REVIEW: Avène Cleanance Mask

~AG~

Bought this Avène Cleanance Mask (S$30) in Italy and finally got around to using it. This is the third product from the Cleanance range, which is designed for oily and blemish-prone skin. Avène Cleanance Mask is a 3-in-1 clay mask that exfoliate, deep cleanse and absorb excess oil.

This scrub/mask is designed for oily, blemish-prone skin. It contains AHA (Glycolic & Lactic Acid) and BHA (Salicylic Acid) that unblock pores and helps skin blemishes. Monolaurin targets the acne bacteria which produces excess lipid, thus regulating sebum. Kaolin clay also absorbs sebum and mattify the skin. Of course, it also contains the signature Avène Thermal Spring Water that has soothing properties.

This mask comes with 50 ml of product which will lasts me a long time if I use it weekly. The texture of this Avène Cleanance Mask does not resemble those of traditional clay mask. It does not have a dry clay texture, and rather has a cream texture. This mask contains gentle microbeads. The first time I used this Avène Cleanance Mask, my skin felt okay. However, the second time I applied it on my face, there was stinging sensation. Perhaps it is because my skin has become more sensitive due to the Vitamin C Serum that I have been using. Subsequent uses also resulted in burning sensation on my skin. 

Overall, Avène Cleanance Mask is an okay product but I would not re-purchase it. This mask seems to not work well for my sensitive skin type. There was no noticeable difference on my blackheads and skin texture as a result of the using Avène Cleanance Mask. This is one product from the Avène Cleanance range that you can skip. 

NEW BUY: Pixi Fast Flash Facial

Peel & Polish, Glow Tonic and Rose Flash Balm

Pretty pink and green packaging

~AG~

Bought this Pixi Fast Flash Facial for US$22 (S$30) from Target. This set comes with travel-sized version of Peel & Polish, Glow Tonic and Rose Flash Balm. Step 1: The Peel & Polish is to be used 2 or 3 times a week to loosen dead skin cells and gently exfoliates the skin. This enzyme peel helps to resurface for smoother and softer skin. Step 2: Glow Tonic is an exfoliating toner with 5% glycolic acid. This best-selling product from Pixi is suitable for all skin types. Step 3: Rose Flash Balm is a radiance-booster for tired skin. It moisturizes, brightens and revitalizes the skin. 

Cannot wait to try these exfoliating products from Pixi. Stay tuned for my reviews of these products for an at-home facial. 

REVIEW: Klairs Gentle Black Sugar Facial Polish

~MG~
Black sugar scrub is known to help remove dead skin cells and blackheads, exfoliate and moisturize dry skin, which sums up my skin type. I have oily skin with blackheads but I do get dry flaky skin on my face (due to the acne cream prescribed by my dermatologist). I wanted tor try the popular Skinfood sugar scrub but after reading and watching the good reviews of the Klairs'. Reviews said that Klair's Black Sugar Facial Polish is more gentle than Skinfood Black Sugar Mask. 

Bought it from Wishtrend for US$23 (S$31). This product won the 2015 best award on Wishtrend. It is alcohol-free and silicone-free which is great for sensitive skin. It has a sugar scent which I dislike because I do not prefer sweet selling scent especially for bodycare products.

Even though the name of this product has the word ‘polish’ in it which may sounds scary but it is actually very gentle, hence the name. The sugar bits is more fine than the skinfood black sugar scrub so it is more gentle on the skin. To use this product, cleanse your face and dry it. Then you will need to mix 2-3 drops of water onto an adequate amount of the product before scrubbing with a circular motion onto your face. You will continue scrubbing it until the sugar bits melts away. Then you will wash it off with water and continue with your skincare routine.

Avène Skincare Haul

 Avène skincare haul

~AG~

Gentle Purifying Scrub
This scrub from Avène contains jojoba wax microbeads to gently exfoliate dead skin. Other ingredients such as salicylic acid and zinc gluconate helps to clog pores. This non-abrasive scrub also contains Avène Spring Water to soothe the skin. 

Gentle Cleansing Foam
This soap-free and fragrance-free formula is rich in Avène Thermal Spring Water. This gentle foaming cleanser comes with a pump dispenser.

Cleanance Mask Scrub
This Cleanance Mask Scrub is suitable for oily and blemish-prone skin. It exfoliates and absorbs excess sebum. The AHA-BHA complex combines with exfoliating particles to unblock pores and prevent blemishes

REVIEW: Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Intensive Exfoliating Treatment

 

~AG~

This popular exfoliating product from Kate Somerville combines scrubbing microbeads as well fruit enzymes to help clarify the skin. It claims to give a "Hollywood 2 minutes Facial". This Exfoliating Treatment contains pineapple, papaya and pumpkin enzymes to naturally exfoliate the skin, without stripping the skin of its natural oils. It also contains lactic acid that also acts as an exfoliant. Other active ingredients include: 
--- Cinnamon and Rosewood that stimulate micro-circulation, 
--- Honey and Vitamin E to nourish the skin  
--- Aloe Vera to soothe the skin
--- Vitamin A that has antioxidant properties
--- Soy-Lipid to replenish skin's natural barrier function 

 Kate Somerville Exfoliating Treatment is a moss-green

Twice this amount for my whole face

THE GOOD:
Kate Somerville Exfoliating Treatment really polishes your skin, and makes your skin's surface smooth. After leaving it on for a minute, I can feel my pores tightened. Plus, it does not dry out my combination skin. My sensitive skin did not have any adverse reaction to Kate Somerville Exfoliating Treatment. Yay! The best part is that my skin feels brighter after use.

THE BAD:
This Exfoliating Treatment is VERY pricey at US$24 (S$32) for 15 ml of product. It is one of the most expensive facial scrub on the market. The microbeads may be too harsh for those with ultra sensitive skin. As an alternative, Kate Somerville offers a more gentle facial scrub, ExfoliKate Gentle Exfoliation Treatment. Another thing to take note is that Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Exfoliating Treatment may cause short-term skin redness after use. The redness will usually go away after about 30 minutes. There is also a slight tingling sensation during use. The scent is not particularly pleasant. The scent reminds me of a strong herbal tea. 

Kate Somerville Exfoliating Treatment is a great facial scrub as it physically polishes as well as chemically peels off the dead skin cells. However, it is a costly purchase. For those not willing to shell out that much $, there are several affordable alternatives available on the market such as my favorite Skinfood Black Sugar Mask or St. Ives Apricot Scrub. 

NEW BUY: Introducing Crème Simon Skincare

Top: Crème Simon Gentle Double Exfoliation Scrub

Bottom: Crème Simon Crème Universelle sandwiched between Crème Simon Daily Defense UV Protector SPF 50 

~AG~
The Crème Simon brand has recently been popular with Singapore bloggers. I wondered what the fuss was all about. Chanced upon the Crème Simon counter at Robinsons Raffles City today, and decided to check out the texture of the products. This French brand's products are free of paraben, silicone, oil, alcohol, coloring and phenoxyethanol. That sounded promising for someone who has sensitive skin.

Love the very chic packaging design. Comes with 30 ml of product

The first product that I tried was the Crème Simon Crème Universelle which is an Oil-Free Brightening Moisturizer. This multi-purpose Crème Simon Universelle Oil-Free Brightening Moisturizer (S$68) contains Shea Butter, Aloe Vera, Sodium Hyaluronate and Original Crème Simon formula. This product will be especially handy for ladies who travel frequently. The scent of this Crème Universelle is very light, unlike the strong scent of Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream. In addition, the texture of Crème Universelle is non-sticky and rather lightweight. This is one of Crème Simon's best-selling products. 

30 ml 

The second product I tried was Crème Simon Daily Defense UV Protector SPF 50 (S$68). Finding a good facial sunscreen is very very difficult for me. There are so many facial sunscreens on the market, but not all work for my sensitive and acne prone skin. I am extremely careful with my sunscreen choice. Firstly, this Crème Simon Daily UV Protector has an SPF of 50. *clap clap* Secondly, the texture of this Daily UV Protector is GREAT! It does not feel oily or sticky, plus it does not leave a white cast. The Daily UV Protector absorbs quickly into the skin and does not leave a residue. When I commented that $68 is expensive for only 30 ml of product. The saleslady said that this 30ml Daily UV Protector can lasts for 4-5 months, because you only need a pea-size amount for your whole face. She also claimed that this sunscreen works instantly because it combines chemical and physical UV blockers, unlike other sunscreen where you have to wait 15-30 minutes before going out in the sun. That is a major plus! 

 75 ml

The third product I chose was Crème Simon Gentle Double Exfoliation Scrub (S$68). The saleslady mentioned that she used this Gentle Double Exfoliation Scrub everyday, but she recommended that I only use it once a week. Since weekly exfoliation is a must for my acne-prone skin, I decided to add this product to my basket. This Crème Simon Gentle Double Exfoliation Scrub basically came free because Crème Simon @ Robinsons Raffles City was having an offer. The promotion was: Buy 3 products worth $68 each, and get 1 product (worth $68) FREE. So you basically pay $204 for $272 worth of products! I think I scored a GOOD deal :D 

Not only that, but because my purchases were over $200, I received a UV Umbrella and a travel-sized kit pictured below (30 ml Micellar Water Makeup Remover, 30ml Restorative Light Night Moisturizer and 30 ml Gentle Double Exfoliation Scrub). I Love love love freebies! 

Free travel-sized kit: Micellar Water Makeup Remover, Gentle Double Exfoliation Scrub and Restorative Light Night Moisturizer

I CANNOT wait to try all these Crème Simon products especially the Daily Defense UV Protector!! I hope it works for my ultra sensitive, acne-prone skin. *cross my fingers*

Based on the original Crème Simon iconic healing cream founded in 1860, this well-loved iconic remedy soothes dry skin and restores long-lasting moisturisation to face, body, hands and feet for over 8 hours.
The well-loved French remedy is popularized for its ability to:

• Plump up visible fine lines around the eyes*
• Soften and relieve chapped lips instantly
• Soothe redness and common skin irritations
• Heal acute dryness and sunburnt skin
• Regenerate dry elbows and cracked heels
• Moisturize dry cuticles

- See more at: https://www.creme-simon.com/collections/creme-universelle_1/#sthash.dQb024fo.dpuf

Based on the original Crème Simon iconic healing cream founded in 1860, this well-loved iconic remedy soothes dry skin and restores long-lasting moisturisation to face, body, hands and feet for over 8 hours.
The well-loved French remedy is popularized for its ability to:

• Plump up visible fine lines around the eyes*
• Soften and relieve chapped lips instantly
• Soothe redness and common skin irritations
• Heal acute dryness and sunburnt skin
• Regenerate dry elbows and cracked heels
• Moisturize dry cuticles

- See more at: https://www.creme-simon.com/collections/creme-universelle_1/#sthash.dQb024fo.dpuf

Crème Simon Signature 100% Natural Active Plant Extracts with Scientific Proven Benefits to Skin Cell Structure: - See more at: https://www.creme-simon.com/benefits/#sthash.nBicu2ar.dpuf

Crème Simon Signature 100% Natural Active Plant Extracts with Scientific Proven Benefits to Skin Cell Structure: - See more at: https://www.creme-simon.com/benefits/#sthash.nBicu2ar.dpu

C

REVIEW: Skinfood Black Sugar Mask Wash Off

~AG~

The popular Black Sugar Mask Wash Off from Skinfood. This was one of my must-buy while in Seoul, Korea. This mask was discounted and retailed at KRW 6,540 ($7.50). That is a good price for 100g of product. Previously, I have tried Skinfood's other best-selling wash off mask, Rice Mask Wash Off. This time, I decided to try Skinfood Black Sugar Mask Wash Off because it has a greater exfoliating properties, as the sugar components are more coarse. It also contains macadamia seed oil, shea butter and meadowfoam seed oil, which have moisturising properties. 

It comes with a spatula for convenience (not pictured)

A mask that contains mineral-eniched Brazilian black sugar that promotes smooth and glowing skin. My skin was really dry after my trip from Seoul, Korea. The subzero temperature plus the harsh winds caused my skin to be rough and flaky.  *thumbs down* I figured that this will be the best time to try a facial scrub. My hope was that my facial skin will be visibly smoother after the exfoliation of rough skin surface. 

Applied a generous layer of the mask, and left it on for 10 minutes

 

You can see the black sugar resulted in this mask turning brown

After cleansing the face, I apply a generous amount of Skinfood Black Sugar Mask on damp skin. The mask surprisingly does not have a strong sweet scent, but a dominant citrus scent. The sugar grains are more coarse than the rice grain of Skinfood Rice Mask Wash Off, but it is more gentle than St.Ives Apricot Facial Scrub. On sensitive areas such as the cheeks, I mixed the face mask with more water, to make the sugar grains less harsh. After gently scrubbing the face mask all over the face, I left the scrub on for 10 minutes. Finally, I rinsed off this face scrub with lukewarm water. My skin felt immediately smoother after use. The morning after, my skin still felt smooth and there was no adverse reaction from the mask. No bumps, new pimples or redness were noticed. My sensitive skin did not show any sign of irritation! Yay! I also noticed that the blackheads on my nose were significantly reduced. *clap clap* This mask also has moisturising properties though it is more effective to apply a hydrating sheet mask to lock in the moisture after applying this facial scrub. Skinfood Black Sugar Mask Wash Off has become my skincare staple. It has the right amount of exfoliating properties to gently scrub the dead skin cells and impurities, and yet is not too harsh for the skin. Another bonus about this Skinfood Black Sugar Mask Wash Off is that it is affordable. $7.50 for 100 grams of product that should lasts me for at least 3 months, with weekly use. 

A highly recommended product to purchase while in Seoul, Korea!

NEW BUY: MUSEE COSME Smooth Body Scrub

~AG~

Saw this while I was in Japan, and was excited to see a brand that I am familiar with, Musee. I believe Musee Cosme is related to Musee Platinum, which is a Japanese hair removal salon. The logo and font colors are similar. I am a big fan of Musee Platinum as it has helped me reduce my underarm hairs. It has shown me desirable results after one year of regularly going for treatment. After the third or fourth treatment, visibly reduction of my underarm hair can be seen. My underarm hairs are becoming less, and the newly grown hair has also become more fine. I used to have to shave my underarms every 3 or 4 days. But now I hardly have to do it at all! It makes my life so much more easier.

More about Musee Cosme Smooth Body Scrub. This product costs me 1,800 Japanese Yen (S$20). It comes with 160 grams of product. It will take me a while to get through this tube as I do not scrub regularly enough. This body scrub has a pleasant floral fruity scent. I cannot wait to try it, especially on my legs. My legs tend to get dry easily, and I hope this scrub can help to keep it smooth. I tried Googling about this product online. But there wasn't much information in English. If you can read Japanese, feel free to click the link for more information. http://museecosme.com/products/detail.php?product_id=6

Stay tuned for my review on this newly purchased product from Japan. 

The Beauty Department: At Home Facial Series

~AG~

I am a big fan of The Beauty Department. Their website is always full of creative makeup and skincare tips. Yesterday while browsing through their website, I stumble upon their At Home Facial Series. Please click link for more details. The Beauty Department: At Home Facial Series 

The tip is to pair a mud mask with a facial scrub. I never heard of this before, and was instantly impressed by this tip. The mud mask and scrub combination amps up the exfoliating effects of each product. The scrub breaks down the mud mask and removes dead skin cells, while the mud mask clean the pores. Doesn't it sound like a great idea?

How do you combine your mud mask and scrub, you ask?
1) Apply your mud mask as usual, and wait for it to dry.
2) Once it dries, apply scrub on top and massage in circular motions.
3) Then rinse well.

The tip seems simple enough.

I am going to try it out and see whether it works for my sensitive combination skin. :)

Full Credits to The Beauty Department