pore poetry

A mr. productaddict haiku.

the spraylist: habitual de la ritual

Mr. productaddict comments on commitment.

the gold and the beautiful

shu uemura 24k gold plated eyelash curler
Urban beauty myths... it's easy to succumb. while the entire world espouses a product's must-have-ness ...the pressure builds, and before you know it you are against all logic hailing a taxi to your favorite addiction emporium. we are all guilty, whether it's finding out that 24/7 freeze serum is not better than botox, that kiehl's silk groom should instead be named oil groom, or that creme de la mer creates breakouts.... let us not even think of the investments we have made in the name of finding the holy grail. reading about, hearing about, and finally hearing mentioned during 'the devil wears prada', the shu uemura 24k gold plated eyelash curler brought our addictive behavior to the fore. we are happy to report that we are the opposite of disappointed. the myth that preceded this beautiful little object is that it accommodates all eye shapes without the slightest bit of pinching. (previous eyelash curlers have only pinched our delicate eyelids while bending our lashes into a most unattractive ''L" shape). it's true. for the first time ever, we perfectly painlessly curled (not bent) our lashes, applied shu uemura basic mascara and could not believe the results. pretty, pretty lashes that looked completely artifice free. we know, not for everyone, but thicker mascara can be applied if desired. satisfaction of mythic proportion available at shu uemura.
sound investment: 9
does it turn back time?: 9
sensory satisfaction: 9
cool factor: 10
rate of addiction: 9.25

dental damns

Mr. productaddict fights cavities.

shiny unhappy people

Mr. productaddict braves the heat.

mr. productaddict takes a holiday

...and exposes (one of his) his greatest fear(s).

blue monday

Does someone have a case of the mondays? mr. productaddict prescribes a remedy.

mist opportunity

shu uemura deep sea water - chamomile

Productaddict is an oceanloving creature. we fully believe in the power of the ocean's placebo effect medicinal properties. so might shu uemura. by bottling sea water from 320 meters below the surface (containing more than 60 minerals), combining it with ultra light herbal fragrances they have bottled a virtual vacation from officeworld... productaddict finds herself often closing her eyes for a face full of mist, only to emerge refreshed from the unavoidable late afternoon lull (far more effectively than after a tab energy drink). available in scents from momonomi to yuzu (unscented is also an option) at shu uemura. mist. repeat. mist again. repeat.

sound investment: 9
does it turn back time: 8
sensory satisfaction: 10
cool factor: 10
rate of addiction: 9.25

straight no chaser

natura bisse glycoline glyco peeling plus 50%

Well.... almost. whether a cocktail, or a glycolic product, productaddict has never seen the need for filler (except perhaps, the occasional well placed guitar solo). natura bisse's team of barcelona based scientists have given us our dream glycolic product. with glycolic acid listed as the second ingredient (lactic acid as the fifth, malic acid, tartaric acid and citric acid the tenth, eleventh and twelfth), this product is for serious peelers only. in the usual productaddict 'more is better' fashion, we have pushed the peeling envelope with this product. at first, proceeding very carefully, we followed the instructions to the letter, rinsing off the solution after 10-15 minutes. so enjoying the results, we began gradually extending the application time to half an hour with even better results. the true genius of this product is the fact that it has been blended to 4.5pH which allows the high concentration of glycolic and alpha hydroxy acids to do their work without causing any adverse effects. take heed and use a proper sunscreen post peel. available at bergdorfs.

sound investment: 9
does it turn back time?:9
sensory satisfaction:9
cool factor: 9
rate of addiction: 9

bronzed and confused

Without productaddict's advice, it could be a perpetual state... perpetually bronzed is one thing, but perpetually confused is another. out in the field (a sandy beach) this independence day weekend, we have slathered and sunned our way to suncare sanity. after some wise and not so wise investments, we have decided to break it down; the pure product facts. bear with us, it involves looking at something that somewhat resembles a chart (we apologize), and science project (we aplogize even more).

all sunscreens tested are 'broad spectrum' sunscreens containing 'avobenzone' (also called 'parsol 1789'), very effective in screening out UVA rays which cause long term aging effects. additional 'active' ingredients are listed accordingly. (octislalate and octocrylene both shield from harmful UVB rays, the latter being extra water resistant). here goes...


sisley sunleya protection solaire anti-age spf 15
1.7oz $190 ($111.74oz)
avobenzone 2%
octisalate 5%
octinoxate 5%
oxybenzone 0%
octocrylene 0%
homosalate 0%

an ultra deluxe formulation based on the superluxury moisturizer concept. we totally fell for it (as have many others... this product is sold out at bergdorf's online. a field trip to fifth and fifty seventh had to be made) until we delved further into ingredient analysis.... other products below win the 'most active ingredient' contest. the product was luxurious and rich as promised, but to it's detriment on a very hot beach day which had productaddict fearing unnecessary breakouts.
sound investment: 1
does it turn back time?: 6
sensory satisfaction: 6
cool factor: 7
rate of addiction: 5


neutrogena ultra soft hydrating sunblock spf 45
6oz $20 ($3.33oz)
avobenzone 2%
octisalate 5%
octinoxate 7.5%
oxybenzone 3%
octocrylene 0%
homosalate 7%

this product is advertised as behaving as a 'body lotion'. partially true, it goes on an opaque bright white which takes a few minutes to blend in, and is slightly heavier than we would like. all good though, as it is packed full of active ingredients. one of the most sound suncare investments we have made, and will most likely make again.
sound investment: 10
does it turn back time?: 9
sensory satisfaction: 7
cool factor: 5
rate of addiction: 8.75


l'oreal ombrelle sport spray spf15
4oz approx $15 on ebay ($3.75oz)
(reviewed purely indulging in a south of france beach fantasy... this product is sold only in europe. one of the first broad spectrum products available.)
avobenzone 3%
octisalate 5%
octinoxate 0%
oxybenzone 0%
octocrylene 10%
homosalate 0%

if we could choose a sunscreen consistency, this would be it. ombrelle sprays on light and clear, is water resistant, and gives the skin a smooth, pretty shimmer. definitely the easiest to apply of all the products we tested. however, striving for full sun safety, we wish that a few more active ingredients were part of the cocktail.
sound investment: 10
does it turn back time?: 7
sensory satisfaction: 10
cool factor: 10
rate of addiction: 9.25


kiehls vital sun protection lotion spf 40
5oz $18.50 ($3.70oz)
avobenzone 3%
octisalate 5%
octinoxate 7.5%
oxybenzone 6%
octocrylene 10%
homosalate 0%

the most ingredient packed sunscreen we tested, which adds up to a sound suncare investment. best applied at home, not on a sandy beach towel, as blending the opaque white concoction is a bit of a project. we have to say, the product is a bit greasier than we prefer but our belief in science will have us reapplying.
sound investment: 10
does it turn back time?: 7
sensory satisfaction: 7
cool factor: 9
rate of addiction: 8.2