Creme de la mer....finished the 1oz jar!

First of all, this is replying back to many of you who asked me about the part 2 of Creme de la mer. I appreciate you guys wanting to know my thoughts on that and apologize for the delay. 

It came to my attention, maybe you are not aware of few video clips I posted on youtube. One of them is on Creme de la mer. That was my way to share few things about the Creme after I've been using it for a while, so please check that out in case you haven't seen that since I did talk about few more stuff on the Creme. eunyful Creme de la mer.

Since I posted the video, I actually finished the entire jar(love the feeling of looking at empty cosmetic products when I actually finish a product), and I've been using some sample jars I've received when I purchased other la mer products.-save the spatula, it can be used for many cosmetic DIY.

copied from Cremedelamer.com
Just wanted to show you this season's holiday collection.
I do not work for this company.
I purchased all the products I reviewed on this post.

I personally like using the Creme de la mer especially when Fall comes and I start noticing tightness around my face. I have dry-combination skin and the dryness seem to get worse when Fall/Winter comes. I tend to use heavy creme during this time. 

Creme is perfect for the final layer to wrap up my other skincare products. I also use it as a sort of facial mask/massage creme when my face needs extra grease/heavy moisture or when I feel like it needs a break, I just use that by it-self as a facial massager.

Keep in mind though, this is a heavy creme, and better suited as a finishing product in your skin care routine. If you have normal to oily skin, you have to be careful with the amount you use(just a small amount between your palm then pat your face with it) but it might feel heavy on your face.

-My verdict-

~ I would buy it again since I have dry skin. As I mentioned in my video, if you use the product right, the small jar (1oz) can last you for a while and it's perfect for fall/winter-make sure you get those sample jars since it's perfect for travel and when you run out of your regular jar. (the regular jar is little heavy to travel with...)

~I would advise against bigger jar unless you plan on covering your entire body with it.

~if you have to choose your shopping list wisely due to other holiday shopping, try small jar of Nivea creme then purchase it later. Nivea might feel greasier though...

Dermalogica Overnight Clearing Gel

I was introduced to this product due to adult acne formation on my cheek and forhead during my initial stage of my pregnancy.

Product:
-It's a leave-on clearing gel with 2% salicylic acid as the active ingredient.
-It dries quickly(clear)
-It's a clear gel with herbal smell.
-Get cooling sensation when you apply it on your face initially
-As the gel dries, you notice the tightening/pullng sensation of skin due to the dried gel. Think if it as a thin/clear filmy mask.
-It comes in a squeeze bottle with twist cap

How to use
-Dermalogica recommends it to be applied on dry face after cleansing, leave on overnight then reinse off in the morning.

How I USE
-Follow the dermalogica direction if yu have a VERY oily, acne pron skin condition.
-If you have few pimples on forhead or cheeks, I apply it on those areas only after cleansing,
-I'll apply all over face (except the eye area) if I feel my skin looks dull or oily
-If I decide to leave it on overnight then I apply it after I put on eye cream around my eye area since your eye area will be dry in the morning with no treatment after cleansing
-I'll put it on before I do house chores then use facial mask(the leave on-essence kind) to give myself a mini facial with no need to spend hours or rubbing and rinsing and etc

After use
-I'm not sure if it's due to hormonal changes or the product, but after using it for a week (about 3-4 nights/week), the acne seem to improve, I was no longer getting new ones. I stopped using it when I was getting into my second trimester still my complexion was clear(this probably is due to my hormone).
-Although I was told to use it nightly b/c the gel is also hydrating by sealing in moisture at the same time I didn't use it nightly since I felt my face wasn't getting enough hydration from it alone
-My face felt refreshed/brightened in the morning after I rinse with just water (you'll notice slimy feeling as the product melts with water)

Verdict
-Great for Very oily, acne skin, even for spot/area treatment
-Great if you need to refresh your skin by mild peeling(salicylic acid) without scrubing, or your face is very hypersensitive to mild scrubs
-Great if you are busy, don't have much time for facial, just want the convenience of putting in on, sleep and rinse and still get the glowy/brightened skin in the morning

Initial impression on La Mer Lip Balm

Ok, since I'm very fortunate(?) with my lips, I got to spend so much money on lip care products hoping for smoother lips.

I decide to put the pic of my lips to prove my case. Actually the pic didn't come out right (my lips look actually worse than how it looks on the pic)
My concern with my lips are : Very dry/Flaky/chapped lips- I actually chew on my lips..so gross~, the corner of my lips get cut and bleed( I don't know how, but it just happens like when I yawn, or open my mouth to brush my teeth...you name it) or I'll just wake up with both corner of my lips bleeding. It's so painful.

Anyhow, after years of all the lipbalms from the high end to drug store lippies, Aquaphor seemed to be the only thing that "MILDLY" works if I put it on every hour or so(too much work seriously) to help the dry lips. But again, when I wake up in the morning after slathering my lips with it the night before, my lips are still flaky and the cut is still there.

Before I bought La mer, I was little hesitant b/c it seemed like it's a wax type formulation (wax type can actually make your lips drier, better to stick with petroleum jelly type), but I was desperate since my dear Aquaphor wouldn't heal corner of my lips. So, I bought the La Mer lip Balm, hoping it would at least work on the corner of my lips. I put in on once at night, and woke up with...wow!
My lips felt dry(after 8 hours of sleep), BUT, it was NOT flaky and the cut on the corner of my mouth was somewhat closed so it wasn't bleeding.

Not sure how long this jar is going to last me, but I guess I'll follow up on it to see if it's worth the money. So far,,,,it seems to work for me.

The famous Creme de la mer- part 1.

Part 1 is more of the behind story of the creme, plz stay tuned for part 2 follow up. thx~

Ok, so I finally felt that my skin deserves pampering, and I need to start "investing" in my skin.  After reading many reviews on other brand creams and all, I decided to give this cream the go( why not? since this seem to be the most talked about and the creme of the cream, if this doesn't work I know I can try others, but if it works then I saved my self trouble of buying and trying so many other products).

As the fantastic behind story of the creme states (the NASA scientist experimenting for many years to treat his massive burn, and how it takes about 3-4 month get the "secret ingredient"-the marine extracts- to make each jar), it sounded like too good to be true. I had to try it. So I hynotized myself before placing the order on why I should spend that much money on myself for a creme( i.e. repeatedly saying I deserve this....worked^^).

So, the the creme comes in 3 different sizes,

1oz-$130, 2oz-$230, 16.5oz-$1390. It comes with a spatula, hidden below the jar in a box. So I keep it in the box it came without the box lid (you can see the handle of the spatula peeking).

If you have enough $$$$ and like the product, then buying the 16.5oz seem more economical b/c 1oz is $85 that way (I read that some celebs apply this on their body). Most people seem to buy the 2oz jar since that also save them money (you pay about $115 per 1 oz), but I bought the 1 oz jar b/c I wanted to find out how long it will last me and also whether I would really love the creme or not.

I just ordered mine from the la mer website (bliss of on-line shopping), I got to choose few samples due to their promotion. I also received 1oz hand creme, sample gel-creme, and sample creme.
I was excited to get the hand creme b/c I heard that's also great and you get the 1oz size which is great for travel (3.4oz is $70, so 1 oz comes out to about $20, great deal for a sample I think^^).

So, if you are currently using or thinking of trying the creme, this might be a good time to order it from its site since you get the option of choosing the free 1oz hand creme-only if you want to try the expensive hand creme and see what the deal is.

I'll post part 2 of the creme de la mer as a review of the actual product after using it for a while b/c I like to spend sometime with a skin care product before I review. Stay tuned~

Patricia Wexler Advanced No-Injection Wrinkle Smoother

Yes, that's the full name. As I approach 30...I started to notice few mild wrinkles on my forhead and top of my nose. So, I bought this serum when I was at Bath and Body with my ma, and the SA said it's a V. good product due to it's active ingredient MMPI. Well, I decide to give it a try (I think it was ~$30).

I liked the pump style package and how your can twist it to get the pump disappear into the bottle( good for traveling). The consistency is like a very thick serum and lotion mixture. It does not feel light on the skin. It actually has similar feel as the MUFE-primer on the skin. The color is opaque yellow/greenish. I used it mainly on my forhead, under eye and my neck. After using it for about 3-4weeks, well, it's gone. It's 0.5oz, directions says speread several drops, and that's how I did and that's how long it lasted me.

Truthfully, I did not notice much improvement afterward. I don't think it made the existing wrinkles worse, but I didn't see it go "lighter" as we all expect from anti-wrinkle serums. Maybe it kept the new wrinkles at bay, but I don't know if I'm supposed to use it longer than a month to see the difference, but that sounds too long to try out a product. Also, it seems to peel when you apply a foundation(not sure if it's the base interaction (silicone) with other foundation).

Re-purchase?
No.

Smells so Delish~ Mac-tendertone Lip Balm

Why I bought it?

Well,,,did you smell it? It smells SOOO delish~ maybe like the tone down version of grape nerd flavor(obviously, I like that smell).

So?
-It goes on smoothly(it should be since it's a lipbalm).

-A bit sticky, but not as sticky as glosses, does seem to soak in after few min. unless you slather your lips with it..

-Not so thrilled about the packaging. It comes in a glass jar(I hate dipping my finger,,,so not sanitary!).

-It has SPF 12, so good to use during daytime or at beach( I still use it at night time before sleep since I smell so great,,,kissable~)

-Not pigmented, but great to use over matt lipstick for moisture; perfect if you want little bit of shine but not gloss shine

Re-purchase?
Yes,
I'll probably buy it again just b/c I love the smell and the color I see in the jar( all about presentaion!).
HOWEVER, I believe this product is discontinued from MAC, I was able to stock'em from my local CCO (cosmetic company outlet) store. So if you don't have a CCO nearby then you can't get it. Bummer!

My first La Mer products!

After reading few helpful reviews, I purchased my La mer products from its website.

http://www.cremedelamer.com/

They gift wrapped'em for me at no additional cost. When I opend the box, it was wrapped in its trademark minty green monogrammed wrapper with green ribbon and its trademark tissue paper. It was a very nice start (yes, presentation matters, love the extra touch they did).

They also sent me few samples(I got to choose), but one of the sample was not what I chose. I called'em right away, the SA was very pleasant to talk to, and said she'll put the order in  to send out the correct sample to me.