| September Blogging Challenge | Skincare for olily to combination skin

Skincare has been an important part of my routine for a couple of years now cuz I do believe that going back to "basics" can make, even the cheapest makeup, look great.

It is true that what you eat and drink can have an influence on how your skin looks and to be honest, I don't worry too much about that, and I should. But, it is amazing what drinking a lot of water can do for you. And I think that would be my first tip for a healthy looking skin, start from the inside to look great on the outside. (and here is when I should start taking my own advice...)

I'll start with my skin type: I have combination skin but, it is also very, very sensitive. So I struggle with a bit of everything; I have a bit of an oily T-zone but my cheeks tend to get dry especially during Winter. As for the sensitive part, I can't experiment with many products when it comes to cleansing because some of them give me rashes and reactions after the first or second use, no matter how good the brand is.

So, today I am going to share with you some of the products I use to take care of my skin. Keep in mind that what works for me may not work for everyone.

I linked some of the products to older posts dedicated to them, in case you want more info.

One of the main requests for this post was to talk about skincare for oily skin, which is caused by the excess sebum production, this colgs pores and can lead to acne. So I think good and constant cleansing is key here. Salicylic acid is known to be good to help with oily skin.

I usually go super basic with my morning cleansing cuz I don't have much time but, I always make sure to wash, apply moisturizer and sunscreen before I do my makeup. It also helps me to wake up. I'm currently using the Miniso Watermelon Bouncy Hydra Facial Cleansing Gel to wash my face in the morning and at night. It removes excess grease, dirt and impurities, is super gentle and it smells delicious. Other cleansing foams I love are the Missha Creamy Latte Cleansing Foam. They have 3 different "flavors". The Green Tea one is for oily skin. Plus they smell delicious and are super creamy. And lastly, a product I got to try a few months ago: The Burt's Bees Soapbark & camomille deep cleansing cream. As it says, it is very creamy and soothing. This is a great choice if you're looking for something with natural ingredients.

I've been using this sunscreen from Mary Kay 
for a couple of years now.

One product that I liked to use years ago was an astringent from Bioré that contained salicylic acid. I used to apply it at night, using a cotton pad after cleansing. Since it also contains alcohol it kinda soaks the oil from the skin and you wake up with a fresh, non-oily skin. I don't remember why I stopped using it and I'm not sure if it's still out there.

Another product I really, really like is the Avon Clearskin Pore Penetrating Invigorating Scrub (What. A. Long. Name.). I love to use a good facial scrub twice a week and this one if defo one of my favorites. Not only because it is super cheap but, it also does the job. It is gentle to my sensitive skin but at the same time you can feel the beads scrubbing all the dirt on your skin leaving it fresh and clean after using. It has a cooling effect that I love. It contains eucalyptus extract and Witch Hazel which is also a good ingredient to cleanse the oil. I love face scrubs in general, but this one is great for oily skin.

I double cleanse at night. Sometimes, when I'm not extra lazy. The first step would be to remove my makeup using Micellar Water or the MINISO Sakura Water Bright Cleansing Balm. I find Micellar water to be faster to use and effective when it comes to removing my makeup but the cleansing balm is pretty good too. After having a makeup free face, I move on to the washing to make sure there is no dirt left.

This is the one I'm currently using

After that comes the moisture part. Before applying a hydrating cream, I've been using a new essence lately. It is the MINISO Energy of Fruit 3 in 1 Essence (citrus) and it's been working well for me so far. I wake up to a moisturized and healthy looking skin.

A moisturizer that I would defo recommend is the  Hada Labo Tokyo Skin Plumping Gel Cream. It has to be hands down one of my favs. I like to use it as both, day and night cream.

But when in Winter, when my skin gets super dry, I try to use something thicker at night. Last year my aunt introduced me to this cream called Tressura, and it is one of those super old creams that are very cheap but work wonders. It contains glycerine and it works great as a night mask and super hydrating body cream.

And well, I think I've said this before but using facemasks constantly also helps a lot. There is a huge variety now, and not only for the face. You can choose according to your needs and some of them are also really cute and fun to use. 

I don't know if I'm missing some things, I probably am but I don't want to make this a super , duper long(er) post. So, let me now if there is something else I should mention when it comes to skincare and I'll be glad to share it in another post.

TonyMoly + Missha mini haul

Hey there sweeties!

Ok, I know I said I would stop the shopping for a while but, I had the chance to make a quick stop by two of my favorite stores: Missha and TonyMoly so, I couldn't help myself. I didn't bought much tho~ gotta think about my Christmas shopping to do.

First stop: Missha!

♥ Missha Super Aqua Perfect Cleansing Tissue: These are my all time favorite cleansing tissues.
♥ Missha heart shaped makeup sponges. I bought these for my mom.
I also got a Missha catalogue with cupons and samples!

Then, headed to TonyMoly.

♥ TonyMoly Face Mix Cover Pot Concealer #01 Light Beige. I'm really looking forward to try this one!!

♥ TonyMoly Tony Nail Cotton Candy Nail polish CD04 "Shy Blue" This collection has the cutest pastel colors ever! I also wanted to get the pink one but it wasn't available~ oh well, I think I'll buy more of this some other time. Since I already tried it on, I can tell the color has an opaque finish and it dries suer fast.

♥ Magic Hair Pad. I was looking for some of these for a while now. I actually wanted bow shaped ones, but oh well, I finally found them! This seem to be helpful when doing your makeup to keep your hair away from your face. It comes with 4 velcro thingies, 2 in pink and 2 in blue. Gotta use them to see if they really work.

And yeah, this is it for now. I'll make some reviews and impressions posts once I use them!!

Pistacho Nails

Hello everyone!
I can't remember the last time I wore nail polish~~~ I still love it but I guess since I don't have as much free time as I used to, thinking what to wear on my nails doesn't look too important now.
The last "green" nail polish I bought didn't made me 100% happy, it looked more like a yellow-ish neon color once it dried, and even though this one looks a little too similar to that last one, it has a much more subtle yellow tone to it.

It's Kim Taylor KT05 "Pistacho" and I loved it from the moment I saw it. I think it's a bright but pretty color for Spring. I also wanted a color I could wear along with my latest Missha nail polish "The Style Dazzling Nail Polish" (A21M01)

So, this is what I'm currently wearing on my nails, nothing too elaborated. I usually like to apply a glittery polish on my ring fingers and use another color on the rest of my fingers. Nothing too complicated.

I feel like I've finally found the perfect green color for my nails! Hehe.

Unboxing my Missha Box! (May)

Hello babies!
I'm excited to show you guys what I got in this month's Missha Box! This is my first Missha box ever!
Last time we went to Missha, my friends bought it and once we checked it out, I kinda regret the fact that I didn't. It comes with great products for a very good price. So I knew I had to buy one on my next visit and... I did. Hehe.

So, here is what the Missha Box May has:

♥ Time Revolution Best Seller Trial Set. This set contains: Time Revolution The First Essence (30ml) and Time Revolution Night Repair New Science Activator Ampoule (10ml)

♥ Super Aqua Maeine Forest Lifting Serum (40ml)

♥ Creamy Latte Strawberry Cleansing Foam (172ml)

♥ Real Essencial Sheet Mask Coenzyme Q10

♥ Pure Source Sheet Mask Pearl

♥ Love Secret Hand Cream "Lemon Grass" (27g)

♥ ID Cards. That helps to donate an amount for fighting breast cancer. Great Cause!

♥ The Style Dazzling nail polish (8ml)

♥ Perfect Cover B.B. Cream SPF 42/PA+++ No.31 (golden beige) sample

♥ Dong Baek Gold Premium Sampoo sample

♥ A GOT MISSHA? Car sticker

♥ A phone strap holder accessory

And...that is it! I think the amount of products and the prices of them alone, really make this one a box worth buying. Especially because some of this products cost half of the box itself. Definitely recommend to check it out.
The have different boxes each month.

I'm also leaving the video versionof thisunboxing post down below.
Don't forget to check my YouTube Channel MonStar's Little Vlog for random videos and maybe...more unboxing videos in the future. Keep the love coming! hehe.

Clean Skin! My skin care routine. Day / Night.

Hi hi sweets!
I know some of us are looking for the perfect skin look. I include myself on that! I don't think I have a perfect sking or anything but the skincare routine I've been having since last year has been working really well for me and I've seen a big difference on my face.

I used to be soooooo lazy when it came to washing my face everyday, removing my makeup every night before going to bed, and I know that if I had started at an earlier age, my skin would look way better now than it actually does. So if you're on your early 20s, take care of your skin, create a routine that works for you and you'll see a huge improvement on your skin.

I think the biggest secret for a good skin would be to keep it clean. Make sute to wash your face everyday, at least before going to bed to remove all the dust, makeup, etc of the day. 

So, I'm gonna share with you guys the routine that has been working for me. I do this every morning and every night. No matter how lazy I feel or how late it is. I came to the point that if I don't keep my face clean, I feel guilty~~~~

My skin is slightly oily so, this works for my skin type. Keep in mind that products could change depending on your skin type and needs. I also have super sensitive skin, so it is hard for me to change products because most of them irritate my skin and cause break outs.

 DAY ROUTINE:

I wash my face every morning with cold water. The cold water helps me to depuff my sleepy eyes and face and well...to wake up!

In the mornings I use a scrub soap bar from Vitacilina. This is not a fancy or expensive brand, actually it is super cheap and can be found at Walmart.
They have like 3 different types of soaps but I picked the exfoliating one. It is really soft and gentle to my skin. I've been using it for over a year now and I'm thinking about continue using it.

After washing my face, I apply some hydrating cream. I'm currently using the Teatrical one. which is a little thick at first but, it absorbs really fast and keeps my skin soft and moist all day.

That's it for my cleansing routine in the morning. Most of the time I also try to apply some sunscreen. I'm using the Mary Kay SunCare with SPF50, but from some time now I don't love it anymore cuz it makes my skin feel too cakey once I apply my makeup.

NIGHT ROUTINE:

Before washing my face I remove my makeup using the Missha Super Aqua Cleansing Tissues.
Once I have a makeup free face, I wash my face with my Missha Green Tea Latte Cleansing Foam and gently massage it with my Etude House Wonder Pore brush for a better and deep cleaning.

After that, I apply a few drops of the Kiotis Paris Pavanelle Intensive Facial Treatment (which is almost over now) and massage my face for a few seconds, and them I put on some cream. I have to say I'm not using a night cream at the moment because I want to finish the Garnier Essential Care (this one is really light and fresh) but once I'm done with it I'll start with my first night cream ever.

And, this is what I do everyday!
Also, twice I week I exfoliate my face using the Avon ClearSkin Pore Penetrating Scrub and, I /try/  to use a face mask sheet at least once a week. (Usually DERMAL or The Cure but, I'm about to try new brands!)
Using the masks regularly, makes my skin glow in a very pretty and natural way.

I ran out of The Cure and DERMAL masks, but these are some I'm about to try. Missha & VANEDO

I hope this helps somehow. You can always create your own routine adding or changing some products. Whatever works for you!
X

P.S. Some of these products have already been featured in older entries. Links are here for you to check it out in case you want a little more info on them.

Missha Creamy Latte Green Tea Cleansing Foam

Last month I bought this cleansing foam from Missha and starting using it right away. I included it as a part of my night cleansing routine. I'm only using it at night at the moment because I'm not done with the soap I was using last year to wash my face, which has been really good.

I picked this one out of 3 cleansing foams: Creamy Latte Strawberry (which smells DELICIOUS!), Creamy Latte Green Tea and Chocolate Cleansing Foam. All 3 have different ingredients to help diffetent skin types.

 Strawberry: For dry skin.

 For Normal skin

 Green Tea: For oily skin.


My skin is slightly oily so I decided to buy the Green Tea one plus, everything green tea is a must have for me~ hehe.

This one is supposed to: Provide elastic and moisture to the skin, clean sebum and cleansing the skin.

The package comes in this long tube with 172ml of product. It looks really clean and pretty. Nothing too special though,
I was expecting a strong green tea scent to it but to me it doesn't smell like green tea at all. It has a subtle fresh smell.

It looks like a pearlish green foam, and it is very creamy once you apply it on your skin.

 How to use:

Take a proper amount of the product in your hand (a super small amount is enough to make so much foam), apply and rub on your whole face and wash with warm water.

I usually rub it using my Etude House Wonder Pore Brush, for better cleaning. I massage it for a few minutes until I get a foaming effect. You can deffo feel the latte in it working on your skin.
I always take all my makeup off before using this product. I don't really know how effective it is removing makeup on its own.

I've been loving this product so far, it gives my skin a brighter look and it feels super soft after using it.

I got it straight from the Missha store and I think the price was very reasonable for a cleansing foam.
The only thing I would change about it would be the smell! I want it to smell like pure green tea! Hehe.

XOX

P.S. I'm thinking about making a whole "Day/Night Cleansing Routine" post. Would you guys like to see that?

Lemon green nails!

Hello sunshines! 

This is the color I'm currently wearing on my nails.
It's a lemon green (which looks more yellow-ish to me) color from Missha Nail Polish (GR02). I don't wear green on my nails often,

I think I only have an other green one which is a metallic darker one, kinda makes me think of TinkerBell, that's why I wanted to try a new green and went for this one.
When I bought it it had a 20% off so the price was super reasonable for a small bottle.

Last year I bought another nail polish from Missha, same line but bigger version and I really liked it, can't help to fall for the cute heart shaped bottle. After 3 coats I got this color, closer to the exact color from the bottle and it dries fast. 

As for the color, I like it but I'm just not sure I like how it looks on my nails~ Maybe I just have to get used to it.

What do you guys think?