REVIEW: Bliss Triple Oxygen Instant Energizing Mask

Okay, if it's good enough for Madonna, Liv Tyler, Kate Hudson, and Uma Thurman, then it's definitely good enough for me! :o)

Granted, these famously beautiful-skinned celebs have the actual $160 Oxygenating Facial done at the Bliss Spa in NYC...and this mask is based off that very expensive facial treatment! So yeah...I am definitely interested.

According to the good folks over at Bliss this mask "instantly delivers a shot of oxygen, a powerhouse form of vitamin C, time-released antioxidants, and a moisture fix, to spiff up your complexion when it's looking and feeling lackluster".

This mask has Vitamin C, NaPCA (a natural moisturizer), EUK-134 (a synthetic super-antixodiant that prevents oxidative damage to your skin), and Liquid Oxygen to increase Oxygen content in your skin.

You apply a thin layer of this mask on damp skin after you have washed it and let it sit for a quick 5 minutes.... it immediately starts to bubble and froth on your skin! It tickles a little, and the frothing is so intense you can easily hear it! After about 5 minutes you rinse it off well and follow with your regular serums and moisturizers. After I rinsed it off I have noticed that I am positively GLOWING! A rosy glow takes over my cheeks and my skin feels brighter.

The glow is only temporary, maybe lasting a few hours... so when you are after a "glow" this mask is best used in the morning. Maybe apply it to your face after washing with your favorite cleanser and before brushing your teeth for a quick fix! I have also used this mask after a night of too much vino with dinner to oxygenate and refresh my complexion, with great success.

As a side note, bacteria can't thrive in oxygen-rich environments, so theoretically this mask could even be used by those with acne-prone skin types!

The bottle is 3.4oz (100mL) and costs $52 at Sephora... I have EASILY had this bottle for about 8 or 9 months now, using it occasionally (maybe 2 or 3 times a month) so it's long lasting and well worth the little splurge.

If you ever feel your skin is looking a little lack-luster and in need of a little glowing boost you will LOVE this fast-acting mask!

REVIEW: La Roche Posay Redermic [+] Eye cream

When first reading about this cream, and the rest of the Redermic [+] line, one feels compelled to try it out! It sounds like a great moisturizer! It sounds like a lovely and mild anti-aging product!

According to the good folks over at La Roche Posay (Canada's #1 recommended brand by dermatologists) "one of the key ingredients is a nearly pure derivative of madecassoside, which is one of the molecules in Centella asiatica, a healing plant from Madagascar. Madecassoside is purified at over 95% concentration and is combined with pure Vitamin C dosed at 5%. Vitamin C is a well known anti-aging active ingredient." Along with "Neurosensine: Combats micro-inflammatory stress, a true aging accelerator" and Hyaluronic Acid, which we know is a wonderful hydrator, plumper, and encourages Collagen to stick around longer in the skin.

It SOUNDS like a great product! But there's a problem....

It balls off when you apply it. Like putting on too much primer. I tried putting on less. I tried putting on more. I tried NOT rubbing it in... but it still balls upon application.

Some days I'd get lucky and it wouldn't ball up around my eyes... I wanted to do a little touchdown dance! But then I'd put concealer on, and the concealer would ball up. Sigh...

I did a little research. "Ahhhh! There it is - DIMETHICONE!" (again!!!!). It's the second ingredient from the top! And then TWO more forms of it show up in the ingredient list.

Wait. What's Dimethicone? And why is it so bad for me?

Well, technically speaking - it's safety IS up in the air. Environment Canada recently requested more studies to be done on it, as it is suspected to be bioaccumulative/persistent and a possible environmental toxin.

But even if it is found to be safe, the problem with Dimethicone is that it creates an OPTICAL ILLUSION! Dimethicone is well known by those in the cosmetics industry to be a "soft focus" creator. It's similar to taking a photograph with a camera that's out of focus; wrinkles disappear. The people who create these anti-aging formulas know this and add Dimethicone as one of the main ingredients. Dimethicone comes in a variety of molecular sizes that are transparent to look natural, but they bend and refract light in such a way that they "instantly fill wrinkles".

Dimethicone is the SECOND ingredient in Redermic [+] eye cream! ALWAYS read your ingredient lists... If Dimethicone is one of the top 7 or 8 ingredients then stay far far away! You could be spending your money much more wisely on products with active ingredients that actually improve your skin's tone/texture/etc and aren't just instant wrinkle fillers. (note: there is another brand out there that starts with an "O" and ends with a "lay" that has 2 anti-aging lines... 100% of the time, Dimethicone is one of the top 7 ingredients in every single cream/lotion/serum)

My advice? Don't waste your money on La Roche Posay's Redermic[+]. I didn't notice any difference using this eye cream, it was a bother to apply, and it was terrible under make-up!