Shape’s Best of Beauty Awards Part I
Drumroll, please. Here are the results of Shape magazine’s Best of Beauty of Awards, the skin, hair and makeup products that nearly 5,000 readers, beauty professionals and Shape editors say are the year’s biggest winners. Because the list is so extensive, I’m putting it in two blogs to make it easier to read.
Facial exfoliators
Olay Dual Action Cleanser + Pore Scrub ($7; at drugstores) For skin to look its best, you need not only to remove the day’s dirt and makeup, but also to slough off dead cells. Testers loved that this foaming daily cleanser did both. “It left my skin feeling clean and smooth, and my pores looked smaller,” said one.
Estée Lauder Idealist Dual-Action Refinishing Treatment ($50; esteelauder.com) No time—or money—for micro-dermabrasion? This powerful weekly treatment (a rich cream you wash off after five minutes) resurfaces skin with salicylic acid and glucosamine, which help erase brown spots—plus, it contains soothing cucumber extracts. “My face looked less splotchy after using it just once,” raved one tester.
Facial moisturizers
Aveeno Positively Radiant Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30 ($15; at drugstores) Testers loved this product’s “totally natural-looking color” and “non-greasy” feel. Plus, the light-reflecting mica it contains helps even out skin tone, while the SPF 30 prevents future damage.
Clinique Comfort on Call Allergy Tested Relief Cream ($40; clinique.com) If your face is on the drier side and seems to react to anything you put on it, “this fragrance-free formula, with skin-calming jabara fruit extract, is for you,” says Shape editorial advisory board member and spa expert Mary Bemis.
Facial cleansers
Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash Pink Grapefruit Facial Cleanser ($6; at drugstores) “The refreshing blast of grapefruit scent makes this a perfect morning pick-me-up,” said one tester. The potent cleanser also contains a blend of 2 percent salicylic acid and soothing botanicals. The result: clear pores, fewer breakouts, and skin that’s makeup- and
oil-free (but never dry).
Aveda Enbrightenment Brightening Cleanser ($35; aveda.com) This creamy wash features the antioxidant vitamin C, exfoliating salicylic acid, and aloe vera extract to gently remove dead skin cells. “It’s even suitable for those with easily irritated skin,” says Shape editorial advisory board member and dermatologist Darrell S. Rigel, M.D.
Body cleansers and scrubs
Ahava Mineral Botanic Velvet Cream Wash for Very Dry Skin in Hibiscus & Fig ($20; ahavaus.com) “This thick cleanser was so hydrating, I didn’t need to apply lotion after my shower,” commented one tester. It has nourishing oils and minerals harvested from the Dead Sea, plus plant extracts.
Caress Evenly Gorgeous Exfoliating Body Wash ($4; at drugstores) The moisturizing karite butter and sloughing brown sugar in this cleanser gently remove dull, dead cells and get you supersoft. Testers repeatedly praised its “yummy cookie scent.”
Origins Gloomaway Grapefruit Body-Buffing Cleanser ($20; origins.com) This mild formula is a “supereffective exfoliator,” states Bemis. The secret sloughing ingredient? Crushed apricot seeds. The invigorating aroma of grapefruit, mint, and orange turned an ordinary shower “into a spa experience,” said one tester.
Body firming
Nivea My Silhouette! Redefining Gel-Cream ($16; at drugstores) The gel-cream formula—which testers praised for “sinking in fast”—contains white tea and anise extract to improve skin tone and elasticity. “After about three weeks of using it, the skin on my legs started to look firmer,” said one.
Clarins High Definition Body Lift ($65; us.clarins.com)
This lotion features a combination of enzymes, botanicals, and caffeine, all of which tone and firm skin to reduce the appearance of cellulite. Testers reported seeing less-lumpy-looking thighs after just a few weeks of use, and with regular p.m. application, one claimed she was “actually ready to put on a bikini.”
Eye care
Garnier Nutritioniste Skin Renew Anti-Puff Eye Roller ($13; at drugstores) Testers loved this “totally refreshing and addictive” eye treatment. The formula contains caffeine to banish puffiness and dark circles, plus vitamin B5 and glycerin to hydrate skin and lessen the look of wrinkles.
Lancome High Resolution Eye Refill 3-X Triple Action Renewal Anti-Wrinkle Eye Cream ($55; lancome-usa.com) Staffers agreed this cream almost rivaled the results of an injectable. “The skin around my eyes looked amazingly smooth,” said one. Not surprising; it has collagen-building peptides adn hydrating hyaluronic acid.
Dermatologist brands
Patricia Wexler M.D. Dermatology MMPi-20 Skin Brightening & Pore Refining Serum ($55; bathandbodyworks.com) Wrinkles aren’t the only things that make you look older, according to dermatologist Patricia Wexler, M.D. Enlarged pores and uneven skin tone do too; this serum—created by Wexler—tackles both. It also contains light diffusers to boost luminosity. “It felt silky and made my skin look tighter within just days,” noted a tester.
Murad Oil-Control Mattifier SPF 15 ($40; murad.com) “This cream is ideal for people with combination or oily skin who usually shy away from anything with sun protection in it for fear of breakouts and sheen,” says Bemis. The botanical-infused potion, from Los Angeles dermatologist Howard Murad, M.D., was shown to reduce oil buildup by up to 78 percent for more than eight hours.
Sun protection
Bare Escentuals BareMinerals SPF 30 Natural Sunscreen ($28; bareescentuals.com) This unique brush-on powdered sunscreen gets its UV-blocking powers from the natural mineral titanium dioxide (mixed with antioxidant vitamins A, C, and E). It also provides a sheer glow to your face. Editorial advisory board member and dermatologist Jeanine Downie, M.D., says it’s “an effortless way to apply extra protection anytime.”
Neutrogena Ultimate Sport Sunblock Spray SPF 70+ ($10; at drugstores) Avoiding the rays during a sweaty workout in the sun typically requires superthick, sticky sunscreen. But this surprisingly lightweight spray (which blocks UVA and UVB rays) creates an undetectable layer of protection on the skin. “It stays put and doesn’t drip into your eyes when you run,” says Downie.
Antiaging
Olay Professional Pro-X Deep Wrinkle Treatment ($42; at drugstores) Testers were surprised to find such a potent wrinkle-fighting formula at the drugstore. It features a blend of retinol, niacinamide (vitamin B3) and peptides, all shown to renew skin cells and reduce the appearance of lines. “Like botox without the needle!” exclaimed on staffer.
Kiehl’s Highly Efficient Skin-Tone Corrector ($50; kiehls.com) Getting rid of brown spots is no easy feat, but this concentrated cream was up to the task. “I started noticing significant fading after a few weeks of daily use.” reported a tester. The results come from the mix of skin-renewing ingredients, including vitamin C-rich fruit extract and glycolic acid.
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