Showing posts with label Bliss. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bliss. Show all posts

Tuesday, 15 January 2013

Operation Use It Up

Here's the most recent batch of products that I used up over the past 1.5 months. Hopefully, this year will finally see my stash of bodycare products return to some semblance of sanity. At least until the next Lush holiday collection!

1. RMK Super Basic Liquid Concealer EX01: For a product that contains a paltry 0.06oz/1.8g, this has been in my stash since March 2009 - yikes! This helps to cover up the worst of my dark circles and is easy to blend without feeling cakey, although it does crease slightly later in the day. It's pretty pricey though so I probably will not re-purchase it as it did not quite hit holy grail status for me.

2. Lush Whoosh Shower Jelly: Reviewed earlier here, this wonderfully zesty jelly is great for refreshing the senses. Always use a shower lily with these, otherwise the slippery jelly will just end up in bits on the floor.

3. Lush Rehab shampoo is designed for damaged hair. Most of Lush's hair products have been disappointments for me, and sadly, this was another miss. It has a clean, bracing scent but leaves my hair slightly tangled and dry. Ingredients list below.

4. Lush Twilight Shower Gel is a deeply unusual blend of soothing lavender mixed with malt, that makes it a headier scent than L'Occitane's lavender range. This has a sprinkling of silver shimmer, which does not linger on the body. The scent takes some getting used to, but I grew to like it eventually. Ingredients list below.

5. Aromatherapy Associates Renew Rose Body Cream does a good job of moisturising my skin and leaves a nice soft rose scent. This was a deluxe sample that came in a UK Glossybox. At £32.50 for 200ml, it's too expensive for me to purchase.

6. Korres Basil Lemon Shower Gel smells a bit sharp. It lathers easily and does not strip the skin. Doubt I will re-purchase this. Ingredients list below.

7. Bliss Lemon + Sage Conditioning Rise does a decent job of detangling my hair and leaving it soft. The lemon scent is not particularly memorable, unlike their Blood Orange range. Ingredients list below.

8. Berber Oil is yet another argan oil-based serum that also contains silicones like cyclomethicone and cyclopentasiloxane. This was another sample box product. It worked fine for temporarily relieving the dryness of my hair ends and keeping them frizz-free but it wasn't special enough to warrant tracking down to purchase.

9. RMK Skintuner Smoother Moist leaves my skin feeling slightly sticky and makes it get shiny pretty fast, even in the depths of winter.

10. Lancome Tonique Eclat Clarifying Exfoliating Toner did the opposite and dried out my skin without having much of an effect on combating acne. Need to avoid purchasing toners that contain alcohol so high up on the list of ingredients (below).

11. Avene Cleanance Mask is also designed for oily, blemish-prone skin. However, this stings my skin and leaves it red so I would caution ladies with sensitive skin to avoid it.

12. L'Oreal Gentle Eye Makeup Remover is a staple that I keep re-purchasing as it doesn't sting my eyes.

13. Benefit It's Potent Eye Cream does a nice job of hydrating the eye area without leaving a sticky, obvious film. It also does not irritate my eyes. The only drawback is the pot packaging which is less hygienic than pump packaging.

14. Phyto Phytophanere is a dietary supplement for combating hair loss. The hard water in Switzerland results in quite a lot of hair fall for me, so I started taking this a couple of months ago. It does seem to have helped slow down the rate of hair fall. The recommended dosage is two small capsules per day.



Wednesday, 11 January 2012

Zuneta, ASOS & Sephora Hauls: Paul & Joe, Nude, Rouge Bunny Rouge, Urban Decay

After learning about a 20% discount code ELLE20 for Zuneta.com, a UK-based online retailer that offers prestige brands like Becca, Hourglass, Nude and Rouge Bunny Rouge, I placed my first order. Zuneta orders free international delivery for orders over £65. My order was placed on 8 January, shipped via DHL on 9 January and I received it on 10 January in Switzerland, less than 48 hours after placing the order!

I've been curious about trying out more Rouge Bunny Rouge products after WorshipBlues Curator gifted me with their Orpheline blush. This Best Things in Beauty review of their Milk Aquarelle Liquid Foundation convinced me to take the plunge. I purchased this in 025 Almond Milk Parfait.

Nude is another brand that I've always wanted to try, in particular their Advanced Cellular Renewal Serum which received positive reviews on The Beauty Bite and London Makeup Girl. It is super pricey but the discount code enabled me to finally take the plunge. Zuneta is currently offering a Miracle Mask (15ml) with a 30 purchase of Nude skincare. The ELLE20 code is valid until 28 February. If you are based outside UK/Europe, you also pay lower prices less the VAT.

From the current ASOS sale, I picked up a Bliss Snow Wonder Scent-sational Set of a body butter and body wash for just £15, a 50% savings. My order was placed on 1 January and I received it today by UK Royal Mail post. ASOS offers free international shipping.

The Pixi Autumn Winter Essentials set also looked like a worthwhile deal at £19, down from £31. The price has gone up slightly since I placed my order and is now £21.50.

The set includes an All-Over Magic Radiance Powder No.2 Rose Radiance (7.09g/0.25oz), Flawless & Poreless primer (15ml), Endless Silky Eye Pen No. 1 Black Noir (1.2g) and Lips & Line No.2 Fresh Pink.

As ASOS.com was the first online retailer to launch the Paul & Joe spring collection, I also purchased the new Lipstick C in #77 Catwalk and #75 Sex Kitten (£16 each). Each lipstick is engraved with 10 paw prints. I skipped the Face & Eye Colors as the gradational color schemes did not look that attractive to warrant the £21 price tag.

The prices of Paul & Joe makeup on ASOS are cheaper than the counters in Singapore, where the lipsticks usually retail for S$39. However, the drawback is that ASOS never offers any cute gifts with purchase. They also do not wrap cosmetics properly to prevent breakage, so I would not order anything that is too fragile from them.


Accessories from Lipsy and French Connection.


Over at Sephora in France, several holiday sets had been marked down. The Urban Decay Book of Shadows IV, which was originally priced at €58, was now just €40.60. The BOSIV hasn't been as well-received as the Naked palettes and the 15th Anniversary palette, which is much more compact with a more vibrant selection of shades.

I wasn't too keen on BOSIV, as I already own the 15th Anniversary palette, BOSIII New York and the Alice in Wonderland palette. However, at the sale price, BOSIV looked like a pretty good deal considering the number of products in it, including a mascara and a full-sized liquid eyeliner. Plus I always have a weakness for pretty butterflies!



The mini speaker is pretty nifty, and works perfectly with my Samsung Galaxy Ace phone for playing music. It was a real struggle trying to get the speaker out of the box though, as it is squeezed in so snugly.

The Fred Farrguia Midnight Kit, which includes the Pearlized Twinkle Eyeshadows #15, Illuminating Powder #1 and Creme Lipstick/Lipgloss #24.



A Yes To Cucumbers Ultimate Calming Facial Kit comprising the Calming Facial Moisturiser, Soothing Eye Gel and Natural Glow Facial Towelettes.

And finally, at Carrefour, I spotted the new Dream Nude Mousse foundation by Maybelline. This doesn't seem to have very positive reviews online but still, I was curious to see how it compares to the Face Architect Sheer Refining Mousse Foundation by Shu Uemura , which is also owned by L'Oreal. The US and UK version is called "Dream Nude Airfoam" with identical packaging but I don't know if the formula is the same. The Dream Nude Mousse version sold in France is made in Belgium.

Thanks for reading!

Thursday, 29 December 2011

Operation Use It Up

Here's the batch of products that I managed to use up this month.

1. Paula's Choice Targeted Acne Relief Toner: This fragrance-free, colorant-free toner contains 2% salicylic acid for combating acne. It didn't sting my skin and it worked very well for me in terms of keeping large, cystic acne at bay although I still get whiteheads and blackheads. Will definitely re-purchase!


2. Vidal Sassoon Treatment: This rinse-off deep conditioning hair treatment left my hair soft and easy to manage, although it did not make any significant improvement in the dry condition of my color-treated hair.

3. Dove Nourishing Oil Care Express Treatment Conditioner: I found this to be more hydrating than the Vidal Sassoon Treatment and it helped to tame the frizziness without weighing my hair down. It was also intriguing in the way that it always squeezed out of the tube with a golden "ribbon" of treatment cream.

4. Bliss Ingrown Eliminating Pads: This contains 6% glycolic acid and 2% salicylic acid to help prevent ingrowns, plus lavender oil and green tea to soothe the skin. Sadly, these overpriced pads did not seem to make any difference in the rate at which I get ingrown hairs on my legs.

5. La Roche-Posay Physiological Micellar Solution: This gentle non-oily lotion helps to remove light makeup without any oily residue but it does not remove waterproof mascara well.

6. Eye makeup removers by Etude House and RMK: Both bi-phase removers worked well to remove waterproof mascaras without stinging the eyes.

7. Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist: Horribly expensive but I adore the rose scent, which works wonders as a mood-lifter and for relieving dry, parched skin. The rose scent also lingers for quite awhile but without being overly cloying.

8. Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil Premium A/I: This whisks off all traces of makeup in a jiffy but I prefer the lighter formula of the Fresh Gentle Cleansing Oil (pink).

9. Perricone MD Firming Facial Toner: This paraben-free, non-drying toner is supposed to help restores skin’s natural pH balance and delivers anti-aging, skin firming benefits thanks to ingredients like DMAE and alpha lipoic acid, an anti-inflammatory antioxidant. I liked how it left my skin feeling refreshed without any tightness, but I didn't notice any significant skin firming effect.

10. Sephora Smooth Nail Polish Remover: Very affordable and works well to remove most nail polishes quickly, although glitter polishes require more soaking time.

Wednesday, 23 June 2010

Sephora Deals

Just received this mailer from Sephora Singapore on various deals on offer now, while stocks last.

Friday, 19 March 2010

Sephora Sale Haul

Dropped by the Sephora sale at Suntec City today and picked up some haircare and skincare at great bargain prices! The sale started on Wednesday and tomorrow (Saturday) will be the last day. I was quite surprised that Sephora is holding another sale so soon after their previous one.

I got Bliss Peeling Groovy Facial Serum (S$50), two Lemon + Sage Shower Gel + Bubbling Bath (2 for S$20), Lemon + Sage Soap (315g, S$15) and John Masters Organics Zinc & Sage Shampoo with Conditioner, Rosemary & Peppermint Detangler, Citrus & Neroli Detangler and Evening Primrose Shampoo for Dry Hair. The John Masters Organics hair products were all 2 for S$40.

Other brands available at the sale are Juice Beauty, Boscia, Frederic Fekkai, Bare Minerals, Pop Beauty, Too Faced, Burt's Bees and of course Sephora's own line of bodycare, makeup, accessories and nail polishes.

Sephora will also be opening its third store at Great World City soon. Hopefully, we'll see more new brands introduced at this new Sephora!

Saturday, 23 January 2010

Bliss Blood Orange + White Pepper Body Butter

As much as I love Body Shop, I'm not a fan of their Body Butters which tend to leave a slightly greasy residue that sits on top of my skin instead of sinking in. Their Body Purees are lighter in texture but do not feel moisturising enough. Instead, I found the perfect balance in Bliss Blood Orange + White Pepper Body Butter. At S$49 for 250ml, it is much more expensive than the Body Shop's version but it does a much better job of leaving my skin soft and moisturised. It absorbs almost immediately without leaving any greasy or sticky feeling.

The soft blood orange aroma smells slightly sweet and citrusy without being too overpowering. I can't detect the white pepper note at all. There is also a Blood Orange & White Pepper Hand Cream but at S$15 for a 30ml tube, the Body Butter actually works out to be cheaper per ml. (Sephora currently has the Hand Cream on sale at two for $20). It is a pricey indulgence but it works so well that I'll definitely consider investing in another tube when I finish this one!

The ingredient list is below (not paraben-free).