Question!

What are your beauty weaknesses? For me, I can’t stop looking at pimple gels and moisturizers (because my skin gets so flaky due to the prescribed gels for my acne). I also like to switch brands whenever I have a product that’s finishing soon… not so good for my sensitive skin!

 

Hmmm… yogurt

so here i am, sitting in front of the laptop, with a homemade yogurt & bentonite clay mask. feels cool and soothing.

the bentonite clay helps to draw out impurities while the yogurt tightens pores exfoliates gently and moisturizes skin all at the same time.

 

LightStim no more?

I’ll be honest, I haven’t been using LightStim for close to a month. Reason being I went to the Chinese sinseh for my gastric problem and took some medication, and found out the the medicine also helped with my skin problem. I’ve been taking it since 1 Oct, and switched medicines when PMS was here to disrupt things again, and I didn’t suffer bad breakouts as I did previously. I didn’t want to use the LightStim during this period as I wanted to evaluate the effectiveness of chinese medicine.

It’s been only a month now, but I’ll continue taking the medicine to see how things go. Meanwhile, I’ve passed the LightStim to my sister who’s been suffering PMS breakouts (she’s not on the chinese medicine). I’ve also been simplifying things cos I’m really lazy and don’t want to spend extra minutes applying creams and masks.

My regimen now:

1. Fancl Mild Cleansing Oil + Simple Cleansing Wipe (to remove makeup at night)
2. Doctor’s cleanser or Etude House Perfect Balance Ready Foam
3. St Ives Blemish Scrub or Crushed Aspirin (to exfoliate occasionally)
4. Mario Badescu Alpha Grapefruit lotion
5. Adapalene
6. PHA lotion
7. Benzoyl Peroxide 2.5% (if I’m lazy, I skip to this step after toner)
8. Retin-A (for big spots)
9. Mario Badescu Control Cream (when skin is dry)
10. Sunblock (for daytime)

 

Etude House Moistfull mask

Picture credits: Musings of a Muse

Item Reviewed: Etude House Moistfull mask

Price/pack size: S$3.90

Available at: Etude House
Please contact me via email (madaboutsprees@gmail.com) if you’re an international reader interested to buy.

Ingredients:

Description: (it was all in Korean, I couldn’t understand)

Review: After weeks of using acne products (adapalene, PHA lotion, BP and occasionally Retin-A), my skin was peeling slightly. It was difficult to put on makeup. So last night, I decided to put on a sheet mask and chose the Etude House Moistfull mask that I received free when I bought some stuff a few months ago.

Opening the foil packet, the mask was a standard one, folded up neatly, soaking wet with essence. It had a slight fragrance that I didn’t really like, but then I couldn’t avoid it as most skincare brands would have their distinctive fragrance. Anyway, the mask was a little too small for me – the forehead fitted nicely but the jawline wasn’t fully covered. It was weird because most masks that I have used were all too big for me.

I left it on for 20mins or so, then removed it. The remaining essence absorbed into my skin quickly and easily with some patting. I applied some AC Red Spot Balm on the acne scars and ended last night’s skincare regimen. This morning I woke up, my face wasn’t overly oily as it was usually. The flaky patches that I had last night, were also gone this morning. That’s a sign that the mask worked, I tell you.

Rating: 4/5

Would I buy again: No, I couldn’t get past the fragrance.

 

Mentholatum Acnes skincare hamper

Remember my previous blog post where I mentioned that I ‘won’ a Mentholatum Acnes skincare hamper? Well, that was the term used in the winning email. A hamper. What comes to your mind when the word ‘hamper’ is being used? A tall basket of goodies? Several goods in a basket, wrapped nicely? This is what I received.

Hamper huh? I was utterly shocked and disappointed when I saw it. Of course I wasn’t expecting something big and of high value. But seriously, this doesn’t even constitute a gift pack! The choice of carrier was appalling and only marginally better than the red-orange plastic bag used when you buy something from your mom-and-pop shop. I actually already own a tube of the Creamy Wash but somehow it was nicked when my sister used/packed my toiletries pouch a few months ago. I don’t really liked the after-wash feeling as my face felt dry and tight, but it could be because I didn’t apply moisturizer immediately. This time, I’m going to leave this tube in the office so I can cleanse my face mid-day!

 

Acnes Medicated skincare

Remember how much I adore the pimple gel from Acnes Mentholatum? I was just checking my email minutes earlier and am pleased and surprised to see that I have been selected for Acnes Blogger campaign of the year and won a hamper!

The blogger contest runs on Fr3b and top 3 most voted blog entries will win a year’s supply of Acnes skincare! How exciting!!!

 

LightStim: Week 4 & 5 & 6

Unfortunately, I have been busy for the past couple of weeks that I forgot to take pictures. As seen from my week 3 picture, the monthly cycle has been wrecking havoc on my skin again (always have been).

There have been a couple of days where I was too tired/busy to do the treatment, and my skin gets a couple more sore spots the next day. But when I go back on the treatment that very night, the sore spots subside.

I’m still undecided on whether it helps my hormonal acne or not since the light treatment doesn’t seem to have much effect on helping me control the spots. It does help when the spots emerge though.

I’ve also been to a chinese physician lately for my gastritis problem and she says that the digestive system does have an effect on skin. So I’m currently taking some medicine for my gastric and hopefully it does have a positive side effect on my skin as well.

 

Everyday Minerals for sale

Hey ladies, I have a couple of makeup brushes from Everyday Minerals to sell!

1. Fibre optic brush (brand new) – S$14 shipped
2. Fibre optic brush (used twice and washed) – S$11 shipped

3. Mint concealor sample (used 4x) – S$2.00 shipped

Email me at madaboutsprees@gmail.com if you’re interested!

 

LightStim: Week 3

Week 0: 4 days before period came

Week 1: skin clearing up after period came and left

Week 2: a little bit better than week 0, but a little worse than week 1.

Week 3: here we go again… the monthly cycle!

I’m still keeping my fingers crossed that LightStim is able to help me with my hormonal acne. If it doesn’t, I go back to Diane35. Let’s monitor for a couple more weeks/1 month!

 

No more reviews?

Last week, I promised in Twitter that I’ll be doing a quick review on Derma E and Elegant Touch (as I attended their PR media launch last Friday).

Unfortunately, I have been busy using LightStim recently and in order to give the truest, unbiased review that I can, I have stopped trying new skincare products, except for Mario Badescu which I have been using all along.

I meant to do a Week 3 LightStim review this morning, but I was too tired to take a picture last night (artificial lighting is the best for such before & after photos), so sorry, that will have to wait till tonight!

Having used the device daily (sometimes, even twice a day if I could spare the time on weekends), my mum commented that my skin is better than before. Perhaps it isn’t so evident from the photos due to scarring which may contribute to the look of many red, angry looking pimples, but I really do have fewer pimples than before. They also heal faster, possibly because the bacteria have been killed off.

I am still contemplating whether to buy the anti-aging light or not because it’s a handheld device, and covers a pretty small area at a time, I’m not sure if I can afford the additional 1 hour or so to do nightly treatments.

Back to Derma E, though I have not tried the products, I have seen the display and testers in stores, and I have to say, they look good. As some of you may know, I’m always looking out for products formulated without artificial colourings, fragrances and alcohol (which explains why I’m such a big fan of Mario Badescu, Simple and my doctor’s products!). Derma E is one such brand that produces products to my expectations.

During the PR media launch, product samples were given to each guest for their tryout at home. They gave Ester-C® Moisturizing Serum with E Skin Recovery Complex and also Anti-Aging Moisturizing Complex with SPF 15. I am very interested in other products such as their Very Clear range (because it contains Lavender, Rosewood and Tea Tree oils – I love!) and Skinbiotics Treatment Cream.

You may want to visit Derma E’s website for more information.