Ole Henrikson Truth Serum Collagen Booster Review

Ole Hendrikson's Truth Serum Collagen Booster is my FAV vitamin C serum. Why? Because it is 10% vitamin C and actually absorbs into my skin, unlike others that leave a suffocating film.

I took advantage of the kits at Sephora because they are a much better deal. They both come with a 1 oz bottle of Truth Serum, which is $48 USD/$60 CAD by itself at Sephora.

The Celebrate the Truth Set for $60USD (I bought this in the US so I do not have the Canadian price) contains:

1 oz Truth Serum

1 oz Truth Creme Advanced Hydration 

0.25 oz Truth is in the Eyes

10 Truth to go wipes

The 3 Little Wonders Set for $70USD/$84CAD contains:

1 oz Truth Serum

1 oz Invigorating Night Gel

1 oz Sheer Transformation

I have not tried the other products in the set yet, but I have already used up 1.5 bottles of the Truth Serum since fall 2012. If you do not already know, using a vitamin C serum not only boosts the effects of your sunscreen, but it is one of the few ingredients actually proven to help prevent collagen loss by combating free radical damage, thus preventing skin aging. It will also help brighten your skin and help with pigmentation and dark spots. Of course, not all vitamin C serums are created equally. It depends on the form of vitamin C used and the percentage of the vitamin C. The strength of the vitamin C should be at least 10% to be effective, otherwise it will do nothing for your skin. Although it is not indicated on the bottle, I was told by the company that Truth Serum is 10% vitamin C.

Ingredients in Truth Serum:
Water (Aqua), Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Calcium Ascorbate, Sorbitol, Glycerin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Fruit Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Euphrasia Officinalis Extract, Rosa Canina Fruit Extract, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Seed Extract, Oleth-20, Hydroxyethylcellulose, PEG-12 Dimethicone, Benzophenone-4, Sodium Hyaluronate, Thioctic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Citric Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Hexylene Glycol, Limonene, Linalool, Citral, Fragrance (Parfum), Yellow 6

As you can see, the second ingredient is Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate. There are many  forms of vitamin C, and they vary in their stability. The more stable the vitamin C is, the better it is for your skin. L-ascorbic acid is the most common type seen in cosmetics. Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate is a newer derivative, so it is not as common, but the stability is touted to be better than L-ascorbic acid. Most vitamin C serums are packaged in dark, amber bottles to prevent light from damaging the vitamin C. Since Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate is more stable, it does not have to be suspended in a silicone or propylene glycol base, which leaves a film on the face. It is also the reason why it can be packaged in a clear bottle in a watery base, although I still prefer an amber bottle. 

Next on the ingredient list is Calcium Ascorbate, which is a naturally occurring form of vitamin C, and also very stable. 

The other ingredients in the formulation aren't anything special, except maybe Sodium Hyaluronate, which will help with skin hydration. 

I use this serum morning and night. In the morning, I use one pump underneath my sunscreen. Be careful not to use too much, otherwise it will feel sticky on the skin. As mentioned previously,  the vitamin C will work with my sunscreen to increase sun protection. At night, I use one pump underneath my night time moisturizer or sleeping pack. It is important to use it at night because this is when your skin will reap the antioxidant benefits. 

I have also used this product around my eyes with no issues, but I do not go too close and be cautious if you have sensitive eyes.

I don't like that they added orange colour to the product. I know it is probably to go along with the pleasant orange scent, but it is unnecessary. Usually you know a vitamin C serum has gone bad when it turns orange. Btw, you should NEVER use a vitamin C serum that has gone bad, because it can do more damage than good. I guess because of the stability of this product they felt confident to add coloring to it. Not a fan though. They also need to make a better pump. Sometimes it gets stuck or squirts out too much product. 

I have noticed with daily use of this product my complexion is brighter. PLEASE, even if you stop seeing the effects, do not stop using it because it is preventative, NOT corrective. Meaning, even if you are not seeing effects, the vitamin C is still protecting your skin.

A late March 2013 Topbox review

Since I was so spoiled by my February Benefit Prive box (read my review here), I was disappointed with my March 2013 Topbox.

This is what I received in my March Topbox:

Don't mind the drumstick in the background LOL

Product card

Aveda Caribbean Therapy Body Creme 0.85 fl oz/25 ml. I'm not a big body cream person but this one smells absorbs very well, has a pleasant herbal scent, and is a good pick-me-up for groggy mornings. Value of sample: $5.25

L'Oreal Professionnel Mythic Oil 2x 3ml. I seriously hate it when companies give me samples that I can get for free. A measely 6 ml?? Really?? Thanks a lot. I hope it works well. Value of sample: $1.25

Marc Jacobs Fragrances Sample Pack 3x 1.5/0.05 fl oz. I appreciate the cuteness of the little purse, but honestly I can get these for free from the fragrance counter or Sephora. I don't want to give this a value.

MaskerAide Hydrating Facial Sheet Mask - Pre Party Prep. This is a full size product that sells for $4.99. I love sheet masks so I'm excited to try this. Not surprisingly, this is made in Korea.

I valued this box at $11.49 because I didn't count the fragrances that you could get for free so easily. A lot of subscribers were disappointed with this box, especially since the February regular box included a Deborah Lippman nail polish which by itself is around $20. The items in this box are not even worth the $12 I paid ($13.56 after tax). What a bummer.

For April, I picked the Aveda Prive box. They only offered the Aveda box (which was offered previously) and an Elizabeth Arden box. I didn't want to take my chances with the regular box. I will keep my subscription for now, since the Prive boxes seem decent.

It seems that a lot of the beauty boxes have been disappointing lately. I got my Spring 2013 Steven and Chris Luxebox and was supremely ticked off (see my review here).  I have also subscribed to Beauty Box 5, so hopefully that one turns out well!

A very late Feburary 2013 Topbox review

This post is a bit late, but better late then never!

As indicated in my other posts, I have subscribed to a few beauty boxes. I was on the waitlist for Topbox for a few months, so I was super excited to receive my first box!

For those of you that are unfamiliar with Topbox, for $12 a month,  you get 4 deluxe beauty products delivered to your door.

At the beginning of every month, they also send you an email where you can choose to reserve a "Prive" box, or opt for the regular box.

I was really lucky that I received the Prive Benefit box for February. It was super cute! The people at Benefit did a great job designing the packaging, with the Chinese New Year in mind.

This is what I received in my Benefit Prive Topbox:

Product card of what is in the box

POREfessional 7.5ml/0.25 fl. oz. Value of sample: $11.59

Total Moisture Facial Cream 8.9 g/0.3 oz Value of sample: $7.76

Benetint 2.5ml/0.08 fl oz Value of sample: $7.20

Dandelion Gloss and Powder.

Dandelion Powder: 3.0g/0.1 oz Value of sample: $15.43

Dandelion Gloss: 6.5ml/0.22 fl oz. Value of sample: $7.8

Fine-One-One Sheer Brightening Cheek and lip trio

It is not indicated how many grams this is since it's a card, so I'm not putting a value on it. 

Full size is $36/8g

The value of the Benefit box is $49.78. I have gotten some of these samples for free before. Nonetheless, this box was super cute and I am very satisfied!

Loosebutton Spring 2013 luxe box (Steven and Chris special edition) review

Sorry for disappearing for a while...school has taken over my life!

That being said, I have subscribed to a few beauty box subscriptions to add some excitement back into my life.

I was really excited to try out Luxebox, especially because they had a special edition box that was featured on Steven and Chris. I had already tried out Topbox and was a bit disappointed with the March 2013 box.

I have to admit, it comes beautifully packaged

WHAT A LET DOWN!!! Especially because Luxebox is one of the most expensive subscriptions ($26 for a quarterly subscription, so almost $30 after tax).  Since it is sent out once every 3 months, I expected better products.

Subscribers are supposed to receive 7 to 8 trial or deluxe samples customized to your profile. This is what I received in my Spring 2013 Steven and Chris Luxebox:

As you can see,  I received 6 products. Some of them are not even deluxe samples.

Blue Lagoon Rich Nourishing Cream 2 ml Full size: $130/30mL  Value of sample: $8.67/2 ml

I don't really count this as a deluxe sample. I don't care how expensive the full-size product is - 2 ml is 2 ml.  I feel ripped off. To top it off, no where in my profile did I indicate that that I have dry skin. I don't really need a "rich nourishing cream."  

Smashbox Photo Finish Hydrating Under Eye Primer 3 x 0.05 fl. oz/ 1.5 ml Full size: $32/0.33 oz. Value of sample: $14.55/ 0.15 fl. oz

 I hate it when companies sell foil packets. I have gotten so many of the Smashbox primers for free. I don't care if it adds up to the same amount as a deluxe product. It's not travel friendly, and once you open the packet, it dries out fast. It's really too bad because I actually need a product like this. 

Colorsmash Hair Shadow by Condition Culture (Full size) 4.1g/0.11 fl. oz. Value: $15 

This is the most useless sample I got. Again, Loosebutton did not seem to care about what I indicated in my profile. I don't colour my hair. What am I doing to do with purple shadow? It's too bad because this is the only full-sized product I received.

KMS California Free Shape Quick Blow Dry 1 fl. oz./30 ml. Full size: $19/150 ml. Value of sample: $3.8/30ml

Another hair product. I will use this in the morning when I'm in a rush to get ready for school.

Makeup blender sponge. No brand indicated so I'm assuming it is Loosebutton's own. I don't know how to value this, but you can buy them for around $3 on Amazon.com

Lancome Genefique 0.27 fl. oz/ 8 ml. Full size: $95/1oz. Value of sample: $25.65/0.27 fl. oz

This is the best sample I got. Unfortunately, this is something I can get for free from Lancome with their gift with purchase or from Sephora with my points.

The value of this box is approximately $70.67. But lets be honest here -  I have gotten many of the foil samples for free. I have already unsubscribed from Loosebutton, and I seriously believe this is false advertising. 

I have to point out that after reading other blogs, a lot of the subscribers received more, and better samples than I did, since as a Marni or Coach mini perfume bottle, L'Occitane hand cream, and Moroccanoil Body Buff.