Gotta love the bandwagon sometimes. 😂

Even though I was a bit bummed my first choice was sold out when I was buying, this was still such a great deal~ I got my package today too, even though I was informed I would get it on Monday!

Huge thank you to Picky & Wishtrend for this! ✨💕

Wishtrend Haul~ 💕

Hello, Pickies!

It has been a painful and long two weeks for me. I was barely active on both Picky and IG. 😭 Now that everything seems to be winding down—mostly—I would like to know what do you guys do after a hard and stressful week/work?

I am thinking of using my gua sha again, sheet masks, and a more extensive routine, but I’m also open to trying out other things aside from skincare—as long as they can be done inside since I have to quarantine for a couple days more. 😭

Thank you for all the suggestions!

P.S. I didn’t catch the virus by the way. I was just close contact with someone who tested positive.

Weekend Relaxation

I’m not quite sure if anyone had created this topic before, so here goes.

I’m sure that most of us tie our hair back or use something to push our hair away from our face when doing our routines. Some people like to use headbands, others like to clip their hair, while some use hair velcros—these are velcros specifically for hair and do not damage your hair as far as I know. Skincare is not just about the products we use on our face. It should also include the other prep we do prior to starting our routine. 😊

Personally, I prefer velcros than headbands. Clips work too for wisps or stray-away strands. Headbands just...slide out of my hair. 😭 They’re cute, but sadly, my hair thinks otherwise.

So which one do you prefer? Facial headbands, hair clips, or hair velcros? And do you have a favorite kind? Drop those reccomendations below.

Headbands, Clips, or Velcro?

Hello, everyone! If you don’t know, inkeylist is currently hosting a livestream (ending in roughly 2 hours as of this post). It’s very informative as they answer tons of questions and give advice regarding skincare, body care, and hair care. You will have to scroll down and click “watch livestream” since I can’t get the direct url for the stream.

https://www.theinkeylist.com

Inkeylist Livestream

Hai, lovelies~ I’m thinking of incorporating facial oil in my routine, but I’m also afraid that it might be too heavy for me. I already did some basic research on what oils I should be looking for for oily/acne-prone skin, but I need recommendations anyway. So what’s a good facial oil products for oily/acne-prone skin? Thank you!

Facial oils good for oily/acne-prone based on my research:
-Rosehip
-Safflower
-Grapeseed
-Hemp
-Sunflower
-Primrose

Facial oil for oily/acne-prone

❌ Not occlusive enough during winter. I have oily&#47;dehydrated skin during winter months. I was worried already when I received this product since it didn’t seem heavy enough. I was right. It wasn’t. It left me feeling tight and dry after a couple hours, which resulted to my face producing more oil than usual. When I was using this, I had to make sure that I had another moisturizer or a mask on top of it.

❌ It absorbs so well that it feels like there is nothing on the face afterwards. It didn’t feel like there is a layer of moisturizer sealing in everything.

❌ This product also broke me out even after no problem came out of patch testing. I thought it was just hormonal issues, but after I stopped using the product, my skin cleared up. I tried using it again at a later time to see if I would get the same result. I did. I most likely will use this product as a hand cream instead during summer months.

✅ Has an extremely light, water-gel texture. This is such a nice texture since it easily absorbs into the skin.

✅ No fragrance. This is a definite plus in my book since I can’t deal with strong fragrances.

✅ Non-greasy or sticky to the touch. This is another important factor for me since I prefer products that do not seem tacky to the touch.

✅ Has a cooling sensation when applied to the skin. Upon application to the skin, I noticed that it had a cooling sensation that gives out that soothing effect. It doesn’t last long, but it’s quite pleasant to experience.

My skin is used to niacinamide as my routine incorporates this ingredient, so I didn’t notice any other benefits. The shimmer of the serum lasts for only a couple hours, with maybe 3-4 hours max. Since this has been highlighted (pun intended) as a highlighting serum since it came out, I figured that the best way to use this would be as a primer or mixed with makeup, with the occasional highlight touch-ups throughout the day. When I tried this as a highlight, I barely noticed the shimmer at all under natural lighting, even when applied several times. I only noticed the shimmer under studio &#47; selfie lights. I mentioned above that the serum does not feel sticky to the touch, and it’s not… but even after an hour, it always felt like some of the serum did not get absorbed into the skin, so it feels a bit tacky. A thin shimmer gets transferred over to my finger when I tried touching my face after an hour or even a few hours.

I like the temporary glow effect it gives. With my experience, it is more of a shimmer created by a shimmery cream makeup—a subtle shimmer without it looking like those shimmery powders. I did enjoy this product when I resumed using it after disliking it at the beginning. It wasn’t what I was expecting. Yes, there was the shimmer, the highlight when I applied it as the last step of my routine, but it was not a “shocking” or even an exciting moment. It was… dull, so to speak. But after giving it another try—it was pricey and I decided to test it as a serum this time—I have learned to enjoy the product. As a serum, the product made my whole skin look like I doused my face in a very thin solution of shimmer. 😂 Take note that I keep saying the word “shimmer” and not enough of “glow.” The reason for this is that it does give you shimmer, and not the “glow” similar to glass skin. There is no pilling.

❌ Texture. I like the idea of less is more, but with this ampoule, I had to use a bit more than what I usually would. This is because the texture of the ampoule is less of a serum and more of a toner with a slight viscosity to it. I had used a much thicker toner than this ampoule's texture. It's bordering on watery, so the product gets absorbed fast, so it always feels like a race against time when applying it. This also means that I had to use a bit more than what I would.

I received this product for free from Picky and BY ECOM in exchange for my honest review.
—————
✅ Soothing and hydrating. I enjoy using this ampoule when my skin is compromised and irritated. It has a lot of soothing ingredients, with Cica as the most prominent, so this really helps a lot with irritation.

✅ No fragrance! NONE!

❌ Texture. Compared to the Pure Calming Ampoule, the texture of this product is more viscous. I definitely use less of this product, but it also gets absorbed fast still, so my problem is that it still feels like a race against time when applying it. It's hard to fully enjoy the experience when the product gets absorbed quickly.

I received this product for free from Picky and BY ECOM in exchange for my honest review.
—————
✅ I really enjoyed using this ampoule as it plays well with other serums / ingredients in my routines. It claims to brighten skin and "helps revitalize tired and dull skin," but I have not used it long enough to see any difference. Anyway, I will keep using this in my retinol routine as it has niacinamide high on its ingredients' list.

✅ No fragrance too!

✖️ The product spills if it’s lying down for a few hours, just like with any lip oils I have. The best way to store it is to keep it upright (standing).

✖️ This is also a small product and will only last for 2-3 months, depending on the frequency of usage. It might even last for a less time.

✖️ This is also quite pricey (US$ 10). But most lip oils are around the same price range.

✨ This is such a great lip oil! I bought this at first since I wanted something that will keep my lips hydrated for long periods of hours, while also lending it some tint without the use of lipstick.

✅ My lips tend to crack and just dry in general if I don’t use any lip balm or any hydrating&#47;moisturizing products on it. This lip oil has done such a great job of keeping my lips hydrated overnight!

✅ The tint also shows up as reddish-pink after a couple hours, which is always a great thing to wake up to, as I don’t have to apply lipstick for at least a few hours!

✅ Overall, i would be buying this again! 🥰

Nean