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.

Organic body care products worth hoarding from Garden Apothecary

With increasing hope and enthusiasm, I continue to navigate my way through the Etsy trenches with the goal of finding the glittering jewels among all the purveyors of similar looking and sounding natural and organic bath & body products. Proprietor and horticulturist Jennifer Lee Segale's product line Garden Apothecary is one such jewel. Just yesterday, I was very pleased to see her bath salts featured in the September issue of People Style Watch [p. 314], as well!

July in Chicago was pretty brutal, heat-wise, which is why I was so excited when I had the opportunity to try Garden Apothecary's Organic Peppermint Water Refresher ($8). It's the simplest of ideas-- organic peppermint oil in purified water. But, I've learned that even the simplest idea can be mucked up in terms of quality of essences, and I've had my share of duds. This spray almost makes up for those times I've been burned-- it is the most refreshing thing on the planet, and frankly, I feel uncomfortable when it's not within my reach 24/7. I use it mostly as a facial toner before applying a facial oil or moisturizer (and throughout the day), and I keep it in the fridge so it gives me that extra burst of cool. I also spray liberally when I have a headache, as peppermint oil has always helped my headaches.

Now, on to one of the most insanely good body scrubs I've ever used. The Organic Vanilla Sugar Scrub ($20) is just that good for the following reasons:

• Real organic vanilla bean pods are used to create additional texture in the scrub, and for the obvious aromatherapeutic benefits
• Sweet Almond Oil and Vitamin E hydrates as you scrub, and when you wash the sugar off, traces of the oils remain on the skin, as well as the genuine vanilla fragrance (note: body should be patted with towel after shower, not rubbed)
• There is a whole vanilla bean pod macerating in the jar of sugar scrub, and you can take it out and play with it if you want (I did)
• I was able to skip body lotion after using this scrub, and I usually need to apply it every day because my skin tends to get dry easily. Actually, I would only recommend this particular scrub for dry types, I think some of the other scrubs are more in neutral moisture territory- the Vanilla scrub is particularly rich
• Did I mention the scent? It's incredible. 
• Each jar is made to order
• One jar will last quite some time, because you don't need huge palmfuls, and you definitely don't need to use it every day (I go for it twice a week). 

There is a difference between just working with natural materials and working along with nature to create products that spell out perfect simplicity.The reason these products are so pleasing to use is because the high-quality organic ingredients have been allowed to shine (let's face it, those vanilla beans are stars, and they're ready for their close-up now, Mr. DeVille). There's no phony marketing here, no man-made complexity anywhere to be found, no chemicals and no shoddy workmanship. What Garden Apothecary (and Jenn herself) has in spades is humility, good taste and smarts to burn. The organic peppermint oil isn't the only thing I find refreshing here. 

[samples provided by company for my consideration]

Weekly Photo Challenge - Bodycare Edition

This week's photo meme started by Yumeko is about bodycare so here goes!

1. Body Wash

I'm close to finishing Philosophy Tinsel Town, which was a holiday release, and moving on to their Bubbly next. A couple of times a week, I use either Lush Rub Rub Rub or Sana Esteny Salt Wash. The blue crystals of Rub Rub Rub always reminds me of Icee (like 7-Eleven Slurpee) from my childhood.

Esteny Salt Wash is a charcoal and salt scrub that gives invigorating exfoliating action. I found this last year at Sasa in Singapore for $20.90. It retails in Japan for 1050yen for 250g.

2. Skin Moisturizer

Even in the summer, the skin on my legs still get very dry, so I've been using the Body Shop Spa Wisdom Morocco Argan Oil & Orange Blossom Body Souffle, L'Occitane Delice des Fleurs Rose & Violette Body Milk and Crabtree & Evelyn Rosewater Body Cream. These absorb quickly without making my skin feel greasy.

3. Hair treatment / Conditioner

For my dry, colored hair, I recently started using L'Oreal EverPure Shampoo and Vichy Dercos Mineral Soft shampoo. EverPure lathers up surprisingly well, despite being sulfate-free and leaves my hair tangle-free. For taming the frizz and flyaways, I've been relying on Percy & Reed Finishing Polish and L'Oreal Elseve Liss-Intense Serum.

4. Perfume

Recently, I've been rotating through Jo Malone Plum Blossom, Jo Loves Pomelo, Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess and Taylor Swift Wonderstruck. Pomelo is my favourite of the lot, for its sparkling freshness. Plum Blossom is a gentle sweet floral that does not last that long on me. Bronze Goddess has a relaxing beach vacation vibe.

Recently released in Singapore at Sephora, Wonderstruck is a gift from a very kind friend. It has very sweet notes of raspberry and peach. The antique charms are a nice whimsical touch. At least the bottle looks like an original design, unlike the shameless ripoff by Justin Bieber's Someday (of Marc Jacobs Lola) and Selena Gomez's eponymous fragrance (of the lips from the Guerlain Rouge Automatic ad).

5. Other body care items you use

It's not as sweltering here as Singapore yet but buildings in Switzerland are usually not equipped with air conditioners, so you can imagine how stuffy it gets. I'm trying to be more diligent in applying sunblock with the Biotherm Lait Solaire SPF50 but like most sunscreen lotions, it makes my skin feel slightly greasy. To help cool down, I've been relying on L'Occitane's new Angelica Hydration face mist and Paul & Joe Shimmering Body Lotion G.

If you would like to join in the fun, just leave a comment on Yumeko's post and here with a link to your blog post, and I'll be sure to check it out!

L'Occitane Verbena Leaf Soap

Last week, I got tired of dealing with the slippery Lush Sweetie Pie Shower Jelly, so I popped into L'Occitane and picked up their Verbena Leaf Soap (S$10).



I love the fresh citrusy scent of L'Occitane's Verbena range, which isn't too sharp or generic. I've tried both the Verbena shampoo and conditioner previously but they didn't work well with my hair.



Aside from the lovely scent, I also like the good exfoliating action provided by the crushed verbena leaves in the soap. The scrubby bits don't feel as sharp on my skin as Lush Porridge Soap. The all-vegetal, non-detergent cleansing base is supposed to be non-drying. And indeed, it doesn't cause any dry patches or tightness on my skin after rinsing off, unlike many other bar soaps. Nevertheless, I still use a body lotion post-shower to keep my skin properly hydrated.



It also lathers up much faster than Lush Shower Jelly and doesn't leave a strong scent on my skin. I like to use this especially if I've worn sunscreen lotion on that day, as this cleanses my skin thoroughly.



Love this!

Anna Sui Hair Treatment Kit and Body Gel Scrub

Anna Sui will release a Hair Treatment Kit (4725yen) and a Body Gel Scrub (1890yen) on 2 June in Japan. The limited edition Hair Treatment Kit includes a hair shampoo 60ml, hair conditioner 60ml, hair treatment mask 80g, shower cap and a pouch with a cotton laminate exterior that is waterproof. The products bear the signature Anna Sui tea rose scent. The Body Gel Scrub contains two types of scrub particles in an emollient gel base with skin beneficial ingredients that moisturise the skin.

Small Chanel & Coast To Coast Haul

Chanel just launched its "Collection Les Perles de Chanel" collection at all the counters in Singapore this week. The star product is the Ombres Perlées de Chanel palette (S$91).

The palette has received almost universally positive reviews by several beauty blogs and it's easy to see why when you swatch the shades. The five powder eyeshadows have a surprisingly creamy texture and an elegant luminosity, inspired by pearls from all over the world. The shimmer is very refined and delicate.

The first two ingredients listed are dimethicone and dimethicone/vinyl dimethicone crosspolymer, which explains the silicone-y texture that just glides onto the skin without any loose powdery bits flying all over the place. Even without a base, all five shades swatched very well.

I haven't purchased anything from Chanel for over a year and to be honest, my small Chanel collection rarely sees the light of day. Nevertheless, the Ombres Perlées palette was just too unique to pass up, compared to the eyeshadow palettes that Chanel usually releases. It was the complex wine burgundy shade in the middle of the palette that sealed the deal for me. After comparing it with the Shu Uemura Morphorium Blue Eye & Cheek Palette at Tangs Vivocity, I decided that Ombres Perlées was more worthwhile as all the shades have an excellent texture unlike the Shu palette, which is quite a bit more expensive at S$115.



This being Chanel, my guess is that it will fly off the shelves pretty quickly so don't wait too long if you like it!

I also stopped by the Coast To Coast store as I had a $10 voucher to use. Coast To Coast is currently having a storewide 20% discount off regular-priced items, with an additional 10% off for members. I decided to get the Rainforest Invigorating Body Exfoliant. This usually retails at S$43 but I paid only S$20.96.

The crushed walnut shells provide a thorough scrubbing action and left my skin feeling very soft and smooth. Although the scrub contains organic rose hip oil, it doesn't have a heavy rose scent. Instead, it smells like a refreshing sweet lemon sherbet to me. Very yummy!

Here's the ingredients list.

Kenzoki Milky Rice Body Scrub

Yesterday being Christmas, I decided to break out the Kenzoki Milky Rice Body Scrub. I had purchased this a few months ago but decided to save it for a special occasion while I finish up my other body scrubs.

With just one use, I have to say that I am completely and unreservedly smitten. It is simply heavenly. The scrub is part of Kenzoki's Sensual range which has a soothing rice steam scent with a subtle sweet milkiness.

The scrub looks like porridge and has just the perfect creamy consistency without being too watery. The scrubby bits provide just the right amount of exfoliation and do not feel harsh or too abrasive. The scrubby bits also don't melt away. I didn't like the Jill Stuart Sugar Body Scrub as the sugar bits melt away too fast, giving you less than a minute of scrubbing action.

The scrub also rinses off easily without leaving any greasy residue. Not only did it leave my skin extra soft and scented with the subtle rice fragrance, my skin also felt well moisturised without the need to apply a separate body lotion. Compared to Lush Buffy Body Butter which is also a moisturising and exfoliating scrub to be used in the shower, Buffy was more intensively hydrating and left my skin feeling slightly oily. For Singapore's hot and humid climate, the Kenzoki Milky Rice Body Scrub feels much more comfortable. I was also impressed by the fact that when I woke up the next morning (about 10 hours later), my skin still had that silky soft and hydrated feeling.

Here's the product description and explanation of the key ingredients in the scrub like plant water, rice wax and rice powder.




Here's the ingredients list. The body scrub is made in France and the box is printed with a shelf life of 18 months.

The Milky-Rice Body Scrub normally retails at S$68 for 200ml, which makes it a very pricey indulgence but after using it, I think it's definitely worth treating yourself to it once in a while. The best time to purchase it is during Metro's 20% storewide sales as the Kenzo counters give a direct 20% discount during these sales. You can find the Kenzoki skincare line at Metro Paragon, Robinsons (Raffles City & Centrepoint) as well as Takashimaya.