Wednesday, 4 May 2011

Biotherm Aquasource

Biotherm recently launched their newly revamped Aquasource Deep Hydration Moisturiser. Many of you may be familiar with Aquasource gel moisturiser, which has been Biotherm's top-selling product in Singapore. The new Aquasource retains the same light and fresh texture that provides long-lasting hydration deep into the epidermis. It comes packaged in a jar that is 40% recycled glass.

Aside from containing Biotherm's signature nutrient-rich thermal plankton cellular water to soothe and nourish the skin, the new Aquasource also contains mannose, a naturally occurring sugar extracted from the manna ash tree. It helps to boost key proteins involved in the natural hydration process at every level of the epidermis, thus helping to regenerate the living epidermis and boost the skin’s natural renewal cycle. By increasing the epidermal thickness, mannose also helps to raise the skin's potential to store moisture. The new formula is also free of mineral oil and parabens. The green version is for normal/combination skin while the pink cream version is for dry skin.

The green Aquasource worked quite well on my skin, which is oily, acne-prone and occasionally flaky. It absorbs readily without any stickiness or greasy feeling. My skin still gets oily a couple of hours later but that is normal for me. Below is the ingredients list.

The TV commercial in Chinese featuring Rainie Yang.

To target the fat-prone waistline area, Biotherm has also just launched Size.Code (S$76, 150ml) under its Celluli Laser range of body slimming products.

Size.Code is supposed to help combat the stubborn fats at the stomach area. It contains Adiposveltyl, a patended compound containing caffeine, pomegranate seed oil and lotus extract and which activates AMPK (adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase), an enzymatic protein that influences fat cell metabolism.

The non-greasy formula is designed to facilitate the massage techniques detailed in the accompanying leaflet. Given the popularity of massage techniques for slimming the face, it's not surprising that beauty companies are now also advocating massage techniques for other parts of the body. Still, nothing can replace good old fashioned exercise, an active lifestyle and a healthy diet as the most effective means of achieving a trim figure.

Starting this Friday 6 May, you can pick up a free Biotherm sample pack containing the Aquasource Deep Hydration Moisturiser (15ml), their new White D-Tox BB Cream (5ml) and Celluli Laser Size.Code (40ml) at the Biotherm counter at Tangs Orchard. No purchase is required and all you need to do is quote the blog name "Rouge Deluxe" to redeem the gift which has a retail value of S$53. I can't predict how long the stocks will last so do go early if you would like to try the products. This offer is only available at the Tangs Orchard counter and it is while stocks last. (UPDATE: The first batch of samples have all been redeemed but Biotherm will be giving away a second batch starting next Friday 13 May.)

The new BB Cream is retailing at S$70 for 30ml. Do also check out Biotherm's Facebook page for information on new products and promotions!

Monday, 2 May 2011

Heroine Make Smooth Cover Powder Clear

Some time ago, Mandom Singapore sent me the Heroine Make Smooth Cover Powder Clear (S$23.90 for 8g) to try. This is the translucent version which comes in a white compact. Heroine Make also has a Smooth Cover Powder foundation that comes in a black compact and is available in two beige shades.

The Smooth Cover Powder Clear is meant to be used as a finishing powder or for touch ups on the go. The fat cotton sponge feels quite soft but it didn't seem to be able to apply the powder smoothly so I prefer to apply the powder with a face brush.

The talc-based powder is formulated with rosehip oil, chamomile extract and silk powder to moisturise and nourish the skin. It feels quite finely milled and silky. When applied, it makes my skin appear slightly fairer and more polished. In terms of oil control, it was average and I still needed to blot every couple of hours.

In the pics below, I'm wearing the Smooth Cover Powder Clear over Shu Uemura UV Under Base Mousse in Beige. The combination gives me sufficient coverage such that I don't need to apply a liquid foundation.

Side note: I'm using Sleek Paraguaya i-Divine Palette for this look because a reader left a comment on my earlier review of Paraguaya asking me to do only swatches as she finds my makeup "really scary" and not helpful at all. So I thought I'd give her another scare ;-p

The other products used for this look are: Urban Decay Primer Potion, K-Palette Real Lasting Eyebrow 02, Esprique Precious True Black Mascara WP (Volume Separate), Majolica Majorca Perfect Automatic Liner VI606, Cosme Decorte Rouge Supreme BE355, Addiction Cry Baby Lipgloss, Lancome Natural Light Creator Bare Skin Perfecting Corrector Pen #1 and Canmake Cheek & Cheek #4 Love Blossom.

Aside from the Heroine Make Smooth Cover Powder Clear, I've been rotating amongst another three face powders: Majolica Majorca Pressed Pore Cover, Ettusais Quick Fix Powder and Maybelline Clear Smooth Shine Free Face Powder #2 Nude Beige.

Of the four, the Majolica powder is the fairest while I find the Ettusais Quick Fix Powder to be the closest fit to my skintone. Both the Majolica and Heroine Make powders give a slightly whitish dreamy cast. Personally, I like the Ettusais Quick Fix Powder the best as it has the most natural finish and makes my skin look better.

The bright pink shade in Canmake Cheek & Cheek #4 Love Blossom is ultra pigmented! The included brush is a tad small but nevertheless, the synthetic bristles feel very soft.

The satin texture with tiny micro-sparkles reminded me of the Jill Stuart Mix Blush Compacts so below is a comparison shot. There are some similar shades but no real exact dupes.

Sunday, 1 May 2011

Maybelline Clear Smooth BB Cream

Yesterday, I attended an event by Maybelline to showcase their Clear Smooth BB Cream SPF26 PA+++. This is not a new product as it was first launched last year and has since been selling very well in the Asian region. Following up on its success, Maybelline has just released a new, slightly more tan shade called "Natural". The BB Cream also now comes in a more eye-catching box, although the squeeze tube packaging is still the same.

The oil-free, fragrance-free Clear Smooth BB Cream contains eight healthy minerals: copper, zinc, magnesium, sodium, titanium and three iron oxides. And of course, it wouldn't be a BB Cream if it didn't claim to provide a multitude of skin benefits! The BB Cream usually retails at S$16.90 for 18ml but it is now on sale at Watsons for just S$13.50.

The original Light shade (below) was quite a good match for my MAC NC25 skintone.

The Natural shade looks a tad dark for me though.

The Clear Smooth BB Cream has a lighter, more runny texture than most Korean brand BB creams that I've tried. I found applying the BB Cream to be a breeze, taking about two minutes tops. It blends seamlessly, without any caking, streaking or pooling in the pores. It reminded me of the Maybelline Fit Me Foundation in the way it melds effortlessly into my skin.

Complementing the Clear Smooth BB Cream is the Clear Smooth Shine Free Face Powder SPF18 which helps to provide lasting oil control and a silky smooth texture. This usually retails at S$14.90 for 9g but is now on sale at Watsons for just S$11.90.


I think this comes in 4 shades. In the pic below are #2 Nude Beige and #3 Natural (right).

I like the slim cool mint plastic compact which has a sizable mirror under the lid. The included cotton puff has a poor texture though and lacks a ribbon strip to help hold it so I'll probably discard it.

In the pic below, I'm wearing the BB Cream in Light without any powder on top. The BB Cream by itself gives my skin a light sheen. It does help to reduce the appearance of my pores and cover up the redness in my skin, making it look more even-toned.

Below is the finished look after applying the Clear Smooth Shine Free Face Powder with a brush. The Face Powder helps to add a bit more coverage and a nice matte finish. I was out today for several hours, including walking around Resorts World Sentosa and the combination of the BB Cream and the Face Powder proved to be pretty good. My T-zone required blotting only after about 3 hours.

Do check out the Maybelline Facebook page and join the BB Generation for a chance to win a Maybelline Flawless Skin Kit worth $100. Maybelline will be giving away one kit every week.

It was great catching up with Chantana of Everbluec again :-)

Below is the ingredients list for the BB Cream which is made in China.

And for the Face Powder which is made in Malaysia.

Jo Malone Tea Fragrance Blends

The Jo Malone Tea Fragrances have just arrived at the Jo Malone store in Ngee Ann City. These are limited edition and well worth a sniff. My earlier review of three of the fragrances is here.

Canmake Cheek & Cheek

Canmake's new Cheek & Cheek powder blush duos are now available at Watsons stores in Singapore. The normal retail price is S$18.90 but these are now going at the special price of S$16.90. In Japan, they retail at 714yen (S$10.80).

The Cheek & Cheek duos are not limited edition.

#1 Candy Flower

#2 Rose Tiara

#3 Gerbera Kiss

#4 Love Blossom

The lighter shades in the duos tended to look slightly chalky while the darker shade are quite well pigmented. None of the shades looked frosty or very shimmery. Of the four, I liked #4 and #1 best. You can see swatches also on Everbluec.


The Canmake website recommends two ways of applying the blushes. To help make the face look slimmer, apply the lighter shade along and under the cheek bone and then apply the darker shade at the apple of the cheek. For a more girlish look, apply the darker shade at the apple of the cheek and the light shade blended in a ring around it.

Uniqlo Cath KIdston Shirts and Tunics

Thanks to a tip-off from a reader, I learnt that the Cath Kidston shirts and tunics were in stock at Uniqlo's store in 313@Somerset.

The shirts are going at S$49.90 while the longer tunics are going at S$69.90. I didn't see any "S" sizes, only "M" and "L".


I came home with one tunic and two shirts. Like the T-shirts, these are made of 100% cotton and feel very soft. They are somewhat translucent though when held up to the light.





I liked the small details on the shirts like the inner lining with a polka-dot print at the sleeves and collars, as well as the strip of fabric that holds the rolled up sleeves in place.

Looking forward to the Care Bears T-shirts, which should arrive in mid-May.

I also like the look of the Pirates of the Caribbean T-shirt with the swords arranged in a heart shape.

Below are the mens' T-shirts in the Pirates collection.