Beauty Without Borders

SPF 30 matte cream, the new tube in town, and an Obama-approved Japanese import

TUBE-ULAR: We've been a fan of tubing mascara for quite a while now, since Blinc's Kiss Me and all her followers in the tubing trend, including drug store version, L'Oreal's Double Extend Beauty Tubes, with a fiber lengthen-er priming formula on one side and darkening tubing mascara on the other.  While we love Blinc, the original, now available in some very chic jewel tones, and we love L'Oreal because it can be found for under $10 and works relatively well, we're absolutely obsessed with Aussie brand Mirenesse's newest competitor. Their Sexy Secret Weapon mascara in Black Lace is the best of both worlds, a simple silicone brush with fiber-full formula ready for action within the formula and depending on the flick of your wrist, can build or coat with tubes. The application might take some getting used to (flick up the tips to create length, then pull through the entire lash to cover in tubes) but the result is always full, practically faux-looking lashes that won't flake/tear/smear off until you're ready to wash the tubes off. Mirenesse is only available for purchase down under but you can buy online their Sexy Secret Weapon online for $29.95.

DENESE'S DEFENSE: While the summer sun and fun is almost over, the harmless effects of UV's won't fade with your tan. Hungarian scientist, Dr. Adrienne Denese, a QVC darling of Ivy League brilliance, knows how important great skin is, inside and out, and her SPF 30 Defense Day Cream won us over this season and will continue to do so into the next. Opposed to most facial sun protecting lotions, Dr. Denese's cream comes in a skin-matching tint and matte-formula that can work in tri-fold, as your SPF, primer and foundation. Great coverage, sun-inflicted wrinkle defense and a hefty dose of moisture; we couldn't ask for anything more. Find online for $34.00 for a 1.5 oz. tube.

GENTLE CYCLE: KohGenDo cosmetics is a gem that we found at the Makeup Show in New York last May. Of course, they've been serving the Japanese market for more than 20 years, but they've entered the U.S. market with a bang. Noting President Obama himself as a fan, the professional grade products, like most innovations to come out of Japan, are advanced beyond their years. The product to catch our eye was their Cleansing Spa Water, an oil-free makeup remover, that relies on the power of herbal extracts and rare White Birch Sap, an ingredient that's only available for collection three weeks out of the year. No rubbing required, just press a Cleansing Spa Water soaked cotton ball or pad onto your eye makeup for 3-5 seconds and gently sweep away your daily grime in one motion. A 10.15 oz. bottle is available for $35.00USD, but KohGenDo is currently running a promotion for a free, no strings or shipping fees attached, trial of their Cleansing Spa Water online.

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