Why you shouldn't listen to a word I say about Chanel's Sublimage Eye, Josie Maran Argan Oil, and some discontinued Dolce&Gabbana lipsticks

This is a series in which, in an attempt to work my way through my sample overload, I spend the weekend trying out samples, then inflict capsule reviews upon the internet.


Why am I deliberately trying to undercut my own so-called "authority?" 

Because I just blogged about how cosmetics and skincare have expiration dates. And now I'm reviewing two products that are no longer available, except on the secondary market.

Chanel Sublimage Eye Crème Riche Régénerante Fondamentale

 

Not the cream I sampled, but bear with me.

Having recently reviewed a different Chanel eye cream, the Hydra Beauty Gel Yeux, I didn't want to bore everyone with yet another Chanel eye cream. Also, I was afraid it would be too rich to wear under makeup and it would make my mascara smudge.  

However, the weather we're experiencing in Chicago is so severe—and yesterday's adventures in testing AmorePacific's cushion compact left my skin so parched—that I stopped dithering and put some on.

The creme soaked right in, and my mascara applied and wore fine. 

I reapplied after coming in from outside, because it is extremely cold outside (0 degrees Fahrenheit/-17.7 Celsius) and my face was yelling at me. I felt better right away. Even though it is quite rich, this creme soaks right in and doesn't make my makeup bleed all over my face.

So yes, I liked the product. 

On the other hand, I was sampling a previous incarnation of Chanel's Sublimage eye creme. The name of the current version is slightly different. It's now called Sublimage Le Creme Yeux Ultimate Skin Regeneration Eye Cream. It costs $225 and comes in a half-ounce pot. 

Which ... no. For the price Chanel charges, you'd think it would come in a nice sleek tube or pump bottle. I don't like having to dip my finger into a pot of eye cream because it's very hard to get the small amount I intend to use. Also, germs. 

And let's face it: this stuff sells for $450 an ounce. And that, my friends, is crazy.

If this were some kind of holy grail eye creme, like maybe it erases wrinkles, lightens dark circles, and folds my laundry, I'd think about popping for the sample sizes that are still all over eBay. They at least come in a tube.

But let's face it; they've probably expired. And there are plenty of eye cremes in the world—including Chanel's latest and greatest. I admit I haven't tried it, but I already know you don't need it.

Verdict: Only if you're super rich and own a time machine.

 

Dolce & Gabbana "Monica" lipsticks

 

The eponymous Monica of lipstick fame.

 
I spent a good deal of the weekend fooling around with a tiny four-pack of lipstick samples from Dolce&Gabbana. Two of the shades were that light beige that I knew would look terrible on me, but I was afraid I was going to fall in love with the other two shades and develop some kind of crazy out-of-control craving to buy a bunch of colors in this line, maybe even the dark purple and neon pink shades that I'd actually never wear.

Crisis averted on all sides! First of all, I didn't like the lipsticks; even the shades that looked OK on the sample cards were too light and gave me that corpse-mouth look that happens when you wear the wrong shade of nude. 

Second, they dried out my lips. (This could be a factor of the severe cold we're experiencing in Chicago, combined with the dry heated air and my advanced years. But I'm blaming the lipsticks.)

Third and most important of all, this particular line must have been a limited edition. I couldn't find the lipsticks on the Dolce&Gabbana website, so I scoured the internet. All the reviews I can find are from 2013. 

OK, yeah, this means those stupid samples have been sitting in my sample stash for three years. Commence shame spiral and all that. 

I console myself with the thought that at least these samples were given to me. At least I didn't spend $9.99 to buy them on eBay.

On the bright side, I hated these lipsticks. This will leave me with a vague prejudice against D&G lipsticks that may, in the long term, save me some money.

Josie Maran Argan Oil

Josie Maran Argan Oil

Yes, I know. You're all already using Argan Oil. There's nothing I can tell you about it. 

I have described myself on more than one occasion as "the last by whom the new is tried." This has never been more true than now, when the product I'm finally trying has been on the market for eight years and has over 6,000 reviews on Sephora. 

So, short and sweet, OK? I bought a twin pack—I think it was with Sephora bonus points—of Josie Maran Argan Oil and her Argan Cleansing Oil. I thought they'd be handy for travel. But the first product I tried was the cleansing oil. It was really heavy and took way too much effort to spread over my face. Massaging it in reddened my skin. It didn't appear to rinse off cleanly. 

I hated it. With the result that its partner, the half-ounce bottle of Argan Oil, just sat there.

In the interests of science, however, this week I have patted a few drops of Argan Oil onto my face; worked a few drops through my hair, and rubbed it into my hands, nails, and cuticles. It has performed like a champion. 

Not that you care, because you probably already use it (or one of the less expensive versions available at health food stores and Amazon) but I like it. 

Even though it smells like tongue depressors.