SkinFood Platinum Grape Cell Toner Review

Pretty bottle and packaging!

From their site:
A premium toner containing visible platinum particles and grape cells that provide intensive firming treatment for aging skin.

[Grape Cell Story]Bourgogne is one of the three best wine producers in France&mdashBordeaux, Bourgogne, and Cotes du Rohone&mdashknown for the Gamay grapes. Extracted from the Gamay grapes, our grape cells help regenerate skin cells, firming skin from the inside out.

[Platinum Story]
Platinum is one of the purest and rarest metals in the world. With excellent antioxidant effects, Platinum is used for Food, Medical, Cosmetics and etc.

It's a pump

My Take:
First of all, I am a big fan of their Gold Caviar Toner, so I thought I would give this one a try, and I think I might like this better!

The packaging is beautiful to look at and much more elaborate than the Gold Caviar Toner, which was wrapped in plastic. This one came in a nice sophisticated case like a wine bottle.

You can see the platinum particles

The product itself is a pump, which I like better. You can see the platinum particles floating in the bottles. It's beautiful to look at on the bathroom counter.

It smells like a mixture of wine and grape juice. It's a great light scent that won't give you a headache, which I do get sometimes from products that are way too fragrant. It is hydrating and supposed to firm the skin. If you've been reading my blog, you'll know that I've mentioned it's hard to see results from face wash and toner, so I can't really tell you if it actually lifts or firms, but I can tell you grape cells have been used for many years in many products and brands. Platinum is supposed to have great antioxidant effects so we'll see what happens.

I think the Gold Caviar Toner from SkinFood is a little bit more hydrating than this, but this one sinks into the skin quicker and better. Gold Caviar Toner is very thick, almost like a serum, this one is more watery.

It's like a little wine bottle! So cute

I like this toner. I haven't found a toner that I have actually seen a difference in my skin besides SKII's Facial Treatment Essence, but for those that are looking at trying this product, I say go for it!

Read from from their site: http://eng.theskinfood.com/products/product.asp?prdNo=1306
Price: No idea, they have flagship stores around the world, but I have been getting this from family members in Taiwan, so the price is different. I would say it's around $50-60.

Verdict: Try it!

My $3000 Skincare Routine! La Mer, Givenchy, La Prairie, SkinFood, and Guerlain with reviews!

Yes, I buy and pay for all my products. If anyone wants to send me freebies. I'll be happy to accept ;)

Hey guys!

So the question I get asked the most in person is always "What do you use?” My routine has a few staple products that never change, I do like to play around with new toners or face washes, but as of now, here’s my routine and I've enclosed links that'll take you to my review of the product that I've reviewed.

Clearly, I use a lot more products than most people would need. I do so for a few reasons-- I write a beauty blog and mainly the fact that I work in the luxury industry. Normally you don't need to have a complete day AND night sets of products. So you can probably cut the cost by half.
 

Face Wash: Nude Cleansing Oil ($36) in the morning and La Mer Foam Face Wash ($65) at night
Always try to use a gentle cleanser in the morning. Your face is never too dirty in the morning and you don’t want to strip your skin of its natural oils. I think I might switch to La Mer’s cleansing fluid or another cleanser after I finish the one from Nude. They changed the formula and it’s kind of too rich for me now.

Toner: SkinFood Platinum Grape Cell Toner $60  in the morning and Guerlain abeilleroyale Lotion (which is a toner) $61 at night

You don’t really need to have two different toners. I just like to try different products so I have two. I actually have 4, but these two are my main ones. I think eventually I will go back to SKII’s Facial Treatment Essence, which is holy water for the face!

Serum: Guerlain Orchidee Imperial Serum ($465) in the morning and La Mer Regenerating Serum
($275)
I like to treat my face differently day and night so I use two different serums. I always use one that prevents sun spots and hyperpigmentation during the day and I use a rich anti-aging one at night. La Mer Regenerating Serum is one serum I will always have in my array of products. It is by far the best anti-aging serum I’ve used. I love the Guerlain Orchidee Imperial Serum. It has a light shimmer but you can’t see it on your face. I almost like it more than the La Prairie Illuminating Brightening Serum. It’s more hydrating and soothing. It smells great too.

Eye Cream: La Prarie White Caviar Illuminating Eye Serum ($265) and La Mer Eye Concentrate
($180)
I actually use La Prarie Eye Serum more. I just have some La Mer Eye Concentrate left so once I'm done, I'm just going to switch to the eye serum only.

Moisturizer: La Mer Lotion during the day and Givenchy Le Soin Noir ($380) or La Mer Cream at night ($275)

I will always have La Mer Lotion for use during the day and the Givenchy Le Soin Noir Cream. It’s two of the best products I’ve ever used for my skin. Le Soin Noir is pricey, but it’s totally worth the money.

Mask: I use cheap facial masks from My Beauty Diaries and once a week I use La Mer’s Refining Facial Mask.

I use Retin-A Gel at night as well.

You have one face. Invest well.

Just a little update!

Hey guys, I try to keep my blog as pure as possible with only product reviews and beauty news, but I'm starting not to like the gaps between each product review since it does take me some time to test out each product before I review them.

So in between, I'll make some random posts and you guys are always welcome to ask me questions on my Facebook page www.facebook.com/themetroperspective

So I went to see "Mama" last night, and I really enjoyed it. It's based on this wildly popular Spanish short that came year a few years ago - http://youtu.be/WRqS6pBC42w 

It's a nice little horror film with few touching moments!

La Prairie Skin Caviar Liquid Lift

From the site: Skin Caviar Liquid Lift, an age defying serum joins the iconic Skin Caviar Collection. One drop helps to lift, firms, and provide a long-lasting tensing effect to skin. Reflecting the heritage of our Skin Caviar Beads, the very essence of lifting, this modern day next generation formula contains scientific advancements that create this lifting phenomenon.

Past damage recedes as existing cells are rejuvenated, and new ones are super charged, nourished, and protected. Skin appears lifted and taut. Skin Caviar Liquid Lift epitomizes science and luxury the true nature of the Skin Caviar collection.

The Benefits:

• Lifts and Firms the skin structure.
• Protects and Restores epidermal stem cell function.
• Prevents the appearance and deepening of lines and wrinkles.
• Hydrates, nourishes, protects 

Ok, so this is the latest product from their line and it is priced at $500. I know they have great products but most of their products are too active for my skin, so I don't think I'll be splurging on this product anytime soon. However, I would love to hear from anyone who's given this a try and I also want to know if this is just a repackaged version of the Skin Caviar that you had to break with a gauze and then apply to the skin.

Read more on their site: http://www.shoplaprairie.com/c-10-the-caviar-collection.aspx

Bliss triple oxygen™ instant energizing mask review

Bliss triple oxygen™ instant energizing mask

From their site: A super quick fix for dull, tired and sallow, 'I'm sick of my skin' skin. Engineered to mimic the effects of our spa's famous Triple Oxygen Treatment Facial in seconds. This fabulous complexion formula uses every 'tech' in the book to give you fresher, younger-looking skin. 3.4 oz

•delivers oxygen to the skin with innovative Fluid02 technology
•lightens, and tightens the skin with the most active powerful form of Vitamin C available
•protects cells from free radical damage with powerful antioxidants

My take: 
It's always hard to review a mask, because you don't always see a difference immediately and most masks are just hydrating masks. I see masks more like a boost. It's great having a hydrating mask on at the end of the day to give your skin a little boost. I use one right after my shower when your pores are open from the steam in the shower and it would soak up anything you put on your face.  

OK, let's move on to the actual product. I bought it after reading all the great reviews and I thought the product fell short. I didn't see or feel a difference in my skin at all. It was fun to see the foam bubbles on your face but I didn't really notice a difference even after continued use. I gave it to my mom and she gave it back to me saying it didn't do anything for her and she ended up using it as a hand mask lol. 

So I really don't know what all the hypes are around this product. Maybe it'll be a different experience at the Bliss Spa. I do, however, like the triple oxygen energizing cream from the line. I will write a review on that down the line.  I think most people that have tried it and liked it are younger, maybe late teens to early 20's, but that's just my take!

If you like seeing bubbles and foam on your face, this can be a fun product for you, other than that, I am a bit hesitant to recommend it. 

Grade: C-
Bliss triple oxygen™ instant energizing mask is $54
Read more on their site: http://www.blissworld.com/bliss-triple-oxygentrade-instant-energizing-mask/

 

Goodbye Super by Dr. Nicholas Perricone!

Plagued by terrible marketing, the Super by Dr. Nicolas Perricone is discontinued! While I'm a fan of Perricone, I was not so much a fan of their "Super" line, which was a line of anti-aging products targeted towards the under 30 demographic. As someone that is in my mid 20's and a spender of luxury skincare products, I would much rather invest the money into his regular line of products, which has some great products with great ingredients.

The one thing that turned me off the most about "Super" was how they marketed the brand. Really, whoever came up with the concept of a woman being splashed in the face with white substance clearly did not do his/her research on Perricone's demographic. I personally found it tacky and disgusting. I work in Malibu so I went by their concept store/spa in the Malibu Country Mart and the moment you walk in, you're greeted by the gigantic poster of that woman's face splashed with white fluid. What are they selling and what kind of message are they sending??? Totally tasteless.

Needless to say, the spa/store is always empty and Sephora eventually pulled the line out of their stores earlier last year. Slowly, the brand started fading out and recently I went by the store in Malibu and it's now converted into a Perricone concept store where they carry the regular line.

I can't imagine the dollar they spent into research and marketing the Super line, but ultimately they just missed the mark. Perricone's demo are older and more sophisticated than the this whole "Super" mess. (Yes, pun intended.)
 
So goodbye "Super", it was nice not knowing you! 

Ps. I'm hearing amazing things on Perricone's Blue Plasma! I can't wait to try it.

Yes, let me tell you about our products while you're not distracted by this woman covered in white fluid behind me (photo credit Heidi Schumann for The New York Times)