Happy Winter! (Part 1): Dr. Denese HydroShield Ultra Moisturizing Face Serum (review)

I meant to post this review yesterday, but ended up staying out late to have a fabulous conversation. So today there will be two reviews. Both of them for products to soothe dry, winter skin. Here’s our first lovely item. From Dr. Denese.

HydroShield Ultra Moisturizing Face Serum

Blurb: A Customer Choice Award winner supercharged hydrating serum that locks in moisture to drastically reduce the look of dry lines and wrinkles. It intensely moisturizes skin for a soft, supple, luminous, more youthful look. So if your skin feels dry by midday, you need HydroShield®. If you see more dry lines around the eyes, cheeks and mouth area, each and every year, you need HydroShield®. Remember: Dry skin equals wrinkled skin. Hydrated skin equals plump, dewy, youthful looking skin. Suitable for any skin types from dry to normal to dramatically and almost immediately change the look of dry lines on your face. If your skin is oily, place it only around the eyes and neck and on dry patches--not on the oily T-zone. HydroShield® is remarkably effective for skins with dry lines and wrinkles, as it locks in hydration to recreate the youthful look you once had.

This is one of the most hydrating serums I’ve ever used. If winter dryness is an issue for you; I highly suggest giving this a try. Ingredients like ceramides and retinol provide both anti-aging and moisturizing benefits.

When I used this serum, I found that it spread evenly, had a silky feel, and absorbed very quickly. There was no stickiness or slickness, but my skin felt very soothed and hydrated – and there was even a bit of plumping. My skin stayed very soft during the day – even when switching from dry, cold, outdoor air to dry, warm, indoor air. Excellent product!

Take a look at all of the HydroShield products on the website. There are also some great gift ideas to browse. Dr. Denese is also available through QVC.

(ftc disclosure: received as a sample with purchase)

Ever So Dreamy! Dr. Denese HydroShield Dream Cream (review)

I don't know about you, but for me this week is zipping by. I can't believe it's Wednesday already. I've been feeling pretty rushed; but it looks like I'm going to get everything done (well, maybe most things).

Another thing I've been meaning to get around to is posting a review of an awesome moisturizer I tried. From Dr. Denese Skincare (makers of some of my favorite products).

HydroShield Hydrating Dream Cream

Blurb: The first face cream from the HydroShield family, HydroShield Dream Cream instantly rehydrates skin; increases moisture retention; smoothes and helps reduce the appearance of dry lines and wrinkles; rejuvenates dry, parched skin; and hydrates skin for a youthful appearance. The cream's superior hydration benefits come from exclusive HydroShield technology that serves as a moisture magnet to the skin. Dream Cream instantly increases moisture retention, making skin smooth and youthful looking. And it tackles the appearance of dry lines and wrinkles in just one application.

It feels like I'm always saying "wow" when I use anything from Dr. Denese; but...wow! For starters, this cream has a heavenly texture. Just smoothing it on is "dreamy." It's rich, silky, luscious and pampering…and it also absorbs right away. No heaviness or greasiness at all. And it instantly hydrates; leaving my skin glowy, soft, supple and fresh.

This cream also contains an impressive list of ingredients (retinol, ceramide 2, rice extract, and a whole slew of peptides). Great for long term beauty as well as immediate gratification!

Check out the entire HydroShield Line line on the website. You may also want to browse the New Products and/or join the Beauty Junkie Club. You can also find Dr. Denese at QVC.
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(ftc disclosure: received as a sample with purchase)

Super Stellar! Dr. Denese SPF 30 Defense Day Cream (review)

I have managed to go for weeks now without mentioning why you should always-absolutely-no-matter-what use sunscreen. But I feel that I just need to step in before the long holiday weekend. Some of you may be doing rugged outdoor things like skiing, hiking or shopping in outdoor malls; and I would never forgive myself if I didn't remind you how important it is to have some protection during daylight hours.

Also, I found this thoroughly, rad, awesome, fab sunscreen from Dr. Denese Skincare.

SPF 30 Defense Day Cream

Blurb: An innovative day cream that, if worn every day on the face and eyelids, delivers important SPF 30 UVA/UVB broad spectrum protection to help prevent wrinkles, lines, and age spots. It is naturally tinted with self-adjusting melanin technology for instant, sheer coverage that's flawless, hydrated, and even. Instead of being chalky, thick, or white, this cream is hydrating and lightly tinted with melanin for a natural, self-adjusting finish that leaves skin even and flawless. Pleasant to wear, this innovative formula delivers SPF 30 UVA/UVB broad spectrum protection to the most vulnerable areas of the face.

Love, love, love, love, love! I have tried a lot of sunscreens and this one still managed to get my attention big time. It's zinc oxide based (my favorite broad spectrum kind of protection), oil free, hydrating and non-irritating. It also comes in a very handy variety of sizes (a 2oz. jar or bag friendly 1.5oz. or 4oz. tube).

What makes this sunscreen particularly awesome is the texture and tint. The consistency is thick, but it glides on beautifully and covers evenly and thoroughly. And the feel is soft and velvety without being greasy. And (I hope you're sitting down) there is absolutely no white cast. It's slightly tinted (almost like a tinted moisturizer), but the tint changes once it's on and matches your skin. Really, it does. This not only protects my face, but makes my complexion look smoother and more even. It also sits well under foundation (some of you may find you can even skip the foundation with this on).

This is not the first time that Dr. Denese has wowed me. (It is the third time*, if you're counting). I want to try every single thing they have now. Check out their website. In addition to their skincare, they also have beauty supplements, fragrance and makeup. You can even sign up to be a member of the Beauty Junkie Club.

*Feel free to read my earlier review of their thoroughly awesome HydroShield Tinted Moisturizer and SPF 30 Defense Eye Cream.

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Winter Skincare Tips from Dr. Denese

In September, I reviewed some fabulous items from Dr. Denese Skincare and was thoroughly impressed. In fact, the eye cream is probably the best eye sunscreen I have ever ever tried. Now that Winter is approaching, here are some new awesome tips for coming months.

Also, Dr. Denese shared these tips (and product recommendations) on Good Morning America a couple of weeks ago. To watch the video, click HERE.

Tips For Luminous Winter Skin

It’s time to switch up your beauty routine for the winter! During winter, more factors contribute to dry lines and irritation such as extreme weather, low humidity, and in-door heating that sucks out all the moisture. Avoid problematic skin with Dr. Denese’s winter skincare tips and have luminous skin even in the toughest weather.

Cleanser – Switch to a gentle cleanser that doesn’t strip the skin. Aggressive cleanser can take away natural moisture of the epidermis and leave your skin dry and itchy.

Exfoliation – Gently exfoliate your skin once a week. Dead surface cells can form a barrier that stops the moisturizer from permeating your skin.

Serum – Add an intense dose of moisture to your skin by using a serum. Not only can a serum plump up your skin cell and help lock in hydration, but it can also help absorb the moisturizer afterwards.

Intensive Moisturizer – Continue to add hydration with an intensive moisturizer. This will help maintain the moisture in skin lipid barrier and avoid irritating itchiness and dry lines.

UV Protection – Last but certainly the most important is to use a broad spectrum UV protection to sum up your daily routine. Harmful UVA and UVB waves still exist during the winter and they can cause skin pre-maturing and pigmentation.

Smart makeup tip! Blend your usual concealer with Dr. Denese HydroShield Serum to create your own moisturizing cover up. This will help your concealer to stay put all day and avoid dry lines under your eyes!
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Pretty and Under Protection: Dr. Denese Skincare/Suncare (glowing review)

First I want to give a big, supportive, empathetic, sympathetic shout out to my friend, John, who is having massive dental work done this morning (even as I type). That's right, folks…DENTAL WORK! Let's all take a moment and send some nice thoughts his way.

Now that I think about it…let's all just take another moment and send nice thoughts to anyone who might need them this morning.

OK? Did you think something? Good.

And now back to beauty business. For those of us in the northern hemisphere (of Earth); tomorrow (5:18pm EDT) is the beginning of Autumn (aka "Fall"). For some reason, I always hate to say goodbye to summer. Even though I dislike both heat and humidity; I love long days, warm nights, sandals, not wearing a coat, and the general feeling of ease. But now I'm starting to remember what's great about fall – especially early fall. For one thing, it's still warm enough to wear my summer clothes and sandals; but now the weather is comfortable instead of hot and humid.

Also, my complexion loves this weather. Not too hot or cold, not too humid or dry. Which means my skin is clearer, less red and more balanced. Which also means I can wear tinted moisturizers instead of regular foundation. To kick off fall, I tried out two excellent items this week from Dr. Denese Skincare.

HydroShield Tinted Moisturizer

Blurb: Discover flawless, radiant coverage--from a moisturizer! This oil-free, hydrating formula has a sheer hint of self-adjusting color that helps you achieve a practically poreless, perfected complexion. Applied each morning, it provides broad spectrum UVA/UVB SPF 15 protection to help protect skin from the aging rays of the sun. It is one of the best kept secrets, a true cult item in our brand. It comes in three shades, Light, Medium and Tan.

I love tinted moisturizers for daytime. They go on quickly, and the sheer coverage is so pretty and natural. This tinted moisturizer has thoroughly won me over. It's oil free and hydrates without making me shiny. I used "medium" and the color really did self adjust. It was absolutely invisible, and gave me the right amount of smoothness and coverage for "good skin" day.

And…did you think for one moment that I wasn't going to mention sunscreen? I certainly hope not. Okay…here goes: Fall absolutely does not – I repeat, does not – mean the end of sunscreen. In fact, protection is just as important as in the summer months. There may be fewer hours of sunlight; but you still need protection while the sun is shining. (Harping over…see, that wasn't so bad.)

That said, HydroShield provides excellent broad-spectrum, barrier-based (zinc oxide/titanium dioxide) protection while it's making my skin look all smooth and nice.

SPF 30 Defense Eye Cream

Blurb: Our SPF 30 Defense Eye Cream is the only broad spectrum UVA/UVB SPF 30 eye cream on the skin care market today that you can take up to the eye lashes, cover your upper eye lids with no tearing and no irritation. Our SPF 30 Defense Eye Cream serves three functions: it is an advanced peptide based eye cream with two patented peptide ingredients, to work on the appearance of already existing lines around the eyes. It conceals: it is tinted by our unique and proprietary self adjusting color to conceal and immediately diminish dark circles, uneven skin tone and imperfections under the eyes. Our unique self adjusting color is based on Melanin, the inherent color pigment of the skin so it matches nearly any skin tone. Third: it gives you an SPF 30 UVA/UVB protection to prevent future signs of aging if you wear it on a daily basis. If you are lucky enough not to have crows feet yet, start immediately so as to prevent, if you have them already, it may prevent them from getting worse.

This is probably the best eye sunscreen I have ever come across! Ever! Really…it's that good. It's broad spectrum (with a high percentage of zinc oxide), glides on, sinks in immediately and feels like absolutely nothing. No irritation, no creasing. It's also slightly tinted, so it evens out skin tone and works pretty well as a shadow primer. Throw in a few peptides and you have a damn near perfect product as far as I'm concerned. A++

So now I am all kinds of interested in Dr. Denese. Since I've got protection on my mind today, I'm also thinking of checking out their SPF 30 Defense Day Cream for when winter rolls around. Check out their website. In addition to their skincare, they also have beauty supplements, fragrance and makeup.

Happy Monday!
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Endless Summer (sort of): Dr. Adrienne Denese

It may be after Labor Day, but there's still some summer left. In the interests of prolonging the lazy, hazy, crazy (whatever) days of summer; here's some info from Anti-Aging Expert, Dr. Adrienne Denese. You can't actually make summer last longer, but these tips will help you keep your summer complexion. You may begin reading at any time…

How-to maintain post summer radiance by Anti-aging Expert Dr. Adrienne Denese

Step 1: Exfoliate
Product Suggestion: Dr. Denese Advanced Firming Facial Pads

It is important to get rid of dead skin cells; they are what make your skin look dead and old. They have a rough texture so they block out skin’s natural radiance and that natural glow
If you self tan, you need a freshly exfoliated canvas. Otherwise the self tan will come out to be blotchy. This applies for face and body alike. Many of us use minimal make up in the summer so we can’t hide dull, sallow, tired looking skin anymore.

Step 2: Moisturize
Product Suggestion: Dr. Denese HydroShield Ultra Moisturizing Face Serum

In the summer it is very important to protect the skin from dehydration which kills skin cells.
Air conditioning is one of your skin’s worst enemies. It takes out the humidity in the hair and dries your skin. You must protect your skin from moisture loss which damages skin by moisturizing once a day.

Step 3: Bronze
Product Suggestion: Dr. Denese Glow Younger Self Tanner

Few of us realize that every real sun tan we get during the summer will translate into several actual permanent lines on our face. Try a non streak self-tanner. Some self tanners are so advanced and so different from all other self tanners on the market that it truly gives you the look of an actual tan.

Step 4: Protect
Product Suggestion: Dr. Denese SPF 30 Defense Day Cream

All dermatologists would agree that the single worst enemy of your skin is the Sun. Nearly everything that you do not like about your skin: lines, wrinkles, age spots, enlarged pores, loss of firmness, red capillaries on your nose and cheek, loss of elasticity, all has to do with cumulative sun exposure. Daily SPF 30 broad spectrum protection is imperative, even if it rains.
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