May empties!

 I am proud to say that I finished 3 full size products this month.  First up is Soap and Glory’s heel genius.  I bought one for Joy some years back for christmas and got another for myself too.  My first impression of this foot cream is that the scent is overwhelming, kinda minty.  I am not a minty person in terms of taste and scent and so it took me quite a while to finish this foot cream.  I also did not like the oily after application feeling.  Needless to say, I will not repurchase this again.

Second is the Clinique’s dark spot corrector.  I was quite confident this product would help to reduce the visibility of dark spots with all the ravings going on in the internet.  But even after finishing the whole bottle, not only did I not see any improvement of my dark spots situation, there were comments about the spots on my face!   I was really disappointed especially after I spent so much on it.  So I would definitely not repurchase this product.

The last product is Origins’ GinZing and the one and only product which I had no complains.   Usually, when I start using some new skincare, my skin will have an breakout.  So I was very surprised when it did not.  In fact, I had quite good skin when I was using this moisturiser.  It absorbed very quickly into my skin and I grew to love the orangey leomoney scent.   But since I only use moisturiser at night, I got a replacement; Origins’ Make A Difference Plus+ which was recommended by the Sales staff which is a thicker moisturiser which is supposed to quench deeper into the skin.  Overall, I am pleased with Origins skincare products and can’t wait to try more of their products.

Review of Clarins extra firming neck cream

I have finally finished using this product after more than one year. Yea, the 50ml neck cream has lasted me quite a well.

Due to genetics and bad habits of mine (always looking down at my phone), my neck has developed many many lines. Ok, maybe not that many but enough for people to notice their existence. I have always been conscious about them but I don’t have a solution to them. It was one year ago when I was replenishing my clarins products that the sales assistant brought to my attention the existence of this product which of cos I have no excuse not to buy it except for the cost. I can’t remember the retail price but I know it’s selling at SGD99 at the changi airport dfs at the departure terminal (I managed to pay HKD398 ie SGD64.50 after converting).

So let’s talk about the effectiveness of this product. Although I don’t see the lines vanishing after one year of usage (every night), I do notice that the lines are not as visible as before. And the neck looks smoother too. So when the product is about to finish, I panicked. The downside of the product is its cost. If you don’t buy from dfs, I think it costs about SGD140? (Don’t quote me on that). If you want to give it a try, I would suggest you to get it from the dfs in changi airport or even better (chepaer) from bonjour in Hong Kong.

Review of the Clarins lotus face treatment oil

I am half way through my second bottle of the Clarins double serum so I decided to pick up the Clarins lotus face treatment oil (for oily or combination skin) at the Changi DFS so that I can use them interchangeably.  It was about $107 $60 (update – thank you @iceyuwen) if I remembered correctly (not hundred percent sure of the price).

I picked this up because it is Clarins, my favorite skincare brand.  I love the smell of it and the things that it proclaimed to achieve.

Method of use
For use in the evening on its own or before regular evening skin care.  Apply thoroughly cleansed skin still dampened with Clarins Toning Lotion (I need to buy this). Warm a few drops of lotus oil in the palms of the hands and apply with gentle press and release movements (the infamous Clarins way of applying goodies on your face).  Concentrate on the forehead (ya those lines up there are getting more obvious), nose and chin.  AVOID the eye contour area (which I always forget).

Ingredients
Corylusavellana (Hazel) seed oil | Pelagonium graveolens flower oil | Parfum/Fragrance | Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary) leaf oil | Helianthus annuus (Sunflower) seed oil | Anthemis nobilis flower oil | Salvia sclarea (Clary) oil | Nelumbium speciosum flower extract | Tocopherol | Cirtonellol | Linalool | Geraniol | Limonene | Citral | Coumarin | Benzyl Benzoate

Extract from the packaging
… to purify, balance and deliver long lasting beauty to combination skin prone to oiliness  Formulated with essential oils of rosemary, camomile and geranium and lotus extract, this fine, lightweight oil is immediately absorbed to tighten pores, refine skin and brighten the complexion to leave it looking creamy soft.

I have used it for about a week and I agree that the oil is absorbed into the skin very fast.  And the scent is simply amazing which lasted for a good 10 minutes before it faded away.  What I hope this product will achieve is to be able to balance the oil sebum production and to tighten the pores especially those on the cheeks.  If it does, this bottle is definitely worth the money.

Neglected!

I have been neglecting my blog for a while. Shall give it some TLC this weekend with a blogpost on my recent Clarins lotus face treatment oil which I have liking so far.

Current day skincare routine

I bought the Caudalie instant cleansing foam last year and am feeling happy that it is finally finishing. Not that I am going to purchase another one but I can now move on to another cleanser. Recently, my face feels a little tight every time I uses this and I remembered Caroline Hiron mentioned before that foaming cleanser can be bad for the skin so I only use it twice every week with only one goal, that is, to finish using the product. I have been using the Clarins eye contour serum every morning cos the texture is quite light and is suitable for the day (and because of Caroline Hiron again, I now apply the eye serum first before my other face product). Next I would use Clarins Hydraquench Intensive Serum for the whole face and including the neck area. This is my second bottle but I repurchase it more for the scent and not so much on what it claims to do for the skin. Clarins whitening moisture day emulsion is definitely my least favorite moisturizer. The texture is just too heavy for this hot humid weather in Singapore. I thought it would suit people with dry skin. Mine is oily combination.

Hope you enjoy this mini morning skincare routine of mine. Have a good weekend 🙂

First impression of the Clinique CC cream

This product is pretty new in Singapore. I bought it at S$53 during the recent tangs sale (there was no discount on this item, just a 12% rebate). The SA told me that this product has not been officially launched but he could still sell it to me.

There are 6 color shades.

1. Very Light (For porcelain and very fair skin tones)

2. Light (For fair skin tones)

3. Light Medium (For moderately fair skin tones)

4. Medium (For moderately fair to medium skin tones)

5. Medium Deep (For deeper medium skin tones)

6. Deep (For golden or deeper skin tones)

There is also the Asian Favorites.

1. Natural Fair (For fair to very fair skin tones)

2. Natural (For moderately fair skin tones)

3. Fresh peach (For under makeup brightener. Flatters most skin tones)

The above is extracted from the Clinique’s website. I should think the Asian Favorites are in addition to the 6 color shades.

Since I wanted to use it under makeup, I decided to go for fresh peach. The first time I applied it alone all over my face and neck just for its SPF (30) protection. It did not feel as light weight as it claims (I may have applied a tad too much). And there is a mild sunscreen smell which caught my attention but it did fade away quickly. It gave me a more even skin tone, brightened up my face and also minimised the large pores around the cheek areas. On the second day, I used it underneath my Mac Studio Fix and loose powder from Chanel and went out for lunch. I left it on cos I was going out again in the late afternoon. Before heading out, I asked Al if my face was oily. And he said no. Very often, he would complained about my oily t-zone and I was very surprised with his reply! Well well, I might have just found the savior to my oily face!?

Update: On the third day, I used it under my usual liquid foundation and I can hardly see my pores around my cheeks!

VMV Hypoallergenics Armada Sport 70

I was so in love with this VMV Hypoallergenics Armada sunscreen that I went back to purchase the second tube under the 50% off tube swap program. Read more of the program here.

I was searching for a similar product and found a 3 or more years old sunscreen which the content has turned slightly yellowish. Not sure whether it is spoilt but I emptied the bottle so that I can do a 50% swap for the VMV Hypoallergenics Armada sunscreen. And it has to be the 185g (the first one that I bought was a 85g tube)! The original price for the 185g tube costs SGD82 (NOT CHEAP) so I made use of the swap program and paid SGD41 (half price) for it!

I tried it once and fell in love with it immediately. It does not have the usual sunscreen scent and it does not feel oily at all when applied. The product absorbed into my skin really fast. I can use it on my face and body which is a two in one product for me. Currently, I have to use two sunscreen products, one for my face and one for my body which is quite a hassle. Even though this is a sunscreen recommended for outdoor conditions, I would use it on a daily basis as it has intense protection against skin cancer, photoaging (wrinkles, sagging, dullness) and hyperpigmentations). Also it does not leave a white cast and Joy said that it is good as a makeup base!

BUT I do have a concern here. I recalled that this brand is 100% paraben free but I am really not sure about this particular product as I noticed that some of the paraben ingredients (i.e. Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Butylparaben, Propylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Tocopheryl Acetate) are included. Because of this, I did a little research and found that the Armada Face and Body Shield 60 does not include those paraben ingredients that I discovered in Armada Sport 70. Oh well, if I am given a second chance, I would have bought the Face and Body Shield. BOohooHoo.

UPDATE: I called the shop and the sales assistant did a splendid explanation on the two similar products (Armada Sport 70 and Face and Body Shield 60 – both are for face and body) and told me that I could do an exchange within 30 days from the date of purchase. Although there is a price difference of $5 between the two, she suggested that I can get one of their travel size products for a minimal top up. Ok, I am impressed with the sales service.

From the packaging

How to use: Shake well before use. Apply liberally over face, neck + body skin, carefully avoiding membranous (wet) areas of eyes, nostrils and mouth. Use daily, both indoor + outdoors. For best results, apply 30 minutes prior to sun exposure, particularly before highly active sports.

Note: Apply sunscreen in sufficient amounts. When outdoors, reapply every 1 or 2 hours. Whilst in the sun, clothing, hats and sunglasses provide additional protection. UV rays from the sun are made of UVB + UVA. It is important to protect against both UVB + UVA rays to prevent sunburn and other skin damage. Practice sun avoidance, particularly from 10:00 to 16:00 (10AM to 4PM), and especially for children and the photosensitive.

Location
VMV Skin-Specialist Boutique, Ion Orchard
B3-48 , Singapore, Singapore 238801
Tel. +65 6341 9378

32 things that you didn’t know about me!

I have been tagged by dearest Jade and am now answering the 32 questions.  It seems a lot of questions to answer but they only took me about 30 minutes to complete.  So here you go!

1. Is your hair naturally curly or straight?

My hair should be curly cos it is definitely not straight.

2. What’s your natural hair colour?

8 years ago, it was black.  Now, it is still black but with a lot of white strands. 

3. Do you dye it yourself or go to a salon?

I dye it once myself and it was such a hassle so I go to a salon.   But I have been contemplating whether I should dye it all black cos I am lazy and the white doesn’t really bother me that much now (I don’t really care if my age shows).

4. Do you wear the same style every day or do you change it?

I wear the same style every day.  I am not too adventurous when it comes to hair. 

5. Do you do your own mani/pedi or go to a salon?

I go to a salon as I sucked at doing my own mani/ pedi.  But I don’t go very often aka twice a year for the CNY and Xmas.

6. How often do you change your nail polish?

Twice a year. 

7. Do you polish your toes in the winter or just the summer?

Yes, when I go to the salon which is twice a year.

8. How long does it take for you to put on your makeup?

About 15 minutes I think.  But including the beauty routine, would be around 30 minutes.

9. What do you do first, face or eyes?

It is always the face cos my face products are in the toilet which is the first place I go to early in the morning.   I keep all my eye products in the bedroom’s sidetable. 

10. Do you “collect” makeup or just buy what you need when you need it?

For a while, I was collecting makeup.   I think it will be a while to buy what I need cos I have lots to finish.

11. How often do you wear false eye lashes?

Twice in my life time.  Once, when I got married.  The other time was attending a dinner and dance.  I don’t own any false eye lashes.

12. Do you do a full face of makeup every day?

I only wear full face makeup when I go to work (currently on long leave) or when I feel like it, maybe like once a week at least.   

13. Do you wear makeup when you are home alone, or with family?

I don’t wear makeup if I am at home.  If I am going out with my family, then yes I will wear makeup.

14. Will you leave the house without makeup?

I used to leave the house without makeup.  But nowadays, a BB cream is minimal for me to step out of the house.

15. How many high-end products do you have?

I have some high-end makeup products which include Chanel lipstick, Dior eyeshadow palettes, Lancome/ Shisedo/ Shu Uemura foundation.

16. Do you plan your OOTD every night or decide when you are getting dressed?

I will only think about my OOTD after I get dressed.  But its usually a neutral look.

17. How often do you change your handbag?

I only used my handbag when I go to work.  Usually, I will carry a tote bag which I will change only when I get sick of it.  I have been the carrying the same tote bag for the past three weeks.

18. What time do you get up and go to sleep?

When I was working, it would be around 6.30am so that I would catch the train to work (not so packed).  Now that I am on leave, I will wake up around 8.30am.  I normally go to sleep around 12 plus or 1 plus every night.

19. How often or when do you work out?

I work out at least once a week.  Thrice if I had too much food that week.

20. Left handed or right-handed?

Right handed. 

21. How tall are you?

I am 1.68cm.  I always wanted to be 1.72cm at least, then maybe I have a chance in becoming Singapore’s next top model?

22. Do you speak a foreign language? 

Not really even though I passed my JLPT  Level 2.

23. How many pets do you have?

None.  But I am looking to adopt a cat.  Saw an shout out on Instagram that a cat owner was looking for new home for the cat.   But the cat owner never get back to me. 

24. How often are you on Blogger (or your other blog platform)?

Everyday.

25. Do you read comments posted on blogs?

Of course.  I love reading them.

26. Do you keep a list of products to try as you see other posts? 

I don’t really have a list of products that I want to try.  Unless I really need them,  I will keep a list so that I can purchase them during promotion or sale period.

 27. How did you come up with your blog name? 

Hmm, my husband gave me the nick ‘Carrot’ and I thought using the nickname as my blog name is more interesting than using my real name.

28. What kind of camera do you use for photographs?

I owned a Olympus E-P1 but nowadays I used my iphone to take photographs as it is easier to upload them to instagram. 

29. How often do you clean your house? 

Almost every day.  Especially the kitchen, I will make sure there are no crumbs or stains.  Not giving the lizards or cockroaches any chance!

30. What is your favourite colour?

My favorite color is definitely (olive) green. 

31. Do you swear?

Yes.  In the car especially if I am driving alone.  I hate it when I see bad ettiques on the road!

32. What are you doing with the rest of your day?

I am going to sit in front of my lappie for another few hours to clear my emails and think about what to blog.  Lately, I seem to have no inspiration at all. So I was pretty happy that I was tagged by Jade!!

I am tagging Seascaped, Sharonbunny, Lady J’s musings and Samantha–Ashley. If you ladies would join in the fun, that will be great!

Review of Sleek Face Contour Kit

I was contemplating between two few face contour options. The Tom Ford (TF) Shade and Illuminate and Sleek Face Contour Kit (FCK). In the end, I opted for the Sleek one for an obvious reason i.e. the price tag. TF costs S$100 in Singapore at Tangs whilst the Sleek costs S$17 which can be found on the Luxola online beauty store.  Although I am no stranger when it comes to cream product, the price tag of TF is just too much for my pocket to handle.

When I received the Sleek FCK in the shade ‘light’ (it comes in 3 different shades with light, medium and dark), first thought that popped in my mind was that I may have chosen the wrong shade as the color may be a tad too natural on my skin tone (medium).  But I am not sure if doing a correct contour should be obvious as you want it to be as natural as possible.   Nonetheless, it seems to be able to contour my face and add a bit of color to my face which I like.   The product also comes with a shimmer powder which can be used as a highlighter.  I used it mostly on my nose.

Look at how sleek it is.

This is in the shade ‘Light’. Right: Contour powder Left: Highlighter

Swatches of the contour powder and highlighter.

Overall, I am quite pleased with the product given the price and the quality of the content. I think it is able to last me a long time.

Are there any contouring brands/ products which you use?

New beauty line by Drew Barrymore!

I was pretty excited when I heard that Drew Barrymore has a new beauty line.  I love her and I like the name of her new beauty line.  After watching the review by itsjudytime, I just wish that it is also selling in Singapore.