Philosophy The Microdelivery Triple-Acid Brightening Peel Review

Philosophy The Microdelivery Triple-Acid Brightening Peel
RRP: AUD95
Review: Philosophy is renowned for their skincare products. I've heard people swearing by their cleansers and moisturisers. I was given the privilege to trial one of Philosophy's luxurious products, the microdelivery triple-acid brightening peel. First of all, don't be deterred by the price tag and secondly, don't be scared by the sound of "triple-acid" (it sounds like too much, I know but I promise it isn't!).

What this product does is basically chemically exfoliate your skin, removing all the dead (dull) skin cells to reveal the beautiful (bright) cells underneath. My skin feels smooth after using it, as though it has been magically resurfaced. I promise you I am not exaggerating. This stuff is pretty freaking awesome! It makes my skin look radiant. From what I was able to observe the effect usually lasts a couple of days and disappears as the skin builds up more dead cells. But of course Day 1 always looks the best. This product also helps speed up the fading of acne marks, after all it is an exfoliant.

The peel comes in soaked pads. These circles of cloth are not abrasive at all. It feels soft as you swipe it across your skin. The pads are individually packed, which I think is very convenient from a traveler's perspective and hygienic in general.

I use this product once a week or less, as recommended in the instructions. I swipe the peel all over my face after cleansing and drying my face. Then, I let the product sit for a few minutes before I apply my moisturiser. I do this at night, letting the product do its work overnight. Come morning, my skin feels super smooth and soft, practically silk-like. This product does not sting my skin at all; however, if you have sensitive skin, you're told to rinse it off after a few minutes as opposed to leaving it on overnight. My advice is to lay off your other exfoliators leading up to when you plan on using this peel.

Overall, I love this product. Yes, it is expensive for $7.90 per pad. However! I believe that it is a really good investment. Instead of using it once a week you can reserve them for special occasions. I plan on getting my hands on more when I run out! I hope you found this review helpful.

On a side note, please keep your eyes peeled this weekend because a makeup tutorial post will go live on this blog!

Have you ever tried Philosophy The Microdelivery Triple-Acid Brightening Peel before? Please share your thoughts on the product! 

YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat Review

Le Teint Touche Eclat
Claims: "Targets shadowy areas and highlights the contours of the face. With buildable coverage and free of opaque fillers, the perfecting texture evens the complexion and conceals imperfections, enhancing the skin’s natural beauty."
RRP: AUD78
Packaging: 5 out of 5
Review: This is probably the most expensive makeup item I own. Particularly in terms of it's value. I was lucky enough to pick this up at the Duty Free section of Changi Airport as I mentioned in this post. Okay, let's get the obvious out of the way first. The packaging is absolutely gorgeous yet simple. I don't expect any less from YSL. I love that it comes with a pump for you to dispense the product. Plus points for hygiene!

This is a light coverage foundation that can be built up to medium with more layers (I demonstrate how this foundation covers up a lot of my facial imperfections below). It is also very lightweight and I don't notice its presence throughout the day. The lasting power is not excellent but is greatly improved when paired with a primer. I like to apply Benefit's Porefessional primer before hand.

Bare and cleansed

Visible pigmentation 

Using one full pump 

Applied with fingers, blended out with a Beauty Blender sponge

Less visible pigmentation 

The shade I own is B30 and it's a very good match for my skin, particularly my neck. This foundation can cover most of my pigmentation very well. I usually only need very little concealer for one or two very dark spots and a bit more for under my eyes. To the naked eye, my skin looks practically flawless. Whether it makes my skin look radiant, I cannot tell because I don't see it when I look in the mirror. But sometimes, when I look back at photos, I feel like it does.

Would I repurchase this product when it runs out? I'm not sure. It's very pricey and I get the feeling that I'm not completely head over heels with this product. I mean, I love it but I can live without it. I'm gonna try other foundations first before I can definitively say this is the only one for me.

What's your favourite foundation? How much are you willing to spend for the perfect foundation for your skin? 

Sukin Rose Hip Oil Review

Sukin Certified Organic Rose Hip Oil 
Claims: "contains vital nutrients to promote healthy skin, assist skin renewal and repair skin conditions."
RRP: AUD19.95/AUD32.95 for 25mL/50mL
Packaging: 5 out of 5
Review: Zoe Foster swore by rose hip oil and advocated it in her book, Amazing Face (read my review here). I've been meaning to get my hands on a bottle ever since I read her recommendation. I wasn't until a couple of months ago when my face got attacked by bouts of acne that I got desperate. I contacted the PR for Sukin and they were very kind in providing me a bottle to trial.

I had high hopes for this product. My imagination ran a little wild. I wanted to believe that it was the magic bullet that my skin had been waiting for. I wanted the product to clear up my acne and fade my scars and essentially give me flawless skin. Big mistake, Ty! When you have higher expectations, you just crash down with disappointment harder. I am by no means implying that I am disappointed with this product. No, I am trying to remind you and myself that one must be realistic when trying out new products.

I trialed this product for a month. I gently pressed and massaged it onto my skin day and night, after cleansing but before moisturising. Three drops was sufficient to cover my entire face. I apply any residue on my hands onto my neck. The biggest difference I noticed was oil control. I had a slightly oilier T-zone. Now, my whole face is even; it helped keep my face moisturised but not oily. I highly recommend this to people who have oily T-zone or skin in general. Unfortunately, the benefits stopped there for me. I have read reviews whereby this product faded acne scars and did many other amazing things. But hey, no one product will work for everyone.

I really like that this product came in a glass bottle. I dislike oil products in plastic bottles, particularly cheap plastic. Somehow, oil just seeps and oozes out of cheap plastic bottles. I also like that it came with a glass dropper, minimising contamination of the product. My favourite bit is that Sukin is Australian made and owned.

I've stopped using this product for a couple of weeks now to see if it makes any changes to my skin. So far my oil control is holding up. To me it means that its effects are long-lasting, which is great! This means that I'll use it whenever I need to. I'm guessing I'll start using it again as the weather warms and my T-zone gets oily again. I am not in love with this product but I do like it. I believe that you've got nothing to lose by giving it a try because it has done wonders for a lot of people.

Have you tried rose hip oil? What do you think of this product? Would you ever give it a try?

My Microdermabrasion + Facial Experience

I've never had a facial before prior to this experience that I'm about to divulge. I spotted a special deal on microdermabrasion and facial by a salon, not far from where I live, on one of those "deals websites". I couldn't resist. I bought a voucher. I was keen to try out microdermabrasion, especially since Zoe Foster swears by it. I've been wanting my skin to glow and my acne scars to fade. It's still something I desire and haven't achieved.

Before

I took a "before" photo prior to the session. I was excited and slightly anxious at the same time. What if something goes wrong or my skin has a horrible reaction to the treatment? Will I be going to uni afterwards with a red and puffy face? Sharon, the beauty therapist, reassured me that salon-type microdermabrasion only remove the dead skin cells; because there won't be any tissue injury, inflammation won't ensue.

For the most part, the facial was very relaxing. It involved slathering on product, massaging it into my skin and then removing it with a wet cloth; and hot steamy towels in between certain products. Then comes the microdermabrasion. The device itself looked like a metal pen attached to a machine by a wire. It basically involved scratching the skin with many small diamond tips and suctioning away the dead skin cells at the same time (that's what the machine was for, to create a vacuum). The treatment wasn't uncomfortable however I would not describe it as pleasant.

If I thought microdermabrasion was bad, the worst was yet to come! Sharon decided that she wanted to throw in a free extraction upon seeing the number of milia I had on my face. It was a horrifically excruciating experience! I literally thought I was going to die. Tears were streaming down my face and I did my best to be brave. Time passed really slowly as Sharon pierced and pressed out each one of my milia. I kept apologising for the pain she was inflicting on me and reassured me that it was going to be worth it. Relief washed over when she was (FINALLY!) done. A couple more facial product application and a hand massage followed before the session ended.

The first thing I saw when I looked in the mirror were these horrible little red spots on my face. They were wounds and when I touched them, blood smeared. As much a torture the extraction was, I wished Sharon had kept going for a bit longer because I noticed she missed a couple of milia. By the end of the day, the bleeding stopped but the wounds were very red and obvious. And it remained so for a week.

After

 So overall, was it worth it? My housemate said that my skintone appeared slightly more even. My boyfriend said that I looked a bit more "glowy and shiny". I think he doesn't know that "shiny skin" is bad in the beauty dictionary. But I understood what he meant. I was hoping my acne scars would lighten significantly but I think it only did so marginally. The only huge difference I felt was in my neck and chest area. The skin there was much softer and smoother.

The verdict? I don't think I'm willing to spend money and time on facials anytime soon. I'll look into more when I hit 30. Sharon kept commenting how "young" and "gorgeous" my skin is and she also mentioned that I may not see as a big a difference post-treatment as compared to an older lady. I guess she's right. I'll stick with at-home masks and treatments for now.

Have you had microdermabrasion or extractions before? What was your experience?

Wicked Wednesday: My Alpha-H Skin Care Routine & Review

During my most recent giveaway/contest, a number of you submitted suggestions that I do a post on my skin care routine. Today, I've decided that I'll fulfil those requests. I'm calling it my Alpha-H Skin Care Routine because for the past month, my skin care products, funnily enough, are from Alpha-H.

So essentially, I will be reviewing the three Alpha-H products that I am currently using religiously. At the same time, I will be giving you a quick rundown on how I use these products. First, let's begin with the Alpha-H product that I've been using the longest, their Gentle Daily Exfoliant.

Alpha-H Gentle Daily Exfoliant 

Claims: The exfoliation, is not abrasive, but still effortlessly removes dead and damaged skin cells, sweeps out congested pores and blackheads, reduces inflammation and uneven pigmentation, boosts moisture retention and creates a soft light-reflecting sheen across the complexion to reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and sun damage.

Retail: AUD$59.95 for 50g

Packaging: 4 out of 5

Review: This truly is a gentle exfoliant. It comes in powder form and you use it by pouring some into very wet hands, mixing it into a paste with your fingers and rubbing it onto your face for a minute before washing it off. Although it says to use 2 measured cups of the product, I have yet to figure out how to get 2 measure cups with the bottle. That's the only reason I am giving this packaging a rating 4 out of 5 instead of 5 out of 5. Forget about those microbeaded scrubs! You can achieve soft clean skin with this product and it's non-abrasive. Although it says you can use it daily, I only use this exfoliant once a week because too much exfoliation can be a bad thing. Also, I use a couple of products that contain glycolic acid, which also do the job of exfoliating my skin. I love using this product, particularly after wearing heavy makeup. It feels like my pores are truly unclogged and cleaned out. This product at $60 may seem expensive but I believe that it will last you a very long time, especially if you only use it once a week like I do. 

Alpha-H Balancing Cleanser with Aloe Vera 

Claims: The non-greasy, gently fragranced lotion delicately cleanses without drying or irritating the skin. It thoroughly removes both face and eye make-up and at the same time leaves the skin pH balanced.

Retail: AUD$42 for 200mL

Packaging: 4.5 out of 5

Review: I was using my trusty Cetaphil cleanser previously before I started using this one. I stopped using Cetaphil because I had a massive bout of breakouts and I thought it wasn't doing much help to my skin. Out of desperation, I started using this cleanser in hopes of restoring my skin. I found myself falling in love with it. Now, I can definitely see why people, like British model Ruth Crilly, rave about this product. You do not need a lot of this product to cleanse your face, unless you are using it to remove your makeup as well. In which case, it saves you a lot of time because it combines the makeup removal step and cleansing step into one. It feels very soft and gentle and does not dry the skin out. This product contains aloe vera, which is a great bonus. It contains vitamins such as A, C, E which are powerful antioxidants that reduce cell damage from free radicals. It also has anti-inflammatory properties, which can also explain why this product does not induce irritation in the skin. My bottle of cleanser if the travel size version. So if you buy the full one, I can tell you that you'll be getting your money's worth because it is a fairly large tube and it should last you a while. 

Alpha-H Balancing Moisturiser and Gentle Exfoliant 

Claims: Hydrates and revitalizes ageing, damaged skin. Works on collagen and elastin fibres and reduces acne and scarring.

Retail: AUD$72 for 100mL

Packaging: 4 out of 5

Review: I am not as certain about this product as I am about the other two. I really like it so far but I haven't used to long enough to reap all the benefits that it claims it will deliver. This is currently my daytime moisturiser. I like how it feels light on the skin. It is somewhat fluid so it glides onto your skin easily. That has a down side to it. It's easy to accidentally squirt out too much product from the tube. If they make the packaging into a bottle with a pump, I will definitely rate it a 5 out of 5. This product makes my skin smooth and soft. It produces a slightly dewy effect, giving your skin a subtle youthful glow. I also like how it is exfoliating my skin as well as moisturising it, keeping my skin care regime short and simple. I am hoping that as I use more of this product, it will fade all of my acne scars and reduce the occurrence of pimples. I also got this product in a travel size version. I think that considering it is a high quality product and it does multiple task, it is well worth the price.

Alpha-H is an Australian company and its products are made in Australia. I am proud to support them and I will most likely be repurchasing these products once they run out. For a list of stockists, click here.

What skin care products do you use? Do share. If you have any questions about my skin care routine, feel free to leave them in the comments section below.

Triple S: Estee Lauder Idealist Even Skintone Illuminator Review

I received a deluxe sample of this product for entering in Estee Lauder's Challenge on Facebook. I've tried it out for a little over two weeks and have stopped using it. I will explain why in a minute. I was really excited to receive this sample because I thought I could finally get rid of my pimple scars rather quickly and achieve effortlessly radiant and even skin. Plus, for a really expensive product, I wanted to trial it first before I bought it. So here it is, my review for Estee Lauder's Idealist Even Skintone Illuminator.

It smells heavenly of grapefruit. If you looked at the ingredients list, you'd find a number of fruit extracts on it, especially citrus ones. Yes, Vitamin C plays a role in collagen production, etc, etc. However, my lecturer at uni believes that we're better off buying 1kg of oranges, apply the juice all over our faces and then eat the oranges. She says we'd be getting more Vitamin C to our skin than using some expensive beauty products that only has a small percentage of Vitamin C in it. And that really is the truth. However, that did not stop me from wanting the Even Skinton Illuminator to be a miracle product.

This product is a serum, so it is more fluid than moisturisers. I was told to apply this straight after cleansing my face and to apply moisturiser after it. I did as I was told, religiously applying it twice a day as instructed. It did brighten up my face but that's because it deposited what appears to be glitter particles on my skin, which reflected light. The lady at Estee Lauder said that it would take at least two weeks for me to see any difference and that it also varies between individuals.

After using it for a little more than two weeks, I studied my complexion and could not see any significant difference to my pimple scars. That's okay. What really peeved me was that my skin was reacting to it (at least I believe it was). My skin became the opposite of even, with many tiny little bumps appearing on my forehead, cheekbones and chin. It distressed me because my skin is normally quite smooth. I asked my boyfriend if he noticed any difference to my face. He said that the product definitely brightened my skin but at the same time he did notice the little bumps.

I've stopped using the Even Skintone Illuminator for a week now and the bumps are still there but not as many and as severe. I'm currently breaking out as well and am trying to combat that by going on "skin detox". This means drinking more water, eating less greasey food (no chips for me) and cutting my products down to a minimum (just cleanser and a simple moisturiser). Fingers crossed I can get my smooth skin back!

Overall, I think the concept is great but I think it cannot work for everyone, which is the case for most beauty products. Everyone's skin is unique and so no product will work the same for everyone. If you're one of the people who are really happy with this product, I'm happy for you. I wanted this product to be all the rave that it is/was but, unfortunately, this is not for me.

Summary

• Smells really nice, contains citrus fruit extracts.
• Apply after cleansing and follow by moisturiser. 
• Brightens up the skin but have yet to see it remove pimple scars.
• Will not use it again because skin reacted badly. 
• Doesn't work for everyone; not for me. 

Wicked Wednesday: Best "Features"

Hey ladies, I thought I'd just do a really fun but slightly meaningless post on which celebs I think has the best __(insert feature)__! I'm also trying out a new post style/format. Let me know if you like it!


 First up, Best Hair Award goes to Disney actress, Katherine McNamara.

Aren't her cascading red locks just beautiful? Everytime I look at this photo, I just want to cry. I'm envious! Wish I could cut them off and attach them to my head. I guess the cheat's way of getting long gorgeous locks like this is to get hair extensions.















The Best Skin/Complexion Award goes to Odette Anable.

She's simply radiant. Oh what we wouldn't do to have skin like hers! I'd love to know what her secret is. Tip: drink plenty of water.

Odette is so pretty that I simply must add another photo of her. In case you've never heard of or seen her before, she's an actress. She plays Dr. Jessica Adams on House.

Okay, this is a really odd one but the Best Lashes Award goes to Dreama Walker. Apart from masacara, I don't think Dreama is wearing any false lashes at all. Doesn't look like it anyway. I'd kill to have her lashes! Okay, maybe I wouldn't actually... but I'd do almost anything.On a side note, Dreama is an actress on Gossip Girl.

For us mere mortals, we'd need to coat on lost of mascara and put on some falsies to achieve this look. I love Clinique's High Impact Masacra, YSL's Shocking Mascara and MAC's False Lash #33.






All these photos were taken from Primped.com.au. Thank you for inspiring this blog post!

Who would you give Best Feature Awards to? Comment below, I'd love to know!

Sweet & Sassy Saturday: April Haul

So you know about the Sigma makeup brushes that I bought but those weren't the only things that I bought this month.

One fine day, when I should have stayed in the library to study for an upcoming quiz, I went to David Jones. I'm sure a number of the staff there know me by face now. I think I visit that place way too frequently. Anyway, I was avoiding the Bobbi Brown and MAC counter as much as I could (although I did stop to enquire about a MAC lipstick) because I've been to their counter so many times I feel bad for not buying from them more often. I headed over to the Laura Mercier counter, which I had only ever been to once and never met the counter manager there before. Also, I've heard Sam from Pixiwoo praise LM products on a few of their videos and I wanted to look at their famous tinted moisturiser.

I was swatching their tinted moisturiser on my hand when the LM lady approached me. She was so friendly, talking to me about the product, colour matching me and applying some on my face to get a feel of it. It was so light that I could barely feel it but pigmented enough to cover the redness on my nose. She said that my colour is Sand and it really was a perfect match for my skin, even my boyfriend agreed. At first, I went away to inspect beauty products at other counters, choosing to buy the tinted moisturiser another day. Then, as I discussed about it with my boyfriend, he said that I should get it if I liked it so much. Plus, Laura Mercier has had a price drop and it made it all the more a good deal. So I went back and told the LM lady that I changed my mind. She was more than happy to sell it to me.

That day, I also stopped by Estee Lauder. They had set up a display promoting their Idealist Even Skin Tone Illuminator. As I was examining a bottle when the counter manager, who was also very friendly, came over to talk to me about the product. I was really curious for I've heard and read some good reviews on it, particularly from Emily (Emily's Anthology). The lady was so kind to give me a couple of samples to trial it for a few days. I have yet to give it a go. I'm hoping that it will remove the acne scars that I have and even out my skin tone in general. Getting a radiant glow out of it would be a bonus. I will post a review once I've trialled it, so stay tuned.

I've been wanting a hair donut for a long time now. I finally bought one from Price Attack because it was the cheapest I could find ($10) compared to other stores. I could have easily bought one from eBay for $2 but I'm keeping my promise. I apologise for the terrible photo. I've also made a sock bun and I will be doing a comparison between a store bought and a homemade hair donut soon. I will probably accompany that with a tutorial.

Summary: 

• Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer gives a lovely sheer coverage. Sheer enough to feel like but pigmented enough to even out skin tone.
• Estee Lauder Idealist Even Skin Tone Illuminator sounds very promising. Will trial and review it.
• Hair donut: Store bought versus homemade review and tutorial to come.