Tag Archives: skincare

My Top Choice for Toner: Perricone MD Intensive Pore Minimizer

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I’ve always been so addicted to try pore minimizing products. If you’ve read my other blogs, you’ll know that I’m a pore thing junkee. I have every right to be one because my pores are really HUGE. And my daily morning routine before going to work involves layers of products to conceal my pores. Yes, it’s that bad.





Not a lot of people might be familiar with Perricone MD. Just to share a bit about this brand, Perricone MD is from US which is actually the name of the amazing doctor who develops and formulates the products. Dr. Nicholas Perricone is a well-respected dermatologist and nutritionist who strongly advocates “beauty from the inside out”. He is so passionate about what he does and has written several books about healthy lifestyle and how it affects our skin conditions. Dr. Perricone promotes a healthy diet, supplements and topical anti-aging products to combat or slow down the aging process versus Botox. Some of the books he wrote are Forever Young, the Wrinkle Cure, Weight-Loss Diet, The Perricone Promise, The Acne Prescription and The Clear Skin Prescription. I believe some of his books are available in MPH, Borders and Popular. 


I personally find Perricone MD a very interesting and sincere brand. If you noticed, not a lot of brands out there will say that their skincare products are not enough to give you that healthy, radiant skin or fight the early signs of aging. But this brand has always been advocating a 3-tier program to ensure youthful skin: anti-inflammatory diet, anti-inflammatory supplements and topical anti-inflammatory products.

Perricone MD has this interesting product that was immediately ‘tattooed’ on my mind the moment I saw it: Intensive Pore Minimizer. It functions as a toner so you basically apply after cleansing your face.  Being a Perricone product, it is free from parabens, sulfates, synthetic fragrances or phthalates. But it does contain superb nutrients such as Alpha Lipoic Acid and DMAE (dimethylaminoethanol). Alpha Lipoic Acid reduces the appearance of lines, wrinkles and enlarged pores. DMAE helps to firm and lift the appearance of skin.



On the box: A multi-functional treatment that tightens the appearance of pores for healthy, more youthful-looking skin.

Application: Shake well before use. Dr. Perricone recommends first cleansing the skin with a non-oil stripping cleanser then following with Intensive Pore Minimizer. Dab a cotton pad liberally and smooth over face. Allow a few moments to dry then follow with a Perricone MD treatment and a moisturizer.

I just love shaking the bottle. After a few shakes, you will see foam of bubbles forming on top of the toner.

See…

BEFORE SHAKING
AFTER SHAKING


The scent is very lovely. It’s somewhat like fresh powder smell and feels so great on the face. Very refreshing and no stinging feel at all. I’ve tried a lot of toners made for oily skin and most of them tend to have high alcohol content so you actually get that stinging feel.

So I’ve tried the Intensive Pore Minimizer for the past 3 weeks and I’ve noticed significant improvement in the appearance of my pores. And take note, I don’t have time to use it during the day every weekday so I was using it only once a day during weekdays and 2x a day during weekends.

Here, notice the improvement pointed at by the red lines. I’m particularly observing those ugly holes on my nose that don’t seem to be pores anymore because of their shape. See how they’ve diminished!

Week 2 of using Perricone MD Intensive Pore Minimizer


Week 3 of using Perricone MD Intensive Pore Minimizer
(pls ignore the change in skin tone, I think this is lighting inconsistency)


The results within 3 weeks were amazing. The pores on my cheeks were also diminishing. I’ve tried a lot of toners before and nothing compares to what Perricone MD has done for my huge pores. Although not on the mass-price side, selling at RM225/ 118ml, it is worth the investment if you are seriously looking for a seriously-working product. Perricone MD products are available in Isetan KLCC, Isetan The Gardens, Isetan 1U, Parkson KLCC, Parkson Pavilion, Metrojaya Mid Valley and Sephora.

But take note that 1 product alone will not solve everything. There must be a proper skincare routine, you need other complementary products such as cleanser, serum and moisturizer. The improvement in my pores is definitely attributed to this Perricone MD product but I was also using a pore minimizing serum (from another brand), pore minimizing moisturizer (also from another brand), and I do weekly cleansing of my pores using nose strips.

I’ve heard that Perricone MD Intensive Pore Treatment is also out so I might be checking it out soon within the coming weeks.



Watch out, huge pores! I’ll have more weapons to fight you!


















Laneige Sun Block Triple SPF Product Review

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So here’s my review on the 2nd Laneige item I bought and used – Sun Block Triple SPF 40 PA++, 70ml at RM90. 

Let’s start with the packaging and presentation. The box is very interesting as it added embossed graphic and metallic print aside from the normal printing. A shape that somewhat looks like snowflake is embossed in front and side. I just don’t understand the snowflake-looking shape’s connection with sun block. The product’s packaging itself is in plastic tube with a twist cap. A bit inconvenient when in a hurry, specially for us working women who have to quickly finish our skincare and makeup every morning, in addition to preparing our child for school. It would have been better if it comes in a flip top or in a one-pull cap. 


The product claims to have 3 functions: blocking UV rays, relieving photo-aging and correcting skin tone. And according to the beauty consultant, it also serves as a make-up base. Main ingredients include cyclopentasiloxane, titanium dioxide, ethlyhexyl methoxycinnamate, butylene glycol, zinc oxide and ethyl dimethicone, contains parabens. 



I’ve started using it for a few days, together with my daily morning skincare and makeup routine. After my pore minimizing moisturizer, I apply the sun block then my RMK liquid foundation. The sun block smells nice. However, although the ingredients surely serve a good function in blocking the sun, I am quite disappointed with the texture and blending properties. It’s a bit thick and leaves an obvious white film, probably because of the titanium dioxide. Also difficult to spread and blend even on top of a moisturizer. Considering that it’s supposed to have color-correcting properties, I don’t think that making my face whiter than my neck would be the right effect. Lucky I have a good liquid foundation so I get my correct tone again after applying on top of the sun block. I hope Laneige will improve on this, or better yet, launch a CC cream that will be better than this item. The product is not bad as the 3 main claims are very great functions, just need to improve texture and blending properties and maybe a more convenient bottle. 

Well, I will still continue to use it and see how effective it will be against protecting my skin from the sun and correcting my skin tone. Over the year, I’ve developed tiny spots on my right cheek due to sun exposure while driving. And now that I am working further from my home than before, I will be even exposed longer to UV rays on the road. If it shows good results on my spots and skin tone then I probably would try to live with the unsatisfactory texture and blending. 




Off with those heads! Must-try: Laneige Blackhead Melting Gel

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I have yet to meet anyone who doesn’t have blackhead (or whitehead) problems. As for myself, I have major pore problem (maybe I am just exaggerated and too disturbed but I really have huge pores!).  So I have this itch to constantly clean up my pores. I use pore strips every week, particularly every Saturday. I’ve tried several brands, I’ll be sharing more about these during my next blogs but in the meantime, I am delighted to share my latest discovery: Laneige Blackhead Melting Gel. Doesn’t the name itself sound intriguing enough?

laneige_blackhead_melting_gel
Laneige Blackhead Melting Gel


I haven’t tried any Laneige product before. Not that I don’t trust the brand or anything but I guess the brand has been promoting mostly its hydrating products which I am not particularly interested in. My concern for the longest time is my oily skin and huge pores. Anyway, I was walking around the beauty section of Aeon at Mid Valley, planning to buy a sunscreen/ sun block because I want to replace the BB Cream I got from another brand (sadly, I am so disappointed and I’ve been using this brand for my other skincare items). It promises to adapt and flex to skin tone but I found out that it is not flexible at all. Really made my face darker than my neck and the product texture is too watery sometimes, soo weird. 

So I stumbled upon the Laneige counter and nosed through their products. The beauty advisor was friendly and assisted me, demonstrated their sun block items. She offered me 2 choices: 1 is normal sunblock and 1 has skin correction/ make-up base properties. The difference was only RM5 so I went for the one with make-up base properties. 



Looking around the counter, I noticed this pore care range and I was surprised. I didn’t realize they had this range, I always thought of Laneige as a hydration brand. Anyway, this particular product caught my attention: BLACKHEAD MELTING GEL. Never noticed any brand with this type of product before. Capturing my addiction to clearing my pores, this product gleamed and beamed at me (bwahaha!). And it also has a very interesting packaging, see the brush head on top and button at the side?

laneige_blackhead_melting_gel



So the beauty advisor explained how to use the product cum blackhead melting device. Just press the button on the side until you see the gel come out, apply on affected area then use the brush in circular motion over the applied gel. Wait for around 20 seconds then rinse your face with lukewarm water. Use 3-4x a week. It can also be used together with pore strips, although pore strips will only be used 2x a week.

I bought the sun block (RM90) and blackhead melting gel (RM90). Oh, I just love saying melting gel! I immediately used the melting gel last night. I loved it! Once you apply the gel on your face, you can feel the warmth like it’s really trying to melt those evil blackheads/ whiteheads. And the brush is just wonderful. It is soft and gentle to the face and felt like micro massage. After washing, the area feels smooth and clean. Just love the feeling. Of course, I can’t really see or tell yet if those heads disappeared but I’ll find out more within the next coming weeks. I used my pore strip this afternoon and there were less heads on the strip than my normal weekly result. So I guess the gel worked some miracle after all!

I’m happy with my first trial of Laneige products, at least with the blackhead melting gel. I’ll be using the sunscreen very soon and we’ll see if I will be happy with both. For now, I can say that this melting gel is a good product to try. Off with those heads!





Organic Hydra for Youthful, Hydrated Skin

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Having dry skin is not really an option for any of us. Why? Aside from the fact that dry skin makes our face look dull and rough, it also tends to be more sensitive because of lack of protective moisture barrier against external elements that can easily irritate the skin. Even a slight change in temperature can lead to itchiness and redness. 

Dry skin makes fine lines appear more visible including rough texture and other imperfections. When dry skin is not properly treated, it can lead to more severe problems such as dermatitis.

Dry skin is caused by environmental factors, skin care habits, lifestyle or internal factors. Weather and climate conditions can lead to dry skin. Ever noticed your hands getting very dry inside your air-conditioned office that you regularly need to apply hand cream? Bathing too long with hot water also strips away your skin’s natural moisture. If you really need a hot bath, make it short or try lukewarm water instead. The soap you use is also important. For those with dry skin, it is highly recommended to use fragrance-free soaps or cleansers. And while bathing, avoid scrubbing your skin too hard as you will strip away protective layers and natural oils. Exfoliate once a week if you really cannot escape exfoliation, and if you want to use body scrubs, just do it gently and don’t scrub like you have the skin of some 4-legged mammal. Remember that our skin is even thinner than paper. 

Drinking enough water is very important to our body and to our skin’s condition as well. Make sure you drink enough water. The key, don’t wait until your thirsty before you drink water. 

Having a healthy diet, as everyone has been telling us, also has an impact on how we look on the outside. Minimize intake of junk food and sugar drinks. Increase your fruits and vegetable diet. Take your daily supplements as there are a lot of nutrients that we need which we cannot ingest completely from our daily diet. 

And, of course, having the right skincare products to address dry, dull skin will be of great importance in treating our skin right. I came across Elianto’s Organic Hydra skincare range, a 5-piece collection of products formulated to give superior hydration to all skin types. 



Organic Hydra has combined gentle yet effective ingredients to deliver hydration and anti-aging benefits:


Organic Rose Water – maintains the skin’s optimal hydration level to keep the skin supple, soft and smooth. Known for its antibacterial and antiseptic properties, rose water has been a precious ingredient for beauty and skin-healing treatments for centuries.


Organic Hydrosalinol (Salicorne) – provides extreme moisture, helps retain skin moisture, prevents moisture loss and restores the skin’s natural moisture barrier. Organic Salicorne is a plant rich in antioxidants with over 90 kinds of ocean minerals.


Hydrolyzed Collagen – helps fight the aging process, keeps the skin suppler and prevents formation of wrinkles and sagging skin. Hydrolysed Collagen leaves the skin with improved elasticity, tone and texture. 

Organic Hydra has 5 products:

Gel Cleanser (RM43/ 150ml) – thoroughly yet gently removes impurities and make-up without irritation while maintaining the skin’s natural moisture. Suitable for all skin types. Oil-free and soap free.
Face Toner (RM55/ 150ml) – cleans, soothes and repairs the skin with its hydration-rich components. Suitable for all skin types.
Serum (RM59/ 50ml) – hydrates the skin and protects against free radicals, prevents and reduces the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and improves skin tone and firmness. Suitable for all skin types.
Moist Gel (RM65/ 150ml) – prevents moisture loss while stimulating collagen production,  eliminates dull, flaky skin while reducing the appearance or formation of wrinkles. Works well with make-up and foundation. Suitable for all skin types.
Intensive Mask (RM75/ 50ml) – restores radiance, combats dryness, rejuvenates the skin, plumps up wrinkles and fine lines, improves elasticity, skin tone and texture. Suitable for all skin types.

Step-by-step use:
DAY – Cleanser — Toner — Serum — Moist Gel, and for those who need extra hydration, use the Intensive Mask after moist gel.

NIGHT – Cleanser — Toner — Serum — Moist Gel — Intensive Mask (no need to wash off)


The Organic Hydra range is available at all Elianto outlets across Malaysia. 




Enuca’s Light Me Up…lightened me up!

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Pigmentation and dark skin have always been a challenge for us women. As for me, my main skin concerns are huge pores, oily skin and fine lines around the eyes. But when presented with the opportunity to test drive a new whitening skincare range, I said to myself, “why not?”. 


I was asked to try this range from Enuca called Light Me Up (well, isn’t that just cool and straight forward?). This is my first time introduction to the brand and it is no surprise as Enuca just started in 2011. It is based on a multi-level marketing business model which gives proprietorship opportunities to anyone who has the passion in beauty products and would like to build their financial freedom through this industry.

And so I tried the Enuca Light Me Up products: Cleanser, Toner, Serum, Spot Concentrate, and Day & Night Moisturizer. This range is supposed to brighten, lighten the skin and reduce pigmentation including freckles. Its key ingredients are 7 powerful Alpine plant-derived skin lightening extracts. 



The Cleanser is a non-foaming type but the great thing is it cleanses my skin just nice. One of my disappointments with some non-foaming cleansers is that it doesn’t really clean the skin. The Light Me Up Cleanser claims to brighten, lighten and purify the complexion gently without stripping the skin’s natural moisture. The product itself is white in color, milky and has a gentle fragrance. 

This is suitable for dry to normal skin. As with a normal cleanser or facial wash, use a small amount in between palms and gently massage over wet face and neck in circular motion. 





After using the cleanser, I apply the Light Me Up Toner. This toner is not your usual water-like base type. It is actually milky, more like a facial lotion, white in color. Just apply it on a cotton pad then wipe over the face and neck. There is no stinging feel at all. And right after applying this, I can feel that my face is already supple and smooth. Very refreshing. 


The Serum is quite interesting as it has a rather unconventional pump cover which has a button on top to dispense the serum. The serum is very clear, gel-like in texture to be spread all over the face using your fingertips. Safe to use day and night.



The spot concentrate is a concentrated formula targeted for specific areas that require special attention. So you look closely at the mirror, look at your cheeks and the area near your eyes and you just might notice some small dots there…yes, might be sun exposure or you are just very cute and inherited some freckles. Nevertheless, the spot concentrate will be a good weapon against those pigmented spots. This product, like the serum, is gel-like liquid, to be applied on targeted areas only. Not on the entire face, unlike some other brands which have the spot concentrate and yet you have to apply it on the entire face. Isn’t that just weird? 



And the last product on this skincare range is the Day & Night Moisturizer. This one has a very nice jar, not your usual plastic and it has that elegant, gold brand logo on the cover. All the other products have black logo and only this one is in gold. It comes with a spatula so you can just use this to scoop the right amount that you need and makes it more hygienic as you don’t need to dip your finger inside. Pretty cool. It has a rich texture, easy to spread over the face and neck. This one feels good on the skin and you immediately feel moisturized. The only disappointment for me is that there’s no SPF content so I still need to add another layer of either my BB cream or sunscreen which could feel a bit heavy during the day. 
HOW TO USE ALTOGETHER:
Cleanser – Toner – Serum – Spot Concentrate – Day & Night Moisturizer

The VERDICT:
After 2 weeks of daily use, there was an obvious and visible improvement on my skin tone and pigmentation. On the photo below, you can see on the encircled area that the pigmentation was reduced after 2 weeks. On the square area, you can see that my stubborn spot (it’s really just 1 big dot there) was visibly lighter. The size is not yet reduced but the color improved. And look at my overall complexion! Really lighter and brighter!


Prices:
Cleanser – RM108
Toner – RM128
Serum – RM198
Spot Concentrate – RM88
Day & Night Moisturizer – RM138

Get Baby Silky Feet in 7 Days???

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Ok, this gotta be good. I stumbled upon this new beauty section at 1F in Isetan KLCC. I actually didn’t realize that they now have this part at the 1st floor. They have a few brands within this area which obviously caters to the younger shoppers. It has Shizens, TheFaceShop, Canmake, Holika Holika and Nature Republic (er, I’ve only heard of Shizens and TheFaceShop, the rest are all new to me.

Honestly, I am not young anymore to be really attracted to these brands BUT (!) I saw this very interesting product and it really captured my addiction to baby feet…a product by Holika Holika from Korea — BABY Silky FOOT One Shot Peeling, and in smaller text, it says: Seven day miracle! A simple one-step foot peeling pack for smoothening dead skin cells on coarse and chapped feet. 



The product costed me RM38.60 (well, that’s just weird pricing). It’s so darn cute and interesting, look at that cute baby feet shot. And I guess I was intrigued with the seven day miracle…

I’ve had dry and chapped feet for as long as I can remember. I have been using Soap & Glory Righteous Butter Body Lotion and it has really done wonders for my feet. But this Baby Silky Foot thing should be interesting to try.


Inside this cute box are plastic disposable socks and the peeling solution inside babyfeet-shaped pack. Again, cuteness…


Here are the step-by-step directions:

1) Wear the plastic socks on both feet (best to start after bathing or washing your feet)
2) Put each liquid of the pouch into each foot sock


Tie the plastic strings to keep the liquid and moisture inside the socks (and to prevent spills as well)


Watch some TV first, chill, relax…read a book or something…

3) Take off the socks after one and a half hours

4) Wash feet gently with water

And the wait is on for the seven-day-miracle. Right after washing my feet, it feels soft and tender. During the 1st day after this peeling solution, the skin on my feet started to peel off, especially at those areas with dry and thick skin.

I am now on my 4th day and the peeling has become more evident. Sorry, I won’t be posting photos for this as it’s quite unsightly. The great thing is my calluses are actually peeling off, too. It’s quite amazing to see (hehe, goodbye thick skin).

Overall, I see that this was worth a try. You just need to do this peeling solution once every 28 days so it’s not too much of a hassle. It’s just like going for a foot spa every now and then. I’d definitely repeat next month to fully peel off my calluses and to make my feet even more silky…of course, I would still be using my indispensable Soap & Glory Righteous Butter Body Lotion.

Perricone MD Chia Serum…magic in a bottle.

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Ever heard of chia seeds? This seed sounds really new and interesting to me. Upon some research, I’ve learned that chia is an edible seed that comes from a desert plant called Salvia hispanica, a member of the mint family that grows abundantly in the country of Mexico. It is said that this small yet amazing seed was used as a staple food by the Indians of the south west and Mexico as well. Just a teaspoon full is good enough to sustain the energy of the Indians of the south west when going on a 24-hour march. 24-hour?!!! Wow, look how small this seed is…


This small little seed is also notable for its high oil content and it is the RICHEST vegetable source for Omega-3. And if you can well remember, omega-3 is an essential fatty acid which is vital for normal metabolism and has a lot of health benefits. 



So why am I talking about chia seeds? Well, it’s because the chia oil found in chia seeds is the main component of this new revolutionary product from Perricone MD called Chia Serum. Chia Serum is a multi-tasking serum with rare extracts of chia oil and fat-soluble essential vitamins: vitamins A, C and E. It is scientifically-formulated to rapidly transform dull, dry skin to a visibly vibrant, glowing and healthy complexion. And because of the powers of chia oil, the Chia Serum also protects the skin from oxidative stress that accelerates the signs of aging. 

The application and usage of the Chia Serum is also very amazing and convenient. You can apply it directly after cleansing your face or after treatment or before make-up application or as a make-up finish. Talk about multi-tasking! Just rub 1-3 drops in between your palms and pat gently in circular motions over the entire face. You can even mix it with your favorite Perricone MD moisturizer. You can apply it several times a day, as often as you feel your skin needs. The bottle can easily be placed inside your cosmetic pouch and bring it with you the whole day! 

RESULTS based on Perricone MD tests:

– 90% said their skin felt more hydrated immediately after use
– 88% agreed after using for 1 week it helped their skin retain moisture
– 73% agreed it boosted the effects of their daily moisturizer
– 88% agreed when used under make-up, make-up applied more smoothly


Perricone MD Chia Serum is now available in Malaysia at Isetan KLCC, The Gardens, 1 Utama; Parkson KLCC and Pavilion, and Metrojaya Mid Valley. Retails at RM306/ 30ml.