Garnier Aqua Defense Non Stop Intensive Moisturising Essence…

Times like this I really wonder how beneficial following other blogs are – especially when they lead to the purchase of yet another “I-want-this-but-I’m-not-sure-but-she’s-said-nice-things-about-it-so-why-not?” product…the latest being Garnier’s Aqua Defense Non Stop Intensive Moisturising Essence (it’s such a mouthful to say, so I’m sticking to Aqua Defense Essence from here on out)

It all started with Paris, who wrote about the Garnier Aqua Defense Essence and its comparison alongside ~H2O+ Face Oasis. Since I had already tried Face Oasis previously, I was intrigued to see if this was really as good as it promised. Paris suggested that I try a bit first, and generously decanted some into a small pot for me to try out.

Well, it turned out to be a disastrous experience…for my wallet, that is! After finishing the sample, I quite literally hightailed it to the nearest pharmacy to get myself a jar (PB, we have to stop doing this! LOL…you know my weakness to resist products like these!)

Description:
Enriched with anti-oxidants, Fruit Waters and Vitamin E, Garnier Aqua Defense builds an invisible barrier on your skin which instantly replenishes moisture and repels external aggressions and free radicals. Grape water contains sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium and zinc to help protect skin from damage caused by free radicals; apple water is renowned for its anti-oxidant action and natural Vitamin E effectively smoothes the skin and protects skin from cellular damage. Garnier Aqua Defense Essence deeply penetrates to instantly replenish moisture, leaving skin hydrated, smooth and protected all day.

The Verdict:
Judging from my reaction after trying the sample? :D The jar comes with an inside lid, which I find helps to keep it together and prevents spillage of the product. PB was right though – the smell when I opened the lid was refreshingly….fresh? LOL…it does smell somewhat of green apples, but very light and airy at that.

Texture-wise, the Aqua Defense Essence resembles a moderate gel – not too thick not liquidy, and is absorbed quite rapidly into my skin. There is just the slightest trace of stickiness after application, but this dissipates quickly. I’ve found myself getting more and more attached to this the more I use it, and at the affordable price, it won’t be hard to sustain this luxury!

Better yet, my oil-slick skin loves this formula. To be honest, I have extremely oily skin, but it doesn’t show. The true test is when I take out my oil-absorbing sheet (the Gatsby ones are always the acid test!). Those who have seen the results are usually astounded – I can use up to two whole sheets at a time, and my skin didn’t even look oily to begin with!

Got a bit carried away there, but the point is that after using the Aqua Defense Essence, the oiliness has gone down somewhat. Now, the formula is not meant to control oil, but somehow when I use this, my skin doesn’t produce as much oil during the day as it does when I’m using my Clinique Moisture Surge. I wonder why…?

According to Paris, the Aqua Defense Essence can also be used as a mask, although I have yet to try that out. However, I’m loving the effects so far, and am happily plowing my way through the jar. Face Oasis was great, but by price comparison Aqua Defense Essence is a lot lighter on the pocket. Now if only someone could replicate the scent from this and turn it into a fragrance, I’d be more than happy to try that too! (but please, don’t tell me to get DKNY’s Delicious – I already have it and it’s not the same, really!)


Garnier’s Aqua Defense Non Stop Intensive Moisturising Essence is available at all major pharmacies and retails at RM19.80 for a 50ml jar. For more info, you can also check out the Singapore site for Aqua Defense here.


Rating: 4.5 / 5
Value: $$$

Pretty pretty…

Is there anyone around that doesn’t like having presents?? LOL…a friend recently returned from Shanghai for business (with some retail therapy undoubtedly sneaking itself in!) and brought back a pretty package in a paper bag for me!

It turned out to be a satin jewelry roll…just check out the pretty embroidery on the back and the tulips on the end to tie it together! And in my favourite colour too…I *heart*!!

The roll has got separate zippered compartments for jewelry to make sure they don’t get all tangled up, as well as a special buttoned tube for rings. Of course, it could also double up pretty well as a makeup pouch I reckon…

Thanks BC!! *hugz*

Stage Nail Polish…

While at the Alliance Cosmetics Beauty Shoppe the other day, I was ‘persuaded’ by a friend to try Stage’s nail polish, and picked out a lovely pearl chocolate shade.

If I’m not mistaken, this shade was called Alluring, which looked very slightly lighter in the bottle, but translated to a dark chocolate brown when applied on my fingers. I figure this was because the glass of the bottle distorted the shade slightly, but then again they had swatches of all the shades available for you to compare, so you know what you’re buying.

Surprisingly though, there was just the slightest hint of iridescence in the nail polish after application. In bright light, it looks like it has just a hint of purple in it…not that I’m complaining! :D

Paired with a base and top coat, this colour actually looks pretty nice on my nails and lasts quite long…not to mention it really complements the new hair colour I just had done – a dark brown with red highlights. Now all I need is an occasion to test out the look! Hehe…when’s the next meet up eh girls? *wink*

Shu Uemura Tokyo Lash Bar 2009…

Just before I left for the Rainforest World Music Festival last week, I was invited to the launch of Shu Uemura’s Lashes in Nature Tokyo Lash Bar 2009 alongside the rest of the media, socialites and usual blogger culprits (teeheehee!)

Each of the guests were allowed to select a set of false lashes from the designs available, which were then applied by the makeup artists. I went for the farfallina, which looked quite natural in the case, but resulted in quite a “POP” look as described by Connie and Paris…LOL…

“POP” eyes? Really?


Paris went with the Mini Star-Glitz…bling bling! :)


Connie on the other hand, got a head start by wearing falsies from her own stash…she picked up the Mini Star-Glitz as well though to take home and try…

They were taking photos of the guests together with the models, which were then printed out for each guest…nicking this from Connie’s site since I’m too lazy to take a picture of the photo! LOL…

The main event was the presentation of the Lashes in Nature premium edition lashes by the Shu Uemura Black Book Artists, who chose from Goldglam Leaf, Snow Twist, Fleur-ever and Marine Tide…can you tell which is which? :)

L-R: Queen of the Forest (Goldglam Leaf), Oasis (Marine Tide), The Dramatic Bloom (Fleur-ever), Blinding Blizzard (Snow Twist)

L-R: Endless Beauty of the Earth (Goldglam Leaf), Flight of the Peacock (Fleur-ever), Snow Witch (Snow Twist)

Out of the lot, this one probably caught my “eye” the most…very dominatrix!! *rreeooww*

Amuse Mirror Lipstick…

During my last (disastrous) purchase on Cherryculture, one of the products that caught my eye was the Amuse Mirror Lipstick, which I found was a pretty nifty concept. In fact, it’s quite ingenious!

Description:
This long lasting lipstick from Amuse goes on smoothly and evenly. Its unique packaging makes it different from your other conventional lipsticks – a built-in attached mirror that makes application easy. The lipstick can be worn alone or over your favourite lip liner.

The Verdict:
I bought shade #901, which is a pretty deep red in the tube, but comes out as more of a raspberry colour on my lips. The swatches of the shade are below, both on the back of my hand as well as on my lips.

From a product perspective, I’d say this was a rather average product – the colour itself is quite pretty, and it goes on smoothly. However, the lasting power of the lipstick wasn’t all that great…and I found that the formula was a little oily. Definitely good for the moisturising factor, but the oiliness means that the lipstick tends to slide off my lips and requires frequent reapplication during the day.

I can’t fault the design of the lipstick though…the mirror is actually spring loaded to pop up once the cap is removed, and the size is decent for applying lipstick. The only thing that would make the design perfect would be a battery-powered light for night-time application…hehe…


Amuse Mirror Lipstick is available on CherryCulture.com and retails for USD2.00 each.


Rating: 3 / 5
Value: $$$

Estee Lauder Staff Sale 2009…

Hello hello! Gosh, when I first started on my break from work I was expecting it to be a leisurely one. To be honest, I loved every minute of it (save for the lack of income!) and I’ll be damned if I’m not dreaming for the next time I get to this again! However, all good things have to come to an end, and as of now, I have a few hours left before I get back to the workforce. And I tell you, there’s nothing like panic to motivate – I think I’ve done more cleaning up in the past week than I have the entire break combined…LOL…

Then again, the thought of going back to work has another effect – the loosening of the purse strings. So I suppose it was providence (or detriment?) that the Estee Lauder Staff Sale happened just two days before I was due to start work?

I didn’t do too much damage, considering some of the stuff I bought were for other people. There were a lot of sets available this year around, and the prices were quite decent. Thankfully the queue wasn’t as mad as previous years…although this year I swear my IQ probably dropped quite a few points being sandwiched between these two ditsy girls waiting in line. They kept asking such STUPID questions and talking about another friend who had already gone in and conveniently taken their friend’s ticket with her with “Can’t she just come out, give us the ticket and go back in?”……what the?!?

Oh whatever…on to the haul! :D

MAC Little Darlings – 5 neutral lipglasses / lustreglasses


MAC Adoring Carmine – 3 Red Lips


MAC eyeshadow duos in Shallow vs. Deep and Team Violets


Origins Ginger set – comes with ginger soufflé and ginger essence roll-on


Origins Peace of Mind set


DKNY Be Delicious lipgloss


DKNY Be Delicious (Green Apple) roll-on fragrance


DKNY Be Delicious Men in Fall Harvest set (I swear this smells SOO good!)


Clinique Happy Fragrance and Lipgloss Pens (comes in packs of 2 per box)


Bobbi Brown Baby set

The total for everything above? Just over RM700…which is enough to have me grinning for the next week…heehee…how did the rest of you do?

Back from Rainforest World Music Festival!! :)

Woohoo!! I got back from Kuching on Monday, but have been quite KOed for the past few days from lack of sleep during the Festival…oh but what a time… :D

I’m so totally hooked on this band called AkashA at the moment – local KL band, but simply AWESOME music! It poured the first night of the festival, but other than that the weather was quite sunny and clear.

Great company (albeit with some seriously LOUD snorers in the group!!) and plenty of hilarious moments…heck, I’m already looking forward to next year!

We stayed at the Permai Rainforest Resort, which was advertised as a mere 10 minute walk from the Sarawak Cultural Village (where the festival was held) and sneakily enough, it was – from the ENTRANCE of the resort to the cultural village! Getting from the entrance to our cabins was another 15-20mins walk! LOL…suffice to say, I got PLENTY of walking during those five days. We actually calculated that we had probably walked a total of 30-odd kilometers during those few days! However, with views like this from the beach, how to complain?

Since we had some time in the morning on the last day before the coach arrived to take us to the airport, we decided to indulge in a few ‘air’ shots…talk about action hor…hehe…

Surprisingly, I didn’t actually go anywhere else outside the Cultural Village area and the resort, apart from the ride to and from the airport…quite sad right? Next time I really have to spend a couple more days to actually see Kuching city, not to mention try the famous Sarawak mee kolok!


Okay, now that the raving about Sarawak is done, back to our regular programming! :D How has everyone been while I was gone?


PS: Authentic Sarawak Laksa is AWESOME stuff! Hehe…if you have the chance, you really should try it! Shucks, just thinking about it has me drooling…yum yum!

Revlon Beyond Natural Blush & Bronzer…

Hey hey!! How’s the weekend going so far? No, I’m not back yet, but probably having a blast in Kuching…hehe…this is the other product I tried from the Revlon Beyond Natural range – Blush & Bronzer.

Description:
Revlon Beyond Natural Blush & Bronzer is made up of coordinated blush and bronzer shades that can be blended together or used separately to create a naturally sun-kissed look. The sheer, silky formula gives skin a soft glow of beautiful, natural colour in an attractive, visually appealing design. The shade names coordinate with other Revlon Beyond Natural products so you can find your best shade across all products.

The Verdict:
The shade I got was Pink, which is a nice peony-like shade of blusher with a medium golden-brown bronzer. It surprised me that the bronzer portion was somewhat larger than the blush portion. The wavy surface of the product made it easy to pick up the powder, but one thing to note is that the Blush & Bronzer does not come with a brush or applicator.

It took me a while to get it to work for me – the pink was so-so on my skintone, but made me look washed out in photos. Since the blush portion is smaller, this actually is a plus point for me. The great thing is that when swirled and applied together, it makes a great natural accent for my cheekbones and reminds me of Benefit’s Hoola and Dandelion, but in one pan. Dupe alert! :D

Both the blush and bronzer have a matte finish, so it’s perfect for events where you’re expecting to have your photos taken. I used this the entire time I was in Singapore, and I must say I’m pretty happy with the results. The look also lasted as long as I did – if it can withstand an entire day walking along Orchard Road, I’d say it’s a keeper wouldn’t you? :) I *heart* this!

Revlon Beyond Natural Blush & Bronzer is available in 4 colours overall, but three are available in Malaysia


Revlon Beyond Natural Blush & Bronzer retails at RM55 and is available at leading department stores, pharmacies and personal care stores nationwide.


Rating: 4.5 / 5
Value: $$

Revlon Beyond Natural Protective Liptint SPF15…

I recently got a couple of products from the Revlon Beyond Natural range to try, and brought it with me to Singapore to road-test. One of them was Revlon’s Beyond Natural Protective Liptint SPF15.

Description:
Revlon Beyond Natural Protective Liptint SPF15 tints lips with beautiful color while providing moisturising shine and sun protection. Formula tints lips with semi-sheer color with a soft, moisturising shine, and the shades are designed to match any complexion for naturally beautiful lips. In addition to beautiful colour, your lips are protected when exposed to the sun with SPF15. A delectable berry scent complements the product and delights the senses.

The Verdict:
When I first opened this, the berry scent of the liptint was definitely unmistakable to the point of being rather strong. After a couple of weeks though, I find that the scent doesn’t bother me as much – not sure if the smell is dissipating or I’m just getting used to it.

I was also amused that the surface of the liptint was just slightly rounded on the top instead of the typical slanted shape, which made application just the tiniest bit more fiddly but not enough to cause any distress.

The liptint goes on easily leaving a nice hint of colour and nicely moisturised lips, and is rich enough that I don’t need to apply lipbalm beforehand like I normally do with application of my lipstick. The shade I got was Pink, which is a little brighter than the shades I usually use, but according to a friend it gives me a sweet look, similar to what my lips would look like after a day out in the cold.

Given its moisturising factor, this liptint doesn’t last very long though, and requires reapplication after eating (drinking is still fine) but since this is meant to be a liptint I can’t fault it. Furthermore, the added SPF15 is a good thing to have given our scorching temperatures nowadays.

Revlon Beyond Natural Protective Liptint SPF15 is available in 8 colours overall, but four are available in Malaysia

On the whole, I like this liptint although I feel that Revlon should look at tweaking the berry scent to something more subtle. Otherwise, most will find that the Rosy or Berry shade works great to give a nice natural sheen to lips without looking ‘lipstick-ey’. Stay tuned for my review of the next Beyond Natural product – Blush & Bronzer. :)


Revlon Beyond Natural Protective Liptint SPF15 retails at RM32 and is available at leading department stores, pharmacies and personal care stores nationwide.


Rating: 4 / 5
Value: $$

Cheap Find: Daiso Eyeshadow Quad…

When it comes to skincare, I usually don’t skimp and have my firm favourites. However, when it comes to colour cosmetics, I’m always game to try new items (all in the name of beauty eh? LOL…)

I found this eyeshadow quad in the beauty section of Daiso, and since it had my favourite colour I decided to try it out for fun. It’s one of the Japanese brands, but since I don’t read Japanese I don’t actually know what the name is. For RM5 I wasn’t expecting too much, but the results were somewhat divided.

The Verdict:
I love the texture of the eyeshadow – it’s soft and velvety to the touch, and blends nicely to create either a relatively sedate look or up the ante for a sultry smoky-eyed look. The eyeshadow gives a pearlescent glow to my look, and looks great day or night.

Unfortunately, the lasting power of this eyeshadow quad isn’t quite up to par. After a couple of hours, creasing starts to take place and after 4 hours or so, there’s hardly anything left except some smudges. Using an eye base somewhat helps the lasting power of this, but not by much.

However, for RM5 I can’t quite complain either since it does have lovely colours and blends beautifully. If only I could make it last longer…but for short trips out, this does the trick. That said, Daiso has had some good finds (just ask Connie about the eyebrow pencil, or Kahani about the makeup correction pen!) and personally I love their grapefruit lipbalm, but this is simply just ‘meh’ to me. Has anyone else tried this, and if so what did you think of it? :)


Rating: 2.5 / 5
Value: $$$