Tag: deciem

beauty

Rest in Peace, Brandon Truaxe

MstldelanoLeave a comment

A few days ago, the founder of The Ordinary, Brandon Truaxe, passed away. Truaxe’s brand is brilliant: it finally brought professional grade skin care to the masses at affordable prices. The Ordinary’s powerful, effective serums and solutions have been a staple in my routine for quite some time.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BskBx68HkNQ/

Truaxe experienced a tumultuous year, and was eventually ousted from the company that he started. Aside from the controversy surrounding his company, I suspect that he was deeply troubled and experiencing many personal struggles as well. I hope that he is able to finally rest in peace.

img_9024

 

(Photo courtesy of DetailOrientedBeauty.com)

beauty · luxury

Glass Skin Challenge – Updates

Mstldelano2 Comments

So I’m 15 days into my Glass Skin challenge, and yes, I have updates.

0eed603baba3309b74d296763c8f6b38--black-skin-care-facial-skin-care

(from Pinterest, courtesy of Getty Images)

For starters, keeping up with the routine is MUCH easier than I anticipated. I did, however, make a few modifications.

For Step 6: Serum/Booster/Ampoule, I added a benzoyl peroxide cream along with my serums. I’m currently bouncing between Oxy Maximum Action Spot Treatment and Mary Kay’s Clearproof Acne Treatment Gel. I apply both in a thin layer all over my face, right after I apply my Niacinamide but before I apply the Buffet serum. I apply the benzoyl peroxide cream every time I cleanse (morning and night).

I’ve done the mask consistently two times per week, and I’ve noticed that my skin really enjoys the extra moisture. Also, I decided to forgo the Mary Kay Firming Eye Cream. Instead, I’ve been using Mary Kay Indulge Soothing Eye Gel, with a layer of The Body Shop’s Smoothing Night Cream on top on the eye area only.

I’m saving the photos for the end of the month, but let me just say, I’ve been LOVING the results so far! I’m looking radiant and even, and I’ve been skipping foundation on most days. When I do decide to use foundation, I need so little of it. I’m delighted with how things are going!

 

 

beauty

Can Deciem Turn Things Around?

MstldelanoLeave a comment

During the month of February, one of my favorite skincare companies, Deciem (the company that offers The Ordinary products) experienced a lot of turmoil. The firing of the co-CEO, the subsequent resignation of the CFO, accusations of racism, as well as social media “meltdowns” from the founder, Brandon Truaxe, have loyal fans of the company wondering, “Will Deciem survive?”

deciem - Edited

I’ll admit, I was confused over what was happening within the brand. Generally, major changes in leadership – when there was no indication that there were any existing problems – is ominous. It appears that the company is going through some sort of growing pains: astronomical success and growth seems to be testing the professional relationships of the executive leadership within the company. I hope that Deciem can overcome these challenges: they offer wonderful products at superb prices. They are truly democratizing high-quality skincare, , and the last thing I want to see is a company like this crumble under the pressure.

You can read more about Deciem’s trials here. Fingers crossed for them: I hope that they can work through this!

 

beauty · luxury

March Beauty Challenge: Glass Skin

MstldelanoLeave a comment

I don’t spend a lot of time talking about my skin care routine on this blog because, well, there’s a lot more to life than beauty stuff. But I recently saw a post about a woman that had “glass skin”: skin so flawless that it looked shiny and smooth like glass. And, I was intrigued by what could create such a perfect, poreless complexion. After reading the post and comparing the “glass skin” routine to the Korean 10 step product routine, I decided that I would do a “glass skin” challenge during the month of March.

My skin is combination and can be sensitive at times. This routine will (hopefully!) help nourish my post-winter complexion and give me the kind of skin that looks perfect without makeup.

djournae

The goal is to look as gorgeous as Kezia by the end of the month (photo courtesy of D’Journae)

The ten steps as outlined by Self magazine are as follows, and the products I’ll be using for each step are also listed:

  • Oil cleanser (to remove makeup): food grade coconut oil
  • Foam cleanser: Mary Kay 3-in-1 Cleanser (for combination/oily skin)
  • Exfoliant (advised for 1 – 3 times week use): Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Ultra Gentle Daily Peel for Sensitive Skin (I’ll use this one daily, as it’s gentle)
  • Toner: Caudalie Grape Water
  • Essence: SCINIC First Treatment Essence
  • Serum/booster/ampoule: The Ordinary Niacinamide and “Buffet” serums, Mary Kay Timewise Night Solution
  • Mask (1 – 2 times per week): Mary Kay Moisture Renewing Gel Mask
  • Eye cream: Mary Kay Firming Eye Cream
  • Face cream: Mary Kay Age Fighting Moisturizer (for combination/oily skin)
  • SPF: Mary Kay Timewise Day Solution

Whew, so many products! I currently use anywhere from 4-7 products per cleansing session, but adding these additional products will be new for me. To be fair, some of these will only be used once or twice a week, or only once a day, so, while the list looks long, not every product will be used twice a day.

 

 

beauty · luxury

Review: The Ordinary’s Niacinamide + Zinc Formula

Mstldelano1 Comment

A few months ago, I reviewed some other products by The Ordinary, such as the squalane oil and the argireline solution. I was overwhelmingly satisfied with these products so I wanted to post my thoughts on another one of The Ordinary’s offerings.

The Niacinamide + Zinc solution is designed to treat and prevent skin blemishes, especially those associated with acne. According to the Deciem website,  “Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) is indicated to reduce the appearance of skin blemishes and congestion. A high 10% concentration of this vitamin is supported in the formula by zinc salt of pyrrolidone carboxylic acid to balance visible aspects of sebum activity. ”

Screenshot 2018-01-26 at 7.23.30 PM - Edited

As an acne-prone girl with combination skin, any product designed to treat blemishes and redude the apperaance of oiliness is worth a try, in my opinion. So I started using the solution. The directions for use are as follows:

“Apply to entire face morning and evening before heavier creams.”

I followed the directions to the letter, using the solution before my heavier products. It’s lightweight and dries down without any sticky residue, but you must carefully rub it in, otherwise you will have traces of white product on your skin. Overall, the absorption is moderately good – it doesn’t soak in rapidly but retains moisture on the skin’s surface long enough for you to ensure that you’ve rubbed in the product before it dries completely.  The product has no odor and caused no reaction with any of my other products.

I noticed that my skin looks GREAT with this product included in my routine! It seems to really assist my benzoyl peroxide (BP) in preventing acne breakouts. Sometimes, I skip my BP completely and just use the solution as my acne fighter. I love the results!

As a full disclaimer, Deciem recommends that this product NOT be layered with vitamin C products (the niacinamide affects the integrity of vitamin C). But otherwise, this can be used with most other products.

After using this for months, I can confidently say that the Niacinamide + Zinc Solution is a permanent fixture in my routine! It’s available at both Sephora as well as Deciem. The product is extremely affordable, at less than $6 per bottle. If you get a chance to try it, let me know how it works for you!