Sunscreen – We all know that prolonged sun exposure can rapidly accelerate the skin’s aging process. One of the best means of defense is a skin system with products that offer great SPF protection. Many sunscreen products now come with the added benefits of anti-aging ingredients or additional coverage.

Anti-Aging Products with Sunscreen

1. Neutrogena Age Shield Face Sunblock SPF 90, $10.99 at Target
Boasts an amazing price tag and a sheer (read: no icky white streaks), fragrance-free moisturizing formula that combats skin-aging free radicals.

2. Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20,$42 at Nordstrom
Your makeup can now do double duty! This tinted moisturizer shields skin from harmful UVB and UVA rays and hides flaws with lightweight, natural coverage all in one shot.

3. Shiseido Daytime Protective Cream SPF15, $221.95 at Cosmetic America
If you’ve got a little more change to spare, then try this luxe solution that promises to accentuate the positive (resilience and radiance) while reducing the negative (wrinkles, sagging, cellular damage and dryness).

Eye Cream - Don’t let pesky crows feet, dark circles, or wrinkles add years to your appearance. Fight back with a few key products specially formulated for this delicate area.

Anti-Aging Eye Creams

1. Burt’s Bees Naturally Ageless Eye Cream, $24.97 at Overstock.com
This emulsion is packed with natural ingredients like pomegranate and magnolia extract to aid in de-stressing tired looking eyes.

2. Olay Professional Pro-X Eye Restoration Complex, $41.99 at Dermadoctor.com
The OlayPro-X line has won rave reviews and been proven to soften the skin, diminish the look of fine lines and lighten dark circles.

3. Estee Lauder Re-Nutriv Ultimate Lifting Eye Cream, $99 at BeautyEncounter.com
Your “no surgery required” eye lift solution helps strengthen the skin for a more firm appearance.

Face Serum – A little face firming serum now may be the way to prevent a nip/tuck situation later. Preserve your skin’s elasticity and suppleness with potent serums that lift, firm and hydrate.  

Anti-Aging Serums

1. Avon Liiv Botanicals Vitalizing Face Serum, $17 at Avon
A budget friendly serum that guarantees visible improvements after just one application!

2. Sea Chi Organics Re-Hydrating Facial Serum, $69 at Nimli.com
Offers an organic solution to combat dryness and wrinkling around the neck, eyes and mouth.

3. La Mer Lifting Face Serum, $440 at Nordstrom
Restore and renew while you sleep! The La Mer brand has been a favorite among the celebrity set for years.

The New Blues

Brighten up your vanity with beauty products in shades of blue.  From sultry shadows to gentle exfoliators, check out some of my favorites among the new blues.

1.  MAC Deep Truth is a classic very deep blue shimmer eyeshadow that can update the classic smoky eye by standing in for stark black shadows.

2.  If lighter shades are more your style, try Urban Decay Speed.  This pale blue shadow is a great way to welcome the spring.

3.  Get a mix of blue shades in Maybelline’s Eye Studio Sapphire Siren Quad, the drugstore giant’s latest shadow offering.  A light and dark blue are paired with a frosty white and black shadow to give you a range of eye looks, all for less than $9!  Even if you usually avoid Maybelline’s shadows, try the new Eye Studio quads, they are way more pigmented than their regular line.  Applied wet, they rival department store brands with their rich color payoff.

4. NARS Bains Douches is a bright sky blue glitter pencil that will take your eye look from day to evening.  Wear a pale blue shadow to work and then spice it up in the evening with a darker blue shadow (like MAC’s Deep Truth) and Bains Douches in the inner and outer corners of the eye to add some sparkle.

5.  Stila Black Diamond Mascara in Blue Shimmer will add just a hint of sparkle to your eyes.  The soft blue shimmer in this basic black mascara is perfect for daytime (no disco ball eyelashes here).

6.  Brighten up your shower and your skin with Peter Thomas Roth’s Botanical Buffing Beads!  This scrub has tiny round beads to gently exfoliate your body and even delicate facial skin.  The bright blue color will help you to imagine a lovely tropical ocean while you uncover the bright new skin you’d show off on that beach.

7. Marc Jacobs Daisy in The Air is a limited edition reisssue of the popular Daisy fragrance in a bottle adorned with bright blue flowers.  The perfect gift for the girl who loves floral fragrances,  Daisy has notes of violet, strawberry and gardenia.  This limited edition set includes a daisy chain of blue flowers that she can spritz and hang in her room so she’ll be surrounded by her favorite scent.  It’ll also freshen and brighten up your car -  those little green trees are no competition!

The 2009 holiday season is now a distant memory, but is your wallet still recovering from a full season of holiday shopping? Here are some of my favorite finds for $10 or less.

 beso frugal without skimping on small treats to pamper yourself from head to toe.

Origins GinZing Eye Cream

We could all use a little (or a lot!) more sleep, but we don’t have to look like it.  Dark circles, puffiness and wrinkles around our eyes age us.  We’ve found some of the best eye creams to relieve those tired eyes, including some great options for women in their twenties and thirties who don’t have wrinkles yet and would like to keep it that way.  After all, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Caudalie Lifting Eye Serum

This serum tightens the eye area alleviating droopiness and lessening puffiness.  A great product to pair with a moisturizing SPF concealer for day or a heavier eye cream at night.  The natural formula makes it a grea choice for people with allergies.

Neutrogena Ageless Essentials Eye Cream

Neutrogena Ageless Essential Eye Cream

Neutrogena’s Ageless eye cream is a steal at $15.  Your skin will drink up the moisture and you don’t have to be afraid to use it regularly morning and night since buying a replacement tube won’t break the bank. 

Olay Total Effects Eye Transforming Cream 

Olay’s Total Effects eye cream, another bargain option, has a hint of shimmer to brighten the area under eyes.  This formula is great for wrinkle prevention on young skin applied under concealer.  It will brighten the undereye area and treat dryness on wrinkle-free skin.  Be sure  to check out one of the other eye creams if you already have many fine lines.  The shimmer will settle into them making them more noticeable.

Origins GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream

This popular product de-puffs and moisturizes in a light, whipped cream that won’t irritate the eye area.  The product has a beige color that is imperceptible on skin and no shimmer which means it is a great choice for treating fine lines.  If you’ve tried other creams and found them to be too heavy on your skin, try Origins GinZing!

Dr. Hauschka Daily Revitalizing Eye Cream

Dr. Hauschka Daily Revitalizing Eye Cream

Dr. Hauschka’s Daily Revitalizing Eye Cream is light, moisturizing, and paraben-free.  A great choice for oily skin in need of some extra pampering in the eye area.  The natural ingredients mean less irritation for even the most sensitive eyes.

Shiseido Sun Protection Eye Cream SPF 32 

If you don’t apply sunscreen all over your face, every day, you are letting the sun age you.   Considering how delicate the eye area is, I am surprised that SPF is so uncommon in eye creams.  Shiseido’s eye cream offers SPF 32 protection.  This is one cream that will prevent fine lines and wrinkles!   

Keep your skin protected from the sun whether you choose an eye cream with SPF or not.  Layer SPF concealer or foundation over your moisturizer or pick a moisturizer with SPF (Neutrogena has some great, affordable options)!

The Present is Perfect

I know there are a lot of women who are loathe to leave the house without doing some major face painting. I take my hat off to these ladies, because frankly, there are some mornings that I’m so tired I can barely brush my teeth before heading out the door.

Because of this, one of my all-time favorite products – one I have recommended to many friends who’ve felt equal adoration – is easy to apply, but provides absolutely incredible results. No matter who you are or what your beauty routine, what’s not to love about that?

Philosophy’s The Present is a clear, silicone-based foundation that produces a near-perfect finish, and leaves my skin incredibly soft. Even better, when I use The Present, I see an improvement in my complexion – redness clears, blemishes heal. Honestly, it’s like someone has airbrushed my face.

And, even though I’ve done nothing more than brush my teeth and put on The Present, that kind of instant airbrushing gives me confidence and makes me feel good about myself. Clear makeup that makes me feel pretty without color cosmetics, improves my complexion and boosts self-esteem? Yes, ma’am. And that’s why it’s one of my all-time faves.

Buy Philosophy’s The Present at beso and see for yourself!