Monday Masks : Sexy Doll Intensively Brightening & Whitening Mask

Have been really busy at work, and it causes my skin to get neglected. Occasionally, will indulge in a mask or two in the work week in order to help my skin. Of course, the best things for your skin are actually sleep, water and less stress! If I had al 3, I bet I would save a whole lot more on skincare!

I found this mask when I was in Singapore - Sexy Doll mask. I had no idea what was so sexy about the packaging, but hey, if it promises to make a haggard me look like a Sexy Doll, I'll give it a go for sure. ;) Forgot how much it costs, but it was pretty pricey for a mask...

From the packaging, I cannot tell what each mask is used for. I have to some english translation at the back. So this hot pink packaged mask is for intensive brightening and whitening. It is a sheet mask with essence though they make it sound quite classy by calling it a "silk" mask. Quite a lot of essence inside actually!  

So here is my haggard "before" picture :

Argh, looks damn bad right! This is my "aunty" / "housewife" look after a hard day's work. :P You can see a few pimples here and there and a really dry patch of skin on my chin. To be honest, I should've used a moisturising mask or something, not really the time for whitening & brightening! I was actually just feeling bored and wanted to try something different. =) 

The fit of the mask is not bad, give it a "B" effort in trying to get the best fit for the consumers. But one very vital thing that I can't stand about this mask... it is damn smelly!! It smells VERY acidic, as if I am really putting hydrochloric acid on my face! Argghhh! I suspect that there is probably something acidic / bleachy about the mask because it does sting a little! Maybe that's how they make you "intensively whiter"... by bleaching! Ok, this is complete heresay, don't sue me! :P

Yes, you can see how SOAKED the mask it! Really a lot of that bleachy-essence in there! 

 And finally, here's a picture of me AFTER the mask therapy session :

Having said all the mean stuff about acidity and using bleach on the face, I was actually pleasantly surprised with the results. I really did feel that I became fairer after just one use! The red patch on my chin was gone, and the pimples also became less apparent. Promise that I didn't Photoshop anything! Yes, I still look aunty-ish, I don't have the time to throw on a cocktail dress and contact lens to camwhore for the "after" image! =P 

For better comparison, here's a side-by-side before and after collage:

Do you feel that there's a difference?

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Neutrogena Deep Clean Blackhead Eliminating Cooling Toner

Back in my  War on Blackheads day, I bought the entire "Blackhead Eliminating" range from Neutrogena. The face wash is long gone, but the toner is barely 50% finished. ~_~"

You might be wondering - why is this toner more "blackhead eliminating" than a regular toner? Well, this toner contains "Blackhead Fighting Complex", a special BHA ingredient to remove dead skin cells and control excessive oil. Cedarwood extract and moisturisers help strenghten the skin's natural water and oil balance, and prevents new blackheads from forming with continuous use.

I know that it is possible to get blackheads on your forehead, T-zone, even on your cheeks, but I mainly use this on my nose, right before I use my Cellnique Sebum Action Gel. Yes, just my nose, maybe that's why it takes me so long to finish this 200ml bottle! I don't know whether it is the toner that is helping me or the Sebum Action Gel, but I do find that my blackheads on my nose are a lot less than it was last time.

However, recently the blackheads on my nose are starting to seem more apparent than usual. I am not sure whether it's psychological (because I've been so busy at work that I had no time to really pamper myself / do facials) or because all this is just short term. Sigh...

In case you're wondering if toners are REALLY necessary, check out this link : Is Toner Necessary? In short, the answer is - only if your skin is really oily and you feel that your cleanser isn't doing good enough a job to remove every single last trace of your make-up. For me, I find that toner can occasionally even make my skin feel DRIER... :(


To be frank, I am married and I will soon be moving in to my husband's house. He sleeps with air-conditioning on, and air-conditioning really dries my skin out. I am hoping that he will be willing to suffer and allow me to continue sleeping with just the fan on. Otherwise, my skin will really dry out... my whole skincare range would need to change!

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The Body Shop : Lychee Blossom Body Lotion

The complement to the Body Shop Lychee Blossom Body Wash --- the body lotion! I already blogged about the body wash here. Yup, I do use this as my "go to" body lotion in the morning. I find the body lotion more tolerable than the body wash because the scent is way, way more subtle. Unlike the body wash, the scent is more floral than it is fruity.

I quite like this as a moisturiser because it absorbs into my skin really quickly. It does seem to leave a little "oily" feeling after being absorbed though, but it's nothing too irritating. And I rather like it because the "oily" feeling makes my skin feel slippery smooth, hahaha. :)

The secret in the ultra moisturisation? Babassu oil. Babassu oil is similar to coconut oil in properties, but I'm starting to think that this is a much better alternative as most people think that coconut oil smells too strong for them.

This 200ml bottle is not lasting me very long... cos I need to take one pump per limb... which means 4 pumps of body lotion each day! And yes, sometimes I require even more than that! Still, I would consider to buy body lotions from Body Shop in the future, although not in this particular scent. Yup, I'm still biased against this scent! :P 

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Freebies from Crabtree & Evelyn [2]

Got more freebies again! This time it's thanks to Tron's mom who invited us to this neighborhood gathering thingy. All their neighbours grouped together to organise a "family day" for a section of houses where they live. They had lots of free food, fireman demonstration and giftpacks and lucky draws! Every house gets this gift pack from Crabtree & Evelyn, but Tron's mom was so generous to give me and my mom each a gift pack as she won lucky draws that afternoon as well and got extras. =) My mom seems quite shy to use it (maybe looks nice all wrapped up, she doesn't want to spoil the wrapping!), but for me I'm eager to try it out!!

This is the goodie bag:

It's from the La Source range, which I have the 60 Second Fix For Hands thanks to Tron. I love the soothing scent from this range! It's neither floral or sweet... not sure how to describe it, just that it reminds me of the sea. This 4 piece gift set consists of :
a. La Source Relaxing Body Wash
b. La Source moisturising soap with shea butter
c. La Source shampoo
d. La Source body conditioner

Cool huh? :)

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