BEAUTY PRODUCTS THAT WORK #4 (WHICH ARE ALL PERFECT MOTHER’S DAY GIFTS!)

I recently realized that it had been a long while since I brought you one of my Beauty Products That Work columns.  People always ask me what cosmetics I’m loving, but I just hadn’t discovered that many stupendous products in a bit.  Until recently, that is.

I’m happy to report that I now have a whole bunch to share with you, and just in time for last minute Mother’s Day gifts, too!  (And actually for Father’s Day, as well—most of these recommendations are unisex.)

So let’s get to them, in no particular order:

Butter London Melt Away Cuticle Exfoliator—Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve been nail obsessed.  And I’ve always given my cuticles extra special attention.  I’ve never been able to understand when others do not do the same for themselves.  So, when I grew-up and started having manicures, the nail techs have constantly complimented me on not only my nails, but my cuticles, as well, because they usually don’t need to do any additional grooming on them.  But during my recent siege of pneumonia, my cuticles were the last thing on my mind.  So, needless to say, when I recovered, and tried to push them back, I was horrified at how unpliable they had become.  Enter this amazing product, and in under three minutes, my cuticle health was back even stronger than the health of the rest of my body!  I’ll never be without it again.

Woda Clay and Charcoal Mask–This twice-weekly mask is touted to give you “beautiful skin in an instant.”  And I’m here to tell you—that is exactly what it does!  Mr. X even noticed, the very first time I used it.  My face really did “look clearer and more radiant,” as it claims on their site.  And the best part for all of you is that, since I’ve had a few others try it, as well, I can affirm that it really is perfect for all skin types.  I think I’ll actually go use it again right now!  Thanks, me.

SpaRitual’s Inhale Nail Polish Collection—Not only is this new line vegan, (which an increasing number of people seem to care about,) but the reason I’m now a fan of these beautiful new pastels is because they need no base or top coats!  And for uber-busy peeps such as myself, that’s a godsend!  And they’re here just in time for summer, when not only are these shades in vogue, but with so many outdoor activities, (swimming, volleyball, sidewalk sales,) polish needs to be changed more often.  So, to be able to skip a couple of usual steps is such a pleasure.

Nudestix Concealer Pencil and Clean-Up Pencil—These are two items I cannot live without!  First up, let me tell you about the concealer. I don’t know what I’d do without this! Several years ago, I had Mohs surgery for skin cancer—on my nose!  Let’s just say that my surgeon was far less than an artist, and left a crazy depressed white scar. (But the scar is less depressed than I am over it!) It’s taken me years to perfect just how to disguise it, and since I was an artist when I was young, I put that thinking cap on and realized I had to lighten-up the negative space around the hole!  This concealer pencil (I use Medium 4) is the perfect shade and consistency to do the trick!  And it’s the easiest make-up tool to use!  I just draw it into the dark space, as with a crayon, and smooth it in some more with a flat brush, and I’m an artist all over again!  (Only, since the canvas is my face this time, it’s much more important than a picture of, say, a clown!)  After I do that, I also dot it over any tiny dark spots on my face, and a bit under my eyes.  I don’t even wear face make-up over it!  A swoop of bronzer and blush, and I’m as good as new!  And I always keep my Nudestix Clean-up Pencil handy, for any little make-up messes that need removing throughout the day.  You just dab the error with it, (which is usually lower lash mascara in my case,) and poof—it’s gone!  It’s a make-up bag necessity.

Gerard Cosmetics Metal-Matte Liquid Lipstick in Dreamweaver—My friends and I practically fight over this lip color, which makes your lips just about glow!  We all want to wear this one all the time, and we actually can do it even when we’re together because it looks a bit different on everyone.  The entire line of metal colors is fabulous, but Dreamweaver is special because it imparts a beautiful and sexy golden shimmer, while still being a neutral.  I have a feeling that it looks great on all lips, but I like to think it’s just mine.

Pur Minerals Hello Bright Eyes—Trust me when I tell you that I own very many eye highlighter pencils and creams. But this pink one is the best of them, by far! It really does brighten the eyes. You put some under the brow, and dots in the inner corners of the eyes. (Not in them, of course, but on the skin on the outside of the corners. Duh.) Then you blend it in with the attached sponge tip, and voila—you look refreshed! No one seems to ever realize that I’ve usually been up overnight!

Parodi Hand Cream—Back to the hands.  I’m amazed, in a bad way, when I see people with such dry hands.  When I had a recent manicure from a young nail tech, she could not stop exclaiming over my soft hands; she said she had never felt ones like them before.  How sad for the rest of the women of Los Angeles.  Don’t they know that hands always give away their ages?  So, for those sad-phalanged peeps comes this duo of hand creams—one for day and an intensive one for bedtime—that were created by a former hairstylist from Switzerland.  She realized that she and her salon co-workers had their hands in water for a good part of the day, so they needed to start protecting them from the drying effects of that task.  And now you all know how to do that, as well.  You’re welcome!

And that’s it for this time.  Trust me, my Review Panel and I try dozens of beauty products every week, and while most are good enough, all of the ones on this page are above and beyond.  I hope they work as well for all of you, too. And if you’re looking for last-minute Mother’s Day gifts this week-end, I’m sure every recipient will be thrilled with any and all of these.

[Note: Unlike many supposed “beauty bloggers,” who get paid to tout some companies, and therefore don’t give a hoot about if they’re being honest with you, I do not accept money for what I write in this column, so I’m just telling it like it is! Enjoy!]