Viva Woman

I have been using the Therapeutic Dermatologic Formula C Scape Serum which contains 10% Vitamin C for a month now and I’m rather happy with the results so far.  Overall, my skin texture has even out and because the skin the firmer, my pores also seem tighter. 

According to the product description, TDF C Scape Serum is for the production of collagen and elastic tissue that keep the skin taut, supple and healthy. It also acts as an antioxidant to neutralize harmful free radicals, help reduce fine lines and wrinkles as well as lighten skin complexion.  Except for the wrinkles and fine lines, I have to say this product does what it promises for me.

 
However, it should be noted that the 10% Vitamin C in TDF C Scape Serum is Ascorbyl Methyl Silanol, which is a derivative of L-ascorbic acid or what is known as the true Vitamin C.  According to what I read at dermadoctor.com, while Ascorbyl Methyl Silanol is more stable, it is unable to be absorbed by the skin nor will it convert into L-ascorbic acid by the skin.  Despite so, my skin has obviously been able to absorb this or I wouldn’t have seen the improvement after a month of usage. 

I bought the 30ml TDF C Scape Serum from my dermatologist but it is available at myPharmacy at S$69.44.  The product must be kept chilled to prevent oxidization and can be applied day and night after cleansing.  I was told I might get some tingling sensation but all I felt was my skin tightening everytime I apply this. 

From what I’ve read at the forums, many girls who have used this are also happy with the results.  I’m really pleased with it but I’m now even more keen to use a serum with L-ascorbic acid as it should do more for my skin since it is said to be the only useful form of Vitamin C.  Oh, and I forgot to mention that one of the reasons why I want to switch from TDF C Scape Serum even though it is performing for me is that SD Alcohol 40 is listed as the 2nd ingredient which can be drying when used long term.

Well, I think I’m going to check out the products from Skinceuticals which contain this ingredient and find out if they’re any good.  I also wouldn’t mind one from a natural line if anyone can recommend me a suitable range that I can get easily.

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I wish I can say that this is a miraculous potion and it was worth every cent I paid. But for what I’ve paid, La Mer The Radiant Infusion just didn’t deliver up to my expections. Especially so when I compared it with La Mer Serum which was truly amazing. But then again, the price tag for the latter was doubly so.

What worked
La Mer The Radiant Infusion is a mesh-like sea gel containing La Mer’s exclusive Deconstructed Waters and is said to provide high-potency infusion that promises to deliver radiance, clarity, pore-minimizing and tone. Well, it did deliver radiance alright. In fact, I noticed an immediate perk-me-up effect upon application with a glow that was visible especially when I’ve had a late night. My tired face did look less so when I apply this on in the morning after toning.

If you read the product description, the concoction sounds amazing but I don’t know what to make out of it except that this is in between a toner and a serum.  It is very diluted but it leaves a slightly sticky film before it dries completely and is quickly absorbed into the skin, leaving no silicone texture. Some have described the aroma as lovely but to me, it just smells like fermented lime tea although it didn’t turn me off.

What didn’t
My main disappointment with La mer The Radiant Infusion is that it didn’t deliver the pore minimizing effects as claimed for me. I’ve used it since mid October last year but I have nothing positive to report about my pore size.  Neither did I notice my skin becoming visibly clearer overtime.

In addition, I agree with most reviewers that this product scores low on hygiene factor. La Mer should have included a tube dispenser or pump. Instead, I have to be careful when pouring out the lotion onto my hands, for fear of over-dosing as well as introducing bacteria into the bottle.  But one thing though; the price isn’t that expensive if you factor in the fact that you don’t have to use a lot of this each time so the product can last quite awhile.

Going by the name, the product did deliver radiance for me.  But going by the claims, this product has over promised but under delivered for me. 

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These are from my recent Mexoryl-based sunscreen loot:

1. Vichy Capital Soleil SPF 50+  Face Cream For Reactive Skin    
2. La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL SPF 50+ Fluide Extreme For Face 
3. La-Roche-Posay Anthelios XL SPF 50+ Lait Veloute Face & Body Lotion

In my earlier entry about Mexoryl-based sunscreens for maximum protection, I mentioned I wanted to get one or two to try out but eventually, I went out to buy three of them.  They were all below S$40 and La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL 50+ Fluide Extreme in particular was even going for under S$20 with a special promotion.  So it was really hard to resist.

Protection
In terms of formulation, La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL 50+ Fluide Extreme For Face and La-Roche-Posay Anthelios XL 50+ Lait Veloute Face & Body Lotion are more superior because both contain Mexoryl SX and Merxoryl XL, a combination that is said to be the most potent photostable anti-aging sun filters for UVA and UVB rays.  Mexoryl SX or XL alone does not provide complete protection.  Just refer to the following rating compiled by Environmental Protection Agency and note that Ecamsule is the other name for Mexoryl.

Vichy Capital Soleil 50+  Face Cream For Reactive Skin also offers very high protection but the sunscreen only contains Mexoryl XL.  But this formulation contains Eperuline, a sensitivity regulator and is therefore most ideal for those with allergic and very sensitive skins, limiting the chain of events leading to sun intolerance reactions.

But since I don’t have sensitive skin, I find that using the La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL range gave me better peace of mind because the formulation promise better total protection.

Texture
All three sunscreens give fabulous velvety protection and left no white marks or greasy effects upon application.  In fact, La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL SPF 50+ Fluide Extreme For Face which is in milky form left no trace of oil at all on my face.  Vichy Capital Soleil SPF 50+  Face Cream For Reactive Skin is creamy on contact but again, left my face almost greaseless.  However, this is because both products contain alcohol denat which drys and strips your skin’s moisture when used overtime. 

La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL SPF 50+ Lait Veloutte Face & Body Lotion is much more creamy, feels a tad oily upon application but it dries up pretty fast on my hands, leaving no greasy marks.  When applied on my face, my skin did feel slightly greasy though it was manageable.  The good thing is that I didn’t see alcohol denat on the ingredient list for this product.

Summary
I have to concede that all the three Mexoryl-based sunscreens work great on our skin but for the sake of comparison, La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL range is better especially the La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL SPF 50+ Lait Veloutte Face & Body Lotion which is also water resistant.

But honestly, I’m not exactly comfortable using these chemical sunscreens even though they promose ultra protection because of their ingredients.  Even if they do not contain alcohol denat, they contain a whole lot more chemical ingredients compared to mineral sunscreens.   The only attraction for me about chemical sunscreens with Mexoryl is that you’re virtually impervious to sun exposure.  As I mentioned in my earlier entry, Mexoryl is photostable and this means you can wear it all day long without the need to reapply and yet receive long lasting, effective protection as it does not degrade in sunlight. 

I guess I will continue to wear these for awhile given the fact it has been exceptionally sunny on most days now.  I will most probably however, just limit to my hands and switch back to mineral based sunscreens for my face.

And please also read my post on tips on sunscreen protection & application.

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Last month, I mentioned Ferro Cosmetics Mineral Makeup and I said I’ll be reviewing the products as well as bringing my readers an exclusive promo.  Well, here it is!  Just for the readers of Viva Woman, Ferro Cosmetics is offerring FREE international shipping on orders US$75 or more, plus US$5 off purchases over US$40.  If you’re located in US, you already get free shipping on purchases over $49 but you can still benefit from the $5 discount. Just use promo code VIVA200 during checkout. 

And here are my reviews on Ferro Cosmetics mineral foundation, mineral veil, mineral glow and mineral eyeshadow. 

Mineral foundation that last all day
Ferro Cosmetics offers two types of mineral foundation; the Radiance Foundation and the Ultimate Foundation.  I really love the Radiance Foundation!  While it is said to offer sheer-to-medium coverage, I find that it gives my face good enough coverage for a natural-looking, radiant glow.  In fact, my face, which is combination type, still looks good with just a slight sheen around my cheeks after a full day, despite our warm weather now.  This picture shows how I look with Radiance Foundation in Light Beige R-2 after wearing it for 6 hours.  Please note that I did not apply concealer to my face, except for the undereye area and I did not apply any blusher or veil either.

The best thing I like about Ferro Cosmetics’ Mineral Foundation is that the shades I see on their websites — Pale Honey, Light Biege and Honey Creme which match my fair skin tone — actually work precisely for me.  I don’t need to order a shade up, unlike some of the other brands of mineral foundations like EM, Lumiere and Alima I’ve tried.  I’m not going to dissect the ingredient list but I believe it’s because Ferro Cosmetics mineral foundations have concentrated minerals for the coverage and that’s why their shades can match exactly.

And maybe it’s for this reason that the Ultimate Foundation doesn’t work as well for me as it contains more minerals than the Radiance Foundation with pearl and pure silk powder to give matte, full-coverage.  So when I put this on using the same amount I usually use, I get a darker tone even for the same shade although I concede it does give me better coverage overall.  If I want to stick to this, I have to remember to layer less to get a more desirable effect.

Because of the health concerns surrounding inhaling Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) in nano particle form in powdered mineral makeup, I asked Krissy Ferro, who is the founder of Ferro Cosmetics about their position on this and here is what she said:

“About nano-particles, we don’t use them. Micronized particles are extremely small, however they are absorbed into the body like anything else we put on our skin.  We do use micronized titanium dioxide in our darker shades of Ultimate Foundation because it offers more sun protection and allows the darker pigments to show without being cakey and heavy.”

Matt mineral veil
I tried Sheer Matt, Nude Matt and Rose Matt Mineral Veil and I have to say Sheer works best for me.  Nude somehow gives me a darker tone.  But I’m happy with Radiance Foundation on its own and usually do not to brush on anymore veil afterwards.  The picture you see above also did not include any mineral veil.

3-in-1 mineral glow
Ferro Cosmetics’ Glow are great because they’re 3-in-1!  You can use them as a bronzer, a blush or an eyeshadow.  I like the Glow Baby Glow most because it’s great as as a warm blush for me.  I’ve got Spring Kiss too but since it is darker, I can use it as an eyeshadow base.

Delicious mineral eye candy
I tried Ferro Cosmetics Pearl Eye Candy which offers a beautiful sheen.  I’m in love with Sage, a very fresh dose of subtle green which is great for my skin tone and it works great with Emerald Smoke which I use for crease contouring or as an eyeliner.   Sapphire Smoke is a very deep blue and works well as an eyeliner but I wish they offer a pale blue to match. 

But whichever color you pick, you have to order at least one of their eye candies.  Their packaging is so cute and they come with sifter which means, no mess and no wastage!  I also noticed that their pigments are really concentrated and I just need to use a little each time.  So it’s true what they say, that a little goes a long way!

Summary
If you’re into mineral makeup, you want to try this line to see for yourself the difference with some of the others in the market.  Their foundation formulations are pretty concentrated and yields a good finishing.   And because they are more concentrated, you don’t have to layer too much of it to achieve sufficient coverage.  But you’ll need to find out for yourself if Ultimate works for you, or like me, Radiance is better.  You can always try their mini foundation kit which comes in fully labeled 5 gram jars with a sifter.  I’m using those now and they actually last awhile.

Application techniques
Before I go, I leave you with a link to videos that Krissy Ferro has put up to demonstrate how to put on mineral makeup.  Even though I’ve used mineral makeup for nine months now, I’ve learnt something new, which is to start out by applying foundation on the jawline first and work your way in so as to avoid an overdose of powder on the cheeks.  Additionally, I’ve also discovered on my own that I shouldn’t be using the brush in a circular motion around my face, but rather buff it downwards so as not to push the pigments into my pores and accentuating them in the process.

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