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+THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 10 2015 1CFACEBOOK.COM/NEWSANDOBSERVERTWITTER.COM/NEWSOBSERVERNEWSOBSERVER.COM

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Life MEMORABLE FINALACT LIFTS CMT’SJOHNNY CASH FILM.3C

TV REVIEW

While music may be the bigdraw for the annual Hop-scotch Festival in downtownRaleigh this weekend, itssister event, the HopscotchDesign Festival, shines a lighton designers of all stripes onThursday.Among those speaking at

the event is “Project Runway”alum and N.C. State professorJustin LeBlanc. LeBlanc willspeak at 9:30 a.m. at Christthe King Presbyterian Churchon the topic of “Design Meta-morphosis: Transcending PastDesigns to Create New Per-spectives.” He will share howhe is able to put past designsbehind him to continue tocreate fresh new looks. Moreinformation and tickets areavailable athopscotchdesignfest.com.

BIG TAILGATE DATE NIGHTBailey’s Fine Jewelry in

Raleigh’s Cameron Villagecelebrates the return of foot-ball this week with the BigTailgate on Thursday from 6to 8 p.m. The store will servetailgate food from HibernianIrish Pub and Restaurant,beer from Goose Island andStella Artois, and there will bea cornhole competition forprizes, including $25 Bailey’sgift cards and N.C. State foot-ball tickets. For more info,call 919-829-7337.

TRUNK SHOWSWith fall just around the

corner, local boutiques aregearing up for the new seasonwith a spate of trunk showsfeaturing seasonal styles.Here’s the skinny on thisweek’s lineup:

AKathy Moca, co-founderof South Carolina-based BeijaFlor jeans, will visit StyleFind-er Boutique in Raleigh for atrunk show of the company’slatest designs for fall on Sat-urday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.Moca will offer personalizedfittings and style advice dur-ing her visit. To schedule anappointment, call 919-454-3068.

ADovecote’s fall trunkshow series continues thisweek with pants from Eques-

STYLE WATCH

JustinLeBlancto speakat festival

BY JENNIFER BRINGLECorrespondent

SEE BRINGLE, 2C

W ith technologyconstantlyevolving, manypeople areturning to gad-

gets for beauty fixes rather thanseeking the aid of cosmetic andmedical professionals.There are special brushes with

“sonic cleansing technology”promising to better clean ourskin; there are laser hair remov-ers that allow for discreet at-home use; there are even de-vices that promise to tone skinand reduce signs of aging.There’s a lot of appeal here

for consumers. First, there’s theconvenience of tending to issuesat home – no appointment tomake, time saved by not trav-eling to appointments, and moresensitive treatments done inprivate. Plus, many consum-ers view devices as in-vestments that are lesscostly than the long-termexpense of professionalprocedures or spa treat-

ments.But they’re only good in-

vestments if they work.Carolyn Doe, director of The

Umstead Spa in Cary says mostare OK, but they shouldn’t takethe place of consulting withprofessionals. “Users can’t ana-lyze their own skin to determineif the beauty gadget is address-ing the skin condition that itsuse was intended to correct,”she says. “However, most beau-ty gadgets are great to use inconjunction with regular visitsto an aesthetician or cosmeticprofessional, at least seasonally,to determine how your skin isaffected by weather changesand how to adjust your skincareroutine appropriately.”A consistent nega-

tive with many of

these gadgets is cost, which canrange from $100 to $500 ormore. Consumers may some-what benefit from less expen-sive “knock-off” devices, saysDoe, but she notes that withthe various cleansers in partic-ular, the more expensive mod-els usually have more than onepurpose and might be moreworth the investment.“Consumers have to make a

purchase that will fit their bud-gets,” she says. “But if usedcorrectly, most brush cleanserswill exfoliate the skin.”Here’s a rundown of some of

the more popular devices onthe market, along with prosand cons.

CLARISONIC SKINCLEANSING BRUSH,$99-$265The Clarisonic is designed

with a patented sonic cleans-ing technology that allows itto oscillate at a frequency thatthe company says producesover 300 movements persecond. “If cleansing devices,such as the Clarisonic andFOREO Luna, are used cor-rectly and consistently, theskin will be exfoliated andtoned, resulting in an illumi-nated and smooth complex-ion,” says Doe.Note: For best results, apply

a cleanser that foams well tothe brush. For normal skintypes, try Origins Checks andBalances. For normal to oilyskin, try Chantecaille’s Riceand Geranium FoamingCleanser. For drier skin, tryClarins Gentle FoamingCleanser with Shea Butter. Agood cleanser for men is theAnthony Glycolic FacialCleanser.

ProsA Clarisonic also offers amen’s version: Alpha FitCleansing System.

A 1-3 year warrantydepending on the device.

A Users can use their favoriteskincare products.

ConsA Brush heads must bereplaced, at a cost of$27-$32 each.

FOREO LUNA FACIALCLEANSING DEVICE,$139-$199The FOREO Luna works as

a two-in-one product used forcleansing and for anti-agingpurposes. After cleansing, theanti-aging mode can be usedon problem areas, wherelow-frequency pulsations aresaid to work to smooth theappearance of fine lines andwrinkles.

ProsA The silicone is gentle andit’s good for those withsensitive skin.

A Double duty: It bothcleanses and may helpsmooth fine lines.

A Each full charge lasts up to450 uses.

A Comes with a two-yearwarranty.

ConsA Entire device is

replaced aftertwo years.

amazon.com

The Clarisonic Skin Cleansing Brush oscillates at ahigh sonic frequency and is used for cleansing,exfoliating and toning the skin.

AT HOME

Are expensivebeauty gadgetsworth the cost?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

At-home beauty gadgets are convenient and appealing to consumers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The devices can be pricey, but many consider them an investment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Even the best ones require consistent use to see results. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

FOREO

The FOREO Luna Facial Cleansing Device is for bothcleansing and anti-aging purposes.

BY KIMBERLY ARNOLDCorrespondent

SEE GADGETS, 2C

“Empire” caught everyone bysurprise.The Fox family drama that

plays out against the cutthroatworld of the music industryopened strong when it launchedas a mid-season replacement inJanuary. What no one expectedwas for the ratings to climb eachweek until the season finaleattracted almost 17 million view-ers.It’s been a decade since a

freshman series (“Grey’s Anato-

my”) has ended with such highratings.“We all loved the show. We

thought the show was great.Even when we saw it in the pilotform. I think we were all sur-prised that it did that well, thatevery single week it climbed andcontinued to sort of live on atrajectory that was going for-ward,” says Brian Grazer, an“Empire” executive producer.Even bigger is that this is the

first one-hour network dramawith a predominantly black castto get a second season order.The second season opens

Sept. 23. If you are already

watching the most addictivefamily drama since J.R. Ewingruled the ratings through “Dal-las,” you know why the showhas been such a hit. For those ofyou who haven’t felt the show’sintoxicating beat, here are somereasons why fans are so rabid.

FAMILY TIESThe series is the creation of

Lee Daniels, whose past workincludes “Lee Daniels’ TheButler,” “Precious” and “Shad-owboxer.” “Empire” is designedto look at a specific family, but

JAMES DIMMOCK FOX

The cast of “Empire.” Season 2 debuts Sept. 23 on Fox.

SURPRISE SMASH HIT

Why ‘Empire’ rules onnetwork televisionBY RICK BENTLEYThe Fresno Bee

SEE ‘EMPIRE’, 2C