Skincare Routine Mondays: September 26, 2016

Hoo-wee, and just like that October is this Saturday and the WEDDING IS HERE. Less than five days until my college roomie gets married and I have to sausage myself in a dress without a bra on! What butterflies I am getting because I get performance anxiety, and don't you ever say being a bridesmaid isn't a performance because this whole tradition is one too long performance.

But, after last week's (or was it the week before that?) hormonal break out, I have been babying and pampering my skin to the point where it's feeling like a baby's bum. Delightfully so!!

1. AM Eyelid Cleanser: Ocusoft (THESE DARN FAKE EYELASHES AREN"T LEAVING! I lost all but FIVE, and those five are in a clump on my right eye, and even with daily oil cleansing on my eyelashes only, they just refuse to fall out!!! What am I going to do? I have an appointment to get another set done on Thursday, but removal cost $20 which is a rip off if I just have FIVE lashes to get rid of ughhhh.)
2. Water-based Cleanser: sum37's Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick, I love it more and more.
3. Moisturizing Toner: The Face Shop's Chia Seed Line, BUT, I found Son & Park's Beauty Water at Sephora (oh gosh, I was so excited to see a CULT FAVORITE ON DISPLAY!) and though I did impulse buy it, I first asked for a sample (which I spilled half of on my hand because this stuff really is just like water)
4. Random PM Serums: From my Sephora Play! sub: Lancôme Énergie de Vie The Smoothing & Glow Boosting Liquid Moisturizer and Algenist Complete Eye Renewal Balm ; from Sephora Sample Wonderland: Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Framboos™ Glycolic Night Serum
5. Moisturizer: Mizon's AIO Snail Cream, per usual.
6. AM Sunscreen: Biore Aqua Rich Waterly Essence Sunscreen 50g Spf50+ Pa+++  

OH WHAT DID I DO?!?!

Not only did I splurge on Son & Park's Beauty water.... but I also just bought this:

Not like it can even fit ANY of my sheet masks, but maybe it will keep my samples from my Sephora Play! subscription under control... and the plenty of samples that I collect from Sephora Sample Wonderland. (Thank goodness my sheet masks have their own box... even if it's overstuff and has 

Couple of things first, MY SKIN IS GREAT. I did already mention that, but I honestly don't even know what is doing it, or if I just have used the right amount of things on my face and my face is so so so happy.

The Lancome sample I got in my last last Sephora Play! box I've been using because the WEDDING is coming up and I could use some glow boosting. It's consistency is of that of Caudalie's Vinoperfect Radiance Serum, which I guess is essentially the same kind of thing. Lacome's is actually cheaper.... but if it really works, I have no idea. It SMELLS TO THE HIGH HEAVENS, like an overly perfumed smell, kind of reminds me of trips with my mom and aunts to Cosmetics Plus, when that was still a thing. 

So, even if it works spectacularly, the smell of this product alone is enough to drive me away. Really, I just like low-scent, maybe even a bit floral smelling, at best, fragrance free skincare products. Mizon AIO Snail Cream deserves a big SHOUT OUT for this, and for just being awesome and totally affordable. 

Also being using EYE CREAM, which is something I forget I have to think about. Ain't no spring chicken, ya hear?! Fishlines, crow's feet, there are so many ways to label the lines that occur around the eyes. I'm a big smilier, so of course I am going to get fine lines around my eyes, which is why investing in eye cream should be a bigger deal, though I can't seem to really feel that yet. Right now, I'm using what I've been given, but does it really make a different? Not one that I can tell. So, would not repurchase, but I've got my eye on something I've read in K-Beauty blogs, something that costs under ten bucks on Amazon. That sounds like a good deal to me. But, small samples will do for now. Thank you to my Sephora Play! subscription.

However, the true winner at why I think my faces feels so delightfully smooth has to do with the Drunken Elephant Serum I've been using nightly every other day. TOLD YOU I WAS INTO ACIDS, this is an acid I can deal with. The consistency is sticky, but drips enough so that you spread it and it doesn't feel sticky on your face at all. It has a "natural" sort of non-smell which I don't mind, because as I said, I like low fragranced products. Unfortunate part about this serum is that is a whopping $90 for a single ounce and it's in a packaging that I can't even open and rub the residual left overs out of!! Sure, Vinoperfect from Caudalie is $79 for an ounce, but the test tube thing and the little jar I can try to suck every little bit I can get from it.

To be fair, my Mizon AIO Snail Cream is still a champ!! Great results, great application, great price, and great no-scent smell. However, I think in conjunction with this Drunken Elephant Serum, that it's been even better upon absorption. It really made a different the first time I used it. I've only used it twice, but this week my skin has improved and feels so much better that I have a hard time NOT touching it myself!

The Lancome might be helping, the Algenist is meh, whatever, the Vinoperfect I put on alternating days from the Drunken Elephant, and my skin has never been more ready for this wedding!!

However, my boobs are totally not ready since I don't think I can wear a bra since I will be sausaged into my bridesmaid's dress. Thank goodness for family friends with Amazon Prime! Two day shipping has turned into get it by Wednesday (though I wish it was true get it by Tuesdays two day shipping) and I will have self-adhesive silicone chicken cutlet boobs that hopefully give me the lift and cover I need. Ordered in both D and DD, just in case. Also bought a bottle of moisturizing toner, though AH, did I really need one?! I JUST GOT SON and PARK's BEAUTY WATER?!?!?!

All this impulse beauty shopping is really going to put a dent in my wallet. My poor little wallet which is going to be CRUSHED when I do my holiday Euro trip. CRUSHED. I really need to start a "NO BUY" policy and just stop buying anything. I have enough creams (though I was thinking of getting another jar of Mizon AIO, because the two I have right now are going to be too perfumey, I just know it!!), I have another stick of SUM37's MRCS, I have an essence, I have facial oil, I have another bottle of Missha FTE and the Innifree dupe of it, and I HAVE ENOUGH. Why do I feel like I always need to buy more more more?!?!?!?

This last one is it! No more buying. Sorry dear blog, for freaking out on you like this. 

Skincare Routine Mondays: September 19, 2016

And just like that, we only have eleven days left in September. Why does the time seem to pass by so fast?

1. Eyelid Cleanser: Ocusoft (AMs only, and not when I travel, so like, four times this week) 
2. Water-based Cleanser: sum37's Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick, which I totally forgot to bring on my weekend trip , see more sad details below. 
3. Moisturizing Toner: The Face Shop's Chia Seed Line (just a pump or two after washing)
4. Moisturizer: Mizon's AIO Snail Cream, yay!!
5. Sunscreen: Biore Aqua Rich Waterly Essence Sunscreen 50g Spf50+ Pa+++  

My poor poor MRCS, I totally forgot to bring you on my weekend trip and had to settle for (GASP) nothing. I literally used a wet washcloth and water... when I had a FULL FACE OF MAKEUP ON. I feel like I committed blasphemy. Granted, I did have make-up remover, but no true facewash and I felt awful. At least I had my AIO Snail Cream to make me feel like less of a barbarian.

Which brings up the make-up point. Used the Smashbox Pore Mattefying primer, which is NOT purple like the outside of the tube, but a pale nude color. Had my Rimmel "Light" BB Cream as foundation, score, it matches, what a risk I took. But at $2.99, I didn't care so much. The tube is more than enough, and it's not that big at all. Contour stick worked in my favor, yes yes yes to Etude House for being awesome. Also used the cheapest Etude House liquid liner, (the Oh M'Eye Line), which is seriously the most smudge proof and lasts all day!! Tough to remove though, that's the point, right?

Anyway, totally slacking. I think I used the rest of my sample of Caudlie's Glycolic face mask last night. I need to get some more samples until I can justify spending $40 on something that's 2 ounces and is washed right off. 

Skincare Routine Mondays: September 12, 2016

The weather is showing sign of change... and change will happen before you know it!! Looking forward to sweater weather, but not looking forward to the fact that this means my skin is going to be changing too. Warmer weather means less moisture, colder weather means you better pack in the moisture or your skin is going to look like the Serengeti!

1. Eyelid Cleanser: Ocusoft (AMs only, and not when I travel) 
2. Water-based Cleanser: sum37's Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick, which is slightly drying, so I may have to reintroduce an oil cleanser as part one. Or see if I have another cleanser to use that might be less drying. Highly unlikely, especially when this one is such a solid 5.5 pH. Man, I love this stuff, and I am still on my first stick... and my sister and I have been using it double time when she was home. Really, how long have I been using this? It feels like forever!!
3. Toner: That CosRx one that I used to prep for actives. (Only used once this week)
4. Actives: OST 20 Vitamin C serum (Used once this week)
5. Moisturizing Toner: The Face Shop's Chia Seed Line (Just using what I have up)
6. Serum: Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum, (Twice this week(
7. Moisturizer: Mizon's AIO Snail Cream, which I think is something I'll always like because it doesn't have a smell, and it works.
8. Sunscreen: Biore Aqua Rich Waterly Essence Sunscreen 50g Spf50+ Pa+++  even though the Super Goop Dry Oil 50 SPF I bought I realized is only for the body. Smells like citronella candle a bit too.

No time to do anything but the norm. Did a face mask or two this week. One was a sheet mask by Etude House (strawberry, which had a sickly sweet scent, not a fan), did an Origins resurfacing Rose Clay mask from my Sephora Travel bag which I purchased a while back, and lastly did one Caudalie Glycolic mask. Why do I have such a soft spot for Caudalie? It is way too expensive to be worth it in the long run, right? RIGHT?

Anyway, my eyelash extensions are really almost done. I think my left eye only has five or so lashes that are barely holding on, and my right eye has way too many and I am going to be using oil and things like that to try to deter them from staying on. So I have one pretty big eye, and one normal eye. It must look kind of weird, but I don't care enough.

My next eyelash extension appointment is on the 29th, which is is 17 days. I am hoping that all my fake lashes are gone by then because I am not paying twenty bucks for them to removes ten fake lashes. That would be absurd, and they would totally charge me additional fees too. Not worth it!

The wedding is coming up before I know it and I am trying to play with all my new makeup toys. I even bought a Rimmel BB Cream for $2.99 at TJ Maxx because I realized that I don't have foundation!  I have a primer, I have a contour stick and powder, setting powder for a less greasy look, bronzer, liquid eyeliner (my eyeliner of choice), blush, eyeshadows, (both the blush and eyeshadows are from a palette I splurged on through the Sephora sale. This girl isn't going to be paying $42 when it's going for $26 on sale!!) random lip colors, mascara which I'm not going to use if I have eyelash extensions. Whoops, no concealer, and I also have eye shadow primer too. Only half of these things are really necessary.... And actually, I realized that I have no idea in what order to apply make-up at all.

So I had Google Image search tell me, in a nice infographic, just how to do it:

Ugh, where is my setting spray?!??! WHY DO WE NEED SETTING SPRAY?!?!

Skincare Routine Mondays: September 5, 2016

It's September already! How in the world did this happen?!?!? School starts up again, so I am less likely to be so thorough, though it seems this summer things have gotten more simple as my interest has waned.

1. Eyelid Cleanser: Ocusoft (AMs only, and not when I travel)
2. Water-based Cleanser: sum37's Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick
3. Toner: That CosRx one that I used to prep for actives.
4. Actives: OST 20 Vitamin C serum (Maybe once this past week)
5. Serum: Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum, like thrice.
6. Moisturizer: Mizon's AIO Snail Cream, which I have repurchased. It's lighter, much better for the summer. However, this past weekend I've been traveling so I have nearly exhausted the Cane + Austin moisturizer that gives me face a slight tingle when I use it. Quite like it though it smells and feel like putting Elmer's glue on my face.
7. Sunscreen: Biore Aqua Rich Waterly Essence Sunscreen 50g Spf50+ Pa+++  per usual.

Stopped with my FTE and actually haven't really felt a difference. Which is sad because I raved about it at first. Really think it has to do with the fact that I had started my routine with the FTE and Clear toner, which I believe work really well in tandem. 

However, now I am more into the chemical side of things, which glycolic acid. Which are harsher, but with more results. We will see how things turn out for the rest of the semester.