About
Updated Skin Care Routine [ACNE]
Thursday, June 19, 2014 | 4:57 AM | 0 Kawaii ?
refine: make minor changes so as to improve or clarify (a
theory or method).
Song of the day/month: Jun.K's No Love. (currently
listening to it too. Obsessed!)
I've finally graduated from college and am now on "break"
till university starts in August. A
Levels is finally over (And boy, am I glad I survived it.)
One of the biggest problems that came along when I started
college was:
ACNE.
*Prior to this, my skin had been fine, absolutely
spotless if not for the rare zit I'd get on my chin. In
other words, I had perfect skin. Not porcelain white
but still, flawless in my book.
spotless if not for the rare zit I'd get on my chin. In
other words, I had perfect skin. Not porcelain white
but still, flawless in my book.
I started college and acne became the scourge of my
existence. Oy, I fought a hard battle with them zits. For all
those struggling/who struggled with acne, you may be able
to relate to this: I spent quite a lot of money on products that
claim to help heal, vanish, zap zits. The whole enchilada.
existence. Oy, I fought a hard battle with them zits. For all
those struggling/who struggled with acne, you may be able
to relate to this: I spent quite a lot of money on products that
claim to help heal, vanish, zap zits. The whole enchilada.
The moment I popped one zit, another had to pop up the
next day. Or even the night itself. The frustration was real.
So was the agony. To make things worse, my concealers were
ineffective. I had been trying to dry out the evil things and
would always slab on a ton of Benzoyl Peroxide. That made
the skin on the zit as dry as a desert and when I applied
concealer, it only emphasized the DRY ZIT (that was still a
bump.)!
I think I had cystic acne since many of the zits I had were sore and painful. Ouch. My cheeks, chin and forehead were all affected.
Here are some of the products that I've tried.
1. The Body Shop's Tea Tree Toner
skin cleared up big time, scars
gone. You'd think she never had a problem with acne.) this
barely did anything for me. I still broke out and my scars,
I didn't notice much of a difference. I still used it up though
but I won't be repurchasing.
2. The Body Shop's Tea Tree Blemish Fade Night
Lotion
Purchased this in hopes of fading my acne scars. After two
bottles...THIS DID NOTHING MUCH FOR MY SCARS
EITHER. Or at least, not enough for me to notice any
changes.
3. Hiruscar Post-Acne gel
Also thought this would help with my scars. I only used one
tube and apparently you'll only see results if used regularly
for a long time. Since this is on the pricey side, for such a
small tube, I decided to put it on hold and try something
else.
I did finish one tube but like the others, it didn't give me
drastic results. I might try another tube, I might not. My dad
bought the wrong Hiruscar gel when I asked him to get
another tube of this post-acne version so I need to finish
using that up first since it's a bigger tube.
4. Neutrogena Deep Clean Blackhead Eliminating
Scrub
Since there's salicylic acid in this, I'd think it'd help a bit with
acne. I used this daily and it did help eliminate the bumps
and zits on my forehead and I've been pretty clear on my
forehead so far.
5. Laneige White Plus Renew Essence
Yes, as also purchased because it's for whitening. Also..did
not give super drastic results. May do a more detailed review
later. Won't be repurchasing unless I have a super good deal.
WHAT I'VE CHANGED IN MY ROUTINE:
5. LUSH Aqua Marina Cleanser
Bought this during my trip to Osaka. First Lush product that
I've ever tried but so far, I AM SUPER SATISFIED WITH IT.
It's controlled my oil production and I've realised that I
haven't been producing much oil lately. Which makes it a
good product in my book.
6. Shiseido's Whitening Jelly Essence
Grabbed this while I was in Japan. Currently unavailable in
Malaysia though I do hope it'll reach our shores soon.
Nayoung/ Oiseau88 recommended this in one of her videos
and I'm so glad I bought this. It has a jelly/gel like
consistency but absorbs into the skin right away! It's as if I
didn't apply anything! Used in conjunction with my Lush
cleanser, this seems to have made my skin look more even.
Overall I feel like my skin has gotten better. I feel like it's
much easier to cover up my scars more easily now. I can
even use my The Face Shop Aura CC Cushion alone without
any concealers (but bear in mind, the Aura CC Cushion itself
has pretty high coverage.) My scars no longer peep through
my CC cream! Though it still shows when I use BB cream
with a lower coverage.
7. Asahi Suhada Shizuku Pack Gel
Also bought this while in Japan after hearing Melodee rave
about it on YouTube. It''s a brilliant product that can serve as
toner, serum, moisturizer, and a mask/pack! Absolutely
perfect for lazy days (which is..almost everyday, I'll admit.)
I'll just wash my face with the lush cleanser and slab this on!
Loved this so much, I rushed to buy another bigger tub to
stock up while I was still in Japan. At the rate at which I'm
using it now, I'm actually becoming a tad paranoid about
running out of this product. I normally keep this in the
fridge so when I use it, it'll be nice and cold. Once rubbed
into the skin, it forms water droplets and absorbs super fast!
LOVE.
Photo credits to fujisankei.
Unfortunately I threw away the packaging to make room for more items in my luggage while I was in Japan.
8. Arouge Trouble Repair Liquid
Stumbled upon this while in a Japanese drugstore in Osaka.
There were before-after photos of those who used it and it
seemed promising. So I got a twin pack for my sister and I to
try. This is literally like water. Absorbs almost immediately
into the skin. I use it with the shiseido jelly, lush cleanser
and pack gel. I'll continue to use this and see how it goes
Labels: acne, Arouge, hiruscar, japanese, Laneige, Lush, Review, shiseido, skincare, skincare routine, Suhada Shizuku Pack Gel, tea tree, The Body Shop, tried and tested, updated skincare
[Review and swatches] 디어달링 울트라 샤인 립스 Dear Darling Ultra Shine Lips in #14호 딸기 우유/ Strawberry Milk
Tuesday, October 30, 2012 | 5:59 AM | 2 Kawaii ?
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Swatch with flash
The above picture is my natural lip colour and as you can see, it's pretty pigmented. My lips tend to be kinda mauve-y coloured at times.
With the lipstick on:
So let's get on with the review!
Review:
Price: I bought this at the Etude House in Pavilion and I think it was on sale for about RM10. So it was a steal for me. I'm not sure about the original price though.
Product: I have to say, Etude House didn't let me down again! The lipstick is really smooth and glides on nicely. It has a glossy effect to a certain extent and it doesn't feel dry at all. And if you're worrying about it settling in the crevices/wrinkles on the lips, it doesn't. Even after removing the lipstick off, it doesn't feel sticky nor waxy and it's light on the lips but still feels as if you're wearing lipstick of course.
I'm very impressed with the texture, formula and how it glides on really easily. For the price I paid, it's 100% worth it. Even though I got it at a discount, I have no regrets on buying this and strongly suggest you check this product out.
My lips are really pigmented and I'm quite tanned but this still looks pretty natural on me. It's more of a nude pink if you ask me. Very natural looking so that's what I like best about it. I'm not into really dramatic and bright colours but this is natural enough for me.
There's a similar lipstick by NYX that's also called Strawberry Milk but this lipstick and the NYX round lipstick are very very different from each other. The Etude House one is milder and is more of a rosier (?) nude pink.
Scent: This smells like...STRAWBERRY MILK. And kinda tastes like..the smell..? You know how some lipsticks kinda get into your mouth by accident and they taste HORRIBLE?! You won't get that problem with this lipstick. It smells and tastes the same so no worries. I love the smell. It's really sweet and yeah, kinda smells like..strawberry milk. So I'm really loving that feature.
Packaging: Ooh, my favourite section of the review. Kay it comes in a pretty long cylinder tube and has really pretty engravings on the tube. The tube is kinda..peachy pink coloured..? I've no idea how to describe the colour but rest assured, it's really sweet and pretty. (I gotta stop saying pretty! My vocabulary gah!)
The tube cap also clicks in quite tightly and securely. Has that "click" sound to let you know it's safely closed. (awkward expression!)
One thing that captured my attention is how the product goes back into the tube when you twist it down. I recently bought a Revlon lip butter and I was horrified when I saw the product collecting at the edges of the tube when I twisted it down! This lipstick however, has nothing of the sort. It scrolls down nicely so no product wastage.
Cons : Overall, I have no complaints about this product. However, I do think this would suit fairer skin types. I'm tanned with yellow undertones and pigmented lips. I'm okay with how it looks on my skin but for darker skinned people, like other nude lipsticks, you may want to be more careful as it may make you look paler/sick.
Labels: etude house, lipstick, Review
[Review] Etude House Juicy Cocktail Gradiation Nails Kit in #2 Kiss Of Fire
Monday, October 1, 2012 | 2:02 AM | 0 Kawaii ?
Do pardon the pictures. I've not added any filters to them so you would be able to see the true colour of the nail polishes. They're pretty true to colour in the photos.
For those who are wondering, I'm currently wearing Etude House's Petit Darling Nails in PP903 Lilac Milk.
I prefer using Prorance's silver glitter nail polish for the last coat because I'm still struggling with the larger pink flecked nail polish that comes with the kit. In the nail above, I used the silver glitter nail polish that has finer silver glitters, not the chunky ones.
Close up view using all the polishes that comes with the kit, including the one with pink frankens.
The colours are : (from left to right, from base colour to top colour) 은은한 핑크, 러블리 핑크, 키스키스 핑크. The English names however, I'm not sure. Euneunhan (?) Pink, Lovely pink and Kiss Kiss Pink.
REVIEW:
I'm a huge fan of Etude House polishes if you've not noticed. This cost me around MYR30-36 if I'm not mistaken. (which is KINDA on the pricey side because although it comes with three polishes, they're not in like, the standard sized bottles so maybe less product..?) They have a range of colours from orange, to blue-turquoise, but I ended up grabbing the pinks.
When it comes to nail polish formula, Etude House won't let you down. Or at least, it hasn't let me down. The brushes are the standard brushes and they're not too wide. I have long, thin nails so it's harder for me to use wide brushes as the nail polish tends to cover not only my nails, but the skin surrounding my nails. It's a total mess. I bought this a while back but the nail polish consistency is just as good as when I first bought it. It's seriously not sticky at all and flows really easily on the nail. That is, what I love most about Etude House nail polishes. They hardly thicken up and even if they do, it's like months and MONTHS later. So I can keep the polishes longer compared to other brands and don't have to throw them out so soon.
The base colour is a sheer peachy pink with fine glitters in it. I love this colour the most out of the three although it needs at least two coats to really show up on my nail as it's very sheer. Still, I'm loving this almost-nude colour. The second coat is more of like a frosty kinda metallic(?) pink with considerably more glitter than the base coat. And the last of course, is the clear polish with pink frankens/glitter chunks. I have to say I really like the colour of the pink glitters.
The box also comes with instructions on the back so no worries about not knowing how to use the kit. As it comes with three polishes in one, you don't really have to use all the polishes JUST for gradient nails and you can always mix and match it with other colours so be creative!
CONS:
My biggest problem is the removal of the nail polish after all the layering. I mentioned above that I use Prorance silver glitters as the top and last coat as I have a HUGE problem removing the chunks of pink glitter later on if I use the Etude House polish. It's really a pain to scrape out all the pink glitters that still remain on the nail even after wiping it a thousand and one times with nail polish removal. Then again, I face the same problem with other chunky glitter nail polishes so it's not just this Etude House set.
I still struggle with the last coat whenever I use the last polish that comes with the set. (Kiss Kiss Pink) I still haven't mastered how to "nicely" paint the chunks of glitter because whenever I use that polish, it all ends up looking really patchy and it ticks me off. So the biggest downside to me, is the Kiss Kiss Pink.
By the way, if you want a close up on all my nails with the Juicy Cocktail set, I've uploaded it on Instagram. Here's the link:
Labels: etude house, Nail Polish, Review
Product of the month! [May/June] The Face Shop Mini Pet Fruits Hand Cream
Thursday, June 7, 2012 | 9:06 PM | 0 Kawaii ?
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Anyway...on to the review!
If I could put it in one sentence : THIS IS THE BEST HAND CREAM. ( That I've tried so far.)
I've tried the Crabtree and Evelyn's one and I don't really like the tubing for that cream since I figured it may be hard to squeeze the hand cream out once the tube's almost empty. I have the Soap and Glory's Marshmallow Hand Cream (forgot the full name for it but I wrote a review on it earlier.) and I didn't like the long lasting smell of it.
Price: I think I bought it for about RM 20 if I'm not mistaken. Bought it at Isetan, KLCC. I think it was on some kind of special offer. The price was about RM19-20 I THINK. The normal price is RM20 something, bout RM 22.90..at the Face Shop stores. So I'm glad I bought this at a cheaper price though it wasn't from the original store itself.
Review:
I'm honestly not a big fan of Face Shop. Okay, maybe I AM a fan but I haven't really splurged or shopped much at the Face Shop. Probably because their products are more on the expensive side for me. And maybe because to me, I wouldn't spend so much on eyeshadow, or lipsticks or mascaras, and so on since I don't really wear makeup that often.
Anyway, I think this is like the best hand cream I've ever had so far.
1. Smell?
This smells like (as the name states..) fruits. It's really fresh and fruity and light. I'm really not a big fan of floral scents and I'm more of a tropical/ fruity person so I'm really glad this hand cream smells like fruits! It smells citrus-y and yet subtly sweet. I normally don't like citrus scents because well, I don't really want to smell like sour lemons. But this hand cream has that SWEET citrus scent! Which, is just perfect for me. So 10/10 for the smell. Not all that long lasting either which is great because I hate it when scents linger on for too long and it just gives me a headache -_-
Overall, this has a very light scent.
2. Functionality/ Practicality?
Now I know many bloggers/ users out there don't like products that come in tubs because well it's much less hygienic since you have to dip your fingers into the tub. Since this is a hand cream and you're not applying it on your face, I think it should be fine. It doesn't come with a spatula, bear that in mind. I think this factor's not a big deal, just make sure your hands are clean before dipping em in the tub.
The one thing I love MOST about this is that it's NOT AT ALL GREASY. I can apply this in school and write straightaway without my pens wriggling and sliding off my fingers. You don't have to worry about not being able to hold smooth metallic objects and all. It absorbs very well and dries very fast. About the moisturizing factor, well I guess it does it's job. :0)
Ratings
Price : 3.5/5 (reasonable I'd say.)
Smell : 5/5
Use: 6.5/5
WORTH BUYING? HECK YES.
(KLCC Isetan now has a Holika Holika, Face Shop, Seche Vite/ China Glaze (crappy colours though.), Canmake, and Tony Moly ( I think. Or was it Baviphat?) section. Small section though.)
Labels: hand cream, Review, the face shop
Moistfull Massage Mask
Friday, March 9, 2012 | 6:06 AM | 2 Kawaii ?
Moistfull Massage Mask ( Moisturizing Facial Mask + Pack + Overnight Pack)
Description: Contains Baobab Tree Extract to supply skin refining moisture.
Active Ingredient: Baobab Tree Extract
[Directions] : For massage: Apply gel to face, massage for 2-3 minutes and rinse off with warm water.
For pack: Apply ample layer to face, leave on for 10-15 minutes, and rinse off with warm water.
For overnight pack : Apply ample layer to face, leave on overnight and rinse off in the morning.
I can't do a review on this because I just bought it but I currently have this on my face and it feels really soft (kinda sticky though.) I'll see how things go in the morning. I realised only a small amount is needed so I guess this should last me for quite some time! Hope this product would still be around after I run out of the one I'm having now. HEHEH.
This massage mask's a gel type (as you can see in the picture above.) and smells pretty good. Doesn't have a strong smell, it's quite subtle.
Will do an update on this soon! :)
Labels: etude house, Review
Black Head Off Stick (Review)
Friday, March 2, 2012 | 2:27 AM | 3 Kawaii ?
I can't say much about this product since pretty much most of the info on the product itself is in Japanese.
ANYWAY, TO ME,
THIS PRODUCT IS PURE GENIUS. I bought this from Zen, Central World, Bangkok and it cost me about RM30.
When I first opened the cap, I did doubt the effectiveness of this product. When I used it..MAN, this product is pretty awesome. No more pore packs needed!
I use pore packs quite often to remove my black heads but I realised that the pore packs these days are hardly even adhesive(?) what's the word, uhmm, they can hardly even stick! I'd be peeling the pore sticker off the plastic sheet and I'll accidentally touch the sticker and I'd be like WHATTHEHECK?! It's not even sticky. The pore stickers used to be sticky even without water. -_- And now, pore packs these days don't barely removes any black heads and hardly helps with clogged pores. I'm beginning to reconsider buying pore packs. They're not that cheap in the first place.
So anyway, I bought this stick, and man, it DOES remove blackheads. I was so surprised to see like, mini hairs on the stick. My sister says it's pretty disgusting but I FIND IT SO..ahem..interesting. I mean, we normally use like pore stickers and it hurts like..MAN IT HURTS..and it doesnt even remove that many blackheads. This stick, NO PAIN, and quite a few hairs are removed. I wouldn't say I'd completely depend on this to remove ALL my blackheads because it doesn't remove ALL..but it does remove blackheads so I happy with that. Blackheads ARE pretty much the hardest to remove anyway,right?
Honestly, I have no idea how to describe the stick. LOL. It's..like..smooth .and..white. It's like a lipbalm stick, so you turn the handle thing and it goes up and down and you rub it straight on your nose. Little like, flecks of white..stick stuff will rub off and you can see some of your tiny hairs on the stick.
Don't ask me how it works. Friction..? Idk, I think this product is pure genius. Worth it? Yeah pretty much I guess. I hope I'm not exaggerating. I guess 60-70% of my enthusiasm for this product is because it's..COOL and it's fun tryna figure out, WHAT DID IT JUST DO? and 30-40% is about how it really works. :P
Labels: blackhead, Review, stick
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