Skin Care

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Photo: Getty

Cate Blanchett’s skin deserves all the superlatives it always gets. I recently had the chance to meet her and sit with a small group of beauty editors for an interview with the actress, and her skin is unbelievably luminous. While I’ve always respected her as an actress (she owned Galadriel in LOTR) and as a red carpet dresser (ditto that lavender Givenchy gown she wore to the 2011 Oscars), as a fellow pale person, I’m truly in awe of her amazing skin, especially considering the fact that she’s almost 43.

SK-II, the brand which Blanchett has famously been using for about 10 years–and shilling for the last eight–is launching a new LXP range this month, which includes a cream and serum; both contain concentrated amounts of Pitera, which is the mystical ingredient in all of SK-II’s products. So after trying some of the luscious, rose absolute-scented potions, we got down to the business of asking the actress all the important beauty questions. Read on for her secrets.

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REN is one of our favorite skin care brands–their serums are legendary, and the Glycolactic Skin Renewal Peel mask will change your life (well, it’ll change your face). This year the cult-fave Swedish brand is celebrating their 10 year anniversary. How did they choose to commemorate this milestone? By shooting a soft core porn short film, naturally. Read more »

Photo: MAC

There’s a (pseudo) new kid on the beauty block here in the US, and from the looks of it, BB creams—otherwise known as Beauty Balm, Beauty Benefit, Blemish Base, Beblesh Balm, or Blemish Balm–are quickly becoming the crème de la crème of the cosmeceuticals (skin care + makeup) industry.

BB creams can be traced back to 1950s Germany, when Dr. Christine Schrammek created a salve to aid skin healing in post-peel and laser surgery patients, while also masking splotchy, inflamed redness and shielding sensitive skin from the sun. Fast forward 50+ years, when BB creams exploded in popularity in Asia, Japan, and Europe–thanks to drop-dead gorgeous Korean actresses like Song Hye Kyo singing its praises–and suddenly everyone is clamoring to introduce their own to the US market.

Why?

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Photo: Vogue Paris/Inez & Vinoodh

Contessa Schexnayder is a makeup artist and has been shackled to the beauty industry for over nine years, working for such lines and retailers as Nars, MAC, Bobbi Brown, Blue Mercury, and Space NK. She is a self-proclaimed ingredient know-it-all, and likes long walks on the beach.

Now that the new year is here, it’s finally time to make a resolution that is easy to keep: taking care of your skin. After all, who wants to spend 2012 with their face looking like a dehydrated piece of fruit? (And, if you’re anything like me, making a declaration to keep your skin lovely is way easier then putting down that second cookie.)

This is why I strongly suggest adding a new product to your skin care arsenal–facial oils. Now I know many of you might be thinking “ick.” But I promise this little product is perfect for all skin types, and if you use the right one, many of your skin care concerns can be solved.

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Photo: Getty

Okay, so that was sort of a rhetorical question. I mean who wouldn’t want the flawless skin, perfect bods and flowing, perfectly-undone hair we see on any given VS model–and it’s all totally natural, right?

Well, not exactly. Because while these ladies are certainly gorgeous, they’re not as perfect as you might think. They, too, have puffy eyes, dull skin, bad hair days and, yes, even blemishes, just like the rest of us. That’s where Colleen Creighton and Pasquale Ferrante–the beauty and hair geniuses behind many a Victoria’s Secret and Victoria’s Secret PINK look–come in.

We went behind the scenes at a Victoria’s Secret PINK shoot in Miami, courtesy of Alison Brod PR, to find out all the secrets that go into looking like a VS model straight from the source. Read on to find out how you can get the look, with tips from Creighton, Ferrante and some of the models themselves!

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It’s officially the holiday season, which means chaos and stress and running around to 37 events in two weeks (and most likely consuming alcohol at every single one of those events). All of that stress can take a toll on your skin in the form of breakouts. While topical treatments like benzoyl peroxide definitely are effective, they can cause a lot of dryness, flaking and irritation. We went seeking some gentler alternatives, and Mathilde Thomas, the founder of the Caudalie Vinotherapie Spa at the Plaza here in New York City (and the skin care line of the same name) was happy to oblige.

Here are two DIY facial recipes, one for acne and one for redness and irritation. You can whip them up quickly at home, and once you purchase the initial ingredients, you can get dozens of facials out of them. So stop stressing about your stressed out skin, and read on:

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