And The Beauty Products That Made My 2015 Are...

It's certainly been a year full of ups and downs, in terms of beauty, for me. I had some really good hair days and some great clear months with my skin but I must say, my facial skin is like a movie; there's always a dismaying twist, only in this "movie", that twist always happens to be unprovoked breakouts.

Pretty sure they were unprovoked, anyway.

Can you believe 2016 is just around the corner? I mean, that corner is a few days away, guys. I thought this would be a nice moment to round up my beauty faves of this year and talk about them a little.

I discovered these products in 2015 and I'll be making them as part of my journey into 2016, as they've been pretty, pretty good to me in 2015.



Neutrogena Fine Fairness Brightening Serum
I can't remember using any serum before but I am so glad I'm finally including one in my beauty regime, as I can honestly see a positive change in the condition of my skin.

Neutrogena Fine Fairness Lotion

You can definitely smell the SPF 30 in this, and in my head that's a good thing because I feel like it's surely giving me the protection that I need from the sun. Or maybe I'm just easily duped, who knows. I put this to good use especially when I know I'd be spending time under the sun.

Neutrogena Fine Fairness Cream
The SPF 22 in this cream doesn't smell as strong as in the lotion, but I'm choosing to believe it's still there, and I like that it's there. I apply a thin layer of this either on its own or on top of the Fine Fairness lotion after showering in the morning but I really pile this on when I was in Japan. I used to need two different products to cater to the hot and humid weather in Malaysia and the cold dry temperatures of autumn / winter / early spring in colder countries but this day cream does the job for both climates, so hollaaa. I like how it doesn't feel greasy on even though it's a cream.

Neutrogena Fine Fairness Overnight Brightening Cream
Before sleep I would just generously slather it all over my face, even under the eyes, and this stuff genuinely keeps my skin glowy the next day.

Shiseido Professional The Hair Care Adenovital Shampoo for Thinning Hair

Best beauty discovery ever. Ever since I wore the hijab, my hair, which was already falling loads before that, is shedding even more afterwards. I was recommended this shampoo earlier this year but since it is SO expensive here in Malaysia and not available everywhere, it took me months to finally try it out. Even so, it was only after finding it at a way more affordable price in Tokyo, and even then, this shampoo is hard to find in Tokyo, too. I've been using it for a while and there is definitely a noticeable decrease in hairfall, which pleases me extremely.

And that's all of them! Hoping they'll be just as good to me next year!

Note: I don't believe in skin-whitening products because I look awesome tanned (I say so myself) but I feel necessary to explain why I'm using "Fine Fairness" skincare products. First of all, I love Neutrogena; it was good to me back in my uni days and now it's good to me again. Secondly, too many products out there cause me breakouts almost overnight and the Fine Fairness range has been so good at keeping surprised spots at bay. Finally, I honestly believe, despite how misleading the name is, this range isn't meant to whiten the skin, but simply to make it appear brighter and less sallow. You know, like life has been injected into the skin. 

Or perhaps like vitamin C has been injected into the skin. And those reasons are exactly why I love this range. 

If you're interested to know if they did indeed "whiten" my skin, my answer would be a resounding "No", and if you think about it, that's good, because products that have the ability to seriously whiten skin are kind of scary. Like, bleach whitens too, you know. You might think that's like comparing apples and oranges but apples are red /green / yellow and oranges are orange, but whitening products and bleach both whiten. SO no they're not apples and oranges.

Just so we're clear, one thing's for sure: apples and oranges, however different, are genuinely good for your health. And this is where my note ends xo