Your skin will love you more if...

Nowadays, people are so lucky to have all kinds of products to help with keeping skin in good condition. However, I still think that the basic rules for having good skin shouldn't be forgotten, so here they are, my attempts to get everyone back to the basics:

1. Drink lots of water. Water helps detoxifying your body, flushing out unhealthy stuff inside your body which could in turn affect your skin condition.

2. Average adults need 7-8 hours sleep a night, try to go to bed before 10pm. (The Centre for Integrated Healing says, “From a complementary medicine perspective, an hour of sleep before midnight is worth 2 hours of sleep after midnight, because sleep before midnight optimizes melatonin production.”)

3. Clean your face before going to bed (no matter how tired you are!). There are lots of dirt which stick on your face every day, and they really shouldn't be a companion of your skin in bed, the accumulation of dirt can clog your pores and form sebum, cause skin infection which could turn into pimples. After cleansing, don't forget to apply a gentle night cream before sleeping.

4. Use moisturizing mask once or twice a week to keep your skin supple and moisturised.

5. Massage your face and neck in light circular motion with your fingers every day for 1-2 minutes to help with blood circulation.

6. Go to have a facial treatment once in two weeks for deep level skin cleansing and relaxation. Sometimes it's just good to not have to take care of your skin for a while, just let your beautician do the work!

These are my basic tips, if you have anything to add or comment, please feel free to post on the comment area.

Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas

Wish You have a Beautiful Christmas and have lots of joy & presents!

COSME-DE.COM

Be the Beautiful One

Christmas gifts 2010: Budget below USD20

Christmas is a season for gifts, but buying gifts can really "hurt" the wallet, especially under this kind of economy condition. So I have put up some BARGAIN gifts for you to choose from!

Fragrance 

(left to right) 

Anna Sui Flight of Fancy Eau de Toilette (4ml), USD8.00 - Save 36%

Anna Sui Flight of Fancy - Radiant and embracing, luscious and young, the floral-fresh fragrance leads to a dream world where blossoms sparkle in the sun. It is exactly here that a young woman can discover her true self.

A delicious burst of Litchi, Yuzu and Java Lemon entices exploration... what can be next? The soft floralcy of Star Magnolia, Rose Blossom and sheer Purple Rain Freesia awakens the heart to delight, as a warm undercurrent of Amber Crystals, Skin Musk, and White Woods create a tranquil serenity, stirring feelings she hasn't felt before.

Burberry London for Men Discovery Fragrances Set, USD15.00 - Save 41%

Burberry London for Men Discovery Fragrances Set includes:

• London for Men Eau de Toilette 0.15oz / 4.5ml
• London for Men Hair and Body Wash 1.7oz / 50ml
• London for Men After Shave Emulsion 1.7oz / 50ml

Jennifer Lopez Still (Eau de Parfum) (15ml), USD13.00 - Save 50%

Jennifer Lopez Still Eau de Parfum is sensual as sable over bare skin. As delicate as pink satin. As refreshing as a first sip of champagne. This fragrance is a sheer, sexy blend of fluid, spicy notes mingled with soft blossoms, warmed by soothing woods.

Jennifer Lopez Still Eau de Parfum has notes of sake, white pepper, mandarin, earl grey at the top, a bouquet of freesia, honeysuckle, orange flower and wild jasmine at the heart and a base of sandal wood, musks, ambers and orris.

Lips 

Etude House Hello Kitty Mini Lip Gloss (4.5g), USD8 - Save 50%

Etude House Hello Kitty Mini Lipgloss contains fruit scented in a lovely and mini design.

Kokuryudo Privacy Liquid Rouge, USD9.00 - Save 33%

Kokuryudo Privacy Liquid Rouge with soft in texture, and sharp in color. Your lips are gorgeous and sharp immediately. Lotion ingredients allow translucent but watery and sexy lips. Long- lasting wear. Fragrance-free.

Estée Lauder Pure Colour Long Lasting Lipstick (Mini), USD5.00, Save 50%

Pure impact, Pure luxury, Pure emotion, Pure Color - Estee Lauder Pure Color Long Lasting Lipstick - with luxurious formula pampers, comforts with Vitamins C and E plus natural moisturizers. Delicately fragranced with a delectable fresh fig scent. Intense, long-wearing color creates maximum impact.

Eyes

 

Bobbi Brown Shimmer Wash Eye Shadow, USD19.00, Save 30%

Bobbi Brown Shimmer Wash Eye Shadow contain light iredescent pearls to softly illuminate lids. Can be used on lids as shimmery liner, or as highlighter shade under brow bone.

Tame your messy hair

 

My hair is always a big problem for me, they are as dry as straw, that's how I usually call them. I tried numerous shampoo and conditioner, and none of them really help. I was about to give up recently, but accidentally, in a hotel room during my short trip, I found a set of L'Occitane 5 Essential Oils Shampoo and Conditioner. And they revived my hair.


The shampoo is not so foamy which I didn't feel very comfortable with at first, because I always think that only foamy shampoo can clean my hair thoroughly, anyway, at least the smell was quite nice, I thought to myself in the shower room. But the conditioner felt good on the hair, very pampering for the hair, smell is light as the shampoo.


The result wasn't significant until the next morning (I wash hair in evenings normally, so my hair can have a whole night to get back in shape, well, better shape at least). When I saw myself in the mirror, I was like: "wow, this is the very first time which I don't need a hair straightener!". My hair was soft and straight and shiny (well, of course not as shiny as in hair product TV ads, but much shinier than normal).


I was so pleased with their performance, and of course this L'Occitane set has now become my bathroom essential!

Tips: No liquid eyeliner pen should be brought on the plane

It's like this on the plane, and it's like this ever since! It's been over a week already, and it's impossible to use, it just smudge all over the eyelid...so sad! It has to be thrown away I guess.

So, don't bring this type of eyeliner on a plane ride.

With this set, Winter is not scary anymore

I am sure many people are like me, going through an on-going journey, looking for the perfect moisturiser. Good news! I think I have found mine! And not just one, but a whole set of them!

Laneige Water Bank Essence Special Set

This is a set of what I would call "all-rounded" skincare set, from essence to sleeping gel to emulsion to emulsion to moisturise cream. And the essence is 60ml! Normally the essence is the smallest among a set, right?

Use them all every night you will witness the significant change on your skin's suppleness, I especially love the sleeping pack, very easy to use, no need to wash, just sleep through it, then the next morning, the skin is fresh and "bouncy".

Try it for yourself, you will understand what I meant!

A facial mask you(r skin) can "eat"

I am always lazy to put on masks, so in order to stimulate my interests, I look for interesting masks. This time, I found this, The Face Shop Strawberry Yogurt Pack, I almost mistaken that The Face Shop has started selling healthy yogurt of their own, you know, it's not unpopular for brands to do that these days.


After I examined the pack, I realised it's facial mask and immediately fall in love by the "yogurt" packing. And it doesn't just have a good look, the smell is really nice and sweet. The after-effect is fresh and moisturising, leaving your skin with a slight sweet strawberry taste. Yum!


If all masks are of similar moisturisation function and effect, I'd rather choose something which is more interesting and "edible" (well, at least it looks like it is :P).

Kill the irritating ulcer in no time!

Summer is always the peak ulcer period for me, probably because of the hot and humid weather and lots of deep fried snacks, what I always use is an ulcer gel, but the problem with it is that you have to dry the ulcer before applying and the worst thing is, you have to hold your mouth open and stop talking in order not to  wet that area and sweep away the gel.


Great that now I found this Taisho Mouth Ulcer Patch, you basically just need to stick it onto the ulcer and then the pain will be lessened, the healing time is faster than the gel!


I love this product!

L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream

I first got this L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream a couple years ago as a birthday gift from my friend. Since then, I have never stopped using it, especially in winter. I mentioned other hand cream I used before, no matter how many brands I tried, I would always go back to this one. Yes, this is how addicted I am, it's a core item of my skincare collection.

The thing I love most about it is the smell, the smell of babies (a hint of mutton smell too), I know some people can't stand the smell. It's like either you like it or hate it. Every time I used it, I can't help smelling my hands time and time again. (sounds obsessive, I know, and I am! :P)

Of course, you can't love a hand cream just for its smell, it has to be moisturising too. This product can be absorbed easily, but not watery, leaving your hands feeling supple and soft.

Keep using it and you will see the result yourself. I hope you will like it as much as I do.

You are also welcome to share your favourite with me in the comment!

Summer should be colourful: OPI

I am sure no one would disagree if I say summer should be flowery, colourful and happy. And so if any packaging that give me this feeling, I would be very tempted to buy them. Like this one, OPI Summer Flutter Minis.

I just can't resist it, the colours, the flowers, the box, oh so nice! All four colours are bright and easy to match, so get them and start showing off eye-catching summer finger and toe nails (that's what sandals are for, right?) colours!

BAWANG Anti-Hair Fall Pack

My friends always tell me that BAWANG shampoo really works but it has a very strong herbal smell, and THAT is what stopped me from buying.

Then why did I buy it at the end? It was when I found that quite a lot of my hair fell off for a continuous period, and it really bothered me. So I gave BAWANG a try. When I opened it, it did have a strong chinese herbal tea smell, and I used it anyway. After a week, it's about three times because I washed my hair every other day, the hair loss situation improved significantly. Not only that, the hair condition improved too.


So aside from the smell, it's really worth trying!


Tips: Use it in the evening before you sleep (of course blow dry before sleeping). If I have to go out after washing my hair, I use my other shampoo with nice smell. :P 

Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner Set

It's summer time, have you found that the eyeliner you used to use is not as good as before anymore? Because the sweat and oil make it flake, and only until noon then you have already become a "panda". It's annoying, isn't it? I had the same experience until I found.......Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner!

I remember when I first saw this product, the first question I had was "How can this brush draw out a fine eyeline?" That's why I didn't buy it. And until recently, my friend gave hers to me, and I tried for the first time. Incredible! Not only you can draw a fine line with the brush, its softness just made you feel so nice.

Mine is the black one, but the colour looks more dark greyish which is good because it looks more natural that way. The best thing about this eyeliner is that it doesn't smudge around the eyes even after a long time, thus Long-wearing as they put it! Also, it's water-resistant, so it's sweat-proof.

I don't think there's a better product than this one for the summer.

Tips: Remember to use tissue to clean the brush every time after using it, otherwise it will become hard after while and then won't be usable anymore.

O'slee ROSEHIP BB Cream

"Breathable but water-resistant veil once applied"? Sounds strange, doesn't it? This is how O'slee describes this Rosehip BB Cream HD Flawless SPF 26 PA++, they made it magical by using the most advanced ionic membrane technology.

I have been using it for a week now, and this is the fourth BB cream I tried (all different brands). O'slee's no doubt very thin and breathable, but I guess my face has too much flaws for it to cover :(. So it's actually a bit too thin for my liking, but if you don't usually put make up on when you go out, it's a perfect product to just brighten up your face (afterall, if you like a full make-up, you don't really use BB cream :P).

Since it's super hot in Hong Kong now, after walking outdoor for a while every morning, there would be sweat above my upper lip, and I usually just wipe them off with my index finger, and this morning when I arrive the office, I checked the mirror, and I haven't turned into a dirty looking baby with upper lip as dark as a moustache. :P So I guess the "breathable but water-resistant veil once applied" really does work!

But normally after lunch, I will have to re-apply it, whereas for the last one I used, the fading wasn't as obvious. (Yes, I admit that I am a very lazy person who don't re-touch my make-up in the afternoon).

The texture is quite watery, I guess that's how it could be so thin and breathable on the face, you basically don't feel that it's there after putting it on your face, but it does have a brighten effect.

So do try it and let me know what you think!

Best After-sun Soothing Products

Have you been enjoying the sun on the beach? Every time after sun-bathing, you should use after-sun products to cool and refresh your skin. Here are some good after-sun care products.

Personally, I really love gel type after-sun products, I normally store them inside the fridge to maximise the cooling effect:

Clarins After Sun Gel Ultra Soothing can be used on face and body.

If you don't like gel, here are two lotion which are good too:

Dermalogica After Sun Repair uses its very own reparative complex together with seaweed extracts and soothing botanicals, protecting your skin cells while restoring the skin's condition.

L'Occitane After Sun Balm formulated with organic vegetable butter of Cupuaçu, it's the  the ideal ingrdient to intensely hydrate and regenerate the skin after sun exposure.

Remember to protect your skin both before and after sun-bathing.

Imju Dejavu: Bigger and brighter eyes

Last night, I tried out the new Imju Dejavu Fiberwig Lash Knockout Mascara, the result is soooo good that I decided to make a video of it to show you how good it is. But first of all, some photos:

The mascara is incredibly light, it feels like there nothing inside, so just want to let you know when you receive it, don't think that it's a defect product with nothing inside, it's just the material of the container which is light.

The applicator is straight, just like a normal mascara, it doesn't have the curl shape or anything fancy with the design, which I think is good, because I'd rather the brand focus on the function and quality rather than the design of the applicator.

And finally, how does it perform?

It's easy to apply, and it doesn't produce clumps like many other mascaras, so you won't feel that your eyelids are "heavier". And see...my left eye is bigger and sharper! (And I haven't applied eyeliner yet! So I am sure it would be even better with eyeliner)


Don't you wanna buy one and try it yourself?

LANCOME Sunblock + BB Base??

This is the first time I heard that a sunblock has BB base (BB cream), attention, it’s not BB cream with SPF, it’s the other way round.

The launch of Lancôme UV Expert Active Protection BB Base SPF 50 PA+++ proves that Korean BB cream trend is hotter than ever. The texture is quite soft and light, easy to apply, and just a small dot (see picture and video below) is enough for the whole face because this small dot I took, it's too much for the hand. It covers up fine lines and it suits Asian’s skin colour because the yellowy colour is gone after applying, making you look bright and nice. And it’s also good for other skin colours, because its BB cream base can adapt to the skin colour and balance it, so it never gets too dark or too pale.

It’s still a bit sticky as other sunblocks, but at least the smell is nice and flowery, not too strong though. A sunblock which can be used as foundation, sounds good, right?

Have a look at the Sun Protection blog post

Getting ready for the SUMMER!

I love summer and I love getting tanned, but in order to prevent premature aging, wrinkles, skin discoloration, and skin cancer, one must use sun protection lotion to protect yourself, so that you can get a healthy nice tan. All sun care products contain SPF, but do you know what is it and is it the higher the better?

SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor

• It only measures the protection from UVB (which causes burning), not UVA rays (which causes tanning).
• Sunscreen must contain avobenzone (also known as Parsol® 1789), titanium dioxide, or zinc oxide to protect from both UVB and UVA rays.
• A sunscreen with SPF 15 blocks nearly 95% of UVB, while SPF 30 blocks about 97% of UVB.

How to measure what SPF do I need?

• If your skin normally turns red after 10 mins of sun exposure, a SPF 15 can let you stay out at the sun for 150 minutes without getting burnt.

Tips:

• No matter what SPF you use, be sure to reapply every two hours because they do get rubbed off, even the waterproof ones!
• Don't forget to apply to ears and lips.
• Everyone should use at least a SPF 15 sunscreen.

Some recommended sunscreen products:

Face

(left to right)

Clarins Sun Wrinkle Control Cream High Protection SPF 30 (Sun-Sensitive Skin)
An ideal protection for sun-sensitive skin or skin exposed to intense sunlight. It provides reinforced sun protection (heat-resistant UVB-UVA filters) and against dehydration. Helps prevent visible signs of premature skin aging.

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Sun Defense for Face SPF 50 High Protection
A high performance lightweight and oil-free suncare lotion which helps shield skin against harmful UVA/UVB rays that can cause sunburn, surface skin cell damage and premature signs of aging.

The Organic Pharmacy Cellular Protection Sun Cream SPF 25 (Face and Body)
This product uses three novel natural ingredients to promote safe, golden tanning. Anti-ageing extracts and nourishing plant oils leave skin soft smooth and protected. The non-whitening formula means you can use it anywhere on the face and body with ease.

Lips

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Lip Protectant Stick SPF 15
An all weather treatment stick for softer, smoother lips. Sunscreen ingredients (SPF 15) guard against the damaging effects of sun exposure.

Kiehl's Lip Balm SPF 15
Kiehl's Lip Balm is designed for irritated lips, effectively relieves any dryness of lips and protects them from sunburn with SPF 15, leaving your lips soft and supple.

Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Lip Moisturizer SPF 15
This moisture-enriched formula soothes and conditions your lips, keeping them healthy looking and soft in all weather. Contains a PABA-free SPF 15 sunblock for added protection from the sun. Leaves lips soft, smooth and moisturized.

Are you now ready to enjoy nice sunny summer?

Coming up next time: After sun soothing products, and make-up products for you to get the most attention on the beach!

Sephora Eyeliner

As promised (a while ago :P) that I would write about the Sephora Eyeliner, and here you go!

I have used it about 4 times, the first time I used it, I really liked it because the lines are pretty obvious and the texture is soft. It's only after a couple hours that I saw the negative side of it.

I guess since the colour is easy to get on the eyes, it's easy to come off as well. Towards the end of the night, when I looked into the mirror, I saw my lower eyelines towards the outer corners are blackened. I found myself like a panda...

After the 4 times usage, I need to sharpen it already, since it's quite a short eyeliner to begin with, I don't think it could last for long.

So to conclude, I like the colour and texture of it, but not that when it comes off to the lower eyelines.

Recommended eyeliners:

The best Mother's Day gift

Mother's Day is coming up, and it's time for us to think of a way to thank them, and what's better than bringing them back their youth? Here, take a look at this Biotherm Lift Instant Flash (Filling Vials Lift and Instant Radiance) which I just tried out.

The vials and the tip in the middle.

                        1. The vial.                 2. After shaking, break open the vial.

            3. Put the tip halfway down the vial.    4. Shake it once, and the content is out.

5. Squeeze the tip, so the content flow into your palm. 6. After it's all out.

When I broke it open, I was a bit nervous, it's the first time I used this kind of product, I was worried that the glass would broke into a mess. :P But it's all fine, you just have to apply a bit more strength (and braveness) to break it.

The content is certainly more than enough for the whole face, so I applied the excess to the neck as well, you know, that's where the visible wrinkles are! And in order to not waste any of it, I kept hitting the bottle against my palm to get everything out, and applied them to the back of my hands as well. :)

The smell is nice and natural, not too strong, and the face felt as if you have applied a film of egg white on the face, it's tightened. The feeling slowly went away after 15 mins. As magical as it sounds, the wrinkles on the face seemed to be ironed out.

It feels great! And it's cheap, USD38 for a pack of 8. A nice and ideal gift for mums this Mother's Day. Buy now!

Other great gift ideas

Bioderma Hand Cream from France

Before I talked about the Sephora eyeliner, I'd like to talk about this Bioderma Atoderm Hand Cream I found in a local french pharmacy near metro station Place Monge.

The whole shop isn't the most organised, but the products they provide are of wide-range, and most importantly, they are cheap! Although I didn't buy many things there because I didn't want to carry them back, I managed to find this Bioderma Atoderm Hand Cream (50ml), which was only 1.49 Euro! And the size is handbag-friendly, with the dry weather in France, it's perfect for replenishing my dry hands.

Since the line Atoderm is for very dry sensitive skin, I expected it to be quite thick and oily, but to my surprise, it's fairly thin and non-sticky (maybe it's because of the dry weather? Not sure.). Anyway, it's not as long-lasting as I thought it would be, but it's good enough for SOS dry hand situation. It doesn't have a smell to it, so I guess it's more natural which is good.

I was happy to be able to find cheap things in Paris! :D

Product of the same line:

Bioderma Atoderm Nourishing Cream for Very Dry Sensitive Skin

Sephora in Paris

Bonjour!

I am travelling in Paris at the moment, it's been a relaxing day today, and I think it's becoming a habit that I visit Sephora in every city I go. I went to the Sephora here in Rue de Rivoli, a street full of chain stores like Etam, ZARA, H&M...etc. I just bought a Sephora glitter eyeliner, it's 4.5 euro, when I tested it, it looks very dark and the glitter isn't too shiny (which is good). I haven't tried it on my eyes yet, so will let you guys know how it looks actually when I finish my Za eyeliner. I don't have the card reader yet, so can't load the photo up here now, will do it soon, so you guys could see how the Sephora looks like here, and of course also the eyeliner I bought. :)

Au revoir!

Dermalogica - An unforgettable first encounter

I have been using Dermalogica Daily Microexfoliant for quite some time now, like a year already, but I still can't forget the first time of our "encounter".

When I first poured them out, they are dry, white powder, and very fine textured. In order to start the process, I just needed to mix it with water, then they started become slightly foamy to the level which I think it's just right for face cleansing. I normally apply it to a dry face since it feels more effective if the foam doesn't get too watery, after massaging on the face for like a minute or two, just wash it off like you do with any other face cleanser. Sounds just like another face cleansing foam? You are totally wrong if you think so!

I think just from the name of the product - Microexfoliant - you know that this is a product different from any other, it's not exfoliant, which usually contains coarse particles for rubbing the dirt on your face away, and it could potentially enlarge your pores, that's why they are not meant to be used daily. However, this is Daily, and it's Micro? Why? The reason is that the powder is so fine that it won't over-stimilate your skin, and the result is just amazing! After cleansing, my skin feels very smooth and supple, and most importantly, it feels very clean. Honestly, I was and still am amazed by the result it brings, never in my life (so far) I have used an exfoliant so fine and effective.

Does it sound like an exaggeration? Go buy and try it yourself, I am sure you will agree with me.

Paul & Joe - Alice in Wonderland Collection

Based on Lewis Carroll's novels Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and Through the Looking-Glass (1871), the movie features an A-list cast including Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, Helena Bonham Carter as The Red Queen, Anne Hathaway as The White Queen and Mia Wasikowska as 19-year-old Alice, as she returns to Wonderland.

To mark the film's release this spring, Paul & Joe has lauched a limited-edition Alice in Wonderland collection, Fantasy and Daydream, in two beautifully designed compact tins.

The package is in pastel colour, incorporating retro-styled illustrations of Alice, the White Rabbit and the Cheshire Cat. Products include blotting paper with beautiful prints on them (with mirror), a refill pack and a lip treatment. The Fantasy Lip Treatment is in Sweet Milky Pink and the Daydream Lip Treatment in Sheer Orange.

These hot items have arrived COSME-DE.COM, indulge yourself in the childhood fairy tale fantasy.

Weekly Bargain Picks - 18 Feb

1. Etude Moistfull Collagen Cream Set (USD18 - Save 34%)

Moist! Moist! Moist! is all you need in this cold dry winter weather.

2. The Face Shop Nutri-Life Mask Sheet Set (USD16 - Save 50%)

When cream is not enough, supplement your skin with masks, not just one, but 5! (and it's cheap!)

3. O'slee Clear Spa Sleeping Mask (Advanced Formula) (USD13) 2 for 1 price only

What about when I sleep? This is it! "Water" your skin even during sleep!

4. SK-II Facial Treatment Essence (USD96 - Save 30%)

Before all the moisturisation, don't forget about the basic (but magical) essence.

Makep up tips: Lower eyeliner

Normally for daily make up, people just put eyeliner for upper eyelid in order to brighten the eye, ignoring the lower eyelid to avoid looking too "fierce". But it's actually not true that you would look "fiercer" with eyeliner applied to the lower eyelid, it's just a matter of where you apply it on.

My friend K is taking a make-up course and I am lucky enough to be asked to act as her make-up model the other day. It's was a make-up practise for an evening occasion, so it's a bit more intense than daily make-up. At the end of the it, she asked for teacher's opinion, and that's where I learnt the new tip for eyeliner: she took the eyeliner pencil, pull down my lower eyelid a little bit, and then start "drawing" on the lower eyeline, the moist line, NOT the outer skin, i.e. the root of the eyelash. This can avoid a fierce look while looking sharp and bright! :)

Point: You must pull down your eye to be able to draw it. And you need to use eyeliner pencil, not liquid, not gel because that line is wet itself, only pencil will stay.

Some eyeliner pencil recommendations:

Anna Sui Eyeline Pencil (USD$20)

                                 Benefit BADgal Extra Black Waterproof Eye Pencil (USD$28)