Rachel K CC Renew SPF35 PA+++ Review and Pictures

(This post is part of my Daily Skincare Routine series)

In continuation of my long-delayed skincare routine for 2013-14, I present to you the Rachel K CC Renew SPF35 PA+++, which is a pretty good tinted sunscreen product. I received it as a gift from Rachel K (thank you so much, you made my day!) and have been using ever since.

I like the texture a lot. It's not too thin and not too thick - it's just right (and now I'm reminded of Goldilocks and the Three Bears...). It sits on the skin lightly and provides medium coverage. The only drawback is that it leaves the skin slightly oily as the day progresses, so you may want to apply a layer of powder on top if you have oily/combination skin.

Hada Labo Super HA Hydrating Lotion Review and Pictures

(This post is part 3 of my Daily Skincare Routine series)

Ah, Hada Labo, the brand that everyone loves because it's simple and it works. I'll be talking about using Hada Labo Super HA Hydrating Lotion as a day moisturiser in this post. I know it's counterintuitive as it's labelled as a lotion (toner) and not a moisturiser, but HA (hyaluronic acid) is so awesomely moisturising that this lotion is enough.

Russell Organics Eye Cream Review and Pictures

UPDATE: Up to 15% discount code and a free gift available for new customers of StrawberryNET! Scroll to the end of the post for more details.

Ever heard of Russell Organics? It's a cruelty-free and certified vegan brand that promises an effective, non-toxic skincare experience with three different product lines: skincare, hair care and men's skincare. They were nominated recently for the 2014 Eco-Excellence Awards too, so I was really excited to try out their products.

As someone with the bad habit of sleeping late and drinking water before I sleep, I'm always on the lookout for the perfect eye cream to counter puffiness. Most eye creams tend to feel slightly greasy or sticky, so I haven't been too keen on using them. I've been testing Russell Organics Eye Cream for almost a month now, and I'm pleased to say that I'll continue using it because it's simply great!

Neutrogena Alcohol-Free Toner Review and Pictures

(This post is part 2 of my Daily Skincare Routine series)

I've gone through many toners over the years but none has stuck so faithfully to me as the Neutrogena Alcohol-Free Toner. I use this toner in the day and at night after cleansing my face with Bioderma Créaline H2O Solution Micellaire.

While some don't use toner and simply put on moisturiser after cleansing their faces, toner is actually a very useful step in your skincare routine. Toner removes the remaining dirt from the skin, balances the skin's pH, and preps the skin for absorbing moisturiser. There's really no point in buying the best skincare products when your skin isn't primed to absorb them!

Bioderma Créaline (Sensibio) H2O Solution Micellaire Review and Pictures

(This post is part 1 of my Daily Skincare Routine series)

Bioderma Créaline H2O Solution Micellaire is my HG facial cleanser/make up remover. I love it because it cleans without drying the skin out and doesn't contain fragrance, which is a godsend for sensitive skin. I've used more than 8 bottles of this, and will be using it until it's discontinued (touch wood!)

First off, it looks and feels just like water. Its barely-there scent is very pleasing and soothing. I like the fact that I don't need to rinse my face after using this cleanser as it doesn't leave any residue unlike cream/oil cleansers. It's also fairly moisturising on its own and is gentle on the skin.

Daily Skincare Routine (2013-14)

As promised, here's the daily skincare routine I've been on for about a year or so now. My skincare routine has changed drastically over the past few years as I have been trying to decide which products were best for my skin. I've finally settled on the perfect combination (for now) and my skin has never been better!

My Week on Instagram: 17 - 23 June 2013

17 June 2013

I hadn't shown any love to my Clinique Black Honey Almost Lipstick in a long while, so here's a shot of me wearing it! Black Honey became an instant cult favourite in the beauty world when it was first released a few years ago, and that's no surprise given how versatile this red is. It works on every skin tone and enhances your natural lip colour to give a subtle and fresh look. I should do a review on it huh!

How to Fight the Haze: The 2013 Edition

The haze is a chronic problem that has been going on for ages, but the most recent high of 400 on the PSI a few days ago broke the previous 1997 record high of 226. This shows how serious things are getting. PSI 100 is already considered "unhealthy", and Singapore's PSI has been hovering around the 200-300 range for the past few days, only dipping to below 100 today.

Recently there have been posts filled with advice on how to fight the haze and stay healthy, so here's my two cents on the matter!

1. Know the haze

Before we can figure out how to stay (relatively) healthy and well during this period, we have to know what causes the haze and when it happens. The haze usually happens in the second half of the year in Sumatra, Indonesia during the dry season, and is caused by the illegal burning of forests to clear land for agriculture.

This year's haze is especially bad due to changing wind patterns and an especially dry climate. Since the start of this week, there has been no rain to help mitigate the thick cloud of haze shrouding Singapore, worsening the situation. Take a look this NASA satellite image of the haze cloud moving towards Malaysia and Singapore:

(Source)

It's pretty scary eh?

Talika Photo-Beauty Therapy Event and Product Reviews

I was invited to a Talika bloggers event in March for the launch of their newest products in their Photo-Beauty Therapy line that claims to be able to transform light energy into cellular energy to regenerate the skin. The basic premise is that the skin's DNA code is disrupted by dimers with time and daily exposure to UV light, which causes it to malfunction and accelerates the signs of ageing on the skin i.e. wrinkles, fine lines and dark spots. Talika apparently discovered and isolated an enzyme found in a blue microalgae that they call the "Photo-Beauty Enzyme", which supposedly has the ability to transform light energy into dermo-repairing energy that targets dimers and repairs DNA. Sounds good so far? Thought so. This is going to be a long post because I really did my research and tested the products thoroughly (they're quite expensive), so do bear with me and take the time to read if you're interested in the products!

Glomax Aesthetics Skin Treatment Review and Pictures

Last month, I was invited by Glomax Aesthetics to try out one of their skin treatments at their outlet in Soho2 and review it if I chose to. I'd heard of Glomax Aesthetics previously, and was aware that they were reliable and did produce good results, so I decided to accept the opportunity.

My Week on Instagram: 13 - 19 May 2013

13 May 2013

Used my Bare Minerals foundation the day before, and look how much dirt still remained until the next day! Thank goodness I used my Hitachi HadaCRiE Cool.

Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Salicylic Acid Review and Pictures

Finally, the last of my Paula's Choice product reviews! Previously I reviewed Paula's Choice Extra Care Non-Greasy Sunscreen SPF 45 here and it didn't fare so well. Today I'm going to be reviewing Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Salicylic Acid.

Korres Wild Rose Eye Cream with SPF15 Review and Pictures

First of all, a big apology to the people at Korres! Last July I attended a Korres event and received the Korres Wild Rose Eye Cream with SPF15 for review.

I would have done the review sooner, but things cropped up and before I knew it I was on student exchange in Switzerland for 4 months. Before I knew it, I was back in Singapore and school was in full swing. I'm almost nearing the end of the semester now, and exams are looming, ack. Still, the backlog has got to be cleared, so here I am!

Hitachi HadaCRiE Cool Final Verdict // Vote & Win!

As promised, I'm back with the final verdict on Hitachi HadaCRiE Cool after about a month of use and I'm also here to tell you how 8 lucky readers can win a Hitachi FaceCRiE and a Hitachi Electric Eyelash Curler! The FaceCRiE is the mini, more portable version of the HadaCRiE Cool, and the Electric Eyelash Curler is, well, an eyelash curler that curls eyelashes electrically CAPTAIN OBVIOUS! You have to read 'til the end to find out about that though. Heh.

How To Be A Discerning Cosmetics Consumer

Since I started CherchezBeaute.com, I've learnt a lot about skincare, make up and other cosmetic products. I've learnt to differentiate between true and false claims, and look past some of the hype of a product. Far too many people take a product's claims at face value and tout the product based on its own advertisements. I'm sure readers would be sorely disappointed if they bought the product based on such reviews and it did not live up to their expectations.

Today I'd like to share with you 7 tips on how to be a discerning cosmetics consumer. I use these pointers every time I'm thinking of buying a product so that I can make better choices without breaking the bank and buying every hyped-up product in the market.

Hitachi HadaCRiE Cool Video Demonstration and Review

Hi everyone! I'm into my third week of using the Hitachi HadaCRiE Cool as part of a Hitachi Bloggers Campaign, and I really like it so far. I try to use it every night, as there's hardly time to do the full routine  (~20 minutes) in the morning when I'm rushing to school.

I know many of you are wondering if this device is effective, and have been waiting for my reviews - thanks for being patient! I promised a video review of the Hitachi HadaCRiE Cool in my previous blog post but I was really unable to finish it until now. I filmed this video in the morning while I still had the whole "I just woke up" thing going on, mostly because I wanted to show you how I use it in my daily skincare routine. No point pretending to look hot in the morning by applying make up and contact lenses (haha!) as this is how I really look:

   

It's my first review video! \o/ Can't believe I managed to do it, because I've always been quite camera-shy, especially without make up on. I was probably a little nervous because I didn't mention some things in the video, like how the HadaCRiE Cool is good for facial massage, and how you can apply other products (e.g. serum, cream) after using it. You can read my previous post for more information about these things. This video review is more about my experiences and a live demo of the Hitachi HadaCRiE Cool, including some tips on using it. I hope I wasn't too rambly, haha.

If you've any questions or comments, do leave them over here or on the video - I'll try my best to answer them. Do like my video if you enjoyed it, and subscribe to CherchezBeaute on Youtube for more upcoming videos! Thank you for your support :)

Do note that the Hitachi HadaCRiE Cool retails for S$499 at Gain City Marina Square, Changi City Point and Parisilk 46 East Coast Road #01-01 East Gate. If you're interested, you can pop down to those places to take a look for yourself!

P.S. Stay tuned for a chance to win a Hitachi FaceCRiE and an Electric Eyelash Curler by voting for me in the Hitachi Bloggers Campaign if you like my posts! Voting starts in 2 weeks, and is from 22 April-5 May 2013. More details closer to the date :)

Disclaimer: I received this product for review. My opinions are completely honest and 100% my own. No compensation was received for this review.

Hitachi HadaCRiE Cool Review and Pictures

Hi everyone, my long-awaited post about the Hitachi HadaCRiE Cool is finally here because the omy Hitachi HadaCRiE Cool blog campaign has just kicked off! I've been so eager to share my experiences with you that I've been Instagramming a couple of teaser shots and telling all my friends about it (psst you can follow me on Instagram at cherchezbeaute!)

As you may know, I'm very conscious of skincare as I have oily/combination skin that often breaks out. I'm constantly on the lookout for skincare products that can help my skin condition and that's why I was really excited to try the Hitachi HadaCRiE Cool. It's a revolutionary facial device that has 4 modes - ion cleansing, micro-pat, moisturising and cool-aesthetic - that help to thoroughly unclog pores and maintain skin moisture using the power of ionisation. Prior to this I had never heard of ion cleansing before, and as far as I know, there are no such other devices in the market. The Hitachi HadaCRiE Cool is truly an exciting and revolutionary beauty gadget; I'm so glad it's finally in Singapore!

Paula's Choice Extra Care Non-Greasy Sunscreen SPF 45 Review and Pictures

Remember my post about the Paula's Choice high tea that happened last year? Now I'm back with a couple of review posts of the products that I was given to try. I've tried these products over the course of at least 2 months before seriously evaluating them, in order to write better and more thorough reviews!

First up, we have Paula's Choice Extra Care Non-Greasy Sunscreen SPF 45.

Paula's Choice Meet and Greet High Tea

Hi everyone, I'm clearing my long backlog of posts - hope you're proud of me, heh.

Before I went on my Switzerland student exchange last year, I was invited to a lovely Paula's Choice high tea at St Regis. It was a rather informal meet and greet session that allowed myself and a number of other media representatives to learn more about the brand and its products.

I'm the second from the right and also the only blogger there, bloggers represent!

Amethystory Mineral Yogurt Mask Review and Pictures

What is as edible as it is good for your skin?

There are many answers, but the answer for this post is... yogurt! I'm sure many of you have heard of home-made and store-bought yogurt masks that claim to brighten and smoothen the skin. I've never actually tried making my own yogurt mask (I would probably lick it off my face), and neither have I tried a store-bought one with a cream/gel consistency that's akin to the texture of yogurt.

Until the Amethystory Mineral Yogurt Mask came along!