Friday, November 9, 2012

.....And I'm Feeling Good

My skin has been cooperating recently despite the drastic dip in temperature which is AWESOME. The only damper is...It's like a horror movie, I'm just waiting for the boogey man to pop out. And by that, I mean....a faceful of uber sensitive rashes that sting when in contact with pretty much anything.

However, I actually started this post a week ago and so far? My skin is still doing pretty darn good. So screw those horror movies! I'm totally channeling happy-go-lucky Pixar/Disney now.

Here's what's been going on my face these days:

MORNINGS:
Some days I wash my face with Vichy Normaderm Deep Cleansing Gel and some days I wipe it down with La Roche-Posay Physiological Micellar Solution if it's too sensitive for a cleanser to start (and yes, I know I can just switch to a gentler cleanser but I'm kind of addicted to that particular one!)

1) Estee Lauder Idealist
After cleansing, I use this first. I love the texture of it. It doesn't exactly "dry" immediately but it also isn't wet and sticky before drying down like some serums/treatments. This feels very silky after applying. I usually let it sit for 15 minutes or so while I putter around doing other morning things.
2) Avene Skin Recovery Cream - Rich
Shortly before we leave the house, I then put this cream on. It's the rich formula and it's for very sensitive skin. State-side it is also known as "Avene Cream for Intolerant Skin". It is paraben-free, fragrance-free, colorant-free. Last year I used La Roche Posay's Toleraine Ultra which I loved but I wanted to try something new although equally as gentle this year. I wanted to kick up the moisture a notch thought, so I choose this Rich formula which is slightly thicker than the regular Skin Recovery Cream but otherwise the same.

I then do my makeup half-way through our drive, so that's about 30-45 minutes for the cream to completely settle in. My makeup routine does include a primer.

EVENINGS:
I follow the same routine at night with my "prep" - either the Vichy gel or La Roche Posay Micellar Solution. I'm live a really exciting life that way.

1) Boscia Restorative Night Treatment
This comes out on your hand like a clear watery gel (slightly yellow tinged). I apply this all over my face and because it's watery, I usually leave it for a bit before applying my cream. Anywhere from 5-30 minutes depending on what I'm doing.
2) Boscia Restorative Night Moisture Cream
Once the gel is settled, I put this cream on. Even though this isn't marketed for sensitive skin, it has not irritated me at all unlike some products that are specifically labeled as such. Although it's a cream, it's light. Not watery, but just feels like it weights less on my skin. It is incredibly moisturizing without being greasy. I hate the pump which is the same as the Revitalizing Black Hydration Gel I reviewed previous here but the product itself makes up for it completely.
3) Avene Ystheal+ Eye Contour Cream Gel
To cap it off I'll pat some of this cream-gel on my eyes. The consistency is the same as a light cream. It's very gentle and although I don't see any drastic changes (then again, I don't have drastic wrinkles or dark circles here), I do like the idea of keeping the sensitive eye area well moisturized.

So there you have it. This is what I'm using everyday and so far this combination is working. I suspect it's mostly do to a great combination of HEAVY DUTY MOISTURIZER + SUPER GENTLE FORMULA that's doing the job and only partially these particular products with all their fancy names. But, I'm not going to knock it because my skin really does feel quite fantastic right now.

As for next winter (or late this winter if these products run out) I probably won't purchase Boscia again. And the reason really is just price. So far I'm been quite happy with everything I've tried from the "gentle French brands" like La Roche Posay, Vichy, and Avene. They're more expensive than regular drugstore brands like L'Oreal, Garnier, Olay, etc. but less than most skincare lines at Sephora including Boscia. Performance wise, though? I'd say they're better than the drugstore brands but the same if not better than many high-end brands at less cost.

What's your routine for winter or super-sensitive-skin-is-going-crazy spells? Do you have the same skin problems as me when the seasons start changing and the temperature starts dipping?

5 comments:

  1. I can still go out without using a moisturizer, but my poor baby sister has the driest skin. So I just got her Kiehl's Ultra to try. Now it sounds like I should have picked up the Avene? Thought about it but Holt's was having a 15% return thing so I went with Kiehl's. Do you think the Avene moisturizer would work as well without the serum?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Iliyana Licheva11/10/12, 1:17 AM

    great stuff

    http://glamourgirl-bg.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  3. awalkinthecloset11/10/12, 1:20 PM

    I envy you! My skin goes from dry to super oily and back. It's such a drama queen. I do think the Avene moisturizer would work well without a serum as I have gone without it sometimes. The other reason I'm using Idealist is to get it down to empty...inherited from my mom and it probably won't be good much longer.

    Here's the link for reviews on Avene's Skin Recovery Cream and also La Roche Posay's Ultra Toleraine. Both are gentle no color, no fragrance stripped down all-about-the-moisture products:

    http://www.makeupalley.com/product/showreview.asp/ItemId=141173/Toleriane-Ultra/La-Roche-Posay/Moisturizers

    http://www.makeupalley.com/product/showreview.asp/ItemId=15229/skin-recovery-cream-%28US-name:-cream-for-intolerant-skin%29/Avene-/Moisturizers

    I do really like the Kiehl's and it's actually cheaper when you look at the volume but I do recommend trying these two especially if you're a shopper's optimum points collector like myself. ;) They sometimes come in holiday gift packs, too.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I love reading about skincare routines...always mentally filing away products for future use LOL! In your list - I'd like to try the Idealist some day - I've tried Advanced Night Repair but it broke me out so I gave it to my mother.

    Unfortunately - the french drugstore brands do not work that well for me - I tried a couple of Bioderma, La Roche Posay and Avene products - but I did not wake up with dewy effortless skin like I thought I would LOL! My skin likes the cheaper, chemical-laden drugstore brands like Olay, Clean & Clear and Neutrogena :-P

    ReplyDelete
  5. I looooove Idealist. I actually stopped using it last month because I just didn't have $100 to spend on a bottle of serum, but it does make my skin look and feel really good, especially under make-up! I've had bad experiences with Boscia's skincare so far, so I don't feel inclined to try any more of their products, but I'm glad you're getting good results with the night cream. I also tried the Black Hydration Gel, and I had to throw it out after only having used half because the pump completely broke OUT OF THE BLUE and I couldn't wrench the goddamn thing open. Such a shame. The only thing I'll keep going back for is the Blotting Linens. Which I maintain are the best blotting sheets I've ever used. :)


    Weirdly enough, I never got into Avene's skincare, even when I worked at SDM (for six years!). I was always a La Roche-Posay or Vichy kind of girl, and then I slowly got into Biotherm from there before working for Lancome, which I still love (haha, I realized I'm such a L'Oreal whore).

    ReplyDelete

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...