Myriad of Masks: Unmasking the Masks 1

Unmasking some new masks!

A myriad of masks in the world makes finding the perfect one(s) very difficult, so I've tried to narrow down the choices for all those in the world looking for their next new skin secret. In each post I'll have at least one "first impressions" mask where I open the packet and discuss how I feel about the mask I've just unmasked, and another section where I talk about old favourites :) 

First Impressions

For those tired, drained and dull eye area days, I've chosen Dr Morita, a Taiwanese skincare brand that's been making the rounds around the eyecare vine. I'm particularly enjoying the fact that its not just the immediate undereye area that gets covered, since the cheekbones and cheek area also get hydrated by this mask. I actually instantly regretted using this mask as soon as I opened it- when I saw the shape and the coverage, I realised it could be a great travel asset for long flights. The fact that it was super hydrating and nourishing didn't help my regret level.

Nourishment/hydrating: 5/5

Skin clarity: 4/5

Skin coverage: 5/5

Brightening: 4/5- honestly didn't see that much of a difference 

Travel-ready? 4/5 for size and 3/5 for packaging- it was slightly larger than regular eye patches so it might take up slightly more space in a handcarry handbag

Enjoy a rare picture of me~

 

Old Favourites: Innisfree Aloe and Manuka Honey mask

 

Nourishment: 4/5- I put it on before I went to bed and the next morning I definitely felt a difference but didn't feel the nourishment stay throughout the daySkin clarity: 4/5- If used regularly, you can tell the difference Skin coverage: 4/5- slightly awkward around the eyes Brightening: 4/5- If used regularly, there is a difference Travel-ready? No- don't generally use whole face masks for travel, but would consider bringing the aloe for hydrating and brightening purposes especially for long haul flights

Travel Series| Carry On Skincare!

Happy Sunday!

Continuing with the travel series, here is what I carry in my handbag when I'm on a long-haul/overnight flight. Its very important to keep hydrated and fresh during the journey and to try and combat the dehydrating plane air!

Batiste Dry Shampoo in Original for keeping my hair neat and tidy-- generally not the biggest user of dry shampoo but certainly dependent on it for long flights since I've found out about it. Its helped me dread long flights less because it lets me keep my hair slightly fresher and tidier; and less gross and messy which helps, because when I get off the plane, I feel brighter and slightly less conscious about the state of my hair;

Earplugs because sometimes the plane engines get annoying when you're trying to sleep and sometimes you just need to block out the crying babies;

Johnson & Johnson Moisturising Makeup Be Gone Makeup wipes for cleaning out the dirt and rehydrating your face midway, so that you can feel fresh and rehydrated and prevent the inevitable plane breakouts;

Toothbrush and toothpaste to stay minty fresh;

Nivea Pearl and Beauty Spray on deodorant for the benefit of those sitting in your vicinity ;)...

Nuxe White Brightening Lotion for before landing brightening and touch ups and to help calm your skin and keep it moisturised and to help combat the dulling effect dryness has;

Dove Rich Nourishing Cream to keep the rest of your body soft and smelling great!

Remember to get all the liquids and aerosols in carry-on friendly sizes; most of mine are 50 ml ;) Most aiports might sell them at the shop in the waiting areas, otherwise you can always pop to your local shop and they probably have them :)

What are some of your travel favourites, let me know and we can trade ideas !! 

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Travel Series| Beauty| Happy New Year!

Happy 2015 my dears!

I've been away for the past few weeks for the December holidays and I'm super excited to be back and blogging! This month I'll be doing a Travel series where I discuss things that helped me balance out my skin and keep me healthy and happy during the last 2 weeks :) 

Let's talk MASKS!!

This month I've been doing a lot of sitting on planes and travelling to various different climates. Because of that, its been giving my skin a hard time adjusting to the different humidities and air qualities of each country, while trying to balance out the dryness of airline air and the lack of hydration that inevitably happens when you fly on long-haul flights. 

For this reason, I packed 3 Tony Moly masks into my suitcase for my 3 destinations!

London ~ Shanghai:  Toly Moly Tea Tree Mask Skin Soothing

It was a 10 hour flight, so there was definitely going to be a lack of hydration while on the flight despite my pre-flight moisturising and I didn't want to make my skin dry out! I'm not one to put on the mask while on the flight, but as soon as I got home the first thing I used was the Tea Tree Mask for skin soothing. It does a great job replenishing the loss of hydration from the plane. More importantly, because Shanghai is extremely polluted in the winter time (AQI 200....), it was important to make sure that my skin was calm so that I would have the least reaction possible to the terrible air quality. This helps reduce the chances of breakouts due to the unhygenic air particles lodging in your skin, and also sort of prevents flaking.

Shanghai~Singapore: Toly Moly Rice Mask Clear Skin

This is only a 5 hour flight, but its also somewhat damaging because its a drastic change in climate. Also, the humidity tends to cause my skin to either breakout or just cause a lot of spots that don't seem to go away for awhile. I wanted to make sure that my skin was not only clear of all the polluted nonsense that may have found it's way into my face, I also wanted to make sure that I had cleaned it out of the disgusting plane air to ensure that my pores were as receiving as possible to the stuff in the mask. Before putting on this mask, I suggest to clean your face with warm water and a light face scrub to exfoliate and then use a toner to ensure there's nothing blocking the mask and your pores. This mask helped me maintain my skin to be as clear as possible while also calming my skin down and re-introducing hydration.

Singapore~Singapore: Toly Moly Lemon Mask Sheet Brightening

By this time, my skin has been through a lot over the past 2 weeks- various climates (London/Shanghai/Singapore), levels of dryness and weather. I got back to Shanghai on the 31st, so I was getting ready to go out for a New Year's Party and didn't have time to do a mask. I chose this one so that when I did it on the 1st of Jan before my flight back to the UK, I would be able to replenish the dryness, but also the healthy glow that is sometimes lost after a late night out, a flight and scrubbing the makeup off your face. This allowed me to look healthy and hydrated, and replenished the healthy glow in my skin for a no-makeup flight back to London the next day :)

Hope you're all having an amazing rest of your holiday, that your Christmasses were festive and that you had a brilliant new years! I'm very grateful for the (few) people that read what I share and thank you so much for caring about what I have to say, haha :)

Have a brilliant 2015!!

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August Favourites: Skin care

Skincare Faveeeessss

It's that time of September again! Since I've been working I'm (unfortunately) a week late, but I've chosen some products that I think will be of use to all those girls (or guys) who love to carry around essentials or need a quick fix in the morning or evening.

Body Shop Camomile Gentle eye makeup remover (60ml)

I bought this on sale for about £3? It's totally worth it because I travel a whole lot, and sometimes just for the weekends or for a few days, so bringing around a massive bottle of makeup remover is impractical.  Not only has this been a great lifesaver over the past few days since I've put on makeup basically every single day, but its also just been so hydrating and truly, gentle, on my skin.  I don't normally carry it around with me in my handbag, but on the occasion that I have (such as when I know its going to be a long day or I'll be back home late in the evening), I bring a few cotton pads with me and take off my makeup after an event or on the way home on the public transport (totally unglamorous, but its better than rubbing your eyes and getting it everywhere... and as long as you do it discreetly, you can keep some of your dignity ;) ) 

Vaseline petroleum jelly (original 212g)

This is an all time favourite, especially during the last few weeks when I've needed a quick fix in the morning.  I don't wear lipstick, so I moisturise my lips before I go out or before I swipe on a thin layer of gloss or pigment.  Its also great for after a long day and just dabbing it on throughout the day because its clear, keeps your lips moisturised, and doesn't irritate your skin.  Plus its full of other uses (I've heard it can help grow fuller lashes), and its small and easy to carry around.

Simple Hydrating Light Moisturiser (125 ml)

If you haven't noticed already, there's kind of a theme running.... essentially things that are scent-free, cleansing and simple.  I particularly love this one because its super hydrating yet so light on your skin, so you don't feel like its weighing you down.  Its also really affordable (its available in most shops in the UK and in most countries I've been to), but it does a fantastic job.  So for those of you on a budget and that want a product that's lasting and does everything it promises to do, this is your best bet!

Body Shop's Aloe Soothing Day Cream (50ml)

This is another cream and another Body Shop product!! Its a day cream, so its meant to be super light and hydrating and gives you a healthy glow.  It's definitely soothing, but its not as light as the Simple lotion, so sometimes I switch it up, especially when my skin is feeling particularly greasy.  The great thing about this though is that its super silky and a little bit goes a long way.  Plus, its super moisturising and even works as a neck care product.  Another great thing about this is that its only 50ml so its easy to carry in your handbag or travel essential bags.  I've carried this around in my handbag for the whole day and its never leaked out once, nor has it added a whole lot of weight to my purse.  Its also has aloe vera in it (the Egyptians nicknamed it the plant of immortality.... which bodes well for me) and aloe vera is a great product for treating sunburns and soothing dry skin. 

Well Loved Products

As is pretty evident, some of my favourite things in the world are skincare products.  I'm a bit of a skincare/facial fiend, if you will.  I've used these 3 products so much that they've been repurchased till death, but yet I can't stop using them for various reasons.  Here are 3 products that I've loved so much over the past few years, but hopefully will not be the first things I buy when I hit the shops again ( I should really consider trying new things).

(L-R) Vitamin E Cream Exfoliator from Body Shop, Vitamin E Cream Cleanser from Body Shop, Dove Invisible Dry Spray on Deodorant

Alright first of all, the Body Shop's Vitamin E line is absolutely AMAZING. 

Why is Vitamin E so great? Well firstly, its great for your skin.  Its an 1. antioxidant, it 2. repairs and 3. protects your skin.  In a nutshell, this means that Vitamin E helps neutralise the damaging of your collagen, which can sometimes be caused from too much sunlight exposure, for instance.  Its also an antioxidant, which is something your body can't produce naturally, so its important to take in a lot of this whether through food or through skincare products.  You can make your skin healthier, more radiant and softer by getting enough vitamin E. 

Other ways you can get Vitamin E into your system are mostly through foods such as avocados and nuts.  More can be found on this list.  But if you're a bit of a skincare fiend, like me, using Vitamin E skincare products, especially when you're out at the beach or have easily damaged skin, can also be a great help.  To be honest, I didn't know much about what Vitamin E can do to help your skin until fairly recently, so I can't comment on whether or not I did see a difference in my face. 

In terms of the Body Shop Vitamin E line, I'm actually IN LOVE with it because it not only smells fresh, but it has such a fresh formula that is free of a ton of chemically induced smells.  As mentioned, I have super sensitive skin that reacts pretty badly to heavily scented stuff, and what's great about this is that it has a little bit of scent, but all the scent is natural and hasn't caused me to break out or anything.  Its has such a calming effect on my skin and makes me feel refreshed everytime I use it.  Additionally, because its not super rough and thick, I can use a bit of the exfoliator everyday, whereas with most products using it everyday will strip my skin of a ton of hydration.

 I will say that the Vitamin E cream cleanser is supposed to help you take off your makeup, but I've only had limited success with that.  But in general its a great purchase, and I'm looking forward to getting more of the vitamin E line (:

In terms of the Dove Deodorant, that stuff is pretty simple. I know deodorant is pretty basic and we don't always talk about it but its a necessity in our lives and I mean... why not right. I guess the main thing is that I didn't get a roll on deodorant and got a spray-on instead.  I know that a ton of people prefer roll-on deodorants, but I only use it once in awhile as it causes darkening and sometimes my skin gets affected pretty badly because thats a super sensitive area.  I'm still working on finding the best combination though, so I will keep you updated on that(!?) if  anyone is interested?!

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Let me know if you've loved anything or had a bad experience with one of these products! If you want me to try anything else, let me know! <3