Olay Body Quench Mousse (Active Hydration) ($7.99) is an amazingly powerful moisturizer. I say this because it doesn’t feel moisturizing to the touch, and you just don’t feel like something as light as a mousse consistency can be would give you all-day moisturization. But alas, it actually does.

It dries nearly instantaneously, which is a huge plus, because I often hate having to wait for a heavy body butter to dry–especially in the morning when it’s “go, go, go!”

It absorbs quickly, and yet it lasts quite awhile - I find my legs are still silky smooth at the end of the day, which is quite a feat considering how inconsistent I am with lotioning my legs up (aka they’re scarily scaley sometimes). I am definitely pleased to have this around for beach-going days, underneath my body sunscreen. It’s also great for when I need something quick and easy so I don’t scare people away with my dragonscales!

Darphin Fibrogene Line Response Nourishing Serum ($165.00) is designed with Omega 3, 6, and 9 to help minimize the appearance of your first signs of aging, lines, and wrinkles while moisturizing dry skin throughout the day. As part of the Fibrogene Line Response Nourishing line, which also includes a cream and balm (both $150 each), the serum is easily the most potent of the three options.

The Fibrogene line is targeted towards those with incredbily dry skin to help aleviate dry, tightened skin. It is also supposed to give skin a “healthy serving of lipids” and combat against initial signs of aging. I definitely consider this a luxury skincare product, and while it is still remarkably less than some other high-end brands and their serums, it is still up there on the scale.

The serum is best used during the morning and to help with tired or stressed out dry skin. According to Darphin, key ingredients include shea butter, coriander oil, wheat sphingolipids, olive extract, vitamin F, jojoba oil, siegesbeckia extract, oligopeptide, and rosemary oil. Sphingolipids are currently believed to help protect the skin at a cellular level against environmental factors.

But results are important, right? I have not quite experienced any true signs of aging, I don’t think, but you can bet I will be hoarding this product in preparation for when I do. I enjoyed it as a lightweight morning moisturizer, but I did fin that the scent/fragrance was a bit intense for a facial product, and to be honest, it reminded me of an elegant, luxurious older woman. It comes in a pump-style bottle, which means you do not expose the product to as much light as a screw-top jar. You only need three quick pumps to cover both face and neck, which helps extend the amount of usages you will get out of the product–always a plus.

Visit www.darphin.com for more information about this and other Darphin products.

Olivella Moisturizer Oil ($21.95)

This product is categorized as a deep moisturizing treatment for both face and body, and thus, it is targeted for those with very dry skin. It is made from 100% virgin olive oil while it has a light floral scent. It is said to be rich in antioxidants and vitamins. You only need a drop or two to apply to face or body. It is best to do it shortly after a shower, because damp skin better absorbs the product without leaving much in the way of an oily residue. I do find that it takes anywhere from ten to fifteen minutes to totally absorb, which means this is not ideal for those who only have ten or fifteen minutes to get ready in the morning.

I like this product when I think about it as more of a treatment for incredibly dry skin that is best used shortly before bed, so you don’t have to worry about being oily at work or what have you. It can be purchased (and you can learn about Olivella products) at www.olivellasoap.com.

Would you use this product?  Have you?

CeraVe Moisturizing Cream ($14.99)

Ultra thick and creamy, this Moisturizing Cream is designed to help with the driest, cracked and chapped skin. It includes ceramides, glycerin, water, etc. to help fatty acid esters get deep into the skin. The product claims that you can moisturize once, and you will find yourself moisturized all day. Believe it! This is a great heavy cream for dry spots, cracked elbows, and the like, especially in the winter months. It is a little thick for everyday use for my personal skin, but I know others suffer dry skin year-round (like my sister!), so this is a fab product find for her. You get a 16 ounce tub of this moisturizer for a good price.

You can find CeraVe products at your local drugstore!

Have you tried this cream? Thoughts?

Estee Lauder Re-Nutriv Ultimate Youth Creme ($250.00) is a product I recently received to test. I want to put it plain that I did not purchase this product, so there is no confusion. I am by no means on an unlimited cosmetic budget, so for me to test a cream of this standard is a real treat, but I always desperately hope not to love it, and secretly desire it to fall flat on its face. Why? Because a face cream for $250.00 is not friendly to my budget. I preface this review with so much attention to the price because I now face a huge dilemma: there is something about this cream that has performed a small miracle on my face in the past three weeks of continuous use.

What it’s supposed to do: Resveratrate is the trademarked ingredient dubbed “The Youth Molecule” by Estee Lauder. It “is a more potent, stable, and time released form of Resveratrol.” This product is meant to extend the skin’s youthfulness so that time “stands still.” According to Estee Lauder, the skin will increase in its clarity, tone, and fine dry lines will be plumped by the moisturizer. There is science clearly involved, and they talk about “longevity genes” that regulate the lifespan of skin’s epidermal cells.

What it actually does: Based on testing it for three weeks as both a day and night moisturizer (and let me be honest, there were a few times I misplaced it, so I substituted, but generally speaking, I used this pretty religiously). After one week, I noticed something very impossible happening–my acne was vanishing. Now, this is not an acne-preventing product, it is an anti-aging product geared towards women in their late 20s and older. My diet hadn’t undergone any real change, water intake didn’t increase, and I hadn’t added any other products to my daily facial regimen.

I have never suffered from severe acne, but I get enough that it can be annoying, and there is always one that’s far too noticeable for my liking. Since using the Youth Creme, almost all of my noticeable acne has disappeared. I am not 100% clear-faced, but in my eyes, this is about as close as I could ever get. My skin looks much improved because of the blemishes being gone, but it is also more even and healthy looking. Every time I see my Mom, no matter what, she mentions how pale and sickly I look–but she didn’t say that when I saw her last week (first time since using the Youth Creme). She asked if I did something different with my makeup, because I looked healthier. Application is easy, as you don’t need much to cover the entire face, and it feels lightweight, but it still moisturizers quite well (despite wintry patches of skin). I also love that it dries quickly! There is no strong, overpowering scent, either - it kind of reminds me of a very subtle organic, maybe a touch of oatmeal scent that you can only distinguish if you put your nose in the jar. So to me, it’s nearly fragrance-free once it’s on my face.

So as I said, I face a serious dilemma: how am I going to be able to afford this in the future? I would like to note that the jar still seems mostly full, despite using it twice a day for three weeks. It gives me hope that I can stretch the jar over four to six months.

Do I recommend this product? I do and I don’t. I recommend it because it worked well for me, and the acne-miracle it worked for me would make it worth the price (how much money do I spend each month on products that only work minimally?) as the product jar should last me multiple months. I don’t, because I fear for your poor wallet if you fall in love with it as I have! You know that whole saying, “You can’t miss what you never had?” Exactly. So basically, I do recommend this product, but know that you may find yourself addicted!

Available now at www.esteelauder.com and Estee Lauder locations.

Have you encountered a similar dilemma before? What product led to your downfall? Did you become a loyal re-purchaser or have you been hunting for a less expensive alternative?

While many parts of the body are covered once the winter wind starts blowing, don’t forget to keep all your parts deliciously soft all year round!  Especially if you’re in the warmer parts, winter doesn’t always mean pants every day!  Here are four fabulous solutions to soothe that scaly skin.

Lancome Nutrix Royal Body ($34.00) is an incredibly luxe, entirely rich kind of body cream.  It is truly meant to help heal the driest of skin.  According to the description, it is equipped with Royal Lipideum, which helps to “supplement skin’s own natural lipids for intense hydration.”  Whatever that really means, I buy it.  I’m a believer, because this stuff really turned my dragonscales into gorgeous lady legs.  I have always suffered from drier legs with only sometimes-dry arms (used to be worse, but rarely get an issue in the past few years).  I find applying this in the morning provides me with a good amount of moisturization throughout the rest of the day.  For extra pampering, I’ll apply a light coat before bed and donning my stretchy yoga pants (don’t confuse this with the notion I exercise, they’re just comfy!) so I can awake with ridiculously supple skin.  Don’t let the price trick you–you get a huge TUB!  Honestly, it is more like a jug than a little jar you might expect when you buy a face cream.  For reference, most face creams come in 1 oz jars, and for $34.00, you get 7 oz.  Nearly half a pound! 

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Intensive Moisturizing Body Treatment ($25.00) is part of the miraculous eight-hour family (hands and lips complete the trio).  I adored what it could do for my hands, because I have to have a hand cream that sinks in quickly if I’m going to use it regularly.  The Body Treatment acts the same way; it absorbs into skin within minutes leaving behind no greasy or slippery feeling behind.  You just feel soft and re-hydrated, which is exatly what I want to feel.  The same pleasing scent of lemony-herb accompanies this lotion, but it is a very subtle scent that will probably go unnoticed.  Personally, thats a good thing, because I’d rather have the ability to spritz a perfume on without it being clogged by my body cream.  This is one skincare line that has won numerous Allure beauty awards, and I have to agree with the choice!

LUSH Running to the Embassy ($10.95) is exactly what it is described to be:  “a clean, minty-cool scrub for the feet.”  I found I got the best results when I applied this to rough, cracked skin around the elbows, feet, and knees and working it in for a few minutes.  After this, I would rinse them off in luke-warm water.  Results?  Oh, yes, indeed–incredibly soft skin that was practically smiling.  What I love about the body butters by LUSH is that they melt when they come into contact with the body as the heat melts it into your skin.  They work easily into the skin with your hands, and it is easy to rinse off the excess.  Running to the Embassy is meant as an exfoliating body butter to help slough off the dead skin and rough patches often found on feet.  You can easily use this on any part of the skin that cracks or is especially dry.

LUSH King of Skin ($11.95) is another body butter available by LUSH that is another hit in my house.  A subtle sent of sandalwood accompanies this moisturizing solution.  Body butters are great to use right after the shower, and what I like about King of Skin is that it sinks in so well that you don’t even need to rinse off afterwards like some of the other body butters.  I prefer this at night time, or on weekends, when I have time to give myself a bit of pampering.  When I’m in a rush, I find I turn to a lotion or cream (but to be honest, I tend to forget to use anything), like Dream Cream.

Missed part one?  Well, what are you waiting for–go read it!

While many parts of the body are covered once the winter wind starts blowing, don’t forget to keep all your parts deliciously soft all year round!  Especially if you’re in the warmer parts, winter doesn’t always mean pants every day!  Here are four fabulous solutions to soothe that scaly skin. 

vedaMAMA body creams ($50.00) in Relax and Scrumptious are both ultra hydrating, luxe creams targeted to soothe and moisturize the body.  Relax is a more typical body cream with a chocolate mint scent that restores the skin’s balance.  Cocoa butter is one of the main ingredients that helps to hydrate the skin, while peppermint helps to alleviate muscle soreness (hence the name “Relax”).  Scrumptious is a restorative body cream with shea butter to work actively against super dry skin.  Both creams contain organic coconut oil, Vitamin E, and Rosemary as some of their key ingredients.  Each cream comes in a cute little white tub with pink detailing, but I feel like the amount you get is small relative to the price.   I personally enjoyed both creams, but they aren’t far superior to other less expensive varieties.

LUSH Dream Cream ($20.95) is one of the first products I had ever tried by LUSH, and it is utterly fabulous.  I really love that it goes on easily, isn’t too thick of a cream, and it dries quickly.  I find that it does a good job hydrating my skin throughout the year.  I like that it is a year-round product, because I can maximize my usage out of it.  The amount of product you get relative to the amount you need to moisturize the body makes this a cost-effective choice.  It is lightly scented with a woody/natural scent.  If you’re familiar with LUSH products, you’ll instantly recognize it as one fo the scents of LUSH.  A part of me loves to dabble into these kinds of products, because I just know that they feel healthier and seem better for my skin because of their organic content.

bliss lemon+sage body butter ($35.00) comes in a large, bright blue tube.  The scent is actually incredibly pleasing; a light sweet lemony scent with an undertone of vanilla.  It’s a very luxe, thick cream, despite it’s tube packaging–so don’t let it confuse you as if it were a regular body lotion.  It contains both vitamin A and E, which are good antioxidants for your skin.   I found a little goes quite a ways, needing no more than a one inch “line” of cream for each leg (and mine always get a touch scaly come winter!).  Regular use of this completely eliminated any dryness, but if I stopped using it for more than two days, it would begin to return.  Although initially it seemed pricey and offended my delicate price sensibilities (okay, not really, these days I’m not usually shocked), knowing that it will last me six months or more makes it much easier to swallow and seem more in line with what I’d expect.  I can run through a tube of B&BW lotion in a month or two with regular usage because I find I need at least two inches of product, so it comes out to be roughly the same when the two are compared!

von Natur Grapefruit Whipped Butter ($42.00) is a thick cream (borderlines a solid, really, you kind of “scoop” out product because it’s so thick) with a very nice scent of grapefruit.  They advertise that “according to a study by Chicago’s Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation, the scent of grapefruit on a woman’s skin can make her appear up to six years younger.”  I can’t buy that personally, but maybe other people’s noses would say it about me (then again, I’m not particularly old, so I’m not the best test subject!).  Despite its thickness, the cream absorbs fairly quickly, which is always a plus, because nobody wants to sit around waiting for their skin to dry!  Lots of essential oils can be found in here (far too many to list), but you’ll find shea butter as a key ingredient, as well as organic jojoba oil.  You get a fair amount for your money, better than vedaMAMA, and you don’t need to use much to soothe your aching, dry skin.  ]

Stay tuned for part two of our body series featuring Lancome’s Nutrix Royal for Body, Lush’s King of Skin and Running to the Embassy body butters, and Elizabeth Arden’s 8-Hour Cream for Body!
 

If you remember anything about my skincare routine, I hope you remembered how much I absolutely adored Renee Rouleau’s AHA/BHA Cleansing Gel, which I don’t leave home without–it is just THAT fantastic!  Obviously, Renee Rouleau’s doing something right, so I thought I’d try a few more products!  (And now, since I was impressed by these, I am eager to try more!)

CALMING CHAMOMILE CLEANSER ($30.50)
I know many of my readers have sensitive skin, and this particular cleanser is meant to work with it in a gentle manner while doing its job flawlessly.  It is a creamy, water-soluble cleansing lotion with chamomile, aloe vera, and vitamins A and E.  It helps to remove dirt, oil, and makeup and let pores breathe.  It’s so easy to use, all you do is apply a dab to your skin and rub in circular motions into the skin for thirty seconds, wet your fingers, rub for another thirty seconds, then rinse with warm water (not hot).  I recommend this for those who have

SKIN DRINK ($33.50)
Skin Drink is a serum that’s purpose is to intensively hydrate the skin instantaneously.  It is actually quite refreshing, no doubt because one of the key ingredients is aloe vera, and cool to the touch.  You really only need about two drops of this stuff to fully cover the skin, and I find that through regular, near-daily use, a bottle will last me two months or more.  It is a great way refresh and pump skin full of moisture before applying moisturizer or after using a facial mask.  It is an oil-free serum, so those of you who worry about leaving a greasy film behind, worry not.  This serum sinks into skin and leaves no evidence behind.

Cream Extreme Barrier Repair ($75.00)

A healthy and glowing complexion is directly related to the optimal functioning of the skin’s barrier.  CREAM EXTREME features Osmotics’  BRT™  (Barrier Repair Technology), a patented combination of epidermal lipids clinically proven to repair, nourish and maintain healthy barrier function, thereby eliminating the underlying cause of dry skin.  In addition, this breakthrough technology dramatically improves moisture retention and increases penetration and absorption of antioxidants and vitamins. Ideal for post treatment care after peels, lasers and dermal procedures and extreme weather conditions. Skin becomes healthier and acts younger.

Physiological Lipids- these lipids occur naturally in the epidermis and are the key components of the skin’s barrier. When all three are used in the proper molar ratio, they restore the lipid balance (by forming lamellar membranes) and provide long-term barrier repair.  The three physiological (epidermal) lipids are: Chlosterol, Ceramides, Fatty Acids- including both non-essential and essential.  Also included are:  Non-Physiological lipids, Petrolatum, Lanolin, Glycerin, L-Carnosine, Linoleic Acid, Allantoin, and Tocopheryl Acetate.

What makes it worth it:  Let me preface this review by saying that I have had this product awaiting a test run for quite awhile, but I have only recently had sufficient reason to lust after a product of this caliber.  I recently experienced incredible dryness around my mouth–I cannot really figure out why, but I think it may have been a skin drying reaction from anti-acne production–and this was my MIRACLE product.  I had already been trying to moisturize twice a day, sometimes more, for that area, in addition to applying hydrocortisone cream to it (which is what my dermatologist recommended for dry/flaky eyelids).  That particular regimen just wasn’t working, it wasn’t making it better.  It would hide it for the day, but it didn’t FIX the problem.  Osmotics’ Cream Extreme was the answer to my problem.  This is an ultra rich moisturizer, but it dries quickly and doesn’t feel heavy.  It truly does create a barrier, locking moisture in.  In two days–yes, 48 hours later–and my dry, flaky skin had been resolved and turned back into normal, healthy skin.  For that, I am forever in debt to this product.  I fully recommend it.  I am so tempted to continue using it, but at $75 a pop, I will use this as a spot treatment for dryness as I experience it.

Why you might pass on it:  The price is quite hefty for most, but it is a definite must for truly eradicating dry, flaky skin.  If used as a treatment, and not a regular everyday moisturizer, this product should last you quite awhile.  Even using it as an everyday moisturizer, it should last you at least a month, if not two.  Anyone who has experienced skin that is visibly dry and literally flaking off will know that $75 is nothing to get back to gorgeous, naturally healthy skin.

Estee Lauder DayWear Plus ($38.00)

More than moisture. More than protection. DayWear Plus actively shields skin from the multiple assaults of the environment to help prevent lines before they appear—so your skin looks younger longer. The secret? An active response anti-oxidant system with a powerful blend of new and natural ingredients. A skin-friendly UVA/UVB screen you can wear AM and PM. An advanced dual moisture system to keep skin feeling moist and healthy.  Lightweight, oil-free creme. Dermatologist-, Ophthalmologist-tested.  Apply AM and PM after cleansing, and after applying your Repair Serum.

What makes it worth it: Oh my goodness, I fell in love with this rich moisturizer as soon as I put on my first application of it in the morning!  It is a luxuriously thick cream that dries quickly and leaves skin feeling incredibly smooth and hydrated.  The scent reminds me of cucumbers and cool days, I can’t quite put my finger on it.  It’s a subtle scent, so it’s perfect for a facial moisturizer.  I just honestly felt like I was pampering my skin with this product, and I will definitely be adding this to my list of staples.  A little goes a long way, which as I always say, is most excellent.  Oh, what else?  It contains SPF15, which is an essential item you need for your daily regimen.

Why you might pass on it: None!  Buy it today.  I adore this, and I can’t think of a single reason not to at least check it out and try out the texture for yourself.  The price is the only thing that could sway you, but I imagine one container will last me at least a month of use, so I’ll fork over the money for this lovely addition.

Find this product at Estee Lauder locations, www.esteelauder.com, and www.nordstrom.com.