My Top Skin Saving Exfoliator Treatments from Kate Somerville & Amore Pacific

My Top Exfoliators from Kate Somerville & Amore Pacific

I exfoliate once or twice a week to keep my skin smooth and clear. You need to exfoliate so your skincare products can absorb into the skin otherwise it's not as effective and your moisturizer will just sit on top of the skin. Having smooth skin also provides a better base for makeup. No matter what type of foundation you apply it will not look as good if your face is not smooth and clear. A part of my routine also includes using the Clarisonic cleansing brush every night to thoroughly remove all my makeup from the day. On the days I use these exfoliating treatments I don't use the Clarisonic and cleanse my face with my hands since it can be too harsh using both. Some people think Clarisonic is an exfoliator so there's no need to use another treatment but it doesn't remove the dead layer of skin like these treatments. It does a good job in thoroughly cleaning the skin of any makeup. Now let's get into the current exfoliating treatments I use.

Amore Pacific Treatment Enzyme Peel
(This is not in the original packaging because I emptied it when I was traveling)

I use this about once a week after I've cleansed my face and it's still wet. This is very different from your typical scrubbing exfoliator. It comes in a pale yellow powder form that activates with water. I pour about a quarter size amount in my palm and use my fingers to apply on my forehead, cheeks, nose, and chin. My fingers are already wet since I use this in the shower so there's no need to add water, a little bit turns this into a thick and foamy constancy. I gently massage the product all over for about 15 seconds and leave it on for another 30 seconds. After that I massage it again for another 15 seconds and wash it off. I have pretty sensitive skin but this is very gentle and does not sting at all. It has a natural soapy smell which is not strong. You can instantly feel the change in the texture of your skin. I follow up with my night time skin care moisturizers and the next morning my face is plump and really smooth.

Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Intensive Exfoliating Treatment

This is a pretty popular product and it's a scrubbing microbead exfoliator compared to Amore Pacific which is completely different in texture. The scent of this is pretty strong. I would described it as a mix of citrus and mint. The directions says to massage in circular motions and then leave it on for 2 minutes but my face is pretty sensitive so I scrub very gently for about 30 seconds and leave on for 1 minute then massage for another 10 seconds and wash it off. This does slightly sting when you first put it on but it fades. You have to be gentle when applying since it can be harsh if you massage with too much pressure. I find the results are not great immediately after rinsing off the product. I'm left with a gritty uneven surface to my skin which feels like it has raised my impurities to the surface. I tried leaving it on longer but it still does the same thing. I'm not sure if that's the result for others as well but after I've put on my nighttime skincare, the next morning my skin does feel smoother and brighter. I don't think this product is suitable for really sensitive skin though. They do have another option, a more gentle version that might be more suitable for me but I'll still be using up this one.

Kate Somerville Micro Glycolic Polisher

This saves my skin! Every few months I end up with irritated dry patches from seasonal weather changes and during winter when my skin is really dehydrated.  This also happens after any vacations that involves long flights since the air is so drying on airplanes. The micro glycolic polisher is a harsher chemical than the above two exfoliators. I use this after I've cleansed my face and I'm out of the shower. I let my face dry and use 4 pumps onto a cotton pad and wipe all over my face avoiding the eye area. It has a potent smell and can make the eyes water if it gets too close. It stings immediately on contact and varies with each use depending on the condition of your skin but fades after the first minute. I leave it on for about 10 minutes and rinse off. The directions say to leave on to 2-5 minutes so use your own judgement based on your own skin condition. The results after is glowing radiant skin and this greatly alleviates my dry patches or any irritated red spots.

Bridal Tip: Don't try any new exfolitors or treatments right before your wedding. Use something you know that works on you and do exfoliate the night before for smooth makeup application or two nights before if your skin gets red easily.

Marc Jacob Marvelous Mousse Transformative Oil- Free Foundation Review

This is the first product I've tried from the fairly new makeup Marc Jacobs Beauty line that launched late last year. I have this in number 14 Ivory Medium which matches my skin tone without a tan perfectly. I have fair skin with a yellow to neutral undertone and this foundation does not lean too yellow or pink. It also doesn't oxidize after initial wear. The texture is definitely not of a mousse but a cream to powder formula which is misleading due to the name of the product. 

The packaging is pretty and luxurious with a heavy glass jar but I think the product easily dries out even though it does have the white inner cap. Mine actually already has a cracked line which usually happens when a product is drying out.

This foundation does warm up and melt with the heat of your fingers when you swirled it around a few times. I apply this by taking what's melted on my fingers and dabbed it on my face sections at a time, then blend it with the real techniques face brush. I always use toner, serum, and moisturizer before any foundation routine since I have really dry skin but this initially looks too flat. It does sink in easily and feels light on the face but it accentuated my wrinkles and fine lines. I did not follow up with powder since the finish was powdery already. I don't think it's suitable for people with dry skin or more mature skin but it should work for normal to oilier skin types. 

The coverage is medium but buildable to full depending on how much product you use. I use a very little amount to cover my entire face so this should last awhile even though the amount of product is much less than a regular liquid foundation. This claims to be full coverage but on my T-zone, especially my nose where I have the most redness, it didn't cover smoothly and was patchy over my pores. Overall, this does wear better on me throughout the day since my natural oils make it less powdery looking. But the coverage on my nose is sub par. By the end of the day my t-zone was not oily so it lasted pretty well without the need to blot. 

Bottom line: This is a good foundation for normal to oily skin but not one I would use for special occasions or repurchase. The price is on the higher end at $55 and there are better options out there in that price range. I like the fact that it doesn't contain SPF so it's good for flash photography but this looks flat and dry when first applied. I find that it works much better when applied in sections at a time and blending immediately since it sets quickly. There is no strong scent to this so it's good for my sensitive skin. It would probably work better for me in the summer. As I mentioned it takes a few hours for it to look natural on my dry skin but it does hold up well for a full day at work. I've tried this with Korres Quercetin & Oak Antiaging Primer which is the most hydrating primer I have and it does help with the fine lines and gives a more natural finish but it's not worth the extra step in making this foundation work for me since I don't use primer daily.

Photo is after 3 hours of application: