A Love and a Shrug #3: SPF Edition

I am currently in China visiting my family and summer is in full swing around here. While I try to stay indoors as much as possible to avoid the scorching sun and ridiculously high temperatures, SPF is an essential in my everyday morning skincare routine. UVA rays can penetrate through windows and those are the UV rays that cause photo-aging in the skin, so it's important to wear a broad spectrum UVA+UVB sunscreen even when staying indoors.

My love this month is the Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence Water Base SPF 50 PA+++. I've seen Asian beauty bloggers rave about this SPF, so I was pleased to find it at my local Watsons. This SPF has such a unique texture, I don't think I've ever seen another one quite like it. It really does feel very watery, even more so than most moisturizers I own, kind of like a really lightweight gel-cream texture. On the skin, it spreads and absorbs so effortlessly. Apart from the active sun protection ingredients, it also contains hyaluronic acid and citris fruit extracts to hydrate the skin. I wouldn't usually say this for an SPF product, but those who can't be bothered with too many steps in a skincare routine could skip the morning moisturizer and go straight to this SPF. It's incredibly hydrating and doesn't give my skin that greasy feeling that SPF products often have.

Despite the love, I do have a few problems with this product. First, it is a chemical sunscreen, and I do normally prefer a physical sunscreen. Physical sunscreen blocks UV rays like a shield, while chemical sunscreens absorb UV rays before they reach the skin. I guess I just like the idea of a shield more, because it sounds like I'm getting more protection, and chemical sunscreens are also said to be more irritating for sensitive skin. Being a chemical sunscreen also means that you have to reapply throughout the day (physical sunscreens don't have be reapplied as much if you don't sweat too much, go to the beach, etc.). I have to say that I'm really bad with reapplying SPF, but because this SPF has such a lightweight texture, it doesn't feel like you're piling too much onto the skin throughout the day. The product has a subtle floral fragrance, which is nice, but I do like to avoid fragrance whenever possible as it is a skin irritant. However, I have been using this SPF for a while and it does not irritate my skin at all.

Another problem is the high alcohol content. Alcohol is the second ingredient right after water, which means that there's a high concentration of it in the product. Alcohol in skincare is known to irritate and dry out the skin, but I'm kind of torn on this ingredient. Many well-known Asian skincare brands use alcohol in their products (AmorePacific is one that comes to mind) to achieve that lightweight yet very hydrating texture that my skin loves. I don't fuss too much over the inclusion of alcohol in this product because it works so well for me, but my other sensitive skin readers may want to take caution.

The SPF that didn't make the cut this summer is the Dr. Sebagh Sun-City Protection SPF 30. I bought this a while back when Feelunique was clearing out their stock of Dr. Sebagh products, and let me just say that Dr. Sebagh is not a cheap brand even at 50% off, so I had high hopes for this product.  In contrast to the Biore SPF, this is a purely physical sunscreen, which I usually prefer. Like all physical sunscreens, it does leave a white cast upon application, but that disappears in a few minutes. The texture of this product though, I really just don't understand. It's incredibly thick, so you have to really rub it in. It doesn't mix well with water, so if your face is wet from your prior skincare steps, you will have a very hard time spreading this SPF out. On the skin, this product leaves a very weird finish. When I touch my face, it doesn't feel smooth, kind of more like a chalky, almost rubbery finish. Not a comfortable feeling at all. The product also just kind of sits on the skin throughout the whole day and can feel quite heavy. Overall, I just found this a real pain to use and can't be bothered with it.

At the end of the day, remember to take your SPF off like you would take makeup off to avoid clogged pores and breakouts.

What is your favourite SPF this summer?

A Love and a Shrug #2: CC Cream Edition

CC Creams have been out on the market for a while now but have just never really caught my interest. I love Korean BB creams for their high coverage yet skin-like finish, but CC creams didn't seem like they would have enough coverage for me. This week, I decided to give CC creams a go and see what the trend is all about. In the end, one product came out on top, while the other fell very short.

These CC products are meant to colour correct without giving coverage, which - ideally - would mean that they minimize hyperpigmentation, redness, and dullness while maintaining a very lightweight skin-like finish. Both of these products come out in a green base with colour particles inside that are meant to adjust to your skin when blended in. However, the Biotherm Aquasource CC Gel just did not deliver the results I was looking for. I mentioned last week that I am a huge fan of the Biotherm Aquasource Deep Hydration Replenishing Gel moisturizer, which is why I thought the Aquasource CC Gel would be a good product, but there are a few reasons why I find it problematic. As the name would suggest, the product comes in a very light gel consistency, but a lot of product has to be applied before any effect can be seen. Although it feels and smells like the Aquasource moisturizer, the CC Gel dries sort of tacky and sticky, and feels actually quite heavy over the skin. Because of the gel consistency, the product can really only be applied with fingers, but it takes quite a bit of effort to blend in as the product tends to have a streaky look, which makes it difficult to use in the morning when I'm in a rush to get out the door. Even after all the effort of blending it in, the product doesn't really have any effect. I know it's supposed to be a light coverage product, but I at least hope to see some results. It also just felt uncomfortable on the skin, so I had to pass on this product.

The Stila CC Color Correcting Cream Broad Spectrum SPF 20 is everything that I hoped the Biotherm Aquasource CC Gel would be. The product claims to provide sheer to medium buildable coverage, but it's definitely a light coverage at best. This one comes in a cream base rather than a gel. The first time I tried to use this product, I applied it with a beauty blender sponge and saw absolutely no results. After a bit of trial and error, I find that fingers work well, but my favourite way to apply is with a buffing brush. I use the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush, dot the CC cream all over my face, and really go to town with buffing it in.

While it doesn't provide any coverage to the skin, it is really perfecting. It helps to reduce any redness and really brightens the complexion. It definitely has a dewy, glowing finish that is just so perfect for summer. It doesn't do anything for oil control and I find that my nose does start to get a little oily throughout the day, so those with oily skin may want to powder down the t-zone. For those with dry skin, this product is pretty moisturizing as well. Although it doesn't stand a chance against covering hyperpigmentation, it does make them slightly less noticeable, and a little bit of concealer takes care of that easily. This product pretty much looks and feels like skin, and I don't feel it on my face at all, which I love. Overall, I think the Stila CC Coloring Correcting Cream is a great option if you are looking for a natural light coverage base for the summer months.

What is your favourite CC product?

A Love and a Shrug #1 (ft. Liole and Em-Cosmetics)

May has been a great month for me in terms of beauty products as I've discovered quite a few new favourites, one of which is the Liole Triple the Solution BB Cream. This product is really one of the best Asian BB creams out there and is everything you would hope for a base product to be: high coverage, lightweight, and natural looking. One coat of this BB cream is basically full coverage for me. It smooths over all the redness and hyperpigmentation in my skin, all while looking very natural and skin-like. The finish is sort of a plump, dewy look. I have normal/combination skin and find that I can get away without powdering, but those with oily skin might want to powder down the t-zone. Although full coverage, this product does not feel heavy on my skin. Honestly I barely feel it there at all. The only downside of this is the limited colour selection, which is a common problem to BB creams. There is only one colour available, which matches my fair-light complexion with peach undertones pretty well. I think the product may be able to adjust to skin tones slightly paler or darker than my own, but still offers a very, very limited colour range. Unlike other BB creams, this product does not look ashy at all on the skin, just really perfected and healthy. 

A product that I was less than impressed this month was the Em Cosmetics Waterline in Ro's Gold. Like many others, my makeup story started with watching Michelle Phan's makeup tutorials on Youtube, and it wasn't until much later that I began looking to other Youtubers and bloggers for beauty knowledge. I admire Michelle's success in the business world and the name she has built for herself, although there are messages in her videos that I don't agree with as much (eg. the very over-played "girl waiting for prince charming" storyline in some of her short film/tutorial hybrid videos). In any case, I was excited when Michelle launched Em Cosmetics and have been itching to try some of her products ever since. First of all, at $18 for an eyeliner, this is not exactly a cheap product, but I am ok with splurging as long as the quality is there. It comes with a liner at one end and a smudger tool at the other end. While the packaging is definitely rose gold, the product itself is more of a red-bronze to me. When swatched on the back of my hand and allowed to dry, the product was definitely long lasting and didn't budge no matter how much I rubbed it. However, on the waterline - which is what it is intended for - I found it very difficult to get adequate colour payoff. This eyeliner was definitely not as creamy as I hoped, and didn't exactly glide on in any easy fashion. After swiping it back and forth several times in the waterline, the product was still virtually undetectable. 

The last straw for me was the fact that the eyeliner was broken when I received it and all of the product slid out into my hand. I almost dropped the entire piece onto the floor before I could even swatch it on my hand. For an eyeliner that's quite pricey, I was really hoping for better quality, and this just did not deliver.