NEW BUY : Oxe Cure Body Acne Spray

~AG~ 

 

One of my Thai friends recommended this acne body spray. This is in available in Thailand at Boots for 255 Baht (S$11). 

 

 

She said this acne spray works well. The result is not instanteous, but it is effective.   

The active ingredient in this spray is 1% salicylic acid. It claims to cleans acne blemishes and helps prevent new acne pimples. The spray supposedly works from any angle, and even upside down.   

 

My back acne is appearing again. I can feel bumps on my back. Since I will be wearing a strapless evening gown in two weeks time, immediate measure should be taken to treat and prevent more acne from appearing. I really hope this works. *cross my fingers*

 

Makeup Products Today

 

🔹Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette 

🔹Shu Uemura Face PowderColorless 

🔹NARS Orgasm Blush & Laguna Bronzer Duo 

🔹 Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat Radiant Touch in 2.5 

🔹Lancome Alber Elbaz Hypnose Doll Eyes Waterproof  

🔹 Cle De Peau Beaute Concealer in Ocher  

🔹NARS Pro-Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base 

🔹Lancome Artliner Eyeliner

NEW BUY: Redken Diamond Oil Conditioner

 ~AG~  

Since my conditioner was running low, I decided to shop around for a new one. Currently, I am using Essential Rich conditioner. This time, I decided to look for a more moisturizing conditioner since I will be trying the Dae Gi Mae Ro anti-hair loss shampoo. Since anti-hair loss shampoo can dry out the hair, I will need a "heavier" conditioner. My hairstylist, Gilbert, uses Redken products, so I decided to try one of their conditioners. 

Buying shampoos and hair products from salon tend to be more expensive. A more affordable alternative is to buy high-end hair products from shops such as Venus Beauty, Red Tomato and such, which sells the products at a much cheaper price. Skeptics said shampoos and hair products sold in those shops are not authentic or that the products have been diluted. However, from my experience, the shampoos and conditioners work just as well.  

The shampoo I bought was Redken Diamond Oil Conditioner from Venus Beauty @ AMK. It retailed for $22.90. This is one of the most expensive conditioners that I have bought, I hope it is worth the price.   

Redken official website mentioned that this conditioner contains coriander, camelina and apricot oils which moisturize hair strands and prevent it from breakage. Hair oils are known to be good for dry and frizzy hair. This is probably the "richest" conditioner that Redken has on the market. 

I cannot wait to try this conditioner. I hope it moisturizes my hair and prevents further split ends from occuring.  

Please stay tuned, and I will let you all know whether this conditioner is worth the buy. 

AG's 2015 Beauty Resolution

~AG~ 

Some beauty resolutions for 2015. Little changes to my beauty routine and habits.
 

1) Use eye cream regularly. Sometimes I skip putting on eye cream, especially at night. This is a bad habit. Since the eye area is in need of moisturization. 
 

2) Use eyeliner more. I have two or three brand new eyeliners that have not been used. 
 

3) Find the approriate shampoo for my scalp and hair type. Reduce hair fall. 
 

4) Use at-home hair mask & hair treatment more frequently.  
 

5) Apply lip balm more often, to keep lips soft and moist. Nowadays, I only apply lip balm once or twice a day. It will be good to increase the frequency to 4-5 times a day. It will be even better if I can use my stashed lip products, my collection of lip srick, lip stain, lip gloss and such. 

Results of 7 Days Challenge: Lancome Advanced Genefique Youth Activating Concentrate

~AG~

SORRY for taking so long to get back to you all. I was busy travelling in and out of the country. On my previous post, I said that I will report back on December 9, 2014 about the results of my 7 days Lancome Advanced Genefique Activating Concentrate challenge. Lancome Advanced Genefique 7 Days Challenge

At the start of the challenge my skin was rather problematic. The skin area around my cheeks and chins were dry, and my nose were popping with little red pimples. I wanted to test out whether Lancome Advanced Genefique will help "calm" down my skin. 

I applied Lancome Advanced Genefique twice a day, as the first step after facial cleansing. I did not use any other skin serum, only applied Laneige Water Bank Essence on top as a moisturiser.

Three or four days after the use of Lancome Advanced Genefique, I felt a difference in my skin texture. My skin did not felt as rough and my dry patches were gone. Even my boyfriend, who often takes notice on my skin condition, commented that my skin texture has improved. If he mentioned it, it must be true! My boyfriend has a keen eye regarding my appearance. However, Advanced Genefique does not help reduce the little red pimples I had on my nose. Overall, Advanced Genefique has helped improve my skin texture in terms of hydration and clarity. My skin looks healthier and definitely feels softer. Also, my ultra sensitive skin did not have any adverse reaction to the concentrate. 

Advanced Genefique Youth Activating Concentrate has become my new must-have, especially when I am traveling to a country with a different climate. I noticed that when I used Advanced Genefique in China's winter weather, my skin does not feel as tight and will not have dry patches. Double Yay!

Some pictures of my bare skin on December 11, 2014. As you can see, the skin around my cheeks area looks and feels smoother. My skin looks luminous. 

I will definitely recommend Advanced Genefique to you, reader. It has become a must-have item in my skin care regimen. 

REVIEW: Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette

 

~AG~

A year after I bought Urban Decay Naked Basic Palette, I finally have the chance to try it out. The durable packaging makes it a good eyeshadow palette to travel with. It is light and fits nicely onto my travel makeup bag. It fits on the  palm of my hand. The rubberised packaging makes the surface less prone to scratches or eyeshadow residues. 

In the past, I always brought the original Naked palette when travelling. But I found that the packaging is too long to fit comfortably into my smaller travel makeup bag, it takes too much space. Plus, on short trips, I do not need all the eyeshadows that are available on the Naked Palette.

On my recent business trip, I decided to try out this palette. My everyday makeup look for work is usually a wash of shimmery eyeshadow and then some mascara. On some days, I use a contour shadow when I don't have time to put on liquid eyeliner. And when I really feel like dressing up, it is a shimmery eyeshadow, liquid eyeliner and mascara. 

 

       

 It retails for US$29. My sister bought it for me during the Sephora Family & Friends Sale, which entitles VIB insiders with an additional 15% off purchase. 

   

The Naked Basics Palette comes in six neutral shades.

 Left to Right: Venus, Foxy, W.O.S, Naked 2, Faint, Crave

All the eyeshadows are matte except for Venus which some shimmers. 

I was attracted to the four lightest shades on the palette. I find that those are shades that I would wear everyday. The two darkest shades are more for contouring and creating a neutral smoky eyes. 

The compact packaging of the Naked Basic Palette. It is very thin. 

This is the eye makeup look that I tried with this palette. I used Foxy all over my eyelids and then used Faint as a contour color. On the center of my eyelids, I applied Venus to highlight and brighten the area. This is an easy makeup look. You can use the darker eyeshadow as eyeliner. An easy way to define the eyes without the use of eyeliner. It creates a softer definition, which works great for a neutral work makeup look. 

Urban Decay Naked Basic palette is a great eyeshadow palette to have for natural makeup looks. The compact packaging makes it handy to have for travelling. As always, the pigmentations of Urban Decay eyeshadows are superb and stays on very well! I truly recommend this palette to those who want a simple neutral makeup look. 

 

My first post regarding the Urban Decay Naked Basic Palette.http://beautyloverssisters.blogspot.sg/2013/12/urban-decay-naked-basics-palette.html

7 Days Challenge: Lancome Advanced Genefique Youth Activating Concentrate

~AG~

Please do not mind my au natural face. My skin was dry after my trip to China. The weather in China was windy and rather cold. As a result, my cheeks and chin area felt dry. Furthermore, I also noticed several pimples on my nose. Overall, my skin was not in a good condition. I decided to try out Lancome Advanced Genefique to see whether it will help "calm" my irritated skin. It is supposed to be a miracle serum that improves the skin condition. Lancome claims that you will notice a difference in skin condition in seven days. What a nice claim, isn't? 

 

I started the Lancome's 7 Days Advanced Genefique Challenge on Dec 3, 2014. Lancome claims that your skin will look different after seven consecutive days of use. I will use it day and night, as the first step after facial cleansing. I will not use any other serum or skin treatment. 

Previously, I had used the Lancome Genefique in the States after one of my friends recommended it to me. My friend who suffered from persistent acne said that this serum makes her skin glowing. She swore by this product and it is her HG product. 

 

However, even after I finished using the whole bottle, I did not notice any noticeable differences. I decided to try out the Advanced Genefique because it is an improved formula and my skin has changed since my time in the States. 

 

I bought this Lancome Advanced Genefique as part of a set with the Genefique Eye-Light Pearl at Singapore Changi Airport Duty Free store. 

 

I will come back on Dec 9, 2014 to report on the results of my challenge. Stay tuned!

 

See for more details 

NEW BUY: Lancome Advanced Genefique 

REVIEW: REN Clean Skincare Vita Mineral Daily Supplement Moisturizing Cream

~AG~

I have been using this REN Clean Skincare Vita Mineral Daily Supplement Moisturising Cream for over four months now. I am almost done with the 50ml (1.7 oz) bottle. So what are some things that I can say about it?

Firstly, the durable plastic packaging makes it a good product for travelling. The pump packaging makes it hygienic for application, and the protective cap that covers the pump ensures that no product is accidentally pumped out while travelling. I do not have to worry about the bottle being broken or products spilling. You can see how much product is left by looking at the transparent area on the side of the packaging. I find this super helpful, and a smart idea by Ren Clean Skincare.

Secondly, I do find that REN Vita Mineral Daily Supplement Moisturizing Cream works well for my sensitive combination skin in Singapore humid weather. Even though it is a moisturizing cream, it is light and not greasy at all. I have been using it for over 5 months and can say that my skin has not had any adverse reaction. The reason why I wanted to try REN Clean products is because of their beliefs in making products that are paraben-free, mineral oil-free, synthetic fragrance-free and other harmful ingredients. Please check their website for more details About REN. REN Vita Mineral Daily Supplement Moisturising Cream does not cause my skin to break out. Yay!

This product supposedly contains vitamins to hydrate skin. It also supposedly contains anti-oxidants that stops free radical and helps reduce premature aging. Honestly, I cannot say much about the prevention of premature aging. But I  do feel that my skin feels replenished after use.

You only need a single pump of product to fully moisturize the skin. I used it only on the day time, because I use a thicker moisturizer at night. This bottle can last me 5-6 months. A bottle costs US$38 which is pretty pricey for an everyday moisturizer but I find it totally worth it.

The scent reminds me of a combination of herbs and flowers. Though, the scent is not unpleasant or overwhelming. 

The only down side to this product is that it does not work well for drier climate. When I was in Shanghai last week where the weather was dry and windy, I felt that Ren Vita Mineral Daily Supplement Moisturizing Cream was not hydrating enough. My skin felt tight and dry. So this will not work well for the Winter season.

Apart from that, I will definitely re-purchase this product. Even though it is not readily available in Singapore, the Sephora Singapore does not carry the REN Clean brand.

See http://beautyloverssisters.blogspot.sg/2014/06/ren-clean-skincare-vita-mineral-daily.html for more details about the product.

Q&A: The Face Shop Argan Oil Mist

It comes in a 80-ml plastic bottle packaging. 

You can see the oil particle on top of the aqueous part.

The nozzle spray

 

1) How long have you used this product?
MG: I starting using it second week of October. It has been nearly two months. I am almost done with this bottle which will lasts me about 2.5 months.

 2) How do I use it?
MG: After I wash my face and apply my SK-II treatment essence, I spray the face mist as my third step. After spraying the mist,  I pat it onto my skin until it is fully absorbed. In addition, I also you use it after I wake up. My skin feels dry after being overnight in an air conditioned room. This mist helps keep my skin feeling refreshed and moisturized.

 3) Where did you buy it?
MG: My sister bought it at a Face Shop store in Seoul, Korea. She told me that it cost between S$15-20.

 4) Would you recommend to me? 
MG: Double Yes! Will definitely repurchase it. If they were to discontinue this product, I will definitely buy many backups.

 5) Will this be in your travel makeup & skincare bag?
MG: 100% Yes if it comes in a smaller version. The current version is too big to put in my everyday to-go makeup bag. With that being said, the plastic packaging makes it much lighter compared to Caudalie Teint Divin Beauty Elixir which comes in a glass bottle. I also do not have to worry about the plastic packaging breaking because it is pretty durable. The non-aerosol nozzle spray makes it plane-friendly.

 6) What is special about this product?
MG: You can see the argan oil floating on top of the liquid part. It smells naturally fresh, not overwhelming. I do not find that it is synthetically fragrant. However, I do find that I need to use two fingers to press down, if not the nozzle will spray unevenly - this is probably because of my small fingers. The spray particle is very fine. You can feel it on your skin for a few seconds then it is absorbed. It does not break you out. My skin feels moisturized after application. I do not feel it leaves a sticky/oil feeling on  my skin.

 7) What would you change about this product?
MG: I want a smaller version for easy traveling. A size which can be carried in my small handbag.

 8) Why did you purchase it?
MG: My sister chose it for me because she knows I like facial oil. Even though I have oily skin, I still love facial oil. Because it makes me happy knowing that my skin is moisturized enough so that my skin would not overproduce oil to compensate for the dryness. My skin can get "mega oily" if the glands detect that my skin is too dry.

Lisa Eldridge Dinner Date Makeup

~AG~

I <3 all the makeup looks created by Lisa Eldridge. This one is a great idea for an upcoming dinner date with my boyfriend. I especially like the bold lips. The eye makeup might not work for my monolids but I like the natural look.