Eucerin have launched a new pigmentation-buster called Even Brighter Serum Concentrate (R499, Clicks and Dis-Chem).

A serum to apply before your moisturiser, it promises to minimise the appearance of pigmentation in just four weeks.

Ingredients-wise, Eucerin is relying on B-Resourcinol, a safe and clinically proven ingredient, that helps inhibit the production of an enzyme called tyrosinase. When your skin creates melanin (pigment), tyronsinase is a vital “ingredient” to help cook it up, so using something that helps control its production can help it produce less pigment. For the record, B-Resourcinol also has antioxidant properties, so that’s a nice bonus.

In addition to the B-Resoucinol, Eucerin’s new serum also serves up a dose of glycyrrhetinic acid to help your skin repair itself, on a cellular level, from sun damage.

I’ve used the new concentrate for a few days now and, being oily-skinned, I’ve found I can use it as a straight up moisturiser thanks to it’s light, lotion-like texture. If you’re also oily or even combination-skinned you could easily do the say, but just be sure to team it with a good sunscreen as just a few hours of unprotected sun exposure can undo weeks’ worth of lightening up.

In all, this is a very nice, cost effective drugstore pick to help brighten up and improve the look of mild pigmentation (anything more serious requires a visit to the dermatologist) but I do wish they’d put it into one 30ml air tight pump bottle. There’s no reason for it to have been divided up into six little 5ml ampoules.

Moving on, Morgan Taylor’s new fall nail colour collection, Sweetheart Squadron, recently hit the shelves. Inspired by the brave female pioneers of the aviation industry, the shades range from a dusty nude to a deep plum. To view the full collection you can pop on over here.

I was given two to try (R149 each) – Put A Wing On It (PAWOI), a bright tomato red with a slight shimmer to it, and Rule the Runway, a mauvey grey.

I really liked that both of these shades are lekker two-coaters. Just two slicks and you’re good to go. PAWOI, however, looks most vibrant, I think, with three coats. Generally, I shy away with colour that any kind of shimmer or ‘metallic-ness’ to it but the glitter in PAWOI is so fine that it kind of just gleams.

My favourite of the two, however, is Rule the Runway. I’ve got pale, cool-toned fingers and found this shade very flattering. I’ll update that with an on finger shot soon. For the life of me I can’t find the non-blurry one I took and wonder if I didn’t accidentally delete it.

Both shades have great staying power and were resistant to chipping when worn with Morgan Taylor’s React top coat.

Lastly, there’s another new-ish serum on the block and that’s Avene Hydrance Optimale Soothing Hydrating serum (R279,99, Dis-Chem).

This guy’s aim is simple – to act as a moisture boost for dehydrated, sensitive skin – by delivering soothing Avene thermal spring water via patented liposomes that carry it to the deeper levels of your skin.

Being a feather-light water and glycerin-based serum, you couldn’t wear this on it’s own as it sinks into your skin in a flash leaving the slightest, hint of a silky feeling in it’s wake due to it’s (light) silicone content. Thus, it has to be used the way it’s intended, together with a moisturiser, to bump up your skin’s hydration levels.

I’ve had it for a while now and paired it with a myriad of moisturisers and found it plays beautifully with all of them. No balling up. No tide marks. It’s as though you never applied an additional product. If you’ve been looking for a way to up the hydration factor of your existing skin care regime in a bit to beat winter dryness but don’t want to add any ‘weight’ then this is a lovely way to do it.

Love, love

Leigh