Instant Fresh Face with Vichy LiftActiv Serum 10 & SkinceuticalsPhysical Fusion SPF15

See? Glowing.

In this part of the world it has been very hot this summer. So taking my make up look from day to night without hosing down first can be a challenge. I am always improvising and trying shortcuts (so you don't have to!) that can refresh and freshen my look easily and effectively. And I love Off Label uses of proudcts that perhaps no one else has thought of. Before I share my secrets, I will share one more. I reviewed a scrub I am loving lately here. FYI- nothing will look good sitting on top of dry dead skin. It looks crepey and papery and never smooth or glowing. So before you try what I recommend and complain you still look blah, please remember to do your weekly exfoliation. Now, we are ready.

Magic trifecta for fresh glowing beauty...

Rather than applying more concealer and powder on top of a face that's been melting all day, I try to keep it fresh. First, I apply a gentle mist of rosewater all over my face. After it soaks in, I dab several drops of my Vichy LiftActiv Serum 10 where there may be dullness and where make up may have melted or settled. Usually under and around the eye area, the neck, and around the mouth and nasal labial folds. Let the serum sink in - you will notice a lovely glow feel your skin hydrate right before your eyes. You are already looking refreshed.

I hate adding make up to more make up, as I wear so little to begin with. It doesn't take much for me to feel, well,  spackled. So I was digging around my make up drawer, looking for something to mattify, even tone slightly, and add a bit of radiance. Seems like a tall order. Even though it was 7pm and I was heading out for dinner, my bottle of Skinceuticals Physical Fusion SPF15 caught my eye. I like to experiment and thought "what the heck". If you read this review of the Physical Fusion you know that it has a tone to it. Super sheer, but still a tone. Nowhere near a foundation, and not even as thick as a tinted moisturizer. But I know it matttefies and that the texture is light as a feather so I grabbed it. I dabbed it under my eyes, on my eyelids, on the inner corners of my eyes, on the tops of my cheeks, and around my nasal area. Right away I noticed an immediate brightening effect, sort of a more wide awake  effect. It also has a mattefying effect, and acts somewhat like a primer in that whatever make up you apply on top sticks to it. So I added a light dusting of translucent powder, a little bronzer, lipstain, gloss and mascara and TA-DA! I looked refreshed and polished without looking like I had layers of make up on. It actually didn't even look like I tried. And, it lasted all through dinner and drinks on a patio, on a  hot summer night. 

Mission accomplished.

Clinique Stay-Matte Hydrator Can Take The Heat

Wow. That was my reaction after an afternoon running around in the super heat we are having after using Clinique Pore Refining Solutions Stay-Matte Hydrator. I have been using it in conjunction with my Skinceuticals & Vichy regime and am in love. I use it more like a primer than a simple moisturizer. After applying my serums, eye cream etc, I give them a few minutes to soak in. Then, before using my powder and concealer, I apply the Clinique Stay Matte Hydrator. Wow.

I've been meaning to try the Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer, which seems to be the ultimate primer for oily skinned folks. Somehow Clinique Stay-Matte made it into the collection first, perhaps due in part to the raves I read on Future Derm (I really trust her skincare opinions). But she also loves the Hourglass...so next time. Clinique Stay-Matte Hydrator does what it promises, delivering matte skin and keeping pores and oil at bay. It's full of good stuff that controls surface shine and helps control sebum production, as well as some amino sugar skin exfoliating technology that helps keep pores clear of dead surface skin cells, helping them appear smaller and tighter.

Matte skin means less touch-ups....

It dries to a silky texture without the slippery texture of silicone primers (which I hate, they just feel greasy to me) and allow for smooth application of cosmetics. I really just use concealer, powder and bronzer, but I find Clinique Stay-Matte keeps my face looking fresh and non-melty all afternoon. I'd say I get around 4 hours of good looking skin vs 2 max without it. Then, all I need is a quick dusting of oil control powder (review on 2 excellent ones coming...) and I'm good to go.

Verdict? Love. 

Clinique Pore Refining Solutions Stay-Matte Hydrator is $43 and available wherever Clinique is sold.  

Dermaglow Really Makes Me Glow

Now this is a glow....love it

Lately I have been using a Dermaloglow regime. I wrote about their amazing Foaming Cleanser when I first got it, as I could tell right away that it was an amazing and thorough cleanser. But the lotions needed a couple weeks to do their stuff and I wanted to give them a fair shake.

I've been using the Purifying Oil-Free Night Cream for a few weeks now and I love it. It contains willow bark extract, zinc and salicylic acid to help with acne, and has collagen and hyaluronic acid to help fine lines and radiance for a smoother younger appearance. What I find amazing is how gentle this is. It delivers on all points without a tingle, tinge or burn. My skin looks amazing (aside from a hormonal stress cystic bump....le sigh...it never ends...) and feels good too. None of the pain or sensitivity I get from heavy retinol products. It is pretty much scent free and has a lovely light texture that sinks right into the skin while still leaving it feel moisturized. The Dermaglow Purifying Oil-Free Cream contains no parabens, no dyes and no fragrance. I love this product! I top with my Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate and wake up with soft glowy skin. I often wake up with an oil slick on my face, even if I use a retinol product. Not so with Dermaglow.

The Dermaglow Mattifying Oil-Free Daily Lotion is also a new Holy Grail product for me. Again, the light clear texture of Dermaglow products kind of blows my mind. This product slips over the skin and sinks in with a silicone-free formula. It does mattify more than most products I've used although I still need to use a powder. It has anti aging properties and I most definitely feel my fine lines are under control. I cannot be without the plumping qualities of hyaluronic acid and Dermaglow delivers. My skin looks smooth and hydrated all day long. Again- scent and paraben free means it is simple and clean and does not irritate my sensitive oily skin. I've had no breakouts or reactions and my skin feels smoother with an even complexion.

Who doesn't want to glow....

I love the simplicity of the Dermaglow line. Simple packaging, no scent and high quality products that deliver. It is a no nonsense line based on science and using products deliver what they promise. The packaging is simple, clean and modern, as well as practical and hygienic. They have a custom line with products for every skincare need and want. The oil free anti aging line is perfect for me! They are an expensive line if you are comparing to drugstore lines with the tubes of lotion I reviewed in the $50-70 range, but quite on par with department store brands. When a product delivers on what it promises, I will pay. Another random tidbit that makes me feel good about Dermaglow - they have been a major sponsor of Pride week in Toronto, one of the largest organize gay pride festivals in the world. Bravo, Dermaglow!

I am very excited to explore this line further. 

I get my Dermaglow at Shoppers Drug Mart in Canada but it is available in several places. It is a Canadian product but I will find out where International buyers can get this.

Notes on the Beautiful Shu Uemura Under Base Mousse

There has been a formula change in my favourite skin primer and I am quite happy about it. Shu Uemura Under Base is a mousse formula skin primer that is the sheerest beige ever- almost invisible on skin but it does give enough of a glow to make it better than bare skin. It also works as a primer which means it makes a nice surface for other make up like powder, blush and bronzer.  I imagine you could layer foundation over it if you were so inclined but I find adding powder adds all the coverage I need. Under Base has witch hazel for minimizing pores and some kind of magic potion that makes skin glow without shining. Sort of what I wanted MAC Strobe cream to be without making me look like I was going to a rave or had at least been sweating at one all night. Yikes.

The original Under Base formula offered an SPF 10 (on the left in pic) which was always a nice thing. Not too much but perhaps an issue for me as I like to keep as few layers of stuff on my face as possible. My skin is oily and sensitive and prone to breakouts, and sunscreen can be problematic. So when I noticed that Under Base had been reformulated (on right in pic above) and now had an SPF 30 I was of two minds. It could have gone either way. Well I busted out the new one today and am happy to report I LOVE IT. At first there is a bit of a white look to it which initially terrified me- but, of course that is the sunscreen. Not to worry, it blends and dissipates leaving only a dewy yet matte surface. If anything I like it more than the SPF 10 version. This one has slightly more of a “presence” on the skin and stays matte longer. It has a neat “sticky” consistency when first applied which I swear just grabs the make up you apply and holds onto it for dear life, making it last even longer. Love it.

Shu Uemura has gone into very limited distribution in North America but we are lucky that Holt Renfrew in Canada carries the line and indeed this product. It sells out quickly and I usually buy 2 cans at a time. But they do last me 4-6 months, keeping in mind I am an “under applier” and go easy on my make up application. There is a reason this stuff is a cult fave. Have you tried it? Thoughts?

UPDATE: Well I must share the ingredient update re Michelle's comment below. A valid concern for sure. Shu Uemura Under Base contains propane as a propellant. You can read about it on BeautyGeeks and a little more about cosmetic use of propane here. All of that said, I have never had any negative skin reactions to this product and am not really concerned- if its a mousse, it has propellant. I adore Under Base and have yet to find anything that rivals its oil controlling ability.