The ultimate 10 step skincare routine

#samzbestof2019

Step 1. Oil Cleanser “Softymo Oil Cleanser”

Just a few months ago, I started this page solely for the love of #kbeauty. Being an avid #kbeautyaddict, I have followed the #koreanskincare regime religiously. And now I am excited to be sharing with you all my faves for the year 2019.
Thanks to #kbeautycommunity for introducing to me the importance of double cleansing. While I have tried a few other oil cleansers from Fancl, Kracie, and Fourth Ray, the SOFTYMO cleansing oil has clearly stood out and has been my favorite for years. You know when you are happy and content with a product that you no longer have the need to hunt for an alternative/replacement. This was that product for me.

I have listed below a few reasons why this has been my favorite.
• The consistency is just right, not too watery, not too thick.
• This emulsifies well with water but it is best used with dry hands. That way you can massage the oil really well.
• This is also great in removing any eye makeup or any stubborn waterproof mascaras and it does not sting or burn the eyes. • Washes off easily without leaving any residual oil film.
• Super affordable. Retails for ~ 350-400 JPY only. But does the job super well.

What was your favorite oil cleanser for this year?
P.S – I will be sticking with the Softymo oil cleanser for next year too. Hehe! 😛

Step 2. Foam Cleanser – “Shiseido Senka Perfect Whip Cleansing Foam

Probably one of the most hyped foam cleanser in Japan and true to its claims, it is a perfect cleanser. This foams up to a creamy rich foam that not only removes impurities from deeper into the pores but also keeps the skin soft and moisturized. I have dry skin and I have never found this drying my skin. It is an effective cleanser that leaves me with soft, clear, brightened skin.

What makes this foam cleanser different from other foam cleansers is that this has smaller bubble foam particles that penetrate deeper into the pores and clean better. This also contains silk essence and has two different types of Hyaluronic acid.

This has been my daily AM and PM cleansers for more than 6 years and this is another product that I am happy and content with.

Tips: The ideal way to get the best out of this cleanser is to use a foaming net to create the foam and then use the fluffy foam to cleanse. The recommended product amount is around 2cm and it is sufficient to create that fluffy foam. The foaming net does make a huge difference than just using your hands to create the foam.
This is another favorite product of mine.

Step 3. Wash-off mask – I’M FROM Honey Mask

While I love @imfrom_official wash-off masks, the mask that I used the most was the Honey mask and hence nominating this as my favorite mask for the year 2019.

I have bragged about the goodness of this product many times and the full detailed review of this mask can be found in my previous post here

“Honey Please” I’M FROM Honey Mask Review

Step 4. Toner: “Dear Klair’s Supple Preparation Facial Toner”

The Dear Klair’s Supple Preparation Facial toner was my HG toner for 2019. Having finished three bottles of this toner, it clearly shows how much I love and adore this. Just like its name, it left my skin supple and moisturized. Three bottles clearly show how much I love this.

Step 5 (i). Vitamin C Serums

I have been using the Japanese brand Rohto Melano CC Intensive Anti-Spot Essence for years (love this) and this year I added the Goodal Green Tangerine Vita C dark spot serum to my Vitamin C routine after hearing great reviews on it by many but especially from Liah Yoo. I have somewhat mixed feelings on the Goodal serum and will do a full review on it soon. Sadly, Dear Klair’s Vitamin C serum did not suit my skin and I really wanted to love this as this is a cult favorite of many. I guess all skin types are different.
I started using the Jumiso All Day Vitamin Brightening & Balancing Facial Serum since last month and I am blown away by the instant brightening effect this brings. While the Jumiso serum is not a straight-up Vitamin C product as it contains derivatives of Vitamin A, B, D, E and K, HA and Centella Asiatica in addition to Vitamin C, this really gives that instantly radiant brightened glow. I think I have just found my new HG Vitamin C serum.

Step 5 (ii). Propolis/Honey Serum/Essence

I simply adore propolis/honey products.
My first propolis serum was the @bywishtrend Polyphenols in Propolis 15% Ampoule.
I love this ampoule as it suited my skin well and worked great in calming down breakouts (even hormonal breakouts). This could also probably be from the other ingredients in this ampoule – Houttuynia Cordata Extract and Zinc PCA, which are another great source for antibacterial properties. Along with calming my skin, this also nourished and moisturized my dry skin well.
Skinfood’s Royal Honey Propolis Enrich Essence was my second product for this category and I had to try it for myself after hearing my friends here rave about this product. This has 63% fermented propolis extract, 10% royal jelly and 10 % fermented black honey extract. This was great in providing that deep moisturization and maintaining that healthy glow. One difference I noticed is that this is more lightweight than the By Wishtrend ampoule.
Hard to pick a favorite among these two as one was great in calming my skin and the other was great in providing that lightweight moisturization.
My next-in-line propolis product is the iUNIK Propolis Vitamin Synergy and I am super excited to incorporate this into my skincare routine.

Step 5 (iii). Antiaging Serum

Missha Time Revolution Night Repair Borabit ampoule was probably my first anti-aging product. And I did enjoy this. It made my skin plump, provided good hydration. But you know how it is with anti-aging products, you don’t see immediate results and you have to be patient to see any visible results. This was somewhat like that, it was a good ampoule but I didn’t see visible results in terms of improving fine lines or maybe I simply got bored with it, which is logical since I was on my third bottle and there were other products that interested me or I wanted to try.

Dear Klair’s Midnight Blue Youth Activating Drop was my second investment in an anti-aging product for this year. Another long-named serum which I love especially for that blue color of the serum. As it is said that this serum has long term benefits in maintaining the youthfulness of the skin, I used this religiously and I did notice an overall improvement in my skin. I really like this and I thoroughly enjoyed photographing it.

Another anti-aging product I tried in 2019 was from the Japanese brand MatsuKiyo Lab – Fermented Placenta Serum (serum from Horse placenta). The name itself had me so intrigued. It may sound yuck for some but I was curious about this. I was like why not give this a try. This is specially designed to target the eye, cheek, mouth and other areas where aging is a concern. The results again were non-visible (Haha!) but I guess for anti-aging products, the results are seen only when used for a longer period.

I’m From Ginseng Serum – I am halfway with this serum and I adore this. My skin feels supple, hydrated and plump. And although this does contain fragrance, it did not cause any breakouts for me. How I am using this these days is mixing this with the I’m From Ginseng eye cream and applying it in my eye area. Double Ginseng, double the effect right?!! With the winter showing no mercy, I have to make do with the air conditioner – the mighty culprit for dry skin. With the Ginseng serum and Ginseng eye cream combo, I feel my under eye area is being well taken care of.

Next-in-line anti-aging product for this year is the Urang’s Pink Everlasting Ampoule which I am so excited to try. Finally got hold of this beauty and will be trying this once my Ginseng serum finishes.

Step 6 – Sheet masks

I know I have said earlier that I am a complete sheet mask hoarder. Well, that has completely changed after the incorporation of wash-off masks in my routine. As far as recyclability goes, I feel wash-off masks are much more recycle friendly than sheet masks. I haven’t bought a sheet mask in ages and I still have plenty to finish. Haha!

I do sheet mask occasionally and the mask that was my favorite for last year was the My Real Squeeze mask series from Innisfree. I not only enjoyed these sheet masks, but I also loved photographing these so much. If you have been following my posts for some time, then I am sure you remember how I loved photographing these mask sheets. Out of the 18 different varieties in this mask series, I had just one remaining to try and review (featured in today’s post – #teatree). 

What were your favorite sheet masks for 2019?!

Step 7 – Sunscreens

Gone are the days when sunscreens used to feel heavy and greasy. I have to admit I used to despise wearing sunscreens a few years ago (the consequences which I am facing now) mainly because they used to feel super greasy and thick. With the introduction of K-beauty sunscreens and J-Beauty sunscreens into my routine, that dreading feeling of having to put sunscreen has completely changed. Had sunscreens back then been light and airy, I would have never hesitated to wear sunscreens.

My “first love” sunscreens are the ones from Biore. Living in Japan gave me easy access to these and during promotions, these are available at a super affordable price here. The Biore sunscreens are light, non-greasy and leave no white cast. Biore UV Athlizm was launched around Feb, 2019 and I like this slightly more than the Biore UV Aqua Rich watery essence. 

I never leave the house without wearing sunscreens and I now understand how important it is to wear sunscreen every day – sun or no sun, rain or cloudy, SUNSCREEN is a MUST. I have been sharing this information with my friends and family and I am always gifting them with sunscreens.

Last year I got to try and review the Klair’s Soft Airy UV Essence (thanks to @bywishtrend & @Wishtrendstory) and boy oh boy, that opened my eyes to a whole new world of sunscreen. It is truly a super light-weight sunscreen and aptly like its name – it really feels airy with no greasiness or white-cast whatsoever. This is a sunscreen that we all have been secretly wishing how sunscreens should be. I had to make a repurchase of this as it is that good and hence this is the sunscreen that has topped my list of sunscreen favorite.

Step 8 (i) – Moisturizers/Cream

Pretty sure this famous “blue cream” which is a favorite amongst many, needs no introduction. Like many, I fell in love with this cream instantly and I love the soothing and calming results this brings. This is another product that I repurchased last year and is clearly one of my favorite creams for 2019. Hard to not like this cream especially when it has such a pretty blue color. This is a cream that I always need to have a backup. I just love photographing this.

Step 8 (ii) – Moisturizers/Cream

I feel the selection of moisturizers and creams change with the season. Like I preferred the Klair’s Soft Supple- Preparation All-Over lotion and Goodal’s Green Tangerine Vita C cream during summers. These were great as they didn’t feel heavy even after my multiple layers of toners and serums. 

The Goodal Vita C cream intense is a heavier and intense cream than the Vita C cream and I am relying hugely on this cream especially now since it is winter, I prefer a heavier cream. 

But the star for this series has to be the Klair’s Freshly Juiced Vitamin E Mask. I love the effect this cream bought when paired with Vitamin C products. I woke up with brighter skin each time I used this. 

Currently, I have added the IUNIK’s Centella Calming gel into my routine. While this is not a very hydrating cream for a PM routine when used alone, this is great for the AM routine. I usually follow this up with the Goodal Vita C cream intense when using it in the PM routine. I feel this would be ideal for the hot and humid summer days.

Another product that I am testing is the Sferangs Clearing T-care cream which is a calming cream and is richer in terms of providing moisturization as compared to the iUNIK Centella calming gel cream. I think this would be great for the summers when you don’t want heavy creams as besides providing soothing effects, this also helps in sebum control. So far, I am liking this and feel this will be a good addition to the summer skincare routine. (This was kindly gifted by @sferangs in exchange for my honest review).

Step 9 – Eye Creams – Do eye creams even work??

My first ever eye cream was the “Mizon’s Snail repair eye cream” and after using it for a while, I started noticing small white bumps aka “milia” around the under-eye area. The bumps were minute but they were there. I freaked out totally and stopped using it. I then began to think that eye creams are just another marketing ploy/gimmick.

I decided to give eye creams another shot and tried the “Benton’s Fermentation eye cream” and the “AHC’s The Pure Real Eye Cream for Face”. These didn’t wow me either and I wasn’t noticing any difference in my under eye area let alone seeing any brightening or tightening effects. I gave up investing in eye creams and stopped using them.

For a long time, I was not using any eye cream. It was not until I was kindly gifted the “I’m From Ginseng Eye cream” from the brand, I got into the whole eye cream jam again. The cream itself is silky soft and glides beautifully without causing any tugging or friction in the delicate area. It has three different types of rare ginseng making this a good antioxidant-rich product. How I like to use this eye cream is by mixing in 1~2 drops of the I’m From Ginseng Serum and apply it in my under eye area. Double the Ginseng, double the effect, right? I sleep with the air conditioner on and since the eye area tends to dry faster, applying the creams this way kind of gives me that reassurance that my eye area has been well taken care of.

If you want an eye cream that will magically tighten or brighten, then I think eye creams are not a necessity or an integral step to be included in your routine and if you don’t have an eye cream, you really don’t have to freak out. But if you are thinking of long-term benefits or for preventative care, then yes, adding an eye cream that is rich in peptides, antioxidants, oil-free and one that is much more potent than your usual moisturizer would be a good investment I think. There are serums and moisturizers that are bad and heavy for the under-eye area and thus using an eye cream specifically designed for the eye area may have more beneficial outcomes.

Step 10 – Lip sleeping masks/packs

I know the Laneige Lip sleeping mask is a cult favorite for many but for me, I was not very impressed by it. I found this lip sleeping mask super tacky and I felt that it just sat on my lips like a top layer. I did not find this nourishing my lips as during the daytime my lips still got dry.  This made me think that this was just another glorified expensive version of Vaseline. Plus, after a while, it kinda got a funky smell.

Since then, I have always been on a hunt for a good nourishing lip balm that is more nourishing from within. And I found The Klavuu Nourishing Care Lip Sleeping Pack to be very nourishing with zero tackiness/greasiness. This feels super lightweight and I wake up with healthier, softer, supple nourished lips each morning. Also, the longevity of this lip pack is great as it left my lips feeling nourished and soft throughout the day. This is certainly my HG lip care product.

Also, I have decided to give Laneige lip sleeping masks another try as I could not resist the new cute mini version of the sleeping mask in Choco Mint, Lemon and Berry. The minis come in the perfect amount size, as a result, they can be finished on time before they go bad.

Thank you for reading!! I hope you all have a great year ahead!!