Pure Zone skin care
Do you ever find that you are endlessly drawn to one particular kind of product? Like that illusive "perfect" foundation, or just the right shade of lipstick? That's how I am with skin care: I am forever on a mission for the perfect set of products that will stop my acne, satisfy my dry skin, and remove the red spots I have from old breakouts. Just when I think I am close, my skin starts reacting differently to something that was almost perfect. Or I see a new line and am tempted, only to have it undo all the work the other products have done. My experience with L'Oreal's newest line, Pure Zone, is yet another example of this ongoing story. I saw the ads, I read the packaging, and it seemed like the perfect collection of products for someone like me with a breakout problem who can't tolerate harsh acne treatments. How did it fare? Read on...

Pore Unclogging Scrub Cleanser
Pure Zone gives you three choices in cleansers: foam, scrub, and cream. All are considered Step One. I picked up the scrub first thinking it would be perfect in the shower. This gel has small blue and clear particles that scrub, plus the gel foams when you add water, so it's quite an active cleansing experience. I can see using this as a daily maintenance to prevent breakouts, but for active acne, the scrubbing is not the best idea, as it can damage the skin and affected pores and spread bacteria. Since the scrub isn't on the skin for very long, the active ingredient of 1% salicylic acid helps loosen dead skin and unclog pores without being overly harsh or drying. My one complaint is the menthol - it makes the scrub smell like a cough drop, and it can be irritating to what is probably already fairly irritated skin.

Skin Balancing Cream Cleanser
Another choice in daily cleansing is this 2% salicylic acid cream cleanser. It also lathers like the scrub, but the less water you add to it while you are massaging it in, the less it foams. I like this one for daily (morning) use on all kinds of acne because it is gentle but effective for both active and pending acne. On my dry skin, I find it to be a bit drying, so I use it every other day in the shower. This is an active treatment cleanser, so don't try removing makeup or anything like that with it. It also has menthol, so sensitive skin, beware.

Pore Tightening Astringent
Step two of the Pure Zone system is this 2% salicylic acid toner, and it is drying. The second ingredient after water is denatured alcohol, which is very drying to the skin. Contrary to popular belief, the best way to get rid of acne is not necessarily by drying it out. The irritation and lack of natural sebum can easily trigger new breakouts and more oiliness. Maybe spot treating a pimple with a cotton swab soaked in it would be okay, but other than that, unless you have seriously oily skin, I don't recommend this toner.

Skin Relief Oil Free Moisturizer
By the third step, I am completely unimpressed at Pure Zone's ability to help my acne without drying out my skin and making the pimples worse. Step three is the typical oil-free moisturizer that's supposed to add some moisture back to the mess that the cleanser and the toner created. This one also has salicylic acid, but just .6% so it's gentler. Still, by this point the skin has had about all the salicylic acid it can take. Interestingly, the packaging on every Pure Zone product has a warning that reads: "Using other topical acne drugs at the same time or right after use of this product may increase dryness or irritation to the skin. If this occurs, only one drug should be used unless directed by a doctor." So basically if you use the whole system as it is directed (steps one, two and three), you are susceptible to an increase in dryness and irritation, just as the package states.

You can find Pure Zone products at drugstores, and discount stores like Target, Walmart and Kmart. If you prefer shopping online, ULTA.com sells them for $6.99 each.

review: 9/02

Endless Liquid Lipcolor ($8.49)
Just like foundations and mascaras, I have to ask: just how many of the same kind of product do we need? Here is yet another long-wearing lipcolor that is supposed to last and last through everything that you eat and drink throughout the day, and just like many others, it does not live up to its claims. On the upside, the color is smooth and light, and feels soft and supple on the lips. The narrow sponge applicator is a great shape for outlining and filling in, and if you just wipe it lightly on the side of the tube, you get the perfect amount of color that dries quickly and lasts about as long as you can get this to last (about 4 hours or until you eat something). Endless comes in a nice selection of shades in mostly pinks and reds, plus a beige and a lilac. I had good luck with my first choice, Rosy Impression.

In addition to supermarkets and drugstores, you can find Endless at ULTA.com for $5.99.

review: 8/02

Plenitude Visible Results Skin Renewing Moisture Treatment ($18.96 for 1.6oz)
I bought this on a recent drugstore trip because it was new (must try everything new!) and I was looking for an all-in-one day cream with sunscreen and some sort of anti-aging benefits. I have to say the product packaging has more marketing babble than I've seen in a long time. Instant healthy glow! Refined pores! Reduced lines & wrinkles in 8 days! All this and more can be yours with the revolutionary ingredient Activa-Cell! Activa what? What in the world is that? I would have liked a better explanation of what was going to make me "see new skin begin in just 8 days. And I love this line: "Visible Results was created to aid the natural defense system against external UV aggressions." Um, that's called sunscreen. All in all this is a disappointing moisturizer. "Optical light diffusers" translates to a gallon of mica (super shiny on the skin), and as for its claim to moisturize for 24 hours, I don't think it kept my skin hydrated for 24 minutes. It also balled up terribly (like little eraser bits), and not just under makeup, but in any spot on my face where it didn't soak in, which could be fixed it the pump didn't dispense so much. I was left with super iridescent skin that was greasy on the surface but dry and flaky underneath (not normal for me), and leaving a trail of moisturizer bits everywhere I went. And all this for the obnoxiously expensive price of almost $20! This is a drugstore product, right? If you want a bargain cream with anti-aging, brightening and moisturizing benefits, put your money toward Aveeno Skin Brightening Daily Moisturizer ($12.99 for 1oz) instead.

review: 3/02

Air Wear Foundation
L'Oreal keeps changing their line-up of foundations, adding and discontinuing practically with the changing seasons. If they are trying to hone in on the best they have to offer, Air Wear is a step in the right direction. Take your desire for natural but worthwhile coverage and pair it with your need for long wearing, all-day makeup, and you've got this makeup. I tried both the liquid and the powder, and favor the liquid for its lightweight feel and "melding" with the skin; the powder doesn't "become one" with the skin quite as nicely, and I did suffer from some small breakouts from using it. I'm sticking with the liquid ($11.95) in ivory for my fair skin; it also comes in cream, beige, sand, shell, buff, tan, caramel and mocha. If you prefer a compact powder ($13.95), the range is a bit smaller: ivory, cream, beige, sand, tan and caramel. Both forms have broad spectrum UVA/UVB sun protection (SPF 14 for the liquid and SPF 17 for the powder) and are designed to work with all skin types.

review: 4/01

Longitude Lash Out mascara (special $3.99)
Lash Out has always been a great mascara, but L'Oreal decided it needed some improvement, so Longitude Lash Out was born. Honestly I don't notice much of a difference, which is fine because it's just as lengthening, clump-free, and notice-me as before! To me, the biggest selling point is the money you are saving - this is a great product and so much cheaper than any department store counterpart.

review: 2/01

Colour Juice Lip Shimmer and Sheer Lip Gloss
Since L'Oreal and Lancome are owned by the same company (Cosmair), it came as no surprise to me that L'Oreal introduced these new glosses, considering the success Lancome had with their Juicy Tubes gloss.

Lip Shimmer is a thick, lacquer-style gloss with high shine and shimmer, and decent staying power. It's packaged in a squeeze tube and has a rounded tip with a hole in it where the gloss comes out. I bought Dulce de Leche, a light bronze, and was surprised at how sheer it went on. If it came in a different package, like a tube with an angled tip, or a wand like the Sheer Gloss, I think I would like it more.

Sheer Lip Gloss is sheer (obviously) with a thinner texture but also nice shine. It's wand-style package with a sponge-tip applicator (identical to L'Oreal's Rouge Pulp) in my opinion makes it easier and less messy to apply than the Lip Shimmer. I chose Tropical Punch, a vibrant pink, and was pleased that the color is more see-through on the lips than it appears in the tube. This one lasts fairly well and comes in some pretty and perky colors.

These lipcolors are brand new, so don't be surprised if it takes your local store a while to get them. I got mine at Longs here in Portland; L'Oreal has yet to put them online (http://www.lorealparis.com).

review: 12/00

ColourVive
For color-treated hair, you can't beat ColorVive shampoo and conditoner. The products are gentle on your hair and the price is gentle on your wallet :) I didn't find that it made my color last any longer, but they leave my hair soft and manageable without stripping, and that's good enough for me!

review: 12/00

Plenitude Turning Point Instant Facial Scrub ($8.99)
If you patrol the drugstores like I do in search of new products, I'm sure you've spotted this new scrub. Unlike most scrubs, you put this one on your skin when it's dry, work it in a bit, let it sit for a minute, then rinse it off. Turning Point is gel based with small spherical jojoba scrub beads that manually exfoliate, as well as a beta hydroxy acid (BHA) ingredient (capryloyl salicylic acid) that basically goes into your pores and helps clear out dead skin cells that can make your skin look dull and flaky, and can contribute to breakouts. Turning Point also has mineral oil to give the scrub a little "slip" so it's more comfortable on dry skin. Personally, I think this scrub is gimmicky, doesn't produce the dramatic results that the label claims, and doesn't exfoliate as well as a regular scrub. I'd sooner recommend Remede Sensitive Sweep, Sage Corrective Grains, Youngblood Papaya Enzyme Scrub, or Astara Daily Refining Scrub.

Plenitude Turning Point Instant Facial Cream ($11.99)
Like with the scrub, L'Oreal promises amazing instant results with this beta hydroxy cream. I just didn't see it. It has the same capryloyl salicylic acid (BHA) as the scrub, which may be gentle but just doesn't produce the dramatic results that they claim. It's fine as a moisturizer, but that's about it.

QuickStick Face & Body Blush ($12.29)
Although I'm not the biggest fan of cream blush, I can never pass up trying something new. The reason I don't care for cream blush is simple: you almost have to have perfect skin to pull it off. It works best on clean, bare skin, which means without foundation or concealer, and without powder. I don't know about you, but my skin has not arrived to that level yet :) The "iced plum" color I got is very pretty sheer plum-purple with the tiniest hint of gold shimmer. It lasts fairly well on, but again, it's ideal for flawless skin that is basically normal (not oily or excessively dry).

HydraSoft Deeply Softening Lipcolour SPF12($10.19)
With so many different types of lipstick to choose from, I am amazed that anyone can make a decision anymore! I guess L'Oreal decided we needed another formula, and HydraSoft was born. I admit I tried HydraSoft with low expectations, thinking it would just be another tube for the makeup wasteland I call my garage, but I actually like this one. It feels great on, comes in a nice selection of colors (I got "blissful cherry"), and actually lasts fairly well. Every day I tried it, I put it on in the morning, wore it for a few hours, then ate lunch, after which I expected that perky cherry color to be completely gone - but it wasn't. It did soften to more of a stain-like finish, but there was enough color left that I didn't have to reapply right away.

One last note about these new L'Oreal products: Is it just me or are drugstore products like these getting more and more expensive?? Drugstore used to mean inexpensive, but I do not consider $12 for blush to be inexpensive. Several department store or boutique lines sell their blush at close to the same price (Lorac $14, Garden Botanika $9.50, Stila $14). What gives? Okay, enough ranting for now :)