PREVAGE® City Smart + DNA Enzyme ComplexTM + Anti‐Pollution + Antioxidants With Sunscreens Hydrating Shield Reviews

As a busy Mum I am always on the lookout for products that are good for my skin, make my skin look good, and are easy to use - this ticks all the boxes and adds a little luxury.

I am a fan of the Prevage range and use a few other serums underneath this, but when I put this on it gives a prefect finish and very light, easy and natural looking coverage which is just what I need as a day to day look. It works its antiageing magic and protects from the sun so I really love this product and there really are not that many like this out there.

Love it!

Well to start with I have to say at least I am always honest with these trial reviews......
I am the skeptic from the other side.....

Do I really need another product to slather on my face, all in the name of looking younger and preventing any further damage to my skin condition????? and although I am still not convinced that I need to be shielded from the pollution particles( or nano-particles) as explained due to their degradation of my skin condition (past, present and future) this product has many other amazing features- namely for me the UV filter, sun protection factor.

I have to say I would purchase this product in the future- I am so impressed with its ability to withstand the harsh climate of sun, wind rain, then snow, all in one day. I can honestly say my face was frozen as I was caught in a snow flurry while on the slopes of Thredbo, which quickly turned into a mess of whiteout- that was after a morning of bright sun- talk about four seasons in one day....... yet when I got indoors, my skin was not as dehydrated as previously with just a sunscreen.

I performed my usual routine of serum, tinted moisturiser and then instead of a sunscreen, I used Elizabeth Arden PREVAGE® City Smart while at the snow.

I do love the smooth sheer formula. My skin really responded well to this product- it is like no other texture when dry, that I have experienced before. It did not leave a shiny greasy feel as you might expect on initial application, it just soaked in and sat nicely on the skin. However, I do feel a little like the film of product is just waiting to be correctly washed off- not sure if this is just a psychological thing.... just knowing that my pores will need to breath again some time soon- but to be fair I have not broken out or felt like my pores were clogged.

I am a convert to this product, but perhaps now for different reasons- I have always loved the Elizabeth Arden prevage range and really wasn't sure about citysmart, but I would use again

I was very fortunate to try the Prevage City Smart product and visit the BH headquarters to be empowered with how wonderful this product is.
It lived upto its name and brand as I use a few of the EA prevage products..

The product itself did not have an overpowering smell and I only used a little amount onto my face and neck. The consistency of this was quite semi liquid and not too thick or chalky like other sunscreens.
I was quite surprised with the way it spread on my face as it was very light and quite absorbing. Very hydrating to the skin and the most important thing is that it did not leave a chalky or white film like other sunscreens do.
It did have a light tint to it but did not change the colour of my skin.
As per instructions on the launch night, I moisutrised my skin and applied this straight away. It did look a bit oily but after a few minutes, it quickly became dry.

Applied my normal foundation and powder on top and away I went.

I truly believe that it works very well and has all the beautiful ingredients with the added benefit of anit aging along with the sunscreen.

The pump is perfectly sized and handy and does not dispose too much product which is great.
Overall the smell and the appearance is quite nice which makes it hard to believe its a sunscreen.
I will definitely use it in future and also recommend it to my family and friends as its Dermalogically tested and is safe to use on all types of skins including sensitive skin.

I was one of the lucky ladies that was able to participate in the Elizabeth Arden Prevage City Smart trial. A beautiful event was held at the beautyheaven HQ and not only did I receive the new product, but I learned so many interesting skin facts from the Elizabeth Arden representative. For example - did you know that 80% of visible ageing signs are caused by environmental factors? I honestly did not realise that could make such an impact on the condition and appearance of my skin.

During the Elizabeth Arden Prevage City Smart launch event I learned that the product is formulated with a powerful antioxidant blend that can neutralise free radicals. It also contains 100% mineral sunscreen, which does not clog pores or contain harsh chemicals. Prevage City Smart also contains a DNA Enzyme Complex that helps regenerate and repair skin. All of these claims seem almost too good to be true and I was excited to put it to the test!

The thing I love the most about the Elizabeth Arden Prevage City Smart is that it has a universal skin tint and does not contain a white cast to the skin. One pump is enough to cover my entire face and it glides on smoothly and creates a great base for my makeup. At first it has a slight dewy effect and once it dries down it just melts right into the skin. Prevage City Smart also contains a very light fragrance that is undetectable once it is completely blended in.

During the trial, I noticed that this product helps keep my skin feel fresh and hydrated all day long. It does not irritate my skin or cause any blemishes. The best part was how good it made my skin look and feel – I honestly don’t want to be without it! If you have been looking for a quality skin care product that contains SFP while nourishing your skin then look no further. I highly recommend this product and will not go a day without my Elizabeth Arden Prevage City Smart protection!

Thank you BH and EA for the opportunity to be involved in this trial and launch event. The presentation we received from EA representative David was very informative and I enjoyed learning a little about the research and the reason behind the development of City Smart. I had not previously considered the effect nanoparticles of pollution could have on our skin but, given our skin is our largest organ, it makes sense that the toxins we absorb through our skin have damaging effects.

We were given the opportunity to patch test City Smart at the event and ask questions, which was fantastic. My first impression of City Smart is that the packaging is beautiful yet very functional, as I would expect from EA. The product is packaged in a tube with a pump dispenser and a lid. I love this sort of packaging as I find it the most hygienic and gives excellent control over how much product you dispense each time. The cream itself is very thin, lightly tinted, and has an almost no fragrance. The consistency means it is very easy to apply and one pump easily overs my face and neck. I feel as though the tube will last a reasonable amount of time, which at this price point is important.

It is immediately obvious from the feel of the product that it is heavily silicone based. Normally I would not opt for a product with a lot of silicone in it but so far I have not seen any negative effect from using City Smart. In the relatively short time I have been using City Smart I do believe I have seen an improvement in the overall appearance of my skin. Some old pigmentation appears to be fading and it gives my face a nice glow. I have used it in conjunction with my normal primer as suggested at the launch (City Smart underneath primer) and also used it in place of my primer. It gives a smooth base for foundation and enhances the performance of my primer. It works well with the other brands of skincare and makeup I use and I have found it very easy to incorporate it into my daily routine.

I am very happy with the product so far and it is something I will definitely be continuing with. My only reservation is the sunscreen claim, until City Smart receives an official SPF rating I think it is safer to continue with another sunscreen product in addition to City Smart, especially if you spend a lot of time outdoors.

As you get older it doesn't matter how many products you use to protect and prevent, we are never going to fully protect our skin from the damaging environmental factors.

I feel fortunate to be included in this trial, as I am always actively looking for products to do this very thing!

Being oil-free was a huge positive for me. I have combination skin and I find products that contain sunblock or any extra ingredients to protect the skin for the elements always feel too heavy on my skin, making feel uncomfortable.

With such joy to experience a product that not only feels great on the face but protects our skin from the damaging elements that no other product could do.

City Smart is light on the skin. At first after applying my thoughts were immediately turning negative due to the high sheen appearance. I felt like I had a layer of a thin shiny film on my face. But after a couple of minutes it disappears, and touching my face it felt like there was nothing on there and there was no evidence that I had applied this product either. So my negative thoughts quickly turned positive and with excitement.

I used this product every day for over a week and I found using this a breeze. I applied my makeup over it each day and I found my makeup did not budge nor did it go messy throughout the day which is fab.

I was surprised to pump out the product and find that it was runny. The consistency is super thin. It was easy to apply and blended well all over my face. A little goes a long way. I waited a minute to allow my skin to absorb before applying my makeup.

The scent is so subtle, it is barely there which I love. The product has a tint and blends nicely to my skin tone.

What is a bonus with this product is not only does it protect our skin from the harmful environmental factors but it also works on our skin to repair. Usually I would have to use a few products to do the very same thing. I would go as far to say that this is a star product in the beauty market.

Being a pump it is also safe and easy to carry in my handbag or even suitacase.

Overall, I am really impressed over this amazing product. I have used this every single day since I received it and I will be purchasing another one as soon as it is finished.

I was very excited to have been invited to attend the Elizabeth Arden Prevage City Smart product launch event at the BH headquarters. We attended the launch presentation where the representative from the brand gave us quite detailed information about the product. Elizabeth Arden was also very generous to supply each of us a full size "City Smart" for trial. I am very grateful for this opportunity and thank you for having me as part of the trial team.  

Claims:

The product features a few things:
1. a "Hydrating Shield" to screen out pollutants.
2. Sunscreens.
3. Anti-oxidants.
4. "DNA enzyme complex" which "strengthens skin by supporting its natural repair systems'

In my review I will outline my experience and/or response to each of these features.

I have listed the ingredients of this product at the bottom of this review.

The product and the cosmetic effects:

The product comes in a compact, soft tube packaging with a pump! It is an ingenious way because it can be stored inverted. The pump feature together with a soft tube packaging minimises the contact of product with air, which in turn reduces the rate of the "antioxidants" in the product from "oxidised" and loosing the effectiveness. I cannot be more happy with the packaging.

The product is a thin lotion and glides on skin very very smoothly. It is also slightly tinted to a beige skin colour but it goes onto skin completely transparent. I use approximately 1.5 to 2 pumps for the whole face and neck. It is very lightweight, with a subtle fragrance which does not linger. The texture feels like a thin makeup primer.  We are meant to use this product after moisturiser and before makeup.

During the trial period (approximately 10 days) I used it daily. The product has given me a very dewy look which I love. I have tried using this product without makeup, with foundation on top, and with CC/BB cream on top, Whenever I use this product, I notice that the shine that sometimes can happen to my T-zone is completely controlled - No shininess even after 10 hours. The shine-control ability is truly amazing and it is something that I did not expect at all. It is also very comfortable to wear - I cannot feel that the product is there. Overall, I am very surprised with the excellent cosmetic effects of this product - well done!

The shield:

The product information leaflet says "Smart polymers form an invisible skin shield to screen out skin-dulling pollutants". In the Elizabeth Arden presentation, we have been told that some pollutants are so small that they can get into human pores and therefore "clog' the pores and invoke inflammatory response. The ingredients which form the "shield" are likely the be ACRYLATES/POLYTRIMETHYLSILOXYMETHACRYLATE COPOLYMER (and possibly also ACRYLATES/ETHYLHEXYL ACRYLATE/DIMETHICONE METHACRYLATE COPOLYMER).
They are both silicone acrylates polymers.  The theory is that the silicone shield forms a film so that pollutants cannot get into the pores. Depending on the kinetics and density of the bonding, this can be potentially effective. While the concept is great, I cannot help to think that if particles cannot get in, the other substances that the skin might want to get rid of cannot get out either.

Another relevant point to note is that this product is silicone heavy. I have roughly counted that there are about 10 variations of different forms of silicone. In the cosmetics industry, silicone itself is generally considered safe to use and non-comedogenic. However, "shield-forming" function aside, it does very little other than being filler and a slipping agent (and hence the very nice smooth feeling after application), and to some extent, preventing skin moisture lost. Due to this reason, I generally do not purchase skincare products which contain a high percentage of silicone, as I do not consider it to be an "active ingredient". With silicone-heavy products, I tend to think that they are "cosmetics" rather than "skin care".

The sunscreens:

The ingredients list shows two prominent physical sunscreen components, titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, as the 5th and 6th ingredients. What is slightly concerning, however, is the inability of Elizabeth Arden to market this product as an "SPF" product in the Australian market. Therefore, the effectiveness of the sunscreen can be considered "unknown" for the purpose of using it in Australia and I would highly recommend (and this is what I did) using either a chemical sunscreen (with SPF) under the City Smart or a physical sunscreen (with SPF) on top of the City Smart, or both, if sun exposure is anticipated.

The antioxidants:

There is a good cocktail of antioxidants in this product such as green tea extract, ferulic acid, idebenone (an analogue of co-enzyme Q10) and vitamin E. I am very impressed with this mix, although the first antioxidant is listed as the 22nd ingredient in the list (possibly low concentration).

DNA enzyme complex:

I can spend all day on this topic. In summary, from reading the ingredients list the "enzymes" are likely to be contained in a plant extract and also a bacterial lysate which, if given the optimal conditions, have the ability to identify DNA damage and excise it. However, the enzymes themselves do not repair DNA. The excision of damaged DNA may trigger the intrinsic repair mechanism to then repair the damage. In fact, Elizabeth Arden's promotional material only goes so far to say this complex "strengthens skin by supporting its natural repair systems". As I understand it, the promotional material will not be able to make any therapeutic claims without being tripped over by the Australian Therapeutic Goods legislation.

The two ingredients are not new inventions. Both ARABIDOPSIS THALIANA EXTRACT and MICROCOCCUS LYSATE are present in an array of Clinique Repairwear products. As usual I have doubts on how stable the enzymes are in any given over-the-counter skincare cream, the effective concentration, how can the enzymes be effectively delivered through layers of skin cells, how can the enzymes be transported across the cell membrane (and the nuclear membrane) where they will finally (and hopefully) find their target and do their job. Certainly there is no evidence that these enzymes are damaging to skin, so there is no harm done if you want to give it a go. But for now, I would discount this aspect altogether when considering the effectiveness of the product.

Conclusive notes:

All-in-all, a good product to try even just for the cosmetic effects. In the short time that I have been given, I cannot make a conclusive comment on whether the shield or the antioxidant blend has worked (no visible difference in skin tone and other signs of aging, for example). I would also just add that, from approximately day 5 through to day 10 of the trial period I have noticed 2 pimples and some congestion in places that I normally do not have congestion (i.e. forehead and cheek) and I have removed the product completely every evening.  However, because of the short trial time I cannot conclude that the congestion was caused by this product, so I will give it the benefit of the doubt. Personally speaking, I do not like applying a high level of silicone on my skin on a daily basis and also would be reluctant to spend so much money ($89 per 40ml) on anything that is this silicone heavy and without proper SPF. However, these few issues aside I have really enjoyed using this luxurious product - thank you BH and Elizabeth Arden again for the trial opportunity.

I received the Elizabeth Arden Prevage City Smart product as part of the Elizabeth Arden Prevage City Smart event and was really impressed with the initial results (test patched) on my hand. It helped reduce the red spots of I experiencing that week from using a rough laundry soap. It comes out in a yellow gel/cream-like consistency which spreads smoothly across the skin. There is the SLIGHEST tint which is only apparent because of my ghost-white skin but it really improves the look of my skin. I was really exciting by the sun protecting ingredients as well - it sounded like the perfect addition to my routine!

So following the instructions of the Elizabeth Arden team I went through my usual routine. I applied it after my moisturiser and it formed a fantastic barrier, locking in my moisturiser. It smelt wonderful and made a smooth surface for my foundation to glide on. 3 days after instituting this product into my routine with no other changes or products added (and I wasn't on my period so hormonal changes are not to be considered) I broke out :(. I was devastated because this was the only thing that could have done it especially as I religiously wash my hands before touching my face. I removed this product from my routine until the pimples went away, hoping it was a freak occurrence. Sadly when I put it back into my routine the break out came back and so I must permanently set this product aside.
This product felt brilliant on my skin and made my primer redundant so I do recommend it to any one whose skin likes it!

Thank you very much to Beautyheaven for the invitation to Sydney headquarters, to a presentation for the pre launch of Elizabeth Arden PREVAGE City Smart.

The girls from the Beautyheaven team were so welcoming and friendly. It was a small event with around 20 trial team members. It was all set up beautifully, with delicious finger foods and hydrating flavoured waters.
The presentation was expertly delivered, explaining all the ingredients within the preparation and the results and benefits from using this hydrating shield.

It was an eye opener to see how pollution from dust, wind, cars and industry can impact along with sun damage to prematurely age our skin. I was also amazed to see that Sydney had a higher level of pollutants in the air than, for example, New York.

After the presentation, we bombarded David, the presenter with so many questions, which he expertly took in his stride and answered them all precisely.

The PREVAGE City Smart comes in a silver box and 40ml silver coloured tube, which has a pump dispenser.

One small pump is all that is needed to smooth over your face and décolletage. The thin liquid, has a universal tint in it, so when it is smoothed on your skin, it blends perfectly. It feels amazingly light, I used it over my usual moisturiser or sometimes over a primer.

I wore it all day, each day, and feel it truly has protected my skin from environmental aggressors. I have mature skin, I can actually feel an improvement in my skin's appearance, it is much brighter and younger looking.
I'm sure with continued use this will continue to protect my skin from pollution and fight free radicals.
My skin has felt amazing whilst wearing this, usually anything with sunscreen in it makes my skin feel oily, but this is an oil-free sunscreen hydrating shield.

I could write about how happy I am with this product and talk technically about all the wonderful ingredients forever, but please do yourself a favour and try it out for yourself. You won't be disappointed, and this small 40ml tube will last an extremely long time, as only a tiny amount is used each day.

I also used it under my foundation and it still felt so light, and gave my makeup a flawless finish. I love it!