Merry Christmas!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Christmas is my favourite season!

Long weekends. Holidays. Cheers everywhere!

"all because of love"

Christmas is a season of joy,
For the birth of Christ is celebrated worldwide.

His sole purpose was to die- a sacrifice,
That we may have eternal life.

So while we celebrate for all the various reasons,

Let's remember the greatest of all is to celebrate "LOVE"..

 I had a great Christmas because I could:

#1 Be Joyful;

putting up the Christmas tree and listen to Christmas carols all day!

#2 Be thankful;

that there are people I could appreciate and write notes of kindness to

#3 Be able to Give & Receive;

even when we are miles apart.

#4 Be with my family.

 

#5 Be with the other part of me. 

 

#6 Be crazy & expressive!

 

#7 Be pampered!

 

#8 Be glad there are people to share the season with.

Do what makes you happy.

Be with who makes you smile.

Laugh as much as you breathe.

Love as long as your live.  

 

 THANK YOU JESUS!

I have all I do, because of You!

Olay Professional Pro X Advance Cleansing System Review

I have heard a lot about a particular cleansing tool called the Clarasonic Mia. And being a bargain-hunter, I can't bear to spend the money buying a cleansing tool that cost more than $150.

Must we really use a tool that's like a electronic-toothbrush to clean our face?! Then how have we been surviving for the past few years!

I would be confident that I wouldn't need a gadget like this one 2 years back. But with my recent hype experimenting with make-up where I sometimes use make-up brushes to buff the foundation over my skin so it covers the pores and gives a smooth finishing, I have to think twice about how to truly cleanse my skin.

Logically if you "buff" foundation into your face, it means you need to "buff" it out as well - so it makes complete sense to use that electronic-toothbrush look-alike cleansing tool. Except for the price!

And while randomly scanning Qoo10, I found this treasure. It seems to function just as well as the Clarasonic one, and it cost 1/3 the price. (Less than $50)  It doesn't seem to be the latest gadget in the market. I am just slow in finding it. But so what? I found it anyway.

Product Description

My Comments

- Cleanse your skin 6x better to maximize your post-cleansing skincare absorption >> Absolutely agree with the logic of maximizing the absorption capability, just not too sure about the "6x" part

- Has 2-speed, rotating system >> A good choice to allow people who are more sensitive to choose the softer, gentler "touch". In the word "rotating" it means, the brush just goes in 1 circular direction. Which is fine. All I want for it to do is to "buff" the make-up off!

In fact, I read a few other reviews about the Clarasonic one which mentioned about it's oscillating system, where the brush moves first in clockwise, then in anti-clockwise (back and forth movement, think oscillating fan) I guess that's one of the key differences.It did seem like this back and forth swing will do a better job in cleansing cause the movement seem more gentle as compared to a 1-direction only "buffing" motion.

- Water resistant >> Not water proof?

- Replaceable brush head>> Good for hygiene purpose!

Pointers:
Use a gel cleanser (or any cleanser that will create foam) alongside this tool. Otherwise, if the cleanser doesn't lather up, you will be working with nothing cushioning between this brush and your skin (which means friction - who wants that?)

I have seen some examples of this being used with an oil cleanser to remove make-up, and I disagree with it because 1. oil does not lather up, so, I find it too harsh on the skin and 2. not removing the make-up prior to this as a last step means, you could possibly be buffing the make-up in, no?

So remove your make-up first, then apply the cleanser to your face and work it up a bit, then dampen the brush head and let it run through your face from side of nose outwards and upwards towards the temple of your head. Whatever you do, just make sure you "treat" your skin in a lifting motion for firming effect. You don't want to aid the force of gravity and pull your skin down.

Don't over use it, just 60s (about there to run it through your whole face) and rinse with water - and that's it.

My Verdict

Having used it for 3 months now (alongside my current favourite, philosophy gel cleanser), I must say it is worth the buy. In fact, I have already ordered more as Christmas gifts!

1. The brush is really soft and gentle on the face. (easily purchased from Watsons or Guardian)

2. It's so compact, light and easy to handle. Just 2 buttons to choose from, on/off, adjust speed. done.

3. It's battery operated. I don't need to be bothered about how to charge it and think about bringing it on holidays. (Like I don't already have enough of chargers? No thanks, but I don't collect chargers)

4. It's water-resistant and that's good enough because I didn't encounter any problem while washing the brush head under the running water, or using it with my wet hands. (Waterproof is good, but who is really gonna bring this underwater and operate it while being submerged under water?)

5. I am not so sure if the rotating system can be compared to the oscillating one, but one thing I am sure is that my skin feels and looks clean. The pores did NOT expand or anything like that (cos that was in fact one of my concern, that all that "buffing" action will expand my pores!) And I do feel my skin being less dull (possibly cause of the "manual exfoliation" movement).

Well, in conclusion, I am one happy and satisfied customer.

Cheers!

The Battle between Hair Loss Shampoos! Klorane VS Natur Vital

Ever since my trial with the Furterer Hair Loss Treatment program , I have been really careful with the kind of shampoo I use because I don't ever! wanna see my hair choking the drainage again!

I have been alternating between both of these Hair Loss Shampoo (i.e. using Natur Vital only after Klorane has finished and vice versa).

I can't recall the price, but they are about $20ish per bottle (Klorane often has bundle prices of $29.90 for 2 bottles at Guardian/watsons)

Left to right: 

Klorane Hair Loss Conditioner, Klorane Hair Loss Shampoo, Natur Vital Hair Loss Shampoo for women, Natur Vital Hair Loss Tonic Treatment.

Let's talk about KLORANE. 

As mentioned in the previous entry, Klorane was a recommendation from the sales staff who was serving me when I made my purchase of the Furterer Treatment Program. She mentioned it being made of plant extracts hence, using it with the Furterer Program was fine (since it was cheaper than using the Furterer Shampoo, THAT Furterer Shampoo was bad - it tangled my hair up in the shower! Hate it!)

Klorane Shampoo was in dark brown in color and it was a very watery consistency. A lot more fluid than the regular hair shampoo, but of course not so watery like...  water? 

The scent was a refreshing herb scent, nothing overwhelming or repulsive.

It doesn't really, lather up or rather, it takes ALOT to lather up. 

After applying the first round to my hair, it seems to just dissolve without lather, and by then I am not even done with working it through all my hair. (Not that I have a lot!)

I would have to pour a second round of shampoo into the palms of my hands while shampooing, just to add to the first round to lather it up. But. At least this doesn't entangle my hair like Furterer does!

One of the ways I noticed was to rub it in your palms, introducing some air to it, then, rub it unto the top of your head before spreading it all over the scalp and hair.

Although it doesn't tangle my hair up, due to the lack of lather, I can't work it too thoroughly through my scalp and hair. Rinsing the shampoo out with water was a tough because there seems to be no "emollient coating" (I don't know what better way to explain that!). I can literally feel the friction between my fingers and the strands of hair when I wash the the shampoo out with water - it feels "squeaky clean", I can't be sure if "clean" was the right word to use, seriously.  

 

So after part rinsing out the shampoo with water, I applied the "matching" Klorane hair conditioner in the hope of softening the hair and removing the "squeaky" feeling so I can have a better, thorough rinse.

Lo & behold! While the application of the conditioner was smooth, the rinsing was like crap!

One would have thought a conditioner gives such a smooth and silky coating to each strand of hair that rinsing it off was easy - but sorry, wrong number! Not for this Klorane Conditioner.

The "squeaky" effect resurfaced and you feel like your are rubbing rubber. (That's how much friction and non-smooth it was!)

This - made my hair fall! After 2 uses - I thrashed it. It was almost a full tube left, mind you. But I rather waste the product than waste my hair!

My Verdict for Klorane Shampoo

Despite it being tough to administer, I do find it rather effective because I don't spot alot of hair loss while using this shampoo. (So long as I don't use its conditioner!) And that was my whole objective MINIMISE hair loss.

The not-so-fabulous experience about it:
Takes too long to lather up, exhausting way too much product in 1 use. Tough time rinsing it out because it is soooo "squeaky".

Well, I did improvise the method to using it by pairing it up with a non-plant base conditioner (in the likes of Sunsilk Hair Fall Control Conditioner). And problem with rinsing out the shampoo without that "squeakiness"" was solved.

Let's get started with Natur Vital. 

Natur Vital was a random buy because I spotted a "mohawk" TV commercial which was so hilarious that I remembered the brand - random, I know.

I must say I absolutely enjoyed using this shampoo! Much better than my experience with Klorane.

It is white, silverish in color and the consistency was like that of a regular shampoo. Thicker than Klorane, definitely. 

The scent was refreshing but not so much like a scent of herbs, nor fruits, perhaps a little floral? Nothing overwhelming or repulsive.

It was much easier to work up a lather with this. 50cent coin x 2 is enough.

 

Also, it doesn't tangle my hair up, while lathering/rinsing it out. There's a slight "emollient coating" (you'd get my point b now). Minimal friction felt between my fingers and the strands of hair when I wash the the shampoo out with water. 

 I am not sure if they sold a conditioner alongside this. I just paired this up with the regular Sunsilk conditioner that I always use and it was fine.

Overall, a better choice than Klorane, though I do continue alternating this with Klorane just for the sake of switching between shampoos so as not to develop any form of product over reliance.

After shampooing and towel-drying, I also tried this Natur Vital Hair Loss Tonic as a form of maintenance.

 

It comes in a 60ml bottle with a pointed tip - where you are supposed to administer the solution into the scalp and massage it in. 

I can't quite understand why such products are often sold with a pointed tip instead of a spray head, because the spray head is so much easier when it comes to application. 

With the pointed tip, you need to exercise control in tilting the bottle such that you pour just the right amount, not too little and not too much. But that's the difficult part about it. 

With the spray, the solution dispersed is always going to be consistent and so controllable. Just part hair and spray in different sections and rub it in.

That's why I had to include the 10ml spray bottle (bought separately) in the photo-shoot to emphasize the efficiency of a spray head!

This was a watery texture that had a similar scent to that of the shampoo. Nice; floral.

My Verdict for Natur Vital Shampoo & Hair Loss Tonic

I cant count how much new hair I have grown (who can?!), but I have definitely seen improvements when I wash my hair - lesser hair fall outs.

Overall,  am satisfied with this product - except for 2 ingredients here that I will need to research a little more on: Alcohol Denat (known to be not-good for skincare products) and Retinol (Vit A), Vit A is known as a miracle worker for the skin, but what about pregnant users? Still safe for use?

Yup. This sums up my review on the the 2 Hair Loss Shampoo that I am currently using. 

Cheers! 

Faceshop Chia Seed Sebum Control Moisture Cream and the Chia Seed Watery Eye & Spot Essence Review

Moving on, let's go into Faceshop!

For this recent Seoul trip, every time I head pass Faceshop, this CHIA SEED thing just just shoots straight in my face and I it was hard to NOT take a 2nd look. Ultimately, I was convinced and bought both the Chia Seed Sebum Control Moisture Cream and the Chia Seed Watery Eye & Spot Essence and there's no looking back!

Chia Seed Sebum Control Moisture Cream

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

MY COMMENTS

What really caught my eye was the fact that this is and oil-free, water-base moisturizer that is formulated with Chia Seed which is known to contain moisture 10 times their own weight.

Given that I have combination skin which "shines" within 2 hours of make-up application, all I want is a balance in sebum and water, and a light-weight skin care prior to my make-up.  

When I tested this on my hand, I was sold. Although its description was "cream" this really felt more like a gel and it was quick to be absorbed into the skin.

It comes in a plastic packaging with another plastic seal under the cap (so you need to plug it out in order to scoop the contents). It feels hygienic and air-tight. There is also a plastic applicator that came with it, so you can use it to extract the contents (rather than using your bare hands!)

MY VERDICT?

I like using this Chia Seed Sebum Control Moisture Cream as a day cream because it is light-weight, easily spreadable and after a few pats, it gets absorbed into the skin to give a plump finish. There is no "greasy" after-effect. And because it is light-weight, I do not use this as a night cream.

Whilst this product does deliver its hydration into the skin as promised, it doesn't stop my T-zone from that getting shiny 2 hours after make-up application. By the 2nd half of the day, my skin is back to it's usual part-oily/part-dry-combi state. And I don't blame the cream for that - cause I know the problem lies in my bipolar skin type!

Overall this is one of the creams that I like simply because of its hydration, texture & non-greasy feel.

Now moving on to the

 Chia Seed Watery Eye & Spot Essence!

 PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

MY COMMENTS

(again, solely my own, so believe at your own risk)

When I made this purchase, it was really because I was on the look-out for a light-weight, water-based eye serum to apply to my eyes as a base before I applied a "richer" eye cream.

You see, the skin around our eyes is very tender and delicate. If we were to apply a super-rich cream (e.g. anti-aging cream meant for wrinkle-care (of which we have no wrinkles yet), as a preventive measure), perhaps not-knowing that that cream may be too rich for us, it may not fully get absorbed into the skin, instead clogs the pore, forming oil seeds better known as milia seeds. (This is my conclusion from various online sources and via experience)

Hence, to counter that, one may applying a light eye serum first to ensure the skin absorbs enough moisture before applying the 2nd layer of rich eye cream, hence, preventing it from clogging the pores (should it be too rich for that skin to absorb).

Well back to the topic - upon testing, I really liked it's watery texture as per stated in it's name "watery". I don't actually believe it'll do anything else except for the hydration part.

MY VERDICT?

 
Similar to that of the Chia Seed Sebum Control Moisture Cream, I like it because of it's ultra light-weight, texture that is easily spreadable and quick to be absorbed after lightly tapping it into the skin. The skin around the eyes felt instantly hydrated and I liked using it as a base to my other eye creams but that's about it.

I didn't think it helped in lightening any spots or "remove eye circles" as claimed in the product description. (Please just rest well, sleep more and drink losta water - dark circles are not about products, but about lifestyle, yo!)

Overall, I enjoyed (and will still continue to enjoy) this Chia Seed series. It is a reliable hydration range which is affordable enough for one to consider.

Let me know what you think if you have tried this!

Cheers!

Rene Furterer Reactional Severe Hair Loss Treatment Programme

In the recent months leading to this purchase, I noticed an abnormal amount of hair in the drainage when I shower.

Sadly, it has come to a point in time where losing hair is a concern for me. I usually don't bother much about dropping a few strands of hair cause it's only normal, but when I spotted a bunch of hair that almost choked my bath tub's drainage, I AM CONVINCED I need help.

I thought about seeking help from some reputable salons for treatments, but then, I recalled my ultra bad experience with a "reputable" facial salon previously, and decided against it. Brands and reputations are always about how much money is being invested in the marketing and communications to the general public and I am just not ready to put my trust in them.

So happens I was at Khoo Teck Phuat Hospital for an appointment and decided to scan the pharmacy for any possible solutions to help solve this problem and lo & behold - this product caught my eye! They were probably having some promotional activities going on in the store, hence, almost half of the shelf facing the entrance was stocked with Furterer products - it was hard to not notice it and with the persuasion of the designated sales personnel, I was sold!

Rene Furterer Reactional Severe Hair Loss Treatment Programme  

This package cost about $130 or $150+ I cannot recall, except that it was more than $100. It's pretty reasonable for the number of things you get in there. 

(Though I am not sure if this exact package is still available as I heard it was a "limited edition" package and the price of it ala-carte style will cost a lot more - I know, sucha marketing gimmick right! But I still fell for it. *sigh*)

What is in there? 

COMPLEXE 5: Pre-shampoo solution

FORTICEA ANTI-HAIR LOSS SHAMPOO: Shampoo

RF 80: Post-shampoo leave-in treatment

 

You may read the description in the below pictures 

(and you will understand why I bought it - sounds too good to be missed!)

The key here is, it doesn't just STOP hair loss (they don't even bother using the words "prevent hair loss", they use the word "STOP" -how confident?), it strengthens the hair and PROMOTES hair growth.

Now that is what caught me!

Many hair loss products always focus on how it prevents the hair from falling but I have not quite notice those products claiming it stimulates hair growth. So I just need to get my hand on it. 

And to top it off, its compounds are made of Plant Extracts which I felt safe to use given that I AM ALREADY losing hair and I DON'T want any more chemicals applied to what's left of my beloved, precious hair. 

*sob*

Using the words of the Sales Person who sold me this, a hair loss shampoo can only prevent hair loss, it doesn't cleanse the scalp, hence absorption of any nutrients (that may be applied thereafter to the scalp) is minimal, but with this full set, the treatment is complete. 

Complexe 5 cleanse and tones the scalp, making it ready for the nutrients (RF 80) of the treatment to be maximized and fully absorbed, hence more effective.

My Verdict?

Just to get the record straight, I purchased this sometime in April, started the programme for 3 months from May to July and truly, my hair fall quantity in the shower has lessen a fair lot! 

(Update in Dec'13: In fact, I noticed a lot of stray hair falling from my pony tail whenever I tied my hair up. I can only say they are new hair that's grown out not too long ago, hence too short to the caught by the hair tie *relief*)

What I think about COMPLEXE 5?  

I quite like the slightly citrus scent it has. Not repulsive to me, in fact, it was quite refreshing to the nose. 

I did feel some form of a warm sensation when being applied it to my scalp, but it was not stinging, just a light warm sensation which was bearable. The fluid seemed s little greasy to touch but it was not oily.

What I didn't appreciate was the applicator - this pointed opening for pouring the fluid to the scalp. It wasn't convenient to apply and I would much prefer it as a spray head. (But, since it works! No complaints!)

   What I think about FORTICEA ANTI-HAIR LOSS SHAMPOO?

Nope, I completely DO NOT LIKE this shampoo's texture, nor the shampooing experience. 

It is a thick gel form which wasn't quite fluid enough to be worked thoroughly through the hair. I was under the impression that this shampoo isn't going to tangle my hair up in the shower, but it did. So I had to be extra careful in not tugging the hair too hard, fearful that more hair would fall due to the entanglement. I even had to use a conditioner to detangle it.

Thankfully, the Sales Person did also recommend me to another shampoo which was made of Plant Extracts - (KLORANE anti-hair loss range). And said so long as the shampoo was made of plant extracts, it was going to be compatible. 

But. I have my own set of comments to the KLORANE range as well, and will pen them down when I have the time to, in short, the shampoo was better than this Furterer's one but the conditioner was a nightmare, and I have not touched the conditioner since! (I have since been using a regular conditioner (in the likes of Sun Silk and Organics etc.) being mindful of not having the conditioner come too close to the scalp since that was not "Plant Extract". 

Anyways, it all worked out well, with me finishing 1 tube of Furterer, a few bottles of KLORANE anti-hair loss shampoo and Sun Silk Conditioner in that 3 months of treatment. 

What about RF 80?

This post-shampoo leave-in treatment comes in an ampoule form, where you need to break it open in a piece of tissue  and work it into the clean scalp after shampooing and towel-drying your hair.

(I can't quite comprehend why it has to be glass! What if the bits of glass fall into the liquid and I ignorantly rub it into my head? *kiasu Singaporean*)

It was lightly scented, but I can't put a finger to the scent, it's not as strong as the Complexe 5, just a slight fresh scent. More fluid than the Complexe 5 and felt like ""thickened" water (like glucose water?) 

Frankly, this RF 80 works! BUT (and there's a but!) the ampoule form of packaging really sucks because, how do you start applying that into your scalp after you have just broken off the top part? *sigh*

So I poured bit by bit of that solution into my palm of 1 hand, and using the tip of my fingers from the other hand - I patiently worked the whole tube to cover my entire scalp. Tedious process that takes about 5 - 7 mins. I would have much preferred a spray head form! Oh well - the results are most important! 

 

In Summary 

Although the application part and shampoo part sucks, this product DID DELIVER what it promised to deliver over that 3 months (for me, that is). So it was well-worth the effort! In fact, I continue to maintain a clean scalp by using the Complexe 5 without the RF 80 (though I ought to be more diligent and use it once to twice a week). 

Please feel free to leave your comments and share your experience on your personal hair fall solutions. :)

Cheers!  

Presenting the Ultimate Black Liquid Eyeliner Challenge!

  (This is an overdue post, but it's better late than never...)

Some of my favorite things include make-up; and of make-up, the black liquid eyeliner is my favorite. 

An eyeliner can make alot of difference in the way you look and so, out of the blue, i decided to do a little experiment, to find "The Ultimate Waterproof Eyeliner!"

In the following images you will come to realise that my eyes aren't the best eyes to deal with when to comes to applying eyeliners because, even though i have double eyelids, the lids are hidden lids, hence, when my eyes are open, my lids usually overlaps the area where the eyeliner is being applied. 

This makes finding the right eyeliner crucial for me cos the wrong one just "dirties" my entire eyelid as soon as i blink.

My usual choice of eyeliners are those from Faceshop and Etude House and i have been using these 2 brands for a long time as they gave me what i needed; but with the recent introduction of more and more brands, i was pretty tempted to deviate from my usual choice and try a new brand. 

I don't have the ability to buy every black eyeliner i come across, so i simply went to various make-up counters and sampled them on the back of my hand.

Here are the few selections:

Testing begins:

 Spray water and rub

 Now in order to verify that this is the most lasting formula (unbiasedly), i did a run test as well!

Yes, another of my favorite thing is to go for long runs, and usually, i don't wear make-up for such activities, but for the sake of testing the eyeliner, i removed all other make-up from my face leaving only the Etude house liner (and i didn't even touch up the liner which was applied early in the morning). 

So now, after the 8km run, which lasted 57 mins (this is sucha a poor timing!)...

I was really excited to see if the eyeliner smudged, and so i took a self-taken photo of myself under the florescent lighting of HDB void decks.

This is the result of the eyeliner - did it smudge?

It really stayed in tact and DID NOT smudge!

Under the yellow lights at home, this shot is to show that my lids are hidden lids that overlaps the eyeliner area.

And I am proud to say, there was indeed NO SMUDGE (not even below the eyes)! 

*HAPPY*

Indeed this is "The Ultimate Black Eyeliner!

This is my choice Black Liquid Eyeliner! 

The Etude House Oh My Eye Line!

 I hope this serves as a helpful post to all those out there who are seeking for good liners. Give this a try!