Differin Update 11

And so... Week 13 has ended. Yep not much progress since last week. New pimples has pop up chin, sides of my face...AND IDKY!!!! Under my eye area there is a manifest.............

My forehead is FULL of tiny CCs.... It's slowly purging i think cos i'm getting some major pimples on the forehead here and there. It always comes in bactch of 2 or 3.

Tbh i feel like right now my skin under the eye area is my biggest problems. Sides of my face and chin i feel that it's my pillow or just the makeup i use? Not even makeup.. the tissue that i wipe. Because my job do not allow makeup, so i kinda pat my face with bb cushion.. and when i want to enter the cleanroom i just wipe it away.. so might be that? :/

Sigh.. here's to another week..............hopefully at least my scarring will get better. :(

Differing Update 10

well here it is. My week 12 just ended with differin. Honestly... it helped in the first few weeks by purging but really badly.. right now idk why I think might be some of my foundation that I'm wearing that's causing some cc on my cheeks. My face has gone down with the pimples but increasing with cc... such is life. And no differin ain't making its magic like how it used to last time with my cc.... laser treatment, I have done second session. Slight improvement but nothing major that people can go wow her skin is really improving. Yeap my skin has still a Long way to go....

Differin Update 9

End of Week 11

Things are pretty much stagnant. My face broke out last week i think because i reuse a tissue paper. But the funny thing is my under eye area, which has the most acne, I do not even touch the area. Nor do i put makeup on it. My cheeks are where i put my makeup. But my cheeks are okay. Generally quite smooth already.

Problem areas now are my under eye and forehead. Ugh my forehead feels like sandpaper. :( CCs aren't forming into pimples. Super stubborn! I have about 20 pimples now. 7 of which are huge acne. And i can't believe im saying this, 1 pustules. Sigh i thought those days were over..........

Only good thing my face is slightly better from scarring due to the laser. This weekend is my second treatment. CAn't wait!

Hope i have no more pimplesssssssssssssssssssssssss!!!

Differing Update 8

End of Week 10

I'm not going talk so much. But this is kind of a rant. It's already week 10 and again I've yet to see and feel smooth complexion. I have 8 huge pimples on my face. 3 of which are still from last week.

I don't understand man. I thought by week 10, healing process should speed up like I dunno in 3 days?? And I'm so ugh. Angry! I have 8 huge pimple on my face and on top of that my scarring!! People are going to think my skin is full of pimples. Sigh.

And it's hard to pin point what is exactly the cause of it. The new medication ? The pills? More purging?

My new makeup? My suncreen sigh why is it that I have such sensitive skin :(

And my work doesn't allow makeup. I feel so down...

Yesterday (20/2) Dermatologist Appointment

Let me refresh you guys a little bit on how and why I wanted to see a dermatologist that is under government subsidy.

Obvious reason #1 is money. I've been to a private dermatologist in Hougang and it was expensive + far for me. So I went ahead to get a referral letter from a polyclinic and she suggested KTPH instead of National Skin Centre (NCS) because of the long waiting line. I was skeptical at first because if it is not direct from a specialize place, normally these people are hmm how do I put it...QUESTIONABLE. For example, the dentist in hospital are like student grads of some sort and it is way better to go to a dental clinic.

But at that point of time (3 months ago), I was desperate on my under the skin bumps, so I agreed hastily. I clearly understand that some creams and procedures are not subsidized as it is a cosmetic thing. Only medicines and consultations are subsidized. Which I don't mind because like I mentioned in my earlier posts, I was concerned on what was going on with my skin and wanting to continue with more antibiotics.

But as time passes, my reason for going changed. As you may know, my cystic acne got way better and left with tons of scarring. Reason #2 is to then ask for advice and options for scar removal.

Boyyyyy was I correct on being skeptical!!!! Yesterday in KTPH, felt like a nightmare that I could not wake up. Firstly, the night before I went ahead and compiled a list of pictures of my skin progress so that the derm can examined. And guess what. He does not even care!! He took a glanced and asked me to put away my phone!!!

Secondly, I asked him regarding Differin why it made me break out so bad. I knew the answer from the tons of research I did. But I just want to hear it from the derm himself. See how the convo went out.

Me: Do you know why when the moment I took Differin my acne went berserk? pointing at phone picture.

Derm: *Glances* Mmm okay but your skin is getting better. Can you please put away your phone now.

Note: at this point he was annoyyed and kinda have a disgusted look on his face because I shown him too much picture that he didn't really care. I was telling my acne story earlier with references from my phone pictures. And he really seem disinterested by interrupting me and asking me basic questions like what meds I have taken, when it started, how was my menstrual cycle. Just. Joting. Down. Notes. No further explanation of any sorts.

Me: So is it okay for me to continue using Differin? 

Derm: Mm if it breaks you out, you can stop using for now.

Me: Mm.. oh kay... 

Me: So what is the cause of my acne? Is it hormonal or products?

Derm: * gives long ass vague answer * so ya basically it could be anything.

Me: alright, so what do you suggest now since I still have acne on my forehead? (before, he inspected my face and noticed some active acne)

Derm: I will give you a 2 month antibiotics. If this doesn't work you can consider isotretinoin.

I'm just like wtf and in disbelief. Inside my heart, I'm like really? Accutane? You're going to suggest accutane that freaking fast?

Me: *gave up on wanting to know more* Okay, so can we discuss on my options for treatments that can remove my acne scarring?

Derm: Oh you can't do that now. You still have active acne. It will aggravate more. Just eat the pills okay. And see me in 2 months time and we will discuss. Anyway this hospital do not do any treatments.

By now I was too shocked by what he said. And just let him suggest all the products and pills. I was really in wtf mode. 

Derm: So what do you think has helped you the past few months? which meds?

Me: *thinking..isn't that your freaking job to know? what works best? How would I freaking know ass.* mm I think Differin did help me to resurface the gunks out.

Derm: Oh okay, then I'll give you another Differin and continue using it.

Again.. WTF??? Just moments ago you told me not to use it? I was ready to cry by now. Too frustrated with this Derm. To think I went ahead waiting for 3 freaking months for this?! All he can give is the same thing a normal polyclinic can give???!! Simple antibiotics, an antiseptic facial wash, another Differin, and some acne gel that I can get OTC.

The hospital don't even do treatments!! He wasn't even helpful in any sorts of questions and advices.

When I was waiting to pay for my pills, I really wanted to cry. What kind of shitty Derm is he?! To think back my Hougang doc, Dr Chin suggested me chemical peels even when i had active acne!! Means it is possible for treatments right?!! I'm so pissed.

I mean 3 months into waiting and all I could get are things form polyclinic arghhhhhhh!! And argh I'm even angrier that there was no treatments that could be done in the hospital. So i might as well seek private clinic from the start???! It is non subsidize anyway.. So I do not need to wait in line for govt hospital. Haisssssssssssssss.

So I quickly called Hougang clinic for an appointment with Dr Chin for consultation for his advice and his thoughts on this. I was desperate and angry because wow 3 months in line and I was down to this.

Dr Chin Consultation

Wow, just wow. A total 360 degree experience. I mean before I always knew he was nice it's just his clinic was too far. Also being a private niche skin clinic, it was also expensive for my student ass.

Anyway wow.. I showed him pictures and also apologise for not seeing him earlier. He politely check on my picture and told me it's okay since my skin has improved alot. He also mention and explains how Differin works. And it was perfectly normal that i breakout that bad. He also mention how he try not to ask his patients to use it because of this side effect. This made me remember how nice he was to tell me options on what pills i can consume to make my skin better before the last resort, accutane. He did gave me chemical peel options but back then I was still a student that's why he suggested on the pills.

Like how great is he? He explains how medication works and also advices the best thing to consume or apply on the face. 

I told him about what the KTPH derm told me how I can't go laser bla bla. He gave out a chuckle and told me that was weird and told me that in fact right now, my skin is the best time to go on laser treatment. 

I could almost cry when i hear that. I. Should. Have. Gone. Sooner. I had a 3/4 months break before work start. And all this could have healed before my work. I could have good skin before work. I could even maybe avoid my cystic explosion? But what's done is done. :/

The great news was that I could do laser. In fact on the day itself. He went through patiently how the laser work and such. And made sure I was calm during the laser treatment.

So I ended up walking out of the clinic $1.4K poorer but also happier towards better skin. It's a course of 5 treatment with 3 weeks interval.

Just a little bit of info on why I'm desperate for acne scar removal is because I'm starting work tmr and I am not allowed to wear makeup. Yes, no makeup. I'm working in a cleanroom. I don't know how it's going to be tmr. You guys know how insecure i am with my skin.That is the reason for my BB cushion purchase. So that i can remove and reapply easily. But i dont even know if that is allowed. And honestly, the scar covers the whole of my cheeks. So wish me luck. 

PS: I've missed a day of differin because of laser. I'll still continue with differin update. And also!! look out for my laser updates every 3 weeks after treatment from now on. :)

PPS: PLEASE WISH ME LUCK FOR TMR!!! :(

Differin Update 7

End of Differin Week 9

I don't know where I should start because the past week has been overwhelming. To be exact yesterday and today. If you follow my acne journey from the start, you might know that I had a dermatologist appointment with a government funded hospital yesterday (Khoo Teck Phuat Hospital). But I shall break down week 9 for me to comprehend better on what has been happening.

Early Week 9

End of week 8 my skin was at a pretty bad state. I've gained a couple of new big pustules pimples that even makeup could not hide it. It was such a setback for me because I thought things were getting better. However last week I narrowed down that maybe it might be a cycle or my Cerave moisturizer. 

I had a couple of events last week so I pretty much wear full makeup on those days. Really felt uncomfortable though. I wore Estee Double Wear but only one layer. I made sure to use clean tools only. And also... eliminate my moisturizer completely. 

However I noticed some tiny white head pimples pops up around the perimeter of my face. Especially cheeks and hairline. So I thought my towel was he cause of it. Because I usually wrap them in a way that hit those spots. So... changed into new towel.

Late Week 9

Come Saturday, I noticed no more new pimples. Except my forehead which I believe is still purging from the CCs I have. And also I want to note that I bought a new foundation which is light weight and non-comedogenic. Laniege Pore Control Cushion. It has fragrance though. But for my work that is starting next week, this is the best I can make do. More on that later..

Anyway I used it on Saturday and Sunday but only a few hours. Fortunately, no new pimples yet.

Let me conclude this week by saying my skin is way better thank it has ever been. I'll talk about my Derm appt in another post because it will get long.

Differin Update 6

End of Differin Week 8

Sigh, to think things are getting better. It's not. I have breakouts on my undereye area. And it's pissing me off. I thought before that it was my dirty tools. But it is not. I've washed my tools but the pimples kept coming in. And the last week.. we are talking about huge pustules not just pimples. It was horrible. :(

And don't even get me started on my forehead. Although no pustules, there's alot of CCs and tiny pimples. Sigh. 4 more weeks to end of Differin course and I still see no sign of steady improving progress. I've heard of people mentioning that their breakout comes in a cycle during their 12 weeks Differin course. I'm hoping it's that. Because I'm really getting pimples at areas that usually do not break out. If it sin't a cycle, then I have a huge feeling that it might be my moisturizer? It breaks my heart because it is always a moisturizer that causes my breakouts. And moisturizer being the most important in a routine, I feel that i always find a good one that is packed with good ingredients. My Cerave is non-comedogenic, fills with hylarounics and even contains niacinamide! Other than that there might be a possibility that my cleansing balm might also be the course of it. (hard to explain because I need to backtrack like 4 months prior..)

I really wanna cry because I really think things are getting better. But it's not.

I'm seeing my dermatologist next week. So that's the only thing I'm looking forward to. And I'll definitely be talking about laser options. My skin scarring is really the worst. :( Just to keep you in the loop, my work does not allow me to use make up. So that's really disheartening. sighhh...

This nightmare just keeps giving ain't it.

Chi Chi Eyeshadow Palette Review

I heard so many good things about Chi Chi Make Up brand and I decided to try one of them. Chi Chi is an affordable local Australian drugstore makeup brand. I first heard it from Shaanxo on Youtube and was completely blown away with the swatches from different bloggers. Disclaimer here, this item was a gift from my friends. But I specifically asked them for this exact item when they went to Brisbane. Now on to the review.

*Pictures are all taken under natural lighting.

Item

Colour: Chi Chi Makeup Palette in Sun Kissed

Price: AUD$22.95

Amount: 16g, 12 shadows

Where to buy: Target or Chi Chi Website.

Palette comes with 12 different shades and 2 sponge applicators. Usually people will toss them away but I like to use it to pack on colours on the lids.

There weren't many colours that were available at the moment when y friend picked this up. This was the only palette that called out to me among the ones that were available. This palette has a lot of bronze-y warm shades that wil definitely look great on any medium to tan skin. I fell in love with shade 06 and 10 instantly. Btw all of the palettes does not come with shade names, hence I numbered them for referencing.

Packaging

I don't know if you guys can see from the photos above but the way the palette closes is so tacky and cheap looking. It closes with a click. Definitely reminds me of kids makeup. Also the packaging is made out of plastic. Plastic, click closing, Definitely looks cheap. come with sponge applcators.

Swatches

These swatches are using fingers and on NC35-NC40 skintone. Shadows are a mix of shimmers, satin and one matte shadow.

Formula

 Shadows feels smooth and velvety when touched and swatched. However, they have a lot of fall outs. And I mean a lot! Pigmentation wise, weak! I don't even think they are pigmented at all. I was really disappointed because they look so stunnning on the pans. Lots of miss on this one but there are definitely some stand out shades too.

I'm really mad at the swatch because I really have to go back and fourth to make the colour pop. So mad that i think i got a bad batch! 01 feels is a pearly shimmer shade that is super chunky. 06 is a muted soft pink shimmer shade. Bummer, 06 was supposed to be my favourite.

02 is a yellow gold shade. 03 is a dark brown taupe shade. 05 is a pretty orange bronze shade. Among these, 03 definitely stands out the most. 03 is also the most pigmented in the whole palette.

04 is supposed to be a nice warm soft orange matte shade that would look great as a transition colour. But it doesn't freaking show up on me and definitely looks super chalky.

07 is another soft yellow shimmer shade that is super chunky. With the pigmentation to be so poor can you guys see how similar it is to shade 02? Grr. 08 is a brighter yellow shimmer shade that looks less chunky.

09 is a light orange-y brown satin shade. 10 was my favourite colour. That orange is straight up my alley. 11 and 12 are another taupe-y satin colours that can help darken a look.

Again like the others, was  not impressed with the colours. At all.

Brush Swatch with Primer

Now for brush swatch, I'll be using it along with a primer because that's usually how I wear my shadows on my lids. i wear eyeshadow with primer.  Using a no brand flat fluffy brush. Primer used is the Etude House waterproof primer.

I only gave these shades a try because I feel they are the weakest on colour of the bunch. Not much different isn't it? Plus I really need to pack on.

Lasting Power

I've used a couple of combinations from this palette. Yes, I really wanted to make this work.

04 crease, 06 lids, 10 outer V. 

04 crease, 10 lids, 03 outer V.

04 crease, 20 lids, 12 outer V.

06 lids, 03 outer V, 12 darken the outer V.

Besides primer, I also used my MAC soft ochre as a base. As mentioned, only 03 works great the rest, the colour does not translate well on the lids. I need to build it up a hell lot. Lots of fall out when blending + packing on. And 06 does not even stay on the lids for long. 12 is so light on the lids that i feel it doesn't help in darkening. Look 2 was the closest i could get to look somewhat decent on my eye using this palette.

Verdict

Really feels straight off like cheap makeup aka kids makeup. Thoroughly disappointed. Although some colours do perform, which was the taupe-y shades, the colours that made me bought this for doesn't show up at all. Which defeat the purpose of me buying this palette.

As with all products, YMMV, because I heard a lot of good things about other colour palettes from Chi Chi. Mostly I heard the review on NUDES and BASE perform really well. This SUNKISSED palette however, I can find like only 3-4 reviews on the internet. They didn't mentioned much about it it too. But their swatches seems pretty okay. Like I said, maybe I got a bad batchor might be my skin tone is too dark for the colours.

I'm not giving up on this brand because in all honesty, there is a lot of good reviews on them. So I might buy another one but different colour palette. I'm eye-ing on the SPICE palette. But this palette, although some people find it okay, I personally do not like this palette. At all. I feel that even a Daiso palette faired better than this one.

Rating: 1/5

Differin Update 5

End of Differin Week 7

Wow i can't believe it's already end of week 7. Time sure flies and I'm happy about it. It just means my skin is getting better and towards the healing process. I have decided not to look into patterns anymore. Because I feel that everytime I have an agenda outside, that's when it looks the worse of the week. Pfft.

Anyways.. My left side has tone down quite a lot. Lesser CCs. But I'm still having a couple of pimples. As of now I have quite a few small pustules that is drying up. Big acne pimple wise, about 5. From those people who has seen me gone through this journey, they have mentioned that my face has definitely improve. Also mentioning how my face looks like a normal person having the "time of the month" breakout. That is really an uplifting comment for me. Remember what a mess I was weeks ago? Grr, those were a nightmare. Right now, I can go out with makeup on and tucking my hair behind my ears. Before, I would really hide it with my hair.

Now, I'm not in anyway towards clear skin. Not anywhere near, FYI. My skin is still texturized with leftover pimples and CCs. To an outsider, they will still see my skin as troubled skin. But I don't mind, because to me, it has improved tremendously as compared to the first 3 weeks.

My major problem area now is my forehead. I felt like this acne "attacked" me on my right cheek first, then left cheek + chin and now it's attacking my forehead. The amount of CCs on my forehead wasn't as much as on my cheeks. So the purging stage right now is fairly manageable.

Also I want to mentioned, that used of unclean Beauty Blender and brushes sets me back to a few days of recovery :( . Last week I had this 3-4 huge acne right under my left eye. I don't usually breakout there neither do CCs form there. So it must have been a product I used. I look back and the culprit was definitely filthy tools! That setback was a little disheartening but it also serves as a reminder to always use clean brushes.

Apart from active acne, obviously I'm struggling with many PIH and PIE. I have some ice pick scars too. :/ But it is not really my top concern for now.

As always, I always hope and look forward to getting better skin in the coming weeks. Hope to see a happier update next week. Oh and my dermatologist appointment is in 2 weeks time. Can't wait!

January Lifestyle Favourites

I tried to put this post up during the last week of January but I totally forgot that this post was put on draft! My apologies. Anyway, no Beauty Favourites because i'm still struggling with acne infested skin. So I rarely wear make up. If I do I always come back to my usual favourites. You can refer to my Best of Beauty 2016. FYI, all images below were taken off google.

Food

Prawn crackers

Have you guys ever eaten this? Super yummy and whenever I eat this, it will remind me of my childhood days. I bought 3 big packets of this in the last month! Truly one of my favourite snacks from I was young till now.

Shows

Westworld

It's been awhile since a show blew my mind. This was it. I'm really bad at explaining shows that I watch without spoiling it so i'm not going to say much about it. This show is basically (from how I perceive it to be) is Human Vs Robot. What's interesting is even though you know that robots aren't human beings, their actions can cause you some what feeling empathetic towards them. Which is crazy, because humans create this artificial intelligence yet you will find yourself rooting for the robots. And there's a lot of hidden mysteries that were left for the audience to solve. So that's also pretty interesting.

Infinite Challenge

I can never part with Korean Variety. When I heard the news back when Running Man was over, I jumped onto the Infinite Challenge bandwagon. I mean since I'm already familiar with Haha and YJS. Apparently this is the oldest and the most popular variety show in Korea. I still can't find myself loving it as much as how I love RM, but I can see why this is heavily loved by the Koreans. What they basically do in this shows are challenges. And yes any challenge that you can think of under the sun. And depending on the challenge they see it as projects. Some challenges can even spread into many episode. These show has like 500+ episodes and some aren't even available anymore. Even the cast has changed numerous times, except YJS I believe. So far the episodes that i enjoy were the Fake Thailand Trip episode and My Ugly Buddy festival. Hilarious!

1N2D

This was the second K Variety that I got myself hooked. I find myself loving this more than Infinite Challenge. I've watched 1N2D season 1 before, so getting into this was kind of easy plus I was already familiar with Kim Jongmin. And it is more similar to RM where they have to play a lot of games. I catch up with this show from Season 3. I must say, so far none of the episode has disappoint me. Just some interesting fact about my favourites here: I've always liked Jongmin because he is blur and funny. But I get annoyed at how frequent he loses haha. So I find myself liking Joonyoung because he seems like the ace. And also I hated on Cha Tae Hyun based from the time he guest in RM. But overtime I find myself liking Tae Hyun more while Joonyoung..err I sorta hate him haha. I foresee this will be my number one favourite if RM really cancels in February.

YouTube Favourite

I've been watching a lot of YouTube lately for obvious reasons. My love for makeup. Hehe. So my faourites will change from time to time. But for the past month I've been watching Jaackjack. I actually followed her since around 2012. But I kinda feel that along the way she isn't mature enough for my taste. Like her audience is for teens or pre-teens. She's very disney and cute-sy kind. But recently I find myself rediscovering her because I wanted to watched/follow another daily vlog besides ItsJudysLife. Recently her dog went missing (during Halloween 2016) so I got hooked watching for updates of her dogs ever since her Vlogmas. Anyway, beauty wise she isn't those Beauty Guru who are apt on their schedule but she's uploads frequent enough for me. If someone uploads more than Jaclyn Hill. That's considered good to me. Haha.

Besides Jackie, I've been watching alot of declutter videos too. Current favourite is JamBeauty89. I find people purging and decluttering their massive collection super therapeutic. Also, these videos inspires me to do my own declutter and purge on the stuff I don't need.

That's it for January favourites. I hope next month I'll see myself using more products though.

Dfferin Update 4

End of Week 6 Differin

Wow i almost forgot to do my weekly update this week because of the long holiday, i thought today was Monday. Happy Lunar New Year to all Chinese!

Anyways, my skin has tone down. Ever so slightly though. I have a close cousin who is facing the same hormonal acne difficulties as me. We started around the same time? But she isn't on Differin. She uses other OTC products. And.. her face has tone down way a lot more than me. Of course i'm pretty jealous because who doesn't want clear skin and in our case, improving our skin. She's just dealing with scars. But anyways again, it's always YMMV. So i still gotta stay positive, i mean it's not like mine aren't improving.

At the moment, i still have like maybe 5 pimples? Those hard ones where it takes weeks to heal. But it doesn't have white pus or a head. Just red underneath the skin. My forehead CCs has start to purge a little but it's not as bad as how my cheeks purged. My chin area is pretty much clear except a little white heads near the mouth area. I believe it's from last week purge that is healing slowly.

My cheeks however, sigh. My cheeks are my biggest battle. For the most part, it's not as bad as how i started Differin. But on my left, there's 2 big pustules. It doesn't bother me that much because pustules when it dries up i can just hydrocolloid plaster them up and within a week it'll be okay. The major thing i'm dealing with right now is my left cheek. All the underneath thingy bajingy that has been hidden under the skin when taut, went up the surface ever so slowly. My right side was much faster. So now it's the left side. I'm having like tons of CCs on my left. And like 3-4 pimples.

So yeah it's not as bad as the first few weeks, but it's definitely not clear yet. And I don't know what pattern it has right now, but i'm just really afraid that it'll get worse.. I'm scared that those CCs on my cheeks will turn into pimples :(

Although, i don't know whether it's because i've been too cooped up in the house for far too long, but i have slightly more confidence going out with makeup. And i mean slightly, slightly. Because of CCs, my face looks terrible with foundation. Makeup enhance those textures. *cries*

Looking at my face on my phone right now.. bleagh i just spotted a new pimple. And my face is still very texturized. sigh.. When will this nightmare ends.

The Face Shop Nail Polish Review

The FacShop has a few range of Nail Polish but today I'm going to review on the Trendy Nails Basic Original Nail Polish.

Item

Price: S$3.50 

Colour: BR803

Amount: 7ml / 0.23 fl. oz.

Where to buy: The FaceShop

I bought this last December to get that perfect nude. This was such a pretty everyday colour. This was the closest nude i could find. Though it has a hint of peachy pink to it. I like my nude to be towards the brown-ish side.

Packaging

Really chic looking. I love how block-y and square-ish bottom it has so it's easy to store. And the glass looking packaging against a semi matte black applicator holder just adds a hint of minimalist look on it.

Formula

I have not try a lot of nail polish but I have my time with really bad nail polish too. I must say, for the price, the consistency of the liquid polish is just nice. It's not hard to apply because it's not too thick and not to thin. 

Be careful though, now that i'm using it back today, i found the formula to be quite tacky and hard to apply. I don't know if it's because it's shelving life is short or because i have not touch this polish for like 2 months now.

Application

It applies smoothly and not streaky. Does not dry too fast so you can quickly amend the way you apply the polish.

Pretty standard applicator. Not that difficult to apply because the width is pretty thick. I only had slight problems doing corners of my nails like i always do. Haha.

This was two coats. Although, i feel that you can still get by with one coat. It's pretty opaque and dries semi-matte, semi-glossy. If a light colour is already opaque, I can only imagine how the darker colours would apply! This was also applied without base coat. 

Lasting power

Pretty lasting i must say. Doesn't chip easily and in the picture it's already my day 3 wear! 

Verdict

For the price and the amount you are getting, I think this is an awesome product. I'm very sure I will be going back to purchase more. 

I rate 5/5!

Beauty Favourites 2016

Hey girlsss! I'm so sorry for the long awaited post but here it comes! First and foremost, sorry for the long overdue post. I've been stuck in a rut and feeling depress from my personal life. But i want to try to hit this post up before February comes along. Also, i'm so sorry on the badly done polish. Haha.. Okay now let's get on to the best of beauty 2016.

Face

1. CoverGirl 3 in 1 Outlast Stay Fabulous Foundation

I've been wearing this since 2014! Doesn't break me out at all. Fairly long lasting about 8 hours plus? Consistency of the liuid is quite light on the skin. Buildable coverage too :) Although right now my skin has been so uneven recently and I have a feeling I need to find a new match! Sigh. Because I already have another back up *cries

Where to buy: Carousell or Amazon

2. Innisfree No Sebum Blur Mineral Powder:

[Picture taken from google because i have used up mine.]

The best setting powder yet. Cheap and good. It's really long lasting and again, feels light on the skin. You don't feel cakey when it's peck on a ton. One thing to take note though, it has white forecast when you're taking photography flashbacks. I don't really mind because I don't take flash photography.

Where to buy: roseroseshop.com or Innisfree @ Bugis

Brows

1. Innisfree Auto Eyebrow Pencil

This is the dual ended one. I love how it's shaped in a way that is easy to follow my brow shape. And the spoolie is just the right size to brush my rather thick eyebrows. Nothing much to say about this product except it's really affordable, great colour pay off and doesn't break me out.

Where to buy: roseroseshop.com or Innisfree @ Bugis

2. Soap&Glory Archery

Love this brow product so much. Initially the one that made me fall in love was another similar product. The tip was similar to the Innisfree one. And the other end is a brow gel. But i bought it in Europe. This was the only one that is available in SEA. Still love this one nonetheless. It matches my eyebrow colour the closest. The thing that i'm kinda iffy about is the shape of the wax pencil that. It's not as precise as i thought it would be (Think ABH Brow Wiz precise). But I still use this to death and if i want a really precise drawing, i always use the brow tint end for it. It's not available in Singapore though. Bought this in Bangkok.

Where to buy: I'm not sure as this was bought in Bangkok

Eyes

1. MAC painterly paint pot in Soft Ochre

I've been wanting this product for so long. Because i have quite the discolouration on my eyelids and it's so hard to make shadows show up on me. This thing though is hella expensive to me so i searched high and low for dupes of this. But there's none. So my dad finally bought it for me from Paris. And omg.. Now i realize why it's hard to dupe it and why it's expensive. Excellent quality with a decent amount of product in the jar. Really opaque and makes my shadows last all day, even without primer. Yes, this can act as a primer alone and your shadows will still last for hours. When i'm done with this, i can't wait to try the other colours!

Where to buy: MAC @ Bugis

2. Missha x Line quads Eye Colour Studio Mini in Sally

 A little anecdote.. I regretted so so much not purchasing it whilst I was in Korea (~S$14) but in Singapore it's S$30+! Imagine that. But of course I source out Carousell and also Qoo10 Korean resellers. In the end I got it for $20. Haha. Anyhow, I love this palette because of the matte orange colour. I can't find any eyeshadow like this anywhere!! That Colour is so unique and it compliments my olive skin tone so well. The formula is buttery and very well pigmented on the lids. Very little fall outs too.

Where to buy: Limited edition so i don't think it's available anymore. Or you can try Sweetbox @ Qoo10

3. Naked 3 Palette

I got this like 2 years ago but only the past few month i've been religiously wearing it. Just like the original NAKED palette, product is amazing. A little fallout though but i've been loving the colour Trick and Nooner paired up with my Missha palette. And the dual ended brush it comes with? Superb too! Only complain? It's shade ranges isn't that much. No matter how much you try, the looks you will get from this palette will look really similar.

Where to buy: sephora.com.sg or Sephora @ ION Orchard

4. Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara

I got this because of a recommendation from a Beauty Youtuber here in Singapore. And thanks to her, i've been through tons of tubes. Whenever i have this on, my friends always compliments me. At times my fiance even thinks i'm using falsies!

Where to buy: Watsons

5. Duo adhesive

This year i started learning how to properly wear falsies. To save up, i tried using tons of eyelash glue just to see if i can find a cheaper alternative. But nope, this is the one that really holds up. I haven't try that many though.

Where to buy: SASA @ ViVo City or Sephora @ ION Orchard

Lips

1. Menow Kissproof in 05

Okay.. I know a lot of people hate this product. I do too. It's super dry and when you pull it on your lips too hard, it can even cause some blood (yikes!) But i loved this colour too much. This year was the year that i learnt i had strong olive undertones so warm nudes like this with a hint of orange really compliments me well. Despite the bad formula, i used it on a daily and even bought a back up.

Where to buy: Ebay or Masjid India Pasar Malam

2. Colorpop Lippie Stix in Brink

This is my everyday nude pink. I bought this when Colourpop suddenly blooms. It's quite creamy and i love how it's kinda precise on the lipstick shape so it's easy to draw. If it's not my Menow kissproof that i'm wearing, it'll be this on my lips all day when i'm in school.

Where to buy: Colorpop international website or Carousell

3. The Balm Long Lasting Liquid lipstick in Commited

As mentioned earlier, knowing how olive my undertones were, it can be quite tricky to find a perfect pink. But this. This.. THIS. This is the perfect pink for my lips! I was scared of how it would turn out on my lips that's why i bought a mini travel size one. But once this is done, i'll definitely buy the full size, along with other colours. It's because the formula is so creamy, long lasting and easy to apply on the lips. And the minty scent is a plus point for me.

Where to buy: Carousell sells cheaper or you can get at SASA @ Causeway Point

4. Silkygirl Matte Junkie Lip Cream in Retro 01

I bought this in hopes to find a dupe for my Menow Kissproof in 05. Because at one time i just couldn't take how dry it was. Unfortunately, this colour was not an exact dupe. But still a pretty colour though. It's slightly on a brighter coral-ly orange shade as compared to Menow 05. For formulation, this was a little underwhelming for my liking. For a liquid lipstick it was quite drying and does not stay long on the lips. But i wore this quite often, especially if i want a pop of colour.

Where to buy: Watsons or Guardian

______________________________________________________________________

That is it for this post. It's not a ton of products because I did not wear a lot of makeup this year. If you read my earlier post, some of you might know that i struggle with hormonal acne around mid of the year. My skin is super sensitive too, so it takes quite awhile for me to test on face products. Anyhow, 2016 was the year i really got into eyeshadows and lashes because i want it to stand out against my bad skin. I also fell in love with the trends of glitters on the lid and also the liquid lipstick craze in 2016. As for 2017 i foresee alot of warm palettes coming up because of such great hits from Morphe 35O and the Modern Renaissance palette.

My makeup goal in 2017 however is to have some project pan that i might discuss in future post. For now, annyeong!

Differin Update 3

End of Week 5 Differin

So I think i kinda jinx myself last week. Because whatever I said in my last post, when down the drain. Yups it wasn't the pattern that I had wished it was. In fact my left cheek was angry and it burst to a million pimples. When I wore make up the bumps protrude more and it's as if my cheeks looks like barnacles in the sea. :( my right side grew like one or two new pimples too.

And the thing about healing fast. Guess what. I haven't had any pimples that grew last week turned into pustules. Very upset. Very very upset. Because there is no way I can hollocoid plaster that shit up. So yup I'm still getting bumpy face. And this Saturday I have to attend a birthday party. I really hope everything will stop swelling and go down. I'm not hoping for clear skin by this sat because I know it's clearly impossible. I just hope no new pimples and old pimples go down.

And lastly I keep comparing myself to others who had gone through this course of medication. And I keep telling and asking why aren't my results the same. Why is it at week 4 people stop purging. Why am I not? That sort of thing. I fail to forget that every person skin is different. And in every case, YMMVV.

I'm sorry. Things has been really hard lately. I hope for a better February :(

ETA: I'm actually thinking that because I have stopped doxy and that is why my skin is behaving this way. That is what I'm afraid of. Hope it's not though. Because I don't want to be dependent on medications. If topical creams that I have to live with, it's fine. But not medications and popping pills for a lifetime.

Doxy + Differin Update 2

End of week 4 Differin, end of week 8 Doxy

Hi pals, i'm late on this update by a day. But here it goes. I have ended my Doxycycline medication. So far, i think it's crap. Because it didn't help my pimples at bay. Anyway since my derm appointment is still a month away, I've been drinking Vitamin C (Redoxon) instead. I mean Doxy is also a kind of antibiotics, right?

Anyway, pimple update. I have lesser "under the skin" bumps. Way lesser than what i have started. Lesser CCs too. Though there is still a bunch of them that have not purge. Pimples are still there. Growing new ones everyday. Although right now i kinda see a pattern for what will happen weekly.

Tuesdays are usually inflamed new pimples that suddenly grows. I realized this from pictures i took everyday and also the weekly update i've been posting here. And Tuesdays are usually the worst my skin will look like and the most pimple that will appear. Those red bumps and all. Wednesday and Thursday.. those growing pimples will come up to a white filled pus (pustules) and by friday usually i can gently pop it and patch it. Saturday and Sunday mostly are healing days. Monday are the only day that my skin looks "normal". Normal as in normal as compared to the other days of the week.

Of course i still feel depressed. But i have learn to accept this. Whatever feelings and however i react to this situation, the results aren't overnight. I still have 8 weeks to see if DIfferin realy does work on me or not. And about 4-5 weeks to see a Dermatologist. So that is something to look forward to. I hope the doctor will diagnose and i'll finally learn what is happening to my skin.

I still refrain myself from going out because my skin still looks hideous with makeup on. Like i mention, there are still tons of CCs and pimples. Although, right now, the amount of pimples i get each week are slightly lesser than the first few weeks. And i'm quite happy as to how some pimples are healing faster. Especially my cyst. I had 2 big cyst on my right cheek and it legit took a month to heal. I had another cyst on my left. And it's healing relatively fast like about a week.

As of right now, since it's a wednesday here, my face has a number of pustules. So i'm looking forward to the weeks to come and hopefully it'll get better.

PS: Sorry i've been withholding my 2016 best of beauty post. I don't know when it'll come. But not now. I'm really too stressful on my skin and a major financial issue i've been having. 

ETA: this was actually drafted last week but I didn't make it live. Hence today's date

Doxy + Differin Update

End of week 3 Differin, end of week 7 Doxy

I honestly just wanna hide somewhere and cry. It's getting worse. Last Friday, things started to look up for me. Like there wasn't any new pimple and I thought my IB period has finally ended. But lo and behold, yesterday I woke up to massive new breakout on my left cheek. I was super depressed. Furthermore I'm starting work in a few days time :(

Today I woke up to even more new pimple and some pimple from yesterday has form the white head (white pus?) underneath. This is so frustrating. I feel like I'm back in week one. Pastules, nodules and such. Painful cheeks even when smiling. :(

I kept a photo log too. And it gets even more depressing because honestly I don't think I'm having any sorts of improvements. CCs still there, millions of pimples, scarring. Sigh and my cheeks are literally getting more scars and the lesser of my colored skin are showing through. And to think my last update I already mention this...well it gets worse alright :(

I hate this :( I can't take it any longer.  I really wanna stop using Differin. And my doxy isn't even helping one bit from stoping the pimples or reducing it. :( a lot of people mention to just keep to the program. But I'm so scared. What if it gets worse, like this product wasn't for me... The only way to find out is through my derm. Which my appointment is still weeksssss ahead :( and what if the Differin IS working and if I stop, I miss a few weeks and then I have to start all over.

I really can't stand this. I feel like going the short way out..LASER. But sigh it's super expensive. $500 per session. On average people go on 5 session. So that's like 2.5K :( And my savings are meant for my school debt. Unless I extend my school loan..AGAIN

This is the worst I've ever been in my entire life. Every single person who saw me without makeup used to say my face wasn't that bad. Like even in my worst days ( or so I thought) , they would say it's okay. Be patient yada yada.. But right now... It's all "why is your face so bad?" "Aren't you scared ?"

FUCK THIS.

IM TOO DEPRESS TO EVEN BE DOING ANYTHING!!

Favourites 2016 : LifeStyle (Part 2)

In this post, i'll be sharing with you girls my favourite shows and music for the year 2016. With how stress i was this year, watching shows was a channel for me to distant myself from overthinking. I definitely got into more shows this year, than the previous year.

TV Shows

6. Friends

I know it's an old show but I just cannot miss this out because I will always watch this show all year around. Be it playing the show as a background while I sleep, run, getting ready or just revisiting random episodes. It's a classic and forever will be a favourite of mine.

5. Narcos

This show kept me at the edge of my seat. The rise and fall of Pablo Escabor is very intriguing and you'll just keep wanting to see how the story enfolds episode by episode. Spectacular show. Thank god it's a netflix original so all the episodes are released at one time.

4. Black Mirror

Every episode of Black Mirror feels like a movie. You'll see how everyday situation entails advanced technology. And how the dark side of technology can take over. Not all episodes are amazing to me. Some really stuck on to me for weeks and constantly gets me thinking. I'm still not over some episode because of how much it messes with my head. Every episode is quite heavy to comprehend in my opinion so I always watch one episode per week or a few days.

3. Daredevil

How can I not mention a marvel show? In my opinion Daredevil S2 is the best marvel show in Netflix. And sorry, Luke Cage was meh for me. Although I love cottonmouth. Hehe. But anyways, I gotta say The Punisher definitely stole the show on this one. Definitely top 3 favourite superhero of mine of all time.

2. Stranger Things

What more can I say? A definite Netflix Original favourite for people's choice in 2016. Best Sci-Fi show that's great for family. Can't wait for season 2. I hope there will be another Eleven appearance!

1. Running Man

I know this is not a TV Show per se. But I can't leave out my all time favourite variety show! Only this year did I start watching religiously. And halfway while I was catching up since episode 1, SBS announced they will be ending the show in Feb 2017. It's really sad, because I was truly hoping for a season 2. Something like 2D1N., with a totally new cast. Because I truly believe that the original cast should move on. They've been doing this for seven years and I feel that all the games they've been playing are no surprise to them anymore. They do not have the drive they had like the early episodes. And of cos, they are aging. For example, I pity Jong Kook because I don't think he'll be able to live up to people's expectation of his Sparta image. I love each member dearly, and wish for them to move on and concentrate on their individual projects. I'd say, the end of Running Man isn't so bad after all. They deserve their Mondays filming time on something else. 7012 forever <3

Honourable mention: Jessica Jones

I didn't favour Jessica too much though. What sold me on this was the villain. Yes, Kilgrave. Amazing character and something I feel like a great villain should be. Invincible, heartless, evil but at the same time we'll pity his character for his sad past. Something I feel like DC should look into more.

Music

Wow this post got longer than I expected it to be. But I do not have much music that I would like to share because i still listen to the same old genre. Although this year I have a new love for instrumental. Therefore this year favorites goes to 65daysofstatic. They're amazing, give it a listen if you love post rock, instrumental or experimental. Another band I would love to mention is Mew. What more can I say. They have been my favorites since forever and they just keep getting better and better.

That's all for now. Stay tune for my best of beauty 2016 in my next post. Stay healthy, xoxo

Favourites 2016 : Beauty & Skincare (Part 1)

For this year, i may not have much skincare and beauty favourites because of how my skin has been acting up the whole year. And some of these items i have not used for the past 2-3 months with the advices from my GP and doctor.
Also, keep in mind these kinds of posts aren't reviews so i'm not going to talk about each product thoroughly.

Skincare

1. COSRX Low PH Cleanser

This year i learnt how important low PH cleanser is. And this stuff was wonderful. Bought it for the third time already. However since I've gone into Doxycycline i stopped using it, as my GP  provided me with a medicated cleanser that's hypoallergenic. I still use this sparingly though. Normally, when i use heavy makeup and this stuffs really cleans it all.

( Where to buy: https://www.roseroseshop.com/cosrx-low-ph-good-morning-gel-cleanser.html )

2. Banila Co Clean It Zero

Second tub. This bad boy is magic. Cleans every single makeup dirt on your face right away. You have to double cleanse with this though as it will leave like an oily residue after washing. I only use this when there's a need to remove makeup (especially tough waterproof makeup). The only down side to this is that sometimes it stings my eye? Just a slight sting, though. I heard that Heimish balm is just as good without stinging the eye. But it's more expensive. Gotta try that one day.

( Where to buy: https://www.roseroseshop.com/banila-co-clean-it-zero-purity.html )

3. BHA Stridex Red Box

image taken from iHerb

This stuff works wonders for my CCs early part of the year. But again, since my Doxy + Diferrin, i have stop using because this is some strong stuff.

( Where to buy: http://sg.iherb.com/Stridex-Single-Step-Acne-Control-Maximum-Alcohol-Free-55-Soft-Touch-Pads/44104 )

4. COSRX Acne patch

This works best when your pimple has come to a head. Once you patch it on, results are basically overnight. It absorbs all the pus and nasty stuff so the next day your pimple will 100% shrink. I've bought like maybe 20? It's that amazing!

( Where to buy: https://www.roseroseshop.com/cosrx-2016-best-100-acne-pimple-master-patch.html )

5. Honourable mention: Biore Watery Essence Sunscreen

I've been using this stuff since i was 18 maybe? I love this stuff so much. It's lightweight, no white cast and a great base for your makeup. However only the start of this year that i realized it isn't sweatproof and not long lasting! Learnt the hard way because the long unshaded walks that i have to walk to school melted it off so easily.. Grr. So i have to reapply. Other than that, i still love it and i still use it!

( Where to buy: Any drugstore outlets. I usually get mine in Watsons. )

That's all for my favourites for skincare. There's so many things that i feel that didn't work out for me (might be the cause of my acne and bumps) or some products that I used are just meh or underwhelming this year. It's super difficult and annoying at the same time to find the right things for my overly sensitive and acne prone skin. Haha.. i hope to find better products this year once my medication stops. Part 2 will be on makeup so stay tuned. Ciao for now :)