L’Oreal Miracle Blur or Buff?

I don’t know-when I first saw the sample in Allure Magazine, I wasn’t overly eager to try it since I was unimpressed with L’Oreal’s primer and other foundation related products.

So, I didn’t try it until a friend of mind mentioned she tried the sample that she found in Redbook Magazine.  I’m not exactly sure of the details, but somehow the product got in contact with her eyes and stung and irritated them, to the point her eyes were still red around the lid and undereye area a day later.

Now I have to tell you that her reaction made me pretty nervous about trying the product – but I thought in the name of the blog I would try it but avoid getting close to my eye area. Instead I would just go to the outer edges of the peri-orbital socket and not closer than 3/4 inch to my eye.

Anyway.

I opened the sample packet-that mind you has no directions other than test the product in the palm of your hand, nothing about getting it in your eyes, washing your hands before touching your eyes, or anything to the like –  I immediately was transported back to 4-5 years ago when Clarins brought out their primer product.

At the time, I was still wearing powder foundation on a regular basis, but Clarin’s was more about skincare.  The counter person encouraged me to try the primer -which actually I didn’t know what it was for.

The consistency of the Clarin’s product Instant smooth perfecting touch is the same as the L’Oreal product “miracle blur”.

I call it spackle.

L’Oreal’s product is  creamier than wax, but not as smooth as a cream.  It has a dry feeling and it kind of separates in your hand.

I rubbed it in my palm to warm it up, but when applied to my face, it pretty much didn’t stick like real spackle does to your wall.  I thought it took a lot of effort to put on – and in my opinion too much pulling and rubbing of my skin.

I put it on one side of my face and washed my hands.

I wore it through my ballet class and asked my friends if they could see a difference on either side of my face.  My makeup buddy said yes  -the side with the spackle definitely looked smoother.

I get that the product ‘blurs’ your wrinkles – or maybe ‘buffs” is a better choice since you have to do so much rubbing.  I washed it off in the shower careful not to rub it toward my eyes.  I didn’t experience any irritation, but that’s with my being very careful to not get the product close to my eyes.

I think the sample needs to be clearly labeled on this point as well as to wash your hands.  If you have sensitive skin, the product might not make sense to you.  SInce it is like spackle, it’s probably not great for people with acne or pores.

Anyway-it’s not worth the trouble.  Try a smooth liquid primer instead like Lancome’s La Base or Laura Mercier’s Radiance Primer.  A drugstore brand I might try is Neutragena’s primer in oil free, matte finish, or regular.

k

PS

I’m not going to write was suggested for the product name instead of ‘blur”, but it starts with a bl and ends with a d.

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Too TINY!

In some things in life, tiny is good.  In others not so good.

When it comes to reading tiny labels – not so good.

Most days I have my reading glasses in my bag-now that I’ve reached the point in my life that squinting hard to read tiny print doesn’t work.

I can see if you are reading print on a tiny sample package that the print as follows is tiny.  Especially if the product is targeted at people who probably use reading glasses.

Hmmm-seems like a disconnect.

In other words-products made for rejuvenating skin should probably have print that’s big enough to read!

Or, come with a brochure in readable type.

Oh well-the finer things are life are good.  The finer print in life is not always good.

Sigh.

k

I’m Easy-Powder Foundation

I tend to flip flop on this subject.

Powder, liquid, cream, stick etc etc etc.

But I have been on the hunt to try powder foundation for awhile since my skin has finally returned to its normal condition, slightly dry around the eyes, mouth, and slightly slightly oily around the nose.

So I’ve been on the hunt for something fast, easy and does the job of making my skin a little better, but not drying.

I tried out the Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer in a Compact.  I tried with the sponge and I tried with a foundation brush. I tried with primer, I tried over tinted moisturizer cream.

I just couldn’t make it work for me.  It was hard to apply-and I felt like I was smearing (read stretching my skin) over my face. So I returned it the other day.

With clear intention to get a powder foundation.  I was almost swayed to the Laura cream foundation, but I stayed the course.

The choices are powder foundation and mineral powder foundation. For asian skin, or skin with color, the tendency is the powder turns gray or ashy.  Even with a yellow-base.

I had tried the loose mineral powder before and it was strangely powdery and moist at the same time.  It was hard to get even coverage without feeling like I was dragging it on my face.  I ended up giving it to a friend.

So, since I didn’t really like mineral before, I went for the regular classic powder foundation compact.

I use a fluffly brush to apply it, and really I am in heaven because I am a girl who likes it easy.  Sure I’ll put on the glamour make up for a big night out, but on a day to day basis, I like to get on with it.

My best application is to do my regular vitamin c, moisturizer and sunscreen, then apply LM radiance primer and take a light fluffing of the brush over the foundation.

Just a little bit takes off the shine and covers as much as I want it to.

I get a little dry around the eyes and mouth, but I think I can put on a little bit more moisturizer to balance it out.

I like it easy. This is easy.

k

Kiehl’s Biological Peel

In my Sephora sample bag where I got 12 samples of skincare a couple of months ago-one of the samples was Dr. Somebody’s alpha beta hydroxy peel – the one that comes in two steps.

I kind of liked it.

I’m not a big exfoliator – peeler-slougher person when it comes to my face, but I was okay with turning over a new leaf.  (haha).

Anyway.

I kind of liked the fresh feeling, especially around my nose which is the only place on my face that is oily at this point.

So when I got LM’s Flawless Face Polish for the 3rd or 4th time, I decided to try it out.  The product “beads” are made to not be sharp so they don’t create micro tears in the skin. But, though it smells good and feels clean, I worry about the inflammation that the micro tears make when you are scrubbing with them.  Inflammation, in my opinion, is to blame for brown spots and at the end of the day wrinkles.

Brown spots –think of when you have a zit or mosquito bite.  If you scratch or do otherwise, it becomes red and inflamed(more). Then when it heals, instead of fading back slowly, it scabs or looks irritated as the new skin grows around the site.  Then if you don’t diligently use sunscreen on the site-there’s a good chance you will get a brown spot eventually.  I think those kind of brown spots are fadeable, but why inflame the site to begin with?

Or in the case of wrinkles, aside from your face moving in the course of the day chewing, smiling, expressing whatever, all those little free radicals are floating around just waiting to attack through the weak point in the defense.  If you’ve scrubbed yourself with something harsh, in the name of stimulating collagen with the irritation, well, doesn’t it make sense that you’ve created a weakness? I mean, that’s why your face is pinkish, isn’t it? A little stimulation is good, a lot, I think not.

Anyway.  I’m not a doctor, but it makes sense to me. Especially with those vibrating scrubbing things that people use.  I was at the Revive’ workshop last year and a woman in the audience was talking about how much she used her scrubber day and night, everyday and every night. And, from where I was sitting her skin was really red. Like really her real issue was OCD.

I digress.

So, instead of scrubbing, when looking to put together my purchases for the NM gift bag, I already knew one item would be something to help turn over the dead skin cells, so I chose Kiehl’s Biological Peel.  It is to put on a clean face and wear overnight.  It is a clear gel, almost feels like silicon and slides on easily.

In the morning, you just wash off.  I’ve had samples of this product before and liked it. But for whatever reason, I don’t feel as exfoliated.

Oh well, I love the thrill of the search!

k