March Sephora Haul!

You know what? I blame Sephora. They keep shoving us 10% discount vouchers, I feel guilty if I didn't get the chance to use them. So one day I walked into Sephora with a shopping list and a heart full of determination, only to find out that most NYX butter glosses and matte lip creams I wanted were out of stock. What? No!

Well the good news is, Sephora was having a promotion at that time so I ended up getting 15% discount on all purchased items, yay!

First up, I picked up Triple Action Cleansing Water from the Sephora Collection as my friend recommended it to me. I also want to compare it to my HG Bioderma Sensible H2O Micelle Solution as they are actually quite similar except for the price tag. Come on - let's face it, Bioderma is extremely expensive.

I also got a lip product from the Sephora Collection which is their Cream Lip Stain in 04 Endless Purple. It is a wine burgundy red lip cream (sort of like a liquid lipstick) that gives a matte finish and it looks so pretty on my Youtube crush Diana (Easyneon). She used this in one of her tutorials and I know immediately that I had to have this.

Another lippie I picked up is the NYX Butter Gloss in Apple Strudel (BLG08) and I am really loving it so far! It has a lovely peachy-pink tone and it just looks so natural on me. It has definitely become my new favourite MLBB, I'll tell ya that.

Next up, I got my HG Urban Decay All Nighter Long-Lasting Setting Spray as I've used up my travel size one which I got from the previous haul. This setting spray - I kid you not - is the bomb. It not only makes my makeup last whole day but also somehow reduce the cakiness and powdery looking feeling. 

I also picked up a sample size Tarte Maracuja Oil while queueing for payment at the counter. That row of mini/travel size products which is strategically located ithere... It always sucks me in like a black hole 'cuz I want to impulse-buy all of them! 

Anyway, this bottle of wonderfulness comes in 0.5 fl oz while the normal size contains 1.7 fl oz. I have heard so much about this so when I saw this standing beside the aisle with a RM50 price tag, I snatched it immediately. Maracuja oil is actally extracted from passion fruit and it contains a large amount of essential fatty acids and vitamins that will help to recharge and replenish our skin, well, at least according to Tarte.

Every night I put 2 drops of this maracuja oil onto my palms and gently rub them against each other. I then massage them into my cheeks which become rather dry due to the rough weather at Taiwan.  So far it doesn't break me out, it absorbs well and it really moisturises my skin. I highly recommend this to anyone with dry skin!

Lastly I picked up two Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Exposed and Blissful. Call me crazy but this is actually my first step in starting my Tarte blushes collection, hee. Well I couldn't resist, they're so pretty and good quality that I am actually thinking of getting either Natural Beauty or Babydoll next. (...Or maybe both?)

Freebies time! Sephora kindly gave me the samples of Fresh Soy Concentrating Eye Makeup Remover, Fresh Rose Hydrating Eye Gel Cream, Boscia Makeup-Breakup Cool Cleansing Oil, Total Age Defy Cream from their house brand..... and a 3-step sample kit from Biotherm Homme.

I mean, I learnt from a video that the whole skincare for men and women are just a common gendered marketing technique but still, seriously? Come on man. Well that aside, definitely looking forward to trying all the samples out! :D

I also received a black and white bedroom slippers for being a black card member. I was initially feeling happy from getting freebies until my mom started shouting at me for accepting shoes during Chinese New Year. Yikes. (Shoes are pronounced the same way as 'evil' in Mandarin and as a part of Chinese culture, it is considered bad luck to accept shoes as gifts during the new year.)
Sorry mom. But thanks anyway, Sephora. 

Old vs. New: Sunprise Cotton Touch Powder Cream vs. Sunprise Natural Corrector

People often neglect it but sunscreen is the most important product in one's daily skincare routine - I can't stress that enough. It is why I seldom step out of the house without slapping on some sunscreen. Not because I am a vampire, even though I am a nocturnal creature.

Sunprise Cotton Touch Powder Cream is my HG sunscreen. It is cream-based and comes in lilac colour (to balance out yellow undertones), and it gives a powdery finish when it is applied on face. What I love about this product is that it compliments my combination skin type - it doesn't break me out nor makes my T-zone oily unlike other sun protection products. I also used it as a primer before putting on my Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation. It also doesn't leave a sticky feeling on my face, which is one of my major pet peeves in terms of sunscreen.

Imagine how I felt when I found out that it was discontinued. (It is still available on Etude House's website but it is somehow not on retail. Why?)

So in the end I got Sunprise Natural Corrector instead.
It comes with the same SPF 50+/PA+++ and the prices are almost similar (I believe, don't quote me on that though as I got both of them on discounts).

Sadly, the similarities end here.

Unlike Cotton Touch Powder Cream, Sunprise Natural Corrector is liquid based and comes in a light apricot colour. The watery texture leaves an unnoticeable white cast if blending is not done properly. And due to the fact that it's liquid based, I often have to set my face with powder afterwards to avoid oily T-zone and also because of that sticky feeling that I can't seem to tolerate, urgh. It can also be used as a makeup base even though I normally opt for Benefit Porefessional for that part instead.

So is the new one as good as the old one? A million times no.
Please bring back Sunprise Cotton Touch Powder Cream, Etude House, I beg of you.

My evening cleansing routine

Cleansing in my opinion, is the most important step in the entire skin care routine and one should never ever ever skip this crucial routine. Your skin deserves a very thorough cleanse especially you have makeup on every single day, or else you'd end up with a full face of pimples. Urgh.

My routine involves double cleansing, or rather, triple cleansing? You'll see.

To start off with, I usually use Clarins Instant Eye Makeup Remover to remove any eye makeup. Drugstore wise, Maybelline or L'oreal eye makeup remover is an excellent alternative. I'd normally skip this step if I only have my sunscreen on.

After that, I'd warm up my palms by rubbing them against each other and pump my trusty Clarins Cleansing Milk with Alpine Herbs onto my hand and massage them evenly onto my face. You see, I'm a cleansing milk kind of gal - definitely not a fan of cleansing oil as I dislike the heavy oily residues on my face after using one not to mention that it doesn't give me the squeaky clean feeling. I also tend to avoid makeup wipes by all means due to their reputation of ruining one's skin (try to Google it!) unless desperate measure.

After removing the cleansing milk using lukewarm water, I would cleanse my face again with a facial cleanser - I am using Cetaphil Gentle Skin cleanser for now; it did its job well plus it doesn't break me out.

Last but not least, even after going through eye makeup remover, cleansing milk and facial cleanser, I would again apply Bioderma Sensible H2O Micelle Solution that I got from my Singapore trip with a cotton pad just to make sure that I have gotten every impurity out of my pores. Yes, I am paranoid like that as pimples are my least favourite thing. Plus, you'd be amazed to find that some foundation is still stuck in your pores even after all the cleansing. Trust me. L'occitane Fresh Face Water used to be my favourite product for this particular step but in my humble opinion Bioderma is a much much better option. (What can I say? Bioderma is my HG skincare product.)

You should too try to cleanse your skin even when you have only applied a thin layer of sunscreen for the day. Better save than sorry! Don't wanna clog your pores don't cha?

Makeup haul: Sephora, Daiso & drugstore!

1. Daiso eyebrow razor [RM5]
2. Za Total Hydration BB Cream UV [RM26.90]
3. Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in 015 Tutti Frutti [RM27.80]
4. Sephora Contour Eye Pencil 12HR Wear in 01 Black Lace [RM30-ish?]
5. Revlon Colorburst Balm Stain in 001 Honey [RM35.90]
6. NYX Matte Lipstick in MLS05 Indie Flick [RM26]
7. Nexcare Acne Patch [RM4.12]
8. Daiso makeup brush cleaner [RM5]
9. Daiso eyebrow coat [RM5]
10. Watson's lavender field sanitising hand gel [RM4.50]
11. Maybelline Baby Lips Dr. Rescue Repair Balm SPF 30 in Icy Mint [RM9.80]

1. One does not simply step into Daiso.
Since many people swear by Daiso sponge detergent (5 stars at Makeupalley, hello!) so I decided to pick one up. But then I found out that they have actually came up with a new product that is solely for cleaning makeup brushes. So of course I grabbed it immediately. (Now let's just hope that it won't dry up my brushes.) I also picked up an eyebrow coat as I've seen a lot of good reviews on this product. It basically functions to hold your stubborn brows in place and also to set your eyebrow powder so that you won't end up having eyebrows with no ends/archeses in the middle of the day.

2. One does not simply walk into Sephora, especially when they're having 20% sales on all in-store items.
Walked out of the store with a lipstick (that I blogged about in Jeon Ji-hyun lip dupes) as well as an award-winning pencil eyeliner. 20%, so much win.

3. One does not simply have only 1 MLBB lipstick.
Everyone should be familiar with the term MLBB (My lips But Better) by now. It is basically your daily go-to lip colour. Revlon Colorburst Balm Stain in Honey is my current obsession while Tutti Frutti, albeit a little bit orange, it somehow manages to light up my complexion and makes me look less like a zombie. Anyway, check out my previous favourite MLBB shade.

4. One has ran out of a suitable title. Please bear with one.
I thought I'd share a newly discovered item which is the acne patch manufactured by Nexcare. (Or wait... Maybe it's been around for decades but I've just discovered it recently...) Anyway. So I know girls (like me) tend to squeeze the pimples when they're fully matured and when the toxins are completely extracted and suitable products are applied, you can try putting an acne sticker on top of the wound. Bear in mind that these patches do not miraculously cure pimples, as it only functions to prevent further infection from happening since the wound is opened and... You're turning around in bed and the hair is in your face etc. You get what I mean? Anyway this product is recommended by Mia from Asian Beauty Secrets (Check out her videos! Very informative especially for makeup and/or skincare beginners) and since it only costs RM4 for 7 pieces so I thought why not give it a try?

So this concludes my makeup rojak haul which I've accumulated throughout the whole month. Have you used some of the products mentioned? What's your thoughts on them? 

My weekly head to toe routine

1. St. Ives Fresh Skin Apricot Scrub
2. Clarins Smoothing Body Scrub for a New Skin
3. Skinfood Black Sugar Mask Wash Off
4. L'Oreal Paris Smooth-Intense 1 Minute Caring Mask

Hey girl, your moisturiser and/or body lotion probably won't get into your skin if you skip the weekly exfoliation. I'm talking about head to toe yo.
Exfoliation is really really important. As our body produces new skin cells, the old cells will die and slough off. But not all will obligate and leave, so in the end they will end up clogging your pores and causing breakouts. Yep. That's when exfoliation comes in handy.

Gotta get them scrubbing on once a week, preferably with a loofah or a scrub glove. Remember to exfoliate your face 2 to 3 times a week (avoid the delicate eye area!). Don't forget to pamper your face and hair after that by putting on some mask. Remember to take care of your heels too, just use a pumice stone to scrub them in a circular motion.

Me against the world

Sephora Express Dry Shampoo ♦ L'occitane Fresh Face Water ♦ Clarins Cleansing Milk with Alpine Herbs ♦ Daiso Baby Wipes ♦ Simple Kind to Skin Cleansing Facial Wipes

Am finally back to the big city which is currently in a state-wide water rationing that has been going on for almost a month. Swell. But hey it's better than a month of black-out right? Can't survive without electricity, especially in this current weather. But thank God March is coming to an end, which means we can finally have rain. Yay!

Anyway, in the area I'm staying we're alternating between 2 days of water and 2 days without, and also considering the fact that I'm living with 20 other students in my house (off campus accommodation) and hence I have to come up with a battle plan to combat days with no water supply. (On a side note, I've been plotting 2 weeks before the day I came back. This shows how water matters to me. Or just that there's something wrong with me.)

The dry shampoo is obviously for my hair but fortunately the weather has been gloomy since the day I arrived and my hair has not gone to the crazily oily state during the water-less days. I bought a pack of baby wipes from Daiso to wipe my body before I hit the shower (with a full bucket of pre-stored water), just to be extra clean. As for my face, I'm not usually a fan of facial wipes but I've bought a pack anyway to wipe off the excessive dusts and God-knows-what on my face once I reach home from outside, follow by cleansing milk and L'occitane face water that claims to 'cleanse, hydrate and tone'. I know, it's like triple cleansing but I just don't trust facial wipes, you know? Also one day after I arrived the pimples started popping (Four, if you're curious). See what the haze did to me? 

How about you? What's your combat plan? One more week to go, we can do this! Good luck.