My Beauty Diary Strawberry Yogurt Amino Acid Cleanser & Vanilla Souffle Face Scrub

Sorry for not posting more frequently, but let me give you a two-in-one review! :) The My Beauty Diary Strawberry Yogurt Amino Acid Cleanser & Vanilla Souffle Face Scrub are mini sizes that I got as part of the My Beauty Sweet Teatime set that I bought last time (almost two years ago!). No worries, it only expires in 2014, so I faster took this out of storage. Since this is part of the Sweet Teatime set, it's really mini-sized, only 30ml for the cleanser and 50ml for the vanilla souffle face scrub.

 

First up, we have the  My Beauty Diary Strawberry Yogurt Amino Acid Cleanser! I had high expectations of liking this cleanser because I like strawberries. Turns out, this smells more like CHOCOLATE than strawberries, which I kinda dislike. So misleading. I also don't like my cleansers coming in a tub form because I don't like digging into the cleanser with my fingers. I read that the full-size product comes with a scooper to keep things more hygienic, but that wouldn't help an inch for me because I find that so cumbersome. Seriously, keep it simple!

This is how it looks like on the inside. It's a pale pink, creamy cleanser with bits of exfoliation beads inside for a bit of a scrub. It leaves skin feeling soft and clean, but it's not really good at removing my make-up. I dare say that it's even worse than  the Berli Pops cleanser that I used before this one. 30ml doesn't last long at all, I would say I finished the entire tub in about 2 weeks or slightly less than that. And the last bits in the tubs are filled with watery bits.... yeah, that's what you get for designing a cleanser that comes in a tub. -____-"

Next, we have here the My Beauty Diary Vanilla Souffle Face Scrub. I couldn't read the characters on the packaging, and since it came all in one box, I assumed that the cleanser was to be used hand-in-hand with the cleanser. Everytime I washed my face, I would use this face scrub as well. I was wondering what kinda "scrub" is this, it has less exfoliation beads than the cleanser because it looks like this ....

Isn't that the cutest puff ever? SO CUTE. I think it's so much foamier than the Biore Marshmallow Whip. That's because it comes out of a spray nozzle! It's very consistent with the bubbles and doesn't seem to lessen. I thought it's similar to the marshmallow whip and was using it as such. I did feel a bit silly though, because I didn't find my skin that much better using both the cleanser & souffle face scrub together. But I have to say, I much prefer the vanilla scent of the souffle scrub to the chocolatey amino acid cleanser. If you're doing the same thing, STOP RIGHT THERE because this is supposed to be used on CLEANSED, DRY SKIN!

After getting a good size of foam on your palm (like the above picture), carefully apply it all over your  face. Then, keep rubbing the foam in until it forms little beads. Some people say that it's just the dried up product. Some say that it is dead skin cells. Some say that it's a combination of both! To me, I HOPE it's a combination of both...

I don't feel like my skin is much better after using this souffle scrub, and I have to say that it takes a LOT of scrubbing to get the little beads to start forming. I rather stick to my Hello Kitty Gommage! It smells even better!

All in all, interesting products to try out, but nothing that I would repurchase. I did like the Sweet Teatime masks though! I do like it when companies package all their new products together in a set so that we can try out everything before deciding whether we want to spring for the full-size items. In case you're curious, the full-size Amino Acid Cleanser is USD12.50 for 90ml and the Vanilla Souffle Face Scrub is USD19 for 120ml. :)

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Monday Masks : My Beauty Diary Chocolate Truffle Sheet Mask

The My Beauty Diary Chocolate Truffle Sheet Mask was part of the Sweet Tea-Time Set that I bought a long time back. Yes, it is really a long time back! I had trouble searching for the original post! Well, it was such a cute set that I just couldn't bear to use it, and if you see my earlier posts, I was all about using my cheapie masks first. Cannot bear to use the special one! Hahahaha. The original set comes with the Chocolate Truffle mask and Earl Grey Tea with Macaron mask. Now *that* sounds super exotic. I don't think I would be able to find anything if I Google "how will putting macarons on my face benefit my skin".

Very sweet packaging, but nothing special really. Too girly girly for me. As the packet says - the Chocolate Truffle sheet mask is for moisturizing & softening the face. 20 minutes of indulgence - set. :) 

This is a really horrible picture of me (hair like beggar by the roadside), but I was truly enjoying myself. Hahaha. The chocolate truffle mask smells SOOOOOOOOO nice. Really yummy! I was afraid it would smell like cheapo chocolate that makes me sick, but no! This smells like a really decadent choco dessert in a 5-star hotel. The sheet mask is also really thin, but strong. Really has a lot of essence soaked in. The fit is not super good (I just used a SUPER GOOD FIT mask recently that makes me think that all those that I have said are good previously are just BS), but good enough to cover what's necessary-lah.

The after-effects? Face really does feel more moisturised and baby soft. Don't know what magic they put into it, but obviously the "chocolate truffle" is just the scent. I have no idea what magic ingredients they put in. Just know that it works! ^^

I'm really a My Beauty Diary fan, and in fact, I have just repurchased a whole box more of their masks. Must take good care of the skin, yo. :)

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My Beauty Diary Collagen Firming Mask

My last mask from my special box of My Beauty Diary Masks! It's been a while since I treated myself to a mask (had not had the time to do so), but I managed to enjoy my last piece of My Beauty Diary mask. The Collagen Firming Mask is for firming and intensive repair, and is a NEW product in the My Beauty Diary range. (TBH, I don't know how "new" it is since this box of My Beauty Diary masks has been on sale for a really, really long time!)

I really am going to miss how essence-soaked each mask is! Seriously dripping wet mask out of the packet, and a lot of essence still left inside the packet after! I have not tried it before, but I *think* you can put another mask inside there to soak up all the essence so that you can get two masks for the price of one in the end!

I'm trying REALLY hard to smile under the mask! :D

This mask is super moisturising, and I left it on for 40 minutes, and everything was still sopping wet. My face felt smooth and the skin was nice and "bouncey". However, there was no nice scent, so a bit disappointed in that area. Otherwise, a decent mask from My Beauty Diary.

What's up with "collagen" masks and is it able to be absorbed by the skin?
"An answer from Yahoo! Questions say : "Collagen creams don't really work because they can't be absorbed deeply into the dermis. They'll sit on top of the epidermis but can't penetrate deep down. Your skin produces its own collagen and the only way to stimulate more collagen is to use a laser on your skin or inject a filler into the skin. If you're looking for a body lotion, just use something that really hydrates and leaves your skin looking good. In a facial lotion, glycolic acid is a little better for routing maintenance and looking younger. "

So now you know. ;)

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Blooming of Beauty - French White Lily Mask - Skin Saver #2

I bought a box of "Blooming of Beauty" masks, just because it looked so inviting! Seriously, I keep telling myself not to be suckered in by cuteness / attractiveness, but I guess I'm a "man" that way - a visual creature. It also gave me confidence to buy the product when I saw that it is actually under My Beauty Diary, and I love MBD masks. I find that MBD masks encompass the 3 vital things of a mask - smells good, good fit, and actually works!


Although a lot of the other "Blooming of Beauty" masks looked more attractive than the one I got - French White Lily - I got this one because I felt that it was most suitable for what I want. Others were more specific for whitening, or for dry skin. The French White Lily mask is suitable for moisturising and for sensitive skin. Actually, I don't have THAT sensitive skin, but after my incident with too many skin care samples (I honestly believe that it is the Biotherm Skin.Ergetic that gave me horrible rash as other bloggers have reviewed that similar things occured to them), I thought it was a suitable mask to use for exactly this kind of occasion.

One box contains 5 masks!

After using this mask, I was really amazed by the effects! This was just after ONE use, mind you. I had very dry skin around my mouth & nose area, and it was immediately much more moisturised. No more peeling after that! I also had a lot of peeling, dry skin at the edges of my mouth (that made me look like I had a very dirty mouth), and though it didn't disappear, it did look much more faded. And after using the mask, it started to heal quicker than before! A week later, I used back the same mask, and I can say, it really hastened my healing process back to normal skin. It had been nearly a month of dealing with bad skin, and I'm so happy that "Blooming of Beauty" helped me get back on track.

It's hard to believe, but I'm smiling when this photo was taken. Masks always make you look like you are frowning, lol.

I'm not a 100% back to normal yet (darn you Biotherm!), but thanks to this and other products I had been using (which I will blog about too!), I can feel that things are getting better and better.

Really, big lesson learned --- no more trying out crazy amount of skin samples one after another!

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My Beauty Diary Bird's Nest Mask

Woo hoo.. when there's time to indulge, INDULGE! Especially when you are on holiday! When I was in Hong Kong, I popped a My Beauty Diary mask to take along with me, because I know I would need a little reprieve after all that travelling and walking around. No regrets at all because my skin is worth it! A little anecdote - my friend told me that you can get 10 pieces of My Beauty Diary mask in Hong Kong for about HKD49. That is 10 pieces for roughly RM19. Omg! It's like, RM5 per piece over here! I didn't see such great deals (dang it!), but I did get some other brand masks for about RM2 per piece. I'll blog about my HK beauty hauls later. ;)

The deal was so good that my boyfriend kept asking me, "Faster take some more. Buy for Angeline also (his sister)! Eh, you sure enough ah? Don't regret arr!" To be honest, I didn't buy THAT much because it's a brand I haven't tried before, and since it's a brand I haven't tried before, even more didn't dare to buy it as a gift for someone else!

Anyway, back to the My Beauty Diary Bird's Nest mask --- as always, My Beauty Diary masks are soaking, dripping, oozing with essence right out of the packet. There is no smell for this bird's nest mask, and no sticky feeling whatsoever. Kinda disappointed, haha. The Bird's Nest mask is supposed to nourish and whiten your face. Very intriguing this. Popped this on and watched AXN late at night. My boyfriend slept off while I was left shivering in the hotel room with this on.

Haha, and yep, that's me with my new glasses. And looking bloated as mad after all the HK pigging out.

Conclusion of the mask? Hmm.. same old - softer skin, and felt more refreshed. Definitely didn't see any whitening. Actually, I didn't really enjoy this mask session as the hotel air-conditioning was sooooo cold that it seemed like my mask would never dry, and would forever stay sopping wet on my face! It wasn't a very luxurious experience, I'd say. Quite wasted, because I thought the bird's nest mask sounded like something super lovely and I saved it up til it was one of the last pieces of My Beauty Diary masks in my stash.

I would even go out on a limb here and say the Watson's Bird's Nest mask was a much better experience for me. Heck, in fact it was because of that very mask that I started to purchase face masks!

[Part 4 of my Hong Kong sample series]

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My Beauty Diary Mixed Berries Mask

After doing the horrifically bad Le Masque Hazelia whitening mask, I had to purify my face with a mask from My Beauty Diary. ;) My friend (who gave me the samples) insist that I write more on such beauty samples because it is funnier... never fear, my friends. I will continue with The Spa Series, just that I had to take some time off to gather the courage before I use the products again. FYI, I'll be going for a facial tomorrow, so I probably will not be using any LMH products for a period of time.

Cute pink packaging... I've waited so long and so patiently to use this! I love the idea of "mixed berries" --- I'm a sucker for anything fruity, I suppose! :) The My Beauty Diary mixed berries mask is supposed to be for BRIGHTENING and CLARIFYING.


How do you like seeing my be-masked face in HD now, huh? =p At least it isn't as terrifying as the LMH one. -__-

Honestly, was quite disappointed with this mask. Maybe because I had such high hopes for the mixed berries scent. I was really anticipating something much more fruitier, much more SWEETER. Instead, it smelled quite... not really berry-ish. It didn't smell delicious or inviting. Heck, it was because of the smell that I didn't quite enjoy this mask. So far, my favorite scent in the MBD series is still the Southern France Apricot one. :)

As usual, face felt slightly softer & more pampered, but the effects only lasted 1 or 2 days. Sigh... I am getting tired of using these masks... my next mask review will be from another brand. :3

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My Beauty Diary Natto Mask

Ooh.. this is actually one mask from My Beauty Diary that I was really, really afraid to use! Hahaha. I have only 3 more masks left from my collection of 17 masks ... so this was the 4th last one to use. I really was hoping that I could just waste it... but I couldn't bear to just throw it away...


Why was I so afraid to use it? Maybe I should tell you what "natto" is. As you can see from the cute packet design that shows small orange and beige beans... natto is a bean... a fermented soybean to be exact! Wisegeek further elaborates :

"It is soaked and fermented, which makes the soybeans quite sticky, and produces a springy or web effect between each bean. Often considered an acquired taste, the fermenting process makes the smell of natto very strong, and to some not used to the dish, unpleasant. It also tends to produce bad breath, though a vigorous tooth brushing usually solves this problem.

In certain parts of Japan, natto holds great popularity. It may be eaten as a breakfast food, sometimes with a little sugar, or may be served over rice. Some prefer to add sauces to natto and rice, and may use different hot mustards, soy sauce, quail eggs or grated radishes as a topping. It is quite nutritious and low in calories, with about 7 to 8 grams of protein and only about 90 calories per serving.

Natto is also celebrated for its high amounts of vitamin K. It also is high in a number of anti-oxidants, particularly selenium. Natto also contains a protein called nattokinase, which may be a natural blood thinner. Since the soybeans are fermented and grow bacteria, it is also a probiotic food."

Now what do you think about that? I was afraid that the mask would be EXTRA STINKY and EXTRA STICKY. It's similar to someone making a DURIAN MASK... would you put it on your face? Durian lovers, I doubt even you guys would do that right?

However, the mask itself does not have any smell (thought when initially out of the packet, I detected a sharp scent of ... something, but it didn't linger). The essence in the mask is also similar to all other masks. It was not gooey, sticky or in any manner, different from other MBD masks. Though I was relieved, I was also slightly disappointed. Hahaha.

As you can see, the essence in the mask is enough to ensure the whole masks STICKS to your face from the beginning. This is what makes MBDS masks superior to the drugstore masks from Guardian / Watsons. The whole mask is also more "anatomically correct" compared to the Guardian masks I've been using... so it really feels like more parts of my skin gets the goodness of the essence absorbed into it.

The natto mask is supposed to make your skin more supple and moisturised. My skin condition of late has been pretty good, and the mask did make my skin feel extra soft and smooth, but I don't think the effects lasted very long. All in all, a pretty interesting mask, but not one of my favorites from MBD.

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My Beauty Diary Pearl Powder Mask

Did a Pearl Powder Mask from My Beauty Diary just before I started work! It's supposed to whiten and tone your face, so it's kinda for beautifying purposes, as opposed to those that are supposed to moisturise or repair. I think I'm being very condescending, but I find "beautifying" masks a bit useless, kind of a "for fun" kind of thing, not something you really need.

After using it --- yeap, the skin doesn't feel extra moisturised like it does when I use the other MBD masks... but indeed I felt I looked fairer. I *felt*. I don't actually know if I *do* or not. Of course, the effect is not permanent...

I'm just rushing to finish off my MBD products so that I can move on.. lol.

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Cooling Mask from My Beauty Diary

Another week, another mask from My Beauty Diary. This one is the "Cooling Mask" for "soothing & cooling" (duh). Haha! It comes in a nice white packet with icy blue designs. Very cute.

As always, I love the amount of essence in each MBD mask, and I love the fit of the mask over my face. This mask doesn't smell like anything special, and the first time I put it on, I thought that it wasn't even that cooling. As with all masks (which are soaking wet with essence), when it first makes contact with your face, it's sure to be cooling, right? However, within seconds, the tingling, minty sensation started coming. It's not a very STRONG tingling sensation (like when you put minyak angin or Deep Heat, haha), but a very light and deliciously soothing one. The cooling sensation lasts quite long too. As with all masks, I always wear longer than the 20 minutes recommended (not sure if it's good or not, but I feel like it's so "wasted" if I throw away a mask that is still so seeped with essence!).

After taking off the mask, I don't feel like there's any extra softness / hydration / whitening, but that was to be expected as that wasn't the purpose of this mask. I think it's just for some extra indulgence... a little nice tingly indulgence for a hot day. ;) Though I like MBD masks a LOT, I don't think I'll be repurchasing again so soon because I discovered something else really good... which I will share in my next entry. :)

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Sunday Indulgences

Sunday is the best time to pamper yourself with the little things that you ought to treat your body to on a more frequent basis. I just did my lip exfoliation (Benefit's Lipscription), my foot scrub (Running to the Embassy from Lush), doing a pore strip (just to see if there's anything extracted out after my awesome run with Neutrogena's Blackhead Eliminating series).

I used another My Beauty Diary mask again yesterday - the Aloe Vera Mask as it seemed the most suitable for my condition right now. The Aloe Vera Mask is good for intensive hydration and repairing. Even the essence inside the mask seemed to be more than the average MBD mask. There was so much essence that I couldn't help but have a few drops spill on the ground when I took the mask out! There was just so much of it...

As I've mentioned before, MBD's masks are really full of serum, so it takes a long time to dry. It's best if you are not in a rush, cos you'll end up wasting the mask. So find a day when you have a lot of free time, just sit back and relax while the masks work their magical stuff on you. For me, I surfed the net for 45 minutes... and then I went to sleep for 45 minutes with the mask on! When I woke up, the mask was still slightly sticky even though I had a fan directed at my face.

When I peeled the mask off, my skin was moist and bouncy... really hydrated. Love this series. I even bought the latest My Beauty Diary - Sweet Teatime Mini Set from Guardian the other day, but I will show it in another haul entry. ;) I am also being sent some stuff to review, and I can't wait to write about it on my blog!! This is so exciting for me cos I never reckoned my blog would be able to garner me free stuff so quickly.

The second item that I tried (just now, actually) is Vaseline's Healthy Hand & Nail conditioning lotion. They actually gave away a full size bottle (100ml) with every purchase of their large moisturising lotion (400ml). The Healthy Hand & Nail lotion has a very light, fresh, barely-there scent and absorbs SUPER quickly into your skin. You can feel the difference immediately - your hands feel smoother and softer. I'm already impressed and I plan to use it for a period of time before I can tell you whether it really makes my hands & nails healthier! Stay tuned!

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Collagen Firming Mask from My Beauty Diary

Hi everyone! I had yet another sucky week, so how else to perk my spirits up than to use a mask? Plus, my tired face, frequently stressed up & tear-filled self could use a little indulgence.

It was a good plan... 30 minutes with the Collagen Firming Mask from My Beauty Diary on and when I peeled off the semi-dry mask (yes, after 30 minutes, it is only "semi dry" because the mask is really soaked with essence!), my skin looked fairer and was definitely moist and bouncy! *yay* The mask also has a mildly sweet scent which made it totally nice to have on. Sometimes if the scent of a mask is too overpowering, you just can't wait to take it off!

Sadly, it's Tuesday now and I'm back to being tired, stressed up and tear-filled again...

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Pampering Yourself After A Harrowing Work Week

Wow, I never thought I would be able to make it to the weekend! It has been a terrible week for me because of my work. I tendered my resignation from my job in April, but it seems like I have more work after I have quit than before! To be honest, I thought I would be spending the rest of my time doing handover and shaking legs, but the handover took a longggg time, and then my project manager had this huge project (all 8 people in the team are taking part), and I was roped in to do development though that is not exactly what you call "handing over". Sigh... a long story, which had me leaving work freaking late. The past week I left work at 2am, 11:30pm, 1am... those kind of times! You can imagine, once I arrived home (35 mins drive from my office), I was so tired that after bathing, I just went to sleep.

I felt dirty, gross.. cos when I wake up in the morning, I didn't even bathe but rushed to work because I had to get an early head start the next day if I didn't want to be staying back late again. I already feel very blessed because I got to leave work at 8:45pm today. But as bad as I feel for myself, I feel worse for my users and feel very glad that the IT support in the overseas country that I support is really good. When I was working late, I would sometimes be overcome with emotion (because I was seriously ALONE in the entire floor) that I would cry. I kind of feel pathetic admitting this, but it got worse and worse til even during working hours, I would excuse myself to the toilet to cry quietly. Maybe I shouldn't blog this out, but I don't feel ashamed about admitting this because what do I do after crying? Did I mentally breakdown? Did I stop my work and not do anything and ask someone to take over? People would excuse me by saying, "Oh, it's because she's leaving already... why should she work so hard?" Instead, I wiped my tears and then brave my problems again logically. So the point is, crying is not bad because it shows weakness (actually it does show weakness, that's why I cry in the loo. -___-), but it was just a way for me to release my emotions, and then move on from there.

Ok, anyway, this is a beauty blog, so let me continue in an un-emotional manner. Crying is bad for one thing --- my eyes! Which is why the first thing I did after everything was wrapped up was to take a long, luxurious shower. Washed my hair after what feels like weeks (only 4 days) and pampered myself with some moisturising cream. I am glad to report that I'm finishing the Schwarzkopf Asian Glatt shampoo, and my L'oreal Color Shine conditioner. Yes, two different brands because the Schwarzkopf conditioner finished faster than my shampoo! And the opposite is true for my L'oreal Color Shine shampoo / conditioner set. In my next post I will write about my shampoo conspiracy theories, which I have expounded in my other blog before. :)

(Off topic, but I'm also happy that I finished my Garnier face wash, so I'll be able to try another brand soon! And review it here!)

Used a pore strip so I can get some extra squeaky clean feeling. When I'm stressed, I feel like everything gets shot to hell. Oily skin, limp hair, feeling SMELLY...

I love pore packs... it's so satisfying to rip it out and see all the disgusting things that was once embedded in your skin. :D

After that, pampered self to a My Beauty Diary mask. I'm currently using the Southern France Apricot Mask - good for smoothening and high moisture. Perfect, since I've been sitting in the dry office environment for TOO long. I bought the 15pc + 2 free pc set from Guardian and now I'm only down to the last 7 pieces. I love the mask as I feel it's one of the more ergonomically fitting masks. The scent of this southern france apricot mask is also wonderful. It actually smells like some peach candies that I used to eat when I'm young. So I am having this sweet and nostalgic feeling right now. :)


After the mask, I'll use some toner, more moisturiser on my face & neck, put on some hair balm and put on lots of eye cream! Since I finished my Boots Botanics eye gel, I'll use this other eye gel from Boots -Sakura Blossom & Lemon whitening eye cream for dull skin. Supposed to be for whitening and firming for "lighter and smoother skin". Can't wait to review it.

Lastly, if you have to work late like me, and you are a crybaby (also : like me), remember to drink lots of water, don't work so much that you forget to eat, and try to sleep a little earlier than usual. For me, to get sleep, I had to forgo doing ANYTHING at all once I got home from work. Bathe and then sleep. I had totally no work/life balance. Sad. But it's worth it (temporarily) if the problems get resolved.

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