How to stay fresh after staying up all night?

Hi, ladies! :) Sorry I haven't updated for days. I'm in Korea, and like I thought, the work got more busy those fast few days. I haven't been sleeping a lot either, so I didn't have time to write my blog :( Yes, it is 4:36 a.m. in the morning, and I still haven't slept yet. I am preparing for my presentation early tomorrow morning, hoping to come up with a few more ideas, and I'm exhausted. Those past days, I have been a little obsessed with how to cover up the evidence that my Korean is not as adequate as I thought and that I had stayed up several nights, and sleeping only 10 hours in 3 days. 

However, through my obsession, I came up with a few ways to not look like this:

For me, it's mostly about yellow and rough looking skin, and dark circles. I will address each issue separately. 

Dehydrated Skin: If I haven't slept all night, the morning usually finds me with sallow looking skin that is not really smooth. I used to wonder why, and now I know it's because my skin is dehydrated. I've found a quite effective method to care for my skin so that it looks as if I got 9 hours (my usual amount). 

1. Drink lots of water: I try to drink 8 glasses of water every day generally, but when stay up, I literally hold a cup of water, drinking from it every two to three minutes. I prefer green tea. It also helps me stay awake because I'm constantly raising my hand to my lips. I generally go through 5 kettles of tea in one night, which is about 2 gallons. Yeah....it's a bit crazy, but at least it works. It also keeps me running around every hour for trips to the bathroom, so it keeps me awake.

2. Skincare: If I know I'm going to stay up, I generally wash my face as early as possible, and put on my beloved Laneige white plus renew skincare. I love to get those tablet masks, and soak it in my Laneige White Plus Renew skin refiner for 1 minute, before putting it on my face. I generally leave it on for 30 minutes.  Any longer, it might start to dehydrate me. Then I put on my Laneige white plus renew essence all over my face. Lastly, I put a thick layer of my Laneige white plus renew night cream (twice more than what I usually use each night). 

Of the three, I find the skin refiner and the essence most effective in keeping my skin hydrated. The night cream is also important, but I basically put it there to seal in the moisture on my face. Any other cream will do for this purpose, although I find the night cream adds a little more moisture. 

Dark Circles: My mother used to tell me to put cucumber slices on my eyes when I feel tired. The cooling effect will help me feel more refreshed. I have been doing it for a long time, and it really helps, but not enough when I sleep less than 5 hours. I found another method that really helps for me:

I apply the Laneige white plus renew essence thickly over and under my eyes (mostly under), then soak two cotton pads with Laneige White Plus Renew skin refiner to put over my eyes. I do this for 10 minutes or so when I feel most tired (I'll do it after I finish writing this article) :)

I'm sorry my methods are not that exciting, mostly involving my skincare products, but I like to utilize them whenever possible, especially when they prove to be so effective in this case. :)

Oh, and in the morning, I just go and apply my Laneige base and foundation (not the BB cream), then head on to work. It gives me glowy skin :) 

Laneige White Plus Renew Essence Review

I arrived in Korea yesterday, so I'm still adjusting to the time schedule. It is early early morning here, but I'm up and thinking about my blog and the reviews I promised :) (well, no malls are open yet or I'd be happily shopping there instead, since it's bound to get busy tomorrow) Everything went pretty well, especially on the plane. I usually get a few pimples, or at least a few bumps on the plane because the air is so dehydrated and hygiene conditions are less than desirable (I don't have the 15 minutes in AM and PM to primp my skin), but I didn't get them this time! I researched the pimples on the plane issue and came up with a few things to do, and I prayed for no pimples. :) I'll share those techniques with you next time in case you'll be traveling. :) 

Anyway, on to the review. I like this essence, but if you've read my skincare regimen, you know that I don't use this daily yet. Well, I actually used this daily for some time in the winter months, and stopped using them since Spring and summer, so I'm trying to slowly ease back into it. So I know this product reasonably well to review it (and if I'm wrong, I'll apologize and update). So far, I really love the essence as I found it's quite efficient in delivering what it promises: moisturizing and lightening dark spots. It also absorbs really fast, so fast that I can't apply it as I do all my skincare products. I like to put some product onto my finger and dot some on my face, and then rub/pat it in. With this product, after I'm done making the last dot, most of the first dot would have absorbed, so I have to work dot by dot. (sorry for the strange vernacular) I found this a little strange at first, but in no ways annoying. It can also actually be pretty good if you are on the go, and need it to absorb the minute you finished applying it.

Pros:
1. Absorbs really really abnormally fast
2. effective at lightening dark spots I get from past acne and BP use
3. makes my skin soft

Cons:
1. Sensitivity: If you are very sensitive to scents, the scent this carries might irritate your skin or your nose
2. Absorption speed: I personally find it to be a pro, but even I had to adjust my application techniques at first, so it might take some getting used to. 

3. If you use it too quickly (i.e. suddenly using it everyday or twice a day), it might be rich enough to give you whiteheads, so be patient when trying to incorporate this (and in my opinion, any skincare product) into your regimen.

Overall: Really nice serum/essence that I will try to use year round.