SKINCARE

Dr Brandt’s PORES NO MORE Pore Effect Refining Cream Review

September 27, 2012

I don’t know how I lived without Dr Brandt’s PORES NO MORE Pore Effect Refining Cream, but I’m pretty sure it will be a staple product for my skincare for a long time. My biggest pet peeve about my skin is that it is prone to congestion since my teenage years. It is getting a lot better compared to how my skin was, but the nose and the chin areas are still subject to blackheads, and to combat that I always have a facial done with extraction at least once a month.

If you have seen my previous skincare posts (here or here), you would know that products with AHA/BHA/Retinol have always been a core part of my daily skincare routine. The products that were featured in my previous posts have all improved the congestion by a certain extent. But I thought Dr Brand’s Pore Effect Refining Cream makes the biggest improvement! Having said that, it is not a miracle product as it will not totally diminish anything and nor will it give you pore-less skin (if you already have visible pores). But I have been using this product on and off purposely, and I noticed that my skin appears noticeably more clear when I was using it. In summary I really like this product because:

– It has a creamy texture and gives a nice slip when applying it over the face.

– It feels mild on my sensitive skin with no tinge and no irritation, and it doesn’t dry my skin out after long term use.

– It has a lovely floral tea tree oil scent (some other AHA/BHA products have smelt rather disgusting).

– Most importantly, it works! I have done a comparison – I started using this product on my skin which was completely clear after the extraction. My skin stays clear (and I mean no blackheads at all on my nose for 3 weeks) for a much longer time than with of other products.

Bottom Line: I never expect any over-the-counter product to provide a poreless complexion and completely unclog pores. I judge this type of product purely based on how much it improves, and how long it keeps my skin clear after I deep cleanse with an extraction. And so far Dr Brandt’s delivers the biggest improvement to my skin!

I bought mine here, and it is also available at Sephora.

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Labels: Dr Brandt • SKINCARE

Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentrè 24 Hour Miracle Cream Review

July 23, 2012

The Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentrè (24 Hour Miracle Cream) has been a cult product amongst the supermodels and top makeup artists. Every now and then I come across magazines featuring big names (in the beauty/fashion industry) that swear by this moisturizer, so I had a very high expectation for this product. After using it for more than 2 months and having gone through half a tube of it, my personal thought was that it is over-hyped. I think people are just drawn to the fact that it is made-in-France, and as with many other French products, the Embryolisse is almost impossible to get outside of France.

I am always attracted to hard-to-get products, so I scouted the internet high and low and finally found it available here (which is the only online resource I can find)! The packaging is of standard French drug store products – simple, low key with a ‘medicinal’ aesthetic to it. It’s a lotion with a rich and creamy milky consistency, and it is fragrance free. For a lotion, it feels a little on the rich side. If I apply more than a pea size , it can feel a little greasy on my face for a short while. It doesn’t feel moisturizing enough for me if I apply anything less than that. It makes my skin feel nourished and softer immediately, and it did not make my skin break out. It keeps my skin moisturized for about 5-6 hours.

However, it works and feels pretty much the same as many other basic moisturizers that I have used in the past (far from being a miracle cream!). For a product with such a cult status, I expected more. I prefer a moisturizer that makes my skin feel drenched in water and plumped up immediately like Shu Uemura’s Depsea Hydrability Moisturizing Cream. Additionally I prefer a moisturizer that makes my skin glow and look “refreshed” and vitalized the next day like Creme de La Mer or Guerlain’s Issima Midnight Secret. I would consider any moisturizer that ticks one of these criteria as a keeper, and unfortunately the Embryolisse 24 Hr Miracle Cream met neither. On a different note, it works brilliantly as a makeup base. It can also be used as an emergency makeup remover.

Overall It is a very affordable and basic moisturizer that would work ‘safely’ for any skin type at any age group, and versatile enough to be used for other functions. It will be a staple for my traveling kit, but not a moisturizer for my everyday skin care.

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Labels: MOISTURIZER • SKINCARE

Aesop Damascan Rose Facial Treatment Review

July 9, 2012

I am completely obsessed with 2 things at the moment – natural products and anything made of Rose. So when I spotted the Aesop Damascan Rose Facial Treatment it was like a match made-in-heaven for me. I have tons of skincare products to go through, but it only took me a split second to decide I had to have this one..right now! Especially since the cold weather in Australia is taking a toll on my skin.

Aesop is a well known natural brand in Australia. I would say it has the same cult status as Jurlique, but with a less commercial branding. I really like the display of their concept store which looks like a science lab to me, and I love their low key but thoughtful packaging. All of their products are housed in a tinted brown glass bottle which helps to preserve the freshness of their plant-based ingredients.

Aesop signature store in Melbourne Australia

Aesop signature store at Rue Saint Honore in Paris

The Aesop Damascan Rose Facial Treatment is packed with good oils including Rosa Damascena oil, Neroli oil and Violet leaf oil. These ingredients are infused with vitamin A, E and C, and are excellent for skin that is in need of intense hydration. The selling point for me is the Damascan Rose. Anyone who is into aromatherapy would know that Damascan Roses are the world’s most premium roses, and they are known for their healing properties for skin. The direction of use is as follows:

Massage five drops onto clean skin, twice weekly.

I use it differently:

My home has heaters on 24/7 and it is drying my skin out badly, so I use this treatment oil every night but with only 2 drops per application. The way I use it is that I spray my palm with La Roche-Posay Eau Thermale (any thermal spring water would do). Then I add 2 drops of the oil, and warm it up between my palms. The mist acts like an “activator” so it instantly emulsifies the oil, and turns it into an elixir-like texture which feels much lighter than the original texture. While it is still warm, I pat it onto my face and my neck. The oil is absorbed into my skin immediately without leaving any residue. My skin feels nourished, softer, and soothed because of the lovely rose scent. I then put on a light moisturizer (or you can skip if the skin is not overly dry) and go to bed. The next morning I wake up with supple, moisturized and ultra radiant skin. I also noticed my makeup goes on beautifully.

If your skin is so dry that a regular moisturizer just doesn’t seem to help, you might want to give this a try! I am a firm believer in that good oils do wonders to the skin regardless of your skin type. I would have never thought about putting oils onto my skin, until I learnt how smart our skin actually is! Our skin responds to any external changes – for oily skin the more oil you try to take away the more oil your skin will produce as a natural defense. On the contrary, if you have very dry skin and you constantly put on layers of ultra rich creams, you are tricking the skin to think that it’s producing too much oil. As a result it will produce less oil. It was probably one of the most useful lessons I have learnt about skin, and over the years I treated my skin with the above in mind, and consequently my skin looks the best when it is in a state of fine balance between oil and water.

I bought the Aesop Damascan Rose Facial Treatment in Australia for $75. It is also available online here in the US, and Aesop has concept stores across the world.

Have you tried Aesop? If you have, please let me know your favorite products from the brand 🙂

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Labels: AESOP • SKINCARE

KIEHL’S Cucumber Herbal Toner and Ultra Facial Toner Reviews

May 10, 2012

I have finished using my KIEHL’S Cucumber Herbal Toner and the Ultra Facial Toner recently so I thought I would do a quick review for them. The older I get, the better I know what my skin needs and it appears my skin always reacts better to the gentle products. I bought these primarily because both of them are gentle, hydrating and most importantly – they are alcohol free. It may sound like quite a simple criteria but if you check out the ingredient list of your toners, you might find that a lot of them contain alcohol.

The KIEHL’S Cucumber Herbal Toner is my second bottle. I love it! The texture is exactly the same as water, and appears as reminiscent of the real cucumber water. Both the name and the smell appears very organic and natural to me, and I find it very enjoyable to use. It instantly hydrates and soothes my skin, and it can also be used as a very mild astringent (but alcohol-free!) so it purifies the skin gently and reduces the appearance of pores. This is exactly what I am after from a simple product that I can rely on all year round and works well with any skin condition. It’s been with me through the transition from summer to winter and my skin was more sensitive during the change of seasons, and the KIEHL’S Cucumber toner is my savior.

The texture of KIEHL’S Ultra Facial Toner is milky white, and has a thicker consistency than the cucumber water and it is fragrance free. It mainly contains ingredients such as Glycerin, Hyaluronate, Sweet Almond Oil, Kernel Oil which all help to moisturize the skin. It does prep my skin well for other products as it absorbs immediately without any residue. As a toner alone it is quite average in my opinion – it hasn’t done any harm but neither has it impressed me. I sometimes use it after the cucumber water as a more moisturizing intensive toner, but most of the time I like to use it as a quick mask lotion. I bought these amazing cotton pads and each sheet can be separated in to 5 sheets when it is wet. So I like to completely soak it with the Ultra Facial Toner and leave them on my face and neck for 5 minutes as a quick fix for hydration. That way it leaves my skin feeling super moisturized, smoother and softer.

Japanese Cotton Pad (bought here)

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Labels: KIEHL'S • SKINCARE

Philosophy Microdelivery Peel At Home Kit Review

June 29, 2011

After days of being sick my skin is dull and parched. I am in desperate need of some extra help other than a moisturizer to revive my skin . The first thing that came to my mind was the Philosophy Microdelivery Peel. This is my first at home peel kit. Prior to that I used to get a professional peel at the beauty salon (not the invasive one though..anyway that’s another story) and I loved the way my skin looked and felt after the treatment – a result that can hardly be achieved at home. Good things don’t come cheap, the peel cost me $250 per treatment so I decided to try out an At-home peel kit. There are so many brands to choose from – I opted for this one because I have had good results using Philosophy’s other home kits.

It is a 2 step peel system that claims to replenish your skin to make it more smooth and hydrating. It includes:

– a jar of vitamin C peptide resurfacing crystals as the physical exfoliation. It contains micro crystals which help to resurface, rejuvenate and revitalize the skin.

– a bottle of lactic and salicylic acid activating gel as the chemical exfoliation. It helps to infuse the skin with vitamin c and peptides, as well as minimizing the appearance of pores, lines and wrinkles.

The whole process only takes about 5 minutes. I just gently massage the crystals in for 1 minute, then apply the gel on top of the crystals to activate. It will start to foam up. Rinse it off after 3 minutes.

Tested on half of my hand

MY THOUGHTS:

What I like about it:

It is an easy and very gentle peel that can be used at home. There wasn’t any sting sensation. I have even left it on for 10 minutes (just to see what will happen haha..:-P) and it didn’t cause any bad reaction to the skin.

It made my skin incredibly soft and smooth.

It improves the overall clarity of the skin, my complexion is brightened up with a nice glow.

My t-zone is less decongested and it certainly reduces the appearance of my pores. I think if I use it regularly there will certainly be an improvement in the reduction of black heads in the long run.

I didn’t notice that my skin was more hydrated after use but I felt the skincare products I used later on absorbed into my skin better.

What I don’t like about it:

It didn’t get rid off the flakes around the edge of my nose.

The overall result doesn’t really wow me. Having said that I do have a VERY high standard because as I said earlier I am used to the professional result of a salon peel.

The result is hard to capture by the camera. I hope you can see the area where I applied it that has a more even skintone and brightness. In reality the result is more noticeable.

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Labels: Philosophy • SKINCARE

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