face creams

I don’t tend to be a skincare “system” gal. Heck, it’s a lot if I use more than one product from the same line in my nightly routine. It’s not that I’m against it, but I do love to try various products and mixing and matching from different lines allows me to get a sense of each brand. But after reading about the Lancer method that is designed to transform skin and create the legendary “Lancer glow”, I was willing to try it. Who am I to pass up a chance to achieve the ultimate glow? 

There are three products in Dr. Lancer’s cult classic Method – the Polish exfoliator, the Cleanser and the Nourish moisturizer. Of course I didn’t stick to only the three steps for my entire routine, but I did make these three the main staples of my routine while going through the testing phase. 

1. Polish – This is the first step in the Lancer Method and may seem a bit odd to start with an exfoliator. But Dr. Lancer believes this step removes surface debris while helping infuse the skin with oxygen. Since I was not confident of it’s full ability to remove my makeup, I still started with my trusty makeup wipes (currently using these and these). But immediately after, I dove right into the Polish step. As you can see from the above picture, the Polish (right swatch) is a very small granular scrub in a milky, gel base. You only need a drop to cover the entire face, but as soon as you begin working the polish into the skin it wakes you right up. It manages to be an intense yet gentle scrub that really blew most of my face scrubs out of the water. I actually stood in the mirror touching my face for a minute after because it felt as if my skin was transformed – almost as if it wasn’t skin anymore. THAT is how soft it felt. I was excited to move on to the next step.

2. Cleanse – Upon initially feeling the cleanser, it has a lightweight gel texture and I was afraid it would be bubbles central (and I am not a fan of too many bubbles on my face). Thankfully, it felt a bit more like a soft milk or balm and hardly foamed on my face. The cleanser made my skin feel extremely refreshed and cool, yet after I had rinsed it off there was no sense of tightness, dryness or discomfort. The Cleanse step is designed to remove any remaining impurities and balance the skin’s pH levels. My skin did in fact feel incredibly balanced and clean, and if I was stuck on a desert island with no moisturizer, my face actually would feel fine after these two steps. That’s a rare feeling for me since so many times, my face is desperate for moisturizer after cleansing. It was truly a testament to how well these two cleansers worked together.

3. Nourish – The final step in the Lancer Method is the Nourish moisturizer. The texture is incredibly rich, yet oddly feels as if nothing is on your skin from the moment you apply it. My skin soaked it up immediately and what’s left is balanced, soft and glowing skin. I didn’t think it was possible to really see a difference with using a “system” style skincare routine, but I can’t deny the results. My skin really enjoyed the three steps used together. I would still throw in an eye cream daily (currently using this essence followed by this cream) and a serum when I felt like it, but for the most part these three products did the job quite nicely. And boy did my skin glow. Like “what have you done to your skin and where can I get it” kind of glow that everyone seemed to notice. And I was all “oh this? I just woke up like this.” *wink, wink* I wanted to keep the mystery going just for a bit, but I figured its selfish to keep the glow getting secrets to myself, I suppose. 

*pr samples included

Have you tried the Lancer Method? What are your thoughts?

My evening skincare routine is where I do the majority of my new product testing. Mainly because in the morning I do not have the time to be trying out new products, possibly having an irritation, or averse reaction thus resulting in my makeup application suffering. No thank you! I will not let my daily full face be hindered. So after finishing both my serum (I was using this one) and my daily face lotion (this one), I needed to find replacements. I tried a few different things that didn’t work for me, before finally settling on these two products. So here they are – meet my two new morning skincare additions. The La Prairie Skin Caviar Liquid Lift and the Sulwhasoo Essential Balancing Emulsion. I have sampled a bit of each below on my hand so you can better see the texture. (the Sulwhasoo is the top swatch and the La Prairie is the bottom one)

1. La Prairie Skin Caviar Liquid Lift -After loving both the Foam Cleanser and Cellular Eye Essence Platinum Rare, I have been interested to try more and more La Prairie products. This serum is part of their ever-famous skin caviar line and is designed to help lift and firm the skin. While this is not my primary concern right now, I was curious as to whether I would see any benefits for myself. Well, I should have known not to doubt La Prairie. Not only did I begin to see immediate tightening and smoothing effects on my skin, which made the biggest difference in how my makeup wears on my face, I also began to see any lingering blemishes heal faster and my pores have consistently appeared smaller with each use. The Liquid Lift also helps to rejuvenate new cells and diminish past damage, and I have been using this serum for just about 28 days now (the amount of time it takes skin to regenerate), so I am excited to notice further changes over the next few weeks. One final note with this product – since it is a pricier product, it is important to note how much is needed for daily use which is often a factor in justifying the splurge – I use only one pump each morning. And that one pump covers my entire face, neck and upper chest. If you see me slowly beginning to look younger and younger over the next few months, you will know why. *wink*

2. Sulwhasoo Essential Balancing Emulsion – I always have an added layer of excitement when testing a skincare brand I haven’t used before. I’ve walked by the Sulwhasoo counter a million times in Bergdorf Goodman, scrolled past it on the Neiman Marcus website but never had the chance to try anything. I was excited when the Sulwhasoo team sent this over for me to review, and knew immediately I wanted to incorporate it into my morning routine. My requirements for a daytime lotion are mainly centered around maintaining the moisture levels in my skin without adding any additional oil. And this Sulwhasoo Balancing Emulsion fits the bit perfectly! I imagined the texture would be a bit thinner and more runny like a lotion, but was intrigued to find it a mix between a lotion, cream and gel all in one. The texture is quite unique but the way it wears on my skin sealed the deal. It immediately gave me a natural finish (not too shiny or dewy) while still managing to keep my skin looking plump and hydrated. I was still hesitant because until I see how it wears under makeup, I am not completely convinced of its efficacy. I was happy to see that it complimented my foundations nicely and kept my skin balanced throughout the day. Looks like I found my next morning lotion.

*pr samples included