2010's Top Ten Beauty Innovations
From WiFi skin care to stem cell face-lifts, the most cutting-edge innovations that'll shape the new decade in beauty.
PLUS: The 15 Best Hair, Makeup, and Skin Products of 2009
Want to make your look last? Check out our secrets for long-lasting makeup and hair.
By Ning Chao
Runway Lipstick
beauty technology, beauty innovations, beauty tools, beauty advice, beauty products, new beauty
coral lipstick
Fashion and beauty have always been cozy bedfellows, but now the relationship has flip-flopped, with makeup taking the lead and inspiring young designers like Chris Benz. For his spring 2010 show, Benz\'s collection was influenced by Chris & Tell, a limited-edition coral-colored lipstick that he created with Lancôme (available next month; call 212-940-2033 to get on the Saks waiting list). \"I started collaborating with Lancôme back in 2008,\" says Benz. \"The lipstick ended up influencing a lot of my designs. The color is quite sporty, and the inspirations for the clothes were Cheryl Tiegs, casual luxury. There\'s even a dress in the collection that\'s the same shade as the lipstick.\"
Stem-Cell Face-Lifts
beauty technology, beauty innovations, beauty tools, beauty advice, beauty products, new beauty
woman with hands on her face
Stem-cell technology has been on the horizon for years, but the future is finally here in America, with doctors using stem-cell-rich back fat (harvested through liposuction) to plump faces and breasts. When injected into the face (in a procedure plastic surgeons are calling the \"stem cell face-lift\"), this particular fat lifts the cheeks, restores youthful contours, and smooths the skin, making pigmentation and pores less noticeable. When the stem cells are injected into the breasts, researchers claim they encourage natural fat growth, so the plumped-up areas end up feeling more natural, instead of like an implant. Up next: stem cells for hair growth.
Beauty Apps
beauty technology, beauty innovations, beauty tools, beauty advice, beauty products, new beauty
women with laptop
With plastic surgeons now providing Skype consultations and Crest\'s 3D White photo-retouching Facebook tool (brightening your smile with one click), it\'s no surprise that there\'s a new Pandora-like site for face and body products: myskin.com. After you enter information about your beauty history (e.g., lotions you\'ve liked or loathed, genetics, lifestyle, diet, and environment), mySkin recommends skincare from a database of 4500 brands and shows what other users with a similar skin type prefer. Next up: mobile mySkin (for iPhone or Windows Mobile), with Beauty4Me and Beauty Store Buddy apps to help you pick and purchase products when you\'re on the go.
Keratin-Crazed
beauty technology, beauty innovations, beauty tools, beauty advice, beauty products, new beauty
keratin infusion product
Close cousins of the Brazilian treatments that straightened strands last year by coating them with keratin (the same protein that hair is made of), new keratin-infused shampoos, masks, and shine sprays can now smooth frizz into silk at home. Adding wool-derived keratin to everyday products reduces dryness and damage and cuts down on blowdry time. Look for lines that specialize in the protein, like the one from stylist Peter Coppola ($16 to $40), pioneer of the formaldehyde-free professional keratin treatment.
Sculpting Lasers
beauty technology, beauty innovations, beauty tools, beauty advice, beauty products, new beauty
woman with laser at her face
New FDA-approved fat-contouring lasers can tighten your face or physique with minimal pain and downtime (but proceed with caution: Long-term side effects are still unknown). The $2500 and up Acculift procedure uses Lutronic\'s AccuSculpt laser to treat under-eye bags and sagging jowls and necks via 1-millimeter-wide incisions. If bat wings or a muffin top is more your concern, for $1500 to $4000, the new Zerona laser emulsifies fat cells in the body (without any incisions) so they naturally flush out through the lymphatic system.
Gel Nails
beauty technology, beauty innovations, beauty tools, beauty advice, beauty products, new beauty
woman with nail apparatus filing her nails
A big trend in Japan, where polished nail-philes prefer more elaborate (and sometimes 3-D) designs, gel manicures are gaining popularity stateside because they don\'t require buffing to apply or remove, so they won\'t harm your natural nails (like acrylics do). With hundreds of shades from Bella Forma and Dashing Diva and a next-to-nothing drying time (30 to 60 seconds under a UV lamp hardens the gel), gel manicures that cost $40 but last for a month are a smart, economical alternative to traditional polish.
Online Experts
beauty technology, beauty innovations, beauty tools, beauty advice, beauty products, new beauty
woman wearing headphones and using a curling iron
From Redken\'s Hair Files to YouTube phenom turned Sephora staple Lauren Luke, step-by-step beauty tips are now available to anyone with Internet access. Stila takes it one step further with its new Beauty 4.0 Makeup Player ($69.90), a tech-savvy train case with built-in speakers, media dock, and mirror so you can watch Stila BeautyTube\'s free tutorials on your iPhone while applying your makeup. Each case also comes with the brand\'s cosmetic staples (e.g., One Step Foundation) and an instructional DVD...just in case your connection\'s down.
Pale Is Pretty
beauty technology, beauty innovations, beauty tools, beauty advice, beauty products, new beauty
women wearing uv visor
Natural, bronzer-free complexions stormed the spring 2010 runways, showing a new trend toward healthier, tanless skin tones. Another sign that we\'re entering more sun-savvy times: This year, the FDA is requiring that sunscreens change their labels to include UVA protection ratings, not just the usual SPF levels (which measure UVB filtering only).
Lash-Growth Makeup
beauty technology, beauty innovations, beauty tools, beauty advice, beauty products, new beauty
woman with scissors and long eyelashes
Rx lash serums are last year\'s news — now liquid liners and mascaras have built-in growth-stimulating ingredients, too. Just like the clear serums that are applied at night, LashFood and Ageless Lashes\' tinted formulas contain lash-sprouting peptides. Follow up with moisturizing DiorShow Extase Mascara ($28) or L\'Oréal Double Extend Mascara ($12.95) with its special, protein-fortified base coat, and you\'ll have a fuller set of fringe in only four weeks.
Blood Fillers
beauty technology, beauty innovations, beauty tools, beauty advice, beauty products, new beauty
women getting injections in her lips
Move over, collagen and hyaluronic acid, there\'s a new filler in town. Used by surgeons over the past seven years to speed up soft-tissue healing from sports injuries, Selphyl is now being used cosmetically — to plump cheeks, wrinkles, and even acne scars. In a 20-minute procedure, 9 cubic centimeters of blood (about one vial) is drawn, then centrifuged to collect the fibrin and platelets, which are injected back into the body to stimulate collagen growth. And because this filler is made from your own blood, there\'s no risk of an allergic reaction. Full plumping happens in three weeks and lasts for 18 months or more. The procedure is pricey (about $1100), but such long-lasting results make it comparable to other injectables, which require fill-ups every six months or so.
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