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.

Temporarily Discontinued: Clinique Turnaround Concentrate Visible Skin Renewer

To go all Malaysian on you readers: Why lah, must they discontinue a great product just when I have discovered it? Sial betul, right when my skin finally looks like it is going to settle down, be happy and finally concentrate on getting rid of those acne scars, Clinique turns around and bites me on the – okay, I will stop ranting now.

Anyway, I am deeply distressed by the news that Clinique is planning to discontinue their Turnaround Concentrate from their product line up this coming fall. I was suffering from awful breakouts in June and was in the doldrums of despair.

“I think,” my mother said calmly one day, “you need a new serum and moisturiser. Whatever you are using seems to be absolute crap.”

I laughed and agreed. I always had Clinique Turnaround Concentrate on my list after reading a review by Belledemoiselle so I hopped out and bought it. Salicylic acid has always been one of my favourite zit-busting products and it was a while since I bought an exfoliating serum.

US Haul Part II: Macy's

The second part of my US haul, from Macy's.


Tiny, compared to the Sephora haul.

Review: Nature's Gate Organics C for Yourself Vitamin C Serum

A new-found love, I found this gem of a product in my local organic shop not long after bewailing the failure of TBS Skin Boost to work for my skin under Malaysian weather conditions.

"Tell me if it works," the shop owner told me as she rang up my sale. "I only brought it in 5 bottles so some feedback would be nice."

I popped by her shop a few weeks later. "It works," I said with a smile, "you had better bring in more."

A shot of Vitamin C: Derm10 Vitamin C Complex

Just about the time Eli's sister was threatening to slather her skin with lemon juice to give it a jolt of Vitamin C, I was contacted by Derm10 to review some of their products. I've never heard of this skincare line before, they claim to be from the US, Malaysia & Singapore but I had my doubts. My skin's never been the easiest to please, but with some back and forth emails I found the lady who contacted me to be very forthcoming, friendly and professional. She helped me identify silicone free formulations that would be great for my skin. So after awhile I decided to try this Vitamin C Complex serum and their Comodone Complex (I haven't started using this yet as I only test one product at a time). After a month of using the Vitamin C serum, I have to say I'm impressed!

Review: Olay Total Effects 7-in-1 Anti-Aging Serum

My skin was looking a little off a few months ago.

There wasn't anything wrong with it. No breakouts, no rashes whatsoever but it was just as I said, my skin looked off. Kind of like when you are coming down with a cold.

"Hmm," I mused. "Maybe it's because I stopped using serums."

With that in mind, I trotted off to the nearest Watsons to buy the cheapest (and non-dodgy) serum I could find.

It Don't Work No More: The Body Shop Vitamin C Skin Boost

Ever had a product which worked but stopped working after you moved to a different climate?

I have. Lots, in fact. The Body Shop Vitamin C Skin Boost is one of them.

I absolutely loved this stuff while I was in Australia. It kept pimples at bay, helped to heal blemishes really quickly and made my skin look brighter after weeks of regular use.

Cue my return to Malaysia.

Daily Dose of Vitamin C: Cellnique Contour C Complex

I love Vitamin C for my skin. Pimples heal faster, scars lighten up and my skin looks clearer.

When Cellnique contacted us earlier in the year to trial their products, I asked for their Cellnique Contour C Complex which claims to contain 24% of vitamin C. That's a big punch of vitamin C considering how most vitamin C serums apparently contain about 5% to 10% of vitamin C.

This is one of the longest trials I have run for a skincare product but after 4 months of playing around and usage, I think I can finally sit down and write a through review of this product.

Desperate Me + Estee Lauder Haul ~

So I was a desperate woman. Very, very desperate.

I have no idea why, but of late (last couple of weeks), my skin has decided to dry out on me, in a most uncomfortable and unflattering manner. Day in, day out, I've been slapping on moisturiser after moisturiser, with the hope that my skin will retain something.

Nope. No such luck.

Review: Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate

Before I start this review I'd like to point out that I haven't really used this product as thoroughly as I usually would before a review. I've had it for over a month, courtesy of Kiehl's, but for several reasons have been using it very sparingly, only about once a week and in minute amounts.

I'm still on the fence about this serum. As someone with oily, acne prone skin its benefits on me aren't as dramatic as that of drier skinned ladies like ParisB and Connie. Also it contains Jojoba oil which causes me to breakout a little. However, when I switched to Benzac my skin did grow flaky and dry in parts, so I thought I'd risk it and use this product very lightly.

Organic Skincare: Botani Olive Skin Serum

When my eye first lit on the Botani range, a warm glow came over me. Y’ see, I have a thing for organic skincare and for serums containing vitamin C. I have been using TBS Vitamin C Skin Boost on and off for the past few years and while it works, I have always been on the lookout for something affordable with less dimethicone.

You can imagine my reaction when I finally found something which was organic and had vitamin C. I had to get my grubby paws on it!

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?

Cellnique Skin Action Sebum Gel Vs B'Liv Off With Those Heads by Cellnique

Some time back, Tine quelled the fears of many when she solved the mystery of the disappearing Cellnique Pro Sebum Gel - it was being rebranded to B'Liv Off With Those Heads. So I was a little curious to find out that the Cellnique line was still around - but available only in salons - and that it had renamed its Pro Sebum gel once again to Skin Action Sebum gel. I was already on my second bottle of B'Liv and relatively happy when I was contacted by Cellnique and sent a bottle of this to try. So is there any difference between the two?

Similarities
- Both the clear gels promise to eliminate white and blackheads without squeezing.

- Both are by Cellnique

- Both have Peppermint Oil that results in a tingly cooling sensation when applied
(while I enjoy the sensation I'm not a fan of it as I believe it's unnecessarily irritating my skin).

- Both have the ingredients Witch Hazel, Aloe and Tea Tree Oil.

Differences
- Cellnique's Skin Action Sebum Gel has Hyaluronic Acid and Dryopteris filix-mas extract (say what? It looks like a fern on their site and promises to "soothe skin irritation, helps to improve skin texture, and control and prevent future breakouts").

- Price point - Cellnique is about RM159 for 30ml while B'Liv is RM139 for 30ml. B'Liv also has more discounts as it's sold in Watsons and Guardian and comes in a 50ml jar for RM189.

Comparison
It is insanely hard to be accurate and precise about the differences but in my opinion, and based on my use of both products B'Liv first and then Cellnique I'd have to say that Cellnique's offering is more effective than the B'Liv range.

First, when I switched to Cellnique within days blackheads and whiteheads started surfacing to be swept away revealing much clearer skin.

Then I suffered a bad breakout due to Eucerine's wretched product. I've gone through something similar while using B'Liv and I'm pretty sure my skin cleared and healed slightly faster with Cellnique. I'm also amazed at the lack of scarring and my skin is looking more even toned already.

The presence of Hyaluronic Acid in Cellnique's formulation also implies it's better for more mature skins as the acid is reported to have great hydrating properties.

I haven't noticed a decrease in oiliness since switching though. More's the pity.

Conclusion
Personally I may switch to Cellnique permanently once I've used up the rest of my B'liv serum as the slightly more expensive gel seems to work better for me. But if you have sensitive skin, B'Liv may just be a gentler offering that works just as well. The main drawback is how hard Cellnique is to find. I do know of a salon in Amcorp that sells it as does its website (USD55 is pricey though compared to local prices). If Cellnique doesn't get more expensive I'll very likely stick to it.

Note
I received a 30ml bottle of Cellnique's Skin Action Sebum Gel free to test. I tested it for just over a month only trying out a new product two weeks into the test. When I broke out, I stopped using the new product and went back to my regular routine with Cellnique as my only addition. I waited till my skin was clear and happy again to write this review.

Review: Missha Rose Water Softening Serum

My first review as a non-guest writer! Yay! (Just wish that it was something more exciting... like my quest for world domination, for example)

It took me a while to realise that I had turned 22. It felt like one of those strange coming of age things you go through: having your first crush, getting your first period, buying your first pair of jeans…

Me? I went out and bought my first skin serum.

It was The Body Shop’s Vitamin C Skin Boost. Worked well but the gel kept balling up on my face and as a bottle could only last me for over a month, I simply couldn’t afford it. So I decided to give Missha’s Rose Water Softening Serum a whirl instead. At AUD 12.90 for 40 ml, it couldn’t do much damage to my pocket.

There are two different Rose Water Serums in the Missha skincare range. One is for normal/ dry skin (that’s the one I am reviewing) and the other is for oil control. I opted for the Skin Softening version as my skin was rather parched during spring last year.

This serum is in the form of a lightweight lotion which sinks in quite quickly after application, leaving your skin feeling soft and plump to the touch. About 2-3 pumps is sufficient for your whole face and neck area. Unsurprisingly, it has a light rose scent which is thankfully pleasant and doesn’t linger on your skin for ages unlike some other products I have tried.

What I really like about this serum is its packaging. The pump bottle is pretty sturdy (I think it can actually double up as a weapon) which is a godsend for me. I can toss this into my bag without having to worry about it breaking or leaking all over my things.

While I was using this in Australia, I had to layer another moisturiser on top as it wasn’t moisturising enough. In Malaysia (and while travelling around SEA) though, I found that I could use the serum by itself under some sunscreen during the daytime.

So, is this a hit or a miss?

Hmm. I would have to put it somewhere in between. This isn’t the best skin serum on the market as all it does is soothe your skin and provide some extra hydration. It doesn’t do anything for fine lines or enlarged pores but then again, neither does it claim to. I am guessing that if you don’t have any real skin problems, this would be a nice introduction to using skin serums for that extra mini-oomph.

If you are interested in checking this one out, hop over to the Missha store at QVB, Sydney on the Lower Ground floor. It's opposite Lush so you can't miss it!

Clinique's Total Turnaround is Totally Impressive!

When it comes to reviewing skincare I tend to err on the side of caution. I wait a month or more of consistent usage before I rave about it. This is one product however that I feel confident about reviewing after only 2 weeks of intermittent use. In fact I'm pretty sure I could review it after using it only twice! The results were THAT rapid.

Clinique's Total Turnaround Concentrate is a treatment serum designed to"speed up the skins renewal process" and "bring new skin to the surface". To me, it's a gradual exfoliant that chemically sloughs off top skin cells, unclogging pores, and speeding up the skin's turnover rate.

Its active ingredients include Salicylic Acid (an exfoliant and anti-acne agent), Glucosamine (purportedly to aid skin renewal as it is found in body tissues, but I can't find proof that it is effective topically), and Chestnut Extract (frequently used in "brightening" or "whitening" skin-tone evening products). It also contains antioxidants, as well as cosmetic light-diffusing particles to help even out skintone.

The included instructions recommend that you use this product twice daily. Frankly I believe this to be the usual Clinique ploy of encouraging overuse of their products so you'll use it up faster and buy more. Another example of this is their tendency to recommend a Skin Clarifying Lotion one step LESS than you need, so you have to use it twice a day instead of just once at night for the same degree of efficacy.

There is no way I would use this strong serum twice daily. The first time I used it, I was shocked at how much fairer I was at the end of the day. My face appeared radically different from my neck. As such I use it almost as a treatment whenever my skin appears to need a boost. For daily use I stick to the much milder Vitamin C Skin Serum from The Body Shop that Beetrice so heartily recommends (In many ways I feel that the Vitamin C Skin Serum is a much milder version of Total Turnaround).

What I love about this stuff is that it fades acne scars like no tomorrow! It also helps clear up pimples a lot faster - they just slough off. The downside is, as mentioned above, that it fades tans rapidly and your neck and face may take on different hues if you're not careful

Another lovely bit about this serum is that a teenie tiny bit goes a long long way. In fact I strongly suggest you avoid slapping it on, but instead take a tiny amount on your fingertips and really work it into the skin and allowing it to sink in before applying moisturiser.

I received a 7ml sample of this product in a skincare kit along with large sample sizes of the Total Turnaround 15-minute Facial (which to be honest, is fun but a little messy and failed to impress. I believe that the humble aspirin mask, not to mention S&G's Scrub Your Nose In It outdoes it by miles), and City Block Sheer SPF 25 (which broke me out, boo!). So out of the three, I'm terribly glad the concentrate rocks and I discovered a gem!

At the moment my sample is still going strong, but when it runs out I have no hesitation is running straight out and buying the full-sized 50ml jar at RM190! Even though it's expensive I know it works like nothing else, and it'll last me forever.