Makeup, Skincare, Fragrance and a Bit of Fashion
Elizabeth Arden‘s White Tea Wild Rose Eau de Toilette and White Tea Mandarin Blossom Eau de Toilette are among my recent fragrance purchases. Both appeal to me, and I like the white tea note itself as well as the overall compositions. I decided to go back to the White Tea range and try the fragrance that started the whole range, and today I will be sharing my thoughts on White Tea Eau de Toilette.
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Elizabeth Arden‘s White Tea Wild Rose Eau de Toilette, released in 2019, is among my recent fragrance favorites. The brand launched White Tea Mandarin Blossom Eau de Toilette in 2020, and today I will be sharing my thoughts on it.
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A few months ago, I spent some time looking through some of the cleansing oils I hadn’t tried before. Elizabeth Arden‘s Ceramide Replenishing Cleansing Oil stood out for me as its ingredient list was very short and straightforward. I decided to try it to see how it would work for me.
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Rose is probably my favorite fragrance note, and fragrances with rose as one of the main notes often get my attention and go onto my “to test” list. Of course, it is all about the overall composition, and fresher and greener rose-based fragrances have completely different characters from those of woodier and smokier ones. Elizabeth Arden‘s White Tea Wild Rose Eau de Toilette was launched earlier this year, and I tested it a couple of times. I decided to add it to my fragrance stash, and today I will be sharing my thoughts on it.
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(I really want to like it, but……)
(image from www.cosme.net)
– SUQQU opened its second counter in London at Fenwick Bond Street on August 4th. (It is great to see SUQQU continue to expand in the UK.) To celebrate the opening, Blend Color Eyeshadow in 08 Mizuaoi from fall 2011 is back for a limited period at this counter. Also, SUQQU’s fall 2014 makeup collection will be released in the UK on August 21st.
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(image from Elizabeth Arden)
According to Allergan and Elizabeth Arden, the star ingredient of the serum (and of the whole Prevage line) is the antioxidant Idebenone (listed as
hydroxydecyl ubiquinoyl dipalmitoyl glycerate in the ingredient list). Also, according to Elizabeth Arden, it is superior to some other antioxidants such as vitamin C, vitamin E, and coenzyme Q10 and is the most effective antioxidant.On the other hand, according to Paula Begoun’s review of Prevage Day Ultra Protection Anti-Aging Moisturizer SPF 30, idebenone is a good antioxidant but it is not the best or the most potent. (Also, see the entry on idebenone in Paula Begoun’s Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary.)
Prevage Face Advanced Anti-Aging Serum has a lightweight lotion consistency. (It does not have the kind of consistency that many skincare serums have.) It is very spreadable and it feels quite hydrating on the skin. Some of the moisturizing ingredients in this product are butylene glycol, C12-15 alkyl benzoate, glycerin, sodium hyaluronate, caprylyl glycol, PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil, propylene glycol, sodium PCA, trehalose, urea, and phospholipids.Apart from Idebenone, this product also contains antioxidants such as ergothioneine and dimethylmethoxy chromanol.
The product is alcohol-free.
Overall, this is a decently formulated product with skin-benefiting ingredients. (It is up to individual consumers to decide
whether it is worth 155 USD (its retail price in the US).) If you have combination or oily skin, it can be used as a lightweight moisturizer (instead of a serum). If you have normal, dry, or very dry skin, then it can be used as a serum (underneath a moisturizer).(In the US, Prevage Face Advanced Anti-Aging Serum has replaced Prevage Anti-Aging Treatment. It will be released in the UK in April.)
(The product featured in this article is provided by Elizabeth Arden.)
Related posts:
Elizabeth Arden Intervene Radiance Serum & Night Cream
Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Plump Perfect Gentle Line Smoothing Exfoliator
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(image from Elizabeth Arden)The product uses polyethylene as the exfoliating agent. When finely ground, this synthetic ingredient is often used in facial/body scrubs. The base of the scrub (which holds the exfoliating agent) is very emollient, as coconut oil and shea butter are second and third on the ingredient list. Not surprisingly, the scrub has a rich and creamy texture.
I feel that this is quite a heavy-duty facial scrub, as the base is densely filled with the polyethylene beads. The scrub doesn’t feel harsh on the skin, but the exfoliating beads are definitely working very hard. The scrub does leave the skin polished and conditioned, and it rinses well enough so that it doesn’t leave the skin filmy. However, personally, for my oily skin, I prefer facial scrubs with a less emollient base.
Overall, I would recommend this product to those with dry skin. It is able to create a smoother appearance for the skin while the occlusive emollients are able to condition the skin. For those with oily skin, gel-based scrubs should be more ideal.
Related posts:
Crème de la Mer The Refining Facial
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(Elizabeth Arden
The Timefighting Radiance Serum can be used day and/or night underneath a moisturizer. It has a relatively light texture and has a very good slip.
One thing that makes this product stand out from most of the skincare products that I have reviewed is the array of antioxidants that this product contains, such as red clover extract,
linoleic acid (an emollient that has antioxidant properties), ascorbyl palmitate, retinyl palmitate, tocopherol (vitamin E), tocopheryl acetate (vitamin E), and BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene). Also, it features a few anti-irritants and anti-inflammatory ingredients.This product is alcohol-free.
It leaves the skin very smooth and silky, mostly due to the various silicones. Used in the daytime, it can help prime the skin for makeup application. (It can be used underneath the moisturizer, as intended, or, specifically for a smooth foundation application, it can be used as a primer directly underneath the foundation.)
If you are looking for a skincare product with antioxidants, this product can be a very good choice.
(Elizabeth Arden
The product doesn’t feature as many antioxidants as the serum, but it still has red clover extract, tocopherol (vitamin E) and tocopheryl acetate (vitamin E).
This product is also alcohol-free.
The texture of the cream is light enough for most skin types and it moisturizes the skin well, leaving the skin soft and conditioned. If you have oily skin, it can be slightly too rich for you. However, the good spreadability of the product means you can easily apply as little as you want. (Alternatively, you can try the serum reviewed above as a very lightweight moisturizer.)Overall, both products are well-formulated and they have the consistency that should appeal to most skin types.
(But the Night Cream, with its jar packaging, will not retain the efficacy of antioxidants as well as the Serum.) They should also work fine for some sensitive skin types, but do note that both products have fragrance.Other skincare reviews:
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(This is an update of a previous post, after which I launched the “Can’t Live Without” series.)
Some of you might have read about the heavy snowfall in the UK this week. (It is the heaviest in the last two decades.) With the low temperatures and the drying indoor heating (and all the contact with water from washing my hands), my nail cuticles can be very dry and sometimes even a little sore.
Two years ago I got a 5ml sample of Elizabeth Arden’s Eight Hour Cream at the counter. I tried it on my cuticles and it worked very well (even better than the L’Occitane Nail & Cuticle Cream I had been using). Later on, a friend of mine was traveling to the US and asked me if I would like her to pick up something. Knowing that it was much cheaper in the US (16 USD in the US and 19 GBP here at the time), I asked her to buy it for me. Even though I do use other items occasionally, I always come back to this when I need some serious moisture.
As most of you know, it is a dense semi-transparent orange-colored gel-cream. (I have tried using it as a lip balm. It works fine, but the smell is a little overpowering.) It contains moisturizing agents like petrolatum, mineral oil, castor seed oil, and corn oil. (I like the fact that it does not contain fragrant plant oils, such as lemon oil or orange peel oil, as they can irritate the skin.)
I am suspecting that one of the reasons that it works well to soothe sore cuticles is that it contains salicylic acid, which is an anti-irritant. (Apart from salicylic acid, petrolatum is also known to have anti-inflammatory properties.)
Because of the dense texture, I only use it before bedtime, on top of my Garnier hand cream. (I don’t feel that I need to use it more often than this.) Out of all the products I have used on my cuticles, I think this one works the best to keep them moisturized and protected.
The Eight Hour Cream can work as a multi-purposed product, but, I think, even if I just use it as a cuticle cream, it is worth the purchase (well…if I can get it from the US…). Plus, a 50ml tube will last a very long time…
Related posts:
My Beauty Weakness: Cute Cuticle Oils
Can’t Live Without: Dove Body Silk
Can’t Live Without: Starbucks Napkins
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I got a sample of this about a year ago. I tried it on the back of my hand and I felt it was too greasy even as a hand cream. I didn’t know what to use it for so I just put it away, and I kept wondering why so many people recommended it on magazines.
I thought of it a couple of days ago when my L’Occitane nail and cuticle cream was running out and when my Dior nail cream was no longer good enough for this cold weather. I have been putting it on before I went to bed for a couple of days and I am amazed with the result. My cuticles look moisturized despite the daily housework, and I think it might be even better than the L’Occitane one, which I have been using for the past two years.
I am seriously thinking about buying a full-size one (50ml) when the 5ml sample runs out. It costs 19 pounds in the UK, which I thought was fine. (It is cheaper than the 15-pound 30ml limited edition, in a small glass jar, which will be out soon.) However, I almost fell off my chair when I found out that it only costs $16 in the US. I am aware that American brands, like Clinique and Estee Lauder, are more expensive in EU, but not like this! It is more than doubled here!
But a 50ml “cuticle cream” for me will last for ages…so I will just have to get it for myself……
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Kanebo Milano Collection 2025 for Holiday 2024 (image from www.fashion-press.net)
