Clinique All About Eyes Serum Review

I have said this before and I will say it again, I have horrible bags and dark circles.  Even though I know nothing short of cosmetic surgery and concealer will help, I still try to find that "miracle" product.  Well this ain't it!  Once again I got suckered into the claims of a product.  Having used this morning and night for about 2 months, I can give a pretty thorough review of this product.

Clinique's All About Eyes Serum claims to instantly cool and brighten to combat puffiness and dark circles.  The product is delivered through a tube with a metal roller ball.  I find that I have to pass the roller ball about 6 times on each eye to get the desired amount of product.  Once the serum is delivered, it absorbs quickly, not leaving behind a sticky residue.

While the massaging quality of the roller ball feels nice, it does nothing to help with the puffiness.  And I find it laughable that it claims to help with dark circles.  I'm assuming that the tiny light reflecting particles are supposed to "help" with the dark circles.  Not on me!  What I do like about it is that it is moisturizing and works well as a primer for my corrector and concealer.  While I like the moisturizing quality of the serum, I can get just as much moisture from the Burt's Bees eye cream (review on this here) for less.  I purchased this at the CCO for $21 though it retails at a Clinique counter for $26 for 0.5 oz of product.

I'm still on the hunt for a product that will help calm my bags down, but alas this one is not it.  I will use it up because, after all, I did pay for it.  Even though it did not work for me, skin care is very personal and it could work for someone with less of the baggage that my eyes come with.

Clarisonic Mia, Now At A Better Price

After getting an email from Sephora stating that I was now a V.I.B. (very important beauty insider, which means I have spent way too much money there), I started perusing their site.  I noticed that the Clarisonic Mia was now $30 less than its original price.  Down from $149, the Clarisonic Mia is now $119!  And they have all these great colors now.  I've already written a rave review about it here.  If you can afford it, get it!  But if Sephora has their annual Friends & Family sale next month, you can get it for 20% off which makes it under $100!  A steal in my opinion.  You can also catch it on QVC which sometimes runs specials on it.  Meanwhile, I'll still be having my love affair with mine.

Burt's Bees Radiance Eye Cream

I discovered Burt's Bees years ago because of their lip balms.  It wasn't until recently that I realized that they also had skin care products as well.  After going through my jar of Bobbi Brown Hydrating eye cream ($50), I decided that I would look for a more affordable eye cream.  I stumbled upon Burt's Bees Radiance eye cream at CVS and decided to try it.

I wanted something that was equally as moisturising as my Bobbi Brown eye cream.  This eye cream contained Royal Jelly which is a substance made by honeybees and contains nectar, pollen, flower parts, vitamins, minerals, and other natural ingredients.  I don't know if it is because of the Royal Jelly, but I find this product to be every bit as moisturising as the Bobbi Brown Hydrating eye cream.

Burt's Bees website says this:  "This highly-concentrated formula also contains chamomile, cucumber and rosehip extracts, which are known to promote skin renewal and reduce puffiness and swelling. Natural mica diffuses light to minimize the look of fine lines".  I don't really suffer from any eye wrinkles so I can not comment on it's effectiveness in that area.

I haven't noticed any reduction in puffiness or swelling.  But to be fair, I don't believe there is any product that can reduce my hereditary bags. 

The product itself is slightly thin, but not runny.  It absorbs quickly on me.  I use it both at night and in the morning under my makeup.  It does not interfere with my makeup.  In fact, I think it helps my concealer glide on better.

It is 98.2% natural but does have a fragrance.  I do not find the fragrance to a bother but do find it odd that they decided to put fragrance in the product, since it's supposed to be natural.

Overall, I enjoy this product and I recommend it for those looking for a moisturising eye cream.  It retails for $17.99 at drug stores.

MAC Blot Powder-'O How I Love Thee

It's no secret that I have oily skin.  To combat my mid-day disco ball-ness, I purchased the much raved about MAC Blot Pressed Powder.  It is a pressed powder that is supposed to absorb oil and keep the shine away.  I purchased mine in medium dark.  Although the powder appears to have a color to it, it shows up on the skin as translucent.  It comes with a cosmetic puff, however, I use my Ecotools retractable kabuki to buff it into my skin.  I can honestly say it works great for me and I wish I would have discovered it sooner.

It retails for $23 at MAC counters and maccosmetics.com.  Have you tried this product?  Do you like it?

Best Of 2010-Beauty Edition

It's 2011!  And I hope this post finds you in the best of health and happiness.  With all of the "best of" list that pop up for the end of the year, I wanted do my own beauty edition.  These are the products that were truly my favorite products for 2010.

Skin Care:  I can't say enough about the Clarisonic Mia.  It was the best beauty related item that happened to me in 2010.  It has changed my skin for the best!

Face:  2010 was a great year for me and NARS.  I discovered my Holy Grail foundation in their Sheer Matte.  It is so worth the $42 price tag.  I also have a love affair with their blushes.  Truly some of the best on the market.  If you haven't already, treat yourself to a NARS blush in 2011!

Brushes:  My two favorite brushes in 2010 were the MAC 130 short duo fibre brush and the Essence of Beauty smokey wide brush.  The MAC 130 brush is outstanding for cream blush as well as liquid foundation!  I love how it blends out my cream blushes to provide such a natural looking flush.  The Essence of Beauty smokey wide brush is a drug store gem.  Sold only at CVS, the wide side is a perfect  brow bone highlight brush and the thin side is perfect for outer V work on the eye.

Eyes:  My go to shadows for 2010 has been MAC Woodwinked and Ricepaper.  Woodwinked is a great all over lid color, perfect to give you that "awake" look.  Ricepaper is the perfect natural looking brow bone highlighter for tan skin.

Mascara:  I fell in love with 2 mascaras in 2010 and I am on my second tube for both.  Lancome Hypnose mascara and L'Oreal Voluminous are both outstanding mascaras for volume.  I love them both!

Lips:  I have found my go to nude lip combo with MAC Viva Glam II and Spree lipglass.  Viva Glam II is a pinky brown, great for tan skin and Spree just gives it that extra glitz when applied over it!

Perfume:  I fell in love with Juicy Couture (the original) perfume.  So much that I have a purse size for my hand bag for touch ups.  It was my favorite daytime fragrance for 2010.

Nails:  Essie polish took the trophy this year for its superb formula and awesome staying power.  I can't get enough of Essie polish.  The absolute best top coat is hands down Seche Vite.  Talk about making a manicure last and giving that great glossy shine.  It is a must have for my manicures!

These products have been staples in my daily life for 2010.  What were your favorite beauty products for 2010?

Clarisonic Mia-Skin Care Genius

Back in October, I purchased the Clarisonic Mia from the Sephora Friend's and Family sale.  It is something that I've had my eye on for a long while.  So when the opportunity came to get it at a 20% discount, I jumped.

What is the Clarisonic?  The Clarisonic is a cleansing tool.  It comes in three sizes, the Classic, the Plus, and the Mia.  The Mia is the smaller version, good for traveling.  The Clarisonic is a tool with an oscillating brush that aids in removing dirt and makeup from your skin.  According to their website, it removes six times more dirt and makeup than with manual cleansing.  It is not an exfoliator.  The brush has sonic movement that allows for a more effective removal of dirt, makeup, and oil from your pores. 

The Mia comes with one brush head, a sensitive brush head, that is really gentle on the face.  It has one speed only and stays on for 1 minute at a time.  It comes with a plink international charger.  The system also came with a Gentle Hydro Cleanser.

What does the Clarisonic do for your skin?  The Clarisonic claims to reduce the appearance of pores, reduce oily areas and dry patches, reduce blemishes, and reduce fine lines/wrinkles.  And finally, it claims to improve the overall texture of your skin.

What has been my experience?  I have truly enjoyed using my Clarisonic.  The first time I used it, I took off my makeup with a makeup remover wipe, then I used it with my regular Philosophy cleanser.  I was stunned at how much makeup was still left on my face.  And to think, I had been leaving that on my face all this time!  My suds were foundation colored (I will spare you a gross photo).  After cleansing, I immediately noticed my face felt baby soft.

After about a week of use, I noticed that my skin care products absorbed a lot better.  One product in particular is Ziana (my dermatologist prescribed it to me when my face had a stress related freak out).  Ziana would normally take a good 2-3 hours before my face absorbed it.  With the Clarisonic, it is about 90% absorbed within minutes of applying it.  With my pores effectively cleared out, my face is able to absorb products better, which in turn allows my products to work more effectively.

With my products working more effectively, my stress related skin freak out began to subside and now my face is clear again.  When ever I do have a blemish that comes up, it is usually gone within 2 days as my products can "sink" in properly.  My once super oily face is now more normal with some oiliness in the t-zone area.  I used to be really oily on my cheeks, but it has become more normal then ever before.  I can not comment on the reduction of fine lines and wrinkles as that is not something I suffer from at the moment (and hopefully will never suffer from if I age like my mother).

It recommends using it twice a day.  I have been using it just once at night and manually cleaning my face in the mornings with my Philosophy exfoliating cleanser.  I feel that the Clarisonic and the exfoliator together would be too harsh.

What are my overall thoughts?  It has worked well for me.  I feel for the first time that my skin has a natural glowiness about it (not related to being oily).  It has never felt this soft and smooth before.  The Clarisonic is definitely an investment.  The Mia retails for $149.  I got it at a 20% discount, but I would totally pay full price for it!  This has been my experience.  It may or may not yield the same results for you.  I hope this helps if anyone is thinking about investing in one.

Winter Miracle-Vaseline Deep Conditioning Cocoa Butter

While it is not quite Winter, the temperatures are steadily dropping, which means the moisture is sucked out of our skin.  I in particular get super dry legs and hands.  I will put lotion on and 5 minutes later, my skin is back to being dry.  I had to find something more lasting.  I actually picked this up for my husband who suffers from extremely dry hands.  I ended up using a bit of it and I was blown away. 

This is the cream formula, so it is very thick.  It contains cocoa butter, vitamin E, and petroleum jelly.  It smells so good, like hot cocoa!  It leaves my skin feeling so silky and hydrated.  This really is my miracle cream. 

There is a drawback though, it leaves my hands with a slight greasy feel to them.  You have to wait about 5 minutes before touching something.  This can be found at your local drugstore for about $3.  Do you have a miracle lotion or cream?

My Current Skincare Routine

I have been asked to do a post on my current skincare routine. First, let me give you background on my skin. I have combination skin, oily in the summer and dry in the winter. I have never really suffered from acne, just an occasional bump here and there, usually around that time of the month. I have been doing my current skincare routine for about a month. Prior to that, I had been using Proactiv since I was 14. My mother put me on it as a preventative measure. I wanted to wean myself off of it.

I had heard great things about Philosophy's skincare products, so I decided to try their Purity Made Simple foaming daily cleanser. I was also given a 2 ounce sample of their Microdelivery Exfoliating Wash. I must say that I love both. I use the foam cleanser at night and the exfoliating wash in the mornings. My skin has responded great to it and I will repurchase the exfoliating wash once my sample runs out. The foam cleanser is a 2 in 1 that doubles as a toner. It also is great at removing makeup, though I prefer to remove my makeup right when I get home with my Almay makeup remover wipes.

I also use Olay's Age Defying Intensive Nourishing Night Cream at night. It has beta hydroxy in it that is supposed to help with aging. My skin and I love it. I use Neutrogena's Oil Free Moisture as my morning moisturizer. I like it because it has spf 15 in it and it doesn't leave my skin greasy. I still use Proactiv's Refining Mask once a week to rid my pores of impurities. It really is a great mask.

Well that is what I use. Skincare is very personal as no two people's skin is alike. What works for me, may not work for you.

Bath & Body Works Sensual Sugar Scrub Is A Hit

I have found the best skin exfoliator! It is Bath & Body Works Sensual Sugar Scrub in Sandalwood Fig. I purchased it about a month and a half ago during their semi-annual sale. It is part of their aromatherapy line. It does a wonderful job of scrubbing away those dead skin cells and leaves my skin so smooth and moisturized. It contains sunflower, safflower, sweet almond, and jojoba oils. It is so moisturizing that I don't have to use lotion afterward and I normally have extremely dry skin. The scent is very nice and not too strong. In addition to using it all over, I use it on my elbows and heels as well. It really does a great job at getting my heels nice and smooth (and my heels are the driest part of my body). It retails for $16 but I got for half off! So if you find it, I highly recommend grabbing one, especially at the sale price.

Look at all the oils!