Sorry I havn't been to the boards for awhile -- business trip.
Let's see, to recap: I agree about the Clinique DDL. I also agree that when you mention you have dry, irritated skin the sales people promptly hand you a moisturizer that contains a lot of oils and "heavy" moisturizers --- which is terrible if you have acne-prone skin.
About foundations: I am sure part of your problem is your freckles! You can never cover freckles because it looks silly -- and I can see where even the lightest foundation would cover them and make it look silly. I think your best bet is stick with a good concealer and if you get "shiny" and want to cover it up then just use some of those awesome blotting papers from Clean and Clear (if you have them) or Shiseido (not nearly as nice as the cheapo Clean and clear ones but better than anyother). As for the mineral foundations, I'll bet you would only use it for concealer - which is mainly what I use it for. However, if you have a concealer that you love now, don't worry about not being able to find a mineral foundation.
The lady at the Shiseido counter sounded like an idiot!
The next time you go to a counter and ask about anti-aging products and they say you are too "young" for them -- tell them you are about 10 years older than you really are and that you use another brand's anti-aging product but were "bored" with it and wanted to try something new. Ha, ha, ha. It must be a cultural thing -- I have only had 1 sales person tell me I was too young. I told her "you can never be too young to prevent wrinkles. If you wait until you already HAVE wrinkles, then you have lost the battle!"
Keep me posted on your results with the products. Do NOT use all of them at the same time!! Tempting, I know. Use one product only on half of your face -- that way you can tell if you have more clogged pores, more redness and irritation, and any immediate benefits of the product. Also, keep a log of what you used and any results (positive or negative). On the other half of your face, use your current regimen as a control.
About Clarins -- I think they are a pretty good product line. I can't remember why I never actually bought any of their products -- I get bored easily with skin care as I am always searching for the new and improved.
I found Sisley to be pricey -- and very heavily scented. After plunking down $700US on the complete skincare line, I can say that I did have a few favorites: The botanical floral spray, the express flower gel, radiant glow express mask with clays (for the oily parts). I found the cleanser to be quite soothing -- however, it always felt like a film over my skin. This, however, was from several years ago. Now that I have experimented with a ton of products, I should go back and revisit Sisley.
Well, I had better get to work. Keep me posted!
Dagny
2/22.5/32
