It's a fish eats fish world

We know it's the way of the world. I'm happy for both Essie Weingarten and Liz Earle who have accomplished something every entrepreneur hopes for: build a successful multi-million dollar business, make a mark in the industry and then sell it to a bigger company for a legendary amount of money. But I can't help feeling a little disappointed that from now on Essie Cosmetics and Liz Earle Beauty Co. will no longer be independent brands. The former is being acquired by L'Oreal and the latter by Avon, neither one gives me the warm fuzzies.

I guess it's time for a new wave of small indy companies to make it big.

Image: Fish Eat Fish by Michael Rossiter

Liz Earle Superskin Concentrate: Another Month, Another Serum

My quest for the holy grail of serums continues.

Liz Earle Superskin Concentrate smells divine. It's all about essential oils and nourishing ingredients, from argan oil (a Moroccan nut. You'll find the orange hued pure oil costing an arm and a leg at upscale delis. It's great for your salad) to the more pedestrian avocado and rose hip. The addictive scent comes from neroli and lavender, and I'm writing a note to self about checking out the body care range, because I really want to smell like that.

The problem is that as a serum, Superskin Concentrate doesn't meet my needs. It's supposedly an over achiever product: nourishing mature skin, calming and balancing a more active face. I don't fall under any of these categories, but even so, a girl has some needs. My ideal serum is an active, chock-full of vitamin C and skin ingredients promoting cell renewal product, and this Liz Earle potion simply isn't what I'm after.

If used right after cleansing, it just sits there before sinking in and making my face feel over-saturated, even though it doesn't actually get oily and never clogs pores. But it makes me not want to add another layer of moisturizer. For mature skin, the recommendation is to moisturize first and then apply the serum, but my face liked this option even less.

I didn't use a vitamin C product during the weeks of testing Superskin Concentrate, and the results were obvious to me: less glow and some flaking in the areas prone to skin delinquency, which forced me to do more exfoliating than I like just to maintain decent appearance. Back to square one, serum-wise.

Liz Earle Superskin Concentrate ($70 for 1 oz) is available from the company's website. I got mine as a PR freebie.

Liz Earle Cleansing System

My fickleness regarding cleansers is a well-known fact. I rarely stay with one product, and more often I rotate between several cleansing methods on any given month. But lately I've been so happy with the Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser from Liz Earle and the matching toner, that I'm as close to skin care monogamy as I can ever be.

It works like this: You slather your face with the cleansing cream and thoroughly massage it, including your eye area. It feels like any lotion or even cleansing oil: you'll get the sensation of pores opening and gunk moving out (a bit weird if you've been using rinse-off soaps and gels for a long time). Then you get one of the muslin cloths nice and wet (hot water) and polish it all off, leaving the eyes till the end. The muslin is quite gentle, but just abrasive enough to give you a nice exfoliating without rubbing your face raw. A quick rinse in cool water followed by patting dry with a soft towel and you're all set.

I was surprised to see how well the cleanser removes eye makeup, including mascara. The only problem is that some mascaras leave semi-permanent stains on the cloths. But maybe I should do more aggressive laundering.

A toner is not really necessary, especially not if a cleansing system is as efficient as the Liz Earle one. But I have a thing for toners, especially in the morning. It helps me wake up and look a bit more alive even before I have my tea. The Instant Boost Skin Tonic smells like perfume (lavender, rosemary and some flower extracts) and feels wonderful. Looking at the ingredient list, the toner is much more natural and far less chemical than just about anything I currently have in my cabinets. The main ingredient after water is aloe vera juice and there are other extracts and essential oils that seem to be in high concentration. My only complaint is the cap, that seems to let too much toner out and is quite wasteful. Other than that it's fast becoming a favorite product (and I just discovered that my husband has been secretly using it, too).

Liz Earle products are available online directly from the company's website and also at Fred Segal in Santa Monica and Brownes & Co Apothecary, Miami Beach. I got the products as PR freebies.