Say Goodbye

There is always some kind of sadness in me when I have to throw away my skincare product bottles. Today, it is time to say goodbye to two more bottles, my first pimple cream, Decosmet Acne Cream, and my first eye cream, Evarro Eye Treatment Essence.

I am quite a hogger, and I practically keep everything and anything. lol. Especially skincare bottles. They are so nice, and so useful for traveling.

My two beloved bottles of creams.

I always take so long to finish these things, and they end up expired. Both are at least 2 years' old... ... They both smell sour.

I tried to wash out the creams so that I can reuse the bottles. But even with detergent, a lot of cream was still left sticking at the bottom.

So no choice. Must throw.

PS: The bottles look exactly the same. Actually they were sister brands. But have now split up.

What do you normally do with finished tubs/bottles of skincare? Do you wash and keep any? Or everything just goes into the bin?

If you do keep them, like I do, what do you use them for?

If you throw, does it sadden you? Especially if you have been using the product for months and months... ...

Mentholatum Acnes Toner

Mentholatum Acnes Toner

Available: Watsons, Guardian, quite cheap

Volume:

Star Properties: It has powder that will dry off the excess oil on your face.

Packaging
This is the usual toner bottle with the holed cap, so you just have to turn it over to dispense. I am fine with it, as I am already used to pouring out toner. I don't use cotton pads nowadays though. Just pour 3 drops on my palm.

But I understand that some people would prefer to have it in a spray bottle, as this saves on the volume used each time.

My favourite is the still a pump bottle though, like TFS Eco-Vert Toner.

Form
This is a powder-water bi-phase toner, which means you have to shake before use. Honestly, I don't like bi-phase stuff. To me, it's very troublesome. Plus I am particular about how I shake. Cannot be too vigorous, as this will cause bubbles in my products.

I will overturn it, wait patiently for the particles or oil slowly mix with the water. Then overturn, and overturn again. Swirl gently in between too. This is time-consuming.

Surface Finish
This toner is very drying, as it contains alcohol. Definitely only recommended for people with oily skin. My SO, who is the main user of this product, says it is mattifying, and controls oil on his face, lasting a whole day.

I personally stay away from alcohol products.

Sensitive Skin
It is okay for me. Despite the dryness, nothing happened to me.

I love it: -
I can't exactly rate this, as it is not for my skin in the first place. So I hope the description in this review may help you to judge the product by yourself.

Just want to say that it's kind of so far so good that Acnes range of Mentholatum really does help those with more serious acne problems. Haven't read serious complains before... ...

If anyone has used some Acnes products before, feel free to post your thoughts. =) Heard that the cleanser is not too bad...

Himalaya Herbals Acne-n-Pimple Cream

I found a new pimple cream that is mild but works for me!

This time, this cream is the winner of Cleo Beauty Awards 2009 and absolutely natural. I am currently trying to take baby steps to go as natural as I can when it comes to skincare. And this time, I have found something that is pretty cheap, and pretty good.

Himalaya Herbals Acne-n-Pimple Cream

Available: Watsons, Guardian, $10+

Volume: 30g

Star Properties: Silk Cotton Tree, with its astringent and cooling properties, controls acne and pimples and prevents future breakouts. Five-leaved Chaste Tree reduces skin inflammation. Aloe vera heals and softens the skin.

Note: Himalaya Herbals promises on its label that it is 100% plant active ingredients.

Himalaya Herbals Acne-n-Pimple Cream, picture courtesy of Himalaya Herbals website.

Do take a look at the website, here, cos I found it quite useful, with the amount of ingredients stated and all.

Packaging
It comes in this cute, short and fat, little tube. haha. Very adorable, compared to ACNES Sealing Jel, which is long and normal geometry, like mosquito itch cream. The Himalaya Herbals tube is made to stand on your vanity table, rather than lie down.

Texture
Okay. I don't really care that much about the viscosity of pimple creams, as it doesn't matters, since I am supposed to dot it anyway, not spread it all over the face.

Colour
I like the way this cream comes in beige colour, so it acts like a medicated concealer. I have been looking for a good medicated concealer for ages. So why not the other way round, look for a concealing pimple cream instead! hahaha.

Although the price of this cream is still more expensive than ACNES, as both have 20% student discount, I think this concealing point is quite worth paying for.

Effectiveness
I was very surprised to feel the tingling sensation on my acnes/pimples, right after application, since the ingredients of this looks so mild. And as I hoped, I woke up the next morning with pimples gone. =) Not all gone-gone-gone, but gone such that my skin is smoother. So I am satisfied. Like I said, if my pimple really was gone-gone type of gone, then I am applying poison, not pimple cream.

I need to be very responsible to my readers... So here's the down side:

My SO thinks this cream totally no use on his pimples at all even after applying quite a lot for one week. His are those volcanic type, and erupted volcano some more. Really can see a pea size thing on the face.

So it might not work for you too, if yours is pea-sized erupted volcano.

I love it: 4.5 hearts.

Yes, I am not going to give this full marks, much as I prefer this to ACNES, if I can shell out the extra few dollars. Cos my SO says it doesn't works on him, but ACNES does.

So now, I am going to exchange my tube with his Himalaya Herbals. lol.

Daiso Natural Pack Charcoal Masque

This is the all famous charcoal mask that everybody in the Daiso thread on beauty forums like Flowerpod is raving about.

Daiso Natural Pack Charcoal Masque

Available: Daiso $2

Volume: 80g

Star Properties: Charcoal for deep clarifying of toxins, especially good for oily skin types and acne.

Packaging
I like the very cute black face woman sticker paste on top of the tube! hahaha. I tore it off though. It is made in Korea, which I like. And made of good quality plastic.

And see how the tube is sealed with aluminium foil, so you can be careful to buy an untouched tube? So nice right? For $2. I didn't expect this.

The sealed tube that I just have to show readers. =)))

Texture
Not easy to spread at all. For the rough 20-cent coin amount that I first squeezed onto my palm, as shown, I could only spread it far enough to cover 1/3 my forehead.

The black as charcoal masque. I didn't expect the colour to be so rich too. lol.

This 20-cent coin amount could only cover 1/3 my forehead nicely.

Subsequently, I squeezed another 2 and a half ful, full palmful of thick gel before I could cover my entire face nicely, as shown in the picture below.

Covered my face nicely in enough charcoal. =) Probably the most unglam pic I am ever going to post up on my blog. hahaha.

Effect
Squeaky clean. It's like, wow! I've never felt my face this clean before. I guess it does removes toxins and deeply clarifies.

But then it left my dehydrated skin too dry, that I broke out later in the day.

I love it: 4 hearts.

I think this is a very good quality mask. Comparable to those that I get during facial. Not to mention the $2 only. But it is not suitable for my skin.

I have passed it to my SO, who also has oily skin. After he used it, I see that his face really looks lighter, as the charcoal has cleansed out the dirt. (Just like how my skin looks so much brighter, and not dull, after I started going for facials.)

Mentholatum Acnes Medicated Sealing Jell

Finally have time to blog about Acnes Sealing Jell.

Acnes is a new brand on the market made by Mentholatum, for teens. My SO bought it as both our pimple cream had run out. And I am happy to announce that it is so far so good for us!
Mentholatum Acnes Medicated Sealing Jell

Available: Watsons $8.90 (with Student Card, discount 20% now), Guardian, NTUC

Volume: 18g

Star Properties: Contains Vitamin E and B6 to prevent dry and rough skin.

The box front and ingredients list.

Description on box: > Contains Triclosan to penetrate the pores and prevent formation of acne bacteria > Soothes discomfort of acne prone skin > Keeps oil secretion under control and helps remove excessive sebum > Contains sulfur which helps unblock pores and promotes healing - Oil-free and mild formulation - Mild and pleasant fragrance

Box back, with description of the jell properties.

Packaging
It comes in a normal cream tube shape, like how you would get your mosquito bite creams or burn creams. But unlike those normal tubes, Acnes tube is made of plastic, not aluminium. This means that it can't be bent until it breaks. So we girls can keep it safely in our handbags without it going out of shape or tearing apart! (Those of you who have experience Crabtree & Evelyn La Source Hand Cream would be familiar with the aluminium tube tearing accidents.)

The tube with the cute Mentholatum logo there. Reminds me of Smith's Rosebud Salve logo.

Texture
It is good. Easy to absorb, easy to spread.

What I do, is squeeze out a green bean size amount, then use the forefinger of my other hand to touch/dab a teeny weeny bit, then pat it repeatedly on the pimple ONLY, until it is roughly absorbed.

Fragrance
None that I can smell. Only a very, very slight tinge when I brought the cream very close to my nose. LOL. Yes, I was checking for smell, as there really is none normally. And no, I was unhygienic enough to bring the tube to my nose. I squeezed out a pea size to try.

Feel on Face
Slightly cooling. Which I like.

Effect
Very good. Both my SO and I could see our bumps going down, and redness soothed, plus after a few days, the pimple will be gone.

Price
Cheap and good. Many pimple killers are priced at $30-$40.
Note: This is definitely no instant miracle cream. It takes time to heal.

Side note: If you are looking for one day drop off creams, I think things like Oxy10 or Clearasil would work better because they contain benzoyl peroxide. Creams like this dries your pimple off to bits, and so making it fall off.

But the thing to be concerned about is that potent creams are in a sense poison. And for people like me, I can't afford to poison my skin cells. I have used both Oxy10 and Clearasil before, and all I can say is that, I am allergic to them. And more and more pimples pop out eventually.

So I'd rather get something like Acnes, which encourages healing rather than drying, so that I can nurse back my pimples, not kill them. Killing and plucking out should be done when you are doing deep cleansing/clarifying, or during facial.

Anyway,
I love it: 5 hearts.

Another Holy Grail product for me. =)))

NuTeen Oil Control Series

I actually wanted to post on Kiehl's hand cream, just to complete my hand cream series of reviews. But I just discover something that I really want to rave about - NuTeen Blackheads Away Gel.

I can't give a complete review because I only got a 3ml sample packet from a promoter during the John Little Bazaar in my school. But I hope to take this chance to rave about this product, introduce this brand to some of you, and hopefully get kind reviews from those who have tried NuTeen.

NuTeen brochure from my school's John Little Bazaar.

On the inside is the elaboration, and see the two sample packets at the top?

I understand that NuTeen has been the sponsor of some Channel 8 TV shows, such as those Superband or Campus Superstar, I think. So this is not an entirely new brand.

And of course, as the name suggests, NuTeen is for teens. But as most of us probably already know, acnes are not restricted to teens. Even 40 year olds can have breakouts.

In my opinion, I actually feel that teen targeted acne creams or treatments are effective for all ages. I can't confirm since I am not old enough to test that out for you. But at least for my age, teen acne creams still work.

According to what I know about marketing and pricing, products aimed at older women are much much much more expensive than anything else. And according to my scientific knowledge, the pricing is ridiculous since the general ingredients and effectiveness are very much the same. (Unless it is a patented thing, like Pitera.)

So rather than spending your hard earned money on working class products or mature people products, why not go for teen products that are so much cheaper and work as well?

NuTeen Blackheads Away Gel

Available: -

Volume: -

Star Properties: Specially blended with active ingredients such as Salicylic acid, Thanakha extract and Triclosan to thoroughly cleanse the skin, thus making your skin look new, smooth, fine and clear.

NuTeen Blackheads Away Gel and All Clear Moisturizer sample sachet.

The instructions says to use this product on dry skin with dry hands, and before cleansing. I pressed all the 3ml of sample out, and massaged gently all over my face. Strangely enough, I felt balls of dirt, (like wet and teared up balls of paper), on my face.

The NuTeen steps to Oil Free and Flawless Skin! =)

There was quite a lot of dirt balls because I did not remove my sunblock prior to clarifying, since the instruction says use on dry face.

After 1 minute, I felt the gel used up. But my face was not at all dry or tout. I rinsed off the gel, and my skin felt super ultra smooth! WOW! After I cleansed, the smoothness still remains.

The feeling was so amazing, because this is the smoothest I have ever felt of my skin. Even my Laneige Cleansing Oil cannot produce the same feel. And none of my cleansers or moisturizers can produce this feel. Goodness, I am so tempted to buy the full size tube.

But I am hesitating because while the gel was on my face, I felt a slight tingly sensation on the area between my nose and my upper lips. I did not breakout though. So not sure if it was because I am sensitive or what... ...

I also don't quite like the strong smell, which smells slightly of chemical.

I love it: 4 hearts.

I think it gives a really good feeling. But I can't tell whether it does removes blackheads or not, as I have only use it once. And I did not steam my face before that. If I do get a full size tube, I will review it again and might give it 5 hearts. =)))

NuTeen All Clear Moisturizer

Available:

Volume:

Star Properties: Enriched with Thanaka extract for soft, crystal clear skin. Balances oil secretion and cools skin without menthol.

I was also given a pack of moisturizer from NuTeen. And I had to try it together.

I can't tell whether it does control oil secretion, cos I don't have oily skin.

But the texture of the cream is quite light, and dissolves very well into my skin (within 1-2 minutes), without leaving a sticky feel.

This is certainly performing much better than many other moisturizers I have tested.

And the best thing that I really like about it, is the cool feel without menthol. Because most of the cooling creams contain menthol, which is very unsuitable for sensitive skin. However, with NuTeen, I can vouch that this is completely sensitive skin friendly (not sure for eczema though).

And so,
I love it: 4 hearts.

I have deducted marks because I am unsure of the long term effects, and oil control power. If anyone has used this before, do let me know if I can give this 5 hearts. Thanks a lot!

PS: With NuTeen Oil Control Series, now you can have Oil Free and Flawless Skin!