Blog Archives
Keratin Infusion: Inova Professional
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Keratin is a type of fibrous protein that makes-up part of your hair, skin and nails. We are constantly depleting the keratin in our hair through chemical processing, heat, environmental factors and age. All of these factors can break-down the keratin creating weak, damaged hair. New innovations in hair care have found that product rich in keratin can help secure stronger and healthier hair.
Inova Professional specializes in keratin-packed products and treatments. They specialize in frizzy, unruly and unmanageable hair. I have never used products containing keratin until now and am not sure why I waited so long.
The Silk Keratin Smooth Protection Sulfate Free Shampoo is a wonderfully rich shampoo. Creamy and thick, you would never guess this product is sulfate-free. It gently cleanses the hair and removes build-up, infusing the hair with strengthening keratin, nourishing coconut oil and vitamin-c. Hair rinses feeling smoother and conditioned for increased manageability and shine.
The Silk Keratin Smooth Hydration Conditioner infuses hair with strengthening keratin to help rebuild the hair and silk proteins to seal the hair cuticle. The result is hair that is instantly smoothed of frizz, detangled and increasingly shiny.
The Silk Keratin Miracle Mask is a weekly treatment you can use at home. Formulated with white carnation oil, avocado oil, silk protein and keratin protein, it repairs split ends and other symptoms of dry, weak, and damaged hair. One of the best hair masks I have ever used – you will notice a difference the instance you apply and rinse. Hair feels coated and protected, but not weighed down. After styling, hair is noticeably smooth and silky and remains that way until next wash.
Formulated for all hair types, but is ideal for chemically treated or thermo-reconditioned hair, Inova Professional products are a ‘treatment’ for the hair. Yes, they smell wonderful and feel luxurious, but all of that aside – I feel and notice a difference in my hair. After 1-2 uses, I noticed smooth and silky locks. After 5-10 uses, I have noticed stronger, healthier hair.
About Inova Professional:
Inova Professional was founded by Daniel Babishov and Simon Aminov, two NYC salon owners and senior hair stylists. With over 40 years of combined experience, they both specialize in unruly, curly, frizzy hair. After many years of seeing clients’ hair become increasingly unmanageable and frizzy due to color processing, relaxing, and various other chemical processes, they wanted to develop a treatment that would not only salvage their clients’ hair, but also act as a conditioning treatment to keep hair healthy and shiny. Their goal was to develop a solution for unmanageable hair, as well as a cohesive hair-care system for clients to prolong it’s long-lasting results.
With this goal in mind they developed the Pure Keratin Hair Smoothing Treatment, a revolutionary hair smoothing technology designed primarily to eliminate frizz and secondarily to straighten hair. The Pure Keratin Hair Smoothing Treatment is formulated with keratin and collagen proteins, as well as mineral oil and cacao extract to rebuild and strengthen the hair where it has been damaged, as well as protect and smooth the hair.
Inspired by this treatment, they also developed a line of Silk Keratin retail hair-care products to be used in conjunction with the treatment, or on their own. All of the Inova Professional products are developed with our signature keratin complex and other essential ingredients.
Moisture Surge: Clark’s Botanicals Deep Moisture Mask
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Fall is here. Along with the crisp mornings and turning leaves, you may have also noticed your skin feeling a little chapped and dry. When the season changes, so does your skin. This is a great opportunity to take advantage of the colder weather and ease your skin into the winter months gracefully.
Now is the time to seal in the hydration. Clarks’s Botanicals Deep Moisture Mask is designed to hydrate, nourish and comfort dry, aging, environmentally damaged and dehydrated complexions. Natural ingredients work together to deeply moisturize and replenish the complexion, allowing it to regain radiance and suppleness over time. With regular use, fine lines and wrinkles will be diminished and a youthful glow will take their place.
The mask hydrates and soothes skin quickly, and can be used year-round to nourish the skin and restore the natural glow. The high concentrations of algae extract, coupled with comfrey root, Jasmine Absolute, and Japanese Green Tea, make this mask a potent anti-oxidant treatment. It is thick and rich and instantly quenches the skin. It can be used as a weekly treatment or as a daily moisturizer. If used daily, only the smallest amount is needed. Skin will be noticeably plumper and hydrated.
Make a few tweaks in your seasonal skin care to ensure healthy, glowing skin all-year-round.
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ABOUT CLARK’S BOTANICALS
Some skincare lines come and go. This year’s miracle ingredient is often next year’s outdated science.Then there are those exceptional lines that not only deliver results, but are truly compelling because they are based on real human experience and a brand narrative not created by a corporate marketing team, but by a personal history.
Clark’s Botanicals was born out of tragedy when company founder Francesco Clark, who then worked at Harper’s Bazaar, suffered a crippling spinal cord injury in a swimming pool diving accident on June 1, 2002.
With his central nervous system impaired, Francesco lost the ability not only to walk, but even to sweat. This led to clogged pores and chronic breakouts. When neither over-the-counter nor prescriptive remedies worked, he turned to his father, Dr. Harold Clark, a physician trained in both traditional Western medicine and homeopathy.
Together they developed botanically-based formulas that effectively rebalanced Francesco’s skin, clearing it up entirely. Through word-of-mouth, other people discovered and fell in love with these products, and in 2005, Francesco began selling Clark’s Botanicals on his website: http://www.clarksbotanicals.com
Even as the collection grows into a full-fledged skincare system, rebalancing skin remains its overarching objective. That’s why all Clark’s Botanicals products today feature Jasmine Absolute, a precious essential oil that naturally rebalances skin. Derived from nocturnally-blooming flowers, this extract is also antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and immuno-stimulating. It works to calm and heal a broad spectrum of skin types, from young to mature, oily to dry, and normal to sensitive.
With a passionate consumer following, Clark’s Botanicals is pleased to announce its latest move into select, prestige retail distribution with updated packaging and a launch family of thirteen paraben-free treatment products.
“Clark’s Botanicals is an organic part of me and my recovery,” says Francesco. “Everything about this line has a purpose and reason for being, from the ingredients to the packaging. It’s an expression of who I am in its purest form.”
Francesco Clark serves as a National Ambassador for the Christopher Reeve Foundation, which is dedicated to curing spinal cord injury by funding innovative research and improving the quality of life for people living with paralysis through grants, information and advocacy.
A percentage of profits from the sale of Clark’s Botanicals go to The Christopher Reeve Foundation.
Summer Savior: Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Mask & Healing Oil Treatment
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The summer months call for plenty of fun in the sun and outdoor activities. Sun, salt, chlorine and wind exposure can take quite a toll on your hair. Keep your locks looking lush with Macadamia Natural Oil’s Deep Repair Masque & Healing Oil Treatment.
Macadamia Natural Oil is a professional hair care line that creates products to heal problematic hair using both macadamia oil and argan oil. Together, these oils replenish the hair’s natural emollients with the high content of essential fatty acids found naturally in both. The combined benefits help to nourish and protect the hair from harmful UV rays while repairing hair follicles for improved elasticity and shine.
The Deep Repair Masque is a revitalizing hair reconstructor for dry, damaged hair. Thick in consistency this masque feels extremely pampering and moisturizing. It smells amazing, like vacation and creates super soft, shiny, manageable hair.
The Healing Oil Treatment is a therapeutic oil that provides intense nourishment and frizz-free finish. It is lightweight, non-greasy and reduces drying time by 40-50%. It naturally provides UV protection which will extend the life of color treatments and reduce fading. This oil instantly and miraculously creates healthier-looking hair.
For an ultra-intense hydrating experience – mix both of these products together and leave-in hair overnight or during a day at the beach or pool.
GLOW-T AWARDS: Kerstin Florian Sunless Tan
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BEST MOISTURIZING SELF-TANNER: Kerstin Florian Sunless Tan
Kerstin Florian Sunless Tan is an innovative product that provides easy application, natural color, consistency, moisture and a pleasant aroma.
The uber moisturizing formula is enriched with Sweet Almond Oil and Shea Butter to deeply hydrate and smooth the skin for a radiant, streak-free appearance. Ginko Biloba and Echinacea extracts help to condition the skin, fight free radicals and promote healthy cell regeneration.
The active ingredient in most self-tanners is dihydroxyacetone (DHA), which reacts with the outer layer of the skin to create a bronzed tone. Kerstin Florian Sunless Tan uses a natural sunless tanning ingredient derived from a vegetable source. It reacts with amino acids in the top layer of the skin to produce the golden appearance.
Selected by SELF Magazine as the “Best New Self-Tanning Product of the Year,” Kerstin Florian Sunless Tan is thick and creamy and smells subtly like a bouquet of flowers. The initial color is light but builds to a beautiful sun-kissed glow. It feels very lux on the skin and feels and smells like a spa treatment.
Tried & Tested: Dior Hydra Life BB Crème
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The BB Cream craze has officially arrived stateside. Prestige brands are now formulating their own versions of these “magical creams.”
To read more on the meaning and creation of the BB Cream, read my previous post, here.
I admit, I jumped on the BB Cream bandwagon a couple years ago. I starting with traditional Asian brands and have worked my way up to my current favorite, Dior.
The difference between traditional BB Creams and the BB Creams now available at your local counters, is color and consistency. The majority of the traditional brands offer a selection of only one or two shades, developed primarily for Asian skin tones. These shades are often very light and have greyish-undertones. Traditional BB Creams are thick in consistency and provide medium to full coverage as well as excellent sun protection, anti-aging benefits and skin-regenerating properties. The majority of the “new” BB Creams are no different than a tinted moisturizer with higher SPF. The coverage of these products can be very sheer, but most offer a better selection of shades.
Dior Hydra Life BB Crème has a thicker, full-coverage texture that is more in line with traditional BB Creams. Formulated with the Hydra Life skincare line, this cream is packed with moisturizing and age-defying benefits. The smooth velevety-texture has complexion-enhancing properties that produce a dewy, radiant glow. With SPF 30 PA+++ protection, this is a great product to reach for in the warmer months. The one caveat is, similar to traditional BB Creams, Dior Hydra Life BB Crème is available in one only shade. It is important to test this product before purchasing.
The BB Cream craze is confirmable, who wouldn’t want a single-step cream that will balance skin, correct the complexion and protect a youthful appearance?
Hydration Help: Kiehl’s Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado
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Kiehl’s Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado is a rich eye cream that nourishes and hydrates. More than just an eye cream, it truly is a treatment for the eyes.
The light green cream has a thick consistency that mimics fresh avocados. It plumps the under eye area with an intense concentration of actives; Beta Carotene, a powerful antioxidant, Shea Butter restores hydration and keeps skin protected, and Avocado Oil moisturizes and infuses skin with amino acids, vitamins, and potassium.
When applied, the composition of the rich cream magically changes to a water-soluable texture. The delicate eye area immediately drinks this up, providing a burst of hydration. Tested under Ophthalmologists, the concentrated formula will not irritate or migrate into the eyes. No trace of film or residue is left on the skin that sometimes interfere with makeup or concealer application.
Treat your eyes to a burst of moisture with Kiehl’s Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado. (Don’t forget about Kiehl’s more than generous sample gifting.)
Brilliant Balm: Rodial Glam Balm
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Rodial Glam Balm
Rodial Glam Balm is a multi-purpose skin treatment that revitalizes the skin. This anti-aging balm can be used on the face, lips, neck or hands.
Glam Balm contains Myrrh extract that plumps-up fat cells in the skin for a fuller appearance. Vitamin C that brightens, stimulates collagen and provides antioxidant protection. Calendula, shea butter and vitamin E which help restore moisture and sooth the skin. It also contains Bergamot Fruit oil which is an antiseptic used to treat acne.
Glam balm can be used as a mask or simply to spot-treat. This product has a similar texture to petroleum jelly, but richly thicker. It goes on clear and feels extremely hydrating on the skin. Glam Balm retains no scent and can be used on even the most sensitive skin.
With a multitude of benefits – reduces fine lines, plumps lips and wrinkles, calms and heals sensitive/irritated skin and increases collagen production – there is bound to be a reward for everyone.
Sun Shade: MAC Suntints SPF 20 Liquid Lip Balm
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MAC SUNTINTS SPF 20 LIQUID LIP BALM
MAC Cosmetics newest collection, Surf, Baby! features three new Suntints. These liquid lip balms nourish and protect the lips from summer sun, wind and salt.
Suntints reveal a slight hint of color but produce incredible shine. It’s jelly-like consistency is thicker than most lip balms but provides long-lasting coverage.
As are most MAC lip products, Suntints have a light vanilla scent and taste. They feel sticky and slightly tacky on the lips but very moisturizing.
The new Surf, Baby! Suntints contain SPF 20 and are available in three colors, Lilt of Lilly (creamy pink/lilac shade), Pink Tinge (pink/gold shimmer shade) and Full of Grace (crisp watermelon shade).
These lip balms are packaged in a 10 ml striped squeeze-tube that resembles a retro surfboard. Suntints are a great option for protecting your lips this summer, all the while looking fabulous.
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