Paula's Choice Review: 2% BHA liquid, Resist Barrier Repair Moisturizer, and Resist C15 Booster

*This review is not sponsored and I purchased all items myself

So I mentioned using the 2% BHA liquid here and touched upon my history with Paula Begoun of Paula's Choice (if you don't want to go back and read it, I basically said that I grew up with her book The Beauty Bible and thus I trust that she is making these products because she really knows her stuff and not because she's trying to make a quick buck).  Paula also has a fairly well respected site that reviews beauty products called Beautypedia.  So knowing all this I don't know why I didn't try her products earlier.  I guess a part of it was just being dazzled by the bigger and flashier brands.  But once I tried the Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid, I was a convert.  So here are reviews of the first three items I've tried thus far.

1) Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid: So this was the first time I used BHA, which is a type of chemical exfoliant.  I've used Salicylic Acid before for my zits with mixed results.  So I didn't think this would work for me.  But I gotta say it has really turned my skin around.  It does help with the zits but more importantly, makes my skin really smooth.  2% may not sound like a lot, but for someone like me with really sensitive skin, 2% is enough.  I actually use this 2-3 times a week instead of daily since when I used it daily I noticed some irritation.  I've also noticed when I do use it consistently it helps with the redness of my skin.  I also tried the 8% AHA gel sample that came with this and found that it did not help my skin and I prefer the BHA more.  Both AHA and BHA are chemical exfoliants that do slightly different things.  Read here if you want to know more about it.  For $29, this is a great price for a really awesome product!

2) Resist Barrier Repair Moisturizer with retinol: This was the second product I tried from Paula's Choice (I tried both this one and the BHA liquid above on a random instagram story recommendation) and I again I was wary since I've tried retinols in the past (good for acne and wrinkles), but they've always irritated my skin too much.  Looking at the ingredient list, I'm not sure how much retinol is in there but I think it's pretty minimal since I can handle using this daily.  And again this lotion makes my skin feel so smooth.  This has become my new daily moisturizer replacing the Elemis SOS cream I mentioned before.  The Elemis cream didn't break me out but I didn't think it was improving the texture of my skin like this one does, and this moisturizer is $33 compared to the $85 for the Elemis one.  It was kind of a no-brainer for me to switch.

3) Resist C15 Super Booster: So I tried this out on a recommendation from a reader after I talked about the BHA liquid in the Weekend Ramblings post.  Sorry Sooji, but it didn't work for me >.< . About 3 minutes after I tried it, my skin got bright red and it started burning (and it was only on the right side of my face even though I spread it evenly on both sides--weird, right?).  I guess it just goes to show that what works for one person doesn't work for everyone since our physiologies are all different (which is why when you read my beauty reviews, take it all with a grain of salt).  Luckily I purchased it from Nordstrom and was able to return it.  But this hasn't stopped me from wanting to try more of Paula's stuff!  However, I'm going to hold off until I use up some of my other beauty items since I am trying to be more mindful of what I buy.  When I use up a bottle of something, I might see if I can replace it from one of Paula's skincare lineup.  

Anyway, if you've been looking for a gentle way to smooth out your skin and build some collagen, I recommend trying the Skin Perfecting BHA liquid and the Resist Barrier Repair Moisturizer.  They are great for acne-prone sensitive skin like mine and definitely worth a shot.  But buy it from Nordstrom's where you can return it though, just in case ;)

P.S. I have to eat my words above.  I have learned by now that it's in my nature to go a bit overboard when I find a brand or product that I like (for example: Everlane) so I have purchased another 6 items from Paula's Choice (2 of which replaced my empty sunscreen, 4 of which are totally brand new products I've never used before and doesn't replace anything *facepalm*).  Again I will review when I've used them all for a bit.

Review of Tinted Sunscreens: MDSolarSciences, Suntegrity, and eltaMD

Hi guys, and I think I had mentioned before my quest for the perfect tinted sunscreen for my skin.  As much as I love makeup with SPF, when we're in the thick of summer, like we are now, makeup is just not the most comfortable on the skin (and talk about melting down your greasy face--ugh).  So I started my search earlier in the year so that I'd have a viable option and out of these three that I've tried there's a clear winner for me.  

The first one I tried is this MDSolarScience Mineral Tinted Creme which I found kind of interesting.  The first thing I noticed right away was its texture of the cream which came out kind of fluffy (like whipped yogurt) but went on the face kind of greasy.  The smell was also kind of weird, but not overpowering and nothing that you really noticed (except maybe the first second you put it on).  It seemed like the formula would break me out but it didn't at all.  It did an ok job with sun protection but it did go on fairly thin.  And the tinted coverage was fairly light (you can't really hide too many imperfections with this one) and it only comes in one color.  But I did like that once on the face, it was fairly matte.  In the end though I went on to try another one because I was looking for something with a little more coverage to cover discoloration.  I use this one as a back-up in my gym bag for days I forget to bring my makeup bag along.  At least I can use this one in a pinch.  

So the next one I tried was the Suntegrity 5-in-1 Natural Moisturizing Face Sunscreen in the color Light.  Right away I liked that the coverage on this one was a bit thicker (so much so that I didn't really need to use much concealer).  It goes on a bit tacky so I use my fingers to dab it on.  And once I have my whole face covered, it looks a bit shiny from the tinted sunscreen so I pat down with one of these oil blotting sheets and it's just the right amount of shiny.  Since it does go on a bit thick I feel like it does a bit of a better job at keeping me from burning when compared to the MDSolarSciences Creme.  And best of all this tinted sunscreen doesn't break me out at all.  It's also free of parabens, pthalates, mineral oils, PABA, sulfates, and a whole bunch of other toxic ingredients.  This is the one that works best for me, and I'm almost done with my first tube of this stuff.  I've already re-purchased it in the same color.  I'm somewhere between the light and golden light color, with the golden light being a bit more darker and yellow in tint and thus great for tanned Asian skin.

I also purchased this eltaMD UV Physical broad spectrum tinted sunscreen around the same time.  The texture on this one is a bit more like the MDsolarSciences one and it's also a fairly light coverage.  But right away the coloring did not match mine at all.  It is definitely for people with a pink-ish skin tone, and it did not blend in with my skin at all.  So thank you to reader Dawn for taking it off my hands and making sure this product gets used!

Anyway this review was not sponsored and I purchased all items myself to try out.  If you guys have any questions about these three tinted sunscreens, just shoot me a comment below.  And what do you guys use for your summer makeup/sunscreen?

Beauty Discovery: Bella Cuore

Two months into my clothing (and accessories) shopping ban, I find that my shopping for skin care and makeup has gone up quite a bit.  It might be due to the fact that my skin has been really terrible lately (hello zits) or the fact that right now beauty is something I'm allowing myself to spend money on (and so all my time spent shopping for clothes has gone to shopping for makeup).  But on the bright side of this increased beauty shopping is that I've discovered more natural products and I've found this great new online shopping mecca for high-quality natural beauty products: Bella Cuore.  

I originally stumbled onto the site while looking for Vitner's Daughters Active Botanical Serum (I kept seeing it everywhere and when Lee from Style Bee swore on it's awesome-ness I finally decided I needed to check it out myself).  And this site doesn't charge tax (at least for California, so that's an almost 9% savings right there).  But that magical elixir is 185 buckaroos, and I wasn't sure I wanted to spend that much money on something I wasn't sure my skin can handle (as I've said before I have the most awful sensitive and acne-prone skin).  Enter Bella Cuore: they allow you to pick 5 samples of pretty much anything on their site (of course they have some rules to ensure no one abuses their sample system--no complete freebees here).  But it at least allows me to patch test it to make sure I either love it or if it's foundation if it matches my skin tone.  How great is that?  They also have a point system that allows discounts for future purchases (unlike Sephora rewards where you get more free samples of things you probably won't buy anyway).

So far I've only tried the Suntegrity tinted sunscreen (which has medium to light coverage, hardly any scent and most importantly doesn't break me out) and I think I'm going to order the full product.  I'll do another full report once I've tried everything and let you know what I thought of each product.  In the meantime check them out here and get your own sample kit!

My skincare tips for sensitive and acne-prone skin

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I have the most sensitive skin in the world.  Though that's not the biggest problem with my skin.  My biggest problem has been acne for most of my life.  Once I hit puberty at 11 until my late 20s I was constantly breaking out (and still to this day in my 30's I get zits, but I don't consider it acne).  And so really, I've been using skin care products since I was 11.  I've been through 2 rounds of Acutane.  On top of that I've tried all kinds of prescribed topicals from sulphur, benzyl peroxide, and salicylic acid.  And pretty much ever over the counter stuff there is, from Neutrogena, Clearisil (both too harsh) and Proactiv (which worked for a little while).  But in the end, I think you just have to grow out of it.  Now that I'm less concerned with acne, I'm more obsessed with the elasticity of my skin (which really changes once you hit 30).  But I still have sensitive skin issues to navigate around.  So after two decades worth of trying skin care products what have I learned?

1) Don't be afraid to try new products.  

I am constantly buying and trying products with Sephora because they have the best return policy in the world.  You can return anything.  Even products that you've opened and tried.

2) Only try one new product at a time

Like any good experiment, change only one variable at a time.  If you change your cleanser and your moisturizer at the same time and break out or have a reaction, you won't be able to tell if it's one or the other (it's a no-duh kind of tip but sometimes when you're in the spirit of experimenting you can get carried away, or maybe that's just me.)

3) Change-up the products on a daily basis if you can

I find that by alternating the products that I use, my skin is more responsive to the benefits of the product.  You wouldn't feed your body with the same stuff everyday so why feed your skin that way?

4) Also change your routine with the seasons

This might be a no-brainer to most people.  But I tend to stick with products that work no matter what season.  But in the end, the creams that work in the winter just don't work the same in the summer.

5) Always spot-test

For those with sensitive skin, this is a must.  Always test it in a spot that is the most reactive and even though you might have a red itchy spot for a day at least your whole face won't be bright red and itchy.  My favorite spots are under my jaw or if I'm testing for breakouts, I'll try my chin or cheeks.

Stay tuned for a post on the products that I currently use on my problematic skin (and I'm thinking of talking a little bit more about skin care and cosmetics since I'm always curious to know what other girls use and why.  I've already started asking some of my friends what their favorite beauty products are).

Aesop's Fable: Aesop Beauty Products Review

Do you remember any of Aesop's fables?  I had a whole book of them and I used to love those stories (all with their self-righteous morals at the end of them).  The only ones I can really remember are the "Boy Who Cried Wolf" (the most famous one) and the "Fox and the Grapes" (a lesser known fable about a fox who try as he might can't reach the hanging grapes and so storms off saying he didn't want them anyway...or something like that).  Why I remember that latter fable is beyond me, but psychoanalyze that how you will.

Well the point is, Aesop of the renowned fables was good at telling stories, much like Aesop, the beauty brand does today.  Their stores are beyond gorgeous with a pleasing rustic look and uniformity to them all.  Those brown bottles are inexplicably appealing and even the linen shopping pouch they give with their products, though inconvenient to carry on its own, is adorable in its fake science-y way.  And like many people I was suckered in by their branding and marketing.  The look of the store draws you in, and if you're lucky and the store is empty, you might get a hand wash/massage with their products from a friendly sale associate who isn't creepy.  But take the products home and what do you get?  Some really overpriced so-so items in beautiful bottles.  

Beauty products are hard to rate, since they affect people differently.  So please take what I say with a grain of salt.  But to me, Aesop products are a total dud.  I bought the Chamomile Concentrate Anti-Blemish Masque, Control (another zit med), the Nurturing Shampoo, and the Classic Conditioner.  A quick rundown of the products:  Both anti-zit meds did nothing for my breakouts and in fact just irritated my skin (And a quick look at beautpedia, a good resource for skin products, tells me why.  There's irritants in them both and nothing that actually prevents or treats zits) .  The shampoo and conditioner just made my hair super flat (though very soft).  The hair products weren't bad but definitely not worth the $49 I paid for each (I know I'm crazy for buying them, but I blame it on vacation brain.  I bought them in Portland when we were on our airstream road trip).  Though the products seem natural (maybe its their aesthetic?) they're not at all.  Nor do they try to be.  Which is fine, but for a non-natural product Neutrogena works two times better at half the price.  So I suggest saving your money and resisting the well-marketed temptations of this store.  But hey at least the bottles photographed nicely (and would look beautiful in a fancy bathroom...if I had a fancy bathroom).