O2 Skin Fruit Yoghurt 5-min Wash-off Masks

I am so happy to find yet another item that can be added on to my MoneySense tag. And that is O2 Skin Fruit Yoghurt Masks!

I first came across O2 Skin Fruit masks when I brought a dear friend to O2 Skin outlet at AMK Hub. My friend bought both the Mango and Orange wash-off mask, and I asked her to let me have a look.

I did not try it, but from the looks of it, it's really wow! It looks and smells like real Mango. I had to try hard to suppress the urge to eat up the tub of Mango mask. hahahaha. (Unfortunately, at that time, I did not take a picture, so I can't show you anything. But there are quite a few O2 Skin outlets around, and do take a look if you pass by one of them.)

So, that has led me to have quite a good impression of O2 Skin Fruit Masks. And when I got a free 3-piece Fruit Yoghurt Mask packet from O2 Skin Workshop, I was delighted, and excited to want to try it.

O2 Skin Fruit Yoghurt Mask

Available: O2 Skin outlets

Volume: (I will check this out.)

Star Properties: 5-minute and all the goodness will be infused!

O2-Skin Fruit Yoghurt Mask x3 Free Trial Pack

The back. The ingredients are okay. Not poisonous, but definitely not natural, for those who are concerned.

Looks/Smell
It is white, with dense dots of fruit (strawberry/cucumber/orange) everywhere.

Texture
Very good! Not too thick, not too watery. Easy to spread all over face.

Effects
Strawberry: No effects, in my opinion.

Cucumber: OMG! This IS good! I think this is a must try. It's super hydrating, smoothening, and softening. If anyone remembers my rave on Blanc de Blanc 3-in-1 Hydrating Mask, now, I can say that, this cucumber mask is better than that! My face was super velvety and soft after I only used half that packet of cucumber mask. Velvety as in really the slightly furry, smooth feel. Literally. haha. Sorry, but this is too amazing that I have to emphasize it.

Orange: I haven't try this.

The Best Part
Of course, the best part for this would be it only takes 5 min! I personally always find myself very busy, and I can't bear waiting 20 - 30 minutes for masks to have their effects. The waiting time bores me out, as I can't have any facial expression for so long. haha.

Not sure if you also like to be fast, and save time like me. But a 5-min OK mask is really appealing for city-dwellers.

Sensitive Skin
So far so good. =) No problems with Strawberry and Cucumber. Will try orange soon.

I love it: 5 hearts.
This only applies to the cucumber mask, as it is very hydrating. I wouldn't recommend buying the strawberry at all.

Giovanna Ballet Flats

Giovanna is one of my favourite local shoe brands. I find their designs stylish enough, and their shoes comfortable, and affordable, though they are not the dirt cheap kind.

I believe a lot of us Singaporeans will know that Mondo is the really cheap one. And DMK is also very affordably priced, though DMK seems to lack in the style factor.

In this post, I just want to share my latest loot: Giovanna Ballet Flats Gold, with checkered prints.

Giovanna Ballet Flats Gold, with checkered prints.

I think the Gold buckle suits my skin. There is the black and silver one too.

And I really, really like checkered pattern. Can imagine how much I love Burberry. hahahahaha.

Got it at one the outlet's closing down sale, so it's only $15. Wouldn't have bought it at the normal price, as I feel that flats are just not worth anything more than $20, unless it's really high end branded.

So far so good. =) The sides are made of cloth, not leather or plastic, so it doesn't cuts. I just love the softness of cloth.

The only drawback is that the soles do not grip very well, so there were instances when I almost slipped.

Nail Art Escapade No.2

My second time.

hahaha. So inspired indeed by Pretty Beautiful, that I continued nail art after those from the previous attempt chipped, and I washed it off.

Here goes:

The Half-Half, using City Girl, Revlon Cherry Rush, and Clatty Purple (for dots).

I don't really like this design, though I think I did a much better dot painting within the lines. No dirty overlaps, and the surface finish is much smoother than the Sweet Snow Cake one I did on first try.

My SO also thinks this design is a bit weird.

Though it may be due to the colours I chose. Those tutorials that I have seen are all using Black and White. But I don't like Black.

Nail Art Escapade No.1

Guess what? haha. I am so inspired by Pretty Beautiful's pretty and beautiful DIY Nail Art, that I made an attempt on DIY nail-art as well!

I believe a lot of you might have stumbled upon her beautiful nail art already. But do check it out, if you haven't already done so. She has really nice reads on other beautiful things too. =)

Here's mine: (Caution! I have ugly fingers and toes.)

The Sweet Snow Cake nails. Done with Rainbow White, O2 Skin Pink, and Revlon Cherry Rush.

My SO commended me for this one!! He thinks I did a really good job, and he likes the sweet colours too. Compared to when I only had the pink on, he didn't even notice the pink on my nails. LOL.

But I feel I can definitely improve my techniques. See the pain on my index finger? It's overlapped wrongly. I didn't mean to overlap.

The Simple Flower Red nails.

My SO just likes the Revlon Nail Enamel in Cherry Rush, with or without flowers. haha.

Overall, I am really very happy at my 1st time results. Much easier than I thought DIY nail art would be. And the colour combi that I chose works out well.

I did do a practice for the Sweet Snow Cake one, and I had to wipe of everything the first time. But I soon got the hang of it. Like the length of white to put, how much I should dip for each nail polish, whether I should overlap the colours or not, etc.

Yup, it's pretty easy. Actually, you just pain whatever you see in those pictures, and try to find the right tools to pain them.

Here is what I used: (Nothing fancy. No branded nail polish and all.)

From Left to Right: Rainbow, O2 Skin, Revlon Cherry Rush, Clatty, O2 Skin Base Coat, O2 Skin Top Coat.

I also used the round ends of toothpicks to dot the dot. Dirt cheap, and it works. Change a new stick about every 4-5 nails. As the dots will get bigger and bigger, then not nice.

I will review the Rainbow White Nail Polish. I actually bought it because there were many recommendations that does the job well, and is only $2.

O2 Skin nail polishes are really cheap and good. I have two shades of pink, and this is one of them.

Clatty is a $3.90 brand from Venus. I think some of you who frequent Venus might have seen it. It's no good. So don't buy. (Which explains why I am only using it for the dots.)

Revlon Nail Enamel is the ultra good one. =))) It's my 2nd time using it, though I have bought it for quite some time. It's the colour that is on my toe nails. And the good news it, I did this nail art 3 weeks ago, and my toe nail colour is still fully on!!

Revlon Nail Enamel in another colour has been reviewed by My Women Stuff too:
Revlon Red Hot Tamale for the Sexiest Toes Ever!

Yep, hope my noob attempt at nail art may inspire other girls to try DIY too! I am sure you all know it saves quite a sum of money. Plus, I had a good time relaxing myself, and having fun Me-Time while I was doing that.

Essential Damage Care

Essential Damage Care is the new hair care range to try on the market. With its bright sweet pink and radiant lovely orange, it shouts "Sassy Kawaii" to all the girls who love their hair out there. =)

Both ranges of Nuance Airy in Pink, and Rich Premier in Orange, promises to care for even the last 15cm of your hair. And true enough to its words, I found my hair un-frizzed and detangled all the way to the end.

Presenting my latest rave together with a mini competition vs Asience Deep Nourishing Range (Gold):
Essential Damage Care in Nuance Airy (Pink)

Available: Watsons, Guardian, NTUC, Shop&Save, $3.95 at many places for 200ml, $9.95 for 500ml

Volume: 200ml, and 500ml

Star Properties: *1 Protection ingredients: honey and whey (milk) of very high purity
*2 Repair ingredient: lanolin fatty acid

Essential Damage Care in Nuance Airy, picture courtesy of Kao Essential website.

Packaging
The design for the 200ml pour out bottle is simple amazing. It fits *clicks* right into my palm. Staying there so beautifully and will not slip like many other shampoo/conditioner bottles.

Fragrance
All of them, the shampoo, conditioner and treatment, smells wonderfully of sweet fruits, yet not overwhelming.

This is the first time my SO commented that my hair is fragrant after knowing him for so long. Previously, I have been using L'oreal and Asience, which are not known to leave any smell on the hair.

Colour
All of them artificially coloured to be beautifully pink, exactly the same as the bottles of course.

Texture
It is definitely not as smooth nor easy to rub in as Asience. I had to take more to shampoo the whole length of my hair.

Effect
1. Ultra duper volumizing! I didn't expect the results to be so good, and as promised. Can you imagine my eyes wide open when I saw how "popped" up my hair suddenly became, when I sat down in front of the mirror for the first time? My hair has grown so limp from the number of rebonds I did. It always lies flat on my head like forever already. Nuance Airy actually made the silhouette of my head wider by 2 inches around!! 2. Totally detangled! Even with Asience Deep Nourishing, I always found the inner portion of my hair to remain frizzy, and thus easy to tangle/tangled. I think Essential Damage Care straightens out my hair so well that all the knotty problems at the hair ends are solved. As promised, it delivers care all the way to even the last 15cm of your hair.

3. Not soft and smooth. Maybe it is because the pink range only promises light and volume, it just doesn't makes my hair as soft and smooth as Asience does. With Asience, my hair has the super velvety soft feel and shine, like in many advertisements. But not with Nuance Airy.

Treatment
Nuance Airy treatment works. It does makes my hair softer, smoother and straighter than if I do not use treatment. But it is not as "dream-come-true" as Asience. Asience Treatment can keep my hair in the same soft, smooth and shiny state for two days. Which is the longest lasting I can find so far. Dove, Silkpro, L'oreal all doesn't works that well.

What I like about Essential is that it gives damaged hair volume. It's like a 2-in-1 actually. Because none of the other brands can repair damaged hair and give volume at the same time. They only offer a range for damaged hair, and a separate range for volumization.

Overall, I would recommend Essential if you looking for
- care for the last 15 cm
- detanglement
- straightening
- anti-frizz
- volumizing.

But I would still vouch for Asience if you looking for
- soft like flowing water and piece of silk
- smooth
- lasting softening and smoothening effects.

And definitely still recommend Asience Treatment over Essential's.

As for personal preference, I still like Asience, and I would still stick to Asience despite the $3 more price.

Verdict:
I love this: 4.5 hearts

VERY value for money!!!
It delivers the promised quality as written in description despite its lower pricing strategy.

Random updates + Notes for myself

I have been busy with school and also quite a lot of beauty/skincare products this week. So much to update about.

Coming soon, will be:
- SilkyGirl BB Cream - Cheap, But Is It Really Worth The Money?
- The Face Shop Extra BB Cream - Good Reviews All Over The Net. For The Budget Conscious, Is It Worth It To Save For and Splurge On?
- kawaii Tokyo Melting Dew/Makeup Dissolver - Miraculous New Form of MU Remover, Bye Bye Cleansing Oil?
- Essential Damage Care Series - Sweet, Kawaii, Cheap. Does It Works?
- Himalaya Undereye Cream (NEW!)
- Acnes SPF25 Moisturizer - Cleo Award Winner, But Does It Lives Up The Title?

Also, I've got loot from Aries! Nice things can still be found in budget stores. Forget Chameleon! It's daylight robberrrrryyyyyy!

Yes, yes, yes, I definitely must blog about Chameleon VS Aries/Other "Olden Day" Shops.

I have to go off now. =((( Haiz. Busy, busy, busy.

FOTD September 11, 2009

I tried my second attempt at FOTD last Friday. This time, I tried to be bolder with experimenting eyeshadow colours. And I basically used two colours, green and black, which I thought would turn out hideous. But ended up, I am quite satisfied with the combination. =)))

I think smokey eyes base is so versatile, as I can fit the silvery greyish black with so many different colours. I really don't think smokey eyes is limited to dark purple, which many claim. I have tried dark olive green this time, and I think next time I going to do red or pink, or perhaps blue. I am also thinking of using lighter shades like lemon green or sky blue, instead of the dark shade, that will tend to fit in more with smokey eyes.

haha, though I am a total newbie to makeup, I think I am having quite a lot of fun with it right now. And my learning curve is still at the steep part of the sigmoid curve. Long, long way to go. (I love logging on to forums and YouTube to learn more about makeup.)

Here goes my pictures:
(Please pardon me for the amateur skills. Thanks for your tolerance. =))

Face with eyes open.

Face with eyes closed.

This is what I had on:
(not very different from my 1st FOTD.)
- The FaceShop BB Cream
- Maybelline Gel Liner in Black
- SilkyGirl Eyeshadow Duo in Smokey Eyes
- IN2IT Green Eyeshadow Palette, darkest shade in Olive Green for the inner part of eyes, and lightest shade in Cream Gold for corner of eyes.
- Maybelline Intense XXL Mascara
- Rhomlon Eyebrow Pencil in Black (This time I decided to draw my eyebrows. haha.)
- SilkyGirl Duo Shimmer Blusher
- Mentholatum Lip Pure Lip Balm
- Make Up Store Lipstick

By the way, I think not many people would take notice of IN2IT eyeshadow palette or Rhomlon eyebrow pencil, because it is much cheaper than brands like L'oreal and Maybelline. But to be honest, they are good!

The blue IN2IT eyeshadow palette is not really nice. The blues are really weird. But I like the green palette a lot. The shades are nice, and the colour stays. Comparatively, SilkyGirl eyeshadow falls off much faster, and is normally gone within 2 hours.

Moreover, for eyebrow pencil, it's just an eyebrow pencil! Unlike lipstick or blusher, you can't feel it, and your skin at the eyebrow will hardly ever be sensitive to any ingredients etc, etc. Therefore, I find it incredibly hard to justify something like a Shu Uemura eyebrow pencil.

PS: I just modified this look with a brighter shade of green, and using pink base today! It's very nice, IMO! I will do the modified version, and post it next week.

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.)

Daiso Charcoal Face Wash

Daiso Charcoal Face Wash

Available: Daiso $2

Volume: 80g

Star Properties: Contains Charcoal powder to help remove toxins

Packaging
It comes in a normal screw open tube, which has very good quality plastic for something this cheap.

Ingredients
It does not contains Sodium Laureth Sulfate. And the main cleansing ingredients are very similar to Eversoft, aside from the charcoal powder added around the middle of the list. Which is very good, as according to ingredients list reading technique by Viva Woman, this shows that charcoal is indeed added in a substantial quantity.

Compared to male charcoal lines, like Vichy Homme, and Mentholatum For Men Charcoal Cleanser, Daiso Charcoal Face Wash is more true to the consumers. I've checked the ingredients list for both the former, and I found that Vichy's one does not even contain charcoal. As for Mentholatum, they name it Carbon, and is placed at the end of the list. Which I feel is too little an amount to do any real good. Makes me feel cheated.

Texture
It is easy to foam up and spread. Pretty much the same as many other cleansers.

Effect
Drying as charcoal may be known to be, I did not feel my face as tout as Eversoft Pomegranate Whitening & Firming Cleanser that I wrote about earlier. My face felt very clean though. Not squeaky, but clean. =) Happy.

Since I don't have oily skin, I really have no idea whether it helps to control oil or not. And I can't vouch much for this.

However, my mum very kindly agreed to test this out for all of us, as she has very oily skin. She says that it's not bad in quality. And it does seems that her face is less oily after using for 2-3 days. But it has been raining in Singapore, and she feels it could be due to the cooler weather making her oily skin condition better. As such, she says she will have to test it for around 2 weeks before she can really conclude.

Sensitive Skin
According to Avene, there is such a thing as oily and sensitive skin. So just for those in concern, this is not irritating for my sensitive skin. I think it is due to the absence of SLS.

There are two brands of charcoal face wash in Daiso. One is the same brand as the charcoal mask, and it contains SLS, while the other one is what I bought. Do read the ingredients and make sure you buy the one without SLS.

I love it: 4 hearts.

Unfortunately, I have to deduct marks for the slight dryness it cost me. Charcoal is just not suitable for already dehydrated skin.

But if your skin is oily/normal, $2 for 80g is a real bargain even if you compare to supermarket prices, like 100g for $5 kind. haha. Now my mum is contemplating switching to Daiso.

Aloe Bubbling Make-Up Remover

I think most of the girls would be very eager to know whether a $2 makeup remover works well right? haha, I was also equally curious.

Aloe Bubbling Make-Up Remover

Available: Daiso $2

Volume: 80g

Star Properties: Contains Aloe Vera stuff to help remove dirt from makeup.

Packaging
The tube and cap is as good as any other tubes of skincare, like Nivea, or Vichy. So no worries. If one just saw the picture alone, with all the Japanese words, one would probably guess that this is a Japan-made product, or at least a Japanese brand that may cost anywhere from $10 to $30 (like those The Face Shop products).

Ingredients
I almost wanted to put it back on the stand, when I saw that the second ingredient is Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLS). My body skin is sensitive to SLS, and I get little red bumps if I use those body foam with high SLS content.

The last line of ingredients also contain Methylparaben, Ethylparaben and Propylparaben. But I figure that this is still better than my Sasa two-phase rose makeup remover, which has paraben in the middle chunk of the ingredients.

Sensitive Skin
I am so happy to announce that despite the not so stella list of ingredients, my sensitive skin did not break out from it!

The Gel
It comes in a transparent and very watery gel form. If you buy this product, please remember to cap it immediately after pouring the gel out. Otherwise, it will flow and flow and flow. Yes, I left mine uncapped, and lying down... So as gravity and Science dictates, the gel flows until the level of gel is level with the mouth of the tube. And my floor was foamy when I flushed it. =((( Wasted a lot.

Fragrance
As usual, I notice the fragrance. Definitely there, since fragrance is the last ingredient on the list. It smells very familiar, like something I have used before. Neutral to me. I don't find that I especially like the smell. But I wouldn't call it unpleasant. (Vitamin E and Tea Tree are the irritating ones that I dislike.)

Feeling
It's a nice feel. Smooth enough. No rubbing during wash.

After feel
Be assured that this is not stripping at all. My face felt very normal. Not as soft and smooth as Laneige Refreshing Cleansing Oil will leave me. But $64 vs $2, I am not expecting Daiso to give me soft and smooth after feel like Laneige.

Makeup Removing Effectiveness
VERY effective, in my opinion. Maybelline Gel Liner is the most stubborn makeup that I have, which even cleansing oil like Neutrogena also failed to remove it (which is why I fail Neutrogena Deep Cleansing Oil, not recommended to buy that).

I am so, so, so amazed with its capabilities.

Just follow the instructions, and take a cherry size amount, foam it with a little water, and wash your face.

I don't own the Majorlica Majorca mascara, which is very famous for being so stubborn. So I can't give a review if this removes MM mascara. But I am using Maybelline Intense XXL, which I believe many girls have too. And it comes off without any tugging.

I love it: 4.5 hearts.

Deduct marks for the too watery texture that pours out of the tube the moment you open the cap. And also deduct marks for the ingredients containing more no good stuff like SLS and paraben. Otherwise, this is a so awfully worth it product. $2 only. Exceeds expectations by a lot!

Daiso - Your Beloved $2 Shop

I specially made a trip down to Daiso yesterday to buy their famous charcoal mask. But I ended up buying 5 more items than planned. LOL. I guess that's how it will end up for any beauty lover who steps into the tempting $2 shop that originates from Japan.

Everything in Daiso is a flat $2. Much as The One 99 Shop has failed, there is still space in the Singapore market for another Japanese products based $2 shop. Daiso is in fact opening its 5th outlet at Rivervale Mall, Seng Kang MRT station soon (this year). So residents in the North can finally get Daiso nearer to their homes. =)

These are the things I picked up:
- Charcoal Mask
- Charcoal Face Wash
- Aloe Bubbling Make-Up Remover
- Raspberry Scented Nail Polish Remover
- Pack of 3 Highlighters
- A4 Carrier File

Besides all that, I like the way Daiso has Japanese style crockery. There is the black and red Japanese bowls and trays, like those you see Sakae using. And there is the blue designs clay teapot and tea cup etc.

I think the containers, glass, plastic or clay, are very worth it to get also. I especially like those glass candy jars, those olden day kind, that is capped by an aluminium cover.

Haha, okay. So next, I will review the 3 skincare products that I got from Daiso, starting with the Aloe Bubbling Make-Up Remover.

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. =)))

Eversoft White spf50pa+++ Intensive Sunscreen Moisturizer

Yet another cheap and good thing to rave about. =)

Eversoft White spf50pa+++ Intensive Sunscreen Moisturizer

Available: NTUC (promo $11.30)

Volume: 40g

Star Properties: Sakura extract and lipo-vit C concentrate, to give whitening and UV protection

Eversoft White in box.

Back of box, with description in English and Chinese.

Packaging
I think the packaging is very good. No problems. Both the box and the tube are in nice colour combination of blue and white, which I like. And both have detailed description of the sunscreen.

The tube is easy to squeeze, and the mouth is just nice for you to control the amount dispensed. It also has a secure twist open cover.

The pretty white and blue tube that I really like.

Back of tube with description.

With the cap open. Easy to squeeze and control mouth.

Ingredients
The first thing that I consider now when I wish to buy a sunscreen, is whether it contains alcohol or not. I believe most of you would know that alcohol dries your skin and clog pores, thus causing the skin to age and pimples to appear. And I am so happy to announce that though cheap, Eversoft is one of those sunscreens that is alcohol-free!

The ingredients list.

Spreadability
Eversoft is so much easier to spread than the Avene Very High Protection Cream. For its SPF of 50, I really love how well it spreads.

Fragrance
Some people may not like fragrance, but for me, I like it. And I think it's a very pleasant smell that lasts a while.

After feel
After applying on my skin, my skin feels a bit sticky. But definitely not oily. Which I like. Once the cream is absorbed into the skin, the stickiness goes off, leaving my skin very soft. I think the moisturizer property is definitely there. =)

Shine
There is a slight sheen of silver on my face. But I am not really concerned about that. It makes my face looks oily, but it is not. I can apply loose powder to matte it out after the stickiness goes off. But for those who don't like shiny sunscreen, you will be disappointed with this.


Sensitive skin
Apart from the very first time, when I experience a slight slight tingly sensation at the base of my nose (probably due to Vit C
This is definitely my Holy Grail product! When NTUC gives discounts, I hope to stock up on this, so I can use it on my body too. =))))

Now I use Avene for my body, to finish up the tube, cos Avene is just too oily. And Eversoft for my face. Love it. Love it.

I love it: 5hearts.

If planning to buy, please note the silver sheen. Testers are available at NTUC, so try before purchase. =))) And there is the tinted version but in spf35 too.

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!

Nivea Creme

The Nivea Creme is like the grandmother of all moisturizers to me. And it has piqued my curiosity ever since I found out how cheap the whole big tin is.

Recently, Watsons even started selling the smaller tins at $1.95, so those who are just too curious can try before committing to the huge one. Which in my opinion, looks like it can last forever. haha.

Nivea Creme

Available: Watsons, Guardian, and many other little shops

Volume: variable

Star Properties: Contains skin-related Eucerit, a unique moisturizing ingredient

Nivea Creme, picture courtesy from Nivea website.

Ingredients
One of the top ingredients in this is mineral oil. Honestly, this is something that I will not buy on my own. I only tried it because my friend has a tin. Not especially after reading everything from Viva Woman. hahaha.

Packaging
Even though it is stored in a tin can, I think the tin can is actually quite strong and durable. I like the way it is flatter than most moisturizer containers, especially the smaller size one. As compared to those in thick, heavy and tall glass containers. I also like how it gives us so much surface area to use. So we don't have to dip in with one finger or two. For application on the whole body, it is so easy to swipe 4 fingers across for more cream.

Texture
I think the cream is very heavy, dry, and not easy to spread. Which is really surprising, given the number of good reviews I have read about it.

Absorbance
Quite bad, as I still can feel the thick layer of something on my skin.

After feel
My hands felt more of rough in the sense, it is not easy to glide my fingers across the back of hand, as I meet with the resistance from the hard to spread cream.

Smell
The smell is kind of weird. More towards the chemical side, which I don't like.

Irritation
Unfortunately, this multi-purpose cream irritates my hands so much that I kept scratching at it. Luckily I only tested on my hands. It could be because of the mineral oil, which is one of the top ingredients in Nivea Creme.

I love it: 0 hearts.

Sorry to say, but I really don't recommend buying this at all. Even though it is cheap, I think a cream is not really a good cream if it is hard to spread and does not leave a nice feel on your skin.

The good news for people who want big tubs of good moisturizers at the price of Nivea, is that Dove actually has a rich moisturizing cream. I just read this on Beautyholics Anonymous: here. However, the top ingredients are all petroleum derivatives, which many people are not willing to leave on their skin.

The bad news is, I have never seen it in Singapore. No chance to test it... If anyone has seen it here, please kindly leave a comment. If you have tried it, please leave a review. Thanks in advance! =)))

Avene Thermal Water

Finally! Now, for the most famous, extremely popular special water, the Avene Thermal Water!!!

Avene Thermal Water is actually my third brand of facial mist. I have been using DeCosmet Miracle Swiss Essence and then Evian Braumister as a moisturizer ever since I started my skincare regime.

Since I was looking for a cheaper alternative to the very expensive DeCosmet water, I decided to buy Avene after reading a whole thread of raves about it.

I will roughly compare Avene with my other 2 facial mists, since Avene is like the King of facial mists.

Avene Thermal Water

Available: Watsons, Guardian

Volume: 50ml (promo bottle)

Star Properties: From the Avene spring in France, and with a truckload of uses.

Avene Thermal Water

Packaging
I think the aluminium bottle is okay. Evian uses aluminium bottle too. However, the DeCosmet one comes in a thick, thick plastic bottle that looks aesthetically much more appealing. So I guess, the best packaging actually goes to DeCosmet (Mind the price tag though!).

The Pump
Evian's pump is clearly inferior to the other two. It's sort of unstable when the water goes low. Like you will feel that you are pressing the left or right side down more... Also the dispense is not uniform. When full, the water "gushes" out. But when nearing the bottom, there is so little water. I am guessing this is due to bottle of the aluminium bottle being an inverted semicircular dome.

DeCosmet's pump is the regular shape kind, that you find is standard perfumes.

Avene's pump is a short fat cap.

Avene Thermal Water, uncapped, showing the pump.

The Spraying Motion
For Evian, the dispense is not uniform. When full, the water "gushes" out. But when nearing the bottom, there is so little water. I am guessing this is due to bottle of the aluminium bottle being an inverted semicircular dome.

Avene's bottom is also an inverted semicircular dome. But I have not used it to the bottom, so I don't know about the spray then.

DeCosmet spray is good. Very steady throughout the bottle, and still feels the same at the bottom. This could be because DeCosmet's bottle is rounded at the bottom, instead of flat, or the inverted dome.

The droplets
I don't really notice any difference here. But there are reviews that say Evian's droplets are larger, and Avene's is finer. It doesn't really matters to me though.

Droplet of Avene Thermal Water on my hand.

Water
Seriously, all the water are the same to me.

Effects
No particular really good effects from any of them. Although DeCosmet's is said to balance the skin's pH.

Evian just says it's for refreshing and setting makeup.

Avene gives a whole long list of uses for its water. And touts it to be anti-irritating and will soothe sensitive skin.

So I don't exactly think there is a winner. But since I normally choose skincare based on effects, rather than packaging or dispense effectiveness etc, I think I would choose Evian as the champion.

There are no visible effects from any of the water, so if you just want to spray something on your face, for setting makeup, or for cooling effects, just choose the cheapest facial mist will do. And that is Evian.

Anyway, for Avene Thermal Water,
I love it: 3 hearts.

I am not a facial mist person. To me, they are not a must in any skincare regime if you already have a tub of moisturizer. Even though I use water as my moisturizer, I still think there is no difference as to where the water I use comes from. As long as it's clean.

Leivy Naturally Shower Cream

I have been using Dettol happily for the past few years. Cos my mum thinks that the primary concern of a shower cream should be hygiene and anti-bacterial. Which is quite true, otherwise what do we bathe regularly for?

But recently I found out that bathing can be enjoyable in other ways. Cos I also use Leivy Naturally Shower Cream. And I like the strong yet pleasant smell in the bath, which also lingers on my body for a while when I come out.

Leivy's Naturally Whitening Shower Cream

Available: Beauty shop under HDB $4.90

Volume: 1100ml

Star properties: Papaya Enzyme and Licorice Extract for fairer and smoother skin

The big big bottles of papaya and goat's milk.

Packing
It's huge!! I like the way it is transparent, so I can monitor the level. It is made to be thin on the sides, so that I can hold it firmly with one hand. This is good when I want to take the bottle in and out of the cabinet. But the pump dispenses quite little cream. I have to press a little extra 2nd helping.

Ingredients
I think it has got better ingredients than Palmolive. And it does have a reasonable amount of papaya and licorice, as they fall into the 2nd third of the ingredients list, and not at the last.

Washing feel
I like the strong smell of papaya, it's very fragrant. It is also very spreadable and not foamy (I don't like foamy shower creams).

Yes, I bought the milk one too, cos I like the idea of milk on my skin. =)

After rinse feel
No difference to skin in using Dettol or The Body Shop. My skin is still soft and smooth enough... ... Slight papaya smell still lingers on my body.

Sensitive skin
Not irritating. Probably due to its non-foamy nature, since I normally develop red bumps only if the cream foams a lot.

Overall, this is really something cheap that I enjoy. I don't even enjoy The Body Shop Mango, or Strawberry as much. But I think TBS White Musk is nicer than this. 1100ml for $4.90 can last a family of 5 roughly 1 month.

Just camwhoring the shower creams.

I love it: 4.5 hearts.
In terms of skin softness, I think all shower gel and cream are the same. But I deducted marks for fragrance, spreadability, foaming and other during shower experience. Since I like TBS White Musk more, I guess there are other products that provide a better bathing experience. But I can swear, I did not enjoy Olay Total Effects Cream or Sephora's Mint Shower Cream as much.

The high marks were given for the price and volume ratio, which at the same time offers an above average quality and bathing experience.

It's Ever Soft Today

I've never thought I will enjoy Supermarket products. I am not a brand snob. But although I aim to introduce only good and value for money lower budget beauty products, I also wish to maintain a certain quality in these products, so that we can all enjoy without worries.

But recently, out of boredom in my bathroom, and boredom from my own cleanser (I have been using the same bottle since August last year), I decided to try my father's cleanser (which is bought by my mother). And that cleanser is Eversoft Pomegranate Cleanser White and Firming.

Eversoft Pomegranate Cleanser White and Firming

Available: NTUC, Shop & Save $4.75

Volume: 100g

Star Properties: Geez, I will update this once I kope the tube from the bathroom.

The 100g tube of Eversoft Whiten & Firm Facial Cleanser

Description: Pomegranate is a powerful antioxidant that renews and firms up your skin by neutralising the damage caused by UV and free radicals. Vitamin C whitens, protects, and lighten dark spots for an even skin tone. Suitable for dry/combination skin.

Packing
I am indeed very attracted by their packing, which I feel is prettier than a lot of high end brands. I like the green. And I like the fact that Eversoft has so many flavours!!! I like the things I use to come in a 101 colours. The Rice Milk and Honey flavour caught my eye.

Ingredients
The reason why I decided to try it is because of the absence of Sodium Laureth Sulfate. I am slightly allergic to SLS, cos red bumps appear on my skin for most of the normal bath foams I have every used.

The ingredients list.

Amount
The thing about tube form stuff is that no matter how you squeeze, they never seem to finish. Pump bottle stuff always goes down more quickly. Like most of the facial products that come in tube form, just press a green bean size amount (about 2mm long from the tube) onto your palm, rub your palm together to foam it, then apply on your face. Given 100g of this product (I saw that there is new extra 30% tube), this tube will last more than a year for me. $4.75 for a year, WHOA!!!

Washing experience
It is very smooth, and I can do simple face massage without tugging at my skin. And I love the fragrance from the pomegranate I guess.

Rinse-off feel
This is the part that I am extremely particular about. Unlike many of the tube form facial cleansers that I've tried before, Eversoft does not leaves my skin dry and tout. It is slightly tout, or more like what I call firm, but definitely not dry. Which is simply amazing for a supermarket brand.

Sensitive Skin
It is not irritating at all. Which surprises me since whitening products normally contain allergens. Maybe it will not really whiten in the long run. But honestly, I am not even expecting supermarket brands to fulfill what they write on the package. My main concern is the rinse-off feel and allergen-free, plus a nice smell, I am happy enough.

Overall, I feel that Eversoft is by far the best Supermarket brand. Compared to Shokubutsu, Eversoft's ingredients are so much more skin friendly. Shokubutsu is just normal soap add whatever extract at the last part. And compared to the new UV White O2 Advanced advertise by Quan Yifeng, UV White is slightly irritating on my skin.

I wish to hear from people with Oily Skin who have used this product. Would like to know if this supermarket brand can effectively control oil... ...

I love it: 4.5 hearts.
Marks deducted as the after rinse feel is still not as good as my own cleanser. My Evarro/Decosmet cleanser literally leaves the skin smooth, soft, and soothe all the pimples and red bumps.

Most of the marks awarded are for it being able to beat brands like Bio-essence, Pure, Vichy, Kiehl's, in terms of after-rinse feel and non-allergy properties.

Rexona Women NEW Skin Light

The name of this item is very long. What it says on the from of the roll-on stick is Rexona Women, New! Skin Care Skin Light with Sunflower Oil, 24hr Antiperspirant Deodorant.

The expiry date says May 2011, which means I have less than 2 years from now to finish this up.

I am very concerned about deodorant expiry cos my previous Nivea Pure No Residue Roll-On expired on me. I still have an almost full bottle left. But it is now sour, and gives me the sour smell, instead of odourless, colourless. So I can't use it. *sob sob*

Rexona Women New Skin Light with Sunflower Oil

Available: Shop & Save $3 (last week's promo), NTUC $3.75 (U.P), and other leading stores

Volume: 40ml

Star Properties: Don't risk underarms darkening caused by plucking or shaving. New Rexona Skin Light with Sunflower Oil lightens and smoothens underarms in just 2 weeks (description on back of bottle)

Directions: Apply 4-6 swipes on each underarm everyday. Do not apply to broken skin. If irritation occurs, discontinue use.

Ingredients: Water, Aluminium Chlorohydrate, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower Oil), Glycerin, Steareth-2, Parfum, Steareth-20, Di-Sodium EDTA, Tetradibutyl Pentaerithrityl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate.

Front and back of Rexona New Skin Light with Sunflower Oil

Packing
I was so attracted to the light purple colour of this product. It caught my eye even though I was planning to get another transparent roll-on from Nivea. The curvy shape is definitely so much easier to grasp than Nivea's perfect cylindrical non-hand-shape friendly stick. However, I much prefer a see-through bottle than this opaque purple, since I like to countdown to when I will finish using liquids.

Price
The price is also very attractive, as all Rexona deodorants are not more than $4, but Nivea's ones are at least $4.10 for old versions, and $5+ for latest versions. Moreover, Shop & Save was having their weekly promotion on this latest product from Rexona, discounting $0.75. I might have chosen Rexona's older products at $2+ if not for the discount, cos I honestly think that all deodorants are the same, unless you are buying organic ones.

The Roll-On Ball
I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Rexona rolls on so much more smoothly than Nivea! For Nivea, sometimes I don't even know whether the ball really did roll or not. I like this part so much.

The roll-on

Ingredients
I love the Sunflower Oil. It leaves a very fragrant smell on me which stays for a few hours, since the staying power of this liquid is probably much better than alcohol perfumes. Amazingly, even though deodorants are supposed to keep away smell, I didn't mind that this gave me a smell instead. If you don't like it, I supposed you could go for the older no Sunflower Oil versions. Even though Sunflower Oil is said to smoothen and whiten your underarms. And the best part is that I feel Rexona is not cheating us. Sunflower Oil is the 3rd ingredient, means it is quite high in content, and not some last ingredients that they only give use some minute trace of Sunflower Extract, then happily tout it to have Sunflower.

Effectiveness
This is true. After using Rexona, I didn't smell the sweat smell throughout the day, even after the Sunflower Oil fragrance was gone, the sweat still didn't come out.

Residue
Hopefully this wouldn't leave yellow stains on my clothes... ... I haven't tried. But Nivea Pure No Residue did not leave stains, so I am also expecting this new product to have taken that into consideration.

Sensitive Skin
This is suitable for all skin types. I did not suffer and irritations after a few wears despite my sensitive skin. =)

Overall, Rexona Sunflower Oil really makes me feel like putting on everyday. I only use deodorant when I am wearing sleeveless when I go out. haha. Nice one.

I love it: 5 hearts.

Watsons Member

I am so happy to announce that Watsons has finally come out with a membership card!

I have been spending so much at Watsons over the past half year, ever since they rebranded and changed marketing directions. And I am very sure a lot of other girls have also made this drugstore their playground, that I think we are all delighted about the membership card.

The website homepage. =)

I like the way they offer so many choices, of everything, especially for the shampoos, as compared to supermarkets. It's like, I really can't have enough of Watsons, and the environment makes me feel like taking a walk inside every time I see, even though I know I have already been there just yesterday. LOL.

So, more happy shopping to all of us!