Moisturizer | Beauty and Fashion Tech

Canyon Ranch Balance Light Weight Moisture Lotion

204206 Canyon Ranch Balance Light-Weight Moisture is a nice light moisturizer with no parabens, mineral oil, petroleum, alcohol or added color. I got mine in my last edition of Beauty Fix (I love Beauty Fix! Link is to a previous review).

Overall, Canyon Ranch moisturizer has a nice, soft, luxurious feel. Yet it is light and absorbs quickly. It is perfect for oily to normal skin. It also includes anti-aging ingredients. I have read one Canyon Ranch review where the author had an acne breakout after using the SPF version of this moisturizer. I have had no problem though, and am quite acne prone. So, I guess there are some mixed results in that department. Personally, I love the product.

I curious about the rest of the Canyon Ranch skincare line now. I will have to see about trying a few more of their skin care products.

Note: This review is based on a product given to me by a representative of the company (via Beauty Fix). For more, please see my disclosure page.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Envision Beauty The Solution

Recently some beauty bloggers were discussing favorite products and products that they have repurchased, and multiple people brought up Envision Solution as a favorite. I thought it sounded familiar, so I went digging through my group of products that I am way behind on reviewing, and sure enough, there it was! Apparently I had even started testing it for a review, but for whatever reason, I had set it aside and forgot about it. So I made a point of using it for 4 weeks, and I’m quite happy that I rediscovered it and gave it a try!

Envision Beauty The Solution is an interesting moisturizer that is akin to a cross between a serum and a light lotion. In fact, the website advertises it as a replacement for most skin care items, stating:

The Solution’s luxurious all-in-one formula is loaded with the most effective ingredients found in Nature and Science. It powerfully nourishes, brightens and evens out the skin- repairing and preventing the signs of aging. Applied twice daily in place of a day cream, night cream, eye cream, moisturizer, anti-aging serum and pre-makeup base, The Solution rapidly produces drastic, visible results.

The active ingredient list is also rather impressive with: DMAE, Alpha Lipoic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, NaPCA, Vitamins A, B5, C, and E, Goji, Acai, Centella Asiatica, and Grapeseed.

Overall, I love the feel of The Solution. Most moisturizers with DMAE and Hyaluronic Acid are thick and heavy, but Envision Solution is very light. It feels like a serum, but it still moisturizes very well. I currently have oily skin and had no issues with it feeling greasy or causing breakouts. I would happily suggest it for pretty much all skin types—I think Envision will take care of dry skin nicely, yet not clog up or grease up oily skin. It tingles a bit on application, which is probably from the Vitamin C, and that actually makes me happy, since I can then trust that there is a decent concentration of it.

I used The Solution in place of most serums, eye cream and moisturizers for about 4 weeks and it did indeed replace all of them all rather well. I was particularly surprised to find that I liked it just fine in place of eye cream. I still used my melasma treatment products, Azaleic Acid for acne, sunscreen, and my makeup primer. Contrary to Envision’s assertions, I didn’t find that the Solution worked particularly well as a pre-makeup base. I like to use a silicone based primer for that (psst, try out one of these three best makeup primers). I also would like to see Envision add sunscreen to the product. In any event, I will probably be repurchasing this one when my sample runs out.

Envision Beauty The Solution is $79 and 10% of the proceeds from their sales goes to charities in developing countries.

Note: This review was based on a product given to me by a representative of the company. For more, please see my disclosure page.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Four Winter Skin Care Tips and Products

Are you ready for winter skincare? Winter is upon us and your skin care treatments may need to change. The right winter skin care regimen to keep your skin looking beautiful all winter long.

Winter has its own seasonal challenges when it comes to keeping your skin fresh and beautiful and winter weather can be damaging to your skin if it is not treated properly. Those winter harsh wind and sun conditions are as challenging as the summer sunny days. Below are four skin care tips for winter.

1: Don’t quit on your sunscreen. Colder temperatures and less daylight may lead you to believe that you do not need sunscreen in the winter. But the sun at this time of year is just as damaging. If you hit the ski slopes, you are in even more danger, as the reflection of the sun bounces off of the snow and can cause sun burn. Now is not the time to skip the sun protection.

2: Moisturize! Winter wind and cold air strips skin of its natural moisturizers. The air is drier as well. Thus, you have to work harder to keep your skin moisturized. This may be true even if you have oily skin. If oily skin gets at all dried out, it tends to rebound by producing extra oil. That can lead to clogged pores and acne. Many moisturizers will include sunscreen, so you can kill two skincare birds with one stone.

3: Try a humidifier. Indoor heating strips moisture out of the air. By putting it back, you avoiding creating dry skin. This is also great for winter hair care. A humidifier will go a long way toward preventing frizzy hair (I hate the winter hair frizzies!)

4: Stay hydrated. Water flushes toxins from your body and keeps your hydrated. Drink eight glasses of water every day and your skin will love you for it.

Winter Skin Care Products

Here are Four moisturizers with sunscreen, and one without, that I recommend for winter skincare treatment. I have tried each, and they are all favorites of mine:

For dry skin: Elizabeth Arden Intervene Pause & Effect Moisture Cream SPF 15 : When I had dry skin (lately I have suddenly become oily instead) I loved Elizabeth Arden Intervene. It has a rich, luxurious feel to it and gives deep moisture, yet it absorbs well and isn’t greasy. I also love the Elizabeth Arden Intervene Eye Cream (link is to my review).

Without sunscreen: CREME DE LA MER: Creme de la Mer is fairly expensive. But a tiny bit goes a long way and it is one of the best products out there for dry skin. The stuff is amazing. Look for sample sizes on Ebay if you want to try it out first.

For normal skin: Canyon Ranch SPF 30 Moisturizer : I got a Canyon Ranch moisturizer in my last Beauty Fix sampler and love it. It feels great and smells great, yet the fragrance is not overwhelming—it is light and fresh. Canyon Ranch is well worth the price in my opinion.

For oily skin: Murad Vitalic Energizing Pomegranate Moisturizer SPF 15 : When my skin is oily, regardless of the season, Murad Vitalic is a favorite for me. I haven’t tried it since they switched it to a pomegranate formula. But I also love Murad’s other pomegranate items.

Budget for all skin types: Eucerin Everyday Protection Face Lotion, SPF 30: This is a good all around moisturizer that works for all skin types, including sensitive skin, and is very affordable.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Exuviance Sheer Refining Fluid, SPF 15.

I tend to like Exuviance products, and I certainly like the latest item that they sent to me. Exuviance Sheer Refining Fluid SPF 15. Sheer Refining Fluid is a light daily moisturizer that is perfect for people with oily skin and hyperpigmentation. That would be me!

The lotion is thin and absorbs quickly , making it perfect for a bit of moisture without feeling oily. It also contains oil reducing agents. Then, for those with pigment issues or melasma, it contains NeoGlucosamine. Glucosamine has been one of the popular ingredients of late for treating pigmentation, so I am happy to see it included. Finally, it includes SPF 15 from a variety of chemical sunscreens.

The fluid can be worn under Exuviance Matte Perfection, which is a nice oil control primer that I have been using quite regularly (read previous review)

Exuviance is sold at various online sources and beauty specialty stores. The Sheer Refining Fluid runs around $32.

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Popularity: 2% [?]

Guest Review: Olay ProX Anti-Aging Skin Care

Today brings a guest post from Kylee Baumle, who writes a beautiful gardening blog, Our Little Acre, a site that is also full of wonderful photography and a good dose of cat stories! Read below for Kylee’s review:

Around the age of forty, I started thinking maybe I should consider taking better care of my skin. When fifty rolled around, I wished I’d taken better care of it at twenty and thirty. I’ve always been a fan of Olay Regenerist products, especially the Daily Serum, so when I started seeing their new ProX products being advertised, I checked them out. ProX is clinically proven to stimulate skin to perform much like it did when it was younger by increasing turnover of the surface cells and repairing the moisture barrier. In addition to costing a fraction of what department store products do, as an introduction incentive Olay was offering a $10 discount at the time of purchase of their Anti-Aging Starter Kit, which retails for about $60. Their guarantee promised my money-back if I wasn’t satisfied with the performance of their products, so I bought them.

Included in the starter kit were: Eye Restoration Complex .3 oz tube, Age Repair Lotion with SPF 30 1 oz. pump, and Wrinkle Smoothing Cream 1 oz jar. I was to use the Eye Restoration both morning and evening, the Age Repair Lotion in the morning, and the Wrinkle Smoothing Cream at night. As one who has a hard time following any kind of skin care regimen, this was a challenge to me. But I’d spent enough money on the kit and I truly wanted to see results, so I vowed to stick with it.

After just one week of using the kit, I noticed that my skin felt softer. At somewhere around two to three weeks usage, my skin looked slightly smoother. It’s been five weeks now and I like how my skin feels and looks. To be honest, the results aren’t dramatic, but they are enough that I will keep using it and have already purchased a second starter kit.

None of the products felt greasy, which was a relief to me. I had somewhat oily skin as a teenager and shunned moisturizers for years after that because I hated that greasy feel that most gave me. I am a side sleeper and did notice that my skin felt slightly sticky where it touched the pillow. It wasn’t enough to be all that annoying however.

The ProX products have a very slight fragrance – something somewhat medicinal in nature – but not strong enough to be objectionable. I wish they’d used whatever fragrance is in their Regenerist Daily Serum, as I think that one is quite nice. Because the regimen is different in the morning than it is in the evening, I was more diligent about sticking with the program and only missed a morning or two. I have never missed a night of using the products.

There are three other products in the line: Deep Wrinkle Treatment, Discoloration Fighting Concentrate, and Hydra Firming Cream. I’d like to try each of those, especially the latter two.

Popularity: 3% [?]

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: 1% [?]

DDF Protect and Correct UV Moisturizer SPF 15

DDF always tends toward impressive skin care products, including melasma treatments and sunscreen. I particularly love DDF Protect and Correct UV Moisturizing sunscreen aimed at treating and preventing hyperpigmentation and melasma. I have always been a fan of double duty skin care products, so this one goes high on my recommended item list.

DDF Hyperpigmentation Protect And Correct UV Moisturizer SPF 15 is a light moisturizer with four chemical sunscreens for SPF 15 coverage. It also contains various extracts, including licorice root extract, to help treat pigmentation. So, the sunscreen prevents melasma discoloration, while the extracts treat it.

The lotion has a decent feel to it, absorbs fairly quickly, and I had no issues with acne with it. I do wish it had a higher SPF though. I really prefer to use SPF 30 and above for melasma treatment and prevention. A physical sunblock in it instead of all chemical ones would be nice too. Regardless, it still is a quality product.

Protect and Correct retails at around $58 and can be found at various online sources.

Buy DDF Protect and Correct UV Moisturizer SPF 15 at Spa Look

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