Thursday, July 24, 2008

Reviews Of My Skincare Products

Reiterating from my first post, I am going to start off with reviews of the products in my daily routine skincare set :D It's going to be a long post, with many items to cover though!



Let's start off with the cleansers. I have two cleansers: one for day and one for night. My day cleanser is the Cellnique Paramedical Seaweed Cleansing Gel and my night cleanser is the Cellnique Paramedical Gentle Foaming Cleanser.

Cellnique Paramedical Seaweed Cleansing Gel is green coloured and smells of peppermint, because one of the ingredients is peppermint oil, but it's main ingredients are green tea and algae. It's mainly for normal/sensitive skin, and costs RM 99 for 200 ml. I use it in the mornings to cleanse my skin from the built-up it might have or has accumulated throughout the night, and as since it has antioxidant protection it works well when you're out at the day and exposed to all sorts of pollution and free radicals. Coupled with the rest of my regiment my skin doesn't get too oily or shiny later in the day though :D

Cellnique Paramedical Gentle Foaming Cleanser is almost white-ish in colour and smells lovely- like fruits. It's main ingredients are alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) and tomato, and it's mainly for normal/combination skin. Costs RM 109 for a 200 ml bottle too. I use it at nights to "deep cleanse" as AHAs can be exfoliating in a way (Although this is not abrasive at all), hence renewing my skin at the same time. Killing two birds with one stone! I can't use this in the mornings as I find that it makes my skin get oily or shiny later in the day, but used at night it keeps it clear... so yeah. A working combination here :P

Both cleansers seem to be able to last a very long time as only a little is needed for a full cleansing experience.



After cleansing, I proceed with my toner- Cellnique Paramedical Soothing & Hydrating Lotion. It comes in a convienient spray bottle- I generally spray about five sprays onto a cotton pad and wipe it all over my face, avoiding my eye area of course, and that's enough for me. It smells of ginger, and although I don't like eating ginger I don't mind the smell XD My face feels a bit tingly in a tightening way (But not drying or pulling though) after application with shrunken pores, and does feel smooth after a while. I can feel and see it calming any redness I might have after cleansing as well. It's RM 79 for a 200 ml bottle.



Next comes serum in form of Shiseido Eudermine Revitalising Essence. Previously I used SK-II Facial Treatment Essence, but at RM 289 for a 150 ml bottle it was getting pricey, so I sought for an alternative and found it. Plus, it's also one of the Japanese prized beauty secrets anyway and one of Shiseido's oldest product :P It's way cheaper at RM 149 for 125 ml and comes in a really lovely glass bottle with stopper and packaging! Honestly, it works just as well if not better than the SK-II Facial Treatment Essence for me. The smell is lovely, it's fast-absorbing, softening, moisturising and doesn't make my skin look very oily or shiny later. In fact it kept my skin more matte than usual. And using it on a cotton pad (Dab on cotton pad three times for me) is much better and more saving than pouring it on the hands and applying it to the face as opposed to the SK-II Facial Treatment Essence. The reason I'm using a serum is because my facial skin is rather temperamental- open pores with some dryness and oiliness as well (Hence two cleansers as well), and serums help keep my skin in check and Shiseido Eudermine Revitalising Essence does the job well to me :)



My moisturiser is SK-II Aqua Physics Hydrating Gel, a product from SK-II I really love. A truly hydrating moisturiser that works for me. It has a gel-like texture and consistency, but unlike most gel moisturisers it delivers its moisturising properties well. It may feel a little sticky upon application, but after a while it "soaks" in the skin and skin feels soft and smooth, and that feeling literally lasts the whole day! It's RM 205 for a 50 g jar, and very worth the money though since the last jar lasted more than 4 months for me- as I also only used very little to apply on my whole face. I've tried Creme de la Mer's The Moisturising Gel Cream sample, but it didn't hydrate well enough for me as my skin felt taut instead, so yeah... sticking with my SK-II Aqua Physics Hydrating Gel :P



For my eye area, I either use the leftover Creme de la Mer's The Moisturising Gel Cream sample or Origins A Perfect World For Eyes, although I generally use the latter. I forgot how much it costs since I got mine for second hand and cheap, but I think it's RM 100+ for a 15 ml bottle, although like all good items you only need a bit of it. I like how the skin area around my eyes feel smooth after application, and doesn't affect the eyeliner I apply afterwards should I use it. The antioxidant effects offered are a factor that got me buying it too >_>



I complete my daily skincare routine with Shiseido Pureness Pore Minimising Essence since as mentioned I have open pores I'd like to take care of, and this product helps a lot. It smells very nice and has a a cooling effect, and you can really see the pores shrink once it is applied. Of course, pores don't immediately disappear and/or shrink forever (They almost never do), but over time it did help me reduce their size. Another plus is that it also helps keeps skin matte and smooth. This costs RM 93 for a 30 ml tube- but since you only need to apply it to areas affected by enlarged pores, it's a no-brainer that it can last quite a while.



Once a week, I mask with Cellnique Paramedical Intensive Soothing & Hydrating Masque. My only gripe with it is that it's a wipe-off mask, not a rinse-off, and wiping the mask off, although it is a gel-like texture and consistency, can prove a daunting task and I don't feel it's thoroughly "clean", so I tend to rinse a little after wiping. Otherwise, it's a highly hydrating mask, and whenever I get blemishes it really works to soothe out the redness and swelling of the pimple. On normal skin days (And blemished days as well of course) it makes my face look rather glowing and radiant, and keeps the skin soft and supple. The price is RM 99 for a 50 ml pump-tube.



I also scrub once a week, using the Shiseido Pureness Pore Purifying Warming Scrub though not on the day of using the mask. It's RM 79 for a 50 ml tube. This scrub is used on dry skin and applied with dry hands, and once applied is warm, but not burning. Instead, it's quite soothing. The texture is grainy and takes a little getting used to, but after rinsing you can feel that the skin has visibly softened up, and true to its name and range pores are again minimised. Followed up with the rest of my skincare products, my skin does look flawless! It's recommended to be used once or twice a week, but due to my skin condition I only use it once a week. Excess scrubbing is also not recommended, so massage it on for only about 30 seconds.

Next I'll be reviewing my makeup products. Not like they'll be a LOT of products to review, but yeah :P

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