Merry Christmas & Happy New Year December 22, 2007

MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Hope you all have beautiful skin for all your special Christmas and New Year’s occasions!

Drink Responsibly & Drive Safe

Aveda Inner Light Tinted Moisturizer SPF 15 December 12, 2007

Reviewer: Jenny, Skin Status: Combination/ Dry skin, Age group: 26 – 30 years old

I am on my second tube of Aveda oil free tinted moisturizer. I first used this product a few Christmas ago when I went traveling and I repurchased it again earlier this year. This product is very easy to use and I only need to use a small dab whether I use it alone or with a moisturizer. The texture of the Aveda tinted moisturizer is very thick so I would dab little dots on my face and then rub. This is a hydrating product and it is more suitable for winter use unless you have really dry skin during summer time. This has a very sheer coverage and it gives a dewy glow. When I want less of a dewy glow, I use less amount and mix with Chanel Hydra Max Moisture Boost + Comfort cream. An alternate way would be using pressed or loose powder on top. I prefer mixing with moisturizer because it gives the right amount of glow for everyday use and it wouldn’t look like I am wearing makeup or make me look artificial. The Aveda tinted moisturizer spf 15 does not change color on my face over a period of time.  A tube of this will generally last a very long time.

Juice Organics Peel vs Juice Beauty Peel December 8, 2007

Reviewer: Jenny, Skin Status: Combination/ Dry skin, Age group: 26 – 30 years old

I tried both Juice Organics Apple Exfoliating Peel and Juice Beauty Green Apple Peel (full strength). I read somewhere that Juice Organics and Juice Beauty may be owned by the same company but these two products are definitely not the same. Both of these products claimed to be made with certified organic ingredients and most of the product ingredients are the same according to their labels, except in Juice Beauty Green Apple Peel, it contains salicylic acid + lactic acid that Juice Organics Apple Exfoliating Peel do not contain.

Juice Organics Apple Exfoliating Peel:

Pros: subtle scent, doesn’t really sting my skin, effective, cost less (about 1/3 of the price of Juice Beauty Green Apple Peel)

Cons: bad packaging, it comes in a jar (I need to use a spatula to scoop it on my face)

Juice Beauty (the organic solution) Green Apple Peel :

Pros: contains salicylic and lactic acid

Cons: very unpleasant scent, sting a lot more (probably because of the extra acids ingredients), cost more than Juice Organics, bad packaging, also comes in a jar

The verdict: Juice Organics Apple Exfoliating Peel wins!

Overall, I think Juice Organics Apple Exfoliating Peel is a very good product, it doesn’t really sting, my face didn’t even turn red or pink after. It is a more effective product for me, my skin is a lot brighter the next morning. Juice Beauty Green Apple Peel has such an unpleasant scent and stings so much more that I did not leave the peel on for 10 minutes therefore, less effective for me.

Quick Fix – Removing Ink Stain December 6, 2007

You are going to a special event or a date, and you got ink on your favorite / lucky clothing item, the solution to remove ink stain: Rubbing Alcohol and q-tips. All you have to do is dip the q-tip into the rubbing alcohol and dot on the affected area until the ink stain disappear. Q-tip works better because the affected area is usually small. If you do not have q-tip, a small piece of paper towel or napkins can be used to replace q-tip. After the ink stain disappeared, dab a little cold water on the clothes where the ink was. This might be slightly difficult as the stain is already gone. If you don’t have rubbing alcohol, go to the nearest pharmacy / drugstore / super market to get it, it is a very cheap and effective product to remove ink stain.

There are other handy express pens/brush that removes stains in general (mostly food stains) but most of them have a fine print that indicates it can not be used for ink stain. If you decide to use those products, be sure to read the instructions and fine prints before hand.

10 minutes to glowing skin December 6, 2007

If you only have a little bit of time to have glowing skin but you rather not use tinted moisturizer, what can you do? The answer is an express 10 minutes hydrating mask, preferably a hydrating sheet mask or a wipe off hydrating mask in the morning or right before a special event (my favorite is a hydrating sheet mask, all you have to do is remove the mask after 10mins). This will make your skin looks good, you don’t need to rinse off anything, all you have to do is apply moisturizer after. For those who like to wear makeup, this will enhance your makeup.

MAC eyeshadow – Cranberry December 6, 2007

Reviewer: Jenny, Skin Status: Combination/ Dry skin, Age group: 26 – 30 years old

I just purchased this MAC eyeshadow, Cranberry (frost) recently for Christmas occasion. This is a very vibrant red color, not shimmery or too matte. The color really shows up with one gentle sweep across the eyelid. I wear contact lenses and the eyeshadow do not irritate my eyes. The eyeshadow didn’t really crease on my eyelids. To avoid creasing in eyelids completely, I pad powder/2 way foundation on eyelids before applying. The eyeshadow have really strong staying power, it didn’t melt or disappear over a period of 10 hours. For those who like dramatic effects or smokey eye, this is a must have eyeshadow.

Tinted Moisturizer December 6, 2007

Reviewer: Jenny, Skin Status: Combination/ Dry skin, Age group: 26 – 30 years old

Tinted Moisturizer is an instaneous way to get glowing skin. It makes your skin glow when you are in a hurry. If you don’t have time for a mask, try applying tinted moisturizer. Tinted moisturizer will make your face glow but will not cover blemishes, this is a big misconception. If you want to cover your blemishes, always use a concealer. Tinted moisturizer is also a great thing to have when you travel, you will always look good and you won’t waste time doing facial in the hotel room!

Choosing the right tinted moisturizer is like buying a new concealer, buy the appropriate color that matches your skin tone and skin type (For more tips on choosing the right color, please visit the concealers section). I also recommend getting tinted moisturizer with spf. Tinted moisturizer with spf serve 3 great purposes: moisturizes, protect, and make skin glows.  When using tinted moisturizer, I always remove it with makeup remover because of the spf and the color in tinted moisturizer.  Now we can all look good and have instant glowing skin when we don’t have the time!

MakeUp Special – Concealers for Blemishes December 5, 2007

Reviewer: Jenny, Skin Status: Combination/ Dry skin, Age group: 26 – 30 years old

As do most women, I do have occasional breakouts and I do not want people to see my blemishes whether they are new or old. The solution, concealer to the rescue!!! This is one of my must have items in makeup bag. Unless you are one of those people who are blessed with great genetics and never have pimples or acnes. Remember, if you are a man, you can also use concealer too, the key is the same as woman, finding the perfect color concealer match and the right one for your skin type. This is a lengthy article that includes reviews of several brands of concealer.

The most important part in finding the perfect concealer is matching the color of your skin. You do not want to highlight your blemishes, you want to conceal the blemishes (Unless you are very proud of your blemishes). I think finding the right color is more important than finding a certain brand of concealer. Some brands may have good reputations but the color selection may not match your skin. Therefore, it is necessary to find the color that is a perfect match for your skin. I recommend shopping for concealer during daytime, do a test on your face and look into a mirror that has direct sunlight. Store lighting is very misleading, you wouldn’t believe the number of concealers that I have right now that looks great in store lighting but not in natural direct sunlight. Also, do not test on your hand, the color on your hand is not exactly the same as on your face. If you only test it on your hand, it will not look right on your face. If you are uncertain, bring someone who you can trust when purchasing skincare/makeup product, someone who can give you honest opinions. MAC cosmetics stores or counters is a good place to start looking for the perfect concealer. They have a wide varieties of colors and types of concealer to choose from (ie: cream, liquid, stick and pencil). I don’t recommend using green color concealer to counteract redness. I tried using green color concealer before and it just didn’t look right on my face, it ended up with some weird color on my face. If you must, rub a little Visine eye drops onto your face or use ice first to reduce redness. Another great way is to do an express 5-10 mins hydrating mask before applying moisturizer and makeup.

As mentioned earlier in this post, once you find the color, all you have to do if find the right format of concealer. There are liquid concealer, cream concealer, stick concealer and even pencil concealer! My personal favorite is creamy stick concealer. I find stick concealer gives me the optimal coverage without drying my skin. I can apply stick concealer with my finger, q-tip or a concealer brush and it is easy to carry around for touch ups. I tried cream and liquid concealer on my blemishes before, they just don’t really cover my blemishes as well as a creamy stick concealer. I bought numerous brands of concealers before, there are a few that I really like but just can’t find the perfect match and I ended up using it to mix with other colors of concealer for covering blemishes. I find drugstore brands not too reliable when it comes to cover or hide blemishes or acne scars. First, you can’t really try out the color at the store and second, the staying power is not that good. Below is a list of concealer that I tried and recommend, usually they last for a very long time. I never see the end of these concealer before, I only stopped because I know I had them for way too long (more than 2 years).

*If you use a concealer brush to cover / hide blemishes and acne, remember to wash the concealer brush everyday.  There could be bacteria on the brush that may cause more breakouts.

My current favorite concealer : MAC studio stick concealer – Perfect match! It hides my blemishes very well and doesn’t even look like I have make up on! This does not dry up my skin and there are 8 colors to choose from. This product has a slick black packaging. (I also tried studio finish concealer, it has 14 colors to choose from but it just didn’t hide or cover my blemished that well)

NARS stick concealer – it is a good concealer for hiding blemishes and acne scars if you can find a match from their 6 colors selection. I bought this one to mix colors with all my previous wrong color concealer purchases. The staying power is really good too. In the Nars cosmetics website, it says this can also be used as a eye shadow based. This product has the Nars lipstick black packaging with white letters that says NARS.

Aveda Inner Lights concealer – One of the few liquid concealer with a wand that I tried. This is also a good concealer if you can find a match from Aveda 6 colors. You definitely need a brush to use this concealer, the wand is too large to be used to cover blemishes or acne scars. It has a really thick liquid consistency.  Once you apply this on the blemish area, wait at least 5 minutes before blending it in. It will have a longer staying power. This product also cover blemished really well. This is a transparent tube with a silver top.

Cle de Peau stick concealer – This is a really good concealer if you can find a match from the 3 colors that are available. This is one of the most expensive stick concealer I tried except I couldn’t find a perfect match to my skin. I purchased the wrong one under store lighting. One stick will also last you a very long time if you are only using it to cover blemishes and acne scars. This product has a blue stripe packaging.

Origins Quick Hide easy blend concealer - Another liquid concealer that I tried. This one is alright, it does hides blemishes well but one tube will expire in a very short time. This is the only concealer that I tried that has a very short life time. It will start to smell funny after a few months usage and that is when I tossed it away. The packaging is also a transparent tube with silver-color top.

Chanel Estompe Eclat corrective concealer stick – My very first concealer. There are 3 shades to choose from but really there are only 2, the third one is a green color one that I don’t recommend using to hide or cover blemishes. This is a great concealer if you don’t need to use concealer often because this is a very small stick concealer which doesn’t last a long time compare to the others. This product has a very slim black packaging with the double cc on top of the stick.

mdskincare by Dr. Dennis Gross – Alpha Beta Daily Face Peel Two Step System December 4, 2007

Reviewer: Jenny, Skin Status: Combination/ Dry skin, Age group: 26 – 30 years old

This is the very first at home chemical face peel product I tried and use. I was skeptical at first but decided to give it a try anyway. This is a 2 steps product that is very easy to use and not messy at all. The first step is the Alpha Beta Refining, the product is similar to a mini wet towelette except with lots of acid ingredients. All you have to do is to wipe the pad all over your face in semi-circular motion from forehead to neck except for eyes and mouth area until the pad feels dry. Wait 2 minutes, then use second step of the product which is the Neutralizing system. The application is similar to step 1, you just have to wipe the pad all over your face until the pad feels dry. Let the skin dry and apply moisturizer after. There is an important note in the instruction that says, DO NOT RINSE OR USE PRODUCTS CONTAINING ALCOHOL. This is very important, remember to read the labels of products that you would normally use. Also, there is SUNBURN ALERT note on this product, remember to use sunscreen product because your skin will be sensitive to sun.
There will be slight tingle sensation when you apply step 1 and it only lasts a few seconds for me. My skin do turn a little red after but it is gone by next morning. There is a very noticeable difference in the following day, my acne scars are slightly lightened up and my face look brighter and better. Dead skin may peel in the next few days, when that happened to me, I use my trust-y Vaseline at night and there will not be any more dry skin on my face (For Vaseline uses, please go to the home remedies section). This is my first at home chemical peel product and I am very impressed with the results. I’ve been using this product as a weekly treatment for a few weeks now and my acne scars are less noticeable. This product also improved my skintone and texture on my face.

If you decide to purchase this product, I recommend getting the 30 days travel packets and only use it once a week. I use this as a weekly treatment instead of daily, that way the product will last about half a year and it will be easier on your skin.

Remember, chemical peels may not be for everyone, always do a test patch on your skin before hand.

Chemical Peels – General December 4, 2007

Reviewer: Jenny, Skin Status: Combination/ Dry skin, Age group: 26 – 30 years old

Chemical Peels is a great way to get your skin looking incredible if you don’t have sensitive skin. If you want your skin to look great for Christmas holidays, now is the time to start chemical peels. However, before you purchase your first home chemical peels or home dermabrasion kit for the first time, remember to do a test patch on your skin first. This is very important, chemical peels can be your friend or foe, depending on your skin reaction. There are salicylic acid, glycolic acid, alpha & beta hydrolic acid, citric acid, lactic acid and malic acid. These are the more common acid type chemical peels that appeared in chemical peel products. More than often, it will be combination of all these acids in a product. When chemical peel product is first applied onto your skin, there will be a slight tingling sensation on the affected area. Do not leave the product on your face longer than the recommended time. My advice is to leave the product on for half of the recommend time when you use the product for the very first time and to use it at night. So if your skin does have a reaction to the product, there will be less damage done on your face. Remember to follow the instructions carefully how to rinse out the product, your face will turn slightly red especially if you have acne or scars but the redness will go away overtime. After rinsing, apply moisturizer right away, some chemical peels will leave your face drier than normal and do not use any product that contains alcohol. Also, if you decide to do chemical peels, it is a MUST to use products with high sunscreen protection factor during daytime. The face will become sensitive to sunlight and may get burn if you do not use products with high spf!!! Overall, I find my skin may not look great right away because of the redness, but when I wake up in the morning, my face will look good and bright.

Chemical Peels may not be for everyone and there are alternative ways to get great skin, check out our home remedies and masks section if chemical peels is not your thing.