Skincare Review: Must-haves for the Hot, Humid Summer Days

Hi there! Suddenly realized that I'm approaching my 100th post very very soon! Having read about the long list of products that I loved/love, I believe it's time I update you all with the products that I'm still using or keep getting back to - Thanks to those who have reminded me of this! xxx

First on the My Faves series are the staple, holy grail items that I rely on over our sizzling hot and super humid summer here in Hong Kong. That said, these products are brilliant in controling sebum and I shall say pretty heat-resistant with great lasting power. Also for your info, I've combination skin with an oily T-zone which probably secretes enough oil for frying an egg in spring and summer. It's also pretty sensitive, especially to AHA, anything with soy, yeast and natural essential oils, and I get PMS acne pretty much every month. So the products below are all hypoallergenic. By the way, I'm not into beauty products that feature high-tech stuff like nanotechnology and stem cells.

1. Vichy Normaderm Deep Cleansing Purifying Gel (Hypoallergenic)

Can't remember how many bottles I've used. I've tried other cleansers along the course, but still got back to it in the end. It effectively removes the grit and grime without stripping much of your natural moisture layer. My face feels fresh with no stretchy tightening sensation after wash. 

2. Bioderma Hydrabio Moisturizing Toning Lotion (Hypoallergenic)

If the main point of using a toner is to rehydrate your skin after wash, this Bioderma toner does an excellent job. To me, I never think a toner should do anything more than rehydration as I believe my skin needs to be strengthened with something simple and effective before it can take anything more advanced, like brightening and anti-aging. And in fact Bioderma is what I will turn to whenever my skin is fragile and hypersensitive. This toner has never failed to leave my skin soft and supple. The best is, I can use it on my eyes as well, which I love and insist for toners! This toner is in my staple item list...literally the water that quenches my thirty skin after every wash - NO GIMMICK! 

3. Laneige Water Bank Essence (see review HERE)

Again, I've been using this for ages, but it's really THIS good! For those of you who are not familiar with Laneige, it's a popular Korean brand under one of the giants in the korean beauty industry, Amore Pacific Group. The Water Bank series is their best seller which features great hydration power. This essence pumps water into my skin, leaving it...bouncy! Not sticky at all. And my skin feels absolutely hydrated and strengthened after use.  

4. Caudalie Radiance Serum (see review HERE)

The serum contains great anti-oxidants - polyphenols and resveratrol. I only use Radiance Serum for my undereyes on summer days as I really wanna keep my skin feeling light, fresh and supple. It provides a wonderful protective layer for the fragile undereyes by locking in moisture throughout the day. My undereye concealer manages to stay put without sinking into fine lines.   

5. *Innisfree Anti-Trouble Spot Essence W and Essence R
I highly recommend to use the two essence together as they work hand in hand to heal and soothe bumps and pimples, including hormonal ones. They feature the efficacious Jeju torreya seed oil and natural salicylic acid. Essence W feels more like a lotion than an essence. It provides a foundation for the skin treatment. In fact I'm also using the lotion from this Anti-Trouble series between W and R, topically on the affected areas. Essence R usually comes last in my entire skincare routine before bed and I use it sparingly on bumps, pimples and acne-prone areas. My skin is smoothened and the inflammation is usually tamed the next morning, as if nothing has ever happened - Hurray!

6. *Innisfree Capsule Recipe (Jejubija & Tea Tree)

This clay mask contains less kaolin than most other clay masks, which makes it friendlier to sensitive skin like mine. It supplements the Anti-Trouble products in use to tame and heal my sensitive and sometimes troubled skin, especially in times when PMS hits! It's one of the few products I found so far that can combat hormonal acne without strong chemicals. And because of the natural ingredients used, I use this mask every other night or sometimes on consecutive nights when my skin breaks out cuz of hormonal changes. Highly recommended!

7. Avene Cleanance K Cream-Gel (see review HERE)

Although I'm mainly using Essences W and R for acne treatment these days, Cleanace K is still on my desk for intensive treatment. It goes well under makeup. The only thing is, don't use it too generously as it will still burn and peel your skin since it's acidic. Very effective though! ;)

8. Bobbi Brown Hydrating Eye Cream

This is the eye cream that I keep getting back to. I love its luxurious texture and above all, its moisturizing power that goes well under makeup the entire day. Unlike many other moisturizing eye cream I've used, including the high-end ones, it seeps into my undereyes to plump them up without getting sticky or oily. It won't clump my undereye concealer even after long hours. Love it! xx

9. Vichy Aqualia Thermal Light (Cream)

I use it as a night cream on summer nights cuz it's a bit too rich for me in the day. It's soothing and moisturizing, just enough for replenishing my skin at the close of the day. It doesn't break my skin even when I use it sparingly. 

10. Nature Republic Super Aqua Max Combination Watery Cream

This watery cream is one of my new discoveries and I love it upon my first application. The sherbet-like cream seeps through my skin in no time and leaves my skin soft and supple without any burdens on these hot, humid summer days. Beautiful texture and great hydrating power. It's absolutely a delight applying it every day!

The Korean brands I introduced are carried in many online shops (e.g. http://www.ibuybeauti.com which offers free international shipping), as well as eBay. 

*Innisfree is another Korean brand under Amore Pacific Group - the mother company of Sulwhasoo. The brand vouches to be environmental-friendly. Their products feature powerful natural ingredients from the beautiful, pollution-free Jeju Island. All their products are hypoallergenic and free of parabens, mineral oils and artificial colorings. 

Skincare Review: SK-II Facial Treatment Essence

SK-II Facial Treatment Essence has been advertised as the Magic Potion in Asia. I always thought it's a hype, but after using it for a month now, I really am impressed!

The Essence vouches to enhance your skin texture and regulate your skin's natural pH balance, making your skin refined and crystal clear. It features Pitera, a secret ingredient churned out of rice yeast fermentation process which is said to keep the old brewers' hands soft and smooth. As the star item of the Pitera line, the Facial Treatment Essence is said to contain an intense dose of up to 90% Pitera. Because of its watery consistency, it is easily mistaken as a toner. But listen, it is an essence! In one way or another, it also serves as a pre-essence which promotes the absorption of the skincare products that follow. 

For me, the first sign of improvement was visible within days of using it. My skin was noticeably softer and smoother. Weeks passed by, my skin became less prone to irritation and the blotches and spots that did surface appear to recover much faster than before, most of time under control the next morning - Hurray! Another obvious improvement is the healthier and more even complexion I now get in the morning, except for those mornings of monthly discomfort...otherwise I'm pretty presentable indeed, I think. I love the glow on face so much that, on a few occasions, I deliberately tilted my face at different angles to admire the way light was reflected...Uhem, a bit narcissistic I know...In a word, my skin is calmed and refined, with the dull areas brightened and the entire face radiated after a month.  

So how is this different from Sulwhasoo First Care Serum (see my earlier review HERE)? My observation is that this essence   gives a more refreshing finish and it works faster in terms of skin 'retexturing' while the First Care Serum helps make my skin plumped with moisture and elasticity. Although many people regard them as two mutually-inclusive pre-essences (i.e. you only need one of them), I actually find them complementary. I tried using either one of them, but the result is not as...complete...in one way or another. Of course, that said, I will have to increase my budget for skincare, but I personally think it's worthwhile as these two are the most impressive serums I have ever used so far. For your information, I have only survived with Laneige Water Bank Essence (see review HERE) for hydration and no other whitening serum after using these two 'pre-essences' lately. And guess what? I actually find my complexion fairer and more even than before (you know, the truth reveals in the morning)! As it's advertised, I think it's functional, and it's multifunctional. My apology for harping on about how magical SK-II Facial Treatment Essence is, but that's because I'm so truly super duper impressed and I have already listed it as my staple beauty item, though again, that's simply my personal experience for your reference. 

Skincare Review: Laneige Water Bank Essence

I have been relying on Laneige Water Bank Essence to quench my skin this entire winter and it has become a staple item by now. For those of you who are new to Laneige, it's a younger skincare and cosmetics brand under Amore Pacific, the group that Sulwhasoo belongs to...something like the relationship of Clinique and Estee Lauder...My first great experience with this essence was actually last summer when I was flying over to Paris. My skin was literally cracking out of dehydration. I was sooooo glad that I'd slipped a sample sachet of Water Bank Essence into my handbag - it's super duper skin-quenching! The lightweight gel seeped into my skin and the unbearable tightness was soothed almost instantly, leaving my skin as soft and 'lively' as it is in normal days! I felt great for rest of the long-haul journey, but somehow I forgot all about this essence until the dry seasons set in late last year.

I finally purchased it in full size. I need one and a half pump on dry days and only one pump on humid days. What I like most about it is that it quenches my skin very well, and I really mean very well, without adding a tinge of oil to my skin. I feel like my skin is literally plumped with water - bouncy, soft and smooth. It's a splendid hydration product to use after your toner (which slightly rehydrates your skin...and tightens pores perhaps) and before your moisturizer (which locks in moisture). As a matter of fact, the belief that toners can rehydrate your skin sufficiently is wrong, neither can moisturizers do so. Moisturizers moisturize your skin and lock the aqua in - they don't do hydration! It's almost like the layer of oil floating on chicken soup...it's not the chicken soup itself...uhem, doesn't sound like a good analogy, but you get what I mean...Another thing is, our pores are like stomata cells, they tighten when enough aqua is available - that's when your skin looks silky smooth and flawless! Water Bank Essence helps you achieve in this regard. Plus, the price tag is very inviting!

BB Cream Mania: Laneige Snow BB Cream SPF 41++

Oh gosh, I have delayed this post for soooooooooo looooooong! I have actually purchased Laneige Snow BB Cream shortly after its launch. I was attracted by the antioxidant effect, the texture, the price, and the aqua image of the brand.

The BB Cream comes in two shades, but it turned out that even the darker shade is too fair for me! As with many traditional or earlier generations of BB creams, the fairness is rather grayish, which unfortunately doesn't settle and blend into your natural complexion like what MAC Prep + Prime BB Beauty Balm does (review pending!). So I will only recommend this Laneige one to those with pink skin undertones and super fair complexion like the Korean girls we often see on TV dramas. 

But even so, I have to confess that I do like its texture. It's soufflé-like, ultra sheer, and less sticky than Lancome UV Expert BB Base (HERE). For your information, I find it quite uncomfortable to wear Lancome UV Expert BB Base living in this 33-degree hot air. There's no way I can get rid of the stickiness with powder lately and I have decided to reserve it for autumn and winter. Back to this Laneige Snow BB Cream, yes, I love the texture. It literally feels like my second skin and my Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge (for reviews, see HERE and HERE) blends in perfectly. But again, it's too fair for my face and reduce wastage, I can only use it on my neck and chest on days that I find my face paler for any reasons. Oh, and one more thing, I also like the scent, which is actually identical to the pleasant floral scent of their Water Sleeping Pack. Will be fabulous if they can add some darker shades to the collection next year...!