For years I neglected the skin on my neck. I skipped using SPF and moisturizer on it for most of my life, and I think my neglect has started to show, boo!

Last year, hoping to make up for lost time, I started religiously using moisturizer and sunscreen on my neck, but lately I’ve been wondering if a special, targeted uber-neck cream would work better than regular ol’ moisturizer.

While hella expensive, Clarins makes one that sounds like it’s worth a try: Advanced Extra-Firming Neck Cream ($80).

From the Clarins website:

“The ultimate firming neck treatment that enhances skin’s youthful-looking appearance for women over 40. This targeted treatment helps firm and smooth away lines and wrinkles as it immediately lifts.”

I asked a Clarin’s makeup artist about the cream, and she was totally convinced it worked better than basic moisturizer. Hmm… Part of me wants to believe, but the other half can’t get past the $80 price.

At night, I’ve just been using whatever moisturizer I use on my face, and then during the day wear that same moisturizer beneath a layer of SPF.

What do you gals do to take care of the skin on your neck?

Do you just use your regular moisturizer, or do you think it’s worth investing in a separate neck cream?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Gobble, gobble: A Big Fat HELL-TO-THE-NO to Turkey Neck

Ladies, ladies, ladies … I feel like I can’t say this enough. Start taking care of your neck early! Cause if you don’t, you just might develop a weird complex about your neck lines when you turn, oh, 32!

I dream of finding a neck cream that will turn back all the years of my lack of sunscreen wearing (kicking myself for not starting earlier!). So from here on out your girl is gonna be like I LOVE NY 2 when it comes to neck creams! I’m gonna find a neck cream that actually works … even if it kills my ass.

One neck cream that I’ve been using lately is Clinique’s Zero Gravity Repairwear Lift ($52.50). It’s an anti-aging moisturizer with retinol. There are three versions: oily/combination skin, dry/combination skin and very dry skin. I’ve been using the dry/combo skin version for the last month. I put it on my neck at night after toning, and again in the morning before sunscreen.

Big hearts for:
Product texture. I hate products that leave you with a sticky neck, ewwww! Thank goodness Zero Gravity Repairwear Lift has a nice texture that doesn’t leave a greasy, sticky film. It sinks in quickly, has a slightly medicinal scent, which I dig, and after application my neck feels nice and dry!
Moisturization properties. The texture of my neck feels softer and more supple since I started using this religiously.
Evenness in tone. I have noticed that there’s less contrast between the deeper neck lines and the rest of the skin on my neck, and the tone and texture of my skin is more consistent.

Little hearts for:
Price. I wish it were cheaper, but I gotta say that the jar is HUGE. You do get a lot for your money. And for the superior texture and the moisturizing properties, I’d pay for this over and over again.
Complete neck line eradication. I wonder sometimes if we’re set up to believe in skin care miracles because I’ve yet to find a neck cream that truly erases deep neck lines. However, I have to point out that even though the neck lines haven’t been thoroughly zapped away, I have noticed visible improvement in skin texture and tone.

You might heart it if:
- Your skin responds well to retinol products.
- Your neck lines aren’t too pronounced and you need a preventative product.
- You’re a fan of Clinique skin care products.

Are you a Clinique skin care girl? What do you recommend I try next?

I have today off so I’m going to do some cleaning, blogging and I’m going to take a much-delayed trip to the Chanel Counter. Will be back in a few hours with some looty-loot-loot!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Do you smell that?

It’s the scent of my new sunscreen crush, Clinique Sun SPF 30 Face Cream ($17.50).

Part of Clinique’s new 10-piece Sun Protection line of face and body products, Clinique Sun SPF 30 Face Cream is an oil-free, quick-absorbing sunscreen offering protection against both UVA and UVB rays.

But its scent, or lack thereof, is what sets it apart.

The lightly moisturizing formula doesn’t leave my skin feeling greasy or sticky, so I can use it on my face AND my neck. Plus, it dries to an invisible, matte finish — no gray or white cast on my brown skin.

In terms of texture, Clinique’s Sun Face Cream feels thick and rich (a little goes a long way).

My favorite thing about it has to be the scent. Clinique nailed it down. You know how most sunscreens smell so “sunscreeny”? Sun Face Cream doesn’t. I mean it does, but it’s very faint.

Outdoorsy, active girls should love the stuff because it resists sweat and water like a champ. I’ve been applying it before going outside for runs lately, and it doesn’t sting my eyes as sweat trickles down from my forehead.

Unfortunately, it’s Clinique, so it’s not the cheapest sunscreen around…

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I guess part of this debate boils down to volume: powder eyeshadow shades outnumber cream colors within most makeup lines.

That’s why I lean toward powder eyeshadows, but when I’m pressed for time I reach for creams. Not as broad a selection of colors, but I can apply creams faster than powders. I call ‘em finger-friendly.

Which do you prefer and why? Are you a powder eyeshadow devotee or a cream shadow fanatic?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

I’ve always tried to take care of my skin, applying sunscreen every day and moisturizing on a regular basis, but I haven’t always been good about taking care of the skin on my neck.

Lotions tend to make my neck feel sticky (I can’t stand that feeling!), but I don’t want to end up with wrinkled turkey neck. I’ve tested different moisturizers over the years and finally found one that doesn’t cause sticky neck: Olay Definity Deep Penetrating Foaming Moisturizer ($29).

It’s a quick absorbing mousse like Olay Quench Mousse body moisturizer and feels light as air. But most importantly for me, it doesn’t leave a gross, sticky film when I use it on my neck.

The bottle says it contains a glucosamine complex “…to allow the natural rebuilding of skin’s collagen structure and diminish the appearance of discolorations like dullness and brown spots.”

I put it to the test.

Each day for a month I applied Olay Definity Deep Penetrating Foaming Moisturizer (say that five times fast!) to my neck, shoulders and collar bone area in the morning and at night before bed. Not only have I noticed softer skin, but my skin tone appears more even than it was before the test. I used to have a few slightly discolored patches on my neck and shoulders, but now those patches are gone.

I was so happy with the results on my neck that I tried using it on my face. Unfortunately, I think that’s where my luck ran out. My cheeks and forehead are prone to breakouts, and they didn’t like Definity very much. After a few days I broke out in tiny pimples.

So, I’ll stick to using it on my neck, shoulders and collar bone area. No problem. I’m so glad I’m fully moisturized and don’t have a sticky neck!

Yep, $29 is a bit steep, but it only takes a small dab the size of a gum ball to cover a large area. That makes the price a little easier to stomach.

Olay Definity Deep Penetrating Foaming Moisturizer

Price: $29
Use: As a neck and/or facial moisturizer
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A

If you like to shop online, I just found it on sale at drugstore.com for $20!

Daily Photo

It was hotter than hades here today, so Tabs decided to kick it old school with me indoors. Here’s his striped butt relaxing on my writing chair, which, coincidentally, sits right in front of the fan.

Smart cat.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Product: Olay Age Defying Daily Renewal Cream Beta Hydroxy Complex
Use: As an anti-aging facial moisturizer
Price: $9.49 for a 2.0 oz jar
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: C

Why I bought it
My birthday is right around the corner and all I have to say is 25 was a looooooong time ago, ya’ll. I don’t know if the upcoming birthday is the catalyst for all of these anti-aging products that I’ve been using as of late, but hey, it never hurts to get a head start, right?

I’ve been using different AHA (alpha hydroxy acid) products, and although I’ve been mostly happy with the results, I thought I’d try something new with BHA (beta hydroxy acid) product, which is why I picked up this jar of Olay Age Defying Daily Renewal Cream Beta Hydroxy face moisturizer.

What it’s supposed to do
Olay Age Defying Daily Renewal Cream is for normal, dry, oily or combination skin. This oil-free face and neck cream is supposed to significantly reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and lift away dull, dry skin. The beta hydroxy acid, salicylic acid, is the fourth ingredient listed.
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Lately, my skin has been drier than the Sahara. In my 20s (*ahem!*), I never thought about moisturizing. I had oily skin. To protect against sun damage, I would apply a layer of Oil of Olay Complete SPF 15 in the morning, but that was it.

Now, however, I’m in my early-30s, and dry skin, especially on my face, is one of my top skin concerns. Turns out that as we get older, skin tends to get drier. The glands that produce oil under our skin don’t work as well as they used to; that causes skin cells to clump together in flakes and scales (oh, joy!) and dulls our complexion.

Everyone’s skin changes with age, but for women dry skin strikes earlier than it does for men. Guys experience moisture loss in their skin later in life than women do. A woman’s skin tends to become considerably drier after menopause. Thankfully, there’s moisturizer.

How to spot dry skin…

Ordinary dry skin is known as xerosis. It’s not serious but can be seriously not cute to look at, especially when it causes fine lines and wrinkles. The severity of one’s dry skin problems varies depending on age, hydration (drink that water, ya’all!), overall health, genetics, the climate where you live and the amount of time you spend outside.

Typical symptoms of dry skin due to normal aging are…

• Skin tightness, especially after showering, bathing or swimming
• Skin that looks dull or dehydrated
• Skin that feels and looks rough
• Itching
• Slight to severe flaking, scaling or peeling
• Fine lines or cracks
• Unusual redness

Frequent causes of dry skin…

Some people inherit dry skin problems, so if mom and dad are always slathering on the lotion, chances are you’ll eventually find yourself in the same boat.

And a lot of people don’t realize that dry skin can be a worse problem in winter than it is in summer. The closer temps get to freezing, the lower the amount of moisture in the air outside, but indoors, central heating and air conditioners, wood-burning stoves, space heaters and fireplaces also lower indoor humidity and make dry skin even worse.

It’s raining moisture, hallelujah!

Here in NorCal, it’s chilly outside and the heater is on 24-7. Lately, the skin on my face has been so tight and uncomfortable, and I’ve developed a few red, dry patches that not even my tried-and-true Clinique Moisture On-line moisturizer was able to heal.

I was nervous to try MAC Moisturelush Cream because I had a bad incident with MAC Green Gel Cleanser last spring that left me with a less-than-stellar opinion of MAC’s skin care products. Lord knows I loves me some MAC, but I wasn’t a believer in their skin care line. Since “the incident,” I’ve been hesitant to try anything new from them.

But I sucked it up, took a chance, and I’m sure glad I did. Both Moisturelush Cream and its eye cream counterpart deliver the goods. Both have made a huge difference in my skin, and they haven’t broken me out (…yet, knock on wood!). If you need heavy duty moisturization with no anti-aging bells and whistles, then run — don’t walk — to your MAC counter and snag both of these moisturizing miracles ASAP!

Product: MAC Moisturelush Cream
Price: $30
Use: As a hydrating cream for face and neck
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A+

Official Moisturelush Cream Product Profile:
A densely hydrating face cream that helps to moisturize and protect facial skin. This new formula provides immediate moisturization while creating soft and luscious skin. Provides rich lasting moisture, moisturizes dry, chapped skin and maintains skins natural barrier. Glides on easily with a a silky application and ample playtime. This comfortable, non-drying formula helps create an even surface for smothh, more perfect makeup application. Apply to face, morning and night, after cleansing.

Moisturelush Cream is half way between a face lotion and a face balm (thicker than Clinique’s Moisture Online, but thinner than Creme de La Mer). Because it’s thicker than a typical face cream, I have to spend a minute working it in. It has a light floral scent and feels great as it sinks in, so I don’t mind spending the time. Unlike most heavy-duty moisturizers, Moisturelush is smooth without being sticky, which means I can use it on my neck too!

My skin feels drenched in moisture after using it. Just a tiny bit of this on my face and neck and my skin feels happy.

Product: MAC Moisturelush Eye Cream
Price: $28.50
Use: As a hydrating eye balm
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A+

Official Moisturelush Eye Cream Product Profile:
A densely hydrating eye cream that helps to de-puff while it lifts and firms the area around the eyes. This new formula provides immediate cushion and luminous optics provide a rejuvenating glow. Opthamologist and dermatologist teseted. Non-Acnegenic. Apply to clean, dry skin under and around the eye, morning and night.

Moisturelush Eye Cream also really surprised me. I put it to the test by applying it to a dry, red patch that I’ve had on my left eyelid for the past two weeks. Within two days of using this the dry patch disappeared.

Moisturelush Eye Cream is thicker than the regular Moisturelush cream and more like an eye balm (which is thicker) than an eye cream. Because it’s so dense, I have to spend even more time working it into the skin than I do with the regular cream, but, like the regular cream, it has the same light, floral scent and soothing feeling, so I really don’t mind. Also like the face cream, it doesn’t leave a greasy film yet is still intensely hydrating.

A few heavy duty eye creams have left me with pimples on my eyelids, but so far my eyes have remained zit free. I haven’t noticed any de-puffing, though, but my eyes weren’t that puffy to start with, so that’s not a big deal for me.

I’m really hoping that both of these products continue to work as well as they have for me. If you have dry, sensitive skin like I do, I think you’ll love ‘em both.

They’re moderately priced for department store creams, and because I only have to use a little bit of each, I’m guessing one jar of each will last at least eight months. If you’re on a budget and need to decide between the two, then go for the eye cream. It’s slightly more moisturizing than the face cream, and you can use it to spot treat dry areas like around the nostrils and mouth.

Thank you all for your well wishes while I was sick. I’m feeling sooo much better now, and I’m extra psyched today because the sun is shining and all I see are blue skies!

Hope your Sunday has been moisturized and mellow.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Product: Chanel Sublimage Eye Cream
Price: $175 (!) for 0.5 oz jar (!!)
Use: A top-notch eye cream
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B-

I wish I’d known how outrageously expensive Chanel’s Sublimage Eye Cream was before I dipped my paws into the wee sample jar (0.13 oz). For two weeks I’d been gleefully applying it morning and night, impressed by its ability to reduce the appearance of my ever-present dark circles. I was ready to crown it as the stuff of eye cream fantasy when I found out the price.

Brace yourself.

It’s $175! Holy credit card debt, ya’ll!

What a shame, too, because I love this cream. Sublimage moisturizes remarkably well, doesn’t irritate the sensitive skin around my eyes, reduces puffiness and decreases the appearance of my dark circles. Those are the benefits I noticed, but Chanel also claims the cream targets wrinkles, fine lines and helps restore skin’s natural firmness. It’s thick and rich yet absorbs surprisingly well, and I think it smells faintly of vanilla ice cream, yum.

If I were blessed with the power of rhyme (I’m not), I’d write a rap about it and ask Timbaland to make a banging remix that I could dance to all day long. I love this stuff that much. I love it even more than my previous eye cream crush, MAC Moisturelush ($30, 0.5 oz jar), and that’s saying a lot. I feel Chanel’s Sublimage moisturizes as well as (or better than) MAC Moisturelush does but soaks in faster and requires less work to apply.

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Shu Uemura is tackling cream eyeshadows in a big way with their new nine-piece collection, and I couldn’t be happier.

I’m all about cream shadows like Miss J’s all about fierce! They’re easy to apply with or without a brush and play well with others (layered beneath powdered shadows, for example) or by themselves.

Each Shu Cream Eyeshadow ($30) is available in either a matte or pearl finish with a texture that feels drier and thinner than other cream shadows I’ve tried (MAC Paint Pots, Benefit Creaseless Creams and Bobbi Brown Long-Wear). They remind me of how the MAC Shadesticks feel.

Light Green

Light Blue

Brown

White

Sand Brown

Swatches of Brown, Light Green, Light Blue with flash

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G’morning, my indigo girls and violet vixens!

You know what they say — Saturday mornings are made for sparkly purple shadows like Bobbi Brown’s new Metallic Long-Wear Cream Shadow in Starry Purple ($22).

I was so entranced by it this morning that I forgot to fill my first cup of joe, and believe you me, it takes something mighty fierce to make me forget my morning caffeine.

Pretty, yah?

It’s one of the eight shimmery cream shadows Bobbi released for fall.

I almost got lost this morning, star gazing into the pan of shimmery deep purple. Thanks to all the glitter — green, red, purple, blue and silver flecks — I think Starry Purple has enough personality to carry off lid looks without the help of other eye products, not that she wouldn’t also complement mascara and maybe even a set of false eyelashes.

I haven’t tested it for durability, yet, but I’ll let you know how it stands up to some daily wear this weekend.

How was your evening last night? Did you do anything fun? Let’s see… We stayed in, ordered pizza and re-watched the governator and badass Linda Hamilton in Terminator 2 for the ga-jillionth time.

Speaking of science fiction, is anyone else looking forward to James Cameron’s Avatar? Have you seen the new trailer yet? Some folks on Twitter are saying that they think the special effects look too “shiny,” as in artificial. I don’t know. I like what I’ve seen.

Hope you’re Saturday got off to a faboo start. What’s the plan for today?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

My pan of MAC Cream Colour Base in Pearl is straight up NASTY!

What I mean is it’s filled with random bits of dust, glitter, powder and lint.

Ewww…

I’m usually pretty good about taking care of my makeup, but cream products attract dirt like Mariah attracts crazy (still lovin’ ya, Mimi!).

Reader Julia recently e-mailed to ask if there was anything she could do to restore her dirrrrty cream blushes to their original luster.

I have a couple of cream blushes (and by “a couple” I mean five) and own a MAC brush for application, which I try to clean regularly, but the surfaces of my blushes sometimes seem a little grimy. How do I clean the surfaces of my cream blushes? Kleenex? Makeup brush wipes?

Thanks for your help.
Julia

What’s up, Julia!

Dirty can be good, but not when it comes to cream blushes.

They’re like little gunk magnets, picking up bits and pieces of other products from brushes and other pans.

Fortunately, cleaning them doesn’t take a lot of effort, time or money. Here’s a trick I learned from a MAC artist to get grimy cream products back to almost new.

Clean that cream!

1. Start with a clean makeup wedge sponge (sold in bags at many drugstores, Sephora or Ulta for about $2/bag).
2. With light, soft strokes, gently run one edge of the sponge across the pan to pick up any bits of dirt, glitter or gunk. Try to keep your strokes going in the same direction, either left to right, right to left, etc. That seems to reduce the amount of junk that just gets redistributed back into the pan. Also, try to use a light touch. Pressing too hard will dig into the pan, picking up a lot of the cream product itself.
3. If any product migrates over the edges of the pan, use a different edge (a clean one) of the same sponge to wipe up the mess. That’s it. Presto, change-o! One cream blush, almost as good as new.

I use this technique on different kinds of cream products, like MAC Cream Colour Bases, MAC Paint Pots and NARS the Multiple Duos — even pots of cream concealer and cream-to-powder foundation, too.

Homegirls, do you ever clean your cream products? Do you have any other tips or tricks?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

My hands have now officially made it onto the “Body Parts I Wish I Slathered Consistently With Sunscreen At a Younger Age” list. Also on this list: neck, chest and feet.

I just recently started thinking about wrinkles on my hands. When I see women at malls and grocery stores who’ve obviously had some “work done,” the one thing that always confirms my suspicions is the appearance of the skin on their hands. The hands tell no lies, girlfriend.

Now I’m FREAKED OUT about all the years of sun damage my hands have endured. I know I can’t turn back the clock (sigh), but at least I can do the right thing now. Lippmann Collection Rich Girl ($24), a moisturizing hand cream with SPF 25, has entered my life at just the right time. Its active ingredients (oxtinoxate, octisalate and avobenzone) protect hands from UVB and UVA damage, the two major types of sun radiation.

While I don’t have age spots (yet), Rich Girl is also supposed to gently fade these tell-tale signs of aging with a “botanical lightening complex” of grape, mulberry and saxifraga (a perennial plant) extract.

I think it moisturizes my perpetually dry hands just as well as Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Hand Cream ($17, but no SPF) does, but Rich Girl makes my palms feel a little greasy — not annoyingly so, but still. Good thing I don’t walk around on my hands, lol! I think the light powdery fragrance makes up for the slightly slick feel.

Lippmann Collection Rich Girl SPF Hand Cream

Price: $24
Use: To protect and moisturize hands
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B

Lippmann added a small, but nice touch by attaching the twist cap to the tube. Just turn the cap, give the bottle a squeeze, and then turn the cap back in the opposite direction to close it. I seem to have a knack for losing hand lotion caps, and I really appreciate this one.

The 3-oz tube will set you back $24, which is way, way out on the expensive side. I’ve been going through this stuff pretty quickly, too, because I wash my hands a lot. Because it is so pricey, I’ve supplemented it with the far cheaper Lubriderm Daily Moisture Lotion with SPF 15 ($8). The big problem with Lubriderm’s lotion, though, is the gargantuan 16-oz bottle it comes in — perfect for a counter at home but not ideal for a purse.

Also consider Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Age Shield Hand Cream with SPF 30 ($6 for a small 2-oz tube), another inexpensive alternative (although it doesn’t make the same anti-aging claims) to Rich Girl.

You can find Rich Girl at Nordstrom stores, or check it out online.

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I was wandering around the bath section in Anthropologie yesterday when I spotted this odd-looking orange tube.

I thought it was candy from afar, but it’s actually Yu Be Moisturizing Cream ($15 for 1.25 oz) from Japan. It totally looks like something I’d find on a dusty shelf at Long’s Drugstore in Hawaii (NOTE: Long’s carries lots of interesting Asian beauty brands). It kinda looked out of place amongst the girly, froo-froo bath products at Anthropologie.

Yu Be is a glycerin-based moisturizing cream packed with vitamins E, B2 and camphor (stinky!). It’s used to treat split cuticles, chapped lips, cracked heels, calluses burns and severe dry skin.

According to the company history printed on the back, Yu Be’s been around since the late 1950s.

“World-class mountain climbers from Japan use it moisturize and protect their skin from the extreme cold and wind on expeditions to the summit of Mt. Everest.”

If it’s good enough for extreme climbers, it’s gotta be good enough for me, right?

I don’t know… I’ve got some hella dry alligator skin and crusty cuticles.

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Ah, the nuances of Bay Area slang. A few years ago I felt like I couldn’t get away from the phrase “that’s hella tight” (code for “that’s cool”). Everybody and their mother was saying it, including mine. Once, Mom and I were at Macy’s looking at China patterns when she said, “Ohhh, Karen… those Lenox patterns are hella tight!” LOL!

I recently resurrected the phrase, but only in the most literal sense. I’ve been using a new cream, Korres Materia Herba Moisturizing Eye Cream Anti-Dark Circles ($36), on my under-eye area. Designed to de-puff and lighten dark circles over time, it tightens the skin around my eyes like crazy.

Hella tight, indeed.

Tightens skin

Within seconds I can feel the skin under my eyes tightening up. The area even looks a little less puffy and feels tighter, and that was a nice surprise.

Not a dark circle treatment

But Materia Herba Eye Cream isn’t billed as a tightening cream; rather, it’s marketed as a treatment for dark circles.

After using it for three weeks I haven’t seen a significant decrease in my dark circles, but honestly that doesn’t surprise me. I’ve never had success with dark circle removal eye creams in the past, and I just keep trying them because I hope to someday find one that actually works.

Moderately hydrating, kinda pricey

The $36 price tag seems typical, if not a little pricey, for what you get. Price-wise it’s about average for a moderately moisturizing department store eye cream.

I found myself wanting a little more hydration, but I have very dry skin under my eyes. Girls with normal to oily skin under their eyes may not find themselves wanting more.

Texture, scent and packaging

I really like the texture, scent and packaging. It’s an odorless cream that absorbs quickly and doesn’t leave an oily film on my skin. I like that it comes in a tube dispenser, too, because with this I’d rather not have to dip my fingers into a jar.

One of nine products in the Materia Herba line

Korres may not have a home run on its hands with the eye cream, but I like their overall approach to beauty products. Moisturizing Eye Cream Anti-Dark Circles is one of nine products in Korres’ new Materia Herba line of face moisturizers and cleansers.

All of the products in the line are certified organic and, according to Korres, manufactured using a sustainable process and mostly renewable resources. Plus, the products are made without parabens or harsh chemicals.

I think I want to try the Materia Herba Nourishing Night Cream For All Skin ($46), but it sure would be a splurge. I’d be all over it at $26.

While I like the way Materia Herba Eye Cream feels and love the tightening effect, I don’t think it’s my dark circle remover extraordinaire. But if what you’re mostly looking for is a moderately moisturizing under-eye cream that tightens the skin, it may be worth a try.

Alternative eye cream

If you, too, have dry skin under your eyes and wouldn’t mind a cheaper alternative, consider American Beauty’s Beauty Boost Overnight Radiance Eye Cream ($26, now on sale for $20). It’s rich, moisturizing and absorbs quickly. Of course, like Materia Herba’s cream it doesn’t do a whole lot for under-eye circles, but c’est la vie!

Korres Materia Herba Moisturizing Eye Cream Anti-Dark Circles

Price: $36 for .51 oz tube
Use: A moderately hydrating eye cream that tightens skin like a mofo
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B-

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

I’d fight a hungry runway model for my tube of $6 Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Age Shield Hand Cream.

Lightly scented (like flowers and soap), this drugstore steal-of-a-deal will sure come in handy this fall and winter when my paws are crazy dry.

Despite how rich it feels, it doesn’t leave a greasy film, for which it earns big props from me — there are few things I hate more than hand creams that leave a slippery residue.

Neutrogena also outfitted Age Shield Hand Cream with full-spectrum SPF 30 sun protection.

A dime-sized dollop thoroughly treats both of my hands and cuticles. The cream absorbs quickly, too, perfect for quick applications when you’re out and about. This isn’t one of those creams you’ll have to spend 10 minutes massaging into your hands, looking like a criminal mastermind plotting world domination!

I’ve been using this on my hands for about week now, and even in that brief time I think my hands look less rough than they did. The fines lines in the creases between my fingers are less noticeable than they were. I can’t comment on the cream’s ability to treat age spots, though, because I don’t have any on my hands.

Neutrogena Age Shield Hand Cream provides long-lasting protection from both UVA and UVB rays, those responsible for up to 90% of the signs of premature aging. According to Neutrogena, it’s clinically shown to improve the overall age impression of hands in just four weeks (I noticed a difference in one).

Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Age Shield Hand Cream improves what ages the look of hands most — roughness, age spots and fine lines.

I’m officially sold on Neutrogena Age Shield Hand Cream and ceremoniously plopped a tube into my big ole’ purse.

One thing I would change about the product is the screw-on cap. I wish it had a twist cap like Lippman’s Rich Girl Hand Cream. I get the feeling I might lose the screw cap in my bottomless purse.

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When I slather on Clinique’s new Turnaround Body Cream ($28), I feel compelled to belt out Bonnie Tyler’s power ballad, Total Eclipse of the Heart.

“Turn around
Every now and then I get a little bit lonely
And you’re never coming round
Turn around
Every now and then I get a little bit tired
Of listening to the sound of my tears.”

If you were born after 1986, you might be more familiar with Nicki French’s cheesier and less powerful version of the tune.

Either way, stop playing like you don’t know the lyrics because I know you do!

In addition to bringing about weird singing urges, Turnaround Body Cream also hydrates crazy good.

It’s part of a crop of new exfoliating face and body treatments Clinique released earlier this year. Clinique says the cream does double duty, eliminating dryness and reviving dull-looking skin with ingredients like time-released salicylic acid and shea butter.

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Where my dry skinned girls at??

If your skin is like mine and enters ashy overdrive in fall, you probably need all the moisturizing help you can get. When Mother Nature chills out, and your skin dries out, grab a tube of Bath and Body Works’ new True Blue Spa Shea Cashmere Shower Cream ($15), stat!

New to Bath and Body Works

Part of the new True Blue Spa Shea Cashmere body care line, Shea Cashmere Shower Cream softens and soothes through a combination of moisture-rich shea butter, cashmere extract (think goat hair), and other ingredients. The six-piece collection includes the Shower Cream ($15), as well as a Body Cream ($17.50), Body Lotion ($16.50), Bubble Bath ($18), Hand Cream ($14.50) and Foot Cream ($15).

Weird Consistency but Smells Fab!

The cream’s consistency freaked me out when I first squeezed the tube because it looks just like curdled milk. Eeeew… Good thing it smells better than it looks. In fact, the warm caramel scent reminds me of dulce de leche ice cream.

Immediate Results

Shea Shower Cream forms a very fine foam in the shower rather than lots of big bubbles. It feels kind of like washing your skin with lotion. Immediately after rinsing I felt a difference in the softness of my skin. I toweled off and, after letting my skin dry out for a bit, saw that my skin didn’t look as ashy as before.

Bath and Body Works True Blue Spa Shea Cashmere Shower Cream

Price: $15
Use: A body shower cream to clean, soften and moisturize skin
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A+

I’m not abandoning my go-to body wash, Neutrogena Rainbath Shower and Shave, but for the time being Shea Shower Cream rules my shower roost (it’s actually a small ledge above the tub, lol!).

Puppy Love

I’ve been missing Shauna a lot lately. She’s the family’s dog and lives with my folks in the East Bay, so I don’t get to see her very often. I guess that missing her is why I’ve been compelled to snap pictures of every random dog in my ‘hood.

I ran into these two cuties in front of the Safeway across the street as they waited for their person. I love how the one in front looks so serious, like he’s thinking about calculus.

It looks like it’s going to be a crisp and sunny fall day today. I’m going to see if I can squeeze in a quick run before I head to work. Gotta take advantage of the clear weather before it disappears for a while.

Have a fab Wednesday!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

MAC’s Cream Color Base in Pearl ($16.50) makes colors really pop, taking eyeshadow to a brighter, bolder, and more diva-superstar level. With Cream Color Base, your eyeshadow is like an A-list celeb; without it, it’s like Jen Bunney from The Hills. It’s one of those products that every eyeshadow junkie needs to have in her makeup bag.

Pearl’s a soft, pale gold-colored product with just a touch of shimmer. Layered beneath powder eyeshadows, it intensifies color. To the touch, it feels like a cream blush. The picture below shows 1) MAC Parrot eyeshadow by itself and 2) applied on top of a layer of Pearl:

Pretty, yah? Pearl comes in a standard issue blush pan, so what I do is pick up the product from the pan with a synthetic flat brush like the MAC 239 and apply it directly onto the lid area (not the crease or the browbone), while trying to avoid applying too much. It’s easy to overdo it with Pearl. Too much can cause caking and lead to the product migrating around the eyelid.

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The Benefit brand sorta slipped under my radar for a couple years, but I used to be a big fan.

Back when I worked in downtown SF and every other person worked for a dot com (*rolls eyes*), I remember wearing Benetint and Dr. Feelgood. I’m not sure why I stopped following the line. I guess it fell into the same black hole that swallowed my Hello Kitty lunch box and black jelly bracelets.

I decided to take a new look at Benefit recently and noticed a few things, like their Creaseless Cream Shadow/Liner ($19), lil’ pots of cream shadow similar to MAC Paint Pots. Bellasugar wrote about them in a recent post, and so far I dig ‘em too.

I went to see all 15 shades in person at a freestanding store, and three of them really stood out:

• Birthday Suit: light tan shimmer
• Skinny Jeans: khaki-grey shimmer
• Strut: grey-black shimmer

Birthday Suit

Skinny Jeans

Strut

A Smokey Eye with Benefit’s Cream Shadows

Try a quick and easy smokey eye using Skinny Jeans on the lid. After applying Skinny Jeans, add Strut to the outer corner of the eye, finishing with a swipe of Birthday Suit on the brow bone.

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My skin gets progressively drier as the temperature drops, and I’ve officially entered seasonal hand cream overdrive. My new favorite, L’Occitane’s Lavender Hand Cream ($28), smells divine.

Fast Absorbing, No SPF

It contains moisturizing shea butter, lavender essential oil, rosemary extract and vitamin E, but, unlike Neutrogena Age Shield Hand Cream, my go-to daytime hand cream, L’Occitane Lavender does not contain SPF.

Despite the lack of sun protection, I dig how quickly it absorbs (and doesn’t leave my hands feeling greasy), despite its thick consistency, and feel that it’s fantastic for use at night.

Relaxing Lavender Scent

I’ve made Lavender Hand Cream part of my nightly ritual. Sometimes I have trubs getting restful sleep, so I try to do things to signal to my body when it’s time to go to bed, like turning off the computer an hour before bedtime (LOL, this one is so hard!) and sipping chamomile tea.

L’Occitane’s subtle lavender and powder fragrance definitely helps me unwind. In bed I massage a bead the size of a jelly bean into my hands and wrists and let the scent soothe me to sleep.

Pricey, but a Little Goes a Long Way

L’Occitane’s Lavender Hand Cream might not be as budget-friendly as many drugstore hand creams like $6 Neutrogena Age Shield Hand Cream, but the 5.2-oz tube should last a while. It’s a luxurious nighttime indulgence, and in today’s busy world we need all the help we can get.

L’Occitane Lavender Hand Cream

Price: $28 for a large 5.2-oz tube
Use: A moisturizing hand cream with a soothing lavender scent; contains no SPF
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A

I wanted to make this a productive weekend, but so far I’ve just fooled around, gahhh! I better get on the ball here before it’s too late. That laundry ain’t gonna do itself!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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On paper, cream blushes are pure makeup genius. They’re easy to apply and to blend (no brushes required), travel well and deliver a beautiful natural flush.

But with great power comes great responsibility.

Many cream blushes also have an unfortunate downside — poor staying power. Some disappear faster than those tykes from Another Bad Creation.

The trick is to find one that lasts, and I think I found one that does: Illamasqua’s Cream Blusher in Rude ($26). It’s a pinkish matte coral that stays put for hours, even in sticky summer heat.

Won’t budge for nothin’

I’ve worn Rude on bare skin, beneath foundation and on top of it; I’ve even dabbed it on powder. No matter what, it has always stayed put, despite my oily cheeks, from dawn till dusk.

I even mistakenly forgot one night and went to bed with it still on (I couldn’t wait to try it and forgot to wash it off, oops). It was still there come morning, leading me to give it my Vampire’s Choice Award.

If I were a True Blood vampire, I’d soo rock this shizz till the break of dawn, yo!

It’s not marketed as sweat proof, but it might as well be. Even in hella hot weather, Rude doesn’t fade. Where other cream blushes have melted away, like when I’m covered in sweat, pulling a Whitney circa the Bobby Brown years, Illamasqua Cream Blusher’s still going strong.

Pigmentation, texture and scent

Rude is one of 16 Cream Blushers currently available on the Illamasqua website, and like the other Illamasqua products I’ve tried, it delivers rich color.

I think it feels thicker and stickier than cream products like NARS the Multiple, but it feels thinner than a pot of Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow.

And the scent? — In the pan it smells faintly of sugar cookies, but I don’t detect the fragrance when it’s worn on my cheeks.

Not cheap

It’s too bad that such a badass blush isn’t a little cheaper…

A pan of Rude runs $26, venturing into Chanel Glossimer territory, but a little goes a long way, with a single tiny dab delivering a visibly flushed cheek.

And Illamasqua doesn’t skimp on quantity, either, which helps the price go down a little easier. The pan is huge (I can barely wrap my fingers around it when I’m holding it in my hand)!

Considering the quantity of product you get and the quality itself, I think it works out to be a pretty good deal.

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I tend to get stressed out and sometimes have trouble relaxing or falling asleep at night. To help me unwind before bed, I rely on a few time-tested bedtime rituals, like massaging foot cream on my tootsies while watching cheesy reality TV.

Lately, I’ve been treating my dogs to the new Clarins Foot Beauty Treatment Cream ($25).

Clarins designed it to tackle multiple foot issues (ala dry skin, foot perspiration, brittle toenails and foot swelling) and infused the cream with plant-derived ingredients like virgin cashew nut oil, shea butter, arnica (an herb from the sunflower family) and myrrh (a dried tree sap).

The Clarins massage method

The product comes with step-by-step instructions — massage techniques for use with the cream — that involve pressure points to increase circulation and promote relaxation.

Slight tingle

I’ve been using the cream and Clarins massage method off and on for about a week and a half so far, and I’m hooked on the slight tingling sensation caused by the product — like my muscles are letting go of my tension. The tingle lasts for about two hours and fades gradually. If nothing else, the sensation is distinctive enough that it distracts my mind and helps me relax.

Moisturizing texture?

I have dry feet, especially the skin on my heels, but applying the cream at night before bed definitely makes them feel softer the following morning.

The texture absorbs quickly and feels thick like a body butter (but it isn’t oily or greasy). I wonder if it’s on account of the shea butter, which Clarins says contains a high amount of unsaponifiables, oils and waxes that moisturize and condition the skin.

I’m also a big fan of the fragrance. It’s light (as it probably should be for this kind of product), like carnations and mint tea.

Clarins Foot Beauty Treatment Cream

Price: $25 for a 4-oz tube
Use: A luxurious (read: expensive) and highly moisturizing foot cream
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B+

You might like Clarins Foot Beauty Treatment Cream if…

1. you’re a Clarins fan and don’t mind paying top dollar,
2. you’re overstressed and looking for a way to unwind,
3. you’re on your feet a lot.

CHEESY RHYME ALERT: Clarins Foot Beauty Treatment is an expensive treat and a very good way to be kind to your feet.

Drugstore alternative

I’ve used a handful of drugstore foot creams but have yet to find one with the same tingly sensation I get with Clarins Foot Beauty. If you can live without the tingle, then check out Sally Hansen 18-Hour Cracked Heel Cream ($6). I just saw it on sale at Walgreens for $4!

Bliss

I really enjoyed SF’s Bliss spa yesterday, particularly the Deep Sea Detox Wrap. Talk about relaxing, although it would have been bizarre to see…

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Today only, all purchases of Eight Hour Cream products made through the Elizabeth Arden site will ship for free, which is nice because they don’t always offer free shipping. They’re also throwing in free samples of Eight Hour Cream, Skin Protectant, Intensive Moisturizing Body Treatment and Intensive Moisturizing Hand Treatment.

The sale caught my eye because I’m a big fan of Elizabeth Arden’s Body Treatment, Hand Treatment and Lip Protectant Stick.

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For most of us, Monday means having to go back to work (drat!), but it doesn’t also have to mean forsaking cute makeup. Take a gander at the Long-Wear Cream Shadows from Quick Face, Bobbi Brown’s (le queen of the neutral makeup) latest collection. What do ya think?

Matte and shimmerless, these bad boys apply easily by finger or brush (I used the MAC 252). I felt they did an admirable job adding subtle definition to my eyes. Wear each color by itself or beneath layers of other powdered shadows.

There are five colors in the collection:

• Cement – grey beige
• Malted – mocha beige
• Navajo – creamy pinkish white
• Slate – medium grey
• Stone – beige brown

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Despite a valiant effort to channel my inner Tim Gunn, I just couldn’t MAKE IT WORK with Bobbi Brown’s Starry Purple ($22) cream eyeshadow.

Argh!

Maybe my recent luck with Bobbi’s products (Ivy League, yo!) led me to expect too much.

Blah-chaay — that’s all I can say.

Starry Purple’s one of eight new Metallic Long-Wear Cream Shadows.

I’m bummed because the shimmery purple, with all of its multi-colored glitter, really got me pumped! I had visions of turning out serious Purple Rain worthy looks.

Oh, well. Problem is I just can’t get the color to translate well on my lids.

It’s not a highly pigmented shadow and applies with just a whisper of color. Layering seems to punch up the purple, but not in a uniform way. The resulting application looks blotchy and uneven.

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