Product review: Biotherm Aquasource Non Stop Moisturizer

Posted by beautifulwithbrains | June 30, 2008.

Name: Aquasource Non Stop
Brand: Biotherm
Size: 50ml
Price: 35€

From Biotherm’s website:
Intense moisturizing, this fresh-textured gel is enriched with a patented hydrating complex to provide a reservoir effect on skin. Our pure concentrate of mineral-rich Thermal Spring Water revitalizes skin and improves skin texture with the equivalent of 5,000 liters of enriched water in each jar. Contains Vitamins E and F to promote cell regeneration. Skin is instantly refreshed and hydrated, supple and silky soft, perfectly revitalized throughout the day.

What I liked:
- light texture
- not greasy
- very hydratying
- skin feels smooth

What I didn’t like:
- the fragrance
- no SPF
- stings when applied, skin feels tight and t-zone is shiny after a few hours
- the formula

This moisturizer it’s for normal/combination skin. I have combination skin (dry in the cheeks and around the eyes and oily in the T-zone) and I have to say that it stang a bit when I applied it. Also, after a few hours, my skin felt tight and my t-zone was shiny again.

This moisturizer is very hydrating and feels refreshing on the face. It absorbs quickly and leaves skin soft and smooth. Its texture is very light, like a gel, and works well underneath foundation or tinted moisturizer and is perfect for these hot summer months. Also, I didn’t notice any breakouts.

The smell is nice, however I prefer my skincare products not to have any smell at all, as fragrances can be irritating for the skin. Another thing I don’t like is the fact that this product doesn’t have a SPF.

I’m not to keen on the formula. It contains substances like Urea, Hexyl Cinnamal, Benzyl Salicylate which can be irritating. So can be the fragrance. It also contains Alcohol Denat which is drying.

Summary:
Overall, this moisturizer is average. It does hydrathe the skin, leaving it soft and refreshed. However, my skin felt tight, especially in my cheeks where the skin is dry, t-zone was shiny after a few hours, doesn’t have any SFP and the formula contains skin irritating and drying agents.

Rating: 3/5

Disclaimer: I got a sample of this product as a Gift With Purchase at my local beauty store. The review is based on my own personal and honest experience with the product. For more information, please see my disclaimer.

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Prescriptives All Skins Mineral Makeup SPF 15

Posted by beautifulwithbrains | June 29, 2008.

Prescriptives is releasing its first ever mineral makeup, All Skins Mineral Makeup SPF 15, in July.

What’s in it for you? Vitamins, minerals, gems, sun protection…all helping your skin look naturally radiant and unbelievably healthy.
What’s not in it for you? Oil, talc, fragrance, pore-clogging ingredients – all the things that may make you hesitate about wearing makeup.
Why gems? Prescriptives All Skins Mineral Makeup is the only mineral makeup that features R.E.C. (Radiance Emitting Crystals – a unique complex of Amethyst, Rose Quartz and Calcite). R.E.C. helps absorb light and gives skin extra radiance and luminosity. The semi-precious gems and minerals help give the makeup a luxuriously silky feel, while the energies of Calcite help give skin a soft, luminous finish as if it were “glowing from within.”

All Skins Mineral Makeup SPF 15 (32.50$) is available in 18 shades, so you’re sure to find your match. It is infused with vitamins, minerals and gems and gives a pure, natural coverage and a healthy, radiant finish. Its formula is weightless and long-wear.
How to use it:
Tap a small amount of your mineral makeup into the lid. Swirl the brush in the lid to remove any excess.
Apply in a circular motion:
1. Start application at the outside of the cheekbone, moving toward the nose and then back.
2. Continue from cheekbone downward to jawline and back.
3. Follow along the side of the face, to forehead and down the nose.
4. Repeat for more coverage.

For easy application, use with Prescriptives Round Buff Brush (30$). This short-handled brush easily grabs hold of powder foundation and effortlessly glides across your face.

Availability: Beginning July 2008 at all Prescriptives counters nationwide, www.prescriptives.com and Holt Renfrew in Canada.

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Know your ingredients: Zinc Oxide

Posted by beautifulwithbrains | June 28, 2008.

What it is:
Zinc Oxide is the oxide of zinc and it is a white powder.

What it does:
Zinc Oxide is used as a sunscreen due to its ability to block the entire UVA and UVB spectrum by reflecting and scattering light. It is also water resistant.
Zinc Oxide is also used as a colorant. It is used in cosmetics as a whitening agent and it allows foundations to be different shades. Also used in blushes and eye shadows.
It can also be an anti-irritant.

Side effects:
May clog pores

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Win Bronzing Gel from Laura Mercier

Posted by beautifulwithbrains | June 27, 2008.

Laura Mercier is giving you the chance to win 1 of 100 Free Full-Size Bronzing Gels!

Laura Mercier Bronzing Gel is a lightweight gel bronzer that smooths on evenly and blends perfectly leaving the skin refreshed and hydrated. Its sheer formula enhances a tan & adds a warm glow. It works for all skin types.

The competition closes on July 3, 2008 at 11:59PM CST. To enter, click here.

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Can lipgloss cause skin cancer?

Posted by beautifulwithbrains | June 27, 2008.

Some dermatologists are saying that lipgloss without SPF protection increases the risk of skin cancer. The shiny nature of lipgloss may make the sun’s UV rays hit harder and, as a result, increase your risk of developing skin cancer. “These lip glosses can make more of the light rays penetrate directly through the skin instead of getting reflected off of the skin’s surface,” says Dr. Christine Brown, a dermatologist at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas.

Ultraviolet light damage can lead to pre-skin cancer growths like actinic chelitis (rough scaly lips that never heal) and small dark spots that look like freckles.

But there is no need to freak out or throw away our lipglosses. If you wanna be safe, all you have to do is wear a lipgloss that has SPF in it. Also, always use a lip balm with SPF 30 under gloss.

Here’s some lip balms and lipglosses you may want to try: