Operation Use It Up

Completed a bumper crop of empties this month!

1. Acca Kappa Calycanthus is a lovely uplifting white floral fragrance with dominant notes of jasmine. It is the first fragrance I've used up in years. I purchased this about four years ago in Kuala Lumpur, and it's been a perennial favourite since then. Always soothing and comforting.

2. Peter Thomas Roth Max Complexion Correction Pads contain 10% glycolic acid and 2% salicylic acid to help prevent blemishes. Drenched in a sweet peach scent, it also has a terribly high alcohol content at 46% but it didn't irritate my skin. I didn't find it to be a wonder product in terms of preventing blemishes though. There was quite a bit of liquid in the pot, which helped to ensure that the pads did not dry out over the three months that it took me to use them up.


3. RMK Creamy Soap N cleanses thoroughly but it does leave the skin feeling stripped, so I use it only once a day after using a cleansing oil to remove makeup.

4. Mario Badescu Seaweed Cleansing Soap had an odd scent and thick texture that I never got used to. It doesn't strip the skin but other than that, it was pretty average. I ended up putting generous dollops of it on my Clarisonic Mia to use up the giant bottle. Ingredients list below.

5. Astalift Priming Lotion is one of my favourite toners. It feels ever so gentle on the skin and doesn't leave it feeling sticky. I will re-purchase this but first I need to use up the other toners in my stash. Ingredients list below.

6. Lush Ayesha: Reviewed earlier here. I like this for detoxing and clarifying the skin. The pot looks tiny but it provided eight applications for me. The only downside is that you have to use it up within a month as it does not contain preservatives.

7. Brewed from beer, Lush Cynthia Sylvia Stout shampoo is supposed to help add shine and tame hair that is prone to frizziness. It doesn't lather that well but it doesn't strip the hair like Lush's shampoo bars usually do to my hair. The scent does take some getting used to but I didn't hate it. Ingredients list below.

8. Lush Glogg shower gel is inspired by the traditional Swedish brew with cinnamon and mulled wine scent. The wine note literally made me gag every time I used it. It has just been brought back under Lush's Retro programme but I would never touch this stuff again!


9. Philosophy Bridal Bouquet was much more pleasant to use but the sweet floral scent seems a bit bland and much less memorable than Senorita Margarita. Ingredients list below.

10. Dove Indulgent Nourishment Body Lotion with Shea Butter is an effective hydrating lotion that helped to stave off the dryness without leaving any greasiness or stickiness on the skin.

11. L'Oreal Elseve Liss-Intense Serum Anti-frizz works well for taming my hair but the 50ml bottle lasts less than a month for me with daily usage.

12. Wen Sweet Almond Mint Cleansing Conditioner is a shampoo-and-conditioner in one that came in a UK Glossybox. It feels like a conditioner as it doesn't lather, which is an extremely odd feeling to get used to. I wasn't impressed by this, so I won't be purchasing it.

13. L'Oreal EverPure shampoo is sulfate-free but it lathers extremely well. It did leave my hair feeling a tad dry though, so I doubt I will repurchase this. Ingredients list below.

14. Kenzoki Ice-cold Eye Cream is great for plumping up the eye area without making it feel greasy. It absorbs easily and doesn't result in milia for me.

15. K-Palette Lasting 2Way Eyebrow 02 is a daily staple that I've used up countless times. Quick, easy and stays put no matter how many times I blot my skin.

16. Josie Maran Bearnaked Wipes have a refreshing grapefruit scent. This works well for taking off light makeup but I still follow up with a face cleanser to ensure thorough cleansing and reduce the likelihood of breakouts. Ingredients list below.

17. Sana Esteny Salt Wash is a great exfoliating scrub with a sweet blackcurrant scent. It feels invigorating and the scrub particles don't melt away quickly. I would re-purchase it if I come across it again.

Kuala Lumpur Haul

I spent the weekend in Kuala Lumpur with my boyfriend shopping and catching up with friends.

We stayed with a friend who had an apartment literally a stone's throw from KLCC so that was where I did most of my shopping. At Parkson department store, I made my first Anna Sui haul as they were having a GWP with purchase of RM350. I got the brush stand (RM55/S$23.30), limited edition Beauty Tray P (RM67/S$28.40), Oil Control Gel Cleanser (RM88/S$37.30) and Loose Compact Powder UV #200 (RM98 for the powder refill, RM58 for the case).




The GWP includes a Mascara Primer 3.4g, Super Mascara DX Long Lash 001 3.4g, Whitening Fluid 50ml, Whitening Intensive Serum 10ml, Whitening Emulsion 10g, Protective Fluid Foundation B02 4ml, Protective Powder Foundation B02, Eye & Makeup Remover WP 20ml and a silver sequin-studded pouch with a butterfly charm.



The SA also threw in generous samples of their skincare and the new Night of Fancy EDT. The Isetan store in KLCC currently has a similar GWP with the same products but with a green Anna Sui pouch and a purchase minimum is RM400.



I almost ended up getting the Paul & Joe vanity case set, which is currently also available in Singapore. In Singapore, you can buy the case for S$118 and choose from a limited range of shades for a LE e/s duo, LE lipstick, lipgloss, eyeshadow, nail polish, Face Color Powder and mascara. As the shades are not very attractive and clearly to help P&J clear its old stock, I haven't felt tempted by it so far.

The Parksons counter was offering the same case for RM470 (about S$199) and you get to choose any powder foundation, face color powder, lipliner, eyeliner, lipstick and lipgloss from the permanent range. The set includes a couple of small skincare samples as well. You would also be able to get the P&J suitcase which is the GWP for purchases of RM400. However, I eventually decided to pass and try to focus on using up my current stash of P&J makeup (plus save up for the Christmas collection!).

As the Watsons was giving away a cute bracelet with purchases of RM100 of Majolica Majorca, I ended up getting the two new Majolook Trick On palettes and a green nailpolish. The palettes were selling at RM49.90 each (which is discounted from the usual price around RM53.90) which works out to be about S$21.15, a few dollars cheaper than the price of S$24.50 in Singapore and even Japan where they sell for 1575yen (about S$23.30).



The nailpolish was RM15.90.



The bracelet is actually by another brand, Huiyun, so the crown is not exactly identical to MM's logo but it's still quite cute.



There was a large Rimmel counter/display near the front of the store so I played with the tester for the new Cool Matte 16hr Mousse Foundation. The texture felt light and dried down nicely to a smooth finish. I ended up getting it in #100 Ivory, which was the lightest shade. And the best part? It cost only RM35.90 (S$15.20)! I did a quick search online and it costs US$8.29 (S$12.40) in the US and £5.99 (S$14.36) in the UK so the price in Malaysia is quite reasonable.



At KLCC, I also discovered an Italian fragrance and bodycare brand, Acca Kappa. After reading the positive reviews on Makeupalley for their fragrances, I purchased the fragrance trio of Calycanthus, White Moss and Hibiscus (3x30ml, RM270) and a Red Apple soap (RM40). The soap smells absolutely yummy and divine! With purchases of RM300, you also get a card that gives you 15% off for the next year :-)




All in all, it was a great trip! I found the service at the Malaysian beauty counters to be excellent with the SAs coming across as more genuine and friendlier compared to the SAs in Singapore. While I had some trepidation about driving up to KL, it actually turned out to be quite a fun road trip with scenic views of the countryside, lovely sunsets and even a rainbow! Some other unlucky Singaporean driver who was right behind us and driving at the same speed as everyone else got pulled over by the Malaysian traffic police, which just goes to show that sometimes it's really a matter of luck though whether you have a good or bad experience on Malaysian roads.