Bye bye dark spots! Sassy girls share their beauty blunders

With summer on the horizon, we’re determined to keep our skin looking fresh and clear. But that’s not that easy with the heat and humidity, especially when we’re out sunbathing and those pesky dark spots start to appear. Girls will go to ridiculous lengths in search of perfect skin, and if you’ve tried every product and remedy under the sun but you still can’t find something that actually works, just know you’re not alone! We’ve got some hilarious stories from the Sassy team, our Super Stylers and our That Girls about their beauty blunders in the quest to get rid of dark spots and achieve an even skin tone… read on, but we don’t recommend you try these at home!

Maria Estrada, Founder of what the frock?!
Maria is a fashion and beauty lover who grew up under the sun in Mexico. She’s always looking for beauty products to protect and nourish her already glowing skin!

When I turned 30, I started to notice some annoying dark spots on my face. I used a couple of beauty creams that were supposed to help, but nothing really worked. A friend of mine then recommended that I buy a medicine cream… it ended up being way too strong for my skin and actually made the spots worse, really irritating it. After then going to the dermatologist, I was told me that the medicine I was using was apparently the same one that Michael Jackson used to lighten his skin! Lesson learned – ladies, do not self-medicate.

Simran, Partnerships Director
Simran is always searching for the quickest and most effective beauty solutions to fit into her busy lifestyle. She’s always on the go and needs beauty products with instant results that can withstand the Hong Kong heat!

You know how people always say you’ll stop having break outs once you turn 18? Well, it’s been QUITE a few years for me since I’ve become an official adult (physically for sure, although mentally I’m not quite there yet…), but the break-outs haven’t stopped. I get frustrated with dark spots on my face from scarring, and I’ve tried out several remedies that supposedly help get rid of them. The weirdest one I’ve heard of is to apply my own spit to my face every morning before then washing it off. This is supposed to be a solution that results in an acne-free, dark spot-free face… the funny thing is, at one point I was desperate so I actually have tried it!

Dervla Louli, Managing Editor
Dervla is always keen to try new and exciting beauty treatments in Hong Kong. She’s the first to discover cult products that really do work, and once she finds something she loves, she sticks with it!

I really hate dark spots on my skin and do everything I can to get rid of blackheads, under-eye bags and pigmentation. From CO2 laser to home-made remedies, I’ve tried them all! A funny thing that I do to prevent dark spots is to apply white collagen masks when I’m on airplanes. I end up looking like an extra from a horror movie most of the time. Needless to say I never have to worry about any chatty neighbours when I’m trying to relax.

Sabrina Sikora, Photographer & Model
Sabrina’s busy life as a photographer, model and mum means she needs easy to use beauty products that will keep her looking ready for the camera after a night up with her little one. She’s not afraid to experiment and loves testing out innovative new brands and fabulously fun makeup!

Way back in my modelling days I was on a shoot for Cosmopolitan in New York. For the photo I was asked to apply facial bleach, and the image would accompany an article about the beauty habits we don’t want guys to know about. The make up artist was supposed to leave out the actual bleaching agent, but there was enough active ingredient in the base to actually cause noticeable whitening! I had it on my face for nearly three times the recommended amount as we had to get the shot perfect. After I rinsed it away, I was left with a white moustache which stayed on for weeks! Needless to say, I was much more cautious about what I agreed to do when on sets after.

Lauren, Sassy Hong Kong Editor
Lauren’s beauty obsessions are brightly coloured lipsticks and finding the perfect silky smooth face cream or moisturiser. She loves multi-tasking moisturisers that have SPF, cover up and help with an even complexion!

My Chinese side of the family lives in Australia, and my Grandma (“Ma Ma” as we like to call her) is very conscious about keeping her skin looking light, bright and even – especially considering how strong the rays from the scorching Aussie sun are! For some reason, my forehead always tans way more than the rest of my face, and after a summer spent in the sun she scolded me for not protecting my face better. To get rid of pesky dark spots, she advised that I wash my face in warm water that had parsley soaked in it, and leave the parsley on my skin afterwards… let’s just say this wasn’t easy to do and definitely didn’t have an immediate effect! That being said, she does look pretty good for her age…

Kitty N. Wong, Illustrator
Kitty is already gorgeous, but she’s all about keeping her skin bright and beautiful! After living in Canada for a while, she’s found the contrast of the Hong Kong humidity and pollution a challenge. That’s why she’s always open to trying products that will leave her skin clear and rejuvenated!

I have a really beautiful great aunt who lives in Indonesia and even though she’s probably in her 60s, she has really smooth and fair skin. The family rumour is that she uses her own saliva to do a facial massage every night before bed. Ah! I guess the enzymes in your saliva are supposed to help dissolve dark spots but I’m not sure I’ll be trying that any time soon.

If, like us, you’re sick of trying endless products or strange remedies that never quite work, don’t despair. An even skin tone without dark spots from sun damage, acne scars, pigmentation (or even a bad nights sleep) is within reach! Caudalie’s cult product, the Vinoperfect Complexion Correcting Radiance Serum, is coveted by beauty lovers the world over and is the number one anti-dark spot treatment in France*. If you’re struggling to get rid of dark spots then this should be your go-to solution! Get a healthy, even glow this summer that won’t permanently damage your skin by apply this serum in the mornings and evenings – the special Viniferine ingredient, extracted from grapevine sap, is proven to be 62 times more effective than vitamin C against dark spots and in boosting skin radiance.

Got any dark spot issues that are troubling you? Then you’re in luck! We’re giving five lucky Sassy readers the chance to win a Vinoperfect Radiance Serum as well as a Vinoperfect Radiance Tinted Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 20 (and you can choose from either a light or medium shade). That means each winner will end up with a complete set to “correct” and “cover” their dark spots! Simply enter your deets into the form below for you chance to win. Bye bye dark spots…

*IMS France figures, point of sales, in value, since 2008.