Dove has never been my beauty essential list, given that their hair shampoo wrecked me and my sisters’ hair, I really don’t want to touch it again. I did use their body wash and find it okay though…

So yeah, my initial experience with Dove’s hair shampoo/ conditioner isn’t really great, but ksuan from belle demoiselle said it worked really well and I had to try something new (actually I just wanted to buy something to satisfy a weird shopping urge), that I pop by the nearest Watson and bought it.

Now this cleanser is pretty confused about it’s identity. Is this a scrub or is it not? To me, no matter what the description says (refer to picture above), it doesn’t qualify as a scrub. At least texture wise. No scrubby bits but it lathers into a thick, dense creamy foam that’s really a delight to use! If you have used before Shiseido Perfect Whip Foam, well that’s the kind of foam you are looking at. Maybe a touch silkier and denser.

It has this really nice soothing scent which reminds me of clean morning breeze. And after cleaning my face with this, you’ll feel refreshed. I think the scent is playing with my mind.

As a cleanser that deep cleanses, it surely does what it claims. My face feels really clean but not tight/ dry. But… this only happens when I have really oily skin which is usually around that time of the month. I can’t use this on normal days when I have combo-oily skin that’s leaning to the drier side. I’d find my cheeks feeling rather taut.

Just a note, I don’t find my serums/ moisturizers to sink in better/ faster when I used this, but I do notice I get lesser blackheads and my existing blackheads are easier to extract whenever I use this cleanser.

All in all, Dove Deep Pure Facial Wash earns it’s place in my monthly beauty essentials (yes you read that right), for doing everything right. The price is affordable (about RM18-20), lovely scent that’s not too strong, cleanses well (not when I am having drier skin though), what’s there not to love?

But this still haven’t change my mind about Dove hair shampoo/ conditioner though…

Dear Etude House Happy Teatime Peach Tea Cleansing Foam,

When I just got to know you, my first impression was “Why is your name is such a mouthful?” As the day goes by and we got to know each other better, we both agreed to just call you Peach Tea, since this is my favourite drink for hot humid days.

You always smell so amazing, with a lovely peach scent (duh, of course!). Just by sniffing you already make my dullest and gloomiest day seem so much better. And not to forget I smile every so often just by sniffing you.

You are such a delight to use because you foam up easily and you clean my face well. I love the squeaky clean feeling although at times you do leave my skin feeling a little tight. But that’s alright, a moisturizer will fix things immediately.

You promised me that if I were to have you around, I’ll have brighter skin because you contain Peach Tea extract for brightening purpose. I’m sorry to say you have broken your promise, but it’s okay, I’ll just use something else to get brighter looking skin.

I’m sorry to see you go as we had such a wonderful relationship despite you breaking your promise, but thank god the price to pay to bring you home once again is within my budget (you’re really affordable at RM13.90, even more affordable during sales, approx RM10).

Till then, I’ll miss you so. But I know I’ll see you soon again, maybe even bring home your other sisters too!

with much love,
plue

Update: Psst! Actually I have finished using the product and it went into the bin, I didn’t give it away or throw it just because it didn’t help to brighten my skin. LOL, I forgot to mention that in my post! Sorry!

I’ve got oily skin, so I like my cleansers to give my skin a fresh, clean feel. Of course, not overly fresh till my skin is dry and flaky Over the years of using different cleansers from various brands, I have come to love foamy bubbly cleansers that smells good and cleanses my face well.

How does this one fare? It’s certainly not foamy nor bubbly, it’s just creamy. And it’s of the lush creamy sort. It comes in a heavy sturdy glass bottle, which I don’t mind leaving it in the bathroom, but for travelling, nay, it might break and spill. There’s no lock or anything on the pump itself, so this is a big no no for travelling!

A creamy, exotically fragrant cleanser that’s the perfect preparation for your skin.

A base of avocado oil gently removes impurities while carrot seed oil promotes skin that glows with good health. Highest quality essential oils of lime and patchouli work wonderfully to cleanse, freshen and uplift.

taken from http://www.antipodesuk.com

It’s really creamy, and it glides gently onto my skin. Massage it in, and then use warm water to wash it all off. Problem is, you will need to rinse your face with a few rounds of warm water to make sure everything is off. A face towel can help speed up the process. Not really the type of speedy morning cleanser if you are in a rush. Also, this is where my problem starts. I like my face to be fresh and clean after washing it, not like as though I have piled on even more moisturizer to my face! The drier parts of my face like my cheeks certainly love the extra moisture/ cream, but not my T-zone and chin! Don’t get me wrong, my face does feel clean, but not the squeaky kind of clean that I am so used to.

Oh, if you love the scent of patchouli, you might love this one but do take note that scent is strong. Even after washing my face and spend the entire day at the office, the patchouli scent still lingers. That’s the downside of it, otherwise, it’s really relaxing and soothing, it’s like you are in spa or something.

Because this is a rather moisturizing product, I usually put on a thinner layer of moisturizer or just a light serum. Can’t put anything heavy or layer too many skin products, unless I want to take the risk of having oil seeds or weird bumps etc growing all over my face.

So in conclusion, if you have dry/ mature skin,  likes patchouli scented cleansers that is creamy and lush, this might be the cleanser for you.

Update: It’s sold for RM118 for 200ml

Disclosure: Product featured was a press sample provided by PR or the product’s respective company for review consideration. I do not do paid or guaranteed reviews.

Time just whizz by when you never bother to really keep track aye?

I have been on a skincare/ makeup shopping ban due to the insane amount of stuff I got, and I am doing pretty well in finishing up my existing items while reviewing them slowly (trying to get back on track ya know), and I only let myself buy stuff when I have finish 1 existing item. Blush is an exception though. I’m a blush whore. Haha.

I love anything that could speed up my skincare/ makeup routine because I always sleep in and usually I am in a rush to leave home. And lately, mousse cleansers are my best-est friend, if there’s such a description.

So yeap, replacing my good old Neutrogena Hydro Boost Mousse Cleanser is the AHA/BHA Exfoliating Face Wash Foam, which is a gift from Kimoko when she and Luna came to KL for a short trip some time back. This cleanser is the same as Tamagohada AHA/BHA Cleanser which comes in a tube form.

It definitely lives up to it’s claim of polishing and refining the skin for clearer and smoother skin, at least for me that is. I like to use this when I need some gentle exfoliation, especially during the time of the month. It’s when my skin is a bit more sensitive and I would feel the tightness if I use my other slightly harsher scrubs, so this works perfectly fine in the gentle exfoliation part.

I don’t use this everyday, only every other day when I feel my skin is dull and I need something really mild to polish the skin a bit. And since this isn’t available as of now, I am pretty stingy when it comes to using this, because I do love it so!

I just wish it doesn’t smell so weird, but I think I have to live with it, because I think most items that doesn’t contain fragrance smells more or less like this one? I always have to hold my breathe in! Other than that, I am pretty much a happy camper with this one.

I love this for it’s gentle polishing effect and I do wish Malaysia would bring this in permanently. For now, it is only available in Singapore

If you would like to read about the Tamagohada AHA/BHA Cleanser (tube form), Paris and Connie did wrote about them! Click on their names to read!

I guess you all know how I feel and how I think, right? Hee~

As I grow older, my skin is going from super oily–> oily–> slightly dry–> kinda dry. Items that used to HG sometimes make my skin flakes because of the oil controlling properties Kinda sad, but oh well, part of life.

So now my skin reaches the stage of it being oily on T-zone and chin, but slightly dry on the cheek and got a bit of dry patch on the forehead too! I don’t use such strong oil control products anymore for fear of making my skin flakes, it’s very visible when I have makeup on, but no so when I go bare face.

Anyway, I think retaining moisture on your skin starts with washing with the correct cleanser. Not necessarily it must make your skin extra plump with moisture or anything, but at least, it doesn’t strip moisture off your skin making dry and tout after cleansing!

So today, here comes a very new family member into my ever growing cleanser collection. LOL.

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Mousse Cleanser

What can I say about this?

LOVES!

And you will know why in a bit!

This cleanser comes in a hygienic pump bottle, which doesn’t spill or anything. I took it along to Melaka and to Bangkok and experience no spills. Hehe. I quite like the simple blue packaging, it’s just lovely! It has this light fragrance, not exactly something I love at first “smell”, but it’s quite acceptable after a while.

Okay, texture next! Look at this!

Thick foam with just one pump! Awesomeness!

And it doesn’t even drip while I put my hands down!

After rubbing for a bit…

Still foamy!

Seriously, one pump is all you need if you don’t have any makeup on or just very light makeup like a bit of concealer and power. And after cleansing, your skin feels amazingly soft and clean. But definitely NOT dry at all.

Totally love this for mornings when I get up late and have no time to get my cleanser to foam up nicely

I seriously think this product is lovely and it’s not just talk but no results.

Totally in my repurchase list!

For RM29.90, I think it’s a good price to pay!

Queen of Hearts Complexion Soap!

Rose petals and softening oils give faces the royal treatment
Queen of Hearts is one of the few LUSH soaps you can wash your face with. Why? It’s gentler on your face than body soaps because it’s made with a base of rose petal infusion. (Please don’t use our other soaps on your face; they’re designed for much stronger skin.) Cocoa butter keeps skin flexible while moisturizing almond and balancing geranium oils make skin soft; the Queen cleans without drying out your face. If you must wash your face with soap, please choose this one.

Ingredients: Sodium Palm Kernelate, Water (Aqua), Glycerine, Rose Petal Infusion (Rosa centifolia), Sweet Almond Oil (Prunus dulcis), Vanilla Pod Infusion (Vanilla planifolia), Fair Trade Cocoa Butter (Theobroma cacao), Perfume, Geranium Oil (Pelargonium crispum), Rose Absolute (Rosa centifolia), Violet Leaf Absolute (Viola odorata), Sodium Chloride, Stearic Acid, Triethanolamine, Cetearyl Alcohol, Methylparaben, Propylparaben.

Taken from Lush

I love the name! Queen of Hearts! Well, I am not a queen, but certainly a princess in my own world! My dad and the bf can attest to that! A princess should always be pampered!

This smells lovely. Of lovely roses, and nothing heavy. It is always such a delight to use this, especially in those weary mornings!

I like how this cleanses my skin without making it dry, and for it leaving a soft trail of rosey smell in the bathroom and on my face. It is such a delightful moment for me, because it gives me a happy princess-y feel everyday!

Because this is a mild soap, I noticed that if I use this after a long day at work, this doesn’t cleanse as well as Coalface, so I leave it for the mornings. Coalface is a wee bit too strong for the mornings, so Queen of Hearts fits the bill!

Both soaps aren’t foamy, but I am not complaining. As long as it doesn’t dries out my skin or making it even more problematic that it is now, I don’t mind it.

Sigh. Now I wish Lush is available here. What am I to use if I finish you up? Malaysia, when are you bringing them in?

In fact, I hate them.

They made my skin dry and had this weird film clinging onto me even after a gazillion of rinses with water.

But, as you know, being a curious little girl (am I still one?), I think soaps deserve a second chance from me. Not all soaps are that bad, right?

And because I am no longer a student using my parent’s money, I bought expensive soaps to use!

Expensive? You bet! RM40-50 per piece! Is this not expensive? I grew up with those RM2-3 soap okay?

So yes, I indulged in Lush soaps when they were having their 15% sales. I just had to! They had this weird voice calling my name every single minute! Really!

Before I go mad… really mad… here’s the soap I got myself.

Lush Coalface Cleanser

Lush Coalface Cleanser

Removes impurities and tones combination skin
Who would have thought charcoal and liquorice could get along? One is tough and gritty, the other sweet and syrupy. But charcoal and liquorice could just be the odd couple of skin care, teaming up to fight oily, troubled skin in our Coalface cleanser. Powdered charcoal removes impurities and mildly exfoliates while liquorice heals naturally. Sandalwood oil tones the skin (and mediates should charcoal and liquorice disagree about anything).

Ingredients: Liquorice Root Decoction (Glycyrrhiza glabra), Propylene Glycol, Sodium Palm Kernelate, Sodium Stearate, Rosewood Oil (Aniba rosaeordora), Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Powdered Charcoal, Sandalwood Oil (Santalum album), Glycerine, Sodium Chloride, EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, *Linalool, Perfume, Silver Edible Lustre (Potassium aluminum silicate, Titanium dioxide, Iron oxides and hydroxides).

*Naturally occurs in essential oils

Info taken from Lush

As you can see, the big chunk wrapped with white papers is the original size of the soap. Coalface is slightly bigger than Queen of Hearts . It’s not very big, in fact, for the money I paid for, I expected it to be bigger in size! Oh well, I guess I paid for the quality? Yes? No? We’ll find out later.

Because I am testing the soaps out, I decided not to use the whole chunk at one go. I cut them up into small pieces (like the picture on your right), and use them slowly, piece by piece. So if I experience any weird breakouts or anything, I could give those unused pieces away! Hygenic right? I got this idea from lovely Izzy who’s such a huge fan of Lush and I remember her writing about cutting it up in pieces to use slowly!

Oh, I store the unused pieces in a container and place them in a fridge to prolong their lifespan.

Smart, aren’t I?

Coalface is a dirty black coloured soap, which comes with a really strong minty charcoal-y scent! It’s really awful in the beginning, when you are not used to it! Seriously! And the smell actually covers up the lovely rose smell from Queen of Hearts, making Queen of Hearts smelling like burnt roses. =_= I kid you not!

But the scary part ends here.

Coalface is my night cleanser, to get rid of all the grimy oil and dirt that’s stuck on my face. And I grimaced initially at the smell, but after 2 weeks of usage, I find it ok, though I still wish it smells nicer.

It’s not as foamy, or can I say, it’s NOT foamy at all compared to my other cleansers, and sometimes you wonder are you using it the right way. But I checked at every available sources and I know I am doing things right, so maybe I’m not used to it? Anyway, being foamy is just a small matter.

It cleanses wonderfully! My skin is left squeaky clean (wheee!) but NOT tight or drying! And for the first time in my life, such a simple soap as this manage to minimize my blackheads! Seriously!!! I have not been scrubbing my face for 2 weeks now, no masking in between and definitely didn’t do any funny things to my nose just to extract those silly blackheads. And usually during the time of the month I would have a zit or two, but this time, nothing! Just clean, soft, smooth, squeaky clean face! And oh, your skin does feel like you have a scrub on it too! Smooth and bright!

And one small piece of the soap lasted me for 2 weeks and still going strong! But do bear in mind I only use this at night

I would definitely love to grab this again, as it is just so lovely! Maybe I should try Lush Dark Angels next, but hm… Lush doesn’t ship internationally and the shipping rates are pretty expensive…

Oh well, I shall have to find a way to get them. Any ideas?

Coming next up is Lush Queen of Hearts Complexion Soap!

Today, I will be featuring a facial cleanser which I have been using for a while, and I am more than happy to give it a good write up.

Za isn’t that popular for it’s skincare range, I think, and usually it’s 2 way cake and the Cutie Curl mascara that gets all the raves, and the occasional raves about the True White sheet mask. But other than that, hm, I haven’t heard much.

I picked this up in Watsons because it was on sales (I get blinded by sales, hehe!) and I had wanted to use something to cleanse off really light makeup but I don’t want it to be cleansing oil, hence the purchase.

Have I regretted? Not one bit.

It’s liquid, so you gotta watch how much you use. I usually use about a 10cent coin and mixed with some water to create a nice soapy lather, well of course, the lather is much thinner than Shiseido Perfect Whip, and not as dense, but it still works fine. It also has this light sweet floral scent, which is okay to me, but maybe annoying to you.

It says it can remove dead skin cells and impurities while leaving skin smooth and hydrated, well, it remains true to its claim. My skin never feel taut or dry with this, but just nice. I don’t even really scrub my skin as often anymore, as my skin is feeling really smooth now! LOL.

And it does remove light makeup quite well, sometimes I only wear loose powder and blusher to work, and those are washed off clean. Even when I am using BB cream and concealer (Shills, to be exact), it still gets removed properly. If you are worried that it doesn’t removes them properly, then I would suggest you using a separate makeup remover or cleansing oil, before doing a double cleanse with this. I have used this on its own and when I tone my skin with toner, there’s no makeup traces at all.

With all that’s said, I pretty much like this cleanser. It goes on discount quite often, and it’s available in almost every Watsons and Guardian, it’s that hard to miss! LOL.

Now, after I am done with this… what’s next?

This is one of Shiseido’s drugstore product which is really saleable in Taiwan, other than the oh-so-famous Tsubaki haircare range. Of course, MJ is doing really well too

I shall not be talking about makeup, for now.

Talking about this cleanser, what is so special about it? It cost me a good RM40 you know!

Is it worth it? My answer, yes and no.

Why a yes?

Because of the foam. It’s really thick and foamy, unlike any other drugstore cleanser in the market. The foam is really fine and it’s very fluffy and airy and uh, like a nice blanket that glides on your skin gently. In Mandarin, we say that the 泡沫很细致很绵密. Hope you guys understand ya. Other cleansers which I have used and have said they are foamy and bubbly, cannot be compared to this at all! The foams are much ‘looser’ and is not quite as condensed as Shiseido Perfect Whip.

And after using this, the face won’t feel tight at all, because this cleanser is a hydrating cleanser which only takes off impurities from the skin without stripping off moisture content from the skin. That’s what the cleanser claims anyway. And yes, it’s true. My face feels moist after using it, not drying at all.

However, that can be a bad point too. I have oily skin, and by using this I don’t get the squeaky clean feeling on my face, which I dislike, especially if I use it at night after getting home from work. It feels like as though I haven’t really clean my face enough. Maybe I am clean freak?

But, as a morning cleanser, I find that it’s pretty nice to use because it takes off the oil on my face while leaving it soft and hydrated. I don’t use scrubs or anything that’s harsh on the face in the mornings.

The scent is so-so. It smells very familiar, however I can’t recall which smell is similar to it. It’s not sickening, but it’s not very appealing either. You only need a very little amount of the cleanser to wash your face, so 120g can last you for a pretty long time, especially if you use different cleansers for the day and for the night.

Will I be buying this again?

I am still considering. I might, but I might not. But I think it’s a nice item to use if you have rather dry skin.

By the way, I bought this from chris127 and she’s real nice! Go check out her thread if you are interested!

I have used this on a daily basis as my normal-end-of-the-day cleanser. I can honestly tell you, I rather like it.

Based on close to almost 2 weeks of usage, I think it’s time to review this. But I’m breaking it into 2 parts, as a normal cleanser and as a makeup remover.

As a normal-end-of-the-day-cleanser

As the name implies, I use this to clean my face after work. I usually slab on moisturizer and sunscreen only, so I don’t really need to clean much. This works really, really well. You only need a pump or two onto a cotton pad, and gently wipe it across your face. Rinse with water and that’s it! Clean, smooth face! Do note that the scent is a little funny, a little plastic-ky or chemical though, nothing of a floral/ fruity note that I am so used to. >_< This is a little annoying to me, as I like something lightly scented, but since it does the job well, I'm kinda okay with it.

As makeup remover

This is where it gets tough. It said very clearly that it will be able to remove waterproof makeup, but sadly, it DID NOT remove any of my MJ mascara at all! Not even with a full 30 second-1 minute of pressing the cotton pad onto my eyes worked! Even with a gentle rubbing and wiping couldn’t get rid of it! >_< I am so so so disappointed! But it removed my base makeup and lippie well, took about 3 cotton pads to clean the whole face.

For the ultimate question, will I repurchase this?

I’m sitting on the fence actually, a yes and a no. Yes, because it works well as a normal cleanser, no because I think it failed to perform well as a makeup remover. Honestly, I might as well just stick to my trusty ZA cleansing oil for the whole makeup removal process!

It’s now available in Watson Midvalley for RM30.90, other than in Sasa, RM34.90. It’s cheaper to buy in Watson, but I don’t really recommend this product if you want a makeup remover that removes EVERYTHING. Even if you wish to purchase this as a normal cleanser, I think you have better choice out there. Really, don’t waste the money for something that could have performed better.

I had loved this, but now… sigh.