Operation Use It Up

Here's the bucketload of products that I managed to finish in November. With only one more month to go until the end of 2012, it seems like my beauty stash is still nothing short of overflowing. Need to be more disciplined in 2013 for sure!

1. DiorSkin Forever Compact worked pretty well for me, especially for days when I don't have the time to apply liquid foundation. However, I still prefer the more natural and seamless finish of liquid foundation. I probably won't re-purchase this since Dior comes up with new foundations virtually every year. Full review here.

2. Paul & Joe Protective Foundation Primer UV is a favourite of mine for its natural finish and ability to smoothen out the skin surface. It also does not make my skin more oily than usual. The tube contains only 26.9ml but it took me over two years to finish as I didn't use it regularly until recently. Good grief! Full review here.

3. Lancome Bifacil Double Action Eye Makeup Remover works well for whisking off eye makeup in a jiffy although with stubborn Japanese mascaras, it takes more elbow grease. It's not something I would purchase though as L'Oreal makes a much more affordable version. However, I keep getting samples of it as gifts with purchase.

4. Shu Uemura puRENovate Clarifying Balancing Moisturizer felt too heavy on my skin during the summer, but as the weather turned dryer with autumn, I was able to use this sample tube up quickly. It's not bad as a basic moisturizer but it didn't wow me.

5. L'Oreal Gentle Eye Makeup Remover is a daily staple. I go through one bottle virtually every month. It never stings the eyes.

6. Coast To Coast Rainforest Clarifying Facial Toner helps to refresh the skin without stinging or leaving it feeling dry. It has a fairly strong tea tree scent. I didn't find this to be particularly effective in combating acne. Ingredients list below.

7. Organix Renewing Moroccan Argan Oil sounds pretty good until you examine the ingredients list and realise that argan oil is pretty far down the list. It's full of silicones, which I don't mind. It helps to tame the frizziness and doesn't make my hair feel greasy. Nevertheless, I doubt I will re-purchase this.



8. Vidal Sassoon Premium Conditioner works very well with my dyed hair, leaving it tangle-free. I actually never comb my hair, which I wash and condition once daily. In the mornings, I just use a hair serum to keep it tangle-free. This is made in Thailand.

9. L'Occitane Cherry Blossom Gentle Conditioner isn't as hydrating as the VS Premium although it does have a nicer sweet floral scent. Not something I would re-purchase as it's just too pricey.

10. Percy & Reed Finishing Polish quickly became a daily staple for taming the flyaway strands of my fringe. The scent is also delightfully fresh without being generic. I'll definitely re-purchase this. It's available on ASOS for £10. Ingredients list below.

11. Jill Stuart Body Milk has a sweet white floral scent that is just too cloying and syrupy for me. This light milk also leaves a greasy feeling on my skin.

12. L'Occitane Delice des Fleurs Rose & Violette Body Milk has a much more pleasing and elegant scent. It hydrates well without feeling greasy. This was from last year's limited edition holiday collection.

13. Clarins Extra-Firming Body Lotion also has a lovely scent and absorbs readily into the skin. However, I did not notice any firming effect.

14. La Mer The Cleansing Gel is a good basic cleanser that rinsed off easily without leaving the skin stripped or flakey. However, it doesn't seem special enough to justify the exorbitant US$65 price tag.

15. Ole Henriksen Aloe Vera Deep Cleanser is designed for oily, blemish-prone skin. While it does feel gentle on the skin, I did not notice any reduction in blemishes. It also takes several splashes to rinse off completely so I would not re-purchase this. Ingredients list below.

16. Murad Vitalic Energising Pomegranate Cleanser is also extremely gentle on the skin. It dispenses as an ultra light foam that rinses off very quickly, taking all oiliness with it. The 50ml bottle lasted barely two weeks.

17. Body Shop Rich Plum shower gel is another limited edition product from holiday 2009. Despite its age, it showed no change in consistency or scent. The rich plum aroma is intoxicating and luxurious. Wish the Body Shop would bring this back!


18. Lush Rub Rub Rub is a sea salt-based scrub that provides good exfoliating action without melting away too quickly. I like the refreshingly clean scent as well. The consistency always reminds me of 7/11 Slurpee drinks.

Operation Use It Up

I just did an "empties" post less than two weeks ago but somehow, I managed to finished up another bunch of products recently. And yet, it seems like my cabinets are still stuffed to the max!

1. Lancome Blanc Miracle Foundation: This was good for daily use, especially when I am in a rush. (Read my earlier review here.) However, this was replaced in April by Maqui Blanc Miracle which contains purple ‘liquid light essence’ pigment and salicylic acid.

2. The Body Shop Satsuma Body Lotion: This was lying around half-empty for too many months to count. When I finally got around to finishing it, half a bottle was gone in less than two weeks. It is very light textured and non-greasy, perfect for the humid summer months.

3. Bliss Steep Clean Deep Pore Cleanser: This claims to help reduce the appearance of pores, excess oil and shine through a double enzyme blend. It contains salicylic acid and ascorbic acid. I liked this as it feels very gentle on the skin and leaves skin feeling clean and supple. It did not keep blemishes away completely or prevent pores from getting clogged but no cleanser does that for me.

4. La Roche-Posay Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel: This paraben-free cleanser works well with my Clarisonic Mia, cleansing thoroughly without stripping the skin. Not sure if I will re-purchase it though as I still have a few cleansers to use up. The ingredients list is below.

5. La Mer The Radiant Infusion: This 15ml bottle lasted about three weeks with daily usage. Now that it's summer, this is all I use to prep my skin after cleansing and before applying foundation. It absorbs well without leaving any greasy or sticky feeling, and helps to combat the skin flakes that I sometimes get. Not a fan of the scent though.

6. L'Occitane Cherry Blossom Hand Cream: This has a delightful sweet floral scent that is not too cloying. It also gives immediate relief to my hands, which are prone to peeling as I wash my hands quite often. I always try to keep a tube in my bag.

7. Essence Nail Art Nail Polish Remover: Super cheap and does the job reasonably well, although glitter nailpolishes are still pretty tough to remove with this.

8. Philosophy Bubbly Shampoo, Shower Gel & Bubble Bath: I was not a fan of the light champagne and orange scent at first but it grew on me, and now I find it quite refreshing. It lathers up very well, great for use with a bath lily.



9. Nivea Color Protect Conditioner: This keeps my hair relatively soft and tangle-free but I've since switched to Vidal Sasson Premium which I find to be more hydrating.

10. The Body Shop Rainforest Moisture Hair Butter: Given the name, I expected this to be very hydrating but it did absolutely nothing for my hair. I would not re-purchase this for sure!

11. Lush I Love Juicy: Lush's zany descriptions always make their products sound irresistible. This has a light green citrus scent and cleanses well, but it does leave my hair slightly dry. Not sure if I will re-purchase it.

Operation Use It Up

I mean to write this post earlier but got sidetracked into reading the Hunger Games trilogy last weekend. After plowing through all three books in three days, the tale has been haunting me. The writing is not the most masterful but nevertheless, it's a thrilling page-turner that gets very grim in parts. So much death, loss and broken spirits. Now I can't wait to see the movie which will be released in less than two weeks.

Anyway, here are the products that I finished up this past month. I've been focusing on using up all these small sample bottles as I'm getting tired of them taking up space in my cabinets and carting them around with me each time I move house.

Lush Retread (£9.50) is described as a "deluxe, specially enhanced triple strength conditioner" made with conditioning olive, jojoba and avocado oils, soya milk, melon juice and yoghurt in a seaweed and lanolin base. The consistency is like liquid yogurt, more watery than the usual conditioners so I usually have to use a generous palmful of it on my hair. It is not as richly hydrating as say, Tsubaki, but it leaves my hair tangle-free and feeling clean without the the heavy silicone-y feel of richer conditioners. It is relatively expensive though and lasted only about three weeks with daily usage. Lush has a recycling programme in the UK whereby if you bring back 5 clean black pots, you can get a Fresh Face Mask free.

When I breathed in the invigorating mandarin and mint scent of Rituals Fujiyama Shower Foam (£6.50, 200ml), I knew instantly that this would become one of my favourite shower products of all time. The rich foam lather feels luxurious on the skin and rinses off without drying out the skin. The delicious scent is perfect for chasing away the trials and tribulations of the day.


H2O+ Exfoliating Marine Body Butter contains skin-smoothing multi-hydroxy acids plus hydrating marine algae, seagrass and cucumber extract. The scent is light and clean. The 15ml tube was barely enough for one application, certainly not enough to notice any exfoliating effect. It hydrates nicely enough without feeling greasy.

I also used up a few deluxe samples of Kenzoki moisturisers: Nightwatcher, Melts On Contact Face Gel and Face Phenomenon. These have the usual calming scents typical of Kenzoki and absorb very nicely into the skin, helping to stave away flakiness. Of these, I liked Nightwatcher the best. Each 5ml tube usually lasts about 5 days with twice daily use. My skin gets oily after some time, but using a moisturiser is vital to stave off the eczema that I experienced briefly during the winter. The Fondant Rice Lotion is a milky lotion that preps the skin nicely in the mornings for foundation.

Next up are lotions and toners: Kanebo Blanchir Superior White Deep Clear Conditioner II, RMK Skintuner Smoother, Impress Lotion II, Chanel Hydramax+ Active Nanolotion and La Mer The Tonic. These were all quite average, and simply made the skin feel more refreshed without any tightness.

L'Oreal Elseve Liss-Intense Serum Anti-frizz does a great job of keeping my dehydrated locks manageable and frizz-free so I've already re-purchased this.

L'Occitane Verbena Shower Gel is another citrus-scented favourite. I would indulge in this more often except that my current stash of shower gels will last me well into 2013 and possibly beyond!

Kenzoki Clearwater Gel is a nicely refreshing lotion to perk up the skin. When it's very hot, I often just use this and skip moisturiser.

Crabree & Evelyn Iris Body Cream moisturises well but takes a bit of time and effort to absorb into the skin.

Saforelle Soothing Cream was recommended by my doctor for use on my shins which saw a bad case of folliculitis during the winter. It did help to calm the skin down over time.

Like most Japanese foaming cleansers, Kanebo Impress Creamy Soap leaves the skin feeling squeaky clean and so it may be too drying for some people.

La Mer Difference In A Day Experience

Details in the e-mailer below!

La Mer Skincare Workshop

La Mer is holding a series of two-hour hands-on workshops in October at Tangs Orchard. The registration fee is S$80 for one person or S$120 for two persons (fully redeemable), plus there will be a doorgift. Details in the e-mailer below!

Below is a sneak peek from Voce of the Discovery Collection coffret (28,350yen) that will be released on 2 December in Japan. It includes the Creme de La mer (30ml), the Eye Balm Intense (5ml) and the Radiant Serum (15ml).

The RG Collection (35,175yen) includes the Creme de La mer (30ml), the Eye Concentrate (5ml), RG Serum (15ml), the Cleansing Gel (100ml) and Hydrating Infusion (30ml).

La Mer The Illuminating Powder Limited Edition

Spotted this gorgeous La Mer The Illuminating Powder Limited Edition at Tangs Orchard earlier today. Retailing at S$174, it is a lightweight shimmering pressed powder infused with illuminating gemstones, shimmering pearls and color true pigments for a healthy, luminous glow. It reportedly sold out quite quickly in the US where most counters received only 5-6 units. In the US, it retailed for US$95.

La Mer Holiday '08

For the holiday season, La Mer will be rolling up several deluxe sets. The prices are, typical of La Mer, mind-bogglingly expensive but I'm sure they will still be snapped up in no time by devotees of the brand.

Out on 1 November: Miraculous Beginnings (50,400yen) which includes Creme de La Mer 30ml, Moisturising Lotion 30ml, Eye Concentrate 5ml, Lifting Serum 9ml, Lifting Intensifier 3ml, Cleansing Lotion 100ml, The Tonic 100ml and a cosmetic case.


Out on 14 November: Creme de La Mer Horiki Eriko Limited Edition (54,600yen) Done in collaboration with Japanese washi (traditional Japanese paper) artist Horiki Eriko, this "Messages"-themed set features a 60ml jar of Creme de La Mer surrounded by message cards in the colours of La Mer's packaging. These can be hung on door knobs or hooks as a decorative feature.


Out on 5 December: Creme de La Creme (199,500yen)
This is the super-deluxe 500ml pot of La Mer cream that comes in a mother-of-pearl box. And in case you're wondering, the price is approximately US$1864. Cripes... Who buys this stuff?!


For those who can't afford Creme de La Creme, there is the much more affordably-priced Signature Collection (34,650yen) - well, as affordable as La Mer gets anyway - which comes with La Mer 30ml, Lifting Serum 15ml and Eye Concentrate 5ml.