Review: Latest Nightly Routine

Recently, I have started adding new products to my nightly routine, some are recommended by friends and some are just mere samples. But together, they seem to work. Just thought I'd run through them with you guys. Just some background, I have never been one to be very "disciplined" with my skincare but for the past couple of months my skin just started breaking out and every other day a new zit would appear. So one day, I have decided that I need to get this sorted out pronto before I become scar-face. Ugh.

1. Sebamed Clear Face Gentle Scrub
I have been looking for a good face scrub because the one I have is past its expiry date, thanks to me not using it regularly. Settled on Sebamed because I have been using their deodorant and shampoo and it works really well. Plus it's made in Germany and uses non harmful ingredients which is a plus point since I try to use products as clean as possible. The amount of chemicals humans subject themselves to every day is insane, we should try and avoid them whenever possible. Anyhow, love this scrub, the particles is gentle enough to be used every day but it does scrub off dead skin and impurities leaving your skin feeling really clean. I also noticed my pimples reduced after using this.

2. Cocoa Palmers Line Smoothing Cream 
This was actually a sample I got, no compelling reason for me to use it but since I have it, might as well add to my routine. So far, I can't tell if it does reduce fine lines (which is what it is supposed to do according to the packaging). I don't have a lot of fine lines so the difference (if any) wasn't noticeable. It does reduce my eye bags though which is always a good thing!

3. Burt's Bees Acne Solution
True to its name, this is my magic potion when it comes to clearing acne. My colleague recommended me this and she was right about it. It does dry up zits in ONE DAY which is quite amazing. Use this religiously since I got it and saw major improvement in my skin condition. Strongly believe this plus the Sebamed scrub was what saved my skin. It's a bit pricey for a small bottle (around RM90) but trust me, it's worth the investment if you have problem skin.

4. Eucerin Cover Stick
I purchased this because I was looking for a concealer that I can use to cover my zits and treat it at the same time. This cover stick has salicylic acid which can penetrate into the pore and dissolve dead skin cells build up. It also encourages shedding of the top layer (but not over drying it) so pores don't get congested.

5. Sulwhasoo Serum
This was also a sample I got from their newly opened counter in Isetan KLCC. I am guessing it is a new brand (at least for the Malaysian market) since I have never seen it before. This serum smells like herbs (because it uses natural ingredients) and absorbs really well into the skin. A little weird at first because it smells like you're putting herbal soup on your face... This serum acts as a base that helps your skincare product absorb better into the skin. Have not seen any noticeable difference but it does help my skin absorb my moisturizer better. It's a Korean brand so I guess anything Korean should be good right? :)

So that's all for my nightly routine. I use a total of 8 products every night now which can get quite taxing but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. At least till my skin is under control.

Happy Eid Al-fitr to those who are celebrating!

3 months in flat layouts.

ACME Breakfast Club

Sarawak Laksa

I Love Yoo

Christmas Pressies

Alexis

Madame Waffle (waffles in tummy)

My new favourites

Breadfruits

Fitness month at work

Discovered a nice Dim Sum place...for dinner!

Korean Masks

Working through lunch(es)

MyBurgerLab

Been experimenting with flatlays and they are so addictive. 

Here are some awesome tips on mastering flat layouts. Enjoy!

Review: Laneige Basic & Water Bank Moisture Kit

Last month, I got a sample of this Laneige Basic & Water Bank Moisture Kit. In case you don't know, Laneige is a popular Korean beauty brand so I was pretty excited to try this kit. The kit comes with 5 items below which sounded pretty much like greek to me.

1) LANEIGE Power Essential Skin Refiner 

2) LANEIGE Balancing Emulsion

3) LANEIGE Water Bank Moisture Cream

4) LANEIGE Water Bank Essence

5) LANEIGE Water Bank Eye Gel Cream

I was told that there was a particular order to use the products for best effects. As you can tell, the names pretty much doesn't sound like the usual cleanser, toner & moisturizer terms I was used to so I paid full attention to the steps. The first step is actually to cleanse your face, and none of the 5 products above are cleansers. Surprise surprise. I am sure Laneige has some cleansers out there but this kit is pretty much what comes after cleansing. After cleansing, comes the toner a.k.a. Power Essential Skin Refiner. You pour this on a cotton pad and dab it around your face just like how we normally do it with a regular toner. The liquid doesn't quite feel like a toner, in a sense where it doesn't sting your skin. That's always a good sign! 

Once you're done with that, the next product to use is the Balancing Emulsion. Now, you gotta be careful with this product as it can be pretty heavy for skin types that are normal to oily. The entire Water Bank series is to hydrate your skin so if you don't have particularly dry skin, it is advised to use very minimal of this emulsion. This emulsion goes onto the same cotton pad you have used for the toner so it blends with the leftover toner to make the consistency less heavy. 

Next up, is the Water Bank Moisture Cream which is the equivalent of a moisturizer and following that is Water Bank Essence which is the equivalent of a serum. The last step is to use the Eye Gel Cream (I know right, is it a gel or cream?) around your eyes to finish off the routine. Then be prepared to wake up to dewy skin the next morning :) Personally, I  used this consistently for a week and saw significant difference to my skin. My skin tone did appear more even and there was a healthy sheen on my skin. However, one thing that happened was my forehead got oilier than usual. I decided to stop using the Balancing Emulsion everyday and used it every other day instead. My forehead didn't get as oily once I altered the routine a little so I would advise people with oily skin to skip or reduce usage of the Balancing Emulsion. To conclude, I would say this moisture kit does work, but for people who don't have particularly dry skin, I think that they can afford to skip this. 

Budget beauty: Drugstore haul

In this edition of budget beauty, I feature some of my drugstore purchases (Guardian, to be exact) that I've been using over the past few months.

 After reading Jessica Alba's The Honest Life, I went on a "all natural" shopping spree to replace some of the products I've used that contains harmful substances, as indicated in her book. This lip balm was one of it, after scrutinizing the ingredients of all the lip balms on the aisle, I went home with this because it is one of the few that contains the least chemicals and is paraben free. I also loved the cocoa scent that comes with it but that's from fragrance which is bad too but there were not many fragrance free lip-balm options at drugstores. At least its a step better from using Petroleum jelly or "colour changing" lip balms. God knows what chemicals they put in it for the colour to change on your lips.

Price: RM11.90 for a pack of two

A couple months ago, I have also been on a hair product spree because I bought a hair curling iron in an attempt to curl my hair. This is an activator that is supposed to hold the curls better and protect your hair from heat. I believe that it did do its job because my the curl does hold better when using this but unfortunately, I found out my hair texture is too fine and straight to hold curls for long so curly hair + me = fail. 

Price: RM12.90

In another attempt to achieve curly hair WITHOUT heat, I purchased this product which looks easy enough. You just pump a generous amount of this hair jelly and run it through your hair. Then you scrunch your hair as much as possible and to create wavy hair. This product does work especially when you wear your hair in a bun for an hour or two after using this. Upon releasing your bun, you should have some nice waves. This method works better for me instead of heat but it still doesn't hold the waves long enough because of my hair type *sad*

Price: RM15.90 

Similar to my lip balm hunt, I went on an anti-aluminium compound deodorant because aluminium plugs the pores to prevent sweating and apparently is linked to increased breast cancer risk. Although, there are no direct studies that links to this, I felt that it is best to avoid it where possible because after all, aluminium is a metal compound and to apply that on your body everyday seems kinda dodgy to me. So I managed to find one from Nivea which is the brand I have been using for years. My previous deos all contain aluminium in their ingredients but I didn't see any in this one (unless it is a hidden!). It works just fine and I think there's no harm avoiding aluminium if you can find a reasonably priced one without it like this one. Alternatively, there are crystal salts deodorants that is apparently all-natural which I have yet to try. Will definitely do an update if I decide to purchase that next.

Price: RM11

Another product that I purchased was sunblock for my face and I realised that 90% of drugstore sunblocks contain aluminium (again!). I finally found one from the Biore range that doesn’t have it in its ingredient but works pretty well! It kind of prevents you from sweating as much when you have this sun block on. It is also non-sticky and gives a matte finish which is a major plus point.

Price: RM23

Last but not least, is this matte top coat that I really wanted for the longest time. I finally found a reasonably priced one from Sally Hansen and it works pretty well. I actually have it on my nails now as I am typing this. Highly recommended!

Price: Around RM20

Budget beauty: Dry shampoo, the best sunblock and more!

As promised, I will be doing more beauty reviews this year and here is my second review of some products which I have been using lately.

First up is this mini lotion which I got as part of a goodie bag at an event in Sunway Lagoon. This is basically a body moisturiser that also comes with SPF 24 for some sort of UV protection. I would say this is a mild sunblock that would probably work well for a short trip to the pool downstairs or for running errands, but if you were to be out in the sun then this will not really leave you that "white". I love how convenient it is though because it is within the 100ML liquid limit at airports which is ideal for travelling. I also love how inexpensive it is! I brought this along with me to Krabi and finished the whole tube there (I only used it the last two days) so there really isn't much inside this tube, but I would still give this plus points for its convenience.

Price: RM1.25 (you can usually pick this up at Guardian's cashier counters)

This was a part of a gift set I received for Christmas and this is actually one of my favourite scents from Body Shop. The Satsuma orange tangy scent is just so refreshing so it really adds to your in-bath experience. Haha. Although this is a scrub, it doesn't really hurt your skin because it is really mild. If you are looking for a scrub that will leave you sparkly clean then this may not work for you though.

Price: Probably less than RM50 per set

This body butter here is also part of the set and comes in the same Satsuma orange scent. I am not a big fan of body butters from The Body Shop in general, because they tend to leave my skin feeling so sticky (is it just me?). I still used this anyway because it gives off a nice scent which I can fall asleep to. I also prefer using this on my legs and feet instead of my hands cause I don't like the feeling of sticky hands! 

Now this, was like discovering something totally new to the world to me. You see, I have never understood why beauty vloggers use dry shampoo until I started using it myself... If you are like me and tend to have an oily scalp, trust me THIS WILL SAVE YOU. There are days when I do not have time to wash my hair but need to head out, and this baby here is the "magic ingredient" that will keep my hair oil free. It also kinda works like a milder hairspray which gives my limp hair some volume. Double win. 

Price: RM29

I have recently switched from a bio-essence cleanser from another range to this one here to complement the night cream that I am using (here). What I really loved about this one, is that it doesn't create a lot of soapy bubbles and instead it feels more creamy and gentle to your skin. Despite this, it still cleans really well and removes traces of make up which I really love. I use this after  my make-up remover so that it gets all the leftover gunk on my face out. To top that off, I am sure nobody minds some extra exposure to collagen :) Definitely the best cleanser I have used to date! 

Price: around RM20

Last but not least, is this sunblock from Sunplay that you really must invest in if you are going to the beach and do not want to come home tan (Asians, take note). I used this when I went island hopping the entire day and I only got darker by a little. So little, the difference wasn't even obvious because when I got back, everyone commented that I still look fair! Much to my disappointment actually because I really wanted to get a tan! I was even in water at noon (water actually makes you tan faster because it reflects the rays to you and noon sun is the harshest) but yet I didn't get dark. I guess this sunblock worked really well at blocking those UV rays. 

Price: RM30+

Stay tuned for my next review where I would be featuring my favourite nail polish brand.

Budget Beauty: First review of 2014!

Happy New Year everyone! In conjunction with the new year, I am starting a new series called Budget Beauty. I will be doing some reviews of skincare/makeup/beauty products that I have used and loved which everyone can afford (Read: Below RM100)! I thought it would be beneficial to myself and my readers to note down which products works well and which doesn't, so here goes! I will normally try and feature about 5-6 products at one posting and hence, this obviously would not be a monthly feature (unlike my Fashion Forecast series) because I don't buy that many beauty products at a go...so I will blog as and when I have enough products to talk about in a post. Hope you'll enjoy! :)

First up I would like to talk about my favourite BB cream which is from Hada Labo. I've been using this for almost two years now and it is definitely the best BB cream ever used. I love that it does not make my face cakey but at the same time it provides a full coverage. I also love their Ivory Beige colour which matches my skin tone really well. It is actually a little bit darker than my skin tone but when applied, it kinda just blends into my natural skin tone so well. I hate BB creams that makes my skin white like a vampire so this BB cream really works for me! But if you prefer a lighter shade they do have that option too. This also comes with SPF50 which is perfect for Malaysian weather. 

Price: RM50-55 (available at major pharmacies)

Recently, I have been re-visiting the red lip trend and bought this matte red lipstick in Cardinal Red from IN2IT. Just a tip to anyone who wants to rock a red lip, get yourself a matte one and you will thank me after. Red lips are already bold enough on its own, you don't really need that extra shine or glitter which might just come off as trashy. This one here is matte and affordable (a combo so hard to come by) so even if you are not a red lip girl you could just buy this and give it a try. Minimal damage to your wallet but with good quality.

Price: RM17.90 (available at selected pharmacies and Parkson)

This one here is some sort of a primer which you can wear below your make up or just on its own. It is a clear primer though so it does not provide any coverage. What it does is it minimizes the appearance of your pores. However, your pores will not become any smaller unless you use it long term (according to the sales girl). I did notice my pores "dissappearing" when I use it but it is just temporary. If you are looking for something to eliminate your pores entirely, try splurging on Dr Brandt's Pores No More (read my review here). I do love the tea tree scent of this product though and tea tree does have healing properties so sometimes I use this on my zits too. 

Price: RM50++ (at all Body Shop outlets)

When it comes to day creams I almost never bother because my BB cream on its own acts as a moisturizer, sun block and foundation so I don't normally use moisturizers. But when I do, I use the most basic Olay product which is this Olay Total Effects 7-in-One Anti Aging Day Cream. Whew, what a mouthful. It comes with a little bit of SPF and it is quite thick in terms of consistency. I have been using this for a couple of years but it does not really do much for my skin so I am considering trying out another brand. I would recommend this one here only if you are looking for something really basic. You can also use this to mix with your foundation/BB creams if you want a lighter coverage or an easier glide. 

Price: RM20+ (available at all major pharmacies)

This one here is my favourite day time lipstick. I fell in love with this because of its matte finish, have I told you I love matte lips?! This colour is natural, just like all mauves, and gives your lips a bit of colour which makes it perfect for work. This is my second stick already!

Price: RM32-35 (at all major pharmacies)

Recently, I have been seeing quite an oily T-zone and hence I bought this compact powder to carry around so I can touch up my oily forehead on the go. I would recommend this because it is handy, has a mirror and the powder is really light which makes it not cakey at all. Best part is, the price is unbelievably cheap and its from Maybelline which is quite an established brand so you can rest assured it is not some cheapo low quality product. I'm guessing this is their loss leader product...any insights?

Price: Less than RM15 (at all major pharmacies)

This here is my staple product. I use this without fail every night and it is the best night cream I have ever used! I love that it is gel based and really light, it also smells really good and I wake up the next morning with supple skin. It has collagen in it which is anti-aging so it is definitely something a girl in her mid-twenties need. Highly recommended! 

Price: RM50-55 (available at all major pharmacies). The nett price is RM69.90 but do wait for Guardian or Watson's sales where the price will go down to as low as RM50.

These are obviously not budget products but I thought I'd review them since I received these free samples. 

Laneige White Plus Renew Essence: The thing about essences/serums is to layer it before putting on your night creams. I have tried doing that and my skin did feel supple the next day, but I'm not sure if it was because of this product or my night cream that was working. I did use it on its own without my Bio-Essence night cream and I felt that the absorption is not as good as my night cream. It takes longer for my skin to absorb this product and the texture is a white cream instead of a gel-like which I tend to prefer. Also, when used on its own, it doesn't have that supple skin feeling the next morning...so I am not too sure if this product would work best when used with another product from its line.

Laneige Snow BB Cream: The BB cream is pretty good if "snow" is what you are going for. It really has that sun-block feeling and my skin looks really white when I applied this which I don't really like. It also doesn't cover your flaws well but I guess you are supposed to use a foundation / concealer with this product? I like that it has SPF41 but Hada Labo still wins because it is a moisturizer, foundation, concealer, blemish balm and sun block all in a bottle. 

That's all for today, my next Budget Beauty post would focus more on body products so stay tuned!

xx

Best make-up remover ever!

Hada Labo Gokujyun Super Hyaluronic Make-up Remover

From sasa.com

Today, I would like to share with you guys the new make-up remover that I am using. First of all, a little background on my skincare history. I have always been keen to keep trying out make-up and skincare products like BB creams, Eyeliners, cleansers, moisturizers etc.  But one of the things that I usually do not dare to try are make-up removers. I have always felt that make-up removers are such an important part of applying make-up and my current removers seem to be doing a pretty alright job, so there really is no need of risking my skin (and eyes!) to new removers that might give me allergic reactions.

All these while I have been using SilkyGirl make-up remover because firstly, it is cheap (I used to be a poor student..wait I still am, so I tend to go for less pricey products!). Secondly, make-up removers sold in pharmacies are so limited! There are hardly any back then so I got stuck to using Silky Girl for years...It was until last year where I realised that I get so frustrated with cream based removers because it gets into my eyes and blurs my vision till I have to wash my eyes! I read somewhere that Hada Labo works extremely well, but when I went to the pharmacy, I felt that it was too expensive to spend like RM40 on a bottle of make-up remover. In the end, I settled for Simple's make-up remover because they claim to be mild to the skin. Well, it was definitely better than Silky Girl's and is really mild for my sensitive skin BUT, it does not remove make-up as well as I would like it to.

SO FINALLY, I was in this warehouse sale one day and this Hada Labo remover was selling at a discounted price so I got one (RANDOM TIP: when at warehouse sales, remember to check the expiry date). Lo and behold, I started using it this week and I loved it to bits already! Here's why:

1) It is water based but has a sort-of oily texture (without containing oil) that removes make-up efficiently while not making your skin oily (what Japanese sorcery is this?!). 


2) You do not need to use cotton pads to apply it. Just press some onto your fingers and massage your face with it. You will see all the make-up coming off as you massage and you save on cotton pads!


3) It contains Hyluronic Acid which hydrates your skin instead of drying it up! 

This is probably the only time I bought a skincare product without reading what's on the bottle (can't read Japanese) cause I knew it was going to be good. And it was.

Review: Estee Lauder Night Creme

It is about time I blog about one of my latest beauty secret, which I have briefly mentioned here. I got this amazing (and expensive) night creme as a gift from my mother. Knowing myself, I would usually prefer not to spend exorbitant amount on beauty products. However, this product really changed my perceptions about night creams. I never knew how they work or whether they work or not but now I do and I'm going to share it with you.

Night creams works differently than day moisturisers as it rejuvenates your skin as you sleep and does not contain SPF. They tend to have a slightly oily texture to it and I love the fact that this Estee Lauder cream is still pretty light and does not feel heavy or too oily on your skin despite its oily texture. I have been using this for over a month now and initially I realised that every morning when I wake up my jaw appears sharper. The puffiness around the bottom of my cheeks has reduced and I honestly thought it was psychological. However, on days where I forget to put the cream, my jaw looks puffy again. Then when I use it again, my jaw becomes sharper. Yesterday, I went through some old photos and realised that my jaw has indeed become sharper. Some friends have also commented on this fact, so I'm pretty sure it works! I did some research and found that this happens because night creams "contain higher concentration of collagen than a day cream. This enhances skin elasticity and firmness and prevents premature aging of the skin." (Source here). This means that it has the ability to lift up the skin, plus I personally believe that it helps reduce water retention too which is also a cause of puffiness. 

So now, I have became an avid believer in night creams. A little sidetrack here: Many people think that anti-aging products should be used when you're older (say 30s or 40s) but that's so NOT TRUE. Women starts aging in their twenties (this was scientifically proven, I would know as this was a research done by my former clients I was working with). In fact, it was from this research that I started realising the benefits of anti-aging products and have been using anti-aging moisturizers since then (which was almost 2 years back). Now that I realise the potential of night creams as well, I am definitely going to continue using them together with my anti-aging day creams! I believe any women in their mid twenties should do so too. Remember, prevention is always better than cure :) 




p/s: I also sleep better with night cream on. Does this happen to you too?

Current loves.

L-R: Simple revitalising eye roll-on, Bio-Essence Aqua BB Cream, Kate eyebrow colour, Stainiac cheek & lip tint, MAC Lipglass in Good Times, Estee Lauder nourishing night cream.

These are the things I use almost on a daily basis! Perhaps I might do reviews on the eye roll-on and night cream that I have been religiously using. My skin feels so much better these days :)

Inspiration: Mode Look

I have been obsessing with the "Mode" look donned by EMODA's models for some time now and I could not pin point why or how they all managed to achieve this exotic look. Until recently, when I discovered that the secret lies in their....EYEBROWS! They never have black brows, despite them being Asian. Most of you might think it will come off as unnatural but I honestly don't think so. Even Cheesie from Cheeserland and Audrey from fourfeetnine have light brows and they still look good. Although you may need a lighter hair colour to complete the look, EMODA's producer Ena Matsumoto seems to be able to pull it off without having such light hair colour *inspired*. Pictures below (observe the brows)! 

Ena Matsumoto. Love the red lips too! 

I think I can achieve this look now with my new MAC lipglass and KATE eyebrow colour :)

MAC Lipglass in Good Times

I got this KATE eyebrow colour at Sasa yesterday. I'm so gonna try it out tomorrow! 

Blogger just told me I have reached my 1GB limit of pictures. How sad! But thankfully I found a way to get around it :) Fret not! The pictures will keep coming lovelies.

Ta!

Hey, this is crazy.

Went on a spree a couple weeks ago but it was so worth it. Super pleased with every single item I got (and received!). Oh yes, I should have realised this earlier but I think I have got a huge thing for nail polishes. It's always never enough. Enough procrastinating. Back to the books!

Clockwise from L-R: Estee Lauder Nutritious Night Cream, Origins Brighter By Nature Moisturizer,  Estee Lauder Pleasures Bloom EDP, Clinique Derma White Face Mask, MAC Lipglasses, MAC Nail Polishes in Hyperion and Coco Clay, The Face Shop Nail Polish in Orange, Nude and Clear. 

Review: Dr Brandt Pores No More

As mentioned twice on this blog *here* and *here*, this is a product that I have been eyeing for a long long time. Early this year, I finally parted with RM176 (if not mistaken) to get a bottle of this so-called "Blackhead vacuum cleaner". So does it really work? Read on.

Now, to be honest, the first time I used this back in February this year, I was a bit skeptical cause I just spent a whole lot of money on something that did not show immediate results. I guess I was expecting my really stubborn blackheads to come off on the first try. I was a bit disappointed so I googled and youtubed reviews about this thing here. Some said it worked, some say it doesn't. I continued to use it about twice a week and then...one day, I decided to squeeze my blackheads out using my fingers (I have been doing this even before I used this but my blackheads usually don't come out or takes a lot of squeezing to come out!). Surprisingly, that day when I did this, the blackheads/whiteheads came out easily! I was on a roll with it and almost cleared most of my blackheads on my nose using my own fingers. HAHA. I know it sounds disgusting when typed out but really this is normal! A lot of people do this at facials. So anyway, I continued to use this product and every time I squeeze the blackheads, it comes off easily. In fact, to test this theory, I used a Biore Pore Pack recently and for the first time it removed a lot of blackheads/whiteheads. For many years, Biore pore packs don't work on me cause my blackheads are THAT stubborn and won't come off! 

So anyway, my point is, Dr. Brandt Pores No More does not "remove" the blackhead instantly. It melts it so that the blackheads can come off gradually. You may need to squeeze it out using your fingers so that it will come off completely. I wouldn't recommend this product to those with just a mild case of blackheads but to those who have stubborn blackheads that just can't seem to come off, do try this product! 

Also, when I bought the Pores No More, they gave me a sample bottle of moisturizer to apply after using the product. I found this moisturizer pretty good cos it really does not make your skin feel oily (like some moisturizers do). I particularly love the tea tree scent it has, and to those who don't know tea tree oil is really good to reduce acne etc. 

All in all, I'm happy with my purchases :)