40 Days and 40 Nights of Beauty Brand Reviews

40 days and 40 Nights of Beauty Brand Reviews:

Day 2: Awake

Cavewoman: How in the world did I ever come to find such superb skincare and makeup items in such a little-known Japanese line called Awake? I remember seeing Awake at Henri Bendel in New York several years ago, and wondering about the pretty packaging and the cute curly logo. I glanced and passed by, on my way to the fragrances I am sure.
In the past year, my skin has gone from combo-mostly-oily, to dry dry dry and maybe still a bit oily in the t-zone. It's been a very fast change. Foundations that used to look great on my skin were suddenly turning cakey, changing color, showing lines and pores, and making me look tired and old. (Not that I am many days feeling both tired AND old!) But I had to try some new things. Our Annie is always talking about Japanese skincare, how she'd love to try all the great Japanese lines, and I listen to Annie when she has such a huge lemming. One of the very few Japanese skincare lines that I can actually go and see in a brick-and-mortar store (the flagship Bath & Body Works, Beachwood) was Awake. With the wise and product-savvy Koneko at my side, we headed to the Awake display and she recommended products to me, telling me what might work well for me. I wanted to try all of it, and I made a huge purchase that day. Awake skincare is expensive, but Koneko assured me that its parent company, Kose, is a venerable company and that the products were of the finest quality.

I've seen a marked improvement in my skin since I started using Awake. Although I still have not given up my Payot cleanser, the rest of my skincare routine is Awake. After cleansing in the morning, I use the Serum UnSign right away. On days when I don't feel as if I need a heavy moisturizer, I use HydroForce over the serum. On days when the weather is particularly cold, and I need more moisture, I will use Skin Renovation, part of the Awake line that is exclusive to Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman. If I am going to wear foundation, I will use Daily Call serum and my primer. In the evening, after washing my face, I use the Authority serum which I think is the one product that has really made a difference in the appearance of my skin. My face has smaller pores and less crepiness. Over the Authority, sometimes I use Bright Turn, which is a radiance booster, or Direct Nutrition, the most luxurious and lightweight yet serious moisturizing cream that is soothing and comfortable on the skin.

Of course, after experiencing such pleasing results with the skincare, I wanted to try some of their cosmetics. I swapped with a makeupalley member to obtain a quad of eye shadows, and when I got to the B&BW store the following week, I bought one shadow and popped it into the palette after removing one color I did not like. The shadows are silky, creamy pressed powders, and the palette is wonderful because it is easy to remove and replace shadows. I tried, again on the recommendation of my makeup-skincare guru Koneko, the Stardom glosses and lipsticks. What smooth, glossy lip products Awake has! The Stardom is a sheer, shimmery lipstick, and the glosses are more of a liquid lip product. The mascara is two-ended, one side with a base that is black, not clear or whitish like most lash primers, and the other is the top coat.

But what about foundation? I love foundations. The foundation from Awake that is sold at Bath & Body Works is oil-free, so I knew it would not work for me. After checking the Awake website, I learned that there was a foundation called Skin Renovation, sold at NM and BG, so I begged my friend Kathy to go to BG and check them out. She tested them herself and figured out what shade I would be, and the SA told her that I could call the store and have samples sent out. Samples arrived in three shades less than a week later. I couldn't wait to try, and I was amazed. The tiniest dab of this foundation covers the entire face beautifully, with a glowing finish that lasts all day and doesn't dry out or show pores at all. It feels wonderful on my face, matches perfectly in the 02 shade, and comes in an elegant frosted glass pump that's easy to control. Awake Skin Renovation foundation is now in my top rotation. I can't wait to show it to Koneko!

The Awake line of skincare has a great variety of products for all skin types, and is worth a try. I am completely satisfied. I'd repurchase any of the products I am presently using, and have also obtained a few samples of other products in this line to try as well. It may not be the most well-known brand around, and it takes a little seeking to get to a counter, but Awake is a champion line that I'm glad to have discovered, with a little help from my friends.

Annieytown: My favorite Awake product is Stardom Aqua Trans Powder For the Face in Pink Sunset. Awake powders are finely milled. They give a luminous shimmery finish that does not cake or settle into fine lines. It is a water based powder so it feels similar to Prescriptive's Magic Powder. It feels wet and slightly unsettling on application. It is like brushing cool water on your face. The powder has excellent lasting powder. You do not need to do any touch ups for a entire work day. It compares very well against La Mer and Caron. The colors are: Pink Sunset, Sea Lavender , Venus Sea, Moon Glint and Sand Dune.
They are priced at Beauty.com for $38.50
Photos: Cavewoman and Blogdorf Goodman

Readers and Lurkers: What are your favorite products from the Awake line? Tell us why you love it!

Disclosure: The products featured in this post were purchased by the reviewer, Cavewoman and were press sample(Awake powder) from the PR firm.