L’Oreal Revitalift Moisture Blur—A Dupe for Mac Prep & Prime Skin?

Every so often, I’m pleasantly surprised when I try a new product and this is the case with L’Oreal’s Revitalift Moisture Blur. This product is billed as a moisturizer that doubles as an  “instant skin soother.” Moisture Blur may some familiar and that’s because it’s in the same family as L’Oreal’s Revitalift Miracle Blur, a primer that I thought I reviewed but it turns out I haven’t (I do like it). While that one is very definitely not billed as a moisturizer, the products are actually very similar. Both contains large amounts of silicone oils and reduce the appearance of fine lines (therefore “blurring” the imperfections on the face). But as I wore Moisture Blur for about four days, I realized that rather than feeling (and performing) like a traditional moisturizer, it reminded me so much of one of my favorite high end primers, Mac Prep & Prime Skin! See below for the ingredients of both products and then an “in English” explanation from me.

L’Oreal Revitalift Moisture Blur Ingredients:

DIMETHICONE • AQUA/WATER • GLYCERIN • ISONONYL ISONONANOATE • DIMETHICONE CROSSPOLYMER • VINYL DIMETHICONE/METHICONE SILSESQUIOXANE CROSSPOLYMER • ALCOHOL DENAT. • BUTYLENE GLYCOL • LAURYL PEG-9 POLYDIMETHYLSILOXYETHYL DIMETHICONE • METHYL METHACRYLATE CROSSPOLYMER • BORON NITRIDE • PEG/ PPG-18/18 DIMETHICONE • HYDROLYZED SOY PROTEIN • CI77163/BISMUTH OXYCHLORIDE • SILICA SILYLATE • PHENOXYETHANOL • CAPRYLYL GLYCOL • MAGNESIUM SULFATE • ASCORBYL GLUCOSIDE • PARFUM/ FRAGRANCE • CAPRYLOYL SALICYLIC ACID • TETRASODIUM EDTA • RETINYL PALMITATE • LINALOOL • CI 77891/TITANIUM DIOXIDE • BENZYL SALICYLATE • SODIUM HYDROXIDE • BENZYL ALCOHOL • CITRONELLOL • GERANIOL • LIMONENE • ALPHA-ISOMETHYL IONONE • SYNTHETIC FLUORPHLOGOPITE • CI 77491/IRON OXIDES • COUMARIN • N- HYDROXYSUCCINIMIDE • HYDROXYISOHEXYL 3-CYCLOHEXENE CARBOXALDEHYDE • DISODIUM STEAROYL GLUTAMATE • ALUMINUM HYDROXIDE • PALMITOYL OLIGOPEPTIDE • CHRYSIN • PALMITOYL TETRAPEPTIDE-7 •

Mac Prep & Prime Skin Ingredients:

Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Polysilicone-11, Sucrose, Isopentyldiol, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Gellidiela Acerosa (Algea) Extract, Morus Bombycis (Mulberry) Root Extract, Hypnea Musciformis(Algea) Extract, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Fruit Extract, Poria COcos Sclerotium Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Amorphophallus Koniac Root Powder, Laminaria Saccharina Extract, Algea Extract, Caffeine, Tocopheryl Acetate, Butylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Hexylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosephate, Masnesium Myristate, PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone, Saccharide Isomerate, HDI/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Silica, Plysorbate 20, Alumina, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Polyethylene, Phenyl Timethicone, Triethocycaprylysilane, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides, Bismuth Oxychloride.

To net this out for you, both products have silicones and water as their first ingredients (typically words ending in –cone and –ane are dead giveaways for silicones). Silicones give both products their slippery feel, the “line filling” capabilities and also moisturizing characteristics. The L’Oreal product also includes glycerin as its third ingredient, which is a traditional moisturizer as well. Both products include thickeners, stabilizers, fragrance, chemicals that make the lotions glide over the skin and preservatives.

When I review a product and its ingredient list, I always first look for the preservative because that will (usually) indicate where the 1% mark is. At and below 1%, ingredients do not have to be listed in order of percentage but everything over 1% does. So that means that in the L’Oreal product, there is more water than glycerin but there may or may not be more salicylic acid than chrysin. In both lists, I highlighted the preservative ingredients. Now, on its own, phenoxyethanol is a perfectly good preservative but it’s also an ingredient in a common non-paraben preservative called Optiphen Plus. The rules of ingredient listings say that companies must list the individual ingredients rather than the trade name of the ingredient so Optiphen Plus becomes phenoxyethanol, capryl glycol and sorbic acid (aka potassium sorbate). It is used at percentages between .5% to 1.5%, which means that pretty much everything after that ingredient is used in very small quantities, which may not make much of a difference in the formulation. It looks to me that Mac is using Optiphen Plus while L’Oreal is using phenoxyethanol as a preservative (I couldn’t find the sorbic acid but it may be listed using a name with which I am not familiar).

With that in mind, the biggest differences between these two products are the actives (anti aging chemicals) in the Mac Prep & Prime Skin and the price. Mac Prep & Prime Skin costs $30 for 1 ounce and I paid $19.99 for 1.7 ounces of L’Oreal’s Moisture Blur. After using Moisture Blur for a week, I used it alongside Mac Prep & Prime and, in my opinion, they performed identically. That means I have found another drugstore primer (or moisturizer, depending on how you want to classify it) that I absolutely love!

Have you tried Moisture Blur? Do you love it as much as I do?

Ages of Beauty rating: *****

Products I’m Loving Right Now

I have tons of things going on right now but thought I’d give a quick flash of some products that I’m currently using and loving. During the summer, my skin care, hair care and makeup needs change (as do yours, I’m sure) so most of these products are new to me. Detailed reviews will follow!

Mac Face & Body

S’well Bottle

Cetaphil Moisturizer SPF 50

L’Oreal Eversleek Sulfate Free Shampoo (and conditioner)

L’Oreal Everstyle Energizing Dry Shampoo

Skin Actives Formulation Kit for Beginners

DIY Hyaluronic Acid Serum with B5

Neutrogena Moisture Smooth Color Sticks

Chanel Soleil Tan

Clarins Hand and Nail Treatment Cream

Summer 2013 Trend: Bright Nails

Bright nails are a HUGE trend for summer and I am all over this trend! For the past couple of months I’ve been scouring the shelves of my local Target and CVS on the lookout for new colors. I also joined Julep’s Maven program (more info to come in a later post) and am looking forward to even more new colors. If you’re a nail polish junkie, it’s impossible to not be excited about all the possibilities!




It’s really amazing that drugstores these days have such high quality polishes. Back in the day, when I had to walk three miles up a hill in the snow in sub zero weather to get to a department store to buy quality polish….I digress. Anyway, brands like Cover Girl and L’Oreal have long lasting, beautifully smooth polishes available and Essie is now making many of their colors available at Target, of all places, for $7.99! I’ve died and gone to heaven! Whether you color your fingers, your toes or both, there’s something available for everyone. Here are some of my favorites.

Essie Boom Boom

        Essie Mod Square

              

Essie Naughty Nautical

Essie Peach Daiquiri

Essie Play Date

Essie Tart Deco

L’Oreal Jetset to Paris

Maybelline Green With Envy

CoverGirl Appletini

CoverGirl Pina Colada

Have you been wearing bright nails? What are your favorite colors?

Rose Gold and a Tan

Not too long ago, I came across a video by one of my favorite YouTube makeup gurus, Emily Noel. In this video, Emily showed some rose gold colored cosmetics (you can see the video here) that I just had to try!


I’m doing something this summer that I have never really successfully done---self tanner! The St. Tropez self tanning mousse that I reviewed a few weeks ago (here) is working so well and, let me tell you, rose gold colored makeup looks GREAT with a tan!




For this look, I’m using several products that Emily mentions in her video. They are as follows:

• The Balm’s Hot Mama Blush ($20.00 at The Balm)
• Nars Satin Lip Pencil in Rikugien ($25.00 at Sephora)
• elf Pout Perfecter ($3.00 at elf)
• Sonia Kashuk Monochrome eye Quad in Textured Rose ($13.69 at Target)
• L’Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in Amber Rush ($6.99 at Target)

I’ll be reviewing these products over the next couple of days so check back. Here are a few more pictures to give you an idea of what you can do with this color.

L’Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in Amber Rush on inner lid and tear duct area

Sonia Kashuk Monochrome Color Quad in Textured Rose. I used the lower left hand corner shadow on the outer lids and in the crease

Nars Satin Lip Pencil in Rikugien all over lip; elf Pout Perfecter on middle of bottom and top lips

I have a couple of other rose gold products that I’ll review as well. Have you been wearing this color? What are you using?

Budget Face of the Day

I started this blog as an outlet for myself and a resource for women roughly my age and older who are dealing with issues concerning body image, aging, elderly parents, children , finances, health and beauty. I’m no writer but it’s been a great experience and being the beauty junkie that I am, I absolutely LOVE when I can find an inexpensive product that works. In the beauty industry today, we’re bombarded with messages like “you’re not thin enough, pretty enough, or young enough but if you want to be those things you need to spend $$$$$ on THIS product in order to be worthwhile.” OK, not really those exact words, but with all of the Photo Shopped images in magazines and insanely expensive beauty products out there, things have gotten a little ridiculous.

The other day, I posted a “face of the day” that used all high end products. I love all of those products but the price tag on that entire look was pretty high (I didn’t even add it up---I just know it was “a little much.”). So in the interest of being balanced, today’s post uses all drugstore products and many of them are very inexpensive!




I start out with mascara, because I almost always make a mess that has to be cleaned up. For this look, I used Neutrogena’s Healthy Volume Mascara in Black/Brown. At $7.49, this is an excellent budget pick and makes my lashes longer and thicker (and it doesn’t smudge!!!).

Almay CC Cream in Light

My next step for this look was the application of Almay’s new CC Cream in light. This is a new product and so far I like it as a tinted moisturizer. It costs about $9.99 (give or take) at your nearest drugstore. Wherever I needed “correcting,” I applied Maybelline’s Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Spot Concealer + Treatment ($9.99). Then I set my face with Revlon’s Nearly

 Pressed Powder ($9.99).





OK. Now back to the eyes where I found some GREAT budget picks! From the lash line to the eyebrow, I applied Wet N Wild’s Color Icon Shadow Single eye shadow in Brulee ($1.99!!!). This eye shadow is SOOOO great and it’s my go-to base shadow for many, many looks. If you didn’t know better, you’d think it was a high end shadow! On the lid I applied NYX’s single shadow in Taupe ($4.99) and Dark Brown ($4.99) in the crease. Surprisingly enough, all three shadows lasted all day without creasing and I didn’t even apply any eyelid primer, which I usually have to wear. Next I lined my upper lids with L’Oreal’s Voluminous Smoldering Eyeliner in Black ($8.99). I’m still testing this one out so I’ll let you know if it’s a great product after more testing. On the lower water line, I used Rimmel’s Scandal Eyes Waterproof Kohl Eyeliner in

 ($4.49). This step is a way to brighten your eyes. Most eyeliners don’t last on my waterline but this one did a reasonably good job, although it does require a touch up after a few hours. Last but not least, I applied some of the mascara to my eyebrows to cover up the white hair!





On my face, I used Revlon’s PhotoReady Bronzer (about $10.50), which is an excellent, matte bronzer that includes four shades. With this product, I contoured my jaw line and cheeks as well as used it on my forehead at the hairline. The last products I used were a real value from Elf. Their powder blush in Tickled Pink ($3.00), paired with the All Over Color Stick in Pink Lemonade ($1.00), provided a nice flush that lasted most of the day with just a little bit of fading. I also used the All Over Color Stick on my lips.











At just over $68, these products were good budget picks. Most (not the mascara or the all over color stick) will last for 6-12 months, depending on how often they are used so I think that they could be excellent choices for a woman on a budget. But while I’m thinking of it, I’m wondering if it’s possible to do a full face for under $25? Hmmmm….maybe that will be a future subject for a face of the day post!!!

Do you use any of these products? If so, what do you think of them?

Face of the Day: Drugstore Brands

I've been working for the last few days to get back on track after being away for over a week. Today was the first day that I actually took the time to put on makeup so I thought it would be a good time to do a Face of the Day (FOTD) post. 

Every item I used today is from the drugstore. Just about every item I used has not been reviewed yet so you can look forward for more reviews of some quality drugstore products. Click below to see what makes up this look!

Face of the Day: A Luminous, Lifted Look

Lately, I've been interested in makeup looks that revitalize, tired, dry skin. Since it's winter, my skin is dryer than ever and it just feels "blah." That's really the best way to describe it. A couple of months ago, I started trying new products that add luminosity to the skin. At the same time, I had the opportunity to view a new video from my favorite make up artist, Lisa Eldridge here.  Click below to see my variation of her look!

Product Review: L'Oreal Infallible Lacquer Gel Liner

L'Oreal touts its Infallible Lacquer Gel Liner as a 24 hour formula that "glides on smoothly for a clean, precise line that keeps an intense high-shine finish that lasts from dawn to dusk." Just how well does this formula work and does it compete well with higher end products?

Face of the Day: A Simple, Chic look

I'm a big fan of Lisa Eldridge, a famous celebrity makeup artist from the UK. Not too long ago, she did a You Tube tutorial on a makeup look she called "Flawless and Chic," available here.

It's a look that can be worn during the day or for an evening out and I've worn it many times. Click below to get the details and the products I used.