Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer - It just won't stay on my skin...

LeMoon

Member
Hello to everyone!

Get ready for a bunch of text.;)

A few weeks ago I couldn't resist buying Kevyn Aucoin's "The Sensual Skin Enhancer".
When that little pot arrived, I couldn't wait trying it.

Blending is not a problem (I like to use the damp warm BeautyBlender, my Sigma (F80, etc.) brushes less).
The finish is amazing, my skin looks perfect, natural and glowing.

Since I have combination skin I use a translucent powder first and then Urban Decay All Nighter to set my foundations.

But after an hour the foundation kind of melts on my cheeks, nose, under my nose, under my eyes and next to my mouth (it turns into patchy flakes).
I just need to slightly touch my face and see the SSE on my fingers.:eek:

My skincare routine:

01. Washing face with water
02. Exfoliating (1-2 per week)
03. Toner (for combination/normal skin) - contains Alcohol Denat
04. Serum (for blemished skin) (only when I have a few blemishes), while my skin is still hydrated from the toner
05. Moisturizer (for normal skin)
06. Eye cream (for dry skin).

I use the silicone based moisturizer less than once a week. All the other skincare products contain no silicones. They are mainly by ISANA Young.

After 10-15 minutes I start doing my makeup routine (eye makeup, then foundation/concealer...).

I tried the following types of primer under SSE :

- silicone based ( KIKO Perfect Base or Benefit The Porefessional),
- light (Urban Decay Brightening Primer),
- mattifiying (KIKO Mattifying Base),
- face oil (MAC Essential Oils),
- with no base at all.

I also tried mixing it with pure jojoba oil and the MAC Essential Oils but it still smudged after a short time.:(

Ingredients of
Sx05

Mineral Oil, Polybutene, Diethylhexyl Succinate, Polyethylene, Quaternium-18 Hectorite, Calcium Carbonate, Dextrin Palmitate, Honey, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Tocopherol,Cera Alba (Beeswax/Cire d'abeille), Butylene Glycol, Cholesterol, Lecithin, Talc, Triethylhexanoin, Methylparaben, Fragrance (Parfum). May Contain (+/-) : Iron Oxides (CI 77491,CI 77492, CI 77499), Mica, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77491).

This could be my HG foundation/concealer if it only lasted as long as my other foundations (Urban Decay Naked Skin, Revlon Colorstay, Maybelline Superstay, ...) which last pretty well.

I am thankful to any helpful advice.:)
 

shellygrrl

Moderator
Staff member
Yay for being thorough! :) It's actually a good thing!

Your toner, as you note, has denatured alcohol (alcohol denat) somewhere in the ingredients list. This is the type of alcohol in skincare and makeup that, when used on combination or oily skins, can dry out the skin and cause you to overproduce oil to compensate. (It can also cause free-radical damage and speed up aging.) The higher it is on the ingredient list, the worse it will be for you because it's in a higher concentration. This could be a reason why you're feeling it melt off so quickly.

http://www.cosmeticsinfo.org/ingredient/alcohol-denat (this explains its purpose in cosmetics)
http://www.paulaschoice.com/cosmetic-ingredient-dictionary/definition/alcohol (this gives sources for studies on its effects on the skin)

I definitely recommend switching to an alcohol-free toner.

Another thing is that you could be using too much product. Sensual Skin Enhancer is super potent, as you probably know, so a little would go a long way.
 

LeMoon

Member
Thank you for your advice. :)

I read both links and I am shocked about it. Good thing you told me that about Alcohol Denat. Luckily I'm going to buy a new toner today. :D I'll definitely keep an eye on the ingredients list.
You might be right, I guess I'm using way too much product. Then, on the other side I feel that less product won't cover my blemishes or don't have any effect on my face at all. :(
Any tips about using SSE the right way? Guess I am totally a beginner at that. :D
 

shellygrrl

Moderator
Staff member
I recently bought some samples myself, mainly to try as a spot concealer. I've read that, for that purpose, less than the size of a pin head will work. For a full face application, try half a pea size. :)
 

LeMoon

Member
I always applied more than half a pea size over my face...:eek:
While spreading & buffing it always feels like either my tool (brush/beauty blender) is a sucker for SSE or it's not enough foundation.

Is the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water All-in-1 Makeup Remover & Cleanser
(Aqua, Hexylene Glycol, Glycerin, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Disodium EDTA, Poloxamer 184, Polyaminopropyl Biguanide) good? There were no other options in the drugstore shops I went to. Almost everything else had Alcohol Denat/Alcohol.

Were you able to try SSE yet? I'm excited to hear about your experience (and maybe some tips?;)).
 
Last edited:

shellygrrl

Moderator
Staff member
I always applied more than half a pea size over my face...:eek:
While spreading & buffing it always feels like either my tool (brush/beauty blender) is a sucker for SSE or it's not enough foundation.

Is the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water All-in-1 Makeup Remover & Cleanser
(Aqua, Hexylene Glycol, Glycerin, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Disodium EDTA, Poloxamer 184, Polyaminopropyl Biguanide) good? There were no other options in the drugstore shops I went to. Almost everything else had Alcohol Denat/Alcohol.

Were you able to try SSE yet? I'm excited to hear about your experience (and maybe some tips?;)).

They're not here yet; they should arrive this week.

I've not tried the Garnier micellar water; I think it only just launched in the US recently. My fave ones are by Simple and Caudalie.
 

LeMoon

Member
They're not here yet; they should arrive this week.

I've not tried the Garnier micellar water; I think it only just launched in the US recently. My fave ones are by Simple and Caudalie.

The Garnier micellar water for sensitive skin is without any alcohols and it does its job very well. Your tip has helped my skin to calm down from that devil ingredient.:thankyou:


Mixing with my silicone based primer it stays pretty good but on my nose it clearly smudged + creased under my eyes. That happened on some other parts on my face, but it's an improvement though.
I'm going to mix it with some silicone based foundations the next days. Maybe then the SSE will become a longlasting HG foundation.:idea:
 

Latest posts

Top