pur~lisse Skincare | Beauty Through Asian Wisdom

Grandmas are the best. Mama (as I lovingly called mine) was my first ever beauty influencer. I remember playing with her makeup stash in my pre-tween years (circa 80s). It is from her that I learned about dressing and looking presentable regardless where I was going. She attended every school function I had, so much so that she became sort of a "personality", everyone called her mama! She had a healing touch, every time I was sick, I only want her around me. Mama played a significant role in my life and I believe up to this point in my life, she's still watching over me. It has been 20 years since her passing but memories of her remain vivid in my heart. Quite a melancholic intro but I know that many of you can relate!

pr samples

Grandmas are awesome, I repeat. Case in point, Hollywood actress and pur~lisse creator Jen Yen turned to her grandma's beautiful skin for inspiration and incorporated advanced French skin technology. The result: her vision of starting a line  that's simple, safe and effective. "Our proprietary Lotus Lupine 5 complex is a true revolution in anti-aging. By combining Blue Lotus, White Tea, Lupine Peptides, Soy Proteins, Seasilk, pur~lisse protects against aging and delivers healthy, glowing skin without harsh ingredients such as parabens, petrochemicals, synthetic color/fragrance, GMOs, sulfates and phthalates" states Jen.

pur~lisse BB ($32, 40ml/1.4 oz, made in Korea) is a tinted moisturizer with SPF 30. If you prefer minimal coverage with dewy finish, I think you will like this ultra lightweight BB cream. It is fragrance-free and indicated for all skin types. Available in 3 shades (light, medium, deep), it features herb extracts such as chamomile and artemisia (known to soothe skin) and sugar maple (retains moisture). On my medium skin tone, you can see from the before/after photo that it was able to cover some redness and blur pores (it has dimethicone and cyclopentasiloxane, both silicone-based which act as filler vis-a-vis delivery agent to make the product spreadable; although this product is marketed for all skin types, note that some may react to silicone hence, proceed with caution).

active ingredients: Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate 6.5%, Titanium Dioxide 4.24%, Zinc Oxide 3.5%
ingredients: Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Titanium Dioxide, Butylene Glycol, Zinc Oxide, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Dimethicone, Sodium Chloride, Iron Oxide (CI 77492), Beeswax, Stearalkonium Hectorite , Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Phenoxyethanol, Iron Oxide (CI 77491), Ozokerite, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, PEG-10 Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Iron Oxide (CI 77499), Cyclotetrasiloxane, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Gentiana Lutea Root Extract, Artemisia Absinthium Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Acer Saccharum (Sugar Maple) Extract

It's amazing how red lipstick can totally transform a woman's look! Yes, it's still me, haha! But seriously, I am loving this very simple look: pur~lisse BB and Smashbox Always on Matte Liquid Lipstick Disorderly.

pur~lisse Blue Lotus Brightening Serum ($76, 30ml/1.0 oz) claims to brighten skin tone and reduce dark spots without hydroquinone. Hydroquinone is skin bleaching in a nutshell, sold either prescription (higher strength) and over-the-counter. It acts by decreasing melanin (pigment) in the skin. I have not used this long enough to merit its claim but in the spirit of transparency, if you want age or sun spots to disappear permanently, laser or intense pulse light therapy can help (I work as Aesthetic Registered Nurse with focus on laser). This serum feels light on the skin and spreads with ease. Some of the key ingredients include the following: blue lotus extract (antioxidant), neem and prune extract (lightens skin), avocado oil and natural squalene (hydrates skin).

Water (Aqua), Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Diglycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Squalane, Trimethylpentanediol/Adipic Acid Copolymer, Tocopheryl Acetate, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Butylene Glycol, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Hydrolyzed Prunus Domestica, Hydrolyzed Lupine Protein Octenylsuccinate, Alaria Esculenta Extract, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Nymphaea Coerulea Flower Extract, Biotin, Alpha-Arbutin, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Panthenol, Glycerin, Glycereth-26, Dicetyl Phosphate, Ceteth-10 Phosphate, Cetyl Alcohol, Sclerotium Gum, Aminomethyl Propanol, Disodium EDTA, Caprylyl Glycol, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol, Geraniol, Limonene, Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Cymbopogon Martini Oil, Citrus Aurantifolia (Lime) Oil, Juniperus Mexicana Oil, Tagetes Minuta Flower Oil, Michelia Alba Flower Oil.

pur~lisse Ble Lotus 4-in-1 Eye Adore Serum ($65, 15ml/0.5 oz) claims to address wrinkles, dark circles and puffiness while providing hydration. Worn under concealer, it does minimize crease. It doesn't feel greasy and gives a velvety smooth texture upon application. Overall, it's a nice under eye moisturizer.

Cyclopentasiloxane, Water (Aqua), Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Cyclotetrasiloxane, Dimethicone, Pentylene Glycol, Glycerin, Isododecane, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Methyl Gluceth-20, Squalane, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Laureth -7, Hydrolyzed Lupine Protein Octenylsuccinate, Alaria Esculenta Extract, Butylene Glycol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Nymphaea Coerulea Flower Extract, Steareth-20, Chrysin, N-Hydroxysuccinimide, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Hesperidin Methyl Chalcone, Dipeptide-2, Macrocystis Pyrifera Extract, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Tocopheryl Acetate, Panthenol, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone, PVP, Sodium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Mica (CI 77019), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491).

pur~lisse Blue Lotus Broad Spectrum SPF 30 ($55, 50ml/1.7 oz) hydrates and protects against UVA and UVB rays. This is a chemical sunscreen, a debatable subject matter. I have addressed this many times on the blog in comparison to physical sunscreen. Both has cons and pros, it's just a matter of preference and how your skin reacts to what. Chemical sunscreen absorbs UV radiation which reduces penetration of UV rays to the skin. Physical sunscreen deflects sun rays. If you are concerned with white cast which is common in physical sunscreen, then a product like this may be what you need.

Active Ingredients: Avobenzone 2.00% / Homosalate 8.00% / Octinoxate 7.50% / Octisalate 5.00% / Oxybenzone 5.00%. 

Other Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Tocopheryl Acetate, Hydrolyzed Lupine Protein Octenylsuccinate, Alaria Esculenta Extract, Butylene Glycol, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Sodium Hyaluronate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Nymphaea Coerulea Flower Extract, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Dicetyl Phosphate, Ceteth-10 Phosphate, Aminomethyl Propanol, Carbomer, Disodium EDTA, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Geraniol, Limonene, Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Cymbopogon Martini Oil, Citrus Aurantifolia (Lime) Oil, Juniperus Mexicana Oil, Tagetes Minuta Flower Oil, Michelia Alba Flower Oil.

pur~lisse Blue Lotus 4-in-1 Cleansing Milk ($36, 150ml/5.07 oz) is one of the gentlest facial cleanser I have tried. It leaves a smooth film after rinsing. It features soy milk, whole oat, and white tea which helps cleanse and remove makeup gently.

Water (Aqua), Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Acrylates Copolymer, Neopentyl Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Tridecyl Stearate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Polysorbate 80, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Hydrolyzed Lupine Protein Octenylsuccinate, Alaria Esculenta Extract, Butylene Glycol, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Nymphaea Coerulea Flower Extract, Methyl Gluceth-20, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Glycerin, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Laureth-4, Tridecyl Trimellitate, Carbomer, Aminomethyl Propanol, Disodium EDTA, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Limonene, Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Cymbopogon Martini Oil, Citrus Aurantifolia (Lime) Oil, Juniperus Mexicana Oil, Tagetes Minuta Flower Oil, Michelia Alba Flower Oil.

pur~lisse Blue Lotus Balancing Moisturizer ($55, 50ml/1.7 oz) is a great moisturizer this time of the year. As with the rest of pur~lisse products, this is devoid of fragrance, sulfates and phthalates. It also primes the face which allows seamless makeup application.

Water (Aqua), Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Glycerin, Dicaprylyl Maleate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetyl Dimethicone, Cetyl Alcohol, PEG-100 Stearate, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Tocopheryl Acetate, Hydrolyzed Lupine Protein Octenylsuccinate, Alaria Esculenta Extract, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Nymphaea Coerulea Flower Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Butylene Glycol, Polysorbate 20, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dicetyl Phosphate, Ceteth-10 Phosphate, Carbomer, Disodium EDTA, Aminomethyl Propanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Geraniol, Limonene, Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Cymbopogon Martini Oil, Citrus Aurantifolia (Lime) Oil, Juniperus Mexicana Oil, Tagetes Minuta Flower Oil, Michelia Alba Flower Oil.

Overall, I am pleased to have discovered this brand. I especially enjoyed the BB cream, cleansing milk, eye and face serum.