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The belief behind the WASO line is that all things beautiful come from nature. Whenever I use any products from this line, the saying “you are what you eat” always comes to my mind. After all, skincare is food for your skin. Nourishment and essential top layer care. WASO is inspired by the holistic and natural Japanese food traditions of Washoku. Washoku means “Japanese eating”.

waso skincare in a tube
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Washoku consists of rice, miso soup and side dishes like fish, pickled vegetables and vegetables cooked in broth. Are you hungry yet? The most common is seafood, which is either grilled or raw (sushi/sashimi).

Most of you know my deep love for Japan. Their cuisine, beauty products, and way of life, we’ve traveled to Japan three times and honestly, I can’t wait to go back for a fourth visit. I had the pleasure of meeting the marketing people behind Shiseido many times in my years of working in the beauty industry and I have to say they’re some of the most passionate people I’ve met. They genuinely love the products and know so much brand history.



WASO shiseido beauty smart water

WASO BEAUTY SMART WATER – WASO HYDRATING RICH CREAM

This beauty water is inspired by Amazake. Amazake is a traditional sweet, low alcohol Japanese drink made from fermented rice. This all in one cleansing water will Cleanse, Hydrate and Prime skin in just one step. The fermented complex makes for a textured water that gently polishes skin. Helps with removing dirt, any excess sebum, dead skin cell build up and any light make up you might be wearing.

The gentle 3-in-1 cleansing water retails for $40 at Shoppers Drug Mart.

WASO GIGA-HYDRATING RICH CREAM

waso giga hydrating rich cream

This super-rich cream was inspired by fermented soybeans that help to lock in moisture for 48-hours and even help prevent acne and breakouts! This cream has carrot cells, soybean extract and I love that it has a matte finish. There is some amazing science behind this product. If you use it over time it can actually lead to the strengthening of your skin’s barrier so that your skin creates a natural ability to retain moisture. Retails: $50

waso eye opening essence

A small drop of this goes a long way. Love the cool feeling of this eye gel that awakens dark circles. The skin brightening complex is a combination of vitamin C, E, carrot cells, ginger, and the colour correcting pearl gives you an instant boost of radiance perfect for an awakened day look. Retails: $32.00

JULY FAVOURITES

July Favourites – Unique Kit Kat Flavours, Vichy, Henne Organics & MORE!

    1. Vichy – Their products have always been one of my favourites. Ever since my acne skin prone skin days, I would use Normaderm. It saved my life! The Aqualia line has evolved over the years. With this new formula, your thirsty skin will love you! Packed with minerals, hyaluronic acid, mineralizing water and more. I used both products for a couple of weeks – the serum and day cream. I love the day cream/moisturizer. It absorbs into the skin really well and I felt my skin get softer from the instant hydration right away.
    2. Winky-Lux – Seen all over Instagram and Pinterest, this lipstick is unique! Some have flowers in them, or this one has sparkles.arden capsules
    3. Elizabeth Arden – Having this serum in capsules takes the guesswork out of how much product we should use with each application. Especially because it has retinol.
    4. Kit Kat – Can I tell you how obsessed I was with all of the flavours of Kit Kat in Japan! I bought so many to take back with me and I haven’t finished them yet. The goji berry and sweet potato flavour are my favourites so far. Matcha is alright, but we can get that here in Canada.kitkat
    5. Nuxe – I love this dry oil! It’s a multi-purpose oil you can use on your face, body, in your hair (especially for the dry ends) and cuticles.
    6. Blue Mer – Also, bought this hand cream from Korea, or maybe it was Japan. I can’t remember now but it is available at The Face Shop. Not sure if this specific one is here in Canada, but it is honestly the best smelling and most moisturizing hand cream I’ve had. So next time you’re shopping at The Face Shop, definitely pick one of these up. They’re SO good!
    7. Filorga – A 2 step program for growing lush eyebrows and lashes. I used this for a month and noticed results. Nothing too crazy, but enough to make it to my faves!
    8. Rodial Beauty – This lip crayon goes on like suede. Hence the name, suede lips.

9. Henne – Founded in 2015 this product line has products that are 99% organic.
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loreal-revitalift-bright-reveal-voxbox

Finally I got around to opening this voxbox and trying the products that I got for testing purposes. Below is my review of each product that I used for a little over one week now. Let me know below in the comments if you’ve tried any of these products and what you think! It was great hearing from you guys on Instagram. XO

L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Brightening Daily Scrub Cleanser four stars

I’ve used this for a week now and one of the things that I love about this scrub is that the beads are not abrasive. They’re actually gentle compared to other leading brands. The scent is not overpowering and it appears to be working. I did start to break out after the first day of using it, but that could just be the resurfacing of dirt etc for the deep cleansing to work.

When to use: Nightly
What does it do: Gently exfoliates dullness and gets rid of impurities
(dirt and all that make-up grime that’s seeped into the next layer of your skin. *gross*)
Key ingredients: Glycolic Acid and Perlite

bright reveal loreal scrub

 

L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Bright Reveal SPF 30 Moisturizer three-stars

For an everyday moisturizer that has SPF 30 this is very light in texture. It has a bit of a pearly look to it, which actually doesn’t affect the look of your makeup when taking pictures etc. It actually brightens your face in a radiant glowy kind of way. It almost reminds me of the Guerlain pearls primer. Not exactly but could be a distant cousin of it. My skin did feel moisturized all day which is great, because I have some dry spots on my face. In terms of long term results of a week of using I don’t see a huge difference in the darker areas of my face, but maybe I need to prolong the use to see that. If you have sun spots like me, I would still protect those areas with a higher spf. SPF 30 won’t take you through an entire day of office lights or sun exposure.

When to use: Daily
What does it do: Absorbs quickly. UVA/UVB SPF 30 protection
Key ingredients: Glycolic Acid 

spf 30 bright reveal

 

Dual Overnight Moisturizer four stars

This dual overnight moisturizer reminds me of the day SPF 30 because of the texture and look of the cream. After I dual moisturizer bright revealused the peel pad from this line and applied this moisturizer I saw instant radiance in my skin. Is that even possible? Well, it has been “revealing brighter skin” as promised. But I’m not sure if it’s because of the amount of glycolic acid and pro-retinol or if it’s the mica. For those of you who don’t know, mica is an earth mineral included in products to give them sparkle and shine. It’s usually found in make-up. The reason why it’s called dual moisturizer is because it is one side serum and one side moisturizer. With one pump, you get an even amount of both to apply all over your face and neck. Because this product has 4% glycolic acid and pro-retinol I started using it on my neck only to see if my skin reacts to the combination. So far no reaction. Just brighter and moisturized skin! I’m also a firm believer of not mixing skincare steps into one. I like using my serum first, waiting 30 seconds and then applying moisturizer on top. Also don’t believe in 2 in 1 shampoo/conditioner products. But so far the results have been great so I can’t complain. Would I use this again after I finish this bottle, probably not. I like to mix and match different brands and favourites. Having my serum and moisturizer in one, doesn’t allow me to do that. I would recommend someone trying glycolic acid or retinol products for the first time to test on the neck or the inside of the their wrist before applying all over their face. Not everyone reacts the same to skincare, better to be safe than sorry. Also, you won’t always get lucky and get both treatments in one pump. I had to slap the bottom of the bottle to get the serum to pump out. So as you see in the image, the moisturize to serum ratio isn’t always equal.

When to use: Nightly after cleansing
What does it do: Two treatments in one pump. Penetrates skin’s surface to remove dead skin cells and infuse brightening formula for overnight skin rejuvenation
Key ingredients:
4% Glycolic, Vitamin Cg, Pro-Retinol

dual moisturizer bright reveal

L’Oreal Paris Revitalift Bright Reveal Peel Pads four stars

The last time I used pre-soaked pads like these was when I tried oxy pads. Probably when I was a teenager. Ever since then I haven’t been drawn to products like this just cause I fear I won’t close the jar properly and the product will dry up. That happened to me once. Oxy days. Because these pads are soaked with 10% Glycolic Acid I was scared to use right away all over my face so I started only using it on my neck. Even after washing my face, I noticed on the pad some left over traces of make-up. UGH. Felt instant gratification for these pads for removing that gunk. Out of habit I always use a rough hand to apply skincare and used the pads the first few times of use a tad bit to abrasively. I did start to feel some uncomfortable tingling and then read the instructions, where it said “gently apply in circular motions…”. *Doh* After that I’ve been following the instructions and I have noticed brighter and more smooth skin. Which is awesome for make-up applications. I received this product for testing purposes.

When to use: Nightly
What does it do: Ultra-gentle pre-soaked textured pads physically resurface dead skin cells
Key ingredients: 10% Glycolic Complex

revitalift bright reveal pads

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Miracle10

Using a sunscreen every day and a well formulated AHA is great for a more healthier, even-toned complexion.

What products do you use on a daily basis? Do any of your products contain AHA’s? A good AHA cream helps rid dead skin cells to bring a more radiant skin layer to surface.

I tried Miracle10 for 10 days and here’s what happened…

Just to catch you up to speed with my Miracle10 experience, read my previous post about the bloggers event I went too. I get really nervous about using new skincare or anything with AHA’s because of this one time I used glycolic acid around my eyes. A little too close to my eyes.

Side note: don’t put anything with AHA’s or glycolic acid close to your tear ducts. Apply in the outer area with gentle tapping motions.

I used the cleanser I, toner and serum. The cleanser I used every morning and night. Less amounts of the cleanser in the morning, because my face is still clean from double cleansing the evening before. The toner, I wasn’t a huge fan of, only because I’m sensitive to scents and didn’t like the way the toner smelt. But I did give it a chance and used it 3 times. By the third day I noticed my skin was a lot more radiant, but due to the change in my regular regime, I did start to break out. A few pimples is normal for my skin when I change routines, so I didn’t stop using the products. By the 10th day I started to use the Miracle10 AHA cream in the evenings. I didn’t do all 10 days with the cream, to avoid shocking my skin with too many new products. For my skin, (normal to combination, sometimes sensitive) the best approach is to slowly introduce the regime.

I’m a firm believer in investing in good skin care and know it can do wonders for make-up application. For the first few days of using Miracle10 my skin was shedding dead skin, which is totally normal when using anything with AHA’s (Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, Citric Acid etc) Because of this my make-up didn’t apply as nice. 10 days later and I can ditch my everyday powder and walk out with just a bit of concealer.

Overall, if you start using these products don’t stop using the product because you notice some dry skin or a few pimples. Give it at least 10 days before you decide yay or nay.

Here’s a vine I created of my first days of using Miracle10. Do you see the transition of radiance in my skin?

 

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Aging Skin

Wouldn’t you love to just walk out the door sans make up? Let your skin breath, touch your face without make up coming off…ah the possibilities. And there you have it! The first step to preventing the first signs of aging is giving your skin a break. Toss your make up for a day and just give your skin a treat.

First Signs of Aging

I remember the day I started giving my skin a break schedule. My cosmetics manager at the time had told me about a story she read.There was a lady in her 40’s who went for plastic surgery and the surgeon found foundation under her skin. Whether it’s true or not- UGH! Gross. You know all those days where you were too tired to take off your make up before bed? Thought it transferred to your pillow only? It didn’t. It lives under your skin and stops oxygen from getting to your skin cells. Click here for some more information about sleeping with make-up and how it can speed up the skin aging process.

First Signs of Aging 2

Sunglasses aren’t only for fashion statements. They protect your eyes from harsh UVA/UVB rays. Also, prevent you from squinting, which causes wrinkles around the eyes. Do you wear prescription glasses? Try wearing them more often or get contact lenses. Because squinting is often done to see better as well. I’m guilty of this. Rubbing your eyes is also another damaging culprit. I would always tell my clients, the skin around your eyes is about as thin as a tissue paper. Handle with care.

First Signs of Aging 3

Changing your diet and incorporating exercise into your life makes a wonder of a difference in how you feel and the way you look. Eat healthy and try your best to work up a sweat, at least for 30 mins each day. I find the 30 day challenges are motivating and work great as a quick workout for someone with a busy schedule.

First Signs of Aging 4

I love skin care products! Reading about them, learning the technologies behind each product and packaging sells to me. Yes, even marketers get caught up with packaging. Your skin care routine is going to be your ninja fighting against those first signs of aging. I started a skin care routine when I was 16 and I only started to see results in my early 20’s. So that goes to show, that it does take time to see major results. Same goes for seeing damage in your skin, when you lack in caring for it. Sun damage, age spots, wrinkles, pigmentation. You see most of these signs over time. We all tend to forget that the damage is happening now, you just can’t see it yet. Start with your basics: Cleanser and moisturizer.

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Lastly, prevent aging by being young at heart. Smile, laugh and just have fun.
Life is beautiful, enjoy it!

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