I confess: I’m now a Lancome addict. I’ve mostly been a drugstore-skincare-and-cosmetics fan, not just because of the price point but also because I generally avoid department stores. They make me nervous and edgy, with their bright overhead light, maze of merchandise-packed aisles and grinning salespeople.
But when Lancome contacted me a month ago and asked if they could send me a package of samples, who was I to refuse? Free skincare and cosmetic products? Bring ‘em on!
I’ve tested nearly all the products in the bag, but this review will focus exclusively on the eyecare and makeup. Really, I could just summarize the entire review in one word: Fabulous.
First up, Lancome’s High Resolution Eye with Collaser-48, an A.M. and P.M. collagen boost eye treatment. Honestly, I don’t know how well I can review this product, as I don’t really have any dark circles under my eyes. I do often wake up with puffy eyes, but that usually goes a
way after I wash my face, or an hour or so after waking up. I’ve used this product for about two weeks now, and I haven’t really noticed any significant improvements in the tiny creases under my eyes, but then again, they’re tiny creases. At 35, this product is more of a preventative measure and a self-indulgent one at that, but it does smooth on very easily and absorbs quickly. I use this only in the A.M., after applying my facial serum but before my serum and moisturizer.
Sephora’s Web site has lots of information on what this product claims to do, including its ability to “boost collagen production in just 48 hours.” Ingredients include caffeine (which I guess boosts circulation), vitamin P, and HEPES, a chemical buffering agent that must be kept in a container away from direct light. Fortunately, the packaging for this eye cream is in an opaque pump bottle that keeps its ingredients free from oxidation. It does provide wonderful hydration, as I mentioned above, and doesn’t irritate my eyes. The price — at $56 for a beautiful 0.5 oz bottle — is on the high end. I probably won’t buy this for myself, if only because I couldn’t afford it, but I would recommend it to anyone looking for a good anti-aging eye treatment.
The Bi-Facil Double-Action Eye Makeup Remover is the best I’ve ever tried. Granted, I’ve only ever tried two others: the L’Oreal Gentle Eye Makeup Remover and its Target copycat. The latter made my eyes burn every single time I used it, so I dumped it. The L’Oreal product worked well, although it took quite a few swipes to remove the makeup.
Lancome’s version has just enough oil to remove eye makeup fairly quickly and gently without irritating or drying out the eyes. Highly recommended.
Jolie in NYC rates Lancome as the best manufacturer of mascara, and after trying out the Definicils High Definition Mascara, I would have to agree with her. It doesn’t clump and provide the spiky, spidery-long lashes a lot of women love. I know that Maybelline’s Great Lash enjoys a reputation as being the bestselling mascara in the United States, but it does nothing for my thin lashes. I would definitely invest in this Lancome classic.
I’ll admit, I approached Le Crayon Kohl eyeliner (Black Coffee) with more than a little apprehension. I’ve only recently tried eyeliner and have not always had the best results. I don’t blame the eyeliner, rather my own clumsy, unsure hand. I’ve tried L’Oreal and some QVC-bought liquid versions, but so far the results have been mixed. In fact, on my weddi
ng day, it terrified me so much that my wedding photographer ended up doing my eye makeup. (She did a fabulous job, too! Even my husband, who normally doesn’t like me wearing makeup, was impressed.)
I needn’t have worried. To borrow from Sephora’s copy, Le Crayon has a “creamy-smooth finish,” a useful attribute for someone like me who loathes anything that doesn’t glide on the very delicate area under my (rapidly aging!) eyes. It didn’t take me to develop more confidence as I penciled in close to my lashline using Le Crayon’s super-sharp, defined point. The only problem I have is mastering the art of lining my upper lashline, particularly on my right eye, which is much more Asian-like (with its prominent epicanthal fold) than my left. So far, Le Crayon makes it a little easier, but I think it just comes down to practice before I can do it without poking myself too much.
Now, I come to the one product in the bag that I didn’t like. The Lancome Le Stylo Waterproof Long-Lasting Eyeliner comes with a little sponge on the other end, which I guess is for smudging. (I told you I’m relatively new at this!) It didn’t glide on nearly as smoothly or as easily as Le Crayon, despite the fact that it’s supposed to be “creamy,” according to the testimonial of one makeup artist on the Lancome site. It required too much pressure on my part to apply it cleanly, which I hate, as even the gentlest tugging on the delicate skin around the eye area contributes to those unwanted creases. Maybe I’m doing it wrong, and I do want to love this product, especially with its twist-tip, which supposedly never needs sharpening. If you’ve had better luck than I, please share your own experiences.
I still have a couple more eye makeup products to try out, specifically the Hypnose and the Virtuose mascaras, but I’ll save that for when I’m out of the Definicils. As you know, mascaras must be discarded three months after opening, and as I don’t use mascara everyday, I don’t want to have to toss them before I’ve had a chance to empty out every last drop!
I would rank these makeup products as being high-end in terms of price point and quality. They range from $23 to $26 and can be bought at Sephora, Amazon.com, and of course, Lancome’s Web site. Cassoulet Cafe recommends eBay as another source, possibly even a less expensive one. Make sure that you purchase only from a reputable eBay vendor, though, with a high (more than 100, at least) feedback score and 99% or higher positive feedback percentage. If anyone has a favorite eBay vendor from whom they purchase cosmetics, I’d love to hear about it!
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{ 15 comments }
The BEST eyeliner in the world without any doubt is Bobbi Brown’s Gel Ink Liner. I swear to you, once you try it you will never-ever-ever try another liner again.
I love the Lancome mascara. It is better than Dior, Chanel or any other mascara. Great lash is not great. I think it is an urban legend that makeup artists use that worthless mascara.
I used to use the Lancome eye makeup remover on my cat when he got matted eye gunk. It worked really well on him. I have really sensitive eyes and it wasn’t so great for me.
Bonjour, LBR! Would you believe I’ve never tried any of Bobbi Brown’s stuff? And yet, I love that woman! I even bought her book, Living Beauty, to give to my mom. She’s a beauty and business icon, to be sure.
I’ll have to try that liner. I love Lancome’s stuff, but I’m so disloyal when it comes to products. I read a study somewhere that most women are fickle about their cosmetics and skincare, yet we’re never faithful.
I’m sorry to hear that the eye makeup remover didn’t work as well for you. As you said before, every woman is different, and you have to find what works best for you. There’s a pretty cool article in this month’s Allure mag on how to remove eye makeup. Apparently I’ve been doing some things wrong. The breaking eyelashes should have been my first clue, huh?
Salut,
Marjorie
I LOVE Lancome mascara, and I completely agree that it is the best I’ve ever tried. I have long thick lashes, but NEED mascara, and most mascaras end up shortening and clumping and looking worse. Not so with Lancome. I haven’t tried Hypnose yet, and I’m anxiously waiting for your review on it.
As far as Ebay, I will agree that one should only buy from a reputable seller that sells lots of Lancome. Should be UNOPENED and in box, imo. I’m sure Lancome doesn’t appreciate it being sold on Ebay, but we are in an Ebay World now.
Merci beaucoup for linking me on this post. Now…how can I get lancome to contact moi? haha!
LBR-Thanks for the Bobbi Brown tip, I have never tried that eyeliner and I am super duper picky with eyeliners, as I would rather do without mascara than eyeliner. We don’t have a BB counter, so I guess I’ll look it up on Ebay.
Dear CC, thanks so much for your comment! Isn’t Lancome fantastic? I can’t wait to try the Hypnose either. If nothing else, the case is so elegant.
I’ve gotten so much good stuff from eBay, mostly memorabilia of movies I love. Have you had lots of good success with buying cosmetics there? And yes, I’m sure Lancome would rather its products not end up on eBay, but as you said, why not? If they can benefit from operating in a so-called free market, so should we.
Salut,
Marjorie
CC,
You can get the BB gel eyeliner on Neiman Marcus.com or Nordstrom.com. If you tell me what colour you regularly wear, I can recommend one of her colour’s for you. You do need a good eyeliner brush to use this. I like the BB one. Truly, this is a life changing eyeliner. I am not overselling this stuff. It lasts all day and goes on super easy. Love!!
LBR
I normally wear black. I have dark brown eyes…so I guess even a super dark brown could do.
Ok, I’m gonna get some! If you say it’s life changing, I’m in!
I’m so excited!!!!!!!!!!
And by the way since we’re on makeup here, have you gals ever tried everydayminerals? I’ve been using it for a few months and I love it! You can order their sample kit for FREE to try it out. Mineral makeup was life changing for me (though I started with a different brand).
And what cleanser and moisturizer would you girls recommend for my skin: 34 year old, still having break outs, starting to get some signs of future wrinkles….dry skin. Been using Neutrogena for years, but want new stuff to try.
Bonjour, CC et LBR! (I feel like Maxwell Smart or 99 with all the acronyms around here.
An eyeliner brush??? Wow, another tool I must look into! Told ya I’m a makeup virgin. Does it come with the gel liner or do you have to purchase it separately?
Ten years ago, I would have scoffed (very nicely, bien sur!) at your comment, LBR, on makeup being “life-changing,” but since diving into the deep end lately, I can understand completely! Once I saw what I looked like with a little eyeliner and mascara, it was TA DAAAA! You know, like that old Queer Eye for a Straight Guy mantra: You, only better.
Anyhoo, CC, I’ve never even heard of everydayminerals. Jolie in NYC (my favorite beauty blog: jolieinnyc.com) raves about Bare Escentuals like it’s crack, and I’ve wanted to try it. A makeup artist at Sephora did tell my mom that — contrary to all the marketing hype — not everyone can wear mineral makeup. Mom did look really nice in the Laura Mercier foundation the woman applied on her, but I wish now that I’d tried the Bare Escentuals.
Where do you get your everydayminerals? Is it in a dept store?
As for what cleanser and moisturizer…well, what’s the weather like over where you live right now? Do you wear makeup during the day? Any kind of sensitivity? You have pretty similar problems to mine, and we’re roughly the same age range (I’m 35-going-on-36). Birth control has pretty much eliminated breakouts, which is a MIRACLE, if you ask me.
I’m a huge fan of Neutrogena, but if you’re starting to see dry skin, have you tried Purpose Gentle Cleanser? It literally is recommended by dermatologists and doesn’t strip the skin of its natural oils. The Dual Action moisturizer is nice but still leaves me with a bit of an oil slick within a couple of hours, so a mattifying lotion is necessary if you don’t like shine.
I know LBR isn’t a fan of Olay, but their Definity moisturizer with SPF 15 is awesome. Brightened up my skin and left my skin fairly matte most of the day (still had to use the blotting paper mid-day). Aveeno is also an excellent brand of cleanser too.
I can’t vouch much for department store brands, as I don’t generally buy my basic skincare products there.
Ohhh! Another option is the L’Oreal moisturizer/sunscreen with Mexoryl. I just got a Lancome Mexoryl product and haven’t used it, but I’ve heard lots of great things about it. Plus, the sunscreen is the best on the market. Doesn’t leave a greasy film like Titanium Dioxide or Zinc Oxide, and won’t irritate sensitive skin like Avobenzone (which Olay has, although I’ve never had a problem with it).
I’d love to hear LBR’s recommendations!
Salut,
Marjorie
Marjorie and Coco Chanel/Chantal/CC,
The eyeliner brush does not come with the gel eyeliner. But, the brush is a must. There is no other way to get this brilliant stuff on. If you don’t want to splurge on the BB brush you could go to MAC or to Sonia ( forget her last name) at Target ( I think her brushes are decent).
CC, BB’s black and chocolate shimmer are great. I cannot wait for you to get it and try it and then sing my praises for telling you about this
I have not tried the mineral makeup you mentioned. I did get a little sample of bare Minerals and felt it gave great coverage but it also stuck in fine lines. I do LOVE Laura Mercier’s tinted moisturizer and for foundation I use the French brand, Makeup Forever and I have tried everything and this is the best I have ever used.
Okay, to cleanser. My favorites are
Oil of Olay foaming face wash and L’occitane Shea Milk. I do have, gasp, aging skin, that has a tendency towards dryness and an occasional breakout.
CC what do you want a moisturizer to do? Are you looking for spf? Do you want anti-aging? Do you wear SPF over and do you wear foundation over all of that? All that impacts my recommendation. Can you tell that I love this stuff? I am a skin care fanatic.
Marjorie,
You can check it out on http://www.everydayminerals.com
I personally do not like Bare Escentuals because it makes my face itch like crazy (bismuth)and the coverage is NOT good. Nor are the color options. Plus it is 3x the cost of everydayminerals.
I JUST bought Purpose cleanser and am on my 2nd day!
I’m so glad you backed up my purchase decision! I’m going to try it for awhile and see how it does. For some reason, I broke out last week worse than I have in the last few years. I think I’m having hormone issues or something, because I haven’t done anything different with my skincare regime.
LBR, aka My Personal Skin Care Fanatic Assistant,
Ok, you should totally TRY mineral makeup (and NOT Bare Escentuals). I converted to mineral makeup 2 1/2 years ago, went back to liquid dept store stuff once, and then threw it out and went back to minerals. You need a kabuki brush, though, to apply it right.
As for moisturizer, I don’t want anything to make me break out, nothing that feels greasy, and I don’t really care about the SPF because the mineral makeup has it. Plus I think I already caused the skin damage from no SPF for my entire life.
So, I guess I really need to start looking into the anti-aging stuff. I wear moisturizer, then put on my minerals, all over. I ALWAYS wear makeup. I want the moisturizer to give me a bit of hydration and smoothness on my skin. If it can help stave off wrinkles and occastional breakouts, all the better.
Ok, can you work with that?
Chantal/Coco Chanel/CC
Merci, LBR, for your comment!
Sonia Kashuk @ Target has had great recommendations for her brushes, although I personally have never used them. NEVER buy a generic brush set from the drugstore — you’ll end up throwing them away after half a dozen uses, which is never cheap. MAC is another great option. It’s definitely worth the expense.
I’ve never used Sephora’s brand of brushes. Anyone have any insight on their quality?
One of the Lancome eyeliners I was given was called Minuit, which to my surprise was actually a sort of indigo blue. As I obviously don’t have blue eyes I wasn’t sure if it would work, but I tried it anyway. Not bad, but I’m sticking to dark chocolate/coffee. Plays up my eyes better.
If you’re not a fan of layers of skin creams on your face, the Olay Definity Deep Penetrating Foam Moisturizer is a great option. It has anti-aging, SPF 15 (avobenzone), and brightening. Plus, it doesn’t leave a greasy film like many other sunscreen/moisturizer combos. I’m not crazy about the foam “delivery system,” as it can be hard to pump out just the right amount from the bottle, but otherwise I love it.
Do you use the Cleansing Milk with or w/o water, LBR? I’m just curious because I remember lots of discussions on the current French Chic Yahoo! group about the Beaute de Paris or whatever French line it was wherein one avoids using water when cleansing.
Salut,
Marjorie
Bonsoir, CC!
So happy to hear that you’re trying Purpose! I used it for years, then got tired of it. Nothing wrong with it, but like LBR, I’m a skincare product addict and am always looking for the latest and greatest. Purpose, however, is an awesome all-around cleanser. As many dermatologists have pointed out, it’s only on your face for no more than a minute or so; cleansers that claim to do anything else but clean aren’t telling you whole story. Focus your money on the serums and moisturizers, the stuff that will actually stay on your skin and are designed to work their magic.
Check out this month’s issue of Allure, the one with Rihanna on the cover. There’s a whole article about pore cleansing and has some great recommendations for moisturizers, cleansers, serums and matte solutions. Looks like Olay Pore Refining Mousse Cleanser is a good option.
I just checked out the everydayminerals site. I might try their free sample kit, just to test the foundations. I normally never buy makeup online (unless I’ve tried it in the “real” world), but if there’s a free sample involved, I’m there! I need to call them up and ask about their shipping, though. At least they’re in Austin. Go Longhorns!
I must say, I’m not impressed with their Get This Look models. Some of them have rather china-doll faces, with very obvious foundations caked on their skin. Whether or not it’s my own monitor, I’m not crazy about them, but I’m always willing to try!
Salut,
Marjorie
Salut Marjorie,
Don’t worry, I don’t like their model looks either. In fact, I never looked at them until today.
The shipping for the free sample kit is $3.47. It comes quite fast too! I just ordered another sample because I ordered the wrong color last time by accident. I have a late spring/early summer color, but I’m too fair for it right now. If you like your makeup, the best deal is the kit where you get any 6 products for $32.
You’ll feel like you aren’t wearing any foundation at all….I love it!
Another great one is mineralbasics.com, but they don’t have free samples.
CC and Marjorie,
CC, for a basic moisturizer with a sunscreen I like Lancome’s Bienfiat du Matain. Oil of Olay’s Complete moisturizer is good. For a great moisturizer without SPF I really like Dr. Haushka’s Rose Cream–it is light and powerful (not heavy–you don’t need to use much).
I have been using Avene’s Retinol product for two weeks( just use at night) and I really see a differnce. I think it is better than Retin-A or Renova.
Marjorie,
When I use the milk cleanser I do NOT use water. I like that I can cleanse face and then use the Retinol or Retin-a soon after I cleanse–if I skip the water.
I don’t love Sephora brushes. MAC are a good value for money. If you want to splurge—Trish McEvoy,BB and Shu Umera are GREAT quality and Long lasting brushes.
I have recently started using a foundation brush and it makes a big difference. I recommend trying one.
Bonjour, CC! Thanks for the tip. I wasn’t ready to make an order until I knew how much S&H was. You know how that is.
I’m so excited to try it! And I love that they have free samples. There was no way I was going to order makeup online unless I’d tried it beforehand. Thanks for the recommendation!
LBR, bonjour! I tried a few of Dr. Hauschka products a few years ago but didn’t like it. One sunscreen/moisturizer made my face all greasy. However, I’ve only ever tried 2-3 of their stuff, and this was about ten years ago. Plus, the line has received rave reviews from a number of celebrities and makeup artists. I’m going to have to try them again, esp. now that I have — ahem — more mature skin than when I was in my twenties!
A makeup artist at Neiman Marcus’ Prescriptives counter used a foundation brush on my face, and the results were nothing short of miraculous. It cost about $50, however, and after just having spent $100 on the makeup alone, I wasn’t ready to splurge on the brush either. But yes, I agree, a brush can make a huge difference.
Speaking of Shu Uemura, I’ve been longing to try their eyelash curler. Right now I’m using Revlon, but I’m not loving the results. Will have to make it to Sephora.com this weekend…
Salut,
Marjorie
LBR-
GUESS WHAT I BOUGHT?!!!
Yep, BB gel liner! I will be waiting anxiously for the mailman all week
Now I’m off to find the brush (on ebay)
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