My night time skincare routine

Ever since my skin had a freak out a couple of weeks ago, I've switched up quite a bit of my skin care products in a bid to repair my skin barrier and to maintain it so I thought I would do an updated night time skin care routine just to introduce all of the products I've been using (and loving).

(Credit: x)

I've always been an advocate of the double cleansing method, and these days I do it even if I do not wear makeup because not all sunscreens can be washed off with just a water-based cleanser. But before I get into that, when I do wear eye makeup, I reach for The Face Shop's Herb Day Lip & Eye Makeup Remover to clean off all the mascara, eyeliner and eyeshadow off my eyelids. I know you technically can use a oil cleanser to remove eye makeup but I hate when it gets into my eyes and leaves a film that's super gross and blurring so I usually opt for an eye makeup remover instead. Like all other eye makeup removers, this one requires you to shake it to mix both layers together, douse a cotton pad with this, hold it over your eyes for 5-10 seconds, then gently swipe the eye makeup away. This doesn't have a smell, doesn't sting my eyes, removes all of my eye makeup effectively and is pretty affordable so I really like using it.

How I repaired my damaged skin barrier

Recently I suffered from a really damaged skin barrier that came seemingly out of nowhere. I didn't switch up anything in my skin care or makeup routines, I haven't been travelling, I literally did nothing different than what I haven't already been doing for months before.

The first sign I had that my skin barrier was damaged was that my skin started feeling really rough, like the best way I could describe how my skin felt was that it felt like "alligator" skin and nothing I did could get my skin feeling better. Then it got progressively worse, I started noticing my skin becoming really red and hot to the touch, then it started getting really sensitive and products that worked fine for my skin previously started burning my face which really started to scare me. The only part on my face that ever gets sensitive is the area around my nose but I started getting burning sensations around my cheeks, my mouth, and even around my forehead. I also started feeling like my skin was extremely dry and tight which I rarely experience, and even then, only when I go to cold countries where the climate is a lot drier. There were some areas on my face that started peeling as well.

I started an extensive testing session with all my products and figured out what worked for my skin and what needed to take a back seat till my skin got better. What I did was to apply a small amount of the product on my skin to see if it stung, if it did, I immediately washed it off my face and started with something else. I don't know if there's a better method to this but it was the one that worked for me.

Review | Innisfree Orchid Intense Cream

Boy am I on a roll with my reviews of Innisfree's product, aren't I? This is the 3rd product from Innisfree that I have absolutely been loving (oops did I give away my thoughts on this product already?) As you all know, Innisfree is a brand that I absolutely love and I rarely find a product I don't like (that being said, I have to admit that not all of them work for my skin). This one is from their Orchid line and it is the Orchid Intense Cream.

For the longest time, I have been avoiding face creams because I hated how they felt on my skin. I didn't like the thick texture, or how suffocated and oily my skin felt after using creams so I typically skip the moisturiser step altogether. If I really had to, I'll prefer using an emulsion but only when absolutely necessary. This cream, however, is one of the creams that has converted me to a cream-user once again.

Review | Innisfree Blueberry Rebalancing Skin

Toners, or "Skin" as the Korean brands like to name them, have been an integral part of my skincare routine for as long as I can remember. When I first started using skincare products when I was in my teens, toners were usually astringents meant for cleaning the skin and making them less oily. These days, I steer clear from those kind of toners because I realise how important it is to not strip the skin of its natural oils and to instead, always aim to add moisture back into the skin.

Today, I'm going to be talking about a toner that is very highly raved about, many people love it including me, and is something I cannot live without these days. And yes, like the title states above, I'm going to be talking about Innisfree's Blueberry Rebalancing Skin.

Review | Innisfree Tangerine Vita C Serum

I have been a huge fan of Innisfree ever since my first trip to Korea more than 5 years ago. There is something about the brand, their packaging, their philosophy that has converted me to a lover of all things Innisfree. Since then, I have tried many of their products, some I love, some I dislike, some I'm on the fence about. But today, I'm pleased to be talking about a product that I have really enjoyed using, and my skin loves.

Innisfree's Tangerine Vita C Serum is a serum formulated with freshly squeezed extract of Jeju tangerine peel and vitamin C derivatives to replenish skin with clear moisture and is in a gel form for fresh and effective penetration. It is supposed to be quick absorbing, helps to improve dull complexion and skin elasticity and offers moisture to the skin to improve radiance.

K Beauty Products That I Am Excited To Try (Part 3)

This is the last blog post to this series of posts titled "K Beauty Products That I Am Excited To Try". There really are way to many products that I am interested in trying but there's only so many of them that I can apply on my face at any one time. I don't know how people can have multiple skin care products open at the same time, I always feel the need to finish what I have open, before trying something else. At any one time, I'll max have maybe 2 of the same category of products open (think toners, serums, moisturisers...), any more than that makes me nervous that I won't finish them before they go bad.

Anyhoo~ Let's begin with the last bunch of items I am excited to try.

(Credit: x)

K Beauty Products I Am Excited To Try (Part 2)

I am back with another "K Beauty Products I Am Excited To Try" because there are sooo many products that I picked up that I legit can't wait to finally try. I went to Seoul recently, shopped way too much, picked up a lot of new products both from brands I've never tried before and brands I have tried before, and these are what I am most excited to try.

(Credit: x)

My Updated Night Skin Care Routine

I AM BACK. I said I would and I'm on a roll so I'm back with my updated night skin care routine. If you haven't already read my morning skin care routine, you can read it HERE. There are some products in my morning routine that I use in my night routine so I won't be elaborating on them here so if you're interested in knowing my thoughts on them then do check the post out before reading this.

My Updated Morning Skin Care Routine

Hello my friendsssss. It has been a long time since I updated this space because I sort of fell out of love with blogging. It takes a lot of effort to craft out words when you're not the best at describing things but since this is a space which I've had for like 12 years at this point (I went back to check the date on the very first post I uploaded) I've decided to make an effort in doing sporadic updates. I do like to look back upon this space to see what I've done, what I've loved, and just the thousands of memories housed in this treasure trove. If any one reads this, you're welcome to take a peek into my thoughts but I thought I would kick start this year with an update to my current morning skin care routine. If you would like to see what I'm using, then please carry on reading~

Product Empties #7

It has been literally months since I last did an update. I'm not going to apologise because I've been swamped with everything that's been going on in my life. For more frequent updates on what is going on, you can check out all my social media handles (@YiQingggg on Facebook/Instagram/Snapchat/Twitter). I've been beyond stressed so I decided to head back to what relaxes me, which is playing around with beauty items. 

Because I haven't been updating anything here lately, yet I've been still keeping up with my skin care and makeup everyday, I've collected my largest collection of empties to date. So I thought I will kick start my blog with a new product empties post. 

Review | Innisfree Mineral Moisture Foundation

My best friend recommended this foundation to me because she really liked it and so I got it because I've been on the hunt for a liquid foundation from a Korean brand. I've never tried one before so I'm here today to share my 2 cents worth.

I bought the Mineral Moisture Foundation from Innisfree in the shade C2. It comes with SPF 34 PA++, it's always good to have SPF in your foundation because you can never get too much sun protection. This highly enriched moisture foundation covers your skin with dewy moisture as if applied with essence.

Directions: After using makeup base or primer, apply an appropriate amount and evenly smooth over face. Gently pat to finish.

Review | Innisfree No-Sebum Blur Primer

While I am not someone who uses a primer on a daily basis, I am occasionally met with the need to do so. Living in a hot and humid country, coupled with the fact that I sometimes have to work 14h shifts, every once in a while I do need the help of a primer to prolong the longevity of my makeup. 

There are primers for almost any skin issue you may face. The most common one is to allow your makeup to last longer on the face, others include hydrating the skin, creating a more radiant base for your makeup, correcting skin tone, to keep sebum at bay, fill in pores and other skin unevenness and so on. Today's primer is focused on reducing sebum production and also to blur out any skin unevenness such as pores and fine lines. In this post, I'll be talking about my thoughts of Innisfree's No-Sebum Blur Primer.

Review | Innisfree Eco Safety Perfect Sunblock SPF 50+ PA+++

Sunblocks are a daily necessity. I don't know if what I'm doing is overkill but I wear sunblock even if I'm staying at home and not heading out that day. UV rays harm our skin in so many ways and UVA rays are able to penetrate both windows and clothes so I feel it's always better to be safe than sorry.

That being said, I have always been on the lookout for good sunblocks. A good sunblock to me, is one that doesn't leave any white/grey cast on my skin, isn't too heavy on the skin (I can deal with sunblocks that aren't totally lightweight but they cannot be too heavy), and most importantly, doesn't affect my makeup application. I don't always wear a primer so the fact that it doesn't affect the application and longevity of my makeup is very important.

Google "Innisfree Sunblock" and the first few ones that pop up are always the Eco Safety Perfect Sunblock SPF 50+ PA+++ so I thought I would give this one a shot and here are my thoughts on this product.

Review | Innisfree Skinny Microcara

This mascara has taken the internet by storm when it first launched and there are so many reviews of it online so I thought I would try it for myself. I did and I honestly... Okay I'll save my thoughts till the end haha so let's get through with the review first. I got the one in the non-waterproof formulation.

What this mascara claims to do, or have is "airlight" powder and fibres that are hollow inside for naturally long and volumized lashes.

The reason why this mascara is called "microcara" is due to the fact that the mascara wand is tiny - definitely the smallest one I've ever used before. The microbrush which is 2.5mm in diameter, inspired by the flossing toothbrush, reaches out to the shortest lashes hiding at the ends of the eyes to make eyes stand out. The microbrush curls lashes from the roots and leaves them curled up all day long.

Innisfree Haul

Guys.... You all know Innisfree is pretty much my favourite Korean brand of all time right? Well they were having a sale when I went and I went crazy (as usual) perusing the shelves and I kind of bought quite a bit of stuff. I can't help myself whenever it's Innisfree *shrugs* Let's get along with the haul then, shall we?

I've never tried body lotions from Innisfree before but anything Innisfree should be amazing right? I got 3 of them in the scents Wild Berry, Gardenia and Peach. If you are a huge fan of fruity and floral scents, then be sure to take a whiff because all of these smell amazing. I believe SH will agree with me as well (he likes it whenever I apply nice smelling body lotions and these smell INCREDIBLE).

They were having a 1+1 for their sun blocks so I got myself the Eco Safety Perfect Sunblock in SPF 50+ PA+++. I'm on the look out for the perfect sunblock and I've heard good things about this one so I'm excited to give them a try! But for the price, I got them at 6,000 KRW per sunblock because of the sale, I really cannot complain.

Hand creams are a huge must for me because my hands get so dry, especially when I wash them constantly at work. Korean brands do the best hand creams because they are so small and convenient to travel with. I got mine at 50% off so these basically retailed for $2 per piece? How can you get hand creams like these in Singapore, ever? I got 5 in the scents Tangerine, Wild Berry, Gardenia, Apricot Blossom and Sudachi. I'm definitely not going to run out of hand creams any time soon.

There's always room for cleansing tissues, especially since I'll be taking 3 flights just to reach Calgary, Canada. I'll be spending a lot of time either in the plane, or in transit so cleansing tissues are a must to keep my face clean. I absolutely cannot stand airplane air so I need something to freshen myself up on those long haul flights so I picked up the Apple Juicy Cleansing Tissues as a little pick-me-up.

I'm on the look out for a good face moisturiser and while I love the Mango Seed Butter from The Face Shop, I've gotten bored of it and I'm ready to move on to the next one so I got myself the Green Tea Moisture Cream to try. I never say no to green tea anything.

Now that I'm approaching my mid twenties, I'm always weary of premature ageing. I don't lead the best lifestyle, especially when I've been travelling so much and the time difference wrecks havoc with my health and skin. The orchid line from Innisfree seems to be getting a lot of love so I decided to pick up the Orchid Eye Cream and Orchid Intense Cream to see if help in preventing the first signs of ageing as well as supply ample moisture to my skin.

If you don't already know, I'm a huge fan of the Ampoule Intense Cushion from Innisfree and when I heard that they had a newer formulation of the cushion, I knew I had to try them out. I got the Ampoule Moisture Cushion refills because I already have the compact (refills are a lot cheaper than purchasing the whole compact). I'll keep you guys updated on whether I like this more or the original one more.

I got myself the Soybean Energy Essence because I'm on the hunt for the perfect essence (also I really don't want to splash out on the IOPE Bio Essence Intensive Conditioning even though it works like a dream) and I thought I would get this to see how it lives up to the IOPE one.

I'm not the biggest fan of touching up make up, especially since I'm too lazy to lug around make up whilst I'm out and about so I'm always looking for ways to prolong the longevity of my make up and one such way is to invest in a good primer. Since I'm pretty much finishing the one from The Face Shop, I got the No-Sebum Blur Primer to try. Pretty excited to try this because my sister said that it was good.

I never say no to sheet masks, especially when they are on 50% off. I love to stock up on masks because masks are so darn expensive here in Singapore. I love to treat my skin to a good sheet mask, especially when I'm travelling because the air on the plane is fantastically dry and disgusting. Also, going to drier climates when you have dry skin isn't the best thing to do so sheet masks are essential in saving my skin from becoming flaky. I bought 5 pieces of each of the 4 flavours (Green Tea, Rice, Lime and Black Berry) and they are really good at injecting life into my skin.

Whew, that was such a long post to type but we are finally done! Always thankful for sales because they help me save a ton of money. Thank you so much for reading!

Review | Innisfree Ampoule Intense Cushion

I used to be very skeptical about the whole concept of cushion foundations because I found that I actually didn't like everything that makes a cushion foundation different from a normal liquid or powder foundation. But I'm into my 4th one and I have to say that cushion foundations have converted me and I prefer this over any other type right now.

They are marketed as very easy to use (just pat the puff on your face to use), convenient to bring around (you don't need any additional tools to use this and it comes with a hugeass mirror inside), and offers a light coverage that allows your natural skin to glow through. While not all cushion foundations offer light coverage right now, there are certainly some with higher coverages which I love, this one is pretty light. Today, I'll be talking about the Ampoule Intense Cushion from the brand Innisfree. This has quickly become one of my favourite cushions to use and I'll explain to you why in this post.

What's in my Travel Makeup Bag?

I have been doing quite a lot of travelling in the past few months and what better time to do a What's in my Travel Makeup Bag then when I'm actually halfway through my travels? I took this photos whilst I was in my B&B in Snowdonia National Park so this is legitimately what I brought with my when I travelled.

Besides the number of lipsticks I brought (it WAS a bit excessive), I think I pretty much brought what I needed and that was about it. So if you're interested to see what I brought, please carry on reading.

Review | Innisfree Smart Foundation | Long Lasting

I have done a previous review on another of Innisfree's Smart Foundations and it is the one in Perfect Cover. I was intrigued with the whole idea behind the Smart Foundation line and I got another one to try and it is in the Long Lasting formulation. If you don't already know, I work pretty long hours (8-14.5h) depending on what shifts I have to do so one thing I always look out for is the lasting power of foundations. I can't be bothered with the hassle of touching up my makeup so this foundation definitely stood out with its promises of lasting long on the face.

Night Skin Care Routine

It's been quite some time since I did an updated skin care routine so I thought it was time I did one. I've changed quite a bit of products in my routine and some of them I'm still using so if you're interested in more details/explanations about my skin care routine and to see what products I used to use, you can check out my Sunday Night Pamper Routine. Without further ado, let's get on with this post.

Since I wear makeup on a daily basis, I always start my skin care routine with a double cleanse to full remove the makeup from my face and the face makeup remover I'm using at the moment is from Innisfree and it is the Olive Real Cleansing Oil. I'm planning to do a review on this soon so stay tuned for that but it smells great and is really effective at removing my makeup without leaving a greasy layer on my face so I am really liking it.

For my eye makeup remover I'm currently using The Face Shop's Rice Water Bright Lip & Eye Makeup Remover. I love how this removes my waterproof mascara and all my eyeshadows well and it doesn't sting my eyes at all. It does take a while to properly break down my waterproof mascara but it removes my eyeshadows really quickly.

For my facial cleanser, I'm currently using the same range as my eye makeup remover and it is the Rice Water Bright Cleansing Foam from The Face Shop. I feel that this is a decent cleanser but not my favourite one, especially since it doesn't really help to remove makeup.

For toner, I am back to using my holy grail Boots Botanics Cleansing Toner All Bright. I have used up a good 4 bottles of this and despite trying different toners, I always find myself gravitating back to this because it is just THAT good. Nothing beats this toner when it comes to brightening the skin so if you're looking for a toner that does just that, then this is the one for you. 

After toner I like to use an eye cream and the one I'm using at the moment is from Innisfree and it is the White Tone Up Eye Serum. It's a pretty comfortable eye serum on the eyes and it provides the basic hydration but I wouldn't say there is anything special about it. 

The essence of the moment is from Nature Republic and it is The First Essence. This essence suffices as an essence but I don't really see much effect from it. At this point of time, I'm pretty much waiting for it to finish before I can move on to the next one. If you're looking for a better essence and you're willing to spend a bit more on it, I would recommend the IOPE Bio Essence Intensive Conditioning. It is a lot more pricey but it works a lot better.

At the moment, I'm using 2 different serums at night, one for basic hydration and the other as an added on treatment. Both of them are from the brand It's Skin Power 10 Formula line and if you don't already know, I love their VC Effector. The hydrating serum is the GF Effector which does a decent job at providing moisture to my skin. I also like to use the CO Effector which helps with anti-aging. Using 2 serums at one go creates a pretty thick layer on the skin so I only do this at night.

For spot treatments, I alternate between using the Nature Republic Aloe Soothing Gel and It's Skin Power 10 VB Effector. Both help in speeding up the healing process of my spots. I wouldn't say either are holy grail products yet because they don't actually work all the time but they suffice for now.

If I have the time, I like to do a sheet mask before I put on a sleeping pack. I'm finishing up the sheet masks from Etude House and while they're not exactly my favourite ones to use, they are pretty decent for an every day pick-me-up. The sleeping mask of choice is the Laneige Water Sleeping Pack_EX. I used to love this product a lot last time but now, not so much. It just doesn't do anything for me anymore so once agin, I'm just finishing this up.

I hope this has helped you in some way in forming your own skin care routine! Till next time, thank you for reading!

Review | Innisfree Mineral Stick Concealer

Let's talk about concealers. If you've read my previous review post on the Innisfree Smart Foundation in the Long Lasting formulation, you would have known how disappointed I was in the coverage and that I needed a concealer to cover my blemishes. Now, one such concealer which I have been loving is from the same brand, and is as the title of this posts suggests, the Mineral Stick Concealer.