*My skin issue back then? It turned out I needed a lot more moisture and to avoid Clinique 1-2-3 system.
Showing posts with label skin care. Show all posts
Showing posts with label skin care. Show all posts
Shu Uemura High Performance Cleansing Oil Advanced Formula
*My skin issue back then? It turned out I needed a lot more moisture and to avoid Clinique 1-2-3 system.
Guerlain Toner Super Aqua Lotion
Josephine here is not the only one who likes the good stuff. My latest skincare obsession is hydrating toners that not only make skin look and feel fresh, they also moisturize. My nightly routine includes the excellent Lancome Secret de Vie Toner, but in the morning I often prefer something a little more invigorating. This is where Guerlain Super Aqua Lotion (a confusing name, for sure) enters the picture.
Super Aqua Lotion is not as thick as the gel-like Lancome and definitely feels a little more like a toner. But it's still gentle and moisturizing while doing its job to refresh and lightly tone the skin before I start loading it with serums and creams. I don't know much about the desert rose complex Guerlain is using in their Super Aqua line (other than it gives me an earworm- see Sting's song below), but the toner smells nice, feels good and my skin is happy.
Guerlain Sper Aqua Lotion ($48) is available from select department stores. The travel size I've been testing was part of a GWP.
Photo by me.
MintGlaze FX Lip Treatment
It never fails. Temperatures drop, heating is cranked up and my lips dry out instantly and crack. The whole thing is painful, not to mention how bleeding lips are not my best look, Halloween or not. The cure this fall has been extremely effective, not to mention multi-functional.
MintGlaze FX from Cover FX is a lip treatment that serves a double and triple duty as a primer, plumper and moisturizer that also gives some sun protection. It has a minty tingle that had me worried for a couple of seconds, but it never irritates my already tortured lips and instead makes them look and feel better within minutes. The plumping is a result of the glaze's hydrating action and the way it locks moisture in. It's a little sticky at first so I'd recommend giving it at least 15 minutes before applying your lipstick.
MintGlaze FX comes in a little tube with a doe-foot sponge applicator. It doesn't only look like a lip gloss- the shiny coat it creates is actually nice enough if you prefer a nude lip look. I find that applying it about 3 times a day is all I need to maintain healthy lips, at least under current conditions. I'll probably apply more once winter gets here and the weather is blistering cold, but I expect similar results.
Bottom Line: a real winner.
MintGlaze FX Lip Treatment ($22) is available from Sephora.
Cle de Peau La Creme
When do the big guns become too big?
Do we really need a $500 per oz moisturizer?
For me, it all comes down to visible results. I'm willing to pay for a serum that makes sun damage fade faster, for a moisturizer that heals stressed skin and for anti-aging products that keep my face younger looking. As long as I can see that. I don't care much for the faux-science babble on boxes and inserts, this molecule or that molecule, bio-something or other, magical orbs... whatever. Just make me look pretty.
My expectations are within a normal range. It's not that I hope a cream would make my nose smaller and my chin more pronounced. It's all about having a smooth, supple and even skin, or at least its equivalent for someone pushing 40. And so far so good. Most serious companies that have the research budget offer us a wide array of very effective products.
The problem starts when a product is obviously good- like Cle de Peau's La Creme. It's an excellent moisturizer that also has anti-aging and brightening properties. I can't really comment on the latter because I've been faithfully using Cle de Paeu's Anti Age Spot serum and seeing wonderful results for months now. My skin hasn't been so even since my teens. I'm also using several other excellent products, mostly by Lancome and Kanebo Sensai) that replenish moisture and retain it. When temperatures drop, after flights and/or on skin emergencies I reach for the miraculous Erno Laszlo PHormula 3-9. They all work.
If I were to go for a full jar of La Creme (I've been going through several samples and travel size GWP jars for the last six weeks) would I be able to forsake all other skin care products? Would I use cheaper cleansers, only one drugstore serum and nothing else? No brightening serum? No masks? It's highly unlikely. And does La Creme gives me better results than my trusty Secret de Vie? Not at this point.
Decision made.
Cle de Peau La Creme ($500, 1oz or $750 1.7oz) is available at select department stores.
Lancome Secret de Vie Precious Reviving Toner
Those who've been with me for a while know that I swear by Lancome Secret de Vie Reviving Creme. It's one of few skin care items I'm never without, because it keeps my skin soft, supple and happy under almost any circumstances. Lancome has been expanding the Secret de Vie range, and while I have little to say about the serum or the eye cream (both are nice but nothing special to set them apart from similar products), I'm now completely enamored of the toner.
Toners are usually quite drying, but Lancome offers several great alternatives that actually pamper the skin. I like Tonique Confort which is definitely a lot easier on the wallet, but there is a slight difference that to me justifies the expense. While Tonique Conforts cleans and tones without drying, Secret de Vie instantly improves skin's moisture level and more- any follow-up products I use (serums and creams) seem to get a performance boost. My skin holds them better and retain the nourishment and moisture. It's probably the result of a high content of hyaluronic acid, known to improve skin ability to stay hydrated.
The texture of Secret de Vie toner is thick and serum-like. It gives me a little trouble when trying to coerce it out of the bottle onto a cotton pad, but I guess it's better than a precious liquid that splatters all over the place. Given the results and the state of my skin I'm willing to deal with that.
Lancome Secret de Vie Precious Reviving Toner ($60, 5oz) is available from most department stores and lancome.com.
Photo of a Lancome boutique in the 1930 from elorigendelmundo.blogspot.com
Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics- Minerals In The Mist- Restore
The one problem with Youngblood's Minerals In The Mist sprays is that they come in 4 oz bottles, which means not TSA approved, so one can't pack them in the infamous plastic bag you take with you on the plane. A refreshing spritz of this stuff helps me wake up, locks in the serum and moisturizer I just applied and gives a natural dewiness to the makeup. I would have loved to bring it with me for a post-flight fix, but it's not meant to be.
It's interesting to note that some of the essential oils blended for Youngblood's Grapefruit, Lime, and Rosemary Restore Mist , mostly citrus oil, would give an IFRA bureaucrat a seizure. Apparently it's OK to spray it directly in the face but not to wear as perfume. Ha. In any case, while this mist doesn't feel as exquisitely nourishing as Kanebo Sensai's spray mist, for only $22 this is a pleasant alternative.
Bottom Line: I'd happily buy a travel size if one was offered.
Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics- Minerals In The Mist- Restore($22) was sent for my consideration by the company. It's available from Henri Bendel in NYC and ybskin.com.
Pur~Lisse Pur~Lip Comfort
I probably got the tube of Pur~Lisse Pur~Lip Comfort in a Beautyfix box and put it aside for a time of need. Recently that time arrived- a day of not drinking enough water combined with extra unpleasant weather resulted in dry and cracked lips. The perfect setting for testing a new lip product.
The Good: It worked very well. The rich cream smoothed and healed my lips in no time. Using it for a couple of days left me with soft and healthy looking lips.
The Bad: All the oils and emollients don't make a good base for lipsticks. Pur~Lip made every lip color I tried slide and migrate. Not a good look.
The Questionable: Pur~Lip's ingredient list is full of good-for-you ingredients. This Pur~Lisse product is full of natural butters and oils, vitamins and nutrients. It's the fragrant ingredients that make me raise an eyebrow. Both orange peel oil and linalool have been targeted by IFRA as possible skin allergens and are supposed to be restricted when used in perfume. I'd think that if that's the case, maybe skin care products that go directly on one's lips should be just a little more discriminating.
Pur~Lisse Pur~Lip Comfort ($22) is available from purlisse.com. I received mine in a press kit from Beautyfix.
Le Metier de Beaute Peau Vierge Anti-Aging Complexe Tinted Treatment Fluid
A few months ago in a meeting with the Le Metier de Beaute team it was hard not to notice all of them- office people and beauty specialists, men and women- were sporting a particularly great complexion. I asked what they were doing and wearing and the answer was the same- Peau Vierge. All of them had a story of what this treatment/tint has done for them, and I was impressed.
Peau Vierge sits on the line between makeup and skincare, and I guess that's why the price is so high. It has a high percentage of active ingredients including retinol, and uses a unique technology that claims to improve the efficiency of said active ingredients. I tend to be skeptical of the scientific babble on cosmetics boxes, but I do trust my eyes. My eyes are telling me that this stuff works.
According to Le Metier de Beaute's makeup artists you're not supposed to use a primer underneath Peau Vierge- it's an active skincare treatment, after all. Hearing that made me twitch a little. I've been priming my face religiously for years now and have come to expect my makeup to stay in place no matter what. But PV contains dimethicone, which is the main ingredient in many primers, so I guess they really thought about everything. It also contains SPF 20, which is a nice bonus.
As a foundation alternative Peau Vierge is a serious overachiever. I'm rarely happy with tinted moisturizers, but this one is just as good as my holy grail Chanel Vitalumier. It evens out imperfections and gives a decent light-to-medium coverage. I was highly impressed with the way it looked from the very first use, and was very surprised to see how well it holds even without a primer, as long as I set it with a good finishing powder. Still, when facing hellish weather and high water I reach for a primer first, especially if I need my makeup to hold from morning to night. The finished look is not exactly luminous, because the face looks natural and there's no artificial shimmer or glow. That's why it's so male-friendly. I saw PV on a man and you'd never be able to tell he was wearing anything. Yet, the light diffusing pigments are doing something- everyone's skin looks brighter and very even.
Peau Vierge only comes in two colors- light/medium and medium/dark. I use the light/medium as does everyone I asked from the Le Metier team, despite the very wide range of skin tone and ethnicity. However, a makeup artist experimented a little with my face and showed me how by blending a little of the darker shade with concealer you can get some serious coverage and a flawless skin. I often buy two sades of face products and blend them together to perfection. However, at $125 a pop I'm sticking to one shade. It's more than good enough.
After using Peau Vierge for several months I can see a difference. Of course, I'm also a skincare zealot and employ other big guns, so it's impossible to attribute everything to just one product. But even as "just" an incredible base for my daily makeup this is one of the best products I've ever used. I received my first bottle from the company but have bought another one since then, so if you ask me "Is it really worth it?", my answer is emphatically "yes". However, I definitely understand how the price would keep many far away, especially if their skin case concerns are different.
Le Metier de Beaute Peau Vierge Anti-Aging Complexe Tinted Treatment Fluid is available from Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus, online and in store.
Photo by Paul Robinson- myvintagevogue.com
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
Kanebo Sensai Silky Bronze Bronze Soothing After Sun Mask
The last month or so the weather here has been on the range between horrible to atrocious. Hiding in air conditioned spaces is nice, but as the husband and I wanted to make the most of our weekends, go places and visit interesting antique centers (a note to the wise: south-central Jersey leaves a lot to be desired) it meant quite a bit of time in the car and walking around. I've been really really good, using sunscreen, wearing a wide brimmed hat and covering myself with a scarf for some extra protection, so other than the top of my feet which I systematically forget to slater with sun blocks, I've kept my natural pale ash color.
But it doesn't mean that the heat and sun didn't affect my skin. I could tell that no matter how much water I drink, my skin lost moisture and felt sensitive. I also missed a spot when applying sunscreen to my hands and got a little sunburn on my right hand just below the pinky finger. My regular arsenal of moisturizers helped a little, but not enough to make me feel restored, which was why I turned to the heavy duty product: Kanebo Sensai Silky Bronze Bronze Soothing After Sun Mask.
Designed for use after serious sun exposure, the 10 minute mask cools the skin and reduces inflammation. It's supposed to minimize peeling and sustain an even tan, but that's obviously not my thing. What I can tell you is how quickly the mask restores skin suppleness and moisture level. The mask contains some interesting good-for-you ingredients like hyaluronate collagen booster, apricot essence and silk complex in a base solution of mentholated water (that's the instant cooling effect). I used it nightly after returning home and once before going out again in the evening, and could see the results especially after a couple of days- my skin looked rested and healthy with no sign of heat exhaustion.
This Sensai product is an actual mask- a three-layer paper product that is saturated with the liquid solution. You take out the sheet from the individual packet, unfold it and apply carefully smooth it all over the face. It feels a little weird the first time, especially since you need to position it correctly over the eyes, nose and mouth. There are flaps for the eyes which you can use to cover the lids and take a ten minute catnap or lift them, as desired. I cut one of the flaps and used it on my hand and it worked great. Two days later there was no sign of sunburn.
A full pack of the Silky Bronze Bronze Soothing After Sun Mask contains 8 sheets. You're supposed to use them for five consecutive days during your vacation/sun exposure time and then once a week for three more weeks. I've been just using them as needed, making sure not to do that when expecting the UPS guy to ring the doorbell, to avoid an Eyes Without A Face moment (the French horror film, not Billy Idol's song). I find it highly effective and a summer essential.
Kanebo Sensai Silky Bronze Bronze Soothing After Sun Mask ($100 per pack) is available from Bergdorf Goodman. It doesn't currently appear on their website so you'll need to give them a call if you're interested and unable to get there in person. A press sample of the mask was provided by the company for my consideration.
Cle de Peau Beaute Anti Age Spot Serum
I have quite a few new skin care secrets and discoveries to share over the next couple of weeks. I'm seriously giddy about the effectiveness and overall fabulousness of the new products top companies have been releasing. Skin care has come a long way since the days of cold cream, and we're the ones who benefit from it.
Many of you have been following my quest to get rid of some unfortunate sun damage that took up residence on my face in the form of freckles, dark spots or whatever you want to call them. Cle de Peau labels it "Age Spot", and I don't really mind as long as their serum actually works. And it does. I've mentioned before that I saw some change about 10 days after I first started using the serum. I wasn't entirely sure, but certain areas like the top of my cheekbones seemed a little lighter, more clear maybe, and a recent light scar (roughhousing with a cat is dangerous) has faded and disappeared almost overnight. But you shouldn't draw any conclusions until a minimum of 6 weeks using this kind of products.
So here I am, more than eight weeks later and I was right about what I saw in early May. But the biggest change doesn't even require spending hours gazing at myself. I have two annoying spots on my left cheeks. They've took up residence there about five years ago and I've been going after them with lotions and potions for several years now. The spots used to be a lot darker and more obscene, and in the beginning almost touched each other. Both faded quite a bit since then, the lower one has shrunk somewhat and the distance between them gradually grew. That has always been one of my indicators that the creams and serums were doing at least something. Now, the lower one is nothing but a dot and the bigger one while certainly present and noticeable, is much lighter and can be mostly covered by heavy duty concealers and foundations.
The overall feel of my skin is supple, soft and moisturizers seem to be absorbed very effectively. It's not that I've become Snow White or anything, but my skin is brighter and happier. So am I.
Bottom Line 1: Worth each and every one of the pretty pennies it costs.
Bottom Line 2: Wear your sunblock. Seriously.
Cle de Peau Beaute Anti Age Spot Serum ($155, 1.3 oz) is available from top department stores and select Shiseido standalone boutiques.
Images-
Snow White: teenangster.net
Bonne Bell ad with Cheryl Tiegs- Glamour magazine, July 1968: myvintagevogue.com
Josie Maran Argan Oil
Josie Maran Argan Oil is a fabulous product.
The oil is labeled a face product but I actually bought it to use on my body and especially my legs as a pre-summer and mini skirts treatment. It worked great and I liked the oil well enough for the occasional use on my face. The oil sinks quickly into the skin and doesn't leave a greasy coat. It softens rough patches and I'm pretty sure it helped a a scratch and a bruise heal more quickly than usual. After a week or so of use on my legs I noticed an improvement and no longer needed as much moisturizing. There are some magical anti-aging properties attributed to the oil from the argan nut. I don't believe in miracle potions, and face-wise I still prefer creams to oils, but this Josie Maran product is great and so far made a real difference in my body care routine.
However.
See my problem?
Josie Maran Argan Oil is available from Sephora. It comes in a brown glass bottle with a dropper (quite convenient). The oil is actually colorless, which surprised me. I tasted a little and did not get any nutty scent or flavor. It makes it more appealing for cosmetic use, but I don't know why and how it differs from the bottles you find at the grocery store.
Photos:
Goats on an argan tree in Morocco from neatorama.com
Argan oil from gourmet.chefshop.com
Kanebo Sensai Silky Bronze Sun Protective Cream For The Face SPF 30
Here's the problem with most sunscreens: they don't always play well with the other stuff we put on our faces. We all have a skin care routine. Serum this and anti-aging that. Then there's makeup, from face primer and up. And nobody wants white residue, a greasy face and foundation that melts and travels south. But sun damage is even less desirable, so we experiment. Last summer my solution was Peter Thomas Roth Instant Mineral SPF 30, a sunblock in powder form you can apply over your makeup. This season Chantecaille is offering a similar product with a higher SPF and hopefully a better mechanism than the PTR brush, but as much as I want to try it, Kanebo Sensai Silky Bronze Sun Protective Cream For The Face SPF 30 is looking like an even better option.
The best thing about this Sensai sunscreen is the skin care/anti-aging aspect. It can actually replace whatever else you apply over your basic moisturizer while providing sun protection. It looks and feels like any good face cream, goes on sheer and leaves no goop or white residue behind. The Silky Bronze series is formulated with a bunch of good-for-you ingredients from Vitamin B to apricot essence complex and is chock full of hyaluronate/collagen booster (the stuff that makes skin retain moisture and firmness). I tend to take big promises with a (yet unbottoxed) raised eyebrow and a grain of salt. Still, there is no doubt that my skin likes Silky Bronze and responds well to having it daily under my foundation or tinted moisturizer. The cream holds nicely to makeup and does the sun protection work while not messing with everything else.
Bottom Line: Happy face.
Kanebo Sensai Silky Bronze Sun Protective Cream For The Face SPF 30 ($100, 1.7 oz) is available at kanebo.com, neimanmarcus.com (though not in stores) and Bergdorf Goodman. I received a press sample from the comapny's PR team.
Image: Sunlight from digitalart.org
Bliss Triple Oxygen Instant Energizing Mask
Bliss Triple Oxygen Instant Energizing Mask might be a gimmick, but it's also a fun product that perks up the face at least short term. I like using it after a long hot day or before getting ready for a night out.
The way it works, you massage a generous amount of the mask (you want a full even coat all over your face) and give it five minutes- it starts foaming, frothing and tingling within a few seconds, which is an interesting sensation and a good entertainment if you have a juvenile kitten hanging around. My Giselle thinks Bliss has created this mask especially for her amusement (I'd recommend keeping fuzzy paws out of your eye area). Rinse or wipe off after 5 minutes and follow up with a mild toner, otherwise there's an invisible residue that keeps your moisturizer from absorbing as quickly as it should.
As I said, this is a good pick-me-up treatment after a skin-stressing day. I don't see any long term results or even any immediate brightening, but it does have a smoothing effect right after use. And it simply feels good. The mask is scented (a pleasant mild citrus fragrance) and contains SLS, so take that into account if you're the sensitive type.
Bottom Line: Nice to have.
Bliss Triple Oxygen Instant Energizing Mask ($52, 3.4oz) is available from Sephora and blissworld.com.
Photo: shutterstock.com
Lush Full Of Grace Serum
In which I get creative.
I have a complicated relationship with Lush. There are a handful of products I love enough to tolerate their god-awful scent. The rest- I could easily live without, especially since I find the smell of their stores mighty unpleasant. I was pursuing Lush website as I needed to restock a couple of summer essentials (Dream Cream and Silky Underwear powder) and got curious about their solid serum bars. Not that I need another serum or that I had any intention to put this stuff on my face, but I was thinking it might be a very interesting hand product.
Which it is.
Full Of Grace (I love the name) is a smallish bar (about third the size of their body massage/lotion ones) that fits easily in your palm and melts as you touch it. It can get messy, but all you need is a quick rub between your hands to spread the product and coat your skin from cuticles to wrists. The serum feels very rich but sinks in immediately without any greasy residue. It softens the skin right away, including the rougher spots (mine are from typing). The back of my hands which I treat religiously with creams and lotions get a bit waxy for a while, but very soft. It's a nice feeling, overall.
The scent is that typical lush essential oil mess with a side of cheap soap, but it's not too strong or too bad and I'm willing to deal with it because of the fabulous performance. I wouldn't want it on my face, though. I ordered this serum a couple of weeks ago when the weather was cooler and there was already some minor melting in the package. This is not something you can safely order during the hot months, so a trip to the smelly Lush store is recommended if you want to check it out.
Bottom line: Scent aside, even better than I expected.
Lush Full Of Grace Serum ($13.95, 0.7oz) is available from Lush stores and online (see my warning above).
Photo of my Gracie, just because.
This & That
As for L’Air de Rien, this is still going strong! We launched Un Petit Rien as the fresher, ligher alternative to the original, which is not being reformulated nor phased out. Both fragrances will co-exist (Un Petit Rien being L’Air de Rien’s softer, younger sister perhaps) and we also have a candle and body cream in the original scent.2. It's only been eight days since I started testing Cle de Peau Anti Age Spots serum (couldn't they find a better name?), but I already see something happening there. I'm not fully brightened just yet, but there's a change and some shifting in the discolored areas. It's too early to tell much, but I have a good feeling.
3. Why is there a cheeseburger on the cover of Martha Stewart Living? Not a good thing, seriously.
4. I can't wait for Lost to be over. The show has jumped the shark around the time they opened the hutch, yet I found it impossible to stop watching. The sooner they're gone the better. Yes, Sawyer too.
Photo by Abe Schrader, 1960, from myvintagevogue.com
Shiseido The Skincare Gentle Cleansing Cream
Maybe my primers have superpowers, but if other cleansers and wipes can take care of a full face of makeup, Shiseido's Gentle Cream should be able to do it, too. Yet, no matter if I use it wet or dry, about half the makeup (foundation, blush, powder) just smudges and smears, so I must follow up with a better cleanser rendering the Shiseido utterly pointless. I've tested it with three sample tubes from different sources (including one from the Salon du Palais royal Shiseido in Paris), always with the same results. It might be a nice product for morning cleansing, when you don't have any makeup on (I hope), but even I'm not so high maintenance to require a morning and an evening cleanser.
Bottom line: Not for me.
Shiseido The Skincare Gentle Cleansing Cream ($30, 4.3oz) is available from most department stores. Nordstrom is quite generous with samples.
Image: vintage Pond ad from paperpursuits.com
DDF Fade Gel 4
After a couple of years of successfully treating my skin, getting back to my natural skin tone, lightening the sun spots on my cheeks (and completely eradicating the smallest one) I've reached a plateau. I'm paler than I've ever been, but the remaining spots don't seem to be going anywhere. I've heard and read good things about DDF Fade Gel 4 and decided to give it a try.
DDF Fade Gel 4 is a targeted treatment, meaning you apply it where needed and not necessarily all over your face (and cleavage, though I did after I forgot to use a sunblock when wearing a deep v-neck top and spending an hour or so outside). I've gone through a full bottle now and can say the results vary by the type of sun damage. Despite promises, it did absolutely nothing for the existing spots. I've spent more time than I care to admit staring at them, but all the fading has been the result of previous treatment. However, when it comes to accidental tan, the gel worked quickly and efficiently. The tanning lines on my chest disappeared after three nights, and the extra color has mostly faded. That might be reason enough to keep a bottle around, but I'm looking for a better product.
Next on my list: Cle de Peau. Testing commences tonight.
DDF Fade Gel 4 ($56, 0.5oz) is available from Sephora. I ordered it online.
Image from Homemaker's Encyclopedia, 1954 via retrolife.typepad.com
Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Skin Relief
I received a travel size jar of Moisture Surge at a recent GWP event and absentmindedly put it in the "miscellaneous skin care " drawer (I have a system. Don't give me this look). I started using it on days when I apply my makeup several hours after my regular morning skin care routine- I like a little extra TLC before applying my primer, but there's no need for anything too active. While Moisture Surge wasn't working for me as a skin treatment and doesn't do much (anything) in the way of restoring or firming, it's an excellent moisturizer that hydrates and plump the skin without any greasiness or shine. I give it a few minutes to sink in, put on my primer and continue as usual. I don't have a scientific proof, but it seems that this extra hydration is helping my makeup look fresh even longer than normal. It works just as well with silicone primers as it does with creams.
Bottom line: I might need to make this a permanent part of my makeup routine.
Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Skin Relief ($34, 1.7 oz) is available from department stores everywhere, Sephora and clinique.com. I got it as a GWP.
Photo: Water surge at Noccalula Falls in Gadsden, Alabama by G. Denardo, 2004
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