from her Rejuvenating serum, plus extras like pomegranate hydrospheres (for increased hydration), brown-algae extract (a collagen booster) and L-orinithine ionosome (an amino acid extracted from vegetable starch that helps tighten and firm). But the one that provides the feeling of instantaneous improvement is hydrolysed rhizobium, a natural polymer found in plant roots. Its job is to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and give your skin a more "lifted" look. All told, the serum is meant to create a natural Botox-like effect.
The texture itself is a bit creamier than your average serum. This one still rolls onto the skin nicely and will immediately absorb and hydrate your complexion (you can probably skip your regular face cream, if you use one, on a humid day). As soon as it's on, you'll feel an immediate tightening sensation; it isn't too far from dried Elmer's glue. Harper suggests you apply the stuff morning and night. Beauty Wonkette preferred to smear it on in the mornings because she loved the instant wide-eyed effect that took place around her ocular region (especially after a long night out). It layers nicely under tinted moisturizer, too. BW didn't slather the stuff on at night because the scent itself was a bit too overwhelmingly floral for Mr Beauty Wonkette.
The stuff ain't cheap, but it's cheaper than botox AND there are no needles involved.  Also, a little goes a long way.  It's available on Harper's website, at Bergdorf Goodman, ABC Carpet & Home, and probably, by now, other places.  It definitely has Beauty Wonkette's seal of approval.

Too Busy To Get Your Roots Touched Up? Perusing the Products that MIGHT Change Your Life!

Try as Beauty Wonkette might, she has never been one of  those girls who have their hair color appointments booked an even six weeks apart. Translation: Even though she has mastered coloring her hair at home, Beauty Wonkette has most definitely  seen her fair share of unruly roots, sprouting grays, and lackluster tone — but who has time? Not Beauty Wonkette.  Especially since it seems to be the case that her roots look fine until they suddenly DON'T.  Aaaargh.

The obvious solution is temporary root cover-up, which claims to make a fast, easy difference in the short-term without a trip to the salon (or an at-home dye job). True, there are good ones out there — one Beauty Wonkette winner  is the Color Wow kit — but also many that are messy, or just plain ineffective. To shed some light on this ever-expanding category of products, a writer over at The Cut took seven for a spin, and chronicled any and all side effects — from spots on her scalp to "fingernails full of soot." Yikes.

Lo and behold, there were three fail-safe winners that got the job done with minimal mess — click to read the full reviews! (The Cut)
Color Wow is always available at Ulta for about $35

The Return of Beauty Wonkette :D

Beauty Wonkette honestly believed that despite a new hubby and an international posting, that she could still blog.  Ahem.  Listen up 'cause this is something you won't hear all that often:  (she clears her throat...) BEAUTY WONKETTE WAS WRONG!  She tried.  It was impossible.  But, we're home, settled into our new abode (at least as settled as Beauty Wonkette gets), and BW's schedule is under control.  In short, Beauty Wonkette has returned!

LEGENDARY! The best dupe for SkinMedica's recently discontinued TNS Advanced+ Serum

  Recently SkinMedica discontinued the TNS Essential Serum and their TNS Advanced+ Serum is seen as the upgraded version.  But Beauty Wonket...