i’m sure i’m not the only one who’s fascinated with blackheads/whiteheads and removing them.. LOL.. it’s damn shiok and gross at the same time to squeeze blackheads, but we all know that removing blackheads by yourself can be very problematic, cos it might lead to your pores getting infected and even cause pitted/enlarged pores!! D:
if you don’t know what blackheads/whiteheads are….
A blackhead is a yellow or blackish bump or plug on the skin. A blackhead is a type of acne vulgaris. Contrary to the common belief that it is caused by poor hygiene, blackheads are caused by excess oils that have accumulated in the sebaceous gland’s duct. The substance found in these bumps mostly consists of keratin and modified sebum (an oily secretion of the sebaceous gland), which darkens as it oxidizes. Clogged hair follicles, where blackheads often occur, reflect light irregularly to produce a blackhead’s “black” hue. For this reason, the blockage might not necessarily look black when extracted from the pore, but may have a more yellow-brown colour as a result of its melanin content.
In contrast, a “whitehead” (more commonly known as a pimple or a closed comedo) is a follicle that is filled with the same material, sebum, but lacks a small opening to the skin surface. Since the air cannot reach the follicle, the material is not oxidized, and remains white.
i’ve tried many blackhead removers on the market, including stuff like Biore’s pore strip (shiok to peel off but abit pain!), massage oil like Faceshop’s Green tea oil (leaves my nose feeling oily…) and masks like Kose’s mask white (super freaking expensive)! however, Sophie Monk’s Strawberry Blackhead ByeBye set is really special cos it comes with three different products that you need to use all together for maximum efficacy!
Strawberry Blackhead Byebye set comes with three products labeled 1, 2 and 3! 1 is the Deep Sebum Softener, 2 is the Sebum Purifying Mask and 3 is the Pure Treatment Essence! it’s really very simple to use!
make sure your face is clean, then just use the Deep Sebum Softener to gently massage your nose, so as to allow the blackheads and etc to be removed more easily! make sure your nose is still wet when you proceed to step 2, which is application of the Sebum Purifying Mask!
this is what the texture of the mask looks like. it’s more watery than i expected, so be careful when you’re squeezing it out of the tube, cos you might end up like me, squeezed too much of the product out! D: anyway, it smells totally yummy!! kind of like strawberry flavored pocky 😀 there are also little beads in it so it’s slightly grainy!
you need to apply the layer of mask thick enough, if not you won’t be able to peel it off properly when it dries! apply it all over your T zone if required, for me i just did the nose and surrounding area!
WTF PPL!!! look at all those disgusting blackheads!!!
you gotta wait til the mask is totally dry before peeling it off, if not you’d be left with bits of wet mask all over your nose!! i think it takes at least 30 minutes to dry properly, after which you just need to gently peel it from the bottom to the top! not painful at all! i was like super grossed out with all the blackheads and tiny facial hairs that the mask removed!!!!! D: D: D: included a close up HAHAHA for your viewing pleasure. (i think i’m a little obsessed cos i couldn’t stop staring at all the blackheads on the mask it was just so grossly fascinating….)
in conclusion, i pronounce the blackheads removing a success!!! some of the blackheads that didn’t come out (too big i think!) were easily squeezed out (since they were already softened with the Deep Sebum Softener…) with that metal extractor thingy. i squeezed them out before using the Pure Treatment Essence to tighten my pores! 😀 😀 😀 the essence dries to a non-sticky/oily feeling so you don’t even have to wash anything off after using the product! two thumbs up for this product, cos i really love it! ;D
some other products i got from Sophie Monk are these Double Lifting Masks, which are among the best selling items in Singapore and in Taiwan! the masks have a full chin wrap that hooks onto the ears, these masks create a lifting effect while allowing its active botanical ingredients to penetrate, moisturize and firm the skin.
the Double Lifting Masks cater to five different skincare needs:
1. Whitening (Makiyo’s favorite Double Lifting Mask)
2. Hydrating
3. V Shaping
4. Pore Minimizing
5. Moisturizing
i havent gotten a chance to try these masks yet, but i heard they’re really good! 😀 once i’ve tried them i’ll do another review again ^_^ for those who’re keen to try these products, the Strawberry Blackhead Bye Bye set retails at $25.90 and the Double Lifting Masks retail at $2 each. All Sophie Monk products are available at Guardian!
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my latest look! kind of going for natural but still with colored contacts and falsies ahaha. i tried this double eye lid tape from Sasa recommended by Qiuting, in an attempt to even out my eyes (i have ptosis in one eye and my eyelids are uneven) love the falsies from DUP and the brown contacts from Freshlook are really natural but help to brighten the eyes! 😀
gonna have a quiet Christmas this year, all i want for Christmas is to nua my weekend away and get some lazy time together with YZ! haven’t really spent time with him properly for awhile now cos we’ve been working pretty hard at the office the last few weeks to churn out new collections in time for the festive season, and all my dear friends have been in and out of office to be my very willing Christmas elves. appreciate them all so much!
drowning in parcels D: my self-sacrificial Eils baybeh came to help us pack when she was supposed to be out celebrating her birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY EILS BAYBEH. your present i pass to you on Monday so you better come and have lunch with me 😀 love love.
hope everyone has a superduperfantasticawesomemax Christmas, with your family and loved ones and friends!!! ^_^ spread the love, show some appreciation for those people around you, and i’m sure your Christmas will be a wonderful one! oh. don’t eat so much or you’d end up like me ): i keep on binging non-stop on junk food, i don’t know if it’s cos i’m feeling festive or just cos i’m too stressed from the crazy amount of things to get done everyday! =_= i am gonna get so so so so fat! *depressed* don’t mind me… just ranting. it’s like my diet always fails. ugh. ok let’s talk about dieting again once CNY is over. hahahaha.
til then, STAY HAPPY!!! 😀 😀 😀 love love love *sprinkles stardust and love all over*
have yourself a MERRY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!