Friday, April 15, 2011

Review of Avon Eye Creams and cleanser

After I finished my Olay eye cream, I decided to try out the eye creams from Avon. And I'm hooked. I tried the Anew Clinical Eye Lift after reading many good review on this eye cream and I like it a lot. I'm on my 3rd jar now. I bought the other eye cream, Advanced Eye Perfector  because it was sold so cheap at my local Avon store (RM10) and I like it too. Now I'm using both and loving it!



Avon ANEW Clinical Eye Lift



Product Description:

Visibly lifts the brow bone, upper and under eye areas. Includes Upper Eye/Brow Bone Gel and Under Eye Cream.
 
Brow Bone/Upper Eye Gel with Dimensional Lift Technology is formulated to firm brow bone area, to help provide an instant lift and to instantly help the brow bone area feel tighter

Under Eye Cream with Derma-Refine Technology and Sweet Almond Extract to instantly minimizes visible under eye shadowing. After 4 weeks, reduces dark circles & crepiness





As you can this product has two separate compartment. The first compartment is the brown/orange gel for the upper eye and the yellow cream for the under eye area. The orange gel contains Sweet Almond Extract, Caffeine, pomegranate juice with olive, coffee and fennel extract. It helps to tighten the upper eye area and prevent sagging. The yellow cream contains Shea butter, sweet almond extract, coconut and pomegranate juice, olive, grape and carrot extract, Biotin (vitamin B7) and Ceramide to help with dark circles and fine lines. 

I loved this eye cream and I can see myself using this for a long time. It absorb really well on the skin and it instantly reduce the appearance of dark circle and brighten the under eye area. I can't really tell the effect of the upper eye gel because I don't have any problem on that area but for this just take away all my fine lines instantly. I think this helps my under eye area a lot. I noticed the appearance of my dark circles and fine lines has reduced since using this. This eye cream doesn't mix well with compact powder foundation. You need to put on a liquid foundation/concealer on top of your eye creams first before your compact powder. I wish this come in tube or pump because its not very hygienic to dip your fingers inside the jar. The smell is neutral to me. Not frangrance-y or chemical-y to me. I always bought this when there is promotion. Usually around RM45+-RM55. You can get much cheaper if you're an Avon member. This last me quite a while. Maybe a good two months with frequent use. This is the first Avon product that I actually love and will continue using ;))


Avon Solutions Advanced Eye Perfector with Peptides



Product description:

For normal/combination skin. This soothing gel refreshes and revives the eye area. Minimizes the appearance of under eye bags and helps brighten dark circles. Hypoallergenic. Dermatologist-tested. Fragrance-free.



The eye gel comes in orange in color and the smell is refreshing. This contains Witch Hazel Extract, Sweet Almond, Bitter orange and Sunflower seed extract, Caffeine, Vitamin A, B and C. The ingredients are equally as good as Anew Clinical Lift and it absorb well too. I like this eye cream but probably not as much as Anew Clinical Lift. The difference is that this eye cream take a bit longer to absorb compared to the Anew eye cream. This is a cheap replacement for my Anew eye but equally good. I actually put this in my refrigerator and once I put this under my eye, it instantly cool down my area, reduce the appearance of dark circles and fine lines.


Avon ANEW Perfect Cleanser


 


I actually got this cleanser for free with my Anew eye cream purchase. I actually don't have much expectation for this cleanser but I like it. This cleanser come in a clear gel and it foams and take off my makeup really well too. I was using the L'oreal Hydrafresh Cleanser (also in green tube and clear gel) at the same time and I find that Avon cleanser is way better than the L'oreal cleanser. This cleanser make my skin so soft and non-drying. My face felt a bit tight and drying after cleansing with the L'oreal cleanser. All in all, I like this cleanser a lot and might come back to this again and again. 



Review of Artistry Essentials Polishing Scrub and Artistry Skin Refinishing Lotion

Here is a review of other Artistry products that I've tried. The Artistry Essentials Polishing Scrub and Artistry Skin Refinishing Lotion.


Artistry Essential Polishing Scrub





Product Description:

The Polishing Scrub is a new formulation that gently exfoliates the skin. Its refreshing fragrance is a treat for your senses. A transparent blue foaming gel with dual exfoliation beads and a refreshing tangerine-berry fragrance.

I bought this together with the rest of Artistry Balancing set after reading good reviews on this product. The scrub contains hydrogenated jojoba beads and smells nice. The scrub has blue and white spherical beads in transparent gel. I tend to go for scrub with spherical beads because its more gentle compared to harsh scrub like Apricot scrub. It foams well and the scrub is not as harsh to me. I like this scrub but I don't really see any improvement with this product. In fact after I used this scrub more than 2 times a week, this scrub cause some redness on my face from over-exfoliation. The problem is that this scrub doesn't get rid a few dry flakes around my nose. An okay scrub but a bit overprice I think.



Artistry Skin Refinishing Lotion 





Product Description:

Artistry scientists learned that Oat Extract is very effective at increasing cell turnover without acids. Time Defiance Skin Refinishing Lotion contains Sugar and Algae with Oat Extract, all three ingredients act synergistically to dramatically increase  cell turnover.

Time Defiance Skin Refinishing Lotion contains patent-pending specialized Oat Extract and an exclusive Sugar derivative complex and Algae Extract. It also contains Nutrilite-approved green tea extract and exclusive artistry Hydrolipid Matrix.

I was so excited to try this serum because of its best-selling reputation. This is the serum from the Time Defiance line, the anti-ageing line from this brand. And this cause clogged pores and breakout on my face. What a disappointment! The one thing I like about this is the packaging. The luxurious-looking golden cap and the pump. Hygienic and its easy to dispense the serum. One pump is enough to cover the whole face. The smell is okay. The serum has a creamy yellow color. This serum has the typical silicone-y feeling. It absorb well but this make my face so oily and since I broke out from this serum, I stopped.I have high expectation on Artistry but nothing special. Its quite over-price and for the price, I can easily find something better and cheaper than Artistry. So long Artistry!!



Review of Origins High Potency Night- A- Mins

I watched this video on Youtube from  Beauty Consultants (Ada and Arlene) on their HG night cream, Origins High Potency Night- A-Mins. Since I was looking for a good night cream, I decided to try this. I've never tried anything from Origins line and was excited to check out this line. I had no luck finding a good night cream before because all the night cream that I've tried were causing too much oiliness on my face and causing so much discomfort and difficulties to fall asleep at night. Most of the time I ended up washing my face and sleep with nothing.





Product Description:

Let the hypnotic aromas of nature’s nightcaps summon the sandman. Newly-formulated with extra vitamins (including B-complex, C, E and A), extra minerals and exfoliating extracts, this mega moisture cream fortifies skin’s own nocturnal nature to help it repair damage done by day and rebuild itself to face tomorrow. Worn out cells are gently released to reveal brighter, more youthful texture and tone. Skin awakens rested, renewed and richly replenished.


So, onto this lotion. This is the lotion version of the Origins High Potency Night- A-Mins. They also have the cream version for dry skin. Since I have combination skin, I decided to try the lotion instead. The first thing I like about this lotion is the smell. SOoo divine. It has a citrus-y smell, like those in aromatherapy oil. I fell in love instantly. This lotion absorb so well on my face. Doesn't leave a sticky oily feeling. I don't have any trouble falling asleep with this and my face wasn't too oily when I woke up in the morning. In fact I noticed that this lotion make my skin soft and glowing in the morning. The packaging is hygienic. Its a bit difficult to get the product out from the small hole especially when not much left in the bottle. It has all the anti-oxidants that are important for the skin. Almost the perfect night cream. The problem was that this broke me out after a few weeks. Arrgggghhh... I was so in love with this night cream but once I stopped using this, my face cleared up.  Maybe this wasn't the right lotion for  my skin but I think its worth trying especially for those who still looking for a good night cream. So the hunt for my HG night cream continue!!


Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Review of Artistry Product (The Balancing Set)

Today I'm going to review Artistry products from Amway that I've been using for the past few months. I decided to try this because I wanted to find a cheaper skincare replacement for my SK-II. Artistry is a brand from Amway, one of the famous MLM/direct-selling in the world. Artistry products are not readily available at any local stores/pharmacy and you need to contact one of the Independent Business Operator (IBO) or contact Amway Headquarter directly. So, looking at the range of Artistry product, I decided to try the Balancing series, for normal/combination skin. I bought the Balancing Lotion first because I'm not sure whether this brand will be suitable for my skin or not. It works very well for my skin and so as the whole set. Here is the review of the rest of the Artistry product I used.

Artistry Balancing Set

Product Description:
Exclusive Tri-Balance Complex (unique phytonutrients and natural micro-sponge technology) in the Balancing System helps balance and normalise the skin’s water-to-oil ratio with 3 unique compounds: Dessert Hydration Complex, Balancing Matrix Complex and Hydrolipid Matrix (HLM)

Dessert Hydration Complex: A blend of naturally derived botanical ingredients to enhance skin’s moisture content and help hold it in.
  
Balancing Matrix Complex: Featuring Acerola Cherry Fibre that helps control shine and reduces the appearance and production of surface oil.

Hydrolipid Matrix: Humectant / emollient combination designed to maintain optimum moisture balance.


Artistry Balancing Lotion 
 
 

Product description: Unique micro-sponge and mattifying powders absorb excess oil and diminish shine, and oil production and balances moisture levels all day long. Enhancing the skin’s own natural protection mechanism, this lightweight lotion offers unparalleled protection to shield and defend from environmental assaults and UV rays with a patent-pending complex – Aura of Protection.

On Artistry Balancing Lotion, I liked this lotion because it absorbed well, smell really nice and and this helps with a few minor breakout I had. Despite what it said about controlling-oil properties, I'm not sure whether this lotion does that. It leaves a dewy finish but this lotion doesn't control my oil production as well as I wanted. I looked really oily after 2 hours or so. And fortunately this doesn't cause any breakout on my skin. Overall I like this lotion very much because it has SPF 15 protection and it gave a good moisture on my face.


Artistry Balancing Cleanser




Product description: Natural cleansing agents gently whisk away excess sebum, dirt and debris without stripping the skin. This cleanser/exfoliator-in-one clears and clarifies as it evens tone and texture. Surface dullness is improved, leaving skin revived and refreshed immediately after cleansing.

Move on to Artistry Balancing Cleanser. This is also a good cleanser. It cleanse really well and smell nice too. It has a gel consistency and removed my make-up well. It was quite difficult at first to work with this cleanser because it doesn't foam as well as I like. So, instead on using the cleanser directly on my face, I rubbed the cleanser between my palms and it foams really well after that. Quite a nice cleanser to me.


Artistry Balancing Toner


Product description: This unique toner optimises the skin’s own ability to control oil throughout the day. Revealing clearer, smoother skin ready to receive the benefits of the Balancing Lotion, it leaves skin feeling refreshed, toned and with a fresh matte finish.

The Artistry Balancing Toner is a bit strange to me at first. This toner has two parts, a clear green solution on top and white solution on the bottom. You need to shake it well before using this. It smells really nice too. The problem is that this toner doesn't exactly do what it suppose to do which is to control oil. I see no difference using lotion with or without the toner.  I think you can find a cheaper drug store toner easily to replace this toner. Nothing that special about it

All in all, I think this is a great simple 1-2-3 steps of skincare for combination/oily skin. However I don't think that this system delivered the best for controlling oilies and breakouts. It doesn't give you that flat matte looks but not the best at controlling oil either. Garnier oil-control lotion beat this up easily. And because these products are not easily available at the store, I felt not worth it to continue using it. Its a good essential line especially for younger people but not sure about the anti-ageing benefits of this product long-term. To me this provide a good simple moisture which I can simply replace with other cheaper and easily accessible products.

Friday, January 28, 2011

Update again..

Its been such a long long time that that I update anything in this blog. My laptop broke down and problem with Streamyx coverage and so on that I totally forgot that I have a blog..hahaha. We moved back to Shah Alam, very near to our families home because we feel that there were nothing else left for us in Cheras. And I think this is the best decision we made. We officially moved out last month to Shah Alam and I've been very busy cleaning and arranging stuff at our new house. Amir seemed to be very happy since my mum's house is just next door so he has lots of uncle and 'nenek' and 'atuk' to play with. We celebrated his birthday on 22nd January this month. He is officially 2 years old now and he certainly make my husband and I occupied with his new development.

New year resolution? I don't know. I never really talked about a New Year resolution because it usually just the same thing every year...hehe. You know things like losing weight, more money and striving career, more love and happiness and all. We all want it all year around and not just new year. I'm hoping for a more prosperous year for our family, hoping to have a clear sense of direction for myself, my career and my study because I sometimes have no idea what I wanna do in life. I don't know. So many uncertainties and 'what if' that just complicate things. 

I wanted to do so many product reviews. I will try to make time for the next few weeks I hope. I started a new skin care regime a few months back with Artistry which I religiously used but I ended up not liking it. I think its an okay line but nothing special. I've been loving a new line, Origins and hoping to try out more products from this line. The smell of the products are just divine and yummy. I LIKE!..hehe

That's all now from me now. Bye..

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