Serge Lutens Datura Noir. A summer perfume that’s not ONLY for the summer. It’s a bit tropical, easy to wear at all times of the year.
Official notes: Datura, coconut, almond. Have you tried this or others in the genre?
Serge Lutens Datura Noir Perfume Review
Posted in Perfumes
Tagged Fragrance, Fragrance Review, Perfume, Perfume Review, Serge Lutens, Video
Leave a comment
Neutrogena 0.5% Retinol Pro+ Serum
What do percentages on skincare even mean?
I ask because Neutrogena finally has a retinoid percentage on the label. TBH, I always found their retinol to be gentle. Now, even though their latest retinoid has 0.5% written on it, the truth is that it’s still a gentle product, and isn’t potent as something like Retinal (short for retin-aldehyde) which is also over-the-counter. But, that’s only if we’re comparing apples to apples… for example, a product with 0.5% retinol is compared to a 0.5% retinal. I don’t have a 0.5% retinal in my collection of skincare right now, but you can see how comparing skincare can be difficult.
I do have a 0.3% adapalene (prescription only in Canada) but OTC in the USA.
I also have a 0.1% Tretinoin which is super potent and prescription-only no matter where you go. Even though 0.1% is a smaller percentage than 0.5%, because tretinoin is so strong (even in this micro version), I only use it once a week because it makes my skin peel off so much.
Does it matter if the new Neutrogena retinol is 0.5%? Personally, I still like to know the percentage and the type of retinoid, and no, bakuchiol is not a retinoid, so that doesn’t count.
Anyway, this new 0.5% retinol Pro+ Serum goes on like an oil but it’s actually not an oil but a silicone product. It feels like it’s comforting the skin, but it’s actually no moisturizing or hydrating at all, so I like to use it after my other serums in my skincare routine. I’ve tried using it on its own, and it just made my skin feel so dry. Paired with a good moisturizer, I think this is a great retinoid for beginners to try. I use it on nights that I’m not using my prescription retinoid. The last slide is a picture of the box and the ingredients. You can see that retinol is listed right there on the box, and that actually the list of ingredients is quite short.
Have you tried this? Are you one of the few people who doesn’t use a retinol?
Posted in Skin Care
Tagged Adapalene, neutrogena, Neutrogena Canada, Percentages, Retinoid, Retinol, Serum, Skincare Canada, Skincare Reviews, tretinoin
Leave a comment
Charlotte Tilbury’s Summer Sale
I don’t normally post about deals and sales (well sometimes I do), but I’ve been enjoying a few Charlotte Tilbury products and some of them are a really great deal right now.
For examples, you could get the Iconic Matte Lip Kit, which has a matte lipstick and a lipliner. You can choose the lipliner and the lipstick to match. I would get a neutral lipstick with a deeper shade of liner. If you’re in doubt, the Pillow Talk colours area always beautiful. The shades below are from the Queen’s Jubilee collection. They are: Gracefully Pink, The Queen, and Runway Royalty. If you like a bright lip, you have to try The Queen, it is my favourite.
I really like the summer lip kit, if for no other reason that the Hyaluronic Happikiss is a dupe for the Tarte lippie that everyone is wearing on Tiktok. At $83, you get a lipstick, a gloss, and a stain. Choose the deeper colours of the stain so that you can see it on your lips. I have the Blushed Rose stain and it doesn’t shop up on my lips at all.
Enjoy the sale, and if you get anything, let me know!
Oribe Gold Lust Repair & Restore Shampoo
I’m really into nice-smelling hair products, and so many of you recommended that I try something from Oribe, a brand that designed their packaging to emulate expensive perfume bottles, and whose product scent has become iconic.
I now get why.
I’ve tried that Côte d’Azur perfume that’s in all the products, and I can confirm that the Gold Lust shampoo and conditioner both smell like it. Even better, the products are scented, and the scent sticks to your hair and you can smell it for at least a couple of hours. I’m not even using any of the Oribe styling products afterwards, but my hair was still wafting a bit of Côte d’Azur for a while, and I love it.
Côte d’Azur is a citrus scent, with a blend of lemon and bergamot. It’s fresh and really reminds me of Light Blue, so if you’ve smelled that, then you know what to expect. I mean, Light Blue is a crowd-pleaser, so it’s no surprise that the smell of these products is so well-loved.
Ok, I guess I better update on the Gold Lust line – the shampoo and conditioner are super moisturizing and best for people who have very dry hair. The conditioner actually leaves your hair really slippery, and if you’re prone to greasiness or feeling like your hair gets easily weighed down, then maybe this one isn’t for you. It’s great for reducing frizz and really coating the hair shaft. The products are colour and keratin safe too.
Empties: Bumble and Bumble, Fresh Beauty, Strivectin, Vichy, Paula’s Choice, Dior, Alterna Hair Care
Empties from the past couple of weeks… as I’m writing this and looking at the picture, it looks like I’ve gone through so much stuff, but I’ve had some of these on the go for a while.
Like that Bumble and Bumble Nourishing dry shampoo. That lived at work for a while in case I had plans after work and needed to jhuj up my hair before I left. So, I used it here and there for a year?
The Fresh Black Tea Kombucha essence did not last me long – I think I went through this bottle in a couple of weeks, so that was pricy.
Strivectin Super-B oil – loved how it smelled and got it back in September. I really loved this oil it just sealed in moisture and I feel like I woke up to happier skin in the morning.
Vichy Liftactiv B3 serum was AMAZING. I got it in PR and I would repurchase. Loved it, because it had so many active ingredients in one serum. I got it in September, so it lasted me a while! I was very consistent with using it.
Paula’s Choice Azelaic Acid. Definitely try this if you are dealing with pigmentation on your skin. I liked it and I think it did help.
Dior Collagen Activ Gloss – I loved it. I’ve had it for years.
I also finished the Alterna hair serum, and ugh, I didn’t get a good picture of it. I will say that it smelled lovely. I am finding that a hair cream works better for me than just a serum. Lamellar Water + Serum + Hair Cream = perfect hair for me.
Have you tried any of these?
Posted in More Than Beauty
Tagged Alterna Hair care, Dior, empties, Fresh, reviews, skincare, StriVectin, Vichy
Leave a comment
WWD Turns 100: Estee Lauder’s Youth Dew
A little tidbit on Estee Lauder’s Youth Dew perfume from a 2010 anniversary issue of Women’s Wear Daily…. See for yourself what it says.
Gucci Memoire d’Une Odeur Perfume Review
I still remember getting a sample of Gucci Memoire d’Une Odeur, spraying it and smelling it for the first time and thinking “wow, they did it. They made a perfume that matches the concept.”
It’s in rotation today, and I also wore it out to dinner a couple of weeks ago and it was perfect. It’s mineral and chamomile and jasmine, makes me think of playing in grass, making daisy necklaces, sitting on a bench.
It’s very easy to wear. You can spray a lot or just a bit.
Of course, the bottle is everything and I wish I’d kept the box. The vintage look is so different from everything else out there. Also a pressurized atomizer for the finest mist. No detail was overlooked.
I was at Sephora yesterday and they had this sitting in the Men’s section, which I thought was interesting. I think it’s definitely unisex, and maybe they should have all the Gucci perfumes together, let people decide for themselves what they like.
You can also find it here, as well as a number of discounters. The news is that this is soon going to be discontinued.
A Soft Lawn by Imaginary Authors Perfume Review
All of @imaginaryauthors perfumes are based on imaginary novels or authors. The Soft Lawn is based on a seersucker suit-wearing Princeton tennis champ author from the 1920’s. He’s rich and gallant, an attender of prestigious sporting events.
Maybe it was the 20’s reference but the concept immediately made me think of The Great Gatsby, but Gatsby would never wear anything this green. No, this perfume is for Jordan Baker, the model/golfer lying beauty. She’s nice on the outside, but cut-throat once you really get to know her.
The Linden Blossom in this is pretty and calming, but the edge of freshly cut grass makes this more than just a basic floral fragrance. It’s incredibly interesting and outdoorsy, but you’re on a lawn with tennis balls, instead of in the woods or forest. Imagine enjoying a nicely manicured lawn but one that you didn’t have to mow yourself.
This lasts a really long time and has great sillage. I could smell one spray all day.
This reminds me a bit of Gap Grass, but since that one isn’t easy to find, you could try Demeter Grass and that might give you a bit of that grassy summery feeling.
Posted in Perfumes
Tagged American Perfume, Fragrances, Imaginary Authors, Perfume Review, Smell Good, Soft Lawn
Leave a comment
NEW La Roche Posay Anthelios Mineral One SPF 50+ Review
Is it make up or is it sun protection?
Some beauty news: I know we have all used tinted sunscreen and thought this should come in more colours. Well La Roche Posay has gone and done it with a mineral skin tint that comes in 5 shades. They are Fair, Medium, Tan, Brown, and Dark Brown. There are testers so you can swatch before buying. I picked up Medium and Brown for myself. Fair is quite fair and Tan is peachy.
I would say that this is make up.
La Roche-Posay Anthelios Mineral One SPF 50+ Daily Cream is a Tinted mineral sunscreen. The name implies that you can put on one product on and have some protection and make up on your face.
The main ingredient is 13.6% titanium dioxide. The back of the bottle says 12 hour coverage, 24 hour hydration. It also says that it is suitable for sensitive skin and that is because this is a mineral-sunscreen product. It is $30 for 30 ML and made in France.
This “daily cream” is so pigmented that there is no way to use the recommended amount of sunscreen in order to have optimal sun protection. Two fingers worth looks ridiculous. I would only purchase this if you need a foundation with SPF in it however if that is your goal, then you may as well buy foundation from a company that makes foundation. I would recommend Maybelline, It Cosmetics, or Estee Lauder or literally ANY other make up brand. Not only will you be able to potentially save money because some of the drugstore foundations with SPF are cheaper, you’ll also be able to buy a foundation that matches your skin tone better.
Personally this was a fail for me, and I would not recommend it. The tints are not very well thought out. There’s no way that these five intensely pigmented colors can represent the majority of skin tones these days, and I would like using them more if they weren’t so pigmented because then I could apply lots and really rely on them for my son protection but because they’re so tinted I really can’t use that much and I need to use a regular sunscreen anyways.
Anyway, people are excited about this and probably only applying it to supplement their regular sunscreen.
I just wouldn’t use it myself.
MooGoo Skincare and Haircare Products from Australia
I got a restock of my favorite MooGoo products, which I tried last fall.
Of everything I tried, I liked it all, but the Protein shot Leave In made my hair soft and smooth without the use of any silicones. The protein is from the milk products that is in the cream and just really works for my hair which tends to be dry and frizz-prone. I use it on wet hair but you could also use it on dry. The Natural Protein Shot leave-in hair conditioner is my favourite silicone-free product EVER. I’m using it on wet hair every time I wash it and it’s so smoothing. I think the little bit of protein in styling products really helps minimize frizz.
MooGoo also sent me their skincare products to try and they are perfect for dry skin. The body creams leave your skin soft to the touch but aren’t sticky.
Why’s it called “MooGoo”? Well, it was first developed to be used on cow’s udders and it turns out that the formula is good for people skin too. The scent of these is a little lactonic but not sweet. It’s comforting and reminds me of baby products.
Have you heard of this line or tried any of their products? They are out of Australia, and really well made. You can find them on Amazon or shop through their website.