MILIA, XANTHELASMA, SEBACEOUS HYPERPLASIA: WTF?

After the whole fungal acne saga, enter another 99 skin problems. Well…three to be exact.

I blame it all to my hormones. And yes, to stress, fatigue and poor diet, too.

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Check out my bare and made-up skin (covered by powerful primer, concealer and foundation). Yes, I can cover that much. But by the end of the day, the spots are there. Weird looking spots (some look like pimples and closed comedones). Weird looking brown spots that actually rise on the surface of the skin like nano-sized cyst.

What the heck are them? Are they harmful?

On my eyelids are milias, small, dome-shaped bumps that are white but not ichy or painful. These formed directly from entrapped keratin, usually genetic. And also on the outer corner of my eyelid, some Xanthelasma occurred. They are soft, a bit yellowish, fatty deposit. Basically, it’s related to fat consumption (thanks butter and lattes!).

On my upper cheeks, there’s Sebaceous Hyperplasia. These occurred when the sebaceous glands that are attached to hair follicles all over our body, including face, become enlarge and trapped with sebum. Unlike Xanthelasma, these bumps are flesh-colored. People with fair skin (check!), and who’ve had a lot of sun exposure (also check!) are more likely to get this. Oh yeah, this is also genetic (darn it!).

At one point, even though they are mostly harmless, I feel cosmetically unattractive. What to do when one felt like one? Enter cosmetic procedure: ElectroCautery. I did mine at a local clinic (check their IG @beautybyappointment).

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From what I read, electrocautery is also known as thermal cautery, a surgical procedure often used to remove growths on our skin. Basically this heated needle will burn those b**ches. Certainly smelled the burnt skin while doing this procedure. Did it hurt, you might ask. Not during the procedure (thanks to the numbing cream pre-procedure), but afterwards, it felt like a burnt wound on my face (especially when I washed my face for the first 3 days).

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As you can see, some of my wounds are pretty big, especially on upper cheeks area (when most of them are sebaceous hyperplasia). While on the eyelids, milia wounds were quicker to dry and much smaller in size.

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After the procedure, the clinic gave me: NaCl aka Sodium Chloride for compress mask, anti-irritation cream and retinoic acid (which I ditched sooner because it seemed to redden my wound. They told me to always use sunblock whenever I go out and only put loose powder as my makeup (no foundation, no nothing). Will keep you guys updated on my journey with the wounds. Currently, doing my best to remove those scars with natural remedy: Rosehip Oil and chemical: Dermatix Ultra. Wish me luck!!

Meanwhile, if you asked me is it worth it to do this procedure? YES, if you are forever annoyed by bumpy textures. NO, if you can’t deal with the reality that you’re going to be wounded for a couple of weeks (and nothing you can’t do to cover them, say bye to concealer and foundation). Remember, life is full of choices and cosmetic procedures are too.

PHOTOS: SHINTA ROSVITA

FIRST CLEANSER FOR FUNGAL ACNE

Lately I’ve been asked about this matter, as a lot of you suffered worsen fungal acne after cleansing with oils.

Been there, done that, folks! Apparently, my fungal acne prone skin hates olive oil, pronto! So, if I use cleansing oil as the first cleanser with olive oil as one of their main 5 ingredients, that will do bad things. Unfortunately my dear, lots of cleansing oil used olive oil as their main ingredients. And not only most oil is bad news for fungal acne, some ingredients mainly found in cleansing oil like Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Isopropyl Myristate are also a big no no for fungal acne dearest.

 

How about cleansing balm, some of you asked me. Same thing, lots of cleansing balms, whatever they named them, also contain ingredients that are not safe for fungal acne prone skin.

So, obviously I tried to stay clear of oils and balms, but lots of people still got confused of this first cleanser dilemma. I used to think that nothing could dissolve my oily based makeup and sunscreen except oil-based cleanser. Until I read labmuffinscience post. Yes darlings, we don’t need oil to dissolve oil, but look for surfactant in your cleanser.

Unfortunately, after some trial & error, there are not much first cleanser products that worked best on my fungal acne (in the meaning of they didn’t trigger them to be worse). But, I recommend you to check skincarisma.com if you want to know does your first cleanser safe for your fungal acne.

Personally, I’ve been using these two religiously, as they didn’t trigger my fungal acne.

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BIODERMA SENSIBIO H2O: Trust me, I’ve tried many brands but always going back to this. It’s not cheap, yes. But, every single time I bought expensive skincare products, I will keep on telling myself “this Is an investment, I only have one face and I will take care of it the best way I can”. Believe it or not, I’d rather spent my money on expensive skincare products that really worked, rather than buying designer shoes nowadays.

LANEIGE LIP & EYE REMOVER WATERPROOF_EX: No wonder this costs a lot for a bottle of lip and eye makeup remover. It didn’t blur and sting my eyes. It removed matte lip color, waterproof mascara and eyeliner well. And tada!!! It’s safe for fungal acne according to skincarisma.com. If you’re also prone to milia under the eyes, don’t worry, this won’t make them bigger.

TIPS: immediately wash with second cleanser aka your facial wash after using first cleanser. Personally, I love using round cotton pads, so I can detect how clean I cleansed.

PHOTOS: SHINTA ROSVITA

REVIEW: PATYKA HUILE ABSOLUE

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Thanks C&F Indonesia for sending me this skin booster serum for face, body and hair as PR gift.

First of all, I like the chic and luxurious packaging. Comes in a 50ml glass pump bottle, it is expensive for a serum (current price IDR 980K). But, it was made in France, and well-known as the ultimate French beauty secret, so yes darling, everything come with a price.

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Check out the origami-style box.

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That apothecary feeling comes with 12 (yes, twelve!) essential oils and plant extracts. It claimed to do these 7 remarkable benefits: Glow Enhancer, Anti Oxidant, Protecting, Nourishing, Regenerating, Toning and Stimulating. On face, this will act as a serum to regenerate and soothe the skin. On body, this will also regenerate dry areas. On hair, this will act as a repairing mask on dry and damaged ends before the shampoo. It smells like a combination of musk and rose, quite a strong scent (for sensitive skin, please do patch test first).

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Apologies for not trying this on my face, since my skin react badly to essential oils (after a few trials and errors). But, no worries, I did try this on my body and hair, and here are my thoughts:

I mixed several drops of this with my body lotion. And it gives the effect of that J.Lo’s glow, even though I am not a tan-skinned girl. Check out that glow!

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This also works wonder for dry cuticles (see the difference below). Imagine what it can do for dry skin face. I am positively sure, this oil will work best on dry skin type.

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This serum can also be used for hair, usually I applied several drops on my dry and frizzy end before shampooing. It made my hair feel smoother and easier to comb afterwards.

You can buy this, here

PHOTOS: SHINTA ROSVITA

REVIEW: PYUNKANG YUL ACNE

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My first encounter with Pyunkang Yul was with their first and basic line, which comes in their iconic dark blue bottles. I’ve purchased their Essence Toner, Ato Cleanser and Mist Toner, and I love them all. What attracted me to this Korean brand at the first place? Some of their products only use minimal ingredients, and they removed all non-essential chemicals from their formulations. None of their products I’ve tried made me break out or worsen my fungal acne.

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So, I am really excited when they just launched their ACNE line. Thanks to Style Korean, they sent me a box filled with ACNE line range, for their “Try Me, Review Me”. Well, as the name stated, PYUNKANG YUL ACNE specifically targets acne and claim to treat them effectively. What I love about this line, most of them are using Niacinamide and Centella Asiatica (two of my favorite and safe ingredients). Unlike their first line, these come in white packaging and bottles. Looks very Scandinavian.

So, what’s in ACNE line? And how to use them in the correct order?

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FACIAL CLEANSER

Texture: almost runny, milky gel, produced light bubbles.

Feel: super clean and comfortable. Left my skin feeling matte but not dry/tight.

Scent: smells like plastic bottle, but not annoying.

Tip: be careful when you open the cap (if you put it on vertically), as it might slurp downward easily.

TONER

Texture: clear, runny, transparent exfoliating toner

Feel: easy to absorb without leaving any stickiness and doesn’t create any foam. Cooling effect on skin and comfortable to use with round cotton pad. This is a mild exfoliating toner as I didn’t experience redness afterward.

No scent.

Tip: try with cotton pad at first round, and do second round without (just pat them on skin)

SPOT CREAM

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spotcream

All green checks on skincarisma.com.

Claim to fame: quickly soothing acne within 12 hours.

Really? Well, this works to prevent acne getting bigger. So, if you feel like that tiny bumps going to turn into a huge zit, zap this spot cream stat! I apply this at night, because it can leave a thin white matte stain on skin. This is a spot treatment, anyway. But don’t worry, it won’t make your future acne dry. It just flatten them away, seriously.

CREAM

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cream

Don’t be fooled by the name, because it’s a moisturizer which comes in a clear gel texture.

Feel: light, easy to absorb, though a bit sticky but made my skin looks matte.

And in this heat, my skin loves this moisturizer. It feels cooling and great for oily skin. I think this is a good primer for my base makeup.

DRESSING MASK PACK

Everybody, this is not a sheet mask. This comes in four square sheets, just like if we want to do Toner Mask technique. Since I am used to do toner mask with my thin square cotton pads, these sheets are thicker, therefore easier to slip down while half dry. I recommend using this while lying down. Bonus, this mask pack is categorized as safe for fungal acne on skincarisma.com.

I wish I could leave them on for more than 10 minutes, but no. Follow the instruction on the product info is the best thing to do.

OVERALL REVIEW: This line is a potent acne barrier. After about two weeks of using them, my hormonal acne didn’t flare up, my fungal acne seems to be friends with the products, too. And the fact that they’re fragrance-free, helped. A lot. I also enjoy the simple four steps, cleanse, tone, treat and balancing. Sometimes, it’s best to practice a simpler skin-care routine (especially if you’re prone to acne and fungal acne like me). Because we don’t want to confuse our skin with too many products and ingredients at once, right?

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Click here to buy PYUNKANG YUL ACNE, or you can check your trusted local online shops (I saw some on my favorite sis).

PHOTOS: SHINTA ROSVITA

MINIMAL SKINCARE ROUTINE FOR FUNGAL ACNE PRONE SKIN

As much as I’d love to do 10 steps of skincare routine, I realized that sticking to just the essentials is key.

Especially for those who can’t be bothered with so many steps, and don’t know what the heck is the difference between serum and ampoule, read on….

Actually, the must do for our skincare routine is simply cleanse, tone, moisturize and slather some SPF in the AM routine. That’s it.

And after all that searching online plus self-experience, I can say these products did help my fungal acne prone skin.

Let’s start with AM routine, shall we?

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CLEANSE: since I believe that my face is not that dirty, I use mild facial cleanser in the morning.

TONE: in toner I trust. This is one of the mildest daily exfoliating toner that I’ve tried.

MOISTURIZE: with minimal ingredients, this is my go-to moisturizer. And I love to mix my moisturizer with face oil in the morning, just to amp up that glow from within look. Don’t forget eye cream.

SPF: please don’t skip this step. You know, sun is responsible for up to 90% of age signs. Reapply if you are spending most of your time outside.

PM routine be like….

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DOUBLE CLEANSE: if you are a heavy makeup wearer like me, this step is super important. I use micellar water to remove makeup, then continue with facial cleanser.

TONE: I only use stronger exfoliating toner once a week. Meanwhile, I use my daily exfoliating toner.

SERUM: additional step which I believe is super important if we have troubled skin. Currently, I am into Niacinamide and Zinc.

MOISTURIZE: I don’t do night cream, but I do believe in sleeping pack. Add eye cream, and I am done for the night.

PHOTOS: SHINTA ROSVITA

 

 

REVIEW: GOODAL GREEN TANGERINE VITA C DARK SPOT SERUM

This is my second attempt on vitamin C, as in the first attempt using other brand got my skin irritated. Let’s see if this works, shall we?

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What made me purchase this vitamin C serum? Unlike others, this contains 70% green tangerine extract, nature-derived vitamin C. It claims to be minimally irritant, even thought green tangerine known to have natural vitamin C ten times more than regular tangerines. I bought this online in a set for IDR425K, with a 30ml and bonus 10ml serum, plus the 10ml cream.

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Got hooked on their claims (obviously!). What??? It can lighten blemishes, too???

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So I’ve checked on the ingredients, as they claimed to be free of 20 harmful ingredients (such as mineral oil, parabens, PEG, SLS etc). Surprise…surprise, this serum contains ARBUTIN as one of their main ingredients, which is well-known to fade brown spots. And it also contains Niacinamide (my favorite ever). Unfortunately, there’s one of the ingredients that should be watch out: Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil aka Bergamot Fruit Oil. Yes, it is essential oil. I dislike essential oils on my skincare ingredients (as they’re bad for fungal acne), but what the heck, let’s give it a try for two weeks.

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Texture: transparent gel. When applied, it’s not sticky, and it gives cooling effect on skin (super perfect for such a cruel summer in my home town, Jakarta). It didn’t sting at all, good sign for me.

Here’s the result!

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After only a week, (mind the different lighting) I can see huge improvement on my acne scars. This serum definitely fades new formed acne scars aka PIE (Post Inflammatory Erythema). As for my PIH (Post Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation) on the upper cheek area, I can see it lightens them a bit to a pinkish instead of dark brown spots.

No wonder this serum has won many awards in Korea. It is that good for newly formed acne scars. However, for those who are sensitive to vitamin C, I recommend to apply this serum on dark spots only. Give it a test first, if it’s good to go, then apply on whole face if needed.

PHOTOS: SHINTA ROSVITA

BRUNTUSAN: WHICH PRODUCTS ARE SAFE?

Uneven skin texture. Maybe that’s the right English words for ‘bruntusan’, which I believe still happen even if you passed that teenager’s years already.

If you’ve been having a constant bruntusan and nothing help, it could be Pityrosporum Folliculitis, aka Malassezia, aka fungal acne in more popular term. I’ve been intensively blogging about this, because I am one of the sufferers.

It’s almost a year now, and obviously I’ve been on a roller-coaster ride to find the right products. I am my own guinea-pig. Cosdna and skincarisma have been my go-to website to check out on the ingredients of each product which I wanted to purchase. I will stay clear for anything that stated bad for fungal acne, such as: Galactomyces, Sorbitan Olivate (Olive Oil), Sorbitan Palmitate (Palm Oil), Glyceryl Stearate (derived from palm kernel, vegetable or soy oil), Castor Oil and lots more. Basically I will stay clear from mineral oils and anything fermented (because it will feed the yeast).

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I recommend you to check on skincarisma.com to know which ingredient is bad for fungal acne before you purchase anything. These are some of the products that I purchase after I’m totally sure that they’re fungal acne safe (according to skincarisma.com).

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FIRST CLEANSER: BIODERMA Sensibio H2O.
No matter how much I’d love to try balm or oil remover, most of them usually contain PEG, Olive Oil, or Ethylhexyl Palmitate (palm oil), which is not safe for fungal acne. So yeah, I’ve been using this religiously to remove my base makeup (I use eye makeup remover separately).

SECOND CLEANSER: SIMPLE Kind to Skin Refreshing Facial Wash Gel.
As the name stated, this has very simple ingredients list which include panthenol that promotes wound healing. Don’t expect miracle, it won’t make your acne dries. But, this is a very gentle cleanser and super awesome for sensitive skin (it won’t aggravate skin because it is fragrance free).

TONER: SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Asiatica Toner.
Centella Asiatica aka Tiger Grass aka Daun Pegagan (in Bahasa), has been my favorite ingredient lately. This is a clear, watery everyday toner, perfect to wipe away any excess dirt and oil after second cleanser.

EXFOLIATING TONER: COSRX AHA/BHA Clarifying Toner.
I only use this twice a week, just because I need to exfoliate. Even though I am not a big fan of AHA, this is the only exfoliating toner which is safe for fungal acne (according to skincarisma.com).

HYDRATING TONER: KLAIRS Supple Preparation Unscented Toner.
I use this after exfoliating toner. This toner is free from scents and (best of all) essential oils. It’s cooling and calming when applied.

ESSENCE: LEEGEEHAAM Tea Tree90 Essence.
Mine is the old version, I believe they launched the latest version with new packaging (not sure of the formula). Tea tree is another one of my favorite ingredients, and this also contains Centella Asiatica extract.

SERUM: GLOSSIER Super Pure.
This is my second bottle, by the way. I’ve tried The Ordinary Niacinamide, but I love this one more. It has no weird scent like The Ordinary ones, and glides evenly because it’s more watery than The Ordinary. Yes, it is expensive though.

AMPOULE: (Again from the brand SKIN1004), Madagascar Centella Asiatica 100 Ampoule.
It only contains Centella Asiatica Extract, so this is very potent for skin healing. Unlike any ampoules that I’ve tried, this is more watery. Nonetheless, it absorb really well and I believe it calms down angry skin.

MOISTURIZER: MAKE P:REM Safe Me Relief Cream.
I believe this is the first ever moisturizer that I enjoy using. I love the light texture, the super light scent and it only contains 12 ingredients (which include Squalane, another champion ingredient). Less ingredients is definitely more!

OIL: BIOSSANCE Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil.
This oil is bloody expensive, but worth it. Actually, using oil as the last step of any skincare routine is just a supplement. If you don’t feel like it, you can skip this step. But I love how this adds softness, especially under makeup.

WASH OFF MASK: LEEGEEHAAM Grow Matcha Clay Pack.
I am not a sheet mask fan, as I read in Reddit that the wet environment of the sheet mask made an even better breeding ground for fungal acne. So yeah, I stick to my wash off mask, thank you. This mask has great ingredients such as green tea, kaolin and bentonite clay. Texture is thick but creamy and easy to apply.

I hope this post will help you to choose the right products for your bruntusan or fungal acne problem. Till then!

PHOTOS; SHINTA ROSVITA

 

FUNGAL ACNE: WHERE I’M AT

Just want to say thanks for you who had read my fungal acne post here. And now it’s time for some updates.

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My forehead is clearing up, thankfully. But, thanks to my habit of trying new skincare (in this case, Some by Mi Miracle Serum, read post here), my face acted up, worst than before. Those fungal acne found a new home…my left cheek all the way to my upper neck. Then I realized, it might be Olive Oil in the serum that triggered the whole s*it.

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And my hormones didn’t help too, cystic acnes still appeared here and there. When I can’t stand that hormonal cystic acnes which feels itchy and looked disturbing as hell, I immediately got my acne shot at Beauty By Appointment (check out their IG @beautybyappointment). In fact in this pic, I just took two acne shots, one near my nose, and one on chin.

And of course, my skincare routine has been changing since the first time I dealt with fungal acne. Not necessarily 10 steps, but I tried my best to stick to ingredients that won’t aggravate my skin to the worst.

More centella asiatica and tea tree as my hero ingredients. As these natural ingredients didn’t flare up my fungal acne.

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Niacinamide is still in the picture, obviously. This serum is my second bottle, actually. Expensive as hell, but worth it.

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Since raw honey is good for fungal acne sufferer (according to simpleskincarescience.com), I use this facial cleanser that has raw honey as one of its’ main ingredient.

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I’m so glad I found this new gem, because it contains sulfur that doesn’t smell like one. Again, sulfur is known as toxic for fungi. I apply this 2 times a week as a wash-off facial mask. But, if I have monstrous hormonal acnes, I will apply this as a spot treatment and leave it overnight.

I tried to cut down dairies and instead of having roaccutane daily, I drink Kale juice, skin supplement from a local brand (which consists of Zinc and Niacinamide) and Probiotics for my gut health.

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In skincarisma.com I trust! I used to check out all the ingredients on cosdna.com before I purchased any of my skincare products, but now since skincarisma is it! They have add “Fungal Acne (Malassezia) Safe” into their Quick Product Notes.

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Last but not least, my skin used to reject vitamin C as it irritated. But then I found this ethanol-free, concentrated vitamin C serum that claims to fade blemishes and dark spots. I am in love with this low-irritant vitamin serum, thanks to its’ lightweight, gel texture. I believe my PIE (Post Inflammatory Erythema) is getting better after using this.

Will keep you guys updated about my fungal acne journey, till then!

PHOTOS: SHINTA ROSVITA

REVIEW: MOONSHOT

My obsession to Korean skincare, doesn’t mean that I know everything about Korean entertainment industry. In the matter of fact, I didn’t know anything about it. K-pop stars, actresses, sorry….

Then, I got invited to the launch of MOONSHOT, a Korean cosmetic brand, brought to Indonesia by @cnfstoreofficial. Apparently, one of the biggest entertainment group in Korea, named YG which also handles Big Bang and other famous K-pop stars, launched this beauty brand in 2014 in Korea. Now, Moonshot is available online @cnfstoreofficial and offline at C&F stores in Grand Indonesia and Kota Kasablanka, Jakarta.

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With tagline “Dare to be Extraordinary”, I’m excited to review their PR kit.

MICROFIT CUSHION SPF 50+, PA+++
Claimed to be ultra light with anti-darkening formula, I found this cushion moisturizing and soften my skin without looking too oily. Luckily I got my perfect shade: 201. I love this cushion, just check out my before-after pic (excuse me for different lighting). It really covers my spots well, without no concealer! It is really buildable, I applied two layers on my spots area, and I guess I can just go out without setting with powder. I bring this around for mid-day touch up, too.

JELLY POT
Basically, this is a liquid eyeshadow, yes…liquid. Mine is P03 Warm Dress, comes with Pearl texture. This is a fun texture to play with (use fingers not brush), as it looks watery but when applied, it just glides easily. Best part, unlike powder texture, it won’t fall out. And thanks to Color Dispersion Technology, this didn’t crease at all on eyelids. Because it’s also water based, it felt cooling when applied. I love this shade, it looks really natural, even though it comes with pearl texture. This is also buildable, I applied two layers allover my lids to achieve this look. I recommend you to try this, seriously…it’s really good.

LIP FEAT
Check out the bullet design, it is different from others! M810 Faint Brick is my given shade, it looks coral on the packaging, but when applied on my lips, it’s more to pinkish orange. It supposed to be matte, but I found it quite moisturizing like a satin lipstick. It’s not drying, and one swipe is enough for the color to show. Even though they claim it’s long lasting…well..it’s not. Need touch-up after eating, but I don’t mind at all. Actually I’m kind of afraid of those long-lasting lipstick that won’t budge even though you already use oil cleanser. So, this is good.

CREAM PAINT LIGHTFIT
Why I wasn’t interested in Korean lipsticks? Because most of them usually come in very bright color like red and orange. I changed my mind after trying this. Given to me is shade M117 Hey Rosa (love the shade). Comes in a velvet-matte finish, this is a perfect ‘My Lips But Better’ shade. So light like the name, this can also be used for cheeks. If you want to use it on cheeks, apply before foundation, like I did on this look.

PHOTOS: SHINTA ROSVITA

 

REVIEW: SOMEBYMI AHA-BHA-PHA 30 DAYS MIRACLE SERUM

After their viral miracle toner that I’ve tried (click here for the review), this Korean brand came up with some new stuff online. This serum is just one of them.

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Of course, they named it (yet, again) the Miracle Serum. Unlike the toner with AHA, BHA, PHA + Niacinamide 2% on the ingredients list, this serum contains AHA, BHA, PHA + 14,5% Centella. They both have high dose of Real Teatree 10,000PPM. And being a devoted fan of centella and tea tree, I don’t mind the addition of Centella as one of the ingredients into this serum.

Packaging: 50ml dark green droplet bottle, just like the toner. And I guess this is my first plastic serum bottle (usually serums come in glass bottle).

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Texture: a mixture of oil and water, so it has to be shaken well before each use. I warned you, this looks oily once applied (I use 4 drops as recommended on the entire face). It didn’t absorb well, instead leaving an oily layer on top of the skin. Therefore, I only use this as my night serum.

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After using this serum for about 3 days, two big zits popped out on my chin and upper lips (unusual spots for me to grow pimples). Oh no, I experienced breakouts not purging. And I believe this serum triggered Malassezia on my cheeks (yes, fungal acne is a freaking biatch!). Then I deep dive on cosdna for ingredients. Olive Oil is one of the main 5 ingredients! No wonder my skin reacted so badly. Another lesson learned, never buy anything before deep diving on ingredients.

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Final Verdict: After two weeks, I decided to cut this serum out of my skincare regime. And the after quitting effect was quite drastic. My skin was recovered quickly after just two nights of quitting using this serum.

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PHOTOS: SHINTA ROSVITA