How I decorate my face before bed

I have been 'decorating' my face before bed for the longest time. And I used to do it in front of this full-length mirror in my parents' room in the old house. Each time I stepped in, Dad would cheekily announced to Mum "Char's going to decorate her face. We will need the lights on for another hour.". Heh. Well, it helps me wind down for the night. :D

The following post comes mostly from my Dayre account, which I guess I'm not going to continue? Haha. Dayre's really convenient and it's more of a blog blog but I have too much here to abandon (Since 2010.). I still don't have a direction that my OCD/ semi-perfectionist self needs to take and that's okay. I am a mess and messes are beautiful. So there. Ha. Heh.

Okay, so from my Dayre with almost no edits, presenting to you my core skincare routine. :D

(I'm too lazy to retype this. I talk so much. :\ And I tried embedding my Dayre but it was so awful aesthetically. :\ I promise this will be the only entry here that's so rabak.)

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21/05/17: The inside of my head, day 1.
(original post)

Writing on Dayre has been an unnecessarily huge dilemma, just because you're only allowed to post using your phone (Right???) and I like the tapping sounds of the keyboard. But I have been stalking the #dayrebeauty community so much. It has almost become a nightly ritual, right before I hit the bed. And I want to share my beauty finds too. And also, bits and pieces of my life which I capture with my phone. Apps are so much easier/ more convenient to edit than Photoshop.

Still trying to figure out how this platform works but I will post my skincare routine in a bit because I haven't had skin this clear since God knows when. Right after I finish one piece out of my mountain backlog of Japanese homework. :\ My goal is to do one piece every day and hopefully conquer this mountain by the end of the holidays. And also, finally figure out 60% of what my classmates are saying.

Core Skincare Routine (Part 1)

Oh yay, I'm done! Picked a relatively short piece of homework, though I didn't quite know what was going because it was about Retinal Detachment. In Japanese. Mmhmm.

Anyway, here's my core skincare routine. By core, I mean what I have been using everyday recently. Unfortunately (Maybe?), our skin is a living organ so it changes according to our environment. My skin, unfortunately, happens to be rather reactive so I add and minus products according to its needs quite frequently.

Step 1: Cleansers

Okay, so these are my daily cleansers; Skin Origin's Cleansing Milk and Bioderma's Sensibio Make-up Removing Micelle Solution. I subscribe to the double cleansing method but I only cleanse once, at the end of the day.

If I'm going to exercise and if I have makeup on, I will use these two. But if I'm bumming around at home, then I will just swipe on Bioderma Sensibio or Witch Hazel & Rose Water Cleansing Toner.

The Skin Origin Cleansing Milk was recommended by my facial therapist. Because my skin is sensitive, a cleaning milk is more suitable. It's less harsh yet it still cleans away my sunscreen and makeup. I have been using Déjàvu Fiberwig (Extra Long) as mascara so it comes off quite easily. But if I'm using a tougher one, then I will need some Jojoba Oil to clean it off.

The cleansing milk was really quite expensive but it doesn't leave my skin dry and tight. And it's actually pretty soothing.

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The Bioderma Sensibio is everywhere so I don't really need to talk about it. Umm... This is probably my 4th bottle already and I have a backup just sitting on my study table, waiting eagerly to be used. ٩(^‿^)۶

Step 2: Toners and intermediates

(Hmm... This entry is becoming really long, for a hi-I-am-trying-this-and-may-quit-if-it-doesn't-work-out kind of thing. Heh.)

I didn't think toners were necessary for the longest time because I didn't use them for many years, and my skin was relatively okay. But after reading Reddit's Asian Beauty quite obsessively and trying it out for myself, I do agree that skincare absorbs better on damp skin. And that's what I use my Witch Hazel & Rose Water for. Also, because it's expiring this year.

I do have Thayers as a backup (A Redditor was raving about it and I decided to try it again.) but I do love this simple, fuss-free Witch Hazel & Rose Water. Also, the ingredients are really simple. Just those 2 ingredients, purified water and some colouring. And the scent is light and floral and just so, so calming. (▰˘◡˘▰)

↟ The CNP Peeling Booster is a discovery from stalking @sweetpea and is a recent addition (Just a week ago, in fact.) because my skin was looking dull and was getting quite clogged with blackheads. I was actually quite afraid to use this because my skin was just recovering from dry-air-induced eczema (Winter Itch.) but this chemical exfoliant (PHA) is supposed to be gentler AHA and BHA. I did patch test for a week, no irritations happened, took the plunge and covered my entire face with it.

And I have been continuously covering my face with it, happily. :D This is the solution to the bumps on my face which has been plaguing me for so impossibly long, that I thought I was just doomed to have them for the rest of my life. So thank you, @sweetpea! Ordered some travel-sized bottles for the brother, C and @katechiclove and hopefully I will be able to report back with good news too!

↟ And finally, we have another famous product which is Drx's Comedone Formula. I started on this before the CNP Peeling Booster and it was helping with my skin's dullness and some bumps, but it was very slow. I'm guessing it was because I wasn't exfoliating my skin enough. Anyway, after adding the Peeling Booster, I'm noticing fewer blackheads and those that were always on my inner cheeks have pretty much disappeared. *grins*

(On a side note, I haven't tried using the Peeling Booster without CF.)

↟ And yeah, that's the end of Part 1! Decided to make it into two parts because it was getting way too long. But I might check in again tonight because this Dayre thing feels a lot like Bridget Jones' Diary and gawd, did I love that book! Heh.

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22/05/17: Skin Talk Day 2
(original post)

Core Skincare Routine (Part 2)

I have sensitive skin and ever since I got older than a quarter of a century, my skin has been on the dry and dehydrated side. At least, based on what I have read and observed. Dry skin lacks oil and dehydrated skin lacks water. And having both means double the skin woes? Haha. Not a fact but it certainly feels that way. Heavy moisturisers keep my skin hydrated but birth a ton of blackheads. Light ones don't dot my face with full-stops but my skin feels tight and cracks into lines when I smile.

So it has been quite a feat trying to find a suitable moisturiser. Also, last year, I did laser, had the most beautiful skin ever, went to Korea and developed eczema because of the dry air. Eczema on my face. It was the worst nightmare ever. ಥ_ಥ

Anyway, I'm so glad and thankful that my skin has kind of recovered but I really need to be more than 101% careful with the products that I slather on my face. Always do a patch test, people. Always. No matter how troublesome (PTs) and eager (you).

Step 3: Moisturizers

Carrying on from yesterday, these 2 make up the last step of my routine; Aveeno's Eczema Therapy Moisturising Cream and Sulwhasoo's Overnight Vitalising Mask.

Last December, when I got back from Bangkok, my skin started to act up. It was red and bumpy, especially around my inner cheeks. My usual go-to moisturisers weren't working so I decided to slather the Aveeno Moisturising Cream because I remembered my facial therapist telling me that this brand cured her client's Eczema. And... It worked for me too! I have been using it ever since, but in different amounts.

When I have consecutive late nights or I'm stressed out and my skin starts to act up, I spam it. But otherwise, I dot pea-sized amounts on my cheeks and forehead, gently massaged the cream in and slowly covering my entire face in it. I always leave my nose area to the last, because that's where most of my blackheads reside.

↟ Sulwhasoo's Overnight Vitalising Mask is also a recent addition, just because Zalora had some really good Mother's Day deals. Haha. And given its usual price point, I'm really glad (Hmm... Maybe not.) that I can feel my face getting soft after each use. But right now, I still can't decide if it's a need or a want. Okay, technically, most beauty products are not 'necessary' but you know what I mean... Heh.

Winding down in 3 2 1.

In bed now, with Naruko's Tea Tree Shine Control & Blemish Clear Mask and all ready to start on another episode of Grey's Anatomy. 4 more days till the end of the term!