Monday 1 July 2013

Operation Use It Up

Here are the products that I finished up in June.

1. Nude Hydrating Water is a rose and vanilla water mist with prickly pear extract and probiotics to calm and refresh skin. I found the scent quite odd though, not exactly what I expected of a rose mist. This refreshes my skin without leaving it sticky but it is no longer available as Nude has undergone a revamp of its products and packaging.

2. For Beloved One Extreme Hydration Toner was more moisturising compared to the Nude lotion. Frequently, I would use just this and skip moisturiser if my skin is not feeling dehydrated. It does not leave any sticky feeling.

3. Suqqu Face Refresher R also does a good job of leaving the skin feeling refreshed and clean but it didn't seem special enough to warrant the £35/5250yen price tag for the regular 150ml version.

4. Cleansing Express Cleansing Lotion (Sebum) removes makeup quickly and effectively with just a few swipes of the cotton pad. It is also very easy on the pocket so replenishing it doesn't break the bank like Shu Uemura's cleansing oils. I usually follow it up with a face cleanser as I prefer a thoroughly cleansed feeling. It doesn't work that well with waterproof mascara so I use a separate eye makeup remover.

5. Shu Uemura High Performance Balancing Cleansing Oil whisks off all makeup in a jiffy. This is slightly thicker than the Fresh (pink) version but not as thick as the A/O (green) version. I also always follow this up with a face cleanser.

6. L'Oreal Gentle Eye Makeup Remover is a biphase remover that works effectively without irritating my eyes. An affordable staple that I don't stray from.

7. L'Oreal Smooth Intense Instant Smoothing Serum helps to keep my hair manageable and frizz-free. It absorbs quite quickly without making my hair look greasy.

8. Lush Snow Fairy shower gel is released only every holiday season. The sweet candy scent takes some getting used to. It also contains shimmer particles but these get rinsed off pretty much immediately.

9. Murad Vitalic Energizing Pomegranate Moisturizer SPF15 made my skin oil up within an hour so I won't be repurchasing this. The 30ml tube lasted over a month with daily use.

10. Phyto Phytodefrisant Botanical Hair Relaxing Balm is a clear, slighty watery gel that helps to tame the frizz without stickiness or stiffness. I don't think I'll repurchase this as I prefer the L'Oreal serum.

11. Three Balancing Emulsion (Enriching) has a strong scent of essential oils. It absorbs quite nicely and hydrates my skin without irritating it.

12. Paul & Joe Brightening Serum helps to hydrate my skin without making it feel sticky. I haven't used it long enough to notice any brightening effect though.

13. Lunasol Watery Makeup Base is exactly as the name suggests. The light watery texture is similar to RMK Makeup Base. It doesn't offer any coverage but helps to hydrate the skin and smoothen it for easier application of foundation. It also does not make my skin extra oily.

Can't believe half the year has already flown by just like that! Here's to a more productive second half :-)

9 comments:

Sara said...

I love that For Beloved One toner too, it's so light yet does have a tad of hydration to it! Love reading your empties post!

Jamilla Camel said...

I love the Shu Oil but it's sooo expensive here! I use DHC (the yellow one).

Calista said...

Hello! I'm looking for a Japanese eyeshadow palette in neutral colors that's suitable for work? My budget is flexible but I would prefer something budget since I'm just trying out new brands (long time user of urban decay and MAC and all the western brands) I have my eyes set on the Integrate pure eyes palette and the Lavshuca star decoration palette. Any suggestions/advice?

Haru said...

hi Calista,
The Integrate Pure Eyes palettes are good and affordable, I do recommend them. I haven't tried the Lavshuca one you mentioned so can't say anything about that. Kate also makes many neutral eyeshadow palettes that are affordable.

Tavy said...

Hi Haru, nice to read about your operation use up post! :D

recently there is a lot of brands launching their new range of lipsticks/color & most of them looks good. I'm not sure which brand u use before & able to give me some recommendation?

I'm looking at Lancôme, NARS, YSL, Channel. Or any brand u can recommemd with moisturing yet color range is nice?

Haru said...

hi Tavy,
I like the Lancome Rouge in Love range, which has a good range of easy-to-wear, flattering shades in different degrees of intensity. I find NARS lipsticks to be drying. I haven't tried YSL lipsticks while with Chanel, their lipsticks also tend to be bit drying for me.

Tavy said...

Hi Haru,

Thank You for your advice & information! I will head to try on some Lancôme lipstick soon!!

How about Paul & Joe's Lipstick? Cos I saw you have quite a number of review of this brand too. ^_^

Haru said...

hi Tavy,
Since Paul & Joe reformulated their lipsticks, I have tried only a couple of shades and they do not seem to be as moisturising as previously. Also, the color payoff varies quite significantly depending on the shade. Some are super sheer while others are more opaque. I've had a couple limited edition shades that just looked terribly cakey on my lips.

Tavy said...

Hi Haru, thanks for your advice! Guess I'll look for Lancôme lipstick first... Thank you! ;)