Love, Life & Beauty After Fifty

I admit, am a sucker for a good sale and even more of a sucker for Sephora's bi-annual VIB sale. So what did I purchase from the most recent Sephora VIB sale? This Caudalie Anti-aging trio was one I've had my eye on for some time.  I had been wanting to try these products but couldn't justify paying the expensive prices for each individual product.  This set is perfect.  This set contains: - 0.5 oz/ 15 mL Premier Cru The Eye Cream - 0.33 oz/ 10 mL Premier Cru The Elixir - 0.5 oz/ 15 mL Premier Cru The Cream My second purchase was another gift set I had my eye on - the Josie Maran Whipped Argan Oil Body Butter set. Winter has arrived early here in Western Canada, so am looking forward to trying these. This set contains: - 8 fl. oz/ 240 mL Whipped Argan Oil Body Butter in Vanilla Apricot - 2 fl. oz/ 59 mL Whipped Argan Oil Body Butter in Lavender Citrus - 2 fl. oz/ 59 mL Whipped Argan Oil Body Butter in Vanilla Pine The third set I purchased was t...

I ordered this online from Sephora and when the package arrived, I was a bit shocked at the small size of the packaging. For $10 CDN I was expecting something larger - the package was smaller than my hand 😕 Saying that, I do like how the mask is packaged. It was very easy to open and squeeze out, and because of the screw on cap, it seals back up nicely. I love masks, but hate having to dig into a jar to get out the mask.  The resealable packaging is really smart and the nozzle makes it perfect to get out the right amount As for the mask itself, it had a nice, pleasant scent, was non-irritating and didn't dry my skin out. The one I chose was the detoxifying and oxygenating as my skin had been a bit congested over the last couple of weeks. I applied the mask by squeezing a bit onto a flat foundation brush which worked well to spread the mask on my face. I let it sit for 15 minutes, then removed it with warm water. It removed quite easily and my skin felt great after. It doesn...

A few months ago, I looked in the mirror and saw some grandmotherly-looking woman looking back at me. Yikes! Where did she come from? I realized that it was probably too late, but I decided I wouldn't go down without a fight. I wanted a good Retinol Serum for my sensitive, post-menopausal skin that is also prone to breakouts and after doing much research online, I came across Paula's Choice Resist Intensive Wrinkle Repair Retinol Serum and thought I'd give it a try. The serum feels greasy going on, but when combined with a good moisturizer, it does eventually soak into the skin.  Because I have sensitive skin, I have only been using this once a week at night.   And because I've only been using it once a week, I haven't really noticed my dark spots or wrinkles disappearing, but my skin does seem to feel and look better a few days after using the serum.   I will be increasing my use of this serum to every other evening to see if more frequent use will help...

I have been using the Arbonne RE9 line for a while now and absolutely love this cleanser. It is on the pricey side, but you only use a pea size amount to clean your entire face. I should mention that I rarely wear a full face of make-up so a bottle lasts me a couple months using just at night. According to the Arbonne website, youthful-looking skin starts with clean skin. This pearlescent crème formula creates a light foam to gently wash away makeup and impurities. With an added plant-derived moisturizer, you can bet on starting your day with a refreshed, hydrated canvas. The formula contains a few interesting ingredients, such as plant extracts and vitamins that can be beneficial as anti-irritants for the skin. The scent of this cleanser is a lovely citrus and it cleanses my skin nicely and leaves my skin feeling so soft and hydrated after use. Would I recommend Arbonne's RE9 Advanced Regenerating Toner? I really like this cleanser.  Yes it is a bit on...

I was never one to use toners in my daily skincare routine, however, when I started using the Arbonne RE9 line, I thought I'd give it a try. According to the Arbonne website, a quick misting of this antioxidant-rich, pH-balanced toner refreshes skin and prepares it for the next step — firming and lifting skin’s appearance. Arbonne's instructions say to spray directly on the face, but to me, this seems a bit odd as with most toners you are to pour them onto a cotton pad and wipe your face. After trying the spray thing (which didn't work for me), I started spraying it onto a cotton pad and wiping my face which seemed to go much better. The toner has a fruity, but also slightly chemical scent, but it is still quite pleasant and does disappear almost instantly once absorbed into the skin. It removes any leftover make-up that the Arbonne cleanser didn't. Would I recommend Arbonne's RE9 Advanced Regenerating Toner? Overall I think it isn't hurting my skin....