BaByliss Style Pro 1000

 WOW!

So I've always been the type of girl who showered and ran out the door with wet hair. Now that I have a little more time to spend on grooming before I get out the door, I decided to purchase something to style my hair with. Being that my psychomotor skills are lacking to put it kindly, a brush and hair dryer was useless to me. It's a wonder I'm not bald yet.

It's time to invest in...

The BaByliss Style Pro 1000! It was on offer in Carrefour at Mall of Emirates, Dubai today so it was a steal at AED235 (USD64). Pretty cheap eh?! Doesn't break the bank.

There are 4 attachments included to dry, straighten, smooth and for volume. When I unboxed it I was a little daunted as it looked quite big and I was worried that I would not be able to manage using it. But it turned out to be quite easy. Note that I did use a normal hair dryer to get my hair to about 80% dry as instructed in the manual, and I applied some serum to protect my hair from the heat.

In the picture above, from left to right... #1 is the Paddle Brush is for drying and detangling. So you just comb through your hair with the brush. #2 from the left is the Rotating 50mm Soft Bristle Brush. #3 from the left is the 38mm Thermal Brush. Both #2 and #3 are for volume. Lastly #4, the right most one is the Straightening attachment.

So far I've tried the straightening attachment and the rotating brush (the big cylindrical one). I first straightened my hair then used the rotating brush to curl in the ends.

The rotating brush works pretty well. There are 2 buttons that rotate the brush in either direction. As I was looking at it I was thinking of all the ways I was going to get my hair tangled in this thing and end up having to cut my hair off. However, I'm glad to report that no hair was harmed in the trial of the BaByliss Style Pro 1000. 

[don't judge my face, it's late
 and I'm getting ready for bed &
I didn't take this picture with the intention of posting it here]

Result is that my hair feels really smooth and I curled the ends in the front in and it looks pretty nice. It didn't take a long time to do either, I think all in, plus drying was less than 10 minutes. I did not burn myself even though I think I was touching a lot of the brush while fussing with it. I would give it a 9/10. Only -1 as it was not cordless and a little too big for my liking. I think I would have managed it with greater ease if it was cordless and smaller. Although I do think that's just me being a newbie psychomotor moron. 

Absolutely recommend!

Paula's Choice

If you've been reading my past posts, you might know by now that I have oily/combination skin that's also sensitive with enlarged pores. It's been a difficult journey trying to find products that can clean my skin well without being so harsh that it makes it flare up.

Someone recommended that I try Paula's Choice. It's relatively affordable and so far I've been very pleased with the results. I have almost no breakouts and my pores look smaller as a result of being able to get rid of the gunk in there. 

I got a whole range of products to try as they promise to minimize the appearance of large pores and so far, I think it's working. The combination of stuff that I'm using or have tried from Paula's Choice has made my pores appear smaller and my skin fresher and cleaner.

Step 1: Skin Balancing: Oil-Reducing Cleanser

The first step to any skin care regime is to cleanse. I decided on the Oil-Reducing Cleanser. It's for Oily/Combination skin, a cream to foam cleanser that reduces excess oil to balance skin, as well as remove makeup and impurities. We all know that enlarged pores look... well enlarged... because they are filled with impurities. What we commonly know as blackheads. I was cautious as I thought this cleanser might be too harsh. But I jumped on board anyway.

I'm happy to report that I'm on my 2nd bottle now as it has been effective yet gentle enough for my skin. I must admit that I don't use it to clean makeup. I always use micellar water to remove makeup before washing my face with this.

Step 2: Resist: Daily Pore-Refining Treatment 2% BHA (Salicylic Acid)

After my skin is clean, I go straight to the exfoliant. This is a daily leave-on liquid exfoliant. It contains salicylic acid - meant to gently and naturally exfoliate skin, reduce visible signs of sun damage, reduce pore size, and melt away those impurities clogging pores. 

Step 3: Resist: Advanced Pore-Refining Treatment 4% BHA

I only use this once a day, at night time. Because it's 4% BHA, I didn't want to be too hardcore about it. Although I think out of all my steps, this item is the most effective. I feel a slight tingle feeling after applying this but not burning. I use this for the same reasons, for my enlarged pores.

Step 4: Resist: Ultra-Light Super Antioxidant Concentrate Serum with Hyaluronic Acid

I use this twice a day, to provide weightless hydration and an exclusive mix of antioxidants and grape-derived resveratrol. Together with skin-restoring and nourishing ingredients - hyaluronic acid and pore-improving niacinamide. Hyaluronic Acid (aka hyaluronan) is naturally produced by our bodies and its main function is to retain water to keep your tissues well lubricated and moist - i.e. to fight wrinkles. Niacinamide is a form of vitamin B-3, helps the skin retain moisture, minimise pore appearance and regulates oil. 

Step 5: Resist: Super-Light Daily Wrinkle Defense SPF 30

So with all the BHA products, you MUST use sunscreen when you go out. I use this under my foundation and powder. Not only is it sunscreen, but I find it works very well as a primer for my makeup. There's a slight tacky feel after applying so it's perfect for makeup. Sometimes I use this and face powder and it gives a good barely there makeup look.

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I do use other sunscreens and moisturisers not from Paula's Choice but that doesn't belong here. 

Micellar Water - Miracle Water or Troubled Waters?

 What is Micellar Water?

Micellar water is made up is Micelles suspended in soft water. Micelles are tiny balls of cleansing oil molecules that attract and draw out oil, dirt, and impurities without drying out the skin. Micellar water is also a no-rinse cleanser and does not leave an oily residue, which can save some time from your beauty regime.

Micellar water can be used as facial cleanser, makeup remover and moisturiser. Although for waterproof eyeliner/ mascara, or very thick and heavy foundation, it would still be good to use a separate makeup remover to ensure that your skin is fresh and free of makeup residue. 

This lightweight cleanser is ideal for dry and sensitive skin types as it is alcohol free. So you can just use this as facial cleanser. 1 step, easy! However for oilier skin types, you might want to double-cleanse. Meaning you wash your face before using the Micellar water.

 

What went down with my face:

After hearing about my friends rave about this, and reading up heaps of good reviews about Micellar Water and how it can help with clog pores, I just had to try it. So I decided to buy a bottle from Sephora, at a very reasonable price of S$26 for a 400ml bottle. (Also this is not a paid/ sponsored article, I just want to share what I've discovered. Good things must share right?!)

I'm quite wary when it comes to new face products because I have really problematic skin. Sensitive and oily, and is prone to breakouts. So the first time i used it, I washed my face first, then applied the Micellar Water. The after touch felt a bit sticky, only because I'm used to having my face stripped BARE! (Lazy to use toner, moisturiser, etc. etc.) In the following days, I continued to use the micellar water first to get rid of the oil, then I would wash my face. 

But in the weeks that followed, I've begun switching to washing first, then micellar water after for the moisturising properties. If I have makeup to remove, then I use it twice. First to remove the makeup (for my makeup, this works well with removing foundation, waterproof eyeliner and mascara by holding the cotton pad on my eye for a while before wiping), then I wash my face, then I use micellar water again. The reason I use it again after as the last step of my cleansing regime is because I want to make sure that I don't have any residue left to clog my pores. Skin feels clean and fresh after. When I'm feeling a bit less lazy, I follow this with toner, and moisturiser for day or serum and night cream for bedtime.

Now with pores that are clean and not filled with dirt and oil, what do we get? 

SMALLER PORES! 

Yes this is actually possible. It's not really possible to make pores smaller unless you go for laser resurfacing or some other dramatic cosmetic work. But if your pores are clear of gunk, they actually can appear smaller.

So all in, I would rate this product a full 10 out of 10 and would recommend it to everyone! 

Verdict: Miracle Water!