Here’s the deal – Luster NOW! has blue-tinted microspheres that leave an undetectable blue tint on your teeth for about five hours. Much like how blue-tinted lip colors make your teeth look whiter, the blue microspheres do the same thing. You can’t see them, you just see whiter, brighter teeth. Don’t be scared off by the Smurf-blue color of the toothpaste when it’s in the tube – it really just looks white.

As I mentioned, it lasts about 5 hours before your teeth lose their boost of whiteness. Fortunately the tubes are purse-sized and come in packs of three, so you can stash one in your desk at work for mid-day touchups!

Find Luster NOW! Instant Whitening Toothpaste at Amazon.com!

You see, I wanted the incredible radiance that Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum gives on contact, but I knew I should be wearing sunscreen. 99% of the time I use both in layers, but in the crazy hot first week of August, I thought that more than one layer of skincare product would be a bit too much for the matte yet slightly dewy look I was going for. If I was going to be outside for more than a couple of minutes, the choice would be clear – sunscreen. But I was going to be mostly inside one particular day, so the question remained: which product to use? As I sat there I checked my mail, and saw that the good folks at Caudalie were sending me their new Vinoperfect Day Perfecting Fluid SPF 15 for review. Suddenly, I didn’t have to choose – I would be able to get that radiant look and be wearing a SPF!

But the sum is greater than its’ parts in the case of Caudalie’s Day Perfecting Fluid. Not only did it make my skin radiant, supple, and provide the perfect base for makeup, it also evened out my skin tone immediately without foundation. I was instantly hooked. The texture of the formula is so silky too – it really feels like you have nothing on your skin, and it is incredibly gentle – which I love for a product with a SPF.

It definitely smoothed out little lines on Lyn and I, and as I said, it really evened out skin tone. So we decided to test it out on our father, who can be rather errant when it comes to SPF. (We call this “Skin Care Ninja-ing” – a quick sweep of moisturizer across his forehead and onto his temples when he’s not looking). He looked FANTASTIC. The lines on his forehead just disappeared with one use. While Day Perfecting Fluid is a beige-y color in your palm before application, it imparts no color to the skin, but smooths lines in no time flat, so it’s definitely a product men can use as well when looking for a SPF with a matte finish (aka doesn’t look like he has anything on, SPF or otherwise).

Lyn and I have both been using Caudalie Vinoperfect Day Perfecting Fluid SPF 15 for a few weeks now and we love it. It’s not sticky or greasy on the hottest of summer days, and keeps you looking fresh no matter what. It’s a great addition to using Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum at night – it really lightens up dark spots over time.

Find Caudalie Vinoperfect Day Perfecting Fluid SPF 15 at Caudalie-USA.com for $68.00. It’s a really great product that feels incredibly luxurious and protects your skin!

If you’d like to try before you buy, Sephora is currently offering a deluxe sample of Caudalie Vinoperfect Day Perfecting Fluid SPF 15 with orders of $25 or more with coupon code VINOSPF.

Serious Skin Care LightFraxion

And it’s a cool name for a cool product. Serious Skin Care is launching a new product, LightFraxion, today on HSN. And I love the science of it.

The lotion contains an extract, Morinda Citrifolia (commonly known as noni), which contains a polyphenol to take icky UV light and filter it, if you will, into a wavelength that falls into the red light spectrum (it’s really amazing I don’t have a pocket protector for how excited I was writing that last sentence). Visible red light is commonly used in both derms’ offices and in at-home devices to improve elasticity and reduces wrinkles (such as the Tanda Regenerate Anti-Aging Device). Of course, with many devices, you have to wear goggles to protect your eyes when you are treating your skin, which is not the case with LightFraxion since it’s a lotion and it is simply converting the light that naturally hits your skin. No weird looking goggles required.

Of course, since LightFraxion doesn’t contain a sunscreen, you will have to wear a separate sunscreen. But no fear – LightFraxion still works with sunscreen on. (and wouldn’t it be counterintuitive to wear and anti-aging product but not wear sunscreen?????)

And I feel a little silly for saying this next part, this is a daytime treatment, not a night cream. Why? Because it’s dark at night, and the sun is out during the day….

Ready to try LightFraxion? Find it on HSN.com for $39.95 and on the HSN channel today at 10am, 3pm, and 11pm today (all EST) where you can learn more about the product and get some other anti-aging tips. Not going to be near a TV? Check out the new HSN Arcade, where you can play games while you watch HSN in real time in HD.

It’s true. It’s so very, very true.

Dr. LeWinn by Kinerase Under Eye Recovery

Of course, people who are “YLT” offenders aren’t going to cease their obnoxiousness no matter what, but with the right products, you can confidently say “No, I don’t.” Dr. LeWinn by Kinerase Under Eye Recovery is one of those products in the fight against snarky perceived appearance comments.

Under Eye Recovery is another great product from the Dr. LeWinn by Kinerase line, and a fantastic daily eye cream on the whole. It targets puffiness, wrinkles, and dark circles. And yes, it makes your eyes look fresh, energized, and super awake after just a few days of use. Take that, rude appearance commenter!

Kinerase Under Eye Recovery works in two ways – it depuffs, smooths, and brightens the eye skin immediately, and it also works in the long term to prevent future eye skin sagging due to stretching caused by fluid under the eyes, future wrinkling, and gets rid of dark circles. As soon as you put it on, your eyes look brighter and within a couple of minutes puffiness dissipates. It’s pretty impressive – I’d say the depuffing effect is on level with MAC’s  Fast Response Eye Cream, which I only use in beauty emergencies since the caffeine in it can irritate my skin if I use it for more than a couple of days. But Kinerase Under Eye Recovery depuffs without any irritation! I’m really happy to find a fast acting depuffing eye cream that is gentle and also hydrates.

Like all Dr. LeWinn by Kinerase products, Under Eye Recovery contains Kinetin in the same amount as the original Kinerase line, and it also contains “Eyeseryl” which works to keep collegen fibers intact, so your eye skin stays firm, as well as aids in lightening dark circles. It also contains a collagen stimulating ingredient.

I’m so thrilled to find a depuffing, brightening, firming eye cream that doesn’t dehydrate my eye skin. It’s fantastic for days that you need a quick skin pick me up, and it gives smoother, tighter eye skin with continued use. It’s also fantastic under makeup – hydrating enough to look dewy without looking greasy, and eye makeup stays in place.

So when people say you look tired, you can smile and put them in their place.

Find Dr. LeWinn by Kinerase Under Eye Recovery at Walgreens for $22.39. (of note – all Dr. LeWinn by Kinerase products seem to be on sale on the Walgreens site right now – good time to try them out!)

Find it at Lock & Mane for $22.

The DNAEGF Renewal Skincare Line is a fantastic two-punch system to treat the causes of age and UV related skin damage. First, it uses marine and botanical enzymes. Since the DNA starts to lose the ability to repair itself at a pretty young age, these enzymes help skin cells to recognize damaged DNA and eliminate it – just like your skin did in younger days.

Secondarily, the DNAEGF line contains Epidermal Growth Factor grown in Barley plants, which are grown in pumice stones with Icelandic water (sounds very spa-like). This peptide works to give your skin’s natural healing system a little boost. Put together, the two components optimize the way your skin reacts to the effects of sun and time.

The cleanser is a little powerhouse. It is both a masterful cleanser and exceedingly gentle. When I was sick for a week, it was the only cleanser that didn’t sting my raw skin. It is especially good for taking off all makeup cleanly, including eye makeup, without scrubbing. Like Dr. LeWinn by Kinerase HydraBalance Foaming Cleanser, it’s a soft feeling foam – it doesn’t feel like you are overcleansing, it’s just a gentle, soothing foam. Which makes it impressive that it contains a glycolic complex to sweep away dead cells and brighten up your complexion, without irritation.

The DNA Night Renewal Cream is fantastic. The silky formula absorbs well and makes skin soooo soft – you’ll have a hard time keeping your hands off your skin. I love how lightweight it is – many night creams are thick and sticky, but Night Renewal glides on skin and leaves it smooth, soft, and feeling practically product-free. If the line’s SPF is as lightweight of a feel, then I’m sold on that too!

Since it is doesn’t countain fragrance, both products would be great for guys – nothing sticky or heavy to deter him from using it again. It’s also paraban and sulfate free.

I really like using the DNAEGF Renewal line at the gym – the cleanser is amazing both before and after workout. Beforehand, it cleans all makeup off your skin easily, so you aren’t walking out of the locker room with a scrubbed red face. Afterwards, it gently cleanses away your workout. DNA Night Renewal is a nice light base moisturizer to use after a workout – doesn’t trap heat and doesn’t feel sticky even on the most humid days.

Dr. Moy’s DNAEGF Renewal Skincare line is pretty intriguing. Find the whole line at dnaegfrenewal.com.

DNA EGF Renewal Foaming Cleanser

Dr. LeWinn by Kinerase Lift & Resculpt Serum XK

Much like Caudalie Vinexpert Firming Serum, DLBK Lift and Resculpt Serum XK moisturizes and soothes as it perks up your skin. More importantly, it plumps up the volume of your facial contours. When I’m evaluating a firming product, there are certain facial contours that really show if a product is working or not: the top of the cheekbone just where it meets your undereye, the tip of the nose, and the area right above my eyebrows. Lift and Resculpt Serum XK knocks it out of the park on all three (and then some).

I like that Lift and Resculpt produced an immediate boosting and volumizing effect on the skin and with continued use skin gets smoother and more youthfully plump. The most dramatic effect I saw was on the nasal tip. The tip of your nose is one of those weird areas that subtly show aging – the slightest, most subtle sagging shows and can add years to your looks. It’s really not an area of sagging that you notice over time, but when it’s corrected, it makes a world of difference. Now, I’m in my early 30s and have used retinols forever, so I don’t have a ton of sagging, but DLBK Lift and Resculpt XK brought the tip of my nose up about an eighth of an inch. That is a HUGE improvement. That’s enough to remove any shadow that your nose casts on your cupid’s bow, which should be an area that light hits, not cast in shadow.  It’s subtle, it won’t look like you went in for rhinoplasty, you will just look fresher, more awake, brighter, and like you did when you were 18.

I’m also impressed with the lift it gives to the area above the eyebrows, and as a result, the upper eye area. Again, plumping up the skin volume here is crucial since it dictates how your eyebrows and eye skin will drape. Adding some lift and volume here with Lift and Resculpt Serum makes eyes look wide awake and frames eyebrows fantastically. Definitely makes me keep up with regular eyebrow shaping when the area can look as good! It also adds amazing volume to cheeks – you know how the fat that used to sit on top of your cheekbones manages to travel south over time? Lift & Resculpt brings it back to the top of your cheekbones where it belongs!

We also tried it out on the Style Dude for a few weeks, and his jawline and chin bounced back to their youthful tautness! This is actually a great product for guys – no floral scent (mildly citrus but doesn’t linger) and isn’t sticky. It’s also soothing enough that it would be great post-shave.

DLBK Lift & Sculpt Serum XK boasts amazing ingredients – Kinetin, which is in all Dr. LeWinn by Kinerase products, Resveratrol, a fantastic antioxidant, and Hyaluronic Acid, which increases water absorbtion in the skin and keeps skin supple. There are also peptides and extracts to increase collagen production and target elastin fibers in the skin, so you have firm, youthful skin!

We really love Dr. LeWinn by Kinerase Lift & Resculpt Serum XK – it is so gentle and can be included in your skincare regime without risking irritation. You will see fantastic results quickly, and the results will increase over time. It’s one impressive product!

Find Dr. LeWinn by Kinerase Lift & Resculpt Serum XK at Walgreens for $33.99.

Dr. LeWinn by Kinerase Wrinkle Repair Daily Cream SPF 30

Awhile back, Lyn and I ran into an acquaintance who said “Wow, you guys never change.” We assumed she was just being polite, but then she started pressing as to why we haven’t wrinkled up like prunes (It’s not like we’re 90 or something…).  We muttered something and changed the subject. We saw her again yesterday, and it came up in conversation that she has never worn sunscreen. See where I’m going with this?

We love Dr. Lewinn by Kinerase Wrinkle Repair Day Lotion SPF 30, but when the air conditioner gets cranked up, you may need a slightly more emollient texture to your sunscreen. So we were curious to try Dr. Lewinn by Kinerase Wrinkle Repair Day Cream SPF 30. And I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but it’s kinda hot outside, and the AC is cranked up (blissfully) in most offices. So it’s been a good time to compare the Lotion vs. the Cream.

Wrinkle Repair Day Cream SPF 30 is essentially the same great product as the Lotion – it has the same amount of wonderful Kinetin, and contains Symrepair 2%, which increases the skin’s ability to maintain moisture, and QuenchT 2%, which also soothes the skin. The difference is that the Cream is a more moisturizing product, but it still isn’t at all greasy. In fact, when I smoothed it on my skin, it seemed to absorb a little better than the lotion. My skin doesn’t feel dry and tight by the end of the day, no matter how dry a room I’m in. There is one local library that I tend to avoid when I can because the AC makes the air so dry that my skin ends up raw after I’m there, but when I’m wearing Wrinkle Repair Day Cream, my skin stays moist and dewy and my makeup stays fresh. I’ve been searching every summer for years to try to find the right combination of moisturizing but not greasy in a sunscreen, and now I have.

We wear sunscreen all year, everytime we leave the house, but obviously some people only think about sunscreen in the summertime. If you fall into the latter category, take this summer as an opportunity to start wearing sunscreen everyday, and continue in the Fall. Soon it will become a routine, and your skin will thank you for it. I highly recommend Dr. Lewinn by Kinerase Wrinkle Repair Day Cream SPF 30 and Dr. Lewinn by Kinerase Wrinkle Repair Day Lotion SPF 30 as both a highly effective anti-aging cream as well as an effective sunscreen. I’ve been using the Cream in tandem with Dr. LeWinn by Kinerase Skin Tone Perfecting Serum XK and have noticed a significant decrease in sun spots – the Skin Tone Perfecting Serum goes to work on existing sun spots, the SPF prevents new ones, and the Kinetin in both works to optimize your skin beautifully.

In the future I will likely purchase both the Lotion as well as the Cream and switch off between the two depending on the amount of moisture my skin needs as well as what weather conditions my skin will be facing. All in all, another great product from a fantastic line.

Find Dr. LeWinn by Kinerase Wrinkle Repair Daily Lotion SPF 30 at Walgreens for $27.49.

Martians always apply moonscreen. Are you diligent with sunscreen?

Fast forward to today, and while my style has taken on a far more relaxed and wavy look, I’m still on a constant hunt for the latest and greatest in volumizers (what woman isn’t?). So I happily tried Serge Normant Meta Lush Volumizer when the lovely ladies at Lock & Mane sent it to us. (Ms. Roberts is a fan of the line and the spokesmodel). It definitely lives up to it’s lush name.

I have used it on both wet and dry hair. On wet hair it is a fantastic styling agent. I thought it was interesting that a few minutes after spraying it on my wet hair, the sections of my hair that I would have to manually separate out to dry started to kind of naturally fall into place. My hair dried with each section full of bouncy volume with only a rough blowdry. This is a great product to have on hand when you are short on time as the amount of volume it adds and the coiffed look you get would typically take far longer to style without it – a definite go-to product.

On dry hair, I love Meta Lush Volumizer for a quick and highly effective volume boost. Pick up a section of hair, spray it, repeat with each section, and then tousle your hair a bit and you’ll have mega volume in no time.

I get soft, perfectly defined waves and amazing volume when I used it in conjunction with Oscar Blandi Hair Lift – the two are really a great combo together. My hair moves beautifully, and gives off the slightest luscious scent when I turn my head. While I’m not the biggest fan of scented hair products, I love the scent of Meta Lush Volumizer. Not too heady, but definitely a luxurious scent.

All in all I really look forward to using Serge Normant Meta Lush Volumizer each day. It gives a polished full volume look on a consistent basis, wet or dry. It also contains great ingredients that improve the condition of your hair with repeated use, as well as a UV filter (huge bonus). I’m looking forward to exploring the Serge Normant line further and trying out new styles with Meta Lush Volumizer. I have visions of a lushly full yet perfectly sleek French Twist…

Find Serge Normant Meta Lush Volumizer with Extracts of Nopal & Cedar Bark at Lock & Mane for $23.00.

Serge Normant Meta Lush Volumizer