Aca-artehan: August Edition

1. Sleeping Masks

I’ve already realised how important skin hydration is especially for my oily skin so I’ve been investing some time and money into using face masks to hydrate my and minimise my pores. I’ve tried the sheet masks but my lazy ass sometimes couldn’t cope with the 2 step process so I’ve ventured on sleeping masks. I’ve only hit pan on one product so far and I’m currently trying out another one.

Etude House Collagen Sleeping Pack. Bought at Amazon for £14. I might sound as if I’m exaggerating but with only 3 days in, I could already see a difference with my skin. It instantly made my skin look healthy and glowing, plus the grease has turned down a notch. I’ve also pulled some serious all nighters but I didn’t even break out nor needed to apply anything like full make up just to look more alive.

Laneige Water Sleeping Mask bought at P2bus Soho for £35 for 70mls. After Etude house (EH), I’ve decided to give Laneige a try. It is on the pricier side but I’m curious if it could live up to all the hype. So far, I am already liking the suppleness it gives me and the smell is very faint but so good. Although the consistency is watery but thick, it isn’t as sticky as EH post application. PS! It’s cheaper to buy it online rather than the store in Soho!

2. Lip Products

3Ce Take a Layer multipot in Cabbage Rose bought in Amazon for £22. · I think I’ve raved about this product on twitter but I thought I’d make it official (yesss, arte ko mamang!) and announce here my love for 3CE’s multi-pot! The creamy/powdery consistency seems to stay longer on my lips and cheeks compared to a liquid tint and it’s very compact so easy to fit in my kikay kit. I’ve been using this for 2 months now and I reckon it’ll last me until the end of the year since it’s very pigmented so a little goes a long way.

K-Palette 1-day Tattoo lasting Lip Tint stick bought at Ichiba or Japan Centre for £15. Another lip product I enjoy using. It’s so moisturizing and gives you a very subtle tint and makes your lip look healthy. I’ve used up 2 sticks already and my problem was where else could I source it from London. Luckily, my semi-favourite hangout after school sells it pala! You can buy it from Ichiba (sabay kain narin ng shoryu ramen + takoyaki) in Westfield Sheperd’s Bush or any Japan Centre shops.

3. Face

Canmake Mermaid Skin gel UV moisturising sunscreen bought at Amazon for £10. The summer heat here in London is getting worse each year and I finally convinced myself to start adding another element into my skincare: sun block! I’m still trying to get the hang of it, that is adding another step to my routine skincare but so far it isn’t as heavy and uncomfortable as the others ive tried in the past. It’s very easy to apply and I like the gel consistency.

It Cosmetics CC cream with spf bought at Boots for £10 (small size). Again, my laziness got the best of me so I tried to look for something inclusive and decided to try this which will be more or less used daily (if I’m in the mood) for work. I’ve been using this for a week now and although I got a darker shade (cause no stock) the way it handles my oily face surprised me. It looks very natural when applied and I don’t oil up as much as the others.

Aca-rtehan

Aca-artehan: New & old finds

Aca-artehan is finally back on regular programming! I haven’t posted anything in a while but for that period since my last entry (Aca-artehan: Current faves) & Aca-artehan: My Skincare routine (eh ano bang alam ko?), I finally found my staple products- well at least for now.

My criteria still stands: I want to be in A.W.E (pucha, ang arte ng paandar ko dito ha! hahaha). A – Affordable | W – Works for me | E – Easily accessible.

I’ve talked about the Garnier PureActive charcoal (£3.33) previously and I still use it up to now (I’ve got extra stash all the time, that’s how I love it!). I get too lazy at times so I try to look for products that are multi-functional (wash, scrub and mask) so pasok sa vanga! The only downside for me is that it can get a bit messy cause obviously, it’s charcoal but it definitely helped me and my oversized pores. Alternatively and/or subsequently, I also use the Cetaphil Oily skin cleanser (£5.99) which is a joy for my oily skin and the huge pores that come with it. In addition, I use the Foreo Luna PlayPlus (£39) to massage it all over my face and believe me, it unclogs my pores quite excellently.

I did rave about Etude House’s Wonderpore in my previous entry but since I wanted something within arms reach, I had to improvise. Luckily, I stumbled upon Garnier’s Pure Active Clarifying toner (£4.99) which I felt helped to manage my biggest issue – pores – plus, because of it’s salicylic acid component it helps with pimples too! Of course, Mario Badescu facial spray (£7) is still part of the routine and one that I may have forgotten to mention before, Mario B’s drying lotion (£16) which I use for spot treatment.

(1) Lucas Pawpaw in clear plus tints in red and pink (I saw this on TK Maxx and was around £10 for all 3 tubes). I’ve always been curious what the hype was about and I could say it does the job but I’m not it in love with it yet. I’m mainly using these for my lips and so far, it feels quite similar to Vaseline. I’m still waiting to have a change of heart, we’ll see.

(2) Neutrogena Hydro Boost body gel cream (£4.99). This is a new find and I am extremely impressed! A few weeks into using it, I could already see a difference. I wish I’ve discovered this earlier though (would be very useful in winter) but I can see myself using this for the long haul. I think I might also try to explore this hydro boost range.

(3) Finishing Touch Flawless brows (£19.99). Bought this because I’ve been so lazy and the online ads seemed so appealing. I’ve used it twice and it does save me from the pain of plucking or threading.

(4) Hycosan Extra (£8.65). I have a gland dysfunction which causes redness, pain and dry ever so quickly so this is my new essential. Reminds me so much of Eye-mo but it did help improve my symptoms plus it’s also compatible with contact lenses.

Aca-rtehan

Babble Friday

It’s Friday. So what’s good?

We plus friends had a movienight/ sleepover last night. We watched Don’t Breathe and as the title goes, we literally held our breath throughout the movie. It was my day off the next day but the rest of the guys were off to work at half 7 so I was pretty much awake since 6 watching them prepare for work.

Unlike my usual day off routine (which meant staying in and do nothing), I had a full schedule today.

First Agenda: GP Appointment

I may have caught the flu a few weeks back and I have been coughing non stop ever since. I called in sick at work for 4 days, then decided to go back (thinking I could) but for obvious audible reasons, I still wasn’t well enough. I tried to keep myself together to finish my Wednesday shift but I was howling so loud they had no choice but to send me home so I won’t desterelise everything I go near to. As I am in my second week being sick, I decided to go and see the GP. Masabe lang.

I already anticipated what would happen- A N T I B I O T I C S. But, I just wanted to reassure myself that this is not something I should be worried about. (Aside from the cough and colds, I couldn’t eat. And if I eat, I’ll just puke it all out because of the cough. So yep, not worried.) It’s just the normal flu blah blah blah. My appointment was 1120H but I left the house with 10mins. to spare. The walk from the house to the clinic was 11mins. so I was a tad late. Waited, waited then bam it was my turn! Now here is the slightly embarassing part- I do not like wearing bras. So, since I thought this is just a quick check up, why bother? Well, I should’ve cause I had no choice but to expose them babies during the chest auscultation. Buti nalang gurlash si ateh.

As I expected, she prescibed antibiotics. She also recommended taking my inhalers regularly since there is a chance that this is my asthma creeping in. She also recommended that I always wear a bra, charot.

Second Agenda: Dentist

Everything that involves a dentist here is quite expensive. So, when I had this chance for a free consultation, who am I not to avail it yeah? So far, so good. All my queries answered. Mouth examined. I was praying really hard the whole time that my throat cooperates and not cough for at least 20minutes and thank God it listened.

I had a problem with my wisdom tooth growing earlier this year which caused me pain and swelling but all is going well so far.

Third Agenda: Kilay

I admit this is peer pressure. My kilay used to be the least of my problems (or I just didn’t care lol). But in the age of “eyebrows on fleek”, I need to step up. I would describe my kilay as bushy. Back in highschool when I had my lame attempt of being kikay, my Mom tried the tweezers but I just couldn’t bear the pain! Ang shaket beh! So, I opted for the shave technique but it was such a hassle. It needed to be groomed often and I suck so bad on shaping and keeping them symmetrical. So, I just got tired and kept them the way they originally were. Then, when I moved here in England, I wanted to rekindle my relationship with them again so I tried shaving. Then I even tried waxing which worked for me for prolly a year but it was a bit expensive for my taste (£8 every 2 weeks). Just lately, I ventured into threading (which I was dreading btw coz most said it’s a pain) and it worked wonders! Hahahaha! I’m happy I tried it despite my extra emotional first time. ( I cried beh.!). I go every 3weeks or a month and it’s much cheaper than the wax.

Fourth Agenda: Moisturiser

I have never used anything on my face until I moved here in the UK. And since then, I have yet to find the perfect moisturiser that really works for me, until a month ago when I tried the Body Shop’s Vit. E sorbet facial moisturiser.

It smells really good, and is so light on the skin. Plus, it feels so refreshing and cool when you apply it (they say you can store it in the fridge for a much cooler effect). I personally think it is borderline pricey but I’m happy with how it works on my skin so I don’t really mind. But do watch out cause TBS often has sales just like today, I was able to cop this item for only £7.

Taaaa!

Posting this on a Saturday coz I just realized I didn’t publish it yesterday. Anyway, taaaa!