[ROUTINE] My Current Evening Routine (Fall)

Hello friends 🙂 I realized I have never shared my routine and breakdown of it with you guys before. I thought this would be a fantastic way to share my current favourites and why I like these products. To keep things consistent and clear, I will be using stock images so you know what exactly it is and how it looks when purchasing the products. Some of my products had the labels rub off.

Cleanse

I always double cleanse every night because I usually wear sunscreen and makeup, so it’s crucial for me to get this step done first before I head on to my skincare routine.   Sometimes, I even triple cleanse and I add a micellar water as my first step to loosen all the pigment and makeup off my face prior to oil cleansing. I know, extreme but it is what it is. I like the bioderma sensibio micellar water. The products I have been enjoying for my double cleanse routine is the Innisfree Olive Cleansing Oil/Kumano Cosme Pharama act deep cleansing oil and also, the Youth to the People Super Food Cleanser. They’re both fantastic and gentle on my skin and I do not have any issues with them. Some cleansing oils can burn my eyes and also can be a bit harsh on my sensitive eye area, I find this really breaks down my waterproof eye makeup and face makeup really easily. I then follow up with my favourite cleanser of all time to clean off any remaining impurities off my face.  The cleanser has a pH level of 6, the overall feel of it resembles a silky, lightweight gel and foams up ever so slightly. It also doesn’t burn my eyes if I accidentally go too close to my eyes.

Tone

Alright, my favourite step all of all steps, toning! I am a big fan of watery, lightweight toners and that are not complicating.                                                                                                                                                                         I like mild and simple ingredients that soften my skin while leaving it feel hydrated. The top 3 toners I have been using alone or layered are the Unpa Cosmetics Bye Bye Cica, Tiam B5 and Keep Cool Soothe. I don’t seem to be as attracted to thicker toners as much as I use to before. On days where my skin needs more hydration and moisture, I like to use the Laneige Cream Skin Refiner. I own both the original and the mist form of it. I like the mist form for easy application but on days where I want to DIY mask, I would make a DIY mask using the Cream Skin Refiner. Check out my previous blog post review on my thoughts on it!

Serum

There are only 2 serums I have been using a lot in the evening and it’s the Skinfood propolis serum and keep cool soothe serum. During the day, I’ve been reaching for the good molecules niacinamide serum a tone but during the evenings, I have always leaned towards these two and because I want to clear my inventory of skincare, so I can start using my unopened products.

Moisturize

Almost near the end… There are 3 moisturizers I am altering around because it really depends and varies what my skin will need that evening. I’ve been using a lot thicker, richer moisturizers because we are transitioning into more colder weather here where I am so I like my to prep my skin prior to the drastic changes. I’ve been enjoying the caudalie sos vinosource, cerave moisturizing cream and finally, the etude house soon jung hydro barrier cream.

Out of all the 3 creams, the cerave has the thickest consistency which I absolutely adore because it acts as a seal, protective layer as it keeps my skin moisturized. This is a classic and although it may not be aesthetically pleasing, it’s simple and does the job. Plus, you get a ton of product in this. I had my jar for about 1 year and a half and I used it pretty much every day, whether on my face or body. It contains 3 essential ceramides and hyaluronic acid to restore the skin’s barrier as it locks in moisture and keeps skin protected. A delightful and affordable choice for those who are looking for a good moisturizer. This is 100% going to be a repurchase.

The Caudalie sos vinosource is a beautiful product and created specifically for those who have normal and dry skin. I have combination, dehydrated skin and I find it works just as well on me. It has grape water, grape seed, and squalane! This is packed with moisturizing, soothing and antioxidant properties in one cream. It is a tad more expensive than I expect it to be however, I do enjoy it. In case you were curious, the product is vegan, cruelty-free, gluten-free and comes in recyclable packaging. I’m not sure I would repurchase because there are a lot of affordable options out there I can explore and try out.

I got this Etude House Soon Jung Hydro Barrier cream as a gift and I must say, this took me by complete surprise as I had no expectations for it. The cream appears to be this light gel texture so I assumed it wouldn’t provide my skin enough moisturizing and hydrating benefits but to my surprise, it did and I find this is more ideal for weather that is in between summer to fall, perhaps even spring. This is a hypoallergenic gel cream and it has a pH level of 5.5, it is enriched with 92.2% hydrating, soothing and moisture-retaining ingredients panthenol and madecassoside. I don’t expect much from Etude House simply because they are well-known for their makeup. I don’t recall really enjoying any of their skincare products but this was probably the first.

Sleeping Mask *optional

There are days where I like to be extra with my skincare and there will days where I could careless and will do the bare minimum for my skin. Whatever works for you, right?

So there seems to be a lot of misconception in the Instagram beauty community where they see a sleeping mask as a moisturizer. Sure, a sleeping mask can potentially have moisturizing, soothing and hydrating properties, however, from what I learned, a sleeping mask is a final step to your skincare routine; which means this comes after your moisturizer to seal the skin and lock in all those previous steps in.

I’ve been loving the Laneige cica sleeping mask. This is a skin barrier strengthening mask that can help improve skin’s strength. It also is hypoallergenic and free of 9 harmful ingredients. I purchased this off Jolse and have been hooked, I use it every single day and I think I have about 30% left.

 

*Some links on this post are affiliate links. This means that I will earn a small commission if you purchase from these links.

 

 

[REVIEW] PURITO CENTELLA GREEN LEVEL EYE CREAM

Purito has come a long way in the beauty community and their journey as an overall brand. They were one of the very first companies that worked with me when I was relatively small on Instagram and believed in me. I’m blown away by their level of customer service and care because I have been following them for months and I can see the drastic changes on how they want to brand themselves and how engaging they are with the beauty community. They’ve been releasing a bunch of new products that are adjusted and catered to their fans wants, needs and concerns.

Thank you so much to Purito for sending over your goodies to me. A couple months ago, I review the Centella green level toner on here and loved it. They also sent me their eye cream but unfortunately, during the move – I lost the eye cream because it was misplaced somewhere in my storage. About a month ago, I found it in one of my storage bins and was ecstatic to try it out. I’m now back to share my full thoughts on this eye cream! 🙂

Available on: Yesstyle | Amazon

Key ingredients:

• Centella Asiatica: is a plant-based ingredient that has multiple healing properties. The extract is rich with amino acids, fatty acids and etc that can help treat and prevent acne, calming down skin inflammation and promote collagen growth.
• Shea Butter: is non-comedogenic (will not clog your pores) and it can mimic the moisturizer in sebum. Thus, it convinces the skin into believing that it has enough sebum and helps slow down the process of overproduction of sebum. It also can help out on skin discoloration by evening out the skin’s overall appearance.
• Panthenol: This ingredient is common in beauty products such as moisturizers, ointments, shampoos, and even eye drops! It’s specifically used to help heal the skin such as from sunburns and wounds. Panthenol is another ingredient that does a fantastic job binding water and enhances hydration.
• Ceramide NP: This is one of the types of ceramides. This can improve the appearance and texture of dry skin.

Ingredients

Centella Asiatica Extract, Water, Hydrogenated C6-14 Olefin Polymer, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Cetyl Alcohol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Butylene Glycol, Methyl Trimethicone, Dipropylene Glycol, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Dipentaerythrityl Hexa C5-9 Acid Esters, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Cetearyl Olivate, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Dipeptide-10, Asiaticoside, Asiatic Acid, Sorbitan Olivate, Stearic Acid, Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate, Tromethamine, Caprylyl Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate, Panthenol, Carbomer, Stearyl Alcohol, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Cholesterol, Acetyl Glucosamine, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Ceramide NP, Pancratium Maritimum Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Alteromonas Ferment Extract, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, Disodium EDTA, Adenosine, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil

My thoughts

Although I do prefer thick eye creams specifically for nighttime routines, I was expecting this eye cream to be lightweight considering the fact there were water and glycerin on the top of the ingredients list. It’s quite thick and rich and to my surprise, it spreads really nicely and evenly on the skin. I like how dense it feels on and the skin under my eyes instantly feels moisturized and nourished. I also am very milia-prone specifically the skin around my eyes and I did not experience any signs of milia so that’s always a bonus because we know how troublesome and difficult it can be to remove those! I’m pretty sure you can use this during the day time too because I personally found it very comfortable on the skin even though it was on the thicker side of textures.

Overall

• Texture: 5/5 – I absolutely adore thicker creams, whether it’s for the eyes, face or body. It’s also what I look for in eye creams because I know that it will provide me long-lasting moisture. This is good on my books.
• Scent: 4/5 – There is a subtle essential oils scent, I see bergamot and lavender listed however I found the lavender essential oil overpowers the bergamot. You do also smell Centella, which is pleasant. Don’t worry too much about the scent because it fades away after a few minutes of wear. One thing I would change about this is to make it unscented because I just prefer it to be that way.
• Price: 5/5 – Huge fan and props to Purito for making this eye cream so affordable too because I would say it’s very comparable to high-end texture and performance but for a fraction of the cost.
• Performance: 5/5 – Absolutely wonderful. I found the skin around my eyes so soft and moisturized the following morning, not to mention plump looking. I am someone who suffers from very dry eyes and they get really itchy sometimes. I find when I use this particular eye cream, I rub my eyes less to no rubbing at all.
• Packaging: 5/5 – Functional, I love how it’s in a squeeze tube for hygiene reasons and how travel-friendly it is.
• Overall: 4.5/5 – Love it, it’s my current holy grail eye cream. It does the job and works wonders! What’s not to love about it? Knowing Purito, I’m sure they will create an unscented version later on in the road. Please check out their brand if you had not already, you will not be disappointed. I can think of 3 products of theirs that I use on a regular daily basis. Purito has very reasonable pricing, effective and mild skincare.

 

 

Disclaimer: I was given this product in exchange for an honest review. All views and thoughts of this product are my own. What may work for me, may not work for you so please keep that in mind. Some links on this post are affiliate links. This means that I will earn a small commission if you purchase from these links.

 

 

 

[REVIEW] HYDRABIO GEL-CREME

Bioderma does it again with another outstanding product. My skin has been absolutely insane this summer and not only that, it has been constantly flipping back and forth from dehydration to producing excess oil. My skin most certainly is responding to the humidity and the constant shift of cool to hot weather in a very negative way. Although I enjoy rich and creamy textures, I do prefer to wear more lightweight and gel formulas during the day time because it’s more comfortable on the skin and does the job.

Bioderma Hydrabio Gel-Creme
40 ml ~ price may vary between 25 ~ 30

How to use:

You can apply this evenly throughout the face or you can use this as light treatment for skin irritation and use another moisturizer if needed. I often have irritation on my nose and cheeks and a lot of products I normally use, do not work for my skin during when it’s irritated. I find this is quite mild where I can use it as a topical treatment to calm down and soothe my irritation.

Claims

• The gel-cream is an innovative and physiological lamellar emulsion
• The technology allows active ingredients to deeply penetrate into the skin at ease
• It’s able to merge skin’s lipids and the lamellar emulsion strengthens skin’s barrier
• It’s formulated with Salicylic acid which is able to smoothe and even out skin’s texture along with Vitamin B3 that can stimulate skin’s cohesion and resistance and has Cucumber Extract that soothes the skin. Glycerin that can store skin’s capacity to retain moisture and Vitamin E can aid against stress.
• Recommended to be used for the morning, evening, 7 days a week. The gel-cream can be used once or twice a day, seven days a week.

Ingredients:

Water, Glycerin, Isododecane, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dipropylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Squalane, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, C14-22 Alcohols, Hdi/trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Ammonium Cryloyldimethyltaurate/vp Copolymer, C30-45 Alkyl Cetearyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Carbomer, Pentylene Glycol, Tocopheryl Acetate, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Steareth-21, Disodium Edta, Salicylic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Mannitol, Xylitol, Hexyldecanol, Peg/ppg-18/18 Dimethicone, Rhamnose, Malachite Extract, Pyrus Malus (apple) Seed Extract, Brassica Campestris (rapeseed) Sterols, Tocopherol, Fragrance (parfum).

Overall:

• Texture: 5/5 – lightweight cream, gel formula that absorbs easily into the skin without any residue left behind. Comfortable to wear alone and with makeup if needed. Apply this on prior to SPF then layer SPF on after. Remember folks, do not forget to SPF! It is a crucial step.
• Scent: 3/5 – There is a scent to this however because it’s so low on dosage, I’m not bothered by it. However, I do prefer skincare that has no fragrance in it. In the past, I said I didn’t mind skincare with fragrance however my skin is quite hit or miss with fragrances so better to stay safe than sorry.
• Price: 3/5 – The price may vary where you decide to purchase this from. The dermstore has this product for 24.90, which is quite reasonable because you only need a little bit to apply evenly throughout your face.Performance: 4/5 – It’s pretty good. It definitely met my expectations I had for it and provided me long-lasting hydration to my skin and was super comfortable to wear with and without makeup.
• Packaging: 5/5 – Practical, compact and comes with a pump. The pump is easy to control and does not squeeze out too much. I find it really travel-friendly too!
• Overall: 4/5 – Nice! I like it a lot. There are a few question ingredients as I put them on italics for you to reference off of but that’s up to you whether you think it’s best for you. Personally, I’m ok with alcohols as long as they don’t irritate my skin and eyes. The first place that reacts to alcohol-based products are my eyes, they go bloodshot red and stay that way until I remove off the product. For this, I didn’t have that issue at all. I know there’s some controversy behind silicones/dimethicone but I personally do not mind silicones. Silicones do aid against water loss and can assist with delivering active ingredients deeply into the skin. You’ll likely find a lot of products that are marketed for skin repairing/healing do contain silicones in them. However, if your skin does not like silicones, please do a patch test prior to using or ask for a sample of the product.

 

 

Disclaimer: I was given this product in exchange for an honest review. All views and thoughts of this product are my own. What may work for me, may not work for you so please keep that in mind. Some links on this post are affiliate links. This means that I will earn a small commission if you purchase from these links.

 

 

[REVIEW] A. By BomUltra Time Return Eye Cream

Hello, hello! It hasn’t been long since I was long on here but I hope you all are doing well and are enjoying some nice weather where ever you are. I’m so happy to say summer has finally came to an end and fall has come.

I would like to share a product I have received from beMusedKorea to review and share to you guys my thoughts + opinions on it. Firstly, I would like to thank Lydia and her team for reaching out to me on Instagram and asking if I would be interested in trying their new launch of products. I will also be reviewing another product they provided me sometime this week or early on next week.

Disclaimer: All views and thoughts of this product are my own. What may work for me, may not work for you so please keep that in mind. 

A. By Bom – Ultra Time Return Eye Cream
Price: $49 for 30g / 1.05 onces
Available on: beMusedKorea

• • Claims: This elegant formula, with skin smoothing texture, provides long lasting nutrition that is immediately absorbed upon application, creating a protective film that noticeably smoothes and plumps the skin around the eyes.
    Key ingredients:
    Natural Collagen Booster – Protects and energizes the skin
    Maca Peptide: Strengthens skin barrier
    Poria Cocos Extract: Gives nutrition and protects the skin
    Ginseng berry: Hydrates and softens skin appearance

Here are some photos demonstrating and showing the texture and finish of the product. This is one full pump of the product and how it looks when massaged in the skin.

My thoughts:

The first few things you will notice when you dispense out is that it has a gel-velvety texture, making it easy to apply on your skin and it blends in seamlessly into the skin. It also doesn’t have much of a scent to it and does not smell artificial. The scent reminds me of freshly washed clothes with a bit of baby lotion! It’s not greasy or heavy on the skin and feels cooling. Some eye creams are too rich and dense in the formula so they tend to sit on top of the skin for a long period of time and have difficulty penetrating into the skin. I find this eye cream easy to sink into the skin and it doesn’t bother me – I don’t feel it on my face after applying it. It does not leave any film, color or texture residue behind and the skin around my eyes are soft, radiant and feel replenished. I have tried using this under makeup and it doesn’t shift or affect my makeup.

The weather is starting to get much colder where I am and I tend to get real skin all over my face and especially around my eyes. I’m not sure if some eye creams are irritating on my skin but I do rub my eyes more often with it on. For this eye cream, I haven’t experienced any issues with eye rubbing so that’s good news! I’m very aware of rubbing your eyes can cause major premature wrinkles but sometimes I can’t help myself.

Overall thoughts on this product:

• Texture: 5/5 – Gel eye creams are more effective on my skin and do a better job of hydrating my skin! My biggest concern was if it was going to be too greasy and thick but it wasn’t! I prefer lighter gel texture eye creams because it feels weightless on my eyes.
• Scent: 4/5 – I was hoping it would smell like flowers but the scent isn’t very important to me, the effectiveness of the product does.
• Price: 4/5 – The price is on the higher end side however you’re paying for a quality product with nice packaging. It’s still much more affordable than western high eye creams.
• Performance: 5/5 It doesn’t sit on my skin and absorbs pretty fast. It layers really nicely with my entire skincare routine and I don’t have any issues with it.
• Packaging: 5/5 I was not expecting this from A. By Bom because I thought they would have made the packaging similar to their sheet mask designs but this was a fabulous surprise! The packaging is minimalist, luxurious and timeless. The bottle itself looks really expensive. I’m glad they opt for this kind of container and dispenser, I really don’t like eye creams in tubes; they can be super hard to dispense out the correct desired amount of product.
• Overall: 4/5 I would repurchase this and would recommend this to my friends who are 20 years of age and older, I think prevention is key. I started using some mild anti-aging products since I was 21-22 and even if you don’t use anti-aging products, you should at least use sunscreen on a regular daily basis. Your skin will thank you later in life for doing so.

~ Ingredients are available on bemusedkorea

 

Q. How do you know about this brand?

A. I’ve heard of A. By Bom Cosmetics through social media and I’ve tried a couple of their sheet masks and loved every single of them.

Here are some of my A. By Bom sheet masks recommendations that I believe all of you should give a try: 

1. Ultra Water Leaf Mask – This is a one step sheet mask that is made with safe and natural material that is biodegradable and is naturally dis solvable. The serum is high in concentration and is equivalent to one whole bottle of ampoule (30 ml). It’s able to minimize the appearance of pores, re hydrate quench skin, soothes and calms down inflamed skin.
2. Ultra Cool Leaf Mask – This is a two step mask set that contains green leaf shared patches. It’s fantastic to retain moisture, soothe and calm the skin also provide additional hydration.
3. Ultra Floral Leaf Mask – Firstly, this is a beautiful mask that comes with a cute pink flower patch soaked in the mask’s essence. This is also a two-step mask set that provides whitening and skin tightening. It is infused with peach flower extracts that are excellent for whitening and anti wrinkle care. There is also Sakura flower extracts to provide hydration.

 

That is all for today, friends. I hope you enjoyed my review and found it helpful. Til next time! I am wishing you a wonderful and exciting weekend ahead of you.