Category Archives: Skincare

[SR] Jergens Moisturising Body Lotion

Note: Photos are mirror shots as no one else was at home to help me take photos. >.<

Outfit? Check.
Make up? Check.
Looking and feeling cute? Check.

Everything’s in order and I’m ready to head out, but there’s one important thing that I forgot to check…

Smooth and hydrated skin? Uh oh.

Yup, that’s the one thing I’ve left unchecked for years. A quick feel of my arms and legs: rough. Urgh. Laziness is my enemy and I really should get the better of it.

That’s why when Jergens and The Sample Store offered me the chance to try out some body lotions, I jumped on without hesitation. What I received was not one, not two, but THREE bottles of Jergens moisturising body lotions to try. Wow.

These three are from the new moisturising collection by Jergens. Each lotion is designed to enhance and transform your skin for a noticeably improved look and feel. Specially formulated with a breakthrough Hydralucence blend, this new range of lotions will eliminate dullness and smooth away dryness, and create a continuous layer of moisture on your skin to prevent loss of hydration. Its long-lasting luminosity effect stems from the microscopic serum droplets in the product that forms a shield on the skin, giving it a healthy glow. So yes, with Jergens, you can achieve that hydrated, luminous skin that will make you feel beautiful inside out.

Here’s a rundown of each Jergens lotion:

  • Jergens Soothing Aloe (green)
    A refreshing moisturiser with cucumber extract and pure aloe vera. It revives skin for visibly more refreshed skin.
  • Jergens Daily Moisture (blue)
    An all-day moisturiser with silk proteins and citrus extracts for dry skin. It improves the texture of skin for visibly smoother skin.
  • Jergens Ultra Healing (orange)
    A moisturiser with vitamins C, E and B5 for very dry skin. It repairs skin for visibly healthier skin.

I tried all three lotions, but focused more on using the Ultra Healing lotion. All three lotions had distinct, pleasant fragrances, but I loved the fragrance of the Soothing Aloe lotion the best. The lotions did not feel greasy, but they did leave a slightly sticky feel. It wasn’t too bad though because after a while, the feeling went away. Unlike the other two, the Ultra Healing lotion has a thicker formula. This also means that the sticky feeling is a little stronger. I imagine it as a protective layer doing its magic of healing on my dry skin. I suppose if you really mind that feel, you can use the Soothing Aloe or Daily Moisture lotions in the day and Ultra Healing lotion at night.

After application of the lotion over one or two days, I could see and feel a little difference in the smoothness of my skin.

The Jergens moisturising body lotions will be available at leading supermarkets, western pharmacies and personal care stores around mid-February 2015. Each lotion comes in a 400ml bottle and will retail at $8.90.

Remember, clothing and make up is what you add on to enhance your beauty, but beauty really begins from within you. Healthy skin and hair will ultimately give you the confidence to shine.

A somewhat artistic mirror shot. Had to flip the image though so the words on the bottles would read correctly. XD

 

Tokyo Luxey Gift Box

My last beauty box to talk about! Haha, that does not mean I’ve cleared my backlog of entries. I still have more to share about. 🙂

I’m pretty excited to share about this beauty box: the Tokyo Luxey Gift Box. If you know me well, you’ll know that I get excited about Japanese stuff. I began using cosmetic products by Maybelline, but now I’ve started to include a few Japanese brand cosmetics.

Just look at that fabulous box! *kira kira*

What’s included in the box:

  • Fairy Drops Vanilla Puff Mineral Powder in Dark Ochre
  • Kiraan! Metal Magic Liner in Red
  • Evangelist BB Cream in No. 2 Ochre
  • Fairy Drops Platinum Waterproof Mascara
  • Dolly Wink False Eyelashes in 20 Glamorous Doll
  • 24h Cosme Powder Foundation in 03 Dark Ochre
  • Make It & Co. Premium Gel
  • Make It & Co. Face & Body Wash Oil

I appreciate Tokyo Luxey’s thoughtfulness in preparing the box for Singaporeans. Unlike most Japanese women who are porcelain fair, some of us Singaporeans are not like that. Yes, me. As much as I would like to be fair, I can’t. I tan easily and don’t lose the tan easily too. Well, I can be super paranoid and go around wrapped up tightly so my skin is not exposed to the sun or carry an umbrella wherever I go, but that’s so not me. I’m really grateful that Tokyo Luxey included powder, foundation and cream in shades that would fit my skin tone. Whoopee!

A few comments about the items in the box… I’ve been using one of the mascaras in the Fairy Drops range and love it to bits. The formula is not too dry and sticky or too wet. I’ve used other mascaras that make my eyelashes clump too easily. Very annoying. I’ve been mighty pleased with Fairy Drops mascara as the formula glides on easily. This is really good for people like me who have short eyelashes. Can’t wait to try out the mascara included in this box.

Ooh…and they included Dolly Wink false eyelashes. Everyone knows that Dolly Wink falsies are really cool (and a little on the expensive side) because they are endorsed by model Masukawa Tsubasa. She used to be a Popteen model and I’ve been a faithful Popteen magazine reader since their first Chinese edition issue. (Please don’t ask me why even with Popteen magazines, I ended up being a noob with make up and clothes.) *sigh* Anyway, back to the topic. The eyelashes Tokyo Luxey included in the box is really good for newbies to falsies. Not the super thick or long dramatic types, these falsies are natural-looking. To be quite honest, I’ve never tried putting on falsies except for my ROM, wedding photoshoot and wedding days. And those days don’t even count because the make up artist was the one putting them on for me. Lately I’ve been thinking about trying on falsies, so maybe this will be a good starting point.

Before I ramble on and on, you can get the Tokyo Luxey Gift Box at USD32 (which comes up to SGD39). Very worth it as the items are worth about USD300!

Here’s some videos for more information on the items included in the box:

If you love Japanese cosmetics like me or just want to give it a try, get the Tokyo Luxey Gift Box now!

Black Box Beauty Boxes

Haha, I like how the title works out to be an alliteration.

As promised, I’ll tell you a little about the beauty boxes I got from Black Box. Yes, I have itchy fingers when it comes to beauty boxes (whether or not I actually use the contents of it), but my self-control is pretty good. So I end up with boxes of contents that I’ll use at least 70% if not all.

Black Box launched three exclusive beauty boxes for Christmas 2014 after their revamp, and I purchased two of them. Each box comes with a snazzy name.

The first one is ‘Bare my Soul, Sweetheart’. It was the cheapest at $9.90 and came in a plastic pack.

As usual, a card is included to tell you more about the products enclosed.

  • Biore Micellar Cleansing Water (1 sachet)
  • Klarity Lasertox CC Miracle White Lotion (5ml)
  • Nivea Fruity Shine Pink Guava Lip Balm (1 stick)
  • Ocean Health Buffered C-500 Chewable Tablets (60 tablets)
  • Nivea In-shower Skin Conditioner Body Lotion (1 sachet)
  • L’oreal Extraordinary Oil Sublime Hair Enhancer (3 sachets)

I thought the contents of this pack were pretty worth it for the price since two of the items are retail sized.

If you’re interested, I did a review of the Biore Miceller Cleansing Water earlier.

On to the next beauty box, ‘Hey Betty, I’m on a Vacay!’ This box costs $19.90 and comes in a neat little shoebox.

  • Za x Betty Boop Killer Volume Mascara (1 tube)
  • Aqualabel White Up Emulsion (20ml)
  • Aqualabel Aqua Enhancer (20ml)
  • Aqualabel Reset White Mask (1 sheet)
  • Ma Cherie Moisture Shampoo (50ml)
  • Ma Cherie Moisture Conditioner (50ml)

At first glance, I was thinking “The contents of this box is really little. That’s pretty expensive.” But after careful consideration, it really isn’t so. The mascara is retail sized and worth almost the cost of the box.

A note about Aqualabel. I’ve been using their enhancer for a few years now and love how it keeps my face moist. Aqualabel has two (or more) series. The common ones are the whitening (blue) series and the moisturising (red) series. I have been using the enhancer in the moisturising series, but lately they don’t seem to be on the shelves anymore. Maybe they have discontinued it. Oh well, I might as well try the enhancer in the whitening series since I have the sample now.

Another tidbit about Ma Cherie. People probably don’t remember or don’t know this, but Takki (Hideaki Takizawa) used to endorse Ma Cherie when it wasn’t available on our shores yet. I still remember a friend going gaga over it and all set to buy home the shampoo and conditioner when she went to Japan.

The third exclusive beauty box is ‘Love, The Alter Ego’ and is priced at $29.90. The last one is ‘I Kissed the Knight Goodbye’ and is priced at $39.90. I didn’t purchase these two as I didn’t fancy the contents and felt they were a bit too pricey.

The second, third and fourth boxes are still available at Black Box. Do check them out.

12 Days of Christmas

I guess you’re wondering why I’m talking about Christmas when it’s long gone. Yes, I do admit that I sat on this one, but I want to make an effort to let you know about the goodies I got from The Sample Store.

So I received the EDM about this wonderful Christmas giveaway where shoppers could collect three different gift box from 14-25 December. Each gift box was launched every 3-4 days during this period and all you had to do was make a $5.99 check out to receive one for free.

Did I mention I love freebies? I was practically sold. Besides, the older you get, the less Christmas presents you get. I just love unwrapping presents…the anticipation of finding out what someone got you and the surprise when you find out what’s beneath the wrapping. These boxes were just like Christmas presents…to myself. Haha.

Each box had a few items that were either sample sized or retail sized.

Box 1 (14-17 December)

  • 1028 Visual Therapy Moisture Booster Activating Mask (1 sheet)
  • Suisse Programme Platinum Precious Luxe Eye Cream (3ml)
  • Suisse Programme Platinum Precious Luxury Lifting Eye Concentrate (3ml)
  • Uucare All-in-one Convenient Pack
  • Himalaya Daily Health Capsules (60 capsules)

Box 2 (18-21 December)

  • MegRhythm Steam Eye Mask (1 sheet)
  • Pond’s Men Acne Clear Oil Control Whitening Foam (50g)
  • dearberry Berry Bright Serum (10ml)
  • Pond’s Age Miracle Face & Neck Lifting Day Cream (10g)
  • Frg Toilet Seat Cleaner Wipe (1 sheet)
  • Frg Instant Stain Remover Wipe (1 sheet)

Box 3 (22-25 December)

  • Perspirex Plus Antiperspirant Roll on (5ml)
  • White Formula Intense Brightening Toner with Tranexamic Acid (35ml)
  • VDL Lumilayer Primer (8ml)
  • Miacare Acne Patch for Day (3 pieces)
  • My Beauty Diary Snail Facial Hydrating Mask with Repair Cream (1 sheet + sachet)

Was most happy with the face masks and the VDL primer. I’ve been using the VDL hydration primer and love the way it works to keep my face hydrated and less oily. Shall save the gushing for another time (post).

Well, this is just a preview of what you can get from The Sample Store. Lots of interesting beauty products there. Look out for more promotions like this one!

[SR] BLACK PAINT Easy 4 Step Pore Care

I was rather curious about the Black Paint pore care products when I received the notice from The Sample Store, so I thought why not give it try.

BLACK PAINT® is an organic skincare brand established in Kyoto, Japan 15 years ago by Miyuki Maeda. Combining ancient wisdom of beauty secrets, modern bacteriology, and contemporary natural and organic lifestyle, Miyuki has successfully found the formula to solve skin problems rooting from skin pores by leveraging the power of nature. Based on this concept, BLACK PAINT® skincare products are made from natural, organic materials which are blended from more than 100 types of plant oils, more than 50 types of essential oils and Kishu Binchotan Charcoal, all known to have powerful beauty effects since ancient times. No longer using synthetic and artificial products to suppress our skin’s reaction to the external environment, BLACK PAINT® works instead to build the harmony between our skin and nature.

Black Paint’s skincare solution:

  • Remove clogging from pores
  • Hydrate your pores
  • Nourish your pores
  • Protect your pores

Yes, everything you see above was packed nicely into that box!

Items included:

  • Black Paint Soap (Cleanser)
  • Black Konjac Sponge
  • Best Water (Toner)
  • Oil Water Rose (Lotion)
  • Water Cream (Moisturiser)
  • 10 pieces Facial Paper
  • Pink Bowl

I don’t think you can see the problems I face from the photo, but I do have a strawberry nose (tons of blackheads/whiteheads), enlarged pores on my cheeks and whiteheads on my chin. Let’s see what Black Paint can do for me!

 

Step 1a: Black Paint Soap (Cleanser)

This gentle pore-cleansing hand-made soap is made of Kishu Binchotan Charcoal which explains its black colour. It cleans pores and removes oil and dirt thoroughly but gently without stripping away skin’s essential moisture, leaving skin fresh and silky smooth.Even if you have make up on, it can be used to remove make up in one wash without the need for make up remover.

Immerse the soap into 40 degree celsius water for a minimum of 40 seconds. (Now I know what the bowl is for!)  The soap is ready for use when its surface melts to a consistency of sesame seed paste. Apply the soap directly onto skin and massage your face gently for about a minute. This allows the charcoal particles to get in through your pores and adhere themselves to whiteheads and oil deposits for effective cleansing. Gently rinse off with warm water. Leave the soap to dry naturally in an airy place.

Here’s a tip from me: Be careful not to let soap get into your eyes. IT REALLY STINGS. I read later that it stings so bad because of the salt content in the soap.

 

Step 1b: Black Konjac Sponge

This 100% natural facial sponge is made from konjac fibre kneaded with Kishu Binchotan Charcoal and various minerals that enhance its absorption ability. It exfoliates the skin, removing excess oil and dead skin cells.

Soak the sponge in warm water for three to five minutes until the sponge is completely soft. Press out the excess water but do not twist the sponge. Gently massage your face with the sponge in a circular motion. The sponge will extract partially exposed comedones. After use, rinse the sponge and set it in an airy place to dry.

 

Step 2: Best Water (Toner)

It is not called water for nothing. It looks and feels like regular water but this water contains 30 types of minerals that deeply penetrate the skin to nourish and help restore the skin’s natural barrier to guard against moisture loss.

Use three to five pumps of Best Water. Gently add pressure using your palms on your face for better absorption. It is recommended to use the facial paper with Best Water as a face mask twice weekly for better results.

 

Step 3: Oil Water Rose (Lotion)

This dual-layer emulsion contains damask water and oil from around 2000 roses! The lotion regenerates, protects, soothes, and softens the skin.

Due to the absence of emulsifier (a synthetic chemical), the rose oil and rose water will always be separated in two layers. Shake the bottle vigorously for more than 20 times until the liquid becomes a milky solution. Apply three to five pumps of the lotion to your face. Repeat this step two to three times.

The product contains oil but it doesn’t feel like there’s a layer of gunk on your face. Think of it as like spreading nice-smelling essential oil to your face.

 

Step 4: Water Cream (Moisturiser)

This water-based moisturising cream contains argan oil to promote moisture retention and can be used as a make up base. It is also scented with lavender oil.

Take a pearl-sized amount and spread it on your face. The cream transforms to water droplets upon application. If you are using it as a make up base, wait until your face dries before applying make up.

My face was a little oily after application so I think its perfect for use at night especially if you sleep in an air-conditioned room.

 

If you’re still not sure about the steps, here’s a video that explains everything. It also includes more information about the range of products.

 

After about two weeks of using Black Paint products, I noticed that there are less blackheads/whiteheads on my nose and chin. There are also less enlarged pores on my cheeks. Hooray!

You can purchase the products at Takashimaya B1, Isetan at Westgate Mall B2 or from Black Paint’s official website.

Wait! There’s more goodies from Black Paint.

[SR] Bio-essence Aqua Droplet Sleeping Beauty Mask

If you guys are wondering why there is a “[SR]” at the beginning of the title, it stands for “sponsored review”. Yes! This is my first review of a sponsored product! Thanks to Bio-essence and The Sample Store! So exciting!

Today, I’ll be talking about Bio-essence’s Aqua Droplet Sleeping Beauty Mask. It’s one of the products from the Hydra Tri-Action range. I think this is an improved version of the hydrating range of products. I was using that older range of products a few years back. There was the sleeping mask in that range back then too. I remember my sister telling me how good it was. Too bad, I didn’t try it out then. Oh well, but at least I get to try this new and improved version.

The new and improved range has THREE times the hydration power which acts to HYDRATE, NOURISH and PROTECT your skin.

HYDRATE — It contains two types of hyaluronic acid: Power Nano Hyaluronic Acid and Hyaluronic Acid, as well as Cranberry Extract. The Power Nano Hyaluronic Acid has an average nano molecular size of 15-25mm so that it is absorbed quickly and easily into the skin. Its super miosture retention capability also helps to keep your skin firm, plumped and moisturised. The Hyaluronic Acid forms a large water-locked network to effectively lock in the moisture. The Cranberry Extract aids in moisture retention, improving skin elasticity and suppleness.

NOURISH — The Cranberry Extract provides excellent conditioning of your skin for a healthy glow. There’s also the Bio Energy Fluid that further nourishes and refines skin texture.

PROTECT — Not only does the Cranberry Extract help to hydrate and nourish your skin, it is rich in anti-oxidents which protects the skin against harmful free radicals, environmental and UV damage.

I’ve been using sheet masks all along, but some time this year, I got really lazy and have stopped using them regularly. I still go for my monthly facial session, but I’ve noticed that sometimes my skin just can’t hold out that long. My cheeks get a little dry and rough to the touch. With the help of hydrating masks, my skin usually holds up quite well. So for the lazy people like me, the Aqua Droplet Sleeping Beauty Mask is just perfect. You just put it on like a normal moisturiser and that’s it. Let it do its magic while you sleep. For more intensive treatment, you can apply a slightly thicker layer and it becomes a sleeping mask.

Take it from me the lazy one. I never bothered taking care of my skin until I went to college. By then, I was battling oily patches on my face. I thought I had an oily complexion, but I later found out that my skin was actually too dry to the point that it was producing more oil to compensate. So yes, keeping your skin moisturised is very important. With the Aqua Droplet Sleeping Beauty Mask, it combats the four common skin problems. It brightens dull and tired skin, regulates oil and moisture level, moisturises dry and rough skin, refines enlarged pores. Woohoo! Sounds good to me because I seem to have all of the above. *sheepish look*

I think you must be curious now about the sleeping mask, so let’s take a look at what it really is.

The mask comes in a deep turqoise coloured bottle.

The mask itself is in the form of a white, somewhat translucent cream.

Hey, but here’s where the fun begins. The Aqua Droplet Sleeping Beauty Mask is made with Bio-essence’s unique Bio Aqua Crystal technology. This technology forms a protective shield over the hydrating ingredients to prevent moisture loss before application. Upon application, the shield breaks away and big aqua droplets are formed! This ensures your skin gets hydrated with the freshest and most optimal amount of hydrating activity.

Here’s what it looks like after application. Can you see the water droplets?

So cool right?

What I like most about the mask is the texture of the cream. It’s light and definitely not oily. I was pleasantly surprised since most moisturisers I’ve used so far feel more oily than this. Usually I’ll wash my hands with soap after application, but with this I end up just using water. It also has a nice fragrance. Not that I care much, but if it ain’t smelling good, it ain’t going on my face for sure. After using the product for slightly more than a week, I noticed that my skin didn’t feel as dry and rough anymore. So yay to the Aqua Droplet Sleeping Beauty Mask!

If you’re game to try out other products in the Hydra Tri-Action range, there’s the Aqua Foamy Cleanser, Aqua Refreshing Toner and Aqua Moisturing Gel too.

What’s more, Bio-essence will be having a street sampling activity on Saturday, 6 September 2014 from 2-6pm outside Mandarin Gallery. You can find out how hydrated your skin is and get freebies, as well as enjoy attractive discounts on the products.

You can also “LIKE” Bio-essence Singapore’s Facebook page and redeem free samples.