The Power Trio From Benefit Cosmetics Review and Giveaway ~ What a Difference a Few Small Steps Can Make!

May 7, 2013 By 24 Comments

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The Power Trio from Benefit Cosmetics. A mix of hydrating, concealing, and emphasizing product for the eye area that really take your eyes from dopey to dramatic.

It’s Potent Eye Cream ($39 CAD) – This eye cream contains a peptide complex known to help restore elasticity and firmness, a blend of hydrating botanical extracts including apple extract, known to help boost collagen, & loquat extract, known to help protect the skin from free radical damage. It fades dark circles and helps smooth fine lines for brighter and younger looking eyes. Sign me up! I haven’t used it long enough to speak to its long term benefits but so far I can tell you that it feels amazing and instantly hydrates and smooths out my eye area. It feel incredibly rich yet light at the same time and feels amazing right out of the fridge in the morning!

They’re Real Mascara ($29 CAD) – Lengthens, curls, separates, lifts, and volumizes. Check out my original review of They’re Real for more info on this incredible mascara. One of my current faves.

FakeUp Concealer ($29 CAD) – I have been using this concealer daily. I am totally smitten. Not only does this hydrating, crease-control concealer perform beautifully in the eye area as I detailed in my Fakeup Concealer review last month but I have also discovered it works great at concealing other areas of my face wear I experience redness and dry flaky skin from eczema. This wonderfully hydrating concealer has not only improved the condition of my undereye area through it’s regular use but has been a blessing for covering and soothing my dry patches without emphasizing the flaky skin.

Check out the before and after results of the Power Trio via the One Eye Challenge. We were presented with this challenge as part of the truly amazing Rest and Reveal event Benefit Cosmetics treated a lucky few of us to at the gorgeous Four Seasons Toronto Hotel Spa. I must admit these results aren’t as dramatic as they could be as even my naked eye looks far better than usual after the incredibly luxurious and pampering facial I received. The Spa at the Four Seasons is really beautiful and the whole experience of being there is very relaxing.

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Now you have the chance to win this fantastic Power Trio from Benefit Cosmetics and reveal your new rested look. Just enter via the Rafflecoptor widget below! Open to Canadian residents only. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Filed Under: benefit, Concealers, Eye Treatments, Giveaways, Mascaras

KORRES Wild Rose + Vitamin C Skincare Review and Giveaway!

November 2, 2012 By 22 Comments
This was not my first introduction to the KORRES Wild Rose + Vitamin C line. I had already received a deluxe sample size of the Advanced Brightening Sleeping Facial in one of my monthly subscription boxes and had fallen in love with it.
The KORRES Wild Rose line is built around the use of Wild Rose oil as a primary ingredient. Wild Rose oil is a natural source of vitamin C, which demonstrates the ability to reduce the look of fine lines and skin discolourations. It also helps prevent dryness by forming a protective film on the skin. The three products from the Wild Rose + Vitamin C lineup that I tested were the Daily Brightening and Refinishing Buff Cleanser, the Advanced Brightening Sleeping Facial, and the Instant Brightening Eye Treatment.

The Daily Brightening and Refinishing Buff Cleanser ($31/150ml) is new to the Korres product range and is a really lovely cleanser that has a rich creamy feeling with gentle exfoliants. They are larger exfoliating particles from natural rice grain and cherry stone. It is gentle enough for daily use and it is the cleanser I keep in my shower for my morning routine. The cleanser includes sugar-citrus extracts blended with wild rose oil, which is a natural source of vitamin C. It is formulated to improve skin’s radiance and texture. Like all KORRES products it has a really handy table on the packaging that indicates what ingredients the products contains that may be of interest to people with particular skin care concerns.
The Advanced Brightening Sleeping Facial ($62.50/1.35 oz) is something I already knew I loved from my previous testing with the deluxe sample I had. It is basically an overnight mask that requires no more effort than your usual application of night cream. It has a light texture that melts into the skin and works overnight using Korres Phos Compound to reveal brighter, more even-toned, radiant skin. It is composed of 95 percent natural content and is suitable for all skin types. I love how smooth and glowing my skin looks in the morning after using this treatment. I usually complete my evening skin care regime earlier in the evening and then a couple of hours later when heading to bed I apply the Sleeping Facial. The only concern I have had with this, that I did not experience when using the sample a several months prior, is that the fragrance stings my skin a little in areas that are a little oversensitive and raw from my use of a new retinoid treatment that I’ve added to my routine. As well as if my nose is a little sore from allergies. It is a lovely fragrance but I prefer my products unscented as fragrances tend to irritate my skin. Now I don’t see any perfumes listed in the ingredients but I am assuming it is one of the fragrant oils causing the irritation.
The Instant Brightening Eye Treatment ($45/0.51 oz) is also new and is one of my favourite products from Korres so far. It comes in great squeeze tube packaging and has a more fluid texture while still being incredibly rich and emollient. Wild rose oil (of course!) evens and brightens the skin around the eyes while a blend of yeast, ruscus, and horse chestnut extracts minimize the appearance of dark circles and wrinkles. The eye area is awakened with rose-gold toned optical brighteners. The effect is so subtle I don’t know how you would know it is rose-gold but regardless I love the effect and anything rose-gold!
Here is a photo that will hopefully provide you with some insight into the texture of the Korres Wild Rose products. They are displayed left to right; Daily Brightening & Refinishing Buff Cleanser, Advanced Brightening Sleeping Facial, and Instant Brightening Eye Treatment.

 

To sum things up I am have been very pleased with the Korres Wild Rose + Vitamin C products. My skin indeed looks brighter and more even toned and the hydration level has improved giving my skin a more supple and youthful appearance. Has it erased my wrinkles and discolouration? Of course not. There has, however, been an improvement. I would be more than happy continuing the use of these products and repurchasing were I not moving on to test more skincare. Ah the woes of a beauty bloggers’s skin being the subject of ongoing experiments.
If you are interested in seeing how these products work for you then I have great news! KORRES has been kind enough to make available a set of these three Wild Rose + Vitamin C skincare products for my readers. For your chance to win you must be a Canadian resident over the age of 18 and enter using the Rafflecopter widget below. Contest runs until Thursday November 15th at 12:01 am EST.

The new Korres collection is available at select Shoppers Drug Mart and Sephora retailers nationwide.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Products provided for my consideration. All reviews are always my own honest and unbiased opinions. Please not this post contains affiliate links. If you end making a purchase after clicking through the links Perilously Pale earns a small commission from your purchase which helps support this site!


Filed Under: Cleansers, Eye Treatments, Giveaways, KORRES, Moisturizers, Skincare

b.liv by Cellnique b.seen Eye Care I’m Dark Circle Reliever Review

September 4, 2012 By Leave a Comment
I have reviewed products from the brand Cellnique in the past and was very impressed with the items I tried. Cellnique has branched out with a new sub-brand b.liv. I have been testing out their I’m Dark Circle Remover eye cream for a couple months now. 
This is what the b.liv brand from Cellnique has to say about this product:
Hi, I’m Reliever. Dark Circle Reliever to be more precise and I have a mission possible: to lift away puffiness, reduce dark under eye circles and protect the delicate skin around your eyes against harmful environmental factors. What’s my strategy? I’m using active ingredients to improve the blood circulation around the eye area and make sure your skin will feel nourished, rejuvenated and radiant. Heavy eyes, tired skin no more! Mission accomplished!
Diminishes dark circles + puffiness
Benefits:
• Diminishes dark circles
• Lifts away eye puffiness
• Offers hydration
• Non-comedogenic and hypoallergenic formulation

The first thing I want to say is that I absolutely love the texture of this product. It has the most amazing, silky texture. It just feels so nice when you apply it. So nice that I admit to using this product all over my face on a few occasions. It has a very subtle pearlized glow that helps illuminate the eye area and reduce the appearance of dark circles. 
The main actives in the I’m Dark Circle Reliever are:

  • N-Hydroxysuccinimide: Activates the elimination of blood originated pigments responsible for the dark circle colour and local swelling  .    
  • Hesperidin Methyl Chalcone: Helps reduce capillary permeability to prevent leakage that leads to dark bruise-like discoloration – dark circles.
  • Dipeptide-2: Smoothes the eye contours and reduces bagginess.
  • Palmitoyl Oligopeptide: Reinforces the elasticity of the skin and tones the eye area.

While I don’t have much of an issue with dark circles the Reliever product is also designed to help reduce puffiness. Puffiness of the upper lids is my main skin care concern when it comes to my eyes. I am of course all about preventing wrinkles in that area but my more immediate obsession has always been to improve the appearance of my upper lids. That is why the I’m Dark Circle Reliever cream was selected for review over the I’m Wrinkle Eraser product they also offer.
In terms of results I haven’t really noticed anything dramatic or quantifiable. That being said I rarely ever experience substantial results with skincare. It has kept my eye area hydrated and healthy. I have experienced no milia or other issues with this eye cream. It also has a lovely light texture that functions beautifully under makeup. I have been very happy with it these past couple months and haven’t been anxious to switch to something else. Would I purchase a replacement? No. Simply because I will always be looking for that miracle product that will FINALLY do something to improve the condition of my upper eyelids. I think maybe it is time to start saving up my skincare money and go for Blepharoplasty! I love the plastic pump packaging but not really a fan of the creepy eye ball on top. 

Ingredients:
Water (Purified Aqua), Cyclomethicone, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Mica, Trehalose, Cyclopentasiloxane, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Silica, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Lauroyl Lysine, Steareth-20, Vitamin E (Tocopheryl Acetate), Vitamin C (Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate), n- Hydroxysuccinimide, Chrysin, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-3, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hesperidin Methyl Chalcone, Dipeptide-2, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Titanium Dioxide, Polysorbate 20, Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Diacetyl Boldine, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Cl 77491, CI 77861, Methylisothiazolinone

You can find b.liv products on their website http://www.cellnique.com/bliv/.

Product provided by the manufacturer for my consideration. All reviews are my own honest and unbiased opinions.

Filed Under: b.liv, Cellnique, Eye Treatments, Skincare