The Retinoid Diaries: The Slow Return

After a bad sunscreen incident, which happened the last time I used my Tazorac Cream, 0.1%, I stopped the Retinoid Diaries.

However, since I have added actives and maintained two weeks with a night oil that is retinoid-ish, I felt more confident in using the prescription retinoid. Unlike the last time I introduced the Retinoid Diaries, I am going to take it slooooowwwww. Slllllllllloooooooooowwwwwwwwwww.

Plumped out my night routine and I do like Mizon Snail Cream (not Gel Creams, though), so I feel confident enough to start The Retinoid Diaries again. 

Last night I picked up the tube from next to my bed and put a pea sized amount on. With the Scinic AIO Honey and the Mizon Black Snail working in tandem, the Taz on top just felt like extra goo being rubbed around. Hope it was enough.

Maybe will Taz again in a couple days.

Skincare Routine Mondays: June 27, 2016

Friendship drama sucks. But not as much as this hormonal acne that just doesn't seem to be going away!! Have resorted to using lots of exfoiliants.

1. Oil Cleanser: Maybe twice a week. My sister is actually better and using my Shu Umeura High Balancing Cleansing Oil when she's home anyway.
2. Eyelid Cleanser: Ocusoft every morning... except when I'm not home. Have come to the realization that I wake up with crusty eyelids more often than not, if I have not used this product the day before.
3. Water-based Cleanser: sum37's Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick, and on my one night sleepover I used Fresh's Soy cleanser because, Sephora Birthday Present 2016, sample size. Love this stuff, even though it clogs the sink with rose petals.
4. Toner: Because I am TIRED of these hormonal acne spots on my jawline/chin, I have been using CosRX's AHA/BHA toner to prep for my newly incorporated active~~~.
5. Actives: Started using C20 Pure Vitamin C. It comes in a bottle where the dropper top was separate. Heard about how it oxidizes really fast, like in 5 months or less, and then is it useless. Also has the potential to make you orange. The most annoying part to me, right now, is that I have to WAIT 15 mins for it to do it's business before carrying on with the rest of my routine. But hormonal acne, GO AWAY.
6. First Essence:  Putting Missha's FTE Intensive over the slightly orange smelling residue of C20 Vitamin C serum is weird. But it's BAE, so I do it.
7. Serum/essence/masks: Going back to twice a week sticky SCINIC's AIO Honey Ampoule-- for the niacinamide. If I can deal with the C20 sticky for 15 mins, the sticky from this AIO will also be dealt with. Because niacinamide.
8. Facial Oil/Night Oil: Still nightly applying Sunday Riley's Luna Oil. So many fragrant things on my face, but this is the strongest one to me now.
9. Moisturizer:
   Mizon Snail Recovery Gel Cream has been dominating lately, but honestly, I don't know if it doing much of anything. I don't mind it, but I don't love it. That's why I cracked open a bottle of it's cousin, Black AIO Snail Cream. Which, as a fellow Amazon reviewer noted, has a crazy ingredient list:
   
   
   Definitely thicker than the brown pot of the original stuff, which I have used before and has saved my skin many times. The black formula is also thicker and still more like cream than snail goo, like it's brown potted sibling. It is nice, but I wake up super greasy in the morning, maybe I am applying too much on and don't need so much. Or maybe the more liquidy brown pot is a better match for me. The Gel Cream really isn't impressing me, though I love how it's in a tube and that makes it so much easy to dispense.
10. Sunscreen: Biore Aqua Rich Waterly Essence Sunscreen 50g Spf50+ Pa+++, EVERY MORNING. Like putting a mattefying lemon meringue custard on my skin. Got Tommy Bahama's California Dream SPF 50 Sport Sunscreen Lotion on the rest of my body, and now my desk at work is all greasy. Slight and light smell that I love, but the greasiness of Western sunscreen really gets to me. Makes everything I do leave a mark. It was on for over twenty minutes and yet I am greasy elbow prints all over my desk. Not cool. Also, this is the second time I've used a COOLA product, and I can't say I'm the biggest fan of either. What's the appeal being COOLA again? Someone please remind me because I can't seem to figure out why it's named dropped so often.

Also used Queen Helene earlier this week, ExfoliKate last night in the shower (face and armpits) and Dr. Dennis Gross's Alpha Beta Peel Extra Strength Daily Peel twice this week (thank you Sephora Sample Wonderland). Really trying hard to get rid of those hormonal acne spots, and I don't know what is doing the trick as long it as takes care of it. Let's go skin care!

SUBSCRIBED: My Foray Into Play! by Sephora

Limited cities, limited subscriptions, and limited times! Oh the hype that is PLAY! by Sephora, their own twist on the monthly subscription box.

After purchasing the travel bag ($42) with tons of little sample sized things and actually feeling pretty content with such an egregious purchase, what harm will a $10 box do? Cancel at anytime without cancellation fees, sure, why the heck not?!?!? Took me darn long enough to get off the waitlist, and they can knocking to my email twice.

Though I missed out the June's Play box, I will be getting July's!

Six items in a box:

Perfume
Skincare
Make-up
Lip
Body
Hair

Or something like that. Sometimes they'll have more skincare (yes!) or sometimes more make-up (boo!) based on the theme.

Let's say I'm looking forward to the mail in a month! Yes to unboxing!

Skincare Routine Mondays: June 20, 2016

Happy Summer Y'all! Summer has hit, routines are a-changin' and I am done with wearing pants. Pants are the worst.

1. Oil Cleanser: Still occasionally using Shu Umeura High Balancing Cleansing Oil. Pretty terrible that I'm NOT always using this at night since I am ALWAYS using sunscreen.
2. Eyelid Cleanser: Ocusoft every morning that I  hopefully remember. I pulled a last minute sleepover and didn't have my eyelid cleanser the next morning. My eyes really did feel cruddy the next day, and the day after when I forgot to do it again. People are always dropping numbers on how many times you have to do something to make it a habit. STOP COUNTING and just do it by checking it off your to-do list. Habits are willed to life, not counted into prediction.
3. Water-based Cleanser: sum37's Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick, and on the impromptu sleepover I used Fresh's Soy cleanser because, Sephora Birthday Present 2016, sample size.
4. Toner: Though I do have CosRX's AHA/BHA toner in my closet, I've not been using it. It's more prep for actives, and I haven't had the time or will to introduce a new active considering the samples I've been using instead.
5. First Essence:  My FTE BAE: Missha's FTE Intensive.
6. Serum/essence/masks: Had a couple days of sticky SCINIC's AIO Honey Ampoule-- but as I wrote before, the STICKINESS of it all, UGH. So, yes, of course I am slacking, I have seen no "instant" results, and the stickiness of the product is an instant turn-off. How can so many people LOVE this stuff when it is so gosh darn sticky?!?!
7. Facial Oil/Night Oil: This is a bit trickier... I bought myself a travel bag from Sephora that is chock-full of travel ready samples. Mini sizes of products that they actually do sell individually for an outrageous price, but I digress. Sunday Riley's Luna Oil was in there. Pretty blue facial oil named Luna because "moon," because "night oil," because "retinoid-ish." Accidentally I put this oil on in the morning once and then freaked out about photosensitivity the rest of the day, which wasn't fun. (But, no, I did not get sunburn, thank heavens.) Been using this oil at night and it's the one thing that has improved the texture and appearance of those nasty lingering hormonal chin/jaw acne I've been dealing with for the past few weeks.
8. Moisturizer:
   Mizon Snail Recovery Gel Cream in the AM before Sunscreen, as usual. However, again with the samples from the Sephora bag I got recently, I've been using Ole Henriksen's Sheer Transformation moisturizer at night in conjunction with the Sunday Riley Luna Night Oil. Bad decision was that I started two new products together, so I don't know which one is actually working, or if they work well together. People RAVE about Sunday Riley, but I haven't heard much about Sheer Transformation. 
9. Sunscreen: Biore Aqua Rich Waterly Essence Sunscreen 50g Spf50+ Pa+++, because it's to darn hot and humid for anything less than this awesome mattefying product.

New Product Excitement: SCINIC's AIO Honey Ampoule

There is So. Much. Hype. regarding SCINIC's All-In-One products, specifically Honey and Aqua.

Got it off Amazon a couple of weeks ago, but haven't been able to squeeze it into my schedule until this past week.

Pros: Haven't seen one yet.
Cons: STICKY STICKY STICKY. It is the sort of sticky I don't have time to wait on. Plus, I think my sister's reacting to it poorly, as her whole face got bumpy, swollen, and itchy. Not a good sign.

Had her use a Goat Milk Black sheet mask my IPKN last night as a way to try to help soothe it a bit. Milk is soothing, no? I sure hope so, even though I don't know why it took her so long to complain about an adverse reaction to it.

EVERYONE AND THEIR MOM loves this stuff.

I opened it and first off, the smell is very off-putting. Like honey but with an alcoholic twinge. There is no alcohol in this product, I wonder why is smells this way.

Honey Extract, Glycerin, Water, Niacinamide, Royal Jelly Extract, Propolis Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Hydrolyzed Silk, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Lactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract, Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract, Cinnamomum Cassia Bark Extract, Origanum Vulgare Leaf Extract, Chamaecyparis Obtusa Leaf Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Carbomer(1), PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Triethanolamine(2)(4), Caramel, Adenosine, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Illicium Verum (Anise) Fruit Extract, Fragrance, Phenoxyethanol

See?!?! No alcohol!! And a great list of ingrediants aside from that.

It was totally sealed when I got it, though I do not see an expiration date printed anywhere special. And like everyone suggests, I use just a mere vertical tip into the jar to get enough to put on my face. It absorbs, but OH HOW STICKY.

Would putting actual honey on my face be less crazy?! Honestly feel like such a weirdo trying to have it be less sticky, and then I just end of covering it with another product, which may or may not have an affect on this product.

Ultimately this NPE!!! is a Not-so-much New Product Excitement. Will do an updated review later, if I can stand to be this sticky for the next two weeks.

Skincare Routine Mondays: June 13, 2016

Another "Whoops! It's actually Tuesday" post.Bur for good reason! I missed a week and some since I just got back from the annual Family Vacation. Been suffering a bout of hormonal acne this entire time and no matter how much snail recovery gel cream I put on it, it's still there! Waiting for the hormones to simmer down now that I also happen to have my period. Acne, acne, please go away. I take care of my skin every day!

Another note though, vacation was in a dryer part of town, so not only was my routine at a minimum, it was also lacking heavier moisturizers.

Here was the last week and a half of skincare routine a la vacation mode:

1. Oil Cleanser: Brought a teeny tiny decant of Shu Umeura High Balancing Cleansing Oil. And used it twice. (Ugh, I know, I'm terrible!)
2. Eyelid Cleanser: Ocusoft every morning like clockwork. And the foaming bottle is tough to travel with because it is nearly 20 fluid ounces (had to be checked in on the flight) and always spills if not standing exactly upright. Had to double bag it and it still leaked. My pennies going right out of the window! (or straight into a zip-lock baggie).
3. Water-based Cleanser: sum37's Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick, which my sister has been abusing my swiping it TOO MANY TIMES across her face. She loves it more than I do, and she has dry skin. Her skin has never been clearer, even our mom commented on it.
4. Toner: My FTE BAE kit came with travels sizes (45 or 30 ml) of both the clear toner and FTE BAE. Lucky for me, I love that clear toner.
5. First Essence:  My FTE BAE: Missha's FTE Intensive 45 (or is it 30) ml.
6. Serum/essence/masks: None! Couldn't decant it in time to take something. My sister and I wished we brought some on the trip, but we forgot. :'( So much downtime too where we could have masked. Instead we just watched copious amounts of Bob's Burgers, Modern Family, and random episodes of Naked and Afraid (a surprising favorite of ours that we discovered on this trip).
7. Moisturizer:
   Mizon Snail Recovery Gel Cream. My sister and I doused ourselves with this product all day. The altitude was higher, the air was drier, and our skin was suffering because we didn't bring any heavier creams! Seriously, I had a pretty new tube, and with the way my sister's skin was flaking and my nose was peeling (lots of pollen inducing lots of nose-blowing), I think this tube is going to be gone within the month. Which is a bit too fast, but better than wasting it because it expired.
8. Sunscreen: Brought Biore Aqua Rich Waterly Essence Sunscreen 50g Spf50+ Pa+++,with me on the trip and used it every morning. Then, during the day I would reapply with a stick of 
   
   Dermatone SPF 50 Plus No Touch Sunscreen Stick with Z Cote (0.49 Ounce). It is small, but oh so MIGHTY. My mom bought this stuff a couple years ago, and it really is easy to apply and smells like coconut! Anything that smells like coconut is good in my book. It is greasy, but it does not have a white cast. Pretty much like a solid white glue stick that you can rub all over your face for sun protection. SPF 50 is great! Anything at least 45 is ideal for me since I still burn at SPF 30, contrary to what "experts" say is enough for sun protection. Did I mention it smells like coconuts and you don't have to rub it on your hands? I just swipe it across my face in an upwards massaging motion and I can practically do it anywhere. Seriously, thanks mom, I love the stuff when I'm on the go or in a pinch. I keep a stick with me in my purse. Also, NOT A LIQUID, which is gold for when you don't want to check-in your luggage on a flight. 

Still suffering from hormonal acne. This has been going on for at least two weeks now and it is kind of driving me crazy. The same red spots in the same area, and I accidentally find myself picking at them and then they bleed and it's gross. Hormones please balance so I can go back to normal!!

And that is my shortened, vacation mode routine.

Just for Fun: What are your Seven Deadly Sins of AB?

Ahh, the beauty of reddits and their subcultures. Here's something I yoink'd from today's top posts:

Greed: What's your most expensive AB product?

Freeset's Donkey Milk 3D Moisture cream was my first official foray into AB and most expensive AB product. It was $35.99, and at this Chinese pharmacy this already included tax. Second place has to go to my Missha FTE BAE. I bought the set for $45 (with clear toner and travel sizes), and then repurchased it again at ~$26. If that kit goes on sale again, I'm going to buy several boxes of it. Somehow I find myself missing the Clear Toner and FTE working in tandem.

Wrath: What product/brand/ingredient do you hate? 

There isn't anything I can really hate. But if I had to be pick one, it would be the fact that I was getting CCs from the Hada Labo Alpha lotion. I so wanted to love this Hada Labo, but I couldn't. Gave it away to my friend who loves the stuff.

Gluttony: What brand takes up most of your collection? 

Sheet mask wise: Lovemore/My Beauty Diary. I had a total of 40 MBD, meaning four boxes. But I have a total of 30 Lovemore, which is 6 boxes worth. Runner-up would be Etude House, as I bought a bunch of their masks on 3+3 sale.

Product wise: Mizon. Snail AIO, Black Snail AIO, two tubes of Snail Recovery Gel Cream. It's tough because it's just so affordable!

Sloth: What do you avoid in your skincare routine due to laziness? 

Actives. I finally got my hands on OST C20, but I haven't used it yet because it's going to put a 20 minute dent in my already too long night skincare routine. Also, haven't invested in serums/ampoules, but I might get lazy with those as well.

Pride: What gives you the most confidence? (Product, skincare moment, etc.) 

When my skin was silky smooth and I couldn't stop touching it.... and then I didn't even break out with my grimy hands all over my face time and time again. I'm make-up free and people told me my skin was glowing. Or maybe the whitening was working too well on my too pale skin.

Lust: Which item is at the top of your AB wish list?

I have a research entry for this particular reason! Originally it was separated by category, but some categories didn't get enough love so I combined them. I've been toying with putting the Kikumasamune Sake Skin Lotion High Moisture toner in my Amazon cart for months now. However, if I were to pick a pricier one, it would probably be Sulwhasoo Overnight Vitalizing Mask (~$43) or Joseon Beauty Moisture Whitening Anti-wrinkle Cream.

Envy: Which product is an HG for others but not for you?

Hada Labo Alpha didn't work, so I'm scared to use the other Hada Labo products people rave about. A lot of people like Missha's Snail Aqua Renew Sleeping pack, and it does nothing for me. I think I'm going to swap it soon.