Much A-Moo about MooGoo*: MooGoo Milk Wash

I have ridiculously sensitive skin that breaks out into rashes upon contact with strongly fragranced bath products; or products that are too harsh on my skin – I haven’t used a Dove bar soap or Body Shop product in years. Sometimes, it doesn’t have anything to do with the product at all; I can get rashes from hard water.

As you can imagine, my choice in shower creams is pretty much limited to boring, non-scented, dermatologically approved products. Ego QVWash and bar soaps have been bath staples for years and I probably would have never dreamt of switching until I got a sample bottle of MooGoo’s Milk Wash last year.

Go ahead and laugh but MooGoo has revolutionised my shower habits forever. Seriously.

An empty I'm going to miss: Esmeria Organics Alpine Willowherb Purifying Cleansing Gel

I really do owe Esmeria an apology for this one. They sent it to me ages ago, before I left for Hong Kong. In the craze of moving though, I think I used it once, noted that it left a residue and set it aside. 

When I last returned to Malaysia though I found that my bottle of Johnson's Head to Toe (which I use as a facial cleanser) had been used up. Rummaging through what's left of my beauty store I came across this bright pink tube. 

With Dom's review fresh in my mind, I shrugged and gave it a go. 

Yes it leaves a slight residue, but as I used this medicinal smelling cleanser I started to believe (in a way that was perhaps more therapeutic than realistic) that the residue was helping to heal the angry outbreak I had thanks to Simple's (Evil) Cleansing Wipes. 

The very next morning after using it, I found the breakout was a lot less angry and had started to shrink. Then the worst ones came to a head and healed rapidly. 

Take the Day Off with Clinique's Take the Day Off Cleansing Milk

I just threw this into the bin last night when I realised, "Crap, I haven't photographed this for review!"

Don't mix this up with Clinique's Take the Day Off Makeup Remover. Makeup remover. Cleansing milk. There is a difference between the two.For one, you wouldn't want to get this in your eyes. Clinique's Cleansing Milk contains something minty (binned the product box too, sorry) which smells quite refreshing, tingles on the skin and stings the eyes. I am generally not a fan of tingling cleansers as my skin can be quite sensitive but this doesn't give me rashes or leave my skin feeling too irritated.

Autumn/Winter Skincare Routine

(Would have taken a better picture but my camera died on me)
L-R: Olay Complete Moisturising Lotion, Clarins HydraQuench Intensive Serum,
Clinique All About Eyes Serum, Natio Eye Gel, Clinique MoistureSurge

Winter is just around the corner for us in Australia and I have been tweaking my skincare routine to deal with the change. While summer is all about sunscreen, exfoliation and brightening products, my winter skincare routine revolves around hydration.

Products that I have left in my routine are Clinique MoistureSurge, Natio Eye Treatment Gel and a Clinique All About Eyes serum. The latter was part of a Clinique travel exclusive set and I have only just started using it since the weather started getting chilly. I can't say if it has improved the area around my eyes but it feels quite refreshing especially on days when you didn't have enough sleep.

Review: Kiehl's Oil-Free Ultra Facial Cleanser

Poor Kiehl's. They kindly sent me their Oil-Free Ultra Facial Cleanser and Gel Cream to review over a month ago, but thanks to travel I haven't been able to really give them a try. Since my face tends to break out and go into a state of flux during travel it didn't seem fair to trial their products until everything had calmed down.

Well I've been using the cleanser almost daily for nearly two weeks (sorry a 3-day business trip got in the way) and I think I can formulate an opinion on it now. The gel-creme moisturiser though will take far more intensive testing.

Cleansers are one of those products that are easy to test but hard to review. Unless they do something miraculous or truly hellish you end up with no real opinions on it. So far, I can tell you that Kiehl's falls into the "good but not magic" category. 

Review: Mandom Cleansing Express Sebum Cleansing Lotion

Mandom Cleansing Lotion is one of those Micellar type cleansers. You know, some kind of special water which promises to remove your makeup, cleanse your face and leave it moisturised after use. It sounds like a godsend for the truly busy and the truly lazy.

I have been dying to try it out for quite a while. See, I belong in the former category of The Truly Busy and anything which promises to save me time immediately piques my interest. It seems so convenient: Just swipe and go. Perfect to use before exercise or while travelling. Since it's water, you don't have to worry about stickiness if it spills in your bag or on your clothes. The fact that Mandom Cleansing Lotion comes in large 300ml bottles for RM34.90 makes it much more appealing than cleansing wipes.

So how did it fare?

Old Faithfuls: Products that have stood the test of time

Hey lovelies,

While we beauty bloggers always love to check out new products and see what else we can get our manicured nails on, sometimes, I believe it's good to take a step back and look at the good old products that have served us well over the years.


You know, good friends that have never left our bathroom cabinets or bedside tables.

Review: Biore Cleansing Oil

I forgot to pack my eye-makeup remover during a work trip some time back. My colleague had forgot hers as well so we rushed into the nearest pharmacy once our meeting was over.

As the brands I usually use were out of stock, I found myself looking at a purple bottle of Biore cleansing oil. Sure, I have read good reviews about it but cleansing oils and I are a bad mix. The few I have tried resulted in either milia or clogged pores so I was quite doubtful if this would work for me.

Desperate times result in foolish decisions so I bought it.

Loving: St Ives Fresh Skin Makeup Remover & Facial Cleanser with Chamomile

Once again, I was doing my usual prowl at the drugstore when the cleanser-fairy sprinkled some fairy dust on me, and suddenly I had to buy a cleanser.

Not buying it? Alright, not really.


But spotting an old old flame on the shelves... I had no choice but to bring it home. And the St Ives yada yada bla bla Facial Cleanser with Chamomile... we really go a loooong way back.

Wonderful: Kose Softymo Speedy Cleansing Oil

I don't know if you remember Shiseido's TISS Deep Off cleansing oil? Priced at RM39, it was my introduction to cleansing oils. When it ceased to be available I tried other affordable alternatives, like Kanebo Freshel White C and even Maybelline's cleansing oil. But not only were these less effective, they broke me out. So I went back to using a cream remover (Neutrogena's Deep Clean Lotion) and separate eye makeup remover. Yes I love Shu Uemuera's cleansing oils, but for me, they're too expensive for daily use. 

Then I went on my trip to Japan and impulse bought this bottle of cleansing oil in a 7 Eleven (of all places). Priced at about RM20, I didn't really have much hope for it, but harboured visions of finally having an affordable cleansing oil that worked for me. Well guess what? It does work wonderfully for me. And of course, it's not available in Malaysia. *WAILS*

Review: Olay Cream Cleanser

I love cream cleansers.

I love that they're creamy (uhh.. duh) and on a light makeup day, it's pretty much sufficient to remove my makeup (powder and blush), without having to do the whole massageoilcleanserinroutine.

Awesomeness.

I love them almost as much Kahani hates them. And she hates them with a burning passion. Interesting we're besties, no?

This one was an impulse purchase. I hadn't planned to buy it, but since I happened to be in the mood to pick up a facial cleanser, and this piqued my interest, I thought why not?

And turns out I picked a winner.

Review: Hada Labo Tamagohada AHA/BHA Face Wash

This review has taken a long time coming. And you'll see why in a moment.

Several months back, Kahani asked me if I'd like to give this face wash a whirl, and (me being me) I was all up for it.

I started using it occasionally, and as my skin did not object to it (and I rather liked it actually), I started using it regularly in my night cleansing routine. I was using it every night for about two weeks, I believe, during which I was rather happy with the results.

As far as cleansing went, this was a pretty decent cleanser. It foamed into a rich lather, and it was able to take off most of my light makeup with one wash. But I still liked to end my cleansing routine with a round of Cetaphil.

Fast forward two weeks later though, and things started going downhill from there.

Review: Dermaveen Soap Free Wash pH5.5

With words like "soap free", "relieves dry itchy skin" and "oatmeal" that greet you even as you just give it a once over, this product screams Eczema-fighter from the get go.


I had been snooping around in one of those small stand-alone drugstores when I chanced upon it. I'd never seen it before, so naturally I was curious. It rather reminded me of Cetaphil, my Holy Grail of cleansers (and I had just only picked up yet another two HUGE bottles because the price in that store was unbeatable). So did I need to pick up another bottle of Dermaveen as well (which happens to be huger than Cetaphil)?

What do you think? Of course I did. *grin*

Wonder Product: Cetaphil for the Face, Body and... Hair?

My hair has been going through a rough patch lately. I took it off the no-poo, conditioner-wash routine as there are no affordable 'cone-free hair products on the Malaysian market (would you believe that the L'oreal Elvive and Elseve lines use different ingredients?) and all that chlorine from the swimming pool is drying out my hair dreadfully. On top of that, the humidity here is making my curls look limp and lifeless. My hair can't decide if it wants to look like a poof ball or a piece of wilted veggie.

If I didn't know better, I would say that my hair is sulking and throwing a fit at me.

It was desperation which made me reach out for Cetaphil instead of shampoo yesterday. My roots have been pretty oily lately and while Johnson's head to toe shampoo does a decent job, it does leave my poor scalp feeling itchy. If Cetaphil was gentle for the whole body, I figured it would be gentle enough on my poor scalp and hair.

I used a couple of squirts and made sure that my roots were mostly covered with Cetaphil before I started gently working into my scalp and out towards the ends. Then I left it on my head for a while before rinsing it out and letting it air-dry as usual.

Voila! Soft, managable hair with enough volume. Better yet, my waves were back and all I had to do was some finger twirling to make it perfect.

There is a wee bit of roughness but that's probably because I didn't use any conditioner. I have a feeling that I will have to use less conditioner than usual to make my hair silkier.

I know that Cetaphil is a bit pricey for shampoo but since it takes me over 6 months to finish a bottle, I figured that a bottle of Cetaphil would now last me over 3 months for my face and hair. RM35+ isn't too high a price to pay for nice hair and less clutter in my bathroom. =P

Cetaphil. Good for the skin and great hair days. It has been a while since my hair looked this pretty.

Review: Freeman Refining Facial Cleanser (Pear)

The other day, as I was squeezing out the last bits of my fifth (or was it sixth) tube of my fave Himalaya Herbals cleanser, I found myself making a mental note to have that tube replaced.

Promptly I went prowling in Guardian, but I came home not with another tube of Himalaya Herbals, but with this instead: Freeman's Refining Facial Cleanser in Pear.

As much as I love my Himalaya Herbals, I think I was just itching to try out something new. While it was the bright green tube which caught my attention, it was definitely the words "oil-controlling salicylic acid" on it which cinched the deal.

Of course, the fact that it really does smell deliciously like pear (and apples too), only made me like it more.

Bringing it home, I've put it to work immediately. This gel-cleanser works quite lovely, but I'll warrant you'll need something to remove your makeup first. Used in my usual 2-step cleansing routine where I give my face a scrub first, this cleanser has no problems in cleaning up whatever residue's left on my face.

BUT.

Just a few little points to take note. On their oil-control claim (and the implied anti-acne properties), I seriously doubt it's helping me in that department. The product does not state the percentage of its salicylic acid content, which as Kahani pointed out, would usually mean that the salicylic content is so minimal that it's not worth printing. I'm inclined to agree.

Freeman products are made in the US, but they don't appear to be very popular here (I may be wrong, but so far I haven't heard anyone rave about their products),or on MUA either. There's also something about that little red "contains natural ingredient" stamp, which I find a little potentially misleading.

Kinda like trying to appear as a "natural" product, but 2nd on its list of ingredients is sodium laureth sulphate, and a whole load of parabens near the bottom of the list. Uhhh... riiight.


Back to the product itself, however, as a general cleanser, it does a decent job. My skin feels clean and comfortable after a wash. None of that just-had-a-facelift sensation for this one, thankfully.

These days, I seem to reach for it in the mornings, as the pear + apple combo just adds a little fruity zing (and smile) to my morning routine.

At only RM18.90 for a huge 150ml tube, it's definitely in the affordable zone. For me, it's an okay product, works fine, and I really do like it, but there's nothing wow about it. Save the pear scent, which makes me fruity-happy.

I don't think I'll be replenishing, but hey, I'll enjoy my pear while it lasts.

Has anyone tried it? Thoughts?

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.

My Favourite Things: Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser

Of the many cleansers that sit in my bathroom right now, (very) few I will gladly repurchase over and over and over again. Some cleansers come and go, bought only to satiate a fancy or curiosity. But this one's here to stay. For good.

Ladies (and gentlemen), meet Cetaphil - my best friend in a bottle.

How can it possibly be that we've kept a beauty blog all this while, and NEVER reviewed this Holy Grail cleanser? I have no idea. So much has been said about this legendary product that I will be frank to mention that I'll just be one more rave from among its legion of fans.

So read on for my take!

Cetaphil really is what is says - a gentle skin cleanser. Many dermatologists recommend it for people with dry, sensitive skin. I've also read it's highly recommended for people with eczema. Even though I don't fall into any of the listed categories, what with combi-oily skin and all, I find it works perfectly well for me.

One pump is sufficient to cleanse my entire face, and I usually go over it a second round - this time with a bit of my fave Neutrogena Deep Clean Gentle Scrub added in. I find that that way, it's emollient yet exfoliating, which results in really clean and happy skin.

Don't expect foam and lather. You will find none of it. Instead, you'll find a thick translucent liquid that goes on very smoothly and easily. After a wash, there is no pulling, no tightness, nothing. It's gentle as gentle gets. I love that it's also very kind to the eyes and does not sting, which is a huge plus is my books.

Generally, at the end of a work day with my usual makeup on (ie. powder foundation, blush, lipstick, and eyeshadow), this cleansing routine is enough to get everything off. For those who wear heavier makeup, you might need to use a makeup remover beforehand.

I first started using Cetaphil early this year, after somehow including it in my daily cleansing regime. By and by, used together with several other amazing products, I noticed that my skin had cleaned up and started looking much happier.

Those of you who have been following this blog will know that for a long time, my favourite cleanser has been the Himalaya Herbals Gentle Face Wash Cream. But guess what? Cetaphil has officially bumped off Himalaya Herbals from first place. I love it thaaat much.

Available in most major pharmacies, it's not too pricey with the current promotions going on everywhere. I recently bough a pack of two huge 473ml bottle for only RM40ish. Totally worth the dough, if you ask me.

And so, while this won't stop me from trying out different cleansers (because I have itchified fingers), Cetaphil will certainly have the top spot on my bathroom counter for a long, long time.

This really is love. Have you tried it?

Review: Sukin Cream Cleanser

I have been cautiously dabbling in organic products for the past few months as SLS-free products help reduce my after-bathing rashes (read here). Keyword being "cautious" as I have encountered some organic products with essential oils which caused rashes to bloom in spectacular patterns and sizes.

You can imagine that I approached this cream cleanser with some amount of trepidation then. I like Sukin as it's a really affordable Aussie organic brand and as a general rule, I prefer cream cleansers for double cleansing instead of oil. Oil cleansers just wreck havoc on my poor skin.

Sukin products tend to come with a citrus scent and this is no exception (sorry, Kahani. It's an orange citrus scent, not grapefruit). The product itself is a rather thick cream which spreads out quite easily over the face. It is easily removed as well with some warm water or damp cotton without leaving your skin feeling odd.

Unfortunately, it doesn't remove makeup as effectively as I hoped it would. I could still find some traces of foundation on my skin after washing the cream off and had to take extra care in washing my face with my second cleanser. On another note, it didn't seem to cause any breakouts or skin problems while I was using this (I have since finished the bottle).

Verdict? I would give this 3 out 5. Not great but not a bad product either. You could either use this in the morning on its own or doubled up with another cleanser in the evening. I am not planning to repurchase it though.

Sukin cream cleanser is pretty affordable at AUD 9.90 for 125ml but I would give this a miss unless you are planning to try organic products.

Relaxing beauty ritual: Neutrogena Deep Clean Cleansing Lotion

I have a new favourite method of removing my makeup. It's not more convenient - in fact it takes longer, and it is only marginally more effective. So why do I do it? Because I find the slow luxurious ritual of massaging this cleansing lotion in and tissuing it off at the end of a long day wonderfully relaxing.

I love doing this while watching a serial I've downloaded at the end of a long day. Also I find my skin stays clearer when I take the time to remove every single scrap of makeup combined with the mild exfoliation the lotion and tissue-ing off provides.

The Lotion
This lightweight lotion comes in a convenient pump bottle. I find it very suited to oily acne-prone skin. It may have a chemical exfoliant like salicylic acid - so it can sting if left on too long. This could also make it unsuitable for dry sensitive skin.

Effectiveness
Although this remover has the chops to get light makeup off, I find with longlasting foundations several rounds of application and removal is needed. Two rounds for Clinique Superfit and three rounds for Revlon Colorstay. With two tissues used for every round this is admittedly wasteful and I do feel guilty. So I'm looking out for a more efficient cleanser that will also let me keep my ritual.

Also a separate eye makeup remover is needed as this lotion cannot remove waterproof mascara and eyeliner effectively. Plus it can sting your eye area a little.

I also don't feel comfortable about not washing my face. So I will still give my face a quick wash with a facial cleanser and water.

Repurchase?
Because it keeps my skin so clear, and only costs RM22.90 I may buy this again. But not before I try out a few other tissue-off cleansers. After all, I've almost finished this bottle so it must be doing something right!

Update (April 19, 2009): I've upgraded Neutrogena's deep clean cleansing lotion to HG status. In the week I tried other cleansers my skin detriorated slightly - no matter how much I cleansed. Once I went back on the lotion, my skin started improving in clarity and texture within 3 days.

Guest Review: EGO Cleanser a buffed up Cetaphil

After a brief hiatus, the much-missed regular guest-reviewer on So Loverly, Eli is back! Hoorah!

The Cetaphil Challenger Cometh!

With its plain blue and white packaging, Ego’s QV range really does seem to be the Australian answer to Galderma’s Cetaphil. The fact that these products are nearly always placed side-by-side in pharmacies just reinforces the impression even more.

For non-Ozzies, Ego is an Australian pharmaceutical brand which (like Cetaphil) produces skincare products for dry and sensitive skin. They use very plain packaging in blue and white (like Cetaphil), and don’t fragrance their products either (like Cetaphil). The only differences I have seen so far is that Ego offers eye cream, moisturisers with SPF and does not test on animals.

After running out of my trusty Cetaphil a few months ago, I picked up the Ego QV facial cleanser instead. It was selling at around AUD10 for 200ml and I didn’t feel like buying a 500ml bottle of Cetaphil.

My cosmetic-whore fingers were itching anyway.

Outside appearances aside, these two products are completely dissimilar. The Ego cleanser is very milky, watery and froths up quite a bit compared to its counterpart. I have been using Cetaphil for such a long time, I have forgotten how it is like to use a cleanser which bubbles. It gave me a bit of a shock at first.

Those who found Cetaphil too emollient for their skin may want to give Ego a try. It removes oil and makeup so thoroughly, it eliminates the need for double-cleansing. Great for the nights (or mornings) when I come back from clubbing or stagger home late from the computer lab.

Other Cetaphil users may find Ego too drying on their sensitive skin though.

I have not tried Ego out on cheek stains yet but I think it would be much better than Cetaphil. I usually have to double-cleanse and then do the 2-minute trick (sing the “abc” song twice while cleansing) with Cetaphil.

Another great thing with this product is that it doubles up as a body wash while I am travelling. Bathing with Cetaphil gives me an “aiyee” icky feeling all over my body.

In the case of Ego vs. Cetaphil, I am choosing Ego. They are both great products which work great for me. In terms of convenience and travel though, Ego wins hands down. It is also much cheaper than Cetaphil in Australia.

So far, I have only seen Ego products being sold by Caring Pharmacy in Malaysia. I am not sure of the price though and it seems to run out fairly quickly. In Australia, you can get Ego products from any pharmacy and the facial cleanser is sold in bottles of 200ml and 500 ml for about AUD10 and AUD20 each.