Turnaround...every now and then I get a little (less flakey)

Clinique has a Turnaround line of products that I am completely obsessed with. Turnaround Concentrate Visible Skin Renewer, Turnaround Body Smoothing Cream, Turnaround Instant Facial, and Turnaround Radiance Peel Once-a-Week System. I have used Turnaround Concentrate for over a year now and it is perfection. On the face it makes your skin feel like silk, the feeling is unreal and addictive. It has salicylic acid in it which is perfect for my oilier skin. I put this on after my three step in the morning and I rarely have to touch up my makeup during the day whereas before using this, I would have to use oil blotting sheets and pressed powder several times a day.

All the Turnaround products, save the peel, continuously exfoliate your skin, that's what gives the radiant look. These products, again save the peel, are great for all skin types. Continuous exfoliation keeps breakouts at bay, keeps flakies at bay, and gives the skin an amazing glowing look. The Instant Facial is replacing the Turnaround 15-minute facial, I guess 15 minutes was just too long to wait, and it mimics in-office microdermabrasion. This stuff is amazing...it takes off any dead skin cell that every thought of being on your face; but surprisingly, not in a harsh way. The Instant Facial leaves your skin looking radiant (again!) and fresh, it's addictive too. The Body Smoother and Peel just came out. I haven't used the Peel yet but I hear it's perfect for those addicted to exfoliation, like me. It's a bit pricey at $55 but I'm going to use my Belk rewards dollars towards the kit after Christmas! Merry Christmas to me! The Body Smoother is so yummy. It's a blessing for feet but I also love it on my hands and arms at night. I can't wait until summer when short sleeves and sleeveless are more realistic....my arms are going to be glowing!

Thanks Clinique for making me glow like a Cullen (without those nasty other "side-effects" required to glow like a Cullen!)

Eye Cream From Heaven!

OK, this is gross but I know I'm not the only one out there with this problem: sometimes my eyes get goopy. Yes, I said it, goopy. I am absolutely fabulous but I get goopy eyes...oh, the humanity! Let me explain lest you misinterpret my use of the word goopy. At first I thought it was certain eye shadow colors but I have determined it is not eyeshadow but mascara that leaves me with the goop. When I have the goopy eyes my lids and under eye area swells, turns red, and itches like I've put on a poison ivy eye mask. There is actual goop coming out of the eye as well, it's completely disgusting but fun if you want to scare people by making them think you have pink eye. The technical term is, surprisingly, not goopy eyes, but contact dermatitis, and it sucks. Some people can develop sensitivities to cosmetics, skin care products, or even laundry detergent from what I understand. From my own research it seem that people can develop contact dermatitis in reaction to almost anything. Mascara in my case. Despite my love for Clinique, I've got to call them out on this one. I have tried and tried to convince myself and my eyes that it is not Clinique mascara that is the culprit but there really is no question anymore. Whenever I wear a Clinique mascara, doesn't matter the kind: high intensity, high impact, lash doubling, long pretty lashes, I get the goop and it just doesn't happen with my Lancome mascaras. Thank you Lancome for not attempting to blind me!

However, it is Clinique eye cream that saves the day. Hmmm, maybe that's the plan, give you eye goop then make the best de-goopifier out there. The miracle I'm referring to is All About Eyes. All About Eyes addresses dark circles and puffiness and is SO soothing to my goopy eyes. I use it every day for the dark circles and puffiness issues but when I've got the goop it makes my upset eyes calm down like nothing else. Thank you Clinique for making my eyes swell then soothing them like a dope fiend who has just scored another, desperately needed, hit. In dire emergencies I have also resorted to Clinique's Urgent Relief Cream from the Redness Solutions line. It's dermatologist tested hydrocortisone cream, basically, but it helps "get the red out" when I've got the goop and don't have the luxury of hiding in my house all day. I figure if it is dermatologist tested it probably won't blind me...

Sephora Christmas Catalogue

Every year I eagerly await the arrival of my Sephora Holiday catalogue. I can always count on Sephora to fill the catalogue with happiness and joy and makeup! Not just makeup but expensive makeup, the best kind. The more expensive the better I say (when I'm under the intoxicating influence of the Sephora Christmas catalogue). The makeup on the models in the catalogue is intoxicating, I need to know who their makeup artist is, they are very creative! There are several items I am particularly excited about this year and I want to spread the love to those who aren't getting the Sephora catalogue (go to their website and order one immediately!)

This year I am so excited about palettes. I'm not talking a few colors in a compact palette but more like a train case filled with fabulousness...who doesn't want that?! There are two, in particular, that I am currently coveting, the Sephora Blockbuster palette and the Too Faced World Domination Tour Set. The Blockbuster palette has 84 eye shadows (!!!), 60 lip colors (!!!), 6 blushes and powders, and eye liner, lip liner, and 7 brushes and, here's the best, most ridiculous part, it's only $48! How do they do that? Not that I don't already have 84+ eye shadows but just the thought of having them all in one box is incredibly thrilling. I recently saw several palettes at the drug store but I know they are filled with crappy cosmetics, that is another reason I am so excited about the Sephora Blockbuster this year, I know that Sephora makes quality cosmetics that I would actually want to put on my face. I wonder how long it would take me to use 84 eye shadows and 60 lip colors?

The Too Faced World Domination Tour set is too cute not to mention. Where the Sephora set wins in the quantity department, the packaging is pretty no frills basic. The Too Faced set, on the other hand, wins in the cutest packaging EVER category. It looks like a music box from the 50's, complete with sassy dancer on spring at the top! It is $42 but only has 8 eye shadows, 6 glosses, 2 bronzers, and a few other things I'm not too excited about, but the box it's in completely makes up for the lack of cosmetics inside. I do have one Too Faced eyeshadow that I'm not in love with, but I am willing to give them a second chance, they have won me over with their packaging (oh, how easily I'm swayed!).

Sephora suggested it and I second the emotion that Philosophy has created the perfect hostess gift...the Philosophy Celebrate Bucket. It looks like a gallon of ice cream and it is filled with delicious shampoo, shower gel, and bubble bath in Pink Bubbly, Lavender Bubbly, and Pomegranate Bubbly flavors. YUM!!! Philosophy is one of my favorites and I love to share my favorite beauty products with friends. What better way to thank your hostess than this ice cream bucket filled with wonderfullness?! Philosophy has another set for the holidays that is filled with my favorite fragrance of theirs of all time...Amazing Grace. If you haven't smelled this one, I insist you get yourself to a Philosophy retailer immediately and sniff, you'll be totally addicted! There is a layering set for the holidays that includes a perfumed shimmer lotion (!!!), spray fragrance, and perfumed shampoo, body wash, and bubble bath. I'd layer this, maybe layer it twice!!!! Thank you Philosophy for making the yummiest bath products in the world, I am much obliged.

Maybe I don't even need Christmas presents, maybe the Sephora Christmas Catalogue is gift enough...oh wait, NO!

Neutrogena Wants to be Clinique

I have noticed in the last few months that Neutrogena, drug store brand extraordinaire, has been copying Clinique's print ads and their product packaging. Yes, I know Clinique is awesome, but shouldn't Neutrogena develop their own marketing campaign instead of parading as a cheaper version of Clinique? Neutrogena has even tricked the Indistructable Cheerleader herself to hock their "new" customized skincare. PLEASE! Clinique has been using those exact words since the 1960's. News flash Neutrogena, it's only NEW to you.

Yuuuum...Rinse-off Foaming Cleanser

Please do not take the last post and this one and think that I have been brainwashed by Clinique. I have not (not that I know of anyway, but I guess that's the point). They just have some GREAT stuff. I'll get to some other brands later...promise.

There is nothing as satisfying to me as washing away a day's worth of make-up and grime with Clinique's Rinse-off Foaming Cleanser at night. It's creamy and foamy and delicious and it takes EVERYTHING off! But yet, it doesn't dry my skin...the perfect combination of everything a makeup remover should do. It's great for people with dry to oily skin. There is a gel cleanser that some people with oily skin, like mine, prefer for that squeaky-clean feeling, but that one makes my skin too dry afterwards. I don't want to literally be squeaking! A little goes a long way and it takes me forever to go through a tube of this stuff so don't worry about the cost, I promise it's worth it. Plus, if you get something from Clinique you don't like you can always take it back! OK, I'll get off my Clinique high horse now...to go wash my face!

Clinique Three Step...Got Glow?

To steal a Clinique catch phrase...Got Glow? I DO! And it's all because of my beloved Clinique 3-step. Cleanse, exfoliate, moisturize = perfect (literally) skin.

You might be wondering if I've always been this excited about skin care and the general condition of my skin...NO! Long story, well, long. I didn't have a blemish until I was 18 then spent several years with mild acne, a blemish here and there but there was always something gross going on. Then I entered a doctoral program which quickly led to cystic acne...again, v. gross. I used every thing out there...over the counter treatments, Proactive, Dermatologist EVERYTHING, and it seemed like my skin was getting worse. Then I was on Accutane for six months. Yes, my skin was clear, but now my liver doesn't work (I don't know this for sure, that's mere speculation!). Perfect skin for right at a year then it came back...IT CAME BACK!!!

I thought, "I'll spend as much money as I can and surely that will keep these nasty blemishes away." Lancome, Murad, Mario Badescu...NOTHING. Then, after spending ridiculous amounts of money and seeing little if any results, I remembered Clinique 3-step. That's what people used in high school so I thought it was only for teenagers...WRONG! Since I was correctly skin typed by a Clinique Consultant and started using Liquid Facial Soap (oily), Clarifying Lotion (3), and Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel, my skin has been, after say, the first month, completely clear minue maybe one tiny blemish every few months. I couldn't believe it...I spent thousands of dollars on skin care that didn't work, destroyed my liver, and Clinique had been patiently waiting there for me the entire time...waiting to clear my skin! WOW am I good at making choices.

So, what have we learned from this? Expensive does not mean effective, daily exfoliation is a freakin' miracle, and you should all be using Clinique 3-step twice a day!