Beauty Review: My Face Pressed Powder Journey!

How old are you when you started using face powder?

From a young age, I began with Silky White Magic Face Powder and I'm still using it until today especially when I just staying at home or going to supermarket for grocery shopping.

My favourite is Cool Blue

During my studies, I used SILKYGIRL Magic BB Oil Control Pure Fresh Powder. It definitely has a gentle, natural mattifying effect, and makes my face look fresh upon application and it suits my acne-prone skin because it doesn't cause any breakouts. I believe it has non-drying and breathable formula that's why I was comfortable using it. Also, it provides light but not long-lasting coverage. This is perfect for a student who wants to look fresh in the morning but doesn't want to draw out attention in the class. I also found this small compact powder is convenient because it doesn't take too much of space in my handbag and school bag.

My shade is 03 Rose Beige

About the same year, I also used SILKYGIRL Magic BB White Powder Foundation when attending functions and events. I really love this one because it provides medium coverage that actually lasts long, instant brightening and flawless appearance. It also does a good job in covering my redness, helping to mattify my skin and giving it a more even tone. I love how natural it looked on my skin.

My shade is 03 Medium

I used the above until I hit the pan then I thought I want to try a different brand. I am budget-conscious who prefers not to spend so much on make-up so I purchased ELIANTO Make Up Smooth Wear Face Powder. This one has a light yet creamy texture but it doesn't provide long-lasting coverage. The performance is poor and it's shine free for probably two hours only. It doesn't do a good job in absorbing sweats and excess oil too.

My shade is S03 Medium Beige

Then, I changed back to my trusted brand. This time I purchased SILKYGIRL Magic BB white Chiffon Powder Foundation. I have yet to use this one but upon testing, I can feel that the powder texture is finer and smoother. Just like its predecessor, I am expecting it to have medium and long-lasting coverage.

My shade is 03 Medium

Did you also know different make up tools will give different finished look?
That is why it's important to know how to use it properly.

For a full coverage look, you may use makeup sponge such as BeautyBlender.
For matte finish look, it is best to use a powder puff with loose powder to absorbs oil.
For soft and glowy look, always use powder brush and this is my favourite technique all the time.

You may want to read an article on right ways to apply face powder.

Beauty Review: Oatmeal Turmeric Yogurt Mask

Hot-as-hell weather is ongoing in Malaysia and that means it's time for my acne-prone skin to experience summer acne breakout!

I have acne-prone skin and I always find the Malaysia's summer months make the condition worse. On top of that, I experienced bad emotional stress from my previous job. I believe the stress at work created high levels of cortisone hormone, which lead to inflammatory acne mostly in my cheeks area.

Blemished skin in action!

Got a few black spots and closed comedonal acne on my left cheek. It's bearable anyway. 

I can't bear with my right cheeks. Pustule, whitehead, & papule are everywhere!

I am someone who fancy wash-off face mask so much. I personally tailored the facial mask to treat my particular skin condition. In this post, I will be sharing the recipe for oatmeal turmeric yogurt mask!

Let's start with the main ingredients first.

Oatmeal Turmeric Mask & Scrub by Yellow Gorgeous

We all know turmeric has powerful anti-inflammatory and can be quite beneficial for treating acne. This natural and handmade product is specially formulated and blended with other ingredients as well.

Authentic Greek Yogurt by Farm Fresh

This is the cheapest Greek Yogurt available yet it has the highest probiotic count in the market. But trust me, I purchased this brand because of the price only. So, how is Greek yogurt different from regular yogurt?
- Greek yogurt has denser consistency after the watery component is removed.
- Greek yogurt has more protein than regular yogurt.

Always go for original/plain flavor and full-fat yogurt for facial mask

And how does Greek yogurt help in combating the acne?

- The probiotics (the good bacteria) in yogurt aids in destroying the (bad) bacteria in the skin.
- The zinc present in yogurt reduces skin inflammation and also helps in reducing the amount of oil produced by the sebaceous glands.

Next, we will be mixing these two ingredients in a bowl using spatula and facial mask brush.

Greek yogurt is very thick like a plasticine hence you need to mix it very well 

You would notice from the photos above that the amount of yogurt used was little because the mixture of turmeric and yogurt emits a pungent smell hence just a small amount will do. And the mask will dry faster too! A super-thick layer won’t result in a more effective masking session anyway.

Just like applying clay mask, my face was completely frozen and I intentionally applied it right under my eyes to treat the dark circles.

This is my second night applying the mask and I'm still in dilemma whether to apply toner or not after I wash it off. The reason why because I don't want to "disturb/remove" the remaining good bacteria on the skin. Hmmm.

I'm planning to apply this mask daily until the affected areas got treated. I will update the result next week.

MOTD #3

Face Primer: Sephora Smoothing Primer
Foundation: Maybelline New York Dream Liquid Mousse Foundation (Airbrush Finish)
Concealer: Maybelline New York Pure Concealer Mineral
Eye Primer: Hope Girl Magic Skin Primer
Eyeshadow: L'elan Vital Lip and Eye Palette & IN2IT Long Wearing Eye Colour (ED15 Kapow)
Eyeliner: SilkyGirl Precision Sharp Eyeliner Pen (01 Blackest Black)
Blusher: Maybelline New York Cheek Color (Velvet Apricot)
Lipstick: Kate Tokyo Smooth Colour Rouge (PK-1)

MOTD #2

Face Primer: Sephora Smoothing Primer
Foundation: Maybelline New York Dream Liquid Mousse Foundation (Airbrush Finish)
Concealer: Maybelline New York Pure Concealer Mineral
Eye Primer: Hope Girl Magic Skin Primer
Eyeshadow: Elianto Lustre Shadow (04 Venetian Pink) & SilkyGirl Duo Eye Shadow (01 Monet Lavender)
Eyeliner: SilkyGirl Precision Sharp Eyeliner Pen (01 Blackest Black)
Blusher: IN2IT Waterproof Twin Blush (BIT 02 Allure)
Lipstick: Maybelline New York Color Sensational LipGradation (PINK2)

MOTD #1

Face Primer: Sephora Smoothing Primer
Foundation: The Face Shop Oil Control Water Cushion (V203 Natural Beige)
Concealer: Maybelline New York Pure Concealer Mineral
Eye Primer: Hope Girl Magic Skin Primer
Eyeshadow: Maybelline New York Eye Studio (MX-1 New York Night) & Avon True Colour Eyeshadow Duo (Chestnut)
Eyeliner: SilkyGirl Precision Sharp Eyeliner Pen (01 Blackest Black)
Blusher: IN2IT Waterproof Twin Blush (BIT 02 Allure)
Lipstick: Maybelline New York Color Sensational Rebel Bouquet (REB04)

BEAUTY REVIEW: SKIN FOOD Egg White Pore Mask

Regular cleansing will remove surface dirt and grime, but only a facial mask will actually draw out impurities from beneath the top layers of the epidermis. Masking helps exfoliate dead skin cells and unclog pores so your toning, hydrating and protecting products work more effectively. Masks also help stimulate blood circulation and leave your skin feeling smoother and softer.

Facial masks provide deep nourishment to the skin, so why do so many people neglect this pampering product? Because it takes time—most masks need to remain on the skin for about 15 minutes.

I've just started disciplining myself to use facial mask 2-3 times a week because I have an oily skin. So I purchased Skin Food Egg White Pore Mask because my main concern right now is to minimize my pores. Skin Food claims that this is a pore-refining cleanser with egg white extract that penetrates deeply into pores to remove pore-clogging oil. For your information, egg white is enriched with albumin which promotes firmer skin and smaller pores.

The packaging is cute and handy. I really love the mask texture. It's something like clay kind of texture which is easy to spread. The coverage is good and it doesn't harden very much because it's a wash off mask and I like it. But what bugs people the most is that it doesn't comes with any spatula so it will be a bit messy to apply it on face. Luckily for me, I have a beauty spatula which I got from Nair Hair Removal Cream.

My mask kit - spatula and facial sponge

During application, it gives a refreshing and cooling effect which I really like. The scent is very pleasant too. Although it suggests to apply it for 15 minutes but I will usually wash it off after the cooling effect is gone which can last for 30 minutes and the mask got really dry and turned flaky. I used facial sponge to remove the mask gracefully. 

Me applying the mask and covered in towel hihi

My verdict on this product is, it gives me hydrated and clean sensation on my skin but it doesn't really work on minimizing my pores. But it's too early to say that as I've just started out. Most importantly, it doesn't cause any irritation and break out to my face. 

BEAUTY REVIEW: MAYBELLINE Dream Liquid Mousse Foundation (Airbrush Finish)

I finally bought myself a foundation after having BB cream as my face cream for all my life. The only reason why I purchased this is because it was on sales and Maybelline is a convincing drugstore makeup brand. I had a zero knowledge regarding foundation and all I want is the one wouldn't break me out.

After having this as my one and the only foundation, it doesn't last long due to Malaysia's hot and humid weather because it's not a long wearing foundation. It makes my face oily and shiny after a couple of hours. I normally apply this when attending a wedding reception. Since I'm new to this, I didn't apply makeup primer beforehand and apply this with a damp makeup sponge.

But I like the texture, it's easy to swipe and the formula is not greasy at all. It gives me fresh looking face with full coverage. My shade is Nude Light 4. I would normally cover it with Silkygirl Magic BB White Powder Foundation.

Sherry and me at Lily's wedding.

BEAUTY REVIEW: THE FACE SHOP Oil Control Water Cushion

In my previous post, I talked about my beauty experience with BB cream and how I think it's high time for me to change my daily face cream now. After went through many beauty reviews and considering many products, I finally purchased The Face Shop Oil Control Water Cushion! (At first, I wanted to purchase CC cream because I've never tried it but I would tear a big hole in my purse if I do so. It's pricey for me, for now.)

The Oil Control Water Cushion is the newest technology for great coverage and oil control, long wear cushion foundation. Cushion foundation recharges skin with moisture while controlling sebum for long lasting freshness. Moist-cover effect promotes a healthy look while covering up imperfections and pigmentation. Sebum control formula helps keep makeup shine-free.

There are many Korean brands produce cushion foundation such as Laneige, IOPE, Innisfree, April Skin and etc but what makes me go for this particular product because this is the only one that has a semi-matte finish look. Others are promoting dewy look which is a big no no for oily skin like me. Some more, the price is affordable too and I bought it online from The Face Shop's Online Store during online sales. It comes with a refill pack too! 

There are two shades available (which I think both are very light for Malay's normal skin tone). I picked the darkest shade which is V203 Natural Beige. It's still too bright for me but the dabbing technique with air cushion puff will help to reach the natural shade look. 

The formula of the foundation is lightweight, non-oily and non-sticky. There is also a mild floral scent and it smells very nice! What I love the most about this product is that it has SPF50+ PA+++ UV Protection, easy to apply and it gives medium coverage and cover the redness and blemishes on my face too. It also gives a moisturizing (not dewy) look to my face. The longevity is true especially if I just stay indoor and in air-conditioning room for the whole day. Most importantly, it doesn't cakey and do not cause breakout to my skin. You can see from below photos that my face looks radiant, fresh and flawless.

Other than the good lighting and iPhone's front camera, my friend did say my skin looks radiant in person.

BEAUTY REVIEW: My BB Cream Journey!

BB cream stands for blemish balm, blemish base, or also beauty balm. They were first developed in Germany by a dermatologist who wanted a single cream that would protect skin and provide coverage after laser treatments. The all-in-one formulation became a sensation in South Korea and then spread throughout Asia.

So, my very first BB cream purchase was from Elianto. I think I was 18 years old when I first tried the BB Balm. It gave me a glowing and fresh look. I also began to realize the importance of applying face cream at that age.

1. Elianto Miracle UV BB Balm (2008)

2. Elianto Miracle Multiplex BB Cream (2009)

3. Elianto BB Sun Cream (2010) 

4. Elianto BB Cream Ultra White (2011)

The reason why I stick with Elianto BB cream is because I think the formula suits my oily skin very well. It doesn't cause breakout. The performance is average but I'm sold to the level of SPF they have. With an SPF of 50, its sufficient for me who was lazy to apply a separate sunscreen.Wait, it's not that I'm lazy but the oil based sunscreen would cause breakout to my face. The prices also very affordable for me since I was a student at that time.

Among these four BB creams, the Sun Cream was my favourite among all. I would apply this when I went farming during practical classes and never got tanned. It works wonders as a sunscreen and give full coverage.

But it's 2016 now and I'm turning 26 years old soon. It's time to say goodbye to Elianto BB Cream. It's high time for me to try anti-aging face cream product. I'm glad I started early in applying BB cream because of it, I have a decent good looking skin now.

One of those final days when I applied Elianto BB Cream Ultra White.
Still looking radiant after one whole day outing with friends.