skin type: early 20s, east asian, normal leaning dehydrated compensatory oily in tropics & normal leaning dehydrated dry in temperate, not sensitive / acne / mature. my routine is for taking skin from normal / good to perfect. main goals are hydration, texture and brightening.
climate: i travel between humid tropical & dry temperate
disclaimer: ymmv!!
💧 oil cleanser ; muji mild cleansing oil – 10/10
my holy grail of holy grails. i’ve gone through litres. my perfect first cleanser and exfoliant for smooth, clear, flawless baby soft skin. removes every trace of makeup. it’s my only exfoliation. multiple friends bought this after trying mine. very economical too. i hear it’s undergoing reformulation and fully intend to hoard – pls recommend me replacements.
efficient cleanser that fluffs up well and isn’t too stripping. not the most important step in my routine, so i’m satisfied with ‘enough’. i also enjoy the cosrx salicylic acid cleanser.
💧 water toner ; haruharu black rice hyaluronic acid essence toner – 9/10
this is beautiful. long-lasting dewiness and intense soothing hydration. perfect to layer with a lightweight viscosity. i pair it with the m&m cream for bright glossy moist idol skin. i use the fragrance-free version.
i’ll never forgive them for re-formulating this magic in a bottle. i’ll cry when i run out of backups. hydrating, nourishing, soothing, smoothing, brightening, lightly moisturizing, it does it all. it makes skin look so healthy, with this creamy marble glow and hydrated bouncy tension. when i’m in the tropics, this is my only step and it leaves me radiant. so many compliments. angel skin. it’s also an excellent primer.
my attempt to replace laneige. i’d say just a step behind, a bit thicker, not as smoothing and brightening, but very solid. an essential in my winter routine. cap leaks slightly.
just heavenly. all of hydrating, moisturizing, nourishing, and most of all, it imparts the most ethereal glassy glow with a radiance that lasts days from day 1. even application is luxurious; rich comforting dreamy pudding texture, a little goes a long way. this cream is perfection. thankfully, it comes in a tube.
💧 occlusive ; illiyoon ceramide ato concentrate cream – 8/10
great basic occlusive, it serves its purpose. thick, soothing, simple. no sticky/wet feel. i soften on my fingers to help with blending, and layer with the m&m cream – by itself, it is not moisturizing / emollient / hydrating enough in cold dry weather. i’ve not found a better ceramide occlusive, especially at this value.
💧 sunscreen [ not pictured ]
i cycle through different face sunscreens; im not too loyal. i just finished a tube of biore and started on a tube of roundlab, both of which i enjoy. for body, i use a non-AB brand.
& other vital lifestyle factors, such as sleep, nutrition, my neurotic hygiene routines, etc
1 Comment
skin type: early 20s, east asian, normal leaning dehydrated compensatory oily in tropics & normal leaning dehydrated dry in temperate, not sensitive / acne / mature. my routine is for taking skin from normal / good to perfect. main goals are hydration, texture and brightening.
climate: i travel between humid tropical & dry temperate
disclaimer: ymmv!!
💧 oil cleanser ; muji mild cleansing oil – 10/10
my holy grail of holy grails. i’ve gone through litres. my perfect first cleanser and exfoliant for smooth, clear, flawless baby soft skin. removes every trace of makeup. it’s my only exfoliation. multiple friends bought this after trying mine. very economical too. i hear it’s undergoing reformulation and fully intend to hoard – pls recommend me replacements.
💧 water cleanser ; skin1004 centella poremizing cleansing foam – 8/10
efficient cleanser that fluffs up well and isn’t too stripping. not the most important step in my routine, so i’m satisfied with ‘enough’. i also enjoy the cosrx salicylic acid cleanser.
💧 water toner ; haruharu black rice hyaluronic acid essence toner – 9/10
this is beautiful. long-lasting dewiness and intense soothing hydration. perfect to layer with a lightweight viscosity. i pair it with the m&m cream for bright glossy moist idol skin. i use the fragrance-free version.
💧 milk toner ; laneige cream skin refiner [ pre-reformulation ] – 10/10
i’ll never forgive them for re-formulating this magic in a bottle. i’ll cry when i run out of backups. hydrating, nourishing, soothing, smoothing, brightening, lightly moisturizing, it does it all. it makes skin look so healthy, with this creamy marble glow and hydrated bouncy tension. when i’m in the tropics, this is my only step and it leaves me radiant. so many compliments. angel skin. it’s also an excellent primer.
💧 milk toner ; dr ceuracle vegan kombucha essence – 9/10
my attempt to replace laneige. i’d say just a step behind, a bit thicker, not as smoothing and brightening, but very solid. an essential in my winter routine. cap leaks slightly.
💧 moisturizer ; mary&may idebenone blackberry intense cream – 10/10
just heavenly. all of hydrating, moisturizing, nourishing, and most of all, it imparts the most ethereal glassy glow with a radiance that lasts days from day 1. even application is luxurious; rich comforting dreamy pudding texture, a little goes a long way. this cream is perfection. thankfully, it comes in a tube.
💧 occlusive ; illiyoon ceramide ato concentrate cream – 8/10
great basic occlusive, it serves its purpose. thick, soothing, simple. no sticky/wet feel. i soften on my fingers to help with blending, and layer with the m&m cream – by itself, it is not moisturizing / emollient / hydrating enough in cold dry weather. i’ve not found a better ceramide occlusive, especially at this value.
💧 sunscreen [ not pictured ]
i cycle through different face sunscreens; im not too loyal. i just finished a tube of biore and started on a tube of roundlab, both of which i enjoy. for body, i use a non-AB brand.
& other vital lifestyle factors, such as sleep, nutrition, my neurotic hygiene routines, etc