Guerlain Secret de Purete Cleansing Milk

It's a good thing the GWP tube of Guerlain Secret de Purete Cleansing Milk I have is reasonably generous in size, because once I get going it's hard to stop. Very hard to stop.

This milky cleanser is of perfect consistency (I have a pet peeve about lotions that are so runny they can't stay on one's face long enough to do the job) and feels heavenly on skin. And it removes and disposes of every last drop and fleck of dirt and makeup- no matter how much I have piled on or what bizarre color experiments I've been conducting- 60 seconds of cleansing and it's all gone. The product makes the makeup removing ritual into an almost spa experience right here in front of my mirror. It has something to do with Guerlain's tendency to make wonderfully scented products- both their skin care and makeup. Of course, not everyone like it, but if you have dry skin and you're not averse to scented products, this is a great one.

Guerlain Secret de Purete Cleansing Milk ($48, 200ml) is available from most decent department stores.

Photo: Corbis

Kanebo Sensai Cellular Performance Hydrachange Essence

My favorite part about modern skin care is its effectiveness. Good products deliver visible results within weeks or even days, and while they won't give you a face lift or a nose job, they make one's skin look as good as possible without having to use methods like the one you see above. Other than sun protection (and correcting past sun damage), my main focus is keeping my skin looking alive. It's all quite Harry Potter-like: Potions, Defence Against The Dark Arts and a touch of Herbology, so I like that Kanebo Sensai's nearly magical serum is called an "Essence".

Cellular Performance Hydrachange Essence looks like a runny lotion but you can tell as soon as you apply it that there's some heavy duty concentrated moisturizing there. The "magic" is in the contrast between the lightness of the texture (and the absolute lack of any grease) and the instant plumping and suppleness it gives the face. And these results don't vanish. My skin remains happy for long hours, and I can also tell now, after over a month of daily use, that I've achieved a new and better balance.

Granted, the real test of a superpower hydrating product is during the winter, when freezing temperatures and overheated spaces conspire to age us all, but from what I'm seeing now I have high hopes for the Sensai Hydrachange Essence (and also for the cream from this series which I will start testing as soon as the weather changes). As for integrating this product into my existing routine, I use it every morning after moisturizing and once again in the afternoon or evening once I've taken off my makeup. I still use the brightening Cle de Peau serum right before bed and the results are great, so there's no conflict between the two products.

Bottom Line: Fabulous.

Kanebo Sensai Cellular Performance Hydrachange Essence ($150, 1.35oz) is available at  Bergdorf Goodman and also online from neimanmarcus.com. A press sample was provided by the company's PR team.

Image: glamourdaze.blogspot.com

Kanebo Sensai Hydrachange Mist

Complaining about the weather gets old and boring quickly, especially since we all know I'm going to whine twice as much come winter. But this summer has been brutal, making me more obsessed than ever about protecting my skin and keeping it in top shape with all the moisture and nutrients I can get.

It can be a bit odd how after a day of running around in soup-like humidity once I'm back in the cool and airconditioned house all of a sudden my skin looks and feels deflated. This is where this liquid spray, Hydrachange Mist from Sensai by Kanebo makes a difference.

The Hydrachange Mist looks like water but feels thicker, like a very runny serum. It's actually a mix of water with hyaluronic acid that allows skin to hold unto the moisture and retain it. I've heard some people like to keep the spray bottle of the Mist in the fridge and use it to feel refreshed. Personally, I don't like spraying my face with anything too cold, so I keep it in room temperature. I find that it perks me up instantly and my skin feels very supple after every use. It can be used under makeup or over it and I think it helps makeup stay on and look freshly applied longer. Is this much difference than spraying your face with mineral water at a fraction of the cost? It's hard to say, but I do feel a difference in my skin, so the hyaluronic acid must be doing its job.

Bottom Line: At $75 for 100ml, this is a real indulgence, but after two weeks of temperature in the 100s one starts to appreciate anything that works.

Bottom Line 2: I wish they'd make a travel size bottle, small enough to take on a plane.It would have been the best fix for flight face.

Kanebo Sensai Hydrachange Mist ($75) is available from Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus (the latter is online only). A press sample was supplied by the company's PR team.

Image: Veruschka by Franco Rubartelli, Vogue US June 1968

Chantecaille Lip Contour Fill

I'm pretty sure Chantecaille Lip Contour Fill is going to end up on my Best Of 2010 list.

It looks like a chubby lip pencil and is labeled as a solution for lipstick feathering caused by wrinkles around the mouth. I bought it because I was looking for a product that can fill the tiny scar on my bottom lip that causes many lipsticks to pool in that space and ruin the look. Using most regular balms can be helpful, but it also affects the lipstick's performance, especially by diluting the pigment.

Chantecaille Lip Contour Fill can be used all over the lip surface as well as for contouring. It's invisible and doesn't leave any goopy residue. The pencil feels very comfortable and gel-like, but it's not wet or goopy and you can apply any lip product right away. I've tested it under a dozen lipsticks so far and the results have been outstanding. It really fills the scar and any other imperfection, making the lip surface very smooth. It actually feels moisturizing without ruining a matte lip color. The pencil significantly improves the look of any lipstick- lips appear smoother and more pillowy. I don't think it improves the actual staying power of any color product, but whatever you apply simply looks better.

Bottom line: A holy grail.

Chantecaille Lip Contour Fill ($28) is available from top department store and the company's website. I bought it at Bergdorf Goodman.

Photos by me, feline assistant: Kosh

Lancôme Nutrix Royal Body Cream

It's the time of the year the skin on my body and I become estranged and try to crawl out of each other. It ain't pretty. I fight the good fight. I take my vitamins, slather, grease, beg and plead, and for the most part manage to avoid turning into a creepy crawler, but it takes work and products, and come January and February I turn to the big guns. I've already tried some of the most amazing products on the market, those priced in the three digit range and they really work (they'd better). I was considering buying a jar or two when I decided to give Lancome a chance and ordered their Nutrix Royal Body Cream. I can't help it- I hear something contains royal jelly and I must try it. Not sure where this fixation came from.

My one and only issue with Lancome body products has always been the scent. They smell synthetic and fruity, and Nutrix Royal Body Cream isn't different in that regard, though by the time I get dressed it's mostly gone. The important part, though, is performance. Nutrix Royal delivers like a cream that costs three times as much and continuous use has lingering effect. I haven't touched any other body cream in more than three weeks and haven't seen that ugly dry earth pattern on my legs since then.

Bottom line: I don't know if its the royal jelly, but this cream is made of awesome.

Lancôme Nutrix Royal Body Cream ($34) is available from Lancome counters everywhere and the company's website. I ordered it online.

Photo: images.com

Lancome Tonique Confort

Toners have come a long way since those drying alcoholic liquids of my youth. You were supposed to scrub your skin clean, then follow up with a toner that left your face feeling tingly and dry. Of course, stripping the skin of all its natural oils only meant extra pore activity to replenish them, and breakout galore. Yes, the 80s were fun.

Everyone has learned a thing or two since then (just ask George Michael), and toners are not what they used to be. Take Lancome Tonique Confort, for example. It has the oddest texture: thick and almost gel-like. It's made with honey and almond seed extract and it's not here to dry out your skin. Instead, it feels like an extra pampering while actually picking up any leftover debris or makeup after cleansing.

I use it on those lazy nights when I remove my makeup with cleansing wipes or a towelette and want to make sure my face is really clean without overdrying it. A quick swipe of Tonique Confort feels nice, leaves the skin soft and does the job (surprisingly) efficiently. It's meant for treating dry skin and fully delivers on that. I haven't had any pulling or tightening sensation from using it.

Bottom line: Very good.

Lancome Tonique Confort ($24 for 6.4 oz) is available from every semi-decent department store and lancome.com.

Saving Face- Erno Laszlo pHormula No. 3-9 Cream

The last month or so included flying cross country, having an evil cold and watching the weather go from fall to evil winter. None of the above is good for one's skin.

I was being good, slathering my face religiously with my regular moisturizer, and on those days my cold threatened to get the better of me, also my secret cure: Vicks Vapor Rub all around my nostrils (seriously. It works wonders and prevents you from rubbing your skin raw when blowing your nose for the 1278th time in two days). But I still had a patch or two of blotchy, flaky skin that could use some extra help.

That was when I remembered the sample of Erno Laszlo pHormula No. 3-9 cream for dry skin and cold weather. I received this the month before and was saving it for a time of need. That time has certainly arrived.

The ingredient list includes vitamins C & E, yeast extracts and emu oil (so beware if you don't use products with animal-derived materials), and it promises improved hydration and reduced puffiness, irritation and chaffing. After a month of nearly daily use, indoors and outdoors, I can say that it helped heal miserable skin and get rid of those flaky patches at the side of the nose. It also did a good job protecting my face on blistery NYC days.

pHormula No. 3-9 is not a substitute for an active twice a day serious moisturizer/anti-aging cream. I don't think it even claims to be one, but I'm making note of it just in case. You'd still need whatever cream that makes your skin looks alive. But it adds an extra nourishing layer of protection and helps with healing if you've been through a rough patch.

The cream is thick and would probably be way too much if your skin is oily. Even for me, a little goes a very long way and lasts all day. Younger skin might find it of the "just sitting on the face" variety (a complaint often heard about La Mer), but some days I really do need a cream that would sit there and do its thing on the surface.

Erno Laszlo pHormula No. 3-9 comes in a 1.7 oz jar which can be considered family-size. There's also a 7 oz option ($550) which would take a village to finish before it goes rancid. While the regular size is priced at $195 (most decent department stores and ernolaszlo.com), you can now get it from Dillards (at least online) for $110. The sample I received was a PR freebie.

The Itchy and Scratcy Show

Here's an issue I call Skin Primavera: The weather is acting crazy from day to day. You might start your morning using a thicker body cream than needed or you dress too heavily and find yourself sweating by mid-afternoon, or maybe you're just allergic to daffodils. An itch leads to a scratch and there you have it: red, irritated skin.

The most effective answer I've found so far is aloe vera gel. I'd shy away from the stuff with additives and green coloring and go for the pure stuff. Lily of the Desert has an organic, 99% gel that gives me six hours of relief per application. It has a light moisturizing effect (which means that sometimes I need something extra on top of it) and is instantly calming. It's a medicine cabinet essential, and I also keep a tube in my cosmetics bag. It has saved my legs on more than one occasion.

In my much younger days I discovered that aloe vera gel is also a good post-debauchery cure for the eye area. It helped de-parch, de-puff and revive a hard-partying face. I suspect that now, 20 years later, it'd take a lot more than a $4 tube of gel, but it still feels great on the skin, especially post-flight or after a workout.

I buy mine at the local Whole Foods, where there are several similar brands available. You can also order online .
Image: Top Review

How doth the little crocodile improve his shining tail? Curing Winter Skin

How doth the little crocodile /Lewis Carroll

How doth the little crocodile
Improve his shining tail,
And pour the waters of the Nile
On every golden scale!

How cheerfully he seems to grin,
How neatly spreads his claws,
And welcomes little fishes in,
With gently smiling jaws!

With colder weather (and indoor heating) comes the dreaded crocodile skin, and while we're definitely going to try and improve it, my suggestions are going to be a bit more practical than pouring the waters of the Nile on our scales.

It starts in the shower. The shower caddy and the shelves in my bathroom may resemble a small museum for fine bathing products, but when the weather gets rough nothing beats L'Occitane Almond Shower Oil. The concept of cleansing with oil isn't that new (it's mostly found in face products), though it may seem odd to the uninitiated. I promise you that it works. The amazing part is that unlike any other soap or gel under the sun that all cause my skin to tighten up and cry for immediate relief, this oil is the most gentle product I know (Including baby products. I've tried many).

Don't get me wrong: I still need to thoroughly moisturize to get my legs to a fabulous state, but at least the march from the shower to the bedroom doesn't end with a skin that resembles this Chanel bag:

The oil's subtle fragrance can be described as a cross between baby oil and almond oil, but it's very mild and fades before I even finish rinsing my hair, so it never clashes with any other scented product, and thankfully doesn't have that sharp almondy smell you often find elsewhere. It's so delicate that I don't hesitate to use the entire range under Louve (the latest Serge Lutens perfume, the softest almond note imaginable). The L'Occitanes have no impact or lasting scent at all.