Archives for April 2012

Yes, I do wear make-up whenever I go out. However, I don’t go all out with  tri-color eye shadows, shadings and the whole nine yards. With this heat, the last thing I want is to feel icky under all that make-up.  I see girls that,  after exposure to the sun, got these cake-y, disgusting masks on their faces with sweat trickling down their brow. Ewwww.

I prefer the “natural” look. I don’t use BB cream, foundation, those green tints to even out red blotches, no. I don’t use those highlighting sticks that adds shimmer to certain parts of the face. When it comes to make-up, I prefer straightforward products. I want my skin to breathe hence, I wear very little make-up. Here’s how I look most of the time:

There’s just a hint of pink blush (Cinema Secret in Natural), Lip tint/Lipstick (The Face Shop Lovely Me in Cherry topped with Maybelline Water Shine Pure in R21 ), dabbed concealer (Max Factor in True Beige) on two blemishes on the chin and then, a light pat of powder (Maybelline Clear Smooth in Nude Beige). Despite the over-exfoliation, I’m actually lucky because I don’t really break out a lot, unlike my sister. I go out with zero make up and not be bothered with letting loose. I don’t like getting a tan either because it ages the skin over time.

My routine starts with a good scrub once or twice a week. I should be more kind to my skin but I tend to over-scrub. In fact, I made the habit of wiping my face with a washcloth sodden with soap after exfoliation. So you can say, I double-exfoliate. That can’t be good but I get such silky soft skin after that I can’t stop! I interchange St.Ives Olive face scrub and Peel So Good Diamond Peel Scrub.

So after a good scrub, I moisturize (Neutrogena Hydro Boost), which is very important as I have very dry skin, especially around the jawline. Then, I dab concealer on blemishes, set it with powder and then finally, I swipe my cheeks with blush and my lips with red lipstick (No, I never wear pink, tangerine, nude or fuschia lipstick. It has to be red, slut red to be exact). I never go out of the house without adding a little rouge on the lips and on the cheeks because I have really sallow skin and I don’t want to look sickly and all that.

Why am I telling you my daily regimen? Because I got a shitload of beauty products! I felt that it’s the right time to replenish my kikay kit with newer make-up so off I go to the mall and visited one beauty bar after another. If there’s one thing you should know about me, I’m not the type who’d hoard crazy expensive make-up. I tend to splurge on skin care but make up? Never. I’m sensible like that, yes.

After discovering The Face Shop’s stick concealer (image above), I never used department store bought concealer till now. I like that it has a silky, somewhat powdery consistency and glides fabulously on the skin. Oh and yeah, since I’m Chinay, the hues suit my skin perfectly. Actually, I’m always on the lightest shade for foundation and concealer shades. Unfortunately, they are not always in stock, proof that they are bestsellers. Since I really ran out of concealer and wouldn’t leave the mall without buying one, I went to the Department store and purchased Max Factor’s Pan Stik concealer + foundation. I use concealer everyday but this is a seriously massive stick at 9g. Not sure if I will use everything up. This might double as a foundation but its thick, a bit oily coverage is a no-no for me.

Road-testing MF’s concealer stick, I learned that it has heavier formulation than the one I was accustomed to but it does the job and left my skin silky.

The lip tint, I love the best. I used to be a fan of Bench’s lip tint way back in college (Remember those?) and my love affair with lip tints began. After getting tired waiting for Etude to re-stock on their Lip Tint line, I bought The Face Shop’s version and I’m glad I did because it’s fabulous! The Lovely Me:EX lip tint may look crazy red but goes on sheer when applied. The color is very natural looking. I stayed away from its purplish sister because speaking from experience, it does not suit my skin type.

I don’t fuck around with skin care products because I don’t like breaking out. That’s why I’ve always been a fan of Kanebo and Neutrogena. I was introduced to Neutrogena back when I was a college student. I’ve been searching for a great SPF enriched moisturizer and bought Neutrogena Moisture Oil Free Formula with SPF 15. Its lightweight formulation is fabulous. After that, I purchased their light night cream and I never stopped hoarding Neutrogena beauty products after. Their current day/night cream, the Hydro Boost water gel is divine. Perfect for this heat, this lightweight water gel moisturizer has a cooling effect that softens the skin and locking moisture deep within.

Kanebo is a fairly expensive beauty product and I don’t get to buy often because I’m happy with my moisturizer. My sister gave me a huge tube of Kanebo Freschel facial wash and an equally large milk moisturizer from the same line. I love both because they did brighten my skin and are very very gentle. Kanebo is an outstanding brand, I recommend it to girls who love no-frills beauty products that do the job and more.

Next stop, toners.