Weekly Favourites #17

This was supposed to go up on the weekend but I've been so busy! So... what I've used most and have been loving last week were -

Koh Gen Do Aqua Foundation in 143 - One of the sheerest foundations I own, but if you like your skin to look like skin or if you have perfect skin (jealous!), then you will love this on its own. This doesn't quite justify the price tag of $80 bucks for me, but when mixed with other thicker foundations (I favour the Shu Uemura Lightbulb Foundation to mix or MUFE HD Foundation), the results are darn natural yet still with an oomph of coverage.

Marc Jacobs Re(marc)able Concealer in 04 Glow - Refer to glowing review here. I've been getting so carried away in the morning just spot concealing but it's been worth it.

Hada Labo Air Aqua UV SPF50/PA+++ (fresh) - This sunscreen is HG material, babeh. Goes on like a serum, sinks in instantly, so lightweight that I can't feel it, leaves no white cast and keeps me matte all day long. This is a sunscreen like no other, beats the Biore ones hands down.

Selsun 2.5% suspension - This is a very strange item to be in favourites, but here's the backstory. I was stalking reddit/r/skincare as per my recent nighttime reading addiction, and came across some posts that talk about acne being caused by fungus rather than bacteria. The signs of the fungal acne include many small bumps around the hairline and jaw area that don't go away despite using all the traditional acne medications. The anecdotes refer to using anti-dandruff shampoo as a wash or a mask (diluted and spread as a thin layer), specifically Selsun or Head & Shoulders which have the active ingredient of Selenium Disulfide and Zinc Pyrithione respectively. I decided to hunt the Selsun down (no silicones) and give it a shot and whaddayaknow, my little bumps pretty much decreased by 50% after the first use. It also seemed to do wonders for cleaning out my sebaceous filaments (these are not blackheads as most people think!) on my nose and cheeks. I won't say the bumps have completely cleared, but they don't make me want to squeeze them out anymore! So if you are at your wits end like I was, maybe using an anti-dandruff shampoo will work for you. Also, this does tend to be drying so use with caution.

Have a good start of week everyone, and as always, let me know your favourites too!

Marc Jacobs Re(Marc)able Full Cover Concealer Review

Can we just check out this gorgeousness that is the Marc Jacobs Re(Marc)able Full Cover Concealer? Extra points for the punny name too!

This is the most lux concealer pot that I've ever laid my grubby large hands on. It's rather solid, hefty almost and is actually a good substitute as a paperweight, a beauty addict's paperweight that is. I particularly like the filleted (architectural software command that joins 2 lines perpendicular to each other with a rounded corner. hur hur) edges of the glass.

I know that the Marc Jacobs Beauty line does go quite high end, but this concealer retails for SGD$36 which is actually not too bad given that Tarte, MUFE, Nars etc. go for much higher, and even MAC concealers are SGD$30 which is not that much cheaper than the Marc Jacobs Concealer. It's probably one of the more value-for-money items in the range in my opinion ( and also because I might be concealer obsessed).

Enough of the case/tub-gasm. The product inside is unlike any concealer I've ever felt before. I highly suggest that if possible, do go down to a sephora/marc jacobs store to feel it. It's super duper creamy and silky, yet it's almost like all that silky creamy goodness got pressed at an intense pressure to form dense yet airy texture. I am so bad at describing it, so let me give it another go. It feels like an ultra dense meringe mixture before it's been baked. For those who are familiar with the Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer, it's like someone whipped that formula then pressed it into a more solid form.

It's whipped delight, that's what this is. (sidenote: this also feels and is chock full of silicones that is probably what gives it its delightful texture)

MAC Studio Fix Fluid NC30, Marc Jacobs Re(Marc)able Full Cover Concealer 04 Glow

I have the shade 04 Glow, which does well on my NC30-35 skin when used on pigmentation and scars. It's not brightening under the eye so if you're looking for an undereye concealer do go a shade lighter. 04 Glow also has peachy undertones, so it would do well if you're a NC35 and above and looking to correct dark circles. I can't use this in large portions because I'm more yellow undertone than peach, but in areas to correct the colour of pigmentation, this does wonders.

For demonstration purposes, I have used my dark eye circles as the rest of my face is being a bitch. When Marc said full cover, he was not kidding. My favourite way of using this concealer is going in with a small brush and to pinpoint conceal lisa eldridge style. It blends out seamlessly into the rest of the face while still giving any marks the coverage that you so desire. I find that using a finger really just wastes product because a finger smears the product around. Also given the relative softness of the product (as compared to other cream concealers), using fingers seem to create a dent in the tub really fast!

Texture wise, it's so creamy that I thought it would be a really hydrating concealer. I was disappointed because the texture actually exposes the rough texture and any dry patches that I have on my skin. Another reason why pinpoint concealing is the way to go. Folks with nice smooth skin/well hydrated skin would best benefit from this concealer.

Longevity is where the other portion of the name comes in - re(marc)able indeed. My combination dehydrated yet oily face went a full 9 hours with minor fading of this concealer in portions of my face that I do not touch like my cheeks. Considering that I find this concealer to be one of those do not not truly set to a finish that doesn't transfer (like the Tarte Maracuja Creaseless Concealer), it is very impressive! I wish it did set someone like the MUFE Full Cover Concealer though, would really appreciate something that doesn't transfer.

All in all, aside from the rather crappy shade range, if you're someone who has PIH and smooth skin, or are willing to put in the effort to pinpoint conceal, this would be a comparable concealer to the likes of MUFE Full Cover Concealer but with a better, softer finish. Folks with more textured skin or matured skin, if you enjoy the skin-like texture (because this concealer does reveal the skin texture through it's pigments), then this is also for you.

This is an A product for me, now if only I had smoother skin to make using this product easier. -wistful-

May 2014 Favourites

May has been a really difficult month for me in terms of skin, and that has continued into June but with some luck, it's starting to look better. Since my skin was being unusually sensitive and reacting to anything and everything, I went back to a brand that I trusted and knew my skin liked and tolerated - Hada Labo. Only their face washes don't work for me and leaves my skin feeling overly cleansed and dry but that shall be a story for another time. 

The Hada Labo Arbutin Whitening Lotion has been a staple of mine for years. It is a hyaluronic acid rich liquid that sinks right into the skin. My skin sslluurrppps it up the way a kid drinks coke (or at least the way I drank coke as a kid, massive addiction right there) and there's no sticky feeling after. I think no matter what your skin type is, the boost of hyaluronic acid hydration can't be beat. I also much prefer the Arbutin version over the normal version because it really does brighten up the complexion after extended use. This is probably like my 4th or 5th bottle, not inclusive of the bottles of normal formula Hada Labo Lotion I've used. 

I've used one of the older versions of the Hada Labo Moisturizers a long way back and it wasn't a favourite because it did leave a tacky feeling to my face. Fast forward to the very impressive sounding Hada Labo Ultra Hydrating 3-in-1 Perfect Gel which is supposed to be an essence, cream and mask all in one little tub. While I do still find the formula tacky, this performs really nicely globbed on as an overnight mask and I wake up with soothed and softer skin the next morning. It also works well in very thin layers for day time use.

The Air Aqua UV Day Emulsion SPF50 PA+++ (fresh) is such a gem of a sunscreen. It comes out as a white super liquidy formula that is almost like a serum and basically weightless once on the skin. It contains vitamin C to brighten, sebonotmine that keep the face matte and hyaluronic acid that still keeps the face hydrated (and also some anti-ageing ingredients). In my opinion it almost performs as a primer! This didn't aggravate my skin and the texture is just so beautiful. I currently have dry skin and at the end of the day I can see that my makeup has turned powdery (but still there!), so I do believe this would work well on oily skinned ladies!

I've finally pulled out my Sleek Blush by 3 Palette in Lace, a palette that looks so beautiful but was previously so hard to use because it was so incredibly pigmented. I've finally gotten my hands on a much looser blush brush and that has made an incredible difference in the way these blushes look on the cheek. A looser brush helps to diffuse the pigment and leaves such a sheer wash of colour on the cheeks which is incredibly beautiful. I use the matte colours all over the cheek and pop the centre shimmery nars orgasm-esque shade just on the apples.

Finally, my last favourite is the Tony Moly Gel Eyeliner in 02 Brown. I've been favouring an all or nothing look, so I either go with purely mascara, or a very thick cat eye. With the very intense cat eye look, a black eyeliner look is quite fierce so the brown eyeliner does a great job at softening the look. This gel eyeliner is very creamy and pigmented with all day lasting superpowers and can do no wrong. The bonus is that the built in brush is in the unretarded category and actually usable for touch ups so you can bring this little baby around!

What were your favourites this month? Here's to a better month with skin issues folks!