Beauty Shopping: Avene Cleanance and Collistar Super-Concentrated Anticellulite Night Treatment

Shopping again!

Rather than being loyal to my usual Estee Lauder Verite Cleanser I decided to try Avene’s Cleanance soapless gel cleanser. The fact that it was for oily, blemish-prone sensitive skin got my attention. I was not 100% sure as my skin is not that oily but in the recent months I had some annoying break outs. So I decided to give it a try.

I have been dreaming of trying Dior’s Svelte for a long time already… Asked for it but did not get it as a Christmas present :-( Actually was planning to buy it this or next month but my plans (as often happens to me) were disrupted… by a sale! 40% off Collistar cellulite products. Collistar is a Italian brand that I have never tried before. Sale is always a great chance to try out a new brand!

My choice fell on Collistar Super-Concentrated Anticellulite Night Treatment as it was promising fast results. I know I know we all want fast results but it just doesn’t work like this… Well I was also impressed with a red sign "Best Seller" on on the box. And of course I checked the ingredient list and liked what I saw with caffeine being almost at the very top of the list. Let’s see how it will work for me!

Avene Cleanance on Amazon:

Make Up Tip: Fix Mistakes Fast

Photo from www.flickr.com by jan1993
Your hand slipped while working on a smoky eye? Fix your mistake fast: dip a cotton swab in an oil-free moisturizer, dab the soft tip on the back of your hand until it feels almost dry. Now you can wipe away your mistakes and not ruin the rest of your makeup.

My Dramatic Hair Transformation

I am the type of a girl who doesn’t usually like to experiment with her hair… so I have been long haired blond for over a decade… till I got pregnant.

This is how my hair looked in summer 2008
Originally I have dark hair and had to do the roots every month at least. However after doing some research online about dying hair while pregnant I wondered if this was safe for the fetus… My husband insisted I give up on being a blond :-) So I let my roots grow a bit and got a very short haircut. That was a huge step to cut my decade long hair… A young sweet hairdresser could not believe I was actually going to do it. She did her best to talk me out of it. Funny but I always get a reaction like this from hairdressers… But I was determined. I actually was happy I had a reason to finally make a dramatic change! Even though I “chose” a hairdresser without any recommendation, she did a brilliant job. My husband still doesn’t believe that I didn’t do highlights then, so stylish my cut looked!
My dramatic hair cut!

I actually liked how I looked with short hair a lot. I liked it so much that when my friends would see me short-haired for the first time and their eyes would go HUGE and mouth drop, I couldn’t understand why- I would turn around to see what got them so shocked and then realize it was ME! I got used to my new look from the very first minute, it just felt so right, that I sort of forgot how big of a change that was for me.
Another bonus of my newly acquired hairstyle was much lower maintenance requirements. I was amazed at how fast I was in and out of a shower – washing and drying it took almost not time! Oh and if I forgot my brush at home, no problem, just fluff it up and straighten with my hands :-) As for my husband… he at first seemed to genuinely like my hair but then one day I got suspicious: What do you think about growing your hair back again? - He said looking at our photo together on holiday in Greece. Hmmmm… that will take another decade, Darling!

That's me "inbetween" hairstyles :-)
Slowly slowly my hair took a shape of a bob… and then I added lots of highlights…

That's how I look now
Highlights are better seen in this photo
So now I have a dilemma – should I grow my hair again or keep changing short hairstyles?? I did like the glamour and femininity of the long hair. But I do like how the short hair shows off my neck and makes me look younger. ;-) If you know what I mean!

Beauty Review: Clarins Advanced Extra-Firming Neck Cream

Promise:
helps firm and smooth away lines and wrinkles as it immediately "lifts".

Product Profile in Short:
The ultimate firming neck treatment that enhances skin's youthful-looking appearance for women over 40. The feather-light, silky texture disappears into the skin instantly.

Contains:
- Stimulen®: reinforces skin's "guardian cells" which helps preserve skin's firmness and tone longer.
- Plum extract: delivers an immediate "lifting" and softening action.
Sunflower, Bocoa and Anthyllis: help smooth away fine lines and tighten skin.

(Don’t you just love how manufacturers create these cute scientific sounding names like “Stimulen” :-))

Close-up on Active Ingredients:
Water
Cyclomethicone – derived from silicone, emollient
Cetearyl Isononanoate - emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol – emulsiifyer and stabilizer
Dipropylene Glycol – Masking, Viscosity controlling
Cetearyl Ethyhexanoate - emollient
C14-22 Alcohols
Cetearyl Glucoside – skin-friendly emulsifier
Butylene Glycol- humectant
Phenoxyethanol - preservative
C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside – emulsifying agent
Parfum
Glycerin - humectant
Sodium PCA
Ethylparaben
Tocopheril Acetate
Carbomer
Tromethamine
Prunus Domestica SeedCake Extract
Methylparaben
Disodium EDTA
Anthyllis Vulneraria Flower Extract
BHT
Sunflower Extract
Bocoa Prouacensis Extract
….

Sorry I did not have the time to write details about each ingredient but at least we can see what is of the highest concentration. It is great to see all the emollients and humectants at the top of the list but I was hoping to see some of the key ingredients such as plum and sunflower extracts etc.


Experience:
Texture: very rich texture but not too oily
Smell: medium intense sweet fragrance

At first when I just started using Clarins Neck Cream I got obvious allergic reaction. My eyes were irritated and itchy. I was soooo upset! The price was tooo high to just give it away to somebody. So I persisted even though it felt pretty uncomfortable. To my great surprise, this reaction went away in about a week or so. Either my body got used to it or I got used to the irritation in my eyes :-) who knows…

I liked the texture. It feels very rich but not too oily. You don’t need much to cover the area of the neck and décolleté. It spreads and absorbs nicely and immediately makes skin look smooth.

Results: My observation is that neck creams very seldom give much result. It is pretty hard to do much to wrinkles or lines developing in this area. However with this cream, after a month of use I could see definite positive results. I don’t have wrinkles or sagging. I have these strange lines starting on the sholder and going over décolleté. These lines did not disappear but started to look much smoother. By the end of the month they seemed not so noticeable with the whole décolleté and neck area being smooth and firmed.

Price Tag:
80$

Bottom Line:
I would definitely come back to this product in about 5-7 years. I am a bit afraid of the reaction though as It was pretty strong and the price is VERY high to take a risk. Maybe I will ask for a sample first.

Beauty Shopping: Substantific Neck and Decollete Treatment

Just when I thought that I will never go more expensive than Clarins’ Advanced Neck and Decolte cream I bough about a month ago, I went completely insane and got Guearlain Substantific Densifying Nourishing Sculpting Neck and Decollete Treatment. It seems even more crazy because it is definitely for more mature skin than mine. Well, in my defense it doesn’t hurt to try it out and I wouldn’t have even looked at it if the sales girl didn’t lure me into buying it by offering all kinds of presents. Just look at this!
I got
Success Eye Tech Up-Lifting Wrinkle Reducer– deluxe sample

Super Aqua Lotion – Toner Optimum Hydration Resistance

Guerlain Beauty Discovery: Success Age Splendid Deep Action Oil Serum Face Sculpting, Success Eye Tech, Success Future Regenerating Toner

However the price for this décolleté cream is so high, I feel like I didn’t get those for free but I did buy them. As you remember I really wanted to get Guerlain Success Eye Tech for Christmas from my hubby – it was on my wish list I handed to him :-) However I guess the price a bit scared him! Lol! So now I get this wonderful deluxe sample of 5 ml and another one in the Guerlain Discovery Kit. I am thinking if it works for me I will use both samples, otherwise I will give the kit to one very good friend to try out. I am also planning to give her the Super Aqua Lotion. Even though it sounds absolutely gorgeous being highly moisturizing…. with the extract of a desert rose and all that, but I am not soooo big on toners so probably she will enjoy it more!

Watch out for my review. I know I am always very late with reviews but they do eventually get posted!

Put your mouse over a picture to see a price. Rotate with the help of arrows.

Beauty Review: Estee Lauder Stress Relief Mask

Promise:
Pre-moistures pads hydrate and soothe skin, diminish puffiness and other signs of fatigue, reduce appearance of tiny lines and wrinkles.

Product Profile in Short:
Pre-moistened pads sealed 2 in a packette
Contain targeted anti-stress, anti-fatigue hydrating ingredients, botanical soothers like aloe vera, cucumber and allantoin

Close-up on Active Ingredients:
Water
Glycerin - humectant
Butylene glycol - Humectant, Emollient
Bifida ferment Lysate - probiotic
Aloe barbadensis leaf juice – soothes, regenerates
Polysorbate 80,
Sodium Hyaluronate – humectant (super-moisturizer!)
Cucumis sativus (cucumber) fruit extract – soothing, softening, anti-inflamatory
Caffeine - anti-inflammatory, relieves skin redness
laureth-4 - surfatant - emulsfying agent,
Disodium EDTA - chelating agent and a viscosity adjuster (as I can see ther are some safety concerns about this ingredient but I don’t think any official facts)
BHT,
Sodium dehydroacetate - Organic salt used as a preservative
Phenoxyethanol - preservative
Methylparaben


Experience:

Texture: pads are moistened with colorless liquid that feels a tiny bit oily to the touch
Smell: no fragrance

Another one of my favorites by Estee Lauder! I can’t remember how many years I have been using this product. The first time I tried it – I fell in love! It’s convenient to use, has nice texture, and it works! The pads are very thin and feel like they are made from thin soft cloth. There is really a lot of liquid on them so they are dripping and you can get some more liquid from the bottom of the plastic packet.

This mask is really effective! Especially helpful to get rid of small thin lines around the eyes. I apply the mask on the area right under my eyes and give it 10-20 minutes to work its wonders or sometimes I allow even longer time till the pads are almost completely dry. I remove them and reveal to the world smooth moisturized skin under my eyes. Thin lines just disappear! And skin is more elastic! I know this because when I smile lines around my eyes are not there to stay, they just relax and smooth themselves away. However, note this mask doesn’t seem to have much effect on under eye puffiness. Such a pity!
I used to do this mask 2 times a week but now with years I resort to it more often. It really works great to revive dehydrated, tired eyes.

Price Tag:
35-40$ for a package of 10

Bottom Line:
Excellent product! Everyone just has to try this! However be warned, this mask won’t do much to deep wrinkles and puffiness.

Makeup Tip: How to Choose the Right Shade for Foundation

Perfect skin tone sets the perfect canvas for perfect makeup. A very common mistake when choosing foundation is testing it on the back of your hand. This way you most surely will select the wrong tone. Test foundation on your jaw line. Get the one that matches ideally or the closest. And better never go for a darker shade – it just makes you look older.

Beauty Tip: Get Break-Outs Under Control

Those nasty red pimples always appear just before a party or a date… Or worse: they just constantly seem to be there. You think you finally are about to concur them but here they are popping up in just another spot. Oh, don’t you hate them? Today I am going to share my personal experience with break outs. I have a couple tips that worked for me and that, hopefully, you may find useful. So here is how I got acne under control!

I had a bad problem with break outs as teenager and in my twenties. First thing that really improved the situation was finding the right cleanser! Your cleansing product is extremely important for the health if your skin. It has to be JUST the right intensity. Too strong and it will be stripping and will cause more acne, too weak and it won’t cleanse skin enough to keep pores clean and free from acne-causing bacteria. Many people with break outs make one similar mistake – they overcleanse and over peel their skin. I did the same before I found my perfect cleanser! I am using Estee Lauder Verite Cleanser and I love it.

Second step that made a DRAMATIC change was using paper towels or Klenex instead of a regular towel to dry my face. Surprised? I came across a tip from a dermatologist for those suffering from acne to change a towel every 2-3 days. So I decided it would be even better to use something single use to dry my face. And the difference it made was really amazing!

Another tip in line with the one above is please, do keep your hands off your face! If you pick on pimples you will just spread bacteria to other areas of your face. Very often people subconsciously keep touching a red spot that is bothering them with their hands. Be aware of this habit and stop it.

And finally find the moisturizer that works for you. Non-comedogenic is the key feature. It should be light but at the same time nurturing to your skin.

So here it is in a nutshell. I list the tips in the order of a difference they made for my skin:
1.Find the cleanser PERFECT for your skin. Do not overcleanse
2.Use single use towels to dry your face or use Klenex
3.Keep hands away from your face
4.Find the PERFECT moisturizer

My New Year Beauty Resolutions!

1. Get regular facials – This has been my dream for a long time and I would never be able to do this: either could not afford the money or the time. But now I am 30 for God’s sake! Time has come! (…Regular professional facials can really benefit your skin – you can never do a facial at home as well as an expert can…)
2. Start using SPF regularly… again! – Time for a confession: I stopped being careful about wearing SPF with the birth of my little one. I am always on the run, so I just forget or am too much in a hurry to take a sec and apply that sun protection. Have to get back on track here :-)
3. Eat less sweets – Oh my, that would be the toughest one to go through with. I have a sweet tooth!
4. Drink more water – drinking lots and lots of water used to be my best beauty habit alongside with applying SPF. I am not kidding, I used to drink liters of water in the course of a day. Then it suddenly changed and got much worse when I became a Mom. Now I often don’t even have time to think about drinking a glass of water. This has to change again for the sake of healthy skin!
5. Eat less meat – I used to prefer fish and veggies over meat. But again with the pregnancy and birth of my DS, this changed and now I eat meat every day. Which is not so good for my skin and my body on the whole. More greens for me in 2010!
6. Learn something new about Beauty... I feel I should learn more about makeup application. I just never had the time to do it. Will I manage this year? I hope so…
7. Try something new in Beauty Blogging – Am thinking about trying video reviews on YouTube!

So these are my 7 beauty resolutions for New Year 2010... 7 is my favorite number - hopefully it will bring luck and help make everyting listed above come true!

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

Skin Care and Beauty Blog Made it to the Top!

Just discovered that Skin Care and Beauty Blog made it to the Top 100 Beauty Blogs carefully selected by skincare-news.com editors.

Yay! Thanks for selecting my blog for this awesome list of best beauty blogs! I am really flattered :-)

I recommend all beauty fans check out this list for blogs in your area of interest: guys at skincare-news.com spent a lot of time browsing through, reading and reviewing beauty blogs for their top 100 list. Wow, great job!
Oh, and if you have a favorite beauty blog that is not on the list, you are welcome to send it in for consideration!

Looking For Holiday Makeup Inspiration

This year I didn’t have time to blog about all the holiday make up collections out there. And they are as always lovely!
Today I was looking through this year’s collections searching for some inspiration for my holiday makeup. Here are some looks that attracted my attention…






I really like Dior’s look in light purple! I have to confess, I just love all the shades of purple. I have quite a collection of them from various brands. However in terms of Christmas and New Years I still gravitate to red and gold as the colors of choice for the holiday evening look. Funny but even my Christmas tree is decorated in red and gold! So I guess that’s why my favorites would be Estee Lauder’s Ultimate Red and Clarins’ Palazzo D’Oro.

Beauty Shopping: What Beauty Products Are on Your Christmas Wish List?

This Christmas as always my hubby inquired sweetly what I would like to see among the presents under the Christmas tree. I didn’t tell him I have been dreaming about trying an SK II product and am very curious in giving a try to Galvanic SPA from Nu Skin. I think I’ll reserve these for anniversaries or something like that. But there are 2 products currently on my wish list: Guerlain eye cream – Success Eye Tech Up-Lifting Wrinkle Reducer (Eye Cellular Amber) and Dior Svelte Reversal Body Contouring and Firming Concentrate. Actually, I just realized that Guerlain’s eye cream is extremely expensive. As I can see in online stores it is around 100$ so maybe it was a bit too much to ask for :-)

If you read my blog you know that I am constantly in search for an effective eye cream to keep eye puffiness and wrinkles at bay. I need to upgrade from my favorite Guerlain Happylogy to something a bit stronger. So I am constantly asking for samples of eye creams whnever I buy a skin care product. I’ve tested a lot of eye creams some of which were really great and showed great result, like Bio Performance by Shiseido, for example. But I am sensitive to most of them and get irritated red eyes as a reaction. Guerlain’s Success Eye Tech seemed to work ok for me so I want to try and make a switch.

As for Dior’s Svelte Concentrate, I’ve been curious about it since summer. I tested Clinique’s High Definition Body Lift which was ok. I know winter is not the high season for contouring your body but I personally try to stay fit and keep skin smooth all year round! So now I would really love to try Dior’s product.

So are there any beauty products on your list?

Makeup Tip: Give Your Eyes an Immediate Lift – 3 Quick and Easy Tricks

How to get more open bright younger looking eyes with the help of makeup? If you don’t know yet these tricks, you will be surprised how easy it is!

Arch! Create an arch by shaping and combing up your brows. Brow’s importance in defining the eye area is often underestimated. I tend to ignore my brows so often – big mistake! By shaping and creating a nice arch, you will visually lift up the whole eye area and get a younger look. Determine a brow shape that works for you using the three point technique (see a very short video below). Pluck your eye brows, brush them up and fix with eye brow gel. You can also use some hair spray on an eye brow brush to brush brows up.

Highlight! Create a highlight. Apply some light shadow or highlighter right under the brow starting from the arch and toward the outer edge. Blend well. This will give immediate lifting effect.

Curl! Curl your lashes – twice! First try to get as close to the lash line as possible then curl again in the middle. As a result your eyes will look more open and bigger.