THE PRIMER GAME

I'm never quite a face primer wearer, I just never really needed it because I used to be one of those fortunate people that my makeup stay put quite well throughout the day.

Now, things have changed since I now live in Hong Kong.  We have just been through the hottest summer in beautyorbread's history.  I'm sure there had been at least a whole month, if not for longer; that the temperature shot up to 35c everyday and stayed that hot.

I was still wearing makeup but it took me a whole summer to realise that, apart from not wearing makeup (because I love doing so), I could actually wear something called a 'face primer' to help those beauty products stay put a bit better on my face.

As the sun is still relatively visible, and at times it can still feel a bit warm (believe it or not it's already mid-October but temperature can still get up to 30c), so a primer with SPF is a must for me; to give my face that bit of protection.

I first looked at the brand Kate, it has a mineral UV gel base primer.  It comes in a squeezy tube so it's perfect for travelling.  It has SPF32 PA ++ so it also ticks my box of a combo of SPF and primer.  The texture of the product feels quite silicone but blends and applies easily on the face.  I feel that it is not too 'siliconey' that my makeup can't sit on top of it well.  It does help my face products last a bit longer.  It is absorbed by the skin quite quickly and doesn't dry out my skin.

Obviously, I wouldn't just stop trying out one product.  I then saw the Max Factor Face Finity Primer with SPF 20, and said to myself, 'oh yes of course there's a face primer by Max Factor and why didn't I think of that!'.  The texture of this primer is a lot more liquidy than the Kate's one.  It feels more like a face lotion than a conventional face primer would feel.  This then makes the application even more easier and feels more hydrating on the skin.  Although I wouldn't necessarily say that the Kate's one is less hydrating as both products are absorbed by the skin equally well and fast.  Again, this also helps my makeup to stay put fairly well.  The glass bottle makes the product looks really nice but not a travel friendly product I don't think.

I would recommend both products as they both perform equally well - it just depends on if you prefer a thicker textured primer or something similar to a face lotion.

Do you wear a primer?  Is it a step that you swear by it or 'nah it's not for me'?

LIFE UPDATE

It's been a rather long while since I wrote anything (nothing) on my blog here. 

There's no excuse to be made, busy is not a reason. Makeup and beauty still play such a massive role in my life so I haven't forgotten about you.

Just wanted to take this opportunity to share the joy that we had last week in celebrating my little one's 1st birthday.

Yes, Lear has turned 1! How did that happen I had no idea, but he did. The most exciting is that he's taken his first steps just before his 1st birthday. Mr Holiday and I are so excited about him walking properly!

I look forward to myself writing more beauty posts soon!

Meanwhile, I hope you have enjoyed reading this little post.

Xxx

NEW BEAUTY DISCOVERY: CLEANSING CREAM BY KANEBO

Living in Hong Kong and finding a good facial cleansing cream that can both remove makeup and cleanse the face are challenging.

However, recently a beam of breakthrough light has shone upon my face and I wanted to share with you what this is all about.

Meet cleansing cream by Kanebo (HK $65, roughly around £5.5) . This is a great Japanese brand, I have tried a few things by it and have almost never been disappointed by it.

This is a dual purpose cleansing cream, it removes makeup and cleanses the face. So for all those busy bees out there, this is your equivalent of Emma Hardie cleansing balm or the Liz Earle hot cloth cleanser; both of which are almost impossible to buy in Hong Kong.

This cleansing cream is rich, it comes in a rich cream texture but doesn't not clog up my pores nor does it make my skin feels greasy afterwards. It's very easy to wash off using a flannel and is very gentle on the skin, it doesn't sting my eyes so it's great to remove eye makeup.

There are also these little beads in the cream that is meant to help exfoliate the skin. However, as the cream is very creamy and rather rich, the beads aren't very effective, if it does it's bonus but I'm fine with it doesn't.

I love the packaging, too. It has an attached open lid so you don't need to worry about where to put the lid on after opening it. This is especially handy when I find myself always using this in a shower.

This would most probably be on my repurchase list before I find the next best thing.

Have you tried this before? How do you normally remove your makeup and cleanse your face? Do you prefer using one or two products?

NUXE FACE CLEANSING AND MAKEUP REMOVING GEL REVIEW

Are you a single or double-step cleanser when it comes to removing makeup and facial cleansing in the evening?

I'm definitely a single-step cleanser. I like products that are dual purposes- removing makeup whilst giving my face a good squeaky clean.

There are a few trusted product like this I use but until recently I have managed to use up everything I have in my stash. I ventured out to try something new.

I purchased this NUXE face cleansing and makeup removing gel on a whimp. I then realised that yes, it is a dual purpose product but it doesn't remove EYE makeup. It's my fault...

However, I still like this product though. It's a moisturising gel textured cleanser. It has a strong scent of honey (NUXE is famous for its usage of natural product so I'm not too worried about those chemicals). It leaves my skin feeling all moisturised instead of drying after a good cleanse.

The first time when I used this, I mistakenly used it to remove my eye makeup as well as the face. Honestly though, it doesn't sting my sensitive eyes all that badly. It's marginally acceptable but I wouldn't do it again as this product isn't designed to do so. It does a pretty good job in removing face make up.

So... I'm back to the good old double cleanse in the evening. Eye makeup remover, then a good old overall cleanse with this.

Have you tried this before? What do you use to remove makeup?

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE SHINE - DIOR GEL TOP COAT

I asked myself, what does it take for a nail top coat to stand out from the crowd?

The answer is simple -

Protection - providing longevity to the nail colours underneath

Shine and Gloss - giving my nails a nail bar finish - 'ah, that gel nails you have got on looks amazing!'

Quick drying - helping your nail colours to dry in no time - 'I don't have all day and night to sit there, letting times to pass by'

My recent beauty trial on the nail front is Dior Gel Nail Top Coat.  I have heard good things about it but ya know,  a high end nail product can often end up behaving like any old high street nail product brand so I have been holding fire on trying this.

It didn't disappoint.  It ticked all 3 of my 'award winning' nail top coat boxes.  That shine and gloss is on par with a gel nail you get it done at a nail bar.  It somehow gives this those flat nail colours more dimensions.

It's an investment buy, although as a regular nail polish wearer, this could be a dangerous and expensive investment.

What's your favourite nail top coat?  Have you tried this one before?

THAT SPF THOUGH....

I'll just cut it short and make a clear - this summer I'm experiencing in Hong Kong is horrible!  It's not the type of summer I'm used to - cold and chilly!

The sun shines everyday and it is S-T-R-O-N-G.  There isn't a day I would go out without slathering my face with SPF protection.

Recently, a friend of mine recommended me to use Bioderma Photoderm Max Cream SPF 50+.  A dermatologist told her that Bioderma is a trusted brand by professional, and the SPF product provides the most stable SPF protection that it claims.  I've been using it for a week or so and I have mixed reviews about it.

I don't question about the SPF protection side of it, however because of its such great recommendation by dermatologist, I do instantly feel my face is protected from the strong sunlight and UV light or what have you.  The texture of the cream is quite a rich one, when I say 'cream' it really is a 'cream' formulation, so imagine that in your mind.  It's very easily blended with the skin, however it doesn't feel that it's absorbed as quickly as other SPF products I have used.  It does feel rather tacky after application to the face.  However, as the day goes on, my face doesn't feel greasy or oily at all which is strange when the formulation is that creamy despite its exposure to such hot and humid climate, so a real thumbs up for this one.  

It doesn't leave any white mask on the face either and works great as a makeup base.  I have had no problem applying makeup on top of it.

I'm definitely going to continue using it and I can just see how this would become a staple product in my beauty stash in the summer.

What SPF product(s) do you use?  If you want to know what other SPF products I use, you can click here to have a nose around!

SPFs OVERLOADED

I cannot describe how hot the weather it has been in Hong Kong (relocated from London since January 2015).  I haven't experienced such intense heat so earlier on in the year, and also this heat is a regular daily thing.  The strong sunlight, the humidity and the heat - not a good trio at all.  Every day I look at myself in the mirror and noticed those lovely freckles on my two cheeks are becoming more visible, my heart sank and I freaked out.

Don't get me wrong, I love those little brownie points on my face.  They usually make their appearances in the summer and by that I mean between July and August only, then they stay hibernated for the rest of the year.  That's history but now I'm living in Hong Kong, things are a little different.

Wearing SPFs is a must for me, I cannot go a day without it.  The sun is strong.  I don't rely on my daily moisturisers or foundation to provide the SPFs as I don't wear either of those products enough to provide me enough sun protection.  I need a separate SPF product to give me that.


Maybelline Care and Correct CC SPF 37 PA+++ (Pink Glow) - I wear this two ways.  As a CC cream as it were, when I'm just running errands or taking my little one out for a walk in my neighbourhood.  When I just want my face to look a bit glowy but not totally made up.  It's a great base to do just that whilst giving my face a sun protection.  It's perfect, too for as a base to give your complexion a pinky glowy undertone before applying foundation.  The formula is not oily at all and it's rather moisturising so it's perfect for such humid and hot weather.

Kose Suncut UV Protect Gel SPF 50+ PA ++++ - Kose is such a trusted beauty brand.  I have tried quite a few beauty products by it and I'm always impressed by it.  So when I saw this I secretly knew it would work on my skin and it did.  It's a gel-cream formula, once blended onto the skin it feels slightly liquidy to the touch which makes it very easy for the skin to absorb.  It works really well as a base for applying makeup.  It doesn't have any scent which is what I like too as a base product.  It's great!

L'Oreal UV Perfect Aqua Essence City Face Mist SPF 50 PA++++ - Putting on a good layer of SPF in the morning doesn't mean you are sun-protected for the rest of the day.  SPF protection wears off as the day goes by so topping up during the day is so important!  This SPF face mist is brilliant - it's easy to just spray-and-go, you don't need to worry about ruining your makeup. I like it the spray isn't greasy at all, unlike some SPF other sprays.

Biore UV Perfect Spray SPF 50+ PA++++ - First thing first, as I said above I like a good SPF facial spray for that essential top-up during the day but this one by Biore is a bit disappointing.  It's so greasy, it doesn't get absorbed by the skin easily.  My skin is pretty dry but I find this quite uncomfortable after it's sprayed on.  It feels like a film of greasy spray covered my face.  I wouldn't recommend it but I've heard others who find it no problem so it's your call.

Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Body Mist Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 100+ - So your face is all SPF proofed, what about your body?  I prefer a body spray rather than a SPF body lotion, purely because it's that much more convenient and quicker.  It can leave a white mark on the body if you don't spray it evenly but it can be easily rubbed out evenly. My skin isn't left greasy.  It's a great product, and it's SPF 100; what more can you ask for?

I'm all SPF protected this summer - what about you?