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 :-)

Operation Use It Up

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.