New deco ☆

 I decided to do my earbuds today ~ 

I spent the day sick with sore throat (again) and didn't go to work... So I thought some decoden would cheer me up! 

No flash

Flash

I did it very free-handly, so it's not perfect, but I think I achieved the 小悪魔 style I had in mind.  Now I just have to remember to keep it in the earbud case I got at Daiso years ago, or I'll break it in less than 3 months as usual, and the deco will fall off from being thrown around inside my bag 

Took about an hour to make, which was very quick.

And since we're on this matter

Here's my top July albums on last.fm 

Weekend / Larie's birthday ~

 

Yesterday was Larie's 28th birthday!!! 

We started off the celebration on Saturday night, at a bar. Little did I know it was just the prologue ww

With the birthday girl!!! 

 Diamond Lash "Angel eye"

 SheIn

 ColourPop Strawberry Shake palette

 M.A.C "Fleshpot"

I couldn't take a better co*de picture I'm sorry ww

Shirt: Tralala

Skirt: SheIn

Belt: SheIn

Stockings: Off-Brand

Shoes (unseen but I thought it was worth mentioningww): Melissa x Vivienne Westwood

Nails were found locally and are super cheap, but they were GIVING:

We chatted and drank there for a couple hours (I only had a wine tbh, I'm not the strongest drinker), we headed to a beach-themed Chinese bar, which wasn't bad but I was frustrated that they had almost nothing that I tried to order 

They brought Larie a special birthday drink and shots of honey whiskey for her guests. After singing "happy birthday" the waiter blew a heart-shaped confetti popper, which got stuck in everyone's cups www

We stayed until they closed down, but that wasn't the end 

We went right after to a Korean karaoke where I happily had banana milk, Pepero, fries and fruits 

The song was "Bad Romance" but the video was BTS' "Dynamite" for some reason LMAO

I have no idea of how long the whole karaoke thing lasted, but we left at almost 7AM. In the meantime I had taken a few naps between the songs because drinking makes me sleepy and I had worked in the morning, so I began feeling tired. They also ordered a bucket of soju but I was done with alcohol already ww

I only got home by 11AM. I spent the early morning sleeping at Larie's while she was still drinking with a friend  though she's older, it's like I'm an elder next to her. My body is all sore from this journey and my mouth still feels thirsty and dry even after two whole days drinking water nonstop 

I wish I was better at drinking! 

But anyways!

Happy birthday once again, Larie  

ILYSM and I'm forever thankful for everything you've done for me 

My new skincare routine

 

Today I'd like to talk about skincare and how much it changed lately!

As you may remember, I used to work at The Body Shop and it was my first time using skincare products that were not drugstore. As I had almost everything on my reach, and I wanted to use everything. Once I even won the entire Drops of Youth line (now Edelweiss).

I got a bit head over heels and used too much stuff, besides it was pandemic times back then. I struggled with "mascne" and the layers of products didn't help. Skincare obsession was everywhere too, and as if it was some sort of a drug, I always wanted more. 

This is how my skin was back then:

After leaving The Body Shop, I had no choice but cool down a bit. Now I'm having a very minimalistic routine, with just the bare minimum of products, and my skin got so much better. 

Of course, my skin is not perfect – no skin is and there is no such thing.  I still have a few blemishes from stubborn pimples that showed up during PMS and the eye area got drier because I'm not in my early 20s anymore. But in comparison, I'm in heaven 

 Cleansing 

I've always heard of Bioré products, and although I've used one of their sunscreens in the past, I didn't try their cleansing products until recently. Boy, they're GOOD.  That's all I can say.

 Bioré Foaming Facial Wash Rich Moisture: Quickest favorite ever, you only need a tiny drop and it goes all over the way. This one is specific for dry skin but you can find it for oily and combination skin as well. I love how moisturizing it feels, it's almost like a cream, and a tube lasts forever!

 Bioré Perfect Oil Makeup Remover: Another instant favorite and I know this cleansing oil (deservingly) gets so many love! I can remove any makeup so easily and softly with it, I definitely like it a lot better than The Body Shop Chamomile cleansing oil and it's much cheaper.

I know some people use it to remove blackheads but I don't have any so I can't really tell if it actually works this way.

 Bioré Cleansing Oil Cotton Facial Sheets: I have these for emergencies and trips, and these bitches KNOW how to take off your makeup. I'm usually not very fond of cleansing wipes, but these ones definitely work and they're perfect for when you're in a rush or dead ass drunk 

 Exfoliating 

I used to exfoliate once or twice a week, now I do only twice a month, at most. Decreasing the frequency did wonders for my skin, it doesn't feel as flaky anymore and saves a lot of money ww

 NIVEA Rose Care 3 in 1 Organic Rose Water Face Wash Scrub & Mask: First things first, it smells SO GOOD. I almost don't use it as a face wash or mask, only scrub, but it does a pretty decent job, it's very soft and feels light, never harsh.

Now I know this might be controversial, but sometimeeees I do use the infamous St. Ives apricot scrub. I know, I know.  But I swear I know how to use it appropriately!

I only use it when I feel like my skin REALLY needs some scrubbing, but I do very, very light and suave round movements with my fingertips, no harsh scrubbing!

 Moisturizing 

I just switched products (like two days ago ww) so I'm gonna talk about both of them.

 NIVEA Rose Care Moisturising Gel Cream: So it's a very simple, decent cream, nothing much to say about it other than it does its job of keeping your skin hydrated but that's all. For its price there are products with higher performance, so I won't be buying again, but no hate. The package is super cute though, I'm gonna keep it now that I've finished mine and add some deco to turn it into something else  #recyclingforever

 CeraVe Daily Moisturizer Lotion: I don't have a lot to say it about it yet, but I really like how I little goes a long way with this one. It absorbs quickly and feels very moisturizing but not oily or sticky. I'm enjoying it so far!

 Serum 

I used to put on serum and a layer of moisturizer on top right after, but now I either use the serum or the moisturizer, unless if my skin feels too dry. It's more of a treatment thing when I feel like I need it.

 The Body Shop Edelweiss Daily Serum Concentrate: I have a few more serums from The Body Shop but I don't really use them anymore, but this one (which was one of the last things I got before I left, they gave it free for workers who attended a product training). I really like it for treating blemishes and I mostly use it for when I'm on PMS or period because that's the time of the month when my skin sucks the most.

 Eye cream 

I also just switched products on this category and once again I'll talk about them both ww

As said previously, the skin around my eyes began to feel really dry and some lines showed up, which I believe it's normal considering I'll be reaching my 30s sometime soon. 

 Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Supercharged Gel-Creme Synchronized Multi-Recovery Eye Cream: Alright, so I didn't run out of this one. I actually got its mini as a freebie a while ago at Sephora and I just... I don't want to use this fancy product everyday because it's SO GOOD and I can't afford another one  it really does wonders and even though a little goes a long way, I just don't want it for everyday use! I'll die if I run out of it!

 Bruna Tavares Cherry Blossom BT Eye Cream: This one is a Brazilian product by one of our most treasured makeup artists, and I've had good experience with her stuff so I gave it a shot and got it with the CeraVe moisturizer during Prime Day. Again, I just started using it so I don't have much to say, but it's fragrance free, doesn't irritate my eyes and has niacinamide, cherry blossom extract and Vitamin E on its formula. I also like the squeeze tube a lot better than having to scoop the cream out of its packaging.

As a bonus, I tried this hibiscus eye mask by Kiss NY this month and I actually really like it! I now want to use it once a month, feels very refreshing and nourishing. 

 Sunscreen 

The most important part of any skincare routine (alongside water!). You can't simply skip this step... Specially with global warming taking over the planet!

 Nivea Sun Triple Protect Hokkaido Rose: Been using this one for quite some time, I'm a real fan of it for having protection against blue light and pollution. The rose scent is noticeable but very soft, and I like its creamy texture as well!  Won't be switching anytime soon.

I also have this mini sunscreen in my bag in case I forget to put on the Nívea sunscreen, by Brazilian brand O Boticário. It's a fluid sunscreen and has SPF 70 and Vitamin E, but the scent is a little strong and leaves my T-zone a bit greasy, so it's more of an emergency sunscreen. Been using it these last days because, for some reason, I can't remember where the HECK I left the Nivea one and can't find it for my life. 

And that's it! 

My skin has been loving this way simpler routine, plus it's a lot quicker and a time saver. 

And please, remember to drink water!  Your body will thank you later!