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.

Get your wallets out! It's the Best of 2012 from yours truly!

2012 has been an exciting year for beauty. I got to try many different products I love and some I didn't care much for. This is a collection of some of my favorite products of 2012. I couldn't list everything I liked, so this is a solid list of everything I use and will continue to buy! 

Some honorable mentions that I would love to point out that didn't make the list or I didn't have a category for are: Skinfood's Rice Washoff Mask, Fresh's Black Tea Instant Perfecting Mask, Natura Bisse's The Cure Serum, and Kate Somerville's ExfoliKate.  If you do a search on my blog, I've written a review on all the honorable mentions in the past. :) 

Happy and goodbye 2012!

May 2013 be even more exciting for beauty! Thank you all for being here with me. It's been great to share my thoughts with you all! 

Noted: Prices might change. The price listed is reflected at the time of the blog post.  

Favorite Toner

SKII Facial Treatment Essence $195

This not only acts as a hydrating toner, it is also a treatment for the overall face. It will brighten your entire complexion and lighten any spots or acne scars. I call it the holy water for the face!

Favorite Day Cream

La Mer Moisturizing Lotion $230

It’s hydrating even for the most sensitive skin. My skin tends to react to a lot of products and whenever I get a reaction, I always put this on to calm my skin. I actually have this and also the Oil-Absorbing Lotion (also $230) to switch back and forth depending on the weather. The Oil-Absorbing Lotion is the only lotion that has been able to prevent my nose from being oily. The Moisturizing Lotion is great to use all year long. Stop doing your research on La Mer and just buy it!

Favorite Night Cream

Givenchy Le Soin Noir $380

Why it’s the best? It’s a black facial cream! You will not find another cream like this on the market (actually, it’s kind of hard to find this in the US). It is extremely hydrating and it plumps and firms the skin. Everytime I stay on this for a few days, people start commenting on my skin asking what I use. It’s on the pricey side, so I only use this at night and also although it goes on clear, some people have said it does leave a greyish film on their face. The texture is almost like gelatin or pudding. It’s a great anti-aging product that is worth investing.

Favorite Serum

La Mer Regenerating Serum $260

I’ve noticed a lot of people don’t know what a serum does and often times they skip buying a serum. From my experience, a serum is a very important part of skin care. It is a treatment that targets your skin concerns, such as fine lines, wrinkles, or sun spots. It is not a moisturizer, however, I know some people use a hydrating serum and skip a moisturizer altogether.

A serum goes on before your moisturizer and after your toner.

You can almost see the difference in your skin in one day while on this serum. The overall texture of the face is more even and smooth. It encourages collagen production to fill in wrinkles and lines and gets rid of acne scars and imperfections. I tend to breakout at times and this serum has been great at preventing break outs. This is one product I always ask people to buy and everyone loves it. 

Favorite Eye Treatment

La Prairie Illuminating White Caviar Eye Serum

It is very hard to find an eye cream that works. I've tried many big brands and I am always hesitant to recommend an eye cream to anyone, because everyone's skin is different and often times eye treatments don't always work for everyone. However, I have been dealing with dark circles and this has been the only eye treatment that I saw a noticeable different. I do recommend it for people that have dark circles. It is expensive so get a sample first.   

Most Luxurious

Givenchy Le Soin Noir Lace Mask

Why it’s the most luxurious? Need I say more? Just LOOK AT IT!

Favorite New Product

Yves Saint Laurent Forever Youth Liberator Serum $150 or $200 for the larger size.

I haven’t used this long. I got a sample of it when they launched it and I remember loving how my skin feels and look when I used it. It smells amazing as well. I'm sure they will expand on the line next year! I also really like the unique design of all the bottles. I wasn't sure I like it at first, but they all look very stylish.

Favorite New Line

Guerlain Abeille Royale

The power of royal jelly and honey! I love this new line. It’s a great anti-aging line that is not too harsh or active. I wish they would come out with a body cream that has the scent of this line. My favorite thing from the line is the toner! it's absolutely fantastic! 

Best Brand Design

Tom Ford Beauty

Tom Ford always goes above and beyond with its branding and marketing. His beauty line is no exception.

Lotus Youth Preserve Face Cream With Super 7 Complex Review

From Sephora's site:
Lotus Youth Preserve Face Cream is a lightweight, daily age-defying moisturizer for all skin types proven to minimize and prevent signs of aging, deliver intense hydration, and improve elasticity. It is formulated with Fresh’s proprietary Super 7 Complex—an age-defying, hydrating, and radiance-boosting blend of seven super-charged ingredients to defend against wrinkles, preserve collagen, promote the production of hyaluronic acid, seal in moisture, and soften the skin.

My take:

I was randomly shopping at Sephora for some Christmas presents and I saw this new cream from Fresh, and of course I had to get it! I love all of Fresh's products, especially the Black Tea line and the Rose Petal Mask, so it was a no brainer that I had to give this product a try.

I think it is a great anti-aging starter cream for those that are not ready to commit to spending over $100 yet. I feel like this is more of a light weight hydrating cream than a rich anti-aging cream.  I love the texture. It feels very rich and thick, but it actually goes on light and smooth.

To put in the overall rank of Fresh Anti-aging products, it'll rank somewhat like this for me -

1. Creme Ancienne
2. Black Tea Age Delay Cream
3. Lotus Youth Preserve Face Cream
4. Soy Face Cream
5. Umbrian Clay Face lotion 

Fresh always put out quality products and for $42, it's very reasonably priced. 

I'm not sure if this is a Sephora exclusive, i think it is, since I couldn't find it on Fresh's official website. It's strange that Fresh kept putting out exclusive products only at Sephora, but then again Sephora and Fresh are both under the LVMH family.

Verdict: Try it!
Read more at Sephora-  
http://www.sephora.com/lotus-youth-preserve-face-cream-with-super-7-complex-P377123?skuId=1488352 
Lotus Youth Preserve Face Cream is $42

UPDATE! - I went by the Fresh store today and they do carry it in their store. I think Sephora was just a soft launch. 

  

Le Metier de Beaute Revitalizing Anti-Aging Day Creme

From their site- This luxurious, lightweight emulsion dramatically slows the formation of expression lines—from forehead and smile lines to brow furrows—as it refreshes the skin's overall appearance. Broad-spectrum SPF 15, along with a host of proven and highly potent anti-aging ingredients, increase hydration, soften fine lines and wrinkles, minimize the appearance of pore size and improve elasticity. Skin looks, feels and acts more youthful.

Active Ingredients

• Retinol (.05%): an anti-aging powerhouse known to smooth and plump wrinkles, encourage collagen revitalization, and bring elasticity back to skin.
• SNAP 8 (.005%): an anti-aging, power-peptide that reduces the depth of wrinkles on the face caused by expression muscles, specifically in forehead and eye-areas.
• Coenzyme Q10 (.05%): proven anti-aging active reduces depth of age-related wrinkles and protects against photo-aging.
• L-Carnosine (.1%): aids in the loss of keratin degradation, which causes rough, dry skin

This is one of those products that looks flawless on paper, but fails to deliver. I am really not a fan of beauty products adding SPF to their products, because it always make the consistency either greasy or powdery, and don't get me started on that sunscreen smell.

I wanted to love this product and looking at the list of ingredients, I was for sure this was going to be my new favorite cream, but I just didn't love it. It doesn't smell that good, it kind of reminds me of the smell of La Prairie products. I think products with too many active ingredients end up smelling plastic or chemical. 

You can definitely feel the SPF in the product on your skin. It is a little bit hard to blend into the skin and it just feels "thick" sitting on top of the skin. SPF 15 is almost nothing, so you're still going to want to apply a SPF 30 and over on top of this. It was also a bit too dry for my skin, which could just be my skin tightening, but ultimately, I didn't see enough results to continue, especially with this price. 

I got a tester of their toner and it smelled like rubbing alcohol to me. Don't think I will be coming back to this line. 

Verdict: Skip it  
Metier de Beaute Revitalizing Anti-Aging Day Creme is $285
Read more at: http://www.lemetierdebeaute.com/index.php?_a=viewProd&productId=42

La Prairie's White Caviar Illuminating Cream Review

 White Caviar Illuminating Cream

From their site- This blissfully light and luxurious cream drenches the skin with moisture as it lightens, brightens, and lifts, giving you a more even skin tone, with improved firmness. Pearlescent powders in the cream give immediate illumination while a complex of brightening ingredients works to control age spots and discoloration on the skin's surface.

• Promotes even skin tone by slowing down production of excess pigment
• Lifts and firms with Golden Caviar Extracts and wrinkle-reducers
• Hydrates intensely with Rare White Honey and a Deep Moisturizing Complex
• Helps prevent future signs of aging with antioxidants, including White Truffles, White Wine Extract, and a White Flower Complex

This was the last product I tried from this line. I thought it would be a lot richer and creamier from the jar, but it's actually a very light cream that absorbs very quickly into the skin and it kept my combination skin shine free in 90+ degree weather. I do feel a slightly reaction to the cream like I've experienced with their other facial creams, but nothing major enough to make me stop using the product. La Prairie's products are usually pretty active (but good!). 

After 2 days of using this Day and Night, I've received many compliments and even strangers asking me how I keep my skin so perfect. Personally, I would like the cream to be a bit richer for night, but clearly it's doing its job and made my face, especially my forehead a flawless canvas. The only downside is the scent. It smells like most of their facial creams, a little bit of a chemical smell, but it's not strong enough to bother anyone.

It's great to keep your skin from getting sunspots. I think it's a great cream to prevent and correct. Definitely would recommend. 

For the price of $470. It is pretty steep. If you have the money and in desperate need of a product to correct discoloration, this is a great line.

La Prairie's White Caviar Illuminating Cream is $470
Verdict: Try it/Buy it!

Kate Somerville Goat Milk Cream $55

Kate Somerville Goat Milk Cream calms and rejuvenates sensitive, dry, and combination skin, absorbing quickly with no oily residue left behind. It offers optimum moisture, balance, and overall well-being for a naturally healthy complexion.

For years, Ancient Egyptians used goat milk to heal and nurture skin; their skincare wisdom bears following. This natural wonder continues the great tradition, lavishing skin with infusions of milk proteins, vitamins, and amino acids.

This is a good cream for everyday use. It hydrates and calms your skin without being greasy. Goat Milk is very healing to the skin and is loaded with great vitamins. I think it's good for all skin types. I have sensitive combination skin and I've never had any bad reaction to this cream. I've also recommended it to my younger sister who is prone to breakouts and she liked it as well.

It's a great cream to balance your skin if that is what you're looking for, or if you have very sensitive skin. I used to use this during the day and something more anti-aging at night.

Verdict: Try it! 

Kate Somerville Goat Milk Cream is $55
Read more on their site-  http://www.katesomerville.com/skincare/concerns/sensitive/

BLACK TEA AGE-DELAY CREAM $95

Fresh Black Tea Age-Delay Face Cream combines natural ingredients with cutting-edge technology to visibly reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. It's formulated with collagen-boosting lychee, proven to strengthen the skin's structure and firm the complexion to restore youthful contours and promote cell regeneration, resulting in softer, smoother skin. It also protects the skin against pollution with black tea and provides intense hydration and moisture.

Fresh always put out quality products and this one is no exception. It is a light but moisturizing cream that goes on very smooth. I think it smells like cucumbers and black tea. It's very refreshing. It's a pretty decent antiaging cream. I have noticed some differences with the overall complexion of my face. It gave me a little glow to the face and made my face looked dewy.

The only negative I can think of is how small the jar is. I feel like you can go through the jar pretty quickly and of course when you express that to the store employee they will always tell you "Oh a little bit goes a long way!"  Well, if you're like my mom that likes to put on a lot of cream, you'll prob go through the entire jar in 2 months especially if you're using it day and night.

It's a solid anti-aging moisturizer under $100. You don't see that many good ones under $100, and for my friends that don't want to spend over $100, I always recommend this one.

Verdict: Get it! 
BLACK TEA AGE-DELAY CREAM is $95

You can read more on their website- http://www.fresh.com/skincare/moisturizer-face/black-tea-age-delay-cream