I wrote a while back about my experiece with a trial sample of Olay Definity. At that time I wasn’t very complimentary, I had not seen results and that was what I was basing my review on.

Well, it’s a pretty good-sized sample and even after I used it for about a week and saw no results, I kept applying it here and there when my face felt dry or if I thought of it. Olay Definity does have a very nice scent and leaves your skin with an especially silky feel. I figured, at least its a good moisturizer.

It was about two days ago I noticed something subtle. My face did seem brighter. I might not go so far as to say “luminous” but then I am not given to exaggeration. So, let’s say I noticed a brightening and maybe a clarity I hadn’t seen before. That spurred me to do a few more ample applications from the last of the sample.

So, I returned to my co-worker Shawn and asked if she noticed anything and this time she agreed there was a change. She still doesn’t want her Olay Definity Mousse and this time I took her up on her offer to give it to me (my sample now being spent).

So, when I am wrong, I admit it. I still think it took far too long for me to notice results. It may be that others see results more quickly or that I am just impatient. In any case, I think if you have the patience to wait for it, you will see some changes in overall skin brightness and clarity as well as more even skin tone.

Some time back I did a post on free samples available on the net and I told you that I signed up to receive some. One of the samples I received was a small (.24 oz) tube of Olay Definity.

Definity is a new product in Olay’s anti-aging line. The product is touted as being able to penetrate 10 layers of skin to fade discolorations and even out skin tones, diminish fine lines and wrinkles and make skin more “luminous”.

The cream has a lovely scent and it feels wonderful after you put it on, leaving skin feeling smooth and soft. The morning after my first application, I didn’t see any difference, except that my skin did seem more hydrated. I resolved that I would use it daily until the sample tube was gone. While I didn’t expect my face to light up or glow in the dark, I was hoping to see some difference after several days. For the next week, I carefully watched some freckle-type spots and the fine lines near the eyes and was unable to perceive any difference.

When I told a friend at work that I was trying Definity and asked if she saw any changes in my skin, she offered to give me the full-size product she had recently purchased. She had tried it and was not impressed by any difference in her skin. She also felt it was too expensive to continue to buy without seeing results. I declined her offer as I had meanwhile carefully read the product packaging and realized it says that it takes 8 weeks for you to notice your luminosity. I also read that it will make your skin “more flawless” - a strange claim, since if your skin was already flawless, it would be foolish to apply any product and risk disrupting that state.

Perhaps if I invested the 8 weeks, I would experience more results. I suspect that most women will abandon any product that doesn’t provide some results within a few days. I have read good things about this product and find that some women are experiencing the type of skin-tone changes that it claims to effect.

I believe that every woman’s skin is different and no product is for every woman. If your experience with this product is different from mine, please let me know.

CoverGirl’s Lash Exact Mascara features a revolutionary new brush, which they say is clump-free. It was named one of Allure magazine’s Best of Beauty for 2006.

Allure had this to say:

Cover Girl LashExact Mascara: This new Cover Girl mascara utilizes a plastic wand with pliable bristles that are strategically spaced to coat each and every lash. No more clumping.

Recently I received some free samples of CoverGirl’s Lash Exact mascara. I accepted them and gladly tried the product with the intention of writing about my experience here. To avoid the appearance of bias and to give a balanced view, I gave one of them to a friend to try.

My friend, Shawn, tried the Brown shade which goes well with her coloring. She said the brush was “funky” and different than the usual bristles on a twisted wire brush. She felt the design of the brush made it easier to apply mascara to the corner lashes. Shawn told me she was pleased with the definition and separation the brush provided and would definitely consider buying the product.

I had selfishly kept the Very Black shade for myself. I usually go for waterproof formulas as I wear contact lenses and I imagined that the waterproof formula would prevent those black shadows of melted mascara under my eyes. This product was not waterproof but I found I had no smudging or melting after wearing it the whole day at work, squinting at the computer screen. Additionally, it came off easily and completely with makeup remover and left no tell-tale rings around the eyes.

I was impressed with the ease of application, especially to lower lashes which are shorter, and thus cannot be brushed out over and over if you get clumps. The product was transferred smoothly from the brush to my lashes and definitely gave superior separation and definition. I didn’t find myself wiping the brush on the edge of the container to remove excess mascara either. In fact, I may have put on more mascara than I usually do, simply because I was able to do a second coat without my lashes looking clumped or sticking together in lumps.

Overall I thought this product delivered longer-looking lashes and more definition. About $7.99 in drug and department stores.