RoC Retinol A+C+E Triple Action Cream

Day and Night Retinol Cream

Don’t you think some drugstore brands really are way better than some high-end/luxury brands? Well, when I first found out about Retinol, I wanted to give it a trial. However, not only did I find out about the possibility of skin irritation but also that some brands with a Retinol line can be very expensive.

Nevertheless, I continued looking around, in search of an affordable yet good Retinol cream and gracefully stumbled upon one from RoC Skincare. Oh yes…. I’m hooked ever since. This is just one of those products from a drugstore brand with surprisingly high-end results.

RoC Retinol with vitamin A+C+E is a luxurious triple action day and night cream with results as intended. Its light weight yet very moisturizing. Before I started using this Retinol, I obviously, like others, had my concerns about skin irritation. However, RoC has made that experience worth the try for me; NO irritations ever.

I saw huge results in the following areas:

Acne: Not that I had a lot of it, yet the little I had prior to using this cream was completely gone within 2 weeks of use.

Crows’ feet: Oh yes…95% gone. Prior to this cream, I always used vitamin E oils (from capsules) as a night cream. How crazy this might sound, I had the feeling that my crows’ feet had increased or deepened from trying to spread the thick oil over my face. (Due to too much pulling maybe) Thanks to RoC Retinol my concealer doesn’t crease as much anymore.

Skin tone & Texture: YES…this was the most noticeable benefit of them all. The little acne scares I had left were visibly reduced within 3 weeks of use and within 6 weeks they were all gone. It also made my skin very soft and smooth. Love love love it. Favorite things in the world! This is sure one of them.

Pros: It’s indeed all that.

Cons: No SPF. I always appreciate skincare products with at least SPF 15 even better.

Eva’s opinion: This is a good and affordable Retinol cream. It will leave your skin feeling high-endish (if that’s a word) with no skin irritation. (at least for me).

Eva Says: If you are interested in using Retinol for the first time and worry about the cost of most high-end creams, this might just be the perfect tube to start with. It can help you ease (introduce) your skin to getting used to Retinol. For me, it was sure worth trying. You might be glad you tried it too.

Biotherm Skin Vivo Uniformity Review

Texture & Tone Reversive Moisturizer

I guess for most people its just one product that sets up their like to a particular brand.  Well, I would say I am no different. Biotherm is a brand I have never been a regular buyer of. I am absolutely sure in my past 29 years of existence, I have never bought a Biotherm product twice. This was because their products just didn’t do it for me. After 3 weeks of an extremely hot summer holidays in the USA, my skin was literally begging for a moisturizer which could go an extra mile doing the good stuff to the skin. There I was, on my 30th birthday, picking out a moisturizing treat for my skin. I was going for a good moisturizer with a minimum of SPF 10 that targets dullness and wouldn’t leave a white cast to my skin.

Et viola… Hello Skin Vivo Uniformity 🙂 My change of heart to Biotherm Skin care 🙂

Biotherm Skin Vivo Uniformity

Well the packaging says it all, I think Biotherm was out for the kill with this moisturizer. You can practically use the bottle to see how beautiful your skin is looking after using this moisturizer; its a mirror bottle. Biotherm Skin Vivo Uniformity is a moisturizer that brightens the skin and gradually lightens up dark spots. It contains an SPF of 15 which helps to protect your skin from the sun while doing its brightening duties. Yes this was indeed an excellent birthday present because now, every day is a birthday for my skin.

One of my major fears when it comes to moisturizers containing SPF is that some of them weren’t made with dark skin tones in mind. The white cast most of them leave behind make me look like a walking corps straight out of the mortuary, lol. 🙂 So far, only ROC skincare with SPF actually worked well for my skin. So YES you can imagine how happy I am to say Biotherm has just given me a new hope to SPF.

Biotherm Skin Vivo Uniformity on skin

For my combination skin, Skin Vivo Uniformity is just a perfect moisturizer. When I apply it to my face, it smooths out pretty well and melts into the skin like a serum but its a rich/luxurious cream. It doesn’t leave my skin oily or shiny and it is one of the very few moisturizers that doesn’t require me to powder my face before going out side or in the course of the day (daytime moisturizer). My face just get a healthy glow to it like I am wearing some kind of satin finish foundation.  It comes in 2 textures; Normal/Combination Skin Types and Dry Skin Type. Due to a mistake with my previous internet order, I lately received the one meant for Normal/Combination Skin instead of Dry Skin which I ordered. For the record, I did not notice any huge difference, the textures are both rich and have a very close similarity that I don’t mind using any of the two. They both didn’t break me out, even when I used the Biotherm Blue Therapy Serum underneath.

Pros: Skin Vivo Uniformity does brighten and plumps up the skin. Its rich texture just melts away really fast, smells nice and doesn’t break me out. Its SPF 15 is very suitable for dark skin as it doesn’t leave the crazy white cast on the skin.

Cons: Don’t get me wrong when I say this because I really do like the fancy packaging of this product. However, Biotherm could have thought it better to put this moisturizer in a pump instead of a tub just for hygienic and preservative reasons. Another thing would be its price range, a.k.a very expensive. Besides  its plumping, brightening and moisturizing effects, I didn’t notice any other anti-aging benefits to my skin and it worked really slow when it came down to actually evening out my actual acne scars.  😦

Eva’s Opinion: Besides a few less attractive points attached to this product, my opinion to SKIN VIVO UNIFORMITY: Yes, Biotherm absolutely nailed it.

Eva Says: Due to my regular use of ROC Retinol during the winter months, I will definitely make this product my permanent summer moisturizer. Do I say I recommend this product? 110% for Normal/Combination skin and Dry skin. 80% for very dry skin and 0% for oily skin. Its not meant for oily skin any way.

Biotherm Blue Therapy Serum Review

Visible Signs of Aging Repair

Biotherm Blue Therapy Serum is a rich serum which belongs to the Blue Therapy Line from the BIOTHERM brand. There was a huge buzz about this product release as they claim it is their ultimate solution to the signs of aging on the skin a.k.a miracle worker 🙂

The Package reads:

• Visible signs of aging repair, wrinkles – dark spots – firmness.
• For all skin types.
• Paraben free.

Contains high concentrated:

• A. Flos Aquae (Blue algae) From Klamath Lake, Oregon, – known for its firming action.
• L. Ochroleuca (Golden Algae) – A macro-algae from North Brittany waters in the Atlantic Ocean, known for its repairative action.
• Pure Thermal Plankton – Regeneration and soothing action.

Results:

• Reveal the appearance of younger-looking skin: wrinkles appear smoother, contours feel tighter as though uplifted and dark spots appear reduced for a visible transformation.
• Reduce the look of up to 8 years of accumulated skin damage in just 4 weeks.

Well, having read all the wonderful things this serum does, I was glad to give it a try. From personal experience, I consider Biotherm products to be very gentle on my skin. Not all Biotherm products I have used in the past have worked for me. However, I still decided to give Blue Therapy Serum a try. I guess it would do more good than harm and if this miracle serum works, then I will have to look no further.

I was amazed to receive an extra sample of 10 ml/0.33 FL. OZ. with my order. That makes it only worth the try. It come in a glass bottle (don’t drop it cos you will lose a lot of money) with a very handy dropper. The texture is really rich 🙂 (which I absolutely love) not creamy but serumy rich (if that’s a word)  in that a very tiny bit goes a long way. For most people, 1 drop will be enough for the whole face, but that wasn’t enough for me, I used 3 drops each time. This serum is clear in color and has very tiny gold shimmers which you won’t notice on your skin. Not forgetting how good it smells.

Biotherm Blue Therapy Serum is so far the best serum I has ever used. It did give me a very soft and bright face. The first 2 weeks of use, I didn’t notice any difference in my skin besides its softness. However, after about 3 weeks, my skin looked brighter, plumped and it doesn’t leave a greasy feel. Too bad it didn’t smooth out my crow’s feet or clear out my acne spots which I had expected it to do. Maybe that is still to come because I am still half way through my first bottle. Sometimes I would use it on its own, but at times under a moisturizer or SPF 50. Now when I use it under a moisturizer, I usually wait about 10 minutes before putting on my moisturizer. This way, the serum has enough time to completely sink in, avoiding serum flakes.

Pros: 50 ml/1.69 FL.OZ. is really a lot for how little product you use a day. This serum will last you a long time, making your purchase worth it. Rich texture, can be used on its own, as well as under a moisturizer. Doesn’t irritate the skin or promote breakout. (I used it on acne) Smells nice, sinks into the skin very fast, does plumps your skin, brightens your tone and soften your texture. Can be used as morning and night serum.

Cons: The glass bottle thing is a fragile business for me, given how much I spend on this product. 1 mistake and I lose it all. The dropper sometimes doesn’t work well too, I have to press multiple times to get the right amount of product.

Eva’s Opinion: The best serum so far. It sure does more/ additional good to my skin.

Eva Says: I would recommend this product to people with wrinkles, fine lines or looking to plump or brighten their skin. If you have similar skin tone to mine (brown) and are looking to even out your dark spots or acne scares, I would say look further. This part didn’t work for me. However,  if your have a fairer complexion, this might be worth trying. Overall, I consider Biotherm Blue Therapy Serum to be a more than good serum. Gives you that extra care and visible results.

Lancaster Purifying Perfecting Toner Review

Toner for Oily Skin

If you are looking for a toner that is meant for oily skin and yet doesn’t sting or burn, you might want to give this toner a try. To start of with, I would say that I used this toner for a good 3 years straight. I was so in love with the way it made my skin look and feel.

The bottle reads:

• For oily skin, this fresh, zesty flower-based lotion thoroughly perfects the cleansing process, helps close pores to avoid new impurities settling in and purifies.
• Leaves skin beautifully clear, balanced and matt.
• Contains Lavender nectar and sage.
• Every day, whatever your age, to perfect the cleansing process and maximize penetration of face creams.

This is the thing that introduced me to the Lancaster brand. Again, because I love using cleansing milk or cream, it has become a habit of mine to top off my cleansing process with a strong toner. Just to make sure I take off all remaining dirt.
Lancaster purifying toner is very soft and gentle on the skin and can be used on young as well as aged skin. Although it is not as strong as the Lancome Tonique Éclat, it still gets the job done. During the time I used this toner, my skin was soft and very clear. I combined it with the Lancaster Comforting Cleansing Milk. However, if you surfer from severe acne and feel the urge to use a toner with salicylic Acid, please look further for this toner doesn’t have that.

Pros: It retails for an affordable price given the amount of product you get. The 400ml/13.5FL OZ bottle will last me a good 5 months. For me, it did get the job done without any burning feeling or sensation on the skin. If I had to pick a toner to use for the rest of my life, this will definitely be on top of the list.It has a very lovely and pleasant smell 🙂

Cons: To me personally there wasn’t any. It was good all 3 years I used it. However, for those who suffer from severe acne, you might think its not strong enough. But again, going gentle on your skin can sometimes be good.

Eva’s Opinion: One of my favorite toners in the world. Its in my top 3 toners.

Eva Says: YES I would highly recommend this toner without a doubt. Its gentle and it gets the job done. 2 Thumbs Up to Lancaster 🙂

Lancome Tonique Éclat Review

Clarifying Exfoliating Toner

Lancome Tonique Éclat (Clarifying Exfoliating Toner)

I had developed a personal perspective that Lancome Toners wouldn’t do much for me. Due to what I had heard from friends and family about Lancome Toners. However, the way to finding stuff out for you is by doing it yourself. The result, I gave Lancome Tonique Éclat (Clarifying Exfoliating Toner) a try.

The bottle reads:

• All skin types
• Tissue off. A cool exfoliating lotion to brighten the complexion. Rich in anti-oxidants, white lotus and rose de france. Tonique Éclat has a perfect affinity with the skin.
• Contains ingredients like: Alcohol Denat, p-Anisic Acid, Castor Oil, Limonene, Fragrance.

Well, I really didn’t have high expectation when I started using this toner. I was looking for something that would deep cleanse after my milk cleanser and still keep my skin acne free by closing my pores or at least cleaning them.  If you are looking to be disappointed about this toner, please look away because to my greatest shock, it did a good job for my face. To elaborate even more, it did a better job than my previous cleanser (Lancaster Purifying perfecting toner)

After cleansing my face with a cotton pad containing this toner, the pad was left as brown as the color brown itself. So that means, it really takes off the residue missed by the milk cleanser. But again, it is an exfoliating cleanser so it is supposed to go an extra mile in taking off dirt from the skin. During my first week of use, I have to say that it did sting my face; I couldn’t open my eyes during use. It felt like a whole bunch of alcohol on my skin. I thought of dropping it, fearing it might have been too strong for me, but hey, I paid €30.00 for it so I might as well keep using it. But after a couple of weeks, I really didn’t feel the sting anymore and my face was clean and clear. So I used it twice a day, morning and night regimen.

Yes it worked perfectly fine. However, I should add that beside this toner, I would exfoliate my skin 2 or 3 times a week …stupid :-(… Having quite normal skin, I failed to remember that my toner is a chemical exfoliator on its own. This meant; I was over exfoliating my skin. Sweet Lord! 😦 I can tell you that I did walk my face into a bumpy ride of a BIG NO NO. I went from a smooth and clear face to cystic acne all over my forehead and around my eye brows. (talk about how I got rid it another time) Please remember, if you are using this toner, be careful about how you extra exfoliate.

Pros: It sure gets the job done. It cleanses and exfoliates at the same time, removing all remaining traces of makeup or dirt. Again, I think Lancome is good with packaging because this toner is in a beautiful blue plastic bottle with a generous opening to pour it out. The scent is very ok, it’s not too flowery or too alcoholic, perfectly in between.  If you buy a 400ml/13.5 fl. Oz bottle,  it might last you a bit over 4 months.

Cons: Comparing this toner to others, I must confirm it’s kind of expensive. The opening might be too big on my opinion, because if it accidentally slips off your hand, I think you might lose a whole lot of toner. It did sting my eyes and felt like an alcohol dominated toner.

Eva’s Opinion: Beside the price, I would buy this toner again. I just have to remind myself of its exfoliating power and not extra scrub my skin, haven seen how bad that can get my face. I wouldn’t recommend this toner for sensitive or very dry skin. But the overall, it’s a good toner.

Eva Says: Oh yes Lancome, you did It. It sure works 🙂 this is a good toner that does what it claims to do. But remember, it an exfoliating toner.  So be careful not to extra exfoliate.

Lancome Galatée Confort Review

Comforting Cleansing Milk Dry Skin

Lancome Galatée Confort

• Galatée Confort, according to Lancome it is a Smooth and gentle emollient-rich milky cream cleanser that gently melts away makeup and impurities.
• The instantly comforting formula contains Honey and Sweet Almond Extracts
• It is supposed to condition and pamper skin, leaving it feeling clean, silky-soft and soothed.
• It can be rinsed or tissue off

Well, after using this cream cleanser for about 5 months, I do think it’s the perfect time to talk about my experience and opinion.

Lancome Galatée Milk Cleanser 1 pomp on skin & texture when robbed in.

Some of the things it is said to do would be true to an extent. This cleanser is meant for dry – very dry skin type. My skin is pretty normal. However, I enjoy using cream cleansers because I feel it leaves an extra hydrating layer beneficial to the condition of my skin.

First of all, the smell is so soft and inviting. If only the smell could clean my skin, I would be a religious user.  Too bad for me, that is not the case. It sure feels gentle on the skin and does melts away into a shiny oily base. Here is where you can tell about the amount of Honey and Sweet Almond Extracts are in it.

Pros: If you are crazy about packaging like I am, you would give Lancome 5 stars on the packaging itself. The smell is soft and very high endish.  It last me a bit over 4 months because a little bit goes a long way. After using this cleanser, my skin felt instantly soft and hydrated. I guess this is due to the amount of sweet almond extract and honey it contains. Sometimes during my night time routine, I wouldn’t use too much night time moisturizer because the Galatée Confort leaves a layer on my skin that made my skin feel already hydrated like I already had moisturizer or rich serum on. For that reason, I often just apply my serum and go to bed. However, you must know that this is done during days when I didn’t go out or had on any makeup. It was very gentle on my eyes and didn’t sting at all and didn’t irritate my skin either.

Cons: comparing this cleanser to some others I have used, I would consider it expensive (€ 30.95) for what it does. If you wear a lot of makeup, you WILL need to clean your face more than twice and often after that, you still see traces of makeup left. That was a very big issue for me. Cleansing waterproof makeup is an absolute no no. It doesn’t seem to work for me at all and the more I stress cleansing such makeup, I only end up hurting myself.

Eva’s Opinion: If you don’t wear lots of makeup and have dry-very dry skin, it might be worth trying. If you are very sensitive to fragrance, you might want to go easy or stay away from this cleanser.  If for some reason you are not looking for a cleanser that thoroughly cleanses and takes off all makeup and is a rich milky cream, you might want to give it a try.  However, you might want to use a strong toner after using this cleanser.

Eva says: It didn’t do anything special to my skin. Sorry Lancome but I don’t think I will repurchase this cleanser.

Diadermine Soft Mouse

Diadermine Essential Soft Mouse Cleanser

• Meant for dry skin
• Contains Almond extract & Provitamin B5

This face wash is a part of the Diadermine Essential cleanser line meant for all skin types. It is suppose to make your skin soft, hydrated and clear. I used this cleanser during and after pregnancy. It really is a soft foaming cleanser perfect for normal – dry skin. It has a very pleasant smell and it didn’t burn my eyes or anything like that.

Pros: This foaming cleanser left my skin feeling soft, hydrated and clear. During the pregnancy months, most women turn to breakout or experience acne every now and then. However, it wasn’t the same for me. My face was very clear and I think this product played a huge role to that outcome. It cost almost nothing for the amount you get which lasted me a good two and a half months.

Cons: None, however, I don’t see it in stores any more.

Conclusion: I definitely would recommend this product for normal and dry skin. I don’t know how oily skin would react to it 🙂