Review - Pot of Gold Skin Balm

It has been a while since last beauty product review. I will be doing less review now because I am trying to save up for other things, e.g. clothes and trips. I have also found a new hobby, which is sewing! Might show some sewing projects in the future.

My blog has been extremely quiet lately. This makes me have no mood and no motivation on blogging. And my nuffnang is business is not doing well. I have only earned RM1.94 for this year, wuwu..And out of the RM1.94, I clicked RM1.25, so it really sucks. So, I would like ask, what kind of stuffs do you like to read? I do not expect people to comment, please help me to fill in the poll the below.. please.. You can choose maximum two answers.


 
Okay, back to the product review. This is the product that I have been wanting for a long time. I always think it has similiarities with the famous Egyptian Magic Cream, they are both very oily and have been receiving overwhelming response in the web.

So, I bought this balm for RM69 from Nature In A Box website. I was quite surprise to see the size of the tub, because it appeared larger in the website. It has a very simple package, no fancy shape and does not come with a box.

What it is special about this product is, it is organic. Many reviews say that it can treat eczema. But that is not the reason I longed to try this, because it says "acne" there. So, I bought this hoping it can help on my acne problem. You can see that the ingredients are very basic.

Direction of usage: apply a thin layer directly to problems area.

This balm is fragrance-less, almost scentless. I have seen in forum, people saying this balm has a very thick texture, something like vaseline. So, I thought it is like an oily cream. But, I was wrong! Its texture is a lot heavier than vaseline. When I try to apply it on my face, it is very hard to spread the balm on skin, it felt very harsh on my face. Then, I figured out a way to apply it, which is rub the balm with only fingers first, the balm will soften and melt after being rubbed, then I dab it on my fingers on my face. I also apply it on my neck too.

Comparing to vaseline (right). Pot of Gold Skin Balm is on the left with darker colour.

The balm is too oily and it is impossible to wear it on day time. When wearing it to sleep, I need to pin my fringe up, so that my hair dont stick to my face. I guess you can imagine how sticky the balm is now.

the texture of the balm. Sticky.

I have been using this for about 2 months now. At first, I used it with another product (Actizen Purifying Essense), I found that there are some tiny pimples popped out. So, I think they did not match. Then, I tried to use it alone, and it didnt cause me breakout. What I can say about this product is, it did help me to mosturise my skin and lighten my scars. For my pimples problem it did not help much. However, I do feel that it helped to soften my blackheads and made them easier to be extracted out. Besides that,  I think it is too rich on my forehead, so I do not recommend this to oily skin. Another thing is, the balm needs time to be absorbed, I wake up with very oily face if I sleep less than 5 hours with this balm. The longer I sleep, the balm seems well absorbed into my skin, and I wake up with supple skin :)

So far, I find this balm quite good and I will continue using it especially on cold nights. I do not have much choice now because of my pimple problem I need to stop using whitening stuffs.

Review - Dr. Mist and Playboy Deodorant Body Spray

I have just finished using the Dr. Mist Deodorant Spray, which I have heard good reviews on it, so I bought it. This is a fragrance-free deodorant and it can be used on arms and also feet. What I have to say about this product is, my body odour is too strong and this deodorant can only helped me to suppress the smell in only a few hours. *shy*

So, I shifted to this Playboy Deodorant, which is actually a for-men product, lol. I am a Playboy fan, I cant say "no" to anything with the rabbit head on it . The flavor for this deodorant is "hollywood", which I found the least strong among its range. It says "24h" on the package, and it should last 24 hours. I find this deodorant does a better job in "covering" the B.O, but the contra is the smell is too strong. Maybe I should use men's deodorant next time.

Review - Sabai-arom Kaffir Lime & Thai Grapefruit Shampoo

As requested by foxy, I am now doing the review for the shampoo that my sister bought from her bangkok trip. This is a brand called Sabai-arom, which is quite well-known in Thailand, their products can be found in the famous Boots store.

When I first saw the package, I saw the lime picture on the label. I thought this shampoo must be very drying, as lime is acidic. But, after using it, the shampoo is not as drying as I thought. I think this is because of the Grapefruit oil it uses. I love this shampoo! I like everything that is in citrus-flavour. The Kaffir Lime ( or limau kasturi in Malay) has a refreshing effect that I like a lot. It reminds me that during the Chinese New Year, my mum will buy Kaffir Limes and chuck them into the bath tub. It symbolises a new beginning or something like that in Chinese tradition.

The aroma therapy benefits of the shampoo.

You would thought that it would smell something like the dishwasher, but it doesnt, haha! It is a mixture of grapefruit and lime, a very refreshing smell. As you shampoo, the bubbles on your hair will diminish and then the hair is kinda like tangled-up, but once you rinse it, the hair becomes smooth again. I like this shampoo because it is not drying and the scent is great!

The colour of the shampoo doesnt look very nice.

According to my sister, the shampoo costs her about RM30 something for 200ml. For me, I think it is slightly expensive, but I guess it is reasonable because the ingredients are 95% natural as written on the package. And for the de-stress factor, I think it is still a very good shampoo.

Review - Montagne Jeunesse Hot Vanilla Self Heating Mask

It has been a long time since I made a review on beauty product. Actually, I have had some products to review, however I got no mood. Due to my three months of stressful job-hunting period, I have been holding back to buy new products and shopping.

Now, I can say that I am seeing my rainbow is coming soon. My miserable days will be over, but things are not confirmed now, I will update once it is confirmed. (lol, i hope you get what I mean).

So, I was walking in Guardian today, and I found this range of mask having a promotion, buy 2nd piece for 50%. So, I bought two masks. One for RM5.90. This is a clay mask with Vanilla flavor, yum?, lol. I bought this because it says "Opens & Deeply Cleanses Pores!". My face seriously needs some cleansing as dead cells are piling up and my forehead is very "dirty".

Me in my shower cap. Sorry for blurr picture, taken using webcam. :)

It was my first time to use a self-heating mask. And what I can say is... It's really hot! The mask is muddy, the texture is something like the cream foundation that you put on face. The moment I put the mud on my face, I felt the hot sensation on my skin, it was not warm, but hot! But after awhile, it cooled down. I am guessing that the mask reacts with water, because when I rinsing off the mask, I felt the "burning" sensation again!

The mask smells like Vanilla, like a Vanilla yogurt. It actually tasted sweet, lol, I accidentally tasted some because it dripped onto my lips. It was yucky, dont ever try it. For the result, I would say the mask worked quite well on deep cleansing my skin. Because after I washed, I could see my blackheads are less bulging, and also the pimples on forehead are easier to be pressed out.

I would buy this mask again. And I will review another mask of Montagne Jeunesse in near future.

Review - Nutrimetics Apricot Cleansing Mousse (with Vitamin E)

I am back at my hometown for a week, it is nice to go home. I had an interview with Sony, Bangi, but the interview did not turn out great. I was told that I was interviewing for Video Design Engineer in the email, but when I reached Sony, and after doing all the IQ tests that they gave me, they told me actually I was interviewing for Quality Improvement documentation post instead of the Video Design post. What the ??

Okay, back to products review that I have not been doing for a long time. I have been using this Cleansing Mousse for a week now since I am back home. My mum got this product from her friend. When I first look at the packaging, I thought this is another crappy local product, but it is not, it is actually a product from Australia.

A huge tube of the cleansing mousse of 150ml costs about RM20 something. But mum bought it at RM10++ when there is a promotion.

The ingredients:

The texture of the cleansing mousse is something like the mousse that people use it on hair. And very creamy. It has a strong smell of apricot, if you have used St. Ives Apricot cream before, this cleansing mousse smells similar like the cream. Because I have very dry skin, so I only need a little of the mousse to do the cleansing job. Upon rubbing the mouse with water, a creamy foam is formed. Then, I massage the foam on my face and neck. I like the cleansing effect that the mousse give to my skin, skin feels clean after using it. And also, it is very easy to rinse off.

After using it for a week now, I found that my skin has improved as pimples dry out. And white heads have reduced. I think I am going to steal some of this cleansing mousse from my mum to bring back to Penang, lol

Review - Tzu Ji's Multi Grain Drink Mix

Bought this pack of Multi Grain Drink from Tzu Ji Penang. Tzu Ji (慈济) is a famous organization in Taiwan, they are like a charity group and very active in recycle activities. They have their own line of products, which are all vegetarian and healthy.

In chinese, the name of this drink is called 五谷粉(read - Wu Gu Fen), which means Five Grain Powder. This 550 grams of powder costs me RM24. At the packet, it says purely vegan, rich in dietary fiber and no chemicals, fillers, artificial flavors and preservatives.

To serve, add 180cc of water to 30g of powder and mix, or adjust the drink powder as desired. For additional flavor, substitute water with fruit juice, soya milk, etc.

Since it is high in fiber, it helps on my constipation. But, it is heaty though, need to drink lots of water after drinking it. And it is also very filling. It tastes awful since it doesnt have any synthetic sugar added, however, I can still tolerate it as it is a healthy and filling drink. I would buy this again if I do visit Tzu Ji in the future.

This is how the powder looks like.

Lots of healthy ingredients in the powder. =)

Review - Honey Mart Honey with Propolis vs Euphoria Longana Honey

I'm a fan of honey. I love drinking honey water. Honey helps me to keep my body moist and to be less "heaty". Besides, I have also heard from a radio ad saying honey contains vitamins that we need for a day.

I was drinking Honey Mart's Honey with Propolis (bought from Eu Yan Sang) and I found it quite good. There were some times that I had bad sore throat and I consumed the honey directly without diluting it, it helped. I bought two bottles for RM90, which make RM45 per bottle for the Propolis Honey.

Right - Euphoria Longana Honey, Left - Honey with Propolis, both 500g

Close-up.

Then, it was economy downturn and my honey was finishing. So, I turned to a cheaper version of the honey - Euphoria Longana Honey. This Longan Honey was selling two for RM45 in Eu Yan Sang, which is half a price of the Propolis Honey, means one for RM22.50. It is called Longana Honey because it tastes like Longan, not because it has any Longan in it.

However, I think I made the wrong choice. I should have sticked to the Propolis Honey. During preparation of honey water, I usually use 1 tablespoon of Propolis Honey to mix with a mug of warm water. But, for the Longan Honey, I need 3 tablespoons to get the taste. The taste for Propolis Honey is strong enough though for only one tablespoon is used. For one tablespoon of Longan Honey, it is tasteless, like drinking plain water. So, I am not saving money here.

Euphoria Longana Honey - lighter in color

Honey with Propolis - Darker color and with some dark brown "residue" at the bottom.

Both honey taste very differently. When drinking Propolis Honey, there is a cooling sensation, it is like drinking the chinese medicated oil (风油), seriously. While for the Longan Honey, it tastes slightly sweet.

Effect wise, I feel Propolis Honey is more efficient in improving my sinus. Besides, Propolis is said to have beauty effect, so going for the Honey with Propolis will be a better choice for me. =)

Review - Tje Fuk Washing Cream 1

I bet most of the people here dont know about this brand. The brand is Tje Fuk and it is from Indonesia. My mum bought some of the Tje Fuk products while she was in Indonesia for vacation.

The washing cream actually come in two types - Green bottle (cleansing) and Yellow bottle (scrub). Here I will be reviewing the yellow bottle, which is the facial scrub. The green one is at my house back in my hometown. I will review that if I get a chance.

The ingredients. One of the selling point of this product is (which I found from its official website), it is mercury free.

So, I got to say that I like this product very much! The scrub is very nice to use. You only need a little of it to scrub your face. I am using this scrub without any pre-cleansing. While scrubbing, I actually feel the grains are massaging my face, it is very comfortable and relaxing! The grains are just the right size, not too large or too harsh on the skin. After scrubbing, face definitely feels cleaner & refreshed.

The texture. Very nice cream with tiny grains.

I have also used the green one a few times, and I found it quite good as well. Since I like this product, I have tried to google it and I found that there is a dealer from Malaysia actually sells this. But the price is not cheap, the yellow washing cream is selling at RM93.

Review - Botani Olive Skin Serum

Been using this serum for 3 months now. I think it is time for me to review it.

First of all, this is an organic product. You might think what can an organic product do? I thought that too, we live a world full of chemicals, only chemicals like SKII, Clinique will give result. But, can organic products work?

This serum is actually in oil-form. It contains a very important ingredient called Squalene, which is extracted from olive plant. Squalene is important to us because part of our skin is made of Squalene. As we grow old, our skin will decrease its production of Squalene, which is so-called aging. I am quoting  Erica Yuen for this statement.

This serum suits me as I have dry and dehydrated skin. I have serious acne on my forehead which is due to stree + insomnia + constipation. Also blackhead issue on my nose and both of my cheeks.

To use the serum, you need to release a drop of serum on ur finger (using the pump), then rub the drop with other fingers, once ur fingers have the serum spreaded on them, then dab your fingers on ur face and press gently. Press it on ur cheeks, chin, forehead, eyes, lips and throat. My face needs 3 drops of serum oil to cover the face area and neck area. For 3 drops each time, I would say this serum can last a very long time. HK artist, Erica Yuen even apply the serum on elbows and feet. I purchased this serum online at RM100 including postage. Not a very expensive skincare product, since u can use it for so long.

This is my favourite product so far. It mosturizes my skin. Best thing is, it acts as an eye cream also, so I save the money in buying expensive eye cream. On my pimples problem, I think it helps a bit. It is not that kind of product that gives miracle immediately, but I definitely feel my skin more hydrated than before. My forehead still have a lot of tiny pimples. Blackhead problem is not improving as well, it got worst. I guess I need to do some detox colon cleansing some other times.

Fake Golla Laptop Bag vs The Real One

Golla is a famous brand for laptop bags. Coincidentally, my sister and I both bought a Golla bag each. But the thing is, one is real genuine Golla, while another one is fake replica.

Take a look at both bags, which one is the real, and which is not? hehe...

We have bag A - chocolate outlook, and pink inners. Then Bag B- Black outside and red inners..Both look good right?

Then, check out the inner bodies of both bags...

More inside views:

So, both bags are quite the same right? =) My sister bought the bag from Kuala Lumpur for RM199, while I bought the bag for RM70 via mail order from China.

The real one is Bag A. I am sure if you look closer, u can tell the difference. The sewings for Bag B is rougher, even the padding they used also not as good as the pink linings. Pink bag definitely is more comfortable to carry around with.

So, for RM199 and RM70, which bag would you choose?

Review - MP Italy Power Hair Treatment

A hair treatment cream that I bought from a local saloon. It came in a set of shampoo, conditioner, ionic leave-in solution and also this hair treatment. The retail price for this treatment cream is RM38. But I guess it is cheaper than that.

The direction says:
Shampoo and towel dry. Apply Power Hair treatment evenly on hair Comb thoroughly with a wide-tooth comb for more even distribution. Apply heat with steamer or infrared for 15-20 minutes to assist penetration. Rinse with water and set style as desired.

I dont have a steamer, so I just apply it and wait for half an hour. You dont need a lot of it, the amount that I use:

After application, I feel my hair is softer and tamed a bit. but my hair is still frizzy though (I guess it is the texture of my hair). Overall, it works. I will review the other products from this brand later.

Review - Litna Papaya Soap

Papaya, my good friend for constipation. But, papaya soap?

I have seen a lot of great reviews about papaya soap in forums. Users claim that papaya soap whiten their skin. I got this papaya soap named Litna from Jaya Jusco for RM4. I think the famous one that you can google is a papaya soap called Likas. Likas is from Philipine while I think Litna is a product of Malaysia (cant check, I have thrown away the box).

I have been using this soap for almost one month now, so far, I havent received any compliment saying that I have gone fair. So I guess the soap is not working :(. Though it does not work, but I still quite like this soap though.

It does not smell anything like papaya. It actually smells nice and refreshing.

The first time I used it, I felt that it dried up my skin and I had to apply body lotion after showered. But soon after, I dont feel dry anymore (maybe I got used to it already). I have also bought The Body Shop's papaya soap, I will try it once I finish this.

The box. It says "Enrich Your Skin's Fairness".

The soap. It looks like a papaya, cool aye?

Review - Lancome Hydrating Lotion with Gentle Plant Extracts Alcohol-Free

Been using this toner for I think 2 years now, and I still have about 30% left. See, how thrifty I am ! (or kiam siap :-))

This 400ml toner is actually quite good. It was bought from my mum for RM142. I think it is quite worth it, cos it can be used for quite a long time.

It says alcohol-free, which is good. Alcohol is no good cos it will dry up our skin (in long term) and cell damage. The scent of this lotion is just nice. My face feels cool upon application, and it is not sticky.

However, do not expect any "miracle" from this toner. For me, I think this is a decent product, and it does clean the skin, and moisturise it. Maybe my skin is just too chronic to deal with.

Review - Dr. Jart Black Label Detox Healing BB Cream

Blemish Balm Cream a.k.a BB cream, is popularised by Korea. The Korean style make up has always emphasized on natural look, that look like dont have any make up on, this is also the so-called nude makeup.

This is the first BB cream that I got due to curiosity. I have read many about BB cream, about how miracle it is. It has always been a debat that, whether BB cream is a kind of cosmetic (it can be used as makeup base) or a skin care product (it takes care of skin depends on its functions). For this BB cream, it acts as a sun block (SPF 25 ++), and it also has whitening and Anti-Wrinkle properties.

The texture of the BB cream is something like a liquid foundation. And it is brown color. The BB cream actually smells very nice.

The BB cream blends very well into the skin. I have applied on half of my hand. The right half is brighter.

Applied it on my face. Cant really tell the before and after. Face looks brigther after application. The cream is light, however the coverage is so-so. It does make my skin looks "healthier". And I think the color is quite natural for my skin tone.

So far, this BB cream has not cause break out for me. I had a minor break out after the first application, but I think it was due to improper cleaning. A makeup remover is needed to strip off the BB cream.

And another thing is, I learnt that we need to apply BB cream on our neck as well, so that we dont look awkward, as we have a white mask on.

Review - Ecco Cafe at Chulia Street, Penang

OMG. I am so f***ed. It is 4:15am in the morning and I am still alert as hell. I couldnt sleep! I have hiking later at 7am in the morning, I will be so dead after that, help! help!

So, today my friend, Zheng Ghee came from Johor to visit us for the weekends. Zheng Ghee is my course mate during my university days, our gang is having a reunion this weekends.

We watched Angels and Demons in the evening, The movie was not bad. Kind of interesting and thrilling too.

Then we went to Georgetown for dinner. My friend Kevin introduced us this authentic italian restaurant, Ecco Cafe. The owner of the restaurant is a foreign lady, she is an Italiano I guess. She is also the waitress of the cafe, a very friendly person.

First, we have Herb Butter Bread. It tasted okay. RM4

Another bread, this is Garlic Butter Bread, my friend Hooi Hooi said that the garlic is not cooked enough., RM4

Eleanor Pizza. Slightly spicy, the black things are olives. Tasted not bad, but portion was rather small. RM16

Chicken Hot Pie. The highlight of the dinner. Under the pie, there was gravy with chicken and potatoes. The gravy tasted very nice, and it was piping hot. RM16

Pasta. Not quite remember the name of the pasta. It looked like pan mee. The sauce is a garlic cream sauce, slightly runnier than carbonara. The pasta tasted not bad as well.

Finally, our dessert - Coffee Cream Caramel. I am suspecting that this is the culprit that make me sleepless tonight! Oh, I am so regretted having this, though it tasted very nice. On top of it, there is toasted caramel.

Overall, thus restautant is quite good. Good food with not too expensive price.

Belated Mother's Day Gift

I am the kind of consumer that is easily to be persuaded. After looking at the Erica Yuen's youtube video introducing the Botani Squalene Olive Serum, which I have also blogged about this video before in here. Since then I have been thinking about getting it. And it was so happened that this website was having a promotion in conjunction with Mother's Day.

So, I bought it. I am also so into organic products nowadays. The parcel is nicely wrapped:

The Mother's Package that I bought consists of 4 items :

1. Botani Smoothing Olive Cleanser RM139

2. Botani Soothing Facial Mist RM55

3. Botani Olive Serum RM95.50

4. Botani Boost Balancing Mosturizer ~RM70

For these 4 items, the package was sold at RM259, which is a saving of about 28% discount. For me, I think it is quite a steal for natural organic products.

Review - Loreal Elseve Smooth-Intense Ultra Rich Leave-in Mask

This orange cube is really adorable, on top of that, it says "For VERY DRY & UNTAMABLE Hair" on its label. I have very dry and untamable hair. So I bought this.

This is a leave-in conditioner, which means you dont need to rinse it off after applying it. Besides that, it also claims that it is "anti-frizz" and "anti-volume". The cream is orange-color and apricot scented.

Though there are a lot of feedback saying how good this product is, I hate to say it doesnt suit me. I guess Loreal products just do not suit me. I have tried its hydrafresh series and also its cleansing milk, but they did not work on me. For this leave-in mask, it does not tame my hair. I still have fluffy hair after using it. I also get itchy scalp when I use this. Maybe it is just my hair.