La Roche-Posay Skin Perfecting Anti-Redness Moisturizer

This is a really great cream as long as you know how to use it! When I first started with it, I used it alone like a regular moisturizer. After a few usage, I noticed my excess oil/shine problem was totally fixed but my skin was really dried-out, like peeling dried-out. Now, every time I put this on, I would also use a good moisturizer following to make sure it is not gonna dry out my skin. Just after few weeks of usage, my pores are noticeably smaller, and I had no break out since! I truly love this cream, and would continue purchase it.  

Try or Skip La Roche-Posay Skin Perfecting Anti-Redness Moisturizer?
I recommend everybody I know to try as long as they had the same skin type and problems as I did. For $35, you won't be disappointed! Just remember to use a good lock-in moisture cream combine with it!

Clarins HydraQuench Cream Mask

This is my "go-to" mask in winter. It is specifically for dehydrated skin. If you have really really dry peeling skin, this works great. It is sort like a emergency one you only use when in crisis, you know what I mean? Clearly not a everyday mask based on my experience.

The texture is a creamy semi-liquid, and the smell, um...I don't know if it is because of anything they put in, but it does smell bit like medicated as so many of their other products. They don't necessarily smell nice but they do work. When I had it on my face, it didn't have the cooling sensation as of some hydration masks I had tried before. In fact, it didn't even looked like it was absorbed. I left it on for about 10 minutes, then I wiped it off with a toner soaked cotton pad. Yes, you DON'T need to wash it off. My face does look smooth and hydrated just after one use.

As I also mentioned it is not a everyday mask, because I tried exactly the same step during summer and got break-outs.

Try or Skip Clarins HydraQuench Cream Mask?
It is a part of my regiment during winter, and costs about $38CAD. I used it twice a week, and lasted about 4 months. It is a very good money value product. If you experience extremely dry skin, it really worth a try.

Givenchy Hydra Sparkling Velet Luminescence Moisturizing Cream

I am a sucker for Givenchy le Prisme eyeshadow palettes! I try to collect them all, and love everything about them. This cream was recommended to me on one of those eyeshadow shopping trips. I never used any skin care products from Givenchy before, and I thought it was a good time to give it a try. You can also get it from Sephora for about $54.

The texture is very light, non-greasy, and very easy to blend in. It makes a excellent base cream for any foundation premiers. As I applying it over my face, I can feel the hydration penetrates my skin which is a big plus for me. For the luminescence part, I don't know if I take it too literally, but my face does look brighter somehow.:)   

It has a flowery fragrance smell which is bit too heavy for my taste. It says this cream is for normal to combination skin. I generally don't believe one-cream-for-all. Skin creams should target specific skin types.That's probably why I do get occasionally break-outs from it.

Try of Skip Givenchy Hydra Sparkling Velet Luminescence Moisturizing Cream?
If you are looking for a decent hydrating moisturizer, it gets the job done, and is also a cheaper alternative to other high-end face creams.

Clarins Self Tanning Instant Gel

I don't get tanned very easily. My skin tone is more on the medium side, and I do want to look a bit bronze in the summer without get fried like a turkey! Based on the humongous number of reviews I read about self tanners, I set my eyes on this one. The gel itself is very easy to apply, like a lighter skin lotion with the distinctive self tanner smell. Some people don't like the smell, for me...let's face it, it is the chemicals that actually change my skin color, so suck it up people! It dries and is absorbed pretty fast, I tried wear my clothes right after and found no stains. About the result, that can get tricky. Whatever skin tones you have, after the first application depends on how much product you apply, you are not going to see a instant bronze. Instead, it would give you a nice natural glow. If you look for a instant result, what I would suggest is apply more product than you normally would.

How do you find the right amount? Everyone has different reactions to self tanners. What I do with every tanning product is, I apply it on my ribs days before to test it out, and to see how much it would take to get the level of darkness I want. The good thing about the Clarins one is that no matter how much you put on, you are not gonna end up orange or streaky. It is very easy to use, great for anyone start experimenting with self tanning.

Try or Skip Clarins Self Tanning Instant Gel?
It costs about $35 CAD, and lasts about 5 months so far. I still have a bit left. I say it is definitely worth the money. Just remember the result needs sometime to set in, to achieve what you want try to use it few days earlier.

Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Puff Eye Roller

A thumb up to Garnier for coming up with this new concept of applying eye cream. I can't deny the spirit of innovation/good marketing, but does it work? Absolutely NO. I have dark cycles under my eyes, and wake up in the morning with my eyes all puffed up. I have been searching for a good eye cream like a vulture on a scavenging hunt. In my logic, a good eye cream is like liquid gold, well at least some of them cost just like gold. I have failed countless times, and despite my good instinct or could be just self-doubt, I decided to give a shot at a drug store brand. First of all, let me just say that I love drug store brands. I couldn't live without them, literally. It is just certain products I believe the more you pay for them, the better results you get, such as eye creams.:) Garnier face creams are great which I tried before. In my mind, they can be alternatives for any department store moisturizers if dryness is your only problem. I was confident about my choice, but not with the result.

I don't know if it is a design flaw or mine is a piece of junk, there was never a time I could get a right amount of serum out. It was either too much or none. According to the instruction, you need to press the roller ball against your eyes to apply serum. First, I did what I was told, nothing. Then, I decided to press harder. It came out too much and that hurt! After I almost finished half the tube, and nothing had changed. I gave up. Some people told me that they felt refreshed and soothing after using it. You know what, leave two old tea bags in the fridge and put them on the next morning is going to do the same trick, and it is free!

Try or Skip Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Puff Eye Roller?
Save your money and skip it.

Darphin Purifying Balm

Darphin is always a brand name I associated with Spas. As far as I know, they do have their own. I got a free treatment from one of my lovely friends, and that was the first time I encountered with their products. I bought this purifying balm mostly because the sales rep suggested it would be the best to improve my skin condition at that time. Oh yeah, before I forget, that was almost 2 years ago. That's how long it lasted for me, and some sort justified how much it cost.    

Reviews I read online most people have a love/hate relationship with it. A lot of them don't like it because it gave them break outs like crazy. If you are like me, having a acne prone skin, through my experience/ many many experiments, unclogging pores before applying the balm is a must-do thing to avoid break outs. What I did was just washed my face with a scrub in the shower, and applied a cleansing mask. I normally use it twice a week, overnight. Before apply to face, take out a half-penny size and warm it up in your palms. That's the way it was done in the spa. Really be-careful with the amount you use, because of its wax-like texture any excessive wouldn't get absorbed and causing break-outs.

Try or Skip Darphin Purifying Balm?
Em-mm... I say try. It is a great product if use right for pretty much all the skin types except if you have sensitive skin. The word on the "street" is that it does contains active ingredients which may cause allergic reaction, so you may try out a sample first or just go to a Darphin spa try out a treatment.
 

Neutrogena Wave

I finally get off my ass, decided to do some "work"...

My Neutrogena Wave, I bought it when it first came out, and used everyday for about 2 months with the regular pads when the exfoliating ones hadn't been on the market yet. It was amazing! I had oil skin with huge pores. After used it for couple months, people noticed my skin was radiant, and my pores were less noticeable. Then I discovered whenever I used oil control facial lotion/cream, my face was burning. My skin became really sensitive to anything I applied or just cold weather.  I started to have blemish and redness around my cheeks.

I stopped using Wave. Instead, I switched to a cleaning milk. Things slow went back to normal. I'm not gonna be the judge on whether it got anything to do the device, I'm not a dermatologist. I just wanna throw out something here, and this is just my theory. I think the Wave is a strong cleaning product, with daily use, it kinda "stripe off" my oil layers, aka the layers also protect skin. I would recommend 2-3 times a week, 3 minutes top, and use the exfoliating pad at least once.  FYI, don't leave it in the shower! This is the third one I got because the two previous got totally busted.

Try or Skip?
For the price I paid for, it is a very good product, and definitely worth trying.

Avène Thermal Spring Water

There was a time my skin suffered from blotch, peeling, and redness as a direct result of excessive cleaning which is something I have to talk about in another post. I "tortured" my own face into a super sensitive state. It was red, itchy, and dry but still with a massive oil production! I know, it was like a nightmare. I tried almost everything: soaked in toner, moisture mask, aloe..., nothing really worked until I started to use Avène Thermal Spring Water. It is not a miracle product. It just make sense. I tried to complicate things by adding so many products on my face, in fact all I needed was just back to basics! I started a simple routine with cleaning, applying toner, moisturizing and spraying on water whenever I felt dry. Few weeks later, my skin was back to normal.

What I found is that the spray water is not going to fix any major problems. If you got enlarged pores, acne or uneven skin tones, they still gonna be there. It just gently calms down your skin, and lays the basis to any further treatment.

L'occitane hand creams

L'occitane hand creams - Shea butter/Lavender

You can get the same quality for a much cheaper price. Any drugstore brand would do the trick. These two I had, my mum gave them to from her set of three for $30. So it comes down to $10 each for 30ml. I think it is bit pricey, well,  because it doesn't really do anything! My hands felt soft when I first put them on, but they didn't change a thing, at least for me. I still have my wrinkles, and dryness around my fingers. The texture of the she butter one is very thick! I had to wait for few minutes whenever I had it on, just to avoid smearing everything I touched. The one with lavender oil is much lighter, and probably better for summer use. Never was a big fan, probably never will be. Of course, if whoever takes one look at my pictures, they will know I'm still in the search for a "miracle" cream!

Jouviance EcoPurifying

Jouviance EcoPurifying Cleansing Gel
Jouviance EcoDefense Antioxidant Emulation 

I got this set of cleaner & lotion before I went on my trip. Oh, I'm glad I did! The cleaner was a gel based, and 3-in-1 for combination to oily skin. It could be used as a make-up remover, cleaner and toner as well. According to their website, the cleaning gel contains calendula, a plant treatment for anti-inflammatory. It was very gentle on my skin, at the same time, strong enough to remove make-ups. The moisturizer lotion was 3-in-1, too. It protected against the pollution, wrinkles and improves skin radiance, and I could use on my eye area! What I discovered was that they were perfect for dry, winter weather, but it was too oil to use for summer. They lasted about 4 weeks, and my skin appearance was noticeable improved! I even got complements from total strangers!:)

Clarins HydraQuench Cream

Where I live, we have harsh winter last about for 5 months.:) In my work place they use a central air conditioning system, we have almost none air circulation . The combination is lethal to my skin. I had dry, super sensitive skin with horrible redness! That was before I got this magical face cream!



Clarins HydraQuench Cream

It has a very rich texture that you may have to massage it into your face so it can be completely absorbed. The smell is like a flora perfume kind. I used it as a day/night cream. It still lasted about 2.5 months! I remember I read it somewhere that the ingredients in Clarins aren't as sweet as they claim. Lots lots harsh chemicals, you know what I mean. I have to be honest, whatever works for me I will definitely repurchase.

FYI, if anybody interested of finding out the safety of your cosmetic, here is the link:
http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/