My summer 2014 skincare routine

I took photos in May when I received some requests for my skincare routine post, and finally I'm writing about it today! It took me 3 months to do it, and I even used up some of the products I was enjoying at that time. But seriously, all the products I'm talking about today are amazing.


- MORNING -

I take a shower every morning, and use  Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser to cleanse my face. It's kind of a boring cleanser but obviously gentle on the skin. It never irritates my skin and leaves my skin fresh and clean without the tight feeling that I hate. I also love Origins Checks and Balances, which smells of mint mixed with some other essential oils. It's perfect for combination skin as it hydrates the dry areas and gets rid of excess oils at the same time. It leaves my skin more refreshing than Cetaphil does, which makes it more suitable for summer in my opinion. I love love love this cleanser, maybe the best one I've ever tried.

After washing my face, I use Nature Conc Clear Lotion with a cotton pad to gently exfoliate and hydrate my skin. I love using it in the morning because it doesn't leave any greasy feels on the skin. Such a refreshing toner that makes my skin look clearer. Then I use Estee Lauder CyberWhite HD Advanced Brightening Moisture Creme to moisturise my skin. It's a perfect moisturiser for daytime as this siliconny texture creates a smooth skin surface and my makeup would sit very nicely on top of it. I also love using Clinique Superdefense Daily Defense Moisturizer SPF 20 especially on my day off when I don't wear makeup as it protects my skin from the sun. 

Then I apply Superdefense SPF 20 Age Defense Eye Cream from Clinique. I love the idea of this eye cream having SPF effect, as my eye areas tend to get dark spots more than any other parts of my face. I apply the sunscreen from Origins as well, it's a little greasy to be honest but it leaves the right amount of oil once blotted. It's a shame it's only sold in Asia!


- Night-time -

RAFRA Balm Orange is definitely one of the best cleanser when it comes to removing makeup and leaving the skin super smooth at the same time. It literally smells like orange juice, and the consistency is much thicker than normal balm cleansers which warms up on the skin and gently exfoliates and removes makeup and dirt on the skin. It makes your skin feel like a baby's for sure, I promise.

Then I use Clinique Even Better Essence Lotion or Dr. Ci : Labo Herbal Serum to hydrate my skin. Even Better Essence Lotion is such a nice lotion that hydrates the skin without being too heavy. It feels very light on the skin but makes my skin moisturised and kind of plumped. Herbal Serum isn't a serum, but it's got oxygen, 15 different kinds of plant extracts, vitamins, collagen, hyaluronic acid and ceramide. It sinks into the skin very quickly and makes my skin feel fresher and smoother.

To moisturise, I use Estee Lauder CyberWhite HD Advanced Brightening Night Creme. I almost use up one jar, and I've got another one waiting for me to open. I'm not sure if it really does brightens up my skin tone, as I just found some new dark spots around my eyes today (damn myself didn't wear sunscreen until I was like 25) haven't noticed any difference on my complexion, but I love how moisturising it feels on my skin. I also love the scent, it could be a little overpowering for some people but I love it so so so much.

I also use argan oil sometimes to combat dry patches, and Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair (I got a 50ml one the other day, woohoo!) for a special care. Also, RapidLash Eyelash Enhancing Serum is something you need to try out if you haven't tried it yet. It really does make your lashes longer and thicker in a week. I had bald patches in my eyelashes but it made my lashes fuller instantly! I was really impressed, and now I cannot live without it....I don't know what to do when it's gone empty as it's quite pricey and I don't think I can purchase it myself! 

So these are the products I use on my face day and night. I have some more products I'm loving right now, I will make sure to write about them soon!

Need a touch-up during the day? Give KATE Quick Remake Liquid a try!

KATE Quick Remake Liquid 1,400yen
I heard you actually had summer in the UK this year. In Japan, it had been pretty chilly before the raining season started, then we had a proper raining season where you have to ban wearing a pair of white jeans, and even after the raining season, it hasn't been a hot sunny summer. I miss days that it's like 35 degrees outside, and super sunny that it even hurts your skin. 

Apparently I cannot enjoy that feeling this summer. But still it has been hot and humid, meaning my makeup tends to slide off. I wear my makeup for about 15 hours when I'm working, and my skin tends to get shiny at 10am when I get to work after 1.5 hours of traveling from my house to the central Tokyo. I use my oil-blotting films like 5 times a day. Meaning, my foundation kind of wears off in the evening. 

That's when this product comes in handy. Basically it's a very light liquid foundation that you can use on top of your foundation. It freshens up the look while covering up the pores and discolouration, and aloso moisturising the skin.

It's a very light texture that becomes like a powder when applied on the skin. It's great that it doesn't leave a greasy or oily residue on the skin and also that you don't need to carry a face powder around. I love how light it feels on the skin, almost like nothing's on, and it covers up the visible pores on my cheeks perfectly. It makes my skin surface silky smooth afterwords, and makes me look like I just applied my makeup on. Impressive! It also has SPF25 PA++ effect too to protect the skin from the sun damage. 

I got mine from a drugstore near my house, and I think it was around 1,000yen as they had a discount offer going on. I've been using it for almost 2 months I think, and it's got like 90% left still as I only need a tiny bit at a time.

I think it's a genius idea to make a product that is only for the touch-ups during the day. I love how it turns to a powder like texture on the skin, which is perfect for summer. I also love the fact it doesn't make my skin look cakey, I'm guessing that it would be suitable in winter too as it's pretty moisturising. I'm looking forward to trying this out in colder season! What do you think of this product? Would you like to try?

Estee Lauder Pure Color Instant Intense EyeShadow Trio in Arctic Zinc

Estee Lauder Pure Color Instant Intense EyeShadow Trio
Today I'm going to share my summer obsession with you all. I got this eyeshadow palette a few weeks ago, as a gift kind of, and I have been obsessed with it since then. This is my first Estee Lauder Eyeshadow ever, and I didn't know that the quality is this good to be honest. My shade is called Arctic Zinc, which is much more beautiful in person than it looks on the computer screen.

The lightest shade is the least pigmented, it's got quite chunky glitter particles in shimmery greenish blue eyeshadow. The middle shade is my favourite, it's a beautiful grayish blue with a hint of lilac, and this metallic finish looks absolutely gorgeous. The darkest shade is also beautiful on the lid, though it looks pretty boring when swatched. It also has glitter particles but the eyeshadow itself is not metallicky or shimmery.

The lightest shade goes on a little patchy but when I apply an eyeshadow base beforehand and gently pat the eyeshadow with a brush, it kind of sticks nicely without falling off. Then I apply the middle shade from the middle towards the end of the eye, and add the darkest shade on the outer corner. It looks muted in the photos but in person it's such a glittery gorgeous look which is perfect for summer. It brightens up my complexion and I love how the combo looks sophisticated.

I also love the packaging, pretty small and gorgeous like all other Estee Lauder products are. I love how the eyeshadows kind of melt into my eyelids and create the illusion. I have been really obsessed with this eyeshadow trio that I will continue wearing it until the summer ends. Of course I will wear it in winter as well, but I'm sure it suits in summer more.

I'm now more interested in their makeup range, do you have any favourite item?