Clarins’ Double Serum

I got this in exchange for Clarins’ neck cream I was using – it turns out I am allergic to the formula so….I took it back to Nords.

I like that you don’t have to squeeze out the double serum separately like you used to in other products, but it seems like one side is clogged, or metes out a very small amount. The darker liquid doesn’t always appear to be mixed in.

Clarins’ Double Serum is supposed to be a super product that does everything-brighten, tone, hydrate, fight further aging etc. It feels oil-based, but lighter than Josie Maran, or Kitoko Oil, but I need to put a moisturizer over this product to feel hydrated.

It’s only been two weeks of using the product, so the other claims are not reportable yet – but we’ll see how it goes.  I shake the bottle to see if the darker liquid is just “stuck” but it doesn’t help.  Nord’s is constructing in their parking lot, so it’s going to be a hard holidays trying to get in the shopping center at Ala Moana.  At least in LA (where I visit) there is a shopping mall and another Nords or otherwise a few miles apart.

Anyway.

It’s a pricey product, with no immediate results.  I can’t see buying three bottles to see it it works.

k

 

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The Defender-Or, How to Get Your Man to Use Sunscreen

Okay, you may or may not know that I am Asian, and have some natural sunscreen in the form of melatonin in my skin so I tan but don’t burn over-easily.

But I wear sunscreen everyday, faithfully since I live in Hawaii.

So…..not to name names, but I know of more than a few men with blue eyes, freckle skin, red hair, or blonde or some variation on the theme, who do not wear sunscreen.

Not only do they not wear sunscreen, but they refuse to wear sunscreen.

I’ve heard it from my friends whose husbands can’t stand to put anything girly or creamy on their skin, and other significant people who just don’t think it’s manly.

Eh–what’s manly about skin cancer, moles, irregular shaped funny-looking, crusty-crispy stuff, apparently growing on your face, body, head, arm, leg etc.

Ok, a little ruggedness wrinkle edges  or scratchiness is okay, but skin cancer is not.

So…..

I’ve found the perfect product that all concerned women and readers of this post can offer up to any man or young man to use to protect their skin.

I give a high recommend to Clinique‘s Super Defense, SPF 25.  It comes in a few combinations for dry to normal, normal-oily etc. It not only protects their facial skin from the sun’s very harmful rays, but shhhhhhhh – it’s also skincare.

It has moisturizing and anti-aging ingredients, but don’t tell them that.

Just tell them – it doesn’t smell girly, in fact it barely has fragrance.

It’s texture is less frothy-it’s typical Clinique-it has an almost plastic feel to the cream.

It comes in a uni-sex colored jar – I call it Clinique minty-green, with silver lettering.

Clinique does have the M line for men, which comes in a dark gunmetal gray packaging, but for a funny reason does not have this same product. In fact, the men’s line really isn’t very developed.

So ladies, moms, girlfriends, wives and friends – get your man putting on this sunscreen-tell him it’s a cream version of your love and affection.

hehe

k

Really? The Search for Testimony

 

Three times I have been by the Lancome‘ counter to check out or purchase whatever.

And three times, the salesperson is probably in their 60-s, or at least their skin looks like they’ve spent a lot of time in the sun.

More power to you.

But, all three times, the salespeople talked about how Visionnaire, and the combo of Visionnaire and Genefique had made a huge difference in their skin texture.

I’m sorry, I have a very hard time believing them.

I know, that people need a job, and this job is what they want or like to do. But I think the salestraininers/marketing people at Lancome’ need to rethink strategy on getting this product flying off the shelves.  Personally I think when they gave 7-days of genefique samples that was a better way to get people hooked on the product.  Expensive yes, but far more convincing.

I think nowadays people are less willing to shell out cash for a wing and a prayer promise of lines, wrinkles and brown spots removed.

Somewhat like that, is when the ReVive’ people were in town and a very young person was part of the sales team at Nordstroms.  That’s cool, but it’s the flip side, do I really think the products make a difference NOW for her?

I mean, a much younger person hopefully has the benefit of starting sunscreen earlier so there’s less concern about brown spots from the sun, or premature aging.

At least that’s what I am thinking.

Then there are the real life testimonies that I see with my own eyes.  Like the ReVive/Estee Lauder person who was using ReVive’s Peau line-I hadn’t seen her for a month or so, so I really noticed a huge difference in her skin.  The Peau line is the super duper line, the upgrade from the $250 a jar ReViVe’ Moisture Renewal.

And the other testimony I saw and believe is a woman I have known for about 20 years. I asked her about the Nerium AD product she was selling, and she pointed to around her eyes and said her crow’s feet were pretty much gone in 3 days!  She showed me her pictures too.

But, what I found remarkable was that around her eyes DEFINITELY looked like she had done something because there were no wrinkles!

Anyway.

Let’s hear it for real results based on real testimonials done by real people and not in a lab where the percentages are based on controlled environments and improvement is relative.

k

 

 

Brown Spot Under My Eye! Philosophy Miracle Worker

Yesterday–I also looked at and bought Philosophy’s Miracle Worker, Dark Spot Corrector.  Jeff, the regional rep told me no other product on the market works on dark spots in 5 ways at the same time.  I think what he was saying is a product that contains hydroquinone only bleaches the spot, a product like kojic acid prevents melatonin from forming and so on. I think everybody here knows this stuff?  

That’s why you have to do a whole regimen like Obaji-I bet if Dr O wanted to he could probably formulate something that didn’t include all of those steps ( and ends up costing the consumer more).  His active products are the hydroquinone to bleach, the salicylic acid to exfoliate and the vitamin A to “rejuvenate” with antioxidants (which when I read that I’m thinking what? Sounds like their job is to fight free radicals.)

Anyway…

I’m still working on the brown spots under my eye which appear to be fairly common.  I see it a lot in Hawaii–not sure if it’s because of wearing sunglasses all the time that don’t cover that area or what.

The Kiehl’s product (Clearly Corrective) made them smaller but did not completely remove the brown spots under my eyes. I’ve said in a post before I’m not interested in buying bottle after bottle of stuff unless it really does work ( a rarity).

Jeff, pointed to a freckle like spot on his nose, about the size of a half a soy bean and said that he had been using the product for a week and a half and thought he saw it “breaking up”.

His skin in caucasian so we will see.  Not everything is formulated for all skin types-laughably companies like Clinique are trying to make it a market position by claiming their lightening products work on skin other than caucasian. Shame on their advertising agency.

This is a night time product.  It has a soft consistency in a pump style bottle-the cream is tan in color.  It took me a bit to identify what I think is in it, I’d say yeast. Over the years I have read about yeast used as a lightener. I read the reviews on sephora and  it looks like it’s one of those products that work on some people and not on others.

I’ll keep you posted.

k

Outcome: Kiehl’s Clearly Corrective Dark Spots Solution

Ok, I know I was supposed to compare the Kiehl’s product for the sun spots under my eyes to the spot on my foot ( I live in Hawaii so my feet are exposed in sandals), but I lost interest in the second step.

I did however, carry it through the whole bottle using the product morning and day until the bottle was empty.

My experience was it made the spots under my eyes smaller but did not remove them completely.  I decided I wanted to move on to another product so I decided to not purchase another bottle.

You have probably experienced similar outcomes, and when you mention it to the salesperson, they recommend 2-3 bottles.  I’ve taken that route too, and the only product that I think works well and I will continue to buy is another Kiehl’s product – Power Line Reducer.

The vitamin C product has reduced my spots overall, and the other day when I was rushing and late getting to an appointment, I put on my sunscreen, lipstick, brows, liner and mascara and NO Foundation!

I feel confident enough to not wear foundation to a business appointment.  Now that is saying something about the results!

In any case, the Kiehl’s Clearly Corrective product does work, but may take a few bottles to really see results that you’ll appreciate.

k

Related articles

• Kiehl’s vs Tretonin 10% (mybeautyreport.wordpress.com)

Kiehl’s vs Tretonin 10%

I’m not sure if it was from the Fraxel treatment, but post Fraxel, my face skin has been darker than my neck even though I wear sunscreen religiously on my face and not on my neck. I notice it more when I see a full body shot of me in the mirror–tan face even without make up, and paler neck, shoulder etc. skin.

I’ve been using the Power Line Concentrate from Kiehl’s (I”m on my third bottle) and have seen an overall lightening of my facial skin. I did a short round of Obaji which also helped.  I mention the Kiehl’s product because, my Korean friends who are skin fanatics starting commenting about the lightening after I used my first bottle of Kiehl’s.

Kiehl's Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution

I am now using the newest Kiehl’s promise to lighten dark spots product, Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution .  Just to test it, I put the Kiehl’s product using about a half dropper on my face and gently massaged in.  On my foot, I have a sun spot and I applied tretonin 10%.

Day 1, Jan 20,2012 Kiehls vs Tretonin 10%

Let’s see what happens-I’ve been using the product for about 10 days.