Skincare Review: History of Whoo In Yang Neck & Face Sleeping Repair

I love sleeping masks. It's a brilliant invention of the century to busy city girls who can hardly have time to sit back for facial treatments. I'm sure Laneige Water Sleeping Pack is not new to those of you who live in Asian cities (a holy grail item for long-haul flights. Talk more soon!). I still adore it, but I adore this History of Whoo In Yang Neck & Face Sleeping Repair almost just as much.

For those who are not familiar with using sleeping masks, it's supposed to be the last things you apply in your bedtime skincare regimen, so it can form a nourishing and/or hydrating layer that promotes and supplements the absorption of other skincare products when your skin is in its most relaxed state during sleep. And if you are new to this brand, it is one of the major competitors of Sulwhasoo, and therefore with products marked within a similar price range. As with all other products of History of Whoo, this Neck & Face Sleeping Repair is marketed as a secret imperial formula churned out of a combination of Korean medicinal ingredients that aims to enhance skin conditions and overcome skin problems by balancing the In and Yang in one's inner system. 

It is a nourishing cream formula that comes in a gorgeous container designed with a traditional Korean touch. The texture is simply beautiful and the fragrance is very soothing as a bedtime regimen. Though rich and full, I can feel that some of the cream is already absorbed by my skin as I gently massage it in. Overnight, it leaves my skin very soft and supple after the morning wash. In fact, I personally find it more effective than Laneige Water Sleeping Pack. The entire experience, from scooping the cream out of the beautiful jar to applying and massaging the cream into my skin, feels like a pampering treat that puts a perfect end to the day. 

One thing to note is that although the product claims to restore skin texture and rejuvenate problem skin, on nights that my skin is sensitive and unstable, I still think Water Sleeping Pack, or better still, Bioderma Hydrobio Mask (see previous review HERE) will be better bets. It just feels safer to use a simpler formula when you skin is frail. But I have to confess that my spots literally vanished the next morning on a few occasions after wearing this Sleeping Repair cream overnight. 

You may be a bit hesitant seeing the price tag, but the good new is, I need only a dime size for my cheeks, chin and mouth area. It seems to take forever to finish the entire jar! With its brilliant performance, to me, it's definitely worthwhile.  

Change of Seasons Skincare Essential: Bioderma Hydrabio Mask

It's too late if you only begin prepping your skin when the brutal cold weather sets in. Act now! Although the sea of luxury facial treatment products could be utterly alluring, the back-to-basics are, in fact, equally brilliant.

My all-time fave is Bioderma Hydrabio Mask. I personally think it's a mask you should always own despite the number of luxury alternatives you have added to your skincare compartment. Why so? Because it's literally an all-time facial mask! It's almost the only facial mask you can use under any skin conditions. Plus, it can be used as a quick fix, part of your regular regimen, a massaging agent or an overnight mask...and above all, as frequently as is needed. I like to leave it on for 20 to 30 minutes, then tissue off the excess. It leaves my skin supple and baby soft without a tinge of grease. My pores are instantly refined since the skin cells are well-quenched. What more do you want? 

Skincare Review: Bobbi Brown Brightening Gentle Cream Cleanser

Keeping your face well-cleansed is the first step to having baby soft and clear skin. Especially if you wear makeup almost every single day in a polluted environment, you will tend to be obsessed with products that can slough away the layer of the dirt, residues from the heap of beauty products we use, and the hideous dead skin cells that give you unwanted skin problems. But hang on, how many products in your daily skin care routine contains exfoliants, like glycolic acid??? If you are already doing regular exfoliation and using some sort of a resurfacing serum, it's very likely that you will only need a gentle cleanser...unless you work at a construction site (no offense!).

I'm currently using Elemis Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Facial Wash (see review HERE) and I adore it. But the fact is, I definitely don't need such a strong cleanser for my morning wash. It's simply too clean considered the minimal amount of dirt that will ever deposit on my skin overnight. Plus, on nights that I am doing facial treatments which usually include some sorts of exfoliation, say with Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel or Clinique Turnaround Facial Masque (see review HERE), and worse if I am topping it up with an exfoliating or resurfacing serum, the huge amount of exfoliators (e.g. glycolic acid) will haven take away too much from my skin if I begin the routine with a strong cleanser...With this, if you think yea, but still...Bobbi Brown Brightening Gentle Cream Cleanser could be a good option for you.

The good thing about Bobbi Brown Brightening Gentle Cream Cleanser is that it's gentle and it also removes makeup. Honestly, being a 'worshipper' of Bioderma Cleansing Water, I don't use any other makeup remover. But at least, it says I'm not as gentle as being nothing, if you so want to give your face a good wash in the morning. This pearly iridescent cream formula doesn't strip off your skin's natural moisture, neither will it add too much moisture to your skin. Everything's just nice! I use it in my morning wash and it's good enough to kick off the day. 

The Best Oil-Control Serum from Drugstores

Because of my irritatingly oily T-zone, I've tried quite a handful of oil-control serums over the years. Many didn't work at all. On several occasions, it turned out to be such a waste of time, money, and the product itself too (!!!) since there's no way I could ever carry on using an oil-control serum that actually encouraged oil secretion! My painful serum hunt finally came to an end when I found Bioderma Sebium Pore Refiner in a drugstore haul. Good things do come when you're least expecting them! It's the oil-control serum that I keep getting back to.

Unlike some oil-control serum out there in the market, this Bioderma serum doesn't leave any residue. So you won't end up with a mess when you do your makeup 5 minutes before dashing out of your place. It matifies my T-zone and forehead like a super blotting paper. I do need a mid-day retouch with my Mac Blot Powder (HERE) if I'm out the whole day. Just touch-up once and I'm fine the whole day. As with all other Bioderma products, it's hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic. Quality-wise, it's definitely in no way inferior to the luxurious brands and it's worth every penny you've paid (if not more)! Hey hey, those with combination and acne-prone skin can party tonight!

UV Fighters I: Chanel UV Essentiel Multi-protection Daily UV Care

I walked under the blazing sun for 20 days in Paris last summer, but my face remained fair (if not fairer) after the trip. Thanks to Chanel UV Essentiel Multi-protection Daily UV Care SPF 50/PA+++! Being born and bred in sub-tropical and tropical regions, it's honestly my first time experiencing a dry summer. I could actually feel the fragility of my severely dehydrated skin and rashes surfaced on the second day of my stay. I thrived through the 20 days without a single touch of makeup, no brightening mask, no exfoliating mask, but only Bioderma Hydrabio Mask (review in preparation) and Chanel Multi-protection Daily UV Care.

The latter is a very gentle, yet protective and nourishing sunscreen. Look, I wore it over my rashes! It contains vitamin E and Licorice Extract, both effective healing and antioxidant agents. Although the description says it's oil-free, it does leave a comfortable film of moisture on my skin. I can literally feel the protection it provides. Besides, the thin consistency makes a little go a long way! It may be more pricey than other sunscreens, but trust me, the seemingly small white bottle can last a long long time! Apart from locking moisture in my skin, it also brightens my complexion while providing a broad spectrum of both UVA and UVB protections (SPF 50/PA+++). A good deal, no?!

This is the first of my UV Fighters series...six other are on their way! *wink*

The first step to real facial treats - Clinique Turnaround Instant Facial

I've this indulgence in exfoliating and brightening/purifying masks lately, which (you're right!) kind of burns a hole in my wallet! BUT, you can expect more reviews of mask coming up! 

Exfoliation is a 'must' in everybody's skincare regime. There was a period of time when I was too lazy to exfoliate my skin regularly. But before I knew, my skin started protesting. It looked dull and bumpy. My lotion couldn't seep through and my makeup couldn't stick. AHHHhhhhh! The moral of the story is, no matter how busy you are, don't ever hesitate to spare JUST a few minutes (fine, about 10-15 minutes) to remove the irritating dead cells, which weakens your skin and tarnishes your natural beauty! 

For many years, I've been using Clinique Turnaround Instant Facial. The company launched it years back as a modified version of the Turnaround 15-minute Facial. It truly is an upgrade and it's a product I can't live without these few years! Well, I do find it a bit misleading to name it a 'Facial' or 'Masque' in French as it's more of a facial scrub to me. Erm...but yes, on second thought, perhaps it does a little more than a scrub. The ultrafine microdermabrasion beads can cover every tiny bit of my skin and 'grip' onto the dead cells and impurities on my face. As I scrub my face with water in a circular motion, I'm able to take all the 'junks' off my skin in a gentle, yet effective way. It never fails to leave my skin silky smooth, radiant, and more even-toned. My skin can then 'drink up' my other skincare products and it also saves me lots of glooming time in the next couple of days since my cosmetics can now glide on my face! I've tried other exfoliators (e.g. Dermalogica, Bioderma, and Estee Lauder - reviews pending I promise), but this is thus far THE ONE that I always end up getting back to.  

Prepping your lips

My lips have been very dehydrated, well in fact my cheeks are the only pretty-good pieces of skin I have, and they've given lots of people a false impression of my actually-flawed skin! Anyway, to ensure that my lips can look moist and sheer the whole day, overnight prep is the first and most important step. Although lip scrubs (e.g. Fresh Sugar Lip polish) are available in the market, I'm trying to cut down on the unnecessary skincare expense and see if some cheaper alternatives can serve the same purpose.

Before bed...
All you need to prep your lips overnight is a thick lip balm that doesn't disappear in a minute since your lips will need continuous hydration through the night. I use Bioderma Atoderm Lip Balm for dry, chapped damaged lips, generously. As the product description says, it restores the chapped, dry lip mucous membrane, it really does! By now, you should've noticed that I'm a big fan of Bioderma, but my fondness comes with reasons! If you have dry lips like mine, your lips will most likely look horrible the next morning, with a pale white layer of skin surfaced. Now, (SCRUB) RUB IT OFF GENTLY!!! Make sure you've rubbed off all the surfaced dead skin. I always do the rubbing right after washing my face, when my lips are still damp and soft, to prevent cracking my lips. You can now finish off the morning routine with a thin layer of lip balm.

Before hanging out...
I had a hard time hunting for the right lipstick and lipgloss that won't leave me with chapped lips after a few hours. But this hunt should come after the one for a good lip balm that can be worn under lipsticks/gloss.

Mac Prep + Prime Lip is a good buy. It feels like a thin layer of silk. Unlike many normal lip balms, it won't make the color 'swim' on your lips. You will be able to glide your lipstick smoothly, evenly, and happily on your pouts.

A more luxurious choice is Chanel Hydramax + Active Lip Care. The tender layer of moisture wraps your lips comfortably and gives your lipstick a naturally smooth and glowy touch. The effect is very lasting - Love it!