Minimalist Beauty Reviews

Long overdue update

2010-03-11T13:53:00.000-08:00

Hi guys,

I'm so sorry for not posting reviews in such a long time. I've been extremely busy with work. Though I am still constantly trying out new products, I haven't had the energy to blog. Working 12+ hours a day will do that to you. :-(

I just wanted to say hello and let you know that I do plan on reviewing products again! And if you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail me.

<3,

Rachel.

Bare Escentuals bareMinerals SPF 30 Natural Sunscreen

2009-10-29T15:49:00.001-07:00

Sunscreen needs to be reapplied every 2 to 3 hours, or it can actually cause the skin more harm than good. However, no one really has the time or patience to wash their face and re-do their entire morning routine multiple times throughout the day. Thus, it's a no-brainer that reapplying sunscreen is especially a hindrance for those of us who wear makeup and don't want to ruin it.

But, there are sunscreen products out there which can alleviate this problem. Spray-on sunscreen, which comes in liquid form and is packaged with either pump bottles or aerosol cans, is easily obtainable at the drugstore and can be stashed in your purse for quick mists. Some brands that offer spray sunscreens are Coppertone, Banana Boat, Neutrogena, and La Roche Posay. Another option is mineral sunscreen, which comes in powder form and needs to be brushed onto the skin. So far, I have not seen mineral sunscreens at the drugstore except in mineral makeup like L'Oreal Bare Naturale, but Peter Thomas Roth has two mineral sunscreens, one with SPF 45 and the other with SPF 30. Additionally, Bare Escentuals has its own bareMinerals SPF 30 Natural Sunscreen, also a mineral sunscreen, which is what I'm reviewing today. It comes in a white plastic tube dispenser with a brush on the end, contains 0.14 oz of product, and retails for $28. You can buy it at Sephora, BareEscentuals.com, or any retailer that carries Bare Escentuals. There are 3 different skin tone shades, but no transparent or clear. I received mine in light when I purchased the RareMinerals Active Mineral Skincare System--a great value if you're interested in trying all 4 products at a decent price. (The set is still in stock today, so get it with the Friends & Family discount while you still can!)

The Bare Escentuals mineral sunscreen is very simple to use. The powder is housed inside at the base, and you can actually see it because the plastic at the very bottom is clear. After you pop off the cap, twist the base to push the brush up out of the tube as well as slide open the dispenser underneath. Turn the tube upside down so the brush is pointing at the floor, tap it several times into the back of your hand. This helps get the product, which is distributed through three holes, into the the brush. Then, with your face tilted toward the ceiling or sky (as upright as possible), brush the sunscreen over your face in small circular motions.

Bare Escentuals claims that their bareMinerals SPF 30 Natural Sunscreen is oil-free, preservative-free, and contains 12% micronized Titanium Dioxide (micronized means the UV physical blocker has been broken down finely so it won't irritate the skin). Also, the powder supposedly contains Vitamins A, C, and E, aloe vera extract, and antioxidants to nourish the skin.

When I received this product, I noticed immediately how soft and nice the white brush is--it does not irritate my skin at all. The sunscreen also does not have any strange smells or fragrances; and since it only contains mineral, or physical UV blockers, rather than chemical, it is perfect for people with sensitive skin. This sunscreen does not accentuate any dry patches on my skin either. My T-zone develops shine various times throughout the day, so I prefer to blot my face before applying this sunscreen so as to prevent my skin's oils from contaminating the brush as much as possible. The powder has a bit of coverage but is still translucent enough that it matches with my skin tone. Also, I like that after applying it, my skin has a nice matte finish. I have not broken out or developed clogged pores from using this powder. It is convenient to toss into my purse and whip out for touch ups, and the packaging design ensures that the sunscreen never unscrews itself and releases a bunch of powder into my purse (I've read that the Peter Thomas Roth mineral sunscreen packaging does this).

However, as with any product, there are various cons:

1. Since the brush is attached to the product and you can't take it out, you'd have to probably purchase or use a special brush cleaner spray if you want to clean the brush every so often.
2. Although the sunscreen doesn't accentuate my dry patches, I don't recommend using it if you have dry skin. Though it claims to nourish the skin, it probably doesn't have many beneficial properties.
3. I know the product is coming out because the brush is stained darker with the powder from where the dispersing holes are located, but I cannot actually see the powder coming out itself. No matter how many times I shake or tap it the tube over my hand or a flat surface, there is no powder falling out from the brush. How much is really getting distributed on my skin, and am I protecting my skin sufficiently? I have no idea.
4. Since it isn't a cream or lotion, the mineral sunscreen is probably not rub or sweat resistant (forget being water resistant). I have to be extra conscious of not touching my face, like resting my chin in my hands, so I don't ruin my SPF coverage.
5. 0.14 oz means that this sunscreen actually doesn't contain a lot of product in it. Because the base is clear plastic, you can see the powder, but you can't see how much powder you've used up. Thus, you'll have no idea when you need to repurchase it until one day you don't see anything settling at the base anymore.
6. If you wear powder blush or foundation, you still might face the possibility of ruining your makeup anyway when you brush this sunscreen on.

Out of all these cons, the one that bothers me the most is #3. I am a little obsessive compulsive about protecting my skin from UV rays, so not being able to know how much product is coming out is rather annoying. However, I did use this product on my face on a little outing to the beach during the summer; and though I tanned, I did not sunburn. So maybe it really does work...in a secretive, magical way like that of the Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus? Hmm.

I do not think I'll repurchase this product, but I do think it's a good option to have around, such as for when you're breaking out and don't want to mess up your concealer/foundation by reapplying a liquid or cream sunscreen.

Hope this helps!

Anastasia Brow Powder and Highlighting Trio Brow Kit

2009-10-23T23:20:00.000-07:00

Today's review is on a product I've actually been using for many months now, but completely forgot about since my main preoccupation is always with skincare. The Anastasia Brow Powder and Highlighting Trio kit has become one of the staples in my everyday makeup routine. It retails for $32, and you can purchase it at Sephora or Nordstrom. However, I would suggest you purchase yours from Sephora, since theirs comes exclusively with a mini clear brow mascara which is great for a makeup bag.

Everyone has one cosmetic product they cannot leave the house without applying, and for me, other than skincare, it would be eyebrow powder or pencil. I have very light, sparse eyebrows and I've been filling them in since high school. Before I knew anything about makeup, I used to get this brunette eyebrow mascara from Maybelline, but I'd over apply, and you could see the dried brow mascara on my skin rather just my eyebrow hair. A year or two later I turned to Wet 'n' Wild dark grey or brown eyebrow/eyeliner pencils, but since I still had (for the most part) unshaped, untweezed eyebrows, I still didn't look so great. Fast forward a couple years, and my new method was tapping leftover black cream eyeliner on my angled brush from lining my eyes on my eyebrows. This wasn't a good look for me either--my eyebrows didn't look natural or complement my hair color.

Enter Anastasia. The brand has been around for quite a few years but I always thought the brow kit was too expensive to purchase. None of the stencils really fit my eyebrow shape, and other than the powder and two-ended brush + spoolie, everything else in it could be easily obtained at a drugstore or for cheaper. I tried a couple samples of the brow powder and really liked it, but couldn't justify spending $75 on the kit or buying the few items I wanted separately.

But, when Anastasia launched this Brow Powder Trio early this year, I was willing to buy it because it seemed like a much more economical product. First, there were 3 brow shades in it instead of 2; second, it also contained 3 highlighting shades which could be used on the eyes, brow bone, cheeks, or anywhere else on the face; and third, everything was packaged in a nice little magnetic compact with a mirror on the inside cover--perfect if you're running late and want to apply your makeup on-the-go (the brow shades can double up as eyeshadow and the pink highlighter shade can be used as blush). Also, this product will definitely last me over a year or two, so I don't have to worry about constantly repurchasing (unlike brow mascaras and pencils, which have a short life expectancy).

The reason why I like Anastasia brow powder in general is because the colors are all perfect variations of ash. Thus, they do not clash with your skin tone or hair color and look great in all different sorts of lighting. However, I prefer this trio over the regular powder duo because it comes with an extra shade. Although I (currently) have black hair, I do use the blonde ash, the lightest shade on the left. For the most natural look, I apply all three shades. First, I start off with the blonde ash from the inner first halves of my brows to the middle (where the arch is). Then, I apply the middle grey/taupe ash halfway past where my brows begin to a little past the arch. Lastly, I apply the darkest brown ash shade from my arch to the ends of my brows. While I am applying these shades, I make sure to blend everything together with an angled brush and spoolie so the colors seamlessly darken, and I don't look like I have color blocked eyebrows or anything. I find this method to look the most natural and flattering on me, and it shows up very nicely in photos. The shades work for me because I have dark hair, but those with blonde or red hair might not have any use for this product--I'd suggest trying the Brow Powder Duos.

As for the highlighting shades, I don't use them frequently--and if I do, I prefer to use a finger to pat them into my skin for a more natural look. The shimmer particles are rather large, and they don't seem to take well to brushes.

Now, I do not know if the powders in this kit are pure minerals, but Anastasia claims that they do contain minerals and natural botanicals which are good for the skin and won't clog the pores. I haven't broken out from this product, but I haven't noticed any benefits from it either--since it's a makeup item, I wouldn't count on it improving your skin or hair.

While the Sephora Friends and Family sale is still going on, I highly recommend you pick up this item if you've been on the fence about it!

Sephora Friends and Family 2009 - Calling All Sephora Employees!

2009-10-10T10:46:00.000-07:00

So a lot of you are aware of this already: Sephora is having their annual Friends and Family sale starting October 19th and ending November 2nd. During this time, everyone is entitled to getting 20% off on any item, excluding gift cards, ONLINE with code FF2009.

What I was wondering if any of you lovely people out there who also work at Sephora would happen to have an actual Friends and Family card that you wouldn't mind sending to me. I am always on a budget, and I've been making my Friends and Family wishlist since (believe it or not) last year, 2008. If anyone has a spare card they wouldn't mind sending to me, please let me know! I want to be able to continue purchasing great products to review for all of you and a couple of extra bucks always helps :-) Of course, I would definitely send you a little something in return to show my appreciation!

love,
Rachel.

RoC Multi-Correxion Update

2009-10-01T13:47:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! I'm so sorry for neglecting this blog. I've started working (unpaid, sadly) and my hours are so hectic that I am deadbeat by the time I get home every day. I will try to update more often (I know I keep saying this) so please continue to stop by!

Anyway, I wanted to give a little update on my experience with RoC Multi-Correxion products since I last wrote the previous review. During the initial stages, after I purchased the Skin Renewing Serum, I used the product basically every day until my skin started feeling a little dehydrated and sensitive. As you may or may not remember, I was using it daily because the one time I stopped initially, the tiny fine lines under my eyes came back. So I wanted to really give my skin more time to reap its effects.

However, what I didn't realize until after I wrote my first review was how terribly drying daily RoC use became for my skin. After about 3 weeks of daily use, I developed massive peeling and flakiness on my neck, and my skin burned every time I applied product to it after cleansing. I had no choice but to gently exfoliate and patiently apply a moisturizing serum and cream to my skin every night. I also had to temporarily switch sunscreens, since my normal one dries matte so it can be drying. During this time, I did not completely stop using RoC--I probably applied it at night either once or twice a week.

Now, my skin has completely recovered, and it has definitely experienced lasting improvements. When I stop using RoC for a couple of days, my skin, especially around my eyes, still looks well rested, plump, and creaseless. Thus, I definitely do think that using RoC or products with retinol can afford you REAL results, not just a temporary allusion.

So, with this I conclude that RoC Multi-Correxion is definitely a wonderful product-line to add into your skincare regimen. However, be sure to proceed with caution. I was overeager when I saw the good results and used the products too frequently at first, and wound up irritating and drying out my skin. If you have oily, non-sensitive skin, you are probably lucky in that you don't need to acclimate your skin to retinol first. However, for everyone else, make sure you start out slow with RoC--even if it means it'll take a longer time before you see any results.

RoC Multi Correxion Products

2009-09-10T14:43:00.000-07:00

Lately, I've been hitting the drugstore frequently in search of quality skincare and makeup products. Sometime back during spring, I picked up the RoC Multi Correxion Night Treatment and Eye Treatment. RoC is one of the few drugstore brands that utilizes retinol in almost every product. I've talked about the benefits of retinol before in my review on Skinceuticals 0.5% Retinol, but you can also read more about why retinol is so highly acclaimed here, here, and here. I'm personally a huge fan of retinol, but I can't afford to constantly purchase high end brands like Skinceuticals. Thus, I decided to try RoC.

Prices vary for RoC from drugstore to drugstore, but on my latest visit to CVS, I saw that the Multi Correxion products were priced at $24.99 and below. The Multi Correxion Eye Treatment comes in a 0.5 oz tube, and the Night Treatment comes in a 1.0 oz tube. The products are definitely not cheap despite being from the drugstore, but if you compare RoC to other brands with retinol such as prescription skincare the price is definitely fair.

The Multi Correxion line claims to "diminish the multiple signs of aging." The Eye Treatment is supposed to "visibly diminish dark circles and wrinkles," and the Night Treatment is supposed to reduce "brown spots, wrinkles, and the appearance of pores." Both contain "pure RoC RETINOL to visibly smooth wrinkles and help stimulate sin renewal," "antioxidant vitamins to help neutralize skin-damaging free radicals," and "Vitamin C to help rejuvenate skin tone." The back of the boxes says that testers of the product saw "dark circles visibly diminished, skin tone and luminescence noticeably improved" in 4 weeks, "brown spots and the appearance of pores visibly diminished" in 8 weeks, and "fine lines and wrinkles visibly diminished, skin firmness and elasticity improved" in 12 weeks.

When I first started using the Night and Eye Treatment, I applied them sporadically--sometimes once or twice a week, sometimes even less often, but usually when I had acne or congested skin. (I only use retinol products at night because I don't want to weaken my skin against UV rays during the daytime.) Though they are both called treatments, they are actually face and eye creams. Both creams are white in color and smooth over the skin very easily without feeling greasy. After cleansing and toning my skin, I would skip applying an anti-aging or moisturizing serum (unless it was the Bliss Peeling Groovy Serum) and apply both creams. If my skin was dehydrated, I applied my regular moisturizer over the RoC after at least 20 minutes (allowing time for the retinol to absorb). If my skin was especially congested, I applied another layer of the Night and Eye Treatment again. However, because I used the products sporadically, I didn't see any immediate results. After awhile, I forgot about the products and stopped using them during finals period. Also, what made me shy away from prolonged use of the products was their scent. They contain a perfume-like fragrance that I found entirely too strong and chemical-smelling, especially the Night Treatment. Applying it gave me a headache, and I felt as if I were breathing in chemical fumes. (If anyone at RoC is reading this, I hope you remove the fragrance from your products!)

However, I started using the two again a little over a month ago--starting at once a week, then building the frequency up to as often as three or four times weekly. Sometimes, I applied the Skinceuticals 0.5% Retinol Cream onto my skin first, and then applying the RoC treatments for added moisture. This time, I started to notice a slight difference in my skin. It was looking a bit more bright and even. However, the results weren't anything too spectacular.

Then, on another recent trip to CVS, I decided to pick up the RoC Multi Correxion Skin Renewing Serum as well, which comes in a very sturdy 1.0 fl oz pump bottle. Serums are more potent than creams or moisturizers, so combining a product line's serum and moisturizer or cream should bring you the best results. The Multi Correxion Skin Renewing Serum's texture surprised me. It is a pale beige color and very creamy and silky. It does not feel sticky or greasy and absorbs quickly, but leaves a hydrating barrier on the skin. Perhaps I'm already used to RoC's chemical perfume-y scent, but I didn't notice it as much with the serum. Although the product is not supposed to be used in the eye area, I've been applying it there and I haven't had any eye irritation problems. (But if you have sensitive skin, don't do this!) I apply the Renewing Serum all over my face and neck after cleansing and toning and using an exfoliating serum or tea tree oil spot treatment. Then, I apply the Night and Eye Treatment over everything. (This is part of my new skincare regimen, please see previous post for details.)

I am absolutely impressed and blown away by the results I have seen since I started regularly using RoC the past month. Adding in the serum has made a HUGE difference in how my skin looks. Within just two nights, my pimples, clogged pores, and redness around the nose dramatically reduced, the fine lines under my eyes completely disappeared, and my skin tone became brighter and clearer. The lines on my neck also looked less obvious.

Though I initially was using RoC products infrequently, after purchasing the serum I have since increased the frequency to daily use. If you've read my posts before, you know that I try to rotate my skincare products every now and then so my skin doesn't become tolerant to them. Thus, I did try to skip using RoC one evening, especially because my skin felt a little dry and irritated from all the exfoliation I was doing and needed a break. Sadly, the next day I noticed my skin was looking less bright. The day after that, the tiny hair lines under my eyes had reemerged. Perhaps I haven't been using RoC long enough and my expectations for its anti-aging properties were too high. I've gone back to using the serum and treatment creams every evening, but it took twice as long for the wrinkles under my eyes to disappear this time.

This might be one of the downsides to using RoC, or any retinol products--when I run out of product, or I cease using RoC after the trial 12 weeks, will my skin lose its new clarity? Will my fine lines come back? What about other testers who have wrinkles and deeper fine lines? I haven't figured this out yet, but I will definitely give an update when I finish the products and let you all know whether or not RoC enabled any long term benefits. But, although my skin hasn't reaped any permanent results yet, I can definitely assure you that this product line is extremely effective in reducing the appearance of wrinkles and blemishes or redness. Whether you're in your early twenties like me, or in your fifties, you should give RoC Multi Correxion a try.

One thing that I would not recommend purchasing for anti-aging purposes is the cleanser. I didn't purchase it myself, and if you have a cleanser you're happy with, there is no need to waste your money on a product that is only meant to cleanse and not treat your skin. Save it for the serum or treatments instead.

Lastly, I believe that these products are designed for normal to oily skin, so if you have dry skin, you may want to limit application to once a week, three times at most. Let me know if you have any other questions or anti-aging recommendations!

RoC Multi Correxion Night Treatment Ingredients:
Water, Isononyl Isononanoate, Glycerin, Steareth-2, Ascorbic Acid, Dimethicone, Cetyl Palmitate, PEG-8, Sorbitan Stearate, Butylene Glycol, Cetyl Alcohol, Steareth-21, Cyclopentasiloxane, Retinol, Copper Gluconate, Magnesium Aspartate, Zinc Gluconate, Panthenol, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Caprylyl Glycol, Methylparaben, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Bisabolol, Fragrance, Disodium EDTA, Propylparaben, Xanthan Gum, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Sucrose Cocoate, Squalane, BHT, Tocopherol, Polysorbate 20, Chlorhexidine Digluconate, Polysorbate 60, Lactoferrin. May also contain Sodium Hydroxide.

RoC Multi Correxion Skin Renewing Serum Ingredients:
Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycerin, Tetrahydroxypropyl Ethyllenediamine, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Dimethicone, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Nylon-12, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Retinol, Tocopherol, PEG-12 Dimethicone, Copper Gluconate, Magnesium Aspartate, Zinc Gluconate, Titanium Dioxide, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Pentylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Laureth-23, Bisabolol, Laureth-4, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Ethylparaben, Polyacrylamide, Sodium Hydroxide, Disodium EDTA, BHT, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Polysorbate 20, Hydroxyphenyl Propamidobenzoic Acid, Ascorbic Acid, Laureth-7, Mica, Fragrance

Summer / Fall Skincare Routine

2009-09-02T15:48:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted a routine since the beginning of the year since I've been dealing with constant skin issues. Now, my skin has finally calmed down in what feels like ages, and I can get away with wearing little to no foundation or powder. I thought I'd post a routine for those of you who suffer from hormonal or genetic acne and are still struggling with choosing the right products. This has always been a challenge for me because I risk dehydrating and irritating my skin while treating the acne, and then causing more acne and oil when treating the dryness and flakes.

I've heard from many sources that birth control is an excellent way of managing acne, but I'd prefer to ingest hormones as a last resort. So far, this routine is helping aplenty.

My skin type: Normal-Combination, sometimes dehydrated and flakey, slightly oily on T-zone area by mid-day.
Prone to deep cystic acne, blackheads, enlarged pores, and comedones

MORNING:

1. Wash with DHC Mild Soap (any light, non-drying soap will do) or rinse with only warm water to take off the impurities and oils from during the night.
2. (Optional) Dab tea tree oil or acne medication on blemishes. I personally do not dilute my tea tree oil before applying, but most people prefer to.
3. A moisturizer that contains SPF. I've been rotating high-end and drugstore brands; anything will do as long as it is moisturizing. I prefer to use only products with SPF during the day, but you are welcome to use a moisturizer that doesn't contain sun protection properties.
4. High coverage sunscreen for face and eyes. My current favorites are Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection SPF 55 PA+++ and Shiseido Sun Protection Eye Cream SPF 32 PA+++. Wait a few minutes for everything to dry before applying makeup.

Because my morning routine is very simple, I cram in all the treatment and renewing steps at night.

NIGHT:

1. Wash off all the day's dirt, pollution, makeup, and oils from the face and neck with a cleansing oil. I use DHC Deep Cleansing Oil.
2. Cleanse with a tough duty cleanser to clean off any remaining dirt or makeup and residue from the cleansing oil. I recommend using liquid facial soap, cleansing pad/cloths, or foaming facial cleanser formulas. I am currently rotating between Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash Pink Grapefruit Foaming Scrub and Dove Daily Hydrating Cleansing Cloths.
3. A couple times a week, exfoliate with a salicylic acid scrub. A good sign you need to exfoliate is when blackheads appear. I recommend using an aspirin mask (instructions easily found through Google) or St. Ives Medicated Apricot Scrub for Oily/Acne Prone Skin.
4. Tone with a gentle toner. Try not to use toners with alcohol. Any brand will do, even one from the drugstore.
5. (Optional) Use an exfoliant serum like Bliss Peeling Groovy, Clinique Turnaround Concentrate, or Estee Lauder Idealist Skin Refinisher. This helps your skin absorb the other skincare products as well as slough off dead cells.
6. Wait a couple minutes, then apply a moisturizing, anti-aging, or renewing serum. I like to use Jurlique's serums for brightening the skin.
7. Apply tea tree oil on any blemishes or pimples. Dilute with water if pure tea tree oil is too strong.
8. Apply a face and eye cream containing retinol. A great drugstore choice is Roc.
9. (Optional) Apply an additional moisturizer over the retinol cream. I am currently rotating between Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion, Egyptian Magic Cream, and DHC Virgin Olive Oil.

You do not have to use a retinol moisturizer every night. I started out with using retinol maybe once or twice a week, and then increased the frequency to 3 or 4 times a week. However, the combination of tea tree oil and retinol along with salicylic acid exfoliation is what helps really bring the acne down, so be sure to stick to it!
Of course, also pay attention to your health. Drink plenty of water, get enough exercise and sleep, and eat as many fruits and veggies as possible.
Hope this helps! Let me know if it works for you!

Victoria's Secret VS PRO Lasting FX Eyeshadow Primer

2009-08-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

For the longest time, the makeup section at my local Victoria's Secret was empty. The other day, when I went, they had finally added new products!

One thing that caught my eye which they didn't carry before was the new VS PRO makeup line. Supposedly these are all products that are used backstage at the annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, and now made readily available for the public. I am running out of Urban Decay Primer Potion (and I'm not the biggest fan of it either), so I really wanted to try the new VS PRO Lasting FX Eyeshadow Primer. What made up my mind was the realization that this primer is only $8 for 0.28 oz. EIGHT FREAKIN' DOLLARS! Compare that to Bare Escentuals bareVitamins Prime Time Eyelid Primer, which is $16 for 0.05 oz, or Too Faced Shadow Insurance, which is $17 for 0.35 oz, or everyone's favorite, UDPP, $17 for 0.34 oz. Though the latter have slightly more product, they cost over twice as much. Nothing at Sephora can beat the Victoria's Secret price.

The primer comes in a nice plastic tube with a narrow point. The product itself is a light nude color and has a very creamy, non-greasy consistency. A little goes a LONG way with this product, and it dries to a smooth, matte, nearly invisible finish--unlike Urban Decay Primer Potion, which can feel rubbery and unevenly dispersed on my eyelid. The shade of the primer matches with my skin shade (MAC NC20ish, not sure about the exact shade since I've gotten paler since I last went to MAC) and seems to have a some color correcting properties.

I primarily use eyeshadow primer to prevent my eyeliner and mascara from smudging because my eyelids are pretty oily. Secondly, I use it to keep my eyeshadow from creasing on my folds. To really test it out its eye priming abilities, I lined my upper and lower waterlines with black eyeliner, used non-waterproof mascara on my upper and lower lashline, and applied dark eyeshadow before going out at night. The primer really held up my eyeshadow all night, and I had no smudging underneath my eyes from the mascara. Also, I thought that it helped my eyeshadow look more vibrant than usual, and it did prevent creasing. As for the eyeliner on my lower waterline, it ran a little bit, but I still have to test this primer out some more under multiple situations.

I will report back with my final conclusions on my next post, but I just wanted to share the good news immediately!

Jurlique Product Reviews

2009-08-07T14:55:00.000-07:00

Today I have just some short reviews on a couple Jurlique products I tried out awhile back!

First up is the Herbal Recovery Gel. The bottle is 1 oz and costs $67 or you can choose a 3.3 oz version for $134 on the Jurlique website. Jurlique says that it is a "potent anti-aging concentrate" that "firms, hydrates, revitalizes the skin."
The first thing I noticed was that this gel has an intense strange, pungent scent...like musty dried-up wildflowers that have been fermenting in aloe vera. Didn't like the smell, but had high hopes for the product since I've read so many good reviews. The gel feels semi-watery, but has a slightly sticky finish. It reminded me of a serum or the essence from paper facial masks. Smoothed easily over the skin and absorbed immediately. I only used this at night, so I applied a thick cream or facial oil over it right after.
When I first tried it, I didn't think it did anything for my skin. However, I went back to it a couple of weeks later and it seemed to help my skin retain moisture better and slightly brighten and firm up the skin. I like this product and I think it does do what it promises, but the results aren't mind-blowing enough for me to spend $67 on it.

Ingredients from Sephora.com:
Water, Glycerin, Alcohol, Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Oil, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Gingko Biloba Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Rosa Gallica Flower Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Althaea Officinalis (Marshmallow) Root Extract, Echinacea Purpurea Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Viola Odorata (Violet) Extract, Viola Tricolor (Heartease) Extract, Spilanthes Acmella Flower Extract, Bellis Perennis (Daisy) Flower Extract, Stellaria Media (Chickweed) Extract, Sambucus Nigra (Black Elder) Flower Extract, Xanthan Gum, Rosa Canina (Rose Hip) Fruit Oil, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Fragrance (Parfum)*, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Seed Extract, Lactic Acid, Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A), Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Linalool*, Geraniol*, Citronellol*, Eugenol*, Benzyl Benzoate*, Limonene.* *From Natural Essential Oil (Chamomile - Chamomilla Recutita, Rose - Rosa Centifolia).

To be used in conjunction with the Herbal Recovery Gel is the Herbal Recovery Eye Gel which you can get at Sephora or on the Jurlique site. This isn't cheap either--the 0.5 oz bottle costs $48. (They used to sell a 1 oz version which cost $85, but that has been discontinued.) Jurlique says that it is an "antiaging concentrate for the eye area" and is "deeply hydrating, easily absorbed, firming, brightening."
This product is pretty much on par with the Jurlique Herbal Recovery Gel, except they've exchanged a few products. It doesn't contain licorice extract for brightening, instead it uses eyebright. The other newly added/substituted ingredient is arnica for cooling and soothing.
The texture and consistency and scent felt practically the same as the Herbal Recovery Gel, but the eye gel is slightly more emollient. As for the results, since I basically only used this on my eye area, it was hard for me to tell whether or not this product helped much. I thought it plumped my skin up a bit, but I didn't think it really brightened the eye area. Also, this product stung my eyes a lot. Depending on how sensitive your skin is, I would just use the Herbal Recovery Gel also on the eye area and be careful not to over apply or open my eyes until the product has completely dried, since the two are very similar, and the regular Recovery Gel contains better ingredients.

Ingredients from Sephora.com:
Water, Glycerin, Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Oil, Alcohol, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Gingko Biloba Leaf Extract, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Euphrasia Officinalis (Eyebright) Extract, Rosa Gallica Flower Extract, Bellis Perennis (Daisy) Flower Extract, Althaea Officinalis (Marshmallow) Root Extract, Echinacea Purpurea Extract, Stellaria Media (Chickweed) Extract, Viola Tricolor (Heartease) Extract, Viola Odorata (Violet) Extract, Spilanthes Acmella Flower Extract, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate, Lactic Acid, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Lecithin, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Root Extract, Fragrance (Parfum)*, Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A), Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Seed Extract, Allantoin, Citral*, Geraniol*, Linalool*, Limonene*.
* From Natural Essential Oil (Chamomile - Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria)).

I'm not really an eye makeup remover user since I like to remove all my makeup with cleansing oil, but I thought I'd try Jurlique's Eye Makeup Remover out anyway. You can get it at Sephora or on the Jurlique site. It comes in a 1.4 oz tube which costs $25. What interested me in this makeup remover was that it's a "moisture based cream," so I thought it might be more nourishing for the eye area.
I was quite surprised this makeup remover only costs $25 when compared with Jurlique's other pricey skincare offerings. Well, I can tell you that this product is cheap for a reason--it is not anywhere as effective as any of the other eye makeup removers out there like Lancome Bifacil or Clinique Take The Day Off Makeup Remover. It did not remove my cream eyeliner or mascara completely, and it wasn't emollient enough on my lids--I felt like my skin absorbed the product too quickly, so the cotton pad I used to wipe off the excess remover and makeup was tugging at my eye area. It even made my eyes (corneas) feel slightly sore and uncomfortable. I ended up using the rest of this product as a base for an aspirin mask (since I'm allergic to honey). Unless you wear extremely little eye makeup, I do not recommend this.

Ingredients from Sephora.com:
Water, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Glycerin, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Extract, Echinacea Purpurea Extract, Spilanthes Acmella Flower Extract, Viola Odorata Extract, Viola Tricolor Extract, Trifolium Pratense (Clover) Flower Extract, Taraxacum Officinale (Dandelion) Root, Usnea Barbata (Lichen) Extract, Bellis Perennis (Daisy) Flower Extract, Stellaria Media (Chickweed) Extract, Prunella Vulgaris Leaf Extract, Arctium Lappa Root Extract, Totarol, Ethylhexylglycerin, SD Alcohol 40-A (Alcohol Denat.), Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance.* *From Natural Essential Oil.

Biodynamic Beauty Serum / Purely Age-Defying Facial Serum - 1 oz for $75.

Jurlique's Biodynamic Beauty range is being renamed to Purely Age-Defying, in case of any confusion. From the long winded explanation on the site, I'm gathering that they have to rename the line to make it less confusing for customers which products are for anti-aging, since all of their products are biodynamic anyway (see Wikipedia for definition).
The consistency of this serum is much more emollient than the Herbal Recovery Gel. It also doesn't have much of a scent, which I like better. It smoothes on really nicely and absorbs extremely quickly and feels muh more moisturizing. However, in terms of results, I don't really notice any anti-aging differences between this serum and the Herbal Recovery Gel. In fact, I think the Herbal Recovery Gel might be even more effective in other ways, depending on what results you're looking for. I don't have fine lines yet so I can't make any assessments on wrinkle reduction, but I think that this serum is better suited for people who want their skin to look plump and well-rested, while the Herbal Recovery Gel helps to keep the skin looking bright and clear.
Again, I'm not sure this product produced results worth the $75, but if you're a huge fan of organic/biodynamic skincare, then I'd definitely try this line out.

Ingredients from Sephora.com:
Water, Glycerin, Sorbitol, Bellis Perennis (Daisy) Flower Extract, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Coco-Glucoside, Coconut Alcohol, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Rosa Gallica Flower Extract, Viola Odorata Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Sambucus Nigra Flower Extract, Fagus Sylvatica Bud Extract, Hydrolyzed Hibiscus Esculentus Extract, Faex, Olea Europaea (Olive) Leaf Extract, Viola Tricolor Extract, Althea Officinalis Root Extract, Algae Extract, Glucosamine Hcl, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Ectoin, Urea, Totarol, Dextrin, Ethylhexylglycerin, SD Alcohol 40-A (Alcohol Denat.), Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance/Parfum*, Linalool*, Citronellol*, Limonene*.
*From Natural Essential Oil.

Sunscreens with Light SPF Short Reviews

2009-08-01T13:10:00.000-07:00

I've been trying out various high end sunscreens on the lower range of SPF lately. All of the following sunscreens were tested alone on bare, clean skin, without any makeup applied over it for honest results. I won't go into too many details and just let you in on my personal thoughts or experiences. I didn't really go into what the product is supposed to accomplish to keep things short--if you like, you can read some of the specs on the product websites below.

If this post was helpful, please let me know what kind of short reviews you'd like to see in the future. I might write one on drugstore sunscreens with high SPF or light SPF, haven't decided yet!

My skin type: normal-dehydrated combination, T-zone prone to comedogenic acne, cheeks prone to hormonal acne and clogged pores, as well as the nose
Current Climate: warm to hot, sunny, little to no humidity

Cosmedicine Medi-Matte Oil Control Lotion SPF 20 - 1.35 oz for $42

Very light and fluid, easy to spread. Texture is very smooth, a little goes a long way on the skin. I'm reminded of Giorgio Armani's Face Fabric Foundation in terms of how light and silky this lotion is. Skin develops a slight shine but not much oiliness. Absorbed completely and quickly into the skin. Scent is light and pleasant.
The product claims to "eliminate excess oil and clogged pores" via yeast extract which helps with turning over dead skin cells as well as other various antioxidants. I didn't notice any particular improvement in the look of my skin, but I liked how it helped to mattify and smooth the skin a bit, due to the ingredient dimethicone (basically silicon, used in most makeup primers). Might be ideal for those who have normal to combination skin or oily skin and desire the "no sunscreen" feeling. Not sure about the oil controlling properties for people who have oily skin concerns.

Ingredients as taken from Sephora website:
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Water/Eau, Glycerin, C12-14 Pareth-12, Butylene Glycol, Punica Granatum Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Root Extract, Sorbitol, Squalane, Yeast Extract/Extrait de Levura, Bambusa Vulgaris Extract, Pisum Sativum (Pea) Extract, Glucosamine HCl, Panthenyl Ethyl Ether, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Polysorbate 60, Isopropylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Butylparaben.

Boscia Oil-Free Daily Hydration SPF 15 - 0.5 oz for $12, 1 oz for $27

I thought the consistency of this was thicker than expected for a low SPF moisturizer. When first squeezed out it actually seemed a bit intimidating because it slightly clung to my fingers in strands like mucus, or egg whites. It also feels like a moisturizer mixed with serum in terms of consistency. However, it spreads decently on the skin (not as well as Cosmedicine). It doesn't have much of a scent. Unlike the Cosmedicine, this does not absorb completely--I can clearly feel it sitting on my skin throughout the day, but not in a greasy, sticky, or oily way. It's almost as if it creates a barrier of water and feels very hydrating. I recommend this product to those with dry to normal skin in drier climates, since it did not really prevent oiliness.

Ingredients as taken from Sephora website:
Water, Butylene Glycol, Silica, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Glycerin, Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate, Pentylene Glycol, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Leaf Extract, Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/leaf/stem Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Algae Extract, Hydrolyzed Yeast Extract, Bishydroxyethyl Biscetyl Malonamide, Arctium Lappa Root Extract, Phellodendron Amurense Bark Extract, Hydrogenated Rapeseed Alcohol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Sclerotium Gum, Aluminum Hydroxide, Potassium Phosphate, Sambucus Nigra Flower Extract, Zinc Oxide, Titanium Dioxide.

Lancome Primordiale Skin Recharge Visibly Smoothing and Renewing Moisturizer SPF 15 - 1.7 oz for $65

The consistency of this sunscreen seems to be infused with water but doesn't have any stickiness or clinginess on the fingers. Otherwise, it actually reminds me a lot of the previous Boscia sunscreen. It creates a similar hydrating "barrier of water" on the skin that isn't oily or sticky, but you need more product with each application since it is less easy to spread. I don't experience much oiliness on the T-zone with this product, my skin just feels very hydrated. However, the difference between the Boscia sunscreen and this one is that this has a definite plumping, tightening effect on the skin so it is better for mature skin. Also, it has a light fragrance. I would only recommend this product to people with normal to drier skin. This product also claims to supposedly help with cell turnover but I have not noticed it helping with decreasing clogged or large pores.

Sorry, I don't have ingredients for this product but will post them if I find them.

Mario Badescu Aloe Moisturizer SPF 15 - 2 oz for $22

This sunscreen feels very creamy and nourishing on the skin. The color is interesting--it looks like the green in mint chocolate chip ice cream. It has a thick, cream-like consistency but feels more like a night-time moisturizer than a daytime moisturizer. It does not have any scent and blends very easily on the skin with just a little product. However, it never absorbed and my skin felt oily from the time of application to when I washed it off. I would only recommend it to those with dry skin in arid climates.

Ingredients as taken from the Mario Badescu website:
Deionized Water, Parsol MCX, Octyl Methoxycinnamate, Polyglycerylmethacrylate, Aloe Vera Gel, Glyceryl Stearate, Isopropyl Myristate, Squalane, Myristyl Lactate, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Ceteareth-20, Propylene Glycol, Methylparaben, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Propylparaben, Imidazolidinyl Urea

Estee Lauder Resilience Lift Extreme Ultra Firming Creme SPF 15 - 1 oz for $70

This cream is formulated especially for mid-life skin and helps to make it tighter and less dull. The texture and consistency of this sunscreen is very smooth and it feels exactly like a night cream--in fact, I even got confused and thought it was my night cream for a couple days. It has a warm beige color but has a pretty heavy perfumey fragrance that I actually don't really like. It looks and feels heavy in the jar, but isn't gloppy or overly thick if you just glide your fingers over it to apply rather than scooping it out, kind of like a cream eye shadow. I love how buttery smooth and soothing it feels going onto the skin, but unfortunately it doesn't absorb completely on my combination skin. The Estee Lauder site specifies this sunscreen is only for dry skins and they also have a very dry skin formulation. I definitely recommend this for dry skin, but even so it's probably not the best thing to use in the summer because it doesn't have any oil controlling properties--save it for winter instead.

Estee Lauder DayWear Plus Multi Protection Anti-Oxidant Creme SPF 15 - 1.7 oz for $38.50

This sunscreen feels sort of like a gel creme--in the jar, the consistency seems more watery and jelly-like compared to the other sunscreens, but it smoothes over the skin with the texture of a cream. You only need to use a little bit with each application, so be careful not to over-apply lest you experience the oilies. I didn't get too oily with this sunscreen, but I don't think it has any oil controlling properties. It also provides a hydrating barrier effect on the skin but less so than the Boscia and Lancome Primordiale since this sunscreen is creamier and the other two feel more like a serum. I recommend this to people with normal to combination skin. It has a fresh scent that reminds me of cucumbers. Contains anti-oxidant ingredients like white tea, South African Red Tea, grape seed extract, and Vitamins C and E.

Active Ingredients:
Octinoxate 7.50%, Octisalate 5.00%, Avobenzone 2.00%.

Korres Wild Rose 24 Hour Moisturizing and Brightening Cream SPF 6 - 1.4 oz for $32.50
(also available at Korres.com)

This moisturizer doesn't have enough SPF for me to even recommend using it as your only sun protection from the sun, but I would definitely recommend using it in place of a daytime moisturizer under your sunscreen. It has a light feel but is very creamy at the same time. You only need to use a little bit for it to go a long way on the skin. Dry skinned girls can apply it with a heavier hand, but if you have oily or combination skin, I would be very careful not to over apply. It dries to a matte finish but still feels very hydrating. I can see this product being very effective if mixed with foundation, but I do not see any special brightening or healing properties. I also do not like the scent of this cream. Rather than smelling like fresh roses it smells like potpourri, which kind of reminds me of old grannies--not something a 20-something year old wants to smell like, haha.

Ingredients:
Aqua (water), C12-20 Acid PEG-8 Ester, Glycerin, Hexyldecanol, Hexyldecyl Laurate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Pentylene Glycol, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Titanium Dioxide, Cetyl Alcohol, Hydrogenated Olive Oil Myristyl Esters, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, PEG-20 Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, Imperata Cylindrica Root Extract, Olea Europea (Olive) Oil Unsaponifiables, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Alcohol, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Alumina, Aluminum Stearate, Arginine, Ascorbic Acid, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Benzoic Acid, Benzyl Benzoate, Benzyl Salicylate, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Caprylyl Glycol, Carbomer, Citric Acid, Citronellol, Dehydroacetic Acid, Ethylhezylglycerin, Hexyl Cinnamal, Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde, Isodecyl Salicylate, Parfum (Fragrance), PEG-8, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil Phenoxyethanol, Polyaminopropyl Biguanide, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Sodium Phytate, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Extract, Xanthan Gum

Estee Lauder Hydra Bright Skin-Tone Perfecting Moisturizer Creme

2009-07-29T19:51:00.000-07:00

With the 90+ degrees weather Southern California has been receiving in the past couple of weeks, my skin has been needing a break from my usual assortment of heavy nighttime moisturizers and creams. Thus, I've been using Estee Lauder's Hydra Bright Skin-Tone Perfecting Moisturizer Creme to give my skin a break every few nights. It comes in a 1.7 oz jar with two types (one for dry and one for normal-combination skin) and retails for $40. You can purchase this at the Estee Lauder website or any department stores that carry Estee Lauder. I have been using the one for normal-combination skin.

When I first started using Hydra Bright, I didn't have very high expectations. I thought that this would be like any other moisturizer that I've tried in the past. However, at first glance, the consistency of this white cream seemed unique. It's a cross between a gel and a cream (a gel-cream, if you will) and felt very light and pillowy to the touch. The fragrance does not bother me, and I even thought it smelled slightly like bananas, though I'm sure that was not Estee Lauder's intention. Unlike most gel moisturizers, this cream requires more product to spread evenly and thoroughly over the face, so I've gone through the tub pretty quickly. After applying it to the skin, it feels very hydrated but non-greasy or slippery.

Estee Lauder claims that this "ultra hydrating moisturizer banishes first signs of aging uneven skintone, dullness, and fine dry lines." The ingredients in the moisturizer like the hydrating "Encapsulated Moisture Cells" have also been broken down "to the molecular structure so skin can asborb it more easily." You are supposed to use it both day time and night time before the repair serum. I actually only use this product at night because it doesn't dry matte or non-sticky, so it's not a good product to use underneath your daily sunscreen. (However, Estee Lauder's Hydra Bright Collection contains a SPF 15 Moisturizer so I would assume it'd be better underneath sunscreen, though I personally have not tried it.)

What I really like about this moisturizer is that it actually does live up to its name and really brightens the skin. Within half an hour of application, my skin looked much more radiant and bright. The effect was different than what I've experienced with other moisturizers like Bare Escentuals RareMinerals Purely Nourishing Facial Moisturizer--which instead made my skin look more healthy as if it were glowing from within. My skintone also looked more even and light. The only complaint I have is that the brightening effect didn't seem to last for 24 hours (I only use it during night). This brings me back to my earlier point--perhaps it is necessary to apply this during the morning as well to achieve that brightening effect. For this reason, I'm not positive this product is a must have for skin brightening, but I think it's great to keep on hand if your skin needs a quick fix, especially for special occasions, as the results are quite immediate.

Ingredients:
Water/Aqua/Eau, Caprylic/Capric/Myristic/Stearic Triglyceride, Butylene Glycol, DI-C12-15 Alkyl Fumarate, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, Petrolatum, Butyrosperumum Parkii (Shea Butter), Steareth-21, Glycerin, Stearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Pentylene Glycol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Steareth-2, Morus Nigra (Mulberry) Root Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Extract, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Fruit Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Extract, Coffea Robusta Seed Extract, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Opuntia Tuna Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Extract, Cereus Grandiflorus (Cactus) Flower Extract, Sea Salt/Maris Sal/Sel Marin, Astrocaryum Murumuru Seed Butter, Garcinia Indica (Kokum) Seed Butter, Fish (Pisces) Collagen, Sucrose, Jojoba Wax PEG-120 Esters, Acetyl Glucosamine, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Phytantriol, Yest Extract/Faex/Extrait de levure, SOdium DNA, Isohexadecane, Caffeine, Cholesterol, Phenyl Methicone, Ethylhexyl Stearate, Capryuc/Capric Triglyceride, Stearoxytimethylsilane, C30-45 Olefin, Polysorbate 80, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut Oil), Acetyl Carnitine HCL, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phospholipids, Linoleic Acid, Terhalose, Linolenic Acid, Propylene Glycol Dicaprate, Phytosphingosine, Sodium Chondroitin Sulfate, Ascorbyl Tocopheryl Maleate Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer, Nordihydroguaiaretic Acid, Fragrance (Parfum), Carbomer, Sodium Carbomer, Hexylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol

Shiseido Sun Protection Eye Cream SPF 32 PA+++

2009-07-14T17:03:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Javy at Scarlett Empress, I am able to review this product, the Shiseido Sun Protection Eye Cream SPF 32 PA+++. You can get this at Sephora, Macy's, Nordstrom, and any other department store with a Shiseido counter. The tube contains 0.507 ounces of product and retails for $31.

I have previously reviewed the Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Lotion SPF 55 PA+++, which is the light sunscreen in the same brand line suitable for both face and body. Shiseido also makes an Ultimate Sun Protection Cream SPF 55 PA+++ but I haven't been able to try that out yet so unfortunately I can't make comparisons between it and the eye cream.

Since I like to keep the layers of product on my face light, particularly in the summer, I decided that the Ultimate Sun Protection Lotion SPF 55 PA+++ was too heavy for every day wear. Most importantly, I want my skin to feel like it can still breathe, yet be hydrated. So I was slightly skeptical of trying out this eye cream. It's very difficult to find products that hydrate the eye area without being too heavy or drying. However, the reviews on this product were very good.

Shiseido's eye cream is different than all the other eye creams I've seen out there because it offers the maximum UVA protection. As someone who suffers from allergies (including itchy eyes), I have a bad habit of rubbing my eyes brutally until they sting from irritation, so UVA protection is essential to prevent further aging. Shiseido also claims that this eye cream contains "light diffusing powder to make the eye area look brighter" and "rose leaf apple extract" which is an antioxidant--I don't think I've ever seen this ingredient in other products, though. Like the Ultimate Sun Protection Lotion, this eye cream also contains Xylitol, to help exfoliate the skin.

I really like the sturdy packaging of this eye cream--it won't unscrew itself and spill into your bag, and the tube is affixed with a plastic funnel type applicator to help control the amount you squeeze out while also keeping the product sanitary. The white cream is lightly scented with the same fragrance as Shiseido's other Sun Protection products and it is slightly thick but very easy to spread all over the orbital area. After it dries, it has a matte finish, yet it does not feel powdery or dry to the touch at all even though it contains light diffusing powder. It does not completely absorb into the skin, but leaves a barrier of moisture. Because it is non-greasy, it is possible to even skip using eye primer if you have normal or dry skin. For me, I don't need to use eye primer over it unless I'm wearing eyeliner or more than 3 shades of eyeshadow. But most importantly, this eye cream does not sting my eyes whatsoever. I've gone so long without using SPF eye cream because I always thought I could obtain the same protection by spreading my normal sunblock over my eye area. Besides unnecessarily tugging at the skin, it also stung my eyes like crazy! Believe it or not, even baby shampoo stings my eyes more than this eye cream!

Although I was wary of this eye cream, I must say it has completely surpassed my expectations and I will definitely repurchase when I run out. I am now very eager to try the Ultimate Sun Protection Cream...if the finish is anything like the eye cream, I know I'll love it as well. I am now definitely adding this product to my list of holy grails.

Active Ingredients:
Octinoxate 4.9%, Zinc Oxide 9.3%
Inactive Ingredients:
Water, Cyclomethicone, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, Dimethicone Copolyol, Polybutylene Glycol/PPG-9/1 Copolymer, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Titanium Dioxide, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Dimethicone, SD Alcohol 40-B, Xylitol, Methyl Gluceth-10, PEG/PPG-14/7 Dimethyl Ether, Tocopheryl Acetate, Zinc Myristate, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Ononis Spinosa Root Extract, Ectoin, Sophora Angustifolia Root Extract, Dextrin Palmitate, Isostearic Acid, Aluminum Distearate, Aluminum Hydroxide, Alcohol, Trisodium EDTA, Butylated Hydroxytoulene, Tocopherol, Syzygium Jambos Leaf Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance

Bliss Triple Oxygen Instant Energizing Facial Mask

2009-07-08T03:00:00.000-07:00

Apologies for the scant reviews lately, but they're coming--I promise! Today's review is on the Bliss Triple Oxygen Instant Energizing Facial Mask. It comes in a sleek white plastic pump 3.4 oz bottle and retails for $52. You can purchase this at Sephora, the Bliss website, and any department stores that carry Bliss products.

I wanted to try this mask because I really loved Bliss' Peeling Groovy serum (previous review here) and I've heard good things about it from various beauty gurus like Pursebuzz, Phyllis at Makeupforlife, and Queenie at Youtube. Furthermore, Bliss reports that this mask is one of their best sellers, and it's been featured in countless other magazines. Tons of people love it!

You're supposed to apply this mask to a clean, damp face. As I pumped the product out, I noticed it looks a lot like a shaving gel (it's also a creamy orange color with a pleasant scent). It took quite a few pumps to get it covered amply all over my face and neck (I'd estimate about 10 pumps total). Basically, you slather it all over the skin just like you do with shaving gel on your legs, and it even foams up a bit like a shaving gel does at first. Then, the mask becomes more and more bubbly and frothy on the skin as time passes, and less like a thick foam. You wash it off after 3-5 minutes, and the directions say you can use this mask up to 3 times a week. (Not sure why you can't use it more often--perhaps your skin becomes tolerant to it.)

The product claims to "brighten" and "lighten" your complexion and help your face look less "dull or tired" with "the most active powerful form of Vitamin C available." Also, the oxygen bubbles are supposed to help deliver more antioxidants to the skin through "innovative Fluid02 technology." Since I'm a fan of anything with antioxidants or skin brightening and lightening, I was really eager to try it.

However, after I rinsed off the mask the first time, I felt like my skin felt pretty clean and smooth, but I didn't notice any difference. Unconvinced, the next time I tried it, I used it on half of my face to really test it out. Both sides of my face looked identical despite using the mask on only one side. So then I tried it on a single spot on the back of my hand. Nothing. My complexion was the same color in that one spot, and it didn't get lighter or brighter at all.

People rave about how this product is like a spa in a bottle, but I think the luxurious pampering feeling they get from it is an overly hyped, placebo-like effect. This mask really doesn't do anything for me. It's just like an expensive bottle of shaving gel for the face that happens to turn into foam. Maybe it does help with free radicals and cell damage, but I can think of a ton of other products out there (not necessarily masks) that do a better job. As for the (many) people who see genuine results after using it, I say good for them, but if you haven't tried this yet and are thinking about purchasing, I highly recommend getting a sample first to see if it even works for you. I have to say I'm very disappointed--I guess Bliss' products are either hit or miss.

Ingredients (as taken off the box):
water (aqua), methyl perfluoroisobutyl ether, sorbitol, cocamidopropyl betaine, methyl perfluorobutyl ether, sodium laureth sulfate, chondrus crispus (carrageenan), cyclopentasiloxane, glycerin, fragrance (parfum), cyclohexasiloxane, limonene, phenoxyethanol, benzyl alcohol, potassium sorbate, xanthan gum, coco-glucoside, sodium PCA, tocopherol, oryza sativa (rice) bran extract, camellia sinesis leaf extract, aloe barbadensis leaf juice, gynostemma pentaphyllum extract, panthenol, polyhydroxystearic acid, hydrolyzed soy protein, benzoic acid, PPG-1 trideceth-6, citric acid, tetrahedexyldecyl ascorbate, ethylbisiminomethylguaiacol manganese chloride, ethylhexyl isononanoate, mica, linalool, isononyl isononanoate, sodium cocamidopropyl PG-dimonium chloride phosphate, citral, titanium dioxide (CI 77891), yellow 5 (CI 19140), red 40 (CI 16035)

Updated Skin 79 BB Cream Posts

2009-06-23T14:50:00.000-07:00

Hey guys,
Just to let you know, I've updated my BB Cream posts on Skin 79 to include the list of ingredients. I got home and found the product box so I was able to get them all typed up.

You can read my first post on Skin 79 BB Cream here and the comparison with L'egere here.

More reviews coming up...my apologies for being a bit slow lately! I blame summer vacation...haha.

Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Lotion SPF 55 PA+++

2009-06-18T14:15:00.000-07:00

After I finished my tube of Clinique Derma White Super City Block SPF 40 PA++, I was looking for a lighter sunscreen with higher UVA protection. The first product that I definitely wanted to try was the Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Lotion SPF 55 PA+++. As far as brand name sunscreens go, it is one of the most economical since you get more product for your money. It is also one of the consistently most top rated sunscreens.

The Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Lotion comes in a 3.3 oz plastic bottle that's fairy light weight. There is a cartridge inside the bottle to help evenly mix up the sunscreen when you shake it before each use. The snap-on cap flips up very easily but is durable so you don't have to worry about it spilling out into your purse or bag. This product is made in Japan which means it is definitely quality.

This sunscreen is also:
- water resistant, perspiration resistant (notice it says resistant rather than proof...so I don't think it's meant for actual heavy water or sweating activities)
- extremely concentrated, protects against UVA and UVB (3 +'s means you get the maximum UVA protection there is out there, and UVA rays are the ones that cause wrinkles)
- highly nourishing, contains "Xylitol" to "retexturize, counteract roughness, and keep skin looking soft" and the "antioxidant Thiotaurine" (I have never heard of these ingredients being used in other products so I don't know much about their effectiveness)
- can be used on face and body.
- can be applied repeatedly and still be invisible on skin
- no sticky or filmy feeling

I think many beauty bloggers have probably already tried this sunscreen before. Although I'm relatively new to trying out high-end sunscreens (remember my disastrous bout with MAC Prep and Prime SPF 50 last year?), I have pretty high standards for what I consider a good sunscreen. I want one that has all the lightness and consistency of a SPF 30 or under sunscreen, but with SPF 40 or higher and maximum UVA protection.

When I first started using this product, I was amazed that it actually had the consistency of a liquid. I had not known it was possible for a high SPF sunscreen to come in this form at all! In terms of spreading over the face, I found it much easier than the sunscreens I had previously tried. It's not heavy, dries quickly, and doesn't leave a greasy or oily feeling. Within the first couple days, I definitely thought this sunscreen was "holy grail" material and I immediately stocked up on an extra bottle when Sephora had a 15% off sale.

However, I don't really find that this sunscreen is as "non-sticky" or "non-filmy" as it claims to be. Though it's pretty light and has a whitish color, and dries to a matte finish after applying it over my skin, I can still definitely feel it covering my skin in a liquid-powdery sort of film, if that makes sense. The finish is not very different from MAC's Prep and Prime SPF 50 in actuality, so some people might not really be bothered by it. However, I don't think it absorbs as well as a sunscreen with less protection. Like many sunscreens, it does help a bit with concealing redness and blemishes on your skin before makeup, but I think this is only because it has a slight whitish cast. Over a month ago, when I was at school, my skin was going through a dry, dehydrated phase and this product did not help at all. It probably made my skin even drier. Thus, I developed a habit of putting on a lighter, more moisturizing SPF underneath it (Clinique Superdefense SPF 25 for Dry-Combination skin was amazing). Since I don't have naturally smooth, patch-less skin in the first place, that made it even harder for me to apply foundation or powder over the sunscreen. Since the finish already created a film on my skin, it wasn't that great to reapply over makeup. By the end of the day, I felt like I had a layer of sunscreen cake on my face and I couldn't wait to wash it all off with cleansing oil.

I am not trying to dissuade any of you from buying this product because I really do think it is quite good, and a lot of people like it, but it just simply falls short of my expectations. I want a sunscreen that feels more moisturizing, is more fluid, but still maintains the same high level of protection. I think this sunscreen is great for extremely hot days where you know you'll be sweating a lot, or a day at the beach (if you won't spend too much time in the water). Whether or not it works for you just really depends on your lifestyle. For someone like me, who spends most of her time running around between work, school, and home, it's a bit unnecessary as a daily sunscreen. So I'm currently debating whether I should return my extra bottle and try out a different sunscreen. I'm considering the Clarins UV Plus SPF 40. Have any of you tried it?

Anyway, here are the Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Lotion SPF 55 PA+++ ingredients.

Active ingredients: Octinoxate (7.4%), Zinc oxide (13.9%)
Inactive ingredients: Water, cyclomethicone, butylene glycol, dimethicone, polymethyl methacrylate, trimethysiloxysilicate, polybutylene glycol/PPG-9/1 Copolymer, dimethicone copolyol, dextrin palmitate, xylitol, methyl gluceth-10, glutathione, zinc myristate, dipotassium glycyrrhizate, thiotaurine, scutellaria baicalensis extract, ectoin, cyclopentasiloxane, glycerin, acrylates/dimethicone copolymer, aluminum hydroxide, isostearic acid, stearic acid, disteardimonium hectorite, silica, alcohol, trisodium edta, BHT, phenoxyethanol, methylparaben, ethyparaben, fragrance, titanium dioxide

With the impending summer, more people are getting concerned about sun protection. A couple weeks ago, I was surfing the internet on some downtime and came across these articles. Hope you find them as equally interesting as I did.

Daily Green - Reformulation of European Sunscreens to meet new UVA standards

Newsmax - Broccoli Juice as a Natural Sunscreen?

Also, there quite a few summer contests going around! Luluchinadoll is holding a giveaway in celebration of her 100 followers--there is still a little time to enter!

Huge DDF Haul

2009-06-09T09:26:00.000-07:00

I was excited when I got my email from Hautelook, an exclusive, invitation-only private sale site, this morning because one of the brands on sale was DDF (Doctor's Dermatologic Formula)! Everything is 50% off; this is awesome because DDF is such an expensive brand. I've heard pretty good things about it so I jumped on this immediately.

What I bought:
- Cellular Revitalization Age Renewal Cream
- Mesojection Healthy Cell Serum
- Glycolic 10% Toning Complex
- Glycolic 10% Exfoliating Oil Control Gel
- Intensive Holistic Lightener Serum

Damage: ~$200

I kind of wanted to purchase more, but I didn't want to spend an exorbitant amount, although I feel like I spent way too much already. The items are all final sale so hopefully they'll work well for me. If not, you'll definitely hear about it here in due time :-)

Has anyone ever tried these before? Any thoughts on how well they worked for you?

I really wanted to also get the RMX Essential Packets since they contain colustrum (Makeupalley tells me this is produced in human mother's milk!) and I can't find them being sold anywhere else anymore, but the description didn't say how many were in the box, which costs $100 even with the discount. Plus, I couldn't find the ingredients. That's just way too much for me to spend on something that might not even work or be returnable..

Anyway, if any of you are interested in buying DDF at Hautelook or just browsing the site, feel free to leave a comment with your email address if you don't have membership. I will send you an invite, never fear! ;-)

Caudalie Vinoperfect Night Correcting Cream

2009-06-02T20:43:00.000-07:00

I'm actually posting so soon, and feeling pretty diligent! This product ends my trial period with Caudalie. In conjunction with the Caudalie 1st Wrinkle Serum, I decided to get their Vinoperfect Night Correcting Cream. We've all heard over and over again how you have to use a company's line of specific products in order to achieve the best result. (I suspect this is an advertising or marketing ploy sometimes.) While these two products aren't under the same umbrella of result (brightening vs. energizing), Caudalie uses similar ingredients in all their products anyway, so I thought I would still be getting the maximum Caudalie benefits.

You can get this at Sephora or on the Caudalie website. The cream is for all skin types, and costs $68 for 1 oz. All Caudalie products seem to be made in France, but there might be a couple exceptions...I'm not completely sure.

I got this cream to try because it promised to deliver results that seemed too good to be true. The cream is supposed to "diminish dark spots while renewing skin," "tighten pores," and "make your skin more radiant." Instead of containing the usual anti-oxidants from the grapes themselves, this product has "500 ppm titration of pure Viniferine" taken from"grapevine stalks" which supposedly has much more concentrated anti-oxidant effects than the normal anti-oxidant product. I don't understand much of the scientific language, but since the Viniferine is patented, you'd think it means the product is even more amazing.

Some of the ingredients in the Vinoperfect Night Correcting Cream as taken from the Caudalie website are Viniferine in 500 ppm titration (improves radiance, complexion enhancing and anti-oxidant on the upper layers of the skin), grape acid (provides mild exfoliation), olive squalane, shea butter, cassia angustifolia, grape extract & sodium hyaluronate (all are nourishing & moisturizing), camomile extract (soothing), sweet orange, tangerine, orange blossom water, petit grain, galbanum, ylang ylang (provide relaxing scent?)

This cream is supposed to be applied only at night, but I also used this morning and night. I don't think there's any harm in doing that. The cream is a little hard to squeeze out from the tube. It comes out in a very precise, small little stream of cream, so you're not in the danger of squeezing out too much but you might get frustrated trying to get it out when you're almost done with the tube. (Tip: I cut all my tubes open in sections to get the leftover cream out!) The smell isn't as pleasant as I thought it would be...maybe I had a defunct tube, but the scent made me think of medicine with a faint tinge of grapes.

The texture of the cream is very smooth and it melts down very easily when you rub it between your fingers. It has a medium thick consistency--not too thick as far as creams go, so people with dry skin can probably use it during the warmer months. The cream is buildable, you can use a little for a tiny bit of moisture, or a couple additional layers for a more hydrating effect. When I added on more layers though, it did not absorb very well into my skin. Some of you might enjoy that effect though if you want your cream to maximize the efficacy of serums or other products you've used underneath. It actually also has a bit of a tendency to ball up if you rub your face after application or put any other moisturizers on top.

As for results, I'm not sure if this product helped with my pores. I can't tell if it made their appearance any smaller since my skin has been gradually improving lately anyway, but I haven't had any major clogged pores or break out issues. Also, as for brightness and radiance, I think the cream does a so-so job. I've used products that have given me more radiance before, so I don't think this is the product for that. My acne scars don't look any lighter either. It's really a pity because Caudalie always has such great ingredients, but for some reason the two products I've tried just haven't really done much for me, especially with how expensive they cost. Perhaps dry skin types might want to check this out, but as for everyone else, I'm sure a good retinol product like Skinceuticals 0.5 or 1.0 Refining Night Cream will do a better job. I did a review on the 0.5 version in case you're interested in my opinion.

Anyway, I'm going to be going home pretty soon, so let's see if the change in environment causes my skin to completely go crazy again...I will have to change all my products again!

P.S. Join Mayaari's giveaway to win some great products! You blogger ladies are all so generous!

Caudalie Pulpe Vitaminee 1st Wrinkle Serum

2009-06-01T19:03:00.000-07:00

I bought this recently to try out because my skin is really craving hydration, and I wanted to try some anti-aging products. It retails for $59 and is 1 fl oz. You can buy it at Sephora or on the Caudalie website.

This serum is advertised as being "full of anti-oxidants" and is supposed "to fight the early/first signs of aging." The website says that it contains beneficial ingredients such as: stabilized grape-seed polyphenols (an anti-oxidant), plant biovector (anti-wrinkle), hyaluronic acid (moisturizing), fern (lifting), ginger, ginseng, royal jelly, echinacea (all energizing), and orange pulp scent, like freshly squeezed orange with a zest of carrot and iris butter (for scent?). Since it had so many amazing ingredients I decided to give it a try even though I don't have any wrinkles (yet...never hurts to prevent).

The bottle is very light and I think the packagin is quite pretty. One things I did notice was that the plastic cap kept falling off in my makeup bag when I brought my toiletries with me to camp out in the college buildings overnight, so that was annoying. Though the serum didn't get everywhere, it's definitely not a travel safe product!

One of the first things I immediately noticed about this serum was its scent. It smells exactly like Japanese green grape bubblegum, the kind you find in Asian markets in little packs or balls. Since I have loved that smell since I was a kid, I was seized by a savage instinct to eat it (but I controlled myself!). It looks like a very thin and watery, white moisturizer, and the texture feels also like a very light, fluid moisturizer rather than a serum. Unlike normal serums, which have a sticky after-effect, after smoothing it over your face, it instantly silkens or "mattifies" to your skin. Your skin feels very smooth and you don't have a leftover film of moisturizer on your skin. This serum is designed to be used during the mornings, but I apply it both at night and in the morning, hoping to get the maximum effect.

As for the results, to be quite honest, I didn't see much difference in my skin. There were no immediate results; my skin didn't feel much tighter or lifted, it didn't look brighter, didn't help or worsen my acne or pores...just didn't do much of anything! To be fair, it might've helped with my dryness a bit, this product is definitely not moisturizing enough on its own to really produce any positive results.

I will try to get up another Caudalie review this week, but things are still a little crazy with my upcoming graduation, so no guarantees :-) I've missed you all!

Bliss Peeling Groovy Serum

2009-05-19T09:00:00.000-07:00

(OK, I know I should be working, but in my defense I typed up most of this review before finals anyway, hehe)

I have found my new holy grail exfoliant serum!

1 ounce costs $65...I almost cried when I purchased it, haha. Luckily, Bliss.com was doing a promotion in February where you received a full size Love Handler for free with any purchase which persuaded me.

You can purchase this at Bliss or Sephora. It comes in a thick glass bottle with a sturdy plastic pump. I hate products with crappy pumps, and I actually like that it's in glass because that means I can store the product longer (plastic packaging = chemicals leeching into your product and shorter shelf life).

I always assumed Bliss skincare products weren't effective because the ingredients never impressed me, but this product makes me understand why they have such a cult following. My former holy grail serum Estee Lauder Idealist stopped working for me early in 2009 (I think my skin became tolerant to it) so I was desperately looking for a similar product.

My skin was immediately glowing upon the first application and it looks absolutely flawless. I'm even brave enough to go outside with no concealer, foundation, or powder. My cheeks are also naturally blushing. Amazing!

This has helped all my other skincare products work better. Before I finished my Clinique Derma White products, I could definitely see the difference the Peeling Groovy Serum made. In only a couple weeks, my skin already looked brighter and lighter than usual. As someone who has tried the Clarisonic in the past, which similarly claims to make all your skincare products absorb more and thus work better, I say ditch the Clarisonic and just buy this if you didn't think the Clarisonic was anything special either. The Clarisonic didn't minimize or clean my pores as promised, but this stuff really works.

Unfortunately, the downside to this product is that it stings a lot when you first apply it to your skin for about a minute. Oily skinned, non-sensitive types may not feel anything, but I don't even have particularly sensitive skin and I definitely felt a burning sensation when I first started using it. At the time, I had super congested skin. Now, my skin has calmed down a lot and I don't feel any pain or burning at all. However, in the words of Singaporean blogger Xiaxue, to me the sting is "tolerable for beauty's sake," but I understand some people may not have as high a pain threshold as I do.

This product is not intended to moisturize. After properly cleansing and toning your skin, I smooth a couple squirts onto my entire face and neck, avoiding the eye area. A little goes a long way. Make sure you wait 3-5 minutes before applying any other skincare products, like serums, moisturizers, or creams. I think eye creams are fine to apply as you wait since you're not applying the Peeling Groovy Serum on your eye area. When I first started using this, I had no idea I was supposed to wait before applying moisturizer, but I still saw a difference in the texture and vibrancy of my skin. I do think it's important to wait a little bit, but if your skin starts feeling tight because the water that was absorbed while cleansing your face disappears, go ahead and apply your lotion; exfoliation is important, but hydration is even more so.

I first started using this product around that "time of month" and it did dry my skin out pretty badly. My skin has improved so much lately, and I hardly need to use this anymore. I'll probably only whip it out once every two weeks, or when I feel my face breaking out. Since my skin is doing so much better lately, it seems unnecessary for me to use this all the time. In the event that my skin does start acting up again (which will inevitably happen), I will update you and let you know how well this works then. But though this product costs $65, I have a feeling I won't even be done with my ounce bottle after a year.

This product has really piqued my interest in some other Bliss products I hope to add to my medicine cabinet eventually, like the Bliss Triple Oxygen Instant Energizing Face Mask. Do you folks have any other Bliss recommendations? Let me know!

I am slowly dying...

2009-05-13T09:52:00.000-07:00

I'm putting reviews on a hiatus because of finals! I have about 40 pages to write in the next 9 days; I don't know if that's humanly possible for me but I'm going to try my best...my school doesn't have a 24/7 library, which I find extremely annoying.

Besides turning me into a zombie, not sleeping is also causing my allergies to go haywire. I have a problem with rubbing my itchy eyes until they burn in pain and lately I've noticed little fine lines appearing underneath my eyes O___O NOOOO!!!!! Any beauty bloggers who have massive allergies too? TIPS?! I'm too young for wrinkles...especially if they're self-induced!!!!

Anyway, see you all in June--I just want to graduate already!

L'egere White Multi Blemish Balm Cream vs. Skin79 DermaRX BB Cream

2009-05-11T20:35:00.000-07:00

Since I prefer BB cream over foundation, I finally caved and purchased the L'egere White Multi BB Cream, which has been given rave reviews by various beauty bloggers. You can find this BB cream on ebay by searching "Legere BB Cream" or at websites like imomoko.com and bobodave.com. It usually retails for about $27.00 USD and up, and comes in a 1.69 fl oz tube. This BB cream is made in Korea and very popular in Taiwan (recommended by the show Nu Ren Wo Zui Da). This post is a comparison of the L'egere White Multi BB Cream against Skin79 DermaRX Beblesh Balm. You can read my initial post about the Skin79 DermaRX BB Cream or an intro to BB creams in general here.

I found out that l'egere, or légère in French, means light. And I am not surprised that this name was chosen for the brand because of this bb cream's relatively short list of ingredients.

L'egere White Multi Blemish Balm Cream Ingredients:
Arbutin, Cyclomethicone, Jojoba oil, Polyglyceyl-4 Isostearate, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Beeswax, Tocopheryl acetate, Propylparaben, Sorbitan sesquioleate, Petrolatum, Titanium Dioxide/Dimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499)/Dimethicone, Glycerin, Butylene glycol, Magnesium sulfate, Methylparaben, Sodium hyaluronate, Marine collagen, Rose water, Centella asiaticacosides, Water, Fragrance.

On the other hand, Skin79 definitely contains more ingredients...some beneficial, and some which have scared people off from trying it. I thought it was interesting how both products use the same mineral pigment shades, but that Skin79 comes out with a greyish cast.

Skin79 Derma RX Beblesh Balm SPF 15 Ingredients:
Water, Beeswax, Butylparaben, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1-Dimethicone, Sorbitan Isostearate, Calcium Stearate, Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Dimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Silica, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Cyclomethicone, Tocopheryl Acetate, Titanium Dioxide, Talc, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499, Phenyl Trimethicone, Arbutin, Methylparaben, Chlorphenesin, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Allantoin, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Hyaluronate, Butylene Glycol, Caviar Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria)Flower Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Acetyl Hexapeptide-3, Ubiquinone, Fragrance.

Anyway, Skin79 makes a ton of different BB creams, while L'egere only has the White Multi Blemish Balm and the Shiny Pearl Blemish Balm. It can be hard to choose the right Skin79 BB cream, especially for those of us who do not live in Asia and have limited access. I bought the DermaRX Beblesh version nearly two and a half years ago and have stayed faithful to it since. Skin79 was one of the first brands to make BB cream, and the DermaRX is one of their first launches. It might be safe to guess that the DermaRX BB cream was the first one they ever formulated since it's so basic. On the other hand, L'egere is much more recent. Since Skin79 was one of the first to make BB cream, you could say their brand has more expertise. However, a recent brand like L'egere can benefit from understanding the flaws or mistakes other BB Creams have and come up with new ingredients or technology for a better formula.

Anyway, enough speculation. On to fundamentals--what are their actual differences?

Consistency, Texture
L'egere and Skin79 are both very creamy going on, but Skin79 is definitely thicker. They both feel like moisturizers rather than foundation.

Scent
Skin79 smells pretty medicinal. I described it before as a kaolin clay type of smell, others have noted it smells like tea tree oil. The L'egere smells very faint, but like rosewater and ginger and white tea. It smells very similar to the Dior HydrAction moisturizer I reviewed a couple posts down.

Blendability
L'egere is easier to blend onto the skin because it is less thick. You can make Skin79's easier to blend by adding some of your favorite daytime moisturizer. I mentioned before in my earlier post that my personal favorite is Oil of Olay Complete SPF 15.
However, if you use a sunscreen that dries matte underneath your makeup like I do, you may find that both BB creams are not very easy to blend. Whether this is a good thing or not depends on your skin type.

Color, Pigmentation
As my skin has gotten lighter, I do notice that Skin79 has a bit of greyish cast to my skin after initial application. When I was darker, this did not bother me so much. I would recommend Skin79 to MAC skin tones NC25 and above only. It seems to have cool or neutral undertones.
L'egere comes out a bit dark from the tube but matches my skin tone after I spread it out. The shade looks somewhat tan, and has a warmer undertone as opposed to Skin79. The L'egere actually works for MAC skin tones NC15 and up.

Oxidization, Shine
I do not get any oxidization with Skin79 at all, but I do notice a little oxidization with L'egere on my T-zone between my eyebrows. The amount of oxidization really depends on the products you use underneath the BB cream. For me, the L'egere actually oxidizes more over a matte sunscreen than a regular moisturizer. With a matte sunscreen, my combination skin does not get oily. However, if I use normal moisturizer, my T-zone gets oily. The L'egere creases into the little lines underneath my eyes a little bit sometimes, I have to apply it very carefully there.

Beneficial ingredients
Skin79's DermaRX is SPF 15, while L'egere White Multi does not specify its SPF, even though it claims to have sun protection.
Skin79 contains arbutin, adenosine, caviar extract, Nano-Coenzyme Q10, and other great ingredients (will post them if I find my box)
L'egere contains arbutin, jojoba oil, Tocopheryl acetate (Vitamin E), sodium hyaluronate (hylauronic acid), marine collagen, rose water

Coverage, Finish, Skin Type
Skin79 provides a matte finish. It is very pigmented. I like this BB cream very much because it can also double up as a concealer since it is so pigmented (very good coverage), and it always makes my skin look smooth no matter what problems it is going through (flakiness, acne, etc.) without being cakey. This is very important because I have combination skin that tends to extremes--it can be super oily or dry.
L'egere provides a slightly less matte finish. It cannot double up as a concealer and provides light to light-medium coverage. It does tend to crease or cake a little around dry patches if you use a matte sunscreen underneath. With a more moisturizing sunscreen, L'egere has a more glowy finish. This BB cream looks best on me when I have smooth, problem free skin. I think L'egere would work better for people who do not suffer from much acne or dryness, but again, the finish would really depend on what you use to moisturize and protect your skin underneath.

Pores
Although Skin79 claims to be anti-microbial, it actually does seem to clog my pores a bit. I notice little bumps appearing from time to time with this, though nothing bad like with Skinfood BB creams, which really clogged my pores.
This is where L'egere really wins. This product does not clog my pores at all! It's like applying moisturizer on the skin, not makeup. I'm guilty of falling asleep a couple of times with it on, and my skin did not break out. This is perfect for work days or finals period when I have to pull all nighters.
Both products made my pores look smaller, but Skin79 does a better job at concealing them.

VERDICT
Both products have their pros and cons. Personally, I find that I get the best result with these products by using them in conjunction. I use the L'egere as a foundation, and then apply the Skin79 as a concealer on any of my blemishes, redness, and underneath the eyes. The combination works pretty well and it doesn't look like my skin has multicolored foundation at all. Skin 79 does have more versatility than L'egere because the pigmentation is so concentrated, though, and it leaves a great finish when mixed with moisturizer or a light sunscreen (not matte, but hydrated and radiant).
I think that people who have uneven skin (acne, dry patches) should go for Skin 79, and people who only have pigmentation problems (scars, unevenness, dark circles) should go for L'egere.

If you have any questions, please comment or email and I will respond as best I can.

On a side note, does anyone want to swap BB creams with me? I have Skinfood Aloe Shade #1 and Skinfood Mushroom Shade #2. I only swatched the Aloe, but I used about half of the Mushroom. I don't want to throw them away because that'd be a waste, and I know a lot of people actually like Skinfood. I've been wanting to try Missha Perfect Cover, or any other Skin79 brand. Comment or email me and let me know!

Dior HydrAction Deep Hydration Rich Creme

2009-05-10T18:20:00.000-07:00

I'm reviewing the Dior HydrAction Deep Hydration Rich Creme today. It retails for $54.00 for 1.7 oz. You can find it at most department stores that carry Dior skincare like Bloomingdale's and Nordstrom, as well as Sephora.

This product is formulated for dry skin and claims to improve your skin's ability to replenish and retain moisture by "creating an invisible veil that limits water evaporation on the skin's surface" and an "in-depth action on irrigation." The little pamphlet it comes with uses a lot of complicated terminology to explain this moisturizer. I'm just going to type some of it up here for you...

"- Instantly, your skin looks beautifully radiant. The revolutionary Aquacapt complex increases and reinforces the impalpable invisible water reserves at the surface of the epidermis. Skin is immediately fresh and moisturized.
- In the long term, your skin is more supple, lastingly comfortable. Aquaporin technology contributes to a cutaneous irrigation system which helps promote better water circulation between cells. It improves water movement allowing the deep reserves to move towards the skin's upper layers for extreme and long lasting comfort."

I'm assuming that Dior means to say this moisturizer has two purposes--to trap water and hydrate the skin's outer surface, and also improve the skin's ability to retain moisture....but by moving water from inside your body to the surface of your skin? I don't think any moisturizer is capable of doing that...sounds quite gimmicky.

This moisturizer comes in a huge oval glass jar with a plastic cap. It is very bulky and heavy. I don't like the cap that much, and it doesn't always twist back on properly because of the shape. I would probably like this better if it were in a round jar, but Dior's oval packaging is their signature, so I don't see this changing anytime soon.

This moisturizer is not that heavy, considering it's a cream. It smells absolutely amazing, very much like rose petals. The texture of the cream is very creamy and well blended. A little moisturizer goes on a long way and it spreads very nicely. If you dot a pea size on each section of your face and blend it in, it will absorb very quickly. The cream feels extremely luxurious and comforting when applying it to your skin, and it smells so wonderful that I feel like I'm pampering my skin in a fluffy blanket of moisture, haha.

I've been using this as a day and night cream. At night, I like my moisturizer to be a little thicker, so I apply a thin layer first and wait for it to completely absorb. Then, I apply another layer of the cream so I can feel it actually sitting on my skin. I apply it twice because I've noticed that in the morning, when I wake up, all the moisturizer has been absorbed into my face (or maybe mysteriously rubbed off in the night), and my surface skin actually feels dry and unsmooth. When I rinse my face in the morning, I can feel remnants of it being washed off, but I don't like how it doesn't keep my skin fully hydrated and plump during my 8 hours (or less) of sleep.

I've been using this for about a month. I originally bought this cream because I was having trouble with dryness and I saw this cream had really great reviews on Sephora, Makeup Alley, and other places on the internet. As I get older, my skin gets drier and is prone to a lot of little flakes. I have been hunting for a moisturizer that isn't too thick, but will still get rid of the flakes, since we're moving into the summer season soon. I don't think this moisturizer got rid of my flakes at all. If anything, I have to credit my other products like the Laura Mercier Face Polish for getting rid of my dry patches and flakes. I also don't notice any long term benefits occuring with this moisturizer. My skin doesn't look any more radiant or glowy, like it did with the Bare Escentuals RareMinerals Purely Nourishing Facial Moisturizer. The Dior HydrAction Deep Hydration Rich Creme doesn't seem to help my skin's ability to "retain moisture" either.

I have to be one of the few naysayers and say I believe this product is only intended for people who want an "instant quenching" effect, because this cream really does feel so nice when you're putting it on, and I do experience a little bit of plumping. So I do agree with the first bullet point I copied from the product description. However, the second bullet I disagree with, because there are no palpable long term benefits. My skin isn't getting firmer, it's not feeling increasingly hydrated all the time, and it doesn't look more radiant. I wouldn't buy this moisturizer unless you're someone looking for a cream to use as a temporary mask for sunburns, windburns, sensitivity, and things like that. I also would not recommend using this around the eyes. It does sting my eye and I teared quite a bit when I tried to double it up as an eye cream. I think this product would better suit people with actually oily to oily combination type skin, despite it's dry skin type labeling. This product also doesn't have any ingredients listed on the box or anywhere online...I wonder if it contains any beneficial ingredients at all?

Ultimately, I'm going to be returning this cream, because it's really not worth the money for what I'm looking for. I'll look into some other moisturizers and hopefully find something that works much better.

Laura Mercier Face Polish Gommage Facial

2009-05-05T17:56:00.000-07:00

Review on the Laura Mercier Face Polish Gommage Facial today. You can get this at any department store that carries Laura Mercier skincare, Sephora, or LauraMercier.com. It comes in a 3.5 oz tube and retails for $30.00.

If you've read any of my prior skincare reviews, you probably know that my skin needs exfoliating practically daily. My pores get clogged very easily, I break out quite frequently, and what's worse, my skin is always dry and flakey. I use white sugar as an exfoliant but it's not always effective. As fine as white sugar may seem, it's still not safe to use everyday on the skin, because it can wear and tear at delicate collagen. My skin hasn't shaken off the dryness from winter even though we're approaching spring/summer. I can see little white flakes on my skin during the daytime after I put on my sunscreen, especially in my under eye area. Also, my sunscreen dries matte, so when I apply undereye concealer or foundation, the little flakes become even more emphasized. The condition of my skin is really affecting my foundation/makeup application. No point in concealing my flaws if makeup just brings out others.

The Laura Mercier Face Polish claims to be a gentle facial scrub for all skin types, and can also act as a calming astringent. What really stood out to me was that the website claims it can be used daily for normal to oily skin and every other day for dry or mature skin. Daily exfoliant dilemma solved.

When you squeeze it out, the scrub has a pale, creamy orange color and average consistency--it feels a bit like a light face cream. The scent is pleasant and faintly smells a bit like an orange creamsicle. Of course, it contains tiny exfoliating granules, and what I like about the particles is that they are the perfect size--smaller than sugar particles, but large enough so they can more closely slough the skin and get into all the little crevices, like around my nose.

I tacked this face polish onto my skincare routine as the third step in cleansing. After washing my face with cleansing oil and a face wash, I squeeze about a dime or nickle sized amount for my entire face. As I apply the polish on my still wet face, the polish does not foam up; itspreads out and feels like a gel-cream cleanser. The scrub particles do not feel harsh on the skin whether I apply light or deep pressure. After rubbing my face for about a minute, I rinse everything off and my skin feels instantly baby soft and smooth. The results are even better when used after a shower.

Though this can be used daily, I actually don't use this face polish everyday because I don't want my skin to become tolerant to it as it has with some other products. Despite using it only about three times a week, this Laura Mercier face polish does help. In conjunction with some of the other products in my rotation right now, it has helped me get rid of my residual acne and dry flakes. Notice the key word: helped. It's not a miracle or holy grail product because my skin hasn't experienced "instant" results, but your skin will get better with time and patience.

Below are the ingredients. As you read through, you can see the product contains various oils, such as sunflower seed oil, macadamia ternafolia oil, and jojoba oil, which help protect the skin from over exfoliation. It also contains stinging nettle extract, which is an ingredient that lends it "astringent" properties. Stinging nettle is a plant with medicinal, anti-inflammatory properties. A quick Google search will show you that it has been used to treat many ailments since medieval times.

Again, it's not like the product contains a special secret ingredient, like diamond powder, so don't expect your skin problems to instantly go away. But I do really like this product and will consider repurchasing when I run out. I definitely recommend it if you have skin like mine that needs to be exfoliated every day or every other day, but you don't want to overstrip or wear out your skin.

Ingredients:
Water (Aqua), Polyethylene, Butylene Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate SE, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Sodium C12-15 Pareth-15 Sulfonate, Cetyl Alcohol, PEG-3 Cocamide, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Macadamia Ternafolia Oil, Triethanolamine, Hydrogenated Jojoba Oil, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Polyquaternium-39, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Carbomer, Fragrance (Parfum), Ethylparaben, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernal Flour, Propylparaben, Disodium EDTA, Butylparaben, Propylene Gylcol, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Extract, Salvia Officianlis (Sage) Leaf, Rose Canina Fruit Extract, Urtica Dioica (Nettle) Extract. May Contain (+/-): Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Yellow 6 (CI 15985), Red 4 (CI 14700), Yellow 5 (CI 19140).

Massive NYX Haul

2009-05-04T01:13:00.000-07:00

What am I doing?!?! So much for my no-buy....which technically ended last week with that other Sephora haul...hahaha! Sigh...

I purchased off of Cherryculture.com and used code NYX50 to get the 50% off my purchase. If you purchase $40 and over you get free shipping.

What I got:

1. Concealer Stick in Green
2. Concealer Stick in Lavendar
3. Silver Glitter Eyeliner
4. Falsies galore-- #101(x2), 116(x2), 119, 121, 125, 127, 129, 130, 131, 132(x2), 141, 142, 143, 149

I had put some other falsies in my cart yesterday but I waited until today to purchase and they were already sold out! Boo. Well at least I got the Concealer Stick in Green, it ALWAYS sells out whenever Cherryculture has a sale.

Will let you guys know what I think about the products as soon as I get them.

Tarte EmphasEYES High Definition Eye Pencil

2009-04-30T13:26:00.000-07:00

Quick review on the Tarte EmphasEYES High Definition Eye Pencil today. You can purchase this at Sephora, TarteCosmetics.com, or Beauty.com. It is $18.00 and contains 0.028 g / 0.001 oz of product. It comes in 5 different shades: black, chocolate, green, plum, and charcoal.

I received the Black color as part of the Sephora Natural promotion last month. Believe it or not, this is my first "high end" pencil eyeliner. When I was younger I always used drugstore pencil eyeliners, which tugged at my eyes and had little color payoff, or smudged terribly. Pencil eyeliners and I don't get along--my eyes lubricate themselves a little too well, I think.

The EmphasEYES liner comes in a thin plastic twist pencil. The packaging actually feels quite flimsy. When I opened it for the first time, the product was so hard to twist out, I was scared I might break it before even using it. However, I finally got the cap off and twisted some eyeliner out to see that the point is extremely fine, which I really liked. Sadly, nearly after each use, I have to twist the pencil out to maintain that sharp point. And seeing as how the pencil contains so little product, this eyeliner seems like it'd be finished really quickly, and is completely overpriced. Tarte says that this 100% natural eyeliner also contains a lot of beneficial ingredients, which I find rather gimmicky--aloe vera, mineral pigments, palm oil, and vitamin A & E? Since when do we look for nutrients in our eyeliner? Hmm.

This eyeliner has received a lot of mixed reviews. Some people love it and say it lasts forever on them, and others say it smears off completely. It's possible some people who are disappointed with this liner were probably using it incorrectly. If you read the guidelines carefully, it says:

"This ultra fine liner easily fills gaps in the lashline and glides perfectly on the inner rims of eyes. Our patented silicone system creates a super creamy, long wearing formula specifically designed for the sensitive inner rim so it won't fade or run...and it's dermatologist tested, so it won't irritate the sensitive eye area like traditional wood pencils."

Because of the fine point and meager product content, you're not supposed to actually use it to line your entire eye--it is only meant to provide the finishing touches on your eye after you have already used your regular eyeliner. I actually didn't like using this eyeliner to fill in the spaces between my eyelashes--I prefer to do that via tightlining with cream eyeliner, and the fine point actually made it harder to tightline into the upper lashes. Also, this liner did not work on my upper or lower waterlines--although it glided on very smoothly and nicely, it smeared very quickly and disappeared. The only place this liner semi-worked was on my lower lashline--it provided some definition, but even after using Urban Decay Primer Potion, it still smeared under my eye.

In the end, I don't like this liner and do not recommend it. People who might want to try it regardless are those with drier skin who don't need eyelid primer--the thin point is a great concept, but for the majority of us with oilier lids, Tarte EmphasEYES eyeliner is a huge bust.

An update - Sephora deals, Life

2009-04-29T16:36:00.000-07:00

Sorry for lagging behind in updates! My computer is currently battling a nasty virus that may or may not be the Conficker virus. At any rate, I'll probably have to reformat my computer soon, which is going to suck. I lost the set up files and license keys for a couple things I have installed, so I'm not sure what to do.

At any rate, I've been stealthily hauling the past month. I was in NYC on Monday for a job interview *crosses fingers* and stopped by several Sephora stores. I love how Manhattan seems as if it has a Sephora every 5 blocks, hahaha. If I move to NYC this summer or next year, I swear my entire paycheck will probably go to that store. I will definitely write about my purchases as soon as I've had ample time to review them!

This week, Sephora has some awesome specials for Beauty Insiders. The deals are valid while supplies last.

1. Get a free full sized Korres Body Butter ($21 value) with any Korres Shower Gel purchase ($13) except the Lime and Sage Shower Gel for acne prone skin with code KORRESDUO
(I already took advantage of this and got the Korres Guava Body Butter everyone loves so much! Awesome deal as I'm running out of body lotion.)
2. Get a free mini foaming Philosophy Purity Cleanser with any $25 purchase with code PURITY.
(I really want to try this because of the good reviews, I may make a second purchase just to have it!)
3. Get a 5 piece sample Philosophy skincare kit at checkout with code PHL31. Comes with a 1 oz Purity liquid facial cleanser, 0.25 oz Hope in a Tube Eye and Lip Firming Cream, 0.4 oz Hope in a Jar Original Formula moisturizer, 6 ml The Microdelivery Exfoliating Face Wash, and The Microdelivery Peel (0.30 oz Step I Vitamin C/Peptide Resurfacing Crystals and 0.17 oz Step II Lactic/Salicylic Acid Activating Gel).
(I got this last month already, samples are small but great for travel.)
4. Get a free Smashbox Photofinish Primer with any purchase until 5/11/09 with code PRIMER.
(Not sure how big it is.)

These are the deals with the best value, I think. I missed out on the Benefit Gift with Purchase but that's ok, I don't think I would've liked the products much anyway.

For more deals, go to http://www.retailmenot.com/view/sephora.com. I never purchase without visiting that store! And you can also sign up at ebates.com and get some free cash back. Currently Ebates.com will give you 8% cash back for every Sephora.com purchase you make. It's an awesome site and I've saved tons of money through it. If you need a referral, here's the link. Good luck!

Sephora 15% Sale

2009-04-19T14:00:00.000-07:00

Code: BD2T9CB5
Expires April 21, 2009 at 11:59 pm PST. The offer is only open to Beauty Insiders who registered before April 14, 2009.

I'm technically on a no-buy...but I have some store credit so I might as well stock up on some necessities and new obsessions.

My list:

1. Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Lotion SPF 55 PA +++
love this, definitely has made it to my HG list
2. NARS Blush in Sin
so pretty, this has also made it onto my HG list
3. NARS The Multiple in St. Barts
perfect for contouring
4. Tweezerman eyebrow tweezers
self-explanatory
5. ???

can't think of anything else I might want at the moment. I want to know what everyone else is buying!

Shiseido Bio-Performance Super Restoring Cream

2009-04-16T09:13:00.000-07:00

Just a really quick review today on the Shiseido Bio-Performance Super Restoring Cream. I haven't been using this long, but I probably won't continue using it as we move into summer and my skin gets more oily. 1.7 oz is $98.00 and you can get it at Sephora, Macy's, and other department stores.

This is yet another one of those skincare products with a "patent pending" formula. It is supposed to be ideal for all skin types, and works to nourish and moisturize the skin as it fights wrinkles. Shiseido throws in a lot of words like "contour-recalling technology," "Hydro-Elastinet," "Bio-Enhancing Shield," and "Bio-Restoring complex"--I have no idea what any of those mean, but the basic idea is that this cream helps undo the damage caused by age and time. It is great for people who want to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

However, though anything anti-aging is always a plus, I wanted to use this to help with my dry skin. Recently, the skin around my mouth and laugh lines has become so terribly flakey and dry that I looked like I had white dried crust on my face out in public. (People must have been wondering, did she just brush her teeth and not rinse the toothpaste foam off? Or...did she slobber milk all over herself and not use a napkin?) I know...gross images. The hard part is though, that my skin has also been prone to acne.

This cream provided the moisturization my skin needed without breaking me out. One use of it was enough to get rid of all my flakey patches. The texture is very thick, but not sticky. The cream is very concentrated, so you only need a little for your entire face. I think the application is similar to how you would apply La Mer--warm up the cream between your clean fingers so it's easier to rub into your skin, and then smooth it over the desired area. Don't be overhasty and apply too much, because if you have oilier skin, it might be too rich and break you out. The scent is very light and refreshing, and the cream immediately sinks into my skin and forms a protective barrier without any oiliness or greasiness. My face just feels hydrated, protected, and plump when I have this on.

This cream is really expensive, but the price is the only negative thing as far as I can tell. I really like it and will definitely repurchase after I run out.

Oh, and I don't think I'll be making skin routine posts for March or April because my skin has been very problematic lately...I'm considering birth control to tame it, but I had a horrific experience with Ortho Tricyclen-Lo before so I'm very wary. If you ladies have any advice on brands that helped your acne, please let me know!

Here are the ingredients (courtesy of Sephora):
Water, Glycerin, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Cetyl Alcohol, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Petrolatum, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Microcrystalline Wax, PEG-40 Stearate, Erythritol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Mortierella Oil, Sodium Polygamma-Glutamate, Thiotaurine, Ectoin, Saccharomyces Ferment Lysate Filtrate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Rosa Canina Fruit Extract, Behenyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Octyl Methoxycinnamate, Talc, Dimethylacrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Crosspolymer, PEG-30 Soy Sterol, Silica, Alumina, Trisodium EDTA, Sorbitan Tristearate, Acrylates/Steareth-20 Methacrylate Copolymer, Sodium Hexametaphosphate, Potassium Hydroxide, Tocopherol, Syzygium Jambos Leaf Extract, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, BHT, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Fragrance, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides.

Clinique Superdefense SPF 25 Age Defense Moisturizer - Dry Combination

2009-04-13T11:00:00.000-07:00

Today's review is on the Clinque Superdefense SPF 25 Age Defense Moisturizer for Dry Combination skin types. It comes in a plastic tub as pictured and costs $42.50 for 1.7 oz.

Other than cleansing oil, sunscreen is a basic staple in my skincare routine. I am very paranoid about getting premature wrinkles...I definitely expect myself to be wrinkle free until at least the age of 35! That's a little over a decade away though...yikes! Gotta max out on my youth now...

Anyway, normally I wouldn't bother to review a sunscreen with SPF as low as this one unless it had some positive characteristic(s) that I would never have expected from a sunscreen. BUT, if you notice the labeling, Clinique doesn't call this product a sunscreen--it's a "moisturizer." Thus, this product probably shouldn't be used in place of your normal sunscreen, and I wouldn't consider it effective against UVA/UVB rays at all. However, if used in conjunction with your sunscreen, especially if you have dry to normal-dry skin, this product will help your skin fight pollution, toxins, and stress, since sunscreen normally doesn't have added skincare benefits in it.

My skin has been flakey and dry lately, so I have absolutely fallen in love with this moisturizer. I use it under my Clinique Derma White Super City Block SPF 40 ++ sunscreen, and over any serums I may apply that day. The Derma White Super City Block is matte, so it has a drying effect on my skin and any flakey patches are emphasized. The Superdefense Moisturizer helps to soothe and reduce that, without making my face oily or greasy. I don't like wearing too many layers of product on my face, especially during the day, so I don't know how foundation would stay on top of a Superdefense + Sunscreen combination--unless you have drier skin, you should probably stay away from that. The Superdefense moisturizer has a texture between a lotion and a light cream, and it goes on almost like a moisture-mousse onto the skin. It feels so cooling and refreshing, and if you wait a couple minutes, the sunscreen dries to a semi-matte finish, so your skin feels hydrated, but not like an oil slick. Though I'm going through a dry skin stage right now, I will continue to use this on my cheeks and eyes during the summer simply because it feels so nice and hydrating, yet light.

The only thing I dislike about this product is the smell. Clinique's products are all supposed to be unscented but this smells really funky. I don't quite know how to describe it...it doesn't smell like anything else I've ever encountered.

However, I would definitely give this product a shot if you have drier skin and need help looking for a day moisturizer that is hydrating, yet not oily or greasy. I would not recommend this product to those with oily skin. Also, one word of advice: never mix your sunscreens together. If you use this, always apply your regular sunscreen as a separate layer on top, when the Clinique Superdefense has dried, or you risk lowering the potency of your regular SPF.

So, overall: this product is for you if you have drier skin and desire to layer sunscreen. But I would not use this alone; the SPF protection doesn't seem sufficient.

Active Ingredients: octinoxate 7.40%, avobenzone 3.00%, oxybenzone 2.00%.

Ingredients: water (aqua purificata) purified, dimethicone, butylene, glycol, isononyl isononanoate, silica, glycerin, polyglyceryl-2 triisostearate, polysilicone-11, laminaria saccharina extract, triticum vulgare (wheat bran) extract, olea europaea (olive) fruit extract, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) extract, sea whip extract, adenosine phosphate, trehalose, disodium nadh, creatine, sodium rna, caffeine, nordihydroguaiaretic acid, sodium dna, phytosphingosine, linoleic acid, cholesterol, ferulic acid, ascorbyl tocopheryl maleate, sodium hyaluronate, aminopropyl ascorbyl phosphate, tocopheryl acetate, sucrose,micrococcus lysate, astrocaryum murumuru butter, lauryldimonium hydroxypropyl hydrolyzed soy protein, lecithin, tridecyl trimellitate, hexylene glycol, ethylhexyl stearate, ethylhexyl pamitate, propylene glycol dicaprate, chamomilla recutita (matricaria), zerolite, maltodextrin, c1-8 alkyl tetrahydroxycyclohexanoate, caprylyl glycol, polyethylene, hydroxyethylcellulose, xanthan gum, sodium chloride, pvp, laureth-4, laureth-23, polysorbate 20, ammunium acryloyldimethyltaurate/vp copolymer, tromethamine, disodium edta, chlorphenesin, phenoxyethanol, methylparaben.

Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm

2009-04-11T06:44:00.000-07:00

Today's review is on Clinique's Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm.

I don't go a single evening without using cleansing oil as part of my skincare routine. My pores tend to clog very easily, so if I don't get off all my sunscreen and makeup completely at the end of the day I will definitely suffer for it the next day. I purchased this because I needed a travel friendly cleansing oil at school. The DHC Deep Cleansing Oil, which I love, along with many other cleansing oils, come in pump bottles which tend to spill and get all over the place in your overnight bags or suitcases. So, I've been using this religiously since February every night. If I break out, I know that it's my hormones, and not my cleansing habits, causing the problem.

The clear plastic tub is decently sized and priced--it contains 3.8 oz of balm, and costs $27.00. I bought it around mid to late February, but I've already used over half of the tub, since I get a little too application-happy whenever it's time to wash my face, haha.

The balm is white, and pretty much looks like a tub of hair wax, without all the sticky goopiness. Doesn't have much of a scent. To apply, you slide your fingers across it until they pick up the desired amount of product, and then rub it into your uncleansed face. I like to dot my face with the balm before rubbing it in completely. As you rub in the cleansing balm, the heat and motion from your fingers turns it into an oil which is extremely easy to spread. This means it can also be somewhat unsanitary since you're dipping your fingers into it with every use, but if you wash your hands prior it should be fine. The opening of the tub is wide, so there's no problem getting to every single last bit as you run out.

After you've gently rubbed and massaged your entire face, you rinse off the balm/oil with warm water. It emulsifies and turns white before coming off your entire face. If you have dry skin, you can probably skip a second cleanser, but I always follow up with a generic drugstore cleanser to take off all the residue from the cleansing balm, so when I apply my moisturizer it will penetrate my skin more deeply.

This cleansing balm's ingredients consist of: ethylhexyl palmitate, carthamus tinctorius (safflower) seed oil, caprylic/capric triglyceride, sorbeth-30 tetraoleate, polyethylene, peg-5 glyceryl triisostearate, water, tocopherol, phenoxyethanol

Though this product works just great, I think it's only worth purchasing if you travel and require a convenient cleansing oil. However, if portability is not important, I'd say skip this product and opt for a cheaper Japanese drugstore version. I really want to try Kose Softymo Deep Cleansing Oil, which is recommended by other beauty bloggers. I've tried more expensive cleansing oils like DHC Deep Cleansing Oil before and I think the DHC cleansing oil has more beneficial skincare properties than this Clinique balm, since it left my skin feeling a lot smoother...but that may just be a consequence of the ingredients.

Bare Escentuals RareMinerals Purely Nourishing Facial Moisturizer

2009-04-08T14:39:00.000-07:00

Today I'm reviewing the Bare Escentuals RareMinerals Purely Nourishing Facial Moisturizer, which you can purchase at Sephora, BareEscentuals.com, Nordstrom, and various other stores. Like all of Bare Escentuals' products, the RareMinerals Nourishing Facial Moisturizer is fragrance, paraben, and sulfate, and preservative free. It comes in a 1.7 oz plastic pump container and costs $32.00. When Bare Escentuals first created the RareMinerals product line, it consisted of the RareMinerals Blemish Therapy and Skin Revival Treatment which I was extremely tempted to try. These products are similar to BB Creams in that they're skincare products which can be used as high quality mineral concealer or foundation, which you can even go to sleep in if you desire. They've since added actual skincare items to the line-- the Renew and Reveal Facial Cleanser, the aforementioned Purely Nourishing Facial Moisturizer, and the Moisture Burst Facial Mist. Everything in the RareMinerals line contains "rare, virgin soil" which in turn contains "active minerals, botanicals, antioxidants and natural emollients" to renew your skin to its most youthful, softest potential.

The RareMinerals moisturizer is supposed to be applied over cleansed and toned skin morning and night. However, I've only used this at night since I use a whitening serum and moisturizer in the mornings. Nevertheless, this moisturizer has definitely improved my skin!

This moisturizer is a lotion so it's fairly light weight, and very easy to spread. It has a bit of an odd smell to it (products with no added fragrance are usually slightly strange smelling). I don't have to use a lot of product to cover my entire face, but you can easily add more product if desired for extra moisture. What I've noticed with this product is that it sinks into the skin nearly immediately, so there's no greasy residue--my skin just drinks it all up. I've only been applying this to my skin during the evening since I use my Clinique Derma White Moisture Milk during the day, but the results are still apparent. My skin has been really sensitive and dry lately, and this really helps to soothe the skin. It makes any stinging from other products disappear.

But what really sold me were the immediate results after application. It really adds a noticeable, luminous glow to my skin, and somehow even my cheeks become naturally rosy, as if I'm wearing tinted gel blush. This lotion does not clog my pores, which are extremely susceptible to sebum, blackheads, and whiteheads.

I'm extremely interested in trying the Skin Revival Treatment, since I need a foundation other than BB cream that won't clog my pores yet provide good coverage. However, I'm imposing a cosmetics and skincare "no buy" on myself until I receive a job offer, hehe. I'm going to be so happy if this company I'm interviewing for hires me! And it'll give me an excuse to spoil myself!

Anyway, here are the ingredients for the RareMinerals Purely Nourishing Facial Moisturizer. Don't be deterred by the word "oil"--this moisturizer is not oily or greasy at all. I have combination dry-oily skin. Sephora.com has been and is still offering this moisturizer as a deluxe sample for Beauty Insiders, if you want to try it out!

Ingredients:
Water(Aqua),DicaprylylCarbonate, Cocoglycerides,Jojob Esters,Behenyl Alcohol, SorbitanStearate,CetylAlcohol,Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride,Glycerin,Soil Minerals, Propanediol, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil, Lecithin, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopheryi Acetate, Lonicera Caprifolium (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Sterols, Linoleic Acid, Phospholipids, Honey, Panthenol, Sucrose Cocoate, Lonicera Japonica (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract,Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Peel Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Extract, Punica Granatum Sterols, Tamarindus Indica Seed Polysaccharide, Trehalose, Citrus Aurantium Amara (Bitter Orange) Peel Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Acacia Dealbata Flower/Stem Extract, Aspalathus Linearis Leaf Extract, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leal Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matracarla) Flower Extract, Coffea Arabica (Coffee) Seed Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract, SpiraeaUlmarla Extract, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Myrothamnus Flabellilolia Leaf/Stem Extract, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Tocopherol, Benzyl Alcohol, Polysorbate 60, Carbomer, Dehydroacetic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Xanthan Gum, Cellulose Gum

Back from NYC for April madness

2009-04-01T17:42:00.000-07:00

Just got back from NYC on Monday! My skin broke out like crazy while I was there, but I had tons of fun. School is getting pretty hectic now, and I have to diligently increase my effort on the job front, so I'll probably be updating less. But I will still have reviews, so please follow my blog and keep visiting!

Random things:

- Realized that I know how to navigate the NYC subway more than I thought I did. Managed not to get lost, though I don't own an iPhone or any sort of map!
- Was not happy when a clueless woman dropped a bottle of Sephora by OPI at the Columbus Circle store, shattering it all over my feet and recently purchased black skinny jeans, and then ran away from me without offering to help clean it up. WTF woman?!?!?! I at least deserve a free bottle of polish remover! How do I get nail polish out of fabric?!
- NARS' "universally flattering blush" shade in Orgasm is definitely not that flattering on me. But I tried on Sin and I absolutely LOVE it!!!! It will look amazing on complexions NC25 and below.
- Do not ever overdo the Urban Decay Primer Potion and Make Up Forever HD Powder around the eyes, thinking it will help keep eyeliner/mascara from smearing. You'll look like your eyes were dipped in white paste in photos.
- Was deceived into thinking Kam Man market (on Canal St, between Mott and Mulberry) in Chinatown would be less expensive for Asian snacks than M2M on 3rd Ave and 11th St. Kam Man also smells like fish. Go to M2M.
- TKettle (on St. Marks Street) makes way better jasmine green boba tea than Saint's Alp (3rd Ave and 9th St). It's also cheaper. I am never going back to Saint's Alp again.
- I went to Minca and tried their Pork Shoyu Ramen. Best. Ramen. Ever. It's on 5th St. between Ave. A and B.
- Macchiato cafe on 44th St. and Lexington is ridiculously overpriced and overhyped. They don't make pocket coffees (cost only $1) anymore. WHAT?! There is no bathroom. They slapped my $10 prosciutto sandwich together in two seconds and didn't even heat the ciabatta bread. -_-
- Don't go to Momofuku. The "Asian" food is ridiculously overpriced and way too salty. I wonder if they're secretly using MSG.
- I've gone through three mega sized boxes of Pocky already :-( Must restock!

Sewame Paris Paper Facial Masks

2009-03-23T07:23:00.000-07:00

(image taken from Sasa.com)

Awhile ago, I had someone purchase some Sewame Paris paper facial masks for me on a trip to Asia because my skin has been acting up (when does it not?). They were found at Watson's and apparently dirt cheap...approximately $1 USD for a pack of 4 (but don't quote me on that).
I was given 3 different kinds: the VINCH Spring Refreshing and Moisturizing Facial Mask, the Clear White Radiance Renewal Mask, and the Shining and Whitening Sleep Promotion Facial Mask. The first two each came in a box of three, and the Sleep Promotion Mask came in a box of four. However, judging from Sasa, they also seem to come in packs of 7...wish I had the bigger packs, but oh well!

(image taken from Sasa.com)

I couldn't find photos of these specific masks online for the longest time but Sasa.com now carries them. They also have a version called Whitening and Moisturizing Essence Mask, which has received much better reviews than the Clear White Radiance Renewal Mask. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to try it, but I plan to check it out as soon as I run out, and it's so cheap anyway (7 masks for $8.30) so it won't do much damage to the wallet. They also have several other masks, including a Face Slimming QQ one, if you're interested in anti-aging properties. I also tried one Whitening and Firming Essence Mask, I thought it was very similar to the Clear White Radiance Renewal Mask, but with thicker and more essence (it was dripping off the mask!).

For the price, I don't think you can really go wrong with these masks. They may not be as high quality as the more expensive brands, but they still work, and are cheap enough to use on a daily basis. Once a week after showering and toning, I peel open one of these and lay motionless on my bed for 20 minutes while the mask does its work. The masks are thickly soaked with essence, and the fabric Sewame uses is highly absorbent, so the mask retains a lot of essence without dripping all over the place. One thing I dislike is the way the mask was designed. There are a lot of slits all over the mask supposedly to help you adjust it to your face shape and keep it in place, but the slits actually cause the mask to slip awkwardly and fold over and under itself. It also makes it harder to massage your face while keeping the mask on.

After lying on my bed for almost half an hour, I take the mask off and massage the remaining essence on my face into my skin. I then squeeze the mask really hard to get all the leftover essence out, which I use to rub onto my neck, decolletage, arms, and legs. I don't apply any body lotion to the rest of my body afterwards, but I follow up on my face and neck with moisturizer. If your skin is dry, you can use facial oil or a thick cream; if you have oily or combination oily skin you can probably simply follow up with a gel moisturizer. The next morning after I wake up, my skin still has the thick, moist protective barrier from the mask essence over it, and when I rinse it off, my skin feels super soft and silky.

What I've noticed is that each Sewame mask has a different effect. The Clear White Radiance Renewal mask didn't leave my skin feeling super tight or sticky, like the Kanebo masks I've tried before--the essence had a soft and silky after effect. Thus, I didn't have to bother with rinsing my face to get rid of that sticky serum feeling, so this one is perfect for using prior to going out or applying makeup if you don't want to use it before bed. Also, I liked the fit on this one best--it was much easier to put on and adjust position on my face. On the other hand, the other two are definitely designed to be used in the evening. They left a very sticky after-sensation that I didn't particularly care for, but since I was going straight to bed after application I didn't mind so much.

Our of the three, my least favorite is the VINCH Spring Refreshing and Moisturizing Facial Mask. It's supposed to be the most hydrating and contain 30 ml of natural warm spring essence and micro minerals, but I actually didn't see much results with it. It was also extremely sticky. Blegh.

However, I definitely liked the Clear White Renewal Radiance Mask, and the Shining and Whitening Sleep Promotion Facial Mask as well. The latter was the only scented mask out of the three, but it smelled absolutely AMAZING--exactly like creamy, strawberry pocky with a tiny hint of lavender. I was so tempted to stuff the mask into my mouth but then I remembered it wasn't food. I haven't had Pocky in a couple months, and I'm going to NYC tomorrow, so the first thing I'm going to buy is several boxes of Chocolate and Strawberry Pocky. Mmm.
Anyway, in all seriousness, these two masks had a slight brightening effect on my skin after use, I thought. However, my skin isn't super pale, so it might've been more noticeable on my complexion--I think the brightening will vary from person to person. At any rate, I recommend these two out of the three that I've tried--and at such an awesome price, you can't really say no!

Clinique Turnaround Concentrate vs. Estee Lauder Idealist

2009-03-22T06:05:00.000-07:00

This is a post I actually meant to write awhile ago, but never got to because I was busy, and then I was lazy, haha. After my great results with Estee Lauder's Idealist, I decided to try the comparable Clinique Turnaround Concentrate Visible Skin Renewer and find out which of the two was better. Both have received awards for their ability to "turn over" dead surface skin cells and reveal more luminous, radiant skin.

The price of Clinique's Turn Around is a tad cheaper than Estee Lauder's Idealist by almost ten bucks. Both come in one ounce pump bottles, but the Clinique is $37.50, and the Estee Lauder is $46.50. However, the Estee Lauder Idealist also comes in a 3.4 ounce version ($120.00), while Clinique only comes in the one ounce bottle.

Okay, now on to the product's purpose. Clinique says that their Turnaround Concentrate is a "high-performance cocktail of exfoliants" that generates a "multilevel, time-released renewal process." It is supposed to help your skin constantly renew itself, look "brighter, more radiant" and feel "velvety, perfected." As for usage, Turnaround Concentrate is supposed to be used twice daily, and is designed to be used in conjunction with Clinique's 3 step system. However, you can use this with any cleansing regimen, really.

After cleansing and toning, I applied the Turnaround Concentrate to my T-zone, and followed with a moisturizer. Unlike Idealist, the Turnaround Concentrate comes in a fluid formula, so it is much lighter and easier to blend. Like most Clinique products, there is no intentional perfume or scent, but it has this sterile, clinical smell. After the Concentrate goes over my skin, there is no shine or oiliness.

Now, onto the actual review...
Though there are tons of great reviews on this product on Sephora.com and Clinique.com, I did not find it helpful for my skin at all. First of all, unlike Estee Lauder's Idealist which is both an exfoliant and moisturizer, this product is only an exfoliant. Furthermore, it didn't even do a good job exfoliating. I still had enlarged and clogged pores, and it wasn't until I applied their Total Turnaround Visible Skin Renewer moisturizer on top of the Turnaround Concentrate did I get the exfoliated, mattified effect I was looking for--smaller pores, flattened comedones, less bumps, etc. By itself, the Turnaround Concentrate is quite useless, and it only works in conjunction if it is used with the other Turnaround products in Clinique's line. If you have combination skin, I suggest you skip this product altogether and just go straight for the Estee Lauder Idealist.

While I'm doing a comparison, I also want to update on my results with Idealist. Unfortunately, after using it on and off for 4-5 months, my skin has acclimated to it, and it no longer helps prevent my breakouts or reduce my comedone size. So, I am on the lookout for a new exfoliant serum that will not only keep my skin clear, but also keep it moisturized. Please let me know if you have any product recommendations!

Financial Woes

2009-03-20T00:45:00.000-07:00

A little non-beauty related today...

So I am thinking about purchasing my first DSLR camera. It's secondhand, but even so, costs a few hundred dollars. I've always wanted a DSLR, and not having a functional camera is really hampering not just my blogging abilities, but also normal life (can't document anything when I go out, etc.).

BUT, being a student with extremely limited cash inflow, I don't know if I should be making this purchase now, or if I should wait until my first job to get one.

I'm also going to New York City next week, which we all know is a super expensive place, so I expect to have a huge credit card bill at the end of the month...haha.

What do I do?!

I may be turning a year older...but I don't have to look like it!

2009-03-19T08:00:00.000-07:00

This is just a random entry about age preventative measures I've consciously added into my life to ensure I continue to age gracefully, even though I'm still young. I think the title of this entry says it all, haha...it's all about looking and feeling good! Most of my suggestions are pretty basic, but I don't think of all us always strive towards them on a daily basis.

#1. Take vitamins frequently.
I was never an avid vitamin popper, but I started this year (2009). I take a vitamin C tablet and a multivitamin tablet for teens (though I'm not in my teens anymore, sniff sniff) every morning at breakfast, and I'm good to go. I noticed such a HUGE improvement in my energy levels, mental acuity, and immune system strength (while everyone else around me was getting sick, I was perfectly fine!). You don't have to take vitamins every day, but I'd say every other day is a good way to go.

#2. Early to bed, early to rise.
This one is so hard for me, because I am not a morning person by any means. Some people wake up instantly after their alarm clock goes off, no matter how many hours they've slept, but I will definitely sleep like a rock. I go to bed when everyone else is waking up and I am awake when the world is sleeping...such a terrible habit. If you're like me, it's so painful to reverse your sleeping habits, but you have to do it for you own health. A tip is to go to bed super early, even if it means going to bed at 7 or 8pm, and waking up around 5 am. I love waking up early, because it gives my brain time to "warm up" before starting the day.

#3. Exercise!
Okay, I hate exercising too...haha! But it's crucial to elevating your mood, energy, and even positively affects your appearance, such as your skin. Since I hate lifting weights and prefer cardio, my preference is to run about half an hour to an hour in the morning after eating a light breakfast. This jump starts your metabolism for the rest of the day, which is really important if you work in an office and find yourself sitting down all the time. The initial working out is painful, but once you get yourself into an exercise routine, you'll find that it is quite addictive and you'll feel sad when you miss a day!

#4. Increasing natural liquid & fluid intake.
While it may not be necessary to drink a fixed amount of 8 glasses of water everyday, you should definitely be making sure you're hydrating yourself properly throughout the day. Cut out soda, beverages with artificial sweetners (yes, that includes most bottled juice or flavored water), as much coffee as possible. This is one area I think I've been fairly consistent in--I drink tons of water, tea, and soy milk throughout the day, and it has helped to control my hunger pangs and energy level.

#5. Sunscreen!
I think this is pretty self-explanatory...UVA and UVB rays are the #1 cause of premature aging. When applying sunscreen, you should be using half a tablespoon for your face to ensure it is protected completely. We are also advised to reapply sunscreen every 2-3 hours, but as most of us are unable to do this in a work environment, I think the best method is using a mineral powder with sunscreen to touch up your makeup. Or you could always wash your face and reapply your makeup all over again.
On a sidenote, I was watching a "behind the scenes" footage of Barbie Hsu/Xu on the set of "Corner with Love," a Taiwanese drama before. In all the scenes where she filmed outside, she had an assistant constantly follow her around with an umbrella until the cameras started rolling...and as soon as the director cut the scene the umbrella would come back up over her head. Insane, huh?! But certainly clued me into how she maintains her milky white skin--I want someone who will follow me around with an umbrella!

#6. Exfoliate daily, use retinol.
This has been the biggest skincare epiphany for me in 2008/2009. No matter how sensitive your skin is, everyone can benefit from daily exfoliation. This ensures that the dead skin cells and oil are constantly getting sloughed off and won't clog your pores or cause pimples. I love to use old coffee grounds, white sugar with cleansing oil myself; if your skin is more delicate, I suggest using a lukewarm washcloth. Also, if you read my previous post, you can understand why retinol is so important for age prevention. I'm going to be diligent about skincare and I better not see any wrinkles until I'm at least 45! Haha!

#7. Movement habits--sleep upright, don't rub eyes, watch the facial expressions.
Not doing all the things stated above can definitely affect how quickly your skin ages. Sleeping on your back ensures that gravity is evenly pushing down on your face; if you sleep on one side, gravity will eventually tug it more quickly to one side. Rubbing your eyes or face can tug at your delicate skin and tear it, especially where collagen is thinnest. Lastly, as for facial expressions--be conscious of how you move your face. For example, my mom is a chronic "frowner" and now she has these terrible furrows between her eyebrows that don't disappear even when her face is relaxed. :-( So relax your facial muscles as frequently as possible.

#8. Don't layer too many products onto the skin.
With all the frenzy towards staying youthful as long as possible, people can get overeager and excited about the skincare products out there, and end up layering too much on the skin. It is important that we use as little as possible so our skin can still breathe, and not become too reliant on the products. During my morning routine, I try to limit my products to a serum, light moisturizer, and sunscreen before applying makeup. At night, I only use a serum followed by a moisturizer and eyecream. Less is more!

#9. There's nothing wrong with caring about your appearance.
To some people, beauty is superficial. But let's be honest--society itself is superficial. And if looking like a better version of yourself will keep you happy, why not? Investing time, care, and money in your appearance also shows respect for the other people in your life. But it's important to keep the self-preoccupation in check...i.e., if you look like Michael Jackson, you probably should reevaluate your priorities.

#10. Your health and happiness comes first before anything else.
I think this is pretty self-explanatory...if you're not happy, those symptoms will begin to manifest physically at some point or another, if not already. This is similar to some advice I recently told my mom, someone who has always stressed out about her family instead of herself and isn't the healthiest person--make sure that you're happy and content, because if you're not, you will be unable to help others who rely on you in life, no matter how hard you try.

Skinceuticals Refining Night Cream with 0.5% Pure Retinol

2009-03-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

Since my terrible comedone outbreak last month, I've been adding retinol to my skincare regimen with the Skinceuticals Retinol 0.5% Refining Night Cream. This product comes in a 30 ml/1 ounce aluminum bottle with a plastic pump, and retails for $46.00.

I always had perfect skin until my late teens, when I started to develop terrible congested skin and cystic acne. My mother took me to a dermatologist regarding my acne problems on my forehead and upper back, and he prescribed me Sulfalac (sulfur soap), Buf Puf (special loofah for the face), some Benzoyl Peroxide cream, Retin-A Micro, and some antibiotics. When I started out using this combination, my skin dried out within 3 days and became incredibly flaky and sensitive, so I had to stop. However, any over-the-counter products weren't strong enough, so I couldn't use those either. (I wish I knew the things I know now then, because maybe I wouldn't have broken out as much.)

Even though I didn't like my former experience with Retin-A Micro, which contains retinol, when I read up about this Skinceuticals cream, I definitely wanted to give retinol another shot. Retinol does have the side effect of drying out the skin, but the positives far outweigh the negatives--it helps stimulate cell regeneration and collagen production by penetrating deeply into the skin layers. This makes it great for reducing fine lines and wrinkles. Furthermore, it relieves congested skin (i.e. acne, blackheads, whiteheads), diminishes pore size, corrects blemishes, and reduces age spots and blotchiness.

Skinceuticals Retinol 0.5 contains, like its name says, 0.5% pure retinol. It's different than other retinol products because it contains the most cutting edge formula to adjust to your skin's moisture levels and deliver the retinol accordingly. (The website says it also "stabilizes" to your skin--I'm not quite sure what that means, so if there are any dermatologists or med students out there, please tell me!) Skinceuticals also makes a Retinol 1.0 which contains 1% pure retinol, but since my skin dries out easily and has been really sensitive lately, I wanted to start out with this. I've read that you can build your skin's tolerance to retinol, so eventually I may start using the 1.0%.

I think everyone can benefit from adding retinol into their routine, but the frequency of use should definitely be varied depending on your skintype. Skinceuticals recommends people who've never used retinol products before to start by using twice a week. I think twice a week is fine for people who have oily skin. If you have dry to combination skin, I definitely suggest starting with once a week, and only applying to areas that are problematic or congested. If your skin does not start to dry out, then move up to twice a week...and slowly keep increasing the frequency. How often you want to use it is up to you; I personally do not like to use retinol daily because I want to keep my skin from becoming tolerant to it as long as possible. Also, retinol weakens your skin's outer skin layers and makes it more vulnerable to UV rays/sunlight, so I prefer to use it when I know I won't be going out into the sun the next day.

The directions say that you should apply this to cleansed and toned skin, and then wait at least 30 minutes before applying moisturizer over it. I think it's important to distinguish the difference between this product as opposed to a serum--serums work better with moisturizers over them, but I believe this works best alone. Adding a moisturizer on top would basically help protect and soothe your skin because of the retinol's drying effect. Also, this is called a "refining night cream," but don't let that mislead you, because it is not thick, or is it intended to moisturize, even though it contains some emollients. Because I have combination/normal skin, I normally don't apply moisturizer over this the occassions I do use it, but I don't notice any instant drying or burning sensation. For a product with such a high concentration in retinol, it really applies smoothly and nicely, almost as if it were a primer. One pump is good for my forehead, and a second pump is good for my nose, upper lip, and chin. If I want to apply it to my cheeks, I'll split the third pump evenly between them. That brings me to the one thing I dislike about this product; the pump feels fragile and is very hard to control, and I can't just dispense a little bit. But maybe my bottle is defective, I don't know.

Comparing the Skinceuticals 0.5% to Retin-A, the Skinceuticals goes on much more smoothly, and has a nice matte, silky finish, and becomes virtually indiscernable on my skin. I did not like the Retin-A because when it dried, it left these white flakey, grainy marks on my face as if my face had fallen into a pot of grinded rice bits. (Does that analogy make sense?) Not very attractive, especially for those of you with husbands/wives/etc. It also was way too drying in general. When I apply the Skinceuticals 0.5%, it sinks immediately into my skin, and I can see it actually shrinking my pores and flattening out my congested comedones. When I wake up in the morning, my skin looks calmer and more evened out. Also, Retin-A is a prescription retinol product, and Skinceuticals is over the counter.

Overall, this is a great corrective skincare product and I highly recommend it to anyone concerned about age prevention, pore size, blemishes, or acne! Don't be dissuaded by the price, because this will last you an extremely long time--a year or more, maybe.

Ingredients:
Water, Cyclomethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane (and) Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Dimethicone (and) Dimethiconol (and) Laureth-4 (and) Laureth-23, Hydrogenated Lecithin (and) Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) (and) Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (and) Ceramide 2 (and) Ceramide 3 (and) Phytosphingosine (and) Cholesterol, Hypericum Perforatum Extract (and) Propylene Glycol, Allyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer (and) Polysorbate 20 (and) Retinol (and) BHT, Sodium Polyacrylate, Dimethicone PEG-7 Isostearate, Glycerin, Polyacrylamide (and) C13-14 Isoparaffin (and) Laureth-7, Bisabolol, Rosa Canina Leaf Extract (and) Silybum Marianum Fruit Extract (and) Possiflora Incarnata Flower Extract (and) Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Leaf Extract (and) Citric Acid, Methylisothiazolinone, Tetrasodium EDTA.

Clinique Derma White

2009-03-13T14:59:00.000-07:00

I've been using the Clinique Derma White Advanced Brightening Essence and the Derma White Moisture Milk since the end of January 2009, along with the Derma White Super City Block Oil-Free Daily Face Protector SPF 40++ since the end of December 2008. You can read my initial thoughts on the Super City Block here. In this post, I will review the essence and moisture milk, and also update you with my current thoughts on the sunscreen.

As I've stated before, the Clinique Derma White line is available exclusively in Asia, as it's especially formulated for Asian skin, but you will probably find online retailers who will ship to other parts of the globe. Currently, the only Derma White product carried in the US Clinique office is the Powder Makeup SPF 15++, which I have no desire to try, haha.

The website says that the purpose of their "lab-certified" line is to "undo the visible evidence of sun damage, dark patches, skin stresses, and age spots for brightness and clarity." Notice how I emphasized visible...meaning if your skin is damaged from tanning and such, any brightening or whitening products only serve to improve your skin's appearance, not actually heal or repair the damage. So it's extremely important to limit your exposure to the sun, because no whitening or brightening product is going to turn back the clock on the damage your skin has already suffered. It's like

The products contain ascorbyl glucoside to prevent and inhibit the production of melanin (or pigment) in the skin by physically blocking them from being released. In addition, the Black Out Yeast extract disperses whatever melanin is released from the skin, in order to lighten the dark spots. Glucosamine and salicylic acid exfoliate the surface of the skin to prevent dead cell buildup, and a special complex of Apigenin, White Birch, and Oili extract work to slow down the release of melanin to the skin's surface. (Glucosamine is also in Estee Lauder's Idealist, an effective exfoliant serum I use religiously.) In addition, there are many antioxidants in the products to help slow down free radical activity.

The Brightening Essence and Moisture Milk both come in extremely durable, nice packaged 30 ml (one ounce) bottles, but the Brightening Essence bottle is larger in size. I'm puzzled why two ounce products are different sizes, but I can only guess that the serum/essence is packaged in thicker plastic. Both of these bottles are extremely thick and somewhat heavy! While I like that sunlight won't seep through the bottles and whittle away the products' efficacy, and that the pumps are extremely easy to control (unlike some pumps that are hard to push and you end up getting more amount out of the bottle than you need), I'm annoyed that I can't see how much product is left. So I have no idea when I'll finish these bottles...I can't even tell if I'm halfway through because the bottles are so heavy.

I've been applying these once a day, in the morning, or sometimes after I shower since the end of January. I waited awhile before this review since Clinique says that the Derma White line takes 4-6 weeks for results to appear. I agree; I didn't really see results until the end of February. I think my skin probably got one shade lighter, but the difference is very subtle since I'm not that dark to begin with. What I think this helps with is preventing me from tanning, because I tan VERY easily and always consciously hold my purse next to my face for protection while running around in direct sunlight like a crazy person.

I think these products will only work well for those who have normal to combination oily/normal skin. If your skin is dry at all, you probably should stay away from whitening products. I haven't tried other whitening brands yet so I can't compare Clinique Derma White's strength, but I used the products only about 3 or 4 times and my skin did completely dry out at first and turn super flakey. Eventually, my skin got used to these, and stopped drying out. However, because I have skin that's EXTREMELY prone to clogged pores, whiteheads, and blackheads, it requires an insane amount of exfoliation...in the end, this line has actually benefitted my skin. If you read the ingredients (which I've listed at the end of this post and the previous one on the sunscreen), you'll see that this line uses really superior, quality ingredients...though the line may be expensive, I think it's worth it for the ingredients alone, since they are there to really improve the condition of your skin, instead of just "whitening" it.

Also, as for the Derma White Super City Block SPF 40 ++...if you read my initial review you know I started off not really liking this sunscreen because I thought it gave my face a weird matte shimmer that was unflattering. However, I've really changed my mind about it. I don't think this sunscreen is a substitute for tinted moisturizer or foundation by any means, but many times I find myself skipping base makeup because this sunscreen offsets the redness and blemishes on my skin with its matte effect. And you know me--anything that speeds the "getting ready" process and helps me reduce the amount of product on my face is a winner. Also, after over two months of using this sunscreen, it has not broken me out. Though I had initial reservations that the SPF value wasn't high enough and it didn't provide the maximum possible UVA protection, I put those worries to rest after realizing how many antioxidants and healing ingredients Clinique has put into the sunscreen--something I don't think you will find anywhere else, at least I haven't found it anywhere else yet. :-)
Cosmetic Garments is selling this sunscreen for $22.50 if you want to give it a try and aren't located in Asia.

Lastly, here are the ingredients right off the boxes:

Advanced Brightening Essence-
Water\Aqua\Eau, Isododecane, Cyclopentasil-oxane, Butylene glycol, Yeast extract\faex\extrait de levure, Dimethicone, Silica, Cetyl PEG\PPG-10\1 Dimethicone, Glycerin, Ascorbyl glucoside, Polysilicone-11, Glycine Soja (Soybean) seed extract, Curcuma longa (Turmeric) root extract, Gentiana Lutea (Gentian) root extract, Hydrolyzed rice bran extract, Chamomilla recutita (Matricaria) flower extract, Betula alba (Birch) bark extact, cucumis sativus (cucumber) fruit extract, Rosa roxburghi fruit extract, glycyrrhetinic acid, saccharomyces lysate extract, Angelica cutiloba (Japanese angelica) root extract, Zizyphus Jujuba fruit extract, citrus unshiu peel extract, poria cocos sclerotium extract, Gardenia florida extract, paeonia albiflora (peony) root extract, Hordeum vulgare (Barley) extract\extrait d'orge, Porphyra Yezoensis (algae) extract, Carthamus Tinctorus (safflower) flower extract, Helianthus annus (sunflower) seedcake, Bifida ferment lysate, sucrose, sodium RNA, caffeine, acetyl glucosamine, PEG-6, Salicylic acid, glucose, PPG-3 Myristyl ether, Phospholipids, Tromethamine, Propylene glycol dicaprate, sodium hyaluronate, arginine, tocopheryl acetate, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Laureth-12, Caprylyl Glycol, Disteardimonium hectorite, Hexylene glycol, Disodium EDTA, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol, Titanium Dioxide (CI77891), Mica

Moisture Milk-
Water\Aqua\Eau, Dimethicone, Butylene glycol, Hydrogenated lecithin, paeonia suffruticosa (peony) root extract, carthamus tinctorius (safflower) flower extract, magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, Peonia albifloria (peony) root extract, Angelica acutiloba (Japanese angelica) root extract, Gardenia florida extract, saccharomyces lysate extract, poria cocos sclerotium extract, Rosa roxburghii fruit extract, Zizyphus jujuba fruit extract, cucumis sativus (cucumber) fruit extract, betula alba (birch) bark extract, Glycyrhetinic acid, Laminaria saccharina extract, tocopheryl acetate, yeast extract\faex\extrait de levure, hordeum vulgare (barley) extract\extrait d\orge, chamomilla recutita (Matricaria), squalane, chamomilla recutita (Matricaria) extract, sodium RNA, helianthus annuus (sunflower) seedcake, propylene glycol dicaprate, polyethylene, acrylates/C10-30 alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Glycerin, Glucose, Diethylhexyl Succinate, HDI\Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymertromethamine, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Butyparaben, Isopropylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Mica, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891)

Murad Sleep Reform Serum

2009-03-12T14:46:00.000-07:00

I received a sample of this product from Sephora recently. Normally I don't review samples, since you don't get enough product to determine whether or not it really works over time, but I think this product deserves a review!

The Murad Sleep Reform Serum is an expensive little commodity...at $97 for just one ounce, you're paying a lot for something which will only last you a one to three months, at most. But as a culture obsessed with aging gracefully (or not aging at all), many of us will probably shell out our hard earned dollars in search of a non-surgical method to turn back time.

Since I don't have wrinkles yet, I can't tell you whether or not this product actually diminishes them. However, I can tell you that within two nights I could already feel it working on my young, early twenties skin.

Some readers might be wondering why I'm even testing this product out if I'm so young. Well, I may not have wrinkles yet, but delaying their appearance is all about prevention. Murad Sleep Reform Serum claims to do just that--it's an anti-aging treatment that works at night when you sleep by "locking in moisture, promoting skin firmness, and fighting signs of aging" so your complexion is "rejuvenated" when you wake up in the morning. It contains an exclusive formula they call "Repair Enhancing Matrix"--not sure what that is, but we all know that as we sleep, our skin works to slough off dead cells and repair the damage incurred during the day, and this repair matrix is supposed to aid that process. Furthermore, the serum contains melatonin, which is supposed to stimulate collagen production. Melatonin is a chemical our bodies produce naturally when we go to sleep in response to levels of light, and it helps with all the renewal, cleansing, and healing processes our bodies undergo as we rest...this is why beauty sleep is so important.

I applied Sleep Reform Serum after cleansing and toning my skin, and then simply added a thick cream on top. The first morning after I woke up, my skin looked slightly more glowing than it normally does, and my eyelids which have a tendency to droop, looked more lifted. My pores (which have become enlarged lately due to clogged sebum that refuses to be extracted) were visibly tighter and refined. But after the second night, my skin felt tight, firm, and lifted in the morning, even to the touch. It was as if the temporary tightening of the skin you get from egg whites had been harnessed into a serum, except the tightening didn't feel dry or uncomfortable. The sensation lasted the entire day and the next, though I didn't apply any more serum the following night. My skin continued to look and feel completely hydrated--my eyelids, which have thinner and more fragile skin than normal, were nice and plump, and the tiny lines disappeared except for my eyelid crease.

Unfortunately, the effect did not last into the rest of the week. When I tried the serum again another night, my skin looked nicer the next day, but the tightening effect was not as apparent. Based on my results, I would recommend that you apply this serum nightly until you can feel and see the results, skip a night or two, then start applying it again. It's very potent, but whether the results are long lasting or temporary remains to be seen. Murad claims it stimulates collagen producing cells by 78% and improves collagen potential by 62%, but notice how they never say the percentage of actual collagen increase. Ultimately, I consider this product a form of "topical Botox"--you'll see positive results, but without continued use, they'll go away.

Ah, I forgot to mention that this product isn't good for those with sensitive skin. My skin is sensitive lately because it's pretty dry, and this product burned upon application...though the burning sensation did go away as soon as it was absorbed into the skin.

Make Up For Ever Cream Concealer Palette

2009-03-10T16:53:00.000-07:00

I went on a Sephora binge earlier this month to test out all these products I've been wanting to try. Among them was the Make Up For Ever 5 Camouflage Cream Palette in No. 1 and the Make Up For Ever Camouflage Cream Concealer in Mauve. I purchased the Mauve shade individually in a pot, but the above picture is just an example from the link of what the pot looks like. For a realistic depiction of the Mauve shade, see below.

This is Palette No. 2, also for Fair to light skin tones. The shades it comes with seem to have a more neutral or pink undertone, and the color concealer on the right is the shade Mauve. The picture accurately reflects what Mauve really looks like; it's a pale lilac or lavender..for some reason the Mauve individual shade example next to the add to cart button looks more magenta, in my opinion.

I think the packaging of these materials is quite nice. Though MUFE uses plastic, the palette feels very slim, light, and convenient. The dimensions are probably around 1.5 inches x 4.5 inches (sorry metric users, I don't know the conversion off the top of my head!). The pot is also very light, the opening is quite wide so the concealer won't be hard to get to as you deplete it. What I didn't like about the packaging on the palette is that the concealer looks like it was just poured directly into circular indentations in the palette--I can't tell if they're inside a tin because the top of the tin (if there is one) isn't showing. As a result, the concealer can get messy and onto your palette if your finger or brush isn't careful.

This is just going to be a super short review because I really did not like these cream concealers! I got them because of all the rave reviews, but they were just impossible to use. When I first opened the palette, there were little globs of oil sitting on top of the concealer and the sides of the palette--which can be expected and quite normal, since the product itself contains mineral oil. Thus, I expected the product to be quite creamy, but I was wrong. Even after heating them up with a hairdryer, the product felt too matte and cakey to blend out on my skin. I think you need to have perfectly smooth skin to use this product--I tried many different blending and application methods, but this concealer would still crease under my eyes, or just look completely unnatural. The winners of this concealer are the green and mauve, but they aren't even included in the same palette, which really annoys me.

So sadly, I will be returning this product. My search for the perfect creamy, moisturizing concealer continues...until then I will be sticking to my Skin79 Beblesh Balm, which has the versatility of covering flaws whether my skin is dry and flaking, or clogged and irritated.

Vickery and Clarke Aloe Vera and Cucumber Face Tonic

2009-03-05T20:37:00.000-08:00

Last month, I purchased the Vickery and Clarke Face Tonic which is formulated for normal to oily combination skin. Vickery and Clarke is available exclusively at CVS and is a natural, paraben free line.

Lately, I am all about mixing the high end products with the low end. I cannot use solely drugstore brands or my skin becomes aggravated, but I am always looking for quality products at the drug store. Because Vickery and Clarke is all natural, I've been slowly working their products into my rotation.

Sadly, I don't have a photo other than the miniscule thumbnail on the CVS link...but the packaging looks exactly the same in person. The Face Tonic, which is actually a facial mist or spray, comes in a 4 oz bottle. The spray mechanism works really well, despite being a drugstore brand--everytime I press the nozzle, I get an extremely even and fine mist of tonic.

This is actually my first facial spray. Face sprays are intended to prep the skin like with toner and watery emulsions. After cleansing and toning your face, you're supposed to mist them all over the skin, to ease the application of serums or moisturizers and provide additional moisture. I honestly don't think that facial sprays are a necessary step in the skincare routine. I actually didn't like using this after toning; it stings the skin if you have sensitive or combination to dry skin. I would only use this for skincare purposes if I had oily, unsensitive skin, on areas I am prone to acne, because this spray is not very soothing or moisturizing.

On the other hand, a face spray in your makeup routine is another story. As far as drugstore brands go, this tonic is great for mineral makeup, concealer, or any type of foundation in general. A lot of the time I struggle with creating a natural finish after I apply foundation or bb cream. I want my skin to look naturally flawless, as if I don't have any makeup on. The Face Tonic really helps with that. With mineral makeup, I achieve the best finish if I swirl my brush in the powder first, then mist my brush once or twice, and then buff it into my skin. With concealer or liquid foundation, I apply it first onto my face with my fingers, then mist a makeup sponge a couple times and gently go over the spots. This prevents your makeup from looking cakey, artificial, or dry. If you would like to use this for touch ups, I would still recommend you carry around a kabuki or powder brush, or a sponge, and use the same method. What's good about using this spray for your makeup is that it contains witch hazel, which is a natural astringent and will help control the oil and bacteria on your face, as well as your makeup tools. Also, since you've already plied your face with moisturizer and makeup, the spray will not sting your skin.

Sometimes, I even use this spray on my hair after curling it. I don't recommend doing this, but it is certainly a quick fix when your hair is dry or staticky!

Here are the ingredients. What I like is that V&C tells you how natural each product is right on the label. The Face Tonic is 97.5% natural.

Ingredients: Water, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Distillate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf (Aloe Vera) Extract, Camomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Extract, Glycerin, Glycereth 26, Rosa Damasensa Flower Oil, Panthenol (Vitamin B5), Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, PEG-12 Dimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance, Chlorphensin, Sodium Benzoate.

This product isn't really a must have for me, but that will not deter me from trying the Mega Rich Eye Cream and Antioxidant Vitamin Serum next!

Get Thee to a Target...

2009-03-03T09:00:00.000-08:00

and take a gander at the Go International McQ Collection by Alexander McQueen!

(click to enlarge)

I'm a fan of his clothing, so this is definitely a treat. Normally I don't really bother with the Go International collections, since I find most of the clothing tacky and poor quality. However, I'm really pining for the McQ graphic t-shirt and the black dress with cream straps. The leather vest looks super cute too.

The collection drops tomorrow, March 4th!

Go here for some more photos: http://www.nylonmag.com/?section=album&albid=210

Sephora Haul

2009-03-02T21:14:00.000-08:00

Besides the Smashbox Photo Finish Lid Primer freebie for Beauty Insiders, Sephora is also having a 15% off sale! Time for me to make another haul!

The Goods:
Anastasia Highlighting Brow Kit (desperately need brow powder...I've always used cream eyeliner on my brows!)
Bare Escentuals Eye Quickies #1 (bought this of the rave reviews...I love highlighting products, bronzer looks awful on me for contouring)
OPI Nail Colour Drying Drops (addicted to nail polish but hate waiting for my nails to dry!)
Make Up For Ever 5 Camouflage Cream Palette in No. 1 (I don't own any concealer...I really need something for my blemishes because BB cream clogs my pores)
Make Up For Ever Camouflage Cream Concealer in Mauve (actually don't know if I'll receive this since it's "out of stock" but I was able to add it to my cart.)

So much stuff! I even wanted to get more things, but I'll resist and head to the store first and test out other things on my list. Haha.

The 15% off sale ends this Saturday, March 7th. Just add code J89LM to checkout. Unfortunately Sephora codes aren't stackable, or I totally would've snagged myself another Smashbox lid primer, haha.

I promise more substantial entries (aka reviews) soon!

February 2009 Skincare Routine

2009-03-01T09:01:00.000-08:00

February has not been a good skin month for me. If I don't have deep cystic pimples (the kind that has nothing to do with external skincare, I get them from lack of sleep), I have clogged pores and comedone acne. My skin was clearing up before coming back to school, but a change of climate, habits, and products is making my skin constantly erupt.

So, the bad news is that it's going to be awhile longer before I have any reviews to post as I wait to see if my skin will heal with the products I'm currently using. The good news is that I originally wasn't planning on getting new skincare products for a long time, but now I'll probably have to purchase new things to get rid of the acne, and thus I'll have more reviews.

If you guys have any tips on how to get rid of comedone type acne for normal type skin on the T-zone, do share them with me!

Current skin type: dehydrated normal skin with clogged pores and breakouts on T-zone

MORNING:

Cleanse-
Neutrogena Oil-free Acne Wash Pink Grapefruit Foaming Scrub

Moisturize-
Clinique Derma White Advanced Brightening Essence
Estee Lauder Idealist Pore Minimizing Skin Refinisher
Clinique Derma White Moisture Milk

Prevent-
Clinique Derma White Super City Block SPF 40 ++

NIGHT:

Cleanse-
Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm (alone or with white sugar)
Neutrogena Oil-free Acne Wash Pink Grapefruit Foaming Scrub

Tone-
Clean & Clear Cooling Daily Pore Toner OR Missha Rose Water Controlling Skin Toner

Moisturize-
Estee Lauder Idealist Pore Minimizing Skin Refinisher AND/OR Kiehl's Abyssine Serum +
Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion OR Puritan's Pride Vitamin E Cream

WEEKLY:

Biore nose strips
Aspirin Mask
Skinceuticals Refining Night Cream with 0.5% Pure Retinol
Sewame Paris paper facial masks

Sephora Freebies

2009-02-28T21:40:00.000-08:00

If you live in the US, you're probably aware that Sephora is allowing us to add 5 samples to every purchase through March 3rd, rather than the usual 3.

Well, in addition to that, Sephora is now allowing Beauty Insiders to preview a deluxe sample of Smashbox's new Photo Finish Lid Primer before it hits stores. How cool is that?!?!

My eyes produce a lot of oil, so I've always used Urban Decay Primer Potion. However, I dislike the drying, rubbery texture, which I'm sure is contributing to premature aging because it's so hard to blend in. This primer contains plant-based hyaluronic acid, as well as amino acids, to moisturize and brighten the skin. Sounds like I don't have to worry about my primer nullifying the properties of my eye cream!

If you're a beauty insider, just use coupon code "SMASHLAB" at check out. Hurry before supplies run out!

Breakfast Mask Recipe

2009-02-24T15:00:00.000-08:00

After the six hour flight from sunny Southern California back to wintry New England, my combination skin has been peeling and flaking from all the dehydration. To make matters worse, I've also started slightly breaking out again. I was caught in a bit of a dilemma because I don't have a wide range of products to fix this problem. Before I came back for my final semester, I decided not to bring my armory of treasured skincare products (DHC Cleansing Oil, Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair, St. Ives scrubs, etc.) because anything I don't finish, I will have to throw out. During my time in college, I've accumulated a ton of belongings so packing up and shipping out will be enough stressful as it is.

So recently, with a dining hall at my disposal (when will I ever have this luxury again?), I've been getting into homemade masks to help heal and improve my skin. The Internet is overflowing with recipes on how to incorporate food into your skincare regimen, but I've never used food other than egg whites on my skin because my parents would just consider it a waste, haha. Below is a recipe I concocted on the fly which I recommend if your skin needs some clarifying and moisturizing. Of course, you should only make it if these ingredients are readily and cheaply accessible! I call this mask the "Breakfast Mask" 'cause it's made of things I consume at breakfast, and tastes good enough to eat! :-)

You will need:
1) A cup of uncooked oatmeal - soothing, anti-inflammatory
2) Honey - as much or as little as you want, only if you're not allergic to it - moisturizing, healing, nourishing
3) A few slices of a lemon - lightening, brightening
4) One banana - moisturizing
5) Utensils--a pot, stirring spoon, bowl, knife, cutting board, etc.
6) Resealable tupperware

Directions:
Start by boiling a bit of water over a stove, and slowly adding in the oatmeal. You should cook the oatmeal a bit on the drier side, so it's thick and pasty, instead of runny or watery. When the oatmeal is done, scoop it out into a bowl. While the oatmeal is still hot, add honey into it and mix well. You can add as much or as little honey as you'd like. Next, peel your banana completely, and slice it as thinly as possible. Smash the banana slices all together until the banana has turned into mush, and then add this into the oatmeal. Stir everything together thoroughly. Your mixture should be a little more watery now. Next, add in some fresh lemon juice. If you're unsure of how much to add, a fourth of a lemon should be plenty. Mix again. Your mixture should be thick and mushy, but not runny. Take out the amount you need for your facial mask, and put the rest into a resealable tupperware container for the fridge. Apply the mask on a clean and toned face, and leave on for 5 to 15 minutes. Afterwards, rinse with water and follow with moisturizer.

If you want, you can also soak cotton pads in the mixture and put them on top of the paste on your skin. I find this helpful because the first batch I made was too liquidy, and glops of oatmeal and banana kept falling off all over the place. I would also suggest that you rinse carefully behind a mirror because the oatmeal and banana can get in your hair and be very difficult to wash out!

I tried this mask when my skin was very dry and congested. After rinsing my skin, it felt so nice and smooth. The next morning, my skin looked so much brighter and healthier, and my zits had reduced in size.

Some other oatmeal mask recipes to consider can be found here:
http://www.pioneerthinking.com/oatmealbeauty.html

Recent Purchases, Random Babbling

2009-02-12T09:15:00.001-08:00

Just a quick random and personal post, because I'm not sure when I'll be able to update again. I shipped my beat up baby (aka my laptop) to repair, and I probably won't have it back until after two weeks from today. I asked for a memory upgrade, so hopefully I'll get one, cause my system is seriously soooooooo slow. Sometimes I have to wait ten minutes after logging into (not turning on, mind you) my computer for all the programs to load and settle down.

My sleeping schedule has been extremely erratic recently. My brain likes being nocturnal, but I have morning classes this semester, so I've been desperately trying to turn my internal clock around. However, it refuses to listen to me! And in an attempt to regulate my sleeping schedule, I've been pulling all-nighters just so I can make it to class and not be late. However, not sleeping at night bodes poorly on my body. I have a lot of cystic acne nodules on my forehead right now, which goes to show no matter how much you take care of your skin, it's all pointless if you don't get enough sleep.

Anyway, I just wanted to mention here in my superficial niche in cyberspace what else I've purchased recently! I am seriously breaking the bank here.

GoldSign Lusty Jeans
18th Amendment Lollobrigida High Waist Straight Leg Jean
Dolce Vita Madison Pumps
Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm (from Bloomingdales.com for the free gift with purchase!)
Marc by Marc Jacobs Biker Stud Skinny Barrette
Marc by Marc Jacobs Dr. Q Key Pouch

I haven't received the heels or the Clinique cleansing balm yet, since I just ordered those this week. I'm so happy with the jeans I purchased, though. The GoldSign pair are the perfect black skinnies I've been desperately needing, and they're SUCH high quality! I definitely recommend this brand if you're looking for high end jeans. The 18th Amendment pair is a dirty blue wash and seems of lesser quality than the GoldSign pair, but they still fit me pretty well. The inseam is 34" or so, so they're way too long, but I like to scrunch my skinnies around the ankles so that works out fine. Both pairs cost me about $100, which is pretty good considering they're high end.

It's funny how my collection of jeans just adds up throughout the years. I haven't gotten taller (just fatter, haha) since high school and now I have no idea what to do with my pile of old jeans. I can still wear them, but I don't really like them. Most of them are flared (since that was "in" then), and since I'm not very tall, I think they make me look shorter. Most are also too long for me, so I have to fold them up, and I don't have a sewing machine so I can't hem them. They don't fit me that snugly either, since I used to buy everything a size larger incase I "grew" later. I wonder what I should do with them.

On another note, I'm not entirely sure I should keep my Marc by Marc Jacobs purchases. Both were on sale, but do I really need them? The key pouch is too small to hold anything besides credit cards, id, and keys. The barrette is cute, but not something I can wear often. I'm wondering if I should return these and purchase the Bliss Peeling Groovy Serum, especially because they're giving away a free Love Handler this month with every purchase. I can't believe how expensive this serum is, though! It costs even more than my Estee Lauder Idealist! I'm sorely tempted to buy it to do a comparison...hmm.

Anyway, if you read through all my babbling, let me know what you think! I'm off to work on a huge research paper...woopee :-( Take care, all.

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion

2009-02-09T02:10:00.001-08:00

Just a very basic review today. I'm sure almost everyone has heard of or already tried the Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion, 4.2 oz before. This hefty 4.2 oz bottle comes with or without a pump. The pump-less version costs $22.50, and the with pump version costs $24.00

My mom used to use this lotion religiously in her thirties and early forties, and in my teens, I tried to use this too. Clinique claims this lotion provides a "world famous" moisture "drink" for your skin. However, I never liked it very much then. It made my skin feel shiny and oily, and it didn't seem to be making a positive difference.

However, that was also when I never got dry skin. Back then, I was much oilier and never prone to dry patches. Thus, if you have young or oily skin, you'll probably hate this product. Now that I'm older and have developed drier, combination skin, I have to say I really love this moisturizer. It has been my ultimate savior during these winter months, and the transition from fall to winter.

This lotion is actually pretty light, and the blendability is amazing. In my other moisturizer reviews, I usually mention whether the product remains moist long enough for me to spread it over the desired portion of my face before drying. This moisturizer is great in that respect. Also, a little goes a long way. I use a pea sized amount on each of my cheeks/eye areas, on my nose and around my mouth, and on my forehead. It instantly absorbs into my skin, and leaves a moist, smooth finish, and gives my skin an extra boost of moisture. In the fall, I was comfortable with using this as my main nighttime moisturizer. Now that the weather is much worse (ice and cold outside, drying heat from the radiator inside), I apply this lotion as a base before a thicker moisturizer, whether before bed, or before sunscreen (since my sunscreen can feel quite matte, almost drying). This allows my regular serums or emulsions to penetrate even deeper into my skin.

The ingredients for this product are pretty basic. Nothing fancy.

Water (Aqua Purificata) Purified, Mineral Oil (paraffinum liquidum), Sesame (Sesamum Indicum) Oil, Propylene Glycol, Tea Stearate, Gylceryl Stearate, Lanolin Alcohol, Petrolatum, Methylparaben, Propylparaben.

Yes, this moisturizer contains mineral oil and sesame oil. For some of you that may be a turn off, but this lotion has never broken me out...in fact, it's maybe even helped prevent my breakouts by providing an excellent barrier over my Estee Lauder Idealist. I've also read somewhere that the reason why people continue to purchase this lotion (though it's had the same formula since the 1960s) is because of the ingredients' proportions, which mimick and maintain your skin's optimal, natural moisture level.

In summary...if you try this product and notice it leaves behind a greasy, oily film on your skin, you're either applying too much or your skin isn't suited to this product. As someone who used to have oily skin, I've been lifted out of my skepticism about the product after bravely resampling it recently. Right now, Bloomingdale's Clinique is having a free gift with purchase, so it's the perfect time to get this product if you've never tried it.

January 2009 Skincare Routine

2009-02-05T21:28:00.000-08:00

My skincare routine is ever changing to suit whatever I feel my skin needs at the moment. Since my skin is pretty fickle, I don't have a typical routine. However, I'm going to start posting monthly skincare routines so you all can see what products I'm using. This post is, as titled, for the previous month of January. With this routine, I saw little to no break outs, my pore size reduced, and I had no dry patches.

Current skin type: dehydrated combination skin with easily clogged pores, small breakouts

MORNING:

Cleanse-
DHC Mild Soap (alone), OR
Dove Facial Cleansing Cloths (alone)

Moisturize-
Estee Lauder Idealist Pore Minimizing Skin Refinisher, followed by Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion

Prevent-
Clinique Derma White Super City Block SPF 40 ++

NIGHT:

Cleanse-
DHC Deep Cleansing Oil (alone or with white sugar), followed by DHC Mild Soap OR Dove Facial Cleansing Cloths

Moisturize-
Estee Lauder Idealist Pore Minimizing Skin Refinisher
Kiehl's Abyssine Serum + (on neck)
Mario Badescu Hyaluronic Eye Cream
DHC Extra Virgin Olive Oil (on face and neck)

WEEKLY:

St. Ives Apricot Scrub (only in shower)
Estee Lauder Advanced Repair Eye Recovery Complex (before Mario Badescu Hyaluronic Eye Cream)
Biore nose strips

Shopbop.com Sale!!!

2009-02-03T17:40:00.000-08:00

As if I haven't spent enough money already, Shopbop is having another sale! Mid-January, they had an additional 20% off sale on all already discounted items. Now, they have a 20% sale on ALL items! Woo hoo! (An indication of how bad retail sales must be going for them) I've had my eye on a bunch of things, but I really need well fitted skinny jeans!

Here's the code (I had to make a wishlist and send it to myself to get it):

XOXOSB

Go crazy!

Eyelid Glue and Tape for Asian Monolids, Hooded Double Eyelids

2009-02-03T07:14:00.000-08:00

Aside from your skin, your eyes are probably the next most captivating or important feature on your face. In most cultures, the larger your eyes are or appear to be, the more they are perceived as attractive. This is no different in Asian cultures.

I've decided to write about this because I feel compelled to correct (or counter) the countless critical articles, videos, blogs, and comments on the Internet about this controversial topic. Let's get our background information straight first, before forming premature conclusions.

Approximately fifty percent of the Asian population is born with double eyelids, so that leaves the other fifty percent born with either monolids or with hooded ("hidden" double eyelids). Blepharoplasty (double eyelid surgery) is commonly practiced in Asia and other countries to create or enhance double eyelids. The goal is not really to "Westernize" the eyes (remember, about half the Asian population already has double eyelids), but to just make them appear larger, more awake, and in some instances, even improve eyesight or prevent eyelashes/eyelid skin from irritating the cornea.

Internally, the Asian eye is built completely differently than the Caucasian eye. Even the anatomy of an Asian with double eyelids will differ from a Caucasian eye. Here's some illustrations to help explain:

(photos courtesy of http://www.drmeronk.com/)

Can you guess which one is the Asian eye, and which one is the Caucasian eye? If you guessed that the Caucasian eye anatomy is on the left, and the Asian one on the right, you are correct. What differences can you see?

There are red arrows in both diagrams pointing to pink strings that look like ligaments or tendons. These are the eyes' "levator" muscle or tendon, which lifts the eyelid every time the eye blinks. For a long time, this muscle as been perceived as the reason behind the eye crease. As you can see, on the Caucasian eye, this muscle is set much higher on the lid, and connects to the lid in several places, so the levator tendon's pull is quite strong. In the Asian eye, the levator tendon connects to the eyelid much closer to the lashline, and in fewer places. This would explain why the Asian eye's crease is much closer to the lashline, and not as prominent.

However, to say that the levator muscle is completely responsible for whether your crease is higher or lower is uninformed. Of course, the way your eye looks will depend also on your facial bone structure, the size of your eyeballs and eyesocket, the height of your nose, etc. etc. Furthermore, it will also depend on whether your eyelid contains any fat. Yes, fat. In both diagrams, the green and yellow areas illustrate the fat disparity in the Caucasian and Asian eye. The yellow section is the eyelid fat, and the green section is the eyebrow fat. Notice how the Asian eye contains a LOT more fat than the Caucasian eye...the fat even rests on the levator muscle. This layer of fat can cause the Asian eye to appear droopy or saggy, pushing the crease of the eyelid down, or in many cases, not allowing a crease to form on the lid at all.

How do I get rid of this fat, you ask? Well, honestly, there is no non-surgical method of removing the fat from your eye. I've read that some girls try to massage their eye to distribute the fat from their lids...please do not do this! Your eye area is very delicate, and rubbing the skin can cause more harm than good.

Though Asian eyes anatomically differ from the Caucasian eye, they still come in all different sorts of shapes and sizes. Again, many Asians already have eyelid folds. Here are a couple examples of the different types of Asian eye. I used pictures of celebrities (and please don't comment about how you think so-and-so had plastic surgery, I don't judge people without absolute proof and you shouldn't either):

Well defined double eyelids: eyes are deeper set, the crease is fairly high up on the eyelid, frequently beginning and ending at the eye socket. This crease is visible whether the eyes are wide open or closed

Angelababy

Namie Amuro

Hooded eyelids: crease is set further down on the eyelid and closer to the lashline, and may not be apparent or visible when eyes are open, but can be easily seen when blinking or looking down. These eyes are usually not deep set. In some cases, hooded eyelids are mistaken for monolids.

Kwon BoA

Lucy Liu

Monolid: this eyelid either completely lacks a crease or has several faint lines, but no actual crease. Monolids can occur in deep set or portruding eyes. Deep set monolids usually have thinner eyelids, while portruding monolids have thicker eyelids, usually because of an underlying layer of fat.

Bi (Rain)

Hyoni Kang

As you can see, Asian eyes come in all different sorts of shapes and sizes, just like in any other ethnicity. Not all Asians have an "almond shaped" eye, and not all "almond shaped" eyes lack a crease!

Most people who turn to blepharoplasty are monolidded Asians, though there are probably those with hooded eyelids who undergo surgery as well to make their creases higher or more prominent. One non-surgical alternative is to use eyelid glue. Eyelid glue is exactly what it sounds like--a liquid adhesive you apply onto your eyelids where you'd like your desired crease to be placed. Once the glue dries, you use a pusher or small plastic pick to "fold" your eyelid into place. The final result should be a double eyelid.

Eyelid glue should be only used as a last resort, for those who have tried using eyelid tape, but to no avail. Eyelid tape is better than eyelid glue because it is placed consistently in the same spot, so your eyelid will always crease in the same place, and over time, if you are lucky, you will develop a permanent crease. On the other hand, eyelid glue is less easy to control. It takes a lot of practice to master, and your fold may not always appear in the same place. Thus, the chances of developing a permanent crease with eyelid glue are considerably fewer.

Because eyes come in all sorts of different shapes and sizes, eyelid glue or tape may not work for everyone. I find that eyelid tape usually works best on monolids who do not have thick, fatty upper eyelids. The thinner the skin, the better. It will probably also be easier if your eyes are somewhat deeper set. One way to tell if eyelid tape will work on you is by seeing if your eyelids create a crease when you wear false eyelashes. The pressure the lash bone puts on your eyelid causes it to indent temporarily, and thus creating a crease. This false "crease" is where you want your eyelid tape to end, so it reinforces where your eyelid would naturally crease, if it were to crease.

(enlarge for close-up)

Sandra Oh is a great example of this. She has monolids that can easily changed into double eyelids. If you look at her eyelids, there is a faint crease several millimeters abover her lashes. However, the creases are extremely faint, and her levator muscles are probably unable to pull in that crease because of her eyelid fat. If she wears false eyelashes that have a harder brim, her monolids will likely turn into double eyelids.

Eyelid glue seems to work better for those who have "hidden" double eyelids (and want to create a larger crease) or fatty monolids. You should first test your eyes to see if eyelid tape works. If not, purchase some eyelid glue (the Japanese brand Koji is a very popular choice). Please do not use any regular glue, as they may contain harmful additives which should not be put anywhere near your eyes at the risk of blindness. Apply the eyelid glue where your crease would naturally fall along the shape of your eye socket. The key is to apply as closely to your lashline as possible, so it looks natural. Apply a couple of coats and let them dry in between to make sure your crease will hold. Then use the plastic prong to create your crease. You should now see a fold. Turning your pick over to the other side (single prong), poke it into the areas where the glue has nicely and completely "folded" your skin; this step is so any gaps where the crease has not completely folded will seal.

I leave you here with a couple links on tape and glue application.

Mulzanza's eyelid glue and makeup tutorial - A nice tutorial on creating a crease on a monolid eye by finding where your natural crease would fall.

Frmheadtotoe's eyelid tape and makeup tutorials - Good explanations on how to make your own eyelid tape, how to apply it, and how to wear makeup with it.

Koji Eyetalk eyelid glue tutorial - Koji's most circulated eyelid glue tutorial on the web, but the least helpful, in my opinion. The following 2 are better. (The model has monolids in this one.)
another Koji Eyetalk tutorial, but the sound is off - this monolidded lady is using a double sided pusher, I recommend this pusher, not the single sided one in the previous tutorial.
Natural Koji Eyetalk tutorial - this lady already has hidden double eyelids, but is applying glue to heighten the crease.

Beyoutified Episode 3 - Koren and Eve Pearl makeover an Asian lady with asymmetrical double eyelids. The application of eyeshadow is good for any type of Asian crease, as long as you want to make your eyes appear larger without using glue or tape.

- - - - -

Okay, I might as well address the controversy surrounding this topic, since it's somewhat unavoidable. You might be wondering what my personal take on plastic surgery or eyelid glue and tape is. Honestly, I do not have a problem with Asian blepharoplasty or any of these other non-surgical methods. I see Asians being constantly criticized and disparaged for conforming to a supposed Caucasian idea of beauty. While there is perhaps some truth to these accusations, I believe chalking up blepharoplasty or eyelid glue/tape completely as a result of feelings of racial inferiority is presumptuous and Eurocentric. After all, half of the Asian population already has double eyelids! So why are Asians being accused of trying to look white, when they merely want to look like a better version of themselves? Are the Caucasians who undergo rhinoplasty to reduce the size of their nose suffering from Asian envy? Highly doubtful.
There are some standards of beauty that never change across ethnicity lines. Pale skin has always been treasured in either Europe or Asia (until of course, tanning became the fashion in the past decades). Larger, brighter eyes is no exception.
Of course, I'm not advocating completely changing your face. Flaws can be beautiful as well. But those who are unhappy with monolids/hooded lids, and turn to blepharoplasty should not be regarded with contempt. I think an aversion to double eyelid surgery says more about the critic than the patient who undergoes the knife. For people who are against it because of "ethnic" reasons, I must ask--why? Have you ever felt your opinion is based on stereotypes--for example, the idea that all Asians look a certain way, so whatever changes they make to their faces are automatically perceived as some kind of "Caucasianization?"

Bad experiences with Ebay--HELP!

2009-02-02T06:00:00.000-08:00

I got back to school this weekend and my sleeping schedule is so messed up. I've been completely nocturnal this entire winter break, and now I'm trying to pull an all-nighter to force myself to sleep early tomorrow night before my first classes. And I'm not really worried at all...oh, seniorititis. Haha.

Anyway, I'm blogging to get some feedback from any readers out there on my current dilemma. Around Christmas, I ordered something on Ebay from a Japanese seller who had100% positive feedback. When I hadn't received the item two weeks later, I messaged the seller to let them know. He/she immediately apologized and said they would send out the item again with a free gift. Two weeks later, I still hadn't received either the original parcel or the resent parcel. Now if you do the math, four weeks had elapsed, so it was the end of January, and I had to fly back to school. I messaged the seller again, and asked if he/she could resend the item to my school address with a tracking number. The seller then refused, citing that he/she was already out of cost for sending me the item twice, and if I really wanted the item, I could bid again and pay $10 extra for tracking. I then told the seller I would call my local post office to see if the package(s) were floating around somewhere, but if not, I would like a refund, since it didn't make any sense for me to pay twice plus $10 extra for something I never received. The seller responded by saying that since shipping was free for the item, they did not take responsibility for any losses, and could not refund me.

If you were in my situation, what would you do? I know Paypal will refund buyers who do not receive the items they pay for, but I do feel bad for the seller. Everyone else who purchased from them received their packages extremely quickly; why am I the only one who didn't, and not just once, but twice?! I am willing to wait another 2 weeks to see if either parcel turns up at my house, and ask my mom to mail it to me since she has to mail me my medication anyway, but what if it doesn't show up? If you were me and you really wanted this item, would you bid again? Or would you file a dispute and ask for a refund? Though I feel bad for the seller, money is still money...

Mario Badescu Hyaluronic Eye Cream

2009-01-29T23:00:00.000-08:00

Up for review today is the Mario Badescu Hyaluronic Eye Cream. This is the first Mario Badescu product I've ever tried. I've never been really aware of this brand, save for their drying lotion, which is supposed to work miracles on pimples. I'll have some other Mario Badescu reviews in the coming months, so let me know if you're interested!

This eye cream is suitable for all skin types, and comes in a small half ounce plastic container which costs $18.00. At first glance, that doesn't seem like much product for a fairly steep price, but this eye cream will last you forever...I'm estimating, maybe a year, depending on how dry your eye area is.

This white cream is super emollient and rich. The first thing I noticed was how thick and sticky the cream is. I immediately suspected it contained oil to produce that kind of texture. Well, after looking up the ingredients, it doesn't contain mineral oil, but it contains vegetable oil and carnation oil, which I thought was pretty interesting--I've never noticed carnation oil in any of my skincare products. Apparently, it is an anti-inflammatory and restorative agent which can help reduce wrinkles, eczema and rosacea, relax muscles, and aid with hair loss. In addition, this eye cream contains hyaluronic acid, which has the ability to retain up to a thousand times its own weight in moisture. As if that weren't enough, this product also contains aloe vera. Here is a list of its ingredients, courtesy of MarioBadescu.com:

Ingredients: Deionized Water, Polyglycerylmethacrylate (and) Propylene Glycol, Carnation Oil, Propylene Glycol (and) Water (and) Euphrasia Extract, Cetearyl Alcohol (and) Ceteareth-20, Vegetable Oil, Aloe, Polyquaternium-24 (and) Hyaluronic Acid

Though the website says this cream is "medium weight" and can be used "day or night," I do not suggest this eye cream for day time wear unless you plan on staying at home and not wearing much makeup. I like to apply eye cream generously since the skin on my eyelids is pretty thin, and I find this eye cream to be a bit greasy. It sits on your skin for a very long time, and I'm not sure if it actually absorbs into your skin to hydrate it. I say this because when I wake up in the mornings, my eyelids are still coated with a film of this eye cream, no matter how little I use. As a result, I've taken to using this eye cream as a "sealant." When I apply a serum or emulsion after cleansing and toning my face, I'll put this cream on after to ensure that the serum underneath absorbs completely into my skin. I could not imagine using this eye cream during the day, unless I wanted to go for a glossy eye look or something. My eyelids are naturally oily, so using this during the day would turn me into a hot mess.

However, if your eyelids/under eyes are extremely dry, this is probably the ideal eye cream for you. Your concealer and foundation will probably glide on very nicely on top of it. I'm not sure how long you'll have to wait for the cream to absorb, but it's best to apply as little as possible and work your way up (i.e., tap the cream once gently with your ring finger, pat your eyelid, repeat). Though Mario Badescu claims that this cream "helps lock in the skin’s own natural moisture without the use of heavy, greasy oils," I believe their description is rather misleading.

As it's still winter and my skin has been super dehydrated lately, I'm perfectly content to have this in my nighttime regimen. But as the season changes, I will probably look into something else.

Clinique Derma White Super City Block SPF 40++

2009-01-27T03:21:00.000-08:00

I've been using this Clinique Super City Block SPF 40++ from their Derma White line for nearly a month now. This sunscreen is formulated especially for Asian skin, and is available exclusively in Asia. It comes in an ounce tube which retails for about 400 RMB, or roughly $40.00 USD. Unfortunately, I don't think you can purchase this from the Clinique website anymore in the states. I got it off their website over a year ago during one of their bonus times, and it was probably a clearance item since I only paid about $28.00. This product has been marked way up from that price at other online stores like Strawberry.net. CosmeticGarments.com was selling this for $22.50 around Christmas, but now the price has bounced back up, sadly. If price is a deterrent, you'll probably want to skip on this one. Personally, I am willing to spend a lot of money on skincare, especially sunscreen--as long as I find something that really works. And since I'm beginning to look into skin whitening products, this product seemed like a good place to start.

I'm terrified of tanning, so I've always been very vigilant about applying sunscreen, but until just last year I never ventured beyond using Oil of Olay All Day Moisture Lotion Complete SPF 15. I have always wanted a higher protection sunscreen in a similar formula and consistency...BUT, we all know that the higher the SPF is, the more greasy it becomes. So I was pleasantly surprised to find out this sunscreen is completely oil-free and greaseless. I could really tell that it was oil-free because though I had it in storage for several months, the product didn't separate (in some sunscreens, the cream settles and the oil floats to the top). When smoothing it onto the skin, it feels like any regular lotion. Though this sunscreen contains silicone (dimethicone), I can't feel it in the texture at all, unlike in my prior experience with MAC Prep + Prime SPF 50. It goes on very smoothly, yet still quickly dries to a matte finish. The finish allows this sunscreen to be easily worn under your makeup. It's actually formulated to also act as a makeup primer. I like that this sunscreen dries quickly, but I think it dries a little too quickly. I like my lotion and creams to remain moist so I can smooth it over as much of my face as possible before it dries, but because this sunscreen dries quickly, it doesn't spread very well, though this product is quite watery. I end up applying more product on my face than I would normally with other sunscreen. So though I have combination skin, I prefer a sunscreen that feels more moisturizing and less matte. I suppose in the summer I'll appreciate this product more, haha.

The Derma White Super City Block also looks like a tinted sunscreen, or a pale bb cream or tinted moisturizer. However, this sunscreen isn't meant to provide any coverage, so it shouldn't be a substitute for foundation. At the same time, this sunscreen contains silica, which seems to have been milled so that after applying the sunscreen onto your skin it reflects light. I actually don't particularly like this aspect of the sunscreen. Somehow my skin looks really artificial; though I can't see any discernable flecks of silica, I oddly look more tan, almost as if I'm already wearing a poor quality foundation. I cannot wear my normal Skinfood bb cream over this foundation, and I have to dust on Make Up For Ever HD Finishing Powder to offset this bizarre artificial effect. Fortunately, my skin only requires a tiny bit concealing here and there, so I'm able to pull off this sunscreen without looking funny. I can imagine gals with a lot of blemishes not liking this sunscreen very much. I've never experienced anything quite like this before...should I call it a "matte disco ball" effect? Maybe the lighting is the culprit...but I find myself missing the subtle glow of MAC's Prep + Prime SPF 50 over this one.

The following is a list of ingredients I've typed up off the side of the box.

Active Ingredients:
Zinc Oxide 8.8%, Octinoxate 7.5%, Titanium Dioxide 6.6%, Octisalate 2%
Ingredients:
Water/Aqua/Eautrioctyldodecyl Citrate, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Octyldodecyl Neopentanoate, Steareth-2, Silica, Aluminum Stearate, Angelica Acutiloba (Japanese Angelica) root extract, Porphyra Yezoensis (Algae) extract, Hordeum Vulgare (Barley) extract/Extrait d'orge, Zizyphus Jujuba fruit extract, Paeonia Suffruticosa (peony) root extract, cucumis Sativus (cucumber) fruit extract, Helianthus Annuus (sunflower) seedcake, Saccharomyces Lysate extract, Carthamus Tinctorius (safflower) flower extract, Rosa Roxburghii fruit extract, Paeonia Albiflora (peony) root extract, Gardenia Florida extract, lecithin, Poria Cocos Sclerotium extract, Propylene Glycol dicaprate, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria), yeast extract/faex/extrait de levure, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (licorice) root extract, citric acid, peg-100 stearate, Betula Alba (birch) bark extract, acetyl glucosamine, tocopheryl acetate, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) extract, caffeine, magnesium ascorbyl, phosphate, squalane, glycyrrhetinic acid, Gentiana Lutea (Gentian) root extract, Oryza Sativa (rice) bran extract, Ceteth-2, peg-40 stearate, sorbitan tristearate, magnesium aluminum silicate, polyglyceryl-6 polyricinoleate, tricaprylin, sucrose, stereath-20, sodium rna, sodium stearate, isopropyl titanium triisostearate, stearic acid, pantethine, Rosmarinus Officinalis (rosemary) leaf extract, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Glycine Soja (soybean) seed extract, glycerin, barium sulfate, glucose, caprylyl glycol, hexylene glycol, polyethylene, peg/ppg-18/18 dimethicone, Citrus Unshiu peel extract, xanthan gum, disodium edta, bht, chlorphenesin, phenoxyethanol, mica, iron oxides (Ci-77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), titanium dioxide (Ci 77891) [ILN29176]

Though I'm turned off by the silica, I was so impressed with how many fruit and plant extracts Clinique stuffed into this sunscreen. Also, notice how there are NO parabens. Amazing! All you natural gals will probably like this sunscreen, since it's very hard to find a quality, non-greasy, high SPF product. (But if any of you spy any other harmful preservatives in the ingredients, please let me know, and I will immediately retract my recommendation!)

Honestly, this review is probably still somewhat premature, since I started using this product way before any of the other Derma White products I've recently acquired. I tried the Moisture Milk and Brightening Essence for the first time a couple days ago, and was struck by the revelation that this sunscreen is probably one of those products that should only be used with other products from the same line : ). So, I will review the other 2 Derma White products shortly and then do a product update on the sunscreen. Let's see if Clinique Derma White's "whitening" properties really work!

You can check out the rest of the complete Derma White line here, but remember that it's not available in the US, so everything is in Chinese text.

Recent Purchases

2009-01-20T16:44:00.000-08:00

I went to the mall this afternoon to pick up my free cosmetic sample and boy, the lines were AWFUL. The line outside Macy's wrapped around the entire building in several loops. The line at Nordstrom wasn't short either, but it moved much faster. I ran into a friend who said she lined up 3 times to pick up makeup! I don't know if I would have had the time or patience to do that. Should've probably gone in the morning, but I didn't think that many people would be there. I ended up getting the Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair in a 0.5 oz bottle, since I really like Estee Lauder.
My mom and I are always surprised to see how many people pack into the mall in our area. The economy is supposedly in recession, but people don't seem to be cutting back on spending. Meanwhile taxpayers are the ones bailing out corporations because of the greedy, complacent, and powerful few. I really hope our new President ensures there is more government oversight when it comes to cowboy capitalism. Everyone seems to be in love with him already, but I want to stay impartial until the man actually achieves results.

Anyway, my winter break is drawing to a close. As a college student who has no idea if she'll have a job come graduation, I spent more than I should on cosmetics and clothing. I am now declaring a purchase boycott starting today, haha. Well, here's just a summary on what I've picked up since December 2008:

- Kose Sekkisei Powder Facewash, Lotion, Emulsion, and Cream
- Clinique Derma White Advanced Brightening Essence, Moisture Cream, and City Block SPF 40++
- Majolica Majorca Lash Bone Base, Lash Gorgeous Wing Mascara in black
- MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Petticoat
- Free People purple camisole
- H&M lace lilac slip
- Marc by Marc Jacobs barrette, key pouch
- LaRok chained jacket, fringe tank
- basic black hoodie

Though a lot of the stuff I got was on sale, my bank account still feels hard hit. Well, the one flip side of going back to school soon is that I'll have a job again, thus, some extra money.

DHC Olive Essentials Set

2009-01-20T02:52:00.000-08:00

I have a long review today which I'm so excited to share with you about the DHC Olive Essentials Set. This 4 piece set costs $79.00. The set is comprised of items which, if individually purchased, cost $104.00.

Some or many of you might have heard of this brand before. I was first introduced to DHC when I was in seventh grade. Back then, I had relatively perfect skin, with the occasional pimple. But even as a youngster, I liked to indulge myself in some serious skin pampering. DHC used to send me catalogs, and they'd always include samples. Looking back, I probably applied everything entirely incorrectly, and since my skin was already problem free to begin with, I didn't see any results. My wee self also used to wonder, gosh, why is this olive stuff all so freaking expensive?! Of course, now as a young adult, I find DHC to be decently priced. Even better, it really works. I've been using this set a couple times a week since my terrible acne/comedone outbreak, and my skin is regaining its health.

DHC is a Japanese skincare line which has been around for over two decades. Most of their products are derivatives of olive oil, which is extremely rich in antioxidants and vitamins. What makes their olive oil special as opposed to a bottle you'd find at your grocery store is the painstaking extraction process their olives undergo to deliver oil at its uncompromised purest and richest. At any rate, it goes unsaid that Japanese skincare means quality. DHC also doesn't test on animals!

I personally classify this set as a "4 step skincare system," or the "Asian skincare method." The Asian method of basic cleansing involves using cleansing oil on dry skin to loosen and remove oil, makeup, and dirt. This preps the skin for soap, which lathers away any remaining grime. A "lotion," which is the Asian version of a moisturizing toner, is then applied to the skin to add moisture. This allows the skin to better absorb moisturizer, which is the final step.

The following will be a walk-through the four products, along with my thoughts and experience. Since the website has its own directions, I wrote my own below, and only copied and pasted the price quotes and ingredients.

DHC Deep Cleansing Oil, 6.7 fl oz = $25.00, (on sale for $21.00 until 2/28/09), 2.3 fl oz = 12.50

Ingredients: olea europaea (olive) fruit oil, caprylic/capric triglyceride, sorbeth-30 tetraoleate, tocopherol, phenoxyethanol, propylparaben, stearyl glycyrrhetinate, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf oil

Directions: Wash your hands with soap, then dry them. Pump one or two squirts into the palm of your dry hand. Use your free hand to apply the oil to your entire face until all the oil is on your face. With both hands, massage the oil into your face in an upwards and outwards motion for a minute, focusing on congested or problematic areas, or anywhere you've applied makeup. You may use this opportunity to massage your face muscles and dissolve waterproof or longwearing makeup, like eye makeup. When you are finished, rinse your face with lukewarm water. The cleansing oil will immediately emulsify and dissolve off your face on contact with the water.

Review: This is DHC's most popular product, and it comes in a sanitary plastic pump bottle as pictured. For those of you who have never heard of using cleansing oil, and cringe at the thought of applying oil to your skin, worry not. I have extremely combination skin, and this product has never caused me to break out or clog my pores, so it is perfectly suitable for all skin types. Also, this cleansing oil is completely water-soluble, though you would think that all oils are water-repellant. Once the oil makes contact with water, it will emulsify, or melt off your face in what looks like a milky liquid, or lotion that has been diluted with water. You will not be left with greasiness on your skin--it will just feel soft and moisturized. If you have dry skin, you can probably get away with just using this as a cleanser. However, if you have combination or oily skin, you should definitely follow up with a soap type of facewash. Make sure it is mild, so it does not overstrip your skin of precious lipids.
Sometimes, I like to add exfoliants into the DHC oil to really unclog my pores. You can put sugar, coffee grounds, beach sand, (or whatever floats your boat, really), and mix it in with your regular one or two squirts of DHC cleansing oil. Apply it to your face in the same upward and outward motion, gently scrubbing your congested areas. If your skin requires daily exfoliation like mine, this is a great way to gently unclog your pores without irritating your skin. Obviously, if your skin is easily irritated or problematic, don't try this scrub everyday, as it will only worsen your condition.
What I like about DHC's Deep Cleansing Oil, as opposed to Shu Uemura's, is that it doesn't require extra steps to dissolve from the skin. With Shu Uemura's cleansing oils, you have to wet your face after massaging in the oil so it is slightly emulsified, massage your face again, and then rinse. The 4 step cleansing method is already pretty time consuming, and since I have to do so much extra work than the average person to keep my skin clear, whatever is more efficient gets my appreciation.
I currently don't use makeup remover, and this oil gets off the hardest-to-remove makeup from my face, even from my eye area, and it does not sting or irritate my eyes the slightest bit. However, it is an oil, so if it gets in your eyes, your vision will be slightly blurred from a film of the oil, but this has never bothered me--it goes away after the second cleansing step. The only thing that this cleansing oil doesn't remove is fiber/polymer based/tubing mascaras, so don't go crazy rubbing your eyes trying to get those off. Rinse off the cleansing oil, and the tubes should be easily removed in the process.
I definitely recommend this product for all skin types. It's gentle, moisturizing but never leaves a greasy film, and it really works. The large size individual bottle is on sale right now, so be sure to check it out if you're interested.

DHC Mild Soap: 3.1 oz = $15.50, on sale for $12.00 until 2/28/09, see link for other sizes and prices

Ingredients: sodium palmitate, sodium palm kernelate, water, sucrose, glycerin, sodium isostearate, alcohol denat., sorbitol, sodium oleate, olea europaea (olive) fruit oil, tetrasodium etidronate, honey

Directions: Splash your face with lukewarm water. Rub the soap between your wet palms until you have a lather. Apply the lather to your face and gently massage your skin with your fingertips in a circular motion. This soap may also be used in conjunction with a washcloth, face brush, loofah, or Clarisonic. Swipe the bar onto the tool after it's been wet a couple of times, and apply it directly to your face in a circular motion. It will work up a lather as you cleanse your face. This step is perfectly fine to use after cleansing with the DHC Deep Cleansing Oil or alone. Rinse your face thoroughly after the desired time has elapsed.

Review: I normally don't use bars of soap on my face because I find it harder to work them into a lather. DHC Mild Soap is not an exception--when I first started using it, I thought it was a bit hard to get a rich lather by just rubbing it with my hands. I think this soap just requires a little more work than your regular bar of soap, but the lather it produces is really nice--extremely gentle, foamy, and fluffy. Also, when I used this with my Clarisonic I was able to achieve an even better, richer lather. Unfortunately, if used alone, I don't think this soap does a very efficient job at cleansing. I've come to believe that cleansing thoroughly is a rigorous process, and you can't expect to remove a day's worth of grime off your face if you just use this and tone, unless you own a Clarisonic or a manual brush. Personally, I think this soap should be paired with the DHC Deep Cleansing Oil. The oil does all the hard work, and the soap takes off any any excess oil or moisture the oil leaves behind, without overstripping your skin. This soap is extremely gentle. Your face will never feel tight or dry after you use it. It also doesn't have a scent, so if you are susceptible to fragrance, this is perfect for you. At the same time, like most of DHC products, this soap does contain olive oil and honey, which have amazing healing and nourishing properties. Though I do not recommend using this soap on its own if you have combination to oily skin, if you have normal or dry skin, this soap is excellent to use alone. You can wash your face with it as many times a day as you'd like, and it will never dry you out or cause any irritation or stinging.

DHC Mild Lotion: 6 fl oz = $34.00, 3.3 fl oz = $23.00

Ingredients: water, glycerin, butylene glycol, cucumis sativus (cucumber) juice, placental protein, methylparaben, dipotassium glycyrrhizate

Directions: After you have thoroughly cleansed your face, pat your skin dry with a towel. You can apply this lotion either with a cotton pad or your hands. If you use a cotton pad, soak the pad until the other side of the pad is wet, and gently rub it into your skin in a circular motion. If applying with your hands, squeeze out a dime size into your palm, rub both palms together, and gently pat or blot your palms onto your entire face.

Review: Asian "lotions" tend to be different than Western lotions. What we know as an emollient rich, more diluted version of a cream is actually a hydrating toner in Asia. After cleansing your skin thoroughly, the Asian lotion is meant to soften up your skin and moisten it in preparation for your actual cream, lotion, or oil product. This is so when you follow up with your final moisturizer, it will seal in additional nutrients and water into your skin, so your skin receives the most hydration possible. An Asian lotion is not meant to "tone" the skin, or remove additional dirt, makeup, or residue from it. Treat it as you would any serum--you want to apply it to a clean face, and ensure you apply a thicker moisturizer over it, to guarantee the deepest penetration.
The DHC Mild Lotion is a clear gel-like liquid that reminds me of the essence found in Asian paper facial masks. However, it doesn't have any of the stickiness I've encountered in the essence from Asian paper masks. It goes onto your skin much more smoothly. I much prefer using my palms instead of a cotton pad to apply it to my face since I don't need the cotton pad for exfoliation or "toning." One or two pea sized drops are plenty enough for your entire face. After I shake them into my palm, I rub my palms together, and gently blot and press them over my entire face until it has been entirely covered with the Mild Lotion. The Mild Lotion feels slightly oily to the touch when I'm rubbing my palms together, but I think this is because of the glycerin. Once I've applied it to my face, it does not feel greasy or oily at all, just incredibly moisturized. If you have oily skin, you could probably end your skin regimen here, because the Mild Lotion feels so light yet very hydrating. I have oily to dehydrated combination skin, and I never skip or make this my last step. A couple times a week, I will substitute this product with whatever serum I am applying at the moment.
An interesting tidbit is that this Mild Lotion used to have an actual liquid rather than a gel formula several years ago. I'm not sure why DHC changed the formula (maybe they added more glycerin?), but I like this version better. The old liquid wasn't very hydrating to me, and it felt like I was just applying water onto my skin. If I had been using makeup before they discontinued the liquid version, I would have probably only used it as a substitute for MAC's Fix It spray to apply powder mineral makeup.

DHC Olive Virgin Oil: 1 fl oz = $39.00, on sale for $29.00 until 1/31/09 (if you're considering purchasing this alone, hurry before the sale ends!)

Ingredients: olea europaea (olive) fruit oil

Directions: After cleansing and toning your face, pump one or two drops onto one of your dry palms. A small amount of the oil goes a long way, do not be generous with the product. Rub both palms briskly together. This will warm the oil and make sure you have covered your palms evenly for even distribution. In the same way you would apply the DHC Mild Lotion, gently pat your palms onto your face until it has been entirely covered with the oil. Your face should NOT look oily or shiny.

Review: Again, DHC has us putting oil onto our skin, and is completely shattering any negative preconceptions about it. If you have combination or oily skin and are cringing at the thought of applying this to your skin, please don't feel dubious. Like I said previously, I have combination skin myself. Sometimes I get horrible dry, flakey patches, especially in the winter, but I struggle with finding a thick moisturizer for my skin that won't break me out or clog my pores. This oil is perfect for that. Unlike the thick, vitamin E oil I used to apply to my skin, this clear oil is much thinner and lighter in consistency. I didn't realize until recently that I have always been applying skin oil incorrectly. You only need a teeny bit to pat all over your skin, just like you would with La Mer cream. However much olive oil you want to apply is actually up to you; you can apply a lot until your face looks oily (not recommended unless you're going to bed), or you can apply just one or two drops. With this rubbing/patting application method via the palms, I guarantee that one or two drops will be nearly indiscernable on your face, it will absorb quickly into your skin, and your skin will still reap the natural oil's benefits.
This oil has been amazing with allowing my moisturizers and serums to sink even more fully into my skin. I usually only apply it at night (the sunscreen I'm currently using doesn't go on moisturized skin well), and in the morning, my pores have all shrunk considerably, and my skin is radiant and glowing. This extra olive virgin oil contains all sorts of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and nutrients. It really protects and nourishes the skin without clogging your pores, and a wonderful anti-aging measure. My grandmother is in her eighties, but her face has hardly any wrinkles because she has been slathering on facial oils for years. This oil is also great with dry or split hair and other areas of the body.

In the past, I've felt DHC is pretty good about giving newcomers samples. If you call their toll-free number (1-800-DHC-CARE) and give them your email address, you can request a free catalog with skincare samples. I'm actually not sure if they'll make you pay $2 for shipping, since that's what the request a catalog section specifies. Eek. I hope not.
Or, if you want to try this set for less, you can purchase the mini set, which comes with mini version of the 4 products and only costs $17.50. It's also perfect for travel if you go on vacation and need to pack light.

If you are considering purchasing new skincare, I definitely recommend this set from DHC. If I had to choose my favorites in this set, they would be the Deep Cleansing Oil and the Olive Virgin Oil. I use those two products the most, and I will always keep a bottle of each in my bathroom. I could probably do without the Mild Soap and Mild Lotion, but I would definitely give them a try if you haven't already before discounting their efficacy. The entire set is extremely nourishing and moisturizing, works for all skin types, and lasts quite awhile. I rotate it between my other skincare products and now my skin has a rosy, healthy glow. I love it!

$175 million worth of free samples!

2009-01-17T03:25:00.001-08:00

Be sure to stop by your local department store's beauty counters to pick up your free sample on January 20th, 2009! Because of a class action settlement, for seven days, the following department stores will be handing out samples:

Bergdorf Goodman
Bergner’s
Bloomingdale’s
Boston Store
Carson Pirie Scott
Dillard’s
Gottschalks
Herberger’s
Macy’s
Neiman Marcus
Nordstrom
Parisian
Saks Fifth Avenue
Younkers

The following is a list of the Manufacturer Defendants and their products that will be distributed, while supplies last, through the stores listed above:

* Boucheron (USA) Ltd.:
Femme Eau de Toilette (1 ounce/30 ml)

* Chanel, Inc.:
Coco Mademoiselle body lotion (3.4 fluid oz)

* Christian Dior Perfumes, Inc.:
J’Adore Eau de Parfum (15 ml)

* Clarins U.S.A., Inc. (customers will have a choice of ONE of two products, while supplies last):
Clarins Energizing Morning Cream (30 ml) OR
Clarins Beauty Flash Bomb (30 ml)

* Conopco, Inc. (distributed by Coty, Inc. on behalf of Conopco, Inc.) (customers will have a choice of ONE of three products, while supplies last):

Calvin Klein Euphoria Bath and Shower Crème (6.7 oz)
OR
Vera Wang Princess Body Polish (5 oz)
OR
Lovely Sarah Jessica Parker Shower Gel (6.7 oz)

* The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (customers will have a choice of ONE of two products, while supplies last):

Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair (15 ml/0.5 oz)
OR
Clinique Moisture Surge (30 ml/1 oz)

* Guerlain, Inc.:
My Insolence Eau de Toilette (15 ml)

* L’Oréal USA, Inc. (formerly known as Cosmair, Inc.) (customers will have a choice of ONE of eight products, while supplies last):

Lancôme UV Expert 20
OR
Lancôme Cils Design Pro Mascara
OR
Lancôme Fatale Mascara
OR
Lancôme Courbe Virtuose Mascara
OR
Lancôme Primordial Skin Defense
OR
Ralph Lauren Romance Shower Gel (6.7 oz.)
OR
Giorgio Armani ACM Shower Gel (6.7 oz)
OR
Lancôme Hypnôse Shower Gel

* Parfums Givenchy, Inc.:
Very Irresistible Givenchy Eau de Toilette (15 ml)

So...what's the catch? You are only allowed to receive, while supplies last, a maximum of ONE free cosmetics product from ONE of the Manufacturer Defendants. You must also fill and sign a form to verify that you purchased Department Store Cosmetics during the class period, May 29, 1994 through July 16, 2003. No rainchecks will be issued, and this offer is only valid while supplies last.

What do you want to pick up? I'm thinking maybe the Chanel Coco Mademoiselle Body Lotion...

for more info, visit the settlement website.

MAC Strobe Cream

2009-01-13T22:07:00.000-08:00

Since I previously reviewed a soft focus powder, today I'm discussing a soft focus liquid/cream, MAC Strobe Cream. Strobe Cream comes in a 1.7 fl oz tube which will cost you $29.50. It's a bit expensive, but this tube should last you a fairly long time, if used correctly.

I was disappointed at the time I was contemplating purchasing this because there were no adequate reviews on this product! I hadn't gone to the MAC counter or store to test the product, so I had no idea what the finish looked like. I couldn't find any before or after photos or videos. People mostly talked about whether they liked it or not, which is somewhat useless. Unfortunately, my camera is (still) out of commission so I can't add any photos but I will do my best to describe it.

From the MAC website, Strobe Cream is:
"The ultimate quick fix for the skin. Super-powered with potent botanicals; de-snoozes, de-stresses, moistens, freshens and boosts the look of dull, flat or tired-looking skin with a fully loaded vitamin zap and a mega dose of green tea. Brightens and clarifies with iridescent particles and antioxidants. Enhances the effects of light on all skin and in all lighting conditions from sunlight to spotlight."

So Strobe Cream is not only supposed to make your skin look more refreshed, but it's also supposed to improve its condition, by delivering antioxidants, green tea, and what not.

Strobe Cream comes in a small pearly, white plastic tube with a black cap made of the similar rubbery plastic in NARS products, so if your fingers are oily, it will unfortunately accumulate marks. I don't really like the packaging because 1) I can't see how much cream I've used or have left, 2) I can't squeeze out all of it if I run low, and 3) it's a little bulky. Good thing is that since it's more hardy you don't need to worry about the cap coming off and cream oozing everywhere into your purse or makeup bag. Still, I would have much preferred they kept the original packaging in a squeeze-type tube, but oh well. Maybe they can think about that eventually.

The cream has a bit of scent, which I actually didn't like at first. Some people find it smells nice, but it doesn't smell fragrant, fruity, floral, or etc. at all. I don't think it's meant to smell like anything, but the ingredients list does contain perfume. It just smells like makeup or face powder to me. (I know that's not really helpful.)

Here's the ingredients:
Spring Water (Aqua), Cyclomethicone, Butylene Glycol, Cetyl Ricinoleate, Dimethicone, Glyceryl Distearate, Glyceryl Stearate SE, Cholesterol, Jojoba Esters, Steareth-10, Cetyl Esters, Cetyl Alcohol, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Extract, Saxifraga Sarmentosa Extract, Morus Nigra (Mulberry) Root Extract, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Extract, Whey Protein (Lactis Proteinum), Panthenol-Pro-Vitamin B5, Cyanocobalamin Vitamin B12, Tocopheryl Acetate, 7-Dehydrocholesterol Pro-Vitamin D3, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Ceramide 2, Scutellaria Baicalensis Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Pyrus Malus Extract, Lactic Acid, Sucrose, Linoleic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Polyacrylamide, Laureth-7, Glycerin, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Sodium Sulfite, Fragrance (Parfum), Sodium Citrate, Sodium Metabisulfite, Citric Acid, Propylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Red 4

There are a couple pore cloggers in there, so if you have super sensitive skin, or combination/oily skin, you might want to test this product and see first if it'll break you out. Also, if you're into natural products, as you can see this does contain parabens and animal cholestoral, so you'll probably want to skip out on it.

At first glance, the Strobe Cream has a very light consistency. It should probably be called Strobe Lotion instead, and the Strobe Lotion should be called Strobe Liquid. Strobe Cream is a thin, white moisturizer with this bit of luminous purple-pink-gold sheen, so when your skin catches the light at certain angles, it reflects those colors. The glow comes from the shimmer particles which have been blended so well and finely that you can't even tell it contains shimmer particles. You don't need to use a lot of it to achieve a glow. Like any lotion, you squeeze out a tiny bit and just smooth it over the intended area.

I've heard many different things about Strobe Cream's purpose-it should be a primer, it should be a highlighter, it should be a plain moisturizer, blahblahblah. So let's go through each claim. I have normal to dry combination skin, and I've noticed that Strobe Cream looks awful if used over dry, flakey skin. So the product is only as good as your current skin--unless your skin is smooth and not prone to oiliness or flakiness, Strobe Cream is not for you.

Also, I believe that Strobe Cream works best for highlighting purposes. I apply a bit of it on my cheeks and browbone for a little extra radiance. Strobe Cream looks great alone or under gel or powder blush. I do not apply it anywhere near my T-zone since I am prone to breakouts and oiliness in those areas. However, blush is the only makeup product I ever put over my Strobe Cream. Also, I usually don't put foundation on my cheeks, so the only product under my Strobe Cream would be my SPF. I've noticed that Strobe Cream does NOT look good when applied over foundation or concealer. When I've added Strobe Cream over foundation in the past, it made my skin look cakey, and my makeup seemed to oxidize faster. The shimmer and silica in the cream also probably merely made all that oxidation seem more obvious and unnatural. Foundation should never look like it's not your natural skin, so I was absolutely repulsed when I saw my face in the mirror. So the highlighting aspect of Strobe Cream is somewhat limited.

Since Strobe Cream works great on bare or moisturized skin, it's also great for the collarbone and decollatage area, or anywhere on the body for a subtle gleam. It primes and preps your skin for shimmer powder as well.
I don't like the effect of Strobe Cream over or under foundation since I have combination skin, but I believe that dry skinned gals will love its effect. Strobe Cream works fine under mineral or loose powder foundation, but only when buffed on ever so lightly.

I recommend this product, but I say "proceed with caution." Strobe Cream does not work for everyone, it causes some people to break out horrendously, and others have said it makes them look like a "disco ball." However, I love this cream because of its unique purple-y gleam. My favorite thing to do is to layer my Smashbox limited edition Tokidoki Soft Lights in Dolce Vita over it, which also imparts a unique, violet sheen.

Golden Globes 2009

2009-01-11T22:48:00.000-08:00

Every year I drool over the gowns, jewels, shoes, hair, and makeup at the Golden Globes. This year is no exception. Here are some of my favorites.

Lately, Angelina Jolie has this amazing glow about her and is always sporting simple and clean hair and makeup. She looks classy and elegant, as always.

Anne Hathaway's dress and earrings are absolutely gorgeous! And her skin is so milky and fabulous!

Freida Pinto's dress mixes elegance with bohemian, and looks great with her olive and chocolate coloring. I also love her soft, romantic hair and makeup.

Wow, I didn't even recognize Megan Fox at first! Her usual bright pout and flowing hair is replaced with an updo and nude look...and her blue eyes just pop!

There were a lot of mermaid, ruffled skirts on the red carpet, but Sandra Bullock's was one of the few that caught my eye. Her loose waves are the perfect complement to the sleekness of the bodice.

Another ruffled, mermaid dress! Isla Fisher is adorable, and she definitely knows how to dress. The nude taupe looks so good against her skin and strawberry hair, and her makeup is very subtle yet pretty. I recently had the pleasure of attending a preview screening of "Confessions of a Shopaholic," and she is so hilarious and cute! I don't usually like watching chick flicks in theatres, but I totally recommend you all go see it when it comes out.

Cutie Cameron Diaz's bright pink is a refreshing pop of color amid all the nude looks this year. Though she completes her outfit with pink eyeshadow and lip color, she pulls it off without looking matchy-matchy.

Congratulations to sweepers of the night Kate Winslet and Slumdog Millionaire! I can't wait for the Oscars.

Photos from JustJared and other sources.

Make Up For Ever HD Microfinish Powder

2009-01-10T10:00:00.000-08:00

As you all know by now, I'm obsessed with skincare. My mom used to say, "if you don't have the natural basics, you can only do so much with makeup." (Though she used much cruder words, haha!) So to me, it's important to have a good canvas to work with.

If you read my resolutions, you also know I'm angling to look more or less the same with or without makeup. I'm so used to wearing makeup that I feel self-conscious and unattractive without it. You ever wonder what those girls who are never without a pound of eyeliner or foundation really look like? If they have boyfriends, do they feel self-conscious during sleepovers? (I guess Bare Escentuals thought about this one.) Do people wear makeup even at the gym? (Personally, I would never wear makeup to the gym...it can't be good if you're sweating. The heat opens up your pores, the makeup gets trapped in them along with all that sweat and dirt and oil....gross.)

The best make up, in my opinion, is applied so lightly it looks like your own skin because it's enhancing, not covering or masking, what you've already got. And you want it to be good for your skin too, as it blocks out pollution and toxins from seeping into your face.

The Make Up For Ever HD Microfinish Powder seemed like the perfect product for what I'm working towards. Sold exclusively at Sephora, it is a 100% mineral, silica powder (read: talc and paraben free) that imparts a soft lens focus on skin, diffusing light so you look naturally flawless and radiant. Because of the soft focus properties, the HD powder "softens the appearance of imperfections, sets foundation, and mattifies the skin without changing its natural contours." I was sold at this point! A translucent and colorless powder...if anyone asks, of course I'm not actually wearing makeup!

At 0.35 oz for $30, it's somewhat pricey. However, the beauty of mineral makeup is that you only use a little bit at a time for a lot of coverage, as you ladies may already be aware. Plus, since it's a powder, you don't really need to worry about it expiring. So, it seemed like a good investment.

I actually purchased the limited edition combination set which came with the same 0.35 oz powder and a mini synthetic kabuki brush. I didn't have a good kabuki brush already, and I had been looking for a synthetic brush, so the set was perfect.

If you look at the above picture closely, you can see that there are about four to five holes punched out in the sifter. Though the holes are very small, the powder can get everywhere and be very messy to use. Be VERY careful about how you store this product. After I peeled off the plastic sticker, I found that the powder was very hard to tap into the cap. Also, when I set the jar back onto my dresser, little sprays of silica powder would disperse into the air from the slightest force. The best thing to do is either put your powder brush over the sifter as you're setting the jar down, so the brush catches the silica powder, or just capping the jar before putting it down.

Also, if you travel and you want to take this with you, make sure you put tape or some kind of sticker over the sifter holes before you toss it into your makeup. When I took this on my flight, I didn't bother with that and the powder got everywhere inside the cap. This now makes the application somewhat annoying, but I'm not too heartbroken over it (though I'm waiting for the inevitable event where I knock the jar over and spill silica everywhere).

My gripes about the product end here. The only thing I dislike is the actual packaging. The product itself is amazing and this jar will last me forever. Unlike normal mineral makeup, you only need the TINIEST smidgen to set your entire face and neck. It's easier to gauge how much of the HD powder you're using if your powder brush is black or dark grey. I would recommend using a clean, soft brush everytime you use this product, rather than the same brush you use to apply your mineral makeup, to ensure the silica goes on smoothly. Since it is a finishing powder you can apply it on top of your mineral makeup.

For the best results:
Tap the jar maybe once into the cap, there should be barely any HD powder in the cap. Swish your kabuki brush into the cap in a clockwise motion. Look at your brush--if the color of the bristles hasn't changed at all, you can add another tap into the cap and repeat. You have enough of the HD powder on your brush when the product is almost indiscernible on the bristles. Then very lightly buff all over your face and neck in a circular motion. Your skin should look instantly matte and soft.

I read a lot of reviews where people are complaining that this product makes their face look pasty and white. This is only because they're applying way too much. Less really is more.

This powder does not break me out or clog my pores, but it keeps my makeup looking fresh and matte all day. My skin does not get oily at all. I totally recommend this for people with combination or oily skin.
If you have dry patches, this product probably isn't for you. Like any powder, it will cling to scabs and flakes. If you have combination dry skin, I would suggest only applying it on your oily areas.
Unfortunately, since I do not have wrinkles or fine lines, I cannot attest to how well this product conceals or diminishes them.

If you want to check this out at your nearest Sephora, I definitely recommend bringing your own face powder brush. You'll probably get a couple weird looks for whipping a brush out of your purse, but it's better to be sanitary than sorry! If you don't own a soft kabuki brush, keep in mind that the results of this product highly depend on the tool you use, so you should definitely consider purchasing one. I do not recommend using a buffer brush, since it will concentrate the product too much in one area.

Clarisonic Cleansers

2009-01-09T23:13:00.000-08:00

I have a bunch of skincare reviews coming up, but I'm procrastinating a bit on writing them, haha. I thought I'd get this post out of the way since I had planned on doing a short blurb but forgot all about it until now.

When I bought the Clarisonic, I received the Breast Cancer Awareness one, which comes with 3 trial cleansers. Most people tend to chuck the cleansers, and use their regular cleansers, since Clarisonic doesn't specialize in actual skincare. I decided to try two of them anyway, since the strength of the cleanser doesn't really matter when you have the Clarisonic, which does all the work.

On a slightly related note, if you use the same cleanser daily, it's actually a good idea to rotate your cleansers every month to every two months (obviously, if you're past the stage of being experimental, you should just rotate what you know works for you). I have maybe three to five cleansers in my arsenal right now which I rotate every morning or night depending on what I think my skin needs (nourishing, exfoliation, etc.). This keeps your skin from plateau-ing, so it continually reaps the benefits of the product.

I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the Refreshing Gel Cleanser is paraben free, which is a big trend right now. The back of the tube reads that the cleanser was actually created by Dr. Robb Akridge, PhD. (I have no idea who that is, but the fact that a scientist/doctor created it is somewhat comforting.) It is specially formulated for normal to oily skin types and contains 1% Willowbark Extract (Sephora tells me this is a natural antiseptic), beta-hydroxy acid, bearberry extract (what is this???), and pro-vitamins B5 and B12. I highly doubt these ingredients are anything to write home about, but I actually did like this cleanser. It was very gentle and it didn't dry out my skin. You only need to squeeze out a little bit of this clear-pink tinted gel and rub it all over your damp face, and it will not drip or run into your eyes. It also has a floral scent. After I used this, my Clarisonic brush head started smelling very nice...as opposed to smelling bacterial, which is how it smelled the first week I had it.

The other cleanser I tried was the Gentle Hydro Cleanser. This cleanser is not paraben free, but it contains aloe, cucumber, green tea, and Vitamin E. This cleanser is formulated for normal to sensitive skin. It is white and has a more milky consistency than the Refreshing Gel cleanser. I didn't like this cleanser as much because of the milkiness--the consistency was much thicker and it seemed to deposit residue on my skin. It also smells like cucumbers steeped in milk. Maybe some of you might like that scent....I didn't though. I'm sure it works just as well as the other cleanser, though--it's just not for me.

I didn't bother trying the Nourishing Care Cleanser, since it's for dry skin. I assumed it probably would have felt like pushing lotion around on my skin. Oh well!

I would not recommend using these cleansers if you're not pairing them with the Clarisonic, as it would probably be too weak to clean your skin. However, if you have dry or sensitive skin, I think this cleanser would be great alone, although they are created for normal to oily skin.

If you do use these cleansers along with the Clarisonic, do bear in mind that they probably will cause your brush to become more clogged with soap residue than your normal foaming cleanser. However, you should always clean your brush head anyway, no matter what cleanser you use.

Clarisonic Skin Care Brush - Week 8 and Final Verdict

2009-01-06T19:42:00.000-08:00

So, my 8 weeks with the Clarisonic are finally up. There were a lot of ups and downs with this brush..I guess you could compare it to a real life relationship! Now that we're parting ways, here are some final pros and cons (some might sound familiar):

pros:
- cleanses your skin thoroughly
- gentle enough for twice daily use
- exfoliates
- leaves skin feeling super smooth
- preps skin for better absorption or suction on subsequent products, like peels or moisturizers
- pores gradually minimized (with good skin maintenance)

cons:
- price
- lacks indication of how much time it needs to charge
- difficult to keep brush head sanitary
- bulky size and weight (only for those who travel)
- no amount of external oscillation and exfoliation will completely purge your pores of oil and dirt

I admit, when I first started using the Clarisonic, I did notice a bit of a rosy "glow" in my face after a week or two...however, I feel like I might have been able to achieve that through daily manual exfoliation. Honestly, it does not seem like an absolutely indispensable product. Yes, it provides excellent cleansing and exfoliation, but it's not the "miracle" product that everyone claims it is. Depending on your skin's unique problems, your results might vary week to week like mine did.

The reason I bought the Clarisonic was because I needed something solid to rely on for maintaining my skin amidst stress, hormones, lack of sleep, product changes, and etc. Unfortunately, the Clarisonic, along with my regular regimen, was not enough to ward off my skin issues. I still broke out, and it still took me a long time to heal. My skin is still throwing off some last few miserable zits, in fact.

My verdict? Skip on the Clarisonic if you don't have the extra cash. But if you're a busy or impatient person who can afford to part with $195.00, the Clarisonic will save you time on the cleansing and exfoliation front. It's really a personal choice.

I hope these weekly posts have been helpful for those of you considering the Clarisonic. As always, if you have any questions, feel free to comment or email me.

Related links:
Clarisonic Week 1
Clarisonic Week 2
Clarisonic Week 3
Clarisonic Week 4
Clarisonic Week 5
Clarisonic Week 6
Clarisonic Week 7

Anastasia Mini Brow Kit

2009-01-04T04:06:00.000-08:00

I bought this Anastasia Mini Brow Kit recently since my tweezers were becoming blunt and I needed new ones asap. This kit looked super cute and it's also a pretty good deal ($25!). Besides the mini tweezers, you also get a mini "Matte Camille Highlighter (0.1 oz.)," and "Clear Brow Gel (0.04 oz.)."

The tweezers work pretty well, but since they're tiny, they're not always effective. You might want to keep them for your purse or trips. On the other hand, I love the pencil highlighter. It goes on super smooth and creamy, and the color is a great mixture of nude and pink. I dab it on the inner corners of my eyes and blend with my finger, and my eyes look instantly brighter. It's also great on the brow bone and around the arch. I love that it has no shimmer so it's not obvious on my skin.

I actually haven't tried the clear brow gel yet since I haven't used up my clear mascara, but I've read pretty good reviews on it. You can check out the reviews on Sephora for more information.

My 2009 Minimalist Beauty Resolutions

2009-01-02T04:36:00.000-08:00

1. Diet--more fluids, anti-oxidants. Cut out processed carbohydrates and meat.
2. Exercise--cardio as often as possible, followed by targeted workouts.
3. Skincare--exfoliate every day, never fall asleep without washing face, always use eye cream, remember to put sunscreen on areas other than face, stop rubbing eyes
4. Makeup--wear less, cut routine time to 15 minutes maximum.
5. Sleep--at least 6-8 hours a night.

Inspiration:

This is Japanese singer Mika Nakashima as on her latest album. Shot completely in natural light with minimal editing. I'm convinced she's hardly wearing any makeup, and she looks absolutely beautiful, and her skin is milky and translucent. Unfortunately, I'm not one of those girls who can get away without wearing makeup and still look decent. However, I'm going to do my best to get there as much as possible!

Clarisonic Skin Care Brush - Week 7

2009-01-01T15:36:00.000-08:00

Being a female, I've been in a state of hormonal fluctuation and increased estrogen the past two weeks, haha. Though I reported that my comedones seemed to be disappearing last week, I probably spoke too early. A bunch of them became inflamed, morphing into stubborn pimples all over my T-zone.

I don't think the Clarisonic has sped up the acne's healing process at all. In the past two days, my skin has been clearing wonderfully, but I think that's because I've switched skincare products and modified my night time regimen (I will definitely do a review soon). Sadly, there are visible discolorations all over my forehead. Also, my cheek acne doesn't seem like it's going to heal anytime soon.

I still have one more week to observe the Clarisonic before returning it, so I'll come back with my final verdict next week. Hopefully I'll also finish a couple of other reviews between now and then!

I hope everyone has a prosperous, healthy, and happy 2009.

Kiehl's Abyssine Serum +

2008-12-30T03:13:00.000-08:00

A couple of months ago, I was at Target when I spotted Kiehl's Abyssine Serum. Though I'd had good results with Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Protective Recovery Complex, I didn't want to use it anymore. Since the Advanced Night Repair healed the dry patches I had, I felt it was time to try another serum. I also didn't like the way Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair created a somewhat sticky film/coating on my skin. Thus, it was definitely a product made primarily for night time skin care, though the site claimed it could also be worn during the day (something only severely dry skin could get away with). So, I rotated the Estee Lauder out and opted for the Kiehl's. Since then, I've been wearing this both during the day and at night to sleep.

Surprisingly, the Kiehl's isn't far from the price range of Estee Lauder. The Abyssine Serum is $44.00 for 1.7 oz. However, it will still last you around 4-5 months.

The Abyssine Serum is the newest addition to Kiehl's Abyssine line. If you peruse the site, you'll see they have a eye and face cream, amongst other things. Since the serum is a recent launch, I actually couldn't find any reviews on it.

Like most serums, this one claims to "help minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and defend skin from free radical damage." However, what appealed to me was the ingredients Kiehl's incorporated for anti-aging and antioxidant properties:

"Our readily absorbent formula quickly penetrates skin to help diminish the signs of aging and strengthen and defen skin against environmental damage. Abyssine, a survivial molecule which thrives under the extreme conditions in hydrothermal ocean vents, helps soothe and protect skin. Combined with Corallina Extract, sourced from a mineral rich red alga with self-defensive properties, our formula helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles while helping to defend skin from free radical damage. Dermatologist tested for safety and gentleness and suitable for sensitive skin."

One thing that really impressed me about their website was that they post the ingredients for all their products! Saves me the trouble of typing it out :)

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(click to enlarge)

What I really like about the Abyssine Serum is that it has a watery, almost milky consistency. It doesn't feel at all like your typical serum; it seems more like an emulsion, or liquidy moisturizer. I could smooth it all over my face, even onto my eye area, and it did not sting or leave my face feeling sticky at all. Since I like to apply products generously, I used one pump for each cheek, one for my T-zone, and two on my neck after cleansing and toning. After application, my skin felt instantly softer, hydrated, and silkier. It also seemed to help retain moisture in my skin, firming it slightly. After applying the serum, I added my regular moisturizer on top, as well as my regular sunscreen if I would be heading out.

Since this serum feels like an emulsion, it is great for a variety of skin types. Oily or combination skin will benefit from this because it is such a light yet potent moisturizer. It is also great for dry skin because it speeds the healing process.

Since I have young skin, I can't speak to whether this product works on existing wrinkles. I believe it is more of a preventative product which will increase the efficacy of the other products in the Abyssine line. If you already use and love Abyssine products, I would recommend applying this serum under the Abyssine creams.

One thing that might deter some people from purchasing this product is the plastic packaging. All of the Estee Lauder serums I've used thus far are packaged with glass, to preserve the quality of the product. But this is only a minor flaw. Fortunately, the bottle has a pump to prevent contamination.

Clarisonic Skin Care Brush - Week 6

2008-12-26T02:22:00.000-08:00

My skin is slowly getting better after its horrific bout with MAC Prep + Prime SPF 50. The pores on my nose have actually gotten smaller and the whiteheads/blackheads are slowly disappearing, though I haven't used any peeling products.

However, my forehead is still dotted with some residual acne and inflamed comedones. Also, the weird acne/rash on my cheek which has been there for maybe a month is still there... I don't know what to do about that. They look like pink bumps, so if they are indeed pimples, the infections are probably pretty deep. I usually extract the sebum from my pimples, but I have a feeling if I pick at these they will scar.

Not much of an update this week, but hopefully my skin will be back to normal soon. In the meantime, I will gladly take suggestions on remedies for that rash on my cheek. :-(

Did everyone have a nice holiday?

a rant

2008-12-20T23:30:00.000-08:00

Today, I went to Nordstrom's to return a perfume. I stopped by the MAC counter because I wanted to see if they had any more Mineralize Skinfinishes in the shades I wanted left. When I asked the SA, "Hi, do you have any MSF's in So Ceylon, Petticoat, or Soft and Gentle right now?", she looked at me like I was crazy and said, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

What the heck?? How on earth are you working at MAC if you don't even know what "MSF" is, or even what product those shades are for?!?!

lame.

MAC Prep and Prime SPF 50

2008-12-20T09:40:00.000-08:00

Since I used up all of my Oil of Olay Complete All Day Moisture Lotion SPF 15 sunscreen in mid-November, I've been on the prowl for a new sunscreen. The Oil of Olay sunscreen was my sunscreen staple since 8th grade. My mom actually bought me my first bottle (one day, she just randomly handed it to me and told me to start using it everyday--surprising, since she never had the skincare fanaticism I have since acquired). Growing up in Southern California, you get tan REALLY quickly, especially if your school is entirely outdoors. My skin didn't start becoming paler until 10th grade, when I chose an indoor PE elective. I have since discovered that the paler my skin is, the better I look, because my undertones are pretty sallow (when I tan, I look like the Crayola crayon "Maize"). So, it's important for me to use sunscreen to maintain my complexion.

However, since I have combination skin (oily T-zone, dry-normal cheeks), it's always been a challenge to find a high SPF sunscreen that won't turn me into an oilslick within 2 hours. Thus, I was attracted to MAC's Prep and Prime SPF 50. I've always wished that some company would have the genius and foresight to invite a primer with high SPF, which would eliminate an extra step (and layer of product) for us sleepyheads in the morning. Correct me if I'm wrong, but this Prep and Prime was the primer with the highest SPF I could find. It contains 16.10% zinc oxide and 7.50% octinoxate, along with oil absorbing powders, and the box indicates it's made in Japan, which is supposed to be on the cutting edge of sun care technology. Plus, everyone who tried it gave it rave reviews. I really could not find anything negative said about this product. So I thought I'd give it a try. But at $28.00 an ounce, compared to my $8-9 Oil of Olay (which was about 3.4 oz), it is appallingly more expensive. A third of the amount for three times the cost? You do the math.

The texture is hard to describe, but I'll do my best. It's white and super creamy--when I say "creamy," I don't mean it feels creamy like a normal face cream or lotion because it does have that sunblock texture. If you've ever used Coppertone Water Babies, for example, or Neutrogena Dry Touch Sunscreen, the MAC consistency has a similar "greasiness" that's creamy at the same time. I probably squeezed out a pea sized amount for each section of my face--one on each cheek, one for my forehead, one for my chin and upper lip, one for my nose and eyes. Strangely enough, when I was rubbing it into my skin, the creamy consistency disappeared fairly quickly, as if the heat was melting the prep and prime into a "greasy" coating on my face, which felt like silicon. What I didn't like was that I felt like I was just pushing silicon around on my skin, rather than smoothing on a lotion. Thus, I couldn't tell if the SPF was being evenly distributed. However, the sunblock dried to a matte finish after I let it sink into my skin for maybe 10 minutes. (which means you have to wait awhile before applying makeup.) Also, I thought my skin had a soft focus glow to it, which I liked. I've read that the primer has light reflecting properties, so this is probably what gave my face that matte glow.

Well, aside from the nice matte finish, I didn't like this sunscreen because it completely broke me out! When I started this blog, I had horrible skin. On a scale of 1 - 10, with 1 being flawless skin and 10 being skin with pitted acne, maybe I ranked a 5 or 6? I didn't have moderate to severe acne, but I could not get rid of the comedones on my T-zone. Also, my nose pores were so huge, they looked like craters. I couldn't even remove the sebum in my nose pores with nose strips because the sebum was too large for the strips to pull out. So I would also use a blemish extractor to force out the sebum plugs on my T-zone, and inadvertently create scabs or scars in the process, which no amount of makeup could hide. It was really gross.

After making some changes to my skin routine a couple months ago, I was amazed to see how much my skin was improving. My comedones disappeared, my pores shrank, and I wasn't breaking out anymore. Then, I started using MAC Prep + Prime shortly before Thanksgiving (sometime between November 22nd--24th maybe?). By December 2nd (when I wrote my Clarisonic 3rd week update), I felt like this sunscreen had completely reversed all the improvement my skin had made. After using this sunscreen, I started breaking out a little on my forehead, then these pimples I've had on my cheek for awhile became inflamed again, then I started getting clogged pores on my upper lip too. By the third week of usage, my skin was a minefield of clogged pores and comedones.

I was still a bit in denial. I wasn't really sure if the Prep and Prime was to blame, or if it was my new MUFE HD Powder, since they're both full of silicon/silica. So I stopped using the HD Powder, but nothing really happened. I then thought maybe the Clarisonic wasn't cleansing properly, so I washed it out completely and continued to use the MAC Prep and Prime for the next two days. My skin got a tad better, but I was still getting newly formed comedones on my forehead. When I flew home on Tuesday, I didn't put on any sunscreen (mostly because I didn't have time...I do not advise being in an aircraft without sun protection since everyone around you keeps the windows open). I also didn't use it for the the next few days that I was at home (and indoors); as a result, nearly all my comedones started clearing up within only 2 days. However I can also see that it's going to take a while for my skin to get back to normal, because as the comedones go away, I'm left with these blemish scars.

Another thing to watch out for is, if you have normal to dry skin, this sunscreen might also be too drying for you. Though I applied a thin layer of my regular moisturizer underneath the prep and prime, at the end of the day, my cheeks and chin felt uncomfortably dehydrated. It also didn't prevent my T-zone's oiliness, because I still needed to blot. So in the end, this product didn't work on my oily T-zone or my dry/normal cheeks.

The Clarisonic is supposed to be able to remove up to 6 times more makeup than normal cleansing, so I highly doubt that there was still SPF on my skin after I washed my face everyday. I was going to experiment and add another cleansing step, DHC Cleansing Oil, to see if it would solve the problem. However I'm too lazy and scarred (literally) from this experience to put myself through something again that just does not work for me.

Here's the ingredients list. I see a lot of silicon:

Water, cyclopentasloxane, butylene glycol, peg-7 dimehicone, cyclohexasiloxane, dimethecone, phenyl trimethicone, vinyl dimethicone/methcone, silsequioxane crosspolymer, methyl gluceth-10, glycerin, dimethicone/ vinyl dimethicone crosspolymer, caffeine, tocepherol, sucrose, stearyl glycrrhetinate, cellulose acteate, glycyrrhetinate, cellulose acetate, methicone, PEG/PPG-19/19 Dimethicone, magnesium sulfate, silicia dimethyl silylate, silica, sorbic acid, phenoxyethanol, chlorphenesin

It's unfortunate that even though I exfoliate more than the typical person, I still broke out. I mean, I use the Clarisonic and the Clinique Turnaround...the pinnacle of cleansing and exfoliation. What more can I really do?
So, this post is really a counter to all those rave reviews out there. This product did seem to work for everyone else, so I'm not discouraging you from buying it. Just know that it has the potential to aggravate your skin. If you go to a MAC counter, ask for a sample, and test it on a small portion of your face for at least a week before committing to buy it.

Clarisonic Skin Care Brush - Week 5 (with a brief care guide)

2008-12-18T08:10:00.000-08:00

If you've read up about or own a Clarisonic, you know already that the brush head is supposed to be discarded every 90-120 days. But with a brush head going for $25 each, that can get really expensive.

Also, if you read my previous post last week on the Clarisonic, you remember I was freaking out with the new breakouts on my forehead. Two days after I wrote the post, I felt that my Clarisonic seemed to be oscillating slower than usual...and it wasn't lathering my face wash very well. My face still felt waxy from moisturizer residue after I had cleansed it for the full minute.

So what the heck was going on? I was already pretty mad that I had broken out. I bought the Clarisonic with the intention of NOT having to deal with breakouts, especially during finals period (when everyone's personal hygiene routines get a little lazy, though I'd stuck to my face regimen). And now not only was I breaking out, but also the Clarisonic was malfunctioning? What bs!

Well, I speculated that perhaps the Clarisonic brush head was just dirty. After all, I'd been putting it twice daily on my face to slough off all the heavy moisturizer and SPF and makeup I wear. I even used it on my neck and decollete a couple times. Maybe the brush head was just clogged with all that gunk? After all, the only cleaning I'd done for the brush head was rinsing it with steaming hot water after I wash my face.

So, I filled a bowl with liquid detergent and water, and I left my brush head in there for 12-15 hours. When I got back home (after working on my papers in the campus center), I took it out of the bowl and rinsed it off with steaming hot water. I was ready to wash my face. And guess what? This trick COMPLETELY worked. As soon as I put the Clarisonic to my face, I could feel it oscillating ten times better than it had that morning. It felt just like how it had first felt on my face when I used it for the first time...a little scratchy, but still gentle. The next day when I woke up, my skin also looked a lot more glowy, and my blemishes had reduced in size.

It's been three days since I've been using my newly cleaned, Clarisonic brush head...and my blemishes are truly continuing to decrease in size. My comedones have disappeared! YAY!

So if you guys own a Clarisonic...I'm telling you to soak your brush heads in laundry detergent water once a week! From my own experiences, liquid detergent water works best to cleanse anything because it is gentle, but it still effectively and automatically lifts away debris, stains, and oils as the object soaks so you don't even have to scrub or massage the bristles. I'm not sure if this will help extend the life of the brush head past 90-120 days, but it will definitely maximize your Clarisonic experience. I'm honestly amazed that the folks at Sonicare/Clarisonic haven't addressed brush head cleansing, or come out with some brush cleanser to sucker people's wallets.

If you're unsure of how much liquid detergent to use...I suppose a good analogy is two tablespoons per 2 cups of water. You should put the detergent into your bowl first, and then pour really hot water on top of it to create foam and bubbles. If you drop the brush head in that mixture right after you wash your face in the morning, go to work or school, and then take it out at night right before you wash your face and go to sleep, that should be plenty of time for it to soak.

I wish I had the foresight to clean my brush head like this earlier, because now I'm wondering whether any of my skin care products absorbed into my skin under all that product still on my face...
So now that my Clarisonic issue is somewhat resolved, I'm going to try to figure out what exactly is causing me to break out.. it's funny how the products I'm using right now work for everyone else, but somehow not me. I'm pretty certain it was the MAC Prep + Prime SPF 50 now. I stopped using it for 2 days and now my skin is almost back to the way it was before. Maybe I just didn't wash it off properly at night? I'll give it one more shot and use better cleansers...and we'll see how that works out in my next review.

utter craziness

2008-12-16T21:11:00.000-08:00

I came home today, but I nearly overslept for my flight. Because of my stupidity, I didn't get any packing done and had to frantically stuff things into my suitcases within 30 minutes. I don't know if any of you have ever packed for 5 weeks in 30 minutes, but that sucked. I almost thought I forgot my Clarisonic charger at school, and was about to have a panic attack. I did forget a couple other things, though...I didn't pack enough clothes, so now I'll have to come up with clever outfits with my old clothes I've outgrown. Or buy new ones :P

I have 6 more papers to write by Friday. *sob*

Clarisonic Skin Care Brush - Week 4

2008-12-10T18:57:00.001-08:00

Since last week's update, my forehead has completely broken out in little bumps like it did all the time before I started using Estee Lauder Idealist.

This may be caused by a few things:

1. MAC Prep + Prime SPF 50?
2. Makeup For Ever HD Finishing Powder?

I also haven't mentioned yet that I stopped using Idealist when I started using the Clarisonic. I switched to Clinique Turnaround Concentrate, which is supposed to be comparable. Now I doubt Turnaround and the Clarisonic are causing me to break out, since the clogged pores/bumps started appearing after I began using the MAC sunscreen and MUFE finishing powder. I probably aggravated my pores by covering them up with Skinfood Mushroom BB cream.

I am still trying to figure out what broke out my skin. But what have I learned? THE CLARISONIC DOES NOT PREVENT BREAKOUTS!

That being said, I've decided to take the Clarisonic back to Sephora next month. I'm disappointed.

New Vickery & Clarke Lip Balm

2008-12-07T17:54:00.000-08:00

It started snowing today...first powder of the year! (Un)fortunately, the snow was so light that only parts of the ground were covered. I'm still waiting on that blizzard-like snow which covers everything in soft white cream...not looking forward to the part where the snow freezes into dirty ice chunks, though.

I went to Whole Foods today to pick up some nutritious munchies to get me through this last week of finals before I go home (and continue working on papers, gah). I bought 100% cranberry juice, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries :) I'm planning on eating the berries for breakfast every morning, and drinking tons of cranberry-water and green tea. I'll let you guys know if this helps keep my skin healthy and radiant despite lack of sleep. Hopefully this will keep me from getting sick as well!

Anyway, as I was walking around in the snow today, all I could think about was whether the cold, windy air was drying out my skin...plus, my lips were so dry because I forgot my lip balm. I'm ALWAYS misplacing it...so when I dashed into CVS, I made a beeline for the cosmetics aisle.

I'm not picky about lip products, and I'll use just about anything, but I tend to prefer colorless lip balms or chap stick because I don't like putting pigment on my lips. When I was little, I used to think that wearing lipstick was awesome and I freely wore it out of the house (yes, I was obsessed with makeup as a little girl). To my chagrin, the grown-up-me came across these photos of myself in the 5th grade and my lips were painted BRIGHT ORANGE (this is when I had very tan skin, mind you) and I'm standing next to my bare faced, lipstick-less classmates. The only person in the picture who's wearing lip color besides me is my 40 something year old teacher. So embarrassing! I can't believe my parents didn't notice my vanity and force me to scrub my face before letting me out of the house. I hope no one else has photos of me from that time in my life. If they do, I hope they don't recognize me .. I think I've changed quite a bit anyway.....haha.

Since I tend to lay off the lipstick / lipgloss, the only colored balms I've kept around me are Cherry Chapstick and Smith's Rosebud Salve. Out of the two, I really like the Rosebud Salve. Whether or not I like a lip balm depends on 1) its oiliness, 2) its scent, and 3) how long it lasts. Cherry Chapstick is a little too waxy feeling. Rosebud Salve has an oilier texture, but isn't heavy. Plus, the scent is nice.

When I walked towards the CVS skincare aisle, there was a cardboard display for Vickery & Clarke products. I was fairly intrigued because the products are nearly all natural. There was a variety of face and body products to choose from...at cheap prices, too. But I didn't want to buy anything since I have a plethora of products to test and finish at home...so I just got the Intensive Moisture Lip Balm and the Intensive Lip Treatment.

Vickery & Clarke's Intensive Moisture Lip Balm has a very similar consistency to the Rosebud Salve, but comes packaged in a chapstick form. Its ingredients are:

Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Cera Alba (Beeswax), Natural Flavor, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Powder, Tocopherol (Vitamin E).

Why I love this lip balm (though I've only used it for 3 hours):

1) The minimalist packaging. Not conspicuous at all.
2) It feels like my Rosebud Salve--not too heavy, but still sufficiently moisturizing.
3) It smells like chocolate.
4) The awesome ingredients. Rarely do you have a chap stick that contains good ingredients without compromising the quality and texture.
5) It's 94% natural.

I don't have a photo for the Intensive Lip Treatment, which is 95.75% natural, but I can list the ingredients:

Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Cetearyl Glucoside, Cetearyl Alcohol, Simmondsia Chinesis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Arnica Cordifolia (Arnica) Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A), Lecithin, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf (Aloe Vera) Extract, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Leaf Extract, Flavor, Dimethicone, Methyl Glucose Sesquisteareate, PEG-12 Dimethicone, Silica, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Disodium EDTA.

I nearly went blind from typing this up. The ingredients are printed on an extremely tiny tube!

The Intensive Lip Treatment comes in a milky liquid form. It is very watery and I would liken it to a serum. I apply it to my lips first, and then apply the lip balm on top to seal in the treatment (just as how you would apply lotion over a serum on your face). The treatment smells like mint, and the the balm smells like chocolate, so it's as if I'm indulging in mint chocolate ice cream, minus the calories!

Vickery & Clarke is exclusively sold through CVS. Eventually, when I finish all my other face products, I plan on going back for their Anti-Oxidant Face Serum and Hand Cream with Shea Butter.

I'll update on these lippies around the end of the month, when I'm not so swamped. I really need to stop procrastinating....sigh.

[edit]

Oh my gosh....how hot is Britney Spears in the new Circus video? I love this song and I'm so excited for her comeback! Yay!

Britney Spears - New Music - More Music Videos

Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2008

2008-12-05T03:47:00.001-08:00

OK, I couldn't keep away from here for too long, but I just had to write this entry. While procrastinating, I was completely blown away by the makeup and fashion at this year's Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. This is definitely my favorite they've done so far.

Some highlights (click to enlarge!):

Channeling Artemis and Athena - soft, whimsical girlie pieces mixed with tough leather straps and Grecian buckles.

Selita Ebanks was on FIRE! Quite possibly the hottest Angel of the night.

Romantic black lace in a steely gray ensemble.

Adorable Miranda Kerr. If Selita was the sex kitten, Miranda was the sweetheart.

The PINK line was very cute, with a lot of sassiness.

LOVE the roses woven into the wood corset and mini hoopskirt, and the sparkly spiderweb wings! Gorgeous. The wings this year were truly works of art--another was composed of tiny fluttering butterflies! Unfortunately, I couldn't find a photo.

Haute couture ruffles mimicking peonies, continuing the flower motif.

If you missed the show, you can still watch it online here.
Definitely check it out! Not sure if you can watch it outside of the US though...

Makeup wise, this year's look was very minimalistic and angelic looking--just what I like. You could definitely wear this look to the office, to school--any daytime function--and look great. My break down is as follows:

1. Nude, shimmery eyes. Light golds, taupe, champagne, and even olives were used all over eyelids and brought dramatically into the tear ducts and under half of the lower lashline for an innocent, doe eyed look. Eyes were tightlined with dark brown liner, slightly winged out at the ends, finished by a couple coats of mascara.
2. Contoured and highlighted cheeks. If any bronzer was applied, it was definitely applied with a light hand under the cheekbones, at the temples, along the bridge of the nose, and around the chin. The emphasis was on highlighting the cheeks--again, champagne and warm frosty colors were exaggerated at the upper halves of the cheeks right up to under the temples. The cheeks were topped off with a peachy pink blush at the apples.
3. Peachy pink lips. To match the cheeks, peach and pink lipcolor was applied. To recreate the look, I'd apply lipstick or lipliner, before topping it off with gloss. You can mix and match the peach and pink however best for your skintone. A peach base with pink gloss would probably work for cool tones, and a pink base with peach gloss would probably work for warm tones.

I wish I had time to experiment with this look right now, but I have to get back to work!

Clarisonic Skin Care Brush - Week 3

2008-12-03T07:21:00.001-08:00

Nothing has really changed from the second week. The brush is continuing to help remove all my makeup and sunblock from my face at the end of the day. My pores are much smaller, but that is largely in thanks to Estee Lauder's Idealist, which I was using before I started using the Clarisonic. One thing that is upsetting me is that I still have clogged pores and blackheads on my nose. I expected the Clarisonic to be able to purge my pores completely, but when I look in the mirror, I can still clearly see that they are not clear. So I suppose there's a limit to how much cleansing can achieve.

However, the Clarisonic did provide a good foundation for some serious pore cleansing I did the other day. After washing my face, I put on a Biore nose strip while my face was still wet to see how much gunk I could get out of my pores. Nose strips haven't always worked that well for me. The advertisements always show a ton of gunk on the strip after the model takes it off. For me, it's usually only a couple blackheads, whiteheads or sebum plugs that came out, so it's never gratifying or reassuring. But this time when I took off the strip, there was A TON of sebum stuck to it. So, what I gather from this experience is that 1) exfoliating is key to clearing out your pores, and 2) the Clarisonic isn't a "miracle worker," just a helpful assistant--if I want great skin, I still have to do all the steps I normally do.

On a side note, I want to point out you should never dry your skin after you wash and exfoliate if you're going to put on a peel off mask or pore strip. When you wash your face, the warm water loosens all the dirt and sebum, and if it hasn't come off your face completely, you're just going to pat it right back into the pores when you pat your face dry. So before you wash your face, have all your other peeling products ready, so when you're done, you can put them on while your face is still soaking wet for the best result.

Anyway, back to the Clarisonic. I'm not convinced I should keep it. Yes, my skin is looking great, but I do still have clogged pores, and I am still getting pimples (though nothing too serious). Kind of disappointing when I expected all my skin problems to magically go away after using it. I might keep the Clarisonic for a second month, actually, since I did purchase it from Sephora which has the 60 day money back guarantee. If I don't have the "flawless glowing skin" that everyone else claims to have by then, I'll be taking it back for a refund. If that happens, the good news for you guys is I'll probably come up with exfoliating reviews to see if I can maintain the Clarisonic's results. I've read on a couple blogs that some people didn't notice the difference the Clarisonic made until they stopped using it. So..we'll see. If my skin deteriorates after I return it, despite my exfoliating, I'll just have to buy it again.

I'm going to temporarily refrain from my regular reviewing so I can focus on my finals. However, I will continue to blog about the Clarisonic, since I want to keep giving weekly updates, and I'm sure I'll need a break from writing papers anyway. Some skincare things I'm planning on reviewing eventually are: Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion & Gel, Clinique Turnaround Concentrate Visible Skin Renewer, Kiehl's Abyssine Serum, and MAC Prep + Prime Face Protect SPF 50. I'm also thinking of purchasing more Japanese mascaras (the only kind which seem to work for me). I really want to try Majolica Majorca; does anyone have good recommendations?

Wish me luck for getting through the next couple of weeks! If you're taking finals also, good luck to you too!