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.