The Brightening Game: Arcona Brightening Drops, Dermaceutics Mela Cream, Andalou Enlightening Serum & Jurlique Purely Bright

So there's been this pigment spot I got last year...

The thing about pigment spots is that they are easy to contract, but super-difficult to get rid of. Somewhat like a STD? And the continious functioning and re- re- re- applying sunblock as the contraceptive? Or, abstain from the sun if you want to be safest!

Yes, I already had a couple of IPL laser session but some pigment is still there. I have brought in four of these creams that make a difference. 

 

 Arcona Brightening Drops: 

 

Arcona is classified as natural but with a Cosmeceutical approach. This is the most liquidy of the four. It feels like a essence or toner that feels slightly zingy when applied. I apply it topically on the spot itself, as all over.

Ingredients:

Agua (Distilled Water), Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Extract, Azelaic Acid, Gallic Acid, Lactic Acid, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) Ester, Kojic Acid, Arbutin, Red Raspberry (Rubus idaeus) Extract, Bilberry Extract, Grapefruit (Citrus Grandis) Seed Extract. 

----

 The main focus is on exfoliation by the various acids with a natural background. Arbutin, Vitamin C and Bilberry are ingredients that target hyperpigmentation

Dermaceutics Laboratoire Mela Cream:

 

I got this from a dermalogist who was probably too busy to give me IPL and adviced me this cream instead (I know, how weird, right?). It packs a lot of active ingredients that target lightening, like:
Kojic, Salicylic, Phytic and Mandelic acids, Arbutin, Niacinamide, Retinol and Licorice Extract.

It does feel like a real retinol treatment that you have to build up the intensity over time. I alternate it with Arcona brightening drops and use it in the evening about twice a week.

Andalou Tumeric & C Enlightening Serum

 

I finally went back to my early thirties habit of Vitamin C! I actually feel this one is the most effective of the four in terms of making my skin more glowy. I've been using it for two weeks now (morning) and since then my skin gotten brighter. Best thing, unlike the two above: this one does not sting and feels even calming.

Ingredients:
Aloe Barbadensis Juice*, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Oil*, Vegetable Glycerin, Cyamopsis Tetragonolobus (Guar) Gum*, Fruit Stem Cells (Malus Domestsica, Solar Vitis) and BioActive 8 Berry Complex*, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Extract*, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate (Vitamin C), Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Lauric Acid, Cetearyl Alcohol, Hyaluronic Acid, Vitis Vinifera (Grape Seed) Polyphenols, Borago Officinalis (Borage) and Rosa Canina (Rosehip) Oils*, Glyceryl Monolaurate, Linum Usitatissimum (Flax), Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) and Hippophae Rhamnoides (Sea Buckthorn) Oils*, Camellia Sinensis (White Tea) Extract*^, Laminaria Digitata (Kelp) Extract, Allantoin, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Phenethyl Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Oil* 

Wholey Cow (must be the Tumeric), there is a buckload of effective ingredients in there. I already take tumeric as a morning drink so I believe in its clarifying properties.  I could rave a while but look at makeupalley.com who loves it too (here).
 

Jurlique Purely Bright Night Moisturizer

 

One of my mid-thirties brighteners I come back to every time. It takes a month or two but I feel it has an effect on me.

Ingredients:
Aqua (Water), Glycerin, Heptyl Undecylenate, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract, SD Alcohol 40-A (Alcohol Denat.), Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides, Squalane, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Althaea Officinalis (Marshmallow) Root Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Rosa Gallica Flower Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Viola Odorata (Sweet Violet) Extract, Viola Tricolor (Pansy) Extract, Sambucus Nigra (Black Elder) Flower Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Extract, Prunella Vulgaris Leaf Extract, Terminalia Ferdinandiana (Kakadu Plum) Fruit Extract, Anogeissus Leiocarpus Bark Extract, Cichorium Intybus (Chicory) Root Extract, Fragrance (Parfum*), Tocopherol, Silica, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tetrahydrodiferuloylmethane, Totarol, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Limonene*, Linalool*, Citronellol*, Geraniol*, Eugenol*, Benzyl Benzoate*, Isoeugenol*.
  
Even a longer list. I am most enthousiastic about the liquorice compound in this one. It it not a completely natural brand but I seem to tolerate the rest of the ingredients as well. It smells somewhat soothing like a light babypowder.

Up close, serum-y: 

Arcona has the most liquidy texture, Dermaceutic is your typical Retinol with a kick and slightly more lotion-y. Andalou is a light daycream and Jurlique is also quite light for a nightcream. 

 Obviously, I use all four for a different reason. The ingredients of each are different but still came out as effective in (some) studies. Ok Ok, I am sceptical enough not to believe "studies say"-rhetorics but when various outcomes are good, I'm willing to try. 
My skin is rather sensitive but I can tolerate most of them at the time being. I hope I can still brighten the *&^ out of that spot before winter time.

Then it will be time to balm up again in all types of soothing concoctions....

So what's your Brightening Game?

Using, Used, Gonna Use...

Happy Friday!

 

About a year ago I had a regular column for each wednesday called 'Midweek Quirkologies': it was a way to counteract the midweek blah's, and I hope nobody had them this week. If you did, this friday will probably feel more anticipated which is a good thing. So I hope you will have the Friday Jitters and the anticipation of a good weekend, which might be rewarded with a good weekend in reality.

Using:

Easy one: NARS Riding up the Moon has been my favourite for eyes this week! I love Argentina for highlighting and Isolde for the peachy lid colour. I shade my crease with Fez but I use some of the bottle-green Night Porter for the edges of my eyecrease too. 

Used:

I finished my Personalised MyCodage serum  some weeks ago but I forgot to mention it until now. I think it has been wonderful in targeting some priorities I have listed: * Improving skin comfort and * combatting signs of ageing. One sidenote is that it is quite fraganced. I have switched to another serum again: I prefer to alternate my serums so my skin doesn't get too used and lazy to its ingredients.

Another staple during summer is my Jurlique Purely Bright Night cream. My 1st time using it was in 2011 during holidays and I noticed that it did a good job at brightening the odd pigment spot at my right temple. I try to avoid new pigment spots, but summer & high sunscreens does not always guarantee a no-sun exposion. Hence, a good brightener can step in to avoid new pigment spots to reappear.

Gonna Use:

I haven't gone for Asian BB creams for a while and the few Western BB's I tried were either organic (see here) or samples that I didn't like that much. Sharlynn from BlackMentosBeauty recommended her readers the The Face Shop Power Perfection BB Cream. I think she has one of the glowiest complexions out there, even without makeup, so I gladly took this recommendation.
(ps: I 'm trying it today and *gosh*...it has high coverage! As I said: I haven't used Asian bb's for a while so this one even covers more than my Armani foundations/etc)

Ok, again a happy weekend!

Tammy Felder Intensive Repair Cream

With creams I am never sure if they really help. However, sometimes I get my skin in a situation when I can really see what it does.

This has been the case with Tammy Felder Intensive Repair cream. I already had gotten in a slightly oversensitive winter-skin phase and I felt this little potion felt quite soothing on my skin. However, I still had some blotches and spotty parts on my face I couldn't pinpoint out if they would be worse or less if I stopped using this cream.

 I kinda stopped this cream during a springbreak citytrip (warmer area) and actually liked how my skin looked. Normally, my skin gets better during trips to warmer countries so I couldn't pinpoint down if that was due to using or not using the cream: my skin just feels better when I get medium warm weather.

The Real test was when I had to test it out for its real aim:

"healing post-operative and traumatized skin"

This would be a long story if I wouldn't make it more concise (and I will make it a long story in another post). I did a rather invasive peel that my skin didn't feel happy about: it reacted to the ingredients used and the given after-treatment as well.

Step in Tammy Fender Intensive Repair Cream:

For more information or a clearer list of the ingredients, see here.

This little potion has been that balmy soothingness on my flaking, bloating and generally upset post-peel skin

It contains my beloved Helichrysum (immortelle) that I have discussed frequently and have encountered in various products I have been quite enthousiastic about.

It is made of a yellowish and sorta syrupy consistency that turns into a gooyey facecream when being warmed against skin:

a breath of fresh air or the water that puts the fire out

The downside is that I am on my last bit of healing/soothing putty and it will take a while before it will land on my doorstep again.

In the meanwhile I still have some Avene Cicalfate that has been made with the same purpose of soothing smaller post-dermatologist treatments, but I like my organic & holistic blend a bit better.

You can buy it from the direct site or from cultbeauty (discount BEAUTY10 for £10 of <£70).

Yours Organically: Casanera (Preziosa)

I've had a beautyblog déjà vu moment! I ordered from a French beautysite without the English translations that almost every grande beautywebsite has these days!This time from the organic Casanera in Corsica (France).

Ever since starting my blog I have developed a curiosity for ordering from sites that I do not really speak the language that well. Eg, I wanted to try Embryolisse before it was openly sold outside France & still that niche product used "among models & visagists during fashionweeks" (tutorial here of how to order, though not necessary anymore).

Casanera's website:

Now I read this ultimate enabling and "ordering-experimental-enabling" review on Intothegloss about Casenera ( here). I googled for it and found a delightfully French site without any translations:

And I ordered the right thing :

So that stamp on the website:

is on their nightcream too:

I was really surpised by the sleekness of this organic brand and the wealth of detail: 

And those two transparent bottles: FREEBIES! ♥ ♥

Their claims:

 
Ok, I am not going to translate it all but it contains borage, prickly pear, rosehip evening primrose that are known for their anti-ageing and regenerationg properties. The cream is rich of vitamins, minerals and antioxydants that improves the cellular turnaround of the skin. The <Crema Prezioza> is highly suitable as a nightcream because of its rich and creamy texture. 

the expiry date clearly listed

Hygienic factor: a spatula included:

The cream is a creamish grey, aromatically scented and of a thicker texture that emolifies after blending in for 10 seconds:

• a thick, mudlike paste that turns emolient (read: watery/lotion) when in contact with warm skin
• colour: creamlike grey
• warm up a tiny bit on your hands
• delicious aromatherapeutic scent (I detect Rose Geranium)
  
• should be used over their Oilu Preziosa, but that one was out of stock so I use it 1. alone 2. over my Darphin Tangerine oil
• skins stays slightly moist/sticky and it feels a bit like a overnight mask
• thus, more of a nightcream, after-ski cream or for dry to really dry skintypes at daytime
• Not sure if really oily skintypes would like this
• waking up with rested, clear and plumper skin: but need the oil underneath every now and then to combat some dryer spots

This is not a full review yet: I only tried it for a week so I will update after a month or more.

Their website is casanera.fr  and their Crema Preziosa is here 
(they only ship to most European countries so the American lasses might reconnect with their friends in Europe again and ask them to order it for them)

mini-review Lierac Cohérence night cream

Today I will review a rather large sample size of the Lierac Cohérence night cream.

I received this cream with a whole sample size kit from lookfantastic.com: it was a deal when you bought 2 Lierac products.  

My sample was rather generous: 15 ml. So I had the opportunity to test it for a month in order to give it a proper review.

About the brand:

First, Lierac is a French brand. If you put French and skincare into one phrase it often gets a lot of attention. Well, because French women are known to be stylish without trying too hard. Or they call that the Je ne sais quoi...

Still, I am a bit more pragmatic over these things, because I won't believe in the hype just because it is French. For the record: I really like  La Roche Posay suncare, but I wasn't too enthousiastic about Embryolisse. 

What Lierac has to say about their brand themselves:

LIERAC Laboratories’ philosophy is to use the extraordinary power of nature and plants to deliver a specific solution and precise answer to every skin requirement. 

LIERAC Laboratories are partners of Eco-Emballages and participate in European program to eliminate and recycle all components of their packaging. Join us in our eco-friendly approach by sorting your recyclable waste materials (glass, plastic, paper, etc...) for selective collection.

 

All of it sounds environmentally friendly and almost like an organic brand. However, it is still quite synthetic on a couple of fields.

The Lierac website's claim: 

This luxurious pink-tinted cream is enriched with a complex of magnesium and potassium hyaluronate for specific night-time relaxing action.  It contains 4% COHÉRENCE™ vectors to help reactivate the production of type III collagen – the specific collagen of younger skin.  You wake up to more rested facial features and a refreshed complexion.  Night after night, the skin appears as if “lifted”, feeling tauter and firmer, and looking visibly smoother.  The facial oval appears gradually redesigned. 

Nothing but impressive. 

The ingredients:

Type III collagen accelerating vectors:  4%;  micro-emulsion of vitamins C, B5, B6, E;  potassium hyaluronate;  magnesium;  ultra-repair protective base.

 I am quite sure these cannot be the only ingredients but these were listed on their website.  I mean, even products for overreactive skins (that need as little ingredients as possible) have more ingredients. And the scents I am smelling isn't listed either. 

But I'll guess they mention the high-profile anti-agers only for their public.

The cream is light pink in colour:

You really need a tiny bit for enough product to cover your face and neck:

Scent:

It has a soft powdery scent, which I find similar to its soft lilac colour. The scent is somewhat synthetic but feminine and not too obtrusive. However, I think that if your skin is more sensitive or has a sensitive period it might be a bit hindering.

texture:

I think it is creamlike, rather thick and stays sticky for quite a while. I personally do not mind, because my skin can be dehydrated but I wouldn't recommend it to combination to oily skins. On the other hand, very dry skins might opt for a balm-texture, although for hydratation I think a cream is normally more efficient.

Anti-Ageing:

As mentioned before, I had a trial size and have only used this one for a month. I am not sure it did something effective on the field of anti-ageing. Sometimes you hit a product (for example the Nude Cosmetics serum) that you can really see working when you use this, and this cream wasn't so effective. It didn't do any harm either.

However, I always advocate to have your anti-aging products in pump-dispensers or in serum form. Why? because the active ingredients that have to work for you stay fresh longer in a pump or drop-bottle display. I do buy cream-pots, but only if they target for hydratation/moisture or are products that are for sensitive skins. The content of a pot is exposed to air and light in a higher extend than a drop-bottle content or sealed pump-bottle, so the active ingredients will lose their powers sooner.

Price and availability:

I got my sample for free with lookfantastic.com. so it is relatively easy available for online shoppers. People in France and Belgium even have bigger access to Lierac, but some Dutch pharmacies seem to sell it as well. The price is rather expensive on lookfantastic, that is £49.00.

Conclusion:

It was a lovely cream, but I would not repurchase. It smells a bit too synthetic and I don't think the ingredients target my need for rejuvination at night.

Most importantly, I didn't wake up with a fresh and plumped skin the next morning. I find this to be the dealbreaker: a night-treatment is the most important time to target your skin-goals because the skin is at rest.

I could see the difference on days I used another nightcream: Often I alternated with Jurlique Purely White Skin Brightening Night Treatment,  which gave me better result the morning after: I woke up much fresher and more plumped. I have to review that nightcream soon because I really like the whole experience of using that nightcream, and Jurlique has a more holistic feel (and scent) too. Plus, it really rocks at targetting pigmentation-spots.

Reaching the finishing line: Antipodes Joyous night serum

In the category of reaching-the-finishing line I have a newcomer today...

So hurray for finishing up my Antipodes Joyious night serum treatment with proteins...

I placed my bottle in a nature-esque surrounding just because Antipodes promotes itself as an Organic skincare range. When you reach their website, you notice the word natural and organic is thrown at you plenty of times

That means I don't go out in the garden before bedtime in order to get my bottle from the trees...

(I kind of would do that if it would promote more radiant skin...ha ha, the things we do for vanity's sake, right?)

But without the ritual of putting my nightime skincare products in trees, does it actually make you more radiant, a bit younger, or, as their website promised:

An intensive oil-based silky serum that helps repair dry and damaged skin. Himalayan goji delivers up to 19 amino acids to replenish protein at a cellular level. Red raspberry seed oil blends with New Zealand blackcurrant, a rich source of essential fats like gamma-linolenic acid (GLA). Hibiscus flower and kiwi oil freshens your complexion, while berry fragrance imparts pure joy.

The ingredient list is really impressive and chocfull of natural anti-agers:

List of Ingredients

Ribes nigrum (blackcurrant fruit oil), Lycium barbarum (goji fruit extract), rubus Idaeus (raspberry seed oil), hibiscus sabdarifa ( hibiscus flower), fragrances of Blackberries: alpha isomethyl ionone, benzyl alcohol, citral, citronellol, coumarin, eugenol, farnesol, geraniol, isougenol, limonene, linalool.

Did it work?

I liked it enough to finish it within 4 months: that says a lot of how I liked it. I have lots of bottles and serums that I do not use up...sometimes because it does not work right, and sometimes because I want to venture on something better.

I reached for it frequently. I only stopped this for a while when I got major sensitivity issues after a certain kind of mask (story here). I returned to it when my sensitivity issues were back to almost normal (still sensitive, but not extremely overreactive anymore).

So, when my skin is normal for my standard, I really enjoy what it does. I wake up with plumper skin and it keeps my ageing under control. I might even say I softened a facial line or two...haha, but that might be because of the facial massage I do as well.

The facial massage is optional, ofcourse, but if you like to give your face a massage then look for good instruction so you can help your complexion.

What I would like to highlight about this product that it is an oil and not the type of serum you normally call serum. So, it absorbs in the skin, but not as fast as a cream. I often used a hyaluronic acid such as Juju Aquamoist pure Hyaluronic acid 100% essence on top of the oil, so I could 'push' the essence into the skin, and dilute the oil-like texture a bit. 

I bought it after reading the review on Akisalove.com. She raves about it as well, and she turned out right about its efficiency.

I purchased my bottle on lovelula.com, but there are numerous etailer online that sell this. I chose lovelula because the always add the cutest Angel Cards ♥.
Feelunique sells it since a week ago as well, and they do not charge any shipping so that might be the cheapest option.