What They Say: "This daily moisturizing treatment helps grant the beauty of brightness with alpha-arbutin, one of the most stable and effective brightening ingredients available. Its blend of botanical ingredients also increases resistance to other age signs. A light, easily absorbable formula, this milky moisturizer is ideal for daytime wear or complexions that show afternoon shine. Alpha-arbutin helps brighten skin, while olive oil, squalane, and rice germ oil condition."

Jen's Experience: I've tried a lot of products that claim to increase radiance or brighten the skin, and it's such a subjective term that I've almost taken it to be a synonym for "doesn't do a whole lot". That is, until I tried this one. I've been using this at night for about a month now, and I have to say, the change in my skin is dramatic. My skin is not just much clearer, but my skin tone is much more even, no redness, and my usual spattering of white and blackheads is virtually gone. Here's the catch: with all the great effects, it's making my skin a little on the dry side, enough that for my daytime wear, I have to give my skin a lot of TLC to keep it looking good. For me, the extra moisturizing and care is worth it, and if your skin is normal to oily, you probably wouldn't even have an issue. If you're in the market for a skin brightener, I can't recommend this one enough.

Retail Price: $45.00 (DHCCare.com)

Rating:

What They Say: "If unwanted oil is inducing regular beauty meltdowns, Matte Cream can help you maintain some dignity. This “mattifying” formula minimizes sliding makeup and unprofessional-looking glare by absorbing oil before it surfaces on your face. Use it alone, under makeup, and as a spot treatment to keep you looking cool and composed day in and day out."

Melissa Says: Oh, how I hoped for this to be a miracle formula! Sadly, it did fall a bit short of miracle status. I don't have oil-slick skin, but I do have shine areas that pop up pretty much every afternoon (just above the middle of my eyebrows and on my cheeks just near my nose). I did notice that my skin was more matte in those areas longer than they would normally be, but still...that effect didn't last long enough for me to be incredibly excited about it. True, they say you can "touch up' during the day, but I don't think I'd want to bring this little jar with me every day (in the picture it looks about the size of a little pot of eye cream, but it's more like the size of a small jar of face cream - yes, you get a lot of product, but I don't know if it's really necessary to have so much at once). If they really wanted me to be able to do that, they should have put the formula into a little squeezable tube. Otherwise, if I need to do any touching up, why wouldn't it just be easier to use an oil-blotting sheet? This does help control oil more than if nothing is used, but it didn't leave me with completely shine-free skin all day as I'd hoped. In a tube, I might find it more practical and worth carrying in my purse.

Retail Price: $28.00 (at dhccare.com)

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What They Say: " New skin. Elbows, knees, and heels get particularly padded with dead skin and rough spots. Now you can take care of your flaky, bumpy bod with this exfoliating cream that’s made to moisturize and assured to soften. Alphahydroxy acids from lactic acid (found naturally in milk) sweep away the dusty, musty layer so your body glows from shoulder to toe.

The FDA recommends using a sunscreen and limiting sun exposure while using any AHA product and for one week after use is discontinued."

Melissa Says: Just as the description explains, this is a chemical exfoliant (as opposed to a scrub) and not a simple moisturizing lotion, so when you use this you do need to be extra-vigilant about protecting your skin with sunscreen during and a week after you use it (honestly, we should all be doing this even when we aren't exfoliating, right?).

I have to say, this definitely worked miracles on my feet, elbows and hands, not to mention the rest of my body. You just smooth it on after bath or shower and then wait a minute or two for it to fully absorb before dressing. It's barely got a scent at all, and what's perceptible is a gently fresh scent. Skin is indeed left glowing and crazy smooth.

*I especially love how effective this is on dry, cracked heels and thicker skin on feet, knees and elbows. You wouldn't believe the difference!

Retail Price: $32.00, 8.4 oz. (at dhccare.com - and on sale until 3/31/07 for $24.00)

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Polina's Profile
Hair: currently have blonde highlights with dark brown underneath. My hair is very, very thick and a bit on the coarse side. Almost down to my waist and naturally wavy with frizzies
Eyecolor: blue
Age: 33
Skin tone: have no flying clue!! All I know is that I'm very pale...bluish??
Skin type: Combo with enlarged pores on and around my nose. Not generally prone to breakouts. Skin is becoming drier as more time goes by.
What They Say: “Try this amazing cleanser and you’ll see why it’s our most popular product worldwide. Dirt, excess oil, makeup—even waterproof mascara—and other pore-cloggers dissolve easily, leaving your face a grime-free zone that is soft to the touch. Its unique water-soluble formula rinses completely, so you’ll never see a greasy residue. Olive oil, rosemary oil, and vitamin E ensure you won’t see dryness either.”

To Use: With dry hands, massage 1-2 pumps of Deep Cleansing Oil onto dry face to dissolve dirt, makeup, and other impurities. Rinse with lukewarm water. Do not add water to this product until ready to rinse off.

Polina's Experience: (A little background) - Out of the blue, about a month ago, a DHC Skincare catalog appeared in my mail box. At first, I was going to pitch it, like I always do with unsolicited mail, but then I noticed that the catalog came with four little pouches of samples. And who doesn’t love free samples?? Because I had never heard of DHC, I went online and did a bit of research on this skincare line. (DHC is a Japanese company which has been creating beauty products for over 20 years.) I scoured several beauty product forums and wherever I looked, customers were raving. My interest was piqued because I have been searching for a cleanser/moisturizer combo that really makes a difference to my 30-something combination skin and have so far come up short. Things were about to change!

There were several products that jumped out at me both from DHC’s catalog and the user forums. One of them was the Deep Cleansing Oil. Luckily, the catalog also had a sample of this magical stuff, so I could try it first-hand.

I know what you’re thinking: “How in the world is oil going to help me cleanse my face?? Won’t it leave a greasy residue and make me more prone to breakouts and clogged pores?” That’s what I wondered as well and had it not been for the rave reviews, I probably never would have braved putting this stuff on my face.

I did as directed, pouring about a quarter-sized amount of oil into the palm of my hand. I then gently massaged the oil onto my skin, using both hands. It had a very light scent with a definite hint of olive oil aroma. (DHC uses 100% organic olive oil from Spain in many of their products, citing the olive tree’s restorative properties.) I used the tips of my fingers to wipe some of the oil on my eyes to see how well it would dissolve my mascara and eyeliner. Then I rinsed my face with warm water. There was no residue whatsoever. The oil washed right off my hands and face. Unfortunately, in trying to remove my make-up, I got some of the oil in my eye, which while not painful, made my vision blurry for a minute or so, until I was able to rinse the oil completely. After I was done, I still had plenty of mascara left beneath my eyes, but my skin was oh-so-soft! The last time my skin felt this supple was when I got a facial about two years ago! Wow! Not only was my skin soft, but it actually had a glow to it. I was sold!

A couple of side notes: I probably should have put some of the oil on a cotton ball and used it to wipe my eyes instead of my fingers. That might have helped with the blurry vision. As it is, for now, I’m just using my regular eye make-up remover to do that job. Also, DHC recommends that you follow up the Deep Cleansing Oil with a supplemental cleanser (they suggest their Mild Soap). The reason for this is that the Deep Cleansing Oil is primarily designed to break up dirt, makeup and oil while a cleanser, contains surfactants, which act to rid the skin of this broken down debris. They especially recommend using a follow up cleanser if you wear a lot of makeup or have oily skin.

Overall, I was so pleased with the Oil’s effect on my skin that I purchased the product even before my sample ran out and waited with great impatience for it to arrive. I have been using it for about two weeks now and am still very pleased with it, especially in combination with DHC’s other products that I’ll have to tell you about another time.

Retail Price: $24 (dhccare.com)

DeLush Rating:

About the Face Color Perfect Pro Case: "Ultimate compact. Use and store your two favorite shades of DHC Face Color Perfect Pro Cheek or Highlighter (sold separately) in this slim, multi-function case. Includes a handy mirror and built-in wide-tip brush for easy applications or touch-ups anytime. Includes 1 case and 1 brush."

About the Face Color Perfect Pro Cheek: "Getting cheeky. These sheer and subtly sparkling blushes create a soft-focus flush of color and leave skin looking enlivened. Pair one with DHC Face Color Perfect Pro Highlighter to add nuance and definition. Place them in our new DHC Face Color Perfect Pro Case and enjoy glamorous colors in the palm of your hand."

About the Face Color Perfect Pro Highlighter: "A kiss of shimmer. Makeup artists in the know have a secret trick up their sleeves—highlighting powders. New DHC Face Color Perfect Pro Highlighter puts a flattering kiss of light and iridescence anywhere you need it—it’s particularly stunning atop your cheekbones and around your eyes."

What Lisa says: As one who usually tosses the small blush brushes that are standard fare with most cheek colors, I was looking forward to trying DHC’s handy compact along with a highlighter in Pale White and cheek colors in Rose, Pink and Spice.

This compact is sturdy. It holds two cheek colors or one cheek color and a highlighter and contains a mirror. The soft wide brush is contained in a slide compartment on the top side of the compact. Once out, by pressing a sliding button on the brush’s handle, the bristles slide out revealing a wide, almost fan shaped brush that fits easily into your hand. One of the nicer things about this brush is that it tends to hold its shape as the bristles retract into the handle and the whole unit slides back into the top of the compact.

Each of the colors that I received had a “subtle sparkle” to them that was easily seen in the case but was barely visible once applied to the skin. As far as color, Spice was my favorite as it had the most color pay-off and was quick and easy to apply. I know these colors are billed as “sheer” but the Pink and Rose colors were too sheer and needed quite a bit of product to show up on the skin. For very light complexions, this might be all you need but I found myself having to reapply cheek color throughout the day and never felt like I achieved the deepness of color that I usually wear. The Pale White Highlighter also had sparkle that failed to transfer to the skin and, once applied looked very white (almost like baby powder) and I found it muddled the cheek color.

Each of these powdered blushes was free of fragrance and traveled nicely in the compact, in my purse without chipping or breaking. While I still prefer a good contoured professional blush brush, the compact and brush were the best part about this whole concept. The colors just didn’t hold up well nor delivered the promise of color or the shimmer.

Note: Face Color Perfect Pro Case is sold separately from the blushes/highlighters so when figuring whether or not this product is worth your beauty dollars, take this into consideration.

Retail Prices: (All are available at http://www.dhccare.com/dhc/)
Compact w/ brush $11.00
Cheek color $7.50
Highlighter $7.50

DeLush Rating:
Compact
Cheek color
Highlighter

What They Say: "Creamy fuller coverage. Achieve perfect-looking skin at last! This long-lasting SPF 18 foundation offers fuller coverage to smooth over pores, blemishes, and imperfections. Enriched with age-defying coenzyme Q10, hydrating olive oil, and UV damage–fighting olive leaf extract, these ingredients can help you win the fight against fine lines. Feels silky, not heavy, on skin. Elegant matte finish."

Jamie's Thoughts: If you’ve read my bio page, you already know that I am not a fan of liquid foundation. I don’t think anything that starts out as a thick layer of flesh-toned goo EVER looks natural – I would rather wear no makeup at all, than have to feel the foundation on my face all day.

You also might be surprised to find out that I actually like this offering from DHC. It’s easier to apply than most – I used my fingers, so a sponge is not absolutely necessary. It blends smoothly and evenly. It beats my everyday powder foundation in both staying power and coverage. It worked well with my concealer routine, and created a matte finish – I didn’t need my pressed powder until late afternoon!

That being said, I didn’t like how it completely covered my freckles. I love my freckles - I don’t want to hide them! I do not recommend this product for redheads, unless they plan on mixing the lightest shade with a daily moisturizer – a DIY tinted moisturizer, if you will. Nail the color perfectly, otherwise you risk looking heavy and fake.

Outside of having to get used to “feeling” my makeup on my face all day, I quite enjoyed this product. While it may not be appropriate for everyone, it does exactly what it claims. I don’t think I’ll be switching over to liquid foundation for good, but I will definitely keep my Q10 around for special events when a flawless, long-lasting face is needed.

Jamie's Rating:

Melissa Says: Similarly to Jamie, I think this foundation blends very well and is incredibly smooth. I particularly like the fact that as a liquid foundation, the end result is among the best that I've tried. I actually didn't have a problem with the fact that it is more full-coverage (I've seen heavier, but it's definitely not sheer) because some days I just feel like camouflaging any redness or unevenness completely in one easy swipe. On the days that I don't feel like I need it, I can always reach for something more sheer or mix this with a bit of moisturizer to thin out the formula.

As a liquid, this didn't matte out my four o'clock oily spots on its own, but I didn't notice any increase as a result, either. I apply it over my daily moisturizer to help it glide even easier, and this has always provided a nice, even finish. If you have deeper wrinkles, this may settle into those lines a bit after a few hours (though I was pleased with it in this respect and didn't notice the problem on my own skin), so be cautious when trying it out if this is the case.

I've been using Yellow Ocher 02, which has worked well with my still winter-pale skin (though I think I may have been able to use Natural Ocher with good results as well).

As a side note, unlike Toya, I've been using this for almost three weeks with no irritation or breakouts at all, and I didn't find any strange consistency issues with the foundation in the tube either. In fact, it was creamy and perfectly smooth. I guess this is another example of why it's so hard for a woman to find the perfect foundation!

Melissa's Rating:

Toya’s Take: For women of color, indeed, for any woman, buying a foundation is a process that requires a bit of trial and error before the buyer finds the perfect shade. Therefore, having to pick the best shade from a catalog or from a website, like I had to do with DHC, is not the best option, unless you’ve used the foundation previously and are repurchasing. I picked what I thought was the closest color to my skintone, Pink Ocher 3, and while I may have, in fact, made the closest match, this shade didn’t work for me at all. In the case of both of the foundation formulations, the shade was just “off” – I wound up looking ashen. The cream foundation, which, according to the website, offers full coverage, felt and looked heavy on my skin.

While it did offer quite complete coverage, eliminating redness, etc., I think it also made me breakout – in the week since I’ve used it, I’ve battled two large pimples. I’m not sure that they’re directly related to the foundation, but their appearance shortly after using the foundation didn’t look too good. The liquid foundation apparently separates when in the bottle. When I squeezed some of the product out of the tube, it was clear first, followed by the pigmented part of the foundation. Shaking the tube vigorously helped, but the foundation was still frustratingly watery and, while it should have offered sheer coverage, I found that it didn’t offer any coverage at all, while simultaneously giving my fast a ghostly pallor. Ugh!

Toya's Rating:

Retail Price: $16.00 (at dhccare.com)

What They Say: “Hue new. Lustrous, soft, fuller-looking lips can be yours. DHC Moisture Care Lip Gloss Shimmer has a hint of subtle sparkle. Say goodbye to dry and chapped lips and hello to dewy, gorgeous, and elegant hues. These beautiful colors are enriched with moisturizing and plumping perfectors, including hyaluronic acid, olive oil, and marine collagen.”

Toya’s Take: I am deathly afraid of the DHC Cleansing Oil, though it seems to be all the rage. The idea of an oil that cleanses seems like an oxymoron, particularly for an oily-skinned gal like me. I have this idea that all DHC products contain olive oil and, perhaps this gloss does, but if so, then Hooray for olive oil! This is one of the best glosses I’ve tried in a while and I am a lip gloss aficionado, let me tell you. I received the Moisture Care Lip Gloss in LGB01 Cassis, a gorgeous red with golden sparkle and LGB04 Peach, which is a glorious color, but is quite clearly pink, not peach. The gloss goes on butter soft, leaving your lips richly moisturized. It offers a sheer, luminous color that lasts quite a long while for a gloss. I am duly impressed and definitely will repurchase.

Retail Price: $8.00 for .42 oz. (at dhccare.com)

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