Skin Care : Beauty and Fashion Tech

Makeup from DHC Skincare: Moist Color Base, Q10 Foundation, and Q10 Powder

DHC skincare is a Japanese skin care and cosmetics company. I have been a long time fan of DHC skincare products, especially their Olive Oil cleanser (read previous DHC review), but until recently, I had not tried much of DHC’s Makeup. So I decide to change that and sent in an order.

I decided to try out a combination of DHC foundation and makeup products to see how well I could achieve a look using them that would hopefully lessen the appearance of my melasma, but without using a full coverage foundation. I found a good mix for that. These item also contain Coenzyme Q as an anti-aging ingredient. So you can get some double duty action out of them!

First off, I applied DHC Q10 Moist Color Base . This product comes in several varieties:

Pink: Lends a rosy glow to diminish yellow undertones
Apricot: Adds warmth to liven pale, dull complexions
Beige: Balances uneven tones for a natural neutral look
Yellow: Ideal for moderate redness and unwanted pinkness
Green: Helps conceal severe redness issues

I used beige, which was advertised to help even out the appearance of discoloration. I found that it worked fairly well for that. The base is a light beige tone that doesn’t really tint much, but does help lessen the look of hyperpigmentation. Despite the term “moist” in the name, It came out quite matte, which I liked since I was fairly oily at the time that I tried it. Because of its shade, I think it would work for fair to medium skin, but those with truly porcelain skin or with brown skin might not find it very useful. The base acts quite well as a basic makeup primer, but if you want a true silicon primer, try out DHC Velvet Skin Coat instead (read review). That one is also clear, so it works well with all skin colors.

Next, I applied DHC Q10 Liquid Foundation. This is a sheer foundation with Coenzyme Q10 to add anti-aging properties. I appreciate double duty products, so I liked the idea of this item before I even tried it. Once I did try it, I loved the product. DHC Q10 foundation is sheer and a bit moisturizing, making it very comfortable to wear. Coverage is sheer, so while this doesn’t cover my melasma well alone, I found that it worked well in conjunction with the moist color base. For those wanting just a bit of sheer evening of redness and such, this foundation would be a good choice. One downside though is that the container rather small for the price point.

My favorite of the bunch was the DHC Q10 Face Powder . In fact, this has become my favorite facial powder, replacing my previous and more expensive favorite, Laura Mercier powder. This powder has a wonderful silky feeling to it and it sits well on the skin without overly settling into wrinkles and pores. The container is also of a decent size. I love it and will be a repeat purchaser.

Items from DHC skincare are generally available only online or through mail order. You are allowed to select four DHC samples with each order and their catalog comes with samples included, so it is a good mailing list to be on!

Popularity: 7% [?]

LaRoche-Posay Lipkar Balm

I received information from LaRoche-Posay that they have released the Lipikar Balm: Anti-Irritant, Lipid Replenishing Body Balm for Very Dry and Atopic Skin.

Here is the information that they sent on the balm:

Clinically proven to reduce dry, itchy skin by over 55%, Lipikar Body Balm is the 1st anti-irritant lipid-replenishing body balm proven to treat severely dry and atopic skin in children and adults [Of non-occlusive moisturizers in Europe since 2002].

This exclusive formula features La Roche-Posay patented Oleosome™ technology; an innovative time released delivery system with encapsulated active ingredients to promote deep, long-lasting results. Additionally, African shea butter, glycerin and canola oil help replenish moisture levels in the skin, promoting comfort and relieving severe dryness.

If you suffer from eczema or have troublesome dry skin patches, you might want to check this out. Look for it at CVS Pharmacies.

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Popularity: 15% [?]

Erno Laszlo Redness FX Lotion and Cream

Erno Laszlo is long time favorite brand of mine for upscale skin care products. They recently released their Redness FX line, consisting of a lotion and a cream aimed at calming sensitive skin and reducing redness. These are two different products, each with different ingredients. Here is a bit of information from the company about each:

Redness FX Cream

Calming Cream for Sensitive Dry Skin

- A calming formula that soothes inflammation and relieves facial burning, stinging, and itching due to environmental irritants, a change in diet or emotions.

- Powerful Antioxidants, Vitamin A, E and Goji Berry Extract, help protect and shield the skin from environmental damage.

- Replenishes lost moisture and keeps skin hydrated.

- Immediately reduces redness and irritation.

- In a clinical study, Erno Laszlo FX Cream demonstrated significant decrease, up to 75%, in the visual appearance of skin redness.

- Helps avert future flare-ups.

Redness FX Lotion

Calming Lotion for Sensitive Normal to Oily Skin

- Calms flare-ups of visible redness and irritations.

- In a clinical study, Erno Laszlo FX Lotion demonstrated significant decrease, up to 71%, in the visual appearance of skin redness.

- Combines cooling agents such as Gorgonian Extract to reduce redness, Bisabolol to soothe irritated skin, and Arnica Extract to reduce inflammation.

- With daily use, helps avert future flare-ups.

- Maintains skin’s moisture balance.

The timing couldn’t have been better for me to test these because while I normally do not have sensitive skin, I managed to irritate it a bit with some overuse of retinol. I tested both and found that I liked the lotion much more than the cream.

The lotion is quite soothing and worked well to calm my irritated skin. The cooling extracts in it go to work pretty much instantly. The cream did not instantly soothe, in fact, I found that it stung a little bit on one sensitive area. But keep in mind that this was an already irritated patch of skin–the cream felt great everywhere else. I felt that the cream cleared up redness well when used overnight. This makes sense, considering that it has different ingredients that appear to be focused a bit more on prevention, but because of the more instant effect of the lotion, I liked the lotion best.

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Popularity: 17% [?]

Estee Lauder Perfectionist CP+ Wrinkle Lifting Serum

Estee Lauder Perfectionist CP+ Wrinkle Lifting Serum is a peptide anti-aging serum aimed at collagen production. It is designed to be used daily, before applying moisturizer. A decent sized container runs around $55. I found that very little is needed and it absorbs very quickly. I haven’t used it long enough to speak about result though.

For October Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Estee Lauder has also released Perfectionist CP+ as part of its pink products collection. To find that version, visit your local Estee Lauder counter. If you are going to buy a fairly expensive serum, some of the cost might as well go to a good cause!

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Popularity: 22% [?]

Clinique Limited Edition Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion

For Breast Cancer Awareness month, Clinique is donating $10 from purchases of their Limited Edition Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. The good sized container comes with a free pink ribbon keychain that also includes a Clinique “C” charm. It is a cute keychain!

I’ve been a long-time user of Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion. In fact, I think it was one of the first skin care products I ever owned. The lotion has a huge following, and there are good reason for its popularity: It is a good all purpose moisturizer that is light, absorbs quickly, and is good for just about every skin type.

Look for Dramatically different Moisturizing Lotion at Clinique.com and Clinique Counters Nationwide.

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Popularity: 19% [?]

A Couple of Pink Beauty Tech Items for October

Here are a couple of neat pink “tech” items for your October shopping. If you have been considering one of these and love pink or want to see a portion of your investment go to charity, here is your chance!

The CLARISONIC Skin Care Brush Limited Edition Pink, Breast Cancer Awareness + 2 oz Cleanser. I have yet to try the Clarisonic, but it gets generally pretty good reviews. The pink version is adorable!

The Nu Face Facial Toning System, Limited Edition Pink is an FDA approved device that uses microcurrent technology to lift and tone the face, reduce and eliminate fine lines and wrinkles, improve facial circulation, skin exfoliation, lymphatic drainage, treat sun damage and skin pigment, and improve product penetration. the NuFace Toner is another one that I haven’t personally tried.

Both are expensive, so if you plan to spend, you might as well assure that a bit goes to charity!

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Popularity: 26% [?]

Bliss Triple Oxygen Instant Energizing Mask

I love Bliss Triple Oxygen Instant Energizing Mask. I seriously cannot quit raving about it! This foaming mask refreshes and makes the skin look great, temporarily at least.

The whole concept of the Bliss energizing Mask is to oxygenate the skin, plumping up skin cells, and making the skin look fresh and renewed. Here is the company’s information on it:

A ‘take-out’ version of bliss spa’s most famous facial, the Triple Oxygen Treatment (a favorite of so many stunningly skinned celebs, we wouldn’t want to dull you with the details). At home, once, twice, or for the obsessive even thrice a week, this flash-action mask will deliver a shot of oxygen, a dose of a powerhouse form of Vitamin C, a smattering of anti-free radicals, and a moisture fix, to instantly spiff up your skin when you find it looking a little ‘low’ life.

with vitamin C, fluid O2™, NaPCA, and EUK-134™ free-radical resisters

A super-quick-fix for dull, tired, sallow, ‘I’m sick of my’ skin. Engineered to mimic the effects of our spa’s famous triple oxygen™ (but in seconds), this fabulous new complexion brightening formula uses every ‘tech’ in the book to work to furnish you with a fresher, younger-looking face.

engineered as a stand-in for our spas’ world famous triple oxygen facial treatment

releases oxygen molecules and detoxifiers

a super-quick-fix for dull, tired, sallow skin

super-strength skincare from bliss, new york’s hottest spa

To use the mask, a layer of light lotion is applied to damp skin and then left on for a few minutes while it turns to foam. During that process, it tingles quite a bit. I kind of thought it tickled at first! Then it is rinsed off. I found that my skin looked and felt great after each use of it. The effects don’t last all that long, but it is a great way to start the day! I use this several times each week regularly now. Great stuff! I highly recommend it!

Buy Bliss Triple Oxygen Instant Energizing Mask at Beauty.com

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Popularity: 22% [?]