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.

chemical exfoliants

I used to use the St Ives Fresh Skin Apricot Scrub endlessly, but my skin wasn't great and I eventually learnt that physical exfoliants aren't actually that good for the delicate skin on your face (plus, the little beads are awful for the environment). So on the hunt for something a little less abrasive, I came across the Ren Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask. Unfortunately for my face, I left my bottle in New York whilst travelling and coming home this summer, so I had to find some new options to fill in the blank since I couldn't find a way to get the Ren face mask in Hong Kong. On my mission to obtain the Alpha-H Liquid Gold (which I've heard the blogosphere rave about endlessly), I picked up a couple of other things that have made it into my routine.

1. Mario Badescu Skincare, Glycolic Acid Toner

I've never been one for toners - the first time I ever used one (some Neutrogena thing that came in a blue bottle back in the day), my entire face went red, blotchy and a little itchy and I declared 'toner - never again'. After realising that my face seems to love things with glycolic acids in them, I figured I'd give this a try, and I love it. Since I've started using this, I haven't had a bad breakout (knock on wood), and my skin feels a lot less clogged up.

2. balance Me, Radiance Face Mask

After using this a couple of times when I was feeling a bit 'bleugh I don't know what else to do, I guess I'll do a face mask', I find that this doesn't particularly make your skin "radiant" but it just hydrates the skin. It's a thick white cream with little particles in it which I guess "polish and smoothes" your face, but compared to chemical exfoliants, I really don't think it does much. It's nice that it's supposedly 98% natural origin, and it's just a simple mask that hydrates and isn't too harsh on your skin.

3. Alpha H, Liquid Gold

Now this is la crème de la crème; this is a concentrated glycolic acid thingmabob that I use on nights that I feel like my skin needs a bit of a pick-me-up (a.k.a. after a long night out and I've maybe consumed one or two drinks). It stings a little when you put it on and you can leave this just on your skin overnight for a more intense treatment, or put on a face cream over it - what I normally do. It seems to have made a huge difference to my skin since I've added it into my regime, so it'll be sticking around for a while. 

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.

winter moisture

Two of my current favourite body moisturisers, the Rituals Shanti Chakra Indian Rose & Sweet Almond Oil Caring Body Oil Spray and the Aesop Geranium Leaf Body Balm. Both smell pretty awesome, the Rituals one smells absolutely divine, whilst giving my body a non-greasy boost of moisture.

lanolips

I've heard a lot about Lanolips and along with the Glamglow Supermud Clearing Treatment, this was a belated Christmas gift that was much appreciated. The Banana Balm and the Lemon-flavoured Lanolips had been much praised amongst bloggers, but for some unbeknownst reason, I always thought that they were lipglosses (I honestly have absolutely no idea why or how this happened). As someone who's not keen on lipglosses in general, I never thought much about their recommendations.

So, when these lovely products fell into my possession, I was more than excited to hear the words 'multipurpose balm' and 'for very dry hands and nails'. I love love love anything multipurpose, Aquaphor and the Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream are amongst my favourites; in my books, all things should have more than one use.

Much to my excitement, the 101 Ointment, is almost as good, if not better, than my much loved Aquaphor, briefly mentioned here. There's not much of a scent to it and it's quite thick and difficult to squeeze out of the tube, but when slathered onto your lips, it sinks in so quickly and you can feel it plumping everything up. This has some powerful moisturising skills.

Similar to the 101 Ointment, the Rose Balm Intense for Very Dry Hands & Nails sinks in like no other. I don't know what it is about my hands, but I inevitably have dry cuticles that flake and lift and just look awful. Over the years I've struggled to find products that really moisturise my perpetually dry cuticles, the Lush Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter is one of the few, but this tube of stuff is absolutely incredible. It has a musky yet light rose scent to it and is a thick cream with a slight pink tinge that takes a while to massage in but instantly makes your hands feel moisturised -- this is definitely a keeper and something to test if your cuticles suffer.

These two products have made me so excited for my adventures with the Lanolips department, I think I'm going to try some of their tinted balms or their LemonAid one sometime soon. 

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.

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.

winter skin

I generally moisturise all the time but NYC's drying weather has made me aware of what really works and what doesn't.

1. Carmex Original Moisturizing Lip Balm

- A soothing, easy to apply when you're on the go lip balm.

2. Aquaphor Healing Ointment 

- My go-to for absolutely everything. Not as thick as Vaseline and seems to protect all my dry bits and lasts from when I go to sleep to when I wake up.

3. First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream 

- A thick cream for elbows and other bits that need extra moisture that sinks in quickly and is pleasantly non-greasy.

4. Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream, Intensive Moisturizing Hand Treatment 

- Medicinal-smelling but extremely hydrating and smoothing.

5. Caudalíe Beauty Elixir 

- A recent purchase that seems to really lock in moisture and is delightfully refreshing mid-day. 

*All photos taken with an iPhone 5.