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!