Beauty blog | Beauty blog

24April

{Test This} 3LAB “M” Cream

“M” Cream (retail value: $270 for 2 oz.), by 3LAB contains stem cells from a rare Swiss apple that “have been proven to slow down and delay the aging process,” according to the manufacturer. The company recommends using the cream in the morning and at night; it “immediately firms the skin.” A representative for 3LAB says to use the cream for thirty days to see “the full impact.” “M” Cream contains dozens of ingredients, including Nano-Claire GY™, “a bioengineered growth hormone-like protein,” PhytoCellTec™ Malus Domestica, the stem cells mentioned above, and Happybelle, a “phyto-endorphin extract” from a cactus.

Can this fruity cream give you that “lift” you’ve been looking for? 7 FOFs will try it.

To enter, leave a comment below answering: What has been the biggest change to your skin in the past 10 years?

P.S. Want to be guaranteed a product to test? Join the FOF Beauty Club now!

(See all our past winners, here.) (See official rules, here.) Contest closes May 1, 2013 at midnight E.S.T. Contest open only to residents of the continental U.S.

370 comments

10April

{Test This} Nexxus Youth Renewal Rejuvenating Dry Shampoo

Wash your hair...without washing your hair? A new product from Nexxus® may allow you to do just that. Its Youth RenewalTM Rejuvenating Dry Shampoo (retail value: $17.99) “weightlessly cleanses hair in between washes for increased volume and freshness,” and “helps maintain hair color longer.” The spray-on formula which was developed with aging hair concerns in mind, contains a proprietary blend including Omega 3, Wheat Protein, Keratin, Essence of Pearl and Argan Oil.

Will this product breathe fresh life into day-old hair? 10 FOFs will test it.

P.S. Want to be guaranteed a product to test? Join the FOF Beauty Club now!

Ten FOFs will win. (See all our past winners, here.) (See official rules, here.) Contest closes April 17th, 2013 at midnight E.S.T. Contest limited to residents of the continental U.S.

218 comments

04April

{Tested} Mai Couture Blush Papier

This blush sounds good on paper...but did it actually work? We sent Mai Couture’s Blush Papier to 9 testers to try. The product comes in a neat, pocket-sized booklet with 50 one-time-use sheets. No brush or sponge is necessary for application—just tear off a sheet and gently rub onto the apples of your cheeks for a "natural hint of shimmering hue,” says the website. Read on to see what our testers thought.

**Quick Take: 9 out of 9 testers would recommend Mai Couture’s Blush Papier to other FOFs.**

P.S. Want to be guaranteed a product to test? Join the FOF Beauty Club now! (more...)

4 comments

03April

{Test This} Chella’s Ciao, Perfect Brow–Brow Full-fillment Kit.

Will this kit give you “wow” brows? One company, Chella, says it has the solution for your sparse or thinning brows. Its Ciao, Perfect Brow Brow Full-fillment Kit contains a 6 mL tube of eyebrow treatment containing “essential” nutrients peptides and proteins, four eyebrow stencils, an instructional DVD and a tri-fold organizer pouch.

Once a day, apply the treatment to clean, dry eyebrows using a stencil as your guide. In a matter of weeks, you’ll see an improved “appearance of brow thickness and volume, fortifying existing hair and minimizing future loss,” according to the company’s website.

Amazing arches in weeks? 7 FOFs will get to test it.

7 FOFs will win. (See all our past winners, here.) (See official rules, here.) Contest closes April 10, 2013 at midnight E.S.T. Contest limited to residents of the continental U.S.

312 comments

27March

{Test This} Know Your Ingredients Sweet Almond Oil

Long lists of beauty product ingredients don’t impress us. What does: this Sweet Almond Softening Oil (retail value: $20) that literally just contains “sweet almond oil” in its ingredients...nothing else. Okay, okay...we lied, it also contains essential oils of orange, mandarin and ginger grass, but that's purely for scent.

Made by a company called Know Your Ingredients which boasts “minimally processed, whole food” skin products, the Sweet Almond Oil “helps aging skin because it eliminates impurities and removes dead skin cells while refining the skin’s structure and stimulating cell renewal,” according to the company.

The oil also “prevents skin from becoming dry, itchy and flaky,” and is "easily absorbed." Furthermore its makers say it is a “very good anti-inflammatory,” and can "ease itching and irritation caused by psoriasis, dermatitis, eczema and sunburn."

Will you go nuts over this almond softening oil? 10 FOFs will try it.

To enter, leave a comment below telling us which scent you would most like to try: Chamomile lavender, orange mandarin, litsea cubeba or unscented?

10 FOFs will win. (See all our past winners, here.) (See official rules, here.) Contest closes April 3, 2013 at midnight E.S.T. Contest limited to residents of the continental U.S.

526 comments

21March

My “about face,” from TV producer to beauty consultant–one FOF’s story

by Ramona Duoba

Just when I thought I’d be settled into a comfortable life I am not. I imagine there are other FOFs who are going through the same life-changing experiences. A few years ago I was laid-off from a job I loved as a TV producer. Just like that my life turned upside down. After a couple of weeks of mourning my job, I updated my resume and forged ahead. Diligently I worked on saving my career: resumes, meetings, interviews, all this during the worst recession since the Great Depression. Not to mention attempting to continue my professional life in an industry that was rapidly shrinking. On the 4th anniversary of my lay-off I had a hallelujah moment. I was working hard to give someone a reason to hire me and so I put all my trust into them, believing they would see value in my experience and awards. I was wrong. I had to start taking charge of my financial future and create my own success.

Fast forward to my meeting last week with Geri Brin, founder of FOF. Geri is a friend of mine. We lived in the same building on Manhattan's Upper East Side. I went over to her apartment to tell her about my new venture. You have to know Geri. She’s a master at multi-tasking. She's running a business, organizing beauty events, sitting with her pregnant daughter during her sonogram, renovating her apartment, yelling at Rigby (her barking dog), answering e-mails, text messages and the list goes on. "Do you want me to make a cappuccino for you?" she asks. "Sure," I tell her. I glance at the kitchen counter where Geri’s making the coffee and notice the Rodan + Fields Redefine Macro Exfoliator device charging out in the open. I'm not sure if I was more surprised that she owned this sold-out item or that it was being charged in the kitchen. (I think it's more of a bathroom item.) "You know I’m working with Rodan + Fields on its new venture focused on anti-aging," I tell Geri. "That’s great,” Geri answered. “I just bought this device and love it because I only have to use it once a week for about five minutes. I use the anti-aging products, too."

I told Geri I was reinventing myself. I'm no Madonna, I said, but I need to do something different, change my life and have control of my future and success. I respect Geri and wanted a businesswoman's reaction to my decision, not to mention validation. I explained the business model, the opportunity and the potential. "If R+F can do with anti-aging what they did in the acne market with Proactiv, then I want to get to the party early, not late when it's crowded. I want to be part of the explosive growth," I explained. "You're absolutely right in doing this," Geri said. "Just stay focused and don't think about the past. Look ahead," she advised.

So at the age of 52 that is exactly what I am doing. Getting out of my comfort zone, venturing into a whole new industry and excited about the possibilities that lie ahead.

Note from Geri: Not only do I get pleasure supporting women like Ramona; I love the R+F products. Besides my trusty Clarisonic skin cleanser, my new Macro Dermabrasion device is one of the most effective skin care products I own. I’ve used it only three times and already my skin feels softer. I guess it doesn’t really belong on the kitchen counter, but its sleek design fits in well with the Nespresso coffeemaker.

Click here for information about products that Ramona sells.

Click here for information about Ramona's business.

18 comments

20March

{Test This} Truth in Aging Hair Vitality Conditioner

FOF Marta Wohrle, founder of Truth In Aging, a review website for beauty products, tests lots of lotions and potions. But she was coming up dry when it came to recommending a good conditioner. So, she created her own.

Truth In Aging’s Hair Vitality Conditioner (retail value: $44) features emu oil, which is chemically “very close to human sebum and, hence, our skins will easily absorb and process its essential fatty acids...thickening the hair shaft,” Marta says. “Research has shown it will wake up even dormant follicles.” Marta claims her conditioner will give you “smoother, shinier hair with fewer tangles, improved fullness and decreased hair shedding.” It is scented with the essential oil of yuzu, a citrus fruit.

Is this emu oil conditioner a winner for thinners?

Or, will it make you want to bury your head in the sand? 7 FOFs will try it.

P.S. Want to be guaranteed a product to test? Join the FOF Beauty Club now!

Seven FOFs will win. (See all our past winners, here.) (See official rules, here.) Contest closes March 27, 2013 at midnight E.S.T. Contest limited to residents of the continental U.S.

236 comments

13March

{Test This} Bi Matrix 60 Second Wrinkle Eraser

Have 60 seconds? According to one company, As We Change, that’s all it takes to reverse decades of aging skin.

Its Bi Matrix 60 Second Wrinkle Eraser (retail value: $39) is made from peptides and bioactive ingredients that penetrate the skin’s top layer and “build a flexible, three-dimensional matrix to help restore youthful appearance by promoting new collagen and elastin,” according to the company’s website.

Just, sweep the serum under your eye, beginning from the inner corner and spread outward over fine lines, wrinkles and under eye bags. Set the serum by tapping your finger over the application area. Keep your face still for 60 seconds while the serum dries...then, voila! Wrinkles and lines “instantly disappear,” according to the company.

Will this product turn back the clock on your skin? 12 FOFs will test it.

To enter, leave a comment below answering: What changes have you noticed to your skin after turning 50? And, why would you like to try Bi Matrix?

12 FOFs will win. (See all our past winners, here.) (See official rules, here.) Contest closes March 21st, 2013 at midnight E.S.T. Contest limited to residents of the continental U.S.

579 comments

06March

{Giveaway} The Skin Regime

Amazed at the results, Dana wanted to share her knowledge with FOFs everywhere. In 2009, she asked dermatologist Dr. David Bank to work with her to write the book and develop her skin care system, The Skin Regime. "Because Dr. Bank makes it a personal goal to give the truth to his patients, he was thrilled," says Dana. "He went through the entire book to be sure everything was accurate.

In August of 2012, just as her book was about to come out, Dana caught wind of New Jersey mother-turned-social-media-sensation Patricia Krentcil, better known as "Tanning Mom" because of her frighteningly dark, wrinkled skin from over tanning. "I wanted to prove how well the boot camp could work," says Dana. "I got in touch with her and told her about what my system could do for her. She agreed to commit to the regime and to stop tanning." Patricia's boot camp lasted roughly eight weeks, and involved a total of eight glycolic peels. She used mild soap, Lubriderm moisturizer, and sunscreen in between her at-home, inexpensive glycolic treatments supplied by a dermatologist.

'Tan Mom' Patricia Krentcil, before and after participating in Dana's Boot Camp for Beautiful Skin.

Another client of Dana's shows dramatic improvement in her skin after undergoing The Boot Camp for Beautiful Skin.

"My book teaches you you how to get truly effective medical-level "peels" at home," says Dana, "at a fraction of the cost that medical spas and doctor's offices charge. Yes, you can do it, safely and easily. And it only takes about five minutes of your time every week, for 6 to 8 weeks."

Enter to win The Skin Regime's Skin Care Boot Camp my answering this question in the comments below: what's your biggest skin issue?

*Editor's note: Dana's program works best for those with skin issues such as fine lines, large pores, dull and dry skin, discoloration and mild acne. It is not to be used for cystic acne, psoriasis, open lesions, eczema and other skin diseases.

Two FOFs will win. (See all our past winners, here.) (See official rules, here.) Contest closes March 14th, 2013 at midnight E.S.T. Contest limited to residents of the continental U.S.

140 comments

06March

{Test This} Albertini International Divine Skin Hydrator

One company, Albertini International, claims that their in-shower body moisturizer, Divine Skin Hydrator will solve dry skin issues and changes due to menopause and hormonal fluctuations. The company's founder and CEO, long-time beauty expert Valorie Albertini, says that this product fixes one of the major issues FOFs have when applying moisturizer. “One of the things women say is that thought of applying moisturizer while having a hot flash is unbearable," says Albertini, "So the application in the shower is part of what makes it work."

The Divine Skin Hydrator is unscented, which reduces potential negative skin reactions. Applying the Divine Skin Hydrator in the shower locks moisture into your skin cells using the a unique formulation that includes an emollient, Panthenol, and Sodium PCA, a humectant, according to reps. Use the Divine Skin Hydrator each time you shower, and you'll see significant improvement within a week, reps say.

Will this moisturizer shower your skin with hydration? Or leave you in a rough situation? 10 FOFs will put it to the test.

Ten FOFs will win. (See all our past winners, here.) (See official rules, here.) Contest closes March 13th, 2013 at midnight E.S.T. Contest limited to residents of the continental U.S.

350 comments

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