Beyond the Basics

Beyond the Basics

I have to admit that I am not a big fan of skin care, so I wasn’t expecting a lot from this session of beauty review held at Parkson KLCC. However, it turned out to be the MOST interesting review I have been to. I came to the event and there was a buzz word going around , cosmeceutical cosmeceutical cosmeceutical.

What is cosmeceutical skincare?

Hah. It’s been a long time since I can actually blog about something technical for a while. Hehe. Ok, as all of y’all know.. COSMETIC SKINCARE are those that is sold to you at pharmacies by leading cosmetic brands like Chanel, SKII, Loreal, Olay etc etc. They usually come in the form of liquid or cream for you to apply on to your skin and they work mostly on the surface of the skin.

Then we have HOLISTIC SKINCARE which deals with aromatherapy skincare products and there are also other types of skincare where you eat certain food etc.

Finally we have COSMECEUTICAL SKINCARE where it is a combination of both cosmetic and pharmaceutical research. Imagine a valid doctor prescribed medicinal cream + cosmetic cream merged all in one. The benefits of this approach is the speed where you can see results really fast, usually within weeks or a month’s time. And it penetrates deeper into your skin to actively work on your cells compared to cosmetic skincare, where it is only at surface level. That’s the difference between cosmetic skincare and cosmeceutical skincare.

However, before we go further.. I have to also add that cosmeceutical products does not mean they were tested and approved like they should be if they are actual drugs or medicines(e.g. FDA does not recognize the cosmeceutical term as a valid category). It is by far, just a marketing term and the products is developed just like any other cosmetic skincare product.

 

Anyway, at this event, the selected bloggers get to take 2 products home to test for 14 days. And we show our before and after in this post. The best blogger with the most interesting blog post wins more products. So at the end of this post, you get to see for yourself if the products work or not.

All these products are mainly anti-aging products. Well, aging is something you cannot testify on.. if I use a cream and at 40 I look like 30 there is no way to prove that if I do not use the cream I will look older or younger. There isn’t anyway to compare. Just like the routes you choose to take in traffic jams. No way to compare. So how all these products work is they reverse time. You do not stop time but your skin gets younger. Okok let’s start already. So long gas.

StriVectin

#1

There were 4 brands that we can explore on that day. StriVectin is one of them. One of the key selling points of StriVectin is their patented form of vitamin B3 called NIA-114. This trademark accelerator basically does the best job when it comes to brightening your skin. So essentially, if you have any age spots.. dark spots.. sun spots.. even scars and discoloration, this is the line of products for you.

They also have an intensive concentrate called StriVectin-SD that can dramatically reduce deep wrinkles and uneven skin tone.

Results(changes) can be seen in : 14 days 

Price Range : RM 186 – RM 347 

Here is some before and after photos with the duration of treatment.

StriVectin Before and After

Scam or not? If you ask me if the photos are photoshopped, I probably couldn’t answer you. But if you take a look at the 2nd set of photos, you can tell that after 12 weeks there are a lot more hair and I think if I am the photographer I would probably remove the hair but leaving the hair there is probably proof that it wasn’t tampered with. And the last set of photos, wrinkles could have been photoshopped away but you cannot photoshop a saggy eyelid into a more defined, youthful looking eyelid. Therefore, I think that the photos are quite valid.

Also, scam product companies usually have good reviews of their products planted in a lot of websites that only have one article for content or with weird URLs like babygangle232.tripod.com/reviews on free hosted domains. And when you search for scam reports of their companies, the search results is littered with fake people claiming that there product is legit. StriVectin however, is not a scam. Valid reviews.. real users. and good reviews. 

Bremenn Research Labs

#2

The second brand we saw that day was Bremenn Research Labs. I like the marketing of this brand. Very in-the-face copywriting and photographs. They only have 2 products there, the Upper Eyelid Lifter and the Serious Dark Circles. I wanted the Serious Dark Circles one, cuz I have genetic triple layered eye bags that I have to painfully conceal and photoshop each fucking time. If you head to their website you can see that their products have very appealing names. Most of their products are priced at RM 235 each.

However, I was given the Upper Eyelid Lifter.. so you get to see the results at the end of this post!

Their products also come with a 30 day guarantee in their official website, so I am guessing that results time comes in 30 days or less. 

Scam or not? Definitely not. Valid reviews in YouTube, legitimate websites and blogs with ratings in Amazon and such.

Perricone MD

#3

Started by Dr. Nicholas Perricone, dermatologist and anti-aging expert .. award winning, author.. what else. Maybe he is a superstar too. Anyway, he has a hypothesis that inflammation-aging connection is the cause of aging and disease. Summary – aging is a disease.

What causes inflammation? Toxins like smoking, drugs, weak immune system, hormonal changes, diet, stress and the rest of our unhealthy lifestyle. So to stay young, we control inflammation using a 3 tiered program – Anti inflammatory diet + nutritional supplements + clinical skincare.

If you ask me, that’s the way to earn money man, sell people everything from diet to pills to cream. Awesome, thank god he is a philanthropist. Now the guilt is gone.

Anti inflammatory Diet

On the day of the event, we were served healthy food not unlike the food advocated by Perricone. 😉 Ok, they have supplements under the brand too but we are focused on the skincare for now. They have a complete set for our usual regimen :

  1. Cleanse – Treat – Moisturize/Protect
  2. Boosters for Face/ Boosters for Eyes
And also prescription skincare for each and every step of the below
  1. Prevent – stop time
  2. Correct – reverse time for slight aging
  3. Repair – reverse even more time for advanced aging
  4. Restore – turn back the time completely
That’s a lot of products. But if you ask me, I feel that the products are under packaged.. which is a very good thing. That means the money you are paying is not going in to the fancy bottle, labels or box but it is all going into the ingredients.
Priced from RM 229
Did I mention that Megan Fox is using their products? This is a very well thought brand. 🙂 I won’t bother checking for scams or deadlines for this one.

Talika

#4

Aha. This is my favorite part. We have come to my favorite brand of that day. When you walk into this counter, you see bottles, creams and liquids.. you never expect to see the kind of products at the Talika counter. This cosmeceutical brand comes from Paris, and is the pioneer of eyelash growth treatment. Which means, if you bought any product that promises you longer lashes, it is probably copied form Talika’s Lipocils. Btw.. the eyelash care extender has been around for 60 years already. And that is also the product I ended up with.

Anyway, you can expect their range to include complete care for your eyes. From lashes, brows to contour. They also generously share their clinical studies in their website where you can also purchase their products. Talk about advanced!

Coolest skincare products I have ever seen

You see, other skincare brands are all bottles and what not.. I walked to Talika and I see socks and gloves. 0_0 Gadgets and plastic pieces. Drugs are expensive, which is why there is a profit in the research and market. Non-pharmeceutical products are deemed herbal, traditional and scam by all the major companies out there. Here we have an established brand since 1948 with really COOL gadgets and non-pharmaceutical products. This really made my day.

Cool skincare gadget!

This is why I am so entranced with Talika. They have GADGETS. OMG . [insert hello kitty squeal]

This gadget was floating. FLOATING in the counter. and then you turn on the light and you use one side to reduce dark spots, and reduce wrinkles the other side. It cost over RM 1000 but you can use it FOREVER. This gadget is called Light Duo.

Luckily the eyelash extender Lipocils costs RM 185 only. They have very good reviews online AND guess what?? I TOLD THE SALES GIRL they would work on eyebrows. She didn’t believe me. There is a youtube video proving that they work on eyebrows too!! Hah. So after I found out about this, I started using the product on my eyebrows too.

Free Skin Analysis

Anyway, if you walk into Parkson KLCC, you get a skin analysis for free. Where they take your photo with this cool device that can also analyze all sorts of things from wrinkles to hydrations and spots.

Oil Indicator

This was the plaster that was used to analyze the amount of oil my skin produces.

Skin Analysis Result 1

Here in this picture, you can see my skin analysis.. somehow my pores are very big like caves. I have no idea why. I can’t see any though. And my face is dehydrated.

Wrinkle analysis

This is the wrinkle analysis. So after this test, they assigned 2 products for me that they feel is beneficial for my skin which is the Upper Eyelid Lifter by Bremenn and Lipocils Expert by Talika. 

Counter in Parkson KLCC

This is how the counter looks like, located just opposite Clinique.

Group pic time!

Anyway, before I post results here are all the places where you can get all the four brands.

StriVectin – Parkson Pavilion, Parkson KLCC, Isetan The Gardens, Metrojaya Mid Valley
Bremenn – Parkson Pavilion, Parkson KLCC, Isetan The Gardens, Metrojaya Mid Valley, Parkson 1 Utama, Gurney Plaza in Penang, selected Sasa and Sephora outlets
Perricone MD – Parkson Pavilion, Parkson KLCC, Isetan The Gardens, Metrojaya Mid Valley, Parkson 1 Utama, Isetan KLCC, Sephora Outlets, Isetan Bandar Utama
Talika – Parkson Pavilion, Parkson KLCC, Isetan The Gardens, Metrojaya Mid Valley, Parkson 1 Utama, parson Gurney Plaza, Isetan KLCC, Isetan 1 Utama

 

Must show you my hairstyle that day

Last pic I promise! Anyway this is a combo of twisted braids, normal braids and fishtail braid. Then I thread the ribbon through the hair for the effect.

Results of Bremenn Upper Eyelid Lifter

Shake it well and apply it to eyelids twice a day.

After 14 days.. here is the result.

Before on top and After in the bottom

If you look at my eyelids.. you can see that I have a very bad droopy eyelid on the left. Damn you aging clock. Terrible. But after 14 days, the wrinkles are less and the it is not as saggy anymore. It looks much healthier and younger.

If you intend to purchase the product, remember to shake it well before you use it. The concoction is made of a clear liquid and some yellowy paste which does not seem to mix well together.

Results of Talika Lipocils Eyelash Expert

 

Apply it on your lashes just like mascara twice everyday.

Before is the top photo. The bottom two are after pictures. Lowest one with makeup

This is the result after 14 days of using it. It is very difficult to take photographs of your lashes, especially when they are not thick enough. My before photo is not a very good one. We couldn’t get a clear photo of the lashes due to how thin it was. But those who used to read my beauty tutorials will know how my lashes look like la.. it is short and my lower lashes is non existent.

Top photo is the before picture. Bottom two are after shots

This is slightly better.. If you see my lashes, the after shot lashes are thicker in the ends. The changes is more prominent in real life, my lashes are longer, thicker and curvier. It is amazing really. I was shocked when I saw the changes cuz I wasn’t expecting anything. Then one day, Whoah. Stunned.

Before(Top) and After(bottom)

From the front, you can see that my lashes has a lot more presence now, especially my lower ones. It is thicker so it seemed like it is darker. lol Am I making any sense? When I apply mascara, I can actually skip false lashes already. Really impressed with this product.

But anyway, I am really pleased with this product and is using them on my brows. Will post photos when the testing duration is up then.

Celcom launches Samsung Galaxy sIII this weekend

Btw, Celcom is unleashing the Samsung Galaxy S III at Mid Valley North Court, AEON Station 18 Ipoh and Sutera Mall JB from 31 May to 3rd June 2012. It comes in 4.8″ HD Super Amoled display with 64gb space. If you are feeling lucky, dress in blue and you get to do the lucky wheel to grab the phone for RM 888. The phone retails from RM 1438 – RM 1818 depending on the Celcom plan you choose. More on this next time. 🙂

I am also looking for cheap real feather extensions. Bringing them back from US is too expensive. Does any of you know where I can find? Initially I think think think, maybe its not good cuz torture towards animals but its from roosters and we are already eating them. If we are plucking the feathers and then throwing the chicken away clothe-less then different story. So I am still gonna go for it.