Cleansers -Dermalogica - PreCleanse
Concord 8/10/2008 10:53:00 AM
A very effective cleansing oil. It even helps to unclog pores for me. However, it can be too strong for me if I use too much and/or massage too much. I have to adapt the way I use it according to how much product I have on my face at the given time. Lots of product = more massaging. It also feels strange to use a lotion cleanser afterwards. My holy grail cleanser (we're talking Hallelujah here!) is Essential Cleansing Solution, but when I pre-cleanse I prefer to follow up with just a minute amount of foaming cleanser. I don't use this daily anymore, because it seems to disturb the balance of my dry/combination, sensitive skin. I can easily see this being a five-lippie product for someone else though.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Caron - Nuit de Noel
Concord 8/6/2008 11:04:00 AM
Technically an oriental, but could be classified as a precursor to the chypre family. Nuit de Noël is ridiculously rich! Slightly aldehydic, with a floral/spicy bouquet and the strangest, most complex dry-down. The basenotes can be too much for me sometimes and they linger for hours and hours. I think it's incredibly beautiful and old-fashioned in the best sense of the word. I only use this in cold weather.
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Boots - no7 Protect and Perfect beauty serum
Concord 8/5/2008 12:14:00 PM
I haven't used this for a longer period of time - it has too much of that silicone feel to it - so I can't vouch for any long time results. And looking at the ingredients I can't imagine just how this could be effective. The vitamin A is retinyl palmitate (a very weak form of retinol), the vitamin C is sodium ascorbyl phosphate (a stable, ineffective form) and the peptide is the last ingredient listed. I don't mind that Boots carried out their own tests on this. Who else would pay a lot of money to have these tests done? And the tests were in vivo (skin biopsies) on humans, so how excactly is that worse than consumer evaluations (so called "real people" filling in a form saying yes, my skin does feel a bit softer)? I won't buy again because of all the silicones (and I use other stuff that gives visible results), but I liked this better than, for example, Estée Lauder Perfectioninst CP+ serum and Olay Regenerist serum. Both of which are similar ingredients-wise.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Skincare - Face -Murad - Cellular Serum
Concord 8/5/2008 6:34:00 AM
This is a good glycerin/hyaluronic acid moisturizing serum. I use five or six drops over my face under my regular moisturizer/treatment/sunscreen to boost moisture levels. I have no problems with the pump and find it easy to get just a drop out at a time. Won't buy again because I think Dermalogica's Hydrating Booster is a lot more concentrated and has more hyaluronic acid. I also think this is horribly expensive for what it is. You can probably find much cheaper alternatives.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -La Roche Posay - Redermic XL
Concord 5/4/2008 8:57:00 AM
5% ascorbic acid moisturizer with added madecassoside and SPF 15/PPD 9. 40 ml aluminum tube. I wanted to love this because on paper it sounds like a better version of Active C XL. Better sun protection, added hyaluronic acid and madecassoside (to potantially boost collagen production). Bigger tube. But I have some problems with it. Using enough product to get the proper UV protection makes it ball up on my skin. This amount also irritates my skin some days, which didn't happen with the Active C version. The smell is strong and lasting. I can smell it when I wash it off at night and it gets in my mouth during the day. Not a good sign. The texture is creamy but when it sets it feels a bit dry and isn't very comfortable wearing. Using less product feels a lot better, but isn't moisturizing enough for me. And of course I have to add extra sun protection and then what's the point of using this? However, I think I'm starting to see some positive changes in my skin. I've been using it for six weeks now (I'm on my second tube) and I think my skin looks clearer and brighter. Healthier somehow. I might buy this again, but getting the regular version without sunscreen is probably a better idea.
4 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Sunscreen -La Roche Posay - Anthelios Dermo-Pediatrics SPF60-PPD28
Concord 4/16/2008 10:12:00 AM
It's not like I'm ooh-ing and aah-ing with pleasure applying this sunscreen, but it's the best I have found and I have stopped looking for anything better. Slight white cast until it sets, after that I think my skin looks better than without it. Smooth and dewy. Very water-resistant. Doesn't slide off my face even on days I'm sweating like a pig. Has never irritated my skin. The tube is a nuisance because the texture is so fluid. They should have used a bottle instead. Superb protection. My skin is on the dry side so I use a little moisturizer underneath. Just great.
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Treatments -Avene - Ystheal+ Creme
Concord 12/14/2007 10:18:00 PM
Pure love! I never quite understood just how much this product did for my skin until I stopped using it for a few months. After a few weeks my face just started to....fall apart. Or that's what it felt like. I thougt about it every day all the time and couldn't wait to get more. The results may not be dramatic, but they are real! Tangible. Smoother, plumper skin. My only problem is that my worst indented acne scars of yore are more evident, because the skin around the+m is so much smoother. But they are deep! Restylane, here I come
4 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -RoC - RoC Calmance Intolerance repairing Cream
Concord 12/7/2007 9:07:00 PM
This is such a good product. It really does soothe and cut down redness. And quickly too! Costs almost nothing. No preservatives. Simple tube. Non-greasy, yet with lots of friendly lipids and skin-softeners. The downside? The SMELL!!! RoC assures you that the fragrance used is rigourosly tested for allergies, but still, it really stinks to high heaven. And it lingers. The only reason I can think of why they would have scented it so strongly is that the actives (Feverfew etc.) smell really bad so you have to cover it up. Still, it's a great product.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -Laura Mercier - Long Angled Eye Brush
Concord 9/28/2007 10:43:00 PM
This hoof-shaped brush is so perfect! Great for packing on colour and if you turn it around it applies crease colour beautifully. It might look big, but I use it for everything except tiny details. Haven't shed a hair. Will I buy again? I just did, because my last one was stolen.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Skincare - Face -Dr. Brandt - Lineless Gel Cleanser
Concord 6/3/2007 11:31:00 AM
Way too harsh for a daily cleanser. Might work for tough, oily skintypes. Very expensive and poorly made. Full of strong detergents. Has some fancy botanicals in it to make it sound interesting. Gets two lipsticks because sometimes soap and water might come in handy. For cleaning wounds or when you feel extra grimy. But my hand soap will probably work just as well for that purpose.
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Cleansers -Dermalogica - Essential Cleansing Solution
Concord 12/8/2006 6:42:00 AM
I love this cleanser so much I consider it the most important product in my routine. I have dry, sensitive skin and this leaves it soft and calm. It's thick for a lotion cleanser and I only use a tiny bit on dry skin, wet skin or on dry skin with wet palms (my bottles have had different instruction but it works all ways). Cleans very well if you massage it in for a bit and rinses clean in tepid water. Always works, never bothers me. No real fragrance. Total kindness to my skin. I can't say enough about it. LOVE it!
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Treatments -Avene - Eluage Cream 30 ml
Concord 9/4/2006 3:37:00 AM
I have used a sample of this for the last ten days because I ran out of Ystheal+ cream. Compared to the latter, Eluage Cream is lighter in texture and more moisturizing. I think I prefer Ystheal+ cream to this, but I still ordered a bottle of Eluage as well, because I liked its texture and feel. I would recommend it for those who find Ystheal cream too greasy.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Elizabeth Arden - Ceramide Cream Cleanser
Concord 8/24/2006 5:36:00 AM
I have tried a lot of Elizbeth Arden products over the years and most of them have been disasters. This however is a really nice cleanser. A thick, pink cream that, unlike most lotion and cream cleansers, thoroughly cleanses and rinses off clean. I haven't tried tissuing it off because I think that would leave more of a residue than rinsing. I have sensitive, dry skin and this doesn't bother it at all. Come winter, when I'm very dry, I will probably switch back to my Dermalogica cleanser, but for now I'm very happy with this one.
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Sunscreen -La Roche Posay - Active C XL SPF 12 PPD 7
Concord 8/1/2006 7:15:00 AM
I love this product. I'm on my second tube and have a third for backup. The PPD is on the low side, but the good thing is that my sunscreen-sensitive skin can tolerate it perfectly. I also like the fact that it's multitasking with moisture, vitamin C and proper sun protection in one product. It sure saves a lot of time in the morning. The texture is a light cream and not greasy at all and sinks in quickly. However it has a light shine to it, but then I use quite a lot of it to get the most out of the sun protection. It keeps my skin bright and healthy-looking, but I'm not sure if it does anything for my expression lines. I stopped using it for a short while because I wanted higher UVA protection, but I didn't like how my skin behaved so I went right back to it. I don't think this will be moisturizing enough for me during the winter, but it's perfect for the summer months. I definitely recommend it.
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Moisturizers -Biotherm - Biosensitive Soothing Protecting Nurturing Moisturizer
Concord 3/31/2006 8:55:00 AM
A great, emmolient moisturiser for hopelessly dry skin. Rich in glycerin, petrolatum, beeswax, ceramides and vegetable oils, it soothes and cushions my skin when nothing else works. More moisturizing than Dr. Haushka's Rose cream and without any scent. A must-have for me, even though I don't use it every day.
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