Splurge VS Steal: Skincare - Moisturizers

Here is part two in our Skincare Splurge VS Steal column. You can find part one and part three here and here.

In this post we will share with you our picks for facial moisturizers, but first, here are the descriptions of our skin types so you get a sense of what we're working with.

Jill: Combination with an oily t-zone.  I rarely break out but the few pimples I get tend to be fairly  deep & painful.  I sometimes suffer from puffy eyes. I live in an extremely dry climate.

Catherine: Combination skin - normal on my cheeks, oily in my t-zone. My skin is rarely without pimples, but they tend to be small. When I don't exfoliate, my skin gets flaky. I live in Toronto, a city with a temperate, moderately humid climate.

Day Moisturizer

J: SPLURGE - Lancome Bienfait Multi-Vital SPF 30 ($58.00 CA/50 ml)
I'm religious about sunscreen, so the Lancome Beinfait Multi-Vital really does it for me.  Not only does it have a high SPF but it manages to moisturize my dry cheeks AND not turn my t-zone into an oil slick.  It feels wonderful and apparently has vitamins in it.  Now that I'm on a student budget I'm going to have to save my pennies to afford this one!

C: SPLURGE - Philosophy Hope In A Jar (56.7 g/2 oz, $49)
This is one GORGEOUS facial moisturizer and I mean luxurious without being heavy. It feels incredibly soothing and protective on your skin and stays feeling that way on both my (normal skin) cheeks and (oily skin) t-zone. It's absolutely incredible under make-up and you can feel it working like the workhorse it is all day.


STEAL - Kiehl's Ultra Facial Tinted Moisturizer SPF 15 (75 mL, $33)
I have never come across a drugstore moisturizer that gives me all that Kiehl's Ultra Tinted Moisturizer does so while it's pricier than something you'll find in the aisles of the drugstore, it's a 3 in 1 product! It's a great moisturizer for most skin types, non-greasy and often found in the kits of make-up artists. It's also got a tint to it, so I can often forgo foundation and/or concealer and while the SPF is the absolute minimum you should be wearing, if you use this and a foundation or loose powder with SPF in it, like I do, you're all set! I've done the mixing a facial sunscreen with a moisturizer and it just is so messy and completely unworkable with any make-up, I won't give up my Ultra Tinted Moisturizer without a fight. The untinted version of Ultra is fantastic as well, as is the slightly heavier Ultra Facial Cream which I often use in the winter months.

Night Moisturizer

J: SPLURGE - Aveda Tourmaline Charged Hydrating Creme (approx $35.00 for 50 ml)
I have to admit I got this one free - it is a lovely, rich cream that moisturizes very well without being heavy.  I don't know if the tourmaline has really infused my skin with radiance, but I do wake up well moisturized! Plus it has that characteristic Aveda scent which I like.

C: For night, I believe you MUST MUST MUST use a product that will heal, soothe, repair and renew your skin. That's what your body, brain and skin is doing while you sleep and if you don't take advantage of those precious hours when you're still, unburdened, unstressed and at peace, you are doing yourself an unbelievable disservice. 

SPLURGE - BeneFit's Dear John: A Movin On Facial Cream (60 mL / 2.0 US fl.oz., $40)
OK, so $40 isn't so much a splurge, especially not for a night cream but with my beauty product buying habits and my budget? You bet this is a treat for me to buy. And the bang for your buck is pretty smashing, so to speak. It's a good size jar of gorgeously rich cream that makes my skin feel like buttah. Baby's bum, porcelain, you name it. BeneFit is more known for its make-up (of which I'm also a fan) but their skin care, especially their moisturizers, is surprisingly excellent.

STEAL - Jamieson Laboratories ProVitamina Retinol Renewal Night Cream (120mL/4.2 fl. oz, approx.$20)
I cannot live without this stuff. I use it as a night cream, to relieve uneven skintone and razor burn, on pimples, and basically on anything I don't want on my skin any longer! It's got Retinol and Vitamin A which both work to renew and heal your skin, reducing fine lines, uneven texture and tone, drawing out impurities and assisting with your skin's renewal process. I really don't believe there's much that works on your skin better than Vitamin E and Vitamin A and the purer the form the better. It's really all you need - simple, basic and powerful.

Eye Cream

J: STEAL - Garnier Anti Puff Eye Roller (approx $16.00 CA for 15 ml)
I love using this cooling, slightly tightening eye roller.  I don't have many fine lines, but I do suffer from puffy eyes occasionally.  This caffeine infused serum really helps wake my eyes up in the morning.  Plus the application system is efficient, mess free and feels nice.

C: SPLURGE: - Kiehl's Cryste Marine Firming Eye Treatment (0.5 fl.oz, $36 US)
I admit I have only tried a sample of this but I've had a few of them and it's rich enough that a sample lasts for about a month. It's exactly what I look for in an eye cream - luxurious but not greasy, soothing and it does make a difference in the look and feel of the skin around my eye. I find that regardless of what you use, it is really all about the application process. Tapping very very gently with your pinky, apply the product around your eye socket (where you feel the bone beneath the skin).

So there you have it, our picks for Moisturizing splurges and steals. Do you have any of your own? Want to rave about something you can't live without? If you have any comments or questions - ask us!

C & J

Splurge VS Steal: Skincare - Cleansers, Toners and Eye Makeup Removers

Welcome to a new column for Beauty2 - Splurge VS Steal! In this series, we will dish on our favourite products, both upscale and drugstore.  We hope that our suggestions will give you some options when considering your beauty budget. Steals are generally items that can be found in a drugstore (or kitchen!), while splurges are generally the stuff of department store counters or available online.  Whenever possible, we will give you the most accurate price for the item (in Canadian dollars).

To start off we will describe our skin types to give you a background as to the products we use.

Jill: Combination with an oily t-zone.  I rarely break out but the few pimples I get tend to be fairly  deep & painful.  I sometimes suffer from puffy eyes. I live in an extremely dry climate.

Catherine: Combination skin - normal on my cheeks, oily in my t-zone. My skin is rarely without pimples, but they tend to be small. When I don't exfoliate, my skin gets flaky. I live in Toronto, a city with a temperate, moderately humid climate.

This column is all about cleansing and getting that skin of ours (and yours) as smooth and fresh as possible. It's so very important to wash your face every night so it can do it's thing while you sleep and breathe and refresh. Read on for our picks!

Cleanser

J: SPLURGE - Clinique Liquid Facial Soap Mild ($20.00 CA)
    STEAL - Cetaphil Oily Skin Cleanser ($17.99 for 500 ml)

The Clinique cleanser is a great for those who like foaming cleansers but don't want to overstrip their skin.  I like them both but do find the Cetaphil the tiniest bit more drying.

 C: SPLURGE - Philosophy Purity Made Simple (24 fl.oz., $52/16 fl.oz., $42/8 fl.oz., $26)

Purity Made Simple is a multi-purpose product, acting as a cleanser, make-up remover and toner in one. For removing make-up, which I do nearly everyday, this is a fantastic cleanser. For the few days where I'm not wearing make-up or for first thing in the morning, it can be a little drying.

STEAL - Kibio Fresh Pureness Foam(125 mL, approx $12)
Kibio has a fresh, clean scent and I like that I can get it at Shoppers Drug Mart. It's also very effective at removing make-up and doesn't dry out my skin. It's also gentle enough to use in the morning.

Toner

J: STEAL - I don't use any!

C: STEAL - I don't use any either, although I will occasionally on summer mornings. In my opinion, toner is an unnecessary product. It does give your skin a fresh, clean feeling so if you like that, go ahead and keep using it. It certainly won't hurt your skin.

Eye Makeup Remover

J: SPLURGE - Lancome Bi-Facial ($34.00 CA for 125 ml)
It has a cult following because it works!  Despite the fact it has an oil component in it, it isn't oily at all.  It is the only remover I know to effectively remove the waterproof mascara I wear everyday.

C: STEAL - I simply wash off my eye make-up with my facial cleanser.
I don't use a separate eye make-up remover because I simply wash my whole face with a facial cleanser (Purity Made Simple works especially well for this). I am extremely cautious about my eye area as I have loose skin there naturally and I know genetically, that's where my face will age the swiftest. I find that using water and a sudsy or creamy cleanser reduces dramatically the tugging and wiping on the eye area and my make-up comes off cleanly! Even MAC's Fluidline and false eyelash glue. Of course, if I wore waterproof mascara, it may be a different story.

For Part Two and Part Three of our Skincare Splurges and Steals featuring our picks for masks, day moisturizer, night moisturizer, eye cream, exfoliators and pimple treatments click here and here.

And as always, let us know what you think, if you have any questions and what your splurge and steal picks are. The two of us have very similar skin types so we want to know what you dry-skinned, sensitive-skinned and problem-skinned folk like and love!

C & J