Moisture Replenishing?

I have a think for these Olay foam cleansers because they magically dispense thick foam that feels ever so luxurious when smoothed on to your skin.

I've got a spot of extra-dry skin on my forehead for some reason, and so I decided to switch to a more moisturizing cleanser, and the one I'm using is Olay Moisture Replenishing Mousse Cleanser.

I have to say that while it's not drying, I don't find it to be that moisturizing, really. I think that it's because it's a foam and foams by their very nature are kind of drying. Overall, if you insist on using something foaming but have dry skin then this is the product to use, but if you're looking for dry skin relief I don't think that this alone is going to do the trick.

Seriously Radiant Skin

Here's something that's an amazing present for your mum, your aunt who's visiting from another country, your boss or co-worker who's done something sweet for you, anyone really, just buy this and keep it on hand in case you need to give someone a present on short notice.

What am I going on about? Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream!
This stuff is amazing. It's rich and thick and frankly works so well that it should cost more than what you will pay for it at the drugstore. It's got a high amount of hyaluronic and amino-peptides in it which makes it amazingly powerful at hydrating your skin and making it look its best.

I must admit that while I used this myself, I ended up loving it so much that I gave it to some aunts and friends who complained that they needed something to help plump up their skin and make them look better. Not only have I received glowing reviews about the products from my friends, but I can see how amazing their skin looks afterwards, and that in itself is all I need.

Anyway, this cream is great, get it at the drugstore, you'll like it.

Olay Body Botanical Fusion Body Wash

Olay's launched a new line of body washes called "Botanical Fusion". They're basically different earthy kind of scents. My favourite is Patchouli and Soy and I like using it when I'm not in the mood for something fruity.

I think that this body wash is comparable to Dove's but I found it to be more moisturizing and slightly goopy because of that. I like using it, and think that it's a great product. Olay's named each scent Hydrate, Restore, and Vitality but I would just pick by smell.

Olay Age Transform Skin Tone Equalizer

This is another one of those self-tanners that is part moisturizer and I thought I'd post this review after hearing from a reader about trying an Olay self-tan product. This one is extremely light in feel and the colour building is gradual.
What I really liked about this Olay Age Transform Skin Tone Equalizer is that it's sheer and it leaves a subtle shimmer on your skin. Your skin really does look glowing with this moisturizer and the tanning that occurs is a nice effect.

I think the thing with most Olay products is that they're reliable and this moisturizer is as well. You won't get too much tanning with this one, it'll be just enough.

Olay Total Effects Eye Cream

99% of the products you read about here are ones that I've tried myself, but this one is not. I gave Olay Total Effects Eye Cream to a friend of mine who had really dark circles under her eyes. I had told her that she should get more sleep and drink more water, but she also wanted to try a cream.
I saw her a month later and the dark circles under her eyes and visibly improved. She said that everything else was the same. She was getting the same amount of rest and the only thing that had changed was that she's now using this cream.

If you have dark circles under your eyes, you should check out the Olay Total Effects Eye Cream. It might make a difference for you too!

Olay Quench Mousse

Ever since I was little, I've had a bit of an obsession with all things whipped - mousse for your hair, mousse that you eat, cleansing foam, and all the rest. Whipped cream is still my condiment of choice, actually.

In any case, when I saw that Olay had a mousse moisturizer out, I knew that I had to try it! The mousse is basically a light foam and turns into a sort of light oil when you rub it on to your skin. It's light moisturization and skins into your skin so easily. It's easy to use and perfect for the summer.

I do have to say that this is best used sparingly because it gets sticky if you use too much. Other than that, it's fantastic. It even has a little shimmer in it so that your skin looks like it's glowing when you use it. This is another Quench product that I'll be using a lot.

Oh yeah, and you can win a couple of bottles (among other things) in this giveaway.

Olay For You

Has anyone checked out Olayforyou.ca? If you haven’t then you really should - Olay has so many products out on the market, that it can sometimes be difficult to figure out which products are the ones that are best for your needs.

The website is great and easy to use, but if you’re not up for the virtual consultation you can experience it in real life for the entire month of April here in Toronto.

Olayforyou.ca is having personal skin care consultations at the Toronto Eaton Centre. They will take you through the web site so that you can learn to use it properly and you will be allowed to sample Olay products for yourself.

The times are as follows:

o April 18, 2008 – 12 – 8 p.m.
o April 19, 2008 – 10:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.
o April 20, 2008 – 12 – 6 p.m.

If you stop by the Olayforyou booth, leave me a comment and let me know what you thought!

Skin Cancer Takes Friends

Check it out: Olay has just launched a site called Skin Cancer Takes Friends which is raising awareness about skin cancer and how to prevent it. Melanoma (skin cancer) is the only kind of cancer that is preventable, and wearing a daily sunscreen and not baking unnecessarily can really make a difference on the health of your skin. Most of the sun exposure that we get is incidental which means that it's not becase of us baking in the sun on purpose. You can help your skin through wearing sunscreen and getting screened if you think you may have had dangerous sun exposure in the past.

Head over to Olay's site to send your friends information about excessive sunning and its dangers via e-cards! For every 10 e-cards you send, Olay will send you 2 free sun bracelets.

You can also enter a sweepstake to win an Olay prize pack!

Olay Definity Penetrating Mousse Cleanser

I love Olay's mousse cleansers! They are all great, and I highly recommend them because the mousse is cushiony on your skin and it washes everything away so easily!
The Olay Definity Mousse Cleanser is a good one because it has little bits in that help exfoliate your skin but very gently! The cleanser is best for oilier skins or used at the end of your day.

If you need a new cleanser, try this one - it is at drugstores everywhere.

More Moisturizers

I thought that I'd take some time to review a few more moisturizers. I feel that since Spring is almost all but upon us, it would be a good idea to talk about some moisturizers that aren't so... moisturizing.

Up first: Olay Regenerist 14 Day Skin Intervention I was so on board when it came to using this kit. I'm sure most of you will agree that a 14 days commitment to any product isn't really a lot to ask. It's supposed to hydrate the skin, brighten it up, and help get rid of wrinkles.

I can't testify about the last claim, but I will say that it brightened my skin slightly, and it was hydrating. I used this over a time that my skin was very dehydrated and I noticed a difference but not a cure.

I wouldn't rely on this if I had very dry skin, but hopefully your daytime moisturizer could help with dryness instead. I loved that this absorbed very quickly and I didn't have greasy skin in the morning.

It retails for $30, and if you can't find it on your drugstore shelf yet, it's probably because they're clearing out the older stuff first, so you should see it soon.

The New Cold Cream

If you're old school then it's likely that you're already familiar with the ways of using cold cream as a face cleanser at the end of the night. Women would put this cream on and then wipe it off with a tissue, taking their makeup with it. It was called "cold" because it had a touch of alcohol in it which dried as you put it on and accounts for that cooling effect.

Not many people use cold creams anymore, but the idea of a creamy moisturizing cleanser is useful, and Olay has just the thing.

If you have very dry skin, try their new Total Effects Nourising Cream Cleanser. It's essentially a modernized cold-cream formula. It's not as thick and very very emollient so it rubs on very very easily. It also has ingredients in it that help it rinse away cleanly without leaving a residue and only moisturized skin.

I'd recommend this for those of you who have extremely dry skin. Among some of the primary ingredients are Petrolatum and Mineral Oil which means that when it comes to moisturizing, this packs quite a punch. That, of course, is a good thing given the time of year, but be aware of it. This is on drugstore counters everywhere now.

You Still Need Moisturizer

It seems that I can't get enough of moisturizer these days.

If I skip a day, I notice and so does my skin. I get questions from people all the time asking what they can do for their dry skin. All I can say is: moisturize daily!

Pick a moisturizer you like - make sure it smells good and that you can afford to use tons of it. I love Olay Quench and Lubriderm. Look for something that has either petrolatum or mineral oil in the first one or two ingredients. You may not like those two ingredients for your own political reasons, but the fact remains that they really seal moisture into your skin. Dimethicone is also good.

Finally: use gobs and gobs of moisturizer daily. Do it for a week and I guarantee that you will see a difference.

Olay Gift

Drugstores have good gifts too. Get this for the person who already uses Olay Products.

Olay Daily Facials Express

Though "facials" they are not, Olay Daily Facials Express cleansing cloths are pretty sweet for the nights that you get home late from a Holiday party. Already wet, you take a cloth and wipe your face clean, no muss no fuss. Though the solution can dissolve waterproof mascara, I find that you can't get any kind of mascara off unless you're really scrubbing at your eye, which we all know is no good. That's why these are great to have around on vacation and for those special occasions, but not what I use everyday. There's no residue and you don't have to rinse your skin after unless you really want to. I don't.

You can find these at drugstores everywhere.

Olay In-Shower Body Lotion

Feel that nip in the air? That means it's time for more moisturization. I've been trying this Olay Body In-Shower Body Lotion and I have to say that I really like it. I use it on the days that I'm too tired to really spend time moisturizing and I can slick this on, rinse it off, and end up with soft skin. It's amazing how it goes on without any trouble even when your skin is completely wet. I've only tried the Age-Defying version and it has shimmer in it, which I'm fine with, but just know that your skin will be glowy when you use this. The In-Shower Body Lotion is so good that it's going to be a keeper during the cold winter months.

Good Summer Cleanser

After a day out in the sun, there's nothing more refreshing than washing any oil and gunk off your face with a nice soapy cleanser, and Olay Defniity Pore Redefining Scrub fits the bill. It's not really that scrubby, to tell you the truth, it has hardly any beads in it and the ones that it does have are part of the gel cleanser. Once you lather this up on your face, the scrub effect is largely lost. That said, you are left with clean skin with most, if not all, makeup removed. It's perfect and what I'm using these days. Those with very dry skin may find this cleanser too harsh.

New Olay Products

Today we cover some of their newest products that are coming to a drugstore near you in a week or so. They're not "winter" products per se; rather, they're just the newest addition to the ever-growing roster of Olay skincare products already on shelves.

So where to begin....?


Lets start with an everyday product for all skin types and ages: Olay Regenerist Micro-Derm Cleansing Cloths. Translation? They clean and exfoliate - hence their addition to the Regenerist line. The cloths are dry and you put them under water to moisten. Rubbing them over your face produces a nice rich lather. I've been using these clothes to take off my makeup and they're good! You have the option of scrubbing your skin with the rougher side, but I myself prefer the softness of the smooth side. Bonus? No stinging if the soap gets in your eye and they can remove eye makeup! Love them!Next up: Olay Total Effects Mature Skin Therapy. Designed to moisturized very dry skin, I actually like this skin a lot even though I do not have mature skin. It's intense and it really reminds me of Bobbi Brown's Vitamin Enriched Face Base. It's thick and lasts a long time and really smooths skin out.

If something as thick as the cream mentioned above isn't for you, then perhaps the Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream is. It's lighter and is a great at hydrating skin. It's also for women who are not "mature".

Finally we get to the most aesthetically pleasing product: the Olay Definity Eye Illuminator. This product has a slight amount of light golden shimmer in it. See the spiral design in the bottle? That's the shimmer going through the rest of the product. Upon pumping this out on to your hands, you get a light shimmery gel that you can just dab on to the eye area. The shimmer helps you area look illuminated and dark circles are hopefully less noticeable. The cream itself is light and absorbs easily.

And there you have it! These products will be on shelves very soon!

Olay Quench Therapy Skin Repair Concentrate

You know what I'm going to use to help my feet get ready for summer sandals? Of course, it's a never-fail product from the Quench line, this time the Quench Therapy Skin Repair Concentrate. I love every body care item from this line and this one is no exception. Now, if you're using this on your feet don't expect a miracle. It can help dryness but it's not going to take off a whole winter's worth of callouses. You're definitely going to need a foot file too (the one on the right is from the Body Shop but you can really get them from anywhere). Just scrub away all the dead skin after showering or soaking your feet in warm water for about 10 minutes, and keep the dead skin away by using the Olay Repair Concentrate. Try it. It works and you'll soon be ready for your flip-flops.

Olay Age Transform

Because it's gotten a little warmer and I can get away with using a lighter moisturizer, I've switched over to Olay Age Transform Creme Serum. Now, my skin doesn't look that bad as it is, so I'm not going to comment on whether or not I look younger, but I will say that this is a great moisturizer. Because it's a serum, it's lighter than say the Quench line which I love so much, but it can still moisturize. It absorbs into skin really quickly and instead of silvery shimmer that's in Quench, this has shimmer that's warmer toned - Champagne-shaded almost. This leaves your skin glowy and luminous without being greasy in the least. It's summertime perfection.

Olay Thermal Pedicure

Before launching into a product review, lets talk about this whole thermal business. I just want to say that I am tired of hearing "oh it's just some mineral that heats up, what's the big deal?". To be quite honest, I really don't care why the product is heating up - I like it! I've tried a few of these products and the heat lasts for maybe a minute and then goes away, but for the minute that the heat feels nice, especially if you're using the product in the winter.

Now lets talk about Olay's Thermal Pedicure. This is one of those products that heats up when you first put it on. It has LOTS of scrubby bits in it - ground up pieces of pumice that are actually quite jagged so they do scrub your feet very well. I would never ever use this scrub on my face, but I loved using this on my body. Turn off the shower (to conserve water, of course) and scrub down with this for buttery soft skin. There's also Shea butter in it so moisturizing afterwards is optional, but more importantly your feet get that extra hydration they might need.

The warming for this product really added an extra dimension to the experience. When I used the Thermal Pedicure on my feet, they felt to relieved and soothed. I walk a great deal and also work out several times a week, so my feet get very tired and it was nice to pamper them a little bit. I love this scrub.