Nepenthe

I've been eyeing this product for a while but I just wasn't sure if it was gonna work well and worth my money (because I'm a cheapskate). But when I heard that they were going to stop producing this, I immediately knew that I had to give it a try. I've been using it for about 3 weeks, one pump twice per day before moisturiser and I could say that it's been working quite well with my skin. My hormonal acne still comes every other day, but they healed up pretty fast and didn't leave a mark as dark as before I used this essence. As for hydration, it didn't do much for my oily dehydrated skin so I still need to invest in a good moisturiser for this problem. Overall, I hope the rumour isn't true and they will continue producing this because I will definitely repurchase!

     2.   Music: The album Cosmic by Bazzi.

This was released around April this year and I only started listening to the full album this month and I just gotta say that he got me hooooked! I love almost every song in this album, they're just so good that by now I probably know half of his lyrics, it's definitely my vibe. I've been replaying it every chance I get. I was gonna list out my favourite songs from this album but then I would be listing out the whole album lol. If you like soft hip-hop mixed with rnb and a little bit of pop, you should definitely check this album out here.

     3.   Book: The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck by Mark Manson

Honestly I haven't finished this book and I've started reading it a few months ago (no shame), but this is one of those books that you have to take your time reading it because every page and every chapter is filled with truth that makes you question your life so you gotta slowly digest every sentence. With just a few chapters in, I can already feel my mindset and lifestyle changing towards the better, and helping out with my internal issues but yes, you gotta deal with a lot of tough transitions. Nevertheless, I assure you that after all the rain comes the rainbow. I feel like most of his principles are just the basic teachings of Islam which made it really really comforting because you know you're in the right religion/deen. This book, personally for me, explains the practical ways of the theories that you learn from Islam, so that's really good. Go and pick this up even though you feel like you already have a good life; it's just gonna make it better.

It is currently 1 A.M., and I am not sleepy because I've accidentally taken a 2-hour nap just now. I have just showered and prepped for my sleep, but I guess I would share here my current skincare routine while I wait for my eyes to get tired.

Before we get into the juicy details, let's go over a brief introduction into my skin. I have always struggled with oily blemished skin since I hit puberty, which was thirteen (13) years ago. Crazy, I know. I was the girl who was always known as the girl with acne throughout my school years. This has somehow took an emotional toll on me as I grew up until now, but we'll talk about that later. Back then, I didn't really care much about what was happening on my face. I used to get huge cystic acnes frequently (pretty much almost every day) on my oily face among several other common zits. I was pretty confident than I am now, because I know a few guys who developed silly crushes on me back then. Again, crazy, I know. Why would people even like me I wasn't even pretty lmao. But anyways, my mom did try several ways to fix my face, from splurging on The Body Shop's whole tea tree range, to visiting the dermatologist, but nothing really worked. Fyi, throughout high school I was under the sun a lot for being a prefect and a girl guide, without the knowledge of the importance of sunscreen. Horrific.

Anyways, the year 2018 was the year that I decided to get to know my skin a little bit better and really take care of it. Yes, folks, it is the current year. After continuous disappointments with a lot of products, I gave up on my skin, but earlier this year I started to read up on skincare and trying out stuff after stuff to put on my face. After months of a few different skincare routine, this is what I'm currently sticking to. Now, I'm sure a lot of beauty addicts out there have a better explanation on why we use this product or that product, and why is this product is used first before the other, so I'm just gonna list down what I use and what I think of them so far.

1. Oil cleanser (PM)

My first oil cleanser, Biore Perfect Oil in the purple pump bottle. It does it's job, I mean it's cheap and doesn't break out my face, so I guess that's okay. Of course, there are better products than this but hey, it isn't the bomb but it suits my wallet ;)

2. Water-based cleanser (PM)

The cleanser that I used to use before this was Himalaya Neem Purifying Cleanser, but I recently changed to Hada Labo AHA+BHA Oil Control Face Wash. This one dries my face too much, because it feels a little bit tight after usage on my skin. So for the past two weeks I have sneakily used my sister's Cetaphil Gentle Cleanser which feels a lot gentler, as its name suggests, on my skin. I've read somewhere that oily, acne-prone skin needs to avoid products that says 'acne control' or 'oil control' because this type of skin is just damaged and simply not ready for more harsh products, especially those containing actives like AHA and BHA. Therefore, I bought Simple Refreshing Facial Gel Wash which sounds more gentler, again as its name suggests lol. And yes, I think gel cleansers are better for oily skin types. Also, I have skipped using water-based cleanser in my morning routine because I think it strips off the natural oil on my skin, and it's been feeling better ever since.

3. The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution (AM and PM)

I used to put this on every inch of my facial skin, but it never stopped the acne. So recently I changed into using this as a spot treatment, meaning I only put a little bit on active acne. And wow, I am getting fewer acne already.

4. The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA (AM and PM)

Yes, I'm quite a fan of The Ordinary serum range, forgive me folks. Anyways, I only use this on my dark, dark acne scars. It doesn't work as fast as I thought it would, but then acne scars or pigmentation can really take some time to lighten up so I guess I'll just continue using this otherwise my wallet will regret this lol.

5. The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% (AM and PM)

I've read that this product is great on fixing oily skin by controlling the sebum production on your face but I have yet to experience that during my roughly 2 months of usage. I believe that niacinamide will work wonders on my skin but probably due to other factors, it's just not showing yet. Patience, dear self, patience.

6. The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factor (AM and PM)

This is my second moisturizer after Hada Labo Hydrating Water Gel, which both doesn't really reduce oil production on my skin, but this is all what my wallet can afford at the moment. I am still on the lookout for a better moisturizer.

7. The Ordinary Cold Pressed Rosehip Seed Oil (PM)

Oh my god, this is the only product from my regime that I'm excited to write about. I believe this oil has been a game changer that's fixing my skin's natural barrier. I've only used it for two weeks and I'm already seeing fewer acne on my face. I just went through the last five days of the week without new acne! I'm so in awe of this product, you guys. Well, the five-day streak has ended because I have new little pimples on my chin, but that's probably because of my hormones acting up. Everyone has their holy grail products, and I'd say this rosehip seed oil is mine.

If any of you are wondering what all these products do and why I do it this way, you always google reviews on them and look them up on youtube. I swear a lot of people have tried all these already. I recommend Liah Yoo on youtube if you want thorough yet simple and easy-to-understand explanation on the magic behind skincare ingredients and products. Until then.