The Drugstore Quest To Finding a Night Cream Alternative

As I was strolling down the health and beauty aisle at Target last Sunday, I quickly remembered that I was out of my night cream so I went to look for a refill of my Aveeno Ultra-Calming Night Cream. My skin is very sensitive to redness and irritation, and this cream delivers. As long as I use this cream at night, by morning my skin is perfectly even in tone with no sign of redness.

When I went to repurchase my night cream, I learned that the night cream was no where in sight. I literally was in disbelief as I thought to myself, 'huh, that's funny. It doesn't seem like a product of high demand'. After looking more into the shelves I found that it wasn't that they were out of stock, they just plain didn't sell it at that Target location. It was that moment I decided to put my creative thinking to work.
There was no way I was going home without a night cream, so I went and searched for alternatives. Soon enough, I realized there really wasn't any other product marketed to help calm sensitive skin or reduce redness. Upon my search I was unsurprisingly bombarded by lotions, creams, and gels claiming to reduce fine lines and wrinkles and promising to look years younger within weeks.

I began comparing ingredients with night creams, and using what I have learned in my Principles in Beauty Technology course. The Aveeno Ultra Calming Daily Moisturizer was in stock, and I evaluated the marketing claims and found that the active ingredient was feverfew, and chamomile. I was aware that chamomile was recognized for it's ability to soothe irritation and commonly used in personal care products, but I was unfamiliar with fervew and its naturally calming properties.

After quite some time of side by side comparison of ingredients in almost all night creams offered by Olay, Neutrogena, Ponds, L'Oreal, Biore, Boots, and may others, my eyes locked on the back of a box of a night cream containing the ingredient Chrysanthemium Parthenium like a sniper closing in on a kill. Chrysanthemium Parthenium is the INCI name for feverfew and it an ingredient listed in Neutrogena's Ageless Essentials Continuous Hydration Night Cream.

Neutrogena marketed the cream as an ultra hyrdrating cream that fights skin's first sign of aging to extend the skin's ability to hold onto moisture. Time released moisturizers and gylercin were the main attributes that highlighted the product description. It did not market the product to be used for sensitive skin but did include that the product is non-comedogenic, non greasy, and dermatologist tested. When the label on a product says dermatologist-tested I disregard the statement since it doesn't carry any significant meaning behind it.

Needless to say I was sold on the cream, and decided to take it home and try it out. I have been using the cream for about 7 days, and I am pleased to say that the cream greatly reduces the redness in my face by morning and keeps my skin soft. It is much lighter than the Aveeno night cream, it has an almost whipped consistency but it does not effect it's moisturizing properties.

It was an accomplishment to apply the tools I learned in class into my practical everyday decision making proccess, it really helped me make the best decision. Although I am satisfied with Neutrogena's night cream, when I run out of product and Aveeno is available, I will definitely grab for the Aveeno. It was my first choice to begin with and I was very much satifsied with it, and until my skin's needs change - Aveeno will continue to be my first choice.

Amor Amor by Cacharel - Too unconventional?

I call this my mojo. I like to think that it's my confidence in a bottle, and if I were a perfume this is what I would smell like. A perfect mixture vanilla, mandarin, jasmine, and blackcurrant. With just one spray I instantly feel pulled together. It's the last addition to my look, accompanying my outfit and makeup, it's the last, if not most important piece of the puzzle.

Unfortunately, this perfume for discontinued in 2007. I have been wearing this fragrance since 2005, and was crushed when I heard the news. Luckily, while visiting a Ross store the other week I rediscovered 3 bottles among many other popular perfumes that have either been overstocked by department stores, or simply ignored by consumers leading to its fall from the market.

My question is why didn't it sell? The reason could

be that it did not efficently grab and keep the

attention of their target market.Amor Amor was advertised in teen magazines such as Teen Vogue, Seventeen, and Cosmogirl especially around Valentine's day. The Cacharel brand is not as widely recognized compared to brands like Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana or Marc Jacobs, and the brand recognition for Cacharel was just not there. They had an argueably unclear brand image, that just couldn't peak a young women's interest. I am not surprised after looking at the ad they ran. Take a look at the to the right, what do you think when you look at the ad? There also may have been issues with iventory control, but nonetheless, Amor Amor is no more and is in the liquidation process.

A comparable perfume that I've tried is Jewel by Mark. It's a product offered from Mark brand by Avon, and you can order it from an Avon representative or online. It smells a bit more vanilla-y than Amor Amor, and doesn't have a long wearability but it comes with a body butter to layer with so it redeems itself.

Some perfumes say for generations, and others fall of the wagon.