Lush Dream Cream

When I talk about Lush products, I'm reminded of my newest day moisturiser (finally finished my Vaseline one). I'm always rushing to finish my Lush stuff because they have a shorter life span compared to other products. I know this sounds like it's a negative point, but at least you know they don't add in a lot of other crap to "preserve" the product.

Anyway, I'm currently loving the Dream Cream hand & body lotion from Lush! It's actually pretty pricey. I remember that I paid around RM80 for a 240g tub. However, it had gotten so many rave reviews on the website that I *had* to see what the hype was about. Plus, I had quite a good time with Vanilla Dee-lite, another one of their moisturisers, so I knew it would be an alright product (if not great).

I have ZERO complaints about the product, and it is a most definite REPURCHASE for me. Why? Well, everything about it is perfection in a tub.
I love the calming lavender scent, which leaves me relaxed and happy in the morning (right before I leave for work!).
I love the cooling sensation that this cream leaves on my skin. I have no idea what goodies they dump inside here that can actually leave my skin feeling so soothed. And mind you, it's not a "cooling" sensation like if it's minty and tingly. No! It just makes your skin feel as if you're at the perfect temperature - which is a total blessing in hot hot hot Malaysia!
I love how moisturised my skin feels, even when I've had this cream on for more than 5 hours! And I can see some marked improvements in areas of my skin that are usually quite dry.

If you have sensitive skin, this is definitely the product for you. Though not by my own testimony, Lush says that customers who have eczema and other more severe skin conditions swear by this product. As a person with generally normal skin, it's amazing to see how my skin can actually can be better. "The best that it can be", so to speak. :P

For those who want to know - this product is completely vegan too. So if that's something you care deeply about --- another good reason to pick this up.


Now to quote Lush : "Invented in 1996, Dream Cream has been our global best seller since its launch. If we had to pick a "staple" Lush product, Dream Cream would be it! A calming emulsion of oat milk, olive oil and cocoa butter.

For something that sounds so simple - why is it so loved?

Besides being incredibly soothing for dry or chapped skin thanks to lavender, rose and chamomile blue oils, Dream Cream is gentle enough to use on even the most sensitive skin types. Mild yet effective, Dream Cream is for those who have been dreaming of problem-free skin!"

Oh, and I was just browsing the website and have now been distracted by Creme Anglaise - the most luxurious (and expensive!) body cream in their range. Color me intrigued! I will definitely check that out the next time I pass by a Lush store...

Of course, I would be getting another tub of Dream Cream as well. ;)

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Balmbini Face Palette

This is one of my favorite purchases during my Singapore hauls last year! The Balmbini Face Palette. I've been using it since last year, and have not been fair to it as I've kept putting off doing a review because I'm quite lazy to snap pictures. *ashamed* *fail beauty blogger* However, I've been packing it for so many on-the-go moments that every other face picture that I have would be one with the products from my Balmbini face palette. I have more than enough pictures required now. :P

As mentioned, this face palette is pretty comprehensive - it has eyeshadows, lipstick & lipgloss, blushers and all in a compact set that makes it travel-handy. It also has a mirror inside, which is SUPER useful, considering that I don't pack one. *ashamed* *failed female* Since I don't wear foundation, this is pretty much all I need to make myself up. Oh, and my eyeliner of course. ;)

The packaging is SO cute, isn't it? To be honest, I've heard of The Balm a long, long time ago, but I've never bought anything from them because :
a. not sure if it's *really* that good
b. it's freaking expensive!

However, I like this Face Palette because I can try out most of their star products --- and all for RM80+. Yes, that's how much this face palette costs, and I feel it's pretty worth it. Considering that my Too Faced Eye Shadow Palette already costs RM130. The quality of The Balm products are good - long-lasting and vibrant colors.

The back of the cover shows exactly what is in the box, as well as a suggestion on how you can use ALL the products in one look. Lol! I find using everything at once a bit too much for myself (too lazy to shade my cheeks and I won't bother with gloss on top of something that already feels like gloss!) , but even when you do put everything on at once , it looks quite glam - nothing too over-the-top and ridiculous.

Inside the Balmbini Face Palette, you get :
Down Boy Blusher - a bright pink, fun and flirty shade. Gives you a healthy glow, very youthful and playful.
Hot Mama Blusher - a shimmery orange for that sun-kissed look. Also can be used for shading.

Mary-Lou Manizer - pale golden, shimmery, luminiser for the eyes. To highlight your eyes, brighten them up and add a bit of sparkle! ;)

Shady Lady Eye Shadow - there's two shades in here : Insane Jane and Jealous Jordana. Insane Jane is some coppery-greenish shade (sorry, I can't really describe colors, but you can see from the pic above!) and Jealous Jordana looks like a really "jungley" shade of dark green that I wouldn't normally purchase. However, it does look good on the eyes when mixed with Insane Jane!

Read My Lips Lipstick - a dark red shade called "Wanted". It smells like cherries and is a bit sticky, so I thought it was gloss too!

Special Edition Tinted Gloss - looks orange-y, but comes on clear. Smells orange-y.

Some pictures of myself with "my face on". :P

See? Not too shabby right? The gloss + lipstick gives an insane amount of shine. I also find the shade quite nice. Though the color descriptions I gave for Insane Jane & Jealous Jordana sounds bad, it looks office-appropriate with a light touch. If I'm more heavy-handed, I could get a mean smokey eye look. :) You can also see how bright & vibrant the Down Boy blusher is! I quite like it! If you are into kawaii looks, this would be right up your alley.

And this is me with less stuff on - no Hot Mama shading and no gloss, just lippy.


Anyway, I'm super satisfied with this purchase. I reckon that wherever I go, I'll be packing this with me. So convenient!! I wonder if The Balm has any other face palettes?

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Vanity Trove - Should I Join?

I first read about "beauty subscriptions" from another beauty blogger, but never thought that it would be available in Malaysia. "Beauty Subscriptions" are when you pay a certain fee to a company to have a box of "beauty samples" sent to your home every month. Apparently, the value of the items that you receive to "sample" is way more than what you pay per month. It's a win-win situation, whereby you - as a person who loves to try beauty products, get to try these items at a cheaper price. The company gets more people to try their stuff, and maybe will get you to become a loyal customer in the future and you would be willing to pay the regular price for their full-size product.

FYI, the items in the "beauty subscription" may or may not be a full size product. Sometimes they do give full-size items! Depends on your luck, I guess.

Anyway, in Malaysia, there is now a company called Vanity Trove that is selling these beauty subscriptions. They are actually from Singapore! You can either buy a monthly subscription or a yearly one (and get one month free). The postage is included with the subscription as well. What they send to you also depends on a small questionnaire that you fill in upon signing up. Maybe if you are more into skincare, you will get more of such samples instead of beauty products that would not interest you.

The cost? It is RM50 a month. I know, it's quite pricey right? I was really hoping for something around the RM25-RM30 range, but the stuff in the Vanity Trove box looks quite good. Check it out:

Oh God, they gave out sample OPI nailpolishes from the Nicki Minaj SuperBass collection!
I spy Clinique samples as well!
There's this really nicely packaged range called "You Filthy Thing!" which I think is something totally up my alley - looks good + unique + fun shower times!
SKII! Lancome!

So should I get it or not? The thing is, RM50 per month is quite expensive, and in fact it's even more than that. When I tried to "Check Out", they converted it to SGD, so depending on the exchange rate it may or may not be higher than that. Plus, at the moment, I really have more than enough things to "try out". In fact, my room is a STOCKPILE of skincare and beauty products. No lie.

Maybe will check it out after I have used up more of my STOCKPILE. Though something devilish is whispering into my ear about all the cool products that I could be missing out on!

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New Stuff At Lush...

I think you all are aware by now that I'm a huge Lush-a-holic. Been scoping out their website, and found something new in their range now. I'm not sure that I would buy it (mainly because I don't own a bath tub!), but it really sounds cool.

It's the Reusable Bubble Wand!



How does it work? Simply run your bath as normal, and "swish" the wand in the water until you get the amount of bubbles you desire. Then, pop the wand in some place safe (like a vase) for future usage. It will harden by itself, and seeing how pretty these wands look, it will be a nice little decoration for your toilet too!

I also like how these wands come with SEEDS embededed IN their tag - they encourage us consumers to dump the whole tag into a hole in the garden and water it with your old bathwater. Enjoy the wildflowers that will be coloring your garden later! Too cute for words!

The wands currently come in :
- Madame Butterfly ( a sophisticated Turkish fragrance of rose and lemons)
- Tulip (chocolate orange yuzu and cocoa)
- The Mum (a zesty fragrance containing orange and juniper berry)
- Washing Up Fairy (lemon)

The wands cost £4.95 each, except for the Washing Up Fairy which is £3.75.

All this in conjunction with Mother's Day! Thank you, Lush for reminding me that this day is 3 months away! Hahaha, never too early to get ready, I suppose? They also have 3 luscious gift sets available, so if you could get your hands on one, I'm sure your mom would appreciate it. Again, my personal pet peeve is that most of the gift sets contain their best selling bath bombs (cannot blame them - it's what makes them unique), but I prefer their other stuff - soaps, moisturisers, shower gels, etc.

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The Godmother Soap

This is my third and last piece of soap that I got from Lush while I was in Hong Kong. I'm hating how fast I seem to use up the soaps, but since they are made from all-natural ingredients, it's not a good idea to keep them for too long anyway. This is "The Godmother" - for hands that do more than just wishes. It is one of the most popular and yet, cheapest, soaps in the Lush range!

I was attracted by the sweet, candy-like scent that was strong, but not overpowering like the other soaps in their range (the one that comes to mind is the Rockstar). This reminds me of hard boiled candy, and it is a joy to shower with! It is totally gentle on the skin, yet leaves your skin feeling squeaky clean. That's what I like - gentle on skin, but harsh on dirt!

I can't really think about anything else to talk about it - some people say they find it very moisturising, but I don't think it's particularly so. I just think it's fun in the shower, and will be a definite repurchase for me. Love the scent too much!

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Ralph Lauren Cool

This is one of my old purchases when I went to the States way back in '06/'07. I bought this at the premium outlet stores in Gilroy, so I got it really cheap. How freaking cheap? Well, a boxset of the Ralph Lauren Cool 100ml EDT and a body wash cost something like USD20. YES. You can close your gaping mouth now -- it's THAT cheap. And a lot of other stuff is around that price too. Then again, perfumes in US are no big deal. They even sell brand name perfumes in the supermarket. Well, not the really high-end type. But all those singer / actor endorsed perfumes are shoved into an aisle next to the broccoli and onions... ((exaggerating, but still true))

I was of course, very eager to get my greedy paws on Ralph Lauren Cool because back then, it is one of those "must have" perfumes. In fact, the male version of this perfume is still kinda "hot", which shows that guys perfume is 5 years behind us. At least. :P This range of perfume consists of the original Ralph (refreshing floral scent), Ralph Rocks (energetic fruity floral), Ralph Wild (oriental floral), Ralph Hot (sensual fruity floral) and Ralph Cool - a musky fruity floral that I will talk more about now. To be honest, I have not smelled the others before, and I probably won't get a chance to in the perfume counters over here because this series has since been discontinued. But you never know...

After using this perfume for so long, I still have at least 60ml left! Yes, it's very very hard for me to finish my perfumes. It was my go-to period in my younger days, but because it's an EDT, and because it smells so "casual", I don't wear it on a daily basis. This fresh, sporty scent seems more suited for weekend outings - and even then, to some place not-so-special. Lol! The fragrance doesn't last very long - maybe 3 hours tops, and then it can be easily washed away with soap and water, and nary a trace remains. However, I still like it very much, because the initial spritz is VERY refreshing, energizing and awakens the senses. It is also not one of those sickeningly sweet fragrances even though it's supposed to be a floral scent.

When I first wore it with Tron, Tron perked up instantly and said that this bubbly scent was suitable for me. He thinks the other perfumes I have (including the ones he gets me!) might be too mature for me, but this is youthful enough. Ironic, as I myself am no spring chicken anymore.

"It opens with fresh notes of kiwi, frozen nectarine, watermelon and cucumber pulp. The middle notes add up a freshness created by a fusion of honeysuckle and lime, along with the pure jasmine and lily-of-the-valley with grassy – lemon waves. The bottom notes dandle with creamy musk, vetiver and sensuous woody notes. " - Source : Fragrantica.com

The fruity notes are VERY apparent, and is what gives the zesty, peppy scent that I know and adore. I don't really detect the middle scent, but the sensual woody notes are also notable after a certain period. The difference between the fruity blast at the beginning and the more sensual notes at the end makes this seem a bit strange to me - prefer if it is not such a big difference. I prefer crisp, clean and airy all the way!

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VS Haul & Free USD$10 Voucher!

My love for Victoria's Secret is well, no secret. I finally gave in recently and purchased a crapload of stuff from my wishlist. Exactly how much is a "crap load"? Well..... about 23 items. *sheepish* But to be fair, most of them were underwear! I actually got 14 pairs of new underwear... muwahahhaha!

I don't even need so much new underwear... I'm like a hoarder. I just kept everything still nicely sealed in the plastic baggies. I think when I'm having a really bad day, then I'll reward myself with a new underwear. Wtf! I don't make sense. Anyway, the underwear gets cheaper with more pairs that you buy, so that's why I kept buying more and more and more...

Also bought more bikini tops & a new bikini set because I'm going for a beach holiday soon! It's a totally indulgent, 100% luxurious getaway, so I wanted more outfit changes! Hahahhaa! *vain* I will definitely blog about the trip later! Anyway, I frequently think about bikinis like they are bras. Do you have only one bra? No right, so there's nothing wrong with buying more. Do not try to talk sense into me, it's been ingrained so far deep down my conscience that there's no convincing me otherwise.

There were also some sleepsets, terry cloth shorts and a dip-dye skirt, but somehow my camera didn't seem to store the image. My camera is starting to get wonky --- frequently gives me a "error writing to memory card" message. Sigh. Too bad I didn't win the new Olympus camera. :( :( :(

VS shipped my items for free to VPOST, and VPOST managed to send my items to Malaysia pretty fast. Less than 14 days, me thinks. Also, if I let VS ship the stuff for me, it would've cost me about RM200 for shipping. VPOST cost about RM80 only... so it was not too bad...

Oh yeah, and regarding the free USD$10 voucher! So, VS sent me a voucher to further tempt me to blow my wad (pardon the language) on their stuff. There is no minimum spending required, you just get USD$10 off directly. However, it's only valid from Feb 1 - Feb 14, so if you want the certificate, just tell me. I'll email the first person who comments that they want it (please leave a valid email addy!). No strings attached... maybe in the future, you would just PAY IT FORWARD. :)

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Crabtree & Evelyn Purifying Clarifying Body Scrub

Did I ever mention that my boyfriend is a Crabtree & Evelyn member? He has tonnes of Crabtree & Evelyn stuff, and his love for the products have spilled over to his mom and myself. All the free stuff that he gets after buying 2342343 of their products end up in our hands. *evil laughter* If you must know, he has actually been buying their scented sticks (don't know what it's called - my bf is more metrosexual than I am feminine) by the truckload. He puts them in his bedroom, living room, TOILET.

Anyway, whenever I do shower at his place, it's like fun bath times because I can use his stuff, and he always has yummy shower stuff. Today, I got to try his Crabtree & Evelyn Purifying Clarifying Body Scrub!

At first, I was a bit disgusted, because obviously Mr Bf did not care enough to be careful about not getting any water into the tub. The top layer of the body scrub was water! Omg! So grossed out. But I dug in deeper, and got to the scrubby goodness. The scrub is VERY rough. The exfoliation beads look like what is huge grains of salt. It also smelled so mild that I was so sure that I wouldn't be able to feel thoroughly cleansed after it that I was looking for his shower gel.

However, as I kept scrubbing against my skin, I started to feel this BURNING sensation. Not a horrible one of course, a pleasant, warm feeling that tingled! I started to really enjoy myself, and got a great exfoliation. When I washed everything off, I felt SUPER refreshed and SUPER clean! Now I'm really loving this clarifying body scrub! :)

Am really thinking of buying it next time (after all, we are Crabtree & Evelyn members... hehe. We get a 10% discount!). Oh, and it really feels nice using the Clarifying moisturiser after the gorgeous scrub. FYI, this refreshing scrub contains citrus peel and sea salt granules, and the clean scent of eucalyptus and lime essential oils helps clarify and focus the senses.

Costs about RM100 for a 450g tub.

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Biore Pore Strips In Tropical Resort Scent

After finishing my Healpharm pore strips, I went back to Biore... but this will probably be the last Biore pore strips that I purchase... unless they come up with more interesting scents. I like their Limited Edition Fragrance Series - it's pretty interesting! I like the fruity scented one, although I did think the floral one was kind of a miss. The Tropical Resort one brings back the loving feeling for me...

Each biore pore pack comes with 10 pore strips... and is scented with either the relaxing hibiscus scent or the plumeria scent.

The plumeria scented one is awesome! It smells like peaches! It is a sweet, fruity scent and I totally would not have thought it was a floral scent at all!

The hibiscus one packs less oomph though. :( It has a more generic floral scent, kinda generic sweet and very unmemorable. Sigh...

You can tell which scent you will be getting based on the flower shown in front of each individually packed pore strip!

Having used the rougher feeling Healpharm pore strips, the silky-smooth Biore pore strips felt very comfortable against my nose. I had forgotten how AWESOME each strip is. It's easy to peel off, and it just seems to fit your nose so perfectly. There's no stubborn edges that refuse to adhere to some funny bump on your face. :P

However, I really do not like the black colored pore strips in general (cos I find it leaves more marks against my face? Maybe this is just psychological since it's a bigger contrast?) and Biore just doesn't seem to yank as many blackheads / whiteheads out for me anymore. Sigh.. either I'm doing a real good job of taking care of my nose, or I'm not doing it right or Biore is not doing it right. I'm thinking the last one, of course.

If they could package a limited edition pack with ONLY the plumeria scent, I just might repurchase this. Then again, I don't see this in Malaysia. I bought the pack in Singapore's Sasa for SGD$4.95...

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Soap & Glory Catch A Wrinkle (In Time) Day Moisturiser

So, I finished using my Dr Feelgood, and decided to use Soap & Glory's "Catch a Wrinkle (In Time)" day moisturiser instead. I don't remember how much it costs because I bought it quite a while back. It's not a very big tube, only 50ml. Obviously, what attracted me was the uber cute packaging :

All over the box, you have all kinds of funny statements from Soap & Glory that I totally *love*. Like "The secret to keeping the life in your skin? Don't smoke, sun, drink or sleep deprive it to death. Call us dull, but that's how you do it." OMG, so true. I try to practice what I preach, but I really commit the last fault to the max. :( They also had a random "ad" on the box saying "Help us please! We need vintage snapshots of glamorous mums or grandmas to grace future face creams. (Marcia's Aunt Marlene had magnificent bone structure and long, willowy limbs, but was never photographed 'sans' cigarette.) If you've got any old beauties, please send copies - with your contact details) via www.soapandglorycosmetics.com."

I guess I just like their firm stand against ciggies. ;)

Anyway, the Catch A Wrinkle Day Moisturiser is a cream-based moisturiser with skin re-energizing tri-peptides and wrinkle repair youth boosters which "make it easier than getting a facelift". Very big promises here, but I like the simplicity of it all. Simply massage a thin layer of product over a well-cleansed face and neck. Let it soak in for a few seconds before putting make-up on top.

Personally? My recommendation is that you exercise modesty when applying this item. It is a very heavy cream, and if I use too much, my skin ends up feeling OILY and GREASY, though thank God that it doesn't start reflecting light. You really need just a teeny dollop to cover your entire face AND neck. Then, it will feel comfortable, light and moisturised.

Unlike other moisturisers that I've used, it doesn't have any extra coverage factor (to cover skin 'imperfections'), but one very big bonus point about this moisturiser is.... *drumrolls*

It smells like some awesome orange cream dessert! I don't know how to explain it, but it just simply smells darn delish and it's one of the sweetest smelling moisturisers I've ever used! So major plus points for it...

Still, probably will not repurchase in the future as :
a. I don't think they actually sell this anymore, lol
b. there are better products that make my face "breathe" easier
c. have not seen this item actually catching any wrinkles for me. *sulk*

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