Update: Lancome Genifique Youth Activating Concentrate

I was given a sample packet of Lancome's new Genifique Youth Activating Concentrate to try and it is a pleasant enough product.

This serum is a thick, unscented, clear liquid that spreads easily but requires a minute or two to absorb. It felt a bit thick and sticky during application. Lancome spent 10 years developing this product and it has 7 international patents.

This is very similar to Estee Lauder's iconic Advanced Night Repair and based on the the bottle with the dropper applicator as well as the use of the ingredient Bifida Ferment Lysate, it seems Lancome wants to gain some of Estee Lauder's Advanced Night Repair customers.

However, it is also very different. Price is one area where they differ greatly since Advanced Night Repair sells for $46.50 and Lancome Genifique Youth Activating Concentrate sells for nearly twice that. Advanced Night Repair contains numerous humectants and vitamins such as Squalane, Sodium Rna, Sodium Hyaluronate, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Bisabolol, Pantethine, Hydrogenated Lecithin and also contains a lesser amount of alcohol.

Lancome Genifique Youth Activating Concentrate is a nice product but I prefer Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair, it is what I use, what I like and what I am used to. However, for those who do not care for Advanced Night Repair and for those with extra pocket money, this might be a worthwhile alternative.

Lancome Genifique Youth Activating Concentrate retails for $78.00 for a one ounce bottle with dropper applicator and is available online from the Lancome website or at better department stores with Lancome counters.

Ingredients: Aqua/Water/Eau, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Glycerin, Alcohol Denat., Dimethicone, Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phenoxyethanol, PEG-20 Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Salicyloyl Phytosphingosine, Amonium Polyacryldimethyltauramide/Amonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Limonene, Xathan Gum, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Octyldodcanol, Citric Acid, Citronellol, Parfum/Fragrance.

Lacura Hydra Complete Cream

Lacura, a skin care line sold at Aldi and manufactured in Germany, has a line of day and night creams, body lotions, cleansers, serums, wrinkle fillers, eye creams and toners with make-up debuting soon.

Having tried and liking the Q10 Anti-Wrinkle Day cream, but finding it a bit heavy for my skin type decided to try their Hyra Complete Cream which contains Sea Minerals and Vitamin B.

I was very pleasantly surprised. In a screw top jar this cream is sort of a gel-cream mix, very light in texture. It is a beautiful shade of blue and has a very fresh, clean, pleasant smell that makes one think of the sea.

It spreads easily and absorbs very well and doesn't seem to "ball up" on the skin like the Q10 Day Cream does. The scent is a bit strong initially but quickly fades. It does contain sunscreen ingredients but does not list the SPF and therefore I will not rely on it as a sunscreen. Having used it for several days in a row it seemed to soothe and hydrate my skin without causing me to break out despite containing silicones.

Why is it that this cream, which some bloggers have said is comparable to such creams as La Mer, able to be manufactured and packaged so nicely for such a low price? It is remarkable to me. Especially when you consider that so many mass market skin care lines are coming out with products that cost more than department store lines. Olay being the first to come to mind.

In my opinion, this is an excellent product and one that I plan to repurchase. It contains ingredients found in much more expensive products, vitamins, oyster shell extract and appears to be paraben-free.

I have tried to figure out who manufactures this product line for Aldi but so far have not been able to find out.

A jar of this delightful cream sells for under $5.00 at Aldi stores.

Ingredients: Biosaccharide Gum-1, Glycerin, Octyldodecanol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Sodium Acrylates/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Octocrylene, Cetearyl Isononanoate, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Cyclohexasiloxane, Ostrea Shell Extract, Maris Limus Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium PCA, Sodium Lactate, Fructrose, Glycine, Niacinamide, Urea, Inositol, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Calcium Pantothenate, Propylene Glycol, Fragrance, Tetrasodium EDTA, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Benzoic Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid, Blue 1.

Open Forum: What are you newest beauty finds?

Tell us what your newest beauty finds are. Many companies come out with their new products in the spring.

Estee Lauder, Clinique, Good Skin, American Beauty, Lancome, L' Oreal, and Garnier are some of the companies that just recently launched new products.

What are you using? How do you like it? Where do you buy it and what does it cost? We want to know!

Estee Lauder Re-Nutriv Intensive Lifting Lotion

I just received a sample of Estee Lauder's brand new Re-Nutriv Intensive Lifting Lotion. It is part of Estee Lauder's luxurious Re-Nutriv line aimed at more well-to-do folks.

This product absorbs very quickly and completely. The texture is somewhere between a serum and very light lotion. It starts off a bit on the oily side but quickly dries somewhat matte and dewy. The scent is typical Re-Nutriv and smells wonderful, it is very light and subtle, not at all overpowering or offensive. It appears to contain mica as it leaves behind a sort of pinkish shimmer.

This product is similar to less expensive products also made by Estee Lauder and some of their other corporate brands so if you aren't too keen spending so much on a product, you might try some of the others first (American Beauty, Grassroots, Good Skin, Clinique, Prescriptives, etc.). However, Re-Nutriv is supposed to be the ultimate in Estee Lauder luxury.

This is definitely a product worth trying if you have oilier skin but like using high-end cosmetics and do not want your face to look oily as so many of the creams can cause, especially on younger skin. Estee Lauder is one of the premier cosmetic companies in the United States with an array of wonderfully formulated products. Now, if only they would quit putting mica in everything!

A 1.6 ounce pump bottle costs $160.00 and is available by select department stores and the Estee Lauder website.

Ingredients: Unavailable.

Lacura Q10 Anti- Wrinkle Day Cream

Having recently discovered Aldi and their large array of discount foods and produce I was surprised to also find for sale a skin care line called Lacura. This line of products retails for under $10. and includes a serum, eye creams, day and night creams, mature skin cream, a moisturizing cream, wrinkle-filler, cleansers and body creams. According to the Aldi website they will begin selling make-up as well.

The Aldi website says of this product: "An intensively caring cream for every type of skin, this anti-wrinkle formula really gets results. Bioflavonoids, coenzyme Q10, provitamin B5, vitamins C and E, aloe vera and our powerful moisturizing complex help protect against the damaging effects of the environment, reduce wrinkles and keep your skin supple."

I must say, this is an excellent product. Shockingly low cost and it appears to be well formulated. According to some articles I've read online, this cream was put to the test with creams costing many times more and most people thought it was not only better but far more costly than it actually is. The Aldi website indicates tt has also won some sort of award(s). In addition, according to what I've read, many Aldi stores cannot keep the products stocked because people are buying it up so quickly.

This is a thick, dense, pale yellow cream that is very concentrated and applies easily. Once dry my skin was left somewhere between matte and dewy and it felt very soft, not the least bit oily or greasy. The scent is very pleasant and light and reminds me a bit of soap although someone mentioned to me that it reminded them of the original ponds cream scent. This cream, thus far, has not broken out my extremely sensitive, acne-prone skin. The cream is full of vitamins including B5, C and E along with Sodium Hyaluronate and numerous plant extracts that rivals some of the high-end products available at more expensive department stores.

My only complaint about this cream is that while it does have two sunscreen ingredients (Octocrylene and Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane) it is doesn't list an SPF Factor thus I will not rely on it to protect my skin from the sun's rays. The only other thing about it is if you reapply it throughout the day without first washing your face the product will ball up slightly which is something I have noticed with creams costing hundreds more.

Overall, I am amazed that a company can manufacture quality products and sell them for so little. The packaging is quite attractive, the jars are glass and they will not look out of place on the bathroom vanity. This line of products is manufactured in Germany for Aldi, the exclusive retailer for the Lacura line of skin and body care products and make-up.

If you're in the market for skin care and don't want to take out a loan to buy it, maybe the new Lacura skin care at Aldi is worth trying.

The 1.7 ounce glass jar retails for $3.99 at Aldi stores.

Ingredients: Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycerin, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Cetearyl Isononanoate, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Diethylhexyl Adipate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sorbitol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Cyclopentasiloxane, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Octocrylene, Panthenol, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Cyclohexasiloxane, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Phospholipids, Ubiquione, Algin, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Sambucus Nigra Flower Extract, Carica Papaya (Papaya) Fruit Extract, Disodium Adenosine Triphosphate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Chondrus Crispus (Carrageenan) Extract, Fragrance, Propylene Glycol, Carbomer, Alcohol, Tocopherol, Phenethyl Alcohol, Lecithin, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Glyceryl Oleate, Citric Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Benzoic Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid.

Update: Clinique Youth Surge Age SPF 15 Decelerating Moisturizer

After receiving a sample of and using Clinique's new Youth Surge SPF 15 Age Decelerating Moisturizer I have been able to get a pretty good idea of this product.


Youth Surge is a thick, white cream with the normal "Clinique" scent. The scent is hardly discernible and not enough to really consider scented, in my opinion.


The cream being so thick doesn't spread as easily as a lighter, more fluid, product might but none the less spreads pretty well. It seems to absorb/dry quickly, however; it leaves behind a white hue on the skin. This is especially noticeable on men who have stubble as it seems to cling to the hair. I imagine this product, as with so many Clinique products, uses Titanium Dioxide as part of the sunscreen formulation. There is much debate right now about the safety of sunscreens and which type is best, chemical or physical. This is something best left to scientist to debate. For my skin, the answer is simple, I cannot use physical sunscreens, they break me out.


I noticed after application that any fine lines vanished. My skin feels the slightest bit oily after using this product but it doesn't look greasy.


Some blog authors and posters have been slightly irked by the ad campaign for this product which some say alienates older clients. People just have to remember that an advertisment can practically say anything it wants, the product's performance is what really sells it. So far, the reviews on the Clinique website for this product are good with an average 5 stars.


For those who prefer physical sunscreens and those who use and like Clinique products, I imagine this will be a welcomed addition to their skin care routine. If Clinique would come out with a night version of this product, no sunscreen, I would certainly consider using it.


This product is available from most department stores and the Clinique website. A 1.7 ounce/ 50 ml. jar sells for $46.50 and comes in three formulas for different skin types.


Ingredients: Unavailable.