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Liz Earle Sheer Skin Tint – Beige {Product Review}

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This is the second tint I have used after MVO Moisturizing Face Screen. So, lets see how it did for my skin?

Price: 21 Pounds (Rs 1600 approx) for 40 ml
Ingredients
Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide are responsible for the spf 15 and seeing them right in the top of the list makes me happy and then, you can see the iron oxides at the bottom along with Titanium Dioxide which provides the pigments for the tint
Packaging

I loved the whole black/nevi-blue packaging of the product. It looks classy and attractive enough to tempt. Also, along with the product you have ordered, they will send you the samples of all three shades and they encourage you to use these samples first and decide which one suits you and if you have ordered any different shade, they would replace it for you provided you do not break the seal. This is a good thing to provide to the customers so that they can make the correct choice without any problem.
Swatches

Samples of all three shades
Swatches of all 3 shades

My Experience

Ok, the main disadvantage of this product is that it has limited choices in the matters of shade and I am not sure if all the skin colors fall only under these three skin tones. And, spf 15 is way too less if you don’t use sunscreen separately in Indian climate. So, that’s one more place where it can be improved.

Since my makeup knowledge being very limited, I actually tried to discover what is sheer. Actually, the foundations are classified in the categories of coverage according to the amount of pigment they have.
Sheer is the most transparent and contains the least amount of pigment. It will not hide discolorations on the skin; however, it can minimize the contrast between the discoloration and the rest of the skin tone. Although pigment technology has evolved dramatically since 2004, the traditional protocol for sheer foundations called for pigment to comprise 8–13% of the finished formula.
Light can cover unevenness and slight blotchiness, but is not opaque enough to cover freckles. It contains 13–18% pigment.
Medium coverage can, when set with a tinted (instead of translucent) powder, cover freckles, discolorations, blotchiness, and red marks left by pimples. It contains 18–23% pigment.
Full coverage is very opaque, and used to cover birthmarks, vitiligo, hyperpigmentation and scars. It is sometimes referred to as “corrective” or “camouflage” make-up. In general it contains up to 35% pigment, though professional brands, designed for use on stage, can contain up to 50% pigment. [Source: Wikipedia]

The product is really creamy and applies very easily. It blends very easily with the finger tips but leaves a lot of product on the fingers too so make sure you don’t use the entire hand while applying this product. No problem during blending too and gives a smooth, even and non-patchy finish though I am not really sure if it covers the blemishes because this is supposed to be sheer. And, also, a point which Liz Earle products have taught – ‘Less is More’. Very less of the product is required to give the desired finish. Any bit more and you could end up looking like a frying pan. Right amount and it will keep your face dewy and radiant through out the day.
Now, this being said that the product is creamy, do not mistake it to be moisturizing. In the drier climate as it is now and for dry skin, there is a need of moisturizer underneath. But, if you are in a hot and sultry climate or even humid one, be sure to set the foundation with the loose powder otherwise you might end up like a frying pan or a streaky face if you happen to sweat a lot or the skin becomes excessively oily. This I speak from personal experience. That day, I went to get the parlor services done and unfortunately, there was no electricity in the whole locality so it was really hot and I sweat a lot and very easily. So, by the time I was half way through, the girl attending me commented if I had applied foundation and said my face has become all white and I am sweating a lot. So, that’s a lesson that never go without setting it with powder.

And, when it is hot and humid, the tint does transfer to the phone too. That’s a problem easily solved if it is set with powder. I tried both the situations. And, one more thing I would mention is that carefully check between the shades coz the wrong one can make you look darker than your skin tone. I know that’s obvious but actually, my skin color is wheatish so technically, Beige should have suited me but when I tried the Bare, it too suited me well and didn’t look patchy or streaky at all like it generally happens if you choose too light a shade. In fact, it blended really well into my skin and gave me a radiant look without looking ghostly or white at all and it was like I had applied Beige only. There wasn’t much difference except probably a little bit in terms of radiance. But, when I applied Beach (the darkest shade), it did turn me darker even though it is meant for medium to dark skin tones. So, selection of shades can be a little tricky.

My Recommendation
If I have to speak just for the product if applied correctly and taken care that it doesn’t bleed, I would say its a good foundation and should be applied in a very thin layer for the best results. I think it will look fab at night rather than in the morning. And, I should add that I think its botanical ingredients do a little good for the skin too. So, that’s an another plus to prefer this over other foundations. The only problem is that you have to order it online so you can check out Liz Earle website for more details.
PS: Product was sent by brand for consideration. 

Biore Cleansing Oil-in-Cotton Wipes {Product Review}

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I had received a pack of these when I had won a giveaway. And, I decided to keep them for travel purposes. So, how did they do? I don’t know the price and I am not sure of the ingredients coz everything on the back of the pack is in Korean.
Packaging
Just like other wipes.
My Experience
These are cotton cloth wipes. And, thankfully, they do not get torn like the Himalaya ones do. They remove my sunscreen pretty well and do not leave the slimy feeling behind. The cleansing oil or whatever is there on the cloth gets dried pretty quick and doesn’t make the face sticky or anything. And, the cloth is not very wet to begin with like that of Kara. It is just like a cloth soaked and rinsed out to the point of dampness. And, it did help me when I couldn’t wash my face in the trains so yup worth a try if you ever go to Korea or Malaysia or may be Singapore too 🙂
My Recommendation
Try it if you get it!!!

Dry Burshing – Why? {Skin Care}

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My Cactus Brush (don’t ask me if they are real Cactus bristles) [Price: Rs 945]
Of course you must have heard all about Dry Brushing by now. So, today, I wanted to discuss about its benefits and if it actually is worth all the hype it gets. I had bought a body brush (Cactus Brush from TBS to be precise) in February (rather it was gifted) and have been suing it on and off since then. Of course, there have been times when I had completely left it off for days together (not months, though) and I can easily tell the difference now. So, how did dry brushing effect my skin?
What is Dry Brushing?
You have a brush much like a coat brush and your use it to brush your body instead. It doesn’t need to be wet like in other cases of exfoliation so it is called ‘Dry’.
Benefits of Dry Brushing
  • extremely soft and glowing skin
  • gets rid of Cellulite
  • removes dead skin cells thereby avoiding flaky skin
  • helps in the skin regeneration process
  • improves skin elasticity
  • improves the blood circulation in the body
  • improves the lymphatic system of the body which helps in getting rid of the body wastes and toxins from the skin
  • it opens up the clogged pores (though pores getting clogged on the body is little difficult)
  • tones up the skin and the muscles
And, many other benefits which I really don’t want to recount here coz it will make the post unnecessarily long. But, you can be sure that half of these claims will hold true in the long run.
How to do Dry Brushing?
Ok, the key to dry brush your body is to move toward the heart from any part of the body. Always remember that and follow that.
  • Start from the toes and move towards the ankle by moving the brush in circular motions. Proceed to the knee in the same circular motions. Once you reach the knee, proceed towards the hip joint along the thighs repeating the same circular motion with the brush.
  • Once you reach the hip joint, repeat the whole process again starting from toes to hip joint for a finishing touch. Instead of circular motions, this time you can go for long quick strokes with the brush in the upward direction. Don’t forget to always work towards the heart.
  • Repeat this with the other leg.
  • Now, coming to the stomach area, proceed towards the heart using circular motions horizontally covering the hip, waist and then, the thorax (diaphragm) region. Repeat for second time using the circular motions only.
  • Work with circular motions on the upper shoulder region but towards the direction of the heart (that is downward).
  • Breasts should be done carefully because the skin is more sensitive. Use light hand on the breasts and avoid the nipples completely. Gently brush in the direction of the breast.
Note: It is recommended not to dry brush the breasts but if you are using a light hand and doing it carefully, it can, in fact, help firm the breasts and keep them in proper shape. Be gentle otherwise you might end up with sore breasts.
  • For hands, start from the palm and move in the circular motions towards the shoulder balls. Once you reach the shoulder, again repeat the whole procedure using long quick strokes (just like the leg) for a second finishing touch.
  • Repeat with the second hand.
  • Now, come to the back. It is very difficult to dry brush the back even if you have a long-handled brush (which is recommended). Start from the buttocks in circular motion and proceed horizontally to the point where you can no longer repeat the same movements. Then, start with vertical movements along the spinal cord in long quick strokes because circular motion is not easy and moving horizontal is impossible. If you can get someone to do it, that would be great. Finally, end the back brushing by thoroughly brushing the upper shoulder on the back which is the area which is most likely to be forgotten and has most of the flaky skin. Avoid the neck, though.
This whole procedure would take 15-20 minutes a day and is recommended to be done in the day instead of at night because it makes the body feel alive and awake.
What kind of a brush should be used?
  • Long-handled so that you can easily reach the back.
  • Natural Bristles instead of Synthetic as they are softer and gentler on the skin and don’t tear the skin.
  • The bristles also provide an acupressure massage during the routine.
My Experience
So, I use the Body Shop Cactus Brush. I had bought it with the intention of being able to wash my back better and this Cactus Brush is not actually a dry brush. Instead, this is what TBS says about it:

Take your lather farther by pairing this handy brush with your favorite shower gel or soap. Leaves skin massaged, smooth, and soft. Pour a small amount of body wash onto wet bristles and brush over the skin in circular movements.

Well, I did try that for the first time but the wet bristles were extremely harsh on my skin. So, next day, I decided to use the brush as a dry brush and it was actually perfect for that. And, also, it is a wooden brush so wetting it everyday isn’t an option either. So, now I use it as a dry brish and I make sure that I dry brush myself at least 3-4 days of the week.
So, how did it affect my skin?
  • It became more smooth and more glowing.
  • I think I had little cellulite patches on my thighs before which I now see are no more so yes for that too.
  • Earlier, I had the impression that dry brushing helps in weight loss but I was wrong, it toned up my skin so my frame looked better, the shoulders and thighs, specially.
  • It does make me feel more awakened if I dry brush myself in the morning and it is a very relaxing routine too.
  • My skin flakes very easily especially on the back and more specifically, the upper back and shoulder region and the stomach area. And, if I don’t dry brush everyday, the skin starts flaking off. It did happen whenever I stopped my routine so it was like a wake up call to go back to dry brushing.
  • The oils get absorbed more quickly.
  • My breasts were more firmed up.
  • Dry patches on the skin are gone. I had a dry patch on my right leg which is not dry any more and the elbows and knees do not trouble me with the dryness.
Well, these were certain things which I noticed. Do not know about the lymphatic system or my blood circulation, though.
My Advise
Well, I think one should take to dry brushing as a regular routine if not a daily routine. And, yup, investing on a good dry brush does give results in the long term.