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