November 2009's New Beauty Products
The prettiest new soaps, buzz about mineral makeup, a cure for undereye circles and more.
Fall Fancy
We love the smell of these miniature leaf-shaped soaps from the Uptown Soap Co., handmade in a brownstone in Harlem (Jar Soaps, $23 for 24;
UptownSoap.com ) and paraben- and sulfate-free. They're available in six deliciously fresh fragrances—mandarin orange, lily of the valley, wild rose, anjou pear, sweet violets, and lemon verbena. Rake them in and lather up!
Photo: Jeffrey Westbrook/Studio D
Bright Idea!
A few months ago, I headed out of state for a friend's wedding. The day of the event, I was ready to apply my makeup when I found all my cosmetics brushes at the bottom of my bag, bristles frayed. Next time I pack for a trip, I'll use a Brush Guard ($6 for a pack of six;
TheBrushGuard.com ), a plastic net that slips over a brush's bristles to prevent them from breaking and getting tangled or dirty. The guards come in four sizes, so all your brushes can travel safely. —
Alessandra Foresto
Illustration: Olak Kurhajek
Garden Party
"Not another celebrity fragrance!" That's what we thought when we first encountered In Bloom by Reese Witherspoon ($34 for 1.7 ounces;
Avon.com ). Then we took a good, long sniff. The rich, warm floral—a mix of peach tea leaves, gardenia, magnolia, and jasmine—had us dreaming of gardens in full, luscious flower. If this is Reese's (early) second act, we applaud her effort. —
Alessandra Foresto
Photo: Jeffrey Westbrook/Studio D
New Makeup Buzz! Vibrating Foundation
You've probably heard about
vibrating mascaras —now your foundation can pulsate, too. The new Lancôme Ôscillation Powderfoundation ($48;
Lancome-USA.com ), a loose mineral powder, has a vibrating applicator built into its cap. Just shake the jar to release the powder, remove the applicator, hold the sponge to your skin, and push the button on the side to trigger the vibrations. Lancôme claims the gentle pulses break the powder into less perceptible, "micronized" particles. I can't say for sure that the vibrations do anything but feel strangely soothing; I
can say that my skin looked amazing after I used this stuff.
— Jenny Bailly More new beauty gadgets (that really work)
From the
November 2009 issue of
O, The Oprah Magazine
