Skincare Talk: Long-lasting Non-comedogenic foundation routine for acne prone skin and acne scars
Friday, 24 January 2020 at January 24, 2020
Most of the time, I'm not bothered by how my skin looks. But that doesn't mean that I don't have days where I get very self-conscious and insecure with how my skin looks. Putting makeup on has helped me easily get over this insecurity, and it has also made my healing journey much easier and quicker, as I don't spend my day dwelling and stressing over my outer-appearance. However, although wearing makeup was able to relief my insecurity and self-consciousness, I would often feel guilty about it. I would feel as though the makeup is clogging my skin and the worse part is, it will always end up looking blotchy by night time... Until I've put together this foundation routine.
There are two main points about this foundation routine, making it very suitable for people with oily, acne-prone skin type, and also for people with acne scars to conceal.
The products used in this routine are mostly non-comedogenic which will minimize the risk of them clogging your skin. They are also safe for the skin which will prevent inflammation, and sensitising of the skin.
The products have high coverage and long-lasting properties.
So without further ado, let's get right into it!
I first tried the Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay In Place Makeup in 2016 when it was kindly sent to me for free. Even though I loved it since day one, it didn't stop me from wanting to explore the countless of other highly-raved liquid foundations in the market. After many years of exploration and spending money on disappointing foundations, I finally concluded that this is indeed the best liquid foundation in the market.
The Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay In Place Makeup liquid foundation comes in a wide range of shades, so finding one that suits your skin tone will definitely not be an issue. I'm using the shade 2C3 Fresco which falls under light to medium with cool undertones. C stands for 'cool', N stands for 'neutral' and W stands for 'warm'. Having oily skin, I hate the feeling of thick, heavy foundation on my skin. Thankfully, this foundation has high coverage. With a damp beauty blender, I never go above one layer of foundation since that alone is sufficient to conceal most of my blemishes. For a fuller coverage, feel free to experiment with different application methods like a dry beauty blender, or your fingers, or a foundation brush.
Due to its oil-control formulation, this foundation is able to keep my skin looking matte and non-blotchy throughout the day. In addition, this foundation is also alcohol-free, oil-free, and fragrance-free, making it safe, non-comedogenic and non-clogging for acne-prone and sensitive/sensitised skin.
Once this foundation sets, you can trust it to stay on your face for the entire day without powdering. At the end of the day, it dissolves and comes off easily with my Bioderma Sensibio Micellar Solution. Once the cotton pad comes out clean, I will "double cleanse" with my facial cleanser to ensure that no foundation goes into bed with me.
If your acne marks are light, you may stop at this very first step. If not, proceed with step two to conceal the remaining of the acne marks.
The Benefit Boi-ing Industrial Strength Concealer provides full coverage for even the darkest spots. But unlike the foundation, this concealer only comes in 3 limiting shades. I'm using shade No.2 which is the light-medium. It's not the perfect match, but unless you were to look closely, the shade difference is not obvious. To get the maximum coverage from this concealer, I find that it is best applied using my finger. As long as you ensure to watch your hands before dipping your finger in the pan, using your finger will be a lot more hygienic and effective than a brush.
Ingredients: Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Phenyl Trimethicone, Isopropyl Palmitate, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, Talc, Paraffinum Liquidum (Mineral Oil), Silica, Kaolin, Cera Microcristallina (Microcrystalline Wax), Nylon-12, Tocopheryl Acetate, Phenoxyethanol, Lecithin, Benzyl Alcohol, Tocopherol, Bht. [+/-: Ci 19140 (Yellow 5, Yellow 5 Lake), Ci 42090 (Blue 1 Lake), Ci 77007 (Ultramarines), Ci 77163 (Bismuth Oxychloride), Ci 77491, Ci 77492, Ci 77499 (Iron Oxides), Ci 77891 (Titanium Dioxide)]. - quoted from Sephora.
I believe one of the reasons why this concealer is able to provide such long-lasting full coverage is its thick and waxy consistency. Although this enables me to easily obtain a full coverage without using multiple layers of concealer, the heavy waxes found in the concealer can be clogging for the skin. Not to mention that this concealer also contains a mineral oil. Nevertheless, I believe that clogging can be easily avoided as long as you don't overuse this concealer. Don't bother using this concealer on areas where you won't require it, such as your under eyes. The thickness of this concealer will definitely crease around the eye area. This is also the reason why I prefer to apply my foundation first before my concealer, so I don't use it unnecessarily.
The first two products do not require setting powders, but on days where I'll be wearing my foundation for the entire day, I like to do an additional step for my own peace of mind.
The Jane Iredale PurePressed Based Mineral Powder is highly raved by Olena Beley, a skin coach who I used to follow because it's non-comedogenic, safe for the skin and provides high coverage. For more information on this powder, you may check out her numerous content for it (1 | 2 | 3).
Ingredients: Mica, Boron Nitride, Dimethicone, Stearic Acid, Plankton Extract, Algae Extract, Pinus Strobus (Pine) Bark Extract, Punica Granatum (Pomegranate) Extract. [+/- (May Contain: Iron Oxides (CI 77489, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Ultramarines (CI 77007), Chromium Oxide Greens (CI 77288)] - quote from Jane Iredale's official website.
Through her recommendation, I decided to try it out for myself. I'm using the shade Natural which is again, slightly dark for me, but the difference is not obvious. After experimenting with different application methods, I concluded that I didn't like using this on my entire face. It could be the humidity in Singapore, or my oily skin, but I find that it always gets cakey and blotchy, even when I apply lightly with a brush. In spite of that, I wasn't ready to give up on this product. It was expensive. So I started using this to very lightly set and also to provide additional coverage to the areas needed, such as the really, really dark spots, or around my nose. By doing so, I avoid caking my face, and I love that it helps my foundation last even longer.
If you are keen to try this foundation routine for yourself, I would love to know how the products worked for you! Also, if you have any other questions regarding the products, feel free to drop me an e-mail or a DM, and I will try my best to answer them. If you'd like to see the products in action, you may click here to watch my Youtube video on this foundation routine.
Before I sign-off, I want to highlight that even if the products, be it skincare or makeup, are non-comedogenic and oil-free, overusing any heavy products like moisturisers or liquid foundations, can still cause clogging, and so it's important to pay attention to how much you're actually using. Personal hygiene plays a role in breakouts too. Therefore, do ensure that your applicators are well-cleaned and that you remove all your makeup before going to bed every night.
Review: Giverny Skincare and Makeup (Macqueza K-Beauty Box!)
Monday, 8 October 2018 at October 08, 2018
Being a K-beauty junkie, I love discovering new places where I can get my hands on non-mainstream K-beauty products. Over a month ago, Macqueza contacted me and offered to send me a specially curated K-beauty box and that was when I visited their website to see what they are offering.
Macqueza is an online shop based in Singapore, and they offer a good variety of K-beauty products from non-mainstream brands such as Pony Effect, IM MEME, Acwell and more! After browsing through their website, I've chosen a handful of products to try and so today, I wanted to share with you the skincare and makeup products I've chosen from the brand Giverny.
I was attracted to the brand Giverny after knowing that it is a brand that is inspired and made with flowers. Flower extracts are added to all products so our skin can receive the benefits of these natural ingredients and the idea of that made me keen to try them out. Fun fact: Jeon Somi is the official model for Giverny! In today's blog post, I have one skincare product and a handful of makeup products to share, so without further ado, let's start with our one and only skincare product which is the Giverny White Blooming Cream.
First off, I love the packaging of this cream. It feels pretty heavy which makes it feel somewhat expensive I guess and as you all know, I love pink and so this pink and gold packaging really suits my taste! The cap has a "lock" which clicks when you shut it properly and overall I guess the only thing that's lacking is a spatula. The Giverny White Blooming Cream is a brightening cream that is formulated to fight against rough, dull, blemished and uneven skin. Despite having dull skin, I've never used a brightening cream or moisturizer as I'm always so focused on treating my acne issues. Little did I know that a brightening cream would be great for lightening those dark spots and scars left from my acne breakouts!
I've only received this cream about 2 weeks ago so it's really difficult for me to see any huge difference. I think it does its job in keeping my skin moisturized as even though I have oily skin, sometimes my skin flakes due to the spot treatments so this moisturizer really stopped the flaking from occurring. It has a very mild "skincare product" fragrance which is unexpected because I was expecting it to smell like some sort of flower.
Moving onto the cosmetic products, I have the Giverny Milchak Cover Cushion in 02 Petal Beige. Out of all the cushion foundations I've owned, I don't think I have a black and gold one so this actually my first and I think it looks really cool and chic as compared to the pink ones (from VelyVely and Some By Mi) I've been using!
This cushion foundation has a semi-matte, high coverage finish that will be able to cover up any blemishes, even and brighten up your overall complexion with just a light layer. It is also formulated with a special 'tight-fit' formula that gives the appearance of tighter, smoother looking skin. A picture speaks a thousand words and so I'm just gonna put a before and after photo here.
I'm personally not fond of matte foundations and dewy foundations make me look too oily in Singapore's weather, so my favourite point about this cushion is definitely the semi-matte finish. In addition, this cushion also comes with SPF50+/PA+++ and extra sun protection is always a plus in my books. Since this cushion has a good coverage, I do not recommend building up the layers as I noticed that it can get cakey if you apply more than one layer.
Next up, we gotta conceal using the Milchak Multi Spot Corrector. I have this in the shade C02 Natural Cover which is perfect for brightening up my under eye as well as providing some extra coverage for my darker spots.
This concealer comes with a built-in brush and so I just use the brush provided to apply this on my under eyes. As for my spots, I use my fingers instead to avoid contaminating the brush. The lightweight texture of this concealer is great for my under eye as once it sets, it doesn't crease and it blends in flawlessly with the cushion.
Next, I've got two eyeshadow products, so first we have the Giverny Milchak Longer Shadow Stick in the shade Pink Beige. For those who has been watching my videos since... Maybe 4 years ago? You might know that there was a period of time when I was obsessed with stick eyeshadows, especially pink ones. So when I saw this stick eyeshadow, I knew that I had to try it because it just looks like something I'll love.
This eyeshadow stick is super creamy and pigmented which makes it really easy to glide onto your delicate lids. I love the soft pink glitter shade and I think it'll look amazing even on its own. Since it's called a 'longwear' shadow, it is water and sweat resistance, enabling it to last longer on your lids.
*SWATCHES OF ALL PRODUCTS ARE AVAILABLE BELOW*
The next eyeshadow product is the Metallic Liquid Eyeshadow. Liquid eyeshadows has been trending for awhile now with many K-beauty brands releasing their own and so I thought I'd try this one from Giverny. The one I chose is in the shade Posh Gold which is a warm, bronze gold shade.
I was really surprised when I swatch this because the glittery came out so evenly and it was so pigmented! You'll only need a little dab of product if you're looking for something more subtle. This has been my go-to eyeshadow product recently as it's so easy and fuss-free to apply, plus, the colour is so gorgeous and appropriate for autumn and winter time!
Moving on, we've got the Sensitive Deep Liner in Brown. This is definitely one of my favourite products out of all because of the sharp brush tip and pigmented colour. My natural eyes are pretty wide which is why my eyeliner is always so thin and fine as I prefer elongating my eyes to the sides instead of making them look wider.
The sharp tip really made it easy for me to draw the line as closely to my lash line as possible and this eyeliner is also water and smudge-proof so you can ensure that it'll stay on your lids for as long as possible.
Our final eye product is the Sensitive Brush Longwear Mascara. This product initially didn't really look like mascara to me because it looked so thin but later on, I realized why. This mascara comes with seriously the thinnest brush I've ever seen for a mascara.
This brush is apparently designed especially for Asian eyes and since it's so tiny, it is able to reach and coat every single lash including the corners as well as our under lash, without transferring the product onto our lids. Thanks to its non-clumpy formula and the thin brush, I find that this mascara makes my lashes look very natural which I love! Similar to the eyeliner, this mascara is also water and smudge-proof.
The last two products are lip products, so starting with the Giverny 95% Natural Lip Glow in the shade Deep Orange, this is a naturally coloured tinted lip gloss which contains 95% of various seeds, flowers and fruit oils to help nourish and provide moisture to your lips.
This comes with a plastic tip, so all you need to do is twist the product until a suitable amount of product is being dispensed before applying it directly onto your lips. This product makes my lips feel so smooth and I like that it has a glossy finish as it makes my thin lips look plump and soft.
The very last product is the Creamy Tint Lipstick in the shade Blooming Coral. Yes, yes, I am still very much obsessed with corals and so I really wanted to try a coral lipstick from Giverny. This lipstick is super creamy, has a semi-matte finish and it also has moisturizing benefits!
I think this lipstick has the prettiest packaging and even though it looks kinda heavy because of the gold, it's actually very lightweight which is great if you're like me and you love to carry multiple lipsticks.
Using the makeup products, I've created a simple makeup look, so if you're interested to see these products in action and how I created the makeup look, make sure to watch my Korean beauty haul + review where I talked about these products as well as the other Korean skincare products included in my Macqueza K-beauty box! In collaboration with Macqueza, they have very kindly provided my viewers and readers a discount code ("GAWJUSS") that will entitle you to receive S$10 off your first purchase so check them out now!
Review: SOME BY MI Makeup (Cushion + Eyeshadow + Lipstick)
Saturday, 11 August 2018 at August 11, 2018
Weeks back, I received some skincare and makeup products from SOME BY MI which is a relatively popular non-mainstream Korean beauty brand. I have since uploaded my review of their skincare products, so today, I will be reviewing their makeup products and on top of that, I will also show you how I create a simple Korean inspired look that is easy to follow, even for beginners!
Before we dive into the individual products, we have to take a moment to appreciate the sweet packaging of their makeup line. When I received these products, I posted them on my Instagram story and I got so many DMs telling me how adorable and pretty they look, and all I can say is, I know right?! The medium bubblegum pink goes so well with the gold accents so unless you have a strong dislike for the colour pink, I think it's almost impossible to not love the packaging of these products.
Now starting with the very first makeup product, we have the Fruit Juice Set. Retailing at only 39,800 won (about S$45), this set comprises of 1 x Cushion Foundation, 2 x Single Eyeshadows and 1 x Lipstick. SOME BY MI offers a couple of cushion foundations, but the one included in this set is their Something Maxi Glam Cover Cushion.
As usual, having medium skintone, I went ahead and got the darkest shade which is C23. This cushion comes with SPF 50+ and has a medium coverage that is sufficient to even out any skin discoloration, light spots and acne scars. If you have darker scars, I believe you will be able to build up the coverage by adding a second layer, but I personally prefer spot-concealing with a concealer.
This foundation has a semi-matte finish and it also has hints of pink undertones which I love as it was able to effectively tone up my skin.
Moving on to the single eyeshadows included in the set, we have a pearl shimmer shade as well as a medium brown shimmer which are two must-have shades in your eyeshadow collection! I especially love the pearl shimmer shade as it has a pink undertone, making it very feminine and soft. It's also not a glitter shade so you can also use it as a highlight if you'd like.
Continuing with eyeshadows, I have the Some Pick eyeshadow palette which comprises of 4 gorgeous and essential shades. The first shade is a champagne shimmer which can be used as our inner eye, brow bone, and aegyo-sal highlight. The second shade is my favourite and current go-to eyeshadow and that is a rose gold shimmer. The third shade is probably my second favourite and it is this cool, matte brown shade which is perfect for shading and contour purposes. Finally, the last shade is a dark brown shimmer which can be used to line and define our eyes. I love how compact this eyeshadow palette is, as I was able to fit this into my makeup pouch without any difficulties.
I am overall pleasantly surprised and impressed with the quality of their eyeshadows because despite being so affordable, their eyeshadows are so incredible soft, easy to blend, pigmented and buttery!
The last product is the Something Moisture Lip Rouge lipstick in Grapefruit and I am obsessed with this! I've been loving orange lipsticks, and you guys know I love my pinks and corals, so this pinky-orangey lipstick is literally the perfect shade for me at the moment!
It has a moisturizing and buttery texture which I love as it makes my lips look so plump and supple. As it has moisturizing properties, the pigmentation is not as intense as a matte liquid lipstick, so I love that it creates a very natural and soft look which is suitable for everyday use.
As mentioned, I have used these products to create a simple Korean inspired makeup look and I even spoke in Korean for my voiceover! I am obsessed with this look, I've been wearing it over the past 3 weeks and I think that says a lot! The only difference is that sometimes I add in an eyeliner but other than that, this has been the look I've been wearing. If you're keen to try this makeup look, please check out SOME BY MI's makeup products as I believe you will love them!
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