Showing posts with label serum. Show all posts
Showing posts with label serum. Show all posts
My favorite part about modern skin care is its effectiveness. Good products deliver visible results within weeks or even days, and while they won't give you a face lift or a nose job, they make one's skin look as good as possible without having to use methods like the one you see above. Other than sun protection (and correcting past sun damage), my main focus is keeping my skin looking alive. It's all quite Harry Potter-like: Potions, Defence Against The Dark Arts and a touch of Herbology, so I like that Kanebo Sensai's nearly magical serum is called an "Essence".
Cellular Performance Hydrachange Essence looks like a runny lotion but you can tell as soon as you apply it that there's some heavy duty concentrated moisturizing there. The "magic" is in the contrast between the lightness of the texture (and the absolute lack of any grease) and the instant plumping and suppleness it gives the face. And these results don't vanish. My skin remains happy for long hours, and I can also tell now, after over a month of daily use, that I've achieved a new and better balance.
Granted, the real test of a superpower hydrating product is during the winter, when freezing temperatures and overheated spaces conspire to age us all, but from what I'm seeing now I have high hopes for the Sensai Hydrachange Essence (and also for the cream from this series which I will start testing as soon as the weather changes). As for integrating this product into my existing routine, I use it every morning after moisturizing and once again in the afternoon or evening once I've taken off my makeup. I still use the brightening Cle de Peau serum right before bed and the results are great, so there's no conflict between the two products.
Bottom Line: Fabulous.
Kanebo Sensai Cellular Performance Hydrachange Essence ($150, 1.35oz) is available at Bergdorf Goodman and also online from neimanmarcus.com. A press sample was provided by the company's PR team.
Image: glamourdaze.blogspot.com
Complaining about the weather gets old and boring quickly, especially since we all know I'm going to whine twice as much come winter. But this summer has been brutal, making me more obsessed than ever about protecting my skin and keeping it in top shape with all the moisture and nutrients I can get.
It can be a bit odd how after a day of running around in soup-like humidity once I'm back in the cool and airconditioned house all of a sudden my skin looks and feels deflated. This is where this liquid spray, Hydrachange Mist from Sensai by Kanebo makes a difference.
The Hydrachange Mist looks like water but feels thicker, like a very runny serum. It's actually a mix of water with hyaluronic acid that allows skin to hold unto the moisture and retain it. I've heard some people like to keep the spray bottle of the Mist in the fridge and use it to feel refreshed. Personally, I don't like spraying my face with anything too cold, so I keep it in room temperature. I find that it perks me up instantly and my skin feels very supple after every use. It can be used under makeup or over it and I think it helps makeup stay on and look freshly applied longer. Is this much difference than spraying your face with mineral water at a fraction of the cost? It's hard to say, but I do feel a difference in my skin, so the hyaluronic acid must be doing its job.
Bottom Line: At $75 for 100ml, this is a real indulgence, but after two weeks of temperature in the 100s one starts to appreciate anything that works.
Bottom Line 2: I wish they'd make a travel size bottle, small enough to take on a plane.It would have been the best fix for flight face.
Kanebo Sensai Hydrachange Mist ($75) is available from Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus (the latter is online only). A press sample was supplied by the company's PR team.
Image: Veruschka by Franco Rubartelli, Vogue US June 1968
I have quite a few new skin care secrets and discoveries to share over the next couple of weeks. I'm seriously giddy about the effectiveness and overall fabulousness of the new products top companies have been releasing. Skin care has come a long way since the days of cold cream, and we're the ones who benefit from it.
Many of you have been following my quest to get rid of some unfortunate sun damage that took up residence on my face in the form of freckles, dark spots or whatever you want to call them. Cle de Peau labels it "Age Spot", and I don't really mind as long as their serum actually works. And it does. I've mentioned before that I saw some change about 10 days after I first started using the serum. I wasn't entirely sure, but certain areas like the top of my cheekbones seemed a little lighter, more clear maybe, and a recent light scar (roughhousing with a cat is dangerous) has faded and disappeared almost overnight. But you shouldn't draw any conclusions until a minimum of 6 weeks using this kind of products.
So here I am, more than eight weeks later and I was right about what I saw in early May. But the biggest change doesn't even require spending hours gazing at myself. I have two annoying spots on my left cheeks. They've took up residence there about five years ago and I've been going after them with lotions and potions for several years now. The spots used to be a lot darker and more obscene, and in the beginning almost touched each other. Both faded quite a bit since then, the lower one has shrunk somewhat and the distance between them gradually grew. That has always been one of my indicators that the creams and serums were doing at least something. Now, the lower one is nothing but a dot and the bigger one while certainly present and noticeable, is much lighter and can be mostly covered by heavy duty concealers and foundations.
The overall feel of my skin is supple, soft and moisturizers seem to be absorbed very effectively. It's not that I've become Snow White or anything, but my skin is brighter and happier. So am I.
Bottom Line 1: Worth each and every one of the pretty pennies it costs.
Bottom Line 2: Wear your sunblock. Seriously.
Cle de Peau Beaute Anti Age Spot Serum ($155, 1.3 oz) is available from top department stores and select Shiseido standalone boutiques.
Images-
Snow White: teenangster.net
Bonne Bell ad with Cheryl Tiegs- Glamour magazine, July 1968: myvintagevogue.com
In which I get creative.
I have a complicated relationship with Lush. There are a handful of products I love enough to tolerate their scent, go through them quickly and buy them over and over. The rest- I could easily live without, especially since I find the smell of their stores mighty unpleasant. I was pursuing Lush website as I needed to restock a couple of summer essentials (Dream Cream and Silky Underwear powder) and got curious about their solid serum bars. Not that I need another serum or that I had any intention to put this stuff on my face, but I was thinking it might be a very interesting hand product.
Which it is.
Full Of Grace (I love the name) is a smallish bar (about third the size of their body massage/lotion ones) that fits easily in your palm and melts as you touch it. It can get messy, but all you need is a quick rub between your hands to spread the product and coat your skin from cuticles to wrists. The serum feels very rich but sinks in immediately without any greasy residue. It softens the skin right away, including the rougher spots (mine are from typing). The back of my hands which I treat religiously with creams and lotions get a bit waxy for a while, but very soft. It's a nice feeling, overall.
The scent is that typical lush essential oil mess with a side of cheap soap, but it's not too strong or too bad and I'm willing to deal with it because of the fabulous performance. I wouldn't want it on my face, though. I ordered this serum weeks ago when the weather was cooler and there was already some minor melting in the package. This is not something you can safely order during the hot months, so a trip to the smelly Lush store is recommended if you want to check it out.
Bottom line: Scent aside, even better than I expected.
Lush Full Of Grace Serum ($13.95, 0.7oz) is available from Lush stores and online (see my warning above).
Photo of my Gracie, just because.
After a couple of years of successfully treating my skin, getting back to my natural skin tone, lightening the sun spots on my cheeks (and completely eradicating the smallest one) I've reached a plateau. I'm paler than I've ever been, but the remaining spots don't seem to be going anywhere. I've heard and read good things about DDF Fade Gel 4 and decided to give it a try.
DDF Fade Gel 4 is a targeted treatment, meaning you apply it where needed and not necessarily all over your face (and cleavage, though I did after I forgot to use a sunblock when wearing a deep v-neck top and spending an hour or so outside). I've gone through a full bottle now and can say the results vary by the type of sun damage. Despite promises, it did absolutely nothing for the existing spots. I've spent more time than I care to admit staring at them, but all the fading has been the result of previous treatment. However, when it comes to accidental tan, the gel worked quickly and efficiently. The tanning lines on my chest disappeared after three nights, and the extra color has mostly faded. That might be reason enough to keep a bottle around, but I'm looking for a better product.
Next on my list: Cle de Peau. Testing commences tonight.
DDF Fade Gel 4 ($56, 0.5oz) is available from Sephora. I ordered it online.
Image from Homemaker's Encyclopedia, 1954 via retrolife.typepad.com
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