A Skin Cancer PSA and Biore Aqua Rich Watery Essence Review

  I was going to work on my review of my FOMO box sheet masks but I got sidetracked scrolling through Facebook and found a music video by my favorite rapping doctor ZDoggMD. With the temps and the sun in the desert ramping up to the full blast-oven like conditions this week he re-posted his PSA video called "Bad Skin" a parody about the perils of going without sunscreen to tune of Taylor Swifts "Bad Blood". 

Take a look, it's hysterical:

  As your average Facebook troller this is hilarious and yet well timed. As a nurse it hammers home what I already know about skin cancer and how high the rates are, especially out here in the desert. My husband is always rolling his eyes as I habitually check out his skin spots after he showers and hem and haw. Hell I've even whipped out a tiny ruler to check if one particularly concerning spot had grown (it hadn't). In nursing school they spent a fair amount of time hammering into my head how to identify (the ABCDE's) a potentially cancerous skin spot. I used to roll my eyes at the tedium of memorizing and looking at moles in a textbook, but after working a few years in the ER with people coming in with all sorts of weird skin issues that had gotten way out of hand I realized how important this is.

  So here are the ABCDE's of skin cancer:

  If you see any of these ABCDE's in your skin spots(or are in doubt) please have them checked out. Preferably not in the ER, let's leave that for emergencies!

  So that being said we all know that the best protection against skin cancer is to limit your sun exposure, cover up and reach for sunscreen. I must admit I have a hard time with sunscreen,US sunscreens always break me out and I often relied on my foundation or BB to give me some SPF. Bad! I know. But that has changed after reading Fiddy's blog and what she uses. 

Biore Aqua Rich Watery Essence 

  This is a sunscreen made for the Japanese market that Fiddy has extolled the virtues of in many posts, so I figured what the heck lets give it a try. So I hopped on Amazon and bought a tube. I paid a touch more to get it here faster, but you can generally find it for about $10 or under. This sunscreen boasts a 50 SPF and Fiddy swears it goes on smooth with no greasy feel or white cast to the face. This sunscreen does NOT contain Titanium or Zinc oxide, for me this is a blessing because my skin does not play well with these ingredients, but if you have allergies please take the time to check out the ingredients at CosDNA.

  

It feels like a combination of a gel and a cream and comes out of the tube white as you can see. The product really has a nice light weight feel to it and doesn't feel greasy at all.

  

  

  When you apply it it completely disappears into the skin! You can see just a sheen before it dries, but no white cast at all. When it dries it leaves my skin feeling smooth, almost like I just applied a primer. 

 I've used this everyday for a week now and I love the way it melts into the skin and NO skin troubles. It makes it very easy to apply the right amount to my face because I'm no longer in fear of looking like I'm wearing a kabuki mask or breaking out. It holds up well in the heat and my makeup stays put over top very nicely. I never thought sunscreen could feel so...not there! The small tube makes it the perfect size to keep with the rest of my makeup so there are no more excuses of forgetting to put it on. Fiddy does warn that this formula does not hold up to sweat very well, so it is best to keep it for everyday use. I've ordered the longer wearing version of this (Perfect Bright Milk) hopefully armed with both formula's I'll be able to keep my sun damage to a min this summer.

  Please feel free to copy the ABCDE infographic and pass it around! I made it in hopes of helping everyone be able to identify skin cancer early and because melanoma is SO not attractive.

  If you enjoyed ZDoggMD's video please check him out online here, on Facebook here and on YouTube here. The dude is a has a great sense of humor but also is a very passionate healthcare advocate.

  Do you have any tips or holy grails for sun protection? 

Let me hear them in the comments!

Memebox FOMO Box

  I'm a sucker for mystery boxes, so when Memebox put their FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) box up for pre-order a few months ago I just had to have one. After waiting impatiently for the ship date to come I finally got the box of joy delivered to my doorstep. 

Here's what came inside.

Sheet mask overload!!! 

• 8 Vita Genic Jelly Masks by Banobagi
• 4 Skin Energy Masks by Prelab 
• 3 Dress Code Masks by Mediheal 
• 3 Hydro Nude Gel Masks by Mediheal 
• 4 Ampoule Masks by Mediheal
• 6 Welcome to Korea Masks by Urban Dollkiss
• 1 Mongong Soda Bubble Sheet by Mediheal
• 1 Face Injection Mask by Oozoo

  My poor husband! He's already drowning in my skin care stuff, the bathroom is literally overflowing with bottles of lotions and potions, now the sheet masks are threatening to overflow out of the cabinet whenever he goes hunting for his shaving stuff. Overall I'm pretty happy with this box, mystery boxes can either be a source of huge happiness or disappointment in my book. This box's price was $39.00, Memebox valued the haul at $85.00. For me this was a fun way to try a bunch of new sheet masks and see what I like, what works and what to avoid in the future without having to troll through pages of masks.

  Obviously there are WAY too many masks to review in one post so I'm going to break them down by brand and/or line with a post for each. This may take me awhile since there is a TON of masks to go through! So let me know which ones you are most interested in and what information you like to get from a sheet mask review, I'm kinda new at this so guidance is appreciated!

  Maybe I can get Mr. to try a sheet mask too, LOL! 

Stay tuned!

BB Creams & Cushions for Darker Skin Tones

  I love BB creams, especially the cushion form! They have great benefits for your skin and the cushions are oh so convenient. Problem is that Korean products tend to cater to Korean skin tones and I definitely do not have that milky white skin as you can see.

 

  Unfortunately I was "blessed" with skin that loves to tan, living in sunny Arizona doesn't really help much with that. As much as I slather on sunscreen or SPF product and cover up my skin inevitably takes on health tan. 

  Finding a BB cream that matches my medium tan skin  in the sea of light beige has been a challenge, but I have found a few gems out there. So I thought I'd share a few that have worked for me in hopes of helping out the other tanned beauties out there.

  Here are a few good BB creams in various forms that I have found  work well for my medium to tan skin tone. I threw in a swatch of Hope in a Jar as it is a fairly popular foundation to give some reference as to where my skin tone tends towards and for you to compare the BB creams to.

  I took this picture outside to give you a better idea of how these BB's look in bright, natural sunlight. They have had a few minutes to oxidize to get to their true colors as many Korean BB creams go on very light or grey then oxidize to their true colors. 

  So here is a break down of the products I have swatched here:

• Sulwhasso Perfecting Cushion #25: This is my most recent purchase, I have been hemming and hawing over buying a "luxury" cushion for a long time now. The price point on this cushion is $60 on Memebox, I purchased it for around $40 when it went on sale and used my Memepoints to knock a little more off the price. I normally hate spending anything greater than $20 for makeup but I was feeling like splurging. So far this has been the best match for my skin tone. I also love the formula of this BB cream, it has a thinner consistency than most which allows it to go on in a thin layer. I'm not a fan of the full coverage look, I prefer the "better than skin" barely there kind of look and this cushion delivers. That being said I have noticed it is very buildable, one dab on the cushion is usually enough to do my entire face. This cushion has more of a dewy finish, which I usually shy away from with my oily skin, but after several hours of wear it stayed pretty much as it started. No huge shiny areas and my skin stayed nicely hydrated without being oily, that being said if you are looking for a matte finish this is not the BB for you.

      -Pros: Easy to use

             Thin consistency allows for even application

             SPF 50

             Light coverage but is buildable

             Comes in 3 shades, #25 is the darkest.

             Comes with a refill cushion included in the price

      -Cons: $$$. This is a pricey BB

             Dewy finish is not everyone's cup of tea

             Definite yellow undertones 

• Dr Jart+ Premium Beauty Balm #02 Medium Deep: Dr Jart is a classic in the BB cream world, it was one of the first BB's in the US to reach cult status. The price point on this one is still a little steep for my liking at $39 at Birchbox. Again I bought this one using points to drive the price down. The Medium Deep shade is relatively new, it wasn't a bad match for me but I found it had almost pinikish undertones that don't work well for me. It also is a much heavier BB with fuller coverage than I tend to like. My biggest pet peeve with this is the pump, the tube is rigid plastic and the pump doesn't work very well leaving a lot in the tube I have to go digging for. This BB does leave your skin well moisturized  but I find it has more of a semi matte finish.

      -Pros: Good coverage

             SPF 45

             Medium deep shade is great for tanned skin tones

             Hydrates well without leaving you shiny

      -Cons: Thicker formula may settle into fine lines 

             Not great for hot climates (it melts in 100 degrees)

             $$ still a pricey option 

             Pump top leaves a ton in the tube

• Missha M Perfect Cover BB Cream #27 Honey: Missha is a huge brand on Korea with many products in skin care and makeup. I bought this one at my local Korean grocery stores makeup counter, the price was around $20. The price on the Missha US website is $22 making it a decently affordable BB cream. This BB combines good hydration with medium coverage without being as heavy the Dr. Jart+ formula. I did not find this one to build coverage very well, it just started to look cakey after subsequent layers were applied so if you like a medium coverage great if you're looking for a fuller coverage this is not for you. The finish on this BB is almost a semi matte, it does give you a hint of dewiness but not to the point of the Sulwhasso cushion. The Perfect Cover line has 5 shades that should suit most skin tones, #27 is not the darkest so if you have a deep tan I would check out their #31

      -Pros: $ Reasonably priced

             SPF 42

             Good range of shades to fit most skin tones 

             Semi  matte finish that looks natural

             Less likely to settle into fine lines

      -Cons: Decent medium coverage but does not build well

             Heavy perfumey scent. If you are sensitive beware!

• La Neige BB Cushion Medium (U.S. Version): This is the US version of the BB Cushion that La Niege makes. It is only sold in the US and the shades seem to be unique to the US market. I bought mine at Target when they debuted the La Neige brand for $36. Included in that price is a second cushion refill. Of all the BB's I swatched this is the most matte finish of the bunch so if you are looking to nix the shine this works very well. The formula is very light and goes on smoothly, if you want a fuller coverage you will need to layer this on but it does build up. The one difference I noticed about this cushion is that it does not have the brightening properties of the other Korean BB's which can be a pro or a con depending on your taste. I sent this cushion to my sister who has very sensitive skin and she reports that she has had no problems with it, in fact she loves it. The American line of cushions comes in 6 shades ranging from Fair to Dark to cover a range of skin tones. My pet peeve with this product is that it dispenses very unevenly onto the puff when you press into the cushion, almost like the cushion is not saturated enough. I though it was the first cushion but I ran into the same problem with the refill cushion.

      -Pros: Easy to find. Most Target stores carry all shades

             SPF 50

             Good range of shades to match most skin tones

             Refill included

             Natural looking matte finish

             Buildable coverage

      -Cons: Target does not sell refill packs, only the compact

             with a refill.

             $-$$ Price point is a little high, but that includes a 

             refill for the price.

             No brightening properties (if you are into that)

             Dispenses unevenly onto the puff

  Hopefully you golden skinned gals have found this moderately helpful. Have any of you found a good BB or cushion that works well for medium to tanned skin tones? If you have I would love to hear about them and where you found them, please leave your comments below!

Disclaimer: All products featured in this post are my own and purchased for myself by myself. I, in no way have been paid or compensated for my review and all the opinions stated here are my own.

             

    

A Pore Deep Cleansing

  Heading back to work after a much needed weekend off! Looking in the mirror I noticed that the pores are looking clogged and congested. So time to do some deep cleansing! I had always though the way to get rid of large pores was to get one of those peel masks like this one...

  and rip 'em out. But after a one application of this stuff that left me with a red face, chapped skin and no results I decided a gentler approach (I'll post a review of the Hell Pore Clean Up Mask later). I found a great post by Fiddy at Fifty Shades of Snail here on how to deep cleanse those suckers and reduce the appearance of my big pore without ripping half the skin off your face. Take a look at the process.

  I've been trying Fiddy's method for a few months now and I can really see a difference. So I thought I'd share with you what I use.   According to Fiddy's instructions, you'll need a BHA product, a clay mask and an oil based cleanser. I use these guys:

• Cosrx Blackhead Power Liquid: Fiddy herself recommends it!I like this product as it goes on smooth, a tad oily feeling but sinks in very quickly. I have had great results with it just using it as part of my night time routine and no chemical smell!

• Scinic All Day Fine Pore Clay Mask: For me this is the holy grail of masks. It has an odd rubbery texture but once you start applying it literally melts into a soft paste that goes on smoothly in an even layer, a little goes a long way. As it dries the mask literally tightens up, so if you have very sensitive skin this may not be for you but I swear just alone it does wonders for my pores. With the amount of sun I get from living in the desert my skin is pretty tough and when it is washed off my skin is uber smooth!

• Re:cipe Rose Petal Cleansing Oil: I got this as part of a cleansing kit for Christmas and I love rose oil for it's skin pampering qualities. I once had a patient from Bulgaria in her 80's with the most amazing skin, she told me her secret was a few drops of rose oil every night. Apparently Bulgarian roses are prized for their oil, it worked she looked about 60. This oil is rich without being heavy and seems to be great for all skin types, my oily skin loves it and I gave a bottle to my sister who has very sensitive, eczema and blemish prone skin. She has raved about it and even had me send her a second bottle since she can't get it in Canada. It emulsifies very well, makeup just melts when it comes into contact with it and I am left with super soft, supple skin.

  I tend to do this routine in the morning, usually on a day I am heading back to work since I have no where to go and no makeup on. 

The kitty hair band is the perfect accessory to my P.J's

  
Give yourself plenty of time, you really cannot rush the process if you want to see real results. Also don't be alarmed if you don't feel any of the "grits" Fiddy talks about in her post, I never really get any but the results are very, very noticeable for me. I only do this about once every week or two weeks due to my weird ass schedule, and sub in a good peel or exfoliation in between.

  If you are interested in learning more about the products you can click the links which will take you to Memebox's write ups. I bought them all at Memebox, if you use the link under Where I Buy K-Beauty on the side of the blog you will get 20% off your first purchase of $25, but they can be found at other retailers and I always encourage you to shop around for the best price.

 Oh yes and the kitty cat head band is also from Memebox, available here.

  Okay, it's off to bed for me now that my pores are all de-gunked I can sleep better! Hopefully my patients will notice, HA!

Disclaimer: All products featured in this post are my own and purchased for myself by myself. I, in no way have been paid or compensated for my review and all the opinions stated here are my own.

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K-Beauty Translated

 Korean beauty is a hot trend right now and at the core of it is luminous, perfect skin. 

We all want it, but the Korean skincare regiment is loaded with a million products, lets be honest it can be absolutely bewildering. 

So many steps, and so many weird names where do you begin?

Yep, these are all the products I use. 

  

Here's a simple breakdown and translation of Korean skincare products using all my own skincare products to demonstrate:

Cleansers

Missha Green Tea Makeup Remover,
The Face Shop Rice Water Bright Cleansing Foam,
The Face Shop Rice Water Bright Cleansing Oil Light

  Cleansing is the most important part of any skincare routine. Korean skincare is no different, the much talked about "Double Cleanse" method is the heart of the Korean regiment. So you will see many different types of cleansers. The key is that you can really file them in to two different categories: oil cleanser and foam cleanser.

Oil Cleansers are exactly that, oil based facial cleanser. These products can come in liquid or cream form but the key is that they are made of oils that breakdown makeup and oil on your face. Yes, they are good for any skin type including those with oily skin, you just have to find the right one for you. I'll get more into this in another post.

Foam Cleansers are your traditional "soapy" cleansers. These are used after the oil cleanse to remove residual oil and broken down makeup from your face, the culprit of most of our breakouts. The biggest difference between Korean foam cleansers and American ones is that they focus on gentle cleaning and don't strip your face leaving you tight and dry.

Toners

 The Face Shop The Smim Fermentation Concentrate Toner
Missha Super Aqua Pore Correcting Toner

  Here in the U.S. most of us think of toners as astringents, harsh alcohol based products much like aftershave that is supposed to "close your pores". Having tried a few American drugstore toners I gave up on them pretty fast because they just seemed to dry my face out and then several hours later my skin would respond by producing a ton of oil and I looked like an oil slick hit my face.

  Korean toners are the exact opposite, the philosophy behind Korean toners is to return your skin to it's natural pH. Soap by nature is alkaline or "basic" and your skin is naturally slightly acidic applying a toner brings your skin back to it's natural state and makes it, well... happier! 

  Korean toners can range from a the traditional, very watery consistency we are used to here in the States, to a slightly thicker more serum like texture. They often contain other ingredients that will help treat your skin problems like large pores, discoloration or just some great anti aging properties. There are so many to chose from that are targeted for every skin type from sensitive to oily. 

  For me this is the one step I never skip, since I started using a toner I find I use much less moisturizer because my skin absorbs it way better.

Treatments

From left to right back row: Boots No.7 Youthful Eye Serum, Missha Time Revolution First Treatment Essence, Cosrx BHA Blackhead Power Liquid, SK-II Facial Treatment EssenceFrom left to right front row: Missha Time Revolution Night Repair Science Activator Ampoule, The Face Shop Myeonghan Miindo Heaven Grade Ginseng Neck & Decollete Serum,Goodal Waterest First Essence, Shiseido Ultimate Eye Serum

  This is where things start to get overwhelming, serums, essences, ampoules, what the heck are these thing and what are they for? When I introduced a few friends to Korean skincare they looked terrified at all the bottles and tubes I had hanging around, "You use ALL of these?" they asked. 

  Well yes and no. 

Essences are the lightest of this group. They tend to have a very thin watery consistency and are patted into the skin to treat common issues like discoloration or aging. The idea behind them is that the water like consistency allows them to absorb right into your skin taking all the great skin perfecting ingredients right where it is needed. These are generally applied right after cleansing and toning your skin for maximum absorption and effect. 

Serums tend to be a little thicker and more viscous liquid which like essences target skin issues.

Ampoules are heavier than serums but basically do the same job as the other two.

  Serums, essences and ampoules are all targeted treatments for your skin issues, so let's just file them all under a big heading of "treatments". They all basically treat a skin issue you hate, wrinkles and fine lines, dullness, discoloration or blemishes such as blackheads or acne. The key to these are finding the right ones for you and layering them. As you can see I own a ton of "treatments" but I don't use every one of them daily. It's like creating a personalized cocktail for your skin to respond to what it needs that day. In the winter my skin gets dull and sallow so I layer on an ampoule that targets these issues over my anti-aging essence. In the summer I am very prone to blackheads so I layer on a serum that targets excess oil along with my anti aging essence. It's all up to you!

Moisturizers

Coola Cucumber Moisturizer, Innisfree Green Tea Balancing Lotion,
The Face Shop Flebote White Crystal Emulsion, Innisfree Green Tea Balancing Cream

  Again another place where things can get a little tricky. Here in the States most girls have one bottle of moisturizer and if you are starting to stare 40 in the face like me, you may have invested in a night cream. If you haven't caught on yet Koreans are all about layering! So it is no surprise that they have multiple moisturizers and layer them on to get the most out of them.

Emulsions and lotions are very light liquid like moisturizers. The very thin texture allows them to soak right into your skin and hydrate quickly. These are layered on after your treatments and before a cream.

Creams are thicker in texture, they often come in little jars or "pots" and are scooped out. Most Korean woman have one cream for the day time which contains SPF and an even heavier one that is a night cream.

  The key to moisturizers is layering them, the light emulsions and lotions sink in to moisturize deeply and then you seal it in with a heavier cream to get deeply moisturized skin that is hydrated and soft.

Masks

WAY too many sheet masks to list!
Innisfree Wine Jelly Sleeping Pack, R:EP Bio Fresh Mask with Real Calming Herb, SNP Don't Worry Mango Sleeping Pack

  Now this is where things get fun! Koreans love masks, and there are a ton of them to chose from. Don't panic, these aren't everyday items, just for when you really need a pick me up. I tend to use them about 3 times a week on my days off to help recover my skin from 12 hour shifts and to relax.

Sheet masks are thin face shaped paper masks that are infused with serums that target just about any complaint you have about your skin. They can detox you, brighten you, and remove blackheads, but more importantly to me they are super relaxing and cheap! Most sheet masks cost about $2.00!

Wash Off Masks are a lot like the clay masks we all remember from high school sleepovers. Not all of them actually have clay in them but the premise is the same, goop onto your face, laugh at how silly you look and wash off to reveal soft, glowy skin

Sleeping Masks or Sleeping Packs look like super thick moisturizers and come in jars or single serving packs. These are applied to the face just like a moisturizer and left on all night, in the morning you wash them off to reveal super soft skin. These products basically lock in all of the great products you applied and holds moisture into you skin over night. Perfect for those of us who don't always have 20 minutes for a sheet or wash off mask.

  Okay, so that wasn't SO bad was it? I hope after you have read this you are thinking that maybe this whole Korean skincare regiment isn't so scary and overwhelming after all. 

  And if you are saying "But it takes so much time, effort and money... " remember this:

  It may take more time, effort and money to get beautiful skin and maintain it, but if you don't take care of it won't you be putting a ton of time, effort and money into "fixing" it with make up or worse? 

What would you rather do?

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