Blogger DreamSpot , Java , Indonesia

Source: sunsurfer.tumblr.com via Dr on Pinterest

I've been feeling a bit under the weather today but this picture just lifted my spirits . I love waterfalls and this one is just spectacular (Madakaripura Falls,East Java, Indonesia)-I would love to see it myself one day.

Product Spotlight - Lancome Visionnaire

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These Lancome Visionnaire adverts are splashed in all the glossy mags (which I can't help buying) and all over TV. It's also recently scooped a  Marie Claire  Prix d'Excellence de la Beauté award  .   One of the claims on the TV advert was the that "more than 1 in 2 women" who considered an aesthetic treatment postponed it after using this serum. I'm not sure how more than one out of two works (perhaps some of the women have extra arms?)

Since I administer aesthetic treatments I wanted to see if this was true - could this be better than a Restylane Vital SkinBoost? I decided on a whim on our last day in Cape Town to purchase the 50ml bottle (I think it was R895 if not than it was R850). The packaging is amazing. A blinging silver box and on the inside a sleek , turquoise (not the blue in the picture) . From the advert light emerges from the bottle and you imagine angels singing in the background " Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa (high C note)".

It lasted me about 3 weeks (I probably over used too much) - I used it twice a day. I really wanted to love this product . Perhaps it was my expectations or the hype that was created but my feelings on the product are so so . Also after reading some reviews some people felt that it didn't work at all for them and some touted it as a miracle. As a serum it does provide a nice smooth base for cream or for make-up application but I found that it didn't really decrease pore size (genetic) and uneven pigmentation.  Mind you one skin cycle is 28 days and perhaps I  should have used it for two skin cycles to appreciate a difference but I think the expectations they create are too great. Did anyone else have a similar or different experience with this product? I really wanted to love this product. *sigh*

In terms of aesthetic treatments , hyaluronic acid injections into the dermis , non-ablative fractional laser and chemical peels are definitely very effective and I'm not sure I would postpone any of those treatments or this serum could replace those treatments. What is your take on the product - do you agree or do you disagree?

Visionnaire ‘s  breakthrough in this product is a molecule dubbed LR 2412 - it has an affinity with water and oil and, therefore, is very bioavailable (can easily penetrate and be absorbed by the body).  It could be the ingredient adenosine -

 This is a molecule that carries energy and it is an anti-inflammatory or it could be the jasmonic acid.

It also contains jasmonic acid: sodium tetrahydrojasmonate and tetrahydrojasmonic acid.Jasmonic acid is a “jasmonate” and one of its major functions is to protect a plant under stress.  Put a hungry caterpillar on a leaf and the plant will start to produce jasmonic acid. It is actually a kind of hormone and when it senses that the plant is under attack, it inhibits growth. Another thing that jasmonic acid is big on is stimulating tuber formation; jasmonic acid is the main reason a potato becomes a potato

 Lancome maintains that this ingredient is a molecule “designed to propel through skin layers” (only upper layers though which I assume is the epidermis) As it does so, it “triggers a cascading series of micro-transformations.” Sounds like a magic wand for your skin, doesn’t it? And Lancome’s constant reminder that this ingredient is protected by 20 patents makes it seem even more remarkable—but a patent has nothing to do with efficacy; it is only about a unique way to use any ingredient. A patent can be obtained simply by presenting an idea, not proof that the idea actually works.

#firstworldproblems

I'm sure many people have heard of #firstworldproblems - a topic that once trended on twitter (is that correct grammar?) . Like your smart phone not being able to retrieve tweets , brushing your teeth and immediately wanting some orange juice, Facebook "friend" updates of their busy gym schedule annoying you, BBM not working , buying a R10000 tablet and having to pay 99 U.S cents for apps and other small silly issues.

Below find some amusing First World Joys to make you feel all warm and fuzzy

Source: 9gag.com via Leandro on Pinterest