Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel

Dermalogica's Special Gel Cleanser is a concentrated, soap-free, foaming gel designed to thoroughly remove impurities without disturbing the skin's natural moisture balance. It contains no artificial fragrance or color and is ideal for all skin types. In a word, it's perfect. If you've ever wished for soft skin and a clear complexion, this is your genie in a bottle (no rubbing required).

It's very gentle on the skin, yet super effective at removing dirt, grime and even makeup. Special Gel Cleanser feels like a dream when you apply it to your skin - like silk, or something equally smooth and luxurious. If I had to compare it so something you might be familiar with, I'd say it's akin to a high-end Cetaphil. I loved this product from the day I started using it, back in late 2010. But I didn't realize how much my skin loved this cleanser until I started testing other cleansers last month and my skin straight up rebelled. Breakouts re-appeared and it completely dried out. Since then, my skin has been on a strict Dermalogica diet and I've seen improvement every day.

An 8.4 oz bottle of this good stuff costs $33, which sounds like a lot for a face cleanser. But - believe me - it's worth every penny. Special Cleansing Gel is special, indeed.

Makeup Mondays With Mario: Fix For Flaky Foundation

Celebrity makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic is answering your burning beauty questions!!! Every Monday, he will answer a beauty/skin care question as part of a weekly column on Spoiled Pretty, Makeup Mondays with Mario.


Help me, Mario. I have super dry skin and no matter what I do or how much moisturizer I use, my skin always looks flaky when I wear foundation. What am I doing wrong? If anyone can help me, I know it's you!

Thanks,
Kaitlin


Hi Kaitlin,

Flaky skin can be a result of a skin condition such as eczema. If you haven't already done so, please have your skin checked by a dermatologist to determine what the problem is - if any - and the appropriate treatment you may need.

I find that with very dry skin, it's good to use a tinted moisturizer. Stay away from setting powders which will absorb all the skin's moisture and bring attention to flaky, dry areas.

Another option is to use Bare Minerals mineral powder foundation - it works beautifully on dry, flaky skin and even gives a glow!

Thanks for visiting Makeup Mondays with Mario!

xo,
Mario

Got a question for Mario? Email your makeup and skin care queries to spoiledprettyquestions@gmail.com, and check back next Monday to read Mario's expert advice!

Clinique Comfort On Call Allergy Tested Relief Cream

A few weeks ago, my skin just up and decided to stage a mutiny. My upper body broke out in a rash. From my hairline all the way down to my torso, I was covered in itchy, sandpaper-like bumps (I now suspect eczema was the culprit). My lips didn't even escape unscathed; they were bumpy and inflated to almost twice their normal size. And on the worst day, my left eye was so swollen and droopy, I looked like a female Forest Whitaker.

As the days wore on, the bumps started to dry out and my skin became dessicated and extremely flaky. It was as if I was a snake, shedding an exoskeleton. The dryness of my face was unbearable. With every facial expression or movement of my mouth, it seemed like my skin would literally tear; it was so painful. Up until this point, I had only been using Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser - as it was all that my traumatized skin could handle. But it begged for more, so I dug through my skin care arsenal looking for a moisturizer substantial enough to quench my skin's thirst, but gentle enough not to send it into another tizzy. I hit the jackpot when I came across a sample of Clinique Comfort On Call Allergy Tested Relief Cream that the brand sent me a few months ago to review.

I can't say enough wonderful things about this cream. My skin is the true testament. After just a few days of using Comfort On Call Allergy Tested Relief Cream, I started to recognize the reflection in the mirror again. And now that the rash (and its remnants) are almost gone, I continue to apply the cream after cleansing in the AM and PM.

According to Clinique, I've got their "exclusive, patent-pending Enviro-Soothe™ Complex" to thank for soothing and saving my face. Clinique also promises that when "used over time, it strengthens skin's lipid barrier to support natural healing."

Comfort On Call Allergy Tested Relief Cream also works wonders on dry, cracked hands. I can't think of a better winter skin care pick than this one; it earns Holy Grail status. If you suffer from reactive, sensitive or dry skin, you'd be a smart gal to add it to your shopping list.

Clinique Comfort On Call Allergy Tested Relief Cream is available at clinique.com, Sephora, Bloomingdale's, and Nordstrom.

Bath & Body Works Triple Moisture Shower Cream and Body Cream

As I reported a few weeks back, Bath & Body Works recently reformulated their Shower Cream and Body Cream, with a triple moisture complex moisturizes skin all day and also shows visible improvement in skin's radiance and feel. This week, the new stock makes its way to real and virtual shelves.

The new Triple Moisture Shower Cream is the ultimate luxuriously hydrating body cleanser. With rich, creamy moisture and a gentle kiss of fragrance, this pampering treatment works hard to nourish skin while you shower. With natural soybean oil, milk proteins, rice bran oil and acai berry, it leaves your skin feeling deeply moisturized and soft as silk.

The new Triple Moisture Body Cream is fortified with an exclusive Triple Moisture Complex of conditioning milk proteins, hydrating rice bran oil and protective acai berry extract, our Signature Triple Moisture Body Cream provides deep, 24-hour moisture that softens even the driest skin. And the non-greasy formula deeply conditions, leaving skin moisturized, fragrant, and more beautiful than ever before.

Right now, buy two and get one free...or buy three and get two free! I don't know about you, but I'm going to take this opportunity to replenish my stock. For dry skin, I really don't think it gets better than this body wash and lotion (Japanese Cherry Blossom, Butterfly Flower and Moonlight Path are my personal faves).

Vichy Normaderm Deep Cleansing Gel: Don't Judge a Cleanser By Its Label

When it comes to skin care, there's only one thing scarier to me than benzoyl peroxide in the ingredient list (I'm severely allergic)...and that's the words "deep cleansing" on the label.

All of the deep cleaning cleansers I've used have left my skin feeling desiccated and looking like peeling paint. So when I received a sample of Vichy Normaderm Deep Cleansing Gel, I almost gifted it to one of my friends. But I'm glad that I decided to give it a whirl because it's absolutely fabulous.

Vichy Normaderm Deep Cleansing Gel sucks the dirt and grime out of pores without sucking the life out of your skin. When you rinse it off, your face feels refreshingly clean - never dry and tight. I highly recommend it - especially for dry, acne prone complexions.

Now, kids...what's the moral of this story? Don't judge a cleanser by its label.

Class dismissed.

Kiehl's Friends & Family: Take 20% Off 6/12 - 6/16

Might I make a suggestion? Kiehl's Superbly Restorative Argan Body Lotion smells divine and hydrates like all get out. Friends don't let friends look ashy.

Winners of the Amala Giveaway!

Congrats to Jill Holden and Joanna Smith, winners of Spoiled Pretty's Amala giveaway. Jill and Joanna will receive:

Hydrating Cream Cleanser
Hydrate dry skin while gently removing makeup and impurities with this comforting cleansing cream. The whole botanical ingredients help soothe and restore moisture for clean, soft, radiant skin.

Hydrating Toner
Revive and rehydrate skin with this refreshing toner. Soothing floral waters and whole plant extracts help refine pores and restore moisture to soften and comfort skin.

Hydrating Face Cream
Quench dull, dry skin by helping to restore its natural moisture and elasticity with this creamy hydrating treatment. Whole plant ingredients restore elasticity and protect skin from dehydration for lasting smoothness.

Many thanks to Amala for generously sponsoring this giveaway!

Check back soon for Spoiled Pretty's next giveaway.

When Life Hands You Lemons: Be Fine Rough Spot Lemon Balm

It's human nature to be seduced by pretty packaging. And we gullible homo sapiens expect that inside said exterior, we’ll find something equally fabulous. Unfortunately, this misguided tendency is the reason why beauty buffs, like myself, end up knee deep in products we were so excited to buy, open and use that don’t live up to our expectations.

Such is the case of Be Fine’s Rough Spot Lemon Balm. The packaging looks like a lemon; it's so realistic-looking that if I left it lying around, Mr. Spoiled Pretty might take it upon himself to put it in the refrigerator. Unfortunately, the salve hidden inside is such a nothing-to-write-home-about product, it makes total sense that they worked so hard fashioning the container.

First, I assumed that the balm would actually smell fresh and citrusy…and it does, if you sniff really, really hard. Secondly, you literally have to dig the balm out with your fingernail to get any product in your hands. Finally, the balm is so greasy, it’s a hazard to your clothing, couch and carpet.

So what’s a beauty addict to do when life hands her lemons? Yep…make lemonade. So I dug into the salve with my nail and spread that grease balm all over my heels, arches and toes. Then I covered my tootsies with some old gym socks and let it marinate for a bit. Twenty minutes later, I did a preliminary check and was shocked to find that my feet had completely absorbed all of the product - but they didn’t feel softer or more moisturized…not at all.

Rough Spot Lemon Balm was disappointing - on so many levels - that I cannot recommend this product, despite the package’s high kitsch factor. One thing the product did accomplish, though, was to remind me about the awesomeness of Burt’s Bees Coconut Foot Crème.

Slather it on, slide on some socks and hit the hay. In the morning, you’ll swear the magic foot fairy made a late-night house call.

Recessionista's Fabuless Picks of the Week

I’m eczema prone in the wintertime, so I can’t be sudsing up with just any old body cleanser this time of year. Last month, while shopping at CVS for wrapping paper, I came across Johnson's Vanilla Oatmeal Body Wash, and quickly snatched it off the shelf. For centuries, oats have been used to soothe, protect and moisturize dry and irritated skin; so I figured if this body wash contains oatmeal and is gentle enough for infants, it couldn’t hurt. I’m glad that I took a chance because this bottle o’ bubbles is just what the dermatologist ordered. The creamy formula lathers up nice (sans sodium lauryl sulfate) thoroughly cleanses without stripping, the oatmeal relieves my itchy scratchies and the subtle vanilla scent is warm and comforting. And for less than $5, it’s this recessionista’s pick of the week. And it’s even more fabuless if you actually have a baby…you can share!

After you emerge from the shower/bath, do yourself a favor and don’t dry yourself completely. Pat your skin with a towel so that there’s still some moisture on the skin - then apply Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Skin Therapy Oil all over your body. This preservative-free, lightweight formula contains an exclusive blend of key ingredients for scars, stretch marks, dry, damaged skin, uneven skin tone, aging skin, lines and wrinkles. The oil locks in moisture; your skin will look and feel soft, with a radiant sheen. The product sinks in on contact and the formula is non-greasy and non-staining, so you needn’t wait to get dressed. The scent is to die for (like a frothy black and white milkshake) and it’s only $10.99 for a 5.1 oz bottle!

Have A Ball: Ojon's Tawaka The White Ball

Ojon new Tawaka The White Ball is a rich, decadent body cleansing and conditioning treatment that produces a creamy lather that can be used in the bath or shower to purify and nourish the skin to silky perfection. Formulated without fragrance, artificial color, sulfates, silicones, or preservatives, The White Ball is a lavish luxury that conditions dry, winter skin.

The unique blend of ingredients, including a high dose of White Cocoa Seed Butter with wildcrafted Ojon and Swa+ oils, lets you "roll your way" to velvety-soft skin.

Available exclusively at Sephora stores and sephora.com.

Revolution Organics All-Over Body Balm Works 22 Different Ways!

It’s a good thing when a beauty product does one thing really well. When it peforms double duty, even better. And when a product can be used more than twenty different ways, you ask yourself, “Is it my birthday?”

Revolution Organics All-Over Body Balm is an all-in-one, on-the-go beauty essential with over 22 uses from your nose to your toes. Enriched with organic butters, organic plant extracts, vitamin E and nourishing organic oils, this multi-tasking solid moisturizing balm softens, smoothes and protects skin.

Some of its 22 uses include:

* Relieving chapped lips
* Soothing dry spots
* Softening lines
* Feeding parched nails
* Combating flaking skin
* Taming unruly eyebrows
* Fighting free radicals
* Preventing stretch marks
* Smoothing flyaways
* Conditioning hair
* Nourishing dry cuticles
* Calming skin irritations
* Conditioning dry hands
* Sealing in skin moisture
* Priming skin for makeup

All-Over Body Balm reminds me of Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15, on account of the lemony sugar scent. But for $6 more than Fresh’s cult classic, you get 21 additional usages.

Revolution Organics All-Over Body Balm is a Beauty.com exclusive and retails for $28.

Got Cracked Lips? Yu-Be Happy With This Product...

It’s getting downright chilly in Philly. In a matter of days, my lips started cracking up - like they’d been watching a Chris Rock comedy special. Luckily, I discovered Yu-Be, the #1 selling medicated, vitamin-enriched skin care cream in Japan.

Yu-Be is a Glycerin-based moisturizing cream enriched with Vitamin E, Vitamin B2 and Camphor. The uniquely high Glycerin content, achieved through a special manufacturing process in Japan, makes Yu-Be very effective on severely dry skin.

What sets Yu-Be apart from other lip treatments is the highly absorptive formula. Your thirsty lips will drink it in, and it will hydrate, heal and lock in moisture for hours. Yu-Be leaves behind soft, supple lips – without the greasy, balmy finish. Which means that, when your lips are especially jacked up, you needn’t choose between a cushy restorative treatment and a cute lip color. Just dab Yu-Be on and wait a minute…then swipe on your favorite lipstick or gloss, and you’re good to go.

In addition to curing cracked lips, Yu-Be also heals and prevents split cuticles and smoothes rough skin. Use it to soften calluses and hard, cracked heels. It replenishes lost moisture from frequent hand washing and minimizes scarring from burns. Even world-class mountain climbers from Japan use it to protect their skin from the harsh cold, wind, water and sun on expeditions to the top of Mt. Everest!

Yu-Be Moisturizing Skin Cream To Go (1.25 oz tube) is the perfect size for tossing into your purse or taking on trips.

Shop Yu-Be at Amazon.com, Beauty.com, Sephora and yu-be.com.

Carissa's Bridal Makeup Must-Haves: Day 6

Carissa, writer and editor of Hooked On Beauty and professional makeup artist says:

No matter what I do, I can't really cover dry, flaking skin. Brides should use a good exfoliant (one they've used before and know won't cause a reaction) the morning of the wedding like Fresh Sugar Face Polish for smooth skin that glows.

To learn more about Carissa and her services, visit coloradoweddingmakeup.com.

PS - Don't forget to enter the Ultimate Bridal Beauty Basket giveaway!

I’ve Been Holding Out On Y’all

I’ve been holding out on y’all. Not on purpose, though.

Just now, I was searching around the blog – taking inventory, if you will, of what products I’ve tested thus far. When I went looking for my glowing review of Atopalm’s MLE Cream, it was nowhere to be found.

I must have told so many people about this miraculous moisturizer that I tricked myself into thinking I had reviewed it on Spoiled Pretty. But, alas, I did not – so here’s the 411, without further ado.

There’s nothing special or sexy about the packaging, fragrance (it's unscented), or name of this cream. But what I absolutely adore about this moisturizer is that Atopalm obviously put all of its resources into making a stellar product, rather than clever marketing.

Do you have dry skin? Do you suffer from dry flakes, no matter how much you moisturize? Is your skin extremely sensitive? Is rosacea your skin’s arch nemesis? Got a nasty case of eczema? Then you need to get this wonder cream!

Atopalm MLE Cream has plant-derived ingredients to aid in the replenishment of natural skin lipids to form a protective barrier against the elements. It also helps prevent the over evaporation of the skin's own moisture. And it helps in restoring the skin barrier depleted by microdermabrasion, facial peels, and other harsh treatments. It can be used on both the face and the body, is suitable for adults and children, and is side-effect free!

MLE Cream is the only moisturizer that quenched my perpetually parched face this winter. It fully hydrated my skin without turning greasy, even hours later.

Atopalm products are available at Amazon.com, CVS.com, and SkinStore.com.

My Vow To Frilly Lilly

I, Spoiled Pretty
Take you, Frilly Lilly Lemongrass Sage Hand Cream
To have and to hold
And keep, at all times, in my purse
From this day forward
Until summer do us part

I could wax poetic - all day long - about this divine hand moisturizer.

Typically, if someone complains about chapped hands, I graciously offer them the use of my hand lotion. Not anymore. With its zesty scent and adorable damask packaging, this tube is all mine. Go get your own.

Five Reasons To Cleanse With T’Fivve

The top five reasons to wash your face with T’Fivve Moisturizing Facial Cleansing Foam:

5) The rich foam gently melts away makeup and pollutants
4) Doesn’t strip the skin's natural hydration
3) Helps maintain normal pH balance
2) After cleansing, your face feels refreshed, not dry or tight
1) Because I said so (and because it’s one of the best cleansers I’ve used in a very long time)

T’Five Moisturizing Facial Cleansing Foam contains Bergamot Fruit Oil, to act as an anti-bacterial; Orange Peel Oil to smoothe skin; Lemon Peel Oil softens; and Ylang Ylang Oil controls sebum production.

If you have very dry and sensitive skin - like mine - you’ll give T’Fivve Moisturizing Facial Cleansing Foam five enthusiastic thumbs up.

Available at skinscientifica.com and skinstore.com.

Want Some Free Skin MD Natural Lotion?

Skin MD Natural is doing a field trial of their shielding lotion and they’d like to invite twelve Spoiled Pretty readers to participate.

They will send you a bottle of the lotion, to do a one-month trial of the product; they are looking for both men and women who suffer from dry skin, eczema, or psoriasis - or want to try it as protective lotion from chemicals, irritants, excessive hand washing, etc. Skin MD Natural is interested in your honest feedback.

All you need to commit to is: 1) using the product for one month, and 2) emailing me a weekly update of your experience with the product (and how it’s working for you). If you’d like to do a photo journal of your skin over the month, that would be a great idea too (but not necessary).

The first 12 people to email me with their full name and mailing address will be entered to participate.

Update: I received 12 responses, so this contest is now closed. Be sure to check out our other giveaway, sponsored by Profound Beauty.

Shiny, Unhappy People

I thought I was done being Miss Greasy Face. In September, I waved goodbye to the oil slick that had summer vacationed on my t-zone. Little did I realize it would be home for the holidays.

I love the way super-rich winter moisturizers soothe my chapped, flaky face; my skin is so thirsty in the morning that it just drinks in the moisture. But by 10 am, I’m rummaging in my purse for my powder compact. And at the end of the day, I’m dabbing at my face with napkins left over from my Saladworks lunch.

If I could get away with the same gel moisturizer I use during warm months, I would; but as luck would have it, when I try wearing a lightweight moisturizer in the winter, I end up looking something like this…


Well, thanks to Eve Lom Moisturiser SPF 15, the oil slick took another vacation – which I think will be a permanent one. Somehow it manages to pamper my parched skin, without any shine or greasy residue; I apply a liberal amount in the AM and I’m shine-free all day - and all night. I would recommend this moisturizer to anyone, regardless of skin type. It’s just that good.

Isn’t it time you learned all about Eve? Eve Lom products are available at Space NK and evelom.com.

Down With Dermatitis!

I have eczema. Not all year round. Just December through March. Sometimes, it’s just a minor annoyance. Other days, I’m covered with dry patches and the itchiness is almost too much to endure. Luckily, this year, I came prepared for battle – and I think I’ve found a product to help me defeat my dermatitis.

Skin MD Natural is a lotion that is immediately absorbed, hydrates without greasiness, and transforms the outer layer of skin into an invisible shield. What I love most about the product is that it protects my skin from the cold weather outside, dry heat inside, and harsh chemical irritants.

Every year, when my eczema starts to spread, I reach for the steroid cream - which I hate to do because it’s very tedious, you need to cover every dry patch to keep it under control, and your skin can become immune to the medicine. This is another reason why I am so excited about this product – it won’t cure my eczema, but it’ll control it so that steroids become a last resort.

I know some of you are thinking, “I don’t have eczema. What can Skin MD Natural do for me?” Because it helps skin to retain moisture and lasts for four hours (even after washing your hands), it is especially helpful to anyone who experiences dry skin – particularly, doctors and nurses who constantly wash their hands, or cancer patients who experience dry skin from cancer treatments.

A 4-ounce bottle (1-2 month supply, with daily use) is $25, but if you plan to buy in bulk, check out the Christmas Specials. And if you’re still not persuaded, Skin MD Natural offers samples so you can decide for yourself. For a $2 postage and handling charge, they’ll send you a two sample packets.

Skin MD Natural is available at drustores, supermarkets, and at skinmdnatural.com.

Talk To The Hands

If your hands could talk, they would probably say, “Quit paying so much attention to your face, and spend some time on us!”

Winter weather can be tough on skin - especially thin skin, like that on your hands. Warm winter gloves and mittens can help shield against frigid winds and cold temperatures; but to prevent dryness, chapping, and cracking, your hands need some extra protection.

Shea butter has become a popular remedy for dry skin because it absorbs quickly without being greasy; and one of the best hand care products out there is J.R. Watkins’ Lemon Cream Shea Butter Hand Repair Moisturizer.

Shea butter, cocoa butter and five oils are whipped for a smooth, spreadable feel that’s perfect for in-home manicures and hand massages. Or keep a tube in your handbag for hydration on the go. And the scent (exactly like the Lemon Pastry Creme Girl Scout Cookies) is so deliciously intoxicating that you’ll want to slather all over your body…luckily, J.R. Watkins is one step ahead of us and created Lemon Cream Shea Butter and Lemon Cream Hand & Body Lotion.

Bottom line – this is a rich hand cream, on a pauper’s budget. Visit Target or jrwatkins.com and pick up a tube today!