Hi guys, as promised, I am back with another giveaway, and I think you might like this one!

SK-II has so very kindly teamed up with Emily's Anthology to offer 5 of my Malaysian readers a bottle of the legendary Facial Treatment Essence!

This giveaway is held in conjunction with the opening of Malaysia's first ever SK-II Pop-up Pitera House in Publika, KL.

A fantastic study has revealed that 7 out of 10 long-term SK-II Facial Treatment Essence users have better skin than non-SK-II users who are 10 years younger than them! SK-II's Pitera House serves to inspire the public to change their skin destiny, and share with them SK-II's advancements and innovations in the world of skincare. If you were intrigued by my Magic Ring Skin Analysis video, here's your chance to have your skin analysed, completely free!

If you want to learn more about how to care for your skin, you can even sign up for exclusive skincare workshop brunches, being held on 10, 11 and 12 October.

And now on to the fun part - here's how you can win yourself a 75mL bottle of SK-II's famed Facial Treatment Essence!

1. Follow me on Instagram.

2. Visit the SK-II Pop-up Pitera House in The Square, Publika, KL.

3. Take a fun, creative selfie at the Pop-up Pitera House.

4. Upload the selfie on your public Instagram account and hashtag #emilychangeskindestiny and #skiipiterahousemy.

5. I will choose 5 of the most creative selfies, and announce the winners on my Facebook page on 20 October 2014.

6. The winners will need to contact me within 3 days with their full name, phone number, and address, and I will get your prizes out to you!

I hope you guys enjoy participating, and good luck to everyone!

I always stress in my posts the importance of cleansing properly. A lot of people don't realise that cleansing helps the face so much - it loosens dead skin cells, gets rid of dirt that could clog your pores and harm your skin, and preps your skin so that it's ready to receive the goodness of the ingredients in your skincare.

In today's post, I want to share with you some of my favourite cleansers, and why I think they do a great job. Bear in mind that I always double-cleanse - which is to say I use an oil cleanser to cleanse and remove my makeup as a first step, everyday, before I move on to these cleansers.

So let's begin!

1. SK-II Facial Treatment Cleanser

SK-II infused this cleanser with its award-winning Pitera, and this creamy cleanser lathers into a fine foam that helps to remove impurities from the skin, whilst keeping the skin hydrated. My skin always feels velvety and smooth after using this. This is a gentle cleanser and is suitable for most skin types, but if your skin is very sensitive and easily agitated, I suggest checking out the next cleanser in my list...

(Available at SK-II counters)

2. Simplicité Plant Gel Cleanser

This is a gorgeous-smelling, all-natural plant-based cream/gel hybrid cleanser, and one of the most gentle yet effective cleansers I've ever used. As with all Simplicité products, this is a multi-tasking, all rounder - it cleanses (of course!), promotes elasticity and revitalises the skin, reduces redness and irritation, and helps reduce sun damage. I always know I'm getting my money's worth with Simplicité because their products are jam-packed with the best ingredients for the skin. This particular cleanser is their #2 cleanser, which is best suited to oily/combination skins. If you suffer from dry skin, try their #1 cleanser instead. Click on the Simplicité label below this post to see just how much I love this brand, and my experience battling pimples with their products. Available at simplicite.com.au.

3. Kiehl's Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Facial Wash

Following the crazy success of their Calendula toner, Kiehl's have released a Deep Cleansing Foaming Facial Wash in their Calendula range. Though it sounds harsh, this facial wash is actually reasonably gentle on the skin. This gel based cleanser quickly lathers into a rich foam once you add a bit of water, and really cleanses your skin without the use of soap and parabens. I would highly recommend alternating this with a gentler cleanser, just so you preserve the moisture in your skin whilst still making use of the pore-cleansing properties of this facial wash. Available at Kiehl's counters.

There is no better way to gauge the efficacy of your skincare than with an analysis from an actual skin-analysis machine, and I gleefully accepted the chance to do just that when I was given 30 days' worth of SK-II products to trial on my skin, in collaboration with Clozette and SK-II.

I went in for a skin analysis before I started using the products (gosh, it wasn't good), and then after my 30-day trial, I went back in to test my skin out again. You wouldn't believe the results...so I'll show them to you:

 Here are the products I used during my 30-day trial:

Facial Treatment Cleansing Oil http://bit.ly/1s46spq

Facial Treatment Cleanser http://bit.ly/1slXtP4 - a gorgeous foaming cleanser that I love to use on its own, or sometimes with a facial brush. It really helps to cleanse my skin of dirt, impurities and makeup (after I use the cleansing oil first, of course!).

Facial Treatment Clear Lotion http://bit.ly/1k0VGM7

Facial Treatment Essence http://bit.ly/1nx2Kiq - still the star product of the SK-II skincare range. I absolutely adore the FTE and what it has done for my skin. All you need to do is pour a few drops onto the palm of your hand, then apply to your skin in patting motions. I have more radiant, more luminous, and clearer skin thanks to this product!

Facial Treatment Mask http://bit.ly/1o5gy72 - this is a great mask to use right before an event or a night out when you know you're going to be photographed (or maybe because you want to impress a special someone!), because it is soaked through with gorgeous, skin-loving ingredients, and it really does give your skin a noticeable boost in radiance and luminosity. LOVE it!

If you're keen on getting your skin age analysed, here's how you can locate a store near you and sign up for one!: http://bit.ly/sk-ii-store-locator. And if you're interested in finding out more and immersing yourself in the world of SK-II - visit their Facebook page here!

A few months back, I promised to post a comprehensive series on different skin types and how to care for them. If you haven't seen that post yet, read it here to find out how caring for your skin with the correct skincare can really transform your skin completely.

I decided that it was really important that I start with oily skin, because this is where most misconceptions arise, and oily skinned people are the ones who are the most misinformed about how to best care for their skin type.

The first thing you must know about oily skin is that people with oily skin do not have overly hydrated skin - in fact it is the exact opposite. The reason why the skin overproduces oil or sebum in the skin, is that the skin lacks hydration, and it is trying to make up for that deficit by producing extra oil.

Unfortunately, this does not solve the situation, because then the skin becomes too oily, pores become clogged, makeup melts off the face, and the counter measures taken to get rid of the oil on the skin only serve to aggravate the situation.

So how do you care for oily skin? The answer is actually quite simple - hydrate the skin.

Cleansing

Starting with your cleansers - I believe that your first step each night should be an oil cleanser, just because I feel it's the best way to rid your skin of impurities, dirt, and makeup. I love Shu Uemura's Porefinist Anti-Shine Fresh Cleansing Oil because it is designed to help clean out your pores and regulate your sebum production. I personally find that it's been helping to keep my blackheads at bay, along with the help of the other skincare products mentioned in this post.

You should always follow up your cleansing oil with a regular cleanser, especially if you're oily-skinned. A huge mistake that oily-skinned people make, is to instinctively reach for the harshest, most foamy cleanser there is, because they want to scrub and strip all the oil from their skin. Unfortunately, all this does is to tell the skin that it needs to produce even more oil, and that's what it does. And the vicious cycle continues and keeps clogging your pores as it goes on. Step out of this cycle by choosing instead a gel/cream hybrid cleanser - this gives you moisture whilst at the same time cleaning out the grime and dirt from your pores effectively. I love the Simplicité Plant Gel Cleanser because it is so soothing and smells amazing, but still does its job effectively.

Exfoliating

Oily skin = clogged pores, so you are definitely going to have to exfoliate your skin. If anti-ageing has not yet become a part of your routine, then you'll want to use the Simplicité One Step Exfoliating Cleanser. This is absolute magic and has helped me clear up my skin tremendously! If you're also going for more anti-ageing treatments, then the Alpha-H Liquid Gold will help you kill two birds with one stone.

Remember though, that you will also need to schedule extraction facials at least once a month, to help remove blackheads that have formed and to cleanse your skin.

Masks

You should always make time at least once a week to slap on a couple of masks. A deep cleansing mask will really help you to continually 'draw' impurities from the skin, and help to prevent clogging and blackheads. A hyrating mask will help keep your skin moisturised, and keep the oiliness away.

Some deep cleansing masks I absolutely love are the Simplicité Exfoliating Face Treatment (this works as both an exfoliant and a 'drawing' mask, and really helps keep your skin in check), and the Aveda Deep Cleansing Herbal Clay mask (a mask that really draws the impurities in your skin to the surface! Slap this on about a week before a big day to draw everything out and treat it with your blemish gel for clearer skin on the big day).

Hydrating

It's very, very important to hydrate oily skin, and you can do this in a number of ways. As mentioned above, you can apply a hydrating mask once a week (or more) to give your skin a moisture boost. I love the Clarins Hydraquench Cream Mask and the Nuxe Creme Fraiche - both gentle, lightweight masks that are great to carry around with you, and I even apply them on long flights since they're almost colourless.

Also, never ever skip the moisturiser! I know a lot of people think that since they have oily skin, they can skip moisturiser. This makes things worse for your skin. What you can do instead is to look for an oil-free moisturiser specifically targeted at oily skins. I love the Simplicité Oil-Controlled Day Cream, because it really does moisturise my skin and keep the oil at bay at the same time.

Water

Finally, remember to always, always drink lots and lots of water! Water is essential to the body, and your skin needs it to flush toxins away and keep plump and moist. Always carry a water bottle around with you and remember to take a  few sips every once in a while. Also, drink a glass full of water right after you wake up in the morning for extra effectiveness.

If you have any tips for oily-skinned girls, leave them in the comment box below!

A couple of months ago, I announced that I would be adding new products into my beauty routine; products from renowned skincare brand SK-II. And then about a month ago, I announced that my fiancé would also be starting an SK-II skincare regime. It's been a while since we both started, and we are nearing the end of our trial.

Here's what we think of the products.

SK-II Facial Treatment Essence

Her: After a bumpy first couple of weeks, I started to experience a significant improvement in skin clarity and smoothness. After almost 3 months, my skin is smoother, clearer, and more hydrated. I can see a slight improvement in the appearance of the fine lines underneath my eyes and around my nose and mouth. I am most pleased about the reduction in the bumpiness in my skin, as well as the reduction of the appearance of my acne scars.

Him: After a lifetime of not caring for my skin, I finally started noticing the effects of neglect in my mid-twenties. My skin was dull, flaky, and dry. After using the Facial Treatment Essence, I immediately noticed that the flakiness was gone. Then came smoother, more supple skin. My skin felt more hydrated, and was much smoother to the touch.

Stempower Essence

Her: This absorbs into my skin so quickly, and really does help to clear my pores and make them less obvious. I love that it helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and I am very pleased with the results I see in my skin. The skin around my neck in particular feels firmer and smoother.

Men's Facial Cleanser

Him: I was sceptical about this product at first, because it didn't lather very much. However, I soon noticed that my skin no longer felt tight and dry after I washed it. I really am experiencing more moisturised skin. Using the SK-II men's facial cleanser made me realise that the previous facial cleanser I was using was causing my skin to dry out.

The final verdict?

SK-II has been extremely beneficial for us both. It takes a lot of dedication and commitment to get your skin to a better place, but with discipline and time, you'll get there, as we did. SK-II is on the pricier side, so we will pick and choose our products carefully, but we definitely want to look into continuing our use of this skincare range to continue reaping the benefits.

If you'd like to see what SK-II can do for your skin, head over to their Facebook page and official website, or head into an SK-II beauty counter to get your skin analysed via a Magic Ring test today.

Hello all! I have the final part of my SK-II skincare experience review, and in this video, I basically tell you whether or not you really need to buy SK-II.

I did this review, of course, only based on the 2 products that I received, which were the SK-II Facial Treatment Essence and the SK-II Stempower Essence. I look forward to trying and sharing my experience of more SK-II products with you all, so long as you're still interested to hear what I have to say!

Here's the video, and I hope you enjoy it! x

It's your big night - a wedding dinner, a prom, a graduation, or a party where you'll be photographed or want to impress a special someone. You want to look gorgeous and flawless, and you want your skin to glow.

So how do you get that flawless, glam glow? It's all in the skin prep, and it starts weeks before the actual day. Here's the routine I go through whenever I have a big night to prep for:

I hope that you found this video helpful, and I hope you try it out for glowing, flawless skin the next time you have a big event to attend!

So many people I know are (as I mentioned in my previous post) born and blessed with beautiful, clear skin. These people are exceedingly lucky in this regard, but not so lucky in another.

How are they unlucky, you ask? Well, these genetically blessed individuals are not taught to take care of their skin. They proudly announce to me that they only wash their faces with regular body soap (a huge no-no - this leads to dry skin, flakiness, and eventually wrinkles and acne!), and make it known that they don't need skincare to have beautiful skin.

The thing is, in the long run, everyone needs skincare to maintain their skin. Youthfulness, luminosity, and clarity are skin qualities that one starts to lose in his/her mid-twenties, and the only way to prevent, or at least slow down, that process, is a good skincare regimen.

When should you start your skincare regimen? In my opinion, you're never too young to start looking after your skin. In your teens, start with a simple regimen consisting of a cream cleanser, a toner, a good moisturiser, and SPF. Once you hit your twenties, that's when you start incorporating the big guns in your routine.

Serum

A good serum (or essence), is paramount. Serum is the superhero of skincare, because it contains the highest concentration of ingredients beneficial to your skin. Find one that absorbs easily into your skin. For example, the SK-II Facial Treatment Essence is a highly concentrated essence, containing over 90% of the brand's ingredient, Pitera. It also has a very liquid formula, which helps it absorb into the skin quickly and easily, so that it works more efficiently.

Both J and I have been using the Facial Treatment Essence for a while now (2½ months for me, 1½ months for him), and we have noticed a significant improvement in clarity, smoothness, and skin tone.

Night Cream

Your twenties are a great time to invest in a night cream. Night creams are extra effective because they work when your skin is renewing itself whilst you sleep. Get a hydrating night cream that isn't too rich, so you allow your skin to breathe.

Eye Cream

Eye creams are so important when you hit your mid-twenties, because they prevent the formation of fine lines around your eyes. I myself am victim to these fine lines, and I have been using the SK-II Facial Treatment Essence as well as two eye creams religiously around my eyes, and have noticed a very slight reduction in the appearance of those fine lines. Phew!

Anti-Ageing Formulas

This is also the time to start investing in anti-ageing formulas. If you suffer from other skincare problems, like acne or oily skin, there are so many anti-ageing formulations out there that take these issues into account. Take, for example, the SK-II Stempower Essence. This skincare product not only firms your skin, it also reduces the appearance of pores caused by oily skin. Getting products like this one will help you prevent premature ageing, whilst still addressing your other skincare concerns.

If you haven't formulated a skincare regimen of your own yet, it's time you started! Head in to a skincare counter or facial centre and get your skin analysed to find out what kinds of skincare products you will need to incorporate into your routine. Your future self will thank you for taking action today :)