My Current Face Routine

This is going to be my first entry on make-up and I’m kind of excited to share with you guys my everyday make-up routine.

I don’t usually wear any make-up on daily basis, unless I’m going to run some errands or going to pick-up my kids from school. So when I have to wear make-up, I usually opt for BB because it is lightweight formula and doesn’t clog my pores or cause acne. Most importantly it easily blends into my skin and give a natural flawless look in less than one minute. To be frank, I’m still very much inspired by Korean celebrities’ looks and I’m not a foundation person. I actually own lots of mostly Korean BB creams and only 2 foundations ^^ If I want to have more coverage, I will use my beloved Laura Mercier Oil-Free Tinted Moisturizes. Having to say this, I’m going to try few foundations in near future so we’ll see how it goes…

Ok, let’s get started with my routine . . .

If I’m going to wear make-up on that day, I will skip most serums on my skincare

and go straight to apply only moisturizer and sunblock. Then I start with base from Laneige Water Supreme Primer Base SPF 15 PA+ in green (which suppose to neutralize any redness on my skin). It’s important to prime my face prior applying any BB cream/ tinted moisturizer/ foundation because it’s not only help  my make-up last longer but most importantly it helps to protect my skin from hash chemicals found in any make-up products. For everyday make-up, I’ve been alternating between Skin79 Super+ BB Cream in Hot Pink and Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream No.21. I prefer to use my hand when it comes to applying BB cream. For blemishes or hyperpigmentation I use Make Up For Ever Full Coverage in Ivory 6 with a Sigma Concealer-F70 brush. For under eye concealer I use Max Factor MasterTouch Pen in Ivory 303 and blend with my ring fingers. Depending on my mood of that day, sometimes I would skip powder just to give the Korean natural glow finishing on my face. Or else I dust Tarte Smooth Operator Micronized Clay Finishing Powder with Sigma Large Powder – F30 brush only on my T-zone area  where my face tends to get oily easily (leaving my cheeks with the glowy effect from the BB Cream). I don’t usually contour my face on everyday basis. Recently I’ve been obsessed with Bobby Brown’s cream blush Pot Rouge for Lips and Cheeks in Pale Pink 11 (I got to know this product after watching Lisa Eldridge’s tutorial video. She’s actually one of my favourite MUA). I usually apply and blend the cream blush with my fingers. I wish I have full eyebrows but sadly I don’t. So I can never leave the house without filling my brows (it’s a must-do step in my routine. I can skip my mascara, blusher or eyeshadow but I can never forget my eyebrow). To fill in my brows I’ve been using Lioele Artist Auto Brown Dark Brown. For eyes I usually just curl my lashes with my Shu Uemura eyelash curler and apply my Max Factor Clumpy Defy in Black. For lips I keep it very simple and easy and I just apply the same product that I use for my cheeks, Bobby Brown Pot Rouge for Lips and Cheeks in Pale Pink 11 and call it a day.

If I have a bit more time I’ll brush a single eyeshadow colour on. My eyes’ need a primer because they’re always oily. I use Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Portion base and apply it with my fingers. I then take a Sigma Eye Shading-E55 brush and sweep Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow in Bikini-Tini (it’s a pink nude gold in colour which is just nice for instant brightening for my tired eyes) all over the lid and blend it a bit into the crease. I then take Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Stray Dog and apply to the brow bone with Sigma Blending E-25 brush to give some depth to my eyes. With the same brush, I smudge the left over eyeshadow on my lower lash line and blend to give a little smokey eyes look. For everyday eyeliner I prefer to use brown colour for softer look. So I usually use YSL Eye Pencil No.6 Hazelnut Brown then curl lashes and apply mascara as stated above. And if I still want a super glowy look I’ll add a bit of Benefit High Beam on tops of my cheek bones, bridge of my nose and a bit on the forehead with my fingers. I then set everything with Avene Thermal Spring Water Spray, leave for few seconds and the blot away the excess water with tissue paper.

That's it... a fuss free and easy make-up for a busy mummy like me ^^

Love, Shantz

{Review} Laneige Sunblock Aqua SPF 35++

This product was bought on impulse by me on my last year Korea’s Trip. My intention was to buy their famous Sleeping Pack and basic homme skincare for CT, but somehow I ended up buying more items. If you guys been to Korea before, you would know what I mean J When I got back from Korea, I decided to read some research about the product, and the reviews are quite controversial. Some people love it, while others hate it, so I was curious as to what I would think.

So, let’s begin then!

What about the product? (from Laneige’s website)

Laneige Sunblock Aqua SPF 35++ is a daily sun protection that supplies moisture to retain suppleness of the skin.

- Contains mineral water for deep moisturization. Applies lightly without stickiness.

- Non-sticky and lightly penetrates your skin.
- Protects your skin from UV rays when it has been dried by harmful aggressors.
- Feels light and enriching when applied on your skin and provides a refreshing finish

So, what I think about the product?

It has a combination of gel and creamy texture – not too watery and too thick, which I love. It goes smoothly on my face and it does exactly what it promises; it gives a dewy finishing when you apply alone without make-up, however under make-up (I usually wear BB creams on daily basis) it doesn't control oil like my SK-II Whitening Source Derma Definition UV lotion would do. It provides very sheer coverage (actually I didn't notice it at all) and wouldn't leave any white cast on your face like some other sunblocks do. 

However I love the cooling/freshness feeling that lingered on my face after applying it. This sunblock definitely suitable for dry skin and for those who works in air-conditions and need hydration. I strongly feel this product might be suitable for winter season, when our skins tend to get drier. Now that I moved to Qatar and winter is coming soon, I actually regretted having to empty this sunblock quickly. Maybe I’ll ask CT to get it back for me and do another review ^^.

Another thing that I love about Laneige sunblock is that the Zinc and Titanium Dioxide (the sun protecting properties. You can read about different type of sunscreen/sunblock here).

Can you notice the differences?

So, what is my final thought on the product?

·         Easy to use? Yes, but need to pat a little longer.

·         Price? Definitely affordable.

·         Value? Excellent – lasted much longer than expected.

·         Does it work? Not really suitable for my skin type.

·         Would I purchase again? No but I would want to try the oil-free sunblock in the future. I'm always facinated

Have you tried this product? Let me know how it’s working for you.

Love, Shantz