Guten Morgen

My favorite part about traveling in Europe is the pharmacies, or apotheke in this case. I visited my brother in Germany for Christmas and stopped into literally every single one I walked by. The Germany apotheke have a few different brands that the other pharmacies through Europe don’t have, specifically Germany brands Dr Hauschka and Weleda. Since it was cold AF I decided to grab both brands cult products and give see how they held up in the freezing weather.

Not sure how I’ve never tried Dr Hauschka, I’ve been wanting to get my hands on some forever. It’s half the US price in Germany and they sell sample sizes, so I grabbed their top selling Rose Day Cream to try during the day. The texture is super rich, which I love but can only use during winter months due to having combo skin and large pores. Enriched with extracts Rose Petals and Rose Hips, Shea Butter, Rose Wax, Avocado Oil, Marshmallow, and St Johns Wart, this natural moisturizer deeply hydrated while soothing irritation and calming redness, making it perfect for cold winter weather. The texture is hella thick, so you only need to use a little, I cut it with a few drops of Biossance Squalane +Vitamin C Rose Oil to make it spread. My skin felt hydrated all day and definitely protected from the cold winds and nasty winter weather that I was definitely not use to.

For my night cream I grabbed the Weleda Skin Food. I had already ordered one of these off Amazon and have been using it on my hands but I keep forgetting to throw it in my travel back (twice now...). The packaging says it’s for hands, elbows, dry patches, but I love to use it as a night cream when I’m really dry and flakey (after a few too many nights of retinol?). One of its main ingredients is Lanolin, an emollient from sheeps wool that is one of the best skin protectors. A slew of natural oils and waxes make this thick cream feel and smell like happiness and dreams. I wouldn’t recommend using this every night as it is pretty dense, but on those occasional nights where you need intense hydration, give it a go.

All in all I loved both of those.  Even though my skin was dry from the elements, my skin is combination, so regardless of how dry I feel, my pores are still large and can get clogged from heavier creams.If you are combo and want to try them, avoid using them on the nose, center of the forehead, or areas where you frequently get large pores.I used the Sephora Collection Charcoal Nose Strip after using these and it did the trick for cleaning them out.

C.E.O.

I've been a huge fan of Sunday Riley since I first tried her products and with my recent obsession with Vitamin C (I've tried like 6 different Vitamin C serums in the past year) I HAD to get my hands on the C.E.O. range.  I've been using it for over 2 months and have loved the results.

C.E.O. C + E antiOxidant Protect + Repair Moisturizer $65- It's call C.E.O. because it contains Vitamin C 5% (in the very stable, oil soluble form of THD Ascorbate) to brighten dark spots, prevent skin aging, boost collagen, and give anti-oxidant protection.  Exopolysaccharides - Comes from French Polynesian, these protect the skin from micropollution particles. Lastly is has Lime Pearl Extract for its AHA exfoliating benefits and Bisabolol derived from Chamomile to calm and smooth skin.  I love a cream with some texture to it, I started using this when it wasn't quite hot out and it made the perfect day cream, hydrating but not too heavy, as it got to humid and hot summer days I switched to using it at night and something lighter during the day.  Great all skin type cream, but oily skin may prefer it in the winter or evenings.

It's rare that I have a serum last longer than the face cream I start at the same time, but I'm still using C.E.O. Rapid Flash Brightening Serum $85 and the cream is empty (I do tend to over use products and bring them all the way down to my chest).  The Serum contains the same Vitamin C at the C.E.O. Cream, only they use it at 15% for even more brightening action.  A Phytosterol Complex from soybeans helps reduce redness and skin sensitivity, making this a great Vitamin C for sensitive skin.  Saccharide Isomerate Extract helps with pore size, skin texture, and reinforces skins moisture barrier.  It also contains Glycolic Acid to mildly exfoliate and boost cellular turnover.  I found it interesting the Glycolic Acid also keeps the Ph of the formula balanced to stabilize the high percent of Vitamin C.  One pump goes a long way, which I loved because I normally kill a serum in 2 months or less.

After using these 2 products my skin definitely looks brighter, my pores have been non-existant, I've been in the sun quite a bit (with SPF) so I haven't seen my dark spots fade a lot, but I've been really happy with the results I have seen.  If you're looking for a glow, to even out your skin tone, and prevent future damage, definitely give the C.E.O. line a try. Available exclusively at Sephora and Sephora.com

A Multi Active Lifestyle

A few months ago I posted that I receive the whole line of the recently reformulated Clarins Multi Active line.  Since I had used the line years ago (like over 10) and was now the target age for the product, I was very excited to try it again with the update.  So here's the low down...

True to Clarins form, the formulas are full of unique botanical ingredients. Organic Teasel minimizes fine lines caused by a stressful lifestyle, Myrothamnus fights the effects of daytime stress minimizing fine lines and boosting radiance and Organic California Poppy helps absorb the harmful effects of late nights and interrupted sleep.  They make the Day version in 4 formulas, Normal to Combination, All Skin Types, Dry Skin, and an All Skin Type + SPF 20 and the Night version in 2 formulas, Normal to Combination and Normal to Dry.  I started with the day for All Skin Types and night for Normal to Dry because I love a rich texture at night.  Now I have combo skin, and as much as I love a rich texture, it's warm out, my skin didn't need all the extra hydration and l was waking up with a little bit of clogged pores, so I switched to the Normal/Combo night cream and that solved that problem.  I continued to use these 2 for almost 4 months.  I did use the Normal/Combo day cream a few times during hot and humid days and while traveling to humid climates, it was the perfect lightweight gel texture for those days, but I really loved the texture of the All Skin Type cream for the dry LA weather.

Clarins has texture down, they know what will work for each skin type, so stick with what they recommend.  My skin felt comfortable and hydrated, but never heavy, every day I wore the creams.  My skin was always glowing, looking fresh, never a clogged pore (except when I tried the cream too rich for my skin).  During my time using these I also decided to give my skin a break from Botox.  I've been getting so many compliments on my skin even though I have facial expressions again. I remember in my very first Clarins training, my fabulous trainer Christy said the night cream will give 8 hours of sleep no matter how few hours I sleep you get.  Every morning I woke up looking like I got a full 8 hours of sleep (my average is an unhealthy 5-6), I almost didn't even want to wash my face in the morning for fear that glow would wash away!

Chances are, if you're in the 25-35 age range, when first signs of aging start, you're stressed the fuck out, not sleeping, and wondering why your skin isn't looking how it did 10 years ago.  The Clarins Multi Active line is a going to work great for you.  It protects from free radical damage while smoothing out those first fine line, so pretty much pausing aging and keeping you looking your best.  The night cream is my favorite of the 2 products just because of how amazing I look in the mornings, but the use of both of them together, you really can't go wrong! At $53 for the day and $56 for the night, they're an affordable luxury you can't afford to miss out on.  Which formula is your favorite??

New Product Review

Been a bit crazy with the new job, but I’ve added some great new products to my skincare routine that I’m sure you’re just dying to hear about.

Dior Capture Total Le Sérum $165-$225 4/5 Stars– Now I haven’t used Dior skincare since I used the No Age range 3,000 years ago (it smelled like nana and I loved it), and I was a little hesitate to use Dior skincare as they are known for using a lot of fragrance.  The active ingredient is Longozo of Madagascar Extract, the Dior Researchers have boosted the Longoza extract enhancing its properties, making is capable of synchronizing cells, including stem cells, in every layer of the skin. Dior reports say that when used twice a day for a month, 92% of users noticed fine lines and wrinkles smoothed, 88% noticed facial features were firmer, and 92% said their skin reflected light better.  Now I don’t know how a serum can turn my face into a light reflective prism, but I’m into it.  I’ve been using Le Sérum for 2 months now and while I thought I would hate it, I really really like it.  It absorbs easily after my essence and doesn’t have a strong fragrance.  My skin is noticeably smoother and is definitely glowing, so maybe it does turn skin into a prism…

Odacité Green Tea-Lemongrass Serum Concentrate $39 – I just started using this guy 2 weeks ago and I LOVE the smell!  I had previously used the Wild Carrot-Vital Glow which I really liked, so I’m just as excited about this one.  This serum only has 2 ingredients, Camellia seed oil (Green Tea) and Lemongrass oil.  Green Tea is a powerful anti-oxidant great for protection and adding radiance, Lemongrass has tightening properties and also helps refine sluggish, lackluster skin.  I mix 3 drops in with my moisturizer in the morning, now if you don’t like the smell of Lemongrass, you won’t like this, I however love the smell of Lemongrass.  I did lightly notice the smell throughout the day, which was invigorating.  I’ve definitely seen it perking up my skin as I’ve been crazy tired lately.

Kate Somerville CytoCell Dark Circle Eye Cream $75 3.5/5 Stars – This eye cream has a huge cult following and I had been hearing about it for so long I just hand to get some.  Its an all in one anti-aging eye cream with a focus on fighting dark circles.  It contains 2 peptides to refresh, hydrate, and smooth, plus Vitamin C and Light Diffusing Pearls to brighten the eye area.  I find it funny that on the Kate Somerville website they list 4 user studies, none of them mentioning dark circles (I mean, it’s a Dark Circle eye cream…) then I look to the Sephora website and see they do have a user result but its only 60% of users that said is dramatically reduced the appearance of dark circles under the eyes.  Dark Circles are one of the hardest concerns to treat, probably why there is such a low number.  I’ve been using this for just over a month, and I have noticed my eyes looking brighter, it definitely hydrates instantly and with the smallest amount.  I give it a 3.5 because I've noticed more of a difference in hydration and firmness than dark circles, and that's really what I wanted out of it.  I do really like it though.

Boscia Sake Balm $46 3/5 Stars– The texture on this one is just the coolest.  It’s this weird gel that bounces back into place like a memory foam mattress (If you ever used the Mizon Returning Starfish Cream, its similar to that).  This lightweight balm contains Sake, which is loaded with antioxidants to help with loss of water, radiance, hyper-pigmentation, and pretty much every other skin concern.  Glycolic Acid helps with texture, fine lines, and hyper-pigmentation.  Vitamin C to help brighten and protect the skin, as well as boosting collagen.  Lastly a botanical blend of Jojoba Leaf and Willowherb to fight free radicals and help with inflammation.  I’m on week 3 of using this every morning, I like that its so light weight, making it great for layer with other products, but I can’t help but feel it’s a bit too light weight for dry LA weather.  The texture definitely makes it ideal for combo to oily skin, but I feel drier skin types probably won’t love it.  To see results from the actives in this, it usually takes a little time, so I plan on finishing the jar to see if it can fade some of my sun damage.

Skin Medica Retinol 1.0 $93 – Retinol is one of the only ingredients proven to fight fine lines, wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, and improve texture, so everyone needs one.  I recently finished a tube of my favorite A313 and decided to give the SkinMedica a try.  Going from using an Rx strength retinol to OTC strength, I’ve definitely noticed less irritation, but I’m still getting similar smoothing results.  Skin Medica makes their retinol in 3 strengths, .25, .5, and 1.0, so if you’re not use to using a retinol product, definitely start on the lower end; Start by using it every 3 nights working your way up to every night.  The nights I haven’t used this I see why I definitely need to keep using a retinol, its smoothes out the texture of the skin and helps sloth off the dead skin so my cleanser can remove it all in the AM.  If you’re in the market, I definitely recommend the SkinMedica Retinol range.

4 Week Before & After

Elizabeth Arden-Prevage-Clinical Lash + Brow Serum $100 – So I may not be the best at taking before and afters (getting the same lighting is so hard!) but you can see by the photo of week 1 vs week 4 that there’s definitely an improvement in length of the lashes and thickness of the brows.  Being that I tweezed the fuck out of my brows as a young gay, they just don’t grow anymore, that arch is permanent.  I won’t say that I noticed a lot of new hairs in my brows, but they look MUCH thicker than they did before.  My brows normally disappear in photos with a flash, but now I can actually see them!  My lashes also are much fuller.  I’ll definitely continue to use it, I’m happy with the results.

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Hydra-Firm Sleeping Cream $38 – I’m slowly becoming more and more obsessed with First Aid Beauty.  The brand is really clean, meaning no harsh chemicals, no parabens, colourants and the such.  I was always under the impression that the products were designed for the most sensitive of skin (which they are) and that they wouldn’t be active enough for someone wanting more.  This has definitely proved that theory wrong.  I’m so obsessed with this Sleeping Cream, and its only $38, seriously??  It has peptides to boost collagen, ingredients to firm and improve elasticity, as well as Hyaluronic Acid, Colloidal Oatmeal, plant butters, and waxes for tons of hydration.  The texture is creamy, but not heavy, and the hydrating and calming ingredients make it ideal for anyone using retinols, chemical peels, or with sensitive skin.  Give is a try, and experience some of the other products in their range (I’m loving the Vitamin Hydrating Mist right now as well!)

The Art of Layering

When it comes to crazy weather that changes 3 times a day, as it does in LA, I have absolutely no clue how to layer clothes.  But when it comes to skincare, I am the master at putting on as many layers as possible.  I love to layer products of all different kinds to get my skin glowing and I rarely use 2 products with the same actives, I want all my products to be doing different things, like, why use a toner, serum, and face cream that all have the same actives?  Shouldn't you be getting enough out of just one of them? If your skin can handle it, switch it up and give it a little of everything.  Here's how to get all those products on your face without feeling weighed down, I've provided some products that I have or am using that work great in these steps.

1. Cleanse - As someone with combination skin, I like bit of a deep clean, then add all the nutrients and oils back in afterwards.
AM Jurlique Clarifying Deep Cleansing Gel $28
PM Bellatora Exfoliating Cleanser $95

2. Toner - I find a lot of people don't use toner, but I love it.  It balances the ph of your skin and removes any excess cleanser leaving your skin fresh for products.
AM/PM Erno Laszlo Light Controlling Lotion $55

3. Essence - Applied directly after toner, facial essences add water light actives into the skin that are immediately absorbed. Warm and press into skin.
AM/PM SKII Facial Treatment Essence $99-290
AM/PM Belif Hungarian Water Essence $42

*If you are doing a sheet mask do it here, skip step 4 and maybe step 6 if you feel the serum in the mask was on the heavier side.*
SKII Facial Treatment Mask $135 for 6
Dr Jart Brightening Infusion Hydrogel Mask $7.50
Freeset Donkey Milk Skin Gel Mask Pack $37 for 10

4. Ampoule/Serum #1- Ampoules (as they're called in Korean beauty) are lightweight, gel-like, watery serums that easily absorb in the skin. Warm and press into skin.
AM/PM Cosrx Propolis Light Ampule $23.98
AM/PM Lancome Advanced Genifique Youth Activating Concentrate $78-175

*If you're experiencing breakouts, now's a good time to add a spot treatment*
Murad Acne Spot Treatment $18

5. Eye Serum/Gel - Eye serums and gels absorb the fastest, they're typically used for dark circles, puffiness, and lifting. Press all around orbital bone using a firm pressing (not rubbing) motion to stimulated lymphatic drainage.
AM/PM La Mer Luminous Eye Gel $145
AM/PM Dr. Perricone Acyl-Glutathione Eyelid Serum $120

*Wait 30 second for these step to absorb*

6. Serum #2 - This is going to be your heavier serum, usually your most active one.  Heavier serum usually have glycerin or silicones in them to help carry in active ingredients such as peptides. Warm and tap all over the face
AM/PM Clinique Smart Custom-Repair Serum $59.50-$154
PM Sunday Riley Good Genes Treatment $105

7. Eye Cream - This will be your richer eye product, used for hydrating/firming.  Take a small amount and warm between 3 fingers, press around the orbital bone.
AM/PM AmorePacific Future Response Dual Eye Cream $150
AM/PM Algenist Complete Eye Renewal Balm $65

*Wait 30 Seconds for those products to absorb*

8. Facial Oil - Facial oils can be used so many ways, it really depends on what you're using it for.  You can use before, after, or mixed in with your cream.  Use before if it's a lighter weight oil after if it's thicker.  Ether can be mixed with a cream.  Oils can penetrate creams, that's why they can be used after. To apply all over, warm in the palms of your hands and press all over the face.
AM/PM African Botanics Neroli Infused Marula Oil $85
PM Sunday Riley Luna Oil $105
AM/PM Odacité Wild Carrot Serum Concentrate $55 (great for mixing with your moisturizer)

*Wait 60 seconds (I usually brush my teeth, put on the coffee, turn on the iron here, throw on my body cream, or put some product in my weave here)*

9. Cream or Lotion - Choose a texture for your skin type, if you're oily, you obviously don't want a heavy texture over all these layers.  Drier skin types may like a richer cream to lock in moisture.  Warm in hands and sweep outwards.
Dry Skin - Caudalie Premier Cru La Crème Riche $158
Normal Skin - Natura Bisse Essential Shock Intense Retinol Fluid $105 (Currently trying this one out, its suppose to be great for men, can be used around the eyes, and can be used as a serum or a day/night lotion)
Oily or Acne Prone Skin - Clarins Truly Matte Hydra-Matte Lotion $45
Sensitive Skin (Redness/Irritation) - First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream $6.50-$30

*Wait 60 seconds for the moisturizer to absorb, throw your clothes on, chug the rest of your coffee, reply to some emails...*

10. AM - Sunscreen is a must.  Mineral sunscreens (zinc and titanium) work by reflecting UV rays away from the sun and last the longest, chemical sunscreens absorb UV preventing it from hitting the skin.    Mineral sunscreens sometimes make my skin itch, other have the same problem with Chemical.  Find a texture you like, I use a creamy one in the winter, and water light in the summer.  Always use SPF 30 (anything more than that doesn't really do much).  Warm in hands and sweep all over the face, be sure to focus on high points, forehead, nose, and cheeks they all get the most sun (or your left temple you're in the car as much as I am...). 
Thicker - Jurlique Sun Specialist SPF40 High Protection Cream $38
Thinner - TonyMoly My Sunny Watery Sun Gel SPF30 PA++ $15.99

*Now you can apply your primer, foundation, and the rest of your makeup, or just have bare glowing skin*

10. PM - Retinoids - These are one of the only truly proven anti aging ingredients.  A retinoid is different from what we can but from a store, these need to be prescribed by a dr.  You can use them alone, but I like using them as my last step to reduce sensitivity as they can be pretty aggressive. The closest I've found without a prescription is the A313 Vitamin A Cream that you can purchase OTC in France or from the link below.
A313 Vitamin A Cream $33.75

10. PM Option 2 - Sleep Masks are so much fun to use! I can cater to my skins current needs by having a variety of sleep masks to choose from.  These mostly help by adding extra moisture into the skin, especially helpful during dry seasons or when you have heating or a/c on at night drying your skin.  Warm and press into skin as a final step.  Wait about 10-15 minutes before putting your face on the pillow.
Dr Jart Water-Max Sleeping Mask $48
AmorePacific Moisture Bound Sleeping Recovery Mask $60

11. Lip Treatment - Lip balms are my crack, they always have been, I've been using them longer than I've been using eye cream (15 years old). Always leave the house with some good balm in your pocket, never know when you'll need to 😘.  Apply liberally as needed.
Hourglass No28 Lip Treatment Oil $42
Nuxe Ultra-Nourishing Lip Balm $18.50

See 10 step skincare really isn't that difficult (even if you add in 2 or 3 more steps).  When in doubt, just remember thinnest to thickest. Have you had success with this? Are you doing more than 10 steps?  I'd love to know!

I Heard It Through The Grapevine

Some of my favorite skincare products come from the French brand Caudalie, so when I heard they were joining forces with Harvard to bring new advancements from their already potent resveratrol, I said "put it all over my body".   The line contains their signature Vine Resveratrol and combines it with Micro Hyaluronic Acid to boost firmness, elasticity, and help your skin to boost its own Hyaluronic Acid levels.  I started using the entire line October 1st and continued through November 1st, here's what I thought.

Let's see how many products I can hold in one hand

The Firming Serum is the key formula in the 4 product line up.  It's also the product I finished first.  Consumer studies on the serum boast denser skin in 7 days, firmer And lifted skin in 28 days, and smoothed wrinkles in 56 days.  Well, after using it twice a day, I only made it to day 28 before I ran out of product.  I'm typically not heavy handed with my skincare, but the serum is thicker than most and I spread all my skincare down my neck, I found I needed quiet a bit of it.  The dropper style dispenser also leads you to believe you can use a full droppers worth.  Last complaint is that the dropper isn't long enough to get out all the product, so I was q-tipping the rest out to get to 28 days.  Despite it only lasting 28 days, I love the results from this serum, my skin was so plump and hydrated and definitely looked firmer.  Great for all skin types who need a boost in hydration and some help with fine lines.  I would recommend it for late 20s and up.  4/5 Stars $82.

I typically hate having sunscreen in my moisturizer because so many irritate my skin.  The Face Lifting Moisturizer SPF 20 was a nice exception to this.  I do wear 30+ SPF so I would still prefer not to have it added in, but on my days running out the door this is a great option.  Its lightweight fluid texture provided a great deal of hydration without being greasy.  I switched to a different moisturizer after November 1st, but now I'm thinking to switch back, I miss how soft it made my skin! 3.8/5 Stars $66

My favorite time for skincare in evening, mostly because I can layer on as many products as I want.  The Resveratrol Lift Night Infusion was a nice addition.  It has a lightweight whipped creamy texture, almost mouse like.  In Caudalie's studies they found 93% of users noticed smoother wrinkles and 90% noticed their skin was more relaxed in 28 days.  Well this is one of the products I kept using after 11/1.  I've been loving how my skin looks in the morning, so refreshed like I actually slept 8 hours (I usually get 4-6).  As its been getting really dry in LA I've found myself needing to add some more oil or alternating with heavier creams, but I keep going back to it.  It's spreads really far, feels like it will last me a long time. I would recommend this to anyone 30+ with Combo-Dry skin in need of a solid great night cream 4.2/5 Stars $76.

Lastly we have the Eye Balm.  Now I'm a bit of an eye cream snob, I've used nearly every one on the market, so I'm quiet particular.  Caudalie reports that 80% of users noticed less puffiness in 28 days.  I don't get puffy, so I can't really talk to that.  It's very lightweight, I felt that it did help my skin stay hydrated, however I like my eye creams a lot thicker.  I felt like I needed an eye cream on top, so I used an Amore Pacific one on top.  I keep grabbing it every morning and night, so I must not hate it, but I wouldn't say it's one of my favorites.  Would be a great starter eye cream for someone, or apparently anyone with puffiness.  3/5 Stars $62

All in all the Resveratrol Lift line has been enjoyable to use, the textures have been different from the rest of their products, and I've enjoyed that.  I still prefer the Premier Cru Face Cream and Eye Cream but this is definitely a nice more affordable option.

UPDATE

Just finished using the Resveratrol Lift Face Lifting Soft Cream after 3 months of use.  It was what I loved about the SPF Moisturizer, and without the sunscreen that I didn't.  This kept my skin hydrated when it was dry, but wasn't so heavy that I ever felt greasy.  My skin glowed every morning I wore it, and stayed super soft and plump.  It even helped when my red was peeling from too much retinol/peels.  I would 100% use this again, the texture was amazing, and I knew my skin was going to always look smooth.  5/5 Stars 😉 $76