skincare 101: Never sleep with your makeup on...

One thing i've learned from my equally kikay mom is to remove all your makeup before going to sleep. Enough with the excuse that you are tired, etc etc. In my case, i work at night and most of the people like me falls asleep as soon as they get home. I sometimes use mineral makeup but despite the claims that it's so safe to sleep with it on your face, i just can't seem to go and try it, even on those days that i'm really tired. And besides, it's like even though i'd fall off to sleep, i am very sure that my mom would haunt me in my dreams with her arms on her waist shouting on top of her lungs "DIDN'T I TELL YOU TO REMOVE YOUR MAKEUP OR WASH YOUR FACE FIRST BEFORE GOING TO SLEEP!??"

Geesh, that would be a nightmare. So no matter how tired or sleepy i am, or drunk i am (hehehe) i make sure that i get rid of the tons of makeup i put on my face before finally going to sleep. (i am such a good girl...heheh)

okay, so how do i do it? i mean, i work at night and go home around 7-ish in the morning. i never got used to washing my face directly...so here's what i do:

1. Of course, i would start with my makeup on (photos taken after my shift)

please ignore my silly face gestures, we're not here to make fun of my face anyways :P

2. I get my HG (as of the moment since this one doesn't sting my eyes) makeup remover, nivea face cleanser for sensitive skin. This can be used as a facial wash as well:

3. I put an ample amount on my forehead and cheeks (you can always put more, if needed)

again, ignore my silly face.

4. Massage the cleanser on your face, most especially on the eye area. I tell you, this cleanser can remove even the most stubborn waterproof mascara. Just be really, really gentle when you massage the cleanser on your eye areas.

5. Then wipe it off with a tissue. I use kleenex premium, because it's soft. But still, you need to be really gentle...

6. Be extra gentle on your eye area, you don't like to get wrinkles, do you? What i also do is i just pat or dab the tissue on my eye area, most especially on the undereyes.

7. Be extra-gentle...

8. If you feel like you need to put more, just repeat steps 2-7. After that, i get my HG wet wipes:

I love this cleansing wipes, it's good for sensitive skin since it's the kind we can use with babies.

9. Using the J&J cleansing wipes, i wipe away the remaining gunk of makeup off my face. And this also helps me to remove the residue of the nivea cleanser:

10. Again, be gentle!

11. And voila, a cleansed face! (with horrible eyebags, and all!)

then i wait for like 10-15minutes before finally washing my face with Neutrogena Deep Clean foaming gel. Sometimes i use a scrub first, then the foaming gel. And then i use kleenex premium facial tissues to wipe my face dry.

colorful...

it's been a long time since i last posted an eotd/fotd, though the pics are all in my cam-phone, i had no time to edit and post them here. but today, despite the busy work sched, i decided to post for a while so i can have a bit of diversion before i go nuts for working too much!

okay, enough with the rant.

so here's how i look today and again sorry for my terrible eyebags (you need to get used to it, though tee-hee):

i've used the following: Monave Caroline and Angel, Modelco brow kit, TM e/s in Amazon on the entire lid, Artdeco e/s in a shimmery, yellowish shade as highlight, TM e/s in paradox on the crease and outer V, TM e/s in Azul used as an eyeliner for the upper lash line (applied thicker from the usual), Fashion 21 stick e/s in Lotus used as a liner for the lower lash line, Elianto Fake Lash Mascara in Brown, Cargo Molokai blush, Smashbox lip primer and Smashbox l/s in Sweet.

my sunday eotd/fotd and penshoppe loot....

i was so tamad to put makeup on because my face has been peeling since yesterday, good thing i brought my reliable mufe liquid foundie so i won't need to buff my face if i'd be using mmu foundie. i know i'm not supposed to wear any makeup at all, but haller...wag naman sa lugar na aking kinalakihan. hahahha...

so for my eotd, i just used a single shade and then finished it with a black eyeliner:

used: EDM eyebrow in brown, MAD e/s in fusion on the entire lid, shiseido black liquid eyeliner, l'oreal mascara in black, MUFE Mat Velvet liquid foundie, Red Earth blush in Tender Love and no lipstick (hehhee, photo taken after mass and as usual, i just can't keep my lipstick to stay put. =)

i just want to rave on MAD e/s in fusion..i so love the color. it's shimmery pink in the pot but turns out to have an orangy - pinkish shade once you put it on. :)

and okay...i really have to do something on my previously posted New Year's resolutions, i need to take the "no-shopping for me to save" off that list! seriously, i am in a really bad need of a shopping rehab!

oh well, i just got a few pieces from Penshoppe:

and of course, isisingit at isisingit pa din ang makeup...so i got these as well:

i've read good reviews on eyeliners from penshoppe...so i decided to give them a try :)

before going home, we saw this store which sells items from Japan. It's like the Japan home store i once visited in Market Market. Seeing all those items makes me want to go and visit Japan again some day. I've been there twice but i never really got to enjoy much during my stay because i always get sick since it's always winter when i visit. and of course, i really can't stay that long since i was only on a xmas vacation during those visits. wahhh....i miss sanrio tuloy bigla.

and again, i got a few items for my place in Manila:

aside from shopping for makeup, i am also getting fond of shopping for home stuffs....and clothes, and shoes...and...and.... (LOL)

and before i end this post, i just want to show you what my sis and i love to do just before the sunday mass starts:

camwhoring!

and that's me and a constipated-look from my sis...too bad, i wasn't able to take a pic with mom. she was then busy tinkering with her new phone kasi. (like mother-like daughters!)

my derma visit...

finally, after months of giving endless excuses not to pay my derma friend a visit, i finally needed to go and had my face checked. lately, i've been having breakouts, probably because of not having enough sleep and because i've tried a new product and that might have been the culprit (tigas ng ulo...tsk tsk).

i underwent facial and then chemical peel, which i really hate because it makes me itch to death. but i wanted to get rid of these nasty rashes and bumps that appeared recently (since i started using that new product, and i will tell the whole story once i've proven that it is indeed the reason why).

and since i am on the Obagi maintenance stage, i need some stuff to use for days that i won't be using Obagi. My friend told me that i can just skip the toner, clear-blender-exfoderm thing on those days but make sure that i use the sunfader (sunblock) everyday. but being the makulit person that i am, i insisted on getting products for my obagi-free days.

and here's what i've got:

she gave me an oil control solution as my toner, coz i insisted on getting serious help for my uber oily skin and she recommended this which also happens to have whitening and moisturizing properties. Neostrata Bionic eye cream, which has great reviews in Makeupalley.com, i am still trying out hylexin (the sample that was given to my mom when she bought strivectin at marrionnaud in MOA) but i am excited to try this one na. DCL lightening gel with AHA (i just dunno what DCL stands for, or i'm just tamad to go and check the label but this one's good din daw), my friend told me that it's like the cheaper version of obagi Clear. And then the Xeragel, a silicon gel for my keloid (yeah friends, i have this terrible, enormous keloid on my left shoulder) and i had it injected with loads of high-dosage steroids to help flatten it.

and this a photo after my facial cleaning and chemical peel. geesh, i can't believe i got used to posting photos like this for the entire world to see. no makeup, horrible eyebags and no kilay. wehehhee

my thursday (01/17/2008) loot...

after a long gym hiatus, my bff and i decided to meet early and hit the gym...for some serious workout? hell, no. we just stayed at the jacuzzi and then the sauna, hit the showers and went to the mall after. hehehe...my gulay, i am so tamad talaga pumunta ng gym. usually, i go to the gym before my work hours...and hate bringing my stuffs with me. clothes, shoes, makeups, abubots and all...so ayun, for almost a year of being a member here in Fitness Platinum (previously, Plus) maybe i haven't even reached 30 visits. :P sayang nga eh...oh well. but since it's one of my resolutions for this year (aw, c'mon!) i will try SOOO HARD to at least go 3x a week (zzzzz....ngork!)

before going to the mall, we went up to the office first so we can leave our stuffs. then to the mall we went. i was not really in the mood to shop, so i only got a few pairs of trouser socks, a cellphone case and an evian moisture mist:

evian overload ito. hehehe...i can't find a small one kasi e, kahit na nga ung medium-sized lang wala. for mmu users, you know why this is a must for us ;) but i also bring one when i go out. so now i can't imagine how people would react when they see me take this out from my bag and started spritzing on my face. hehehe....of course, i would not bring this no! hindi kaya ako malunod sa laki at lakas ng spray nito? LOLZ

my labidabs met me and my BFF at National Bookstore. and there, he went straight to the "Fashion and Beauty" section to look for me. hehehe, now that's my guy...he knows just where to look for me. Pero wala ako dun...When he saw me i asked him where that section is and again i saw a lot of makeup books. I wanted to get one, he even said the book seems useful naman, pero di ba nga tipid mode ang lola mo. But i guess he knows how much i want it so he got it for me. yey! now he's starting to kunsinti me sa kalandian ko...heehhe, he's being such a good boy nowadays.. :P

lookie:

now i have 3 books na...and i still keep on cutting pictures of eye makeups from magazines and put them in an album. Hayyy...wala na..absolute addiction na ito. I need some serious REHAB!

jhengky before and after OBAGI...

and how can i ever forget to post a review of the only skincare brand which saved my face from horrible, terrible and ewwwyy pimples and scars. I used to have all those no matter what product i would try...i've been to several dermas already and well, my skin would improve a little for some time and then just go back to the same condition. It was really frustrating and what i would was to put on layers of foundations and concealers just to cover them up.

then my HS friend, who's now a dermatologist, suggested me to use OBAGI. I've been hearing this brand for quite a while but because of the price, i just can't convince myself to try it. I was afraid that it was all about great advertising (since a popular dermatologist and a lot of artistas are swearing by it) and that it'll just be like any other products i've tried.

My mom, who keeps on complaining of wrinkles got the whole set...and she swears by it too! Pero naman, the price! I know i can be kuripot when it comes to other things but not on skincare and makeup but that time, i was really having second thoughts of trying them because i've had enough of trying products that will either give a little improvement or will even give further damage after using for some time.

my friend suggested me to just get two of its products, CLEAR and BLENDER (which you need to mix with Tretinoin) instead of getting the whole set which is consist of 7 items. And to further convince me, she even offered me to get them in gives. LOL...what a good friend! :)

See my pre-obagi photos, and look how scary my face was:

(geesh...what am i doing? am i really letting the whole world see these photos? terrible no?)

a month later, i decided to get the other items as well: the EXFODERM and SUNFADER. and then ordered the travel set online :)

i've been using Obagi for almost half a year now and i rarely get pimples na, or hindi na talga. the scars are less visible and those bumps on my face really disappeared. Before when i wash my face, i can really feel those bumps and roughness on my skin...but now, NA-DAH!

I'm on the maintenance stage of OBAGI...which means 2-3x a week of using the Clear, Blender and Exfoderm. But i still use the Sunfader (bleaching cream + sunblock in one) everyday. Oh, i didn't use the Obagi Facial Wash and Toner...I've been using other products kasi for me, those two are just so-so.

Now, see my post-obagi photo taken 2 nights ago (without makeup ito ha) Sorry i wasn't able to take more pictures.

i know my face is still reddish...pero i'm like that na talga. But I am so happy that i can now go out without makeup, i still have a few scars left but not as worse as before. I can also say that with Obagi, you'd really look radiant and fresh (naks!) Had i known that this will be the only answer to my skin problems, i should've gotten this noon pa.

This is the OBAGI set, which has two types (Normal to Dry and Normal to Oily). The only difference would be in the set for Dry skin, you'll get the EXFODERM while for the other one, you'll have the EXFODERM FORTE which is of course suited for oilier skins.

The set contains the following: Facial Foaming cleanser, Toner, Clear, Blender, Exfoderm (Forte), Sunfader and Sunblock. You must buy the tretinoin separately, you can get one from Obagi or from other brands. I'm using that of Stieva-A's.

For the AM regimen:

- Foaming Cleanser, Toner, Clear, Sunfader or Sunblock (or you can use both)

For the PM regimen:

- Foaming Cleanser, Toner, Clear, Blender + Tret

I personally love the Exfoderm, because this is a smoothing lotion which really helped me get rid of those bumps. :)

OBAGI = HG skincare!

a review on Elianto's Green Tea Cleansing oil...

well, i'd be honest to admit that i can be kuripot at times but not on makeup/skincare. if i have the "moolah" i would try to splurge on stuffs most esp on those who get really nice reviews. :) i've been hearing a lot of raves about Shu's cleansing oils and been wanting to get myself one (oh, two actually since Mom also asked me to get her one after i made kwento about this item) but aside from the price, somehow i am still scared of putting anything with oil on my uber-sensitive face.

i've found a great makeup remover from The Face Shop and recently, been using that of Nivea's sensitive skincare line but reviews from GT that this Elianto cleansing oil is the "save" counterpart of Shu's. And being the inggitera and usisera me, i decided to get myself one last weekend when i met with mom at MOA.

A rinse-off oil-based cleanser especially formulated for quick and easy removal of long wearing makeup, clear skin impurities and clogged pores while maintaining skin’s moisture and smoothness.

I think it was on Sale (10% off) at that time, so i bought it together with some other items. When i arrived at home, shempre, i got too excited to try this at once. So i took off it's plastic, and to my disappointment, the label was wet because apparently it has been leaking. (hmp, kaya pala naka-sale ha!) But it didn't stop me, so just before i started to pump, i stopped and asked myself..."am i supposed to use it with a cotton?" so i got some cotton, pumped some oil into it and started wiping it on my face. but i just can't make it to work...i just ended up with some cotton on my face. so i got rid of the cotton, pumped some oil on my hands and massaged it to my face. i really liked the way it dissolved my waterproof mascara and my e/s. after that, i used wet wipes to wipe the oil (+ dissolved makeup) off my face.

i don't really wash my face right after getting rid of my makeup using makeup removers. i tend to rest my eyes first before washing my face. after 10 minutes, i got up and pumped some neutrogena deep clean foaming wash into my hands when i saw my face in the mirror. hmmm, is it just my imagination or am i really seeing some kind of radiance and freshness on my face? nice...i think i am going to love this cleansing oil. :)

I've been using it for days now and the only things i don't like about it are:

1. It's kinda messy to use it by pumping some oil into my hands. my hands get really oily..(eww) so if there's any other better way to apply it please tell me.

2. It stings my eyes! Unlike my nivea makeup remover, it's really suited for sensitive skin/eyes. i know i am not supposed to use it on my eyes, but hey...it happens! most esp when i've used a lot and i am trying to wipe off my mascara.

Aside from those, i can say that this is one good makeup remover. I am acne-prone but no allergic reactions at all (crossing my fingers). If only i can find a better way to use it without accidentally putting some into my eyes, this can be my HG makeup remover. For a price of P620++ it's really quite a steal (at least when compared to SHU).

:)

on greens and blues...

honestly, i prefer dark eye makeup...though it emphasizes my horrible eyebags and undereye fine lines, i still prefer it because i tend to wear light shades for my lips and cheeks. i tend to look flat, or maputla when everything else on my face is of a light shade.

so for today, even though its just another work day, i am wearing shades of green and blue. people here are kinda getting used to seeing me with "dark, feline-like" eyes everyday. Once in a while i would try to pull off a simple, dainty, mahinhin look by wearing simple pastel shades on my eyes but they would tell me that they like the "masungit-eyes" look better. :)

here's my eotds/fotd wearing my current fave when it comes to e/s pigments, TAYLORMADE!

used: Smashbox Photofinish Light primer, Monave Caroline and Angel, TM e/s pigment UFO on the inner lid and Disco on the outer lid, Elianto Fake Lash Mascara in Brown and retractable eyeliner in brown used as a brow liner, Aubrey Nicole blush in Eden, Artdeco l/s shade#22 topped with Mac Gellee in Dewy Jube

a review on foundation primers...

during my pre-Obagi days when my face used to have a lot of pimples, bumps and "really" un-even skin tone, i once asked myself if there's something i can use that will make my face look poreless and smooth so my liquid foundation will glide on smoothly and would stay put despite of too much oil being produced from this oil-mine i call my face.

my first primer was that of Modelco's, the "Face Base Skin Primer":

ModelCo Face Base Skin Primer is a hydrating skin primer that visibly improves the look and texture of the skin by smoothing out fine lines and pores. It creates an even flawless base for make-up and keeps foundation on for up to 10 hours.

FACE BASE’s oil-free, long-lasting silky formula is suitable for all skin types. Enriched with nourishing vitamins C & E, FACE BASE's clear formula glides on to give you the perfect second skin.

At that time, i got hold of this thru my mom who gave me a generous amount from her own tube. I tried it at once and yep, it really made a difference. my liquid foundation glided on smoothly, it gave me the "flawless" appearance i've been wanting for such a long time. i also tried it as a moisturizer...after toning, i apply this and then my foundation. but this primer wasn't able to control my oilies...and after a while, i noticed a few little white bumps on my cheeks. so i had to stop...oh well, strike one!

Then, during one of my "trips" to Beauty Bar, i saw Smashbox. I asked the SA if they have a primer and they do!

Smashbox PHOTO FINISH foundation primer offers a unique, colorless formula that increases the durability of foundation during a long day on the set.

Again, i was excited and despite its price...i bought it without thinking twice (yeah, i am that uto-uto in trying out new products). it worked like the Modelco Face Base and like the previous one, wasn't able to control my oilies too. Give me an hour or so and my face will again be an oil-mine. I even tried it when i started using Mineral Makeup as a foundation but after sometime, my pores became more visible. And considering the price for the small amount you get in its small container? Hmm...strike Two!

I then stopped using foundation primers for a while and tried using mineral makeup foundation primers. Most of those i've tried in that line are of powder-type so it won't really suit my liquid foundation which i prefer to use most especially when i am in a hurry. so the hunt for a good primer began again.

I used to get most of my makeups at Beauty Bar, Glorietta but unfortunately because of the incident that happened last year... i had to go and visit the next closest branch to me and that would be at Greenbelt 3. At that time, i think i was just to get what my friend asked me to get for her. and then i asked if they have a primer...and the SA mentioned that they have one from Smashbox and it's really good daw. I thought it was the one i already had so i told her that maybe they have from another brand because the one from Smashbox didn't work for me at all. She said they have a new version of the photofinish primer that's suited for oily and acne-prone skin. A-ha!

and she showed me the Smashbox Photofinish Light primer:

Perfect for oily, acne-prone or sensitive skin, this oil-free, 60% water-based primer refreshes on contact while oil absorbers provide a smooth matte finish all day. Light diffusers minimize the appearance of imperfections while vitamin C and peptides help even skin tone and promote collagen production for a flawless future.

the words: oily, acne-prone, and water-based are the reasons why i gave in to buying this product despite its price (2k++). when i arrived at work (yep, sometimes i do my shopping before going to work)...i had to wash my face and do my makeup all over again just to test this. yeah...sometimes, i give in to SA's words without "really" testing the product. my bad, i know!

so there...after washing my face, i applied this and like the other primers, it did provide me with a smooth, soft-to-touch face and my foundation glided on smoothly. but the best part of it was, it took me more than 4 hours before i can see oil on my T-zone! OMG! OMG! at that point, i already told myself that this product is for keeps.

i've been using it for more than 2 months now (almost everyday) and i've found the perfect liquid foundation to match it: MUFE Mat Velvet foundation (will post a review soon). With this combo, i can have a shine-free face that would last for more than 4-6hrs without blotting. If i start to see oil, i just blot and it goes back to how it looks like when i just applied it! No skin irritations...no settling on fine lines and i even use it with my MMU foundation!

But i should mention that sometimes, i also get oily after 2hrs or so and that would be those times when i've used my Obagi skincare. With Obagi, you have to apply 3-4 products one after the other, which are all cream-based so expect that you'd get oily faster than the usual. If i want to achieve the best this product has to offer, i will just have to settle for the toner-sunblock-primer regimen. And that's fine with me, since I am already on the maintenance stage of my Obagi usage which means i no longer need to use all the products on my face everyday. ;)

So there it is, my HG foundation primer.

NOTE: Photos courtesy of the Brands' website