I've never reviewed a product that isn't a food on TWT before, but the skincare company Stages of Beauty recently sent me their "Radiance" face care set, and I'm hooked. I should have known they would be great products when I opened the box to find a little note printed on the the inside flap that said "hey, beautiful! I may only be a box, but I can still tell you are smiling." A smart box, because indeed I was. Nothing like a pretty package and being called beautiful by an inanimate object to make me grin (more after the jump).
However, one must never judge a book by its cover, a woman by her hair, or a face wash by its packaging. So with this in mind, I organized my features into a more serious, "lets-test-this-stuff-out" expression, and set to work extricating the bottles from the kind box.
Stages of Beauty has a philosophy on anti-aging, and that is that it's never too young to start making sure you don't look old. The company, based in Boston, believes that skin needs different treatments at different ages, and have based their products around this philosophy with lines called Radiance for women in their 20s, Harmony for the 30s, Elegance for the 40s, and Grace for 50+.
Here's what I learned about my 20-something-year-old-skin from Stages of Beauty's website:
"Collagen/Elastin:After the guilt I felt about all the years I've spent scorching my skin on sailboats faded, I was ready to "begin to deal with damage which leads to the premature development of fine lines & wrinkles." I used the cleanser first, made from a blend of Swiss Cress, Monk's Pepper Berry, various citrus, licorice root, aloe, green tea, apple, and soybean oil. It felt softer and smelled much better than the drugstore cleansers I've been using. I actually washed my face with it twice because I liked it so much.
Typically at its highest levels in our early 20s. But be careful! Constant exposure to the sun can cause free radical damage and early degradation of collagen and elastin leading to premature fine lines. For preventive care, it is especially important to protect our skin from environmental elements and free radical damage.
Regeneration/Repair:Our skin is able to completely regenerate itself in about 14 days. This quick repair helps give us our radiant glow in our 20s."
The scrub, a blend of similar ingredients with the addition of a few others such as pomegranate, glycerin, and strawberry oil, was invigorating. I felt like I was starting over and really taking care of my skin. The best part, however, was the treatment cream. I put it on after the cleanser and the scrub and my face looked fresher than it has since I came back from Antigua. I felt kind of glow-y, which is a word I've scoffed at in reviews of beauty products, and have to say, I now understand.
Bottom line: Stages of Beauty is pricey ($30 for the cleanser, $35 for the scrub, and $53 for the treatment cream), but if you're looking to guard against future aging, want to give someone a lovely gift, or simply like the best of the best, I wholeheartedly recommend it.
And now, since writing about it has made me want to go wash my face, I think I'll do so.
