ren glycol lactic radiance renewal

The Ren Glycol Lactic Radiance Renewal Mask is probably one of my favourites. It's little blurb says that it is "an instant complexion-perfecting mask that brightens and renews skintone and texture, minimises pores, diminishes hyper-pigmentation, and reduces the appearance of fine lines in as little as 10 minutes". It kind of does that but maybe not as thoroughly as advertised. It's formulated from four different acids which chemically exfoliate and "resurface the skin: glycolic acid from pineapples, lactic acid from passion fruit, citric acid from lemons, and tartaric acid from grapes -- as a result, it smells super fruity and almost edible.

Anyway, in terms of application, it's gloopy looking and has almost a honey-like textures but a tad grittier. Once you slather it on, you look like you're covered in some weird looking (not to sound unappetizing but anyway) slug-gloop. It tingles a little here and there depending on how sensitive your skin is. The blurb does say that it's not suitable for sensitive skin types and more recommended for congested and mature skin, but when my skin is feeling more sensitive it just stings a little more when you put it on. 

All in all, it's a great mask if your skin likes acid exfoliants -- mine does. It smooths things out and leaves you super glowy, and feeling like you have a fresh layer of skin.

boots botanics facial oil

Certain drugstores in Hong Kong (such as Mannings in IFC) have started to carry some of Boots products and it was on a bit of a whim that I decided to purchase this Boots Botanics Facial Oil. Having mentioned how much I like the Tarte Pure Maracuja Oil and realising how amazing oils are for your skin, I spotted this amongst the shelves and figured it could help out my bizarrely dry skin.

This facial oil is a bit of a mix of a bunch of oils including rosehip, sweet almond, bergamot and lemon peel to name a few, and as part of Boots Botanics' collection, it is 100% organic and was also developed with Kew Royal Botanic Gardens. It has that quintessential spa smell -- the sort of calming, clean, herbal-y scent. Unlike the Tarte Pure Maracuja Oil it isn't quite a dry oil, it can feel a tad oily when you go a little crazy with it, but not greasy like you've covered your face in actual olive or cooking oil. It's also said to be scientifically proven that it locks in moisture for 8 hours, but really who can prove that? Anyway, I've been using this as an added step before my various moisturizers or occasionally even mixing a drop into my moisturizer, and it seems to be giving my skin a lovely boost of hydration without actually making my skin oily, it's just extremely nourishing.

Although this is said to be a facial oil, I've also been rubbing a bit on my perpetually dry cuticles, (I have a bit of an issue with flaky cuticles even though I moisturize my hands and feet like a crazy person -- I swear you will never find me without some sort of hand cream), and this has literally become my miracle cure to stop annoying hangnails from happening and to keep everything pleasantly moisturized. All in all, it's a good facial oil, not the most revolutionary or life-changing -- it does the job, but personally, I think it makes a better cuticle oil.

Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask

I bought this mask because I've heard a fair few good things about it and after having this in my life for about a month or so, I have some fairly decent things to say about it too.

When I first put this on my face, I was a bit overwhelmed by the strong fruity scent; it doesn't smell particularly bad, it's just quite... pungent and some people may be a bit put off by it. As I generally lean towards cleaner, earthy scents, I was slightly 'meh' about the smell but I've noticed that quite a lot of other people say they really like the smell so I suppose it depends on whether or not you like extremely intense fruity odours. Anyway, the first time I used it overnight, I slathered on a fairly thick layer and looking back on it, I definitely put far too much on because when I got into bed, my face ended up sticking to my pillowcase which immediately made me go a bit, 'eh I'm not sure I like this mask'. Also, I should probably mention that even though this is a mask, it seems more like a really, really thick and creamy moisturizer than anything.

The next morning, I noticed that my skin was definitely much softer and hydrated after rinsing the remains of it off. However, as the day progressed, I did notice that my skin was much, much oilier than it had been previously. This may have been a one-off though, probably down to the fact that I had just put way too much of it on my face or that I spent too much of that day outdoors in the sweltering heat and humidity -- I'm not really sure. But either way, I gave it a second chance and I've been using this on the days that I feel like my skin needs a bit of help (usually after a long night out). So instead of slathering on a thick layer that ends up sticking to my pillow, I've been using the tiniest amount and really, really rubbing it in so it's not as sticky. With this method, I haven't been feeling excessively oily or greasy the next day, just delighfully moisturized. Long story short, this product will definitely be sticking around; I'll probably decant some into a little pot for those dehydrating plane journeys as well since this mask dries clear.

current skincare routine: all the other stuff

La deuxième partie of what is currently going on my face: the moisturizers and all the other extra bits. I shall reiterate that I don't use these products all at once every single day since I do like to switch it up a bit depending on what my skin needs.

1. Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion
 I remember despising this lotion when I was younger (though I think I may have had the gel version) because it made my oily skin extra oily. Now that my skin seems to have dried up a tad, I find this to be the perfect daily moisturizer in the mornings and nights. Before this, I was using a Nivea face cream which was okay but it wasn't quite locking the moisture into my skin and I think it may have actually been causing breakouts but I'm still not 100% sure. Anyway, as soon as I started using this, I've found my face to be perfectly under control (for the most part).

2. Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer SPF 15
 Previously seen and mentioned here, I've given this a whirl over the last few weeks and it seems adequate and Cetaphil being Cetaphil, it doesn't make my skin break out or anything. However, I do have to say that it seems to sting my eyes a little when it gets too close. There was one instance I had put this on, done undereye concealing and my eyeshadow base and it stung so much the whites of my eyes had turned completely red so I had to remove all my eye makeup, chill out, and start all over again. Since then I've become quite weary about getting this near my eyeballs but on the rest of my face it seems alright.

3. Caudalie Beauty Elixir
I mentioned this briefly here, and I had my stint where I was obsessively using this every day morning and night but I've toned it down a bit now. I give this a spritz over my face whenever I feel like I've done my makeup and need a bit of a dewy-moisturized kick or if I just feel like spritzing it because it smells and is so incredibly refreshing.

4. Tarte Pure Maracuja Oil
I got a free sample of this when I redeemed some Sephora VIB points. This mini sample is fairly generous as you only need a few drops because a little goes a long way, so I expect this to last me quite a while. It's a dry oil and though I have somewhat put this aside since returning to a humid and tropical environment, I'll occasionally add this into my routine to get more of a glowy look. Also, since this bottle is so delightfully dinky, it's become part of my airplane routine -- a few drops of this stops dehydrating cabin air from drying everything out.

current skincare routine: cleansers

Since I seem to have gotten my skincare routine down perfectly and my skin isn't being crazy dry or overly oily, I thought I would take the time to share a little bit about what has been going onto my face in the mornings and evenings. All these items are definitely interchanged, what I use tends to depend on what my skin feels like, what I've been up to that day, etc. but these are the products I have been rotated around within my routine.

To stop this post from getting mid-numbingly long, I've separated it into two sections, so here is the first installment -- cleansers. Stay posted for the second.

1.  Bioderma Hydrabio
Since I previously reviewed this lovely micellar water here, I won't go into too much depth about it. I use this with a cotton pad to remove my makeup before I get into the shower (where I usually wash my face).

2. Bobbi Brown Eye Makeup Remover
For the times that my mascara is being ever so stubborn, I'll dip a cotton bud into this and swipe it over my eyes to remove anything that wouldn't come off with the Bioderma. Unlike oil-based eye makeup removers, this formula contains aloe vera and rosewater extract which is extremely soothing on tired eyes and I've found over multiple times of accidentally stabbing my eyeball with the cotton bud, that it doesn't sting.

3. Clinique Mild Facial Soap

I was given this centuries ago when I had the typical teenage oily skin, hence, I didn't feel like it really cleansed my skin so I put it away in the corner of my bathroom for a while. However, now that anything overly harsh and oil-stripping seems to wreak havoc across my face and leaving me looking awfully blotchy, I've resorted to the 'Mild'-ness of this soap which seems to be doing its job. It leaves my face feeling cleaner but doesn't turn it into a flaking disaster of dryness.

4. St Ives Naturally Clear Blemish and Blackhead Control Apricot Scrub
This will be a little controversial to the skincare-obsessed-nazis out there since it is a very harsh particle-grainy scrub, but I have used this for years and it really makes my skin smoother whilst getting rid of outrageously stubborn flaky bits I tend to get sometimes. I have never used a chemical exfoliator before because I simply have not gotten around to it since I tend to absent-mindedly repurchase this whenever I run out, but perhaps I will venture into one in the near future. 

5. Sebamed Clear Face Active Cleansing Foam

I use this in the mornings since I always do a thorough cleansing at night and there is absolutely no reason to over-cleanse. I like foaming cleansers in the morning because they are quick and easy (awesome for when I'm running late) and this one in particular doesn't seem to make my skin act up. I've been using this for a few years now but I have yet to find another foaming wash that seems to tick all my boxes.

laura mercier tinted moisturiser

The Laura Mercier Oil Free Tinted Moisturiser has been one of the products that has remained well-used and stuck in my collection since I first purchased it. Back when I was younger, much more tan, and terrified of the cake-y and (to me) sometimes overly fake looking effects of foundation, this was well-praised and I turned to it as a sort of lighter alternative. As I would spend far too much of my time in the sun without protection, the first shade I purchased was Fawn, but now it is way too dark for my pasty face so I've ventured into the shade Sand -- still slightly dark for me during winter but it's been perfect for the last few weeks.

This product has been in and out of my routine, I find it depends on how much coverage I want, how blotchy I'm feeling that day and whether or not I can be bothered to deal with a multitude of spot concealing. However, the main reason I've been reaching for this lately is simply because my skin is constantly so dry. Even after I've washed my face in the morning and slapped on an army of moisturisers, I find myself with flaky skin on my nose and cheeks around mid-day. I have no idea how this happens at all but I do have an odd feeling that it has something to do with constantly coming in and out of intensely air-conditioned buildings and into 85% humidity. Anyway, this product gives my skin that teeny extra moisture boost, the perfect amount of coverage whilst evening things out, a radiant summer dewiness without looking overly oily and the SPF 20 doesn't hurt either.

Bioderma Hydrabio H2O Solution Micellaire

After using the cult favourite Bioderma Sensibio micellar water to remove my makeup for about the last half a year or so, I found my skin becoming drier and drier. Whether it was due to the flying between cities or the bipolar New York City weather, I had to do something to stop my skin from flaking away around midday when the effects of my (multiple) moisturizers would wear off. 

So I was at the Bioderma section at my local Hong Kong drugstore (Mannings), ready to pick up another giant bottle of the glorious pink-lidded make-up remover when saw this lovely blue bottle which is supposedly the same sort of micellar water, just with extra moisturizing properties. I grabbed a 250ml bottle of this (doesn't come in the big 500ml bottles for some reason), hoping it would be equally as effective as the Sensibio, if not better for my parched skin.

Does it work? Yes. It works on my face almost equally as well as the Sensibio and even better because I haven't been getting awful dry patches like I did before. But then again, the lack of dry patches may be down to the fact that I've got my skincare routine perfect now (I like to think this product is somewhat significant but who knows really). However, on the eyes, it isn't as effective as the Sensibio. All my mascaras are waterproof, somehow even waterproof ones just smoosh everywhere after a certain point in the day because of the humidity and my oily eyelids, but that's a whole other issue. The Hydrabio does manage to remove the majority of my eye and face makeup, but it's just certain remaining bits of mascara that tend to be a tad tougher to get off. Other than the slightly trivial and almost irrelevant mascara issue, I am definitely loving this micellar water.