What is a BB cream?

A couple of years ago Mineral make up became a craze in the make up world. Now it seems, the BB cream is the new "it" product that everyone is talking about. But what is a BB cream? Who should use it? Does it really work?

A BB cream is a Blemish Balm that started being produced in the Asian market initially, but is now available in almost every make-up brand, from Bobbi brown to Garnier.

Essentially, a BB cream is a primer, moisturiser and foundation all in one! Some claim to reduce the appearance of hyperpigmentation after longer use. In general, they are designed to be for sensitive skins and some can be used after acne treatments and post laser treatments. In other words, a BB cream is supposed to be an all in one solution that heals skin over time while moisturising and providing coverage.

However, there are a few things that I am sceptical about. If you are an acne sufferer and you would like to have extra coverage for your spots, a BB cream is not a good option. Most BB creams have less coverage than a tinted moisturiser. I would only use it for coverage if I had perfectly flawless skin and redness was a slight issue. 

If you have great skin, a BB cream is a good choice as it gives a minimal amount of coverage. If you need to cover pigmentation or acne, opt for a foundation that has more coverage.

At the end of the day, a BB cream is basically a tinted moisturiser. So, if you have used a tinted moisturiser before and you like the coverage, a BB cream is a good choice for you. 

Some of the BB creams available:

Estee Lauder anti oxidant beauty benefit creme- £32 or $38*

Bobbi Brown BB cream SPF 35- £28 or $42
Garnier Miracle skin perfector daily all-in-one BB cream- £9.99 or $11
Clinique Age defense BB cream SPF 30- £25 or $37


* All prices approximate as a guide

REVIEW: Diane 35 as solution to hormonal acne

Hormonal acne is very prominent in young women. Although teenagers get regular breakouts of hormonal acne during their adolescence, I would like to talk about hormonal adult acne. Adult acne usually occurs in women during their late 20's, during menopause or sometimes in the early 20's. I am definitely not a doctor so I cant speak for everyone in this review, but what I can do is explain my experience and my reactions to using Diane 35 for acne.

In High School, I was always the girl with flawless skin. I never wore foundation and I didn't have a reason to. I only had an occasional pimple or two during that time of the month, but that cleared quickly. However, when I turned 20, everything changed. I guess some kind of imbalance happened in my hormones and I started to break out slowly but surely. At first I started getting one or two painful spots near the bottom of my cheeks. I thought it was just a bad reaction to something and I didn't do anything about it. However, after about a month or so my face was terrible. I started getting very painful cystic acne and when it did heal it left dark spots known as hyperpigmentation. I have olive skin, so the dark spots were quite dark and hard to get rid of. It was a while before I realised that something was wrong with my body and that that was the cause of the breakouts.

At first, I did a hormone test to check if that was the root of the problem. The results were clear-nothing was wrong with my hormone levels. I thought this was strange as hormonal acne usually had the same characteristics as what I had (cysts, near jawline and cheeks and in early 20's). Anyway I decided to get topical antibiotics for my face. My doctor prescribed "Dalacin T" solution which I applied day and night. It worked for a few months. However, as it is an antibiotic, the bacteria in my pimples became resistant to it and it stopped working. My face exploded again. This time it was so so much worse. My whole face was red and full of cysts. It was painful to the touch and made me really insecure. Make up couldn't cover the bulges on my face and I didn't want to leave the house at all. 

Finally, I went to the dermatologist and she told me that I have severe cystic acne and that the only cure is Accutane. This scared the daylights out of me. I have done my research and everyone has said that it is a serious drug and has really dangerous side effects. Accutane basically dries up your sebaceous glands where the pimples form. However, Accutane also dries up your entire body: flaky skin, eyeballs, reproductive organs etc. Basically its really nasty. I am against such harsh medication so that's when I decided to try birth control first.

I finally realised that my acne is a hormonal problem and the only way to fix it was orally. Birth Control is meant to level your hormones so that the excess testosterone that your body produces will be "neutralised" and thus you would have less acne. After reading reviews online I decided that Diane 35 was the best option for me. It consists of 28 pills: 21 hormone ones and 7 placebo ones.

This is my 3rd month taking the pill and my acne has reduced dramatically. I no longer have cysts anywhere on my face! I haven't used any special skin care, I wash my face with Dove soap and luke warm water. Therefore, I am confident in saying that the results are all due to Diane 35. The only thing I have left now is the scarring which will take some time to fade. I will be doing light chemical peels to even out my skin tone.

Girls are always scared of going on the pill because of weight gain. I haven't had any bad side effects like nausea, cramps or headaches. I have probably gained about 1.5 KG or roughly 3 lbs. I do feel bloated a lot of the time so I guess my weight gain is due to water retention. Sure, its not nice to gain weight when you are a girl but 1,5 KG is a small price to pay for a smooth face. (at least in my opinion). The only other side effect is that my chest is very sensitive. Otherwise everything seems OK so far.

Once again I have to stress that I am not an expert and that what worked for me wont necessarily work for everyone. I am not saying that birth control is the only way to get rid of acne but I think its a better option that Accutane. If you are really desperate and you have tried everything else to no success, then maybe this is the option for you.

Hope this helped someone xox

HOW TO: Choose the best foundation for your skin

All of us have different skin types, skin needs and daily routines. Naturally this means that not everyone can use a certain type of foundation. Some women constantly make the same mistakes when choosing foundation and this leads to a lot of frustration. Finding your perfect foundation isn't easy, but following a few simple rules usually saves a lot of time and money.

1. If you have an oily or acne prone skin that needs good coverage opt for a foundation that is matte and long wearing. This means you need to look for a foundation that has words like "oil free", "non-comedogenic", "longwear" etc. Avoid foundations that say that they are "illuminating" or "radiant" as this usually means that they give a more dewy finish to the skin, and as an acne prone or oily skin you would want to avoid that.

Choose:

          

Revlon Colorstay Foundation for Combination/Oily skin retails for £12.50 and US$13.00

Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation retails for £27.00 and US$35.00

Both foundations are oil free, matte and long lasting.

(If you want to know which I prefer, scroll down for my review)

2. If you have fairly good skin and only want to even out your skin tone, your best bet is a tinted moisturiser. It hydrates your skin while giving you a tiny bit of colour and coverage to boost your complexion. Also, tinted moisturisers are great for ladies who dont like the feel of a heavy foundation on their skin. Therefore, they are great for the summer months or humid conditions.

           

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Enhancer is a great drugstore option. It is a tinted moisturiser that  "nourishes skin and protects against future sun damage with a weightless SPF 20 moisturizer." It has vitamins that boost your complexion while providing natural coverage. It retails at US$10.50

Laura Mercier tinted moisturiser is honestly the best one out there! Just enough coverage on the skin so that it looks natural, a lightweight feel and sheer cover that lasts hours. It is available in an oil free formula as well and has an SPF20. It retails at £33 and $42.

3. If you are the type of girl that likes to keep the products on your face as natural as possible, opt for a mineral foundation. Mineral Foundations can be in powder and liquid form, although they are mostly powders. They are talc and fragrance free and do not have as many added ingredients as many foundations do. 

Mineral make-up usually doesn't contain fragrances, binders, synthetic dyes, talc, and preservatives. therefore, it is considered purer and can be kinder to the skin. However, if you are looking for a high coverage foundation to hide scars or spots, this isn't the best option for you.

 

Maybelline Mineral Powder Foundation and Bare Minerals Foundation are great choices. These foundations are buffed into the skin using Kabuki brushes and give a natural finish. In my opinion, they are a great alternative for sports women or girls with oily skin who don't want to use a tinted moisturiser.

Maybelline Mineral Powder: US$10  £6.00

Bare Minerals : US$27  £ 24

Hope these tips help you on your next foundation shopping trip :)

RED LIPSTICK FOR OLIVE/ASIAN SKIN

Having an olive or yellow skin undertone can be tricky for choosing a red lipstick. Girls often make the mistake of choosing a red lipstick with blue undertones that doesn't necessarily flatter their complexion. A yellow undertone suits lipsticks that also have warm undertones.

To test whether you have a olive/yellow undertone do the following:

Look at the veins on the inside of your arms. If the veins appear blue, you have a pink or cool undertone. If the veins look green, then you have a yellow/olive undertone.

Revlon Matte Lipstick: Left: In the red
Right: Wine Not

I have finally found 2 lipsticks that suit my skin tone and both are from Revlon. The colour "In the Red" is a red with orangey undertones which would look amazing on Asian skin. Wine Not is (as the name says) a darker wine colour and looks absolutely gorgeous for a more sophisticated evening look.

Left: In the Red         Right: Wine Not

Obviously, there are millions of lipsticks that can be found that suit a warm skintone, it isn't only these two. However, the above colours are a good guide for choosing the right lipstick for you if you have an Asian or Olive skintone.

Good Luck :)

REVIEW: Estee Lauder Idealist : Even Skin Tone Illuminator

I've got one word for this handy little serum- MAGIC! This is one of my all-time favourite Estee Lauder products. Although their Advanced Night repair is amazing as well, I Think that this little guy doesn't get enough credit.

Its great to use if you have acne scars or blotchiness on the face. I am not sure if its a good idea to use while you have active inflamed acne as your skin is super sensitive at this time, so I started using it after my acne cleared a bit. I have olive skin so hyperpigmentation has been a huge issue for me due to my acne. After using this product for about a week (every night) I have to say I really am seeing a huge difference. I know that it sounds too good to be true but the purple marks I had have already faded to a pinky colour -which is a big deal for me!

The texture of the product is smooth and silky to the touch and doesn't feel heavy on the skin. I don't like wearing it under my foundation as I am scared of piling on too many products and clogging my pores (maybe that's just me) so I tend to use it at night and during the day if I don't wear make up. It smells really nice and citrus-like which I think is pleasant. If you don't like the smell of lemon(or any smell at all in facial products) then avoid this product as it is quite strong in my opinion.

The only downfall in my opinion is the tiny little particles of shimmer in the product that are supposed to give the "illuminating" effect. I personally don't like the thought of something shimmery on my blemished face as I think that it will accentuate the marks even more.

The packaging is elegant and beautiful in a lovely blue bottle. The only thing I fear is that it is easily breakable in long haul flights so be careful where u pack it :)

All in all, fantastic product-really is worth the price tag for people suffering with blemished skin.

Price: UK £62  50ml
         US $135  3.4 oz bottle.

REVIEW:Estee Lauder Double Wear VS Revlon Colorstay

The blogs these days are filled with comparisons of the Revlon Colorstay and MAC Studio Fix Fluid. However, few people have drawn comparisons between the Colorstay and Estee Lauder Double Wear even thought they claim to have very similar characteristics. I have used both and can give my honest opinion about both products:

First things first- The packaging. Yes both have equally irritating glass bottles without a pump so a lot of product does go to waste and it makes the bottle dirty when it is poured out. However, the Double Wear does look more elegant with a gold cap.

Price? The Double Wear is definitely more expensive, retailing at $35* and £26.50 while the Colorstay is at $13* and £ 12.50. So, is the pricey choice worth it?

The first thing I have to point out with the Colorstay is that it smells awful. While the Double Wear isn't completely fragrance free, it doesn't smell as bad. The Colorstay literally smells like paint which really puts me off. However, if that kind of thing doesn't bother you, ignore this point.

Secondly, the coverage. The Double Wear is supposed to be a medium, buildable coverage with a semi matte finish. I honestly think that with a foundation brush, this foundation can create full coverage without feeling heavy or cakey. It feels quite light on the skin and covers most acne, pigmentation marks well. It does live up to its name as it stays on for the whole day without touch ups, even if its hot and humid.

The shades are quite extensive and I can easily find one for myself for winter and summer. It is an oil free foundation, but it does not cake on dry skin. Most importantly it doesn't make me break out! I have very sensitive skin and this has never caused any flare ups for me. Overall I absolutely LOVE this foundation and would recommend it to anyone. 

The Colorstay I have to say is a big disappointment for me. It is a full coverage foundation and as I used the oily/combination one it is matte. However, that's where the good news ends. This foundation dries SO quickly it is impossible to apply it section by section or slowly. I couldn't achieve a smooth result with a brush and I think that a wet sponge would be the only applicator tool that could be used. Furthermore, when it dries, this foundation oxidises and goes a couple of shades darker than when its wet. It always made my skin look cakey and orange or pink. This brings me to the point that it is also hard to find a shade for my skin tone. I have olive/yellow undertones and I am usually an NC 35 in MAC but with Colorstay I had to mix 005 Medium Beige and 006 True Beige to get my colour close enough. It has not made me break out but all the other factors have made me dislike it very much.

So, YES the price is definitely worth it! Although the Colorstay does a pretty good job for the price, if you want to spoil yourself definitely go for the Double Wear!

Estee Lauder Double Wear Swatch: 3W1 TAWNY

Revlon Colorstay Swatches: Above 005 Medium Beige
Below: 006 True Beige 

*Price in the United States

REVIEW: Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Nail Polish

This will be the first of my many reviews on make up and beauty products. 

I've noticed that this year for Spring (in the Northern Hemisphere) and Autumn (in the Southern Hemisphere) pastel colours are making a HUGE statement. Personally, I absolutely love them and thats why I am addicted to these nail polishes. The colours are so pretty and feminine and look flattering on most skin tones in my opinion.

These are my favourite shades:

From left to right: Delphinium, First Kiss and Camelia

Delphinium is a pale Lavender, First Kiss is a pale,peachy- pink while Camelia is a cooler, pale baby pink.

On the plus side they dry fairly quickly and stay on my nails for about 4 days which for me is excellent as I have rubbish nails that tend to split and chip the nail polish. They come in many colour variations.

First Kiss

Sally Hansen claim that this nail polish is a 5 in 1 system:

"5 Steps in 1 Bottle: Base Coat, Strengthener, Growth Treatment, Color and Top Coat"

It has also been listed as one of  the Marie Claire  top 25 best beauty products of 2011

xoxo