Clash of The Serums! - Clinique Radiance Renewer vs Estee's Night Repair

Helo helo and Selamat Hari Raya to all my dear readers. My sincere apologies for not being able to update for quite some time. After a long raya break (plus getting over the tiredness of puasa and the frustration of piling up the post-raya pounds), this slightly fatter-yet-happier mummy sits in front of the desktop, thinking and racking out brains on trying to make her blog seem more interesting. As you've noticed, I've changed the template one-to-many times; shows the unsettled state of mind I'm at (for god knows what reason)...either that, or just the fact that I simply love change, as well as trial-and-error.

Same goes to my latest post today. The Estee Lauder ANR has been a staple in my regime. Why?
Cuz its simplistic in nature, providing all-in-one treatment (hydration plus anti-oxidant plus refining) in a very classy looking bottle.

For a mommy with a busy schedule like myself, this provides me with great sense of practicality

But wait! My other 'gatal' and 'curious' side starts to become adventurous again. So yesterday after work whilst I was in KLCC looking for baby Ammar's ABC book, I stopped at Isetan KLCC to look out for anything interesting.

And I stumbled upon this:-

Clinique Radiance Renewer (RR for short) Serum 

So I already am happy with ANR. Why should I go for this?

So the SA cum skin consultant cheerfully explained to me on the main benefits of this serum. As the name clearly states, this is a fast acting exfoliating serum which instantly creates a luminous-from-within radiance. and reveals skin's finest texture. Overtime, it works to optimise natural cell renewal, gently, continually, unveiling skin that's brighter, healthier, more uniform.

RADIANCE. That's the keyword.

I look at my skin...yeah, I do have yellowish, sallow skin. I need radiance. BUT I already am happy with the works of ANR. So how?

To compare between the ANR and RR, I'll depict this in a table below.

Yes, I'm highly analytical when it comes to skincare. I'm sure you are too.

CLASH OF THE SERUMS

                     

	ANR	RR
Function	Anti-aging, Anti-Oxidant, Smoothing	Radiance boosting, pore minimising
Consistency	Clear, watery, brownish liquid	Cream texture (velvety on skin)
Skin type	Mature skin (as a repair treatment), Youth skin (as prevention)	More to normal, combination skin Need to use a lot of moisturizer on top.
Price	30ml – RM240 50ml – RM330	30ml – RM200 50ml – RM280
Hydrating properties	More	Less
Feeling on skin	Skin feels hydrated and supple	Skin feels velvety, but smooth

 So as what they say, pat your chest and ask your appetite (tepuk dada tanya selera), both serums target different skin types, and treats different skin concerns. Thus, its all up to you.

But for a person like me, I would go for ANR cuz I prefer watery textures and hassle free, all-in-one treatment that I could rely on, in days where I'm just too lazy.

So, any thoughts?

-Jue-

Last minute emergency fix!

Ahahahaha...as the post suggests, this was the time when I needed an emergency fix for a moisturiser, because:-

- Went back from perlis for a weekend wedding, and my skin went extremely dry and developed rashes at the side..darn!

- Moisturiser hilang ntah ke mana...gosh!So I substitute with hubby's Nivea Body Cream. ha ha ha! 

So balik je rumah....I was dumbfounded. Nak pakai apa ek?

Scan...

Scan...

Scan...

I scanned through Mum's dressing table, and I saw... this:-

Aiseh...I think its suitable for my mum's generation, I guess due to the fact that the older generation have drier skin, wrinkles and sagging skin (sorry mum!)

But what the heck, my skin's drying like crazy and I need a fix!

Macam best je texture dia. Oh well, desperation calls for quick measures!!!

TEXTURE

Nice and creamy, definitely suited more to dry skin type. Has a slightly rosy smell....

FINDINGS

Hmm..not bad! I don't actually fancy the smell, but I love the texture! Something that really helped soothe my dry skin. 

After 3 days, I'm back to normal. Yahuu!

CONCLUSION

Possibly somthing I'd like to consider once I'm forty I guess...but after a few usage, I'd say I prefer this better than Hydrationist or the Cyberwhite range. I finally found a moisturiser from Estee that I believe actually works :)

-Jue-

You Follow Latest Trends... But Never Forget Old-Time Classics...

The skin care industry has become very diversed and advanced as technology continues to improve. Women with skin-obsession (i.e. for instance myself ehem ehem...) are always looking out for the latest in technology... let's recap the recent trends taking over Malaysia...

1) Whitening

ALWAYS sought after since our grandmother's time..that explains for the fact that laki zaman dahulu kala mencari women yang kulit "putih gebu, cerah berseri"...hence, the Fair and Lovely advert explains it all (the train-ticket girl meets the dude who's always rushing..but stops to stare at the girl's pretty, fair face....resulting to leaving his handphone to her....ahax!)

2) Pore refining

The hype starts to escalate when the advert for Estee Lauder's Idealist skin refinisher starts to make waves on Malaysian TV. Soon, every cosmetic company starts to introduce pore refining and minimising products, of every price. Little did we know that some of the products contains chemical compounds that actually SEEMS to make your pores APPEAR smaller, but in reality does not change anything...

3) Dark spot correcting

This is the latest trend. Many Malaysian women can't escape issues of dark spots, whether resulting from Acne, or Sun Exposure (pigmentation) or Age Spots.

In this case, I believe the skin care companies managed to identofy that the issue of skin clarity very much links with the appearance of dark spots and early pigmentations...thus they try to become as micro as possible and create products for these specific reasons....

Don't get me wrong...all these are for good reasons...

But then again, we should not ignore the former unsung heroes that have been in the market for years and years...and shall always remain no matter rain or shine....

1) Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex

Thousands of women love the overall effects it gives you. Although, many are mindful that the results this miracle worker gives can only be seen overtime...but it has proven to help protect and repair skin from the harmful environment conditions.....

Thus, in the long run...it makes you radiant and youthful

EXPERIENCE

I have personally used this for 4 months.... During when I was younger, it actually worked against me, resulting in small bumps across my face everytime I applied it...Thus, I stopped using it..

However, it proved to be a wonderful addition to my daily regime, eversince I got pregnant with my first child... (due in 2 months time... yeeha! :) ). When hormones and unavoidable morning sickness seriously deteriorated my skin condition (extreme dryness and flakiness, up to the point where my lips were bleeding), with non-stop acne plaguing in other areas, this was my lifesaver. After using the ANR, my skin condition remarkably improve. I no longer felt dry, and for the rest of my pregnancy, I never had a pimple (so far).

Girls....If you're looking for specific targeted products, this may not be for you. But if you're looking for an overall maintenance product that helps you to repair and retain the good state of your skin in the long run..then this works for you. Only that you need to be patient and remember...this isn't a race...its a marathon.....

Enough With The Whites...!

Chill chill...I'm not being racist here...But I have finally come to my senses, to no longer jump into the whitening bandwagon...and I must point out that if you have noticed, the hype has died down too....

Like I have already mentioned in my previous post, there's so many definitions of whitening...it can be to lighten the overall face, to target uneven places, or to correct dark spots.

Of which had me interested in the first place...

So dah alang-alang I'm going to experiment, I might as well go for the range of which I believe should be reliable enough to actually produce results.

BTW, this was like...7 months ago (approximately)

So off I went to Estee Lauder counter in KLCC to try the Cyberwhite Ex Range

To provide a brief description:-

Estee Lauder has upgraded their previous brightening range to bring the Cyber White EX with three highly targeted, breakthrough technologies, to help correct and prevent three different types of spots responsible for clouding your complexion: stubborn age spots, small surface spots and those barely visible spots just below the skin's surface

HA HA...Convinced? I was salivating! Who doesn't want chrystal clear, fair skin?

Upon advise from the SA, here were the items that I have bought...

1) Cyberwhite Ex Brightening Milky Lotion

APPLICATION

Used as a day moisturiser, to be worn after using the essence...Feels non-greasy...however, dries up within 5 minutes...skin tends to feel less hydrated...don't know why.

Thus, it feels kinda dry when I use foundation over it.

2) Cyberwhite Ex Brightening Essence

FUNCTION & APPLICATION

This is pretty much the heart of the skin care range. The essence is supposed to be doing the magic for you. Worn under the moisturiser, after using toner, it feels light and non-greasy too...

3) Cyberwhite Brightening Ex Rich Moisture Creme

FUNCTION & APPLICATION

This is to be worn at night, after using toner and the brightening essence. Feels cool and light....but I cannot really tahan the smell...It's pretty heavily scented.

The consistency lebih kurang macam ni lah...

4) Estee Lauder Cyberwhite Ex Illuminating Mask

FUNCTION & APPLICATION:-

Meant to help in deep cleansing, this mask is to improve overall skin evenness, clarity and radiance, and features a unique complex of powerful ingredients to target Small Surface Spots. It helps clarify pores, dissolve visible melanin build-up and reveal smooth, radiant skin. 

What I like about it is the fact that you don't have to use a lot of it, which is pretty jimat... huhu...

So after finished using these items after say.....7 months:-

OBSERVATION

Dark spots: Less visible, but still there

Uneven skin tone: Improved....I wouldn't say I'm fairer but it helps in the sense that my skin looked slightly even...more comfortable to go out barefaced when I'm so lazy...

Skin clarity: Erm...honestly, I'm not sure what 'clarity' means.....but I don't see much of a glow or anything....

CONCLUSION

I believe, perhaps if I used this range for a very long time (say 2-3 years), I might notice a bigger change I guess...

However, I'm not that patient, and given the time taken to include all these in my regime, plus, I'm not that satisfied with the results I expect given the amount spent.

So yeah...whitening...ta ta.....

-Jue-

Estee Lauder Double Wear Moisture Powder Stay-in-Place Makeup

The search for Compact Powder ALWAYS is an issue with women.

If it's not the shade, its the texture
If it's not the texture, it's the coverage
If it's not the coverage, it's the nice cute case...

IF IT'S NOT THE NICE CUTE CASE??

It's called saja-saja gatal nak try teehee!

That's make us women altogether...we're always adventurous...

Anyway, I myself, to tell you the truth, haven't actually been an Estee Lauder Cosmetics fan. Not that I have issues against Estee Lauder, but people just have their preferences. But to show you the unbiased side of me, I've recently (many months ago) went for a 'Bedak' spree, in the quest of looking for a replacement of the powder I'm currently using. Reason being is that the powder I'm was using is not easily bought over the counters of any department stores (i.e Isetan, Parkson or even Sephora for that matter).
Thus, re-purchasing is hard , especially during the time when I dreadfully need it the most (read: even sunshades can't protect you from having to deal with gasps and gawkings from the majority of crowd...)
Anyway, I was surfing Makeupalley.com and I've read on Estee's Double Wear Moisture Stay-in-Place.

I was very much interested due to its moisturising properties, since my skin was more to the dry side at certain areas. Thus, I went to Isetan one fine day and made a purchase.
However, my excitement was hampered by the unpleasant looks of the SA (Having a bad day I believe?)and . I do have issues against "unhelpful" assistants, and this particular one just simply used a tissue and swiped a really miniscule amount of the powder onto a small part of my left cheek.

I did argue that the shade was too light, but she claimed that I can't be using a darker shade of powder as it will make me look burnt.
I beg to differ. My foundation was already a lighter colour, so a lighter powder shall make me look similar to a Chinese Opera Singer...
                                      
(Don't get me wrong...Opera Singers are great, I don't think wearing their makeup to work is a good idea..)

Anyway, nevertheless I bought that particular shade (due to I didn't feel like arguing that much with the SA, resulting to RM175, burning a hole in my pocket...)

This is how the product looked like

                                             


RESULTS
Been using it for around 4 months... for some reason, the texture felt a bit heavy....and by noon, my face looked pretty oily in certain areas.
As for the moisturising component, I'm not too sure about it...

BUT, due to the wrong shade applied (I should have listened to my gut feeling), my face looked too white, and looked too different from my neck.

SAME as wearing a mask.

Due to this, and the HEFTY price...I didn't bother to re-purchase....but it would probably due be to the fact that the I was angry with the SA, thus causing me to PRE-JUDGE the product itself...

Poor Estee....