Your Best Face™ Restore is Beautiful

I recently received some generous samples from the skincare line Your Best Face. This is an American line and I had not heard of it. It was started by two young smart people who really had an interest in the  technology of skincare. The buzz online was, well, quiet, so I really had no idea what to expect and no preconceived ideas about the line at all. My experience has been quite interesting and I have reserved writing about this line because I wanted to be sure I had really given them a good run. I didn’t want to rave about something then get cystic acne or a rash 2 weeks later. So it has been a little over 2 weeks and I’m ready.

I have been using the Your Best Face Restore product after cleansing my face at night. It is a Vitamin C serum, so the results we hope for would be radiance, even skin tone and hydration. I have used many vitamin C products, some burn my skin, some are so heavy on silicones that they make me break out, and some are unstable and turn into thick sticky blobs while sitting in my night stand. I like to use vitamin C at night, as I feel my clean fresh skin is ready to absorb a rejuvenating product that is as light as YBF Restore. I guess I like the idea of waking up to a fresh face too! The product is a gel like serum-lotion, sort of lighter than a lotion yet richer than a serum. They have a soft almond-y scent that, while inoffensive to me and quite short-lived, may bother some so test first if you are sensitive to scent. That said, Restore is so gentle and soothing and I have not experienced even the smallest bit of irritation.

I honestly loved this product so much I was afraid to write about it. I thought maybe my great skin was just a coincidence. I am skeptical of crazy skincare claims and I spent the first few days of using Restore looking in the mirror- hard- trying to convince myself that the Restore was, indeed, That Good. My skin is smooth, bright and even toned. The little dark spots from the adult acne that continues to vex me (although not as much as before…) seem to be fading before my eyes. My pores look a bit smaller and my skin just looks, well, better. I wake up without, wait for it, an oil slick on my face. Why do we like vitamin C for our skin? Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps protect the appearance and structure of the skin from damage caused by free radicals, such as the sun rays, pollution and cigarette smoke. Vitamin C helps refresh and improve the brightness and smoothness of skin, and helps smooth skin tone. But the key is the delivery system, and if a lotion doesn't contain a stable vitamin C then you won't get the benefits. The YBF packaging uses the "airless pump" in insulated opaque packaging so you know the product is safe and stable. Wow. I am pretty sure that Restore is silicone free, but am waiting on confirmation from the company.

Verdict- well, amazing. I love this, will buy more, and can’t imagine what I would do without it. I have paired it with the amazing Kiehls Midnight Recovery Concentrate a few times, but that is a bit rich for the extremely hot weather we've had, but also nice after a day in the sun and wind. Again, why this line isn’t Big News is a surprise to me. Incredible.

I am also using the YBF Defend but will talk more about that in another post. You can buy the products from their website and from various other online retailers. A 30 ml bottle of Restore is $120 and I imagine that a bottle would last around 3-4 months. Expensive yes, but for a product that delivers what it promises, and more, I will pay.

RoC & Shiseido Are Beautiful Eye Creams

I am constantly on a search for the perfect eye cream. One issue is that the creams target wrinkles often have harsh and somewhat drying ingredients like retinol or glycolic acid, and the creams that offer creamy plumpling moisture do nothing to erase lines. The former can make the skin a bit dry & don't make a good base for make up, and the latter offer results only while they are on the skin and not for very long at that. Well, I have decided that two creams are what I need in my mission to eliminate or at least reduce fine lines and crows feet.

RoC MULTI CORREXION™ Eye Treatment is fantastic and I am already noticing a smoothing of the fine laugh lines next to my eyes. I use it at night only, as I was finding my skin got a bit sensitive and tender when using it twice a day. That tells me that the retinol in the product is potent and is doing what it should. However, sore or sensitive skin should be listened to so I backed off the two times a day and just use it at night.  The main ingredients are pure RoC®RETINOL ( a vitamin A retinol) which smoothes wrinkles and complements skin’s renewal process. The skin powerhouse, Vitamin C, helps rejuvenate skin tone and add radiance. It also claims to help with circles but that is not a large issue for me so I can’t speak to the effectiveness of the product on that front. At any rate, this is the first eye cream I have used that I plan to repurchase. Trust me, that is saying a lot.

For soft, moisturized and dewy skin around my eyes, my new lifesaver is the cult favourite, Shiseido Benefiance Concentrated Anti-Wrinkle Eye Cream. The ingredients are along the lines of  a plumping hyaluronic acid and sea algae (the magic La Mer ingredient) and it is in the most rich and luxe creamy base. It seems to have long term benefits as well as my skin is feeling better after using it for a few weeks. It feels lovely going on the skin and sinks in enough to make eye make up not melt right off. I apply this on top of the RoC at bedtime and on it's own in the morning. This is Holy Grail status stuff and I cannot imagine being without it. I only wish I’d found it earlier in the winter when everything dehydrates and turns to dust. 

we like dewy skin...

So for now my eye cream quest has quieted, and I am quite happy with my discoveries. What are your fave eye treatments, and what are your main eye area skincare concerns?

RoC is available at most drugstores. The Multi Correxion Eye Cream is under $30. Shiseido is available at department stores, Murale & Sephora. The Benefiance Concentrated Anti-Wrinkle Eye Cream is around $60.

Exuberance Beauty Believe Tangerine & Sugar Maple Toner- Beautiful

First, a little bit about Exuberance Beauty. Exuberance is an luxury organic skincare company based here in Ottawa and headed up by the most exuberant Jodi Fedor. Jodi is committed to providing top quality ingredients in the most luxurious formulas to treat our skin. Exuberance offers cutting edge, results driven and scientifically sound formulations created with the highest quality certified organic ingredients. This is no granola organic skincare from the health food store. This is obvious the moment you touch and smell these products – they feel rich and smell divine, and that alone takes your skincare to a whole other level. Exuberance Beauty has an amazing website that tells the story of the company and it’s founder. Trust me, Jodi really IS as lovely as she sounds.

I am a big fan of misting toners. I like to mist after cleansing, sometimes after moisturizing and after applying make up. I will mist halfway through the day to refresh my skin and when I fly it’s a must. I started with Caudalie and have not looked back. For a toner to work for me, it must DO something. I like to feel it on my skin, soothing and comforting. My skin is oily and sometimes acne prone, but I hate to dry it out with acne products. Natural products have proven most effective so I feel that “calming” my skin is the best way to control it. The “Believe” tonic has me sold on all levels. First of all let me tell you about the scent. It’s a lovely orange-y citrus scent, so gentle and soft, and I detect delicate floral notes as well. 

So that’s the beginning of the feel-good effect. If I like the way a product smells, we are halfway home. After cleansing my face, it sits on the skin for a few moments then soaks right in, leaving my skin feeling dewy and soft, not dry or tight. I feel a gentle tingle and notice a nice rosy glow as well which tells me the Vitamin C in Believe is doing its stuff- fighting those antioxidants and renewing myskin. 

The aloe vera in Believe is so soothing and gentle, it really feels like I am doing something nice for my skin, and for myself. Aloe is a mega moisturizer without being oily, and is also proven to heal skin. Perfect. Believe also contains Willow Bark, which is the original source of salicylic acid. Studies show it’s effective against acne and acts to detoxify and soothe irritated, inflamed skin. Which is just what I need. 

I then moisturize and, if I’m going to bed, I will add another spritz. If I’m starting my day, I will apply my make up and give a gentle spritz when I’m done. I feel like it sets my make up and eliminates any powdery residue that may look too make-up-y.

I have noticed a difference in my skin in the 7 days that I have been using Believe. My skin is less shiny and my pores are less congested. I definitely notice a glow and a slight plumping and smoothing effect on my fine lines. Exuberance Beauty Believe is a beautiful product. I am officially addicted. There is also a rose based Exuberance toner geared towards drier skin and fine lines….thinking I might need that one too! Stay tuned for reviews of more products in the Exuberance Beauty line.

Exuberance Beauty skincare can be purchased on their website, and select locations of The Bay. There is a comprehensive list of retailers here as well. You can find Exuberance on Facebook and follow them on Twitter as well.

Dislcosure: products reviewed from samples provided by Exuberance Beauty