A Year Away pt.1

If you haven't noticed, I've been away for almost a year because I participated myself in Nottingham's exchange year abroad to the United Kingdom campus. If anyone is curious about the program, I am more than happy to write about it in a future post. It's a popular option because you basically get to go to the UK without going through the godforsaken A-Level 2 years, you even save a year since you would only need to sit for one year of foundation in the Malaysian campus.
So I am currently a year senior to my batch mates of '96. You also have the option to extend your stay and graduate from there, just by attending your foundation year in the Malaysian campus. Another option would be to transfer and do the entirety of your degree in the UK after completing a year of foundation in the Malaysian campus. Basically, it's a fast track for you (and saves you the headache from A-Levels), but I believe it only grants you entry to University of Nottingham. So if you're aiming for elsewhere, this isn't really an option for you. But more of that in my future posts!

I've decided to cut my long video into two because it got too long and draggy.
So the first part is basically my entire stay in the UK, while the 2nd part focused more on the process of leaving UK back to Malaysia, my last few days there & my last words about the experience.

If you noticed, I jumped from my first week of being there to my 3rd month. That's because I did nothing in those 3 months because I was adapting to my classes and England as a whole. I also didn't want to film the people I just met, 'cause that would've been rude.
I also spent over a month during the Christmas break in London with Misha, Myra & my other relatives, and I decided not to bring my camera along to spend quality time. Also, it was freezing and I never wanted to take my hands out of my pocket.

So, I arrived London Heathrow on the 20th of September 2016. My brother was already there when I arrived, and I spent a good week and a half before taking a 3-hour bus ride to Nottingham.
I'm not going to lie, I felt like crying when I arrived my place. Everything felt so unfamiliar, and the fact that I didn't even know my housemates scared me the most. I have never stayed with anyone else for such a long period of time besides my family, and I was afraid I was going to find a tough adapting.
Sure enough, tough wasn't even the word for it. I must admit, I've never cursed under my breath so much before I started having housemates. Don't get me wrong, they were lovely girls who were nothing but nice to me. But it took me more than a while to adapt to the way other people lived.

I stayed in a 5-room house, barely 5 minute walk from the gates of my university. My surrounding neighbourhood was dominantly a Malaysian student community.
Out of the 5 of us, I was the only one amongst my housemates that attended a day school, with the rest spending their secondary school lives in a boarding environment.
It came as such a shock to me when I first arrived my place. The first thing I noticed was the amount of things everywhere. There were four loaves of bread, four egg trays, four toothpastes, four everything! I honestly thought they were having some sleepover or friends over.
Turns out, that was how things were in boarding schools. No one shared anything! And everything was labelled, so I wasn't living in a home, I was just renting a room and shared a kitchen.
My housemates also labelled everything, from eggs to even bananas.. I just never understood why no one just shared household items, that would've saved them a hella lot of money.
I also stood out like a sore thumb because I was the only one without the hijab. Never thought of it as a problem, not even in Malaysia. But the problem arose when I come home in my ripped jeans or shorts to a house full of hijab-donning girls in the midst of their usrah..
I am also a little confused as to why I was never invited to any of their usrah sessions, not that I wanted to attend them anyway, but I was just never invited or talked about it with. But whatevs.

Fast forward two weeks of being friendless and walking home from classes with my earphones and eyes on the ground, I met my first Malaysian friend. He was nice enough to introduce me to his housemates and other Malaysian students that lived around his place.
They lived in a neighbourhood that was a good 30 minute walk away, but that was enough to have the surrounding environment so much different from mine! I felt like I was finally in England, since they had local neighbours, less of a student environment.
So my first advice to those planning to further their studies in Nottingham, check Beeston out.

Stay, away, from, Dunkirk. 

Thank me later. 

The first time I met the people I call one of my closest friends today was at the annual Nottingham Goose Fair. It's like the Nottingham version of Winter Wonderland, only a tad smaller and held in October instead. 

It was at the Forest, which was 30 minute tram ride from where I was. 

Mizi posted this on Instagram a few days back, and wow these bring back such fun memories!

That was the start of many new friendships and exciting day outs with new friends. From the video, you can tell I just stuck with the same group of people 'til the end. That's because from the first time I met them, I knew we'd click and sure enough, I met friends for life.

Shortly after the goose fair, I was bombarded with assignments and tutorial homework because of how short my first semester would become, thanks to the month-long Christmas break.
So I stayed away from the camera and any form of human interaction for a while to sort myself out.
Before I knew it, the weather got too cold for me to walk outside without 8 layers on, and Christmas was just around the corner.
I took a train straight to St. Pancras in London, and met up with Myra who had her family there with her.
I stayed with them before I moved to Misha's place when Misha & my aunt came a couple of days before Christmas. It felt so nice to see familiar faces, especially during the holiday season.
My sister warned me about Christmas in the UK and how quiet it gets, like how it is during Raya in KL.
It really was, shops were closed for almost 3 days and I could lie on Oxford St. for a good minute without getting run over. It was a nice change of environment, but it was also really boring.
I caught a play with Sharul & his family while I was there, it was my first time watching Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in theatre, and it was nothing short of brilliant. Aladdin was my first play, and I enjoyed that way too much. I might have cheered and laughed a bit too loud..

These were the only photos I took.

Returning to Nottingham after a month away in London felt so lonely for me. Not that I didn't have friends back there, but because it was just such a refreshing sight to see family in a while.

It felt like a really long winter, I believe it was still in the ten degrees range even during April.
To be really honest, even up until I left to Malaysia in June, I still needed a jacket on me.
January and February were the coldest months for me, and it wasn't just the weather.

Anyone who knows me, even for just a while, know I am big on birthdays. I planned my 16th birthday when I was 12, and my wedding when I was 16. I loved celebrations, and I still do.
So turning 21 for me was a big, big deal. It was a milestone that I wanted to remember for the rest of my life.
Then the clock struck 12 on the 17th of January. A bit of a slow start to my birthday, with my parents back in Malaysia the first to wish me a happy birthday. Then it started coming one by one throughout the day, and I was so grateful for everyones wishes and doas.
But as the day passed, no one had made plans with me, and I was too afraid to make plans with anyone myself because my birthday was in the midst of everyone's exams.

I didn't want to just spend my birthday alone in my room, watching dramas all day. So I took myself out to the city, spent my day at my favourite overpriced Indian restaurant, sat on the window seat reading a book and people-watched.

Bought myself some overpriced jewellery to commemorate my first step into adulthood. Felt good, but not being with anyone else felt so incomplete to me. 

So when I returned home, I Skyped with my parents. It was tough to keep my tears in during, but I gave in as soon as I ended the call. It was a mix of being an emotional wreck because I missed them, and missing everything back home. 

But remember when I told you I had quality friends that I'm keeping forever? They came thru, people.

Mizi, Nadh and Amir surprised me, to my housemates disapproval (because boys were within a 5 metre radius of the house, but it's my birthday so they're just going to have to live with it), a bit before the day was over. With a slice of cake and everything! 

I got a call from Nadh saying she had to pass me something, and told me she was already at the front of my door. I was in my 2-piece pyjamas, ready to snooze and forget the day even happened. 

Opened the door, and the three were singing the birthday tune with a lit candle. 

Because there was a strict NO-BOYS-ALLOWED rule at my house, we had to all move to Nadh's place across the road. 

The next few months were extremely cold, all up until maybe the end of April when I saw a bit of pink in the bushes that were brown when I arrived in September. Finally, Spring! 

This post is getting too long, I'll see you in my next! 

X

Tania

Skin Situation

My vanity is such an eyesore since I've been back from the UK. I've been back for about 2 weeks now and it is the same train wreck it's been since I unpacked. 

Ok so this is going to be a controversial blog post. Mainly because I own one too many beauty and skincare products for one person, but I'm here to justify that. 

I'm pretty sure more people know about the Korean 10-step skincare regime, that's gotten a bit of a mixed review since it was first introduced. 10 products on your face everyday is a lot to handle. 

Like every other Korean trend, I jumped on board just to test it out, and I've never looked back since.

Here's why: 10 layers of chemical on your face might seem like an overkill, but Korean beauty products are known to be very gentle, and targets to maximise hydration and moisture rather than stripping you skin off its natural layer of moisture. 

Most of their products also aim to balance the skin's pH level. But I'll get back to that later. 

So before you roll your eyes at the unnecessary amount of things I tell myself I need for my skin, allow me to go through each and every one of them in detail. 

Okay, fine. Here's where I get a lil overboard.

I've got three cleansers, with reason! Hear me out. 

Belif, The True Tincture Cleansing Stick 

I am a huge Belif fan because they advocate for herbal skincare with absolute no fragrance, chemicals or irritants in any of their products. 

They're slightly on the $$$ side, but I am a believer of you get what you pay. It's really worth the splurge. 

This is my very first stick cleanser, because I've always had a huge question mark on my mind when this type of product came out. Is it hygienic? What's the difference?

But so far, I'm really surprised with it. It's gentle, it is sanitary and it's so easy to use. 

The product itself is good for all skin types, even acne prone skins. However, if you do have acne problems, even though I've mentioned about how it is sanitary if used right, it's best to just stick to one cleanser per person. Sharing might cause the spread of bacteria. 

Chamomile is used in skincare because of its antioxidant properties, which helps with acne and inflammation. It also aids in de-puffing your skin, so it's perfect for mornings. 

Although this is technically a bar soap on a stick, this has absolutely no soap (which is really bad for your skin - face or body!). The bubbles that form when applied comes from the natural chamomile flower petals that are the main ingredients of this cleansing stick. 

So first off, wet your face with lukewarm water, and make sure to not pat away any excess water.

Then, unwind the cleansing stick to release about a millimetre of product. Apply it straight to the face with circular motions, set it aside and use your dry hands to massage the product in. 

The product itself feels a little grainy from the chamomile tincture, but acts as an exfoliate. 

Cosrx, Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser

Pretty standard and way less complicated cleansing product. 

But what stood out for me was the emphasis on low pH level, so I made some research on it. 

pH level of skincare is incredibly important to note, because throwing your skin's pH off are the main causes of acne, wrinkles and even sensitive reactions. 

It's important to note that our natural skin works best at 5.5, which is slightly acidic.

So if you've got dry skin, it's towards the alkalic side, and if you've got oilier skin, its the other side of the spectrum. 

When the skin overproduces sebum, which is my biggest concern, it goes even more acidic. So most companies come out with cleansers that are super alkalic to "balance" the pH.

But that's going to cause super sahara desert on your skin, causing it to produce more oil because it senses a lack of it, which is just going to put you back to square one. 

Over drying skin with your cleanser aids in the production of wrinkles, too, if it doesn't replenish the oil you just washed off. 

I use this cleanser in the morning because it's just so much more gentle than the other ones I have. 

I'm almost done with it, and it's already in my virtual cart to repurchase when I'm completely done with it. It's a Korean brand, so you can get your hands on them on Hermo..i think. 

Neogen, Green Tea Foam Cleanser

Alright ok why do I need another cleanser..

As you can tell, I'm almost done with this one because I used it during my stay in the UK.

Foam cleansers are the worse in terms of convenience! You can't transfer them into smaller containers because the pump makes the foam, and they very rarely come in smaller sizes.

Which was why I always needed another cleanser with me to bring around. 

But despite that, I absolutely love this. 

Don't believe you can see it, but at the bottom of the bottle is a filter that keeps actual green tea leaves, that are infused into the product. 

This has no smell and is meant to be very gentle on your skin, to be used after a first step of cleansing (oil) - and I usually use it only on evenings I spent with a layer of makeup on. 

It aims to brighten and smoothen skin, which I've not actually seen come to life, but it does keep my acne at bay with its strong antioxidant properties. 

Belif, Numero 10 Essence

I did a lil spree in Belif recently, ok maybe a bit more than a 'lil', considering I received about 10 of these essence tester packets. 

I don't have the full-sized product with me, and if I have to be really honest, it's because I never knew what the hell it does. 

But according to the girls over at Belif, these are known to be 'bathroom essences'. 

These are to be applied within 10 seconds after cleansing your face, on a moist face.

So, 10 seconds after is a bit of a rush and I never stick too strictly to that rule, but you get it.

It's meant to act as a moisture catcher in your skin, which means every other product that you apply after this will be amplified and work better. 

Sounded like a gimmick to me at first, but this is a type of product that you feel its absence when you go through your routine without. And I find myself continuously going back to it. 

I might actually do something stupid and spend more bucks on this. Damn it.

Klairs, Supple Preparation Facial Toner 

Now, the toner. Ah, a step I never knew existed pre K-Beauty obsession..

Remember how I said it's all about hydration and moisture in the Korean world of skincare?

I aint kidding, my friend. 

I think everyone is more familiar with astringent toners that are alcohol-based that are applied through a cotton pad, and feel satisfaction when you see the dirt on the pad after one swipe.

I've been there.. 

I always thought it was the most effective way to rid off dirt and prevent pimples, boy was I wrong!

It's so drying and harmful to the skin, it only aggregates the skin to produce more sebum, which just gives you more pimples. 

Um yeah no thanks. 

Korean toners, or known better by locals as 'Skin', are what the rest of the World would know as an essence texture. 

It feels like something between water and a cream. 

I'm horrible at describing things..

Anyway, this is applied before any serums and moisturisers to help with, again, your pH level.

In any case of pH imbalance caused by cleansers, this will help sort shit out, basically. 

Belif, Eucalyptus herbal extract toner

Can you tell I'm slightly obsessed with this brand?

This is a super new addition to the family. I owned a different toner by Belif before this, which was the Witch Hazel line. That one was aimed for normal to dry skin because I bought it for use in England's horridly dry weather. Now that I'm back in humid Malaysia, the Eucalyptus line is targeted for oilier skin, which is perfect for me now.

I've not used this enough to say anything about it, but my Klairs toner is at its last few moments of life, so once that's completely cleaned out I'll be moving on to this one. Can't wait!

Belif, Rose Gemma Concentrate Oil

I've heard only the most brilliant things about rose oils from the most beautiful people I know.

A more known one would be the Laura Mercier Flawless Skin Infusion rose oil that does not, surprisingly, cost any different from this one from Belif. They both retail at around the RM270 range. Yikes.

Not surprised, though. Oils or serums tend to be a bit more of an investment than other skincare, rightly so because of its lack of water and more of the good stuffs, which makes it richer.

I've only known the benefits of rose water, which was great for sensitive skin in helping calm it down.

The oil is somewhat similar, but targets way more than just skin sensitivity. 

Rose oil is great for acne! Yup, an oil. For oily skin. God bless. 

It also contains Eugenol, which is responsible for cloves - the richest antioxidant in the World.

It's also scientifically proven that within just 5 minutes of a .25 percent dilution, it can kill Propionibacterium, the devil bacteria behind acne breakouts. 

I know using oil on acne prone skin and oily skin can be a bit scary, but this honestly just sinks into your skin instantly and leaves your face almost oil-less. It's to be applied day and night, but it is completely up to you. 

If you feel it's too much for day wear, including it only at night is fine, too. So long as you make sure to use it at least once a day!

If you feel like the oil by itself is too much for you, infusing it into your moisturiser is also an option!

It comes with a pipette, which is perfect to control the amount of oil used for every application.

Also, it smells like what I believe heaven would smell like. 

Klairs, Pure Vitamin C & Centella Extracts

This serum stuck by me throughout my dry days spent in front of my room's heater for almost 6 months in Nottingham. 

I'm almost done with it, but wanted to include it here anyways.

Using pure vitamin C scared me at first, because it could be a total hit or miss. Vitamin C tends to be very strong and can trigger reaction if you've got sensitive skin. 

This serum was just alright for me. Although it did not break me out, it was nothing spectacular. 

It's an okay-priced product for a serum, but it did nothing I thought a Vitamin C would do for me. 

If you're scared to go full force ahead with a pure vitamin c, try a vitamin c derivative instead!

Clinique, Dramatically Different Moisturising Gel

I've stayed loyal to this moisturiser for close to 5 years now, I could build a tower with the bottles.

It's honestly just a safe product I can always rely on to:

1) not break me out. 

2) provide sufficient moisture.

3) not give me too much shine (gel formula for oilier skin, cream for drier ones).

4) have a good price for a good size. 

I'm set for life with this one. 

The Body Shop, Skin Defence SPF 50 PA++++

I could go on forever talking about the importance of sunscreen and how big of an ignorant loser I was before discovering it. 

But more than using it, finding the perfect one is just as important!

Sunscreens are known for its thick, white-casting texture that throws people off from using them.

But I've found this one, an essence sunscreen. Has the texture of an essence, but provides a really good deal of sun protection. 

It also smells goooood. 

The high SPF is a plus, I could do with just a 25, but the higher the better. 

I'm too much of a princess to be out in the sun for too long, anyway. 

Bio-Peel+, Lemon Gauze Peeling Pads

Thus far, I've mentioned products in order of how I'd apply it in my daily skincare routine. 

But this is a bit out of order, since I would usually use it even before cleansing and after removing make-up, but because I only use this once a week - twice at most, I don't really consider it daily use.

This is a unique product, that I know not of outside the Korean market. 

These are pre-soaked pads that you would then use just as you would an astringent toner, only except it's dual-sided. One side is the gauze, a net-like material that exfoliates dead skin off, and the other side is used to wipe off the dead skin. It's a power duo. 

And because it's infused with lemon, it helps with brightening and lightening acne scars.

So far, it's been doing just alright with my skin, no reactions - provided used with a light hand!

I know exfoliating can feel so satisfying, but over rubbing can actually scratch the skin and irritate it.

Origins, RitualiTea Oolang-La Clay Mask

Origins will be the death of my bank account. 

As you can tell by now, I like my skincare natural and as far away from chemicals as possible.

I've got sensitive skin that gets triggered by even the slightest irritant, and it takes me weeks to heal.

Origins is another brand that promotes natural ingredients and most of their products are inspired by plants and nature. 

This one is oolong tea infused. 

It comes in powder form, then mixed with warm water, creating a thick mud-like solution before applying it straight onto a clean face. Let dry and harden for, at most, 20 minutes, before rinsing off.

Oolong tea is known to deep cleanse and remove all the gunk out of your pores, and leaves my skin naturally clean and refreshed. 

I sound like an ad, but really.. it does. 

It also has bits of oolong tea leaves in them, which smell good and doubles as an exfoliant during the rinsing off process.

But again, a painful investment and it's a bit of a faff to do. 

The Face Shop, Lemon Face Masks

I don't usually just use one brand of face masks, I use any and many. 

But these are just the ones that are in my mask stash at the moment. My current favourites are by Innisfree, because they've got a large range and, I believe, are the cheapest in the market. 

These lemon Face Shop ones here were bought at the airport when I was coming back to KL, so they were sold sans tax, therefore cheaper than even Innisfree ones. 

There really isn't much to say about masks except that I can't really live without them. 

Don't believe me? Try the Mask Challenge, where you wear one or even two masks a day for 7 days straight, and see for yourself how life changing they are. You won't look back, promise!

Origins, Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask

This is the tiny version, that came with my painful shopping spree in Origins a while back.

This small sample size has been with me for, I'd say, a good 4-5 months now. And still going strong.

I use them once a week, because of how rich it can get for everyday use. 

It's nothing too special for me to pick up the full size, but it does what it claims to do. 

I wake up with less sebum than on nights I would go without it, because of how much hydration it gives me throughout the night. However, the smell can sometimes get a bit too overpowering. 

Holland & Barrette, Pure Tea Tree Oil

This has honestly changed the acne game for me. 

Before this, I was always just using tea tree infused products to treat my acne, but one day I decided to get my first pure oil from The Body Shop, and I loved it!

However, it finishes pretty quick and this H&B one is less of a burden to my wallet.

It's not the same as the rose oil, as this is a topical oil that must only be applied when needed and at areas that are needed only. 

It's very strong and targets to kill off bacteria from the acne. 

What I would do is, right before I apply my moisturiser, I'd take a cotton swab and dip it in the solution, and then straight to the area of my acne. 

The results usually vary. Sometimes I would sleep on it and it would disappear the next morning, or it would produce that white thing. When the latter happens, I just pop it (I know, I know...) and wipe the area with an antibacterial solution, before slapping a pimple patch on it. 

Garnier, Micellar Oil-Infused Cleansing Water

Bare with me, I'm almost done, I promise!

Micellar waters are god-sent through angels, I'm telling ya. 

This particular one, the bi-phase oil micellar water takes off makeup like a dream. 

Shake them up before use, dump a good size on a cotton pad and press gently on eye area to remove eye makeup & even waterproof mascaras and eyeliners. Rubbing it in will just irritate your eye. 

For face makeup, just slide them around your face until you feel like everything's off. 

 Aritaum, Soybean Oil Cleanser

Oil cleansers are the OG makeup removers. But I was never about that life because, like I said before, I was always scared to put oil on my skin. 

But I found out that oil combats oil, so they are the most effective way to take off oil based makeup.

I tend to only use this when I'm wearing heavier makeup, if not I'd just stick to the micellar water.

This provides a more thorough cleanse and feels much more cleaner. 

I put 2 pumps of this on my face full of makeup and massage it in until I look half human half koala, then I rinse off with warm water which then emulsifies into milky water.

I don't think you can get this around Malaysia, as I bought this from my previous Korea trip.

Any oil cleanser would do the job, as long as you make sure to do a thorough cleanse. 

Phew! Done!

These recommendations are based on the results I've gotten over a span of almost 3 years of testing and trying different products, and I 100% believe in the products I talk about. 

None were sent or given for free, besides free products - even then I wouldn't include just any free samples I'm given, I really do think they are worth trying. 

Note that my skin type in combination oily, and I choose my skincare based on that.

Results may vary depending on your own skin type and condition, so please do take that into consideration. All opinions are mine, and only mine.

Til next time!