Labels: cetaphil, clarisonic, clinique, cream of the crop, daybreak lavender farm, dhc, dr. hauschka, egyptian magic, embryolisse, jurlique, la roche posay, lab series, olay, primavera, salux, skin

Labels: cetaphil, embryolisse, jurlique, primavera, skin

Labels: beauty notes, primavera, skin

La Perla spring 2008 ad. My first reaction
when I saw this: what's in those bottles?

              If you already have good skin, here is all you need:

1. a gentle, effective cleanser
   It should rinse off cleanly, removing dirt, oil, and makeup (the effective part), but without leaving an oily film, or alternatively, stripping (the gentle part). Additionally, if it exfoliates a little, so much the better.


2. a no-frills, penetrating but fast-absorbing moisturizer
   The plainer the better; the instinct for miracle creams is well mined by the industry, but they are absolutely nonsensical. La Mer, in fact, is quite a heavy but plain moisturizer (in spite of what they say about it). Unless you have very oily or very dry skin, a good moisturizer should not sit atop the skin like an occlusive layer (that signifies that it is too rich for you) nor should it leave the skin taut and tight (not rich enough).


3. a mild exfoliant
   Though I find my cleanser adequate in this respect, find yourself a good scrub, acid-laced serum, vitamin c treatment, mask or whatever and use it one to three times a week. It is necessary maintenance: rids flakes and dullness, and keep clogged pores at bay.


4. obligatory sunscreen mention
   Though I don't touch the stuff, I hate how it feels.

              If you wear moderate to heavy eye makeup:

5. add makeup remover
   It should remove all traces of makeup in an instant. Unless your eye makeup removes easily with your normal cleanser, then don't waste your elbow grease by tugging at such delicate skin. However, if you use an oil or balm cleanser, this may not be necessary.

              If your skin varies with the seasons:

6. find yourself a "treatment" that hydrates without weight
   One you can wear without discomfort in sultry summer humidity, and when winter comes, layers easily under your regular moisturizer for an extra boost of moisture; two light layers are more hydrating than one heavy cream. It may be a traditional watery gel/serum/essence or an aromatic face oil, only take care to eschew silicones if possible, which impart a nice texture but crowd out the beneficial and more expensive ingredients (silicones are the liars of the cosmetic world). If you have oily skin, this might do as your moisturizer.

              If you have problem skin:

7. here you bring out the treatments
   Dark circles and scarring? Hydroquinine and licorice extract are common treatments. Puffy eyes? An eye gel, preferably cooled, may help, as will reduced sodium in your diet. Shine? I've heard (my skin has never been very oily) that certain oils, contrary to reason, are very helpful. Acne? Salicylic acid, benzyl peroxide, tea tree oil, clays, calendula extract, camphor, sulfur, vitamin c, various alpha hydroxies, etc., depending on the type and extent of the affliction. Dull, flakey skin? A gentle exfoliant, vitamin C, and a good moisturizer. Sensitivity? Aloe vera, cortisone, and calendula extract are traditional. Aging? Get over it. You'll just look older worrying about it.

              And what about... eye cream? toner? masks?
Marketing gimmicks. Eye creams are usually similar stuff to the corresponding face cream, with richer emollients and textures, thrown into a smaller jar and labeled with a steeper price. Unless you have specific issues you wish to treat, your normal moisturizer will do just as well. Toners were once necessary in that age-old three-step routine, sandwiched between greasy cleanser that did not rinse off well and an equally unctuous moisturizer, to strip away that first for the second. Nowadays, there are many cleansers that perform their duties without leaving any residue behind, leaving toners high and dry. After all, back then, we did not know that sunscreens were so vital, either. And masks are all about the unnecessary step, the extra feel of treating yourself well, if they suit you, then by all means, use one.

Labels: bath and body, beauty notes, dr. hauschka, hair, jurlique, minimalism, nature's gate, palmer's, phyto, primavera, skin, trader joe's

Labels: beauty notes, primavera, skin

1. When it comes to skincare, it is worthwhile to get the best you can afford. This is not to blind you to cheaper possibilities, only that efficacy takes precedence over whether the product is $10 or $42.


2. And, I have difficulties with exfoliants. Scrubs abrade, or bore me, while chemical exfoliants burn, and I am allergic to almond-meal pastes. This is the only product I've had any luck with but...


3. What about Malin + Goetz Detox Face Mask? It has no stupid scrubby bits that get stuck in my hairline, but I'm not sure it is quite as good a cleanser, since that is not really its purpose. Perhaps I should give it a round, first.


4. You can sense the quality of the Primavera from the first. Very natural brands, though they smell incredible, are unfortunately lacking in "cosmetic elegance", the texture of a product can be rough and heavy. The Primavera product is incredibly silky and yet rinses clean: a combination of sugar surfactants and jojoba oil, which is mildly disinfectant yet is soothing and balancing. Another sign of quality is in the longterm effects (people bemoan the mania for instant gratification in contemporary perfumery, but it is much worse in the skincare industry): from the first, my skin is indeed soft and smooth, but over time there has been a marked improvement in the clarity of my skin.


5. Even the mildest of exfoliants are probably not best for twice-daily use, though I prefer using just one product. Perhaps a conservative plan would be to get one of the Refining Exfoliating Cleanser and one of the Gentle Cleansing Fluid, and see whether I like one or the other better. Both come highly recommended by the owner of Saffronrouge.com, who calls Jurlique Herbal Recovery Gel her holy grail, especially nice in summer on its own or in winter under a moisturizer—exactly my sentiments!

Labels: beauty notes, primavera, santa maria novella, skin

1. I haven't yet bought myself a bottle of the Lancôme Bi-Facil ($24), the longstanding industry favorite that spawned a million and a half counterfeits. Intellectually, I understand the importance of speedy, effective, and thorough eye-makeup removal, lest one rub and tear, but practically, I wear very little makeup of late, and so justify my laziness.


2. Though initially underwhelmed by Primavera's Refining Exfoliating Cleanser ($42), I have found myself implicated by continued use. I have become partial to its odd, fermented organic sugar-flower scent, and as an exfoliant it is effective but gentle enough to use everyday even on my delicate skin. Even the expense, spaced out over four months, is justified by its quality. Most cleansing milks/lotions from natural companies are too occlusive to rinse off properly, but this one is as silky and water-soluble as Cetaphil, which has since been gathering dust. It is a simple product, a mild exfoliant cum cleanser, but in my experience the simple products are the hardest of all to find, while hyped junk is literally forced down one's throat by overzealous SAs. It just keeps flakes and clogged pores at bay (the former better than the latter), while managing its requisite duties as cleanser with equal éclat, and if it smells good and has good moral fiber (100% organic and fair trade!), so much the better.


3. Jurlique Herbal Recovery Gel ($134) is a queer product. It has alcohol and oils, which are decided no-no's according to the world according to beauty editors, advice I have long ago disregarded as nonsense. It smells like a vase of roses gone stale, and yet I find its fragrance utterly delicious, nature's cocktail. It runs amok claims of miracles as irresponsibly as a French label, and a straight run of the ingredients reveals a garden of pure, natural antioxidants and oils (evening primrose, ginseng, gingko biloba, licorice root, rose, matricaria, marshmallow, echinacea, calendula, violet, heartsease, daisy, chickweed, black elder, rose hip, jojoba, aloe vera, plus lactic acid, ascorbic acid, retinyl palmitate, tocopheryl acetate), so one would assume an light vitamin-rich hydrating serum, which is exactly what this is, no miracle. It has slight brightening properties, which are instantaneous, and over time, it seems to balance the skin to a healthy, normal state, which has obviated the need for the reparative properties of the Burt's Bees face oil featured originally. A little goes a long way, my $134 for 3.4 oz bottle should last a year. In summer, it is enough hydration on its own, in winter, a cleanly built cream will do.


4. And speaking of cleanly built creams, Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré ($20) is simply the best, with a highly absorptive, velvety texture and a no-nonsense formula that soothes, hydrates, prepares skin for makeup, without any nasty ingredients intended for cosmetic effects, e.g. silicones, and absolutely no hype save excellence alone. Truly, a rarity in the skincare industry. Yet another example of a simple preparation, well done, this time at very little expense.

Labels: beauty notes, embryolisse, jurlique, lancome, primavera, skin

Labels: decleor, embryolisse, fresh, gift guide, jurlique, kiehl's, la roche posay, LUSH, primavera, shu uemura

Labels: beauty notes, biologique recherche, burt's bees, embryolisse, jurlique, lancome, primavera, skin

Labels: APC, beauty notes, chanel, fashion notes, laura mercier, lucky brand, primavera, shiseido, shu uemura