MY CURRENT SKINCARE ROUTINE

My skin has gone through quite the roller coaster ride these past few years.
Just a brief little background, I have combination skin, more on the oily side on me T-zone areas, especially on my forehead like it can get really shiny mid day.
I have never had bad skin during my teenage years, I've been blessed with minimal spots all the way through high school, and good 'ol OXY 5 would always do the trick. But when I started my studies abroad in Ireland, my skin obviously needed extra care due to the lack of humidity, and the amount of stress and chocolate I started piling up. I also started being experimental with makeup and because I did not know how to properly take care of my skin, well, it started acting up.

Fast forward through lots of dermatologist visits, loads and I mean loads of skin care experimenting, I am now happy (3 years later lol) with my current regime and touch wood, my skin is finally a lot calmer. I am nowhere near having perfect flawless skin, infact I still have obvious flaws. But I am a lot happier with how it is.

Bare in mind, I was on antibiotics for a good few months, with dietary modifications too before my skin calmed down so if you suffer from severe acne, I would suggest going to a good derm. Would save you time and money in the long run. (Deep scars are permanent guys, no matter what they tell you)
And just a slight disclaimer (one you would see in all skincare routine vids/posts), this is what works for me and everyone has different skin (obvsly) so you just have to find what works for you. I just want to share my own experience and what I find useful for me, hopefully it would make a good read. Because I sure do love me a good skincare read!

STEP 1,2&3: Cleanse + Exfoliate

So, I was browsing at Bobbi Brown (quite the tongue twister innit) 2 years back and I was looking at their skin care line. The lady working there asked about my regime and she was shocked to hear that I do not pre-cleanse. K back then I never knew there even was such a thing. That was when she introduced me to Cleansing Oil! I began using it for a while and I thought it was the best thing ever! BB's cleansing oil has sunflower oil in it which soothed my skin a lot, it didn't strip off my skin when taking off my makeup.
Fast forward a few months, I found out that Koreans double cleanse using oils too! So I started getting really into korean skincare however some of the products did break me out. But I learnt their 10 step skincare routine and their little massaging tips and tricks, and incorporated them into my own using the products that work for me.



1. Origins' A Perfect World Antioxidant Cleanser with White Tea
2. Origins' Never a Dull Moment - skin brightening polisher with fruit extracts
3. Origins' Clear Energy Gentle Cleansing Oil

I would start off with number 3 (I skip this oil in the morning- only at night), regardless of whether or not I have makeup on, then number 1 , and then number 2.  I exfoliate twice a week and this scrub is AMAZING. I've never used a mechanical exfoliator I loved more. Whenever I get a pimple, I would use this and the little critter would shrink the next day or two. Ace. (Will go into chemical exfoliating in a bit)
Also learnt from the Koreans, I use a Carbon Konjac sponge with my cleanser (once a day) and my skin would feel smooth AF. You can get them from Face Shop or Sephora. I usually bring loads back to Ireland because I have no idea where to get them here!
Oh another great tip I found is to finish washing your face using cool water to close the pores before the other steps. During cleansing, it's better to use warm/ room temp water to open the pores and get all the gunk out.

STEP 4: Essence/Toner



The first step after washing your face is always a toner and essence. Personally I prefer to use either one- not both. My favourite toner of all time is the Origins' treatment lotion with White tea (it's in the same range as the cleanser). Absolutely adore it.
But I was curious to try this cult fave - Missha's Time Revolution Essence- (ordered from a friend who visited Korea) and I have been using it for a good few months now. To be honest I have not seen any drastic changes to my skin because of it but no bad reactions so far, so we'll give it a few more months.
The sprayer thingy in the picture is just how I like to "apply" my toner/ essence just because I love the feeling. and its easier than using a cotton square- this I use if I had a full face of makeup before.

STEP 5: Spot management



My dermatologist recommended me these two creams to apply every other day on troubled/acne prone areas. Duac is my holy grail (it contains Clindamycin and 5% Benzoyl Peroxide). Differin is a form of retinoid so I find it helps with controlling hyper pigmentation but that's it- I rarely use it now.
I also still use my trusty OXY5 on larger spots.

STEP 6: Serums



1. OST's Pure Vitamin C20 Serum (Night)
2. Estee Lauder's Idealist - Pore Minimising Skin Refinisher (Day)
3. Kiehl's Daily Reviving Concentrate (Day)
4. Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate (Night)

These are my favourite serums ever. Well I'm still on the fence about  #2 because it does mattify my skin a little which is weird but make up does go great over it- I tend to not use a primer when I use this.
#1 is perfection! It's a chemical exfoliant due to the AHA/ ascorbic acid being an ingredient so it's great for reducing hyper pigmentation/ scarring. I know they've come up with a newer version of it- C21.5 but I have yet to try it. Leave a comment if you have! For night time I either use this or #4.
#3 makes my skin feel super lush! I love how my makeup glides over my skin and how it looks glowy and soft. HG
I tend to alternate just because I want the benefits of all of em lol
So:
Daytime:  2 or 3
Night time: 1 or 4

STEP 7: Moisturiser


1. Algenist's Complete Eye Renewal Balm (Night)
2. Clinique's All About Eyes cream (Day)
3. Origins' Three Part Harmony moisturiser (Day)
4. Bio-essence's Hydra Triaction Sleeping Beauty Mask (Night)
5. Origins' Drink Up- Intensive Overnight Mask (Night)

The Clinique eye cream is more for morning puffiness and dark circles which is why I use it in the day and the Algenist one is for dry eyes. The skin around my eye area is really sensitive especially the lids, and since I use Benzoyl Peroxide, I need that extra moisture.
For night time I enjoy me a good sleeping mask and #4 is packed with hyaluronic acid which is a MIRACLE INGREDIENT especially for people suffering from winter dryness (or just general dry skin hehe)

STEP 8: Masks



This step actually comes right after toner, and you can moisturise after masking. Or not, it depends on how you feel. I would moisturise just because I'm extra.
So these are some of my favourite ones. Although one worth mentioning (which I have sadly ran out of) is Bio-essence's Snail Secretion Repair Mask. (My go-to whenever I get a stubborn spot that needs some serious calming down).

STEP 9 & 10: SPF and Mist



1. Kiehl's Ultra Light Daily UV Defense SPF 50++
2. Estee Lauder's DayWear Antioxidant BB Cream SPF 35 (I believe this isn't sold in Malaysia)
3. Innisfree's Green Tea Mineral Mist

I'm sure we all know the utmost importance of SPF and I cannot stress this enough to all my girlfriends, even my boyfriend.
Extra tips: apply on your neck and onto your lips too! and even when it's cloudy.
This BB cream (#2) is mentioned here because it is a part of my skin care sort of because of all the good ingredients in it i.e. antioxidants. And I use it every single day so.

This particular one makes my skin look so good, and dewy and moisturised I absolutely adore it. And it matches my skin tone like a dream- unlike a lot of bb creams out there. (especially you, moonshot)
I use #3 a lot. It gives me that boost of moisture I need and instantly refreshens. I use it as a finishing spray over makeup too, although I'm not sure if it actually prolongs the wear of makeup. Doubt it but it does give it that (again) dewy look we so crave for these days. #trend

_______________________________

So that's basically my skincare routine, here are some extra tips I've learnt along the way
1. Never skip fresh greens every single day- trust me, I started juicing and my skin thanked me for it. Incorporate carotenoid-rich veggies like kale (in Malaysia i used baby kailan), and spinach into your sandwiches, or smoothies. And fruits like blueberries (antiinflammatory), mangoes, and pineapples (Vit C)
2. Drink a minimum of 2L of water per day
3. Wash your face before bed and as soon as you get up
4. Sweat it out and space out sugary things. Dark chocolate is great for you btw 
5. If a product breaks you out the following day, stop. using. it. If it doesn't break you out, give it time to work. Don't stop just because your scars are not fading within a week.
6. If something works, stick to it
7. Wash makeup brushes every week guys.
8. Use a separate small towel for your face and change it every 3-4 days
9. Eat your vitamins- C, A & E
10. Go to a good derm if you are not happy with your skin. Trust me, it costs more money trying out different things that just do not work.

Okay that's it for now! Hope this was enjoyable hehe

Love,
MM

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HEALTHY MALAY MEALS #1

The new wave of health awareness trends have hit our generation and those preceding us of course, and I could not be happier. I love that people are so into being healthy, eating good clean food, learning and incorporating good eating habits, garnishing meals with beautiful greens and seeds and all that jazz. Love it. I for one, love that it's no longer a chore to eat your fruits and greens and it's becoming more of a, well trend. For example, if that mega fit girl's eating a pretty smoothie bowl, you sure as heck will see me googling some smoothie bowl how-tos. So in summary, healthy is the new ombre hair. But better.

But I do agree that it can be pricey to want to follow health or beauty gurus' eating habits, I mean I for one don't think I'm able to afford eating avocados, and salmon fillets every single day. So I get the common struggle of trying to eat healthy and at the same time work with what you've got. i.e. money and time.

I have been away from home for a good few months now, and I find myself missing Malaysia a lot more than usual. I want Malaysian food or to be more exact, Malay food so bad but the common idea is that Malaysian food means oily, fatty, sugary food. But is it really? 

I have consulted a team of specialists, and lifetime researchers i.e. my mother and my aunts with the help of Facebook posts to come up with some easy Malay meals you could make yourself. I will spread out the meal posts 

I've put stars ** above some ingredients you can bring back with you from Malaysia-  that has a century's worth of expiration date and of  course, if you ARE lucky enough to be in Malaysia, you will have access to all the beautiful ingredients and i mean you especially, daun kesom. 

Obvious disclaimer: I am in no way a good cook whatsoever, so this post is just for fun and to maybe help out or give some sort of inspo(?) to all you penniless students I can relate so very much to.

NUMBER 1: IKAN REBUS MASAK ASAM (Cooks for 4)

Ingredients:

To be blended:

- Belacan**(half an inch)

- Red onion (half a bulb)

- garlic (2 cloves)

- turmeric powder (1/2 teaspoon)- now you could use a live one which is better for you but I don't know how accessible this is in Tesco so yes

- Dried chillis** (7-8 pieces)

To be thrown in:

- Fish of your choice (as many as you like really, I personally chose Mackerel because for sure you can find it anywhere )

- Tomatoes/ ladyfingers aka bendi/ large chunks of cucumber

- Assam keping**- this is the game changer, and what makes it asam (as a sub, you could squeeze in lime/lemon instead of course)

- salt to taste

Instructions:

1. Firstly bring water in your pot to boil

2. Pour in the blended ingredients into your pot

3. Now proceed with the ones to be thrown into the boiling pot, like your boyfriend's ex

AND YOU'RE DONE! no oil, no fuss, literally takes 10 minutes 

Serve with some brown rice, and if you wanna amp it up a bit, make yourself some stir fry.

ps: Sorry for the lack of photos, I drafted this post months back and I lost the pictures.
Happy cooking!

MM

FINALLY

My new years resolutions. Finally
This is a post I've been dreading but is infact what I've typed out entirely on my flight back from Malaysia to Dublin. It is completely raw, unfiltered and completely honest. I've let out some of my biggest insecurities in hopes of starting out a better, 2016 me. So here goes.

1. Zero makeup
One of the most wanted things in the world is natural beauty. What we can't have (naturally), is what  we try, at least to get as close to as we can. Why else would some of the most successful fields in the world be beauty/ skincare related? And why else would soo many people invest thousands and thousands on just makeup and skincare? This is not even considering the tens of thousands spent on surgical procedures.
I for myself have the same belief. ( well not on surgical procedures, but you get the idea.) but after years of being a full on makeup enthusiast, and as much as I am still very passionate about it, it has infact taken its toll on the state of my skin, and self esteem. I tried out a number of different products thinking my skin was resilient enough to endure all of it. I had tolerable skin in high school (except for occasional bumps) and all the way through college. Unfortunately now (when im abroad, exposed to harsher, dryer conditions and the gunk ive bombarded my skin with) do I only realise how delicate my skin actually is. Because of the little bumps I've been getting, I've grown more reliant on makeup to cover my imperfections when instead, it worsened everything. Even when it's healed, I find myself reaching for my Perfection Lumiere bottle every time. This is okay if all I do is "brunch with my girls from time to time" or "take a day trip down to London over the weekend" or if my classes end at 12 so I could just wash up and have nothing else on for the day. This isnt the case for me. I have full days and I loove being outside. I just cant stay in all day.  I have daily 9-5s, hospital visits till late evening, workshops, seminars and by the time I reach home.. pitch dark.
I wanna be able to go for class bare faced except for some gloss and mascara, and go for a swim after without having to carry my cleansing oil to wash off the foundation, or go on a 4 days 3 nights hiking trip with my friends without these petty things in mind, or not having to worry about the gunk on my face when I have my 9-5s every single day.
This year, i want my insecurities to go away. I want to treat my skin and get it to as best of a state as it could possibly get and be done with relying on foundation and concealer. Obviously once in a while, like cute dinners or events, now that's a different case. I would never forego my love for blending eyeshadows for the perfect smokey eye, and contouring my cheeks for killer cheek bones and highlighting my cheeks to cheat that natural glow. I will forever find makeup a form of art. But I just want to love myself and my skin more. In its natural, bare, imperfect state.

2. Be more like Monica
I do not at all see myself as the organised type. Frankly I'm the exact opposite. I push things to the very last minute, I don't plan my semesters well and I find myself running to my coursemates asking questions and feeling behind most of the time. I've suffered from serious anxiety issues, ever since my first year of medschool and I have to admit; is all because of poor TIME management. I do this all the time. I procrastinate, then I get anxious because I've got to cover a semester's worth of work within a month's time.
So I hereby VOW to be as alphabetically-ordered-colour-coordinated-date-specific kind of organised - like Monica from Friends. Remember how she made files and folders for Chandler's prospective job options mid Season 9? Yes
Be as over as Monica.


 3. Slay my clinicals
I have not been doing as well as I'd hoped for for my 1st, 2nd and start of 3rd year. Nothing close to 4 flats ever. But over the winter holidays I have decided on a number of things I'm truly passionate about, and a tentative career/ life plan. I obviously dont have A-Z figured out for myself but I do know for sure that I have a definitive idea of where I wanna be at the age of 30. This involves slaying my clinicals first. With ace time management, ace amount of sleep, ace motivation, I know I can do this. Ok honesty hour: i've always had 2 big dreams.i've always wanted to do fashion for as long as i can remember. I wanted to start my own line but at the same time I want to practice medicine. They're two big huge opposite dreams and at the age of 17, I chose one over the other. Eversince then i cant help but feel like im missing out on the other and that ill never get to live it. But recently i've read about how the world isnt black and white anymore and there isnt a generic career anymore. You can earn money doing practically anything, heck Youtuber is a full-time job now! So yea. I'm done with comparing my life with others and how im missing out.
"On social media you compare your lives with only a snippet of other peoples' lives. Not the full story"
 I'm so so blessed. I may not feel this way 24 hours in a day and I have my moments of insecurities and doubts.
but I wouldn't change a thing- everything I've done leading up to this point and I am exactly where I want to be.

4. Myself over others
I feel like one of my biggest flaw is that I tend to stall my life for my friend or anyone else thats special. As much as I will still love my friends, i think I'm going to start loving myself a heck of a lot more. I'm gonna Kanye the hell out of myself. I can't keep waiting up late for FaceTime calls anymore. I cant bend over backwards neglecting my own needs over others' anymore. I have got to be selfish and I will be selfish. Because in the end of the day, I'm the one sitting for that exam I didn't prepare enough for, and I'm the one that's late for my 8 am.
So 2k16, I wont be afraid to put myself above everything and everyone else no matter who you are to me.

4. One post per week
 On the lighter side of things, I have decided to turn this blog into not only about my personal posts but also more towards clothes! Well, still personal in that sense, but more in a way that could hopefully help give outfit inspos!(not saying I would be of any inspiration to anybody, but I enjoy it so why the hell not).
 Maybe to give you some life hacks, how-tos like cutting up an old turtle neck that's awkwardly long into a stellar cropped knit, and lotsa other things I sometimes do to my clothes just because.
And this will be my out let. Not TV series or movies anymore. Obviously, I am nowhere near as knowledgable when it comes to this extremely WIDE subject (i.e. fashion) BUT I have decided to share my love for thrifting, be more experimental with my clothes, be more active on DePop Market ( Carousell equivalent but in Europe), share with you some of my fav thrift stores, brands, and to be more active in documenting what I wear basically.(With my busy schedule, I will try at least.
I want to be able to do both things that I love, so why not start with this right?

4. Eat clean
This is in relation to having good skin obviously but far and foremost, I want to have a healthy body. Healthy body, healthy mind. Also healthy body, hot body, happy days. I want the kind of body I'm proud of . The kind i know future me will thank me for.
My grandma died of kidney failure last year and I have never gone through a worst period of time in my whole life. Because of this, it's all the more reason for me to start now with taking care of my health. I wanna eat more fresh uncooked greens, be aware of the calories and contents of the food I put into my system, drink 3Ls of water daily, never skip a meal, and lastly, although this is a sensitive subject to a lot of people and since I've promised myself to be completely honest in this post, I will touch on the subject because why the heck not. I promise to work towards eating only halal meat. MIND YOU I do not take pork ever. It's just that from time to time i do find myself going for non halal chicken and stuff (because of convenience esp when i travel) so this year I'd like to try at least, to not consume non halal meat. If it's is completely out of my way, then it could be another excuse for me to try out those cool vegan/vegetarian recipes I've bookmarked since forever. (Especially Izy Hossack's Apricot Quesadillas)

And finally,
5. Be closer to God
My family and I have gone through some of the biggest loop holes this year and we find ourselves feeling helpless most of the time. I do realise that no matter how far you've come, or how confident you are with your actions and efforts, sometimes you need God for that little sense of assurance. Assurance that everything is going to be okay even when at the exact moment of complete helplessness, it really isnt. I was and still am thousands and thousands of miles away from the people I love, and what happened to my grandma a couple months ago, was just reality's way of smacking me in the face really.
You never know when your last family feud is your last. Or when your midnight McD drive throughs with your mom would be the very last time too. I want to work extremely extremely hard this year to improve every part of myself and be the kind of person my mom can proudly say is hers.
I'm sorry this post isnt as fun as most new years resolutions are! I've neglected this blog long enough so why not start with the generic first-post-of-the-year-type post!
Well by this I mean the resolutions part, not the emo part.

Anyways,
Although I am obviously 2 months late, I truly hope all of you have a wonderful amazing fantastic life changing new year, and cheers to a brand new us!

   

Till then x
MM