Well, all of those are reasonable images to be associated with Finland, but their noteworthy exports are not simply rock music, Father Christmas and the iconic sauna experience. Perhaps still enjoying just cult-success in the United States, Finnish beauty brand, Lumene, offers an outstanding collection of skincare products for women of all ages and with all different skin types. The company, which uses plant ingredients from its homeland, is my skincare brand of choice and for a growing number of American women.

For my needs, I turn to Lumene’s Vitamin C+ line. Enriched with the seed oil from natural arctic cloudberry, a precious (and delicious) berry from Lapland, it delivers nourishment to my 24-year-old skin and visually brightens my complexion through the high concentration of vitamin C that goes in to every one of the products in this collection.

Here are some comments on the products I use regularly from the Lumene Vitamin C+ skin product line.

Vitamin C+ Protecting Day Cream, SPF 15

This is my staple day cream — it goes great under makeup, has a pleasant citrus fragrance (that does not overpower or last once applied) AND provides sun protection. As science has showed, the aging process of skin is significantly influenced by the amount of exposure we have to the sun’s damaging rays. So, using products with SPF is the No. 1 measure you can take to save your skin from early signs of aging, like dark spots and wrinkles. With this day cream, my skin always stays moisturized and protected. I can proudly say that I have not gotten sunburn on my face all summer long thanks to this cream!

Vitamin C+ Nourishing Night Care

After removing my makeup and washing my face at night before bed, I use this night cream to rejuvenate my skin overnight. It is not thick or heavy like many night creams. Rather, it is soft and supple as it melts into my skin. My face feels so pampered without the feeling of greasiness or that I have too much product on my skin. The best part is that in the morning, my skin feels soft and nourished and looks bright and healthy — but there’s no residue left from the previous night’s application.

Vitamin C+ Radiant Beauty Drops

I am nearly through my first jar of this product, and so far I definitely see an improvement in the condition of my skin! Each container has 28 individual drops (they look like little chicken legs) stuffed with serum packed with vitamin C. All one needs to do is twist the end off, squeeze out the product and smooth it over clean skin before layering on day or night cream. The feeling of the product itself is on the greasy side, but it quickly and thoroughly absorbs. After having been using this product for almost three weeks, my skin looks noticeably more radiant and vibrant.

Vitamin C+ Dual Serum

This nifty little two-chambered concoction is an excellent skin-health booster for use underneath regular day and night creams. The day side provides a lightweight serum rich in cloudberry seed oil and the night side contains blueberry seed oil. I have used up one of these and while I was in the habit of applying it morning and night as directed, I got more compliments on how my skin looked than any other time. The dual-pack is convenient and clever, and the serums themselves are lightweight and effective. This is something I will buy again when I’m through with my Beauty Drops.

Vitamin C+ Invigorating Eye Serum

Employing a rollerball-style applicator bottle, this under-eye serum claims to banish puffiness and dark circles. To tell the truth, I have not used this product on a regular basis, so I can’t speak to its effectiveness in the matter of dark circles, but on mornings when I’ve had puffy, tired eyes a little shot of this does provide a needed pick-me-up. I store my bottle in the refrigerator, and the cool serum is very soothing in my delicate under-eye area.

Lumene has much more to offer outside of the Vitamin C+ line, which primarily targets women in their 20s and 30s. Also available in the US is the Time Freeze line, Premium Beauty line, Sensitive Skin line and the new ExCELLent Future serum and cream.

BUT, if you are lucky enough to get to Finland, the full range of Lumene’s product offerings are at your fingertips. I recently visited the lovely land of Finns (my third trip there) and made it to the Lumene outlet store at their headquarters in Espoo. The inside is a wonderland of Lumene, with shelves and boxes overflowing with bounty that American Lumene fans can only admire online.

I ended up spending more than 80€ on a bunch of stuff, so look for reviews of all that in my next entry!

In the meantime, here are some links to places where you can get Lumene in the US:

CVS/pharmacy

Sears.com

Ulta

Target

Most beauty products, like lipstick, moisturizer and mascara, have a little symbol on the packaging somewhere that tells how long the product can be used after opening before it’s no longer “fresh” or suitable for use.

It’s that little jar with its lid off and a number inside or next to it. There’s a Wikipedia entry for it if you still don’t know what I mean.

I’d always wondered what that icon meant. Now, I know it’s called a PAO symbol. PAO stands for “period after opening.”

So I’ve been sitting at my desk, looking at the handful of products I have with me today and finding out what the “expiration” dates for them are. For example, my NARS blush, eyeshadow and lipgloss are good for two full years after opening them. My Diorshow mascara is good for six months after opening it. My Korres lipstick — one year.

I learned about this through Twitter, where I’m following LumeneGal, who tweets about Lumene products (so much love) and other general beauty topics. From her, I came across an article on Daily Makeover about this subject. Since I didn’t know what that symbol meant until today, I figured it made a good thing to blog about since there’s isn’t a whole lot about makeup and the like that I am not at least somewhat familiar with. The more you know, right?

Now when I get home I’m going to be looking at all my stuff (quite a task) to see what’s what in terms of when things will no longer be recommended for use. You should do the same! It’s time for spring cleaning, after all!

Case in point: the Mint Julep Masque by Queen Helene.

Queen Helene products are commonly found in drugstores and are always low-priced. The packaging looks old-school in a somewhat tacky, garish way — like they haven’t redesigned their logo or presentation since the brand was first introduced. That could be off-putting because by nature, consumers judge a product’s effectiveness often by the packaging it comes in. My advice here is to put any of those subconscious (or not) prejudices aside.

The packaging is completely irrelevant because it’s what’s on the inside that counts. (So true.)

I ordered this from drugstore.com, which showcases over 200 reviews for the product — and most of them are very positive, garnering an almost five star rating averaged from the total number of reviews.

It’s hard to ignore that kind of feedback on a product so I tried it for the first time this past Tuesday. After my shower, I slapped on a layer of the thick green mask onto my face and neck, avoiding the more delicate eye area. My boyfriend said that I looked like Shrek (gee, thanks) but you know, that’s cool. Shrek seemed like a jolly guy in the end.

After almost 15 minutes, the mask was totally dry. While it was setting, I could feel it clinging to my skin and drying there, sucking out oodles of dirt, oil and muck. It did feel a bit tingly after first applying it, too.

Using warm water, I rinsed off the mask. I wish I had a washcloth because that would have been more effective. After it was all gone and I patted my face dry, I looked in the mirror.

My skin was so incredibly clear and refreshed! I’ve had problems with blackheads on my nose and cheeks, and they were GONE. Also my skin did not feel dry or wringed-out; just deeply clean and invigorated. Absolutely brilliant! The patch of zits near my chin? Vanished!

All this from a gigantic 8 oz. tube of that cost $4. It will last me quite awhile and I will definitely be purchasing more when it’s time.

I can also vouch for the effectiveness and quality of some other Queen Helene products. The companion to the Mint Julep masque is the Mint Julep Natural Facial Scrub. This is gentle enough for everyday use and does an excellent job exfoliating skin. It’s also made with a lot of natural ingredients so for the treehuggers out there, this is something you can feel good about using.

Queen Helene also offers a line of cocoa butter body products. I’ve used both the Cocoa Butter Hand and Body Lotion and Natural Cocoa Butter Moisturizing Body Oil with Vitamin E. The lotion absorbs into skin quickly without leaving a filmy or sticky feeling. The body oil is a decadent bathtime treat that leaves skin feeling remarkably soft and nourished. Both boast a delicious cocoa butter scent that lingers on skin afterward for some time, wrapping your senses in sweetness.

I can’t help but reiterate how wonderful Queen Helene products are for the price you pay. They truly outperform their higher-priced drugstore competition, and they give a hard run at premium lines in terms of cost-performance ratio.

Peruse their entire inventory online here. (I will be!) Some of their items are also available in many chain drugstores and online at drugstore.com and ulta.com.

Isn’t it nice to find things that really work but don’t eat up your wallet?