LUSH Catastrophe Cosmetic

*I'm currently in China, but wishing you all a safe and wonderful festive season with your loved ones! 

Catastrophe Cosmetic ($16.95) is my second ever face mask by LUSH. My first face mask was Love Lettuce, which is an amazing face mask too!

I'm not really one to reach out to try differently things. They say "Taurus hates changes" and that's super-duper true with me! I'm the kind of person that prefers no changes so once I like something, there's no need for changes.

This tub was purchased by one of my girlfriends, for our Melbourne trip from a few weeks ago! It contains blueberries, and is supposed to soothe and gentle cleanse.

The mask was kinda hard to apply, because the texture was so hard and thick (◑.◑?). Eh, I'm not sure if that's the best way to describe it, but my tip for applying this would be to add a few droplets of water to help with spreading. It'll dry out to be the same, so don't you worry!

Rinsing this off can be a pain in the butt, or.. it was so for me. Some bits just didn't want to come off and would "dry" on your chin. AH! YOU KNOW... when you get toothpaste stuck, and it'll dry out chalky on the skin? Yeah?

Yeap, it's exactly like that!

I'd have to go over with a cotton pad with water to wipe it off. Worth it though, for the baby soft skin. You can really feel the differences in texture after the mask.

Skin just feels sooooooooo soft and smooth, a fly may just be able to slip off if it landed on ma cheeks. (•‿•)

Have you tried any LUSH masks?

Which is your favourite pick?

Disclaimer: Product was purchased by me. 

Back2Basic: Masks + Flagged Nails!

Another post on face masks! My previous post about face masks consisted of the benefits of all food ingredients which you can use to mix a DIY mask! You can read it here.

So.. there are many different forms of masks on the market today, such as: wax; cream; gel; and dry powders which are mixed with liquids. They are applied after performing an exfoliant on the skin to help improve and benefiting the skin, depending on which types are used! Such benefits includes tightening, refining, cooling, soothing, hydrating and nourishing.

There are two types of masks:

• Commercial masks
• Mineral masks

Commercial masks are products which have been pre-made by companies in tubes or simple mask-forms.

Mineral masks are of a powder consistency which needs to be mixed with a blender (scroll down for blenders). The benefits/effects of the mask depend on the individual components. Getting to the basics, mineral masks and their effect may include:

• Calamine -- soothing action, cooling, slightly drying
• Magnesium -- toning, soothing, cooling, slightly drying
• Kaolin -- soothing, bleaching, drying, anti-septic [can be used to fade freckles slightly, is mixed with lanolin]
• Fuller's earth -- drawing action, absorbs oil, cleansing, drying, astringment, antiseptic action, reduces inflammation

Now.. blenders!

Both these blenders can be used as toners by itself:

• Rosewater -- mild, stimulating toner used to blend powders for dry, normal and sensitive skin
• Witch hazel -- soothing qualities, mild astringent used to blend powders for oily skin

Now that's for tonight!! A Back2Basic post! I'll put up one more shortly about skincare advices! So please stay tuned :)

It'll be pretty much a revision so you know which products will benefit your skin!!

Yay!! I love these beauty lessons! Hope you do too!!

Oh and btw, I did flagged nails last night! I'm planning to do more heheh!

Tell me if you like? Any requests?

I fave the South Korean, South Vietnamese, Chinese and Turkish flag most!! Especially the South Korean one.. it was a lil bit hard to do because my black nail art pen was broken.. but ya! It's so pretty, I reckon hehehe!

Yours deerest,

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Food masks DIY

As I promised most of you on my Twitter that I'd hurry up and do a post about different food ingredients which will help to benefit your skin when added to facial masks.

All credits to my two wonderful teachers who has given me the handouts!

So, I've actually tried this in class and my skin feels amazing after a cleansing routine, but it feels specially soft and even more amazing after the food mask!

Each mask targets different skin types and the mask my operator got for me consist of oatsmeal, yogurt, honey and egg yolk! After taking the mask off, my skin was SO soft and smooth.

You just mix all of these up in one bowl and then apply it to your face and leave for 20minutes before rinsing off. Depending no what you mix, it will have a different scent! Mine smelt so yummy though, I would've ate it hahaha!

Let's start!

*******PLEASE READ********

Directions: Combine a tablespoon of any one of these ingredients with a base mask, binder and essential oils.

- Binders are used to create the correct consistency so it doesn't smear around your hair and onto your hair or clothes.

- For pulped ingredients, blend enough raw ingredients to make a tablespoon of pulp. So if you wanted apple pulp, you'll slice apples up and blend it! If you don't want to blend, you can alternatively cook and then mash the slices of apples.

Sourced >

So here's the list for which ingredients are suitable for you:

• Apple pulp: slightly acidic; soothes and gently exfoliates
• Asparagus pulp: stimulating; dries up pimples
• Brewer's yeast: excellent for oily skin
• Carrot pulp: antiseptic; heals pimples
• Celery juice: acts as a toner for tired or older skin
• Cooked and mashed turnip: deep-cleansing
• Egg white: astringent and drying for oily skins
• Egg yolk: nourishes dry skin
• Fresh fig pulp: an emollient and cleanses
• Grated cucumber: cools, soothes and heals. Works as a mild bleach for sallow skin and freckles
• Grated raw potato: helps clears blemishes and eczema
• Honey: hydrates, softens, soothes and heals
• Lemon juice (diluted in one part of water/one part of lemon juice): removes oil and gently bleaches freckles
• Lettuce juice (blend lettuce leaves to a pulp, adding little water): soothes sore, rough skin; helps heal pimples
• Mashed apricots: moisturizes, soothes and cleanses
• Mashed avocado: deeply penetrating and nourishing
• Mashed banana: nourishing
• Mashed strawberries: slightly acidic and luxurious; cleanses
• Mashed tomatoes: excellent for oily skin
• Natural yoghurt (DO NOT USE FLAVOURED YOGHURT!): moisturizes and restores skin's acid balance
• Orange juice: hydrating for older skin
• Pear pulp: soothes and cools hot, sunburnt skin
• Pineapple pulp: an astringent wash for oily skin
• Watermelon juice: gently exfoliates, softens and deep-cleanses.

And here are your binders:

• Finely grounded rolled oats (oatsmeal) <--- recommended
• Dried milk powder
• Kaolin (fine clay) powder (from pharmacies)
• Wholemeal plain flour
• Finely ground almonds

When do you apply masks? Here's the routine and make sure you don't use hot water:

• Remove makeup (if needed)
• Cleanser
• Exfoliater (if needed)
• Facial Mask
• Toner
• Moisturizer

So you apply the mask after exfoliating your skin if you wish to do so, or else jump straight to masks after cleansing. After facial mask, make sure to tone your skin and follow with your day/night moisturizer.

You definitely could mix anything together to suit your skin. This is a DIY mask! You must try this out!

If you do try these out, this is probably best to use 2-3 times a week! I still have recipe of masks targeted for different skin types, but I'll post that up later in a few days!

Meanwhile, try these DIY food masks!

Remember NOT to use flavoured yoghurt and I really recommend oatsmeal and yoghurt for everyone's masks' base! Also, remember to dilute your lemon juice before applying to face, it can sting badly for drier skin types and sensitive skin too!

Yours deerest,

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P.S. Thank you for all your comments on my previous post!! I really do appreciate you guys dropping a phrase of thought or anything! Thanks for stopping by!