Although I was away for 2 weeks, I used up quite a few products during the month of March. Some of the products are talked about here in the past, some of them aren't, but anyway I'm going to get started!
Giovanni Smooth As Silk Deep Moisture Shampoo
Giovanni Smooth As Silk Deeper Moisture Conditioner
These are the samples which came with a book which was sent to my company. I wasn't interested in Giovanni though I have heard of many good reviews, but decided to give it a try. Although they're supposed to be "Deep(er) Moisture", they didn't feel like moisturizing at all. Maybe just because my hair was too dry and fine, but they tangled my hair and didn't give shine to it. The scent was OK but wasn't strong enough to stay on my hair which was disappointing. I didn't understand why people are raving about them, but please let me know if you know any other series of Giovanni which might be suitable for my dry, damaged and fine hair!
Leivy Double Moisturising Body Shampoo ( full review)
I loved this shower gel so much that I used it every day. At first I thought the scent was too old-fashioned as it reminded me of my grandma's makeup table. But once I was used to it, I was in love with it. Especially the scent left on my skin after having a shower was amazing. It smells fresh and clean yet powdery and feminine. Also it's pretty moisturizing which is perfect for winter. I got it as a PR sample and thought of purchasing it but I don't think I would any time soon just because I've got many other shower gels waiting to be opened.
Foot Scrub
I don't even remember the brand of this foot scrub but I'm sure I got it as a PR sample as well. I didn't like it at all as the texture was just weird. I can't be bothered to describe how weird it was because it was such a terrible product which is not worth talking about. I don't mean to be rude but it didn't do anything to my feet and didn't smell nice either. What's the point of using a body scrub which doesn't work?
Balance me Radiance Face Oil
The best face oil ever. Full stop. I got this sample when I purchased their body cream and eye cream on lookfantastic.com. It's such a light oil which sinks into the skin really quickly without making my whole face greasy. It's very moisturizing and makes my skin soft and smooth. Obviously I don't recommend using it in the morning before putting makeup on but it's a perfect oil to use at night. When my skin felt dry, I put one pump of the oil on my palm and gently patted on my skin and I could see the difference the next morning. Another good point of this product is that it doesn't have a weird smell. The actual product is 30pound for 30ml which isn't the cheapest in the world but I don't think it's overpriced as a little goes a long way. The bottle could last almost a year (only if it allows you to)! Now they have a special offer on lookfantastic.com where I put the link above, check it out!
"Balance Me Radiance Face Oil is a light, absorbent 100% natural radiance
enhancer with powerful Amazonian buriti nut oil. Combats congested
skin with conditioning moringa and camellia oils that work with calming
Roman chamomile, yarrow and benzoin to enhance the radiance of skin of
all ages and types. The perfect skin pick me up, this highly
concentrated formula has a delicious orange blossom aroma, skin is left
calmed and balanced."
Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic
I loved this toner so much! I kept this small bottle for special occasions as it was kind of like my secret weapon! Whenever I felt my skin was dehydrated I put about a tea spoon of this toner on my organic cotton wool pad from The Body Shop and wiped my skin gently. Once I wipe the whole face, I place the cotton pad on the dry areas and gently push the cotton pad so that the toner seeps through it and skins into my skin. I usually keep doing it for more than 5 minutes, I found it soothing even! That's my quick cure of dry skin!
Rosa Centifolia Cleansing Gel (from the travel kit for normal skin)
I bought the travel kit for normal skin on lookfantastic.com about 6 months ago. I decided to take this cleansing gel with me to London. I mainly used it in the morning as I didn't expect it to remove my makeup. Overall it's an OK product but I don't think I would purchase the full-size bottle. It's got a runny, loose gel texture which I'm not a big fan of. The rosy scent isn't too bad as it's not overpowering at all and I found it quite soothing but that was the only thing about this product which impressed me.
SUSY N.Y. Nail Volume Gloss
This is my 2nd bottle of this product. I'm totally in love with this top coat as it gives a shiny and glossy finish to my nails! I remember it's about 1,000yen which isn't too bad considering the fact it lasts at least 3-4 months. It gets gloopy after a few months so I need to add some thinner liquid. I've used top coats from many different brands from OPI to Seche but this one is the best so far. I'm going to repurchase for sure!
THREE Glam Touch Lip Gloss in Summer Sounds
THREE is a Japanese skincare / makeup brand. I love the concept and their chic and sophisticated packaging designs, as well as the products themselves. This colour is called Summer Sounds which was one of the limited colours which was sold in the summer 2012 (or 2011, not sure). It's a perfect pink beige which brightens up the whole face. It's shimmers in it which reflect lights beautifully. I loved the plastic applicator which was much easier to apply on my lips than a sponge applicator. The formula is in a perfect consistency, not too greasy yet moisturizing. I dropped by the duty-free shop at Narita airport hoping to purchase another colour the other day, but unfortunately none of the colours they have now could beat this colour. This was the best lip gloss I'd ever used.
Lancôme Virtuôse Divine Lasting Curves & Length Mascara
I loved this mascara so much and was wearing it every single day until I got Loreal Volume Million Lashes Mascara. It separates my lashes as well as creating voluminous lashes. And it's so easy to remove just with warm water without a trace although it doesn't smudge at all during the day. It's a very good mascara which I would love to repurchase...only if I was richer!
Sorry this post became pretty long and boring, I should learn how to write simpler and shorter reviews! Let me know if you've used any of those products I mentioned here!
I know it's the middle of November but I made an effort to take photos of my October Favourites, so I'm going to write about them!
Liz Earle Cleanse&Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser (full review)
I am totally in love with this cleanser. It works, it smells good and it makes my skin so soft and smooth like a baby's. I use this cleanser with the muslin cloth about 3 times a week. It's tempting to use it every day but I try not to because I'm not sure if it's true or not but I have heard that we Asian have thinner skin than other races so we shouldn't exfoliate our skin as much. Also if you exfoliate every day, your skin cells get removed before the skin underneath is strong enough, and that could cause sensitivity. Anyway I love this cleanser so much, and since I started using this product my skin has been in a very good condition.
balance me rose otto Body Cream (full review)
There's no reason to complain about this product. It moisturizes my skin perfectly, smells so gorgeous and I love the packaging. balance me is definitely one of my favourite beauty brands. The best part of this body cream is that it doesn't make my palms greasy after applying it on my body. I hated and forgot to put moisturizer on my body before I discovered this product, but now I can't wait to put this good-smelling body cream every night before bed.
Caudalie Divine Oil (full review)
Love love love this oil. Usually I apply this oil on my arms, neck and hair to enjoy the scent. I cannot describe the smell but it's something like a mixture of floral and vanilla type of sweet scent if that makes sense. It's so addictive and I really love this scent in the winter air. The oil is very light and it sinks in very quickly which is perfect for a busy morning because I don't have to wait to put clothes on!
Sunshine Spa Bath & Body Oil (full review)
I pour a few drops of this bath oil into my bathtub when I feel the need of relaxation. It smells incredible, I don't care the fact that the oil makes the whole bathroom slippery. It smells of lavender, chamomile, bargamot and sandalwood which is truly relaxing. You can use it as a shower oil or body oil if you wish, I strongly recommend this oil if you're having a stressful life!
balance me wonder eye cream (full review)
Another balance me product I was loving in October. This eye cream is so light yet moisturizing, so I can use it in the morning as well as night time. It moisturize my skin without making it greasy as it sinks in very quickly. I love the herbal scent too.
Macadamia Healing Oil Treatment
I haven't done a full review of this product yet, but I will definitely do it very soon. I've been using this for about 3 weeks now and whenever I apply this oil, my hair becomes so silky. I've got fine hair and it gets tangled which is horrible -sometimes I tear my tangled hair accidentally- but this oil prevents tangle and that is amazing! It also smells really nice, like a musky vanilla type of scent which reminds me of some male perfume.
Aveda Eye Color Trio in Sea Grass (full review)
I use this eyeshadow palette every day. I haven't figured out how to use the black colour as I have been into brown eyeshadows rather than black recently. But the other two colours are my daily essentials for sure. The pink one is perfect for the base on my eyelids, it creates the even skin tone which is like a clean canvas! I use the brown colour to contour and sometimes on my eyebrows.
Revlon Color Burst Lip Butter (full review)
I wear Peach Parfait nearly every day to work. It's such a pretty colour, which is not too bright and not too nude. This colour makes my whole face look fresh and healthy!! I am very busy at work and don't have time to look into a mirror and fix my makeup, so I like the fact that I don't need a lip brush and a mirror to apply this lipstick, instead I can just apply it as if it's a lip balm and it looks fine!
Thanks for reading, it became such a long post...sorry! Hope you enjoyed it :)
Today I would like to share my morning skincare routine! Hope you enjoy :)
Shigeta Awakening Radiance Mousse
I wrote the full review
here if you're interested. Shigeta is a Japanese brand which was actually launched in France first. They only use natural and organic ingredients and are against animal testing. This cleansing foam contains fragrant rose water and rose essential oil which give a heavenly scent to it. It comes out as foam so it's very easy to cleanse your face and I just like to use it in the morning because it doesn't remove makeup and also the scent is perfect to awake my skin.
Caudalie Grape Water
This is basically just water. It's fragrance free 100% grape water. Apparently grape water is good for your skin but to be honest I haven't noticed any difference since I started using it. I just like to spritzing this fine mist after I wash my face to refresh.
Aveda all sensitive moisturizer 34GBP
I'm not going to talk about how amazing this product is here as I've written enough already before, basically I cannot live without this product. The end.
Weleda Wild Rose Smoothing Day Cream 13.95GBP
I received this product from lovely Zanka from Zanka talks cosmetics, and I've been loving it so much. It's the perfect day cream which is light and yet moisturizing, with this amazing rosy scent. It moisturizes my skin just enough and I love it!
Devita Solar Protective Moisturizer SPF 30 $14.15
Read full review here! I love this creamy texture so much, it's easy to spread and feels like it gives a thin veil over my face to protect it from the sun. But recently I realized that my waterproof eyeliner transfers to my eyelid when I put this cream on my eyelid. So if you're considering getting this cream avoid your eye area otherwise it ruins your makeup! And the reason why I use Weleda's cream before this one is because it dries out my skin a little in this colder season. It might be too light for dry skin.
Balance Me Wonder Eye Cream 20GBP
Full review is here. This is my favourite eye cream ever! I love the pump because I don't have to scoop using a spatula like I used to do. The pump bottle makes it much easier to apply eye cream a few times a day. This cream is perfect under the makeup because it's very light-textured and does sink in quickly. It makes the skin around the eye area very smooth which prevents a concealer to get cakey. I also love the lovely scent in the morning :)
What are your morning skincare essentials?
balance Me wonder eye cream 20GBP
I have been having dark circles under my eyes since I was about 15. I tried everything to make them go away but nothing worked. But recently I noticed that applying eye cream every day makes a difference. A huge difference actually.
As I mentioned in my skincare routine post, I was using Skin Blossom eye cream for a few months and it made my eye area smooth which helped my concealers not to get cakey. I actually run out of the eye cream and I started using this balance Me wonder eye cream.
I remember this eye cream was one of the freebies with a magazine (Glamour or Red or Bazaar, I don't even remember) a few months ago in the U.K., and I was dying to try out! Finally I got this product on lookfantastic.com. But somehow this eye cream is not on the page anymore, though I'm not sure if it's temporally sold out or they discontinued selling this particular product.
Anyway, on the official website it says " Our three-in-one naturally active eye cream is rich but not heavy and
absorbs beautifully. We’ve blended Roman chamomile and skin-brightening
lemon, cucumber oil and witch hazel with super hydrating hyaluronic
acid, anti-oxidant spruce knot, softening and smoothing virgin coconut,
rosehip and carrot oils, all to help brighten and smooth the delicate
skin around your eyes.
Lightly pat and smooth around the eye area twice daily after applying
our moisture-rich face cream or balancing fluid moisturizer"
Basically it's a very gentle, hydrating eye cream that soften and smooth out your skin around eyes. And 99% of the ingredients are naturally derived.
This cream is much looser than Skin Blossom one, and smells much better! Skin Blossom one didn't smell nice at all and it didn't help me to relax. But this cream smells very fresh and herbal which I like. It hydrates my skin around eyes very well and keeps moisture in the area. I just opened it about a week ago and haven't been able to tell the difference on my dark circles but I love this eye cream. I think I like the light texture and also the herbal, natural scent of it.
It's quite expensive and the package look a little bit cheap so I'm not sure if I would repurchase or not. Let's see what happens after I've used it up.
Has anyone tried this eye cream? Did you like it?
BALANCE ME ROSE OTTO BODY CREAM : 18 GBP
It was about 2 years ago when I got to know about the brand "balance Me". It's a British beauty brand which makes the products with natural ingredients. It's categorized as "Natural Cosmetics" in Japan.
I always wanted to try their products so badly, but I hesitated to order online because the postage from the U.K. is quite expensive. And the products themselves are not cheap either. It was stupid of me forgetting to get it when I went to London, it totally slipped my mind because I was busy being amazed by the city! And then finally, FINALLY I ordered it on lookfantastic.com after a couple of years hoping to try out!
The first product I ordered is this rose otto body cream. The website says " Enhanced with a divine blend of rose otto, palma rosa and rose geranium essential oils for a unique, softening sensation" about the scent, which seemed perfect for me.
It doesn't contain the ingredients which could be a harm to your body. I don't like the scent of artificial rose fragrance like LOCCITANE, but I love the natural rosy scent.
This cream is rich and quite thick, but it doesn't make my skin greasy. But it could be too heavy for a summer in Japan. It's still very humid and hot here, and the day I tried it out for the first time was quite a hot day, I remember it was about 30-32 degrees in daytime, and it felt really sticky on my arms. Now the temperature is going down slowly but surely, I think this cream is going to be my favoruite for this autumn / winter.
What I love the most about this cream is the scent. It smells so so so good. I don't even feel geranium and palma rosa, I only smell rose. And this rose is a bit herbal and not too sweet. It spreads really well on my skin which means this big tube (200ml) will last long. Also I love the packaging, it looks very pretty!
Have you ever used any of balance Me products?
What is your favourite?
