anti aging

As you may know, I often get to chat with makeup artists about what tricks they use to create beautiful makeup palettes. Continually, I hear about primers, primers, primers. And you know what? Those makeup artists know what they are talking about, so I decided to try Revlon's Age Defying Instant Firming Face Primer ($12.99).

First off, the smell of this primer is very odd. I can't quite place my finger on it, but it's rather potent, with almost a chemical/outdoorsy scent. Since I tend to get a little oily, I chose the normal/combination formula (also comes available for dry skin), and although it felt lightweight to the touch, within a few hours my skin looked a little more shiny than I would have liked.

Formulated with something called Botafirm to tighten the skin, the best part of my Revlon primer experience was an increased performance in the longevity of my foundation, and my makeup glided on more evenly. I also noticed that the product made my skin look brighter and softer, without causing breakouts — a huge plus.

All-in-all this primer did what it was supposed to do (create a smooth canvas on the skin), but I wasn't wowed by the supposed tightening factor or slightly heavy feel. Plus, the tube didn't dispense the product evenly, and I was disappointed that I seemed to waste so much of this relatively expensive drugstore item.

See reader reviews and add your own here!

And so we come to the conclusion of my interview with Amy Keller, the beauty director of Allure. If you missed any of the previous posts, be sure to catch up on them for her advice on beauty and the magazine biz. We'll finish things up today with a few thoughts on antiaging products. If you've been a faithful user of sunblock, you will be very happy to see what Amy has to say!

I’m totally obsessed with sunblock. I’m like a crazy lady who always has to wear it. Is everyone at Allure obsessed, too?
Yes, everyone here is totally obsessed with sunblock. I absolutely wear sunscreen every day. When I even get daytime moisturizer sent to me without sunscreen, I just don’t even understand why people are launching them — because what’s the point? It simplifies sunscreen by having it in your face cream. Also, I’m kind of obsessed with the new face washes that have sunscreen ingredients that actually don’t totally go down the drain. St. Ives has a new one, so you can get it in the drugstores; Freeze 24/7 had the first one that came out last year. So that just makes things even easier. Not that that’s the only thing you should use for sunscreen, but it's good to put it on. We are really into Helioplex here, which is in Neutrogena and Aveeno products.

It's good to hear you say that. I'm starting to see the payoff of wearing sunblock.
It’s very true! We are obsessed with antioxidants here, like coffeeberry, which is in those Revale skin products we have done several stories on. I feel like every dermatologist I have talked to says that if you combine antioxidants and sunscreen, it makes such a difference. One dermatologist said that if you look at women who are age 25, you might not be able to tell who is wearing antioxidants. But if you look at women who are age 35, you will totally be able to tell who has been wearing antioxidants and sunscreen because their skin looks so much younger.

After reading this Beauty Product Junkies post and informally talking with a few friends, one thing is clear: Few people are clear on what eye creams do and whether you need them. So here are a few FAQs about eye cream. (If you have other questions, just leave a comment.)

Do I really need an eye cream?
Yes; to protect the delicate area around your eyes, you need to apply moisturizer every day.

Can't I just use my normal face cream?
Sure — it's up to you. The skin around your eyes isn't inherently different from the skin on, say, your cheeks. If you like your moisturizer, there's no reason not to use it near your eyes. Depending on your skin type, you may prefer (as I do) to use a separate eye cream. If you have oily skin, for instance, you may want a hydrating eye cream but a mattifying face lotion. But there's nothing holding you back from using the same moisturizer all over your skin.

To find out whether eye creams can eliminate your wrinkles, read more

Since your lips and eyes have thin skin, they tend to show signs of aging more quickly than other areas of the body. Lip-firming products contain high concentrations of vitamins and anti-inflammatory agents, and they lessen the look of enlarged pores. Here are three products that have been recommended to me.

Pevonia Botanica Youthful Lip Cream ($46) sounds like the end-all, be-all lip-firming treatment. It's a great product for anyone who has yellow stains and/or fine wrinkles around their mouth from smoking. It contains SPF, timed-release retinol (to plump and smooth), shea butter (to moisturize and heal), and azelaic acid (to slightly lighten). Apparently, it also works great as a lipstick base. Apply twice daily and gently massage into the skin.

For two more firming and line-reducing lip creams, read more

These days the market is flooded with anti-aging products from serums to sprays to pills, so it can be a daunting task to figure out which treatments are necessary to ward off the early signs of aging. But there are three basic, simple things you can start doing today to keep your skin healthy.

• Moisturize Since a lot of women struggle with occasional bouts of acne, we often overdry our skin when preventing and treating breakouts. But you can hydrate your skin without clogging your pores. Keep your skin as hydrated as possible by using an oil-free moisturizer with an SPF in the morning, and then a moisturizing gel or hyaluronic acid serum in the evening to lock in as much moisture as possible while you sleep.

To see two more ways to start preventing the early signs of aging, read more

Sometimes you just feel like indulging yourself in ridiculously expensive beauty products from time to time. Maybe it's your birthday, you've received a bonus, or perhaps you just have a chunk of change that's been burning a hole in your pocket. Regardless of how you've saved your pennies, here are a couple of over-the-top new beauty indulgences to check out. I personally haven't been able to strike gold and try out these items yet, so if you have, I'd love to know how they compare to more affordable brands. Keep in touch!

This month, Chanel is releasing Sublimage Sèrum Essential Regenerating Concentrate, a highly concentrated and powerful anti-aging treatment to partner with its popular Sublimage Cream. The Chanel research team has spared no expense in developing this lightweight serum to help combat wrinkles, firm and hydrate the skin.

So, if a rejuvenated and youthful complexion is what you crave, you can purchase radiance in a one ounce airless pump bottle for $385!

For another totally over-the top serum splurge, read more

Did you get some gift cards this holiday? If so, Dr. Brandt has a thick and luxurious antiaging, complexion-boosting lotion called Contour Effect ($185) that might be up your alley. It was developed as a last-ditch effort for Dr. Brandt's patients, who asked him for a firming fountain-of-youth product to try before undergoing cosmetic surgery.

Made with antioxidants and other powerful ingredients such as mamaku essence (to stimulate and tone skin tissues), calmosensine (to relax the skin), and bacocalmine (an antistress herb to calm irritations) skin should look more even toned, firmer and supple. It also enriches seriously dehydrated or dry skin, as well as stimulates cells and promotes increased regeneration. To use, just apply a small amount to a clean face and neck in the morning. If your skin is excessively dry, you can also use it in the evening.

While I doubt that this topical cream can work miracles to turn back the hands of time, it does have peptides to help slow down the aging process. And on the off chance that you've got an extra $185 burning a hole in your pocket, I hope you'll try it and let everyone know how well it works!

The skincare masters behind Orlane, a Parisian high-end beauty brand, has developed an extremely decadent antiaging cream fit for a princess.

Crème Royale is made from a blend of ancient Egyptian and Chinese medicines such as royal jelly, a pure-honey extract, which helps brighten and hydrate skin and boost longevity, and liquid 24-karat gold, which contains firming, antiwrinkle, and antioxidant benefits.

The result is a deep-penetrating and intensely hydrating cream that promotes healing and prevents sagging. Oh, and the price? How silly of me to forget. Just 1.7 ounces of this royal treatment costs $650. Does anyone still have an extra slot open on their holiday wish list?