Double cleansing

This was something I just discovered this year. The idea is to clean your face with two different cleansers preferably one of them being oil or a balm and the other being your usual cleanser. This ensures that all the particles from your makeup product or sunscreen are removed thoroughly. For this nightly ritual, I am using these products.

The Face Shop Rice Water Bright Light Cleansing Oil

Clean it Zero Cleansing Balm Vanilla

IM UNNY facial wash

SKII facial wash

I don’t use all at the same time but I apply them interchageably. Sometimes I’d use the rice water + im unny combo or rice water + SKII – whichever is to my liking at the time.

At first I was skeptic about this new beauty trend but I soon realized that it does work to remove all impurities undetected with the na-ked eye. I was using this new day cream and I was really confident that I had it all removed for my Zuhur prayers. This is because I have washed it with normal soap and I did not feel or see any obvious residue of the cream. Later in the evening as I returned home and showered, I was surprised to see that the moment I put on the oil, the product of my day cream somehow appeared, it was so white and bright and mixed with the oil. I washed it off and used my other cleanser for the second facial wash.

In a way, I was shocked by the fact that double cleansing is necessary. Ah the same time, it made me wary of the ingredients in my new day cream. Needless to say, I threw the product in the bin as I was worried that it may have suss ingredients. It’s like I know that, that is the original purpose of double cleansing but compared to other products I’ve used, it’s just strikingly in excess to be removed with the oil/balm. It made me wonder if I didn’t apply the face oil first, I wouldn’t know that there are some products still sitting stealthily under the surface of my skin. Perhaps it’s part of the ‘glow’ effect but still……

Creating the Cantik Face

The only person who keeps saying I am pretty right now is my daughter. Ha ha ha. So, alhamdulillah for this daughter bestowed upon me. Without her, I’d probably be fishing for compliments on social media.

Mummy cantik

Yes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder but it can be created and maintained. Lately, I have been engrossed in those fast-paced Chinese vlogs on Youtube. The genre is where they have all the exciting and cute gadgets. They’re usually a compilation of TikTok videos (maybe?) portraying females going about their daily routine in the house with the help of these items. The videos are entertaining to watch. I also enjoy watching the ASMR makeup removal videos or skincare regimes videos. One of the funnier ones is Jannatul Mitsuisen. I wonder if that is her name or if it means something else.

Consistency is key

I have been very consistent with my moisturizer, sunscreen and retinol since November last year. It was one of the most significant changes to my skincare habits as I remembered purchasing my first retinol from The Originals. With time, I discovered that there are a lot of reputable brands not only from Korea but also from the States. The thing is, I have only one face. Even the small bottle of retinol lasts me for at least 8 months as the advice is to use a pea-sized amount on the face. I don’t know how the beauty influencers get through theirs so fast. Or maybe they’re the type who just purchases everything.

I am also doing double cleansing. With the oil or the balm before I use the usual foam cleanser. I always have something in my Shopee Cart waiting to be checked out as I scroll through various recommendations on Instagram reels.

My late mum really loved the ginseng based product I bought for her from Body Shop a few years ago. I tried the Red Ginseng mask from EKEL, 3W CLINIC and Innisfree. It seems that Red Ginseng across the brands all leaves the skin feeling fresh and not sticky. I am considering to get the Ginseng toner from Beauty of Joseon end of the year.

Cosrx pimple patch

I bought these patches for RM7.68 online a few weeks ago. I was curious to see how fast my pimples would shrink with them. Interestingly, it shrinks overnight with continuous use for at least 8 to 10 hours. I think it would depend on the size of the pimple itself.

This patch has a transparent look and you could apply makeup on it if you like. Since my makeup layers are not that thick, they can still be seen on the face. Only, it can be covered up when I wear masks. Once this pack is finished, I am planning to try Watson’s house brand of acne patch and see if it comes out with similar results.

My Beauty of Joseon sunscreen is also on its few last squeezes. I am still choosing whether I should try the antihelios cream from La Roche Possay or ROUND LAB Birch Juice Moisturizing sunscreen, the influencer’s favourite with a score of 10/10

Merdeka shopping spree

Mini head towels & face mask

I thought I should make the trip worthy by ordering both face mask sheets and hair caps. . I have tried the Bioaqua Ice Mask but have yet to try the Vitamin C type. The caps were cute and I got them in 3 colours which are purple, deep pink and pink. My daughter loved her pink one.

Price: RM2.89/ea for caps and RM0.50/ea for masks

Psychology books

I bought two Islamic psychology books from IIUMPRESS. I thought that I’d like to bring them to the conference and get Dr Alizi’s autograph. It did not happen. I did enjoy his topic though. It was very enlightening. The total purchase was RM71.40

GUMASH

For Gumash, I got a different colour this time. This is one of the henna-based hair dyes for women. Going for a dark brown instead of a copper head. This one was priced at RM54.80.

Whizzfizz

This local product exceeded my expectation. It is a bubble bath essence. It produced a lot of bubbles in the tub. The type where it will stay above your boobs for a long time when you’re soaking. I bought it with me during my trip to Kuching the other day. Each bottle costs RM29.35 and I bought all 3 variants.

My bathroom is like a spa.. yeay

Foot bucket spa

I also bought a foot bucket spa for RM209.90 and it was so worth it. I even received a lot of free herbal powder. Basically, you fill up the collapsible bucket with normal temp water, the machine will heat it up to the desired temperature and just put whatever herbal powder of your choice inside. At the bottom of the bucket, there are rollers to massage your tired feet. You can put on the timer as well. I usually do one for about 20 minutes.

This concludes my Shopee haul for Merdeka day !