All posts tagged: sunscreen

Bioré Aqua Rich Whitening Essence*

Published by

Just a quick post to kind of get my bearings re: this blogging business. I received this a few weeks ago, and have been using it for a little over a month, if I’m not mistaken. So I think it’s time that I talk about it a bit. To be honest, I wasn’t really expecting much from the Bioré Aqua Rich Whitening Essence* mainly because it seems to be your standard sunscreen and, also, I tend to be automatically averse to anything that claims to “whiten” your complexion. Still, it was worth a shot. Bioré claims to be “Japan’s #1 sunscreen brand,” and judging from how this performed on me, I can see why. It’s incredibly pleasant to use, especially in this humidity. I find that it’s pretty impossible to find a sunscreen that doesn’t leave your face slick and oily, but this is a true gem. I’ve been using it, with pleasure, every day since I first tried it. It has the triple benefit of UV protection, hydration, and whitening (debatable as a “benefit!”), …

April Favorites

Published by

April favorites time! I thought I didn’t have “enough,” but as you can see… I have quite a bit to share. I think it has to do with no favorite lip product, but I just didn’t love any one lip color enough this month to call it a favorite. As you can see in a bit, I had a really great eye makeup month. Skin Care Indie Lee Squalane Oil — Although I used some moisturizers here and there for the month of April, I relied heavily on this oil. I honestly don’t have any complaints about it. It’s sufficiently hydrating, doesn’t grease up (which counts for a lot when you live where I live), keeps my skin in check, and it doesn’t smell like anything. You know how products are called “unscented,” and it just means no perfume was added, so it still kind of smells like crap? This. Smells. Like. Nothing. A++++ repurchased forever. Cure Water Treatment Skin Cream* — This is essentially a GWP hand cream from Cure, but I feel like …

Post-Sunburn: Face Stuff

Published by

I don’t go to the beach that often so when I have a sunburn crisis, I kind of don’t really know what to do about my makeup. Since getting several shades darker, here are some of my favorite items to use—figured out after a few sessions of trial and error. Skin Care Sunbunrt skin tends to be dry and flaky. The day I got back, I had to go to a dinner, and I made the mistake of applying foundation on my dried up dry skin and by the end of the night, the situation was so not pretty. Even though the base I used was a liquid foundation with a dewy finish, it still wasn’t enough for my parched skin. My moisturizers of choice are Indie Lee Squalane Oil in the morning and One Love Organics Skin Savior Beauty Balm at night. Sun Protection I like to load up on the SPF, despite the burnt wreckage that is my face, so I don’t go lower than SPF 30. The ones in my current rotation …

BNTGirls Review: Doctorcos Next Generation Blocker*

Published by

You guys, I’m so excited for this. Even though I went through an obsessive Googling period, so I could see more information on the Doctorcos Next Generation Blocker* and came up with nothing but links to the ever-popular Sheet Free Mask, it still couldn’t damper the excitement I have for this product. It’s just sunscreen, sure, but it’s a Korean liquid, spray-on SPF 30 PA++ and I maintain that Korean and Japanese sunscreens are way better than Western counterparts (sorry). At least in blocking out the UV rays. Sidenote I slathered on more sunscreen I had in my life during the six weeks I was in the States in the fall and I still got several shades darker. I used an American brand, and that is the extent of the basis for my opinion. And also according to the blogs of people I like. SCIENCE! Anyway. This “new generation sunblock” does its job of keeping out the UV rays (for a long time), but also contains highly pure proteins for skin activation and protection. All …

5 Things Friday: Japanese Drugstore Finds

Published by

Today’s 5 Things Friday (which I hope I will follow through on forever and ever) features some finds from a handful of Japanese drugstores on my last trip to Tokyo/Osaka. If you have never shopped around a Japanese drugstore, you have never known real joy. (Just kidding.) I think you can tell that I really held back this time around. These are actually pretty practical finds, except for the lipstick… so I’m pretty proud of myself. Heh. I actually have six things here, but let me explain. I picked up the MUJI Nail Polish Remover, which are basically just packets of sheets doused in nail polish remover. My polish was driving me nuts, so I was happy I saw these at a Family Mart! I think they might be acetone-free; the formula was definitely more oily than alcohol-y. Next up is the Suncut Water in UV Protect Essence, which is just facial sunscreen. They have an abundance of these. I just picked one up with a high SPF. I got a 2 for 1 deal …

My Spring/Summer Makeup Base

Published by

Most days, I like to keep it light already, but as the hotter weather rolls around, cutting down products becomes serious business. Before I broiled in the heat of the sun, I used to be able to just go out in concealer and a finishing powder, but the sun’s rays have a way of bringing out SPF-induced paranoia. My priority is great sun protection for the face. I picked this up in Japan—the Suncut Water in UV Protect Essence—but it’s essentially a water-based face sunscreen with SPF 50+ PA++++. It dries down really well, which is great because I hate feeling gunky in the summer heat. That’s my spring skin care tip, too—don’t forget the sunscreen! I go in with my concealer (NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Ginger), which I set with a powder (Le Métier de Beauté Eye Brightening and Setting Powder in Refresh). The problem with the sunscreen is that it leaves the skin a little greasy-looking. That’s when I go in with a light layer of mineral foundation (Ellana Minerals Loose Foundation …