AHA v.s BHA

Hi loves! Haven't been here in a while because I actually haven't bought any makeup recently.
I can hear the gasps very faintly if I keep very quiet. haha

Anyway, I have been researching on skincare recently and have also been spicing my skincare products up. I know I recently just talked about Uriage products and I am still religiously using it but I added something new!

Image taken from Paula's Choice 

So I was introduced to Paula's Choice beautypedia when I was in the States and I became quite obsessed with her products plus reviews. It was very very factual! haha and I finally got my hands on the Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Gel Exfoliant.

My previously raved product is this...

Image taken from Uriage

So this product contains 18% AHA-BHA complex.

Here comes the big question: AHA or BHA?

AHA

• Water-soluble
• Are acids that are derived from fruits 
• More suited for sun-damaged / dry skin
• Exfoliates surface of skin and promote turnover of cells
• Aids in retaining moisture
• Rejuvenate ageing skin

BHA

• Lipid (oil)-soluble
• Is (basically) Salicylic acid
• Able to penetrate pores with sebum and therefore, exfoliate beneath the surface
• Has anti-bacterial/inflammation properties to kick those acne-bacterias' asses
• More suited for oily, acne-prone skin

So there you go. I hope its simple enough!

Nowadays, I use Paula's Choice 2% BHA gel on my t-zone to further keep those blackheads at bay and then I use Uriage K18 on my cheeks area where breakouts are lesser and where I tend to feel drier. 

One thing about these two products is that everyone emphasises about sunblock protection because these 2 properties basically exfoliates your skin, leaving them exposed. BUT, PLS. no matter if you use these products, SUNBLOCK IS A MUST. i am very naggy when it comes to sunblock and I will nag your ears deaf if I find out you don't use sunblock. Prevention is always better then cure so to prevent sun-damaged skin in the first place, make sure you use a sunblock SPF of at least 50, especially in our very sun-lit Singapore! 

Ok, this is just a skincare update post! Hope everyone is awesomeballz!

Love,

Pea

Review: Uriage Skincare Range

This post is not sponsored and all opinions are entirely our own! 

I have recently been obsessed with skincare and for the longest amount of time, I stuck to DrX. I went through a very bad patch of skin sensitivities due to a BB cream that I happened to be allergic to and it broke me out so bad, I felt like I could not go out and face the world.I After that, my skin is really thin and sensitive and I always look out for harsh ingredients on skincare products before trying.

When DrX products worked for me, I stuck to it and I loved how it stabilized my skin condition. I broke out only before the time of the month and it would be those small zits that I really don't mind. However, like all skincare, the skin gets used to it after daily use and the effects just seemed to diminish over time. So as I can see that the products are not working as significantly anymore, I went on a hunt for new babies to use. I came across the brand Uriage by accident when I was reading tippytap's review and it seemed to be targeted for sensitive skin! I immediately did a quick research online and then set out to buy my new products. 

• Eau Thermale D'Uriage Spray [I own multiple of these]
• Uriage Hysec K18
• Uriage Hysec Fluide SPF50+
• Uriage Isoliss Creme
• Uriage Isoliss Eye Contour

This is gonna be one heck of a long post.

The Uriage Thermal Water is a fine-mist spray and contains water that is enriched with trace elements and mineral salts. I heard many compare this with the Avene spray and claimed that the Avene one seemed to be more moisturizing or stays longer on the skin. However, this is due to the fact that Uriage thermal water is isotonic which means that it will be absorbed into your skin by itself without patting or rubbing it in. I have been using this more than I drink water. It keeps my skin so soft and hydrated [my office is air-conditioned] and I use it before I apply any skincare and to set my make up. Throughout the day, I use it as and when and it keeps my makeup looking so fresh. Because of its fine mist, it does not ruin your makeup at all! I keep the 50ml in my bag and I have the bigger bottle at home as well.

50ml: $15.90
150ml: $20.90
300ml: $27.90

I have very bad clog pores, especially on my nose and chin. I can literally feel the plugs on my skin if I don't extract once a week. *shudders

After indepth research, I came to understand that I will need salicylic acid to exfoliate the surface and clean deep into the pores to prevent the return of the black/whiteheads. However, a tricky issue is that the product has to be of the right p.H. and if it is off by just 1, the product will cease to perform at its best.

Uriage Hysec K18 contains both AHA and BHA. What's even more eyebrow-raising is it contains EIGHTEEN [18] % of AHA. OK BYE BLACKHEADS. I am honestly not sure about p.H for this product but I immediately bought it before you can blink. After using it for two weeks, I am majorly impressed. As it contains the thermal water, it keeps my skin smooth and moisturized. With Licorice extracts, it also keeps my skin matte. LOVE IT. This is my holy grail. Ok, now be prepared to be shocked.

$39.90

After about 5 days of use 

How to not love? And the best thing is that it last. I don't feel the need to extract anymore because my pores are not clogged! My skin area is smooth and soft to the touch. BYE BYE EXTRACTIONS!

I am hitting the big 2-5 soon and I am worried. I constantly squint and frown and do funny faces so wrinkles are my worst fears. My family women don't seemed to age well so I decided to start. START YOUNG [despite what my boyfriend insists]!

So the Isoliss range is targeted for young active woman who wants a headstart on anti-aging products. I got the Isoliss Creme from this range! Isoliss Creme is targeted for dry skin while Isoliss Fluide is for normal/combination skin. I got the creme because I will be in the States for the next three months and its gonna be autumn-winter there which means my skin will be dry dry dry! Idk whats in this magical tube but I swear that my cheeks are looking so radiant and bright when I apply it. I use this around my laugh lines, cheeks and forehead area. 

$70.90

I am also using the Isoliss Eye Contour Care and the packaging is simple with a metal ball to massage the product into the eye area. I find that it tugs at your skin when I apply it directly so I apply it with my ring finger and then use the cooling metal part to soothe the eye area. I like how this product is non-greasy and super absorbable so it doesn't leave my eye area oily. Plus it is does not cause milia seeds because it is so light! I am starting to see VERY fine lines under my eyes so this is just a preventive part on my end.

$49.90

I have been using DrX Non-tinted sunscreen with a SPF30+ but as the bottle is almost used up, I went ahead and grabbed the Hysec Fluide Sunscreen with a higher SPF 50+. I liked that this is non-comodegenic because a lot of drugstore sunscreens out there contain alcohol to give the matte effect but this ends up blocking/clogging our pores! This hydrates my skin as it contains Uriage Thermal Water as well but it is on the slightly greasier end. But this is just a small issue to me because with a little primer or loose powder, the shine is gone. 

$42.90

I told you guys this was long. But I hope its informative! haha See you all another time! 

Love,

Pea

Flo's May Favourites 2014!

Hello! Here to share my favourites for the month of May :) This month, I've been spending more time researching and testing out skincare products more than make up. I have also been frequently reaching back to a few make-up gems that I've loved for a long time. Here goes:

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ 

1. First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream

This is a brand that I've been wanting to try for a few months already! Actually I didn't really know which product to start with and I was at Sephora one day and decided to just yolo pick this up cuz it was pretty cheap (S$19 for 2.0 oz). It written that I can use this from head to toe, so I thought why not? 

That period, I was still battling with leftover dry patch from my breakout and this proved itself to be super moisturising and useful to tackle that problem! My skin is not dry anymore. One more thing that I really like is the texture. It's not too watery or too sticky, yet your skin feels moisturised. Two thumbs up for that! I also use this as a hand cream when my palms feel dry :)

I'm totally going back to Sephora to see if I can try other products from this brand. Might wanna try the facial cleanser and the oatmeal mask ^.^

2. Origins High-Potency Night-A-Mins

This is another product that I've been researching on. Because of my whole forehead issue, I haven't used a proper moisturiser in my skincare routine since last Dec! That's been like 6 months? And I thought because my skin is super oily anyway, I don't need to compensate with a moisturiser. 

Boyyyyy I was so wrong! My skin is super dry on the surface and it was driving me nuts! So I slowly injected moisturiser back into my regime, starting with the FAB Ultra Repair Cream day and night. When I felt that my skin was ready, I added this into my night routine and I've really been enjoying this product :)

The smell is kinda funny.. Like a little orange-y smell. The texture is superrrr thick and creamy. That's why it is meant to be used only at night I guess. But I had my own reservations cuz the reviews online were pretty mixed. I'm glad that my skin didn't have any bad reactions to this and actually, when I wake up in the morning my skin feels very moisturised instead of just a layer of my own oil. 

3. Neutrogena Healthy Skin Foundation in Classic Ivory

I admit I've been neglecting this foundation since Pea got it for me from the States last year. Haha. This was another product that I've been dying to get my hands on since the youtubers raved about it eons ago. One thing about this foundation is that... It is not transfer resistant. That's why I am always kinda hesitant to use it cause it comes off very easily. 

However, the good thing is that, it smells so so so good. It is also very light on the skin and pretty moisturising. I mix this with my Estee Lauder DW foundation sometimes when I feel that it alone is too dry for my skin. The colour of this foundation is a little more to the pink side, so it evens out my skin tone when I mix it with my DW foundation since that one is a little too yellow for my liking.

4. L'oreal Infallible Shadows in Amber Rush, Hourglass Beige, Sahara Treasure

If I had to choose one favourite single shadow on the market.. This would definitely be one of the top 3!!!! I love love love the L'oreal Infallible Shadows. I wish they have all the colours in the world for this. I already own 9... A very alarming number and the most I have for single shadows. It is super shimmery, super buttery, super easy to put on the eyelids.. I can use a single colour and it is enough because it is just. that. awesome. So convenient. I like glitters and sparkles and shimmers, so this is right up my alley. Definitely not made for those who are afraid of shimmers hahaha.

This month, I've been reaching out very frequently to these 3 colours:

1. Sahara Treasure was a very old colour and one of the first few that was available in Singapore. I was dying to get my hands on these babies maybe close to 3 years ago and I searched for it in every Watsons/Guardian/everywhere that carried L'oreal products! Managed to find 3 colours and this stays as one of my favourite colours till date. 

2. Hourglass Beige came in later with the rest of the colours that are still available now. It is hands down my favourite highlight colour. Super pretty on the inner corner of the eyelids. I might be a little too obsessed with this colour, haha. 

3. Amber Rush was one of the colours I was praying for L'oreal to bring in to Singapore... But to no avail. Lol. So, I ordered it off Drugstore.com and really, no regrets!!! Such a pretty coral colour....... Brings tears to my eyes.

5. NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Istanbul, Milan

Another oldie but a goodie :) I've loved this Soft Matte Lip Cream since I got my hands on them very very long time ago. Hahaha. I don't even think there was Sephora then! I got these from a local distributor a few years back and recently, I've been over-using the colour Istanbul cause it's the lip colour that can match any make-up I'm using. A true MLBB! 

I also really like the effect these lip cream give. It is matte but not drying, the colour lasts throughout the day, and the colour just suits my skin tone. Every time I want to get more, I will still pick out these two colours -_- So I always end up not getting any!!!! I might wanna get a deep red/berry colour if I chance upon it though :)

6. Innisfree Eco Nail Color Pro

This is a new addition to my nail polish collection. Never used Innisfree nail polishes before but they are so cheap ($4 per bottle), I picked up 5 colours and these 3 were the Pro versions. Another 2 were normal nail polishes I guess cuz the brush that came with those are... not as good as these! The brushes of the these taller bottles are wide and super easy to control. I also love the colour range of the polishes.. I had a hard time picking the colours!!! I get an opaque colour with two layers :) They dry very quickly as well. Hehe, really loving them.

That's all for my favourites for the month of May! Hope you've discovered as much new and old gems as I did. Have you tried any of the products above? Let us know what you think :)

♡,

Flo

Review: Intensive Acne Medic Treatment @ GLOMAX Aesthetics

[Treatment is kindly sponsored by GLOMAX Aesthetics but review is 100% my own opinion! Will not share it if I don't like it or don't see results ^.^]

Hi everyone! :)

Last month, I was kindly invited by Hazel for a little trial session to the highly raved skin treatment at GLOMAX Aesthetics. My skin was quite problematic then after my change of skincare products, and I was more than happy to jump on the opportunity for a treatment with GLOMAX~~~!!

I'm not an avid fan of going for facials. I signed a package before with a pretty reputable beauty salon, and I didn't have good experience with them. Forget about the super pushy staff, my skin didn't improve and I was always, always left with super red marks after each session! I hated the red marks and the worst part is the aftermath of the facial - some extraction sites will turn into small pimples since they are aggravated and infected AND I have to deal with it... And the leftover scars are just.....

NOOOOOOO

So back to the point, upon reaching GLOMAX Aesthetics, I was quickly ushered by the friendly staff for a quick consultation regarding my skin before they can recommend a suitable facial treatment targeted for my problems.

As expected, my friendly consultant San, said that I have oily skin, and that my problem area is the T-zone area. She proceeded to explain to me that if all goes well after the consultation, I should be going for an Intensive Acne Medic Treatment. This treatment targets - of course - acne prone skin and my skin happens to be very acne and blemish prone, hahaha. (Do you know this treatment won the Simply Her Best Anti Acne Facial Award in 2014?)

San also explained to me in detail about what I was in for:

(Image courtesy of www.brownskin.net)

This is how pimples are usually formed. 

All skin produce sebum, and the accumulation of sebum usually turns into comedone which either: 1) Come out on their own/are removed or 2) Stuck under the skin and turn into pimples! Eeks. Those that come out on the surface are not even as bad as those stuck way underneath the skin and San told me that this is where the usage of IPL comes in to help make these bad stuff come out of their hiding place so that they are able to rise to the surface and be zapped away permanently!

She checked with me my current skincare routine just to make sure that I wasn't using anything wrong. San said that my skin is surprisingly dry on the outside, probably due to too much pimple cream/treatments. TIP: Pimple cream should stay as spot treatments. Be cautious of spreading it on an area!! If not you'll end up with dry patches like me :(

I went on the 8th of May and this was my skin beforehand:

My skin was very calm and nice on around this time, but I tried the Mario Badescu drying lotion and it somehow gave me very mild chemical burn or maybe it was just way too drying so it erupted into a mess of redness the night before the facial!

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ 

Here goes: (I didn't take any pictures as I didn't want to disturb her)

First up, she helped me remove my make up with a milk cleanser, I had on my face tinted sunscreen and some blusher. Afterwards, she continued with another cleanser for double cleansing to make sure that my skin is completely clean from any dirt. I really liked it because it didn't feel too drying that it is stripping off my skin's natural moisture. 

After that, she did sonic cleansing on my face with a sonic cleansing device. This is done so as to remove the dead skin, small blackheads and other impurities on the surface of the skin. Moving on to extractions where she manually remove more deeply embedded clogged pores and pimples. It was pretty painful but bearable! She also mentioned that I have quite a bit of clogged pores that are underneath the skin and she can't force it out.

After the extractions are done, she moved on to using an anti-bacterial/antiseptic device to roll on areas that she previously extracted from. It was a little prickly with a metal smell. Then she moved on to do IPL on my skin. This is a first time for me as I've never done anything IPL before! The strong wave of the IPL light will help regulate the sebum level and with continuous use, it will help to balance out skin and thus improving acne prone skin.

Lastly, she put on a layer on very soothing and cooling treatment mask and I was able to rest for a little bit. Then she removed the mask and a layer of moisturiser and sunblock was applied. 

This was my face right after! 

Despite the redness, my skin was pretty smooth and clear of bumps, which I was very glad about! Cause I really, really, really HATE bumps. Hahaha. Furthermore, you can tell that the redness is very minimal and not the angry red/bleeding patches :D

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ 

Cause I know how facials work, I was ready to give it a few days downtime. The consultant also warned me that the redness might last a few days.

This is my skin the next day with a layer of tinted moisturiser! I took it under a light and there was really minimal bumps, which I'm very happy about.

A close up of my forehead on the 15th May, a week after the facial. I purposely tilt the lenses flat so that I can see if there are any bumps. Still pretty clear for my standard. Happy, happy!

If you have clogged pores, or acne/blemish prone skin, I'd definitely recommend this treatment for you :) You can quote "twovainpots" to enjoy the full Intensive Acne Medic Treatment at only $88* U.P. $150, *by appointment and for first timers only.

GLOMAX Aesthetics - The Face Artistry 

12 Eu Tong Sen Street, The Central, Soho 2.

#06-168 Singapore 059819 

http://www.glomaxaesthetics.com

(65) 6225-5193

By Car: Carpark at The Central

By MRT: Clarke Quay, exit Eu Tong Sen

By Cab: Swissotel Merchant Court

♡,

Flo.

Review: DRx and IDS

Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored and it's entirely twovainpots' personal opinion!

It's been approximately two months since our visit to IDS Skin Clinic and we feel that we are ready for a completely honest review and comparison. Our first post after the visit to IDS can be found here. A little history: we both have oily skin, but we breakout at different parts of our faces.

We are not promoting or discouraging the use of any products. We just want to share our honest reviews and experience that we have had with both the skincare products as they are said to be equivalent. 

None of the clinics have sponsored us. We were the ones who made the appt each time and we paid for all products ourselves.

♥♥♥♥♥

PEA:

I am comparing my skin condition based on the use of CF and Max-C from DRx VS PORE and C+ from IDS. They are said to be equivalent to each other, and they are supposed to work similarly, thus the comparison.

Upon getting my hands on the products, I religiously used Pore, C-Plus and the scrub twice daily. At that point of time, my period was nearing and it's not unusual for me to spot a few zits. I did not attribute any downside to the products. Truthfully, I love the scrub when I used it and i do still use it now. 

Two Weeks After

Max-C / C-Plus

My skin felt like it was getting oilier faster. I used DRx for three months before switching over so I could tell the difference that Max-C (DRx) and C-Plus (IDS) made. Max-C made my skin softer, and at the same time, kept oil at bay for longer period of time. With C+, i was oily after 4 hours but Max-C allows me to not blot at all for a good 10 hours. I did not want to entirely give up on the IDS products so quickly (plus I paid for it alr!) so I switched my routine to:

IDS Pore and C-Plus at night

IDS Pore and Max-C in the day. 

This made a significant improvement in oil control once again.

CF / PORE 

Pore (IDS) is the 'equivalent' of CF (DRx) [quoting Dr Tan] and both products target the softening of blackheads.

I hate washing my face and feeling the rough bumpy surface that blackhead makes so I personally go through the process of removing my blackheads manually (Pls don't do this if you don't know how and never done it before; to avoid harming your skin) 

With CF, I only had to go through the laborious process of blackheads removal once in a week. 

With Pore, I had to do it 2-3x in a week. 

I could feel the formation and appearance of blackheads. I assume that's because my face was getting oilier faster, which leads to blackheads appearing more often. 

I was also getting more breakouts when my period was nowhere near. (I'm sorry I don't have pics so you will have to take my word) 

During the time of the month, my breakout would be around the sides of my forehead but this time, the breakout was appearing every week and it was I would have a couple on my chin. And then my forehead and then my cheeks. 

The zits were more painful and felt like those acne/cystic kinds and tougher to heal. 

I have since made the switch back to DRx (CF and Max-C) after two months of trying out IDS products as I feel that my skin was not adapting to it. After an entire week of switching back to DrX, I can see visibly see that my skin is calming down and the breakouts and scarring are disappearing. For now, I will stick so DrX as it is allowing me to see visible results.

Many said that DRx products are stronger in terms of chemical-wise and it might not be beneficial in the long term. I am making the switch back because I HATE ZITS (who don't?) and it stresses me out to see my skin in a worse state after spending money on it. I personally did it after two months of observing my skin changes. Everyone's skin type is different and if something is working for you, you can always choose to stick with it.

I have tried two different brands that are said to be equivalent to one another and this is how I feel after using both for an extended period of time. (DrX=3mths ; IDS=2mths)

I don't have any pictures of my skin up close but here's one that I took today.

LEFT: 9am

RIGHT: 6pm

I DID NOT blot the whole day at all. It is amazing what max-c does for my skin.

My face routine currently: Avene Cleanser // Albion Skin Con (as toner) // CF // Max-C 

I use Thursday Plantation Tea Tree Oil on any pimples or to-be pimples to prevent further infection and kill bacterias! 

♥♥♥♥♥

FLO:

I am comparing my skin condition based on the use of CF and BF from DRx VS PORE and CLEAR from IDS. They are said to be equivalent to each other, and they are supposed to work similarly, thus the comparison.

*Warning! Gross pictures ahead!!!*

I started using DRx in Dec 2013 and was an immediate convert after seeing results within one week. I had super duper clogged pores near the end of last year and it was driving me insane and depressed. So I went to DRx to get some products. The consultant helped me pick some products as my skin was only clogged and there wasn't any cystic acne or pimples. She gave me the Comedone Formula (CF) + Blemish Formula (BF) combination and said that would help me reduce the amount of clogged pores on my forehead.

After a week of use, my clogged pores were more or less ready to be cleared and the dirt came out easily when I wash my face, or I just need to put very little effort to squeeze it out. Can you see how gross my forehead was. Seriously.

By the end of the month my forehead was more or less clear, just left with some redness and scars. I didn't experience any extreme dryness with the DRx products and my skin was still normal-oily. 

Throughout January, my forehead was still relatively clear and bumps were kept at a minimal. They were easily cleared away with some exfoliation (I use St.Ives Blemish Control Apricot Scrub), and squeezing with minimal strength. My skin is super duper soft, I lovedddd touching my face after I wash it!!!

The start of February, I noticed some clogged pores at the left corner of my forehead. It was bothering me like crazy!!! I switched from Bifesta make-up remover to the Biore Aqua Jelly make-up remover and I think it contributed to my clogged pores as that was the only change I made in my routine. I left it alone and really tried very hard not to try to squeeze them out. 

I really couldn't take the bumps anymore at this point of time and I squeezed them!!!! (BIG MISTAKE), it resulted in like a super huge cluster of angry, red and painful pimples. I wanted to die. Around that time, IDS Clinic opened and since my DRx products were almost crossing the halfway mark, Pea and I decided to check them out.

On the 3rd of March, we went down to IDS for consultation. And I was given PORE, CLEAR, and SPOT. Those three are used to tackle acne and blemish prone skin. I was super excited to start on my new regime and had high hopes that my skin will clear up even faster than when I started my regime with DRx.

The first time I put the IDS products on, I could tell a total difference in texture and smell from DRx products. They are not as smelly and they have a thicker consistency and was easier to control. Often I pumped way too much DRx products as it was super liquidy! I also switched back to Bifesta since I contributed my clogged pores to the Biore Aqua Jelly remover.

This is my routine as prescribed:

This was my skin 4 days after the consultation. I had make up on but you can see my huge pimples were still there. It was depressing, I couldn't even bear to take pics without make up! It took me about a week and a half to clear the area away. A few days later, my smaller bumps were also pretty much gone and I was fairly pleased with my IDS regime. 

After switching to IDS, Pea and I didn't notice any huge, or significant differences as compared to when we first started using DRx products. We contributed it to the fact that our skin was even worse before DRx, thus the difference was bigger then. Also, I read on forums that DRx products stopped working on people after 2-3 years and we both felt that IDS products are milder, so we believed that it will be better in the long run to maintain our skin.

Then my cheek acted up, I don't know if it was already inflamed beforehand (I only take note of the changes on my forehead as the rest of my face are usually clear of pimples/bumps), but these two pimples popped out of nowhere. Until now I'm still battling with the leftover scars >:(  

During this time, I also realised that PORE will create a kind of white foam when I spread it on my face. I never really noticed it earlier on but it has a very funny white lather that came out as I apply the product onto my face. I thought I didn't wash my face clean enough and went to wash my face again, making sure that it wasn't foamy or soapy. But PORE was still producing white lather when I tap it onto my face.

I religiously continued with my IDS routine as prescribed and I went back for another consultation on 31st March. My skin was extremely dry on the surface, I had troubles putting on foundation. Yet my oil production was at its maximum!! I can easily fill up two sheets of oil blotter throughout the afternoon. It was kinda scary. Dr Tan asked me to stop using CLEAR and prescribed me C+ and an Oil-Free Moisturiser. I didn't purchase them as I felt like my blemishes weren't cleared enough yet and I wanted to give the IDS products as long a time frame as I used my DRx products.

This was the dry patch between my brows then and note the red patch on my left (picture's right) forehead, that was the dry patch + scars left after clearing up the cluster of big pimples:

This was a week after, I started mixing DRx products back into my regime. I use IDS PORE in the morning and night, rotating DRx CF once every 2-3 nights. It was not so much on the amount of bumps/pimples but the overall texture of my skin. It was very rough and dull.

During this time, my nose area went crazy, my chin broke out as well. I blame that on the exam stress + hormonal changes cause it was the week before my period. But usually, even if it's PMS, I will still breakout on my forehead and very very rarely on the rest of my face.

I was super duper happy with my forehead around this time, I used a mixture of IDS PORE in the morning and DRx CF at night daily. I still have my dry patch but it looked almost perfect with a thin layer of coverage (Using the Biore Aqua BB here):

After that, I decided to switch fully back to DRx CF morning and night, as I felt that it really stabilizes my skin more!

This is my skin right now. No make up, no filter, fresh out of the shower! Texture is still not the perfect texture I want, scars are still pretty pigmented, but I'm thankful that there are currently very little to no bumps. I felt a little upcoming pimple and I covered it using a layer of tea tree oil and SPOT from IDS. Haha. Also, my nose and chin are no longer crazy although I'm left with scars as well :(

So overall, comparing IDS PORE and DRx CF, I really see a difference DRx products make on my skin. I think when my skin stabilizes for real, I might give IDS another try to maintain it. However, for now, I think DRx works better with keeping my bumps and pimples away.

Also, pictures can only show so much. The texture of my skin is completely different when I use DRx and IDS. With IDS, my skin is rougher and I feel blackheads surfacing on my nose, they are more difficult to be removed while I exfoliate. With DRx, my skin is smoother on the touch, I also don't have blackheads protruding out around my nose and they can be easily washed away when I wash my face!! Like I can literally feel the dry blackheads coming out of my skin as I wash my face.

My current routine is: Cleanser > either IDS Scrub/St.Ives Apricot Scrub > Simple Toner > DRx CF > Tea Tree Oil + IDS SPOT on pimples

This is only based on my own experience. I have no bad experiences with IDS Clinic, I had a great time during the consultation and everyone was extremely friendly and kind :) However, the products might be too mild for me and I prefer the results DRx products are giving me.

♥♥♥♥♥

So... We've come to the end of this superrrr long post! Anyone of you tried both DRx and IDS products? Which one work better for your skin? Do share your thoughts with us! :)

xx,

Flo & Pea

Review: IDS Clinic

29th April 2014
We have updated our review.
Read it here

Hi!! :)

So recently, upon hearing the news that it has officially opened, we decided to check out IDS (Innovative Dermotological Solutions) Clinic! It's founded by Dr SK Tan. And from what we learnt, he is also the renowned founder of DRx. Anyway, on our quest for beautiful skin as always, we decided to go down and just have a consultation. No harm right? Hahaha.

Previously, both of us were using DRx products and they've worked pretty well with our skin. Both our skin types are combination/oily. We both have obvious pores and pimples here and there. Pea's main concerns are her cheeks, while Flo's will be her forehead area.

Since we're running out of our DRx products, we thought, why not visit IDS?

This is Pea's stash:

PORE 

This is the equivalent or comparable to CF from DRx. It minimizes oil production and reduces Black/Whiteheads. it is said to be highly effective in treating blemishes and therefore, reduce breakouts. It comes is a slightly less runny liquid-gel formula and one pump covers my t-zone and cheeks - hey that makes me whole face wtheck

C-PLUS 

This is the one that is comparable to Max-C from DRx but oddly this is more liquidy. It has the same fishy smell though. This is the magical one where it targets wrinkles, firmness, patchiness, dark spots and acne. It also consists of Vitamin C and E. Again, a pump works just nice for me 

A-PLUS 

Dr Tan was kind enough to offer me a sample size of this to try out! I hate the pores around my nose and I was also worried about aging tbh. Aging means sagging of skin so our pores will appear larger as our pores go from circular shape to oval shape. So this little bottle consists of 2 antioxidants that can boosts cellular turnover = firmer skin. I'm pretty excited for this haha smaller pores and firmer skin? Ok sure! (If I'm not wrong, this is a form or a derivative of vitamin A) 

FACIAL SCRUB

This is the raved product and I'm so excited to try as well. I have sensitive, thin cheeks so I tend to scrub only twice a week. But I was told that I can do this daily !!! I love scrubbing and exfoliating. It makes me feel clean and that my products will get absorbed better. This contains ultra-fine crystals and it leaves my cheeks so soft. I cannot explain the softness. I really cannot. 

This is Flo's stash:

FACIAL SCRUB

The facial scrub was highly recommended by Dr Tan and the specialists there! Apparently it is soft enough to be used on a daily, twice a day basis and I was so excited cause I am usually extra careful with exfoliating since it might hurt my skin if I over exfoliate. After using this for two days, my skin is so super smooth. Literally like baby skin. I keep touching my cheeks after I wipe them dry with my towel, hahaha.

PORE

This is the product that is equivalent to the CF from DRx! Likewise, it helps to reduce and soften blackheads and whiteheads and it can reduce breakouts. After using CF, I knew I couldn't live without it. Texture wise, it's slightly thicker and more gel based than CF, which I'm so glad for cuz CF is soooo watery and it's super difficult to gauge the amount to pump out!! This one is much more manageable :) I just spread a thin layer over my forehead and down my nose and inner cheeks.

CLEAR

Dr Tan kindly gave me a sample of this. The brochure said it is an S.O.S treatment that can reduce redness and inflamed blemishes!! I was so excited to try this cause I had a huge cluster of pimples that was caused due to me trying to squeeze my clogged pores/bumps... Sigh, don't ever do that to your skin ok? I learnt my lesson :( I just apply a thin layer of this overnight (cause it is quite dark in colour), leave it to dry before applying a spot treatment on top of the pimples.

SPOT

I was excited to try this too! It is the pimple cream of IDS and the brochure claims that it can shrink pimples overnight??? GIVE ME ANYTHING THAT WILL FLATTEN PIMPLES OVERNIGHT! I had around 5 huge pimples on Monday, and now on Saturday, I only have one stubborn one left :) Plus it has BB-cream like base that makes me feel so much better when I look into the mirror at home cause my pimples will not look so red and obvious :)

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So far, we've only had the products for close to a week. No significant difference yet but Flo's stubborn clogged pores/bumps on the left side of forehead are pretty much gone. So we are gonna give it a try for a few more weeks :) 

We'll be back for another consultation with Dr Tan at the end of the month and we hope we'll be able to update some good news here then! Will definitely keep this space updated with any progress.

xx,

Flo & Pea ♡♡