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Spa Experience at Home

DIY Spa treatments light therapy, dermaplaning, chemical peels, hair masque, hair removal, massagers, acupressure, spa gadgets, and products. We tried a collection of hair, skin, and body pampering products and gadgets at home and report our experience.

New Product: Dr. LeWinn by Kinerase Skin Tone Perfecting Serum XK

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I’m a pale skinned gal. There is no debating this point, it is just an absolute truth. And if you are practically transluscent like me, no matter how careful one is with sunscreen, it’s pretty likely that sun damage will crop up at some point. And it isn’t limited to us pale chicks either – Allure magazine has a several page article this month on various techniques to get rid of uneven skintone.

And if, like me, you are a long-term retinol user, it can be a double-edged sword: retinols lighten age spots, but they also increase photosensitivity. So, it’s possible to end up with some skin tone variance that you’d prefer to get rid of regardless of whether you use retinols or not.

There are several excellent products on the market right now to combat hyperpigmentation. I was thrilled to try out Dr. LeWinn by Kinerase Skin Tone Perfecting Serum XK, another great product in the Dr. LeWinn by Kinerase line. This is a reasonably priced serum that produced jaw-dropping results.

When I first starting testing Skin Tone Perfecting Serum out, I put it on and a few hours passed. When I went by a mirror, I noticed my skin was tighter and more dewy. On the third night, I noticed an ever so slight lightening of a dark spot on my cheekbone. I thought I was imaginging things – it just seemed far too soon to have any effect. But sure enough, over the course of the next two weeks, the spot continued to lighten (I’d estimate about 10% in the 14 days) and is progressively lightening still. I’m really excited to see over time how much change occurs. On the whole, my skin seems far more even, including in spots where I don’t have obvious hyperpigmentation issues – my skin looks a bit airbrushed before I even put a speck of makeup on!

Skin Tone Perfecting Serum has great ingredients: Kinetin, the staple of the Kinerase and Dr. LeWinn by Kinerase line, the oh so hydrating hyaluronic acid, Sepiwhite MSH, which is a pigmentation inhibitor, Sepivinol, a potent anti-oxidant, and SymWhite, an effective skin lightener that targets UV-induced skin pigmentation. That’s a great lineup for a great price.

Skin Tone Perfecting Serum XK has made it into my daily routine. I think I”ve found the perfect non-irritating hyperpigmentation sacking combon: I use Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum in the morning under makeup, Dr. LeWinn by Kinerase Skin Tone Perfecting Serum XK at night under moisturizer, and Retin-A a few nights a week (right now my skin gets irritated if I use Retin-A more than that), and my skin is getting all the more even day by day.

Find Dr. LeWinn by Kinerase Skin Tone Perfecting Serum XK at Walgreens.com.

New Product: Dr. LeWinn by Kinerase HydraBalance Foaming Cleanser

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I’ve been feeling a little Goldilocks-esque lately when it comes to facial cleansers. Some are really moisturizing, but take too much scrubbing to wash off. Others wash off easily, but don’t do a thorough job when it comes to taking off all my makeup and sunscreen.

And then I found Dr. LeWinn by Kinerase HydraBalance Foaming Cleanser.

Based on past experiences, I generally shy away from foaming cleansers since the ones I’ve tried tend to be drying. However, I have used Kinerase products for years now, so I had hope that their mass market line in connection with Dr. LeWinn would live up to it’s claim of being not just non-drying, but hydrating. And it does. My skin is soft, hydrated, and bright after cleansing. And as far as taking off makeup? It is exceptional. No scrubbing needed, it just takes everything off on both face and delicate eye skin. I’ve been using a liquid liner lately that is fabulous, but it is pretty tough to take off at the end of the day. Hydrabalance Foaming Cleanser takes it off easily and with no tugging. Yay!

HydraBalance Foaming Cleanser is soap-free, which will make your dermatologist happy (mine was the one who turned me on to the Kinerase line in the first place years ago). But I can’t say enough how well it cleanses while it treats the skin with great ingredients like Kinetin (which is in the whole Dr. LeWinn by Kinerase line in the same amounts as the regular Kinerase line). I’ve tried products from both the Kinerase line and other lines that contain Kinetin, and they are always so soothing to the skin. It encourages cellular turnover without irritation – a great alternative to retinoids. It also contains SK-Influx to protect your skin’s moisture barrier, and Aquaxyl to hydrate the skin. All in all, a great way to start your skincare for the day and end it at night.

In an act of sisterly love, I let Lyn use the cleanser, and her comments were interesting – she said that she’s never used a foaming cleanser that felt soft. She hit the nail on the head – there is something that feels kind of rough about most foaming cleansers, but HydraBalance Foaming Cleanser isn’t that way. It is gentle, soft, and luxurious feeling. I’ve been using it with my Clarisonic – it feels like a spa cleansing!

I’m pretty thrilled with this cleanser. We’ll be reviewing other products from the Dr. LeWinn by Kinerase line in the upcoming weeks (spoiler alert: Skin Tone Perfecting Serum is so effective it’s kinda spooky), and I will purchase HydraBalance Foaming Cleanser in the future. And since my derm loves the regular KInerase line, I can’t wait to tell her about this very affordable and very effective new line!

Find Dr. LeWinn by Kinerase HydraBalance Foaming Cleanser at Walgreens for $10.49.

Caudalie Week Product Review: Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum

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There are certain words that encompass not only your appearance, but your personality, enthusiasm, happiness, exuberance, your youthful outlook.

Now, beauty products can’t give you a truly radiant appearance if you aren’t feeling it. There are some great products to fake it, and your skin might look brighter, clearer, but not radiant. On the other hand, you may feel radiant, but your skin doesn’t quite show it. Let’s let your inner radiance out.

Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum is a truly luxurious serum that packs a punch. It takes a very small amount to adequately cover your face and neck, so the 1 oz bottle will last awhile. Even the heavy glass bottle feels good, Caudalie has taken every measure to make sure this is a pampering treatment for the product user.

This product will probably result in the most Style Chicks updates from us over the next few weeks and months, since it not only gives an initial boost to skin, but works over time to make skin brighter, more luminescent, and works to get rid of those areas of surface skin damage like brown spots. But I am thrilled with the initial results I’ve gotten in the past week using Caudalie’s Radiance Serum.

Like most serums, Radiance Serum is meant to be applied under moisturizer. It’s quite light so it works beautifully in tandem with other products, but I’ve also used it alone, since it is so moisturizing. I am especially impressed with the effect it gives under makeup.

This morning I applied it and let it absorb, then applied my regular sunscreen. Now, usually I add in a drop of Remede Soft Focusing Lotion to my sunscreen to give a subtle glow to my skin. I skipped the Soft Focusing Lotion today since my skin seemed to already have a slightly airbrushed effect with just the Radiance Serum. Even better, it held the look of facial contours perfectly, which is rare (Remede Soft Focusing Lotion also falls into this category but works as a light defusing cosmetic).

I applied my regular makeup and was thrilled with the results as my skin had a smooth, dewy, flawless appearance, and when I smiled, the apple of my cheek had that inner glow that is only seen on children and acne free starlets under the age of 16. If the product did nothing else, this effect makes it worth every penny.

I can’t wait to see and share how Radiance Serum works over the upcoming weeks and months!

Find Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum Complexion Correcting at Caudalie-USA.com for $79.00.

Why Caudalie Pulpe Vitaminee 1st Wrinkle Eye Cream Is Special

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Today we’ll be talking about our initial impression of the amazing Caudalie Pulpe Vitaminee 1st Wrinkle Eye Cream. It comes from Caudalie’s Energizing Regimen, and “energizing” is a perfect description. Do you ever have times where your eyes look more tired than you feel? That’s where this cream steps up to the plate. When your orbital skin looks tired, puffy, dull, and a bit less perky than you would like, 1st Wrinkle Eye Cream makes you look wide awake again.

About an hour after I first applied it, I noticed a nice surprise. There is a certain curve between my cheekbone and undereye skin that is the difference between looking wide awake and energetic and people telling me I look tired. (When I’m not. And even if I was, why do people feel the need to inform you of the perceived state of your alertness?????) After one application of Caudalie 1st Wrinkle Eye Cream, that curve was perky, radiant, and perfectly contoured. If an eye cream can do that, it’s an instant hit in my book. Usually when I find a cream that does that, it contains high enough levels of caffeine that it dehydrates my eyes, but 1st Wrinkle Eye Cream does the opposite – it is incredibly hydrating and emollient. In fact, it’s moisturizing enough that I use it twice a day and continue to have the same great results. This is due in no small part to the amazing humectant and anti-oxidant ingredients, including grape-seed polyphenols, ceramides 3, tetrapeptides, horse chestnut, liquorice (which is amazingly soothing if you have rosacea), plant glycerine, and calendula amongst others.

I am also thrilled at how smooth eye makeup went on after applying the cream. In the picture we used to show the lush lashes that d.j.v. beautenizer Volume Lash mascara imparted, I applied 1st Wrinkle Eye Cream first, and after I massaged it in I put on concealer and shadow. By accident there was too much shadow on my brush, and usually this would result in a cakey look. Instead, the eye cream left such a smooth surface that just the right amount of shadow was deposited, and it provided such luminance that I really didn’t need that much concealer on my undereye. That which I did apply went on soft and dewy.

The package has a great suggestion for amping the product up – keep it in the fridge, so when you apply it, not only will this fab cream be a little thicker, but the cold will take down puffiness in no time and add some lift to your eyes. I do this with a few products and it really does work – just make sure that everyone in the house knows not to eat your $49 eye cream…

1st Wrinkle Eye Cream also says it reduces dark circles and, as the name implies, wrinkles. I’m thrilled with the results after a week of use, and will continue to report back on ongoing results over the next few weeks of use.

Find Caudalie Pulpe Vitaminee 1st Wrinkle Eye Cream at Caudalie-USA.com.

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