Keepin' it tight

akin to my aforementioned improv (read: messy) style of doing things, i've never been the type of girl to use the same line of shampoo/conditioner/styling products at any given time. makes sense to create variety, no? though it never dawned upon me that perhaps it wasn't just a marketing trick to get me to buy more stuff from the same manufacturer, and that maybe there did indeed exist chemical rhyme or reason behind their doing. regardless, i've stuck by my (lack of) order for my new rigorous skincare regimen- one that i've gradually stumbled upon since I let a Laneige salesgirl in CWB poke around my face with a metal stick and exclaim "aiyo!" to how my apparently awfully dry skin. having braved new england winters with no more than a tube of costco-sized Clean & Clear and Neutrogena tinted moisturizer (which I believed satisfactory, as anything over $10 is a pretty hefty price tag for the CVS beauty section) my skin is now begging for better treatment, and better treatment it has duly received:

i had to really put my foot down with the laneige salesgirl (how persistent they can be!) so as to resist buying their emulsion and delicious looking strawberry night cream. however, i DID ultimately succumb to their cute pump dispensing foundation which comes with a detachable cream concealer and compact mirror. funnily enough, the foundation comes in two or three shades from which i was offered my pick between "normal" and "white". below is the white, which obviously would never work on my skintone (i don't know how even the whitest of whiteys could...we all learned from our crayola colors that flesh = light peach)



as for the shu uemura "Red: Juvenus" line moisturizer, initially i had my doubts because it's LIQUID and to apply it you have to essentially wet a cotton ball and drag it across your face (remember the purple spray sunblock they used to make? so that you'd know where you'd already applied the lotion to? well, that functionality would have been useful here). in any case, i picked a bottle up at the duty free in japan last month and have seen the liquid level decrease slowly but surely, so i know it's been going on my face. needless to say, it's ultra light weight, but you can tell from the consistency that there's more to it than h2o; according to the package, it contains pomegranate and lycopene extracts- mm mm nature! and an added bonus: the formula aims to be anti-aging/anti-wrinkle, which has become my new obsesh.

so i just checked and this pic is of the eye cream, not the face one which is what i use currently but im too lazy to change it. i don't think it matters as much with young skin that's still relatively taut to use the facial cream under the eye as well, and so far it's been good to me. i'm a bit concerned that it hasn't been marketed as "all natural" ...prob because it isn't... and will probably switch to a kiehls or a hipster/farm originating brand when i'm done with dior.this was purchased at the heathrow airport duty-free upon cursory consultation with a saleslady there, so i am pleasantly surprised by the results. christian dior's "first wrinkles" capture line is designed for those in the early 20s age range - perfect for the overworked young females of this generation.

potential placebo effect aside, the combination of lanny, shu and christian baby a few nights a week have yielded skin that i haven't had to use makeup on for weeks! i wish i could say i'd been engaging in activities that promoted the natural healthy glow of my skin but that would be a downright lie. although there are other reasons for skipping out on the makeup routine - hint: say goodbye to your mascara - more to come!