Current Skincare Routine and Reviews on Products!

Hello hello beautes!


Hope you are all having a fantastic Oscar Sunday! ;) I have to admit I haven't seen much Oscar nominated movies last year but I'm very excited about the dresses, the makeup and the speeches. I can't wait!

Aside from that, I've been getting a lot of requests from readers to do an updated skincare routine. So I'm excited to share with you all the things I'm currently using.

So here it is. The current products I'm using at the moment, haha. It seems like a lot but I don't use these all in one go. You'll see I use a lot of facial lotions and not too many others.

Cleanser

Shiseido White Lucent Brightening Cleanser

I love this cleanser. It's among one of my favorites because I feel deeply cleansed after using this. And a little goes a looooooooooooong way. This sample sized product can last up to 6 months!!! Truly a heavy duty cleanser that takes off everything. 

Makeup Removers

Lancome Bi-Facil and Trader Joe's Jojoba Oil

Both of these are extraordinary makeup removers! However, one is $28 and the other is $5. It's probably pretty obvious right? ;) The Lancome Bi Facil remover is really wonderful. I put a bit on a flat cotton round and it dissolves the most stubborn of waterproof mascaras so gently. Amazing.

I actually use the TJ Jojoba Oil for multiple purposes. I use it to remove makeup, and as a moisturizer. As a makeup remover, it's really nice. Mascaras just melt off in gentle strokes.I love the way the oil feels on my skin and I love the way makeup comes off so nicely. Compared to the Lancome remover, this one is definitely much more heavy but it does the same thing essentially.

I also use the jojoba oil as a heavy duty moisturizer in place of night cream 3x a week. One of the things about jojoba oil is that it absorbs into hair and skin extremely quickly because it mimics the human skin structure very closely. Promotes healing and is also a protectant. During that time of the month, I'll sometimes get ingrown pimples on my face and they are so painful. The last thing I would want to do is to slather on anything oily on it but jojoba oil has 10% of oleic acid (olive oil has 50%+). Oleic acid is an Omega 9 fatty acid derived from olives, and is really good for you if used in small concentrations. So naturally, jojoba oil has more skin benefits in one pure bottle than they really promote ;) And honestly, the painful ingrown pimples actually get smaller and eventually go away in one or two days. Sometimes overnight. It's quite amazing!

Facial Lotions 

Naruko Rose & Snow Fungus Aqua Cubic Hydrator

I wrote a prior review a few months ago about this. I honestly LOVE Naruko skincare! Naruko is a skincare brand from Taiwan. I feel like all the things they put on the market is not only effective and nice, but the packaging is simplistic and user friendly. This lotion absorbs quickly and feels wonderful on my skin. Very cooling and refreshing and without alcohol. There's a lot of plant extracts in there and a ton of skin loving ingredients. I'd repurchase this over and over. One of the best things about this is that the lotion smells like a bouquet of roses! 

Hadalabo Gokujyn Hyaluronic Acid Lotion 

OMG, THIS. I love love LOVE this. It is the most hydrating lotion ever. I have bought countless amounts of refills because it works insanely well. Like Naruko, I love this skincare range for its simplicity and effectiveness. It's a no BS brand that's affordable, accessible and suitable for ALL skin types. This is basically a hydrator for skin and brings it back to its supple bounciness from the hyaluronic acid. I have both the lotion and the toner but honestly just stick with the lotion. It's such a miracle worker!

Kose Sekkisei Lotion

This one is also a great have at home but not a must. If you want to splurge, I would recommend this. Great formula, refreshing on skin and lasts a long time. I think I've had this for awhile now! It does have a bit of alcohol in it. I wrote a mini review here :)

Alba Acnedote

This was one of my favorite drugstore finds! I use this everyday after I cleanse my face and it's refreshing and antibacterial. It has a simple purpose and that's to keep your face clean and fresh and to make sure everything is off your skin before you apply your regular skincare. Works amazingly and in-sync with my routine :)

Clean and Clear Persa Gel

I have a love/hate relationship with this product. It's a very strong cream and it gets rid of any zits! But you have to be really careful. If you get any of this outside of the pimple, it'll burn your skin overnight. I honestly don't recommend using this if you can help it. It does speed up healing but you'll have to be really careful. I once woke up with burn marks on my face because I applied the cream not only on my zit, but around it as well.

Night Cream

Shisedo Bio-Performance Advanced Super Revitalizing Cream

My mother got me this for my birthday and I've been loving this cream. It's very rich, and lush. Absorbs nicely for a nice intensive night treatment. If it weren't so expensive, I'd use this every evening ;) I only use it every other night. With its intensely emollient texture, it feels silky and soft once applied. Ultra hydrating and dense.

Eye Creams

StiVectin-SD Eye Cream

Apparently they changed the formula. I have the older version. I don't recommend this eye cream at all. Unfortunately, it  burned my eyes and skin! The formula is too strong. Have any of you had this reaction??

La Prairie Cellular Eye Contour Cream

This eye cream is really nice. It keeps my under eyes very hydrated and I can feel it for hours. It has a very nice protective barrier. I'm not sure how effective it is now but it definitely keeps the most sensitive part of my face protected and moisturized. Other eye creams I've tried tend to "wear off", but this one is quite rich. A little goes a very long way.

Boots Botanics Body Cream

Just a fun body butter that's really nice and works well! The texture is like a mousse and i love that. It's light and springy. Smells amazing! If you're at Target, go take a whiff. It's really nice!

So...that's pretty much it! My whole skincare routine summarized! I'm sorry if it got too lengthy here! o_o  Have you noticed some of the most overused words in this post is hydration? I really have this philosophy that the best thing you can do for your skin is give it proper hydration and good habits (like proper sleep, water, etc), will in turn reflect in your skin. The more simple you are in skincare, the better your skin will be. There are so many luxurious serums and creams out there but I always suspect that too much of a good thing will have your skin dependent on it. That makes our hormones react to it and the side effects could range from mild to severe. Of course, healthy skin boosting vitamins and serums are always a luxury to have but the core of good skin lies within hydrating it properly.

Do you have an elaborate skincare routine? What products do you swear by?