I recently discovered the GlyMed Plus skincare line at the fab Sacramento salon, AJF. The esthetician there, Heather, is spectacular by the way if you're in the Sacramento area. In any case, they use GlyMed products exclusively. I was a little suspicious because I'd never heard of the line, but it turns out that is because it's a professional-grade skincare line retailed primarily through medi-spas, estheticians, and dermatologists. The line is known for high concentrations of active ingredients like glycolic acid, lactic acid, Vitamin C, and many other active ingredients including acne-fighting goodies.
During my facial, I experienced a variety of great products, many of which smelled divine. But one product in particular took the cake (so to speak). If you're having a chocolate craving but trying to watch your calorie-intake, why not treat your skin instead? GlyMed's Chocolate Power Skin Rescue Masque is the ultimate luxurious hydrating repairing mask. It is packed with active naturals like resveratrol, acai berry, jojoba, and cocoa. The ingredients are all designed to boost cell turnover, hydrate, and soften. It's a great mask to use on a weekly or bi-weekly basis (if for no other reason than it smells yummy), but it would be particularly good to use to heal skin after an aggressive procedure like microdermabrasion or a sunburn or when your skin is just dehydrated or peeling.
Needless to say, I'm hooked on the mask and bought it to use at home. I'm going to explore the GlyMed line a bit further, so check back for updates.
Showing posts with label Natural Products. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Natural Products. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Winter Woes: Dry Flaky Scalp
Even those of us who don't have dandruff or psoriasis of the scalp can experience dryness, irritation, itchiness, and flakiness during the cold dry winter months. And those who have had dandruff or psoriasis before know that it's hard to get rid of and most over-the-counter treatments and shampoos, if they work at all, are very damaging to the hair.
I offer the best winter-scalp savior on the market: Ecco Bella Organic Hair and Scalp Intensive Therapy. This wonder-oil improves the health of the scalp overnight, delivering results. And with continued use, not only rids the scalp of symptoms of dandruff and psoriasis but also helps hair grow longer, faster. It is available at www.eccobella.com as well as many health and natural food stores. Locally in the Sacramento area, you can find this product and a host of other organic goodies at Sunshine Natural Foods in Fair Oaks.
I offer the best winter-scalp savior on the market: Ecco Bella Organic Hair and Scalp Intensive Therapy. This wonder-oil improves the health of the scalp overnight, delivering results. And with continued use, not only rids the scalp of symptoms of dandruff and psoriasis but also helps hair grow longer, faster. It is available at www.eccobella.com as well as many health and natural food stores. Locally in the Sacramento area, you can find this product and a host of other organic goodies at Sunshine Natural Foods in Fair Oaks.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Ole La
Ole Henriksen (pronounced "ooh-la") is one of the hottest new natural skincare lines from a dermatologist with a longtime celebrity cult following in Beverly Hills. Together with Korres, Ole is one of my favorite "active naturals" skincare lines for three big reasons: the products do what they promise, make my skin feel soft and smooth, and smell fabulous.
I have only tried the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Ole's line of products, but I am very impressed with what I have tried. The following is a breakdown of my 7 days of Ole experiment.
African Red Tea Foaming Cleanser
This is a very nice foaming cleanser that has a slightly herbal tea scent. The luxurious foam is softening and non-irritating. It's ideal for dry or sensitive skin. I find the $35 price point too high for a cleanser, but this is certainly a nice one if you're willing to pay a bit more to get a good all-natural softening cleanser.
Sugar Glow Face Scrub
The product is designed to be used just 2 or 3 times a week, but I honestly think it's gentle enough to use every day for those who like the feeling of squeaky clean and soft skin after a good scrub. It's made with pomegranate seeds and pumpkin for the scrubbing action, and African red tea, vitamin c, and rose hips impart gentle antioxidant benefits to keep your skin healthy while exfoliating away the dead skin cells. All and all, I think that this exfoliator is a great value. There are some exfoliators that I prefer (like Kate Somersville's ExfoliKate), but this is the best one I've tried under $50. It is $38 for a generous 3.5 ounce size. It smells like citrus and honey, which is a nice bonus.
Feel the Difference Perfecting Mask
This is the single best mask I have EVER tried by a landslide. It smells delectable (like orange cream or 50/50 bar, a common scent among Ole products), and it leaves my skin feeling as soft and smooth as a baby's bottom after just 10 minutes. What's more, it's so gentle that even when I accidentally left it on way too long (upward of 20 minutes), it did not irritate my skin at all. It's designed to boost oxygen flow to the skin, and it leaves the skin feeling slightly tingly, not in an annoying menthol way, but like a refreshing breeze kissing your face. My skin feels so soft afterward. I will definitely continue to use it 2-3 times a week. For $35, it's a bargain.
Blue/Black Berry Enzyme Mask
I alternated this mask with the Feel the Difference and found that it delivered amazing results as well. This one is designed to calm sensitive skin. Since my skin is not really that sensitive, I did not get that benefit. But it smells of relaxing lavender, so I still enjoyed my 20 minutes of mask time. My skin did feel smoother after using this mask, but for my dry skin, I prefer the moisturizing results of the Feel the Difference mask. I would recommend this for anyone with sensitive skin though. It was definitely a very very mild tingle and did not leave a touch of redness or irritation on my skin.
African Red Tea Face Mist
This is one of the Ole products I got in my travel-size kit I can live without. It's a spray-on toner of sorts, but without the alcohol. It contains the African red tea and pomegranate to deliver antioxidants to the skin, which is all fine and good, but I feel that serums are more effective for that purpose than a mist.
Truth Serum Collagen Booster
I wanted to love this serum. After all, it's from one of my very favorite skincare lines, it's loaded with vitamin C and many other antioxidants, and it's supposed to boost collagen production. But I cannot attest to whether it works because I gave up on it after two uses. It's simply way too sticky. I was hoping that if I let it dry for a good 20 minutes before applying moisturizer, that would help. But much to my dismay, it still made my skin feel very sticky to the touch, even after moisturizer. Needless to say, this does not work with makeup at all. Even as a nighttime-only option, I feel that there are better serums out there that don't make my skin feel so sticky so I'll pass on this one.
Express the Truth (night moisturizer)
I can not say enough good things about this moisturizer. It is VERY hydrating for thirsty skin, it's loaded with cutting edge active ingredients like hyaluronic acid, peptides, antioxidants, and macadamia nut oil. My skin smells amazing and edible when I put this on (my fiance can smell that fabulous orange-cream scent from across the room), and it feels so soft and hydrated. And even though I was a bit weary about the macadamia nut oil, I have had zero breakouts or skin irritations after using this cream for a week. This is simply a fantastic nourishing night cream, and at $65, I think it's reasonably priced for all the benefits. Note that you can also use this cream during the day with a separate SPF. I just generally prefer to use moisturizers that already have an SPF in them during the day, which is why I consider this one a night cream.
Sheer Transformation (night moisturizer)
This one is designed to help fade age spots and repair sun damage in general. It also protects the skin from free-radical damage, which would make it best for a day moisturizer. However, I used it at night because the other two moisturizers I was testing had SPF. This moisturizer, as all the other Ole moisturizers, did make my skin feel silky soft. Unfortunately, my little sample has not allowed me to use it long enough to see if it really reverses sun damage. Overall, if sun damage if your concern, this would be a good choice in that price range ($45), but I do wish that it had an SPF so you don't have the added step of putting on sunscreen. Estee Lauder's Daywear is comparable in benefits and it has an SPF, so overall, I would recommend that over Sheer Transformation.
Truth Revealed Super Creme SPF 15 (day moisturizer)
I love love love this moisturizer. It has that same orange cream scent in other Ole products, makes my skin feel like silk, and has awesome anti-aging benefits including fatty acids, antioxidants, and Omega 3. It firms and tightens my skin without causing any discomfort. It also has an SPF 15. If it was SPF 30, this would be my dream day moisturizer. But I think it's a great product and a bargain at $65.
Herbal Day Creme SPF 15 (day moisturizer)
Another fabulous-smelling Ole product. This one smells more herbal as the name suggests, but not too strong. The ingredients include Grape Seed Oil, Soybean Extract, Chamomile, Vitamins A and E, and other magical active naturals to protect and soothe the skin. Again, I wish it was SPF 30 rather than SPF 15, but it makes my skin feel amazing, gives it a healthy glow, and smells amazing.
Truth is in the Eyes (eye serum)
This is a serum that you are supposed to wear under an eye cream (after waiting for the serum to dry). It does tighten, firm, and diminish wrinkles as promised. It's also the first eye area exfoliator that I am aware of. Usually, we don't exfoliate the delicate eye area. But this serum acts as a very gentle peel to firm, lift, and exfoliate the eye area all at the same time. Fair warning: it is a peel, so even if you put eye cream over it (as you absolutely should), it tends to peel underneath concealer and face makeup, so I see this as more of a nighttime eye treatment. I like this product, and I do think it works. I would not use it with a very expensive eye cream though because I feel like it creates a barrier that sucks up some of the eye cream's moisture but not necessarily all the other benefits. To me, this is a 2-3 times a week treatment.
Visual Truth Eye Creme
This is an ok eye cream. I don't love it, I don't hate it. I just don't find it as impressive as many of the other Ole products I've tried. It is very hydrating for dry skin around the eyes, but I haven't noticed any other major benefits (like helping with lines or dark circles). I feel like this is a nice starter eye cream for teenage girls. I'm starting to see some lines, so I'm looking to up the ante personally. But this is a good one to use with the Truth is in the Eyes serum.
I have only tried the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Ole's line of products, but I am very impressed with what I have tried. The following is a breakdown of my 7 days of Ole experiment.
African Red Tea Foaming Cleanser
This is a very nice foaming cleanser that has a slightly herbal tea scent. The luxurious foam is softening and non-irritating. It's ideal for dry or sensitive skin. I find the $35 price point too high for a cleanser, but this is certainly a nice one if you're willing to pay a bit more to get a good all-natural softening cleanser.
Sugar Glow Face Scrub
The product is designed to be used just 2 or 3 times a week, but I honestly think it's gentle enough to use every day for those who like the feeling of squeaky clean and soft skin after a good scrub. It's made with pomegranate seeds and pumpkin for the scrubbing action, and African red tea, vitamin c, and rose hips impart gentle antioxidant benefits to keep your skin healthy while exfoliating away the dead skin cells. All and all, I think that this exfoliator is a great value. There are some exfoliators that I prefer (like Kate Somersville's ExfoliKate), but this is the best one I've tried under $50. It is $38 for a generous 3.5 ounce size. It smells like citrus and honey, which is a nice bonus.
Feel the Difference Perfecting Mask
This is the single best mask I have EVER tried by a landslide. It smells delectable (like orange cream or 50/50 bar, a common scent among Ole products), and it leaves my skin feeling as soft and smooth as a baby's bottom after just 10 minutes. What's more, it's so gentle that even when I accidentally left it on way too long (upward of 20 minutes), it did not irritate my skin at all. It's designed to boost oxygen flow to the skin, and it leaves the skin feeling slightly tingly, not in an annoying menthol way, but like a refreshing breeze kissing your face. My skin feels so soft afterward. I will definitely continue to use it 2-3 times a week. For $35, it's a bargain.
Blue/Black Berry Enzyme Mask
I alternated this mask with the Feel the Difference and found that it delivered amazing results as well. This one is designed to calm sensitive skin. Since my skin is not really that sensitive, I did not get that benefit. But it smells of relaxing lavender, so I still enjoyed my 20 minutes of mask time. My skin did feel smoother after using this mask, but for my dry skin, I prefer the moisturizing results of the Feel the Difference mask. I would recommend this for anyone with sensitive skin though. It was definitely a very very mild tingle and did not leave a touch of redness or irritation on my skin.
African Red Tea Face Mist
This is one of the Ole products I got in my travel-size kit I can live without. It's a spray-on toner of sorts, but without the alcohol. It contains the African red tea and pomegranate to deliver antioxidants to the skin, which is all fine and good, but I feel that serums are more effective for that purpose than a mist.
Truth Serum Collagen Booster
I wanted to love this serum. After all, it's from one of my very favorite skincare lines, it's loaded with vitamin C and many other antioxidants, and it's supposed to boost collagen production. But I cannot attest to whether it works because I gave up on it after two uses. It's simply way too sticky. I was hoping that if I let it dry for a good 20 minutes before applying moisturizer, that would help. But much to my dismay, it still made my skin feel very sticky to the touch, even after moisturizer. Needless to say, this does not work with makeup at all. Even as a nighttime-only option, I feel that there are better serums out there that don't make my skin feel so sticky so I'll pass on this one.
Express the Truth (night moisturizer)
I can not say enough good things about this moisturizer. It is VERY hydrating for thirsty skin, it's loaded with cutting edge active ingredients like hyaluronic acid, peptides, antioxidants, and macadamia nut oil. My skin smells amazing and edible when I put this on (my fiance can smell that fabulous orange-cream scent from across the room), and it feels so soft and hydrated. And even though I was a bit weary about the macadamia nut oil, I have had zero breakouts or skin irritations after using this cream for a week. This is simply a fantastic nourishing night cream, and at $65, I think it's reasonably priced for all the benefits. Note that you can also use this cream during the day with a separate SPF. I just generally prefer to use moisturizers that already have an SPF in them during the day, which is why I consider this one a night cream.
Sheer Transformation (night moisturizer)
This one is designed to help fade age spots and repair sun damage in general. It also protects the skin from free-radical damage, which would make it best for a day moisturizer. However, I used it at night because the other two moisturizers I was testing had SPF. This moisturizer, as all the other Ole moisturizers, did make my skin feel silky soft. Unfortunately, my little sample has not allowed me to use it long enough to see if it really reverses sun damage. Overall, if sun damage if your concern, this would be a good choice in that price range ($45), but I do wish that it had an SPF so you don't have the added step of putting on sunscreen. Estee Lauder's Daywear is comparable in benefits and it has an SPF, so overall, I would recommend that over Sheer Transformation.
Truth Revealed Super Creme SPF 15 (day moisturizer)
I love love love this moisturizer. It has that same orange cream scent in other Ole products, makes my skin feel like silk, and has awesome anti-aging benefits including fatty acids, antioxidants, and Omega 3. It firms and tightens my skin without causing any discomfort. It also has an SPF 15. If it was SPF 30, this would be my dream day moisturizer. But I think it's a great product and a bargain at $65.
Herbal Day Creme SPF 15 (day moisturizer)
Another fabulous-smelling Ole product. This one smells more herbal as the name suggests, but not too strong. The ingredients include Grape Seed Oil, Soybean Extract, Chamomile, Vitamins A and E, and other magical active naturals to protect and soothe the skin. Again, I wish it was SPF 30 rather than SPF 15, but it makes my skin feel amazing, gives it a healthy glow, and smells amazing.
Truth is in the Eyes (eye serum)
This is a serum that you are supposed to wear under an eye cream (after waiting for the serum to dry). It does tighten, firm, and diminish wrinkles as promised. It's also the first eye area exfoliator that I am aware of. Usually, we don't exfoliate the delicate eye area. But this serum acts as a very gentle peel to firm, lift, and exfoliate the eye area all at the same time. Fair warning: it is a peel, so even if you put eye cream over it (as you absolutely should), it tends to peel underneath concealer and face makeup, so I see this as more of a nighttime eye treatment. I like this product, and I do think it works. I would not use it with a very expensive eye cream though because I feel like it creates a barrier that sucks up some of the eye cream's moisture but not necessarily all the other benefits. To me, this is a 2-3 times a week treatment.
Visual Truth Eye Creme
This is an ok eye cream. I don't love it, I don't hate it. I just don't find it as impressive as many of the other Ole products I've tried. It is very hydrating for dry skin around the eyes, but I haven't noticed any other major benefits (like helping with lines or dark circles). I feel like this is a nice starter eye cream for teenage girls. I'm starting to see some lines, so I'm looking to up the ante personally. But this is a good one to use with the Truth is in the Eyes serum.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Get Buzzed!
Most people are familiar with Burt's Bees lip balm (the classic soothing balm is made with beeswax and honey, but there are other variations available now), but fewer have taken advantage of their wide range of natural homeopathic products. You can find Burt's online at www.burtsbees.com and many other online retailers, but it's also commonly found at your neighborhood drugstore and Whole Foods. Here are a few of my faves from Burt's:
Hand Salve:
This is one of the most universal and useful of Burt's products. Although it's obvious use is as a salve for dry, rough, or cracked hands, I find it's also a universal salve for any dry patches. It's particularly useful for knees, elbows, and heels.
Lemon Butter Cuticle Creme:
This is a really nice softening butter for the cuticles. It's made with lemon oil, so it smells like fresh citrus, and it also has cocoa butter and vitamin E to moisturize those dry nail-beds. It's also great to use around the toenails, particularly during sandal season, to keep your pedicure looking fresh.
Beeswax and Banana Hand Creme:
To be honest, I don't find that this one moisturizes and better than any other hand cream, but it smells delicious. And the scent lasts throughout the day without being overwhelming. The moisture stays with you pretty well too, although you do have to reapply after washing your hands like many hand creams.
Aloe and Buttermilk Body Lotion:
This one is fantastic after you get a sunburn. Aloe is the best way to soothe and heal burned and blistered skin, but that green sticky formulation stains your clothes and doesn't smell that great. This one still has that aloe scent, but it's much much softer than the green gels, and it's not sticky. The buttermilk is another great natural remedy for irritated and burned skin, so the two ingredients working together in a softening lotion will have your skin feeling better in no time.
You can get a kit with trial sizes of all of the above plus more great Burt's Bees items for $13 at most drugstores, including their online counterparts and www.drugstore.com. It's a great way to check out the brand.
Hand Salve:
This is one of the most universal and useful of Burt's products. Although it's obvious use is as a salve for dry, rough, or cracked hands, I find it's also a universal salve for any dry patches. It's particularly useful for knees, elbows, and heels.
Lemon Butter Cuticle Creme:
This is a really nice softening butter for the cuticles. It's made with lemon oil, so it smells like fresh citrus, and it also has cocoa butter and vitamin E to moisturize those dry nail-beds. It's also great to use around the toenails, particularly during sandal season, to keep your pedicure looking fresh.
Beeswax and Banana Hand Creme:
To be honest, I don't find that this one moisturizes and better than any other hand cream, but it smells delicious. And the scent lasts throughout the day without being overwhelming. The moisture stays with you pretty well too, although you do have to reapply after washing your hands like many hand creams.
Aloe and Buttermilk Body Lotion:
This one is fantastic after you get a sunburn. Aloe is the best way to soothe and heal burned and blistered skin, but that green sticky formulation stains your clothes and doesn't smell that great. This one still has that aloe scent, but it's much much softer than the green gels, and it's not sticky. The buttermilk is another great natural remedy for irritated and burned skin, so the two ingredients working together in a softening lotion will have your skin feeling better in no time.
You can get a kit with trial sizes of all of the above plus more great Burt's Bees items for $13 at most drugstores, including their online counterparts and www.drugstore.com. It's a great way to check out the brand.
Friday, August 6, 2010
7 Days of Nude
In my quest to find the best of the best of skincare, I decided to try a week's worth of products by U.K. skincare line, Nude. As you might suspect from the name of the line, this line is focused on bio-compatible and organic ingredients as well as recyclable packaging and fair trade sourcing (a cosmetics line first as far as I've heard). The line uses a lot of pre- and probiotics and exotic botanical ingredients. Their non-ingredient list is almost as exciting as their ingredient list. I won't bore you with the details, but suffice it to say that Nude's products are free of nearly all of the questionable stuff common in most skincare and makeup products: parabens, sulphates, DEA, and potential carcinogens to name a few. Since I dig eco-friendly and good-for-you cosmetics lines, I was excited to give Nude a whirl. If you're interested in trying Nude skincare before you buy, check out their Skincare Selections box exclusively on sephora.com for $18. It's a great way to test-drive the products before you invest. Here's what I tried:
Cleansing Facial Oil
I'll preface this with saying that I am a drugstore-cleanser girl. I've just never understood why you would want to spend a lot of money on cleanser when there are so many great drugstore options like Cetaphil. That said, this is by far the best and most moisturizing cleanser I've ever tried. I'm still not sure if it's worth the hefty $36 price-tag, but I'd consider it. It's interesting in texture because it's an oil that turns into a milky lightweight cream when you apply it to wet skin. It smells fantastic. I can't pinpoint the scent exactly, but it's light and fresh and very botanical-smelling. Besides that minor detail, it feels like you're not just cleansing your skin, but nourishing it as well. It has Omega 3 essential oils and vitamin E, which leave the skin feeling soft but clean, almost like you've cleansed and moisturized in one step. Now you still need to use a moisturizer, but I'm very impressed that this cleans as well as it does without stripping the skin. It even got off my liquid eyeliner without irritating the eye area. Usually the "moisturizing" or "gentle" cleansers don't feel like they clean that well. Overall, I'm still a little hung up on the price, but I think that I would consider it a few years down the road if my skin continues to dry out (as it seems to do each year). This is definitely a godsend for dry skin, although I think it's suitable for normal and combination skin as well.
Miracle Mask
This is supposed to be a once-weekly mask, but I got a large supply so I decided to use it twice during my week-long experiment. Honestly, this mask is so gentle, you could probably use it every day if you so desired. It's a 5 minute mask, and it's supposed to firm and brighten the skin while increasing collagen production. I did feel like my skin looked more luminous and even-toned after each use. I'm not sure that it really helped with firmness or lines, but perhaps over a longer period of consistent use, it would be good. Overall though, this is a gentle mask that does make your skin glow and eliminate redness/unevenness. Again, it's a high price to pay at $62, but still a really solid product.
Advanced Eye Complex
As far as I'm concerned, the eye cream was the weak link in the Nude line. It was difficult to blend in to the skin, and even though it eventually absorbed, it felt a bit tacky at first. Now once it absorbed after a few minutes, it left my eye area feeling silky soft. And it seemed to help reflect light to make the eye area look luminous and minimize dark circles. But I didn't feel like it helped enough with firming and minimizing lines. And at $88 for half an ounce, frankly, I expected it to do more for me. After a week of use, my eye area felt very soft and soothed but I don't think it dramatically improved the look of the eye area. It has some good ingredients like antioxidants and acacia, but I just don't feel like the results are worth the price.
Age Defense Moisturizer
This moisturizer feels very good on the skin. It's softening and hydrating without leaving the skin feeling greasy or sticky. I did feel like my skin felt a bit firmer and much more hydrated after a week of use. The long-term clinical results over a 6-week study showed some impressive anti-wrinkle results too. My only complaint (besides the price, again) is that the smell is a bit overpowering at first. It's not bad, just strong. It smells very botanical, like some sort of tree. It's not an unpleasant smell, but it's definitely noticeable while you're applying and for a few minutes before it absorbs. It wouldn't dissuade me from using it, but I know some people are very sensitive to strong scents in cosmetics. I don't think it's an added fragrance. If I had to guess, I'd say it's probably from the combination of Cupuacu, Manketti, and orchid flower oils. Overall, I liked the moisturizer and felt like it was the best-priced item in relationship to the quality of the product at $78.
Cleansing Facial Oil
I'll preface this with saying that I am a drugstore-cleanser girl. I've just never understood why you would want to spend a lot of money on cleanser when there are so many great drugstore options like Cetaphil. That said, this is by far the best and most moisturizing cleanser I've ever tried. I'm still not sure if it's worth the hefty $36 price-tag, but I'd consider it. It's interesting in texture because it's an oil that turns into a milky lightweight cream when you apply it to wet skin. It smells fantastic. I can't pinpoint the scent exactly, but it's light and fresh and very botanical-smelling. Besides that minor detail, it feels like you're not just cleansing your skin, but nourishing it as well. It has Omega 3 essential oils and vitamin E, which leave the skin feeling soft but clean, almost like you've cleansed and moisturized in one step. Now you still need to use a moisturizer, but I'm very impressed that this cleans as well as it does without stripping the skin. It even got off my liquid eyeliner without irritating the eye area. Usually the "moisturizing" or "gentle" cleansers don't feel like they clean that well. Overall, I'm still a little hung up on the price, but I think that I would consider it a few years down the road if my skin continues to dry out (as it seems to do each year). This is definitely a godsend for dry skin, although I think it's suitable for normal and combination skin as well.
Miracle Mask
This is supposed to be a once-weekly mask, but I got a large supply so I decided to use it twice during my week-long experiment. Honestly, this mask is so gentle, you could probably use it every day if you so desired. It's a 5 minute mask, and it's supposed to firm and brighten the skin while increasing collagen production. I did feel like my skin looked more luminous and even-toned after each use. I'm not sure that it really helped with firmness or lines, but perhaps over a longer period of consistent use, it would be good. Overall though, this is a gentle mask that does make your skin glow and eliminate redness/unevenness. Again, it's a high price to pay at $62, but still a really solid product.
Advanced Eye Complex
As far as I'm concerned, the eye cream was the weak link in the Nude line. It was difficult to blend in to the skin, and even though it eventually absorbed, it felt a bit tacky at first. Now once it absorbed after a few minutes, it left my eye area feeling silky soft. And it seemed to help reflect light to make the eye area look luminous and minimize dark circles. But I didn't feel like it helped enough with firming and minimizing lines. And at $88 for half an ounce, frankly, I expected it to do more for me. After a week of use, my eye area felt very soft and soothed but I don't think it dramatically improved the look of the eye area. It has some good ingredients like antioxidants and acacia, but I just don't feel like the results are worth the price.
Age Defense Moisturizer
This moisturizer feels very good on the skin. It's softening and hydrating without leaving the skin feeling greasy or sticky. I did feel like my skin felt a bit firmer and much more hydrated after a week of use. The long-term clinical results over a 6-week study showed some impressive anti-wrinkle results too. My only complaint (besides the price, again) is that the smell is a bit overpowering at first. It's not bad, just strong. It smells very botanical, like some sort of tree. It's not an unpleasant smell, but it's definitely noticeable while you're applying and for a few minutes before it absorbs. It wouldn't dissuade me from using it, but I know some people are very sensitive to strong scents in cosmetics. I don't think it's an added fragrance. If I had to guess, I'd say it's probably from the combination of Cupuacu, Manketti, and orchid flower oils. Overall, I liked the moisturizer and felt like it was the best-priced item in relationship to the quality of the product at $78.
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