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Winter Survival Kit | Part 1

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It's that time of the year again, where university students at the end of their summer vacations ready themselves for the trip back to campus - or more excitingly, the trip to a whole new campus! For those whose educational destination is a four-season country, it can be quite daunting to imagine how much we have to prepare, especially if one has never experienced winter before!

From personal experience, not only did I have to expand my wardrobe to accommodate a variety of knits and UNIQLO Heattech (they're a lifesaver can I just say), but another thing I had to expand was my skincare drawer! Now I meant that proverbially of course, I couldn't exactly bring a whole drawer with me to the United Kingdom. 

Trust me, I tried.


Dry air, hard water, dry skin, dry skin, dry skin.

If only somebody had warned me about the potential of my skin doing a 180 and deciding that, "Hey, I'm quite tired of being oily-combination. Let's shake things up a bit and try the sensitive-dry thing that everyone else is doing!"

I was very unimpressed.

Of course, not everyone would go though this dramatic change. I have to admit, I should have noticed the signs when I was there for the holidays: even after 2 weeks, small patches of my skin actually starting to ache and flake. Definitely if a fortnight could do so much, imagine what a year would do!

Ultimately, it all really depends on your skin! If you feel that your skin might react adversely to a sudden change in weather or has already been reacting to your new environment, have a read through of this checklist for your ultimate survival kit for cold, dry winters!


When At Home... Do As The Beauty Gurus Do...

Hyaluronic acid! Hyaluronic acid! Hyaluronic acid! Try saying that three times fast! You may have heard of it in new advertisements and skincare products or you may have not, in which case, you're about to learn a very important word, my dear reader.

Hyaluronan, as it's also called, is naturally present in the human body. It can hold up to 1000 times its weight in water and it keeps our skin moist & fresh. Any product that has this word in it, whether it be an essence or a face mask, is bound to do wonders to your skin.

My favourite vector is the above Hada Labo Moisturising Lotion, which contains 3 types of hyaluronic acid, including Super Hyaluronic Acid which penetrates even deeper into your skin.

What I do is that after cleansing or exfoliating away the dead skin cells, I pat a small amount (about a 5 cent/pence coin's worth) between my hands before gently patting it into my skin. Each time, my skin immediately drinks up the moisture and becomes smooth and supple without fail.

The perfect before-makeup step every girl needs is some hyaluronic acid essence before moisturiser.

PS. A UK-available alternative although pricier would have to be Indeed's Hydraluron Moisture Booster.


Out & About: Your Travel Companions

You could be walking down the street, entering your nearby tube station, stepping into your workplace or classroom and then you feel it... Your cracked lips and dry hands. Even worse so when you've forgotten your gloves. Darn it!

But have no fear, just reach into your bag for these babies!

These are the best products for on-the-go emergency moisturising, rapidly smoothing your skin/lips and locking in the moisture. I've tried and tested countless, and the moment I found Kiehl's Lip Balm and Neutrogena's Hand Cream, I tossed out everything else!

Also, the product longevity is great! A little goes a long way for both!


Easy Does It: Slow & Steady Wins The Race

Remember, if you're prone to dry skin like me, you need something extremely gentle and moisturising to remove your makeup. Now, the moment you reach home, you might be tempted to get the makeup off ASAP but what I like to do is turn on some calming music and be patient with my skin. You are going to get makeup between your flakes. It will hurt if you rub too hard and too fast. If you rush, you are going to have makeup residue left over. And none of that is good.

I'd recommend melting the makeup with an oil first, such as Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil. If you are on a student budget, I have used Extra Virgin Olive Oil to cleanse with success. Just shake equal amounts of oil and water in a jar and massage into your skin.

After dissolving the foundation and everything else, I'd like to wipe my face with a makeup remover such as Bioderma, or the cheaper and just as effective alternative, Bifesta Cleansing Lotion. Repeat if you feel that it's necessary and proceed with your usual cleansing routine.


Aaaand that concludes my first installment to the "Winter Survivor Kit" or "Winter Saviours" series! I will be writing more of these as I compile and make tangible sense of all the tips and tricks I gathered during my winter-living months. I do have a few more products I'd like to feature and also a handful of DIY masks which can help you beat the dry, so stay tuned for that!

Once again, I wish everyone who is still studying a very happy back to school! To those packing for their overseas venture, I wish you the best of luck with everything and may only good things come your way! To those starting out campus life, you can do it! To those who are already working, I hope you found these suggestions useful for winter!

And, most importantly, to everyone and anyone at all who is reading this: 
You are so important and you can do anything you set your mind to! 


Have you tried any of the products listed above? 
What do you think of them?
Do you have any tips and tricks or product recommendations for winter? 
Have you accepted Hyaluronic Acid as your lord and saviour?



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17 comments

  1. Would love to try the Kiehl's lip balm. Heard many reviews about it but never managed to get my hands on it haha

    www.izzahhahiraf.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kiehl's lip balm is really great!!
      A fun fact: in the UK they sell flavours such as "Mango" and tropical stuff and over here, we sell "Pear" and "Raspberry" haha. What's with this fruit-trade. ^^

      Thanks so much for the comment, Izzah. <3

      xoxo Rin

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  2. hey rin! omg i just went through your blog and i'm absolutely in awe.. your pictures are amazing and i love the whole template of your blog! you gotta teach me your magic haha,, great post! keep them coming :)

    xjuli

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aww bless you for saying that, Juli!
      I'm actually still in the learning process when it comes to picture-taking! haha ^^; It's all accumulated know-how from staring at other people on the internet for over a decade. haha.
      I don't really have any magic really, I swear, the magic was from the Bifesta eye makeup remover, I swear! ^^

      Thanks very much from the bottom of my heart, Juli! Thank you for leaving this wonderful comment, it really made my day! ^^

      xoxo Rin

      Delete
  3. I love Neutrogena!
    please visit me in free time:)
    http://mesmerize87.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Czesc!
      Neutrogena's awesome, isn't it? ^^
      And I have! I love your blog even though I don't understand it! But I think pictures speak louder than words and there's always Google Translate to save the day! ^^ <3

      xoxo Rin

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  4. Hey there! I'm using hada labo moisturizing lotion as well and I love it too! Also using the Bifesta make up remover hahaha turns out we have some really similiar skin care! love your photos, they are so professional <3

    xx.
    www.charisngui.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Awww thanks so much, Charis! ^^ I personally think I should succumb to the crowd and learn how to use my dad's canon but I'm so intimidated by the weight. haha.

      And Japanese skincare for the win! We're so blessed to have such good and affordable products over here. When I was in London, I was appalled by the lack of choice. @_@ Perhaps one day I can save the day! haha ^^

      Much love! I love your blog, it always makes me so happy like I said ^^

      xoxo Rin

      Delete
  5. hey :) I love your blog! Nominated you for the Liebster Award, just check out my latest blog-post for more information! xopersianprincess.blogspot.de
    XX

    ReplyDelete
  6. The Bioderma remover looks promising! And I just realised, we have kinda the same name? My friends call me Rinn too haha XD Anyway, followed you, you have a great blog! <3

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bioderma is really promising! I mean, in terms of removing power, I'd prefer Bifesta as it is much more cheaper but Bioderma certainly has a more comfortable and fully moisturised after-feel, like hyaluronan!

      Sometimes, I'd even feel that a moisturiser wasn't necessary.

      And aww thanks so much, Carinn! I'll follow you back too! ^^

      xoxo Rin

      Delete
  7. Heard quite a few positive reviews on Bioderma but its a little pricey >.<

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Heya, Jennifer!
      Yep, Bioderma has quite the hefty pricetag. In Malaysia where the air is humid, it's easily exchangeable with Bifesta's No-Rinse Makeup Remover, which is much kinder to one's wallet.
      Personally, when I was suffering from sensitive skin, Bioderma was a relief because it never once reacted to my at-the-time-aching-and-stinging skin & plumped up my skin much more than Bifesta's Cleansing Lotion in "Moist".

      Thanks very much for the comment, Jennifer! <3

      xoxo Rin

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  8. The Neutrogena hand cream, does that absorb well?

    These are excellent tips. I'm from NY, so cold is something I am quite familiar with (and far prefer over steaming hot disgusting weather) and can recommend dropping the facial powders. They will not do you any favors at all. Cream BBs are your best friend, definitely. And always, always wear a scarf!

    Good luck!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It does absorb well in terms of hydration. Whenever I apply it on my dry & flaking hands, it immediately softens the super-dry skin and if you leave it overnight with some gloves on, your hands really do get super moisturised. I tend to put too much on though, so it leaves a very slight sticky feeling, but if you put a dab as instructed (ahahha ^^;;) it probably wouldn't. ^^ Even if you do put on a lot, though, the stickiness usually subsides after about... 5 minutes?

      Thanks very muchly for your advice! I actually do not own a face powder ahah ^^ I never found the matte look appealing so never really bothered to purchase one.

      xoxo Rin

      Delete

About me

Rin, 22, Malaysia
Editor of Fuurin Diary.
Studies Biology for fun and Economics for function.
Lover of life, player of games & reader of Murakami.

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