Global Beauty Finds: The 13 Best Products
Vintage French apothecary finds. Photo by Dan Backman / Flickr.
We continue beauty-in-travel week with a look at the best beauty products from around the world. There's no one more qualified to give us a baker's dozen than a woman who spends her life looking for such potions: frequent flier and product junkie Alyssa Barrie Weiss, the founder of the website Travel Beauty.
As a child, I traveled a great deal with my parents, mostly to Europe and the Middle East. When we arrived at our destination, the first thing my mother did was take my brother and me to the local pharmacy or pharmacie. Whether we were in Tel Aviv, Paris, Berlin, or Florence, she always knew which one was the best. These outings felt like an adventure: The pharmacies overseas were different from those in New York City. They were fancy and old-world, and I loved them.
As an adult, I developed a vast interest and knowledge of products, as well as an obsessive compulsion for them, and sought the foremost beauty industry experts to learn more. This led me to Yasmine Djerradine, a veteran skin care expert from Paris and owner of Yasmine Djerradine Institut de Beauté on the Upper East Side in Manhattan. And Ishi, of Salon Ishi, the guru leading the way in high-tech Japanese hair care. Yasmine and Ishi took me under their wings and educated me on the best products and treatments.
My love for travel took me to far-flung destinations, where I was able to feed my product addiction by scouring the places I visited for their best beauty finds. I have curated these products, with the help of our panel of industry experts, on my website, Travel Beauty, an online destination for the very best of all things beauty from around the globe.
There is so much great stuff to try, but Fathom asked me for a baker's dozen of my favorite global beauty finds of all time:
1. Heaven Skincare Bee Venom Mask
Provenance: United Kingdom
Why I Love It: It multi-tasks as a moisturizer, and you can feel it tightening the skin and brightening the complexion. The bee venom literally paralyzes the muscles beneath the skin. It's basically an organic alternative to Botox.
2. Lavido Hyaluronic Acid Eye Alert Cream
Provenance: Israel
Why I Love It: Formulated with plant-based hyaluronic acid, it brightens, moisturizes, and relieves puffiness around the eye area, and diminishes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Bottom line: It shaves years off your eye area.
Provenance: Japan
Why I Love It: It does everything but walk the dog. Its negatively charged ions enable it to bond to hair and skin so that this multi-tasking miracle water:
- Strengthens fine hair, making it feel and look thicker.
- Boosts the strength of conditioners, treatments, or styling aids, allowing the products to penetrate deeper and work better.
- Enhances the efficacy of your skin care regimen if used before toner, serum, and moisturizer.
- Can be used as a makeup remover on face and eyes.
- Can be used to brush teeth when they feel especially hairy.
Provenance: France
Why I Love It: An all-natural, anti-aging serum that moisturizes, plumps the skin, and delivers on its promise. You'll see: This is the stuff of miracles.
Provenance: France
Why I Love It: This multi-tasking, super anti-aging elixir can be used as a face, body, hair, and nail cuticle oil to nourish and regenerate the skin. After two weeks, your skin will feel like new.
6. Juvena Pure Lifting Peeling Powder
Provenance: Switzerland
Why I Love It: Leaves skin feeling squeaky-clean. Active ingredients like bamboo particles exfoliate, polish, and refine. Especially exciting: It's powder! We can travel with one less liquid.
7. Philip Kingsley Elasticizer
Provenance: United Kingdom
Why I Love It: An intensely moisturizing hair mask that works wonders on all hair types. Fine, medium, thick, dry, and over-processed locks will be whipped into the shape of their lives, with restored elasticity, bounce, and shine.
8. Institut Estheder Bronz Repair Age Control Face Cream SPF 20
Provenance: France
Why I Love It: Hands down, the best sun care products anywhere. Protects against premature aging and sun damage and extends the life of a tan. Can be used as a daily moisturizer during the summer, on the beach, and/or while skiing.
9. B. Kamins Nutrient Replacement Cream Kx
Provenance: Canada
Why I Love It: It's topical Botox in a bottle. The hyaluronate molecule, the active ingredient in fillers and injectables, is the active ingredient here, too.
10. Institut Esthederm Repair System Eye Contour Lift Patches
Provenance: France
Why I Love It: Fabulous for emergency under-eye care, especially post-flight, pre-business meeting, or night out. You may still feel tired, but you'll look like a million dollars.
11. Heaven Skincare EllaJane Celebrity Skincare Wipes
Provenance: United Kingdom
Why I Love It: If you are lazy about washing up before bed, a clean, toned, and moisturized visage is just a wipe away.
12. Compagnie De Provence Olive & Lavender Body Milk
Provenance: France
Why I Love It: Absorbs quickly and leaves skin nourished, hydrated, and smelling divine. I don't love perfumey products, but the scent is light and delightful.
13. Elemis Frangipani Monoi Body Oil
Provenance: United Kingdom
Why I Love It: An anti-aging body oil that absorbs super quickly and smells like frangipani flowers. You can't go wrong with it. You can even apply a few drops to the ends of your hair for extra shine.
BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE
Ask Fathom: How to Stay Beautiful On the Go
Travel Loot: Asia Major
Travel Loot: She Sells Sea Salt by the Seashore