Most people know me as the easy-going kind of girl: I prefer my skincare and makeup routines fuss-free and easy; sticking to good ol' wash and moisturizer. (Ironic, I know...considering said author is a beauty blogger. But being in my late mid-twenties, I'm begining to realize that one cannot be too lax on skincare as our body and hormones will change along with time; and so the needs will change along with that.
With the new year and new beginnings, I decided to list the top 3 beauty cardinal sins I MUST NOT break:
1) Not skipping the SERUMS step
Around mid of last year, I discovered the importance of adding serums into routine, because they are concentrated with anti-aging ingredients where moisturizers aren't able to match that. Furthermore. it is important to start when you are in your 20s as young skin is more receptive to the benefits. Remember, prevention is always better than cure. For this, I am using my newly discovered holy-grail; Exuviance Triple Boost Collagen Serum ($115.55, 30ml).
The serum features 7 types of powerful collagen boosters designed to optimize skin’s natural collagen by boosting the production of new collagen, but also fortifying it and its surrounding support matrix. This includes Amino Acids which are the building blocks:
- Matrixyl® Peptides :stimulate new collagen
- NeoGlucosamine® builds Hyaluronic Acid: a natural filler + boosting collagen
- Gardenia Cell Extract: block enzymes that degrade collagen & skin elasticity
Over about 2 weeks of usage, I observed that my dark blemish scars are visibly lightened, though not fully gone it became light enough for just powder coverage. Skin looks more plumped and supple, which is noticeably so when I could actually skip my liquid foundation to cover up my enlarged pores and nasal-labio lines. Happily, I do believe it also did help boost healing of my pimples as it looks less red and bumpy. Definitely a repurchase for me!
Its the centrepiece where we flaunt fabulous lip colors: our puckers. Skin essentially has 3 layers: Dermis, epidermis, and stratum corneum. The stratum corneum which is the top protective layer is way thinner on your lips as compared to the rest of your body, hence its much more prone to damage by various factors. Here I'm using BSoul's Hydra-Lip Lip Cream($52). It may cost you a pretty penny, but as illustrated above, one should never scrimp on proper lip care that actually works.
Regular application of lip balm not only helps to seal in moisture that gets loss during the day, but also protects against free radicals such as dust/ dirt. Just like the skin on the other parts of your body, the lips require protection from these external factors as well.
BSoul prides itself on using natural active ingredients, meaning it doesn't contain parabens (preservatives), silicones, petrolatum, paraffin and SLES. It is also eco-friendly and certified by ICEA (Environmental and Ethical Certification Institute), so remember that you are saving Earth when you use their products :) The Hydra-Lip cream is packed with emollients such as Olive and Advocado oil which is rich in Vitamin E, Karit e Butter that provide sun protection as well as LIPerfection: a 'Ecocert' complex which increases capillary blood flow to produce a natural lip color and pump up lip volume.
The lipbalm doesn't feel like your regular lipbalms which are more lubricated and glossy when applied; instead it feels like a light moisturiser coated onto the lips minus that sticky afterfeel. For application, I use a lip scrub to exfoliate dead flaking skin from my lips before applying on the lipbalm. It doesn't feel too heavy for day use so I use this as a base before applying my favorite lipstick.
Hands up if you are also guilty of this cardinal sin! Because the skin there is thinner than other parts of the body, it is vital to cleanse and care for it as it will be the first tell-tale signs of aging! Would be rather strange to see a youthful face but wrinkled, sagging neck with lines. Hence, I am using the Neostrata Triple Boosting Neck Cream ($85, 150ml).
Enter Neostrata, who is the sister brand to the forementioned Exuviance.
Hence, it is not too surprising that this Neostrata Triple Firming Neck Cream is packed with proprietary and patented ingredients such as the NeoGlucosamine® which increase hyaluronic acid (for deep hydration) and evens out pigmentation. NeoCitriateTM focuses on new collagen to lift and firm while Pro-Amino Acid boosts pro-collagen production to help minimise wrinkle appearances. Plus, it also uses cutting-edge skin technology such as Swiss Apple Stem Cell Extract to aids in prolonging longevity of skin’s essential cells by having mature cells to emulate the behavior of younger skin.
Personally when tried, the cream spreads easily and there is a transient cooling, slight tingling sensation as the product works into the skin. Now as my neck has not much visible lines, I decided to have my mother test out the item as I believed she would be a better point of reference. Don't get me wrong, I still believe in caring for my neck and decollege even in my twenties! Based on the 2 week swatch; you can see that the distinctive lines are diminished and it also appeared to lighten the redness spots as well.
PS: I have personally noted as well that this works well for drier areas of my skin such as my elbows and knees; hence you can also use it as a spot treatment to get higher mileage out of this!
So there you have it, my 3 beauty resolutions for the new year! Do you have one as well? Drop me a comment and share it with me in the comments below!
