Category: skin-care

Cecilia Wong Replenishing Face Moisturizer

On my bucket list is to visit the Cecilia Wong salon in New York City. Her holistic approach to skin care is known to be a tough love with amazing results. But for now, I will have to do with bringing her products home. Even without her magic touch, her products have brought a resiliance and brillance to my skin.

I’ve been using her Replenishing Face Moisturizer for sensitive skin – basically a spa in a (recycled) container. The first thing you notice is the herbal scent. In fact, she recommends spreading a small amount on your fingers and cupping them around the face to experience the aroma. Then press into the skin, moving outwards. The texture is velvety and thick. I would not call it breathable. It almost felt like a mask until it settles in. I love the intense hydration.

This powerhouse also banishes redness like a master. The formula contains Calendula, Lavender and Chamomile to instantly reduce redness and make skin more resilient.  Blackcurrant seed, an antioxidant, fights aging. Overall, my skin was less reactive and more radiant after a couple weeks of use. Her philosophy reminds me of Tammy Fender, one of my most favorite lines. Her products are made here in the USA, certified natural and custom blended.

Art of Shaving: The 4 Elements of the Perfect Shave – Ocean Kelp

I am proud to announce that over here on Belle Belle, we are going to start including some men’s products. I mean, guys should look good too, right? Hope you are as excited as I am. Often, men are interested in products but don’t enjoy the hunt and research as much as we do. So, I have enlisted the help of Beau Beau, my male counterpart, as chief guinea pig.

Even us girls can appreciate a good shave. And it really is the center point of a man’s “beauty” routine. The Art of Shaving has crafted these sets of four “Elements” – they are true masculine luxury. The set contains full-size:

  • Pre-Shave Gel
  • Shaving Cream
  • Pure Badger Black Shaving Brush
  • After-Shave Lotion

There are various scents, but in honor of this last burst of summer heat, we picked Ocean Kelp. The fragrance is refreshing and pleasant and the kelp and oils help sooth skin. The four steps can help prevent razor brun and ingrown hairs. The Pre-Shave Gel softens and preps skin. The Shaving Cream is formulated with glycerin to hydrate hair and improve razor glide. And the badger brush distributes the cream like we never knew possible. And finish it off with the After-Shave lotion for hydration.

Beau Beau reports “it makes shaving an event” and adds “more than a couple notches to the quality ladder” over regular drugstore shaving cream. And with the upcoming holidays, he points out “it is a thoughtful gift.”

So, what do you guys think of some added men’s goodies on Belle Belle for our men?

Protect & Serve Sun Shield SPF 40 from mybody

myBODY is a new skin care line founded by a makeup artist, the founder of Philosophy and an experienced retail maven. Their pedigree is balanced with a heavy focus on technology, and the scientific focus shines through in their products. The highlight for me is the mySKINTYPE page where you can rank and rate your skin care concerns. myBODY will recommend a kit and additional products just for you.

The product line up features treatments like Calm After the Storm contains innovative skin-calming complex to calm hypersensitive skin, especially after procedures. myHero features ground-breaking anti-aging technologies in one anti-aging product, including exclusive growth factor complex proven to stimulate IGF-1 (Insulin Growth Factor 1). Neck-cessity firms, tightens and brightens the neck area, often overlooked.

One product has already made it into my rotation: their top-selling PROTECT & SERVE Sun Shield, which is actually designed to be used by every skin type. My sensitive skin loved the formula and at the same time. Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide, physically UVA/UVB blockers, tend to play nicer with more sensitive skin than chemical sunscreens, but can sometimes cast a whitish undertone. But both version of Protect and Serve are ultra-light, silky and radiant. The formula is enhanced antioxidants and vitamins, allowing both to work as radiant primers. The tinted version has a silicone base, making a smooth canvas for makeup application.

These products are available at dermotologist offices. You can find your nearest physician here.

Drugstore MVPs

Fall trends are quickly approaching and there is no better way to try on a trend than your drugstore beauty aisle. For the autumn months, I am liking a natural, healthy-looking face with a bold lip. After months of wearing a bun in this hot weather, I am excited to stretch a blow out for a couple days – finally possible without the excessive heat. And for weekends, I love a super hydrated nude lip. Don’t forget to reassess your skin care and make sure you rotate out those more drying items.

1. Aveeno Ultra Calming Makeup Removing Wipes are the perfect “too tired to wash my face” cheat. I love how gentle these are on my drier skin. Literally, you have no excuse for going to bed with makeup on.

2. L’Oreal Colour Riche Balm in Caring Coral is another version of the lipstick/balm hybrids. This is a little thicker than the Revlon Color Burst Lip Butter, with better staying power.

3. Klorane Gentle Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk was the first dry shampoo I ever tried. It might even be the best. While it does have a white coloring, it absorbs well and works even on my dark brown hair.

4. Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Lipstick has to be one of the coolest celebrity/beauty collaborations. Leave it to Kate Moss to create classic colors that look polished but utterly fashionable. They aren’t drying and stand the test of time (literally and figuratively).

5. Rosebud Perfume Co. Smith’s Rosebud Salve is always at my desk (I also like the mint variety). It is super hydrating – a must to prep for the vampy shades that will be popular this fall.

6. Maybelline Dream Fresh BB 8-in-1 Beauty Balm Skin Perfector SPF 30, not to be confused with a foundation, is a ultra-light tinted foundation that has a radiance. It feels like you have nothing at all on, but it magically evens skin.

Note: I received the Aveeno Ultra Calming Makeup Removing Wipes as a Klout perk. All other items I purchased myself. 

SK-II ‘Facial Treatment’ Essence

The true center piece of the luxury skin care line, SK-II, is the SK-II ‘Facial Treatment’ Essence. Much more than just a product, this is actually a ritual. I’ve been dying to try this line for years. And I am thrilled to report, this lives up to the hype. After a couple weeks of use, my redness was moderated and my skin looks more even. The immediate effects are a refreshing and soothing and it amplifies hydration.

The formula helps stimulate the natural renewal process of the skin’s outer layer through a specific application process. Put a few drops in the palms of your hands. Press your hands together and then press it into your face. (in Asia they do it 100 times, I generally make it to about 20). Don’t miss your neck and décolleté. I take what is left and use it on the back of my hands.

The key to the essence’s efficacy is that it contains over 90% pure Pitera. Pitera was discovered in the 1970’s when a group of sake brewers in Japan were discovered to have ageless hands. The yeast they worked with had tremendous anti-aging properties. The scientists isolated the unique yeast strain to derive this source of vitamins, amino acids and minerals. There is a reason SK-II ‘Facial Treatment’ Essence has been a cult product for decades – a scientifically rooted formula with proven results. And there is something calming about a little “ritual” in my skin care routine.

Some other SK-II favorites:

Kate Somerville DermalQuench Liquid Lift Treatment GIVEAWAY!

You know those products that work just so darn well? I like to call them Holy Grail products and Kate Somerville DermalQuench Liquid Lift Advanced Wrinkle Treatment is one of them. So naturally, I have to share it with you, my beloved readers. I teamed up with Kate Somerville to give three full size DermalQuench Liquid Lift Treatments away.

Basically, Kate packaged her cult-status 60 minute “DermalQuench Oxygen Treatment” into a bottle. The treatment uses oxygen and Hyaluronic Acid to plump skin with wickedly quick results. Check out my full review here. And if you just can’t stand the suspense, I encourage you to head over to Sephora to pick one up stat.

Enter using the widget below and good luck! Open to residents in the US and Canada.

a Rafflecopter giveaway