Hello Kitty Apple Gommage Rosette

Since there are a lot of bloggers talking about the new Samsung Galaxy Hello Kitty phone, let me add on to the Kitty Kraze with a review of my Hello Kitty Apple Gommage Rosette. I have no idea if that's the actual name, but that's what it says on the tube! :)

I don't even know why I bought it, because :
- I don't even like Hello Kitty that much
- I have no idea what a gommage is
- all the instructions at the back of the tube were in Japanese. But based on the Kitty diagrams, it seems like it's just a normal face wash? But in an awesome sounding "apple" scent?

Maybe I'm just lying, and it *is* the irresistable cute factor. Actually, it's pretty plain packaging, considering. (For this review, I am even wearing my Hello Kitty peejaysss, not that you can see the full picture, haha!)

Anyway, I bought this when I was in Singapore, and just started using it, because at first I thought it was a mask. Then when I studied the consistency of the liquid and the graphic descriptions at the back of the package, it was clear that it was a face wash of some sort. I was quite disappointed, but "what the heck" I thought. Using it as a face wash for a few days... I was sorely disappointed. It did not have the cleansing power of my fave facial creams, and it didn't lather or anything. It was weird! THEN... I decided to Google what a "gommage" was and thank heavens for the existence of beauty blogs, otherwise this whole tube would've gone down the drain!

Basically, a GOMMAGE is actually used as an exfoliating treatment. The exfoliating cream / paste (in this case, more like a GEL) is applied in long, consistent "massaging-like" movements to slowly exfoliate the skin. Well, that totally changes how I use this product! For one, I won't apply it on a WET face in the shower. You are supposed to apply it on a completely dry face! I also won't keep splashing my face with water so quickly, as you are supposed to keep rubbing in the gel til it forms little exfoliating beads...

So start with a dry visage like so :

Squeeze out a good-size amount onto your palm, like this! The gel is pretty sticky and not runny. A slight off-white color, and smells gorgeously of apples. This is one of the nicest smelling products I'm using right now! :)

 

Keep on rubbing over your face until it forms little beads like the picture below. Those are NOT my dead skin, I think it's just the gel balling up together. And maybe taking some microscopic amounts of dead skin cells with it. It's quite fun to use, and because the gel smells so nice, you are in no hurry to wash everything off. 

Far off view of my entire face, hahaha. And yes, that funny towel hairband is what I wear whenever I'm doing my masks. RM5 from Daiso only, cheap cheap.

After rinsing everything off, my skin feels REALLY SUPER CLEAN. OMG! So nice!! And I think it's AWESOME as a post-cleanser because it really strips off whatever else your face wash did not manage to get to. And it smells so nice!! And my face feels so soft!! I am really loving this Hello Kitty Apple Gommage~~~~!!!

Would this be a repurchase for me? I am currently REALLY liking it, so I would say YES! But it's kinda pricey. I think it was almost RM30 for a tube, and a gommage is not really a necessity in your face cleansing regime. Well, let's see if I can find it again in Singapore next time... and maybe in other yummier flavors?

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Himalayaaaaaaaaaa!!

This is not really a haul post, and it's not really a review post. :P Have you heard of this brand called Himalaya before? Most of my friends who know about it says that they heard it's for weight loss (they have adverts with this fat woman in a PEAR suit), but in fact they have a whole range of skin care and body care stuff.

In Malaysia, the stuff is really expensive. Like RM18 for a tube of toothpaste. Yeah, it's made from herbal extracts and what not, but who would really splurge that much for toothpaste? (Actually, I would... if it's my favorite toothpaste Denblan.)

Whenever my husband's cousin goes overseas, my mom-in-grace will ask him to help her stock up on Himalaya stuff. Cos it's really good and it really works... and costs about a quarter of the price in India! Next time, I will blog about why Himalaya herbal extract toothpaste is better than your average toothpaste in the market. Meanwhile, check out what my husband stocked up on .... he asked his colleague from India to help him buy all this for my mom-in-grace!!

Since it is all for my mom-in-grace, I cannot really review it, except for the dental cream aka toothpaste and the acne-n-pimple cream which hubby and I also use. So far so good... if you don't have any friends from India to help you get this, just check out the many Himalaya pop-up stores around... I think there's one in KLCC and also in Subang Parade. :)

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Monday Masks : Simply Beauty Greece Carnation Silky Mask

Haven't been using sheet masks a lot because I'm now busy trying to finish my awesome Formula 10.0.6 mask (scroll further down to find the review!)... plus I have a lot of old entries that I haven't finished reviewing! This mask was actually used when I was... *drumroll* getting ready for my wedding! That was... months ago. My friend told me that one week before her annual dinner, she used one sheet mask daily. I was thinking... so much effort just for annual dinner? Then for wedding dinner I should use one mask a day for TWO weeks, right? Anyway, in the end I just went for a (very good) facial, and used a few sheet masks. Honestly, it didn't make that much of a difference, but at least I didn't have a ginormous zit on my nose or something terrifying like that.

I used this sheet mask from Simply Beauty called "Greece Carnation". This is from their "A Kiss From Flora" series, and you can see all these beautiful, flowery sheet masks on display in any Watsons / Guardian pharmacy. The flowers look so inviting, like what is within is actually seeds for growing the flowers, and not something that contains the flower essence, to be smeared onto your face. =p I was spoiled for choice, but in the end decided on the Greece Carnation one because it was supposed to be for nourishing purposes. Other flowers have different benefits, like whitening, moisturising and so on. 

The sheet mask is very thin and there is a LOT of essence in the packet, so everything really sticks to your face properly. As you can see from the picture above, it is a pretty good fit. What I didn't like was how STINGING this felt on my skin. I would understand it if this was a whitening mask, and there are "natural acids" to exfoliate my skin. However, this is a NOURISHING mask. My face expected to be pampered and feeling all comfy. Instead, felt like screaming down the streets of Subang and tearing the mask off my face.

Of course, I didn't do that. But I only kept it on for the bare minimum of time advised on the packaging. Usually, I let everything soak in properly, enjoying the aromatherapy. This has not much of a memorable scent, so kind of a disappointment in that area too.

The product claims to enhance skin elasticity, fight wrinkles and brightens the skin. Hmm... I didn't really feel that it benefited me in any of those area. My skin felt extra clean and more moisturised after using the sheet mask, but that's about it, lol. Looking at the ingredients list, I see hyluronic acid which would explain why it was so stinging for me. It's probably to exfoliate the upper layer of the skin, which could contain dead skin cells, thus creating a "brighter" visage. I think they should tone it down a bit, cos it was really painful for me. Maybe I just have very exfoliated skin already? :P

Looking up on carnation oil, it contains anti-inflammatory properties, which makes it ideal for treating eczema , rashes and rosacea. It is also said to reduce wrinkles!! However, it didn't mention whether it should specifically be a Greece carnation. Apparently all carnations contain these benefits.

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Lipstick Sundays : L'Oreal Glamshine Gloss Brilliance in Golden Sunset

This is quite possibly, the only lipgloss in the history of lipglosses I've ever owned... that I manage to finish. :D The only reason why I still have it in my make-up drawer is because I wanted to keep it til I've done it justice by writing a "Lipstick Sundays" post about it and because ... lipglosses don't really finish do they? There's always SOME tiny amount still stuck to the tube that you think you can still squeeze out. For me, I've used it to the max, and I should really throw it away. It's given more mileage than I thought possible, considering I didn't really want to buy it, and after buying it... I hated it to the max at first!

I only bought the L'oreal Glamshine Gloss Brilliance because they were having a contest. A slogan-writing contest which is pretty extinct nowadays. Could win diamonds leh, who don't want. Anyway, I just grabbed a tube (didn't even test out all the colors available because I just needed to buy SOMETHING as proof of purchase), and somehow got this "safe" color called "Golden Sunset". It is a peachy shade (which at that time, I only owned pink / red glosses, so it was unique) with LOTS of shine! They definitely did not lie about that! By the way, I think I bought this so long ago that they don't even sell it anymore... and it is quite pricey for a lipgloss! About RM28.90 if I remember correctly (lol, so accurate some more with the .90 added behind).

 

The lip gloss comes in a very interesting, angular tube as you can see above. It has a doefoot applicator and it is VERY VERY VERY sticky! I suppose it has to be since it has a "guarantee" of lasting for at least 6 hours! I think this is one of the reasons I hated it (at first) because it is TOO sticky. Well, I guess they had to make it so to ensure it lasts so long. So you can imagine lah... everytime the wind blows, I will be pulling hairs off my lips. However, as time went by, I started to appreciate it more because I really can't be bothered to keep reapplying lip gloss, so the longer it lasts... the better. That, and maybe because I started to tie my hair up into ponytails, so need not worry about the wind anymore. *cackles* 

 

I am also really happy with the color! As mentioned, at the time of purchase, I was not really a peach type of girl. I'm more into pinks and reds... but I find that a peachy-pink tone is really more suitable for my skintone, and also more suitable for work. Also, as you can see from the pictures above, it really does give off a brilliant shine. It's not TOO shiney and overwhelming for work, so it's all good. By the way, don't be tricked from the picture that there's a full tube of gloss left. It's all the STICKINESS still stuck to the tube. I have no way of scraping it all off unless I break the tube! I really don't suggest you do that... 

You might be wondering, why would I write a review about something you cannot purchase anymore? Hehehe... I don't know either. Maybe just to share my happiness over finishing a product? And to share that trends fade so fast that something that was all the rage a few years back is totally off the market now? :P By the way, I didn't win the diamonds from L'oreal either! *hmph!*

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Lush American Cream Conditioner

I've always raved about Lush's American Cream conditioner, but I don't think I've ever gotten a chance to review it on my beauty blog! Finally able to because I managed to get another bottle in Singapore recently! I think it's the one product from Lush that I've continuously bought. Got it first in America. Repurchased when I stumbled upon Lush in London. TRIED to get it in Hong Kong, but they were completely sold out (it really is their top selling product!).... and yahoo!! Found the biggest size bottles all in stock in Singapore! Gimme some!!

Pretty pricey for a conditioner, with a bottle of 500g going for more than RM70. But it's so worth it! It seriously is my most favorite conditioner --- ever! What's so good about this conditioner, I hear you ask...

First - I let the label speak for itself : "Bring all the boys to the yard with this strawberry vanilla milkshake conditioner. Double strength and extra creamy to leave your hair gorgeously soft and smelling sweetly." Yes, this is the most awesome conditioner that will leave your hair smelling more like your conditioner than your shampoo. ;) I just adore the vanilla scent that lingers on for DAYS in my hair. I did feel cheated over the "strawberry vanilla" because I don't detect any strawberry scent. Hmph! Then again, pure vanilla is pretty awesome on its own.

According to Lush, the vanilla pod infusion, vanilla absolute and clary sage is the scent that "leaves the scent last for hours in the hair".

Second item to love about Lush --- it looks like heavy clotting cream used in cooking, but my hair is left feeling super light, super soft and super .... nice! I feel like I have a ball of cotton candy on my head. A ball of manageable cotton candy. :P

The secret behind the conditioner? A yummy sounding combination of honey, lanolin, strawberries and fresh orange juice. I also love how they print the benefits of the products on the label. Fresh strawberries are calming on the scalp, strengthens the hair and helps to add shine. Meanwhile, lanolin helps to make the hair soft, manageable and easy to comb.

I'm not sure about the orange juice though. When I Googled it, it seems like it's a method for getting rid of lice. Lol!

As I'm typing this, I'm sniffing my awesome, freshly-conditioned hair. Do try this conditioner out, just a small bottle if you don't like vanilla. I didn't like it THAT much at first, but the scent really grows on me and of course, I love what it has done for my hair. Now, I'm so protective about my American Cream conditioner that I hate it when anyone else uses it. I nearly killed Ben when he callously just used the conditioner when we were in London. Plus, I hadn't even opened it yet! Grrr!

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The (Happy) Birthday Box!

What to buy for someone for their birthday? I'm always at a lost for ideas because I know what *I* like, but is it what someone else would really like? Is it really right to assume that someone would like THAT perfume just because you like it? Would it be presumptuous to think that someone would like a spa treatment just because you wish someone would buy THAT for you? A lot of things that I have presumed about someone have often ended up... totally wrong. So I prefer to stick to "safe" types of gifts. However, when it comes to beauty products, I really feel that Soap & Glory makes it so easy for me... they have it all packaged up and even with a card to go with it.

Introducing... the Happy Birthday Box from Soap & Glory!

I was very tempted to open up the box and see what's inside, but it would be sacrilegous....! Hence the close-ups of "what's inside" - a pink bath sponge, the Righteous Butter body butter (I also have a this! Can't wait to use it, smells really nice!) and Clean On Me shower gel. And all within budget too! **patting self on the back**

It's so nice that you want to "present" this to yourself too, right? Hahaha...

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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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