Whip it Good! Perricone MD Photo Plasma

I love Perricone’s ads-very 80-s disco with the product spotlighted in an otherwise dark background. Very different than the 90-s green-inspired.

Anyway.

I was excited to try this product as it boasts that it is a moisturizer, treatment and sunscreen. However the price tag, made me feel that I didn’t want to commit to a jar.

So I settled on the deluxe sample size for $20 in the product bins at Sephora. The .5fl oz. gives you enough product to ascertain whether it works or not, or whether you might consider buying the jar.  Unlike other samples that are a drop of this or that.

My first impression was that the product is air-whipped and sort of like marshmallow cream but not sticky. The peachy color is pretty and the products goes on much like spreading whipped cream on your face.

I’ve tried it with and without a base of moisturizer-as a moisturizer it fails. My face is feeling tight in the early afternoon, so when I do use it, I apply my regular moisturizer.

My real comment on this product is-my impression of its whipped consistency is-this is how the company expands its profit margin by whipping up the products volume and less product for the customer at the end of the day.

That’s ok-its business of making money.

k

 

 

 

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Korean Sunscreens-Nature Republic v. TonyMoly

As time goes on, I suspect more Korean beauty stores to open in Hawaii.  Nature Republic and The Face Shoppe opened in the last 5 years, and TonyMoly set up shop in Palama Supermarket-a Korean supermarket with vendor boutiques.

I’m on Korean sunscreen #3-I had tried The Face Shoppes-Sunflower Super Perfect sunscreen which I liked a lot, but when applied to my eyelids, stung.

More recently, I found Nature Republic at Ala Moana Shopping Center.  I had seen an ad in the holiday guide but because the location of the store was not in the ad, had no idea where it was in the center.  I stumbled upon the store when I parked in that area, which is a rare occasion.

The Nature Republic product-UV Lock Flower, is a non-chemical sun liquid, that has a very similar consistency to my beloved Clarins’ Spf 40. It is very light and goes in quickly-it does leave a little bit of a white sheen, much like the Clarins product. I like this because it brightens my face.

I was looking for a peach flavored soft drink I first had in the old Palama Supermarket when I visited a couple of weeks ago.

Didn’t find the drink, but I did discover one of my ballet friends worked at TonyMoly. I had tried their Green Apple mask and loved it, so I was willing to try something else.

Kay turned me on to the UV Sunset Aqua Sun Gel, SPF 30, PA++, a mineral oil-free gel with a watery texture that leaves no sticky feeling behind.

Left to translation but in english is “Morning Dew Complex” which must be its secret.

The product smells nice, and somehow seals in moisture so my face feels pretty good most of the day.

It does say avoid contact with the eyes.

But I put it on anyway. It doesn’t sting them.

I love this product-a high recommend.

k

 

 

 

Battle of the Bumps-Clarins’ Body Lift Cellulite Control

One of the sucky things about getting older is the rapid accelleration of the appearance of bumpy stuff on your body.

Allover your body too.

Longingly you look at young people’s legs that are dimple-free, and you’re not admiring how long or toned they are, you’re just envious of the lack of cellulite.

I think my upper arms had been bugging me the most.  It was getting to the point where I had to plan what I was going to wear based on whether it had sleeves or not.

In fact, I started giving away my sleeveless, camis and never wore tube tops which I adore.

I read an article in old fart magazine “More”, about a woman who was fighting to regain her arm muscles.

Inspired, I set out to tone my arms by doing a few weights, some tricep dips, and very few push ups.

Each Sunday, my jazz dance teacher has us do planks and various arm and core toning pilates moves in our warmup.  I think that I do pretty well-years of exercise payoff in that I can hang in there and plank in good form with my foot up, knee moving out to shoulder etc.

My girlfriend and I share products that we try and decide to pass on. One day, she presented me with a deluxe sample of Clarins Body Lift Cellulite Control.

I don’t know if something was lost in translation, but it just hit me that targeting “early & stubborn” cellulite didn’t make sense.

Isn’t being stubborn implying that the bumps have been there and have taken up residence? Thus, “early” didn’t make sense?

Anyway.

The first few times I applied the product to my thighs, I massaged it in so hard I got bruises. I rubbed it in with enough vigor to have my legs turn bright red, and I could feel the mintiness of the product tingling.

Since then I have backed off to a more swedish massage level of pressure. Light upward strokes-kind of a feathering technique.

And I think the product works for me.

I wouldn’t prance around in short-shorts, but being hyper-aware of the condition of my skin, hair and everything else-I do believe this product is bringing about results.

Just in time for summer.

k

The No Diet Pepsi Diet-Dr Oz

Really I think Dr Oz DAILY miracle cures are tiring, and the best thing about his show are the great examples of how the (fill in the blank) works.

When I try to work and have him on in the background, I end up getting annoyed because his show’s tonality is loud and sensational.

So, I am channel surfing in the afternoon, looking for some background noise, and hear the  show’s promotional tease ” The 2 week diet, lose 9 pounds.”

I’ve been feeling sensitive about my weight, and after losing a couple of pounds, I was on the way to gaining those lbs back.

I never weigh myself and only use my clothes to tell me where I am at in terms of my weight. I don’t have a closet full of clothes in different sizes.

Rather, I wear mostly knits, that stretch a bit. But my jeans and things that close around my waist tell no lies.

Plus I’ve been seeing the hype about Oprah’s weight loss on FB.

Anyway.

I watch the show, and pretty much get that the only items on his list I don’t adhere to are-

I drink Diet Pepsi-at least one 21 oz bottle per day.

I eat cheese-probably more than those one inch cubes called a serving.

I take no vitamins what so ever.

Knowing myself, the best way to approach “dieting” is to do one thing. Heck, I only do one set of shoulder presses if I walk by my weights, but I consider that an achievement!

So, I chose the evil Diet Pepsi.

The bf constantly nags/preaches about why Diet Pepsi is bad. Like it turns into formaldehyde in your body etc.

But taste is king. Bubbles are my thing.

But I commit to giving it up after the last bottle in the fridge.

It was pretty easy, because I don’t drink it for the caffeine.

I don’t feel any different-I was expecting some amazing new glow to my skin or something from the lack of formaldehyde, but maybe I should expect a total sagging of my body since I don’t have the evil chemical to glue it in place!

However, after 3 weeks, I have lost weight.

How can I tell?

Shorts and pants that I veer away from when I pack my gym bag, fit without giving me waist-harikiri.

The blubber over my bra strap has started to recede.

Thankfully, I have not experienced more weight loss in my face. I’m at the point where facial weight loss only results in hollows and the architecture not holding up.

I added a pro biotic, tho not a pill. I’m putting a generous dollop on Greek Gods Honey Vanilla Greek Yogurt on my naked wheat toast in the morning.  I was doing pb and j, and then sequed to honey, but the yogurt fills me up, and I like the taste anyway.

It just has to be easy.

So I’m on my way.

Maybe I’ll add a multi-vitamin to the regimen,

But like I said, it has to be easy. And all the diet docs in the world say, if it’s not something that you can make a regular choice in your life, it ain’t gonna work long term.

Besides, the bf’s aspiring doctor son, when I told him I gave up my beloved diet pepsi but crave it when stressed, having finished the unit on addiction diagnosed my craving as “classic addiction reaction.”

Sigh.

k

PS

I am expecting some change in the quality of my skin since diet pepsi is just a bottle of fizzy chemicals at the end of the day.

 

 

You Had Me At Hello-Shiseido Benefiance Eye Cream

I used to like Shiseido products when I was in my 20-s. For a girl out of college and on a budget, to indulge was a treat! Other girls who lived at home, or otherwise had expenses handled, regularly purchased new shoes, Lancome make up, and were always perfectly coiffed.

I on the other hand, shopped at The Wild Pair in the sale bin(I got some seriously awesome shoes), wore what was on sale at Longs, usually L’Oreal, and once got a haircut on the referral of the same friend, and I ended up with a mullet.

I’m thoroughly convinced that when a stylist is ready to kick you to the curb, or has had a fight with their significant person, they cut my hair in a mullet. This p-rick actually took the shaver out and made the sides of my hair less than a 1/4 inch long. I started to protest but this samurai attitude(I think his name was Tony-the salon was in the Ala Moana area across the street from Mary Ann Chang Photography), made me shrink back. My Dad was in shock.

So, I rarely rarely rarely have my haircut differently than the same long boring barely layered style. I’m sure my stylist falls asleep standing up doing my hair.

Anyway, I digress.

My current non-use of Shiseido products was at the level, that even if they had an ad in Allure or wherever, I would walk on by. Even GWP offers did not catch my eye. Those b’s in Shirokiya Shiseido department are well, just b’s. So even when I have been interested in buying Beauty Cake soap, they act snobby like they are selling Cleu De Peu.

Geez-get a clue.

This particular ad, was laid out differently tho-I am in the marketing business, and can tell when the client has given the agency marching orders to maximize the spend by cramming everything in the same ad.

So….

4 of Shiseido’s Benefiance products were crammed into the same ad-all lined up horizontally-exactly how a client who was a linear thinker might dictate.

I read through the most left-hand product and saw the words”inner eye lines”-meaning the lines in the inside corner of your eyes. In my case, that would include the fine lines that appear in the afternoon after a day of crinkling my nose and making expressions.

This is an area of particular concern since I purchased a 4x mirror and inspect my eye liner and other make up around my eye.

Getting old is a drag. Pretty soon I’ll be wearing y reading glasses to put on makeup!

Anyway-

So, I take a leap and purchase the product without sampling, as I’m too lazy to go to Sephora, and the counter people at Macys rarely sample.

Lo and behold-when I apply a pea-sized portion, which I tap in, then take a brush to blend in, the inner eye wrinkles disappear.

Of course they reappear during the day-but for me this is a gentler option than using some of the spackle products likes Miracle Blur or Clinique’s Super Skin Primers.

This way I get treatment and fulfillment.

However, fickle as always, I have my inner eye focused on Fresh’ Black Tea Eye Cream. I had a sample, and that was just as effective.

It never ends.

k