Dec 27

Thanks to the experimental and adventurous nature of mine, my dressing table is forever so crowded with bottles and cans of skincare stuffs. And it is getting worse! :P

Many of them are almost or over 1-year old now, which also means - my dear skincare products, time’s up for you babe. You’ve got to go into the bin!

Nevertheless, it’s always difficult to part with your beloved things, right? Especially when you know the price of the stuffs. Yeah, all your (and mine) hard earned money went to those bottles of potion which we believed to be able to revive our youth… haha!

So what can I do if I don’t have the heart to throw them away? Well, I think of ways to ‘recycle’ them - stuffs that are considered expired or I found not suitable for my use after I bought them.

1. A moisturizer that is too rich or oily for my skin? I give it to my mom. :P

2. Or I use it on the neck instead, or on other areas that tend to be dry, such as elbows, heels, knees, etc.

3. Similarly, if a moisturizer, cream or hydrating essence that is way over its shelf-life once opened (i.e. >1 year), instead of putting it on my face, I use it as a moisturizer for my hands and legs.

4. ‘Expired’ facial wash can be used as hand wash.

5. ‘Expired’ body lotion can be used to wipe off stains or dirts on my synthetic leather handbags. Haha!

That’s how I recycle my old skincare products. How do you recycle yours?

Oct 23

This morning I gave the make-up sponges from my compact foundations a good wash. Experts say beauty tools such as sponges and brushes should be washed at least once every 2 weeks to avoid germs growing on them.

Jeez, I can’t remember when was the last time I clean them. So, probably today IS the right time!

I usually wash them with liquid hand soap. Then after rinsing the sponges thoroughly, I remove the water first by pressing the sponge with my hands, then with facial tissue papers to absorb excess water. Then I will just let it air dry, under the fan if possible.

Besides cleaning my make-up tools, I think I should also do a spring cleaning for my cosmetics. I read an article in a Chinese women magazine last night, it’s about how long cosmetics and skincare products are good for use once they are opened. Check this list:

  • Liquid foundation, concealer, cleanser, day/night cream - 6-8 months
  • Mascara - 3-6 months
  • Pressed powder, loose powder, shimmer powder, eye shadow, lipstick, lip gloss, toner - 8-12 months
  • Eye and lip pencils - 12-18 months

Oh dear, looks like I’ve got to trash quite a number of the stuffs from my dressing table. But am I going to do it?! Dilemma….
:-(

How about you? Are you still using cosmetics and skincare products that are already ‘expired’?

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Using expired cosmetics can also lead to skin cancer as well. Some of the minor effect of using expired makeup products could be skin rashes. Some of the high quality brand line makeup products are available online that can help in hiding age spots.

Oct 2

This post is a recap of ”The Ten Commandments in skin care” in my previous beauty blog Valen’s Beauty Parlour.

It takes time and effort to maintain great skin and complexion. Quote from Helena Rubenstein - “There is no ugly women, only lazy ones”. So if you want to look good, you need to adhere to some basic daily skincare routine - diligently.

My personal skincare regime consists of 10 steps:

  • Cleanse the face well at the end of the day.
  • After cleansing, use toners to remove residual impurities and tone up the skin.
  • Moisturise both face and neck at night.
  • Must apply moisturizers with SPF during day time, in and out the house.
  • Apply facial masks 2-3 times weekly.
  • Boost up skin hydration with special boosters or essence.
  • Address different skin needs (eg, oily T zone, fine lines) with different skincare products.
  • Minimise the use of make up.
  • Eat healthy & exercise regularly.
  • Get sufficient sleep and rest.
  • I stick to most of the rules I set for myself, except for the last two, which I obviously need to work on. ;)

    What are your daily skincare routine?

    Oct 1

    Welcome to my new born more-than-just-a-beauty blog!

    For those of you who followed me from my previous beauty blog - Valen’s Beauty Parlour, which is relatively ‘young’ (too young to ‘die’ in fact), thanks for visiting. Please come back again and again, hehe.

    Here, I will continue to share my experience and review on skincare and beauty products. But wait, there’s more to it! I will write beyond these topics, to share all things that are beautiful or will make a woman beautiful and happy :).

    To tell the truth, I’m using this place to indulge in my own vanity, haha! I definitely won’t be able to own ALL the vanity items that I desire (let it be a skincare product, leather handbag or even sleek laptops), but at least I can have fun while writing about it!

    If you are a reader who just happened to ‘pass by’, thanks for visiting and also please keep visiting, okay? If you wish to read what I have written in the antecedent of this blog, you can go to Valen’s Beauty Parlour. Anyway, I will also rewrite those posts in brief and publish them here for the benefit of my new readers.

    It’s a new beginning, and I’m all ready to be beautiful!

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