Enfnts Terribles

Day 1 – Mind Blowing Textures

Japanese beauty routines are known for the art of the double cleanse. The first step is removing your makeup. I used the Annayake Makeup Remover Cream and it really does remove all makeup – even my waterproof mascara disappeared in no time. But what’s even more exceptional about the product is its shapeshifting texture. When I put it on my hands, it was a cream. When I put it onto my face, it transformed into a fine oil. And when I rinsed it off, it became a silky milky lotion. Mind blowing, really.

Step two is the Active Cleansing Foam. Again: loved the texture! What a fluffy mousse. The most amazing part of the cleansing, however, was the sponge that came with it. The Makeup Remover Sponge is a small washcloth so soft and smooth that it felt as if all imperfections were sliding off my face. I know, this almost sounds like an advertisement… But I swear, I’m just honestly reviewing the products!

After dual cleansing, it was time to prepare my skin for moisturizing. Annayake doesn’t have a regular toner in its range, but a Balancing Lotion instead. I used the one for Combination to Oily Skin. Once again a lovely texture! My face was happy and ready for hydration. I added some Night Recovery Concentrate to the hydration cream and went to bed very satisfied! (Annayake has millions of types of moisturizers and serums, you have to pick products that suit your skin best.)

Day 5 – That Scent, Though…

I’ve been repeating the skin care routine for a few days now. (In the mornings without makeup removing and night serum of course.) When first using the Annayake products I was mostly impressed by the textures, but what’s been standing out lately is the scent. Everything smells very good, yet verrrry light – I love it! I hate scents that are too sweet in general, but especially for skin care products. I use my perfume (Chloé) every day and I love that smell, so I don’t want it to get mixed with other fragrances. Annayake does the trick!

And how does my face feel? Soft, softer, softest! I gotta admit, I naturally have quite a smooth skin and had the luck that I never really had to deal with pimples and acne, so I have never used a lot of products. Mostly because I easily sweat and every time I do use moisturizing stuff, I end up walking around with a greasy face. Not very pleasant. But the Annayake products don’t make my skin feel greasy at all.

Day 9 – SOS!

On day 7 I had a long flight and my skin felt a bit dry afterwards. I decided to mix a bit more night serum with my moisturizer, to give my face some extra hydration. I went for 3 drops instead of 1. It seemed like a good idea for a few days, because my skin felt rich and moist again, but today I woke up with a pimple. Not a very big one, luckily, but still. I wonder if it’s because of the jet lag or because of the extra serum I’ve been adding… Anyhow, I’m gonna reduce the amount of serum again.

Day 14 – The Final Verdict

The last few days I kept on doing the same routine, with less serum this time. The pimple disappeared and my skin remained softer than ever. A friend of mine even gave me a compliment on my skin. “OMG! Your skin looks so good! How do you keep your skin so healthy when it’s so cold and windy outside?!” Yay! Japanese skin care for the win! I’m definitely gonna continue this beauty routine. Japanese people clearly know what’s good for your skin. Double cleansing, for example… Who knew it’d make such a big difference?!

When it comes to the products of Annayake, I gotta say I  liked them all. My absolute favorite however, is the Balancing Lotion. For the first time in forever my skin was able to absorb a moisturizer completely. I’m quite sure this product is the key to having a healthy glow – no greasy glow like I used to have sometimes, but the kind of glow that makes people give you compliments.

Photo credits: Tom Newton