K Beauty Products I Am Excited To Try (Part 1)

I have recently came back from a trip to Seoul and boy did I really go ham on the shopping. I have a list in my phone of all the things I have come across and want to try, complied from many YouTube videos or just good old fashioned blog posts and whenever I head to Seoul, I stock up on all the items I want to try. This trip was no exception.

I have actually neatly packed them into my drawers (I didn't think about doing a post on them oops) so instead of taking them out, taking photos of them and then packing them back, I'm just going to google image of them and place them here. Of course, I'm not going to talk about all of them but I'll talk about the ones I'm most excited about trying. I have included links to the products if you're interested in picking any of them up~

Review | Laneige BB Cushion (Pore Control)

I have been on a roll trying out new BB cushions haven't I? This was actually one of the first few BB cushions I've tried, the second one to be precise. And I just realised I didn't actually do up the review for this on this space (oops). I found the pictures I took ages ago and here I am, finally typing out my thoughts on this product. So let's go.

Review | Laneige Water Sleeping Pack_EX

This has got to be the very first product I've used from any Korean brands. I can't believe that I've used this sleeping pack on and off for a good 5-6 years already and I haven't done the review on this until now. So without further ado, let me introduce you to the famous Water Sleeping Pack_EX from the brand Laneige.

I first started using this when my best friend recommended it to me. She mentioned that it was pretty well-known in the beauty industry and a lot of people swear by this product. Back then, I wasn't this into Korean beauty products yet so I was pretty intrigued with the whole idea of using sleeping packs.

This product claims (from the product card)...

UV rays as well as various internal causes such as stress and skin impurities can damage skin texture and tone easily. Using Laneige Special Care once or twice a week provides concentrated vitality to the rough and dull skin to restore bright and crystal-clear complexion.

Water Sleeping Pack_EX with light gel-type texture gives intensive hydration, vitality and brightening effect while restoring skin with deep relaxation through aroma scent.

Night time skin transmissivity shows higher rate than during the day. Applying it just before going to bed, the best state for skin transmission according to the skin circadian rhythm, maximizes the efficiency of overnight water supply.

The function of skin remarkably declines during the night time. Enriched with Betaglucan, Water Sleeping Pack_EX deeply hydrates fatigue and dry skin while Ceramide formula strengthens the skin barrier.

Antioxidant effect of Hunza Apricot Extracts brights crystal clear and even skin tone by removing harmful oxygen and by purifying skin. Recovernine from Chestnuts promotes turnovers of horny layers to remove dead cells for vigorous water supply and sleek skin texture.

An aromatic essence compound exclusively developed by AMOREPACIFIC, Sleepscent helps to relax your mind and body to promote good sleep. A good sleep with sufficient relaxation eventually strengthens skin revitalization. Essential oils from Orange Flower, Rose, Ylang Ylang, Sandal Wood etc are contained in the Sleepscent.

Himalaya Snow Water helps your skin to look more crystal clear and vitalized.

Light gel-type texture without stickiness allows comfortable sleep.

The sleeping pack comes in its iconic glossy blue plastic tub and is sealed to preserve the freshness of the product inside. (I got this product a while back so I noticed that they came up with a new packaging for this in a matte blue tub so mine is probably in the old packaging!) It also comes with a spatula which I love collecting. One can never have too man spatulas. This tub contains 80ml of product which is a decent amount of product.

There is a scent and it is true that it smells great. I'm not the best at describing scents but trust me on this, it smells amazing. I wouldn't go so far as to say that I feel better after smelling this (though good scents do put me in a better mood than bad ones) or that I get a better sleep whenever I have this sleeping pack on my face but it does smell good. The scent isn't overpowering and disappears after sinking into your skin so if you're not a fan of scents in general, fret not.

The product itself is a light blue gel which is very lightweight in texture. It spreads easily and my skin absorbs this very quickly as well. It does not leave a sticky texture on the skin and my skin feels smooth after application which is great. When you first apply it, it feels cooling on the skin which is great for hot, humid nights in Singapore.

As a sleeping pack, unlike other masks, you're not supposed to wash it off after a while but leave it on your face till the next morning. I heard that you're supposed to use this as the last step, which means applying this after your moisturiser but I typically skip the moisturiser part and just apply this as my moisturiser when my skin is behaving. On days when my skin flakes and feels extremely dehydrated, I do apply a moisturiser first before topping up with this.

I used to love this a lot when I first started using it. The next day, I would wake up with amazingly soft and plump skin. But after using this for years, I find that it doesn't do much for my skin anymore. I don't use this constantly. I probably use one tub, stop for half a year, then start using it again because I know your skin can get use to products and reduce the effectiveness of the products but now that I'm done with my 3rd tub, I can safely say that I don't find that it does anything for my skin anymore.

I also have to say that it does not hydrate your skin enough if you have extremely dry skin. Like I mentioned earlier, if my skin is going through a dry spell, I do have to top use a thick and hydrating moisturiser first before applying this on because this sleeping pack just isn't enough to hydrate my skin on its own. Just something to take note of.

Overall:

PROS:

• Lightweight texture
• Skin absorbs quickly
• Not greasy
• Smells great
• Don't need to wash it off
• Skin feels smooth 
• Skin feels soft and plump the next morning
• Does not leave a film on the skin
• Comes with a spatula
• Didn't break me out

CONS:

• Doesn't work for very dry skin
• Does not work for my skin after a while
• A tad pricey

After using a good 3 tubs of this sleeping pack, I believe that it's finally time to try something new. I did like it when I first started using this but it just stopped working for me after a while. It also is a tad on the pricey side so I probably won't repurchase this but it was a good run while it lasted! If you haven't tried this before, I would say you probably should because it is a pretty decent product. Thank you so much for reading! x

Mixed Brands Haul

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!

Sunday Night Pamper Routine

Some say Sunday is the start of the week and some say it's the end. Whichever the case it is for you, I usually leave Sunday nights as my pamper nights, simply because it's the end of the week for me (my usual off days are on Mondays). 

I keep up a pretty detailed skin care routine every day of the week because I believe in giving my skin the best there is on a daily basis but there are days when even I get lazy to do the full works on my face. But try as I might, I never ever skip my Sunday night routine because it is the one night i really strip my skin bare of all the makeup and gunk that may have accumulated on my face throughout the week and load on all the good stuff.

So let's first start with the pre-cleanse, or better known as the removal of make up. Before piling on all the good stuff onto your face, you have to remove all things that may clog your pores and prevent your skin from fully absorbing all the nutrients and benefits of your subsequent products. Naturally, the first step would be to remove all your make up. 

I typically use Lancome's Bi-Facil to remove all my eye make up, especially the stubborn waterproof mascara that I coat on my eye lashes. I have raved about this eye make up remover so many times before because I truly believe it's the best I've used so far. It removes make up so easily and quickly and it does not sting the eyes at all. The only downside to this is that it is super pricey. 

Next, I'll follow up with a make up remover to remove the products I use on my face. The one I'm current using is Lancome's Galateis Douceur. It is a cleansing milk so what I typically do is to do 2 pumps onto my palms, rub it all over my face to break down all the make up products, and gently wipe everything off with a piece of tissue. While this cleansing milk does do the job of removing most traces of make up, I like to do a double cleanse to make sure I've throughly removed all traces of make up.

My next step is to use a cleanser (which is the second step in double cleansing). My current facial cleanser is Mamonde's Super Moist Foam. Just squeeze a little bit of the cleanser on the palm of your hand, add water and it lathers up pretty well. While I do not rely on facial cleansers to remove make up, I have done a test on the abilities of this cleanser to remove make up. It didn't remove eye make up totally but it did a good job in cleansing away face and lip make up so when I'm done with cleansing, I'm pretty sure I've gotten rid of all traces of make up on my face. (Review: HERE)

After cleansing, I like to use a physical exfoliator to scrub away any dead skin cells on my face. This not only helps promote skin cell renewal but it also helps with deep cleansing my pores. A long time favourite of mine is definitely St Ives's Apricot Scrub, specifically the one that is for blemish control. I like to do this scrub 2-3 times a week after I wash my face with a cleanser. I feel that this minimises the possibility of spots appearing. Clean pores means less chance of clogged pores which leads to lesser spots. Just squeeze some out on to your finger tips and rub it onto your face. Make sure your face is damp and avoid your eye area! Be sure to rub gently so as not to injure your skin.

Once I'm done with all the cleansing, I like to do a purifying wash off mask before I even start with the rest of my skin care. I can hear everyone going "What?! Yet another step?!" Well yes, I do like to make sure my face is squeaky clean before I pamper my face with all the good stuff. My favourite wash off mask of the moment definitely has to be Skin Food's Egg White Pore Mask. It purifies my skin really well without drying it out at all. I apply this onto dry skin, leave for about 10-15 minutes then rinse off. (Review: HERE)

Toners are an essential part of our skin care routine. They are the first step in helping to replenish moisture back into our skin that may have been lost during the cleansing process. Toners also help to soften and prepare the skin for the rest of the products that will be added on subsequently. I'm currently taking a break from my favourite Boots Botanics All Bright Cleansing Toner and I'm giving Mamonde's Rose Water Toner a shot. So far I'm liking it a lot! Just squeeze out some of the toner onto a cotton pad and sweep it all over your face, avoiding the eye area of course. (Review: HERE)

I like to do my eye creams immediately after my toner but I know many people like to leave it to the last step so it really is up to you. There is no right or wrong way of doing this. Eye creams are essential for hydrating the delicate eye area. Even if you do not have fine lines around your eyes, proper hydration is the first line of defence against aging so be sure to invest in a good eye cream to keep the area around your eyes hydrated! I'm still using my trusty Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment. I scoop a little of this on my ring fingers, rub them together to warm up the product, then dab it gently around my eye area. This cream definitely does the trick in keeping my eyes happily moisturised. (Review: HERE)

After eye cream, I move on to essence. Whilst most people use essence and serums interchangeably, I typically view essences as the more liquid version of a serum. I've used IOPE's Bio Essence Intensive Conditioning for quite a while (although I didn't feature it in my 10 step skin care regime because I didn't start using this until after I did up that post) and I've really been liking it. Applying this literally feels like applying water onto my face. It does what it says it does, which is to improve the condition of my face. After adding this into my skin care regime, I notice my face becoming smoother (lesser of those little pesky bumps are formed on the face), my complexion becoming brighter and clearer, lesser spots tend to form during that time of the month, my face becomes a lot lesser oily than before, and the redness on my face as a whole seems to have lessen. What I do is to pour a bit of this onto the palm of my hand, rub my palms together and then pat this all over my face. Alternatively you can choose to soak a cotton pad with the lotion and sweep it all over your face (the same way you would do with a toner), avoiding the eye area. (Review: HERE)

Now it's time to talk about serums. I love serums. They're like a concentrated shot of goodness to the face, and you get to choose what goodness you want on your face. On most days I just stick to my trusty Innisfree Green Tea Seed Serum. I've raved about this serum so many times before so I believe I do not need to do so here. I pump one pump onto my palm, rub my palms together, then pat it all over my face, avoiding my eye area.

This is pretty new to my skin care regime. Since I thought I would give my skin a break from my favourite Boots toner, I thought I would give the serum from the same range a shot. I got the Boots Botanics Radiance Concentrate Serum All Bright when I was in BKK and so far I'm really liking it. I'll probably do up a full review on this after I try this for a longer period of time (I've only been using it for 4 days or so). I drop 3-4 drops on my palm, rub my palms together, then pat it all over my face, avoiding my eye area.

After I'm done with my serums, I like to do a sheet mask to energise my skin. I really love doing sheet masks because not only do they inject much needed moisture into my skin, they also come with all sorts of skin benefits depending on what flavour they are. Also, it is so calming to just lie down with a cooling mask on my face and a book in my hand (or whatever phone game I'm addicted to at the moment) for a good 15-20 minutes. It helps me relax after a long day at work or being out with my friends/boyfriend. My sheet masks of the moment have been from Etude House's I Need You range. You can click HERE for my mask haul (with short write ups on each mask and the link for the full review of the individual masks if they are up).

On the areas where I have spots, or scars from spots, I apply a thin layer of Nature Republic's Soothing & Moisture Aloe Vera Soothing Gel. I'm a huge fan of aloe vera and all the amazing benefits it has. If you're prone to getting spots, you should know how amazing aloe vera is at soothing those angry and painful red spots as well as helping with the healing process. On areas when my skin is peeling, I also like to dab a bit of aloe vera gel and by the next morning, all the peeling stops. It's amazing and this aloe vera gel is so crazily affordable.

Last but not least, I top everything off with a moisturiser. My current favourite is Mamonde's Floral Hydro Cream. I love everything about this cream. Not only does it smells amazing, it is incredibly hydrating even though it is really light weight. There's honestly nothing not to love (unless you're a tub hater). (Review: HERE)

Last, but not least, I top everything up with a sleeping pack. I'm currently using Laneige Water Sleeping Pack_EX. I've been using this for years as the last step in my skin care routine and it just seals all the amazing goodness into my skin. I always wake up with smoother skin the next day whenever I use this.

And this concludes my Sunday Night Pamper Routine :> I hope this has been helpful to all those who are looking for pamper routines to well pamper your skin. 

10 Step Skincare Regime

I've been meaning to do up another beauty related post for quite a while but I just couldn't seem to find the time (and motivation) to do so. Tonight though, while I have a sheet mask on my face, I thought I would finally sit down and do up my 10 Step Skincare Regime.

In today's day and age, it's really hard to find time to do elaborate skincare regimes. I mean who really wants to sit down for a good half an hour massaging various products into their faces? Ain't no body got the time for that. However, I really feel that if you were to take a look at the steps in this skincare regime, you'll realise that you're probably already doing most of these steps.

Not all of these steps are relevant for you (especially if you do not put on makeup) and not all these products may work for you, but I'm just sharing my skincare regime today.

1. Make Up Removal

Removing of make up effectively is essential if you want your skin to stay blemish-free. After all, the top cause of blemishes is clogged pores which come about if you do not remove make up properly.

Most of us love putting on make up, I mean, who doesn't want to look pretty right? However, we also tend to get lazy at the end of the day, and removing make up is definitely a hassle. I do not know any one who actually enjoys scrubbing all the make up off their faces. But this is a very important step because improper removal of make up can lead to clogged pores which of course, end up in pimples.

What I usually do is to first soak a cotton pad with Innisfree's Apple Juicy Lip&Eye Remover and press it firmly on my eyes for maybe 10-15 seconds before gently moving the cotton pad off my eyes. This lip and eye remover does a pretty good job of removing all my eye make up, even waterproof mascara and it smells really good to boot.

Next, I will use a face make up remover to remove my base make up. The one I'm currently using is Lancome's Galateis Douceur which is a cleansing milk. I'll dispense the product on my hands before gently rubbing it into my skin, slowly breaking down the make up on my face before using a tissue to wipe the cleansing milk off my face.

Honestly, I don't think this is the best face make up remover and I'm just using it because I haven't finished my bottle yet haha. I bought quite a few face make up removers when I was in Korea so definitely stay tuned to my reviews on those when I finally finish this bottle!

2. Cleanse

The next step is to cleanse your face. Washing your face with a cleanser equates to doing a double cleanse which I feel is important to remove any residue of your make up and any traces of your make up remover. Also, if you use oil-based make up removers, this will remove the oily or greasy feeling you may still feel even after washing your face with water.

Be mindful to use gentle, circular motions to really massage the cleanser on your face and avoid rubbing too hard because this may injure your skin and cause it to lose its elasticity in the long run. It is also best to first use warm water to open up your pores to allow the cleanser to deep cleanse your skin and to rinse off the cleanser with cold water to close your pores and tighten them.

I alternate between two facial cleansers simply because I feel that they suit different purposes. In the day, I find myself reaching for Simple's Kind To Skin Moisturising Facial Wash because it is good for sensitive skin and it is light on my face. I feel that I don't need a heavy-duty facial cleanser in the mornings.

At night, my current favourite facial cleanser is Mamonde's Super Moist Foam. I feel that it is super hydrating and it doesn't leave my skin feeling tight at all although it does its job at removing all traces of make up.

3. Exfoliate

Exfoliating your skin with a good, well, exfoliator is important to remove all dead skin cells from your face, dirt from your pores, and promote skin cell renewal. Dead skin cells tend to stay on our skin's surface, which hinders all the good stuff from your skin care products from being properly absorbed into the deeper layers of your skin.

I usually exfoliate my skin twice to thrice a week, depending on how my skin feels. That being said, if you have sensitive skin, it is probably best to only exfoliate your skin once a week to avoid putting too much stress on your skin.

I've tried a few exfoliators but I always find myself going back to St. Ives Apricot Scrub because it's not only really affordable but it does leave my skin feeling brighter and baby-butt-smooth without feeling raw or tender.

Make sure your skin is damp before gently rubbing this onto your skin in circular motions. Be careful not to use this on the skin around your eyes as this may damage the thin layer of skin and cause premature aging.

4. Clarifying Masks

I have noticed that this step does not seem to be featured in most skin care regimes however I think it definitely is a pretty important step! Everyone knows that clay masks do wonders for the skin. They soak up all traces of dirt and grease and some even help to tighten pores in the process.

My current clay mask is from Innisfree and it is their Super Volcanic Pore Clay Mask. I religiously slap this baby on my face at least once a week to suck up all the impurities from my face. Just apply it on your face and wait for about 10 minutes before rinsing it off in circular motions with warm water and you'll definitely see your skin condition improve over time!

Another good clay mask option would be the Mask of Magnaminty from Lush. I love how it feels super minty and refreshing on your face and due to the particles in the mask, it exfoliates at the same time. Thus, if you use the mask of magnaminty, you can easily skip the previous step. (You can read my full review of this mask HERE.)

5. Tone

Toning is such an important step because it not only prepares your face for all the skin care products to come, it also helps to remove any residue leftover from your facial cleanser. Toners have an array of skin care benefits depending on the brand and the type. Some help to brighten the skin, restore the PH on your skin, tighten pores, hydrate your skin, cleanse your pores....

Just soak a cotton pad with your toner of choice and sweep the cotton pad all over your face and neck. Don't be alarmed to see traces of make up on the cotton pad! This may happen more often than not.

I typically alternate between two toners, once again, one for the day and the other for the night.

For the day, I use the Cleansing Toner All Bright from Boots' Botanics range. My mum brought this back for me when she last went to the UK but I believe Boots is now available in certain Watsons/Guardian stores in Singapore. I'm not sure if they brought their Botanics range over though.

This toner has definitely helped to brighten my skin and keep it from looking dull which is why I love to use this during the day before my make up for clearer and brighter looking skin.

At night, I prefer to use Etude House's Wonder Pore Freshner. This toner is known to help deep cleanse pores, tighten pores, control sebum production, minimize appearance of pores and to help hydrate the skin. All good stuff which I want for my skin. (You can read my full review of this toner HERE.)

6. Serums

Serums are essentially liquids with high concentrations of goodness. Think of all the good stuff in your moisturizer, just more concentrated. This step is considered the most important step for many people because serums tend to be lighter in consistency which means that it gets absorbed faster and easier into the skin as compared to moisturisers. Also, because it is less oily/greasy than moisturisers it is ideal for people with oily skin.

You may choose to only use one serum or to layer a few. The rule of thumb is to use the most watery product first before proceeding to the thicker ones so that your skin is able to absorb all the products effectively.

Typically, I dispense the serum onto my hand, rub my hands together, and then pat my hands all over my face. The heat from my hands helps to break down the active ingredients from the serum and allows my face to absorb the product better.

I use two serums on my face. The first being Innisfree's Green Tea Seed Serum. This little baby is packed full of moisture and anti-oxidants which protects your face from premature aging. It is also really lightweight and does not leave your skin feeling greasy at all.

My next serum of choice is Innisfree's Eco Science White C Pore Double Serum. If you love citrusy scents, this is a definite must buy for you because it smells amazing! This serum is also pretty lightweight (though it is thicker than the Green Tea Seed Serum) and has a velvety finish when applied on the face.

This little baby has both benefits of brightening the skin and tightening pores which is the best two-in-one product that suit my skin care concerns at the moment. I'm all for the Korean bright skin look, and I want to minimize the appearance of my pores and this serum definitely does both! It has also helped to control sebum production and I find my T-Zone to be a lot less oily than before but it does not leave my cheeks feeling dry at all.

7. Sheet Masks

I believe I've said this many times before but sheet masks are a must for me! I apply make up for long hours every day and I work in an aircon environment which leaves my skin feeling dehydrated at the end of the day. Sheet masks definitely add a boost of moisture back to my skin and also plays a part in my unwinding at the end of the day.

Sheet masks are amazing because unlike creams or serums which evaporates after a while, sheet masks force your skin to absorb the nutrients and moisture better since you're leaving them on for a good 10-20 minutes. The effects of sheet masks are also immediate. After removing the sheet mask, you can see your face looking slightly more plump and brighter thanks to all the moisture the mask injects into your skin.

I don't do sheet masks every day, I alternative days, because I think it will be too heavy for my skin but I know of people who do sheet masks every single day. I wouldn't say sheet masks are a must for every day use but try to do it at least twice a week?

What I like to do is to place the sheet mask on my face before either watching YouTube videos or catch up on Running Man. After 10-20 minutes, I'll peel the sheet mask off and pat the remaining product into my skin.

I bought back a whole bunch of masks from Korea (you can read about my mask haul HERE) and my current favourites are from Innisfree and The Face Shop. I think any of the sheet masks from these two brands are pretty decent however my favourites are definitely the Rice, LemonLime and Royal Jelly ones from Innisfree.

8. Eye Cream

The thin, fragile skin around your eyes is the first area to show signs of aging and if this isn't an important reason to show care to the area around your eyes, I don't know what is. 

Many people I know tend to skip this step because they don't feel that it is important since they don't show signs of aging just yet. However, the skin around our eyes lack glands which produce sebum to keep the area hydrated. Also, the skin around the eyes is under the strain of 22 muscles in perpetual motion and 10,000 blinks per day. This probably makes the skin around our eyes the most stressed part of our face and this is why this area typically is the first to show signs of premature aging.

Do note that not all facial products are suitable for the eye area because of how thin and fragile the skin there is. It is best to use an eye cream or a face cream which specifies that it is gentle enough to be used around the eye area.

I love how Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado is really hydrating and isn't greasy at all! Although it has a thick consistency, it does not cause my eye make up to cake even if I apply it before my make up. It also does not cause oil seeds to form around my eyes.

9. Moisturisers

A moisturiser is essentially a product used to lock in all the goodness from earlier steps into your skin by forming a barrier between your skin and the external environment. Moisturisers also, typically, hydrate your skin.

Moisturisers come in many forms, from light gel-like textures to heavy creams, and it is best to choose one which suits your skin type. If you have oily skin, a gel moisturiser would be best for your skin because it will hydrate your skin without leaving it feeling too greasy. If you have dry skin, than a thicker cream would be better suited to hydrate your skin.

Always remember, just because your skin is oily does not mean that your skin is sufficiently hydrated and that you can skip this step. You skin may produce excess sebum because it is dry and thus produces more sebum to coat your skin in an attempt to lock your skin's moisture in.

My current obsession is from Laneige and it is their famed Water Bank Gel Cream_EX. This moisturiser is pretty light weight and it absorbs really well into my skin without leaving it feeling greasy.

10. Sleeping Masks

Really? Yet another step? Well yes, my dears, the road to beauty is a long one, but it is definitely worth the investment both in time and money.

Sleeping masks are essentially masks which you apply on your face and leave on overnight instead of peeling it off (as you would to a sheet mask) or washing it off (as you would for clay masks). In the morning, just wash it off and you are good to go!

Because I sleep in an air conditioned room (can you really sleep without air con in Singapore's crazy humid weather?) I aim to pack my face with as much moisturising goodness as I can before I sleep to prevent my skin from being dehydrated and this step is important for me waking up to plumped and hydrated skin.

My favourite sleeping mask has got to be Laneige's Water Sleeping Pack_EX. I've been using it for more than 2 years and I still love how my skin feels the next morning.

If you feel that using a sleeping mask after your moisturiser is a tad too much, what you can do is to skip your moisturiser at night and apply the sleeping mask directly. Or alternatively, you can skip this step altogether and just stick with your moisturiser.

And this, concludes my 10 step skincare regime.

This may be a tad too much for you to take in, especially if you're new to the whole idea of using skin care products. If this is the case, it would be best for you to start with the 3 basic steps of Cleansing, Toning, and Moisturising first before adding other steps into your regime.

Always remember that it is best to not overwhelm your skin by starting all these steps at one go. Instead, slowly introduce one step and one product into your skincare regime at a time and allow your skin to get used to that particular product before adding another one. This also allows you to troubleshoot which product is unsuitable for your skin should your skin start acting up.

I hope this post helps in explaining what each step essentially is and what each type of product featured in each step helps to do to your skin!

(All photos in this post were taken from google.)