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.

Product Review: The Face Shop Fresh Fruit Pomegranate Mask Sheet

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: Face really feels firmer after this, moisturizes ok, no sticky feel after using.
Gripes: Essence dries up really quickly!
Repurchase: Yes
Jenn's Rating: 4 Stars! Me likey!! :D

Ingredients:


Product Description

Pomegrantes for fine, supple skin.

The Benefits of Pomegranates: Known for their skincare benefits, especially for women, Pomegranates promote elasticity for firmer skin.

Made from all natural pulp for the gentle delivery of Pomegranate extract, this refreshing juice-like mask sheet improves elasticity for more refined skin.

Directions:



Actual Product Pic:


Texture & Scent:
This mask is not as wet as the other masks in this range, and i find that this dries up quite abit even before the 10 minute mark! By the 13th minute it's REALLY dry already!! lol!! This doesn't leave a sticky feel behind which is nice. This smells a little like a childhood liquid antibiotic i used to take (lol!), but thankfully its quite mild! :D

Packaging:


This mask is individually packed into their respective foil packs and is sold by the piece. Like the other masks in this range, the mouth part is ridiculously huge:



Time Test:
15-20 minutes! But this one kinda dries up before that...

Price & Availability:
This mask is priced at RM9.90 each and is available at all The Face Shop outlets. It's also available on Walgreens.com at $5 for two pieces :)


My $0.02:

I'm a huge fan of pomegranates (though its a little hard to find here!), so naturally i knew that i HAD to try this one out (haha, i know i got this on sale, but i would've gotten this anyways at retail because of this!)! :D

True to its claim, this mask does some pretty decent firming action!! :D After using it, my face feels really resilient yet comfortable!! There is a little brightening effect going on too! :D

This is how i look after using this mask:



The only gripe i have about this mask is that it dries up too quickly!! But since it works so nicely, i think i can overlook that flaw!! :D


Psssst: Remember i said in my Lancome Neuroshield review that this is the sunblock to go for if you need long protection? I must have forgotten to post this two weeks back, but i'm ELATED to annouce that L'Oreal has finally reformulated their sunblock to last 12 hours as well:



Hurrah for Loreal (and my bank account!! Hehehe!!)!! :D


Read my reviews on the other masks in this range:

The Face Shop Fresh Fruit Acerola Mask Sheet
The Face Shop Fresh Fruit Aloe Mask Sheet
The Face Shop Fresh Fruit Grape Mask Sheet
The Face Shop Fresh Fruit Lemon Mask Sheet


Photo credit: Product photo from Thefaceshopen.com.

Product Review: Shu Uemura High Performance Balancing Cleansing Oil Enriched

At a Glance:
Price: RM99
Website: Shuuemura.com.my
Weight: 150ml
Made in: Japan
Likes: Rinses clean, skin feels soft after! :D
Gripes: Doesn't remove glitters thoroughly, expensive, contains mineral oil!
Repurchase: No!
Jenn's Rating: 2.5 Stars! It's just ok for me... would be great if it removed glitters well too!!


Ingredients:


Product Description:

A rich texture.

With a warm, enveloping aroma.

For an enriching cleansing experience. Contains bitter orange peel, tomato and red pepper extracts known to enhance cutaneous microcirculation. For dry skin conditions.

Actual Product Pic:

This is a SAMPLE.

Texture & Scent:


This cleansing oil feels just a little thicker than the usual cleansing oils. It emulsifies once it comes into contact with water as usual, and it rinses clean. I love how soft this made my skin felt! I was a little disappointed that this one smells more spicy than citrusy... i thought it would smell something like my MAC Cleanse Off Oil since this one has Bitter Orange in it too!

Packaging:


The one i got is a sample. The real thing comes in a pump bottle! :D

Price & Availability:
This cleansing oil is priced at RM99 (approx US$27.50). There's a 450ml version as well going for RM260. This should be available at most Shu Uemura counters! :)


My $0.02:

Ahhh, i finally got to try out the much raved and ohsopopular Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil! :D

I know most people who've used this one either love it or hate it! Personally i don't really hate it, but i wished it did live up to its claim for me! :(

While this did remove most of the makeup from my face nicely (and left my skin really soft after), it did not remove glitters well. Also i find that i have to use a little more product and massage my face longer to get all the makeup off!

Ok, here're some pics for you to see:

This is my makeup plastered face (FOTD here):



Makeup removed from left side using this:



A closer look:



There're still quite a bit of glitters left behind!! :(

Since the only other Cleansing Oil i have is the MAC Cleanse Off Oil, i'll do a side by side comparison just in case anybody is interested:




It's obvious which one i preferred more!! lol!! :D After sampling several cleansing oils, the MAC one still reigns supreme for me in terms of product efficiency and scent (lol!!)! I won't repurchase this because of this reason, and also because i sometimes break out from products containing mineral oil, so i'd skip just to be on the safe side!

Have you tried this cleansing oil before? How didcha find it? :D


Credits: Product photos from Shuuemura.com.my.

MAC Love Lace Collection Review + Swatches! :D

This is kinda like a repromote of last year's Chill Collection, with cool colors for winter! :D I'm kinda disappointed that they did not repromote the Snowscene snowscene (which i thought i could skip... sigh!!!) this round.


Eyeshadows (RM58 / US$14.50):


Pincurl (Frost) - Dusty White. This one's kinda chalk and doesn't behave like a frost at all!! This is repromoted from last year's Brunette Blonde Redhead collection.
Hypnotizing (Frost) - Frosted grey mauve. A full sized one from the Sorceress palette from the last Holiday collection. It's beautiful, and i'm still thinking if i should go back for this one!! :D
Suave Intentions (Veluxe Pearl) - Light frosted silver blue. Super pretty with the perfect buttery texture.
Love Lace (Veluxe Pearl) - Frosted mid-tone greyish blue. I'm kinda on the fence about this color because i *think* i have something similar in my collection, but the texture's beautiful!! :D

Lipglasses and Lipsticks (RM63 / US$14):


Icescape - Sheer pale pink with pink pearl. This is repromoted from last year's Chill Collection
Utterly Discrete - Sheer frosted cool icy mauve. This one looks more brown than mauve to me!! haha!! :D

Pretty Please (Lustre) - Pale pink pearl. This color's a bit sheer! This one's permenant! :)
Intricate (Frost) - Frosted cool icy taupe. This is such a unique color!! :D

Eye Kohl / Kohl Power Eye Pencils (RM65 / US$14.50) / Eye Brows (RM60 / US$15):


Facinating Eye Kohl - Intense matte white. This one's permenant. This has been on my wishlist for AGES!! :D
Raven Kohl Power - Intense red with black pearl. This one appears more plummy brown than red on me!! :D
Sense of Style Kohl Power - Blackened deep marine blue. I've had SO HIGH HOPES for this one, but it looks just blah in real life! *sobs*
Feline Kohl Power - Rich black. Me wants this one!!! Now somebody kick me for not getting this!!
Stud Eye Brows - Deep rich blackened brown. This one's permenant! :)

Nail Lacquer (RM42 / US$12):


Light Affair (Cream) - Creamy pale grey taupe. This goes on a little streaky!


So what did i get from this collection? :D



Haha, typical of me i know... i'm just a sucker for blues. Now somebody convince me that i don't need Feline or Hypnotizing please!! XD

Product Review: Hada Labo Gokujyun Super Hyaluronic Acid Moisturizing Mask

At a Glance:
Price: RM39.90 (approx. US$11.08)
Website: http://Hadalabo.com.my
Weight: 20ml
Made in: China
Likes: Moisturizes quite well, makes skin soft and bouncy!
Gripes: Expensive, contains alcohol
Repurchase: Maybe!
Jenn's Rating: ! 4.5 Stars! Me really likey! :D

Ingredients:


Product Description

Contains advanced skin hydrating ingredient - Super Hyaluronic Acid, with twice the moisture retention capacity of Hyaluronic Acid (1gm of Hyaluronic Acid is able to hold up 6 litres of water). Replaces essential moisture to visibly improve skin texture and prevent dryness so skin stays soft, hydrated and supple.

• Imerses skin with exteme moisture. Skin is instantly soothed, revitalized and more resilient.
• Drenches skin with nourishing moisture to instantly replenish dehydrated skin, leaving it velvety soft, supple and dewy moist.
• Skin pH balanced. Low irritation.
• Free of fragrances, mineral oil and colorant.
  

Directions:



Actual Product Pic:


Texture & Scent:
This mask dripping wet, so you get your money's worth with this one! lol! :D After removing the mask, do pat your face gently to aid absorption of the essence. At this point it'll be tacky and sticky. Do pat until the lotion is fully absorbed, you'll then experience the "bounciness"!! :D This being fragrance free do not have a scent, but i can actually smell the alcohol in it!! :S

Packaging:


This mask comes in a box of 4! Each mask is invidivually packed in their respective foil packs:



This mask fits my face quite well! :D



Time Test:
10 - 15 minutes, but you need another 5 minutes after that to pat the lotion in! :)

Price & Availability:
This mask is priced at RM39.9o (approx. US$11.08) for a box of 4 masks. It's currently only available at Guardian.

Usage:
This is perfect for a weekly (or bi-weekly) moisture boost, since it's quite moisturizing! :D


My $0.02:

After hearing so many raves about the lotion from this range (which is still can't buy cuz i gotta finish up my current bottle first!!), i gave in and got the mask!! :D

And i'm really happy to report that this DOES live up to its claims of giving "toing toing" skin!! hahaha!! XD

After using this mask, my skin feels really moisturized and comfortable. And after patting the lotion in, you'll get to experience the "bouciness" this gives... it's REALLY ADDICTIVE!! lol!! XD

This is how i look after using this:


I know, i'm so zit-ty. Darn stress and PMS! T_T


This mask doesn't really give a glow to the skin, but it moisturizes like crazy. It's perfect to add to your skin care regime as a weekly or biweekly treat!!

The only gripe i have about this product is that it contains alcoho (cries: WHY?!!!!!!). While i did not experience any adverse effects yet, i'm not sure if i'm willing to risk it (alcohol almost always breaks me out after awhile). So i'll put the repurchase for this product at MAYBE. Hada Labo, if you're reading this, please remove the alcohol and i'll be your most loyal customer ever!! lol!! XD


Photo credit: Product photo from http://Hadalabo.com.my.