I rounded out December with sample sized moisturizers. I know it seems strange but I liked the thought of starting the new year with a new moisturizer. I decided to start 2023 with the ESPA moisturizer that came in my Look Fantastic Advent Calendar this year. To be honest it (and the Christophe Robin Scalp Scrub) were the two main reasons I bought the calendar. There were many other wonderful items in it, but they were the draw for me. So it seemed right that I start off the calendar with it.
Powered by vibrant nutrients that balance the complexion — offering a fresh burst of moisture to brighten and hydrate skin. Long-lasting hydration is on tap for thirsty skin with this revitalising, lightweight daily moisturiser. This supercharged formula smooths the appearance of dehydration lines, leaves skin feeling softer, and visibly more radiant. By harnessing the potency of natural fruits and vegetables, this long-lasting hydrator brings a youthful glow, fights signs of premature aging, and quenches skin with succulent vitality.
This moisturizer basically moisturizes while helping with anti-aging. Not terribly surprising for an anti-aging moisturizer. However that is claimed by many moisturizers. Not all of them are successful. While I will not know how it performs completely until after I have used it for a minimum of thirty days, I have to say my first use of this moisturizer went well. It also gives me high hopes for a fantastic skin month.
The jar is glass and it feels luxe in the hand. Hile the jar is glass the lid is hard plastic which is really easy to open, even if your hands are damp, which I appreciate as moisturizer is one of the last steps in my skin care routine and by the time I get to my moisturizer my hands are almost always damp. It isn’t so much a textured surface as it is just less slick than the glass.
Inside the jar is a thick white cream. It has a slightly sweet and fruity scent. Somehow it still manages to smell clean and fresh. I know I am a scent oriented person, and scent isn’t the most important thing. However, an unappealing scent can make me not want to reach for a product even if it is a good one. This is a scent I like and that I will enjoy reaching for when it is time to moisturize.
I dipped into the cream and it felt like a really thick cream. There was nothing light and airy about it. However when I applied it on my skin, the thickness seemed to fade. It was white for a second and then the whiteness of the cream faded. It absorbed far faster than I thought it would. From the feel on my fingertip, I expected it to be heavy on the skin and to really have to massage that cream in until the white faded and it absorbed. I didn’t. It wasn’t that thick on the skin. The cream felt light and absorbed well. My skin felt hydrated and soft. I was very impressed with this. It doesn’t sound like much but when your mornings are rushed it can matter. This isn’t a moisturizer that will slow me down.
I have used many ESPA products so I suppose it shouldn’t be surprising that this was nice. Pretty much every ESPA product I have tried has been something I enjoyed using and a few have made my favorites list. Whether this one will make that list by the end of the trial remains to be seen but for me this was a fantastic first use. In fact while I have tried several nice moisturizers recently, this is one of the best first uses I’ve had in a really long time. Hopes are high for the next thirty days and this ESPA Optimal Skin Pro Moisturizer.
For the past month or so I have been using the OGEE Hyrdoganics Velvet Botanical Moisturizer. I planned to post this at the end of thirty days, But Thanksgiving happened and scheduling got bent so I am now at the end of this bottle of moisturizer.
I actually don’t mind that the moisturizer use was extended as I ended up taking it traveling with me so it was an extra test for the moisturizer. Plus I also really enjoyed using it. But lets look a little at the actual product. The brand OGEE Organics specializes in high quality, high performing certified organic skincare. So I feel good about using the products in general. They have skincare items like the velvet Moisturizer I used but they also have a few makeup items in their collection. I haven’t tried any of the makeup, but given the quality of this moisturizer I have a few of them on my list to try out in the near future.
Jojoba is one of the brands hero ingredients because it has a molecular structure very similar to the sebum we naturally produce. Which It one of the reasons this moisturizer felt so good to wear. I’ve always found that my skin absorbs jojoba based products really well and feels amazingly soft and hydrated afterwards.
One of the other ingredients, In fact it is the first ingredient listed in the full list, is aloe.
Free from harsh chemicals, parabens, synthetic fragrances, phthalates, dyes or petrochemicals. Certified to Contain 73% Organic Ingredients.
Aloe and I go way back. When I was little my mom always had several potted aloe plants in the house and anytime there were sunburns or minor skin irritations a little piece of the plant would be snapped off and the resulting interior gel would be rubbed into the skin. And when I left home, I was given a small aloe plant to take with me so every place I have ever lived has had an aloe plant. (The small one was sent off to college with me to ‘brighten up’ the dorm room, In case you were wondering.)
To me aloe has a very nostalgic scent and it is one of the main scents in this Velvet Botanical moisturizer. There are no added fragrances so the moisturizer smells of it’s components. The scents that come through for me are Aloe, Jojoba and a a few drifts of scent from both the chamomile and eucalyptus. The scent though is predominantly aloe and Jojoba.
In the picture to the left you can see the cream massaged into my skin. There is a shine because it is freshly applied, but the skin is not greasy, just hydrated. In the picture below you can see my face after applying and waiting less than a minute. The moisturizer absorbs quickly.
The bottle is a white glass bottle with gold details and looks vet classy on my skincare shelf. I especially like that the pump locks in place for travel.
But how does it perform?
Well actually. I needed two to three pumps to cover my entire face (two during the day and three at night). My skin is what you would call normal to combination. I have some spots that are more oily than others, but over all I am not too dry and not too oily. It does mean that my skin’s needs tend to shift with the seasons. In the summertime I lean more towards the oily side and in the winter I lean to the drier side.
when I started using this moisturizer, the weather had not quite turned. I was in the in between phase. My skin lost the oiliness of summer but the central heating was not running enough to lead me into the drier phase of the year. In this phase of time, this moisturizer was perfect for both day and night time use. I tend to like a little more moisture at night, hence the extra pump of product. I simply apply my moisturizer thicker at night or use a night cream. I don’t mind using a night cream. In fact I rather prefer separate day and night time products because there is a difference in what my skin goes through in the day and in the night I don’t mind if products specialize. Mostly because I tend to find that multi use products tend to still do one thing well and a few other things so-so. I would rather have a product that does one thing really well.
As a day cream, this Ogee Organics Velvet Botanical moisturizer was stellar. It went on smoothly, absorbed well and quickly and actually worked really well under makeup. Because it absorbed fairly quickly it was fantastic to use in the morning.
When I started using it in the evening it worked well then. I added the extra pump but it was the right mount of moisture for me. Then the weather changed and the inside air dried out a bit. Then this moisturizer needed a helping hand once or twice a week with a night mask. With those two nights of alternate night masking it was fine for me and remained fine for both night and day use. I think in the summer time, when I am a little more oily than I am now, this would work even better for me, without any night masking. It is just the winter where a few times a week I needed back up.
As I don’t mind having a separate night cream and a day cream, I would use this as a day cream in the future and just use it as a night cream. If you lean more towards the oily side, you could probably use it for both. If your skin is drier than mine, you might want to use this as a day cream as well.
One thing that I did notice was that there was no irritation from this moisturizer when my skin broke out during the excesses of Thanksgiving. Butter and sugar were consumed in larger quantities than usual during the week and my skin showed it. I was able to spot treat the resulting eruptions, but the treatment tends to dry out the areas around the blemishes. This moisturizer was able to rehydrate those dry patches without irritating or further inflaming the portions of my skin I was trying to treat.
To be honest I really enjoyed this OGEE Organics Velvet Botanical Moisturizer and would certainly use it again. For me it is more of a day cream, at least until the summer humidity rises, but using it only once a day would extend the life of the product so that I could use it for a longer period of time, Which I would certainly enjoy doing.
That’s right my darlings, we have reached the third moisturizer from Embryolisse’s Lait Creme Line. Today was my first use of it and I have to say I am a bit tickled with myself. Embryolisse sent all three creams from their Lait-Creme line for me to try out and review. I have used each in turn and while there will be a full comparison review of the three after I’ve given this one a full try, there is one thing i do have to mention.
I chose to use the Concentre first because it was the only cream in the lait creme line i was familiar with. I used it before and knew I loved it so I thought I’d refamiliarizing myself with the moisturizer before starting on the two I had not tried. I put the Lait-creme sensitive second as I thought it was a sensitive version of the concentre (which it is) and it made sense to try them one after another. I then put the Fluide last, because there were only three creams so it was the last one left.
pump top
Inadvertently I chose the best line up possible for the creams based on the weather and my skins needs. I think that is what tickles me. The Lait Creme Concentre was perfect for my winter dry skin. As the temperatures rose a bit and spring started to fight with winter for dominance, the sensitive lait creme, which is a little lighter than the concentre, was the perfect weight for my skincare needs. Now as I was thinking that the Sensitive might be a little too heavy and need to shift into night time use only, it is time for the Lait Creme Fluid to arrive on the scene.
And wouldn’t you know, it is the perfect weight for the summertime.
The Lait Creme Fluid comes in a pump format rather than the metal tubes of the other moisturizers in the Lait Creme line. And it is easy to see why. This Fluid cream is thinner than the other two in the line and if put into a tube far too much would come out in one squeeze. As this was my first use, I dispensed one full pump, just to see how much came out with one pump.
one full pump was a bit too much for me, in the future I will be using half a pump.
The truth is, far too much came out. I used this amount to cover my face, neck, upper chest, and both my arms. About half a pump is what I will go for in my next application. Although I can’t say that my arms didn’t appreciate the use. This is just a good all round moisturizer to be honest. But this first use is more about the face and it’s use as a facial moisturizer.
The pump is obviously easy to use. it has a wide flat top that is finger width. It’s wide pump means that it is still easy to use even if my hands are still wet and or slick from previously applied products. In addition there is a circular imprint on the top of the pump with lettering to show you how to lock and unlock the pump should you choose to move it about instead of leaving it in the bathroom. This design, while appreciated for the information it gives, also provides a bit of a rough surface for the finger which aids in gripping and using the product.
From a packaging standpoint it is a ten. It is very easy to use even should you have mobility issues and it is a thick enough bottle that it stays stable on the counter. In addition the bottle is solid, thus protecting the moisturizer from the light. But as we all know packaging isn’t everything.
applied with dabs
While a full pump was too much, a half pump would be about perfect for face, neck and décolletage. The moisturizer formula has a scent comparable with the others in the line. It is oddly lighter in scent than the sensitive version which I found interesting. (I still have some of the sensitive so I did a comparison and it is just a slight bit lighter in scent but exactly the same scent.) I think the lightness of the scent is due to the less dense cream. While still a white creamy texture, this Lait Creme Fluid is more like a water cream than your standard cream moisturizer. It isn’t quite a water cream, but it is heading in that direction. Or I suppose a better way to put that is that it is a cream based water cream rather than a gel based water cream, if that makes it a little clearer.
easy absorption, not greasy and no white residue
In application, it applies really well. I dotted it on my face, mostly because I dispensed too much. Otherwise I would have rubbed my hands together then applied it – there was simply too much in my hand. It massaged in almost instantly with out leaving a single trace of white on the skin. There was also no greasy residue left behind. For me not only is the lighter cream good for summer moisturization levels, but because it absorbs so well so quickly with no greasy feel left behind, it actually aids me in applying my sunscreen.
In the summer I like to get into the habit of applying my sunscreen with my morning skin care so I don’t forget and then just before my walk I add an extra coat of a spray sunscreen over my previously applied layer of sunscreen. With the way the Lait Creme Fluid applies, I have very little lag time between moisturizer and sunscreen. Since I don’t have to wait it is less likely i will forget to apply the sunscreen, and the more I remember my sunscreen the better off my skin is.
Somehow I managed to find the right order in which to try out these moisturizers from Embryolisse. This first use went well for me, which as I generally like Embryolisse products isn’t that big a surprise. The biggest surprise for me was how well timed the start of this moisturizer trial is. For me this is the perfect summer weight moisturizer and I am looking forward to seeing how it performs as compared to the more standard versions of the Embryolisse Lait Cream that i know and love. As a first use, this was quite fabulous.
I’ll be honest, I know a lot of people look to First Aid Beauty as one of those Ride or Die Brands. I have Friends who have used them for years, love them and would never consider using anything else. I have tried a few products from them and generally put them in the ‘I’ll use it if it comes in a subscription box, but I won’t go out and buy it.’ The products seemed okay, but easily forgettable.
Until now.
And I have to say, I absolutely love it. For the past month i have been using the Ultra Repair Oil Control Moisturizer from First Aid Beauty. The jar I have is 1.7 fl oz (I think that is a deluxe sample size, but I’m not certain. It might actually be the full size. They have several sizes available on their website.). After about a month of use, I am about half way through the jar.
My skin is in the ultra weird category most brands call Normal. A fact that always amuses me. What it boils down to is that how my skin acts depends more or less on the seasons. I can get away with using the same products in spring and autumn but summer and winter are entirely different. In winter I lean towards dryer skin and in the summer I lean towards oily.
Half gone after a month of use
This moisturizer from First Aid Beauty has the thinner consistency I like with my summer weight moisturizers. I simply couldn’t use this in the winter time. It is slightly thicker than a water cream but not as thick as a gel cream. With oil control products, even in the summer time, I have to be careful because many of them are designed for skin much more oily than I become.
This oil-free cream instantly mattifies and delivers weightless hydration without clogging pores.
This ultra-light formula provides optimal hydration for oily skin without leaving a greasy after feel. Oil-controlling ingredients deliver a powder soft finish, help minimize the appearance of pores and keep skin shine-free all day.
In the first week, it applied well, absorbed fast and didn’t make me feel greasy. Generally the first week with an oil control product is fine. It is the second week where issues start cropping up. So I kept an eye out. I looked for overly dry spots, flaking and redness. None occurred. I continued using it and after a month, it is still performing well.
It absorbs into the skin but doesn’t overly dry me out. There is no real scent to the skin so if you have issues with fragrances in your skincare you should be fine with this. I have to say that after using this First Aid Beauty Oil Control Moisturizer for a month, it actually meets and eve exceeds everyone if its listed claims. This is one First Aid Beauty Product that is going on my repurchase list. It will only go on my summertime skincare list though. While I do like the hyaluronic acid in the list as well as the oat and licorice root, I only really need oil control products in the summer and this would simply be too lightweight for me to use once the seasons turn. For now though, it works and it works well. I will happily continue using it for a second month thus finishing out the moisturizer. While our summer heat won’t have faded by then, hopefully the moisturizer that follows will prove just as summertime worthy.
For those that enjoy First Aid Beauty Products, the Skinstore has them all on sale right now. In addition they have a program that gives back helping to pay off student loans. As I took quite a long time to pay my own off, that is a cause I am happy to help out with. I’m just glad i now found a product I like enough to reorder so i can. The details are all on the Skinstore website with links to specific products and programs.
Welcome my darlings to the week before the big sales start. Or what is usually the week before the big sales start. Many of the sales started early this year. Even so, each year around this time, I look at products I’ve tried and liked enough to want to continue using or products that I tried in a sample size and want to give a full sized version a go in the upcoming year. When stocking up on skin care, it really pays to hit the sales.
As I start looking over things, there are always a few memorable stand outs that I don’t have to think too hard about. There are always more I see pop out at me when I start to look over my previous posts and start seeing forgotten gems. As I could literally go on for hours about various products, I have decided to attempt to limit each section to three or four items. There are some categories that will flaunt that decision with flagrant disregard for my attempt at control, but I will try to keep this post from becoming too massive.
Also throughout the week I’ll try to hit all of the categories I am currently reviewing for my own Cyber Monday/Black Friday Sales extravaganza.
Also in an attempt to keep the length of this skincare post semi reasonable, I have put masks in their own special category. We’d be here for days if I didn’t split them out.
So welcome to the skin care roundup. As we all know whether you are dressing up or dressing down for the holidays great skin is your best accessory for every occasion. Any of you reading this site on a regular basis probably realized, I am the sort of person who favors a multitude of steps to my skin care routine. Some of the steps I do every day, others I only do on occasion and some fall somewhere in between. I generally decide what steps I am using based on what my skin needs at the time.
Breakouts call for one set of steps while dry patches and dullness call for a different regime. So I adjust.
I know some people are minimalists, but I really enjoy the routine of skin care. It helps me wake up in the morning and it lets me unwind in the evening. Whatever your routine, here are some products that I have enjoyed, that I will be repurchasing (or have already stocked up on) and that I would recommend to those looking for products to try.
We’ll start with makeup removers. I am partial to cleansing balms as I find them neater to use and less likely to spill as they get knocked over. While I have more or less cornered a powder room for my skincare/beauty needs and am usually the only one using that bathroom, when someone else does use it they tend to rocket through like a whirling dervish. I’ve gotten many an apologetic look as something was knocked over and spilled by accident. Then there is the invariable look of shock when they realize how much that tiny little bottle they knocked over costs. Being the only female in the house lets me cause shock and awe quite frequently.
As the only skin care term my babydoll has managed to pick up has been ‘Cold Cream’ and it is the term he uses for every skin care product that exists (he is quite proud of knowing it actually) and believes that nothing in the bathroom should cost over $10 he has suffered some major shocks.
the travel size
Plus, when you are working in a space with hard surfaces and frequently wet and or greasy hands, things happen. The two cleansing balms that are on my top tier right now are The Elemis Cleansing Balm and the Versed Skincare cleansing balm.
Both are excellent products that don’t require a lot of product to work and so last quite a while. The Elemis Cleansing Balm is a thick, custard like consistency and has a slightly floral, slightly botanical scent. I have tried for a while to fully identify it but the scent just smells like Elemis. Several of their products have the scent. I personally like it. I also like the fact that it leaves my skin feeling soft as well as clean. This is not a product that will strip your skin. It just removes the makeup.
The Elemis Cleansing Balm actually features in several of the brand’s holiday kits this year. I believe it might actually be in their advent calendar as well. It is one of their top sellers, which is easy to see why. They have a set of three cleansing balms as a pack, one in the original (which I tried and loved) one that is rose and one Neroli (orange) in case you wanted to try out different scents. Purchasing them together gives you a discounted price.
And if you are looking for a deal (as well as a fantastic gift for either you or a skin care lover on your list), one of the sets, the Glowing SkinCare Stars, actually includes both the Cleansing Balm and the Dynamic Resurfacing Pads that I’ll mention a little further down. I actually picked up this set for my mom for Christmas. Not only does it contain two of my favorites (which I know she’ll love, but there are plenty of other extras in the bag. There are other kits of course and all worth checking out, but that is the one I ordered as a gift this year. I love kits because they let you try out a whole bunch of products at the same time.
The Versed cleansing balm is a little different. It too removes the makeup and doesn’t strip your skin, but it has a more solid consistency. It has the feel to it of a giant lip balm. To get it out of the jar I generally ran a tiny skin care spatula across the top of the product and then gathered up the product into my hands. The heat from my hands melted it a little and then I rubbed it onto my face.
It has a scent that is more menthol than floral and reminded me of Vick’s Vapor rub. While the scent is not my favorite, I was willing to use it because the product worked so well. And to be honest the scent dissipates quickly. It is also relatively inexpensive. The product is on the large side and costs only $17.99 for a full size.
Next time I order one I am planning on adding a couple of their tinted lip oils (they are $9.99 each). While the Versed Cleansing Balm can be purchased at my local Target, they don’t stock the lip oils for some reason. It’s one of those small annoyances.
The last time I replaced my Versed cleansing balm I just went to Target and picked it up. I forgot I was going to order it because of the lip oils. So now I have to order them separately. Of course I’ve also been eyeing their Winter Unwind Gift set. I’m thinking of trying it out for my post-holiday de stressing. So I may just order that and a lip oil since I have the backup balm in my skin care drawer.
While there will be a post later in the week regarding tools and other items, I have to mention that this is where I use my Makeup eraser. I know the Makeup Eraser can just be wet and used with just water, but I really prefer applying the cleansing balm and then using a wet makeup eraser to take everything off. I find it removes more and it requires less rubbing on my skin. And I must confess that while my Makeup Eraser is good and can still take several years more worth of use (my last one I used for three years before my babydoll saw mascara and eyeliner stains and decided it was an oil rag and used it in his workroom), I have been eyeballing the SpongeBob Squarepants exclusive Seven day set.
Not only are they seven smaller Sponge Bob Character decorated cloths, but with seven of them I could use one each day and send it through the wash instead of just using different parts of the same cloth all week. I know that sounds a little extra but it really is more hygienic. Plus, how can you look at them and not want them. They are so cute and the entire set is only $25. I’m actually contemplating picking up the set in the name of hygiene. And fun. Can’t forget fun. (although if you want a non cartoon themed cloth, the seven day sets also come in a classic black as well.)
Because I favor a double cleanse, my routine generally moves from makeup removers to actual cleansers. I love the cleanser category and have had some really good luck with products lately. Don’t get me wrong, there were a few stinkers in there, but they shall not be discussed here. Only good products need apply for this post.
The first is from Malin + Goetz. I have used their Grapefruit cleanser for years and even though there are lapses, it is one that I return to often. It has a fresh scent and a slight (ever so slight) exfoliation to it. It is one of my favorite scents to wake up to and a really great clean. I will admit I like it more in the morning than I do at night, just because the scent is more of a wake me up scent.
At the moment not only is the cleanser for sale regularly but the cleanser also comes as part of the Saving Face Limited Edition Set. It comes with the cleanser, the Vitamin E moisturizer (which I have heard great things about especially from friends trying to soften or reduce scars) and the detoxing face mask (which I must confess I know nothing about). But as with most kits, buying the set is more cost effective than buying them separately.
I love holiday sets, I know I’ve said that before and I will probably say it again. The value is usually pretty good on sets and I almost always find something new that I never would have picked up on its own or that I had never heard of. Like the Malin+Goetz Detox Face Mask. Of course sometimes I fall in love with something that is limited edition in itself and I have to wait a whole year and hope they bring it out again the following winter, but that is another story and usually involves peppermint scented items.
Other people go for the Pumpkin spice, for me it is the peppermint that gets me every time. I’ve already picked up the peppermint chapstick that only comes out this time of year. And I’m sure there will be more peppermint themed items coming my way before the season is done.
This actually makes it pair well with the Erno Laszlo Original Black Soap. While I love the way this soap makes my skin feel and adore the clean I get from it, the bar soap does make a bit of a mess. It is black soap (from charcoal) as the name implies and when you lather it the drips splash black around. That is it’s only real drawback actually. While it is a good soap to use both morning and evening, I tend to use it at night more often because I somehow mind less cleaning up at the end of the day than I do at the start. I put a soap dish in the bathroom just to keep some of the smudges contained so ‘clean up’ really means wiping away a few drips. I just prefer it in the evening to the morning.
The Purlisse Blue Lotus 4 in 1 Cleansing Milk is one cleanser I have no problem using morning or evening and would highly recommend picking up. It foams nicely and washes off clean. In fact I tested out a whole bunch of products from the Blue Line for Purlisse a while back. I found all of the products in that line to be excellent, the moisturizer in particular was excellent for shifting seasons. It is the Purlisse Blue Lotus Balancing Moisturizer and balancing is what it does best. It really worked well with the shifting seasons for me.
One of the most fun cleansers I tried this year was also from Elemis. It is the Cica Superfood Calming Foaming cleanser. Seriously, a face full of fun foam that also cleanses your skin and leaves it soft? It was one of those cleansers that after I used it, I wanted to just leave my face bare for a while to simply enjoy the clean skin. I have a backup already purchased and awaiting it’s moment to emerge from the skin care drawer. Not only is it one I would repurchase, but it is one I already have repurchased. It went on sale in the summer and I snapped it up. I am not ashamed to say it is one I will watch for and pounce on anytime a sale emerges.
While I need to wrap up the cleanser section there is one more cleanser I really need to mention. That is the Olay Gentle Cleanser. This is a different one. I don’t use it in my morning or evening routines. I tend to use this one solely after my workouts. After a good sweat I need a really gentle cleanser that will keep my skin from feeling that post workout sweat grossness, but won’t damage the skin by overly cleansing it.
This is where the Olay Gentle cleanser shines. It is one of those products I repeat buy just for this purpose and then forget to mention because it is not in either my morning or evening routines. One quick pump of product, a bit of water and I am feeling fabulous. Usually this Cleanser costs $9.49 but it is currently on sale for $7.14.
The same can be said for the Regenerist Cleanser as well. It is usually $9.49 and now on sale for $7.14. While I love the gentle cleanser (and will repurchase it) I wanted to try something else so I picked up the Regenerist Cleanser to try. I just started using it so I haven’t posted the review yet but I am already really liking the product. The review will actually be up either next week or the week after, I just wanted to mention it for those stocking up. I think it is a very good cleanser to try out.
For those of you looking for ease of purchase, as well as discounts, Olay now has a subscription service. You pick your products and decide when you want them delivered and the products are 30% off their usual price. There is no commitment and you can change up your order any time, so if you haven’t run out of eye cream yet, but are almost out of moisturizer you can adjust what products get sent to you so you aren’t stuck with too much of any one thing. It’s actually a really cool system, especially if you are trying to reduce the number of times you go out to restock products.
At the moment I have three toner products worth mentioning. The first is from Elemis. What can I say? I love the brand. I know, you are probably getting tired of hearing that, but this is the last Elemis product on today’s list. Promise. But the Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Toner pads just had to be mentioned. They are fantastic. Not to dry, not to wet, they tone the skin and provide a light exfoliation. They are fantastic. Hands down, full stop. Fantastic.
The other two toners I need to mention are both from Pixi. One is the Glow Tonic exfoliating Toner and one is the Clarity Tonic. Both are really nice and I will be picking them both up repeatedly for a while. (don’t worry I still have several other toners to test out before my next Pixi purchase). The exfoliating toner is a nice gentle chemical exfoliant that is gentle enough to be used daily and the Clarity Tonic helped me have more good skin days. Between this and the Peace Out Acne Dots I had a surprisingly long run of good skin days despite the wearing of the face masks. (I did have a masking trick that helped a well, but that is another post oh and as a quick note you can get 15% off your first purchase at Peace Out Skin Care.).
While I still love my Skin and Co Truffle Therapy Face Gommage and will still be picking it up again, repeatedly, there were two new physical exfoliates that came my way this year that are not only worth mentioning but worth repurchasing. The first was the BKind Sensitive Skin Face Scrub. It was not only an excellent product but it is ethically sourced and has a host of other fabulous claims. I did find it left a little bit of a waxy feel to the skin when I rinsed it off, but as I tend to use exfoliators after removing my makeup and before I do my second cleanse, I didn’t mind this so much.
The second new exfoliator that I tried and loved this year came from Nuxe. It was the Nuxe Insta-Masque Exfoliating mask and it had the consistency of a jelly. While technically it falls under masks, I used it as an exfoliator. It only sits on the skin three minutes so I would apply it, let it sit while I brushed my teeth and then massaged and rinsed.
The exfoliate mixed in was both gentle and effective and I very much enjoyed using the product. I think I actually pouted and sighed when the product ran out. Because of the consistency it was surprisingly moisturizing as well and is one of the few exfoliates that I have tried that I could actually use every day. I stuck to three days a week when using it, but I could have used it more often without damage to the skin which is not something I can say for a lot of other products I tried this year. Many were tested, only a few made my repurchase list.
Nuxe also has this style of Inta masque in a purifying and smoothing formula and a detoxification one if exfoliating is not your thing. Both of those are actually on my list of products to try. I know I will probably mention that again with masks, but it seemed appropriate to mention it here as well. I suspect all three will end up in my skin care drawer by the end of the year. But the Nuxe Intsta-masque exfoliating mask was better than a lot of other exfoliators I tried this year.
The same thing can be said for the serum category. I tested out a lot of serums this year and I have to say only two really stand out without me having to look them up. The first is the Timeless Skincare Hyaluronic Acid Serum. I had such fantastic results with that serum that I think it is going to be a staple for a while.
The second is the Volition Snow Mushroom Water Serum. I know, it sounds strange, but it was a fantastically hydrating serum. This serum and the Volition Sunscreen were my saving graces this summer. I spent a lot of time outside on the walking trail instead of going to the gym. One product kept my skin safe while I was sweating it out and the other made certain my skin was healthy and hydrated. Seriously if I could give a bottle of the Volition Sunscreen to everyone I know, I would. As it is my mother and aunts each got one as a gift this year. I absolutely loved that sunscreen and have already purchased it for myself. It sits beautifully under makeup and does not feel at all like sunscreen. In fact they market it as the sunscreen for people who hate sunscreen, which quite frankly was me.
The Snow Mushroom Water Serum doesn’t smell earthy it just smells light and fresh. It absorbed well into the skin without feeling heavy or greasy (or clogging pores) and was fantastic throughout the summer time. I have already picked up a second bottle and when it arrives I will be stashing it away for use in the spring and summer. While I’m sure it would be lovely to use in the winter, it was so good in the spring and summer that I am holding it in reserve while I test out other products. As I am writing this Volition has a 30% off sale going on that you might want to check out. It started before the holiday sales.
And this brings us to the moisturizer category. Here we once again start with Volition. The Celery Green Clean Moisturizer is super lightweight and again I really enjoyed using it this summer. It has a light green, celadon like color and smells fresh and clean. It absorbed well into the skin and was never greasy. It was a fantastic day cream. I found myself wanting something a little heavier at night especially if I had too much sun during the day, but as a summer time day cream it was fantastic. It also helped reduce the size of my pores a little bit, which really helped with my skin’s texture. And that is year round good.
The Dior Capture Care and Protect DreamSkin Moisturizer was also one I might want to use a separate night cream with, but I have no problem finding a good night cream to balance it out. The Dior Moisturizer was fantastic to use. It made my skin feel like silk. It does have that French rose skincare scent to it which isn’t for everyone, but it is a very light scent that doesn’t linger. Personally, I like the scent. I also like that the container is reusable so that there is less waste. When you finish with it, you can order a new insert and just fit it into the existing container. I like the less waste almost as much as I liked this moisturizer.
There is the final Sunday Riley Ice Ceramide Moisturizer I tried that I will also be picking up, but it felt more like a night cream to me. As I don’t really have a go to night cream at the moment, I will be delving deeper into this category in the near future as well. I liked the Avocado Sleeping Mask from Glow Recipe and will be repurchasing that one at some point, but I wasn’t so over the top in love with it that it is going to be my standard. There is plenty of room for experimentation.
Okay my darlings, deep breaths. We have made it through the skin care category. It was a long review., I know and thank you for sticking with me. I know I took a few extra byways as we went down that path. And, okay so I didn’t do fantastically well narrowing it down to three products per category and as a consequence this is a bit of a longer post than I planned.
There are just so many good skin care products out there. Even knowing I didn’t stick to my three I know there are some that I completely forgot and will remember as soon as I post this. It doesn’t mean they aren’t good, or that I won’t be posting about them (or purchasing them as soon as they go on sale) it just means I had to constrain myself.
And yes, this was me constrained.
Just remember that whether you are celebrating your upcoming holidays in a glittering gown or in a fluffy bathrobe, good skin is always in style.Hopefully this post will help you find something for you and maybe something for someone on you shopping list this holiday season.
While I did mention a few ongoing sales, here are a few my skin care lovers out there might want to remember.
Peter Thomas Roth is having their 50% off select Kits Sale. It runs through November 19th so it is a pre holiday sale. I really like this one and get pulled into it every year. I think their kits are a great way to try different products. In fact the Peter Thomas Roth moisturizers I tested this year all came from Kits. I was able to determined which I liked but wasn’t gaga over as well as which ones I really wanted to buy in the full size. I ended up being oddly surprised by which one I fell in love with. I seriously didn’t think it was going to be the Hungarian Thermal Water mineral Rich Moisturizer. In fact I think that was the free sample I got when I purchased another kit to actually try out. Surprise! The free sample won the day.
For those looking for Stocking Stuffers you can use the code STOCKING to get 28% off Stocking stuffers from brands like ARCONA, beautyblender, Bioderma, Dermablend, DERMAdoctor, DHC, Eyeko, First Aid Beauty from now until November 19th. And there is also a 25% off Clean Beauty gifts going on with brands like Alterna, Codex Beauty, First Aid Beauty, Jurlique, Koh Gen Do, KORRES, Pai, Patchology. There is no code for that one as the discount is applied in the cart, but that discount runs until November 19th as well.
I know I have been hitting the sample moisturizers pretty hard lately, but once I finished this Skinceuticals Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2 Moisturizer, I shifted into opening a full sized face cream (the Marc Jacob’s Youthquake to be exact) so more full sized moisturizer reviews will be coming shortly. Plus my skin really needs to settle in with a longer moisturizer trial so I can change out some of the other products and have it remain stable.
Incidentally Lovely Skin has SkinCeuticals products on sale during the Singles Sales. In fact most products on their site (including the one I’m currently reviewing) are 22% off. It is a really good place to stock up on a variety of skin care as they offer a boat load of brands and products to choose from so you can pick up a lot of different items and just get them shipped together. I’m finding these days bundling items so that I am waiting on fewer packages is the way to go. Plus they have free 2-3 day shipping on most orders. I am a sucker for free shipping. And despite all the post office mehem, everything I have ordered from them this year has come arrived in a timely manner. Which at this point is kind of a minor miracle.
But moving on to today’s review.
This sample sized tube of the Skinceuticals Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2 Moisturizer had a little over a week’s worth of product inside. According to the website…
Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2 is an anti-aging cream that contains the optimal and patented lipid ratio of 2% pure ceramides 1 and 3, 4% natural cholesterol, and 2% fatty acids, which is proven to nourish skin and correct signs of aging. This unique lipid correction cream contains the first 2:4:2 cholesterol-dominant ratio to help restore skin’s external barrier and support natural self-repair, while potently nourishing aging skin for improvement in the visible appearance of skin smoothness, laxity, pores, and overall radiance.
Restores essential skin lipids: ceramides, natural cholesterol, and fatty acids
Improves the look of skin fullness, texture, and pore appearance
Improves the appearance of skin evenness and overall radiance
Unique lipid stabilization system in a lightweight and fast-absorbing texture
Shortens the adjustment period to retinoids up to 1 week while reducing dryness (see Science & Proof below)
Now I will have to say, I have no idea why cholesterol is good for your skin. It does amuse me that it is considered good for your skin as so many people have demonized it because of heart health care. And I can see why, I am not making fun of needing to cut down on cholesterol. My baby doll in particular has to watch his cholesterol. What I find amusing that what is bad for your heart is good for your skin.
I will say that I did try the moisturizer before I read through the ingredients list. The first thing I was struck by was the scent. I know when am I not interested in the scent? Still, I sniffed and smelled peppermint. It isn’t like a toothpaste peppermint, it is a light peppermint scent. It smells like I stored the cream in a bag with my mouthwash and the lids were a slight bit loose. Dental care adjacent maybe would be the correct term for the strength of the peppermint.
And as my moisturizer generally sits on the side of the sink next to my toothpaste, I’ll admit,I did check the cap. No leakage. Then I checked the ingredients and found waaaaay down on the list, peppermint oil was mentioned. And the mystery was solved. No cross contamination at all.
It is seriously a light scent though and once I knew why it was there, it was quite pleasant. It is a white cream, but there was no white cast left on the skin. The texture is thin enough that it absorbs really quickly. It didn’t leave a greasy film on my skin and it didn’t clog my pores. Now a week of use isn’t enough to provide any real skin care results, but I really did like the way my skin felt when using this moisturizer. My skin was hydrated without being greasy and the peppermint scent dissipated almost instantly.
I was actually sad when this sample size ran out. My only draw back was at night I think I would want a little bit more moisture for my skin. Not much more though. I was only reaching for my night cream every couple of days rather than every night. I think if you lean more towards the oily side, you could use this and not need a separate night cream, if you were more on the dry side of skin care, you might want to just use this as a day cream.
Like I said, I didn’t use it long enough to actually see any results, but I did like this cream enough that I am willing to put it on my list of products I’ve sampled that I do want to try out in a full size. This has definitely made my list for a future full size review.
I have a hit or miss relationship with Sunday Riley. I know there are those who adore every product and those who despise every product. I am oddly in the middle. Some I like, some I don’t. I tend to be that way with most brands actually. While I have tried many serums, oils and cleansers (with varying levels of success), prior to this I only used one moisturizer and that was the Sunday Riley CEO Vitamin C moisturizer. It made my loves and repurchase list. Although for me it is a better cream in the winter as the thickness of the cream’s texture is just a little too heavy for summertime wear for me.
First off, this is a little jar. I’m sure you can tell from the photos. I do not have massive hands, the jar is just small. It is a sample size. I do love the fact that it does just look like a miniaturized version of the full sized jar though. And although I forgot to take a picture of the sample when first opened, it was packed with product.
There are no hidden bubbles or divots, it was all product. And what there was in the jar lasted me five days (using morning and evening). While five days isn’t enough of a length of time to see any major results, it is enough of a time to give me a good feel for the cream and decide whether or not I wanted to try it for a longer time with the full sized jar. But before we get into my impressions, let’s look at what the product claims.
Ceramide-enriched moisturizer replenishes the skin with lasting hydration and strengthens the skin’s natural moisture barrier against environmental stressors responsible for premature aging. Skin stays smooth, balanced and ageless-looking throughout the day.
Rich but lightweight, this dual action moisturizer uses beetroot and coconut extract to pull hydration into the skin, while ceramides, vitamin F, and pomegranate sterols strengthen the skin’s natural moisture barrier, sealing in moisture. Together, skin is glowing, baby-smooth, and deeply hydrated. Best for Normal to Dry Skin. Sulfate-free, paraben-free, gluten-free, soy-free, and phthalate-free.
Okay first of all the fact that squalene is high on the listed ingredients makes me happy. This is one of those ingredients my skin really likes and I have started looking for. It isn’t a requirement for my skin care, but it always makes me happy to see. And yes even though it is now a plant derived ingredient, I like to think of sharks splashing moisture at my face and threatening wrinkles with their sharp teeth. That’s just my process.
But now that we can see what the moisturizer is supposed to do, let’s look at the actual product. It is a thick yellowish cream and if you’ve read any of my posts you know the first thing I did was sniff it to see what it smelled like. (FYI the Sunday Riley Vitamin C Cream smells like a creamsicle).
This moisturizer smells like old fashioned cold cream. Seriously, it smells like the cold cream my grandmother and mother both used when I was little. I would love to have a more descriptive term for it, but it was one of those things that is so tied to a sense memory that I have a hard time separating it out. I’m sure there is someone who can look at the ingredients list and say yeah, ‘that’s what is smells like, that ingredient right there’, but to me it just smells like the cold cream the two of them both used when I was little.
Nostalgia just hijacked my senses.
It is a thicker cream and it is clearly designed for drier skin. I know I’ve mentioned it before, but my skin sits right on the balancing line of what is strangely called ‘normal’ . What this means is that in warm humid weather my skin leans towards the oily side, but not too terribly far and then in the cooler, drier months it leans towards the dry side, but again not too terribly far. Occasionally I can be called combination as my T-zone starts to get a little oily mid day.
It means my skin care very much changes out with the seasons. What I like in the summer I cannot deal with in the winter and vice versa. It is also dependant on location, each time I move I need to develop an entirely new skin care regimen. It is one reason I will always be trying out new skin care (even though no moves are planned in the near future). Which is fine, I enjoy testing out new products.
Where I live the air is just starting to dry out and become cool. For me this was a petty ideal time to test this moisturizer, and why I pulled it out of my skin care drawer now. I like to give products their best chance at success. what can I say, I’d rather rave in delight than rant in disappointment.
While the cream is thick, it absorbs into the skin well. What I found myself doing was putting the moisturizer on my hand, rubbing my hands together and then applying it to my face. This is one of those moisturizers that seems to apply better as it warms up a little. Just the rubbing together of my hands was enough. If I didn’t use this method, I just dotted it on my face and had white streaks until it warmed up and I rubbed it in. The rubbing my hands together first just let me spend less time rubbing my face. Although even then, there wasn’t a massive amount of rubbing involved to get it to absorb. As I said before it did absorb really well, it just needs to warm up a bit.
It took five days of twice a day use to go through the sample sized jar. I did use more at night than I did during the day. For me, I found that during the day it was slightly too moisturizing for my skin. However it was a very good night cream. In fact for me, it was an excellent night cream. While slightly too heavy for day time use, it was absolutely fantastic at night. It was then that I could feel the lightweight moisture claimed in the description working to my benefit.
Again, I think that is just my skin type. I could wear it both in the day and at night, I just preferred it at night. If I had slightly drier skin I think I could wear it during the day and be very happy. If I had slightly more oily skin I would only be able to wear it at night. Like me, this moisturizer sems to balance on a very fine line between skin types.
But the big question remains. Would I purchase a full size of this cream to try out in a full on test?
Conditionally, yes.
The condition is that I would purchase this moisturizer, but I would wear it as a night cream and use something else during the day. For me I think this Sunday Riley Ice Ceramide Moisturizing Cream would make a very good night cream. As I have mostly been testing out light weight gel creams lately (not by design it just happens to have worked out that way) and they tend to work well as day creams, it is nice to have the possibility of a night cream on the horizon. I’ve tried several night creams that I like, but none recently that I love. I would most definitely be willing to give this a go to see if it would stand up to nightly use for a full trial. For me, this is a product that will go on my list for a future trial.
Goldfaden, MD is one of those brands that every time I look at it I think, ‘I should like that’. It is skin care designed by a dermatologist and it has a clean look to it that says this is serious skin care. I also like the fact that they are a clean skin care. I tried the Exfoliating scrub from the brand a while back. It was supposed to be for daily use, however I found it surprisingly harsh and ended up using it once a month until it was gone. My skin just couldn’t take its level of exfoliation more often than that.
Then I had a surprising number of Goldfaden, MD products appear in my subscription boxes so I got excited about seeing the brand again and testing out more products from them. After all, they still look like they should be good skin care and I did have three products to try. The first one I decided to give a go was the Detox Hydrating Gel Moisturizer. According to the website this $68 moisturizer…
This antioxidant-rich detoxifying gel provides anti-pollution protection and antioxidants to prevent premature aging from environmental stressors while beta hydroxy acids keep pores clear and free from breakouts. Achieve a pure, calm complexion with this moisturizer for oily, problematic skin.
As I have taken to using a detoxifying mask to keep maskne in check it seemed like the perfect time to try this out. Now, it is a sample size which usually means about one to two weeks’ worth of product. While this is not long enough to see any long term results it is generally enough time to let me know how it is going to react with my skin and if I would want to purchase a full size to do a full trial.
The gel like formula
This tube of Goldfaden MD Detox Hydrating Gel Moisturizer held a lot of empty air and about three days’ worth of product. And even that was stretching it. It was one of those tubes that just wasn’t filled properly before being sent out.
Normally, I would complain, but three days of this moisturizer was about as long as I wanted to use it. While it may or may not do anything long term to acne, I can tell you that it was sticky on the skin and never felt like it really absorbed.
To be honest it felt like a makeup gripping primer more than a moisturizer. That’s how sticky it was. The second morning I tried this moisturizer I decided to go sans makeup until it actually absorbed to see how long it took. It never really did fully absorb. It remained sticky on the skin. I was not a fan.
Usually gel formulas and I really get along as they just melt right into the skin. This one I didn’t like. There are several items in the ingredients list that many of my latest moisturizer (the ones I liked) didn’t have, so I am going to have to do some digging to see if those ingredients are ones I need to avoid (or if they do occur in other products), but for now, I just know I will not be purchasing a full size of the Goldfaden MD Detox Hydrating Gel Moisturizer in the future. I still have two Goldfaden MD products to try out, so fingers crossed I like them better than I liked this one.
I’ll be honest, I let this First Aid Beauty Coconut Water Cream moisturizer linger in the drawer. Each time I reached in to try out a new product, my hand would pass over it. I passed on it only for the sake of the word coconut.
I know it is foolish, but there were so many coconut scented products in my world this summer that I felt a little coconutty myself. It was the scent of the summer. Admittedly, this summer was the Summer of 2020 so I’m not sure it really wants that association.
But most of the coconut scented products have been taken out of my skin care drawer and to be honest I have very few trial sized moisturizers left in the drawer. I have an entire box full of serums to test out, but I am getting down to the larger moisturizers so soon I will be going back into the one month long trials and leaving these short tests behind.
Oil-free refreshingly light water cream moisturizer infused with skin nourishing Coconut Water hydrocharges your skin with a burst of electrolyte-rich moisture for softer, smoother, healthier-looking skin. Rich in electrolytes, amino acids, enzymes, antioxidants and phytonutrients, Coconut Water is known as nature’s perfect hydrator. This non-comedogenic formula absorbs immediately into skin while hydrocharging, to make it appear softer, smoother and more plumped. The oil-free formula is boosted by a combination of Sodium Hyaluronate and Alteromonas Ferment Filtrate to help reinforce skin’s moisture, protect against exposure to the elements and leave skin appearing smooth, soft and plumped.
Okay first off, I don’t see anything in the ingredients list that cause me any concern which I am very happy about. And so we open the little tube of product. As you can see from the photo the cream is a clearish jelly like consistency.
To my utter delight it did not smell like coconut.
I have to admit, I did a little happy dance. I was committed to trying the product regardless, but the fact that there was no coconut scent made me happy. (while I do actually like coconut, I just got buried in the scent this summer. I actually do like the scent of coconut I just don’t want EVERYTHING to smell like coconut or months on end.)
It actually smells vaguely candy like. Actually, you know those candy necklaces and bracelets you could get as a kid? That’s the kind of candy it smells like.
So happy with the scent, I applied it to my face. Let me tell you, I am in love. It blended into my skin like a dream. My skin was soft and hydrated and not sticky or greasy at all. The sample tube only had enough product for about a week and a half of use, and trust me, I used it all. Which is why the tube in the top photo loos very squished.
While this trial wasn’t enough to determine any actual effects on the skin long term, it was enough to let me know I want a full sized tub of it to try out. I also want to apologize for not trying this sooner and I will be adding the $34 full size to my full skin care trial as soon as I am able.
I may have other moisturizers to test out and work through, but I will be circling back to this Coconut Water Cream by FAB. I actually enjoyed using this sample more than I have enjoyed some of the more higher priced moisturizers I have tried.
I also think it was helped out by the time of year. It is my skin’s traditional transitioning time. This provided the kind of light weight moisture that is definitely appropriate for this time of year. I still have summer oily spots and a few dry spots brought out by the turning on of the central heat. It is the bane of skin that is balanced on that thin line they call ‘normal’. In the summer I am normal leaning to oily, in the winter I am normal leaning towards dry, which means spring and fall I flip flop between dry and oily depending on the weather of the day. This past week we had rain and sun, high and low humidity and temperatures ranging from the mid-fifties to the upper seventies. This moisturizer handled it all beautifully. So oh yeah, this is going on my list for a full sized trial.
A while back I tried the Clean it Zero Cleansing Balm from Banila Co and really ended up liking it. I made a mental note to look into the company and some of the other products they made, and then I completely forgot until the Miss Flower and Mr. Honey Cream appeared in my Glossy Box.
The honeycomb shaped jar is adorable but it is one of those deceptive jars that looks bigger than it is. This is only with the sample size. The full size looks as though it is a nice glass honeycomb shaped jar without the rounded interior.
When you flip it over there is empty space around the round of product. Belif has a tendency to have these same types of jars.
While I was testing out the Dior Dream Skin Moisturizer, I found that it worked well as a day cream but not so fabulously at night, so I decided to try this cream at night. Using it only at night (except for a day or two when I tried it during the day to see how I liked it) the product lasted a little over 2 weeks (16 days, or nights actually and two mornings). Very little is really needed to achieve full coverage. This was enough to give me a feel for the product and determine whether or not I wanted to try it again, but not long enough to see any actual results. Hence no before and after photos.
But what does this product have to say for itself?
This cream offers deep skin nourishment through the benefits of Honey! Our Intense Nourishing system includes 6 types of premium honey blend (Royal Jelly, Honey Butter, Beeswax, Honey, Propolis, High Honey Drop) to replenish, protect and lock in moisture for a healthy, supple complexion. Used day or night, this luxurious cream glides on smoothly to give skin a vitality and will support & strengthen the skin’s barrier.
That is a lot of honey. And you can smell it as soon as you open the jar. It smells exactly like clover honey. It has the consistency of whipped honey but it is not in any way sticky. Whatever they did to the honey took out all of the stickiness. If you don’t like the scent of honey, then this is not for you. It is not a scent of honey that can be ignored. It is a very strong scent that lingers. Personally, I like the scent of the cream (and honey in general) so it didn’t bother me. But if you don’t like honey, you will hate this.
I really enjoyed using it at night. It made an excellent night cream. It absorbed well into the skin without feeling greasy and my skin felt soft and hydrated in the morning. I will say that I tend to apply my night cream and then read in bed for about an hour or so before laying down. By the time I lay down to sleep the cream absorbed really well so there were no pillow smears (which occasionally happens with some night creams). If applying this at night I would wait a few minutes before laying down. You don’t need the full hour, five to ten minutes before you go to bed is plenty of time for it to absorb into the skin before your head hits the pillow.
Just to test it out during the day I did try applying the cream a couple of mornings. While it worked well during the day, I did notice that I attracted a bit more interest from the local insect community than usual. I know that sounds a little strange, but I applied my moisturizer, had my coffee and then worked on my autumnal garden chores. The scent of the cream was still fairly strong since I didn’t apply any products over the moisturizer at that time.
I didn’t get more bug bites. I was not nipped, bitten or stung, but I felt thoroughly investigated by the denizens of the garden for the first twenty or so minutes I was outside. Then everyone left me alone. I thought I might be imagining it so I did try a second morning and the same thing happened.
Again there were no bug bites, but I think the initial scent was interesting to everyone. Once it faded I was fine and I ceased to be of interest. I think if I weren’t doing my garden chores right away and the scent of the moisturizer had time to fade I would have been fine. It was just still warm and I was trying to beat the sun. If I hadn’t been trying to race the heat and went about my normal day it wouldn’t have happened. It’s just sort of interesting to note. Not problematic, just kind of amusing.
While the length of time I used it wasn’t enough to see any results, I did notice the dry spots from sun damage were less dry and less damaged. I think the dryer your skin the more you will like this cream, which makes me want to try it out in the winter time. And probably why using it as night cream worked so well for me. I tend to go heavier on the cream at night and leave it to soak in while I sleep.
The full sized jar of Miss Honey and Mr. Flower Honey Cream retails for $42 and the question is would I spend that to try out a full sized jar? Yes, I think I would. I really liked this as a night cream and I think if nothing else I would continue to use this as a night cream. It is one of those creams that I suspect I could use in the winter when my skin is drier, but probably not in the summer time because it is a little too hydrating for summer days and my normal zoned skin. So now I know the best time in which to try this cream to give it the best chance for working well with my skin. This is the second product I have tried and liked from Banila Co and I am really glad Glossy Box put them back on my radar. Hopefully this time I won’t let them fall off the radar.
For those interested in doing a little shopping of their own, Benefit Cosmetics is having a Friends & Family Sale. You can score 20% off ALL orders using the code FRIENDS20. Valid 10/5-10/8. Personally Bad Gal Bang Mascara, Gold Rush Blush, and the Pearl Porefessional Primer are among my favorite Benefit products.
Ms. Mimsy Reviews 