What is the secret to beautiful youthful skin? Good news: the answer is fairly simple – sleep. In Asia, people believe that the optimal sleeping time aka “Golden Time” (the hours between 11pm and 2am) is the most important for skin regeneration, and a good night’s sleep is synonymous with good health and beauty. Bad news: studies have shown that women all over the world are sleeping less, while leading exceedingly stressful lifestyles. And since our skin naturally regenerates itself while we snooze, lack of sleep leads to weaker regeneration overtime. So what’s a girl to do if more zzzs is simply not an option?
Garnier to the rescue! The brand’s latest Ultra-Lift Miracle Sleeping Cream, inspired by sleeping packs from Asia, has 7 Active Ingredients that promise to help regenerate those skin cells quicker, hydrate the skin, and combat signs of fatigue and aging. Sounds pretty awesome, right? Well, I put those claims to a test.
Along with a few other Canadian beauty bloggers, I was invited to use the Garnier Ultra-Lift Miracle Sleeping Cream for 28 days, and I must admit that I was a little hesitant at first. With oily, acne-prone (very sensitive) skin, I am always extra cautious when it comes to trying new products that could cause me to break out, but the cream sounded too miraculous not to give it a whirl, and so I accepted the challenge.
The cream itself has a thick, lush texture which literally melts into skin, absorbing quickly, while leaving it feeling hydrated. When I woke up the next morning I was relieved to see that my skin did not break out and in fact felt velvety and hydrated. After doing a little research I noticed that one of the key active ingredients is LHA, which acts like salicylic acid to combat bacteria and boost radiance. For acne-prone skin this is a definite plus!
Over the next few weeks I used my “Sleeping Cream” diligently, noticing major improvements just two weeks in! Lucky for me, wrinkles aren’t a real concern just yet, but I did feel like the hydration the cream provided was giving extra bounce to my skin, because it looked brighter and smoother each morning. I was very happy with the results, since I have never been able to use a night cream for fear of causing overproduction of oil in my skin. Not so with this product!
Along with the sleeping cream, I also got to try the Ultra-Lift Miracle Sleeping Cream Eye Cream. This smooth gel helps combat tired eyes by hydrating and smoothing the eye area while fighting dark circles. It’s the perfect pairing to the Ultra-Lift Miracle Sleeping Cream and will guarantee that you wake up looking rested! I really loved the texture of this eye cream, and the fact that it actually firmed my eye contour – it’s a keeper.
More after the jump!
To help celebrate the launch of this lovely sleeping cream, I was invited to stay at the Garnier Miracle Hotel (temporarily set up at Toronto’s Trump Hotel), where I got to meet other Canadian beauty bloggers, who had also taken the 28 day challenge. It seemed that others loved Ultra-Lift Miracle Sleeping Cream as much as I did, as we exchanged our results, and raved about how great our skin felt and looked. From Garnier Canada’s Brand Director Milan Mladjenovic, we learned more about the key ingredients in the cream such as Extract of Ruscus which helps boost skin’s microcirculation, Hyaluronic Acid which provides intense hydration, and Lavender Essential Oils which help improve the quality of sleep and combat the signs of aging. When you take a look at all of the combined ingredients in that blue jar, you realize just how innovative and truly miraculous this cream is – perfectly balanced to leave you with radiant, supple, beautiful skin.
The next morning after a restful night’s sleep, breakfast in bed, and a #MorningSelfie our group was treated to a yoga class where we learned how to relax the mind and body, after all, beauty does come from within (even if a little help is needed once in a while). Outfitted in our cute Lole yoga gear, we inhaled/exhaled, enjoying our invigorating yoga session. Post-yoga, we were treated to a personal hair consultation courtesy of Garnier as well as a manicure with Essie. One blow-out, manicure, and a restful complexion later, I was ready to take on the world!
All in all the one big thing I learned this weekend was that sometimes you need to take time out for yourself to just relax and rejuvenate. Your body will feel better, you mind will work better, and your skin will look better. And if you can’t get those extra hours of sleep, and can’t swing a mini staycation at a fancy hotel, at least you can rely on Garnier Ultra-Lift Miracle Sleeping Cream to make it look like you did!
Huge thanks to Garnier for the wonderful experience this past weekend and to Lole for the fab yoga gear!
Products reviewed were provided free of charge. All opinions are my own.