Beauty Review: Youth Infusion Serum Vaxin by Givenchy

I like serums! I just like how light, concentrated and quick to deliver the effect they are… I use a serum every 3 months... Vaxin serum caught my eye just as it was released. Probably it was the name :-) Vaxin – is like an injection against aging. Quite a strong message for a consumer, don’t you think?

So here is my review of Givenchy’s Vaxin

Product Tag Line:

Vaxin for youth

Product Profile in short and the Promise:

Helps skin reinforce its defense and repair mechanisms

Skin stays visibly smooth

Complexion is even and luminous

What’s Inside:

“a unique complex”

Close-up on Active Ingredients:

Top 10 ingredients
Water
Glycerin
Pentylene Glycol
Cetearyl Isonanoate
phenyl trimethicone
Jojoba Esters
Methyl trimethicone
Dimethicone
Ethylene/acrylic acid copolymer
Butylene Glycol

Somewhat lower on the list I see oat kernel extract, panax notoginseng root extract, cotton extract, soy flour, yeast extract, evening primrose root extract… some interesting extract I must say! Technology Apparently Givenchy is using a special technology Hormesis - defined as "favorable biological responses to low exposures to toxins and other stressors". Certain ingredients of Vax'in are used to produce a hormetic effect on the cells and to stimulate skin cells from inside to behave as young cells.
Watch this short interview with Biogeronologist, Prof. Suresh Rattan

Experience

Texture: white, creamy, light
Smell: strong perfume smell

The first thing that gets my attention is the beautiful silky texture. The serum immediately gets absorbed into the skin and leaves the feeling of softness and comfort. In fact immediately the skin gets kind of a glow as if you just had a facial. My skin reacted very positively and in a week of daily use for the night, it looked healthier, smoother and suppler. You do have to apply a moisturizing cream after the Vaxim Serum.

I was using this product in June and found it was a good kick for the skin at the change of seasons.

Price Tag: 90 USD

Beauty Review: Bed Head Dumb Blonde Conditioner

In my perpetual search for an effective treatment product for my damaged hair I decided to give Bed Head a try. Ignoring the insulting title I purchased Dumb Blonde Conditioner (what on earth was their marketting team thinking?!).

The first impression I want to share with you is about the way this product smells. It is so intense and overwhelming and sweet and again SO strong... The only thing you want is to get it out of your hair and out of your shower.

Result: It did produce an effect on my blonde damaged locks. They became softer and had more volume to them. What they remained is VERY dry.

Conclusion: Bed Head Dumb Blonde Conditioner is really not enough to revive color treated dry damaged hair. If your hair is in as critical condition as mine, you will need a more intensive treatment (e.g. a mask, serum) to moisturize and restore the hair and as a bonus give apply Bed Head Dumb Blonde Conditioner to add softness and volume.

Beauty Review: Flirty Dermastase Soap, Ageless Ultimate Anti-Aging Bar Soap, Eau Flirt Body Wash Liquid Loofah

As soon as I opened the new soaps and put them into my bathroom a heavenly smell filled the whole room and every time I would pass by, if the door was open, I would pause and take a sniff… and go Yum! It was amazing! And this intense scent lasted for a couple weeks!

So here is what I think about Harvey Prince’s new scented soaps and washing gel. First of all the soaps are just as the Harvey Prince site describes them - luxurious. The scent is just like from a bottle of perfume and it lingers on the skin. Both bars Flirty Dermastase Soap and Ageless Ultimate Anti-Aging Bar Soap have exfoliating natural particles such as Pumpkin and berry seeds which provide soft exfoliating effect. Both of them boast having moisturizing, rejuvenating and anti-aging ingredients with a special “revolutionary” Delivery System. This system takes soap bars to a completely new level as a skin care product. Now soaps not only cleanse but treat skin as well. Some of the ingredients mentioned on the company website include tri peptides, Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs), Green tea, olive oil, Mowrah Butter. The soap give nice creamy leather and are a pleasure to use.

My only criticism would be that the bars are huge and I think if they came as the same volume of product but in smaller bars separately packaged they would feel nicer in the hand and the scent would last even longer!!


Eau Flirt Body Wash Liquid Loofah is very foamy and smooth. Creates nice leather, you can even use it to shave… It doesn’t dry out your skin and I love the scent. Actually I like Eau Flirt scent in this washing gel better than in the original perfume because it is not as concentrated.

In addition to the above mentioned new releases check out Harvey Prince’s body lotions with the scents of Ageless and Eau Flirt! I think a genius idea would be to develop a candle with the same scents. How cool would that be!!!??? Looking forward to Harvey Prince’s new creations!


FTC Product Review Disclaimer: The author of this blog received a sample product for this review.

Beauty Review: Nourishment by Beauty From Flowers

Recently I had a chance to try out an anti-aging moisturizer Nourishment by Beauty From Flowers. Here is my review.

Promise:
...especially beneficial for sun damaged skin. Softens lines and slows aging

Product Profile in Short:
Penetrates deeply, repairs signs of aging, active ingredients prevent moisture loss, soy and papaya extracts provide deep nourishment and healing, concentrated - only a few drops needed

Close-up on Active Ingredients:
organic grapeseed oil, evening primrose oil, organic extracts of soy, and papaya, vitamins D and E, carrot seed essential oil

I like the choice of oils to combine in this product. Grapeseed oil is known as a mighty free radical scavenger! Evening primrose oil is very beneficial for the skin, it not only calms it and reduces inflammation, it’s also an anti-oxidant and fights premature aging. Extract of soy is super good for the skin: it has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, and some research showed that it can stimulate the production of collagen and hyaluronic acid. Papaya extract helps to exfoliate the skin and get rid of dead cells. This way it helps to speed up cells turnover, fight lines and improve skin elasticity. I love to make fresh papaya masks – your skin looks incredible after one of those!


Experience:
I used to avoid essential oils on my skin. I have a mixed skin type and am always afraid of breakouts... but finally I realized that it really depends on the type of oil and the quality of the product if your skin breaks out from it or not. This product consists of several oils and is very concentrated but I had no problem using it on my mixed skin.
This face oil has a very light flowery fragrance. I applied 3 drops to my face but it didn’t feel like it was enough so next time I did 5 drops. The skin feels soft and moisturized and it does provide the moisture you need even at this stressful time of colds and dry air. I did notice that a line on the side of my mouth seem to become softer. However every time I would apply it my skin would become slightly itchy. I did not have redness or irritation it just felt “ticklish”. So I guess I am sensitive to one of the oils.

Price Tag:

35$

Bottom Line:
Nourishment by Beauty From Flowers is a good product based on oils and suits even for those with mixed skin. However if you have a history of allergies or sensitivities, you may have a reaction like I did.


FTC Product Review Disclaimer: The author of this blog received a sample product for this review.

Beauty Review: Nightshift by Harvey Prince

Close your eyes and imagine: the sun is down… it’s a warm summer night and you are in the garden with cicadas chirping, fool moon glistening high above, light warm breeze stroking your hair, dancing with leaves and flowers… the wind brings the seductive scent of Jasmine … and then you feel the sweet honey, almond and vanilla of the Night Phlox caressing your senses… intoxicated, you feel another scent, sweet and soft of the Evening Primrose… Nightshift is another amazing perfume by Harvey Prince! I could really appreciate it because I could associate with my personal experience. The fact is we have a summer house with a garden. We always have flowers in our garden that open up and blossom only in the evening or at night. It is as if our garden at night has a life of its own, the mysterious life full of intoxicating flower scents, quiet but at the same time rich and intense…. I thought it was a brilliant idea to make a perfume combining scents of night flowers. The scent is sweet, warm but at the same time very fresh and charged with energy and mystery. Perfect for a night out. Be it a candlelight dinner or a wild night out at a club



FTC Product Review Disclaimer: The author of this blog received a sample product for this review.

Beauty Review: Submariner by Harvey Prince

Submariner is the first fragrance by Harvey Prince for men. Unlike his previous creations for women backed by clinical trials and developed not only to make a woman smell deliciously but also to attract the opposite sex, Submariner does not have the scientific side to it. But Submariner does promise to attract women with intoxicating, fresh and spicy aroma. Submariner combines “punchy” Caribbean island spices with a touch of soft vanilla and almonds and flavorful, mouth watering cinnamon.

I personally liked it as I find that often male fragrances are way tooooo heavy and earthy. This one has enough adrenaline and excitement to it with a touch of sweetness which brings a promise of a soft, sensual and deep side to him :-). What girl doesn’t like this?!

As for my husband, he is not the type to wear a perfume daily but for special occasions he does like his fragrance quite strong… or should I say intense… well, as he puts it “it has to hit me on the face”… even though in my view Submariner is not so intense, it did appeal to him… and, what’s even more important, I liked it! That’s the best combination :-)




FTC Product Review Disclaimer: The author of this blog received a sample product for this review.

Beauty Review: Eau Fling Perfume by Harvey Prince

I had a wonderful opportunity to test one more genius creation by Harvey Prince- Eau Fling. Backed by science, this fragrance makes you irresistible, fills him with passion and makes him crazy about you :-)

So what is in this magic potion? In fact Eau Fling is a sweeter and lighter version of Harvey Prince’s previous creation Eau Flirt. The same notes of pumpkin pie and lavender used in Eau Flirt are featured in Eau Fling as well. If you are wondering, why , on earth, pumpkin pie?!!! The answer lies in science! Surprisingly Clinical studies conducted by Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation have proven that pumpkin pie and lavender evoke sexual response in men. Well, maybe it’s not such a big surprise after all… :-D Those seductive notes of nutmeg and cinnamon (classic aromas of pumpkin pie) lie at the heart of the new fragrance. Other middle notes include flowery fragrances of jasmine and ylang. Top notes are berries and fruits: black currant, plum, raspberry, apple, and black licorice. And at the bottom Eau Fling has musk and rare precious woods.


Here are my impressions about Eau Fling. It’s sweet and flowery but not overwhelming headachy type of sweet. The sweetness is warm and soft but then there is a little fresh “kick”. The sweet notes are balanced out by the fresh notes of orange and Pink Grapefruit. The fragrance feels fresh and exciting. It seems to me more versatile than Eau Flirt because you can wear it easily as a day perfume and at night. I really like it!!



FTC Product Review Disclaimer: The author of this blog received a sample product for this review.

Beauty Preview: Harvey Prince – Beauty Products With a Concept

I love beauty products with a concept. I do appreciate a product with a cool idea behind it! I also love multi-tasking products. Won’t you agree with me - multi-tasking is the style of life nowadays. Today living at the speed of light, we need products that help us to achieve several goals at a time! And Harvey Prince is the company that offers both: a cool concept and multi-tasking products. Harvey Prince develops perfumes and perfume based beauty products that not only make you smell nice but help you to appear younger and sexier. Their concept is to combine beauty with science and psychology. Isn't that amazing!? They definitely take beauty products to another level! That is why I was so excited to try out new products recently released by Harvey Prince and to share my impressions with you. So reviews on the following products are coming up very soon:

Flirty Dermastase Soap
Soap perfumed with the Flirty scent or as described at harveyprince.com a "moisturizing body bar"
Ageless Ultimate Anti Aging Bar Soap
"anti-aging body bar"

Eau Fling Perfume
Promises to help you to “evoke a sexual response in males”
Submariner Perfume
Perfume for men that expresses not only masculinity but also promises to help attract the opposite sex
Nightshift Perfume
Is composed of night flowers scents and promises to keep you sexy and energized through out a wild night out.

Eau Flirt Body Wash Liquid Loofah
Not only hydrates and washes but stimulates the senses with “intoxicating” and “love-evoking” scent

Beauty Review: Baggage Lost Puff Reducing Eye Gel

Promise:
“instantly targets the appearance of puffiness under the eye area”
Product Profile in Short:
invisible and lightweight gel that helps target and reduce the appearance of puffiness under the eye area. It “helps provide an overall youthful-looking appearance.”
Close-up on Active Ingredients:
Water (Aqua), Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond Seed Extract), Sodium Hyaluronate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Carbomere, Wheat Protein Extract, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Caffeine, Yeast Extract, Grape Seed Extract, Triethanolamine, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Ethylparaben, Butylparaben
This is one of the best ingredients lists I’ve ever seen. Yes, ok, there are parabens at the end but look at all these extracts at the beginning. Those are precious! All of them are very beneficial for the skin around the eye as they help to moisturize, protects against free radicals, drain excess water build up, stimulate collagen…

Experience:
Texture: light gel
Fragrance: free of perfume

The good news is that Baggage Lost Puff Reducing Eye Gel works. However it still does not completely solve the problem for me. Yes the eye area looks more lifted and less puffy after application but the puffiness does not completely disappear… I would say improvement is about 30-50%... I can also appreciate that Baggage Lost Puff Reducing Eye Gel fights eye puffiness on several levels. It physically lifts up eye bags because I can feel skin tightening when it dries up. It also provides drainage plus stimulation with caffeine and soothes with Sweet Almond Seed Extract and Aloe. It moisturizes and provides anti-aging plus anti-oxidant effects with Cucumber, Wheat Protein Extract, Grape Seed Extract.
There is one thing to watch out for. If you apply powder over the Baggage Lost gel, it tends to crumble. Not good, I agree... However I noticed that if you use cream under-eye-concealer over Baggage Lost, it works very well...

Price Tag:
$ 23

Bottom Line:
It’s definitely a high quality product. Very well thought through, great ingredient list. But I am not getting the effect I need. Be it the fault of the product or the age or whatever other reason… I don’t think Baggage Lost Puff Reducing Eye Gel will be on my regular skin care list but I would recommend to try it out if you just are starting to get the cursed eye puffiness problem. Because, trust me, there are not so many products out there to help you deal with it :-(

FTC Product Review Disclaimer: The author of this blog received a sample product for this review.

Beauty Review: Dr Denese’s Advanced Firming Facial Pads

Dr Denese’s Advanced Firming Facial Pads are now one of my favorite skin care products! I'm very impressed with what this product does to my skin so read on to find out the details!

Promise:
"...delivers a profound firming effect over time. Each pad delivers the prefect dose of exfoliation, improves radiance, even out skin tone and clarity. It dramatically reduces the look of lines, wrinkles and it drastically shrinks the look of pores."

Product Profile in Short:
"...professional-grade glycolic peel delivers the perfect dose of daily exfoliation and firming effect. Each pad is infused with innovative ingredients such as peptides, high percentage glycolic acid and alpha lipoic acid to address lines and wrinkles, uneven skin tone, large pores, and lack of radiance to the skin."


Close-up on Active Ingredients:
Water (aqua), Glycolic Acid (+10%), Propylene Glycol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Polysorbate 20, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Avena Sativa (Oat) Protein, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Tetrapeptide-7 Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Carbomer, Yeast Extract, Zea Mays, Ascorbic Acid, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopherol Acetate, Thioctic Acid, Triethanolamine, Diisopropyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Diiostearyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Orzanol, Ubiquinone, Sodium PCA, Trisodium EDTA, Potasium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol
The key ingredient of these pads is glycolic acid. What glycolic acid does is exfoliate stratum corneum (higher layer) of your skin and helps your skin to get rid of the dead old cells and expose the new live cells this way effectively helping to improve skin's appearance and texture. Glycolic acid is used by skin care professionals to help reduce wrinkles, acne scarring, hyperpigmentation etc. In addition to glycolic acid Advanced Firming Facial Pads
contain other peeling ingredients such as Ascorbic Acid and Retinyl Palmitate for example. Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) has strong anti-oxidant properties, it stimulates collagen synthesis and has also been proven to improve condition of photoaged skin and reverse some of the sun damage. Retinyl Palmitate is a form of Vitamin A. When absorbed into the skin it gets converted to retinol which, as most of us know, helps to renew and rejuvenate skin.
I also see several peptides on the ingredient list which boost collagen production as well.
There are some plants extracts among the ingredients. For example, Aloe leaf juice is an effective anti-oxidant and has strong anti-inflammatory properties.

Experience:
Texture: premoistened cotton pads, soft, really soaked in the product
Fragrance: i see no fragrance on the list but it definitely has some artificial fragrance added
I was very afraid to try this product. I have somewhat sensitive skin and I was sure I will just react badly and will be burning red.
According to the directions on the package, those with normal and oily skin can use Advanced firming pads daily. You should start slowly and build up the rubbing time to 30-60 seconds. Following recommendations provided, I rubbed a cotton moistened pad on my skin at night after cleansing my skin. The first time I was so worried I did it for several seconds and then in 10 seconds I was already washing my face scared that the stining was too strong... To my greatest surprise I did not get any irritation. So I continued using the Advanced Firming Pads every evening. In a couple days I built up some courage and did not wash my face afterwards. Results were very impressing and almost immediate! In a matter of days I would wake up to a fresher smoother complexion, looking better with every day! Actually immediately after application my skin felt so soft and smooth to touch it was amazing… I love this product. Skin exfoliation becomes a key to a fresh smooth complexion when you hit mid-twenties because your skin just doesnt renew itself so fast anymore... so all the dead cells just build up on its surface and it starts to look dull and tired and rough. Finding the right product to exfoliate your skin is crucial. It cannot be irritating and it has to be strong enough to be effective. Dr Denese’s Advanced Firming Facial Pads work miracles for me!

Price Tag:
$35 for a jar with 60 pads

Bottom Line:
It's a great product! I would make this product a regular in my routine. However maybe to keep on the safe side I would avoid using it in the summer and reserve it for autumn and spring.


FTC Product Review Disclaimer: The author of this blog received a sample product for this review.

Beauty Preview: Dr. Denese Skin Care Products

This is what I love about beauty blogging… You get to discover amazing brands, products and lines that probably you would have never tried… I was contacted by Dr Denese promotional team and asked if I would like to test one of their products… I looked at the website and saw among many other interesting products the Baggage Lost Puff Reducing Eye Gel
You can imagine how curious I got… I mean, any brand that has a special product for under eye bags and eye puffiness is on my must-try list! I definitely think this problem is overlooked by skin care brands. There should be more special products developed to help deal with it.

Here is a bit of background on Dr Denese. Born in Hungary, Dr Denese started creating skin care products as early as 9 ears of age. She has been involved in skin care and anti-aging research all her life. Currently, having world class medical education and extensive experience, Dr Denese develops a variety of products for a wide range of skin care and skin aging issues. Dr Denese says what makes her products different from others is that she uses high concentrations of advanced active ingredients clinically proven to work.

Coming up are 3 reviews of the three products I’ve tried:

the Baggage Lost Puff Reducing Eye Gel

Advanced Firming Facial Pads


Wrinkle Rx - Deep Wrinkle Environmental Shield Serum

Beauty Review: Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Self-Tanning Milk for Body vs Shiseido Daily Bronze Moisturizing Emulsion

Recently I’ve been using these two bronzers to give some summery color to my pale skin :-) Here are my impressions.

Promise:
Shiseido Bronze Emulsion “promotes a gradual natural bronze color and dramatic silkiness with daily use”
Estee Lauder Self Tanning Milk “dries quickly, leaves a radiant glow”, “even golden color starting in under an hour”


Packaging:
Shiseido Daily Bronze Moisturizing Emulsion comes in a pump which is super convenient. While Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Bronzer is packaged in a bottle with a screw on cap. Pump seemed much more convenient, hygienic and practical to me. I could see with time that Bronze Goddes Tanner was starting to oxidize and turn a bit brown. With Shiseido’s Bronzing Milk you can easily control the amount you want to get out by pressing it all the way down or just lightly pressing down the pump or for a bigger amount pushing it several times. It’s excellent!


Close-Up on Ingredients:
It was interesting to compare ingredient lists of the two self tanners. I remember sales girl advertising Shiseido's bronzer as having some anti-oxidant properties. I found no anti-oxidant ingredients on the list. In fact, it’s a very short ingredients list. I do see several humectants and emollients though, such as glycerin, butylene glycol, and dimethicone. There are no natural extracts and all the ingredients are just artificially created chemicals. In Bronze Goddess Bronzing Milk, on the other hand, I see a lot of natural ingredients, some truly surprising! For example it contains such exotic extracts as Spike Moss Extract, Rosemary Extract Hops Extract, Grape Seed Extract, Pomegranate Juice extract, Apricot Fruit Extract; waxes like Narcissus Poeticus Flower Wax Jasmine Flower Wax; stone powders Sunstone Powder, Amber Powder; oils Kukiu Oil, Olive Fruit Oil…
I was not going to write about ingredients in this review but when I compared the two lists I was so surprised at the huge difference and contrast that I decided to point it out… So actually Bronze Goddess Self-Tanner has a lot of anti-ageing, anti-oxidant natural ingredients. Pretty impressing!

Experience:
Texture: I liked textures of both products. None was oily or sticky. Estee Lauder Bronzer is lighter and more liquid. Shiseido’s Self Tannin Moisturizer has a more creamy texture to it which is still very light.

Fragrance: As you know self-tanners can stink but these two are stink free! Both have pleasant light fragrance to it. Bronze Goddess just as the description says has this beachy scent that your skin gets only in the sun…

*Shiseido’s Daily Bronzing Moisturizer is an axcellent product to achieve just a touch of color. It’s also a plus that you can use it on your face as well. It didn’t break me out or gave me any allergic reaction. In fact this product was dermatologically tested.

Streaks: I never got any streaks with Shiseido Tanning Emulsion.

Color: The color looked very natural. I even got a compliment from my husband after applying it for several days to my face he said I looked fresh and rested (reminding you – I have a baby who keeps me up at night!)
* Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Self-Tanning Milk for Body I would use if you really want and need to see the color. One thing I didn’t like so much was that after application my skin felt hot as if a bit burning…

Streaks: Once it gave me streaks but probably I just didn’t apply it properly. What you need to do is to blend it well and fast. It also absorbs into dry skin on the knees and elbows so make sure to apply moisturizer on these parts to make your tan more even.

Color: In terms of the natural color. It looked to me less natural than the color I got from Shiseido’s Bronzing Emulsion. But I do not remember how my suntanned skin looks :-) I have not suntanned in years :-)

Price Tag:
Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Self-Tanning Milk for Body – 26-27 USD
Shiseido Daily Bronze Moisturizing Emulsion – 36 USD

Bottom Line:
I would definitely get Shiseido’s Bronze Moisturizing Emulsion for daily use again. But for a more intensive tan I may try to look for a middle ground in terms of naturally looking color and intensity between the daily bronzer by Shiseido and Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Self-Tanning Milk.

Beauty Review: Arbonne Re 9 Advanced Line

Usually I don’t do samples reviews. I have so many full size products waiting for reviews that I have no time to test and write about sample sized products. But this time I made an exclusion. I was contacted by Kellie, Arbonne Consultant. She sounded very excited about the new Arbonne line called Re 9 Advanced and wanted to know my opinion about it. in addition , I have heard soooo much about Arbonne, I was very very curious to finally try it out.

Well let me start by telling you that I was pretty impressed. When you see results in a matter of couple days you cannot but be pretty impressed. But let’s take it step by step. Here are the products I tested:

Smoothing Facial Cleanser
Regenerating Toner
Intensive Renewal Serum
Corrective Eye Cream
Restorative Day Cream SPF 20
Restorative Night Cream

A couple quick words about each product:
Smoothing Facial Cleanser – light consistency, you need a bit to cleanse the whole face, but too much, could make your skin feel a bit dry
Regenerating Toner – pleasant refreshing fluid
Intensive Renewal Serum – light consistency, non oily, quickly absorbs into the skin
Restorative Day Cream SPF 20 – light creamy texture, quickly absorbs, immediately makes skin soft and smooth
Restorative Night Cream – having quite thick texture, it surprisingly absorbs in no time at all and feels very comfortable on the skin. Amazing!
Corrective Eye Cream – medium thick texture, absorbs quickly, moisturizes skin very well and seems to help reduce puffiness - Yay!

After using the Re 9 Advanced line for 2 days I could already see good results: skin looked fresher and firmer, complexion was brighter. Also I noticed that my eye puffiness was much reduced. However I had some sensitivity issues... I would get this burning sensation on my skin. As Kellie explained, what I was feeling was Vitamin C working on my skin. I agree, it could be the Vitamin C to blame for the burning sensation, however this could mean that people with sensitive skin won’t tolerate soem of the produst in Re 9 Advanced very well. Otherwise my impression of Arbonne products from this experience is very very good!

Disclaimer: Author of this blog received samples of the products for a review.

Beauty Review: Guerlain Substantific Neck Decollete Treatment Spf 10

Promise:
Helps to stimulate the skin’s natural activity, the skin is intensely redensified, regains its natural consistency, plumped from within
Leaves skin looking more even and radiant, prevents the appearance of pigmentation marks

Product Profile in Short:
Non oily, richly textured neck and décolleté treatment enhances and smoothes these delicate areas

Close-up on Active Ingredients:
Active Ingredients:
Octinoxate (ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate) 7.5%
oxybenzone (benzophenone-3) 2.5%
Octisalate (ethylhexyl salicylate) 1.0%,
avobenzone (butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane) 0.5%

Other ingredients:
aqua
c12-15 alkyl benzoate
Isohexadecanebutylene glycol
Hydrogenated coco-glycerides
Glycerine
Steareth -21
Stearyl alcohol
Glyceryl stearate
Cera alba (beeswax)
Aluminum starch octenylsuccinate
Polyacrilamide
Octyldodecanol
Oryzanol
Parfum
Cetearyl alcohol
Methylparaben
….
All the active ingredients mentioned at the beginning are compounds used to block UVA and UVB rays. I like the fact that this décolleté cream has SPF, I wish it was a bit higher than just 10 though.

Experience:
Texture: very thick, not oily
Fragrance: no fragrance

The first thing I notice about Substantific Neck and Décolleté Treatment is the thick texture. It has a luxurious feel to it but I find it too thick and not so easy to massage into skin. So I try applying this cream on the skin still damp from the shower and it works. Substantific Neck and Décolleté Treatment feels very rich but not oily and gets fast absorbed by the skin. The fragrance is sweet and quite pronounced, be prepared! After application the skin feels very soft and moisturized. However after a month of use I didn’t see such dramatic changes in décolleté area as I did when I used Clarins Advanced Extra-Firming Neck Cream. It didn’t start to look smoother… it did look and felt moisturized but that is it.

Price Tag:
100-120$

Bottom Line:
Nice product, but maybe you need to use more than one jar to see anti-aging results.

Read more about Guerlain products

Beauty Review: Dove Daily Treatment Conditioners

Who would know more about damaged hair than a girl who used to bleach hers for more than a decade… Now I try to limit myself to highlights… well, I confess I do quite intense highlighting :-) Which leaves me with pretty dry dull head of hair.

Recently I have been trying out new Dove Daily Treatment Conditioners. I've been using Daily Moisture Conditioner and Intensive Repair Conditioner.

I have to admit I am the product of my generation. I like the idea of “intensive” everything. Because nowadays life IS intense. Don’t you agree? You need results fast: right here - right now. That’s why I actually liked results I’ve noticed after using INTENSIVE REPAIR Conditioner.
Hair looks brighter, feels and looks bouncier. And the volume looks bigger! I also got good results from Daily Moisture Conditioner. Both products use Fiber Active technology - they penetrate deep inside the hair and help to reconstruct damaged proteins. They also contain Micro Moisture Serum which repairs and nourishes hair and helps to seal lifted cuticles to help protect against further damage in the future.

Dove recommends their new line of Conditioners to those who like a diversity of hairstyles and subject their hair to a lot of action like bleaching, blow drying, brushing and styling etc.

While working on this review I learnt that Dove is the Official Hair Care Sponsor of the Glee Live! Concert Tour! Actually Glee’s star Lea Michele is partnering with Dove to promote Dove’s daily shampoos and conditioners. With her help Dove is trying to send a message to all the women saying that they can enjoy doing their favorite hair styles and do their favorite hobbies no matter how damaging they could be for the hair. Check out dovegleeforall.com for more cool details. And you can actually enter for a chance to win a visit to the set of Glee!

FTC Product Review Disclaimer: The author of this blog received a sample product for this review.

Beauty Review and Giveaway: Dove Ultimate Anti-Perspirant Deodorant

If you remember, recently I made a post on how to get lighter and softer skin under your arms. A couple tips included rubbing in whitening lotion and frequently replacing your shaver… Well, just about a week later I was surprised to learn that Dove actually came out with a new line of deodorants developed specially to take care, moisturize and protect the very area of armpits! That’s a really good idea, taking into account that with all the care you need to take of other parts of our bodies we tend to ignore the needs of underarms skin. We think it needs no care whatsoever, even though we subject the delicate skin in this area to daily shaving which, in fact, thins out the top layer of the skin by as much as 20% and as a result often leads to irritation, discoloration and dryness.

Deodorants in Dove’s New Ultimate line are developed based on a tri-moisturizing system and contain ingredients that provide occlusive, humectant and nourishing effects on the skin. Here is how it works: Humectant draws water to the skin, occlusive keeps the water locked in and the nourishing moisturizer of natural sunflower oil softens and boosts the skin's natural moisture barrier. As a result skin is moisturized and conditioned, soothed and protected and is beautiful, soft and smooth.

Dove contacted me and asked if I would like to try out this new product. Of course, I would! I got so curious! So I’ve tested the Sheer Silk and Light Radiance deodorants. Here is my honest opinion. I usually avoid anti-perspirants with fragrance because my skin tends to get irritated and I just prefer to wear my favorite perfume alone :-). In case with Dove Ultimate Sheer Silk deodorant I had no problem with either irritation or fragrance which is so very subtle and tender… It just has this very very light pleasant floral smell of cleanliness! Light Radiance has a more pronounced fragrance with wooden and floral notes. As far as the texture goes, Dove Ultimate is a solid deodorant but when you apply it to the skin, it feels like a silky cream. The skin definitely feels softer and moisturized. And even though I can’t get into a habit of frequently replacing my razor for a sharper one I had no problem with irritation after shaving whatsoever…

And for the end of my review I saved a couple tips for an at-home spa treatment for your armpits!!! Dove came up with a special treatment and with a special name for a procedure to pamper underarm skin - PitiCure (analogical with pedicure!). First, exfoliate underarm skin with a washcloth, shave under the shower to soften the skin and make sure to use a shaving cream, pat dry and apply Dove Ultimate to soften and moisturize. I guess here is all you need to know to have smooth and soft underarms! :-)

Want to try Dove Ultimate Deodorant for yourself? Leave a comment and tell us what you think of the PitiCure and Dove Ultimate Deodorants. And d0n't forget to let me know your email. The winner will get Dove Ultimate Anti-Perspirant Deodorant in Light Radiance and one more chosen deodorant from the Ultimate line:

Ultimate Beauty Care (NEW Light Radiance, NEW Sheer Silk, Smooth Cashmere, Original Clean)

Ultimate Sensitive Care

Ultimate Visibly Smooth

Ultimate go fresh (NEW Revive – pomegranate and lemon verbena); Burst (nectarine and white ginger); Energize ( grapefruit and lemongrass); Cool Essentials ( cucumber and green tea)

The winner will be chosen randomly. The giveaway is for US residents only and is open till 20 June 2010!

FTC Disclaimer: The author received a free product for this review.

Beauty Review: Guerlain Success Eye Tech

Promise:
The eye area loses its heaviness, eyelids seem recontoured, wrinkles and f ine lines appear smoothed, dark circles and puffiness are reduced.

Product Profile in Short:
this eye cream has been specifically designed to help tone up the skin-support network and fight sagging.

Contains:
Eye Cellular Amber
Tensotrophin

Close-up on Active Ingredients:
Water
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Butylene Glycol
Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
Glycerin
Cetearyl Isononanoate
Aluminum starch octenylsuccinate
Pentylene Glycol
Steareth-21
Glyceryl Hydroxystearate
Cetyl Alcohol
Stearyl Alcohol
Amber Powder
Phenoxyethanol
Stearalkonium hectorite
Steareth-2
Palmitic Acid
Stearic Acid
Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Extract
Silica
Dimethicone
Polyacrylamide
Propylene Carbonate
Tetrasodium EDTA
Tocopheryl Acetate
Xanthan Gum
………


Experience:
Texture: thick, not oily
Fragrance: no fragrance

I just love Guerlain’s Happylogy eye cream but recently I’ve been noticing that maybe it is becoming too light for me so, hoping to find another favorite, I decided to try other eye products by Guerlain.

I have mixed feelings about Success Eye Tech. On the positive side, it seems to work. It does temporarily reduce puffiness and provides lifting effect. You actually almost feel your skin getting tighter. Do not expect the puffiness to be completely gone. But your eyes will look more awake and fresh. It also seems to be nicely moisturizing as it nicely smoothes out lines around the eyes. Another plus for me was that I was not allergic to this cream. Sensitivity is often a problem with eye products. I also liked the texture because it did not feel oily or heavy on the skin. There was only one negative point. Though it is a single flaw, it’s quite important. Success Eye Tech has some occlusives that just “sit” on top of your skin. So it is not a very good base for makeup. When I apply concealer over it, I end up with a crumbly mess. However I noticed that if I apply very little of the Success Eye Tech cream it solves the problem. But then the question is weather such a small quantity provides the needed moisture and what about the puffiness…

Price Tag:
100-120$

Bottom Line:
It’s a shame that such an expensive product “crumbs” on the skin. However, since eye puffiness is a problem for me I would consider investing into Success Eye Tech. Maybe I would have some light cream to go under makeup and Success Eye Tech to treat puffiness.

Here is more information on Guerlain skin care products .

Beauty Review: Payot Pate Grise Purifying Care

Promise:
Masks small blemishes and helps them disappear

Product Profile in Short:
Thanks to its active ingredients Pate Grise masks small blemishes and helps them disappear. Your face appears clear and blemish free.

Close-up on Active Ingredients:
Lanolin
Talc
Zinc Oxide
Paraffinum Liquidum (Mineral Oil)
Prunis Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil
Petrolatum
Ichtamol
Aqua (water)


Experience:
Texture: resembles and ointment
Smell: no perfume, sort of medical
Payot’s Pate Grise is one of my all time favorite skin care products. It is my secret weapon against break outs! Yes, it is a bit smelly and yes, it looks funny but the most important thing is that it works!!! When I see the first signs of a pimple I run over to get my Pate Grise jar. I apply it on the spot and often the next day it disappears. Sometimes if it persists I apply Pate Grise over the night. To ensure it doesn’t end up on my pillow before it has a chance to do its magic, I put a piece of Band-Aid over the spot. You don’t need much of the product because you need to apply it only on the affected spot. What else needs to be said: it lasts forever and it really works. It’s a great product!

Price Tag:
30$

Bottom Line:
It’s not easy to find a product that fights against acne as effectively as Pate Grise. I’m happy I discovered Pate Grise and will definitely stick to it to keep my skin “ spotless”!

Beauty Review: La Prairie Light Fantastic Cellular Concealing Brightening Eye Treatment

Promise (laprairie.com):
...refreshes and illuminates your eye zone while concealing imperfections such as puffiness and dark under-eye circles...

Product Profile in Short (laprairie.com):
Combining both cosmetic and skincare properties, it effectively minimizes signs of aging, such as fine lines and wrinkles, while adding a touch of radiance.


Contains:
Ginseng Root Ectract, Papaya Extract, Camomile etc.

Close-up on Active Ingredients:
Water
Cyclopentasiloxane
Isononyl Isononanoate
Cyclohexasiloxane
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Glycerin
Diisopropyl Dimer Dilinoleate
Butylene Glycol
PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone
Talc
C18-36 Acid Trigluceride
Sodium Chloride
Glycoproteins
Panax Ginseng Root Extract
Equisetum Arvense (Horsetail) Extract
Arnica Montana Flower Extract
Carica Papaya Leaf Extract
Aesculus Hippocastanum (Horse Chesnut) Seed Extract
Glycosaminoglycans
Anthemis Nobilis (Chamomile) Flower Extract
Lauryl Mathacrylateb / Glycol DimethacrylateCrosspolymer
….

My Experience and Impressions:
When I was buying this concealer, I wasn’t even aware of its double purpose as makeup and skincare. Later on, when I looked at the ingredients more carefully and read up on it, I realized that La Prairie Light Fantastic is a multi-tasker. Great! I appreciate such products!!!
I liked its texture from the moment I tried it at the counter! I liked how smoothly it went onto the skin and how it looked on it – just seemed to melt into the skin. I got the lightest shade #10. It was the best choice for my medium-fair skin. However, to tell you the truth the first several times I applied it I felt a bit allergic. Maybe it was just me focusing my attention on my sensations too much. Later on I did not notice any reaction.
Of course using La Prairie Light Fantastic I was all the time comparing it to the genius YSL Touche Eclat. The first difference between YSL and La Prairie concealers is their texture. La Prairie Light Fantastic has a very creamy texture. It feels like a rich eye cream - not makeup. The concealing powers differ as well. La Prairie Light Fantastic doesn’t offer intense coverage but seems to look more natural as it doesn’t at all get into lines. Everyone knows concealer gathering in fine lines is way worse than wearing no concealer at all! So it’s a huge plus for La Prairie Light Fantastic! However you can’t really build up coverage with Laprairie Light Fantastic. Yes, it is subtle but this has its benefits as well - apply it as much as you want and you won't end up with those weird white circles around your eyes.

I do not use La Prairie Light Fantastic as I used to use YSL to brighten up the face and lift up eye brow. Because of the texture and the subtle color it just doesn’t feel right to use it for this purpose. I apply La Prairie Light Fantastic concealer with an applicator brush under my eyes and pat it lightly into the skin – it blends perfectly and looks very natural…


Price Tag:
70$

Bottom Line:
I like this product! The texture is great and the fact that it has double purpose is wonderful. I think the price is good because you get a refill as well! However if you need stronger coverage I would go with YSL Touche Eclat.

Beauty Review: LypSyl Lip Balm LypMoisturizer (Original Formula)

As you know I am always on the look out for a product to heal my dry flaking lips. This time I was testing LypSyl Balm . I’ve heard some good stuff about their products and how natural and moisturizing they were and how some celebs were using LypSyl, so I was curious to try it. LypSyl is available in several variations: for example LypMoisturizerHoney Berry and SPF 15, LypMedicationwith Eucalyptus, LypRadiance Honey Rose etc. I was trying out LypMoisturizerOriginal Formula.

Promise:
Moisturizes, heals, softens, protects, refreshes.

Close-Up on Ingredients:
Mineral Oil, Petrolatum, Paraffin, Hydrogenated Coconut Oil, Ceresin, Beeswax, Flavor, Certified, Organic Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) Fruit, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E Acetate), Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A Palmitate), Bixa Orellana Seed Extract

My Experience and Impressions
First of all I really liked the packaging. It is not a usual Chap Stick tube. It’s an oval case that feels pleasant in the hand. I like attention to detail and a sliding little bee tab to push the balm up or down.

The first time I tried LypSyl balm I picked up the packaging again to read if it mentions anything about lip plumping. No kidding! My lips just looked smoother and more plump in a matter of seconds. I also felt some light tingling sensation characteristic of lip plumping glosses. But there was no mention of plumping on the box so I guess the effect is due to the intense moisturizing and mint! LypSyl Original Formula has no shine and I found that the texture of LypSyl is softer than the usual Chap Stick. It’s a pleasure to apply - I like the minty flavor and the cooling tingling sensation. I really like the immediate moisturizing and soothing effect. I was hoping that in time with regular my lips will become healthier: less dry and will stop flaking completely. However even though there was an improvement some flaking still remained after 2 weeks of use.

Price Tag:
3$

Bottom Line:
Even though my lips didn't become 100% flake-free, I like the product and would recommend trying it. In the end, I did enjoy using it but my lips are quite a challenge!

LypSyl Original Formula is available on Amazon.com