Pink's #19 : Local Products

Hey  ho! Today I’m gonna tell you about #19 on my favourite list : Local Products!

Now now, most people would not believe that I wear local brands, especially local cosmetics. Even sales people of those local cosmetics often look confused when I browse in their section. And once I purchased a local branded face powder and they took a second look at me. This is one of the things I find annoying about Indonesian. We sometimes underestimate our own products that it’s kinda weird for a Chinese Indonesian woman to actually purchase (oh come on, no SARA contents here, just stating the obvious) local products. Such treatments make me hesitant to buy them, even a little embarrassed, like it’s a bad and embarrassing thing to buy local cosmetics. FOL.

Guess what, I am actually a pretty patriotic person, I do love my country! I am very proud of my country’s richness in culture and resources. I think the government is stupid and there are stuffs that I hate about Indonesia, but all in all I love Indonesia and wouldn’t wannabe of any other nationality other than Indonesian *firm*. But I’m not gonna rave about it in this post (probably in the future, coz I do feel very strongly about this issue), lemme go straight to the local product that I really love.

So, people who know me IRL know I have a pretty clear complexion. I’ve had my share of teenage acnes but it was never that bad (mainly thanks to my other sis-in-law CJ who took me for facials regularly once I hit puberty, I am forever in debt! LOL). I take a good care of my skin, religiously cleansing-toning-moisturising it (so imagine how horrified I am when I found out my bffs are all slacking in taking care of their skins! OMG c’mon girls, we’re so old already, you all wanna develop early wrinkles or something??? Geez!!! I cannot believe #Undecided doesn’t even moisturize! And then she dares complains about her skin going beserk on herself! FHL! Serve you well, I must say! Huh!!!) and (almost) every month I’d go to my fave skin treatment centre, Dermasense, for a facial (not sharing mine and #Undecided’s fave facialist’s name coz I’m afraid y’all want her to do a facial on you and then she’d be too busy for us, no way jose!).

Once my mum’s friend even said my complexion’s so bright and clear (#ahem. She said ya, I’m not bragging LOL) that even a fly would fall off if it tries to stand on my skin coz it’s so slippery (whatta weird expression but it’s a quote, what can I do?). Actually my skin is super oily, that’s probably why she said it looks slippery ahahahaha FML. But dewy skin is very much coveted and my oily face is actually dewy-looking, until you see me dabbing on oil papers, I’d use two sheets in one go and it’ll be soaked, then you’ll be damn disgusted hahahaha.

In my adult life I do get occasional zits, not even monthly (you know, during or before PMS), but probably once in every three months. Like when it’s extra hot, or when the weather’s changing, and when I travel. Especially when I go to Jakarta, OMG… I guess Jakarta is like super polluted. So imagine my horror when recently (like  a month ago, it was super duper hot and humid for about three weeks in Surabaya, unbearably so, even air-conditioners didn’t help at all, lots of us are forced to sleep on the floor to cool ourselves FOL. I complained endlessly when I read people tweeted about cold weather, winter etc-jealous obvi.  Geez) totally broke out with zits, like my face completely exploded!!!! HUAAAAAA!!!!!

OK, I probably exaggerated a little. There were probably… three or four pimples. But they were so nasty looking!! And for someone who doesn’t normally get zits (I do have lots of black and whiteheads especially around my nose since my skin is very oily and my pores are pretty huge too hikhikhik) it was like a complete nightmare!!! (and I’m like, super fair-skinned. Zits looks especially obvi and scary on fair-skinned person I think) So I freaked. I moaned and complained and sobbed to #Undecided everyday. And I went crazy and purchase lots of different kind of acne treatments. They worked but by the time the zits are healing new zit would spruce up, huhuhuhuu WTF. Til I stumbled into one of Indonesian beauty bloggers (there are apparently lots of them, I didn’t know) who recommended Sari Ayu Intense Acne Treatment. She said it works really well. And I figured, it’s jamu (Indonesian herb concoction) so it should be safe and Sari Ayu is like one of the most prestigious Indonesian cosmetic brand (I swear this is not a sponsored entry, LOL. They didn’t pay me to say this, they should though :p) so it should be fine.

But as I told you before, I am still too embarrassed to go to the store and purchase it (don’t wanna suffer the curious looks of the sales people zzz) so I was very delighted when I found their official online shop!!! And even better, they’d send it to your home free of charge if you purchase minimum IDR 100.000 worth of their stuffs. So, I went a little nutz. I bought quite a few from their acne treatment series.

I bought two Intensive Acne Care (for only IDR 13.000 or around USD 1.50 each!!!), one for me and one for #Undecided coz she suffers from acnes too (we were loving 3M Nextcare Acne Patch but they are so hard to find in Indonesia huhuhuhu, I bought four packs from disdus.com and gave one to #Undecided but we’re running out very fast! That’s why I freaked out and search for a replacement and found this gem, fortunately!) and I am such a good bff I always remember her whenever I’m buying stuffs for myself (say yes #Undecided! *pulls collar*).

How to use this? Shake the bottle well and the instruction said to drop some into a cotton pad and apply to acne, but I prefer dipping a q-tip and then apply to the acne. This thing works like a miracle! So well that I only had to use it a few days (maybe three or four) and all the acnes dried off and peeled off! #Undecided said it works really well on her too! 2 out of 2, so it must be pretty good stuff right!

I also bought Sari Ayu Acne Care Lotion, it’s a toner and I am currently using it, I love it so much! I don’t use the intensive acne care anymore since there are no more zits on my face but I am still using this lotion to prevent future zits! I might stop using it soon since I am a bit worried it might dries out my skin (but it’s not, so far. Been using it for about two weeks). Both the intensive acne care and lotion cause a tingling sensation once applied on you face (#Undecided loves the sensation, she said she wanted to rub all of her face with the intensive acne care but I stopped her, told her she should purchase the lotion instead. Who am I kidding, If I leave her to it it’ll be Armageddon before she actually buy it so I should get her one when I shop for more Sari Ayu stuffs)I think it’s because they contains sulfur (which is very good for acnes!)

It’s very easy to use, just shake well and drop (I drop like five drops for my entire face, avoid eye area obvi) some onto cotton pads and apply all over your face.

This is more than enough for my entire face.

I also bought Sari Ayu Anti Acne Soap (IDR 15.000) but I haven’t use it yet. I didn’t have a soap dish since all of my cleansers are liquids and gels, and I didn’t want to use it before I have a proper dish to place it, I bought one already but my skin is zit free so I decided not to use it for now hehe.

I was so horrified of acnes I bought their Anti Acne powder (Refreshing Aromatics) as well hehe, it is only IDR 16.000!!! I also haven’t use it yet. I am usually very worried about putting on makeups after I went for a facial, I don’t want the recently cleaned pores to be clogged up so soon! And usually after facials my face are a bit sensitive  so if I wear too much makeup it’d even lead to a new zit FML, so I usually put on acne treatment powders for a week or so before changing to my normal powder. I am currently using DHC Acne Care Base Make Up, a powdery foundation, but it’s not available in Indonesia (my mum bought it for me in Watson’s Singapore) and not to mention, very expensive zzz. Let’s see if this super cheap powder can be a dupe for it hehe. *Fingers crossed*.

Sari Ayu Anti Acne Powder

DHC Acne Care Powdery Foundation which is very good but also quite pricey

Since all of those acne care stuffs above contains sulfur they does have a distinct aroma, but it didn't bother me. I have a very sensitive nose so if it doesn't bother me then it should be okay for most people. Oh, and since they are all made of natural stuffs there is a warning that the liquid might change color overtime but it won't affect their effectiveness, as long as you keep an eye on the expiration date okay (they have it printed on the boxes).

Since the online shop’s minimum order is IDR 100.000 I purchased their eyeshadow palette too (coz I read Indonesian beauty bloggers all raved about Sari Ayu’s eyeshadow and lipsticks, I am intrigued to give it a try hehe), will try it and show it to you all in the future.

So there you have it, my #19 out of our #25 Favorite Things! Hope you all will give our local products a chance and not too embarrassed to use them hehe. Toodles!

PS : Leaving you with a close-up picture of me as a proof of my clear skin! *any reason to cam-whore*