Mikan's Sanctuary

After posting morning routine, it's only normal to follow that up with a night routine right right riiiiiggggght???

So I'll post that now while I still have a few MB quota left on my modem (CREYYYSSSS)

The same products for 1, 2, 3, and 6, and since I've reviewed the products I'll skipped that (.....) and jump to 4.

HAHAHA okay I'll just mention the name here.

1. Hada Labo Gokujyun Ultimate Moisturizing Cleansing Oil

2. Hada Labo Gokujyun Ultimate Moisturizing Face Wash

3. Secret Key Starting Treatment Essence

4. Tony Moly Timeless Series: Ferment Snail Toner and
5. Tony Moly Timeless Series: Ferment Snail Emulsion

I bought this in a bundle with the Emulsion, for ₩ 31,000. YES IT IS EXPENSIVE but I guess since it's a 2 bottles deal it's ₩15,000 for one and quite cheap??? (SELF-DEFENSE MODE: ON). It is said that it's made from the secretion of golden snails fed on Golden Tea plants (which, they claimed, is organic green tea plant sprinkled with pure gold colloid as fertilizer or some sort) It is claimed as anti-wrinkle, whitening, and moisturizing. Although I was indecisive on whether I'd use this for myself or gave it to my Mum, in the end, I gave it to my Mum because I haven't bought anything for her save for some mask sheet packs and I feel guilty (DON'T TELL HER PLEASE). Several days before, I got Prestige Creme D'escargot sample from It's Skin and I liked it so much because only one drop of cream can make my skin soft, smooth, dewy, brighter tone, and smaller scars and pores. Plus it protects my skin from the harsh winter wind. However, the price for the actual size is about ₩60,000-ish (SOOOBBBSSSS) and I can't afford that so I've been looking for cheaper alternative of snail treatment products.

My sister said not everyone is suitable for the snail treatment products. On the assumption that the It's Skin snail product is suitable for me (never EVER do this like EVER) I thought it would be suitable for my mother, too. But I didn't buy the It's Skin, instead, I bought Tony Moly because it's cheaper (LOL) and it has bundle promotion so I got the toner and emulsion.

But then my Mum said it's not suitable for her skin. She said first application made her skin soft and smooth, and it felt good, but over the course of a week, it gave burning-scar effect, especially on her forehead area. So it went to me again in the end lol. (emang udah nasibnya kudu buat gue kali yeee)

It's my fault I guess. I didn't pay close attention on whether it has exactly the same ingredients with It's Skin Creme D'Escargot. It's actually has 10-free formula so I think the effect on my Mum's skin isn't from paraben or something. My sister thought perhaps one of the ingredients contains AHA and my Mum's skin is sensitive to AHA. But then, over close inspection, this snail formula is fermented with white rice (...............) (WHY DID YOU JUST REALIZE THIS WHILE IT'S CLEARLY WRITTEN ON THE BOX, MIK????) I think my Mum can't stand fermented product.

I just starting to use this Toner and Emulsion for a week, though, so no result seen yet. So far I don't feel any flares or drying or burning sensation upon application. On the contrary, my skin feels dewy, tighten, and looks brighter the next morning. It's still too rich for day use, though, so I only use this for night. We'll see then.

6. Face Oil Mixture (Golden Jojoba Carrier Oil, Tea Tree Essential Oil, and Frankincense Essential Oil)
I use this after the essence, toner, and emulsion, because water-based products should be used below/before the oil-based products. Since I've written my review of this oil product, I'll skip it.

7. Neem Oil 

I just started using this for... two to three weeks (and not every night because it's smelly as fuck) and let me repeat that, THIS OIL SMELLS NASTY. I knew about Neem Oil's properties since I started learning about natural oils for skincare, but everyone claims the smell is unbearable so I kept rethinking over and over to purchase one and boy, they don't exaggerate the review. When the bottle is opened, the smell is only some kind of strong nutty almond-like smell and although it's really strong (notice how I repeat the word 'strong'?), I can still stand the smell. However, after it's applied to the skin, over the time, it gradually changes into a strong raw onion smell (YUUUUUCCCCKKKSSS) AND DID YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I HATE RAW ONIONS???????? IT'S LIKE TEN KILOGRAMS OF RAW ONIONS SLICED AND HUNG UNDER MY NOSE. Even when I drink, I can taste the raw onion smell on my tongue :((

Tapi demi kulit yang lebih baik ya. Akan kujalani cobaan ini.

But the reviews don't lie on the effects, either. It does reduce the redness and size of my inflamed cystic acne, and then dries them. Only, since my acne's growing rate is so fast (I said this on the previous post, didn't I?) I have to apply it every night for a maximum effect and currently, I couldn't stand being tortured by the smell every night yet :(

So those are my night skincare routines. I usually put face mask sheet about once a week, and when I do, I skipped the Tony Moly Toner and Emulsion and sometimes skipped the Neem Oil, too. I've explained other masks that I use (clay masks, fermented oatmeal) on the previous posts about my homemade skincare here and here. I usually apply that once a week, too, alternating between clay mask and oatmeal. But since now I finished my oatmeal, I have to wait until I got my next month allowance to buy a new packet .___.

See you on the next entry!

Hi, there! I'm still buggered over the fact that the only camera I have is the crappy 3MP phone camera. I reeeally want to post some swatches and reviews about my make up, but how can I provide accurate information with a camera that couldn't even represent the right color, right?

At least for this post, I don't have to show the right swatch color /^0^/ So here it is:

Because I'm lazy as fuck, I use the same edited picture for my instagram and blog post.

And here's the list of the products plus my review and why I use this:

1. Hada Labo Gokujyun Ultimate Moisturizing Cleansing Oil I use this cleansing oil ever since Hada Labo released this in Indonesia. Compare to Korean Brands, and the natural oils for cleansing, this is way cheaper. One bottle for about IDR 60k. Since I'm broke af, I can't afford expensive face cleanser/face wash since it will be finished faster. Moreover, I've been using the face wash from Hada Labo longer and I like the result. This cleansing oil really wash down all my make up. I rub and massage the oil on my dry face, then rinse with water (supposedly lukewarm water but again, I'm a lazy ass), then proceed with face wash. And because it's so effective, I also use this as my eye make up remover (I use cotton to remove the make up) and brush cleanser. So versatile.

Btw, I usually only use cleansing oil to remove make up. But lately I've been using Neem Oil for my acne treatment before sleep, and it SMELL SO BAD and the smell stays long on my skin so now I also use this cleansing oil in the morning to clean the Neem Oil residue.

2. Hada Labo Gokujyun Ultimate Moisturizing Face Wash
I've been using this brand for... a year? More than a year? Can't remember. All I remember is that I've been using this since it's first released. AND I LIKE THE RESULT. Previously I kept changing facial foam. First was because the Pond's variant I used wasn't available in Malaysia, then I changed to Etude, but then that variant (I forgot what) was discontinued. Then I changed to Sebamed, and when I moved back here to Indonesia, turned out it's too expensive for me.

I love its smooth, supple, clean finish. It's tame enough for my troubled acne skin. It has sufficient foam, too (yes although I know that many claims non-foam facial wash with slippery finish is better for your skin, I don't like it).

3. Secret Key Starting Treatment Essence
 SKII dupe (lol) because I can't afford the SKII Essence. I bought that for about IDR 200k from Elevenia. Btw, during my trip to South Korea last January, I couldn't find any Secret Key shop. I guess just like BRTC, they only sell their products online and at some selected vendors like Watson and the like. I assume that's why they can sell way cheaper than SKII and the like. The reviews on the internet for this product is crazy, a lot better than Missha First Treatment Essence (₩42,000, they said it's half the SKII but still WAY TO EXPENSIVE). But... I don't know if it's because I don't use it everyday (there were days where I forgot to even wash my face lol) or I just didn't notice it, I've been using this for about 2 months but there is no considerable change on my skin.

Well smaller scar marks, more supple and dewy skin but that's all.

I guess it needs time lol. Or my acne is too many I couldn't notice any better improvement over other areas. (kreys)

4. It's Skin Clinical Solution AC Spot Essence
Bought this one during my Daejeon trip last January for.... can't remember. Somewhere around ₩ 7,000? or ₩10,000? I CAN'T REMEMBER HELP! But it's not overly expensive I guess, because I remember I need to think over back and forth many times if the products were more expensive than ₩10,000. It's really good, it has gel-like transparent formula, and absorbed fast so we can use it below the make up layer. It dries my acne without burning my skin like benozyl peroxide. Sometimes it's sting when I use it over large cystic acne or open cuts, though. Too bad the growing rate of my acne (I MAKE IT LIKE IT SOUNDS REALLY FANCY BUT ACTUALLY NO IT IS NOT COOL AT ALL) is faster than the healing rate of old ones (sobs). Previously I use this morning and night (minus several nights of overslept so I forgot to apply this lol), and since I use Neem Oil for my night acne treatment, I only use this in the morning. Not to mention it's almost finished, too, (sigh) and I don't know where to find It's Skin product here :(

5. Face Oil (Mixture of Golden Jojoba Carrier Oil, Frankincense Essential Oil and Tea Tree Essential Oil)
I've been using natural oil as face moisturizer/serum since December 2013. Although it's more like maintenance oil rather than healing one, over several months of using, I see many improvement on my skin. The surface isn't dry and scaly anymore (yes my skin is oily but the surface is dry) and I have less acne during my breakout period. I've been trying Chardonnay Grape Seed Oil, Passion Fruit Oil, and Golden Jojoba Oil. From my experience, you have to rotate the oil type for every 1 or 2 months for maximum effects so that your skin won't bee too saturated with the same content.

I guess because I stopped using face oil last year for about 3-4 months (because I have no extra money to buy the new one), my acne are all coming back again.

So Golden Jojoba Oil is good for combination and dehydrated (oily but dry on the surface) skin. So is Chardonnay and Passion Fruit, it's good for oily and acne-troubled skin. Frankincense EO is good to reduce scar marks and black spots, while Tea Tree EO has anti-bacterial properties that fight the acne.

Never, NEVER, EVER, put the essential oil directly to your skin because it's so strong it can burn your skin. Always dilute with carrier oil, 3-5 drops of EO/10 ml of carrier oil. Even Tea Tree and Lavender EO, in which people claims the only EO that can be applied directly as spot treatment for acne, is not for everyone. It's possible that some people is too sensitive to direct application of EO and can only adds more problems. So, always dilute, everyone.

So that's all for my morning routine! You might notice the absent of sunblock here. YES IT'S TRUE I DON'T HAVE SUNBLOCK BECAUSE I'M TOO POOR TO BUY ONE I console myself by saying that my BB Cream has SPF 40. I save other emulsions / creams with richer formula for night usage, because my skin is so oily, and putting anything too rich on my skin has breakout risk. Not to mention it will fasten the make up meltdown (lol) due to oil and sweat buildup.

Except during winter. My South Korea trip was during winter, and the air is so dry, so I put all creams that I have morning and night. Even then, I don't have oil buildup for the whole day. I guess that's the only perk of winter season for people with oily skin like me :))

See you on next post!

I'm writing this as my entry for #KuisRombongan about #KartiniKu held by these 10 online shops: @Hers_Bag, @adasaripohatji, @deEtalase, @balialusID, @fellastore, @AlesaSprei, @OmaraHouse, @cillahelios2nd, @stupidroom, and @bodybesties.

Actually, I wrote a paper about my role model several months ago for one of Entrepreneurship subject's assignments. Since my role model happens to be a woman, and after I spent quite a time thinking long and hard, I still see her as my role model, my idol, the one I wish to follow the path, and, following the theme of the quiz, my Kartini.

Who is she?

Yesssshhhhooo, she is none other than our Queen, Joanne Kathleen Rowling. Why is she my role model? The piece I wrote for my assignment paper have perfectly summarized why, so I guess I'll just go ahead and copypasted it here (with some additions here and there to summarize my whole 15 pages of paper):

SO I JUST FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS QUIZ LIKE FIVE MINUTES AGO AND THERE'S ONLY HALF AN HOUR LEFT TILL IT'S CLOSED COBA GUE MAU NGEBACOT APAAN STENGAH JEM DOANG TAPI APALAH ARTINYA STATUS DEADLINER KRONIS MENAHUN YANG GUE SANDANG DAN JUGA KEBIASAAN RP FAST-PACED BUAT KEJER POST DI DETIK-DETIK TERAKHIR TUTUP TERM WAKTU JAMAN RP-AN DULU KALAU SKILL KEPEPET ITU KAGA BISA DIPAKE IYAGAKIYAGAKIYAGAK?????

Maap kepslok semua pembukanya. Gue phanyque. Oke. Jadi daripada gue kebanyakan bacot berteletele yang ga ada hubungannya sama sekali sama kuisnya (*seperti biasa* *namanya juga Mikan*), marilah kita mulai saja.

"Kenapa Gunung Tambora itu spesial?"

The first thing that crossed my mind was: "LIKE OF COUUUURRRRRSSSEEE THAT'S WHERE BATTLE OF TAMBORA OCCURRED AND KELANA WAS FINALLY SEALED AND EVEN THEN HE MANAGED TO MAKE THE VOLCANO ERUPTED AND TWAS LIKE THE BIGGEST VOLCANO ERUPTION EVER RECORDED IN HISTORY AND DEVASTATED THE WHOLE WORLD IN THE YEARS AFTER WITH ITS VOLCANIC WINTER AND IT EVEN FAMOUS AS THE YEAR WITHOUT SUMMER AND ITS TRACE IS IN OUR COUNTRY AND YOU STILL ASK WHY MOUNT TAMBORA IS SPECIAL???"

Tapi kalo gue jawab begitu belum tentu semua orang ngeh Battle of Tambora itu apa sih ya. Iya gak? But well basically with or without the 'Battle of Tambora' aspect in my answer, I still wanna go there and see all its might with my own eyes, smell the ancient air with my own nose, hear the wind dancing with the mountain with my own ears, and touch the soil with my own fingers. This is one of the places that you can't just get satisfied with only seeing the photograph. You can't also ask for any souvenirs to get a touch of its magic (not even when you specifically asked to get a vial of soil from the mountain's crater or a dash of its moss sample). You have to be there, and immerse in the energy by yourself (Kayaknya Gunung Tambora gak menerima titipan 'pangbawain' energi kayak Mentari nitip ambilin kostum) (....), feel its immense power beneath you, be one with the nature, and listen to its heartbeat, and maybe, you'll get a tiny bit of its mighty magic.

So yeah. Mount Tambora is special because of those. And I actually want to write more but there's only four minutes left to the deadline so I'll just end my rants here and hopefully I can win this and go there and I might have a chance to track the remnants of Battle of Tambora.

(BALIKLAGIDAH)

I do have dreams, y'know.