Tag Archives: boscia

Boscia Bestsellers: Detoxifying Black Cleanser & Makeup-Breakup Cool Cleansing Oil

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Boscia is a line of preservative free skincare from Japan that is widely available through Sephora. While green beauty purists may argue that they’re not for those looking for completely clean lines (due to inclusion of ingredients such as silicones, PEGs, petrol derivatives, and some question chemicals), I consider it one of those mainstream brands similar to Ren/Jurlique/Aesop that does a decent job of keeping some of the things I don’t like out of their formulations.

I received a sample of some of their bestsellers from Sephora which happened to include two of their cleansers, the Detoxifying Black Cleanser and Makeup-Breakout Cool Cleansing Oil. I couldn’t wait to try these as I had a decent experience using their Purifying Cleansing Gel years ago. For those of you who are fans of the double-cleansing method (oil+cleanser), you’ll want to continue reading as this duo of the cleansing oil and detoxifying black gel cleanser seems to be made for pairing.

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Boscia Makeup-Breakup Cool Cleansing Oil ($26): There seems to be a new cleansing oil on the market every week and while we all have opinions about performance, I prefer for the cleansing oil to wash off clean. This oil does just that using emulsifiers that turn the oil milky upon contact with water. As a cleansing oil this works perfectly, it is wonderful at removing makeup and breaking up even the stubborn products. Upon washing, the oil turns into a milky fluid that slips off the skin making the entire process very gentle and uplifting. The scent is a light and subtle similar to Tatcha’s cleansing oil except with more of a spearmint fragrance. While I would never advise anyone use a cleansing oil as a standalone regular cleanser, it’s a wonderful step to get off all of the surface gunk before stepping into the shower to let your normal cleanser work more effectively. 

Boscia Detoxifying Black Cleanser ($28): This is the regular cleanser that is recommended for those with congested skin as it promises to deep clean and detoxify. How does it do this? First of all, the gel warms upon rubbing between hands, which end of the day is a neat gimmick but I don’t think it does a lot because it cools back down within 1 second. The black color is most likely the result of the charcoal (though as the 2nd last ingredient, not as much as I’d hoped for) which helps draw out and detoxify skin. Glycolic acid helps with congestion which should be of relief to enlarged pores. 

I enjoyed using this by itself on nights where I felt my skin needed that extra omph as the cleanser is VERY foamy which can dry out some more delicate skin types. When used after the cleansing oil, I felt they balanced each other well, with this foaming cleansing removing the little bit of excess left behind by the oil. I would say that this was perhaps too strong to be used every night especially alone unless your skin was REALLY out of control. I do think this is a good product for those who really need something heavy duty to tame their skin. I don’t think it has any skin benefiting ingredients which for more normal or sensitive skin is a shame because contrary to belief, although a cleanser isn’t on the skin for very long, the absorption rate can be exceptionally high for beneficial ingredients as the pores and skin is most receptive at this time. 

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This duo is perfect for the girl who doesn’t leave the house without makeup on as it effortlessly removes product and cleans. As an oil cleanser, I found the makeup-breakup cleansing oil met all of my expectations and I would not hesitate to recommend this to anyone looking for an oil cleanser in place of the traditional makeup remover. For the cleanser, I found the detoxifying black cleanser on the strong side which actually makes my skin more problematic (unbalanced sebum production due to stripped skin, irritation, etc.) but as a once a week product it worked well in my routine. Its striking charcoal color and instant warming are sure to be stand outs, but the lack of beneficial ingredients and difficulty to use regularly are disappointing. 

Have you used either cleansers from Boscia? Any questions or tips about double cleansing? Leave it in the comments!

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Sunday Brunch Makeup: Boscia BB Cream SPF 27 & Shiseido Bronzer

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I notice that on weekends when I typically meet friends for a casual brunch, I tend to do my most common beauty routine: casual made-up. Not so casual that I’m going out sans makeup, but not making an event out of it either. Today I decided to combine the Boscia BB Cream with Shiseido Bronzer.

The Boscia BB Cream is a “self-adjusting” cream that blends into the wearers skin tone. It comes with a decent SPF 27 PA++ Protection which is more than enough for going out for a bite during the fall/winter seasons. It is also oil-free which is good because most mainstream products that aren’t oil free, are using mineral oils or petrol derivatives and not the skin healthy botanical oils we love.

The BB Cream craze started in South Korea when actresses used it post-surgery to simultaneously cover scarring while healing skin. Since then, these creams have been adapted for mainstream audiences looking for a lighter, more natural feeling foundation that can also improve skin. I have to say though, no BB cream sold in the US is really a competition for the great Asian brands (such as Lioele Water Drop BB Cream, Missha, Etude, and Hanskin which are priced at Garnier price points but give results that beat those that cost 5 times as much). Boscia is a Japanese brand, so I thought maybe they could carry the Asian technology over using a slightly cleaner formulation that most of their Asian counterparts do not have. 

The formula is a PEG/Silicone powerhouse which is to be expected with most BB Creams. Upon wearing it the first couple of times I have to say that it did feel significantly lighter than wearing foundation but I noticed my skin tone was “off” it always looked a little orange and dark. It also isn’t as moisturizing as the packaging claimed so I have to put a lot of it on my skin.

The SPF 27 comes from Titanium Dioxide which isn’t everyone’s favorite (Zinc derivatives seem to be the preferred option). The back also says it diminishes the appearance of pores which I did not find to be true – it honestly didn’t seem to do anything for them, but because there was not hydration, pores tend to end up looking  slightly larger.

I don’t think I will repurchase this again, but if you’d like to try, it is available at Sephora for $38.

 

The Shiseido Bronzer is actually a very under the radar product from the beauty brand known for its complexion products. I was surprised to discover it as I was looking for a subtle, natural bronzer that wouldn’t look obvious, streaky, or orange. I decided to give Shiseido a try not only due to great reviews online but also because despite my apathy for their skincare products, Shiseido is renowned for their light makeup. 

The Bronzer comes with its own brush but honestly, don’t bother with it – it is way too thin and small to be used seriously, I think of it more as a bonus travel tool in case you can’t pack another brush (I apply mine with the Sigma F15 Brush). I found the pigment to be significant but VERY blendable and natural. It is that perfect balance between naturally subtle and effective to give you that fresh golden glow as though you just came back from a vacation. There are 3 shades to choose from, I use Shade 2, they recommend Shade 2 for most people unless you’re at either ends of the spectrum. There is no shimmer to this formula which was a big deal for me as a lot tend to sparkle under natural light for what ever reason. 

I was so surprised at how light this bronzer felt, it doesn’t add any weight to my face at all but it does give an instant glow and smoothing effect to my face. I don’t even need to use a finishing powder because this is enough to give that nice polish. I cannot say enough good things about this product – it isn’t clean but the performance is just amazing. It stays on all day, doesn’t oxidize, isn’t orange, does not impact skin hydration, and looks natural. One piece of advice is that because it is so buildable but subtle, don’t keep applying until you see a difference, start with a light touch and then view yourself from a distance. You’ll notice the true natural sun-kissed effect better that way. Surprisingly, this product isn’t available at Neiman Marcus, but it is sold from our higher end sister-store, Bergdorf Goodman for $35, which isn’t cheap but is right in line with similar offerings from Laura Mercier, Stila, Lancome. In terms of performance, I’ve been using this bronzer more than the more expensive bronzers I have from Chantecaille and Le Metier Beaute.