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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Palmer's Olive Oil Formula with Vitamin E Smoothing Shampoo & Conditioner

Palmer's is frequently known for their skincare products, so I was really surprised when I saw them venturing into haircare as well! I got this in a set which came with some free samples of their shampoo in other ranges as well as some skin care products. The pharmacy doesn't sell this set anymore, but a search online shows that you can get a similar set here for RM43.80. I think the shampoo would be about RM20++ individually? The shampoo comes in a 400ml bottle while the tube of conditioner is 250ml.


So this is what the Palmer's Olive Oil Formula range looks like :

Both products contain extra virgin olive oil for shiny hair (shampoo) and  soft, silky hair (conditioner). Extra virgin olive oil helps give hair strength & shine, and was in use since ancient times as a beauty product. Yup, use it on your hair, not just your salads! Both products are also further enriched with vitamin E, which is said to help hair growth. Of course I had my doubts using shampoo from a company known more for moisturising skin, but I have to say, I am blown away! I love this shampoo & conditioner set!!

First of all, it smells really nice and comforting. It doesn't smell chemical-ly or harsh... it really does smell like olives! The shampoo is creamy and a cute, light green in color. Lathers up really well and leaves hair feeling really cleansed and refreshed. I also like the fact that when I use Palmer's , I can go back to washing my hair only once every two days and I don't get "the itch". I hated using some shampoos in the past because build-up happened so fast and even not washing for a day will cause your scalp to start itching and flaking. Horrible! Now my scalp feels really cleansed and refreshed.

The scent of the conditioner isn't as strong as the shampoo, but it still does it's duty to help my hair feel even MORE soft and manageable. It complements the shampoo really well! Hmm... nothing much to talk about the conditioner...

Conclusion is that this is a really good product from Palmer's and I'm seriously considering repurchasing next time when I run out of shampoos! Hair is softer and silkier, but I don't think particularly shinier, but I really like the cleansed feeling + the lack of product build-up. Thumbs way up in my books already. :)

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Redken Scalp Relief Oil Detox Shampoo

So my husband ran out of shampoo and demanded that I search through my closet-full of shower stuff to see if there's any shampoo that he could use. He's very picky about his shampoo, refusing my then unfinished bottle of Clairol coconut-smelling shampoo. I decided to let him try the most expensive shampoo that I have in stock - my Redken Scalp Relief Oil Detox. Ironically, it is expensive only in price - nearly RM50 for a 300ml bottle, but I got this for free from Cleo magazine. ;)

After using it for a while, my husband stopped cos he find it unsuitable for his hair. So I'm finishing up the bottle, and boy does 300ml seem to go down the drain quickly! It's finishing fast, but there's no love lost between me and this shampoo either. The only good thing it has going for it is that it smells really nice and unique. It smells like orange essence - something that you would use in baking! From the Redken website, it states:

"Cleanse and instantly absorb excess oil to purify your scalp with this Redken Scalp Relief Oil Detox Shampoo. Your scalp will be mattified while your hair is left cleansed, light and airy.

The Redken Scalp Relief Oil Detox Shampoo is formulated with Redken’s Exclusive Interbond Scalp System and Lipa-Sponge System which delivers lipacide, micro-sponges and lemon extracts to equalise your scalp's pH, help control excess oil and clarify impurities."

Directions of use:

• For daily oil control, massage into your wet hair and scalp.
• Rinse.
• For more intense treatment, apply before wetting.
• Leave 1 to 2 minutes.
• Wet your hair, lather and rinse.
• Can be used daily.

  

The thick slightly off-white cream is easy to lather and leaves hair feeling clean but no less greasy than what a normal shampoo does. In fact, I feel that build-up occurs more often when I'm using this shampoo and I'm screwed if I don't use this daily. Just past 24 hours, I would find myself starting to scratch my head like a lice-ridden monkey. Seriously, I don't get this with other shampoos. Ugh! Disgusting! Wouldn't expect something like this from such an expensive "branded" shampoo. 

I don't see Redken selling in normal drugstores, but as mentioned in my last entry, you can get it in Shins if you're interested. :) Maybe I should check out stuff from their "Normal" hair care range instead. Since this is a free product, cannot be so choosy lor...

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The Body Shop : Honey Moisturising Shampoo & Conditioner

Hello! As I've mentioned previously, I use two different sets of shampoo & shower gel simultaneously, one for home usage, and one when I'm at the gym. Ah, I remember the naive days when I thought that showering at the gym would help me save money on shower gels and shampoo. I personally find that the "free" stuff they give at the gym is basically un-usable. But that's me. Maybe your gym is more posh, but I prefer lugging my own stuff. Which also reminds me - why do they give such titchy gym bags? Really not enough space for my gym clothes, my shower stuff and my own towels. (Although the gym provides towels, I still prefer to use my own! Picky, picky.)

Anyway, I digressed! Today, I will be reviewing the shampoo & conditioner that I lug to the gym. I tried to kickstart my workout again, and after my Thailand trip, it's seriously in a slump (again), but hey, new year, new resolutions! Will become a fit bunny soon (I'm sure).

Ok, back to the topic on hand, bought The Body Shop Honey Moisturising Shampoo & Conditioner babies for 50% off at the Tung Chung outlet store in Hong Kong a few years back. As with alllll my other Body Shop purchases in Hong Kong, I didn't bother to smell or further check out what I was buying. As long as it sounded good on paper, I grabbed! The place was so packed and busy that it was basically a grab-fest with little thought-processing going on. Plus, my feet were aching (after walking around Disneyland earlier), and I was carrying lots of bags... so... [[making excuses for rash decisions]]

Both the shampoo and conditioner are 250 ml in size, and I've not seen them selling this in Malaysia. Both shampoo and conditioner contain organic Community Trade honey that helps to repair and soften your hair. Body Shop recommends that you use it for damaged or chemically treated hair. I think that time I was always getting my hair rebonded, so that counts as chemically treated hair, right? Can't only consider dye-ing your hair as chemically treated. :)

The  Honey Moisturising shampoo looks like the above and really looks like honey in the picture above, huh? Actually, it's slightly darker in color, more golden. But definitely not as dark as in the bottle above. And oh God, the smell is awful! It doesn't smell like honey at all!!!!! It smells more like WAX. The shampoo also doesn't lather up much, so it really does feel waxy and weird. Hmm, maybe that's why it's going for 50% off! For an after-gym shampoo, it was very, very bad because it doesn't feel like it really cleans and clears the scalp. You know how much shampoo I have to use to actually clean my hair? Check the amount on my palm and DOUBLE it. And it still doesn't lather much.

After washing all residue away, it is time for conditioning... meanwhile, the waxy smell is still lingering in the air...

Unlike the shampoo, the conditioner is in a very light beige shade, and slightly grainy in texture. The smell is not as strong as the shampoo, but still smells pretty awful nd un-honey like to my olfactory nerves. However, after washing it off, my hair already starts to feel smoother and more manageable.

The smell still lingers.

In fact, my head is really REEKING of wax at this point. I'm not kidding. There was once that I walked past a guy on the way to the carpark and he actually did this sissy hand wave thing and went "Pooooh". WTF.

If I had less self-confidence, I would be reduced to a puddle of tears. Instead, I brave it, because...

... the next day, my hair is positively soft and amazingly manageable! The smell is still there (wtf), but things get better by the 2nd day. It actually starts to smell really nice. And did I mention how SMOOTH my hair is? Like silk! I would be unconciously playing with my hair and stroking it against my face because I just can't believe how nice it feels. Omg! It made all the initial suffering worth it!!

But seriously, I won't repurchase it because of the initial suffering. I really can't stand the smell, and though the effects are awesome, I really do feel self-concious with the smell of wax coming off the top of my head. :) If you're interested, I believe I got the set at about RM50 TOTAL for both -- this is after the discount. Work out the math if you want to know how much it would be before the 50% discount. ;P

P.S : If you're wondering about the dodgy 2nd and 3rd photo, I actually took it in the shower cubicle at the gym. Yes, I actually lugged my camera into the shower with me, and if you hear someone clicking away in the shower next to you, don't worry, it's not a pervert. Could be me, hehehe!

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Asience Inner Rich Shampoo & Conditioner

Got the Asience Inner Rich Shampoo and conditioner from a magazine, and took it along with me on my holiday to Penang. Yes, managed to get two shampoo reviews out of a 2-night trip, hardworking, ain't I?

I've always been curious about Asience and their selling point that the shampoo is made for Asian hair. I always wondered, why our hair extra-special ah? Need Asience's help? They didn't mention this in the product packaging (as you see above - though they provided a treasure-trove of other information), but I think I remember reading before that Asian hair tends to be more coarse and thick. Maybe need some extra-special formula to penetrate deep within. Haha.

The sample provided 15 ml sachets of the Inner Rich Shampoo and the Inner Rich Conditioner. The Inner Rich range is suitable for normal to dry, frizzy, damaged hair and hair that is prone to breakage. Seems like suitable for all kinds of hair. 15 ml is really a lot, enough for two usages, but I didn't bother to keep it. Reason? Well, I. .. I ... REALLY REALLY HATE THE SMELL OF THIS SHAMPOO!! I don't know why they can't make it smell better... it smells like olden days salon, very chemically and medicinal and ... I don't know why, but it reminds me of creams that my mom would use. When I came out of the shower, I was actually embarassed about how my hair smelled. I have not encountered this type of feeling before. Asience describes the scent as "floral and fruity". I ptuiiiii to that statement!

If you can get over the smell, I would say that the creamy texture of this shampoo and how well it lathers up are good plus points. That and how moisturised and soft my hair feels after shampoo-ing it. I don't know about long term benefits of reducing hair breakage, after all I had only one use. I feel that if a company knows that their product already smells bad, and their selling point is how well it works, then they should give larger samples for longer term use. Something like a 100ml bottle? I'm so stingy that I would've used the remainder even if it smelled bad, but I stayed in two different hotels for the two nights I was in Penang, so there's no way I would carefully cart over half-opened sachets...

Asience says that the Inner Rich shampoo contains rich natural ingredients that penetrate deeply into hair fibres to repair and enliven dry and damaged hair. The natural ingredients and the benefits? They had kindly listed it out for me as well:
Pearl Protein : Repairs hair by penetrating deep into the core to repair protein loss from colouring and styling.
Shell Ginger Extract : Softens hair and leaves it light and easily managed. Hair is supple from root to tip
Aloe Extract : Protects hair from the damaging effects of sunlight and dryness
Camellia Oil & Ginseng Extract : Natural moisturisers that are easily absorbed into hair and restores its luster from within.

Definitely not a repurchase for me... I can't get over the bad smell! Although I must say, the ingredients do sound very exotic!

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Pureology Anti-Frizz Shampoo

What does a humongous, sinfully delicious-looking char kueh teow have anything to do with my beauty blog? Well, this were samples that I managed to use while I was on holiday in Penang! Yes, as I've mentioned countless times before, the best time to use samples are when you are on travelling! Not only do you save luggage space, it actually minimises spillages (cos I've heard of bottles not being closed tightly / popping open but I've never heard of sample packets tearing open)! So, now you know what to do with all the magazine samples / mall samples that you get. ;)

This time, I will be reviewing the Pureology Pure Volume shampoo & conditioner. To be honest, I've not seen this being sold in pharmacies, I think you can only get it from websites. From what I have found online, it costs RM78 for a 300ml bottle! I have no idea where I got this sample from.. probably a magazine or my sister..

The shampoo is a very thick cream-like liquid.... and it was just AWESOME on my hair! You feel really luxurious shampoo-ing with it because of the rich lather. Hair feels squeaky clean and smells amazing afterwards... for days even! I can't describe the scent... something really floral, I suppose. Although the scent stays for days, I don't mean to say that it is overpowering-ly so. I don't know what kinda technology goes into this shampoo because it can leave my hair smelling so nice for so long! I really look like an idiot, sniffing my hair every time that I can because it's just so irresistable!

I have to admit, though, that I am not so sure whether it's really ANTI-FRIZZ, because I didn't see any difference in my hair. Then again, this was totally just a one-off use... maybe you would have to use this long term to see any visible results.

All in all, an interesting shampoo indeed. I really like the scent and the squeaky clean scalp feeling that I get. The price and the difficulty in getting the shampoo is a deterent though. Maybe one day when it's easily available, I would grab a bottle to try. ;)

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Clairol Hello Hydration Shampoo

Hello everyone! Been really, really busy at work... and I finally managed to ca$h out my Adsense, so there's not that much motivation to continue blogging. At times I do miss my personal blog, but at other times, I just want to be invisible on the online world. Plus, after getting married, it's not so nice to hole up in my study while my husband watches TV / plays video games outside. I will make short & sweet notes in my beauty blog whenever I can though! Been trying a lot of new stuff and my camera is filling up with pictures of all the weird things I've been trying out.

I have to say that my skin is really bad recently, and I think I found the cause. It's because of this pill that I take whenever my sinuses act up. Sigh... no face photos for the time being!

Anyway, this is the shampoo that I've been using ever since I threw out the citrus Clairol one that has been drying my hair. I think it works --- less hair fall recently, and hair does feel more moisturised than when I was using Citrus Lift. I've actually used this one before, so nothing new for me. I quite like this range of shampoos from Clairol. The ingredients all sound so delicious! The moisturising shampoo that I'm using now is with a fusion of orchid & coconut milk. And yes! It does smell like coconuts! If you're a coconut fan (like me!) you will feel so happy and cheerful whenever you lather up in the shower!

This is how the shampoo looks like. A pale blue color, and very creamy. Really like coconut milk texture, hahaha.

Personally, it leaves hair smelling nice and feeling clean enough.... but it's the type of shampoo that you would need to use every two days or even daily. If you're one of those people that think they can get away with shampoo-ing even less... you really can't. Think about how OLD coconut milk would smell like... you won't like that one bit! Other than the funky smell, I feel that there's a lot of build up on my hair if I don't shampoo it every day. I don't get that with other shampoos...

So you must be wondering --- is coconut milk really good for your hair? I heard about Indian people using coconut oil, and their hair is always very black, thick and luscious. Well, reading about it online, I found out that coconut milk is actually used to promote HAIR growth and lessens hair loss. My, my, so this *IS* why I've been experiencing less hair fall! I thought it was the coconut milk that contributes to the moisturisation, but it turns out that ORCHID OIL is used to provide moisture balance to hair, especially hair that has been chemically treated before.

Orchid oil is a breakthrough in the beauty industry, also gives your hair luscious shine and brilliance with no residue. (Hmm, that's not what I'm experiencing).

All in all, you would find this product value for money. And enjoy the aromatherapy in your showers too! For me, I've already repurchased this a couple of times... time to give other brand names a chance. ;)

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Clairol Herbal Essences Citrus Lift Shampoo

As promised, I'm updating more on product reviews! I have been getting pretty lazy and slacking off blogging, but I feel that writing more product reviews makes me "take care" of my appearance more too. Like, to actually keep up with my "daily / nightly" regiment of applying creams and all sorts!

So this is the shampoo that I'm currently using - Clairol Herbal Essence's "Citrus Lift" :

 

For the umpteenth time - I'm really attracted to citrus scents, so no surprise why I chose this shampoo that promises "radiant & soft" hair, and contains tangerines, lemongrass and aloe vera. I also have a good impression of Clairol Herbal Essences shampoos in general, as I always put the "camellia hot oil" shampoo as a must repurchase whenever I go back to Singapore. ;) 

However, this shampoo is not a repurchase for me. :( 

Firstly, this is NOT the type of citrus scent that I like. It's very mild and there's no "tang" to the scent. No wake-me-up-before-you-go-go-perk-me-up scent. It's like... what some orange glucose would smell like, seriously. The expected tanginess that will electrify and perk up my scalp is just NOT there. It is however a pleasant enough scent, so no complaints there. 

I don't see a bright improvement in my hair. I don't find it more radiant or softer than usual. In fact, I find that if I just use this shampoo on its own without any conditioner, my hair seems extra dry and frizzy! Because of this, I tend to put wayyyy more conditioner than normal to combat the dryness I seem to get with this shampoo. :\ Tsk tsk. On the other hand, you do get the fresh / clean feeling on your scalp after using it. Not tingly clean, but clean enough. ;)

Lastly, for some reason, my husband complains that I have a lot of hair fall. Now, I don't know if it's caused by this shampoo or if in general, men like to complain that their wives hair drops a lot as they need to vacuum more. My husband is adamant about me changing my shampoo IMMEDIATELY. I have about half left out of this 400ml  bottle, so I'm a bit reluctant to waste the shampoo like that. My colleague tells me that her husband also complains about a lot of hairfall, so I'm hoping that this is just something that women face in general, and not something caused by shampoo or a hectic work life. 

I'm thinking of changing to another shampoo, just for a while, just to see if this really is the cause.

Ironically, I just did a small search on the ingredients in this shampoo and they are all apparently good for preventing hair fallout! Tangerine essential oil is good for preventing DRYNESS in hair and dandruff, lemongrass essential oil is traditionally used in Indian medicine to prevent an oily scalp (hmm, wouldn't this lead to DRYNESS?) and a variety of other hair problems including hair fallout. Lastly, aloe vera controls sebum secretion in the hair glands and promotes hair growth by increasing blood circulation to the scalp. Hey, don't quote me on all this, this is what the Internets is telling me. ;)

However, I tend to believe what I'm finding out because I am experiencing dry-er hair after using this shampoo. As someone with normal-to-dry hair conditions, all the tangerine, lemongrass and aloe vera must be making my hair TOO dry. I would probably recommend this for someone suffering from an oily scalp. I don't see how this should be marketed for someone with Dry / Colored hair, really. 

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The Body Shop Rainforest Shine Shampoo & Conditioner

I got two sachets of The Body Shop's Rainforest Shine shampoo & conditioner while I was vacationing in Singapore last year. They were giving it away as part of a Christmas promotion, and I had been eagerly awaiting for a chance to use and review it. However, I think I used it on a day when this shampoo would be tested to its very limits --- on a day when my hair had been given tonnes of hairspray (was doing a photoshoot).

I was pretty disappointed with this shampoo & conditioner, really. The texture of the liquid is so light, it really feels as if I'm using WATER on my hair only! I know they are trying to go for a very natural, fresh, light type of thing... but hello, you still have a purpose of trying to clean the gunk out of my hair! Then again, as I said, I did "push it to its limits" by trying to wash out a LOT of hairspray from my hair. So I used a more "powerful" shampo which got rid of 90% of the gunk. Then I used the rest of the sachet on my hair... AND I STILL FELT LIKE THE REMAINING 10% gunk is still there! Oh my God. I really give up on this shampoo / conditioner. If I want to wash my hair with just water, I would, and it would definitely be more eco-friendly than your prettily-packaged stuff!

In case you're wondering why this product is labelled "eco-friendly", it's because it is 100% biodegradable and doesn't contain any silicones, sulphates, parabens or colorants. That's why I said it's just pure water, lololol. Ok, I'm sure we can applaud the Body Shop's step towards being more Mother Nature friendly, but I am darn unsatisfied with the results. The only people who I think would be happy with this product are those who are :
- very hippie
- want to wash their hair everyday
- they don't sweat, get themselves in any sort of situation where they might get dirty, e.g; working in a completely clinical, air-conditioned, completely sealed unit, they do not walk outside for lunch, etc

This would be perfect for them then! Cos I think normal shampoos would be too harsh on someone who wants to wash their hair everyday. Plus, they would rest assured that every single bit of their shampoo would go down the drain and not harm any mermaids along the way...

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Dirty Springwash Shower Gel

I took my DIRTY Springwash Shower Gel from Lush along with me to Singapore recently, and it was a really good choice for a travel companion. For one thing --- the DIRTY Springwash Shower Gel is actually both a shower gel AND a shampoo! Yay for travelling light! Plus, the minty fresh shower gel appeals to both men and women - yes, my boyfriend finally indulged in a Lush goodie! (He still hasn't used the free soap the Lush lady gave him!)

The only thing he complained about was why I bought something that is called "Gorilla Perfume". So unappealing, he says. Haha!

The main ingredient in this shower gel is SPEARMINT OIL. Spearmint is refreshing and cooling on the skin, and is used in the product to cleanse and naturally deodorize. That tingly sensation in your toothpaste or when you're chewing gum? Well, imagine it all over your body!

Personally, I didn't like this as a shower gel as much as my boyfriend did. He used words like Refreshing! Rejuvenating! Squeaky Clean! But for me, it really felt too much like rubbing toothpaste all over myself. It was disturbing and though I did have a refreshed, clean feeling at the end of the day, I still felt odd. Thankfully, the spearmint fragrance fades off to a very subtle hint after the shower, otherwise I would feel like a walking toothpaste commercial.

On the other hand, I think that this product performs WONDERFULLY as a shampoo! The sensation of spearmint on your scalp --- oh God... it's so orgasmic! It really feels like you are lifting up every single bit of dirt from your scalp and it can finally BREATHE again. You feel like singing, "A WHOLE NEW WORLD"... so wonderful is the feeling! Plus, when your hair is dried, I feel that it gave my hair more "weight" than usual. Definitely did more for me than "Strong & Weighty" shampoo from Clairol Herbal Essences!

I think this shower gel would be a lovely gift for your man --- you know how "practical" they are, wanting to double up their shower gel and shampoos. ;) Plus, if your man is like Tron, he will definitely love it. Tron said he would get this the next time he sees a Lush store, as it is more worth it than a similar two-in-one product that he saw in Kiehls. Lush sells the 250ml bottle for about RM50, which I too think is a good deal. The Kiehls one was more than RM100!

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Lush Cynthia Sylvia Stout Shampoo

Guess what this is?

You wouldn't expect me to say that this is SHAMPOO right? It's not as creamy as your usual shampoos and it is BROWN! How many people have shampoo like that? Hahaha. Anyway, this is the Cynthia Sylvia Stout shampoo from Lush, a company that is known for not very conventional products.


The first time I sniffed Cynthia Sylvia Stout, I thought it was horrible... but I've grown to like the slightly alcoholic smell mixed with an amazing amount of lemongrass. My scalp feels soooooo refreshed using this, and everything just feels so amazingly CLEAN. I checked the ingredient list on Lush, and apparently there's no lemongrass, but there are lemons in it. Hmm... anyway, it's a really lovely citrusy fragrance.

It takes quite a fair bit to get really foamy, and what I have on my palm is definitely not enough to wash my entire head of hair. Sigh, a pity because that means I'll probably end up using the entire bottle pretty quickly as this was just a free gift bottle from Lush HK, so it's only 100ml.

I had a choice between choosing American Cream or this shampoo, and I decided to go out of the norm and select this as the free gift instead (though I love American Cream!) because.... I actually wanted to try out whether there's any truth in beer / brandy promoting hair growth. I guess I'm concerned with this because I felt like my hair is dropping more after I did so much rebounding. What a weird position to be in - worried about not having enough hair - when I used to think that I have a lion's mane.

Anyway, it's still way too soon for me to judge whether it works or not, but Lush did say that the secret to the hair growing is in the YEAST in the beer. Apparently yeast improves the health of the hair and scalp and encourages the growth of new hair. Beer also contains protein to give your hair weight, smoothness and gloss. It's excellent for hair that tends to go frizzy in damp or humid environments. Perfect for me!

All in all, an excellent shampoo. I put it on par with Rehab for my fave shampoos from Lush! But do take note --- the smell does take getting use to, and now I love me some Cynthia!

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Lush Haul 2011

Came back from HK and the first thing I wanna show off to you (among all the beauty products that I bought..!) is my Lush haul! To be honest, it's not much of a haul because the Lush store in Langham Place is not as big as any random store I went to in London, but I'm definitely NOT complaining because I've been so deprived of Lush goodies for so long! A lot of my favorite products seemed to have been discontinued - e.g: Mirror Mirror, but there's also a lot of new stuff to try!

The Langham Place store is considered one of the biggest on HK Island already (if I'm not mistaken) as the rest are just kiosks. This one is located inside Seiibu in Langham Place. Just follow your nose and you will get there. The salesgirls are friendly and nice, and despite some slight communication problems (I'm not that good in cantonese, she's not that good in english), it was allllll good. The place mainly stocks up on soaps, bath fizzies and bath bombs. Just two mini shelves for the shampoos and shower gels (sacrilege) and another mini shelf with the skincare stuff. There was really not much choices for shower gels and shampoos - they only stock the really really best of the best bestsellers. So this is what I wound up with :

A lot of soaps this time around! All in all, I bought :
a. Happy Hippy shower gel
b. Dirty Springwash shower gel
c. Dream Cream moisturiser
d. The Godmother soap
e. Honey, I Washed the Kids soap
f. Miranda soap

... and got a free bottle of Cynthia Sylvia Stout shampoo and two soap samples - Demon in the Dark and Noubar (I think it's Noubar? I don't know the name since the girl said it in cantonese, but this is the only soap that matches anything else on the website). Actually, the Demon in the Dark soap is for my boyfriend. He kept sniffing at it, but refused to buy some, even though I said it was nice (tried it before!) AND offered to pay for him. So the salesgirl gave him a slice. He was so happy, and shy. :) Hahahhaa.


I was especially upset that they didn't have American Cream - my favorite strawberries and cream conditioner. Apparently it completely sold out in HK. Arghh! I was also looking forward to trying Gorgeous / Imperialis / Celestial (you can check out my old lust list here), but they didn't have it. Don't know if the store is small, or if it's also another old and discontinued range. What I was REALLY happy with was the huge range of soaps on display and the salesgirl was happy to let me sniff as much as I want.

I wound up getting The Godmother because it's got a really sweet yet fruity scent that isn't overpowering, but memorable. In contrast, Rockstar is like The Godmother on steroids... it's soooo overwhelming. Cannot take it. I got Honey I Washed The Kids because I've been lusting for it for soooooo long. Got a huge mutha chunk of it! Can't wait to use it. And I got Miranda as well because I like the fruitiness of it, though to be honest, it's not very strong smelling or memorable, so I'm kind of regretting it now. *Oops*

I didn't get Sultana of Soap after all because it didn't smell as good as I remember it to be. On the contrary, Karma, which is one of the bestsellers (and I never knew why - cos I hate the smell!!) is suddenly growing on me! I suddenly quite like the scent (on the soap), and I'm tempted to get it. However, all this while I've NEVER liked it. So I think I'll withhold for the moment. Anyway, 3 huge bars of soap will take me some time to go through. :P

Ooh, was also super tempted with the Ice Blue soap! It really does smell super minty and refreshing and tingly! However, since I got the Dirty Springwash shower gel, I thought that I shouldn't overload on the minty feeling. Besides, minty feeling duplicates are easy to get from other brands, but I don't think you can duplicate the luscious scents of The Godmother and Honey I Washed the Kids so easily. :)

Was disappointed in their latest shower gel though - Grass. It really smells TOO much like grass! It made me think of the ((insert race)) gardener trimming the cow grass for my neighbour... bleh. Overload! Do not want! Forgot to sniff at the Flying Fox though. And I thought that I didn't like the way Happy Hippy smelled the last time I was in Lush... but now I love it!! How could I not love it?? It smells so fruity and yummy! And look at that oozing golden liquid! Can't wait til I jump into the shower stall with it. :)

I think I got quite a sizable amount of stuff to try out, so no major bitchfitz about the place being poorly stocked up. Besides, my boyfriend loves Hong Kong so much that he wants to make this an annual thing, so it probably won't be long til I'm back to restock. Hee hee! :) *heart*

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Clairol Herbal Essences Long Term Relationship Shampoo

Remember when my Clairol Herbal Essences with Camellia Oil spilled all over my gym bag? I blogged about it here. As luck would have it, the same thing happened to my Clairol Herbal Essences Long Term Relationship shampoo even though it has a different bottle shape from the other one. I think Clairol Herbal Essences shampoo + my gym bag is just a disaster waiting to happen. When I saw the mess in my gym bag this evening, I was reminded that I haven't actually reviewed this shampoo yet. -___- Maybe I can't blame the shampoo bottle design (although *koff* the spillage only has occured for this brand so far), maybe the gym locker is just too tiny and I have more things to stuff in now. Sigh. Why doesn't my shower gel spill over? Or my face wash? Sheesh.

Anyway, the Long Term Relationship shampoo is made specially for long hair, hence the name. It has a fusion of red raspberry & satin. It smells fruity and sweet, but kinda synthetically so. Since I just got an overload of it this evening, I am leaning more towards "sickly sweet" than "refreshingly sweet". -___-

The bottle says - "Get lost in your length with my velvety fusion with extracts of red raspberry nad satin. It lavishes every inch of your hair, helping to protect against damage and leaving it so luscious, you'll love it upand down, all around town." I just love the quirky description, but sadly I don't feel much difference in my hair after using this shampoo. However, I have to say that it is MUCH BETTER than the Follow Me shampoo I use at home (I have one in my bathroom and one in my gym bag). When I shampoo with the Follow Me shampoo, by the very next day, I start getting an itchy scalp. I have no explaination why. And I'll have this burning itch to shampoo my hair again and scrub my scalp to within an inch of its life. But with Clairol, at least the CLEAN and non-itchy feeling can last for 2-3 days. It can probably last longer, but in this humid weather, I have not tested not washing my hair for that long.

I really love the whole Clairol Herbal Essences range, and I think I've tried almost all their shampoo in the range too. I'm just so pissed off that the packaging is so crappy that it keeps spilling in my bag! I hate laundering my gym bag, and it's just icky to reach into your bag and find your hand all sticky. I was thinking of going to a Body Jam class after Body Attack, but once I saw the mess, I just didn't have the mood anymore.

I know I'm ranting a lot and not talking about the shampoo, but what the heck, it's somewhat related!

And if you're wondering if the shampoo is effective... well, after using it for a few weeks, I got my hair cut yesterday and the hairdresser said my hair is darn frizzy, considering I just got rebonding done 4 months ago. -___-

Perhaps - there is no hope for me. T____T

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Follow Me Blooming Fresh Shampoo

I bought this shampoo when I was in Bahau. Random fact! :) In fact, I first heard of these series of shampoo from Follow Me when I was in Body eXpress gym. Follow Me actually supplies the gym's shower stuff, and I found it surprisingly invigorating & refreshing to use the range of products from Follow Me's Happy Shampoo. Told myself that I would repurchase, but it was more than 6 months before I actually did.

The weird thing (maybe it's a Bahau thing, lol) was they packaged my Blooming Fresh shampoo with the conditioner from the Cool & Happy Scalp. FYI, the Happy Shampoo range consists of : Blooming Fresh, Cool & Happy Scalp, Deep Moist and Smooth & Silky.

I was very excited when I finally finished my other shampoo (yes, I've been finishing a lot of stuff recently, and as a beauty blogger (or not), it really makes me excited to be able to try new stuff) and could start using this. However, maybe my memory did not serve me well, or maybe it was a gym thing... but I didn't feel that amazing invigorating & refreshing feeling that I experienced when I was at Body eXpress. Maybe I bought the wrong "flavor", and it was actually the "Cool & Happy Scalp" that worked wonders... however when I was purchasing, I sniffed each one and I thought Blooming Fresh was the one that smelled most like what I had used in the gym...

At the moment, I'm neither terribly impressed with the smell or the effects of using the shampoo. Also, the conditioner for the Cool & Happy Scalp neither makes my scalp feel cool nor particularly happy. Sigh... should I go over to the gym just to double check what I actually used? Lol... (it was a one day trial thingy)

Basically it just does its job of cleaning my hair, ho-hum, nothing special. However, the products claim to contain a magical "Herbex Flora Essence" which is supposed to promote strong and lustrous hair. So though it doesn't tickle my fancy in the aroma department, maybe my hair's healthiness can still be maintained...

((But I'll still be looking forward to the day this finishes... *grumble*))

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Clairol Herbal Essences with Camellia Hot Oil

Despite me saying on this blog entry that I want to finish my Sunsilk shampoo, I really couldn't tahan the strong, chemical smell and I also realised that using a "Smooth & Manageable" shampoo when my hair had just been rebonded has really no point. After all, after rebonding, it's already so smooth and manageable. So I'm saving the Sunsilk shampoo til my hair really needs it. ;) Meanwhile, I started using Clairol Herbal Essences with Camellia Hot Oil for strong & weighty hair. It's actually for dry hair, but I think it's quite suitable for me right now, because after rebonding, hair DOES tend to get more dry / damaged...

It's only been about 1 - 1.5 weeks of using this shampoo, and my hair is nice as ever (lol, perasan), so I don't know if it's thanks to this shampoo or not. But what I do know is this shampoo smells AWESOME. It's a nice, floral (rose) scent that is strong, but not overpowering. I really love this series of Clairol Herbal Essences, but don't know why they don't sell this in Malaysia, though they sell the other shampoos in the Clairol range. I got this from a drugstore in Singapore.

For me, this shampoo works (well, it didn't further damage my hair or made it BRITTLE...), but most importantly, I love the scent. Would buy again just for the smell. In fact, this is my second time using this shampoo... (which says a lot since I change formulas frequently).

[Edited on 22/08/2011] The packaging for this bottle is the WORST ever. Last time, it spilled in my gym bag... and would you believe, this time it spilled TWICE. It's all gone, and as you can see, I only used it for gym since June. -___- My clothes and gym bag smell so saturated with the rose aroma that I'm quite sick of it at the moment.

What a pity, I love this shampoo, but the packaging really makes me think twice about carting it around. If you know this shampoo will just be sitting quietly in your toilet, then it'll be safe to buy. Otherwise, find something hardier to put into your gym bag. So darn pissed off now! [End Edit]

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Sunsilk Smooth & Manageable Shampoo

The bottle that I bought said that it's from the "Designed By Professionals " range, but the picture I got from Google Images say it's from the "Co-Creations" range. Hmm.. anyway, this is a range of shampoo from Sunsilk whereby they worked with some of the top haircare specialists in the world to develop shampoo for specific purposes. They have hair fall solution shampoo, shampoo for damaged hair and anti-dandruff shampoo. Actually, their latest one comes in a sky blue bottle called "weather defense" that I find quite attractive. However, this was what attracted me last time, back before I got my hair rebonded... the smooth & manageable shampoo!

This shampoo is co-created with Yuko Yamashita who is the inventor of a Japanese hair straightening process called 'YUKO' - for Perfect Straight hair. I guess it is apt that she should be the one to create the "Smooth & Manageable" shampoo.

The light pink shampoo has a VERY strong smell... it is quite unpleasant for me, to be honest. It smells very chemical-like, and afterwards, you smell like you just went to the hair salon --- but not in a nice way. :( Having said that, the shampoo does make my hair feel extra silky smooth as compared with other shampoos that I had used before this. It's just the smell that I can't stand!

Oh, and I dislike how Sunsilk gave a "free" bottle of conditioner with the shampoo that I purchased --- but the bottle is only 90ml, whereas the shampoo is 375ml! Obviously I'm going to finish the conditioner before I finish the shampoo, which means I have to repurchase from their brand. -___- This goes back to my Shampoo Conspiracy Theory that I have expounded before. -____-

I hope I get used to this chemical-smelling shampoo because I quite like the results! I do plan on continuing to use it...

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Shampoo Conspiracy Theory

[copied this over from my main blog]

I dunno if this has been said before, or whether I think too much because I spend a LOT of $$ and a LOT of time buying bath products or I’m the only person left in the world to figure this out on my own… but behold! Two conspiracy theories I came up with when I was showering and thinking about my shampoo.

Firstly, I’m really pissed off that I have to spend a LOT on haircare products. In this case, it’s not about shampoo, but stuff like hair serum, anti-frizz serum, hair masks, etc. If I don’t spend money on these items, my hair is dry as hay. Sometimes, even though I spend so much, it’s still like hay, but slightly better hay quality, I suppose. I can’t help but to wash my hair a lot, which results in the hair becoming even drier. This is because I go to the gym ALMOST every day. Therefore, I have to wash my hair ALMOST every day. Before I even went into the crazy world of rebonding and coloring my hair, my hair was super good. No need to buy all this crap to nurture it. But because girls oi leng moi meng, I have to spend $$ to make my colored / rebonded hair look nice nice. What’s the use if it’s a nice color and it’s all straight but the ends look like I got electrocuted, right?

Anyway, recently I read this Tim Hartford economics book, and he was going on about how companies, when they can, they will try to charge “customers who are willing to pay more a higher amount, and customers who are not willing to pay more, the normal amount”. The problem, he said, was how does a company identify whether a customer is rich and doesn’t count pennies, therefore willing to pay a higher amount? In the end, he said it was due to the customer’s own choices that identify him as a rich-and-dun-care feller, by choosing additional premiums for a certain product. E.g : in a coffee joint, the store might offer you RM2 extra if you take whipped cream with your frappucino. If you don’t count pennies, you will say no thanks to the extra cream. If you do, you save yourself RM2. However, if you are rich and you chose the whipped cream, you are paying RM2 for maybe something that costs the coffee joint only extra 20 sen to give to you. Therefore, you are practically wearing a neon sign saying “rip me off!” to the company. They love it! That’s why they give you so many “choices” to give you the chance to identify yourself as a rich and so-called “willing to pay more” customer. Premiums like supersizing, additional shot of espresso, additional flavoring, etc.

So my theory for this haircare stuff is that, in the first place, we girls who color or rebond our hair have already highlighted and marked ourselves as vain and “willing to spend” customers to the haircare company. Who knows, maybe they have already developed hair dyes or rebonding methods that will NOT result in our hair becoming like hay. I know, you think that it’s not possible because chemicals are so harsh, etc. But when we put hair serums and hair treatments into our hair, isn’t that chemicals also? Possibly they have developed this super good hair dye in super good colors that when we color our hair, our hair becomes softer and more manageable than ever! But why would they sell this when they know that we are “willing to pay more” to them by buying their hair treatment products? I’m sure they’re earning BILLIONS extra from this industry. No way are they going to release the super secret formula for the super hair dye that actually makes our hair better when we use it. So the more we buy into the idea of how coloring the hair and rebonding / curling the hair = great, the more the companies rub their hands with glee because they know this will not be the end they see of us! Soon, we will be returning to buy stuff to keep our hair in good condition… by the way, I also believe that those shampoos for colored hair generally cost more than regular shampoo right. I bet the cost of manufacturing the shampoos are the SAME…

My next theory is on why the heck my shampoo and conditioners never finish at the same time. I have 3 bottles of conditioner in my toilet, but only 1 bottle of shampoo. Obviously the company purposely makes it so that it CANNOT finish at the same time because when you are left with 1/4 more conditioner, you generally wanna buy back the “matching shampoo”.. which would be from the same brand. Cos SUPPOSEDLY it works better if you get both from the same brand, right? So to keep you coming back for more, they will always make sure that they cannot finish at the same time. How ah now… am I suppose to slather on my conditioner like crazy from now on? So that by using more conditioner, then perhaps I won’t need the hair treatments? Hahaha….

Okie, I’m just talking crap. Think I spend too much time looking at shampoos.

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Stuff I'm Using Now ( My first beauty blog entry!)

Ok, I decided to create a separate blog for my posts about drug store products that I'm using right now, and also for erm... contests, swag grabbing and such. What better place to place ads than at a place where I'm talking about brand names for free... Hmm... ;)

Anyway, a little background about moi... I was introduced to the world of drugstore beauty by my colleague Pauline. It's been about 4 years + of checking out what goodies places like Guardian, Watsons, Boots (in Thailand) and even places like Carrefour can reveal to drugstore addicts like us. My love with make-up goes a bit further back though --- been dabbling since I was in high school, though I'm definitely no expert. In fact, I've been a bit lazy nowadays and just going to work with moisturiser and lipgloss. *gasp* Sacre bleu!

I digressed... back to the topic. Stuff I'm using right now :


1. Clairol Herbal Essences None of Your Frizzness Shampoo & Conditioner at the gym for my hair. This is my go-to shampoo since I go to the gym about 4x a week and I ALWAYS shampoo and condition after every workout. It's just gross not to. I love this shampoo for its fruity smell and to me, you can't go wrong with Clairol Herbal Essences. All the shampoos just smell so awesome. :) However, in terms of whether this ACTUALLY works out all the frizziness... well, I was hoping for miracles, so I guess it's a no for me. I'm about to finish both bottles soon, so I'm looking forward to trying something new and reporting it back here. ;)


2. Schwarzkopf Asia Glatt shampoo & conditioner for home use. Yup, I hate repacking my gym bag and stuff I use at home, and this way, I get to try out more stuff! :D I'm also going to finish this pretty soon, and I say, I CAN'T WAIT. This shampoo is awful... it smells really weird when lathering up, and it smells even worse after the hair has dried. :( My friend Sidney quipped, "With a shampoo name like Asia GLATT how did you expect it to even smell nice?" I guess I was drawn in by the fact that it's supposedly formulated for Asian hair, but it does squat for me. Not interested, nuh-uh...


3. Original Source Lemon Tea Tree Shower Gel for the gym. I love Original Source, and was first introduced to this brand by my buddy Ben when I was in London. And was so glad to see that Singapore has it too, so at least I will be able to stock up MUCH easier. Sucks when Malaysia doesn't have awesome products like this. ;) It's awesome for use after a workout, cos the lemon really invigorates your tired muscles.. and tea tree has some healing properties as well right? Plus you feel really, really CLEAN after showering with this. I just love citrus fragrances for shower gels, so this shower gel is pretty much THE BOMB for me. I've tried about 90% of the whole Original Source range, and I loved every single one. If not for the fact that I'm really in love with trying out more stuff, I would be 100% loyal to this brand. Lol... in fact, I have a bit of a problem with shower gels cos I have sensitive skin... I cannot use stuff from Fruiser and from Palmolive (this includes Lux), cos I'll get rashy after that. Blehk. So hard to find cheap stuff that won't irritate me... My boyfriend is recommending that I stick to solely Eucerin or Dettol, but ... I like variety. :) And yummy smells. :)

4. Johnson & Johnson's Peach Baby Bath for morning showers at home and when I don't go to the gym. I have a LOT of Johnson & Johnson's stuff to try out, cos I've been entering one of those "Buy & Win" contests. -___- I first tried J&J baby bath's when my skin was getting rashy - no thanks to crappy brands - and I thought --- they won't try to break out a baby's skin right? It was cheaper than brands like Sebamed and Eucerin, so I thought it won't hurt to try. After finishing an entire 1l of J&J baby bath with no untoward results, I'm sold. :) This works for me too and I'm happy. The peach baby bath has a very mild smell, and because it's soooo gentle, I don't really recommend using this if you've been rolling around in mud or something. However, for showers in the morning, and especially before bedtime ... this is perfect. =) Really makes you feel like a baby.

5. Peaches & Clean Shower gel from Soap & Glory for body scrub --- every now and then. You'll need a body scrub every now and then, especially if you're like me and you don't use one of those bath mitt thingys... I got scared of them ever since my dad had one and it never really dried out properly and fungus grew all over the dang thing. *shivers* I bought my shower gel some time back in Thailand's Boots. Soap & Glory is pretty pricey, but the packaging is soooo witty and cute and dang, the stuff works! Peaches & Clean has a strong (but lovely) peach smell with bits of what feels like smashed peach pit (it's really just exfoliating beads) to really scrub off your dead skin. I'm loving it! And I heard that the new Sephora that opened opposite Pavilion stocks up on Soap & Glory stuff, so that's good news for all Malaysians! :)

6. Simple Refreshing face wash gel for the gym. This facial wash really lives up to the name of being GENTLE on the skin... you can't really feel it cleaning your skin up, but the results show. I have this bad habit of not removing my make-up with a make-up remover.. but I head straight for the face wash. Note : I don't wear really thick make-up, so I think it's ok?

There's no fragrance, no exfoliating beads... so although this is a product that works for me, it's not 100% me... in the sense that I like fragrances, and I like squeaky clean feeling after washing my face. I know, I know.. that's supposed to be really bad for you because that would mean the face wash is too harsh. It never did anything bad to my face before this... *sulks* I guess what I'm trying to say is that this face wash is just too boring for me... but it works! However, I've been getting really horrible pimples recently, and I don't know whether it's because this product is too gentle or because of the other face stuff I've been using...

7. Garnier Light Fairness face wash for home use is a lemon-y facial wash, also without exfoliating beads and is also awesome for me because it removes my make-up without need for make-up remover. I quite liked it when I first started using it, but now feels that it leaves a rather oily feeling residue on my face after I'm done. I also don't feel the squeaky clean feeling of a fresh face after finishing with it, so I'm disappointed. Also have a feeling that this facial wash could've contributed to the sudden emergence of pimples. Hmmm... and the bad news is that I bought two of these face wash because there was a 2 for 1 deal in Watsons... hahaha. -__-

Oh and I don't think I got any fairer after using this... but I don't really mind because I think it's odd if my face ends up fairer than my body.... =p

8. The Neutrogena Deep Clean Blackhead removal range was a total disappointment! Also bought it because of the Johnson's & Johnson's contest, and also because I was wondering if there WAS another way to get rid of blackheads. I've always heard good stuff about Neutrogena, although I personally did not like the smell of their face wash (the deep yellow in color one... I forgot if it's supposed to be fragrance-free or not, but it had a weird smell! Since I said it had a weird smell, you'd think that it must NOT be fragrance free... but you never know! I just remember it as being weird!). Anyway, the Deep Clean Blackhead range consists of a face wash, these weird "heating" cream things which is supposed to open up your pores and make it easier for the blackheads to be removed, and finally, a cooling toner. The whole set set me back about RM75... so you could say I'm SERIOUSBUSINESS about removing blackheads.


However, I was very disappointed with the whole thing. I did like the face wash because it had exfoliating beads, and you definitely get a very clean, very fresh feeling after washing your face. Did it eliminate blackheads? No. So I proceeded with the warming treatment. The warming treatment was interesting... it really does heat up in your hands very quickly... but did it magically make all my blackheads dropped out or easier to be squeezed? Another resounding no. Finally the cooling toner was... like what a toner should be. Nothing extra special that made it ought to belong on a blackhead removal range. Very sad.

I guess the warming treatment was nice to play with... but will it be worth your money? It's expensive lor... and so far I've only used one tube. And somehow or other, it seems like it's not heating up so fast or so much anymore. Disappointment. And I have been getting those pimples (this is the third time I'm repeating this...) is this the cause!?!?!

If you've read til this point, yes I'm using 3 different facial cleansers at the moment, no wonder I can't figure out what's the root cause of any skin problems that I face. Tsk! And if you're really wondering what you can do about those dang blackheads, instead of using the deep clean range, may I just recommend to you the cheap & lovely Biore pore strips?! They now come in orange & pineapple fragrance which I love. I also have the regular and the black colored strips (I don't even know why I bought the black color one... just fatt hao I guess...). If you're not one for the pain, you could always remove it slowly, but I just love ripping out the dang thing and then studying the massive whiteheads and blackheads stuck. Gives me so much pleasure. At least there's a difference after using the Biore pore strips. I study myself after using the deep clean range and more often than not, you're back to squeezing out your whiteheads and blackheads, as if you didn't even use the range at all. Why spend the money then?

Ewww... I just Googled for the pore strips, and check out what some people managed to yank out on their pore strips... I'm glad that I don't have such severe problems! Lol!

9. Phytodefrisant Anti-frizz Balm for the hair... yes, I'm facing frizzy hair as evident from the shampoo I use, and the hair care products I use. I bought this when I was in France, so I don't think you can get it here... Pretty pricey (it is about RM80+!!), and the only reason I bought this was because I Google-d for "good pharmaceutical buys in France".. what a freak! ;) Ben bought something from Phyto as well, and he said it was shite (don't remember what he got). So how goes this balm? Well, I have to say that I must be quite insane to buy something where the directions are all in French, so I had to guess what I was supposed to do with it. In the end, I reckoned that it is a leave-in type of balm, and I have to say... this works. It really makes your hair more manageable and less frizzy. However, I have to use a LOT of it and I hate the texture of this anti-frizz product. It's very watery and slimey and reminds me of erm... baby juice. It also has a rather unpleasant smell about it, so I'm very careful not to use this before I meet my boyfriend, haha! For something nicer smelling, and rather effective (though not as POWERFUL as Phyto..), may I recommend...

10. Free&Free Damage Aid Serum that I got from Carrefour Thailand! Hahaha... actually, the current bottle that I have is given to me from Pauline (the one who introduced me to all this madness) as she knows how much I love this green bottle. This smells AWESOME.. very fresh and fruity, and really tames your hair. For the price you pay, this is more bang for your buck than Phyto is. Sadly, can't find this brand in Malaysia!

I guess it's unfair to compare Phyto and my favorite Free&Free because one is for damaged hair and the other one is just to control frizzy hair... but the outcome from both products are smoother hair ends and generally more manageability... so that's why I'm pitting them against each other. :) Free&Free, I would continue to buy, but Phyto is definitely a one-off. :)

11. My Beauty Diary masks... got a pack of 16 masks for about RM65 from Guardian... in fact, I'm currently using one (which I may review separately after this). When I first started using these masks, I loved it... the smell, the shape of the masks (there are some brands that get the anatomy of the face so, so wrong.. with bits and pieces of the mask hanging out every which way) and it's like... such a nice indulgence to have a mask once a week, am I right ladies? After the pimple fiasco (which now I'm wondering whether it's hormonal...), I'm also a little bit wary of the masks. I have about 8 more masks to go though, so I really hope it isn't! Anyway, the packaging for MBD masks are really cute, and the name of the masks are all so yummy sounding. Like, right now I'm using an apple one and it makes me think as if I'm putting real mushed up green apples all over my face. Haha, I'm not sure what good THAT would do, but generally after a MBD mask, my face feels softer and smoother. =) Because of the Guardian deal, I got MBD mask cheaper per mask (usual price is about RM6+ per mask), but if you want to try cheaper alternatives, I super recommend Purederm (any mask is good, but I like the aloe one), MJ (usually they have the type of gooey mask that you spread on your face and then peel off when it dries) and even the in-house brands of Watsons and Guardian have good masks for a little less than RM5. Watsons bird nest mask is super good, but that one is considered "premium" and is way more than RM5. I only got to use it because it was given to me as a free gift. =)

12. Vaseline Aloe Cool & Fresh light moisturising lotion for my day moisturiser... just broke in a brand new bottle! Previously was using Palmer's Cocoa Butter and that is one helluva good moisturiser! Palmer's Cocoa Butter has a distinctive smell... for me, I didn't like it at first, but since I just finished a big bottle... obviously I got used to it in the end. :) The cream is a bit thick and you really have to rub yourself (sounds dirty!) to get it all smoothened out. However, the moisturising effects are really just ooh-la-la~! I find myself constantly in wonder that my skin is soooo smooth and soooooo nice to touch. My boyfriend agrees with me. ;) I bought the Cocoa Butter in London for about 2 pounds, and when it first came to Malaysia, the Cocoa Butter was being sold so ridiculously expensive.. now it's ok-ly priced, so I might buy again... though I have a LOT of other moisturisers to try out.

Well look at me go on and on about Palmer's and not talk about Vaseline.. tsk tsk. Well, I really like the smell of the aloe body moisturiser.. and it's really cooling, which is good for the recent hot weather. However, in terms of moist-ness, I would say that it is left farrrrr behind compared to Palmers. Coincidentally, my boyfriend just bought a bottle of the exact same moisturiser today, and he randomly uses it to cool himself down! Hahaha! I guess I can't expect so much from this moisturiser anyway because it clearly states on the bottle that it is a "LIGHT" moisturising lotion. I must look out for the "HEAVY" one then. ;)

13. Nivea Extra Whitening Inner Cell Repair Body Milk for my night time moisturiser... why do I use it at night? Cos it's for whitening purpose, and I reckon it'll be better to use it when there isn't any sun rays combatting with it's whitening mission. ^^ (I just feel dumb now cos I'm studying the bottle now and I see that it has some advanced UV protection, so this IS for usage in the daytime!). I've loved Nivea body lotion for a really long time. I like the comforting fragrance, which makes it all the more apt for me to use it for night. For WHITENING... I don't think it works on me, because I don't see myself getting any fairer. My skin is more evenly-toned, I guess... but I can't comment on becoming FAIRER. I also can't comment on the inner cell repair thingy that they are promoting as I don't know the mechanics of how something that is applied externally can get absorbed into my inner cells... that kinda sounds scary.

But in terms of having softer, more I~wanna~touch~you~ooh~yeah~baby skin... then yes! A million times over that this works. =) I also like the face absorption rate, which is definitely a must for body moisturisers. The Vaseline one is also quickly absorbed... I suppose it's only the Palmer's one which takes quite a while, but since it is so awesome, it's forgiven. =p

Well, I guess that's lucky 13 items that I use rather frequently. My next entry will be on not-used-so-frequently stuff and on my daily make-up! Stay tuned, I guess!

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