I was quite intrigued by this colour while browsing Picture Polish’s website. “Pooh” is described as a “honey mustard holographic nail polish with holo flakes and will dry smooth on nails.” Kelli Marissa describes it as a “pretty ugly” colour. I like the colour mustard (hate the taste of the condiment itself), love holo, so I thought why not give this shade of polish a go? I tried it on right away shortly after receiving it in the mail, I just had to kill my curiosity with this colour!
“Pooh” in natural light
“Pooh” with flash
Base Coat: Mystery base I picked up from a shop – it’s a transparent green base?
Colour: Picture Polish “Pooh”
Top Coat: Holo Taco Glossy Top Coat
I needed about 3 coats to cover some nail line but it is still not fully opaque on me – could be that my nails are longer than what the recommended coating is. The first coat was quite questionable because I couldn’t help but feel like my nails looked like they had an infection. But as the coats layered, it looked a lot better.
The colour is indeed a honey mustard yellow and the holo does show through in certain lighting. I’ve sent these photos to a few friends, and got a few opinions
A happy yellow, but not one that seems wearable on skin with yellow undertone.
My opinion: I like it the more I stare at it, but then sometimes I reconsider. I’m just very confused how to feel lol. It could very well be that I like the colour, just not on me! Perhaps I’d prefer a pastel mustard. Or maybe it’s more of a summery shade. Who knows. All I know is that Picture Polish’s “Pooh” nail polish is making me feel all sorts of ways!
My last skin update back in the summer 2020, I was using 0.04% Retin-A Micro for 1 month, and started taking Spironolactone. Since then, I have done 3 professional microneedling sessions for my acne scars, got prescribed the highest strength of Tretinoin, and have experienced a few side effects from Spironolactone.
For further context, please check out previous posts!
As mentioned in my previous skin update, I noticed a huge improvement in acne control since upgrading to 0.04% Tretinoin from 0.3% Adapalene. A lingering pimple on my cheek finally disappeared, if I breakout, it’s not as inflamed and disappears very quickly. I’m now at the highest strength of 0.1% Tretinoin, and I did find my skin breaking out a bit from using it daily, so I cut back to using it 4-5 days of the week and it seems to be the sweet spot for my skin needs. Overall using topical prescriptions Retin-A Micro and Aczone have really boosted the clarity of my skin and I’ve been really happy with the results!
For Spironolactone, I experienced some annoying side effects the first 3 months of taking 4 tablets of 25mg. I was very dizzy for around two weeks, to the point where I had a few close calls of fainting. The second most annoying side effect was spotting. I’m not talking one week (which did happen), I’m talking an entire month. AN ENTIRE MONTH OF SPOTTING! I really wanted to give up at this point lol. However I stuck through it for 3 months, got my blood tests done (all good), and have currently found my sweet spot dose of 2 tablets daily. I noticed when I tried to go down to 1 tablet and I carb cycled that week, I would get breakouts – albeit not as large or inflamed as they used to be! With 2 tablets I notice I rarely break out and my skin has not felt uncomfortably inflamed from active acne in a long time! Overall Spironolactone is helpful at controlling breakouts particularly when I have too much carby foods, but other than that my skin seems well controlled with my regular eating habits plus the use of Retin-A Micro and Aczone.
SCARS – Microneedling Treatments
Yes, I FINALLY got professional microneedling done! I did all 3 sessions and plan on writing up a separate post on what both the medical esthetician and I have noticed prior to the treatment.
For those of you who have read previous skin updates, I mentioned that I would be getting treatments at my dermatologist’s office. However I went with the medical esthetician who’s certified in microneedling because I know her personally, and she has been in this profession as an educator and consultant for decades. Having said that, it also didn’t cost me $1525, but I saved up expecting to pay a high amount either way!
PLAN OF ACTION
Continue taking 50mg of Spironolactone – I have been thinking of discontinuing because I know how my eating habits effect my breakouts, this has just been a bandaid for my indulgences.
Use 0.1% Tretinoin forever – Seriously, I have the peak of its strength, my acne is under control, and all I can do at this point is be patient and consistent for well aging benefits.
Still apply Aczone (5% Dapsone) day and night – I’ve noticed this year using it consistently has greatly contributed to my acne control. So if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Since I have completed 3 sessions of microneedling, I was told to wait 8 months to do more if needed. In the meantime, I can do other treatments (not like I can anymore).
And that’s it for this update! It’s probably the quickest one I’ve ever done, but I guess that’s a good thing – less things to complain about and pay attention to lol. I have to say, with a shit show of a year 2020 has been, at least I’ve come to the point where I am quite content with my skin – at age 30!
When I was first notified of La Roche Posay’s reformulation of their Anthelios Ultra-Fluid Lotion SPF60, my first thought was, “IS IT THE SAME AS SHAKA FLUID!?!?!?”
In short, LRP Canada on their Instagram informed me it was the same formula. I looked at both ingredients list, and there is a difference between the two, so it’s not 100% the same. In addition, I discovered the PPD is not the same either, so don’t expect this to be like Shaka Fluid’s PPD 46 that I originally thought despite the slight differences.
Either way, I have got a good feel of the new La Roche Posay Anthelios Ultra-Fluid Lotion SPF50+ and am ready to share my thoughts! I have also compared its ingredients list to the Shaka Fluid if you’re like me and were interested in the similarities and differences.
Information on La Roche Posay Anthelios Ultra-Fluid Lotion SPF50+
High UVA-UVB protection with an invisible finish. A unique combination of invisible yet ultra-resistant protection developed for sensitive skin. – Shoppers Drug Mart.
Uvinul T 150 is not a regulated UV filter in Canada, so thatâs why we see Homosalate and Ensulizole in our ingredient list instead as extra UVB filters. Aside from Uvinul T 150, I do not understand why Mexoryl SX is not in our formula and we could not have the additional emollient ingredient. But then again, Iâm not a chemist, and cannot assume we can have it all âcookedâ together.
As shown in the first screenshot, La Roche Posay Canadaâs Instagram stated this is the same formula as Shaka Fluid, it is just named differently here. However after comparing the ingredients list, this is incorrect. I don’t blame the Social Media Manager not knowing, their job is to mostly know the Canadian products. I also emailed LRP Canada’s customer service to ask further about this sunscreen compared to the Shaka Fluid and received no answer (this was months ago). After doing the digging myself with the ingredients and filters, it is clear it is not the same formula, but it is pretty dang close! I still can’t help but feel a little disappointed the Canadian formula doesn’t have Mexoryl SX though, it’s in Ombrelle’s sunscreens (a Canadian sunscreen brand that also uses the patented Mexoryl UV filers).
In the next screenhot, LRPCa provided the PPD of their new Anthelios Ultra-Fluid Lotion SPF50+ is 35. This makes sense, considering we don’t have the additional high-protection UVA filter Mexoryl SX. This blog post by a French independent lab however tested the rating of the Shaka Fluid. Their test results showed that the Shaka Fluid’s PPD was a 27! Everything just becomes more confusing, doesn’t it? Either way, PPD of 27 or 35 is still better than 16, and my experience with the La Roche Posay Anthelios Ultra-Fluid Lotion was overall a very positive one!
My Experience with La Roche Posay Anthelios Ultra-Fluid Lotion SPF50+
PACKAGING: Opaque white plastic bottle, twist off cap with a small spout.
CONSISTENCY: Thin fluid.
FRAGRANCE: None.
APPLICATION: Slides on very easily with a light touch.
FINISH: Glowy.
FEEL: Emollient, like my skin has a moisturizer on it.
STINGS EYES? Surprisingly, it does not!
WHITECAST / TINTED? No, there are no mineral UV filters that could potentially leave a cast. In addition, the Silica, a white powdery substance, is not leaving a white streaky film.
WATER RESISTANT? Yes – 80 minutes.
SKIN BENEFITS? This has denat. alcohol in the formula, but the sunsreen still manages to add extra moisture to my skin. I have actually managed to wear this without moisturizer in the summer! In winter, this has worn fairly comfortably throughout the day, but I do gravitate to “greasier” sunscreens to avoid any dry feeling all together.
UNDER MAKEUP: Does not add or subtract to longevity for my drier skin type.
Final Thoughts on La Roche Posay Anthelios Ultra-Fluid Lotion SPF50+
PROS:
High protection – SPF50+ PPD 35
Easy to apply the 2mg/cm2
Feels light
Can wear it as a moisturizing SPF in the summer
This does not sting my eyes
CONS:
Sometimes stings my skin if I used an active that impaired my skin a little bit (eg. too much chemical exfoliation)
IN-BETWEEN FEELS
Bit pricey per ml, but it’s a sunscreen I would wear everyday if I didn’t have such a collection of SPF đ
Sometimes I look too glowy, borderline oily in the summer time
I don’t expect the social media manager to know everything about their products, but I wouldn’t go telling customers that it’s the same formula as the Shaka Fluid in Europe
The La Roche Posay Anthelios Ultra-Fluid Lotion SPF50+ definitely knocks my other high protecting sunscreen out of the park when it comes to cosmetic elegance. I went through a bottle of this no problem in the summer without issues. Also the fact that I’m able to wear this without moisturizer underneath just amazes me (in the summer). Overall, the La Roche Posay Anthelios Ultra-Fluid Lotion SPF50+ is great despite the price point and it’s in my top favourite sunscreens so far.
*This is an affiliate link. If you click on this link and make a purchase, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you so much if you decide to use it! If you feel uncomfortable, feel free to google a new link.
As, always I hope you found this post helpful and informative!
I’ve always heard great things about Neogen, particularly their foaming cleansers and toning pads. StyleKorean sent a generous PR package of their Probiotic Collection to test out and review! I have been rotating all the products in my skincare routine for almost a month now, and I’m ready to share my experience with you all.
PR Samples sent for review purposes. This in no way effects my opinion of the products. My reviews are honest, always *casts doe patronus* Disclosure
ABOUT NEOGEN PROBIOTICS COLLECTION
The Neogen Probiotics Collection contains a variety of products that include fermented ingredients such as Streptococcus Thermophilus Ferment, Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate and/or Bifida Ferment Lysate. The primary goal is to build a strong skin barrier and aid our skin’s microbiome. Building and maintaining our skin barrier is crucial to skin health, for a weakened barrier is a common denominator in many skin concerns – for myself, that would be my acne-prone, dry skin!
While inspecting all the ingredients list, my eyes kinda wanted to pop out of my skull, for they are jacked with some good stuff! I gathered the lists from multiple online retailers and cross-referenced all 7 in a google document to see which ingredients are shared to avoid repeating myself throughout the post. Sorry if it’s not 100% accurate, I did my best to re-check everything.
All 7 have these shared ingredients: Streptococcus Thermophilus Ferment, one or more type of Ceramide, Cholesterol, Phospholipids, and Hyaluronic Acid and/or its derivatives.
After scouring all 7 ingredients lists, I’m kind of stunned. Were Neogen skincare products always this loaded!?!? As you can imagine, I was pretty excited to get all the lotions and potions on my face.
The products in the Neogen Probiotics Collection more or less aim to do the same thing – short term add extra moisture to the skin and offer a bit of brightness, long term strengthen skin’s barrier. What it comes down to is your choice of vehicle – what kind of product do you like best and/or will suit your routine? Below I provide the amount of the fermented ingredients in each product and my general experience.
The Neogen Probiotics Youth Repair Mist is a bi-phase mist that contains 5% oil, and 95% water. I am quite in awe of the mister, for I have never used one that delivered such a soft mist to the skin! I generously sprayed this on my face when it was feeling VERY dry (tight feeling and void of moisture kinda dry) and surprisingly my face did feel more comfortable, and the feeling lasted until I had to do my nighttime skincare routine. I guess I was surprised it actually helped because the mist is so light and feels like nothing on the skin. I did notice a bit of a shimmer from it, which I’m personally wary of since I don’t want to use anything to emphasize my textured skin. I also tried this mist over makeup and it did not disrupt the wear – again the mist is quite fine so that concern never crossed my mind.
This is my second time ever trying toning pads, the first time trying Neogen ones, and I have to say, they suit my routine well! In the morning I usually wipe my face with a hydrating toner using a cotton round, so Neogen’s Probiotic Relief Toning Pads just put the 2 things I need in one packaging. They’re all nicely saturated and the jar is even filled halfway with serum, I also like that it comes with a little clip to grab a round!
For some reason I was so surprised to see a thick milky texture in the sheet mask’s package – I usually tend to go for the clear, light looking serum sheet masks so I wasn’t sure how this would feel. The mask itself was very round and the slits were only on the nose and cheeks – it would’ve been more useful if there were more for the jaw area, because it kept peeling off for me. After 15 minutes my face looked great – really smooth-looking, bright, pores looked smaller, and my skin felt very well conditioned.
Very light lotiony texture, I can’t recall using another milky product like this. I usually go for hydrating products like this mostly because of the size – way more than you’d get in an average size serum and still similar ingredients, so I can use a more generous amount all over my face and neck. It did not set as thick as I thought it would and it felt quite pleasant.
I personally do not see the need for 2 separate serums. Both of them have the same three fermented ingredients at different concentrations, the Peptides, Allantoin, Betaine, Hyaluronic Acid, Ceramide, Cholesterol… there are some minor differences in the formula that make one seem thicker over the other. I guess it’s just to have options if you buy one of the Probiotics products. The textures are both lighter than the emulsion, but one offers more ferment. I find with this type of formula, I’m more likely to incorporate it when layering various hydrators in my routine.
Neogen’s Probiotics Youth Repair Cream is formulated with the most ferment filtrate out of the two moisturizers in the collection and the richer texture of the two. I like how emollient the finish feels on this one and it does feel like it satisfies my skin’s moisture levels a bit more. It’s not on the same level as my current go-to, but I noticed this moisturizer was all I needed when I used a sheet mask prior! Other times I paired it with an occlusive over top since it is winter now and I did not want to risk feeling too dry in the morning.
The lighter cream of the two offered, and the one with the least amount of ferment. Not a bad thing, sometimes it’s nice to have a simpler product in the collection! For my dryer skin, it’s something I would use like a hydrator before my actual moisturizer. It leaves a light hydrating layer on my skin and does not feel heavy with emollience.
FINAL THOUGHTS ON THE NEOGEN PROBIOTICS COLLECTION
This is my first time trying any products from Neogen, and it definitely did not disappoint! While including their various Probiotics products in my routine, I noticed my skin looked instantly smooth, felt comfortably moisturized in this dry weather, kept my complexion bright and even, never irritated my skin, and layered well with other items in my skincare routine. I know the star is supposed to be the fermented ingredients, but frankly it’s hard to give credit to just the them for doing the heavy lifting when there are many other great ingredients included that help with strengthening the skin barrier. Having said that, in my personal experience, essences I have used with high concentrations of a ferment have proven its benefits – brighten, hydrate, and soften skin, and creating an even complexion. Also note just because some have small amounts of the fermented ingredients, doesn’t mean they are not doing anything – not all ingredients only perform well at high concentrations! So seeing fermented ingredients combined with a bunch of other all-star ingredients – I ain’t mad.
The one con that spans across all of them except the Double Action Serum – the fragrance. It is an artificial, bubble gum scent that is not a light, soft smell like cotton candy, but a deeper smell (A for effort with fragrance description). While it does not tend to linger, it is still at times headache inducing. The Double Action Serum uses essential oils; It is very light, the least offensive of the bunch and I find it very pleasant. Headaches did not happen with every use but I was more cognizant of how many products in the collection I was using at a time just to make sure I did not overwhelm myself.
Overall I am really happy I got a chance to experience what the hype was behind Neogen and try out the Dermalogy Probiotics Collection! I was able to work in every product in my routine and enjoyed using them.
*This is an affiliate link. If you use this link to make a purchase, I earn a small commission at no extra charge to you. Thank you if you decide to use it! If you feel uncomfortable, feel free to google a new link.
If you made it this far in this post, bless your heart, and I hope you found the review helpful and informative.
I’ve never tried any Neogen skincare before, so I was very excited when a sunscreen was included in a generous PR package StyleKorean sent over! With all the hype around this brand, I did have an expectation for Neogen’s Dermalogy Probiotics Relief Sun Essence – that it would be a cosmetically elegant sunscreen with a ton of skin-beneficial ingredients!
PR Sample sent for review purposes. This in no way effects my opinion of the products. My reviews are honest, always *casts doe patronus* Disclosure
ABOUT NEOGEN PROBIOTICS RELIEF SUN ESSENCE
Ditch greasy sunscreens for this water-based, gel type formula that fends off UVA & UVB rays with powerful SPF50+ PA++++ protection. Specially formulated to fight signs of aging, this sun essence is infused with superprobiotics to restore skinâs elasticity while three types of hyaluronic acid as well as milk protein extract offer long-lasting moisture.
Neogen Probiotics Relief Sun Essence has several types of ferments in the formula at unknown concentrations – Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Streptococcus Thermophilus Ferment. Fermented ingredients claim to help strengthen the skin’s barrier by increasing its moisture levels, while offering a brightening effect and softening the skin. In my personal experience using essences with a high concentration of ferments, I find the claims to be true! Considering the Neogen Probiotics collection is all about strengthening the skin barrier, it only makes sense to include these types of ingredients in sunscreen, the ultimate barrier!
There are also molecules that are naturally found in our skin also part of this formula:
Glycerin, Hyaluronic Acid (there are also its derivatives) are humectants that are part of our natural moisturizing factors
Adenosine – helps with wound-healing and barrier repair, is also anti-inflammatory
Sugar molecules are also included which act as humectants – Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitol, Glucose.
MY EXPERIENCE WITH NEOGEN PROBIOTICS RELIEF SUN ESSENCE
CONSISTENCY: Gel-cream.
FRAGRANCE: Artificial sweet smell.
APPLICATION: Glides on very easily all over face and neck without issue. It almost looks like it takes on a gel form
FINISH: Glowy, it looks like there are small particles in the sunscreen that adds to the glow.
FEEL: Sometimes it stings a bit after application. Slightly greasy for initial feel, but it sets to a slight tacky finish.
STINGS EYES? Yes.
WHITECAST / TINTED? No, it does not contain any mineral filters or Tinosorb M, and it does not have an ingredient that creates a powdery film on the skin.
WATER-RESISTANT? No.
SKIN BENEFITS? Adds extra moisture to my skin.
UNDER MAKEUP: Does not add or subtract to longevity. On my drier skin type it sets to a tacky finish and I don’t produce a lot of oils or sweat.
FINAL THOUGHTS ON NEOGEN PROBIOTICS RELIEF SUN ESSENCE
PROS:
High protection – SPF50+ PA++++
Easy to apply the 2mg/cm2
Feels light
Moisturizing
CONS:
Stings my eyes
Fragrance is strong
IN-BETWEEN FEELS:
The shimmer – I like that they’re not glittery chunks but it also looks a bit much on the skin, especially with the amount needed to reach the protection as indicated on the label. I’m more wary of this because I have visibly textured skin, but I can see those with less texture and/or wear medium coverage foundations like this and not have a problem with it.
The Neogen Dermalogy Probiotics Relief Sun Essence is a cosmetically elegant formula – no surprises here! Shame it stings my eyes, I’m not a fan of going in with a separate SPF on my eyes purely out of slight inconvenience. Also I really wish they didn’t add shimmer particles in it, it seems like it could’ve been glowy all on its own! For those of you who wear foundation more frequently and like using a luminous primer, you may be able to eliminate that step with just this sunscreen.
*This is an affiliate link. If you use this link to make a purchase, I earn a small commission at no extra charge to you. Thank you if you decide to use it! If you feel uncomfortable, feel free to google a new link.
As, always I hope you found this post helpful and informative!
