Let's be wise about aging!

Is that even possible in this day and age? Remember Manic Panic? The quest for the perfect skin care, the perfect anti-aging treatments is translated into a billion dollar business for cosmetics companies as well as plastic surgeons, beauty spas etc. Let's not forget all the "quack" specialists with their vitamins and their snake oil. There are thousands of companies out there selling their products on obscure websites, some are supposedly endorsed by celebrities while others, well, they try to get your attention and your money, with outrageous claims.

I stumbled on a website once selling emu oil for $70.00+ claiming it was practically the fountain of youth. You can get 100% pure emu oil in any health food stores and some drugstores for as low as $10.00 depending on the size. Even if you where to bathe in the stuff every day you would get soft skin but no wrinkles? I doubt it.

Aging is something we can't get away from, in a way, it's the only justice. This being a "beauty blog" I put more emphasis on skin care but anti-aging or should I say aging gracefully is a lot more than that.

Genetics has a lot to do with how we age but let's not forget that even if we where dealt a bad hand, there are things we can do to help slow down the process. Today I stumbled upon a blog entry that spoke logic. It's a list of what everybody should know, from The Digital Doctor:

1. Avoid the sun. No single factor is more important to prevent aging than avoiding excess sun exposure. Ultraviolet light breaks down the elastin and collagen in your skin, causing brown discoloration, thinning of the skin, and ultimately wrinkles. Wear a broad spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher on your face and hands every day.
2. Stop smoking. Smoking deprives your skin of oxygen, releases damaging oxidizing free radicals and causes wrinkles, dullness, and sallowness. It is a sure contributor to aging. Find a way to quit this summer.
3. Lose weight. Gaining weight causes excess heavy fat to develop on your face. This will stretch your skin and pull down your cheeks and jowels, aging your face. Have you ever said that someone who has lost a lot of weight looks a lot younger? There is a reason why.
4. Go low-glycemic. A low-glycemic diet high in fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein is healthy for your body and your skin. Research has shown that sugary or high glycemic carbohydrate foods can contribute to aging.
5. Eat less. We know that animals who adhere to a calorie restricted diet age much more slowly than those on a normal diet. Eating 1/3 fewer calories is difficult but would be likely to slow all aging, including your skin.
6. Control your stress. Chronically elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol can damage your organs including your skin. Meditate, exercise, travel, keep a journal. Do whatever it takes to reduce the stress pounding on you.
7. Sleep on your back. Sleeping on your face or on your side causes wrinkles overnight. The weight of your head on your pillow can also limit the blood flow, depriving your skin of blood and oxygen overnight. Night after night this can lead to permanent wrinkles. Try to train yourself to sleep on your back.
8. Cut back on alcohol. Drinking alcohol causes dehydration and can lead to damage of your skin over time. Although it does not cause rosacea, it can lead to unsightly red blood vessels on your face that quickly age you.
9. Wear make-up appropriately. Wearing too much makeup can actually harm your skin by clogging pores and causing excess dryness. Thick foundations and shimmery makeup make you look much older especially if it cracks or settles into existing fine lines and wrinkles. As you age, a lighter touch and natural shades are most flattering.
10. Moisturize. Your skin is under constant assault from the elements — wind rain, humidity, hot, dry weather and arctic air all damage your skin leading to wrinkles and dullness. Fight back by applying a facial moisturizer every day to protect your skin. Moisturizers also plump up skin, reducing the appearance of fine lines.
11. Stop squinting. Whether you’re squinting to avoid the sun or to see your computer monitor, repeatedly contracting your eye muscles will cause permanent wrinkles over time. Wear dark sun glasses every day, and be sure there’s no glare on your computer screen at work or at home.

The Fountain of Youth, Italian School, 1470

© Bridgeman Art Library / Biblioteca Estense Universitaria, Modena, Italy

Since the Fountain of Youth is a beautiful idea, it's just that, an idea! Skin care can indeed make a difference but let's be realistic, there's only so much it can do. Trying to follow these 11 steps can only be beneficial not only to our skin but to our bodies. 

CeraVe Moisturizing Cream / Review

A year ago I didn't know this product even existed and it's no wonder. It's not only sold in drugstores but in the less glamorous dermatological isle, the one where you can find acne treatments. Not that there's anything particularly attractive about a drugstore in the first place, but in recent years the larger banners have made their cosmetics departments somewhat more elegant. This, I believe, is one of the reason, drugstores brands have become more popular.

Guilty! I'm one of those who used to snob drugstores brands. Having worked in cosmetics, in department stores, I figured only high end brands deserved my attention and my money.

I was so wrong!

So many little treasures are hidden at your local drugstore and I don't mean brands like Avène, Caudalie, Nuxe, Bioderma and several others but the stuff on the shelves of the dermatological isle can be pretty amazing.

Case and point, CeraVe.

CeraVe® Moisturizers & Cleanser deliver Ceramides, Hyaluronic Acid and essential lipids to the skin to help replenish and restore the skin’s protective moisture barrier.  It’s patented multivesicular emulsion (MVE®) controlled release delivery system slowly delivers the moisture rich ingredients to the skin providing all day moisturization.  CeraVe® products are recommended by the Dermatology Review Panel as they are fragrance-free, non-irritating, non-comedogenic (won’t clog pores) and are appropriate for use to aid in the treatment of dry skin, acne, eczema, rosacea and psoriasis.  Safe for skin of all ages!   Well.ca

CeraVe offers seven different products. Two cleansers, a foam and a moisturizing one. Five different moisturizers. AM & PM for face, a regular body lotion as well as one with salicylic acid and the more moisturizing version available in a large tub. You can view them on CeraVe's official website.

Unfortunately in Canada only three products are available. The moisturizing cleanser, regular body lotion and the moisturizing cream. An MUA member mentioned that the others may be available in 2013. I guess we'll see about that.

CeraVe moisturizing cream, outsanding for sunburn care!

Last June my daughter went for a weekend at her best friend's house. That Saturday, both girls spent most of their time in the pool enjoying the newly arrived Summer. That night, my daughter complained that she was hot and that she taught that she had taken too much sun. She was told that it was just a little sunburn and that the next day she would be fine.

Grrrrr!

When I saw her on Sunday afternoon I could have screamed! She had one of the worse sunburns I'd ever seen. Lobster red! Her face, chest, arms and back where badly burned. I rushed to the drugstore to purchase some aloe gel and, based on all the rave reviews, a tub of CeraVe's moisturizing cream.

I gave her some ibuprofen and we did some cold milk compresses. After an hour or so, I helped her with the aloe gel for soothing and we followed this with CeraVe. The next day she was still in a bit of pain but was able to dress normally and go to school. That entire week she continued using aloe gel followed by CeraVe both morning and night.

This ended up being the best combo ever. I was sure her face would become "peel city" but it did not. Her facial skin healed perfectly. She did peel but it was hardly noticeable, on her upper arms mainly.

Her skin's protective barrier was badly impaired and CeraVe restored it. It held it's promises. I was quite simply amazed.

For sunburned skin, over exfoliated skin, this is great. So, I decided to try it myself as a body moisturizer. I can understand my daughter liking to put it on since it's very cool on the skin, it penetrates fast and doesn't leave a sticky feel.

Surprisingly, I didn't like it as much as other body moisturizers I use. Somehow it's not long term on me. By that I mean that after a few hours my skin seems to get dry. I must be a weird animal, sorry!

453g, $24.89 on Well.ca

I used it for about a week, every night. In order to get the same type of moisture as I get with Avène' Cold Cream body lotion, I had to use double amount of CeraVe. When I purchased my tub it was on special for $17.00 but the drugstores I go to usually have it for about $22.00.

It gets rave reviews on MakeupAlley, 4.5/5 lippies for 236 reviews.

Ingredients (MUA):

Purified Water, Glycerin, Ceteareth-20 and Cetearyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Behentrimonium Methosulfate and Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Ceramide 3, Ceramide 6-II, Ceramide I, Hyaluronic Acid, Cholesterol, Petrolatum, Dimethicone, Potassium Phosphate, Dipotassium Phosphate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Phytosphingosine, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum.  

Even if I don't find it as moisturizing as Avène, I still liked using it this past summer. The cooling sensation was very pleasant on hot days. I do know that I will always have a tub around, just to be on the safe side. When skin is irritated, this is a great option especially since it does not have any fragrance.

I almost forgot, the aloe gel I used was from the brand Aloex. The best is really getting your aloe directly from the plant but if you don't have one, get a tube with as little ingredients as possible. Health food stores and some drugstores do sell this brand but there are others.

Picture credit, Elements4Health

Clinique Deep Comfort Body Butter & Hand and Cuticle Cream / Reviews

This is somewhat a double entry. I reviewed, compared these on my previous post about Avène Cold Cream Body lotion and Cold Cream Hand Cream. I figured it would be easier to find if it's on its own.

This part below is copied/pasted from, Avène Body Lotion with Cold Cream / Review Just skip if you've just finished reading it.

Clinique Deep Comfort duo remains an outstanding choice in my opinion, especially if one is looking for unscented options although it does have that faint, distinctive Clinique smell. The Body Butter penetrates fast and doesn't leave any greasy feel. The hand cream is perfect for daytime since it too, is fast acting. It's a perfect choice when one is in a professional environment and wants to remain discreet. Some hand creams are so highly fragranced that they can be unpleasant for others even if you enjoy them.

Comfort Hand Cream and Cuticle Cream, 75 ml, $25.00

Deep Comfort Body Butter, 200 ml, $34.00

Reviews for the body butter:

MakeupAlley, 4.2/5 lippies for 129 reviews
Beauté-test, 4.5/5 stars for 36 reviews

Reviews for the hand cream:

MakeupAlley, 4.5/5 lippies for 8 reviews
Beauté-test, 4/5 stars for only 3 reviews

Body butter ingredients (Beauté-test)
Aqua, butyrospermum parkii (shea butter), glycerin, octyldodecyl myristate, cetearyl alcohol, butylene glycol,cyclopentasiloxane, myristyl myristate, cetyl alcohol, catyl esters, isostearyl neopentanoate, polymethyl methacrylate, cetearyl glucosise, sodium hyaluronate, cholesterol, tocopheryl acetate, methyl glucose sesquistearate, dimethicone, phenyl trimethicone, stearic acid, aminomethyl propanol, acrylates/c10-30 alkyl acrylate crosspolymer, methyldihydrojasmonate, methyl phenylbutanol, ethyl 2,2-dimethylhydrocinnamal, xanthan gum, disodium edta, sodium dehydroacetate, phenoxyethanol, methylparaben, propylparaben, yellow 5 (ci 19140), yellow 6 (ci 15985)

Hand cream ingredients, where not available.

Like I've said already, these are excellent products but since the Avène fragrance is not an issue for me and that I get the same deep moisture, I'd rather go for the less expensive products.

This makes my wallet happy!

Avène Body Lotion with Cold Cream / Review

One Christmas I received as a gift, Clinique's Deep Comfort Body Butter with the Deep Comfort Hand and Cuticle Cream.

That particular winter was so cold my skin was paying the price by being super extra dry. This Dynamic Duo practically saved it. I was using Nivea Extra Nourishing Body Milk, but mainly in the morning. I don't like heavy fragrances at night before bed and although I do love how it smells, Nivea was a bit much. Looking online at reviews I zoomed on Clinique and so wrote both the Body Butter and Hand cream on my Christmas list.

Yes, I do write a Christmas wish list, every year. I just have to, otherwise I may end up getting a rechargeable hand drill or worse, a frying pan!!! Well, one year I did get a rechargeable screwdriver but that "was" on my list! Very useful, every woman should have one, I kid you not!

Back to body stuff

So, I just loved these Clinique products. Deep moisture and no fragrance, they where perfect! Why didn't I repurchased? Well, laziness! I was running out of both and just happened to be at the drugstore. Seeing Avène products on a shelf I figured, why not? It will save me a trip to the Mall.

I'm glad I decided to try them. I bought both the body lotion and the hand cream from the Cold Cream line. They've become favorites for the past year and a half.

Formulated for dry and very dry sensitive skin some of it's main ingredients are safflower seed oil, mineral oil, coconut oil and sesame seed oil. The texture is thick and smooth and it penetrates quickly. Using it every night, I rarely have to use a different foot cream. The fragrance is mild and fades rather quickly leaving just a soft clean scent. I love the fact that it comes with a pump for this makes it super convenient. Clinique's comes in a jar and so I had to use a spatula to scoop out what I needed.

Avène's body lotion leaves the same deeply moisturized feel on me as Clinique's with the bonus of being almost half price.

Avène Cold Cream Body Lotion

400 ml, $34.00

My first post ever was about hand creams and back then I did have a look Avène's Cold cream Hand cream. On that list it was my third choice. Now, it's my second. For daytime I now use Caudalie's because it sinks in faster and for the polyphenols (anti-oxidants). Avène's takes a little longer to penetrate and feels a  more greasy so it's a great choice for nightime.

Avène Cold Cream Hand Cream

75 ml, $17.00

Reviews of the body lotion:

MakeupAlley, it gets a 3.9/6 lippies for only 9 reviews. Seems it's not that well known south of the border.
Beauté-test, 4.5/5 stars for 213 reviews

Reviews of the hand cream:

MakeupAlley, 4.4/5 lippies for 37 reviews
Beauté-test, 4.5/5 stars for 426 reviews

Body lotion ingredients (Avène website)
AVENE THERMAL SPRING WATER (AVENE AQUA). CARTHAMUS TINCTORIUS (SAFFLOWER) SEED OIL (CARTHAMUS TINCTORIUS SEED OIL). MINERAL OIL (PARAFFINUM LIQUIDUM). COCOS NUCIFERA (COCONUT) OIL (COCOS NUCIFERA OIL). CYCLOMETHICONE. SESAMUM INDICUM (SESAME) SEED OIL (SESAMUM INDICUM SEED OIL). SORBITAN STEARATE. C10-30 CHOLESTEROL/LANOSTEROL ESTERS. GLYCERYL STEARATE. PEG-100 STEARATE. ALLANTOIN. BEESWAX (CERA ALBA). CETYL ALCOHOL. CITRIC ACID. FRAGRANCE (PARFUM). METHYLPARABEN. PHENOXYETHANOL. PROPYLPARABEN. SODIUM HYDROXIDE. SODIUM POLYACRYLATE. TETRASODIUM EDTA. TOCOPHEROL. WATER (AQUA).

Hand cream ingredients (Avène website)
AVENE THERMAL SPRING WATER (AVENE AQUA). GLYCERIN. CETEARYL ALCOHOL. GLYCERYL LAURATE. MINERAL OIL (PARAFFINUM LIQUIDUM). CETYL ALCOHOL. ALUMINUM SUCROSE OCTASULFATE. BEESWAX (CERA ALBA). BHT. DIPOTASSIUM PHOSPHATE. DISODIUM PHOSPHATE. FRAGRANCE (PARFUM). GLYCERYL STEARATE. METHYLPARABEN. PARAFFIN. PHENOXYETHANOL. PROPYLPARABEN. SODIUM CETEARYL SULFATE. SODIUM HYDROXIDE.

Clinique Deep Comfort duo remains an outstanding choice in my opinion, especially if one is looking for unscented options.

Comfort Hand Cream and Cuticle Cream, 75 ml, $25.00

Deep Comfort Body Butter, 200 ml, $34.00

Reviews for the body butter:

MakeupAlley, 4.2/5 lippies for 129 reviews
Beauté-test, 4.5/5 stars for 36 reviews

Reviews for the hand cream:

MakeupAlley, 4.5/5 lippies for 8 reviews
Beauté-test, 4/5 stars for only 3 reviews

Body butter ingredients (Beauté-test)
Aqua, butyrospermum parkii (shea butter), glycerin, octyldodecyl myristate, cetearyl alcohol, butylene glycol,cyclopentasiloxane, myristyl myristate, cetyl alcohol, catyl esters, isostearyl neopentanoate, polymethyl methacrylate, cetearyl glucosise, sodium hyaluronate, cholesterol, tocopheryl acetate, methyl glucose sesquistearate, dimethicone, phenyl trimethicone, stearic acid, aminomethyl propanol, acrylates/c10-30 alkyl acrylate crosspolymer, methyldihydrojasmonate, methyl phenylbutanol, ethyl 2,2-dimethylhydrocinnamal, xanthan gum, disodium edta, sodium dehydroacetate, phenoxyethanol, methylparaben, propylparaben, yellow 5 (ci 19140), yellow 6 (ci 15985)

Hand cream ingredients, where not available.

Still, for me, considering the Avène fragrance is not an issue and that I get the same deep moisture, I'd rather go for the less expensive products.

Nostalgia!

25 years! Has it been so long? Really?

You could have taught me so much more. You would have been the best Grand Dad ever!

You spoiled me so, I know your grand daughter would have been a brat by now had you still been around.

Thank you! Thank you for the gift of wanting to know more, more about things, about history. Thank you for your stories about the places you visited, about your role, barely recognised, during the war. You told it like it was, just a bump in the road, but it was so much more.

Merci pour ton amour, pour m'avoir mise sur in piédestal. Un peu comme Pygmalion a fait pour sa Galatée, mais en toute innocence. Tu auras été mon Socrate. Merci de m'avoir communiqué ce désir insatiable de toujours vouloir apprendre, de toujours vouloir en savoir plus, même si ce n'est pas à au goût du jour.

Ce désir, je l'ai transmis à ta petite fille. Elle aime l'histoire et la géographie. Elle ne le réalise pas encore mais. je sais qu'elle nous remerciera un jour.

Merci Papa!

Henri Matisse, Icare

I hope you where able to discover the mysteries of the universe! Love you, for ever!

                                                      Your daughter, H xoxoxo

Nivea Extra Nourishing Body Milk / Review

This body lotion is one of my staples!

I can't remember when I bought my 1st bottle but I do wish I had used it sooner. This was not a brand my mom used. She was more into Estée Lauder's products and perfumed body lotions like Dioressence and Miss Dior which where her favorites. As a teen and in my 20's, I used some of Vaseline's offerings and J&J's Baby Lotion. That was until I had enough money to go towards department stores brands. Although I did enjoy perfumed body lotions like my mom, they where not always suitable for everyday use. My favorites in those days where from Clarins an Biotherm.

Classic Nivea ad showing our skin's tripple threats,

Cold, Snow and Wind

Silly but I think that the main reason I purchased a bottle of Nivea was because of it's look. It had an Art Deco feel, with classic straight lines, dark navy blue with a white pump, it was known as Original Moisture. It would seem the name varies since my current bottle is named Extra Nourishing Body Milk but on the British website it's called Rich Nourishing Body Moisturizer. If you want to try it and you definitely should, just go for the dark blue bottle. 

Nivea Body, Original Moisture

Sadly they changed the bottle a few years ago for a more feminine curvy shape. Although they've added the Hydra IQ 24h+ logo on it, it feels the same. Marketed for dry to very dry skin, some find it greasy. I don't. I guess I must have dry skin. 

The fragrance, that beautiful comforting fragrance has bergamot, lavender, orange and lemon. Rose, lily of the valley and jasmine. Iris and heliotrope with amber and musk undertones. Although a bit strong at first, 30 minutes or so later it becomes soft and subtle. On me, it lasts a few hours but the moisture lasts all day. 

It penetrates quickly, leaves a silky feel on my skin that is not sticky. Comfort!

For those who want a good drugstore priced body lotion, I just can't rave enough about this one. I've tried others from Vaseline (as mentioned), Olay (can't stand the fragrance), St-Ive's and other more obscure name brands and none have given me the results I get from Nivea. Soft skin that lasts at least 12 hours. It does say 24 hours on the bottle but that's stretching it a bit for me. 

Current presentation of the Canadian version

Reviews:

MakeupAlley, 4.2/5 lippies for 23 reviews

Now here it's reviewed under several names but the average score remains roughly the same.

Beauté-test, 4/5 stars for 42 reviews

Nuxe Crème Fraîche de Beauté Suractivée / Review

This cream is for me a guilty pleasure! We do need a few of those don't we?

I believe what first attracted me to Nuxe is this cream. The name alone takes me back to when I was a child. My parents had a cottage in the country and not far down the road there was a farm. The old farmer, Mr Paul, had a few cows and every weekend my mom would send me to get some fresh cream (crème fraîche). I would take advantage of this little excursion to go in the barn and feed his beautiful fluffy rabbits. That cream was so delicious it was heaven on freshly picked wild strawberries.

That cool, thick and smooth taste is translated beautifully on my skin with Nuxe's Crème Fraîche. Soothing moisture when my skin feels uncomfortable. I use it at night, a few times a week mainly for the joy of it. Lame I know but like I said, it's my guilty pleasure. In winter it becomes a must on cold nights. It's almost like putting on warm comfy socks. It can also be used as a moisturizing mask by applying a thick coat and removing the excess after 15/20 minutes or so.

My Fall Skin Care Routine

Ok it's official, Summer in Montréal is over! Sniff! We will still have a few warm days, summer like, but these will be considered gifts, making us dream of next year. Fall is slowly settling in and even if the leaves are still green for the most part in my area, the pear tree in my yard is getting redder and redder by the day.

Pear tree, getting ready for winter. 

Caudalie's Beauty Elixir / Review

In deciding to write a review about this product I had no idea how far it would take me. Straight back to the Middle Ages!

I've had a bottle of this in my armoire for months. Why? Well, I got it as a special gift and I must admit, I didn't really know what to do with it. I remember when I got home, I sprayed some on my arm and was quite taken aback by the fragrance. Spray this on my face? Huh?

What was the idea behind Caudalie's Beauty Elixir? 

"Inspired by Queen Isabelle of Hungary’s elixir of youth, this treatment smooths away fine lines, tightens pores and gives the complexion a real boost of radiance."  Caudalie website

Reading this I just had to know more and since I'm not very familiar with the history Eastern European countries it was an opportunity for me to go and do a bit of reading Who was Queen Isabelle and what was that elixir of youth?

Cold relief: hot tea & lemons

I am working on a few things but have no choice but to take a little break. I have a cold and it seems like a nasty one. Hopefully I'll be able to get rid of it fast.

Off to rest and my routine of soup, apple juice and my favorite, tea, lemon and honey. Oh and a big box of tissues.

Tea, lemon & honey

Lemons always make me feel better. Even if I can't smell or taste them at the moment I can still enjoy their color while preparing my tea.

If any of you have a great "cold breaker", pleeeease let me know! 

Nuxe Micellar Cleansing Water with Rose Petals / Review

I still don't understand why the entire Gentle Pureness line was discontinued. Effective and gentle, each of it's products were excellent drugstore options. As I've mentioned previously, I do know that cosmetic companies have to stay on top of things in order to remain competitive but when you have products that work and are used and appreciated by so many, why run the risk of losing faithful customers?

In a previous entry, I've said goodbye to one of my favorite products, Nuxe's Gentle Pureness Micellar Cleansing Water with 3 Roses and Green Tea. Replaced by Micellar Cleansing Water with Rose Petals.

So, out goes the old but what about the new?

Nuxe Micellar Cleansing Water with Rose Petals

I've been using it for about 2 weeks now and I must say it took some getting used to. It is different! The first few times I found it, dare I say, irritating. Yikes! Not a good thing. Then I figured it out. A spray of water first, drench a large cotton pad with the micellar water and boom! Works like a charm with no irritation.

Micellar Cleansing Water with Rose Petals

$20.99, 300 ml / 6.7 fl oz

For this I used Avène's Thermal Spring Water because I happened to have some but, any spring water in a spray bottle would do for this. I even tried it with rose water and it was quite nice. Rose water is very soothing and doesn't irritate my eye area in any way. Very affordable, the latest bottle I purchased was under $2.00 for a 300 ml. You can find little spray bottles in any dollar store and in some pharmacies.

How does it compare with Gentle Pureness Micellar Cleansing Water With 3 Roses And Green Tea?

Well, it did take a few uses to get used to it which made is a little disappointing and I could understand this product getting negative reviews down the road. With my water spraying trick, I truly loved it! Without, not so sure I would have continued to use it. Spraying water first, helps dislodge makeup & dirt, especially in the eye area. If you wear mascara, using this micellar water alone may be irritating. This happened to me the first few nights. I had to rinse my eyes with water.

Preventing irritation is number one on my list, not because my skin is sensitive but my eye area is. I believe that if a product is mild enough for sensitive skin and the eye area, well, it's good enough for me. The great advantage of this micellar water just like all the other options out there is that it's a 2-in-1, no need for eye makeup remover. Also, You should not have to swipe over and over again in order to cleanse your skin.

Avène Spring Thermal Water

$16.00, 300 ml

Two large cotton pads should be enough for complete makeup removal. Drench the first one with micellar water and after your water spray, apply to your eye like a compress, press very gently, wait 20 seconds or so and then wipe the makeup off gently. If you wear water proof formulas I'm not sure this would work but for regular makeup, it's gentle and fast, proceed for the other eye. Drench another cotton pad and gently swipe face, neck and don't forget your décolleté area.

For me a 200 ml bottle lasts about 1 1/2 month. Do not be frugal with this otherwise you will not have good results and, again, you may end up irritating your skin.

If you wear a lot of makeup on top of a tenacious sunscreen, then you may want to use another type or cleanser. A carrier oil or a milk cleanser would be more appropriate as a first step in your cleansing routine. It could then be followed by your micellar cleanser to remove any traces of makeup and sunscreen.. I personally like to use it in the morning. It's very fast and convenient when you have to be out the door fast. My morning routine, not including makeup, takes me in average, 3 minutes, tops.

Reviews

Now since this is a fairly new product there are not that many reviews but I was able to find some on Beauté-test. It received a 4 1/2 stars from 33 members. Almost a perfect score which is quite impressive.

Although I do like the new flip cap which is very convenient, I do not like the opaque bottle. Unlike before, it's not possible to see how much product is left in the bottle.

So if like me you enjoy the fragrance of roses, Nuxe Micellar Cleansing Water with Rose Petals is a very good option. It's a good quality product at a fair price.

What a nice way to "stop and smell the roses".

Reviews of other micellar waters I've tried so far can be seen here.

VICTORY!!!!!

Thank you, thank you, thank you Linda for this super fabulous news!!!

VICTORY!!!

Talia was on the Ellen Show!

Huge thanks to all of those who sent messages for Talia, whether it was through this here blog, Gingerama's or any other source.

I'm so sorry I wanted to post a picture of the 2 of them together but couldn't figure out how to do it. Duh!!!
Scratch that, I found a picture of them:

Talia with Ellen

Here is the link to the Ellen Show, do go have a look, it's FABULOUS!!!

http://www.ellentv.com/2012/09/13/quote-of-the-day-just-keep-swimming/

Just keep swimming sweet Talia, just keep swimming! xoxoxo

I think quite appropriate! One of my daughter's favorite

story when she was little about a beautiful fish.

Again, thank you Linda!

Almost forgot,      
                       Ellen, YOU ROCK!

Arc-en-ciel le plus beau poisson des océans.

MUA Reviews / Recent changes

Slowly I will transfer my reviews from MUA. One or a few at a time. The same will be done with my notepad. It will still be available there but will not be updated. This was my intention from the get go when I decided to start a blog and with the recent changes I guess I'll be doing this sooner rather than later.

As of today, I have 191 reviews listed on MUA. From nail polish to more serious skin care, I've taken the time to write them down in the hopes that they would be helpful to some.

Recently the system was modified to include a % for "helpful votes". At first I was in the high 90's but in about a week this changed to 79% with 107 positive votes out of 136.....Huh???

Unless it includes stupid unrelated comments, advertising or what not, how can a review be voted as "not useful"?