I've Been Sugarbomb-ed!

I'm sorry.

I'm not feeling all entirely chatty today as I'm feeling rather under the weather. No thanks to a glut-filled Chinese New Year (which isn't even over yet!), and our lovely (and insanely) hot HOT weather.

Temperature over the last week or so has been hovering at oh... just about 36°C. Lovely.

But no matter. Today I want to share with you lovelies a product that I'm sure many of you would have heard of by now - Benefit's Sugarbomb blush.


Sugarbomb comes in four quarters in four shades - peachy, pinky, rosey and lilac-ky. Notice that two of the shades are cooler, and two are warmer. Don't ask me how, but it works.

Swirl your brush in and slowly buff it on your cheeks for a lovely peach-pink glow. Don't worry about it being too much. If anything, I'd say it seems a little light for me (MAC NC25). It took me about 5 swipes before I got it to look like that in the photo below.

(This photo was taken earlier, when I was not as sick and could still smile. But not bad eh? A little blush, and a big smile, and I look pretty alright, no?)

Anyhoo, enough of me talking. Enjoy your weekend!

Me, I'm crashing out for now. Ta~

Green Beauty: Microfibre Face Towels

I've always felt slightly guilty over the waste in tissue paper that my nightly cleansing ritual generates, and thanks to MakeupAlley girls I believe I've not only managed to save the trees - I've one-upped the tissues!

Microfibre towels are super soft, dry quickly and wash out easily. Because they are comprised of very fine fibres, they pick up minute particles without scratching or hurting the surface. Mostly they've been used to dust around the house and polish cars - until the girls at MUA discovered that by jingo, it polishes skin really really well too. Bless them. Oh and they also mentioned that the cheap house cleaning towels you can get at Daiso for RM5 work perfectly too. So of course it's off to Daiso I went!

Although I already have the Nexcare Microfiber Face Cloth which actually works very very well, I felt it was a bit too expensive for daily wear and tear - especially since I can't get it in Malaysia. So a cheap, readily available alternative like Daiso's cleaning cloths was something I was keen to try out.

I cut the 40cm X 40cm towel into four squares - but I gotta tell you, even though the girls at MUA suggest this, next time just buy smaller towels. The ends flake like no tomorrow!

So how does it work? Pretty amazingly actually. My normal cleansing ritual is to wash my face with Johnson's Head to Toe, dry off, then rub in Deep Clean and tissue off. This usually takes two rounds to clean off Revlon Colorstay (it really does stay). The microfiber cloths do it in one round. The second round is squeaky clean.

The first time I used it, I could have sworn I saw it WIPE away some of my blackheads! With daily use the blackhead count has gone down and after some slight purging my skin is looking clearer with tighter pores. Whee! It's also very effective to just rub it over skin after a cleansing face mask - that gets out the more annoying blackheads. For this I use Nexcare's face cloth as it has a side with longer fibres that seem to get more gunk out. ;)

After using I simply rinse it out with Head to Toe and they're dry by the next morning. Easy peasy! =D

Conclusion

I'll be going to back to see if Daiso has a stack of smaller sized towels rather than just one big one. If you're going to give this a try, I recommend the soft slightly furry ones - not the smoother ones that are more for polishing.

Argh! The Internet hates me!

Hey ladies,

I'm having some real trouble with the internet at home - been trying to upload pics for ages and going nowhere. I've even had to try to publish this post several times. I'll try and repost again tomorrow a little later in the day so check back!

Thanks!

Love,
Kahani

Stories from my Grandmother: DIY Hibiscus Leaf Face Mask

Now, I have never tried this DIY mask before though my grandmother, her friends and my mother have given it a shot. My grandmother liked it so much; she used to use it once every few weeks (I think she has stopped) while my mother felt that it was a bit too strong for her skin.

“It’s like a DIY acid peel,” Mum said as I examined at her face carefully. “I think it takes off the top layer of skin cells because my skin feels thinner.”

Mum’s skin did look brighter and her pigmentation scars seemed a little lighter but her skin did seem a little “thin”.

“Hmm…. Think you are right,” I paused. “Eh, didn’t Popo (Hakka for maternal grandmother) say she’s going to do this again today or something?”

“She did? That’ll be the third time this week. I better call her while she still has a face left.”

If you are intrigued enough to try this, all you have to do is:

1. Collect 3-5 hibiscus leaves (not the flower) from your garden/ your neighbour’s bush/ side of the highway. Don’t get caught, of course.
2. Wash them and pound them with a good ol’ fashioned mortar and pestle ‘til they are mashed up.
3. Spread green stuff on already cleansed face and leave for 10-15 minutes before washing off.

As this mask sounds quite strong, I strongly recommend doing a patch test first. People with sensitive skin or acne should definitely stay away or wait until existing pimples subside.

Does anyone else have stories from their grandmother?

Review: St Ives Soothing Oatmeal & Shea Butter Advanced Body Moisturiser

Hello ladies!

Ah, to be back. I think this post will, without a doubt, prove that I'm still in the middle of my current cream-craze. Nevermind that I had only reviewed this Vaseline moisturiser two weeks back.

This bottle of Oatmeal & Shea Butter moisturiser I picked up during my recent trip to Hong Kong, amongst a few other items. And it's a purchase I'm happy to have made.

I first took note of this moisturiser because of the Oatmeal ingredient it boasts. Having read somewhere recently that oatmeal actually works jolly well for eczema, I thought I'd pick up a bottle for the hubs and see how much help it'd do him.

So read on to find out more!

It could be just me, but more often than not, products I'm interested in are usually out of reach. And of course, this too, is not available in Malaysia. Hence, the picking it up while in Hong Kong. Sorry girls, but this one you can't get here. Can anyone tell if it's sold in Singapore?

Anyway, it's one happy purchase as my skin didn't take the (lovely and mild) Hong Kong winter very well. Two days into my trip, my skin had turned all dry and scaly, and it was starting to itch like crazy.


Just as well, don't you think? Sorry hubs, I'm helping myself to this first. After all, it does claim to provide "instant non-irritating relief for dry, itchy skin".

And I must say, I was rather impressed. Slathering it on all over provided somewhat instant relief for the dryness, and my skin stopped itching. And slapping it on in the morning kept my skin comfortable pretty much throughout the day. But I'm pretty sure the glycerin had more to do with it than the oatmeal, considering the fact it's listed last in the ingredient's list.


But what's great about the product is that it claims to be have been formulated without parabens and phthalates. Tree-huggers will also rejoice in knowing that St Ives does not test on animals, and that the bottle contains 20% post-consumer recycled material.


Scent wise, Kahani describes it as "milky and nestum-y", which I didn't mind at all. And of course, dearest Kahani had to hate it.

"I can STILL smell you!" she groaned, despite being curled up in her duvet, head and all.

Granted, we both shared this tiny room, and her bed was not three feet away from mine. I think it's one of life's ironies that best friends we may be, but our noses most certainly aren't. I love vanilla, she hates it. She loves lavender and citrus. I hate them BOTH. Go figure.

Anyway, this huge 532ml bottle (which cost less than RM20 after conversion) will last me a long, long time. Which is great, since I do really like it. However, considering that I am currently swimming in body moisturisers, and the fact I can't get my itchy hands on it here, I doubt I'll be repurchasing.

Oatmeal, anyone?

Monday's Beauty Bits

And we're back! How was your CNY ladies? Frankly I spent mine eating too much then lying around gasping from the heat and eating too much. Well let's just ease back into the week with a few beauty bits aye?

For all you girls who love products you can find in your kitchen, look no further than olive oil as a makeup remover! Michelle Phan has a post on this if you need further proof. She also uses it in a DIY scrub and as a brush cleaner - just look around on her site.

Still hankering after NYX lippies? Makeupoverloaded has some in stock for RM23 a tube. What I really appreciate though are the great photos and swatches she took. Most sites selling NYX have absolutely dreadful swatches!

The heat doesn't just leave me gasping it's left my hair wilting. Since I've run out of Batiste, I've been making do with dusting plain silica powder in my hair, rubbing it in and brushing it out. It's been a great hair refresher but don't overdo it or you'll have cake batter on your scalp!

Have a lotion that's just too heavy to use as a body cream in a tropical climate? Don't let it go to waste, decant it into a smaller tube and tote it around as a light hand lotion. You'll still get great use out of it and your hands will love you too. I've currently got a travel-sized tube of ~H2O+'s Body Balm in Lemon Lust in my bag - an idea I got from Syen during our Hong Kong trip. Her scent of choice? Raspberry Guava of course! ;)

Happy Chinese New Year!

Hello lovelies!

One more day and it'll be the eve of Chinese New Year already! For all of our readers who are celebrating the festivities, here's wishing you a very, very Happy Year of the Tiger!

Instead of wishing you wealth and prosperity, we'll wish you all love in your hearts, joy in your lives, and peace and harmony within your families. And may this Chinese New Year be a blast for you and your loves ones.

For those of you who'll be travelling (I know I will!), drive safe and stay safe.

So Loverly will also be taking a few days off for the festivities, so see you lovelies when we get back!

Happy Chinese New Year!!!

Love,
Kahani, Syen & Eli ~

PS: Just a little something I'd like to share with you girls, so read on!

Cellnique has apparently repackaged their b.liv products again. I ran out of my HG pro sebum gel, and I knew I had to get a bottle before I ran off for the CNY holidays. And this was what I found.

The new look actually looks better, I think. They seem to be taking a cue from original packaging, minus the "aunty" look. It's now priced at RM179 for 45ml, but Sasa is giving RM29 + RM5 off until the end of the month.

Stocking up, anyone?

Silk Natural's Lip Lube in Candy Cane & Southern Praline

Ok, so I confess, I'm wee bitty lip balm mad. Just a bit. ;)

These cheekily named, Lip Lubes, were released by Karen (founder of Silk Naturals) around Christmas and I'm happy to announce that they're still available because they are DELISH (and cute too)!

Candy Cane is a yummy vanilla peppermint flavour and undoubtedly my fave. For those afraid of landing a toothpaste-flavoured peppermint don't worry. This is a cool menthol with a hint of vanilla and a sweet taste.

Southern Praline is truly special in my experience. Ever had a pecan tart? Well this smell just like it. Melted, buttery brown sugar with warm toasted pecans. Mmm... Candy Cane trumps this primarily because I find it so distracting. And I start craving pecan tarts, pecan pie, pecan cinnabon rolls...

Although SN says these are more for sealing moisture in than for heavy-duty moisturisation I have no complaints. They are glossy, smooth, emollient and are definitely moisturising enough for me. Just word of warning, they may melt in Malaysian weather if you tote it around in your bag under the hot sun. I keep them at home and at my office desk for a treat now and then.

At US$3.99 each they won't break the bank, and it's a great price for hand-made, critter-friendly, natural balms. The tubes are full-sized and I'd definitely repurchase if they're still available when I run out.

Sunscreen Series: Neutrogena SPF 30+ (or SPF 75 for non-Ozzies) Ultra Sheer Dry Touch Sunscreen Lotion

I finally got around to trying out the much-hyped about Neutrogena Dry-Touch Sunscreen and ladies, I am not impressed.

Shocker, I know. Practically everyone I know who has given this a go raves about how easily it goes on and the matte finish it leaves behind. Plus, the Neutrogena Hydrating Sunscreen Lotion worked so well for me (reviewed here), I had high hopes for the body equivalent.

What a letdown.

By the way, this sunscreen is rated SPF 30+ in Australia (30+ being the highest allowed SPR rating in Australia), I believe it is rated as either SPF 50 or 75 in other countries.

Part of the hype surrounding the Neutrogena Ultra Sheer range is the helioplex technology used to stabilise the active ingredients in sunscreen products (I have previously explained here) which makes for better, more effective and long lasting protection against UVA rays.

Sounds great so far, especially topped off with the claim that the Neutrogena Dry-Touch Sunscreen has a "lightweight, clean feel" which "leaves skin soft and smooth" (it is written on the tube). And, it is also 4 hours water resistant. Perfect for sun, surf and sand mad Ozzies.

As mentioned, lot of people have raved over how quickly this absorbs into their skin and leaves them with a non-greasy feel. While I agree that this doesn't leave a whitish cast, the sunscreen has a pretty thick texture which takes quite a while for me to apply. It doesn't absorb into my skin any faster than other sunscreens and neither does it leave me feeling dryish. My skin still feels and looks greasy.

Bummer.

Performance wise, I would say that this is pretty good. I tan pretty easily after a few hours without sunscreen and using this has definitely prevented that.

The active ingredients in this sunscreen are:

1. Homosalate: UVB protection
2. Octyl Salicylate: UVB protection
3. Oxybenzone: Short wave UVA protection
4. Octylcrylene: UVB protection
5. Butyl Methoxydibenzylmethane/ Avobenzone: Long wave UVA protection

At the end of the day, I think my usual Cancer Council Everyday Sunscreen is a better deal. It gives me less of a greasy feel, just about the same amount of protection and it's cheaper to boot. The Neutrogena Dry Touch Sunscreen is priced at AUD 17.99 for 85 ml (I picked it up when it was 15% or 20% off) while Cancer Council is AUD 14.95 for 200 ml. That's a price difference of AUD 13.69 per 100 ml and seeing how an 85ml tube of Neutrogena Dry Touch lasts for 3 weeks...

No, I am not repurchasing.

Review: Vaseline Intensive Rescue Moisture Locking Lotion + Relief & Repair Balm

Hello lovelies,

How's your Tuesday looking? Hope it's chugging along just fine. Mine's looking crazy busy still, but ah well... this is life.

Anyway, last week I talked about having fried and flaky hands, and I did promise a review on some of the products I've purchased as a result of my current craze for all things moisturising.

So here's two of 'em from the Vaseline Intensive Rescue Range - Moisture Locking Lotion and the Relief & Repair Balm. The other products, sadly, are out of my reach.

(Plus, I'd be a wee nutters don't cha think, if I got everything from one range of products?)

On to the reviews!

Moisture Locking Lotion (Hypoallergenic & Unfragranced)

The only product available from this range in Malaysia (I'll explain the balm later), I picked up a 400ml pump bottle from Guardians the other day. I had decided to be good and had reluctantly put the bottle back onto the shelf, but a RM5 voucher (earned shortly later) killed all will-power, resulting in me running back to the shelf and then straight for the cashier (with voucher waving like a victory flag).


Anyhow, I'm rather glad I picked it up because, as said earlier, I had fried my hands dry two weekends ago. And between slappingon my ~H20+ Raspberry Guave Body Balm during the day (because it's the only moisturiser I have in my bag), and this super moisturiser at night, my hands started healing and was pretty much back to normal after about 3 days.

Make no mistake, ladies. While it's texture is lotion, this is HEAVY-duty stuff. I realised I made a slight mistake one day, when upon applying it all over my hands and legs (just before bedtime), I started feeling a little icky. Just a wee bit. It's not greasy, heavens no. But unlike this one here, it won't just sink in and be done with it. It'll hang around a while, let you know it's there, try to make friends... you get the drift. You just know it's there.

But I forgive it, because it does one heck of a moisturising job. My skin felt insanely moisturised the next morning. Although, I doubt I'll be repeating this stunt again. This baby goes only on the extra-dry spots from now on.


Kahani, who also has this moisturiser, recommended it as a lovely hand cream. And I must agree. I just slapped on a little for my hands, and here I am. Still typing on my notebook. With no unwanted greasiness. Two thumbs up there.

Priced at about RM18, I think it's a fair price for such a great moisturiser. And since I'll only need a little bit each time I use it, I think it'll take me a while before I need to think about getting another bottle. Try a year or two.

I do wish, however, that Unilever would also bring in the fragranced variety for options sake. I do like a little scent in my moisturisers.

Relief & Repair Balm (for very dry skin)

As I've said earlier, the lotion is the only product available in Malaysia from this range (as far as I know). So, no, you can't get this here, I'm afraid. I picked this up from a Hondos Centre last August while I was in Greece. Sorry ladies.

But I'd like to talk a little about it anyway.

If the lotion was already heavy, this is about three times (3x) that. With petrolatum, aqua and glycerin as its top three ingredients, go figure. It's very, very heavy, which was great when my skin constantly felt like it bursting at the seams while I was in Europe, but over here, I scarcely dare apply it.


A little dab here on an extra-dry spot, and a little there, and that's about all the lovin' it gets. Vaseline didn't put up the "for very dry skin" remark in red on the bottle for nothing.

Priced at about €7-ish (~RM35) for 100ml, if I remember correctly, it is pricey. I doubt I'll be repurchasing it since: 1) it's not available here. 2) I'll be glad to just be able to finish this bottle up. 3) I have a gazillion other moisturisers to run through yet!

So there you go. Have you tried any products from this range? Hit me back, ladies!

Monday's Beauty Bit: Sasa's Natio Deal

Ever since Eli reviewed Natio's Eye Contour Treatment Gel and I learnt it was available in Sasa for only RM44, I knew I had to have it. But I was good, I waited till my eye cream had finished before running out to get it. So how did I end up with this?:

Well you see, Sasa had these new year deals going. Two natio products would get you 20% off both. So since the gel was light and recommended for morning, I also picked up a tube of Natio's Eye Contour Wrinkle Cream for the same price. I was then informed that if I spent RM10 more I'd get a 7-piece Natio giftset worth RM60 for free. So, I got this...

Since I really wanted to try Natio's Young Camouflage Tinted Spot Cream. On its own the cream was RM29, this entire giftset with a lipbalm and coin purse cost RM29. No brainer, right?

The set,(7-pieces including the bag) has a handcream, a toner, yet another eye cream (different at least), a facial wash, and moisturiser.

So that's how buying one eye cream resulted in enough Natio products to fill a shelf. >_<

DIY Beauty: Blotter Case

Remember this blotter case?

Well thanks to a terribly fun night out in Singapore involving a few too many cocktail and two unconnected wardrobe malfunctions (my shoe strap broke AND my clutch bag burst open) it's now like this:

I find I've gotten used to a little mirror handy when I blot my nose and I love that it's never powdery (unlike the ones in power compacts) so I hit up 2 Guardians and a Watsons trying to replace it when I got home. No dice. They're goooonee... what's a shiny-nosed vainpot to do?

Well for one thing go to Daiso and for RM5 buy a pretty and slim metal card case:

Get it home, pry mirror out of NYX trio eyeshadow palette and stick it mirror in the card case with glue (it had to be narrow, it couldn't overlap the white bit that's holding the blotters in.
Et Voila! I actually added tiny magnets to help keep it closed because it's not a very well made card case and has trouble staying closed even when empty.

What do you think? Are blotter cases a necessity or a frivolity?

Hazy, Lazy, Crazy Days ~

Hey lovelies,

O.M.G. It's Thursday already? Eek.

First of, apologies that there will not be a review today. My life right now somewhat in a slightly crazed state due to work. Heaps of it. Particularly this week due to an ongoing high-profile case. So sorry girls.

So instead, I'll just give you a short update on me, and what you can expect in the near future.

Apart from being very, very busy, I'm kinda having a cream-craze right now. Of the moisturising kind. This has been going on for a few weeks now, and I've been stalking moisturiser after moisturiser. St Ives, Vaseline... you name it, I've probably bought it.

(Thanks heavens I've managed to limit it to the drugstore variety. So far.)

Bad news is, craze is still ongoing. Stratys-3, I WILL get my hands on youuu!

Good news is, all of this is definitely coming in handy as my hands are fried and flaky from me scrubbing the bathroom with a ultra-strong detergent (well, NOW I know) a few days back.

So. You girls can expect a review or two on moisturisers soon, as a result of my craze for all things emollient right now.

What about you? What are you going crazy over at the moment? Please do share, and we can go nutters together. Your replies would so brighten up my day.

Syen ~

Sunscreen Series: Cancer Council Australia's Ultra Sunscreen

This is the heavy duty alternative to my staple Everyday Sunscreen (geddit? geddit?). It claims to offer extra UVA protection and is water resistant for up to 3 hours. As the regular orange offering is only water resistant for 2 hours, making this the sunscreen of my choice whenever I hit the beach.

(Not to mention, my boyfriend has a huge bottle of this lying around the place)

So, how does this compare to the more popular Everyday Sunscreen?

First off, Ultra Sunscreen smells and works like regular sunscreen. There's the strong sunscreen-ish smell and it feels a heck more slippery after application compared to Everyday. It also takes a while to work this into my skin as there is a whitish cast caused by zinc oxide.

The active ingredients are:

1. Octyl Methoxycinnamate (Octinoxate): UVB protection
2. Zinc Oxide: Short and Long Wave UVA protection
3. Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane (Avobenzone): Long Wave UVA protection
4. 4-Methylbenzylidene Camphor: UVB protection

They are almost the same as what is offered in Everyday, only oxybenzone has been replaced by zinc oxide.

While Ultra is fine for hitting the beach, where you aren't going to do much other than to laze on the sand, splash in the waves and catch one or two frisbees, it is not great for running around or playing Ultimate Frisbee where you are going to sweat a lot. I used this on a 2 hour bushwalking trip and had rivulets of white sweat dripping down my legs after 30 minutes (I was sweating a lot that day). Not a pretty sight and it doesn't say much about Ultra's staying power now, does it?

Verdict? I guess that this is okay if you are heading out and want a little more extra protection but if you are going to play outdoor soccer, go for another sunscreen instead.

The Cancer Council Australia's Ultra Sunscreen retails at AUD 14.95 for the 200ml flip-top bottle. Like the Everyday Sunscreen, it comes in a variety of sizes so you can check them out here.

Review: Clarins HydraQuench Cream Mask

About once a week I give myself a mini-facial at home. I deep cleanse, scrub, apply a clay mask and follow up with a hydrating mask. Not only is it an indulgent beauty ritual, I find it leaves my skin clear and happy going into the week. Since I got this mask to try from Clarins, I've been using this as my hydrating mask.

Although it's a thick cream it hasn't broken me out - for which I'm grateful. You apply a layer that's thick enough for a even coat of white and after about 15 minutes you'll notice that some of it has disappeared. According to Clarins, this means your skin was dehydrated and it's absorbed the mask.

The mask contains hyaluronic acid, katafray bark for hydration and sobier bud for circulation. But honestly, all it really seems to do is hydrate. Nothing else.

It smells lovely actually, not too strong, faintly of roses and vanilla. Normally I'd hate such a scent but the mask actually smells soothing, cosy and spa-y.

Conclusion
At RM135 per tube, I certainly won't be repurchasing this. For dry skinned gals though I can see how it may be a god-send. But as my skin really isn't dry at all, I use so little that this large tube of 75ml will last me quite awhile. Still, for all it does - hydrate - I'm sure I can find a cheaper alternative. I wish it whitened, de-wrinkled... ANYTHING other than merely hydrate.

What's your favourite hydrating mask? Recommendations please?

For the review of this mask by a dry-skinned babe, check out Connie's.

Monday's Beauty Roundup: January, 2010

Hello ladies! Happy Monday ya'll. Can you believe it? Jan is gone! (Geez, that was fast.) So since it's the first day of Feb and all, what better day to give you ladies all a roundup of what my fellow beauty-crazy sistas have been raving about in the first month of Twenty-ten.

• Think you can skimp on neck cream? Yani of Red Luscious Lips thinks not. And gives her take on Strivectin's offering.
  
  
• Never heard of Steam Cream? Nevermind, ParisB of My Women Stuff tells us what it is.
  
  
• If you're still stuck with no idea on how to kick-start your 2010 (you're just a wee bit late, by the way), Beetrice of Beetrice's Review has a great idea: Operation declutter!
  
  
• Connie of Skindeco gives us an excellent 101 on eyeshadow base and primers. Don't know the difference? All the more reason to read it.
  
  
• Want a great and affordable makeup palette? Nikki of Askmewhats seems to have found one from NYX.
  
  
• Jenn the Lipglosseater thought she could have porridge in the shower. Then again, maybe not.
  
  
• Have you found your perfect conditioner? Xin of Prettybeautiful tells us about hers.
  
  
• Lenses for vanity? Plue of Beauty Up My Life gives her thoughts on Freshkon Mosaic Cosmetic Contact Lenses.

Happy reading ya'll!