Olay CC Cream – Total Effects Tone Correcting Moisturizer

There’s no denying that this is one cool-looking product. Containing two spirals of cream inside a clear tube, it looks all science-y and high tech. Plus it’s a CC cream (colour and correction), which as I’m sure you already know is the latest trend in skin care products.

Unfortunately, the packaging is about the best part of this product. Okay, that’s not completely true; it does contain SPF 15 and it does feel nice on my skin. But besides that, this product is actually pretty unimpressive.

According to Olay, this moisturizer provides “sheer, natural coverage” that fights the following signs of aging: Fine lines and wrinkles; uneven tone, age spots and dryness while providing gentle exfoliation and improving the “moisture barrier” and skin’s luminosity.

I guess it does provide “sheer, natural coverage” as it barely provides any coverage at all. But to be fair, Olay does state that this product can be worn alone or, if you need more coverage, under foundation (and unless you have near-perfect skin, you're going to want more coverage).

Olay Fresh Effects Shine, Shine Go Away! Face Cleanser

When I first saw the ads for this new face wash from Olay I went, “Minimize shine? Yeah, sure.”

Then I received a free tube of this product and, after three weeks of use, I discovered that actually it sort of did.

I say “sort of” because while this foaming cleanser did have an instant mattifying effect, thanks in part to its use of kaolin clay, that effect didn't last all day.  

So was “shine minimized” like Olay said it would be? Technically yes, though if you're looking for a long-lasting solution to shine, you will be disappointed by this product. Instead, this cleanser needs to be treated like just one step in the multi-stop trip that is controlling shine.

And while this product's focus is controlling shine, Olay claims that this cleanser also “purifies like a mask” and “lifts away impurities for a deep down-to-the-pores clean.” I don't completely agree with this because I still have some clogged pores and blackheads but I will give Olay its claim that this product removes twice as much dirt, oil and makeup as “basic cleansing.”

Olay Ultra Moisture In-Shower Body Lotion

This “in-shower body lotion” is sort of like conditioner for your body. After washing, you apply it to wet skin and then rinse it off.

When I first heard about this product several months ago I thought, “Great, something else to clutter the shower with.” After all, if you’re already using a body wash that had moisturizing properties (and most do), why would you need or even want this item?
Thankfully, I didn’t need to buy this product to discover the answer to that question because I was able to get a hold of a deluxe-sized sample. Using it, I conducted an experiment:  On my left leg, I used the body lotion during almost every shower I’ve had over the past two weeks (Olay claims that this item, “…improves the hydration of dry skin in five days.”). The right leg didn’t get the lotion but other than that, was treated no differently than the left leg.

Olay Pore Minimizing Cleanser and Scrub

I received Olay’s Pore Minimizing Cleanser and Scrub as part of a Facebook promotion they were running earlier this summer. I was actually quite excited about this product because A) it full size sample and B) it targeted the appearance of pores, something that’s been a bit of an issue for me this hot, sweaty summer.

Now, the truth is, you can’t really shrink pores and Olay knows this. That’s why it uses language like this on the back of this product’s bottle, “…to help minimize the appearance of pores.” So nothing’s really changing, it’s just the appearance of things that are changing.