Review: Dermalogica PreCleanse

I’ve spoken before (read it here) of double-cleansing with an oil-based cleanser, and I’m back again with another winner of a product, Dermalogica PreCleanse. Not just winning Charlie Sheen style, but an actual winner, one of its awards being the prestigious Prix de Marie Claire Award for Best Splurge Skin Care Product. Take that, Charlie.

RRP $65.50

Daily application of sunscreen (you know you should..), primers, coupled with modern long-lasting makeup techonolgy means that your regular cleanse-and-go routine may not actually be cleaning your skin at all, rather just removing some make up. Your blackheads love it, and then invite more friends to the Pore Party. Using an oil-based pre cleanser, like Dermalogica PreCleanse, can help to initially cleanse your makeup and skin oils away, leaving your prescribed cleanser to get to the business of cleansing your skin, not just the stuff sitting on top of it.

Formulated with a bevvy of wonder-ingredients (safflower oil, kukui nut oil, rice bran oil and vitamin E)  PreCleanse is an olive and apricot kernel based oil cleanser that is applied to dry skin to begin the cleansing process. Warm water is then added, which creates a light, milky emulsion. Simply wash off, and already your face is lookin’ good! I have been using PreCleanse daily, needing to use only the smallest amount, and I find it a fantastic way to begin the makeup removal process before cleansing (my current cleanser is Kosmea Clarifying Cleanser), which I do in the shower. I find that some make up removers leave an oily residue on my skin, and to be honest, I don’t often have the time to use cotton buds (a whole bins worth!) and remover lotion, then have a shower and wash my face.

Simple, fast and effective, I am definitely on board the double cleansing train with PreCleanse!

What do you think of double cleansing?
Anyone else a fan, and find their skin feels cleaner?

New: OLAY Men Solutions

Skin care solutions for men; skincare wizard OLAY has them, but unfortunately they are still stumped on how to get them to pick up their wet gym clothes from last week or take out the rubbish. Don’t worry, I’ve sent them an email asking if they can come up with a solution for that next..

As everyone knows, OLAY is generally regarded as the best budget (approx under $50) skin care range for quality and results, but it has always been for us ladies; how exciting that your man can now get in on the good stuff!

Recently launched, the OLAY Men Solutions range features six products to target the three main concerns of male skin; oiliness, roughness and dryness, and even the tightest accountant would approve that nothing is over $20!

I am hoping that this range will also include an SPF product in the future, considering that a lot of men are working outside in the harsh Australian sun. ‘Beater tans, ergh!

Your man will look so good the local homewrecker (come on, every town has one) will be thinking, “Olayyy, ooolay, olaay olay! He’s looking hot hot hot!”

Sorry, couldn’t help myself!

Echolife Discount Offer For Onya Magazine Readers

Because if you stop by to read Am I There Yet?, you most definitely also pop by Onya Magazine on occasion too, right? Well, I hope so, because online natural beauty store, Echolife, are offering Onya readers $5 off every order for the whole of 2011 (yes, it’s reusable!) when you enter the code ‘ onya ‘ at the checkout. How fantastic!

Read the article on Onya Magazine here for more details.

And don’t worry, my lips are sealed, I won’t tell them you heard it through me first. 😉

There’s A New Prod On My Shelf!

Please welcome Glo Therapeutics glo Renew Serum! This is the latest little potion to fight its way into my already over-packed, bulging-at-the-zippers beauty case. Note to self: You are a chronic over-packer and need serious help.

So ideally, buying more heavy, liquid filled glass bottles isn’t the best thing when you are bordering the line between a friendly airline worker giving you a wink and letting you off, or a hefty fine for overweight luggage. But I couldn’t resist the promise of a new product to fix my skin woes.

After my facial at Glen Ivy Day Spa (oo what a post that will be!), my therapist told me about the skin care range that was used during my treatment. This is where I get my cynical look on, (think eyebrow raised one millimeter above resting point, with a touch of ‘don’t think I’m falling for more expensive promises’ in my eyes) and listen to the spiel.

My skin care concern is congestion and breakouts that occur deep under my skin, resulting in bumps that are unattainable until they take their sweet-ass time coming to the surface. I’m talking months. Ohh, only mildly frustrating! Therefore, my therapist suggested something more effective than just using a manual facial scrub applied to the surface of the skin. She was not happy with just that. Something that works deeper within the skin to speed up cell renewal, absorb excess oil, mildly exfoliate, smooth my skin and help fade scarring was prescribed, and the glo Renew Serum ticked all those boxes.

I was still holding fast to this look, but I had to tell you it was fading. Surely a serum with 7% Glycolic acid, 2% Salicylic acid and 1% Retinol would be getting up near the $100 dollar mark? Tentatively, I asked how much, as I would be lying if the promises made didn’t pique my interest.”$36 dollars,” she replied. Sorry, therapist said wuh? Yep, $36 US dollars. I was sold!

I use the serum every second evening after cleansing, locking it in with liberal amounts of moisturiser as suggested. I haven’t had any adverse reactions to the strength of the serum, such as dryness or flaking – it’s actually only been positive! After each application (I think I’m onto my third) I wake up with super soft skin that is even textured, my congested areas are smooth and the appearance of the last remaining bumps are smaller. Obviously I will have to wait it out to test the long term effects of this product, but so far – I love it!

You can buy online at the Glo Therapeutics online store, but a little research has showed that there are some Australian stockists of their mineral make up range, Glo Minerals. You can search for a stockist near you here, as they may also carry the skin care line.

Had you heard of Glo Therapeutics before?
Tried it?
Interested in hearing about my long term results?

Review: EOS Lip Balm

Isn’t this just the CUTEST little lip balm you have ever seen?! No? Well show me your vote for the title ‘cos I ain’t ever seen no balm cuter than this egg-shaped ball of delight!

The ball of delight in question is Evolution of Smooth Lip Balm which ticks all the boxes for a seriously awesome product.

These are:

– Cheap ( I paid $3.50 US)
– No nasties – the balm is 100% natural and 95% USDA certified organic, paraben-free, petrolatum-free and gluten-free.
– Amazing scent. I have the ‘Summer Fruits’ flavour that smells just like the sour gummi peach rings I have been inhaling over here, and this balm has been doing a fantastic job of sating my cravings!
– Long lasting formula (even when I have a sneaky taste of my yum-tasting peach balm)
– Gives a light coating with subtle sheen that isn’t at all sticky.
– Super hydrating. Chock-full of vitamin E, shea butter and jojoba oil it has softened and hydrated my lips more than any other balm I’ve used – in just one day!
– It’s fun! The bright colours and novel egg shape with twist top makes pulling this out of my bag a joy! I’ve also been entertained testing out the different ways to apply with said egg – lips all the way around the ball and twist? Or regular top-then-bottom application?
– The egg is hard enough to not smoosh as you push it against your lips, but the balm comes off super easily. How do they do it?!
– And just when I thought I could fault it – the Lemon Drop flavour saves the day with its SPF 15 protection. Winner!

As you can tell, I’m in love with this balm and am considering stocking up the suitcase (if I can fit anything else in – nearly broke my back trying to pick it up this morning!) before I come home… and then ordering some more online! EOS ships to Australia for US $15 dollars.

Dermalogica Clean Start Bedtime For Breakouts

Every time I apply this prod to my skin before bed, the gel seems to whisper to me, ‘you apply so lovingly, yet where is my write up in your fancy pants blog? Playing favourites now are we?’

To which I reply, ‘No way man! You are a fave, I just…’

Well here you go, Bedtime for Breakouts (RRP $40/60mL) – your long overdue review. (How can you say I don’t love you when I make up a rhyme like that?)

I love the stuff, I do. The ‘stuff’ being an overnight treatment gel for blemishes. Which is handy because usually in the day your skin is busy not only with your regular skin care routine, but then a whole pile of sunscreens and make up too. While you’re sleeping, your skin gets busy regenerating and the like, and that’s where night time products come in.

I apply the almost lemonade-smelling gel to areas of my face that are prone to breakouts, and the gel dries clear which is a great bonus for me, as there’s none of that white tinge a certain brand I used a few years ago used to leave (on me, and everything else).

I enjoy the fact that I can spread it all over an entire area, say forehead for example, instead of trying to only apply a great dollop of cream to one pimple for fear of burning a hole in the surrounding skin. Bedtime For Breakouts has never caused any dryness or flaking on my clear areas – win!

It’s effective enough to keep blemishes at bay, or reduce current sore lumps – but I wouldn’t rely on this gel alone. Clean Start also offers a more targeted, stronger spot treatment, aptly named Hit The Spot ($40) – another fave. I’m a sloppy applicator and use this on general breakout areas too, but haven’t found it too strong for my non-blemished skin, yet it went to town on my blemishes. Powerful without feeling like I’m sucking the life out of my skin, it’s my current #1 spot treatment and I am (sadly) carrying around the tester sachets that came with my (won from Clean Start’s Facebook page) Bedtime For Breakouts, scraping every last drop out.

Points for Dermalogica for bringing out a little sister range of products aimed at (typically younger) skin-types with breakout issues. They’re fun, fresh (love the colourful yet simple packaging and witty names!) and effective, without costing a fortune. There was definitely a hole in the market for this type of range, and ladies, me thinks they filled it!

Shine Be Gone

I received a comment a little while ago from Coco, who wrote: ‘Can you give me some advice to get rid of the shiny look? Coco x’

Cute name, Coco. Apparently my parents were considering Coco, which in my mind is significantly more fabulous than Holly.

But the real issue here is shine, or rather too much shine I’m guessing? A little luminosity here and a radiant glow there is the aim, but when your skin is as reflective as the mirror you’re using to check out said shine, that’s a problem. As a sometimes sufferer, I know how annoying it is to see your once-perfect makeup now in a shiny mess.

I would go about it by treating it from the start. No point using the wrong products and then complaining that your skin is shiny post-makeup application. Your skincare and make up products should target the problem or oil and shine.

Skin care:

In your cleanser, look out for ‘oily/combintion skin’ labels. Moisturisers – ‘mattifying’ will become your new best friend. Not knowing your age, I can’t suggest exact products, but look out for those key words. A lot of the ranges aimed at younger age groups target the issue as shine well as it’s normally the youngin’s battling the oil, but the shine does not discriminate, and plenty of mature aged ladies can find themselves right back at square one. A dilemma with this is that most mature skin care ranges offer rich, thick creams to combat aging, but this won’t fix the shine, and may make it worse.
A super-handy quick fix every girl should have in her handbag? Paper oil blotters! Genius little things. Picture this – you’ve ducked into the bathroom during dinner and your forehead looks like a sign on Broadway. Oh no. But you can’t wipe off your makeup! What do to? Whip out one of these little paper squares and blot the areas that are looking too shiny. All fixed, and your makeup still intact! Such a convenient, inexpensive option.

Make up:

Are you already on board the primer train? No? Well jump on girlfriend, because oil controlling primer may save you a lot of grief. With all the normal benefits of a make up primer, plus oil control, your ‘face’ should stay put all day. The next step would be to choose a foundation with once again, oil control. Foundation is super high-tech these days, and there is a formula for almost every skin type/concern. Many people suggest using a powder over the top of your foundation to ‘set’ it and stop shine from seeping through. True, this can work, but should be used sparingly on your oily areas, generally the T-zone. Make sure your powder is the same shade as your skin tone/foundation or a touch darker, as a too-light powder can look disastrous. Also, if you have fine lines, go easy on these areas, as powder can actually accentuate them. Not ideal!

But what’s all this matte, matte, matte you ask? Well, depending on the severity of your shine, you can pick and chose which weapons to use in your fight – you may not need all. And if you’re still after a little luminosity, (which I hope you are, as it’s a gorgeous winner) you can add either a powder or liquid illuminator to highlight cheekbones.

Easy!

I wish you all the best with your battle against the shine Coco.

Review: Ellipse Skin Science Face and Neck Moisturiser

Source: Primped

When I received this as part of the PRIMPED VIP package my curiosity kicked in. I’d never heard of Ellipse as a skin care brand but boy were they making some promises!

They include: “This face and neck moisturiser aims to help reduce the appearance of fine lines, increase collagen, exfoliate, moisturise and protect.”

Now I don’t have any fine lines or wrinkles as of yet, (I’m still struggling to kick teenage-ville to the curb – oh, about three years overdue?!) so I didn’t notice any obvious differences in my skin, but it did feel plumper as a result of applying. I tried it on my boyfriend who has fine lines around the eyes, and they did seem to fill out and were definitely less noticable. However my Mum, who does have some wrinkles normal for her age, found that the cream didn’t make any obvious or dramatic differences to the appearance of her lines. Her verdict: a nice regular cream that went on beautifully and helped smoothed my foundation out, but nothing special in the realm of wrinkles.

It was non-greasy for a relatively thick cream, and didn’t cause any increased shine throughout the day, points!

I found it to be a fantastic base for my makeup, however as it doesn’t contain any sunscreen I had to apply my regular SPF 30+ moisturiser before hand, or just use the Ellipse as a night cream. The lack of SPF does go down as a slight negative in my book, but I suppose if you want a multi-tasking day/night cream … no-can-do-SPF.

The smell and packaging were also nothing too impressive. My first thought on the scent was ‘moisturiser’ – and I’ve tried, but can’t really expand on that. Just a standard, pleasant moisturiser smell. The packaging is simple, and I usually enjoy tubes but found after time the seal wasn’t as tight and it started to leak out, so that when I opened the cap it was already full of cream. Kinda like what happened here.

For $40, it isn’t too overpriced for the job it does, but I would suggest it would suit those with normal skin experiencing the first signs of fine lines and wrinkles, not somebody that already has deeply set wrinkles.

Review: Sodashi Enlivening Body Lotion

Source: Sodashi

I had heard so much about the all-natural, 100% chemical free skin care brand Sodashi that I tore the top of the Enlivening Body Lotion packaging (recycled and printed with vegetable dye – impressive) right off. No time to fiddle around with sticky-taped seals when you have one of the most lauded natural skin care brands to apply!

And apply I have! My (body) skin would be classified as normal; not too demanding but still appreciates a little TLC. As the cold sets in, I have needed to step up the TLC a little and the Enlivening Body Lotion has really risen to the task.

24 hours, cold air, two hot showers and a night on an electric blanket and my skin is only just showing signs of mild dryness. That’s a tough test for me, but the Sodashi lotion has passed, with extra props for being all-natural.

While I wouldn’t say the lotion is rapidly absorbed, it does not take long – especially while drifting off in your sensory experience! Immediately after absorption, it is completely non-greasy; a must for those rushed mornings when you need to get dressed now without your clothes sticking.

The scent is uplifting, as you would expect from a product from the ‘Awaken’ range, yet no fragrances are used. Natural oils of lime, lemongrass, ylang ylang, cypress and bergamot are credited for the refreshing effect on the senses, along with added benefits of circulation support, muscle relaxation and relief of anxiety.

I’m a lover of beautiful packaging and Sodashi seriously does it for me. The heavy glass bottle (which looks black yet is violet when held up to the light to protect the natural ingredients from sunlight damage) and minimal writing are understated luxe – I just love it.

I am also totally in love with the fact that Sodashi is an Australian brand, and that they still make their products in Fremantle, WA. No selling out to the big guys – I like!

Sodashi spa treatments are raved about by Beauty Editors all over and are offered in exclusive day spa retreats and hotels – definitely on my ‘must do’ lust list. Researching spas nearby I came across the Japanese Mountain Retreat -wow! One can dream, right?

Have you heard of Sodashi before?
Used anything from their range?
Dying to try a spa treament like myself?