Tinted Moisturizer -Physicians Formula - Organic Wear - Light to Natural 
Papilion 5/3/2013 7:42:00 PM
I've been wearing BB creams (Skin79, Missha Perfect Cover) and wanted something lighter and more natural. I have decent skin with small breakouts on the T zone, which this doesn't cover but rather, blurs. And that's the exact effect I want. I like having my natural skin show through. This tinted moisturizer gives a very mask-like effect when I first put it on (I use my fingers and blend well) and covers extraordinarily well for something with such a light texture, but as the day wears on it becomes like a second skin--it stays on well for 8+ hours, perhaps fading a bit to make it even more natural. I looked at my reflection one night when I just started wearing it, and exclaimed, "My skin looks so good!". My boyfriend agreed, and he's the kind who does kind of notice these things, and another guy friend commented "You look so beautiful today!?" (Always the tone of surprise.) I use it on days when I feel like my skin needs to be evened out and when I have larger blemishes. It gives me a "good skin" look. The packaging is pretty good for drugstore, and the price is reasonable as it lasts for a while and you don't need more than a dollop each time. I'm a big fan.
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Toners -Unlisted Brand - Hada Labo Arbutin Whitening Lotion
Papilion 8/3/2012 11:00:00 PM
On a recent trip to Japan, I was constantly drawn to the packed drugstores that had aisles and aisles of skin care and makeup, and spent hours just wandering and admiring. Hada Labo was one of the only brands I recognized, and it was also highly promoted. My mother who is over 40 was in need of a toner, and I helped her choose this lotion. Despite being nearly half a century old, my mother always had very youthful looks, but the only thing that contradicted her lack of wrinkles was her rather dull skin. She used the Hada Labo lotion for about a month before we all noticed the change! (She did not change anything else in her skin care routine.) I don't really like the word 'whitening', so I shall say that her complexion is alot brighter and with a rosy glow! The Hada Labo lotion has rejuvenated her skin and brightened it up, and she now looks not a day over the lower end of thirty. She has had comments from the girls at her facial centre about her bright and radiant skin, and also from her friends. Even I, who is always the critical daughter who never fails to tell the truth with no coddling (I try to improve on that) find myself telling her often how radiant and pretty her skin is (read: I told her we now actually look like mother and daughter as I have always been extra fair). In fact, I just did so just now, which propelled me to write this review. Hada Labo is reasonably priced as there is quite a large amount in the bottle, and the packaging is very Japanese--sleek, pretty, elegant. I do highly suggest anyone who wants their skin rejuvenated to try this lotion out. The Japanese do have very porcelain, fair skin and if that's the look you too love, Japanese skin care is the way to go. :)
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Skincare - Face -Unlisted Brand - Grapeseed oil
Papilion 7/27/2012 7:16:00 AM
Wow, just WOW. It's been around a year since I've jumped into natural skincare, but somehow it's still easy to be lured into the fantasies large companies feed you. For the past month or so I've been dabbling in those "vintage skincare" items, especially Nivea products. Don't get me wrong, they aren't bad, and not rip-offs. Then I began to breakout on my forehead and even on my nose and chin, which almost NEVER happens. While I never had perfectly clear skin (whyyyyy) the only breakouts I usually got were small, barely noticeable whiteheads, and only on my forehead. I've been sleeping and eating well, exercising, all that stuff, so I could only attribute it to my skin care. Last night I was too busy socializing to sleep well and today my face looked dull, uneven, and so much older. I had been using shea butter during winter but ditched it for Nivea Soft as it's now summer (and Hong Kong is really a place to experience global warming), forgetting grapeseed oil. Grapeseed oil, the topic I seemed to have digressed from, was the first natural/oil product I EVER used, and I remember waking up from it with NO excess oil on my skin (combination skin) yet left it supple and just SO smooth/soft/glowing/bright/justwonderful. In desperation this afternoon (fueled by recent unpleasant memories of people assuming I was 5+ years older) I cleansed my face in the middle of the day and patted grapeseed oil on it. Or rather, slathered, really. (I also spray drinking water on a couple times to assist absorption--I highly recommend this especially if you feel the oil is only sitting on your skin and making it oily and greasy.) I had a six sense (or maybe it was my skin talking) that I had finally done something right. TWO HOURS LATER, my skin is glowing! soft! calmed! even-toned! beautiful! radiant! ------- I am stunned. Silly, silly me is kicking myself for leaving grapeseed oil, the perfect summer moisturizer. In two hours I swear I look five years younger, e.g. my actual age, my face is GLOWING (not the same as shiny), and I am glancing at my BB creams/foundations rather smugly. I've always been the type to feel smug when not needing something. EDIT: A while later, about a week or so, my skin looks better than ever. The breakouts have ceased and even when I have one or two larger ones, they go away very soon. Also, I recently moved to a much drier place and found that my skin out of all my friends (who use commercial products) and fellow travelers alone stayed moisturized and supple with no dryness. I think grapeseed oil regulates your oil production as well as really "fixing" your skin. A true winner. Oh look, a huge essay. Whoops! But I was so incredulous to such improvement in 120 minutes that I had to scramble on to makeupalley to gush. In short, grapeseed oil is lightweight and ideal for summer. It does not break me out, and I actually believe that it calms down my skin and reduces the severity of zits. I use about 3 drops for my face, cocentrating on my dryer cheeks. DO pat on a little water, oils need water to absorb well. For those with dryer skins I suggest adding an extra drop of avocado or rosehip seed oil, which are my winter favourites. Oilier skins can also try out grapeseed oil because it's really quite light, and naturally I recommend this to all combination skin beauties (sufferers), being one myself.
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Mascara -Too Faced - Lash Injection
Papilion 4/16/2012 6:34:00 AM
I actually love this mascara. I prefer the dry consistency, it leaves lashes looking very thick and still does a good amount of lengthening. I get asked if I'm wearing false eyelashes with this one,so definitely will buy again! The price isn't great, but for those looking for the perfect mascara I personally recommend this one as I hardly ever need to try out any other mascaras which in the long-term spends less. It has an odd orangey scent, which I find unnecessary but rather funny, because who smells their eyelashes? Who can? XD I've tried a so-called dupe, the Prestige MBL which wasn't bad, but nothing compared to this.
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