Skincare Routine Monthly Check-in: December 8, 2017

It's been over a month since I finished my Whole30, and I am begging for the Whole30 skin back! It's been just over a month of eating outside of compliance, and my acne has come back (but not as bad, more of a eye-sore than an actual problem), and so has some belly. Being on the Whole30 really felt fresh and clean and I did it again for four day straight after Thanksgiving (because Thanksgiving nearly killed me, my gluttony really got the best of me!).

1. Oil Cleanser: None!
2. Water-based Cleanser:  Goodal's Natural Clear Deep Cleansing Gel to Foam recently ran out, and though I liked it, it was time to use something else I haven't tried yet: Lagom's Gellup Gel to Water Cleanser.  Yes, I did get this at the Peach and Lily sample sale where I was standing in line at 6:45 like a crazy person. It really does feel like water after I rub it in a little. Can't tell if it cleans, but I am hoping it does. Of course, I still use Cosrx Low Ph Good Morning Gel cleanser in the mornings.
3. Hydrating Toner:  Missha Clear Toner, really still liking this product. Kind of sad I only have one more bottle in my stockpile, but I have so many other toners that I have to cycle through, that it will get a rest for a little once this bottle is over. 
4. Serum: Caudalie Vinoperfect Serum also ran out last week, exactly the same time my cleansing gel to foam cleanser ran out. Instead, I have also opted to use another Peach and Lily sample: Fluid Oil Squalane from Olivarrier. The girl at the sample sale raved about it from someone else, and I think it was $10/15, so why the hell not?  Derma Dr.Lab Hydromoist Night Rich Serum that honestly just feels like a thinner moisturizer, not a serum type product.
5. Moisturizer: Mornings have been Dr. G's Hydra Volume Cream tube. In the evening I kind of use whatever moisturizer I want, though I have been using the Hydra Volume Cream more often than not.
6. Sleeping Pack: Too Cool for School's Pumpkin Sleeping Pack, forever? Or just for the season? time will tell. I also have a Holika Holika Wine Sleep pack that I should crack open.... but I don't know if anything can compare to TCFS's Pumpkin!! Slightly worried about this, is this a holy grail sleeping pack?! We will see.
7. Sunscreen: Still using the slightly white-casted Peripera Oil Capture Peach Sun Finisher with SPF 50/PA+++. I wish I wrote the date down on the tube, like I did with some of my other products. I'm curious to see how long this tube will last.

Been having a hurty-time pimple that has no head... probably because I keep putting those acne patches on them. I found a sheet that my friend gave me and I've been using them. Nexcare from Taiwan, she swears they work... I haven't had a pimple like this in a few months, so I am not happy about it. Says it takes 12 hours? 72 hours? I can wash with it on? It's basically supposed to be a miracle patch, and though I've used three of them now, I am not so convinced. Maybe I'm just using it wrong.

While I'm at it, I should write what new items I have acquired:

1. Maycoop Raw Sauce Mini ($7.99 from Marshalls)
2. Maycoop Raw Moisturizer ($19.99 from Marshalls)

Really, I should write what I get so I truly understand how much I am buying and stockpiling. My Taiwan trip is in a matter of weeks, and who am I kidding, I am going to get a haul!

Bottomline: Two new things this round: Lagom Cleanser and 100% Squalane. We will see how this winter goes; tomorrow it's supposed to snow.

Skincare Routine Monthly Check-in: Novermber 2, 2017

Still riding on that good skin train!!

Finished my Whole 30 on Saturday, and it's been five days since I've been off, but my skin still feels prime.

1. Oil Cleanser: None!
2. Water-based Cleanser:  Goodal's Natural Clear Deep Cleansing Gel to Foam for the most part, and sometimes  Cosrx Low Ph Good Morning Gel cleanser when I want a minty pick-me-up.
3. Hydrating Toner:  Missha Clear Toner, proving to still be as nice as I remember it. Seriously, I don't know why, but I think my skin really likes Missha's SK-II dupe line.
4. Serum: Caudalie Vinoperfect Serum. Twice a day because I can.
5. Moisturizer: Rosette Aqua Ceramide Gel has been doing the trick during the evenings. Ran out of Derma Dr. Lab Hydromist Gel Cream rather early on, and moved on to another mositurizer I got through the Club Clio Sale. Dr. G's Hydra Volume Cream tube. Tubes are so nice and easy to dispense the product. This Hydra Volume Cream came with a weird vibrating thing to "massage" the cream "deeper" into the skin. Honestly, I've used the massager twice and it just takes up too much of my time and feels like it's pulling on my skin. Directions say to put a thin layer of cream on, but I feel like if you don't put it on thick enough this thing will pull your skin along with it. Not that much fun. At night though, I have also been indulging in this Bulgarian day cream that my co-worker got me. Something with rose oil... Found it!! Leganza Intensive Hydrating Facial Day Cream with Rose Oil. It's actually very cheap to buy via Amazon.co.uk, and it was probably cheaper to get in Bulgaria. The jar is a cheap plastic, but meh, I just want to use it up and I love the smell. 
6. Sleeping Pack: Too Cool for School's Pumpkin Sleeping Pack is my jam!! Hardly smells like a thing, keeps everything in, and my skin has been great, so I don't know waht ex
7. Sunscreen: Been writing "W"s on my face with Senka this whole month. It does the job, but I've got a couple more sunscreens to work my way through, especially after the Club Clio and Peach + Lily sales this year.

Since the Whole 30 has ended, I was really scared that my skin would flare up again. It's only been a couple of days, but I've already started eating refined sugars, pizza, and a couple sips of red wine. We will see how things go, but I'm love love loving my skin right now.


Costco has SK-II for $189 for 11 ounces.... is it worth the plunge?!?!

Skin is at 100%

Only with a little less boob wiggling. I am civilised and wear a damn bra.

My skin is BACKKKKKKKKKKK and it's better than ever!

Only problem is that I cannot isolate exactly what I am doing that is making my skin work flawlessly as there have been a number of attributes. Let me list the ways:

1.  Twenty days ago I started a round of the Whole 30 food challenge. Only fruits, meats, and vegetables have been consumed by me. The cleanest eating I have ever ate in my entire life, and I am enjoying myself.
2. I have been using Missha's Clear Toner consistently for the last month. It was the first toner from K-beauty that I experimented in tandem with Missha's Time Revolution First Essence. Though I used it at the same time, two new products at the same time, I remember thinking back on the toner fondly.
3. When my French friend visited me, she handled me two bottles of love that is Caudalie's Vinoperfect Radiance Serum. So, for about a month I have also been using this serum morning and night.
4. Two days ago I finally opened my hoarded pack of Too Cool for School's Pumpkin Sleeping Pack. It's finally feeling like the cool crisp cold of Autumn and I wanted to welcome the season as well as I could. I lit a Warm Apple Pie candle and started using this sleeping pack. It's only been two days, but what a glorious two days it has been. My skin has not felt this good in a very long time.

What should be affecting my skin, but isn't right now:

1. My period. There is a shadow of what hormonal pimples are and where they usually sprout up during this time. But that's it, MERE SHADOWS.
2. Poor sleeping schedule. In the last eight days I only went to bed before 3 am maybe once.. or twice? Thursday? Sunday? Yesterday I slept at 1, so I guess that's an improvement, but nevertheless I have not being sleeping well or enough at all.

My skin feels so smooth and soft, it's hard to not stop touching my face! Sebaceous black heads are still around, but they're always going to be around. Now, I'm more focused on how my skin feels to me since when I mess it up back in July it felt horrible, but didn't look as awful as I felt.

Let see how long this stays. Something tells me it has more to do with my diet than it does with the pumpkin sleeping pack (which I have used twice, two days in a row, and I loving it!!).

Skincare Routine Monthly Check-in: October 12, 2017

Whoops! This is 11 days later than I usual anticipate logging. The end of last month and the beginning of this month have been crazy. But I'm here now, and that is what counts, right?

Currently on my period, which now lasts for a light but annoying two weeks straight. Some jawline acne is usual, but I feel like it's just a tad more this month around. Perhaps it's the weather of being hot and humid (too humid for an October!) and then dropping down 15 degrees the next day and raining. Really, what is going on with our poor Mother Earth. Hurricanes, forest fires, mixed temperatures, oh my.

On another note, I am currently on day 14 of a Whole 30, meaning my food and diet have all been changing drastically and I am not sure if/how it affects my skin just yet.

1. Oil Cleanser: None!
2. Water-based Cleanser:  Goodal's Natural Clear Deep Cleansing Gel to Foam still gives me a bit of a "too tight, too clean" feel when I wash, but both my sister and I are loving. We really feel like it cleans, and I think the sebaceous black dots on my nose are less prevalent than ever.
3. Son & Park's Beauty Water: Once in a while I wipe down, but maybe once or twice a week. The cotton pads that I found to use are from my Korean Summer of 2012 and I find that there's not too much extra dirt on them so I don't need to use this as an added cleansing step.
4. Hydrating Toner:  At night sometimes I'll slap some Kikumasamune Moist toner on. Started my Missha Clear Toner, which I remember loving when I first started my K-beauty routine.
5. Serum: At the end of September my dear French friend came to visit and with her were two more bottles of my Caudalie Vinoperfect Serum. Using it twice a day, and I still love it even though I don't know what it does for me haha.
6. Moisturizer: Rosette Aqua Ceramide Gel has been doing the trick during the evenings. Mornings I have used Derma Dr. Lab Hydromist Gel Cream and though at first I thought it was too fragranced (as I always do when I stop using Mizon's Snail which is virtually scentless), my sister and I have been loving it. It has an interesting jello-like texture that fills in and binds to itself again soon after it's disturbed. We both only use it in the mornings and we're very sad with how quickly we're getting to the bottom of the jar.
7. Sunscreen: Used up BAE Biore too fast, back to Senka now. It feels greasy, but matte at the same time. Very manageable. 

Since moving out and in with my sister, we have been masking at least a couple times a week. Especially more so now that my sister opened a pomegranate one from the face shop and it smelled rank. My flights to Taiwan are already booked! Time to use up everything, even though I won't have a layover in Seoul this time. (Direct flights, like I have never done before!)

Putting All the Steps in Perspective

When I randomly bought a CC cream from the Club Clio warehouse sale, I went searching for my Korean skin tone match (found a great article on the Klog). As I remember from living in Seoul that one summer, Korean foundations, bb creams, cc creams, and cushions (ok, cushions weren't a thing quite I understood yet in 2012), Korean skin tone colors are limited. Usually has a range of three colors: pale, less pale than that, more pale than pale. This is great for me because I do border on the porcelain range. From memory I only remember there being colors 21 and 23.

Bomi-Box, which is an overpriced Korean beauty box subscription, has a great article that really simplifies the whole process in a way that makes it easier to relate to. In essence, they break up what scares off most people: the number of steps. They note that Korean skin care regimes are about three things: clean, treat, and protect. Which is precisely right. This is how an introduction to skin care should go.

They really break it down, easy as pie, with simple explainations and I love it:

Step 1: Clean
1. First cleanser
2. Second cleanser
3. Toner
Step 2: Treat
4. Essence
5. Ampoules, Boosters, Facial Oil
Step 3: Protect
6. Eye Cream
7. Moisturizer
8. Sunscreen 

They define each step, but within the three major movements of clean, treat, and protect. Now, it can't get easier than that. Thank you, Bomi-Box, though I won't be buying your random assortment of products in a box anytime soon, I appreciate the simplicity you have brought to us all, Nameless Author.

Skincare Routine Monthly Check-in: September 1, 2017

Omgosh, it is cold today and feels like a cold wave is hitting us even though it was just August yesterday. Omo, this is bad because my skin, as you can tell from the skincation I had to do earlier last month, does not handle sudden changes well.

In fact, I am still only at 70% of what my skin used to be. Perhaps it's because I'm older and nothing heals as fast as it once used to. My shoulders still have that dirty look because of the slight sunburn I got earlier in the summer.

1. Oil Cleanser: Still haven't really gotten back into that.
2. Water-based Cleanser: Sometimes I use sum37's Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick, especially since we ran out of Cosrx Low Ph Good Morning Gel cleanser. Sometimes I use the Tosowoong Enzyme Powder wash cleanser. Lately I've been using Goodal's Natural Clear Deep Cleansing Gel to Foam because I got it from a Club Clio warehouse sale for $10. It makes my skin feel a bit too clean, but we will see how this goes after another week or two of usage.
3. Son & Park's Beauty Water: I know, I know, I know. I really should be using this with cotton swabs, but... I haven't. Still slapping it (literally) onto my face.
4. Hydrating Toner:  At night sometimes I'll slap some Kikumasamune Moist toner on. But Enprani’s Dear by Enprani Moistfull Booskin on gym days.
5. Serum: Laziness, still. Caudalie if I remember, sheet mask remnants if I remember.
6. Moisturizer: Rosette Aqua Ceramide Gel has been doing the trick during the evenings. Mornings I have used the regular Mizon AIO Snail because we had some left over from the Rome trip. Then there's this new one that's got such an odd consistency, like thick pudding gel that gets watery when you smear it around. Derma Dr. Lab Hydromist Gel Cream is sold at Target for $32, but I got it at the Club Clio warehouse sale for $10. I mean, $10 is around how much I pay for moisturizer anyway, so I decided to give this one a go. Can't tell if I like it yet.
7. Sunscreen: Went back to the BAE Biore SPF, especially since they bottles have changed and I have to get used to the new formula because if I keep the other one around too long, it means it's gotten too old. Tarte's spf 30 on gym days (trying to use up their ultra small glass jar sample).

There have been some more masking, and the last one that I really liked was My Scheming's Milk Extract Brightening mask. It went on so nicely and I woke up with such smooth skin. However, since I was pampering that night, I also had time and slapped on some Timeless 20% Vitamin C + E Ferulic Acid Serum. Maybe it was the two together, I am not sure.

However, I do know that I have contemplated going vegan and that's going to be very hard on my skincare routine. Too much love for snail mucus, milk extracts, honey, and more. 

Skincation is over

Still babying my skin, but it's pretty much back to normal. Been squeezing a Vit C session here or there.  My forehead is under control, my jawline is a mess but it's smoother. Everything is becoming smoothly, actually, so I don't need to document the basics anymore. Though I realize that some of my sheet masks are going to expire, or perhaps they already have. I'm just about to book another trip back to TW and so I'm going to use all these masks up. Invest in the ones I like the most: Leaders and Lovermore. Though I am not sure where to get Leaders next, that was a very lucky TJ Maxx find.

Other basics:

• Got another AHA BHA toner, which I realize isn't something I need since I don't truly use acids, but now I have one and a half bottles. CoxRx and Mizon. 
• Trying to use up my Sephora Play! samples that have their own make-up case. Didn't realize how many colors of lipsticks I owned until I opened the case up. I'm going to have to add the deluxe sample I just ordered from Sephora on hold. 
• Yeah, I spent another $60 at Sephora and I didn't even use my play card to get an extra 10 beauty points. They never have sales in the store. I got a sale tweezer (addicted to cute little tweerman patterned tweezers), a sale eyelash curler (my green one from Taiwan just isn't curling my lashes anymore), and the $40 traveler's kit.... which has even more samples that I am going to have to go through and use. I haven't even finished the last travel kit, but I broke the bag on this last vacation so I figured I would just get a new one.
• Can't tell is the Smoothie Peeling Jam is peeling my skin or just lots of the product on itself. My skin feels tight afterwards, so I always plump it back up with toner. 

Skincation Day 8: Gym time

Went to the gym this morning, so there's a double morning routine. Also, sweated my brains out, so here's to hoping it clears the junk that's making my skin crater city! Bad news is that I've started picking at my face now the swollen pimples have gone down for the most part. Picking at my bumps is bad news bears.

Morning Pre-Gym:

1. Good Morning Low pH CosRx face wash
2. Son&Park Beauty Water

Morning Post-Sweat Sess:

1. Caolion Blackhead O2 Sparkling Soap
2. Moistfull Booskin hydrating toner
3. Origins GinZing eyecream
4. Clinique Dramtically Different Lotion (cream in a pot)
5. Shiseido Senka Aging Care UV Sunscreen SPF50+ PA++++ (Left BAE at home and wishing I didn't, just trying to use up this yellow tube for now).

Evening:

1. Tosowoong enzyme powder soap
2. Queen Helene Mint Julep Mask
3. aha.bha cosrx clarifying toner
4. timeless Vit C serum
5. Son&Park Beauty Water
6. Moistfull booskin toner
7. Lovemore Rose sheet mask

Skincation Day 7: One Week~!

Wow, I can't believe it's been a week since I came home and had my arsenal of skincare products to battle and work on improving my skin.

This morning:

1. Low pH Good Morning CosRx cleanser
2. SUM 37 MRCS
3. Son&Park Beauty Water
4. Kikumasamune Sake Skin Lotion High Moisture toner
5. Mizon AIO Black Snail
6. BIORE is BAE sunscreen

Evening:

1. Tosowoong enyzme powder wash
2. Son&Park Beauty Water
3. Rosette ceramide gel

Then I passed out and really, that's all the effort I could make when I passed out, woke up at 3 am and passed out again.

Skincare Routine Monthly Check-in: August 1, 2017

So, I'm currently doing a lot more than usual and documenting my day-to-day skincare process en route to healing my face.

This means I get a pass because I don't have a usual routine yet, right?

See you next month then!

Skincation Day 6: Feeling Better

Too Much Fun in the Sun really did make a difference when I fell asleep with it on my face at my friend's house Friday night.

Morning:

1. Good Morning Low pH Cleanser
2. Kiehl's Tumeric Clay Mask in the shower (so it didn't really get to dry the whole way)
3. Son&Park Beauty Water
4. Moistfull Booskin toner
5. Caudalie Vinoperfect serum left my skin looking greasy so I used in lieu of moisturizer. 
6. BIORE IS BAE sunscreen. Seriously, how did I ever leave this sunscreen? I am so sorry I ever doubted you and now there's a new formula and I don't know if I'll like it as much. Sadface here for my very first world problem.

Evening:

1. ToSowoong facial cleanser
2. Kiehl's Tumeric Clay Mask
3. Holika Holika Smoothie Peeling Jam
4. AHA/BHA Clarifying Toner
5. Timeless Skin Care 20% Vitamin C Plus E Ferulic Acid Serum
6. Son&Park Beauty Water
7. Moistfull Booskin toner
8. Tazorac

Last night, I felt like I could apply tazorac because my skin was greasy (which means less likely to get dry tret face), and because I have been seeing a slight improvement.  My forehead does not feel nearly as bumpy as before, the area under my eyes/high cheekbone triangle are now smooth. My jawline is still a mess, but 천천히 (chun-chun-hee), it will improve, I just know it now. Before I had no idea if my skin was going to bounce back, and though I've been made complete improvement, the progress is enough as long as it keeps progressing at this pace.

Skincation Day 5: Lazy Sundays

Morning:

1. Good Morning Low pH Cleanser
2. Son&Park Beauty Water
3. Kikumasamune Sake Skin Lotion High Moisture toner
4. BIORE IS BAE sunscreen. Gosh, I've forgotten how much this sunscreen is BAE.

Evening:

1. Sum37 MRCS
2. Queen Helene Mint Julep, did a nice a even spread so when it dried I looked ghastly!
3. Son&Park Beauty Water
4. Moistfull Bookskin toner
5. Mizon Black Snail AIO

Skincation Day 4: Overnight version

Since I'm sleeping at a friend's house tonight I'm keeping track now.

Morning:

1. Good Morning Low pH Cleanser
2. Son&Park Beauty Water
3. IPKN Dia Goat Milk Black Mask leftover goo
4. Mizon AIO Snail (regular) and still stinging my face upon application
5. Nivea Sunscreen

Evening:

1. SUM37 MRCS
2. booskin toner
3. Leaders Too Much Fun In The Sun Mask (Sheet mask)

will confirm tomorrow... if I remember

Skincation Day 3: Forgot to Mask, Keeping It Simple

Morning:

1. Good Morning Low pH Cleanser
2. Son&Park Beauty Water
3. Kikumasamune Sake Skin Lotion High Moisture toner
4. Nivea Sunscreen

Evening:

1. Sum37 MRCS
2. Son&Park Beauty Water
3. Kikumasamune Sake Skin Lotion High Moisture toner
4. IPKN Dia Goat Milk Black Mask leftover goo
5. Mizon Snail AIO (regular) which STUNG MY FACE?!?!? WTF.

Kept it really simple today. Thought I was going to do the Leader's mask and/or Tazorac, but instead I ended up passing out waiting for the Mizon Snail AIO to soak into my skin.

It's not been terribly humid, or really hot, and yet my skin is a greasy mess. 

I'm thinking that this is what happened-- the first few days of vacation my skin was so, so, so, so dry and I was layering up the Mizon Snail AIO (regular) and it just wasn't working. Then, over the next couple of days, and worst of all the last few days, it was really hot, sweaty, humid, and I put oil sunscreen on my face not thinking it'll fuck me up this much. WRONG. Now I am back to being greasy and having to adjust my skin properly in order to counteract all the acne and pimples and close comedones on my face.

Trying to use acids, but have to be careful not to over exfoliate. Trying to renew my skin, and make these closed comedones regular pimples because I know how to combat those over that. It is a mess, my face is a mess. It is also itchy and I find myself touching it way more than I should. So much so that it has spread to under my jaw on my neck and is just unsightly.

This is so upsetting.

Skincation Day 2: No Oils, No Tazorac

The second day has come and gone. My face feels greasy, looks greasy, and is slowly blossoming with pus-tacular white heads. This honestly sounds gross and borderlines a horror story.

Could feel the slime of Tazorac rinse off, and I wondered if it did any good. So instead of applying it again at night, I took a break. This is also because I fell asleep and forgot to get my Tazorac out of the little cat vanity mirror box I stashed it in. My friend got me this purrfect light-up vanity mirror that I like to use when I need to get up close and uncomfortable with my skin.

It looks just like this:

Anyway, my face looks flushed, my skin is a mess, I have white heads all over the place, and not a single patch of skin is smooth. It is taking a lot out of me because I want to pick, pick, pick at my skin. It itches sometimes too.

My skin is gross, I need not a skincation, but skin-salvation, skin-vation? Oh, I don't know, I just know that if it doesn't get better in the next month (ugh, it's only day two), that I am going to research dermatologists. My ego is taking such a blow, do you know how much your confidence and ego relies on your face?!?

Another concern I have is over-exfoliation. I have been trying to counteract this by hydrating my skin, but today, on day three, I realize that my skin is more sensitive and products like my toners, as my toners now give me a slight tingling feeling.

Morning:

1. Good Morning Low pH Cleanser
2. Son&Park Beauty Water
3. Lovemore Pearl Barley and Milk Smoothing Mask leftover goo
4. Nivea Sunscreen

Morning Part Two (Post Gym):

1. Caolion Pore Blackhead O2 Sparkling Soap (bar soap for the face, I'm a big fan of non-liquids, can you tell? Haha)
2. Dear by Enprani Moistfull Booskin (hydrating toner)
3. Origins GinZing™ Refreshing Eye Cream
4. Clinique Dramatically Different Lotion Cream (from a pot)
5. Shiseido Senka Aging Care UV Sunscreen SPF50+ PA++++

Evening:

1. Tosowoong Enzyme Powder Wash
2. Son&Park Beauty Water
3. IPKN Dia Goat Milk Black Mask (sheet mask)

Evening Part Two:

1. Good Morning Low pH Cleanser
2. Son&Park Beauty Water
3. Kikumasamune Sake Skin Lotion High Moisture toner
4. Origins Original Skin Retexturizing Mask with Rose Clay (clay mask)
5. Lovemore Pearl Barley and Milk Smoothing Mask leftover goo
6. Rosette Aqua Ceramide Gel (trying to counteract the fact that I may have messed up my moisture barrier!)

Today is Day Three on this road to healing my face and I've bought Mizon's AHA and BHA Cleansing Toner because I'm going to play around with acids while my skin is horrible. Sounds like a bad idea made out of desperation. Just like putting regular sunscreen on my face. So many bad ideas.

1 일1팩 is still being implemented. I think I am going to use Leader's Too Much Fun in the Sun mask, one of my favorites. Possibly followed by another Lovemore mask the next day.

Skincation Day 1: Face Peel, Mask, Tazorac

Oh goodness me, I cannot take not having smooth skin and these bumps are driving me absolutely up the wall. On one hand, I understand that patience is a virtue, on the the other hand I cannot HANDLE THIS ANYMORE.

So, on Day 1 of my return from the vacation that messed up my skin, this is how it went:

Morning:

1. The Face Shop Rice Water Bright Light Cleansing Oil
2. Good Morning Low pH Cleanser
3. Holika Holika Smoothie Peeling Jam (in Grape Expectation, hahaha, I love a good pun!)
4. Son&Park Beauty Water
5. Kikumasamune Sake Skin Lotion High Moisture toner
6. Mizon AIO Snail (Black)
7. Nivea Sunscreen

Evening:

1. The Face Shop Rice Water Bright Light Cleansing Oil
2. Tosowoong Enzyme Powder Wash
3. Son&Park Beauty Water
4. Kikumasamune Sake Skin Lotion High Moisture toner
5. Kiehl's Turmeric & Cranberry Seed Energizing Radiance Masque (clay mask)
6. Lovemore Pearl Barley and Milk Smoothing Mask (Sheet mask)
7. Mizon AIO Snail (Regular)
8. Tazorac

Totally doing 1 일1팩 from here on out. I've got plenty in my hoard of stash, better put it to good use!

I need a SKINCATION!

It was probably a mix of different climates, pH levels in water, strong rays of sun, weird lack of humidity, sunscreen slathered on and on and on with dirty hands, forgotten bottles of toner, but HOLY HELL, my skin has never been this bad in my entire life.

Forget vacation, I need a SKINCATION, and ASAP!

My smooth skin, oh my chok-chok, never did I ever feel like you were ever so taken for granted. You are missed as my face is now full of the peaks and valleys of pimples, closed comedones, and basically is a landscape of upset skin that has not been able to been tamed for the last twelve days.

This kind of skin is what make people turn to tret, and I think my tazorac might make an appearance, especially since my skin is still an oil mine this afternoon. Ugh, the craters that is my skin! It makes me very sad and though people have commented that they don't really notice it, it bothers me so much that I can feel it and it feels so much worse than it looks, I guess.

HELP! I'm going to try to do 1 일1팩 for as long as necessary! Yikes, my poor skin needs so much help, I am so sad that I haven't even touched my face, and I am a perpetual hand-on-face leaner.

1 일1팩
1 일1팩
1 일1팩
Acids!
Tazorac!

Oh my smooth skin, oh my chok-chok, please come back to me.

Retinols: Body Merry 2.5%?

After my not so fun incident with Tazorac, I have been kind of scared off.

Retinols, I grouped in the same group as Tret-face scares, and though I know at my age I really should be wary and utilizing them (pro-action not reaction), I'd been too scared off to really do my research. Afterall, it really seemed to be a Western beauty sort of ordeal, and you can see how much more influence I am taking from Asian Beauty.

That being said, my friend brought down her skincare, and she uses a retinol moisturizer and retinol eye cream. The Algenist sample I got seemed to make my lines worse around the eyes, so I've refrained from doing anything more with eye creams. However, the concept that it would be combined with a moisturizer has got me intrigued. She uses an American brand of Body Merry, and it's a 2.5% mix, which seems quite high since Paula's Choice serums are for advanced acid users is "clinical" at 1%.

The ingredients seem pretty harmless enough:

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice (Organic Aloe), Aqua (Deionized Water), Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil (Organic Sunflower Oil), Isopropyl Palmitate, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Cassia Angustifolia Seed Extract (botanical hyaluronic acid), Stearic Acid, Glycerin (Kosher, Vegetable), Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil (Organic Jojoba Oil), Butyrospermum Parkii Butter (Shea Butter), Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Panthenol (Vitamin B5), Retinol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract (Organic Green Tea), Propolis Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract (Organic Gotu Kola), Equisetum Arvense Extract (Horsetail), Geranium Maculatum Extract (Wild Geranium), Taraxacum Officinale Extract (Organic Dandelion), Xanthan Gum, Polysorbate 20, Pentylene Glycol, Alcohol, Lecithin, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin

However, though some reddit research, it was suggested that their base may come from this no-name lab that sells it through wholesale, Rainshadow Labs. This is their ingredient list:

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice (Organic Aloe), Aqua (Deionized Water), Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil (Organic Sunflower Oil), Isopropyl Palmitate, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Cassia Angustifolia Seed Extract (botanical hyaluronic acid), Stearic Acid, Glycerin (Kosher, Vegetable), Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil (Organic Jojoba Oil), Butyrospermum Parkii Butter (Shea Butter), Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Panthenol (Vitamin B5), Retinol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract (Organic Green Tea), Propolis Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract (Organic Gotu Kola), Equisetum Arvense Extract (Horsetail), Geranium Maculatum Extract (Wild Geranium), Taraxacum Officinale Extract (Organic Dandelion), Xanthan Gum, Polysorbate 20, Pentylene Glycol, Alcohol, Lecithin, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin. **updated February 15th, 2017

So wait, what's the difference?!?!?

Either I get Body Merry's cute labels and air-tight packaging at 20.99 for 3.4 ounce (100 ml), or I can get the 2 ounces (60 ml) for $3.95 in a sample amber bottle and see if I like it enough to buy the cute 100 ml version for 20 bucks or the 36 ounce bottle (1064 ml)..... for thirty bucks.

Skincare Routine Monthly Check-in: July 1, 2017

July 1st! check-in:

1. Oil Cleanser: After I started to break out earlier in May I stopped using this step because it was fairly new and I wanted to go back to basics.
2. Son & Park's Beauty Water: No idea what I am doing with this step. I use it and then I wash it off and then I slap it on again. I realize I don't like using cotton balls to apply or wipe product on/off. Seems like such an inefficient hassle to me. I have no idea what I am doing with this step, or if it's even helping.
3. Water-based Cleanser: Finally finished the sum37's Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick from Nov. 7, 2016. Instead I have found myself reaching for my sister's Cosrx Low Ph Good Morning Gel cleanser. The minty fresh part of it has grown on me, and I actually like using it in the mornings. Especially when my Rose Stick has been increasingly hard to dispense.
4. First Essence: Thinking of incorporating Missha's FTE, but also want to give my skin a break  because I still don't know what I am doing with Son & Park's Beauty Water.
5. Hydrating Toner:  A mix between Kikumasamune Moist toner and/or Enprani’s Dear by Enprani Moistfull Booskin. Whatever I feel like reaching for that day. Usually Enprani's because I want to use it up, but also because Kikumasamune has been mixing smells and makes a terribly stench with mixed with something I can't quite put my finger on it.
6. Serum:  I took a break. Laziness.
7. Moisturizer: Good ol' Mizon Black  Snail AIO. Skin's been a bit hormonal, but it loves the stuff nonetheless.
8. Sunscreen: Mornings I stick to using a pump of Nivea Sun Protect Super Water Gel SPF 50/PA+++. Only use Shiseido Senka Aging Care UV Sunscreen SPF50+ PA++++ at the gym. Really liking my aerosol SPF 50 coconut sunspray from Alba. Cheap, smells like alcohol at first, but that helps it evaporate quickly and dry nicely. Really does well on my arms and feet (still wearing leggings or long pants because the office is like ice).

Kiehl's clay mask of Turmeric & Cranberry Seed Energizing Radiance Mask and Pacifica's Future Youth Enzymatic Resurfacing Mask on my neck. Perfect combo, though I don't really get a "wow" factor from Kiehl's and would probably not purchase it for myself. But I sheet masked twice last week, which was nice. Trying to use up my crazy stash.

Still keeping it simple since I have been having a weird period and hormonal acne jaw is still in the works.

Why did I buy Beauty Water? I have no idea what the hell I'm supposed to be doing with it. Nothing seems right.

That Pacifica Mask Repurposed

In my last post I listed a Pacifica mask that I was allergic to (the Pacifica Future Youth Enzymatic Resurfacing Mask). However, it has found a great new purpose! My décolleté, aka the neck skin.

So, you know how everyone tells you to patch-test your products and you're like, eff that and glob it all on your face? Well, yeah, that's why I'm allergic to it. However, I decided that my neck should get some masking love and decided to patch test there. Pacifica on my neck, turmeric on my cheeks and forehead, and clay on my nose. That clay mask really needs to be thrown out, it's practically solid.

My neck has never felt better!! It is so soft and smooth and I just couldn't stop touching it myself. Seriously, not a single issue with my neck, so I've decided to use it in patches on my face. Usually on pimples, or rougher areas on my jawline that have suffered at the hands of hormonal pimples. So far so good.

Glad to have given the mask another try. Maybe I just needed to ease myself into the product instead of globbing it on everywhere. My upper lip is actually the most sensitive, and doesn't really need the mask like the rest of my face does. Ooooh, I just hope I can use it on more parts of my face because it really is so, so, so, so smooth and I am loving it.


On the other hand, I finally opened my bottle of Beauty Water and I am totally not wow'd. Maybe it's because I've only used it once and it'll be something I miss when I stop using it, like the Missha Clear Toner.

Masks Masks Masks

In my medicine cabinet there is a stack of three jars-- all three are masks. Going in order of oldest to newest here they are:


1. Yes To Tomatoes Clear Skin Skin Clearing Facial Mask, 1.7 oz, $5.99 at TJ Maxx

First let's note the ingredients:

Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Kaolin, Glycerin, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Aveena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Meal, Titanium Dioxide, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice (Certified Organic Ingredient), Bentonite, Phenoxyethanol, Solanum Lycopersicum (Tomato) Fruit Extract (Certified Organic Ingredient), Silt (Dead Sea Mud), Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Capsicum Annuum (Red Pepper) Fruit Extract, Cucurbita Pepo (Pumpkin) Fruit Extract (Certified Organic Ingredient), Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract (Certified Organic Ingredient), Aspalathus Linearis (African Red Bush Tea) Extract (Certified Organic Ingredient), Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract (Certified Organic Ingredient), Citrullus Vulgaris (Watermelon) Fruit Extract, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil (Certified Organic Ingredient), Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil (Certified Organic Ingredient), Cetearyl Alcohol, Zinc Oxide, Alcohol, Potassium Sorbate, Fragrance (Parfum).

What I don't understand about this clay mask is how it gets more potent as time goes one. I've used over half the tub on intermittent masking fun. Covers my face in a white paste that dries but doesn't fully seem to change color like other clay masks. My sister has used it and we both were fine. Then it went back into my stockpile shelf, by accident, and was "refound" a couple months later.

Now, my sister and I fondly remember the gentle clay masking we've done before and went to use the jar again. First things first, yes it is clay, yes it got more difficult to dole out and spread. Second, it started my make our skin feel uncomfortable. Not the tingly way, but full on burning way. It was burning sensation that reminded me of old days with Neutrogena sunscreen. Only this time it was a white clay mask and I couldn't tell if my skin was inflamed under it all.

It was.

Washed it off and thought, maybe I would do this again later and give it another chance. Then the next mask entered my life....


2. Pacifica, Future Youth Enzymatic Resurfacing Mask, 1.5 oz (42.5 g) $6.99 at TJ Maxx

Ingredients: Aqua, Glycerin, Bromolein, Niacin, Arginine, Carica Papaya (Papaya) Fruit Extract, Ananas Sativus (Pineapple) Fruit Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Extract, Brassica Oleracea (Kale) Extract , Papain, Macrocystis Pyrifera (Kelp) Extract, Sclerotium Gum, Align, Xanthan Gum, Chlorophyll, Hyaluronic Acid, Polysorbate-20, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Benzyl Alcohol, Parfum (All Natural)

This company has always caught my interest. Though I am neither vegetarian nor vegan, vegan products have had more allure than the average beauty product. Pacifica is one of those companies that is also cruelty-free (as is the Say Yes line). It has the color scheme and aesthetic of a southern pacific island (oh, how appropriate pacifica), attractive marketing indeed. 

It's a gel-like mask, looks and reminds me of aloe gel. However, instead of after suncare, it's a chemical mask. 

Don't know what's in it, but my face DOES NOT like it one bit. The second this cooling refreshing gel hits my face it starts to burn that invisible burn. Hasn't turned my face red yet, but I wasn't going to wait around for longer than the ten seconds it started to hurt, and I washed it all off. However, my décolleté? Not a feeling. So, I guess I will ask my sister to check it out, or I will just have to Future Youth Resurface my neck alone.

It's a no-go, no matter how much I want this to work! Should have bought the $9.99 sample of several different Pacifica masks instead. Honestly, I don't know what ingredient(s) have that effect on me, but holy cow, it was not pleasant. Need to do more research to figure out what is and isn't working for me. It's the simplest of the three masks, too.



3. Kiehl’s Turmeric & Cranberry Seed Energizing Radiance Masque - 2.5 oz. - Birthday Present!

Ingredients: Aqua / Water, Kaolin, Sorbitol, Bentonite, Butylene Glycol, Silica, Ci 77891 / Titanium
Dioxide, Vaccinium Macrocarpon (Cranberry) Seed, Pentylene Glycol, 1, 2-Hexanediol, Simmondsia Chinensis Oil / Jojoba Seed Oil, Caprylyl Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Polysorbate 60, Polyacrylamide, Ci 77492 / Iron Oxides, Glycerin, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Curcuma Longa Extract / Turmeric Root Extract, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Laureth-7, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Mentha Piperita Extract / Peppermint Leaf Extract, Menthol, Epilobium Angustifolium Extract - Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Aminomethyl Propanol, Vaccinium Macrocarpon (Cranberry) Seed Oil

This mask looks and feels homemade, to be honest. Comes in an orange jar, but when you open it, it looks like baby vomit (I know, I know, it's from the turmeric). However, the smell is unremarkable, more clay than anything else. When I smear it across my face, the chunks of seeds get stuck, and it's not the easiest to get a uniform spread. That being said, it is still a lovely mask. You just look kind of scary because your face is a weird yellow vomit color with chunks all over.

Cranberries are lovely, but I have realized that they are my least favorite when they are just the seeds and in my face mask. It is harder to wash this mask off in comparison to other less chunky masks.

However, it does bring a smoothness and glow after the 15 minutes it takes to get all the product off and make sure that the seeds are captured in the sink's net and not actually going to clog the drain. It's a lovely mask, even though I am not a fan of the grit and physical aspect of exfoliation. 

Tales of a Sunscreen Junkie

Being ghastly pale it took me years to realize that any SPF that was under 30 was not enough to protect my skin. Hopped on the sunscreen boat early and started with SPF 15 in my Aveeno face moisturizer as an 18 year-old. However, only after the appearance of dime-sized sun spots on the top of my feet in my mid-twenties did I realize the grave mistake I had of not putting sunscreen everywhere and the need of a higher SPF range.

Neutrogena did not work for me, especially in the humid environs of Taiwan. Once my pores open up and I try to reapply my sunscreen, Neutrogena gets into my pores and creates a fiery feeling-- without actually giving my skin any redness. It simply burns and makes me want to claw my face off.

Aveeno (SPF inclusive) moisturizer was too oily and greasy for the humidity Taipei had throughout the year, and for a while I actually stopped using moisturizer. GASP. Ah, the mistakes of an early 20-something. However, I will vouch for living in an always humid climate-- it really works wonders for your skin and gives you a natural moisturizer you never knew until you were without. If sun care is maintained properly, you really could be without moisturizer and still have wonderfully atmosphere induced chok-chok.

In 2012 I briefly lived in Seoul, Asian Beauty Skincare Capital of the world! Also, the Sample Capital of the world. I miss getting cotton pads as samples, as they were the best for removing nail polish. It was there that I also thought that I should care more about my skin. This actually started out earlier that year in February when I visited and bought a toner and emulsion from Holika Holika. I loved this duo-- but it wasn't doing it for my skin in hot, sticky, and humid Taiwan, so I stopped using them.

SUNSCREEN became really really important when I joined a dragon boat racing team and we would spend our mornings on the track of ShiDa working out. By mornings, I mean 6 am, we don't play around. Having such fair skin is a curse when the sun is always out and you are sweating everything you've got to sweat on the field. It was then that the love of my life, Japanese Sunscreen, came into the picture and I haven't looked back since.

My go to in Taiwan? It's a small blue bottle that I could find for $100 NT (around $3 USD) that I would shake up and slather everywhere, Biore's Super UV Milk SPF 48. Unlike any sunscreen I've used before, it was milky, watery, and leaves an extremely white cast-- that I got all over my friend's motorscooter's seat when he would give me a lift to water practice. (Whoops! It took a while to fade, but he said he missed it after a while....) Since I am so pale, the white cast issue was never truly an issue for me, I didn't even have to slather it in well and the white would just blend in with my already ivory tones. However, this may be an issue with anyone who tans or is naturally more melanin-blessed than my Irish genes. White casts are no fun, especially when you are less than ridiculously pale.

Advertised for the face, I used this little blue bottle of sunscreen everywhere and could reapply it without feeling the burn that every single Neutrogena sunscreen ever gave me. My friend swore by a lavender Biore bottle, but hers was nearly twice as expensive and I was going to apply this all over my arms and legs and went through the tiny bottles like crazy. It was not worth twice the price, and it didn't feel any better on my face. This was the first time I came into contact with non-greasy sunscreens, and they all had a weird shake-weight thing inside to mix up the watery texture that does contain alcohol. Never did I think that something that would protect me from the sun would have such an extreme amount alcohol in it. It is a God send, it really is. And look at that, it SPF 48 (perfect!) and PA+++ (highest amount of pluses a PA could rate?). This was my favorite sunscreen and I went through several bottles a month. It was also commonly found shared between my teammates, which I don't mind because I promote good skin care and sunburn prevention.

However, now that I am back in the States, this formula has proved to be a bit too drying. After much research, I followed the cult favorites of all that is AB, I had to give try out Biore's Aqua Rich Watery Essence (which cost over $200 NT in Taiwan, so I never tried it). This sunscreen has proven to live up to its praise, and is as wonderful as all those who have AB'd it before me has said it would be. It is lightly citrusy, goes on smoothly and leaves a nice matte finish that is neither chalky or greasy. Even my mother likes the formula and has stolen two tubes of it from my stash already.

It is NOT the cheapest option though, and as much as Aqua Rich Watery Essence is BAE, I still had the roving eye. Tried a pump dupe of this sunscreen as recommended by the AB crowd, but I'm just not loving the Nivea brand Japanese sunscreen Nivea Sun Protect Super Water Gel SPF 50/PA+++) as much. The price is the best, about $12 for 140 g, versus $8 for 50 g, but it gives me too much of that chok-chok fresh from a facial look that I am not exactly the biggest fan of. It makes life easy because I just use a pump or so and slather it on my face post-moisturizer, but that fresh out the facial look is only sometimes appreciated.

This roving eye has also been showering Shishedo's Senka's Anti-Aging yellow tube sunscreen lots of love because I am no longer a young 20-something. It is only slightly cheaper, $7 and change for 50 g, doesn't have that citrusy smell, but something else. It has a nozzle tip, so it's easier to apply with precision (which I kind of missed with the Aqua Rich tube, which was just a normal kind of squeeze tube). The anti-aging marketing ploy has got me, and I have an equal amount of the blue and yellow tubes stocked in my stockpile of Asian Beauty products. The Aqua Rich's price fluctuates on Amazon, but Senka is lesser known and is pretty steady on the lower end of $7 a tube. My loyalty is still with Aqua Rich, but I think I treat it more carefully knowing that it is a cult favorite and that is why the prices jump around for this product more so than the Senka tube. We will see how it plays out. Not as in love with the Senka sunscreen, but not finding any faults with it either.


Oh I and I have this random red Sunplay sunscreen from Taiwan (though it's by the well-known Japanese brand Mentholatum), but the only image I could find that looks like what I have is SPF 130, which is ridiculous and I don't think mine actually is that high. Mine is only SPF 50, but the bottle looks just like the one pictured on the left, with the funny cat drawing and everything. It reminds me of the little blue bottle from Biore, which means that once I brought it home I realize that it was too drying, and I that I would only want to use it on the most humid of days. Which, oh my goodness Climate Change, really has not allowed to happen much this year as of yet. It feels like April still and it's June, our poor Earth is sick and we're really not doing enough to help out.

Due to the limited access of these products (mainly via Amazon, and then, since they're Japanese imports, it takes about a month to get here), I do not want to waste such precious formula on my body. Therefore, I have become a sunscreen junkie and buy sunscreen where ever I go to cover the rest of me. Especially if they are cheap and under 3 fluid ounces so that I could bring them on my carry-on when I travel, since I hate check-ins and travel without if possible. (Yes, I am one of those ladies with backpacks bigger than their torsos, trying to stuff it in the overhead luggage space.)

Bottles/Tubes/Cans of Sunscreen I have on rotation:

1. Nature Republic Provence Calendula Perfect Sun Block SPF50+ PA+++ 150 ml - This is old, I really should have been done with this. But, the internet says it's good for three years and then it loses effectiveness, so, I guess, it still has a year to go.
2. Hang Ten Classic Face SPF 30, 3 oz - Weird sticky glue texture, I use it for my body, but I originally wanted it as a travel sunscreen. Maybe that's why it was on super sale at TJ Maxx.
3. NO-AD SPF 45, 3 oz - Bought as a travel sunscreen at a close-out places for $3, carry-on size approved or 3 fluid ounces. It doesn't really have that sunscreen smell, which is lovely surprise.
4. Max Block 50 SPF Kids Sunscreen Lotion, 3 oz. - Bought this in a Dollartree in Las Vegas because I ran out of sunscreen. Typical western sunscreen in all the ways, but I cannot complain because it only cost me a buck.
5. Tommy Bahama California Dream SPF 50 Sport Sunscreen Lotion by Coola® 6 fl oz.- TJ Maxx purchase, smells nice, but it's still heavy western sunscreen and I only use it on my body.
6. Supergoop! Sun-Defying Sunscreen Oil with Meadowfoam SPF 50 5 fl oz- Got this for still too much money on a Sephora sale. It sprays, but I don't feel like it spreads so I'm always annoyed when I use this because I don't feel like I'm getting good coverage. Also, it's an OIL, which is counter intuitive when I think about sunscreen and subliminally bothers me. I know it's SPF 50, but I feel like I'm not getting what I need out of a sunscreen with this oil. Also, got the bigger size and have some impulse Sephora sale consumer's regret.
7. Alba Botanica Hawaiian Sunscreen Spray SPF50 with Travel Lotion SPF 30 6 fl oz- Got this on impulse because I was thinking about how I was running out of #5. It's in an aerosol can, and a double set no less, but the rest seemed greener than my other sunscreens, so I wanted to give it a try. Honestly, I don't know why I bother with sprays, more of the product protects the air than it does my skin. Bonus travel size lotion included though. Got to love Costco, so darn affordable.
8. Tommy Bahama Unscented SPF 50 Sport Spray Sunscreen 6 fl oz- My most recent TJ Maxx impulse buy, as I thought again about how I was running out of #5 (and forgot I bought #7).

Skincare Routine Monthly Check-in: June 1, 2017

June 1st! check-in:

Also note that I was having a rough skin month, and I am still recovering from whatever it is that I had that made my entire jaw break out.

1. Oil Cleanser: After I started to break out earlier in May I stopped using this step because it was fairly new and I wanted to go back to basics.
2. Water-based Cleanser: sum37's Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick. At the very end of this stick, which I started on Nov. 7, 2016. Last Duty Free stick, will use the Amazon purchased one afterwards.
3. First Essence: Innifree's Soybean Energy Essence which I finished just the other day. Thinking of incorporating Missha's FTE, but also want to give my skin a break.
4. Moisturizing Toner:  A mix between Kikumasamune Moist toner and/or Enprani’s Dear by Enprani Moistfull Booskin.
5. Serum:  Caudalie's Vinoperfect serum, for half the month, but then my skin freaked out and I took a break.
6. Eye stuff: Algenist Complete Eye Renewal Balm was nice to use, but I think it made my fine lines even more pronounced, and I turned 30 and was freaking out about it making a non-issue an issue and stopped using eye creams. With the exception of the GinZing from Origins which is used about five times this past month.
7. Moisturizer: The Snail Solution 70 cream was done, went to my good old basic of Mizon Black  Snail AIO for moisturizing. Wasn't sure if the Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse® which became my night moisturizer was a part of the acne problem, but too many new things so I stopped using it half way through the month as well.
8. Sunscreen: Still using Shiseido Senka Aging Care UV Sunscreen SPF50+ PA++++ and mornings I usually do a pump of Nivea Sun Protect Super Water Gel SPF 50/PA+++. Added several other sunscreens to my collection of body sunscreens. Several are aerosol spray from Alba and Tommy Bahamas. I only use spf 50 or more, as I know 30 still makes me liable for sunburn.

Loved Leader's Too Much Fun in the Sun mask, and used it four times already in one month and had my sister run to TJ Maxx while I was out of the country to get the last box they had. (Ten sheets for $10.99, what a steal!) Got Kiehl's clay mask of Turmeric & Cranberry Seed Energizing Radiance Mask for my birthday from my childhood friend. She knows me so well. The little hard seed parts just don't seem to work

Used Pacifica's Future Youth Enzymatic Resurfacing Mask which I got on sale at TJ Maxx as well, for $6.99, but it BURNS. BURNS SO BAD. Even though my skin does not turn visibly red, I can still feel the pain and therefore have left it to be a neck-only mask since my face is too much of baby to take it. I really want to like it, as it is a clear aloe looking gel that glides on smoothly and is refreshing. But with that burn, nope, no face, sorry.

But yes, keeping it simple since in the second week of May my face had jawline acne like no tomorrow, though it has calmed down, I can still physically feel the dry patches and bumps. 

Just cleanser, toner, moisturizer, and sunscreen. Basic.

Rave: Daily Wonders Too Much Fun In The Sun? Leaders Mask

Was walking around the other day, and coincidentally enough, I had spent too much time in the sun and my face was slightly red and irritated. Silly me has yet to perfect the art of reapplying sunscreen (even though I carry a tube of Senka in my purse!).

So it was a good thing that I had impulse bought these masks at the local TJ Maxx. Other Asian Beauty forum and bloggers have raved about Leader masks. Never had the chance to try it because I wasn't going to pay more than a $1.50 for a single sheet mask. It's one time use! The ten pack was only $10.99 and I said, "fuck it, I'm just going to get it!" I also said that for a jar Pacifica Future Youth Enzymatic Resurfacing Mask which I need to patch test because I put it on my face and started to feel a burn.

But this Too Much Fun in the Sun? mask was just perfect. Using it at the end of the routine, I went from toner to mask and slept with it on for as long as I could. Peeling the mask off in my sleep, the next morning I didn't feel a layer of goo like I have with other masks. It soaked in pretty thoroughly and made me feel so much better. It smells a bit strongly, like of a laundry detergent, but once you get over the smell, the feeling is just divine.

Loved it so much that I used it two days (nights) in a row! Was going through a trouble skin issue, but this makes me skin feel so smooth and calm that it seems like magic. Would repurchase and I look forward to treasure hunting more Leaders masks at all TJ Maxxes.


Who's got a new favorite mask?

THIS GIRL.

Skincare Routine Monthly Check-in: May 2, 2017

Second day of May check-in:

1. Oil Cleanser: After seeing someone swear they got rid of grits by using an oil cleanser, I decided to break open my The Face Shop - Rice Water Bright - Cleansing Light Oil, which I got at duty free forever and almost two years ago (it's oil, it's fine, I swear). Using this at night, the pump is pretty generous, and I put one pump on, rub around, then with damp hands rub in a little more. My pores look lighter to me, I am liking this so far, and it really does seem to make a difference.
2. Water-based Cleanser: sum37's Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick. Seriously, I can't be without it.
3. First Essence: Innifree's Soybean Energy Essence I am almost done (finally). Will incorporate my Missha FTE back into my routine when this happens.
4. Moisturizing Toner:  Kikumasamune Moist toner is great, but I've decided to first use Enprani’s Dear by Enprani Moistfull Booskin and then layer Kikumasamune second. I just want to use my hydrating toners, and why not do a "2 Skin" process?
5. Serum:  Caudalie's Vinoperfect serum, It's nice, I don't know if it's doing anything, but I am going to use it as much as possible before it possibly "expires." Caudalie has been opening more stores in the city, with "spas" included, but that's ridiculous and totally out of my price range. 
6. Eye stuff: Algenist Complete Eye Renewal Balm at least once in the PM and sometimes in the AM. I had NO IDEA this stuff cost $68 USD. That's ridiculous. I have a sample is quite generous and have only made a small dent though it's been a couple weeks. Got it from the September 2016 Sephora Play! box. Still liking Origin's GinZing on gym days. Sephora Play! you are going to jack up the affordability of my skincare routine!!
7. Moisturizer: The Snail Solution 70 cream is almost done, only a couple more times left in the jar. However, at night I have not been using it, and instead I spray a couple spritzes of Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse® into my hands and pat into my face and neck. It smells like a great perfume and leaves me less greasy than most moisturizers, but still has that nice oily touch to it. It's a nice night time routine.Will reach for a Mizon Snail cream, one of the few jars I've stockpiled, once this snail cream is done.
8. Sunscreen: Replaced BAE Biore Aqua Rich Watery Essence, with a yellow bottle of Shiseido Senka Aging Care UV Sunscreen SPF50+ PA++++. It's about a dollar cheaper a bottle and has a nice nozzle tip. It goes into my purse and has been my sunscreen of choice since I'm trying it over the Nivea Sun Protect Super Water Gel SPF 50/PA+++. Sometimes, in the AM I use it and get that fresh dewy chok-chok look. However, since I put this little yellow bottle in my purse, I usually just use that. Been using up my older sunscreens on the top of my feet (flat season!) and my arms (summer's coming!).

Currently in a No-Buy stage

Impulsively ordered two more bottles of Senka sunscreen because it was $7.02 on Amazon. (Gah, it's 6.92 now on May 2nd!)

Need to stop buying, but if I do, I need to stop from Amazon because there's nothing new.

Looking at Stratia's Liquid Gold, which I have seen popping up on the AB reddit a bit. Is it AB? I have no idea, I just know that less AB and more affordable care is all the rage right now. Especially with handpicked ingrediants from low-cost places like The Ordinary. Though I did browse The Ordinary, I didn't see anything that really caught my eye, nor did I hear well about their new popularity with leaves people waiting for weeks. Maybe it's just reddit gossip, but I don't really need to wait weeks for something cheap when I really don't need it or know how good it is.

The other product I am looking at from Stratia is their soft-touch AHA. Always trying to work actives into my routine, this is a gentler acid and can be used with Vit C, I think?

Of course, there's the pricey Biologique Recherche Lotion P50, which is crazy expensive, hard to get, and is a cult classic from people who are and aren't in the skincare world. I mean, there are like, six million reviews.

Do I want to smell weird but have fabulous skin? I guess I can try... But first, get the cheaper basics down before you find yourself an expensive new habit.

Sharing the Skincare LOVE

My friend works for an e-commerce company that focuses on high end fashion and beauty products. Today after brunch we got ice cream and headed back to her house where she asked us to help her take some samples off her hands.

She had a shoes box of samples of high end companies, some which I was less familiar with, but a lot from Sephora as well.

We dove right in and then realized a problem-- none of my friends knew how to use or when to use the majority of these products. They didn't understand the difference between an exfoliating mask versus a hydrating mask. They didn't understand when to use acids, or when to use serums.

Out came the ziplock baggies, and we got down to categorizing all of her samples. Going from last to first, we rearranged her samples box. Moisturizers, serums, eye creams, essences, masks, acids, cleansers. Unfortunately there were little to no samples of toners-- which is what we could all use a little more of! Especially with the Sunday Riley Good Genes sample floating about.

My friend actually took out a notepad and went through all the steps and how to follow. They were amazed, but also very receptive to listening to me prattle on and on about skincare and what routines could look like or how they could vary or be shaped by different products and the amount of time you have for the products to absorb into your face.

Anyway, I guess when I am passionate about something, I do my research and pass on the knowledge. It makes me really happy to be taken seriously for something I am passionate about and to help others formulate, even if it's just the simplest, skincare routine.

So for anyone who has read entries from this blog and greeted an AB or non-AB skincare routine with equal enthusiasm, thank you for also being passionate because I sure don't know how I get any hits on this old thing. Thank you for being a part of this lovely journey.

Skincare Routine Monthly Check-in: April 12, 2017

Mid-month check-in:

1. Water-based Cleanser: sum37's Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick. ForEVAeva.
2. Moisturizing Toner:  Kikumasamune Moist toner is great and I even use it at the gym now. It smells weird when mixed into other scents, like body lotion from when I'm out of the shower at the gym, but otherwise, it is cheap and I am loving the effects!
3. Essence: Innifree's Soybean Energy Essence not done with this first essence yet, and really, can't tell the difference.
4. Serum:  Caudalie's Vinoperfect serum yay! My friend from France is visiting and she presented us all with Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse® which is kind of her, but I am not sure how to incorporate it. I've seen people say to add it to a serum or a moisturizer, but I don't know about this one. 
5. Moisturizer: Snail Solution 70 cream as seen in this set. Finally used up all the Nature Republic's Ginseng Royal Silk Essence at night. Never purchasing that 24k stuff again.
6. Eye stuff: Origin's GinZing on bad days, though I caved and got myself a tube of Purebess Galactomyces 80 EYE Cream 50ml Galactomyces 80% Wrinkles Moisturizing but I am a bit afraid/hestitant to use anything that had the word "wrinkles" in the title because my silly mind think it's going to give me wrinkles if I stop using it.
7. AM Sunscreen: Biore Aqua Rich Waterly Essence Sunscreen 50g Spf50+ Pa+++, is still BAE, but I've been using up what is left when I go to the gym. Daily, especially important now the sun's out, I apply Nivea Sun Protect Super Water Gel SPF 50/PA+++. Only need one pump and it's more than enough. Gives me that fresh dewy chok-chok look that Asian Beauty fanatics crave and that has gotten me several questions of, "did you just come from a facial?" Nope, no facial, just sunscreen. If you like that just-came-out-from-a-facial look, then I highly recommend this. For all other purposes and intents, I just want to stick with my BAE.

"7 Skin" Routine

Which, now that I have an affordable toner... I'm more willing to try.

Layering products isn't something new, but layering hydrating toners is really not revolutionary in my mind. Many toners don't even seem to really have an affect unless there are a few layers applied.

I finally ran out of the Ginseng Gold Flakes moisturizer from Nature Republic which I couldn't stand. November until March, so it lasted me about five months only being used at night. That doesn't seem like a good deal.

Back to Mizon Snail AIO Cream I go!

Workout Wednesdays: Gym Routine Updated!

So, it's actually more like Tuesday/Fridays, and oof! I'm going to miss my spin teacher because he stopped teaching as of last week.

In the morning, I just cleanse using MRCS-- it's a part of my contact lens/teeth brushing routine. Use a dash of moisturizer and/or sunscreen if I remember at that time in the morning (I'm in auto-pilot to get out the door, I don't even remember what exactly I do).


Then I sweat and sweat and sweat. Wipe, sweat, repeat. So glad for the gym showers, really.

In the shower I:

1. Use the generic All-in-One soap in the shower stall's soap dispenser. All over this sweaty body.
2. Ran out of Ma Cherie's travel size shampoo of "Air Feel" and instead use the ALTERNA Haircare CAVIAR Anti-Aging® Replenishing Moisture Shampoo that I got from Sephora's Sephora Favorites The Ultimate Travel Bag that I bought a while back. Honestly, I like and am still using so many samples from that $42 set, and I love it. This shampoo isn't anything to write home about though.
3. Ran out of L’Occitane Cleansing And Lush Yuzu and Cocoa Shower Cream. The smell is really strong, and the product is so YELLOW and runny, but it works like a charm. Got it as a part of the tutti frutti gift set. Have yet to use the massage bar because I simply don't know when I'll be naked long enough for it to properly be absorbed without ruining my clothes or bed sheets.
4. Put "Air Feel" conditioner on the tips of my hair if I feel like it. Since I condition my hair a lot less now, and try to do it only once or twice a month, conditioners last a long time with me.

5. Still have my bar Caolion's Pore Blackhead O2 Sparkling Soap, which still gives me a "squeaky clean" feel, making it not my favorite to use and so, only once or twice a week at the gym.
6. Post shower, I have decanted a sample of the Kikumasamune Sake Skin Lotion High Moisture toner (as pictured on the right) that I occasionally use all over my body at home. Smells like sake for a hot second, but is hydrating and quick absorbing.
7. Usually I just decant some of the Nature Republic Super Aqua Watery cream that I bought for my sister. Lately the bags under my eyes are not fun so I've been using a small sample of Origin's GinZing to give me that extra pep.
8. Lastly, take out my little tube of Biore Waterly Essence sunscreen and spread it across my face like melted citrus buttah.




Anyway, that's an updated look into my Workout Whatever Day Gym Skincare Routine.

Skincare Routine Monthly Check-in: March 9, 2017

Whoops! I'm nine days late...... but I'm pretty settled.

1. Water-based Cleanser: sum37's Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick. My sister got the Cosrx Low Ph Good Morning Gel cleanser, and it's a bit minty and I don't care for it. I'm not the one with a straying eye. 
2. Moisturizing Toner: Enprani’s Dear by Enprani Moistfull Booskin has been given the boot now that I got my sister (and myself) Kikumasamune Moist toner! The pink bottle! Not as big as I thought it would be, though in the grand scheme of skincare products it is huge. LOVE THE STUFF. Sure, it smells like sake and a bad night at the bar for a hot second, but it is hydrating and soaks right in. My sister swears that since she started using toner she doesn't need to layer up on her moisturizer. 
3. Essence: Innifree's Soybean Energy Essence still going... though I don't know if actually does anything.
4. Serum: Been awfully lazy, but sometimes Caudalie's Vinoperfect serum since I have it. Whoa, and I think they upped the price! It used to be $72 USD, now it's $79?! Glad I got it for under $40 in France.
5. Moisturizer: Mornings I use Nature Republic's Snail Solution 70 cream as seen in this set. The light fragrance is still nice to me. Almost done using the Nature Republic's Ginseng Royal Silk Essence at night. Can't believe I've been using it this long... but then again, I only use it at night since it doesn't seem to really sink in well.
6. Eye stuff: I got a teeny sample Origin's GinZing in a Sephora Play! box and I use it sometimes when my eyes look puffier or more tired than usual. Problem with me, mornings, and eye creams is that I often get the stuff in my eyes and it stings and makes my contacts all blurry.
7. AM Sunscreen: My BAE sunscree, Biore Aqua Rich Waterly Essence Sunscreen 50g Spf50+ Pa+++, is still BAE even though I've been using Nivea Sun Protect Super Water Gel SPF 50/PA+++ which leaves my face so greasy I might as well be using western sunscreen!!! How upsetting. Sometimes there are no cheap tricks out of what works. Got to use up the 140g bottle though, oh well!

Ah!!!! I bought more stuff.

Taking another chance at incorporating Actives into my routine. Thank you Amazon, for indulging me in all my unnecessary skincare desires.

Bought Timeless's Skin Care 20% Vitamin C Plus E Ferulic Acid Serum, which cost me less than the OST C20 vitamin C that I used previously that started getting oxidized and kind of yellow so I stopped using it.

Then I got two more jars of Mizon's Black AIO Snail Cream. At only 10.50, yes please.

Finally I caved and I bought something that I've been keeping in my shopping cart for ages now: Kikumasamune Sake Skin Lotion High Moisture. It is 500 ml! I'm hoping to convert my sister into a fuller skincare routine (she actually uses an oil cleanser, but that's the only thing she has over me). She does first and second cleansing, which is good because she actually wears eye make-up. She has dryer skin than I do, so I think incorporating a hydrating toner would be beneficial, but she doesn't do her research, so I'm not going to let her use up my expensive Booskin.

AH! I did it, I finally got the Kikumasamune toner. We will see how this goes for both her and I.

Skincare Routine Monthly Check-in: February 1, 2017

New Year! Truth be told, the weekly routine write-ups weren't going anywhere fast. I've found what I liked and only once in a while introduced something new.

So, I think a once a month check-in would suffice, you know?

Here's this month! Currently on a bout of GREAT skin after travel in late Dec/early Jan wrecked havok on my skin. (European water, I swear, it messed me up!)

1. Water-based Cleanser: sum37's Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick, always. My sister actually got the CosRx Good Morning Low pH cleanser and I tried it once. But really, MRCS is BAE.
2. Moisturizing Toner: Enprani’s Dear by Enprani Moistfull Booskin hydrating toner, still using it and liking the rose scent.
3. Essence: Innifree's Soybean Energy Essence, but will probably go back to Missha's FTE once I'm done because it's less accessible to purchase at a reasonable price.
4. Serum: In France, Caudalie's Vinoperfect serum, 1 oz, was literally half the price of what Sephora sells it for. Sephora sells it for $70 and it was about 37 Euros. I was on vacation and I was like "TREAT YO' SELF!" and I bought it. Now I use it nightly and it is going way too fast for me to be happy with. It is so expensive, but I like it!!
5. Moisturizer: Got my sister into using Nature Republic Super Aqua Max Combination Watery Cream, but I am currently using Nature Republic's Snail Solution 70 cream as seen in this set. It's thick enough for the harsh winters, and I don't need to apply very much. A little goes a long way, and I got the kit when it was on sale for $20 or so. Great deal, even though I've only used the cream so far. It has a slight sweet fragrance, but I really don't mind it at all. Still using Nature Republic's Ginseng Royal Silk Essence during the evening just to use it up. Still not the biggest fan since it's so sticky and I cannot wait to just be done with it.
6. Face Mask: Since it's been cold and dry, I've been sleep masking it with either Laneige's blue stuff, or just using a face mask. Yesterday I used Etude's I need you collagen (or was it coenzyme Q10?). It had a milky texture and it was nice to leave on overnight, even though I know I was just washing it off in the morning. Felt a bit like a sealant.
7. AM Sunscreen: Biore Aqua Rich Waterly Essence Sunscreen 50g Spf50+ Pa+++  always and forever.