Zoom! How to speed up your daily beauty duty

“Beauty is only skin-deep” — that well-worn phrase it makes it sound like beauty maintenance is easy!

We know, of course, that it can often feel like a full-time job. But no need to sweat it. No matter what your challenge is — anti-aging, sun protection, bikini season or too little time (or all those!) — we’ve got you covered. The latest in skincare advances to products and trends is all right here in our weekly Fashion Friday update.

Countdown to summer
The carefree days of summer are closer than you think, so listen up. If you act now, you can greet the heat with smoother skin, firmer thighs and a toned figure, thanks to new and improved skincare products. The beauty world's buzzing over "body contour" lotions and potions such as Shiseido's Body Creator Aromatic Gel, which is infused with a spicy, citrus-y scent that is said to activate the body's fat-burning and toning receptors. For cellulite-prone areas, there’s the Body Firmer Slimming Concentrate from H20+. Or, for a little snap, crackle and pop, try the Healing Garden Spa Therapy Active Anti-Cellulite Treatment. It crackles when you massage it into your skin and helps to break up fatty deposits in the process. Slough off winter-weary skin and reveal a sensuous, smooth, beach-ready you with exfoliators like Fresh Brown Sugar Body Polish, Origins Salt Rub or Philosophy Amazing Grace Olive Oil Body Scrub.

Trend Tip:
Get yourself in the mood for summer with an affordable daily dose of Suave Naturals Moisturizing Body Wash in Tropical Coconut. Not only does it smooth and soften skin, but its heady coconut scent will transport you to your favorite tropical getaway — and remind you that summer is on its way!

Here comes the sun
What's new under the sun? Increased knowledge about the importance of sun protection, for starters.  However, unless you're floating on a raft around the equator — or splayed on a beach for hours — an SPF of 15 to 30 is generally sufficient for everyday, out-and-about use. Go for sunscreens that offer "broad-spectrum" protection against both UVB and UVA rays. A few to try: Clinique Body SPF 25 Sunblock, Coppertone Spectra3 UVA-UVB Sunscreen Lotion and Banana Boat Sunscreen UVA & UVB Lotion. Want a streak-free, natural-looking tan sans the sun's rays? Try Clarins’ Sheer Bronze Self-Tanners — not only do they leave skin silky and shimmering, but they're tinted for mistake-free application. The latest in the bare, sexy legs look is Sally Hansen's Airbrush Legs. Spray on a shade close to your natural color and you'll instantly cover flaws like uneven skin tone, moles and scars, leaving you with glam gams.

Trend Tip:
Don't forget to protect your tresses from the sun's burning rays!  ThermaSilk Heat-Activated Detangler Leave-In Conditioner contains UV protectants and antioxidants. This special conditioner is activated by the sun's heat while the sunscreen prevents UV rays from damaging the hair, (Remember, it's twice as important to take care if you have treated or colored hair.)

Doctor's orders
One of the latest developments in skin care are lines of products from some of the world's leading plastic surgeons and dermatologists. Where to start? Famed cosmetic surgeon, Dr. Norman Leaf ‘s line, Leaf,& Rusher, has a signature product, Active Serum. It contains Vitamin A (a retinol) and Vitamin C and is claimed to dramatically improve the skin's tone, texture and firmness. Dermatologist Dr. Dennis Gross, creator of the MD Skincare line of products, offers chemical peels formulated for daily at-home use. His Alpha Beta Daily Face and Body Peels contain both alpha- and beta-hydroxy acids. DDF (Doctor's Dermatologic Formula) offers a comprehensive line of both preventative and restorative skincare products that incorporate marine, herbal and botanical ingredients to help skin cells regenerate. All of these skincare lines are available without a prescription — just put the brand names in your favorite search engine and start Web shopping!.

Trend Tip:
Want to research before you take the product plunge? In addition to his line of skincare products, dermatologist Dr. Nicholas Perricone has penned a number of books explaining his theories. His latest, "The Perricone Prescription: A Physician's 28-Day Program for Total Body and Face Rejuvenation," will guide you through a "Three-Day Nutritional Face-Lift" designed to improve your skin from the inside out.

Turn back time?
Can you really turn back the clock and repair years of skin damage? Well, not completely, but today’s “retroactive" and "restorative" skincare products, which incorporate the latest technology in the quest of the ultimate goal, can help.  You can smooth facial lines non-invasively by applying a topical muscle relaxer like Dr. Brandt Crease Release or Reeze 24/7 with RelaxodermRX. Or tighten your skin overnight with products like L'Oreal's Revitalift Night and by day with SK-II Power Signs Treatment Concentrate, which visibly firms skin wherever it's applied (under the eyes, at the jaw line or to the décolletage). Also consider a well-rounded approach using skincare formulations that both restore and repair. Some to try: Guerlain's Issima Successlaser3 moisturizes, lifts and tones to fight three kinds of wrinkles; best-selling Avon Anew Retroactive+ Repair Cream has been reformulated with the addition of newly discovered ingredients; and Lancome's new Primordial Optimum was created to defend against all the major causes of skin aging.

Trend Tip:
Feeling stressed? Nip anxiety lines in the bud with a handy spot treatment for wrinkles. (Apply in front of the boss or the kids for the ultimate in nonverbal communication!) Bliss Crease Police gel rolls on to minimize lines, while Burt's Bees Repair Serum is another on-the-go option that is enriched with green tea extracts, vitamins and evening primrose oil.

Double-duty beauty
Short on time? Who isn't? That's why we love products that offer more than one beauty aid. For example, why wear a basic lip color when you can plump your lips at the same time? Hard Candy's Super Plump Lipstick and Deliciously Kissable Plumping Lip Gloss both contain ingredients that pump up your pucker power. Or consider Avon's Beyond Color Plumping Lipstick, which contains retinol to help smooth those pesky little lip crinkles. The eyes have it with Chanel's Eye Tonic, which is a dark circle corrector that stimulates collagen production and boosts healing circulation to this delicate area. Tony & Tiny's Therapeutic Eyebase looks like your basic under-eye concealer, but it also soothes puffiness, diminishes dark circles and reduces fine lines. You'll also find a slew of new "brighteners" on the market which contain a variety of ingredients designed to revive your skin as they moisturize. Consider Nivea Visage Simply Glowing, Elizabeth Arden Sheer Lights Illuminating Tinted Moisturizer (three products in one!) and Molton Brown Hydramask Skin Energizer.

Only on TODAY.MSNBc.com! Style editor Judy Gordon brings you the latest news and advice about apparel and beauty. LAST WEEK: Love is in the air — and in your closet GO TO ALL FASHION FRIDAY COLUMNS

Trend Tip:
We know it's essential, but sometimes moisturizing after the shower is just one extra step too many. To the rescue comes Olay Moisturinse In Shower Body Lotion, an in-shower moisturizer that won't wash or towel off. Bonus: Your skin is most receptive to nourishment when it's warm and wet, so in-shower moisturizing makes perfect sense.

Judy Gordon is a New York-based style consultant and the “Today” show’s style editor. She has been covering the fashion and beauty beat for the past decade. To learn more, you can visit her Web site, TheTrendReport.com, which highlights style trends in America.

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