Valen’s Vanity Square

Thanks again to Jess from Lolyco for giving me this valuable Bio-essence Non-Surgical Face Lift Pine Pollen Trial Pack to ‘test’. I have been wanting to try their face-lifting cream before considering the full-size jar.

Bio-essence Non-Surgical Face Lift Pine Pollen Trial Pack (RM27.96)

Let’s see what are inside this promotional pack…

Deep Cleanser (10g)

• Cleanses skin without leaving a tight feeling after wash
• Removes makeup & impurities
• Skin feels refreshed & soft after use

To me as long as a cleanser cleanses well and doesn’t leave my skin feeling dry, it’s good enough to be used every day. But at night I will still carry out my double cleanse ritual - first with cleanser milk or cream, followed by a foaming gel like this one.

Skin White Revitalizing Exfoliator (10g)

• Removes dead & aging skin
• Makes skin finer, fairer and smoother
• Removes blackheads, whiteheads, dark spots & pigmentation

If you have used Ginvera Marvel Gel before, then this is something similar. An exfoliating gel that comes with natural micro-rice beads suitable for daily use, it is a gentle way of removing dead cells from the skin without making my skin dry. But I most probably won’t use it every day if I buy the full-size product, because it’s doesn’t come cheap (neither does Ginvera Marvel Gel)!

Radiant Youth Essence (5g)

• 95% enriched with green tea essence & Ginseng
• Locks in moisture, keeps skin hydrated and soft
• Refines pores for radiant skin

I LOVE this one! It may ‘look’ oily in its form, but as long as you massage it slowly and until it is fully absorbed into the skin, it won’t leave any trace of greasiness on your face. Instead, you will feel that your skin is silky smooth… so soft… so tender… I am definitely putting this into my next shopping list.

Face Lifting Cream (10g)

• Firms and lifts face contours
• Shallows visible aging lines
• Restores skin firmness & elasticity
• Refines pores

This cream doesn’t contain SPF, so I am using it only at night, immediately after Radiant Youth Essence. It can be used during day time as well, as long as you remember to apply your sunscreen lotion. Initially I was quite concerned if it would be too heavy for my skin (i.e. causing my skin to become oily). But, so far so good. I would prefer lotion though, if they have one.

The cream causes a cooling sensation once applied on the face. So far I haven’t noticed any obvious reduction on lines, or increased firmness of my face. But I do feel a mild tightening effect every time I apply the cream (though visually I haven’t observed any difference). I’m not sure if this means the cream is working to pull and lift my face… I hope it is! Perhaps I have to use it more often and for a longer time.

So, I still couldn’t decide whether to put Bio-essence face-lifting cream into my shopping list. Hmm, may be I should first try L’Oreal’s face-lifting cream. I wonder if they have trial pack as well…

It’s a bad habit of mine that I can’t stop trying new skincare products, before I even finished what I have on my dressing table, hehe. But it’s just a small pack of NUTOX Oxyfusion Starter Kit that I’m talking about here.

NUTOX Oxyfusion range of products is inspired by a treatment concept called Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, which is claimed to help “promote healing, reduce swelling and improve the blood supply to help reverse aging and brighten your skin”.

The starter kit comes with:

NUTOX Oxyfusion Wrinkle Away Cleanser (10 ml)

• Contains Nuroxygen that helps to promote oxygen supply to improve skin vitality & enhance skin resilience
• Helps improve skin regeneration and reduce the visible signs of aging
• Cleanses, whitens and helps protect skin against the formation of fine lines
• Ideal for normal skin

I have finished up this small tube of cleanser and I like it! It doesn’t leave my skin dry and tight after washing. Instead, I feel there is a light shield of moisture that makes my skin smooth to the touch.

NUTOX Advanced Serum Concentrate (3 ml)

• Contains Nuroxygen
• Contains Nubenone, the ingredient used to instantly fill up gaps in between lines to diminish signs of aging
• Blended with Plant Organics & NanoBeta-White to enhance skin transparency & whiten dull complexion
• Suitable for all skin types

I think I almost finish this very tiny bottle of serum, can’t tell much yet about the effect though. This serum is easily absorbed by the skin and doesn’t cause my face to be oily or trigger any other skin problems. I would like to get the full-size bottle and give it a real try, but not now. I still have my very new Estee Lauder stuffs to try.

NUTOX Moisture Emulsion SPF 25 PA++ (15 ml)

• A moisturizing + whitening formulation
• Restores skin’s optimum moisture balance, reduces signs of ageing, whitens and moisturizes to revive skin’s natural smoothness
• Ultra light and easily absorbed
• Suitable for oily to combination skin; for day use

If you are one of those (including myself) that likes tinted moisturizer, then you are not likely to use this. Because it is not tinted, it doesn’t provide that immediate ‘whitening’ effect that instantly brightens up your complexion. Somehow I felt that it is not providing enough moisture for my combination skin. So, I still prefer my Garnier Light or Olay White Radiance moisturizers.

NUTOX Supernatural Night Repair (5 ml)

• Contains Nuroxygen
• Blended with Nubenone and NanoBeta-White to further enhance skin transparency and whiten dull complexion
• Suitable for all skin types

Although this night moisturizer is in cream form, it does not cause greasiness on the face as what creams normally do. The skin becomes supple and exudes a very nice glow after application.

I now can’t decide whether I should get this or Olay White Radiance Night Cream to be my night moisturizer when I’m done with my Garnier Pure Shine Control moisturizer. How eh?

While I ponder over this tough question, may you all have a very Merry Christmas!

This post is a recap of ”Let Your Skin Breathe!” in my previous beauty blog Valen’s Beauty Parlour. 

Cleansing is really the mother of all skincare practice. It is the most basic yet essential part of a complete daily skincare regime. Thorough cleansing helps to remove dirt, make-up, and oils from the surface of your face. 

I have been using Dermalogica cleansers for a long time. Their products are free of artificial fragrance or color, and are made from natural ingredients. I love their cleansers, which are soap-free, because they really do a good job in cleansing.

Below are the three Dermalogica cleansers that I use:

• Essential Cleansing Solution - Although it has a creamy texture, it can be easily rinsed off, leaving my skin clean and soft. It is especially suitable for people with drier skin. I use it at night and then followed by the Special Cleansing Gel (i.e. double-cleansing).
• Special Cleansing Gel - It is a soap-free foaming gel. It removes excess oils and impurities without leaving the skin dry and tight. At night, I use it after the Essential Cleansing Solution. In the morning, I use it by itself.
• Pre-cleanse Oil - This is my favourite! I use it as the first cleansing step when I have light make-up on. It has a very pleasant and soothing smell of essential oils, and it’s not as ‘oily’ as other types of cleansing oils found in the market. It is easy to rinse of as well. Try it, you will see the difference!

In short, just make sure that your skin is thoroughly cleansed at the end of the day. Only when your skin can breathe, it can take in the goodness of whatever you put on next.