Even though we know that a typical product takes about a month to make some difference in your skin, why do we find ourselves disappointed with a toner or moisturizer that doesn’t do anything?
I fall into this rut from time to time too. But here is something – reasonable expectations – of which we should all remind ourselves from time to time:
For a long time, I have been looking for a sunscreen that is just that – a sunscreen, nothing more, since sunscreens are supposed to sit on the surface to block the UV rays. I don’t need any anti-aging ingredients (according to some doctors, Vitamin A added in some anti-aging sunscreen can actually cause cancer! *Gulp*) or moisturizers added to it. I have moisturizers under that. However, it has been hard to find such a sunscreen – though there are tonnes out there, most of them are chemical sunscreens (oxybenzone in babies’ sunscreens!), or some with so much additives added to them, they may as well be whole new entities.
Ever since Rapid Lash, the beauty industry had been inundated with lash regenerating/condition/strengthening mascaras and treatment products. The latest product is a little different – it is the first makeup remover that promises to do the same thing your Lancome Definicil Precious Cells does – except it will stimulate the growth of your lashes while you are removing eye makeup. An ingenious concept, eh?
Bobbi Brown is now available at Sephora and Sephora.com!
Each season, I am tempted to buy everything trendy, and with each seasonal change, my skincare routine needs a little upgrade too. Being a hardcore beauty junkie isn’t easy, especially in this economy. Here are some tips for those who are about to spend big on the latest fall colors and new products that promise you the moon:
The 70/30 rule
Whether you actually have a budget, or you periodically splurge and suffer later, you can always use this golden ratio to help prioritize what to splurge on, and what to save. To avoid overspending, 70% of your skincare and makeup should be everyday essentials, leaving 30% of your budget to play around with seasonal colors. This way you don’t overshop the trends.
The comments had reached 76 on the my Sulwhasoo v. The History of Whoo post! So I hope I can get some more user feedbacks here on a separate thread completely devoted to The History of Whoo!
When you are in your 20s, you rarely think about your own mortality and aging. You are invincible, always full of energy, and even if you stay up all night you don’t get circles under your eyes the next morning. Anything goes – makeup colors can be more vibrant, mini-skirts look good on you, and you can get away with a basic 3-step skincare routine.
When you hit 30, it’s a whole new story! Fatigue shows on your face even if you undersleep by an hour for one night, dehydration lines start to appear on your forehead, and lines around your eyes when you smile. That’s why it is important to use age specific skin care and makeup when you start this new phase of your life.
I had been wanting to do a poll but somehow, with this latest version of wordpress, none of the poll plugins worked so unfortunately I can’t put a poll up. I recently came upon an article on the CBS Business Network and discovered some interesting tidbits on beauty budget among Japanese women. As most of us already know, Japan is the world’s second largest cosmetics market (second only to the U.S.) and there are thousands of brands when it comes to their domestic market, which include more foreign brands than we have here in North America. The more interesting question is, how much do you spend on skincare versus makeup?
AMP InnerSignal, a relatively new but well-reviewed brand from Otsuka, a Japanese pharmaceutical company.
After the total fiasco with the Eminence Organics Stone Crop line, I was once again in search of a new line of products to help with my dehydrated skin.
I have seen AMP InnerSignal in Biteki, VoCE and Maquia magazines before and it has even penetrated the Taiwanese market, so I got myself a startup kit that lasted [...]
Eminence Stone Crop Gel Wash, 4 oz., CAD$46.00
Once in awhile, I do get carried away with these organic brands. I get myself all worked up looking at the ingredients in the mass market stuff I use and will, from time to time, make an effort to go organic. Eminence Organics is offered in two of the spas I went to recently so I decided to buy some of the products [...]
I bought this in #3 (Luminous Gold) since over the summer I had a little bit of a tan on the rest of my body. The texture is exactly the same as Benefit High Beam, by the way – not runny and does not rub off, and is easily blendable. I use this along the bridge of my nose, and sometimes mix with a sunscreen to give my skin a nice glow. Even though a powder luminizer is easier to use, I find that this liquid version is more versatile – sometimes if I overdosed on a cream blush, this will help tone down the pigment and give the cheeks a nice sheen. It’s just one of those all-round fixer-upper that truly works for everything and with everybody!
Shiseido’s The Skincare line is mostly made in the US, whereas its White Lucent line is made in Japan. One of the more obvious differences is the scent; I do not care for The Skincare products’ fragrance. The White Lucent line has a slightly more pleasant scent but I would have preferred no scent at all. Fragrance aside, between this cleansing foam and White Lucent’s, I don’t find any differences in terms of quality or results. Both are very mild, gentle cleansers that provide mild cleansing, but apart from that, the extra $5 I paid for the White Lucent foam isn’t really justified in my opinion.
This is one of the more expensive foam cleansers I have ever purchased. Is it really different from cheaper cleansers? Does it really help to brighten skin tone?
I was looking for a makeup primer with an SPF to save me that extra step in the morning, and was torn between getting the Paul & Joe Beaute’s UV primer (SPF40 PA+++) and this one from Shiseido. This White Lucent base isn’t released in Canada by the way, so I bought it from strawberrynet.com for US$42.00 which included shipping. Being a fan of Shiseido sunscreens, and hoping the pink tint will be just like Benefit’s That Gal primer, I picked the pink/rose color. This is also available in Ivory and Green – Ivory is supposed to correct uneven skin tone, pink brightens dull skin and Green neutralizes redness. I didn’t want anything that might smear and look like I had makeup on so I went for the pink.
If you are bored with the traditional fall colors for fashion and makeup – grays, blacks and purples – then this year’s browns, camels and animal prints will be a welcoming change! Even the traditional smoky eyes are getting a new twist – instead of the cool tones, smoky brown eyes are in! One great thing about browns is that they look good on almost everybody and most skin tones, and another is that even for a novice in creating smoky eyes, browns are a lot more forgiving and you are less likely to end up looking like a panda or raccoon.
That said, for some people who haven’t done their own smoky eye makeup with much success, there is still hope. I love youtube for that. There are tonnes of great tutorials on how to do practically anything nowadays and all you need is to type the keywords of what you are looking for. Don’t have the patience? Here is one I like:
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