Moisturizer Hunt: The Picks

After much deliberation, I've selected three moisturizers I want to try. I confess that I was a bit worried about how to sample moisturizers, since I wanted to get enough to be able to use each one for several days in order to make an informed decision . After all, I've used products that on their first use seemed great, but after using them more regular turned out not be so great. Fortunately as I was wondering around the Columbus Circle Sephora I discovered stacks of small bags and spatulas on one of the make up stations - perfect for scooping moisturizer into the bags and taking home to try. Which is, of course, is exactly what I did.

The criteria? I tried to find moisturizers that were reasonably good all in one products, and were around $40.

In no particular order:

1) Clinique's Superdefense Daily Moisturizer SPF 25. ($42.50 for 1.7 oz)

2) Philosophy Hope in a Bottle.

3) Peter Thomas Roth's Glycolic Acid Moisturizer. ($45 for 2 oz)

After I use each one, I'll do a short post about the pros and cons, and hopefully within a week or two I'll have a new moisturizer! So keep checking back for updates. . .

Moisturizer Hunt and Good-bye to an old friend

It is with sadness that I am giving up Mary Kay's Oil Free Hydrating Gel. It was the first moisturizer I ever found that was moisturizing without making my skin sticky and greasy. It melted into my skin, leaving it silky smooth and is a lovely lavander color. I have no qualms about recommending it to others - it is gentle and effective - but my skin has changed and it is now too heavy for me in the summer and not heavy enough in the winter.

So, I am officially starting a hunt for a new moisturizer. I am of the school that it seems silly to spend a lot of money on face washes. Duh. They are designed to be washed OFF your skin, so why spend tons of money on them? (Not that this stops me, on occasion, from doing so). But moisturizers. . .designed to be used twice a day; they actually sit on your skin. Sink into your pores. In my opinion, they are where your product dollars should be spent.

Moisturizers are tricky though - too light and your skin feels dry and thirsty. Too heavy, and it seems oily and/or greasy. The right moisturizer is a fine line between rich and airy. And then there are the sheer number of options when you set out to buy said moisturizer - do you want to prevent acne or fine lines? Minimize pores? Have an SPF in it? Tinted or regular? Anti-aging? Exfoliating? With anti-oxidants? Vitamin C? Erase age spots? Should it contain green tea? White tea? It's all enough to make a girl's head spin. Plus, when it comes to moisturizer, I want it all - or most of it all. I think you should really wear a separate SPF. I only sporadically wish for tint. But the rest of it - the anti-aging, anti-acne, anti-blackehad, pore minimizing, brightening, exfoliating, moisture? Sign me up for all of it. I've decided to sample three and then choose a new one. I'll keep you posted. (Feel free to tell me your top requirements of a moisturizer!)

No Pain, No Gain? A Cautionary Tale. . .

Word to the wise:
Do not use these together.

Remember my post about Kate Sommerville's Exfolikate? How I had repeatedly read that it was a miracle worker that resulted in some temporarily burning flushed skin that ultimately became glowing, radiant, etc? And how I used it and used it and used it and nothing really happened? And how I wanted the pain because, uh, I wanted the gain? Well on Sunday night, I decided that it would be a good time to use it since I find Sunday nights tedious and monotonous due to my existential dread of facing the upcoming week, and this time my face started to tingle. After 30 seconds, I HAD to wash it off because my cheeks were burning. Half an hour later I looked and the mirror and wondered why on earth I was so flushed. And then I realized: I'm not flushed - the Exfolikate WORKED. I can't even begin to tell you how excited I was as I anticipated waking up up glowing and radiant the following morning.

Well. On Monday morning I stumbled into the bathroom and through bleary eyes saw that my cheeks and forehead were still flushed - and oddly shiny. My face felt strangely smooth , and later while applying my moisturizer it tingled uncomfortably. As the day progressed, my skin felt tight and uncomfortable and became flaky. Forget glowing and radiant - more like chapped and burned, as though I'd spent the day skiing without sunscreen. I realized the next day that I had, rather stupidly, washed my face with DDF glycolic exfoliating wash* prior to applying the Exfolikate, and that applying green gritty goop with a reputation for burning to a face that has just been washed with a soap containing glycolic acid = STUPID. After about a week of super gentle treatment, and of red, chapped skin, my skin is back to normal. In fact, it's pretty radiant. But a word to the wise: do not mix two potentially lethal products, no matter how little they seem to do for you. If only I'd paid more attention in chemistry this may not have happened!

*This to is a product that I spent far too much money on and have been on the fence about the results. It's gentle and relatively effective but until this experience I didn't actually believe there really was acid in the product because it seemed so incredibly benign.

** I recommend using super gentle products to fix a mistake like this - cetaphil and that yellow clinique lotion were probably my best friends.

Travesty. Seriously. A. Travesty.

As it turns out, I owe the Sephora at 77th and Broadway half an apology.* Apparently the reason why they haven't been stocking Shu Uemura's miraculous fiber extension mascara is because no one is stocking it. BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED. I realized this only after trying to purchase it online, going to two Sephoras, and then going to multiple department store make up counters looking for it. Apparently, Shu is not a regular reader of this blog and doesn't realize that this is a product I Can't Live Without. A mascara that I would fight for on a deserted island. Sad for him. But sadder for me, because it means that I'm back on the hunt for a new mascara. I've been using a tube of Christian Dior Diorshow, which countless beauty editors swear by, as do several friends of mine, but it smudge, smudge, smudges all over my eyes after about two hours of wear. Any recommendations for a new mascara?

*They only get half of an apology because they have possibly the worst Sephora customer service ever. It's either non-existant bordering on rude or they follow you around telling you to make sure that you hold securely on to your purse because of pick-pocketing until you leave without buying anything. Bizarre, but true.

Is a Wedge Shoe the Answer to All My Problems?

Despite a recent post on black flats, I am still struggling in the shoe arena. (I still haven't bought a new pair of flats, and remember those fabulous red Steve Madden shoes? Although my friend Janet purchased them, I haven't).

My dilemma is multi-fold. I am short, so crave additional height. But the nature of urban living make high heels a hazardous gamble unless one has an endless budget to be spent on cabs. I prefer to spend my money on shoes, not cabs. In addition, a majority of my pants are hemmed a bit long, so I need the height so as not to ruin said pants. I determined that the best shoe that would give me some height but allow me to navigate the city would be a wedge shoe. I remember when wedges came back a few years ago, I couldn't get on the bandwagon. I thought they made short girls look shorter, and could add 10 lbs to your frame, and were kind of ugly. And now, they seem to be on the low tide of the trend. The options are limited, and often don't come in my size. . .but I'd like a pair that is classic but a bit edgy, a neutral color, and not too high. Like this (but are they too boring?) or this (I think I may like these the best, but they are a bit spendy for me these days)or this. (Too practical/utilitarian?).I've also been kind of crazving a wedge bootie or oxford type of shoe, and at one point this fall was totally obsessed with these, over the objections of a friend of mine. Yet I am unable to commit . . . are they cute or just frumpy? Thoughts, comments, suggestions, please!!!

No Pain, No Gain.

True confession: I secretly (or not so secretly, as of now) believe that for a product to truly work, there should be some sort of side effect - usually, an unpleasant one. When dermatologists have prescribed me various medications and creams and cautioned me that a side a effect may be redness and peeling skin, I'm tempted to buy popcorn and sit in front of my mirror for hours on end in anticipation. When the side of a box cautions that redness and flakiness may occur as I result, I cross my fingers. Sadistic, I know.

The problem is, I seem to have the toughest skin in all of America. Creams that send others into hiding for the first few weeks of application barely register on my skin. Redness, peeling, flakiness? I wish. For a couple of years, I've been wanting to try Exfolikate, a miracle product by skin aesthetician to the stars Kate Sommerville. According to various reviews, the green gritty goop should be applied sparingly over your face, and then rinsed off within 20 seconds because it will begin to burn. (You can see why I would want to use it, right?) Your face may turn bright red afterward, but allegedly you wake up glowing. Due to the intensive nature of the product, they recommend using only at night.

When I came across a spa in New York that was offering Exfolikate at a discount, I decided to try it. Following the directions, I applied it to clean, damp skin. And then I waited, with anticipation. 10 seconds. 20 seconds. 30 seconds. A minute passed, and then two. Nothing. Not even a bit of tingle. After five minutes, I washed the green goop off. My face was a normal color. It was softer, to be sure. But I wanted burning! I continued to use it about once a week, and I have had no major breakouts during that time. It's also helped (or I think it's helped, but maybe it's something else) with my clogged pores. Worth the expense? I remain unconvinced.

Lives Up to the Hype, But So Does This. . .

This or That?

Recently, I blogged about the infamous
Nars Orgasm blush. I had tried their all in one stick "The Multiple"(more of a cream blush version) and fallen in love, but gone with the powder blush due to price. I spent a recent rainy Saturday afternoon in Sephora and have determined that for me, at least, the cream version makes a HUGE difference. I once again was all glowy goddessy.

Here's the catch: I also discovered ANOTHER blush that I like almost as well. While in Sephora, my friend S., in the grand tradition of 11 year olds at slumber parties, allowed me to make her over. My original* obsession with cream blush goes back to Stila Convertible Colors. I have used the Petunia color for years now. (They seriously last forever). The convertible colors come in small brightly colored compacts and are designed to be used on both lips and cheeks. (But mostly cheeks). Do not be taken aback by the color of the compact or even of the blush itself. The colors go on light and sheer, and blend gorgeously. A few swipes of petunia instantly brightens my face.

So, for S., I immediately went for a Stila convertible color as one of the things to use on her. I initially determined that Poppy would be a good color for her (I recommended it to my roommate with success. Tina Fey also uses it, though as far as I know it's not because of my recommendation) but it wasn't a great color on her. I then tried the scarily named and intimidatingly bright Fuchsia (pictured) on her, and it was FABULOUS. So fabulous I tried it on myself, and spent the rest of the day walking around with Orgasm on one side and Fuchsia on the other cheek. They look totally dissimilar in their respective packaging, but very similar on my face. The only difference is that the Orgasm has some shimmer and the Fuchsia doesn't. So once again, I'm torn between which to choose and can't afford both. I'm leaning toward the Orgasm for now since I need the shimmer in winter, and going with the Fuschia come spring.

*When I was a child my mother was the only person I know who used cream blush, despite it's extreme scarcity in the 1980s. Mea culpa, Mother dear. You were right.