As a completely self-aware beauty junkie, I’m used to reading a lot of bold claims. Certain products promise to decrease wrinkles, add glow, or take years off the complexion. It’s easy to get drawn in because I do want to believe all of this is possible, but experience has taught me to be wary. Products…
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Full disclosure: I received this product as part of a gift-with-purchase beauty bag. I’d never heard of it and had no idea what it was supposed to do. If I’d looked, I would have seen that it’s a sort of hydration serum containing retinol. Since I have to be quite careful with retinol, I delayed…
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When trying out a beauty product, I try not to factor the price into my impression of the product. Am I more demanding when something costs a lot? More forgiving when it doesn’t? Price doesn’t affect how well a product performs. If it did, this particular product should cost at least ten times more than it…
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One thing that makes me happy is being able to use and recommend skincare that doesn’t cost a lot, so today is a very good day. Today I get to recommend another wonderful Lacura product, this time in the form of their superb serum. Lacura Restorative Multi Intensive Serum is easily one of the best…
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I tend to be fairly agnostic with it comes to skincare brands. A brand can excel at one product, and completely fail with another. Just because someone makes a great cleanser doesn’t mean their facial oil is just as good. But sometimes, it is. In fact, sometimes a brand gets a lot of products just right. British…
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Every now and then my skin becomes grumpy and sensitive for no obvious reason. I suspect it’s down to my ever-changing hormones, but diet, lack of sleep and stress can also have an effect. My poor skin goes dull and develops dry patches, and the more I worry about it, the worse it gets. Avène Hydrating…
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Layering skincare has been a revelation for me. Without really noticing, I’d been slowly adding steps to my routine for the past few years. I started with cleansers and SPF day creams. Then I added serums and night creams. Soon after came essences and chemical exfoliants. Early last year, I discovered the joys of facial oils, and more recently,…
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I have a funny relationship with serums. They’re an essential part of any good skincare routine, but I’ve yet to find one I love. I’ve found plenty I like, but every one I’ve tried has left me asking ‘is there something better?” Even so, I do like By Terry Cellularose Brightening Serum. It promises to…
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It might seem counterintuitive, but massaging oil onto your face a couple of times a day is great for your skin. Applied over serum, facial oil helps to restore natural lubrication to the skin, making it appear healthy, plumped and glowing. Odacite Serums, which contain no water or silicones, are actually closer to a facial oil than a serum.…
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As I’ve aged, I’ve had to take a less-is-more approach to makeup. Sure, the 1980’s full-on cake-face makeup of my teen years was toned down some time ago, but I’ve had to really lighten my hand since hitting my mid-40s. Full-coverage foundation doesn’t work for me any more – it looks heavy and it can…
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Fig and Pen 