Shampoo -Alberto Vo5 - Passion Fruit Smoothie
vanbergc 12/15/2009 12:32:00 AM
OMG! You're kidding, right? I've never used a product worse than this.
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Sunscreen -Dermalogica - AGE Smart Dynamic Skin Recovery SPF 30
vanbergc 12/4/2009 2:16:00 AM
The ingredients in this lotion are a continuation of the AgeSmart hydrating toner. Peptides, fermented yeast (is that redundant?), evening primrose oil, hyaluronic acid, soy protien, white tea extract, colloidal oatmeal, algea extract, etc, etc... A+ ingredients in anybody's book. This may even be the finest moisterizer I've ever seen. I don't, however, know anything about the quality of the sunscreen...I've never studied sunscreen. I'm assuming since the rest of the potion is first class, the sunscreen is too. It took me a while to really love this lotion. I went through a whole travel-sized bottle before I realized how much I liked it. It feels wonderful on the skin...with a finish like it has silicones in it...but it has NONE! What a novel concept these days. It has a soft, matte finish that protects and nourishes the skin all day. I don't need the extra barrier, but I assume if your skin is dry, you can layer this over a more occlusive moisterizer. I too, am always leary of chemical sunscreens on my face, but there's been no negative reactions whatsoever. This is just a fine, fine daytime moisturizer/sunscreen, although the price is oppresive for such a small amount. Sigh...
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Dermalogica - Dermal Clay Facial Cleanser
vanbergc 12/4/2009 1:12:00 AM
I'm pretty old to be using an oil-absorbing product, but sometimes I really need one. I still have some oil in my 50+year old skin. I've also been having a love affair with Dermalogica the last few months, so I bought this without trying a sample first. The concept is great...a clay cleanser. What could be smarter for an oily skin. Except....this has menthol in it. I can't stand menthol on my face...ever...and I didn't catch it in the ingredients list before I bought it. Sigh... why ruin a perfectly good product with stinging menthol? So, I may use this very occasionally, but it'll probably be left to be purged from my stash at some point...unless I can find the receipt. Would never buy this again unless there was a menthol-free version.
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Toners -Dermalogica - AGE Smart Antioxidant Hydramist
vanbergc 12/4/2009 12:38:00 AM
Darn, this is expensive! But I love it! I have gone off and bought a ton of Dermalogica products in the last few months because they're so great. I had no clue what I was missing. The only Dermalogica product I've used in the last 30 years is the Daily Microfoliant. I should have known because that is so wonderful. I'm in the 50+ age group this line targets, and I love using it. It's got a ton of luscious ingredients...let me mention first that it's got clove oil in it...clove is the highest ORAC antioxident in existance, if I remember correctly. And it makes the product smell glorious. There's not enough clove to irritate the skin though, just enough to make it smell great. I hope there's enough to give it some more antioxident oomph too. It's got high quality peptides, VitC, Glucosamine, beta-glucan, White tea extract, pea extract, licorice, VitE, hyaluronic acid, and lots of essential oils. I find essential oils great for my skin, although I know some don't. This is just a fine product, no doubt about it...I can see a lot of thought went into its formulation. It keeps my skin hydrated and soothed all day long when I put a nice moisturizer over it. I believe it's one of the best products on the market today, along with the rest of the line. Add some type of retin-A product at night, and you're covered on all bases. Superb!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Dermalogica - PreCleanse
vanbergc 12/4/2009 12:10:00 AM
I haven't tried tons of makeup removing cleansing oils...DHC, Boscia, Clinique's Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm, and another German one whose name I can't remember. This is the thinnest one of the bunch, but also the most elegant. Works about the same as the others, but I like the oils better...apricot, then sunflower, and a few others down the list. It's light and effective. Love apricot oil...it was also in the brand I can't remember, and was very nice there too. I always double cleanse at night, either to get sunblock off, or makeup, or whatever. I cringe every time I see someone mad because a certain cleanser can't get their makeup off. I can't imagine trying to get makeup off with a normal cleanser. People complain about how unhygenic they think creams in tubs are...I wonder how people can care about that when they won't even take the time to clean the makeup off their faces properly. Anyhow, I won't let a day go by that I don't really clean up my face with a gentle double cleanse. This product is great! It's absolutely my favorite, and I would buy again in a heartbeat.
16 out of 17 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Treatments -Dermalogica - Renewal Lip Complex
vanbergc 12/3/2009 11:42:00 PM
This is the first Dermilogica product I tried in about 30 years. I can't remember why I was inspired to buy it, but I'm glad I did. Lip treatments are the only product I've ever been loyal to. I used Dr. Hauschka's for the longest time, then Cliniques Repairwear, and now this. I've moved up each time to a better product. This lip complex is thick (but doesn't drag on the lips), and it's very long lasting. When I put it on at night, I wake up with it still on my lips. It's amazing. It perfectly conditions the lips and is ever so mildy exfoliating as well. My lips are plump and soft all the time. I only use this twice a day...after I brush my teeth morning and night. Don't need to use it any more than that. I have other things in my purse that I might use during the day, but I save this for clean mouth time...especially since it's so expensive. The tube is genious. Whoever thought of it should win an award. I wish all lip thingies were in tubes like this. Easy to use...glides right over the lips, and allows a very small amount to be available when you push it up. Great in every way. HG!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Dermalogica - Age Smart Skin Resurfacing Cleanser
vanbergc 12/3/2009 4:30:00 PM
I used Dermalogica products when they first came out...about 30 years ago. They were in my derm's office, and because I had oily/spotty skin they suggested what was then the Medi-bac line for me. That particular line was never strong enough and didn't work for my skin, so I completely wrote Dermalogica off for 30 years. What a waste. Now that I'm 50-something, I've rediscovered Dermalogica. Better late than never. I now consider Dermalogica to be my HG skincare line...and I've never had one before. As you can imagine, I've had years and years to try different products from every price range, from organic to derm brands, small labels to mass-production. I've taken advantage of my ability to purchase just about everything that's caught my eye. Glad Dermalogica came into focus. I believe the line is fantastic! I love this cleanser. I still have some oil in my skin, so this cleanser is not drying for me. I love the lactic acid and the way it keeps my skin exfoliated. I also believe if the previous reviewers that had problems with "dry" skin had kept going, their skin would be in perfect shape by now. I think they were just exfoliating dead skin and uncovering fresh, new skin, which is the way acids work. Lactic acid is the most gentle of the AHAs, and since the cleanser is not on the skin for more than a few minutes, only mild exfoliation takes place. It's perfect for my aging skin. I also read labels and have learned to determine when a product is going to be good, and when it might not (especially for my own skin). The Dermalogica products (especially the AgeSmart line) have simple bases with exemplary active ingredients. They compare with the best high-end anti-age products out there. Simple (read not damaging to skin), yet effective and cosmetically elegant. They also have lots of soothing botanicals which my skin does very will with. A word about the cost of these products. Demalogica has obviously aligned itself with the luxury brands. In fact, it's more expensive than many of the luxury brands I've tried...Guerlain, Chanel, ZO skincare, etc. It's stupid expensive...and that kind of makes me mad. There are online sources to buy these products cheaper. I've been getting mine from http://whatgreatskin.com/ which has exemplary service (I'm not affiliated). If I ever have to quit buying Dermalogica because of price, I will. Nothing is that sacred. And it could happen in this economy.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Boots - Botanics Organic face hydrating day cream
vanbergc 11/17/2009 11:10:00 PM
I was put off by Boots for a long time...thought it was a cheap brand and not of the quality I was used to. These are such basic products, and I have to remember that. The cleansers clean, and the moisturizers moisturize...no anti-aging going on here. Great to use for the daily care of the skin. Good quality, great prices. The previous reviewer was right...this is full of superb organic oils with some emulsifiers thrown in to make a cream. Very basic, yet a very potent moisturizer. This keeps a protective film over my skin which makes it soft and protected all day. I put all the "actives" underneath this, and then lock them in with this day cream. It's really perfect. I guess I should also note that this product is probably best for dryer skins, although I have combo skin and it works fine, especially in the colder weather. If I had bought this cream in a health-food store, it would have cost at least twice as much. And nothing else this natural can be found in a drug-store, as most drug-store products are made of cheap chemicals. The Day Cream is a deal (and a steal)!
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Boots - No 7 Gentle Foaming Mousse
vanbergc 11/17/2009 10:50:00 PM
I'm a cleanser snob. Cleansers are important to me...why, I don't know. I've been sampling the Boots cleansers lately and I find them to be superb. I also read labels, so I know what goes into a good cleanser. The Boots products are such simple formulations, but they excell in their simplicity. And given that they're probably the least expensive product in the drug store, they're a smashing deal. None that I've tried are harsh...they're all very gentle and leave the skin nicely and gently cleansed. The Gentle Foaming Mousse truly is very gentle. I couldn't ask for a better non-stripping cleanser. Basic and effective. It does have some "fruit acids" in it to exfoliate: Vit-C, Myrtle extract, sugar-cane extract (glycolic acid), lemon & orange extracts, and sugar-maple extract. I keep my skin super-exfoliated with retin-a, etc, that I don't notice a lot of exfoliation, but it can't hurt. Great product. Wish I'd found this long ago. I was put off by Boots for a long time...thought it was a cheap brand and not of the quality I was used to. These are such basic products, and I have to remember that. The cleansers clean, and the moisturizers moisturize...no anti-aging going on here. Great to use for the daily care of the skin. Good quality, great prices. The cleansers measure up with the best of them...
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Boots - Botanics - Complexion Refining Deep Clean Mousse
vanbergc 11/17/2009 10:37:00 PM
I'm a cleanser snob. Cleansers are important to me...why, I don't know. I've been sampling the Boots cleansers lately and I find them to be superb. I also read labels, so I know what goes into a good cleanser. The Boots products are such simple formulations, but they excell in their simplicity. And given that they're probably the least expensive product in the drug store, they're a smashing deal. None that I've tried are harsh...they're all very gentle and leave the skin nicely and gently cleansed. The Deep Clean Mousse is wonderful to use. Completely gentle and non-stripping. Contains willow-bark extract (salycilic acid), rosemary extract (yum!), and a bit of Vit-C. I use this on wet skin, massage the mousse gently, and rinse off with more warm water. Simple, yet effective. I was put off by Boots for a long time...thought it was a cheap brand and not of the quality I was used to. These are such basic products, and I have to remember that. The cleansers clean, and the moisturizers moisturize...no anti-aging going on here. Great to use for the daily care of skin. Good quality, great prices. The cleansers measure up with the best of them...
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Boots - No 7 Beautifully Balanced Purifying Cleanser
vanbergc 11/17/2009 10:27:00 PM
I'm a cleanser snob. Cleansers are important to me...why, I don't know. I've been sampling the Boots cleansers lately and I find them to be superb. I also read labels, so I know what goes into a good cleanser. The Boots products are such simple formulations, but they excell in their simplicity. And given that they're probably the least expensive product in the drug store, they're a smashing deal. None that I've tried are harsh...they're all very gentle and leave the skin nicely and gently cleansed. The Purifying Cleanser has to be my favorite. It's great to use in the morning if there's not a lot of gunk on my face. This doesn't foam at all so I apply it on dry skin. It's a gel so it's great to massage the face with while it's cleaning, then easy to wash off with warm water. This is a basic cleanser with some vitamin A&E, some seaweed, and some Camellia tea seed extract. All great for combo-oily skin, and completely non-drying. I was put off by Boots for a long time...thought it was a cheap brand and not of the quality I was used to. These are such basic products, and I have to remember that. The cleansers clean, and the moisturizers moisturize...no anti-aging going on here. Great to use for the daily care of the skin. Good quality, great prices. The cleansers measure up with the best of them...
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Boots - Botanics Virtually Weightless Color Adjusting Foundation
vanbergc 11/9/2009 11:49:00 PM
I like this foundation. It's so light though, it might be considered a TM with heavy pigment. It's very nice. It's heavy, heavy on the silicones, which makes it mousse-like and gives an airbrushed finish which is glorious. It's almost similar to a primer with pigment, ie Philosophy, Perfeckt, Dr Brandt (pores no more), and many others. However the price point is so much less, it's a bargain. The only downside is that it doesn't stay perfect but for about 4 hours on my more normal than combo skin...it will melt. Could be the moisturizer I use beforehand, but I wish it lasted a full 8 hours. Not so. I'm thinking if you have drier skin, this foundation would be just lovely for you.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Tinted Moisturizer -Neutrogena - Healthy Skin Enhancer SPF 20
vanbergc 10/25/2009 12:37:00 PM
I've only used this a couple times, and won't again. I bought this for the sunscreen/retinol, but I'll continue to use my other sunscreen/color products rather than this. The pigment in this liquid is coarse, and it starts off with a matte, chalky appearance. After a few hours it just melts off the face, and I don't have oily skin anymore. The oily result magnifies every pore. Not for me.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Masks -TheFACEShop - Fresh Fruit Lemon Mask Sheet
vanbergc 10/24/2009 10:49:00 PM
I've just used the Fresh Fruit Pomegranate mask sheet, which by the way after reading the ingredients, is exactly the same as every other mask sheet at Walgreens. The only difference is the "addition" of a nearly non-existant pomegranite, or lemon, or whatever extract. The whatever extract is nearly at the bottom of the list of ingredients though. In fact, fragrance is way ahead of the Punica Granatum (pomegranate) addition (even though Pomegranate extract should be RED, this mask was colorless). I should have known better. There are some okay things in the mask...sodium Hyaluronate, algae extract...oh, that's about all. The nastiest ingredient in skincare is in this though...castor oil. I detest castor oil. It makes the products its in sticky, sticky, sticky, sticky. Which is what happened with this mask...sticky, sticky, sticky, sticky. I had to wash my face again after I used the mask. It was depressing. It's also got SD Alcohol 40 and fragrance added. Don't the skin care chemists pay attention to what's healthy for skin and what's not? But this is made in Korea...could be they're behind the times. I had to try it for fun, but wish I hadn't. Even $3.00 is too much to pay for this stuff. They should pay me. Water, Polyglutamic Acid/Methyl Propanediol/Water, Sodium Hyaluronate, Algea Extract, Betaine, PEG-32, Glycering, PEG/PPG-17/6 Copolymer, Butylene Glycol, SD Alcohol 40, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil/PPG-26-Buteth-26, Fragrance, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Punica Granatum Extract/Butylene Glycol/Water, Glyceryl Methacrylate/Propylene Glycol, Citris Paradisi (grapefruite) fruit Extract
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Crème -Laura Mercier - Silk Creme Foundation
vanbergc 12/18/2008 10:01:00 PM
Just read the packaging on this foundation. It reads..." coverage in a long wearing rich hydrating base." Rich is right. Although I love the look of my skin when this is freshly applied, the foundation melts off very quickly. I have combo skin, so I'm sure I never should have bought this, but it was recommended. Obviously, I'll buy just about anything. The product is also very expensive. I'm turning over a new leaf with my skin care...I'm not wasting money on over-priced products any longer. Department store shopping is a thing of the past. I'm shopping at Ulta and drugstores from now on. AND...I've found some marvelous products at incredibly cheap prices. I've come full circle...and it's about time at my ripe old age.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No