REVIEW: SK-II's Facial Treatment Gentle Cleansing Cream

During one of my many packing room adventures, I found a tub of SK-II Facial Treatment Gentle Cleansing Cream. It is a makeup remover that is, of course, filled with the goodness of Pitera and White Willow Extract. Made for combination to dry skin, it's said to remove all traces of impurities while keeping the skin hydrated. And because my skin decided to go all desert mode on me, anything that has the word 'cream' currently sounds like heaven to me (Edible ones have always been so. *nods seriously*). I have been using this on and off for a couple of weeks now.

The cleansing cream is like semi-melted snow and being SK-II, it feels and smells luxurious. What you are supposed to do is to scoop a little and make lather with some water. What I do is scoop and apply it directly onto my face. Haha. I did try the 'right' way but it didn't feel as good, so whatever works for you. Heh.

This removes all my daily makeup which is just sunscreen, light foundation and eyebrow pencil. After washing, my skin is left velvety-soft, hydrated and not the least bit tight, which means I really love this. Except that it's SK-II and hence, rather pricey. The drugstore oil-based ones work just as well, sans the velvety feel, so I guess this is a once-in-a-long-while treat for my skin.

ATM: My Updated Skincare Routine

Hello lovelies. (: I'm finally back! Heh. Well, I actually never really left the online beauty community. I have been contributing to Daily Vanity, which is the best beauty magazine ever. *flips hair* Haha heh. Do check it out here. :D

To mark the end of my hiatus, I'm going to update you on my latest core (Because I do still try other stuff.) skincare routine. Now that I'm a little older, I find that my skin is drying up quicker than the Sahara desert. Just a couple of weeks back, my skin was peeling everywhere and it wasn't like I was sunburnt. Meh. Anyway, here goes! (:

1. Innisfree Green Tea Pure Cleansing Water makeup remover
   My skin loves Innisfree so I bought this after my lovely experience with the Apple Juicy Emulsion Lip & Eye Remover, and because this is green tea and the bottle's huge. It removes makeup cleanly, including very resilient Japanese mascaras. It does, however, leave behind a very thin layer of residue.
2. Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser cleanser
   Cetaphil is my beauty S.O., seriously. This fellow has been with me since I was 15 and I will never let her go. It's gentle, soap-free and doesn't irritate my schizo skin. And Ruby Rose loves this.
3. VDL Beauty Treatment Oil treatment
   This is magic. Made up of seven different types of natural oil, it sounds pretty heavy. But nope, it sinks into the skin easily. I basically spam this into my moisturiser and just slather it all over. It makes my complexion really smooth, clear and radiant. Just opened my second bottle!
4. DermaVeen Moisturising Lotion moisturiser
   DermaVeen is my guardian angel. It saved me from my rash, and it is now saving my skin from cracking up like an earthquake. I have like 3 backup bottles and am praying everyday that some kind soul will bring in the face range from Down Under.
5. Hiruscar Post Acne Gel scar gel
   Over the holidays, I had a massive zit that just would not quit. It was really pushing the whole 'Christmas is a time of giving' to the limits, except that what it was giving was very unwanted. So I kept squeezing, all the way till end of January (Wtf.) and then, the tiny monster decided to leave a boxcar mark so that I will never forget him. *screams* I just started applying this. Fingers cross that the mark will smoothen itself out somehow. ):

Of course my list does not end here - I'm a beauty junkie at heart. Heh. When I feel hardworking and want to pamper my skin, here are the products I use:

1. Skinfood Black Sugar Scrub Foam scrub
   If you don't like the residue that Skinfood Black Sugar Wash-off Mask and Black Sugar Strawberry Wash-Off Mask leave behind, then this is perfect for you. Just like the other two, the scrub isn't too coarse and leaves my skin feeling baby smooth, sans the slight 'oily' feeling.
2. SK-II Facial Treatment Essence toner
   Like this needs any explanation. Haha. Whenever my skin needs a little perk-me-up, I swipe this on. (:
3. Biomed Pure Detox Mask mask
   This mask was recommended to me by a very persistent Watsons sales lady a couple of years back. She told me how she applied a pore pack after this mask and all those annoying blackheads and whiteheads were removed from the roots. There was photographic evidence and the heads were really long. So I bought it and it was exactly what she said! This is my 2nd tube, but only because I'm so lazy. Heh.