Skincare & Haircare

Hey Everyone,

Christmas is around the corner & I want to share with you guys the various “skin/hair stuff” I have come to love & use religiously!

Some of these products are great for Christmas gifts but of course, use your discretion. Don’t buy a face scrub or a pore minimizer as a gift by itself unless you are compiling different items together lol, or yes…it will certainly look….”tight-arse” on your behalf! 🙂

Some like the hair products is a simple, great gift idea for those who MADLY love their hair-or just have long locks! And it certainly is a rare one to give out & receive-but will definetely come in handy !(coming from a girl’s perspective) 

It really surprises me how many women out there who don’t buy hair products for themselves! They buy lots of make-up, fake tan (lol) & maybe some face care, but not for the hair because they rely on their hairdresser to put these on for them- or maybe they are just ignorant to that part. Most ladies don’t buy hair products suggested by their hairdressers as well because, well I don’t know maybe they already spent enough on the cut & blow-dry so they don’t really need to dish out more?! lol nah jokes, but I am sure there are underlying reasons!

To be honest, I never used to care much for my hair, as in put products in it etc. I thought just the trim here & there, every now & then will do the trick. But I realized, the hair suffers as much as the skin on your face like when you put on make-up hahah because, you wring it dry with the towel, comb it roughly to get tangles out, blow-dry, curl & straighten & colour etc. You might wet it with saltwater or chlorine when you go for a swim! Some girls even spray PERFUME on their hair!! C’mon, it’s alchol you are spraying in there!!

 Apart from that, our hair constantly gets exposure to UV rays from the sun which is damaging but hey, can you tell me how many women out there puts sunscreen on their hair? Sorry to get side-tracked here, but I would love some haircare pack as a Christmas gift this year 😀 (hint hint!)

Back to topic, you might notice that with my face-care, I don’t tend to use the whole package from the same brands. Also I don’t use any whitening creams. A friend who used to work for Estee Lauder for 7 years have recommended that face-bleaching isn’t good for the skin in the long run, because, well it just bleaches your skin tone which can be quite harsh after a while. Plus, natural colour is always nice right?? 🙂

FACE-WASH

As my face is quite sensitive, my skincare routine is to wash with either:

Ultraceuticals Professional Gentle Cleansing Gel

“Ultraceuticals Gentle Cleansing Gel has been formulated with Vitamins C and Green Tea Extract to cleanse and revitalise sensitive skin whilst providing antioxidant nourishment.”

Review: It is gentle on the skin & it doesn’t feel so “dry” after washing off with water & patting dry. My skin also has this “moisturized” feel when I’m washing it off with water! I think you get this & the moisturizer for about $50+ each. Try looking for them at the Chemist.

KIEHL’S Gentle Foaming Facial Cleanser

“This gentle foaming cleanser is formulated for a normal skin type or skin which tends to be somewhat dry or sensitive.”

Review: At this moment, I am only using the sample which is still considerably generous! It says foaming, but it feels like a cream based cleanser which doesn’t foam! Similar to the product above, it is very moisturizing, but I question its ability to wash off make-up because it feels like it’s too “moisturized” after to wash off make-up lol. BUT, overall, I will buy this product after I finish my Ultraceuticals, as I am also using the moisturizer from KIEHL’S. Price I’m guessing will be $50+ range since the moisturizer I bought was about $100+ from David Jones, but don’t quote me! hehe

Shiseido Perfect Liquid

“This perfect liquid combines aqueous or oil-based cleansing, which is a new technique to remove make-up!!
That is, Perfect Liquid can emboss and wrap the impurities and make-up, whether it is aqueous or oil-based. In addition, the after wash is very velvety and this helps to prevent the impurities and make-up to be re-adhere to your skin.
This make-up remover contains Moisture-Captive, the Amino Acid derivative to keep your skin moisturized after wash, and it can be used in during bath. “

REVIEW: (ok I don’t know why the fonts have changed lol) I use this if I feel like my face has had enough of “soap” based cleansing for the day! Certainly removes grime & make-up. I bought this in Singapore though, but you can purchase this online for about $20 or less! 🙂

 

FACE-SCRUB

Left: St. Ives Apricot Scrub, Blemish Fighting

“Only St.Ives captures the secrets of naturally beautiful & healthy looking skin in this deep cleansing formula that gently exfoliates, removing oil, dirt and dull skin cells that can lead to blackheads and blemishes.”

Review: I LOVE THIS! I started using this because G uses it & I thought it was AWESOME!! So cheap from about $10 price range which you can get pretty much every supermarket or chemist. Don’t use this everyday though because it will strip your skin dry lol! I use this every weekend to scrub off dead-skin, especially on my nose & forehead. If you buy the gentle one, you can use that everyday because there isn’t much beads & seeds in it. (I love the gentle formula too!)

Right: SENSE Rice Bran Polisher

Review: This is a really gentle, cream scrub which I use alternatively to the St.Ives one. I normally like to use this every 2nd day after washing with cleanser. I started using Sense after my sister & I will give you guys the link to buy it online later. This is great to buy with the whole set of Sense products for a gift or for yourself! 🙂

FACE CARE

 From right to third left: 1)SENSE Hydrating Toner

This is a Step 2 of the whole range & problably the only range I use which is consistently from the same brand. After wash, wet cotton pad with couple of drops & wipe gently over face. Toner is to create a good oil balance for your skin after wash & to shrink pores.

2) SENSE Daytime Protective Emulsion with Sunscreen

Step 3 of the range to be used during the day time. I alternate this sometimes with the one from KIEHL’S.

Review: This one is alot more creamier & absorbs into the skin much faster than the KIEHL’S one.

3) SENSE Night Renewal Creme

Step 3 of the range as well to use during night time.

Overall Review: I think this range is pretty good although not as well known as the big brands. It took about a week to notice different in skin-tone & feel but certainly in a good way.

You can buy the range at : http://shop.usana.com/shop/cart/Categories?parentCat=5 

right: KIEHL’S Ultra Facial Moisturizer SPF 15

”Our superb original ‘Ultra facial Moisturizer’ protects with SPF15 Broad Spectrum UV-Ray Protection for all skin types”

Review: So far so good. It is a little more “watery” in consistency, but face feels moisturized after. I normally use this under my make-up primer when going out in the daytime. It is definetely light weight so it doesn’t feel “too much or oily” under the make-up. Price range about $100+ from David Jones. Great as a slightly pricier Christmas gift pack for Mom, Sis – or the guys in the family. G loves this as he’s been using it everyday. Make sure you buy the complete range or mix it up a little 🙂

Left: CHANEL Hydramax + Active Gel Cream

”A fresh and light hydrating gel cream for combination-to-dry skin goes to the source of skin’s hydration needs. At the heart of the formula: CERATONIA PFA* powerfully stimulates hydration; a Hydrabarrier System™ locks it in, resulting in healthy-looking, smooth, supple skin.

*PFA: Polyfractioned Active. An ultra-pure, ultra-powerful ingredient created through an exclusive purification technique developed by CHANEL.”

Review: It comes with a little spatula. It is gel based, not watery at all & doesn’t feel oily on skin. Very fast absorbed but it didn’t really moisturize it enough for me unfortunately. After a couple of weeks, I think my skin has become immune to it, so it just stopped doing the “trick”.  It is a fancy gift for Christmas though & I’m sure anything CHANEL will be a great hit with the moms & the ladies 🙂 I think I bought it for about $80-$100?? ( Sorry I forgot..) from David Jones. Tip: I like to keep this is the fridge & use it after a hot shower or during hot days. Feels nicer! 😀

EYE- CARE

Left to Right:

CLINIQUE All About Eyes

SENSE Eye Nourisher

SK-II Signs Eye Cream

Overall Review: Luckily enough I haven’t got any crows feet around my eyes. They are the first signs of aging (yikes) but I guess some people have them from smiling lots? lol 😉

But of course I still take care of that area. I interchange with these only because I didn’t want my skin to get immune to a certain type of formula (it happens) so I use a different one every week, but I try to put these on everyday. I also put these in the fridge! Feels nice around the eyes. But the one I love most will have to be CLINIQUE. I notice it reduced the dark circles around my eyes too.

 

OTHERS

THE FACE SHOP Pore Minimizer Controlling Essence

”A specialized pore care line that works in 3 step to minimize enlarged pores with a natural astringent -Mushroom extract. ① Controls excess oil build-up. ② Tightens pores ③ Moisturezes pores for smoother skin. A pore care essence that lavishes skin with hydration. Its powdery texture fills in the enlarged pores for shine-free pore-less complexion.”

Review: Ok certainly not powdery texture. It is very watery. One squirt is more than enough. I use this on the area around my nose & cheeks (the part under the eye) straight after I come out of a hot shower. In Australia, I think I have become accustomed to hot showers everyday so my pores are like HUGE!! 😦 I put this in the fridge as well to further help minimise the pores. It smells very nice, but I don’t really notice a difference…hmmm…maybe I don’t pay that much attention to my pores anymore since I am afraid of the disappointment lol!

  

Estee Lauder’s Advanced Night Repair Serum

”The one formula beautiful skin can’t live without.
This comprehensive, high-performance anti-ageing serum-inspired by groundbreaking genetic research-brings your skin a dramatic reduction in the visible signs of ageing.
Use it every day to help continuously repair the appearance of past damage, prevent future damage and deliver high levels of hydration.

Enhanced Environmental Repair

• Neutralises up to 90%* of environmentally generated free radicals before they can affect skin’s appearance.
• That’s key, because environmental assaults such as UV, smoke, pollution and even emotional stress are the #1 cause of premature signs of ageing.
• Our advanced technology repairs the appearance of damage caused by every major environmental assault.

Continuous Hydration

• Creates the optimal environment for repair with nature’s long-proven moisture magnet Hyaluronic Acid.
• Clinical tests prove skin’s levels of moisturisation increase dramatically.
• Soothes daily irritation and builds a rich anti-oxidant reserve to help replenish skin’s natural protectants. Think of it as “insurance” for younger, healthier-looking skin, today and tomorrow.”

Review: OK this is like the BEST THING EVER! At the moment, I am just using the HUGE amount of samples I scored from my friend that used to work there. Don’t worry she got it legally lol. And each satchet lasts me about a week since you only need like 2-3 droplets of it for your face. I was recommended to use this everyday over my normal moisturizer routine & under my make-up. Most importantly while I’m sleeping- hence Advance Night Repair doh! I don’t know about you guys that have tried this, but I felt the difference the next day. My friend told me it repairs your skin from its pollution- the air, the make-up & from what you eat that affects your skin cells. Definetely sold it to me hahah! Will buy this after I finish my tonne worth of satchets. It costs about $140. Great gift for the ladies!

  

MASKS

I think you guys should get it by now that I LOVEEEEE Masks. Something fancy about it & something that you can easily whip up at home, whether or not it’s home-made or ready made. It’s great for relaxing, to rejuvenate the skin & PERFECT for a girls slumber party (yep I’m still like 6 at heart) I always buy more when I know my friends are have a movie/ slumber party. We use it while we paint our nails & watch lame girly shows haha~

It’s great to stock up & great for gifts ( I WOULD LOVE SOME!) & I use them religiously every week.

So…apart from the satchet ones I use from Face Shop that I tweeted/ blogged about a while back as well as the cutesy yoghurt pack, I use…

THE FACE SHOP Black Head Nose Clay Mask

Review: I use this once a week & it works well for me. I can actually see the gunk on it when I peel it off! LOL ok too much info. But its about $10 or less price range.

Bottom:

SENSE Nutritious Creme Masque

”Use after Gentle Daily Cleanser 2-3 tims per week to remove impurities & revitalise skin”

Review: It’s a wash off one. Face becomes “whiter” after & soft.

THE FACE SHOP Home Aesthetic Pack, Firming Honey Pack

Review: This is a peel off one. Truthfully it’s more the packaging & the word ‘HONEY’ that attracted me haha, but with firming, I’m not quite sure if it does work. Oh well, I just use it anyways. The price is about $10 or less..?

 

HAIRCARE

Apart from the 2 hair products from KMS California I blogged about last time… I use these products too!

Left to Right:

THE FACE SHOP Jewel Therapy Protecting Serum

”5 different gemstones for Silky Soft Hair”

Review: It certainly has shimmer in it when you look closely. I use a squirt or 2 for my hair before I go out, especially after I blow-dry or if I straighten my hair. I really like it because it gives a nice healthy “sheen” to the hair (not oily) & I have had many compliments from strangers because of this “sheen” lol. (hm…can’t guarantee it’s cuz of this product though!)

MOROCCAN OIL The Original

”Moroccanoil has unique quality of instant absorption into hair, creating an instant shine and long term conditioning without leaving residue. For healthy, smooth and striking shiny hair, apply a small amount throughout damp hair and style as usual”

Review: I bought this at my hairdresser (Rokk Ebony) for about $50 because I was after something that would moisturizer my dry ass hair especially the ends (from too much colouring & heat) When my hair dries, it really feels much much softer!!! My hairdresser said it’s pretty much like a leave in conditioner. Oh well, I’m loving the results. I use about 10c size of my palm for my hair. Great gift for this summer- especially beach loving girls hehe

STYLING

LUCIDO-L Soft Wave Styling Milk with Vitamin E

Review: I use this when I make soft waves/curl. It’s not as harsh as hairspray & definetely not as “stiff” or “dry”. It does feel sticky in your hands though, but about 10c size should suffice. I bought this in Nanjing China, but I’m sure you can find this product online.



Whew!! Took me ages for this post. But I hope you girls (& guys who are lost in buying presents for moms, aunties, lady friends etc) like this post. Of course the result of these products will vary from person to person so please don’t blame me if some don’t work out for you! 😛

Anyways, I will try to post up more gift ideas this Christmas. Something simple, reasonably priced & great for last minute (those lazy, clueless guys!)…good night world. xx