Whoops! It's Mid-October

So my hiatus was only supposed to be for a short period, but I forgot after getting out of this habit. Ghana has changed a lot in me, and where I used to stockpile and haul lots of products at once, I realize that I live in such gross abundance and should only buy what I need when I need it. Instead of buying things I don't need at all and let them sit in the closet.

Less of a consumerism mindset and more of use what I have and be over grateful for it.

I am also grateful that I live in a such a place of such abundance and accessibility. What would I do without Amazon? I have no idea, but I hate them at the same time for killing smaller markets in a world where everyone is just trying to make it.

In using what I have and not buying more, I realize I have been a part of this skincare game for many years now (over three, has it really been that long?!) and I know what I like. I really hated the Secret Key dupe for first essence treatment and would not buy that stuff again in a million years. Finally finished that bottle at the beginning of this month and it felt like ages before I went through it (I would use excess as well, but it still lasted FOREVER).

I know what I like and it's this:

1. Cleanser: sum37 MRCS, which is currently out of stock everywhere it seems. I have one stashed away, but am hesitant to start it now, so maybe I'll try the Neogen Green Tea stick to see how it compares. I am not a fan of oil cleansing.
2. Toner: Missha Clear Toner. Every time I am using a bottle of this, I just feel like my skin is so much more ready and willing to soak in other products. Love the wateriness of it, too. Currently I am using a Peach and Lily sample sale of Bitgoa Hue Essence Toner. It is actually lovely and great, but at that price I just kind of miss my $16 Missha Clear Toner bottle. It's more fragranced than I like, but it does work nicely (albeit seems like it's for older ladies and smells like it too). I recommend it, but I think there are cheaper products that work just as well.
3. First Essence: SK-II, which really, I've tried the Missha dupe, which is my favorite dupe of it, but there can't be a dupe when it sells for $150 a bottle (ok, that was duty free pricing, I think Sephora in the States has it for over $200). It feels like I am splashing my face in dollar bills when I use it, but I am always so pleased with the results.
4. Serums, ampoules, etc etc: Actually haven't found THE ONE yet. I've tried face oils, and The Ordinary (which just went through a mass of drama, I mean, the ex-CEO is clearly on some sort of drugs) isn't really as high quality as other products I've used and it's just ok. Never found a vitamin C serum that made me excited to use up the whole bottle. Definitely wasted two amber bottles as they spoiled before I remembered to use it more consistently. On my third bottle of Caudalie serum, but at that price, I just rather invest in my SK-II instead of extra serums that seem to peter out after a while. There hasn't been any wow's in this department.
5. Face Masks: Too Much Fun In the Sun by Leaders is my ABSOLUTE FAV and I got it by accident when it was on sale at a random TJ Maxx in a neighborhood I hardly visit. Great find, I really like them the most. Second would be Lovemore's Pearl Barley and Milk smoothing masks. To be honest, I guess I have a propensity towards smoothing masks; they seem to help my skin and make it feel much better.
6. Moisturizer: Though Mizon Snail line has earned it's place as I have bought it again and again and again (just love the scentlessness of it as well as the way it gets absorbed so quickly). But the true winner here is the chewy and sticky Joseon Beauty of Joseon Dynasty Cream. At 50 ml it goes so quickly, but the texture, the absorption, and even the light, sweet fragrance to it makes all my nerves at ease. It makes my face feel chok chok in the harshest of winters (which Mizon AIO Snail and Black Snail both fail to do).
7. Sunscreen: BAE Biore Watery Essence 50 spf pa plus plus plus plus. As a person of ghostly paleness, sunscreen is my life. Sometimes I don't feel fully protected by BAE Biore because it's chemical and not mineral, but I always go back for that light citrusy scent of sun protection. It goes on so smooth, I forget what my skin feels like underneath. It is BAE for a reason, great product, great results, great price (when you can find it for ~$6) and really, my most repurchased product in all of skincare.

When it comes to everything else that I've tried, whether it be exfoliating toners followed by AHA/BHA serums or clay masks for detoxing, or sleeping masks for the harsher winter months, none of them really wow me into keeping them, and often they sit in the medicine cabinet open and half used, forgotten because they didn't really bring anything to the table. Some products I just use to try to finish using, and got "creative" by putting it elsewhere (I've got the smoothest legs and tummy skin, I swear, I wipe my hands on my tummy after application way more frequently than I like to admit).

This is to say, that though my Skincare Journey is not over, it is slowing down. I am reusing products that are tested tried and true (oh dear lord I have over $300 of SK-II in my closet that is waiting on the queue to be used because other products are expiring first). My posts will be less about what is in my routine, but more on products I've been trying to use up so I can maintain the usage of my favorite products that are listed above. 

Skincare Routine Mondays: April 25, 2016

1. Oil Cleanser: None.
2. Water-based Cleanser: Been switching between Fresh Soy Face Cleanser (which is still my favorite) and SUM:37's Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick. Alternating because something is going on with my skin and I can't figure out what.
3. Toner:  The Face Shop's Chia Water 100 toner from set (on right)
4. Serum or essence: The Face Shop Chia Seed First Essence (10ml sample size) and I "tried" the set's "lotion." 
5. Moisturizer:
    AM: Aveeno Smart Essentials Daily Nourishing Moisturizer SPF 30, though lately I've been breaking out the BIORE UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence because the weather has been so nice and I don't need the grease of my usual Aveeno.
   PM :Mizon - All in One Snail Repair Cream (75ml), which honestly has been the most skin saving, best thing this week!!

RANT:

So my Missha Time Revolution set has finished itself, and I had already started introducing MRCS into my routine.... BUT, something is going wrong!!!

I know starting too many new products at once is bad, but it happens. :( I am out, and so I started the Chia Water set thing and OH NOES, my skin feels smooth-ish, but there are SO MANY little bumps popping up everywhere! Little white-ish ones that aren't white-heads, but aren't normal either!

The MRCS gives my skin a little tightness, I'm guessing it's overly drying my skin, so I've been using what little is left of the Fresh Soy Face Cleanser that I love so dearly (and thank goodness it's Sephora's Birthday gift as well, so I have a little more to live off of). So MRCS is not as "miraculous" as it made to be. However, it's only made worse by the new products that took over Missha's place...

Toner, First Essence 10 ml, Moisture Cream 10 ml, "Lotion" UGH

The most disappointing though is The Face Shop's Chia Water set. Sure, it looks pretty, and it was an impulse buy in duty free, butttttt not pleasing at all. They're in two skinny, but really heavy glass bottle, that I'm always nervous I'm going to crack the sink with (already cracked it once before).

The toner is toner, it's not as watery as the one I just finished from Missha, but it does the job. Unlike the Missha Clear Toner, this is a hydrating toner. The first essence is more gel-like and sticky when I put it on, but the WORST is the "lotion" that came with the set. I feel like I'm just putting hand lotion on my face to the extent where I stopped using it after two days. It felt awful and just ineffective. 

Mizon All in One Snail Repair cream has really saved my face this week. If it weren't for that product, I would probably cry and use face mask after face mask, begging my skin to get it's act together and just pretend that my Missha Time Revolution set did not run out.

Though I do not know where exactly I stand with toner yet, but I do know that I got spoiled by using good products to start my skincare routine, and now that I'm using sub-par products I am really feeling (paying) the difference.

Skincare Routine Mondays: March 21, 2016

Back from my allergy attack!!! The adverse reaction happened on Sunday, and I actually went back to normal (kind of) around Thursday.

First Impressions, basically a short NPE!!! for the Lovemore mask (#6) and a further impression on the Mizon AIO Snail Repair Cream (now that I've phased out the Nature Republic Combination Watery Cream).

1. Oil Cleanser: None. Still none. Whatever. I don't wear make-up.
2. Water-based Cleanser: Fresh Soy Face Cleanser.
3. Toner: Missha's Clear Toner (in the Time Revolution Starter Set). Actually made my irritated skin tingle a bit, but such a slight reaction. I think using this and the First Essence really helped to rejuvenate my skin.
4. Serum or essence: Not quite an essence/serum, but a "First" Essence-- Missha's The First Treatment Essence (in the Time Revolution Starter Set).
5. Moisturizer:
    AM: Aveeno Smart Essentials Daily Nourishing Moisturizer SPF 30. But sometimes I just use NR's Combo Watery Cream with Biore's Watery Essence PA 50+++. Depends on how greasy I  feel.  
   PM :Mizon - All in One Snail Repair Cream (75ml)
6. Treatment Sheet Mask: Lovemore's Pearl Barley and Milk sheet mask

First Impressions, basically a short NPE!!! for the Lovemore mask.

Think about this name... Lovemore and hell yes! I'd lovemore of this mask, because it really is, simply put, that fabulous!

As you may have read, I was suffering from a very adverse allergic reaction on the lower half of my face. It was awful and instantly blew up, making my poor skin suffer. After the redness and swelling had died down, I was left with skin that felt like sand paper, like the winds of time themselves hit my face and left my skin coarse with windburn.


It was horrific.

However, on Thursday, I had the great idea (and unlike the accidental numbing agent, this was a great idea) to try out of my of precious Lovemore Masks. I tried out the Pearl Barley and Milk soothing mask, because I needed the smoothing part for sure. Not to mention that the "pearl barley" they are taking about is none other than Job's Tears (薏仁 yi ren) which is the main ingredient in one of my favorite traditional Chinese breakfast shop beverages Yi Ren Jiang (薏仁漿), which all the ladies at the bakeshop loved to tell me that it helps me skin become even white. Not a goal I actually want to attain, but I LOVE THIS DRINK. It reminds me of oatmeal, but not quite, much lighter and SO MUCH BETTER. So good, that it made me sooooo happy to put it on my face.

Here's a googled image that shows you the difference between "pearl barley" and "Job's tears"

Unlike other brands, Lovemore only comes in five to a box. The box itself cost me around $250 NTD, or in American, about $7 to $8 dollars. It wasn't as easy to find, especially not at a good price. I think it was a deal that I got at Poya which is an AWESOME place to get masks. They have so much variety, you can buy the pack of 5 (or ten, as it's with My Beauty Diary), individual packs (which is how I sampled a million types of My Scheming masks). Seriously, I know people like their (overpriced) Watson's, and then there is (the occasionally limited) Cosmed, but NOTHING beat Poya and the fact that Poya stores are HUGE and have vastly selection on basically EVERYTHING (even got my beloved panty-liners here for mad cheap, but that's another story). According to this week's Poya DM, My Scheming Masks (ten pack) are 2 for $285 NTD, which according to Google is around $8.81 USD. That is TWENTY masks for 44 cents a PIECE. Can we talk about how AWESOME that is?! Because it's damn awesome. Though I "dan dian"d my My Scheming masks and it was only twenty cents more per mask and I didn't get any duplicates; there were too many types to choose from!! Right now My Beauty Diary (which is also quite high in quality) is being sold at two for $419 NTD, which is about 12/13 dollars a pack, making it less than $1.30 a mask, which is why I think mask prices in the US are really so absurd. They also have kept up with the trends and do offer some random K-beauty. I got my teeny tiny Guerisson horse oil cream from there. Which is more like a salve, so maybe I bought the wrong thing?

Bottomline: Got these Lovemore masks along with a variety of My Scheming, My Beauty Diary, and NRK masks, and that's only the Taiwan side of things.

What makes this mask different is that it's not only thin, but it understands that it needs a protective layer as to not let the serum evaporate as quickly. Therefore, though I did cover it with my silicon mask from Daiso, it already came with it's own cover. The plastic white sheet comes off, and you're supposed to keep the blue sheet on. Except I didn't read the directions (which, for once, I can read and understand without English translation) and took the blue sheet off. But you can see how transparent and thin it is, almost like the new My Beauty Diary masks.

And the smell, the light sweet milky smell!! It was so aromatic and lovely and I have to say I really enjoyed smelling the mask itself as well as wearing it. It was delicious!!

This mask also has the thinnest lip slit ever. Which is fine because I have some rather thin lips, and actually worked out in my favor because as a part of the allergic reaction I was having, my lips were equally chapped and rough. But look how it cut off the tops of my lips, aka, the Cupid's Bow. My lips are so thin, that this is something I rarely if ever had to deal with. The mask lined right up with the bottom lip and it was snug, but I can't say I was going to complain. My lips/face needs as much pampering as possible.

I LOVED IT SO MUCH. It is truly my current NO.1 mask. Is it HG status worthy? Quite possibly. The serum that this mask is soaked in, really, really, really saved my poor suffering skin and I am so grateful for that.

Thank you Lovemore, for making me love you more.

Skincare Routine Mondays: March 7, 2016

1. Oil Cleanser: None. Still none. Whatever. I don't wear make-up.
2. Water-based Cleanser: Fresh Soy Face Cleanser. Only wish this company was cruelty-free. That would make my year!
3. Toner: Missha's Clear Toner (in the Time Revolution Starter Set). It turns out that it's supposed to be wipe off dirt kind of toner, not the set in the skin toner (as I have been treating it). However, every time I have used the cotton-ball method, I don't get any coloring on the cotton ball. Does that mean my face is too clean?!?! What is going on? I rather like using it as a prep, instead of a wipe-off. I think I am will stick to my old methods instead.
4. Serum or essence: Not quite an essence/serum, but a "First" Essence-- Missha's The First Treatment Essence (in the Time Revolution Starter Set).
5. Moisturizer:
    AM: Aveeno Smart Essentials Daily Nourishing Moisturizer SPF 30. But sometimes I just use NR's Combo Watery Cream with Biore's Watery Essence PA 50+++. Depends on how greasy I  feel.  
   PM : Nature Republic Super Aqua Max Combination Watery Cream.
6. NEW PRODUCT INTRODUCTION: Mizon - All in One Snail Repair Cream (75ml)

First Impressions, basically a short NPE!!!  Lookee here at numero 6! 

I am making the transition because I am nearly out of the Nature Republic Combination Watery Cream. Which I am sad about, but more so because I won't be able to get it at amazing duty-free prices anymore. Out with the old and in with the new.

However, any this is definitely a did she really go there? Yeah, she did... kind of moment. 

---IF YOU ARE UNDER 18 YEARS OLD STOP HERE, DON'T READ ANY FURTHER----!