Mother's Day beauty bag best bets to consider

By April MacIntyre May 6, 2010, 6:55 GMT

One of my favorite finds in the last year. Nighttime treatment. www.cosmedix.com

The best things you can give Mom this coming Mother's Day, other than your love and time, are useful skincare and beauty products that deliver megawatt results, especially for the warmer weather when more skin is bared and needs protection too.

Years of covering TV shows and film sets has allowed me great opportunity to receive and try many products based on the recommendations of Emmy and Oscar winning-makeup artists, costume designers and hair stylists.

Mother's Day, established in 1914, is the second highest gift-spending holiday in the U.S., with an estimated $14.6 billion spent each year. 

You don’t have to break the bank or buy flowers that will die, or wait forever to take Mother to a mediocre restaurant for an overpriced fattening brunch. You can do better.

Mothers love relaxing time with loved ones, and thoughtful gifts that are luxe but not wasteful, useful but not ordinary.

Categorized by types of product, here is a recent round up of the best of Monsters and Critics' Mother's Day beauty bag, reasonably priced items that deliver fantastic results. 

SKIN FINISHERS

Smart Tan and Smart Cover

Sunless pre tanning product to ready for summer.  Smart Cover (Nancy and Flori Roberts) covers any unwelcome blemishes, stretch marks, spider veins, birthmarks, Rosacea, tattoos and more, while giving you a safe and natural-looking tan without making you oompa loompa orange.

Waterproof, smudge-resistant, and long-lasting. You can swim in it, and it stays put until you use a cleansing agent to remove.

Hollywood make-up artist Christina Smith is an enthusiast, who has used the product on stars like Julia Roberts, Jane Krakowski, Gisele Bundchen, Helen Mirren and Ali Larter.

http://www.smartcover.com/prod_tankit.html

Fake Bake

The packaging is not my favorite, but the product itself is really nice.  Botanical Extracts, no preservatives. Their product moisturizes hydrates and protects the body without clogging the pores or irritating sensitive skin. No funky color and the product has no harsh odor.  A good line of self tanners and body makeup products.  Great lip glosses too.

http://fakebake.com/

SUN PROTECTION MAKEUP

Jane Iredale

This entire line of makeup is exceptional. I was introduced to it by an Oscar nominated makeup artist who swore by many of their powders and mineral bases. 
The Skin Cancer foundation gave this line their Seal of Recommendation Five Jane Iredale products are recommended as an effective UV sunscreen. 

If your mom has Rosacea or sun sensitive skin, this is where you need to shop for her.

The Seal of Recommendation has become the respected standard for ensuring the safety and efficacy of ultraviolet (UV) protection products. The five products that I have also used are Amazing Base, PurePressed Base, Dream Tint, LipDrink and Powder-Me SPF in Tanned and Translucent. 

The Skin Cancer Foundation Seal of Recommendation has set the criteria for effective UV protection for more than 30 years.  Products were evaluated by the Foundation's Photobiology Committee, composed of leading U.S. dermatologists who are experts on how the sun interacts with the skin.   Each product underwent testing for safety and efficacy standards, including an SPF of 15 or greater, validation of the SPF number by testing on 20 people, acceptable test results for phototoxic reactions and contact irritation, and substantiation for any claims that a sunscreen is water- or sweat-resistant.

Jane Iredale's Amazing Base, PurePressed Base, Dream Tint, LipDrink and Powder-Me SPF in Tanned and Translucent range from an SPF of 15 to 30. 

Especially fabulous is the macadamia nut oil drenched LipDrink and the oil-free Dream Tint (both SPF 15), which creates a soft-focus effect that gives a bit of coverage (thanks to Boron nitride). The lightweight gel tinted moisture has algae extracts that moisturize and soothe.  Titanium dioxide provides SPF 15 with UVA protection. You can use alone as a tinted moisturizer and sunscreen or as the perfect primer for a mineral base. On days when I work from home or have a light schedule, I wear only this as a foundation.  http://shop.janeiredale.com/

SKINCARE - SPECIALTY: EYES

Ava Anderson Non-Toxic Eye Makeup Remover Pads

If you have given up on pre-soaked eye makeup remover pads, this product will convert you. The pads are drenched with an odorless, non-oily eye makeup remover that will bust through the most heavy eye makeup application. The trick? Leave the pad on the eye for at least 20-30 seconds so the solution can dissolve effortlessly, no rubbing. 
A combination of flower extracts no alcohol to dry the delicate skin around the eyes. Brilliant product I use every day.
www.avaandersonnontoxic.com)

Neocutis Eye Cream
 
Seen on set and raved about by many in the know, this light-weight eye cream is dispensed via a pump, my favorite mode of application (jars get contaminated easily). 

Neocutis is a leader in effective no-nonsense skincare, and implement cellular therapy research together for scientifically advanced breakthroughs in anti-aging and post-procedural skincare.  This is a really good one I prefer for nighttime.

www.neocutis.com

Patricia Wexler Instant De-Puff Eye Gel

Patricia Wexler M.D. Dermatology has many great products, and one that I was given recently and love is a gel eye cream that tightens the under eye area, not so much a moisturizing treatment as a spot fix for puffy eye-itis.

The De-Puff Eye Gel won the 2008 Allure Best of Beauty Award in the Best DePuffing Eye Product Category. I found it to be a great morning eye treatment for obvious reasons. Under $20.

ANTI-AGING

CosMedix Define cream
and Pure Enzymes

Define cream is a yellow, thickish cream that initially I was reticent to use, but was very glad I did.

The cream (oily skin people, you can use this) is dry feeling, - not an emollient concoction but a serious Vitamin A-rich, slightly stinging topical treatment that refines and de-lines while you sleep. 

You will feel it when you first apply, but sensitive skin people and Rosacea people can use this; it’s not too strong.

One of my favorite finds in the last year. Nighttime treatment.
www.cosmedix.com

HOME SPA FINDS

Calgon

Yes, Calgon! The take me away people have reformulated and rebranded the old standby into a really nice grouping of home spa items, all super-affordable and a variety of clean light scents.

Completely reinvented and more effective in moisturizing with 30 new products in 13 fragrances; especially nice is Hawaiian Ginger.

Ultra-Moisturizing Bath Beads
Rejuvenating Epsom Salts
Bubbly Bath Fizzy Set
Foaming Bubble Bath
Relaxing Mineral Salts
Refreshing Body Mists
Nourishing Body Cream

ShaveMate’s Diva 6

This gadget is off the hook clever - shave cream inside the razor for the legs.
This new travel beauty tool is useful and fun to use. ShaveMate’s Diva 6 all-in-one razors offer the highest blade count on the market with 6 sharp razors, and it has shaving cream right inside the handle.

Oprah raved about it and many makeup trailers that do body makeup have them handy. The disposable razors are sold in packs of 3 and come complete with shower hooks. 
www.ShaveMate.com 

ACNE CONTROL

Anokha Skin Care's Sandalwood & Neem Masque

Super cleansing and clarifying, problem skin and even normal skin that needs good deep cleansing benefits from this interesting facial that eradicates clogged pores and dries up blemishes.

Men and women, anyone who needs a good face mask that makes the skin look refined and healthy. This product deeply cleans pores and decreases inflammation with its combination of anti-septic and anti-oxidant ingredients.  
It is also an amazing anti-acne weapon.  Leave a small amount on blemishes for a powerful overnight treatment. 

Superb product that is free of parabens, sulfates, petrolatum, mineral oil and artificial fragrances and colors. 

www.anokhaskincare.com 

VITAMINS - SKIN AND BODY

Real Food Organics by Country Life

Weather alone can't make a person ill, but a weak immune system can.  Changes in weather are accompanied by a host of other changes that can give a person flu symptoms.

Our bodies are thrown into a mini tizzy when the seasons change;  we are forced to re-adapt. This includes our immune systems, making us more vulnerable to allergies, infections and viruses. 

Given to me by a department head makeup artist on a hit TV drama, I have taken the multivitamin (womens formula) for the last six months and never got sick - no flu shots and not a cold, sniffle or cough.  Skin, hair and nails are benefitting greatly too.

Good advice to consider: To keep healthy, get a full night's sleep.  Drink your lemons. Lemon is the ideal food for restoring acid-alkali balance. Drinking freshly squeezed lemon juice in water, or adding it to tea, salad dressings helps maintain the body's internal pH which supports healthy bacteria instead of the viruses and harmful bacteria which thrive in more acidic environments. 

The line is derived almost entirely from certified organic fruits, vegetables, seeds, sprouts, legumes and grains prepared using proprietary methods that elevate nutritional value and content.

The multi-vitamin formula for men and women contains calcium fructio-borate for increased energy and vitality, Organic Aloe Gel for enhanced absorption and digestive health as well as GlycoBerry8® for cell communication and immune support.
The men’s formula specializes in supporting a healthy prostate function and increasing energy levels. The supplements contain a clinically proven organic form of boron for bone support as well as pumpkin seed extract which is derived from organic pumpkin seeds. The women’s formula specializes in supporting a healthy urinary tract and assists in increasing energy levels. The supplements also contain a clinically proven organic form of boron for bone support.

www.realfoodorganics.com.

April MacIntyre is Monsters and Critics' smallscreen and people/celebrity editor who loves to snoop around in makeup trailers when she can. You can follow her on Twitter.