beauty

High-tech innovations set to rock your bathroom cabinet.

TREE OF LIFE Ingredients don’t need to be Birkin-bag rare to be innovative. “We look for the extraordinary in ordinary,” says Wendy Brooks, director of global product development for Origins. Take the white narcissus lily bulb used in the brand’s Three Part Harmony Oil-Infused Serum ($85) and Nourishing Cream ($85). Originally discovered in the Eastern Mediterranean, the bulb was already being used in Origins products when Dr. Lieve Leclercq, vice-president of basic science research, found that it had the ability to awaken itself from a sleeping state, or “senescence.” Skin cells also experience senescence as they age, becoming less functional. As a result, they send out negative signals that tell other cells to slow down and make less collagen. The bulb interrupts these signals and helps skin wake up and restore itself. Good news for those looking to hold onto moisture and firmness in their skin (a.k.a. everyone).

SOOTHE OPERATOR Hair-product benefits shouldn’t go down the drain when you wash, argue the creators of Living Proof Perfect Hair Day System. Their patented molecule OFPMA sticks to hair cuticles and protects them better than surly bodyguards protect the Biebs. It also actively rebuilds strands, so the more you use the silicone-free solution the better hair gets. Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Shampoo and Conditioner ($30 each)

POWER TOOL Zap hair into submission with this battery-powered brush that releases ions to smooth hair and tame flyaways. Conair Infiniti Pro The Ultimate Hairbrush ($40) h

MATTE MEETS MOISTURE Matte lipsticks make us feel so ’90s, but the newest iterations aren’t like the dry formulas we wore in our Angela Chase phase. They go on smooth and without a hint of chalkiness thanks to moisturizing ingredients such as jojoba and other plant extracts. Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Love Liberty ($32); Estée Lauder Pure Color Envy Matte Sculpting Lipstick in Extrovert ($34); Lancôme L’Absolu Rouge Définition Lipstick in Carmin ($36). For details, see Shopping Guide.

GET CURVES A new wave of skin-plumping products has hit shelves. • A four-step facial massage fires up the active ingredients in Chanel’s Le Lift Recontouring Massage Mask ($120). • Indeed Fillume Volumising Moisturiser has a molecule that stimulates fat cells to increase facial volume. • Bamboo extract, pea extract and glucosamine help stimulate hyaluronic acid and collagen in Clinique’s Sculptwear Contouring Massage Cream Mask ($53).

INVISIBLE INK Getting rid of your tattoo sucks less than before (#honesty). That’s because of PisoSure, a laser that acts like a power washer for your bad decision. Its rays are stronger than traditional lasers so they break down ink (even the hard-to-zap colours yellow, blue and green) into tiny particles that are easier for the body to absorb or eliminate. That means fewer treatments—just four to see a 90-percent reduction in ink—and less pain. Toronto’s Spa Medica was one of the first clinics to offer this treatment in Canada; there are now clinics in Vancouver and Montreal too. Still a scaredy-cat? SpaMedica’s Dr. Stephen Mulholland says that cream or anaesthetic can be applied to numb skin prior to the treatment.

OIL SLEEK This year, oils surprised us with their versatility: as a spray to add shine to hair in Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition Miraculous Oil-in-Spray ($5.79); disguised in a gel to smooth on skin in Lancôme Visionnaire Nuit Beauty Sleep Perfector Gel-inOil ($97); and as a gentle buffer for retinoids in Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Night Oil ($130). For details, see Shopping Guide.

WHAT’S UP, DOC? In the world of injectables and plastic surgery, a lot: The Halo Laser The world’s first hybrid fractional laser targets discoloration (thanks, sun damage) and wrinkles in one zap. MiraDry Peace out, pit stains. This treatment blasts the sweat and odour glands in your underarms with focused microwave energy. Bonus: It typically takes one treatment. LumiBel You only need nine minutes to get better skin, say the Canadian creators of trademarked gel LumiBel. Blue light (with no UVA/UVB rays) activates ingredients in the gel to reduce signs of wrinkles and acne scars.

CUSTOM BLEND Customize your makeup to fit your skincare needs. For the days when your skin is in need of a little something extra, Cover FX offers four vitamin and essential-oil mixes— to hydrate, add radiance and slow the signs of aging—that can be added to the makeup and/or skincare products you’re already using. Cover FX Custom Infusion Drops in C + Lemongrass Radiance ($48)

THE FOUNDATION REVOLUTION Face paint has gone high tech with innovative ingredients and new application techniques. • Stila Perfectly Poreless Putty Perfector ($51) uses a topsecret formula (we asked!) with silicone to absorb oil and reduce the look of pores. Thanks to its bouncy texture, it’s also really fun to put on! • Temptu Air ($258, at NET -A-PORTER .com) is airbrushing on the go. It’s billed as the first-ever cordless airbrusher and can even be used to contour. h

ON SPEED Shellac, the fast-drying, long-wearing gel-nail system we’re all addicted to, is getting even quicker. Next time you’re at the salon, look for the new CND lamp: The brand has created one that uses LED lights to cure nails in half the time, so you’re done in under one minute. Bonus: It’s compatible with a new topcoat that cuts removal time down to five minutes.

BAND- AID SOLUTION Liquid bandages are no longer reserved for the first-aid kit. SmashBox incorporated the technology into its 24 Hour CC Spot Concealer ($29) for a non-irritating formula that really sticks to skin, and Bumble and Bumble uses creatine in its Full Potential Hair Preserving Booster Spray ($70) to envelop and protect strands.

MAGIC ( ROOT) ERASER This isn’t a new release, but it’s such an under-the-radar top performer that we had to mention it. Colourist Gail Federici, co-founder of John Frieda, created this pigment-packed mineral powder that binds to roots and subtly hides the grey until your next shampoo. Color Wow Root Cover Up ($39.95)

LATHER, RINSE, BRONZE The best thing about this smart self-tanner—other than getting to apply it mid-shower—is that it lathers up, so there’s no missing that one spot at the back of your leg that you can never quite reach. The addition of moisturizing sweetalmond oil doesn’t hurt, either. St. Tropez Gradual Tan In Shower Lotion ($31). For details, see Shopping Guide.

APP QUEEN The downloads that are worth your data plan: Find Your VS Shade. Users upload a photo and then try on different Vidal Sassoon hair colours to get an idea if they’re better suited to life as a blonde (or any of the 23 other shades) before committing to the switch. Makeup Genius by L’Oréal Paris. Beauty looks created by L’Oréal Paris makeup artists, including Eddie Malter, are mapped on the user’s face in real time—so you can see if a lipstick looks just as good when you’re pouting as when you’re smizing. Perfect365. This popular photo-editing app has options to hide blemishes, fill in brows, whiten teeth and contour. (It’s basically Photoshop for people who don’t know how to Photoshop.) Head to Sephora and try the Pantone Color IQ, a thermometer-like device that determines skin tone and matches it to in-store prodz— ensuring that you will never again have to match foundation by swiping three shades across your jawline. n