Supermarket goodies

Normally, I get my skincare items at drugstores or department stores. But for the past year or so, I've been trying out products from Trader's Joes (TJ) and Whole Foods (WF), and have been pleasantly surprised.

TJ has a great selection of skincare products, and they are reasonably priced. Their Nourish Antioxidant Facial Serum is amazing! It is loaded with vitamins and oils to hydrate and nourish your skin. At $10 for 1 ounce, it is a bargain. Normally, serums go for $40 and up at other places, though I'm not sure why. I think I will stick with TJ's serum since it does the job of moisturizing my skin.

 

I've also recently tried their Grapeseed Oil to moisturize my skin. Apparently it is good for acne-prone/oily skin. I'm always looking for a good hydrator since whenever I go get a facial (not very often), the facialist always tell me that I have dry skin. But I'm always in a dilemma because I have combination skin - very dry in some places and super oily in other places.

Yesterday, I smoothed the oil on my face, and went about my day. My face felt soft and supple, and surprisingly my face wasn't as oily as it normally is. The only downside is that I smelled like French fries the whole day. So I think I will stick to using this at night. Or if I use it during the day, I will put a thin layer or mix it with another lotion/essential oil.

Whole Foods also has a great selection of products. But since they have a greater selection of brands, the quality is hard to tell. I've had some misses/hits. I really like the Alba Botanical line - their scrub is really good. I wasn't a big fan of the MyChelle line - their serum doesn't really do much for my skin. But their skin analysis is super fun! You should get a free skin analysis if you are ever in a WF. They tell you everything about your skin from sun damage to wrinkles and pore size. You basically get a rank on how you faired - quite intimidating. But it encouraged me to wear sunscreen every day.

WF also has bath bombs by Hugo. They are amazing. If you like Lush bath bombs, you should try Hugo's. Their scent is long lasting. I've only tried their Lavender & Chamomile, but their Grapefruit Orange one smelled good as well. They are currently having a sale at 2 for $8. Tip: I cut them into smaller pieces (around 4-8 pieces) to use it for several baths.

Do you have any skincare favorites at your local supermarket?

Happy 4th of July!

Hooray for the weekend! I studied all week, and took a test today. I thought my head was running around in circles, but a walk around the neighborhood helped clear my head.

Summer is here, and that means super oily skin. So I changed up my skin care routine a bit. A few key things I've been trying to stick to: exfoliate, treat, and moisturize. I'm a bit lazy when it comes to taking care of my skin, but after a desperately needed trip to a skin care facialist, I was reprimanded. I avoided acne-medicated products for awhile because I have sensitive skin. However, the facialist recommended that I use something. So I am using Neutrogena's Oil Free Acne Stress Control Power Cream Wash. My brother left it at home, and I didn't want to bother going to the drugstore. It does a good job of gently exfoliating the skin without stripping away moisture. Plus, I'm noticing less whiteheads.


A clean, healthy complexion is essential!

Tinted Moisturizer

With winter coming, my skin is getting a bit dry. I am on the prowl for a new tinted moisturizer. This is a good product to use daily without the heavy coverage and feel of regular foundation. The one I currently use, Kiehl's Tinted Moisturizer, does little to enhance my skin's complexion. I am deciding between Laura Mercier's and Bobbi Brown's. Laura Mercier has gotten rave reviews for providing moisture and just enough color. Bobbi Brown's uses a yellow undertone to provide a natural color. I agree; I tried a sample of BB's Luminizing Foundation in Sand and it blends in with my skin tone. Some drawbacks are the price ($40) and the funny chemical smell.

The Social Nerd posted a useful entry for those with combination/oily skin. I have combo oily skin as well, and it's tricky finding a balance between dry and oily. Check out her entry at:
http://thesocialnerd.blogspot.com/2009/12/tips-for-combination-skin-types.html

Let's ring in the new year with our hopes and dreams!

Brave Face

Good morning! Before I start studying for finals, I wanted to blog about my all-time favorite beauty products from the local drugstore. These are things that I usually stock up on because I know I'll use them often.

Cetaphil's cleanser is good to have. It's gentle and perfect to use when you need to wash your face several times throughout the day.


Everyone knows that you need to put on SPF all year round. The sun doesn't stop shining in the winter! Neutrogena has a good sunblock line because the helioplex technology physically blocks out the rays. I don't have to worry about reapplying. Plus, the Visibly Even line has soy to boost your skin's radiance!


Biore Pore Strips are effective in removing stubborn white heads. It's great to use in between facial appointments.


Clean & Clear Oil Absoring Sheets are handy to keep around to keep oily skin in check.


For those days when you don't want to wash your face, try Pond's Wet Cleansing Towelettes. Although nothing is as effective as washing with water and cleanser, these are good for emergencies. I bring them on plane rides because I can wash my face easily while sitting down.


What do you stock up on at the drugstore?

Photo credits: www.drugstore.com

Make up the breakdown

Models have such great style and swagger on the runway, and they are able to maintain a sense of laid-back beauty off the runway. How do they do it? They're not called super models for just any reason. Here are a few photos of some pretty models:

Hye Park


Hyoni Kang



Liu Wen



Emma Pei



I don't know what they use to maintain their flawless skin, but I can tell you what I use. ;D

I like Clinique products because most of them are fragrance-free and gentle for sensitive skin.


Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion is so good that every 4 seconds a bottle is sold.

Kiehl's also has a good one: Ultra Facial Cream. It has been tested on six explorers while they completed a first ascent of Greenland's ice covered peaks.

Estee Lauder's So Polished is a nice little treat once a week. It smells like an ocean breeze and gently exfoliates.

Origin's Clear Improvement is a great mask for oily skin; it really gets the dirt out of the pores.

And... because we can't break the bank, Aveeno's Daily Moisturizing Lotion always succeeds in keeping my skin moisturized.

Origins has a line of products by Dr. Weil, the famed botanist. I've always wanted to try the serum, but at $66 I've been hesitant to buy it.

Shu Uemura has a line of cleansing oils that seem to work wonders. They're featured in magazines and have gotten rave reviews for many years. Alas, the $72 price tag keeps me at bay. Bobbi Brown recently introduced a cleansing oil that starts a more friendly price ($40).

Although I may never have perfect skin like Amanda Seyfield, there is no harm in trying by maintaining a healthy lifestyle and sticking to a normal hygienic routine. And so can you.


Photo credits: www.style.com,
www.instyle.com,
www.beauty.com