The Body Shop Peach Shower Gel

If there's one place I would go to where I would be guaranteed nice smells for the shower, it would definitely be The Body Shop. However, it's not really friendly on the pocket, which is why I stock up like mad whenever they have their sales. With 20% - 50% slashed off, it becomes VERY VERY worth it. :) I've started using a new shower gel (I know right? Most of my reviews are starting to become shower gel reviews!), and this time it's The Body Shop's Peach Shower Gel.

This soap-free clear, light-amber shower gel contains peach extract which is what gives this shower gel such an AWESOME scent. Seriously, my shower routine is always to pour a bit of product onto my palm, and then I put my nose near the liquid and .... TAKE A DEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP BREATH! It smells soooooo good. It's never overwhelming and overpowering. It is just PERFECT. It smells so natural, like I could drink it all up. It's sweet and fruity and just delicious. :)

A bottle which contains 250ml of body gel is going for about RM35 usually. If you're lucky, you can get it on up to 50% discount when they have the sales. I would say that it does its job of cleaning you up, but it's not super moisturising. No special moisturisation formula and what not. Still, really nice to use in the shower and I am enjoying my shower time! 

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Berli Pops Honey Orange Smoothie 3-In-1 Facial Foam

Here's another random purchase from Thailand last year... I ran out of face cleanser while I was re-honeymooning in Bangkok and was really, really annoyed with myself. Me and my "travelling with samples only" mantra! Because of that, I ran out of face cleanser on the last day I was there, and there's no way that I can NOT wash my face. Or wash it with soap. I insist to use proper face cleansers, so I had to go and buy a new one. But since I was (am, actually) really cheap, I didn't want to buy something too expensive. After scouring the drugstore, I wound up buying this really random facial cleanser called "Berli Pops". Why? Cos I thought it's the cheapest item available there.

To be honest, I'm a real FAILED SHOPPER when I'm in Bangkok because I couldn't understand the signs. I would think that something costs 150 Baht, and later only find out that it was 150ml, nothing to do with the price at all. -__- I saw a lot of 3-X-1 signs (like this facial foam below!) and I would think it means buy 3 and free 1, but in the end, it's promoting that it is a 3-in-1 facial foam. WTF. I kept the receipts for my purchases, but it's been quite some time, so even the print has faded...

This is how the facial foam looks like, and on Amazon, it actually costs USD$6.50 or thereabouts. I believe it's cheaper if you buy in Thailand. If I'm not mistaken, it's a made in Thailand product, so it should be cheaper in the home country? It was displayed on the bottom-most shelf in the shop too, and they didn't have all variants available. I chose the facial foam for combination skin because I like the "Honey Orange" variant. They also have:
i. apple berry smoothie for oily skin
ii. banana cherry smoothie for dry skin
iii. melon cucumber smoothie for a weekly scrub

Hmm.. they don't have anything special for normal skin? Anyway, the honey orange smoothie for combination skin has been quite kind to my skin.

The facial foam is thick and rather firm when squeezed out from the tube. It only looks so erm... soft in my hand because my palm was not 100% dry. Recommend that you moisten and rub up the foam between your hands before applying directly to the face. It leaves skin feeling clean, but not squeakily-I-stripped-off-all-the-natural-oils-from-your-skin kinda clean. The best part about this facial foam is probably that it smells really nice and unique. How would you think a honey orange smoothie would smell like? It actually smells like barley drink + some Sunkist. Hahaha. It is actually quite yummy! (In fact, now I feel like drinking barley mixed with Sunkist, haha!)

My only complaint is that it is not "strong" enough to remove make-up from my skin. I know, I know, should always remove make-up separately with a proper make-up remover. However, it leaves a LOT of traces behind, which my other cleansers never do. It just makes me feel like this facial foam is not as tough on dirt as other cleansers. It is especially difficult to remove my Maybelline Masterliner, which is probably a good testimony for that eyeliner. -__-"

Surprisingly... my husband has been stealing my facial foam and he says that he LOVES this facial foam. And asked me random questions like:
"What is this Berli Pops? How come so cute one?" -___-"
"How you know about such a good thing one? Really just simply buy one ah?" -____-"
"Why you never buy one for me also? How come good things you keep to yourself only?"

How to explain to him the behavior of a hoarder? Anyway, I guess it's gonna be a repurchase for me, if simply to appease this strange man. FYI, he also uses my shampoo, which explains why it's since finished, much earlier than I anticipated. When I saw my shampoo dwindling so fast, I was horrified. He finally admitted to using it as well and saying he loves it soooooo much. So much so that he bought another bottle which we are BOTH using. I'm only annoyed because he only uses shampoo and not conditioner, so when he finished off my shampoo, I had 50% conditioner left... argh!

That was quite off-topic, but anyway the conclusion is this is one of the nicest, random purchases that I've gotten from an unheard-of brand. =) And I'm also happy to have a "second reviewer" in the form of my secret drugstorelover husband. 

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Monday Masks : SexyLook Hello Kitty Rose Brightening Mask

I'm too old to be squealing over Hello Kitty, but some of my readers might be really interested in this kitty cat.. So here's my review of the SexyLook Hello Kitty Rose Brightening Mask! I got it in Singapore for about RM7++. Pretty expensive for a face mask (in my books), but if it works, why not, right?

The packaging is really pink and flowery... I don't know if you go for that kinda thing. Maybe it's supposed to look very cute and feminine, but to me it's kinda gaudy and reminds me of an old grandmother (don't ask me why!). Anyway, the SexyLook Hello Kitty Rose Brightening Mask provides intense hydration to help restore skin tone and refine skin texture. After using the brightening mask, you will have healthy and glowing skin. Wow, sounds promising!

The sheet mask itself is very thin, and there is a lot of essence inside the packet. This helps the sheet to adhere closely to the skin. It also ensures that there is enough essence, even for your neck and other body parts that you choose to massage the liquid in to.  Fit-wise, it is not the best I've ever had because there are clear gaps between my nose and my cheek. I think the mask is just not WIDE enough.

The smell of the mask is also not very enticing. It is pretty erm... harsh smelling. I would think that it would smell like ROSES since this is called a Rose Brightening Mask, right? Nothing floral at all! A bit disappointing, but at least it didn't give me a headache, like the Sasatinnie masks.

Interesting enough, rose oil (this is one of the ingredients) has a lot of health and dermalogical benefits for users. Other than being used in aromatherapy (it smells good, is an anti-depressant and aphrodisiac all-in-one!), rose oil is also anti-bacterial and helps regulate and balance hormone production. It is touted as one of the best oils which can give you shining, fresh and youthful skin.

After using this mask, my skin did feel more moisturised and some how more "brightened" and skin tone was also more evened out. Was satisfied with the outcome, but it was not so startling that it would show up in before / after images (hence no photo!). I do find it pricey though, especially since when other brightening masks I've used before gives me the same effect.

Probably not a repurchase, but if you're a Hello Kitty fan, this would probably be right up your alley.

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Lipstick Sundays : Mentholatum Lipice Lip Moisturizer in Kissy Pink

I discovered that I had already blogged about the Mentholatum Lipice Lip Moisturizer back when I FIRST bought it, but there were no swatches. Anyway, it was a good revisit down memory lane (reading the old entry), and how my thoughts had changed since I first bought it! Will include old photos here as well in case you don't want to check the old entry. ;)

About 2 years back, Lipice launched their Watercolor Lip Moisturizer series, which (to me) was a more vibrant lipbalm (in fact, more like a very moisturizing lipstick!) than their existing lip balm / lip tints. Even the packaging was more towards lipstick than towards those clear lip tints that Lipice is more known for. I got "Kissy Pink" (Watercolor #3) in the range because it seemed more unique compared to the other colors. I have lots of pink lippies anyway, this one looked more orange!

 

 

As you can see from the above packaging, it looks like the tube is going to be really geometric / angular. Instead, the real tube is actually just a boring, normal tube shape. The interesting shape in the packaging is all plastic packaging! -___-" 

 

The 4 colors in the range are: 

#1 : Vintage Pink
#2 : Fantasy Pink
#3 : Kissy Pink
#4 : Sexy Pink

Quoted from my previous entry: "IMHO, Sexy Pink is a dark blue pink that does look a little bit old school to me. I think it would suit mature ladies better (this would be me? hehehe. No, I mean older than me! Like 35 and above... but I doubt those ladies would wear Lip Ice). Vintage Pink is a very "standard pink" color... nothing special about it. It's a classic go-to shade, so if you have absolutely NO pink lipsticks at all, you should probably choose this. 

Kissy Pink is a very vibrant coral color, and I doubt my boyfriend would think that this color equates to kissiness. ;) I chose it because it's an odd color, and cheap lipsticks are good for odd colors that you don't wear too often. Classic shades deserve something more expensive (my own personal rule of thumb). Fantasy Pink was my second choice, but it is more to a red shade than a pink shade."

 

 After using the lip moisturizer for quite some time.... I would say that I was actually pretty wrong about saying that there is not much difference between the "before" and "after". Either that, or something changed the more I use it! Now, I feel that the color is SUPER VIBRANT with just one application. It kinda scares me. You know what? I think that it's because my lip moisturizer / lipstick is more "melted" now, so more comes off with a single application? The color in the tube looks nuclear orange, but the effect on the lips is a more vibrant coral. It's quite obvious, but not some crazy, bright orange color.

I quite like it! I think that it's pretty moisturising & gives a pretty nice color coverage at the same time. When I bought it, it was RM11.90. Heard the price has now gone up to RM14.90. I'm quite interested to try another one now...

 

As always, ending with a picture of the close-up. 

 

 

The secret to the lasting moistness in the lippie? Super Hyaluronic Acid and Ceramide , and further enriched with Maxilip and Vitamin E to help reduce fine lines and keeping lips supple. For me, really no complaints about the moisturisation qualities. I should probably not keep lip balms and lip tints around for so long though... but it's finishing! FYI, I have no idea why I've used the lip moisturizer til such a shape (check out the ultra pointy tip in my pic above!)... I still think it melted somewhat in my handbag.... 

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Premier Moisture Cream Complex by Dead Sea Premier

I got a free sample of the Premier Moisture Cream Complex from Dead Sea Premier while I was randomly walking around in a shopping mall in Singapore. I've not seen this brand before in Malaysia (it is made in Israel), but you can buy it from here. I only got a 5ml tube, but it seems to last me a really long time! Granted, I only take it along with me on holidays, though recently I try to use it every night (as a night moisturiser) because I love it that much!

I think this 5ml tube could even last me for about 10-14 days, so a full size moisture cream complex at 60ml could probably stretch for half a year. It costs USD$190 though, so not very drugstore beauty now, is it? ;)

The cream is thick, white, and easily absorbed into the skin. You only need to use a little bit at a time, hence the ability to stretch out a 5ml sample over 2 weeks. I even use it on my neck! It feels a bit oily at first, but only for a short while. As I said, it gets absorbed easily... and when you wake up, your skin feels really nice and soft! Another item that I would attribute to my good-skin-days of recent.

This complex has the special facility of moisturizing the skin while simultaneously controlling excess oil. It contains natural UVA and UVB, SPF 17. Oh, wasted, I keep using it at night, so the SPF 17 goes to waste. The reason I use it as my night moisturiser instead of a day moisturiser is because of the aforementioned "oiliness" I get at the beginning. I don't like to wait too long before applying my makeup (coz I'm always rushing to get to work... -__-). The thought of applying my makeup on slightly oily face is... blehk. 

Wondering why minerals from the Dead Sea is used in beauty products? There's actually a lot of beauty products on the market that boast about using minerals from the Dead Sea in order to achieve fresh & young looking skin. Dead ingredients in the water from the Dead Sea is considered as a miracle of nature and the best natural therapeutic resource. "Black Mud" found at the bottom of the Dead Sea has the highest concentration of minerals on earth. Among the 21 essential minerals found in the Dead Sea, 12 minerals are unique and can only be found in the Dead Sea. These minerals help to achieve youthful skin as well as heal your skin. The minerals mentioned are a combination of sulfur, magnesium, calcium, sodium and potassium and various proteins.

Do take note that they have the moisture cream complex for normal to dry skin and normal to oily skin, so if you do make a purchase, make sure you get the correct one for your skin type! :)

ETA: Personally find that after using this consecutively, the "moisturised" feeling that I got initially is turning into an "oily" kind of feeling. My skin is not OILY per se, just that it feels like there's a film of oil resting on it, and I find it rather disturbing. Moisturised DOES NOT equate to oiliness! Perhaps this cream is wayyyyy too rich for me! 

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Friday Cheapies : Boots Essentials Lip Salve in Spearmint

Whoa, another Boots post - 2 days in a row! :D Well, I've been keeping this item around for a bit, so I decided to blog about it cos it fits in with the Friday Cheapies theme. :) This item was also bought by my husband, but was actually for his own use! Don't know why, he felt like he had chapped lips in Thailand, so he picked up the Boots Essentials Lip Salve in Spearmint.

Actually, just browsing that store for 5-10 minutes will make you "just pick up" something along the way. He asked me to get some because they were quite cheap --- about RM5 - RM8 for a 5g tube? But I was not keen because I have sooooo many lip balms / lip tints already. I couldn't loan him mine because they all have color. :P :P

Since he doesn't have chapped lips anymore, nor find a use for this item... he passed it on to me. I usually use this when I'm working from home and I'm keeping things simple.. no make-up, not much skin care, but I still wanna take care of my dry lips.

Personally, I have to use quite a bit of it (spam it on! spam it on!) to get this really nice, moisturised feeling on my lips. The bad bit is that it doesn't last long (for me). Even without eating, it just seems to disappear really easily! But one VERY GOOD bit is that because this is in SPEARMINT, it always feels like you've just brushed your teeth. Hahaa! You will have very fresh breath indeed when you use this.

Before :

And after --- can see a bit more shine, right?

Not sure if this should be a repurchase because it lacks long-lastingness, however, when it is on, it definitely does its job to protect against dry and chapped lips. Also, really like the spearmint scent! And because there's no color --- unisex! Can continue sharing lip salve with my husband, hahaha.

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Boots Amazon Forest Mango & Babassu Body Wash

Following up with my body scrub post yesterday, here's a post on the actual BODY WASH that I am using at the moment. :) In fact, this is something that has been hiding in my stash for quite a while... the Boots Amazon Forest Mango & Babassu Body Wash! Sorry, this was a gift to me from my (then) boyfriend (now husband!) when he went for a trip to Thailand. He asked me what I wanted and was surprised that I only wanted stuff from Boots. After visiting Boots for himself, he keeps saying that it is awesome and why don't we have Boots in Malaysia?

Anyway, I was so happy that he got me this body wash because it means that our "taste" is the same.. this is something that I would buy for myself! I generally LOVE fruity scents, and mango is one of my fave fruits. How wonderful it would be to lather myself up with this body wash! This body wash contains softening mango butter and babassu oil to help skin feel fresh and supple. For a 200ml tube, it's not lasting me very long... it is also another body wash that has about 20% or so left after less than a month... :(

I suppose you must be wondering - what is mango butter? Mango butter is high in unsaponifiable fats and antioxidants and is used in skincare and even hair care for its moisturising properties. It is not supposed to smell like mangoes since it is extracted from the kernel (the seed!) and not from the flesh of the fruit. If you've used stuff with cocoa butter --- well, this is similar to it, just slightly firmer. :) Mango butter has good emolliency and lends protection against the sun. It is said to prevent drying of the skin and formation of wrinkles. Mango butter also reduces degeneration of skin cells and restores elasticity.

Of course, for this Boots body wash, this  *does* smell like mangoes. It is not fragrant as fresh mangoes that I get from the market, but it is quite a good scent. Not fake, very natural.

As for babassu oil, I've mentioned in a previous post that it is the secret to ultra moisturisation. To quote myself, babassu oil is similar to coconut oil in properties, but I'm starting to think that this is a much better alternative as most people think that coconut oil smells too strong for them.

This all sounds good on paper, but I have to say that I don't feel super moisturised using this as a body wash. I think I get better results with other products on the market, like the Cussons Softly Softly body wash I blogged about earlier, or Dove / Nivea washes. I mean, it's better than most regular stuff, but after being pampered with ultra moisturisation, this just falls short. Also, the mango scent perfumes the shower stall wonderfully during bath times, but it doesn't last long on the skin. I am disappointed. :(

Probably not a repurchase for me for this item, but I definitely still have a lot of love for Boots products and would check out other items they have to offer. :)

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