Here's the bucketload of products that I managed to finish in November. With only one more month to go until the end of 2012, it seems like my beauty stash is still nothing short of overflowing. Need to be more disciplined in 2013 for sure!
1. DiorSkin Forever Compact worked pretty well for me, especially for days when I don't have the time to apply liquid foundation. However, I still prefer the more natural and seamless finish of liquid foundation. I probably won't re-purchase this since Dior comes up with new foundations virtually every year. Full review here.
2. Paul & Joe Protective Foundation Primer UV is a favourite of mine for its natural finish and ability to smoothen out the skin surface. It also does not make my skin more oily than usual. The tube contains only 26.9ml but it took me over two years to finish as I didn't use it regularly until recently. Good grief! Full review here.
3. Lancome Bifacil Double Action Eye Makeup Remover works well for whisking off eye makeup in a jiffy although with stubborn Japanese mascaras, it takes more elbow grease. It's not something I would purchase though as L'Oreal makes a much more affordable version. However, I keep getting samples of it as gifts with purchase.
4. Shu Uemura puRENovate Clarifying Balancing Moisturizer felt too heavy on my skin during the summer, but as the weather turned dryer with autumn, I was able to use this sample tube up quickly. It's not bad as a basic moisturizer but it didn't wow me.
5. L'Oreal Gentle Eye Makeup Remover is a daily staple. I go through one bottle virtually every month. It never stings the eyes.
6. Coast To Coast Rainforest Clarifying Facial Toner helps to refresh the skin without stinging or leaving it feeling dry. It has a fairly strong tea tree scent. I didn't find this to be particularly effective in combating acne. Ingredients list below.
7. Organix Renewing Moroccan Argan Oil sounds pretty good until you examine the ingredients list and realise that argan oil is pretty far down the list. It's full of silicones, which I don't mind. It helps to tame the frizziness and doesn't make my hair feel greasy. Nevertheless, I doubt I will re-purchase this.
8. Vidal Sassoon Premium Conditioner works very well with my dyed hair, leaving it tangle-free. I actually never comb my hair, which I wash and condition once daily. In the mornings, I just use a hair serum to keep it tangle-free. This is made in Thailand.
9. L'Occitane Cherry Blossom Gentle Conditioner isn't as hydrating as the VS Premium although it does have a nicer sweet floral scent. Not something I would re-purchase as it's just too pricey.
10. Percy & Reed Finishing Polish quickly became a daily staple for taming the flyaway strands of my fringe. The scent is also delightfully fresh without being generic. I'll definitely re-purchase this. It's available on ASOS for £10. Ingredients list below.
11. Jill Stuart Body Milk has a sweet white floral scent that is just too cloying and syrupy for me. This light milk also leaves a greasy feeling on my skin.
12. L'Occitane Delice des Fleurs Rose & Violette Body Milk has a much more pleasing and elegant scent. It hydrates well without feeling greasy. This was from last year's limited edition holiday collection.
13. Clarins Extra-Firming Body Lotion also has a lovely scent and absorbs readily into the skin. However, I did not notice any firming effect.
14. La Mer The Cleansing Gel is a good basic cleanser that rinsed off easily without leaving the skin stripped or flakey. However, it doesn't seem special enough to justify the exorbitant US$65 price tag.
15. Ole Henriksen Aloe Vera Deep Cleanser is designed for oily, blemish-prone skin. While it does feel gentle on the skin, I did not notice any reduction in blemishes. It also takes several splashes to rinse off completely so I would not re-purchase this. Ingredients list below.
16. Murad Vitalic Energising Pomegranate Cleanser is also extremely gentle on the skin. It dispenses as an ultra light foam that rinses off very quickly, taking all oiliness with it. The 50ml bottle lasted barely two weeks.
17. Body Shop Rich Plum shower gel is another limited edition product from holiday 2009. Despite its age, it showed no change in consistency or scent. The rich plum aroma is intoxicating and luxurious. Wish the Body Shop would bring this back!
18. Lush Rub Rub Rub is a sea salt-based scrub that provides good exfoliating action without melting away too quickly. I like the refreshingly clean scent as well. The consistency always reminds me of 7/11 Slurpee drinks.
1. DiorSkin Forever Compact worked pretty well for me, especially for days when I don't have the time to apply liquid foundation. However, I still prefer the more natural and seamless finish of liquid foundation. I probably won't re-purchase this since Dior comes up with new foundations virtually every year. Full review here.
2. Paul & Joe Protective Foundation Primer UV is a favourite of mine for its natural finish and ability to smoothen out the skin surface. It also does not make my skin more oily than usual. The tube contains only 26.9ml but it took me over two years to finish as I didn't use it regularly until recently. Good grief! Full review here.
3. Lancome Bifacil Double Action Eye Makeup Remover works well for whisking off eye makeup in a jiffy although with stubborn Japanese mascaras, it takes more elbow grease. It's not something I would purchase though as L'Oreal makes a much more affordable version. However, I keep getting samples of it as gifts with purchase.
4. Shu Uemura puRENovate Clarifying Balancing Moisturizer felt too heavy on my skin during the summer, but as the weather turned dryer with autumn, I was able to use this sample tube up quickly. It's not bad as a basic moisturizer but it didn't wow me.
5. L'Oreal Gentle Eye Makeup Remover is a daily staple. I go through one bottle virtually every month. It never stings the eyes.
6. Coast To Coast Rainforest Clarifying Facial Toner helps to refresh the skin without stinging or leaving it feeling dry. It has a fairly strong tea tree scent. I didn't find this to be particularly effective in combating acne. Ingredients list below.
7. Organix Renewing Moroccan Argan Oil sounds pretty good until you examine the ingredients list and realise that argan oil is pretty far down the list. It's full of silicones, which I don't mind. It helps to tame the frizziness and doesn't make my hair feel greasy. Nevertheless, I doubt I will re-purchase this.
8. Vidal Sassoon Premium Conditioner works very well with my dyed hair, leaving it tangle-free. I actually never comb my hair, which I wash and condition once daily. In the mornings, I just use a hair serum to keep it tangle-free. This is made in Thailand.
9. L'Occitane Cherry Blossom Gentle Conditioner isn't as hydrating as the VS Premium although it does have a nicer sweet floral scent. Not something I would re-purchase as it's just too pricey.
10. Percy & Reed Finishing Polish quickly became a daily staple for taming the flyaway strands of my fringe. The scent is also delightfully fresh without being generic. I'll definitely re-purchase this. It's available on ASOS for £10. Ingredients list below.
11. Jill Stuart Body Milk has a sweet white floral scent that is just too cloying and syrupy for me. This light milk also leaves a greasy feeling on my skin.
12. L'Occitane Delice des Fleurs Rose & Violette Body Milk has a much more pleasing and elegant scent. It hydrates well without feeling greasy. This was from last year's limited edition holiday collection.
13. Clarins Extra-Firming Body Lotion also has a lovely scent and absorbs readily into the skin. However, I did not notice any firming effect.
14. La Mer The Cleansing Gel is a good basic cleanser that rinsed off easily without leaving the skin stripped or flakey. However, it doesn't seem special enough to justify the exorbitant US$65 price tag.
15. Ole Henriksen Aloe Vera Deep Cleanser is designed for oily, blemish-prone skin. While it does feel gentle on the skin, I did not notice any reduction in blemishes. It also takes several splashes to rinse off completely so I would not re-purchase this. Ingredients list below.
16. Murad Vitalic Energising Pomegranate Cleanser is also extremely gentle on the skin. It dispenses as an ultra light foam that rinses off very quickly, taking all oiliness with it. The 50ml bottle lasted barely two weeks.
17. Body Shop Rich Plum shower gel is another limited edition product from holiday 2009. Despite its age, it showed no change in consistency or scent. The rich plum aroma is intoxicating and luxurious. Wish the Body Shop would bring this back!
18. Lush Rub Rub Rub is a sea salt-based scrub that provides good exfoliating action without melting away too quickly. I like the refreshingly clean scent as well. The consistency always reminds me of 7/11 Slurpee drinks.
6 comments:
does the loreal eye makeup remover get the stubborn japanese mascaras off?
hi m,
Yes, it does but it takes a bit of soaking (press the cotton pad against the lashes) to get the mascaras completely off. I usually follow up by using a cleansing oil which removes anything remaining.
Hi. I'm a long time reader from Taiwan. I'm planning to go travel in Singapore in Dec. Does Sephora in Singapore carry Tarte or Tarina Tarantino? I just couldn't find the list of brands anywhere. Hope to receive your reply soon:) Thanks and I love your blog!!
hi there,
Tarte and Tarina Tarantino are not available in Singapore. Both are currently sold only in Sephora in the US. Have a great time in Singapore!
Hi! I just want to say that I adore your posts on product empties, please don't ever stop doing them!
hi Jessica,
Thanks for the positive feedback! I'll continue doing these posts on a monthly basis, as far as possible.
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