Summer Beauty Essentials

Summer hits Singapore all-year round, and right now, we are baking in one of the hottest months in the year. With temperatures soaring in the high-30s, our skin and body bears the brunt of the heat. I’ve got my (not-so) secret beuty weapons to beat the heat, how about you? :)

Been an avid user of Vichy Aqua Thermal Aqua-gel for the past year or so, and working into the 4th/5th bottle now.

WOWs and BOOs: Definitely heart its light texture which absorbs quickly into skin. No icky sticky feel. Skin feels soothed and it’s great for hot, humid days! Double it up for night use too but do feel it might not be as nourishing though.
*Note to self: Gotta hunt for a Night Cream. Any to recommend? :)

Was using another Bi-White product (comes in a metallic tube, much-like toothpaste but can’t recall its product name) but it was kinda costly so decided to try Vichy Bi-White Deep Cell-Whitening Spot Intervention to tackle those sun spots that are starting to surface from beneath the skin cells. The woes of fairer skin people! :(

WOWs and BOOs: Spreads easily on skin with its lightweight characteristics. Best of all, you won’t see a patch of “white paste” over the skin – some spot whitening products do that and unless you wanna look like a geisha…. Anyhows, can’t really comment on its effectiveness since I’m pretty much a bum – apply for assurance without diligent monitoring :P

Eye Cream is my definite must-have since our paths crossed – hop over to find out how Elizabeth Arden White Glove Extreme Brightening Eye Moisture Cream fares amongst the rest!

The sunny weather makes it CRAZY not to have any sun protection. Recently finished up a tube of L’Oreal Paris Hydrafresh UV Protector and instantly, Vichy comes as the next contender – I’m like a Vichy convert eh? :P Just started using Vichy UV Pro Secure SPF40, PA+++ (this one comes in white liquid; neither the porcelain (beige) or purple (for transcluceny)).

WOWs and BOOs: As compared to L’Oreal’s, this one leaves no sticky feel. Applying powder was much smoother too, without the powder streaks on my face which I had to frantically even out every morning when using the L’Oreal one. One less headache, so that’s a plus!

Lip protection is often neglected. My trusty Vaseline Petroleum Jelly does the trick! With sensitized lips, the usual lip balms are no-nos. Even lip colours can kickstart a whole skin peeling/cracking avalanche, so I’m mostly lip colour-less :( While holidaying in the USA last year, Kiehl’s was constantly popping up in my head with their highly acclaimed lip balms. “Why not?” I thought. So, a tube of Kiehl’s Lip Balm SPF15 Hue #30G landed in my hands.

WOWs and BOOs: Nice red sheen which didn’t turn out as red as expected. This one didn’t have the fruity smell; would be a plus if it did! My only grouse – the oils and semi-solids started to separate just months into getting it; definitely quite a disappointment since it’s supposed to be one of their best sellers.

Concealers are my other must-haves to hide those dark eye rings and skin imperfections. Like eye creams, we’ve crossed many ups-and-downs together in life. Have been using the YSL concealer which comes in the form of lipstick-like. Took me awhile to master the cream stick but most things are just a matter of getting used to, right? ;) So when this trusty stick looks like it has walked with me to its very end, shopping for another one becomes a top priority. After some checking around with makeup-fan galsfrens and testing out a few at counters, my next buddy is the Diorskin Nude Skin Perfecting Hydrating Concealer (which the Hub kindly bought at DFS to shave some dollars off :D ) Yet to use it, so stay tuned for my WOWs and BOOs in time to come :P

Meet the SUPER POWER Dermalogica Cleansing Party! Okay, I made that up, BUT, they are my current fave dynamic cleansers – removing eye makeup, makeup on face, regular cleansing and exfoliating!

There’s nothing not to love about them because Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel gently washes off the daily grime and cares for my skin, without tautness! Skin feels balanced and nicely cleansed, ready for more TLC. Used a couple of times a week, Daily Microfoliant is another IT product by Dermalogica, where skin enjoys deep scrubs minus redness or aggravation. That’s really important because being too harsh on skin leads to sensitized, angry skin; leading to more skin problems like breakouts. After exfoliating, skin feels all ready to absorb nourishments.

On days with anti-UV products/SPF-laden protectors and makeup, Precleanse binds with makeup properties and flushes away with a wash. This cleansing oil deep cleanses to thoroughly rid makeup without traces so skin feels well-cleansed yet not over-cleansed i.e. stripped of skin’s natural oil and moisture level. Eye makeup is another tough nut to crack especially with waterproof ones. Soothing Eye Make-up Remover helps me tackle those pesky eyeliner (I use the gel type, which is harder to clean up without looking like a panda) and eyeshadows.

Do you have your fave suite of super power cleansers too? :)

The mane gets fried too and some products in the market boast having UV protection incorporated and then there are those spray type which makes things easy and fuss-free, without having to carefully massage the good stuff in. How cool is that?! Was tempted by Kao’s bottle of fruity concoction (bought the travel sized previously), but ended up with Lucido-L Hair Treatment Water when it was launched a few months ago, just to try something new.

WOWs and BOOs: Its slim bottle makes it easy to manoeuvre and spray, although at times, a couple of “pressing” is needed at certain angles. Its light, refreshing smell is a plus for those who like lighly scented stuff. Kao’s is infused with fruity fragrance so it might be a tad too much for some – I’m undecided on this though! Whether it works effectively to treat hair, can’t really comment though, simply because hair should enjoy sustained proper care just like our face. Shampoo, conditioner, hair mask, treatment – basic 4 steps, which I’m guilty of cutting to just the 1st step (now, now… I did confess that I’m pretty much a bum….)

Have you tried those UV products for hair? Do share your reviews!

PSST!! We’ve got The Body Shop and MAC goodies up for grabs! Find out how to WIN! ;)

Okay, ’nuff said about makeup and beauty stuff – here’s a promised Outfit of the Day (OOTD) with my new loot from The Crimson Velvet! The air-condtioning at work makes it a fridge at times, so piling up the clothes with layers helps create new styles too! Do you like it? ;)

Cape from The Crimson Velvet, Knit Dress from Mango, Belt from Bangkok, Ring from F21 USA, LA.

What are some of your summer beauty essentials? Know of any secret tips to beat the heat? Share with us! :)