It's been so long that I even forgot I have a blog. Been so busy with moving, traveling, packing, etc that I barely have time to think of anything else. So, after moving back to my country and meeting people that I haven't met for a long time, people were telling me that my skin looked different, and asked me what had I done to it. They mentioned that it looked more clear, radiant and bright. Clearly, I did experience some breakouts and skin problems moving from a dry and cold place like LA to a very humid and hot Asia. My skin apparently couldn't adapt to the weather change and I went to a dermatologist to get it treated. But besides the fact that some medical ointments helped to clear my skin, there's another secret to smooth, clear and bright skin that I'm going to share here.
Let me begin by clarifying that when I mean the "best", it may not be the best for everyone, especially when it comes to skincare and makeup. So I am only sharing my opinion of what is best for me and hopefully it might be useful to others too. My skin type is classified as "combination normal to oily" (by Clinique definitions). So when I buy makeup products such as tinted moisturizer, foundation etc, I had to buy those that are oil free, if not I would look so shiny and oily within a few hours. In the past, I've tried almost all BB creams and tinted moisturizer (been meaning to post my whole collection, but never had the time to), such as Laura Mercier oil-free tinted moisturizer, a whole range of skin 79 BB creams, Missha BB creams, Etude house and more! But most of the time, either the color doesn't match or the products turn out too oily for me and cause me to breakout. (I really hate those Asian BB creams that only comes in 1 color, a pale greyish pink that makes me look like a Geisha) Like the case of Laura Mercier, though it claims to be oil-free, it still causes lots of shine within a few hours and the color is too unnatural for me. So here it is, my favorite Tinted Moisturizer so far:
It is Stila's Sheer Color Tinted Moisturizer in Light. According to Sephora, it is a
"water-resistant moisturizer is packed with sun protection and just enough color to even skintone. The light, hydrating formula is ideal for all skin types and comes in natural, see-through shades. Application is a cinch and the coverage is long lasting, leaving you with a perfect finish every time."
Like the name indicates, it is very light and sheer, but the color is buildable, it's coverage is very light, much much lighter than the normal foundations and other BB creams. I find that the coverage is just perfect,it doesn't make your skin look cakey at all. It looks very natural and people will even think that you are not wearing any make up at all. It also does the perfect job of covering all redness, acne spots, scars etc. The best part, it is oil-free and has SPF, and it does not make my face look oily at all, throughout the whole day! Oh, I forgot another important thing, it gives your skin a very natural glow! (Don't everybody just love that?) There is barely any smell for the product, but with its SPF content, there is a slight sunblock smell in it.
I usually apply this product after cleansing my face and applying toner. After moving back to Asia, my derma told me to skip the moisturizer part as my skin is oily enough. So because this is a tinted moisturizer, it does the job of moisturizing my skin as well.
Here's some swatches for the product:
You can see that it is quite watery. The texture is very light and easy to work with.
That's how sheer and light it is.
Can you tell which part of my hand I applied the cream to? (hint at the previous picture ^^ ) That's just how natural it is.
So that's it, I've shared my secret :) Overall, I think people with minor skin problems, oily skin, and those who just want a natural light coverage, would definitely love the product. However, if you have dry skin, or you have a lot of redness in your skin or severe acne product, this coverage might be too light for you. If you want a better coverage, this product doesn't do well for you.
Recently, due to the good reviews I have read, and also out of my curiosity for make up products (=.=), I've bought the Bobbi Brown BB cream, which doesn't state that it is oil free, but claims that it has some minerals in it that help to control oil. I also like the fact that they have a 3 color range, so I could avoid the too greyish Geisha look. (Btw, Stila has 10 color choices) The first time I used it, it has a really strong SPF smell that I didn't like, so I'll wait till I've finished my tube of Stila's then I'll try the Bobbi Brown and perhaps write a review for it :)
Till then,
JS ❤
P.S: I envy people who have winter right now. Even my skin is missing the cold and dry weather :(
