A Full Review of the Benefit POREfessional Pore Care Collection
One of Benefit Cosmetics' best sellers is the POREfessional Primer, with variants for minimizing pores, mattifying, or hydrating. It’s a personal favorite as it creates a smooth base and you can wear it alone if you just want to get rid of the skincare shine. But I still want to solve as much of my pore issues as possible – visible pores, clogged pores, texture! The new POREfessional Pore Care Collection is developed to help achieve that.
Paula’s Choice Niacinamide 20% Treatment Review: Does higher percentage mean better performance?
Not all formulations are created equal. It’s also rather easy to get sucked into skincare ingredient lists and get impressed with high-percentages of certain actives. Paula’s Choice Niacinamide 20% Treatment has been hailed for its high concentration of this crowd-favorite – but is it really more effective?
Can the grit method really clear our pores? Yes, and here's proof!
I have a confession: I enjoy watching blackhead extraction videos. It’s just so satisfying to see them get popped out of pores! It’s a different case, though, when I visit my derma to have this procedure done on myself (don’t DIY - you might cause more damage). It can hurt a lot, and sometimes my nose gets so irritated that I have to stop myself from sneezing on my derma.
As an oily skinned gal, I’m more prone to getting clogs in my skin so I’ve learned to put up with extractions as a necessary evil. But when I heard about the grit method and that many people swore it worked for them, I just had to try it for myself!
The It List: 14 charcoal products to add to your beauty routine
Charcoal in skincare? It’s actually more common than you think! Activated charcoal is a fine black powder processed at very high temperatures, making it more porous than regular charcoal. Because of this feature, activated charcoal has many different uses, including as an oral treatment for poison because it binds with different toxins.
When used in skincare, it is believed that the sponge-like structure of activated charcoal makes it effective at absorbing dirt and oil. As an oily skinned gal, I often see activated charcoal as a featured ingredient in products prescribed for my skin type, but it can also be used in small amounts by those with dry and sensitive skin.
Does the CosRX Two in One Poreless Power Liquid actually work?
It’s been a while since I last put something on my face without thoroughly researching about it first, so when I received the Two in One Poreless Power Liquid (P990) from The Skincare Curator for review, I felt pretty lost and clueless about what I was getting into! The product is the newest drop from my fave Korean skincare brand CosRX, so there weren’t any reviews for me to reference. How do I fit it into my routine? Would it replace my existing BHA? Heck, what type of skincare product is it even? I’ve been testing it and comparing my notes with that of other reviews. Here’s what I’ve learned so far!
Beauty Battles: We tested these three pore-blurring primers - here's the best one!
Ah, pores, the last frontier into the metaphorical universe of porcelain skin. We often get asked how to “make pores disappear” and our answer is pretty much the same: you cannot eliminate them completely, especially through makeup alone. You can clean them to make them less visible, or get laser treatments to shrink them, but "eliminate" is too strong a word because your skin actually needs them to function properly! Apart from keeping them clear or getting professionally zapped, there are makeup primers that are specifically formulated to “refine,” “minimize,” and “blur” your pores to perfection.
I tested three products: the Ellana Blur Makeup Primer, the Happy Skin Matte About You Pore and Shine Control Primer, and the Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer to see which blurs or minimizes my pores the best.
How the Revlon Youth FX Line can give you a temporary face lift
Despite the abundance of heat and humidity in our country, there are people like me who worry about looking tuyot. Persistently dry or dehydrated skin cracks, folds, and doesn’t tend to smooth back out, thus making us look older than we really are. I’ve had really bad days when insufficient skincare and dry foundation formulas have made me look wrinkly and washed out. While I know that aging is inevitable, it's not fun looking twice your actual age!
Aging concerns are real for people like me who have dry and/or dehydrated skin so the Revlon Youth FX line is aimed at addressing just that.
Oil Control Week: VMV Hypoallergenics Fine Finish Pore Minimizing Skin Mattifier
Everybody is oily. If your skin does not oil up you're probably dead! Oil is a natural expression of our skin as it keeps the surface of our body lubricated and elastic. Some people have more of it than others and this causes problems like acne and unflattering shine. Now there isn't much you can do about your body's oil secretion levels (causes are gentic or hormonal), but there are ways to manage it - that's where beauty products come in.
Lately, I've discovered a few nifty things that can help with the oil, so this week will be dedicated to them. Allow me to bring you Oil Control Week!
I'll kick it off with a super effective product that I've been loving lately: the VMV Hypoallergenics Fine Finish Pore Minimizing Skin Mattifier (P700). This is a toner meant to be used like any other toner, but what makes it different is its main ingredients, Aluminum Chlorhydrate and Sodium Bicarbonate. These two are usually found in anti-perspirants and deodorants.
You're probably thinking, yuck. But I swear that this is a pretty effective toner! I've been using it for about three weeks now and I have noticed that my skin is much less oily, even when I've been out for like six hours. I didn't change anything about my skincare regimen except for this toner.
This toner is matapang. It lets off a fume-like smell that can sting your eyes if you apply it too near that area; the toner itself also has high alcohol content. My skin feels super dry and tight after I use it! However it feels okay after I apply my moisturizer.
I'll be completely honest with you, this isn't a pleasant product to use.
Reader question: How to make pores look less visible
Hi Ms Liz! What causes open pores and how do you treat them? :) I mean what are the remedies. Thanks!- Mikee
Hi Mikee, I'm not a dermatologist so I can't answer this with any authority. But hey, there's Google! First, what are pores? These tiny holes allow our skin to sweat and therefore maintain our body temperature. They also serve as channels for sebum to pass through to the surface of our skin; this oil lubricates our body and hair, keeping them supple and elastic.
The size of our pores is determined by the width of our hair follicles. If you have thick hair strands then you are most likely to have bigger pores. Not really a genius realization but now it makes sense why I don't have visible pores - my hair is very fine! Anyway, this also means that big pores are just in your DNA. You can't shrink them or make them disappear permanently.
Facial pores can look enlarged, however, if you don't clean them properly. Oil and dead skin cells can accumulate inside pores which may then stretch the skin and make the holes look more obvious.
Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleanser
Hey folks! Before I start with the review of my new favorite facial wash, I want to share a lovely comment that I received from Kim, a new Project Vanity reader (say hi!):
Hi Miss Liz! I'm a new follower of Project Vanity and I'm loving my stay here as a reader so far. Before I'd be a silent follower who would read every post religiously but never leave a comment. Your makeup reviews are very detailed and helpful but what I love most is the feedback section. It's a refreshing change from other blogs where comments sections are usually reserved for compliments and praises and whatnots for the blogger. Yours is very interactive and the comments have legit helpful content as well. :) Smart bloggers attract smart readers, eh? ;)
This is quite true. I am not able to reply to all comments unfortunately but I read everything as soon as I get them, and learn so much in the process. Like dupes of certain high-end products, application tips, and just general feedback on a product the commenter has tried. I also get ideas on what to post next time! So thank you, guys, for helping fellow beauty enthusiasts with your practical and unique insights.
On to the review! The Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleanser (P1,200) is formulated for oily-skinned girls who are also prone to pore blockage (blackheads). This promises to neatly absorb and sweep off all traces of sebum on your skin without actually stripping off its moisture barrier. Kaolin Clay, the public enemy #1 of oil, is its main ingredient.
The thing with kaolin clay is that it's so effective in absorbing oil that it ends up sucking your skin dry (at least in my experience). It's more commonly used in facial masks for deep treatments. How does it fare in a facial wash?
Rave: Etude House Wonder Pore Line
My main skin problem of late is pore blockage. I had dull, rough, and bumpy skin full of icky blackheads. Ugh. You see I hug my dog a lot, and I have also been trying a lot of new face makeup, hence the dirty pores. I unfortunately haven't had time to get a facial so I limped along with my mild cleansers and go-to exfoliator. No toner.
That is, until I started using the Etude House Wonder Pore skincare line. This stuff is AMAZING. Absolutely amazing. I searched for reviews of the older Wonder Pore toner and most of them were positive so I was encouraged to use the rest of the line, which included a new mousse facial wash and clay mask. I'm so glad I did it!
This review is gonna be long since I will talk about all three products, but to summarize: the Etude House Wonder Pore line delivers its promise to clean up pores and refine skin without drying it up like a flaky prune. After using it for just a few days, my skin felt like it just shook off all the dirt and product build-up, and it became smooth and glowy once more. After two weeks, my skin has majorly improved. I will definitely buy when I run out!
Here's a more in-depth review of each product in the line. :)
The Etude House Wonder Pore Whipping Foam (P798) is a facial cleanser that can also double as a mask. To apply, just slather it all over your skin and then massage it where your pores are most blocked.
Z-Pore your pores
We all have pores, but some of us have bigger pores than others. A lot of beauty products claim to cure you of them but the truth is that they can't work miracles - if you have large pores, you will most probably have them forever! It's just how your skin is. Short of surgery, the next best thing you can do is to use makeup and skincare that hides and fills pores.
One of the most promising pore fillers out in the market is the newly-released Z-Pore (P1,600). It's literally an instant pore-refiner since the silicon-based cream is super fine, slipping into those holes like a boss. It also has a matte finish that smoothens and evens out skin.