As I often receive requests for a skincare routine post, I am sharing my autumn skincare routine today with you today.
To cleanse my skin in the morning, I use Peaches and Clean from Soap and Glory. I only use it in the morning to cleanse my skin, as it doesn't remove my makeup at all (though they claim it does). It smells like fresh peaches which is refreshing in the morning, and does not strip the natural oils of the skin. Then I apply Organic Rose Skin Conditioner to balance out skin's pH balance. Though it's a very affordable product around 1,000yen mark, it's such a lovely lotion that moisturises my skin without making it greasy.
I have been enjoying Superdefence SPF20 from Clinique since I got it in spring. It does leave a slightly oily feeling on the skin, so I blot with tissue before applying a makeup primer on top. It protects my skin from the sun damage and dryness, I love how it gets two jobs done within seconds! I use Superdefence SPF20 Eye Cream from Clinique to finish off my morning skincare routine. The formula separates for some reason and I need to shake the tube before use to mix the liquid and cream. It's kind of annoying that sometimes just liquid comes out and it makes a mess, but I still love this product because it hydrates the eye areas that tend to get dry, and creates a perfect base for concealers that I pile on later.
In the evening, I change up skincare products depending on my skin condition. To remove makeup / cleanse, I love using Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm from Clinique. It's very similar to the Chamomile Cleansing Butter from The Body Shop (and the Chamomile one smells divine whilst Clinique one is fragrance-free) but much more powerful in my opinion. You literally need a tiny bit to remove makeup, which makes this big jar last for ages. I use Badger Organic Beauty Balm Damascus Rose when I don't mind using a muslin cloth which I usually avoid. It smells divine and makes me feel relax.
After cleanse, I apply Even Better Essence Lotion from Clinique with the palm of my hands. It's moisturising yet not too heavy, I can literally feel that it makes my skin supple. It has an odd smell (very subtle though) which I am not a big fan of, but I still enjoy using it as it works really well.
SK II Stempower Essence is a serum that I've been using for about 3 months now. It smells like tea to me! It's got a very silicone-y texture and makes my skin surface silky smooth. It claims to reduce the appearance of pores on the cheeks but to be honest, that hasn't happened. For a 16,500yen serum, I have to say that it's not worth it. I will try to use it up as it feels nice on the skin, but I don't think it's doing anything. Advanced Night Repair from Estee Lauder is much better!
I choose a moisturiser depending on how dry my skin feels. When it feels very dry, which is rare, I use Dew Superior Concentrate Cream. It's a heavy moisturiser that felt too much in the warmer season. It melts on the skin and creates a barrier on the skin surface which protects it from dryness. It has collagen and hyaluronic acid to replenish the skin. It feels a little oily but my skin looks fresh and plumped in the morning!
I'm on my second jar of CyberWhite HD Advanced Brightening Night Creme and I absolutely love it. I'm not sure about the brightening affect, but it's such a lovely moisturiser to use all year round! Not too heavy, not too light, glides on like whipped cream, smells divine...the only downside is the price and the heavy jar.
When my skin needs an extra tender care, I add a couple of drops of Terracuore Damask Rose Dew Oil . If you love a rose scent, you will love this oil. I talked about this amazing facial oil HERE so I'm not going to ramble about it again but this has been my skin saviour!
Lastly I apply an eye cream. You can use a serum instead but I recommend you to use an eye cream which is especially made for the skin around your eyes, if you are older than 25. I have tried many eye creams in my life as I have really bad dark circles and when the skin around there is dry, it looks super cakey and wrinkly when concealers are applied. I got a sample sachet of Midnight Recovery Eye from Kiehl's a few months ago and the shop assistant told me that it combats dark circles. But then I saw some YouTubers raving about Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado. I went back to the shop and asked what the difference was. She told me that the avocado one is for younger skin, especially for ones who don't have any specific concerns. It replenishes the skin around the eyes, which makes it look like the wrinkles are gone. She recommended Midnight Recovery Eye for my skin because of my concerns. And it works wonders. It definitely reduces the appearance of wrinkles and dark circles even when I'm lacking sleep. It smells lovely, feels very light yet moisturising, there's nothing to complain about this amazing eye cream.
It got much longer than I expected... Thank you for reading, and hope you enjoyed it!
Michael Todd Blue Green Algae Toner
This is a very refreshing toner that I was loving throughout the summer, autumn and winter. It has blue green algae, organic kelp, hyaluronic acid and teatree which help to maintain an acne-free, moisturised skin. It smells so refreshing that I'm totally addicted to it! I apply it on a cotton pad and gently wipe my face with it. It's the perfect balance between refreshing and hydrating.
Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask
I don't need to write too much about this product, do I? There are so many amazing reviews about it, and I've written my in-depth review of this peach-smelling face mask a few weeks ago, so I'm not going to ramble about it here again, but my skin can't be the same without it. It smells amazing, feels brilliant on my skin, and the result is very impressive.
Nourish Revital-Eyes Eye Cream
I use it every morning and night. It contains peptides, amino acids, B vitamins and antioxidants to boost natural resilience against signs of ageing, and it also helps to reduce the pigmentation of my dark circles too.
LUSH Let the Good Times Roll
Thank you LUSH so much for making such a wonderful cleanser!!! It looks, feels and smells of cookie dough. If you love sweet scents like I do, it would be your dream come true to cleanse your face with cookie dough, isn't it? Plus it's super moisturising, perfect for dry skin. Thank god it's now available all year round.
Predia Spa et Mer Fango Double Cleanse
It's a very luxurious cleanser that makes you feel like you're in a spa. It gently removes my makeup without any oily residue, while moisturising my skin. It smells heavenly too.
Soap and Glory Smoothie Star Body Lotion
It smells very sweet and nutty without being overpowering. I'm not sure when I'll be able to use up this massive bottle, but I've been enjoying it very much since I got it in Jan 2013. It doesn't make my skin feel greasy at all yet hydrate the dry parts perfectly. And the scent lingers for hours.
Soap and Glory Sugar Crush Body Butter Cream
Well...it might beat Smoothie Star to be honest! It smells like sweet yogurt when I open it but once it's settled on my skin it smells like sweet brown sugar with a hint of lime as it claims! Although this one is butter cream which must be heavier than body lotion, I feel that this one is lighter than Smoothie Star Body Lotion actually. I love them both anyway.
It's a 10 Miracle Leave-in Conditioner plus Keratin
The most effective leave-in conditioner, ever! It worked wonders on my hair, it made my hair silky smooth without any tangles. That's unbelievable because my hair is usually very frizzy, dry and very easy to get tangled. Plus it smells like hair salon. Bonus.
Soap and Glory Hand Food
Love this hand cream! It's quite thick but doesn't make my hands feel greasy or over moisturised if that makes sense. I reapply it every 30 minutes at work just to enjoy the scent. Oh, and to hydrate my hands.
Soap and Glory HAND MAID
Yes, Soap and Glory again. I hadn't used any hand sanitizers until I bought this one in London in March. It smells divine, lighter than Hand Food although it's the same scent.
MUA Undress Me Too Palette
Such a useful palette for 4 pound! Although the staying power isn't great, the pigmentation is amazing overall and the shades are all wearable on daily basis. I love creating greyish smoky-eye look with the silver, purple and dark grey.
Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick / Notting Hill Nude
I've been wearing this lipstick none-stop since I got it. It's not completely matte but it's not shimmery or glittery. It has this rosy undertone to it that doesn't make my whole face like a zombie.
L'Oreal Glam Shine Stain Splash / Pink Resistance
I believe this shade is not available either in Japan or the UK, but if you love a very natural coral-pink shade, you should get it from eBay! It's such a beautiful shade that makes me look healthy. I love how it's buildable, too.
Rimmel London
Exaggerate Undercover Shadow Primer
I purchased it because I couldn't afford the hyped-up primer from NARS, and I'm glad I did! It works really well as a primer, although it's doesn't have a colour-correcting effect. My eyeshadows stay much longer when I use it underneath them, and it's super affordable.
Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer
I'm so glad I did purchase it in London in March. I have shade1 and 2, that I use on my dark circles. I don't find them too drying as some people claim, but I wish they had more shades.
Max Factor Clump Defy Volumising Mascara
Such a good mascara, isn't it? It really doesn't make my eyelashes clumpy, it just coats each eyelash that I don't need false lashes at all! I wish I could buy it here in Japan.
Maybelline Volum' Express The Rocket Mascara
My favourite mascara that I can buy in Japan for sure. I like it better than Falsies just because it makes my eyelashes fuller than Falsies, which I found the formula was a little bit too wet for my liking. I love this mascara so much that I'll repurchase once I run out of it.
Maybelline Dream Touch Blush / Peach
In 2013, I fell in love with cream blushers. I also liked the one from Bourjois, but this particular shade easy to wear with any kind of makeup, in any seasons. It feels pretty wet on the skin but once you blend it out with Stippling Brush from Real Techniques, it creates this pretty cheeks that looks like it's from within.
Maybelline ColorTattoo Metal / Barely Branded
This shade works amazingly as an eyeshadow base! It's such an elegant campaign colour that I wear every single day underneath any eyeshadows. I just hope it doesn't dry out until I actually hit the pan.
What are your best beauty products you discovered in 2013? Let me know!
Hope you have a happy new year!
Today I'm going to talk about the makeup products I use daily.
After moisturising my face with SOLAR Protective Moisturizer SPF30, I apply this BB cream from Baby Pink which I talked about HERE. It has SPF35 too which is definitely needed especially in spring and summer. After I apply it with Buffing Brush by Real Techniques, I move on to concealer. I use a few different concealers starting from Rimmel Match Perfection Illuminating Concealer in 040 soft beige. It's a little bit darker to use as highlighter so I use it to cancel out the redness around my nose. Then I apply Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in 02 Light under my eyes, then mix 01 Fair with Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in Light, and apply on top. Because my under eye circles are brown / orange, and I was told to apply peachy concealer first, then apply yellow toned concealer on top. It still doesn't cover them up completely but better than nothing, I guess.
Then I move on to my brows. The first thing I use is my eyebrow mascara. My favourite one is Heavy Rotation Colouring Eyebrow in ashy brown. I bleach my eyebrows every 2-3 weeks to match them to my hair colour but I still like applying eyebrow mascara to even out the colour. Then I use my eyebrow pencil from KATE in BR-02. Then I use VISEE Powder Eyebrow in BR301 which is the lighter shade, and I only use the lightest colour in this palette to fill any tiny gaps.
For my eyes, I use NYX Eyeshadow Base in Skin Tone as a primer. I apply just a tiny bit on my eyelid with my finger to even out the skin tone. I actually don't like this product much because it still makes my eyeshadow crease anyway, and it's kind of oily. I am on the hunt for a cheap yet good eyeshadow primer! Then I apply Maybelline Color Tattoo in Eternal Gold. I didn't like this product much at the beginning but now I love how it shines on my eyelids. You still can see through the shine even after you apply other eyeshadows on top. Then I use Sleek i-Divine Eyeshadow Palette in Storm. I like MUA palettes as well but they tend to come off very quickly...Is it just me or does it happen to you too?
Next I use Kingdom Liquid Eyeliner in black. I only use liquid eyeliner just because I like to define my eyes. I don't like black pencil eyeliner just because it's hard to draw a straight line and does get smudged easily. Anyway this eyeliner is very good because it doesn't come off easily in daytime but it comes off without rubbing it too much with a gentle cleanser and hot water.
Relevance Highlight Tip in pearl beige is something I use when my eyes look tired. It brightens up my eyes instantly. Then finally I use L'Oréal Paris Volume Million Lashes Mascara. I didn't like this mascara much at the beginning but it doesn't clump and creates very natural looking eyelashes.
On my face, I use Baby Pink BB Loose Powder to set my foundation. It makes my skin look flawless and I love the matte finish it gives. It erases my pores on my cheek as well, I love this powder so much! Then I use Relevance Shading Mineral Powder for shading. I apply it on my chin and forehead to make my egg-shape face look rounder. On my cheek I like to use Pierre Couleur Mineral Mousse Cheek in Lovers Pink. It has this unique texture which is exactly like mousse, and it melts into my cheeks when I apply it with Stippling Brush by real Techniques and creates this glowy look. And I sometimes use Sun Beam from Benefit (in this tiny bottle came with ELLE magazine last year).
On my lips I use different lip products depending on my mood. I like to wear Sexy Mother Pucker Gloss Stick from Soap and Glory when I'm wearing a simple eye makeup as it shows up pretty bright on my lips. I love applying Bath and Body Works Lip Gloss (which I talked about HERE) on top of any lip stick I have! It smells so nice like vanilla syrup or something, and it gives pretty pretty shine on my lips. I also like L'Oreal Paris Glam Shine Stain Splash in Lolita. I use it all the time especially at work. It doesn't show up much on my lips but definitely creates "Oh my lips look naturally this pigmented and make my whole face look healthy" type of look if that makes sense. Revlon Color Burst Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie is another favourite of mine. It's such a pretty girlie colour I want to wear on a date or something. It's such a perfect pink!
Phew it became such a long post! Thanks for reading, and share what's on your face today!
Soap and Glory The Breakfast Scrub £9.50
This is the product I wanted to try out the most from Soap and Glory. When I heard Estee from essiebutton saying that the scent made her want to eat it because it smelled just like maple syrup, I thought I HAD TO try it out. How many beauty products smelling like maple syrup have you seen? But the problem was that Soap and Glory didn't deliver to Japan. So I got it from eBay as that was the only way to get their products! The postage was pretty expensive but I don't regret it -because I am totally in love with this product!
First of all, I love the jar. This round-shaped jar reminds me of a jar of fruits jam or chocolate spread or peanut butter that I liked when I was little. The body scrub I had been using before was mainly salt or sugar soaked into plant oils and essential oils, so it was pretty harsh on my skin. But look how different this body scrub is! The consistency is a little bit gloopy and thick but it spreads very well on my wet skin. It contains organic cupuacu bio scrubs, bananas, almond and honey extracts which exfoliate and nourish your skin at the same time.
I love this consistency because it's so smooth on my skin and easy to massage in. It leaves my skin soft and smooth, and smelling absolutely fantastic. I love love love this scent. It's kind of addictive that I literally want to use it every single day. It smells just like maple syrup like Estee said, and it's also got this subtle scent of banana which gives fruitiness to it. I usually don't like sweet scent in the shower but this one doesn't smell too strong at all and I just can't get enough of it.
I wonder why they don't make shower gel and body lotion in the same scent, although this product is loved so much!
Despite the sweet scent, the base of the product is not sugar. It's salt. Which means that whenever you exfoliate your skin with it you have to be careful not to rub it in too hard because usually salt is a little bit harder and harsher than sugar and takes time to melt.
It leaves a very subtle scent on my skin afterwards which is simply amazing. It makes me feel so happy! I would repurchase this product for sure, I would get 5 of them next time I go to England!!
I purchased The Righteous Butter in this smaller jar at the same time from eBay, but unfortunately I didn't like the scent :( It was too strong and too perfumey for me and I was very disappointed as I had high expectation for this product.
I am very interested in their makeup, skincare and haircare products as well. Have you tried any of their products? What is your favoruite? Let me know!
