Review: Revlon Photoready Perfecting Primer (Shade 001)

There isn't any sort of product description on the bottle itself, so one may not know what to expect while buying this product. The sales person told me that this helps to smoothen the skin surface and prolong the staying power of makeup. Then I asked her if it has any oil-control properties, she said no. This really puzzles me. Usually my makeup doesn't last long due to the oils on my face melting the makeup off. Anyway there was a promotional price for this item so I purchased it. I also needed a photo-friendly primer for an upcoming dinner event then.

True enough, this product shockingly has NO oil control property. Even coupled with my trusty long-lasting Revlon Colorstay liquid foundation plus Revlon Colorstay pressed powder, my face looked shiny in two hours. If I wore the Colorstay liquid foundation and pressed powder alone, my face stayed matte way longer! Although my makeup still looked fresh after blotting, I was still very disappointed, because I had to blot my face so frequently during the dinner event. Although the photos did turn out nice (after blotting of course) and there was no white cast on my face (note that Colorstay liquid foundation does have SPF).

This primer feels more creamy and less silky than the conventional primers (think Smashbox or Sephora primers). It does make my liquid foundation go on better and the finish was more flawless. I think this primer is more suited for dry skin. Should have listened to the sales lady!

Review: L'oreal Lucent Magique Light-Infusing Foundation

Product description: Light refined texture, oil-free, for a fresh moisturizing skin finish, 24H hydration. Infused with liquid-light technology to bath complexion in radiant halo, as it lit-from-within.

 Ingredient list above

Shade: I picked N4, which is supposed to stand for neutral 4. L'oreal shades here comes with a letter (R, N or O) before the shade number. R is rose, for pink tones, N is neutral and O is ochre for yellow tones. But right now, there are only two shades available for each letter ( is this sufficient really??), meaning a total of 6 shades. From the photo below, you can see that the N4 which I picked out is already rather yellow. I can only imagine how jaundiced the O shades look. I am Asian, so naturally my skin color leans towards olive and ochre shades, but I find N4 just right.

Score: 3.5/5

Coverage: This has good medium coverage, that is probably not very buildable on my skin, because I think the excess product will slide right off my skin. Yikes.
Score: 3/5

Texture/Finish: Since I have oily-combination skin, this feels way too moisturizing for me. It feels rich and oily on my skin, and also looks extremely shiny. I set all my foundations with a mattifying powder but it still didn't keep the oilies away. Stay away from this if you have oily skin, but excellent for babes with dry and dull looking skin.
Score: 2.5/5 because I'm on the fence about this. It didn't work for me but I think it will work well for dry skin babes.

Oil Control/Longevity: As already mentioned, this is very oily for me and has totally no oil control. It of course doesn't last very long on my skin even with setting powder =(
Score: 2.5/5

Packaging: Love the glass bottle with the nice precise pump. Classy looking but not travel friendly. But it's not going to be a problem for me since I'm certainly not going to bring this out with me.
Score: 4/5

Price Point: Similar to other L'oreal foundations, 30ml of this costs S$30.90, which is very average for drugstore foundations in Singapore.
Score: 3.5/5

Overall: 19/30
Really one of my most disliked foundations, but this is just because this foundation is not even made for my skin type! Dry skin babes, go ahead and try this!

Review: L'oreal Youth Code Rejuvenating Eye Essence

Product description: Claims to improve sagging, puffy lids, dark spots, fine lines/wrinkles, dark circles and eye bags (wow). 

My thoughts:
I feel that this eye essence is just as good as any other lower-end ones I have tried, like those from Garnier or Ginvera. It feels soothing and hydrating on my dry undereye area, however it didn't diminish the fine lines or make my dark circles better (my two concerns). I have used up half a bottle of this already over the past month or two. I use less than one full drop for both eyes, because the essence spreads really easily, and using a full drop will be too much and will be hard to absorb. I use this day and night. In the day, I find that it helps to prevent my undereye concealer from caking up or settling into my fine lines. I like that it is hydrating, and helps plump up that area slightly, however temporarily. Perhaps I should have used another light eye cream over this, as the sales lady said since this is an essence, I can apply another light cream over it, just like how we treat our faces with essence first, then moisturizer. I may try that, but I am afraid of getting milia seeds on my undereye area. I am prone to milia seeds and this essence did not give me any of those.

I may actually repurchase this, because it is hydrating without being too rich. I have tried the higher-end eye products, e.g. from Clinique, and either they are expensive and totally useless, or they work (reduced my lines) but gave me milia seeds. It is hard to find a balance of both, and this eye essence is pretty close to that.

Review: Revlon ColorStay Pressed Powder

Product Description (Taken straight from the box): This is not the SoftFlex version. Shine-free for 16 hours, silky ultra-fine formula blends seamlessly for a flawless, shine-free finish. Oil-free, non-irritating, won't clog pores. Talc-free and parabens free. 

My thoughts: Why on earth would it say talc-free when talc is clearly the first ingredient on the list? Maybe there is another kind of talc I don't know, but it is really misleading, and you can't expect the normal consumer to know these things in great detail.

Other than that crazy 'error' that Revlon made with regards to the ingredients, I do quite like this powder. I use it as a setting powder for my BB creams and liquid foundation. Of course I didn't stay shine-free for 16 hours. I usually take such claims with a pinch of salt anyway since nothing ever stays as long as they claim to. Anyway, this looked pretty good on my skin for at least 4 hours before some oil starts to shine through. The finish is matte, as with most powders. It does not have shimmers or anything. I have never used this on its own, but I can see that it does provide a tiny bit of extra coverage. This powder does not look too cakey and powdery when applied with a fluffy face brush or buffed in with a kabuki brush. If packed on with the puff, I think it does end up looking a bit patchy and thick.

Tip: In general, for applying setting powders that are not translucent, to prevent the product from caking up and to ensure that the powder looks flawless, a lot of it is in the application itself. When I needed the extra coverage, I would use my kabuki brush to 'stipple' the powder all over my face instead of buffing the powder in. Buffing may even move the foundation and concealer you have applied carefully underneath. After that, using a very large, soft and fluffy (not dense) brush, I would go over my whole face, brushing off the excess powder that didn't adhere to my skin, and to smooth the powder out. This works for all my colored powders, even powdered foundation.

My shade is in 840 Medium (slightly dark for me, but I usually like to use a slightly darker powder to add some color back to my face after foundation)

Review (plus rave): Za Total Hydration BB Cream UV

Product description: Contains skincare ingredients to moisturize skin, foundation effects conceal skin problems and achieve a healthy skin tone, SPF 43 PA+++ protects the skin from harsh UV rays. Ingredients list as below:

Shade: I really wish this comes in more shades so that more people can try, but sadly there is only one (ONE?!) shade. Luckily for me, it fits me pretty well. But, one plus point is that this BB cream doesn't look grey like many others.
Score: 1.5/5 boo....

Coverage: I was afraid that this would have the same light coverage as the Maybelline BB cream, but I was so wrong! I love the coverage of this. It has a good medium to medium-full coverage. I only need a teensy bit of undereye concealer after applying this BB cream. As for my acne and scar issues, well, not even the best foundation can cover them, so of course I still need concealer for them.
Score: 4/5

Texture/Finish: Like all the other BB creams, this has a creamy feel to it while blending. It blends very seamlessly into my skin using my fingers. I love the finish of this BB cream. My idea of a perfect skin (finish and shine wise), would be exactly what this BB cream gives me. It has a semi-matte finish, while maintaining a slight glow that natural skin should have. The only thing I dislike about this is that it leaves a sticky feeling behind, which means I need to blot with facial tissue before setting it with powder to get rid of the feeling. I so wish I didn't need to cover the fantastic finish of this BB cream with powder!
Score: 3.5/5

Oil control/Longevity: Pretty good oil control, since I top this up with a powder. So far, even in the scorching and humid Singapore weather, this didn't melt off my skin. Thumbs up!
Score:4/5

Packaging: This comes in a cheap looking plastic tube which I'm really not fond of. However this makes it very convenient to carry around in a purse or while travelling.
Score: 3.5/5

Price point: This retails for SGD15.90 for 20g, which is pretty cheap when it comes to base makeup in Singapore. I got this on sale for about SGD13 which just makes this sweeter =)
Score: 4/5

Overall: This has got to be one of my top choices for BB creams, because it gives a coverage of a foundation, while having the blendability (is there such a word?) of a BB cream. It also looks natural on my skin.
Score: 20.5/30

2012 Skin Care Favourites

It's the new year, and throughout 2012, I sure have tried out quite a number of skin care products. I will split this into the steps I take for my skin care routine, namely, makeup removing, cleansing, toning, serum, moisturizer, sunscreen and special treatment (e.g for acne). Some of these products have a runner up as well! So be prepared for a lengthy post!

Makeup Remover
Winner: Aqualabel Deep Clear Cleansing Oil

Removes even my waterproof mascara and eyeliner without stinging my eyes and irritating my skin. Doesn't give me more clogged pores as well, which happens when I use other makeup removers, due to improper removal of makeup. Clear winner! I go through one of this every 2 months!

Cleanser
Winner: Liquid Neutrogena Pure Mild Facial Cleanser

Photo credit to www.snapdeal.com

This is a mild cleanser that totally does not irritate my skin or dry my skin out, yet cleanses my skin well. I strongly believe that people suffering from acne should use a mild cleanser with no acne-treating ingredients, that still cleanses thoroughly. This is because they do not further aggravate the inflammed skin. Leave the acne treating to specialized moisturizers and treatment products.

Toner
Winner: Clinique Clarfying Moisture Lotion 3

Photo credits: http://beauty.asianscent.com/clinique-clarifying-lotion-3-400ml135oz 

I have the one with the silver cap, which is SD alcohol free. Something about this just helps keep my clean clear and free of clogged pores. My skin just doesn't feel the same when I stopped using this (due to the price). Toner is something I go through quite quickly as well, so I wasn't sure if I want to keep spending over SGD30 on a bottle which will only last me 2-3 months max. However I really really do love this stuff.

Serum
Winner: Avene Soothing Serum

Needless to say, this serum soothes all my skin irritations. Love this to bits. However, it is not particularly hydrating or has any special properties. This product is just so essential to me due to its ability to soothe my skin.

Runner up: Boots Vitamin C Serum

My other favorite serum. This does leave my skin nicely plump and hydrated under my drying acne treatment lotions. It helps in brightening my complexion as well. It absorbs well and doesn't leave a sticky feeling. However I cannot use this product when my skin is peeling, red and sensitive from using too many harsh acne treatments.

Moisturizer
Winner (Day): La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo

Photo credits: http://www.amodelrecommends.com/2012/11/15/how-to-beat-breakouts-acne-tips/la-roche-posay-effaclar-duo/

Light weight, not drying like Effaclar K, goes well under makeup. Winner!

Winner (Night): La Roche Posay Toleriane Fluide

This leaves my skin nice and hydrated without feeling oily. Soothes my sensitive skin as well. I totally love this.

Sunscreen
Winner: Avene Very High Protection Emulsion

This is a winner because the protection is very good and all rounded. I don't get any tan or burn at all if I apply this, and this helps so much when I'm trying to fade my post acne scars. I cannot emphasize enough on the importance of sunscreen when it comes to preventing and fading dark acne scars. True that it doesn't go very well under makeup or over some moisturizers, but this is truly a heavy duty sunscreen. I have gone through about 3 tubes of this.

Special Treatments
Winner: Differin 

Best for cystic acne. However you can only get this from the doctor's. Go to the doctor and let them access how serious your acne is, let them prescribe the right medication for you.

Runner Up: La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo
Keeps my skin clear and prevents acne! This is the winner for my day moisturizer (see above).

Review: Revlon Photoready Liquid Foundation

Product description: As the name suggests, this foundation promises to look great in photographs, giving a flawless airbrushed look to the skin.

Shade: It always kinda sucks reviewing foundations when living in Singapore. The shade range over here is always less than what is available overseas. There are only 5 shades available in Singapore. What I have is 004 Nude, and it's not yellow enough for me. 008 and 006 are so similar that I have no idea why it is necessary to have both.
Score: 2/5

Coverage: This is a medium to slightly less than full coverage foundation. Full coverage to me means I don't need a concealer for my dark circles anymore, and Revlon Colorstay does that for me.
Score: 4/5

Texture/Finish: The texture to me feels very slippery and slick,  due to the high concentration of silicone derivatives in the foundation.This makes it easier to blend, but takes awhile to set. The finish of this foundation is probably the thing I hate most about this product. It makes me look like a glitter bomb, as if someone had thrown a whole lot of glitter at my face. It's so glittery and shiny, and it's a no-no for me because I have oily skin that becomes shiny very quickly. I hope you can see the glitter on the photo below. Some people described this as a foundation good for dry skin, because of the glowy finish. True, but the drier areas of my skin feels uncomfortable and dry under this foundation. As for photo-friendliness of this foundation, I have not tested it out, but since I looked SO shiny, I doubt it looks great in photos.
Score: 2/5

Oil Control/Longevity: The oil control is pretty decent, at 3-4 hours, but I cannot tell for sure because this foundation made me look shiny in the first place anyway. The longevity is great. It didn't melt off my face even after 8 hours.
Score: 4/5

Packaging: One of the best thing I like about this foundation is the pump. It has a really precise pump which allows me to control the amount I want to dispense, very very well. However, I find the cap of the bottle too loose for the heavy glass bottle. I actually broke a bottle in the store by reaching for a bottle by the cap. The cap takes up half the size of the entire bottle, so it was really hard to reach for this bottle without holding on to just the cap. Luckily it was a tester bottle and I didn't have to pay for the damage.
3.5/5

Price Point: Typical foundation price in Singapore, SGD29.90 for 30ml. Again, look for for sales!
3.5/5

Overall score: 19/30
This foundation isn't in my favourites list for sure, but there are some days when I feel like I need some extra glow, which will make me reach for this.