skincare

Skincare Review: SUQQU Lip Essence Cream

by PJ on Thursday, January 29, 2009

in -SUQQU, all about Japanese cosmetics, skincare, skincare - moisturizing/others

In winter, my lips and hands are constantly dry and I have to moisturize them every now and then throughout the day. For lips (especially in the evening), I usually prefer something quite emollient, and SUQQU‘s Lip Essence Cream is a product that does the job.

Lip Essence Cream comes in a glass jar with a plastic lid. I quite like this design, as I am not particularly fond of lip balm in a metal container, which can rust. (With my Rose & Co. Apothecary Rose Petal Salve, I usually fill a small plastic container with it and use it from there.)

It has a solid balm consistency. Some of the main moisturizing ingredients include various fatty acids, polybutene (from mineral oil), petrolatum, squalane, and vitamin E. It is quite a simply (in a good way) formulated lip product that doesn’t contain fragrance or parabens.

SInce the consistency is very dense, it does not really glide on the lips when I apply it with my finger. I think the best way to apply the product is to very gently press it onto the lips. A little goes a long way.

Compared with Rose Petal Salve, which leaves a soft sheen, Lip Essence Cream leaves a glossy shine. Some might think it can feel a little sticky, but, as the SUQQU website (link above) suggests, it is a night treatment product. (Also, it doesn’t have any sunscreen ingredient so I don’t suggest using it during daytime.) I usually use it right before going to bed, and my lips still feel moisturized when I get up the next day.

If you have really dry lips and need a very emollient lip moisturizer, or if you are looking for a fragrance-free lip moisturizer, this is certainly a product to consider.

Related posts:

SUQQU Spring 2009 Collection

Review: SUQQU Fall 2008 Collection Part 1 & Part 2

Beauty City Guide (3) – London

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Product Review: Nude Skincare

by PJ on Tuesday, December 30, 2008

in skincare, skincare - cleansing/toning, skincare - moisturizing/others

(Nude Skincare Cleansing Facial Oil)
(images from sephora.com)

Nude Skincare is a UK-based beauty brand that has generated buzz in the UK and the US. In the UK, their products are sold in high-end department stores like Harvey Nichols and beauty boutiques such as Space NK. Today I am reviewing three of their products.

– Cleansing Facial Oil

This product works in the same way as a standard cleansing oil. I tend to prefer cleansing oils to other types of cleansers because they are efficient to use. (They take off all the makeup at once and there is less rubbing and massaging involved compared with using a cleansing cream or gel.)

For me, a good cleansing oil has to emulsify well and leaves as little filmy residue as possible. Unfortunately, this cleansing oil does not fare well in this aspect. It is not easy to manoeuvre on the skin due to its thick texture and it doesn’t emulsify well enough. The skin is left rather greasy, and even using a face wash immediately afterwards still leaves the skin filmy. Overall, this is not among the better cleansing oils that I have used.


– Advanced Smoothing Complex

This is a serum-type product that is applied between a toner and a moisturizer. It has a watery-gel texture that has a good slip. Upon application, it can seem difficult to absorb, but, after some gentle pressing and patting, it sinks in quite thoroughly. It is a decent (and alcohol-free) serum to be paired with your usual moisturizer to help your skin cope with the colder months.

It is well-packaged in an air-tight opaque bottle, which is probably the best way to package a skincare product in terms of preserving the benefits of some ingredients.


– Replenishing Night Oil

It is a similar type of oil-based product to those such as DHC’s Olive Virgin Oil and the Rodial Glamotox Night that I reviewed earlier. It contains apricot kernel oil, jojoba seed oil, raspberry seed oil and cranberry seed oil. (The latter two have antioxidant properties.)

Because of its occlusive quality, it is more suitable for those with dry or very dry skin. Like Rodial Glamotox Night, it can be used as a good cuticle moisturizer or a moisture booster for any part of the body prone to severe dryness. (It is packaged in the same air-tight opaque bottle as the Advanced Smoothing Complex.)

(According to the Nude Skincare website, their products are free from parabens, mineral oils, silicones, and propylene glycol. Though this is useful information to know if you can develop adverse reaction to one or more of these ingredients, I personally do not have outright concerns over them. (Even though mineral oil in moisturizers can be too occlusive for some skin types, it is not a harmful ingredient.) Please refer to the articles/entries on parabens, mineral oil, silicone and propylene glycol on Paula Begoun‘s website.)

(Full product ingredient lists can also be found on Nude Skincare’s website.)

Related skincare posts on:

La Mer The Cleansing Fluid

RMK Cleansing Oil

Olay Complete Care Night Enriched Cream

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Skincare Review: ESPA 24 Hour Moisturising Complex

by PJ on Sunday, December 21, 2008

in skincare, skincare - moisturizing/others

(image from www.espaonline.com)

ESPA is a UK-based beauty brand mainly known for high-end spas around the world. It also has a range of skincare and bodycare products, including the 24 Hour Moisturising Complex that I am talking about today.

It is cream-based alcohol-free moisturizer with a fairly light consistency. The main moisturizing ingredients are plant oils such as sweet almond seed, soybean, coconut, jojoba, evening primrose and peach kernel oils, and it also has a small amount of rose geranium and myrrh oils. All the non-fragrant plant oils are considered to be good (non-irritating) moisturizing ingredients, while fragrant ones (rose geranium and myrrh oils) can be skin irritants for some people.

I’d think this moisturizer would suit people with normal to slightly dry skin and those with very little excessive sebum. Even though the texture is not overly dense or creamy, the blend of plant oils can be too occlusive and can leave a slightly filmy feel for those with combination or oily skin.

It has no sunscreen ingredients, so for me this is strictly a night-time moisturizer. It should be paired with a sunscreen product for daytime use.

Related Posts:

Crème de la Mer Skincare Review

RoC Hydra+ Bio Active Moisturizing Cream SPF 15

Olay Complete Care Night Enriched Cream

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Makeup Review – SUQQU Eyelash Kit

by PJ on Friday, December 5, 2008

in -SUQQU, all about Japanese cosmetics, beauty tools/accessories, makeup, makeup - mascara, skincare, skincare - cleansing/toning

Since SUQQU was launched in September 2003, some products have, one after another, become the brand’s most talked-about items. Among them, one that some of you have told me about is the Eyelash Curler. Currently, it is included in SUQQU’s Eyelash Kit, which I am reviewing today.

The SUQQU Eyelash Kit includes:
– Eyelash Curler
– Mascara Volume Long in EX-01 Green
– Screw Brush
– Eye Makeup Remover (travel-sized, 50ml)

The items come in a roll-up folder, which is presented a bucket pouch. The curler doesn’t come with refills but they are available separately at the SUQQU counter.


First, the Eyelash Curler. The problem I have with eyelash curlers of this design is that they simply do not get to the two ends of my lashes, and it seems that SUQQU’s version has the same issue. The curler does give a flattering curve to the lashes and the rubber pad seems very sturdy and durable, but I have to position the curler in so many angles to get to the two ends of the lashes that it takes a lot of time to achieve a finished look. Also, my middle lashes end up being curled for too many times and the curl looks slightly less natural.



According to what I have heard in the past few years, this curler does work well for most people, but unfortunately it doesn’t perform well enough for me. I have to say I still much prefer the precision lash curler that I previously talked about. It is much more efficient to use and I can achieve a natural fan-like curve in a very short amount of time.

SUQQU has three kinds of mascaras: Volume, Long, and Volume Long. (All three are water-resistant.) The one in this kit is a Volume Long version in a limited-edition green shade. On my dark lashes, the green pigment doesn’t show up very much, but I do like the soft look and it doesn’t clash with eyeshadows of other shades. For me, this mascara, which contains fibers, does a better job at building up length than adding volume. (The Separate Curl Mascara in RMK’s Christmas Palette 2008 delivers more volume.)

The Screw Brush and Eye Makeup Remover are very good additions to the kit. The brush is surprisingly soft and separates lashes nicely. (It is also a very good eyebrow brush if you find the bristles of most eyebrow brushes to be too hard and scratchy.) The Eye Makeup Remover has a bi-phase formulation, which I always like. It takes off the Volume Long Mascara very easily, and it doesn’t feel greasy or irritate my eyes.

Overall, this is a good kit to try if you are interested in both the Eyelash Curler and the mascara. (The Kit is priced at £40, which is the prices of the two items combined.) This kit is a limited edition and is currently still available at the SUQQU counter in Selfridges on London’s Oxford Street.

Related Posts:

SUQQU Holiday 2008 Collection

SUQQU Spring 2009 Collection

Review: SUQQU Fall 2008 Collection Part 1 & Part 2

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Skincare Review: RoC Hydra+ Bio Active Anti-Oxidant Moisturising Cream SPF15

by PJ on Friday, October 31, 2008

in -RoC, skincare, skincare - moisturizing/others



Daily sun protection should be an indispensable part of your daily skincare routine (rain or shine) and is essential for healthy and great-looking skin. But choosing a good daytime moisturizer/sunscreen with a suitable texture for any particular skin type can be tricky. Today I am looking at a product marketed for combination skin from RoC’s new Hydra+ Bio Active range.

Generally, it is a well-formulated moisturizer for daytime. It is alcohol-free and has ingredients to protect the skin from both UVA and UVB. The anti-UVA ingredient in this product is butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane, and the antioxidants are copper gluconate and Tocopherol (vitamin E). But Tocopherol is towards the end of the ingredient list and is highly doubtful that it will be of any substantial help for the skin.

It goes on quite matte so it can work for people with combination skin. However, the texture itself is richer than many moisturizers marketed for the skin type. If you happen to have quite oily T-zone, it can be a little too emollient for the area. One way to work around it is to apply the moisturizer on the cheeks first and apply only the residue on your fingers onto the rest of the face.

As a base for the foundation, I think it works well. Cyclopentasiloxane (silcone) is the second ingredient on the list and the product does give a silky finish. My powder foundation goes on very smoothly. Even though, in skincare products, silicone preserves the efficacy of antioxidants much better than water, I would personally prefer slightly less silicone in my skincare products.

Overall, I would recommend this moisturizer to those with normal or normal-to-dry skin with no issue with excessive sebum. If any part of your skin tends to be oily, you might want to go for something lighter.

(The range also includes three other moisturizers, one for normal skin, one for dry skin and a body lotion.)

Related Posts:

Olay Multi-Radiance Daily Illuminating UV Fluid

Sunscreen Basics

10 Golden Skincare Rules


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New Skincare Range: Shiseido Elixir Prior

by PJ on Tuesday, October 21, 2008

in -Shiseido, skincare

(image and info from www.nikkei.co.jp)

Shiseido‘s skincare and base makeup range, Elixir Superior, targets those in their thirties and forties. On November 21st, a new Elixir range, Elixir Prior, will be launched in Japan and will target consumers in their sixties.

According to Nikkei Net, in 2007, the beauty market for those over sixties occupies 19% of the whole beauty market in Japan and shows a remarkable 104% increase from 2006. The launch of Elixir Prior is responding to this market shift.

The launch lineup will include a face soap, a toner, a moisturizing lotion, a moisturizing cream, and a daytime sunscreen (SPF 30, PA+++). I am sure the line will be expanded later on.

This launch happens to echo what I mentioned earlier about the launch of Voce Platinum, the beauty magazine for more mature readers. It seems that we are witnessing a new dimension in the Japanese beauty scene.

Related Posts:

Shiseido d Program Revamped

Japanese Cosmetics Focus: Kanebo Freeplus

Genre Focus: Whitening Skincare Products

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Japanese Cosmetics Focus: ECM

by PJ on Wednesday, October 8, 2008

in _Japanese Brand Profile, -ECM, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup, skincare

(all images from ecm-cosme.jp)


ECM is a relatively young brand launched around two years ago. Owned by Lissage Ltd. (which is part of the Kanebo Company), ECM is unique in the sense that it started out only with a base makeup line and then recently branched out to skincare.Now ECM also features a fragrance, but the brand is still best known by far for its array of base makeup items, all packaged in deep magenta cases. The range includes primer, cream foundation, two-way foundation, loose powder, concealer (in cream and crayon forms), and a pressed powder specifically for covering pores.

(ECM base makeup lineup)


The first time that ECM caught my attention was in 2006 when its Tsuya Cream Foundation was chosen as Foundation of the Year by beauty experts for Japan’s FRAU magazine. One of the experts described it as “the queen of natural finish“.

 

(ECM Tsuya Cream Foundation)

I don’t usually wear a cream foundation, so I haven’t been very interested in it. But I think I will definitely check out the loose powder and the pore-covering pressed powder when I go to Japan again.

(ECM is available in Japan only, as far as I am aware. In Tokyo, it is available in Keio Shinjuku, Seibu Shibuya, and Seibu Yurakucho, among other places. The ECM website is for information only and does not offer on-line ordering.)

Related Posts:

Beauty Shopping Guide – Tokyo

Japanese Cosmetics Focus – Kanebo Freeplus

Japanese Cosmetics Focus – Sony Vecua

 

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Shiseido d Program Revamped

by PJ on Monday, September 29, 2008

in -Shiseido, all about Japanese cosmetics, skincare

(image from www.shiseido.co.jp/dp)
In my earlier post on Freeplus, which is Kanebo’s skincare line for sensitive skin, I mentioned that Shiseido’s d Program would be the equivalent. On October 21, most of the basic items in d Program will be revamped.

The main appeal of the d Program range is that the products are free from fragrance, mineral oil, and parabens, and the new products should continue this ethos. According to Nikkei Net, the new releases will focus on caring for “lifestyle sensitive skin“, which refers to skin sensitivity due to lifestyle factors such as daily stress and lack of sleep. The products are designed to be gentle and suitable for fragile and reactive skin.

The new items are divided into three “Programs”: Balance Care Program (for dehydrated oily skin that is occasionally prone to acne, in blue bottles), Acne Care Program (in orange bottles), and Moist Care Program (for dry skin, in pink bottles).

Shiseido’s d Program is sold in Asia, and the website is for information only.

Updated on January 11th, 2010:

Check out Innerchild’s review of Shiseido d Program Conditioning Wash.

Related Posts:

Kanebo Freeplus New Releases

Genre Focus – Whitening Skincare Products

Beauty Spending – Where do you fit into this?

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L’Oréal De-maq Expert Makeup Remover

by PJ on Monday, September 1, 2008

in -L'Oréal, skincare, skincare - cleansing/toning, stash focus

(Velvet Creme Wash Expert Makeup Remover)

The De-maq Expert range is a relatively new line of cleansers from L’Oréal. I bought the Velvet Creme Wash Expert Makeup Remover last year and I have been using it on and off for a while.

It is a gel-cream makeup remover that foams somewhat like a face wash. (The main ingredients are emollients that can dissolve makeup. Decyl glucoside, a mild detergent, appears later in the list, after the emollients, water, and glycerin.) The direction on the back says, “Apply a small amount of Velvet Creme to damp skin using your fingertips. Gently massage into a creamy lather to foam and then rinse with water.”

It doesn’t really foam up in my hands like a face wash does, but it does slowly lather up as I apply it and gently massage my face. The lather is very cushiony and is not the kind of frothy/bubbly lather from an usual face wash. It dissolves the foundation quite quickly.

(When I don’t use a cleansing oil, I almost always use a bi-phase cleanser to remove my eye/lip makeup first. Like how I tested waterproof mascara removal with Dior’s Cleansing Gelee, I put Maybelline’s Volum’ Express Waterproof on the back of my hand, waited for it to dry up, and tried to remove it. I found that it did take a lot of massaging to dissolve the mascara.)

It takes more water to rinse than normal foaming face washes, but, as a cream cleanser, it rinses fine. There is still minimal emollient residue, and I usually use a face wash (with one-third of the amount I use in the morning) right afterwards.

Overall, I like it and don’t like it at the same time. I like it because it does do the job for me while not irritating my skin and it doesn’t drag my skin like many cream cleansers do during the massaging (mainly because it foams gently). But, what sometimes bothers me is how heavily scented it is. There are times when I can still smell the cleanser after using a face wash and having a shower. It is a little unsettling as I feel that I haven’t rinsed it off thoroughly, although it is clearly not the case.

I have still been using it alternately with my trusted RMK Cleansing Oil N (partly to save cost, since RMK Cleansing Oil N is about three times more expensive), but, as a cream-based cleanser, I think I slightly prefer Dior’s Cleansing Gelee mentioned earlier.

Related Posts:

Simple Moisturising Foaming Facial Wash

Johnson’s Eye Makeup Remover

Crème de la Mer The Cleansing Fluid

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The Body Shop "Stop Violence in the Home" Campaign

by PJ on Tuesday, August 26, 2008

in -The Body Shop, skincare

(image from The Body Shop)

For the fourth time, The Body Shop is teaming up with Women’s Aid to launch the 2008 “Stop Violence in the Home” campaign in the UK.

This campaign focuses on and draws inspiration from the result of the study (by Ipsos MORI on behalf of The Body Shop) which shows that 59% of women are more likely to confide in a friend if affected by domestic violence.

Based on the idea of friendship and sharing, the “For You, for Me” Shea Lip Care Stick Duo includes two identical lip balms. They include Community Trade shea butter.

The Duo retails for £7.00, and £4.80 of every sale goes to Women’s Aid.

You can click on the links to find out more about the “Stop Violence in the Home” Campaign as well as Women’s Aid.

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