In&Out: March 2020

Hi guys,

Here's a quick beauty update on my empties and replacements. 

Cleanser: I recently finished my umpteenth bottle of Glossier's Milky Jelly Cleanser (about BND34 on Beauty Pratique for 177ml). I love that stuff. It's so gentle and it smells really light. I use it every morning and every night after removing my make up. One of my friends say that it makes her face a little oily but it doesn't at all on my skin. So if you do want to give this a go, maybe try the smaller bottle first. Unfortunately, they don't ship to Brunei yet so I thought it would be a good time to try out a cleanser from Renee Rouleau. They do a mini test to see which of the products work best for you and they picked the Luxe Mint Cleansing Gel (USD33.50). On the website it talks about awakening the tired skin and I was sold. Dull, tired skin? That's me! So I was super excited to try this out. Initially, I felt a little tightness in my skin which usually makes me automatically dislike a product. But the more I used it, the more my skin adapted to the product and now I can definitely say it has illuminated my skin (this and another thing that I used at the same time... I'll mention it below). The minty fresh scent (like ubat batuk k) really wakes you up and my skin feels alive. Ever since I've used it, I don't wear a base to work anymore. I'd definitely repurchase this... and could possibly prefer it over the Glossier one. Yup. I said it. Big revelation there.

Vitamin C Serum: Next on the list was a Vitamin C serum. Before this I was on the Fresh Vitamin Nectar Antioxidant Face Serum, which was absolutely divine! It smelled like oranges and really brightened my skin. But it was a small bottle of 15ml and if I remember correctly it was pretty pricey too. So I opted for the Vitamin C from the Inkey List which costed me around GBP8 for 30ml on Cult Beauty. Pretty neat, right? Unfortunately, the texture was a bit weird for me. Grainy almost... and it didn't quite sit well with my foundation. Currently, I'm using the Vitamin C&E Treatment from Renee Rouleau. It was about USD69.50 (YIKES I DID NOT REALIZE THIS) but this stuff works and it smells like oranges! If you do get it, don't forget to leave it on for a minute before you slather your moisturizer on top. This is the main reason for my skin looking more awake, although the cleansing gel did it's magic too.  Ahhh. Have you tried anything from Renee Rouleau? And if yes, what do you recommend?

Edit: I learnt that the Inkey List contained 30% of L-Ascorbic Acid which is extremely potent and you can feel it especially if you have sensitive skin. The grainy texture can be eliminated if you use less. Apparently, I was using a bit too much. So if you use a tiny amount, a little goes a long way. It leaves a slight white cast. The Vitamin C&E doesn't using L-Ascorbic Acid, they use Magnesium Ascorbic Phosphate, which turns into Ascorbic Acid on the skin slowly and remains stable throughout the day. It's equivalent to 14% of free Vitamin C and because of the time-release mechanism, it's less irritating on the skin. Depending on what you want, just take those into account. 

Moisturizer: I ran out of Dr. Dennis Gross's Alpha Beta Exfoliating Moisturizer (GBP79 on CultBeauty). I think that took me three months! But I'm finally out of it and finally able to crack open this Glossier Priming Moisturizer Rich (BND63 on Beaute Pratique). Okay--Dr. Dennis Gross one first. I liked it. I didn't see anything wrong with it. It worked. My face was never dry. Not sure if the Alpha Beta component worked. The Glossier one I'm using now feels nice. It's simple and has a light scent of lavender. I think that's why we all love Glossier products right? No fuss, straightforward and works. Definitely like this one too. No special effects but I'm gonna give it extra points for it's light scent that makes me feel like I'm in a spa.

Retinol/Probiotics: Although Aurelia's The Probiotic Concentrate (GBP38 on CultBeauty) can be used in conjunction with Retinol/Retinoid because of their properties that are able to calm irritated and inflamed skin caused by harsh ingredients, you are also able to use it as an alternative to Retinol/Retinoid as it also improves signs of aging, reduces pigmentation and UV-induced damage. After I ran out of The Ordinary's Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion (GBP8), I have now been using the probiotic as a substitute at night. Sometimes I just use it by it itself, other times together with my moisturizer. I like it. I think it does it's job. My face looks brilliant in the morning. So if you're looking for an alternative, try this out!

I already have back ups for when these products are done which I cannot wait to try! I'm also trying to use up my eye cream and my spf that I already have back ups for. And then I'm excited to purchase new back ups for my back ups hahaha.

Catch you later, beauty addicts!

Love, 

N