Inspra Suisse Absolue Serum: Vital+

Review and Comparison. Serums: Elizabeth Arden Superstart vs Shiseido Ultimune vs L'Oreal Revitalift

 

Azelique Age Refining Treatment Serum

EO Ageless Skin Care Day & Night Serum Set

This Ageless Skin Care Set was brought to my attention by one of the readers (thank you!). You can find this set here. So here are some of my thoughts about ingredients.

How to read ingredients:

Excellent (very beneficial ingredients, proven research)

Good (mostly beneficial ingredients, not extensive research available or just not quite outstanding properties)

OK (mostly thickeners, emulsifiers, mild preservatives, pH adjusters, all that is necessary formulation wise, but not a skincare per se) 
Bad (anything that shouldn't be in skincare, irritants and fragrance)

Naruko am+pm Total Brightening Renewal Treatment 5% Mandelic Acid

Pricing/Packaging:

30ml (1.05fl.oz) for ~25-37$ (naruko usa). This serum comes in a cute opaque white glass bottle (have to admit, I was really drawn to the packaging). Product dispenses through an easily controlled glass pipette. As most Naruko products, it should be used up within 6 months after opening.  

Naruko Raw Job's Tears Supercritical CO2 Pore Minimizing & Brightening Essence

 

Pricing/Packaging:

30ml (1.05fl.oz) for ~33$. US shoppers can find it here. This product comes in a good quality tinted glass pump bottle, which will help keep active ingredients intact. Also I do like this packaging from an aesthetic point of view as well.

MEDYSKIN Pure Hydration Hyaluronic Serum

Andalou Naturals Turmeric + C Enlighten Serum

 

Packaging/Pricing:

20-25$ for 30ml (1fl.oz). This serum comes in a tinted plastic pump bottle, which feels neither luxurious nor cheap, but serves its purpose well.

Ingredients:

Aloe Barbadensis Juice, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Oil, Vegetable Glycerin, Cyamopsis Tetragonolobus (Guar) Gum, Fruit Stem Cells (Malus Domestica, Solar Vitis) and Bioactive 8 Berry Complex, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Extract, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate (Vit C), Tocopherol (Vit E), Lauric Acid, Cetearyl Alcohol, Hyaluronic Acid, Vitis Vinifera (Grape Seed) Polyphenols, Borago Officinalis (Borage) Oil, Rosa Canina (Rosehip) Oil, Glyceryl Monolaurate, Linum Usitatissiumum (Flax) Oil, Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Oil, Hippophae Rhamnoides (Sea Buckthorn) Oil, Camelia Sinensis (White Tea) Extract, Laminaria Digitata (Kelp) Extract, Allantoin, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Phenethyl Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Oil.

MEDYSKIN Vitamin C Anti-Aging Serum

Packaging/Pricing:

 

30ml (1fl.oz) This serum comes in a brown glass pump bottle, which is the best possible option, since it is air tight and not clear to keep ingredients stable, but still you are able too see how much product is left. I purchased it at TJMaxx only for 7.99$ US. I found the company's website, where they charge 42$ for a bottle. You can also find it on Amazon.com at around 20$ mark, which is a good price in my opinion.

Ingredients:

 

Water, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Ascorbil Glucoside (Vit C), Pumpkin Extract, Tamarindus Indica, Licorice Root Extract, Acrylates/C-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Triethanolamine, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Potassium Sorbate, Hexylene Glycol.

Excellent (only beneficial ingredients, proven research)

Good (mostly beneficial, not extensive research or just not quite outstanding properties)

OK (mostly thickeners, emulsifiers, mild preservatives, pH adjusters, all that is necessary, but not a skincare per se)

Bad (irritants and anything bad that shouldn't be in skincare, usually fragrance)

[On the side note. I like that ingredient list is both on the outer paper packaging and on the bottle itself. I don't need to keep piles of cardboard in my house.]

Ingredients Discussion:

 

I am always excited when I find not hugely known brand with amazing formulations.

LANCOME Genifique Youth Activating Concentrate

Well, this is an older version of the serum, which they updated to Advanced Genifique. The ingredients still are pretty much the same, especially high concentration of alcohol and lack of skin beneficial ingredients. So I thought to through in this review anyway, but I will try to make it shorter.

Packaging/Pricing: 

30ml (1fl.oz) Packaging is rather hygienic and with opaque bottle will keep ingredients rather safe. Pricing is outrageous (especially for what you actually get) at ~70-80$ US. I generally find most of Lancome skincare quite useless. If you want something luxurious and pricey, better check out Estee Lauder (though nothing that comes in a jar!!).

 

Ingredients:

Water, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Glycerin, Alcohol Denat., Dimethicone, Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Adenosine, Yeast Extract, PEG-20 Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Salicyloyl Phytosphingosine, Ammonium Polyacryldimethyltauramide/Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Limonene, Xanthan Gum, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Octyldodecanol, Citrinellol, Fragrance.

Excellent (only beneficial ingredients, proven research)

Good (mostly beneficial, not extensive research or just not quite outstanding properties)

OK (mostly thickeners, emulsifiers, mild preservatives, pH adjusters, all that is necessary, but not a skincare per se) 

Bad (irritants and anything bad that shouldn't be in skincare, usually fragrance)

 

Discussion:

This is slightly emollient serum with glycerin and hyaluronic acid to prevent moisture loss. It does have Vit C (not very concentrated though), but that's it. Yest extract (which I marked in green kind of against my wish) has no research that proves

Skincare Cosmetics Retinol Anti-Wrinkle Facial Serum Intensive Firming Treatment

This review is devoted to the product that  became absolute staple in my regime 8 months ago.  Usually I am a believer in prevention measures and consistent use of skin beneficial ingredients. I usually do not expect product to work overnight, and also, most of the times, do not expect any visible results. I just can sleep well knowing that I do as much as I can to keep my skin in the best condition possible. But it is one of the few products I used that gave visible results in just few months.

 

Packaging/Pricing:

30ml (1fl.oz) Use within 12 months once opened. Product comes in brown glass bottle with a dropper, which is mostly good packaging. Though it is hygienic enough (unless you wipe pipette on the skin or something) I still do not trust dropper bottles as much as I trust pump bottles (they are air tight!). It seems that the opening still allows generous amount of oxygen to get inside each time you open it. But I wouldn't pass on this product just because of that.  Also dark glass should keep ingredients safe and sound. You can find this product at various places in US (Ulta, Sally Beauty, Amazon etc) priced up to ~25$. I personally found it at TJMaxx for 12.99$, which is a bargain for such an amazing find.

 

Ingredients:

Water, C12-15 Alkyl Ethylhexanoate, Glycerin, Retinyl Palmitate (Vit A), Isostearic Acid, Triethanolamine, Carrot (Daucus  Carota Sativa) Root, PEG-40 Stearate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethiconol, Diazolidinyl Urea, Sorbitan Stearate, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Methylparaben, Yellow 5, Tetrasodium EDTA, Propylparaben, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vit E), Ascorbyl Methylsilanol Pectinate (Vit C), Beta-Carotene (Vit A), Vegetable Oil, DMDM Hydantoin, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbomate, Fragrance, Benzyl Salicylate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Hydroxycitronellal, Limonene, Linalool. 

Excellent (only beneficial ingredients, proven research)

Good (mostly beneficial, not extensive research or just not quite outstanding properties)

OK (mostly thickeners, emulsifiers, mild preservatives, pH adjusters, all that is necessary, but not a skincare per se) 

Bad (irritants and anything bad that shouldn't be in skincare, usually fragrance)

 

Ingredients Discussion:

I am quite impressed with amount of Vit A you get here (fourth on the list of ingredients). Vitamin A is both antioxidant and