Review: Lancome Visionnaire Advanced Skin Corrector

Time for another Lancome review again, and while I must say that it has been a lot of fun trying out all the Lancome products found in my recent Lancome batch, I have to admit that I only got a sample size of the Lancome Visionnaire Advanced Skin Corrector. So I have not been able to try this for a very long time, only around a week.

I am not too bummed out about this, though, because while Lancome say that the Visionnaire Advanced Skin Corrector is a serum that tackles a ton of different skin care concerns, from wrinkles to large pores, marks, redness and more, I think that such miracle products are generally less good than products that focus specifically one one issue, wrinkles or large pores, for example. A serum that is supposed to do so many things, rarely does all of them well, and in my opinion, this is true for the Visionnaire Advanced Skin Corrector as well.

This serum does, however, have a lovely scent, as well as a nice texture, making it nicer than many other serums, but I cannot say I see any difference in my skin after using this. Not in a good way, and thankfully, not in a bad way either.

But given the rather hefty price tag of this serum, I am not sure I would buy it full price, since there are better serums out there, that do give me results.

It was still nice to give this serum a try, but for now, I think I will mainly stick to Lancome's mascaras, rather than venture into more skin care trials from this brand. They do mascaras really well, but I am not sure skin care is something they really excel in. (You might remember that while their eye cream was okay, it as not much more than that)

Review: Teint Idole Ultra 24H Foundation

Time for another Lancome review, out of my recent Lancome stash. This time it's for a foundation, the Teint Idole Ultra 24H that the saleslady recommended, since they did not have my favorite Bourjois foundation.

Since I have tried many bad foundations over the years, I must admit my hopes for the Lancome Teint Idole Ultra 24H were not that high, even if this is a Lancome product.

But I must say I was pleasantly surprised. I found a color that fits me perfectly, and makes my skin look great, but very natural (important for someone like me, who doesn't want to look like she is wearing makeup, even though she is), and the foundation looks good for a really long time, too, which cannot be said for most foundations.

The bottle is chic and easy to use, and the foundation also has a nice scent, again, something you cannot expect from most foundations. You also do not need to use large amounts of this foundation, because a little really goes a long way, so while this might be a bit of a pricey foundation for some, I think it would still be worth it because of that. And that helps create a more natural look as well, of course.

The only complaint I have about this foundation is that the coverage is not great. If you have any serious blemishes or discolorations, this foundation might not be able to help you, but it does a great job at hiding any small flaws you may have.

Review: Lancome Genifique Yeux Youth Activating Eye Cream

Out of all the Lancome products I currently have in my house, mentioned in my previous post, the first one I started using was the eye cream, which is not that surprising, because I have been using a lot of eye cream this winter, like I already mentioned in another recent post, the one about the Decleor eye cream, so I was curious to see how Lancome's would measure up.

And the answer is: the Lancome Genifique Yeux Youth Activating Eye Cream is okay, but not amazing. Here's why:

First of all, I know a lot of people probably love creams in jars. But I don't. They just feel less hygienic to me than tubes, somehow.

The packaging is nice, although not super unique or anything.

The texture is nice and light, making the Genifique Yeux a pleasant cream to apply.

The cream moisturizes decently, making the area around my eyes look less dry, but it does not really battle wrinkles and lines very seriously. So if you really have stuff to get rid of, so to speak, and you are looking for an eye cream to help you do that, this eye cream might not be for you. If you just need a little bit of moisture, this cream will give you that, I think.

This is why  I would actually say that this eye cream suits young people best, because they probably just want to add some moisture, without really having much else to worry about. However, I do not think they are the target audience for the Lancome Genifique Yeux Youth Activating Eye Cream, at least not based on the name the cream was given, so I think it is probably a bit less useful than some other eye creams out there for the 30 + set.

The price was okay when I bought this eye cream though, because 1. it was on offer and 2. they gave me a second full sized one for free, so I cannot complain about that, but had I bought this eye cream for the price you usually pay for it, I might have had a small complaint about that as well...

Coming up on the blog: Lancome reviews

I recently went to the pharmacy to pick up some mascara, since I am running out of the mascara I have been using for a while now. Of course, I wanted to get a Lancome mascara, since I have found that those are the best ones (at least for me and my lashes) out of the ones I have tried, so I was delighted to see that not only was there a great offer for Lancome mascaras, but for several other Lancome products too.

While I have been a fan of Lancome mascaras for quite some time, I never really tried their other products, so this was a good opportunity for me to try some other Lancome products, such as one of their foundations, an eye cream and some other stuff. So there will be quite a few Lancome reviews coming up on the blog once I have managed to give these a try.

Review: Lancome Tresor perfume

When shopping at Sephora in Paris, I was also given a sample of Lancome's scent Tresor, a scent I believe I have tried before, a long, long time ago. But I remembered nothing about this scent when I tried it again, and when I did, I understood why. It really isn't a scent that appeals to me in any way, you see. It feels like a typical old lady scent, somehow. So I would be very surprised if I caught a lot of young women wearing this.

It's a very sweet scent, with apricot flower, vanilla, peach and rose, just to mention a few of the notes, and it's rather strong too, so while I usually like both sweet and long lasting scents, this is just way too much for me!

I would imagine it would be a good option for people:
Who are looking for very strong, bold scents
Who are a bit older
and/or
Who are looking for something to wear to special occasions.

But an every day use perfume this is definitely not! And I doubt that I will ever be getting this scent myself, it just is not for me on any level. If I was offered a sample in the future, I might even turn that down, to be honest!

Review: Lancome by Alber Elbaz Hypnose Star mascara

Ok, so it's time to jot down a few thoughts on the second Lancome by Alber Elbaz mascara I bought a while ago. It's the Hypnose Star, that comes with a really cute blue and white design, that I simply love!

Since I really, really liked the other Lancome by Alber Elbaz mascara I bought, the Hypnose Drama, my hopes for this mascara were really high. But sadly, I didn't like the Hypnose Star as much as the Hypnose Drama, because it didn't really lengthen and thicken my lashes in the same way at all. I am really a fan of dramatic lashes, and the Hypnose Drama gives you just that, but the Hypnose Star doesn't.

The brush on this mascara isn't curved like the brush in the Hypnose Drama mascara, so I think putting the mascara on is also a bit more of a hassle, which is another downside. And unlike the Hypnose Drama (sorry for mentioning that mascara so much in this review, since it isn't really a Hypnose Drama review, but a Hypnose Star review, but the differences really are huge, and it's just easier to illustrate them by comparing the two!), this mascara actually both smudges and flakes, which is a big no-no of course.

So I must say that I didn't like the Hypnose Star at all, which was actually really surprising since the Hypnose Drama was actually one of the best mascaras I've ever tried! So it's kind of strange that the differences are so big. But since I did find one Lancome by Alber Elbaz mascara that really works for me, I don't really mind that much. And like I said, the packaging and the design on this is absolutely adorable, so it's still a really cute and fun item to have in your makeup bag!

Review: Lancome by Alber Elbaz Hypnose Drama mascara

This is another product from my Lancome by Alber Elbaz haul the other day, that actually turned out to be a really good one, just like the freebie mirror I reviewed yesterday.

The brush is slightly curved, which seems to work well for getting the mascara on, and while the brush doesn't look all that special if you ask me, it doesn't clump my lashes together at all, which I really liked. My lashes are really nicely defined, longer and thicker, which is exactly the look that I am normally going for, so this mascara really fits my needs perfectly.

The mascara also doesn't flake or smudge at all, even after several hours, which is great, since flaking is one of the main problems I normally have with mascaras.

Not to mention that the packaging is adorable as well. It is an Alber Elbaz design after all!

So I would definitely buy this mascara again, even in the normal, non-Alber Elbaz packaging, as the Hypnose Drama really is a very good mascara on it's own too.

Review: Lancome x Alber Elbaz mirror

Like I mentioned in my previous post about my Alber Elbaz for Lancome purchases, I actually got a really cute mirror when I bought my two mascaras, since there is apparently a campaign, at least where I live, that means you get a free bonus mirror when you buy two items from this lovely collection. And now I have had a chance to try this mirror a bit, and I have to say I really like it!

Not only does it look super cute (of course, it IS designed by Alber Elbaz, after all), it's also the perfect size. Some would call it a bit small maybe, but I actually think the size is really nice, since it's perfect for carrying around with you. I already have a mirror I use at home, and my Chanel mirror seems to look dirty (you can see every single finger print on it, basically) whenever I take it with me, so taking this instead is just great, I have to say!

It also seem to be of good quality, so I am not scared to use it, like I am with my Chanel one, so I have to say I would be willing to pay some good money for this mirror alone! But since I got it for free: even better!

That said, I don't really have much more to say about the mirror, even though I do love it. Because how exactly do you review a mirror, after all? But if you are wondering if it's worth getting something from this collection just to get the mirror, I would definitely say yes!

Shopped: Alber Elbaz for Lancome mascaras

I've been lusting after the Alber Elbaz for Lancome products since I first heard about them, way before they were actually on sale. So I was thrilled to actually find them in a local department store today!
Unfortunately, they didn't have all the items from the Alber Elbaz for Lancome line for sale, just mascaras as well as some eye shadows, and since I don't really use eye shadows (and should I decide to, I have quite a lot of them already, including brand new ones that have never even been opened!), I decided to just get 2 of the mascaras, that the sales lady recommended to me.

So I ended up with the Hypnose Drama

and the Hypnose Star

but apparently they also give you a small freebie, a really pretty pocket mirror, when you buy at least 2 products from the line, so I actually got three items!

I will be reviewing all of these products separately on the blog as soon as I've had a chance to use them for a bit. But for now I am just happy to finally be in possession of something from this line!

My favorite mascara of all times

This mascara is actually not something I've discovered recently or anything. Instead, I have been using this mascara for years already, but I still want to mention it since it is by far the best mascara I've tried, so as soon as I found it, I really saw no reason to get back to anything else.

I am talking of course about Lancome's L'extreme mascara, which I - if you didn't get it by now - highly recommend.

I am actually always thinking that I should try other Lancome mascaras as well, but since I am really so happy with this one, I simply never seem to get around to it.

Latest beauty buys

I recently ordered a mascara (my favorite: Lancome's L'Extreme) from Strawberrynet and they were kind enough to send me not only one present, but two, with the mascara itself. So I ended up getting the mascara itself, a Calvin Klein lipstick as well as a Max Wear lipcolor by Max Factor, all for the price of one mascara.

I am really looking forward to trying these products out, I've never tried Calvin Klein cosmetics before and as far as Max Factor goes, all I've ever tried from them is like a concealer or a foundation or something, and that was like 10 years ago. So it will be really interesting to see what their products are like too!

Before we get started

Let me tell you a little bit about me, what kind of beauty products I like generally, and what is important to me.

I am:
Slightly over 30 years old.
Married.
Someone who lives in a warm, humid climate.
Someone who does not have a lot of time, so I like products that do not require a lot of time.
A fanatic when it comes to skin care.

I think:
Natural and organic beauty products are awesome, so I look for them all the time.
Everything looks better when it's applied on great skin, so we should all care for our skin properly before looking at anything else.
Makeup can be fun, but should never be a chore.
Makeup for special occasions is even more fun.
The best products are not always the most expensive ones, but sometimes you do get what you pay for.
The right perfume and scent can make a huge difference.
Sometimes you need to feel girly and glamorous, and beauty products can help us do just that.

Some of my favorite brands are:
L'Occitane
MAC
Clarins
Dior
Chanel
Neutrogena
Lancome (especially their mascaras)
Lumene (a brand made for Scandinavian skin)
But I still have tons of other brands to try, and I also use products from tons of other brands as well on a regular basis.

(pic from Face Fitness Center)