Ai Sui 爱美

Jurlique Advanced Serum

2014-09-17T07:22:00.000-07:00

Herbal Recovery

This post is not affiliated and the links are just for educational/ extra info.

I got this from Beauty Heaven's Beautorium, not having to pay a cent for this. I was very happy to get it, as everyone would know that Jurlique is quite a high end retail product.
Here is the link if you haven't heard of it yet.

It is a company that boasts being biodynamic, although if you do read that animal testing policy, I was a little bit disappointed that Jurlique had consented to animal testing for their products to be sold in China. To be honest, I think Jurlique would have done a lot better of it just avoid that market, as this policy to bend has probably let a lot of animal lovers down.

This is from their Youth Defense set, called Herbal Recovery Advanced Serum. You can check the ingredients from the page, So far I am using it just in the mornings, as I still have my facial oil for my night time regime. This gel is pretty concentrated so 1-2 pumps could really work to make you feel a lot fresher in seconds.

The flowery smell is not too overpowering, I did not mind it. Happy to note that there is no parfum/ perfume (or maybe I missed it?) and the lovely smell is probably from the heaps of natural oils from the long lists of things.

So far, I am enjoying my bottle of Herbal Recovery, no upset skin or redness. Since I have no deep lines, I could hopefully safely say that the stuffs that I am using works, but hey, who knows right?

ˈkwæs.ɒ̃ / kwɑːˈsɑ̃ː

2014-09-16T05:36:00.000-07:00

Fresh out

Have you figured out what my title says yet?
It is Croissant,

I got this recipe from The Boy Who Bakes, after searching high and low for a recipe that does not take more than 2 days just to make decent croissant. Yes, I am also lazy on the laminating dough department, seeing it in Youtube makes me tremble with fear. It would be worth while doing it the traditional way if you are making heaps, or trying to make the perfect croissant.

Go ahead, it is good that you are a traditionalist, but my lack of time does not allow me to be rolling dough every few hours, That is why I opted for the quicker method, not that it is any quicker per se, it is just more convenient for me to do it this way.

not too shabby

Look at the layers of puffy crispiness, I was tempted by the smell more than anything, it is heavenly. I could see why freshly baked croissants are popular, the fragrance alone turned my house into a home, eradicating the stale oil smell before. My stomach was grumbling, and I just could not resist.

it is yum

The crunch was satisfying, definitely worth starting the recipe on Wednesday night, it is quite forgiving as the dough slowly rises in the fridge for a night. I could just knead and roll out the next day as per instructions, leave overnight and then just back on Friday.

Of course I could shorten the whole process into a few hours, the main issue is that the butter must not melt. Once it melts, there is no crunch factor or a nice later of puffiness anymore. The Butter Must Not Melt!

I shall leave you to salivate while I finish the remainder of my yummy croissant.

My Dream Emmy/ Oscar Dresses

2014-09-15T01:00:00.000-07:00

Dream Emmy by cosmoslyn featuring formal cocktail dresses

Theia blue formal dress
1 745 AUD - neimanmarcus.com

Formal cocktail dress
62 AUD - amazon.com

Nude patent pumps
1stdibs.com

Alexander mcqueen purse
2 895 AUD - alexandermcqueen.com

So I will never be a guest in those even that are so prestigious, you have to be wearing something super expensive or super daring to shine. But I would like to dream, and these are the occasions where splurging would be justified.

As I am not brave to bare, purchasing something ridiculously expensive that I could only wear for once, perhaps. Definitely I would get the purse as it is black, and shiny; Alexander McQueen is worth every penny of the buck that I have to spend on.

Can't get imitations either, the press might know. I can't be caught looking cheap in an international event, where all the world would be watching. So I cannot forgo the Louboutins! In the end, with the price that I pay to look so darn special, I could have done a lot of things with it.

But celebrity endorsement means a lot to fashion designers, without celebrities, fashion would not be as fun. Can you imagine Nikki Minaj wearing some boring LBD? Guess not, but it is worth noting that sometimes even money cannot make you pretty.

Update: Burn

2014-09-14T01:30:00.000-07:00

healed now

If you have read about my unfortunate incident with a garment steamer and the benefits of tea tree oil, this is a post to update you guys. Few weeks on, it has healed 80%, and from the looks of it, it might be minimal scarring. I am glad.

Why show this face and eye serum again? Because it has Rosehip oil, Vitamin E and loads of other oils to help this injury heal faster. Yup, using what I have on hand, I might be able to finish off this sooner and start on other things in my stash.

Not a bad idea eh?

From the looks of it, this burn might be visible for a while. With good care, it has healed well and it was not infected. See, this is why you have to cover your wound with the correct protection!

Milk: Rejuvenating Masque

2014-09-13T03:00:00.000-07:00

the back

the front

I have finally finished my Kora mask (not my favorite) and I was shopping in Priceline for more bandaids when I saw this on special. I can't remember exactly how much, but it was heaps cheaper than KORA.

First thing is first, the box is square, which is interesting packaging, and this is a twist open jar, instead of a tube. I like it already! I hate tubes, I have to cut them open towards the end and that just makes a mess of things.

Ingredients: fruit extracts, green tea and vitamin E. What's not to like? Have to say that it is a clay mask, so the main ingredient is still clay, a grey on at that.

It felt warm on application, but not a burning and stinging sensation like I had with some masks. This one is mild and went away after a minute or two. I have left it a little too long, because Prince Brat was crying for attention.

Really, having kids is not good for your beauty regime at all! I was lucky it dried without flaking and held on until I washed it off.

For a drug store product, Milk is indeed a good brand, and I like the packaging and the fact that it agrees with my skin. As for a review on how it works, maybe after a few applications.

DIY Nail Sticker Part 2

2014-09-12T06:24:00.000-07:00

first step

First of all you paint on the parchment (in my case, baking paper) and let it dry completely before removing it. And when you do, try to do it carefully as inferior nail polish will rip at the worst places. I painted 12 designs, and in the end only 8 were usable. Oh well, not to say that I am good at nail art, look at these monstrosity.

This is just an experiment, I won't be walking out with these on. So rest assured, put that gun away.

Once you have all of them removed, you now have to use a base coat.

I got that La Manicure from Target, a top and base coat for $9 because I couldn't be bothered getting a base and a top coat. L'oreal better work!

So now you just have to paint the nail with a top coat and let it go tacky. You do not put it on straightaway, it would not stick and you might end up with wrinkly nail stickers for trying to be quick.

This step requires some patience.

what it will look like

shape and file

When it is fully stuck to your nails like this, you can see the excess stickers protruding out. You can now proceed to cut or shave off the extra bits. Must be really careful if your layers are not thick, mine cut off at funny places and it was really ugly after that.

But the general idea is to take off the excess and then put a top coat on, which I did not. I was not pleased with the results. But it was an end user problem anyway.

What do you think? I know that most would say that it is easier to just paint it straight on. But unfortunately I am one of those impatient girls that can't wait for nails to dry. With this DIY nail art, at least I can paint days before and remove when I feel like using them. I could handle a base and top coat, I guess.

Which is Which? Nail Polish Stickers part 1

2014-09-11T11:00:00.000-07:00

My measly nail collection

My really pathetically little nail collection. Would you be surprised to know that the pink one is 5 years old? Looks band new right, this just proves that I am not a nail person. Not that I do not like to do my nails, I just hate maintaining them.

Recently I watched a Youtube video about how you can make your own nail stickers. You read that right, DIY Nail stickers. Woo Hoo! I am all in, but first, I have to have parchment paper. I do not have parchment paper, not really.

I have a few kinds of paper, like A4, greaseproof and wax paper. But I can't find any parchment paper at home and I do not feel like buying just in case it flops. Actually I know that this experiment will not last very long.

We have probably ascertained that you can't use normal A4 paper, you can never get it off once it dries. Since the video said wax paper does not work, why not try grease proof paper? No harm, I have some hiding in the kitchen.

So... here goes

greaseproof paper

and failed.. not surprising.

And I tried baking paper, which is a little bit like parchment paper. Except that it is water and oil proof. Hence things do not stick on baking paper. Worth a try, I also have this in my kitchen.

front view

side view

Yay, I have found a solution to this problem: baking paper. Although the nail sticker was distorted beyond usability. At least I know that you can remove it to be used if you have enough layers.
What I did next is pretty funny, well... sorta. stay tuned.

Nexcare Pimple Patch

2014-09-10T05:49:00.000-07:00

pimple patch by nexcare

I hope you can see the little patches of skin colored hydro colloid above the box. This is quite an old product, by that I mean it has been in the Asian market for a long time.

All it is, is little round patches of various sizes of hydro colloid, no medication or extra ingredients, maybe something to make it sticky. How to use is also simple: remove the patch and stick the sticky side onto your pimple.

This is my absolute solution for pimple care, I do get them when my hormones are raging or when the beauty products give me a huge zit. I try very hard not to pop them during the day, but at night I would put one of these and sleep.

While the results are not amazing or miraculous, it does help draw out the icky stuff without me having to pop it. We know what popping pimples can do, don't we? Risk of the pimple getting uglier by the minute to scarring, popping is so not the way to go.

If it does not pop on the first night, I would reapply, and the redness would seem to lessen overnight, although the feel is still there. It claims to keep bacteria at bay, which I tend to agree, because I am such a zit picker. Guilty as charged.

down with zits!

Here I have selected a large patch to cover my pimple, which is a little overkill, but it felt big. As you can see, it is very obvious that I have something on my face! No amount of concealer can hide that thing, even though the pack said you can use makeup afterwards.

My suggestion is do not even think about it, but feel free to prove me wrong.

Overall, if you are one that does not get zits often but always get them big, give this a go. Not sure if they have an expiry date, I should check, but heh, they seem to work even after 3 days so never mind about that.

Natio Eye Roll

2014-09-09T04:33:00.000-07:00

I have finished my eye gel, my Clarins eye gel that I had bought just so I could have the DJ tote bag.
I do not want to buy eye gels any more, because it does not last, my Strivectin eye cream still has half a tube or less, but the eye gel is already finished; and they are both 10ml.

A little disappointed at that end, but I do not want to finish my Strivectin so soon, and I feel that I do not need a hefty twice daily dose.

So I got this:

Natio's Renew range is for those who want to prevent more lines or have problems with dark circles.

How you use it?

Just roll with it... I don't even know if there is any serum coming out, but it does feel easy to use. It does not pull or stretch the skin around my eyes. For that I guess it is alright, a little massage with a little serum.

Since my lines are not that deep, it will be hard to show before/ after photo. I can safely say that so far I am quite successful in preventing lines from becoming to obvious. Let's hope that it stays that way.

Although I am not sure how well this product is, at least I know that my night cream works well, and I suppose somethings are worth paying for.

Peace out.

Final Post for What's In My Box

2014-09-08T09:30:00.000-07:00

freebies

Thank you for putting up with all 4 parts of Stash post, I promise not to do it for awhile ^_^

CK lipgloss from Strawberrynet

Lipgloss/balms, whatever, are the most popular free gifts I have to endure. Got the CK one from Strawberrynet for free, I cannot remember why. Must be a minimum amount bought or something.

For Kiehl's, it came in a pack when my mom was buying their ultra facial cream, it came with hand cream, which she took back home with her, leaving me with yet another lip balm to finish.

I am not complaining, I use them twice a day, more during those dry days. Which is why I am down to just 3 after having half a dozen at my disposal.

I also have

Hair and Face

never enough masque

I don't know why I bought it

Things in my bathroom that I have to use first, because they are the oldest of the pile.

And last but not least

beautiorium haul?

Beauty Heaven's Beautorium is twice yearly sale where beauty heaven members can trade their points for some great products. I got my Jurlique from the Beautorium by trading a good amount of points, worth it because it is not cheap buying them off the shelf. As a consolation prize, I got that Vagisil in my pack with it.

If you are interested in participating in Beautorium, you have to be a member (free) and be part of the community. It is worth to note that they are quite nice people there ^_^

Here is the link to Beauty Heaven http://www.beautyheaven.com.au/

-This is also NOT an affiliated post, but I really wish that beauty heaven has one-

Finally done inventory with my stash, hopefully I will remember what I have and not buy anymore. ^_^Review coming soooon

What's in my Stash Box- Part 3

2014-09-07T11:30:00.000-07:00

Really? How many things can you get for free? If you are asking this question, let me explain that I used to work in retail pharmacy, and they do give you things to try so you can speak from personal experience rather than telling off a script.

Many of my customers trust me, well... because I am a pharmacist and also the fact that I am confident about the products I sell in the shop (not my shop sadly). It is not only me that gets it, my shop assistants get training and free things to try at home too, Natio is one of the brands that I love to go seminars for, because they teach you how to use their products and provide good support.

Anyway.. let's keep on

Lashes

Ah, I paid for all these lashes. Every single one of them. I was in a lash craze phase and hardly use them as Prince Brat chewed up most of my time.

Which is not fun at all. Good thing is that they do not expire forever.

The La Roche Posay I bought during 2013 Priceline after Christmas sale. The only thing that I splurged on without feeling guilty, this orange bag contains a SPF lotion and thermal water spray. It was half price at AUD$20, bargain!

La Roche Posay

Since my Elizabeth Arden SPF 50 is running out soon, this will by next in line for Prince Brat and I to use. At the moment he shares my sun blocks with me, that is why I invest in good quality ones. Mind you, good habits like sunblock application is good for everyone.

Everyone has been raving about this brand, so I lucked out when I bought this LAST set.

Score! Well... almost.

To get the nice manicure set (I forgot to open it, silly me), I had to buy a few things. This Natio moisturizer in SPF 30 is the last in line. It is a moisturizer, and is more for face.

Although you might say overkill, I say SPF is good when you live in a country where the ozone later has a hole in it. Plus, I like them, they are fast absorbing and you are supposed to reapply every 2-3 hours and after a swim/ sweat.

Then again, I do not do that...

What's in my box- Part 2

2014-09-06T11:00:00.000-07:00

Retail pharmacy freebies

Aha! You think it's the same picture, but it is not. Lanopearl is my first freebie from Retail Pharmacy Magazine. I have been signing up for these full sized freebies and I have not been lucky every time, but not disappointed yet.

From the looks of it, I would not have to buy moisturizers for a year or more now.

People plants- Australian made Certified Organic.
Lanopearl- lanolin + pearl with applestem Q ^_^

Can't wait to try ! How I wish I can use it now...

Retail pharmacy 2

These are also Retail Pharmacy freebies, I had forgotten until seeing these together jogged my mind a little. Lapurete more to natural cosmetics but not organic or anything, just not tested on animals.

Here I have Lapurete's Okuru range-
Okuru Mild Crème Facial Cleanser and Toner
Okuru Resurrection Night Crème

I am also very keen to try these. But sadly.... ah have to wait. Maybe I will hand it to my mom when she comes in November. It is more target for people her age anyway.

If you are interested in these, you can buy them online at their website.

-this post is NOT AFFLIATED!-

These are really from my stash of freebies

What's In My Stash Box- Part 1

2014-09-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

Straight from the box

Spring means spring clean!

Yeah but who am I kidding?

With a brat who is the king,

my stash just keeps growing!

Not bad for a rhyme, but honestly, I have been slack at keeping tabs on the stuffs that I have been accumulating.

I did not always buy things indiscriminately, and I would like to clarify that most of these are actually freebies and since I am alone in my quest for finishing these, it is taking a looooooooong while.

My first stash is....

Baby stash

I call it my baby stash (not all). These were in freebies I get when I was pregnant with Prince Brat. They do spoil you right? The facial blotter and gel feet are from Malaysia ages ago, when my face was still gushing oil by tons.

I am not sure why they gave me those lovely leg creams, I love them, but hardly need them because I use my body butter/ cream. I should finish them off though. Might not be reviewing any of these as they are small and hardly enough to try enough for an impression.

David Jones Free Bag

Remember how I bragged about buying Clarin's eye gel just to get this bag for $19.90? Sadly I have not even used any of the things inside, except went for a free facial courtesy of Dermalogica. I can safely say that Dermalogica, if it were not for the price and difficulty in use, I would have been a loyal customer. Their multivitamin thermofoliant is the best exfoliate I have used so far (for my face).

Natio Intensive Hand Cream Review

2014-09-04T09:00:00.000-07:00

My Natio

I have this for probably a few months now, it is probably the first hand cream that I had to buy in a while. All this time I have been privileged enough to get testers at my old pharmacy, or get a free gift with purchase.

Since Natio is one of my favorite skincare brands, and the word 'intensive' sucked me in big time. I had to pay extra aud$4 for it. Is it worth it you ask, to me, it is not really that intensive.

I have used countless creams, L'Occitane, Nivea, Palmer's and other brands. Some live up to the hype, most crash and burn. Honestly, I had expected more from Natio's Wellness range, because the normal range work well for the price that I pay.

1 pump every night, another during the day if I remember. So far it has been moisturizing enough for the dry winter's night. If I need extra after some rough job, then I would use it again if I am nearby. It has been a little disappointing as the cream is not has hydrating nor as special as it claims to be.

Plus I do not like the smell one bit, I think the combination was not really my type, and a little bit overpowering as well. But 2 pumps can be a little too much and hard to absorb, so I am caught in a dilemma.

Overall, if this is on special, it might be a good item to buy and use. But full price, maybe not

Foodie 2: Sour dough, baked

2014-09-03T06:00:00.000-07:00

Perfection....

I did this during the night, before I went to bed, it is good exercise, kneading the bread, shaping it. Then waiting patiently for it to rise, before punching it back down for another knead. For the final/ 2nd rise, I left it overnight.

So this has more than doubled its original size. Before I baked it in 230C oven for 30 minutes- 45 minutes.

look at those bubbles...

First of all, I have no recipes. I have been baking bread so long that I know what dough should look like, and have enough patience to let it be. Sour dough demands that, you cannot rush yeast to multiply and grow; you can but results are not as good as leaving it alone.

Not matter which recipe you chose to follow, there are a few things that they might not tell you:
1. Salt is there to slow down the process of yeast growing, and it also affects how your bread taste. So use the amount said.

2. No matter how long the recipe says you should leave your dough, the bottom line is : it must double its size (minimum if sour dough). Maximum for instant yeast if you are doing a 2nd rise. I have let it over rise once (or twice), the result was a very beer tasted, gooey bread that was ...ewww.

Sourdough has different properties than using instant yeast, so you can allow them to grow a bit more.

3. Steam/ humidity in the oven does help the bread gets its beautifully crunchy crust. I leave a bowl (ramekin) of water enough to humidify the oven. Some use spray before closing the door, it is up to you.

4. For sourdough, tapping it for the hollow sound. It usually means it is cooked, but if you are not sure, once it is cooked, you can bake it for another 10-15 minutes.

5. Never ever keep on adding flour when you need, unless the whole thing is a gooey mess. The process of kneading (by hand usually means 20 minutes!) is the process of forming gluten strands, which will in turn stick less and less to your hands. So you have to knead non stop for at least 20 minutes before you can ascertain if your dough needs more flour if you are a beginner.

The excess flour will dry out the bread too much, and you can just use it as a stone to scare the magpies away.

Excuse me while I enjoy my freshly baked bread.

How Good is Tea Tree Oil?

2014-09-02T10:00:00.000-07:00

My Eureka

Every time you hear people say:

"Tea tree oil is excellent, a perfect product to have at home, you can disinfect and it is a great antiseptic for wounds. Plus it leaves your house smell fresh. "~ A lot of random people

While melaleuca oil/ tree tree oil has a variety of uses, there is one use that I would like to show you: the antiseptic qualities of tea tree oil.

First of all I apologize for the photos, I did burn myself quite badly last weekend, and on my right (dominant hand) too! It is quite bad, you can see the size of the popped blister...

Opps

Yup, the blister is broken, and it is high time for bacteria to breed in that nice warm cavity. I have had burns in the past, and they will always get infected once the blister breaks.

How did it break? Well, it is on my dominant hand and I had to work that day, so no surprises there when it finally punctured in one of the corners.

Plus, I am not a person who would leave things be, so I had to poke and prod it until it gave way.

haha...

To help stop bacteria from trying to infect my nice wound, I used tea tree oil and just a few drops before putting a dressing on (waterproof Opsite, pretty expensive)

oh dear?

This picture shows a bad but proof that tea tree really works as a good antibacterial/ antiseptic.

There are no yellow or white spots where the bacteria is making home. My wound is nice and pink, which means that it is healing well enough that I can safely show you this ugly picture.

There you have it, pictures to show that, if you are healthy enough and you are careful enough, tea tree oil is a good item to use on a wound, even burn wounds.

But I have to tell you that it stings like hell! Argh!

Worth the pain, as no infection means that this can heal faster.

For those who think I should not have covered up, modern research (on old sick people with bigger holes) proved that covering up with the appropriate bandage: moisture absorbing to waterproof, does a few things:
1. provide higher temperature for optimum healing
2. provide a stable environment for optimum healing- moist place but not too much fluid
3. protect against extra bacteria trying to make a home
4. prevent worsening of wound.

The old adage of let it scab is no longer valid, hence don't even try that anymore.

Portman's

2014-09-02T03:54:00.000-07:00

Portmans is one of Australia' female fashion brands, and now with Jessica Hart on board, I hope that it will become big. I have shopped in Portmans in the past, their clothing is good in quality, and their price is quite reasonable. It is a pity that I now have a uniform, as I used to love browsing through the racks for some classy work attire. Now that new season is out, make sure you check into their website ^_^ with free shipping you can't go wrong *Portmans is an affiliate*

Dr Lewinn's Eternal Youth Review

2014-08-31T08:30:00.000-07:00

Day and Night Cream

Dr Lewinn's is also a Made in Australia Brand, but the brand is aimed for middle to high range market that you can find in pharmacies. I got this for part of my trial team from Beauty Heaven.

The silver packing looks really cool, but it is not as cool as the contents of this Day and Night Cream, and it is called: Eternal Youth. I really want to look youthful forever, hence my excitement when I was chosen to be a trial team member.

*Cue evil snicker*

What does it contain: Diamond, Black Pearl, Vitamin A and Juvefoxo(TM). Juvefoxo is apparently a compound that can minimize DNA damage. Plus it has avocado oil, urea, sodium hyaluronate and a lot of other ingredients.

Impressive list, so you might not be surprised that it claims to: help rejuvenate & slow down visible signs of ageing.

I am ageing really fast, no thanks to him:

Prince Brat

Running around a brat and having to be under the sun is not fun. Even with sun screen, the damage might be reduced, but there is still some. My pores and pigmentation, ah the pain~

Since we are enjoying the spring weather, we are going out more often, even though we use sunscreen (implying me and brat), the sun's UV can still really cook you underneath layers of protection.

So far I am pleased with the results, because I did not get any pimples and it is effective.
My skin feels hydrated and really rejuvenated, a lot of people commented that I looked well despite me feeling otherwise. The only thing that is new is this jar of cream, which I have only used for almost a month.

It is AUD$69.99 at Priceline.
Definitely worth it, because I am using small amounts at night and smaller amount in the morning, I can see the jar lasting for more than 3 months or so.

That equates to roughly $23.33 a month, which is reasonable.

Food Post: my first

2014-08-30T08:30:00.000-07:00

sour dough

This might be my second food related post, but this is definitely my new baby. If you are a sourdough person, you might share the sentiment that sourdough starter is like a baby, needing love and care.

Thank goodness it will not grow legs and run, but a sourdough starter does need certain conditions to grow and thrive. I have to admit that I cheated in making this starter. I used yeast, mainly because I was making bread anyway and did not want to waste time growing yeast at home.

If you grow/ keep it long enough, it will eventually cease to matter, as the wild/ local yeast will take over someday as they colonize the whole starter, as some bakers believe. For me, yeast from a packet can still be fed and made into sourdough, it is alive!

You can grow it like Egyptians 3000 years ago and try to colonize wild yeast in the air; or use raisin's natural yeast, but once you have the frothy yeast growing, you have to remember to nourish it with food, if not it will grow ugly and die.

How to know that you have done a good job? It will look like what I have up, and it will smell a lot like beer (alcohol). My baby is almost 1 month old now, so this is also a Full Moon Post.

Please do not ask me anything about sourdough, like you, I am also an amateur and whatever I know came from places like Youtube and Google. But my moderate success has yet to be seen in a bread.

Surprise in Post

2014-08-29T06:18:00.003-07:00

Look what I have got as a surprise in my post today:

4 items from Retail Pharmacy Magazine, courtesy of People Plants. This brand is Australian Made, Cruelty Free and Certified Organic.

For those who are questioning the difference, let me link you to the ACO (Australian Certified Organic) website, which will detail how you go about applying for a product to be certified as organic.

For those who are really interested in this aspect of their daily skincare, People Plants have a big range of items that would suit almost any needs. And I have been sent these to try out of myself and hopefully have a chance to review them in the future.

Don't hold your breath, I am not someone who use and leaves them for later, I finish what I have before opening a new product. Once you open them and air gets in, generally the product will start to denature/ loose its potency through oxidation. I don't want that to happen .

Face Scrub

Cleanser

Day Cream

Face Oil

I also like that fact that each packaging has its own routine list. Of course we all know that it is guide, but a good reminder of the things we should be using in our own daily beauty routine. A little disappointed that SUNSCREEN is not on there.

Excited! Stay tuned for more in the future.

Labour Day Ad

2014-08-29T04:50:00.001-07:00

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Summer is Coming! Is Your Body Ready?

2014-08-27T06:25:00.002-07:00

Uriage from Beauty Heaven

Summer is Coming! Are you ready, buff up the body, slough off those dead cells! I am sure a lot of beauty blogs and beauty places will be reminding you of your impending beach bod readiness. I share the same sentiment, especially when I have been spotting some ingrown hairs and snake-scale-like patterns on my ankles.

No choice but to exfoliate, but I am putting off buying an exfoliating mitt or loofah yet, because I have been lazy. Winter is cold and you know, who would look under layers of clothing once you put them on.

But summer man, is different, you want shorts, skirts and those really pretty outfits that can show off your legs (if you have pretty legs, unlike mine) or just not look like an ape when your pants/ trousers accidentally get pulled up.

I have got Uriage exfoliate for sensitive skin. It is gel with beads in it, and it contains AHA, which means it would pay to massage, so it is a mechanical and a mild chemical exfoliate. Thanks to BeautyHeaven, I had the opportunity to try this, I don't really know where to buy them yet.

It works really well, since it wasn't cold I could turn off the shower and do a quick rub down before rinsing it off. It is gentle on skin, but does its job well enough.

Cocoa Butter From Woolies

After that, moisturize!
Here I managed to buy this Palmer's Cocoa Butter with Vitamin E from Woolworth's clearance bin. This sweet jar cost about AUD$7 from AUD$14.99.

What a bargain, it is hydrating and as you can see: no parabens, phlates, fragrance and color.

Love it, I even use it on the little brat.
You do not need much, because the cream is thick and you just work it in after shower.

Birthday Present

On the side note: I have finished my KORA's cream exfoliate. I wouldn't recommend it. I did not like the cream texture and I felt like it has not done a good job with exfoliating my skin.

Although it does not dry out my skin so badly, but I would keep on using Uriage and see if it is a better product.

For the price tag, I suppose it is up to you, as KORA is an organic brand by Miranda Kerr. But I think it is just an overpriced item.

Dreaming about holidays

2014-08-26T05:06:00.000-07:00

Hmmm ... by cosmoslyn featuring a wool hat

UNIF torn t shirt
81 AUD - westlaboutique.com

Boohoo denim skort
43 AUD - boohoo.com

Sole Society wool hat
54 AUD - solesociety.com

Ray Ban gradient aviator
170 AUD - revolveclothing.com

Summer is coming! Spring is currently in the air for the Southern Hemisphere! Right now, I am dreaming about the sand and the beach =) and the face of my son when he first gets into it. Ho Ho I love that shirt, I think it is pretty cool. I am not an enemy of selfies, just the duck face/ pout/ pig face/ whatever you want to call it. It is cute when my 22 month old does it, not a 32 year old, ok?

Rice Wine Soak Update

2014-08-23T06:06:00.000-07:00

Last 3 weeks ago ( I think), I had created this rice wine soak from glutinous rice, rice wine yeast and water.

Inspired by SK2 and its hefty price tag, I sought to DIY my own.
Rather than testing it on my face, I did it on my hands, which are probably more resilient than my poor face.

So far I have been using it every 2-3 days after washing the dishes. The bottle of rice water has been sitting in the kitchen since it was easier to stand in the kitchen after washing the dishes and mopping the floor to just stand there and think that to cook for tomorrow.

As a part time pharmacist and a full time mom, everyone knows the feeling of "what to cook tomorrow?"

This was first soak, I did see a difference, maybe I was not exfoliating my skin often enough. It was instantly soft and hydrated.

It felt clean even though I did not use soap or wash up after the soak. And I was really happy, you know, it did not take a lot of rice to make up so I was on to something.

After about 3 weeks of soaking, it was not as special as I thought it would be. I think because it lacks something that could break down the rice starch into simple sugar the yeasts could use.

I ran out a while back, threw it away due to expiration (like 3 years past expiration date). While the picture makes my hand look really soft, beautiful and young looking, reality hits hard.

The solution did not work as well as I was hoping for. But since it cost next to nothing, with the ingredients being in my pantry already... maybe the yeasts too, had died after 5 years of being dried up.

Hmmm.. might have to get some fresh stock then. But then again, probably easier to just buy a new bottle of rice wine.

House of Holland

2014-08-21T07:15:00.002-07:00