What’s new in beauty and hair-care products
It’s a notion ingrained early: September, the start of the traditional school year, is a time to start over. For the nonstudent, that may mean cleaning out your closets, enrolling in an exercise class or recommitting to New Year’s resolutions. It’s also a good time to review your beauty routines. You should always get rid of products that are past their expiration dates, of course. And we checked with some experts about what else to toss, keep and add this season.
Makeup
Tim Quinn, national director of creative artistry, Giorgio Armani Beauty
Toss Heavy powder and heavy oil-based foundations: “With most of the new foundations and new technology, you don’t even need a powder … this whole idea of setting your makeup is almost obsolete.”
Keep Translucent powder and blotting papers: “If you’re doing something like a red carpet where you want to control shine you can maybe use light loose powder…but I like oil-absorbing sheets rather than layering powder.” Golden bronzer, not too coppery: “I don’t use it all over the face. I usually use it just to add a little shadowing, like along the temple, slightly up to the cheekbone and along the jaw line.…You’re not trying to look like Snooki.” Rose-gold toned blush: “I’ve had it in my kit since forever… it exists in every brand and is a color that you use almost all of the time.” One to try: Nars Orgasm blush $28, Narscosmetics.com. A classic blue-red lipstick: “At any point in your life [this] is something you should never not have.” He recommends Armani Shine lipstick No. 8 red, $29, Giorgioarmanibeauty-usa.com. Black pencil: “Liquid liners come and go, but a black eye pencil is a keeper forever.”
Buy Foundation with up-to-date technology: “Complexion products have changed dramatically…If you haven’t bought a new foundation in the last year or two, then you’re doing yourself a disservice.” He recommends Armani Maestro Fusion Makeup, $62, Giorgioarmanibeauty-usa.com. Gray eye shadow: “A gray-toned eye palette is more modern than black smoky eyes.” He recommends Lancome All-in-One 5 Palette, Gris Fatale, $49, Lancome-usa.com.
Rebecca Restrepo, global makeup artist, Elizabeth Arden
Toss Shiny shadow: “A woman in her 50s shouldn’t be putting super shiny things on her lids. Luminous is fine but nothing that looks like tinfoil. In modern formulations, mica is really, really minuscule and unbelievably fine.”
Keep Lip pencils: “Lip pencils definitely are a girl’s friend, especially as we get older or have small lips. Companies now have several nude pencils [to match various skin tones]... Match your lips, like foundation, and then lipstick goes on top.” A lash curler: “A little lash curl is pretty, opens up the eyes and makes a world of difference.” She recommends Kevyn Aucoin Eyelash Curler, $20, Barneys.com. Pinky-peach lip gloss: “Just nothing that has glitter or sparkle in it because that’s not chic.”
Buy A brow pencil: “Strong brows are big this season.” Plum lipstick: “Really rich tones, including burgundy wine tones, are really big for fall. Older woman will look good in a sheer tint.” One to try: Eight Hour Cream Lip Protectant Stick Sheer Tint SPF 15 in honey — a peachy-pink color — or plum $19.50, Elizabetharden.com.
Skin Care
Dr. Jessica Wu, Brentwood dermatologist and author of “Feed Your Face”
Toss Sunscreen that has changed color or consistency: “This can happen after it’s been sitting in the sun or a hot car. If the formula has changed, you can’t trust that it will still give you the same sun protection.” Acne products that make your skin dry and scaly: “The most offending ingredients are 10% benzoyl peroxide and 2% salicylic acid. If your pimples get dry and scabby, they’ll heal slower than if you keep your skin soft.”
Keep Olay 2-in-1 Daily Facial cloths for combination/oily skin ($5.39, Ulta.com): “I recommend them to my patients with acne-prone skin or an oily T zone. They remove makeup and oils, leaving your skin clean and soft.”
Buy Lip balm with SPF: “I often notice dark spots or scaly growths on my patients’ lips after they take off their lipstick or gloss. Lips are a mucous membrane, so the skin is thinner and more vulnerable to sun damage and skin cancer.” One to try: Jack Black Intense Therapy lip balm, SPF 25, $7.50, Sephora.com. BB cream: “If you want sunscreen, hydration and more coverage than a tinted moisturizer but less than foundation.” She recommends Diorsnow BB cream, $50, Nordstrom.com. “Plus, be on the lookout for CC creams, all the rage in Asia [Chanel’s Complete Color Complexion CC cream is an example of these multitasking skin-care and coverage products] and coming to the U.S. this fall.”
Dr. Harold Lancer, Beverly Hills dermatologist
Toss Face toners with harsh drying agents: “Generally speaking, [these] are a thing of the past and have been replaced with oil absorbers, which basically mop up the mess.” Rough exfoliants from natural pitted products such as nuts: “That’s in the garbage can.… Those are truly abrasive and can leave microscopic scratch marks.”
Keep Products with retinoids, retinol, alpha hydroxy acid, glycolic acid, antioxidant vitamin C: “I’ve been in the skin world since 1971 and can say that [these ingredients] have weathered the test of time.… They reverse genetic and environmental aging.” He recommends Lancer Skincare Evening Anti-Aging Therapy, $75, Lancerskincare.com.
Buy Products with some variant of resveratrol, a grape seed extract that’s antioxidant that reverses wear and tear on tissue, and/or a new stabilizing form of vitamin C: “The catch phrases will be stabilized glycolic acid, stabilized retinoic acid and stabilized grape seed extract.” He recommends Lancer Skincare Vitamin C 10% cream, $50, Lancerskincare.com.)
Hair
Paul Gambutti, manager L’Oréal Professionel technical testing and development
Toss Heavy styling products that weigh hair down: “Really, no matter what your hair type or what product that you’re using, the technology is so advanced now there are lighter options.”
Keep A variety of shampoos, conditioners and hair masks: “Your hair might have different needs at different times depending on your circumstance, hair health and environment.”
Buy Products that don’t leave an oily residue: “So something like L’Oreal’s Mythic Oil ($32, Birchbox.com) is nice, where you get all the benefits of the oil but you don’t actually feel the oil on your hair and you don’t have to wash it off.”
Tracey Cunningham, celebrity hair stylist and Redken creative consultant
Toss Your desire to do Brazilian Blowouts: Ingredients in some products have proven to be potentially hazardous so “embrace your curls instead.”
Keep Your favorite brands, and look for updated formulations. “Products are either discontinued or they make them better. Redken has really updated their color stay technology.” She recommends Redken Color Extend shampoo, $15.49, and conditioner, $16.49, Target.com.
Buy A new curling iron: “With heat setting controls.”
