My Current Sunscreens

Now that I'm almost 27 years old, I can no longer delude myself that my skin will be fine without sun protection because......despite all the oily and acne bullshit, I can really feel my skin looking more and more lethargic. I think lethargic is not the correct word to use to describe skin, but like super tired-looking lah! I also notice that I'm starting to get hyperpigmentation in some areas. All are easily fixed with concealer and foundation, but I want to be confident in going out of my house without makeup! So, along with daily intake of acne medication, I have also started applying sunscreen every morning. 

My favourite sunscreen right now is the Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence (SPF 50+ PA++++). I don't know why need so many plus signs (sunscreen noob here), but I guess the more the better? Haha! I use the Biore sunscreen every morning after my moisturiser and it's wonderful, both as a sunscreen and as a makeup base. It's absorbed very quickly into the skin and is not oily at all. However, the best thing about this sunscreen is how it provides a great canvas for makeup to "sit" on. It doesn't dry matte, more like a semi-matte, semi-dewy finish. Concealer sticks to my skin better, so I can use less for fuller coverage. It's really a great product that I will repurchase again and again! 

The Avène Cleanance High Protection Emulsion Spf 30 For Acne-Prone Skin was a random Watsons purchase, and sadly this breaks me out. The texture is quite thick and when applied, I could feel my pores getting clogged - it's THAT thick. But I don't want to waste it, so I'm now using it for my arms and neck. No problems there! :D

I am really terrified of getting older. Wrinkles, marriage, children. The 3 things I'm still scared to tackle. Yikes. 

Current Foundation Routine (Nivea, The Body Shop and klairs)

Having a camera with wifi function is amazing! I took these photos this morning before going to work and I was able to transfer the photos to my phone for quick editing on the MRT. Very efficient use of my commute time leh!

Here's an update to my foundation routine. I no longer apply liquid foundation on a daily basis because I think it's too much for my acne-prone skin.

Step 1: Apply Nivea Sun Whitening Light Texture Serum Make-up Base 

Step 2: Apply a mixture of The Body Shop Tea Tree Flawless BB Cream and klairs Illuminating Supple Blemish Cream

Step 3: Finish off with an application of  ZA Perfect Fit 2-Way Foundation with a powder brush (not in photo, but I have been using this ZA powder for more than 10 years already)

I bough the klairs Illuminating Supple Blemish Cream on Qoo10 for really cheap! It was on sale for S$10.80 with free normal shipping. 

I first read about it on this random blog that was raving about how light it was and how it didn't break her out despite her having acne-prone and sensitive skin. I was very intrigued because I had the same skin type as this blogger and I also faced the same problem of breaking out from using new BB creams. So after researching abit more, I decided to check out. 

I especially love the klairs Illuminating Supple Blemish Cream because it does not have a greyish undertone and because it applies like a moisturizer. No cakey feeling at all. The only problem was it was too fair for my skin. 

This problem was instantly fixed because when I noticed that it was too fair, I remembered that I had The Body Shop Tea Tree Flawless BB Cream in 02, which was too dark for my skin. YAY! Mixing these two together resulted in the perfect shade for my skin! 

The combination applies beautifully - almost like my daily moisturizer. I normally apply one layer like as if I'm applying moisturizer. Then I add a second layer on areas that needed a little bit more coverage (like under-eye area, blemishes, etc). I don't use any concealers after the second layer. I'll give it around 5 minutes to set then I top it off with a little of powder. 

Here's a before-and-after comparison:

First photo: No makeup at all. 

Second photo: Sunscreen and a mixture of the two BB creams applied. 

Third photo: Finished with the ZA powder 5 minutes later. 

Looks great right?! No concealer at all!! Very excellent lah these two products (and of course my forever holy grail powder foundation - ZA Perfect Fit 2-Way Foundation).

This way I can avoid wearing thick liquid foundations and cream concealers. Most of the item, a combination of these two products will clog my pores and then my good pimply friends will appear again zzzzz.

Have a great day guys! :) I'm loving this routine so much now!!