January Favourites

From not owning a hair brush to using multiple hair sprays and mousses on my hair after I wash my hair, I've been completely drawn into taking good care of my hair. This month, I've been enjoying a few hair products and a few makeup items.

Given a sample of the Oscar Blandi Hair Lift thickening and strengthening mousse in Sephora, I've been using it on damp hair to give it a bit of texture and volume. It is in a mousse form, which doesn't make my hair feel greasy nor does it give it that crunchy effect. It goes smoothly on my hair and once brushed through, my hair dries with much more volume. It claims to plump and expand hair with strong flexible hold, which I completely agree.

I've also been enjoying the Charles Worthington Shine Booster all over gloss spray as my hair can look a bit fluffy and dry after use heat on it. This is when this product comes into rescue - with a few spritzes, it transforms my dehydrated hair into healthy, sleek, gleaming hair. With added Crystal extract in the formula, it smoothes away flyaways and gives your hair a vibrant gloss.

Makeup wise, I've been totally obsessed with the Santhelia 1-2-1 Lash Extension System - commonly known as 'magnetic lashes'. I've receive tons of compliments on my lashes whenever I use this as it gives the most natural yet false-lash-looking effect. Even my dad was not convinced that I was only wearing mascara! How it works is that you use the first mascara for adhesive properties and volume and the second mascara for fibre extensions and length, then the first mascara again to seal everything together - hence, the name '1-2-1'.

For my lips, I've been reaching for the YSL Rouge Volupte Shine lipstick in Y2K801 (15) the most. It gives the most natural peachy tint to my lips whilst keeping my them moisturized. I also like that it has a glossy finish as I find that matte lipsticks can look (not only feel) drying on my lips. This colour is perfect for a natural day time look with a peachy coral blush and some mascara.

To set everything in place, nothing beats the Urban Decay De-Slick makeup setting spray. It is a fantastic alternative to using powder as it leaves a non-cakey yet matte finish to the skin, whilst having oil-control properties. It also helps keep foundation and everything else from sliding and fading throughout the day. The only problem I have with this is that it is quite pricey and I tend to waste a lot of product as I always miss my face when spritzing it.


What are your favourite products for this month?

CHESS

Face Of The Day #1

This is my first post of the 'Face Of The Day' series, which is basically just me showing you guys what I'm wearing on my face, along with descriptions of the products I use. Today, I went for a more natural and fresh look.

EYES

For my eyes, I decided to mute it down and so, I lightly sweeped The Body Shop eyeshadow in #13, which is a matte creamy white colour, across my lids to give it a swash of colour and cover up my veins. This also helps brighten up my eyes.

For eyeliner, I tight lined using the Dior waterproof eyeliner pencil and created a thin line with a small flick at the end on my upper lid with the MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack. Both eyeliners stay put throughout the day and are very pigmented - aka, they are jet black. I then used the Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal in 005 Nude to tight line my lower last line, which also helps brighten up my eye.

For mascara, I used the Bourjois Volumizer mascara in Ultra Black, which has two steps (two brushes) to it. You're supposed to use the smaller brush for the first coat to give it some volume and use the other bigger, fatter brush for another few coats to achieve up to 11x more volume. Although it did give a lot of volume, it didn't give much length, which isn't really an ideal all-in-one mascara.

For my brows, I used the Sleek Brow Kit in Medium. I took the angle brush that it comes along with and dabbed it a few times into the wax then a few more times into the powder and filled in my brows according to its shape. I find that this method creates a more natural effect as the harshness that the wax creates is toned down by the powder, whilst using less product as I don't need to use extra powder to set my brows.

FACE

 I didn't use foundation as I feel the need to use it on a daily basis - it's too heavy and unnecessary if I'm just doing some errands! I used the Shu Uemura concealer to cover my blemishes, which I'm not a big fan of as it is quite drying for my skin - it sets on my dry patches - though, it gives a decent amount of coverage. I normally contour my face, but, as I said, I was going for a more natural look today, so I just used blusher on the apples of my cheeks to give it a pop of colour. The one I used is NARS Orgasm blush, which is a peachy pink colour with some golden shimmer running through it. It gives the most natural, pinky glow to your face!

LIPS

Although it looks like a very bright colour in the tube, this YSL Rouge Volupte Shine lipstick in 62K801(15) - if that even is the name of it - has a sheer and glossy finish. It is the perfect nude colour for my skin tone as it has a slight peachy tint to it. It is also quite moisturizing on my lips and glides on very easily.

To give my lips a bit more shine, I topped it up with the Benefit Dandelion lipgloss, which is a peachy nude colour. It even tastes like peaches! It's not very sticky or glossy, which I love because I wanted my makeup to look natural and fresh.

What are your makeup essentials for a natural/fresh look?

CHESS

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