InStyle’s 2009 Best Beauty Buys

Every year, InStyle Magazine compiles a huge list of their top beauty buys.  The April Issue (in stores now) features opinions from some of the leading experts in the beauty industry.  The editors of the magazine also sampled thousands of products to complete their list, which contains products in all beauty categories including makeup, skincare, and haircare.  Lucky for you, Discount Beauty Center carries a ton of the products InStyle recommends!  Here are some highlights from the issue

Makeup: Lips

• Best inexpensive lipstick (with best color range): L’Oreal Paris Lip Colour Riche.  InStyle says,”No skin tone is short-changed by this massive collection of 54 vivid hues.”
• Best inexpensive lipstick: Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick.  Makeup artist Rachel Goodwin says the lipstick is, “easy, wearable…very current, [and] very on  target of what women want.”
• Editor’s Pick for Lips: Cover Girl Wetslicks Amaze Mint.  InStyle says it’s a, “lightweight gloss [that] delivers breath-freshening peppermint oil.”
• Best inexpensive lip gloss (with best color range): Maybelline Shine Seduction.  Makeup artist Fiona Stiles said of the gloss, “it doesn’t smell like brownies or have glitter in it like a lot of other drugstore glosses.”

Makeup: Eyes

• Best inexpensive mascara: L’Oreal Paris Voluminous Mascara.  InStyle says it’s, “a staple in virtually every makeup kit in Hollywood.”
• Best inexpensive eye shadow:  L’Oreal Paris HIP Powder.  Makeup artist Margot Boccia says, “they’re so easy to blend, you can apply them with your fingers.”

Makeup: Face

• Best inexpensive powder blush: L’Oreal Paris Bare Natural Mineral Blush.  InStyle says, “it lasts for hours, even on the most sweltering summer days.”
• Editor’s Pick in Coverups: Urban Decay 24/7 Concealer Pencil.  InStyle says, “[this] smudge free cover-up stick became a fast favorite…”
• Best inexpensive concealer: Max Factor Erace Cover Up.  InStyle says it, “has an ultra-creamy texture that won’t settle into fine lines or wrinkles”
• Best inexpensive foundation: L’Oreal Paris True Match Foundation.   “All 24 shades go on ultra-sheer and layer nicely for fuller coverage” says makeup artist Kerry Washington.
• Best Mineral Foundation: Bare Escentuals I.D. Mineral Foundation.  InStyle says it’s, “the first of its kind, and…still the best for quick, on-the-go makeup with a clean, sheer finish.”

Makeup: Nails

• Best neutral:  Essie Mademoiselle Nail Polish.  Charlize Theron’s nail polish pro said, “I have 300 polish shades in my kit, but this is the one I use 60% of the time.”
• Best red: OPI Big Red Apple.  InStyle says it’s, “not too blue and not too orange.”
• Best top coat/base coat: Seche Vite Top Coat / Seche Clear Base Coat.  InStyle says, “these gel-like formulas go on as smooth as glass to anchor color and keep nails flossy for up to a week.”
• Best dark:  OPI Lincoln Park After Dark. InStyle says, “a hint of plum prevents this deep hue from going totally goth.”
• Best nail strengthener:  Duri Rejuvacote Nail Growth System.  InStyle says, “the keratin rich formula thickens nails; vitamin B5 nourishes them to prevent splitting or peeling.”

Makeup: Tools

• Best tweezers: Tweezerman Slant.  InStyle says, “they pluck exactly where you aim them”

Skin

• Best cleanser: Cetaphil Daily Gentle Skin Facial Cleanser.  InStyle says, “this ultra-gentle, milky cleanser gets a standing ovation year after year from dermatologists.”
• Best anti-aging spot treatment: Murad Age Spot and Pigment Lightening Gel.  Dermatologist Elissa Lunder says it has, “glycolic acid to get rid of dead skin, so the gel penetrates deeper.”
• Best wrinkle treatment: Elizabeth Arden Prevage Anti-Aging Treatment.  Dermatologist Melanie Grossman claims its active ingredient, Idebenone is, “the best antioxidant around.”

Hair

• Best anti-frizz product: John Frieda Frizz-Ease.  “This one will battle the worst humidity and frizz and still hold a curl,” says hair stylist Carla Gentry Osorio.
• Best at-home color kit for red, blond, or black hair: L’Oreal Paris Feria.  InStyle says, “the easy-to-use applicator and low levels of ammonia earn praise from Paris colorist Yiotis Panayiotou, who works with Kate Beckinsale and Victoria Beckham.”
• Best Blow-Dryer: T3 Bespoke Tourmaline Featherweight Hair Dryer.  InStyle says, “this lightweight machine dries hair more quickly – and with less damaging heat – than conventional dryers.”
• Best paddle brush: Mason Pearson Popular Brush.  According to hairstylist Ken Paves, “this is the only brush in the world.”
• Best curling iron: Hot Tools Marcel 1″ Curling Iron.  LA Hairstylist Robert Ramos says, “this iron has a gauge, so you can make it as hot as you want…it’s gentle on hair and lasts forever.”
• Editor’s Pick: Conair Mini Pro Ceramic Flat Iron.  InStyle says its, “Ideal for travel or stashing in your desk at work.”

For all this year’s picks, pick up a copy of the April issue of InStyle featuring Salma Hayek on the cover.