Review: Bare Minerals Foundation

One thing that was on my last-minute to-pack list for Hong Kong was to find some mineral foundation, so that my face can survive the hot and humid weather without my pores being clogged up. In the past, I've always used the Skin79 Hot pink BB Cream, but seeing as it just melted off my face whenever I get super sweaty and hot, it leaves my skin looking majorly oily-- not particularly attractive..

One thing that I do know about mineral foundation is that it is supposedly good for the skin, and it contains elements in the powder that doesn't make your skin look as oily when its humid outside. And this is the sole reason why I opted to try out Bare Escentuals' mineral foundation.

So I wore it for a few days in England, and my skin was fine. But I found that I had to put a lot to cover my blemishes (because it also acts as a concealer) which looked heavy on the skin and slightly off my skin-tone the more you apply.

However, once I touched down Hong Kong, my skin did not look too great after 2 days of use. My face became incredibly dry and bumps and dry patches on my skin appeared. The more I sweat, the more my face burned and became itchy! Needless to say, I had an allergic reaction to the mineral foundation.

I googled searched the stuff and found that Bare Escentuals mineral foundation actually contains a chemical called Bismuth Oxychloride which is the culprit for causing my face to burn and itch so intensely! It is used to help the product blend more smoothly on the skin and some of its by-products contain metals of lead and copper nature which enhances acne growth. -_____- ughh. This also explains why I've been breaking out so much too!

I am not one to usually have such sensitive skin, but I would definitely not recommend this to anyone who does!! This product has seriously damaged my skin and I'm still having a hard time trying to fully recover from the scaring and bouts of breakouts that I'm having.

Despite my unfavoured reaction to the product, it is possibly not to say that I should never try mineral foundation again, but in the future, it is noteworthy to look at the ingredients beforehand and watch out for the deadly Bismuth.

Skin 79 Oriental Gold BB Cream vs. Skin79 Super BB Triple Function Cream

So today's post is a review between two different BB Creams from the same company, Skin79. 

One is the Super BB Triple Function (in Hot Pink!) which I've been using religiously for the past 8 months and the other is the Oriental Gold BB Cream which I only just got a week ago. =))

So, I'm going to start with the hot pink one, which is my favourite BB Cream that I've ever tried. The main reason why I like this so much is the fact it doesn't feel heavy on my skin, it blends in well with my skin tone and it keeps it hydrated. For me, it gives me a nice dewy glow complexion, it doesn't clog up my pores and in turn brightens some areas of my face. 

However, the downside is to this cream, is that it only comes in one shade. But generally, how a BB cream works is that it usually oxidises when exposed to air so it matches your skin tone. (clever eh? xP) Although having an easy pump, it's not that hygienic-- so be careful of that. 

In comparison, the Oriental Gold BB cream feels a bit thicker in texture and has better coverage than the hot pink one. Despite being a thicker cream, it doesn't feel as heavy. It is easy to apply, and once applied, it hydrates your skin. For me, it is a bit light and it takes a while for it to oxidise.

And with this BB cream, it comes with its own cream blush and mirror which is amazing! =)) 

The downside of this cream, is that the pump is bit odd. Instead of being at the side, its located in the middle which makes it a bit awkward to get the desired amount of cream. 

Comparisons

As you can see, the Super BB cream has more of a grey undertone compared to the Oriental Gold where it has more of a pink undertone. 

Please excuse the condition of my skin.. it's been so bad lately (mainly due to the stress of schoolwork >_<;;) 

So on my face, the Oriental Gold shows a fairly good coverage with the exception of that random spot on my cheek. 

As for the Super BB Triple Function, it does not have as good coverage as the Oriental Gold, but it provides a nice dewy glow to my skin. This is also not as light as the other BB cream, but I personally think this shade suits me better. 

At the moment due to the condition of my skin, I would choose to use the Oriental Gold more, as it provides more coverage, but normally, when my skin is alright, I would definitely go back to the hot pink one, especially in the summer when the heat is burning you alive! haha 

Overall, both creams are equally as good. I guess it depends what your preferences are as a person and what skin type you have. For me, I have oily skin, so I would prefer to have something lightweight on my skin so it doesn't clog up my pores. In terms of texture, the Oriental Gold is heavy, but in comparison to other BB creams in the market and to foundations, it is definitely light in weight! 

Both of these products were purchased in HK, and the Oriental Gold was more expensive than the Super BB cream -- probably because of the additional blush and mirror? But in my opinion, both products are definitely worth it! 

Hope this will help  those that are considering of converting to BB creams or are starting out/research about them! =)) 

My Mini Sasa Haul

So my dad came back from Hong Kong recently with a few things I wanted from Sasa.
Unfortunately.. he didn't come back with everything I wanted, but thats ok-- I got the more important stuff anyway. =))

First of all.. I'd like to introduce you the wonder 'My Beauty Diary' facial masks which originates from Taiwan.

I've heard a lot of amazing reviews about them, so I got my Dad to get me some from Sasa HK since they were on sale, however he only came back with 3 boxes when I asked for like 10. xD

Cooling Mask (冰沁活氧面膜)
Main Ingredients:

Witch Hazel, Amica

- Soothes skin
Menthol, Peppermint
- Lowers skin temperature

Calendula, Scotch Broom

- Softens skin

Compound extracts of Yeast

- Nourishes and moisturizes skin      

Appeals/Characteristics:
Cools, soothes and nourishes skin  for use on normal skin

I only tried this once, and WOW, its like instant coolness on your skin! Its an extremely nice feeling!

Bulgarian White Rose Mask (保加麗亞玫瑰面膜)
Main Ingredients:
Bulgarian Rose Hydrosol

- Soothes, refreshes and moisturizes

Licorice, Kiwi

- Whitens skin

Aloe, Cucumber

- calms and soothes skin, moisturizes

Appeals/Characteristics:

Offers radiance with translucent, glowing look of skin by its softening effect moisturizing, smoothing, firming for use on normal skin, especially for dull skin lacking radiance.

I have yet to try this one! Just the name of this mask makes it smell nice!

Yogurt Mask (優酪乳面膜)  
Yogurt

- Deeply nourishes and maintains fresh skin condition and moisture content.

Witch Hazel

- Soothes, moisturizes deeper stratum of skin

Hyaluronic Acid

- Prevents moisture evaporation; nourishes stratum corneum of skin

One of the main reasons as to why I got this particular mask, was because it has oil control. My skin gets oily really easily, and I wanted to try something that can reduce my oily-ness. I wore this once to bed, and even it was once.. I still felt a small difference. My skin the next day was not as oily as it usually was, and it my whole face just felt  a lot smoother! It hasn't got a strong essence, but you can definitely tell its a yogurt smell! =))

This is a Cream Eyeliner pot which comes with the brush from SUKI, a Japanese brand.

I've tested it out, but I wasn't expecting it to be that sparkly. Overall, I'm satisfied, I haven't really used gel eye-liner before, so it should be good to use when going out.

and last but not least.. my BB CREAMS!

These are popularly used all throughout Asia, and this huge sensation derived from South Korea and is the secret as to why female Korean celebrities have such flawness skin!

I already own 2 other BB creams, but I wanted to try these ones out, as they are the most popular ones used in Korea. I'll post some comparisons in a later blog.