Mary Kay Mineral Eye Color

So I got a bunch of free samples from Mary Kay a while back, and only now have I gotten around to using them. I really, really like the products, but I haven't gone back to repurchase... mainly coz I'm waiting for them to "hardsell" to me. But they are the opposite of hard-selling! They have not contacted me again after the first round of letting me try the stuff and giving me all these freebies. Isn't that so weird? Anyway, I like the products enough to consider actually walking in to the office and just asking whether they want my business or not. :S

I remember getting the mineral eye color samples because I told the Mary Kay consultant that I love mineral make-up. I like that it's supposedly kinder on the skin, and all mineral foundation that I have used so far *is* kinder on the skin. It's light wear, light coverage and never caused my pores to get clogged even with my full face make-up on. The only problem with mineral eye COLOR though is that they are usually less pigmented and there's way more fall out. However, because of the fact it's less pigmented, the fallout doesn't look as obvious, and if you prefer more color payoff, you can always apply primer! Personally, I like a more muted kinda look on my eyes (unless I'm on the stage and I want something dramatic...), so mineral eye color is really  suited for me.

I took the products with me when I went for my anniversary celebration with my husband back in the hotel where we held the wedding. The mineral eye color samples that were given to me were Crystalline, Lemongrass and Midnight Star, which was pretty good for both a night look for our anniversary dinner and for a morning look (church the next day).

For the night look, I used Midnight Star, and you might have seen this face before when I did the lip color (also awesome!) review :

Though it looks very BRIGHT and unwearable on the sample sheet, after layering it on, it still doesn't look as bright as it does. Yup, this is without primer, and I don't think I would like it to be an exact match to the sheet as it might be a bit too "disco".  Instead, I got a pretty decent, sparkly, look. I think it looks quite nice!

Here's a close up... you can see that there's so much GLITTER... I love! I really layered on the eyeshadow, so it looks darker. I suppose a light sweep would look suitable for daytime as well. :)

And even more close up: 

Can see the fallout, but generally I'm loving the shade and how sparkly it is! :) I would definitely consider this for a repurchase!

Meanwhile, Citronella and Crystalline were blended together the next day for a more "spring" look in church the next day. However, despite using all of my eyeshadow samples, I still look quite washed out. It's almost like I'm not having any eye shadow on at all. I know, even in the picture below, it looks like both are just white in color. =p

Ok, a better picture would be this one (the first two in top row) :

This is how it looks like without any primer. This was taken in natural sunlight :

Close-up ... hopeless without any primer! :( Maybe the Crystalline overpowered the Citronella a bit too much, cos I remember when the Mary Kay consultant applied it for me (only one color, with primer), it was a pretty intense green! :( Because it's so light, you can't really see the glitters either - it just doesn't stand out. Pity, coz they are both really glittery on the sample sheet!

Not sure how much this will cost cos I can't find any information about pricing on the Mary Kay website. Will update this page when I actually do purchase the Midnight Star. ;)

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It's Raining Men!

Aka "Honey, I Washed The Kids" in concentrated, shower gel form!

A little something that I picked up from Lush Singapore in one of my visits down South, and when I smelled how similar it was to Honey, I Washed The Kids, I just had to get it! I love the Lush soaps, and since they are too natural to last in solid form for very long, this was the perfect solution. It's also a step better, since you can use this for hair AND body, though I admit that I've only used it as a shower gel thus far.

The shower gel is VERY thick, like melted caramel or toffee. The sweet honey scent is also very concentrated, I find that I don't have to use as much for my daily showers, and the scent still lingers on for quite a few hours. A comforting, moisturising shower is what I'm in for, and that's what I get with this shower gel. Really worth the money, and really considering this for a repurchase. Plus, the cute packaging always have me singing The Weather Girls during shower time! I just love how creative the folks behind Lush are!

So when the humidity's rising, and the barometer's getting low, the shower is the place to go with It's Raining Men! Filled with real honey, this shower gel is kind to sensitive skin and also contains medicinal and healing qualities that can soothe your skin troubles away. For me, I just love how moisturised and soft my skin is after the shower. Plus, it smells so good, I think it's suitable for use for the whole family! 

As usual, the shower gel comes in 3 sizes - 500ml, 250ml and 100ml. My current one is 250ml, and the prices are approximately RM77, RM45 and RM20 respectively. Oh, and one thing that I noticed about this shower gel is that this is the first time that I didn't use my shower gel fast enough and it is approaching dangerously close to the "best by" date. What I noticed is that there is some wax-like build-up at the bottom of the shower gel. Shaking it hard doesn't do anything about it (maybe because the shower gel is so thick, it's really hard to shake it!), nor does standing the bottle upside-down. =( Oh well, aside from this small matter, it's a REALLY good shower gel. Can't wait to re-stock!

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Monday Masks : Timeless Truth Orchid Extract Replenishing Face Mask

I finally got the chance to use the Timeless Truth Orchid Extract Replenishing Face Mask from my March Edition of Vanity Trove. I tell you, I can even make small samples last forever... it was only last night that I managed to use finish my Premier Dead Sea moisturiser. I'm starting to think that even deluxe samples from beauty boxes are going to last me a good long while - worth the $$!

 

Anyway, you might've seen reviews of this mask on countless other beauty blogs, but here I am just to add in my 2 sen as well. ;) The orchid extract replenishing mask is a 3D mask (with hooks for your ears as well as around your chin) for full absorbtion. "The remarkable energy is in the root of the orchid, giving anti-ageing benefits, and leaving the skin beautifully soft and radiant", says Timeless Truth. The mask is suitable to be used for all skin types and is mainly beneficial for dry, lifeless and dull looking skin. The original price of one mask is RM10, which is really pricey, but I suppose it is a 3D mask, and those are often more expensive. I also have a voucher from Vanity Trove that gives me a 20% discount if I choose to buy more masks from them, so this will make the masks a tinge more affordable. =)

When I first took the mask out of the packet --- was not very happy because there is no additional plastic backing, so have to be quite careful when unfolding it, less I tear it. There is a generous amount of essence on the mask, so that was quite nice. Even better - it smelled really, really nice! It's a floral scent, but not cloying and overwhelming. In fact, it was soothing aromatherapy and very relaxing. I definitely enjoyed my session with the mask.

The fit however, was literally, quite a stretch! I find that the mask is a bit too small for the face - maybe my face has grown fatter as well. It was quite hard for me to get the hooks behind me ears, and when I did, this is what I look like : 

It looks so incredibly stretched out, right? Oh well, I supposed that's one way to ensure the mask adheres closely to the skin!! This meant that it was a teensy bit uncomfortable (especially the feeling that the hooks would snap off my ears at any moment -- but it didn't!), but thankfully nothing that I couldn't get over after a while.

After the 20 minutes session, I did find my skin was more moisturised and softened. In fact, the next morning when I was washing my face, I was wondering what night moisturiser I had on, coz my skin was so incredibly baby-soft smooth to the touch! Then I remembered that the only thing I did differently the night before was to use this mask. Such a great testimony for it, so I might consider this for repurchase later! It's a much better mask than all the other crap cheap masks I've been reviewing (Sasatinnie comes to mind!).

Orchid extracts are now the latest in beauty and skincare products due to anthocyanins in the flower that has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capabilities. Orchid extracts can help reduce fine lines and wrinkles and respond to environmental stresses such as UV radiation, pollution and extreme temperatures.  It also has skin–fortifying minerals like calcium, magnesium, and zinc. I'm guessing we will see more products containing orchid extracts in the future! 

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L'Oreal Paris Smooth Intense Caring Shampoo

I think that most people would be familiar with this shampoo because it's been on the market for oh-so-very long! In fact, this is probably one of the first shampoos I ever bought when I started working and no longer used whatever it is my parents were using just coz I was too stingy to use my own allowance. ;) I was always desperate to have "smooth" hair, so a shampoo promising "intense smoothness" seemed to be made just for me.

 

The shampoo promises up to 48 hours of Anti-frizzy hair, but come on... nothing can tame my locks. To be frank with you, don't depend on your shampoo for smooth hair. Go get straightening / rebonding done. If you say that this works for you, your hair is probably not THAT frizzy any way. 

L'oreal's "secret ingredients" are the Nutrileum + silk potein. They don't explain much (on the bottle) on what is Nutrileum, but together, these ingredients provide intense smoothness, anti-frizziness and thermo-resistance. When I first used the shampoo, I thought it smelled very chemical-ly, but I think they've since revised the formula. I now find the scent rather pleasant, though it is nothing floral / sweet / fruity. *don't really know how to describe it* 

The liquid gold on my palm is how much shampoo I use for each wash. It lathers up well and is easy to rinse off. Hair does feel cleansed, but as mentioned - it does nothing for me in terms of smoothness and frizziness. Also one of those shampoos that if you don't wash EVERY DAY, you're gonna experience flakes on the scalp. Well, at least for me. Anyway, my hair is so short now that I don't mind shampoo-ing every single day. =) Easy to dry, so it's no biggie for me.

You might be wondering why I purchased this since I already knew it doesn't work. Well, it's actually my husband's shampoo... before he started using my Palmer's! He totally forgot about his own shampoo and has now bought ALL the olive shampoo in Caring. I don't think he cares for any other shampoo anymore! Though I really love the Palmer's shampoo as well, I cannot bear to see him start using a product and then just leaving it in the shower forever. So I wound up using his shampoo... ~_~"

I'm not sure how much my husband paid for it, but I think it would be going for around RM25 for a 400ml bottle. Can easily find this in any of your local drugstores. =)

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Biore Aroma Collection Pore Strips (Arabian Jasmine)

Always been a fan of Biore pore strips, and whenever they have the limited edition pore strips out, I will not be able to resist and end up grabbing a pack! Currently, I'm using the Arabian Jasmine pore strips - I think I bought it in Singapore / Thailand, haven't seen them in Malaysia - and they are quite lovely to use! The smell of the Arabian Jasmine is so strong, very heady. Jasmine flowers are frequently used in aromatherapy for it's calming effect, although there are some species that are said to be an aphrodisiac as well! It's such a beautiful fragrance, I'm sure you will enjoy it! Smelling this beautiful fragrance while waiting for my pore strip to dry makes time go by faster!

One box cost me about RM13, which is kinda pricey! With 10 strips inside, that is about RM1.30 per pore strip, but I always tell myself the satisfaction of yanking out the blackheads is WORTH IT. Recently feel that there's not that many blackheads being yanked out though, so I only use it once every 1.5 weeks. Also searching for more recipes to get more of 'em blackheads out! If you know of any cheap secret recipe, please tell me! :)

As always, the pore strips are all individually packaged. Everything is in Japanese, EXCEPT for a random cover (something like a large belly band, actually) for the box that contains the english translation. The packaging totally looks very exotic and luxe, right?

Random diagram, in case you never knew how pore strips work! 

As always, I'm mega pleased with how soft the Biore pore strips are and how they easily mold to the shape of my nose. They have really come up with a good ergonomic design that fits most. Remember to apply toner after you've used your pore strip so that you can help close up the pores again!

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Neutrogena Deep Clean Brightening Mulberry Ultra Foam Cleanser

I bought the Neutrogena Deep Clean Brightening Mulberry Ultra Foam Cleanser when I was in Singapore earlier this year, and guess what? It is now widely available in Malaysia. The 175ml foam cleanser that I will be reviewing today goes for about RM31.90 in your local drugstores. What attracted me to get this was:
- the brand name : no doubt Neutrogena is well known and established as an affordable skincare specialist
- the packaging : sweet light purple packaging + mulberry scent = irresistably cute
- prior experience : I've tried another product in their Deep Clean range, the pink grapefruit scrub, which had a scent I adored, but the scrub left me with a "oily" feeling after rinsing that I don't quite like. Well, some people don't like the "tight / squeaky clean" feeling, and it's not that I'm advocating that... I just want a compromise! I decided to get the other item in the Deep Clean range, and to try the ultra foam cleanser (instead of the scrub) to see if it would fare better!

The Ultra Foam Cleanser claims to clean DEEP DOWN into pores with a self-dispensing luxurious foam, while helping to reveal visibly brighter skin. It can effectively remove up to 99% of oil, dirt and impurities, while the mulberry extrat helps reveal brighter and fairer skin. The mulberry plant is indeed known for inhibiting melanin formation on skin, and is widely used in lightening / whitening cosmetics.

So firstly -- the good points about this ultra foam cleanser! Really like the easy packaging, very easy to dispense the foam, though the foam is not very "firm". And I use a LOT each time.... like five pumps! I don't get it when people say they only need to use one pump. How can that be? Is my face 5x larger than average?? *skeptical look* 

Second item I really love --- the scent! Both the pink grapefruit and the mulberry scent in Neutrogena's Deep Clean range smell lovely! Some find it overwhelming, but I really love to smell the foam before applying it onto my face, and I love the slight lingering sweet berry scent it leaves behind (don't worry, the scent doesn't last that long out of the shower). 

What I don't like is that this ultra foam cleanser is REALLY, REALLY mild. I totally DO NOT BELIEVE it when they say that they clean this deep down to the pores. Reason being, I tried my "how much of my make-up does it strip off" test, and the answer is - NONE, REALLY. Now, I do advocate removing all your make-up with a proper make-up remover before cleansing, but it's really shocking how LITTLE is removed, considering that it touts itself as a product that removes 99% of dirt, oil and impurities. It removed maybe 1% of my eye make-up, which could have been easily stripped off with say, my Pure Beauty 2-in-1 Cleansing Foam. So this was really shocking and disappointing, really.

I don't notice much difference in terms of BRIGHTENING effects, in fact I felt that my face has more pimples sprouting out after using this for about 1 week. *annoyed* Maybe because it really isn't that effective in cleansing. *annoyed* And yes, I've only used it for 1 week, but it looks like 25% of my bottle is gone, so I don't really feel like I'm getting good mileage out of this product.

Not a repurchase for me, and I'm going to be very wary of Neutrogena products from now on!

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