Holy Grail Beautyy . . .

• Cruelty Free YES
• Fragrance Free NO
• Vitamins A and E
• Sodium Hyaluronate
• High end pricing $135 AUD 50mls
• Pump opaque bottle

This is my 8th product review of the Australian medical grade skincare brand, Glyco Skincare.  You can read the others here.

Beauty Guru

This moisturiser lives up to it's name of Daily Benefits! An oil free, sheer emulsion, it contains Vitamin E, Sodium Hyaluronate and Retinyl Palmitate.  It comes in an opaque, pump bottle so the ingredients are protected from oxidation and bacteria.  It does have a slight fragrance but quickly evaporates after application.

The hyaluronic is no joke I have a deep wrinkle under my left eye and this product fills it up completely! Hence why the name Daily Benefits is so apt! I experienced some skin peeling with the retinyl palmitate mainly on my nose which really needed it and in the area between my eyebrows and was left with fresh, smooth skin. 

I use this moisturiser in conjunction with Glyco Skincare Cellular Defence Day Creme SPF 15+, and Banana Boat Sensitive SPF 50+.  That is my daily routine after cleansing with Glyco Skincare Peptide AOX Cleansing Gel. 

Every product I buy and try (as you receive two samples with each order which is awesome) I fall in love with and become addicted to!

This moisturiser is perfect for those who don't like heavy formulas and is great for the summer time too as it absorbs into the skin in seconds.

I definitely recommend this product!

What are your favourite moisturisers? Comment below!

Ingredients

Water, Stearic Acid, Cetyl Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Cetyl Alcohol, Ceratonia Siliqua Gum, Carrageenan, Hydrolyzed Caesin, Sodium Hydroxide, Hexylene Glycol, Carbomer, Phenoxyethanol, Capryle Glycol, Fragrance.


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Image via Glyco.com.au
GLYCO Skincare

• Cruelty Free YES'
• Fragrance Free NO but unobtrusive
• Chemical free SPF YES
• High End pricing $138 AUD for 60 mls 2 fl.oz
• Lightly Tinted 
• For men and women

UPDATE 3 APRIL 2019:  I have recently joined Glyco's new affiliate program and if you wish to enhance your skincare wardrobe, then please use this code for $20 off your purchase.  SAVE20-TZHESI

UPDATE 2:   I had this creme from May 2018 and it is now 19 January 2019 and I just RAN OUT OF IT! That's right the same original tube!  This is an unprecedented amount of time for a daytime moisturiser that I have ever used.  I love this product so much it is now an essential product for me, its formulation also assists oily skin due to it's mattifying properties which is a dream for oily/combination people like me! Can't rate this product highly enough!! 

UPDATE:  Product is now airless pump packaging.

This is one of four products that I have tried after two or so months of using.  My skin type is oily/combination and currently 38 years of age. 

Beauty Guru

GLYCO is a new medical grade skincare company in Australia.  Clinically proven results are available on their website and I absolutely believe I am a recipient of those proven results in my skins appearance!

This creme is tinted very lightly and I have mine in light.  The SPF component is made up of zinc and titanium for a chemical free recipe of protection from UVA/UVB rays.

I absolutely love this day creme.  The tint in it is very sheer, but gives a lovely glow that with other cosmetic products like face powder etc work very well when layered.  It does recommend this creme as a primer or light foundation anyway.

The skin care includes peptides, antioxidants and it definitely gives the skin a plump, youthful and refined look.  I have found once I have used these products from GLYCO I don't think I can go back to what I was using before! Rice proteins give excellent hydration to skin and reinforce its barrier from the toxins in our daily environment. 

My only concerns/criticism with this product is that it does contain fragrance.  In this day and age I do not understand the inclusion of fragrances in skin and cosmetic products.  At least this product is not tested on animals.

I definitely recommend this product!

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Image via Glyco.com.au
GLYCO

Ingredients:

Active

Titanium Dioxide 4.0%, Zinc Oxide 7.5 %


Inactive 

Water, Glycerin, Caprylic/Caapric Tryglyceride, Cyclopentasiloxane, C30-45 Alkyl Cetearyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, C13-16 Isoparaffin, C12-14 Isoparaffin, Aluminum Hydroxide, C13-15 Alkane, Isostearic Trihydrate, Octyldodecyl, Neopentanoate, Phenoyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sorbic Acid, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein (Colhibin), Glycine Soja (Soybean) Protein (Elhibin), Hippophae Rhamnoides Oil, Aloe Vera Gel, Sorbitan Oleate, Sodium Chloride, Tetrasodium EDTA, Fragrance.

• 50 mls for $48 AUD or 1.76 ounces
• Combination to dry skin types
• Fragrance Free NO
• Paraben Free YES
• Vegan Friendly YES
• Ingredient and hygiene friendly pump jar
• Does include Dimethicone

This is my first time using a moisturiser from the eponymous named brand by beauty brand Mecca Cosmetica.

Beauty Guru

One glance at the ingredients list you can see that this formula contains great moisturising and replenishing ingredients such as Shea Butter, Vitamin E, Sodium Hyaluronate, Urea, Allantoin and more.  I was disappointed in the inclusion of fragrance in this product because we all know it's not necessary and not good for our skin.

The rest of the ingredients are standard fillers and emulsifiers and preservatives that most products require to have a controlled formula that doesn't separate etc.  It is housed in an airless pump tub which is great for ingredient integrity and hygiene which is beige and gold.  The price is good for 50mls, if it were 30 mls I would be side eyeing it heavily! 

The cream is white and rich but not greasy and absorbs quickly.  The fragrance is not over powering which is good.  I have combination oily skin that is 38 years old right now, and my skin loves it.  I also apply it to my hands and neck/decolletage as my last step in my night time skincare routine.

I am unsure about this brand's cruelty free status although I have a feeling it is not as they advertise it as vegan and paraben free so it would make sense if it were cruelty free that it would state that information as well. 

All in all, I do recommend this product but I would love it more if the formula omitted the fragrance.

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Image via Mecca.com.au
Mecca

• Fragrance Free NO
• Cruelty Free NO
• Opaque squeeze tube
•  $34.95 AUD
• Gotu Kola/Centella
• Cicacream 
• Silicone

My skin is currently 38 years old, fair with freckles and oily/combination.

This product was sent to me by a beauty review company in Australia as long as I provide a comprehensive review after the month of use is over it is free.  It is available online at Priceline.

Beauty Guru

I used this for five weeks.  The Centella ingredient touted as the star of the cream is also known as Tiger Grass in Asia where it is a commonplace ingredient. It is also known as Gotu Kola in vitamin preparations.

The product is housed in a medium size opaque squeeze tube.  The cream is not thick nor is it watery.  I used it every night after applying my other products.  After using for five weeks, I did not detect any change in my skin.  It didn't harm my skin either.  It feels nice and luxurious but since I finished the trial my skin has not look like it misses the product.  It states on the packaging that this is suitable for sensitive skin, but it contains fragrance which is counter intuitive to sensitive or any skin type's well-being!

The uptake from this is that this product made no difference to my skin but nor did it hinder it. This product is meant to heal damaged skin and my skin is great in that regard due to the lack of action coming from the application of this product.  Or, there is not enough active ingredients inside the product to give a positive visual effect on my skin.  I am leaning more to the fact there is not as much active ingredient included in this product, although I do think my skin is pretty good!

Below is the ingredients and I have linked each ingredient to an online resource so you can click on what you are interested in and read about that ingredient.  None of the resources are affiliated with me and do not generate any benefit to me.  

I will give this an average rating.


Ingredients

782649 23 -  WATER • GLYCERIN • ISOHEXADECANE • DIMETHICONE • ISOPROPYL ISOSTEARATE • ALUMINUM STARCH OCTENYLSUCCINATE • PROPYLENE GLYCOL • NYLON-12 • OCTYLDODECANOL • CETYL ALCOHOL • BEHENYL ALCOHOL • AMMONIUM POLYACRYLOYLDIMETHYL TAURATE • ADENOSINE • C13-14 ISOPARAFFIN • CAPRYLOYL SALICYLIC ACID • CAPRYLYL GLYCOL • CENTELLA ASIATICA EXTRACT • CETEARYL ALCOHOL • CETEARYL GLUCOSIDE • DISODIUM EDTA • DISODIUM STEAROYL GLUTAMATE • THYLHEXYLGLYCERIN • FAEX EXTRACT / YEAST EXTRACT • LAURETH-7 • MADECASSOSIDE • MYRISTIC ACID • PALMITIC ACID • PANTHENOL • PEG-100 STEARATE • PHENOXYETHANOL • POLYACRYLAMIDE • POLYETHYLENE • RETINYL PALMITATE • SALICYLOYL PHYTOSPHINGOSINE • STEARIC ACID • T-BUTYL ALCOHOL • TOCOPHEROL • TRIETHANOLAMINE • PARFUM . (F.I.L. 200541/1).

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L'Oreal Paris

• Cruelty Free YES
• Fragrance Free YES
• PH Balanced
• Australian brand and made
• Mineral oil FREE
• Paraben FREE
• Sodium Lauryl Sulphate FREE
• PEG and Synthetic Penetration ingredients FREE
• Reasonably priced $34.90 AUD 2.6 ounces

This is my first time using MooGoo products.  I needed another moisturiser after I finished the Strivectin SD Advanced Intensive Concentrate for Wrinkles and Stretch Marks moisturiser and I use the Drunk Elephant B Hydra Intensive Gel moisturiser at night time.  After cleansing with the Sante micro fibre facial cleanser disc, I use this moisturiser then a 50+ SPF by Banana Boat.

Beauty Guru

I definitely wanted to get a new moisturiser by a cruelty free company.  MooGoo is certainly cruelty free and affordable as well!

Here is an excerpt from the Moo website that explains how the brand came to be: MooGoo came about when the head of our herd thought it was unusual that his mother was using a product made for cows for her skin condition. The "Udder Cream" being used in dairy farms was designed to help keep the skin on cow’s udders in prime condition for milking. Cow’s udders need to be soft and supple, not dry or cracked. However the original Udder Cream his mother used was very thick to apply. So he set about adapting this cream for humans by making it lighter and non-greasy.

And now there is a whole range of products including hair-care, deodorant, a special oncology pack and so much more! I had no idea there was so many products.  So far, my experience has been great with this cream.  It is better to apply it with a slightly damp face because I feel it absorbs better.  The two main stars of this product is an oil soluble Vitamin C and Resveratrol, both strong antioxidants.  There is another moisturiser with sunscreen in it in the range.  But I chose this one deliberately.

Now the product is housed in a opaque pump bottle.  It has a slight sweetish milk scent which figures because it is based on milk! It is a white lotion that spreads quickly and leaves a matte feel to the skin.  I apply it to my neck as well and tops of my hands.  I accidentally got some cream in my eye and it felt funny because I had something in my eye and i simply wiped it out and that was that.  Some products if they make their way to the eye can cause intense irritation and loads of rinsing out but the lack of reaction for me speaks to how safe these ingredients are.  I feel that this cream leaves a great base for the next product you wish to layer with and so on, due to the matte effect.

Usually I list the ingredients with hyperlinks out to what they are but the MooGoo site lists their ingredients and it includes what those ingredients actually are in a table below the product description, so I am just going to link that address instead and you can see the list all at once below.

I definitely recommend this cream as a great source of natural efficient ingredients at a reasonable price.  Holy grail status!

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Image via MooGoo.com.au
MooGoo

• Cruelty free NO
• Expensive, two sizes available
• Tube component
• Fragrance free NO

My skin type is oily/combination which is fair with freckling and currently 38 years old.

This is the first and only product I have tried by StriVectin and  I have used it for  7 months as I bought the biggest size available. 

Beauty Guru

I had received a deluxe size sample back in late December 2016 with another beauty product purchase in store at David Jones *a local high end department store*.  I started using it and after about two weeks I noticed a difference in my skin.  It is expensive even at the smaller size but because I was impressed by the results from the sample size I splashed out and bought the largest version.

If you haven't heard of this brand, it found fame around ten years ago stating it was a needle free version of Botox.  It received a lot of hype because of this statement which ultimately proved untrue.  There is nothing like Botox except Botox which is an invasive skin injectable.  Until technology can replicate the muscle movement restricting effects of Botox in a topical formulation then that is the state of affairs.

Since then it has been reformulated three times and the Botox claim has been dropped (which never had scientific research to back up such a strong statement ever).  This version has a whole host of beneficial ingredients to provide moisture and anti ageing benefits to your skin.  It is not fragrance free there is a scent there and it is from ingredients cinnamic and ginger.  It is not obnoxious though.

New advances in skincare science have revealed that Collagen III, or ‘youth collagen’, is critical to baby soft, smooth, skin. StriVectin SD Advanced is the first product to harness technology to target ‘youth collagen’ for impressive anti-wrinkle clinical results in just 15 days. Your skin will show a dramatic difference in the appearance of wrinkles with a skin surface that looks visibly plumped, renewed and revitalized. Statement from the StriVectin website on how this product performs.


I have to agree that with consistent use you will see a difference in two weeks.  I only used it at night or in the morning but I did not apply it twice a day but you absolutely can.  The majority of ingredients are great but some are known skin irritants for some people.

The reality is that without surgical or invasive techniques there are some things that cannot be altered with a topical product.  One of those is stretch marks and the other is deep formed wrinkles that stay in place no matter what your facial movements are.

The product is a white cream that is of a medium thickness to it.  You will smell the fragrance and cinnamic and ginger, it is not an obnoxious smell and after a while I no longer noticed it.  It comes in a squeeze tube.  It is not oily at all either.

I won't be repurchasing this moisturiser because I have found that using a good serum with a very hydrating moisturiser works better for me when I consider overall performance, cost, fragrance free status and cruelty free status.

I do recommend this product if you don't mind the cost, lack of cruelty free status and fragrance free status then it is a good well rounded moisturiser.  Ingredients that are known to potentially cause irritation to the skin are highlighted in bold type. The ingredients list below has hyperlinks to click on should you wish to learn more about that individual ingredient and learn about what really constitutes an expensive moisturiser on today's market. 

Ingredients List:

Water, Glycerin, Myristyl Nicotinate, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Isocetyl Stearate, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Dimethicone, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, PEG-100 Stearate, Propanediol, Butylene Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behenyl Alcohol, Polyacrylamide, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Panthenol, Bisabolol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Extract, Methylglucoside Phosphate, Copper Lysinate/Prolinate, Resveratrol, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Cyathea Medullaris Leaf Extract, Phaseolus Lunatus (Green Bean) Seed Extract, Rutin, Arachidyl Alcohol, Caprylyl Glycol, Saccharide Isomerate, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose, Ceteth-10 Phosphate, Dicetyl Phosphate, Arachidyl Glucoside, Laureth-7, Aminomethyl Propanol, Dipotassium Phosphate, Xanthan Gum, Glyceryl Caprylate, Cinnamic Acid, Levulinic Acid, Sodium Levulinate, Stearic Acid, Lactic Acid, Tetrasodium EDTA, BHT, Parfum (Fragrance), Mica, CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), CI 77491 (Iron Oxide), Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Benzoic Acid, Sorbic Acid, Chlorphenesin

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Image via Google Images.
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Strivectin

My skin is now 38 years old, fair with freckling and is oily combination.  I also live in Perth Australia.

• Jar Packaging YES but is a special component inside for product freshness
• 50 mls
• High end price point $88 AUD
• No irritating ingredients so more people can use it
• *Cruelty-Free. Recycle for Earth's Sake. Supporter of IEF (International Elephant Foundation).
  

 Previously I had only used the Drunk Elephant Hydra B Intensive Gel moisturiser which I loved especially as I have oily/combination skin, gel moisturisers are a great option for oily skin.  I wanted to try Lala Retro out and I have been using for two months and I am almost finished probably another two weeks worth left. 

Beauty Guru

Lala is housed in a jar with a push down pump to bring up the cream through the middle of the jar.  This is awesome because overall I don't trust the long term efficacy of traditional jar packaging because of the regular exposure to air and bacteria.  I gladly will pay money for a product that is using clever packaging to the benefit of the product and the consumer which of course is beneficial to the company.




It indeed is a light, whipped and creamy fast absorbing product.  There is no silicone's in this or sodium lauryl sulphates, fragrances, alcohol, essential oils which are very irritating to many people's skin and systems, chemical screens and dyes.  Because of these omitted substances, this product can lend itself to many people's skin types.  I use one product daily that has fragrance and you can really notice it when the rest of cosmetics and skincare is fragrance free.

It was voted by readers of Allure magazine as the best moisturiser and also contains six notable african oils.  I will highlight those in the ingredients and you can click the link to read about them.  The cream is packed with antioxidants, hydrating oils, vitamin c for skin brightening, sodium hylauronate for plumping of the skin, glycerin for protecting the skin as a barrier, passion fruit extract provides essential fatty acids and much more.

Does this product work though? It most definitely does! I now love both of the Drunk Elephant moisturiser's.  The creamier formulation did not clog my pores which can happen with other creamier formulations and give me pimples.  The main difference for me that I see is how rapidly the product absorbs which of course the gel absorbs immediately which is why it absorbs faster.  It might be the better option in the summer months and use Lala in the colder months.  Either way you cannot go wrong with either of them especially if you have a similar skin type as me.

My only real gripe is that it is very expensive at $88 AUD for 50mls.  However, I appreciate the product and its formulation and what the company stands for so I am willing to buy it and of course what the product does for my skin but I still try to use it prudently.

Definitely recommend. Ten out of ten. 

Ingredients:

Water/Aqua/Eau, Glycerin, Caprylic/ Capric Triglyceride, Isopropyl Isostearate, Pseudozyma Epicola/Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil/Glucose/Glycine Soja Meal/Malt Extract/Yeast Extract Ferment Filtrate (Pseudozyma Epicola/Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil/Glucose/Yeast Extract Ferment Filtrate), Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate SE, Cetearyl Alcohol, Pentylene Glycol, Plantago Lanceolata Leaf Extract, Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil, Citrullus Lanatus (Watermelon) Seed Oil, Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil, Schinziophyton Rautanenii Kernel Oil, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Polyglyceryl-6 Ximenia Americana Seedate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Ceteareth-20, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Caprylyl Glycol, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin


*Direct from Drunk Elephant website as is the exact ingredients list.
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Drunk Elephant

Storytime

I have not had much luck with moisturisers that really did hydrate my oily/combination skin.  I hoped that this gel moisturiser would be THE ONE.

Beauty Guru

This moisturiser is a gel consistency that quickly melts into the skin.  It INSTANTLY hydrated my skin, I was hooked! It seemed to penetrate my skin in a way that other moisturiser's seemed unable to do.  It visibly plumps the skin where dehydration is obvious.  Dehydrated skin can add years to a person's complexion, so finding the right moisturiser for your skin type is imperative.  Also, make sure to exfoliate skin regularly to allow skincare products to have a better effect.

All of the active ingredients are housed in an opaque white container with a pump action to access the product.  It has a refreshing feeling and a very slight smell that disappears quickly.  The main ingredient is Panthenol but the other ingredients included are awesome as well and work so well in this formulation.  I was an instant convert! It is expensive, but I would rather buy a product that works visibly then a cheaper product that I repeat buy to have no improvement.  I also use this on my neck, tops of my hands and decolletage.

This product will leave your face feeling soft, hydrated and plump.  A definite Holy Grail product!


Butylene Glycol
Glycerin
Ammonium acryloyldimethyltaurate VP copolymer
Pentylene Glycol
Pineapple Extract
Watermelon Extract
Lentil Extract
Apple Extract
Marula Oil
Coconut Oil
Panthenol
Sodium PCA
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Sodium Lactate
Licorice Plant
Coco-Caprylate/caprate
Cyclodextrin
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Citric Acid
Chlorphenesin
Caprylyl Glycol
Phenoxyethanol
Ethylhexylglycerin

Also Free from gluten, parabens, sulfates, fragrance, mineral oil, Non-comedogenic and Vegan.

Ten out Ten.

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Photo by Drunk Elephant.
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Drunk Elephant

Storytime

This product contains a corrector, concealer and a setting powder which contains SPF 15, which is the minimum SPF that you should be using for protection.

Beauty Guru

Now, I used this in conjunction with the NUXE Creme Prodigieuse Moisturiser a primer in my most densest areas of large open pores which is either side of my nose and my nose.  I used an Eco-Tools Concealer brush to apply the corrector color and the concealer.  I then patted on with a small eyeshadow brush also from Eco-Tools to pat on the setting powder.


Here is a photo of the products on.  I did not blend all the way and I am not wearing any other makeup or skin products in this photo other than the NUXE Creme Prodigieuse Moisturiser.

This is a great little compact to throw in your bag to touch up with.  It goes really well with the NUXE moisturiser.  The colour corrector is great it immediateley takes away any darkness under your eyes.  The concealer is easy to blend.  The setting powder could be a tad lighter for me but it's still fine for what it is and for small areas.  The concealer can highlight fine lines near the eyes but setting can eliminate the majority of the lines.

I would recommend this product.
Sleek MakeUP
Photo by me.
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• Heavy fragrance
• Mattifying formula
• Sweet Almond Oil
• Glycerin
• Musk Rose Oil
• Immortelle Bleue plant
• Cocoa Beans

The morning after I tried this product, my face was still quite matte.  This has some interesting potential for makeup application and I am going to test it out.

I have applied some on my heavy pore areas on my face and then used Sleek MakeUP color corrector, concealer and setting powder in 01 355 or very light/fair and I got an amazing result! Now it was 39 degrees so it was very hot and not much sweat seemed to affect it.  I will create a new post for the concealer product used in conjunction with this product.

Both products have worked so well together and the heavy fragrance dissipated.