Monday's winner

< g r i n n i n g >

Yeay!!!

I won something from My Women Stuff, again!  I read ParisB's announcement on Saturday night but I wasn't sure whether that Sandra is me or could be another person?

Anyway, I got her email this morning so "YEAH!!!"  I am the winner  :-)

Thank you, MWS | ParisB!

< / g r i n n i n g >

Hibiscus shampoo

This is some fun stuff I'm doing in my kitchen after work.

Sort of a relaxing ritual.

And good for the hair too!

Kaffir lime juice - one is enough as I don't want the smell to be over powering.

The hibiscus flowers (5) & leaves (10 - 15).

Pretty isn't it?

The color doesn't look like this in actual - I tried to certain angles but I can't get it!

Newbie kan?  Kalau juru gambar profesional lain la...

Hah!  It is easy to apply on the top, but I cincai-cincai rub in at the back.

Then I leave it on my head for awhile.

Definition of "awhile": 

< start stopwatch >

Feed the boys.  Prepare my dinner.  Clean the kitchen.  Yell at LouLou for making unreasonable demand of more food (he is getting Garfielded!!!).  Remove the make up.  Wash my face.  Apply face mask (another homemade recipe).

< stop stopwatch >

Then wet my hair a little bit & massage the scalp.

Rinse with cold water.

(-:

T.G.I.F.!!!

I won Smashbox Burlesque Makeup Kit worth RM199, thanks to ParisB at My Women Stuff.  Since I seldom wear makeup these days, I just played/swatched them on the back of my hand.  (Reason of minimizing makeup is:  I need to reduce the sudden increase of zits popping out along my jaw line.  I am clueless because I didn't change my facial routine.)  My winning entry?  I have to thank my boys for this.  I think I have whole weekend to play with the colors!  :D

  

Must have in the office

Image Credit

The weather is always unforgivably harsh.

Coupled with a piping hot tea c after lunch, man...

I can sweat a bucket!

This spray thing is just perfect for quick refreshing!

I wish I can take shower in the office's washroom!

L'Oreal UV Perfect SPF50PA+++

Note: I have an oily, sensitive skin.

I am getting crazy about SPF-loaded beauty products lately.  When my previous sunblock, Vichy UV.Activ SPF50PA+++ was running out, I was thinking of getting another similar tube, only to be told that it has been discontinued and replaced by Vichy Pro Secure Anti-UV Anti Pollution SPF50+++ (price: RM90ish - can't remember the exact figure).  I bought the previous tube at discounted price of RM70ish.

Because I'm in a tight budget this time, I bought L'Oreal UV Perfect SPF50PA+++ (Even Complexion) at RM30 something.  I was indecisive between the "even complexion" and the "anti-dullness" functions, but somehow I got chose the even complexion one.

I would use it alone (after moisturizer) if I want to go light.  But on my pre-menstrual days (where the pimples would be "rocking" on my face), I top it up with the usual foundation - just enough to cover the ugly zits!  It didn't feel oily (even when I layered with a foundation) which is a good thing for someone with oily-and-sensitive face like me.

I don't mind continuing to use this sunblock because it works well on me and it is cheap, too!

Saturday's therapy

I'm so sinful!

My initial plan was to get Elizabeth Gilbert's Committed but I ended up with extras!

1. As I mentioned before, it's sinful if I don't get it by now.  RM35.50 @Popular; but I got a 20% member discount so yeay!!!  Happy reading to myself!
2. L'oreal Total Repair Night Essence - Leave In.  RM36.90 @Guardian.  To fix breakage, dryness, dullness, coarseness & split-ends.  Poor hair, I only get it for you now. 
3. Neutrogena Deep Clean Blackhead Eliminating Daily Scrub.  RM16.88 @Guardian.  I love scrubbing my face everyday so a daily scrub sounds perfect!
4. Scholl Foot & Nail Cream.  RM23.90 @Guardian.  I think my normal body lotion is not creamy.  Valid reason, eh?
5. Nivea Hand Age Defying Q10 Plus.  RM14.09 @Guardian.  I'm afraid that my hand will age faster than my face if I don't pay attention.  I should learn to love my hands just as much as I love my face (and other parts of my anatomy, as the matter of fact!).
6. Giordano Skinny Fit Jeans.  RM125.10 (after discount, that's it).  Why I need it?  Because the other pair is getting thinner (the fabric, yeah...).  Ooh yeah!  I need to send it to a tailor to make a minor alteration before I could actually wear it.

Sinful, sinful, sinful indulgence!

Hada Labo Face Wash Comparison: Arbutin Whitening vs. AHA/BHA

Hada Labo AHA/BHA Face Wash

Hada Labo Arbutin Whitening Face Wash

Note:  I have an oily, sensitive skin.

I've been using my first 50g tube of AHA/BHA cleanser before I tried the Arbutin Whitening (AW) one.  The thing is, I wasn't looking to whiten my skin when I picked the AW.  It's just that the 50g AHA/BHA wasn't available at the drugstore at the time of purchase (I like small package stuff); or else I won't ended up with it.

Is AW face wash works for me?  No.  On the 3rd day, I brokeout.  Big ones.  Plural.  Not delighting me, at all.  No-no.  I was using it both in the morning and at night.  I am very sure that the cleanser caused me the (emotional & physical) pains as nothing else changed in my routine during that time.  And I wasn't on my pre-menstrual days too. (I prone for breakouts before periods.)  So being a nerd, I firstly compared the ingredients.

AHA/BHA:

• Water, Butylene Glycol, Lauric Acid, Sorbitol, Methylparaben, Alanine, Arginine, Betaine, Glycine, Lysine, Proline, Serine, Threonine, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Gylcol Distearate,  Lauramide DEA, Lauramidopropyl Betaine, Potassium Hydroxide, Potassium Myristoyl Glutamate, PEG-20M, Propylparaben,  Sodium PCA, Glycolic Acid, Glutamic Acid, Salicylic Acid, Stearic Acid.

Arbutin Whitening:

• Water, Butylene Glycol, Lauric Acid, Sorbitol, Methylparaben, Arbutin, Cocamide DEA, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, PEG-40, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Sodium Myristoyl Glutamate, Myristic Acid, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Wax, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Peel Oil, Ampelopsis Grossedentata Extract, Angelica Archangelica Root Extract, Atractyloides Macrocephala Root Extract, Bletilla Striata Root Extract, Capsicum Frutescens Fruit Extract, Morus Alba Bark Extract, Paeonia Albiflora Root Extract, Poria Cocos Root Extract, Syringa Vulgaris (Lilac) Extract.

The two face wash share a few similar ingredients; with AW containing Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate (and other macam-macam extracts!).  Could it that I am allergic to Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate?  Because I tried to study about my other facial stuff (being a nerd, I told you so!) and came with the conclusion:

Sprinkled! cannot use anything containing Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate.  Or she might want to use it alternately with other non-Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate containing products.

Yeah, that's my self-imposed beauty rule.  I still don't dare to use it on alternating basis yet.  For the time being, I'm happy with my 2nd 50g tube of AHA/BHA face wash.  It does the cleaning job and doesn't give me extra pain!

Thank You, Part 1

A thank you note from weheartit

LouLou theCat woke me up at 5.30am because he wanted to have a super early breakfast.  Yeah, 5.30am is not exactly my wakeup time.  I would prefer to get out of the bed at 8, 9am any given day.

But then again, I am glad to be alive.  Yes, it is the 3rd week of 2011.  I am still breathing, how can I not be grateful?

I cannot remember the details of what I have been doing for the 1st 19 days of 2011.  When my sister texted me about a pair of shoes that we saw last Christmas, I have just realized that I have not been into the mall for almost a month!

Anyway, I am happy staying at this (new) place.  Especially when I have a helpful neighbor who will collect my laundry when the God of Rain decided to pee on that beautiful day; report to me how Shorty was doing (he cried the moment you're out of his sight; he was very quiet and ignoring people; he was barking at LouLou who was sneaking into the other neighbor's porch, et cetera).

Alright, time to get ready to work.  Tata!

Goats Milk & Honey from Kinder Soaps

I got my first soap bar from Kinder Soaps after I came back from lunch break today.  It has been awhile since I do online shopping.  Michelle Ho - the owner - processed my purchase really fast.  I paid for it last Friday, and got it today (Monday).  I was expecting it to be delivered tomorrow actually.

Okie.  Let's talk about the soap.  I have been using Johnson's milk bath for more than 10 years mainly because of its subtle scent.  It neither dries nor moisturizes my skin, which is just acceptable for me.  Others like Lux, Palmolive, Dove et cetera are too strongly scented for me.  I like the old trusty Dettol soap but it dries my skin.

Anyway, I sort of stumble upon Kinder Soaps while looking for a natural soap.  I initially want to get Goats Milk & Patchoulli but it was out of stock.  The packaging is simple and fuss-free too.

Do you know that I can use this bar for hair, face and body???  Yes!  But I have gotten use to the routine shampoo-facial cleanser-shower liquid that I only tried it for body wash.

Actually, when I opened the parcel, the ginger smell was quite strong that I started to worry smelling like a gingerbread man!!!  But after the shower, I barely able to sniff the ginger.  My skin also feels moisturized.  ^_____^

The initial verdict?  I'm loving it.  I will miss my milk bath but this one do the job well too!  It moisturizes and it is unscented.

P.S.  Because of its flat-rate postage, I think next time I should buy in bulk...


Updated on 29 April 2011:

After 3 months of using it, I am surprised that I have no more athlete's foot!  I mean I used to try (and still doing) all these prevention methods but I was failed to stop the infection.  Until I changed to this soap!


That is one more reason to enjoy the soapbar!

Skinfood’s Aloe Sun BB Cream SPF 20 PA

I stumbled upon ParisB’s entry about BB Cream (BB stands for Blemish Balm) which prompted me to give a review on this particular BB cream.

I just started using Skinfood’s Aloe Sun BB Cream SPF 20 PA in May’10, that's about a 3-months period. The reason I’m experimenting with this BB cream is because the previous foundation (Clinique’s Superfit Makeup) made my face super-oily just after 3, 4 hours of application! It claimed to be oil-free, even the salesperson said it is suitable for my skin type (combination, sensitive & occasional breakout).

This is now my BFF!!!

Photo taken from:  Skinfood

At first I was sceptic about it, or, I should say, about the BB creams in general. But after doing my homework (reading the brand reviews from the other users), I headed down to Skinfood counter. Although I have clues of what I was looking, I still asked the young girl for recommendation. It won’t hurt to get other opinions although they might be slightly biased (i.e. need to hit a sales target).

The verdict:

• The color blends well into my tanned complexion, although Clinique’s gives me a more natural/nude finish. Also, the cream is thicker compare to Clinique’s, which is more watery and easier to spread on the face. Maybe this dry/thick texture is what giving me a matte-look, but I don’t feel my skin is dry anyway.
• The matte look remains until I leave the office at 5.30pm. All I have to do is just blot my face using one blotter to appear all-fresh again before heading out. While using Clinique’s, I have to blot once around 10am, one time after lunchtime, and another blot after office hour. The oil blotter company might be happy because I’m using more, but I’m definitely not a happy one.
• It was cheaper than my unfinished bottle of Clinique’s too. Although I won’t mind splurging a little extra if the product suits me well.
• It comes with an SPF 20 PA. Although I wish it is slightly higher, maybe at 25 or 30, because the sun is so unforgiving!
• It has quite a strong smell of aloe vera and sunscreen. And I’m not a huge fan of fragranced stuff so I favored something non-fragrance like Clinique’s. So far it didn’t give me headache (yet), I hope it won’t!

Did the BB cream suit me? Yes. It worth the effort of a lazy person like me and save my money too. I since skipped using day moisturizer (which I used when using the normal foundation) and go with BB cream alone.


From,
A happy Skinfood's Aloe Sun BB Cream SPF 20 PA user

Sunny Shorty

Shorty told me to be on the sunny spot as he is:

"I chased the beautiful butterfly at the roadside

I had had some fun

It makes me forget my sorrow for a while

that you (have to) put me behind the closed gate when you're out to cari makan"

Shorty, how I adore you!

Bright O'Sunny

Sunny Morning II by Grouillote

Many thanks to Grouillote @ devianART for allowing me to use her artwork  ^_____^

I notice the sun is too strong in the morning until I get blinded by it. And it doesn't really help that I'm facing the sunrise when driving to work!  Because I'm too short that the shade didn't cover my face (most importantly, my eyes!), I have to squint my way through the road.  My Transition lenses doesn't help much either.  It is still way too unbearable for the eyes.  I mean, The Brightness.  Sometimes I ended up with tears because the lights really, really hurts.  Even as I'm writing this now, I still have that uncomfortable feeling.  But I resist the temptation to rub, it's bad for the eyes and the skin around it.  Maybe someday when my nature of work allows me to wear contact lenses, I'll put on my biggest sunnies when I'm out!

The Face Shop: Brightening Rice Water Cleansing Emulsion

Bought a bottle of Brightening Rice Water Cleansing Emulsion from The Face Shop as my new makeup remover.  Luckily I've done my homework about it before going to the shop because:

• The sales girl have braces & a thick accent that I could hardly understand what she was saying.  But I was glad because she actually spent quite some time behind the mirror while I quietly browsed the products before approaching me.  I DO hate it when they tailed me as if I am going to steal anytime!  Okie, okie, I know they have good intention of answering my questions & promoting stuff...
• The Faceshop is currently having sales & lots of the products are on discounted price!  I left the shop before I start having the itchy "impulse buying".

The initial verdict:

• A little on the oily side but not as heavy as the previous makeup remover (Clinique).  I hope it won't give me spots!
• A very subtle smell yet still acceptable & doesn't give me dizziness (I don't like scented ones).
• A total of one & a half pumps of the emulsion is enough to remove my makeup - how much to use is depends on how light/heavy the makeup, I think.
• Save my wallet (price is 1/3 of Clinique or 1/2 of Avene).

Let's see in one week time on the effect!  ^_____^

Edited on Sept. 2, 2010
The final verdict:

• It does not cause breakouts to me.
• Overall, it done a good job as a makeup remover.

Vanity fair

Finally tried Refining Herb Mask from Skinlite which I bought a month ago.  Oh!  I actually almost forgotten about it.  See, I am not very religious when it comes to facial / skin care and stuff.  But sometimes I feel like pampering myself a little bit so...

This one feels good on the skin; it didn't itch my skin like the other one.  It says it is for regulation the oil (or is it sebum?) and suitable for oily face - mine can be hellishly oily on a bad, bad day!  I cannot say how good it is, I think I need to use it more frequent i.e. at least once a week to see the effect, or maybe...

Anyway, being the lazy person I am, I bought another two new sheets - one is Refining Herb Mask (reason: like I mentioned before) and one Green Tea Essence Mask.  Oh!  And Hydro Soothing Cucumber Pads for my dearie eyes (in a zipper bag, just for trial).

Photo Credits To:  Skinlite

Cherry mood

The work has kept me busy yesterday so I rewarded myself with some pampering facial mask.  I bought 2 masks from Sasa - I just love the wide variety of mask with eye-catching packing that they have in store!

Photo Credits To: Skinlite

See?  See?  The packaging are so cute!  I haven't try these yet but first impression is important, isn't it?

Anyway, today is Friday!  Yeah!

Happy Friday to all!

Edited on Sunday:
Tried the Hydrating Herb Mask.  It stinged the skin of my chin area at first (the sensitive, dry part) but otherwise it is good and leaving the skin supple.  Also, I wish the sheet is less flimsy, making it difficult to apply for the clumsy me.  Another bonus point for those who don't like scented beauty product is, it is odorless.