Jennifer Appenrodt, the editor of our sister site BeautySage, spent the weekend in Las Vegas scouting hot ingredients and the most interesting new products at the largest beauty trade show in the U.S., Cosmoprof. (Over 900 brands from 40 different countries converged in one space!). Jennifer was looking for products containing ingredients with real science behind them that would pass the test at BeautySage, where everything we sell is vetted by cosmetic chemists to make sure they deliver on their claims. Here’s her roundup of the next big things in beauty (hopefully you’ll see a few on BeautySage in the coming months!).Hottest Trend—Venom-Based Beauty: It was all about the bee venom and snake venom this year! Though bee venom has been used for thousands of years for arthritis and rheumatic pains, it has been popping up in skincare recently for its anti-wrinkle and cell regenerating properties. Numerous skincare lines are using this buzz-worthy ingredient in their creams and serums, but Manuka Doctor is actually launching a bee-venom-based color line next week that features a CC Cream and Primer. Dr. Rey (known for his TV show “Doctor 90210”) just developed a new skincare line that uses SYN-AKE, a peptide found in snake venom, to relax the muscles in the face for smoother skin and fewer wrinkles.60-Second Fake Eyelashes: I must have seen at least a thousand lash-enhancing products! But I was most impressed with Australian-based brand Cherry Blooms, which serves as an alternative to the sticky glue, tedious process of applying eyelash extensions. Their foolproof application process involves two products, three steps and less than one minute. The two key ingredients are high-grade beeswax, which nourishes and thickens lashes, and black fibers, which allows the product to deliver thicker and longer lashes than traditional fiber-based brands. They did a demo on my lashes and they literally doubled in length!Most Interesting Ingredient—Hydrolyzed Capauxein: How smooth, soft and shiny was the 10-year-old version of your hair? Well, clinical studies have proven that hydrolyzed capauxein, an extract derived from corn, reverts the genetic age of your hair. It’s able to increase density and elasticity at a molecular level by helping to repair and renew the inner cortex and outer cuticle of hair. Holocuren claims to be the first hair line featuring the ingredient in their recently launched summer collection, and they swear it’s destined to become the “it” ingredient of anti-aging hair care.Best Back Story—Skin & Co. Roma: We’re a sucker for any story involving “La Dolce Vita,” and Skin & Co is a brand deeply rooted in that golden, glamorous decade of Roman life. In the 50s and 60s, founder Giuseppina Balestra created anti-aging, truffle-infused skincare potions adored by the famous Italian actresses filming in Rome. (We love the black-and-white photo of her with the cast of “Roman Holiday.”) Today, her dapper great-grandson is at the helm of the company and they utilize the same prized Italian ingredients—including olive oil and rare truffle extract—to recreate Gabriella’s time-tested potions.The Future of Gel Manicures: This year, it was all about DIY gel manicures. My favorite included a shade-shifting gel from Orly and a peel-off one-step gel from Asian-based brand Wink Me. Orly’s Shade Shifter changes color depending on body temperature—darker if you’re cold, lighter if you’re warm—basically delivering two manicures in one. Wink Me requires one application (as opposed to the traditional four-step gel process) and has just launched a peel-off version that does not require you to soak your nails for damage-free gel removal.Pesky Beauty Conundrums, Solved: You know those little beauty issues that pop up ever so often and are just annoying? Like when you can’t grab that last bit of your favorite gloss, or you’re not able to reach your back when sunless tanning, or when a product gets buried in your makeup bag? There were a few products at Cosmoprof that solved these issues with cute, innovative designs. Swoon is a flexible applicator that allows you to reach the very bottom and every corner (even that bottom 20 percent!) of your lip gloss tube; Sheer Tan Wand is a plastic contraption that has just enough length to reach over your shoulder, around your torso and down the back of your legs for a perfect, all-over tan; and Lay n’ Go is a washable cosmetic bag that spreads flat on the counter, creating a clean, contained surface for your makeup.
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