pur~lisse is a product line created by Jennifer Yen utilizing science and Chinese beauty secrets to create products good for you. You’ll find most products have either Blue Lotus Flower or White Tea (antioxidant) in them.

pur~moist ($65.00) is a moisturizer that feels like a hybrid of gel and cream. It absorbs quickly, and it keeps skin hydrated throughout the day. What I particularly liked about this moisturizer was it helped calm any redness I had in my face (which, admittedly is not a major concern nor obvious). I couldn’t detect any noticeable scent to it–seemed non-fragrance to me. This particular moisturizer doesn’t contain SPF, so you’ll need to use something else to cover you on sun protection (though they have pur-protect, which does include SPF). The only downside to this product is the price; you should easily get two to three months worth of usage out of the tube, though. Also, since it is in a tube rather than a jar, you can worry less about getting bacteria in it and oxygen exposure. Always a good thing!

pur~delicate ($38.00) is a cleanser designed for all skin types, and it is a non-foaming milky cleanser. It uses soy milk (along with soy proteins) as one of its key ingredients. You’ll also find extracts of oatmeal and white tea in it. Because it doesn’t really lather or foam up, it doesn’t strip your skin of its natural oils, so it shouldn’t dry you out. It does a great job of removing dirt and makeup and leaving your skin feeling clean (but not that squeaky clean feeling of tightness). As far as packaging goes, it uses an airless pump, so you can control how much product you need (one pump should do ya!) and keep it sanitary and out of oxygen’s reach. There’s no real fragrance to it, which further lends credence to its claim of being non-irritating for all skin types.

visit Sephora.com to purchase

Clarisonic ($195.00) is one of those products you tend to hear raves about, but you take one look at the price tag and run in the other direction. But you’re always wondering, “Does it actually work? Is it worth it?”

Yes, and yes. Most definitely.

The Clarisonic Skin Care System was developed by the creators of the Sonicare toothbrush. I look at this in a similar way–the Sonicare toothbrush price tag shocked people, but it does give you a great clean. It’s a purchase that saves you money elsewhere in your life. The toothbrush kept you from going to the dentist as often for problems (or minimized problems found during your regular visits), and the Clarisonic does the same. You get a better clean, which lets other skincare products absorb better–you know, that pricey serum you purchased may have better results because of the increased absorption.

Here’s the other big reason why both sonic systems work: the timer. You’re supposed to brush your teeth for two minutes (30 seconds per side), and because the Sonicare lets you know when to switch sides, you actually brush for that length of time. Same idea on the Clarisonic; you can choose between one minute and two minutes cleansing times, and it will beep approximately every thirty seconds. We are all busy, busy people, so we often don’t think about whether we are properly cleansing. A few weeks ago, I read about a study where people who washed their hands properly with regular soap had the same amount of bacteria leftover as those who washed properly with antibacterial soap–because the key was washing your hands properly, getting underneath the nails and giving yourself enough time.

So, let me tell you how my skin has changed as a result of using this product for the past four weeks! Continue reading »

M LAB is a line of products designed by Milbar Laboratories, which challenged their scientists to create skincare products without any limitations–they could use the most efficacious and luxurious ingredients and formulations, and as a result, M LAB products use high levels of clinically active ingredients to fight against signs of aging.  According to the brand, “Professional clinical testing has validated the results and expectations of the M LAB™ product line. Demonstrable effects and positive changes will quickly be seen by you and others. Study results indicate our formulation approach produces skin firming, the reduction of fine lines and wrinkles and the improvement of skin clarity, color and texture.”

Let me tell you what I thought about M LAB’s Travel Kit!  Continue reading »

Philosophy Purity Made Simple ($20.00 to $40.00) is a cult favorite when it comes to finding a gentle, one-stop cleanser.  The original is a creamy formula with no real lathering/foaming properties.  They recently launched a version that is high-foaming, which is not a creamy formula, and instead pumps out as a foam and then lathers up a bit more while applied.  Purity Made Simple is a 2008 Sephora Beauty Award Winner, as well as an Allure Award winner in 2007 selected by readers.   It is an “emulsifying cleanser” that gently cleanses while removing dirt and makeup.  The original version was actually designed not to foam!

How does it pan out?  Foaming or emulsifying? Let me tell you!  Continue reading »

Shiny skin got you down?  You should check out Philosophy’s Never Let Them See You Shine line.  The line is a trio of products, consisting of a primer ($20.00), a cleanser ($20.00), and a scrub ($20.00).  

The primer feels smooth, velvety - it sinks into the skin and helps keep your makeup looking fresher all day.  The primer both mattifies and keeps oil away throughout the day, which allows you to reduce the shine and oily appearance on your face.  My skin is pretty normal, but on occasion my forehead might get a touch oily.  I found this never happened when I wore the primer.

Let me tell you about the cleanser and exfoliating scrub!  Continue reading »

Last week, when I shared with you what I kept in my shower, I briefly told you of the merits of MAC’s Volcanic Ash Exfoliator ($19.00). It’s such a great product that it deserves its own, official review. Volcanic Ash is both a foaming and exfoliating scrub, which makes it different from the typical exfoliator (most do not have any foaming action). The exfoliants the product use are the volcanic ash and sugar crystals. The volcanic ash is from the island of Vanuatu, and it contains minerals and sulfur from “deep within the earth.”

While all that fancy-speak may or may not be marketing (or some combination of marketing and truth), one usage and the results speak for themselves. The exfoliators dissolve as you gently massage it into your skin, and when you add a little more water, the cleanser will foam up. I personally like that they dissolve, because it helps you time your cleansing; plus, you don’t get little grains or beads stuck on your face post-use. The only downside of the product is that it is a messy/dirty product in the sense that it is black ash that you put on your skin, so it’ll turn your face a dirty gray/black. This in turn makes it difficult to wash over the sink sometimes. I tend to use mine in the shower, because then I don’t have to worry about dirtying up my sink area. It’s really a minor point, because after a few usages, you get pretty good at rinsing and not making a mess.

I love this product so much, I wish I could use it everyday, but alas, you are only supposed to use it one to three times per week. You can use this product on your face or body, which makes it a multi-tasker. To be honest, I love it too much (and it’s sold out everywhere near me), I save it for my face. It’s a good-size tub of product (4.5 oz), but if I started using it for my body, I’d go through it much too fast. I really hope MAC brings this back and makes it permanent–it could be such a cult product, I know it.

Bottom line, this stuff makes your face feel soft as buttery silk. Get it if you can get your hands on it! (C’mon, $19? It’s a total steal!)

The first time I wrote about Olivella, I had tried their Moisturizer Oil. This time I want to tell you about their Cleansing Tissues ($7.50/pack of 30), which are make-up removing towelettes. I know a few of you using the Oil Cleansing Method, so this might be an option for those who need a quick and easy method from time to time. I always advocate getting a package of makeup removing wipes to anyone who has lazy days–days where you don’t want to spend the time to properly remove your makeup. Wipes make it easy, and they make it ridiculously quick. You can do it while you’re promptly passing out on your bed at 1AM. Not only that, but they’re portable, so you can take them with you whenever you’re heading to your girlfriend’s place for the night.

Olivella’s Cleansing Tissues feel remarkably gentle on skin. A lot of times I want to use a wipe, because I get lazy, but then I don’t like how some of them feel on my skin. This is not the case with Olivella. They feel soft while you use them, and they leave your skin feeling refreshed and clean. There’s not much of a scent, either, which most wipes do have. The wipes contain 100% virgin olive oil (part of the philosophy of Olivella), which has proven to be incredibly beneficial to skin. Plus, I know there are quite a few international readers–Olivella is based in Italy, so they have a much larger distribution than some other brands I have reviewed.

So, not only are these better than the cheap drugstore ones I have laying around, they aren’t expensive. You get thirty in a package, and the price is $7.50–that’s 25 cents a wipe. I can afford that! By the way, makeup removing wipes are also fabulous for quickly cleaning brushes in-between applications; they’re so multi-functional, so they definitely have a place in my limited bathroom space!

Plank’s Cor Soap ($125.00) is something that sort of makes me go, “WHAT?!” because $125 for a 120-gram bar of soap? It is a facial soap, but it is designed to basically do everything in your skincare regimen: revives, plumps, tones, balances, deep cleans, and heals surface skin. To apply, massage gently into skin for one minute, and then keep the foam on for three to four minutes. According to Plank, one bar of Cor soap will last you six months, and if it truly does it all, then it’s not such a bad concept. The product contains silver, silica, collagen, chitosan, and sericin as its main ingredients, which are micronized in such a way that they are bettle able to penetrate the layers of the skin. Cor soap’s pH is supposed to be similar to the natural pH of skin, so it should be good for all skin types.

Silver helps destroy bacteria while also speeding up growth and repair of skin cells. Silica helps get everything to the dermis layer of the skin. Four types of collagen are found in Cor soap, including marine collagen, which gets into the dermis layer of the skin. Chitosan is a natural fiber that helps to even out skin tone as well as help with cell regeneration. Sericin is a soluble protein from silk that’s moisture-binding and film-forming, it helps form a protective film to lock in moisturizer and give protection against the sun.

I used Cor for two weeks, and it didn’t cause me any additional skin problems. I also found that it helped keep my skin moisturized throughout the day, and it lathered and foamed nicely in the shower. However, like soaps in general, it gives me this squeaky clean kind of feeling on the skin. I can’t really describe it, but I’m pretty sure you know what I’m talking about… skin isn’t necessarily tight so much as that if you attempt to run your hand across it, it gets stuck or jagged. Anyway, I hate that feeling, which is why I use body washes and not soaps! So for me, this is a personal preference, and I can’t see myself opting for this. I also don’t feel right just using one product–I feel like I need more, whether or not that’s really true is an entirely different story.

Here is one great thing, though. You can give Cor a chance by picking up a sample size that should last you two weeks or so, and it’s only $12! Now, at $12, it makes it worth giving it a shot to see if it can replace all of your cleansers, toners, etc.  Learn more or purchase at www.plankdesigns.com.

Olay is one of those brands that everybody has heard of, but you may or may not have tried. It has been around for so many years, you may have tried it eons ago, disliked it, and written it off (or loved it and have forgotten about it!)–but now is the time to head to your nearest drugstore to peruse Olay’s Definity line.

Definity is Olay’s line for “highly defined anti-aging” products. In just eight weeks, consumers should see a difference in their skin when using Olay Definity products–from brown sputs, dullness, unevenness, and wrinkles. These days, so many products tout scientific breakthroughts, miracle ingredients, and jaw-dropping pricetags. It’s hard to keep up, and I have always found that Olay makes it easy to figure out the right skincare regimen for you. For Definity, Olay is emphasizing its usage of the Glucosamine Complex, which is meant to help your skin retain moisture better, increase the regeneration of collagen, smooth lines and wrinkles, and increase your skin’s luminosity.

What products are in the Definity range? Continue reading »

C’watre is a brand that labels itself as “oceanic skin care,” which does make you think of spas, gentleness, and natural ingredients. They use “molecularly stimulated ocean water” as an essential ingredient in their products. They also mention that they are sure to only use ingredients in such amounts that they are effective. As an interesting aside, the nutrients and minerals found in sea water are incredibly similar to the molecular makeup of human blood plasma and spinal fluid (you learn something new everyday!).

C’watre as a brand embodies a fusion between Japanese traditions and American innovation to create an enjoyable line that is easy on the skin. Whenever I learn or try out a brand that often utilizes scientific terms or special ingredients, like sea water, I get a little nervous about the cost. C’watre isn’t cheap, and while some of their products are affordable, others are more of mid to high range in terms of skin care. They’re no La Mer, but they aren’t your Olay, either.

I tried the Kanreki Wash… was it worth it?  Continue reading »