.:: CybeleSays ::.

CLINIQUE Moisture Surge CC Cream Hydrating Colour Corrector Broad Spectrum SPF 30 ($35  @ clinique.com) – when their Moisture Surge products speak, I listen. Out this month is the next letter in the alphabets do-it-all product (for a breakdown of BB, CC and soon to be DD creams, click here). In a nutshell this one is Colour Correction, Hydration and Protection. Available in 6 shades.

BLISS “Fuzz Off” ($24/.5oz @ blissworld.com) – This is a “super-fast fresh-scented facial hair remover” and as we get older, who can’t use one? I admit, I can in certain areas of my face and this one is non-messy and contains aloe, willowherb and vitamin E and it works in 3 minutes.

KIEHL’S Skin Rescuer ($40/2.5oz @ kiehls.com) – loving this latest release from Kiehl’s. It addresses all your skin’s short term and long term concerns in one bottle. It ups the hydration, improves fatigue and contains Rosa Gallica Botanical Extracts and Mannose, which they found helps with the skin’s reaction to stress and to help it bounce back.

BIOELEMENTS Oil Control Mattifier ($36/1oz @ bioelements.com) – oil ain’t sexy! Think of this cream as the blotting sheets you would have to use in a few hours should you not applied this one. And with the heat, your makeup is sure to slid off without it. If you’re a matte girl, this is your matte wish!

WHISH Hair Inhibiting Swipes in Pomegranate ($8/8pack, $20/20pack @ whishbody.com) – not sure how these work but I’ve been testing them on my left arm and I must say, they seem to be making the hair less noticeable. And this has some great ingredients in the wipes – Chaparral Extract (an anti-oxidant), hyaluronic acid, aloe and Shea Butter, among others.

I’ve received a few emails lately from readers wanting to simplify their skin care routine, as in, chemicals out and natural botanicals in. I really think that the skin gets upset because of all the products we apply to it on a daily basis. Most of the time, I really believe the skin is just trying to regulate itself from what you are applying.

So the timing couldn’t be better as I’m just finishing up trying out two products from The Soothing Collection from AROMATHERAPY ASSOCIATES, which incorporates prebiotics into the products that do exactly what you are imaging they do – beef up the skin’s outer layer to protect it from invaders like every day life.

What I tried was the Soothing Cleansing Balm ($53/3.4oz) and Soothing Face Oil ($65/.5oz) so let me break down each product’s details.

Soothing Cleansing Balm – comes with a cotton muslin cloth and as the names states, this is a balm so there’s a very low foam here. The first ingredient listed in this one? Sweet Almond Oil! When does that happen? Next is jojoba seed oil, Glyceryl Cocoate (a surfactant derived from coconut) and down from there. This one removes makeup, though I wouldn’t use it for eye makeup as it sorta stung my eyes but know there overall there’s no tightness left behind.

Soothing Face Oil – love to use oils for moisturizers for both body and face. And this one packs a punch! Coconut, jojoba, rice, Baobab, corn, strawberry seed oil and evening primrose, to name a few. Love this one. 

Both and more @ aromatherapyassociates.com.

Have you tried any of the beauty sampling programs yet? Yes, there are quite a few out there now and even though I’ve only samples a few of them, I found the selection to be eh, at best. One that stands out is a deluxe-sized item I received in the Glossybox box. It’s a Korean product from the brand TOUCH IN SOL. The product is a face moisturizer and base/primer in one called Feel Like Honey Moon Skin Base.

Now this is what these sampling boxes should be, the best products from other nations. Hey, now there’s an idea!

Anyway, back to this item. Not only am I digging its double-duti-ness but it also soaks in quite quickly, so I don’t have to wait around before I apply my foundation. Even though the third ingredient listed in this is alcohol, I didn’t find it drying to my skin at any part during the day (the honey extract in this is the 13^th ingredient listed, for whatever that’s worth). $20/1.6oz @ touchinsolus.com.

I don’t want to make this reminder just because it is now spring because sunscreen should be worn year round but if this is the time of year when it sinks in, so be it! I’ve been trying out two from the MURAD line.

We all know that the sun is the biggest cause of aging and wrinkles so when picking out a sunscreen, why not get one with some major anti-aging ingredients? It doesn’t have to break the bank and these two are good ones to consider.

Waterproof Sunblock SPF 30 ($30/4.3oz) – if you absolutely need one that’s waterproof, this is a fantastic one to consider. It contains a Pomegranate extracts, hyaluronic acid and a patented Skin Repair System to keep skin in check.

Oil-Free Sunblock SPF 15 Sheer Tint ($26/1.7oz) – I’ve tried a few tinted skin creams that have SPF in them and they seem to be rather chalky looking on the skin but this one blended in well and looked rather normal. This one also contains their Pomegranate extracts and is oil-free.

Both @ murad.com.

Disclosure: Samples of these items were provided for review purposes.

How often are you really wow’d by a skin care product? I had the recent experience of this with the SEBAMED Anti-Dry Day Defence Cream ($22.95/1.69oz). The rate that it sinks into the skin is almost too fast.

I’ve addressed the topic of pH on the site a few times when it comes to hair but it’s also important to maintain the pH of the skin too to keep sebum production is kept in check. They keep this one at 5.5 and it has a high lipid content, plant extracts and contains vitamin E. I’m sure these are two key factors as to why my skin feels super hydrated for hours.

Even though they also make one for nighttime, Anti-Dry Night Intensive Cream ($23.95/1.69oz), I have been using this one for night since I have to have sunscreen during the day. Why no sunscreen Sebamed in your day cream? Something to do with pH?

If you sick of your skin feeling like Slick Rick, give this one a spin and it won’t break the bank.

Both @ sebamed.com.

Disclosure: A sample of this item was provided for review purposes.

I had a conversation over the weekend at a holiday party about beauty gifts (go figure!) and they thought that giving skin care was a strange gift to give someone. And they compared it to giving a set color of foundation. While I thought that was a tad too far, I can see where she was coming from but there are so many great deals out there, how can I resist? One I don’t think you can go wrong with is any of the PREVAGE items from ELIZABETH ARDEN. There are a few gift sets that are a total bargain, like the PREVAGE Day Anti-Aging Gift Set ($120 ($210 value!) @ elizabetharden.com).

Gift Set  includes:

PREVAGE Day Ultra Protection Anti-aging Moisturizer SPF 30, (1.7oz)
PREVAGE Body Total Transforming Anti-aging Moisturizer, (2.4oz)
PREVAGE Eye Ultra Protection Anti-aging Moisturizer SPF 15, (.17oz)

Think about all the skin care lines out there right now and the new ones rolling out every year. I think it’s harder and harder to get what little attention there is unless you have something really unique about your line. But on the other hand, they do say the cream rises to the top and I think that’s what you get with this FAIZA COSMETIQUES line (pronounced Fiza Cosmayteek). Hailing from Montreal, Canada, the line was created by the daughter of an internationally known scientist, she wanted to create a line using the finest botanicals and other non-toxic ingredients.

I’ve been using the full system of the Gentle Milky Cleanser ($39/6.7oz) - this is my favorite product in the line!, Toning Lotion ($39/6.7oz), Intense Repair Serum ($71/.5oz), Anti-Age Rich Cream ($65/2oz) and Lift Cream with Ceramides ($62/1oz) for about 6 weeks now and I must say, these seem to have rebalanced my skin; like it has rebounded from all that I put on it by trying out different products throughout the year. A skin detox, really! I've heard about "bringing the hair back to its virgin state" lately, so I think of this system like that but for the skin.

The formulas feel super light to the touch and on the skin and each product is made without parabens, synthetic fragrances, petrochemicals and dyes, all which have been proven to irritate the skin. If you’re sensitive to most products, you may want to look into this line. And be sure to check out the great ingredients.

Now, since this is an anti-aging line, did it turn the clock back? It’s super hard to tell something like that to the naked eye but since it seems to have brought it back to its normal state, I will say yes, it has turned the clock back some.

Want to see for yourself? How about trying a Sample Kit of all the necessities for $12.97? Get them and the full sizes @ faiza.ca.

And congrats to the brand for being a finalist in the TASTE AWARDS for the Best Skincare in North America. We’re pulling for you!

Disclosure: Samples of these items were provided for review purposes.

Quite a few skin care products have come out and here are three I am giving my stamp of approval.

COLORESCIENCE PRO Illuminating Cleanser Mineral Powder Formula ($37.50/1.4oz @ colorescience.com) – this powder looks like diamond dust and is great at not only cleansing and exfoliating the skin with Salicylic Acid but it also removes makeup. No tightness of the skin after using this one. Big recommendation.

BURT’S BEES Sensitive Night Cream ($15/1.8oz @ burtsbees.com) – part of the new Sensitive line they just put out, which includes a Cleanser, Moisturizing Cream and Eye Cream. These contain Cotton Extract to help minimize the effects of potential irritants, as well as aloe. So your skin is getting what it needs but gently.

PREVAGE Day Intensive Anti-aging Moisturizing Cream SPF 30 ($129/1.7oz) – Liz Arden’s Prevage brand has received rave reviews and they just came out with two new products. This day cream not only guards against UVA/UVB rays, but it also contains the powerful ingredient Idebenone to protect the skin from daily environmental assaults. The other new one is their Night Anti-aging Restorative Cream ($132/1.7oz). Get them both @ prevageskin.com.

Disclosure: Samples of these items were provided for review purposes.

I’m thankfully able to use just about anything on my face without worrying about breaking out or any kind of irritation. We’ve all heard of the crazy circle people with oily skin go through – when skin is not hydrated, it produces oil and then it becomes too oily and shiny, so you wash it again only to go through this crazy cat and mouse game over and over. So you try oil-free products and those just lack lasting moisture so it’s back to the former and on and on. So the KIEHL’S line took it upon themselves to come up with a collection of skin care products that are oil-free but are still able to not only hydrate the skin but also seal it in. It’s their Ultra Facial Oil-Free Collection and is proven to rebalance the skin and prevents the overproduction of oil. And the collection contains all the necessary ones to get it all under control –

Ultra Facial Oil-Free Cleanser ($18/5oz)
Ultra Facial Oil-Free Toner ($16/6oz)
Ultra Facial Oil-Free Lotion ($24.50/4.2oz)
Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream ($24.50/1.7oz)

A great value and way to try out these products is with the Ultra Facial Oil-Free Moisturizer Starter Kit for $29.50. It contains a 1oz Cleanser, 1.4oz Toner, and 4.2oz Lotion. Get this collection @ kiehls.com.

Disclosure: Samples of these items were provided for review purposes.

Have you heard of the IMMUNOCOLOGIE skin care line yet? It’s quite interesting but pretty technical so hopefully I can clearly explain it. It’s the first skin care line formulated to work with the skin’s own immune system using a unique Bio-Technical Fermentation Process (Bioferm), whereby each ingredient is fermented in a special atmosphere and oxygen condition so the product can repair the skin from the inside out. As we age our immune system become weaker, which can lead to the production of free radicals, something we don’t want. This line stops the inflammatory process thus stops what can lead to wrinkles and sagging skin. 

Immunocologie was created by two already well-known chemists (one discovered the use of vitamin C in skin care and the other alpha hydroxyl acids) and was 40 years in the making. The easiest way to understand the technology is by comparing it to something most of us are familiar with, nanopeptides. Just like those, the ingredients in their products undergo their aforementioned Bioferm process thus are able to penetrate the skin deeper and more effectively. If you want to read more about the technology, click here.

The product I tried was the Treatment Crème VenoMAX Light and here are the details.

What it does: This one contains their VenoMAX ingredient which is a complex that mimics snake venom activity except it goes the other direction and becomes a super healer to conquer all … like a super hero product! Smoothing wrinkles and lines, working on sun damage, brightening among others.

My take: I’ve been using this one for about 6 weeks now and I do see an overall difference in the tone and brightness of my skin. It’s hard to see a real big difference when it comes to wrinkles and skin damage but it’s got my vote thus far.

Yes, @ $125/1.7oz, this is a major investment in your skin but isn’t it worth it? Get this @ immunocologie.com.