Working in cosmetics definitely has it's perks, and one of them is being able to see, touch and feel new product when it arrives in bright little packages to the store. One of those exciting moments arrived when the new Dior Addict Fluid Sticks came. I decided to purchase 479 Magique(slightly darker pink tone). They say to not call it a lipstick or a gloss. At first glance, the packaging is so sleek and cute with clear and silver. You can see the color in vial form at the bottom. The lid twists off to reveal a perfectly shaped fluffy applicator brush. The product is water based and not wax based, so the first thing you notice is how it literally glides on the lips amazingly well. It is so velvety soft with a light and airy feel. The color is so rich and vibrant. It is also buildable if you need more color. There is a slight stickiness to the product, but not bothersome at all. Stickiness helps keep products on longer. These sticks are like a splash of refreshing water for the lips. Very hydrating and has a mature shine to them. I would describe them as a lip stain. I would put them in the YSL Rouge Pur Couture or Armani Maestro category. They are so easy to apply and not fussy. The shade range is great and there is a shade for every lip. These are perfect for those that want to have a nice color while still maintaining a natural appearance. ***I am not endorsed or paid by Dior or affiliates. The opinions expressed are of my own*** Aaaahhhhh acne............. Whoever said that it goes away as you become an adult was entirely wrong! I feel as though I am dealing with it on a whole new level. I had it pretty bad as a teenager, but the hormonal acne (that usually gathers around your lower half of your face) has stuck around throughout my entire twenties. It has always been a battle with me. They are dormant volcanoes that just sit under my skin, waiting for my hormones to flare up each month so they can erupt and explode out of my skin and become a pimple. Also, the older I get, the more scars I am getting with the acne and they are turning into dark spots that take a long time to fade, but don't go away. I have a treatment for that, that I will talk about in another post. Lately, I have had a bit of cystic acne, and that requires a different device that I will share at the end of the post. Being able to work in cosmetics at a Department Store is great for being able to try a myriad of products to see which ones do and don't make the cut. Some would work, but only at first. Some wouldn't work at all, and would just make the problem worse. The brand that I worked with focuses mainly on skincare, so that is one thing I am incredibly passionate about. When Estee Lauder came out with their new acne clearing line "Clear Difference" involving a blemish serum and a targeted spot treatment. There is also a BB cream in the line that I have not tried. I was incredibly skeptical about it. I made myself a sample to take home and try. I was so impressed with the results that it gave after day 1. I made all of my other co-worker friends try it, and they all said the same thing. It worked! I ended up buying the duo products.The first product is called the "Advanced Blemish Serum" with a 0.50% salicylic acid treatment, and the second is the "Targeted Blemish Treatment" with a 1.00% salicylic acid content. Using the serum on it's own yields GOOD results, but using the two together yields FANTASTIC results! The serum is much like a very light lotion and I use that first. A little goes a long way! The more you put on doesn't mean the more the zit will go away! Only a thin layer is needed, or you might choke out the zit and make it worse. I only stick the serum on the areas that are likely to break out, or that have already reared their ugly heads. The serum comes out in a convenient pump. The targeted treatment comes in a tube with a roller ball at the end to evenly distribute the product. You have to push up the silver portion to feed product to the ball. Same as the serum, a little goes a long way! This particular product has a few annoying features though. The silver tube inside actually is not attached and will come out into a separate piece. (When I travel, I have to stick it in a plastic bag so that the two don't separate). The other annoying thing is that you have to be really careful about how hard to push the silver portion up to feed the ball. I tend to push it too hard and too much product comes out. Besides the design flaws, this product works. I don't feel as though it dries out the skin too much. If I feel dry, I will stick a very thin layer of moisturizer on before I do this process. I will also use these items twice a day if it's really bad. So far, I have been using these two products for about 2 months now, and they still work just as good as the first time using them. I always recommend going and getting samples of the product to try to see how it will work for you. I have also included links at the bottom to purchase these products. If I am having a really bad time with pimples or they are going cystic, I use a light therapy device called Claro.It zaps heat and light on the pimple and shortens the life of the zit. It also makes it less painful I use it twice a day on the pimple right before I do any skincare after I cleanse. It has sensors sensing that you are in contact with the skin and the device will beep to tell you it's ready to go. You push the button and it zaps and heats up 10 times. You take it off the skin, and repeat the same cycle on the same pimple. It takes a minute to recharge to do it again on a different pimple if needed. Depending on where the pimple is located, the heat can hurt a little. This device is pretty pricey at $195, but there is another device that uses the same type of therapy that is much less at $79 that you can purchase or research HERE. Click on link below to purchase: Estee Lauder Clear Difference Advanced Blemish Serum 1 oz. $54 1.7 oz. $82 with Free Shipping Estee lauder Clear Difference Targeted Blemish Treatment $35 with Free Shipping Claro Light Treatment Acne Therapy Device $195 Tanda Zap Power Light Treatment Acne Therapy Device $79 with Free Shipping *** The opinions in this post are just that. Opinions. I do not get paid to endorse or promote any company, product or brand*** |
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