Some dermatologists may disapprove, but I’m a big fan of exfoliating your skin (when done gently). You can’t really deny the results of the softness and smoothness it gives the skin – not to mention, your skin looks brand new.
Though I wrote some time ago about body scrubs and exfoliators, I actually had never used one for my face. In fact, I only thought about a facial scrub recently after finding a tiny sample of Clinique’s popular 7 Day Scrub Cream, a sample I got in London last Summer at Harrod’s (I love how the place is so ‘posh’ and yet they hand out samples like candy. Singapore, take note.)
First, a disclaimer: I know I always harp on about Clinique and their wonderful products, and just to tell you all I do not work for them, (although a discount could be nice, seeing as how much moolah I spend on them, hint hint). I just love the brand. Everything that I’ve tried for my skin has worked (their makeup is not bad either, though I prefer their skincare).
The 7 Day Scrub Cream is just that: a facial scrub that is gentle enough to be used everyday. The scrub – like all scrubs, d’oh – is meant to gently exfoliate the skin of its dead cells, leaving soft, smooth skin that allows your cleanser and moisturizer to be absorbed better.
I gotta say, I love this stuff. It is as gentle as they say, although I am only sticking to a regime of once a week; you don’t really need that much exfoliating anyway. It’s a tad pricy, but if you stick to the once-a-week use like I, this is well worth it. The best news is that I had absolutely no reaction or breakouts to this product (long time readers may know my skin is hyper ridiculous and breakouts to everything!) so that’s a huge plus. So basically: it does what it says it does, and does it well. Love it!
Do you use facial exfoliators? I’m also gonna ask the same question I previously asked about serums – do you think exfoliators are necessary to your skincare?
“Can great skin be created? Yes.”
That’s Clinique tagline for their insanely popular skincare line, Clinique 3 Step Skincare System. And with the very attract “Just 3 steps, 3 minutes, twice a day” slogan, it’s no wonder this skincare line has become so popular – and it’s my time to join in the praise for this line!
I began using the Clinique 3 Step Skincare reason when I was just turning 18 – I believe it was the summer before I turned 18 (I’m a September baby!).
To put it briefly, I had received a sample of their Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion (DDML) on holiday and was too paranoid that it would make me breakout (I still was dealing with zits at that age), so I used it on my hands instead.
(Side note: That’s what I recommend – if you feel a cream isn’t good enough or didn’t work for your face, use it as hand cream!)
Anyway. It was only then I saw how insanely soft my hands felt, that when I got home, I bought a full bottle immediately. While I was at the counter, I remembered that I had heard how famous and good their 3 Step Skin care system was, so I decided to try it out too. I had tried every possible brand to try to get my skin better in the past, trying another brand possibly hurt, right?
Thank goodness I took that chance!
I was a little hesitant at first, though. This was the first “high end” skincare I was going to use, and I really hoped it worked; for that price, it had to! I took their skin type test (I was Type II) and bought the Facial Liquid Soap in Mild, Clarifying Lotion in 2, and their Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion.
I used it for 2 weeks before I noticed my skin had calmed down a bit, and before I knew it, I was smitten. After a full 6 weeks, I realized that my skin was free of blemishes. I was overjoyed!
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December 16, 2009
in Diary
Phew, what a year! I can’t believe it was a year ago where I wrote about my best finds of 2008! Time sure does fly. Beauty-wise, I tried a handful of new products, and found some stand-out ones. Here’s some of the products I found to be the best this year:
- Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer. I tried this exactly this time last year when my friend C came down to Singapore for Christmas. I had told her all the wonderful things I heard about Laura Mercier, so one afternoon while we were shopping, we went to check out the counter. We both tried this and fell in love. However, the price had us standing there for a while wondering if we could really spend almost 90 bucks on a tube of product. In the end we did, but for those who plan on using it everyday, this may be a bit too expensive. I’m not sure if C still uses it, from what she told me she used it everyday and it was done within a few months, so it really is quite an expensive product to buy twice a year. For me however; a year on and it’s going strong, and I use it twice a week max, and very little at a time. If you’re one who wants a flawless look and only needs a little product and coverage, this will go a long way. Here’s my full review.
- Chanel La Ligne Duo eyeliner. I know this was mentioned last year but it deserves a second mention. Over the summer after my trip to Europe I had stopped using it (big mistake) and just used normal eyeliner pencils, but meh … I think my eyes and I suit liquid liner, so I started using this again the past few weeks and I love it. It really is flawless; and the color is unexplainable – it is black so to speak, but when you layer the eyehshadow with shimmer on top, something happens and it turns into a beautiful midnight color with a hint of blue. Love it! Here’s my full review.
- Clinique Lash Power Curling Mascara. I really need to give some other mascaras a chance, I can’t harp on about Lancome’s Virtuose all my life! Nevertheless, I tried this mascara out this year at the recommendation of Christine, and it really is a great mascara. It can give both a dramatic and natural look. You can read a guest review from C about it here, or read my review here.
- The Body Shop Body Butters. These tubs have been around since forever, and I’ve used them for awhile in the past, but I never really appreciated how good they were until I was given a new tub this year and decided to write a proper review on them. They are fantastic at moisturizing, wonderful smelling, and is a real treat applying – so relaxing! You can read more at my review here.
- Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel. Oh, another Clinique on a the list! I’m a big supporter of all things Clinique skin care because it has really changed my skin. This Gel version of their famous moisturizer is no exception – I LOVE this product. I can slap on as many layers as I want and it would never clog up or grease my skin. When I apply it at night, I wake up and my skin looks and feels like a baby’s bottom! Love it. You can read my review on it here.
That’s my favorite beauty finds this year! What about you? Did you find any great products this year? I’d love to hear about them! :)
Say it isn’t so … I don’t want to believe it! I had been noticing for a bit that the skin under my eyes were looking a little dry, and horrors of all horrors – I saw the faint beginnings of fine lines. NOOooo!
Obviously I rushed to Clinique and bought All About Eyes, one of the most famous eye creams on the market.
Moisture-rich eye cream diminishes the look of undereye circles, shadows, fine lines-instantly and over time. De-puffs, calms with botanicals. Helps boost natural collagen production. Strengthens skin’s moisture barrier against common irritants. Ophthalmologist Tested.
Before I start – these are my thoughts on miracle anti-aging creams: Marketing scam! If you have wrinkles, you have wrinkles; like we discussed about cellulite, it’s already something your skin has formed. The only real thing that can help in terms of ‘turning back the clock’ is plastic surgery procedures or scientifically proven ingredients like Retinols/Retin-A.
Regardless, like I previously said in my post Preventing Signs of Aging Tips, moisturizing is great at preventing, so I do think anti aging products work – just for prevention, rather than repair. (Let me know if you agree or disagree with me!)
“Moisture-rich eye cream…” Heck yeah! I love this formula. Like with all Clinique products, the formula seems gentle, easy to apply, and non irritating. The product feels lightweight on the skin too, so you don’t really feel like anytime is on it. (A trick for really tried eyes – put your eye cream in the fridge for 5 minutes before you apply it – heaven!)
“…diminishes the look of under eye circles, shadows, fine lines instantly…” Nope, nothing’s changed. Nothing can help these deadly dark circles and shadows of mine. I still look dead in the morning! :-P I do see small results in de-puffing eye bags though, so that’s good. Regarding the fine lines, they did seem to disappear from this quick dose of moisture (which any moisturizer can do, really). I do think that the extra moisture at the eye area every night will help greatly in preventing more of those nasties from forming.
“…and over time.” Only time can tell, but overall, I like this product. As far as the rest of their pitch above, I do think it’s a calming eye cream and helps boost the skin so it appears more youthful. I really liked the formula itself, it was easy to apply, and I liked that it was so gentle. So like I said before – prevention is better than cure, and I would recommend this as a great ‘starter’ eye cream. Some of the older ladies with more concerns may want to check out eye creams with retinols/Retin A in them.
Does anyone use All About Eyes, or eye creams in general? Do you think anti-aging creams are pretty much scams as well? I’d love to know your thoughts because I’m pretty adamant for that idea, unless of course someone (or some product) proves me wrong!
I had read tons about this product in the US magazines but it wasn’t sold in my country, so when I spied this product in Italy almost two years ago, and was immediately excited!
Unfortunately I didn’t want to give up my money to that (too expensive, plus I had other things to save up for on that trip! ;)) and thought I’d just wait until it came out here.
No matter how well you protect your skin, sun, stress and pollution bring daily damage. Now a potent moisturizer works overnight to deliver a unique complex of eight rapid and delayed-release antioxidants that defuse this free-radical activity. Helps keep skin strong and prevent visible signs of aging.
Fast forward 1.5 years, and last year I saw this at our counters. My friend was stocking up on her Clinique sunscreen and I looked at it and thought, Hey, I remember you! It’s taken me this long to write this review because I had forgotten where I put the sample I asked for … those things are tiny. I’ve been using it for the last two weeks, on and off, and I’m really happy about the results.
While I can’t tell how well it’s preventing signs of aging, I can tell you that I have had no breakouts (my biggest fear, that’s why I asked for the one made for oily skin), my skin felt amazingly smooth (even softer than my beloved DDML Gel!) and my skin looked really fresh and bright the next morning.
One gripe is the price. It is expensive, however, because the formula is so rich and thick, you’ll only need about a pea size amount at most. Also, you only apply it at night – so really, I can see this tube lasting over a year, no problem.
So ladies, if you’re looking for a “starter” anti-aging product to add to your skin care regime, (or for the older ladies who want to prevent further damage, it does not repair, though) I highly recommend this!
Has anyone tried this product out? It seems very popular online, I’d love to hear your thoughts, or other products for anti-aging you swear by.
I had only briefly mentioned this product because of it’s special Breast Cancer Awareness Edition, but one of my best beauty finds ever has been Clinique’s famous moisturizer, Dramatically Different Moisturizing lotion – you all know how moisturizing is one of the ultimate skin care tip!
Did you know? Created in 1968, it is sold every 4 seconds somewhere around the world, and counts Cameron Diaz and Celion Dion as fans.
Hydrated skin doesn’t just look smoother and healthier-it’s better able to function as a barrier against external aggressors.
Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion is the moisture “drink” developed by Clinique dermatologists to maintain skin’s optimal moisture balance.
Works to soften, smooth, improve the condition and texture of your skin.
I first found out about this product when I was on holiday in Thailand. I had gotten a sample size of it from a shop, but was too paranoid to try it on my face for fear of breakouts (this was at least 3 years ago, when I was still in my teens and had acne-prone skin).
Instead, I decided to use it as a hand moisturizer (you know how cold hotel rooms get) and I was amazed at how crazily-smooth my hands felt! I got the courage and started using it on my face, and when I got back home, I went to buy the full bottle immediately.
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Oh dear. Virtuôse, the love of my life for the past year, and I may have to break up. I have found someone else. It’s sad, but life is like that. After my guest review on Clinique’s Lash Power mascara and the positive comments on it, I ran off to town and bought myself the Curling version.
I’m torn! Lash Power is close to perfect. I’m very amazed how I can fall asleep, sweat, walk through rain, spend more than 12 hours with it – not one smudge; yet it washes off easily with warm water. Lash power indeed! Also, it gives great length and can create either a natural, day look (one coat) or mad lengthening and drama (3 coats). The only thing is that Virtuôse has more of a thickening, darker color.
In other words – this is a great mascara, I highly recommend you try it out.
Any comments on this mascara?
(UPDATE: OK, I’ve been using this for almost a month now, and while I still agree with what I wrote above, I still crave the dark, thickening power of Virtuôse, so I’m back to that one.)
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