The Fab Five Week 8
By Gigi Anders
Our last Fab Five of 2017. Woo-hoo! Happy new year, almost. Here in Beauty Land we’ve been laying low, recovering from the fabulous onslaught of holiday goodies.
We may be tapped out, but we still love a good bargain when we see it.
These are our five fave new products to transition you into 2018 without major debt and with winter-busting goodness.
1. Vaseline Intensive Care Cocoa Radiant Smoothing Body Butter ($5.98). When the dew point’s at zero, there’s no such thing as too much moisture for dull, dry skin. Just ask Viola Davis, the beautiful face of the brand. The Academy Award winning actress, who’s a Triple Crowner (winning an Oscar, an Emmy and a Tony), obviously knows from good body butters too. Made with delicious cocoa and shea butters and a special blend of micro-droplets of Vaseline® Jelly and humectants, this ultra-rich yet un-greasy butter instantly soothes, improves, and penetrates to keep skin feeling comfortable and radiant until your next shower.
2. Neutrogena Hydro Boost Exfoliating Cleanser ($8.99). Our love affair with this brand goes on and on and this refreshing gel-cream cleanser is one of the reasons. This soap-, oil-, and paraben-free formula, with with naturally-derived “skin smoothers,” is non-comedogenic, and contains hyaluronic acid, which is clinically proven to increase skin’s hydration level and lock it in. This cleanser is how you remove dirt, oil, and dry surface skin thoroughly but really gently -- key when it’s freezing out and you don’t want anything too stripping or hardcore.
3. Sally Hansen Vitamin E Nail & Cuticle Oil Limited Edition Vanilla Buttercream Scented ($3.48). Hurry up on this one because it’s nearly sold out everywhere and you’re never gonna see a better price for the cult favorite in this lovely, subtle flavor. Cuticles and nails take a beating in winter. They constantly crave moisture and protection. This lightweight, quickly absorbing oil is enriched with a natural essential oil complex, so cuticles and nails feel hydrated, soft, healthy, and protected from harsh elements. It also leaves a soft sheen on the nails that looks pretty. I keep one bottle on my desk and another on my nightstand. Gotta have it.
4. Hard Candy Black Body Mist Spray ($8.23). Do you remember Jean Naté? Launched in 1935, the “After Bath Splash” was (and still is) a bright, clean, citrusy blend of lemon and lime, combined with lavender, jasmine, rose, carnation, lily of the valley, cedar, tonka bean, musk, and sandalwood. I mention it because I love the idea of a light, post-shower body fragrance that sort of hovers around you quietly without the statement-making and commitment of an actual perfume. Hard Candy Black is like that. It’s sweet, with initial fruity notes – kiwi, lychee, and mango – then quince blossom, jasmine, and vanilla, finally settling into sugared iris, creamy woods, and warm amber. This is an uber-feminine, flirty fragrance for a girly-girl. I spray it on my hair or into the air and walk through it for that unexpected whiff of sweetness.
5. SheaMoisture Raw Shea Butter Moisture Retention Shampoo w/ Sea Kelp & Argan Oil ($10.99) and Raw Shea Butter Restorative Conditioner ($10.99). If damaged, dehydrated, or transitioning hair (moving from chemically treated to natural) is your problem, this deeply hydrating duo is what you want, stat. The sulfate-free, color-safe shampoo is plush and smells heavenly thanks to argan oil (to restore shine and promote elasticity), aloe vera leaf juice, and these choice extracts: rosemary, sea kelp (mineral-rich nutrition to seal and smooth hair cuticles), and honeysuckle. The conditioner, which can actually be left in the hair for extra moisture, contains olive fruit oil, organic shea butter (to moisturize and condition both hair and scalp), argan oil, jojoba seed oil, carrot seed oil, hydrolyzed silk, and hydrolyzed soy protein. Ratty hair won’t stand a chance. As always, all cruelty-free SheaMoisture products are made with fair trade ingredients, and never contain parabens, phthalates, paraffin, mineral oil, petroleum, formaldehyde, or propylene. We love this brand.
