Kiehl's series Nr 20: Rosa Arctica - youth regenerating cream

I was wondering whether I should write this review.  I promised myself I would be honest on the blog, but I also do not want to write a negative review.  I did however hate this product. 

It is a moisturiser and you can read the  marketing about it here.

It is an incredibly thick, lumpy butter.  I read now that you are supposed to warm it in your hands to make it more spreadable.  This is probably not a bad idea, since this butter is so thick.  It is thick, does not penetrate your skin and forms a thick, yucky layer on top.  In addition to that, it tingled when applied.  Quick, and not really badly, but I would prefer not to have this stinging.  It is very thick and would probably moisturise well if you had very dry skin, which I do not have.  And to be honest, my skin did feel quite soft in the morning after using it the night before.  But I hated it and would not keep using it. 
 
You can read the review from Paula's choice here.

La Mer the moisturising soft cream

La Mer came out with a new moisturising soft cream.  This product is between the original moisturising cream and the slightly lighter moisturising lotion.  I have not used either the lotion or the original cream, but I love this in between product. 

This cream was great, fairly thick, moisturising and not oily.  My skin felt great while using it.

This is really expensive.  Maybe price should not form part of my evaluation of a product, but I cannot wonder whether it can possibly be so much better than most other products.  If you have unlimited money, I recommend this.  If you need to also pay school fees this year, keep looking.

I like reading Paula's Choice reviews, because they are all so negative.  She really slams this product in a review.

You can find numerous reviews for this, I chose this one for the lovely pictures, it contains, like this one:

Clinique dramatically different moisturising lotion

I might be fired as a beauty blogger for writing this post, but here it goes.  I would love some comments from people who can educate me.

I lived for a year as a poor student in Manhattan when I was in my early 30's.  This year Clinique really became my go-to beauty brand; mostly because of the price.  Clinique is an American product, made in America, and therefore much cheaper in America than the French products.  In South Africa there is much less of a price difference and Clinique is not so much cheaper than other brands. 

That year I started using dramatically different moisturizing lotion.  I have used it for years since.

I bought a nice big bottle of this last year in order to get the free gift.  I therefore still had a full bottle of Clinique when I became interested in beauty products and started reading up on products.  I soon learnt that this was not a good product.  It is full of mineral oils, which apparently are really bad for you.  I have not used this bottle in more than a year.  I live in Durban, which is humid, and do not struggle with dry skin.  And then winter came around, and things became a lot dryer, and my skin always felt dry.  One day I used this, kind of out of desperation between trying out some other products.  And low and behold, my skin stopped feeling dry. 

My understanding of why mineral oils are bad for you.  These oils sit on top and do not penetrate your skin.  It therefore does not moisturise deep inside where it is needed most.  Combining mineral oils with other products is a bad idea, because the mineral oils cause the other great ingredients to also sit on top.  Mineral oils are used by cosmetic companies because they provide a barrier and therefore make the skin feel moisturised.

Image from: http://www.ponikuta.com/

My take on this:  In winter I need a barrier between me and the harsh world outside.  The mineral oils in Dramatically Different Moisturiser provides this barrier.  It worked brilliantly.  My skin felt soft and plump and moisturised.

My compromise:  I do not use it at night any more, because I also use a serum at night and want that serum to penetrate deeply and do its work down there.  I use it in the morning under my make-up to keep my skin plump and hydrated all day.  That way I feel I get the best of best worlds, my skin is treated at night with something that penetrates and in the day it is nicely moisturised with a skin between me and the outside world.

Pros:  My skin feels soft and hydrated when used.
It is not too expensive.
It provides good moisturising without being oily and greasy.
No smell.
A pump bottle (which keeps the product hygienic).
Easily disappears into the skin.

Cons:
All those mineral oils.
No SPF.

I am not sure whether I will repurchase, but it is a lovely product.

There are so many reviews about this.  I just chose this one because it is very balanced.

Please leave a comment telling me how you feel about mineral oils.  Are they evil?

 

You can read a very critical review from Paula's choice.

Kiehl's series Nr 13: Facial oil-free gel cream

 

 

I did not like this moisturiser.  But I also think it was not meant for me.  I like thick, moisturising lotions, even though my skin could be oily.  This product is a non-oily gel.  It is completely clear.  It was not moisturising enough for me and it was sticky after application, which I think most non-oily gels are.

 

 

 

From the package:  Concentrated hydrating formula for all-day moisture for normal to oily skin types.

This oil-free gel-cream deeply hydrates and conditions skin while providing long-lasting moisture.  Our non-greasy hydrator, specifically formulated for normal to oily skin needs, traps moisture to visibly reduce the appearance of oil - leaving skin  looking more balanced.  With Imperetaca Cylindrica Root Extract, Antarcticine and Cucumber fruit extract, this unique preparation helps skin retain moisture and protect it from arid conditions.  The formula's high level of hydrating ingredients helps to restore skin's moisture barrier for a smoother, fresher and healthier appearance.

 

 

Alcohol is fairly high on the ingredient list.

 

This product was one of the reasons why it is a good idea to try the product before you buy.  I would have been so unhappy had I bought an expensive bottle of this. 

You can find some  reviews  here.

 



Kiehl's series Nr 11: Ultra Facial Cream

Of all the Kiehl's products I tried, this is the one I liked most.  It is a 24 hour moisturiser.  The moisturiser is a thin, white lotion.  I would describe it as thin, in a good way.  Thin, as in it really penetrates the skin.  It does not sit on top and make your skin oily or greasy, but penetrates and makes your skin feel soft and moisturised.  It does not come with an SPF, a major disadvantage.  Sometimes when I have not used the moisturiser for a while, nd then apply it there is a bit of stinging when applying it.  The same kind of sting you got as a child when you had really dry elbows and applied cream.  Does anyone know what I am talking about?  I interpret this as the cream really penetrating and hydrating.

Of all the Kiehl's products I tried, I think this one is the best value for money and this is actually the one I would consider buying a full size of. 

Here is a review that shows the thickness of the product quite well.  Here is another  review,  another and  one more and the Rubybox review.

Image from the blog linked to above - the photo is brilliant and show how easily the cream is absorbed.

All this reading and writing about beauty products has taught me a few things.  One is that you want to use a moisturiser that does not contain mineral oils.  Vegetable oils penetrates the skin and mineral oils stay on top.  If you have a product with mineral oils in it, it can keep the rest of the ingredients on top, therefore you are wasting your money of you buy a product containing both mineral and vegetable oils.  This moisturiser does not have any mineral oils in it.

It costs R265 for 50 ml, which is not really more expensive than moisturisers from other brands.

Kiehl's is marketed as a brand that is natural and wholesome.  However, this product is not 'natural' and contains parabens and other synthetic ingredients.  You can read rather negative reviews concerning all the 'unnatural' ingredients here , here  
and here. 

 

Gatineau Aquamemory Moisture Replenish Cream

This product is AMAZING.  I received a 15 ml sample in a Glambox.  I live in Durban and do not really have a dry skin, so I did not use the cream much, but I liked it.  Then I came to Europe in an amazingly cold spell.   Look how cold it was !!!

 

Yes, I did see snow.

 

This cold was bad for the face.  It dried my skin and I applied moisturiser several times a day.  Gatineau aquamemory coming to the rescue.  The cream has a slight blue tint and an amazing, soft smell.  The cream goes on easily, is not oily, and is almost immediately absorbed in the skin.  It really mositurises.  You can feel the difference.  I will be replacing it when this little sample runs out, and it would be the only thing I used if I lived in the snow.  Living in Durban you could probably get away with other products, but it was not oily and did not add to the oilyness in Durban.  It is thus fine for use here as well. 

 

I could not find any reviews in South Africa.  This is the closest I could get.  The review is for the mask, but it sounds pretty similar.  There are many, many reviews available from outside of South Africa (probably from all those people living in the snow!).  It seems to cost about R440 for a decent sized tub. 

 

On the packaging: 

"This cream is not only a beautiful translucent shade, replete with a subtle floral scent, it's also an incredibly effective humectant with ingredients that maximize your skin's ability to hold on to its own moisture and rebuild your hydro-lipid film.

Pure Hyaluronic acid instantly moisturizes the surface of your skin while brown algae extract reduces the loss of moisture through the top layers of your epidermis. The result is touchably soft and smooth skin that with regular use has a perpetually youthful glow."

Ponds age miracle day cream

I was not a big fan of this cream.  It is very thick, so thick that it felt like it did not penetrate my skin, but simply lay on the surface.  As I have mentioned before, I have no idea how to judge whether creams have anti-aging effects, but I have not seen any improvement using this cream.  The one thing counting in its favour is that it had an SPF of 15.  A lot of the moisturisers I use has no sunblock effects, so this really helped.  It is very affordable, but did not do anything special for my skin.  It costs R129 for 50 ml and is available in Edgars, Foschini, Clicks and Dischem. 

Here and here are some reviews. 

 

 
From the manufacturers: 

Pond's Age Miracle day cream has advanced CLA anti-aging technology that is proven to increase the skin renewal process and stimulate natural collagen production for younger looking skin in just days.

This non-oily and quick-absorbing day cream is specially developed to give the following anti-aging benefits:

·  Expertly fights fine lines and wrinkles

·  Helps visibly reduce the appearance of age spots

·  Protects against age-accelerating UVA/UVB rays

·  Enhances overall skin radiance

Also enriched with vitamin C, Micro Collagen and SPF 15 for effective caring and protection from sun damage.

Clarins HydraQuench Tinted Moisturizer

I guess the problem using a type of product you have never tried before is that you have nothing to compare it to.  I have never used a tinted moisturiser before.  I have used tints (as in concealers and foundations) and I have used moisturisers, but never the combination.  And I did not like it the first time

I would have written a very different review of the Clarins HydraQuench Tinted Moisturizer after a single use.  I would have said:  I hate it.  I felt like it was neither a good moisturizer, nor a good foundation.  It did not feel as if it penetrated my skin and moisturised it at all.  Definitely no hydra quench.  It felt like it sat on top and functioned like a foundation.  It was a little ‘stretchy’ like a foundation.  But it was a really light, almost see through foundation, so it did not cover everything I would want a foundation to cover.  On the plus side, I did not look heavily made up and very natural and I liked the colour.  It blended very well with my skin tone.  Since the tint is so light, I do not think it would matter much if the shade did not match your skin tone perfectly.   It also had an SPF of 6. 

However, I continued using the product all week.  And my skin was soft and smooth at the end of the day.  It was almost as if the moisturiser kept moisturising during the day.  And I used a normal foundation later in the week and found that it also did not cover up everything I hoped a foundation would hide.  So maybe I was a bit harsh with the poor tinted moisturiser the first time I used it.

According to Clarins:  Skin-smoothing pigments deliver radiant translucennt colour and reflect light perfectly for a beautiful natural looking complexion.  They optically minimize fine lines, imperfections and signs of fatigue to deliver an instantly fresh and luminous complexion.

Some reviews can be found here, here and here.  I am not the only one who did not like it.

Prevage hydrating fluid

I was very excited to use the Prevage Hydrating Fluid.  I live in Durban, where things are very moist and humid, and it was marketed as a light hydrating fluid, perfect for this kind of weather.  I thought it was just so-so.  I would use this lotion if I had it, there was absolutely nothing wrong with it, but I am sure you can buy better lotions for the price.  It is not cheap, and comes at R850 for 50 ml.  My skin did not feel super soft or super hydrated.  It felt like I needed a little bit more.  It was very non-oily, exactly as claimed.  The greatest advantage lies in the fact that this lotion moisturises without adding oiliness.  If that is very important for you, give this lotion a chance. 

The entire Prevage range is supposed to be anti-aging.  I have no idea how to evaluate whether I look younger after a few weeks of use.  I have fine lines, not really bad, but there.  And they only seem to get worse over time, regardless of what I use.  This was no exception.  Maybe with longer use one would see something.  I only used it for two weeks by the time I wrote this review.

Another pro for this product is the bottle.  It has a pump action and locks securely.  You therefore do not need to put your dirty fingers in a tub of lotion and there is no mess if you throw it in a bag.

A con is that there is no SPF in the lotion.

The manufacturer claims:  This sheer oily hydrator infuses skin with viral moisturiser.  It helps to correct the appearance of visible signs of damage left behind - fine lines, wrinkles, dark spots and discolouration.  Skin feels smooth, refreshed and beautiful. 

Some reviews can be found here, here, here and here.

Clinique youth surge SPF 15, age decelerating moisturizer for dry/combination skin

I have an amazing husband.  The kind you can send to the store to buy you tampons.  The only requirement is that you give very clear instructions, like brand names and sizes.  Dear husband offered the other day to buy my moisturiser for me.  I could not get to the mall and he could and I needed it, etc.  I love Clinique and gave him instructions to buy a Clinique moisturiser for my skin type.  It seems that was not clear enough.  They have a version for younger skin and one for older skin and since I did not specify which I needed he was lost.  Clever man that he is, he asked the sales lady, and clever sales lady that she is, she asked him how old his wife was.  Well, given my age, he came home with the version for older skin.  I have only ever used the version for younger skin.  I spent about a day being upset that I was considered old, and that my husband bought a much more expensive product than I had hoped for.  (Yes, I know, I should buy these things myself.)  After all my unhappiness I started using the tub, and have now just finished it.  I love it.  (Proof that I am old?)

Clinique's description of "Youth surge SPF 15, age decelerating moisturizer for dry/combination skin" : Leveraging Sirtuin technology, Clinique science uses youth-extending agents to create a daily moisturizer with visible effects. Lines and wrinkles seem to evaporate, replaced by plump, vibrant skin alive with collagen and elastin. Skin gains strength over environmental agers. Looks younger, longer.

This cream is incredibly moisturising, it was a little bit on the oily side, but I liked it.  I often used it as a night cream, I think because it was so very creamy.  It really fed a winter skin nicely. Maybe it would be a bit rich in summer.  I am not so sure about the looking younger part, though !

It comes in a jar, which I know many people complain about.  It costs around R565 for 50 ml.  I was told by a Clinique sales lady that they have a money back guarantee on all products, even if already opened and used.

Here is a review.

Avon solutions moisturiser

I was lucky enough to get small samples of 4 of the 5 product in the Avon Solutions range.  After reading many beauty blogs, I have decided to start reviewing my favourite products.  I would really like to give thorough, balanced reviews that goes deeper than the: “It smelled nice.”  “I put it on my face and I love it” you read on many blogs.  I am however now faced with the difficulty:  How do you review a beauty product, especially if you have only a small sample.  I have nothing to compare the results to.  Should I have used it on the one half only and compared the difference?  I will try my best; and promise to go beyond the smell. 

I need to start with a disclaimer.  I have a fairly no-nonsense skin.  My skin is not especially sensitive, especially dry or especially oily.  I am not prone to breakouts.  I guess it could be described as a normal skin, starting to age (I am almost 40, and starting to show some lines !!!).  I therefore fully acknowledge, that just because a moisturiser was fine with me does not mean it is a perfect moisturiser.   

The different products in the solutions range are coloured coded.  Kind of cute.  All the products in the range came in day and night cream and I had a sample of each.  The range includes: 

Complete Balance (Turquoise) - Combination, Oily Skin Types
From Avon:  For skin that is oily in some places, dry in others.  It is formulated with Camelia tea leaves – rich in antioxidants and minerals.

The day cream was nice, I could see myself using it.  It was the least oily and rich of all the creams and had an SPF of 15.  The night cream was a see-through sticky, bluish gel.  I hated using it, my skin was sticky after I used it and it did not feel like a moisturiser at all.  However, the next morning m skin really felt good, which I guess is the goal.  Maybe if you have a very oily skin, the night cream might be good in reducing oil.

Sensitive botanicals (Green) - Sensitive, Irritated Skin Types

From Avon:  For skin that is sometimes irritable and sensitive.  Sensitive Botanicals contains Rose Moss and soothes and comforts skin – without dyes or fragrances.

I have never heard of Rose Moss.  A quick Google search did not bring up anything interesting on Rose Moss, so I am not sure whether it has special properties.  This product stinks.  Could it be due to the Rose Moss?  It smells like old fish, really bad.  Even my husband gave this product one sniff and said it smelled bad.  The product is very thick and creamy and oily.  I did not like the way it went on.  The day cream had an SPF of 20. 

Hydra Radiance (Orange) - Dull, Dehydrated Skin Types From Avon:  For skin that is dull, dehydrated or feels tight.  Add serious moisture with beautiful radiance.  Designed with grains of paradise to help boost cell renewal, the formula moisturises skin giving you a visibly healthier, more vibrant look. 

The day cream had an SPF of 15.  In this product I could not distinguish between the day and the night cream.  Both were very thick and greasy and felt a little bit like it was going on top of my skin and not being absorbed.  Grains of paradise seems to be a pepper-like spice from West Africa.  It is used in the Caribbean for medicine, but I am not sure what properties it has to be included in a moisturiser.

Youth Minerals (Purple) - Preventative Anti-Ageing From Avon:  For skin that is showing fine lines or uneven tone.  Formulated with Amethyst Mineral Complex, designed to boost and maintain collagen.  Youth minerals evens out your skin tone while visibly softening fine lines

I liked this one, slightly rich and oily, but nice.  I did not see any improvement in fine lines or skin tone.  But in fairness, I had a small sample and did not use this for more than about 3 days. 

Perfect Tone (Maroon) - Uneven Skin Tone
From Avon:  For uneven tone and discoloration.  With Mulberry combined with grape extracts .  Perfect tone leaves skin looking brighter and with fewer visible discolorations.  The day cream has an SPF of 20.

I did not get to try this product   Sad face !

I used the small samples of day and night creams over a period of about two weeks, during which I did not use any other moisturisers.  Overall, my skin felt really soft and smooth; especially in the morning after using it the night before.  It might feel sticky (the complete balance) and some felt very oily immediately after use, but the longer lasting results were soft skin. 

During winter you need a bit of extra moisture.  I think the purple and orange would be great for this.  I would not use the green, since it smelled so very bad.  I also liked the turquois one (which is if one forget about the anti-aging needs I have, probably the right product for my skin), and think it might be the best year round cream of the lot (but only the day cream, I did not like the sticky night cream.)   What I also liked, was that all the day creams came with fairly high sun protection factors (SPF 15-20).  Some of the moisturisers I like using has no SPF built in.  But the creams could be a bit too greasy. 

Avon is being sold by agents, and these products are very affordable, especially the night creams.  It costs R125 for all but the youth minerals (purple) which is R155.  This is for 50 ml.   I assume the day and night creams cost the same, which makes especially the night creams very decently priced.

This website has quite a lot of information about the products:

http://www.myfourways.co.za/fashion-beauty-health/avon-solutions?slide=4

And Avon's website

Some reviews:

http://smashinbeauty.com/avon-solutions-sensitive-botanicals-beauty-product-review/

http://endles-s-summer.blogspot.com/2011/05/not-best-day-and-avon-solutions-total.html

http://reviews.avon.com/5588/39105/reviews.htm

http://www.luuux.com/node/2509758

http://www.makeupalley.com/product/showreview.asp/ItemId=132310/Solutions_Complete_Balance_Day_Cream_SPF_15/Avon/Moisturizers