Where Are My ASOS Packages!

After a really good experience with ASOS's free international delivery for the first time in August 2011, I became rather addicted to the website. I mean, how could you not like it? The clothes are pretty damn nice, and they always have sales. And FREE INTERNATIONAL DELIVERY. Like wtf. Even those within UK (nearer) have to pay, but if you live OUTSIDE UK, it's free. I bet all the people in UK are mad jealous. Well, don't be - you'll see why.

As I was saying, after the first good experience - whereby my package arrived even faster than the 10 days they said it would take, I confidently placed an order for a shitload of stuff. I bought 12 items... this was way back at end October 2011.

** I blackened out my size, wtf**

I waited... and waited... and waited for the package to arrive and it never did. If I got a letter from Pos Malaysia saying that I had to pay tax for it, I would've gone and paid for it in KLIA. It's because among the items in this order, there was one item that I desperately wanted. In case you are wondering, it's the Rare Embellished Fluted Sleeve Dress. It's 20 pounds (around RM100?) and it is something I wanna wear for a very specific occasion. It is not too showy, but despite looking just plain and white, it also has some cute sequin & beading embellishments in front of the dress. It's really nice! And it is cheap! And I want to wear it for a specific occasion!

I even waited some more when ASOS's customer service told me to wait longer for it to come. Maybe there's some slow down due to festive season. Finally, in the middle of November, they kindly re-sent the package again. However, due to some items being out of stock, my 12 item purchase had dwindled down to only 6 items. They refunded me for the other items that couldn't be replaced.

Although I was pretty pissed off that all my cheap and cute underwear seemingly cannot be bought anymore, I was still relieved that the Rare Embellished Fluted Sleeve Dress was still in stock! I had my hopes up that I could get the shipment by end of November. Again... the waiting game being. Waited... waited.. waited... I was really hoping that some of the items arrived before December because I was going to Singapore then and I wanted to look pretty! You know lah, Singaporeans dress really nicely. :P

Guess what? Never came. Even I myself felt embarassed to ask ASOS to refund me or re-send the package. I don't know if it's the problem with Pos Malaysia or what. I even asked ASOS if they could charge me for postage as when they gave the free delivery, it is with STANDARD delivery. This means - no tracking / shipment number. It's like you fling it to the postman and hope for the best. They said that due to someTHING (don't really know what), they cannot offer express delivery for stuff outside of UK. OMG, I was seriously thinking of getting them to ship it to an address within UK, and paying extra for the shipment from UK back to Malaysia. Maybe use a service like VPOST. Sadly, this time, they told me that almost all the items are OUT OF STOCK. That included my Rare Embellished Fluted Sleeve Dress. Since that was the item that I really, REALLY wanted and was willing to pay the extra postage for.. I decided... FTS, and asked them to resend with Standard Delivery again. Lol! This time, my order of 12 items which became 6 items had dwindled down to 2 items!

One panty and one skirt! WTF. I imagined some perverted postman wearing all my panties from the first order. Bastard! But then guess what?

Although ASOS Care said that they were OUT OF STOCK for a few items, I found out that they were actually IN STOCK when I surfed the sales items again. This included my Rare Embellished Fluted Sleeve Dress! OMG! Are they lying to me, or did my package really get bounced back from Malaysia back to UK (don't know why didn't get delivered), or is their inventory system not very updated, or did someone return it, or did they never even send out my package in the first place? I don't want to point fingers, but I thanked God (because I really want that dress!) and I made another placement for the dress! And guess what? The dress became 2 pounds cheaper... Lol!


At the same time, since I dwindled from 12 items to only 4 items (2 re-delivered, and 2 re-ordered), I decided to splurge on another two items that became recent sale items. Keep in mind, all this was placed within 2 or 3 days of each other, I didn't place all on the same day. Yes, I stalk ASOS daily.

And guessssss whattttt? In the end, only my re-order of the Rare Embellished Fluted Sleeve Dress and the Full Mini Prom skirt arrived. The other two items are lost in transit AGAIN. WTF! I just don't get it. My friend Sookie has been ordering from that website and she says that she has never missed a package. Why is it that I lost SO many?! Anyway, I just asked them to re-deliver again, and my package of 2 items has dwindled down to 1 lonely panty:

Can you imagine? This from my original of 12 items. Became 1 panty. Costing 4 pounds. -__-"

The redelivery of the liquorish metallic skirt and pleated mini skirt are still in stock. I hope my 2 skirts and underwear gets delivered. Cos I'm honestly sick of constantly waiting in vain for the stuff. After this, no matter how good the ASOS sales are, I won't be purchasing anymore. At least I got THE dress in the end. Sigh...

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Skinlite Brightening Essence Mask

Another cheap mask from Skinlite, was hoping that it would be better than the first. This one is the Brightening Essence Mask. As mentioned in my previous entry, I got it from Hong Kong - about RM2 from Sasa. The Brightening Essence Mask is for skin radiance and brightening. Enriched with Vitamin B & E and phyto collagen to help hydrate and heal skin within 15-20 minutes.

I was slightly more pleased with this mask than the previous one - seems like there was more essence, and the mask smelled pleasantly soothing. It also felt nice and refreshing against my face... really no complaints in the process of applying the mask.

Sadly, after I had removed my mask, it was like I hadn't done ANYTHING to my face at all. There was no extra moisturisation. There was no brightening or extra radiance. Sad...

As always, the cutting of the mask leaves a lot to be desired. Eyeholes are just way too big, and it upsets me because I wish that the mask could do something about my eyebags. ;)

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Be Careful Of What You Put On Your Face...

Community message from Drug Store Beauty... a young girl got a really raw deal when she used a b.liv mask and wound up with a face full of pus-filled bumps! Read the story here on Stomp.sg.

Isn't it scary? I hope b.liv gets in touch with her and helps her out!

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NYX Haul - Affordable, High Quality MakeUp!

I've previously blogged about this website that sells NYX make-up cheaply (even cheaper than it already is) and the stuff that I wanted to get. I have ~finally~ decided what I wanted to get, ordered, and managed to get all the stuff delivered to me safely. All this and it took a little over a week! Love it!

So... presenting~~ my NYX haul, and how much it cost me. :)

I love how they wrapped everything up so nicely. All my stuff came in good condition, although it smelled like something had spilled. Thankfully, nothing actually did.

This is how everything looks like, unwrapped. :)

I had totally forgotten that you get free stuff if you spend above USD$25. It's a tiered reward system, so above USD$25 gets you the Creme mini eyelash curler and a Cherimoya Eye Pencil. I'm giving the eyelash curler to my friend because I've already gotten a free one from Maybelline that I hardly ever use. Oh, and I love how the Eye Pencil comes with its own sharpener!

If you spend above USD$50, you get the above 2 items and a 41 color eye palette from Cherimoya. And above USD$100, you get the eyelash curler, the eye pencil, the eye palette and a 5-pc makeup brush set.

I had been hankering for these NYX eyeliners ever since they launched it! It totally looks like markers, hehehe. One is the Super FAT eye marker (USD$8.75) and the other is Super SKINNY eye marker (USD$7.75. Excited to try it out!

I wanted to try this new Cherimoya lipstick.. I can't believe there's a lipstick even cheaper than the legendary RM10 NYX Round lipsticks. :P Not sure if this is any good though. It costs USD2.98, and I got it in "Her Majesty". On the website, it looks more like a light, pinkish peach color, but it looks much redder in real life. The packaging is a bit blah, but otherwise, the lipstick itself looks yummy.

So greedy - couldn't decide on what colors I wanted, so I got FOUR round lipsticks from NYX. Each costs USD3.25.

I got Eros, a very brilliant and vibrant red; Snow White, a very dark red; Narcissus, the Barbie pink and Watermelon, a very ginger tone. A bit disappointed with the Watermelon as I thought it would be more peachy, but it looks more beige / coppery in real life.

Decided to spring a little more for this NYX Diamond Sparkle lipstick... it is USD$4.25. The packaging is a bit nicer than the round lipstick.

Decided to go a bit Ke$ha by getting a glitter liner! In fact, it's so pretty that I wanted to get two or three glitter liners! In the end, I reined myself in and only got the golden one because it's more festive! This one is called Copperfield. It costs USD$2.65. Cheap!!

Got the Jumbo Eye Pencil for Dull. She told me that she wanted the eye pencil last time, but we both didn't combine resources to buy together (due to indecisiveness). So this time I bought it for her. Cheap only (USD$3.98) - my gift to her. ;P

I promise to blog more about how the stuff are... if they are really good, I would totally buy from this website again. Dependable, quick, good service. Plus, last time Dull told me that one of her eye palettes spilled and they shipped her a new one immediately (even though she didn't ask for it, she just emailed them as a comment). Good service or what!

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I *heart* My Boyfriend!

The BF came back from Bangkok bearing gifts! I'm so happy, not because of the $$ value of the gifts, but because he thought about me when he was there. :) Before he went, he kept asking me what I wanted in Thailand, and I really couldn't think of anything that I especially want. I mean, how do you bundle up the experience of shopping at Chatuchak, finding great bargains in Platinum Mall, eating numerous plates of mango sticky rice or just finding joy shopping at their local Tesco? Then I remembered something that my colleague told me VERY recently... "Boots eh? Whenever I go to Thailand I just stock up like crazy. I don't even care if it's shampoo or shower gel or whatever.. it's all good stuff!"

Ahhh... another fellow drug store lover...

Thanks to HIM (yes, it's a guy!), I told Tron... I would like some shower gels from Boots please! He was actually aghasted at my request! He was like, "Huh? Don't ask me to carry stuff that can spill lah!" But it's the only thing that I really really wanted! And I told him if there's any "funny" tee shirts, please get me one? And make sure it's not above 100-120 baht, from Chatuchak.

He wound up getting me TWO shirts - one from Chatuchak and another from Cotton Brush, which both him and his mom keep telling me is darn expensive. :X And he got me the shower gels.... *heart*

In fact, I have tried the one on the left before. :P And it smells super awesome. Can't wait to try the mango one too. Tron said he took a whiff and was like, "OMG, she will really like this!" I love how our sense of smell is in sync. :P

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Yuberactive Review : Rimmel Glam Eyes Day 2 Night Mascara

Thanks to Yuberactive, I have the opportunity to review Rimmel's Day 2 Night mascara with 2-in-1 magic cap! It's truly a unique mascara, I've never seen anything like it on the market!

The packaging looks pretty normal - in fact, one might just brush it off with a ho-hum - what's so special about this black & pink tube of mascara? But then check it out...

Oh my God! Bet you didn't expect that, eh! You have TWO wands within one tube - one for LENGTH and one for VOLUME. The LENGTH wand is to create exceptionally defined and ultra-lengthened lashes - your day look. The VOLUME wand is to thicken lashes with voluptuous, oversized volume. WITHOUT CLUMPING. This will be your "night look". Hence, you will be able to transform from day to night without the messiness of fake eyelashes. To be honest - I've always been looking for a mascara that can give you the "fake eyelash" look. I'm just way too lazy to go through the hassle of gluing stuff on my eyelid. If I can get the same results with two flicks of my mascara wand, all the better right? That's why I get so excited over mascaras that really make a difference.

You can see that the length wand's bristles are further apart and generally less mascara is on the brush. The effect for the length is not that "va-va-voom" when my eyes are open. But when I close my lids, you can see how long my lashes look. To me, not a fan of the length wand, but yes, it is suitable for a day look. There is a subtle difference to the overall look with mascara on, nothing too OTT.


The volume wand looks clumpier and more heavy-duty, but no worries, it doesn't clump on your lashes. I love the volume wand as I think it "opens" my eyes up better than the length wand does. It also doesn't feel super "heavy" as some mascaras tend to feel on my lashes. It is comfortable! I think I'll just forgo the length wand and stick to the volume wand from now onwards, hehehe.

All in all, I find this mascara SUPER worth it, considering it is only about RM40 in your local drugstores (do correct me if I'm wrong), and you get to play with TWO different looks. Maybe you would find the length wand more useful than I did (I have really short lashes, I need all the help I can get). The only complaints that I have is that it doesn't dry fast enough (I have a photo of me with a blotch of mascara on my eyebag... :P) and that it is not waterproof...

So don't go and wear this when you plan on watching a tearjerker. Otherwise, have fun! :)

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The Nature Lab Oxygen Shield Bubble Mask

I usually try not to blog about masks too many days in a row because I like to have a bit more variety in my posts. However, The Nature Lab's Oxygen Shield Bubble Mask is really like no other typical paper masks on the market!

It is pretty pricey.. I think between RM40-RM50 for a 50ml bottle. So what exactly is an oxygen mask? According to The Nature Lab - "Our body cells need oxygen to survive. Our skin cells are no exception. With aging, skin loses its ability to retain and utilize oxygen for repairing, regeneration and reproduction. If our skin fails to receive enough oxygen, it will appear dull and age prematurely.

Adequate amounts of oxygen speeds up the shedding of old skin cells and aid skin cell rejuvenation giving a youthful effect."

It also further states the 8 benefits in 1 action that you can get using their product:
a. Cleansing
b. Detoxifying
c. Exfoliating
d. Replenish Oxygen
e. Apply mask (lol, is this called a "benefit"?)
f. Hydrate
g. Tone skin
h. Provide Vitamins

The "oxygen mask" is in fact a clear, gel-like substance that you rub evenly all over your DRY face. After a few seconds, you will see bubbles starting to form over your skin. Massage the gel & the bubbles into your skin and wait for another 10-15 seconds for the skin to absorb. Wet your hands slightly and then massage your face again. After another 5-10 seconds, wash everything off. Yes, it sounds a bit tedious- massage, wash, massage, wait. But if you count properly, everything can be done in less than a 30 seconds!

You have to be sure not to leave the mask on TOO long though. The first time I read the instructions, I remembered it wrongly and left it on my skin for 10-15 MINUTES. I tell you, you will get a stinging sensation on your skin, and when things hurt, you know it can't be right! Thankfuly, I re-read again for the second set of instructions, but by then the damage had been done - my skin was left slightly red!

The gel has a slightly refreshing smell - very slight, so it is a joy to use. I don't use it daily, and I don't recommend you to either as things that claim to be exfoliating but does not contain exfoliating beads usually mean they contain AHA/BHA. I only use it once or twice a week, especially on days when I feel like I had more make-up on my face than usual. It really leaves my skin feeling more refreshed and clean!

I don't know the science behind how this product actually helps my skin absorb oxygen better, or detoxifies my skin. All I know is that it feels REALLY good after this mask, and I would seriously consider buying this again the next time I go down to Sg! Simple to use, and effective. What's not to like!

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Essential Ultra Honey & Shea Butter Intensive Hair Mask

I'm actually using this as my "hair conditioner" at the gym. I found out that I had bought way more shampoo than I have bought conditioner... either that or it's my Shampoo Conspiracy Theory at work. I wound up with no conditoner and I was rushing off to the gym. Decided to plop in the Essential Ultra Honey & Shea Butter Intensive Hair Mask instead. Hey, hair mask = better than conditioner right? And since I go to the gym every 2-3 days, it follows the recommended frequency of how often we need to do hair masks!

The bottle is REALLY REALLY cute. It comes in a baby pink, semi-translucent jar. The hair mask inside is a buttery yellow, all very cutesy. Generally, I don't like products that come in packaging that makes me have to dip my fingers inside, but with things like hair masks, body scrubs and body butters, it seems like the industry standard is jars and they've just stuck with that.

The first time I opened the jar --- I nearly died. And not in a good way. The product stinks like crap! You know that rather-horrible smell you get when you walk past hair salons? Imagine it all concentrated and stuck into a pink jar. There you have it. It's noxious and nauseating. I read a review that said it smells amazing and smells like honey. Girl, are you high on drugs? Have you not smelled what real honey smells like?

Braving the smell, I smoothed a generous amount down my freshly-shampoo-ed hair and waited. The general waiting time is about 15 minutes - which is cool with me. It's not too long that you end up shivering in the shower. I used to have hair mask that I would allow to "sit in" for 30 minutes. Usually that meant I towelled up and sat in front of the laptop reading blogs.

When I rinsed off the hair mask, I could instantly feel how smooth and tangle-free my hair had become! It has really great results, and for that I could easily overlook the stench scent of the product. After drying off, I feel like my hair is bouncier and is has more volume... and on top of all that - smooth and manageable. Thanks to this hair mask, I feel like my hair still looks sleek even though it's been quite a while since my last hair rebonding session!

If I remember correctly - there are two different types of product under this Essential range. One is the pink one called "Nuance Airy" and the orangey-yellow one is called Rich Premier. I have both product ranges, but not for the same products. Which is a pity, because I find this hair mask so awesome (minus the smelly bits) that I would like to try it under both ranges! The "Nuance Airy" one is supposed to be for more light & bouncy hair, while the "Rich Premier" one is more for smooth & managable hair. Lol! This is funny, because I find that my "Nuance Airy" hair mask gave me the "Rich Premier" AND "Nuance Airy" results!

The Intensive Hair Mask is said to contain 3x more high purity honey and milk protein, which can provide you the intensive care needed for severely damaged hair. And as their blogger ambassador keeps stressing - ESPECIALLY THE LAST 15 CM! For me, I apply all over my hair, not just the last 15 cm.. :P

All in all it gives limp and flat hair a light & bouncy feel, the honey & milk protein protects and strengthens hair while shea butter repairs and moisturises. I find this product so indulgent for your hair! You hardly hear hair products containing so much goodness, right?

On the negative side (aside from the smell), it's a rather pricey product, and I can't get this in Malaysia. Bought this during one of my SG hauls... :)

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Naisture 15 Minute Lovely Strawberry Mask

This should fall into my "cheap mask is cheap" category - bought this Naisture 15 Minutes Lovely Strawberry Mask Pack from Sasa (Singapore) for about RM8 for 2 pieces.

The packaging isn't the most attractive thing I've seen on the market, but it was quaint and pink. Plus, I *think* I've not tried a strawberry mask before - sounds delicious! The mask is originally from Korea and is supposed to help control excessive sebum, to help keep skin smooth. The triple cushion sheets also help the mask adhere to the skin better, ensuring the absorbing of the essence.

Right off the bat, I was not impressed with the mask at all. It smells SUPER ACIDIC, and NOTHING strawberry-ish about it at all! I was really turned off by the odour. On the plus side - there is quite a generous bit of essence (but why bother when I hate it?) and the mask is quite well-designed. They gave a REALLY large piece of face mask, so that you can adjust the sheet accordingly to fit your face. It is better than some companies that give a face mask that seems to fit a SPECIFIC person correctly, and that person usually has a tiny nose, huge eyes and their features seem to be all squashed in the middle of the face. Haha!

Extra points for the mask and the sheet quality, but bleh for the most important part - the essence itself! Plus, I didn't feel any special changes to my face after I took it off. Didn't feel more moisturised or refreshed. My face felt a little bit sticky when removing the mask, which is actually super gross. Sigh, I guess from now onwards I will only stick to the tried and true sheet masks - My Beauty Diary, Watsons and Guardian (surprisingly).

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St. Ives Exfoliating Apricot Exfoliating Body Wash

I've mentioned before that St Ives is one of the first drugstore products that I've ever used - their apricot facial wash was one of the best stuff I've used in my teenhood! When I saw this huge 400ml bottle of exfoliating body wash in Guardian, I totally grabbed it! I'm currently bringing this along with me to the gym, and it's the perfect thing after a sweaty workout. Fruity, so you feel refreshed. Full of exfoliating beads so that you get a good scrub - getting that super clean feeling. Andddd finally -- it's cheap, so you can use as much as you like to clean yourself off. Which after a workshop -- you might not want to stinge. ;)

St Ives says that this product is hypo-allergenic, and will naturally exfoliate your skin to reveal smooth, radiant skin. There's 100% natural exfoliants - even the exfoliating beads are made from 100% natural jojoba beads and apricot extracts. Oh, and if you're an animal lover, you will be happy with St Ives beauty phiosophy - they do not test on animals!

When I first started using the shower gel, I found the scent a bit toooooooooo strong. I almost found it noxious and thought I would not be able to continue using it. However, it was a relief to find out that the scent transferred onto my skin is a very subtle apricot scent that is just perfectly delicious! I still think the smell is too strong and "fake", but I just love the smell that lingers on my body at the end of the shower.

The exfoliation beads may also seem a bit too big and rough, but I liken them to be about the same size as salt granules in other body scrubs. No complaints there, but if you like something for more microdermabrasion, you should probably take note of this...

All this for about RM15 only! Am looking forward to trying more stuff from the St Ives range!

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The End of Dr Feelgood

I felt like this deserved a separate post from my original post on Dr Benefit. I had read earlier that the little floral paper should NOT be removed in order to ensure the face balm does not dry up too quickly. But this little floral paper really gets annoying ... and it's so hard to remove! I had to keep using my tweezers to pick the paper out of the face balm. -__-


As you can see, there is a lot of bits and pieces of "dried" up, rolled-up face balm stuck to the paper... sigh, what a waste.

Still, it was a REALLY good face balm, and I felt that my face was really matte whenever I used it. I also think it is semi-responsible for me having a longggg streak of good-skin-days (hats off to my Cellnique Intensive Hydrating Complex as well!). However, I felt that this face balm finished wayyyy too fast, and it does require a fair bit of blending, otherwise those rolled up bits of face balm you see on the paper is what you get on your face as well! Price wise, not worth it. Would be a shoo-in for repurchase if it's cheaper, cos this stuff works. Could improve on the packaging as well...

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Lush Miranda Soap

I had wanted to try the Miranda soap ever since I saw the lovely pictures of it on the Lush website. It also fits my favorite types of soap - refreshing, fruity and it looks really pretty! :) This was one of the 3 soaps when I bought in Hong Kong. However, kinda regret buying it --- could've used the luggage space for another soap. :(


This is how it looks like from the website. It further attracted me with statements like : "If you’re the fruity sort, then this is the soap for you! Blended into our Miranda soap are whole fresh kiwi fruits, with exotic fruit and flower essential oils; so you, you, you, you, you, you'll like this very much!

This soap was inspired by Carmen Miranda, who used to have a huge hat of fruit. Our soap used to look like that too, but these days we’ve reshaped it and hidden the fruit-shaped pieces inside. First we make two bananas, two oranges and six cherries out of soap – then we hide them inside the block. Keep an eye, eye, eye, eye, eye out to see which ones end up in your slice! "

Anddddd... this is how it looks like on my soap plate :

It's like a super far cry from the first picture, right? It also doesn't smell as fruity as I thought it would be. Maybe it was more concentrated when I bought it at the Lush store, but it couldn't make it by its lonesome self. I don't know why my Honey, I Washed the Kids soap had such a strong, lasting scent, but this one just pales in comparison.

Visually, I like the little "cubes" of what is supposed to be fruit in the soap, but it is not as aesthetically pleasing as the first picture. By the way, it doesn't play any special part - it's just lighter colored cubes. :(

In the shower, you can get a light, fresh scent that can be rather refreshing. It tends to leave the skin feeling a bit TOO squeaky clean - the type people say you get when you've stripped off all natural oils on your skin. Personally - I like that feeling on my face, but not over my whole body. And just like my Honey, I Washed the Kids soap, it finishes very quickly. Lush soaps don't last long - 1 month tops, and that's only using it once a day (for morning shower).

Can't smell any kiwi scent at all, or any specific fruit, to be honest. A definite NO for a repurchase. There's many other nice Lush soaps that I would rather try.

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Johnson's Body Care Melt Away Stress Daily Calming Lotion

Continuing from my previous review on the 24 Hour Lasting Moisture Body Lotion, I'm here to talk to you about another product from the Johnson's Body Care range : the Melt Away Stress Daily Calming Lotion! I know, I know, the product names are so long that they might as well be the product description as well! As mentioned, I've only tried the purple & peach bottles - never tried the whitening stuff, don't intend to!

Overall, the Johnson's Body Care range (from the 2 that I've tried) has pretty good results considering the price that you pay for it. Used to really love it, but either my standards have gone up or the product has degraded. Now I tell people it's good ... if your budget is only *that* much. I really find that if you want crazily, baby-smooth skin, it's better to go for those body butters like Palmer's or Soap & Glory, just to name two that I personally quite like.

Between the 24 Hour Lasting Moisture Body Lotion and the Melt Away Stress Daily Calming Lotion, I prefer the latter! I find that the Melt Away Stress Daily Calming Lotion leaves my skin even softer than the 24 Hour one. I don't know why that should be, because I think the contents should be the *almost* the same? In fact, it's the 24 Hour one that contains shea butter!

One thing that I don't like about the lotion is that although it absorbs quickly enough, it leaves a rather sticky-ish feeling if you use too much of it. It's as if the skin is saying, "Yup, I've absorbed enough for now - the rest won't be absorbed and it's just going to lie stickily on your thighs now." Very disconcerting. -_-

I also prefer the Melt Away Stress scent compared to the 24 Hour one. The former is more of a comforting, mature scent, while the 24 Hour one is the generic floral scent that I mentioned. Well, it makes sense that the Melt Away Stress lotion should smell better as it claims to come with AROMASOOTHE that helps melt away daily tension & promote better rest at night. Of course, you can feel free to use this lotion whenever you want, and not just at night. ;)

Wondering what is AROMASOOTHE? It is basically chamomile, hints of lavender and moonflower. Johnson's advises you to breathe in deeply while you are massaging this into your skin in order to truly relax with their product. I do like the scent, but I don't know how "relaxing" it is... I wore it before I went for dinner with my boyfriend and he said that I was driving with full-on road rage. Maybe it's because I was hungry and the hunger pangs overrode whatever good the "melt away stress" lotion did..

Moonflower

Chamomile

Lavendar

((Just looking at the flowers already make me feel soothed!)

Truly a "not bad" nod from me, will repurchase, but maybe a smaller bottle. But won't be repurchasing in the near future as I have a *lot* of other stuff to try and review.

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Lush in Singapore?! Since when!!

OMG! I just found out that Lush had opened in Singapore since December 2011. I was there!!! Why didn't I go to Wisma Atria and check the place out?! I am so, so, so, so disappointed!

That means the nearest Lush to me is in Singapore and not Hong Kong anymore! I cannot imagine how crazy I will get. American Cream just a 3 hour drive away? Able to try MORE of their soaps? Able to get Tron his own bottle of Dirty Springwash? The possibilities are endless...

Now when is the next trip down South?

For more information on Lush Singapore, this is their Facebook page...

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Dermal Apple Collagen Essence Mask

After using the subpar Skinlite masks, I mentioned that I would recommend cheaper masks that actually DO the job. One such mask that I had the luck to encounter is Dermal. I am not sure if it is an in-house brand from Watsons... for some reason, I got that impression. Anyway, masks mix all kinds of good stuff with Vitamin E and Collagen. You will notice that they state 20g Vitamin E and 3g of Collagen in each packet. I'm not sure if the measurements change, but all the masks that I have state this. :)

The first mask that I tried from the range is the Apple Collagen Essence Mask, which is good for :
* soothing
* convergence (I have no idea what this means in this context!!)
* firming

The product claims to make your tired skin more elastic, moistened and clear. It is suitable for all skin types.

As everyone knows - Vitamin E & Collagen are popular products in skincare industry, known for treatment from anywhere between treating scarring to improving skin elasticity. However, I have my doubts on whether these essences can be absorbed through the skin. The product claims that it is highly concentrated and contains other chemicals that help increase penetration... hmmm. What do you think?

There was a lot of essence in the packet and I found the fit of the mask pretty good. Not the best I've ever had, but not bad. The apple "scent" in the packet was a bit too sharp at first, but after the initial shock, it was quite pleasant! Very natural and fresh! Really thumbs up for the scent. It's different from the usual sweet / floral scents you usually get with face masks.

After 20 minutes, my skin felt more moisturised and fresh, but there was not much change in terms of firming or soothing as my skin wasn't horribly UNfirm or inflamed in the first place...

All in all, quite worth the RM3 I paid for this mask!

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L'Occitane Magnolia Bath & Shower Gel

Ben bought this bath & shower gel agessss ago for my birthday. It came in a L'Occitane gift box that also contained perfume, solid perfume, a lipbalm and this magnolia bath & shower gel. I liked it so much that I even still keep the BOX it all came in. :) However, as you can see from the above picture, a lot of it is left unused. This is not because I hate it, but because I kept telling myself to only use this for "special occasions". Hence... I wind up not using it very often. Since it came in a set, I always told myself that I should "layer" the scents, ie: use the shower gel, use the perfume. Even for the perfume I only use it for "special occasions"! I still have the full bottle! :D

As you can see from the picture above, the shower gel does not contain any exfoliating beads nor any special cleaning prowess. The main attracting factor of this shower gel is the heady, heavy, magnolia scent.

Some people say that magnolias smell like lemons, but I do not find that true at all! The shower gels smells like a very exotic kind of honey. Maybe honey mixed in with some kind of spices? It gently cleanses the skin, but really the magnolia scent really lingers. The bottle also claims that it can be used as a bath foam - poured into the tub, it can create a thick, rich foam that would be wonderful to luxuriate in.

The first time I used it, I wasn't used to the magnolia smell, as I find it more suitable for "mature" crowds. However, it's definitely starting to grow onto me. I associate this scent with posh people! :)

However, if asked if I would buy it again --- probably not. As I like my shower gels to behave more like cleaning agents and not as a fragrance. However, I've gotten a good impression of both L'Occitane and magnolias in general. ;)

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Hervana

Eeep! Benefit just came out with a new box o' powder and it's called Hervana! It's totally right up my alley! Of course, this makes my goal of collecting ALL the box o' powders 1 box more difficult. :P And I exaggerate, I don't want *all* the boxes anyway...

Benefit says: "Swirl on this orchid-blossom blush for a heavenly flush of enlightenment! These four shades—lucky shell, divine peach, heavenly rose and berry delight—blend together perfectly to lift your look to cloud 9."

The mixing of colors is reminiscent of the Sugarbomb box o' powder that I wanted to get, but I find the Sugarbomb one darker and more sultry, while Hervana seems like such a cheery, sweet, pink flush.


Currently, my box o' powder collection only consists of :

1) Dandelion - the sweetest, lightest pink ever with a light sprinkling of SPARKLE added in. Totally my go-to blusher for work!

2) 10 - the perfect "10" is easy to achieve with a no-brainer blush that helps you do your contouring and highlighting in one easy step! I used to love this a lot, but then I went too heavy-handed, til my boss asked me if I was sunburnt! After that I was really "burnt" and afraid to use it.

However, recently I've learned to be more easygoing with this and starting to fall in love with it all over again. Just have to remember it's doing the "sexy sweep" and not the "vigorous wipe up and down". -__-"


Other box o' powders that I'm interested in are :

1) Bella Bamba - a very vibrant pink, for a fun, party look! :D


2) Sugarbomb - talked about it earlier already, I just want it leh!

3) Thrrrob - a pinkish-blue to give you a "turned on" flush on your cheeks... hmmm... would it really work? :P


Ahhh... just a few more boxes, my pretty..

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