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!)