The Advice Sisters WINTER 2009 “What Works” Beauty, Cosmetics & Fashion review column will be live in a few days, and features solutions for Winter’s beauty problems. There are plenty of products in every price point to keep your skin, hair and nails, glowing, soft and hydrated, and gorgeous! Please check out the entire Winter What Works column at http://www.advicesisters.net/whatworkscol3.html
One product line I really like is Liz Earle. It’s a British skincare line with naturally active ingredients. The company does no animal testing, has no animal ingredients, has no chemical sunscreens (except beeswax, propolis and manuka honey), no mineral oils, and no genetically engineered ingredients.
The Advice Sisters introduced Liz Earle to the What Works Beauty, Cosmetics & Fashion review columns back in Spring 2008 when we reviewed some of Liz’s excellent body care products, but I was eager to try some of her facial products for the face.
The first product I tried was the Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser $24.50 Starter Kit featuring two muslin cloths and a 3.3 fl. oz pump bottle of cream cleanser. Massage the concentrated cleanser over a dry face, and then “polish” it off with one of the muslin cloths (rinsed in hot water and wrung dry). The muslin is slightly rough, everyday dirt, makeup, and even long-lasting lipstick and mascara. It takes a little more effort to do this two-step process, but your skin will feel clean and smooth so it’s totally worth it.
Follow with Instant Boost Skin Tonic $21.00 6.7 fl. oz bottle. I like the all-in-one cap on this toner. Twist it open and a tiny “spigot” pops out of the cap, ready to use. Twist it closed and the spigot retracts back into the cap. The lightly floral smelling toner is gentle on your skin, and non-drying. It has soothing vitamin E and hydrating organic aloe vera, plus calendula, cucumber and rose-scented geranium to wake up and soothe your skin. This is so pleasant to use you’ll feel good about it even if you generally skip toners, or dislike the feel or the smell of them.
Liz Earle has lots of moisturizers, which are the logical next step in a regular skincare routine, but I tried the Superskin Moisturizer 1.6 fl. oz. $60.00 1.6 fl. oz. a fragrance-free product for mature or very dry skin with natural actives such as cranberry, borage and rosehip seed oils. This very rich cream also has high levels of GLA and is rich in omega-3 to prevent moisture loss and improve skin elasticity. Antioxidants pomegranate fruit extract and natural source vitamin E help protect from environmental damage, too. Liz Earle gives very specific instructions on how to apply this cream: Apply to face with upward and outward movements using firm pressure. With your fingertips, lightly smooth in an outward circular direction along the cheekbones to above the eyebrows. Using the thumb and ring finger gently pinch along the brow bone from the nose to the outer edge of the brow. Finish by gently sweeping your hands up the neck and over the décolletage. All this was just a bit too much process for me, a slap-it-on-and-go type of girl, and the cream is best used as a night cream unless your skin is seriously bone dry, but there are moisturizers for just about every type of skin in Liz Earle’s skincare collection.
Also intense and super-emollient is the Superskin Concentrate $70.00 1 fl. oz *other sizes available. This super-intense aromatic blend of 100% pure plant oils ihas softening argan and organic rosehip oils, soothing neroli, lavender and chamomile essential oils plus protective natural source vitamin E. I liked the fresh, herbal scent and the way it really helped combat seriously dry and stressed-out skin.
I really like Liz Earle’s products in general, but the skin care products are designed to suit very specific skin types. Make sure you consult the web site and pick what works best for your age and skin condition to get the best results!
Visit http://us.lizearle.com/