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.

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.

Product Empties #8

I have left my blog dead for wayyyy too long. Honestly, I don't even know if any one reads this anymore but I've got a whole paper bag full of empties that I really want to throw away but I can't until I actually do up all these empties posts so guess what's coming your way... Loads of empties hahaha. I'll do what I usually do, 10 items per post to keep it short and sweet so without further ado, shall we get started?

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. 

October Favourites

I am beyond excited to be starting this new series on my blog. You see YouTube videos all the time on monthly favourites and since I don't really do a lot of YouTube videos besides travelogues I thought I would do a monthly favourites but in blog posts. 

It's already November (where has the time gone?!) and so this means it's time for an October favourites post. These items are not only ones I have been loving in the month of October but I have loved some for months and months but since this is the first post I'm starting, I thought I would lump all of them together into one post to kick start this series. So without further ado, let's get started!

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.

Review | Mango Seed Heart Volume Radiance Face Oil

I have never really used facial oils before because I have a huge fear of having a super oily face. My skin type is combination/dry so typically, I don't have a very dry or very oily face. Whilst I am a huge fan of the dewy face look, I am no fan of having a oily face. I have friends who are plagued with little oil seeds all over their faces so the mere thought of applying a oil on my face freaked me out. But facial oils have been slowly winning their way into many people's hearts and I thought I would give them a fair shot before I made my mind about them.

So the first one I picked up was from The Face Shop and it is the Heart Volume Radiance Face Oil. I've always loved the mango seed range (I did a review on the moisturiser HERE) and I wanted to try something else from this range so I took the plunge and got the face oil.

Review | The Face Shop Face It Concealer Dual Veil

I have always felt that base makeup is a lot more important to me than point makeup because if you have seen my skin in real life, you'll know that I have quite a few acne scars on my cheeks, and the random spot here and there. While I love my bb creams and cushion foundations, these base makeup products do not give the highest coverage so I always have to go over my blemishes with concealer.

On Get It Beauty which is a Korean talkshow, the Face It Concealer Dual Veil from The Face Shop actually came in first in the blind test for concealers. I was intrigued and I wanted to try it for myself so here's my thoughts on this product.

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.

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 | The Face Shop Rice Water Bright Cleansing Foam

Everyone knows that rice water has a lot of skin care benefits. Rice water has moisturising, antioxidant, and healing properties that help to improve circulation, prevent or fade age related spots, and ease inflammation to give you healthy, better moisturised and clear skin. As long as it’s left on the skin, rice water is even believed to offer mild protection from the sun. (Credit: x)

When I first heard of the Rice Water Bright range from The Face Shop, I did a little research and found out that their best-selling product from this line is their cleansing foam so I got it just to give it a try.

On the tube, it says that it is a natural brightening solution with rice water. It is supposed to be a moisturising, brightening and detoxifying cleansing foam made from moringa oil and soapwort. It's creamy and cushiony texture eases handling and moisturising ingredients leave the skin feeling hydrated after cleansing by minimising moisture loss. It is part of a moisturising and brightening cleansing line made using quality rice water.

Directions: Dispense an adequate amount and lather fully with water. Massage gently onto the entire face and rinse thoroughly with water.

I got the larger tube, they have one in 150ml and one in 300ml.

The cleanser comes in your typical pale pink tube like any other cleanser. This definitely makes dispensing the product hygienic and convenient.

The texture of the product is a thick, white cream. I initially thought it would be hard to spread out and use because of how thick the texture is but it blended surprisingly well, even without water. It lathers up really well and a little bit definitely goes a long way.

The foam has a nice scent that smells of powder and flowers. It has the same scent as the Eye & Lip Makeup Remover from the same range. I like it because it isn't overpowering and it definitely does not smell bad but if you're not a huge fan of products with fragrances then you might want to skip it altogether.

Like all my other reviews on cleansers, I thought I would put its makeup removing abilities to the test. I always do a double cleanse whenever I wear makeup because I don't want any makeup left on my skin when I go to bed. The makeup remover I'm currently using is Innisfree's Olive Real Cleansing Oil (review up soon!) and I use a facial cleanser to remove any last traces of makeup (and makeup remover) left on my skin.

On my hand, I have Lancome's Mat Miracle Foundation, The Face Shop Lovely Me:Ex Pastel Cushion Blusher in 05 Peach Cushion, Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in 674 Coralberry, and Etude House Proof 10 Auto Pencil in BR402. I then applied a bit of the foam, rubbed it all over my hand, then rinsed it off with water.

The foam removed all of the makeup except for the eye liner which I was really surprised actually. Usually most of the cleansers I've used before managed to remove the eyeliner so I'm guessing that its makeup removing capabilities aren't as good as the rest. But then again, if you do a double cleanse like I do, this shouldn't be a problem for you.

I've been using it for a week or so and I must say that I am glad that it doesn't dry out my skin. I've read a lot of reviews that rave about this product, and others that say that this cleanser strips the skin of moisture. My skin feels pretty comfortable after using this cleanser and I don't feel that my skin feels tight after using this.

The one bad thing I didn't like about this cleanser is how it stings my eyes whenever I accidentally get some foam in my eyes. It's my pet peeve and I hate it when my eyes hurt so this has put me off slightly from this foam. Besides this, I saw only minimal brightening effects right after I'm done washing my face but I can't say that this brightening effect actually lasts so it kind of deflates the claims straight up.

Overall:

PROS:

• Lathers up very well
• Floral, powdery scent
• Does not dry out my skin
• Did not cause any breakouts
• Skin feels comfortable after use
• Brightens my skin slightly

CONS:

• Doesn't remove makeup totally
• Stings my eyes

All in all I think this cleansing foam is pretty decent. I have friends who really dislike this foam but while I don't think this form is amazing, I think it suffices as a everyday cleanser. Would I repurchase this? Not really. I believe there are better cleansers out there that are waiting for me to try them.

Review | The Face Shop Rice Water Bright Lip & Eye Makeup Remover

If you have ever researched on popular skin care products from The Face Shop, you will probably have come across something from their Rice Water line. This line is most famous for their cleanser (I've bought it but have yet to try it yet) but I haven't really heard any one talk about the other products from this line so whilst I was perusing the shelves in Seoul, I came across the Rice Water Bright Lip & Eye Makeup Remover and since I was looking for a replacement for my eye makeup remover from Innisfree, I bought it to try.

I'm always on the hunt for a good eye makeup remover because I typically use a decent amount of eye makeup every single day, 2-3 eyeshadow colours plus waterproof mascara, so I want an eye makeup remover to be able to take off all my eye makeup with minimal fuss and is preferably non-greasy. I was pleasantly surprised that this did all that, and more.

So firstly, let's talk about what this product claims to do. It claims to be a gentle makeup remover with Rice Extract. It contains 120ml or 4.0 fl. oz. This two-phase, dual action makeup remover gently removes makeup from the eyes and lips. Formulated with Rice Extract, it leaves skin feeling moisturised.

Directions: Shake bottle vigorously before using to activate the formula. Soak a cotton pad and press on the eyes and/or lips for a couple of seconds. Gently, wipe off and rinse with lukewarm water.

Packaging-wise, it comes in your typical plastic bottle with a screw-on cover. What makes this makeup remover different from others that I've tried is that it has a bigger opening than normal bottles. It allows me to dispense the appropriate amount easily without having to shake it many times. I don't find myself having an issue with over-dispensing if that's a concern you have.

This makeup remover smells really nice, it smells powdery (in a good way) and slightly floral. The scent isn't strong by any means but you may get a whiff or two when you place it on your eyes/lips but I have no issues with this.

I feel that this makeup remover despite being a really gentle and light-weight product, does a really good job at removing my eye makeup. As mentioned above, I use a pretty decent amount of eye makeup on a daily basis so I need something that is able to remove all of that cleanly and I find that this does the trick. I just soak a cotton pad slightly with the remover, press it on my eye area for about 10-20 seconds (depending on how much patience I have to hold it there) and then sweep the cotton pad downwards. I find that it removes all of my eyeshadow with 1-2 swipes and it removes my mascara pretty quickly as well. I use a waterproof mascara that doesn't budge even if I brawl so even though it takes a tad longer to remove my mascara, it isn't a cause of concern for me.

Also, I have to say that it does not leave any sticky or oily residue. You can feel a slight film of product left over which is easily removed with a facial cleanser (I always do a double cleanse instead of just rinsing with water).

What sealed the deal was that this didn't sting my eyes one bit. Now, if you've read about my review on the Innisfree Apple Juicy Lip&Eye Remover, you will know that it stung my eyes like crazy when the remover got into my eyes and since then, I've been very wary about makeup removers which sting. I hate feeling half blinded whenever I accidentally get product in my eyes. But the Rice Water Bright one didn't sting my eyes at all. 

The following series of photos show just how good its makeup removing abilities are.

On my arm are the swatches of the Aritaum Mono Eye Eyeshadows. I thought it would be too good an opportunity to waste if I didn't take photos for this makeup remover. So after soaking a cotton pad slightly with the eye makeup remover, I took one swipe down my arm and literally removed all the eye shadows that were in its path.

In this photo, you can see some left over on the left side of my arm because I didn't aim the cotton pad well enough but you can see that all the eye shadows that were in the path of my cotton pad are well and truly gone from my arm.

The next photo shows all the eyeshadow gone with another swipe of the cotton pad.

Overall:

PROS:

• Gentle on the eyes
• Bigger opening allowing easy dispensing of product
• Smells faintly floral and powder
• Does not sting my eyes
• Removes makeup well (even waterproof mascara)
• Isn't greasy/oily

CONS:

• None

I really like this eye and lip makeup remover and I don't really understand why no one is raving about

how good it is. I don't actually know of anyone who even knew this makeup remover exists which is really surprising considering how popular the Rice Water line is. If you're looking for a simple eye makeup remover which works well and smells great, I'll definitely recommend this one. There are other eye makeup removers which I want to try but unless I find a better one, I'll definitely be purchasing this again.

Review | The Face Shop Face It Velvet Skin Primer

I work pretty long hours and I don't usually bring along makeup to touch up because I can't be fussed with it so having makeup which lasts long on my face is something that I always look out for. If my foundation isn't long lasting, then I'll look for face primers which can help my makeup last longer.

After finishing my primer from Lancome, I was on the look out for another one and I found a lot of people raving about how good the Face It Velvet Skin Primer from The Face Shop was so I got my sister to purchase it for me just to try it out.

Review | The Face Shop Mango Seed Heart Volume Butter

The main problem I face with my complexion is hormonal acne, and the resulting scars that get left behind. Besides this, I don't usually have much problems with my skin. But every once in a while, my skin gets horribly dry and flaky and I have to apply my thickest moisturiser to try and stop my skin from being this dry.

I got a sample of the Mango Seed Hear Volume Butter from The Face Shop during one of my trips to Korea and I tried it on my face and instantly loved how it felt like on my face. A word of caution though, like the name suggests, it's a really thick butter so if you don't like having something heavy on your face, you may want to skip this product altogether.

So this product claims to be "heart-volume face marking" by moisturising and increasing elasticity of the skin. It is a volume butter that gives your face and cheek volume and a lifted chin line using moisturising extracts from mango seed and elastic heart seed (what is elastic heart seed though?). Natural mango seed butter moisturises the face for 48 hours. Strengthened extracts from Sudan's mango and mango seed butter makes an effective moisturising coating which protects the skin for 48 hours.

Directions: Dispense an adequate amount and apply gently. Then hold the face with both hands for full absorption.

It comes with a heart-shaped massage stick which provides "volume-up" effect. This soft stick with volume butter makes your facial skin more elastic.

There in instructions inside the box if you're interested in trying out facial massages!

Let's talk packaging. I'm a sucker for good packaging and this cream definitely hits the sweet spot with its bright yellow colour and heart prints on the cap! It looks amazing whilst sitting on top of my skin care table and the colour brightens up my table. I love tub products so I have no complaints about the cream being a tub although I know there are a lot of people out there who complains about how unhygienic tubs are. They gave a super cute heart spatula so this should stop some of the complaints!

The cream is really thick, creamy, and is slightly yellowish in colour. It blends really well so a little bit goes a long way. If you have dry skin, I think this will work wonders for your skin because it really is super moisturising. But if you have oily skin, I wouldn't recommend this at all because like I said, it is a really thick cream.

It does leave a slight sheen on the face after application so that may be something to take note of! (Although you can't exactly see the sheen in the photos below.) Despite the sheen and thickness of the cream, it doesn't affect my makeup application and I have no problems with my makeup sliding around my face.

It does smell amazing. I love the scent of mango seed products and this is no exception. The scent does linger for a little while on your face when you apply it but it disappears after that. I'm a huge fan of the scent so this doesn't bother me one bit.

After using this product for nearly 2 months, I feel that it does help smoothen my skin texture. My skin always feels amazing after applying this moisturiser. On the other hand, I wouldn't say that it increases my skin elasticity, nor would I say it gave me a "heart-shaped" face. But! I didn't do any of the massages that was recommended on the packaging so that may be why.

Overall:

PROS:

• Smells great
• Very hydrating
• Blends easily
• Comes with a spatula
• Really cute packaging
• Good for dry/normal skin
• Doesn't cause my makeup to slide around

CONS:

• Leaves a slight sheen (nothing I cannot deal with but it may bother some people)
• Texture may not be very suitable for very humid climates
• Slightly oily 
• Stings my face slightly when my face is sensitive

I love this cream and it's my holy grail whenever I have super dry skin that refuses to absorb hydration from other creams. But on days when my skin is behaving, I find myself reaching for other lighter creams that aren't this thick. I'm generally not that fussy with oiliness of the skin after I apply all my skin care products because I don't touch my face once my skincare and makeup is done, so as long as it doesn't cause my makeup to cake or to slide around, I'm good to go. But if an oily residue is something that bothers you then it's probably best to skip this altogether. Also, if you have sensitive skin, you may give this a miss as well because I find that when my skin is sensitive, it does sting my skin slight, especially in the area around my nose.