Looking Good: Allies of Skin
When I first met Nicolas, the Allies of Skin founder, I knew we were going to be kindred spirits. Besides our never-ending love for Uni, we both have the same philosophy on how skincare should be fuss-free and makeup should never be used to hide your flaws but to enhance them.
Creating a clean canvas before you put on anything else is of utmost importance to me - I don’t believe in using piles of makeup to conceal blemishes but instead to solve the root of the problem. From my previous Beauty Timetable that I’ve written, you can tell that regimens can be a pain and that if I could simplify my routine, I’d be more than happy to.
The 1A All-Day mask that was painstakingly developed by Nicolas for 2.5 years is the perfect combination of both, allowing your skin to become smart and heal through prolonged use and also probably the easiest thing you can do for your routine.
The 1A All-Day mask is essentially a leave-on mask packed with all the nutrients that you need that disguises itself as a moisturiser. It tackles all the problems that we have daily, while remaining one of the most uncomplicated products that you can have on your beauty stable. The most amazing thing about it is that for those who have their own regimens that they’re used to, you can simply use it along with your other products, such as after a serum or tissue mask for added benefits. For those who aren’t skincare-obsessed, this is the one item that you need which can improve your overall skin condition when used on its own.
The 1A All-day mask contains all the good things you want for your skin and all the bad ones out such as Silicones which pretend to give you a bouncy smooth complexion but actually just create a layer of false hope. I never like to go too in-depth about the components of products because I’m no chemist but to know that the mask is free from Sulfates, Glycol, Alcohol and Fragrances gives me the confidence to introduce it to my sensitive-skin girlfriends out there. So I figured for this piece, I’d include the experiences of 2 friends that I’ve introduced the product to and their journey with it. I mean, there is nothing more convincing than a real life testament right?
The first being my long time skin care ally and colleague Shan.
Some background information about her skin:
She has ultra sensitive skin and went through an extremely difficult time a year ago when she developed a severe reaction to a moisturiser. Her skin was practically burned off! In her own words, she says that the common problems that people point out to her was that she has congested pores, acne problems and large pores and she detests it when people recommend her products at beauty counters.
After her debacle with the moisturiser, her skin has become even more hypersensitive with breakouts prone to oiliness or cracked skin from lack of moisture. The first thing that struck her about the 1A All-Day Mask was that it didn’t feel cream-based or water-based and was the perfect in-between product for her.
She also loved that although it being scent free, it did not smell weird like organic products that are usually fragrance-free. What impressed her the most was that it absorbs straight into her skin (which funnily gives her the urge to apply more) but a little does go a long way in this case.
The results? Her skin has a much smoother texture now and although she has very tiny pimples which is a large improvement pre 1A All-Day Mask use (probably because of the proven 36% reduction of non-inflammatory acne lesions), she does not feel the need to conceal it at all which to her has been the best part of using the mask which has also helped her reduce oiliness.
Which brings me back to my point of not using make-up to conceal your flaws, but instead inherently be able to combat them from skin deep and giving you the power of deciding whether to use makeup or not instead of it being a necessity.
Secondly, I also spoke to our Editor-in-Chief, Nejla, who is my partner-in-crime when trying new products. Nejla, who has combination skin, agrees with Shan that the 1A All-Day Mask manages to keep your skin hydrated but not overwhelmingly so where it becomes oily and thus creating a layer on your face.
In her case, even when she chooses to put on foundation, the texture of the mask is a dream, making make-up glide on more smoothly. Nejla is a huge nerd when it comes to ingredients in products and she testifies that every ingredient used is safe for your skin and she loves the honesty of the brand. In her own words, she says the 1A All-Day Mask is her go-to product on days where she isn’t feeling her best and that it really is an ally for her skin.
Lastly, what does it do for me? I think the testimonies of both Shan and Nejla say it all.
As a sunblock devotee, i find that the 1A All-Day Mask has definitely become the number one moisturiser for me to apply before sunblock. With its lightning speed absorption, it miraculously manages to even make sunblock absorb better and feel lighter on my face.
On my hungover days, it still makes me look picture perfect and eye bag free because of the caffeine in the product which almost instantly brightens my face and reduces my puffy eye bags.
For instance, Nicolas had convinced me to apply the product before going for ZoukOut last year. The next day, I woke up hungover beyond belief but with skin looking like a million bucks. So you see, if you need one thing before a heavy night of drinking, it’s definitely the 1A All-Day mask because who honestly has time to remember a beauty regimen when you’re in the buzzy realms of whiskey world.
To sum up and reiterate my fuss-free point, I’ve managed to convince some of male friends who are possibly the laziest beings on earth to start adding the mask into their non-existent regimens.
And all these coming from a Singapore brand... I think that counts for something, no?