Skincare Journal wk21: Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler

My first lash curler was a $3 one from Revlon. It gives my lashes a very sharp 90 degree curl, like the edge of a sheet of paper, not exactly the look I was going for. When I was looking for new eye lash curlers, I tested almost half dozen of them on a post here. But the ONE curler that everyone loves, the ONE curler that I did not test back then, was Shu Uemura. Everyone raves about it. Everyone, but it’s not really available in US anymore, so I chalked it up as a loss until I got a LE Karl Lagerfeld one from a trade with friend.

Aaaahhh yes! Finally! I took lots of pictures and had big plans for it. Big! I intended to scrutinize every single detail of it, expecting to find little secrets everywhere and…..I actually don’t have much to say about it. It feels normal in my hand, not as sturdy as my Tweezerman but that’s ok. The shape and width of the curling part is almost identical to my Tweezerman lash curler and feels the same when you put it against your eyes. But when I used the same pressure and hold for 10 seconds, the Shu curler did give me a sharper curl than the Tweezerman.

Tweezerman have a more cushiony/bouncier pad while Shu is firmer. Thus, when using the same pressure, Tweezerman gave a more gradual/gentler curl while Shu is sharper (nowhere near the unnatural sharpness of my old Revlon, however). But is the pad the only difference? if so, then my Tweezerman should give the same sharp curl and Shu should lose its magic if I switch the pad…..

 

Not quite. It’s hard to tell without actually trying to measure the metal, but I think Shu’s blade is thinner while Tweezerman is thicker (the part with engraving of brand name), so the sharp curl is actually a combination of the curler and the pad. I’m a bit heavy handed so I did overcurl half the time when using Shu, but by the time I put on mascara, it weighs the lashes down and brings it from a crazy-curl to a normal-curl. When I’m not wearing mascara, most of the time, I like Tweezerman just because I like how it feels in my hand, and I’m heavy handed. Aside from how much of a curl you want, the size and shape of the curler is also important. If you find most curlers a bit too big, Tarte might be a good choice. If you like something very firm, try the Sephora curlers. If you can never get the inner/outer corners, Shiseido curler have an extra dip on the ends. If you have never used a curler before, or if your new one is different from your old one, you should try it out for a week or so before making a decision since you might have to make slight adjustment in how you curl.  And that’s that. Happy curling! =)

Skincare Journal wk20: Dr. Dennis gross Extra Strength Alpha Beta Peel Pad

Wow that was a mouthful, let’s just call it DDG extra strength peel pads. I have one of the original and 4 extra strength and that’s what I’ve been using for the past couple of weeks. The original didn’t have much of a scent while the extra strength have a stronger scary scent, a somewhat chemical (and honestly, a bit of a radish) scent for step 1. Step 2 for both does not have much of a scent. Aside from that, there isn’t much of a difference I could tell since I only had one original. The DDG peel pads are a two step process. You apply step 1 to cleansed/dry face, wait 2 minutes, then apply step 2.

First step stings a bit when applied, probably due to the concoction of acid and astringent. I then waited for 2 minutes while the acid work, and my skin feels a bit dry but nothing as bad as when I use products with salicylic acid. The second step does not sting and feels rather soothing, probably because the first two ingredients are water and sodium bicarbonate, or baking soda. Baking soda? It is apparently an anti-acid and helps to detox/relieve sunburn. So after the cocktail of acid from step 1 does its magic for two minutes, this helps to balance out the pH of the skin and reduce inflammation/irritation. After step 2, my skin feels smooth and no longer dry. I then followed with a basic moisturizer or oil. I nixed the scrubs and serums during the two weeks I’m using it to better tell if any positive/negative effect are from the peel. My skin did not peel/feel tender, but it did get slightly drier and bumpier after a few days/my 3rd peel as the under-skin whitehead etc are brought out.

It’s suppose to help with fine lines, pores, breakouts and dark spots.  It makes the skin feel smooth by exfoliating away the dead skin. It brings out/up the under-skin whitehead and dries them up. However, it doesn’t really do much with the acne or pores. Nothing will change the size of your pores permanently. Pore minimizing products work by filling your pore with silicone/dimethicone (mostly makeup-ish products) so make up doesn’t sink in and it looks smoother, or with acid (salicylic or glycolic) to prevent oil/dirt from getting stuck in/enlarging the pores, dissolving them to keep the pore clean. The only other peel pad I’ve used more than once is Origins Brighter by Nature, which I had 20 pads of. It is very slightly more potent and does work on lightening dark spots. Actually, I only had and used 6 DDG peels, so if I had 20 of them, I can probably see a difference in dark spots, too. But pores/acne? nah.

Are you paying for packaging? luxury and practicality

The Guerlain makeup post with tons of pretty pictures was a tough act to follow and I’ve been talking a lot about makeup, so it’s time to go back to skincare a bit, more specifically the packaging. Some great products come in plain packaging while some fancy looking products can be a real disappointment once you tried them. Sure, you are probably paying a pretty penny for gorgeous makeup products, and yes, the purpose of makeup is to enhance your natural beauty. However, it can also be art and make you feel happy. If pretty packaging makes you happy every morning when you use it, then who’s to say it’s not worth it?

Not to be outdone, some of the packagings for skincare products are just as gorgeous (and/or ridiculously priced) as makeup. For the outrageously expensive skincare like some of the cream from La Praire or La Mer that are $200+, everything is considered from the weight of the jar, the spatula included to the sound as you are opening or closing the jar and the fragrance. While packaging doesn’t really affect the product most of the time when it comes to makeup, packaging does matter for skincare, especially for those with potent/active ingredients (which usually also happen to be more expensive). You don’t want to spend $100 for something that’s going to lose it’s effectiveness in a couple of month, right?

Skincare Journal wk18: Dior Transat Eyeshadow Palette in Sundeck

Dior is a classy brand, and majority of their skincare is surprisingly kinda good. I mean, it’s a makeup brand, so I wasn’t expecting anything from their skincare lines, but I rather enjoyed One Essential and the Hydralife products I tried. Now back to makeup! I have a couple of mini lipstick from them as well as the Skinflash Radiance Booster pen, all of which I rather like. However, when it comes to eyeshadows, it’s a hit or miss for me. I swatched a bunch of them (Golden Flower, Rosy Tan, Incognito, and Earth Reflection) before and while I love the texture/finish, some of the colors don’t really show up very well for some of the palette. At $61, I want every single one of the five colors to have nice payoff/intensity as well as texture/finish. Well, I swatched the new 2014 edition in Sundeck on a whim because I can’t resist a pretty orange and surprisingly, all 5 of the colors were pretty smooth AND nicely pigmented with 3 gentle swipe of the finger.

While I’ve got plenty of bright and neutral colors, it is rare that I would love all the shades from a palette, and I love all 5 shades in this one. Right now my goal is to hit pan on at least 2 eyeshadows from my collection so I can justify buying it. If you want a more detailed review, my friend Jenn has a great review up on her blog. Also, if anyone is wondering about the new Dior nude blush and bronzer in the Transat collection, they are great. I tried the blush and it gives a soft pink glow, no glitter. They are not replacement for the blush/bronzer version of shimmerstar, which was more shimmery and have less color. Now then, are you a Dior fan? and what are your favorites? And read on for the actual skincare journal if interested…

And here we go again…. Ren Rosa Centifolia Cleansing Water

So when I tried Caudalie and Sephora cleansing water, I wasn’t impressed. When I tried KGD cleansing water, I love it. When I tried Bioderma cleansing water, I found it to be just as effective as KGD. I know that Dior and Lancome also have cleansing water, but those are more expensive and consider the rate at which I go through the cleansing water and how effective KGD/Bioderma are, I see no reason to switch. I thought I was done flirting with cleansing water, but then one of my friend recommended Ren cleansing water to me. It’s $25 for 6.8oz while KGD is $26 for 6.76oz, so there isn’t that much difference in price BUT…….Ren cleansing water does not contain paraben that KGD have. And here I go again, just have to get a sample and see if I found another dupe for KGD.

Skincare Journal wk10: GlamGlow ThirstyMud

I didn’t have time to read up/research and gather up information, which is what I would’ve liked to post, so this week will be GlamGlow week where I review all the Glamglow products. Since I was on a hydrating mask marathon, let’s start with Thirstymud. I did a post on sheet mask, which provides intense hydration but is also time consuming and not everyone may enjoy lying down with a wet sheet on their face. I also did a post on normal hydrating masks, so this is more of an addendum to that.

Application/feel: It smells coconut-y, a fruity round scent (it does contain apple and coconut). It applies like a gel cream but it does not dry and leaves a thin cream layer on the skin even after 10 minutes, kind of like Origins Drink Up mask (in white tube). There is a mild tingly sensation going on, probably from the ginger. It’s not really harder or easier to rinse off than any other hydrating masks. There’s no change in color, which is sheer, so you won’t look crazy if your neighbor/mailman caught you wearing it.

Effect/ingredients: When I use it as a mask, where I tissue off, the skin feels hydrated and plump. I have combination skin so it doesn’t like the creamy/thicker hydrating masks as much as gel masks. The moisture just doesn’t get absorbed so my skin feel the same afterward/second day. This is rich and creamy but, probably due to the acid from fruit extract, the moisture is able to penetrate better and did manage to hydrate/moisturize my skin. It did feel a bit stuffy and I can’t wear moisturizer over it if I tissue off, altho I did use a very light moisturizer after I rinse it off. It also works fine as a overnight mask as long as you don’t mind the slightly greasy feel.

This is a great hydrating mask for dry/combo skin, altho it might be too stuffy for oily/combo skin. And ginger is a fickle one, since the tingling might be too intense for sensitive skin. It works and I like it, but since I don’t need intense hydration very often…..I think I’d rather go for sheet masks with that price.

Test Test 123: Spongeblob…Konjac pants?

Ok, that title didn’t really work. Was trying to be catchy. #fail.
hmmm……*poke*poke*squish*squish*….oh hai! Erm, I am definitely not playing with my skincare I swear! *cough*

Being a skincare addict, of COURSE I’ve heard aaaaalll about the Boscia Konjac sponge. Last time I was at a Sephora in JCPenny, I spotted the Boscia Sponge tester, picked it up excitedly, saw black dots (mold) on the bottom, and put it down immediately. I’m not a clean freak, and my sinkful of dirty dishes can attest to that, but bacteria, bad smell and mold? Nuh uh. It did turn me off for a while, but ultimately I cannot resist my curiosity. The Boscia sponge does seem overpriced to me, so with doing it for the blog in the name of better skin as excuse, I got it along with 2 others that I’ve seen people recommending.

I first tried them without cleanser, then with cleanser. I also took note of the drying time since that seems to be a problem for some people/sponges. And the drying time is why I picked different shapes for the sponges, because Konjac is Konjac, so I think the drying time has more to do with the shape than the type of Konjac.

Skincare Journal wk7: Say no to microbeads!

Exfoliation helps to reveal smoother skin and the absence of the layer of dead skin ensures that your skincare will sink in better. With that said, there are different types of exfoliation, chemical and physical. Physical exfoliation is usually in form of scrubs with crushed nut shell, sugar/salt granules, or microbeads. Nut shells are hard and can scratch the skin and cause abrasion while sugar/salt scrubs usually melt too fast for my taste. Microbeads are usually preferred since they are gentle on the skin, but turns out they are actually bad for the environment. According to NYTimes:

The beads appear in the tens of millions in the Great Lakes, according to scientists’ estimates, with high concentrations along the New York shores of Lake Erie. They become coated with toxins like PCBs and can be eaten by fish and other marine life. Scientists suggest that those toxins could be working their way back up the food chain to humans.

The beads and other bits of tiny “microplastic” debris slip through wastewater treatment plants and have also been found in the Los Angeles River and in the Pacific Ocean. Antipollution activists argue that limiting the use of cosmetics, which can have hundreds of thousands of beads in a bottle, can help limit the environmental risk.

There’s more detail in that article, but basically look for polyethelene or nylon. Here’s a list, not comprehensive, of most scrubs that contains microbeads.

Fortunately, there are a couple others I like that aren’t on the list (Dr. Brandt microdermabrasion, Philosophy Microdelivery Dual Phase peel). Or you can always use a salt/sugar scrub (note: some of them do contain microbeads in addition to the salt/sugar), or go for chemical exfoliation (enzyme masks, peels etc), or something like Konjac sponges. I still have some of the microbead stuff left, but once I used those up, I will be purchasing the alternatives. For now, skincare journal…..

Peel it off! Peel it off! Boscia Peel off masks.

Masks are fun and a booster for your skincare. There’s the crumbly mud kind, the fizzy foamy kind, the drippy sheet kind, the moisturizer kind, and the peel off kind. Personally I like the peel off kind, because I already have 1232 steps in my skincare and peeling it off is much simpler and less messy than rinse it off at a sink. For today, we will be playing with Boscia peel off masks: blue for hydration, white for anti-aging/whitening, green for oil-control and black for detox.

I originally got into peel off masks when I discovered Sekkisei Kose, and that stuff is strong I tell ya. It’s great when your skin is sturdy and feels flaky and greasy. It feels like you are peeling the top layer off, but it will make you cry if you use it after showering when your skin is softer. That set me on a quest to find a peel off mask that is fun and don’t make me cry, which led me to Boscia. Now then, which kind is right for you? let’s find out. 

DIY do and don’ts: Lush Ocean Salt attempt

Am I the only one who is incapable of picking a decent bag of avocados? Either they are all rock hard and go bad before they go ripe, or they all go ripe at the same time and I end up having an avocado marathon….which reminded me of a DIY I’ve wanted to do for a while, Lush Ocean Salt! Pretty much everyone I know who has tried Lush loves Lush, and one of the most often recommended product is the Ocean Salt. It claims to unclog pores, eliminate blackheads, brightens and hydrates–sounds like exactly what I need right now. I did a couple DIYs before, with sugar scrubs, lip scrubs and rose water–all have met with success and inflated my ego. There are DIY recipes available but they did not use coconut oil or lime extract in vodka, which are used in the original Lush Ocean Salt recipes, so I decided to come up with my own DIY recipe from scratch.

For some reason if a brand is natural, I naturally think “no paraben”, but Lush actually use paraben a lot in their cleanser/toner/moisturizer, altho from a cursory glance it doesn’t seem they use it in masks or solid bars. I guess I’ll be skipping Lush skincare then. Anyways, since ingredients lists are usually from the highest concentration to the lowest, I just looked at the top 10 and figure out which ones can be easily acquired/used for DIY: fine sea salt, fresh grapefruit infusion, coarse sea salt, fresh lime extract in vodka, avocado butter and coconut oil. Other ingredients I won’t use include stearic acid, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Glycol Cetearate and Triethanolamine. They are all stabilizer and emulsifiers, so instead of adding them, I’ll just add a bit extra coconut oil and make sure to mix well. With all the ingredients gathered, it’s time to play!