*Milk; The beauty routine

Despite my lazy nature, I always make sure that I make time to do a pampering session every once in a while. My beauty routine consists of 3 steps; exfoliate, cleanse & hydrate. In this post I will walk you through my routine step-by-step and hopefully it will give you some tricks and ideas for your own pampering session.


Exfoliate

I have sworn off physical exfoliators for a looong time and now I only use the Cure 'Natural Aqua Gel' to exfoliate my skin. The gel is unscented and quite watery so it is easy to massage into the skin. As soon as you start rubbing it in, little flakes of dead skin start to form (Sounds gross, I know, but it is completely pain-free!). What I love about the Cure 'Natural Aqua Gel' is that it never leaves my skin red or irritated after exfoliating.

Cleanse

Mud & clay masks are fantastic for deep cleansing and unclogging pores. I do tend to get a lot of blackheads and whiteheads around my nose and chin area and have found that clay masks are a much more effective (and less painful!) way to remove them than those good old pore strips. Both the Origins 'Clear Improvement' and Aesop 'Primrose Facial Cleansing Mask' perform very well but I'd have to say that I prefer the Aesop one because it dries quicker and is also a bit easier to remove.

The 'Primrose Facial Cleansing Mask' is great for dry/mature skin and if you have oily skin you can opt for the 'Parsley Seed Cleansing Mask'.

Hydrate

My favourite step of all is applying a hydrating mask. I make sure that I always follow up with a hydrating mask after exfoliating and deep cleansing because after these steps, the skin is able to absorb any skincare product more effectively. This is also a great time to bust out those fancy anti-aging treatments.

The Skinceuticals 'Hydrating B5 Masque' contains hyaluronic acid and vitamin B5 to effectively restore moisture back into the skin. I love this mask because it does not have an overly complicated ingredients list so it minimizes the changes of irritation. Plus it is also fragrance and paraben-free.

Tip #1 Use a facial steamer or a bowl of hot water to open up your pores before applying facial masks for better absorption.

Extra steps & tips


The last step is optional, but it is a great way to increase blood circulation in the face for a healthy and radiant glow. Increasing the blood circulation also helps to flush away excess water retention and toxins. Remember, NEVER (!!!) massage your skin without applying any kind of oil of cream beforehand as massaging/dragging dry skin may result in sagging and pre-mature wrinkles.

Tip #2 Cut up small pieces of cling film and apply it on top of your facial mask for better absorption; also great for allowing lipbalms to sink in more effectively.

I like to massage my face using The Body Shop face roller with some Haba 'Squalane Oil' starting from my chin rolling upwards following the jawline all the way to the side of the ears- this can help define the jaw by relaxing the jaw muscle and getting rid of water retention. If you don't have a face roller you can also use the knuckles of your index and middle finger.

I admit that I don't do this very often because I am a lazy fart, but everytime after massaging my face, it does look slimmer.





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*Milk; Updated skincare routine & (very) short reviews

Morning & evening routine

1. HABA — G-Lotion
2. SkinCeuticals — Hydrating B5 Gel
3. Dr. Wu — 'VC Skincare' Intensive Whitening Serum with AA2G
4. Origins — 'Youthtopia' Firming eyecream with Rhodiola
5. Ole Henriksen — 'Express the truth' Wrinkle resistance creme


Cleansing routine

1. Clinique — 'Take the day off' Makeup remover
2. Fancl — Mild Cleansing Oil
3. Korres - 'White Tea' Fluid cleanser


Extras

Sun protectant: Institut Esthederm Photo Reverse
Exfolliant: Origins Modern Friction
Spot treatment: The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil

1. HABA 'G-Lotion' ● A hydrating and skin refining lotion. Contains hyaluronic acid and Sasa Kurilensis Water; a natural mineral essence with anti-septic properties. Helps my pores looking tight and refined, but does not feel as hydrating as it claims to be.
2. SkinCeuticals 'Hydrating B5 Gel' ● Contains hyaluronic acid and vitamin B5 to help moisturize and repair the skin. Great for dry, sensitive skin, but also for oily skin types because it gives great hydration without any greasy or oily feeling. Very comparible to the Peter Thomas Roth 'Viz-1000' serum.
3. Dr. Wu 'VC Skincare' Intensive Whitening Serum with AA2G ● Claims to regulate melanin production of the skin which in terms help to lighten existing sunspots and preventing the formation of new ones. Very light and quickly absorbed. Has significantly lightened my freckles, but effects are less drastic once used for a longer period of time.
4. Origins 'Youthtopia' Firming eyecream with Rhodiola ● Gives a temporary 'lifting' effect of the undereye area. Has a very creamy texture; great for night time, but does not make a good base for concealer.
5. Ole Henriksen — 'Express the truth' Wrinkle resistance creme ● Leaves the skin feeling soft and supple, but does not hydrate my skin very well during the winter time. Has an odd orange and babypowder scent which reminds me of the vitamin supplements I used to take as a child.



1. Institut Esthederm 'Photo Reverse' ● An anti-spot sunscreen which helps to reverse sun damage such as hyperpigmentation. It does not have your regular 'SPF', rather, it helps to strengthen the skin's natural defense against UV rays.
2. The Body Shop 'Tea Tree Oil' ● Great natural spot treatment. Tea tree oil has anti-septic and anti-bacterial properties which can help clear existing blemishes without drying out the skin.
3. Fancl 'Mild Cleansing Oil' ● Fantastic product for removing waterproof eyeliner and mascara. Melts everything off without vigorously rubbing the eye area.
4. Clinique 'Take the day off' ● A slightly cheaper alternative to the Lancome 'Bi-Facil eye makeup remover. Mostly used to correct mistakes and touch-ups.
5. Origins 'Modern Friction' ● The exfolliating particles are not entirely round. Contains rice starch to remove dead skin cells along with other skin illuminating ingredients such as lemon oil. Although it foams up quite nicely, I still prefer artificial exfoliating beads.
6. Korres 'White Tea' Fluid cleanser ● A gentle facial cleanser with a soothing scent of white tea. Smells fantastic, but isn't anything out of the ordinary. Does not cleanse very well, but is ok paired with the Fancl 'Mild Cleansing Oil'.


Hydration:
Texture:
Blemish control:
Overall rating:

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*Milk; Collective haul (part 1)

Now that we are transitioning into winter (we had our first snow fall today!), it is very important to change up your skincare routine. This month I have purchased a lot of new products which I want to share with you all. There are still a few things coming in the mail so you can expect another haul real soon (♥ retail therapy).




These Paul & Joe nailpolishes were half price on ASOS.com so I decided to snatch up two to try out. The shades I got were no. 26 'Coquette' and no. 29 'Tourjours'. Coquette is a cute candy pink color and 'Tourjours' is a peachy nude with a hint of pink. Both polishes have a cream finish with no shimmer, but they would look adorable topped with a layer of clear glitter nailpolish.



I have been wanting to try HABA products for a while because they are preservative-free, but the products are relatively difficult to find. I stumbled across their 'G-Lotion' on eBay while searching for their famous Squalane. The 'G-Lotion' is supposed to prevent acne, gently exfoliate, soothe and keep the skin in balance. Quite a multi function product isn't it? Explains the hefty price tag of $56 USD for 240ml / 8.4 fl oz. Luckily I got it for cheaper.



Probably my favorite product of the bunch! I looove serums and my skin literally needed a hydration boost! I was forced to live on random samples because my online order was delayed for over a month. SkinCeuticals is pretty famous for their serums so I decided to make a splurge on their 'Hydrating B5 Gel'.



Of course, no skincare routine is complete without a moisturizer. I purchased the Dr.Ci:Labo Aqua-Collagen-Gel 'Enrich Lift' after trying a travel size 'Super Moisture' version. This moisturizer is not bad, but I still prefer something thicker for nighttime.



The SkinCeuticals 'Antioxidant Lip Repair' is a restorative treatment to help plump and restore the lips but most importantly; smooth lip lines. There is a deep line in the center of my bottom lip and it has been driving me insane! I don't believe that this will smooth it out, but perhaps it will prevent it from getting worse.



Lastly, a replenishment of my beloved Lorac 'aquaPRIME' primer. Some of you may remember how much I love this product from my review (here). I ran out my first tube pretty quickly because I have been using it nearly every single day since I got it.

I will be posting an updated skincare routine and short reviews on all the products as soon as I receive them in the mail, but if you have any questions you can always leave them in the comments below.

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