Bobbi Brown Extra Tinted Moisturizing Balm with SPF 25 + Demo Video

Hello readers!
Today I would like to share my thoughts on one of my favorite tinted moisturizers - the Bobbi Brown Extra Tinted Moisturizing Balm with SPF 25.  This entry will also have a product demonstration video towards the end. ^_^

Packaging:

This tinted moisturizer comes in a heavy glass jar with a plastic cover. The top has the classic Bobbi Brown brand name printed nicely across the diameter of the cover. I appreciate the quality of the print as I've had my jar for almost 7-8 months now and none of the letters show any signs of fading/peeling. (I have a compact powder from Bobbi Brown in a white plastic compact case with "Bobbi Brown" printed on it in black and the letters started to peel off after just a week! =_= ).

Product:

In the jar, the product looks thick. On my fingers, its consistency feels very gel-like. It is quite heavily scented but I love it. The smell is very plant-based, very organic. Each time I use it, I feel like I am giving myself almost like a mini spa treat! Also, the fact that it has an SPF of 25 is definitely a plus.
Those who prefer fragrance-free products may not like it. It does linger for about 5-10 minutes after application.

There are 7 shades in total. Alabaster, Extra Light Tint, Light Tint, Light to Medium Tint, Medium Tint, Medium to Dark Tint, and Dark Tint.

I use Light to Medium Tint during winter and switch to the Medium to Dark Tint in the summer.

Application:

A little bit goes a long way. I have tried using both my fingers and a flat top foundation brush to apply this tinted balm. Personally, I prefer to use my fingers (clean fingers of course!). The heat from my fingers helps smooth out the product nicely and smoothly across my face. This tinted moisturizing balm feels simply luxurious. It is hard to describe but with its consistency, smell (if you like the smell that is) and of course to some extend its price, you know you are applying a high end face product.

Coverage:

The coverage of this product is light. Period. I personally don't think that it is even possible to build the coverage up as I find the product simply melts onto the skin and gives it a light but dewy finish. This works very well with my skin type which main concerns are dehydration, dry, and dull.
Not a good choice for those who are looking for even slightly medium coverage. It does help with skin hydration and gives a nice dewy glow.

Staying power:

As with any tinted moisturizer or foundation, I never ever set mine with powder. Maybe I have not found the right powder or my powdering technique sucks, but setting my tinted moisturizer or foundation leaves my skin looking flaky and feeling dry. Yup. I have TRUE dry skin dear readers. Having had dry skin all my life, I do not mind at all some shine or dewiness. In fact, I search products that claims to leave the skin dewy. Matte finish is just not my cup of tea.

On my skin, even without any setting powder, this tinted balm lasts all day. Even during summer I had no issue with it melting off my skin. That being said, I did a sweat test (i.e. exercising in the gym) and on blotting with some facial tissues, there was some product transfer onto the tissue. Other than that, it has great staying power.

Value:

The Bobbi Brown Extra Tinted Moisturizing Balm with SPF 25 retails for USD54.00 before taxes. There is 30ml or 1oz of product in each jar. I am still on my first jar for each of the 2 shades I own since almost 8 months ago. Do note however that I do not use this on a daily basis since I am not a daily tinted moisturizer or foundation user. (I do use sunblock everyday). I do believe a jar should last at least 6 months with more frequent use since you only need a small amount each time. Remember, this is NOT the product to go for if you want/need more than a light coverage.

Demo:

As promised, the following is a video of me demonstrating how I apply this tinted balm. Forgive me for the beginner's feel of the vid. The audio is a tad off  =_= Bear with me! =)

Conclusion:

I love this Bobbi Brown Extra Tinted Moisturizing Balm and will definitely repurchase mine. Unfortunately, this product is no longer available in Canada. I was told by a few sales associates that Bobbi's exporting-importing license with Canada only allows her to bring in a limited number of products which has SPF. Since she wanted to bring in her beauty balm which also contains SPF into Canada, she apparently chose this Tinted Balm as a sub. =(  Residents of Canada now have to go across the border to get their hands on this wonderful product. What a pain!

As for my Malaysian readers, the last time I check in early 2013, this product was not available in Malaysia. Hopefully Bobbi decides to bring this to Malaysia soon if not already. =)

Reminder: Product that works for me may not work for you, and vice versa. =)

Eczema Care: Hand Washing Tips

Today I would like to share three tips on hand washing, specifically for those with hand eczema like myself.

Nothing irritates me more than dry, itchy hands. (Well dry itchy feet are no fun too). Many have said that people with dry skin should limit the number of showers they take daily since showering too frequently could lead to the skin loosing more moisture. How about hand washing? Yes, this is true too for hand washing. However, it is difficult to limit hand washing especially if you are working in certain fields (such as health care, food preparation and etc.). Frequent hand washing is also advised to the general public to help reduce and prevent certain illnesses such as the flu, cold, food poisoning etc.

So how does someone with hand eczema handles frequent hand washing? I personally find the following 3 pointers helpful.

1) Do not foam with your hands

Using soap-free cleanser is better. However, I have yet to find a soap-free cleanser that completely removes oily dirt and grease. With soaps, the foam helps with cleansing. I find foaming up soaps with my hands very harsh. It could either be because of the friction from rubbing my palms together (sounds ridiculous but people with eczema do have thin, weaker skin) or because of direct contact of my skin with non-lathered soaps (similar concept with applying shampoo directly to the scalp without lathering it up first. I was told by a bunch of hairdressers that one should always try to lather up shampoo first before applying it on the scalp/hair). Or both.

Solution: Use self-forming soaps. Soap which pumps out as foam directly from the bottle. I was surprised at how big a difference it makes switching to self-foaming hand soap. The one I am using is by Bath & Body Works.

No surprise that I chose the Eucalyptus Mint scent - I LOVE MINT! ^_^

"Anti-Bacterial Gentle Foaming Hand Soap is enriched with an exclusive blend of moisturizing honey, coconut milk and olive fruit extracts to help nourish and soften skin. It is further enhanced with Mango Fruit extract, leaving hands lightly scented, gently cleansed and conditioned while effectively fighting germs."

This soap is definitely a good option to try.
Bonus: They come in so many different great scents.
Cons:

• Not suitable for those who are allergic to honey, coconut, olive or mango. 
• Some scents may be overwhelming. Your hands will definitely be scented for at least 10 minutes. 

2) Wash away all the soap

Don't rush. It doesn't take much additional time to wash away all the soap from your hands. Any soap residues left on your skin may dry it out. No matter how gentle a soap is, it still contains cleansing ingredients. (Soap-free cleansers may be more forgiving).

3) Moisturize after each wash - ALWAYS

Tedious, yes, but applying a good hand cream after each wash is very beneficial. I was lazy myself but my skin did suffered. It was drier and cracked. Cracked skin on your hands are just terrible. It hurts with movement and stings a lot with further hand washing. 

To avoid it, I religiously apply hand cream after each wash. Finding the right hand cream could also be tedious and pricey. I have tried a few and most either gave me a reaction (because they contained Vitamin E) or they did not moisturize my hands enough. It is very dissatisfying when hand creams leave my hands superficially moisturized - they are just greasy on application and once dry, my hands also feel dry.

My current favorite hand cream is the Make A Difference Rejuvenating Hand Treatment by Origins.

"Origins clinically-proven plant complex helps hardworking hands recover from dramatic dehydration. Scutellaria Extract helps even out skin tone. Leaves an elegant, silky, undetectable barrier on hands."

I love how my hands feel with this cream. A little greasy at first but not for long and I can feel its moisturizing ingredients effectively absorbed into my skin.

Those are the 3 tips I find helpful and hope that they are helpful to you as well. I know they are nothing new but hey, in case you didn't know. ^_^

Reminder: Product that works for me may not work for you, and vice versa. =)

NARS Brow Gel vs. Bobbi Brown Natural Brow Shaper

Happy New Year!!
Yes, I know. We are 2 weeks into 2014 and here I am still wishing all my readers a happy new year. Hope you all had an awesome New Year's and those who celebrate Christmas, hope it was a jolly one! ^_^ I apologize for the period of inactivity...

As I have mentioned in my past post, I am very particular about having my brows done. I could (and do) walk out of the house without having anything done on my face EXCEPT for sunblock application AND groomed eyebrows. In particular, I LOVE bold, distinct eyebrows. They frame my round face and give it some structure (or so I think ^_^).

For the past 3 years, I have been faithful to Bobbi Brown's Natural Brow Shaper. Mahogany (the darkest shade available) is my go-to shade and I had also tried Rich Brown on days I want lighter but still bold brows. Prior to this, I was using Benefit's Brow Zings Brow Shaping Kit. I switched and stayed with the Natural Brow Shaper just because I find it simpler and quicker to use. (click here for a comparison review on both the Natural Brow Shaper and the Brow Zings Brow Shaping Kit)

Recently, NARS came out with their own version of the brow gel/mascara. I was excited! Do note that I was 100% happy with the Bobbi Brown's Natural Brow Shaper and there was no reason at all to look out for another brow gel/mascara. However, NARS IS one of my favorite high-end skincare and make-up brands that I could NOT resist trying their Brow Gel... And I am glad I did!

Packaging:

NARS' packaging is simple, clean and modern. As with most of their make-up containers, the Brow Gel tube also has a matted, rubber feel to it - similar to some mobilephone cases, if that makes sense.

Product:

The gel consistency is similar to that of the Natural Brow Shaper. I bought the Nars Brow Gel in the shade Kinshasa (named after the capital city of Congo). Nars are also know for their cute, exotic, or expressive names for their make-up shades. Kinshasa is very close to the Mahogany color that I love from Bobbi Brown.

Shades comparisons between the 2 Bobbi Brown (bb) brow gels I own and Nars' Kinshasa.

So far, both the consistency and shade are to my liking and both criteria were already fulfilled by the Natural Brow Shaper from Bobbi Brown. So what is it about the Nars Brown Gel that, personally, gives it an edge above the Natural Brow Shaper? Its applicator!

Application:

Top: Nars Brow Gel.
Bottom: Bobbi Brown Natural Brow Shaper.

As you can appreciate from the picture above, the brush head of Nars Brow Gel is slimmer compared to the Natural Brow Shaper from Bobbi Brown. This is the reason why I will be using Nars Brow Gel from now on. The slimmer brush gives you more control and precision, especially on the outer thinner ends of your eyebrows. ^_^ Both products are buildable to your preferred intensity. 

Staying power:

This product pretty much stay on your eyebrows until you wash them off. I once took a nap with it and woke up with intact nice eyebrows. ^_^  Does it stay on longer than the Bobbi Brown's Natural Brow Shaper? No. Both dries up nicely and stay put though out the day (unless you scratch an itchy eyebrow!) I never find myself re-doing my eyebrows through the day with either products.

Value:

Bobbi Brown Natural Brow Shaper 4.2ml/0.14oz
Nars Brow Gel 7ml/0.21oz
Both products retail for CAD25.00 (before taxes) in Canada.
With my daily usage, on average, one tube of Bobbi Brown Natural Brow Shaper lasts 4 months. I am still on my first tube of the Nars Brow Gel and would expect it to last at least if not longer than 4 months since it has more product. We shall see. ^_^

The Nars Brow Gel is available at Nars counters at The Bay or The Bay online in Canada.
For my Malaysian readers, Nars is now available at Pavilion KL! Yeay!

Reminder: Product that works for me may not work for you, and vice versa. =)