I was excited to receive a sample of Atopalm’s Intensive Moisturizing Cream. My teenage daughter has eczema and gets dry pathes on her face. Here is info on what Atopalm claims to do and why I wanted her to try it:
Formulated for dry, sensitive skin, Atopalm’s rich, emollient, yet non-greasy formulas are designed for skin suffering from allergies, rosacea dryness and sensitivity in need of gentle yet powerful treatment.Each paraben-free Atopalm product is powered by Dermatologist and Ophthalmologist tested MLE-Multi Lamellar Emulsion formulas—plant derived ingredients that mimic skin’s natural structure and restore skin’s protective moisture barrier system. This unique complex hydrates, soothes and calms skin in distress, leaving dry, sensitive skin visibly renewed.
· Intensive Moisturizing Cream($30): This rich, hydrating formula for dry, sensitive skin nourishes skin with a unique vitamin, antioxidant blend, for a healthy, vibrant complexion. The gentle yet effective cream calms the symptoms of eczema and rosacea, as well as skin recovering from facial treatments such as microdermabrasion.
· Daytime Undermakeup Moisture Cream ($18): This restorative, moisturizing cream provides a smooth foundation for even, long-lasting makeup application. Infused with nourishing Vitamin E and antioxidants, the gentle yet hydrating cream supports beautiful, healthy skin.
· Moisturizing Skin Revitalizing Complex($35): This powerful yet gentle rejuvenating formula helps reduce the appearance of fine lines, roughness, wrinkles and laugh lines and helps brighten skin with a unique peptide complex infused with Vitamin C and licorice root.
What I think: My daughter used the Intensive Moisturizing Cream at night on her eczema, and by morning her skin looked much better. She said that it didn’t itch as much either, which is a big plus!
Visit www.atopalmusa.com to learn more about this line and to purchase. Enjoy!
NeoStrata Skin Active Comprehensive Antiaging Regimen
NeoStrata Skin Active Comprehensive Antiaging Regimen ($79.00 USD)
A comprehensive antiaging system of potent professional products with active benefit ingredients clinically proven to work synergistically to address all of the visible signs of aging.
Stimulate cell turnover to enhance skin texture and clarity while preparing the skin for optimal treatment benefits with an anti-aging facial cleanser with Gluconolactone and Maltobionic Acid
Repair skin’s matrix support structure and reduce the appearance of uneven pigment with a daytime moisturizer that firms, smoothes, and protects the skin with Peptides, NeoGlucosamine™ and Retinol
Target crow’s feet and puffiness with a multi-mechanistic approach that plumps the deep layers of the skin, smoothing lines and wrinkles from the inside out so the eye area appears more lifted
Restore skin’s essential cells, rebuild the deep skin matrix and reduce oxidative damage with a reparative night cream for skin that is firmer, more lifted and vibrant
“Since the effects of intrinsic aging and photodamage on skin are multi-factorial, no single ingredient can address them all”.
The NeoStrata SKIN ACTIVE system is made up of four high-performance products, each formulated to deliver outstanding rejuvenating effects, including significant improvement in the appearance of deep wrinkles, crow’s feet, sagging and uneven pigmentation. When used as a daily regimen, complementary mechanisms of action work synergistically in all skin layers to achieve even greater results. These products are:
1. Exfoliating Wash: Cleanses without irritation; formulated to stimulate cell renewal; lightly exfoliates without over drying to prepare skin for optimal treatment benefits.
2. Matrix Support SPF 20: Formulated to repair the matrix support structure, increase cell turnover and reduce the appearance of uneven pigment for firmer, smoother, more luminous skin. Includes three clinically proven technologies, each with a unique action, for greater skin repair and strengthening, along with a potent antioxidant complex to help protect against further damage to the skin matrix.
3. Cellular Restoration: Designed to synergistically restore skin’s essential cells, rebuild the deep skin matrix and reduce oxidative damage for skin that is firmer, more lifted and vibrant. Employs a multi-mechanistic approach to rejuvenating cellular function and strengthening skin’s underlying structure.
4. Intensive Eye Therapy: Builds and plumps the layers of delicate skin around the eye. The eye area appears more lifted and luminous, and crow’s feet are smoothed from the inside out. Caffeine helps deflate puffiness, while hyaluronic acid acts as a natural moisture magnet.
Developmental studies for NeoStrata SKIN ACTIVE show high efficacy, good tolerability and remarkable results. In Consumer Use Testing, users of the full regimen reported noticeable benefits beginning as early as 1 month and continuing through 3 and 6 months of use.
93% observed smoother skin texture, more even skin tone, and less noticeable lines/wrinkles with regimen use
86% reported smaller pore size and more lifted skin appearance
93% preferred the SKIN ACTIVE regimen to their usual regimen
What I think: This is an interesting concept as a regimen. The steps are different than usual systems. After cleansing, I apply the Matrix Support, which has the texture like a moisturizer with SPF — then I apply the Cellular Restoration which feels like a serum, and is a bit greasy. It’s almost backwards. I have no problem do this at night, but I only use the Matrix Support in the day because I find it difficult to apply my makeup over the Cellular Restoration. I do really love the eye cream as it soaks in instantly and plumps the skin up around my eyes.
I have only been using this for a few weeks, but I do see more even skin tone. To learn more and purchase, visit www.neostrata.com. Enjoy!
Boots is one of the United Kingdoms top cosmetic and skin care companies. I have recently tried their No7 line which is a range of hypoallergenic and dermatologically tested products using trusted ingredients. Women in the UK have been using Boots No7 for over 75 years, so they must know something, right? I LOVE the following products because they all address aging problems and have the ingredients to fight them!
Radiance Revealed Exfoliator ($9.99 USD) — This light and gentle facial exfoliator deeply cleanses, removes dead skin cells and refines pores, leaving skin soft, smooth and glowing with health. With grapefruit and watercress to help purify, plus pro-vitamin B5 to hydrate the skin.
I love how this scrub leaves skin soft and very smooth. It should be used once or twice a week. Gently massage a small amount onto cleansed, damp skin. Wash away thoroughly with warm water.
Protect & Perfect Beauty Serum ($19.99 USD) — Reveal younger looking, beautifully refined skin with this powerful blend of caring and skin restoring ingredients. Light and non-greasy, it glides on instantly softening and smoothing your skin. Then, with regular use, it works to renew your complexion, restoring radiance and helping to reduce the appearance of pores, fine lines and wrinkles in just 4 weeks. With concentrated levels of unique antioxidant complex and skin-firming pro-retinol complex to boost and maintain skin’s elasticity.
This is a very popular anti-aging serum in the UK so I was very excited to use it — and it did not disappoint. It is so light and is absorbs quickly, then makes the skin so soft and silky. Use day and night to supplement a moisturizing regime. Apply a small amount of serum to the palms of the hands and smooth over the face, avoiding the eye area. Finish with moisturizer.
Intensive Line Filler ($17.99 USD) — This is a clever quick-fix that leaves skin looking softer, smoother and more youthful looking. With light-diffusing particles to blur away the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. It’s been created to improve the appearance of deeper wrinkles too, with skin looking plumper and less lined in just 2 weeks. It’s all down to an exciting new development: hyaluronic acid spheres. They absorb water in the upper layers of the skin and inflate to many times their original size, appearing to push wrinkles up and away from within.
I love the instant lift to my skin’s texture that this gives. Plus, it gave my whole face a youthful plumping after just a few weeks uses. Smooth onto the places most vulnerable to expression lines: around your mouth and eyes, between your brows and across your forehead. Follow with No7 Time Resisting or Lifting and Firming moisturizers.
Always on the look out for ways to make my 40 something skin look fabulous, I have been using this one-two punch from Olay at night for a few weeks. The products are the Olay Professional Pro-X Advanced Cleansing System and the Olay Regenerist Advanced Anti-Aging Moisturize Night Resurfacing Elixir. They are from two different Olay lines, but they work together to help aging skin look younger and glowy. The products are:
Olay Professional Pro-X Advanced Cleansing System ($29.99 USD) — This includes a battery-powered brush with bristles that rotate to cleanse the skin deeply plus Pro-X Exfoliating Renewal Cleanser. Designed by a team of dermatologists along with Olay, the Advanced Cleansing System claims to be as effective as a system sold by skin professionals for nearly $200.
I have not tried the higher end systems (like the Clarisonic), but I really do like this one. I have used it with the Exfoliating Renewal Cleanser and with other cleansers as well. To use, dampen facial skin and brush head lightly with water. Dispense cleanser in your hand and massage over face. Turn on cleansing brush and gently move around the face for approximately 60 seconds. Avoid the eye area. Rinse face and brush head with water. After cleansing, skin is soft and so clean!
After cleansing, I apply Olay Regenerist Advanced Anti-Aging Moisturize Night Resurfacing Elixir. What does it do?
When applied each night, the non-greasy, fast-absorbing formula with glycolic acid works over a normal sleep cycle to give you uninterrupted exfoliation while antioxidants and moisturizers continuously provide soothing hydration to tighten skin’s surface
Light glycolic peel resurfaces skin nightly for tighter, smoother skin
This treatment is a great daily exfoliater and is easy because it does its work while you are sleeping! I have noticed that my skin is tighter and my skin tone is more even. I have very sensitive skin and it makes my skin a little red, but doesn’t irritate. When I wake up in the morning, my skin looks brighter and smoother.
The combo of a good cleansing and nighttime treatment has really started to improve my skin. Olay is always introducing technologically advance products at really affordable prices. So go ahead and try these. Visit www.olay.com to learn more and you can purchase at drugstores and mass market retailers near you. Enjoy!
Strangely enough, I find that as my skin ages, it becomes more sensitive. I was excited to try a new sensitive skin cream from StriVectin hoping that it would address some of my anti-aging concerns without making it red and uncomfortable.
The product is called StriVectin-SD® for Sensitive Skin Intensive Concentrate for Stretch Marks & Wrinkles ($79.00 USD). A mouthful, I know, but a really great product. The claim is that it is, “is an anti-aging powerhouse, developed exclusively for sensitive skin. 100% of StriVectin’s collagen-building, wrinkle-reducing, anti-aging power. And none of the oils or fragrances that cause irritation and leave sensitive skin vulnerable to accelerated aging.”
This cream is for the 49% of women 25+ with sensitive skin who are battling the signs of aging. When using conventional products, they are prone to redness, dryness, flare-ups, burning and stinging. It includes the benefits of collagen building, wrinkle-reducing, anti-aging power with no oils or fragrances. Through NIA-114™, it strengthens skin’s protective layer so wrinkles diminish, tone evens and texture smoothes. Sensitive skin feels less sensitive.
StriVectin-SD® for Sensitive Skin is fragrance-free, oil-free, paraben-free, allergen-free, and artificial dye-free. This soothing formula contains Nia-114, active peptides, rose & cucumber extracts, and oat kernel extract to deliver powerful results in a gentle way.
What I think: The very first time I used this product, I noticed immediate smoothing and brightening of my skin. It was very surprising. So many face creams make my skin red at first, before the benefits kick in, so I am not used to such fast results.
I have now been using the cream twice a day for a few weeks and love using it. It hydrates my dry, winter skin leaving it feeling soft and nourished. My skin looks noticeably younger because of the glow and smoothness it imparts.
I highly recommend the StriVectin-SD® for Sensitive Skin Intensive Concentrate for Stretch Marks & Wrinkles for the face. I haven’t tried it on my stretch marks, but I bet it would help. You can purchase this at www.strivectin.com and www.sephora.com
Love QVC and tarte? QVC is lucky to carry select tarte products before they are available anywhere else. I tried a couple of fun tarte eye makeup products recently — the smooth operator™ Amazonian clay eye base and the emphasEYES™ aqua-gel eyeliner in indigo shimmer.
I have recently become a fan of eye base. A good one smooths the eyelid and increase the staying power of eye shadows. Tarte’s smooth operator™ Amazonian clay eye bas is naturally brightening and utilizes the intuitive power of Amazonian clay to balance oily lids and hydrate dry areas around the eye. The waterproof primer leaves your lids soft and smooth, allowing shadow to remain truer to color and last all day.
skinvigorating™ ingredients:
· beeswax: is used as a waterproofing agent, and creates a natural protective barrier between the skin and the environment
· Vitamins A: antioxidant that helps remove free radicals, promotes collagen production and retains moisture
· Vitamin C: inhibits melanin oxidation which improves skin’s brightness and clarity
· Vitamin E: natural preservative that also acts as an anti-inflammatory emollient and protects against free radical damage
· Amazonian Clay: this nutrient rich clay is extracted from the banks of the Amazon River where the nutrients are at their highest concentration. As nature’s most perfect ingredient this multitasking and total skin balancing clay has been known to:
o Remove surface oil to mattify lid area
o Hydrate dry area around the eyes
o Give skin area around the eyes an overall smooth and even appearance
o Reduce the appearance of dryness and flakiness
o Improve the appearance of skin clarity and texture
I love the matte finish of this primer. If you are in a hurry, applying this then a little eyeliner and mascara well get you out of the house quick and looking great! But if you do apply shadows over it, they will last all day long!
The revolutionary emphasEYES™ aqua-gel eyeliner has been around for awhile now. It claims to capture the high pigment concentration and staying power of a gel pot in an effortless pencil, no brush required! Even more unique is the proprietary formula which encapsulates rich mineral pigments in a 50% water concentration. By a process of hydrous pigmentation, cooling and refreshing pure water absorbs into skin to hydrate and replenish the delicate eye area, leaving behind an intense, long-wearing and pigment-rich color. Fortified with vitamin E, cucumber and aloe this soothing aqua-gel eyeliner maintains moisture balance in the skin while treating with healing free radical fighters.
Skinvigorating™ benefits:
Water: pure water delivers and retains moisture to replenish and hydrate skin
Aloe leaf extract: soothing, healing and antiseptic properties help maintain moisture balance in the skin
Cucumber extract: rich in vitamins A &C and helps soothe skin
Mineral pigments: colors and dyes derived from natural minerals soothe and soften the skin
Vitamin E: natural preservative acts as an anti-inflammatory emollient and fights free radical damage
Due to this unique formula:
DO NOT over advance the pencil tip. Due to the soft nature of this formula breakage may occur of pencil tip is over-advanced.
ALWAYS secure cap tightly after use to prevent drying.
Indigo shimmer is the new color exclusive to QVC. It is very dark, almost a black-blue with a little bit of shimmer. Very dramatic. I love rimming my eyes with this pencil before going out. The only thing is that the formula is so soft that you have to apply it very lightly. I have broken off the tip a couple of times. But the pigment pay-off and smoothness of application is worth it.
Both product are formulated without:
parabens
mineral oil
petrolatum
phthalates
sodium lauryl sulfate
synthetic dye
synthetic fragrance
Visit www.qvc.com to learn more and to purchase. Enjoy!
L'Oreal Paris Age Perfect Hydra-Nutrition Day/Night Cream
My skin is getting drier as the weather gets colder. I usually have to amp up my hydration during the winter months, and L’Oréal Paris’ Age Perfect Hydra-Nutrition is the perfect nourishing day/night cream to help skin stay soft.
Specifically designed for mature skin and perfect for women who don’t have time to follow an extensive skincare regime (day treatment, day lotion, night treatment, night cream, etc.), Age Perfect Hydra-Nutrition treats skin to deep hydration and intense nutrition in one step and can be used both morning and night. The cream combines a unique Nutrient Complex enriched with calcium,and it envelopes skin to effectively nourish parched, sagging skin and leave it supple, fortified and resilient. Plus, the always classy Diane Keaton is the face of the product.
What I think: I love the texture of this product. It is almost like a balm, so thick. But it melts right into the skin and doesn’t leave it greasy, just really soft. I even use it in the morning before applying makeup. It keeps me hydrated all day long and my skin looks so smooth.
Price: $16.59, Available at www.lorealparis.com and chain drug, food and mass market retailers. Enjoy your younger looking skin!
REN Keep Young And Beautiful SH2C Serum ($75.00 USD) is youth in a bottle! This light and lovely serum is gentle enough to use twice a day, but has really made a difference in the clarity of my skin.
So what exactly is this miracle product? The REN website states that its, “an advanced bio active serum formulated to keep skin looking smoother, firmer, younger and more radiant.”
Results:
Reduces and prevents the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
Skin looks plumper, firmer, lifted
Gives skin a healthy, glowing radiance
Corrects and evens skin tone
Keeps skin looking younger for longer
Bio Active Ingredients:
Hexapeptides from yeast stimulate skin renewal and synthesis of skin firming proteins
Native peptides act as a safe alternative to Botox to smooth expression lines, also encouraging natural collagen filling of fine lines
Glycosaminoglycans from corn provide lasting hydration, whilst hyaluronic acid increases moisture levels to plump up the skin
Sirtuin increases the longevity of skin cells to promote natural repair of sun damaged skin, whilst vitamin C corrects skin tone, illuminates and brightens the complexion
How to use:
Apply onto clean skin, follow with moisturizer. Use morning and night.An advanced bio active serum formulated to keep skin looking smoother, firmer, younger and more radiant.
Visit www.renskincare.com to learn more and to purchase this fantastic serum!
Looking for a high quality, affordable foundation? Yves Rocher’s new Replumping Serum Foundation ($14.00 USD) aims to plump, comfort, and give radiance to your skin.
The claim: The 1st Yves Rocher foundation, which concentrates at the heart of a formula of sensorial touch and maximum comfort, includes 4 high performance rose extracts. Your moisturized and plumped skin regains its suppleness for an instantaneous, “fresh complexion” effect. Signs of fatigue and fine lines are reduced, skin texture is smoothed. Your complexion is perfectly even without a “mask” effect. Formula tested under dermatological supervision. The Plus: Its pump-bottle dispenses the correct dose.
What I think: I love good-for-the-skin makeup and a combination foundation and serum is fabulous. This one glides on nicely and blends well into my skin, leaving a natural, glowing look. My skin looks fresh and not cakey with it on.
Forty, Flirty & Fabulous 