turn it around, week 1

So my girl Stella recommended a new product for me that she is so enthusiastic about I have to try it for myself (and obviously boyfriend has to try as well). It’s Clinique’s Turnaround Radiance Peel, a once-a-week peel that is the equivalent of a 30% glycolic peel over 8 weeks. The system supposedly refines your skin over time by “training” skin cells to generate more quickly and frequently through exfoliation. There are a few obvious advantages: the stress on your skin is minimal and not noticeable at once, so you don’t have to deal with a sandblasted face, the convenience and ease of doing it at home, and the price — at $55 it’s essentially $7 a week, which, if effective, is a great value.

The reviews on MakeupAlley are not amazing but there are only five and it seems like three of them didn’t give the product a chance to work before reviewing it. The reviews on Clinique’s website are much better and there’s a bigger sample. Stella said this peel made her pores shrink, her skin glow, and her overall tone even. She is used to fancy facials on a regular basis so if she is raving about this mask something good must be going on.

Boyfriend and I tried this out last night. We completely washed our faces, applied the peel with a cotton ball, and finished with our normal moisturizer. He had some redness on his forehead and little bumps, like a rash, but it faded after 30 minutes and the application of the calming cream. My skin tingled — in some placed it felt slightly uncomfortable — but by the time I applied moisturizer there was redness but no pain.

Clinique Turnaround Radiance Once-A-Week System, available at Bloomingdale’s, $55

Update: I wrote this entry last night and was all set to post this today with a “no changes yet—will update next week” but I am already seeing a difference. The red rough patches on my forehead are almost totally gone and my chin is smooth and has no spots. Usually my big complaint is that my chin has permanent clogged pores just under the skin so the skin is really uneven and tends to breakout. The change is startling. Can’t wait for next week! I would do it again tonight if I could but the Clinique girls were really adamant about sticking to the schedule.

the winner is… brazened honey

My boyfriend is trying to quit smoking so I encourage him to do one deeply relaxing thing every day to take his mind off the cigs. On Friday, without any prompting from me, he did a steam bath and a little facial with the Lush Brazened Honey mask. In the words of my makeup guru Renato, “everybody loves pampering.” This was my favorite mask and now I know I am justified in my thinking. Where the Love Lettuce and Garlic Whatever failed, Brazened Honey is effective. Boyfriend informed me dutifully that he examined his face thoroughly before doing the steam bath, purging any blackheads lurking under the surface or superficial zits he may have had. The next morning he noticed two new ones where there were none before, and today his face was blemish-free. He also liked Brazened Honey for the great smell, texture, and the tingling sensation he felt after using it (and it doesn’t hurt that its only $7.95). He’s a good little guinea pig.

This mask is for tired, combination skin that needs a little help to get back to its radiant self. Brazened Honey is detoxifying and exfoliating (gently, with ground almond husks). If you wake up the next morning with a few new spots, don’t panic: it’s just your skin getting rid of the bad stuff. No wonder it gets a 76% approval rating on Makeup Alley (thanks Minami!).

face detox day 3

I’ll make this short and sweet because I need to start counting sheep. Used Malin + Goetz followed by Cosmetic Warrior mask (last day, yay!). Discovered that if I do not dry face after steam bath, the moisture makes applying the mask much more pleasurable and effective. I applied to damp skin in circular motions and this created a much more even mask. Skin feeling tight, spots reduced to two faint marks and no new ones. I smell victory. Boyfriend sat this round out.

Spot count: me, 2 (barely); boyfriend, 3

detox day 2

OK, so it’s not really a detox, just from the neck up. All of this talk of purification has me wondering how I am going to complete days 3-7. Tomorrow night client dinner, Wednesday night GQ Gentlemen’s Ball (Ashton Kutcher, check; Vinnie Chase, check; Mark Wahlberg, check; Fergie’s hot husband, check; outfit, ummm… still thinking. Ideas??), Thursday night friends in town, Friday night Halloween festivities commence. At least I will have an extra hour on Sunday to catch up on my beauty sleep. Anyway.

Washed my face off with Malin + Goetz detox face mask to kick things off. This mask was a gift from Madame M after she conducted a field study at Barney’s Co-op in Soho. This product is an amazing mask that is creamy at first and then inexplicably frothy and foamy after a couple of minutes. You can feel the bubbles delicately forming on your skin. It’s nice and spa-like. You don’t need to remove makeup before application which is a big plus for lazies like myself, and the antioxidants and soy protein address tired and aging skin. Although I was apprehensive about this product at first and thought the fizziness a gimmick, it has proven to be a nice treat and a pore-cleansing experience that leaves my skin hydrated and clean.

If I won an Allure Editor's Choice Award, I'd wear a sticker too.

Post-cleanse, my boyfriend and I plunked down dutifully in front of our Vitamin C steam baths, which he pretty much summed up: “This has been the best moment of my day so far.” Repeated the Cosmetic Warrior mask, the smell of which my boyfriend was not as enthusiastic about today. However, his skin is looking noticeably softer and brighter, and so is mine. It also feels tighter. Followed up again with Breath of Fresh Air and Imperialis.

Spot count: me, still 2, but a new one I noticed last night has mysteriously disappeared; boyfriend, 4.

Wish me luck tomorrow!

clean skin day 1

No better way to make myself feel better after a baby buddha chinese food extravaganza than to treat myself and my unwitting boyfriend to an at-home face mask. All summer long I used Lush’s Brazened Honey exfoliating mask, which worked like a charm once every two weeks to keep my skin looking like a freshly sprung daisy, but these days I need something more serious.

Sunday night: I set up two pots of boiling water (slightly cooled) and dropped in the toner tabs. Covered boyfriend’s head and mine with towels and did a steam session over the tabs for 2 min. Vitamin C for me and Tea Tree Oil for him ($1.50 each/7 for $9). The tabs are supposed to open our pores and prepare them for the mask. Both of us loved the smell, and the mini steam facial was so nice it made us want to get into a sauna.

Applied Cosmetic Warrior (fyi Lush face masks are only sold in stores because they are organic and must be refrigerated). Cosmetic Warrior was not the most pleasant scent I have encountered but the woman in the store was super enthusiastic about the blemish-removing powers of garlic and tea tree and the soothing grape and honey. I thought it smelled a little like tzatziki and was not thrilled but it felt good and my skin felt nice and plump after I washed it off. In the words of my boyfriend, “I don’t really care about the smell as long as I see results.”

Finished everything off with a Breath of Fresh Air and Imperialis moisturizer.

Spot count: me, 2; boyfriend, 4

Verdict: Still undecided. While we both effusively complimented each other on our glowing skin in the aftermath of the masks, payoff will take time. We shall see.

skin purification commences…

Summer has gone and taken my bright, spot-free complexion with it. It’s time to take corrective action before things get too out-of-hand. This week I am going to partake in a series of cleansing masks from Lush, my favorite for when I decide to get creative with at-home skincare.

Without going into the whole company history and mission, which is worth a click, there are two simple reasons why Lush is my go-to. 1. The products: In my experience, they work, they smell amazing, the packaging makes me happy, they are inexpensive, they are green, and they are fresh. The products are everything I would want to put on my skin or in my hair. 2.The people: Without fail, every single Lush I have ever visited (keep in mind I work in retail and have been to nearly every major mall in North America) is staffed with knowledgeable, friendly, not-overbearing, competent people to help me find what I am looking for. Even when I didn’t know I was looking for something I will end up happily buying it: I know a good salesperson when I see one and I could have trained these people myself.

Updates soon.