Concealers -BeneFit Cosmetics - Boi-ing
Overload 5/6/2013 8:55:00 AM
I LOVE this concealer. It is my favorite concealer ever, and I would definitely repurchase. I don't even look at other concealers anymore, as I doubt any concealer could come close to Boi-ing. I have yellow toned, Indian skin and use NC44 in MAC Studio Fix Fluid, but C6 in Face & Body seems to be the best match from MAC. I use the shade 04 from Boi-ing, which I can't describe else than a yellow. When I initially put it on my face, it seems like a dark, browny yellow and when I blend it in it matches my skin perfectly. The color match couldn't be better, as it blends in seamlessly with my undereyes and cheeks. It is a bit light on the forehead and chin (the parts of my face that are a tinier bit darker) but when I blend it in it disappears as well. Other than the color match, I especially love the fact that it is intensely pigmented (just like a concealer should be) and stays put all day long. I put this on at 7 in the morning and usually come home at 7 in the evening and it hasn't budged. I do sometimes pat my undereyes because it has the tendency to crease if I put on too much, but every single concealer I have ever used creases on me so I am used to patting my undereyes now and then so that my concealer is always blended in. It is a creamy concealer in a small pot, that warms up if you use it with your fingers. I would never use this with a brush, as I do think it really needs to be warmed up when you apply it to be sure it blends in. I apply a little bit of mineral powder on top, but only to set it because this concealer gives me enough coverage. I suffered from acne and acne scarring, and my acne scars turned a deep shade of red to purple on my cheeks. When I put Boi-ing on it, it is so intensely yellow it almost functions like a corrector and it corrects the redness/purpleness out of my scars and gives me an even tone. I recommend Boi-ing to everyone who needs a pigmented concealer and likes creamy concealers, and don't mind working with their fingers. It really is industrial strenght. I really recommend the shade 04 to yellow skintones, as it is such a yellow concealer it blends in beautifully. My friend, who is also very yellow but lighter than me, uses 03 and it works great for her as well so definitely worth checking out.
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Liquid -Maybelline - Fit Me Foundation
Overload 5/6/2013 8:43:00 AM
I bought this a while back in shade 315, which is a brown shade with seemingly orange undertones. I am usually NC44 in MAC, and compared to NC 44 it is a tiny bit lighter but has the same yellow/orangy undertones. To me, this is a light to medium coverage foundation, with a very thin and runny texture. I personally prefer foundation with medium coverage and a bit thicker texture that stays put on your face. This foundation is easy to blend, and does not seem to break me out, but it doesn't match my (yellow) NC44 skintone completely which is why I don't reach for it as much. If I use this foundation with the Fit Me powder in 315, I get medium coverage and a very natural result that I would wear daily if the color match was better. It is by no means a "evening" foundation to me, it is too light to really give you that flawless looking skin, but it does cover light imperfections and evens out the skintone.
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Liquid -Sephora - Hydrating & Smoothing Foundation
Overload 5/6/2013 8:34:00 AM
I'm surprised this foundation has so many bad reviews, I loved this foundation for years. I especially loved it for the color match, as D35 is precisely my skin color. No other foundation has ever matched me as well as D35. It is a very yellow brown, that I think would suit all skintones with yellow undertones. MAC NC44 is a tiny bit too dark for me, but NC42 is too light for me. I currently use MAC NC44, but in comparison with Sephora D35, MAC is slightly orangy or not yellow enough even though NC is generally a yellow line. This is quite a "thick" (not cakey) foundation, that blends well IMO. It has medium coverage, but I always used Sephora's Mineral Powder in D35 as well and that combination would give me full coverage. When I had better skin, I used to blend this foundation with Clarins Beauty Flash Balm and apply it with my fingers and it would give me a very natural result. The only reason I don't like this anymore is because it is starting to break me out. I used this without problems for 2-3 years though, and I still think it's great a mid range brand like Sephora has such a great color range. I don't know why it's breaking me out, but I have discontinued use and might try it again in a few months.
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Lipstick -MAC - Matte - Taupe
Overload 5/6/2013 8:24:00 AM
This is a great matte, nude lip for darker skintones. I have Indian, NC44 skin and this is one of the only nudes that does not wash me out. It is a peach/pinky-brown on me, but more brown than pink. I love the matte finish, and it stays on for several hours. I do have to emphasize my eyes when I wear this, but I have to do this with al nudes because my face can fall a little flat when wearing nudes.
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Treatments -Good Skin - Equinol Dark Spot Concentrate
Overload 5/6/2013 8:13:00 AM
This is a dark spot corrector from Good Skin Labs, that promises 55 % reduction in size and color of dark spots in 12 weeks. It is aimed at discoloration caused by hyperpigmentation and acne scarring. I am always looking for dark spot correctors and have tried many in the past. This is the first one that I am sure of really worked for me. The promise that it makes is ambitious, but not unrealistic as it did in fact reduced my acne scarring in about three months. Equinol is a Vitamin C based product. It also has many extracts, of which I only recognize Mulberry root extract as a lightening ingredient. It also contains salicylic acid and vitamin E (lower on the list). It comes in a 20 ML tube and has a thin, transparent serum like texture. It disappears into the skin in about five minutes (on me). It can feel a little bit tacky sometimes, but not very much and I always apply a moisturizer after I use this. I used this product every morning and evening, and also had a skincare regimen that consisted of AHAs and BHAs and protected my skin religiously with SPF 50 PA +++. I think that is the only way to make a dark spot corrector truly work. I did this for more than three months, but saw results within the three month mark. I think it is very important to be consistent and give your scarring time to heal before it can disappear. My acne scars did not disappear completely within 3 months, but became very light and a bit smaller. Nobody hardly noticed them, and I was able to not wear foundation on a daily basis anymore. I think my scars disappeared completely within 6 to 9 months. This seems like a lot, and it is, but I have Asian (Indian) skin and am very sensitive to hyperpigmentation/discoloration. It is expensive, in my country it is sold for € 35 for 20 ML, but I think if skincare works it is often worth the money. Another con for me is that even though it did get rid of my acne scarring, it did not get rid of my hyperpigmentation around my mouth. I have slight hyperpigmentation that is probably hormonal/genetic. I've had it for years and I think it's too stubborn for a over the counter product to take care of it. As with most skincare products, they all work differently for us individually. With dark spot correctors, you really have to try out different products before you'll find one that works for you and has ingredients that work on your skin. I definitely recommend this to everyone that suffers from hyperpigmentation or acne scarring as I think you'll have a good chance of getting red of "fresh" scars with a product like this.
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Treatments -Vichy - Normaderm Night Chrono-Active Anti-Imperfection Care
Overload 5/3/2013 1:37:00 PM
I am a fan of the Vichy Normaderm line (the cleanser, toner and day moisturizer), but this product did not work at all for my oily, acne-prone skin. I bought this as Night care because I wanted to use the entire Vichy Normaderm line, but this is the one product that I am certain contributed to my break outs. This product is a bit of a thicker moisturizer than I am used to, that does spread/blend well and leaves the skin feeling moisturized but not treated well against acne. It also has a very tacky finish, leaving the skin a bit greasy and over-moisturized. I would not recommend this to oily skins, though I can see how it would maybe work for combination skins. I think it is very personal, but I did not like this product at all. It is too heavy for my skin, it did not feel like it did anything for my skin and it broke me out. I actually ended up using the Vichy Normaderm Day Care moisturizer as Night Care, because I didn't like this product, and now my regimen does seem to work.
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Cleansers -Vichy - Normaderm Deep Cleansing Gel
Overload 5/3/2013 1:25:00 PM
I have oily, acne prone skin that has been struggling with acne for a while. I switched to the entire Vichy Normaderm skincare and have already used up three bottles of this stuff. I used to use a light Clarins (Eclat du Jour) cleanser, that was way too light for me to get rid of all my make-up and clean my skin. This Vichy cleanser is a lot stronger, and I do feel that it cleans my skin well but doesn't leave it completely stripped off. When I use this and dry my skin, it feels a little squeeky clean, but not uncomfortably. When I clean my skin with this cleanser and then use toner, my toner pad/cotton ball is always grey and never brown, which hopefully means there is only dead skin cells on there and no make-up. I never use this to get rid of my make-up (I wear concealer and foundation) AND clean my skin, but I use a simple gel cleanser to get rid of my make-up and then use this to clean my skin. In the morning I use it once to clean my skin, in the evening I use it twice because I wear a lot of foundation and have noticed that if I don't clean my skin properly it breaks me out. This cleanser contains (2 % I believe) salicylic acid. I always thought it was nonsense to use cleansers with active ingredients, but my dermatologist told me salicylic acid in cleansers is effective and can definitely help with break outs and acne. In terms of my own acne, I think the entire Normaderm range is helping me batteling acne, so if you have acne-prone skin this might help. I think my acne is getting less and less since I have been using this line, and if I ever switch skincare lines I think I would still use this cleanser because it is so effective. Out of the entire Normaderm line, I think this cleanser and the Hydrating Day Care are the best, though I also use the toner that also contains salicylic acid and also works for me. I would recommend this to combination to oily and oily skin, but it is more for people who are a bit on the oilier side, I think. Though it is not a harsh cleanser, so it wouldn't wreck havoc on combination skin. It is a very simple, but effective cleanser in handy packaging (I have a pump bottle) and it is not too expensive in my opinion.
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Toners -Vichy - Normaderm Purifying Astringent Toner
Overload 5/3/2013 1:24:00 PM
I have oily, acne prone skin and have recently switched to the Vichy Normaderm skincare range in hopes of getting rid of my acne. I use the cleanser, this toner and the Hydrating Day Care moisturizer. Out of those three products, I love this toner the least. This toner contains salicylic acid, and also alcohol. It sometimes stings my skin, which is why I don't LOVE it. How ever, I do think it actually works on my skin and my skin feels very clean and soft and even a bit hydrated after using this. I am one of the few people who is not against alcohol in toners, as I have noticed that toners without alcohol do not work on my skin as well as toners with alcohol. My skin gets dryer and flakier with toners without alcohol. This is also one of the first toners that I have used that actually works a bit like a physical exfoliant for me. I always use my toners with a cotton ball, but for some reason whenever I use this and look at my cotton I see a lot of (grey) dead skin cells that I have exfoliated by just swiping the toner on my face. I do sometimes think it is a bit on the harsher side for a toner, as it stings on sensitive places (such as the corners of my nose, sides of my eyes). Because it contains salicylic acids and seems to get rid of my dead skin cells, I think it is worth the sometimes stinging though. I like the toner, but I don't LOVE it, I mainly like it for the salicylic acid and because I am afraid to try something outside of the Vichy Normaderm line for a while I will repurchase at least until my acne is cleared up. I believe very much in toners, I think it is a necessary step and if you want to properly care for your skin you should always CTM (cleanse, tone, moisturize) and obviously wear sunscreen. I would recommend this to people who don't mind alcohol in their toners, who can handle a little exfoliation through their toners and who have combination to oily or oily skin. It is not a very soft toner, but more a effective toner for oily skin that has hydrating properties (in my opinion).
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Moisturizers -Vichy - Normaderm Anti-Imperfection Hydrating Care
Overload 5/3/2013 1:15:00 PM
I have oily, acne-prone skin and have been suffering from (hormonal) acne for the last couple of months. I switched from the Clarins Eclat du Jour skincare to Vichy Normaderm in hopes of getting rid of my acne. I used a very light Gel-Cream before switching to this moisturizer, and really had to get used to the consistency of this moisturizer. It is quite thick, but still refreshing, and sometimes stingy. For me, it takes a while to blend it out over my entire skin, as it is not a very thin moisturizer (which is what I usually use). I think this definitely helped in diminishing my acne, and I think the ingredients are really effective for oily, acne-prone skin. It also feels hydrating, so it will actually prevent your skin from making more oil because it feels dehydrated. I think every skincare product is a matter of trying out and seeing how it works for you, but I would definitely recommend this to everyone with mild acne problems and combination to oily or oily skin. The only problem I have with this is that it does NOT work well with my make up at all, it balls up and rolls up into tiny white balls/rolls/flakes, which makes it impossible for me to wear my sunscreen and make-up on top. Whenever I wear this moisturizer and touch my face, I immediately feel white balling/rolling which is not convenient at all for daytime, but okay for nighttime, so I actually use this as Night care in stead of Day care.
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Moisturizers -Shiseido - Pureness Moisturizing Gel-Cream
Overload 5/3/2013 1:08:00 PM
I have a love/hate affair with Shiseido. I love the brand, I love that it is Japanese and that Japanese skincare is so innovative (especially concerning brightening skincare) but when I look at the ingredient lists of many Shiseido products I do not see amazing ingredients that one should get for the prices we are paying. I have oily, acne-prone skin that has been breaking out severely for the last couple of months. I use this Moisturizing Gel-Cream in lieu of the Clarins Eclat du Jour Gel-Cream, because I heard this moisturizer was better for acne-prone skin and had anti-bacterial properties. It is a very "simple" moisturizer, feels very light and refreshing to my skin, but is not particularly hydrating. I feel like it is more soothing than it is hydrating or moisturizing, and I also thinks it puts a thin (protective) layer over my skin. I like the feeling of the moisturizer, as it's very light and when blended disappears into the skin except for that very thin layer. The moisturizer goes well with make-up and sunscreen, and doesn't roll up or ball up. I think it actually does have anti-bacterial properties, because my acne has diminished significantly, but I do not think that it is a wonder product or that it completely gets rid of acne. I think it is a great no-fuss moisturizer for people with oily skin (if you have combination skin, I think this might be too light for the dry parts of your skin), that feels nice and light on the skin, but you shouldn't expect miracles from it. I would repurchase it because I like that it doesn't break me out and even seems to help me with my acne, has a nice feeling, leaves my skin smooth and works well with make-up. I think the Clarins Gel-Cream is very similar to this moisturizer, maybe a bit thicker (the Shiseido Gel-Cream is VERY thin, almost watery at first, I had to get used to it), and more targeted at combination skin than oily skin.
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Treatments -Clinique - Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector
Overload 5/3/2013 12:58:00 PM
This product did not work for me at all. It claims to even out your skin and get rid of hyperpigmentation if you use it twice a day with a sunscreen. I did exactly that and saw no results. The active (lightening) ingredient is a complex that mostly consists out of vitamin C, and the packaging is good enough to keep the vitamin C stable, but somehow it did not work on my skin. I used two bottles of 30 ml each and it had no effect on my skin at all. A lot of people say good things about this corrector, both online and offline and I can also see why people love the product as the consistency is very light and apparently for some people this stuff really works. I think if you use a sunscreen daily and sensibly you will see the exact same changes, so for me personally, this was definitely not worth the money of two bottles. Brightening/lightening skincare is very specific and personal, so I think if you want to get rid of hyperpigmentation or acne scarring you have to try out different dark spot correctors in order to find out which ingredients are working for your skin.
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Treatments -Philosophy - Miracle Worker Dark Spot Corrector
Overload 5/3/2013 12:44:00 PM
I have combination to oily, acne-prone, Indian (NC44) skin. All my blemishes leave scars on my skin, that are significantly darker than my skintone. I also suffer from hyperpigmentation around my mouth and chin. I have tried many different dark spot correctors over time, and Philosophy is another one that did not work for me. I decided to pick it up because it was raved about on Paula's Choice/Beautypedia, and it had a high dosage of niacinamide, which is a good skincare ingredient with lightening properties, that I had never tried before. The product itself is a bit heavier than other dark spot correctors that I have used, it is less of a serum and more of a cream but still light enough to wear under a moisturizer. I think the packaging was good (opaque pump bottle) for the ingredients, and it did not break me out at all. I used the entire 30 ml, and only used it on the parts of my face with scarring and/or hyperpigmentation, and it changed absolutely nothing for me. My blemishes did not get significantly lighter, except for very slight gradual changes, that I am almost sure are just the results of time and sunscreen. For me this product did not work, but I've learned that skin lightening/brightening is extremely personal and has different results for everyone. You really have to find out which ingredients work for your skin. I think it is worth the try to see how your skin reacts to niacinamide, or if you are experimenting with dark spot correctors and want to avoid hydroquinone.
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Sunscreen -Unlisted Brand - Hada Labo UV Moist Emulsion SPF 50+ PA+++
Overload 6/18/2012 8:36:00 AM
This is my holy grain sunscreen, I have already went through about five or six bottles. This sunscreen does not leave a white cast at all (I am about NC40-45), is not oily but does moisturize (it is oily at first, but then it settles into my skin and leaves it quite matte), and gives good protection (zinc oxide and titanium dioxide). I am always looking for a high SPF that does not leave a white cast and is not oily, and I have tried lots of different brands, such as pharmacy brands (Eucerin, La Roche Posay, Vichy) and regular brands (Clarins, Chanel) and Japanese sunscreens (Sofina, Biore). The European sunscreens were either too oily and broke me out, or left a white cast on my skin, and the Japanese ones contained a lot of alcohol. This sunscreen by Hada Labo is the first one that does not contain any alcohol, is not oily, and does not leave a white cast on my face. It's amazing for any woman of color that does not want a white cast, for anyone that has combination skin (because it is not oily, but it does moisturize a little bit) and for people who wear makeup (on my skin it also works as a base/primer). The only con for me is that I go through it pretty quickly, I use about a teaspoon for my face and apply liberally and do about a month and a half with one bottle (38 ml). Another con is that it does feel a little bit oily at first, but then it settles into my skin and I only have a little bit of shine. Because I use powder foundation, it doesn't really matter to me. I also don't mind because I rather have this product than something with lots of alcohol that can irritate the skin, and this has not broken me out either. Edit (May 2013): I have now moved on to the Hada Labo UV Whitening Emulsion, which is basically the same product with added vitamin C against hyperpigmentation in a blue bottle. It works exactly the same for me, does not leave a white cast and is not oily. It has not really lightened either my scars or my overall skintone, but considering this version does not break me out and still protects my skin well, I think added vitamin C can't do me any harm.
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Conditioner -The Body Shop - Banana Nourishing Conditioner
Overload 7/29/2011 3:58:00 PM
I really loved the smell of this conditioner, which is why I bought it. It makes my hair pretty soft and shiny, but it doesn't untangle it like other conditioners. It also doesn't exactly leave a layer around my hair, like conditioners that I have previously used. This probably has to do with the fact that it doesn't have any silicones in it, and I really prefer silicones in my conditioners that leave a layer and prevent split ends/or make it seem as if I don't have split ends. This is why I won't be repurchasing. If you are looking for a silicone-free conditioner with a great smell, that leaves your hair light and soft, this is for you. If you are looking to prevent split ends (like me), you might need to look further.
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Cleansers -La Roche Posay - physiological micellar solution
Overload 7/29/2011 3:53:00 PM
This is a fairly good product. I have combination skin and my favourite type of cleanser is a gel cleanser that doesn't foam. However, I wanted to try a La Roche-Posay cleanser and my local store only had this one that was suited for my skintype, so I ended up using this. It cleans my skin well, has a extremely nice smell and is easy to use, so I really liked it. Unfortunately I started noticing that it breaks me out. I think this has to do with the fact that you don't have to rinse your face with water, because I get quite small little impurities (mainly on my forehead) when I use this cleanser and no real spots/blemishes that I normally get. So I only use this cleanser if I want to get my foundation off before I cleanse with a facewash, or if I am really lazy or on holiday because this cleanser is so easy to use.
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