DIY Skincare: Homemade Glutinous Rice Powder Mask vs Sheet Masks

A lot of girls are very much into keeping their skin healthy by using face masks. Whether it's a leave-on mask, a rinse-off kind or opting for the no-fuss sheet mask. It's also a great way to feel like you're being responsible about your skin, but it's not so rigorous since you get to do it 2-3 times a week. Great for the lazy bones!

I always feel relaxed when I have it on because it means I get a lot of reading done! But I got to thinking that despite the nutrients within a mask, we can read in the ingredients (for some brands that carry English translation) there is a lot of extra stuff like chemicals and artificial ingredients that are inside a sheet mask.

Image credit from Cosmetic-candy.com

Somehow it's kind of comforting that we can't read the ingredients list of some brands (Cant read Korean/Thai!) so we only see a bright fruit featured at the cover so makes us think it's from 100% fruit nutrient or concentrate, but I'm sure that somehow there's something inside it but at the same time leaves us in the dark! Good for you if you can read CHINESE:

Image credit from DiaryofAProductJunkie

ETUDE HOUSE SHEET MASK: ME AND MY MASKING HABITS


I am an avid fan of face masks. I've tried quite a few from different big brands like The Face Shop, Etude House, Missha, FaceQ and My Beauty Diary. I use it once or twice a week if I have some masks stocked inside my compartment.
 
Here I am with my mask anyway, because I needed a boost to hydrate my skin which has been dulling so terribly due to me always being under the sun, staring for 8 hours infront of the PC and not having enough fluids everyday!

  

 

But I got to thinking that I should really stop depending on commercial masks. I googled some DIY face mask but I always find the ingredients kind of expensive (hello, strawberries are not in season all the time, lemons are terrible to be wasted and it costs pretty high these days, and we don't have pure/raw honey sitting prettily in our kitchen cupboard, okay?)


GOING FACE MASK D-I-Y (Do It Yourself)!

So what I did was first raid the pantry and saw a good deal of GLUTINOUS RICE POWDER left over from New Years! It wasn't expired yet so I was wondering if I could do something with it! :D

Image credit here.

I tried it out myself! This is a DIY Mask that was so basic and so elementary that it doesn't make sense why I don't make it into a weekly skin treat!

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT RICE FLOUR AND OTHER RICE PROPERTIES:

* Rice Flour is really good for blemishes, wrinkles and pigmentation. It is also known for its soothing and softening properties. (source)

* Its emollient and exfoliating properties keep skin cells healthy, while its Ceramide increases collagen production to make skin more supple and free of wrinkles. (source)

* You don't have to buy in to SK-II or other high end skincare brand which are expensive because it has Pitera properties. Rice naturally has Pitera. And according to SK-II's About Page, Pitera is "...derived from a unique yeast's fermentation, Pitera is a blend of vitamins, amino acids, minerals, and organic acids that work together to allow the skin's natural surface rejuvenation process to function at its prime, enhancing the renewal of the skin's outer layer.  Continued usage of Pitera leads to clearer looking, smoother skin."

So those are the reasons why I am definitely making my little Glutinous Rice Powder mask a weekly habit! It seems that it helps with my oily face somehow. I chose Glutinous powder because it was readily available, but not only that because it sticks on the face better than an ordinary rice powder. Glutinous is more sticky, so it tends to be like that.

Below is my findings:

	SHEET MASK	RICE MASK
Moisture	Very Moisturizing; Highly due to the lotion-like serum. Light feeling, watery.	Moisturizing but the rice powder is mixed with water so it feels thicker but it provides moisture continuously.
Fragrance	Has fruity scent	Has earthy, rice scent that is pleasant
Feel of the Mask	Very cool on the face, breathable.	It has some micro-scrubs but feels so good. Breathable.
Ease of Application	Easy to apply, though some masks may be drippy. The masks, even if they are soaked, the fabric remained strong.	Hard to apply since you will use all your hands and fingers. Make sure that your hands are EXTRA clean.
Removal of Mask	No problem removing; especially when the masks really dry on the face.	Easy to remove with washing it off with water. Very little trouble since it dissolves the second water touches it.

The RICE MASK gave me clean, fresh and clear looking skin!

I had blushing cheeks too, maybe from the powder which felt like micro scrubs.

I feel REVITALIZED! Ohyeaaa! XD



I am really more into organic skincare rather than commercial and chemical-dependent products that tend to be on the pricier side. But it's more than just a matter of having money to pay for it, but it boils down the things I want and don't want to put on my skin. I think I am going to be more adventurous in this new process of discovery!


Thank you so much for reading!
Stay healthy and safe~

My Holiday Celebration is Beautiful

Hi friends! Oh how I've missed the blogosphere!

I haven't been so active as I'd like lately... More like since July, right? Many things have just been going on like a great jump up at work, more family time and a lot of going on with my friends which were such a blaaast! I love spending time with my friends, even though all of them may be guys. :D It's always so carefee and funny with them.

There are also some parts of 2010 that's sad but now pretty negligible (hahaha): I went though a break up with the guy I was seeing for more than 5 years. I've blogged about him and me a couple of times in this blog too, so I'm trying to just take those posts down and delete them.

WELL! EQUAL PARTS SUCKY AND AWESOME FOR 2010! Whoever could have guessed all those things happened! I DESERVE A GOOD R&R!!!!


How sweet is the smell of this? Aweeesome! Lol!

ONE QUESTION: You remove the cellophane thingy for this right? It's my first time with a My Beauty Diary Mask so I don't quite know what to do with the cellophane.

In the middle of the action in Lost in a Good Book by Jasper Fforde!

Also, one of my resolutions for the new year will be to be more adventurous with beauty products. I won't chicken out in trying new brands and product types. To start off, I have several Laneige products I ordered online:



I think my skin has high tolerance! Lucky eh? The only thing my skin hates is very thick creams that are unbearably stiffling. My skin seems to soak those light lotions and liquidy creams easily. And because of that, I've found my favorite night cream that I will talk about, along with those products above, in another post!

Rest assured I will not be gone for so long this time! 2011 is my year!

Thank you very much for your continued friendship :) I hope you have the luckiest 2011 ever!

All that Excitement, Need to R and R!

The past few days have been such a busy time for me work-wise, even the weekends! Plus all that excitement from the jewelry giveaway (but it was sooo fun! :D )...

I love relaxing and there's no better way to relax than pampering yourself silly. Good thing I bought Missha Sheet Mask in Green Tea at my favorite Korean beauty store.


This wonderful, wonderful Green Tea mask is super refreshing to the skin and I love how cooling it is and how it gives enough hydration. I have to be honest though that this mask is quite the drippy kind! A bit of fluid left over after you take the mask out.


Me, chilling in my room, reading The War of Don Emmanuel's Nether Parts by Louis de Bernieres and listening to Sharin no Uta album by Bump of Chicken while waiting 20-30 mins until my skin soaks it all up.

I have no idea what a green tea smells like but the smell of Missha Sheet Mask Green Tea is very calming and makes me feel relaxed. This is my first time to try this and I am very very pleased! Can't wait to repurchase!

Thanks for reading you guys.

(Photos taken from a snapshot from my Flip SlideHD video! It's awesome! I love it!)

De-stressing with Montagne Jeunesse Chocolate Masque

Hey guys! How are you all?

When the weekend rolls in, I can't help but want to pamper myself silly! It's like somehow de-stressing oneself. Or more like getting ready for the next set of challenges in the upcoming days by preparing oneself fully. I have a stressful job that I very much like, so I have to get rid of all those negative vibes and impurities and start anew when the busy weekday comes!.

Unlike most girls I know, I don't really like going to the dermatologist/salons to get facials. I don't want needles poking my skin, I am uncomfortable with the word "microdermabrasion" or the idea of harsh chemicals burning off dead skin cells. I dunno, but I'm kinda scared of all of it. I like organic creams, friendly-looking fruity masks and deep cleansing via gentle face scrubs! Aren't those less scary? I like when things are less scary!

Since today is Sunday, I got up early to start my 'pampering' since I have a date with the boyfrun, too. Earlier this week I bought several Montagne Jeunesse packs because I've read reviews that it's really good. It's also rated 4/5 by MakeUpAlley reviews! It's a pretty cheap find, just about P79 for a pack. I bought several packs to try out but today I used the Chocolate Masque!

Montagne Jeunesse Chocolate Masque

I've read some tips that are useful when dealing with this kind of Masque (especially for those very much used to sheet masks... like me! :p )

• Don't wear a white shirt. As much as possible just wrap a towel around you.
• Clip your hair! Especially when you're hair has lots of short layers, it's important to pin them back. You don't want chocolate all over your bangs.
• Always use lukewarm water
• Prepare an extra towel to wipe your fingers with after applying.
  

Aside from all those precautions above, the Chocolate Masque is pretty easy to apply. It's a straightforward masque, and it spreads amazingly well without it being drippy. Here is when I applied the masque:

It's soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo super yummy smelling! I wanted to eat it! Smells like real chocolate and it's so smooth, like it's ready to be spread on a loaf bread LOL! Even my sister and nieces commented how chocolate-y it is from across the room. But they did laugh at me when they took a look at my face :(



You'll be needing a towel because your fingers can get a little messy with the application. After the 10-minute mark, it's already hard. Avoid letting it sit on your face for more than the required time (max 20 mins). Washing it off is fairly easy especially when you use warm water, no need to rub it all out harshly.

I felt that my face was very smooth! WOW! I love the silky feel of it! I felt that it was pretty cleansing, like a lot less week's worth of gunk on my face. I am inlove with the smell, because the chocolatey smell stays with you even after you've removed the masque. My face looked clearer somewhat! I really like this masque for my face and I think that I will use it once a week for my pampering and de-stressing. I'm glad I bought a bit for me to enjoy in the next weeks!

Thanks for reading! :) See youuuu!










P.S.
You can join my giveaway by clicking on the banner! THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT!

Friday is Mask Day!

It's the end of the week and I am feeling pretty relaxed after a bout of non-stop working late hours. My poor skin, with only 4 hours of sleep, hours of being exposed to radiation from computer screen and disrupted skin regimen, it needs all the help it can get.

So as a treat to my face, I took out my Etude House Moistfull Mask to try it out and pamper my skin.



Kawaii packaging! I think that the Etude House logo is wonderful and reminds me of Baroque designs which I'm totally into nowadays.

The liquid on the mask is just very little so there's not much mess or moisturizer dropping when you take the mask out from the pack. The smell is lightly floral and it's not overwhelming for me. But maybe for people sensitive to product that has fragrance they might find this strong. But I really like the smell because it isn't yucky!


Me with the mask on! LOL trying to hide because I look ugly.
The holes on the mask are right smack where it needs to be. It was just a little too wide, but it's all good because it covered my entire face. I left it for around 25 minutes because when 20 mins came and went, the mask still wasn't dry so I left it for an extra 5 mins more.

Very moisturizing! I really really love this mask! It seems very gentle on the face. I will definitely buy again :)

Thanks for reading guys! See you around!