Foundations -Ellis Faas - Skin Veil
AgentM 3/28/2011 6:55:00 PM
I have this in shade S103 in the bullet pen format that comes with 2 cartridges. I bought it from Liberty's in London and it cost £35. The shade matches my light yellow toned Oriental skin perfectly and as it is sheer to light coverage, it looks like real skin only better i.e. smoother, softer, glowing and healthy. Covers minor flaws and blemishes, anything more or extreme redness will need a concealer. The finish is skin like and dewy but not greasy and not flat. There are no shimmer particles so it looks real and not fake or sparkly. Applies super smooth like a moisturiser and blends into skin impeccably and then becomes one with skin. I looked up close in natural light with a mirror and couldn't tell I had it one, there was no texture of the foundation, just great skin. This wears pretty well, at least 8 hours on my oily skin with 2-3 touch ups during the day with light dusting of pressed powder but that is normal for my skin type and it doesn't advertise that it is oil control so I don't expect it to do that. Also, as this foundation has no sunscreen ingredients, especially the physical sunblock ones, this photographs amazingly as you don't get flash back and so photos like flawless natural skin. The main caveat is the packaging and the price. £35 for the bullet pen and 2 x 7ml cartridges is a lot of money and depending on how often and how much you use this - it's going to rack up in cost over time. The company doesn't sell cartridges solo, so once you finish both cartridges, you have to shell out another £35 for 2 more PLUS another bullet pen. Talk about money making scam even though I love this foundation. However, just found out via the website that finally they now produce the same foundation in all the shades in a 30ml bottle to use at home and the bullet pen to use on the go! 30ml bottle retails at £55. Not cheap but works out cheaper long term. Once my cartridges run out I will definitely get the 30ml bottle. Oh and here's a tip. If you really want to use the bullet pen, I recommend the Trish McEvoy foundation pen holder which comes empty and you can fill up the barrel with any foundation you like. In this case the skin veil and you never have to shell out £35 again! The Trish McEvoy foundation pen holder retails at £16 here in the UK.
12 out of 13 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Olay - Regenerist Micro-Sculpting SERUM
AgentM 3/15/2011 4:45:00 PM
In the UK this is called Regenerist 3 point super serum and retails at £30 for 50ml. It has the same ingredient list as Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Serum and same packaging - airless pump so keeps the antioxidants and cell communicating ingredients stable from air and light. Paula Begoun gave this a Paula's pick. It goes on smooth and silky and spreads easily and sinks in easily. Has mica so leaves a delicate glow on skin and definitely plumps up skin and makes it smooth and soft. I use this all over face and around eyes and neck with no problems and under Paula's Choice Super Recovery Moisturiser SPF 15 around my eyes and Super Balancing Mattifying Moisturiser with SPF 15 on my face and neck and there is no reaction with the products. It does not pill unlike the Regenerist DNA Superstructure UV cream or Regenerist Flawless Skin Cream which is the UK version. I don't have signs of ageing i.e. lines/wrinkles or sun damage so can't say if it has helped that. I do have some mild hyperpigmentation from left over acne/spot marks and the niacinamide has helped to fade it as this product has a high concentration of this and science has shown that this ingredient in 2-5% concentration not only increases the ceramide content of skin helping moisture retention but can help with wrinkles and pigmentation issues. Would buy again.
13 out of 13 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Olay - Regenerist DNA superstructure UV cream SPF 30
AgentM 3/15/2011 4:35:00 PM
In the UK this is called Regenerist Flawless Skin Cream SPF 30 and retails at £30 for 50ml. It is the same ingredient list as DNA superstructure UV cream - just higher SPF. Same packing in a bottle with pump which is airless and so keeps the antioxidants and cell communicating ingredients stable from air and light - Paula Begoun would be pleased! Cream is thick and white and takes a bit of work to blend into the skin but once blended in there is no white cast as uses stabilised chemical sunscreen ingredients. Leaves skin satiny and moist and plump. I can't use it around my eyes as after a few days I got little red patches on the lower eye area and had to go back to my Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Moisturiser with SPF 15 which cause no problems around eye area. Now here is the caveat. It doesn't work under makeup - foundation or concealer. It pills and crumbles like nobody's business. Light layer and you get less pilling but it still happens so makeup application is patchy and cakes up as the product pills. Can only wear this on days am going completely bare faced which defeats the point of getting it as wanted to wear this daily. May use it solely for my neck or as an expensive hand cream! Oh well back to Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Mattifying Moisturiser with SPF 15 for me as no pilling! May try her Moisture Boost Daily Restoring Complex with SPF 20 as an alternative to this Olay cream.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Loose Powders -Chanel - Poudre Universal Libre
AgentM 1/22/2011 2:44:00 PM
This is my go to loose powder. Have used it on and off for the past 10 years trying other loose powders but always go back to this as think it is the best. I use Clair - Translucent 1 and have light yellow based Oriental skin and it matches me but as it is sheer it will match anyway. It is very finely milled so no powdery/flour look and meshes with skin and makes your skin natural matt. On it's own it gives me that super natural polished look and slightly evens out skin tone and minor imperfections. With a liquid powder it sets the foundation well (I use powder puff and press and roll method) and doesn't change the colour of your foundation and improves the wear and longevity. I have oily skin with very oily T-zone so I will get shiny in the T-zone after 4 hours wear and will need to blot and dust pressed powder. I don't expect a loose powder to keep me shine free all day as it can't. It costs £30 in UK so not cheap but it is a large tub and so lasts a long time. The packaging is lovely but not travel friendly as there is nothing to cover the sifter holes -powder can come up easily so you can have loads in the top part of the container. There is very small minute mica particles but you have to look very close (almost touching the mirror) and with a spotlight, so it doesn't sparkle in daylight or with spotlight and so it looks very natural. Unlike Estee Lauder Lucidity, Giorgio Armani Micro-fil and La Mer loose powder all which have sparkly mica particles and shine in sunlight and spotlight. Personally I hate that look as skin shouldn't sparkle! Oh and for me personally it has never caused me to break out or have allergic reaction. It also photos well with/without flash and causes no flash back.
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Chanel - Vitalumiere Aqua
AgentM 1/22/2011 2:25:00 PM
I have oily skin and very oily in t-zone and have problems with foundations staying on. Many "lift" off on my oily areas and even Estee Lauder Double Wear & Double Wear Light lift off around my oily areas (chin, forehead, around nose) even when set with loose powder using a powder puff and the press and roll method. Dusting loose powder on doesn't set foundation especially if you have oily skin. I bought this in B20 - Tendre and it matches my light yellow based Oriental skin colour. It is smooth and creamy to the touch and sprends/blends very easy like a moisturiser. It meshes with skin and becomes "one" with skin so it looks like a "second skin". The finish is like skin i.e. semi-matt. It is not matt nor dewy but looks like the finish of natural skin with a slight sheen. Under a spot light there are small minute mica particles that give the sheen but you have to look very close and with a harsh light. Unlike Double Wear light which has bigger mica particles and sparkles too much for me. Coverage can be sheer-light with one layer and built up to light-medium with another layer but not more than that otherwise you use a lot of foundation and at £31 in the UK you don't want to use too much of this product. I find using fingers to blend it in is the best as it meshes with skin so much better and IMO for my oily skin - fingers makes the foundation last longer. I find using a foundation brush cause foundation to lift off on my oily areas as you don't press the foundation into the skin. I set this powder with Chanel loose powder using a puff and press and roll method. Had this on for 8 hours today and so far no lifting and it stays relatively semi-matt. Blotted and dusted Chanel pressed powder over my T-zone once but I have to do this as I have very oily T-zone and even Double Wear doesn't keep me matt. Overall impressed and it looks like skin and would buy again. Don't expect mega coverage as it is ultra light. Foundation is there to even out tone and minor imperfections, Use a good concealer and spot conceal if you have problem areas. I use Double wear foundation and a Laura Mercier concealer brush and spot conceal any marks or blemishes as it gives me the coverage and stays put for 15 hours and as it comes in lots of shades rather than 3 shades in Double Wear concealer - I get the perfect match. BTW as this has Titanium Dioxide as the active sunscreen ingredient and it is high up on the ingredient list, I tested this with flash photography and it does cause the white flash back, so don't use this if you know you will have flash photography. I tested it again with no flash photography and it looks like real skin. So if I am going to be somewhere with flash photography I will wear my Nars Sheer Glow as that has no flash back and photos like real skin.
8 out of 8 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Clinique - Repairwear Lift Firming Day Cream SPF 15--Dry to Very Dry Skin
AgentM 11/8/2007 4:58:00 AM
Flaked/pilled when tried to put concealer on. Also after two days use broke me out in rash like spots and have been clear for months. Back to Superdefense for me, never had problems with that.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Paula's Choice - Skin Balancing Antioxidant Concentrate
AgentM 5/14/2006 7:14:00 AM
If you read the science behind antioxidants and stability you will see that the vehicle it comes in must be waterless because water breaks down antioxidants which can make them an oxidant and themselves generate free radicals when applied to skin. That is why Paula's antioxidant serums are in silicone bases as it is waterless and keeps the antioxidants stable and safe.
4 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No