The Fab Five (Plus One) Week 5
By Gigi Anders
New head-to-toe comfort and fun as summer beckons.
1.) Hair treatment expert Philip B. knows from botanicals and how good they are for keeping hair beautiful and strong. Two luxurious products we love are both leave-in’s that hydrate, protect, and smell nice. Rejuvenating Oil ($34 - $178) comes in a dark glass bottle with a dropper, the better to control how much you use. Anybody with dry hair? You want this. Anybody with normal hair who wants to maintain? You too want this. Packed with fragrant olive fruit, peanut, sesame seed, walnut seed, sweet almond, jojoba seed, lavender, and flower oils – this surprisingly light treatment literally gets at the root of your dehydrated problem.
2.) Don’t even think of picking up that blow-dryer -- or any other hot hair tool, for that matter -- before spritzing hair with Oud Royal Thermal Protection Spray ($28). Also fabulous fighting sun damage, chlorine, and salt water, this weightless, time-released, hair perfume builds texture, enhances shine, and preserves color integrity from the afore-mentioned bad guys.
3.) Everybody knows my love for Dove. Our requited romance continues to grow with Shower Foam Cucumber & Green Tea Scent Foaming Body Wash ($5.83). One of the most delightful things you can do without your clothes, this pump bottle – and you know anything with a pump in my shower is a hit – releases a soft, airy lather that smells fresh and clean, and leaves skin feeling nourished and hydrated. You’ll want a dozen.
4.) Speaking of which, you’ll also have to try The Body Shop’s British Rose Shower Gel ($6). Short of dousing yourself in actual rose petals, this must be what England’s Rose used in her bath. I know, rose-scented anything can be really tricky. But not this one. This one’s enriched with the essence of hand-picked British roses grown on a farm in Herefordshire, England, where they're infused in fresh mountain water to sustain rosy purity. Soap-free and non-drying, the rich lather will transport you to straight to an English garden state of mind.
5.) What’s better than a Bioré Deep Cleansing Pore Strip? A Limited Edition Floral Bioré Deep Cleansing Pore Strip ($9.49 for 14 strips). Too cute for words? Yes. But these springtime-ready strips, like the regular kind, are hardcore workhorses that magically suck out the week’s grossness – dirt, blackheads, assorted weird little yucky things – as they dry. Call them the papier mâché of skincare.
6.) Sometimes, you just gotta sleep on it. Or, in this case, in it. StriVectin Overnight Replenishing Mask ($62) delivers intense, soothing hydration and nourishes skin throughout the night as skin repairs itself. The anti-aging, multi-layered moisture technology (Patented NIA-114™) helps strengthen the skin barrier to keep water reserves at optimal, healthy levels. Whenever your skin feels dehydrated and blah, use this after P.M. cleansing. Avoiding the eye area, apply the invisible and wonderfully scented mask to your face. Don’t rub it in. Just let it work; it knows what to do. Call it a night. In the morning, say buenos dias to happy, supple, visibly renewed skin.
