Allergic Reaction Due to Product Ingredients ( Sensitive Skin )

Image from livestrong.com

Lately, I've been reading and hearing a number of stories about allergy reaction to certain ingredients found in some skin care products. Well, unfortunately, a few days ago, I had my share in one of those unfortunate episodes, thanks to a facial salon. My allergy reaction wasn't as bad as Juli's. Hers was bad and really unfortunate, but I admire her bravery for speaking out and sharing her experience, despite obtaining scars ( both physically and emotionally ) from it.

A few days ago, I went for my regular facial appointment and during that time, they were having some 50% discount on facial services and I decided to try a new facial programme and asked for a recommendation from my therapist. Well, she did and I went through it. Before I go on, I have been a regular with this facial salon for almost 7 years! Personally, I like to stick to one therapist, which I am comfortable with, as they will be able to know my skin better ( know the improvements and the bad as well ). I have recently changed to a new therapist and have been using her for 4 months. ( Please keep in mind, they have a record which indicates which products of theirs I am allergic to ) Since she is new to me, I have been harping to her that I can't use one of their anti-aging range, which is catered for mature clients and have told her that I have allergic reactions to it. She noted it and so far, she has been very careful not to introduce new products to my skin...until a few days ago. 

Reflections......

Year 2012...wow...how fast the year ended! Nonetheless, it has certainly brought many new adventures in my journey. Apart from discovering new skincare products, I am thankful that I managed to discover new places and fabulous food that year too! However, I've also realised that I didn't get to do as much things which I am passionate about. Oh well, in 2013, I plan to....

Life is Unexpected.....

Image from mirror.co.uk

I never thought that I would be sharing this post and in the midst of writing, I am still in dazed of events which happened to me a few days ago. No..this is not a death post but rather an awareness post to all.

Let me keep this short and sweet....

What happened was....

A few days ago, I felt tenderness and pain on one of my breast. The feeling is new to me and pretty unusual.

Dehydrated and Dry Skin Due to Negligence

Picture from ipadwallpaper.eu

Last two months ago, I was running on a busy schedule and I caught a bad virus that gave a bad cough, that lasted close to a month. With all these going around, the only skincare regime that I would still do is religiously apply my facial oils and serums, day and night. That is it. If I do the calculations correctly, I think I did my mask and exfoliation only once a month.

When I did my facial recently, my therapist mentioned that my skin was tight, slightly dehydrated and a little more spots than usual. I admit that she was right. My skin was looking dull too. I then realised that doing your weekly mask and exfoliation is crucial, aside from the usual applications of oils and serums. My skin is being in this sorry state because I left this important step.

Do you experience odd changes during the time of month?

Picture from flowergallery.com

Before the 'time of the month' comes, I usually experience the usual symptoms like any other girls. Breast tenderness and bloating. I know most girls crave for sweet things before their period but for me personally, I would crave for spicy and salty food. My most reached out 'comfort food' is preferably a bag of chips ( MUST be cheese flavor! ) Funny, isn't it?

I thank God that my skin goes through minimal changes before my period, even though I crave for those 'not so skin friendly' foodies. Even if I do, I get occasional zits, especially at my temple area. 

Dressing Up & Styling

Image source from web

I love dressing up and in fact, it runs in my blood. I remember when I was a child, I love drawing and making dresses for my Barbie dolls. Little that I know, I ended up pursuing into the fashion industry in full fledge and it became my career as well.

Years have passed and currently, I am temporarily taking a break from this hectic industry to focus on something else, yet still being in a creative line. Because of this break, I now work from home.

Now, you might think...what is all this about? Ever since I work at home, I didn't really focus on dressing 'fashionably' but rather comfortably, meaning in simple T-shirt and shorts. Being comfortable also means no makeup. 

Of late, I realised that I have been slacking on that 'dressing' part and I know I need to rejuvenate back that passion. I gathered all my clothes ( old ones included ) and begin to restyle, mix and match the pieces. In the process, it got my adrenalin going and I was so pumped up. And at last, I smelled SUCCESS!

My most used beauty tool.....

Dariya Front Hair Stabilizer ( Fringe Pad ) MYR 4.90/ 2pcs

In my normal routine, I use a headband to secure my fringes whenever I wash my hair, do my makeup or when I mop the floor. I find it troublesome at times, where the headband is not tight enough to hold my front fringe and I would usually get some stubborn ones that would 'fall' in front of my face. 

What seems to be a nuisance has became a norm for me for a couple of years...until I encountered these! I was first 'introduced' to this product when I had my brows done at a cosmetic counter. When the SA put these on my fringes, it was love at first sight for me. I was amazed that it was easy and hold my stubborn fringes in place. I was told that she bought hers from SASA. Wasting no time, I finally went to SASA to get these.

Feeling like an Ugly Rabbit....

Image from radikalchick.com

Yeah...Of late, I am feeling like the picture above, a bit down and a little unmotivated. Why, you may ask?

Well, many of you may have read that my eczema came back again and unfortunately, at this time of writing, I am still having it and undergoing an alternative treatment currently. ( Will share about it later )

Before seeking the alternative treatment, I was just relying on my antihistamine, which at best, inhabits the itchiness but does nothing to heal it. I know eczema takes a long period to heal but I think after having this for 2 months basically makes me throw in the towel and look for another treatment.

In this post, I am just going to share how I was feeling during these 2 months...

How Loyal Are You To Your Skincare Products?

( Image from alphamom.com )

I am writing this topic because of late, I started to reflect back on my personal chronicles on my loyalty to the above matter. First and foremost, I wouldn't say that I am a skincare player, that loves to toy around with different products. When I first started working( with enough dough ), I started with Clinique, Kose, then to Artistry, Aesop to Dermalogica and finally, to MVO products. Looking back, I can say that I am loyal to using a particular brand for a span of 5 years before moving on to another. 

But what actually makes me move on to a new brand?

Choosing a healthier eating lifestyle...

Image from vegan.sheknows.com

Earlier this week, I shared a post on taking Chlorella as supplements, in hopes to get rid of my body odour. However, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise as it improved my bowel movements. Seeing that Chlorella helps to cleanse and detoxify the body, I thought to myself " If I were to consume back unhealthy foods, then what is the point to detoxify my body? Better make the most out of it and start to eat healthily.."

That is what I did 2 months back and it really help to boost the health of my digestive tract. I can go almost daily now ( 5-6 times a week ), unlike before, where at most 1-3 times a week or less.

Removing eye makeup the proper way

Ever since I stumbled into the world of Lisa Eldridge, I have been totally enchanted by her! Her poise, the British accent and the effortless way of her make-up techniques. As I watched this video of hers, horror to my horrors, I realised that I have been removing eye make-up the wrong way all these while. Yikes! My poor delicate eye area have suffered much abuse of constant stretching due to my improper ways.

So, I thought of sharing this, just so make sure that we remove them in the correct manner. If some of you have been following this method all these while, I envy you. Yes I do:) But to those who have been removing them the incorrect way, don't fret. Join the boat. Just remember, it's never too late to learn.

Sealing In Your Serums with A Moisturiser

Image from guardian.co.uk

A couple of years back, my normal skincare regime was basically: Cleanse > Tone > Moisturise. Yup, I have been doing the same routine for 4 years and many of you may have read HERE on how my skin condition was before introducing serums and oils to my regime.

I basically left out my moisturiser in the corner when I first started to use serums and oils. I was at an 'anti-moisturiser' moment when I discovered that many moisturisers does contain pore clogging ingredients and I just wanted to feed my skin with good ingredients, found mostly in my current serums and oils.

My skin was happy indeed with my new found regime and better yet, after incorporating my weekly hydrating yoghurt mask. Though my skin is better hydrated now than before, I feel bad to just ignore my moisturiser totally and...I don't like wastage. Might as well use it, right? I heard from other beauty bloggers that mentions that applying moisturisers on top of serums helps to optimise and seal in the goodness of the serums and provides extra hydration.

Do you wash your face after rinsing your shampoo?

( Image source from web )

I am not sure how many of you out there is as particular as me. My hubby says that I am slightly fussily freaky..hehe. Well, I have my reservations and here are my 2 reasons:

Share: Breakouts=Detoxification?

( Source: personal.psu.edu )

I am questioning the title of my post and hope that you guys out there will share with me if you agree with it.
Now, you must be thinking why do I post this question? Well...here's my story.....

Have a Happy Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year is just around the corner and I did this little gifts for my clients. I love this Vintage Tin Box and since it's under the theme 'vintage', I added all the old goodies we ate when we were little like the rabbit sweets, lemon drops and haw flakes as snacks. My clients love it! Brings back all the fond memories.

Before I end this short post, I would like to wish all my readers " Have a blessed Chinese New Year"!

My December Hauls

From iHerb

Hi everyone! Hope everyone had a great New Year celebration. I was MIA last week and decided to give myself a week's break from blogging. No worries now, I am back! Today's post is pretty simple actually. Just giving you guys a sneak peek into my hauls I made last month.

Let's start with the first one. See the picture above? Yup...these items are my first purchase I've made with iHerb. iHerb is an online site from US, which sells a vast selection of brand name natural products...and they sell at a pretty reasonable price too! I am very careful at buying from online sites and when I made a quick check on iHerb, I am happy to find that they are reliable and so far, most customers are happy with their services.

In this first purchase, I manage to get an additional USD 5 coupon code to enjoy an instant $5.00 off my first order. How great is that? In additional to that, I am also entitled to one free sample with every purchase ordered.

The stuff I got from iHerb are: Weleda Sea Buckthorn Creamy Body Wash and Devita Revitalizing Eye Cream. The dental tape and the pen are freebies.

Now, moving on to the next one....

Reality Bites

How many of us would be in awe as we flip through magazines pictures of women with flawless and porceline skin? Honestly, I do..even though I know that the pictures are airbrushed.

"Oh, wished I had a perfect skin like her, with no spots what so ever." or "Oh, wish I can be so thin". We are all sucked and sold into the advertisements. That in reality, we can never achieve it. I found this you tube, addressing the topic and it is Highly Recommended to view by all.

Sensitive Skin

Early this week, I shared about identifying your skin type. In this post, I am going to share further about some of my readings on dealing with sensitive skin.


Many people say they have sensitive skin because:

• Certain skin care products, or household products that contact their skin, cause stinging, burning, redness, and/or tightness.
• Although they have no visible effects after contact with a product, it always makes their skin feel uncomfortable.

Dermatologists, doctors specializing in skin, consider the diagnosis of sensitive skin when they:

• See skin reactions such as pustules, skin bumps, and/or skin erosion.
• Observe excessively dry skin, which doesn’t adequately protect nerve endings on the skin and may lead to skin reactions from cosmetics or skin care products.
• Notice a tendency to blushing and skin flushing, which may also be signs of sensitive skin.

Identifying Your Skin Type

I've always thought that my skin is normal to combination all these while. In fact, I thought that this will always be my permanent skin type! In fact, I was wrong. Skin type do change season to season and as you age.

My skin type currently is combination and sensitive skin. I had many beauty advisors giving me 'multiple' diagnosis all the years. One would tell me that I have combination skin, the other will then say that I have dehydrated skin. One would say that I have normal skin. Usually it's between these three. But surprisingly, to date, only one told me that I have sensitive skin as well. ( and she is right ).

How do know that I have sensitive skin? I have the tendency to blushing to skin flushing when exposed to temperature change and I do experience stinging or burning reactions when using certain skin products. To some severity, I do develop some tiny skin bumps if the reaction is bad. Overly dry skin is also one of the symptoms of one having sensitive skin. We often misinterpret the dry skin condition and concludes that we have dehydrated skin type as a whole but not knowing that it is part of the signs of having sensitive skin.

I think many of us are still uncertain on what type of skin type that we have. We are so often influenced by what other tells us. Honestly, the best person to know your skin type is only YOU. I think no one can understand our skin better except ourselves.

Manuka Ville - Manuka Honey UMF 15+

Manuka Ville Manuka Honey UMF 15+ 500g RM 159.00

( Group Deal promotion price RM 79, 2nd bottle RM 121 )

Earlier this week, I've shared about the benefits of manuka honey for both skin and health. In hopes to heal my irritable bowel syndrome, I managed to purchase these two bottle of manuka honey through a group deal a few months back.

I am a bit sceptical on dealing with any promotions on group deals site. However, to my surprise, the process was pretty easy with no hiccups. I was extremely pleased too with the customer service from Manuka Ville as they personally send my purchases right to my doorstep!  Not only that, dealing with them is a breeze ( they are very pleasant and friendly too ) and they are quick to respond to any questions pertaining to the promotion or their products. I praised them because these kind of customer services is a rare find in Malaysia!

It is my first time I heard of Manuka Ville, so I did a little background check on them before I made the purchase. Surprisingly, they are from an established background.