All Eyes On Her

I was so antsy for Clarisonic cleansing after I spotted my tax return deposit in my bank account. So I called Nordstrom to see if their shipment had by chance come in over the weekend, and lo and behold, it had! So of course, I scheduled the rest of my day around my purchase.

The bummer about this device is that you have to wait a full 24 hours for the thing to charge, before you can safely use it. So cruel! It’s not fair to make me wait after I paid that much. But the good thing is that this allows me to more fully research exactly how to use this alien device.

Thankfully, EDS already gave me some help. A thread about which cleanser to use with the Clarisonic was particularly helpful, since I know I won’t wind up using the stuff that comes with it. (Surprisingly nice in texture and ingredients, but still too synthetic for my natural tastes.) And it turns out there were a few prior threads on this, too.

Yet another good thread (h/t Rachel) gives some general usage tips that may seem obvious, but apparently weren’t obvious enough to make it into the usage manual. I particularly like the point about doing your forehead last so you don’t have cleanser dripping into your eyes the whole time.

Here’s hoping this post can help guide anyone else who’s gone Clarisonic crazy, or at least answer a few questions that Phillips may have neglected to address.

I was chatting with my hairstylist during my last cut, and she mentioned that she saw CHI hair straighteners on sale at Costco for around $70. Considering that they normally retail for about $200, my interest was piqued! So I got inspired and started poking around the Costco website, to see what sorts of beauty deals could be found.

In the past few years, it seems like Costco has tried to branch out into the high-end beauty market — they stock names like Kinerase, Lancôme, Shisedo , Stri-Vectin, Freeze 24*7, DDF, and Prevage, as well as some Costco-brand Kirkland exclusives by Borghese. I always knew they carried higher-end dental care, like Sonicare and some whitening systems, but I didn’t realize they’d also expanded into high-end skin and hair products.

I didn’t see any CHIs on Costco’s website, but I did see T3 and GHD straightening irons, which both look cheaper than retail (though still more expensive than I’d hoped). And I saw some other hair goodies I liked the look of, like an affordable 6-pack of microfiber hair towels, and giant bulk-priced vats of the much-praised Terax Crema conditioner.

I may have to take the plunge here — I’ve always wanted to try microfiber towels for their alleged faster drying time, but I figured I’d want several and I never wanted to splurge for a bunch of them at $30 a pop. But $15 for six — now THAT I can get behind! And while I’m not about to try Terax Crema for the first time by grabbing a Costco-sized pump bottle, I’ll definitely keep it in mind once I try out a sample someday.

I guess I always breeze through the beauty section of Costco after I grab my obligatory 24-pack of razor blade refills. I always assumed they only carried cheaper drugstore lines, but now I see that they’ve upped the ante a bit. I may have to extend my Costco shopping time in order to take in some of the affordable beauty treats! Now if only they had Clarisonics…

The third sample I ordered in my Great Eye Cream Hunt is Camellia Rose’s Sea Buckthorn & Blue Tansy Nourishing Cream (h/t Kris from EDS). It’s actually not an eye cream, but a facial cream that many CR users started applying around the eye.

This product turned out to be thicker than I had expected, and it almost veers into the balm-like category. It’s also a bit oddly blended — it has an almost cottage-cheese-like texture, which blends up when you warm the cream in your fingertips to apply it.

The weird thing about this stuff, though, is that despite how very thick and rich it feels, it absorbs more than almost any other eye cream I’ve tried, and more quickly too. It’s an odd feeling. I’m a little concerned that the high shea butter content will give me milia or make me break out a bit, so I’m going to have to try it out for a couple days and see how it goes.

However, this might all be a moot point, since Camellia Rose may be closed for business — my correspondence with the owner indicated that she was just too overwhelmed to satisfy all her orders! I hope she can find a balance, and I know I’ll enjoy my samples either way — but I don’t want to get too invested in her products until I know if I can re-order them.

I’m all in a tizzy because of a recent natural cosmetics discovery. Liz from EDS tipped me off to a company called 100% Pure, which makes a bunch of delicious-looking stuff, including a whole line of fruit-pigmented cosmetics.

I’ve been wanting to find and/or just launch for myself a line of naturally pigmented cosmetics for years. I’ve long relied on Mama Coco’s Red Hibiscus Lip Rouge as a subtle natural lip color in a super-moisturizing and yummy base — the stuff is pigmented with rose and hibiscus petals. Exquisite, no? But the color isn’t very strong at all, and this is the only pigmented product they make. So I had visions of creating beet-pigmented lip stains and natural concealers and whatnot.

And now I see that 100% Pure has a bunch of lip glosses, plus cheeky stains and even concealers, that are all naturally colored. So fab! I’m going to have to place an order, I can just tell. Bummer that they don’t do stains, since Grant refuses to kiss me when I have any kind of goop on my lips. But still, a girl can gloss it up from time to time!

I also love that they do some shimmery versions and some not-so-shimmery. For some reason, lately I’m just not into shimmery lip stuff AT ALL, so I like having shiny-but-not-sparkly options. I imagine I’ll sample a few lip colors, plus one cheeky and one concealer (in my first order, hehe). Liz also mentioned a lovely-sounding body butter, and I see more than a couple non-cosmetics products that caught my eye, including a caffeine-infused eye cream — could this be the end of my search!?

Yet another bonus is that they have a free shipping minimum of $50. Since I adore Internet shopping but hate knowing I’m wasting money on shipping costs, I’m always happy when a place offers a free shipping minimum, especially when it’s an affordable one. I can’t wait to give these guys a try — I’ll definitely update with my reactions. Fruit-tastic!

Several people on EDS have been urging me to try the PSF (Pure Skin Formulations) Super Hydrating Eye Treatment, so I ordered a sample once they finally restocked.

I wasn’t totally thrilled about the ingredients, since it does seem a tad less natural than some other formulations I was trying. But everyone raved that it was very rich and emollient while still being easily absorbed, so I figured I might as well give it a whirl.

One thing that does draw me to this stuff is the fact that the full-size product is packaged in a pump bottle, rather than a jar. This reduces the potential for contamination, since you don’t have to constantly open it up and dip your fingers in it to remove product.

However, the downside is that the sample was shipped in an INCREDIBLY annoying little snap-top tub that leaks easily and that doesn’t do the contents justice! But sample-shoppers can’t always be picky. I was just surprised, since my other PSF sample (the Vitamin C serum) came in an exceptionally well-designed package. (It was also $10, though, and this one was only $2.50.)

The cream is nice enough, but it’s actually not emollient enough for my taste. I like an eye cream to still be noticeably moisturizing after a full night’s sleep, and this stuff just didn’t make the cut. It sinks in so much that I just don’t feel like I’ve gotten the moisture or protection I was after.

However, it was a nice consistency and didn’t cause any breakouts, so I can definitely get behind this product for other users. Just not for me, sadly. The search goes on!

I’m still mourning the loss of my favorite eye cream ever, Best Bath Store’s Intensive Undereye Treatment. This stuff was just the perfect blend of rich and non-greasy, of wrinkle-smoothing and skin-conditioning. It had a simple, short ingredient list with natural basics like rose hydrosol and shea butter, and it contained caffeine which really helped with circulation and seemed to smooth out wrinkles exceptionally well.

But two jars in a row went totally moldy on me, after less than a quarter of the product was used up. Sigh. I’m seriously considering writing to Justin at BBS and asking him if I can just continually purchase small samples from them, since my samples never got funky. Or begging them to change their packaging, or even buying a mini-fridge so I can store the stuff and make sure it doesn’t go off.

Obviously, though, a more practical approach would be to simply find a replacement that can handle life at room temperature. So my search has been on, but so far the results are still a tad disappointing.

The first cream I ordered a sample of was Jenulence’s Anti-Wrinkle Shea Eye Cream. I was quite excited when Kris from EDS recommended me this stuff, because it contains a very similar ingredient list to my beloved BBS — right down to the caffeine! I had high hopes that this would be a perfect fit, and it *almost* was.

My Jenulence sample (very generous, $6 plus $2 shipping) came in a little plastic pot with a tiny plastic spatula included, presumably for scooping out product without contaminating the contents. That actually made me a little nervous, because I took it as a sign that the stuff might be prone to early spoilage — but alas, it may just be fab customer service, so I’m holding off judgment so far. I will update when I see what kind of shelf life this stuff has, but so far it seems pretty stable, and it does seem to contain preservative ingredients that were lacking in the BBS cream.

The formulation itself is nice, but it’s definitely quite a bit oilier than the Best Bath Store version, which is a real bummer. I felt like the higher shea butter content was actually blocking some of my pores in my trouble area, where my wrinkle-prone crows feet intersect with my acne-prone oily temples. BBS never did break me out around there, and it definitely had a less greasy feel.

Despite the Jenulence caffeine content, I didn’t notice the same plumping/firming/smoothing action as BBS had shown. So of course, that was also a bit disappointing. Jenulence is still an exquisite cream, and I may switch to it when my skin decides to stop behaving selectively teenaged. But until then, I think this one will have to take a backseat to the other samples I’ve ordered.

And the search goes on!

Okay, the post title may not be 100% accurate. But I fully intend to purchase a Clarisonic with my tax refund, which is money that the US government owes me. Give it back so I can have pretty skin!

I filed my return really early this year, so I expect to get my dinero in the next few weeks… which should be awesome! I usually put off filing until close to April 15th, but this year, what with being unemployed and all, I figured I had no excuse. So for once, I should see my refund money before my birthday in late March. And what better birthday gift is there than perfect skin?

I’m still a little nervous about making such a big purchase. And I’m worried I’ll hate it, despite all the hype — but I’m getting it from Nordstrom, so I shouldn’t have to worry too much, since I can always return it. (Although, Nordstrom being what it is, I’ve had some really unpleasant customer service experiences there recently, so I’m paranoid even though they have that great reputation.) And despite the return policy, I somehow feel guilty and crazy spending that much on skincare, even though I’m sure I’ve spent well in excess of $200 on products I didn’t wind up liking all that much. Just not all at once!

But thanks to Oprah, anyone wanting one of these babies has to pre-order. Thankfully, my local Nordstrom is very accommodating, and they’re putting me at the top of the list so I can get one in March. Should be perfect timing for taxes, which should make for perfect skin on my birthday, in theory. (Which, as it happens, falls on Easter this year. Wouldn’t you agree that both God and the Government want me to be Gorgeous? C’mon, help me justify this!)

Sorry, couldn’t resist.

I started using PSF’s Vitamin C Serum recently, after much hesitation. (I had a bad experience with a MyChelle C serum breaking me out, so I’ve been more than a little paranoid!) While I know it can take up to six weeks to really see (”C”) any difference, I can tell that I’m already quite happy!

First of all, I haven’t had any breakouts or increases in blackheads. Many users on EDS have complained of an increase in blackheads after starting a C serum, and I think the generally accepted theory is that the vitamin C oxidizes the contents of pores, which is what makes them look black. Thankfully, my existing blackheads are no, um, blacker than before, and there don’t seem to be any armies of new ones. So that’s a real relief! And I haven’t had any changes in breakouts, either. Whew!

Second, this stuff doesn’t sting or itch, and it’s not too sticky. The PSF serum is in a hylauronic acid base, and I’ve been worried that HA stung my skin and caused some sensitivity in the past. But that doesn’t seem to be a problem — even when applying over broken skin, this stuff does no harm. And it doesn’t seem to react poorly with my Retin-A, either, which is another relief! The texture is ever so slightly sticky after I first put it on, but this goes away by the time I layer on another product.

Lastly, I’m thrilled to say that I’ve already seen some tangible benefits, and not just a lack of harm. This C serum seems (”Cms”? Too much?) to do a better job of exfoliating my already-flaky areas than Retin-A alone. Case in point: I have a pimple that was rather a pain, and had broken skin and developed into a scab. Using Retin-A around areas like that almost always results in some major drying and big, ugly, peely flakes. But once I started using the C serum, that area seemed less prone to major flaking, and it seemed calmed down and desensitized quite a bit, and seems to be healing faster.

All in all, I’m thrilled! I don’t love having to wait 30 minutes after applying this stuff before I can layer anything else, and I also don’t love how unstable topical C serums are known to be. But this stuff is packaged very well — both the sample and the full-size come in a dark amber glass bottle with a glass dropper, so very little light or moisture can enter the container to spoil the contents, and there’s no way toxins in plastic could leech in. So I think I chose a good C serum, at least for now — once I use up my (very generous, as it should be at $10!) sample, I will decide whether or not to repurchase. My gut is telling me I’m going to take the plunge, but who knows — we’ll have to wait and C! (C’mon, you saw it coming.)

I’ve been holding off on getting my brows done for the past few months, ever since losing my job back in October. It just seemed like one of those expenses that I couldn’t justify, since theoretically I can maintain my brows pretty well on my own. It’s only when I get lazy and don’t pluck regularly that they get all messed up shape-wise — and I’ve learned that, while I *think* I’m good at re-shaping them myself, I actually tend to make them a bit uneven and over-pluck certain areas.

So I’ve been dying to get back to my brow gal, May — I don’t think I’ve seen her since last summer! But back when The Big Job Loss happened, I went to a dermatologist because I was maxing out our health care benefits before they expired. And my dear new derm (Paula Zook, whom I HIGHLY recommend for Seattle-area folks) chatted with me a bit about Retin-A, and convinced me to go back on it.

So I did, and I’ve been loving it — it’s definitely helped with some of the frustrating cystic acne I’ve experienced, and the new micro-gel formulation is indeed less irritating than the stuff I used in high school. But with Retin-A comes a big caveat: NO facial waxing is allowed. The skin gets too flaky and delicate, and you can actually rip off patches of skin if you wax while you’re on Retin-A treatment.

So what’s a gal to do? I’ve read about threading, but I haven’t been able to find any good threading referrals in Seattle, and besides — I’d miss my May! Luckily, it turns out May is game for plucking. I’ve always thought this was a smarter alternative, anyway — some salons in Barcelona refused to wax my pal’s eyebrows, because they said that it pulled too much at the skin and caused a loss of elasticity around the eyes. So I’ve always been a bit leery when I get my brows waxed, but it’s just so much FASTER. However, now that I’ve got a real reason to have to avoid it, I’m very excited to try plucking.

I’ll be making an appointment to get plucked by May sometime in March. I can’t wait — I’m not sure if the rate is different than for waxing, but I figure the process must be more precise, and I also think it’ll be less irritating to my skin. (Because I’m very fair and sensitive, I tend to have GIANT red blotches all around my eyebrows for a good two days. I even invested in some of those oversized sunglasses when that trend hit, even though I thought they were hideous, because they were the only thing that covered up my lobster brows!)

I’ll definitely update. But I just thought I’d stress this here — even though I myself have waxed my brows in the past, I really think plucking is a better solution. I’m happy to finally get the nudge I need to make the switch — I think the skin around my eye area will be that much happier when I’m in my sixties!

Makeup Alley is a skincare and makeup discussion board similar to the Essential Day Spa Forum, but because I discovered MUA second, I’ve never really participated in their forums.

However, they have a couple of fabulous features that EDS does not — namely, a wishlist function, and a swap function. These two work in conjunction with each other — you place items you’re yearning to try (or just stock up on) on your wishlist, and you also post items you’re happy to get rid of on your swap list. People take a look at your swap list, and offer to trade you for stuff they want and you don’t. And you can search other people’s swap lists for items on your wish list, and try and get them to trade.

Sure, the system has some flaws — many members have complained of “swap-lifters” who receive but never send, and you never know if the item you receive will be in the condition described. But there’s a pretty good system in place for rating users and giving feedback, kind of like eBay. And so far I’ve only had experiences ranging from medium to great — never overtly bad.

A couple times now, I’ve gotten ahold of items I was dying to try, but didn’t want to shell out money for. And my main goal was to pare down my excess surplus of beauty goods, which I’ve definitely been able to do. I’m still getting rid of things all the time, and the shipping cost is usually pretty nominal.

Swaps have been great for me, and I just wish I weren’t so insanely picky — but since certain ingredients always send my skin haywire, I’m fairly conservative about what I’ll swap for. A couple times I’ve just sent users items of mine without asking for anything in exchange, just to put some good swap vibes out there and to see products I never use go to a good home. When you’re as invested in products as I am, it’s nice to see them appreciated!

You do have to create an account to use Makeup Alley for these purposes, but accounts are free and totally private. Nothing but pluses in my book!