FACE MASKS

Today I have a super amazing product that I’d like to share – the Charlotte Tilbury Dry sheet Face Mask. I have had a fair share in face masks but this dry mask is like nothing I have tried before! Yes the entire paper mask is dry and is full of vitamins and peptides that deeply hydrates and lift the skin. The most amazing factor is that you can re-use it for up to 3 times.

charlotte-tilbury-dry-sheet-face-mask-review-2

Each paper mask retails for $22 (AUD$35).  At first, I thought it is quite overpriced for a single mask, and it came to a surprise to me that it can be re-used 3 times based on the instructions, which makes the ‘cost per use’ quite reasonable for a high-end skincare product. The active ingredients include vitamins, floral extracts, peptides, oils and butters.

charlotte-tilbury-dry-sheet-face-mask-review

The sheet mask (which is completely dry) is made of plush velvety fabric. It is soft, stretchable and thicker than the traditional paper masks. The design of the mask is phenomenal – designed in a way to lift your entire face and chin. It comes with 4 hooks, to be hooked behind your ears. The size of the mask is quite small, and I believe it is intentional as you need to stretch then lift the mask up while placing the hooks behind the ears, so your face is completely vacuum wrapped and lifted. Immediately you feel the skin is tightened (imagine having the corset on the waist) when you have the mask on.

Here is the picture I found on Charlotte Tilbury site

charlotte-tilbury-dry-sheet-face-mask-review-3

On me!

charlotte-tilbury-dry-sheet-face-mask-review-4

Result

Since it’s a dry mask, you don’t feel your skin is being ‘water replenished’ during the application. Other than feeling the warmth and the lift, I actually had doubt whether the mask was doing anything while I had the mask on. After the mask is removed (15 to 20 minutes), the skin has been ‘miraculously’ moisturized and nourished. There is a glow on the face, the skin feels emollient and supple with a thin coat of the product from the mask. Puffiness is reduced, and the face shape appears slimmer and lifted for a youthful v-shape contour temporarily.

Bottom Line

A miracle and easy to use mask as it does not feel wet with liquid dripping and messing up the hair. It gives an instant lift and a boost of moisture and radiance. Perfect for prepping your skin before makeup for any important events. It is most suitable for ageing and dry skin, or anyone who needs a quick skin fix. If you have combo to oily but dehydrated skin, I think a traditional wet mask would work better for hydration only. One single sheet retails for USD$22 ($AUD35), or a box of four for $88 (AUD$126) for a better value.

{ 4 comments }

My Latest Skincare Routine

October 24, 2012

My updated skincare routine as requested by my readers. To recap, my skin is dehydrated inside but can look oily outside. My main skin concern is dehydration and skin congestion around the t-zone area. I am also at a sad old age where my skin metabolism rate has gone downhill – as it takes forever for any scar to heal. I do get occasional breakout so I always incorporate a powerful serum which increases and stimulates the cell turnover rate as it is vital to speed up the skin renewal process so it helps to clear up my scars within a short time.

MORNING:

clarins-shaping-facial-lift-serum-dr-cilabo-aqua-collagen-gel-review

I always use a gentle, non-foaming cleanser to cleanse my skin in the morning. At the moment I am using the Lancôme Galateis Douceur Gentle Softening Cleansing Fluid. I bought the jumbo size (400ml) so I can use a generous amount of it everyday with a special massage tool. It’s gentle and makes my skin super soft after washing, and in conjunction with the massage tool it helps to eliminate the water retention of my morning puffy face. Followed by Lancôme HYDRA ZEN Anti-Stress Moisturizing Aqua Gel which is just an average hydrating gel-to-water type toner. It comes out like gel and transforms into water upon touching the skin. The Clarins Shaping Facial Lift Serum is my absolute must-have for the morning – I have gone through tubes and tubes of it. The smell is relaxing and it helps to lift and sharpen the facial contours. Dr Brandt Pore Effect is applied over the t-zone (reviewed here). The last step is to apply a thick layer of my all time favorite moisturizer Dr. CiLabo Aqua Collagen Gel. For those of you who haven’t heard of the brand – Dr CiLabo is a celebrity dermatologist in Japan. The collagen gel is the signature product of his line, and the story behind the product was that he was very frustrated that he could not find a perfect moisturizer for his elite clients so he developed his own! It was so good so he started selling this to the general public. I got hooked on since it was first released which was 10 years ago! It is lightweight, absorbs instantly, plumping up my skin, stimulate collagen and most importantly keeps my skin staying hydrated all day long. Clinique All About Eyes feels quite soothing to the eyes and moisturizes as well.

NIGHT:

lancome-Visionnaire-Advanced-Skin-Corrector-la-mer-moisturizing-cream-review

The cleanser and toner used are the same as my morning routine. The Lancôme Visionnaire Advanced Skin Corrector is my recent favorite anti-aging serum. The patent ingredient is the LR 2414 (aka jasmonic acid) which enhances the skin’s natural self renewal processes. It minimizes skin imperfections, pore sizes and improves skin’s overall texture. I really love it because it works for clearing up my scars. With this serum the new scar forms a scab and then comes off with a faded mark within days. La Mer’s Crème de La Mer Moisturizing Cream is another all time favorite moisturizer. If Dr CiLabo Collagen Gel is the perfect hydrator, then La Mer is one level up for giving me an incredible luminous complexion. The key to using this moisturizer effectively is to activate the ingredient by emulsifying this thick cream. I found that the enclosed instruction never worked for me. Here is a little discovery I made – warm up the cream when there is still some Lancome Visionnaire remnant  left in the palm. Within seconds this moisturizer turns into a fluid elixir-like texture so it absorbs into the skin immediately. The combination works like a dream, and I really love the way my skin looks every morning – clear and luminous 🙂 For the eyes I use La Prarie’s Cellular Eye Contour Cream.

WEEKLY TREATMENTS:

skii-facial-treatment-mask-signs-eye-mask-reviews

SKII Facial Treatment Mask once a week, and SKII Sign’s Eye Mask once every fortnight.

{ 30 comments }

Sleeping masks have been around for years, and at first I thought it was just a marketing gimmick for “night cream in a mask texture”. But after hearing more and more positive feedback about it, I finally decided to give them a chance! I came across the Amore Pacific Moisture Bound Vitalizing Masque when I was in the US, and I bought it as I thought both the name and the packaging are more alluring than other brands.

amore-pacific-moisture-bound-vitalizing-masque

Amore Pacific is the biggest cosmetics brand in Korea (similar to Estee Lauder in the US). They own a large number of popular Korean brands such as Laneige, Etude etc, with Amore Pacific being their core brand for high end cosmetics, and they are now available world-wide from limited retailers.

One of the best features in all of their products for me is the use of stabilized Bamboo water replacing normal purified water as the main ingredient, which improves skin clarity. This is the same concept as Chantecaille where all products are made of pure rose water as opposed to normal water.

The Moisture Bound Vitalizing Masque is a lightweight, liquid-gel overnight masque which helps replenish moisture, energy and nourishment for a more vibrant, healthy, looking skin. It has magnesium, copper, zinc and calcium which assist in replenishing the skin’s natural resilience against stress, and Ginger Root Extract helps to brighten and purify.

Full Ingredient List:

amore-pacific-moisture-bound-vitalizing-masque-ingredients

Application method:

I apply two pea sizes in place of my normal night cream.

My own thoughts:

Unlike other gel type masks, the lightweight texture of Moisture Bound Vitalizing Masque does not feel tacky on the skin. Although it doesn’t absorb in to the skin immediately, after 5-10 minutes of resting, 90% of the mask is absorbed with a thin film left on my skin. I can then go to bed so the mask won’t stain my pillow case. I normally wash it off with a gentle lotion cleanser next morning, and the result is as if I just treated my skin with a hydrating mask. My skin feels more hydrated, softer and more plumped than a regular night cream would do. It also appears more vitalized and glowing even if I did not have a good sleep!  Overall I like this mask – it does what it claims but it is not as hydrating as a real sheet mask such as my holy grail SKII. As we all know, there is nothing better than having your skin prepped with a hydrating mask for a perfect base makeup. Unfortunately, most of us don’t have the luxury and time to do so every morning.  I realize now that the Moisture Bound Vitalizing Masque (or any sleeping mask in general) is an alternative solution for that – simply leave it on overnight for a glowing skin the next day which makes applying makeup a joy.

Other Information

– Parabens, Sulfates, Synthetic dyes, Petrol chemicals, Phthalates, GMOs, Triclosan Free

– Dermatologist Tested

– Made in Korea

I purchased mine at Nordstrom for USD$60.  You can also purchase Amore Pacific products from Neiman Marcus and Sephora.

 

{ 7 comments }

May Favorites

June 2, 2011

The problem with having too many makeups is that I never know which product to use..it’s like a kid in a big candy shop..too many options to choose from. Monthly favorite posts help me to share my love equally – I like to put the makeups I have been using for the past month aside and pick a new set of  makeups for the upcoming month.

Being a makeup minimalist, I like to stick with just a small handful of makeup items for the whole month.

frontrowbeauty_may_favorites

MAKEUPS:

Guerlain Kiss Kiss Lipstick in Baby – my all time favorite lipstick by Guerlain, gives you baby lookalike lips!

YSL Rouge Pur Couture in 06 – been raving about it for the entire month 😛 reviewed here and FOTD here

Nars Blush in Luster

Chanel Ombre Essentielle in Fauve

guerlain-kiss-kiss-in-baby-261

Becca Lost Weekend Eyeshadow Palette (Fall Limited Edition)

Mac Eye Kohl in I get No Kick

Chanel Under Eyes Corrector

becca-lost-weekend-eyeshadow-palette-2

Nars Larger Than Life Volumising Mascara – truly exceeded my expectations!

Nars Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base

Stila Convertible Color in Peony

Stila Lip Gloss in Blush – a nudy pink color

nars-larger-than-life-volumising-mascaraSKINCARES:

KIEHLS Epidermal Re-Texturizing Micro-Dermabrasion: It does its job and it’s gentle enough to be used every two days.

My Beauty Diary Sunflower Face Sheet Mask: Long time fan of their masks, this limited edition is beyond amazing! For those of you who aren’t aware, Beauty Diary has recently improved their face sheet – it is a lot thinner and adheres to your face without any air bubbles . I have to stock up more before it is discontinued..

L’OCCITANE Ultra Rich Body Cream in Vineyard Rose: Another limited edition product that was recently released. A very rich body cream that smells like..Heaven. If you love rose and soapy scents, then this is The One! It can’t stop sniffing at it.

KIEHLS_micro_dermabrasion

HAIRCARES:

TSUBAKI Head Spa Extra Cleasing Shampoo with essential oil: I use this one once a week – it is better than any of the high end clarifying shampoos that I’ve tried.

TSUBAKI Head Spa Massage Mask with essential oil: It’s a treatment for the scalp, feels relaxing and promotes healthy hair growth.

Living Proof Frizz Free Styling Cream: a silicone free product that really works!

KERASTASE Nectar Thermique: a weightless gel that protects my dry hair from heat everyday

KERASTASE Serum Nuit: an overnight treatment I’ve been using every night that renews my hair from looking dull and lifeless

tsubaki-and-kerastase-haircareGeez..I am quite high maintenance aren’t I 😛

{ 11 comments }