Photo Evidence: Hydra-detox & Ultimation

Photo Log Photo of my eye, after using Loreal's Derma Genesis Eye Contour Cream (Photo was from the Diary of My Fight Against Eye Wrinkles post). Skin is very much improved but still I felt dehydrated, and the lines/dryness returned in full force when I didn't have the cream on. Just-cleaned eye without any eye cream. Photo dated: 24 Dec 08 This is the state of my eyes, after using Ultimation and Astalution for a week. Not as dehydrated as before, even without any eye cream. (Used to be worse, when I was using L'oreal's Eye Contour Cream, when there is no eye cream, the eye area is parched ... nothing like what you see in the previous photo.) Just a few seconds after applying Biotherm HYDRA-DETOX BIO-DEFENSIS Yeux and Beaute de Kose ULTIMATION Eye Cream. Eye looks very bright and oily, but feels comfy (probably shows how dehydrated I feel). Does it look like I am wearing eye brightener? There aren't any optical brighteners in the ingredients of these creams that I know of. I don't know what's doing the brightening, maybe it's just the oils from the creams. A few minutes after the creams have settled and absorbed. Notice that deep line seems to have been plumped up ... Thoughts on Hydration and Improvements on Wrinkles With these photos, does it seem Loreal's Derma Genesis Eye Contour Cream is a better cream? It looks less oily and seems to have absorbed better. The skin seems clearer. However, I suspect that Loreal's Eye Contour Cream works by plumping the skin up, but hydration factor isn't that high, which is why the uncomfortable dryness is not soothed. Like I reported before, I needed to use another cream on top of it when I felt extremely dehydrated and uncomfortable. On the other hand, I receive alot of physical comfort and hydration from Ultimation. Since Ultimation soothes the dry feeling around my eyes, I think Ultimation works by hydrating and trying to improve the underlying structure of the skin. That's why the eye area doesn't look quite as plumped up, but the deep line is softened and hydrated. The eye area is also does not feel dry even when the eye area is just cleaned and there is no eye cream on it. Dark Circles and Freckles By the way, do my dark circles look any lighter to you? I don't think they have improved at all ... I don't think Biotherm's HYDRA-DETOX BIO-DEFENSIS Yeux is any use for the dark circles... And you can see my freckles, I have them even around my eye area, gah! Hopefully Biotherm's serum helps with lightening them. Additional Random Thoughts Maybe I should go see a dermatologist or plastic surgeon ... to get, you know, those skin treatments that smooth out the skin, remove/lighten wrinkles and remove the oil clots? It's just a sudden random thought, would need some research on that and would definitely like to hear your views. © Copyright. All rights reserved.

Holy Grail of Eye Solutions: Kose Astalution and Ultimation

I may have found my Holy Grail of Eye Solutions. I purchased it last night from Kose (will tell you about my shopping experience in another post) - Kose ASTALUTION Eye Zone Mask and Beaute de Kose ULTIMATION Eye Cream. This morning, my eyes look better than it has been in a long time and feel better too. Circles seem to have lightened, skin is moisturised, lines and crepiness filled out. The undereye makeup seem to be smoother too. Let me retrace the things I did to arrive at this point: I used the Kose ASTALUTION Eye Zone Mask last night. It is full of orange-coloured serum and was extremely soothing. After I removed the eye patch I gently massaged in the remaining serum. There was still alot of serum in the package so I used as much as I liked, applied some on the corners of my mouth as well where there was dryness and still had some more left to keep for use the next day! This morning, my eyes looked rested and less wrinkled! It felt better too, because there's none of the dehydrated, tired feeling around my eyes that have been bothering me alot lately. The dark circles seem to have been alleviated even though Astalution isn't marketed for lightening dark circles. After I applied my Biotherm HYDRA-DETOX BIO-DEFENSIS Yeux (I will review this later together with my other Biotherm products), I put on a small rice-grain amount (as instructed by the SA) of the Beaute de Kose ULTIMATION Eye Cream. It feels like there is too little to go over both eyes but when I applied it, the cream was not only enough for both eyes, it was absorbed quickly and easily. Then I applied my undereye makeup, carefully and taking my time. The concealor did not cake up and I didn't have to apply as much as I previously had to. In fact, the overall look is smoother. (I had a good think to recall the instructions carefully and I will make a post about how the Bobbi Brown makeup artist/SA taught me to apply eye brightener and concealor). I liked Purederm Anti-wrinkle Gel Patches that I reviewed previously for its efficacy at a fantastic affordable price, but I must confess it pales in comparison to Kose ASTALUTION Eye Zone Mask! There's something extra in Kose ASTALUTION Eye Zone Mask, I can feel it in my eyes. Sometimes, products work while they are still on the skin but after it is removed, eg. after a shower or after you clean your face, the skin still feels unchanged, eg, if it was previously dry, it still feels dehydrated. On the other hand when I used these 2 products, I felt like the underlying problems have also been treated, so that overall, my skin has become healthier! I know it is too soon to make such an exaggerated proclamation, after all I've only just started using these products! But I am so happy with the immediate visible and experiential improvement that I truly believe this will be a good long term solution. I will continue to use these products and hopefully I have even more good news to report after a few weeks or even months. © Copyright. All rights reserved.

Diary of My Fight Against Eye Wrinkles

04 November 2008

Ok, here's a photo of my eye. The skin is so dry and wrinkly! I have on some eye makeup and concealer, and I can see the folds of dryness very clearly! And more than a couple of deep lines too! OMG!! *CRY* I had been faithfully using eye cream since my twenties, so I was super horrified to see the dryness there. Must be my eye cream from The Face Shop isn't working so well. I was unaware that the dryness had gotten so bad!

10 November 2008

While I was at the shopping centre, I wanted to check out skincare products. I was at Watsons, and I was feeling really tired. I could feel that my eyes and skin were super dehydrated, so I decided I would like to get an eyemask. I decided to look for some eye patches and found a cheap pack at Watsons, Purederm Anti-Wrinkle Gel Patches, which costs about $12 for 6 pairs. I put on my sleeping face mask and a pair of the eye patches now. It feels sooooooo sooooothing ... I don't know how it will be when I wake up tomorrow (instructions say to wear it overnight). I hope it makes my wrinkly, dehydrated skin much, much better in the morning. I hope that will help my dark circles too. While doing research, I read about hyaluronic acid. And guess what? The eye patch I'm wearing has hyaluronic acid in their list of ingredient! Interesting. 12 November 2008 I wore the eyepatch overnight as instructed and the next morning, my dark circles were lighter and my wrinkles looked less crepey. Now, two days later, my regular eye cream seems to be absorbing better and my eyes are looking less tired. Interestingly, these cheap gel patches contain the important ingredient (hyaluronic acid) that is found in the Shiseido Bio-performance range, which is so much, much more expensive! I am thinking I need to get a better eye cream and I read alot of good reviews about the Bio-performance Super Eye Contour Cream. This cream seems very expensive to me, at SG$90plus, because I tend to go for drugstore brands or cheaper Korean alternatives in an effort to be a prudent family woman (mom trying to be thrifty). I need to do a bit more research and shopping around.

16 November 2008 I used the eye mask overnight again last night and my skin softened considerably. While checking out products at the shopping centre, I found Loreal had released a new range of products under the name Derma Genesis, which contain hyaluronic acid (seems like the super ingredient!) Since I have many desires and still must try to be thrifty in this crazy economy, I decided to buy the Loreal eye cream from this range to try out as a cheaper option to Shiseido. Oh and look, it is also called Eye Contour Cream, just like Shiseido. I hope it works.

22 November 2008

I used the eyepatches a third time (on 19 November) and have been conscientiously applying the Loreal Derma Genesis eyecream morning and night. On some nights,the eyecream is not moisturising enough and I have to add some of my old oilier Wrinkle Stop eyecream on top of using Derma Genesis. I felt maybe I was wrong to have purchased Derma Genesis, especially if I have to use another eyecream on top of it some nights. So I decided to take a photo to do a stocktake of the situation. I was surprised to see, that despite my misgivings, the skin around my eyes have visibly improved and especially at the lids, there is much more moisture and plumpness compared to 2 weeks ago! This is my eye without any makeup and no concealer. The dark circles seem to have lightened too! I'm quite sure it's both the eyepatch and the eyecream that have made a big difference to the skin around my eyes. However, I can't put the eyepatch on my eyelids but my eyelids have improved considerably, so I'd hazard a guess that the Derma Genesis made the most difference.

While the results are better than I expected, I am still undecided if this is the best option. I might still need to check out Shiseido and beg for a sample. If Derma Genesis requires another night eye cream on top of it, is it really the best solution? I have to think on this a little more and observe the outcome a little longer.

© Copyright. All rights reserved.