Le Métier de Beauté Ultra Hydration Eye Mask Duo.

Who wakes up with puffy eyes, dark circles, wrinkles and creases that you swore weren't there the night before? That is me, just about everyday. My eyes are puffy by nature I swear. If I didn't get enough sleep or had cried the night before, they look even worse. My puffiness happens below my eyes and it sure isn't pretty. When I heard about this new Le Métier de Beauté Ultra Hydration Eye Mask Duo, I was very interested in trying it. The line is fancy schmancy, and even though I haven't tried any of their skin care yet, I have heard such great things.

This Eye Mask was specifically designed to give eyes an "instant" refresher as it is packed with some pretty strong hydrating actives that work and work fast - in just 15 minutes in fact. The seaweed-based formula is infused into these gel-like "patches" that you place directly under the eyes. They cover the entire under eye area and the top of the cheekbone, where my puffiness occurs.

Ultra Hydration Eye Mask Duo adheres to the undereye area so you can use them anywhere and are clear so you can wear them anytime. I like to place the mask under my eyes right before I dry and curl my hair. They stayed firmly in place as I moved around, even when I bent over to blow the underside of my hair. How great is that? It was like I had a little spa treatment when I was doing something I do every day. They are clear so you could even put them on and bring the kids to school or place them under your eyes right after the gym as you drive home.

My experience in using the eye mask was nothing short of amazing. When I removed the mask from beneath my eyes, I was amazed at how firm and smooth and NOT PUFFY my undereye area was. My cross hatching seemed to be gone for the time being as the lines were hydrated and plumped up so they were barely visible. Amazing! (I had to say it again.)

This is a mask I would love to use every day, and it can be used every day for the ultimate benefit. You can even place the masks in the refrigerator for 20 minutes before applying for an extra cooling effect that would help puffiness even more. Think how great that would be in the summer.  It is a pretty expensive treatment; a set of 8 costs $150, and unlike many similar products, each mask is for one time use only.  I think I will reserve using them for special occasions when I want to look my very best

If your eyes need some major help and you want to try Le Métier de Beauté Ultra Hydration Eye Mask Duo to see the results yourself, go see Shawn Kelly at Neiman Marcus at the Natick Collection (Boston) or give her a call at 617-536-3660 to learn more and order (I realize most of you are not in the Boston area). They are not yet available online.

Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Serum Infusion.

In my never ending quest to make my eyes look younger, I just discovered Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Serum Infusion. I am sure you have heard the name Advanced Night Repair. Yes, that best-selling Advanced Night Repair serum. Well, that serum now has a partner; this one just for the eyes.

The new Advanced Night Repair Eye Serum Infusion is a super-potent, fast-penetrating repair serum with all the repair benefits of their best selling Advanced Night Repair, but made just for the ver delicate eye area. This potent eye serum infusion is formulated with Estée Lauder's advanced repair technology shown to help significantly reduce the key signs of eye aging. You know the ones I am talking about. The fine lines, wrinkles, puffiness, dark circles, dryness and uneven skintone.

Boasting over twenty patents worldwide, this serum is intensely hydrating and helps to keep the entire eye area looking radiant, rested and silky smooth. It delivers an immediate surge of moisturization, leaving the eye area feeling soothed and refreshed, creating the optimal environment for eye area skin to repair and stay young and healthy. Now that's what I want.

I have been layering Advanced Night Repair Eye Serum Infusion under my regular night time eye cream and love the way my eyes feel in the morning. The entire eye area is definitely less puffy and the tone is much more even. Over time, I expect for my fine lines and crows feet to lessen.

Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Serum Infusion retails for $62.00 at Estee Lauder counters and online at esteelauder.com.

Mario Badescu Skin Care.

As I teen, I had to purchase Mario Badescu Drying Lotion after seeing it in an ad in the back of one of my teen magazines. I very rarely got pimples (very lucky in that department), but when I did get one, it was a HUGE throbbing red one with a very large white head. It would arrive on my chin and would last for what seemed like weeks. I remember begging my Mom to order it for me because it promised to dry up pimples fast. I had to have it. She ordered it and it worked! The combination of calamine lotion and salicylic acid was genius. I honestly probably only had one or two runs with it because, again I got maybe one or two pimples a year, but it made an impression on me.

Fast forward many, many years later to a rediscovery of Mario Badescu Skin Care. I love the simple, no non-sense packaging and real approach to skin care. Each product is tailored for a specific need, to work how you need it to.

I had a personal skin care analysis done and received a regimen of products to try. I answered some simple questions such as my age, skin tone, major skin concern (acne, aging, discoloration, dryness) and skin type and the products were selected personally for me.

Before I go into the products that were selected for me, I will tell you what I told them about me and my skin, so that you can understand why they were selected. "I am 45, medium-fair skin toned and worry about discoloration and aging. My skin is on the dry side." That is all they needed to put together my package. In short, they selected the right products typically for my skin and my concerns.

The products selected for me and how and when I am using them:

Morning
Orange Cleansing Soap
This citrus smelling soap is very gentle and nourishing feeling, to start my daytime routine.
Glycolic Acid Toner
This exfoliating toner is great for my dull skin. It gently refreshes my skin after cleansing. My pores are cleansed and seem to disappear after using.
Collagen Moisturizer SPF 15
This is probably my favorite product out of everything I tried. It was like it was made for me, especially in the winter. It is rich enough to hydrate my thirsty skin and give it a buttery soft finish as it moderately protects me from the sun. It absorbs super quick too. I use about the size of a nickel to cover my face, neck and chest.

Evening
Glycolic Foaming Cleanser
This cleanser is great for removing makeup and exfoliating away the day and all the dead skin cells.
Glycolic Acid Toner
Again, this refreshes and balances my skin after cleansing.
Glycolic Eye Cream
This very rich cream hydrates and soothes my eye area for overnight hydration. The addition of glycolic acid means it gently encourages cell turnover to make my eyes look their best.
Buttermilk Moisturizer
This super smooth and rich night cream is amazing. It nourishes my skin and renews it with lactic acid and allantoin, a great anti-inflammatory agent.

2-3 times a week
Almond and Honey Scrub
This is another favorite that I will keep around. This scrub contains real almonds and cornmeal for exfoliation. Even with the larger shells, it is not too harsh or irritating to my skin. It smells divine!
Whitening Mask
This mask has really helped to brighten up and even out my skin tone. I leave it on for about ten minutes and rinse away. Immediately my skin looks better. I have been not so great about using it more then once a week, but I need to as I do see great results.

Along with the package, I received a product application guide, "A regimen specially customized for Teri Cosenzi. I adore the personal touch and personalized advice.  Inside, it told me which products to use in the morning and evening; a chart demonstrating how to apply the products, along with a few personal notes.

Overall, I am very impressed with all of the products. I will definitely be repurchasing the Collagen Moisturizer and Almond and Honey Scrub. I will easily fit them into my daily routine. If I didn't have to test new products on a weekly basis, I would definitely be using them all. Even more impressive is the cost of all the products. Again, the no-nonsense packaging really cuts down on the costs. I mean, I love the look of a heavy frosted glass etched jar, but I know that I am paying for that as much as I am for the little amount of product inside. The amount of product you get for the price from Mario Badescu cannot be beat. The total of all the products in my regimen was just $144! That is less than the price of one of my regular serums. Incredible, right?  And these products would last a good three months.

The only thing lacking in my regimen is a serum, which I am a firm believer in. I use a different serum for day and night and sometimes even layer them. I am thinking that the Vitamin C Serum, Hyaluronic Emulsion with Vitamin C or Corrective Complex Emulsion would be great for me.

You can get your own free personalized skin analysis and product recommendations too. Just head over to mariobadescu.com for it all. The products are also available at retailers such as Ulta and Nordstrom. If you are ever in New York City, I think a visit to the Mario Badescu Spa would be a great treat. The services look very affordable as well. It is on my list of NYC to-do's.