Skincare Routine Mondays: July 25, 2016

1. Oil Cleanser: NONE, and I'll tell you why in a bit.
2. Eyelid Cleanser: Ocusoft.
3. Water-based Cleanser: sum37's Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick, made my skin feel a bit tight.
4. Toner: whoops haven't done that either.
5. Actives: or that.
6. First Essence:  Missha's FTE Intensive
7. Serum/essence/masks: Hmmm... NOPE again.
8. Facial Oil/Night Oil: Sunday Riley's Luna Oil.
9. Moisturizer: Mizon's Black AIO Snail Cream 
10. Sunscreen: Biore Aqua Rich Waterly Essence Sunscreen 50g Spf50+ Pa+++ WHICH FINALLY CAME. I mean, it's great not to have to pay tax or shipping, but I ordered it July 2nd, and it just got here. It's a week earlier than predicted, which is nice, but not nice enough since I did run out and have to cut up the bottle.

So my routine this week had become significantly simpler because on Saturday I finally got my Groupon out the door and got eyelash extensions.

Yep, I got semi-permanent make-up done, who would have known? I mean, I am in laser hair removal, and am always down for a good deal (thanks groupon for presenting opportunities).

It's nice, especially since I don't wear make-up and this is pretty close to what I would say is "everyday make-up," especially since I just wake up and it's perfect. Got to clean my eyelids everyday though for fear of my eye problems coming back.

It does fall out though, so I have do things on my face rather gingerly. Can't do masks as the eye holes are now too small.

However, those two hormonal pimples along my jaw have dissipated, got something on the other cheek going though.

Skincare Routine Mondays: Whoops, it's Thursday July 21, 2016

1. Oil Cleanser: Shu Umeura High Balancing Cleansing Oil, once or twice at night.
2. Eyelid Cleanser: Ocusoft.
3. Water-based Cleanser: sum37's Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick, made my skin feel a bit tight.
4. Toner: CosRX's AHA/BHA toner skipped it three times this week because of weekend away, and the last two days because of laziness.
5. Actives: OST Pure Vitamin C20 Serum. ditto as the toner.
6. First Essence:  Missha's FTE Intensive
7. Serum/essence/masks: Been using Fresh's Rose Mask in the shower once or twice. Mint Julep mask from Queen Helene happened on my face and pits Tuesday night. Haha, just a regular tuesday night where I mask my armpits to deter my deodorant's toxins. 
8. Facial Oil/Night Oil: Sunday Riley's Luna Oil.
9. Moisturizer: Mizon's Black AIO Snail Cream 
10. Sunscreen: Biore Aqua Rich Waterly Essence Sunscreen 50g Spf50+ Pa+++ which I had to cut the bottle to get the rest of the product. :( I ordered a pair from Amazon earlier this month, but since it's coming from Japan, the predicted date is August 3, at earliest. So, so, so sad! I really need it now.

Suffering from a sort of heat rash all over my chest and neck... it's even spreading down my belly (but only sparsely). Having suffered from rosacea before, I know these things just need extra moisturizing and time. My friend had a Queen Helene Coco butter lotion, and that did WONDERS for my chest. Maybe also hanging out in a pool (in the shade of course!!) also helped cool my rash down. I've been putting Aveeno on it.

My period came yesterday, on Wednesday. Then I woke up with two jawline pimples! After I was "clear" for such a glorious short while. They're on the right side too this time. Not the left. Maybe I just ate too much last night.

Skincare Routine Mondays: July 11, 2016

1. Oil Cleanser: Shu Umeura High Balancing Cleansing Oil, sometimes.
2. Eyelid Cleanser: Ocusoft.
3. Water-based Cleanser: sum37's Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick, thinking about buying my sister her own stick!
4. Toner: CosRX's AHA/BHA toner 
5. Actives: OST Pure Vitamin C20 Serum. Trying to use it in the mornings too, but it really is time consuming.
6. First Essence:  Missha's FTE Intensive o
7. Serum/essence/masks: Been using Fresh's Rose Mask in the shower. 
8. Facial Oil/Night Oil: Sunday Riley's Luna Oil.
9. Moisturizer: Mizon's Black AIO Snail Cream 
10. Sunscreen: Biore Aqua Rich Waterly Essence Sunscreen 50g Spf50+ Pa+++

Hmm, not much going on. My hormonal acne seems to be calming a bit... though from what I can tell my body has no idea when or if the next period is coming. Darn boobs still super bloated.

Getting my hair cut short this week (above the shoulders). Got an Etude Haul.

Etude House had a 40% off sale. Bought a ton of masks, eye primer, contour stick, two liquid eyeliners, no sebum powder. $80 something turned into just $50 so I could get free shipping.

Most minimal routine post ever.

Skincare Routine Mondays: July 4, 2016

Today was a holiday! I'm excused from being on time.

1. Oil Cleanser: Been better at using my Shu Umeura High Balancing Cleansing Oil, so I would say 5/7 days.
2. Eyelid Cleanser: Ocusoft every morning...which makes me sad because I am too much of a high-risk candidate for lasik.
3. Water-based Cleanser: sum37's Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick, wow, how long is this stick lasting me? I am really loving it.
4. Toner: CosRX's AHA/BHA toner to prep for my newly incorporated active~~~.
5. Actives: OST Pure Vitamin C20 Serum. Been using this for over two weeks now, just about? It makes me face feel like I rubbed some orange juice concentrate all over it. Slightly sticky and sweet residue, but the waiting is the worst part. I started with 20 mins wait, now I am just shy of 15. Seriously, the waiting game is the worst.
6. First Essence:  Last week I noted that putting Missha's FTE Intensive over the slightly orange smelling residue of C20 Vitamin C serum was weird. It still is weird and somehow I wonder if it interferes with the absorption of my BAE.
7. Serum/essence/masks: Got used to using a MINIMAL amount as to result in a slightly less sticky SCINIC AIO Honey Ampoule'd face.  Masked several times this week, especially when I think I used an old sample of something from Sephora Sample Wonderland and it felt like my face was burning. Etude House Global had a 40% off July 4th sale, and I took advantage of that. So, I've been using more of my Etude Masks that I got on sale for 1+1 in Taiwan. $25 NT a mask, is $.77, and that's about how much the new Etude masks cost me ($1.30, with 40% off and free shipping over $50). Put all my masks in expiration date order (because I'm a freak?) and counted them up, have around 75 masks, with my Etude Haul not counted in yet. Three masks in the past week: Skinfood's Brocolli, which is like wearing a fresh cucumber/greeny-smelling wet papertowel on your face; Etude House's Silk Coccoon, which is not sold via the new line of Air Therapy Masks and will be missed sorely, they're really great and "skin vitalizing"- which is exactly what I needed after possibly burning my face with an outdated sample; and My Beauty Diary's Imperial Bird's Nest mask, because it is so thin, and so great, and really, no qualms about it, even though it drips down my neck and sometimes on my pillow it got so much great essence going on.
8. Facial Oil/Night Oil: Still nightly applying Sunday Riley's Luna Oil. However, only 4/7 this week because I usually end up falling asleep with a face mask on. Really, I'm not good at this waiting game!
9. Moisturizer:
   Mizon Snail Recovery Gel Cream has bit the dust! Not only have I forgotten about it, but I really do like Mizon's Black AIO Snail Cream so much better. I can see this being a winter cream, and the regular AIO snail cream being the summer cream. However, I am practically out of the Recovery Gel Cream and have been using it to soothe my skin troubles that have been lingering on my chest the majority of this last week. It's either hives from heat, or some sort of rosacea, also possibly from heat. It was really itchy on day one, now it's just annoying.
10. Sunscreen: Biore Aqua Rich Waterly Essence Sunscreen 50g Spf50+ Pa+++.Love it so much that I ordered two more on Amazon... which are coming via Japan, so I won't see that until August, so they say. AUGUST?! Will my little tube last me that long?!?

Also used my Say Yes! To Tomatoes Clay Mask yesterday. A while ago, at Sephora Sample Wonderland, I got samples of Ren's Glycol Lactic Radiance Renewal Mask and Flash Rinse 1 Minute Facial, as seen paired in their Glow and Go set. Bad idea... as I put on the golden Glycol mask and it started to feel a bit like a burn. Then, like the dum-dum I am, I put on my C20 Pure Vitamin C serum, which REALLY felt like burning!! Lucky for my dumb butt, I have no redness, just physical pain. So I washed them all off in a second and then I put on the Silk Cocoon mask, which really soothed my poor skin.

Though it is taking forever, the hormonal acne spots on my jawline/chin are less visible and slowly going away. Just a little too slowly. Miss my perfect radiant skin of just Missha Time Revolution Clear Toner and FTE days.

The Retinoid Diaries: The Slow Return

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

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

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

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

Maybe will Taz again in a couple days.

Skincare Routine Mondays: June 27, 2016

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

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

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

SUBSCRIBED: My Foray Into Play! by Sephora

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

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

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

Six items in a box:

Perfume
Skincare
Make-up
Lip
Body
Hair

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

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