I love having a beauty expert as a sis. I just need to check with her for recommendations on skincare whenever my existing range has finished and can be sure whatever she recommends will be suitable and affordable! Sure beats trying various products until I find one that fits! So when my facial toner was running low, sis suggested trying the hugely popular Hada Labo which is only available in Watsons Singapore and Malaysia. Funnily, the Singapore Watsons carries the Hada Labo from Japan while the Malaysian branches carry the China Hada Labo range. Is there a difference? I’m not sure but I don’t believe there should be a significant difference except in price!

The Hada Labo’s most popular product is the Super Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Lotion that comes with a very convincing sticker of “1 sold every 4 seconds in Japan”! With a tagline like that and knowing the powerful properties of hyaluronic acid, I couldn’t wait to try the Super Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Lotion. Read on for my review below.

Pat, pat, pat on the Hada Labo Super Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Lotion

The secret in the Hada Labo lotion is hyaluronic acid which forms a moisture locking shield to replenish and keep in your skin’s essential moisture. Its ability to mimic your skin’s natural moisturizing abilities helps enhance water retention, keeping your skin soft, supple and radiant.

Unlike other facial toners which are dabbed on with a cotton pad, Hada Labo’s hydrating lotion needs to be gently patted in to help the hyaluronic acid fully absorb into your skin. I started with 3-4 drops initially and found that a little too much so I would recommend using only about 2-3 drops, depending on the size of your face. Smoothen on the lotion and gently pat it into your skin. You’ll find the lotion getting really sticky. Continue to pat and you will find the stickiness giving way to a nice dry feeling after the lotion is fully absorbed into your skin.

I’ve used it for about a week already and I do like how my skin feels a little plumper and more moisturized. However, the patting motions do take quite some time so make sure you invest the necessary time required to gently pat the lotion into your skin or you might find it not working as well for you!

The Hada Labo Super Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Lotion retails for S$22.90 at any Watsons island wide. Look out for the Hada Labo stands and try the in-store testers!

I gave Clarins a bad review some time back when I was very snobbishly ignored by their salesgirl when I went to collect my free sample. It was a shame she was so rude for I’ve heard that Clarins is a good brand but was rather put off by her attitude. Sometimes I don’t know why counter staff act as if the products they are promoting are theirs for how can you expect a potential customer to know if your product works without offering them some small samples to try?

Anyway, I decided to give them a second chance when they had a good promotion for their Clarins facial and I was glad I did. I found it a little short but enjoyed it immensely and it appears my skin did too for it actually glowed after the facial! During my facial I was told that my skin was really dehydrated, so much that fine lines were starting to appear! I’ve always known my skin to be dry but did not realise how dry it was and the mention of fine lines was enough to scare me! She recommended the Clarins Hydraquench Cream after my facial to try and as my usual moisturiser had ran out, I decided to purchase a bottle to see if it will really work wonders on my skin. Read on for my review of the Clarins Hydraquench Cream moisturiser below.

Active Ingredients In Clarins Hydraquench Cream

The active ingredient in Clarins Hydraquench cream which gives it its nourishing quality is Katafray Bark Extract, a unique herb all the way from Madagascar which restores cohesion of your skin’s corneal layer to prevent moisture loss. Clarins adopts community fairtrade techniques of cultivating Katafray through sustainable development to ensure a steady supply for their products. The other main ingredients are Inca peanut oil and the fabulous Hyaluronic acid which has been proven to retain up to 1,000 times its weight in water to increase moisture.

Does The Clarins Hydraquench Work?

Infused with exotic herbs and ingredients from a land which I always associated with Marsupilamis, the main question you might ask is does the Clarins Hydraquench work on dehydrated skin? Well, it actually does and works extremely well too! I have been using it daily for a month now and prior to starting on it, I used to have spurts of bad breakouts especially during certain times of the month. One bad time even had me thinking of making an appointment with the dermatologist simply to get it sorted out!

The effects were not immediate but over time, I found my skin starting to clear up and even out. While I am not 100% sure if it was purely due to the Clarins Hydraquench as I was using other night creams, I’m sure it had a part to play as well. My skin has less of a “tight” feeling and one major improvement I noticed was that it stopped peeling and my make up sat on it a whole lot better.

So yes it works and I’m really glad it did for I was starting to get really tired of my dry and dull peeling skin! It smells a little and is said to an aromatherapy scent but I find it a little woody and strong, probably due to the Katafray bark. The best way to apply the cream which I learnt from MyWomenStuff is done through warming it up with your palms then gently patting it onto your face from the centre and moving outwards. This method ensures your cheeks, which require most moisturization, gets the main benefits of the cream and avoids over-moisturising areas such as your T-zone and forehead which require less as they produce more oil.

A 50ml tub of cream can last up to 3-4 months depending on how frequent you use it and can be purchased from any Clarins counters. Be warned when approaching the counter in The Gardens after my bad experience with them!

I battle spots every now and then but used to be glad that I did not have to battle with pigmentation patches as well. That was until I went to the Maldives for our honeymoon and came back with more than photographs and souvenirs. I came back brown as a berry (despite sunblock!) and gasp, two small patches of pigmentation along my cheekbones. I used to be a little wary of whitening products that claim to work but now with pigmentataion, I was quite ready to try anything so The new Vichy Bi-White Reveal Night Double Corrective Whitening Cream came at the right time!

The Vichy Bi-White Night Cream comes in a little glass bottle which gives it a touch of class compared to plastic bottles. What hit me first was the scent when I first opened it! It isn’t an unpleasant scent but it is a rather strong smell which does tend to linger on a little after application.

The cream is light and applies easily. Infused with the trademarked Ceramide White formula, it works by going deep into your skin to neutralize existing melanin which causes pigmentation, freckles and blemishes. However, I found that I had to use quite a bit of it to ensure my face was covered. I also usually use it together with another moisturiser at night for extra protection as I found it to be a little less moisturising especially in a dry, air-conditioned room.

So does it really lighten and whiten as claimed? To my delight, it really does seem to work on my pigmentation! I have been using it for the past month and noticed that the two pigmentation spots I had seemed to have lightened and were almost gone. Hopefully it is a permanent solution but I will definitely continue using the Vichy Bi-White Night Cream for clearer and fairer skin!

The Vichy Bi-White Night Cream is easily available at any large pharmacies for an affordable RM99 for a 50ml tub.

I’m a huge fan of sunblock, thanks to a mom who didn’t like sun. I grew up with the smell of Coppertone preceding every swimming session and DH said he had never met anyone who used so much sunblock before until he met me! I recently tried a new sunblock by Vichy for the face. Read on for my review of the Vichy UV Activ SPF 50 PA+++ sunblock.

Experts claim that nothing above SPF30+ can be proven and having a higher SPF sunblock does not mean you can stay out in the sun longer. However, I still usually choose the highest SPF, just to be on the safe side. Vichy UV Activ met my standards with its SPF50 sunscreen, an oil-free sunscreen which promises to deliver maximum UVA protection against the skin-damaging sun to prevent pigmentation and dark spots. UVA rays are more intensive than UVB rays as they attack your skin’s pigmentation throughout the day. Vichy UV Activ concentrates on fighting these rays with its active ingredients of Mexoryl® XL and Mexoryl® SX which act as UV filters.

Like all Vichy products, it contains the magical Vichy Thermal Spa Water that hydrates and moisturises. I was impressed to read that Vichy even guarantees up to 8 hours of anti-UVA coverage to prevent your skin from darkening! However, I was not sure if this was waterproof so you might want to confirm that before using it in the swimming pool.

I found the texture a little thick when I first applied it and was initially worried about it clogging my pores. However, it spreads on quite well and does not seem to have the pore-clogging effect that some thick sunblocks such as Banana Boat has. It can even be used in the place of your daily moisturiser or make up base, however, I usually apply it over my moisturiser as I’m not sure if it is hydrating enough for my dry skin.

Each tube retails for RM90 and can be purchased from any large pharmacy. If you’ve not started using sunblock in our tropical weather, now’s the time to start to prevent dark spots and pigmentation as your skin ages!

I had a nasty encounter at a Clarins beauty counter when I headed there to try their new Hydraquench range. The unpleasant sales girl put me off totally. I might have continued to have this unpleasant impression of Clarins until I was recently convinced to try their facials at the Clarins Institute in KLCC. Was it good and did I come away convinced of the goodness of Clarins beauty products? Read on below for my review of the Clarins facial treatment.

Clarins Institute KLCC

I have sensitive skin so am usually a little wary about trying a wide range of facials. I tend to stick to one which works and have been faithfully going to Kanebo for facials until I found a recent facial broke me out! So when I heard how many have raved on about Clarins facials, I decided to give it a try.

The Clarins Institute is located on the 4th floor of KLCC. It’s done up in the Clarins white and red colours and their product range is arranged in a nice multi-coloured hue against the walls. When I arrived, I was led to the back where there were comfy seats to fill out their customer profile form and offered a cup of tea or water. They did not ask many questions during this time and I was quickly led to the treatment room where a skin analysis was performed.

Clarins Skin Analysis

The treatment room comprised a bed in the middle of the room and a light on a swivel. That’s all! No funky skin machines or contraptions! The top of the ceiling was painted with a soothing cloud design which I didn’t really see as I fell asleep halfway through the treatment!

The beautician started her analysis by looking at my skin under the light then feeling my face with her hands for elasticity, firmness and dryness, explaining each step she did. She accurately diagnosed my skin as terribly dehydrated and proceeded to show and explain in detail which products she was going to use to restore it again.

Experience Of The Clarins Facial

The Clarins experience is really unique. The facial starts with your beautician guiding you through a series of relaxation exercises then shaking you slightly all over to relax you. I’d never experienced that with other facials before and have to admit that it did do a good job!

She then started her facial using nothing but her hands. The concept behind Clarins facials is in massaging to stimulate circulation and draining toxins so each step of their facial focuses on that. Their application of their cleanser and moisturiser was also different as they use a suction action with their hands when cleansing to remove dirt and a tapping motion to apply the moisturiser.

The facial lasted 1 hour which I felt was a little short as I’m used to 2 hour facials and throughout the entire facial, the only “equipment” used was the beautician’s hands!

Skin Texture After A Clarins Facial

I noticed that my face felt a little warm after the facial which meant good circulation was taking place. The day after, I noticed my skin felt plump and hydrated and it actually glowed! My mom who met me two days later noticed the glow right away! I was really impressed and I’ll definitely be back although its a little pricey at RM198 per facial.

Then again, what’s the price of nice and glowing skin?!

Scented and coloured lip glosses are really pretty but I personally find them less effective for dry and peeling lips. In fact, I think some of these lip glosses and moisturising lipsticks actually gave me dry lips, perhaps due to a reaction to the chemicals inside! So, what’s the best remedy for dry or peeling lips to make them soft and kissable again? Vaseline Petroleum Jelly! Read on for my review below.

I have always remembered seeing the trusted yellow and blue bottle of Vaseline ever since I was a child which was always used for moisturising dry or itchy patches. Vaseline is an interesting mixture of mineral oils, paraffin and microcrystalline wax blended into a smooth jelly which melts into a moisturizing layer on your skin. It does a great job of keeping internal moisture in so dry skin can repair itself and protecting further skin dryness by keeping harsh environmental elements out.

I use it for my dry lips before I sleep and wake up to nicely moisturized lips in the mornings, despite using the air-conditioner at night which drys skin. Vaseline works beautifully in moisturizing lips as well for acne sufferers who are on drugs such as Accutane, a powerful drug used to reduce and cure acne but comes with drying side-effects. It also works well in moisturising and locking in moisture for eczema dry patches to provide temporary relief from itching.

Best of all, I like how affordable and easily available it is! The only downside for me is the slight petrol smell from the jelly. Then again, it hopefully means that it is not full of added fragrances and preservatives which might cause further skin irritation! Use it sparingly because a little Vaseline goes a very long way in moisturising!

I was given a tube of Elizabeth Arden Green Tea Revitalize Warming Hand & Foot Scrub as a gift some time back and I finally decided to give it a try when my skin started screaming out for an exfoliation with little bumps on my arms. Read on for my review of the Elizabeth Arden Green Tea Revitalize Warming Hand & Foot Scrub.

 The Elizabeth Arden warming hand and foot scrub came with an interesting claim of warming up upon contact with your skin to provide better exfoliation. Much to my surprise, it actually does heat up when I squeezed it onto my palms. The heat is not lasting though and there is usually a short burst of heat which usually dissapates by the time I scrub it onto my arms or legs. It felt a little funny to feel that short burst of heat whenever I used it but the warming sensation is quite nice once you get used to it.

The main ingredient in the scrub is walnut which is what I believe gives the heating sensation as well. It doesn’t smell too strong and has an interesting scent of walnut and green tea which does refresh me after a long day. The scrub beads are not too rough and don’t hurt, unlike rough sea salt scrubs!

The warming sensation is unique and a bit of a novelty factor for me. Although the beads aren’t too rough, it seemed to be rather effective on the little bumps on my arms but did not do much for my hands and feet in making them smoother or softer. As it was a gift, I am not too sure how much it costs at the counters. Try it mainly for its warming sensation but as a scrub, you might be able to find better ones out there for less.

I often use loose powder over my foundation in the mornings to help it last and to prevent the dreaded afternoon shine. When I once had a whirlwind trip to Taiwan, I chanced upon Kryolan in their shopping centre and was rather taken in by the great prices they had on their transculent powder that they were promoting which was a very affordable RM80 equivalent for two. The girl spoke no English and I spoke no Mandarin but the beauty of sign language helped to establish that this was one of their best sellers and it did not clog pores! Read on for my review of the Kryolan Translucent Powder.

What is Kryolan?

Kryolan is a German brand of professional makeup and cosmetics that have been serving the theatre, film and television industries and recently the beauty industry as well. Due to their specialisation in theatre and film, their make up used to be on the heavier side to effectively conceal facial flaws as the silver screen is absolutely unforgiving to open pores and pigmentation.

However, building on their expertise in theatre, they have now developed a beauty range with professional make up qualities such as good permanence of colour on the skin, especially good compatibility on the skin, color continuity over years and good color intensity. Their products come with a wide range of shades for international application so you should be able to find something to suit your colouring!

Kryolan Translucent Powder

The transcluent powder comes in a little silver round box with the famous Kryolan theatre mask logo on it. It has a very fine texture and although it looks rather white in the box, it blends into my skin colour quite well so I don’t look like a Kabuki actor when I use it!

The powder contains modified rice starch as its base which ensures absorption and longer lasting make up. Personally, I like the silky feeling it leaves on my skin after application. Unfortunately, because of tropical heat, it usually tends to disappear by the end of the day but a quick touch up brings back that nice dry and silky finish to the skin.

Application can be a little messy at times as the holes in the box are rather small so the powder does not come out easily. I used to have to knock it a few times to get the right amount of powder I needed! Because it is fine, using a brush might end up with you spilling some powder over your dressing table so do be careful of that!

Its a nice little powder that works quite well for me, especially the nice silky after feeling. The powder may appear too white under lighting when in the case, however, rest assured, you will not end up looking like a Kabuki actor!

Horror of horrors, I just discovered a patch of pigmentation on my skin! *cries* I didn’t use to have a bad pigmentation problem but perhaps due to exposure to the sun when walking out for lunch, pigmentation has decided to rear its ugly head! I was using the Eucerin White Solution Whitening Extra Treatment Fluid which worked well. If you are using the Eucerin White Solution, do be careful when using it in the water as it is not waterproof and I ended up burnt!

In my search for a good sunscreen, I decided to try the newly launched Neutrogena Fine Fairness range made popular by the Hong Kong star, Kareena Lam. Read on for my review of the Neutrogena Fine Fairness Brightening UV WaterLight Lotion SPF50+.

8 Dimensions Of Neutrogena Fine Fairness

Neutrogena Fine Fairness range promises to transform your skin holistically from inside out with 8 different dimensions – Protect, Shield, Restore, Prevent, Block, Renew, Calm and Lighten. With these 8 methods, they promise a more even skin tone with long lasting radiance and fairness, whatever your lifestyle may be!

Neutrogena Fine Fairness Brightening UV WaterLight Lotion SPF50+ Contains Helioplex

The brightening UV Waterlight lotion is a moisturiser that comes in a little squeeze tube. It offers advanced daily sun protection for your face and should be used as part of your daily facial regime. The secret ingredient is Helioplex, an ingredient also found in the Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock SPF50+ which offers up to 3 times more protection against harmful UVA and UVB rays.

Personally, I found the lotion a little sticky despite its non-sticky claims and its texture similar to that in the Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock. It’s a little heavier than the lighter facial sunscreens I’m used to. However, upon application, the lotion absorbs quite well and does not leave streaks on your face. Once absorbed, the stickiness is gone and my skin feels smooth and ready for my make up. Due to my sensitive skin, I do have some fear of it clogging my pores due to its thicker and stickier nature. However, I have been using it in the past week without much problems.

A full range of the Neutrogena Fine Fairness products are available at any big Guardian or Watson pharmacies.

My skin borders combination to dry and I am always ready to try any form of hydrating moisturisers in an attempt to find something to plump it up with moisture so I don’t end up with fine lines. I recently tried the Vichy Normaderm Anti-Imperfection Hydrating Care together with the Vichy Normaderm Refine Total Pore Resurfacing Essence. Read on for my review of the Vichy Normaderm Anti-Imperfection Hydrating Care below.

New Formula With Zincadone+ Reduces Acne and Blackheads

The Vichy Normaderm Hydrating Care comes with new ingredients designed to hydrate and smoothen your skin at surface level and deep inside your pores. On the skin surface, salicylic acid helps with cell renewal while eperuline soothes. I personally like the addition of salicylic acid as I find it does a great job with addressing acne problems and soothing any ugly pimples. I also find that my blackheads have reduced especially around the oily T-zone area as the special Zincadone formula reduces oil and sebum production and clears dead skin cells which is the cause of blackheads and clogged pores.

Revolutionary Intrapore Technology Cleans Up Pores

Vichy Normaderm products use their Intrapore Technology to micro-exfoliate pores and optimize cellular renewal with LHA, Totarol and Licorice Extract. The result is smoother skin, reduced shine and an easier base for your make up! Once absorbed, it does give a smooth and almost powdery finish to your skin and I really liked how my oily T-zone areas were controlled throughout the day, even in the evenings.

On the downside, I found the Anti-Imperfection Hydrating Care moisturiser a little dry which caused some dry patches to start flaking. It should, however, work really well for oily and combination skin or acne prone skin. You can buy the Vichy Normaderm Anti-Imperfection Hydrating Care at any large Watson or Guardian pharmacy. It comes in a pump bottle which makes for easy and hygenic application.