Extra Sensitive Skin MODE + Foundation Reviews!

The condition of my skin, specifically eczema on my face, has been at it's worse.  Things haven't been this bad since 2003.  Every couple days it will go through the cycle of itchy-peely-sensitive-red, to just peely, then smooth from all the healing.  Afterwards it will start all over again.

I've already seen a dermatologist and feel I have exhausted my options there.  I can no longer continue to take the prescription allergy meds, which makes me groggy throughout the day.  I also cannot rely on steroid creams, which has already thinned out my skin as a child.

I took the next step and started seeing an allergist.  Turns out I'm allergic to different tree and grass pollen that's been in flying in the San Francisco Bay Area air.  I'll be taking de-sensitizing allergy shots starting next week.  Even though the process may take up to 6 months to take effect, I am pretty excited to get my skin allergies under control!

With my skin sensitivy to it's maximum, I feel compelled to share...

My Sensitive Skincare Routine

1.  Wash face with Neutrogena Extra Gentle Skin Cleanser.

I pump once or twice of the product into my hand, then massage my face.  Rinse off with cool water.  Dab face with a clean towel.

2.  Spray a generous amount of Evian Facial Spray.

Pat well into skin, this pushes more moisture into your skin.  I must say, this product is the most sensitive skin freindly ever.  While it may not be the most moisturizing, I can usually rely on it to NOT sting my face! :)  Btw, if it does sting my face, it means eczema has caused my skin to be raw.

3.  Apply Clinique's Comfort on Call.

Wait for the evian to be absorbed before applying.  Gotta love Clinique for their truly sensitive freindly products.  This particular cream is even meant for people with eczema, yay!

I know this is really bad but, I've also been using makeup...

I could no longer face my co-workers with my sickly peeling skin!   I've been experimenting with what I think is the most sensitive freindly makeup products I have.  Here's what worked:

1)  Combining Elisha Coy Always Nuddy BB 24 (Soothing & Moisturizing Anti-Irritant Blemish Balm) and Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer (Regular, *not* the oil free one, in Sand). 

2)  Bobbi Brown Extra Repair Foundation

Foundation Reviews

Elisha Coy Always Nuddy BB 24 (Soothing & Moisturizing Anti-Irritant Blemish Balm) 

This has a very strong gray cast, and appeared too pale for my NC35 skin.   However, it was much less irritating to my skin than Dr. Jart Premium Gold Label BB cream.  Thankfully I managed to make good of it still, mixing with tinted moisturizer.

Rating:  7/10

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer 

I bought this as part of the Laura Mercier Flawless face kit in Sand at Sephora.  Note that there is also an oil-free version.  I've got pretty dry skin so I guess I bought the oil version? hehe

I must give this product a lot of credit.  It feels cooling and soothing when applied to my face, it does provide moisture, doesn't irritate my sensitive skin, and most impressive of all, it covers about 80% of the redness on my face and evens my skintone.  Previous tinted moistuizers that I've used before have given light coverage at best, but with this product I can really say it provides medium dewy coverage.   Mixing this with my bb creams have worked well as Sand is slightly too dark for my skin.  I am currently using a 1 to 1 ratio of bb cream to Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer.  The coloring is working okay so far though it's still a little too light.  I plan to try a 1 to 2 ratio next for a darker and more moisturizing mix.

Rating:  9/10

Bobbi Brown Extra Repair Foundation

From the Bobbi Brown website, "Extra Repair Foundation SPF 25 gives skin perfect coverage, moisture & broad-spectrum sun protection. Infused with Shea Butter and Evening Primrose Oil, this does-it-all formula combines all the skin-nourishing benefits of Bobbi’s Extra Skincare with the skin tone-correct color and buildable coverage of her foundations. Over time, it also helps replenish & strengthen skin. Ideal for dry and very dry skin types.  Featured in 'Vogue' Magazine (March 2011) & 'Allure' Magazine (April 2011)."  This sounded just perfect for me, so I grabbed me a sample.

My take:  The BEST color match I have found to date!  My face is naturally lighter than the rest of my body.  The problem with this is, when I apply foundation to match my face, the end result is a stark difference between my face and my neck!  With Mac, I am a NC35, pretty close.  With Bobbi Brown, I am a 4.5 (Warm Natural), it evened out my skin tone without the harsh color difference between my face and neck.   My face and neck finally matches color!   This is a thick cream, it blended well, and surprisingly smells like ginger.  Best of all, it did not irritate my skin and gave medium coverage. The downside, the moisture of this foundation lasted probably about half a day, not enough to get through a complete day work.  :(

Rating: 8/10

MAC Mineralize Satinfinish SPF 15 Foundation

While trying to find my NC color, the Mac saleswoman convinced me to try their mineral foundation.  The result?  My skin tone was evened out, and it was luminous.  However as I looked in the mirror, turning my face side to side, luminous translated to an odd layer of pale over my real skin.  I tried again later at home, it stung my sensitive mode face.  :( Luckily it was only a sample I tried.

Rating:  4/10

REVIEW - Josie Maran Argan Matchmaker Serum Foundation

I've been hearing a lot of good things about Argan oil so when Sephora started selling this Serum Foundation, I was pretty excited. Just the word serium sounded super moisturizing. Plus I wouldn't have to worry about finding the right color, it changes color to match your skin tone!

I'm starting to collect more bottles of foundation than I'd like to, so I went to the local Sephora store to give it a try. There were only two colors at the time, Light/Medium and Medium/Dark. I chose Light/Medium (I'm a NC30).

When dispensed the first pump onto the back of my hand, I was surprised by the look of the serum foundation. It was white and had small grains of color, almost like an exfoliating wash. When applied to my face, it very quickly changed color, within 3 seconds! It was a surprisingly good color match, and blended with my skin so well. I purchased!

When I got home and applied it all the my face, I took a close look at the large pores on my cheeks. I have never seen a liquid foundation hide pores so well! It was almost magical! The foundation also gives a matte finish, something I feel indifferent too. One one hand it gives my face a softer finish but I prefer a dewy finish - more natural (and a probable like for drier skinned girls like me).

Unfortunately, when I took a step back, I can see the difference in color between my face and my neck. My face is noticeably more red/orange. :(

I visited the Sephora site today, and they have a new color, the lightest, Fair/Light. I might have to go back and sample again, this time, all over my face. XD

Sensitivities: 0 (zero). On a day without eczema breakout, none.

Pros: Covers pores extremely well. Very good coverage on my red prone face.

Cons: A little orange / red for my skintone (I'm a Mac NC 30). Pricey $45 for a 1oz. bottle. Not moisturizing, it dries to a matte finish. Towards the end of the day, my skin was a little dry.

Rating: 7/10

BB Creams now sold at Sephora!

I was checking out a Sephora ad online and was surprised to find that they sell BB Creams now!



Left:  Dr. Jart + Premium Beauty Balm SPF 45 PA+++
Right: Dr. Jart+ Water Fuse Beauty Balm SPF 25 PA++



Yes it's Dr. Jart, one of the well known brands of BB Creams in Asia. It's a Korean brand and I find it interesting that the labeling is slightly different from what they sell in Asia.

 


Left:  Korean version,  Dr. Jart Premium BB Gold Label
Right.  Korean version.  Dr. Jart Water Fuse BB Most Moist

Another interesting thing, at Sephora.com, Dr. Jart BB Cream is also categorized under skincare, rather than foundation. Based on the description, it's more focused on treating and protecting the skin.

If you are new to BB Creams, I suggest trying it out at the store first (or with samples) because it comes in only one color, and it tends to be on the very fair side.

I was checking out the reviews to see how many are new to BB Creams vs. those who have used BB Creams before and it looks like a majority are BB Cream users.

Can't tell when Sephora first started selling Dr. Jart BB Cream but it looks to be about 4/17/11, based on the earliest review I found.

I'm pretty happy that Sephora carries the Dr. Jart for two skin types, regular/combo and dry skin.

+

I actually have the Korean version of the Dr. Jart+ Premium Blemish Base Cream (Gold Label), but found it too thick, a bit drying and too light for my NC30 skin.  Since I don't like to waste, I mix it with Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer (in Sand).   The tinted moisturizer worked pretty well, it was a little dark for my skin and it added the moisture to the BB cream. :)

BoBoDave Beauty Haul

Hello, thank you for reading my first post! Please excuse the picture quality, it will be better!
I'll jump right into the purchases I made from BoBoDave.com.

Beauty Haul

I've been eyeing the Jill Stuart eyeshadow for the longest time, and I've finally made the purchase. I'm a bit of a sucker for packaging and Jill Stuart has one of the most beautiful that I've ever seen. Here's a photo of my complete haul.

CLOCKWISE: Jill Stuart Eyeshadow, Jill Start Fragrance, CanMake Perfect Brown Eyes Eyeshadow, Kao NEKURIZUMU Vapor Relax Hot Eye Mask (Large box with masked lady), ESPRIQUE Precious Extra Moist Retouch, ESPRIQUE Dramatical Veil Pact UV, sample of RMK Creamy Foundation color 103 (Small yellow pack), sample of MISSHA Super Aqua Hydrating Emulsion (Small bottle with blue cap), sample of Missha Super Aqua Ultra Waterfull Cream (Small Pack with pic of jar).

Kao NEKURIZUMU Vapor Relax Hot Eye Mask, contains 5 lavender scented eye masks. I tried this last night before going to bed. When I first opened the packet, the smell of lavender was strong. After placing the mask on my eyes, I stopped noticing the scent. The mask gradually became warm, it was never too hot. After a few minutes, I felt condensation beginning to form, this was a good thing, my eyes lids have been dry and this should add moisture. As directed, I took the mask after 10 minutes and fell asleep. -.- zZzz
Rating: 6/10

Scroll down for more detailed pictures of my haul.

Jill Stuart Jewel Crystal Eyes in Eternal Platinum, ESPRIQUE Dramatical Veil Pact UV (Extra Moist) in OC410, Jill Stuart Fragrance 4ml travel size

Jill Stuart Jewel Crystal Eyes in Eternal Platinum. I couldn’t help but squeal a little when I opened this.

The small tray area where the applicator sits is clear! I’ve seen many pictures of this palette, and didn’t realize until this was in my hands. Let me introduce you to uhm, well I’ll just call her Kabuki Hello Kitty. I found her in a Korean gift store in LA. Kabuki Hello Kitty is a keychain, with the chain attached to the top of her head. Scroll down for a full pic of her. :)

Jill Stuart Fragrance 4ml travel size.
Product Description: Top notes are green apple, pear, black currant, lemon and water lilies. The heart includes a bouquet of peony, Bulgarian rose, lily of the valley, jasmine, magnolia and orange blossom. The base contains notes of musk, sandalwood, cedar, vanilla and amber.
My take: smells like many of the other fruity/floral perfumes you find at Macy’s or Sephora. Also, was disappointed it did not look like the picture on the site I purchased from, it didn’t have the silver embellishments circling the bottle. :( I was actually more impressed by the silver on the box it came in.

ESPRIQUE Dramatical Veil Pact UV (Extra Moist) in OC410. The case is soo pretty!

This pressed powder was first released for F/W 2010. When I ordered, I was afraid that since it’s an Asian brand, the colors going to be lighter than American brands. I think I did an okay job in picking OC410. I picked the color purely on the color swatches I saw on the site. It was definitely a lot darker in person than what I see on screen. Anyways, I gave it a try and it was a tad light, so now I’m curious how the OC415 looks. It covered my large pores well, I was impressed! I plan to find my MAC NC color when I get the chance, to give you a good reference. Will review this product in a later post.

ESPRIQUE Precious Extra Moist Retouch.
An essence you use to pat over dry patches of makeup. I couldn’t find much info in English. I've tried this on several on occasions, when my skin is okay to great, when I've got liquid, cream or powdered foundation. It has a thicker than normal gel-like consistency and was slighly opaque. Once applied, I had to be careful to blend out the area of the dry patch. This was okay for me.
Rating: 6/10

Canmake Perfect Brown Eyes in 01 Deep Brown. Product
Description: Effects of the cream eye base containing beauty essence ingredients. Carefully designed brown powder. A moist powder with an excellent coloring ability that has been calculated to go with the base cream
First Impressions: I didn’t found out until after my purchase, bloggers seem to think the quality is not worth the price, its not pigmented enough. I have yet to try this.

On the plus side, its got a small horizontal mirror on top, great for on the go. I hope you can tell from this pic but the bottom left color, the pan with the rounded corners, is the base cream. That is the full view of Kabuki Hello Kitty!

Bottom view of the palette. Shows you what to apply the shadows with and where to apply. Notice the cream base should be applied with a finger. :)

Another plus, instead of double end sponge tip applicators, one end is a flat rounded brush! For me this is a big plus because I like to apply the darkest shadow right at and above my lashline.

More Samples:

IPSA Metabolizer Moist White 2
Description: Prevents the occurrence of spots and freckles by inhibiting the melanin production and fills the stratum corneum with dewy moisture. Maintain the well-balanced proportion of moisture and oil. Mild and moist texture leaves skin non-sticky and silky smooth.

IPSA The Time Reset Essense W
Description: A medicated brightening essence that creates bright, translucent skin rich in moisture. Creates an artificial skin barrier on the skin surface to prevent moisture evaporation and increase moisture deep inside the skin. [Contains Double Barrier Actor II, an ingredient for preventing rough skin.]Also controls melanin production to prevent the development of dark spots and freckles for translucent skin with moisture. [Contains m-Tranexamic acid, a medicated brightening ingredient.]

UNO Fiber Neo Acrobat Wire
Description: UNO Fiber Neo Acrobat Wire Wax gives you strong hold, soft and flexible texture best used to style short to medium hair.

Shopping on bobodave.com

My first reaction to this site was, “WTH is bobodave? That’s a wierd name…” Bobo makes me think clowns (yuck and creepy), or the name Chinese people give their dogs (I know two Chinese families who named their dogs Bobo). Upon reading the Chinese characters on the site, its a direct sound tranlsation of 寶寶地. I can’t tell you what it means, but it has something to do with nurturing one’s beauty. Hope that makes more sense. :)

As I explored the site, I was excited about all the products they sell, especially all the Jill Stuart items they have. At some point, I realized the website will not tell you how much shipping to the States is. They won’t tell you until *after* you have paid. It’s all so questionable and inconvenient!

I found that some other US based bloggers have made purchases without problems, so I took the plunge and made my own purchase.

I ordered, paid via paypal, and received a confirmation email. After two days of not hearing from them on shipping fees, I emailed them. Turns out an item was sold out. They gave me options, so I asked them to use the refund for shipping. The package was received 9 days later. Though I asked several times, I was never told how much shipping was. The sold out product was $15, and I didn’t see a refund in my PayPal account, so I can assume shipping was $15.

I'm not sure if I'll order from them again, perhaps only if they sell an item that no other place does.
Rating of bobodave: 7/10