REVIEW: L'Oreal Age Perfect Cell Renewal

I'm rather flexible with my skincare - apart from my Lancôme Visionnaire (which I am never EVER without), I often change my cleansers, toners, day serums and moisturisers, depending on where my skin is at, the season, or simply if a new range is introduced into the market and I want to give it a shot. I'm fortunate that I don't have to deal with breakouts, my blackheads are reasonably under control, my pore congestion comes and goes (boo!), and my wrinkles, well, they're a part of the ageing process, and I gave up unduly stressing about them at around age 48. 

While I've tried some frighteningly expensive brands of skincare, I've not found anything that really blows my skirt up as far as performance and results are concerned, so I'm always on the lookout for something affordable that does the job just as well as the $100+ products. Enter L'Oreal Age Perfect Cell Renewal :-)

I tried this Age Perfect range (minus the cell renewal part) years ago and wasn't all that impressed, but this classy gold packaging and new formula definitely has my attention :-) It all started with the toner - I was inspired to purchase it again after seeing it nominated for a beautyheaven Best in Beauty Awards 2013 (you can read my review of it here) and I was so enamoured with it's gentleness, fragrance and freshening qualities, I went straight back and bought the whole set! My discovery coincided with a special offer in Coles, so I managed to pick up all the above products for up to $14 off each of the usual prices. Very happy Jan :-)

L’Oréal Paris Age Perfect Toner RRP $13.95

While the toner & cleanser containers are plastic, the others are all made of glass. Although this is always a concern because of the potential for breakage, and they are quite heavy and would probably need to be decanted even for non-OS travelling, the look and feel is reasonably high-end and modern.  

Serum

The serum is excellent and I'm already onto my second bottle. It has a lovely fresh scent and absorbs within seconds leaving a slight golden radiance on the skin surface, and a delightful silky softness to my complexion. I'm usually wary of serums that have illuminating qualities, especially daytime ones, as they often react with my primer and ball up - happy to say that doesn't happen with this baby.

In the pic below right you can see how the cream has a gorgeous golden shimmer, and that little dollop on the lid is roughly three pumps, which is ample for my face, neck and decolletage (two will probably be enough for anyone else, I'm always generous with my serums).

L’Oréal Paris Age Perfect Cell Renewal Serum RRP $49.95

Day Cream

I was able to sample this on my skin in the supermarket (how rare is that?) - there was a rep doing a special promotion, so I had the advantage of rubbing some onto the back of my hand, and continuing on with my shopping. The cream is very very rich, and I was concerned it wouldn't absorb completely, always a problem for the oily areas of my combination skin. But by the time I was ready for the checkout, there was nothing left on the surface except the delicious (as yet unidentifiable) fragrance, and a smoothness and softness that sent me back down the beauty products aisle to pick up a jar.

L’Oréal Paris Age Perfect Cell Renewal Day Cream RRP $44.95

According to the blurb, it contains Natecium (which is supposed to encourage cellular regeneration), Pro-Calcium to strengthen the skin, and SPF 15. It's still a little early for me to tell if it's my new wonder cream, but I love the consistency, and how beautifully soft it makes my skin feel, without being greasy or compounding my shine problems. Again the blob in the above pic shows how much I use for face and neck.

This is the level after 2 months use, I reckon it will last another month

Night Cream

My original plan was to alternate this night moisturiser with my ritzy-ditzy expensive one (which is a little too rich to use every night), but I've actually been using this exclusively for several months, and am delighted with the results.With the same fresh fragrance and colour as the day product, the night cream is slightly thicker, and has a more waxy consistency. The box indicates this contains the same ingredients as the day cream, but obviously no SPF. As well as the intense hydration it pumps into my skin to get me through the night, there's no excess oil or greasiness the next morning.

L’Oréal Paris Age Perfect Cell Renewal Night Cream RRP $44.95

All up, I'm loving this range - specifically targeted for 50-70 year olds (not sure what I'm supposed to do when I turn 71 but I guess I'll find out lol), in my opinion it is high quality high performance for a reasonable price, and a bargain if you can find it on special. So far it hasn't clogged my pores, and it seems to give my drier patches the moisture boost they need without adding to the oil production in my T-zone. I haven't tried the Cleansing Milk as I've moved onto foaming cleansers, but I do so hope they bring out an eye cream as a companion :-)

What do you think of L'Oreal skin care? Have you found an affordable range that you're happy with?

Take care of you,

kats xxx

EOTM: "Your favourite October EOTD" Giveaway!

Just for fun I thought I'd have a special "mini" giveaway each month - only a baby one, but a regular one, and all you have to do is choose which of the previous month's kats colourings eye looks you like the most, and why. Easy peasy!

I'll number all the EOTD's and post the pics, along with details of the prize. If I can figure out how to get the Rafflecopter widget to work down the track, then well and good, otherwise it will just be the comments/how-you're-following-me deets kind of entry.

So to kick things off, the prize for this first mini monthly giveaway is the new Makeup Academy Ever After Matte Palette! I actually bought this for myself, but I can tell at a glance that the shades aren't the best for my colouring (they're a bit different in reality to how they appear on the MUA website, but the below pic is far more accurate), so I figured why not give it away to a good home? I'm a HUGE fan of just about all MUA shadows, but their mattes are particularly smooth, well pigmented, and unlike some other brands, totally matte :-)

All the October EOTD's are pictured below and numbered 1 to 8.

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This giveaway is now closed

Delighted to announce the winner of this Makeup Academy Ever After Matte palette is...

Trish

Congratulations hon! Please reply to the email I've sent to you before
Wednesday 27th November to claim your prize :-)

EDIT: Trish has emailed me and claimed her prize :-)

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To enter, you must follow me on Google Friend Connect, Bloglovin' or email, tell me in the comments section below which of the eight EOTD's pictured above is your favourite and why you like it, and include in your comment your email address, username (where applicable) and how you are following me (sorry Australian residents only).

Entries close midnight Saturday 23rd November 2013, and based on the most interesting answer, I will announce the winner on Sunday 24th November here on this page of kats colourings. The Winner will have till Wednesday 27th November to send me an email, or I will choose again.

Hope you'll join in the fun of this micro giveaway every month - I have quite a stash of brand new goodies in the cupboard, and they're no use to anyone there now are they? Good luck lovelies!

Take care of you,

kats xxx

Giveaway Terms & Conditions

1. Only one entry per person permitted.

2. To enter, you must follow me on Google Friend Connect, Bloglovin or email, comment on this post which is your favourite EOTD from the eight pictured above, and why you like it, and remember to include your GFC or Bloglovin' user name.

3. Include your email address in the comment.

4. This competition is open to Australian residents only.

5. This competition is hosted by katshepsutt via the kats colourings blog at katscolourings.blogspot.com.au.

6. The total prize consists of one MUA Ever After Matte Palette RRP AUD$6.75 + shipping.

7. Competition closes midnight Saturday 23rd November 2013 (Sydney time).

8. This competition is a game of skill and the winner will be based on the most interesting comment as judged by me, and notified by email and via a post on this page of kats colouring on Sunday 24th November 2013.

EOTD: Pastel Blue...

I mentioned in one of my earlier posts that I avoided blue eye shadow for several decades - I wore pale blue constantly in my younger days (all the way up to my eyebrows - ughh!) and it all became too boring. Of course it was the fashion at the time (a generational thing) and after wearing it to death and then giving it a miss for so long, I honestly thought it belonged in my past, and I'd never EVER go back to it.

And then one day a Revlon ColorStay 16 Hour Eyeshadow Quad called Serene came into my possession (how DO these things happen?), and I fell in love all over again with powder blue :-) But it wasn't all smooth sailing - these shadows are very sheer, and despite numerous attempts, I just couldn't get them to work for me. They'd almost disappear from my lids before I had a chance to take any pics - I tried various primers, cream bases, even my trusty essence white kajal, but the powders just wouldn't adhere. I thought I was destined to just sit and stare at the palette rather than get any wear out of it :-(

However, today I worked out the secret of how to bring out the beauty of these shadows - apply them over a matte base! (Sugarpill Tako to be precise) To be honest it usually annoys the hell out of me if I have to do something outside my usual routine to get a shadow to work, but in this particular case, I'm prepared to make the effort because it's just so darn pretty :-)

Here's what I used to create this look:


Eye of Horus Charcoal Obsidian Goddess Pencil for tight-lining
Essence white kajal all over the top lid
Sugarpill Tako (white) pressed over the top of that
Medium blue from the Revlon Serene quad over most of the white
Revlon matte Riviera Blue in the crease
bhcosmetics waterproof eyeliner in Midnight under the lower lashes and on the waterline (blended with essence white kajal)
MNY Master Precise Liquid Liner
MUA matte beige on the  hood
MNY The Falsies waterproof mascara

Well it just goes to show that persistence pays off - I'm both relieved and delighted to report that even now, 16 hours later, this pigment has not faded or shifted, and I can finally wear these gorgeous blues with confidence :-)

How do you feel about pastel blue eye shadow? Do you have any tricky shadows in your kit that don't want to stay put?

Take care of you,

kats xxx

EOTD: Aqua/Turquoise/Purple...

Couldn't resist this combo - three of my all time fave colours, all in the one look :-) 

In case you're wondering, multicoloured eyes are actually very easy to create - the only difficulty I ever have is in choosing which shades to combine, simply because the possibilities are endless. Even that gets easier the more often you give it a shot, but knowing what's in your kit is a big plus. Because I use my shadows just about every day, I can remember most of what I have, how well they apply (or not so well), and their intensity - this last component is a major one because the whole thing can turn out less than satisfactory if you use one shadow that overpowers the others.

Another factor is the degree of shimmer each one has - again, if one of them is super duper sparkly, you have to be careful where you position it so that it doesn't throw everything off-balance. Similarly, putting a matte directly alongside a shimmer can look a little whacky, unless you do them in layers working towards the back of the lid (patting mattes into the crease will just about always work out fine).

 

So here's the list of ingredients, somewhat longer than usual because of the mix of colours:

bhcosmetics liquid liner felt pen to tightline the upper lid

Maybelline Color Tattoo in Too Cool (white frost) as a base all over the lid

Starting with the inner corner...

essence 3D Irresistible Mermaid Kiss (aquamarine)

Urban Decay Peace (turquoise)

essence 3D Irrestible Blue Sky with a dab of UD Fishnet over the top

W7 Purple

Maybelline Master Precise Liquid Liner on the lower lashline smudged with W7 purple

essence White Kajal on the waterline

MUA matte beige on the hood

MNY The Falsies waterproof mascara

I blended all the joins between the colours with a soft brush - it doesn't take anything more than a gentle pressure to soften the edges so that the hues flow together. And blending works best when you apply the shadows dry :-)

Do you have a favourite colour combo? What's the wildest mix of colours you've ever tried?

Take care of you,

kats xxx