Eww Ginger: 2019

I went to bangkok a week ago and when I was there, I had one of the driest lip I've had in my life. It got really bad because I'd totally forgotten to bring a lip balm along and I just refused to buy one in bangkok, because I didn't want to spend my baht on a lip balm. By the end of the trip, it was in a really bad condition and was even bleeding a little at the corner of my mouth.

Yeah, talk about being stupid and stubborn.

So the first thing I did when I came back was to put on the laneige lip sleeping mask that I've gotten from Korea. And boy, was it life saving. I'd layered it on thick and it was sooo comforting on the lips. It only took me 2 nights to save my desert-dry lips. By the 3rd, my lips were more or less returned to normal condition. The thing is, I've always heard about how good the lip mask is because of all the reviews I've seen on Youtube but it's never really impressed me because I never did have the patience for it, nor did I need it. I think it would be perfect for the winter months especially, but since it's summer all year round in Singapore, it's probably why I haven't really been using it. Apart from that, I can forsee it coming in handy for overseas trip especially when it's winter time and also for accutane users/people who have really dry lips. It truly brings relief to your lips by sealing it with a thick layer of moisture.

The Laneige Lip sleeping mask comes in a few 'flavors': Berry, Grapefruit, Apple Lime, Vanilla. It retails at SGD $27 for 20g of product in Sephora and Laneige stores.

It's definitely not the cheapest lip nourishing product out there, but as you'll only need a tiny bit for one application, one tub can last you for quite a while! One more thing - before deciding on a flavor to get, I'd suggest you make a trip down to the store to smell it first because I find that it could get really strong and overwhelming.

That's it from me, I hope this post helps anyone looking for something to bring life back to your chapped lips like I did!

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Recently, I've made a trip to Sephora and managed to finally do a swatch on the insanely popular Tarte Shape Tape concealer. Even though it has already been released in the US for a few years (since 2016!!), it's only arrived at our shores not too long ago. After swatching them on, I could tell why it was so popular. The coverage is really good wand when blended out, it made my skin look incredible.

But I'd missed out on buying it during the Sephora sale a few days earlier, because I didn't have the time to go down to the store for a swatch. And I didn't really want to fork out $42 on the Shape Tape when I could have gotten it at a few dollars off if I had bought it a few days earlier. Besides, it's not like I ran out of my concealers - in fact I have quite a few lying around, unfinished.

I was getting pretty bummed out the day after, and the acne scars that I've gotten recently were staring at me in the mirror- a painful reminder of the sale I've missed out. I was rummaging through my makeup drawer when I re-discovered the CosRX Clear Fit Spot concealer that I had been using a few months back, and remembered how much I loved it - full coverage & it's pretty affordable too!

I brought this once when I went overseas, and it's now been the only concealer I bring overseas (Yeah, I've totally forgot about it because it's in a make up pouch that I use when I travel). This was enough to not only cover up any blemishes I had but was good enough as a base as well. Because it leaves a really nice velvety finish on my skin, it was all I used - dabbed it on the spots/acne marks that I had to cover up, then blend it out to make it look more natural and tada! Makes me look like I have great skin already. The only downside for me is that this product only comes in 2 shades (21 & 23), and I am unfortunately neither. Because I'm in between these 2 shades, I have to mix them together to match my own skin tone. But other the trouble of having to buy 2 of them, I'd say this product is pretty much a yes from me. Really highly recommend it, especially when the shades are just nice for you! If you are residing in Singapore, you can test them out at selected Watsons (try the one at Bugis junction!). It's also easily available online on Shopee/Lazada as well as in Aland in Korea (for sure).

Let me know if it works for you too!

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I love the Promise Keeper.

However, like most love stories, I didn't have a good impression of this product initially. I bought this last year, right when my skin was at its worst - highly sensitised, pimples just couldn't stop popping up one after another. Not too sure why, maybe it was because I was using a bunch of products that couldn't work well with one another. Anyway, I was expecting this to be a miracle product of sorts for my problematic acne skin, after reading countless good reviews on it. I was so sure it was going to work for me.

But it didn't. It did not make my skin condition worse, but it didn't do anything to make it better too. Looking in retrospect, it could also be because I didn't give my skin enough time to repair the skin barrier before testing this out? Just speculating here.

But anyway, some time after, I decided to stop using all the garbage that I'd been putting on my skin and stripped down my skincare routine to just 3 steps in the night-time, 1 step in the morning.

Morning:
1. Sunscreen

Night:
1. Cleanser
2. Humectant - Clinique Moisture Surge
3. Moisturiser - Etude House Soon Jung 2x Barrier Intensive Cream

Yeah, I don't use a cleanser in the morning. Because I wanted to focus on re-building my skin barrier, I didn't want to strip it even further by cleansing it unnecessarily. Plus I cleanse my face the night before, so it should be quite alright.

After about 2-3 months of doing so, my skin became better but I wanted the pesky post-acne discoloration/hyperpigmentation to go away so I started searching around for a good product that would do that for me.

And that was when I re-discovered the Promise Keeper.

Here's what I found online:

“Azelaic acid, the main ingredient in this formula, not only has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that treat acne, but it can also minimize red marks and acne scars,” she says. When it’s combined with the other two hero ingredients in the serum—caffeine (which constricts blood vessels to make pimples look less red) and lactic acid (a pore-clearing and bump-smoothing exfoliant)—it turns into a zit-fighting machine. -Marie Claire

Prior to chancing upon this article, I was watching Dr Dray's video about how using azelaic acid helps to lighten acne marks. Azaleic acid helps to suppress the little guys that causes hyperpigmentation and helps to get rid of some of the bacteria responsible for acne - basically it is really good for folks with acne and even helps with the acne marks post-acne. For anyone who's interested in what it does exactly (and in scientific terms), I've included the video here:

I now use the Promise Keeper every night, between step 1 and 2 in my night time routine - after cleanser, before the humectant step. I have to say, it really helps to lighten my acne marks quite a bit! In addition, whenever a new pimple pops up, I feel that it does help to calm it down a bit - it doesn't entirely disappear the next day, but the size definitely shrank.

Allies of Skin's Promise Keeper is not cheap, but it's definitely worth it.

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2018 was a year of experimenting. Before this year, I was just a shopaholic who loved owning makeup items that are highly raved by these amazing youtubers but have no idea how to put makeup on properly. I still don’t, but now on good days I’d manage to pull together a decent look which is alright I guess. Anyway, I was basically a collector of cosmetics before that - which admittedly, is a complete waste of money. So my new year resolution for 2018 was to not be lazy to put in more make up, and to at least look presentable with it. In a way, I guess I have this new year resolution to thank because otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to recommend anything make up related in this post. Ha!

Fenty Beauty Flyliner

One thing that is at the top of my list is definitely the Fenty beauty flyliner(!!!!). I really cannot rave enough about this eyeliner. If you have super ultra oily eyelids, this is THE eyeliner for you. I’ve been on the search for a good eyeliner that can last well for the longest time ever - I kid you not, even Kat Von D’s eyeliner does not work for me. It doesn’t smudge, but it kind of ‘disintegrates’ on me. That’s when there’s black flakes around my eyes and my eyeliner seems to have disappeared a bit. It’s terrible, really. Anyway, I was pretty much in despair, because apparently Kat Von D's is the best out there & even survived when a girl got into accident (there was a tweet that went viral). It was also just around the time where Riri came out with this eyeliner. It's even better than the tattoo liner, and works perfectly on me. I’m on my second one now & already have a back up in case I run out.

Charlotte Tilbury’s Matte Revolution lipstick in Walk of a Shame

Charlotte Tilbury’s Walk of a Shame was a surprise for me. It was a last minute impulse decision to purchase during the Black Friday sale. I mean, I didn’t even research much about the lipstick before carting it out. I usually do, to at least see the lip swatches on people with similar skin tone as me (lip colors tend to come out weird on different people, so that’s what I usually do to minimize disappointment). The color turned out to be really flattering universally & it’s the perfect red lipstick for me when I want some color on my lips - nothing too loud, it’s the perfect wearable red for everyday wear. Also, it does not make your teeth look yellow (very important)!!!

Marc Jacobs Air Blush in Flesh and Fantasy

I bought this about 2 years ago, and didn’t really use it until 2018. It’s a very natural blush, again, nothing loud for everyday and very flattering. I like that it’s buildable, so it's hard to go overboard with the blush. Compared to the famous Clinique blush which I have (in Melon Pop), this is way easier to use. Melon pop is very pigmented and 1 swipe makes me look like a monkey - I don't really recommend it for beginners.

Nars Velvet Lip Glide in Xenon

This is really good for dry lips! Especially if you have post-Nimegen lips like mine. I started taking Nimegen late last year, and my lips were basically so dry and flaky that lipsticks got too tricky for me to apply it on. Although, if you still prefer to use a lipstick for dry lips, I recommend the Shiseido VisionAiry Gel lipstick - it truly glides like a dream. The reason it's not mentioned as a favourite is because the colour that I got (Shizuka Red) made my teeth look yellow and frankly speaking, isn't flattering on me. But I'd say it's worth testing the colours out and once you've hit a colour that looks good on you, it's probably one of the best lipsticks out there in terms of the formula.

Minon Amino Moist Mask

Whenever you need to calm your skin down after a mistake a.k.a. using a rogue product that stings on your skin, especially when you've had one too many peels/chemical exfoliators, or simply just want a relief from dry, sensitive skin - this is THE mask for you. And because it's made for dry, sensitive skin, I think it wouldn't go wrong if you feel like you need something comforting and hydrating. I'm not too sure whether it'll break out oily skin so feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below!

Elta MD UV Sport Broad Spectrum SPF 50 Sunscreen

I bought this off amazon after seeing how Dr Dray (on youtube) love it so much. It makes me feel well protected because it's intended for sports and I'll need all the protection I can get in sunny Singapore. More importantly, it does not contain alcohol like the majority of the sunscreens out there, which always makes me slight panicky. I love Anessa's Perfect UV Skincare milk, but it reeks of alcohol. I know sometimes alcohol is needed to be present to stabilise the formula (?) but in my simple mind, it's just easier to go for products without alcohol to be safe.

Etude House Soon Jung 2x Barrier Intensive Cream

Perfect for sensitive skin, it's a comfortable moisturiser and helps to seal in everything you've applied in the previous skincare steps before. Effective, and fragrance free. Basically an affordable moisturiser that won't go wrong.

ELF brushes

In general, ELF brushes are of really good quality without an exorbitant price tag. I either got mine from Walgreens or purchased from the ELF website direct. In both case, I'd use ezbuy ship-for-me to help me with the purchase. I'm sure they have many good ones but the few I've tried and loved are: Ultimate blending brush (perfect to buff foundation in), Flawless Face brush (I use it to apply blush).

Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief

Love the pale pink colour of the cream, love how light it sits on my skin, how it does the job without adding fragrance in it. Another one of my comfort skincare product, but is quite pricey to be honest.

Hourglass ambient lighting powder

Got this during a sale and at first I wasn't sure about it because of how subtle it was & it didn't seem like anything special. But I found myself reaching out for this on days where I want my skin to look a bit more radiant, but still natural. It's an acquired taste for sure.

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