I've been doing this routine since March and it is now June, so almost three months now. My skin is now free of bumps and pimples and my only skin issues I have left are my huge pores (I'm on another journey to find the best pore minimizing products) and my dark under eye circles which I mostly blame on genetics. I have dry/combination skin by the way. I hope this routine will help you ladies out there who have similar issues. Also, this routine is made up of Korean Beauty products which I find more effective and appealing to my skin.
First thing I did was go to my favorite Korean beauty shop, The Mask Bar Soho in New York City. By the way guys, they changed locations, The Mask Bar Soho is now located at 36 Howard Street, NY, NY 10013. If you pass by, look for Jen and tell her Joanne sent you! ^^ And for those who have been shopping at The Mask Bar at K-town, unfortunately that store has closed already since the building in that area is going to be renovated. I also went to Nature Republic at Union Square to get a few oldies but goodies.
Makeup Removal
I should start off with makeup removal but I ran out of my Nature Republic Aloe Cleansing Tissue for a good month now and I have yet to repurchase it. I've just been using the Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelette. I have always used the Neutrogena makeup wipes but after using the Nature Republic Aloe Cleansing Tissues, it just didn't feel as good. The NR tissue is thinner in comparison to the Neutrogena, however, NR Aloe feels lightweight on the skin and removes the makeup as well as, if not better, than the Neutrogena.
Cleansing
The next step is actually cleansing the face. I have been obsessed with the Nature Republic Argan Cleansing Foam. It has a light fragrance which I am thankful for since most cleansers have strong fragrances. You literally need a dime size and it would cleanse your face really well, just ad a little bit of water and it will foam up nicely. I like using the Clarisonic Mia or the Foreo Luna with it (I'll make another post on which I like best between the two). It doesn't strip your skin and actually leaves your skin soft and subtly moisturized. I barely find any makeup residue on my skin, when I do, it's usually mascara or eyeliner that I couldn't fully remove.
Lip Scrub
Before I head out of the bathroom, I like giving my lips a good scrub. I do this two to three times a week since I get really dry lips and we don't want no chapped and dry lips. I use Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub and follow with a tiny application of Aquaphor ointment.
Toning
One of Jen's (The Mask Bar) recommendation is the Holika Holika Skin & Pore Zero Toning Pad. It is basically a cotton pad soaked in a toner. To be completely honest I don't see any difference between using this and other toners however I do like this. I don't have to buy a separate toner and cotton pad and it comes with it's own plastic tong/forcep to keep it hygienic. I didn't notice any pore minimization while I was using this although I like how it does remove those eyeliner and mascara remnants without any burn on the eyes. This is really what I like most about K-Beauty, it is rare for me to try a skincare product that irritates my skin and eyes unlike most Western skincare products I've tried.
Essence
I have first received and reviewed the May Coop Raw Sauce back in July 2015 thanks to BNTNews, and I have been in love ever since. I've gone through 2 bottles already and this third one is about to be finished as well. Of course, I've also tried other essences in between but I always go back to the Raw Sauce. It is so much easier to purchase K-Beauty products nowadays because of it's popularity and the May CoopRaw Sauce is actually available at Sephora. You can apply this with a cotton pad but I actually like just patting it into the skin - I love how it sinks into the skin. It is rich in glycerin so it is an effective moisturizer and reinforces skin immunity. On days that I feel like my skin is just getting too oily, I skip moisturizing and end the routine here.
Masking
Sheet masks are heaven sent! For the first month of doing this routine, I actually masked for 30 days straight! That's a lot of sheet masks but it honestly was worth it and it helped my really bad skin. Lately, I've only been masking once or twice a week. If your skin is in a really bad condition, I suggest that you try doing at least the 7 Day sheet mask routine if you can't do the 30 days. I swear your skin will thank you for it. I picked up several boxes of sheet masks when I was at The Mask Bar SoHo. They have good deals all the time with sheet mask boxes from great brands. My favorite brands are Leaders, SNP and MediHeal.
Pro-tip: Pop the mask in the fridge for about 5 mins before use. This will help de-puff your skin. Leave sheet mask on only at a maximum of 30 minutes or the said time on the instructions. Leaving the mask on for a really long time doesn't help your skin at all since it won't be able to breath with a sheet on top. Lastly, don't throw your mask right away, there's still essence on the sheet so make sure to rub that on your neck and arms before you throw it out.
Moisturizing
After you mask, pat the essence on your skin and let it sink for a good 2-3 minutes before you apply your moisturizer. I love gel and watery type moisturizers during the summer since the skin tends to produce more sebum and most gel type moisturizers are lighter on the skin and helps decrease sebum production. We want our skin hydrated still even if we have an oily skin type so moisturizing is still a must. My favorite go-to gel-type moisturizer is actually the Belif True Cream Aqua Bomb (available at Spehora) and the Yeblang Special A Star Jelly Cream, both I've run out of. My third favorite is the Nature Republic Aqua Super Aqua Max Combination Watery Cream. I've also reviewed this product back in 2014 for BNTNews and has been a favorite since then.
That wraps up my Night Time Beauty Routine. This routine has worked for me over the last few months and I'm happy to be sharing this with you. Thoughts anyone?
