My Korean Skincare Routine | Innisfree Review

Korean beauty has been popular in the US lately, and I just finally got on board with it. Korean actresses and actors' skin always look healthy and dewy on the advertisement I see. My sister first introduced me to the brand Innisfree. I was visiting her in Singapore several months ago, and she told me that she stopped breaking out ever since she started using skincare products from the brand. I's Korean brand, and it's very popular in Singapore.

We've visited quite a few different store locations when I was there, and none of them were lacking customers. Innisfree has a variety of different skincare lines for different skin needs. I consulted with one of the girls at the store, and I opted from the green tea balancing skin line. I have combination skin, and this line should help balance that.

I have been consistently using all of the products from the line for several months now, and I do feel that I break out much less frequently, and I like how my skin looks without makeup now.



My routine after I wash my face starts with the green tea seed serum. The balancing skin line does not have its own designated serum, so use this instead before all other skin care products. A serum helps hydrate and prep your skin to better absorb the moisture and benefits from all the skincare products you use. I  use this mostly at night because I feel it works best to treat my skin overnight, and when I wake up in the morning, my skin already feels smooth.

I then apply Green tea balancing skin, which is a toner that feels refreshing onto the skin. I use this day and night before my moisturizer. For moisturizer, I use Green tea balancing lotion, which has a light consistency, perfect for daytime or warmer days. The last step is the Green tea balancing cream, which, in my opinion,  is thicker consistency version of the lotion. I don't use this on daytime because I feel it can get quite heavy. I opt to use this at night.

Smooth Lips | elf Lip Exfoliator, Elizabeth Arden Lip-Fix

I feel like I have the dryest lips ever! My lips are always dry no matter what. I used to ignore the dryness and just didn't care enough to apply lip balm or whatever. Every time I apply on lipsticks, not long after I would see the product all "feather-ed" up leaving horrid-looking residue on my lips. I used to think the lipsticks were the problem, until I realized they were not. 

These products help me. I haven't seen my lipsticks get feathery since I've used these. 

Lip Exfoliator helps to get rid of the dead skin on your lips. The idea is the same with what scrubs do to our body. This one from elf is very affordable, and it does the job well. It is pretty weird at first to put a lipstick-looking product and just rub it all over my lips. I then need to rinse it off with water. You can also get similar result by rubbing your toothbrush on your lips when you brush your teeth. It does the same effect with more efficient, since we all brush our teeth anyway. Be careful not to rub too harsh as you might hurt your lips. Lips have the most sensitive surface.

My Daily Boost of Beauty/ Morning Skincare Routine

I don't normally wear makeup everyday because I am just too lazy. I prefer to take my time when I do my makeup otherwise I will just not be happy with the result. On the other hand, I feel like I don't have that time to spend doing my makeup. Nonetheless, there are some beauty product I religiously use every single day. They are my daily boost of beauty.

Lately, I have been spraying a little of Caudalie Beauty Elixir before applying my moisturizer. The first time I used it, I didn't like the tingling sensation it gives. But now, I feel it helps give spritz of freshness, and I really like it. I ran out of my day moisturizer, and I decided to give Simple Replenishing rich moisturizer a try. I had never tried anything from Simple before, but I've hear good things about their products. Its consistency is thicker than my previous day moisturizer, .... It feels nice on the skin, and I really believe it helps with dry patches and redness.

I really believe in sunscreen. It's the most important thing to protect your skin from the sun. I still use sunscreen from my dermatologist back in Indonesia. It's really important to use sunscreen even if you are inside your office the whole day like me. The sun can still go through your car windows when you're driving. It gives your skin extra layer of protection that it can't never have too much of. 

For my lips, I've been using MAC tendertone. I like using it for daytime because it has SPF 15 and protects the lips.  I have been using Jergens Ultra Healing lotion even before I moved to America. My mom was the one introducing me with this brand. I have developed a habit to moisturize my skin after shower. I just feel weird if I don't do it. This lotion is proven to keep away any "scaly-ness". I keeps my skin stay hydrated.

My last boost of beauty in the morning is a couple spritz of my favorite perfume. I've been wearing Marc Jacobs Daisy Dream. I also like Chloe perfume. What's your favorite perfume?

Best Makeup Removers | Makeup Wipes, Cleasing oil, Micellar Water

Hi everyone! I hope you all had a lovely Valentine's weekend. I've been MIA, and will still be for a little while due to work. I will try to blog as much as I could, though. We didn't really do anything last Saturday. We just had dinner at a sushi place nearby, and went to a dessert place to hang out with some friends. Low key and relaxing Valentine's day =).

Removing makeup at the end of the day is very crucial to me. I always force myself to wash my face no matter how tired I am that day and how eager I am to go to bed. I make sure that I never go to bed with my makeup on. My face is sensitive just as is, and I don't want to "enrage" the skin even more by going to bed with my foundation on.

I find the more products I've tried, the more I realize how much I love Target's homebrand Up & Up makeup wipes. I find one wipe is enough to remove most of my makeup. It's affordable, and it really does the job. It doesn't irritate my sensitive skin which some of makeup wipes do. I don't stop there. I use Body Shop cleasing oil in the shower. This assures me I've removed all the product from my face. This works great with waterproof makeup, too! It really saves time. I sometimes skip the makeup wipes and use the cleansing oil. After the shower, I use Bioderma micellar water. This just putting the cherry on top in my makeup-removing routine. This makes sure I pick up everything, even around my neck and hairline area which I tend to forget. I also have L'oreal Micellar water that my mom got me when she was in London.  I use it interchangeably, and I find that it works the same as Bioderma. What I like about micellar water is that it totally feels like water. It has no scent and it feels refreshing on the skin. 

What's your favorite makeup-removing products?

Beauty Review | Origins Drink Up Intensive Mask

Happy Tuesday! I hope you all are having a great week so far. I am having my "friday" today and will have another long weekend this week. I can't believe new year's just two days away!

I got this in a set during Sephora VIB sale along with Origins Night-A-Mins cream, GinZing eye cream and GinZing moisturizer. I was looking for a good  moisturizer, and Origins is well-known for its skincare products. I like almost everything in the kit, but 

 Drink Up Intensive Mask is the star among others in the kit in my opinion.  

This is the kind of face mask that you leave on overnight and rinse off the next morning. The application is more like a moisturizer, but it acts a million times better. It's formulated with avocado and apricot kernel oil. Both ingredients are known for moisturizing benefit. 

I don't use this everyday, but every three or four days because I feel like everyday would just be too much hydration if that's possible. I also skip my moisturizer when I use this because it already covers the moisturizing part. When I wake up the next day, I feel my skin so smooth and look more healthy and glowy. It claims to work best for dry skin types. I have combination skin, and it still work wonders for me. Plus, the scent is soooo good. It's refreshing and just the kind of scent I want to put on my face. I would totally recommend this or just give is a gift for the holiday. 

Thanks for reading!

Have a great new year!

First Aid Beauty

The brand was a hype around last year. I've seen many youtubers/bloggers mention about their Ultra Repair Cream, and then their Eye Duty Triple Remedy. I was intrigues, but I still had a lot of products in my cue waiting to be used.

As my day eyecream and moisturizer ran out, came Sephora VIB sale and I grabbed this kit for a steal. Of course, they soon ran out of stock, and I don't know if they will be available again for the holiday, but I can't find it online anymore.  Now, I haven't tried everything here yet, but I want to share with you in case you're interested to try them out.

Weekend Pampering | The Body Shop Honey & Oat 3-in-1 Scrub Mask

Sunday afternoon is the best time to pamper myself. Face mask, hair mask, body mask, you name it!

One of my favorites mask is Honey & Oat 3-in-1 Scrub Mask by The Body Shop. I picked it up several months ago, but didn't really use much of it. My first impression was the scent. It has his rich scent of oatmeal that I find calming. 

The mask has beads that are oatmeal grains, which should act as scrub. It claims to "cleanse, polish and moisture". The scrub isn't the kind that gets dry. It doesn't dry on the skin, which is great especially for dry skin on this colder weather. I put it on and leave it for about 15-20 minutes, sometimes more while I go about doing something else. Then, I rinse it off with lukewarm water. I read that lukewarm water is better for your skin. I use a washcloth to take it off if I don't go take a shower after.

My skin will instantly feel healthier, if that's even possible. It feels not tight, which cold weather does to skin, and smooth. I love this mask. The mixture of honey and oat makes a gentle moisturizing component for the skin. 

I also like The Body Shop Tea Tree face mask  for fighting acne. 

What's your favorite face mask?

Fighting Acne | My Go-to Products

For the past month, my skin has been in its worst condition. Growing up I was blessed with pretty good skin with occasional breakout here and there but nothing major.  My main problem was dry skin, but it had long changed. I have combination skin where my forehead tend to be the most oily hence the frequent breakouts on the area. 

Lately it has got to the point where they are painful and just plain annoying. Maybe it's hormonal or maybe it's just from the work stress I don't know. Fortunately, I have all of these items that help me minimize if not heal my breakout. They don't work in an instant, but they do help a lot. 

Tarte Pure Maracuja Oil

The one I have here is the mini sample I got, which turns out I get a lot of use of. You might be confused why I apply oil on my skin when it's breaking out. The oil helps to moisturize my skin despite the breakout. The skin needs moisture even though it's oily. Maracuja oil is surprisingly not oily nor greasy. 

The Body Shop Aloe Protective Serum
The aloe in the serum helps calm down my skin during the "rage". I remember the first time I tried it on, my skin was much better the next day when I woke up.  This is designed for sensitive skin, so it works gently. It's alcohol/fragrance/color free which I always like in a skincare product.

Sariayu Martha Tilaar acne care lotion
This is an old-school acne treatment from Indonesia. The brand has been around for a very long time, even before I was born. It contains sulfur and pegagan. The sulfur is good for drying up acne, which makes a faster healing. Pegagan is a tropical plant found mostly in Southeast Asia, which is where Indonesia is. From what I read, Pegagan is anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial. I use this when there's new zit is about to/coming out.

Proactiv clearing treatment
This is the second step product of the Proactiv 3-step kit. It has now rebranded as Proactiv+ and  also repackaged, so the products look different from what I have here. I got mine from Amazon, although since it has been repackaged, I don't recommend getting the old version because who knows how long they have been in storage. I tried the whole steps before, and the acne clearing treatment is what stands out the most. It really reduces if not makes acne disappear almost instantly.

The Body Shop Tea Tree face mask
This is the additional step in combating acne. Although I don't think it helps reduce acne, it does help in making the skin feel better. It claims to be suitable for blemished skin and lifts away impurities. Tea tree oil functions as acne treatment and helps as antiseptic. It instantly feels cool on the skin. and make me feel tingling sensation in a good way.

What's your acne-combating products?

 

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Travel Essential | Skin Care Edition

Here are some of my noteworthy products for my skin care regime

Tarte Pure Maracuja Oil 
This is amazing. Every time my skin is acting up and has a lot of breakouts, I apply this at night. The next morning, my skin will feel much much better. I know it sounds weird to put oil on breakouts, but for some reason it has magic power to heal!

The Body Shop Aloe Protective Serum
Adding serum in my skin care routine helps my skin from drying. I rarely have dry patches now thanks to this awesome product!

Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment
Most hydrating eye cream I've ever tried. I only use it at night because it's so creamy and thick in consistency, it's a bit heavy for day-time use.

Vaseline Lip Therapy
Very affordable little product to keep the chaps away. It's also handy for other things too like when I get a blister or cut.

Evian Mineral Water Spray
I have to admit, this is completely an unnecessary product for me. It's purely a luxury item because it's essentially water in a spray bottle. It just feels good to spray on my face and neck especially during the heat strike like when I was in St. Louis.

Caudalie Makeup Remover/Cleansing Water
It does a great job in removing my makeup, and the slightly grape scent I smell every time I open the cap is just so refreshing. It makes it even more exciting for me to apply.

Rexona Deodorant
I don't think you can find this in the US. I brought this from Indonesia, and this is literally the only deodorant I've ever used in my life. I like it that much.

I have some other items like doctor's prescribed facial sunscreen, Skin MD moisturizer that I put inside an empty small tub and heat-protector spray for my hair. That's it!

What's your skin care essentials when traveling?

 

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Facial Pampering: Kiehl's. Caudalie, Josie Maran & More!

I get a lot of sample from my shopping haul here and there. The sample sizes pile up without me having enough time to catch up and try them on. I feel like today is a good day to try some of them and pamper myself at the same time.

I don't spend as much time as I wish I did in taking care of my skin. I'm in the hunt of skin care products tailored for my skin, so this is a good opportunity to start. Not everything here is a sample. I bought the Garnier Lightening peel-off mask a while back from from Jakarta. I thought this would be a good pick-me-up product. In reality, I don't really use it as regularly as I would like because I'm just bad like that. It does feel like it takes off the gunk out of my skin when I peel it off of my skin.

Argan Oil

Let me share with something that really has made a difference for my skin. Ever since I went back from Indonesia, my skin had been really prone to breaking out, especially my forehead. It's like there's nothing I could do. Acne kept on popping up out of nowhere, and it's really driving me nuts!

I might be late on the whole face oil bonanza. About two months ago, I finally tried out the little sample of argan oil from Josie Maran. What I have is the light version. I put it on one night as a substitute of my face moisturizer because I really wanted to know what it would do to my skin.

Clarisonic Mia 2

I have been holding off buying this for a long time because it costs a lot. I've heard so many great things about it, but I was really skeptical especially when it costs $125. I used to say I have dry skin, but lately I've realized that my skin has turned toward more combination than it is dry. 

I get oily on my forehead and a lot more when I wear makeup which is odd for me because I was never the case. The other day I was testing a foundation and I was really shocked of how much I needed to blot that day because my forehead felt so greasy. I guess my skin has changed its personality throughout the year without me even realizing it. 

Anyway, I got this in  late in the beginning of April with 20% off at Ulta plus my $8 rewards, so it was quite a deal. I've heard that some people got a bit of a red-skin reaction when they first used it and it'd go away. Thankfully, mine didn't show any sign of "rejection" towards clarisonic.

Origins GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream

 I wanted to try a new eye cream and saw this from Origins got a lot of good reviews online. I used two eye creams, my Skinfood royal honey eye cream for the day and RoC eye cream at night. There's no specific purpose why I use, it's just that I want to try different things. 

 I did have a review on the skinfood royal honey eyecream awhile back, but it's running out soon so I decided to take advantage of the Sephora VIB discount back in November. I might have brought it up a few times on previous posts, but let me dig deeper here.

What Makeup and Skin Care Products Are Harming Your Skin?

Hi everyone! This one is a guest blog post from Elizabeth Rago. You can learn more about her at the end of this post. I was contacted to feature this article. Here you go!

In a sea of cosmetic products, it is often hard to differentiate what products or lifestyle choices are producing unwanted breakouts, excessive oil, or unruly and irritated dry skin. It might not be the product that is the problem, per say, but the user. Mishandling products and veering off your usual regimen is the best way to harm your skin instead of fine tune and highlight your natural assets. So, what products are doing harm to your skin instead of good? Let’s examine a few dos and don’ts of using make up and skin care products.

Don’t use too much exfoliant. While giving a little extra nudge to the natural sloughing of the top layer of skin is suggested, going crazy with an exfoliant can cause more damage than good. Red, inflamed, irritated, and/or patchy dry skin are all symptoms that you have overindulged and are now harming your skin. It’s best to back away from the product and start to repair the damage you have done with calming products that will promote healing.

Don’t go to bed with a dirty face. Sleeping in a pool of your own oil, foundation, and faded liquid liner all night is probably not the path to flawless skin. The first rule of preparation for beauty sleep is “cleanse the skin.” There is no way around it, this easy breezy two-minute ritual can prevent breakouts and give your skin the best chance for repair and rejuvenation. Simplifying your evening regimen will make the process a little less time consuming.

Don’t get too liberal with the anti-acne treatment. Many products meant to zap zits are full of benzoyl peroxide. Acne.org states benzoyl peroxide “is the only medication which can penetrate into the skin and deliver oxygen. Acne bacteria cannot live in the presence of oxygen, and benzoyl peroxide kills 99.9% of them almost instantly.^” However, over use of this product can eventually dry and irritate the skin, which will bring on more breakouts. If you are striking out with acne, it’s time to call in the big guns. Let a dermatologist tackle your concerns by determining whether your skin would benefit from a facial, peel treatment, or microdermabrasion. Medical spas offer a number of treatments that can combat the tougher to fight acne that some people might be suffering from.

Do use the right product. A common mistake consumers make is not matching the right product with their unique skin type. Establishing a relationship with a dermatologist, esthetician, or trained skin care professional will ensure you will be not only properly paired with the correct product, but educated about your skin’s condition. Since the skin is ever changing with age and horomones, having a professional on call who knows your skin’s history will be a convenient way to troubleshoot through concerns. In turn, you will not only save yourself unnecessary steps but pointless dollars spent on the wrong product.

If you find you are still having problems, it’s always best to speak to a professional dermatologist or practitioner at a medical spa to guide you through the process of choosing the best care and treatment for your skin concerns. Using product appropriately and removing it before bed should make a noticeable impact on your skin’s health and overall brilliance.

About the author: Elizabeth Rago is a writer specializing in health, wellness, and women’s lifestyle content, working with yoga studios, chiropractors, mental health, wellness practitioners and Thrive Medical Spa in Chicago. Elizabeth writes the weekly column, The Circular Home for Chicago Shopping (an editorial partner of the Chicago Tribune) and is Senior Editor of All Things Girl, highlighting topics related to the modern domestic woman. She has been published in Mamalode Magazine, MOMentumNation.com and thesavvyfreelancer.com.  Connect with Elizabeth on Twitter, LinkedIn, Houzz, and Google+.

Beauty Review: Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream Skin Protectant

Happy Friday everyone! I am glad weekend is just peeking around the corner. The week is just gone by really fast, it's not even funny. I went to the DMV yesterday to renew my driver's license. People told me to go online or just do it by mail, but I really wanted to get a new picture. My current one was taken about 5 years ago, and it just wasn't pretty. Luckily, DMV is just less than a minute away from my home. So I just got a number and went home for about an hour and went back, so the wait wasn't that bad for me.

My lips have the tendency to dry for as long as I can remember. I have tried different kinds of lip balm, but the my lips seem to not be able to lock the moisture for a long time. When Tanya from pixi2woo raved about this product on her videos, I was intrigued. I checked on Amazon, and it was available on prime shipping, so I got my self one.

I've checked other reviews online before I bought it, and it is a best-seller. It's not specifically made for lips, it's more a general skin remedy for sun-burned skin, rough elbows, calluses and also chapped lips. It can also be used as brow gel and cuticle care. You can read more details here.

It's mentioned on the website that a makeup artist uses this cream as a gloss. I can see that, but I don't think I would do that. When I finally got my hands on this, I didn't know what to expect really. I thought the product would be like a white liquid gel, but it wasn't. The texture is rather wet and slippery, kinda like honey but not as sticky. And the scent, ugh. It's supposed to be "fragrance free", but let me just say, it's not the best scent in the world. I don't like it, but I can bare with it if the stuff works.

For me personally, it's not a bad product. It can work as a lip balm, but I don't find it long lasting at all. I've been using it at night before I go to bed, and the next morning my lips are just as dry as before I put it on. I haven't used it for other things, really. I just am disappointed with this purchase. It may work for all of those mentioned above, but I have other products to take care of those. While having a all-purpose product might seem efficient and handy, I prefer to have several  for different uses. I will continue to use this, but I don't see myself repurchasing this one anytime soon. Maybe when I find a way to use this..

Beauty Review: Skinfood Royal Honey Eye Cream

Hiiii!!!! Another quick post from my bed. 5 mins before bed time and I just want to write my some beauty review. Haha. I'm so random. But seriously, I've been wanting to post a lot of things, but it's really had to squeeze in time since I like to relax when I'm writing.

Anyway, my eye cream was out for about a month and I finally got a chance to go to the mall last week and get a new one. I've been using Garnier eye cream, a drugstore product. While it is a good product, I don't feel it doesn anything for me. I've learned now that your eye area is the most wrinkle-prone. Not that I am against aging, but I am all about aging beautifully. And I've also learned that it's never too early to start taking care of your skin.

I've added eye cream to my beauty reginen about a year ago. I realize that ever since I use eye cream, my eye area is really well hydrated, more than usual. And i really love this Skinfood Royal Honey eye cream. The name sounds promising, doesn't it? I've only been using it for a week, so I can't really say that I've seen anything different nor that I will considerin. I don't really have problem with wrinkles, not just yet. But what I can say for sure is that my eye area feels healthier and nicer if that makes sense. The cream really moisturizes and it kees my eyes hydrated. You can actually feel the hydrating sensation as you're applying it. I hope I don't sound that I'm overselling it. Haha.

Skinfood is a beauty brand from Korea. I talked the lady in the store who helped me picked this up and she mentioned that Skinfood has only 7 stores accross the US! Wow, I'm so glad that one of them is just 2 miles away fron where I live. I've used their lipbalm, which my mom said yo be the best lipbalm to keep her lips chap free, and blush which I've shown you before in my old post. I love everything I've tried from Skinfood so far, and this eyecream is certainly my fave!

Benefit Skincare

Not too long ago I found that my friend has been using Benefit Potent Eye Cream. I have never tried the brand before, and I've been trying to find eye cream that really works for my dark circles under my eyes.

I went to Ulta, and I literally spent like 10-15 minutes just holding on to the eye cream, deciding whether I should buy it or not. It was kinda pricey, so I didn't want to spend for something that might not work.

On my way to the counter, I saw this trial kit from Benefit. I immediately thought it was a great idea to try out the entire skincare products with less to pay. 

From left to right:
Foamingly Clean Facial Wash
Moisture Prep Toning Lotion
Total Moisture Facial Cream
Triple Performing Facial Emulsion
Refined Finish Facial Polish
It's Potent! Eye Cream                             

The kit comes in with the six products. 

I've used the Total Moisture cream as part of my night skincare routine for a month now, and I really love the way it smoothes my skin without making it oily and greasy (I have normal to dry skin). I can't really say anything about the eyecream because I haven't been discipline using it every night. (I should, though). I've tried everything from the kit, and I love the cleanser because it's so rich and foamy. It gives you the clean feel, and you're going to want to wash your face more often! 

Can't say anything about the toner and.... because I haven't really used it. But, again, I love the face cream. And this is how much I love the product. 

                             

I bought the full size. It comes in a glass container, just like the trial kit does. Look how adorable the packaging is! 

What are your skincare products? What works best for your skin?