summer base

Recently, I've been switching up the my base; instead of covering my face in big patches of concealer in an attempt to even things out, I've decided to use some products that even things out and dab concealer where it's really needed.



1. Indeed Labs, Nanoblur

This has seriously been my summer saviour. It's supposed to leave your skin "camera ready" and fill in fine lines and whatnot, but I have yet to obtain these fine lines (fingers crossed I don't get them for a next decade or so).  So, I use this more for its glorious mattifying powers and primer-esque qualities. When you put this on, it gets quite tacky but I think it's the tackiness that keeps makeup from sliding off in the 34˚C summer heat in Hong Kong. Plus, it keeps my skin from getting too shiny during the day and hasn't broken me out yet - win.

2. Garnier Ultra-Lift Transformer

I used this daily throughout the month that I spent in the Turks and Caicos Islands - when it comes out of the tube, it's a white cream with these teeny little beads that I guess break open when you rub it onto your face and the stuff in the mini beads give you the slightest bit of healthy tint. It's supposedly an anti-age skin corrector, and it has a broad spectrum SPF20 sunscreen in it. It's super easy to throw on to make your skin look a little more alive without being too heavy for summer weather.

3. thisworks, perfect look skin miracle

This is awesome, it's an "instant tinted skin perfector that hydrates and brightens" and was the first of these 3 'skin brightening / perfector-esque' things that I purchased. It looks kind of orange-y when it comes out of the tube but when you blend it in, it somehow gives you this extra glow that is inexplicable. It is the ultimate product to use when you're going for that no-makeup makeup look.

4. Becca Bronzing Skin Perfector
As the name states, this is the bronziest of the bunch. When dabbed and blended out gently, it gives your face the loveliest bronzy sheen without the shine that the other two give - it's somehow a bit mattifying when it goes on. It's got a bit of sparkle but nothing too overwhelming and you don't look like a great big disco ball when you put it over your entire face (which I have done, evidently). This is probably the one out of the three that I lean towards most often for this summer since it seems to be the most shine-controlling.

5. NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Medium 2, Ginger 

I have been in love with this concealer since the minute I decided to purchase it after hearing all the hype about it. If you haven't tried this already, it's the most glorious concealer that will ever have the pleasure of gracing your face - it blends out perfectly and covers what needs to be covered without looking cakey and heavy.

everyday essentials

As the paranoid, mildly OCD person that I am, I constantly like to be prepared for all situations. Hence, I tend to carry around a range of things with me in my bag and here's a sneaky peek.

1. Acuvue contact lenses,  Blink eye drops - Because I am blind, sometimes my contacts get dry and sometimes they fall out of my eyes for no apparent reason (don't ask).

2. EOS hand cream - I am an obsessive with any creams / lotions / moisturisers; at any given time, there are an average of three on my desk both at home and at work accordingly, and sometimes two in my bag but only when it's a big bag. 

3. Purell hand sanitizer in Ocean Breeze - I live in a dirty city. Self-explanatory and this one smells nice.

4. Laura Mercier Smooth Focus Pressed Setting Powder, Shine Control in Matte Translucent - What a long-winded name but this does the job when I find myself looking shiny. (and a little Shu Uemura brush to go with it).

5. Trish McEvoy Beauty Emergency Card for Eyes - This is the perfect on-the-go eyeshadow palette, it's super thin, literally credit-card sized as the name states, and contains fairly basic shades that you can slap on easily and still look good.

6. Maybelline Volum'Express the Hypercurl - My favourite mascara ever, how could I not carry a tube in my bag? I also carry a mini pink compact eyelash curler for the days when my eyelashes get a bit droopy. You never know.

7.  Aquaphor - This does so many things and is the ultimate lip saviour.

8. Maybelline Pure Mineral Concealer - Again, one of my favourite concealers, and easy to slap on.

9. Bobbi Brown Touch Up Stick in Warm Beige - Another concealer because you never know when a spot will pop up!

10. Rimmel Scandaleyes Shadow Stick in Bad Girl Bronze - This is for when I want to give my look a teeny bit more depth.

11. Cherry Chapstick - Because I have dry lips and also like to obsessively moisturise them.

12. Trish McEvoy Lipstick in Mulberry - This is a sheer berry tint with a lovely hint of moisture.

13. Rimmel Moisture Renew lipstick in Rose Blush - This is one of my favourite 'your lips but better' lipsticks.

14. Rimmel Scandaleyes Kohl Kajal in Sparkling Black - You never know where the day might lead and this is great for those last minute spontaneous night out decisions.

15. Altoids - Do I need to explain this?

16. Hair clip and hair ties - Ditto.

Saying that I'm a light traveller is the understatement of the year -- this is only the beauty-related part of my purse.

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.