Sisley Cosmetics Roundup and Free Samples

This is a roundup of my reviews on Sisley products.

I tried and reviewed six products by Sisley:
-All Day All Year
-Sisleya Radiance Anti-Aging Concentrate
-Sisleya Eye and Lip Contour Cream
-Buff and Wash Gel
-Sisley's Energizing and Foaming Exfoliant
-Confort Extreme Body Cream for Very Dry Areas
-Gentle Eye and Lip Makeup Remover

My favorites are exfoliating products for body and face and the Sisleya Radiance Anti-Aging Concentrate.

Mostly I was impressed with the quality and effectiveness of Sisley cosmetics. I also liked the natural herbal smell and the texture. I’ve read several articles about Sisley which developed my respect for this luxury cosmetics brand. The two articles I came across recently were from Russian Glamour and from German Vogue Beauty Edition (winter 2007). In addition to the information I already knew, I found out a couple more interesting facts. As I have mentioned in my first post on Sisley, it is a family run business owned by the d’Ornanos. What I like is that the d’Ornanos are very passionate about their work and their cosmetic/perfume creations. Hubert d’Ornano, a descendant from a long line of French aristocrats (according to Vogue he is related to Napoleon’s cousin), started Sisley brand after working with his brother and father in Orlane – another wonderful cosmetics brand that the d’Ornanos co-founded together with Jean D'Albret. Hubert’s wife Isabelle d’Ornano is Polish and is the Vice-President of Sisley. According to Vogue, she personally tests Sisley’s products through all the stages of their development and her bathroom shelves are filled with samples of products that are just in the process of creation. She is also 100% faithful to Sisley’s products and does not use any other brands. Well, according to Vogue 99% as she cannot resist Touche Blush by YSL. Otherwise she lays hands on competitors’ products only when she wants to check out their presentation and packaging or how consistent the product description in various languages is. Hubert’s and Isabelle’s son Philippe and daughter Christine work together with their parents at Sisley to keep up Sisley’s success and bring new projects to life.

And finally, I have some precious samples of Sisley’s products to give away! They include Moisturizer with Cucumber (4ml) for all skin types, Buff and Wash Gel (5 ml) with botanical extracts, Phyto Teint Eclat, fluid foundation, oil-free – long lasting (2ml). If you want to try your luck, just leave a relevant comment on any post of my blog and send me an email to beautyhealthinfo at yahoo.com marked Sisley samples in the subject line. Let me know under what nickname and where you left the comment. As soon as I have 10 relevant comments, I will randomly select the winner and send the samples.

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Cosmeceutical and Nutraceutical Products from Sustainable Youth

Recently I have been testing an organic line of skin care, Sustainable Youth. This is an introduction to several reviews I will share with you in the following days.

Sustainable Youth is an American brand with a philosophy that’s not just skin deep. If you want to preserve not only your beauty, but also your environment, Sustainable Youth is your type of a beauty range. As I read on the company’s website, they use all natural practices and ingredients and strictly follow environmental ethics and sustainability. For example: Sustainable Youth packaging is environmentally friendly and is created using sustainable materials. There are no animal derived ingredients and no animal testing was done during development of the products. Try as hard as you may, you will find no petrochemicals or parabens in their products, instead they are formulated with an innovative natural preservative. I do appreciate a company that not only offers a quality product but also makes an effort to preserve our environment!


Photo: titanium22 at flickr.com
At the heart of the line is an anti-aging active ingredient Alasta that comes from the rind of the Aloe Vera plant. We all know about numerous benefits of this plant. To mention just a few: it is skin-soothing, cell-protecting, regenerating, moisturizing, anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial etc. Even Cleopatra was said to be a fan of Aloe Vera. She applied Aloe Vera gel on her skin to preserve its beauty and protect it from the sun. Sustainable Youth offers Aloe Vera extract with a difference! I was quite impressed by the fact that Aloe Vera leaves for Alasta extract are harvested by hand during the 2 hours of the day when the plant transports active ingredient into its leaves. More than 1000 Aloe Vera plants are required to produce 32 ounces of precious Alasta. According to the company, Alasta complex is a 100% organic certified ingredient and is exclusively used by Sustainable Youth.

So how does it actually work? It is a known fact that inflammation in the body accelerates aging by causing collagen degradation. Break down of collagen results in decreased skin elasticity and firmness. Skin starts to sag, obtains dull color and lines appear. Such inflammation can be triggered by various factors: poor diet, lifestyle, oxidative stress etc. Alasta helps to reduce this inflammation and enhances performance of the immune cells. This reduces oxidative damage, improves elasticity, rejuvenates and protects the skin! Sounds impressing? You'll learn how their products worked for me in my next posts.

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NARS Spring 2010 Collection

The NARS Spring 2010 Collection was photographed by NARS Cosmetics Founder and Creative Director François Nars. François created the makeup look and cast supermodel Amber Valletta, who is a long-time collaborator of his. Elegant and versatile, the look is confident, cosmopolitan and polished. And although all of the new shades for this collection are gorgeous, my favorite product is by far this eyeshadow duo!

Kuala Lumpur Eyeshadow Duo ($32) is a perfectly harmonized gold infused rose and boysenberry pairing influenced by contrasts - traditional yet modern, like is namesake. The rose gold (left) part of this duo is absolutely stunning. It's a shimmery metallic almost peachy looking color in the compact but applies with a hint of rosey-pink for an unexpected femininity that is gorgeous on every eye color. The plummy boysenberry is the perfect companion setting off the lighter shade in a contrast that just works! This is a shadow you really must see in person to appreciate. I've worn it every day since purchasing last week and I'll be wearing it again tomorrow. For a great multi-tasking use of this duo, apply the lighter color to the lid and the darkershade in the crease for definition. Take a fine eyeliner brush and dampen with water, then use the boysenberry shade as liner as close to the upper lash line as possible. Complete the look with several coats of your favorite black mascara. Stunning!

Need a little more purple in your life? Hot, hot, hot for spring is every shade of purple on the fingers and toes. Walking a line between gothic rocker and regally refined, the deep, jewel-toned perfection of NARS Purple Rain ($16) is fast becoming a go-to accessory for gals wanting to get a headstart on springtime trending.

Many other lovely products grace NARS' spring collection. View them online at NARS Cosmetics, at NARS beauty counters or Sephora.

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Correct Your Smile With Cosmetic Dental Veneers

We all want a perfect smile and know that it can definitely help land that big sale or contract or even get that pay raise or new job. But, except for a very few, most of us are not born with perfect or even anywhere near close to perfect teeth.

Most of us have some crooked teeth, a little discoloration, a chip or two, maybe a gap or even a missing tooth. Basically, 90% or more of us could really use a complete dental makeover and it is so expensive and so outrageous a concept that it really never crosses our mind as it is disregarded as an impossibility. That is now changing as dental porcelain veneers are quickly becoming cheaper and a great, quick alternative with massive life altering results.

It used to be that for people with crooked and bad teeth they either had to have extensive dental surgery, braces and orthodontics (which will not help as much in adults as it does in youth), or resort to going through life without smiling or hiding their teeth and having a much lower self esteem.

Dental surgery, braces and orthodontics are quite expensive and much of it is not covered under insurance plans. For less money, one can now have thin porcelain veneers applied to their teeth and this can instantly correct misaligned and crooked teeth. It can also whiten the frontal 16 to 20 teeth (what is usually treated) and make them look like a stars mouth with a perfect or near perfect smile.

Basically what a dentist or oral surgeon will do for cosmetic porcelain veneers is they will first do a thorough and deep cleaning of your teeth. After this they will use a grinding or abrasion tool and effectively remove about 1 to 2 mm of surface area on your teeth which are to receive the veneers (the back teeth will not usually be veneered as no one can see them when you talk or smile).

After this, and not before, they will make impressions of your teeth. There are several different methods and kits by different manufacturers used to do this but the results are the same. These impressions will be used to make the veneers. The reason for the grinding down of the surface of the teeth is to provide a better bonding surface and to provide room for correction of crooked or misaligned teeth.

The dentist or oral surgeon does not make the actual veneers. They are outsourced to medical companies that specifically specialize in dental veneers. It is quite interesting to note that the porcelain dental veneers are actually quite fragile until installed and properly bonded or cemented to the teeth. Then they are very strong and are pretty much as strong or even stronger than your original teeth.

It is far less often that a dental veneer gets broken or chipped than as with real teeth. So, once you have them installed you can pretty much enjoy your new smile and look without a whole lot of worries.

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Natural Cosmetics made from Healthy Ingredients

Nowadays natural cosmetics are provided by a lot of different companies that feature customers with a great choice of cosmetic products. Natural cosmetics have become really popular recently and the success has led to more competitors for the customers intent on natural components in all of the products that they purchase for their usage.

Natural cosmetics products attract people because of the purity of the ingredients and the many benefits of the products. Natural cosmetics should have the same desired results as the cosmetics produced with synthetic or chemical substances. Natural cosmetics are produced using roots, herbs, essential oils and other parts of plants.

Natural cosmetics have these beneficial substances, and they don’t have any of the harmful components such as preservatives that are utilized in other cosmetics. Natural creams made by the most successful companies are usually made with methods that will preserve the natural benefits of these significant ingredients.

A lot of people who want natural cosmetics actually make their own from healthy substances that occur in nature. People who make their own cosmetics can make a limited amount for their own use and be ensured that the components are fresh.

Natural cosmetics are not just a gimmick that attracts people with unsubstantiated claims. The components in natural cosmetics are chosen based on research performed by talented scientists and knowledgeable people. One of the ingredient that is often used in natural products is honey, because of the unique qualities of that ingredient that can restore the appearance of the skin.

In masques that are left on for a period of time to restore the youthful appearance of the customer honey is often utilized. You can find several other natural products that can be utilized to eliminate some of the signs of aging. Chamomile, basil and sunflower oil are other important ingredients in natural products that help to restore a youthful appearance.

Natural substances such as arrowroot can have a beneficial effect for people who suffer from blemishes and pimples on the skin. Seeds from the castor plant can have a really beneficial effect for soothing and lubricating. In many natural products aloe vera is used because it has many enzymes and vitamins.

Another major natural ingredient is cocoa butter for making natural moisturizers which are so important in maintaining a youthful appearance. Ascorbic acid found in fruits is utilized in natural products because of the antioxidants which limit the effect of free radicals that can damage the skin. More and more companies have success in natural cosmetics keep going to research and offer new efficient and good products from natural substances.

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Effective acne treatments are available

Effectice acne treatments are the friend of all teenagers

All over the world there is a terrible word in the dictionary of most teenagers. No matter what language they speak, or which country they are coming from or even what race or what social strata they belong to. It is the war against acne that is one cause that can make the teenagers of the world unite as one! If there is one thing that is the friend of all teenagers, it is effective acne treatments, following the same logic. But just as acne comes in all shapes, sizes, and places, acne treatments too range from the effective to the super efficient to the mythical. It is half the battle knowing what works and what is just a flight of fancy.

It is essential to understand what causes acne in the first place, in order to determine effective acne treatments. Most people believe acne due to poor hygiene. That’s wrong. Often acne is usually caused due to hormonal changes in the human body. Brought on by puberty some people secrete excessive oil due to the hormonal changes. This traps dirt and moisture, resulting in blackheads and acne. Sometimes, acne is brought on by the blockage of the pores or by infection. Still others may have acne as a result of poor diet. But for all kinds of acne effective acne treatments are available. However, before trying to go in for self treatment it would always be a good idea to consult a dermatologist to determine the cause of acne.

In the market there is an inconceivable range of effective acne treatments available. When you go to any drugstore or pharmacy and you will see shelves upon bright shelves of products offering splendid effective acne treatments. Most of them are effective acne lotions or treatments that may not or may eliminate your problem. But in order to find the most effective acne treatments, your doctor is the best advisor, suited to your specific acne. For various acne effective Acne treatments differ. You may end up spending a fortune on ineffective acne treatments that don’t ever seem to work, unless you are able to pin down the cause. Often the more effective acne treatments include azelaic benzoyl peroxide, acid creams and Accutane. Some other proven effective acne treatments include lotions and topical antibiotics and still some other treatments include gluconic acids and glycolic. Each of these acne treatments works for a particular kind of acne, as mentioned earlier. And the more severe the acne, the more strong the treatment.

Time is the best healer, that is the best advice anyone can give you regarding effective acne treatments. But for all others who are unwilling to let time be the healer, the drugstore is their playground. Some treatments will have to go in for prescription drugs, while common treatments could work wonders for some people.

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