Emergency Leave...

Hi everyone! I'm so sorry, but there won't be posts for these few days (hopefully shorter). My mother in law is admitted into the hospital for Dengue Fever, so i'll be shuffling between home, work and the hospital these few days!

Hope she gets well soon!!

FOTD: Take Me Away! :D

This very natural FOTD is inspired by my recent trip!! This is how i look in my travel pictures:



Very very natural right?? Hahaha!! :P

Here's what i used:


The Body Shop Lip & Cheek Stain, Maybelline Line n' Design Brow Pencil in Dark Brown, MAC Powerpoint in Stubborn Brown and Pond's Magic Powder


Well, i don't really like to lug around lots of makeup during my travels (more like paranoid that they'll go missing / get smashed / etcetcallthebadthingsthatcanhappen), so i always bring things that are "replacable" as well as long lasting!! :D The four items above are my travel essentials... can't live without them especially the Pond's Magic Powder which keeps my face matte the whole day! :D

When i'm in the mood for color, i sometimes bring along a few of the wonderful Silkygirl Funky Eyelights Pencil. I also make sure that i have lip balm with me all the time! :D


Do you have any travel makeup tips to share? :D


Oh before i end, here's two of my favouritest pictures from my recent Langkawi trip:





I had a wonderful break there! Wish i didn't have to come back!!! :(


Alright, it's only one week away from Chinese New Year! Have you done your Spring Cleaning / got your CNY goodies yet? :D I know i'm feasting on the amazing Kuih Kapit (Love Letters) and mandarin oranges already!! :P :P

Enjoy your weekend everyone! :D

Product Review: Nivea Intensive Body Milk

At a Glance:
Price: RM6.70 (approx. US$1.80)
Website: Nivea.com.my
Weight: 75ml
Made in: Thailand
Likes: Absorbs quickly with no sticky feel, cheap, easily available
Gripes: Contains denatured alcohol, could be more moisturizing
Repurchase: No
Jenn's Rating: 3 Stars!! Not too bad, but won't repurchase because of the alcohol in it!

Ingredients:


Product Description:

For skin that looks and feels great all day long. Skin compatibility dermatologically proven.


Actual Product Pic:



Texture & Scent:


This lotion is quite runny, so it spreads unto your skin quite well! This gives a cooling sensation once applied (hint: alcohol), and the lotion sinks in really quickly which is nice. This smells like the other lotions from this range... powdery and soft - it's quite comforting actually! haha!! :D

Packaging:


I bought the smallest bottle which is the 75ml one with a flip top cap! There's another bigger one which contains 400ml and it comes with a pump.

The dispensing hole:



Time Test:
This lotion sinks in quickly, but i find that i have to reapply after a few hours!

Price & Availability:
This lotion is priced at RM6.70 which i think is pretty affordable! The 400ml pump version is priced at RM23.60. This lotion should be available at most Guardian / Watsons outlets and your local supermarket! :)

Usage:
Since this absorbs quickly, it's perfect to use in the mornings when you're in a hurry! :D


My $0.02:

I was in the mood to try something new when i came across this product in Watsons!! The "Intensive" word probably sold me instantly (until i forgot to check the ingredient list!!) because my legs were all dry and itchy at that time (Rosken running low... lol!! :P).

The moment i put this lotion on, i realised i made a mistake in buying this product! This gives a cooling sensation on the skin which usually means it contains alcohol! Probably because of that, this lotion sinks in really quickly, making this ideal to use when you're in a hurry and but need some body lotion before putting on your clothes! lol!! :D

Despite it being labeled "Intensive" and for dry to very dry skin, i find that this didn't help my scaly dry legs much. Sure, it did curb the itchiness, but my legs were still dry and scaly after i finished the bottle! On other parts of my body (like my arms) which are not dry, this performs nicely to soften skin and keep it moisturized!

So to summarize, while i love how affordable this lotion is, i won't be repurchasing because 1. it contains alcohol (which is a no-no for my skin) and 2. i wished it was more moisturizing! I much prefer the Extra Whitening one!


Credits: Product photo from Nivea.com

Product Review: The Face Shop Imperial Herbs - Spirit Mask Sheet Apricot Kernel and Licorice (A Mask Sheet to Comfort Skin)

At a Glance:
Price: RM9.90 (approx. US$2.68)
Website: http://www.thefaceshopen.com/
Weight: 20ml / 0.67 Fl. Oz.
Made in: Korea
Likes: Skin feels comfortable after using, brightens skin!
Gripes: Expensive, stung my face a little! :(
Repurchase: Maybe!
Jenn's Rating: ! 4 Stars! Me likey! :D

Ingredients:


Product Description

This mild, essence-type, all natural cotton mask sheet is concentrated with Licorice and Apricot Kernel extracts to soothe the soul and comfort skin.

What is herbal therapy? Used to help regulate a person's energy, blood circulation, ying, yang, and spirit, our solution is drawn from on an ancient imperial prescription of five medicinal herbs that include twinleaf and asparagus root extracts, to revitalize and hydrate skin.

Benefits of Apricot Kernel:

• Strengthens the lungs


• Helps illuminate skin

Benefits of Licorice:

• Harmonizes herbal formulation


• Balances and clarifies skin

Directions:




Actual Product Pic:


Texture & Scent:
This mask is quite wet, so you're really getting your money's worth for this! lol!! For some reason this stung my face a little after the 10 minute mark. This does leave a sticky feel after, but it disappears quickly This have a really mild perfumy scent!

Packaging:


This mask is individually packed into their respective foil packs and is sold by the piece.

This fits my face quite well, except for the mouth part, which is a little big:



Time Test:
15-20 minutes is all you need! :)

Price & Availability:
This mask is priced at RM9.90 each and is available at all The Face Shop outlets. For girls in the US, you can get this at Walgreens at 2 for US$5.

Usage:
Since this is quite moisturizing, it's great to use weekly to boost moisture for your skin! :D


My $0.02:

This is the last mask left to review in this range!! Wheee!! :D

Like the other masks in this range, this did not fail to deliver! Although its stated that this comforts skin, i find that this brightens my face a little too (which is really nice!!)! :D

Here's how i look after using this:



All in all i think this is quite a good mask (although it did stung my face a little), but i'll only repurchase if its on sale as it's kinda expensive!! hehehe!! :D


Read my reviews on the other masks in this range:
The Face Shop Imperial Herbs - Flow Mask Sheet Prepared Rehmannia Root & Angelicae Gigantis Radix (A Mask Sheet to Revitalize Skin)
The Face Shop Imperial Herbs - Qi (Energy) Mask Sheet Red Ginseng & Cnidium Officinale (A Mask Sheet to Improve Elasticity)
The Face Shop Imperial Herbs - Yang Mask Sheet Tawny Mulberry Mushroom & Sika Deer Antlers (A Mask Sheet for Healthier Skin)
The Face Shop Imperial Herbs - Ying Mask Sheet Dioscoreae Rhizoma & Japanese Cornel (A Mask Sheet to Hydrate Skin)


Photo credit: Product photo from Thefaceshopen.com.

Saturdays are for Sharing!! :D

Good things are even better when shared right? Hehehe!! Do hop by these favourite posts of mine by the other lovely girls in the Beauty Blogsphere! :D

Beetrice of Beetrice's Reviews showcases her Christmas gifts!!
Connie of Skin Deco wrote a really informative 101 on Eye Primers!
Nikki of Askmewhats shows us whats in her traincase!! :D
Paris of Mywomenstuff swatches her absolutely beautiful Dior palettes for us! :D
Plue of Beauty Up My Life makes me wanna get me some contacts too!!
Syen of So Loverly (aka Blush Princess) reveals the number of blushes she owns!! Jaw dropping!! :O
Xin of Pretty Beautiful makes us all jealous - she gets to fly an aircraft!!!
Yani of Red Luscious Lips gives a fact that would probably freak my husband out even more! XD

And oh... Saturdays are for Swimsuit Shopping too!! I'm having a minor panic attack now cuz i havent manage to go look for one yet (and my flight is less than 24 hours away...)! Worse come to worse i'll just have to wear my old "crunchy" one!!! Pray with me that it doesn't crumble apart when i put it on!! HAhahaha!!! XD

Have a great weekend ahead people!! :D

No FOTD today...

... because the one i intended to post up (but forgot to take pictures of until the end of the day) got smudged pretty badly, so i thought i'd do a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) instead! :D

I've been receiving quite a few emails asking these questions, and though i don't mind answering them personally to you lovely readers who took the time to write me wonderful emails, i thought i'll put some of them here so those of you who had or have the same questions will now know the answers to them! lol! So here it goes! :D


1. Are you a full time blogger / Tai tai?
Oh how i wish i am! Unfortunately money don't grow on trees or in threes for me, so i need a job to feed my makeup addiction myself!

2. What nationality are you? You don't look Indian! (lol!)
I'm Malaysian Chinese, but a true born Penangite - i live to eat and not the other way around! lol! I relocated to India for about a year, but back to my little island for good.

3. Can you review product X?
If it's something you saw me posting in my haul posts, then yes, i'll most probably do a review on it (please shoot me a comment / email if i didn't post it and you want a review on it! Don't be shy! :D)! But if it's something i don't own, please understand that i may not review it because:

1. It's impossible both practically and financially for myself to buy something just to try them out
2. Not everything is available where i live
3. Um, i'll actually need to be at least curious about the product before i feel the urge to buy it? Ok stop throwing rotten eggs at me now, just being honest here! XD

4. What do you recommend buying in India / Bangalore?
Max Factor, Bourjois and LUSH if you're from Malaysia... since these brands are not available here. And Lays potato chips at only 20 rupees each (RM1.60 / US0.45)!!! I miss them already!! :D

5. Is MAC cheaper in India?
No! For example, eyeshadows cost 820 rupees (approx. RM67), lipglosses cost 870 rupees (approx. RM71) and lipsticks cost 920 rupees (approx. RM75).

6. What products do you recommend for acne / acne-prone skin / how to stop pimples?
I get a surprising amount of emails on this question! And to be very frank, i really don't know the answer to this as i'm not acne prone, so i'm really sorry! My suggestion is to visit a dermatologist - he or she will be able to provide you with a solution!

As for the occasional pimple here and there, i love dabbing the Queen Helene Mint Julep Mask on it overnight, or covering it with the Nexcare Acne Patch! :)

7. Can you review more drugstore items?
I always try to include both drugstore and departmental store brands in my reviews, so stay tuned! :)

8. How can you afford all that makeup??
Well i can't!!! lol!! Seriously, its something i work hard for. Some people spend on expensive gadgets, some people splurge on cars. My "thing" just happen to be makeup! At the end of the day i'll just have to make sure that it's not something i have to starve myself to get you know?

Argh i know i'm just rambling on here, but there's really no graceful way to answer this! :(

9. Can you show us your makeup collection??
Maybe i will someday!! ;)


and finally, the most asked question ever:

10. What lipglass is that in your avatar? :D
It's the 2N lipglass from the N-Collection 2 years ago (coming to 3 already... sigh!!!)! If you wanna get your paws on this baby, get it NOW with the Warm and Cozy collection. Just cross your fingers that it doesn't smell as bad as mine!!


That's all for now!! I'm soooo looking forward to the long weekend when i'll be off to Langkawi (so i apologize for not being able to reply to your comments / emails promptly, pleaase bear with me k!!)!

What do you have in store for the weekend?

Product Review: LUSH Porridge Soap

At a Glance:
Price: US$5.95 for 3.5oz. (approx. RM21.42) or Rs. 310 for 100g in India (approx. RM25.31)
Website: Lushusa.com
Weight: 100g
Made in: USA
Likes: Softens skin quite nicely, does help lighten darkened skin gradually!
Gripes: Expensive, the oat bits in there are REALLY ROUGH, melts easily, messy to use, not available locally.
Repurchase: No
Jenn's Rating: 2 Stars! The horribly rough oat bits totally ruined it for me...


Ingredients:
Water (Aqua), Propylene Glycol, Rapeseed Oil, Sunflower Oil, Coconut Oil (Cocos nucifera), Pinhead Oatmeal (Avena sativa), Fresh Organic Orange Juice (Citrus Aurantium dulcis), Titanium Dioxide, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Perfume, Labdanum Resinoid (Cistus labdaniferus), Sweet Orange Oil (Citrus sinensis), Sodium Chloride, Limonene.

Product Description:

When you're in a rush on those early mornings you may consider eating breakfast in the shower. At we LUSH prefer feeding our skin in the shower and saving the real food for afterward. We put real oats and fresh organic orange juice in this deliciously nutritious soap, making it a cleansing and exfoliating multi-tasker. Oats soften and slough away dead skin while orange juice and sweet orange oil gently cleanse the skin.


Actual Product Pic:


Texture & Scent:



This soap feels more "solid" compared to the two other LUSH ones i've reviewed, but its the worst of the lot when it comes to disappearing in the shower - it melts super quickly!! This foams up nicely once in rubbed with water! The oat bits are horribly rough, and they scratch at my skin so badly that i can even use it as a, yes, you guessed it right, pumice stone!! *slaps forehead* Check out my red palm in the pic!! :(

The oat bits do come off as you rub it against your skin, so it can be messy when using this!

I don't really know how to describe the smell - it's kinda like oats + something sweet, and its quite strong!

Packaging:



This soap comes in a block wrapped in LUSH paper! Mine is a little melted having endured the transit from India to Singapore then back to Penang! lol!! :D

Price & Availability:
This soap is priced at US$5.95 (approx. RM21.42), and should be available at most LUSH stores and their website! It's also available in India for Rs. 310 per 100 grams! :D Sadly, it's not available locally for us Malaysian girls, but Ryan from SgDrugstore at Lowyat.net organizes LUSH sprees sometimes so do take advantage of that if you need to get something! :D


My $0.02:

After reading Connie's rave review on this soap, i caved in and bought my 1st ever LUSH bar. I have never considered buying anything from there because 1. I never use soaps and 2. the LUSH store gives me a headache everytime i step in there, from both the overpowering scent as well as the overbearing staff! :P

And i'm almost heartbroken to report that i didn't like this one! T_T

The oat bits in there were super rough, and they scratch at my skin so badly, leaving it red and sore! I've resorted to rubbing it over my scrubby gloves (which is quite damaged by it now!! lol!!) then only soaping my body with it! It works nicely as a pumice stone for the elbows, knees and heels though!! :P

I also didn't like how the oat bits do fall out, creating a mess in the shower! And they kinda look like cockroach poop... :P

The smell of this one is kinda overpowering too!!

Ok enough product bashing for now! As much as i didn't like this because of the reasons above, i'll have to say that it does soften the skin nicely after use!! It also lightens skin darkening like on the knees and underarms gradually!!

I'm of the opinion that this is actually quite a good product, but the rough oat bits totally ruined it for me. Now, if they would remove or change that, i think i actually might change my mind about this product!! Until then, it's a no repurchase for me!! :(


Credits: Product photo from Lushusa.com.