I often get queries through email, asking me why I don’t write about certain popular skincare brands in the market. I thought I’d explain briefly why I don’t write about certain popular skincare brands. Other than the fact that my skincare regime now consists of quite low-end products, the simple reason is that I did not have a good experience with many of the major brands.
SK-II
SK-II (pronounced S-K-Two) is a luxury brand under the Max Factor and P&G umbrella. It is popularized in Asia through the use of Asian celebrities in advertisements who extol the virtues of the product, in particular “pitera” the wonder ingredient that keeps the skin smooth and young. The products come in the signature red/maroon packaging and are very expensive.
I used the SK-II range when it was first launched in Malaysia. I was using nearly all the products in the line and I liked it… until I started breaking out from it. I found that it was hard to go off the products without having your skin go crazy so I bit the bullet, let the skin go crazy and then it was fine after that.
I’ve never gone back to using SK-II and that is why I don’t write about it here.
La Mer
La Mer is the super expensive wonder cream that purportedly J.Lo uses all over her body. The cream is very thick and you have to “activate” it by rubbing it until it softens, then pat it on the skin.
I started with the La Mer Lotion which was pretty thick for a lotion. You use it the same way as the cream – warm in the palm of your hands then pat on your face. When I started using the product, I found an instant glow to the skin when applied. I kid you not. Everyone noticed it. This cream was supposedly discovered by a Nasa scientist who created it to heal his burns and I thought it was helping with my acne scars. Three quarters of the way through, my skin went totally nuts and started breaking out from the cream. Nothing I did would calm it until I stopped using the La Mer cream. RM600 saved!
Clinique
I had heard a lot about Clinique’s famous 3-step programme and their Dramatically Different Gel/Cream moisturiser and Total Turnaround cream that was supposed to turn your skin around and make it soft and smooth. I got my hands on samples, tested them, and had a major breakout.
Many people I know are fine with Clinique, finding it good for their skin and mild enough. I had a bad experience and so, I don’t dare go near the skin products any more.
Estee Lauder
I was using Estee Lauder skincare products for a while. I don’t think much of their cleansers in general, as I find them too harsh and drying. Their creams however, can be quite nice. I liked using the Daywear cream, as well as the Advanced Night Repair serum for the face and for the eyes.
I stopped using Estee Lauder because I moved onto other products and brands and I’ve never really looked back at them since. Partly its the pricetag and partly its the image.
I must confess that I actually like Estee Lauder lipsticks. They are pigmented and have a really nice smell. However they are now a little too pigmented for me as I’ve veered towards a sheerer lip look. Estee Lauder makeup in general is pretty ok too. I’ve been wanting to try their foundations as I’ve read some good things about them, but I just never got round to doing it.
Estee Lauder is a decent brand but it just doesn’t excite me much so I don’t write about it. That’s not to say I won’t ever write about it, I just haven’t.
So these are a few brands I’ve been asked about. As for some other brands, I just never got round to trying their skincare products because of costs or because they don’t excite me much. Are there other major brands that you wonder why I don’t write about? I might do a part 2 to this! :)
Looking forward to part 2. Can I share my experiences here too?
SKII:
I tried the Miracle Water once which lightened my wallet considerably but it didn’t do squat for me. My mum helpfully said “Why don’t you just use those traditional rice white powder you can get from any Chinese herbal shop? SKII also rice what?” Think I’ll give that a go.
Lamer:
The price tag is a major turn off. I did offered to get my mum a jar to try but the price tag turned her off too.
Clinique:
Their products just don’t work for me. The toner stings my skin. Their eyeshadow colours don’t come out. I do like the Happy perfume though. :)
Estee Lauder:
A lipstick from EL gave me a very bad rash and dried up my lip completely to the point where I was peeling like a reptile. Allergic reaction? Probably. But my mum SWEARS by Estee and her skin’s in really good condition.
I would like to try La Mer, but the price tag that comes with it is, unfortunately, out of my league. Hmm maybe I can try to snag some samples :p
Estee Lauder’s skincare has never worked for me. My skin breaks out everytime I use any of the products. Sigh.
I’d have to echo Tine on this – I’ve heard raves about La Mer, but their price tag makes my skin break out when I hear it… :O
I won’t go near Clinique in Malaysia thanks to the crappy customer service and inflated prices, so I’ll only pick some up when I go overseas (which is once in a blue moon)…Estee Lauder’s skin care range also gave me breakouts (although in their defense they have some lovely lippies).
FA: eeks! Sorry to hear EL lippies didn’t work for you. Their skincare is decent but as I said, I’m not terribly excited that’s all.
Tine: EL’s hit or miss – might be the fragrance. As for La Mer, I’d honestly tell you to save your money… but samples might be good.
Beetrice: Yeah after hearing about your Clinique experiences I’d stay far away too. I’d tell you the same thing I told Tine – save the La Mer money.
It’s great to hear your thoughts on LaMer and SKII. Those brands are so expensive that I’ve never bothered to try them. Someone told me once that SKII is banned in Canada. I think it was something about the chemicals being too strong! And I have enough vices, so I don’t need to be trying LaMer. I’ll save my money for a Celine handbag ;-D
As for Clinique, I used it in my college days. It really wasn’t very good as it was drying out my skin. I believe they use alcohol in their toner. I didn’t even realize how bad it was for my skin at the time until I switched to Dermalogica years later, and felt the difference.
I like EL lipsticks too! I find the face creams too rich for my skin. But do like the few makeup items I’ve tried from them!
How about brands like Paul & Joe, and GA? Would love to hear about those!
I’ve only used Clinique and good thing I don’t have to go through their SA’s as I buy it at the Duty free shop here in the Philippines. They’re not as clingy as the ones we have in department stores..and the good thing? It’s tax free! hehhee
I like it when you write about drugstore brands because it shows that you don’t really have to spend bonkers money to look good. I don’t comment much here but I sure read it and keep up with it.
I’ve only tried to stop reading your foodie posts because it’s agonising for me but I can’t keep away!
Monstro: Yeah I’d just get the handbag ;) El’s makeup underrated. Someday I should give them another look too. I have tried GA makeup and wasn’t blown away. Never tried Paul & Joe yet.
Nikki: That’s sneaky of you but hurrah for tax free!
Cheesey: That’s great to know because I like writing about low end stuff too! It always makes me happy to find something cheap and great.
I tried Estee Lauder and used Clinique for years but it didn’t dramatically change my skin, so I switch to ‘regular’ brand. I use Pond’s Age Miracle now and consider the price, I think it’s better than Clinique :P
FYI, I live in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Why not share with us your current skincare regime too? With the petrol price hike, some of us might need to find alternative products…
i’ve never tried La Mer. I’ve tried SKII before but I did not see any differences it does to my skin, so I stopped. For clinique, i love their happy perfume. and im currently using their colour surge lipstick in guava pink. i think the colour is quite nice.
for EL, i’ve used their doublewear duo lipcolour before and it was really good !! they colour stays put for hours and you have to use a strong makeup remover to remove the colour. and the colour was nice too. too bad it has been discontinued =(
Indira: I’m honoured you are reading this from Jakarta! Its always great to find readers from other parts of the world. I’ve heard good things about Ponds. I must give it a look too!
Jannie: Yes I plan to do that soon. Not everything that I use is low end, but there are a fair number now.
Finaz: I’m always wary of long lasting lipsticks. I don’t like the stained lip look. But thanks for your thoughts.
i use the SK II aqua source sample and i had a break out. la mer is toooooo expensive for me although i would really like to try them now. and i am using clinique now and quite in love with the products! :D
never tried SK-II either. I did go through a Clinique phase when i was a teen but don’t remember it being life-altering lol. in more recent times i’ve tried the Dramatically Different Gel and the Moisture Surge Extra gel, prefer the latter (and of course I HAD to prefer the more expensive one!) but both are great moisturizers for oily skin, if it doesn’t break you out, that is. i also have a tiny GWP bottle of the moisture surge spray which i keep at my desk in the office to spritz whenever my face feels really dehydrated. It’s all right, but honestly the Body Shop’s Vitamin E face mist moisturizes better and makes your skin really, really soft!
my mom used to use La Mer (which i thought was insane) but now she’s using Perricone (whose neuropeptide range is even more insane!!!) somehow i feel better about her using Perricone though… must the M.D. behind his name.
i have to agree about EL lipsticks too. i just tried on their Pure Color Crystal lippies the other day, and i loved them!! but i just can’t convince myself to spend RM75 on a lippie tho… in the first place i don’t really wear a lot of lipstick, and besides, i’ve got 6 MAC empties that i haven’t even traded in for my free lippie! first things first hehe
Hmmm… interesting read about why you don’t write about the brands above. :) I haven’t tried La Mer, SK-II or EL so I can’t comment on them except that I would love to get my hands on samples of their skincare!
And although Beetrice calls me the Clinique fan, I think I’m still on the fence as I haven’t found myself wildy raving about any one product of theirs. Hopefully that changes with the new samples I have! Hehehehe.
Prettybeautiful: I’m glad Clinique is working for you :)
Jooj: If anyone you know uses EL, their GWP lipsticks are good enough – that’s where I got most of mine ;)
Rinnah: Don’t you love samples? I was told though that Clinique is just too harsh for sensitive skin. I don’t have sensitive skin but even then I broke out which was awful.
I’m probably the only one who may have a different take on Creme De La Mer due to my own personal experiences. It has saved my skin and I’m yet to write about it but I actually have comparison photos which was pretty much the reason for my amazement. A product’s performance cannot really be judged solely on brand itself though. As much as I love CDLM, I do not think that everything from La Mer is good. If I could afford it, I’d get the CDLM (duh!), Cleansing Fluid and Refining Facial. The brand is definitely not for everyone and not everyone would react to it in the same way. But I think La Mer understands that because they actually have a return policy. If you have a problem with the product in the case of allergies, that is, you can actually return it to exchange for other products or worst case scenario, a rebate from the store. Many brands do not practice this in Malaysia. If you buy Lor De Vie from Dior and it causes an allergic reaction, that’s over a thousand bucks totally gone. La Mer is not a product that you should buy if it’s gonna burn a hole in your pocket though. It is after all targeted for the socialites. It had worked for many people so it doesn’t mean that it’s bad or not worth the money. Really depends on how it works for you. The very reason why there are sooo many brands out there.
Same goes for the other brands. I’ve come to know many people who have had their skin healed from using Clinique products, mostly those with acne problems. Personally, I’m not a huge fan of their products mainly because they do not cater to my needs but I do think few of their stuffs are quite nice such as the Turnaround 15-Mins Facial Mask and the Clarifying Lotion.
As for Estee and SK-II, I have never tried so I can’t comment much on their products.
I like the fact that you do reviews on low end products. Because I don’t have enough funds to buy some low end products, not to mention high end ones. Also, not all high end product will work as well as low end ones.
Lol…
You sound like you have quite sensitive skin Paris. Do you? I have tried all of these. I like La Mer and used to buy their stuff one stage but the price tag is a killer for sure. I never fancied SKII. I can’t remember what I tried. Think it was the mask. Wasn’t impressed. But recently my hairstylist has been talking about the Pitera so maybe I’ll give it a try…if I’m in the mood.
I have been using SKII for some time, perhaps more than 5 years. Just the basic stuff, cleanser, toner, miracle water & moisturizer. So far I’m quite happy with it, friends whom I’ve known for long time, but do not meet regularly will comment that I never aged. Newer friends will say I do not look my age. Probably that is the reason I am keeping them :-)