It's been awhile since I last posted. I know. Anyway, was chatting with a friend over msn just the other day about how we're getting older, which means we would need to spend more money on skincare as well. Actually, for women, I heard that our skin deteriorates after we hit 25, which is like 3 years ago for me. Ah well...so I decided to do a stock-take of the skincare products I'm using now...this is going to be a long post :P

Morning

1. Shiseido Eudermine Revitalizing Essence

This is similar to a toner. I only started using this a few months back, after trying the sample. This product was first introduced in 1897, and I can understand why it lasted til now. It leaves my skin feeling really soft, not the tightening feeling that using a toner gives.

2. Aqualabel Bright White Ex

I've also used this for one week, so I'm not sure about its effectiveness yet. But it did received some pretty good reviews, and considering that its parent company is Shiseido, I supposed it shouldn't fare too badly. Previously, I had used the Shiseido White Lucent Intensive Spot Targeting Serum in the morning as well, but it is really rather expensive (@ $159/bottle).

3. Laneige Perfect Renew Dual Eyes (Morning)

This comes with 2 containers, one for morning and the other for night use. I liked the morning one because of it UV protection properties, though I don't think it does much in reducing my dark eye circles. It's so difficult to find a decent eye cream.

4. Shiseido Bio-Performance Advance Super Revitalizing Cream

I'm currently using the sample given by Shiseido. It helps to reduce the the fine lines under my eyes, but since I've just started using this last week, I'm not sure if it's effective in the long term. Even so, I've bought the full-sized version from sasa.com recently, on impulse 'cos there was a sale.

5. DHC Eyelash Tonic

I've also just started using this last week, so the results are still out. Though honestly I'm skeptical that there's anything that can make my eyelash grow.

6. Avene Hydrance Light Hydrating Cream

I liked Avene products for its hypoallergenic properties, which is good for sensitive skin like mine. I used to have more Avene products before switching to Shiseido. Furthermore, this comes will SPF 20, which I think is sufficient for normal daily usage.

7. Avene Deep Pore Cleanser

This should be the first product I used in the morning. I've used this for the past one year, and it's pretty decent. It cleans rather well, and did not cause any breakouts, unlike the powder cleanser from FANCL. For some reasons, I can't use FANCL products, though I liked their packaging.

That's it for morning. Actually, I missed out a few more items, like Vaseline for my lips, and sunscreen (currently using Biore SPF 30). Speaking of Vaseline, I think it moistures my lips better than other lip cream/balm I've used previously, and it's dirt cheap at only a few dollars. But I'll usually also use a lip balm on top of it, just for the UV protection. As you might have noticed, I'm quite hung-up on SPF and UV protection, because it's so important and it will be difficult to undo any damage caused by the sun in future. So it's better to spend more on that now. And that is also why I've been religiously taking Heliocare Oral Capsules since 2 years ago, which is an oral sunscreen. You can google it if you're interested so I won't elaborate too much here, except that it can be rather costly, at $75 for a bottle of 60 capsules, which usually last for about a month.

Now for the night-time routine

1. Shiseido Rinse-Off Cleansing Gel

I use this because it's gentle yet it can remove my make-up pretty well, except waterproof eye make-up.

2. Biore Make-up Remover (Eye and Lip)

I only used this when I had waterproof eye makeup on. I don't use waterproof lipstick, or even lipstick for that matter.

3. Shiseido White Lucent Brightening Balancing Softener

I heard that Japanese brands usually have softener instead of toner. I first used this at a Shiseido workshop about 1 and a half years ago, and have been using it since. The other good thing about this softener is that it can also help remove any excess make-up that the cleansing gel did not remove. I started off using this in the morning as well, before I had the Revitalizing Essence.

4. Neogence Hyalluronic Acid Hydrating Essence

I started using this because I heard that we should start using anti-wrinkle products before we get any wrinkles. Though this is not an anti-wrinkle product, it will help tighten the skin. I supposed I'll not repurchase this once I finished the bottle since I have the revitalizing cream now.

5. Shiseido White Lucent Intensive Spot Targeting Serum

As mentioned above, this is an expensive product, and I was rather hesitant to buy it initially. It took awhile before there was any effects, but after that, I felt that the price is worth it. Though it did not completely remove my freckles, it did help lighten any pigmentation and acne scars, and brighten the skin as well. It's sort of like my 'miracle water'. And I managed to get it slightly cheaper at sasa.com.

6. Laneige Perfect Renew Dual Eyes (Night)

Actually, I only bought this because of the morning eye cream. The night cream doesn't seemed too fantastic, though I supposed it does moisturise the eye area.

7. Shiseido Bio-Performance Advance Super Revitalizing Cream

8. DHC Eyelash Tonic

9. Estee Lauder Idealist Pore Minimizing Skin Refinisher

I've been using this for a few months now, mainly for the pores on my nose. Sadly, there has been minimal effect, if any to begin with. Before this, I had used a similar product from b.liv, to no avail as well. I think I just have to live with my enlarged pores.

10. Shiseido White Lucent Brightening Moisturising Emulsion & Laneige Water Sleeping Mask Ex

Usually, I will alternate between these 2, using the sleeping mask about 2 to 3 times a week. I really like the texture of the sleeping mask and its hydrating properties. But because it's so rich, I'm afraid to use it daily, lest it causes breakouts.

Besides these products that I'll use daily, there're also others that I'll use on a less frequent basis.

1. Faceshop Raspberry Roots Collagen Eye Patch - I love this eye patch, but it's not for daily usage. I use it about 1-2 times a month.

2. Shiseido Intensive Brightening Mask - Once a month (a box of 6 costs $100!)

3. Dr Young Spot-Stop-Serum - Only when I've pimples

4. Methode Swiss Thermal Oxygen Overnight Eye Mask (gel-base) - 1 to 2 times a week

5. Laneige Strawberry Yogurt Peeling Mask (for exfoliating) - 2 times a month

6. Skinfood Egg White Pack - Once a week

7. Shiseido Purifying Mask - Once a week

You might think I spent a lot of time on skincare. In the morning, I took less than 10 minutes and maybe just slightly longer at night. The thing is, a little more time spent now will save lots of regrets in future. But of course, there is nothing more beneficial to our skin than a good night's sleep and adequate water intake.