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.

Beauty Stash | Blusher

I am back with yet another beauty stash post and this time, I'm going to be sharing about my blusher collection. I dug around my cheek drawer and was pretty taken aback to find 14 different blushers. Like I am not kidding with you, I found 14 blushers and that does not include all the contour/bronzers or highlighters. One person does not need THIS many blushers but since I do, I might as well do a post about it. 

A disclaimer just before I start, I am by no means proud of the fact that I own 14. I think 14 blushers is excessive and most of them are unopened ones that I opened for the sake of this post. I am not showing off what I have, I am just aware that I am incredibly blessed to be able to own make up. My collection may seem excessive to many and too little to some but I am just here to share so no hate! 

If you're interested to see what I have in my collection as well as see the swatches, please carry on reading.

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.

Skin Food Haul

I have been in love with Skin Food's Black Sugar Mask Wash Off ever since the first time I tried it. It is honestly the best scrub, and certainly the most hydrating one ever. But I have been trying to branch out and try other products simply because I shouldn't say one product is the best just because it's the only product I have tried so far. And so, I got myself more items from Skin Food to see if I like other products from the brand instead of just the Black Sugar Mask and their Egg White Pore Mask.

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. 

Review | Skin Food Egg White Pore Mask

I love masks and I love doing masks. If you follow me on Snapchat (YiQingggg), you'll pretty much see me doing masks almost 4 times a week, sometimes more. 

Masks have been saving my life by sucking up whatever impurities are in my pores and injecting much needed moisture into my skin. Sheet masks, clay masks, sleeping packs, you name it, I'm always on the look out for amazing masks to pamper my skin.

Today I'm going to talk about Skin Food's Egg White Pore Mask.

(Side note: If you see random red marks on my hand, just ignore it okay haha. They are the remnants of my lipstick swatches whilst I was trying out lipsticks in Watsons earlier in the day.)

It comes in a sturdy little plastic pot but don't be deceived by it's small size, it contains a good 100g inside.

On the side of the pot, it says that the mask is a pore-refining mask that contains egg white and eliminates pore-clogging impurities. Egg white is loaded with albumin that consists of amino acids.

Upon opening the lid, there's another plastic lid to make sure the product doesn't get onto the outer lid which is great because I have this pet peeve with products dirtying the lids of the containers they are in.

And now moving on to the mask itself.

It's a really creamy and paste-like texture that smells nothing like what I would imagine egg white to smell like. It smells really light and a bit floral actually, but it isn't strong at all and the smell doesn't bother me one bit.

It glides on like a dream on the skin so a little goes a long way so don't over do it! 

When I first started using this, I thought it was a clay mask and thus had the consistency of clay masks. I've been using the Innisfree Super Volcanic Pore Clay Mask and the texture is really stiff and hard to blend out so I thought this mask would be the same. I stuck my finger in (I'm honestly quite lazy to use spatulas) and got a huge blob on my finger which was more than enough for my whole face. Moral of the story, don't assume haha.

Before I started using this mask, my face was a hot mess. I don't usually get dry skin, my skin is combination/normal, with my T-Zone being slightly oily and my cheeks normal, not dry.

However, since March, my skin suddenly started flaking like crazy and it drove me nuts. Think of sun burn type of flakiness.

I stopped all pore tightening products like my Etude House Wonder Pore Freshener, Innisfree White C Pore Double Serum, and my It's Skin Power 10 VB Effector because I thought all the pore tightening products may have stopped my sebum production thus causing my skin to become really dry.

Although doing so helped a bit, my skin was still pretty dry, especially around my nose area. I was desperately researching products to help my poor face because it is really quite unsightly to go out with skin peeling all over my face.

When I first used this product, I was a bit worried about the pore tightening abilities because I was scared that it would cause my skin to act up again. After using this at night before my normal skincare regime and after cleansing my face, my skin stopped peeling altogether. I was so blown away.

I don't know what it is about this product that removed all the peeling. For one thing, it isn't abrasive so it wasn't like I exfoliated all the peeling skin away and I don't think this product is focused on hydration either. But something about this magical mask must have stopped my skin from peeling.

Nowadays, I still do get some flaky skin here and there around my face but it is so much easier to manage as compared to before and I really think it is largely thanks to this mask that helped my skin.

I didn't notice much in terms of pore tightening though, but I did notice my nose area becoming a lot smoother after I use this mask! Given how inexpensive this mask is (8,000 KRW), I say just go ahead and get it. After all, I don't see any downsides of using this product and a lot of benefits.

PROS:

• Really affordable
• Contains a lot of product
• Creamy texture
• Blends effortlessly
• Scent isn't too strong 
• Smoothens skin texture
• Brightens skin
• Cleanses my face well
• Does not irritate skin
• Reduces redness 
• Does not cause break outs
• Hydrates skin

CONS:

• No pore-minimizing capabilities
• Some people may find the tub unhygienic (just use a spatula!) 

#1144: Current Skin Care Favourites

Something that's always been really important to me is having good, clear skin. 

I used to be plagued with acne for more than 3 years and it got so bad that I went to visit a dermatologist to get prescribed medication just to cope with it. I was prescribed both topical and oral medication but I've stopped taking oral medication for more than a year already and I only apply the topical creams as and when I feel that my skin is getting really bad (which hardly happens anymore, thank goodness).

The horrific thing about acne and scarring is that no matter how much make up you pile on your skin, you can never fully hide the bumps. Redness I can deal with with some foundation and concealer but you can never hide skin unevenness. 

Thank goodness for the medication, it stopped my acne cycle and since then, I still suffer from the occasional break out but never anything as bad as last time and right now, I'm mostly left with the scars from before that are lightening nicely and can mostly be covered. 

I attribute my current skin condition to the (medication that I took, but mostly to the) beauty products that I've been using religiously and I'm super excited to talk about them!! I've been using some of them for the longest time and they've been my favourites for quite a long time already. Do note that I'm no beauty expert and that whatever I say here is just my own opinion. 

Before I rave about them, this is my skin right now, with only one layer of foundation and a little loose powder. I did not use any filter on any of my photos and all photos are taken under natural lighting.

You can still see a little scarring on my cheeks and a little bump on my forehead but it's all mostly cleared up!! My skin has never been this good in the past half a decade and boy am I thankful for that.

Without further ado, I present to you my current beauty favourites!

From left to right (clockwise): Innisfree It's Real Rice Mask, Laneige Water Sleeping Pack_EX, Skin Food Black Sugar Mask Wash Off, Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado, Innisfree The Green Tea Seed Serum, It's Skin, Power 10 Formula VC Effector.

The first item is Innisfree's It's Real Rice Mask and I am really loving this mask! I've always loved Innisfree's masks and I swear by them because not only do they feel amazing, they really keep my skin hydrated. I've used many of their masks from their It's Real range like green tea, aloe, lemon lime, manuka honey…

I used their rice mask for the first time a couple of days ago and I must say that it feels lovely on the skin. Rice is known to help brighten the skin, reduce redness and to firm up the skin. I wouldn't say it exactly reduces the redness on my skin (my skin isn't usually very red so I can't tell the difference) and I don't know if it firms up my skin but it really does help brighten my skin up.

I usually do sheet masks at night, 2 to 3 times a week, before I sleep. I'll apply toner and eye cream first, before doing sheet masks, then leave the mask on my face for 20 minutes before removing the sheet mask and patting all the serum leftover on my face into my skin and continuing with my skin care routine. Usually I don't see much difference after using masks except for noticeable increase in hydration levels, but my skin did look amazing in the morning the next day.

I have a lot more masks from Innisfree (and The Face Shop, Etude House, Nature Republic…. haha I'm a mask hoarder, I'll do a mask haul post soon!) to try out but so far I'm really loving the rice mask from Innisfree!

One of Innisfree's top selling products will have to be their Green Tea Seed Serum. As seen on the Innisfree website, the Green Tea Seed Serum is a "moisturizing and nourishing serum with organic green tea seeds from Jeju to fill the skin with suppleness and clarity." Also, quoting what is on the bottle, "Enriched with fresh green tea seeds and squeezed green tea from the pure Jeju island to deliver abundant moisture and nourishment deep into your skin."

This serum is also part of Innisfree's 6-free pledge: Free from paragons, pigments, mineral oil, ethanol, benzophenone and animal ingredients.

For the packaging, what's great is that it comes with a little matte brown cover which prevents any accidental dispensing of the product if you were to bring it out with you and put it in your bag.

Firstly, the scent is amazing. It smells really fresh and refreshing, one whiff and I was sold. (Smell it and you'll understand what I mean.)

The serum is also really light and watery which is really lovely for Singapore's humid climate and my skin does absorb the serum really quickly and does not leave a sticky residue. Also, because it's really watery, a little goes a long way. It leaves my skin feeling refreshed and dewy (as you can see from the picture above).

On the downside though, it doesn't really moisturize my skin as much as I would like it to.

Psst, green tea is also packed with anti-oxidants so for all those who are concerned about skin aging, green tea products will definitely help in that area!

The third item is It's Skin Power 10 Formula VC Effector. The VC Effector is the top seller in their Power 10 Formula line and it's a brightening serum which contains vitamin C and green tea components which helps suppress the formation of freckles that can make the skin look dull and dark, and it helps tightens pores to leave skin fair and luminous.

From what I've researched, It's Skin is a dupe for the famous Skin Inc but the price is so much more reasonable. Skin Inc's Regulate Vitamin C Serum (which the VC Effector is a dupe for) is a crazy S$128. Can I just say that the VC Effector is only 9,800 Korean won which is like slightly more than S$12. Just the price point alone is such an attractive factor, considering both serums are the same size (30ml).

I do have pretty sensitive skin (and all beauty advisors like to tell me this over and over again -_- like I don't already know it.) I've had this for months (since my first trip to Korea in June) but I didn't try it because I just started using the green tea seed serum from Innisfree and I didn't want to apply too many new products on my face at one time just in case I break out from the overload of new products. So I've only tried this for a week or so and I AM LOVING IT. No joke.

Packaging-wise, it comes in a dropper bottle which is good because I can control the amount of liquid that comes out (typically 2 drops is enough for my whole face) and it is encased in a small transparent cover which helps protect the rubber dropper.

Firstly, the VC Effector has a citrusy smell which is amazing 'cuz I love citrus scents but if you don't then maybe this product isn't for you.

Also, it's slightly on the thick side so it takes my skin a while to fully absorb the product but I'm not particular about that.

My skin looks instantly brighter whenever I apply it and after a week or so, it hasn't given me break outs which is amazing (I just added it into my skin care routine without removing something else which isn't the smartest idea if your skin is sensitive but who cares?)

It's also quite watery even though it's thicker than Innisfree's Green Tea Seed Serum so I'll usually use this after the Green Tea Seed Serum.

I also bought 2 other products from the Power 10 Formula line but I haven't tried them yet. I'll update this space if I find that I love them more or as much as the VC Effector!

The next on my list is Laneige's Water Sleeping Pack_EX and this has been my holy grail sleeping pack for the longest time. (It also is my sister's and a lot of my friend's holy grail sleeping pack as well!)

According to Laneige's website, the "light gel-type texture provides intensive hydration, vitality, and brightening effect while restoring skin with deep relaxation."

It claims to do a lot of things and while I do not know whether it provides vitality and brightens my skin, I do know it does provide a lot of hydration to my skin and every morning when I wake up, my skin feels super hydrated and as my friends put it, have the "doink doink" effect (I think it means like your skin feels bouncy 'cuz it's hydrated.)

I usually apply this every night before I sleep as the last step in my skin care routine and it has never failed me. I'm currently using my second tub (almost halfway through!) and yes I have 2 more tubs stocked up just because I think this product is amazing and has never failed me so far. Whenever my skin feels exceptionally dry, like when I travel to other countries and the climate there is drier than that of Singapore, I'll apply slightly more on the areas that are dry and I wake up to clear, glowing, hydrated skin.

Also, the texture is really light despite being so moisturizing so it's good for Singapore's humidity and it does absorb fast without leaving a sticky residue. That being said, when I apply this, it's the last step in my skin care routine so that means I've already got quite a lot of products on my face and so it does not exactly absorb as quickly as if you were to only put this product on your face.

Another favourite of mine is Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado which has been loved by many people. According to the website, Kiehl's website, "this creamy preparation with Avocado Oil, gently moisturizers the delicate eye area. Our unique, concentrated texture does not migrate into your eyes. Ophthalmologist-Tested. Dermatologist-Tested."

The first thing I noticed about the eye cream was that it is super creamy and looks really thick and I was scared that it will be too oily for my eyes. No one wants oil seeds around their eyes. Also, if the eye cream is oily, make up won't stay on and will slide around which really sucks.

But despite the thick and creamy texture, it wasn't oily at all and I did not have any problems with oil seeds or problems with my makeup sliding off my eye area which is really surprising.

It is extremely moisturizing which is really lovely. Definitely good for people who have dry eye areas!

The only downside of this product is that it doesn't have any brightening effects and it doesn't reduce dark eye circles or puffiness. It's purely for moisturizing but it does do its job well.

And last but definitely not least, Skin Food's Black Sugar Mask Wash Off. This has been highly raved all over the internet and I couldn't wait to get my hands on it when I first went to Seoul. This mask is packed with minerals, vitamins and glycol acid which has moisturizing effects and and helps to exfoliate the skin.

The first time I used it, oh my word, I could feel the effects of the scrub immediately. You know how certain scrubs leave your skin feeling really clean afterwards - some times too clean and your skin feels slightly tight?

Well, this mask doesn't have that effect at all. My skin feels baby skin smooth and moisturized even though it's just been exfoliated and it doesn't leave my skin red or irritated at all.

The smell is just amazing.

I usually apply this mask on my face after cleansing and leave it on for 15 minutes before massaging the product onto my face with damp hands to exfoliate my skin. After most of the sugar granules dissolve, I'll rinse my face with water and I'm done.

Definitely a must-buy!!! (I've got another tub in my drawer, that's how much I love it.)

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And that's all for my current beauty favourites! I know I'm not the best reviewer of products (it's my first time) but I really love raving about beauty favourites to all my friends and we can spend hours discussing what's good and why they're good and I'm researching on new products All. The Time. 'cuz I love skin care and I love make up.

Do let me know if this review is helpful and if I should do more of such posts.

Till then, like Shu An always says, go and be beautiful! x