SkinCareBoutique

Here is my review of the M-61 by Bluemercury Hydraboost Eye Serum .  As I am in my mid-thirties, I have noticed gradual, unfortunately undesirable, changes in my under-eye area - the skin has become drier and more prone to the development of fine lines.  I was first introduced to the M-61 Hydraboost Eye Serum when I received one as a deluxe sample in one of my Bluemercury orders. M-61 Powerful Skincare is a brand created by the co-founder of Bluemercury and prides itself on combining powerful skincare ingredients without incorporating any parabens, sulfates, or phthalates. As described on the Bluemercury website, this eye serum "combines a trio of multi-action peptides to help improve the appearance of the eye area and reduce the appearance of fine lines, under-eye circles, and puffiness."  It contains aloe and centella asiatica for calming, licorice for brightening, and Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) and hyaluronic acid for moisturizing. Hyaluronic acid is a gly...

AHAs and BHAs, which are Alpha Hydroxy Acids and Beta Hydroxy Acids respectively, are very effective chemical exfoliants for your skin.  AHAs and BHAs help to smooth skin texture, brighten dull skin, and reduce the appearance of dark spots and fine lines. Thinking back to chemistry class, AHAs and BHAs are structurally distinct at the molecular level - the hydroxyl -group is attached to the carboxylic acid at the alpha -position in Alpha Hydroxy Acids and at the beta -position in Beta Hydroxy Acids.  AHAs are predominantly water soluble and thus work on the surface of the skin, essentially weakening the bonds between our skin and its dead skin cells, allowing them to be removed.  AHAs include glycolic acid, lactic acid, and my favorite, the more gentle mandelic acid.  BHAs are oil-soluble and work on both the surface of the skin and within the pores to remove dead skin cells, as well as dirt and oils.  In the realm of skin care, BHAs exclusively refer to sa...

Here are two of the sheet masks that I used this week! LuLuLun Kyoto Premium Geisha Mask  ~ If you have travelled to Japan and gone into a beauty section of a drug store, you likely have seen one of the many LuLuLun sheet masks.  There are many different kinds of LuLuLun sheet masks, which are, for the most part, distinguished by the color of their packaging - from the original pink, silver, and blue varieties, to their Precious Anti-Aging red and gold masks, and more recently their Regional Series masks.  In the Regional Series, the sheet masks incorporate local ingredients from a specific area and have been made to feature locations such as Okinawa, Hokkaido, and Kyoto.  During my last trip to Kyoto, I picked up the Kyoto Premium Geisha Mask. ~ Geisha (also called Geiko in the Kyoto dialect) are professional entertainers that are trained to perform for guests often during meals and special occasions.  While they are often recognized for their distinct...

Before my first trip to Tokyo in 2016, I looked up some beauty products that were recommended to purchase while in Japan.  The brand, Sekkisei, and it's distinctive and elegant dark blue packaging, repeatedly popped up as one of the must-purchase-products in Japan. Sekkisei is a Japanese skin care line that was started in 1985 and focuses on skin brightening products that "have captured centuries-old wisdom and combined it with the latest scientific research to formulate a unique combination of Japanese and Chinese herbal extracts."  One of the Chinese characters in the name, Sekkisei, means "snow," which signifies the brightness and purity that is the goal of this skincare line. The top selling Sekkisei product is the Sekkisei medicated lotion, which is the product I decided to purchase in Japan.  The Sekkisei lotion is a toner that claims to reduce "dullness and promote an even, refined skin tone." This product contains many amazing herbal i...