I am guilty of a few things. I am guilty of hanging around my house in my pjs till after noon and only bathe until I stink badly/ or need to go out. I am guilty of buying too many facial products and not using them as often as I should be. I am guilty of not exercising which explains the size I am today.
Sigh. I don't even wish to continue the list anymore. It just reminds me of how lazy I have allowed myself to become ever since I quit my full time job and reverted to being a stay home mom. I left my job because I had to work on Saturdays and Sundays and this meant that I would miss out on a lot of family gatherings and time spent with the kids. I rather scrimp and save more than to work and be unhappy all the time. When I was working, I would slap on makeup everyday and go through more than 3 steps of my beauty regime before leaving my house. I had to meet clients and was managing a team so I wanted to look professional at all times. When I came back from work and before sleeping, I would bathe and carefully remove all make up, then go through another 7 steps of beauty regime before I finally go to bed. I would wake up with a flawless face and baby smooth skin. And people will praise me saying I look radiant. So a week in after resigning from my job, I stared at myself in the mirror and saw a face I could hardly recognise. I had a few break outs, my skin looked kind of dry and I allowed my eyebrows to grow out like a bush. So I decided something had to be done right away. I immediately took out my tweezers and began working on my brows. I quickly gave myself a mini facial, scrub, mask and moisturise. After doing so, I felt so much better and it certainly gave my confidence a big boost!
This made me think, how many mommies in Singapore are like me, given up on taking care of themselves because they are so busy taking care of their kids? How many moms have stalked their friend's FB page and admired how good they looked and wished they could be as well groomed too? My fellow mommy friends, the truth is, you can do it too. It starts with bathing, putting on a clean Tshirt and a nice pair of shorts, tying up your hair and taking care of your skin. There's a Chinese saying that goes ' In this world, there are no ugly women. Only lazy ones.' I totally agree with it. If we don't make an effort to look good for ourselves, we can't blame our husbands if they wanna look somewhere which is pretty, right? Taking pride in how we look like also means that we don't allow ourselves to look all tired and worn out as if we were what the cat dragged in.
So because I was reminded of how I looked better when I took care of myself, I decided not to be lazy and from today onwards, adopt the same skin care routine as before and start exercising. Seeing my old pic with all the breakouts verses the me now who has a smooth clear skin, I am really motivated to maintain the same routine and allocate time to myself and love myself a bit more. I'm also going to share with you the routine I have adopted to allow me to have better looking skin and although I must say it seems quite a lot to do, it really only takes less than 15 mins every day to get it done. So before I share the products I use, here's a before and after pic to share so you can see the difference for yourself. Lazy vs Hardworking.
Without too much rambling, I will be sharing with you on the products that I used plus a short write up on some of the better ones that I really like. Hopefully after this read, you will be more inclined to take better care of yourself and look better! Note that all the reviews of the items listed are solely my own point of view and therefore, unbiased.
Step 1: Cleanser
I use the Vichy Normaderm Cleanser. It's good for people with sensitive skin and 1 pump of this product is good enough for my entire face so I would say this is quite value for money. This product does not leave my face dry and tight after washing so I really love it. Sometimes I use the Mustela Dermo Cleanser to wash my face as well especially on days when I don't have any make up on. I like the smell of it and it's so gentle and doesn't leave my skin dry and tight too. For days that I need to remove makeup, I like to use Bioderma Sensibio H2O (makeup remover) to clean my face. It is by far one of the best make up removers I've ever tried.
Formulated with 91% fermented Jeju soybean concentrate, this product helps to promote healthy and
vibrant skin. I use this as a first step after cleansing and before toner. This helps to soften the skin and prep it for the other products that I will layer upon. Initially when I started using this, I didn't see any results so I thought this was a waste of money. After about 3 weeks, I realised my skin was able to absorb products better and it's softer. The surface of the skin did not look as dry as it was before and my face seems clearer. I tried the Tony Moly's First Essence but I felt it left a greasy film after application and it probably is a little too rich for people with oily skin.
Step 3: Toner
Step 3: Toner
I am super in love with this toner. It's from Etude House and true to its name, Wonder Pore Freshner, it really does wonders and it's so refreshing! This product helps shrink your pores, keep it clean and reduce blackheads. It also contains alcohol, so this helps with sebum and oil control. I love that after about 2 weeks of using this product, my T zone is less oily and I need not blot of touch up my make up that often anymore. This is currently my holy grail for toners. It contains peppermint extract so after use, you get a nice refreshing clean and cool feeling on your face. Love it.
Step 4: Eye Cream
Innisfree Eco Science Eye Cream. I'm still a little undecided on this one. I cannot decide whether the dark circles that were lightened were due to this eye cream or because I am having more sleep. What I liked about this cream is that it probably did help with the fine lines below my eyes and kept it moisturised so whenever I put on concealer, it doesn't settle in the lines and look disgusting. I also like that this eye cream comes in a pump bottle kind so I don't have to put my fingers into the jar and dig around. It has a light gel consistency and while it is easy to pat on, it doesn't get absorbed very easily so it leaves an oily looking film beneath the eyes for a while. Despite that, it does not give me millia seeds so I am quite pleased with the eye cream. I only use this at night because of the oily looking sheen but it disappears by the next morning leaving soft and supple skin around the eye area.
Step 5: Brightening Essence / Serum
Step 5: Brightening Essence / Serum
I am currently using the Etude House brightening serum in the day time and the Missha Time Revolution Night Repair at night. The brightening serum has a liquidy gel like consistency that spreads easily and absorbed very quickly without leaving any sticky feeling. This is very good for our warm climate where sometimes the moment you step out of the house you start perspiring. It seems to minimise pores and even out skin tone. It BRIGHTENS up skin tone rather than whiten it for my case. It's a step before moisturiser/cream.
The Missha time revolution is one of Missha's best selling products. I like that it is easy to spread on and it protects the skin from environmental damage, reduce fine lines, even out skin tone, and moisturizes the skin. The star ingredient in this serum is Bifida Ferment Lysate, a probiotic that has been traditionally used internally to strengthen the immune system. When applied topically, it’s been shown in at least one study to reduce skin sensitivity and increase the skin barrier’s ability to repair itself. I can see results after adding this to my skin care collection. My cheeks weren't as red and I would like to think that it's doing its work in preventing wrinkles and the aging of my skin!
The Missha time revolution is one of Missha's best selling products. I like that it is easy to spread on and it protects the skin from environmental damage, reduce fine lines, even out skin tone, and moisturizes the skin. The star ingredient in this serum is Bifida Ferment Lysate, a probiotic that has been traditionally used internally to strengthen the immune system. When applied topically, it’s been shown in at least one study to reduce skin sensitivity and increase the skin barrier’s ability to repair itself. I can see results after adding this to my skin care collection. My cheeks weren't as red and I would like to think that it's doing its work in preventing wrinkles and the aging of my skin!
Step 6: Moisturiser/Cream
I use the Innisfree balancing cream for night because it is heavier and does not get absorbed that quickly . I got it upon recommendation from the guy working at the shop and I have to say that it really does its job very well. I have combi skin and it helped to moisturise my face while controlling the sebum in the T zone. It smells very good and it does give the skin a dewy appearance. However, because it's heavier and not absorbed that quickly, I am not keen to use it for day time. But so far, this is my to go to cream for night use.
For day time, I use the Etude House Brightening Essence Lotion together with the Collagen Moistfull Emulsion. It gives me a dewy appearance as well and absorbs very well, meaning I need not have to blot it or wait for it to dry on my face before putting on my sunscreen. It really gives the skin a boing boing effect which I really love.
Step 7: Sunscreen
I truly love this sunscreen and when I do have time I'm going to dedicate an entry just for the Holika Holika Wonder Sheild Primer sunscreen. It acts as a primer and a sunscreen and I tell you, this sunscreen is not oily and it doesn't have that strong sun screen smell! It's usually my last step of skincare for day time and somedays I skip BB cream and just lightly powder my face, draw my brows, put on some lip gloss and mascara then off I go. It does leave a bit of a white cast but by the time I leave house and take the bus it's not that obvious anymore. I really love that it is not sticky and provides enough coverage so you don't look all caked up. I really love love love this sunscreen and although I tried Kiehls before, I didn't like it as much as I love Holika Holika's sunscreen. I must say that it's worth a buy and if there's anything I must put on before I leave home, it will be this.
Facial Masks
1. I absolutely love the Innisfree Volcanic clay mask - It helps to clean out my pores and leaves the skin looking very clean and soft. I will probably do a review separately on this as well eventually. But this is now my twice a week mask.
2. Sulwhasoo TruFresh Mask - This was given to me as a birthday gift and I also absolutely love it. It helped to calm my skin when I was having my breakout due to a hormonal imbalance during that time of the month. It can be left on overnight or washed off after 10 mins. I like how the mask keeps your skin very soft and smooth after use and it seems to have brightening properties too!
3. Face shop's ampoule mask - The ampoules are to be put on your face before you put on the mask sheet. I find the amount for the ampoule to be quite a lot, so you can properly use half of it first with the mask and just use the remaining half next day. My face was very soft and well moisturised and I really recommend this to mommies who have not much time on their hands as this is very easy to use and it really packs a punch.
4. Innisfree's second skin mask - Also very good. It really covers your skin well and also very moisturising. One of my favourite too.
Again I know this might seem like a lot to do. You definitely can skip a few steps if you are time pressed, but really do invest some time in taking care of your skin. You don't want to look like you are 40 when you are 30, and 60 when you are 40. I have heard of friends who take care of themselves because they are scared their husbands will stray, but I strongly recommend you to do it to feel better about yourself. It's isn't about being beautiful, it's about taking pride in your looks and respecting yourself. When your kids see a happier you instead of a frazzled and unkempt mommy, I am sure they will be happier too!
Do write in the comments section below what are some of your holy grail products. I would love to hear what are you guys using for your facial routine!
For day time, I use the Etude House Brightening Essence Lotion together with the Collagen Moistfull Emulsion. It gives me a dewy appearance as well and absorbs very well, meaning I need not have to blot it or wait for it to dry on my face before putting on my sunscreen. It really gives the skin a boing boing effect which I really love.
Step 7: Sunscreen
I truly love this sunscreen and when I do have time I'm going to dedicate an entry just for the Holika Holika Wonder Sheild Primer sunscreen. It acts as a primer and a sunscreen and I tell you, this sunscreen is not oily and it doesn't have that strong sun screen smell! It's usually my last step of skincare for day time and somedays I skip BB cream and just lightly powder my face, draw my brows, put on some lip gloss and mascara then off I go. It does leave a bit of a white cast but by the time I leave house and take the bus it's not that obvious anymore. I really love that it is not sticky and provides enough coverage so you don't look all caked up. I really love love love this sunscreen and although I tried Kiehls before, I didn't like it as much as I love Holika Holika's sunscreen. I must say that it's worth a buy and if there's anything I must put on before I leave home, it will be this.
Facial Masks
1. I absolutely love the Innisfree Volcanic clay mask - It helps to clean out my pores and leaves the skin looking very clean and soft. I will probably do a review separately on this as well eventually. But this is now my twice a week mask.
2. Sulwhasoo TruFresh Mask - This was given to me as a birthday gift and I also absolutely love it. It helped to calm my skin when I was having my breakout due to a hormonal imbalance during that time of the month. It can be left on overnight or washed off after 10 mins. I like how the mask keeps your skin very soft and smooth after use and it seems to have brightening properties too!
3. Face shop's ampoule mask - The ampoules are to be put on your face before you put on the mask sheet. I find the amount for the ampoule to be quite a lot, so you can properly use half of it first with the mask and just use the remaining half next day. My face was very soft and well moisturised and I really recommend this to mommies who have not much time on their hands as this is very easy to use and it really packs a punch.
4. Innisfree's second skin mask - Also very good. It really covers your skin well and also very moisturising. One of my favourite too.
Again I know this might seem like a lot to do. You definitely can skip a few steps if you are time pressed, but really do invest some time in taking care of your skin. You don't want to look like you are 40 when you are 30, and 60 when you are 40. I have heard of friends who take care of themselves because they are scared their husbands will stray, but I strongly recommend you to do it to feel better about yourself. It's isn't about being beautiful, it's about taking pride in your looks and respecting yourself. When your kids see a happier you instead of a frazzled and unkempt mommy, I am sure they will be happier too!
Do write in the comments section below what are some of your holy grail products. I would love to hear what are you guys using for your facial routine!
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