Slowly Coming Back

It's a progress, the fact that I am bloggin here once again.  Work has been crazy, and it seems to continue to go crazy for me.  Although I've been rather quiet here, I've actually been feeding on my passion for travel and all things beauty.  Thoughts have come and gone and I figured, it's pretty much time to once again allow myself to have an outlet here.

So, do be on the lookout as I begin to explore writing and sharing my passion here once more!

Travel

Travelling has always been one of the things that I do every year without fail, but it a short trip to one of the local states or be it overseas.  One of the most frequent place that I do go to is Singapore.  I'll be sharing a little bit more of my travel stints here, so be on the lookout for it ;)

2015 Decluttering Exercise - Clearing of my Beauty Products

In the beginning of 2015, I made a decision whereby I decided to log every item that I finished or every item that I gave it to someone else.  This is because I wanted to know how many items have I cleared in a year and whether it is worth purchasing so many things.

What I realise from this exercise is that I clear skincare products rather quickly, but most of my make up products are either thrown away cause they've expired, or they take super long to finish.  I find this a rather enlightening exercise, because we tend to buy and keep and store them but honestly speaking, how often can we really finish our make up stuff?  I am still trying to clear the eyeliners or the eye palettes that I got beginning of last year, I'm still trying to finish up my face powder from the year 2014 and many more.

I've gained a lot from this exercise and I've decided to continue to practice it this year too, albeit, I'll probably spend some time taking pictures of what I've finished instead of chucking them away immediately.  It is immensely satisfying to be able to finish what I have before buying new things.  A llife lesson for me.

Below are the list for your viewing: 

January Finished Goods!
1. Contact Lens Solution
2. Loreal Paris Lucent Magique BB Cream
3. Bioderma Cleanser
4. Cetaphil facial wash
5. Kose Softymo Cleansing Gel

February Finished Goods!
6. Neutrogena Hydro Boost Essence
7. Catrice Eyeliner in Grey
8. Hada Labo Hydrating Lotion (Big bottle)
9. TheFaceShop Arsainte Eco-Therapy extreme moisturiser
10. Tony Moly Lip Stain
11. Nutri metics fruity nail polish
12. Elianto colour studio gold
13. Artistry color palete
14. Beautymate Purifying & Whitening Nano Lotion

15. L'oreal Hydrafresh Supreme Emulsion

March Finished Goods!
16. 3W Clinic Intensive UV Sunblock Cream
17. Optifree Contact Lens Solution
18. Be Sorborlene Cream (gave to ppl)
19. Loreal Moisturiser Aqua Gel (gave to ppl)

April Finished Goods!
20. Cotton pads
21. Maxi Format Bourjois Paris Micellar Cleansing Water

May Finished Goods!
22. Stila Lip Gloss
23. Nivea Lip Balm
24. Be smooth night cream
25. Loccitane the bergamot tea hand cream
26. Optifree contact lens solution 
27. Avocado Olive & Basil Ultra-Moisturising Hand Therapy

June Finished Goods!
28. Nature Republic Super Origin CC Cream
29. L'oreal Hydrafresh Supreme Emulsion
30. Stage Blusher - snapdragon
31. Jelly Pong Pong Teint Sublime the complexion cheater 
32. Divinia ultralight watery uv base for face 50spf

July Finished Goods!
33. Nivea Extra White Firming Body Serum SPF33
34. Maybelline EyeStudio Black Forest Cake Palette
35. TheFaceShop Nail Polish PK110
36. Nature Republic Nail POlish (reddish pink)
37. Optifree contact solution 
38. Complete blink n clean eye drop 
39. Schwarzkopf restore and repair shampoo

August Finished Goods!
40. Optifree contacts solution
41. Soap & Glory scrub your nose in it facial clay scrub mask

September Finished Goods!
42. Loreal Super Emulsion Day moisturiser
43. Bioderma Sensibio H2O Make-up removing micelle solution
44. Entia Aqua Plus White Essence
45. 3W Clinic intensive UV Sunblock cream

October Finished Goods!
46. Watsons Facial Cotton
47. Kose Softymo Speedy Cleansing Oil
48. Hada Labo Retinol Red Milk (small bottle)
49. Kose Softymo Point Make Up Remover
50. Etude House Proof 10 Eye Primer
51. Biore UV Perfect Block Milk Moisturiser
52. Tony Moly Prestige Carat Essential Tinted Moisturiser SPF50 +++
53. Loreal Hydrafresh Deep Boosting Essence 15ml
54. Placenta Sunblock (Sold 2 tubes!)

November Finished Goods!
55. Nutox Serum Concentrate
56. Jelly Pong Pong Shadow Taffy
57. Loreal Mineral Blusher - Pinched Pink
58. Maybelline Mineral Blusher Soft Mauve
59. Maybelline Eye & Lip Make Up Remover
60. Optifree Pure Moist Contact Lens Solution

December Finished Goods!
61. Optifree contact solution
62. Elianto Activewear Mascara in Brown (throw)
63. Jelly Pong Pong Dual Ended Eyeliner
64. Cotton On Look Me In the Eyes - Eye Crayon - Splash
65. Loreal Super Emulsion Day moisturiser
66. Nature Republic Balancing Toner sample
67. Nutox Serum Concentrate
68. Loreal Hydrafresh Supreme Emulsion
69. MOR Body Butter Marshmallow
70. Clinique anti blemish solutions gel
71. 3 stage lipgloss
72. Optifree pure moist travel bottle
73. Eubos feminine wash

Oslee Rosehip Beauty Solution Advanced Formula III

I don't even remember where I got this.  Vaguely, I think this was a birthday gift from one of my girlfriends a while back and it has been sitting in the cabinet for a while now.

Now, some of you may know that I have an issue with my skin, where it can get quite dehydrated without any particular reason.  I was reading about this product online and figured that it's supposed to add some moisture to my skin.  My face was feeling a little tight recently and I decided to give this a try.

Honestly, it's a hydrating toner.  I don't expect it to work like a moisturiser, and it doesn't.  What it does though, it adds another layer of moisture to my already dry skin.  When topped up with hydrating essence and moisturiser, my skin does feel a bit more hydrated.  On days where I was rushing and skipped it, I do feel that my skin is slightly tighter than usual and I usually have to add another layer of moisturiser instead.  With this, one layer of hydrating essence and hydrating moisturiser works.

I won't say that it's an awesome product, but it helps a bit and I don't mind that at all.  Will I repurchase?  I honestly don't know.  I'm not crazy over toner and I can be quite lazy when it comes to adding stuff onto my skin.  We shall see how it goes later after I finish this.  Unless of course, there's something else out there that might help my dehydrated skin?

Do let me know if you think I ought to give some other products a try :D

P/s:  as you have noticed, my blogging has been sporadic.  There are some stuff happening in my life at the moment and I'm still trying to play catch up with life.  Thanks though, for being so patient with me.

Himalaya Herbals Protein Shampoo Daily Gentle Cleansing Shampoo

A habit of mine when it came with hair products is to change them after using a couple of bottles.  This is partly because I want to allow my hair to "rest", if you know what I mean.  So when my organic shampoo was running low, I went scouting.

When I was browsing Watsons a couple of weeks back, I saw that the Himalaya Shampoos were on sale and decided to buy a small one to give it a try.  I got the Himalaya Gentle Cleansing Shampoo as I washes my hair everyday and wanted something that doesn't dry up my hair.

My hair is oily in texture, so typically it tends to be heavy by mid-day and flat as it gets oilier.  Also, because I do color my hair, the bottom part tends to be frizzy and dry.  Also, the bottom part tends to be frizzy.  I realised that if a particular shampoo contains more chemical, my hair will become frizzier.  The combination of heavy and frizzy would tend to weigh me down and makes me feel less comfortable.

I was a little taken aback when I first use this Himalaya Gentle Cleansing Shampoo.  The first pour reveals itself to be a transparent orange tinted liquid.  It truly is the first time I use a shampoo that's not opaque, so I wasn't very sure how it will fair.  Somehow, I had this thought that it won't bubble much because of it.  However, I was proven wrong as it does lather quite well and works to go through every strand of my hair too.

After having use this shampoo for a month, I find that my hair feels lighter and it's not as dry and frizzy as it used to.  Best part is, it is more manageable than previously with the other shampoos.  I like the fact that I don't really have to use hair conditioner to get it to look pliant and soft.  As for oily hair, it seems to be at bay now!  That is a serious plus point for me given how flat my hair would look as the day progresses.  This has done a great job for me.

I pretty much have decided to stick to this shampoo and will probably explore its different ranges to see how they fare.

On the side, I find it interesting to note that there are two levels of ingredients and as such I'm not so sure sure which one has a higher percentage as the natural ingredients and the chemical ingredients are split into two:

Micellar Water

Sorry for not posting last Monday.  I was away that week and wanted to post while I was on the road, but sadly, I fell sick and was just too brain dead to even form proper sentences to speak.  Not only that, I lost my voice as well, so it's quite a mind numbing experience.  At the moment, I'm still coughing and my voice is totally hoarse.  Hopefully, I will get well soon.

Nonetheless, I was in Singapore last weekend for a short trip and I have to say this, it was such a good trip.  I was shopping on my own and it's great fun too.  I went crazy with the Micellar Water and I bought a few varieties of them to try.

(from left to right)

Japanese Brand Cleansing Lotion

I was exploring Beaute Spring when I saw this selling for SGD22.90.  It's definitely cheaper than Bioderma and I couldn't resist getting it for I wonder if it'll be a good alternative to Bioderma.  It's listed to be for Sensitive Skins, which is good for me as I realised that I skin does skew towards that.  For the life of me, I don't know the brand because it's all in Japanese!  Honestly, it's labelled as Cleansing Lotion, so I'm not very certain it is Micellar Water, but I guess, one needs to try in order to find out right? hehe

Bourjois Paris Micellar Cleansing Water
I literally just grabbed and go when I was this.  I have no idea whether it works, but I was on a Micellar Cleansing Water hunt and I just had to, you know, grab it! Hahah... I saw this at BHG in Bugis and it was selling for SGD14.90.

Bioderma Micellar Cleansing Water
This needs no introduction.  I'm running low on it and it was on sale at Watsons for SGD39.90 (normal price is SGD59.90) so of course I'll grab it.  You can read the review here.

I'll blog more about them when I start using them, which I would think is soon as I am down to quite a little of my existing Bioderma Micellar Cleansing Water now.

Aiken Tea Tree Oil

This is my current life saver.  My skin is prone to acne/ pimple around my lips, chin and jaw area and it tends to pop up during the time of the month.  It really does get to me, and I struggled with numerous products before I settled on this.

To be honest, I used to use the Body Shop Tea Tree Oil when I was in my uni time in an attempt to control those annoying pop ups on my skin and I found that it actually caused me to break out even more.  I wasn't sure why but I just stopped using it then.

During the period of last year, when I had a massive breakouts, I was really searching and trying to find something to overcome it and in my desperation, I decided to give tea tree oil a try again.  I settled for the Aiken Tea Tree Oil as it was cheap and it only contains one ingredient, which is the Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil at 100%.  What can go wrong if it's 100% right?

I have to say that this is a life saver product.  What I do is after I wash my face and run through my face with a toner, I then dab this onto the spots.  I leave it on for a minute or so before I put on serum or moisturiser, or both, depending on the texture and how my skin feels for that day.  What I noticed was that, for most period, if it's a pimple with a head, it will shrink after about 2 days.  If I've pressed and cleared the gunk off the pimple, it will take about 3 days to heal properly.  Although it does leave a red spot on the said area, it's cleared of anything. I tend to continue to apply the Aiken Tea Tree Oil onto my spots even after that to ensure that it doesn't recur.

Please be aware that this product does sting a little, so if a pimple is near your eye area, I'd suggest you to avoid applying this.  I realised that if a particular spot where I applied is about to have bumps or already have slight bumps, the sting is stronger.  I reckon it is "killing" all the bad bacteria... hehe...

It's been a year since I started using it and I have to say that it works every time.  It's definitely a good purchase.  I think it costs me only RM10 back then.  I'm not sure what's the price now though.

However, one thing is that it does leave the bottle sticky after a while or if you've encountered leakage (as you can see, it looks icky ;p).  I've been carrying it along with me when I travel and it does have a bit of leakage.  What I usually do is I put it into a plastic bag or ziploc before I pack it into my make up pouch, just so that it does make a mess with my other stuff.

This is definitely a good buy and I'll definitely get a new one when I'm done.  Totally cost effective.  After almost a year, I still have a quarter left in the bottle.  Am loving it.

April Empties

Well now, this month shows that I have less products to be disposed off.  Still, I'm glad that there's still a few things emptied for this month:

1. Dove Damaged Therapy Hair Fall Rescue Shampoo
I bought this as an alternate to the Human Nature Shampoo.  Mainly, I wanted to give this a try and see if it helps in the hair fall, or if organic products works better.  I won't compare it here, but what I do find is that it does work well as an alternative shampoo but it's not something to use on a daily basis for me.  Will share more in a different post.

2. TheBodyShop White Musk Too Shimmer Body Lotion
I got this as a Christmas gifts many eons ago and as you could see, it's barely used.  The reason is because it leaves my body feeling sticky even though the shimmers were lovely.  I just can't stand its stickiness though.  The smell is nice as I like the musk smell.  But this is definitely a no go for me as I dislike things that makes me feel sticky.

3. TheFaceShop Lip Gloss
A cute little present from a friend.  Like that it's not so sticky and was religiously using it for a period of time.  Am not able to really scoop the rest out so off it goes to the bin.

Maybelline Color Tattoo Metal Eyestudio

I've actually finished up the post and was trying to load the pictures and make minor amendments when, all of a sudden, the whole entry is gone.  (almost want to pull my hair out!) Arghhh....Anyway, I'll try to remember what I've wrote and recapture the essence of it for this post.

I saw these Maybelline Color Tattoo Metal Eyestudio Cream eyeshadows when I was at the Chemist Warehouse and I couldn't resist it.  It was truly a bargain, AUD12 for 2!  I know they are not here in Malaysia, well, not this range and they truly look lovely.

I bought 4 of them.  A google search revealed that there was one which is Golden Rush, but I didn't it at the warehouse, so I didn't get it.  Although, well, I don't think it's a color I can carry nor will I use often.  

Packaging
I don't see a difference in its packaging from the range that we have here in Malaysia.  It's the standard glass tub with a black plastic cover.  Simple and nice.  I like the fact that I can see the color when I flip them over and that is how I store them in my drawer.  This allows me to easily grab the one that I want to use (especially during the morning rush).  It comes in 4g and I have to say that this is a huge tub of eyeshadow cream.  Definitely can last me quite a while.  I've been using them regularly (especially Barely Branded) and you can only see a slight dip.

Texture
These darlings are easy to work with.  It's creamy in texture and is soft enough to allow you to work the eye shadows onto your lid without needing to rub it in.  However, just be careful not to press too hard as a clump of it can come out (as per pic below) and it may cause the application to be clumpy as well.

Being termed metal, these darlings scores high on shimmer.  Only Electric Blue is slightly less shimmery as compared to others.  I'd seriously would term them as serious shimmer!  So, if you can't take shimmer/ glitters, please, give this a pass.  As for me, it works out well to give me a bit of a depth to my eyes as I would use them with a darker colour to balance it out.

I'm not sure how long it will last before it dries out (hopefully never!) but we'll see.

Just to share, I tend to use the Electric Blue as eyeliner, given that it's kinda Cobalt Blue as isn't as shimmery as the rest.  It really does make my eyes stand out and I love it.

I really love these darlings.  I've been googling Maybelline Color Tattoo and I realised that it has such a wide range of colors.  I do hope that they will bring in more to Malaysia and not leave it as just the current range.

Simplicity of Love

I'm just digressing here from the usual post because I just felt like wanting to share with you something I wrote a few years back.

Given that it's Good Friday and it's in commemoration of the Jesus going to the cross to die for us because God so loved us and chose to demonstrate that love through this sacrifice, I hope this post will be a post that makes you ponder about love, the greatness of it, in its simplicity.

I hope this will be a blessing to you.

The simplicity of love, overclouded by the demands of humans, is sometimes seen to be something that is hard to seek.  In this world where we live in, it seems that love is about how much a person can provide for you, what the other person can give you, what the other person is willing to spend on you.  Living in these days whereby materialism seems to be the dominating factor, the simplicity of love seems to be hidden from us.  Human, I find, tend to see love as something that one can gain from, not something that one can give with no expectation in return.

I’ve seen love where one demands the other to be of a certain way, where one demands the other to change, where one demands another to give, where one constantly wanting to only receive, wanting to only take all the while selfishly keeping themselves at a distance.  I’ve seen love where manipulation is the key player; love where both parties put each other down so much and yet they do take in the abuse (yes, I see this abuse), love where one says, I’ve got no say because he/she is like that; I cannot voice out my thoughts or opinion because of the way he/she is.  I’ve also seen love where the other party became so weak just because of love, where she is no longer the person that she was. 

I am not saying that love is wrong, but yet, I believe that when one love, therein involves a sense of giving from both parties, a manner of respect for both parties, a sincerity of heart from both parties.  I’m not out to offend, but just to share my thoughts on love.

Love is beautiful, love is pure, love is simple, yet many times you see love being twisted to suit that particular person, and it can definitely be the heavy kind too.  We tend to twist it and say, I’m doing this because I love you, and I’m saying this because I love you, if you love me, you will… Things can get quite crazy sometimes.  Go figure. 

Living in Asia itself tells of a different kind of story too.  Asian culture isn’t helping when it comes to love, because our parents grew up in a life where words of love are not spoken, but words of reprimand and words of putting down others seems to be so prevalent.  I know, because I grew up living under this kind of love.  A love that doesn’t praise if you do well, rather, it seems to be expected of you.  Yet, a simple mistake not only attracts hurtful or reprimanding words, it also means that little bit of piercing in your heart.  I know this because I grew up with this kind of love.  Mind you, it’s not that I don’t love my parents, I love them dearly, but it’s sad to know that they aren’t able to profess their love to their children (my sibling and I) in a loving manner.   I believe too, this is a generational thing, because our parents grew up knowing only this kind of love and thus, it is through this kind of love that they show to their kids.  Something to think about eh, a generational issue.  Well, that in itself will be something to blog about at another time.Back to love; 1 Corinthians 13: 4-9; 13 never fails to amaze me in its definition of love. 

⁴Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. ⁸Love never fails. ¹³And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.It’s easy to read the above and say, woah, but I believe, love in perfection is great!  But in reality, many would say, “nah, it’s too hard”, “if I love like that, I’ll only be hurt at the end” , “even in love I should protect myself” and etc.  I’ve also read in the other extreme whereby, “aiya, it’s ok that he’s scolding me or stopping me from going out, it’s just him”, “he always scold me, but I can take it’ and etc. 

Back to the simplicity of love; if both parties are able to trust each other, able to protect each other, choose not to put themselves before their loved ones, keeps no records of wrongs, I believe one will be able to fully love each other, and that itself is the simplicity of love.  We love because He first loved us (1 John 4:19).  Knowing that He chose to love us for who we are, we ought to also learn to love like Him.  What’s more, we are created in His image.  Without love, we will live in a world full of hate.  Can you imagine peace in such a world?  I honestly cannot.

I’m not talking about perfect love, because we are imperfect and we are living in a world full of imperfection.  I’m talking about the willing to love simply, to love how we are loved, to love others for who they are, to love ourselves for whom God created us to be, to love as God loved us.  I’m not asking you to be perfect, but even as we learn to love the way love is as stated in 1 Corinthians 13, I believe we will love in a whole different level.  When we choose to love as written in 1 Corinthians 13; I believe this love will change not only the person we love, but also ourselves too.  What is love if we only expect the other to change?  Love changes us because life overflows out of love.  Hope overflows when we love. Peace overflows when we love.  We may not be able to love as wholeheartedly, but any attempt that we take is a change too.

Bear in mind, we need to make that change ourselves first before anything else.  How can we love others well if we don’t love ourselves well?  How can we see what love is if we don’t even love, respect and cherish ourselves?  If we are able to love ourselves first and foremost, I am sure that when you choose to love others, it will be a different kind of love too.  Nonetheless, loving oneself does not mean loving only self and satisfying only self.  That, in turn is called selfish love.  Yet, if we choose to love ourselves as what’s written in 1 Corinthians 13, I believe it will bring love to a different level for ourselves and for those around us. 

Love is not just a feeling, but it is also a commitment.  It’s something you work at, and not just relying on your own feelings contrary to what the movies tell you.  Love, work at it, learn it and spread it.

May the Good Lord’s love continue to envelope you dearly as you learn to love yourself and to love others as He love us.  

Use of Vaseline: Oh my poor lips, let me help relieve you from your dryness

I've always have been struggling with dry lips since.... like forever, I think.   I've tried various methods, from drinking loads of water to even applying various types of lip balms to no avail.  It actually came to a point where I just accepted the fact that my lips will always be dry and peeling.  That is, until a couple of weeks ago where my friend was telling me that my lips looked dry and wrinkled!  That was a shock to me because I became so immune to how my lips look like that I didn't realised that it was getting wrinkly.

The first product that came to my mind was Vaseline, partly cause I have a huge tub sitting on my drawer which I wasn't using.  I saw this technique by Lisa Eldridge in one of her videos at her website, where she uses a cotton bud and Vaseline to get rid of the peeling skin gently from the lips without bruising it unknowingly.  I've been practicing this every night and it works.  I realised that my lips are no longer as dry and it does not peel anymore.  I love it.

Vaseline is actually petroleum jelly and it functions as a moisture barrier.  This is good for us who are always in air-conditioned rooms, because as you know, air-con makes the place cooler and drier, which in turns dries our skin as well.  My biggest symptoms is really my lips and no matter how much lip balm I put on my lips, sigh.... peel it goes.  So, with Vaseline, it kinda seal existing moisture of my lips.  I can feel it happening because when I wake up the next morning, I can still feel the remnant of Vaseline on my lips.

What I also do is, occasionally, I will rub some macadamia oil on my lips first, followed by Vaseline.  I do this with the mind that the Vaseline will seal the oil and works as a barrier to allows my lips to absorbs the macadamia oil.  I like the fact that my lips look better and plumper than usual.

One awesome thing about Vaseline is that it is cheap.  I bought this tub in Singapore for around SGD2, if I'm not mistaken and you can sometimes get it for less than RM5 in any of the pharmacies.  It's huge size makes it lasts forever, and right now, I'm working it hard so that I can finish my tub before it hits expiry date.

Make Up Removal Series: Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micelle Solution Sensitive skin

I first saw this on Lisa Eldrige's video on Make Up Removal and was utterly fascinated by it.  To think, this wonderful product seems to be able to remove all make ups and is in water form.  Sadly, it's not available in KL back then, and so I left it as it is.  Later, when I was in Hong Kong, I saw it and was a little reluctant to purchase it due to the price.  It was selling at HKD188 back then, a price that I wasn't very willing to pay.

Nonetheless, a friend of mine made a trip to Hong Kong and I asked her to look for it at Bonjour.  She told me it was selling for HKD108 (with original price sticker showing HKD396) I told her to just grab it for me, and that is how I ended up with a 500ml bottle of this Bioderma Sensibio H20 Michelle Solution Sensitive Skin.  Really, the name is long, so I'll refer to it as Bioderma Sensibio H20.

I like it's unassuming packaging.  A simple see through packaging that provides ample information and a sturdy enough cover to ensure no leakage.  I've carried it up and down with me to a number of places and have not experienced any leakage at all.

As per direction given, I take a couple of cotton pads and pour the Bioderma Sensibio H20 onto it, ensuring that it's wet enough (but not too wet, else it'll be difficult to use) and slide the pads all over my face.  I usually use 4 regular cotton pads for my whole face.  The initial 2 is the first run on my face, ensuring that most of my foundation and eye make up is removed, whereas the last 2 is just another round to make up everything is gone.


This is what I like about it.  It is easy to use.  It's as easy as putting water on cotton pad and wipe.  It also does not leave my skin feeling dry after the removal.  Sometimes, when I just wanted to get the grime off my face before I head to shower like an hour or two later, I will use the Bioderma Sensibio H2O to remove the make up and splash some water onto my face.  It helps.  Of course, I double cleanse and I use my facial towel to clean up when I shower later, but as a temp, it works without drying my skin as compared to using cleansing oil.

I've definitely stocked up another smaller bottle when another friend of mine was in Hong Kong last year.  Also, I realised that I can purchase them online at a couple of website that ParisB recommended, so I'll definitely be checking them out once I start using my other bottle.  Can't do without a backup!

March Empties

As predicted by my friend, the amount of empties deteriorated as the months go by.  She claims that I was using numerous products without finishing them in the first, and well, I have to agree to that.  What can I say?  I love trying new things and finishing them is not always my best side.

Nonetheless, I realize that doing these empties posting helps and encourage me not to waste, so here goes for the March Empties!

From right to left:

Organic Aid Moisturising Cream
Reviews can be read here.

Human Nature Natural Shampoo Strengthening with Creamfoam
This is my stocked up bottle of 500ml of the shampoo.  I have to say that I love that it does not weight my hair down like other shampoos.  Review is available here.  There's an increase in the price recently (up to RM45.90) so I'm still thinking about repurchasing it although it's good.  Maybe it's time for me to explore other organic hair shampoo?

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Essence with Progressive Release System
Another bottle down.  It works and it helps smoothen the skin.  Review can be read here.

Benefit PocketPal Benetint + Gloss
Gosh, this is my very first Benefit product and is one of my initial make up items.  I really like benetint on my lips but I've not been successful in mastering the blush method.  It tends to get a little awkward when I do apply it on my cheeks.  Yet, I was reluctant to throw it after so many years.  Sentiments, I guess.  Now though, it's time to throw and clear, so I'm saying goodbye to it.  Until the next one, my dear.

Anna Sui Super Mascara DX Waterproof 001
This is my very first mascara which I still use until now.  It works great!  I love that it makes my eyelashes looks like lashes without overdoing it.  I often opt for this mascara because it's easy to apply, it makes my lashes stays curly and best of all, it's waterproof.  It was a gift by Plusizekitten when I first made some purchase from her.  I also like the fact that it's a sample size, because I don't often use mascara and this size helps me to make sure I use them up within a good frame of time.  Love... and hopefully, I can get another one of it soon, after I finish my other mascaras... hehe

Make Up Removal Series: Kose Softymo Point Make Up Remover

Initially, I asked a friend to help me get the Kose Softymo Cleansing Oil when she was in Hong Kong.  However, she couldn't seem to find it and ended up buying me this Kose Softymo Point Make Up Remover.  I have to say that I wasn't sure what this was initially .  However, there was a sticker on the bottle that was showing an eye and I assumed it's an eye make up remover.  A google search revealed that it is indeed, an eye make up remover.

Well, I have to say that it does have a lot to live up to, given that I really, really love my Maybelline Eye & Lip Make Up Remover.  Nonetheless, it's always fun to try out new things, don't you agree?

One of the things that kinda threw me off was the size of it.  It's a 230ml bottle, the same as the cleansing oil that I have from Kose Softymo.  For me, this is quite a big bottle for an eye make up remover.  Nonetheless, it does make up for it's price.  I think it costs me around RM25 for the bottle.

This is a bi-phase remover, which means it is separated into two components.  Like Maybelline, this needs to be shaken before use, and you need to make sure you shake well, given that the porportion of the oil and the remover seems to be differing greatly.  I'm kinda worried that I will end up finishing the oil portion and left the remover portion.  That would most likely reduce its efficacy in removing my eye make up, wouldn't it?  Okay, that's probably just me with my little teeny weeny paranoia.

Anyhow, in terms of efficacy, it works as a normal eye make up remover.  It does its job in removing all my eye make up.  Having said that, I realise that it doesn't work as well when it comes to waterproof mascara.  Nonetheless, as I don't use mascara everyday, I'm still okay with using this.  It doesn't really pull when I remove my eye make up.  What I do is usually to soak a cotton pad with the make up remover and place it onto my eyelid for around 10-20 seconds, pressing lightly on my eyes.  When the time is up, I slide the pad on a downwards motion to remove the make up.  I tend to go through that motion about 2-3 times to make sure that all the eye make up is removed.  No pulling was involved, so that's good (I don't have to worry about causing wrinkles! hehe).

Will I repurchase.  Honestly speaking, no.  One is because it's only available in Hong Kong and two, I still find that my sturdy Maybelline Eye and Lip Make Up Remover suits me just fine.

Make Up Removal Series: Maybelline Make Up Remover Eye & Lips

I'll be starting a series on make up removals that I used or am using, and what a better to do so with my favourite product!

(image taken from Maybelline Malaysia website)

This is my staple eye and lip make up remover, or Holy Grail product, as some would term it.  It definitely has a spotlight among all the items that I use and I always make sure I have a back up in place, as well as a travel size one too (I always ended up grabbing the travel size ones in Singapore as they tend to go for SGD2 per piece!  What a bargain!)

I can't believe that I've not blogged about it.  Possibly because it's become such a staple that it just didn't occur to me to do so.

In terms of packaging, it's nothing fanciful.  Just a clear bottle which allows you to see how much you have left and anticipate the next buy ... hehe... It's fully plastic and in terms of dispensing, it is done quite well as the hole isn't too big and is just right in dispensing the small amount needed onto your cotton.

In terms of its efficacy, I'd have to say it does a very good job in removing my eye and lip make up.  It's quick too.  All you have to do is pour a few drops onto your cotton, press the cotton onto your eyes (lightly) and hold it for like 30 seconds.  After that, do a quick and light swipe downwards and viola, most of your make up is gone.  I usually need to do 2 to 3 light swipes to get rid of all the make up, especially when it comes to waterproof mascara, which can be quite a nightmare to remove when you don't have the right product to do so.  Nonetheless, it doesn't take too much effort and I don't have to worry any residues.  As for the lips, I just need to do a couple of quick wipes and it's all gone from my lips.  Do bear in mind that it does contain oil in the mix, so if you're sensitive to it... do test it out first.

I like the fact that it's quick and it doesn't sting my eyes at all.  This is something that I reach out to when I am too tired to do too many steps and just wanted to be done with it.

Plus, it's cheap too!  It's always less than RM20 per bottle and tends to go on sale often at Watsons or Guardian.

February Empties

Well now, it's that time of the month where I review what I've finished and what I gave away as they don't suit me.  Figured that if I can't use the item, it means I can also bless someone with it and not waste it :)

1. ianti luxe jewelry Clear Mask Pack
This one is a throw.  I totally forgotten about this product and I think it has sat in my shelf for at least 4-5 years.  That is seriously a long time, so off it goes into the bin instead.

2. Kose Softymo Speedy Cleansing Oil

You can read the review here.  I did not stock up on this because I find that it seems to be drying my skin these days.  Well, as the years passes by, I believe our skin does change as well, so I'm looking at different make up removers now to see which one suits me.  If you have any interesting ones, do drop me a note so that I can check them out :)

3. Galacto Myces 100% Pure Natural Skincare

I found this at Q0010.my.  It's listed to be similar to SKII and I thought why not give it a try.  Will write a review on it later.  Stay tune, folks! 

4. Skincerity Nightly Breathable Masque

Back a while ago, when my skin was breaking out like crazy, I was desperate.  Desperate enough to buy this item that costs me RM200.  It's a small bottle, but it did last me quite a fair bit.  Did it help?  I guess it did a little, but I just find it too expensive to continue at this point.  Plus, now my skin is well again, I'll give it a pass for now.

5. Maybelline Make Up Remover Eye & Lip

Sigh, I've not posted on this, have I?  Don't worry, it will be rectified soon.  Save to say, this is a must have for me.

6. Clean & Clear Essentials Foaming Facial Wash

Another item that I bought during my desperate time in warding off all the pimples that kept popping on my skin.  Save to say, I'm glad I bought the small bottle.  It is a little harsh for my skin (combi T-zone oily and cheeks dry) and I only use it on alternate days, and it's only in the evening on days where I'm out the whole day.  

7. Maybelline Unstoppable Curly Extension 100% Smudgeproof Full Length Curling Mascara

I remember when I was purchasing this, I was debating whether to get the smudgeproof or the waterproof one.  Thinking that smudge proof would work, I grabbed it.  Instantly at the first use, I regretted it because I ended up looking like a panda.  I've since attempted to use it a few times, but it still smudged.  Sigh... It's been sitting on my shelf for a while.  Decided to pass it to a friend who uses mascara daily and she said she don't mind using this too.

8. Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner in Grey
See the size of it?  It's so short now that I wasn't able to sharpen it at all.  I have to say, I love it.  It stays on well and the smudging is minimal at the end of a long day (like 10 hours).  I can use this without any primer and it's good.  This was a mini eyeliner which I bought off my friend.  Will definitely try to get a replacement after I finish all the eyeliners I got from Korea.

9. Hanskin Natural Brow Mascara
This was a gift from my aunt, which she bought from Korea.  I like it cause it does make my eye brow looks natural and it's a quickie for me to use.  I tend to just grab this and swipe it on my eye brow when I need to make a quick dash or if I am late.  Not sure if there's Hanskin here, or if they have this product.  Save to say, I'll want to look for it when I'm out and about.

10. Eyeliner from Korea
I have no idea what is the brand of this item.  It's long faded and there's no way for me to identify it.  Save to say, I won't miss it because it pulls my eyelids when I use.  I'm glad that I finished using it.

11. Eye Palette from Daiso
I bought this during my initial times when I was attempting to try different colours on my eyes without incurring huge cost.  It's good for testing.  However, it does get chalky and it doesn't last long on the lids.

Nair Spa Clay Wax with Mineral-Rich Clay, Mango and Acai Berry

One of the things that captured my attention whilst I was walking in Watsons was the Nair Spa Clay Wax with Mineral-Rich Clay, Mango and Acai Berry.  I mean, wax is wax, but a clay wax?  Hm, I was intrigued.  Knowing myself, I couldn't resist and decided to buy it to try.

It comes with 20 Clay Wax strips and 2 aftercare wipes.  It is slightly pricier than normal, at RM23.90 for a box.  However, it is of course, much cheaper than going to a waxing bar (which ranges from RM30 to RM70 depending on location), given its use per box.
Here's the description that they included for Nair Spa Clay Wax:

I like that Nair will include a slip of information of how to use and what to look out for in their package.  Here's a view of it:

For those of you who needed to look at the ingredients and etc:

This is how each pieces look:

It comes in a set of 2.  I would suggest to use 2 at each time and not leave one behind as I find that it doesn't work that well in subsequent uses.

I like the fact that the colour looks like clay.  It does reinforce the idea that it is a clay wax.
To use this, one needs to warm up the strips before applying it onto the designated area.  For me, it's my lower legs.  What I do is I will rub both pieces with my hands until it's warm before separating the two strips.  After that, I will tend apply one piece onto the area where I want to wax, rubbing it in and making sure that it's sticking to my skin.  I like the fact that after I remove it quickly from my skin, it doesn't leave a sticky residue on my legs (some waxes are just sticky).  However, I do find that its grip on hair is not very good, and that may be caused by the fact that it isn't as sticky as other waxes.  This causes me to go back to the same area more than 2 times in order to ensure that the hairs are removed.  It's not a good thing to do because it reduces the usability of each pieces of the strips.  Usually, I can use 2 strips per leg but with this, I used up to 3 strips per leg.  After that, I still had to use my tweezer (it's much faster) to remove those hairs that weren't waxed.

Although it doesn't leave my skin feeling sticky after use, I do find it a little of a disappointment due to its lack of good function as a wax.  I don't think I'll buy it again for future use.

I'm loving Decanting!

This is a new love of mine which I discovered.  As I mentioned in my earlier post, I was struggling with big heavy glass bottles for my face lotion and I dread it even more as the product went down even more as it means more tilting!  Ergh...  Don't get me wrong, I like the glass bottles, but it does freak me out, knowing that I'm such a clumsy person.  Hence, off I went to Daiso (I totally love this place, don't you?) to find something that would suit my needs.


What I ended at home was two vacuum pumps bottles of 15ml and 30ml each, and a couple of atomizers (one in roller form and one in spray).  The two vacuum pumps bottles are in plastic so I don't have to worry about breaking it if they happen to fall on the floor.  Also, I love that it's frosty see through and it's plain in design.  I've seen some in MagicBoo but I don't really fancy them as they are clear see through with those metal type caps (I feel a little funny with metal scraping sound, so I try to avoid them as much as possible).  The design is space saving too, with it being lean and tall.

The main reason I chose these vacuum pumps is because the bottle itself is design to push all the liquid that's inside the bottle up so that there won't be wastage.  It does get annoying when you kept pumping those containers with a tube inside and it doesn't work.  I do feel that there are times that I ended up wasting quite a bit because the tube just doesn't suck the lotion or the gel up.  So with this, I don't actually have to worry about that.  Another plus point with this container, is that it can be easily washed and reuse!

What I did was I decanted my moisturisers from Etude House into the 2 vacuum pumps (30ml to contain my Etude House Aloe Soothing Lotion - 30ml) and the 15ml to contain my AC Clinic Daily Gel Lotion, which I will blog about later).  The reason for this is because I tend to use the Soothing Lotion more often.

As for the atomizers, I bought two by accident actually.  I was thinking which to get but I was decidedly rushing and ended up putting away the wrong product (which I don't remember what it was now, so I guess it's not really a need product... hehe).  I only found out about the error when I got home.  Nonetheless, it didn't go to waste because I decanted my miniature perfumes into these two atomizers!  Woo hoo.... I tend not to get the regular size perfumes because I don't use it often (or that I tend to forget that I want to put perfume cause I'm always waking up late and rushing off in the morning, or I remembered whilst I was putting make up and then totally forget about it once my done, sigh).  However, with miniature perfumes, I find their covers so hard to remove at most times, plus you have to keep tilting the bottles (you see a familiar dislike of mine here?) to get more of the products out.  With these atomizers, I don't have to worry about it.  I decanted the perfume that I use most often, which is Moschino Toujours Glamour Eau De Toilette into the roller atomizer and my DKNY Apple into the spray.  These atomizers are small in size, about 7ml each, so it is just the right size for my miniature perfumes.  Due to it's size, it's easily portable.  I would sometimes just pack them into my handbag and bring it along with me, applying it when I do remember to.

I truly like Daiso products.  They are well designed and I don't have to worry much about spillage of any sort.

By the way, if you do have containers or jars which are of a good size and easy to use, you can always wash them and decant your face creams over.  I decanted my face creams into the Himalaya Herbals Nourishing Skin Cream tub as well as the 10g tub of Arsainte Eco-Therapy Extreme Moisture Essential Cream.  Both these tubs are wider in terms of diameter, so it's a little shorter in height, making it easier for me to reach in.   wAlso, because the bottom of the tubs are curvy, I don't have to dig in to scrape all the creams out of them.  All I had to do is to follow the ergonomics of the tubs and the creams will come off easily.  Love them!  So, do think about reusing any containers which makes it easy for you to reach for the product.  Buy them only if you have to okay?

Have you have products which are still sitting on your drawers although you quite like them or love them because their containers are just, oh so unfriendly?  You should try to decant them.  I betcha gonna finish using them in a jiff.  Have fun!

Etude House Aloe Moistfull Soothing Lotion

I was walking around Paradigm Mall after dinner with one of my girl friends when we spotted Etude House having sale.  Us being us, we couldn't resist having a look at what's on sale when we saw the buy one free one sign.  I was facing some breakouts (this was back in early/ mid 2013) and was uncertain what was the cause of it but I knew I needed something to counteract it, so I decided on the products below:  

Today, I'll be focusing on the Aloe Moistfull Soothing Lotion.  

Packaging

First thing that I want to talk about is the packaging.  It comes in a glass bottle.  Yes, the whole bottle is glass.  Although it does lend a luxurious feel to the product, I have to say I was a little scared whenever I use it.  I worried that I would either accidentally dropped the bottle and it shatters, or I accidentally knock it down and it... shatters.... yes, it is quite freaky to me, me being clumsy and all.  Nonetheless, I do brave on and use it.... (and later on, I decanted it into a different bottle, which I will write about it in another post).

Also, because it is a glass bottle, it is quite hefty.  Now, I love the feel of it, but when you combine it with a big nozzle (yes, it doesn't come with a pump), I have to say, I dislike it.  Why?  Because I can't control the amount that I pour out due to the heftiness of the bottle.  A heavier tilt gives me too much of the lotion whereas the a lighter tilt does me naught.  

As this is a lotion, I tend to use it during the day, and on alternate use for night as my skin is not able to use cream on a daily basis.   Don't ask me how, but there's a tinge of green that comes with it.  Usually for me, I see aloe as something that's non-coloured, but here, it carries a light tinge of green.  It's okay, just, green... haha...

Texture
 In terms of texture, I like the fact that it wasn't too liquid nor too thick.  You can see from the picture.  That is from one drop from the bottle.  However, as I mentioned earlier, tilting it correctly will determine the amount of the lotion on your hand.  I do have to be careful whenever I pour it out due to the heftiness of the bottle.  I like its texture.  It feels liquidy upon application and gets absorbed into the skin fairly quickly, without leaving my skin feeling sticky.

Efficacy
Well, I'm fairly surprised that it does work.  Somehow, I think my skin gravitates to korean products, which caters for Asian skin.  It doesn't cause my skin to have oil seeds (it happens when a product is too rich) and leaves my skin feeling supple and nice.   Although I was using it with tea tree oil, I find that it's not as dry as before and my skin stopped feeling tight, and feels just right.  I also don't have to worry about over applying as it's more of a watery base and it wasn't too rich on my face.

I'm now left with only a little of the product and am looking to restock soon.  Hopefully, there'll be another promotion of a similar sort =D

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