Quinqua Beaute Coterie

Recently on   https://www.instagram.com/p/ByEMh4IJnrD/ , I set the ambitious goal of testing and reviewing every piece of my #beautybox stash over the summer.  I kicked off with Emma Hardie's Midas Touch Revitalizing Cream  https://www.instagram.com/p/ByFnV6GJsHc/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link .    I used it faithfully everyday until the tube was empty.    It's a medium to heavy cream, took a minute to absorb and bit longer if I mixed in some TanLuxe self tanning drops.  This is scented, very similar to Weleda Skin Food, so if you like that, then you won't mind this.      My skin did feel a little tight throughout the day, so I wouldn't say this is very hydrating.   I didn't notice much of a difference in the firming or smoothing or revitalizing departments either so this was a "meh" for me.  I wouldn't seek it out for purchase.    Next up: 

After reading a few articles on the virtues of Augustinus Bader's The Rich Cream, my curiosity got the best of me and so I put a nice big dent in my Neiman Marcus credit card to try it for myself.  The cream claims to activate stems cells, boosting them into "healing mode".  It also claims to be the only treatment you will need, in fact, it's supposed to work best without any other product to compete with on your skin.  It certainly simplifies a nighttime routine;  no toners, serums or night creams needed.  Just this Rich Cream.  The good doctor recommends using the cream for 27 days, I assume it's because that is the average cell turnover cycle, but I'm guessing here.   I woke up this morning to my lovely man stroking my cheek, then pushing it in a little, then pinching it a little, snickering at the way it bounced back.  "It's so soft, so smooth" he said, "It's shiny".  (NOTE: It wasn't shiny oily, it was shiny like an

Your twenty-something daughter/niece/boss has enviable bouncy, smooth, glowing skin.  Know why?  Her skin cells turnover at the alarming rate of 14-21 days!   Like most everything else, as we age,  our skin cell turnover rates slow down.  For quinquas, cell turnover rates are at a painfully slow 60 - 90 days.  Why is that bad?  Well,  those creepy, slow cells hang out on the surface of your skin, making it sag and wrinkle, blotch and fold in on itself.    Don't fret!  There is a foolproof way to speed up that cell turnover and kick those dead cells to the curb.  E-X-F-O-L-I-A-T-I-O-N.  There are a couple of methods and loads of products available out there in beauty world to exfoliate your skin. The first method, manual exfoliation,  can be as simple as a face brush, such as the ever popular  Clarisonic or a facial scrub, my favorite is  Lancer The Method: Polish.     If gadgets are your thing, the  Michael Todd Sonicsmooth At-Home Dermaplaning kit  is a great tool.  It leaves