Long time no post! I’ve been trying to see if there’s a good alternative out the for WordPress but everything has downsides… Most are too esoteric/advanced for me to deal with.😮‍💨

On to the actual topic, I’m probably going to be on the skincare struggle bus for the rest of my life. Tretinoin kept my adult acne away for the past two years but left my skin too dry and flaky for makeup to really look nice for any period of time longer than a couple hours.😿 The focus now is to stick to a simple routine with a couple active ingredients.

During my trip to the US I got this pile of skincare samples, as well as a few more not pictured. I also have a few Japanese skincare samples.🦩

Although it feels nice to receive samples, there’s literally not enough time to use them to see any real effects. It’s just kind of “idk, we hope you like the aesthetics and texture/scent of our products?🤷‍♀️“ But then again, I guess you’d be able to tell if something breaks you out immediately, so that’s good.

In general, the gross flakes weren’t the only issue with Tretinoin. When you’re on Tret, you have to stick to a very strict routine. Anything extra can really irritate your skin and make it red/burn (like some of those samples). There are different concentrations though. If I ever try it again, maybe I’ll go for .025% instead of .05%. That could make all the difference.

New face wash and moisturizer

I recently finished my Hatomugi W cleaning foam face wash and now use the Rosette cleansing paste (acne clear version). Face washes are something I don’t want to spend a lot on, so these days I just get cheap ones from the drug store. The Rosette face wash leaves my skin very tight, but I guess it’s okay since I moisturize immediately after. I know there are really good cleansers out there that don’t cost an arm and a leg. The search shall continue.

Main moisturizers I use now are the Ihada Medicated Clear Lotion and Emulsion by Shiseido, which are labeled as a quasi-drug that’s supposed to help with acne and other skin issues.

I’m actually kind of impressed so far. Since stopping Tret, I haven’t had any breakouts yet. This makes my skin feel well moisturized. Both bottles will last about a month longer. Might have to repurchase.👀

I never wear green eyeshadow, but this is it!

Something possessed me and I bought two green eyeshadow singles last year. In the below pic, I’m wearing Lethal Cosmetics Eden (matte green) on outer lid and over the crease, Aether (metallic teal) on the outer mid part and under eyes, Acolyte (metallic rose gold) on the lids, and Limbo (metallic champagne) in the inner corner. I really love tightlighing with dark browns too.

Indie makeup is fun

Here’s my stash of Phytosurgence makeup. They don’t ship worldwide, so I was lucky to get these earlier this year. Picked up three cream eyeshadows, four cream blushes, and one very unique highlighter.

It seems like everyone loves Condensate, because it’s an unconventional color. It looks like a dusty, grayish brownish pink, but when you actually wear it it’s not thaaat out there. She’s definitely a special shade. I think my favorite blush of the bunch is Simmer. It’s just one of those cute pinks that makes me happy. Swelter🌶️ is so cool (it’s more like a cranberry color), but hard to wear. Works amazingly as a velvet lip color. Words cannot express.🤌 Velvet Leaf is a pretty eyeshadow, but it shows up far more bronze on me than green (again with the green eyeshadow that I say I don’t wear). Need to make a separate post on these at another date.

Bonus Korean dinner

I went to Tsuruhashi the other day and got some delicious, calorific dinner.🍽️

There’s a bunch of new Korean places near where I live as well. One shiny new shop just opened along the route I take to get home, so I’ve been eating a lot of bulgogi kimbap. It’s so good! 韓国行きたいな～