Beauty Bloggers Box: What I would put in it ~

Beauty boxes seem to be all the trend now. For the fun of it, us blogging girls have decided to see what we love enough to put into a box.

So if I were to gift a beauty box, here are the five items I think every girl should have!

My 2011 Beauty Favourites!

Goodness!!!

It's the LAST Friday of 2011. New Year is almost upon us, and I cannot wait for what's in store in the coming year. (LOTS on my plate, believe me. Oh goody!)

But before we bid au revoir to 2011, I would like to share with you my favourite things from 2011. From high end to budget, Chanel to Sleek MakeUP, here are some of my favourite stuff of the year.

1. MAC Cham-Pale Paint Pots. I believe this purchase pretty much gave me a kick-start in seriously using cream eyeshadows. A bevy of cream shadows soon followed including more of Estee Lauder's Double Wear Shadow Cremes, and my current absolute holy grail (HG) product - MUFE's Aqua Creams.

My Favourite Things: LUSH Mask of Magniminty

I was never one who really believed in jinxes. I mean, yeah, I know sometimes I say things like, "I hope I don't jinx myself." But I never really believed I would.

And then I really did.

Speaking to a relative (lovely teenage girl with pimply issues) the other day , I was sharing with her about how finding the right skincare product is the secret of having a gorgeous glowy skin.

And how having since met the right products for MY skin, it's been behaving so well, and I've been having a blast.

"I hope I don't jinx myself," said I. And boy I sure did.

Perhaps it was also a new product I tried which my skin clearly wasn't on friendly terms with, but shortly after that conversation, my skin erupted. It started with a huge zit on my nose, and just as that one died, another one started on my chin.

And just as that one was dying, I could feel another popping up along my jawline.

Thank heavens I have a new friend in LUSH's Mask of Magnaminty.

I knew it was time to start masking, but instead of go-to Himalaya Herbals Neem Face Pack (which I recommended to the relative, and she later reported back saying it has helped her skin a lot), I decided to give Ms Magnaminty a shot. Just this week alone, I've used it twice. And am very happy with the results.

Perhaps it's also the insane heat this past week or so, but my face has just been very, veeery unhappy. Besides the huge zits, my skin has little little rash-like bumps, and is dry and flaky. But still oily. It wants to be both Saudi and Sahara. Because it's greedy like that.

Application and product description

Applying with my fingers straight from the pot (I know it's not the most hygienic, but the alternative is too troublesome), I spread it out on my face, slapping on a little more for the problem areas.

Let it set for about 20 minutes, then apply a bit of water to the now-dry face mask, and use it as a scrub. Finally wash it off thoroughly.

First off, the smell. Let me warn you - it stinks! Well, in the tub anyway. Thank heavens (as Kahani assured me), it doesn't smell quite so bad on. No idea why, but it's a good thing. Apart from the mint, there are a heap of other scents, which is just beyond me to describe. But yea, it stinks.

Texture wise, it applies just okay. It doesn't spread at thickly or as easily as the Neem but that's not really much of an issue. You'll just need to do a few more finger dips and go over your face another round or so until you're satisfied with the coverage.


(A greenish paste with grains in it, it doesn't look much better than it smells.)

As it has little grains of what I believe must be ground Aduki Beans in it, you might wanna do the applying at your sink, or risk sowing ground Aduki Beans on your dressing table. But once on, it's fine as long as you don't touch your face. I usually spend my "setting time" reading in bed. And I love the cooling sensation it gives my skin while its on.

It washes off very easily, much easier than the Neem too. And the results? Calmer and happier skin. With ingredients like bentonite gel, kaolin and honey, I'm happy to note the mask dried up my existing pimple, and pretty much killed the up and coming one. The rash-like bumps calmed down a little and my skin is generally improved.

Price

Kahani and I bought a big tub from Hong Kong and split it. And I really can't remember how much it cost, but I remember it was a rather pricey purchase.

I'm really happy to note that in the UK (where I'll be heading quite soon), it's rather affordable at £4.25 for 125g, and £7.50 for 315g. Now I'm wondering if I should get a back-up tub.

Conclusion

I really do love this stuff. It kills the zits and works great in keeping my skin calm and happy. And if reasonably priced, won't burn a big hole in the pocket. Not bad at all, right?

I think I'll go mask now.

15 Minute Time Savers: Klorane Oat Milk Dry Shampoo

Each time I oversleep in the morning and don't have the time to wash my hair, I offer up a silent prayer for the person who created dry shampoo.

Kahani has already acknowledged her love for the popular Batiste dry shampoo here so i thought I would take a peek at it's more expensive equivalent: Klorane Dry Shampoo

Retailing at AUD 14.99 for 150ml, Klorane is roughly AUD 5 more expensive than Bastiste. However, Klorane is paraben-free, fragrance-free and claims to be a little bit more "natural" than Batiste since it relies heavily on oat milk as a secret weapon.

Both dry shampoos perform equally well in getting rid of greasy roots but Klorane gives me a lot more volume than Batiste. Batiste makes my hair looks rather flat and dead. I also find that I can use Klorane for several days in row (think the longest I managed to go was 3 days) while Batiste weighs my hair down after one use.

Maybe that oat milk really does works.

While Klorane wins performance wise, I prefer the scent of Batiste dry shampoo. Klorane smells too strongly like hair spray and sends me running out of the washroom for air each time I use it.

Price versus performance versus scent makes it a really tough call. Let's just say that I would go for Klorane when it's on offer and use it next to an open window.

Review: ~H2O+ Face Oasis Hydrating Treatment and Face Oasis Shine Neutralising Gel

It's been well over a month since I got these two lovelies to try, and the reason for my delay is a good one. You see, first I used the hydrating treatment at night, and the Shine Neutralising gel during the day. Lately though I've stuck to using the Hydrating Treatment night AND day (daaaayyy and niiiighhhtttt.... *ahem* sorry). The results surprised me! Read on:

~H2O+ Face Oasis Shine Neutralising Gel
Anything with "Shine Neutralising" in sounds like just my thing. So when, at my slightly puppy-dog-eyed request (insofar as I can pull the look anyway) the nice ~H2O+ people gave us samples of the Shine Neutralising Gel, I was ecstatic!

Unfortunately though after two weeks use I was forced to admit that the gel just may be breaking me out very slightly. I believe it's due to the higher dimethicone content which was probably added to make it more oil-absorbant. Darn.

However until that happened this gel was a joy to use. A lighter formulation than the original face oasis (hydrating treatment), it sank in immediately with a hint of refreshing metholated tingle. This made it very fun to use in the mornings. Makeup went on easily over it, and as it contains no oils I think I stayed matte even longer than with Vichy Normaderm.

The light-green gel has the distinctive ~H2O+ Oasis scent (which I love). A slightly sweet, refreshing ocean-based scent. A tiny tiny bit goes a looong way on my oily skin. My 8ml sample lasted me two weeks and I still have half a tube! I had no issues with dryness and my skin looked happy - except for teh all-too-familiar dimethicone caused white heads. *sighs*

The full sized 50ml jar retails for RM159, and while I won't be buying it. I can definitely recommend it to any oil-skinned gal, or guy, who's looking for a light moisturiser that does the business without adding to the oil. Providing they are not sensitive to dimethicone. *sighs*

~H2O+ Face Oasis Hydrating Treatment

|Night|

I absolutely adore this as a night treatment! I really don't use very much, just four small dabs on my forhead, cheeks, chin which I massage in. Used with my usual night time treatment of differin I've been waking up to smooth, perfectly hydrated skin and visibly smaller pimples!

Also I have a tendency to go overboard on the pimple treatments leading to angry red skin. This lovely stuff calms it right down! I even look forward to its lovely soothing aquatic scent - I sniff it during the day. *blushes*

I've also tried using it as a hydrating face mask. While I think it works, I also believe this is wasted on me, as I don't need that much hydration, and it's a bit of a waste to slather so much on!

|Day|

I'd always firmly believed that this product was too heavy and sticky for day use. I don't have the time to sit around waiting for it to sink in! But one day when I concluded that Shine Neutralising Gel was breaking me out, and I had run out of Vichy I thought "what the heck, I'll just use as little as possible!".

So I touched my fingers to the gel, to get the merest smidge of product, and dabbed it first on my dryest areas - around the lips, and the sides of my nose, before gently spreading it out. This product has a lot of slip so you can really spread it out quite a-ways! I find it spreads even better on damp skin, so I give myself a spritz of evian if I feel like it. Then a tiny dab more for my cheeks, and the left overs are patted onto my T-Zone.

With such light application it sinks in instantly, and my skin is ready for foundation. While I expected my skin to be hydrated by this, what really surprised me was the decrease in oil production! My skin, while still oily, only needs two blotters in a normal workday with one powder touch up. Amazing! I'm really quite staggered about this. After all my mattifiers, all the oil controlling products, its a hydrating treatment that does the trick!

I'm half convinced it's a trick of hormones and circumstance. And half hoping that my happily hydrated and calmer skin feels no need to pump out the oil. Just as good, I believe the complete lack of oil combined with happy hydration is helping my skin clear up a treat. Any pimples that appear from running around in the heat all day dies in the night. So my skin is clearer than its been for awhile.

I'll keep my fingers crossed and toss out ALL my other moisturisers! This single jar is all I need. HOORAH! HG!

A 50ml jar of Face Oasis also retails for RM159, and will I be repurchasing? Yes, yes and YES!

 Not sure if the product will work as well for you? Check out these great reviews from ladies with dryer skin than mine:
My Women Stuff
Skin Deco
My Makeup Reviews

Favourite Things: Prestige Waterproof Automatic Eyeliner

Here's yet another product I love that's not available in Malaysia. Although I certainly hope the line will some day make the hop over. Prestige is renowned for combining quality with affordability and this eyeliner certainly proves it.

Any gal with small eyes and oily skin will understand the angst I have experienced in my quest for perfect eyeliner. Without it, the eyes disappear, with it, it migrates everywhere. And yet is remarkably hard to remove from the eye at night. Well, at last I've found my HG eyeliner, thank goodness I stocked up!

Read on for the full review.

Wear
This is one of the most important things to me, and so far this eyeliner has won hands down. It's trashed ALL the Bourjois eyeliners, W7 gel eyeliner, Revlon colorstay pencil & liquid eyeliner, and even SN's long-last cream eyeliner. It STAYS PUT. Hoorah!

At most I will have to tidy up a little after a long day. But that's it.
Application
This too is exceptional. Most longlast eyeliners tend to be hard with less colour pay off. I figured that to be the price I paid. However, these are soft, blendable, and have intense colour payoff. The fact that they're automatic and need no sharpening is also a bonus. The nibs are just right. Not too sharp, not too blunt.

Colours
I purchased my staple colour black, of course, and its absolutely wonderful. A lovely sooty, khol-black. REALLY black, not blueish, not brownish but a soft dark black.

And as there as a 3 for 2 offer I went out on a limb and gave Smokey Green a try and was completely blown away! It doesn't look green, being a dark browney olive green shade. However it appears to define and line my eyes without looking as boring as brown. I find it also really brings out the colour of my eyeshadow when I use purples, taupes, or browns. Great for when I feel black eyeliner is too harsh, even for me. Now I'm terrified I'll run out of it, and I'd love to try the rest of the shades. *sighs*

Conclusion
I'm totally and absolutely in love with these liners with an unswerving devotion. I hope by the time I run out that I'll either have stocked up on more, or Prestige will have arrived in Asia. *crosses fingers, toes, and eyelashes*.

I'm terribly sorry but I cannot locate it on the Boots site, although I know its available there. I'm also very sure that the eyeliners cost under £5. If anyone can confirm it for me, that would be brilliant.

My Favourite Things: Silky Girl Smokey Sparks Duo

I don't know if I've said this before, but I really, really love this Silky Girl Smokey Sparks eyeshadow duo. I've shown you girls what it looks on me here and here, but I just realised that I've never actually properly introduced you girls to this little gem of mine.

At less than RM15 a pop, they're definitely very affordable, but at the same time they work so well! You'd never think they were so cheap!

The duo comes in a light silver shade, and a medium grey shade (which appears blue-er in picture than it does in person). Both shade some with a shimmer finish, which suits me just fine.


Silky Girl was formally known as Wet n' Wild, and it was later rebranded as Silky Girl. But these duos have remained pretty much the same in terms of packaging, which as you can see, come in a little transparent case.

I first got them a few years back when I was first getting started on makeup, and Kahani said this duo could give me a nice simple fail-proof light smokey eye. They sure did.

I've sinced used it for day or night, and they never fail to deliver, again and again. For day, I could just use it on its own for a light grey eye. Or mix it with them with H & M Skydiver for a bit of a variety, they blend really well to create lovely blue-grey eye.

And for night, add a darker grey, or even a charcoal shade, to vamp it up with eyeliner to create a mean smokey eye. I've done it several times for dinners, and I hope to be able to share that look with you girls one day.

Pigment wise, it's pigmented enough so the colour can be easily picked up by my brushes. Why I specifically mention this is because I've tried several low-end eyeshadows which had such poor colour pay-off that nothing save my fingers could get the colour to even show on my lids. But not so with this baby. And it blends like a dream too.

By the way, I tossed the little sponge applicator that came with it. Use your own brushes, or your fingers, if you're a finger person.

As for lasting power, applied with my Benefit F.Y. Eye primer, they've lasted me an entire day at work. Or if I do a smokey eye for dinner, it's lasted well into the night, so not to worry. On their own, they might not last as long, but for the amount you're paying, I really wouldn't be complaining too much. At any rate, I'd recommend using a primer to go with it.

Whenever I'm travelling, chances are you'll find this 2.8gm duo nicely tucked in my makeup bag, since they're pretty versatile. And the amazing thing is after using them for so long, there's still hardly a dent in them!

Even after being exposed to great brands like Bobbi Brown and MAC, my little Smokey Sparks still has a very special place in my heart. And in my makeup bag. =P

Talk about a winner!

My Favourite Things: Dove Body Silk Moisturising Cream

I.Love.This.Cream.

It is seriously amazing. I first tried it out when I was in Auckland, NZ, (waay back in 2004) when my skin was was really, REALLY dry. If my skin can dry out on me when I'm in Malaysia (the ultimate humid hole), can you imagine what havoc it can wreck when I'm in NZ?

So anyway, the moisturising lotion I had brought along just didn't cut it. And I had to hunt down a stronger moisturiser to save my skin.

Browsing the aisles of their local drugstores, I met my HG of all my body moisturisers in a 300ml jar - the Dove Body Silk Moisturising Cream.

It applies like a dream. It's very moisturising, and practically melts into the skin with no greasy residues. The scent is a light fragrance that isn't over the top.

On days when I need serious moisturising, this is my go-to moisturiser. What I love about it is that it isn't too heavy, like how some moisturisers can be. And my skin just feels super silky and soft after.

An embarrassing detail about me *blush* is that I have very dry skin on my legs. So bad that it can go a tad scaly - so not pretty. Applying this cream on my parched legs gives them the feeling like I've just given them a drink of water. I am not exagerating.

It's terribly disappointing that it's not available in Malaysia (the last time I checked), but I'm not too worried as I'm still on my initial jar! Talk about long-lasting. And I have three more jars as back-up. =D

If I remember correctly, it cost about NZ$7 a jar when I got it. Can anyone tell me if it still costs the same?

UK girls should be able to get it for £4.99 from Superdrug.

Did I say I Lurve this cream? Oh yes, I did. =P

My Favourite Things: Neutrogena Deep Clean Gentle Scrub

Okay, a little while back I introduced you to one of my favourite facial cleansers. Today let me introduce you to it's best friend - Neutrogena Deep Clean Gentle Scrub.

I love using this gentle scrub as the next step after cleansing at the end of the day. My cream cleanser and this just work so well together.

While the cream cleanser generally cleanses and removes my makeup, this scrub exfoliates and ensures that there are no leftover makeup residues on my skin. Like Kahani, I take to double cleansing (hey, what can I say? I like squeaky clean skin).

The microbeads are mild and gentle enough for me to use daily, although girls with sensitive skin might consider stopping at twice or three times a week. It's oil-free and non-comedogenic, so no clogging of pores there. It also contains beta-hydroxy, which is suppose to clean deep into your pores.

I love that it washes easily off, and maybe it's just psychology, but I always feel like my skin's brighter after a good scrub.

I've been using this stuff for years, and the fact that I'm still faithfully going back to it every night speaks volumes I guess. I mean, you're talking about a girl who can't stop trying out new stuff. =P

Just a note though, that the scrub I'm reviewing is the one that is available in Malaysia. I've had the chance to try the same scrub that's distributed in the US, but that one seemed a little rough and my skin felt just a little raw after. It just seemed like the microbeads were slightly larger.

This gentle scrub is easily available in drugstores, and a 125ml tube retails for about RM13.90 usually. It also has a smaller version in 50ml for about RM7.50, which totally makes more sense for travelling.

I feel like kicking myself now as I saw the full size tube available for RM8.99 the other day at a hypermarket, but I was in too much of a hurry to buy. And now it's back to the usual price.

Sigh.

Silk Naturals Mineral Foundation, Sheer Perfecting Powder, & Sleep In a Jar Concealer Review

Having used this foundation for over a week, I can honestly say that I love it! As it is self-customizable (more on that later) it is a perfect match. It is very finely milled, and you don't feel like you've got a layer of foundation on. It is long lasting (although it doesn't stand up to a night of sweaty club dancing - but what does?) and provides a natural, less sparkly finish than either Bare Escentuals or L'Oreal True Match Minerals.

Coverage-wise it is sheer, but buildable. Once set with the sheer perfecting powder, it lasts all day and provides decent oil control (better than BE and L'Oreal but not as good as New York Color Smooth Mineral Compact Foundation - which sadly, broke me out). I usually have to blot in 2-3 hours time and touch up with compact powder. But I am very VERY oily and breakout prone. With this foundation, no breakouts and my skin's looking happier and calmer than before.

The Foundation
As mentioned previously, Silk Naturals Mineral foundation is self-customizable. For $11.95, you'll get a bag of white, base foundation, a bag of coloured foundation, a measuring spoon, and a sifter jar. Then you get to play cosmetician and mix up your own personal shade. This is great for those of us living in temperate climates as when summer hits, it's easy enough to darken the foundation - just throw in an extra scoop of colour, shake and you're good to go.

The foundations come in three shades to suit your undertones. Ebony for cool undertones, Warm for neutral-warm, and Buttery Gold for warm with yellow undertones. Buttery Gold was created by Karen specifically at the request of her Asian clients! How often do we get that from a US brand, girls?

Karen recommends (1 Colour : 6 White) for fair girls, (2-3 Colour : 6 White) for medium, and (1 Color : 1 White) for dark. My particular "Kahani Blend" is about (1 buttery gold: 0.5 warm : 6 white) as I am a cool-toned asian.

Some handy tips when trying to find your perfect shade:

1. The foundation will appear lighter as a powder than when applied.
2. Give the colour 10-15 minutes to blend with your natural face oils and develop. It will darken and look more glowy and less powdery with time.
3. Try and level off your scoops so the formula you remember is as accurate as possible.
4. Remember your formula! =P

As previously mentioned the all-natural formula contains natural silk proteins and does NOT contain talc or bismuth.

Something else I love about the foundation is that for only $3.95 you get an adorable little sample kit with about 2 weeks worth of all three shades and a generous portion of white base. Full-sized refills are available of each shade for $5.50.

Sheer Perfecting Powder
Light as air, silky soft, and completely translucent, this powder is a miracle. It sets my concealer, foundation, eye shadow, eyeliner & blush without altering colour or shimmer. It also provides a lovely diffused look that makes my skin look airbrushed. Oil control wise - it could be better. But this makes it a great setting powder even for non-oily girls.

The powder is available in three different shades: Translucent, Dait Bate (bronze), and Love Lure (golden tan) and retails for $9.95.

Undereye Concealer
Karen provides a light yellow concealer powder, charmingly named "Sleep In a Jar" but I can't seem to get it to work for me. I've used a fluffy brush, a concealer brush, wet, dry, mixed with undereye cream and mixed with undereye gel - all to no avail. It's too sheer, and creates fine lines where there are none. So, although this concealer has received positive reviews from other users, I'm afraid it doesn't work for me.

What I'm wearing:

• SN Foundation (1 buttery gold: 6 white)
• SN Sheer Perfecting Powder in Translucent
• Clinique All About Eyes Concealer in 01 Light Neutral
• SN Mineral Eyeshadow in Cashmere (Highlight) and Nudge Nudge (Crease)
  
• W7 Gel Pencil Eyeliner in Black
• SN Mineral Blush in Petal (all over) & Nars Orgasm (pop)
• SN Lipgloss in Berry Nice
  

Read on for details and prices

My Favourite Things: Silk Naturals Mineral Makeup

My fabulous stash from the amazing Silk Naturals has arrived! *jumps around in glee*. Nosing about curiously is my beloved (and red) port-a-beagle, Tommy Tomato.

Silk Naturals is an amazing line of completely natural mineral cosmetics from the US concocted by the lovely Karen Stark. Cursed with problematic, oily, acne-prone skin (grr!) I have jumped on the mineral makeup bandwagon with both feet and am not looking back. In fact I'm trying to drag Syen onboard with me. She's resisting, but I'll get her!

Read on to see what I bought, and for a discount voucher!:

1. Sheer Mineral Perfecting Powder
2. Natural Mineral Foundation in Buttery Gold
3. Mineral eyeshadows in Cashmere and Nudge Nudge
4. Sleep in a Jar concealer (sample size)
5. Mineral Glow in Halo (sample size)
6. Kisser Slicker mineral lipgloss in Hot Blooded

And wonderful Karen provided me with fantastic free samples of:

1. Mineral Blush in Petal
2. Kisser Slicker mineral glosses in Breathless and Berry Nice
3. Eyeshadow in Wink Wink (to go with Nudge Nudge! Geddit? Geddit?)

*phew* that is quite a haul. Prices and reviews to follow as I get around to using my new lovelies.

Silk Naturals is a line I can't say enough about. It's handmade, all organic, all mineral, and compeletely good for you with no parabens, bismuth or talc - my skin is very happy. I've been using the foundation for awhile and the tiny samples Karen sent were so good I went a little crazy and the result is the list you see above.

The line gets its name from the genuine silk protein Karen uses in her formulations. It is priced very reasonably (a foundation starter set is only US$10.50 and a jar of L'Oreal's True Match Minerals foundation (with talc and parabens) is £13.99 from boots. As the shipping rates Karen charges are extremely reasonable (I am only paying US$3.50 for under 24 oz.), it is extremely cost effective for me to buy from her. Sample-sizes of most products are also available for purchase, something I love!

The products arrived adorably packaged in little net bags and the cutest little sifter jars. Karen also generous in sending little sample sized products along as free gifts.

But perhaps the thing I love best about Silk Naturals is the way Karen listens to her clients. There is a forum where you can discuss her products, and even post your "wishlist" items. And believe me, you can wish for almost anything - Karen's genius appears to know no bounds as she prepares to release a huge new spring collection.

Her wish-granting even extends to creating almost perfect dupes of famous colours and shades such as her dupes of Nars Orgasm (Climax), and the Bobbi Brown Stonewashed Nudes palette. Not only are they far more affordable than the originals, but mineral makeup converts like me won't have to hop down off our high horses to obtain these shades (not that I'm not willing to hop off, I AM a product junkie after all - it's just nice not to have to).

The site is currently closed as Karen moves into a bigger and brighter studio, and loads her wonderful new collection online (rubs hands in glee and anticipation). But when it does open, and if my mad rantings convince you, do run over and give her products a try.

And as a little incentive, here's a 5% discount voucher for those of you who've read this far: Just enter friend at the checkout to receive your discount. =)

My Favourite Things: The Body Shop Cocoa Butter Body Scrub

It has taken me the loooongest time to get this product. Every time I walked into a The Body Shop outlet, I would go over to the Cocoa Butter section, open a jar of the Body Scrub, take a deep breath of that delicious scent, then look at the price tag.

And then I would (very) reluctantly put it back on the shelf. And drag myself away.

So much so that when I finally caved in and bought it, I must have looked a little like Gollum going "My Preccciouussss".

At RM59.90, it's not cheap. But it's definitely not the priciest vanity item I've forked money out for. Yet for the life of me (now), I can't figure out why it took me so long to get it.

Perhaps it was because I kept thinking... "I don't need it.... I already have a fluffy and scrunchy bath mesh to scrub with".

But now that I do have it, it is awesome. The smell is divinely delicious. And if you're a choc lover like me, you'll know what I mean when I say I seriously wish I could eat that thing. I simply love it.

And it performs too. With ingredients like organic sugar and salt, it definitely exfoliates. And with cocoa butter, it moisturises at a go, which is great for people like me (who are just too lazy to go slather on moisturiser after a bath, even though I've got really dry skin).

The huge jar should be able to last me quite a while. And that makes me, and my skin, very happy.

My Favourite Things: Himalaya Herbals Gentle Face Wash Cream

When I first met this face wash on the shelves of my local pharmacies here, I wasn't so sure about it. After all, no one I know was using it. I couldn't find anything on it on Makeupalley (henceforth known as MUA). And it didn't seem thaat impressive. And there were no big ad campaigns claiming it to be any Superhero or anything.

But anyhow, I wanted to give it a try. I could feel it calling out to me to bring it home (ok, that's stretching it).

And so I did. I bought my first 150ml tube (because that's the only size it comes in) for RM16.90 (introductory price, I think. It's now RM21.90). And I fell in love with it.

I know it says "For normal to dry skin", and I have combi/oily and pimple prone skin, but somehow, it still works. It never breaks me out and it doubles as a general makeup remover as well. I find it doesn't work well in removing heavy eye makeup, but that's fine as I usually use Vaseline or cold cream for that anyway.

It includes cucumber, aloe vera and Indian gooseberry as some of its main ingredients, but you can read more of that here.

I love the way my face feels after a wash - soft and clean. Perfect. None of that tightness that some cleansers give.

If I did have a gripe about this product, it would be that I can't always carry this product around with me everywhere I go because of the hugeness of the tube. I'm not one to have extra travel size bottles or containers lying around (not yet anyway), and I so wish they'd come out with 50ml size tubes. If they ever did, it would be perfect.

As I now start on my third tube, my crush has developed into a full-blown love affair.

Superhero product: Johnson's Head to Toe Baby Wash

What makes a product a "Superhero"? To qualify as "my hero", it must:

1. Have multiple superpowers
2. Able to come to the rescue in times of need
3. Look good, smell good, feel good.
4. Be available and affordable (sorry no superhero analogy there).

Johnson's Head-To-Toe Baby Wash meets all the above and more. A discovery I'd never have made without the lovely and resourceful ladies at Makeupalley (MUA), this miracle product is a must-have staple with me in all my globe-trotting adventures.

To discover its superpowers

Multiple Superpowers
This baby certainly has super product power! It is my holy-grail (MUA speak for the product that will end the search for perfection) daily facial cleanser. Rubbed onto a dry face it dislodges all but the most stubborn of waterproof mascara and eye liner. A second wash (I subscribe to the two-step cleanse regimen) cleans up the last traces of makeup leaving my oily skin squeaky clean. It is also part of the daily routine that has solved my acne problem (will post more on that later).

The wash also functions as a weekly clarifying shampoo, shaving gel, makeup brush cleaner, and (of course) a body cleansing gel - eliminating the need for many expensive products. Of all the above functions, I only stray from it as a body wash because I do so love my bath-time indulgences.

To the rescue
This product is also my saviour when I travel. Its multiple uses enable me to get past those pesky liquid travel restrictions, even in the incredibly strict UK airports. As a believer in the one-bag travel rule that enables me to by-pass luggage check-in (saving me time, and money) any product that helps me save luggage space is certainly, my hero.

When hopping across Europe, I have also used the detergent to hand-wash laundry and as a bubble bath.

Look good, smell good, feel good
Okay I'll grant that it's not the prettiest of products, but it isn't that embarassing either. And it certainly smells good! It has a light fresh scent with warm undertones that remind me of chocolate apricots. And as a cleanser and shaving gel it feels good going on and leaves skin clean without residue or dryness.

Available and Affordable
More of a problem than you'd realise unless you move countries every few months is finding the same product in the same formula. Johnson's is an international brand that should be available almost everywhere (although in Scandinavia, it's known as "Natusan") and in the exact same loveable formula. And of course, it's affordable... even in pricey England. I bought 2 large bottles (with the pump) for under £3 at Boots thanks to a BOGOF (Buy One, Get One Free) deal.

Aspirin Mask: The best exfoliating mask in the world!

*Edit (02/08/2009) DON'T crush the pills! Just let them soak in a tiny amount of cetaphil/water/aloe vera gel and VOILA. They moosh easily into a paste. So handy!

Here's something I discovered on the wonderful MakeUpAlley, that's well-known to American girls but remains undiscovered for most Malaysians (probably due to the popularity of the very unacidic Panadol).

The Aspirin Mask.

(warning: if you're allergic to aspirin, please be smart and don't try this)

Think about it, Apirin is synthesised from Salicylic acid, now go read the lables of most anti-blemish skincare, the ingrediants are usually either Benzoyl Peroxide, or Salicylic Acid. As a mask, aspirin exfoliates, and when you wash it off - scrubs.

I've found that used once a week, in combination with Differin (which also functions by exfoliation) my skin tends to stay happy and clear. If I get lazy (because this mask can be quite a pain to make), I pay for it in clogged skin and blemishes.

As a one-time beauty journalist with acne, I've tried just about every blemish-fighting scrub and mask on the market and I've never found anything to beat this. Best of all, it's so cheap it's virtually free!
Here's my favourite recipe:

• 3 Aspirin Tablets (Use uncoated if you can, all I can get here is Bayer's)
• Cetaphil cleanser (or any other gentle gel cleanser, for drier skin try Dove)
• Aloe Vera gel (I love Fruit Of The Earth, huge tube at dirt cheap prices)

1. Crush the aspirin tablets into a fine powder with the back of a spoon. Squirt in some Cetaphil and aloe vera gel and mix it up into a paste. Slap the paste onto your face and let it sit until I dries (you can tell because you'll start snowing).
2. (Warning: Avoid applying the mask under your nose or when it dries you won't stop sneezing!)
3. When the mask is dry, dampen it with some water and gently scrub your face paying close attention to your t-zone and other blemish-prone areas.
4. Rinse off and marvel at your buttah-smooth skin. It's a good idea to apply a gentle light, oil-free moisturiser after use. I prefer Eucerin's Skin-Regulating Cream-Gel for Acne Prone Skin.

Syen: For ingredients, I usually add about half to 3/4 of a teaspoon of honey to the recipe. Honey's great for your skin too!