Skincare Routine with Imiz!~

INSTAGRAM@LOVELYKAIJUUCHAN

Hey guys!

 Imiz here with a post on my skincare steps! Usually I only worry about my face but during these cold winter days my skin gets really dry all over! :(

I do what is sometimes called the Asian skincare routine. There are many different versions with different steps but i use a basic 4-5 step process:

1. Double-wash your face.

2. Toner

3. Emulsion

4. Essence (optional)

5. Moisturizer

I don't have a specific face wash that I use because they only work for a certain time. I have naturally oily skin so I know it's time to go on a new face wash hunt when my face feels oily just a couple hours after washing.. anyone else have this problem??
At the moment, I'm using Neutrogena Rapid Clear scrub. I use this when I'm taking a shower every morning and before I get out I use my second facial scrub which is usually a brightening facial wash. I'm using Aveeno Positively Radiant skin brightening scrub and I actually really like it.

The Toner I use is Peach Sake Toner by Skin Food. Toner is supposed to be good for removing any impurities left behind from your facial wash and for tightening your pores and mine are just a little bigger than I would like around my cheek and chin area so I concentrate my toner in those areas most.

Emulsion is like a light moisturizer. After all that face washing it helps with the dryness left on my face. The great thing is that you don't need to put a lot on so this stuff lasts forever! I use Peach Sake Emulsion by Skin Food. Same brand as my toner. The light peach scent is really nice and not at all overbearing.

The Essence I use is Rosehip Perfecting Elixir by NARUKO. I listed this as optional because I only use this when I get a rough spot that won't go away with my usual routine. It's an oil based serum and i don't like to use it a lot because I'm trying to eliminate the oily feeling. Before putting this on, I would say wait until your emulsion has dried. Wait until the essence has dried before moving on to the next step as well. This is supposed to be good for other things like skin discoloration or wrinkles and you can use it on your elbows or even if you have chapped lips, which I'm testing out right now because this winter has dried out my poor lips completely :( As you can see, the bottle is really tiny. It's only 10ml but trust me, it's enough to last. You only need a few drops of application. It's 9.99USD on imomoko.com I believe.
I really wanna try the SK-II brand but it's sooooo expensive.


The last step is to put the lotion of your choice on! I use Vaseline Cocoa Butter generally. And I use this for my entire body as well. It's nice to use the lotion all over after you get out of the shower and air dry but if you're like me and you feel awkward being naked even when you're the only one home then maybe throw on a robe ^-^; A nice hydrating lotion works well too. I like Nivea brand myself. My legs and arms are really dry this time of year so I'm not too stingy when applying.

Other than my general routine, I often go to my favorite Asian market and buy some facial, hand and feet masks. I try a bunch of different ones but my favorite brand is Dermal. I recently used the Marine Collagen Essence mask. My favorite is the Honey one. They all work great. I've tried using the ones from the local drug stores but the nice, soft, clean feeling only lasts a few hours and I'm always disappointed.  Not sure what they're putting in those Korean brand facial masks but man they work!

I bought the Asian skin care products from imomoko.com. I REALLY love this site. They sell my favorite shampoo, Kracie's Ichikami cherry blossom scent. Normally I have to switch shampoos around too but Ichikami leaves my hair super soft every single time. A little pricey but well worth it. I don't think they sell the Dermal brand but I know they have a huge selection of masks.

 I know this seems like a little bit of a lengthy process but it works wonders for my skin and hopefully it will work well for yours! I can definitely tell a difference when I stop my routine for a few days. I start to break out and then I know I need to stop being lazy and get back to these lovely products! Happy smooth skin days!

-imiz

Palty Bleach : Natural Brown Review!

INSTAGRAM@LOVELYKAIJUUCHAN

Hey guys! Imiz here, with my very first review & blog post!
Today I'm going to give you my thoughts on Palty Bleach Natural Brown. I have actually used this product twice: Once with very long hair and again with very short hair. The results were different both times and i'll show you...

As you can see, my hair was very long and my natural hair color is very dark brown, sometimes called brown/black. First of all, when using Palty on long hair you definitely need more than one box. But since I only wanted to do the underneath and part of my bangs (like Ayamo style from Zipper!) I only needed 1.

Annnd the result!

(sorry for the crappy quality webcam photo ^^)

So it didn't turn out as well as I would have liked.. it did show up on my bangs of course since the hair is newer and healthier, but underneath it came out kinda splotchy and maybe only a shade or 2 lighter than my natural color... not to mention it really damaged my ends! It felt like horse hair, stiff and crunchy :/
Based on this experience, I give Palty Bleach on long hair....

♥♥♡♡♡ 2/5 :( Maybe if your hair is extremely healthy and completely virgin it will work better. But this is just based on how well it showed up on my hair and the damage it did....

Despite my experience with Palty, I recently tried it again after cutting my hair super short!  You could still see the parts that turned out nice from the first treatment. Since I cut off all the dead and damaged ends and the treated parts still looked cute with my short hair. I hadn't dyed or treated it since.
I decided to do a split dye. I had wanted to for a long time but I always chickened out last minute ^^; With my short hair- and only dying half of my head- I only needed one box. The results were infinitely better than my first experience with Palty!

The great thing about this style is you can clearly see the results on my head! My natural dark brown hair and the Palty bleach treated hair right next to it. (Sorry about my messy hair ^^ I decided to give my hair a break so I didn't blow dry or straighten after treating.) The color looks just like the box! My hair didn't feel damaged at all (except a few places that were previously bleached, I'll do a separate post talking about how to treat damaged hair later). All that was left was to train my hair to stay separate from each side ^-^
Based on my second experience, I give Palty Bleach on short hair....

♥♥♥♥♡ 4/5 Thanks Palty!~ Maybe i'd give it a 4.5. Really the only bad thing is that it really kinda burns and itches your scalp while treating your hair, so you might want to be extra careful if you have sensitive skin.



You can find Palty on many sites online. My first box was ordered from BeautyDive.com & I ordered my second box from Amazon.com. They're about the same cost on various sites with a 1-2USD difference and you can usually get free shipping so look around to get the best deal.



Hope this review helped you out and remember, try everything twice! Your first impression isn't always right! Have a beautiful day and keep smiling!


-imiz