Laneige Sun Block Aqua+ SPF 35 PA++

The last of this lot of Laneige items which I got is the Laneige Sun Block Aqua+ SPF 35 PA++. This is a milk sun block for sensitive skin. The common worry about sun block is that it gets really greasy and sticky. Personally I really hate wearing sun block. It's a necessary evil I guess and I always have hope that there would be one that isn't gross. 

I waited for a day when I would go out without makeup... my beloved Saturday. Coz if I wore it under makeup, I would not be able to tell what it truly felt like. It was pretty sunny on Saturday, but not too strong and I wasn't going under direct sun. [FYI: Ultraviolet rays (UV) contains UVA and UVB. UVA causes wrinkles and aging, UVB causes skin cancer] SPF 35 sounds little but it actually isn't, it blocks nearly 97% of the UVB radiation. PA++ provides moderate UVA protection for normal skin exposed to medium UV radiation.

I squeezed out just a little bit, the consistency was very liquid so you don't need much to cover your face. I used about half of what I squeezed out in the picture, applied it all over my face and went on my way. There was nothing else on my face, no toner, no moisturiser, nothing except the sun block. It looked slightly greasy which was not ideal... like my skin was shiney not matte, but I don't expect otherwise from sun block. A few minutes later, I touched my face to check if it was sticky. To my surprise, it wasn't. I could feel like I had a light layer of moisturiser on my face, but it was not too uncomfortable. It smells really nice as well, slightly floral slightly citrusy, and fresh.

It didn't cause any itching or discomfort, nor did I get any pimples from it. Normally I feel that sun block clogs my pores and causes me to break out. I did try during the day to wash my face with water only, to see if it would come off and it didn't. This one washed off with facial cleanser well and didn't cause any pimples. 

I would recommend Laneige Sun Block Aqua+ for a daily use but not to go to the beach or pool under too strong sun. It's light enough to wear under makeup. You can get Laneige Sun Block Aqua+ SPF 35 PA++ at Sephora online for SGD$34 here!

Sunplay SPF 130 PA++++

'Tis another time for a short holiday to rest and recharge. It's been a hectic few months at work and I think everyone can relate to that. Although you take leave and stay home, it's some how different when you go away. It's totally worth the hassle. If I stay home, I'm bound to end up doing something or other, or going to out meet my friends... at the end of the break, I find that I'm just as tired. So off I go to my favourite place Langkawi! It's my top choice of some place nearby to get some sun and totally unwind, in a way forcing myself to do nothing except read, sun tan and watch movies at night. Since I didn't have check in luggage, I decided to buy it in the airport departure lounge, that way I won't risk not having any sunblock on arrival.

Since I've basically become beyond fair, borderline transparent, being in the office all day, I badly need a tan. But transparent people burn easily and to my despair, after all the sunburn pain and unsightly peeling...end product is still... TRANSPARENT. So my new strategy is to use sunblock so that I can stay in the sun for a much longer duration. That's when I discovered this fantastic sunblock.

Now coz I'm old school... I'm used to the cream sunblock that you paste on, makes you sticky, white, streaky, cannot reach my back... all sorts of challenges, and you feel really yucky too. When I saw this I knew I had to try it... SUNPLAY SPF 130 PA++++. It promises to be Water/Sweat Resistant, provide UVA & UVB Protection, and be Non-Greasy.

First, let's get down to the basics of sunblock. We know Sun Protection Factor (SPF) protects you from the harmful ultra violet (UV) rays. SPF refers to blocking UVB rays, SPF 100 blocks up to 99% of UVB, however does nothing to block UVA rays. Broad spectrum sunblock protects from both UVA and UVB rays. UVA causes wrinkles and skin aging, UVB causes sunburn, both cause skin cancer. PA++++ is designed to avoid pigment darkening. Sounds counter productive to my getting dark purposes but I also have freckles all across my shoulders and chest, so maybe this isn't a bad idea. Currently, 4+ is the most you an get on the market. 

Now that we understand what all that coding on that sunblock bottle shows, let's talk about SUNPLAY SPF 130 PA++++ specifically. I very excitedly sprayed on like... a lot. Take care not to spray directly on your face. You should spray it on your hand and apply to your face. This ensures you don't get any into your eyes. I also hold my breath when spraying on coz I don't want to inhale any of this. I was in the pool and by the pool for about 3.5 hours yesterday. I think at the worst time too, 3pm onwards. I think least harmful sun is in the morning before 10am. But who's awake then?!?!?! In between I did spray on once more lightly to top up. Sunblock always needs topping up. Especially if you rub the towel on your skin to dry off instead of dabbing. [Then I went to the gym and did my cardio for about an hour] Now time for shower... guess what?!?! The sunblock was still intact! I scrubbed a little to get it all off. So it is in fact, water and sweat resistant.

Verdict: I AM IMPRESSED! 

I think this is my new "go to" sunblock. Especially due to the fact that it stayed on despite the sweat and swimming.... and I am not burnt! The ease of application is also tops! I can now say KTHXBYE to traditional cream sunblocks for good. For S$21.90, SUNPLAY SPF 130 PA++++ is well worth every cent. You can get it easily from Watson's or Guardian Pharmacy... probably Mustafa (coz they have everything) so it's convenient to get. Try it!

Bioré Cleansing Oil

I've had quiet good experiences with Bioré products in general. When I was younger, I used their face wash. I remember enjoying the menthol feeling making my face tingle and was particularly soothing and refreshing. when I saw this special edition My Melody Cleansing Oil I couldn't resist hahah.

This product boasts to be able to remove waterproof makeup so I decided to put it to the test. A standard day of make up would consist of foundation, powder, blusher, eyeshadow, eyeliner and mascara. All of which aren't issues in my opinion, except THE EYELINER. This eyeliner is SO good that if I were caught in a tsunami, they would find my dead body washed ashore after 2 days... with perfect eyeliner. Serious. 

The way you use this is to apply the oil without wetting your face. Best if face and hands are dry. 1 pump is sufficient. Smells like apple, quite nice. Rubbing the oil in circular motions all over your face. You can see the foundation and powder, even lipstick come off quite immediately. Which is pretty good... except the eyeliner. That eyeliner!!! GRRR!!! It refuses to come off, it sort of just gets smudged around a bit (think panda eyes). After that you're supposed to rinse off with water and use face wash.

I must admit I don't rub my face for 5 minutes... but I do it for at least 1 minute. I give up. I use eye makeup remover to get rid of the eyeliner in 2 seconds. As a whole, the Bioré Cleansing Oil is a good product to buy. It removes make up well and is reasonable S$17.90 at Watson's. 

In comparison to the Belif Cleansing Oil Fresh, I think this is a bit thicker and oilier. But they both do the same job, you can read my review about Belif Cleansing Oil Fresh here. Belif doesn't get rid of the eye make up either. Bioré is however the cheaper option. It's worth giving it a try. 

Benefit They're Real! vs Dior's Diorshow Waterproof Mascara

I have used a wide range of products from Benefit and what I like most about it Benefit Cosmetics is that they actually deliver what they promise.  The first draw for me is that they give their products very catchy names and have extremely attractive packaging. 

In the past I used to use Diorshow Waterproof Mascara, I found that it could withstand any natural disaster.  It was that good!  I've been drenched in hours of pouring rain and still had my make up in tact.  In trying some stuff from Benefit, I got a tester and found it to be comparable to Diorshow.  

At a glance there's nothing about this that stands out.  As we know, all the pictures that they show us about super thick, long, luscious eyelashes are a lie!  The people they pick to take those pictures clearly have the long end of the stick and won't need any special mascara for obvious reasons.  However people like me who obviously got the short end of the stick, need enhancers... if they sell it, I will buy.  I think that's a pretty clear objective don't you think?

On the packaging it boasts:
- 94% saw dramatic length and volume
- 90% saw base-to-tip curl
- 94% saw visible lift
- 100% saw long wearing results

Anyways, on my sparse and so un-long eyelashes, I apply this mascara on.  It glides on easily and within the few seconds it takes it dry, it actually curls my eyelashes a bit.  I'm not sure how they make stuff like that but it is possible so it seems.  Needless to say, I put a few more layers on because I have no limits and am pretty sure 'less is more' applies to everyone except me.  It does a good job at making my eyelashes seem fuller, thicker, darker and adds curl.  Just for the record, I don't have curly eyelashes because I have straight hair and it's not inherent in Chinese to have curly eyelashes.  With They're Real!, the curl effect actually opens my eye up and makes me look like I have bigger eyes and more alert.

They're Real! also doesn't smudge or run after a whole day.  I haven't tried standing in the midst of a hurricane yet but I'm sure it'll still be there even if I do not make it out alive.  When trying to remove this, I have to use quite heavy oil based removers to get a proper clean.  This indicates to me that it is truly waterproof.  In conclusion, all that they're boasting about, I found to be true.

It's a hard fight between the Diorshow Waterproof Mascara and Benefit They're Real!, I'd go with either.  The prices are similar, US$25 for Dior and US$23 for Benefit so that's not a point that you could challenge either.  To be completely honest, one big reason why I'm using They're Real! now is because I buy other Benefit products so it makes it easier just to order the mascara as well, considering they're both equally good.

Belif Cleansing Oil Fresh

This make up remover is one of the best I've tried.  Belif's Cleansing Oil Fresh removes make up quick and easy.  It's a wash off make up remover so you just have to massage it all over your face and it will dissolve whatever foundation, BB cream, CC cream, powder, etc that you applied, doesn't take much effort to be honest.  Only 1 pump is needed for a good clean.  After rinsing off, you should wash with facial cleanser as usual.

The true test is that after washing your face, when you apply your toner, you will see that the cotton pad doesn't have any make up residue on it.  With other facial cleansers that I've tried, I do find that even after washing (sometimes twice!), the cotton pad still has make up on it.  Not withstanding that fact that your face still feels oily even after the make up remover is washed off. 

Although Belif's Cleansing Oil Fresh does contain oil, it doesn't leave your face feeling oily and this is apparent even before the final wash with facial cleanser.  Oil is an essential ingredient in make up removers as this breaks down the make up and allows the make up to separate from your skin.  The ingredients are listed and are all natural, which I really like because of my sensitive skin.

Another plus point is that it removes blackheads.  I gather that using the oil cleanser and massaging actually loosens the blackheads.  I'm not by any means saying that this will get rid of all your blackheads, but I'm sure it helps the skin stay cleaner for longer between facials.

The only gripe I have about this product is that it isn't really strong enough to remove my eye make up thoroughly.  Waterproof eyeliner and mascara tends to be a bit too much for this, therefore I do not use this for my eyes unless I really have to.  When I do have to (probably because I'm lazy) then I massage it for a longer time to give it more time to dissolve my waterproof make up and tissue off whatever eyeliner and mascara that's left.  I personally don't mind using something separate for my eyes because I don't expect 1 product to do everything.  What's important is that this Cleansing Oil cleans my face thoroughly and quickly.  Costs SGD$47 and lasts for 4 or 5 months of daily use, it's pretty fab!