REVIEW: Memoire Liquide Fragrance & Body Cream

New Beauty TestTube Description:  From the Bespoke perfume line, Memoire Liquide, is the reserve collection of fragrances and body creams that utilize the powerful sense of smell to evoke memories from the past…or to create new ones for the future.

Final Word:  There were three different items from the Memoire Liquide line included in my TestTube:  Two fragrance vials in Amour and Soleil and a full-size tube of body cream in Encens.  All three scents were very sensual and I liked them a lot (I'm already keeping the Amour in my purse).  The body cream is very rich and the scent is luscious, rich, almost earthy.  It’s way too intense in both scent and texture for the summer and it’s already getting warm here in Southern California so I’ve put the body cream away until the fall.  Now for the scents themselves:

Amour:  With notes of Madagascar vanilla, tonka bean and incense, it has a burnt sugar and vanilla scent with a hint of incense.  Not in any sort of stank-masking hippy kind of way.  Just warm and earthy.  I prefer clean, light scents in the summer, but the rest of the year, I could easily see this being a fragrance I’d wear daily.

Soleil:  Fresh grapefruit, tangerine, red orange, neroli, sandlewood and white musk.  It's citrusy, candy-sweet, but cut with a hint of sultry.

Encens:  Amber, white musk, black tea and Hinoki incense.  Wow.  Definitely an evening scent.  It’s sweet, ambery, woody and smoky all at once.  I love it.

All three of these scents had good staying power, varying  anywhere from 4-12 hours.  I’m also eager to try out their counter at Fred Segal (there’s also one at Henri Bendel in NYC).  They have more than 150 notes available where you can custom blend your own, unique scent.

Eau de parfum

Full Size Price:  $95

Sample Size Value:  $1.68 x 2 = $3.35

Body Cream

Full Size Price:  $48

Rating: 3 overall.

0 – Too early to tell.

1 – If you want to gross people out for Halloween—go for it.

2 – Useless, in my humble opinion. Don’t waste your money.

3 – Like it but not worth going into debt for it.

4 – Love it. Will treat myself for Christmas, birthday, etc.

5 – OMG. I would sell my mother for the last bottle/jar/tube of this stuff.

REVIEW: Olay Regenerist Wrinkle Revolution Complex

New Beauty TestTube Description: “This comprehensive wrinkle reducer combines Olay moisture with advanced micro-fillers to visibly smooth the sink's surface immediately, while a biopeptide-B3 complex continues to reduce deep lines within 14 days.”

Final Word:  I haven't come across a single over-the-counter skin care product that lived up to it's advertising 100%, but I've always liked Olay products.  They're gentle on my skin, they're not nearly as expensive as their department store counterparts, and they do seem to make my skin look better as long as I'm taking good care of myself (exercise, good diet, lots of water, yadda, yadda).   Olay's newest product is no different.  I used it faithfully for two weeks and I did see minor improvement, though not to the degree Olay claims.  Perhaps if I had a month's worth of sample I'd continue to see further softening of my deeper lines, of which thankfully I still have few.  It's scent is hardly noticeable and the product goes on smoothly, with no greasy feel (hate that grease).  As a basic moisturizer, you can't go wrong.

Sample Size:  .23 oz

Sample Value:  $3.79

Full Size:  1.7 oz

Price: $28

Rating so far: 3 – Like it but not worth going into debt for it.

0 – Too early to tell.

1 – If you want to gross people out for Halloween—go for it.

2 – Useless, in my humble opinion. Don’t waste your money.

3 – Like it but not worth going into debt for it.

4 – Love it. Will treat myself for Christmas, birthday, etc.

5 – OMG. I would sell my mother for the last bottle/jar/tube of this stuff.

REVIEW: Neostrata Skin Active Cellular Restoration

Neostrata Skin Active Cellular Restoration

New Beauty Description:  “Apple stem cell extract, peptides and maltobionic acid in Cellular Restoration work to repair the skin’s cells by reducing oxidative damage and restoring skin-plumping collagen.”

First Impression:  Easy to dispense, applied nicely, absorbed quickly and no greasy feel.  Didn’t really notice much of a scent.  The directions say to apply before bed, after cleansing.

Final Word:  I've been using this cream nightly for the last three weeks (and still have some left--way to go New Beauty!).  Nothing is ever going to replace a face lift--and no matter how depressed I get about my ageing face, I'll never go there--but I liked this cream a lot.  I think it actually had an affect on my skin, particularly on my neck and chest.  I really think I've seen some softening of lines and a reduction in that dreaded crepe-y look that the skin on my neck is just starting to show signs of if the lighting is bad.  I wouldn't hock my Hot Toys Christopher Reeve Superman figure to buy this (busted:  yes, I'm a geek), but if I had some extra cash lying around I would buy this again.

Sample Size:  .5 oz

Value of sample size:  $23

Full Size:  1.75 oz

Price:  $79

Rating so far:  3

0 – Too early to tell.

1 – If you want to gross people out for Halloween—go for it.

2 – Useless, in my humble opinion.  Don’t waste your money.

3 – Like it but not worth going into debt for it.

4 – Love it.  Will treat myself for Christmas, birthday, etc.

5 – OMG.  I would sell my mother for the last bottle/jar/tube of this stuff.