For those of us who don't have the luxury of time, amongst the three, try to not skip essences or serums before your moisturiser. Use at least 1! They are the ones which aid cell turnover and target skin concerns (regenerate, repair, firm, whiten and basically heal & provide us with the kind of effects we want for our skin). Your usual toner & moisturiser will not be sufficient if you want some changes to your current skin condition - they only maintain it.
Pre-serums and Essence
These deliver nourishment and usually get absorbed quickly due to their light textures. Some of them feel like toners, while others feel slightly heavier than toners but still lighter than serums. After applying pre-serums/essences, a serum targeting your skin concern can be layered on top.
MY RECOMMENDATIONS
WHITENING
It states "serum" on the bottle, but it feels so watery in texture and its absorption power is almost instant! Hence, I boldly categorise this as a pre-serum. It is okay to layer another serum with it. So far I have no problems, even with other brands. Read more of my review HERE.
HYDRATION
This is in fact a toner, but the texture is denser than a normal water-based toner, so I classify this under essence category. Product contains 5 types of hyaluronic acids! If you are a true blue HA fan, look no further - this is a perfect product for you. And I personally witnessed the immense hydration effect from its first usage. After 30 minutes, you can perpetually see the glow on the face. And over long-term use, skin no longer feels dry and looks healthy & plumped. The only complaint I have is, as with many HADA LABO products, my skin tend to develop a few tiny, micro-sized bumps during use...which go away after I stopped using the product. So I could be sensitive to this brand, I don't know. But the hydration effects are immediate and breathtaking!
SU:M 37 Waterfull Timeless Pore Essence
Another hydrating essence, this is a luxury treat for the skin and senses. Just look at the beautiful blue packaging! Very easy to apply and instant absorption, although it is less fluid & more "jellish" than normal essences. The citrus oceanus scent is a bonus. With bamboo sap as its key ingredient, and other Korean medicinal herbs as secondary ingredients, I am amazed it smells as good as it works. My skin calms down so much whenever I use this.
Available in Tangs Vivo City 1 June, and Tangs Orchard 21 July.
ACNE CARE
Lightweight and feels like an essence, this Vitamin C serum improves inflammatory pimples, size of pores and even helps a little on post acne marks. Since it is so lightweight, I usually layer another serum on top of this.
Available at various spas and salons. View store locations HERE.
OVERALL SKIN HEALTH
Lightweight and feels like an essence, this Vitamin C serum improves inflammatory pimples, size of pores and even helps a little on post acne marks. Since it is so lightweight, I usually layer another serum on top of this.
Available at various spas and salons. View store locations HERE.
SU:M 37 Secret Essence
Lovers of natural fermentation products, listen up! This is a cult favorite under the Korean luxury skincare category. I say, not many other brands in Korean does traditional fermentation like SU:M 37. The "37" signifies 37 degrees - the optimal fermentation temperature. (Yaaas! Says the expert!) Fermentation products are best suited for dry skin, but I'd say this particular essence is good for most skin types and for anyone who wants to strengthen and improve overall skin texture; plus it's supposed to be good for sensitive skin too (well, that I cannot be certain).
Available in Tangs Vivo City from 1 June, and Tangs Orchard from 21 July.
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SERUMS
Just like essences and pre-serums, different serums target different skin concerns. They are usually heavier and should be used daily. For folks with sensitive skin, I usually tell them "less is more". Try to use only one serum at a time (especially you are already pairing it with another essence), and avoid layering serums not from the same range...there may be conflicts between incompatible ingredients or excessive amount of a certain repeated ingredient. So do read labels carefully before layering!
MY RECOMMENDATIONS
HYDRATION
Mineral 89 Skin Fortifying Daily Booster
With just 11 ingredients, and one of them Vichy Thermal Spring water! Sometimes simplicity is the best for sensitive skin. This one is meant to be a booster, meaning, a first-step serum in your skincare regime which makes it a officially a pre-serum. But I can't bring myself to categorise this as such, because the texture is really tacky. Upon first application, you will feel the stickiness on your palms...but luckily, stickiness doesn't last long. After product gets massaged into skin, what's left is just smooth, moisturized, calm skin. It serves to also strengthen skin barrier and protect from environmental pollutants. My above bottle is from a press kit, so actual packaging is not like that. It should look like below instead:
Available in Singapore drugstores mid June.
ACNE CARE
Dr Wu Daily Renewal Serum with Mandelic Acid
This is not just for acne-prone skin, but for anyone who wishes to renew their skin pronto.
"The gentle formula combines Three Acids in the perfect 5:2:1 Golden Ratio of Mandelic Acid, Salicylic Acid and Pyruvic Acid to penetrate deeper and faster for immediate skin regeneration! This breakthrough mild formula targets all epidermal layers with precision to eliminate skin troubles in one simple step — say bye-bye to acne, blackheads, enlarged pores and rough dullness!"
I used it for a week, and I totally agreed to its claims. Furthermore, knowing that this is formulated by a world-renowned clinical professor of National Taiwan University Hospital somehow feels so reassuring.
Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair
Seriously, whoever hasn't heard or tried this classic before might have just lived under the rock for a bloody long time. Haha!
ANR is the serum I go back to faithfully, again and again, time after time. I first tried it when I was 18, then went back to it when I was 25, now again when I am over 30. I believe it suits a wide age group and all skin types. Basically, this is THE SERUM you buy at any age when you feel like pampering yourself. Guess what, you won't be disappointed!
Mamonde is targeted at more for the late teens to late twenties age group, so this firming serum is not oily & not too rich, which makes it a perfect candidate for combination skin type. Lightweight and absorbs fast - it is an excellent moisturising serum as well. Skin gradually feel healthier and firmer after a few weeks of use.
Mamonde is available at Tangs VivoCity from June onwards.
Mamonde First Energy Firming Boosting Serum
Mamonde is targeted at more for the late teens to late twenties age group, so this firming serum is not oily & not too rich, which makes it a perfect candidate for combination skin type. Lightweight and absorbs fast - it is an excellent moisturising serum as well. Skin gradually feel healthier and firmer after a few weeks of use.
Mamonde is available at Tangs VivoCity from June onwards.
It's alright, I don't know how to pronounce 'Pycnogenol' either. But guess what? This serum is DA BOMB for me! Out of the 10 serums & essences I mentioned, if I can only bring one along to a deserted island, this is IT for me!
If you research more on the key ingredient which we can't pronounce, you will be mindblown. It is used for so many various health disorders (some are rather uncommon), you wonder what it can actually do for your skin? Well, take it from me... THIS CAN DO LOADS. It produces unspeakable results such as brightening, turning your skin tone from dull to rosier, more glowy, intense hydration, calming redness & inflammation, etc. etc. This serum is meant to fortify your existing skincare regime but being the high performer it is, I say it can be used alone too. Both ways gave me excellent results. However, when I combined with The Body Shop Drops of Light, my skin's natural pink glow the next morning is guaranteed no matter how little sleep I had the night prior.
Available at various spas and salons. View store locations HERE.
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P.S: Although I have already stated clearly under my DISCLOSURE PAGE, I still want to reiterate that even though products are sponsored, my opinions presented in this blog post are HONEST and TRANSPARENT. I truly enjoy using these products on my own skin, and if I have to, I will repurchase them (maybe except for the Vichy and Hada Labo ones mentioned above).
Feel free to hit me with any questions about the products. Are there any serums you think I should know about? Give me some recommendations!
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