Eyelash Perming~!

Hey guys~! So I haven't posted in a while and thought I'd share something with you that can open up your eyes (literally).

I was on yelp one day just browsing and I came across a salon that did eyelash perming.  Instantly I was intrigued since my lashes are now significantly longer than they used to be due to Latisse (see previous posts).  I made an appointment right away to get the procedure done at Yuzuki Salon in Newport Beach, CA.  They received 5 star reviews so I was confident that I wouldn't have botched eyelashes with a cost of $35 including tip :)

The procedure:  I lied down in a very comfortable chair that looks something similar to a dentist chair and the lady asked me if I had done eyelash curling before.  I let her know this was my first time and she went over how long it would take and how long the perm would last.  I lied in the chair and closed my eyes while she put the silicone tube on with solution and tape on my lids to make sure to get most of my lashes to curl up. The whole process took about an hour and I was out the door with beautiful curled lashes. 

I forgot to take a before picture (silly me) but here is during and after pictures of my own lashes.  I have also included some before and after pictures of some other clients!  

                                           After the Eyelash Perm

 Follow up:  It has been 4 weeks since I received my eyelash perm and the perm still looks/curls the same as day one!!!!

Latisse Progress~!

Hey everyone~! So I started Latisse the FDA approved Lash Grower 4 weeks ago and I just wanted to post an update on my lashes.  Here is the Picture from 4 weeks ago and a picture from today. 
Let me give you a breakdown of the progress in weeks.

Week one: no signs of growth
Week two: Lashes seem to be more ful
Week Three: I can tell a few hairs are longer
Week four: Definately Longer lashes

My dermatologist informed me that in order to see maximum results you need to use it continually for 16 weeks and so far so good and I'm only at week 4! will up date again in a few weeks~

BB cream comparison reviews~!

Hey everyone~! I received such a good response on my blog about BB cream that I decided to do a follow up on color, texture and coverage.

I have quite a collection of BB creams on my hand in this picture with lots of variation in color.  Do not be fooled by the color that it comes out of the bottle.  When you rub the BB cream into your skin some become much lighter than they appear and some oxidize less/more than others.

As you can see in the picture the L'egere UV white and UV white all in one become VERY light when rubbed into the skin.  This picture was taken right after I rubbed it into my skin so it did not have time to oxidize yet.

REVIEWS

BRTC Gold caviar 50 PA+++
Color: Comes out gray but spreads into NC30-NC35
Texture: Creamy and thick consistancy
Coverage: Medium to Full coverage
Notes: Pleasant smell my second favorite BB cream Good for Normal to Oily skin









Skin 79 Super BB cream (pink) SPF 25 PA++

Color: Come out pinkish gray spread to NC30-NC35
Texture: Medium thickness and creamy
Coverage: Medium to full coverage
Notes: Pleasant smell my 3rd favorite BB cream Good for Normal to Oily skin










Dr Jart Gold Label SPF 45 PA+++

Color: Come out Pink and gray Spreads NC25-NC30
Texture: Not too creamy slightly watery
Coverage: Light to Medium coverage
Notes: I am told this is for more mature skin types

L'egere Water Drop Shiny Pearl (doesn't specify spf)

Color: Comes out Nc40 but spreads to NC25-NC30
Has bits of pearls inside for a dewy look
Texture: Medium milky
Coverage: Light to medium coverage Good for normal to dry skin









L'egere UV White SPF 34

Color: Comes out dark but spreads to NC20-N25
Texture: Medium
Coverage: Medium
Notes: Good for Oily skin

L'egere White Multi All in One (doesn't specify spf)

Color: Comes out dark but spreads to NC0-NC25
Texture: Medium
Coverage: Medium
Notes: Good for Dry to Normal Skin and will give you a dewy look










Missha M Perfect Cover #31 SPF 42 PA+++

Color: Comes out NC40 spreads to NC40-NC43
Texture: Creamy
Coverage: Medium to Full coverage
Notes: I love this BB cream because it is the only BB cream on the market that targets darker skin tones.  Has a pleasant scent.  This is my favorite of all BB creams.










Missha M Perfect Cover #23 SPF 42 PA+++

Color: Comes out NC25 Spreads to NC25-NC35
Texture: Creamy
Coverage: Medium to Full coverage
Notes: Pleasant smell












  

DR. G Hydra Intensive BB cream SPF 30 PA++
Color: Comes out NC25 Spreads to NC35-NC40
Texture: Creamy
Coverage: Medium to Full
Notes: This BB cream is not shown in the comparison picture but I love the texture and color of this one so I decided to add it.  It leave a Semi Matte look to your skin.

What is BB cream?

B.B Cream , also known as Blemish Balm, started off in Germany as a soothing treatment balm dermatologists + surgeons used on patients who underwent laser skin treatment. It helps to shield\protect and regenerate delicate skin. Korean actresses and stars soon started using this cream and it sparked off a huge craze in Korea due to its excellent results.

Since then cosmetic brands in Korea have since developed BB cream and made it more suitable for Asian skin. Many brands have come out with their own version of BB cream with various functions.

BB cream is an all in one, moisturizer, primer, concealer and foundation that soothes and regenerates the skin. It covers dark circles, acne scars, age spots, freckles, and uneven skin tone, giving your skin a natural glow.

Here are some before and after pictures (courtesy of BRTC website)

Currently I am using BRTC Gold Caviar BB Cream SPF 50    

BRTC is one of the popular of brands of BB creams and the color is good for skin tones ranging from NC25-NC40

My new favorite BB cream is  M Perfect Cover BB Cream SPF 42 PA++

This is my new favorite because they have a more broad spectrum of colors from pale to very tanned skin.  I recently purchased the darkest color Golden Beige #31 and it is good for skin tones ranging from NC40-NC43.  I get really dark in the summer time so this is perfect for me~! Just a fair warning this color is extremely hard to get and sells out very quickly~!


Other brands that I have read reviews on and are popular are:
Dr. Jart, Skin Food, Etude,and Skin79

General Product Features and Benefits
* Produces a very natural, "no makeup look"

* Provides perfect coverage like a foundation would but since it's not as thick, it doesn't clog the pores

* Conceals all types of pigmentation, discoloration, acne and other blemishes

* Has healing properties that soften, smoothen and refine skin

* Encourages skin regeneration to create and maintain youthful skin

* Contains broad spectrum UVA/UVB Protection for healthy skin (SPF levels differ for each brand/product)

* Anti-wrinkle and skin-lightening benefits (available for some variants)

Hope this is some good information for everyone~! enjoy~! If you currently use BB cream tell me what your favorite ones are :)

My favorite cleanser for Oily/Acne Prone Skin

I've tried probably 105920532948320 different types of cleansers in my days, and this one has the perfect combination of all the things I like in a cleanser.  Keep in mind that everyone has their own preference on texture, lather, after feel of skin etc, but this one has to be hands down my favorite of the moment.

What I like about this cleanser:
-It leaves a clean feel after with no residue or slick feeling on my skin
-It helps heal and prevent acne
-Has oil control throughout the day so I'm not as oily at 12pm (usually you can cook an egg on my face)
-Prevents redness and irritation that comes with blemishes
-Has perfectly sphere micro-beads for surface exfoliation leaving my skin as smooth as a baby's bottom.

Key Ingredients:

• Diatomaceous Earth: Mineral-rich, pore-refining ingredient polishes away irregularities to reveal skin smoothness.
• Tea Tree Oil: A potent anti-irritant and antibacterial agent that controls excess oil, refines pores and balances skin.
• Glycerin, Decyl Glucoside, Butylene Glycol, PEG-60 Almond Glycerides: A complex of humectants that soften and hydrate skin.
• Urea: Helps remove dead cells, flaky patches and comedones by loosening the intracellular glue.
• Potassium Cocoyl Hydrolyzed Collagen: Loosens dead cells. Acts as an anti-irritant.
• Oleanolic Acid and Nordihydroguaiaretic Acid: This acid complex fights breakouts, reduces hyper-seborrhea and the proliferation of bacteria and inflammation. 

You can buy this at your local Sephora for a whopping $17.50 very affordable for a cleanser that lasts me about 3-4 months. 

Exfoliation for bright, smooth radiant skin~!

Exfoiliation is a very important part of a good skin care regimen.  We shed billions of skin cells everyday sometimes our natural shedding slows down due to sun damage, dry skin, oily skin, genetics, or different skin disorders.  This leads to dull, dry, or flaky skin; clogged pores; blemishes; white bumps; and uneven skin tone. Using an exfoliant steps in to help put everything in balance again. When you gently get rid of built-up skin cells you can undo clogged pores, stop breakouts, smooth out wrinkles, even help with your dry skin.

When I talk about exfoliating I'm not talking about those little beads you use on your face to scrub your top dermis off, I'm talking about chemical exfoliation.  There are two type of chemical exfoliants AHA(alpha hydroxy acid) and BHA (beta hydroxy acid).  AHA is good for sun damaged and dry skin because it exfoliates on the surface of the skin and have the added benefit of improving moisture content.  AHA content should be at least 8% to be effective.  BHA is good for oily, acne prone skin and for helping get rid of blackhead and white heads.  BHA can get through the oil that clogs your pores and stabilize your oil secretion that contributes to oily acneic skin.  BHA content should be at least 2% to be effective.

So the next time you look for a cleanser or an exfoliant make sure it has AHA or BHA with the appropriate % levels for brighter smoother black head and white head free skin :)

How to lighten brown spots and skin pigmentation

I wanted to share with you my favorite skin lightener for those of you who have sun spots, or brown pigmentation on your skin.  Pigmentation comes from hormones and sun damage and also from scars from picking at your acne.  

This product contains 2% hydroquinone plus 2% salicylic acid.  The active ingredient to lightening skin is the hydroquinone which is one of the main ingredients used on the cosmetic market to lighten skin pigmentation.  the added bonus which is the 2% salicylic acaid (also known as BHA beta hydroxy acid) is good for skin exfloiation so that the hydroquinone can be most effective.  

You can buy this product at www.paulaschoice.com for $18.95 for 2oz bottle that will last you a while as you only need a little bit.  There is a lotion version and a gel version, I personally like the gel version because I have oily skin.

Prevention: the best way to prevent further skin spots and and pigmentation is to use sunblock EVERYDAY~! I can't emphasize how important it is to use an spf with a broad spectrum that covers both UVA and UVB rays ( I will get in depth into this topic on another thread). In the meantime, use this product or any product on the market with the active ingredient hydroquinone 2% and higher. :)