Biotherm Aquasource - Deep Hydration Replenishing Gel, Nuit High Density Hydrating Jelly and Deep Serum

A few months back I was able to attend a presentation from Biotherm about their Aquasource line - which was actually one of my first experiences with the brand, with the exception of a BB cream I had sampled previously. (If you follow my Instagram, I posted some pictured from the event.) Since I had not previously used anything from Biotherm, I wanted to give myself several weeks of testing time with the new products to get a better gauge of how they performed for my combination, leaning-to-dry-because-of-this-damn-winter-that-will-not-end skin.

If you're a skin-care geek, you'll note that the formulations contain some unique ingredients and sophisticated formulations.

The Aquasource - Deep Hydration Replenishing Gel for Normal or Combination Skin (47$ CAD - 39$ USD) features:

Mannose - a natural sugar derived from tree pulp, it increases skin thickness by 25% and helps it further retain moisture over a 48 hour period. Tested on reconstructed skin, it has the ability to encourage skin regeneration.

Life Plankton™ Cellular Water - a blend of minerals, including potassium, phosphor, calcium, iron, Zinc, copper and manganese, as well as b2 (riboflavin), b6 (pyridoxine), b8 (biotin) and b3 (pp). It is also rich in 23 amino acids ranging from aspartic acid to lysine. This fluid aids in preventing moisture loss and stimulates skin regeneration.

Jelly!

The texture of this is really neat, something in between a cream and a gel. It goes on light and cool-feeling, like a gel would, but once smoothed in it feels the same as a an oil-based moisturizer would, only without that heavy, greasy feeling. It does contain shea butter and silicone oils in addition to the unique ingredients, as well as alcohol to keep that lightweight, airy feel in the formulation. (I was told that the potential drying effects of the alcohol are negated by the hydrating factors, but if your skin is  particularly dry or sensitive, you might want to take that into consideration.)

On my skin type, I found it was perfect for when my skin was optimal (slightly oily in the t-zone, dehydrated everywhere), but wasn't quite enough for when the central air was turning me into an extra from The Mummy. (Not unexpectedly, as it is geared to normal/combination skin.)

The Aquasource Nuit - High Density Hydrating Jelly for All Types of Skin (50$ CAD - 42$ USD) contains:

P. Antarctica - sourced from a newly discovered micro-organism that produces a glycoprotein enabling it to maintain its internal water levels even in the frozen climate of Antarctica. The extract derived from this extreme weather survivor increases the production of new keratinocytes (new, fresh cells in the skin)by up to 25% after just 48 hours, boosting the skin’s overall capacity to hold water.

This has an even cooler texture than the moisturizer. Basically an oil-in-gel formula, it contains micro-droplets of oil that are 10 to 20 times smaller than those found in the usual moisturizers or oil-in-water emulsions. Despite the jelly-like texture, I could feel it transforming into a light balm as I massaged it into my skin. That super-light film took about a minute or two to absorb completely, and my skin afterward felt incredibly soft and supple, with a velvety smoothness. The Aquasource Nuit is my favourite out of the three products, and one I continue to use on a nightly basis. If you have dry skin, you may need to layer something richer over it, but so far I haven't needed to, even on my drier days. It doesn't have anti-aging ingredients as such, though, so if that is a concern you will definitely need to add an appropriate product to address those needs.

The Aquasource Deep Serum - Deep Moisture and Light Concentrate (60$ CAD) contains the same Mannose and Life Plankton™ Cellular Water as the moisturizer, but in a 3x greater concentration. It also has a micro-pearl formulation (essentially fine mica), for an extra light-boosting effect that lends a beautifully unified finish to the complexion.

Again, the feeling on the skin is fresh, lightweight, and it sinks in immediately. The combination of the hydrating ingredients with the luminous finish makes for a flattering complexion boost. If you're not inclined to wear much makeup, this by itself does a lot to create the look of smooth, glowing skin.

Overall, I think this is an elegantly designed line with ingredients and textures that are unusual enough to stand out from the usual counter offerings, and effective enough to merit some serious attention. Though it's not ideal for those with drier skin or anti-aging concerns, the lightweight formulations should be especially appealing to those with normal-to-slightly-oily skin who need that boost of hydration but who cannot tolerate a greasy feeling.

These swatches suggest the kind of jelly/gel texture these products have:

Left to right: Aquasource Moisturizer, Aquasource Nuit, Aquasource Deep Serum

Availability: At Biotherm counters at Hudson's Bay and Pharmaprix/Shoppers Drug Mart locations, as well as online at www.biotherm.ca and www.lancome-usa.com.

Have you guys tried anything from the Biotherm line? I have a couple of products from their dry/mature skin line to test next, and I'm really curious to see how they stack up. :)

(These items were provided by the brand/PR to be considered for review. All opinions are my own, this post is not sponsored or compensated.)

Philosophy Time in a Bottle

Skincare products are the hardest thing to review. More so than cosmetics, which have immediate and visible measurables (texture, pigmentation, longevity), skincare really needs to be used for several weeks to gauge any kind of effect. And then you can't really be 100% sure that any changes you've noticed are due to the product, the interaction of that product with another one, or a variety of lifestyle or environmental changes.

That said, I'll do my best for Philosophy's Time in a Bottle, because I think for the right skin type, it's pretty extraordinary.

According to Philosophy, Time in a Bottle promises to "defy the appearance of all major signs of aging" by "helping to promote skin's natural renewal and protections processes".

It is indeed loaded with a LOT of antioxidants and skin-benefiting extracts, and has mix-when-you're-ready format for integrating the high potency vitamin C (the little pink jar in the photo below). The later helps to preserve the vitamin C's integrity, and effectiveness.

Ingredients: Water, Dimethicone, Alcohol Denat., Bis-Peg-18 Methyl Ether Dimethylsilane, Cyclopentasiloxane, Peg-8, Butylene Glycol, Polyethylene, Glycerin, Dimethiconol, Methoxy Peg-18, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Coffee Arabica (Coffee) Seed Extract, Pongamia Pinnata Seed Extract, Angelica Archangelica Root Extract, Citrus Aurantium Amara (Bitter Orange) Peel Extract, Punica Granatum Fruit Extract, Plankton Extract, Ptfe, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Peg-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Squalane, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Tocopherol, Polysorbate 60, Lecithin, Sclerotium Gum, Hydrolyzed Soy Flour, Retinyl Palmitate, Propylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Micrococcus Lysate, Bacillus Ferment, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Maltodextrin, Trisodium Edta, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Disodium Edta, Sodium Phosphate, Sodium Hydroxide, Potassium Phosphate, Potassium Chloride, Sorbic Acid, Adenosine, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Parfum/Fragrance, 1,2-Hexanediol, Silica, Xanthan Gum, Ascorbic Acid, Lactic Acid, Sodium Chloride, Alcohol, Acetic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Bht, Mica, Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891).

Kind of overwhelming to look at, but the fact that the extracts and antioxidants are right up there as opposed to the end of the list is a good indicator that they're not token amounts, good for nothing but label appeal.

A couple of the more interesting ones I found while googling the ingredients:

Coffee Arabica (Coffee) Seed Extract - helps to smooth and tighten the skin, and protect against photo-aging. (Link to survey of studies.)

Bifida Ferment Lysate - has been shown to reduce skin sensitivity. (Link to study.)

Pongamia Pinnata Seed Extract - has been shown to reduce inflammation. (Link to study.)

Squalane has a pretty established skincare record as a great lubricant and moisturizer, as does glycerine as a humectant. This formulation also contains alcohol - and a lot of it, as it is a primary ingredient. While this does give the serum a very lightweight feel and is a good carrier for the extracts and other ingredients, it can exacerbate dry skin, or provoke an overcompensation of oil production.

Despite the alcohol content, I am extremely fond of this product for the effect it has on my skin, and the loads of positive comments I have received about how nice my skin looks on days that I've used it.

I think in terms of creating a smoother, firmer, more radiant-looking skin, Time in a Bottle wins across all categories. The effects were marginally visible after one use, and more so with every use until the difference was obvious at one week. My skin looked more taut, the grain appeared finer, and my pores looked diminished. I also had a definite glow that wasn't shiny or shimmery.

As nice as the effects were, they were magnified dramatically when I applied makeup. I don't know if it altered the way my foundation sat on my skin, but something about it also provides an excellent priming function. The effect was most pronounced with my Lancome Teint Visionnaire (which has skincare benefits as well), but it made all of my foundations look smoother, more radiant, more skin-like, and with near invisible pores. Friends, family, even random makeup counter SAs stopped to tell me how lovely my skin looked.

All that to say - this is almost my new best friend. However, I do find that I have to take occasional breaks from it, or else reserve it for days when I need my skin to look outrageously good. When I used it for four weeks straight, I found that my skin started to get more distinctly combination - oilier in my oily areas, more dry in my dry areas. Not dramatically so, but enough that I noticed. It's worth mentioning that this is also the time of the year when heating and dry air can wreak havoc with my complexion, so it's difficult to parse out how much the alcohol component is responsible.

As of right now, I'm using it part of the time, and almost like a primer for it's skin-smoothing and tightening properties. (Though I still layer a moisturizer over it in my dry areas.) It might not be true love, but it's pretty darn close!

Availability: At Sephora stores and online, as well as www.philosophy.com. Price is 74$ CAD and USD.

Have any of you tried Time in a Bottle? Has it been a skin saviour for you?

(This item was provided by the brand/PR to be considered for review. This post is not sponsored or compensated. Contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own.)

The week in samples - UD foundation, Guerlain and Dermalogica skin stuff, Biotherm BB cream, Bare Minerals (pressed!) foundation

I've wanted to do one of these posts for a while now, but while I hoard samples like a manic squirrel, I can never seem to use them up. This last week was a perfect opportunity, however, as I had to fly out to Toronto for work. Since I prefer not to check my luggage, I stuffed that little plastic baggie from airline security full of little tubes and packets.

My skin tends to act up when I travel, so I grabbed these two acne-fighting packets from Dermalogica.

Dermalogica Clear Start Wash Off - This has nice mix of pimple-busting ingredients, including Tea Tree oil and salicylic acid, plus a variety of extracts. For a foaming wash aimed at acne-prone skin I found it surprisingly non-drying. It was refreshing, left my skin feeling smooth and soft, not tight. It has an herbal scent, which is pleasant. I'm not sure if it did anything extraordinary though, since the various extracts and other beneficial ingredients didn't stay on my skin for very long. At the very least it did nothing catastrophic. Won't be purchasing a full size.

Dermalogica Clear Start Hit The Spot - This one is chock-full of stuff. Extracts galore, plus zinc sulfate, sulfur and that Tea Tree again. The smell is FAR more pungent - the sulfur adds a certain egg-y odor that does NOT dissipate as the day wears on. It's unfortunate because this is actually an incredibly effective spot treatment. It reduces redness and swelling, somehow getting the spots to simmer down to less volcanic levels immediately, and renders them irrelevant within a couple of days.

Really awesome, and I will definitely be purchasing a full size - to use at night, when only my beloved can be tortured by my egg-salad-smelling face.

I also wanted to bring a cleanser option from Fresh that I knew would be gentle, in case the one above turned out to be too harsh. Since I wouldn't be packing by regular Hydraluron tube and Cerave lotion, I figured a serum/lotion from Guerlain would be fine.

Fresh Soy Face Cleanser - This was ok. I can't say anything more dramatic than that. It cleaned my skin, it was gentle, it smelled vaguely like cucumbers. It's good, not mind-blowing, and the full size is pricy. I'm sure I could find something comparable from the drugstore.

Guerlain Super Aqua-Serum Intense Hydration Wrinkle Plumper - Even though this is a serum, it has a milky-lotion texture and provides more hydration that a serum typically does. It also has hyaluronic acid, which is my jam these days. It did a fine job of moisturizing and keeping the fine lines around my eyes under control. Plump, even. :P

It also smells AMAZING. I know - fragrance in skincare isn't a selling point, but I'm not generally reactive to scent and this has that classic rose/violet/awesome smell that most Guerlain products do. But....I'm not ready to spend upwards of 100$ on one skincare item. Not yet anyway. I will treasure you always, Sample Guerlain Tube, but we are not meant to be.

I didn't want to pack a foundation bottle, so I tried to make do with a BB cream from Biotherm and the new pressed foundation from Bare Minerals.

Biotherm Aquasource BB Cream - This is really nice, though definitely heavier on the moisturizer than the coverage. I rubbed it in all over, and sort of tapped more on areas that were more red (thankfully my cheek area, which is the driest portion of my face). The coverage is about what I would expect for a tinted moisturizer, and the overall effect is natural, healthy and luminous. With a touch of concealer and powder, it would work beautifully for low-maintenance days. And it smells awesome too! Super fresh and yummy. I want a body cream that smells like that.

Bare Minerals Ready SPF 20 Foundation - Urgh. I wanted to like this. I love pretty much everything I've tried from their Ready line, but this was just powdery and weird, and sat on top of the skin in a cake-y mess. I don't know if maybe I just got a bum sample, but I'm definitely not enticed into trying a full-sized version.

Motivated by this successful sampling program, I tested another foundation when I got home.

Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Ultra Definition Liquid Makeup - (Why with the endlessly long product names??) I mixed two shades because the 3.5 is a touch too pink and the 2.0 is a bit too light. The result still skewed a little too rosy on me, but wearable. I remember trying this foundation when it first came out, and being unimpressed. The coverage seemed poor and it got all caught up in the dry parts of my face. I was using a brush to apply it then, and I think that was part of the problem.

This time I used my hands, but not in a rubbing motion. For lack of a better term, I pretty much "slapped" this foundation on. Smeared a bit between my fingers and slapped it around my face, dabbing more precisely around my nose and over areas that needed extra coverage. I got medium coverage out of it that way, and it looked incredibly natural, neutralized the appearance of pores, and felt incredibly lightweight. The finish is satin, veering towards dewy on the nose about middway through the day, so I need some powder to set it and/or maybe a primer - but the finish is so nice, I'm considering a bottle purchase.

So I think that was a successful sample spree, no? Now I'm itching to make my way through more of my stash!