For the second year in a row now I stopped by a pop-up LovelySkin hosted in Manhattan to showcase some of their best products. It was a great opportunity to not only learn about new beauty buys, but to speak with the people behind them to get a better feel for them and who they’re best suited for.
LovelySkin is HUGE. Just to give you an idea they’re the 500-something most visited site in all of the internet and in terms of Facebook “likes,” in the beauty category, they are second only to Sephora. Their list of brands are impressive – Clarisonic, Dr. Brandt, iS Clinical, Avene, Klorane…they’re like Sephora in terms of depth of product selection, but they focus on advanced skincare and brands that, for the most part, back their products with clinical studies (the site was founded by board-certified dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon, Dr. Joel Schlessinger, M.D.). I was immediately drawn to two products: René Furterer Dry Shampoo ($24) and Tria Laser Hair Removal ($395).
I put the dry shampoo to the test then and there because I went for a run that morning and umm…was really in the need…wow I’m a total convert! As long as you spray it a good 12 inches from your hair it won’t leave any white residue (I’m blonde, but a woman next to me with black hair tried it and it worked for her too), and they’ve got a travel size so you can pack it in your gym bag. Super easy and quick to use. It’s formulated with rice and corn starch powders to clean hair, clay and silica powders to absorb excess oil, and essential oils of caraway, basil, and peppermint to help cleanse and balance the scalp.
As for the Tria….I’ve been wanting to get laser for years – literally – I just chicken out because for every one person that tells me it doesn’t hurt, another person tells me it “kills” (though it’s not like waxing is exactly painless…). Then there’s the whole having to let my hair grow out enough for them to perform it and the repeated sessions that stop me. With all that said I’m very curious to try the Tria, the first FDA-cleared laser device approved for at-home laser hair removal (note it only works on brown or black body hair on white to light brown skin tones).
The woman swore to me there was no pain involved and that all you have to do is place the laser tip on the area you’re looking to treat until you hear a beep. After each beep, you glide it about 1/4 inch. You only have to do this every two weeks, but it can take awhile because the laser head is really, really small. Plus it’s hard to tell where you’ve applied it so you can’t exactly do it while watching TV since it requires focus. They say that after the second treatment you can expect up to a 70% reduction in hair re-growth. After 2-3 months, hair re-growth will look lighter and finer. After 6+ months, you’ll have smooth, hair-free skin.
Has anyone tried the Tria? Please share experiences in the comment section!