My favorite thing about January isn't hitting the gym (too crowded) or trying the latest juice cleanse (needed, but definitely not fun) -- it's throwing things away. Piles of papers get shredded; clothing gets donated; and old beauty products get tossed.
From the shine spray that left my hair sticky to the concealer that gave me white raccoon eyes, everything that falls on the spectrum from bad to mediocre will end up in the recycling bin. And I'll finally be able to see the back of my medicine cabinet -- at least for a week or two. You see, the thing I love even more than cleaning out my beauty bins is filling them up again.
And January is peak season for new products. Hundreds of launches are hitting drugstore shelves, beauty boutiques, and department stores. In fact, there are so many products to get excited about that the hardest part of writing this roundup was narrowing down the options.
Instead of choosing products that simply seem cool or work well, I opted to highlight the ones that have the potential to completely transform your routine. Some are multitaskers, some are genius inventions, and others are skin care game-changers. If the best beauty products coming out in January are any indication, 2013 is going to be a very good year.
There's something about a hair fragrance that sounds so luxurious -- but also so superfluous. (A hair fragrance? Really? Who needs such a thing?) But the Shu Uemura Art of Hair Essence Absolue Nourishing Fragrance is so much more than a scent -- although the scent is heavenly. It's a lightweight oil that can be used to revive dry hair -- think serious shine, no more static, and a fragrance that rivals any designer perfume. But one word of warning: It's limited edition so stock up while you can!
Benefit has been on a hot streak lately, coming out with one fabulous kit after another. This one is my favorite so far because it has everything you need to achieve the "I woke up looking this good" look. Inside the cute box you'll find a pore minimizer, highlighting cream, eye shadow primer, cheek and lip tint, powder foundation, and mascara.
Every time I try a retinol product -- whether it's for fine lines, breakouts, or both -- I give up after a few days. I just can't stand the redness and peeling that come along with the versions that are strong enough to make a difference. That's why this new one from StriVectin is something special: I'm talking zero irritation and a noticeable improvement.
The genius is in the formulation, which contains a special version of niacin to help counteract the side effects of retinol. Plus, there's Sodium Hyaluronate to make your skin hold onto more moisture and peptides and botanicals to build collagen.
Intrigued? You're in luck! We're giving away five to lucky readers on our Facebook page.
As I've gotten older, I've started to notice that most concealers now crease in the fine lines around my eyes. It doesn't matter how many -- or few -- layers of eye cream and primer I apply, an hour later I have tiny tiger stripes of concealer. This new concealer balm -- a combination of CoverGirl makeup magic and Olay skin care -- gives me just enough coverage, fights fine lines, and never creases.
My favorite thing about January isn't hitting the gym (too crowded) or trying the latest juice cleanse (needed, but definitely not fun) -- it's throwing things away. Piles of papers get shredded; clothing gets donated; and old beauty products get tossed.
From the shine spray that left my hair sticky to the concealer that gave me white raccoon eyes, everything that falls on the spectrum from bad to mediocre will end up in the recycling bin. And I'll finally be able to see the back of my medicine cabinet -- at least for a week or two. You see, the thing I love even more than cleaning out my beauty bins is filling them up again.
And January is peak season for new products. Hundreds of launches are hitting drugstore shelves, beauty boutiques, and department stores. In fact, there are so many products to get excited about that the hardest part of writing this roundup was narrowing down the options.
Instead of choosing products that simply seem cool or work well, I opted to highlight the ones that have the potential to completely transform your routine. Some are multitaskers, some are genius inventions, and others are skin care game-changers. If the best beauty products coming out in January are any indication, 2013 is going to be a very good year.
