Skincare Wishlist #1

My skincare routine is something that I change up from time to time and, of course, I am constantly on the hunt for new products to try out. The products listed are ones that I've heard a lot of good things about and have done some research on, which makes me so excited to get my hands on them. 

1. Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Eye 

2. Clarins Lotus Face Treatment Oil - for oily/combination skin

3. REN Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask

4. GlamGlow Youthmud Tinglexfoliate Treatment

5. Alpha-H Liquid Gold

What skincare products are you lusting for?

CHESS

Beauty Wishlist #1

I've been eyeing on these products for a while but never had the chance to purchase them, mainly because I already have similar makeup products (or enough makeup to say the least). The product that I've recently added to my wishlist is the MAC Instigator lipstick, as it belongs to the Punk Couture line, which is limited edition.

1. Urban Decay Vitamin-Infused Complexion Prep Spray
2. Nars Sheer Glow Foundation
3. MAC Painterly Pro Longwear Paint Pot
4. MAC Shroom Eyeshadow
5. MAC Instigator Lipstick


What's in your beauty wishlist?

CHESS

Pamper Night

Pamper nights are my favourite nights as my skin gets to indulge itself in such beautiful face masks and scrubs. Ranging from deep cleansing face masks to nose scrubs, the idea behind a pamper night is to treat my skin and rejuvenate it.

When my I am breaking out like crazy, the Aesop Parsley Seed Cleansing Masque is my saviour. It is clay-based and helps cleanse and refresh most skin types, especially sensitive or dry skin. This works miracles on my skin as I have sensitive skin. It helps treat and reduce the appearance of my spots without drying out my skin. It is unlike most clarifying masks that strip away the oil on your skin, your skin feels clean and hydrated at the same time after using it. It claims to extract impurities and unclog pores, which I totally agree! Although it lies on the pricey side, it is totally worth it as it lasts a long time. I only use it on spotty areas when needed.

On a weekly basis, I use the Simple Kind To Skin Deep Cleansing Face Mask. It is quite thick and scentless, which feels luxurious on the skin. It is a decent face mask for a weekly cleanse, considering it only costs a few quid.

When my skin feels dehydrated, which is a reoccurring symptom during the winter, I would use the Elizabeth Arden Hydrating Mask to hydrate my skin. It has a very thick consistency, which feels lovely on the skin - like you've placed a blanket made of water over your face. It has a cooling effect, which I love and even after you've rinsed your face, it is still there! I use this once/twice a week.

I tend to stay away from scrubs, as they tend to irritate my skin and cause more breakouts. However, I've recently stumbled across the Lush Ocean Salt coconut cream and sea salt scrub and I have kindled my love for it. It smells incredible - like a mojito! Although the particles can be a bit too vigorous for my skin, it leaves my skin feeling smooth and soft afterwards. I use gentle motions to rub it into my skin and use warm water to rinse it off. I only have a sample of it, and I am definitely going to purchase the full size of it!

In order to remove the impurities on my nose - e.g black heads - I use the Soap & Glory Scrub Your Nose In It special pore refining formula AHA facial scrub. I only use it on my T-zone as I only have excess oil in that area. It says to exfoliate, clean and purify skin, take away dead skin cells, soak up excess oil and stimulate fresh oxygen to your face. Although it does contain micro particles that exfoliate my skin and is a clay-based mask that clarifies the skin, I personally don't think it does all the job it claims to do. I only have a sample size of it, but I'm not sure if I would purchase the full size of it.


What are you favourite masks and scrubs?

CHESS

My Day Time Skincare Routine

My day time skincare routine tends to be simple as I use less products in comparison to my night time skincare routine. I skip the Clarisonic Mia 2 and just use my hands to massage the cleanser in and change up my moisturizers in my day time routine.

To cleanse my face, I would just use the same Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Cleanser, followed up with the Simple Kind To Skin Soothing Facial Toner as I do in my night time routine (for a review on these products, go check out my night time skincare routine post). The reason for this is because I am still in the hunt for a gentle, refreshing day time cleanser that works well for my combination and acne prone skin that has a few dry patches here and there.

The final step to this regime would be to apply the Kiehl's Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution to (hopefully) treat my acne scars and moisturize my face with the Simple Kind To Skin Hydrating Light Moisturizer. It is a light and scentless moisturizer that contains multi-vitamins. So far, it is working quite well for my skin as it keeps it hydrated throughout the day and is very affordable. It also takes only a few seconds to absorb into the skin, which is always a plus in the morning when you're rushing to get to school/work.

What are your day time skincare essentials?

CHESS

My Night Time Skincare Routine

My night time skincare routine has always been a forever changing regime as I've never fallen in love with any particular skincare products...until I stumbled across the Clarisonic Mia 2 and the Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm. I have combination skin, however, lately, I've been discovering dry patches across my cheeks. I also suffer from acne prone skin, which makes it difficult for me to find a clarifying cleanser without stripping down oil off the dehydrated parts of my skin.

To take off my makeup, I use the Maybelline Total Clean Express Eye & Lip Makeup Remover to take off my eye and lip makeup. I love using this product because it is a bi-phase formula that makes removing waterproof eyeliner and mascara the easiest task in the world. There is no scent to it, which doesn't irritate the eye and it feels like water on your skin (kind of like the Bioderma Crealine H2O). Afterwards, I would use the Clinique Take The Day Off Cleaning Balm to take the rest of my makeup off. Although this is the only cleansing balm I've ever used, it is hands down the best product to take off all my makeup - I prefer this over the Bioderma Crealine H2O! It is a solid balm in the container but once massaged onto the face, it turns into an oil-like texture. All you need is half a penny size and a few rubbing here and there followed by a quick rinse to take the rest of your makeup off. Easy peasy. However, I like to do this step twice to make sure that all of my makeup is removed.

After all the makeup is removed, I would use the Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Cleanser in combination with the Clarisonic Mia 2 to cleanse my face. I don't particularly love this cleanser, as I don't feel like it deeply cleanses my skin. There is no scent to it, which I like, and the formula is light on the skin but also foams up at the same time. I would squirt a little bit on the head of the Clarisonic Mia 2 and work it on my face. The Clarisoni Mia 2 is a facial sonic cleansing tool that says to transform your skin into a smoother, softer, radiant looking complexion, which I must say is actually true and not just a gimmick.

To balance my pH on my skin after cleansing, I would use the Simple King To Skin Soothing Facial Toner. Again, it is scentless, which minimizes the risks of irritating the skin. Toners are one of the products that I struggle to judge whether or not they work for me and so, I'd say this product is working alright on my skin as I haven't broken out from using it (yet).

The last step to my night time skincare routine would be to moisturize. Moisturizing is a very important step because cleansers tend to strip away oil from your skin. Firstly, I would use the Kiehl's Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution as I have a few acne scars that need clearing up. I'm not sure if I love it yet as I'm still putting it to test. However, I've heard a lot of good results from it and so, would keep using it. Then, I would dot a few dots of the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo on spotty areas. It is a gel that claims to correct and unclog your spots, which is working miracles on my skin. Lastly, I would use the Benefit Total Moisture Facial Cream, which feels thick and luxurious on my skin. It smells really good (yes, it's scented), but it hasn't broken me out so far, so I am still enjoying using it.


What does your night time skincare routine consist of?

CHESS

New Purchases! (Chanel, Shiseido, Elizabeth Arden)

Hola mis bonitas!

Today, I am going to show you guys the new goodies that I've added to my makeup collection recently. I actually bought these babies around a month ago, but decided to blog about them now because I wanted to do a review on them as well!

1. Soleil Tan De Chanel

First of all, I bought this beautiful bronzer from Chanel, which I've wanted for so long. It is in the form of a mousse and quite frankly, I was quite skeptical about this product at first, despite the hype of it. I was worried that it might apply too heavily on the face as I personally like dusting bronzers/blushers gently for a natural finish...perhaps, I thought I could have more control over the amount I'd like to use with powder bronzers/blushers. However, I was so impressed with the formulation of this bronzer because, not only did it apply easily onto my face, which meant blending the harsh edges was a piece of cake, the colour of it also helped in creating a very natural finish. Although it only has two shades, I feel that either of them would be suitable for all skin tones because it blends with the skin very well, which means that as long as you blend the product sufficiently, it will leave you the most bronzed up, dewy and natural finish. 

2. Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Lip Protectant Stick in SPF 15

This is my second tube and honestly, I cannot preach this item enough! This is by the far, the most hydrating and sooting lip balm i've ever used! It does not leave a sticky finish, nor does it feel heavy on your lips. It doesn't have a particular scent, which I love about it because, I hate tasting the artificial flavours of fruity lip balms. The packaging is also a win for me too, because unlike other lip balms/chapsticks, it comes in a sturdy, white tube that looks almost like a packaging of a lipstick! Seriously girls, this should be a staple item in your lippies collection!

3. Shiseido Eye Brow Pencil

This is a luxurious buy that my god mother had given me. I was never into filling in my brows as I have quite dense brows. However, after testing this product out in the store, I immediately fell in love with it. It comes in two part: the power and the pencil. On one end, it is a pencil that twists up and on the other end, it is a power with a spongey applicator. It is a very clever and handy product as the pencil can be used to shape the brows and the powder can be used to fill them in. I also really like the packaging of it because the metallic grey tube may it look very luxurious and the fact that the pencil is a twist up makes it a lot easier to use. 

All in all, I am very impressed with the products that I purchased and am loving them to death so far! Please let me know if you guys have tried any of these products or/and would like me to do similar reviews in the future! 

Hope you guys enjoyed this post!

Stay beautiful.

xx

Review: Revlon 'Elegant'

Hola mis bonitas!

Today, I'd like to share with you guys one of my favourite neutral nail polishes! 

Elegant by Revlon is one of my all time favorite neutral nail polishes. It leans towards the beigey, greyish side, which compliments my yellow skin tone very well. It is a very versatile colour, which can be used at work, school or even on a date night as it looks neat and muted. It has a glossy finish, which I personally prefer over a matte finish. I find that the lasting power is quite long as well, as it stays on for around 3-4 days before it gets chipped. However, I like to apply the Revlon Quick Dry Topcoat on top of it to give it an extra sheen and lasting power. Moreover, after it is taken off, it doesn't stain your nails unlike the other Revlon nail polishes, such as Bewitching.

Overall, I am very impressed with this nail polish and I think Revlon nail polishes should be a staple in every girl's nail polish collection! 

Hope you guys liked the review!

Stay beautiful,

xx