Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

(WARNING- This is an in depth review. If someone handed you a clear stone that looks like glass, you might be tempted to throw it away. When you are taught the value of diamonds, suddenly, that clear stone becomes valuable. If you prefer a brief summary, see the section marked THE BOTTOM LINE. If you prefer to know why this is a special product, read on) As a makeup artist, one thing that I always stress to people is that good skin care makes for the best makeup. If your skin is properly taken care of, makeup will enhance and not overwhelm your natural beauty. This is especially true as a person ages and skin needs an extra boost to keep it looking healthy and youthful. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF A PRODUCT LIKE THIS? One of the secrets that I discovered a long time ago was using a serum or basic product that has hyaluronic acid in it as a primer especially for dry or more mature skin. It also works with oily skin, but the results are most dramatic with normal to oily. The purpose of the product is to enhance the skin's natural moisture so that the makeup will enhance what your skin looks like and you will feel a lot nicer when it is all done. It makes an excellent primer. I used to use a product called LORAC Aqua Prime. The problem is that people did not understand that this type of product has a unique way of applying it. I will get to that in another section. Due to misunderstandings, the company discontinued the product. There is Swanson Hyaluronic Acid Serum 1 fl oz (29.6 ml) Serumwhich is similar and it works nicely, but it is just the hylaluronic acid without the other cosmetic ingredients that some people want. Until now, I really did not have a product that I could recommend to people that was like the Aquaprime. Let's take a look at why this Mineral 89 from Vichy could be one of the more important products you could try. WHAT IS THIS PRODUCT LIKE? This skin booster is a simple clear soft gel. It has no scent, color, or silicone in it. It comes in a clear glass bottle with a pump on it. The pump does work gradually if you are careful so that you are not wasting product with a full pump every time. A little goes a long way so you don't need that much. HOW DO YOU USE THIS PRODUCT? This is where you need to pay attention if you are with me this far. The way that you use this product is to do the following: -Cleanse your face -Apply a pump and a half of Mineral 89 and smooth around face and neck (using more if necessary) -Apply a good face cream on TOP of the Mineral 89 -Go as you are or apply whatever makeup you desire. WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THIS PRODUCT What is very interesting about this type of product is that the hyaluronic acid works best when it is BETWEEN your skin and the moisturizing creams. It pulls moisture into the skin from the cream. If you don't put cream on top, it could actually make you feel drier. This booster combined with the cream applied as instructed above will cause the face to be more plump and moisturized looking. Makeup will go on a bit nicer, and over time you will see skin look more youthful when you apply makeup. DOES THIS WORK WITH ANY FACE CREAM? Yes, it will work with any face cream, but I might add that some will give better results than others. In this particular trial, I used the Vichy Neovadiol Day cream and at night I used the Neovadiol Nuit Night Cream. Any nice anti-aging cream will work well for someone concerned with mature skin appearance when using this booster. WHAT WAS MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE? I found that this booster worked just as nice as the LORAC Aquaprime that I enjoy so much. I used them in a side by side comparison and this one performed just slightly better with a bit plumper appearance of the skin, but they were very close. Since LORAC discontinued Aquaprime, I am very excited to have this product to recommend to people instead. What I experience with this product is -Enhanced moisturizing -Plumper skin appearance -Smoother makeup application -Ability to go without foundation and use enhancers only. MY RATING This is a five star product for me. I am really liking it so far and will continue to use this. THE BOTTOM LINE This product is a great primer. It is good to use under moisturizer and will enhance the properties of face creams. Makes a great primer under makeup and is good for all skin types, especially normal to dry and mature skin as well. Highly recommended.