Polynia Honey Rose mask

this is one of the products that i truly missed having it around. i remember i put this on my face religiously every single night because i simply love love love what it does to my face the very next morning. i woke up with brightened face + a tint of pinkish colortone.

and because i use this every night, it was gone for about like less than 1 year. i must say that i was pretty amazed by myself because i rarely use up my skincare products like this. mind you, this comes in a really big tub (250ml) as what u can see from the picture.

the texture is very jelly like and there are tiny beads for exfoliation purposes. smells great too (rose scented) but it's very mild. what i love most is that this is an overnight leave-on mask and i don't need to wait for about 20mins to wash this off my face. i normally just go to bed straight after i applied this mask.

what's so good about this? -> it does everything to your face!
it cleanses, exfoliates, nourishes (honey) and also, it has whitening benefits. therefore, you truly will wake up with a really brightened and soft face. what i did was just to wash my face with cold tap water every morning after applying this mask.

these are the ingredients used;

the problem that i am having now is.... i do not know where to get this product again! :(

seriously, i dunno if this is not popular enough or it is not widely available, but this is a really good stuff here.

i bought it in Jan 2010 during Guardian sales. should i wait for another Guardian sales to see this again? :P

i can't find this in Guardian as well...

hmmmmmm........

facial scrub i really love - cocoa butter

If I would tell you what I enjoy doing while washing my face, I would say that, what I really do enjoy is... the "scrubbing" part. 

I don't know about the many of you, but I just love to scrub my face especially with really nice and delicious smelling facial scrub. An extra bonus to that is of course, the silky smooth face you get after "the scrubbing session". 


I must say that I am no newbie to using facial scrub or exfoliator and in fact, I have tried numerous different types of these from the beads type, to the micro-beads type to the milk type and also to the cream type. However, when I first discover about Queen Helene's Cocoa Butter scrub, I fell in love with it almost immediately after just the first scrub!

Had to dig out some old photos. Top left (Queen Helene's Cocoa Butter Facial Scrub, followed by the famous Mint Julep Facial Mask & Burt's Bees Honey Lipbalm)

It's true. It might be for the smell, but I would say that not only it smells like chocolate, but it is really a gentle one too! Gives me a superb feeling especially after rinsing my face. ^^
Other bonus points would be:
- really exfoliate well (removes those tiny small little whiteheads, etc)
- feels clean yet moisturized 
- skin gets really smooth almost immediately after the first wash and I get soft and supple skin eventually after that
- skin got brighter (as in looks bright/ radiant and not dull)


It says it's gentle enough for daily usage.. but of course, we all know, excessive scrubbing leaves your skin thinner thus, a more sensitive skin. And this is exactly what happened to me. I really didn't quite notice this until my facial lady told me that my skin is getting thinner. See, I don't have a thick face! Hahhaa :P


Therefore, once or twice per week is really good enough!


Anyway, I've been a loyal user and my 3rd tub is finishing. Note: this is not available in my country and I always had quite a troublesome time to get this. I had to get a friend to order it from US and this time, I found another cocoa butter facial scrub in the local drugstore before I could place my order and I couldn't resist. Hehehs.


It's a new product on the shelf and I know I just had to grab it. It's the Palmer's Cocoa Butter Gentle Exfoliating Facial Scrub. Palmer's had always have a good reputation in its skincare lotion so I wouldn't mind giving this a try.

I would say, I love this too. Smells great too, soft, has micro-fine cocoa beans, and I think I saw some thin cocoa flakes. This really gives me a little illusions telling me that I am applying chocolates on my face and it's god damn delicious. 

What I love about this:
- very soft and creamy texture
- contains micro-fine crushed cocoa bean which makes it really gentle to the skin
- delicious smell yet not too strong
- non - drying/ moisturizing
- I can't say much on how well it does to my face yet since it's just the 1 month of me using it but I can say that it will do a really good job. :>








credits:
http://www.queenhelene.com

back! and with some "magic"

what MAGIC is this all about?
yeah, i actually found some "EGYPTIAN MAGIC" cream. *wink*
well, to be honest, i think this is already a well-known product and i've actually heard of it for quite some time ago, but i've only decided to give it a try till recently.


you can find out more about the history of the product here

 the ingredients are listed as shown, very simple ingredients indeed. made of beeswax, olive oil, honey, bee pollen, royal jelly & propolis extract. 

so, how do i find it? what's the texture like?
hmmm... first impression - "this is very oily!" >.<


well, i don't know if i should be long winded about this, but i really would love to share as much as possible. i understand, when i was looking for reviews, i was hoping to read a long review to help in making decisions on should i or should i not buy. haha


alright, i wanna be completely honest and as i've said earlier, my first impression of this cream is not really good at all. the cream is really oily when it is applied on my face. try picture your face like a frying pan after some bacons. :P


also, i had a hard time sleeping thinking that i will transfer the cream onto my pillow leaving it greasy. well, that happened to me the first few nights as i love sleeping on my side and sometimes faced down. after awhile, i get used to it and i actually wait a little longer for the cream to absorb before going to bed.


well, i gave it a good 2 weeks of trial and i turned to love this cream alot! *it is coming to 1month usage now* after just about 1 week time, i started to realize that i wake up every morning with very supple skin, and it actually looks more radiant, like having a natural glow. i used to have this feeling when i was using a sleeping gel mask from Polynia last time but i haven't had the chance to restock it. so yea, this is the "happy" feeling i get in the morning after i wash my face and seeing myself in the mirror. :D


one thing, despite its oiliness, it didn't make my skin breakout at all. i was actually worried that it will clog pores and giving me pimples but to my surprise, nothing bad happens so far. and i guess this is really good news?


i've also read some reviews saying that you can actually use this cream for everything and anything. well, on the skin of course. haha. so, you know what, i decided to swipe this cream lightly and these are what i've tried doing so far with it:


dry patch on my arm - patch disappeared the next day
cracked lips after a night out drinking (painful) - lips are not cracked anymore in 2 days
itchy patch - became not itchy (I don't know why this worked but i was just trying at the time, haha)
dry skin in between earlobes and neck (i love to peel the skin there and sometimes it's painful) - no more dry skin and no more pain
i have dry skin especially my legs (calves) - getting better each day


the texture actually is really similar to vaseline but i think this is oilier when applied as if it dissolved into a more liquid form. but fret not, it absorb pretty well too into your skin :)

this cream has also its expiry date printed at the bottom of the jar. i personally think that this is a good reminder as i don't see this often on most of my skincare products.

i ordered this online and got it shipped to me the very next day. i think there's an option where you can purchase a 30g sample of this first if you're wondering if you will like it. 
do let me know if you need the seller's contact (in Malaysia). 

*one of my best buy* =)

quick updates + recent hauls + FOTD

I feel bad for forsaking this baby blog of mine. Has been busy working and going out alot lately with all the catching up sessions with friends and birthday celebrations for a few friends and also myself. :D

Some of the highlights of the month:

- my birthday, of course :P

- a few close friends' birthday as well

- Thomas Cup

- lots of late nights and drinking

- work! and work and work!!
- *psst* i bought myself a very expensive birthday gift :P (will reveal soon) =)


Because of my hectic schedule, I've decided to post up the pictures of my recent hauls in april and this month for a quick update. =P
I do hope I could come out with the reviews as soon as possible. Some of them are actually in drafts at the moment. hahahs. Hope you girls have not forgotten about me... >.<
Enjoy the picas~

skincare haul

- Sasatinne Bulgarian White Rose Brightening Mask

- Polynia Honey Rose Mask

- Mandom Cleansing Express (Cleansing Lotion)

- Missha The Style Eye & Lips Makeup Remover

- b-Liv Shrink and Tighten Pore Reducing Serum

- Cellnique Intensive Soothing and Hydrating masque

- Cellnique Skin Action Sebum Gel (second purchase)

- BodyShop Pomegranate Body Butter

cosmetics haul

- Guerlain Meteorites miniature sets (Mythic, Beige Chic, Pink Fresh & brush)
- Dr Jart BB Cream (silver label)
- Maquillage UV Moisture Base
- Bare Essentuals PrimeTime eyelid primer
- Vincent Longo eyeshadow (Aqua)
- Maybeline Studio Gel Eyeliner
- Jill Stuart Jelly Eye color (Platinum Satin) - got this as a birthday gift from a dear friend <3
- Maybeline Long Extreme Mascara (disappointment)
- Missha The Style Pencil eyeliner (dark brown)
- P2 pencil eyeliner (black & dark brown)
- The Style single eyeshadow (dark grey)
- Majolica Majorca single eyeshadow (sv380 & sv821)

My FOTD taken this morning while getting ready to go out for another small birthday celebration. Went for lunch and buffet dinner. I feel like a pig today... urgHHHh..

Products used on;

Face

- Maquillage Moisture UV Base

- Dr Jart BB Cream

- Palgantong Loose powder

- Guerlain Meteorites - Pink Fresh

Lips

- Vaseline

- NYX Round Lipstick (Iris)

Eyes (sorry for the messy mascara done on the lashes... I was actually in a hurry and I was using a comb mascara.. =(    )

- Shiseido Crayon eyebrow pencil
- Too Faced Shadow Insurance
- Jill Stuart Jelly eyecolor (Platinum Satin)
- NYX Runway eyeshadow (Mink Brown)
- Majolica Majorca Lash Expander mascara

**I didn't use any eyeliner today as I wanted to create a soft and natural look plus a little shimmer with Jill Stuart's jelly eyes. =) 

A Review - Cellnique Skin Action Sebum Gel

First beauty post of the year - goes to Cellnique Skin Action Sebum Gel. :D

I think I've been using this product for a month plus after a friend told me that she could get it for me with 15% discount off the retail price. I thought, why not, since a few months ago my skin was really in a horrible state because of all the breakouts. I heard of this product many years ago and I thought it was for blackheads only. Well, after some research, and some reviews from friends and bloggers, I found out that it combats spots, acne, breakouts, whiteheads, and oily skin too! So, I thought this might be my skin saver.. *at least for now*

Anyway, after the first week of day and night applications, I see drastic changes on my skin. *I am not kidding* The used to be stubborn spots on the lower part of my cheeks and my chin were gone. The whiteheads on my chins and T-zone of my forehead that I religiously pull out everynight were gone too. Blackheads on my nose are hard to be spotted now. So basically, this sebum gel works well for me!
And after a week, I perform a light extraction on my face by myself, after a long break. *This is because I do extraction of whiteheads almost everynight*. I found out that some of the "pimples to be" spots were transformed into hard yellowish oil seeds and were easily pull off. I was so amazed and thrilled by this though. Hahaha.

Honestly, I do think that this is a great little bottle to invest in for spotless skin. I will definitely continue using it. And surprisingly enough, I didn't know that this brand actually came from my own country, Malaysia. =D

I don't think you can find this in any drugstore but I think you can either get it online via http://www.cellnique.com/ or any local Cellnique salons. I heard Sasa is carrying the sister brand of this too, B-liv and they claimed that the formulas are the same.

The best product and my skin saver for 2009 =)

Kanebo Blanchir - Milky Conditioner

My first encounter with this product is when the SA in Kanebo gave me a sample of this Milky Conditioner along with the whole set of Kanebo Blanchir when I purchased a whole bunch of Coffret D'or and Lunasol cosmetics a few months ago. I have been using this for a month and then I stopped as I experienced some breakouts which I found out later has nothing to do with this. And I've continue using it again at the beginning of this month after my skin got back to its normal state.

I feel like reviewing this particular Milky Conditioner first because I think it's the best and the one that I am really fond of the most from the set that I received.

Well, from the name itself, I have no idea on what is it the first time. I was thinking that it might be a lotion or an emulsion where you apply it after the toner. So, to be precise, I went to Kanebo's website and have a check on it. Turns out, this is suppose to be the 2nd step of "double moisturizing" after the usage of Clear Conditioner (will review this later on).
**Just a note: The Japanese practices "Double Cleansing" and "Double Moisturizing" in their skincare routine where you'll have to double clean and double moisturize your skin. =)

From the site, it says "Seals in moisture and whitening ingredients for bright skin with a beautiful texture"

The website also provides a Usage Note where it shows you on how to use the product the right way to get better effects.

As for me, since I've not been using it that religiously, I think it's fair for me to say that I don't really see a big difference. However, I do feel my skin got softer and brighter than before. And yes, my skin does feels more hydrated than ever and no more dry skin peeling off.

The texture of this milky conditioner is somewhat like an emulsion that looks yellowish, like condensed milk. The smell is a little funny in my opinion too... Not the fragrance type of smell, just a little funny. *if you get what I mean* Anyway, that doesn't really bother me much. I would say that it is quite light and not oily at all after applying it to your skin. It tends to feel sticky at first but after few minutes, I could feel as though everything is absorbed into the skin and I love "bouncing" my skin after that.. skin feels very supple too. =)

I think most users of this will agree with me when I say the packaging is not so brilliant. It's quite a trouble to pour the lotion out as there is no pump and it's not a tube. Plus, the plastic bottle is hard and sometimes my palm gets painful when I need to shake and pour it out.

Anyhow, as long as the product is great, I could live with the hassle of pouring out the lotion. Hahahahs.
I think this skincare range is widely available in all Kanebo counters unlike Lunasol where you can only get it in Isetan. This is a high end product and therefore, it's a little pricey which I think it's around >RM150 for 100ml. Pricey, but worthy for me. Worth to give it a try! :D

**More of Kanebo Blanchir's skincare range reviews to come! =)

Star: Majolica Marjorca Skin Lingerie

Okay, I think it's dangerous when I have lots of time to spend in the shopping mall waiting for someone.
What is wrong with me??
The other day, I went to some pharmacies in MidV hoping to restock my tea tree oil and also with the thought of getting the HadaLabo moisturizer lotion. Unfortunately, I couldn't find the HadaLabo there which I only get to know that it will be launched in Nov at night after that. And, I bought some extra things home with me. Also, I've spent more than what I've expected. I hated myself for awhile then...


So, there, I bought Garnier AquaDefense Gel moisturizer as the susbstitute for the HadaLabo lotion that I didnt managed to get, Majolica Majorca Skin Lingerie and the Pore Cover Press Powder.

I've tried them on for a few days and my verdicts are:

Garnier AquaDefense Gel moisturizer:

To be honest, I didn't expect much from this brand at all after my not so good experience with the Garnier Light moisturizer (yellow tub). However, this gel moisturizer really exceeded my expectations. It felt light and cooling on the skin. Not leaving any greasy or oily substance at all. Perfect for Day/ morning usage before my makeup base or foundation. It's cheap and it's good. =)

Majorlica Majorca Skin Lingerie (my star BUY!)

I didn't know what was this until I read a review in one of the beauty blogs out there about this. Well, thanks to the creative name and my dull imaginations, I couldn't figure out what was this thing for. Haha... Come to think of it... yes, it is a skin lingerie... it's the layer that covers and protects the skin, just like our lingerie. hahahahs.

Well, this skin lingerie is actually a face primer or a makeup base. You apply it to the face right before the application of your daily foundation or powder. This one here works well on me. It's even better than my Lunasol Control MakeupBase I think. My t-zone stays matte till the end of office hour and this simply makes me happier than usual. A must buy me thinks.

Majorlica Majorca Pore Cover press powder

Why did I purchase this thing here? Well, I was thinking of getting myself some loose powder or setting powder to set the face after applying the foundation as my face mineral powder is running low. I ended up getting this after the comparison of all the brands I can find in Watsons. True, this is also the most expensive of all... but, also the finest powder of all.

After the application, skin looks flawless and nice and smooth. However, I think my skin really dislikes powder. It just simply does not go well with powder, no matter how good the powder is. Even Lunasol Skin Fusing powder foundation is not good enough for it. It gets a little cakey around my laugh line around after lunch. Or is it just me? I just can't stand my face looking so matte? Hmmmm... well, it's true that I prefer my face to be dewy and appears more natural. ;)

Uguisu No Fun

heard of it before?
Uguisu No Fun = Nightingale Droppings. It's really no fun.

I heard a lot about this famous "bird poo" facial and found out that somebody actually brought it to Malaysia.
Therefore, I couldn't resist to try.. hahah... got myself a free sample and i'm literally having some bird poo on my face now... Well, no joke.. it's smelly... and it's even worse when u wet it to make the powder into a paste. Smells really like poo. I'm constantly breathing with my mouth now.... Well, 10 more minutes to go before I can wash of it.

More info about Uguisu No Fun, feel free to check these out. Even Victoria Beckham is having this bird poo facial now. =S

1. chidoriyaworld - Uguisu No Fun (Nightingale Droppings)
2. Reuters - Facial with bird excrement...
3. Victoria Beckham loves Bird Poo facials

Okay, I'm off to wash off my face now.. Don't know if I can really see any difference on the first application.

Update:
The free sample that I get enabled me to do only 3 applications.
So far, I've only done it twice and both were in the same week.
My verdict is.. this is kinda great as I can see my face really brightened up and I can really say this because before this, my face kinda get tanned after all the roadtrips and holidays...
I'm the kinda person who's not really into whitening products so therefore, my skin didn't really turn white and stayed kinda tanned after that... But with lots of facial masks and this bird poo, my skin doesn't look that dark and dull and is brighter. Kinda satisfied, and I think with continuous usage, u'll get a really nice complexion.
I'm putting this under my wishlist or "things to get". Don't really have to budget to get a whole bottle of it right now.

help! breakouts..

I don't know if I'm under some stress or hormonal change recently, but I'm having some really serious breakouts on my skin. I really really hate pimples and breakouts. I tend to get so depressed when they came out of a sudden and just won't go away. And the funny thing is, I don't have anything to counter the pimples. I don't have any acne stick, or acne pen, or spot remover, etc. Therefore, I have to fork out $$ and time to get something good that really works.

After some researches, I found out that Tea Tree Oil claimed to be the best remedy for this. Just one catch though, make sure you get the 100% natural tea tree oil and it would be the best if it's made in Australia as that's the origin country that produces this.

I thought of getting it from The Body Shop as that's the first place I can think of. I went to check it out and unfortunately, it's only 15% tea tree oil and it's made in France! Hmmmm... and the SA was not really that friendly, therefore I didn't buy it. That was a really wise decision as I found another brand of Tea Tree Oil in Watson's. :D
Yes, it's 100% natural Tea Tree Oil and made in Australia. And it's even cheaper than the one in TBS.
So, today marks the first day of my application of tea tree oil to combat the breakouts... let's wait for the results.

The brand is Thursday Plantation and you can visit this link for more info -> www.thursdayplantation.com

Actually, I've been wondering what might have caused the breakouts....could it be..
the new Lunasol foundation?
or the make up base itself?
or the powder?
it can't be the Blanchir range... can't be my HG BB cream.. can't be my toner.. hmm...

Update:
Tea tree oil really works a wonder on those pimples!
the stubborn and huge pimples subsided just in around 2-3 days. You can see them dry up and after the dead skin peeled off, your skin is smooth again.
I'm happy with the results and I have been dabbing the oil on the congested area every night and day now.
And, I think I found out the reason for my breakouts... Turned out, it's the cleansing oil and my skin is sensitive to cleansing oil.. I think my skin is not so suitable for the "double cleansing" regimen.. hmmm...

Kanebo Blanchir

I was given a free sample set of Kanebo Blanchir's skincare range last month when I purchased a big lump sum of cosmetics from Lunasol and Coffret D'or.

At that time, I didn't know what goodness has I got till I googled it up to see what kind of skincare range is that. What a fool I was for my ignorance. Haha...

Turned up, it's one of the latest improved skincare range from Kanebo, Japan that claims to the answer for transculent and clear skin. I read up some reviews from a few beauty blogs and "WoaHH" what a big fool I was to chuck the whole set into the cabinet. :P

Therefore, I've decided to try on the range starting from tonight. It was quite awhile till I decided to start using it due to some reasons. My skin was breaking out quite badly after I got back from my holiday in Cherating. I still think the seafood and the weather and the water caused it. And also, maybe I didn't really clean my face well too.. Sigh.. and again, the breakouts didn't really go away during my Penang holiday. However, thank god, I can say that my skin is getting back to its normal state again now and so, yeah.. tonight is the night! :P

View more info of Kanebo Blanchir's range here -> http://www.blanchir.net/en/brand/index.html

The website is very very informative that even the "usage notes" were included. I like!

I'll update more in a week's time after some 'results'. *wink*

queen helene's

My best buy from Queen Helene's http://www.queenhelene.com/ - Mint Julep masque & Cocoa Butter facial scrub. :D



Yes, we thought that someone is on a shopping ban and is not allowed to buy anything this month. At least, that's what my friend told me and my reply was, "I only ban myself from buying clothes, shoes & bags. Skincare is excluded". Hahahs.


I couldn't stop at the bargain, it's going really cheap and what more, it's a good brand in the US. These 2 are the star buy and I needed a facial scrub badly after I finished my Clinelle scrub. I'm slowly upgrading my skincare products and I'm officially on a mission to look for my HG products. :D


I've been using the Cocoa Butter facial scrub for 3 days and so far, my skin has no irritation or big reactions towards it. It leaves my skin super smooth and soft! And I'm talking bout real soft here! Have to admit that I couldn't stop touching my face after that for an hour.. *imagine me rubbing my face every now and then, hehehs* I have also just learnt from Fuz that we can actually use our facial scrub to exfoliate our lips. Therefore, I tried it today and I was basically scrubbing my entire face + lips. Hahahs. We'll see if I'll get kissable lips in a while after a few scrubbing sessions.


As for the Mint Julep masque, tried it for 1 time and I can't really see any results so far, =p

Spa with Natio

After a whole tiring day of shopping in KL that makes me sulk because I can't really get to buy anything I really like, I went home with aching feet and a grey cloud on top of my head.
So... I decided to retreat myself with the DIY Ayurvedic Spa with Natio!
*more on Ayurveda/ Ayurvedic here

I got this Natio DIY Home SPA pack back in Christmas and yesterday night (Sat) is the first time I opened and actually used it. *smile*

---------------------------
The process begins with..

- splashing the whole body with the shower.

- take small amount of the salt and massage onto parts of the skin in a circular motion for one minute. btw, it's called the "One Minute Miracle Body Polish".
It contains sea salt, sesame, ginger and lemon. Smells very lemongrassy tho..

- use this to massage your body.

- finish the process Continue by cleansing your body with the Pep-Up Body Cleanser, which smells of lemongrass and refreshing. I am imagining myself in an open-bath with wooden & stones deco, plus with the invigorating aromas of peppermint, eucalyptus, lemongrass and basil to uplift my senses.

- finish up the process by massaging the Luminous Body Lotion onto the whole body. It's a perfect moisturizer before you go to bed. It contains sweet almond, sesame, lemon and lavender. Love the smell alot!

For the face, i cleansed, exfoliated and put on a mask to sleep..
Felt so clean and fresh and relaxed. =)

Mask, anyone?

Promoting one of the best selling masks in Taiwan at the moment.....I got a sample from a friend, and this mask is really good...+ affordable and definitely not gonna burn ur pocket. Effective as ever and is just as good as the expensive SK - II or Anna Sui or BioTherm hahhaa..

It's a collagen mask and it suitable for any skin type. AS u know how collagen is GooD to ur skin.. heheh, has the effect of 'brigthening' and not 'whitening', u can put on the mask everyday for rapid effects and i know it's annoying... but I still cant believe how cheap it is!! hheheheh.. Thanks for the sample anyway...

There's always a nice feeling after each time u pamper ur face with a mask. Refreshing and super clean and super smooth hehehe.. Gonna be addicted to it soon :P

Unfortunately, I don't think you can find this product anywhere local here as it is manufactured in Taiwan and is an Australian brand. Not market in Malaysia yet.. I guess?

Not bad trying this new product, I am satisfied with it. Recommend to u guys if u could find it anywhere. Btw, the brand is 'Dainty'.