Overcoming Cosmetic Snobbery

"I don't do Clinique"

 I heard myself saying these words to a flawless but clueless salesassistant a while ago. I realised my cosmetic snobbery had gone to an extent that I'd say I didn't do Clinique anymore. 

In my defence: I used their infamous 3-step system during teenage acne with poor results. I've found their soap too aggressive and the tonic stingy. I had better luck going to the French pharmacie for Payot or La Roche Posay.

But I'm not a bitter hag & years passed and I was willing to try again: 

Clinique Even Better Eyes Dark Circle Corrector

I'm not a fan of the 'even better' title. It makes me wary and gives me the feeling if I switch products I will get acne again. Or in this case, crepey eyelids. Like messing up something that's already good. 

In my case, I was right about the eyecream. I've been loving my previous travelsize of Algenist eyebalm. It gave me such confidence my eyes were "good by itself" that Clinique would do as follow up.

Ohoh, big mistake and such difference. I've used it for 2 days and I woke up like a crepey mess with some new dark circles. WORSE, uneven eyes (one smaller than the other). I should have looked at the reviews on Makeupalley before:

In this case, my previous one was Even Best:

My second venture went a bit Better!

Clinique Even Better Sunscreen Dark Spot Defense SPF 45

I've gotten curious reading about it from Amodelrecommends. Wowza, I've discussed her years ago when she was known as 'just a model' but now she's become 'Ruth Crilley' with her own haircare range-> from a 'just one of the many' to a proper celeb with her own name.

I've tried a good bunch of sunscreens: Asian, organic, drugstore, French. I have to say I like this one. It has a light-medium base which might not be a good match to 80% of the people: I don't get why Clinique does that as it targets for a widely coloured American public. However, it's an ok match to me.  It gives a good protection but I've only used it twice in middle-range North-European summer; I cannot say how it would perform in tropical climates.

If it is really so much better than the ones I've tried before? I should do a test on that. But it's getting winter over here so I'd opt for that for the next year.

In general, I liked one of the two new items I gotten from Clinique. I'm still going to be a snob if when it comes to buying fullsize from their skincare range but I won't refuse samples. Just not that 3-step system anymore.

March Empties...

A bit early but I won't be emptying anything cosmetic tonight. So before you think it's a joke (tomorrow) I'll post it now:

Photo upwards is empty no 1: a delicious home candle from L'Occitane in Amber. L'Occitane got a head-up from a reknown perfume blogger as one of the affordable but high quality perfume candle. Ambre is indeed quite pure and it is intensely sensual. It only is about € 15 and will keep the room fragantly delicious for 20 hrs or more.

Kneipp has a new bathoil with Argan oil, Marula and olive oils and I was curious about it's "Beauty Secret". I'm not too fond of it because of the fragance.

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Tisserand Massage oil works as a bodyoil and even in the bath. The Energy blend is zesty and fresh and the oils do not take too long to penetrate.

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The Fushi Really Good Sports Oil was a gwp and it's nice, but I will not repurchase as Kneipp has a similar range with arnica that might even cure muscles a bit quicker.

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De Tuinen Macademia Oil has been a hairoil: I love oils for hair and Macademia is a fatty one that has excellent moisturizing properties.

I've blogged about Cane + Austin over here and I loved the easiness of the pads. I repurchased the travel pack, wrapped individually, for travelling. For home peeling I restarted Omorovzica Copper peel again: Mixing up various peels stops the skin from being lazy and I still want to finish that set too. 

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Tammy Fender Intensive Repair Balm was still a part of the sensitive skin set. I brought it over on a sunny holiday as an after sun treatment and it's truly efficient and balmy. Which on a sidenote, it can be too balmy for daily morning use as it stays slightly sticky on the skin.

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Nourish Kale Revital-Eye Kale Biomimetic Anti-Ageing Eye Cream made it to my "Best of 2013"-list and I'm already on a new bottle.

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Kris d'Amour is a line of wonderful organic skincare and so generous with samples. The Rejuvenation Face oil has been a generous supply of 7 days: I wish my skin wasn't as sensible at the time being so I could see the results a bit better. I believe it's quite potent.

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Trilogy Ageproof Smoother has been a sort-of primer product for my skin. I should have put it into creases/beginning wrinkles etc only but I loved it over some larger pores as well. Good primer ability without feeling silicony & not irritating either.

Essence is one of my nail Drugstore favourite for being cheap and effective. The Fast Cuticle Remover really is on par with Creative Nail Designs (CND) or Sally Hanson cuticle remover within a fraction of the price.

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Viviscal Extra Strenght, the classic! My hair is healthy now (thanks to superfoods) but some faster growth would be nice. I finished month 1: I'll see in month 3 if it worked.

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I blogged about Esprique Eyebrow (Adambeauty calls it  'Eyeblow' -> ???)  over here. I like it and somehow I start to prefer a brow-pot or pencil as those show up more. Must be the Cara D effect.

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Silk Natural Finishing Powder in Date Bait is a true unsung hero in my collection. Gah, I should blog about it!!! It's the reason why I ignored NARS light reflecting pressed setting powder as that one is so unsubtle (read: sparkly) next to this formula. It's photoshop soft light filter in a jar! Ok, I still have 'Love Lure" so I'll review that version asap.

Now here's a long story again. Such trauma and relived trauma. But thanks to this B4 Colour hair Colour removal mixture I was able to live through muddy colour a bit shorter than I was about 14 years ago. Shortly: I went to the hairdresser wanting this (bit more polished and blended):

 

And ended up with this kind of colour:

Being 150 euros poorer.

First, I cannot figure why she gave me a muddy dark colour in the first place: I showed her the image of the "blonde in LBD" above to her place and told her that I wanted something similar. I was already quite blonde but I wanted more light on the bottom and some darkness at the top: like about 99% of all actesses and models have these days, not forgetting the fashionbloggers. No biggie, right? Well, Miss Superfriendly Organic Hairdresser turned into something Miss Evil-paint and totally messed up my nice previous colour. I complained, and then she did some dreadful, chunky highlights that looked like slutty-ville. OMG, I ran away before she could harm my hair some more (after being there for 5 hours already).

At home I've been washing with this B4 and it does remove a lot of colour. Pjew! Now the woman has muddy coloured me and did some weird blue toner afterwards so I still have to un-colour for a next round, but I have to give my hair a break first...Poor hairs! Good I have been on Viviscal for a month.

I really want to give her a negative rating on the review site but am not sure if I should do that: should I warn some other women too? I do not want to ruin her business but this has been most inconsiderate after me being so clear about what I wanted in the 1st place!

So that's about it for the month of March: I hope April won't be too traumatic beauty-wise, at least I'll stay away from "recommended" colourists for a while.

The sad story behind this Glamglow

This Glamglow mask was supposed to be the NARS Voyeur eyepencil set:

Or in any case, witness the crappy service of HQhair.com: Not only did they send me the wrong product (NARS Voyeur, where art thou?) but they have not responded at all after me sending visual proof of the wrong product being send: Highly Qrappy

I've already experienced Glamglow's mediocrity, but due to waiting in vain for HGhair to respond I totally missed the goodness of the NARS Voyeur set. So now I'm stuck with a mask I won't use (read Pink Sith about it) and miss out on  a couple of eyeliners I might never witness again...Just because I can't chase their butts around in the shop in London for neither responding nor refunding!

Ofcourse, never HG Hair again :(

On the personal 'meh'-list...

There are some products that are loved and hyped all over, and you personally do not 'get it'... 

I have this with 'beachspray'...

My hair is quite 'caucasian'1 and a bit more straight than the average 'wavy' caucasian1. Wherever I see my fellow 'hairsisters' indulge in 'beachspray'/'surfpotion', etc...they become those beachy goddesses and somehow their wavy do's keep some shine.

In my hair it looks like my cat's been playing with it, peed over it aferwards and no wave will enter it whatsoever 

(even curling thongs will be like-> "not working with this potion")

As you can see above, I tried...

I picked the creme de la creme , 

used about 20%, 

put it in the whole of the hair (#craptastic), 

put it on roots only (#meh & itchy)

it smells like Maui, only the toilet freshener variety (strenght & composition)

 and then I just stared at its blue colour and dreamt of the real Maui...

(->travel fantasy, at least the blue colour does something)

So that happens and somehow I cannot face to bin this bottle...Ok, let's make that blue 'wave' again by just shaking the bottle from left to right?

 1. Caucasian= Whatever that means...lots of variety too

Palette Swatch Project: Givenchy Travel (older version)

Travel palettes on Airports are those alluring boxes that can either be a treasure box or a total lure-a-crappy. Excuse my not-so-French but they stare at you in the Duty-free shops and they look like everything and more you have ever wanted in a palette: all colours, textures for different facial parts and...ofcourse...that flashy designer logo that looks so haute when you tediously apply your makeup in the airplane.

But let's face it...some can be really bad. How often can you really swatch a palette in that Duty free shop and how clear-minded are you at that time being? Meh, right? You're either into pre-holiday haze or business-stressness.

Enter Givenchy (read Pink Sith's article of how to pronounce it: here and lust over their latest lipstick). I think I have it for a couple of years now, but it looks hardly used: for a reason, this time.

  So we have a thicker palette with a double layers...me like me some double layers...So how is the treasure box doing so far?

 On first glance: it's doing well. It's versatile with many fun & neutral colours for eyes.

 A handy powder and a slightly brick-toned blush for the cheeks.

Some flesh, peach & reddish brown coloured lipsticks...
So it's "craptasticness" is not about the colours: I totally love the mixture of neutrals with a bit of sparkly blue for the eyes. And it's paintedness is good too: you have almost all of the face featured. This time it is texture/durability

Good test, the eyeshadows:

This is also a premium example of HOW GOOD Edward Bess Eyeshadow Primer in Suede works -stripe in the middle-: it totally makes craptastic eyeshadows do the thing they were supposed to do: show up and give colour. The rest of the faded out parts beyond that fleshy-browned stripe in the middle is the exact same amount of eyeshadow as in the middle: so do we see anything of that? Big Meh!

The lipsticks show up better:

 Only this time its texture: they are that oldfashioned lipstick fraganced quality that was good when there weren't newer formulas.

The blush isn't that fantastic either: texture-wise (see swatch).
The powder...ehm, let's say it's neutrally useless.

Last but not least: the Mascara. Parad'eyes is one of their older versions.
Basically, it was too dried up when I tried to use it so I cannot review this one.

Conclusion: Don't get tempted by every palette on the field! Especially when hitting Duty-free shops...(or buy some Edward Bess eyeprimer to make it work for eyes and carry it around like your newborn baby)

Last week's 'Meh'-product

L'oreal Professionel Serie Nature Masque Au Huile (to smooth flyaways)...

• smelled like weird herbal tea
• smoothing flyaways? Nope, still flying around (and the hair is still fluffy too)
• After finishing it up: messy hair and dryer than with my other masks

 Ok, my readers know I am often more elaborate on my category 'craptastic'. I have felt postive or neutral about any L'oreal Professionel Serie I've tried so far (reviews here) but this one was that craptastic that don't want to spend too much words on it.

Stupidly enough (or that I really wanted a miracle to happen) I finished it up.

Love More Brazil White Crystal & Platinum sheetmask - quick review

Yesterday I blogged about my little package that arrived from Singapore: the one with the gorgeous stamps.

This weekend I was able to try one of their sheetmasks. I had been reading about them on several blogs, and they looked really interesting to me.

I tried the Brazil White Crystal & Platinum mask. Well, because of the mint packaging and because of the Brazilian theme.

Ha ha, no I'm not that superficial (although it works). I wondered what the Crystal and Platinum elements would do for my skin.

As you can see on the right bottom of the mask: It is one of those tie-on masks that stays secured because you can put them over the ears.

I once used the Simply masks some time ago, but I did not really like that tied-on feeling. However, the masks were relatively cheap so I would not pass up because of the form. I could always skip on the 'fasten-behind-the-ears' technique.

Instructions are quite clearly given in English and Manderine Chinese (I believe?). And the pictures always makes it easier to see what exactly is the deal with the mask and how to apply it.

Ingredients:

I don't know what I would have to think of the Fish Collagen Peptide ingredient. I have never heard of it before.

I love that is has a 'Kiss' theme:

However, to give away a bit of my review...I was absolutely not kissable afterwards...

The form:

The bee-hive pattern is supposed to make the penetration element a bit more effective, according to various reviews.

Before I will give my 2 cents, I have to say that I was absolutely not enthousiastic about this mask:

• It hardly covered my chin (I have a Western Facial structure, however, I did not have this problem with the Simply masks and other cheet masks)
• The mask is too tight around my face when tied behind my ears.
• The scent is too soapy, and I do not like a soapy scent.

But overall: It completely irritated my skin like mad. I have a tendency to have ezcematic skin, and oh boy...this made my skin like a red and irritated mess for the weekend.

Thanks to another sheet mask (that I review soon) I was able to recover a bit from this drama. However, it is still not really balanced and a few new spots have appeared that are really difficult to get rid of. (people with eczema will probably recognize the easiness that takes the skin to be irritated and the difficulty to let those same spots to dissapear).

Remember, these are my 2 cents: I have read raving reviews on other blogs (here and here and here and here), so feel free to venture on this cute mask if you like. However, with my sensitive skin: it was an utter fiasco.

Batiste dry shampoo in Brunette

For today I am going to give a mini-review on a product that has to to with hair. I normally shy away about reviewing anything that has to do with hair. Simply, hair does not interest me so much and I believe there are more experted people with better hair that can give some excellent reviews.

Still, one of the things my mum told me is to keep it clean, fresh and tangle free. And even if the 'dirty' look can look absolutely fantastic on the shorter hairstyles, I have longer hair and I like to keep it clean and shiny.

Clean hair can be a hassle when you have a busy lifestyle, are travelling a lot, or are at a festival in the summer. Dry shampoo can be a good product for extending your hairdo another day.

Another plus with dry shampoo is that they can be quite volumizing, which is a good extra.

For people who are not a light to middle blonde, and those are probably 85% of the world population or more, a normal dry shampoo is actually not a way of  looking really fabulous after application. Ok, there are the clearer varieties these days, but most turn out to be that white stuff that looks a lot like dandruff.

I have been familiar with Bumble & Bumble coloured dry shampoos, which are effective but expensive. So when I spotted a Brunette version from Batiste I was eager to ship this from the UK.

Batiste Brunette

Judging on the colour scheme of the can, I had a bit of hope that it would turn out to flatter warmer brunette colours. The can is in a auburn-kind of colour, and I would clearly define this as warm.

And did it live up to my expectations?

 Ehm, I displayed the effect of the dry-shampoo on my fake fringe (or bangs). The fringe is made of real human hair and matches my hair a lot. I circled the Batiste spray with the red lining.

Batiste brunette on the real hair fake fringe (circled in red)

As you notice, the hair colour is somewhere beteen a middle golden blonde and a light golden brunette, that depends on the colour definition that the larger companies of hairdyes give out. I noticed that my colour of hair is classified as brunette in Northern European countries, but in Southern European countries I am suddenly a middle-blonde.

To continue my two cents on the Batiste Brunette. Well, It looks terribly ashy and does not look shiny and fresh in my opinion. Actually, it looks like I have been rolling into barbeque ashes and put it in my hair. So, instead of the dandruff-look I have a woman-who-rolled-in-fire-ashes look...what an improvement!

Now, this is only a test on a particular shade of brunette, so it might work on the real cooler tones of brunettes. Still, I will go for the clearer varieties in the future, or spend a bit more on Bumble & Bumble.

Well, no big loss in the money department. It costed me £3.00. 

Still, I would like to see more companies to cater for Brunettes, redheads and raven-haired beauties. It is not only the blondes that need a suitable dry shampoo. And a good budget version in a suitable colour, or clear formula, would actually sell and give those companies more profit. Sounds reasonable, doesn't it?

Etude House Sun Guard Natural Covering Color Base SPF42/PA++ (2010 edition)

In my last post I lavishly displayed my lack of moderation in terms of buying clothes and cosmetic items.

Indulgence was my middle name...

I also gave a kind of harsh judgement on the latest sunblock from Etude House I bought. Most people who see my reviews also know that I often keep my judgement and review nuanced, even though I (personally) find it craptastic, it might always be someones elses treasure.

I am not sure if this sunblock will ever become somebody's HG.

Ok, what has happened that I found it so trashcan-worthy?

It is not in the packaging. Ok, the packaging looks a bit bland, although the sunny rays give the message across. It is clear that is is a sunblok with 'color base' and has a high SPF factor in 42. Until know, everything is quite clear and simple.

The first blob of sunscreen looks promising as well. I picked out the 'color base' version of the sunblocks that have been released for this year. I figured that they would work like a primer/brightener and a sunblock in one...

It is a light pink tone...

Spreading out the blob makes it more difficult. It is quite a pastlike cream, and it stays quite white for a long time.

Blend blend blend blend blend

Blend blend

blend

hey, look at that, there is still some white sunblock-type something stuck between my pores and over my skin...

In different light these is a slight sheen on top...

So, is it really not even workable as a base product? With so much white stuff over your face, there must be some protection?

Well, that might have been the case, were it not the fact that the next morning after testing the sunblock on some specific zones on my face (to test how these zones are reacting, and not if the possible breakout is coincidental) I had some congestions and some whiteheads....

Oh, and do not get me started about the perfume! It is excessively scented, even for people who are used to using scented products oftenly.

• thick white film
• suffocating feel on the zones where the cream was applied
• whiteheads and congestions the next day
• perfume overdose!

Al those elements make a product quite craptastic.

This surprised me a lot, because I also have the Etude House Sun Guard Glow Base in SPF 36 I bought last year (I never reviewed it personally, but lotuspalace, cocomotion, simplicity and probably more bloggers have reviewed it and loved it just as much as I do.

So, it has nothing to do with Etude House making awful sunblocks. Probably only this one is just not suitable.

It did not break the bank, because I payed $6.54 for it.

Less succesful products: Bison Finland Spa Relax bath & ELF daily brush cleanser

The title is a bit of a euphonism, but I want to keep it a bit more positive than to say that these products were utterly useless, because they might work for some people.

My first 'meh'-moment was a powdered bath product from Bison. This product has been based on the powdered Japanese bath products that are sold from various Japanese brands. Lotuspalace has been raving about Kracie Tabinoyado bath powders, and honestly, I have tried one sachet of those (thanks to a freebie from Lotuspalace) and those were excellent!

I am a bit of a cheapskate every now and then, so I wanted to purchase the budget version before splurging on Kracie Tabinoyado. Or, it is not really budget but it was available by one package.

The Bison Finland spa relax Lemon Grass & Herb was not really my thing. It smelled like Lysol (or any other superartificial lemon scent that you can get from old-school household cleansing products) for 30 seconds, and then it dissolved into a superlight scent.

The sauna effect was not present. As you can see on the package, the person is surrounded by steam. Ofcourse, it is mentioned to create a similar experience as a Finnish sauna.

Ingredients in Japanese for Japanese readers

Well, I have never been into a Finnish sauna so I have absolutely no personal experience. However, I am quite sure that the effect of the bath powder was nothing like a Finnish sauna (use of steam, heat, cleansing herbs, etc).

A yellowish powder for the bath

I did see a colour change in the water, as it turned into a yellowish colour. However, I did not experience anything like the Kracie Tabinoyado sachet, which made the water really coloured and fun with a strong but pleasant scent.

Ofcourse, my opinion is only personal, as Lotuspalace has been enthousiastic about Bison Finland Relax Spa's. The rates on sasa.com are really positive as well, so I might be a bit spoiled ;p

I bought the sachet on sasa.com.

From a Japanese bathing product back to the American cosmetics...more specifically E.L.F studio range.

It would not be a surprise to know that I wear makeup every now and then (why would I blog about it so fanatically, right?). And if you wear makeup, you will use brushes too. Although a large amount of makeup products are really easy to apply by hands as well, I still like to use my brushes for precision and for hygienic reasons.

And if I like the brushes because they are hygienic, then they should stay hygienic as well. I wash my brushes often because why would I contaminate my own skin with old, accumulated bacteria (eww). My cosmetic tools should be as clean as possible.

So when I saw the E.L.F. Daily Brush Cleanser on the E.L.F. site (uk), I thought I would hit the jackpot. Fantastic, a product that cleanses and has anti-bacterial effects!!!

Althought the product is quite effective in cleansing brushes, it was actually more time-consuming to clean with the spray than with the normal shampoo-and-rinse-method.

So the method of cleansing with this spray is too labourous:

• You first have to spray it on and distribute it over the entire brush, reaching all the hairs.


• You have to get a paper or normal towel to remove the spray and the remains of the makeup


• Not all makeup is removed after this process


• The brush is still quite moist and wet after this process!!! Actually, the brush has to dry for at least a day to get dry!!!


• which is just as much time as drying my brushes when washing them the standard way


• The scent is absolutely too poignant...it lingers for a couple of hours in the room when using it.


• The same scent will be there when you will use the brush (when finally dry)...

Conclusion: if it would had an instant-dry effect, I would find it to be very useful. However, when I have to wait as long for it compared to the ordinary method, I would certainly prefer the normal method, which is better on hygienic fronts as well

So it is not really an alternative to the normal cleansing method.

I am not the only one who is 'meh' about it. The reviews on makeupalley are not really raving as well.

Remember, these are just opinions. I try to be as honest as possible on my blog, so when I am positive about something, I actually like it and it works for me (at that moment).

Things that absolutely did not work (and were not cheap at all)

My title has been ridiculously long today But sometimes I just get frustrated with buying things that are hyped all over, and have absolutely no effect.

Today I will look at hair things.

I will start with the most expensive product. I was really enthousiasic about trying Shu Uemura Tasai cream.

• because it is incredibly difficult to get. I think that only Shu Uemura hairdressers sell this, and ebay.
• it was used on Alexa Chung in Marie Claire's photo shoot (here). Alexa has some coooool hair, the right kind of sloppy and nonchalant with a sexy twist. Worshipblues loves her style as well. She is the girlcrush of a lot of UK people, I guess...
• Glamour.co.uk had a hairdresser raving about this stuff.
• It is EXPENSIVE, $30 excluding shipping, so it must do something good, right...(eehm)
• lots of girls on the beauty-blogosphere seem to like it too...
• Tasai, that sounds like a Japanese miracle potion that will transform my hair into Goddess material
• Oh, it looks soo stylish in its sleek, black bottle...

Well, it does absolutely nothing...blah...it makes it even more complicated to handle.
Moreover, my partner even commented on my hair LACKING shine...well, before he notices anything...? (men, sight).
Anyway, I have virgin (undyed hair) and it is always a bit shiny because it has not been damaged so much...This product managed to take away the natural shine.
Ok, so this product would be ideal for girls and boys who like the matte look of 'I-do-not-care-about-my-looks-my-hair-etc' (but are always busy trying to look their best)

So, before being too negative today...let me show you what does work:

Good old John Frieda's Volume line...

Only a third of the price that Shu Uemura Tasai costed me...and also easily available in every drugstore around the corner...

Volume, shine and manageability in one blue can....

My second product that did not help is a supplement I bought on vitacost.com:

Biotin from NSI

I wanted nails that would actually grow a bit without splitting or breaking off...(remember this post?)

I have been taking these supplements since mid-October. That are almost 3 months, so there should be some results, not?
Nope, no results at all...My nails are still thin, breaking off, and lacklustre looking.
Blah...
I do not know if the brand is not really reliable, but it just does not deliver...
So, for the hair and volume I have my good old John Frieda, but I still need to find something for my nails...

skincare that didn't work for me

I have been buying a hefty dose of skincare the last couple of months. Fact is, my skin was having one of the worst episodes I have seen since...ever. In my attempt to 'save' my face and make it look somewhat normal, I purchased a significant amount of skincare.

I have been mentioning some of those on my blog. I think it would be honest to mention the ones that did not work for me. Mind, I have a oversensitive skin and various problems which makes my judgement to be a bit stricter than the average reviewer on skincare would be. On the other hand, there are lots of people who have issues with sensitivity nowadays, and it is always helpful to see which products are best to be avoided (according to me).

As for now, my skin seems to be recovering a bit (which took at least 5 months!!). It is not normal yet, but I do not experience severe issues anymore, and some days I can even venture outside without makeup, and still look like a human being.

Let's continue to the creams and potions that did not work for me:



1. Embryolisse Lait Creme Concentrée: I blogged about this in the beginning of November 2008 (here). The fact that I start out to review this cream again, is that I suspect that this particular cream has caused a part of my skin-problems I have beens struggeling with!
That is a harsh claim, and I want to mention that other issues such as credit-crunch-stress, etc etc, could also have something to do with it. However, the bulk of my problems started in November when I abandoned my organic skincare for this product.
I found it a waste to throw this product away, so I started using it on my hands and body a couple of days before: it resulted in light itching feeling and even my boyfriend mentioned that my skin looked worse (I probably even reacted on this product when I applied it on my body).

2. Uriage Bariéderm Creme Isolatée Reparatrice: I bought this product on easypharmacie, a French website with all kinds of drugstore products. It is supposed to layer an isolating barrier on the skin so it can heal under the layer without having to deal with the aggressions from outside (environmental).
It was not a bad product, and smells really neutral. However, it was indeed a bit too isolating for my skin and I did not like the feeling of having a 'film' on my skin. For the rest wasn't it moisturizing either. It was not expensive, only 7.90 euro, so I did not loose to much cash on it.

3. Uriage Toléderm creme Hydra apaisante: The good thing about this product is the neutral scent, the moisturizing properties and the fact that it comes in a hygienic pump flacon. It failed to calm down my skin, unfortunately. I could revisit it when my skin is less sensitive, but it was not the desensitivizing cream it claimed to be.

4. Clarins Huile Santal (Santal Oil for dry skin): it was recommended by a lovely saleswoman (she really was! She knew lots about skin-issues and such) and it worked for a couple of days: diminishing my dry patches and moisturizing my skin. After 7 days I became sensitive for the Santal scent and found that the oil was building up on my skin, therefore my skin became oversensitive again. Clarins is pricy: I think I paid 38 euro for this oil.

5. Emu Oil: I only portrayed one brand of emu-oil on the picture, but I have tried several brands. It does not diminish any dry patches or desensitises my skin. Moreover, I do not like the chicken-fat-like scent of the pure version, and my skin did not like the versions with essential oils. I experienced build up after one use...

6. Lierac Hydra-Chrono Fluid Fraicheur (for normal and combination skin): I had read some awesome reviews on the jar version of this cream, so I wanted it in a hygienic pump version. I loved the gel-like consistency, and it had a wonderful floral scent. Unfortunately, that same lovely floral scent became too much for me during the day...it is one thing to wear a lovely perfume on the pulse-points, but it is another thing to sniff perfume on your upper lip all the time. Further more, I liked the moisturizing properties but I found it lacking in anti-aging properties, and the effect of the cream simply lasted a couple of hours, having to reapply it constantly (and smelling perfume all the time). I do not think this cream has lasting beneficial effects on the skin: it is only a temporalily fix-up.

7. Clarins Baume Jeunesse: A balm of youth, who would not want that? I was really curious for this cream after reading several raves in glossy magazines. The nice saleslady who sold me the Santal Oil completely overwhelmed me with samples, including this cream (she even asked me which samples I wanted to try). The consistency is lovely, but the scent....sorry again, I have a sensitive nose, which reflects in an even more sensitive skin-reaction.


8. Decléor Aromessence Essential Balm: Aww, I received a sample of the Rose d'Orient version and loved it. I only ordered another version, which was not effective at all. I became nauscious by the Ylang Ylang scent and experienced more splotches in the morning. Decléor balms retail between $55 and $67, depending on the place/site you buy them.

9. Steamcream: It looked so cute and I was so eager to try it (here). You guess it: the scent...ha ha. Lavendel was not agreeing with me. The cream itself was a bit too thick and did not penetrate my skin properly, resulting in a unhappy skin.

10. Lush Paradise Regained: I was hoping to regain the epidermal paradise, alas, it resulted in nada. The scent was agreeable (finally), but it felt too thick and it could not calm down my irritated skin.

11. Chanel Rectifiance Intense eye: I do not have to tell you that everything Chanel costs you an arm and a leg. The eye cream was so raved about on makeupalley (before I bought it, it seems that 2 other reviewers consider this cream craptastic as well)....It did not do anything for my eyes and felt heavy and plasticy on my lids...booohooo.


12. Osea Malibu Eyes and Lips: The promise according to Osea:

Rich in Vitamins A, D and E, 100% natural Eyes and Lips utilizes the properties of powerful antioxidants to restore damaged skin while fighting free radicals. DPHP, a vegetable-derived amino acid stimulates the contraction of collagen fibers and strengthens the dermal connective tissue of the skin. Proven to be more than 65% more effective than Vitamin C, DPHP is an ideal ingredient to tone and firm the delicate skin around the eyes - known to show first signs of damage and aging. Osea's patent-pending, unique triple emulsion system supports the skin with an advanced level of hydration.

My opinion: waxy, useless and non-effective (smells neutral and decent, though)
13. Uriage Cicactive Fluide Hydrocolloïde: Another Uriage product that did not work for me. It layers a film on the skin, almost plasticy! It might work as a buffer when you have a open wound, or such, but it did not function as a proper skincare product.
14. Dr Hauschka Rejuvenating Mask: Another product that cannot receive enough rave reviews (here). It caused an itchfest for me...my skin was really irritated, splotchy and unmanageable after using this....As for the scent: a big nay!
15. Banilla The Mineral Suprise Essential Serum: Aww, I wanted to like this serum but it did not do anything for my skin (neither bad nor good). It felt like a primer when I applied it (a silicony feel). Unfortunately, I ordered 2 of these by accident...What to do with it now?
That was a small update of the skincare products I have used in the last couple of months, and did not find to be effective. This is just my two cents and a personal opinion...it might work perfectly for you. I just wanted to update some opinions about things I bought before, so you can see what I found effective, or not.

Have a BRILLIANT WEEKEND!!