Happy Chinese New Year!

Happy Chinese New Year!  It's that time of the year where we visit family and friends and enjoy loads of time of chatting, catching up and least of all, eating.  

When it comes to CNY, it's hard to resist all those tid bits and munchies that seems to make their way to settle in front of us.  Nonetheless, do take good care of your health during this time and be mindful to watch what you eat and not overindulge ya :)

Blessings to you all!

p/s: not sure if I'll be blogging much during this festive season (it goes for 15 days!) but I'll try my best to blog at least once a week until the end of CNY.  Blessings

Project Declutter: Save the best for the last!

Well, this is a ladies' blog after all and most ladies love their skincare and make up goodies, don't we? hehe.... I saved my empties/ binnings to be the last.  This are mainly the things that I've used up in January itself and I have to say that I am proud of myself for being so diligent in clearing as many of my skincare this time round.

1. Plante System Purete Cleansing Micellar Water

Saw this in Guardian in Singapore and bought it at a whim as I was attracted by its cute size and portability.  It works as a cleansing water, but not as well as Bioderma's.  One thing that really puts me off was its strong scent.  It's seriously too strong.  I was diligently using it as I was trying to finish it because I just can't take its smell.  Not going to be a rebuy when I head down to Singapore.  I managed to open it up so I'll decant my big bottle of Bioderma into it =D

2. Himalaya Herbal Nourishing Skin Cream

You can read the review here.  Am trying to finish my other face creams before I restock on this.  Definitely a good buy.

3. Boots Skin Smoothing Serum

Don't really fancy it.  Suspected that it was breaking me out.  I use it occasionally but not regularly.  I ended up using this on my neck rather than my face in order to avoid any possible breakouts.  Don't really think it works too.

4. Waterproof Surgical Lash Adhesive

Bought this eons ago and totally forgot about it.  I was attempting to use eyelashes but failed miserably.  Decided to just chuck it away and be done with it.

5. The FaceShop Arsainte Eco-Therapy Extreme-Moisture Ideal Essence 

This is a lifesaver.  I was using it when I was down in Melbourne for holiday and it kept my skin thoroughly moisturised.  I truly love it.  It's really a good essence to use.  It's non-sticky and is quickly absorbed into the skin, leaving a lovely moisturised skin.  Hoping to buy it when TheFaceShop have sale.

6. Sunplay Skin Aqua UV Moisture Milk SPF 50+PA+++

Review is available here.  Am glad I finished it.

7. Artistry Pure White Essence

I like its texture but I don't think much about its efficacy.  I do think that there are some products which require you to use its full range and probably for Artistry, it is such.  Didn't really lighten my pigmentation but it did make my skin looking bright overall.

8. Skin79 Super+ BB Whitening Cream

Bought this back in 2009 and seriously, these are long lasting.  Don't be deceived by its small size.  It lasted me a good number of holiday trips and occasional use back here in KL.  I am just glad that I'm done with it. hehe

9. Etude House Brown Gel Liner 02

This was my first gel liner.  Thought it would be a good buy to try, but sadly, it didn't work on my oily eyelids.  It could barely last on my lids and I always ended up looking like a panda.  It dried up pretty quickly too, and I'm binning it because it's all dried up and I cannot use it anymore.  

10. Aloe Moistfull Soothing Lotion

This product warrants a post of its own.  So be on the lookout for it ya.

Project Declutter: Nail Polishes

One of the things that I have decided to tackle is one of the smaller things that I have.  There was a period of time where I went crazy with nail polishes.  Trust me, it was crazy.  I went from 5 nail polishes to at least 20 of them!  For someone who can’t do her nails very well, it was crazy.  

I look through my box and managed to find 3 that should be in the bin by now.  Two of them are old and have now turned gooey.  At first, I thought of buying nail polish thinner to add on to it, but decided that I have quite a lot of other nail polishes with me and so it’ll be okay to chuck these away.  I really do like them though, for these colors are good and they are easily to apply, not leaving my nails looking streaky nor require more than 2 coats each.  All good things must come to an end, and so here, I will part with them and move on to my other nail polishes. 

Of one those that I got was a nail art  polish (the middle one).  It sucks.  I can’t seem to get it to work on my nails and since I’m not really good at art myself, I decided to give it away.

I was contemplating of adding this into the declutter but was hesitant as I quite like the colour.  Next thing I know, my colleague (male) came over to my place and asked me what was I doing with all the nail polishes.  I explained to him that I was decluttering and these are what I was throwing away/ giving away.  He grabbed the one below and the nail art polish, saying that these would be good toys for his two daughters.... hahaha... seriously, a first time that a man wants nail polish, no matter the reason :p

P/s:  as you note, I tend to give away all my stuff that can still be used rather than throwing them away.  It’s blessed to give than to receive is one of the things that I follow.  Rather than throwing things that’s completely in good condition, we might as well give it to those who are in need so that they will be blessed.

So, for those of you who kept buying nail polishes... don't hoard them.  If you find some colours are not suited for you, either give it away or do a pre-love sale.  I'm sure there are people out there who are willing to take them off your hands.

Project Declutter: Inner Clothes

Okay, there's not going to be pictures for this post... hehe... This reminds me of a conversation that I have with a few of my girlfriends.  We were talking about our inner clothes (bras specifically) and I found that some of us wear it till it totally give way!  One of my girlfriends told me that she was still wearing her bras from uni years.... 6 years onwards!  I was totally shocked because I can imagine how distorted it could be.  Following that conversation, I took her to go bra shopping and she discovered bras that could help her look good in her clothes, and not flatten like when she was wearing old bras.  Talk about making yourself feel and look perky (in a positive manner).

So, since it's decluttering time, I'd figured it'll be good to do a round of decluttering with my inner wears.  A run through reveals that I had to throw away 3 of my bras and 2 of my undies.  Hehe...  Well, it's not that the bras has deteriorated, but more like they don't fit as well as I like and I've not worn them for the past year, so off they go.  I've decided that it's better to free the space for the new bras I bought from Australia =D

For these bras, I have once again send it in for donation since they are in very good condition (I only wore them a couple of times).  However, do note that it is not recommended to recycle or donate your undies due to hygiene purpose.  Hence, they go to the bin for mine =D

Project Declutter: Bags

I don't think a lot of do this too. Most of us try to keep and maintain our bags for longer use.  I don't have those ultra expensive bags but I do have quite a number of bags sitting in my closet.  Since it was closet tackling, I decided to do a cleanup again.

Similarly, as they are in good condition, I decided that it's better to donate them rather than chucking them into the bin.

There isn't really a fixed criteria that I follow, rather, it was a preference.  I realised that I preferred some bags out of the ones that I have, and some ended sitting in my closet without me giving it any love or use.  So, off they go to new owners who can shower them with love.

It wasn't a lot, but I've managed to dig out 4 bags to donate (forgot to take the picture of the 4th item).

Have you ever cleared some of your old bags?  Do you think it is time to do so?

Project Declutter: Your Closet... High time for those Old Clothes to be out!

The first thing that I tackled was my closet (just the clothes section).  I've not really shopped heavily since my Australia trip back in October, but I've not actually declutter my clothes for a while now.  Since CNY means giving way to new stuff (for Chinese, we are to buy at least one set of new clothes every year to usher "new" in - well, that's what my mom told me hehe)

For me, when it comes to clothes, I try to give them away to those in need instead of just throwing it into dustbin (of course, the clothes must be in good condition).   There are many places that takes up donation of old but good condition clothes and I tend to pass it on to them.  Even there are times where my church would do a collection for the missions team heading to Cambodia to distribute and give out clothes to the street kids and rural people.  I think it is a good way to bless others.

Some of my criteria when clearing old stuff:

• clothes not worn for 2 years and above
• clothes that no longer fit (no matter how I wish I could)
• clothes that I know that I won't wear it ever again

With those criteria at hand, I managed to dig out 10 pieces of clothing! 

I have to say that it's a great feeling, a total satisfaction to be able to declutter my closet!  It took me around 10-15 minutes to do.  I've realised that it's better not to take too long to dwell with one piece of clothing, otherwise you'll end up reasoning yourself and sticking it back to your closet, which is a no-no.  Be good to yourself and declutter it.

Have you started your decluttering project?  Have you tackled your closet recently?  Maybe it's high time you do so =D

Decluttering: Making way for Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year is just around the corner and I am sure many of us are busy with our shopping, buying new clothes, buy CNY snacks and cookies and etc.   

On the flip side, it means loads of cleaning up to do.  I don't know about you, but at home, it means doubling up on the wiping and cleaning of the entire house, tackling all the dirt that's at the nook and corners of the house.  (Imagine loads of climbing up and down to sweep the place clean, sounds of vaccuum cleaner sucking up all the dirt and etc!)  I know, I know... it can be quite dreary and tiring.  

As for me, I'm taking the opportunity to declutter and get rid of old things that are piling up.   It's a great opportunity to throw away things that has been sitting either in the closet or holed up somewhere.  I'm doing this as a project for myself, and in hopes, it will help me in decluttering emotionally (I believe there is a connection with junks and our stress level - don't you think when there's less things in your space, you will more comfortable?)  The space I am tackling are mainly just my room in the house.  As for the rest, if it comes up, I'll tackle them here as well =D 

So, I'm going to be doing a series of what I have been tackling on to share.  I hope it will also be a reminder for you to tackle some of the things along the way :)

(image from hookedondecorating.com)

Himalaya Herbal Nourishing Skin Cream

Again, another whim purchase when I was in Singapore back in July.  I saw it being sold at around SGD6 (or less, can't remember exact amount) in Singapore and decided to get it since I was having issues with dry and flaky skin back then.    Well, it does say that it is All Day Moisturizing with Aloe Vera and Winter Cherry.

It's description:
Nourishes, Moisturizes and Protects
A light and non-greasy daily use cream, to keep you skin healthy and supple.  Aloe Vera nourishes and moisturizes, while Winter Cherry and Indian Kin Tree protect the skin from pollution and dry weather.

Direction: Massage gently on cleansed body, face and neck.

Of course, I do have some qualms when it comes to getting cream because my skin can't really tolerate a whole lot of creams and tends to veer more towards lotion types instead.  However, I couldn't resist giving it a try as there's aloe vera in it and I've also heard good feedback from friends about the brand Himalaya Herbal.

I know, it seems to be a body moisturiser (I saw the big tub!) and yet, I couldn't resist using it on the face since it does say to be able to use on face ;p

Here's the list of ingredients:

Packaging
It comes in a plastic tub, wider in terms of circumference and shallower in terms of depth.  I kinda like it.  It makes it easier for me to get the cream as it becomes less because I don't have to dig too deep and get all the cream in between my nails (you know what I mean).  I also like that there's a foil included.  I don't have to worry about the cream coming out from the tub, especially when I bring it with me to travel.

Texture
It is cream texture, slightly on the thicker side.  You will need to warm it on your hands before applying onto your face so that it doesn't get  no doubt about it, and it stay true to its description of being non-greasy.  It is actually quite light and absorbs rather quickly into the skin.  Because it's non-greasy, I don't have to deal with oily or sticky fingers upon application.  However, you need to have enough for your face to avoid double dipping your fingers as well as stretching and pulling your face trying to put enough onto your skin.

I'm one who tends to avoid using creams on my face because my skin tends to break out (due to some ingredients).  I have to say this nourishing skin cream doesn't and it works well for me.  It is   fast becoming one of my staple skin care for night use.  Although I have quite a number of creams waiting for me, I'm tempted to buy another one when this tub is finished.

I do quite like this nourishing skin.  I sometimes use it on my other body parts too, especially the heels when they end up being neglected and become quite wrinkly and dry :(

Although it is just 50g, it has lasted me for quite a few months.  For the price paid, it is quite a good bargain :)

If you're looking for something that's not too expensive and easily available, I'd recommend this to you =D

Macadamia Oil for Skincare

When I was in Australia back in October 2013, my aunt was telling me about using macadamia oil as moisturiser.  She shared that a friend told her that most of the luxurious skincare uses macadamia oil as part of their ingredients and there's loads of benefits to it.  Intrigued, I decided to buy a bottle home.  I found one at Woolworths at their cooking oil aisle.  Yeap, you heard me right, cooking oil aisle.

A quick check reveals the following that caught my attention:

Palmitoleic acid:  Macadamia contains one of the highest sources of palmitoleic fatty acids.
This is vital for delaying skin and cell aging, ensuring that our skin stays supple.  But as we age, As we age, it decreases and our skin will age rapidly with the loss of it.

Squalene: Rich sources of squalene
Squalene is a naturally occusing antioxidant that's present in our human skin surface lipids.

(info extracted across a few websites: Naturally Curly, Naked Chemist, Mark's Daily 

Of course, there are many more benefits that's listed and you can do further research on them.

Here's what's listed at the back of the bottle:

During that time, I was having some issue with dry cheeks.  It tends to be drier and they get flaky often, so I'd thought that this might help me to deal with it.  From the initial use, I found that:

• not oily nor sticky.  It goes onto my skin easy enough and it doesn't leave any oily residue.  It feels supple and yet, it's your skin (if you know what I mean)
• No overpowering smell.  Macadamia nut has a smell.  All nuts do.  But when I apply this onto my skin, the smell doesn't really stay.  it was a soft smell that goes off probably 5 seconds later.  
• Doesn't cause my skin to feel oily overnight.  I used it at night, and I found that as the night goes on (even before I sleep), it doesn't make my skin feel oily.  Instead, the next morning, my skin feels replenished and it was looking rather natural, without any flakes.

I also tried it on my lips with the balance of the oil on my fingers and when the morning comes, I found that my lips were no longer dry and it feels nice.  The skin on lips were not peeling either when morning comes.  It actually felt more comfortable than applying lip balm for the oiliness disappear once it gets absorbed.

I've been using it a few nights a week and my skin never develop any oil seeds (which sometimes happen with some of the cream based moisturiser that I used).  Instead, I find my skin getting better in terms of moisture level and it doesn't flake as much.

After using it for a few months, I find that I actually look fresher the next morning after use even when it's nights where I don't sleep well.  I find that it gave me the result similar to Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate (MRC) in terms of fresh looking and glow on my skin.  And with a moisturised skin, I find my foundation staying better on my skin and doesn't slide of as easily.

I'm already thinking of asking my friend to get me another bottle of macadamia oil when she comes over.

(purchased at AUD3.99 at Woolworths, 250ml).