Thursday, May 31, 2012

Review: Biore Makeup Remover for Eye & Lip

Hello ladies!

I've been using a couple of different eye make-up removers, ranging from Lancome's  Bi-Facil and L'oreal's Gentle Lip & Eye makeup remover before embarking on my journey with Biore's Pink formula. 

L'oreal's and Lancome's remover were rather similar in my opinion, with the Lancome's formula being a tad stronger than L'oreal's. However both did leave some of my eye makeup smudging after cleansing. 

Still, Lancome's formula was a tad too expensive. So I switched. 
So back to Biore's. I'm only 1/3 through the bottle and I can't wait for it to finish. I won't do my table review for this product as it doesn't quite fit. I'm just going to outline some key pointers.

What I like about the product:
  • almost odourless and pleasant
  • simple packaging and easy to use
What I dislike about the product
  • it doesn't fully remove my waterproof makeups and is not as strong as the L'oreal's formula. It takes quite a few wipes on a few different cotton pads before my makeup is full removed. This will dehydrate the eys and perhaps even cause fine lines. A big no-no. 
  • I hate the nozzle as it causes uneven squirts onto my cotton pad, which sometimes causes too much of the formula to be squirted on the cotton pad and hence getting into my eye
  • I personally find it too oily but wouldn't mind if the oil works. I don't think the oil is doing its job for this product.

I will not repurchase this product. I will just diligently finish my 2/3s. 

I'm looking forward to try the new Talika gentle eye cleanser for sensitive eyes (retailing S$52 in Singapore) - see the other post.  

Talika Lipocils New Mascara

New products to try from Talika!


I believe that the duo mascara is their new item. They recommend applying Lipocils then the Black mascara above it. Its meant to be water-resistant which should work fine in hot and humid countries unless you are going diving or swimming with mascara!
However, it might be awhile before i get started on this mascara as I just bought the DiorShow mascara not too long back and its still unopened!! Please be patient as I try out these products! 







Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Floral Nails

My pretty floral inspired nails! 


Monday, May 21, 2012

Review: Elizabeth Arden Prevage Hydrating Fluid & Biotherm Aquasource

To be very honest, I've found it really hard to evaluate skincare. I'm not sure if you feel the same? In my opinion, the impact is generally milder and the side effects take longer to show.

This review will be split into three review portions, first my old love - Biotherm Aquasource Moisturizer followed by my new love - Elizabeth Arden Hydrating Fluid and lastly a comparison against each other. Its going to be a long post, be prepared!

1. Biotherm Aquasource Non-stop Moisturizer (for combination skin) - the green gel

My background with moisturizers are quite straightforward. From as far as I could recall, I've been using Biotherm's Aquasource since its old formula (lighter and less fragrant) and old packaging. I think it has been approximately 10 years since! (woah) Unfortunately, no biotherm has not rewarded me very much for being such a loyal fan, in both monetary/gift benefits and skin benefits, especially after I've started a full make-up regime on a day to day basis. As such I've decided to move away from Biotherm Aquasource.

So let's get digging into the review!

Ingredients
Aqua, Alcohol Denat, Cyclohexasiloxane, Glycerine, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Butylene Glycol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Dimethicone, Tocopheryl Acetate, Panthenol, Hexylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Chlorphenesin, Xanthan Gum, Magnesium Gluconate, Serine, 2-Oleamido-1,3-Octadecanediol, Citrulline, Cholestrol, Liminene, Fructose, Glucose, Tocopherol, Vitreoscilla Ferment Extract, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Disodium EDTA, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Hexyl Cinnamal, Benzyl Salicylate, Urea, Menthoxypropanediol, Zinc Gluconate, Linalool, Ceramide 3, Hydroxypalmitoyl Sphinganine, Citral, Dextrin, Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde, Benzyl Alcohol, Copper Gluconate, Hexyl Nicotinate, Sucrose, Glutamic Acid, Manganese Gluconate, CI 42090, CI 19140, Aspartic Acid, Alanine

To be fair, let me highlight that this moisturizer is not a bad moisturizer. I love the gel-like formula which leaves my skin a refreshed and supple! It has a fresh and a cooling hydrating texture just like spa water! Furthermore, it is light, gentle to sensitive skin (mineral oil and paraben free) and easy to apply - does not leave a greasy oily feel, perfect for summer weather. But on the long run, it does not work miraculously, definitely not for dry skin types, and more importantly, it is insufficient for your skin if you are like me, spending 5 days a week in air conditioned spaces. Oh yes, and nah, put this aside if its winter.

Summary: I will not repurchase this unless I'm dying for a quick spa pampering perk-me-up as it does not do much for my facial skin. Besides, the increasingly hefty price tag for this product with such strong alcohol denat content makes me ponder twice before purchasing for that quick perk.




2. Elizabeth Arden Prevage Hydrating Fluid (S$221)
{see EA's official page}

I've been using this new product launched by Elizabeth Arden (EA) in March 2012 (Singapore). It was launched together with Prevage triple defense SPF 50+++. Anyway given my experience with Biotherm Aquasource as described above, I decided to embark on a new journey with this moisturizer which was meant to be light weight for oily to combination skin & suitable for sensitive skin as well. It was also meant to be suitable for folks living in a humid climate (yay, that's Singapore) EA also mentioned that this can be doubled up as a primer!

Prevage was range developed by EA to combate skin aging signs which are caused by environmental factors like air pollution and our exposure to the harmful sun rays (UVA, UVB and Infrared-A). These will eventually lead to fine lines, skin dryness and pigmentation visibility on our skin.

This moisturizer is orange in colour and easily absorbed into the skin, leaving a silky finish. It contains two antioxidants (Idebenone and Thiotaine), Soy protein, glycerin and peptide complex to help combat these environment stress, repair and hydrate the skin.



Unfortunately this product comes with a hefty price tag (S$221) at all EA counters since March 2012. The bottle is not opaque and hence I'm not sure how long it will last. At the moment, I use 1.5 - 2 pumps per use in order for full face coverage. Just after 2 - 3 weeks of using this moisturizer, I've seen my facial skin improving - smoother, more radiant and more hydrated! However, I'm concerned about the trade off between the cost and its benefits.


Elizabeth Arden's Prevage Hydrating Fluid vs Biotherm Non-stop Aquasource Moisturizer - who wins?

Well its pretty obvious that EA's product won Biotherm's handsdown given the scoring. However, it is note worthy to point out that Biotherm's product application was smoother and it gave me a more relaxed feeling. Unfortunately that does not live up to its product function as a moisturizer. I also just started on EA's Ceramide Intense Moisture & Renewal Regeneration Eye Cream as I'm done with Bobbi Brown's Extra Eye Repair Cream. More of that at a later date!

By the way, I've also tried Biotherm Skin.Ergetic Concentrate from 1 Jan 2012 to date. I've decided to boycott that product as it was simply a waste of money. [Afternote: I've reviewed the product in September, see here]

Thanks for your continual support for my page! hugs! Till the next post!


Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Honey Yogurt Oat Mask

Hello! I'm back with a homemade recipe mask today!

Honey Yogurt (Yoghurt) Oat Mask 

- a moisturizing mask for dry skin
Remember to do a skin patch before applying to your face! You won't want to end up with an irritated face!

Ingredients:

  • - 2 tablespoons plain yogurt (the fattier the better)
    • The most important part of yogurt mask is to use regular yogurt that has fat, do not use non-fat yogurt as a mask, the result will not be noticeable or the mask won’t work at all. 
    • Honey Yogurt Mask - Paste Like
    • If you are afraid of drippy masks, use a cream yogurt.
  • - 1 tablespoon honey
  • - 1-2 tablespoons cooked & cooled oatmeal

How to?
Mix everything together until it forms a smooth paste. Spread over the face and leave on for 15-30 minutes. Wash off with a warm water/washcloth.

How long can it be kept?

Normally I'll keep it in a tub for a maximum of 1-2 weeks depending on the condition of the mask by then. Once you spot green dots on the surface, discard the mask. If you think it looks out, smell it - anything remotely slightly sour is terrible - throw!

Variations:

  • Use only Fatty Yogurt: Perfect if you just got off a flight/overseas
  • Good Scrub: Replace Oats with 2tbsp of finely ground almonds & 1/2 tsp of lemon juice 
  • Combat Acne: Replace Oats with 5 uncoated aspirins (dissolved in water)
  • Face Brightener: Replace Oats and honey (optional) with 1-2 drops of lemon juice (citric acid helps, but not too much otherwise it might irritate your face)

You should get a smooth paste. Enjoy!

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Hauls from Changi Airport!

Hello folks! I'm back from my trip, along the way I also picked up some beauty products from Singapore's Changi Airport Duty Free by Nuance Watsons! They carry a huge range from perfume, skincare to make-up & nail polishes! I like to pick up some products on my way out of the country as its tax-free! However, don't expect good advise from the CSAs as they are mainly generalists or newbies. So its good to make sure you know what you want or if you have an acute sense of being able to tell from self-testing. 

Here are my hauls from this trip: 


1. Bobbi brown Long Wear Gel Eyeliner set - I bought this as my sepia ink liner is running out and there's a free ultra fine travel brush together with the black liner. A pretty good deal - S$58.50

2. Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer (Natural shade)- to stock up on what I'm currency using - S$33.10

3. Lancome Subtil Rose Blush - I saw it the last time round I was going out of the country and though it looked pretty, randomly chose the #30 shade after some testing on my arms. Love the mix of shimmer come peach/pink undertones! A pretty full color match! - S$48.00

4. Dior Show Iconic Extreme Black - heard pretty good reviews about this so I decided to buy one to try. - S$43.60 (Still, I'm loving my Lancome Hypnose Waterproof (Noir) very very much! - retails at Changi airport for S$35.60).
Mt Sapola Sweet Dreams Sugar Scrub -
Untouched so the essential oils are floating on top!
I also bought the Mt Sapola Lavendar scrub and room mist at Bangkok's airport. Will review them in the future after some use. Hearts the soothing effect from the Lavender room spray!

Baby with eczema?

If your baby has got eczema, you can try

I have previously tried Aveeno as well but that's more for adult + it didn't work for me. Eczema is a tricky thing. You have trial and error and look out closely for reactions. 

Good luck!