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My skin during the time I was pregnant was a little problematic. I started developing zits on my jawline and the old problem of back-ne reared its ugly head again. I was terribly upset because back acne haunted me a few years back and after 2 courses of Oratane, I finally rid myself of those incessant spots. So imagine my horror when I discovered that they were back to pay me a visit. Hormones... what a bitch.
Onto the list of favorites! ^^
Make-Up
Foundation - Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua and Rimmel Wake Me Up Liquid Foundation
I didn't use much make-up during my pregnancy because my skin was pretty dry and foundation didn't sit too well with it. So for the first half of my pregnancy I stuck with old faithful Chanel and for the 2nd half, Rimmel was great for covering up the little blemishes that popped up unexpectedly. It gave me really decent coverage without it being too heavy or cakey. New found foundation favourite! Loved it!
Blusher -Nars Lokoum Cream Blush
I developed a new love for cream blusher because I found that it could stay on longer. Plus it made me look radiant despite the loss of appetite during my first trimester. I actually got comments that I was glowing! *wow seriously?* Kudos to this cream blusher, I was adapting to pregnancy like a pro.
The rest of the post will be on skincare because that's what I played with the most.
Skincare
Facial cleanser and remover - Bioderma and Shiseido White Lucent Cleanser
It was still my trusty Bioderma which did not break me out and didn't contain much fragrance because I was really sensitive to scents throughout my pregnancy. I stuck with the facial cleanser that has been my staple since JC days. We had lots of PE lessons back then and those intensive sessions under the sun had me worried that I'll be really tan for life. So I've been using the White Lucent cleanser ever since and it always leaves me clean and refreshed.
Facial Scrub - Cure Natural Aqua Gel
I didn't attempt to use a coarse or a even a fine facial scrub on my face because I was afraid of making my breakouts worse. So I chose this gentle gel exfoliator which scrubs off the dead skin cells naturally without any abrasive rubbing. The hubby got so fascinated by this scrub of mine that he named it "Magic water" because his skin felt uber smooth after using it.
Toner - Chanel Purete Ideale Nanolotion
This toner was purchased a while back and I've never had the chance to try it. The Purete Ideale range is for oily and sensitive skin and because I tend to have a shiny t-zone which doesn't sit too well under make-up, I thought this to be an ideal product to try. The result? I love this toner! It makes my skin feels really smooth and keeps the shine at bay! It smooths out my complexion making my make-up last longer.
Moisturizer - Clarins Hydra-quench Cream Melt
My skin was breaking out slightly throughout pregnancy but certain parts of my face felt tight and dry. It was the weirdest combination. I used the only moisturizer I knew would combat my dryness and it did! At night, I'll add a few drops of rose hip oil for added effectiveness.
Eye cream - Chanel Precision Eye Tonic
I've fallen in love with this product all over again! Pregnancy sucks the life out of you and in addition to feeling like a whale, I went about my facial routine but by the time I got to my eyes, I was running out of patience. So I turned to the fuss-free rollerball alternative and I fell in love with this eye serum all over again! It's convenient, cooling on the eyes and I woke up feeling tired but my eyes gave none of that away. Love this eye tonic!
Acne solution - Mario Badescu Drying Cream
I love this cream, I really do. I went through 2 tubs of this during my pregnancy because of my back acne and those incessant zits on my jawline. My hubby claims it smells foul because I go to him armed with an exposed back and this tub in my hands every night for 7 months. But it works. I kept at it for 7 months because of new zits that popped out but the old ones healed really fast. I caught him applying this "foul cream" on his own face a few nights as well. Pregnancy staple, can't live without this.
Facial Mask - Innisfree Super Volcanic pore clay mask
Hubby got this for me from his last trip to Korea and man, I love this mask. This has a natural clay fragrance that did not turn me off and it brightens up my complexion so I don't look sallow and tired. It made my skin less shiny too. I require only a little for my face and I love the cooling sensation as well as how easy it is to wash it off because with clay masks, the worse part is taking a hundred years just to get the product off your face. But for hygiene purpose, I would have preferred if it came with it's own spatula.
The Ultimate Pregnancy Staple - Pai Rosehip Oil and Clarins Stretch Mark Control
This rosehip oil is my ultimate indulgence throughout the 9 months. I applied it faithfully every night with my Clarins Stretch Mark Control to keep those nasty lines at bay, and it worked. Apparently women with more fats around their tummy gets little or no stretch marks so I'm not too sure if my tummy has tons of fats or this miracle combination works for me but rosehip oil is an absolute staple. Add it to your daily moisturizer, or your body lotion, or your stretch mark cream and trust me, after 9 months you'll thank me for it. :)
Nail Polish - OPI Underneath the Mistletoe 2013
I know it's taboo to apply nail polishes when you're pregnant and I stayed away from it despite how hard it was. But that doesn't mean I can't look at my collection and drool right? I went through my entire collection as I was moving house and asked myself which colour I would apply if I could and it's this beautiful red jelly base loaded with glitter. Needless to say, that was my first pick for CNY this year.
Hair care
Shampoo - Aveeno Nourish & Moisturize
This has been my favourite shampoo for the past couple of years because it smells incredible plus you only need a 50 cents amount to lather up the whole head. My head feels clean yet it doesn't dry out your ends like some shampoo does. I got mine from iherb.com. Feel free to use code EWU596 for $5 off $25 and $10 off $40 for first time purchase!
Treatment - Tsubaki Damage Care Treatment with Natural Oil
I first discovered this during a Shiseido warehouse sale where ladies were snapping this up like they were free. I decided to get a couple to try because I always welcome new treatment masks for my hair. It was love at first application and wash. I only used the smallest amount and massage it into the ends of my hair. The end results were silky smooth tresses that was so easy to comb. Love love love this to bits!
Leave-in Conditioner - It's a 10 miracle leave-in product
I still swear by this after 2 years. It's convenient and effective. Just spray, comb and go. If only it's not such a pain to purchase this. It's a 10 products are currently sold in the US. I often get mine from eBay.
Fragrance - Jo Malone English Pear and Freesia
Throughout my pregnancy, my aversion towards scents had me eliminating my favourite perfumes from my collection. Chanel Eau Fraiche smelt like sewage to me and it made me really sad to shelf that perfume until now. But one of my lovely bottles of Jo Malone did make the cut and didn't get thrown to the back of my closet. Loved it then, loved it when I was pregnant, love it now.
That's it for my 2014 favourites! I really hope to discover more new products this year. There has been some newbies that I've been eyeing and dying to try out. I hope to do more reviews soon!
