Awhile ago, I read in a Taiwanese beauty magazine (Beauty-30) that more than half of the readers used cotton pads with their toners. I have never really thought about it until I read the interesting survey! For me, I have always used cotton pads with my toners. It was interesting to see the beauty habits of others.

My biggest challenge came when I first started using Korean products years ago, when I operated Joseibi.com as an online store. I was suddenly exposed to all the popular Korean brands such as Iope, Sulwhasoo, Laneige, Etude, Enprani, Charmzone, etc. I was very surprised when I learned that their serums are to be used after emulsion/moisturizer.

Sometimes, the simplest things are the hardest to find. I have no zits or major skin problems, so I all need is just a colorless loose powder to set my makeup. It’s hard to believe that almost all the brands I normally use don’t make a completely transparent loose powder – even the ones that say transparent aren’t really transparent!

Am I glad DHC has this Q10 Face Powder. It even comes in one with a light shimmer and one with a matte finish (among the other two – one in yellow and one in pink as brighteners). The price is more than reasonable – for the quality you are getting, it’s practically a steal!

Normally very scent faithful, I use almost exclusively rose or rosewater scented body creams. L’Occitane came out with the Honey Lemon Delightful Cream a couple of years ago and I just had to try it – the thought of my favorite comfort food (honey and lemon water) being a body cream was just too good to pass up!

Like most L’Occitane products, there is no mineral oil or petrolatum in this product, which is a big plus. The texture is more fluid than the shea body creams but it leaves my skin very soft and moisturized. The smell of honey lemon is delicious and is quite natural.

This is exciting news, ladies! AmorePacific is now available on Sephora.com!!

For those who know AmorePacific, this is the brand itself. AmorePacific, the corporation, which produces AmorePacific, also manufactures Laneige, Sulwhasoo, Hera, Mamonde and Iope.

Looking for something a different from pastel pinks and greens for Spring? Try the new Black Diamond collection by Anna Sui!

The 2009 Cosmetics Beach Collection Black Diamond is a dazzling, colorful point makeup collection with several limited edition lipglosses and nail kit. There is also a new mascara range – base, full, volume and long – which is going to be around for awhile.

For busy people like me, who barely have the time to do my skin care routine, sleeping masks are genius ideas. Ever since Laneige launched its Water Sleeping Pack years ago, I had become reliant on sleeping packs.

I have tried both the old and the new versions of Laneige’s Water Sleeping Pack (the Plus is the newer version) and I prefer the Plus version. It is a lot more hydrating and does not feel sticky. This is one of the few products that I have consistently used and repeatedly purchased over the past many years, despite my constant itch to try out new products.

Well, I gave in to my itch and bought 2 other sleeping packs – one J-brand and one fellow Amore brand. I needed to see whether I love Laneige’s Water Sleeping Pack just because it’s the only one I have ever used or if it really stands up to other competitions, not that there are that many sleeping packs around.

The new Jill Stuart Pure Brightening Day Care Powder is a quasi drug (cosmeceutical product) that will help prevent a variety of common skin problems such as acne, freckles, dark spots and excessive oilines. It is a skin care powder that brightens skin, prevents acne, eliminates oiliness and provides sun protection.

The powder itself is translucent and leaves a silky finish.

Included in this new collection is a limited edition Platinum Pink Shimmer Brick: 5 color bars – soft pink, platinum, bright pink, golden coral and rose – blend together to light up the face. These shades work beautifully as highlight colors for cheeks or anywhere you want to add shimmer. The special platinum bar is a great new shade for eyes. Custom-made compact features a metallic silver finish and faux-leather detailing.

I have never been brand faithful – but Aromatherapy Associates’ Renew Rose line had been my personal favorite line ever since I used it a year and a half ago. I was introduced to it when I had a rose and sandalwood facial and rose cocoon at downtown Vancouver’s Absolute Spa, where the entire Rose line was used on me from head to toe. I am incredibly attracted to the natural scent of damask rosewater (more than rose itself) – and various products from this line smell absolutely divine.

The Renew Rose line is for dry, sensitive skin which is exactly my skin type. After the facial and body wrap, I purchased the whole line at the spa, and subsequently made an uncharacteristic repeat purchase of the entire line. It cost me a fortune, but I was never happier, nor my skin looked better. By the way, Aromatherapy Associates products do not contain petrochemicals, artificial fragrances, silicones, colorants and other common additives, and instead of water being the first listed ingredient, Aromatherapy Associates uses Damask Rosewater in the Renew Line, which enhances that luxury brand feel.

Currently, I am using the Freshel Moist Lift EX Moisture Milk by Kanebo. Freshel is a very popular brand by Kanebo – and within Freshel there are two lines – Freshel White C, a whitening line, and Freshel Moist Lift, a moisturizing line for women in their early 30s.

The Freshel Moist Lift Ex Moisture Milk is for dry skin. It contains collagen, amino acids, silk protein extract and sodium hyaluronate which will provide long lasting moisture to dry and dehydrated skin.

The product claims that it can help fade away dark spots and boost radiance. Because it was very expensive (US$68.00 for 1 oz./30ml), I had high hopes for this product. However, after using up the entire tube, I had not noticed any difference in terms of the radiance or dark spots – and I don’t even have many dark spots to begin with – just 3 or 4 very tiny, light freckles across the top of my nose. Those spots remained.

In terms of hydration the product did a pretty good job, but the texture is very thick and felt heavy. My skin did not break out from it even though I was afraid it would, but I was disappointed that the few light freckles I had did not fade.

What helps me get through the long, cold Canadian winters is the preview of Spring and Summer looks! The latest collection from Estee Lauder – Vivid Garden – is another encouraging sign that warmer days are just around the corner.

Every brand has its star product, and if there is one from Estee Lauder, it would be the Advanced Night Repair range, which made Estee Lauder very well known.

Advertised as an ‘insurance’ for your skin – to protect against future damage and neutralize existing damage – it is a liquid serum that fights premature aging, dryness and free radicals. While there are mixed reviews about this product – some said it didn’t do anything, some swear by this – I do find that it moisturizes my dehydrated sensitive skin very well. This product is especially great if you have sensitive skin that reacts badly to something you just tried on – it soothes the redness and the sting on contact and somehow makes all that go away quickly.

I am not brand-faithful – I always want to try new products. The only concealer I keep buying stick after stick is Shiseido The Makeup’s Concealer Stick. I don’t know any product that does the job better – the staying and blending powers are both superb to almost everything else I have used.

I like this scrub by Clarins. It smells a little like strawberry and orange, and is very gentle. It is supposedly a whitening scrub, although after a whole tube (50ml) I didn’t notice any whitening effects, I still like it as a scrub because it is so gentle on my sensitive dehydrated skin.

My only wish is that it comes in a bigger size (I paid CAD$39.00 plus taxes) – 75ml would be nice!

Because my eyes are so sensitive, I usually don’t wear waterproof mascaras because they always dry out my eyes for some reason. And because mascaras, once opened, only last 3 months due to contamination concerns, I don’t want to shell out extra money on a waterproof mascaras for occasional uses.

Am I glad that Clarins makes this Double Fix’ Mascara, which provides a waterproof coat over any mascara! At first, when I tried it on, I was concerned that it wasn’t coating enough, since the product is colorless and very thin. But after I put a thin coat on, I noticed that this is really heavy duty stuff, and provides a very lasting waterproof film over my Lancome Hypnose that did not melt or dissolve one bit under water, even in my shower (I tested it in my shower before using it outside).

This is my second favorite soap (after Sulwhasoo’s Herb Soap) I have ever used. DHC’s Mild Soap – which contains olive oil and honey – is a great skin conditioning soap that does not leave your skin dry – at least not my dehydrated sensitive skin. The Mild Soap feels gentle and lathers well on my skin, and my skin feels very clean without being stripped of its essential moisture.

Currently, I am half way down my bottle of Seikisho Perfect Cleansing Oil. I love Kose in all its products – from the cheaper lines to the department store brands – and I have almost never come across a Kose product that I don’t like.

Seikisho’s Perfect Cleansing Oil is one of the many cleansing oils I have tried – and while it does a pretty good job removing all makeup, I still prefer DHC’s Deep Cleansing Oil. The main ingredient of Seikisho’s Perfect Cleansing Oil is mineral oil – which, considering its price tag, is not on par with DHC’s Deep Cleansing Oil, which uses olive oil as a main ingredient and contains no petrochemicals (no mineral oil) or preservatives. I also find that Seikisho’s Perfect Cleansing Oil has a slightly tougher time removing waterproof mascaras compared to DHC’s.

I LOVE essences and serums! I have always used one ever since I learned how beneficial and concentrated they are compared to regular moisturizers. With the right treatment serum, you can really see and feel the difference. L’Occitane’s Immortelle Very Precious Regenerating Concentrate is one of the few serums I have used that has made an overnight difference to my dehydrated skin.

Olive Express Radiance Mask was the first facial product I used from L’Occitane. By then, I was already a faithful customer of their body care products. I don’t have major skin problems – just wanted something that makes my skin glow, deep cleanses and won’t take more than 10 minutes, so I tried the Olive Express Radiance Mask.

Even though BB creams were already popular a few years ago in Korea, I am very late in this BB cream craze. Because I don’t have any blemishes (no zits), I don’t really have a need for this ‘miracle’ product that is all the rage in Asia.

When I saw the dramatic before and after pictures (such as the one above), I always wonder what the shade of the product looks like. Because most of these BB creams claim that the product does not show on your skin at all, I was curious about the translucency of the product — because it is supposed to conceal blemishes, it has to have some color.

“10 years of research, 7 international patents” – a pretty grand introduction to Lancome’s brand new youth activating concentrate which debuts (in Canada). Lancome has analyzed over 1,300 proteins and 4,400 genes for 10 years, culminating in GÉNIFIQUE.

What I love about Japanese cosmetics is its consideration for seasonal changes and skin needs. Usually, J-brands will come out with summer base makeup with a stronger sunscreen, lighter texture and longer wear (usually more sweat and heat resistant), and in autumn and winter, the base makeup tends to be more hydrating with a richer texture and weaker SPF. Paul & Joe, a French designer brand manufactured by Japan’s Albion, is no different; the new base makeup for summer 2009 fits all of the criteria for the usual summer base makeup.

Paul & Joe’s Light Cream Foundation N claims that it will create a porcelain finish – and it does just that. The lightweight foundation – somewhere between a liquid and a cream texture – feels like you aren’t wearing anything at all, and has just the right amount of coverage to create the flawless, no-makeup makeup nude face look that is highly sought after.

I tried both #20 and #30 (this comes in 6 shades) and while I find that #20 is lighter and slightly more pink while #30 is an exact match. It has an SPF 15 which is ok since this is a winter product. However, I find that the staying power is not as strong as I had hoped – it smeared a little even though I don’t have oily skin. I think this is more suitable for drier skin types like mine – on oilier skin this may be a tad too emollient, although in no way does this feel greasy.

I shopped at Sephora very frequently years ago when it was selling Paul & Joe cosmetics, and was sad that they discontinued the distributorship. Paul & Joe is one of my favorite brands – it is made by Albion in Japan, and boasts not just an array of beautiful cosmetics and skin care products, but also gorgeously designed packaging as well as accessories by the famous French designers.

Albion, which is a cosmetics giant in Japan, also produces Anna Sui cosmetics. I must say, Paul & Joe’s cosmetics are by far better than Anna Sui’s – quality wise at least. I love the elegant and feminine designs of Paul & Joe’s but of course Anna Sui is more fun.