Total Effects Time Resist Moisturiser - Instant Skin Repair in a Bottle (Oil of Olay Total Effects)

Member Name: Redhead23

Product:	Oil of Olay Total Effects
Date:	05/05/01 (3247 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very effective, non-irritating, non-greasy

Disadvantages: A bit expensive (but worth it!)

Okay, so anyone who has previously read some of my opinions (or even just checked out my profile) will probably be wondering what the hell I am doing reviewing - let alone USING - an 'Oil of Olay' product. After all, I am a 'young' 22 1/2 years old, have only just managed to keep my spots under control and 'Oil of Olay' products seem to have the image of an 'old ladies' product' - but you couldn't be more wrong about this one!

.:. Why I wanted this product .:.

Now I may have 'young' skin, but there are certain things I don't like about it, namely my quite enlargened pores (on my chin and nose), uneven skin tone and some dark spots that were left behind after a bad bruise next to my eye when I was about 13.
I am not too much into make-up, but with these skin problems I often resort to conceiling uneven or dark patches with a non-comedogenic make-up stick and loads of powder. It works, but I'd rather have perfect skin WITHOUT makeup (Well, who wouldn't!).

I now have to refer to another product in the 'facial skincare' category, as this product's effects resemble those of the 'Estée Lauder Idealist Skin Refinisher' very much. When I heard about the 'Idealist' I wanted it - finally a product that promised to get rid of exactly those problems, and from the opinions I have read on it, it actually seemed to work! But I'm just a student and really can't afford to spend £29 on a tiny 30ml bottle, especially not if I can't buy it from my local (medium-sized) Boots store and get Advantage Points for it!

So for a while, I gave up my quest for perfect skin, and began every day plastered in make-up - until one day I ventured into Boots with a £10 High Street voucher, looking for a little something to spoil myself. And what did my little eyes spot on the 'Oil of Olay' shelf? Yes, it was the 'Oil of Olay Total Effects Time Resist Mo
isturiser', which is part of the new range that promises to combat the '7 Signs of Ageing'.

Now at first I didn't look too closely - I remembered Oil of Olay (or Olaz, as the range is known in the German-speaking regions of Europe) as being something for old ladies and the only time I'd ever tried them was when I was raiding my mum's cupboard (Shhh - don't tell her!) and experimented with some of her facial creams and make-up items. But then I saw the poster attached to the back of the shelf, stating that the '7 Signs of Ageing' this product would erase were

1. Fine lines and wrinkles (I don't suffer too much from those as of yet, but there are a few)
2. Rough skin texture (If small scars from teenage zits count, then I'm a candidate here!)
3. Uneven skin tone (Does the word T-Zone ring a bell?)
4. Dull skin (Can't say I've got many problems with that)
5. Large pores (Now we're talking business!)
6. Blotches and age spots (Yay, that's my dark spot dealt with!)
7. Dry, irritated skin (Again, T-Zone springs to mind here)

So, all in all, this didn't sound like a list of problems related to OLD skin alone, but indeed ones that many 20-something women like me deal with. And best of all, there is a 'Money-Back' guarantee on the product, so after trying the tester on a small (cat-related) scratch scar on my hand I put the bottle in my shopping basket and went straight for the till.

.:. What is it and how does it work for me? .:.

Olay's 'Time Resist Moisturiser' is a white cream that comes in a plastic 50ml-bottle costing around £18-50 (at Boots) with a black pump top that is typical of the 'Total Effects' range. It is a bit watery in its consistency, but spreads on your skin very evenly and soaks in a treat - it is also fragrance-free and dermatologically tested, so even hyper-sensitive types can use it without a
problem.
It is available in most Boots and Superdrug stores as well as supermarkets like Tesco and Morissons, so shop around for the best price!

The first thing I noticed after using the tester was that - barely 3 hours after applying it for the first time - the scratch on my hand was barely visible any more, and that my hand felt incredibly soft and smooth. Okay, I'd be lying if I said that the little scar had gone completely, but that was probably due to my KNOWING it had been there - a little experiment with my boyfriend, who didn't know the scar had been there, proved that I was right - he couldn't see anything there!

I then started using it twice daily, after washing my face and using a cleansing toner. The dispenser gives out just the right amount to cover your face and neck area, and maybe a bit spare which I usually put on my hands because as a cat owner, scratches like the one mentioned above occur quite frequently. Although I was a bit sceptical about the strange shape of the dispenser, it also seems designed to avoid 'spillage' (the bits of cream that collect around the opening and clog up normal dispensers) and is very easy to use, even if you have slightly wet hands, as you do if you've just washed your face.

In spite of its rich consistency, the moisturiser soaks in quickly and leaves my skin matte (even in my T-Zone!) without losing its shine. After using it for just under 3 weeks (at least once daily), the pores on my nose have already visibly shrunk, and the occasional zits I get heal much quicker than they used to. My skin feels extremely silky and smooth (the words 'baby' and 'bottom' spring to mind here), and as the product is mainly water-based it doesn't leave my skin oily like most moisturisers do.

The moisturiser is suitable for all skin types, and unbelieveably as it sounds, it succeeds extremely well at getting rid of T-Zone imbalances once and for all! My n
ose/chin/forehead are now pretty much normal and don't end up oily by lunch time, and even my neck and cheeks, which used to be a bit on the dry side, stay well hydrated all day long.

I still use a bit of it on my hands as well (although there is a separate hand cream available in the 'Total Effects' range) and it really does make an enormous difference to the amount of time needed for small scratches to heal. Last Thursday I burnt my hand in the oven, and after holding it under cold water for a while I kept dabbing on a bit of the moisturiser - it soaked in immediately and left a fine white powder on the wound, proof that it really does hydrate instantly. As a result, the burn is now barely visible and healing just fine - it didn't even blister, which amazed me as my skin is very heat-sensitive!

.:. The final Verdict .:.

Although the 'Total Effects' moisturiser is quite a bit more expensive than conventional moisturisers, I feel that it is very much worth its price - most products that promise similarly great effects (and actually hold those promises!) cost around £30 for much smaller amounts, and as you don't use much of it the bottle will last you at least 2 months if not longer, depending on how frequently you use it and whether you use it for your whole face or just 'problem zones'.

I will definitely buy this again, as the first results have really convinced me and I have been using much less make-up and powder since - I might even get my mits on a bottle of the 'Total Effects' body lotion (~£10), as I've heard that is all the rage with beauty experts at the moment.

You can also check out the official Olay website on http://www.olay.com (Select UK for direct access to UK-specific products and offers) for more information, product news and samples.

SO GO ON, INSTANT SKIN REPAIR IS JUST ROUND THE CORNER!*


* After all, if Olay didn't KNOW that th
is stuff really works, I am quite sure they wouldn't give away the 'money-back guarantee' as freely as they do

Summary: