Review: Boscia Pore Strips

Here is a quick review of Boscia’s Pore Purifying Black Strips

For people with blackheads, pore strips are a great solution and with the addition of a good cream/serum product, the size of your pores as well as the existence of blackheads can be seriously reduced. After having tried Boscia’s BB cream and having been very satisfied with the product, I decided to also try out the same company’s pore strips.

The pack contains 6 one-use strips in a black color; one side has an adhesive substance, which you must apply to a wet surface – otherwise it won’t stick. So basically, wash your face but leave your nose  very wet. The strip stays on for 15 minutes or until it has hardened. It promises to remove dirt and oil from pores while simultaneously minimizing pore size, leaving the skin “exceptionally cleansed”.  You are supposed to use this product once or twice a week, no more. 

Sadly, I was very disappointed by the performance of this product. Here’s what I experienced.

- No matter how wet the surface I attempt to apply the strip on is (in this case, my nose), it still doesn’t stick on well and it eventually ends up falling off from one side...

- It doesn’t remove anything… My skin is left the same, if not worse because it’s irritated by the sticky substance, and I am nowhere near cleaner or minimized pores.

- I wanted to give this product a chance, but it really doesn’t even remove the dirt or the oil from my nose. I at first thought that my pores are too deep for a strip to clean but the thing is, this product doesn’t seem to be doing anything but sitting there until it dries and fall off. 

Perhaps this product would be more suitable for someone with a small blackhead issue but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone with visible blackheads.

Would I repurchase? Nah… I’m glad I bought the sample pack that contained only six strips. 

*S

Tsubaki Damage Care Treatment by Shiseido Review

Today's post is a review of the Shiseido Tsubaki Damage Care Treatment. This is one of the products from the Tsubaki line and I encourage you to try them all out! I personally chose the Damage Care Treatment because I do have pretty damaged hair from the constant color changes I like to go through and that have taken a toll on my hair over the years. The product comes in a 200g bottle and it's available online as well as in some Asian Markets that also have beauty products.

So the Tsubaki Damage Care Treatment is made especially for dry, permed, sun-damaged, color-treated and generally damaged hair. This is a product that is meant to be used once a week: you run the product through wet hair from roots to the ends and then wrap your hair up in a towel and let it sit for 5 minutes; after that, rinse with warm water. I think this would be a more deep treatment where you let the product really sink in, however if you use it as a conditioner and just apply it to your hair without wrapping it up in a towel, the results are still great! This is one of the great advantages of this product: whether you use it as a hair mask or simply as a conditioner, it still works wonders on your hair :)

Based on my experience with this product, I find that it is best that you only apply it to the parts of your hair that are damaged. For example, if your hair is a mixed type (your roots are fine but the ends are very dry), use this product on the parts of your hair that are dry because the Tsubaki Damage Care Treatment is very nourishing and can make perfectly healthy hair look oily.

 

The Tsubaki line uses camellia flower (which is what the name Tsubaki means) as well as oleic and amino acids that are very soothing and compatible to the skin and also treat and strengthen the hair from root to end. 

Right after the first use, you are basically left with very smooth, frizz-free and soft-to-the-touch hair and the results last for a good four-five days (provided that you don’t wash your hair in between). I must say though that after using the product consistently I have noticed an improvement in my hair’s texture. The split ends seems to have been reduced and also it has become easier to comb my hair without it breaking. I have also noticed a decrease in hair loss, which I think is because my hair has become stronger (YAY) and therefore don't break as easily. And it doesn't hurt that the product smells soooo nice ;P

*S

My Current Skin Care Routine

First of all, the key to a successful skin care routine is to… listen to your skin! If, for example, you feel that your skin changed according to weather and seasons, then you will have to accommodate to that. I always seemed to develop a more oily skin when I was home in Europe, but when I was in America I had a more dry and mat skin texture, so I had to switch my skin care routine a little bit. However, there are some basic steps that I swear by and I want to share them with you J

1.     Cleanse: Cleaning your skin after a long day is very important so as to prevent break outs and not allow all the dirt from outside to stay on your face and/or transfer on your pillow (to later end up on your face)! Because I’m a lazy girl and don’t have the patience to cleanse my face with multiple products, I opt for cleansing wipes instead! Olay’s 7 in 1 wipes also contain nourishing elements that moisturize my skin, so I don’t have to put additional products on later. Oh, and they are gentle enough that I can use them to remove eye makeup as well!

2.    Eye Cream: Invest in a good eye cream, it’s worth it. The area around the eyes needs special treatment because it’s very sensitive and susceptible to irritation. You don’t need to spend a lot of money for an effective eye cream, just find the one that works for you. I have been using Olay’s 7 in 1 Eye Transformation Cream for the past couple of weeks and before that I used Roc’s Retinol Eye Treatment and they are very different but both work great for me. Neither where recommended to me, but a good way to test different creams without spending money on something that might not work for you is to get samples of all the creams you’re interested in and test them out! See if your skin feels nourished after using an eye cream and it doesn’t feel like it’s “tugging" or "pulling".

Olay's 7 in 1 Eye Transformation Cream



sample of a Lancome product - lasts for three/four days

3.  Cream/Serum: You can use both or one. A good example of how my skin changes from time to time is this: I had to use both a serum and a hydrating cream in New York, but the cream is useless when I’m home in Europe. I am a huge fan of most Olay products because they are inexpensive and they feel great on my skin.  However, for the longest time I have been using Lancôme’s Genifique Youth activating serum, which is actually very hydrating and doubles up as a cream as well, without being heavy. I have a mixed skin type (oily T-zone and chin, mat cheeks) so I always look for something that can balance my skin and in my experience, a serum has more chances of doing that than a cream.

4.  Facials: Once a weak, I give myself a facial with a clay mask or when my skin is feeling really dry, I use a sheet mask (again from Olay). Clay masks are a life savior because they control break outs, matify the skin, control oiliness and overall make the skin youthful and glowing.

5.  Scrubs: I know that people say that scrubbing your face on a daily basis is bad, but I haven’t seen it affecting my skin. If anything, ever since I started using scrubs with salicylic acid in them, I have seen a great improvement in my mild acne. I used to get small pimples from time to time, but I have gone through entire months without seeing anything after I started using scrubs with salicylic acid! The one I’ve been using (it’s a drugstore product) is Neutrogena’s All-in-1 Acne control. Gentle exfoliation leaves the skin soothe and this allows it to absorb skin products better.

6.  Strips: it’s these strips made out of fabric and infused with nourishing solutions that work great for your skin. They are fantastic little boosters for your skin that can also have anti-aging features! They won’t substitute eye creams or serums but I am absolutely amazed by the results. The ones I bought are from an Asian company so you might be able to find them in Asian markets (if you live near one), or online. But other western companies also make them and they usually aren’t that expensive. I use them once every two weeks or when my skin looks tired.

*S