Beauty


Hand creams that work in every price range

There are so many hand creams on the market, that when it comes to choosing one, the task can be daunting. Many hand creams claim they will absorb and not be greasy; but most of those claims fall short when the hand cream IS greasy and does nothing for dry hands. So, in the quest for the perfect hand cream, Bay Area Fashionista tested several lines in varying price ranges and picked out the best, non-greasy hand creams we could get our dry little hands on. 

Luxury Hand Cream:

It is well known that La Mer creates some of the most coveted creams on the market. The reason they are so highly coveted is not because Jennifer Lopez can attribute her glowing skin to Crème de La Mer, it is because the company’s products actually work.

La Mer The Hand Treatment comes in a slim tube which is surprisingly long lasting. A tiny little drop of hand cream moisturizes and heals dry skin. Although the hand cream is $70 for a 3.4oz tube, the high concentration makes this hand cream last longer than expected; easing the $70 price tag.

Verdict: Best healer of severely dry hands.

La Mer The Hand Treatment can be found at Nordstrom.

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Mid-Price Hand Cream:

Sometimes it is not the price that tells you how well a product can work. Laura Mercier has created a hand cream that comes in the sweet, sugary scent of Crème Brulee. Laura Mercier’s hand cream is also highly concentrated, just like La Mer’s. This helps the small; 2oz tube last longer than expected since you only need a small drop to rub into your hands.

Laura Mercier’s hand cream actually creates a barrier against daily tasks which can dry hands. Wash dishes without gloves? We found if you apply Laura Mercier’s Crème Brulee hand cream first, the drying dish soap will not be able to ruin your skin. We also found that it works well on hands before lifting, playing tennis and swimming; all activities which can dry out hands.

Verdict: Best protector against daily activities which ruin hands.

Laura Mercier Crème Brulee hand cream comes in a 2oz bottle for $15 and can be found at Nordstrom. 

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Drugstore hand cream:

Burt’s Beas Shea Butter Hand Cream is a classic drugstore find that contains the always famous Shea butter; known for retaining moisture in skin. Burt’s Bees Shea Butter Hand Cream has a nice scent and is only greasy for about three minutes after application. The hand cream eventually absorbs into the skin and provides a nice and soft barrier to the elements. At $12.99 for a 3.18oz tube, who can complain?

Verdict: Most “bang for buck” hand cream. Does the job without the grease.

Burt’s Bees Shea Butter Hand Cream can be found at Target stores.

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Do you have a favorite hand cream? Let us know by leaving a comment below! Happy shopping and stay fabulous 


Chanel nail polish “IT” list for spring 2011

Chanel nail polish is iconic. Every season Chanel dictates to the Beauty world what color should be on the fingertips of Fashionistas everywhere. Whether or not a Fashion-savvy or beauty-savvy shopper decides to follow the “IT” nail color of the moment is a personal choice. In the 1990’s Chanel introduced Vamp, which instantly took candy pink and cherry red off the fashionable fingers of the world and painted them a dark, controversial, brownish-red. Vamp is still on Chanel stores today and is arguably one of the biggest nail polish trends in finger tip history.

The past few years dark nail polish has been a mainstay on the finger-tips of the fashion savvy. With a few pops of pale pink and candy pink as well as last spring’s dark beige Particulaire, extremely dark polish has withstood the test of changing fashion trends. Some Fashionistas may be pulling out their carefully maintained locks at the thought of the high maintenance quality of dark nail polish. The chips show right away and can create a “hot mess” look with one major chip. While wearing dark polish, many beauty-savvy Fashionistas find they need to carry the bottle with them in their handbag; just in case of emergency.

Chanel has dared to test the patience of the fabulous, busy finger-tips of Fashionistas for spring 2011 with the introduction of Black Pearl. Black Pearl has already been named the “It” color for spring 2011 by many fashion publications and has garnered a waiting list upon its release on December 20, 2010. Fashionistas, who desire Black Pearl, might need to run in their 4” Christian Louboutin’s to the nearest Chanel beauty counter in order to snag a bottle. Thankfully, Black Satin from a few years is still on store shelves and Steel from the Chanel resort collection is also available at Nordstrom stores nationwide.

So for those who desire the Chanel “IT” nail polish of the season, there you have it. Black Pearl is the polish for your finger-tips. Of course, if you cannot get your hands on Black Pearl, or you feel $23 for a fleeting trend is too high of a price, check out the various black and steel polishes at Target. Sally Hansen has a fabulous color called Gunmetal which is a metallic black and only about two shades lighter than Chanel’s Black Pearl. For under $10, you can be right on trend with over $13 to spare. Happy shopping and stay fabulous 

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From left to right: Sally Hansen Gunmetal, Chanel Black Pearl and Chanel Steel


Own Products Plump Hydration Lip Therapy

Own Products, which is based in San Francisco and launched in fall 2010, has created an all natural way to plump up lips. Many lip plumpers on the market claim to use natural ingredients but actually use chemicals that irritate the skin on the lip in order to make them “plump.” Not Own! Own Products only uses natural ingredients to make your lips plump. The first three ingredients in Own Products lip plumpers are sunflower seed oil, apricot oil and safflower seed oil.  The fabulous part; those are all ingredients that are found in nature!

Own Products lip plumpers also help to firm and smooth out your lips. Love it! The Chili Pepper flavored lip plumper has an instant, chili pepper zing and scent. The Chili Pepper flavor also leaves a very slight red lip gloss on the lips making it easy to wear during the day. Chili Pepper works well for the holiday season since it offers a slight red tinge. The color blends well with red, pink and blue clothing as well as black and neutral colors.

Own Products Plump Hydration Lip plumpers also come in True Mint and Cinnamon Bark as well as a nighttime therapy version and spf treatment. True Mint and Cinnamon Bark also leave a very slight tinge of color.

San Francisco based Own Products can be found online at ownproducts.com. Happy shopping, and stay fabulous 

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Photo: c/o Own Products Lip Plumper in Chili Pepper