The Importance of Quality Skin Care Products with Lionesse


This post is brought to you by Lionesse Beauty but all opinions are my own. 

Hey guys! I've been getting several questions about my higher-end luxury skin care and a lot relating in the anti-aging & eyecare department so I thought of creating a post to share with you more on my thoughts on this and, especially now that I'm getting older, why it's so important to be using quality skin care products. Some of the main problems I've had with my skin due to age are dark circles and puffiness under the eye area and yes, a few wrinkles are starting to make their grand appearance. Continue reading to learn more about Lionesse Beauty and some of the products I've been using to fight back and prevent these common imperfections in our skin. But first, let's dive into why I choose quality over quantity every time when it comes to skin care products.  

1. Your skin is only as healthy as the products you apply.

While some popular products may have designer packaging and celebrity endorsements, it doesn’t mean that the ingredients are of any quality. These ingredients play a critical role and can range significantly. I really take the time to consider the ingredients that are in the products I"m applying to my skin. The reason? Because some lower cost options may list that they use some of the same ingredients as higher-end products, but it’s been found that many of the lower cost options dilute the ingredients or don’t use as much of the same ingredient. For example, there are two main types of ingredients found in skin care – Cosmetic Grade and Pharmaceutical Grade.  The latter of these two exceeds US quality standards and is also more highly refined, removing bacteria and impurities from the products. Your skin will benefit, both short and long-term, from using better ingredients. Looking like a million bucks is worth the extra pennies it may cost you. Think of it as a really good investment!

2. The amount of product used

Another factor that plays into using quality skin care products is how much product you actually need to use. When using genuine quality skin care products, you shouldn’t need to use an excess amount of products to get the results you’re looking for. In addition to the amount, you likely shouldn’t need to be using a massive collection of different products in your daily regiment. In which case, less is always more :) Using quality skin care products should allow you to use a minimal amount of product but produce quality results. When the products are created with quality ingredients that are truly beneficial, less product is needed to achieve results. 

3. Protection from damaging environmental agitators

Top quality moisturizers and body products help to seal your skin, both retaining important moisture and sealing out damaging particles and products that may be in the environment, like pollution, dust, even UVA, and UVB rays. Your skin is your defense system against foreign substances that can make you sick or cause irreversible damage to your body. Skin is nourished and strengthened by the products you apply, make sure you are protecting this natural barrier and promoting healthy skin for your long-term health. Don't forget to put on that sunscreen before leaving the house! Be mindful to not just protect the face but also the body as well. 

4. Help fight the looks of Aging

Keeping your skin sufficiently hydrated is key to keeping your skin looking young but more important, healthy.  Starting skin care at a young age helps to defy some of the aging effects on our skin. Don't fret if you haven't because it's always better late than never! Fine lines, wrinkles, age spots, sun damage, discoloration, dryness and problem skin, that can start as early as the late 20’s, can all be cared for with a dedicated skin care regiment. Quality products will help to alleviate some of the concerns about aging while nourishing and restoring your skin’s vitality.

 5. I'm all about confidence, baby!

Who else here agrees that first impressions matter? Within a matter of seconds after meeting someone new, they will make their first judgment about you. Skin care is important to help you give your very best first impression. Your skin’s appearance is a check to your general health. A radiant and healthy complexion mirrors the health of your body on the inside and reflects a healthy lifestyle. Nourishing your skin with quality products is just as important as taking vitamins, drinking water, eating healthy foods, and getting enough rest. The way you feel about yourself also projects onto others- if you are feeling great and looking good, your confidence will shine throughout!

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Speaking of lasting impressions, there's nothing worse when you have that big meeting in the morning and you wake up with the puffiest, darkest circles ever. But no need to fear: Lionesse is here! Roar! As I mentioned at the beginning of my post, these common imperfections are such a buzzkill, but look no further - I got your eyes covered with the Amber Collection by Lionesse Beauty, a beauty brand that brings you a range of skin care, hair care products and tools that are as diverse as your needs and as unique as your beauty. Eyes that sparkle are eyes without puffiness and dark circles. Let's take a deeper look at the three most favorite items within this collection:

1. Amber Eye Serum

This is the first product I apply out of the three. I love to use it thoroughly around the eye area, to get the full usage out the serum. You can instantly feel how much tighter the skin is where you apply the product and my skin around the eye area looked immediately more radiant as well. Definitely reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles with this soothing, light-weight serum. Formulated with Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) and Aloe, this serum will leave the skin surrounding your eyes looking younger and tighter. Apply a small amount of serum to the eye area and lightly dab until fully absorbed. For best results, use in combination with Lionesse Amber Eye Cream.

2. Amber Dark Circle Eye Cream

Once the eye serum is completely absorbed, I move onto this delight: this shimmery lightweight dark circle eye cream that is everything. I've been trying to find a cream that can really combat with my dark circles and voila! I finally met my match. Formulated with Vitamin A (Retinyl Palmitate), Vitamin E (Tocopheryl Acetate) and Caffeine, this light eye cream instantly reduces the appearance of dark circles and puffiness under the eye area for brighter, well-rested look. Apply to freshly cleansed skin. Gently apply Amber Dark Circle Eye Cream under eye area and massage until fully absorbed. For best results, use in combination with Lionesse Amber Eye Serum.

3. Amber New Age Syringe

I'm going, to be honest... when I first received this final and last product of the three, I was a little intimidated to use it! I think my exact words to my husband were, "Want to play 'Operation'?" Haha! But all kidding aside, the luxuriously wonderful New Age Syringe's properties will help you refine the look of wrinkles while moisturizing your skin. Formulated with Vitamin E (Tocopheryl Acetate), Hyaluronic Acid and Avocado Oil (Persea Gratissima Oil) this rich formula immediately reduces the look of deep wrinkles while moisturizing your skin with this innovative formulation and advanced application method. I've been applying it the edges of my eyes where I've obtained what I call my, "smiley wrinkles" from all the years of laughter! You can definitely see a major improvement and it's shed years off to my face! I literally look and feel like a young teenager again! Just apply to clean skin. Gently press the top of syringe down until product comes out and apply directly to wrinkle. If necessary, remove excess product with a cotton swab. 

Now before you come at me with how expensive these products may be, remember what I talked about in this post. When it comes to skincare, the earlier you start the better, ALWAYS quality over quantity, and yes, less is more when it comes to luxury skincare beauty products! Like I said, think of it as an investment, just like the quality pieces you choose to hang in your closet, it's the same concept with your skin! Let all those delicious, high-quality ingredients hang from your beautiful, radiant face! Which product are you most intrigued to try? Please leave your thoughts in the comment section down below. I can't wait to hear what your guys' thoughts on this skincare post! And as always, you can shop the beauty products featured in each individual blog post at the beginning or at the end of each post! Since this post is a little longer than my usual ones, I've also linked them in the middle of the article - that way you don't have to scroll as much to get to the links. Happy reading and happy skincare ya'll! Follow Lionesse® on Facebook and Instagram!  

LOVE & XX'S, 

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April Beauty Favorites

THIS POST IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY BOSCIA, AMOREPACIFIC, DIPTYQUE, GIVENCHY BEAUTY & LIPSTICK QUEEN BUT ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN.


Hey guys! I'm back this Sunday with the regular monthly blog post of my latest discoveries in the beauty world. Before Monday's I'm all about a little pampering and R&R with attention to skincare. Being partly Korean, my mother showed me the secrets very early on in life and I've been applying the same regiment to my skin for decades. We literally used to put on toner together and she'd literally show me how to 'tap' it in, rather than rubbing into the skin. One of the many different regiments she's shown me through the years. So into today's post, my beauty favorites are more focused on skincare rather than makeup. I tend to balance them within a post, dividing up each category with five products from each, but this month is a little less (2/5 is makeup) because my skin has been adapting to the changes of season and have been wearing much less makeup and not trying new items as much out. Hope you enjoy it! Continue reading to learn more about what my mom and I have used while hearing about bits and pieces of our skincare stories with us and where you can find these amazing beauty products!

APRIL BEAUTY FAVORITES

At boscia, plants are the secret to skincare success. They use ingredients rooted in nature: plant-to-bottle formulas that show results and feel even better. Good skin comes naturally because, in their world, beauty really does grow on trees. They are revolutionizing beauty routines around the globe with products that are made for play and meant to be shared—because your skin wants in on the fun! Formats that surprise and textures that move with you, bounce, and stretch… it’s all part of their plan to make skincare meet the modern world, with an attitude of exploration and excitement. Boscia keeps things clear with nothing to hide, because only good-for-you ingredients go into their products, with no harmful irritants or chemicals allowed. 

Essential to every product is boscia's signature botanical blend: an effective mix of jojoba leaf and willowherb. Jojoba leaf is a powerful antioxidant that helps to prevent free radical damage caused by pollution, UV rays, and other environmental irritants. Willowherb is a natural skin-calming botanical that helps to alleviate inflammation and redness. 

The original black mask and reigning fan favorite, Luminzing Black Mask is a peel-off mask powerhouse that unveils a post peel glow worth sharing. Chock-full of powerful antioxidants like activated charcoal and vitamin C, this powerfully detoxifying mask leaves your skin feeling flawlessly fresh and clean while helping to minimize the appearance of pores and enhance radiance. An innovative, powerful, mineral-rich mask infused with activated charcoal that peels off to reveal a brighter, more clarified complexion. I would give this mask a 5/5 rating. It's superb! 

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Steeped in centuries of Korean heritage, Amore Pacific has unearthed the extraordinary skin-health benefits of Asian botanicals, channeling these ingredients into luxurious, high-performance anti-aging skincare.

It carefully utilizes green tea cultivated from the Dolsongi Green Tea Garden; the first of the three green tea gardens that Amore Pacific owns and operates on Jeju Island off the South Coast of Korea. The green tea leaves are handpicked and naturally fermented in optimal conditions for 50 days. These fermented leaves are then transferred by tea masters and placed into "onggi's", traditional Korean earthware band buried in the earth, to age naturally for another 50 days. After 100 days of waiting and a 24-hours slow extraction process, Amore Pacific’s Vintage Single Extract Essence is perfected.

This anti-aging essence delivers the antioxidant power of Single Extract Formula™. Created using the patented Full Body Extraction™, it promotes prebiotics to prevent further signs of skin aging. Vintage Tea Leaf™, containing green tea’s precious substance catechin, works to improve the appearance of skin’s clarity, texture, and elasticity. My mother really stressed the importance of an excellent toner. It not only helps hydrate and tone the skin, but balances the skin's pH levels in general, giving it a clean, fresh start for any other regiments such as oils, serums, lotions and more! And this Single Extract Formula™ is the best toner I have tried in ages. 

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Enriched with real rose petals that provide continuous hydration, this quick-absorbing, non-greasy oil by Diptyque contains high concentrations of active ingredients. White iris oleate infusion smoothens and boosts radiances, sweet almond oil nourishes while rose petal provides the necessary hydration. Perfect for all skin types. In case of oily skin, use two drops of this oil before applying face cream or use a drop of oil blended with face cream in the morning and 3-4 drops for a relaxing face massage in the evening. What it does: It restores the skin's natural radiance, reinvigorates and smooths skin eliminating wrinkles and fine lines. How to use: Apply it to your face in a gentle upward and outward direction. For massage, warm it in the palm of your hand and apply on your face, massaging around eyes, and moving in upward motions around cheekbones, jawlines, and neck. I love face oils at night and I use a jade roller to massage in all the extra nutrients, so it can really absorb into my skin. The perfect kind of hydration for traveling on a plane. That dry air will suck the living life out of your face! And this one takes the cake, the scent alone is intoxiating. 

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A loose powder with a fusion of four complimentary, complexion-refining shades that together, create a made-to-measure, color-correcting finish. Get surreal skin perfection in four natural shades. Each color combination evens out the appearance of skin tone while enhancing radiance and keeping shine under the utmost control. Upon application, imperfections appear diminished and skin looks more even and porcelain in nature, with a lasting, radiant, matte finish. The formula and the pigments are treated with an exclusive, technological atomization process that creates a perfectly uniform and natural-looking result. I've been using the Givenchy Prisme Libre loose powder lately instead of a ton of foundation, because it's good to have the skin breathe from time to time, especially when you may have been wearing a lot more makeup than usual for photo shoots, events, etc. It naturally takes the redness out and keeps my skin radiant without having it look overdone. I love this mineral powder more than wi-fi honestly. LOL! 

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Emanating the free-spirited glamour of the '70s, Lipstick Queen's Blue By You Lipstick is a playful tribute to the lavish glitz of the decade, with a modern twist. Evolving the iconic transformer collection, luxe Blue By You is a soulful indigo blue that transforms into a metallic raspberry pink.

Enriched with Shea Butter, Mango Butter and antioxidant Vitamin E, lips are left soft and hydrated, while the sheer, shimmering finish provides easy-to-wear, comfortable, long-lasting color. Reminiscent and iridescent, Blue By You encourages us all to get out in the center of the dance floor and strut our stuff. Starting as a bold, soulful blue, the color transforms into a flattering, metallic raspberry pink that perfectly captures the medley of glistening magic within a disco ball, transforming you into a dancing queen in a swipe. 

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LOVE & XX'S,

MaQ + Suz blog

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Spring Clean Your Skin with Bioré


How many of you are a seasonal skincare user? Depending on where you live, those like myself on the East Coat go through all four, which can definitely alter our skin. In the warmer months, my combination skin tends to get oiler and during the colder months, my skin tends to be drier. So especially in between the seasons like springtime, I like to keep my skin care cleaning regiment thorough but gentle. Bioré® Skincare targets the root of all skin problems—the evil clogged pore. So when it comes to dirt and oil they take a no-nonsense approach to fight smarter, not harder. Our scrub, liquid, powder, strip, mask and bar cleansing products go straight to the source of those pesky pores for deeply clean, beautiful skin that’s ready for anything. Here are two of my latest favorite products from the brand. 

The Bioré® Self Heating One Minute Mask is a deep cleansing mask that heats up in just 60 seconds, never hardens, and rinses off clean! It’s infused with charcoal and purifies pores 2 1/2 times better than your basic cleansers. You can also add water to increase heating action times two, either way, I love how refreshing my skin feels right after. I absolutely love this mask because the heat opens up my pores to deeply purify my skin, not to mention it feels incredible! My skin felt super smooth and clean with just one mask. The individually packaged masks also make the product easy to travel with, but I just love the convenience of a time-saving mask that legit works. You can purchase the pack of 4 on Amazon for $5.82. Target, Walmart, and other retailers also carry it. :)

Bioré® Deep Cleansing Charcoal Pore Strips work like a magnet to instantly lock on to and lift out deep-down dirt, oil, and blackheads. In just 10 minutes, you'll remove weeks' worth of buildup, see 3x less oil and achieve your deepest clean. The pore strips are dermatologist-tested and remove weeks of build up from your pores - without the pain of removing some pore strips I have tried in the past. The pore strips are also individually packaged, and you get 6 of them in a box for $5.99 from Amazon or other retailers.

If you decide to give Bioré Deep Cleansing Charcoal Pore Strips and/or One Minute Self Heating Mask a try, I picked mine up on Amazon. You can buy them at major retailers such as Target, Walmart, Walgreens. etc. You can see distribution here. Have you ever tried Bioré products before? Unclog your pores! You can learn more about  Bioré on their website but follow them on Instagram and Facebook for news and tips!

LOVE & XX'S, 

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