MIRACLE PRODUCTS
➜ CLÉ DE PEAU CONCEALER
Every once in a while, a product comes along that’s so good, even makeup artists who work exclusively
with another line will sneak it into their arsenals. For those in the know, that would be Clé de Peau’s
heavy-duty concealer. The magic eraser of the skin product world, it comes in four shades (ivory,
ocher, beige, and honey) and wipes away any blemishes or dark under-eye circles left over from last
weekend. Each one, though pricey, will last up to three years, and mixed with your moisturizer, it
smoothes and brightens your entire face.
I CLÉ DE PEAU CONCEALER $70, BARNEYS NEW YORK, COPLEY PLACE, 100 HUNTINGTON ST., 617-385-3300.
➜ KIEHL’S MARVELOUS MINERAL MASCARA
The mascara conundrum, as we see it, is thus: Either they fail to thicken, but are easy to remove,
or they thicken like crazy, but require nothing less than a sandblaster to take off. Enter Kiehl’s first
and only mineral-based version (and our latest obsession); it sports a brush that helps thicken and
lengthen, and is jacked up with jojoba oil and aloe vera to help moisturize, so you never see so much
as a flake, no matter how long you leave it on. We’ve clocked ours up to 23 hours — after a long night
out on the town, it still looked fresh.
I KIEHL’S MARVELOUS MINERAL MASCARA, $16.50, KIEHL’S BOUTIQUE, 112 NEWBURY ST., 617-247-1777.
➜ SHU UEMERA WHITE RECOVERY EX BRIGHTENING CLEANSING OIL
You wouldn’t just slap a coat of paint on your dining room walls without priming them first; caring
for your skin should be no different. This oil is part of the Japanese company’s White Recovery Ex
skin-care line, which brightens and tones your face as you sleep and works as a superb makeup
remover, wiping away raccoon eyes and dark spots with one splash.
I SHU UEMERA WHITE RECOVERY EX BRIGHTENING CLEANSING OIL, $35 FOR 150ML, SHU UEMERA,
130 NEWBURY ST., 617-247-3500.
➜ LA PRAIRIE CELLULAR EYE MAKEUP REMOVER
After all the energy we spend hunting down the longest-lasting makeup and blending it perfectly,
at the end of a long day, we barely have the energy to take it off. La Prairie’s Eye Makeup Remover
takes the scrubbing out of our nighttime routine — erasing everything in a quick swipe, with no
residue whatsoever. And its texture is silky, not oily. If only every beauty ritual could be so easy.
I LA PRAIRIE CELLULAR EYE MAKEUP REMOVER, $60, NEIMAN MARCUS, 5 COPLEY PLACE, 617-424-5000.
➜ MD SKINCARE ALPHA BETA DAILY PEEL
There are few things more rejuvenating than our monthly facial, but in these economic times,
it’s anything but rejuvenating to our wallets. So we save our cash without giving up on perfect skin
with this extra-effective face peel kit developed by New York dermatologist Dr. Dennis Gross.
The product works by using a two-step system — first a peel, followed by neutralizing pads — that
keeps us exfoliated, glowing, and hydrated. It can’t replace pricier facials altogether, but takes them
from a monthly necessity to an every-other-month luxury.
I MD SKINCARE ALPHA BETA DAILY PEEL, $70, MINILUXE, 296 NEWBURY ST., 617-487-4313.
PHOTOS FROM IS TOCKPHOTO.COM
➜ OXYDERM FACIAL
BEAUTY AND BLISS
After the frigid hibernation that was this past winter,
your skin may need serious revival. The oxyderm
facial at Beauty and Bliss will not only revitalize
your dermis, it’ll also have you looking younger and
fresher. We love the 60-minute facial (invented by
the spa’s owner, the illustrious Claire McCardle) for
its combination of microdermabrasion, application
of pure oxygen, and antioxidant mask — a mixture
potent but gentle and capable of waking up skin
that’s been lying dormant all winter.
I OXYDERM FACIAL, BEAUTY AND BLISS,
1223 BEACON ST., BROOKLINE, 617-739-8888,
BEAUTYANDBLISS.COM.
➜ LASER HAIR REMOVAL
ARDAN MEDSPA + SALON
Warm weather welcomes sunglasses and skin, but
stubble? For shame. The laser hair removal program
at the Ardan is more than just fancy equipment; it’s
results. With the ability to target an entire area at one
time, the procedure can get you in and out in around
15 minutes. A double cooling technique makes the
process nigh painless (unlike razor slips and waxing,
we might add). To top it off, the average number of
treatments needed for sleek-as-glass skin is around
six, which means less time inside and more time
flaunting your results.
I LASER HAIR REMOVAL, ARDAN MEDSPA + SALON,
72 CENTRAL ST., WELLESLEY, 781-235-7788,
ARDANSPA.COM.
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➜ MANICURE
BEAUCAGE
As editors, we give our nails a beating during our monthly
deadline crunch, and then neglect them until we realize how bad
things have gotten. That’s when we call Beaucage — the experts
at fast, excellent, meticulous manicures. We usually opt for the
aromatherapy manicure (with essential oils and skin conditioners
that make our stress melt away), which lasts and lasts.
At least until the next deadline.
I MANICURE, BEAUCAGE, 71 NEWBURY ST., 617-437-7171, BEAUCAGE.COM.
➜ DEEP-TISSUE MASSAGE
BELLA SANTÉ
Some massages may feel nice for a few minutes,
but they don’t banish months of tension and stress.
A deep-tissue massage at Bella Santé, on the other
hand, will leave you both pain-free and knot-free. The
therapeutic massage combines a variety of movements, mostly slow, strong strokes, to target your
most bothersome areas. Penetrating deep into your
muscle and tissue, this truly personalized experience will help eliminate those lingering knots in your
calves or kink in your neck and truly rejuvenate you.
I DEEP-TISSUE MASSAGE, BELLA SANTÉ, 38 NEWBURY
ST., 617-424-9930, BELLASANTE.COM.
➜ BODY TREATMENT
AZ STUDIO
If you ask us, taking care of our bodies with products
that have been junked up with chemicals is a seriously oxymoronic notion. Hence our addiction to the
Ren Skincare line, and to the soothing ritual that AZ
Studio has created with it. First things first: they exfoliate hands and body with a salt-based body balm
loaded with olive, basil, and peppermint oils; then
they massage you head to toe with a frankincense
vitamin cream; finally, they follow it with yet another
massage (this time it’s your hands, with Moroccan
rose body oil) until you’re lulled into a happy little
coma. Everything is chemical free: no sulfates, no
parabens, no synthetic fragrance, or colors. All in all,
it fits our definition of naturally incredible.
I REN CLEAN SKINCARE BODY TREATMENT, AZ STUDIO,
94 DERBY ST., HINGHAM, 781-740-0066.
