Hand It Over

One of Ms. New Beauty's favorite people on earth, her Partner in Crime, is about to turn 25. It's going to be a glorious celebration in Las Vegas replete with late nights, ignorant amounts of champagne, lots of short skirts and long legs, and one pair of fabulous Chanel shoes. MNB is quite excited to take part in the festivities especially since her Partner in Crime's birthday is the day before New Year's Eve. But in thinking about her friend turning 25, MNB came to the realization that this event means she'll soon be turning 25 too, since their birthdays are only about a month apart. For a beauty junkie like MNB, turning 25 means only that now she will officially fall within the target market for anti-aging skin care products and treatments. Now, Ms. New Beauty knows that she doesn't quite need wrinkle cream yet. Mama New Beauty still looks 10-15 years younger than she is, so MNB knows that her face won't be cracking any time soon. What she was surprised to learn is that her hands may not be so lucky. Since her hands have been wrinkled since birth, Ms. New Beauty can only imagine what they will look like once the signs of aging add to what genetics has already done. Not one to lay down and give up without a fight, MNB is taking matters into her own, for lack of a better word, hands.

Freeze 24-7 IceCrystals Anti-Aging Prep and Polish

Most anti-aging skin care products are far too rich and emollient for my face. My skin tends to be dry on my body and annoyingly oily on my face. So wrinkle creams and cleansers often make me break out. But, I recently learned that those creams that my face can't handle my body will readily drink up. So, I've been using traditional face creams on my hands and I'm quite happy with the results.

IceCrystals Prep and Polish is one of the scrubbiest exfoliants I have ever tried. The particles are small and fine but ridiculously powerful at their task. They scrub, scrub, scrub to get rid of layers or dead, dry skin without being too harsh or abrasive. What I really love about this scrub and what sets it apart from others I've tried is that it's creamy and moisturizing without being greasy. Many body scrubs are just way too oily to be effective for the hands. Unlike the skin on our bodies that really doesn't have much to do once we get dressed, your hands are constantly at work. And, anyone who's ever tried to open a door after applying a greasy lotion learned this lesson the hard way. IceCrystals is special in that it gives you the level of moisture you want and need in the most ingenious way. Within the scrub are encapsulated beads of jojoba oil. The beads help to exfoliate and during the course of the wash, they burst and leave behind soothing moisture. If you use it on your face, the jojoba beads actually let you skip your moisturizer afterwards. And, because this is an anti-aging product, it actually helps to reduce age and liver spots so your hands look younger.

$65, available at Freeze247.com

Freeze 24-7 IceCream Double Scoop Smoothing Anti-Aging Moisturizer

After I'm done giving my hands their nightly scrub down before bed, I like to follow with this thick, rich moisturizer. This also is traditionally meant to be used on your face but I love the way it makes my hands feel. It's thick but sinks right in. It's rich but not the slightest bit greasy. I had been using Creme de La Mer on my hands right before bed, but I found that a little too greasy for me. (So, I'm using it on my feet instead. How ridiculously indulgent of me!) When I wake up in the morning, my persistently dry hands are softer and smoother and feel glorious.

Since the weather is changing, I've noticed that certain parts of my face are drier than normal, particularly right around my nose and mouth. So, I've also been putting on just a touch after my normal moisturizer has had a chance to sink in and absorb. All that dry tightness is gone but this doesn't make me any oilier. I really love that because any girl with oily skin will tell you that eradicating any bit of excess oil or shine in products or on your face quickly becomes your life's mission. I also have to admit that I get a bit of an Erica Kane rush of glamour by displaying a luxury face cream on my night stand and say "oh that, it's just for my hands" when friends ask what it is.

$105, available at Freeze247.com

Neutrogena Illuminating Whip Moisturizer with SPF 20

The last part of my Young Fingers Forever trifecta was going to be a face cream with SPF that I can carry with me and use on my hands throughout the day. I am constantly washing my hands (germaphobe + small bladder = hands washed at least 15 times a day) and all that soap and water is really drying. Plus, I know that sun ages skin more than anything else and my hands are the one part of my body that is always unprotected and exposed to sun damage. The commercials for this product really got me excited, enough so that I scoured three drugstores looking for it. When I finally found it, I was in love with the texture. It's so light and whipped that it feels like applying some kind of moisturizing frosting to your hands. The jar is a little big for toting around, but I figured that I carry enough other crap in my purse all day that one more thing won't hurt. Well, I really have no need to carry it with me anymore because it only took one day to leave me unimpressed.

Now, the first word of the product's name is Illuminating, so that should have been a tip off for me. But, after reading it, I didn't think that illuminating meant tons of shimmery gold sparkles more fit for a disco than daytime wear. After I put this on, I looked down to find the palms of my hands almost completely shining with gold. I know that it's supposed to add radiance, but this much shimmer is a little too much. I thought maybe the effect was harsh just because it was on my hands, but I was similarly unimpressed after trying it on my face. The shimmer is more obvious than it ought to be and just not right to be used all over as a sunscreen. This would be better suited as highlighting cream for certain spots only. I also hate the smell. When you open the jar, it's overly perfumey and enough to send anyone with allergies into a fit of sneezing and headaches. Plus, I found that something in the formula reacted with the silver of my ring to produce a really horrible aroma. It's a nice idea in theory, but definitely needs more work to be a product worth investing in.

About $14.99, availabe at drugstores


Keep time off your hands, and be a little indulgent in the process, but remember that Ms. New Beauty told you!

P.S. If you haven't already, sign up for the M.A.C. Holiday Collection giveaway. Don't let all that goodness go to somebody else.