Empties: June 2014

Finished up another bottle of Clarins Lotus Face Oil, I really love this face oil! I've gone through so many bottles that I've actually lost count. This is one of the best products I have ever used on my (then) acne-prone, congested and sensitive skin. Love love love!

When I was younger I had really bad acne and tried the whole Proactiv range for about a year (saw it on late night tv and signed up after watching all the amazing results and testimonials lol). It was one of the worst things I did for my skin honestly, the formula was too drying for my face. It did clear up the small little yellowheads but it dried my skin out so bad and I was left with a tight face, and cystic acne instead. I received the Proactiv Deep Cleansing Wash as a gift and was a little apprehensive at first (I vowed not to use Proactiv ever again) but I'm glad I tried this! I started slow, once a week, then a few days and finally when my night cleanser (REN Clay Cleanser) ran out, I used it nightly. My skin is relatively clear, so I can't tell if it does help with acne, but they have definitely improved the formula as there is no tight feeling and my skin does feel smoother and clean.

I have been using the Clarins Total Cleansing Oil for quite some time now and I quite like it so I will continue to repurchase. It takes off my makeup very well and doesn't clog or irritate my skin.

The Melvita Organic Cornflower Floral Water came in handy for mornings when I get too lazy to properly tone with a cotton pad. It is supposed to be soothing and can be used on the eye area. Nice, but I prefer the Rose Water.

Lastly, is a Sohum Sugar Musk & Grenadine Body Cream which I was very reluctant to finish. There was a period when my room used to be scented the same as I was always burning a candle from the range. Brings back so many sweet memories. Aside from that, the formula is also lovely, like whipped butter but not at all greasy and leaves the skin so soft and supple. Might repurchase when I visit Melbourne!

And that's all for the month of June~

Total January - June: 63

Travels: Singapore 2014

Was in Singapore a few months back, it was a short trip and we mostly ate, strolled along Orchard and spent a day at Universal Studios.

Every restaurant and cafe we ate at was excellent, would love to visit again just to have the same dishes.

KL's street food and local delicacies wins my vote but for cafe style food and breakfasts, Singapore takes the cake.

My 3rd visit to Universal Studios, this time with my sister and Mama...

LUXE//LESS: Gel Eyeliners

Having tried quite a number of luxury and drugstore beauty products, I have come across products which are similar in function but cost much less. I know there's a saying "you get what you pay for" but sometimes a higher price tag doesn't equate to a better product (to me at least).

Was flipping through the magazine today and saw this feature:

Been meaning to write about these 2 products but kept putting it off! I used to be a big fan of Bobbi Brown Gel Liners (my go-to liner for 10 years!) but with their increasing prices over the years, I set out to find a replacement. Not to sound like a broken record, but I have sensitive eyes which tear easily and oily lids- meaning the formula has to be budge proof, pigmented, easy to apply AND gentle. 

Bobbi Brown ticks all the boxes for me however removing it can be tough without my trusty eye makeup remover. Currently using Clarins Instant Eye Makeup Remover and it removes even the most budge proof eye-makeup easily. 

One little tub lasts a long time, and I've never had it dry up on me though I've had friends who complain of this. You have to buy a separate brush and if I'm not mistaken it costs just as much as the liner.

The Maybelline Gel Liner was a random grab from the drugstore; I never expected it to perform so well! The black is a solid black, glides smoothly and does everything Bobbi Brown does, at a lower price. It even comes with a good quality brush which I have been using for months, even after multiple washes it is still soft yet firm.

I can't vouch for the "36-hour" claim, but it does stay put throughout the day and doesn't irritate my eyes.

My thoughts: I love them both as they are very similar- in terms of formula and packaging, but if I had to choose one.. I'd go with the Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Liner. It comes with a brush, is a true black and is so affordable!

Hope you found my first LUXE//LESS post informative and I look forward to sharing more products under this tag.

Eating Out: Miam Miam @1 Utama

Good food, good service.. been twice and can't wait to go again!

Everything we tried was yummy; 

Souffle de Nuage- an airy, fluffy cloud of egg and light cheese atop fresh tomato sauteed rice

Riz Noir- a squid-ink rice with seafood and omu egg

Lobster Bisque Pasta- a soupy pasta served with tiger prawns

Iced Matcha Latte with Matcha Softee

Riz au Curry- baked rice with Japanese curry and sausages, broccoli and egg

French Toast- fluffy squares served with a delicious ball of cream and syrup, not too sweet 

Gonna be trying out another new place tomorrow, haven't been excited over Japanese cuisine for a while now!

Have a good weekend everyone, xoxox.

Empties: May 2014

It's already the middle of the year! Every time I start on a Empties post, it always feels like I just posted last month's not too long ago.

The sukin Foaming Facial Cleanser is a staple in my cleansing regime. I have gone through many bottles of this, gentle enough for day frequent use and I love the scent. Bonus points that it is sulphate and paraben free. Another product making a regular appearance is the Clarins Multi-Active Skin Renewal Serum; one tube usually lasts me 2 months (once in the morning) but recently I've been using it at night as well. Love the scent, absorbs well and doesn't clog my pores. The Clarins HydraQuench Cream-Gel [travel size] is a hydration moisturizer for normal to combination skin (there is a Cream-Melt for drier skins), it has a nice scent and a light, fresh texture. Very pleasant to use.

I almost always have at least 2 different scents of body wash in my bathroom- and invigorating/fresh scent and another more indulgent/creamy scent. The Clarins Tonic Bath & Shower Concentrate [travel size] is a firm favourite, infact I have the whole line- Tonic Body Scrub, Body Oil and the Body Balm. The tonic scent is sooooo good, I love it! The Rodial Life & Style Bathing Balm was my creamy scent for the past 6 months (at least). A little bit goes a long way and the bathroom smells lovely, like almond milk even hours after. I liked it, but not enough to repurchase. The Clarins High Definition Body Lift [Deluxe size] is my last bottle of the old formula, and I am currently using the new one. De Lorenzo rejuven8 the ends was my favourite hair leave-in-treatment whilst living in Melbourne. It really left my damaged ends so soft and smooth, plus the scent was really nice too. Brought a bottle back to humid Kuala Lumpur and it didn't seem to have the same effect, instead making my hair a little greasy and heavy. Highly recommend if you're living in colder/drier climates.

Loose powders take foreverrrrrr to finish! Which could be a good or bad thing LOL with the Chanel Natural Finish Loose Powder, it was definitely a good thing. The powder is really fine, never cakey nor matte, which is what I like. One tub lasts a long long time, I think mine was around for a year? Would repurchase. This benefit 10 bronzing and highlighting duo has been with me for 8 years! Okay that's way past the recommended use by, but to be fair I only really started going at it in the past year. This was a gift from my sister, and a heart-warming story accompanies it (: Perfect for people who want to contour AND highlight but don't want to spend much time doing their face. I liked the bronzer half but the highlighter was a wee bit sparkly for me. The product comes with a decent brush applicator as well.


Total January - May: 58