FashionEtc.com November 23rd, 2024

Hating your wrinkles? Yeah, who doesn't.

And sure, you're probably thinking what I am: Why spend all that time and money going to the dermatologist for laser treatments when there must be a way to do it at home? Who needs a med-school education, right?

Well, according to the folks at Palomar Medical, you don't!

For a paltry $499 (on QVC and soon, nordstrom.com), you can be your own laser-wielding aesthetician with the PaloVia Skin Renewing Laser.

It’s the first at-home laser device cleared by the FDA for use on fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes, and it works by sending laser beams designed to stimulate the skin’s natural collagen-production process, thus eliminating creases (so it claims).

Maintenance requires using the PaloVia twice a week, following daily use during the first month. The appliance boasts a safety feature that will only allow you to use it once every 24 hours.

Though I’m a gadget guru, devoted to my Clarisonic and Zeno, I have zero plans to test the PaloVia (sorry to disappoint). While I’d love to eliminate crow’s-feet on the (comparatively) cheap in my own home, the promised safety of the laser does not make me feel good: The instructions state that you need to keep the device from your open or closed eye.

How safe could it possibly be, right?

Rattled nerves aside, I had to wonder what the dermatologists thought.

I just landed in snowy Park City for my third Sundance Film Festival, and while I'm looking forward to seeing dozens of movies, I'm just as excited that, for the first time, I've finally perfected my Sundance beauty and style strategy.

After years of trial and error, I've learned that my waterproof Sorel boots are a much wiser (and warmer!) choice than the brown leather riding boots that fell victim to the slush and salt last year.

I also know the cold weather does a number on my skin, so I stock up on plenty of nourishing creams in travel-friendly sizes. Jo Malone Vitamin E Lip Conditioner and CellCeuticals CerActive Active Moisture + Barrier Repair Skin Treatment are two products on my must list.

At the penthouse of the Soho Grand Hotel in NYC, Alex Box—internationally renowned makeup artist and creative director of the Brit beauty brand Illamasqua—spoke to an audience of editors, bloggers and beauty insiders as she worked her makeup magic on a young model.

In a long, silky red dress, with matching bold red lip, cat-eye glasses and raven-and-silver-streaked hair pulled in a tight bun, Box had a Mad Men meets Victorian-Goth elegance to her look.

Illamasqua, which launched in 2008 in the U.K., is a brand known for its vibrant colors and dramatic look. "We are predominantly a nighttime brand, but are very much about blurring the line between night and day beauty," said Box.

Previously, I blamed my job (editors handle a lot of paper). I laid it off on bad bag habits—toting too much stuff and constantly digging for keys, pens or change. But the truth is, my nails didn't always look great because I was less than diligent about manicures.

There, I said it. Accordingly I developed a plan: Keep nails short, keep color neutral and perhaps no one would notice. All of which has worked for years. (Or perhaps not, but hopefully my friends, my true friends, will leave me with my illusion.)

That doesn't mean I wasn't tempted: Deep rich reds—especially for big nights out; kicky pastels appealed for summer. And don't even get me started on the vampy attraction of Vamp when that was The Color. But I stuck to my guns and stayed in my comfort zone of Ballet Slippers, Madamoiselle, or when I was feeling particularly indulgent, a coat each of Fed Up and Sugar Daddy.