Discipline! Discipline! Discipline! - 100 Days Spending Ban Campaign! Roll The Drums!!!

Excuse me for the ugly drawing. Teehee~ :D


Oh yes I know I’ve been M.I.A. for waaaaayyyy too long and had my blog all piled up with dust already.

Sorry for not having any update for the past 4 months, thanks to the super busy schedule at A&E department with double shift (ie. working from 7:30am to 3:30pm then continues from 9:30pm to 10:30am the next day) almost every other day. BUT! Finally I’m done with my housemanship training! Hooray!! :D :D :D

Today is my first day working as a medical officer, but temporarily “floating” in A&E department until I get my definite posting in, hopefully Alor Star. Till then, I guess I shall remain “floating” till February or March 2014.

Work apart.

I have to admit that I was splurging too much on beauty products and fashions for the past 1 year or so. Up till the point that I actually am having difficulty to store and keep them within the limited space in my room. So during my 2 weeks of applied leave, I took out all my “properties” and “precious” to have an idea of what I actually own, and how many of them am I really using or wearing. Talking about money well spent.

To my surprise (or maybe not so surprising as I do have a good insight that I was overspending), I could say that I will have enough new clothes and shoes for EVERY SINGLE DAY from the first to fifteenth day of Chinese New Year, and enough sheet masks for a year if I want to practice “a mask a day” as advocated by Taiwan celebrity Fan Wei Qi, the spokesperson for Kose.

It’s also not surprising to see a lot of hair clips, hair bands, belts, earrings, necklaces and bangles in my room, brand new, unused, but fortunately neatly organized by the OCD me. Worse still, I have like a hundred of nail polishes to try on, and dozens of lipsticks, lipglosses, and BLUSHES, yet to be painted on me. Luckily I have my sister to help with the nail polishes. Oh ya, and bags too.

And books. ö

Hoarder me.

~~~x~~~  ~~~X~~~  ~~~x~~~  ~~~X~~~  ~~~x~~~  ~~~X~~~  ~~~x~~~  ~~~X~~~  ~~~x~~~

I can’t help but to force myself to go through a 100-days-spending-ban campaign. Else my impulsive shopping spree will be never-ending, and getting more and more unhealthy. Wish me luck.

And I guess today is the best day to start my 100-days-spending-ban, now that I am starting a new phase of life as a medical officer, yes? :)

So, let’s first set the rules and regulations for this campaign.

      1.       No spending on beauty products and fashions from 2/12/2013 to 11/3/2014

      2.       For each day of success, I shall put RM30 as a fund for my Hong Kong trip, intended in September 2014(still in discussion phase with the boyfriend)

      3.       Any violation of rules shall extend my spending ban for 10 days

      4.       Exceptions if spending is unavoidable (ie. uniform/activity t-shirt if needed)

      5.       During the period of spending ban, I shall still go for monthly facial session and 2 monthly permanent underarm hair removal at Dermalogica, which I had already signed up for earlier

      6.       I shall try to use up my skincare products as much as possible, but I only have 1 face to work on
7.       I shall be expecting more sheet masks from Taiwan, which I had asked my brother to get for me during his trip

      8.       I shall make a list of the things that I wanted to buy during spending ban and go through it fortnightly, so that I can think twice and even thrice, before I make my purchase at the end of the campaign

      9.       And yes, I shall grant myself a RM500 allowance at the end of my spending ban for all those items that I was eyeing on for the past 100 days (Average RM5 per day is reasonable right?)

      10.   I shall try to update my blog more frequent for the benefit of the readers and myself, set it once a week ok?

I have prepared 100 pieces of masks and will be really practicing the “a mask a day” from today onwards. Gonna have to pamper myself a little during this long period of spending ban. Let’s see if my skin will go glowing like nobody’s business or will it be breaking out like crazy at the end of the campaign. And that will contribute quite a number of blog posts too rite? :p

2 campaigns running at one go ya?

I’m currently having the urge to purchase few items (Etude House &Rose Eye Shadow Palette, Sephora Makeup Academy Palette, Estee Lauder ANR2, Laneige Water Sleeping Pack, Bag of Love/ BeauBox subscription) , and I can’t seem to get rid of the idea for the past 3 weeks or so. Shall give myself 100 days to see how they will weigh in my wish list, and whether I will bring them home with my RM500 allowance!

Feeling excited already!

Review: Biore Cleansing Oil (For All Skin Types)

I've been using this Biore Cleansing Oil for more than a year now, and I think it's time to give it a fair review.

"Gentle cleansing oil washes away long-lasting makeup, even waterproof mascara!

This oil-based makeup remover from Japan has excellent cleansing ability that makes makeup removal so quick and easy!

It effectively dissolves and removes long-lasting makeup, even waterproof mascara, while lifting away dirt and impurities.

Specially formulated to provide optimum cleansing performance at all times.

It does not emulsify upon contact with water and can be used during showers."

I decided to give it a try after reading so many raves online and how highly recommended it is by my favorite fashion and beauty magazine "With". Number 1 makeup remover in Japan it says!

I love the crystal clear jelly purple bottle with the small cap on top to prevent unnecessary wastage when one accidentally pressed on the dispenser.

It has a very nice scent which reminds me of fresh green apple.

The texture is kinda runny, but I usually pump it onto the cotton pad instead of applying directly onto my face, so it's not a problem for me.

To remove eye makeup, I'll dispense a nice 2-3 pumps onto the cotton pad and apply it over the eyelids for half a minute. While waiting, I'll gently massage the eyes so to get the makeup thoroughly dissolved into the oil. Then, I just need to wipe away all the residues with the same cotton pad, leaving behind the oily eyelids. Be careful though as it does sting when the product gets into your eyes. Repeat the same to remove your lipstick. A lazy girl like me will just massage the oil quickly all over my face after this step.

Finally, you just need to rinse your face with water and watch the cleansing oil turns into milky liquid! Follow-up with your skincare routine as soon as possible, or you might have the dry skin feeling as I do.

Here are the before and after pictures:

I used eye shadows, liner and eyebrow pencil from Elianto, and waterproof mascara from Silky Girl (which I'm thinking of throwing away after this post as it is getting clumpy already).

Look at how clean it gets after just 1 cleaning. No residual eyeliner or mascara which gives me panda eyes.

 I tried removing the Etude House Aloha Dear Darling Tint 04, and the color disappeared like a magic! Even for lip tint, seriously?!!

The only downside is the drying effect it leaves behind. Honestly not recommended for daily double cleansing. I prefer cleansing cream for daily usage.



My Verdict:  ★★★★☆

-easily available

-low cost (RM17.90 from AEON)

-fast and effective cleansing

-nice, soothing scent

-can be used on eyes and lips

Drawbacks:

-sting your eyes

-skin feels a little dry after usage

 

Repurchase? Maybe, but not in short future

as I already have a list of makeup removal products awaiting to be used and reviewed.

Wonderbox: June 2013 Edition

Finally received my first ever WONDERBOX on my postcall morning!
This has certainly brightened my day ^^

The pretty box was neatly tied with a sweet purple ribbon, which made me feel reluctant to destroy this piece of art. The box itself is not as sturdy as I thought it is. I liked the Fabulous Finds box better.

Now let's quickly go through the contents.

The first item that caught my attention in this month's box is the Beautymate Purifying and Hydrating Nano Toner (120mL).

"Beautymate's Purifying and Hydrating Nano Toner contain Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Hydrolyzed Pearl and Glycoproteins.

The Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract helps by hydrating your skin and facilitates the skin cell's metabolism rate which prepares the skin for faster active ingredient absorption.

Formulated with the natural mineral, Hydrolyzed Pearl can bright up the skin tone and balance the pH value, that transform your skin soften and smooth.

Glycoprotein helps to increase the moisture balance in cuticle up to 15 hours."

I was too happy to see this full size toner sitting in my beauty box! I've tried the sheet mask from the same line and absolutely loving it! The sheet masks really brighten and hydrate my skin in mere 15 minutes of application and the effect usually will last for 2-3 days. Will start to use this once my Haruhada Sake Skin Lotion reaches the bottom.


The second full size item is the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Night Concentrate Sleeping Pack (50g).

"As skin cell renew at night, this product is formulated with "Progressive Release System" to continuously release intensive moisture throughout the night.

Contains purified Hyaluronic acid, Olive extract and Ionic Mineral complex that helps enhance skin translucency, firms up skin and reduces fine lines so that you wake up to amazingly hydrated, soft and supple skin in the morning."

This was a big surprise for me as I thought I missed it when it appeared in the May 2013 edition. I was so envious that the May subscribers had received it and raved about it so much! I so wanted to have this when I read their good reviews on this sleeping pack and nearly wanted to get it from Watson. Luckily I didn't :D

I think God has answered my prayer. Will definitely try this out when I'm done with my current Bio-essence sleeping mask.

Then I got 2 deluxe size products from L'oreal:

1) L'oreal Professional Liss Ultime Shampoo (100mL)

"Cleanse, calm and smooth rebellious, frizzy hair with this enriching shampoo containing Olive and Argan oils.

Its conditioning action provides lasting smoothness & humidity protection.

Tip: If your hair is thicker, two applications of shampoo may be necessary to help manage frizz." 

2) L'oreal Professional Liss Ultime Masque (75mL)

"This super-smoothing masque bathes hair in hydration, polishing its surface and providing humidity protection.

Shine is enhanced and control is regained.

For unmanageable, frizzy hair."

These are probably no new to beauty box subscribers as I've seen them appearing in other boxes as well. Neither am I too happy nor too frustrated to receive them. Nevertheless, they will come handy when traveling on board.

Next item, the Murad Exfoliating Pomegranate Mask (7.5mL).

"Murad's Pomegranate Exfoliating Mask instantly smoothes and hydrates skin, restoring brightness and balances combination skin."

I've been wanting to try Murad's product ever since I knew about the existence of this brand. It is always not a bad decision to include a mask or two in the beauty box. Furthermore, I've been trying out quite a lot of pomegranate products lately and loved them. Will definitely try this out during my next mask session. Sadly they only gave me 1 sachet of this product, as I'm yet to find any Murad here in Ipoh.

And here goes the extra sample for this month, the Ginvera Green Tea Whitening Marvel Gel (8mL).

"Zero Blackheads in 1 Step.

Use daily on dry face with dry fingers.

Squeeze a sufficient amount and dot on forehead, cheeks, chin, nose and neck.

Massage about one minute.

Rinse off with water/ facial cleanser."

This is something that I never thought of buying, despite many claims that it produces good results. I prefer peeling/ melting method to fight black heads instead. However, I'll give it a chance and see what it can do for my black heads. Who knows I might like it and decide to go on to get a full size?

Last but not least, the vouchers:

1) Kado New Hair Studio: 50% discount on all hair chemical services
2) Murad: RM30 gift voucher

Both are very unlikely to be used due to my current whereabout.


Overall, I'm satisfied with the Wonderbox June 2013 Edition. However, I can understand that some of the existing subscribers would be frustrated to receive the same products in both May and June boxes, which are the Neutrogena Sleeping Pack and the Ginvera Green Tea Marvel Gel. Next month round I have to pray harder so that I don't get the same products again. Truly hope that Wonderbox can improve on this issue.

Interested in Wonderbox subscription? You can subscribe at RM 45.00 per box including shipping fee. Like their facebook page here!

**Fingers crossed for makeup products to be included in next month's box!**

Review: Etude House Wonder Pore Freshner

Today I'm gonna put up a review on Etude House Wonder Pore Freshner which I started using about 3 months back.

I got totally no idea why did I buy this in the first place since my skin concern is never about pore minimizing/ pore refining. Furthermore, the price is also not that really wallet-friendly, at the cost of RM 79.90 if I'm not mistaken. Maybe it's because of the unique packaging it has. God knows. ;)

 

First of all, the name is rather weird. It is suppose to work like a toner, but they decided to name it a freshner, which I think should be spelled as "freshener" anyway.

And here's the list of benefits that it promised to give:
(1) Deep cleanses pores: This is true as I usually see dirt on the cotton pad even after double cleansing
(2) Maintain pH 4.5 ± 1: Not sure about this as I do not have the device to measure skin pH. I thought the normal skin pH should be around 5.5? Correct me if I'm wrong.
(3) Control a large amount of the sebum: Could not comment on this as I do not have a large amount of sebum to start with.
(4) Minimize appearance of pores: Same as above. I do not have large pores usually.
(5) Refine the skin tones: Definitely not. I do not feel any improvement in my skin tone. Instead, my skin texture became rough and dry after using this. And it also gives a tingling sensation during application, which makes me feel worried that it might burn my skin.
(6) Keep the elasticity of pores: I don't really understand this statement by the way.
(7) Moisturize inside and outside of skin: As stated above in (5), this product dries out my skin. So it's a big no no.

This is the unique packaging I was talking about. You just need to place a cotton pad on the dispensing platform and push it down. This will pump up the fluid automatically to soak the cotton pad.

The dispensing method is perfectly designed for the big 500ml bottle as we do not need to pick up the heavy bottle every time we want to get the product out. This will definitely prevent our biceps from building up :p

My Verdict:  ★☆☆☆☆

-only gives 1 out of 7 benefits it claimed
-makes my skin worse
-tingling sensation during application is totally unpleasant
-relatively more expensive
-takes forever to finish up the bottle


Repurchase? A big NO NO!!!


I know that many girls out there had benefited from this product. However, for something that has so many negative feedback from me, there is no other choice than to kiss it goodbye. So I gave it to my sister and truly hope that it can do good to her skin. It was my fault after all to simply buy things that I do not need.

Byebye Wonder Pore Freshner. Your place is gonna be replaced by Haruhada Sake Skin Lotion from today onwards and I shall never see you again on my dressing table.


Have you tried the Etude House Wonder Pore Freshner? Did it make your skin better or worse?

Kose: My 2013 Birthday Haul!

It's been 3 weeks since my birthday.

For a majority of the female population, the biggest event around the birthday month is to fulfill their dream of becoming a shopaholic while enjoying various members' privileges!

As for the year 2013, I've decided to splurge on Kose products. I've been eyeing on their new lotion mist and sun protect gel ever since I learned about their official launches in Malaysia. And finally it has arrived in Ipoh now!

I absolutely love the texture of this Kose Sun Protect Gel after trying out a few times at the Kose counter. It is a very light weight sunscreen which also provides moisturizing benefit to your skin. The skin feels less oily and happier when using this as compared to their older version of medicated sun protector. It also provides high protection against both UVA and UVB with it's SPF 50 and PA +++.

During this promotion period, I've got myself 4x30g of the Kose Sun Protect Gel at the cost of RM52 each, with 4 free foldable umbrellas! The birthday girl was overjoyed with this deal! ^^

 

Next item I bought was the Kose Sekkisei lotion mist. I was told by the BA that it contains the same ingredient as their top seller Sekkisei lotion, which I've been using as lotion mask for quite some time. It is very convenient to bring along with you and spray it on whenever the skin needs a boost of moisture or feeling tired. Furthermore, it wouldn't smear our makeup at all, but instead helps to fix the makeup for a longer period! It is also travel-friendly with the 50ml packaging size.

I got 3 of this limited edition at the price of RM49 each and has been using it for the past 3 weeks. How I wish that it will be on the shelf forever!

 

Then comes the Intellige Sebum Remover Mask (a.k.a. "the-white-mask"), which their BA recommended to me as a very powerful black head remover. I've tried their Seikisho mask white (a.k.a "the-black-mask"), and loved the after effect of instantly smoothed and whitened skin. I am yet to try this out and will post my review on it later.

It is definitely a bad habit to complete my purchase with at least one other product which I don't really need or don't really going to use frequently. This time round, it was the Esprique Moist Make Up Base.

Due to my packed schedule, I usually don't have enough time for makeup before going to work. I bought this because I do not need to apply any other makeup after putting on this one. It is suppose to create a beautiful and natural complexion. I love the swatch of this on the back of my hand as it was not thick as foundation, easy to spread, with the plus points that my skin appears brightened with a healthy glow!

So here is the total purchase for my 2013 birthday. The very kind BA also gave me a sample of the new Sekkisei supreme whitening herbal oil to try out.

Join the Kose Snowy Club now to enjoy 5x reward points for all purchases during your birthday month! Reward points will be accumulated for gift redemption. I'm soon getting a full size Sekkisei liquid face wash with my reward points accumulated last year :) Can't wait to collect it from the counter this week!

QVS soothing mini eye treatment gels!

Hello everybody!

I've just finish my first on-call in labour room today morning! Having working continuously for the past 25 hours with non-stop flow of pregnant ladies coming with different complaints, I'm totally exhausted and burned out at the end of the day (or shall I say, the beginning of the day, since my call ends officially by 8am).

Heading home straight away from hospital, I can't help but completely knocked out and had a total of 8 hours of sleep on my comfy bed. We all know that nothing could replace the deprived amount of good night sleep, which is why I woke up at 5pm with hangover-like-feeling, and a pair of puffy, tired eyes.

And here comes the savior of the day....

TADA~~!!!

I got this new pair of soothing mini eye treatment gels awhile back from Watson, at the friendly price of RM11.80 per pair.

Didn't know that they will become so handy at time like this. You just need to put them in the freezer for 10 to 20 minutes (meanwhile I had my dinner), before enjoying the super soothing and invigorating effect by simply placing them over your eyes.

Absolutely cute and adorable. Just imagine putting them on your eyes with those cute eyelashes prints! ^.^

Super relaxing if you enjoy your treatment while listening to your favorite musics!

However, the cooling effect is lost after 5 minutes as my skin gradually heats up the gel to my body temperature. But at the end of treatment, my eyes totally wake up and feel refreshed.

Personally, I prefer using these than cucumber slices as washing and cutting is not necessary, and it leaves no trace of mess behind. More economical than eye masks which generally cost you more than RM5 per application.

 I've found other ways of using these gels:

1) Use them on your forehead when feverish, no cool fever needed

2) Ladies, use them around time of ovulation, when the basal body temperature is raised

3) Soak in warm water for few minutes and apply over eyes to improve circulation, thus reduce your dark circles

Are you using similar products as well? Please share with me your experience and creative way of using these eye pads!

Review: Dove beauty moisture cleansing foam (Japan-made)

Cleansing foam is one of the skincare products that I'll be able to squeeze till the very last bit, before deciding to throw it away as it has been sitting on my table for too long.

Now that I'm 80% towards the end of my current tube, I guess it's the right time to give a comprehensive review on this product.

A big thank you to my aunt, who brought this beauty moisture cleansing foam all the way from Japan as a lovely and thoughtful souvenir - one for me, one for my sister.

As I first received the gift, I was thinking to myself "What? Dove? Why not something else, say, Kanebo or Kose?" as we can easily get it from any supermarket in Malaysia. But I was totally wrong.

The front view.

The back. Filled with Japanese writings which I can't read. >.<

Known to be containing 1/4 of moisturizing ingredient, the texture of this cleansing foam is quite runny unlike those of other brands. The color is a bit off-white.

The amount shown is sufficient for cleaning face and neck.

Lather with small amount of water, and it easily foams with very tiny bubbles, not too rich, which is also a feature that I always look into when choosing cleansing foam.

The smell is typical 'Dovey' milky scent. It makes me feel pampered :)

Rinsing is rather easy with no slimy residue on the face.

Moisturized skin tends to appear whitened and brightened.

My skin feels hydrated, supple and velvety without the tight feeling that I always get with other cleansing agents (including Malaysia-made Dove product). And it stays so for the next 20 minutes even if I do not follow-up immediately with toner and moisturizer. Thumbs up for this! 

Works pretty well if you're using a very dehydrating make-up remover (ie. oil-based remover with extensive emulsification), to restore your skin moisture instantly.

However, cleanser is still a cleanser. The hydrating power lost if air-conditioner is turned on and I still need to complete the rest of my skin care routine in order to keep my face happy.

My Verdict:  ★★★★☆

-low cost

-superior cleansing power

-nice smell

-easy rinsing

-keeping moisture

Drawback: Not available in Malaysia

Repurchase? Maybe