Welcome to this week's Cosmetic Report^™ newsletter. It's our goal to bring you unbiased information about cosmetic products and trends so you can make educated buying decisions. If you've been searching for straightforward beauty information and advice, you've found it here. The Cosmetic Connection Panel of reviewers are consumers just like you who face the same issues and challenges, and look to the beauty industry to help solve them.

This week we are featuring Vicky, 38, an office manager from Scottsdale, Arizona, where the dry climate and high summer temperatures make taking care of your skin and melt-proofing your makeup a challenge! Vicky has dark brown curly hair, dark brown eyes, and a medium/light olive complexion. Her skin is normal-to-oily (t-zone) with large pores and occasional breakouts. Her hair is fine, highlighted, on the dry side, and Vicky regularly straightens it with a ceramic flat iron.

Now for Vicky's reviews!

Prada Reviving Bio-Firm Moisture SPF 15
When I heard about Prada skincare a couple of years ago, I did a double take. Huh? Prada skincare? I though they only did purses and fashion! Well, it seems they made a jump to skincare, but a highly specialized and unique concept of skincare. Almost all of the products are packaged in "monodoses" - little plastic pods filled with creams and lotions - in addition to regular bottles of product, which the company calls "multidoses". Of course there are people who either love or hate those cute little pods sealed in a plastic envelope. I happened upon a box of 30 monodoses of the Bio-Firm Moisture formula. I love them! They are great for traveling, and they keep the product neat until you are ready to open it. I actually got 3 applications out of one monodose.

I have to say this moisturizer is more geared towards skin over 30 because the ingredients are are mostly firming and anti-aging (hydrolyzed elastin and collagen, and retinol). The gel cream formula feels nice going on, not heavy or greasy, and a little goes a long way. Those with drier skin will definitely appreciate how it absorbs into the skin nicely while making it feel comfortable.

I liked using this moisturizer. It made my skin feel comfortable and look good when I didn't wear makeup, and when I did wear makeup, it made a nice base for my foundation to glide over. After about a week of using this, I did notice my skin looking a little firmer and feeling smoother.

This product does carry a big price tag, though: $95.00 for the 1.7 oz multidose pump bottle. The Prada skincare line can be found at Neiman Marcus stores and neimanmarcus.com.

Clarins Super Restorative Serum
I've always been interested in Clarins skincare products because they tend to focus on the benefits that herbs and plant extracts can give to skin. It just seems like they do so much more for your skin when combined with other ingredients.

Lately I have noticed my skin acting just a little bit differently - not as even-toned as it used to be, a little drier, less firm and smooth. I guess this is inevitable as you approach 40! So when I saw Clarins Super Restorative Serum was aimed at skin poised at that turning point, I was curious to see what it could do for me.

I first started using it only at night, even though the instructions on the box say it can be used am/pm, because I think the serum would be more effective while you sleep. I like the smooth, light consistency of the serum, almost more of a gel-cream than a liquidy serum. It absorbs quickly so I can put my moisturizer on right away. Clarins recommends that you apply it with a massage technique to enhance the benefits of the serum, but I'm not sure if that has any benefits other than the relaxing effect any massage has on the skin. I guess if you have the time you can try it!

After using this product for awhile, I noticed that my skin is less dry and less lackluster. It looks good even without any foundation - smoother and more even toned. I don't really have any fine lines to begin with, so I didn't notice any change there. The box lists tomato extract as one of the ingredients; the lycopene found in tomatoes is supposed to help the skin against aging. Rosemary leaf, thyme, and linseed extract are also ingredients in this serum that help nourish the skin.

I like this product and the fact that it comes in a pump bottle so that you get measured doses of it and don't use more than you need. It also helps keep bacteria from your fingers out of the bottle. The bottle is a little over 1 oz. (30 ml) and costs about $110, which is pretty much the price range for products in this category. However, using it just once a day, the bottle should last about 3 months.

Clarins can be found in department stores and at gloss.com.

Thanks, Vicky! We hope you enjoyed this issue of The Cosmetic Report!