Review: Nars Pore Refining Primer

Happy Chinese New Year everyone! 恭喜發財! Happy year of the horse (:

To those that celebrate, I hope you had a great dinner with your family and loved ones! Chinese New Year actually used to be kind of lonely here in Canada for me, because most of my relatives were in Taiwan. But now, most of them have immigrated here, so there is more to look forward to during CNY!

I thought I'd start off the new year reviewing my current go-to primer. The Nars (oil-free) Pore Refining Primer. Who wouldn't want a hydrating primer that will keep your makeup on all day? For somebody with such dehydrated skin like me, we usually don't like oil-free, but trust me, this controls oil, but definitely still feels like it's providing me with enough hydration!

I don't usually wear foundation, only concealer, bb cream and some powder to set. But this primer literally keeps the makeup on my face all day, and I only need to touch up or reapply when I've blown my nose or physically wiped off my makeup. If I don't touch my face, I never have to worry about touching any shine or oil that has broken through.

During application, you can immediately feel the relaxing and cooling feel of the light/oil-free primer. The gentle smell of lavender adds the perfect touch to your morning makeup routine.

Now for those that like to get a little more technical, here are the main ingredients in the primer.

1. Glycerin

This is used in many skincare products to attract moisture onto your skin, which helps to get rid of any dry areas and flaking skin. It was definitely a huge problem I had, and I had to go through many skincare regimes and foundation routines to find the most suitable one for myself. My makeup usually looked horrible because the dryness on my skin would accentuate the foundation around my forehead, and it just looked so bad. So for me, this helped my foundation/concealer stay on and fill in my lines without looking like it is just floating on top of my face!

2. Lentill Seed Extract

Lentill seed extract is an antioxidant that has anti aging benefits. If we are going to be having a base to help our foundation apply better, why not have something that will help prevent aging and help firm and lift the skin as well. An all in one product is always a plus!

3. Lavender 

Asides from camomile, lavender is another type of flower that helps to calm down any inflammation, redness or irritation. Keeping down redness will help even out the skin tone so that the colour of your foundation shows up better. Especially if you are in a department store trying to look for a foundation colour, if you have a lot of redness around your face, the shade matched could be inaccurate.

4. Silicone (Dimethicone) 

Most face primers are silicone based, because it helps to smooth out the skin, blurring out pores and fine lines. It does this by filling out the lines so that foundation can be applied smoothly. You never want your foundation to sit in the fine lines and accentuate them.

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So seeing all the wonderful benefits of this primer, I even recommend it to people who don't wear foundation. Wear this primer as a base to help protect your skin, calm and control oil throughout the day.


This primer retails for $38 CAD, and can be purchased in Vancouver at any Sephora (or their online website: click), Holt Renfrew, The Bay and Murale.

Here is a picture of my simple makeup at CNY Dinner using the Nars primer as the base~

Have a good day everyone! And again, Happy Chinese New Year!!

Review: Erno Laszlo Hydra Therapy Mask

Erno Laszlo Hydra Therapy Mask


If you have either extra dry, sensitive, inflamed, aging skin or all of the above, this is a perfect product for you! It's a quick and easy remedy to help perfect your skin, and you will literally see instant results after the first use. The main ingredients used in this mask to help achieve the perfect complexion is using vitamin B5, zinc oxide and Hyluronic acid.
Although we can see change after its first use, doesn't mean you just stop it at that. If you want to maintain a healthy and hydrated complexion for long term and not just something immediate, you must consistently use it for at least a couple weeks to a month. The recommended time on the box is 28 days, and each box includes 4 uses. Like I said, that is the recommended time, but if you feel like two weeks is all you need, then do your two weeks.

4 key benefits

1. Hydrates (vitamin B5)
2. Calms the skin (Zinc Oxide)
3. Plumps and firms (Hyluronic Acid: Allantoin)
4. Promotes skin renewal (Allantoin)


How to use it:

1. First pour the liquid into a small cup, then the powder (use EVERYTHING)
2. Quickly mix the two substances together (it will have quite a thick consistency)

3. Smooth all over the face
       - I usually like to start from your forehead and work your way down if you're afraid of it dripping
       - the time it takes for the mask to dry is quite fast, so you don't have to worry about any kind of  mess

4. After 15- 20 minutes, sometimes 30 if you feel like it hasn't dried completely, it should dry. Peel off gently

5. Use luke warm water/wet towel to wipe off remaining substances on the skin

6. Finish with usual skincare routine (toner, serum, moisturizer)



Commonly asked questions:

1. If I have extra sensitive skin/have eczema, can I use it?

Yes, because it has ingredients that will help to sooth and reduce the temperature in your skin. This is excellent for people with inflamed skin such as eczema, and even people who's skin have been damaged by the sun.

2. How often should I use the mask?

Use it every day. The recommended number is 28 days, but if you feel like that's too much and you only want to use it for 14 days, you can still do it, but make sure you use it every day. The reason why you don't want to leave any gaps between each uses because after you use the mask, by the end of the day, your skin will have absorbed all the hydration. If you refill that hydration every single day, you won't need to use a mask and the skin can maintain all that hydration.

3. Do I have to use the whole bottle package for each use?

Again, this is up to your own discretion, but it is recommended to use everything for each use. Each amount is measured perfectly to be the correct amount of daily hydration needed.


Rating:

I give it a 9/10 review! Overall, I loved this product, because it was something that I was definitely able to see instant as well as long term results. It's quick, easy to apply and doesn't make a mess. If you are looking for an effective hydration mask, this product is highly recommended.

Before

                                                                             

After

Can you tell that only after the first use, my face is less red and brighter?  The mask had brought down the inflammation of the skin as well as soothed the redness. Not only that, my skin felt super smooth right after I peeled it off before I even applied my skincare!

In Canada, they are currently exclusive at Holt Renfrew in downtown Vancouver. They retail for $70 CAD, and in the states for $65 and online as well. You can visit their website to read more about it: http://www.ernolaszlo.com/shop/mask-exfoliators/hydra-therapy-skin-vitality-mask.html


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Sunscreen in Canada

Having worked in cosmetics retail over quite a while now, the most common question I always get is why SPF is never written on a bottle even though there is sunscreen in it? Or why doesn't Canada carry certain products that contain SPF? Well, read on to find out (:

People are starting to become more educated on skincare and ingredients that are in them, such as parabens, and especially sunscreen. There is now more awareness that having SPF in your moisturizer, primer, or just having a regular sunscreen is very important to somebody's daily skincare routine. Whether you are an outdoor person or not, even if your job requires sitting in your office, believe it or not, that SPF 15 will still help to protect you against all the cancer causing light.

So why is it that Canada has so little products that actually have SPF in it, or maybe they do, but it's just not labelled on the container? This has always resulted in confused customers as well as sales associates. The reason is because in order for the brand to have the label of SPF on the box, the company must first register with Health Canada. In some cases, they just decide to leave the label out, and some just to not carry the products with sunscreen at all. Next time, to save yourself some time, just flip the box around and look at the ingredients to see if they have Iron Oxide or Titanium Dioxide listed, they are usually the last few ingredients. These are the two chemical ingredients for sunscreen that is most commonly used in cosmetics.

If you look at the Health Canada's website, over 500 restricted ingredients, or only a low percentage of the ingredient is allowed in cosmetics before it has to be prescribed by doctors. While in the U.S, they only have a handful of restricted ingredients, which means they have access to much more SKU numbers in retailers.

You can see the list if you visit the Health Canada Website. There will be an updated list of ingredients that you won't find in cosmetics that is retailed in Canada.

Next time you walk into a retailer, and they don't have cosmetics that have ingredients or a certain percentage of an ingredient you were looking for, it's not because the store hates you or because they suck, it's simply because Canada's strict regulations has prohibited these ingredients from crossing the border.

Now asides from the general use of titanium dioxide being used for sun protection, many products such as nail polishes, and other pigments use SPF to increase the opacity of the colours. It increases the whiteness of the cosmetic, which is why when you put on sunscreen or a moisturizer with SPF, you can see a slight white tint. So next time when you see something as odd as your eyeshadow or nail polish have sunscreen, you now know the purpose.

I guess in a way, it is a good thing that Canada is looking after Canadians and keeping out as much chemicals as they possibly can. After all, even though us cosmetic junkies do love all those products, we can't help to admit that when you flip a box around to read the ingredients, you only see a long list of unidentifiable chemical words you have never heard of.

Thank you for reading, and have a good day everyone!

Let me know what you think (:

Current skincare routine

The last few weeks/month or so was super stressful and busy for me, hence the huge gap in between each post. I was nearing my graduation, which meant final exams and projects. It just also happened to be in the month of November/December when everyone is going full speed planning from Christmas, which means crazy shifts at work as well.

I meant to do this post a long time ago, regarding my skincare routine, my completely revised routine that helped improve my skin by 100 times. In my earlier posts, I posted about an Algenist regime that I had been going through, that had helped tone down the inflammation of my acne, but not completely take it away. But recently, I switched to two skincare brands: Cle De Peau and Revive.

Cle De Peau is a high end Japanese brand owned by Shiseido. The reason why many have not heard of it, is because it is still a very exclusive and luxurious brand, and in all of British Columbia, you can only find it in one location, which is Holt Renfrew.
Revive is another high end American skincare brand under the same company as Laura Mercier. This brand focuses on science in skincare that helps to retexturize and hydrate the skin.

So with that little introduction done, lets get down to my routine!

1. Cleanse (Using Cle De Peau Refreshing Cleansing Foam)

 If you ever do your research for Cle De Peau skincare, you'll realize that most of the products are split into Gentle and Refreshing. Gentle is good for those that are more dry/combination skin, and Refreshing is suitable for those that are acne proned/oily/combination skin.
This cleansing foam is probably the best and current only cleanser I've used that will do it's job without drying out the skin. Usually, a cleanser's job is to get rid of impurities on the skin, which means excess oils and dirts that are leftover on the surface of your skin. This also means it will strip and take away some of the oil that we need to retain our skin's natural moisture.

2. Tone (Cle De Peau Gentle Balancing Lotion)

Using the Cle De Peau cotton pads (click to see why you should apply toners/emulsions using cotton pads instead of your hands), I apply the balancing lotion starting from my t-zone and working my way out. The purpose of the toner is to bring the Ph of your skin to balance. So whether you have more dry or oily skin, it is going to bring it to a regular skin type. This well help prep your skin, so that you can feel the rest of your skincare that go over feel more deeply penetrated into the skin.











3. Serum (Cle De Peau Brightening Serum)

Serums are a little bit like your moisturizer's side kick. It will help you fix problems quicker, allowing deeper penetration because of the consistency of the product compared to a thicker cream. It could either be for blemishes, anti-aging, brightening, dullness, environmental damages, pores, oil control, hydration, evening out skin tone, etc.
For me, I needed my serum to help me hydrate as well as brighten (to help get rid of the pigmentation and acne scars that had formed after my acne had healed, but unfortunately not the scars). Cle De Peau's brightening serum does not use vitamin C or any glycolic acid that causes skin to be sensitive to sun damage, therefore it can be used for both day and night.








4. Condition during the day (Cle De Peau Refreshing Nourishing Emulsion)

 In the day time, we want to hydrate and prep your skin for makeup application to go on smoother. This also means we want a moisturizer that isn't oily, and will allow your foundation to hold onto your skin. We don't want it to just sit on top of the skin where the foundation will easily move out of place. This is why I like using Cle De Peau's light emulsion. I use this both during day and night. During the day I use it alone with my toner and serum, and during the night, I layer another night cream on top for extra hydration.










5. Moisturize during the night (Revive ultra retexturing hydrator)


This product was literally the miracle cream, that in my opinion made the most impact on the improvement of my skin. The main ingredient being glycolic acid, it completely helps to retuxturize your skin and deeply hydrate so your skin feels rejuvenated and radiant. The glycolic acid also helps get rid and prevent future acne as well as help to smooth out the texture of the skin.
For some people with extra sensitive skin, you may feel a little bit of a tingle, but not to worry, it is just the ingredient settling into your skin. But remember, glycolic acid, although works wonders, it does make your skin more sensitive to sun damage, so be aware that you are only using this during the night time. And do not forget your sunscreen!






6. Protect with SPF (Estee Lauder sunscreen SPF 50)

If your primer/foundation/tinted moisturizer does not include an SPF, please make sure you are wearing sunscreen especially if you are using treatments that help with pigmentation/help to lighten your skin. Even if you're just going out to the office, or are going to be at a friend's day all day, they build up of the little times your skin is in contact with the sun will make a huge impact on how fast your skin ages when you reach a certain age. So if we can start preventing, why not start asap! And it's just a simple step of applying your sunscreen.










Weekly treatments (in no particular order):

1. Cle De Peau Massage Cream

I didn't start using this until about 95% of my acne was cleared. This product does many things:

a. hydrates
b. firms (tightens the skin)
c. helps to increase blood circulation)

For me, I needed it to hydrate and to help with blood circulation. The reason why, is because any darkness in your skin is caused by something called melanin that comes to the surface of your skin. Massaging the skin will help to break apart the melanin, making it easier for my serum to brighten up those dark spots.


2. Cle De Peau deep cleansing oil

You've probably heard this a million times already, but beautiful makeup means firstly having beautiful skin. If you don't exfoliate, or get rid of that gross layer of dead skin trapped on the surface of your skin, you can't expect your foundation to go on smoothly, no matter how expensive or hydration the formula is.

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My final advice here for those acne proned people is to be consistent with your routine. Be patient, and most importantly, don't lose hope in your skincare! The worst thing you can do to yourself is consistently be changing your routine because you feel like it isn't doing anything. But acne is a difficult thing to treat, and skincare and medication both take time to have affect. It took me a whole year to find my routine and clear my skin. For others, it may have taken longer. I know it is depressing watching a new pimple grow every day, but it'll get better I promise!

I hope this picture will motivate you to stay confident and believe that it will get better!

Thanks for reading!