22 December 2013

Oh Happy Days... Found My Holy Grail Skin Care Routine !

Hey guys and girls!

I know I've been quiet for awhile, but that's because I was secretly trying out a new skin care line. :)

As you know, I've suffered from acne for a long time now. Most dermatologists attributed it to my oily skin and sent me on my way with prescription topicals and oral medication.

After doing my own research and through my personal experience, I believe that acne medication,
be it antibiotics, birth control or Accutane, only weakens the body and worsens acne over time.

Example :
I've been on several courses of antibiotics for my skin condition. After each course the acne always returned worse, and also sooner, after stopping the medication. The acne bacteria on my skin has now grown resistant and hence antibiotics are no longer a viable option for my skin woes.

Birth control pills are another option for those suffering from hormonal acne. Till now, I have resisted going down this path as I've come across first hand experiences from friends whose acne cleared up beautifully whilst on these pills, only to come back with a vengeance after stopping. I also think it is a serious matter to artificially manipulate your hormones as they play many integral roles in our bodies. Ironically, I believe this would have been the best solution to my acne problem, since I suspect hormonal imbalance to be the cause of my pimples.

Downsides to birth control as an acne treatment are:
1. not really an option for male sufferers of acne
2. some types of birth control can worsen acne. You need to find the right one for you.
3. clears skin up whilst on it, but acne can worsen once you stop taking it. This isn't good if you    
    eventually plan to get pregnant.

Finally, we have Accutane. There are many horror stories about its side effects on the internet. When you get prescribed this medicine, the doctor will MAKE SURE you are not pregnant, and do not intend to get pregnant whilst on it. It is basically a high dose of vitamin A and can cause deformities in your unborn child.

I am not kidding when I say Accutane should be treated as a last resort. I was desperate enough to give this a try, but unfortunately (or fortunately) did not finish the treatment as I developed daily headaches soon after starting the medication. I know it was the Accutane causing it, because I never had headaches every day before that. The dermatologist denied it however, and I've stopped seeing him since. (After checking Google, headaches ARE actually a side effect of Accutane. Shame on you, doctor!)

Even after I stopped Accutane, the headaches took awhile to go away (thankfully it did!!). Oh and after all that suffering, guess what, the acne came back anyway.

I'm not saying that acne sufferers shouldn't give Accutane a try. For those of you who do NOT suffer from hormonal acne, Accutane may well be your permanent answer to clear skin. I'm just saying, give it serious consideration before taking the plunge.

What about acne topicals, you say? Well I find most products out on the market to be too harsh and/or drying for the skin (yes, benzoyl peroxide, I'm looking at you). Those prescribed by doctors (Retin A, Differin, etc) badly thinned out my skin and made it super sensitive to the sun. I definitely do not want to swap acne for wrinkled skin.

Anyway enough rambling. This is supposed to be a happy post, because I've finally found a skin care routine that works for me!

I'm glad to say that the products are gentle and non-drying. For once, they help to heal the skin rather than attack it. Although they may be a little on the expensive side, but the products do last a good few months so if you spread out the cost that way they are still affordable.

I will be sharing with you the exact products in a follow up post because this one is already too long! I'm so excited! :)

Speak soon,
PockMarkFats


17 October 2013

GIVEAWAY: Gamila Secret Cleansing Bar !!!

Yup, your eyes aren't playing tricks on you. PockMarkFats is having its first giveaway!





Not too long ago I did a review on the Gamila Secret Cleansing Bar in Original. Today, I have a brand  new box of the FULL SIZED cleansing bar in Soothing Geranium to give to one lucky reader! 





As you can see the box is still securely sealed, just waiting the be unopened by its new owner   :)





Gamila Secret is suitable for your entire body and gentle enough even for the face! It is recommended to use the soap ALONE for at least a month to get the full results. Try not to use any toner, serum or moisturizer as the soap works to rebalance and detox your skin. If your skin gets really dry, then use a light moisturizer after cleansing.





The official product website states that Soothing Geranium is most suitable for normal to combination skin types as it will regulate the skin's hydration balance. 

Some of the functions of this soap include:
- Cleansing
- Detoxifying
- Purifying
- Stimulate blood circulation
- Exfoliating
- Regulate pigmentation

In Singapore, this full sized bar retails for S$46.00 !!! 

To win this giveaway, simply let me know in the comments box below why you want to try out this bar of soap and leave some way for me to contact you. The winner need only pay for postage, and it is open to overseas readers as well.

Good luck!

Love,
PockMarkFats

28 August 2013

Review : Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquer !


Something exciting arrived in the mail today.

Presenting… … ... ... 

my latest order from Asos!

my poor package looks pretty battered :/

Ta daaaa !!!

Inside the box are my two Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquers hee hee hee! 
Don't you just love the name?




Are you surprised that this isn’t about skin care??

I decided to order these lip lacquers after a friend of mine raved about them, claiming that they are now her go-to lip products.

Rimmel is not available in Singapore, so I had to order these babies online. There are a total of 8 colours to choose from on the Asos website and each one is retailing for SGD 13.50 (shipping is freeeee!).

I had a hard time choosing between the colours because 
1. they all look yummy
2. the colour swatches on Asos aren’t exactly accurate

If you are interested in purchasing, I’d recommend searching for picture swatches online. You’d be surprised at the difference!

So anyway, I settled on Celestial and Stella in the end. The former is a more natural pink whereas the latter is something a little brighter and towards a reddish orange colour.




I would say the Apocalips range is more like a lip gloss, with a wand application tip. Packaging wise it is pretty good as the opening of the tube is narrow so the product doesn't spill everywhere when the wand is pulled out.




And here are the swatches ...

On the left: Celestial. On the right: Stellar   (picture with flash)

Seriously, how gorgeous do the colours look??? How is a girl to resist?!

My lips are pretty pigmented so lip colours tend to look different on my lips compared to in the tube, but I'll show you how these lacquers show up on me.



One layer of Stellar (no flash)

The product is very pigmented but I was surprised that even a bright colour like Stellar can be quite natural if applied thinly. Also the finish is less glossy than I expected.


Two layers of Stellar (no flash)
Two layers of Stellar (with flash)

You can see that the colour builds very well, bearing in mind I used a lip brush for application so the colours aren't so pigmented. My lips are naturally thick so I don't want them to stand out like sausages by using too much product! If applied heavily, Stellar will be REALLY bright on your lips.

Two layers of Celestial (no flash)

Two layers of Celestial (with flash)
Celestial, on the other hand, is more natural in tone so I could go straight to 2 layers without it looking too overdone. Once again, application with a lip brush to spread the product more evenly over the lips.

Word of caution to those with darker skin though, this colour may be too light to look natural if a thick layer is applied.

The good thing about the Rimmel Apocalips is that they don't dry out your lips. In fact, it feels like I have nothing on. Also, the stain lasts quite long throughout the day and it takes quite a bit of rubbing to fully remove the colour.

I'm quite happy with these Lip Lacquers but I doubt I'll purchase more, just because I don't feel like guessing which colours will suit me. Also I'm pretty lazy with application and prefer the ease of products like the Clinique Chubby Sticks which can be used without a lip brush and still not look overdone.

What do you think? Have you tried the Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquers? Are they a must-buy product for you?

XXX
PockMarkFats

16 August 2013

Gamila Secret Cleansing Bar : Challenge Failed !



Ok, I have something to confess…

Even though I committed myself to trying out the Gamila soap for 28 days, I stopped using it somewhere after two and a half weeks.

I know it has been ages since I last posted, and that this review is really long overdue, but I have been too busy with work lately.

From my previous post at the 2 week mark, it seemed as though the pimples from the initial purge were calming down and going away, and my skin tone was more even. What the picture couldn’t show however, was how clogged up my pores were getting! I hated running my fingers across my face during cleansing as I could feel so many little bumps on my skin! It was driving me mad!

I think the fact that the soap is made up of more than 80% olive oil and also includes shea butter makes this unsuitable for my oily skin. Even though it seemed to rinse clean off my face, I still felt as though there was a thin moisturizing film left behind. This may be good for drier skin types, but not mine!

That is the end of the Gamila Soap Challenge.

Too bad Gamila, you didn’t work out for me. :(

CHALLENGE FAILED.

Sad,
PockMarkFats

Update: I've recently found a skin care line that completely healed my skin of acne. I'm now acne-free apart from that time of the month. To read my review, click here!

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