Current Skincare Routine: FEB 2015

You may not know this, but as a blogger.. I actually have [close to] zero fixed skincare products!

I surely do have a routine (and that is cleanse - exfoliate - moisturise), but when it comes down to having repurchased products stickin' around, then there's only one, and that is St. Ives Apricot Scrub. Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water too, I guess, but even then, I still rotate my make-up removing products around a lot, so St Ives Apricot Scrub is the only product that I've religiously use.


Anyways, a slight peek at my current skincare routine today. I'll make this short n sweet!


① MAKE-UP REMOVER: Face Of Australia Gentle Make-Up Remover* ($8.95)
I'm in midst of trying to finish this off. It is a gentle make-up remover, but I'm no longer a fan of these dual-phase (oil/water) products on my skin. However, I do prefer them for removing stubborn eye make-up!

② MAKE-UP REMOVER: Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water ($11.95)
My favourite make-up remover for the skin! I've reviewed it here.

③  CLEANSER: Neutrogena Naturals Purifying Pore Scrub* ($14.99)
Haha, yea! I use this "pore scrub" as my daily cleanser -- morning and night. It's listed as a "pore scrub" that'll gently scrub away impurities, and that's totally spot on! It's extremely gentle. So gentle that it works better [for me] as a daily cleanser more than anything.

It's [supposedly] suitable for acne-prone skin, which I don't have [anymore], but still works well at cleansing. Really like the scent of this one. Don't think I'd repurchase it though.


④ DAY MOISTURISER: Palmer's Daily Facial Lotion SPF15* ($12.99)
Only started this recently, after finishing Biore Nourish Moisture Lotion* (which I did enjoy using). Initially, I switched to Neutrogena's Healthy Defence Daily Moisturiser, but it was way too thick. I wasn't used to such a thick consistency, so I immediately switched to Palmer's.

This one is creamier than my previous lotion, but still bearable. Will probably be good for the upcoming cooler seasons.


⑤ EXFOLIATOR: St. Ives Apricot Scrub ($9.99)
The only staple product of my skincare routine. It's sooo scrubby, but feels SO good after. Instant soft and smooth skin. Mmmhm!

⑥ NIGHT MOISTURISER: Biore Overnight Moisturiser
I've purchased this for less than $3 at Priceline. It's a night-moisturiser with a very thick consistency. It even feels thick on the skin, but in a good, and bearable way. Very moisturising, but too bad, it's discontinued.

⑦ SLEEPING MASK: The Face Shop Raspberry Roots Sleeping Mask
This is amazing. I only use it occasionally, but it makes SUCH a big difference to my skin in the morning. It's the last product of my late routine, after moisturisers and eye creams and all. My skin feels extremely supple every morning after! Love, love this!

⑧ EYE CREAM: Indeed Laboratories Eysilix Instant Eye Rescue* ($34.99)
Only started this recently after digging it out from the stash. Haven't used eye cream in yonks! This one is alright so far. I'm not too sure what to look for in an eye-cream. Not yet anyways, so I'm currently happy with this, as it has a creamy and lightweight formula.

⑨ FACIAL MASK: Lush Brazened Honey Mask ($16.95)
I'm not a big fan of this mask. Just using it up. I've received it from a friend as a Christmas present! Although I don't mind the formula, the scent isn't really for me. It bugs me sooo much. Even my mum complains about it. When I walk around home with this on, she'll be complaining about the scent. It's just.. really weird!

Yeap. The products are about to switch up soon, again. I'm almost done with my LUSH mask, and the night-time moisturiser.

Glad that I won't need to look at any replacements since my skincare stash is sooooo full!

When it changes, I'll make sure to update!


Hope everyone [who celebrates] has had a wonderful Lunar New Years!

祝大家新年快乐！身体健康，万事如意，工作顺利，学习进步！

Priceline 40% OFF: Recommendations, Wishlist, Misses

Hi peepos~ If you follow me on Insta, or Priceline and/or other bloggers, you would've seen these cute pink ads poppin' up everywhere...

What a wonderful sale to follow Australia Day, right? XD

I wanted to quickly whip up a post sharing with you my top fewer picks, what's on my wishlist AND recommendations!! I may not be the best skincare-guru (not that I am a guru of any sort), but I have been through a quite a few drugstore skincare products (the budget-range, that is) ~ XD


RECOMMENDATIONS

St Ives Naturally Clear Blemish Fighting Apricot Scrub ($9.99 - $6.00 after sale)
I know, I know... the scrubby bits in this product may not be the best for the environment, but when it comes down to picking the best exfoliator... this may just be it for me! Extremely scrubby!

Clean & Clear Morning Burst Cleansers* ($10.99 - $6.60 after sale)
I've used these, reviewed one here. The scent of all 3 are amazing (they are supposed to wake you up in the morning). My pick would have to be between the yellow and orange, but formula-wise, I don't think there are too much differences between the three.

Sukin Purely Ageless Botanical Hydration Booster ($23.95 - $14.35 after sale)
Perfect for the upcoming colder seasons, especially if you're a dry skin babe. Substitutes in as a night cream, and you only need 2 drops maximum!

Sukin Foaming Facial Cleanser* ($9.95 - $6.00 after sale)
I don't usually do "foaming" cleansers, but this is a gentle one that doesn't strip the moisture of the skin. Also removes leftover make-up. Highly recommended! P.S. You may need time to adjust to scents of Sukin's products~

EcoTools Intensive Hand Cream* (???)
Ah!! I tried to find details about this product, but there's barely any~ I'm not too sure if it's discontinued, but if you happen to find this, then do peek at it. It's a really good hand cream. The scent may be odd at first, but I just love moisturising formula and non-sticky, non-slippery feel altogether!

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Lotion with Vitamin E* ($9.29 - $5.60 after sale)
The scent of this is amaaaaaaaaaaaaazing. It's one of my top favourites! The formula is a tad heavy, so only suitable for those with very dry skin, or night-use. For day use, I find it waaay too heavy, but the scent is really... amazing.

Aveeno Skin Relief Body Wash* ($9.95 - $6.00 after sale)
If you're looking for a body wash that'll make a difference -- this is it! Body washes all feels the same for me, besides this one. It actually leaves the skin feeling moisturised! My top pick for body washes.


WISHLIST

St. Ives Triple Butters Creamy Vanilla Body Wash ($5.49 - $3.20 after sale)
Haven't tried this, but its name (and packaging!) is pretty catchy! I love vanilla-scented products, and the price of this is fairly cheap!


PRODUCTS TO SKIP

St. Ives Timeless Skin Apricot Scrub ($9.99 - $6.00 after sale)
I held onto this product for looong time, and I still think it's sitting around in my bathroom. It's just not scrubby enough for my liking. It's more creamy and gentle, so would work much better as a cleanser. Absolutely a miss for me.

Sukin Cream Cleanser ($9.95 - $6.00 after sale)
Gentle cleansers are ideally what we'd like for our skin, right? But this cleanser is just..... too gentle. As a cream cleanser, it surely does pack back moisture into the skin, but cleansing-wise... not really. Way too gentle to cleanse off any make-up residue. Such a shame~

Beauty Essentials (also known as BE)
Priceline's own brand, I believe. I've purchased two products from this range, and I've only ever touched them once. I can't remember much about the make-up remover, but the scrub I bought was just watery and barely made my skin feel any better~ Skipping this whole range, forever.


That's all for my recommendations, wishlist and misses~

Feel free to share with us YOUR recs/wishlist/misses!

Disclosure: Products marked with (*) were provided for trialling purposes, and review consideration only.

2014 Round Up: Micellar Waters

Let's face it -- 2012 was the year of BB creams, 2013 was the year of BB-everything (and CC creams!) and 2014, was the year of micellar waters! Micellar waters poppin' up here and there after Bioderma's.

I'm sure you've heard all about it -- make-up removers with a water-like formula that's non-greasy and non-sticky!

In 2012, I did a round up of Aussie BB creams here, including both drugstore and high-end brands, so I've figured.. Why not for micellar waters?!

So here's the list..


① BIODERMA SENSIBIO H20 ($19.95/100mL)

② GARNIER SKIN NATURALS MICELLAR CLEANSING WATER ($11.95/400mL)

③ BIOTHERM BIOSOURCE TOTAL & INSTANT MICELLAR WATER (~$40/200mL)

④ SWISSE MICELLAR MAKE-UP REMOVER ($10.95/300mL)

⑤ GATINEAU PARIS GENTLE MICELLAR WATER ($38/200mL)

⑥ AVENE MICELLAIRE LOTION ($30.95/200mL)

⑦ LANCOME EAU MICELLAIRE DOUCEUR ($69/200mL)

That's a total of 7 low to high-end branded micellar waters. Obviously...

BEST BUDGET: Garnier Skin Naturals Micellar Cleansing Water @ $11.95/400mL
MOST LUX: Lancome Eau Micellaire Doucer @ $69/200mL

If I have missed any micellar waters on the list, feel free to add by commenting below!

Let me know if you've tried any of these too. I've only tried Garnier's one, and that's due for a review (soon!).

The Jojoba Company Gentle Cleansing Balm

Kay. I've been in bed snoozing for the past two days because it's been SO wet and gloomy in Sydney here.. Don't mind me, ya?

I've been meaning to post about The Jojoba Company's Gentle Cleansing Balm ($29.95/100mL) for the looooongest time. The thing with skincare products are that... I'm always thinking.. "I'm going to post about this tomorrow" and that thing goes on for.. um.. a few weeks. Next thing you know you... BAM! Cleanser finished and no product left for me to photograph.

What I've just told you was what exactly happened to my beloved Love Lettuce Face Mask by LUSH. Sad times, really!

Anyways, I've figured that I'd stop using the cleanser until I get the review over and done with... so my skin right now is disastrously dry and tight. LOL.

Horrible lighting, I know... What can I do with these grey clouds? :(

The Jojoba Company's Gentle Cleansing Balm (97% natural, they say!) claims to "leave the skin feeling cool, calm and hydrated" whilst "dissolving make-up and impurities of the skin's surface". Comes in a nifty pump-bottle which locks and also has a cap -- perfect for travelling.

I've been using this cleanser for about... a month, but definitely not everyday and also NOT twice a day (as suggested). I use one pump everytime I cleanse and I'd have to say that it's a very quick cleanser to finish, even if I'm using it once a day. After about 1.5 weeks of using this daily, the bottle is almost half finished :(

The formula, however, is VERY gentle and doesn't lather up into foam. It's actually hydrates, soothes and leaves my skin feeling supple! Back when it was less "wintery", my skin loved this! I could just use this cleanser and say "PFFT" to moisturisers like a boss. However, as we're almost a month into the winter season, I had to quickly cling to my moisturiser for the extra hydration.

Overall, the cleanser does pretty much what it claims to do -- soothe, hydrate, calm (I'm not totally sure what they mean by "cool" though.. Eeep)... Besides the "make-up removing" part. This cleanser is WAY too gentle to remove a single bit of make-up, so I have no idea why The Jojoba Company decided to chuck in that claim. It scales the product down, methinks.

Nevertheless, it's a lovely cleanser for all skin types. Doesn't leave the skin feeling tight because it's ULTRA-gentle. A cleanser can never be TOO gentle right?!?!?!?

Have you tried ANY products from The Jojoba Company?

YAY!! Now I can actually start finishing up this cleanser! I can't wait to show you guys waht I've managed to finish over the past fewer months.. My bag for "empty products" have been sitting in the corner for yonks!


Disclaimer: Product was provided for review consideration only. All opinions/comments mentoned within this post remains to be unbiased and uninfluenced.

Back2Basic: Skin products to suit your skin types/conditions (REVISION!)

Starting off, you need to know your skin type and condition(s) which you can read about here.

Where ever you see large pores and blackheads or means you're oily there.

Shiny areas on your face can also indicate your oily-ness.

Where ever flakes and scaly means you're dry there, keeping in mind that pores cannot be sighted for people with dry skin.

Normal Skin

These products would be mild and they would be used to maintain the skin condition.

• Cleanser: Milk Cleanser
• Toner: Mild Hydrating such as rosewater
• Exfoliant: Enzymatic or granule (masks, peels and scrubs)
• Mask: Cream masks
• Moisturizer: Light weight cream

Dry Skin

These products are nourishing and hydrating to prevent premature aging.

• Cleanser: Cream cleanser
• Toner: Mild hydrating toner with no alcohol such as rosewater
• Exfoliant: Enzymatic (masks)
• Mask: Cream-based mask use for hydrating, lubricating and nourishing
• Moisturizer: Oil-based, nourishing cream

Oily Skin

These products are used to balance oil flow, refine the pores and even the skin's texture.

• Cleanser: Cleansing lotion
• Toner: Water-based toner such as witchhazel
• Exfoliant: Granule such as scrubs
• Mask: Clay based mask
• Moisturizer: Water-based light fluid moisturizer

Combination Skin

These products are used to balance the oil flow down the t-zones and hydrate and nourish the cheek area. If there is sensitivity, treat these areas with products for sensitivity.

• Cleanser: Mlik cleanser
• Toner: Mild hydrating toner such as rosewater
• Exfoliant: Enzymatic (masks) or granules (scrubs)
• Mask: Cream-based mask for drier areas and clay-based for oily areas
• Moisturizer: Light weight cream

Other recommended products includes:

• Eye cream
• Neck cream
• Serum or ampoule
• Blemish cream
• SUNSCREEN!! (important!)

OK. So what have we learnt so far? The most important thing I reckon you SHOULD imprint into your beautifool brains are:

• AVOID CLEANSING LOTIONS AND FOAMING CLEANSERS (GEL) as they contain mild detergrent and foam (the sh"t you put into soap). What you do to your skin is stripping its moisture and all that stuff! So for oily people, you get more oily because your skin is producing MORE oil to make up the oil that was lost! And for dry skin, your skin already lacks oil so you're basically drying your skin out even MORE! Not recommended, not recommended :(
• Use sunscreen to avoid wrinkles and sun damaged skin!
• Oily skin is best for when you start to age as our skin will begin to dry out! So oily skin people benefit from having normal or moisturized skin when you age! Yay!! :D
• Serums are medicated treatments which targets different skin types and conditions. For example! There's serums targeted for acne conditions, dry skin, dehydrated skin, etc.
• You should aim to use products which states 'pH balanced' as it benefits your skin by protecting the layer of moisture being stripped off! Yay!

That's all I can think of... for now :)

I think that's the end for skin-care posts, however if you have any questions.. do leave a message!! I'll try my best to help, it not.. then.. boo! :(

Love!!

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Skin Care Routine & Changes + Double Eyelid Tape

Skin. Care. Routine. Yes. Everyone of us has a daily skin care routine which consists of many different products to suit our skin type/conditions.

So I'm extremely happy to share with you my daily skin care routine for you today! First off, explaining to you my skin type/conditions of course.

Initially, I have extremely oily skin and severe acne as a condition. However, as I'm on RoAccutane, my skin has became severely dry with occasional breakouts.

Anyways, a routine typically follows as: cleansing, exfoliating, toning and moisturizing.

Of course, that's not always the case. You can always add extra steps such depending on what's up with your skin. For example, if you wear make-up, you would need extra products such as eye-makeup removers, make-up removers, facial wipes, facial peels, serums etc.

So here's my skin routine to suit my extremely dry skin. I hope you find this helpful for you too!

For the previous fewer months, I've been using B.Liv Drench Me by Cellnique which is a gel-based cleanser. I find myself having to use their moisturizer booster and then ANOTHER moisturizer over the top to make my skin look less drying. However, it still flakes during the day.

So recently, I've switched to a cream-based cleanser by Neutrogena, Deep Clean Cream Cleanser which is Oil-Free. I find that the cleanser works best for me. My dry skin has got much less flakier than before. So I've been neglecting Drench Me, yes.

I don't exfoliate THAT often, however, when I do, I do switch choices between St. Ives Ultra Gentle Apricot Scrub and MAC Microfine Refinisher. I do reach out for my MAC Microfine Refinisher more often though. I like that I can see my dead skin cells being scrubbed away better than nothing at all.

On another note, after cleansing in the morn', I apply my QV Face Moisturising Day Cream SPF30+ and then top it off Dove's Essential Nutrients Protective Tinted Moisturizer SPF15.

Why so many?

Because my skin is THAT dry and the tinted moisturizer will have a flaky finish. This bothers me! I can't tend to get that 'perfect canvas' to go on with my foundation routine (but that doesn't stop me).

I'm loving this routine, because my foundation doesn't end up flaky anymore... bye bye dry skin!

Just by changing to a cream cleanser and adding another moisturizer has helped my skin so much! Love it!

For anyone who has extremely dry skin, I do hope that you pick out some of the products and do a good research about it. And hopefully it will help you too!

I hope that you enjoyed reading this post!

On another-nother note, I have recently purchased this! Double Eye Lid Tape! Cheap ones! I'm gunna use these cheap ones first and see how it goes :) Then I''ll then decide to invest in anymore or not.

Is that suppose to say Shiseido? LUL

Anyways, this is what I look like with it on! I love double eyelids 8)

ZOOM ZOOM ZOOM!

Yes, there's a difference. I do have double eyelids naturally. However, they are quite small. I'd like my eyelids to be a bit more thicker... just enough so you can see my eyeliner when I like my eyes :)

Because when I line my eyes without these tapes, my eyelids almost shows up as monolids...

Yes! That's all!

Remember to shower me with lovely tweets!! :D http://twitter.com/the_beautifool

Back2Basic: Identifying your skin type & conditions.

Most of the time you will hear many people quote, "Make up is a form of art and our bare faces, is like a canvas to do so". However, it is an essential factor that you prime and take care of the bare canvas that you already have.

sourced >

In other words, it is important that you need to identify your skin type, skin condition, skin tone and any contra-indications. Let's break it down.

Note:

Epidermis acts as a barrier which protects the skin against the atmosphere.

Sebaceous glands are also known as oil glands.

1. Skin Types

You can analysis by sight and/or by touch. Make sure to check carefully around your eye areas for its elasticity so you can identify if whether you have any wrinkles or look skin. This will let you properly determine how much more support and extra care will be needed for your eye area.

Also, do remove ALL your make-up on your skin before the analysis as it can leave you an inaccurate answer -- not cool.

Now, feel your skin to see whether it's moist or oily, or dry -- another factor to jot down.

CHARACTERISTICS OF SKIN TYPES

Normal Skin:

- Rarest skin type

- Clear complexion & even skin colour

- Soft and supple to touch

- High degree of elasticity

- Average thickness of epidermis

Oily Skin:

- Over-active sebaceous (oil) glands

- Often has a shiny appearance

- Thick epidermis

- Open pores, often comedones present

- Sallow complexion

Dry Skin:

- Usually pale in colour

- Epidermis is thin, pores invisible

- Often looks flaky

- Has under active sebaceous (oil) glands

- Fine lines may appear prematurely

- Broken capillaries may be present

Combination Skin:

Combination skin is usually recognised by a greasy/oily T-zone, however that's not always the case. Combination skin can always be a combination of ANY skin type. E.g. Normal + Oily, Oily + Dry or Dry + Normal. It can also be reversed to dry t-zone and oily cheeks... anything like that!

2. Skin Conditions

Note that EVERYONE must have a skin type, however not all people have a skin condition. So don't panic if these conditions doesn't apply to you, that just means you don't have any skin conditions at all! :P These are fewer examples of skin conditions:

Sensitive skin:

- Often accompanies dry skin, can be present in oily skin also

- Thin epidermis

- Reacts to external stimuli which can become red & blotchy

- Prone to dry, flaky patches & broken capillaries

Pigmented skin:

- Darker areas or spots on skin

- Results from uneven distribution of melanin

- Can be results of sun-damage, chloasma, hormonal imbalances or acne scarring

Dehydrated skin: (almost everyone has dehydrated skin)

- Lack of water in skin

- Looks dry, flaky and scaly. Feels tight.

- Prone to wrinkles and fine lines

- Can be presented on both dry and oily skin.

Couperose skin:

- A temporary or chronic redness appearing on the skin.

- Appears as small, dilated, bright red blood vessels on the cheeks, nose or chin.

It's important to know what skin type you have and your skin conditions as different skin care products or make-up products are designed to cater to a particular skin type/condition. And I'll get onto that soon after my next post, of course!

For your information, I didn't copy and paste this from the internet. This is the information I have actually learnt from the class I'm taking, however, the notes about the characteristics are copied and pasted directly from the notes provided by my teachers. ^^

Hope you enjoyed the post and found it helpful!

Yours deerest,

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