Purlisse is new on the scene and is known for their all natural brightening qualities. Purlisse Pur Bright Skin Brightening Serum is a skin-brightening serum that is a hydroquinone-free concentrated cream combining an exclusive Lotus Lupine Peptide Complex with 9 powerful plants extracts. This serum is perfect for skin that is ruddy, has age spots, acne scars etc.  It works fairly quickly (I noticed results in about 4-5 weeks) and feels fantastic on the skin, it helps to create luminous, even-toned skin without harsh ingredients.  Skin is strengthened against future damage, while melanin production is safely decreased for fewer age spots. Pure genius!

I just got through testing Clinique’s Super Defense SPF 25 and boy do I love it, this is perfect for dry/extra dry skin.  This “Super Cream” is an ultra rich formulation that contains SPF 25 which is amazing because it is so hard to find a sunscreen that can go under makeup effectively (without feeling thick etc).  That being said, this cream is specifically for very dry, dry or combination dry skin.  It is chocked full of anti-aging benefits like:

• glycerin
• olea europaea (olive) fruit extract
• rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) extract
• sea whip extract
• linoleic acid
• soy protein

Overall an excellent cream if you are looking for something with the added benefit of SPF 25 that helps to neutralize UVA and UVB rays.

Available for $48 at Clinique counters nationwide.

Image:  Clinique

Moving caffiene from the inside out seems to be a trend in a lot of skin care these days. In fact, caffeine has been a hot ingredient in skincare for a while. In recent months, more indications of caffeine’s beneficial properties are surfacing, meaning that caffeine is still a key ingredient in topical anti-aging products.

Relastin, a leader in the anti-aging skincare industry, offers a caffeine-rich product that can also smooth and repair skin. The Relastin Ultra Emollient is a multi-tasking moisturizer that combines the dramatic results of Relastin’s signature Zinc Firming Complex™ with nourishing hydration and powerful vitamins and extracts – delivering 360 degree skin rejuvenation.

On the surface, the rich, creamy formula hydrates and soothes skin. On the cellular level, Relastin Ultra Emollient smoothes and firms the epidermis by increasing skin’s functional elastin fibers. Vitamins and nutrients in the moisturizer work alongside the caffeine to penetrate skin cells and fight free radical damage, encourage collagen production and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

Relastin Ultra emollient is available at Relastin.com and retils for $99.

image:  Relastin

When the weather gets warmer, I like to use products that feel lighter weight.  My skin feels better for it, my new fave is from Lisa Hoffman Skincare. She makes a fabulous Vitamin A & C Serum.

This serum feels SO light but don’t let that fool you because it is actually a heavy duty formula.  The formula is water-free and has large doses of Vitamins A and C to provide anti-oxidant protection to maintain skin tone and provide firming action.  It absorbs into the skin QUICKLY…which is a huge plus and your skin is ready for your moisturizer.

I tried a sample of this out last summer and loved it, I was so happy to get another one in my quarterly edition of Beautyfix. This is a deluxe travel size (.5oz half of the full size) To learn more about Lisa Hoffman and her skincare line, be sure to visit her site.

The serum is available by signing up for BeautyFix, Lisa Hoffman’s website and the Derm Store.

Image:  Lisa Hoffman Skincare

Have you heard of Cosmedix?  This line claims to be the answer to a healthy complexion without irritation (who wouldn’t want that??). An advanced cosmeceutical line works to enhance the physiology of the skin through the use of only the most purified, chirally correct and effective ingredients that are safe and beneficial for the skin. Know as the chirally correct pioneer, CosMedix is the choice dermatologists, physicians and aestheticians worldwide for enhanced treatment results.  Learn more about chirality here.  Thei latest body line is just what the doctor ordered for a beach body ready back side in no time.

CosMedix Body Revolution Collection is formulated with a degree of care and efficacy usually reserved for the complexion and reverses the signs of aging for head-to-toe skin health.  The chirally correct, medical-strength formulation safely absorbs into the body to produce an inside-out change (something we are all looking for).

• Body Shape: Just in time for summer, this anti-aging, body-firming lotion tightens, smoothes and repairs dull and damaged skin. Developed to treat cellulite, stretch marks, signs of aging caused by sun damage and sensitive skin conditions, Cosmedix Body Shape is a multi-tasking total body anti-aging solution.

• Body Build: Give skin a healthy workout with Body Build. Working deep within the skin, this product stimulates and restructures, restoring the body’s youthful glow. Fortified with L-retinol AGP, Body Build literally builds the skin by stimulating cell regeneration and reversing splotchy, dull, sun damaged and discolored skin.

• Body Clean: The revolution begins with Body Clean - a gentle yet effective cleanser and exfoliator. Key ingredients include L-lactic acid, which softens and exfoliates, and soothing shea butter. Body Clean is free of harsh ingredients like sodium laurel sulfate.

• Body Lift: No body transformation could be complete without the professional application of Body Lift. Specifically developed to treat skin conditions of the body, this all-over peel will firm, tighten, lighten and brighten. Containing a hefty dose of L-lactic acid and L-retinol AGP, as well as pomegranate and green tea, Body Lift works deep within the skin to soften, exfoliate and encourage the growth of fresh, young cells.

All products are now available at www.cosmedix.com.

Image:  Cosmedix

Being 42 and not looking 42 is something I pride myself in.  I know that part of it may be genetics BUT most of it is definitely taking care of your skin.  I have been using suncare/sunblock since I was a little girl and as I got older I  religiously used it.  I bought my first line of high end suncare at Saks in New York when I was 19 after a makeup artist friend of mine schooled me.  Since then, I have always been up on the suncare trends

Fortunately, buying good suncare these days doesn’t mean spending an arm and a leg. Dr. Jeffrey Dover, Associate Clinical Professor of Dermatology, at Yale University School of Medicine and author of THE YOUTH EQUATION, recommends wearing at least SPF 15 when spending minimal time outside and SPF 30 or higher when outside for longer or if living in the south.

According to Dr. Dover, only formulas labeled “broad spectrum” guard against both UVA and UVB rays. Some of his favorites include

• La Roche-Posay Anthelios 40 Sunscreen Cream with Mexoryl SX ($32.00)
• Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock with Helioplex, SPF 55 and 70 ($9.49-11.99)
• Dr. Jeffrey Dover Continuous Action Spray Sunscreen SPF 45 with Dermaplex™ ($12.99), which contains less chemical sunscreens and remains effective for up to five hours.

High-quality sunscreens are part of the equation, but being fully protected also means re-applying often. Ideally, you should coat every exposed patch of skin with a thick layer of sunscreen, and continue to reapply it every few hours you remain outside (apply more often after sweating or swimming). “If at the end of the summer you’re still squirting from the same tube that you bought before Memorial Day weekend, you need an education in application,” says Dover, who suggests about one ounce (or a full shot glass) of sunscreen to cover your entire body.  All of the products mentioned are conveniently available at your local CVS/pharmacy, you don’t need to travel far for cost-effective and accessible sun protection just make sure you wear it.

Whichever suncare you use, I also recommend grabbing a sun care stick for the deliecate skin around your eyes and lips.  My favorites are Clarins Sun Control Stick Ultra Protection for Sun Sensitive Areas SPF 30 and Clinique ‘Sun’ Advanced Protection Stick SPF 45.  Both are excelent for around the eyes and lips which is a high stress area that is known to show signs of aging first after sun exposure.

Image:  Getty Images

Anti-aging for your lashes??  Why not? With all the hype surrounding prescription lash enhancers (they have tons of listed side effects, including discoloring of your iris…yikes!)  this is most definitely worth a look.  According to studies, an eyelash has an average lifecycle of about 150 to 200 days. Taking into consideration the number of external aggressors that most women expose their lashes to everyday, including mascaras, eyelash curlers, makeup removers, and environmental aggressors, this lifecycle is often cut even shorter, meaning lashes rarely have the opportunity to achieve their maximum potential.

Conditioning eyelashes with a new product called neuLash may provide protection against breakage, hydration, and will possibly make lashes healthier (just like conditioner does for the hair), therefore extending their life and allowing lashes to stay on the lid longer. This gives them the opportunity to appear longer and thicker – naturally.

neuLash is said to offer maximum protection for lashes by delivering essential proteins, vitamins, peptides, moisturizing and rejuvenating ingredients to replenish and strengthen lashes. The result is healthier and thicker-looking lashes in as little as two weeks, with maximum results at eight weeks. On the other hand, the prescription drug does not contain essential vitamins, proteins or peptides, does not condition lashes, and can take up to 16 weeks to achieve results.

In addition to providing conditioning for the upper lashes, neuLash can be also used for the same purpose on the eyebrows. The result is healthier and fuller-looking lashes and brows, which enhances the overall appearance of the eyes.  It should be applied once daily in the evening before bedtime to the base of the upper eyelash on a clean, dry area, starting from the inner corner of the eye to the outer corner. It is made for both men and women, and it can be used by those who have eyelash extensions and contact lenses.

“Years of extensive research and testing resulted in a product that is ophthalmologist and dermatologist safety-tested and that really works,” said Richard Carieri, President and CEO of Skin Research Laboratories, the cosmetics company that created neuLash. “When you compare them side by side, neuLash offers many benefits that the prescription drug does not.”

With its consumer friendly and easy to use eyeliner-like applicator, neulash is also more economical than the prescription drug product and contains about a three month supply, for an average cost of $1.67 per day. The average cost of the prescription drug is $4.00 per day for a one month supply. Also, you do not need a doctor’s visit or a prescription to obtain neuLash, which is available at www.neuLash.com, Saks Fifth Avenue stores nationwide and, and at top spas, including Qua Bath and Spa, Essentiels Spa et Beaute, Select Ritz Carlton’s, and Langham Spa.

image:  neulash

If you haven’t heard about 3Lab “M” Cream, I am here to tell you that this one is by far the best cream I have tried this year.  It is pricey, BUT it also has some serious science behind it.   This is the first cosmetic product that contains world’s first bio-engineered growth hormone, stem cells from the rare Uttweiler Spatlauber Swiss Apple, which is so rare that only three trees remain in existence.

The cream is luxurious feeling but not heavy (the formula is a gel cream), so you don’t feel like you have a layer of product on your skin.  Dubbed as a skin de-stressing cream, this works to increase resiliency and cellular turnover while giving the skin a naturally radiant glow from the inside out.  My skin has become smoother and over the 8 week period that I tested it moisture was increased, skin was firmed and fine lines were softened.  I have been using it ever since.

The Rundown:

• Nano-Claire GY, a bioengineered growth hormone-like protein that works as a “hormone replacement therapy” for the skin.
• PhytoCelTec™ Malus Domestica, stem cells from a rare Swiss Apple that have been proven to slow down and delay the aging process.
• Happybelle, a phyto-endorphin extract that comes from the cactus Monk’s Pepper combined with antioxidant and moisturizing factors to help revitalize the skin and give it a radiant glow.
• ACS (Anti-Cyto Stressor) to promote an overall bioregulation that follows and respects the cutaneous physiological mechanisms by hindering the alterations caused by stress hormone.
• Osilift, a 100% Natural sugar tensor purified fraction of oat polysaccharides that gives an immediate tensor and long term anti-wrinkle effect to the skin.

This cream is the ULTIMATE anti-aging weapon….anyone over the age of 30 should take a look.

Image:  3Lab

As we get older, the number ONE thing that will help you in your quest for younger looking skin is to invest in tools that help you on your way.  One such tool that I am in LOVE with is the Clarisonic Plus Skincare Brush.  Ihave been using Calrisonic for 2 years now and not only has it made a big difference in the texture of my skin, I think my face is getting cleaner! Now this tool is pricey - so it is an investment BUT the replacement brush heads are only $25.  Plus investing in your skin is priceless.

This thing uses sonic technology that gives you 300 movements per second.  You would never be able to wash your face that fast on your own!  The result is a DEEP clean that leaves your face super duper clean and prepared to absorb your favorite face cream.  Clinical studies show that it is more than two times as effective as doing it the old fashioned way AND dry patches, oily areas, pore size, fine lines and wrinkles are all diminished.  The new Plus version has with a third speed and an extra brush head specifically designed for the body, you can use the brush head on your elbows, décolleté, hands, arms, and even your feet!!

You can find Clarisonic at Sephora stores nationwide, sephora.com and on Clarisonic’s website at clarisonic.com.

Image:  Clarisonic

Looking for an anti-aging  moisturizer but have yet to find one that cooperates with your sensitive skin?  Clinique Youth Surge SPF 15 is just the ticket. This revolutionary formula features antioxidants such as polygonum cuspidatum (better known as Japanese knotweed) root extract, algae extract, birch bark extract and linoleic acid.  It also contains a patent-pending Sirtuin activation technology, which has been proven to help slow down the visible signs of aging while simultaneously promoting natural cellular repair.

With anti-glycation science, collagen boosters and UVA/UVB SPF 15 sun protection, Youth Surge is a comprehensive anti-aging skin care product that enables skin to prevent and repair the signs of aging simultaneously.  One of the biggest enemies and contributors to visible aging is sun exposure.  The SPF in Youth Surge contains photo-stable UV protection that helps skin resist premature aging by helping to guard against the UVA “aging” rays which cause future lines and wrinkles.

Youth Surge SPF 15 Age Decelerating Moisturizer is available in three skin-typed formulas:

• Very Dry to Dry – a luxuriously, velvety cream that delivers intense moisture while providing comfort and cushion.
• Dry Combination – an ultra soft, emollient cream with a whipped texture to moisturize and protect skin, leaving it soft and supple.
• Combination Oily to Oily – an exceptionally lightweight cream delivering moisture where it is needed most, leaving skin soft, smooth and feeling fresh. Oil-free.

As with all Clinique products, this is allergy tested, 100% fragrance free, dermatologist tested and non-acnegenic.

Suggested Retail Price: $48.50.

Youth Surge SPF 15 Age Decelerating Moisturizer is available now at Clinique counters nationwide and at www.clinique.com.

Image: Clinique