Elizabeth Arden Visible Difference Skin Balance Lotion

I know, I know, I’m a bad beauty blogger. But this week, I swear, I’m going to write at least three reviews, starting with this one about Elizabeth Arden’s Visible Difference Skin Balance Lotion.

I received this product in my May 2014 Topbox. While moisturizers aren’t particularly exciting or sexy, they are an essential part of any beauty routine, just like a good SPF is. So I was happy to see that this product comes with a SPF 15. According to Elizabeth Arden, this ingredient “helps protect skin from UVA/UVB rays while providing the right amount of hydration all day long.”

The company also says that this lotion contains, “Our special Alpha/Beta Hydroxy Compound also works to refine, and retexturize skin.” I found that while this product did a great job at providing workday sun protection (meaning I was generally not outside for more than 20 minutes), it didn’t have any impact on the texture of my skin. But to be fair, I started using this moisturizer while my skin was going through a very good period. During those two weeks of daily use, my skin, for the most part, stayed looking and feeling healthy and hydrated. I say “the most part” because near the end, I did get a handful of pimples.
Elizabeth Arden says that this product is meant for combination skin. To me, that means that this product should be able to fight both dryness and congestion. And while it did a great job at keeping flakes away, it didn’t fight off blemishes. I don't think it caused them, I fault summer humidity, but this moisturizer did nothing to prevent or get rid of any pimples.

But that’s not my biggest issue with this product; that honour belongs to the texture. It feels like typical lotion: Light-weight and thin. Yes, it absorbs quickly and cleanly but it doesn’t feel rich and hydrated, like say, a certain Body Shop moisturizer. This though is really a personal preference; I have no doubt that many people out there would love the feel of this product.

This lotion runs around $40 but for that price you’ll get 1.7 oz, a good quantity, packaged in an attractive pump bottle. I’m a big fan of pump bottles as they protect their contents from product-spoiling air and dirty, oily fingers. If I rated products with stars, this one would get one star for its great packaging alone.

Would I buy this product: In all honesty, probably not but that’s simply because I don’t love the texture of this product as much as I love the texture of certain other moisturizers. It also doesn’t offer the mattifying benefits of my current favourite moisturizer.

Should you buy this product: If you’re looking for a reliable, light-weight moisturizer and aren’t too worried about blemishes or shine, then yeah, this product could be for you.