La Mer The Treatment Lotion

La Mer The Treatment Lotion

Luxury Friday

I have decided to try a new thing, every Friday (at least for September) I am going to post on something Luxurious. Now it could be makeup, skincare, or fashion. Now I know everything is relative so what may be Luxurious to me, may not be to you and vise versa, but I still hope you enjoy it.

My first luxury post is on the Brand New Product form La Mer called the Treatment Lotion! I am not sure if they even have it in the stores yet. I only got this two days ago! I normally would not Blog on something that quickly without giving it some time to really review it, especially when we are talking about something in this price range. It was $125.00, but you have to remember it is going to last me probably a year. I feel confidant posting this quickly on this product due to the results I have already experienced from using it and the fact that I have used this line for almost ten years. I feel very confidant on posting on it, after only using it for two days.

So here is the Skinny on it from La Mer:

The new Treatment Lotion is a miraculous source of vitality, the essential first step toward transformation. Like "liquid energy", this rich and silky hydrator visibly awakens the complexion and drives moisture deep into the skin to improve texture and even tone. Skin is perfectly prepared to receive the full benefit of the La Mer regimen that follows. After cleansing, sprinkle a small amount onto fingertips or saturate a cotton pad. Press into skin. Follow with your La Mer regimen.

I have been using La Mer for almost a decade and I would put my life on it that is why my skin look so good. Yes I know that it is expensive and believe me I have tried and tried and tried to find substitutes that cost less. In my quests to find brands that cost less, I probably could have bought my next 5 years of Lamer. I would say at around five years in to using it, I gave up on trying to find a substitute and just said "it is worth the money, stop wasting your money trying to find something less". So I put away a certain amount a week so I can afford it, it's like my little La Mer Fund.

Now I have only been using the Treatment Lotion for 2 days and I love it. I unscrew the bottle and sprinkle a few drops into my hands and press it into my skin. I can honestly say the second day I used it, I put it on and went and ate dinner. I than went to go bed and thought "I forgot to put on my night creme", so I got up and went to my vanity to put on my night creme. I looked into the mirror and thought "wow my skin looks good" and I had to sit there and think for a moment "what had I been doing differently". I remembered shortly and was impressed! My skin just looked so fresh, vibrant and young looking. It almost seemed as if I didn't even need to put on any night creme.

The top screws off and you just tap a few drops into your hands
and press into your skin!

After I use the Treatment Lotion, I than follow with my Creme de La Mer if it's the day. At night, I do use a different brand on certain nights because I like to use retinol. I do like the night creme that I use with the retinol in it, but I can only use it twice a week or I get too dry. La Mer does make many anti aging treatments and serums but not a night creme. Although, the Creme has many anti aging properties in it and could be considered a night creme. I honestly will say my skin looks this good because of La Mer! Whenever I go off it to test other anti aging skin care (that might be great and work well), my skin just still isn't the same. It just craves it! Not that sometimes what I am testing out isn't great, I just know nothing will ever beat Creme de La Mer. Now the serums and eye creams, that can be debating at a later date.

Final Thoughts:

I hope you enjoyed my first installment of Luxury Friday. I thought it was a good day to pick since it is pay day, not that I want to be an enabler...;) If you are new to La Mer, I would Highly suggest starting off with the Creme de La Mer Cream first. It is by far my most favorite of the brand and the favorite of many many women around the world. I have to say the only thing that bothers me about Creme de La Mer is that they keep upping the price of the Cream. I have been buying it for almost a decade so I would know. Now if they were redoing the formula (which I don't want them too, it's perfect) I would understand. They up the price and give no reason and I would like one! If the keep it up, I might be forced to find a new creme....:( I will keep you posted with my thoughts on this new Treatment Lotion, but I have a feeling they will be good. I will leave you with a little story of behind the brand. http://www.cremedelamer.com/heritage

Thanks,

Sik Glam

The Brush Guard

The Brush Guard

I think as we all know makeup brushes are expensive and I look at them as an investment. Yes, you can find some that are not and get lucky but I have found that hard to do. I have found a few inexpensive ones that I would repurchase, but none to write home about. I might have a foundation brush that I got from Target that was under 10 dollars or a crease brush from a line that they carry at Kohl's, but I have never found a decent brand in the "inexpensive range".  My makeup brush collection (one day I will do a post on because it is quite extensive) is made up of a lot of different brands for many different reasons. The main reason being that I can't find one certain brand that I like that I can find each and every brush that I need from in it. I would have to say that my favorite brush line so far would have to be by Hakuhodo but I only have 3 because they are expensive! Most of my the rest of my collection is mainly MAC, Japonesque and the rest is completely random. I hope one day to build a collection by one brand that I find and love, but that will be a slow process.

So I was at the store one day (WalMart) and I was just skimming the beauty section (as usual) and I saw these Brush Guards and I thought what a clever idea. This was nearly three months ago, and I really cannot believe it has taken me this long to actually try them out. I think the real reason is that by the time I am done cleaning my brushes, I just wanna be done and lay them down to dry. I knew when I first used the Guards that I would want to blog on them, so a lot more would be involved (taking pictures, testing, writing up the blog, etc.) so I put it off. So last night I had accumulate enough brushes where I was running out of clean ones and I thought, let's test them out!


So on to The Brush Guard:

They are like these plastic sleeves that are ventilated that you slip on your brushes (always from the handle up towards the bristles) to help the bristles keep and regain their shape while drying.

How they look unused.

The other Benefits of the Brush Guard are as follows:

• Clean Brushes + Clean Makeup = Beautiful Skin!
• Brushes Last Longer
• Bristles Dry Soft and in Perfect Shape
• Delicate Bristles Stay Safe
• Make-up is Clean and Fresh
• Brushes Pack Safely For Travel and Storage

So I decided to finally put these guards to the test and wash my brushes and see if they came out any different from usual. I washed 2 sets of two exact brushes (one with the guard on and one without) to see if their would be any real difference. The brushes I picked for this comparison were perfect because they were about the same age (around a year) and ones that I use all the time. Since the pack came with 6 guards the comparison test took up 2 of them. The two that I compared were the MAC 239 and the MAC 217. With the remaining four guards I used them on my MAC 129 that I use every day for face contouring, my Real Techniques Buffing Brush that I use to buff my foundation in, my MAC 286 Pro Brush which I use for more precise eye contouring and lastly I picked my Sonia Kashuk Powder Brush that I still use to set my foundation with powder. I picked the last one because I wanted a really old one to see how the well the Guard would work on a brush that was at least 2-3+ years old.

The Brushes I cleaned drying with the guards on
 with the 2 MAC Exact Comparisons!

How the Brush Guard Looks on!

Front View! You can see how it keeps the Bristles
together while drying!

Here are the Results:

The Real Techniques Buffing Brush, MAC 129,
Sonia Kashuk Powder Brush 

I could not believe how much newer they looked. The bristles were all together once I pulled off the guard (this time over the bristles) and it has been hours and they still look the same.

Comparison MAC 239 & MAC 217

I could not believe how much more together the bristles were on the brushes that dried with the guards on. They are the brushes in the picture to the Right of the brush that did not have a guard! My MAC 217 literally looks like the day I bought it. I was the most happy about this one because I can't stand when you are contouring in your crease with a brush thats bristles are going each and every way. You get such a more precise eye makeup look when the bristles are together!

MAC PRO 286

I really picked this one to do because it is quite new (July) and I want to keep it in good condition because it is one of my most favorite MAC brushes that I own.

Final Thoughts:

These Brush Guards are Fabulous. Each and every single time I wash my brushes and than go to gather than up after they dry I think "why can't they keep their shape". I was seriously considering buying new MAC 217's because I could not stand how they were becoming. I am now going to try to preserve them as long as I can by using my brush guards. I might have to buy one more pack because it only came with 6 and I usually let about 10-15 stack up before I wash them. I hope this post helped anyone out there with the same issue. Also, keep in mind they can be used for storage, sanitation, and for travel. I just might keep them on my clean brushes to double the power of them keeping their shape. There are so many benefits to them, I am so happy I finally pulled them out and used them.

Thanks,

Sik Glam

Loreal True Match Naturale Mineral Foundation

Loreal True Match Naturale™ Mineral Foundation

I had been wanting to post on this Mineral Foundation for a long time, I have had it now for about two months. I am usually a liquid foundation lover, but once in a while I like to switch it up and use a powder. I came across this in the drugstore months ago and could not resist how good it looked on the Advertisement with Jennifer Lopez wearing it. Can you blame me??!! It had been a while since I had bought a new mineral foundation, so I thought I would give it a try.

Here is the Skinny on it from Loreal:

Discover the feeling of skin breathing freely. True Match Naturale™ re-invents makeup with carefully selected, 100% preservative-, talc- and fragrance-free minerals plus built-in professional brushes. This skin-improving mineral formula with SPF 19 covers flawlessly, leaves your skin soft and your tone even. It’s gentle. It’s minerals.
Finish: Natural but radiant
SPF: 19
Coverage: Flawless coverage for 16H
Skin Type: For all skin types. Safe for sensitive skin.
Available in 12 true-to-skin shades in warms, neutrals, and cools.

Expert Application Technique
Swirl foundation brush in sifter and then shake to remove excess.
Apply powder to face in small, circular motions, starting in center and working out.
Continuously blend until desired level of coverage is achieved.
Pro-Tip: For days when you need a little more coverage, continue to apply until your desired look is achieved. So light and buildable, True Match Naturale™ Mineral Foundation will never look cakey. 

Just Unscrew the Top and Either use the provided brush
or your own!

Sun Beige Swatched!

This Mineral Foundation leaves the most soft radiant flawless finish. When I use it, I really appreciate mineral foundations again and how good they can make your skin look. It leaves my skin with the most beautiful healthy glow. I like to open up the top, slowly tap a bit out onto a piece of folded tissue and than either use the brush that it came with or my mineral brush. I than pick some up onto my brush and gently buff in onto my skin in small circles motions. I like to tap it out onto a tissue so I can start with a little and build if needed. I feel I can control the amount of coverage more accurately that way.

I remember the last time I wore it, I went to lunch with my mother and she said "you skin looks so good and healthy" and asked if I was using anything new. She does not ask about my makeup often, because she knows I am always trying something new and will tell her if I like something. She doesn't have to inquire! So she was defiantly impressed.

Final Thoughts:

This is a Great Mineral Foundation for a Great Price! Once again, I think I have found a winner! I hope this helps anyone out there that is looking for a new mineral foundation.

Thanks,

Sik Glam