/Essentials/ April Favorites

Another month has passed! I haven't been posting regularly and I'm sorry for that...To make up for it, here are my essentials for April.


mostly purchased by me, the chanel was a gift from a family member
It's the usual skincare with different fragrances this time. Let's take a closer look at them.

/Skin/ CosRx Low pH Good Morning Cleanser

this was purchased by me
A few months ago, my skin was seriously dry. It was irritated and flaky; not good for all. So I went on a skin saving quest at my local Olive Young trying to find items that would ail my misery. After reading the description of this cleanser, I decided to give it a go because it's slightly more acidic and won't make skin feel tight after a wash. Let's take a closer look.

/Skin/ Korres Greek Yogurt 3-in-1 Cleansing, Toning and Eye Make-up Removing Emulsion

So I've been gone from review blogging and I'm trying to start off the year by getting my blog mojo back. It's taking a little longer than I expected. I knew Netflix was a time black-hole (is anyone else totally into F is for Family & Bojack Horseman?), but working and quitting and family visits and getting late night Skype interviews can also leave one physically drained to do anything. I still have to finish my final project to get my TEFL certification! Stress.
Anyway....let's get to what this post is about.

this was purchased by me
Ever since I got hooked on Caroline Hirons I've been picky with my cleansers, toners, serums moisturizers--my whole skincare routine. I decided to try this milky cream cleanser from Korres because 1) it doesn't foam, 2) it's supposed to be moisturizing, 3) and calming, and 4) it removes make-up. I finished this about a month ago and here are my thoughts.

/Skin/ First Aid Beauty Fab Faves To Go

this was purchased by me.
I've had good experiences with First Aid Beauty products in the past (I've reviewed some on here) and I like how the brand makes things gentle, fragrance-free, and suitable for sensitive skin types, I wanted to try a complete FAB regime without spending too much money and this seemed like a good deal. I bought a FAB Faves To Go kit for my mom a while ago and she seemed to like it so I decided to pick up one for myself. This stayed tucked away for a while until I went on my trip. Having used all the products in this kit together, as well as finishing some two of them, I'd like to share my thoughts on them with you.

/Skin/ Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Shea Soap w/ Sognyi Mushroom

this was purchased by me.
I finally decided to try another Shea Moisture soap as a facial cleanser. I chose this particular one because it focuses on brightening and toning the skin with natural, organic ingredients. I've been using this as a daily cleanser for about four or five months and here's my review~

/Skin/ Burt's Bees Sensitive Facial Cleanser

this was purchased by me.
I got this cleanser many, many months ago. I picked this up because I had a coupon, my skin was irritated, I needed a face wash, and this was made of over 90% natural ingredients so I ended up buying it. I've been using it for while now so I think it's a good time to write a review ^^.

/Skin/ Trader Joe's Nourish All-in-One Facial Cleanser

this was purchased by me.
Aside from having organic baby carrots and coconut milk ice cream, Trader Joe's also has quite the selection of skin and body care products. It's an often overlooked section, I think, because it's so difficult to find in the grocery store and it's not promoted much (maybe one or two products in their ad flyer). I always like to peruse TJ's skincare offerings and a few months ago I bought this cleanser.

/Skin/ Shu Uemura Ultime8 Sublime Beauty Cleansing Oil

this was purchased by me.
I bought this in December when the Shu Uemura site was having the 25% off orders of $50+ sale. I intended to get the cleansing oil in the pink bottle because I've used it before and thought it was good, but it was sold out at the time. I chose this, which is totally expensive at $42 for a 5 oz/150 ml bottle and $90 for 15 oz/ 450 ml, because it was the only other classing oil without mineral oil in the ingredient list. I've been using it since January and here are my thoughts on it.

/Skin/ 365 Everyday Value Facial Cleanser

this was purchased by me.
Since my skin has been acting up these days (ie: getting dry patches, rashes, and being itchy), I've been looking for gentle, not so chemically-filled, reasonably priced cleansers for my face. On a trip to Whole Foods I found this and thought it might be a good cleansing option for my troubled skin.

/Skin/ Mustela Stelatopia Cream Cleanser

this was purchased by me.
Remember when I was raving about La Roche-Posay's Toleriane cleanser? It was my favorite, probably one of the best cleansers I've ever used, but it was a little too expensive for me to keep purchasing ($24 is such an indulgence). When I finished it off I went in search of a cheaper alternative. This is what I found.

/Skin/ La Roche-Posay Toleriane Purifying Foaming Cream

This product was purchased by me.

I actually got this almost five months ago because my skin was really acting all crazy. In case you missed my intro where I explained quite a bit about my conditions, I have combination/oily skin that is prone to break-outs and is very sensitive. At the time of purchase, the skin around my jawline was dry and irritated with small blemishes forming there as well. The rest of my face was relatively normal, but everything I tried did nothing to alleviate the pain or heal my skin. I was using the cetaphil cleanser then, mostly because I wanted to finish the product as it was part of a double pack from Costco, and it seemed to just keep my skin clean rather than help my problem. I did a little research and settled on getting this La Roche-Posay cleanser ($23.95). It was expensive, yes, probably among one of the most expensive cleansers I've ever bought, but I needed the help, trusting this would finally do something about my uncomfortable skin.

no parabens or fragrances
When I first tried it, I was so happy that my skin didn't sting or have any horrible reaction. I would even say this foaming cleanser was rather soothing considering all that I'd done to my face thus far. It rinsed off easily, leaving my skin feeling soft and supple, not at all dry or uncomfortable. In about two weeks my skin had been on the mend for better (when used in conjunction with a FAB cream and daily yogurt face masks). Once my skin had been balanced, dry, itchy patches basically gone, I stopped using the cleanser everyday. It was ok for while, but my skin has been a little crazy lately so I've switched back to this and yogurt masks. All in all, La Roche-Posay's Toleriane purifying foaming cream is great. It doesn't irritate and does what it promises to do on the tube for those with sensitive combination to oily skin. Definitely one of the miracle workers in my skincare regime

bright young person loves it

this much