My Hair History

~AG~

It's been almost 3 months since my last hair cut. See the link for my review of KenAris Salon. http://beautyloverssisters.blogspot.sg/2014/06/kenaris-salon-wheelock-place.html

During my visit there, Gilbert that suggested that I try Keratin Treatment on my next visit. He told me that the treatment will help strengthen my hair and also make it less frizzy. I told him that I had done Cosme Cream Hair Straightening Treatment at Shunji Matsuo 313 earlier this year. But after this straightening treatment, my hair has been left with split ends and tend to be very brittle. Here is a brief timeline of chemical treatments done to my hair:

• October 2012 - Digital Perm
• February 2013 - Cosme Cream Hair Straightening Treatment @ Shunji Matsuo 313. (The bottom 5 inches or so was not straightened).
• January 2014 - Cosme Cream Hair Straightening Treatment @ Shunji Matsuo 313.

Gilbert mentioned that the Cosme Cream Hair Straightening was the same thing as soft rebonding. He mentioned that if I wanted a more natural look, I should try the Keratin Treatment which does not make the hair looks flat. I told him that I had actually tried Keratin Treatment once in the States. I had bought a groupon to try it out. My cousins had previously tried Keratin Treatment and loved the results. The particular hairstylist and salon I went to did not do a good job because I noticed no difference after the treatment. I even bought the special shampoo for after-treatment care. I was utterly disappointed. Gilbert mentioned that I should try it out and that it will lasts up to three months depending on frequency of hair wash and after-treatment care. However, the price will take a huge chunk on my wallet. He quoted S$400-500 for the Keratin Treatment. That makes me reluctant to go for a Keratin Treatment.

After several weeks of consideration, I have booked an appointment with Gilbert to do the Keratin Treatment. With my cousin's numerous wedding events, I need my hair to look presentable with minimal styling. So I decide to take the risk and give Gilbert a chance to prove me wrong. Wish me luck! I am excited and also nervous about it *cross my fingers*

NEW: NARS Dual-Intensity Eyeshadow in Cassiopeia

~AG~

It has been a while since I have browsed through Sephora.com. In the past, I used to visit the Sephora website every other day or so. While browsing the Editor's Pick section, I saw this new product by Nars. According to Sephora.com, Nars Dual Intensity Eyeshadow is a creaseless, eight-hour wear eyeshadow with a transformative texture for wet or day application. I was especially attracted to the shade Cassiopeia which they describe as a iridescent electric pink. It looks so beautiful. I SO want to get my hands on it. It retails for USD$29. I really wish that Sephora.com ship worldwide. 

Dear Sephora, please make international shipping available. Your faithful Sephora fan xoxo

REVIEW: Etude House White moistfull eye roll on

~AG~

I bought this Etude House White Moistfull Eye Roll-On a year ago. I cannot remember how much I bought it for. Today, I went to a Etude House outlet to check out the price and they told me that this product has been discontinued. The saleslady said Etude House is re-packaging and re-formulating the product. I asked the sales assistant about the price of the discontinued product, she said it retailed for around S$20. This was supposed to be a substitute for my Clinique All About Eyes Serum De-Puffing Eye Massage (US$29). But I never got around to trying it till now because I was using another eye cream. 
Since the milia under my eyes have been persistent, I decided to switch to a lightweight eye gel instead of eye cream. I've been using Etude House White Moistfull Eye roll-on for almost two weeks now. Etude House claims that this product has brightening properties for dark circles, and also works to reduce under eye puffiness. It has a metal roller ball to apply the gel under the eyes. The metal roller ball is cooling and refreshes the eye area. The gel is quickly absorbed into the skin. It does not feel sticky upon application. It does not have much moisturising properties. 
Regarding its effectiveness for my dark circles, I have not seen any noticeable differences to my under eye area. My panda eyes are just as bad. It does help with puffiness but it is not a must-have product. I much prefer Clinique roll-on eye gel, it feels more refreshing upon application. 

REVIEW: Dior Addict Lip Glow

~AG~

I've been wanting to try this self-adjustable lip balm by Dior since the first time I saw it at Sephora. The idea of how it works is so interesting. This is a sheer lip balm that reacts with your lips' chemistry to create a customized pink shade.

What can I say about this product? This lip balm leaves a nice sheen on the lips. The vanilla scent of the lip balm is nice and not too overwhelming. It leaves my lips moisturized without it feeling sticky. It does not have the best staying power. It can stay up to 2 hours with food or drinks.

Overall, I really like this lip balm because it does not have any weird after-taste or feeling that some lip balms have. Plus, the baby pink shade that appears on my lips is very flattering. It was not too bright, and was just the right pop of color.

It is very expensive for a lip balm. It retails for USD $31 at Sephora. The hefty price tag makes me think twice about re-purchasing this product. Even though I really like the pink shade that the lip balm creates and its moisturizing properties, I will not re-purchase this product for the time being. It is a great lip balm to try out but it is too expensive to be a constant makeup product in my books.   

Banila Co it Radiant CC Cushion

~AG~

I cannot wait to try this Banila Co. CC Cushion. I bought this while I was in Korea a few months ago. I forgot how much it retails for exactly. It was around USD$35. It is rather expensive purchase but I figured the cushion technology is what makes it pricey. Anyway, I will let you all know whether it is worth the price tag. Stay tuned!

REVIEW: Michael Todd Honey and Oat Deep Pore Gentle Cleanser

~AG~

 

According to Michael Todd True Organic official website:

Ultra-hydrating sweet-lemony honey and oat facial cleanser in a base of refreshing aloe vera juice. Effectively removes makeup and impurities in one simple step.

Sulfate free "no tears" formula does not irritate eyes and rinses completely without residue leaving the skin clean, fresh and hydrated.

Ingredients :
Aloe Barbadensis (Organic Aloe) Leaf Juice, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Coco Glucoside, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Glycerin, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Oat Extract, Olea Europaea (Olive) Leaf Extract, Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A), Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Ascorbyl Palmitate (Vitamin C), Beta-Carotene, Honey, Panthenol (Vitamin B-5),  Potassium Sorbate, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange)  Peel Oil, Cananga Odorata (Ylang Ylang) Flower Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Phospholipids, Disodium Edta, Dehydroacetic Acid.  

My good friend, Stephanie, bought this for me. Previously, she had told me about how good this face wash is. She said it cleanses her skin without drying it out. She also mentioned that Michael Todd True Organic Honey and Oat Gentle Deep Pore Cleanser does not foam up like other face wash but your skin will still feels clean and fresh afterwards. 

As my skin has been ultra sensitive ever since I moved back to Singapore one and half years ago, I have been extra careful with the beauty products I use. Before that, I was using the Boscia Purifying Cleansing Gel. I really liked the Boscia face wash - I was on my second bottle. Anyway, I decided to try this Honey & Oat Cleanser. Because who knows it might be better. 

I have been using for a week and so far my ultra sensitive skin has not had any adverse reaction. My skin did not breakout because of it, nor did my skin had red bumps or patches. My first thought about this cleanser is that the packaging will work well for travelling as it has a "push down" cap. The cleanser has a slight citrus scent. I could not detect any hint of honey or oat scent. This face wash does not foam up but it does lather up a little. I only need a pea size amount for my whole face. My skin does not feel tight after wash, which means it does not dry out my combination skin. It does not sting my eye area, which some cleanser does. It also removes impurities well; my skin does not feel like it has some residue left after wash. 

It retails online at Michael Todd website for US$22 for 210ml worth of product. While my Boscia Cleansing Gel was 150ml and cost US$26. So, MTTO Honey and Oat Cleanser is the more affordable one of the two. The only downside is that this cleanser is not easily found in the States, you can only buy it online. I will definitely recommend this face cleanser to those that have sensitive and combination skin. 

REVIEW: My Beauty Diary Sake Yeast Mask

~AG~

I am a big fan of My Beauty Diary sheet mask. Ever since I tried using it in the States, I have used quite a number of their sheet masks - Birds' Nest, Aloe Vera, Q10 Rejuvenating, Natto, Red Wine, Collagen, Black Pearl. My Beauty Diary sheet masks are of high quality and my ultra sensitive skin has not had any adverse reactions to them. The fit of the sheet mask also works well on my face. On this particular sheet mask packaging, it says it has moisturizing and whitening properties.
When I removed this sheet mask from its packaging, the scent of the sake yeast was pretty overpowering. Among the My Beauty Diary sheet masks, this is one of the least favourite in terms of scent. Even the Red Wine sheet mask's scent was not as overwhelming. The scent of alcohol in this Sake Yeast mask is not the most pleasant scent.

The direction says to leave the sheet mask for 20-30  minutes on my face. But I usually leave the mask on for at least an hour or until the mask is dried up. I do this because it is such a waste for me to throw away the mask that is still soaked with essence after 20 or 30 minutes of application.

My cheeks areas were dry and flaky before the mask application. After the mask, my skin feels tighter and brighter. Overall, my skin feels refreshed and well-moisturized. Apart from the overwhelming alcohol scent, I might reconsider purchasing this sheet mask. I bought a box of 10 variety My Beauty Diary mask for S$13-15 from Sasa Singapore. That means one mask costs about S$1.50.

Mild sake yeast is the by-product in winemaking. Yeast essence has anti-oxidizing function that whitens skin. It purifies pore, making skin soft, fresh and bright. Botanical collagen restores skin’s elasticity and repairing function. Gorse extracts hydrates for more translucent and radiant skin.

Patented moisturizing ingredient CosphingoTM maintains skin’s natural state of healthiness. It hydrates and locks moisture, restores skin’s softness and smoothness.