Change

It's been almost a year since I've stepped in here. Looking back at this past year, there are so many things I want to change. So many things that I regret. So many things that I want to forget.

So many things have happened - good, bad, ups, downs. People always say, things in life happen for a reason. Whatever that reason is, no one knows. You can only accept it and move on.

But what if you don't want to accept it? What if you fight like hell to try to stay in the moment, yet at the end of it all, your efforts don't make any difference? What would you do then? Will you finally accept that fate? Or will you continue to try to push against the current knowing it could crush everything you have?

 

I want to believe that change can be for the better; change can be for a difference; change can be brighter. But people always fear the unknown. Change is scary. Change is hard. Change is walking into the darkness with no way of knowing what lies at the other end. It could be a brighter future; or it could be an endless edge with nowhere else to go.

 

People keep telling me, accept the fate and let go. You'll never know how things will end up. But always try to stay positive. Keep an open mind. Accept change and embrace it. Who knows, it might for the better.

 

Take a leap of faith.

xoxo

-Penny-

[Product Review] Candy Love 99% Hyaluronic Acid Sleeping Pack_EX

Good morning and happy Sunday! Had plans to go out for coffee last night but it rained so heavily so had to cancel and stay in instead. Which gave me an opportunity to try out a new sleeping mask that I just bought together with my Borghese Fango Active Mud.

Okay so you're first thought would probably be, OMG Nature Republic knock-off! Yes, I had that same thought too. It comes in a 300ml green jar which resembles the all-famous Nature Republic 92% Aloe Vera Soothing Gel. But trust me, these two are a whole lot different.

So this is a Taiwanese product called Candy Love 99% Hyaluronic Acid Sleeping Pack. As stated, it's a sleeping mask which serves to moisturize and rehydrate your skin as you sleep. It's content of 99% hyaluronic acid - which I have no idea if it's true - is supposed to give you baby soft skin when you wake up in the morning. It also has vitamin C to help brighten your skin tone.

So how's my review? Honestly, I don't really like it as much as I hoped. The gel itself is quite sticky and has tiny beads which will dissolve as you massage onto your face. As I have combination skin, I don't like products which leave my skin feeling very oily. Sometimes I do use Nature Republic's Aloe Vera gel as a sleeping mask, which absorbs very well and my face doesn't feel sticky or oily in the morning.

But after applying this sleeping pack last night, it's rather hard to be absorbed and it feels very sticky. When I woke up this morning it still feels sticky and very heavy. Probably I applied too thick a layer, but somehow I just feel it's not really as well-absorbed as Nature Republic.

My verdict? Nature Republic is still better. If you're looking for a sleeping mask, there are better options out there which although might be a bit more expensive, but trust me, for a higher price, it's better to get a product that's had better review. I'm not saying this product is bad, but there are just better options out there which can be much better.


xoxo
-Penny-

Borghese

Sorry for the 3 month absence. Ever since I started working, life has been a crazy whirlwind. Waking up early every morning and getting so tired every night makes me so lazy to post anything. And hence, the quietness for the past 3 months.

Anyways today I wanted to review a product I've been dying to try since ages ago. You might not have heard of it, but it's called Borghese and it's an Italian product. It's rather popular in Europe but not so much here in Asia. It's very difficult to obtain this product as it's very limited and you can mostly buy it from online sources.

 

I first heard about it a few years ago and have been dying to try it since. However, procrastination always got the best of me and it wasn't until a few days ago before I finally decided to splurge and got myself one.

I've been using The Body Shop's Blue Corn Mask for a few years now, and while it has done well the first few times, I feel it's not really able to deep clean my face as it did back then. Probably my skin has gotten used to it, and in light of it finishing soon, I decided to make a change and try out Borghese instead.

There a few ranges of Borghese mask, but the one I'm currently using is the dark green mud mask. It's suitable for oily skin and those with pore problems. It also comes in two sizes: 212ml and 430ml. The one shown in the picture above is the 430ml size, and yes, I know it looks so small in pictures, but trust me, it's huge.

This is an all natural mask, so don't expect it to smell nice. It has an earthy and somewhat muddy smell, but this just proves it's made from natural goodness and does not have much extra colourings.

The mask is packed in a very pretty glass bottle, and the 430ml bottle comes with a sponge for easy washing. However, I personally find the sponge to be a bit rough and hard so I don't use it. You don't really need it anyways, the mask is very easy to apply on and wash off. It's not too thick and very easily spreadable.

To use, apply a thick layer on your face and leave it on for about 5 to 10 minutes. Some may experience a burning sensation upon applying, but this is to show that your skin is too dry and dehydrated. The more dehydrated it is, the more painful is the burning sensation. But don't fuss, it goes away in a few minutes and you won't feel a thing anymore.

As this is a mud mask, be careful not to let it dry out. If you feel it's getting a bit dry, you can splash on some water and let it rehydrate a bit. After 10 minutes, wash it off either with warm water or the sponge. You can immediately see all the impurities in your pores surfacing on your skin, which means it's cleaned out. I use a pore pack for my blackheads after that, and they pull out very easily which really surprises me.

I really do love this mask and it's definitely my new favourite. Sorry, The Body Shop Blue Corn Mask, but I've just found my new deep cleanser.



xoxo
-Penny-

A lookback at 2013

It's the last day of 2013 and here I am, sitting in front of my laptop typing this post instead of out somewhere getting drunk and screaming on top of my lungs at a new year's countdown. I guess that's what you get when you work an 8-to-5 job that sucks the life out of you. Not that I mind as the pay is decent, so no complains there.

This year has been full of ups and downs, more of the latter to be honest. The bad luck that befell us two years back has yet to be fully lifted and our lives are still in a struggle. Hopefully as I start working things will start to get better. Fingers crossed.

So this the year that I finally finished my 5 years of studies and got my degree. Being able to graduate from university was probably one of the happiest moments of my life as I am able to bid farewell to that chapter and begin the journey on a new one. Having experienced a totally different life has really opened my eyes to the other side of the world. Although sometimes I do miss the simpler life of a student, life has to go on and keep moving forward.

Growing up is a natural part of life and everyone has to experience new changes every once in a while. As my life progresses into the new chapter, I can only wish for things to get better and finally take a turn for the good.

May 2014 be a better year. Happy New Year.

xoxo
-Penny-

DMC Deep Cleansing Mask

So my last post reviewed éPure, which I don't love crazily as much as I hoped to. Instead, I found another jelly mask which is my current addiction: DoMeCare (DMC) Deep Cleansing Mask.

 

This is also a Taiwanese product, and comes in 2 sizes: 225gm and 500gm. It comes packaged in a box and also has a spatula for easy application. The jelly is black in colour and has the texture much like a pudding which I may mistakenly eat one day when drunk. It has a faint flowery smell which is not overpowering at all, and is much easier to apply compared to éPure.

This is the old packaging, which has since changed to the new one as shown in the first picture. 

 

One of its ingredients is bamboo charcoal, which is an excellent absorbent. It functions to absorb the impurities from your skin, thus deep cleansing it. Its usage is similar to éPure: apply a thickness of about 0.3cm to 0.5cm, leave it on for 30 minutes, scrap off the jelly and wash off the excess. What's different from éPure is that although this is a deep cleansing mask, its all-natural ingredients makes it absolutely safe for everyday use. Yes, EVERYDAY. Even people with sensitive skin can use it (but of course with caution).

For me, I still use it once a week, mainly because I use it before using a blackhead nose pore pack. It's very effective (for me anyways), as I can see all the resistant blackheads on my nose pop up like mushrooms after rain. So I will apply the mask before I bathe, then wash my face and use a piece of nose pore pack. Wait for the pore pack to dry, and tear it off - BAM! I can see tons of impurities stuck onto the pore pack which brings me a sense of achievement. After that I apply toner and pore tightening essence as the usual regime.

Even if I use it four days apart, every time the pore pack comes off there will be tons of impurities stuck there. Previously, even when I use the pore pack once a week, sometimes nothing will be removed and my strawberry nose will be the same as usual.

Now however, I can slowly see the pores reducing, and my nose even feels smooth when touching. So sorry éPure, although I do like you, but this new baby is my new love.

xoxo

-Penny-

éPure Membranous Jelly Masque

Went out to buy food for later, and had actually planned to stop by KFC to try out their new Crazy Crunch menu, but the rain spoiled everything. So here I am, sitting in front of my laptop sulking as I try out the all-popular éPure Membranous Jelly Masque.

It seems to be the new hype these days. Bloggers and celebrities are using this product and showing them off left and right. I was very tempted to try it too as it boasts so many functions which suit my needs. After careful consideration, I finally decided to let myself splurge a bit. But really it's to tame my shopaholic cravings as I impatiently await my posting letter to start work.

Anyhow, this product is unique due to its one-of-a-kind ACF (Active Cellular Factor). It contains many ingredients to help boost the hyaluronic acid content in your skin - the main component which helps to keep your skin moisturized. It also aims to brighten your skin, reduce blackheads and clogged pores, lighten scars and hydrate the skin.

This product comes in two packagings: boxed and jar. One box contains 6 individual packets at 30g each while the jar is 250ml. It also comes with a spatula to help apply the gel onto your skin. The gel itself is light yellow and smells lightly of medicine. It's rather thick texture makes it quite difficult to apply, and each time you need to apply a minimum of 0.3cm thickness to achieve the best results. Just apply and leave it on for about 30 to 40 minutes, then scrap off using the spatula before washing your face and continuing with your usual facial care.

Personally I find my skin rather dry after washing, which I find it weird because it's supposed to hydrate your skin. So I will apply my moisturizer or sleeping mask after using just to ensure my cheeks don't go too dry. I don't see a drastic change in my skin tone either, though it does look less dull after using. As for reducing blackheads and clogged pores, well, it remains to be seen.

All in all, it's a very useful mask if you don't have time for facials or are looking for a product which hopes to satisfy all your facial needs. The product itself is quite pricey, so it might make you hesitate a little. I personally don't love it as much as everyone else, but I will continue to use it a few more times to see the results. Fingers crossed!



xoxo
-Penny-

Haunting Nightmares

Almost 5 months of no updates. It's just so hard to think of something to write nowadays. So many things are happening all at the same time. And not all of them happy memories.

Just when I thought that this life couldn't get any worse, the exact opposite happens. Things are worse now than they were before. They escalate from A to B in just a snap. A blink of an eye. It's as if I closed my eyes for one second, and the next everything is different.

I want to walk away from all of this. Perhaps one day I will finally get my freedom. Perhaps one day I will finally be able to put this behind.

Perhaps.