Tag Archives: serum

Spring 2017 – Neutrogena Hydra Boost Color

Posted in Beauty by

The onset of winter often means a change in skincare for a lot of people – drier skin makes for a much more difficult canvas, especially on days you may (feel) you need coverage.

While Neutrogena’s Hydra Boost Makeup Collection is technically for Spring 2017, it’s a perfect time to launch because the colder months very likely require more nourishing formulas. 

There are a few products in the lineup (serum, lip shine, cleanser, makeup, concealer, lip treatment) so if you tend towards dry skin to begin with, or you know colder air will require a tweak to your routine…they might be worth checking out.

Spring 2016 – Sephora Skin Boosters

Posted in Beauty by

This isn’t at all a new trend – bespoke skincare has been “a thing” for a while, adding an almost luxury feel to our quotidian regimes.  What’s nice, though, is that it has become mainstream enough that if you feel your regular products aren’t doing enough, you can easily get your hands on a booster!

Sephora is offering three new serums, each of which are intended to deliver visible benefits within two weeks.  You can apply them to the skin directly, or you can add to any foundation or base you use.  The three formulas are as follows:

 

I love serums, so I’m always curious to hear about newbies – these are concentrates, which I also love.  Sometimes you just need an extra jolt! 😉 

 

 

 

The Color Corrective Trend Continues…

Posted in Beauty by

I feel like there is a literal ONSLAUGHT of these products (not to mention posts, articles, newsletters etc…)  I’m not exactly complaining – I learned how to utilize such “correctors” early on as a performing athlete, and they WORK – but it is somewhat a sensory overload situation at this point!

Sephora.com

Sephora.com

In any case, if you are interested in further expanding your arsenal of perfectors, Sephora has a brilliant selection of items to choose from!  

Algenist has a new, concentrated liquid dropper formulation, which you can score a deluxe sample of at the moment…  (Dropper bottle foundations and serums are also (as no doubt you are aware) a major 2015 tail-end trend.)

Sephora.com

Sephora.com

Becca has four shades which appear more pigmented, and therefore much like the Kryolan or Ben Nye wheels I’d buy at Ricky’s New York back in my competitive dancing days…

Marc Jacobs has three swirled pop-up sticks, a fun take on the trend that I haven’t seen quite the likes of elsewhere.

Sephora has launched seven gel-serum correctors in a lip gloss style format, as has Urban Decay (who has five shades.)

YSL’s infamous Touch Eclat ALSO now comes in three corrective hues, which I have to say is pretty fabulous (the original is divine.)  

Smashbox is offering a pencil in four color-fixing shades, which is great for easy application.  In line with uber-ease, Cover-FX has their own new stick for brightening (LOVE brightening!), thought it does also come in five other colors! 

For those in love with powders, I adore the cute, loose pots from Besame, who have expanded one shade into five lovely tints…  Now if palettes are more your speed – having multiple colors in one place is often incredibly useful! – you might like Make Up Forever’s (which comes in five combinations), or the cheeky six-sampling from Benefit.

It’s rather a lot but I guess better to be able to choose from a larger variety depending on your own skin correcting needs!

For more…  

Twitter (A few reblogs on this topic!)

Facebook

Tarte Rainforest Of The Sea Aquacealer

Posted in Beauty by

It goes without saying that we all want clear, even, smooth skin…and some days, our epidermis (apparently on strike) isn’t…AT ALL…in accord.  The market is over-saturated with products, many of which are indeed “HG’s (holy grails.)  You may remember Tarte’s Rainforest Of The Sea water-based fluid foundation from August, 2015…well…

This new Rainforest Of The Sea Aquacealer is a super hydrating, full coverage, anti-aging concealing serum formulated with pigments suspended in a water / conditioning serum hybrid base.  It is “4 times lighter” than like products out there, another lovely benefit for those of us who want clear radiance without heavy weight. I usually opt for a tinted moisturizer designed with athletes in mind, as I want sheer, skin tone evening, and water resistant…but this looks pretty amazing (and it comes with a brush, which is always nice!)

Qvc.com

Qvc.com

Qvc.com

Qvc.com

At $29.50, it doesn’t seem “too much” given that it does rather a lot with just a tiny drop.  There’s a great video to go along with the description here, and worth watching for the before and afters.  

Spring 2016 – Stila

Posted in Beauty by

Stila is expanding its Aqua Glow lineup this Spring with a Serum Foundation and Serum Concealer, falling very much in line with the liquid, dropper bottle trend.  

Stila Spring 2016

Stila Spring 2016

The Foundation is a lightweight, moisturizing formula, offering weightless, radiant coverage.  The ionized water-base paired with hyaluronic acid, helps to “instantly blur, hydrate and perfect the look of skin with buildable to full coverage.”   “A generation of highly refractive, multi-reflective color pigments use light to” additionally smooth the surface of the skin, reducing all those imperfections we want to conceal!

The Concealer, also ionized water-based, offers a buildable, lightweight, and semi-matte coverage that conceals all of your pesky circles and blemishes.  The difference here is that it is more liquid in texture, a departure from traditionally creamy formulations.

And, for a fun Spring touch, Stila is also delivering two new Convertible Color Palettes – Sunrise Serenade and Sunrise Splendor.  The Convertibles are amazing, and so easy to use on the fly.  

Sunrise Serenade:

  • Petunia (warm pink)
  • Peach blossom (warm peach)
  • Gerbera (peachy nude)
  • Camellia (warm beige)
  • Twilight Rose (deep rose)
Stila Spring 2016

Stila Spring 2016

Sunrise Splendor:

  • English Rose (warm rose tone)
  • Lillium (pinky nude)
  • Cherry Blossom (pink)
  • Fuchsia (bright pink)
  • Tulip (deep plum)
Stila Spring 2016

Stila Spring 2016

 

Kiko Milano Fusion Serums

Posted in Uncategorized by

Kiko Milano is rolling out three new, limited edition facial serums promising to hydrate, firm and brighten your peau:

  • Crystal Fusion
  • Nutri Fusion
  • Energy Fusion

I love the look of the bottles – since I have an arsenal of products, I often have several on my bathroom countertop.  These are picturesque enough to keep out! 🙂

I also love serums, though the texture isn’t for everyone.  The formulas contain such ingredients as hyaluronic acid, plant sugars and vitamin C and retail for $19 each.

Demystifying Asian Skincare

Posted in Beauty by

There is a lot of confusion out there as other cultures’ terms and products have been blended with those of our own home countries.  It’s difficult to breakdown all the terms – emulsion vs essence vs toner vs serum…  But a couple of folks have endeavored to demystify the words we see on the bottles!

Here are a couple of sites for reference in case you are having the same issue of trying to figure out what’s what! (You aren’t alone! Keep in mind that there may be some differences in descriptions, but it’s a starting point for sure! 🙂

BeautyFaceSkin123

Fashionista

LovelyHappyHeart

Wishtrend

Reddit Asian Beauty

TheBeautyBreakdown

 

yinyangtalks.com

yinyangtalks.com

cosmeticschinaagency.com

cosmeticschinaagency.com

Dream Up Your Own

Posted in Beauty by

I saw this “Dream Up Your Own Serum” from Sephora and was absolutely delighted!

More and more products do multiple things, tackling multiple issues…act as makeup AND skincare…and now we are seeing more offerings that allow for personal, specific customization (think: CoverFX Custom Drops, for example.)

Well this snazzy little Serum Set from Skin Ink allows you to choose from a variety of concerns, and create your own blends.  You take a little quiz and you are on your way to discovering a tailored-to-you elixir!

So whatever ails you…fear not.  You needn’t peruse the scores of products if you don’t want to!  You can, from the comfort of your home, create a perfect mix to tackle any of your troubles…

Easy.  

Peasy!

 

Sun “Safety Kit”

Posted in Beauty by

Along with my last post…I just spotted this adorable little collection!  What a perfect way to give a few sun products a whirl if you aren’t sure!  

(PS, I don’t work for Sephora, nor have I ever. They also most definitely have not asked me to work with them – wouldn’t that be nice!? – so rest assured, I am only sharing because I want to! 🙂 ) 

sephora.com photo

sephora.com photo

Here’s what you will get…!

sephora.com photo

sephora.com photo

That’s not a steep price for so many goodies (from, by the way, some really lovely brands!) – sample sizes, granted, but knowing that skin can have its own mood swings, it IS nice to have the option of trying them out prior to shelling out money for the full size!

Deciem Photography Fluid 12%

Posted in Beauty by

Thanks to BritishBeautyBlogger, I saw her article about Deciem‘s up-and-coming Photography Fluid Opacity 12%.  

It appears that the Company will also be selling an 8% version.  Knowing the way most of our minds work, many consumers may jump at the 12%, thinking it is more concentrated…and will therefore deliver more results, and / or deliver results faster.  I can’t say whether either is correct, only that it IS important we work up to higher percentages when using topicals – whether of an acid, like glycol, lactic, THC etc., a particularly drying cleanser ingredients, an incredibly concentrated cream, and so on.  The skin does need time to adjust, and a new agent of any kind can lead to trouble – over drying, breakouts, rashes, burns!  So whatever the case may be with this, worth checking the ingredients because of the “%” alone.  That said, Deciem appears to be committed to quality skincare (recently spotted the hand cream at a USA CVS!)

Screen Shot 2015-05-17 at 7.12.42 PM

From BritishBeautyBlogger, in her words (link as above, and THANK YOU to her for this great information!):

“…as a top line guide you’ll find Bio-Silica Photo Finishing Prisms Grades 3, 7 and 9 (ultra fine refractive particles). Then, Nano-Prismatic Blurring Suspension (enhances activation of copper peptides contained within the product). Nano-Prismatic Yellow-Red Hue Corrector that blanks out red tones and minimizes yellow tones. Nano-Prismatic Gold Technology (gives a golden hue to skin) and Dragon Fruit Chromatic Refractor (bio fruit complex to give immediate radiance).” 

Screen Shot 2015-05-17 at 6.59.30 PM

You can’t select the product to view on the site just yet, but the way I see it, this is a guaranteed sell-out product.  I mean anything that claims to be, or suggests it *might* have the potential to be a topical “filter” of sorts is going to generate a great deal of curiosity.  And store flooding!  

These days, everything is documented online. And if it ISN’T, we are almost always at risk of being “snapped” by a friend’s…or a fly-by…mobile phone camera – there’s an underlying pressure for a lot of people to look good all the time, lest they get a copy of the photo and add a filter themselves.  There are studies ongoing about the stress effects of social media…so let’s just say that a liquid corrector of any kind will get attention.

I am curious to see reviews, and thank BritishBeautyBlogger for sharing the news.  It sounds like this possible gem will be in-store in June in the UK.  eBay, anyone!?