skincare + makeup routines 2022

[hwarium]

It’s been two years since my last skincare routine post and so much has changed. I’m more deliberate in my routine and worked on understanding the purpose of each product (gold star!!)

Under the cut is a commentary divided into:

1. what I’ve learnt
2. skincare goals
3. current products
4. products I want to try
5. makeup routine

what I’ve learnt

so much… I have seen the ends of the earth and the line where sea meets sky….

haha, bless all the dermatologists on youtube, they are my lighthouses. I used to only watch pretty youtubers with glass skin talking for 10 minutes about a technique or product only for said content to be debunked a year later (rip 1 minute rule/hot-cold wash/spray mists).

I’ve learnt the most from Doctorly (Dr Shah and Dr Maxfield), I’ve literally seen everything on their channel and the way they explain concepts is so clear and simple and soothing. There was a point where I would listen to their voices to fall asleep.

These two videos are my holy grail, the foundation, my bible:'

Watch on YouTube

Watch on YouTube

tl;dr

There are three categories of skincare and every product should fall into one of these: cleanse, treat, and protect.

cleanse: get the gunk off your face. It’s important to have an oil-based and a water-based cleanser to get off different types of product (e.g. sunscreen requires oil-based cleansers to get off). Some people like to double cleanse (Eric Nam) but that can be stripping for sensitive skin.

treat: this is where actives come in!! the fun part!! You take do a stocktake of your skin concerns, read up on how/why they occur, and choose ingredients that target those problems. Also the step that requires the most work, so it’s much more value to spend money here (rather than on cleansers, legit don’t splurge on a cleanser). Also contains the biggest headache topic aka ‘layering actives’.

protect: products here either lock in moisture, block out UV/sun, or just reinforce your skin barrier.

tl;dr 2: layering skincare

My touchstone videos

1. How to layer active ingredients (Beauty Within) — great channel with heaps of information and a 99% hit rate of One Person summarising the video in a comment. This video has so much information I keep going back to it after buying a new product. The methods for ordering come at the 11 minute mark (thin to thick consistency or low pH to high)
2. How to layer skincare (James Welsh). Yes I love BW but James just tells you the order and you know sometimes you know you have a brain but just don’t want to use it. Thanks James.
3. Layering Actives great video from Hyram but its useless to me because he tells you whether you can use things together but I care about the ORDER. Also not rich enough to be buying that many things to run into that risk. Will revisit in 5 years xoxo.
   
   (oh speaking of, Hyram reacting to Eric Nam’s skincare routine is one of my favourite skincare videos of all time, it’s just fun and accepting and you can see him fall in love with Eric)

skincare concerns

Yes my goal is the glass skin aka glazed donut look. Moist without being buttery, dewey but not sweaty, tight without looking stretched like chungha on her fifth round of botox. </3

(okay but seriously)

1. oil: bane of my existence. every day I come home looking like I ran a marathon.
2. anti-aging: So I turned [redacted] years old last year and immediately went on vitamin a b c for skincare (A - retinoids; B - niacinamide; C - l-ascorbic acid). I don’t think I will age gracefully, there’s too much witch vibes in me. My dream look as a milf is Marisa Tomei who was 56 when she filmed Aunt May in spiderman.
3. acne: thank you mum for good genes but I still flare up once a month due to hormones. retinol has helped so much as the pimples are smaller but idk how to further eliminate short of birth control. wip.
4. textual irregularities: some acne scarring and pores in the middle of my face/around the nose.
5. brightness: GLAZED DONUT

skincare lineup 2022

Last week my routine looked like this:

		M	T	W	T	F	S	S
AM	Cleanser	⬤		⬤	⬤	⬤		⬤
	Caffeine			⬤
	Hyaluronic Acid	⬤		⬤	⬤	⬤		⬤
	Vitamin C		⬤	⬤	⬤	⬤		⬤
	Moisturiser							⬤
	Sunscreen	⬤	⬤	⬤		⬤	⬤	⬤
PM	Oil Cleanser		⬤	⬤	⬤	⬤
	Cleanser	⬤					⬤	⬤
	Salicylic Acid	⬤
	Toner					⬤
	Niaciamide		⬤	⬤	⬤		⬤	⬤
	Retinol		⬤	⬤	⬤		⬤	⬤
	Hyaluronic Acid		⬤	⬤	⬤		⬤	⬤
	Face Mask	⬤
	Moisturiser		⬤					⬤

behold:

cleanse

1. oil cleanser // DHC cleansing oil
   I’m going to use this product for life, its super reliable for me and I love how it gets rid of mascara gently. I feel like they’ve marked up the price 3x since I started using this though.


2. water cleanser // innisfree jeju volcanic cleansing foam
   I bought this one because it targets sebum/pores/oil but it leaves my face soft. It’s gentle enough to use in a dry winter and I can use it twice a day without feeling like I’m over-cleansing. Will I buy again? Ehh, probably not. I loooove shopping for cleansers and I will never commit to one because it literally does not matter. Experimenting is low risk because my skin is so thick nothing can over-cleanse it.

You can see it in the table that I don't double-cleanse. I use DHC if I'm wearing makeup (weekdays), otherwise its the foam on weekends and mornings.

treat

1. chemical exfoliant // ordinary salicylic acid 2% masque


2. Face Mask // queen’s premium pore tightening
   Once a week my routine is only salicylic acid + face mask. I time it with an easy evening where I kick back and play some Octopath. I finally finished my stash of miscellaneous face masks in February and actually had to research and shop. Decided on this because pores but also hell yeah to the combo of hyaluronic acid + vitamin c + collagen.


3. toner // muji light toning water moisture
   I know hyram and Doctorly both say toners are unnecessary :( (james welsh has my back though) but I love how light toners are, they never leave my face looking buttery which most moisturisers do. On lazy days I just cleanse + tone and sleep. Sometimes I use a toner and a cotton pad to finish cleansing. But honestly when I do my full routine I never use toner it just seems like overkill if I’m moisturising at the end.


4. niacinamide // ordinary 10% + zinc 1%


5. retinol // drunk elephant 1%>>ordinary granactive 2%
   in my defence this was a gift. please don’t google the price or the drunk elephant controversies ahahahaha.


6. hyaluronic acid // ordinary hyaluronic acid 2% + B5
   instant fave. texture, absorbance, efficacy, A+. Will keep in routine forever.


7. caffeine // ordinary caffeine solution 5% + EGCG
   This is super effective for puffy eyes and it’s unbelievable how fast it works. My eyelids always puff up when I drink water before bed and this fixes it up. I use on a as-needs basis so its not something I use regularly. Also I haven’t cried my eyes out since I bought this, so the product has yet to experience the ultimate test. Will anticipate.


8. vitamin c // drunk elephant l-ascorbic acid >> rohto melano cc
   Ehhhhhhhhhhh, still on the fence about vitamin c because the consistency is literally oil and I dislike that. I understand that its an antioxidant and protects my collagen from free radicals but I’m like a temperamental kid refusing to eat vegetables. It’s so oily and located in the fridge so I dislike how I have to cleanse in bathroom > walk to fridge > apply vit c > walk back to bathroom for make up > wait for it to absorb before applying sunscreen to prevent piling. The consistency of the rohto melano is better but based on the opening, it’s designed to be a spot treatment so I don’t feel like I’m getting the benefit of vitamin c in routine.
   
   Will probably cut out once I finish this tube (yet making eyes at the ordinary table of vit c products)

protect

1. moisturiser // ordinary moisturising factors // VT Cosmetics Cica Cream
   ordinary works but feels too heavy for daytime use. I hopped on the cica/centalla asiatica/tiger grass hype train after reading how great it is for flare ups/scars/psoriasis. I love this!! It has a gel-consistency, is absorbed gently and smells medicinal in a soothing, refreshing way. It’s pricey for a moisturiser and I know moisturisers (like cleansers) should not be the part of your routine you throw money at. So I only use this when I add actives to my routine (e.g. retinol, chemical exfoliants).


2. sunscreen // biore skin milk

products I want to try

1. gel moisturiser // go back to the nature republic aloe vera gel, or try out corsx rice mask or jumiso have a good cream (hyaluronic acid, niaciamide, retinol), or olehenriksen counter balance. Creamy moisturisers are too much for me, I think most of the ones I’ve been using are highly occlusive (i.e. they create a physical barrier to lock moisture in) which breaks me out because I have oily skin.


2. lactic acid // I want to exfoliate more because my skin can take it. This is an AHA which is also a humectant. It’s a gentle chemical exfoliant which also moisturises by drawing moisture to the skin. Excited to try it out because apparently it’s light and absorbed super quickly. It’s only recommended to use salicylic acid once a week but that’s not enough for my oily skin. Lactic acid can be used everyday though!


3. lightweight sunscreen // best advice I’ve heard for sunscreen: buy something affordable so you won’t hesitate to slather your face in it (so no anessa haha). That been said, I want to move on from the biore lineup I’ve been cycling through for the past 5 years. When my current bottle runs out I’m eying supergoop 100% mineral matte screen because its ultralight, mattifying and blurs pores. One step closer to glass skin! Back up options are: isntree hyaluronic acid watery sun gel, canmake mermaid skin gel, la roche-posay anthelios.


4. more potent retinoids // the strongest Ordinary product is the granactive retinoid 5% in squalene. I will move onto 5% after finishing the 2% but I’ve been using retinol for a year now and although my skin’s good, there’s still acne and texture that I want to eliminate. Do I just have super thick skin??? I didn’t even purge when I first started on retinol so after the 5% I might see a dermatologist to get prescription adapelene or tretinoin. Plan is to add lactic acid into routine with current retinol, and if that’s okay, then add in the 5%.


5. combination products // listing everything out I actually have a lot of different steps huh. I want to simplify things down by buying products which contain multiple actives. taking recs!!

makeup lineup 2022

This is my 5 minute routine for work, something I do with my fingers while eating breakfast in the bathroom. Looking back at the 2020 post, the steps are very similar minus eyebrow mascara (because I’m no longer blonde). Lips have moved from step 1 to 4 because I eat breakfast as I do my makeup and step 5 I do on the commute. I usually skip foundation entirely because there’s 4 people in the office because of covid.

1. eyebrow pencil // innisfree auto eyebrow pencil 5


2. eyeshadow // innisfree my eyeshadow + nyx wonder pencil in light
   For work I made my own palette using the innisfree magnetic pan + pop out squares. I chose a light base + shadow base + pink shimmer + darker shadow (for blurring the eyeliner). I go from index > middle > pinky finger for each colour, then use the previous finger to blend, following up with the liquid eyeliner. If I have time, I tight-line and blur using the shiseido microliner and set using the darkest eyeshadow. If I really do have time I add mascara. On the days where I really don’t have time I put on eyeliner at home then do the eyeshadow on the bus. :’D
   


3. eyeliner // dolly wink my best liner in pink brown / shiseido microliner in plum
   I’m a major fan of pink/plum eyeliner because it’s subtle and it suits my eyeshadow palette. Regarding vibes I /love/ the japanese idol photobook aesthetic — natural, soft and blushy. Like you’re on a first date with the girl next door and everything in the world is rose tinted. This video is similar to what I go for!
   
   On technique, I try to dig up channels that feature make up artists who have worked on celebreties, so 深夜徐老师 for cpop (Angelababy, THE9 Esther, Li Qin) and 옥뷰티 OK Beauty for kpop (Taeyeon, Suzy, Wonyoung) — heads up neither of them have english subs. Ironically I haven’t found a japanese youtuber that I like so taking recs!!


4. lip // benefit benetint or innisfree vivid cotton stick 6
   Maybe 2022 is the year I use lipliner.


5. powder // etude house zero sebum drying powder // innisfree mineral compact
   LMAO these products are the exact same item as 2020, I’ve barely used any. Same goes for the foundation.

Re: hair I’m rotating into a M&A team so I’m considering going back to black to avoid root maintenance. Still using liese bubble for hair dye!! Some things don’t change.

ending comment: and cut! that’s everything and oh dear this is 2500 words. I did not realise I cared this much about skincare, my 2020 brand was about low maintenance. Oops.

Next post is going to be about my finances. It’ll probably be as long if not longer than this skincare post because I’m now conscious about the fact that I should care more about my finances than my appearance :’)

I’ve been thinking about managing my $ ever since I started working. I developed a low-maintenance journalling system with my kokuyo jibun techo which incorporates a spend tracker (will…. separately write up another post on all the systems that run hwa.exe)

Re:finances the systems I set up are things I’ve developed after reading and research and long chats with close friends. Also, I went on a road trip last week and spent 2 hours mooching financial advice off a friend so now I am Educated. Stay tuned friends.

(also link me your skincare posts)

Comments

[klav]

This is so pretty and educational and well-organized I feel like I have learned one million new things thank you!!!

[hwarium]

thank you!! hehe I've discovered headings and the fact that dreamwidth can host images....

[rhodochrosite]

YAY SKINCARE POST this was so fun and made me want to try out hyaluronic acid... looking forward to your finances post too (guy who seriously needs budgeting help)

[hwarium]

SKINCARE POSTING TO THE END OF TIME thank you for reading comrade

yes! hyaluronic acid is one of those products I will recommend to anyone. It's super affordable and easy on the skin and really helps with moisture. let me know what you think when you try it out!

[(Anonymous)]

This was so interesting!! I am constantly playing w fire bc my skin has always been genetically v much not prone to breaking out so my routine is like, cleanse. moisturize. sunscreen if i remember. & then i don't pay for it until all of the sun damage catches up w me. but i've been wanting to a) get a better sunscreen bc I very much need one, god, and b) explore literally anything new, particularly in the "treat" category, so I so appreciate not only your explanations and mini product reviews but also the videos that were helpful to you! Excellent scholarship!

[(Anonymous)]

oh god lol sorry this is twig i didn't realize i wasn't logged in when i commented!

[hwarium]

hello twig!! thank you for reading <333 Yes the very basic routine is just cleanse > moisturise > suncreen, so you're good (unless you're sunbathing? Or live in a country that wants to kill you?).

I've only been using [biore] branded sunscreens because it's light (and cheapish, its v popular in asia), and everything under the Treat section I've amassed over 2 years, I love the process of noticing something > reading up > choosing > trying it out > seeing results. Yes and ofc I love talking about skincare so reach out if you want more video recs or just want to chat about your routine. it's so fun for me!!