Skincare Products + Skin Care Techniques

Skin Products & Devices

Skincare products & skin care techniques for skin problems. How to apply Retinol & Vitamin C. Anti-aging skincare. How to treat acne, brown spots, dry skin, wrinkles, Keratosis Pilaris. Skincare ingredient list. Skincare research. Skin care techniques, news, products, tutorials.

How to use anti-aging devices such as NuFace and Revive light therapy devices. Details on dermaplaning and cleansing devices. News of the latest skin care products.

CURRENT SKIN CARE OBSESSIONS: SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic with 15% L-Ascorbic Acid.

SEPHORA COLLECTION Instant Depuffing Roll-On Gel

January 7, 2011 · Leave a Comment

Ever wake up and your eyes just look…meh? You probably have a few factors going on – dullness, puffiness, and dryness. On those mornings, you might want to try the new SEPHORA COLLECTION Instant Depuffing Roll-On Gel. While it has the micro-massaging beads on the tip are reminiscent of a lot of depuffing products on the market now, this formula tackles dull and puffy skin with moisture, not ingredients like caffeine. While caffeine can be incredibly effective to take down puffiness, it can dry out your skin if you use it regularly. And if your skin is already starting out dry, you are just going to look drier, not wide awake.

The formula contains HydroSenn+, a plant derived moisturizer that continuously moisturizes during the day. It also has light-reflecting pigments to make you look more awake, and red vine leaf extract gets to work on dark circles. I think it’s great that it’s a fragrance free formula – whether your eyes are sensitive or not, adding fragrance to irritated eye skin never works out well in my experience.

I’m excited to try this and a few other of the new products from the SEPHORA COLLECTION skincare line. When I pick them up I’ll be sure to let you know what I think!

Grab your SEPHORA COLLECTION Instant Depuffing Roll-On Gel at Sephora.com for $15!

Winter Skin Saver: Dermatone Skin Protector Pommade

December 27, 2010 · Leave a Comment

I dare say that those of us in New England are snowed in for a day or two.

When the forecast includes “Freezing Fog” (sounds like a Marvel Comics character), you know it will be bitter cold for awhile…and that my skin will be red and raw next time I have to venture outdoors.

So I was glad to read about Dermatone Skin Protector Pommade in this month’s Shape Magazine, I was pretty excited. It comes recommended as a must have product from Morgan Arritola, a member of the U.S. Cross-Country Ski Team a woman who understands cold windy weather. It locks in moisturizer, plus it has an SPF of 23, which is great for SPF touch ups on the go.

If there is anything that can prevent raw, icky skin this winter, I’m on board!

Stay clear of puffy allergy eyes with Liz Earle Eyebright Soothing Eye Lotion

October 13, 2010 · Leave a Comment

The weather report says the pollen count is low in my area. My itchy, puffy eyes say otherwise.

As the leaves turn colors and start falling off the trees, allergy season is going to hit in full force, all too soon. And there are plenty of other reasons for puffy eyes – a late night, catching a cold, or too much sodium can all make you puffy and tired looking. I had pretty much given up on reducing puffiness, since a lot of products in this catagory tended to just make my undereye bags look and feel worse – it’s incredibly delicate skin, and many ingredients that work fast also irritate the skin. M.A.C. Cosmetics Fast Response Eye Cream works well for me, but I can’t use it days running since the caffeine deflates the puffiness – and then irritates my skin if I use it for more than one day (of note – that’s just me – I know someone who can use it everyday with amazing results).

So when I was sent Liz Earle Eyebright Soothing Eye Lotion, I was guardedly hopeful – the word “Soothing” caught my eye. When your eyes are itchy and your skin is puffy and raw, isn’t soothing what you want? The ingredient list looked great as well, since it contained Aloe Vera, and sometimes when the skin around my eyes is really, really raw I’d clip a stem from my trusty Aloe Vera plant and tap the pulp and juice on the skin.

So, has the product made it into my daily fix it kit? Definitely. Put a little on a cotton pad in the morning, lay back for a few minutes (it actually works pretty fast, but it’s nice to have a reason to lay back down for a few in the morning…), and your orbital area will be perky and bright, and ready for makeup. The formula is actually more liquid than lotion, and the generous 5oz size will last you a good long time.

Find Liz Earle Eyebright Soothing Eye Lotion on the Liz Earle website.

Gym Beauty Bag: Pre-workout face cleaning – Makeup Removing Cleansing Cloths

September 29, 2010 · Leave a Comment

We’ll be starting a series on what we’ve found to be the best products for before, during, and after your gym workout. Since you likely don’t have your typical at-home beauty stash with you in your gym bag, we’ve tried to narrow down the products and treatments that work best for the situation…and don’t add more weight to your gym bag than you can lift when you actually workout!

Today we’ll be considering your pre-workout cleansing. Whether you wear makeup while you work out is a subject of debate, I think it comes down to personal preference, comfort, and the intensity of your workout. Personally, if my mascara comes perfect on a day that I am intending to go to the gym after work, I tend to leave it be while I work out, since my brand (Fiberwig!) stays put no matter what (side note: their new formula, d.j.v. beautenizer Fiberwig LX, would stay put in a hurricane, so it’s definitely workout friendly). But ultimately, your level of makeup at the gym depends on several factors, including whether you are there for social reasons or just to get a good workout (more on natural looking and makeup that doubles as skin treatments in future installments of the series).

After trying several options, both Lyn and I really like using a makeup removing cleansing cloth for both pre and post workout cleansing. Before your workout, a good pre-moistened cleansing cloth completely takes off your makeup and leaves your face feeling refreshed while your work out. Used after a workout, it elimates sweat and leaves your skin ready for makeup or sunscreen reapplication.

We tried a few, but our favorite is e.l.f. Studio Makeup Remover Cleansing Cloths. A gentle wipe over your skin and it takes off makeup clean, including eye makeup. And since it Aloe Vera in the cleansing formula, it doesn’t irritate or dry out your skin like some of the other wipes we tried. The package reseals and has a snap closure, so the cloths stay moist (though I keep it in a sealed zip lock bag in my gym bag just in case). e.l.f. Studio Makeup Remover Cleansing Cloths cost $3 for 20 cloths and you can get them here.

Here’s the pack of the cleansing cloths:

e.l.f. Studio Makeup Remover Cleansing Cloth Package Picture

e.l.f. Studio Makeup Remover Cleansing Cloth – Great for your Gym Bag!

And here is a cloth I used to take off a full face of makeup, including two coats of mascara and liquid liner (yeah, kinda gross):

Used e.l.f. Studio Makeup Remover Cleansing Cloth – Takes off even waterproof mascara!

Product Review: e.l.f. Studio SPF 45 Sunscreen UVA/UVB Protection Powder

July 22, 2010 · Leave a Comment

You put on sunscreen, you do a great job on your makeup, you walk out the door with a spring in your step and a smile on your perfectly glossed lips over your deft makeup-application skills. LaterÂ you are running errands, and you realize it’s time to reapply your sunscreen…which would mean ruining your perfect makeup job. Hmm.

This is the line of reasoning that has led the Style Chicks to look into the new batch of powder sunscreens on the market. Soon we will be doing a comparison of all of our favorites, but for now, we wanted to highlight one that we are particularly wowed by – e.l.f. Studio SPF Sunscreen UVA/UVB Protection.

We recieved a sample of this great product, and I didn’t quite know what to expect as far as color, as some reviews on the e.l.f. site talked about how dark the powder is. Now, this could have been a problem for me, since I’m insanely pale. But to my surprise and delight, it’s not dark in the least – the day that I reapplied three times it looked closer to a light bronzer look by the end of the day than muddy in the least. If you’ve tried it in the past and have found it too dark, I’d recommend using the included puff and not a brush – the brush may be distributing too much in one spot. To show the color (or lack thereof), I swatched it on my crazy pale inner wrist – the picture is below. And when I washed it off – no redness from the sun at all, so I trust the SPF.

I still apply a moisturizer with SPF first thing when I’m doing my makeup, as it never hurts to have multiple layers of protection. But on one ridiculously hot day last week, I just wore the Studio SPF 45 Sunscreen powder since I didn’t want my makeup to get immediately sticky, and it worked great, and kept my skin moisturized quite well with the aloe vera extract, grape seed extract, and Vitamins A, C, and E the powder contains. I love SPF products that double as a skincare treatment! The inclusion of those ingredients leads to a creaseless formula, even when you have multiple layers on. I was quite surprised as to how much could be applied without a crease or line, even over makeup – it’s just a very silky formula.

I apply it all over my face and neck (I even dabbed it gently on my eyelid – great coverage!), and even on chest and arms. A great tip I got from the good folks at e.l.f. – if you need more coverage, mix a little water with the powder (put some in a different container to not get the whole container soggy) for a full coverage foundation or concealer. I got a burn on my leg awhile back that is still a bit pink and needs an SPF on it, so I’m excited to try the technique on that spot!

The container stays closed quite well, so I just toss it in my bag in the morning and I don’t have to worry about the powder spilling all over my purse. As a spoiler alert – we have an article on makeup to freshen up with after a workout coming up, and this product definitely makes the cut!

I highly recommend e.l.f. Studio SPF 45 Sunscreen UVA/UVB Protection Powder, especially if you aren’t fond of having to reapply your makeup when you have to reapply sunscreen, or you aren’t crazy about liquid or cream sunscreens. Consistent SPF application is a necessary evil if you are exposed to sun for more than 90 minutes (including in the car or near a window), since the SPF breaks down with sun exposure. This product makes protecting your skin one step easier!

Find e.l.f. Studio SPF 45 Sunscreen UVA/UVB Protection Powder at eyeslipsface.com for $6. Since you get 3.5 oz of powder, it’s quite the bargain for a great product!

Color Swatch of e.l.f. Studio SPF 45 Sunscreen UVA/UVB Protection on my ridiculously pale arm – left side no powder, right side, three layers of powder