La Mer Saved My Life Tonight

La Mer The Eye Balm Intense

A grateful gush by Annie

I have disappeared from blogging for over a month. Life managed to get in the way with some heartbreak and stress. Just when you think life can not get any worse, it quickly rivals your nightmares.

Stress is hard on the body. It effects everything. Your skin becomes lackluster. You gain weight. You lose sleep. You wake up in the morning looking haggard and decades older. This sends you on a whole new path on the "downward spiral".

I felt like I could not catch a break.

My eyes suffered the most. The dark circles and pillowy bags grew worse with each passing day. It was remarkable that the eye bags were not impairing my eye sight. They were puffy like a parka jacket. Every day brought comments from co-workers and friends that ranged from "You look beat down" to "Have you thought about sleeping pills"?
I did not end up going to a dermatologist. I did not take up Bikram Yoga. I did not do any narcotics. I did what a beauty blogger does best.
I did La Mer.

La Mer plopped three tiny sample jars of The Eye Balm Intense into my lap. The formula is a thick, green tinged cream that soothes the delicate skin surrounding the eye. The "de-puffing"action is ridiculously good. I swear that you could almost see the eye bags deflate. I know this sounds like a silly gush. The Eye Balm Intense is everything it says it is. It is a balm that manages to hydrate and firm up the eye skin. It is like a drill sergeant taking over. Your eye area is lifted and whipped into shape. This balm really had its work cut out for it. It was waging a war against high levels of stress.

The science behind La Mer is pretty intensive. Keeping track of all the exotic ingredients and the processes created to harness their special talents takes a quiet mind.

My mind is unable to tackle this.

Here is my best shot with help from the La Mer press release.

The Eye Balm Intense is a "triple concentration of La Mer Miracle Broth". The three forms range from the "original formula, a concentrated hardcore version and an encapsulated, time release form".

The original Miracle Broth is like a fine wine. The sea kelp broth gets better with age. It is bio-fermented with other ingredients over the course of 3-4 months. The concentrated broth helps with hydration and softening. The time released, powdered form of The Miracle Broth helps keep the hydration process keep going. The skin feels lovely after a full work day. No afternoon dryness.
Besides the magical broth, the Eye Balm Intense is joined by some energy rich ingredients and some clever La Mer fermentation processes.

The Marine De-Puff Ferment is derived of Deep Sea Red Algae. This grows in the darkest depths of the sea and manages to thrive. It absorbs light in an unique way. The algae undergoes a fermentation process and is combined with other pixie magic to create Smart Sea Gel. This delivers ingredients deep into the skin surface. This makes chronic fatigued skin look re-energized. This is also responsible for the depuffery!

The Lifting Ferment is a mixture of essential marine algae and minerals, plant derived ingredients and peptides. Together these strengthen the "thin under-eye architecture".
It helps skin boost its natural production of collagen and elastin.

Results were immediate. The puffs were gone. The extreme dryness from all the tears was soothed and hydrated. I tricked everyone into thinking I was well rested and in good spirits.

The Eye Balm Intense is available at select Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman and http://www.lamer.com/

It retails for $145.

Disclosure: 3 sample jars were provided by La Mer
Credit: La Mer

Balm For The Soul

Day 36: La Mer's The Eye Balm
by Annie

I want an eye cream to accomplish many things. The cream needs to hydrate and keep my skin flake-free. I want it to de-puff, hide dark circles, eliminate wrinkles, and not cause milia issues. It would be lovely if it could make me look like I had 8 hours of sleep. La Mer's The Eye Balm managed to achieve some of my eye cream desires. It is an ultra thick cream that combines a triple
concentration of Crème de la Mer's original Miracle Broth with marine extracts. The texture is thick like a sock. It soothes and eliminates skin dryness. This saved me from the blistering winter of 2010.

The Eye Balm did not cause any milia issues for me. I have used heavy eye creams in the past that have produced two tiny skin beads to pop up under my right eye. These irk me to no end.
The Eye Balm did not deliver on any kind of brightness or depuffery. My eyes still looked exhausted. My wrinkles were still present and accounted for.
So my review is a mixed.
I am still in the market for an eye cream that will change my life.

Let us know what your favorite eye creams are in the comments!

La Mer The Eye Balm retails for $140 and can be found at your local La Mer counter.
Disclosure: Sample vials were provided by La Mer.
Credit: La Mer and Melanie Parker/I Married A Witch

Day 24: La Mer's The Regenerating Serum
By Annie

The Regenerating Serum is the latest product from La Mer. The creation process took four years and a gaggle of physicists, marine botantists, and biologists. The Regenerating Serum contains a high concentration of La Mer's Miracle Broth and the new Regenerating Ferment. The ferment is derived from marine plant stem cells. These plants are lab harvested for their ability to combat stress. The Regenerating Ferment triggers natural production of collagen and elastin. Skin looks rejuvenated in just one day. I can testify to this specific claim. The serum seemed to plump up my weary skin. Skin looks dewy and rehabilitated.

Long term usage promises diminished lines, wrinkles and pores. If you read my blog on the regular, then you know that my pores give me stress. This product appears to make my pores look less deep. Today my pores are sufficently plugged by my UD primer! My foundation looks fresh after a rough morning. I even received a workplace compliment on my makeup today. This is a rare. Very rare.

I have been using this serum for over a month. I was gifted with a generous lab bottle from La Mer. I use the serum after cleansing and toning with MAC Lightful products. It leaves the skin feeling "cashmere like" instead of silky. There is no slip. My skin feels soft and hydrated.
I did have some issues with sensitivity around the nose area. I experienced a slight twitter but no redness or break outs.

The serum is available at your local La Mer counter at Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman. Visit http://www.lamer.com/ for more details. It retails for $250 for 1 oz.

Disclosure: A lab bottle was provided by La Mer.

Credit: La Mer

Credit: Melanie Parker/ Veronica Lake in I Married A Witch

Concealer Chronicles: HG Status

La Mer introduces The Radiant Concealer SPF 25

I have been waiting for the La Mer concealer for several years. My love affair with La Mer started with an introduction to the foundation. I quickly got hooked and became a La Mer addict. I have gone through dozens of foundation bottles, three huge jars of powder and countless sample jars of the moisturizer. I am a glutton.

I have not been entirely patient with waiting for this beauty product. I might have cussed them out a few times. I might have whined. I might have begged. But I am here to report that is worth the wait. This concealer is magnificent.

It accomplishes many feats. It disguises dark circles without looking dry or cake-like. This is the main complaint I have with YSL's Touche Eclat. La Mer's concealer did not settle into my creases or my laugh lines. I refuse to call them wrinkles. I might be fooling myself....but humor me.


There is always science behind La Mer products. The Max Huber Research Lab created this concealer with a cocktail of gemstones, an Asian mushroom and polymers. Sounds trippy but it the results are pretty fabulous. Tourmaline and malachite gemstones capture light energy to instantly conceal dark circles and blemishes. That is the smoke and mirrors effect I am always gushing about. The shroom is called Viapure Poria. This ingredient is used to calm and soothe the skin. There are also appearances from chamomile extract and various other plant and marine extracts. The rock star in this recipe is a unique polymer mesh technology. This delivers a diaphanous layer to create a crease-resistant finish. This is where this concealer differs from all others. You can build on it without it going cakey. It brightens, looks fresh and natural. Coverage is not lost. It will cover your skin like no one's business!

This is a massive gush and rave. You must visit your local La Mer counter to give it a test drive. It retails for $65 and comes in a compact with a kid leather case. It comes with a brush and a SPF of 25.
Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

Disclaimer: A press sample of this product was provided by La Mer

La Mer The Treatment Powder Foundation SPF 15

I visited my local La Mer counter recently and was delighted to spot a tester unit with three spots that looked suspiciously like concealer slots. I tried to contain my excitement and eagerness since this was not a SA that I usually deal with. She would not have any clue that I have been waiting for YEARS for this specific product. My blurting out " Thank you baby Jesus" or doing a little jig will only alarm and confuse her. I tried to keep my cool and not ask 1000 questions.

So with glee and excitement I can blurt out that a concealer in three shades will arrive at your local La Mer counter in the fall. This product has been cooking at La Mer for years. I have high hopes that it will change my life.

While trying to be calm and ladylike at the La Mer counter, I spotted a new powder foundation. This little diddy promised that smoke and mirrors effect that is working so well for me. It contains "airspun seaborne particles", gemstones and radiant ferment. All work to optically blur imperfections and improve clarity and brightness.

It comes in a white plastic case with a mirrored top. It opens with ease and features a rose tinged mirror. The powder lifts up to reveal a compartment to house the powder sponge. There is a white grate on the bottom to let air whiz through. Common sense and thought went into the packaging. It is simple and sci-fi at the same time.

The powder texture is feather light and silky. It feels amazing on the skin. The coverage is medium to full. I have tested this without makeup. It provided fair coverage over my problem areas and did not settle or cake into any pores. It stayed fresh better than my loose La Mer powder.

It retails for $95 and is available at Saks, Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman and http://www.lamer.com/. It comes in 8 shades: Porcelain, Ivory, Linen, Creme, Sand, Natural, Buff and Neutral.

Also read the great review at Makeup Bag. E is a huge fan!

http://www.makeupbag.net/

Disclaimer: A press sample of this product was provided by La Mer

Hydrating Infusion by La Mer

I have been testing La Mer's Hydrating Infusion for close to a month. This is a treatment that pre-wets and prepares the skin for the benefits of a moisturizer. It is a serum-like texture that transforms into a watery fluid upon application. Once Hydrating Infusion is activated by the skin's pH and temperature, the ingredients are released to start hydration.

It is like a primer for your moisturizer. Instead of keeping your foundation in place, this primer preserves your moisturizer and jump starts the hydration process. The texture and science behind Hydrating Infusion is similar to Kanebo's Smoothing Water Make Up Base. Both represent a skin care trend that actually works.

I have been testing Hydrating Infusion with various serums and creams. Hydrating Infusion works well with the heavy duty creams like La Mer and Eve Lom's TLC Cream. It also works well with the feathery light creams like Chantecaille Biodynamic Lifting Oil Free Fluid. It applies wet and quickly dries to a matte finish. Moisturizers apply smoother. Skin looks hydrated longer. Flakes and dry patches are history. As someone who lives in Arctic Ohio, this skin cocktail is an answer to my prayers.

Smart skincare is pretty standard these days but this new innovation is more along the lines of an honor society or Mensa.

It retails for $95 and is available at your local La Mer counter.

Disclaimer: A press sample of this product was provided by La Mer.

40 Days and 40 Nights of Beauty Cult Classics
Day 39, Creme De La Mer Moisturizing Cream

For the most part the cult classics series has been civil and fairly drama free. We had a rough patch with the Nivea post but overall it has been a smooth ride.
There has been gushing and shared hate on almost every product reviewed.
Today that peace might be challenged.

La Mer is a dense and highly moisturizing cream. It was created by aerospace physicist Dr. Max Huber to treat his own burns. The cream is created through a 3-4 month bio-fermentation process and is nutrient rich. The ingredients range from sea kelp to citrus oil.

Combining basic ingredients with the fermentation process created a Miracle broth that they instantly trademarked.
This is not a whisper light cream but more like a blood curdling scream. The texture is heavy, yet not imposing. You want to spread this one with a spatula. In fact a very tiny doll-like one is included in the package.

It is rumored that Kate Moss uses this cream all over her body as a lotion. That is a true diva-like extravagance. I imagined that it would be the best lotion that money could buy. At first I thought it was all hype. It was wonderful but not holy grail worthy. I tested other products and fell in and out of love like Brett Michaels of VH1's Rock of Love.
It is only after years of blogging and testing that I realize and appreciate the product.
It is the most serious moisturizer on the market.

I reach for the jar every time the Ohio climate attacks my skin. Dry issues melt away when I use La Mer. I have seen flakes disappear after the first application.
Skin sensitivities are soothed and coddled with this cream.

To apply La Mer requires reading the instructions. You really must warm the cream in your hands for at least one minute. It sounds silly but it works. It just like butter from the fridge. You need to let it warm to room temperature before buttering your bread or you will "pierce the toast."

To use La Mer requires a serious amount of coin.
1 oz retails for $125, 2 oz for $220 and 16.5 oz is a whopping $1,350.
But the numbers are not as shocking as they once were.
Today serums and eye creams go for twice that amount in the 1 oz size.

Let me know what you think of La Mer in the comments. Share your love or hate.

Credit: Blogdorf Goodman

Disclosure: A press sample of this product was provided by La Mer. I also have purchased this at my local La Mer counter.

40 Days and 40 Nights of Beauty Brand Reviews

Day 20, La Mer

Cavewoman: It is always a treat when a favorite sales associate or makeup artist is eager to share something new and noteworthy from his or her own particular line. What is even more remarkable is when that sales associate or makeup artist can't wait to escort you to another counter to show you a superb product from another line. This is how I came to know and love and buy La Mer Skincolor De La Mer The Powder. It's a long name for a huge heavy glass jar filled with the best loose powder I've ever tried, and I can thank my friend Shawn for showing it to The Cleveland Gang when it was launched at Saks last Fall. Shawn is one of those makeup artists who makes it a point to investigate all the new things that appear at all the counters, not just his own. Shawn appreciates a great product, no matter which company makes it.

And so off to the La Mer counter we all marched, behind Shawn, who instructed me to close my eyes. He held the open tester of the powder and guided my forefinger to the jar, and told me to put my finger in the powder jar. I did not feel a thing on my finger until it hit the bottom of the jar. This powder is absolutely weightless to the touch, and if there is any texture at all, it feels like whipped cream! And then Shawn applied the powder to our eager faces.

I am not a fan of loose powder, and I've tried many. My last loose powder mistakes were a few LeClercs, which were too pigmented and looked cakey and chalky on my face. After Shawn applied the La Mer powder, I went skeptically to check my complexion in the unforgiving mirrors of our Saks store. To my absolute delight, I did not see powder, all I saw was glowing, luminous, poreless skin, without the matte or dry or chalky effect, and no visible color whatsoever. Shawn had chosen the 02 Neutral color for me, and of course, it was perfect. Since that first purchase, I've now added the Translucent to my vanity table. The Translucent has a bit of shimmer added to it, like candlelight on the skin. There is no glitter and no color, just the luminous glow of healthy, happy skin. Rumor has it that the Translucent is being discontinued, so scour the counters and grab the phones, this one is not to be missed. Everyone needs a Shawn in her life to guide her to all the best that the counters have to offer. I hope you have your own Shawn.

Annieytown: Previously I was involved with Chantecaille's Future Skin foundation. It took me a while to warm up to it's charms but we were happy.
At least...I thought we were happy.
In waltzed La Mer's Treatment Foundation SPF 15 and my world has never been the same. I kicked the Chantecaille to the curb and have never looked back.
What made La Mer turn my back on a trusted friend?
It was the coverage.
La Mer's coverage skills can not be beat.
It is the best "smoke and mirrors" foundation ever created. It covers any issue you have from scars, redness, acne and discoloration. The coverage is as light as a feather with no pancake heaviness or settling into fine lines.
It "optically erases imperfections to reveal a flawless complexion."
This foundation tricks the outside world into thinking that I have great skin.
While it is busy fooling everyone, it is using all the great La Mer technology to actually improve the appearance of my skin. La Mer's Blue Algae Lift Ferment "adds radiance while working to lift skin's appearance while restoring firmness, clarity and brightness."
My skin feels and looks amazing.

The price is fairly high at $75 but it is worth it. You will find that you do not use as much foundation due to the superior coverage and texture.
A little amount goes a long way!
Plus La Mer's Skin Treatment Foundation comes in a dispenser that is flawless in its design. You can actually control how much comes out of the pump.
There is no clogging or mess.

High smitten status for both La Mer powder and foundation!

What are your favorite La Mer products?
Disclosure: The products were purchased by the reviewers.
Photos: Cavewoman

La Mer The Powder Review

I posted that the La Mer powder is the best thing that has happened to me since their foundation. I am insane over this powder!

I am a loose powder junkie so I am generally hard to please when it comes to this type of product. This one made my heart sing and my feet dance. It is as light as whipped cream with a buttery texture. Sean from Saks made cavewoman and I dip our fingers in the jar. You could not feel the powder. It is that finely milled. It is said to be have been developed by NASA scientists but I can not get confirmation on this rumor. Dr Max Huber did work for NASA so it could be possible that he had friends do a side project. If they did...then make them do more. Screw the space program and start working on eyeshadows!

The description from Bergdorf Goodman:

This luxurious finishing powder is so incredibly light it appears to float. Developed with symmetrically shaped, uniquely coated particles, it magnetically attracts to the skin for a perfect fit. Airspun seaborne particles—some of the lightest materials on earth—create an imperceptible finish that leaves skin looking flawless.

The powder gives flawless coverage that manages to look fresh all day. No touch ups are needed. There is no caking effect or discoloration.

I am smitten like never before.

Disclosure: I purchased this powder from saks Fifth Avenue

La Mer The Treatment Fluid Foundation Review

My new holy grail foundation. It has offically kicked my precious Chantecaille to the curb.

I fell under its spell on Monday. I was not in the market for a new foundation. I was satisfied with my Chantecaille. I had given up on the dream of a perfect shade with coverage that managed to hide flaws yet appear light and natural on the skin. Can you tell I dream big?

La Mer's The Treatment Fluid Foundation took me by surprise and knocked me to the ground. I was a convert after the first dab.

The thing that slayed me about this product is the staying power. No foundation lasts longer than this bottle. I have played the field. I have dabbled in high end foundation and crossed the tracks and flirted with drugstore. After a full hellish day at work my makeup looks fresh and perfect. No touchups. No fiddling. It is a foundation miracle. Huge rave from me and Cavewoman.

Blogdorf is smitten.

Some scoop from saks:

Gemstones reflect light to hide imperfections *spotted tourmaline & azurite in the ingredients
Marine and plant actives immediately add radiance
Skin looks lifted, firmer and brighter
Over time helps skin's ability to renew itself
Protects against UV damage with SPF 15

If you ever decide to buy: Call the Beachwood Saks store at 216-292-5500 and ask for Sean or Alesha(at the Nars counter).

They are amazing and I love them.

Disclosure: I purchased this foundation at my local Saks Fifth Avenue