Whenever I get a breakout, I involve myself in a lil chemical warfare by slathering a thick layer of benzoyl peroxide on the affected areas but I believe my overzealous use of benzoyl peroxide over the years have led the pimples to develop a strong defense system against my favourite chemical. Damn. I needed to find something as potent as benzyl peroxide and fast because waking up to a bump infested face isn’t a good way to start a day. It was a hard search – how do you expect to find something more potent than a chemical that has ‘peroxide’ in its name for god’s sake? Well, people. I haz found it. The DDF Sulfur Therapeutic Mask works better than my 2% benzoyl peroxide pimple cream, might burn a hole in your pocket depending on the budget you’ve allotted for skincare but the good news: It won’t burn a hole in your face.

This mask has single-handedly cleared the hormonal breakouts I’ve been getting on my forehead and I’m honestly amazed. The DDF mask is similar to the cult favourite Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque except it’s pricier and the sulfur percentage is higher. The texture is a lot smoother too – I find the Queen Helene version to be so much thicker and a lil’ hard to apply. I like using this as an overnight treatment whenever I have a breakout everyday until my skin gets clear again and it’s been working so well! I wake up to nice, oil-free skin and blemishes are either gone or making plans to move back wherever they came from. Definitely HG material here.

The bad thing about being fair is that it’s incredibly easy to get post-pimple scarring. Whenever I get a zit, I try my best not to pop/touch it but when it goes away, it gives me a little ZIT #2104 WAS HERE BITCH tat on my face every. single. time. That just pisses the fork out of me. I leave you alone most of the time while battling the urge to shove you off my face, treat you with respect mainly fostered by fear and this is how you repay my hospitality?? Bitch plz.

I did some research on natural oils that would help get rid of the redness and apparently, rosehip oil is your best bet so here’s my new anti-redness treatment/night-time moisturizer: Trilogy Organic Rosehip Oil. I’ve been using this for a month now and the redness I get on my skin has been reduced slightly! It’s not a dramatic change but I think I’m getting there. Rosehip oil isn’t an overnight miracle and you need to be patient to see results but my skin condition has improved significantly since including this in my skincare routine, it’s more supple now so I’m just waiting for the day all the redness goes away.

You can use any rosehip oil from the health store but a lot of people seem to like the Trilogy version and since it’s readily available here (It’s from NZ), there was no reason not to check it out. The lovely minimal bottle it comes in is a nice bonus too + the cheap price tag- It’s $18 for a 20ml bottle. I know it’s not a lot but you only need 3 drops a night so it’s going to last forever.

I’ve tried a lot of sunscreens from drugstore brands to Dior but I count the Sekkisei Day Essence SPF 25 PA+ from Kose as my favourite. It doesn’t smell or feel like ordinary sunscreen and doesn’t leave the dreaded ghoulish white cast on your face. I hate that sticky feeling you get after applying sunscreen- you get none of that from the Day Essence. You only need about two pumps to cover your face and mmm the scent! Smells very “Sekkisei” lol, if you’re an avid fan like I am you’d prolly know what I’m talking about. It’s slightly floral and smells like ordinary moisturizer- it applies like one too which is one of the reasons why I love it so much. It glides on like a light emulsion on the skin and makes an excellent base for make-up!

I know this isn’t a skincare item but I’m so impressed by this gel liner that it would be horribly selfish of me not to share this with the world. I am IN LOVE with this gel liner. I don’t know why, it’s not like it doesn’t have flaws – no sir, it does. I’ve tried using this to line my lower lash line and it feathered away into a smudgy muddle after a couple of hours. However, it is absolute PERFECTION on the upper lash line. This is the best drugstore gel eyeliner for the quintessential cat eye. It’s a rich, glossy black and actually comes with a brush that isn’t rubbish! It’s comparable to MAC’s fluidline except it’s much cheaper (can’t remember how much I got it for, I think it was SGD$16?) and despite its inadequacy to stay put on my lower lash line (I prefer using my pencil eyeliners for my lower lash line anyway), I really like this little gem.

So that wraps up my skincare review post! School starts tomorrow and it’s probably going to be as stressful as the previous semester so I might not have time to blog as often. I hate talking about academic stuff on this blog because it’s dry, boring and extremely depressing but school will always be my top priority. It’s not easy being here and certainly not easy on my parents’ bank account either. I am constantly filled with guilt every time I check my school fees, God my mother can easily buy herself a Hermès bag with the kind of money we’re paying the university every semester.

Sometimes I wonder if I was even meant to be here at all since I only chose to come here because my ass got rejected by my own local university twice. It’s not the usual sob story where girl graduates from poly with lacklustre results, gets rejected by her local university and decides to go abroad instead. No. This girl here graduated third in her cohort, received a damn medal from the school for it and STILL got rejected by her local university. It’s heartbreaking to work so hard for a damn good GPA only to be deemed unworthy by your own local university but well, I’m over it. There’s no point in remaining bitter about Singapore’s remarkable education system because I’m here now and I’m determined to do well. I scored straight As last semester by some bizarre stroke of luck and I’m hoping to repeat the same feat. My subjects this semester are slightly more daunting than the previous but I have nothing to say except: BRING IT.