My new favorite mask - tarte Tight & Bright Clay Multi-Mask

I absolutely love this new mask! Had been eyeing this for quite a while & tried to wait for it...wait for it...and I just had to get it! Reviews were good and their ingredients are always decent so I took advantage of my recent Sephora discount and bought it.

Here's the product description:

Get a custom at-home facial with two targeted formulas that work in total harmony to treat your skin’s specific troubles zone by zone. Both formulas feature tarte’s iconic Amazonian clay to restore a gentle skin balance.

Purple Detoxifying & Purifying Exfoliating Mask is perfect for the oily T-zone, this shine control mask helps tighten pores and detox your skin from the day’s pollutants. Amazonian clay works as a natural purifier to treat blemishes and blackheads. Gentle micro-exfoliants polish away dead skin cells to treat flakes and uneven skin tone without over drying.

Gold Hydrating & Firming Gel Mask is ideal for dry or delicate areas like the cheeks and under the eyes. This hydrating and brightening treatment also helps calm redness and inflammation. Amazonian clay boosts clarity and circulation, while hyaluronic acid restores your skin’s natural moisture balance for a supple, soft, and energized look. 

Suggested Usage:
-Apply the purple clay mask wherever you want to tighten pores and minimize shine 
-Apply the gold gel mask wherever you want to hydrate and brighten dry or dull areas.

To apply each mask:
-Apply to clean, dry skin and leave on for 10 to 20 minutes. 
-Rinse well to remove.

It is a great product but doesn't really have the best instruction. I guess tarte wanted to make "multi-masking" a selling point, but I'd rather not put 2 masks on at the same time.  I actually like them separately because the purple/lavender part is a great for exfoliation. I would put them onto my nose, forehead and cheeks, wait until the product is dried (much quicker than the recommended 10-20 mins) then add a bit of warm water to exfoliate using circular motions. Not sure why the instructions did not suggest that neither.

Then apply the gold part onto your face. I'd definitely want my full face to get the benefits of hydration and firming so that's why I'd use them separately. Again, wash off the mask once it's dried and don't just wait 10-20 mins like the instruction said...you don't want it to dry out your skin. Rinse with warm water. On my first use I got clearer pores, smoother and 
firmer skin! Love it! tarte does not disappoint again!

Sunday Workout

Thanks to 2 weeks of biking (6 out of 7 days), these workouts became "brick" (bike + run) trainings, and I was able to run with more consistent pace and improve my time  - full 1 min for 5K and 2 mins for 10K!

Sunday's workout: 10K Central Park Outer Loop. Partly sunny, 70F, very comfortable. I went counter clockwise on the loop.

The elevations on the path passing Harlem Hill and the west side of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir are quite a workout! I read about it before running and I was up for that challenge. Before I got to E 102nd St Transverse (an alternative path to climbing the hill), two joggers were deciding to go further up to take the hill or reroute to the flat transverse.  "We're not going up that hill today" one said.  At that moment I did have a second thought about going up there. Anyway, I went.  At first, it was a long, S-shape, downhill path that was very smooth and comfortable. Then it comes to the steep, steep, uphill.  Luckily, there were a few runners there and they kept me motivated to keep going. After that it was a slight descend, I was able to catch a breath until the second hill next to JKO Reservoir struck me!

Then I forgot how many little hills I climbed, but around 84th street, the path was flat and slightly descended again.

I was glad that I did it.  It was an enjoyable workout and the scenes were great. Variations made the workout more challenging but effective. I am eager to do this again!

Now time for the usual skincare regimen!

My New Facial Cleanser pt. 2

After introducing my new facial soap yesterday from Cle' de Peau,  I would like to share with you my favorite exfoliating system - the OLAY Professional PROX series.  

I have been struggling with blackhead since I was a teenager and tried different brands (probably more than 20 pharmacy/luxury brands) to get rid of blackhead with not so much success.  I've also tried the nose strip, nose peeling mask, nose masks that claimed to 'melt' blackheads, small electrical scrubber, nose exfoliating pad, you name it etc.  I've had enough of trying for the first few times and say, "I think I finally found something that works!" and then didn't work so much afterwards.  The nose strips are probably works best for sticking blackheads and peeling off, but too much peeling make your pores look bigger.  After hearing about the hypes on professional scrubbing tool - I wanted to give it a try, but even the reviews were great, I hesitated to invest in this. Until maybe last year, I saw OLAY PROX professional cleaning system in a pharmacy and it's only $30 retail, I thought it's worth trying.  

As you might have read from a reputable publisher - effects of OLAY's anti-aging cream is comparable to those that sell for $200+. Although I had not tried the ant-aging cream, but this little scrubber does look simple to use and works gentle on your face.  All you'll need is two AA batteries (included) and an exfoliating scrub (sample size included). The scrub has two speeds, I like to use the fast one on my nose, cheek and chin area; but for forehead and outer areas of eyes, I use the slower movement and scrub gently.  I love the result - and the good thing about this product is that you can bring it to your oversea travels as well since it uses batteries.

After using it, I recommend using a hydrating mask as a follow up - after scrubbing off some skin cell, it's good idea to replenish the skin with some moist as the layer gets thinner, and when you skin is clean it absorbs the benefits of skincare the best. 

Now I use it in conjunction with my new facial soap, my skin stays smooth all the time.  

Happy Scrubbing!

Source: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0043OYFKU/ref=oh_o00_s00_i00_details 

My New Facial Cleanser

After trying numerous of facial cleanser brands, I finally found one that I am really satisfied with - Cle' de Peau Synactif face soap. It successfully remove a lot of dirt, oil and dead skin cell on my face, is extremely mild and makes my skin feels smooth after rinsing. In the other brands I've used in the past, some were good and some were average - most of the time I liked it in the beginning and felt like it didn't work as much as I expected after few weeks.  I've been using the sample of the soap for a few weeks from my best friend, and I love it! It is a little pricey after all but I thought it is worth trying. 

If you're not familiar with this brand, it is the luxury brand product of the Shiseido brands, which you might have heard of. It is a reputable company and the products work on sensitive skin like mine.

For someone with visible pores like me, having clogged pores or blackheads is a big concern, this face soap is great for cleaning some of those nicely. For deep exfoliation, I will  share some tricks in my upcoming post.  Stay tuned :)