I’m delighted that Marie Veronique Organics has invited me to run this special Earth Day giveaway for my readers for many of you know how much I love their products! And clinique sheer shaper for lips this set of Anti-Aging Kit worth US$170 containing an Exfoliating Cleanser or Gentle Cleaner, an Anti-Aging Mist, an Anti-Aging Oil+, and a Moisturizing Face Screen is what one of you will be getting!

Read my review of the MVO Anti-Aging Kit
In fact, I have tried this kit and you can read my review of the Marie Veronique Organics Anti-Aging Kit by clicking through the link.  Two of them I really love – the Anti-Aging Oil+ and the Moisturizing Face Screen.  I also recently purchased the Exfoliating Cleanser and am liking it too although I do not use it every day.

Like the Viva Woman Facebook Fan to enter
Anyway, those who have been reading my raves of their products and are keen to try but have yet to do so will get a chance now!  I’ll be running the clinique sheer shaper for lips actual giveaway TOMORROW on my Viva Woman Facebook Page, where  I’ll post up their Earth Day pledge on my wall and all you need to do is to comment something you like about the brand.  The giveaway will be a short one and I’ll select one entry out of the lot.  And this giveaway is open to ALL, no matter which country you reside!  Awesome isn’t it? So if you’re not a fan of the Viva Woman Facebook Page, here’s a good reason to like it!

Does this get you excited about Earth Day? (~_^)

Clinique sheer shaper for lips

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The picture I posted yesterday on the Viva Woman Facebook Page certainly got many of you interested! I had many funny and interesting answers and I had an enjoyable time reading and answering them. A few thought it looks gross while some said it’s a healthy snack although I personally thought the picture I posted look more like some black soap!  Anyway, a few came close to guessing what this is but all were missing the key ingredient, which is DONKEY SKIN. Yes, no kidding! This is a donkey skin gelatin or better known as ‘Ejiao’ in Chinese and is made with donkey skin, black sesame, walnut, dried longans and rice wine. And it was ordered and flown in from China.

Health and beauty benefits
In fact, I learnt that donkey skin is made into a cold appetizer in China. It is reported to have many health benefits as it can promote blood circulation and increase the reproduction of cells; its beautifying effect is also much sought after by women. (source: China Daily) It is reported to have great anti-aging effects, namely increasing elasticity of the skin, improving skin tone, preventing wrinkles and even eradicating pigmented spots.

Bought from China
Donkey skin is considered a herb in China and this gelatin was purchased from a big medical hall there. I was introduced to this gelatin by my bestie and she has been taking it for 5 weeks. I noticed that her skin tone has improved and is looking rather lustrous these days. She, in turn, was introduced by a relative who also reported good results after taking the gelatin. So I was quite eager to try it and she gave me about half a slab and I’ve been taking it for a couple of days now. Although it does not look appetizing but it’s really tasty and reminds me of some rum cake. However, the combination of ingredients makes this a rather ‘heaty’ gelatin and I actually found my body becoming quite warm after eating this. So I have to cut my intake down to taking just one or two cubes a day.

Donkey skin capsules are available
These are cut up from the original slab and because they’re meant to be eaten as a snack, so I cut them into small cubes. My bestie has the recipe to make this as well but it takes a lot of effort as the mixture has to be stirred continuously for a few hours. The donkey skin gelatin is available in Chinese medical halls and I understand a big slab is around S$150 – $200. Please don’t ask me where to get this because I have no idea but if you have friends or contacts in China, you should be able to find out easily. My bestie got it through a relative based in China and hence, she has no idea of where to get it either. But I searched the Net and found that capsules are also available but I suspect the gelatin is more effective.

Eat at your own disretion
I actually didn’t think much about eating this but when I started to write this entry, I wondered if others are offended that this is made from donkey skin. But I’m Chinese and so we eat some stuff that are well…less common. And if you ask me, eating donkey meat is no different from eating beef or lamb so it doesn’t raise my eyebrows that the Chinese in China eat donkey meat sandwiches. And I’ll say if you want to eat this, do exercise your discretion. Personally, I’m pretty adventurous when it comes to beauty and this is fine by my standard going by the ingredients used. But I don’t think we have this donkey skin gelatin in Singapore and if you want to try it, you’ll have to get it from China.

My question is: would you eat it?

Fairy tale of Donkey Skin
By the way, eating this reminds me of the Donkey Skin, a French fairy tale told by Charles Perrault about a princess who used a donkey skin as a disguise to avoid marrying her own father. Donkey skins are really useful! And maybe the princess ate some for her beauty too! (^-^)

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I can’t attend a private party at bare natural makeup Parco Next Next today but I want to give a shout out to this collection of distinctive looking bags designed by Veira Ling, aptly named “Vintage Voyager” because they are inspired by her love of mails. Veira is no stranger to Viva Woman; she is a regular reader and has also in the past, contributed to our VivaBella Giveaways with her bag organizer.

In fact, I was really surprised to learn that Veira designs her own bags. I mean, that’s totally cool! Even more surprising was that I found out through her designer profile that she used to be an engineer and it was her keen eye for bags that stirred her desire to start her own line. So her quirky statement bags under her S/S 2011 are really her way to tell every modern woman to be confident in their own style. Here’s a quick glimpse of a few of them:

Animal Vacation Suitcase
I don’t know why this is called the Animal Vacation Suitcase but I totally love the classic suitcase design. And the par avion prints are so unique! I think it should be roomy enough to pack some animal plush toys for vacation!

Postal Knapsack
This is the Postal Knapsack and the name reminds me of this song with these lyrics: “I love to go a wandering, along bare natural makeup the mountain track. And as I go, I love to sing, my knapsack on my back.” You have a choice of the knapsack in black too.

Envelope Clutch
This Envelope Clutch has a rugged feel and it will make a functional accessory to sling around especially when traveling. Looking at the material from the picture, I think this will also make for a soothing touch when one is feeling homesick.

Mini Hat Bag
Veira has two hat bags and this one is the Mini Hat Bag. It has an interesting shape and I like that it is simple but eye catching with the par avion print detail.

Prices and availability
Prices bare natural makeup of the Veira Vintage Voyager collection range from S$89 to S$159. You can find more information at her website or check the bags out at Parco Next Next!

Bare natural makeup

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So I mentioned that I am currently crazy about lemongrass and other than the commercial products, I’ve also bought fresh stalks from the supermarket to try out some DIY almay smart shade concealer spf 15 0 37 oz beauty recipes. Lemongrass is an aromatic herb with antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-fungal properties; often used to normalize overactive oil glands, treat dandruff and minimize skin irritations. It is also benefiical when ingested, said to help with our digestive system such as increasing appetite. Well, think Thai soup ‘Tom Yum Goon’ and Thai green curry! While I like the taste of lemongrass in my food but today, I’m sharing what you can do with this herb for beauty.

Selection and usage
Lemongrass is easily obtainable in our supermarkets. Buy those that are tightly formed, and of a lemony-green color on the lower stalk near the bulb. You will need to peel away the outer layers with your fingers to uncover a softer stalk and this is where it is the most fragrant. Anyway, the first recipe I tried with lemongrass was to create a herbal rinse and hence, I only needed to peel away the outer layer and cut the bottom of the stalks.

For oily hair
Since I have oily hair, I figured that lemongrass would be great as a herbal hair rinse after shampoo and conditioning. Like the rosemary hair rinse, this is easy to prepare. Just peel the outer leaves, cut the bottom of the stalks, wash and boil in a pot of water. To infuse more of the smell into the water, I left the pot to cool for a good half a day before decanting to smaller bottles. Oh, I really love this because the lemongrass smell is really robust! And my hair is also less oily when I use this although I only use this up to twice a week. Going forward, I’ll probably alternate between almay smart shade concealer spf 15 0 37 oz this and the rosemary herbal rinse.

Ice cubes for toning
I also froze some of the lemongrass herbal water into ice cubes. These are great to use as a cooling pack. Lemongrass is actually antiseptic and good to close large pores. However, I wouldn’t advise these to be used daily but just once a week for a quick refreshing of the face if you like. I also suspect that lemongrass is photosensitive although some sources dispute that but to be safe, use this only in the evening to replace your usual toner before moisturizing. As lemongrass is great for oily skin and so I used this on my t-zone mostly.

Lemongrass infused oil
Okay, the one that got me all excited was to make a lemongrass infused oil. I read that there are two ways to infuse lemongrass and I tried both. One is to soak the cut lemongrass into a base of extra virgin olive oil and leave it by the window for some sunlight for about two weeks. The other is to heat using oil. Okay, the former is still in the works but what I found is that so far, I’m not really liking the smell. It comes across more sweet than citrus.

Heat infusing method
The heat infusing method is much more desirable and the lemongrass smell is very apparent. It’s not difficult to prepare; just a little troublesome if you factor in the washing bit. What you need to do is to get the chopped lemongrass into a pan of heated oil. Simmer really slowly to prevent the lemongrass from turning brown. Once you start smelling the lemongrass, you can turn off the fire and let it steep in the oil until it cools. You can then filter out the oil for storage and the almay smart shade concealer spf 15 0 37 oz oil can be used for other recipes such as body scrubs.

Use with caution
Like any other ingredients, please use your discretion when trying out these recipes I’ve recommended. Lemongrass is not known to be harmful but I understand that the essential oil should not be used internally by children, women who are pregnant or breast-feeding, or people with liver or kidney disease. Hence, these lemongrass infused water and oil should be used with caution if you have any medical conditions.

Check out the Viva Woman Facebook Page here for more pictures on the preparation process.

Almay smart shade concealer spf 15 0 37 oz

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Okay, most of us know that sunscreen isn’t just about SPF but face it, how many of us buy sunscreen based on a comfortable SPF number? Well, I do although I do look out for the active ingredients and my favorite is one with 18 to 20% zinc oxide only as that means the product offers broad spectrum protection against both UVA and UVB rays. If you like chemical sunscreens, then Mexoryl or Tinosorb are what you should be looking out for in the product as they are considered as photostable sun filters.

Marginal difference between SPF 15, 30 & 50
SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor and is a measure of a sunscreen’s ability to prevent UVB from damaging the skin. If your skin burns after 20 minutes under the sun, using an SPF 15 sunblock will protect your skin for 15 times longer, hence providing protection of up to 300 minutes or five hours when you apply enough.  Another way to look at it is in terms of percentages. When applied properly, an SPF 15 filters out 93 percent of UVB, SPF 30 filters 97 percent and SPF 50 filters 98 percent.

SPF 15 is good enough
According to The Skin Cancer Foundation, most sunscreens with an SPF of 15 or higher do an excellent job of protecting against UVB. However, many people are under the impression that the higher the SPF number, the better protected their skin will be. But as you can see, an SPF of 50 only provides 1% more protection than an SPF 30 and I’ve learnt that any numbers above SPF 50 makes little sense.

Need to apply sufficiently
So SPF 65, SPF 75 and SPF 100 that I’ve come across are just insane as these numbers just give people a false sense of security. What matters is that you are applying enough sunscreen – at least a quarter teaspoon for the face – and that you are re-applying often enough under continuous sun exposure. So although technically, a sunscreen with SPF 15 would do a good job but it is better to choose a product with higher SPF as chances are, most people do not apply enough and this leaves them with an SPF rating far lower than what is on the bottle. I would think one with SPF 50 should be good enough for most people.

Share your magic SPF number
So which SPF number gives you peace of mind? For me, it’s SPF 30 for daily wear and even a moisturizer with SPF 30 eases my mind somewhat. If I do head outdoors, than a sunscreen with SPF 50 would make me feel a lot more protected.

The perfume, the market and aesthetics

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I’m currently obsessed with lemongrass and have recently bought a bunch of stuff full of lemongrass freshness, including the very lemongrass stalks. Today, let me share with you some of my zesty-tangy commercial purchases first – a Lemongrass Shower Gel, a Lemongrass Hydrating Body Cream and a Lemongrass Heart Soap from the Lemongrass House.

Handmade in Phuket
Products from Lemongrass House hails from Phuket in Thailand and each product is hand blended – you can even find the name of the person who hand blended your product on the bottle. I understand that customers can even get custom made products at their stores there. So this is something to check out if you’re headed to Phuket! Anyway, their handmade products are scented with essential oils and free from synthetics such as parabens and sulfates. Although they are called the Lemongrass House, they also carry a full range of skin and hair care products in other scents such as Chamomile, Lavender, Rose, Fig Tree, Jasmine, Ylang Ylang, amongst others. Besides the usual range of products such as shower gels, massage oils, body creams body scrubs, after sun care, shampoos and face cream, they also have specialized products for mommies, kids and dogs.

Lemongrass House Lemongrass Shower Gel 260ml S$18

Oh I totally love this! It’s packed full of the lemongrass smell and it’s so uplifting! In fact, it reminded me a certain yellow Zest soap that I used many many years ago. It lathers pretty well and I feel fresh after showering in this; no dryness and no tightness either. Lovely stuff and I will definitely be buying this again. In fact, I was told this is selling so well that they have to introduce the 1 litre packaging, which is retailing at over S$60.

Lemongrass House Lemongrass Hydrating Body Cream 120ml S$19

I like this one as it delivers the lemongrass zesty-tangy freshness in terms of scent too. And despite the ingredients listed, it does not feel heavy on my skin and is pretty light. This is best used on damp skin as on dry skin, or you’ll find it a little difficult to blend as the cream dries up pretty fast on the skin. Apart from the scent, I won’t say this body cream is exceptionally hydrating and I have to say I find it a tad expensive. Having said that, I do like this product for the feel good factor after application and may consider repurchasing it again.


Lemongrass House Lemongrass Heart Soap 120g S$6

This one is totally disappointing as I can hardly smell the lemongrass. In fact, it’s barely noticeable even upon a closer sniff; I can only detect a faint sweet scent. In addition, this soap does not lather up well and so there is nothing desirable in this product. Good thing I bought the heart shape size, which is the smallest available.

Overall summary
If you’re a lemongrass lover like me and prefer your products with less chemical synthetics, then some of the products from Lemongrass House should not disappoint you. They have a couple of outlets located at Liang Court, 313@Sommerset, Parco and Raffles City; I bought these from the outlet at Liang Court and the SA was extremely helpful. Some items appear a tad pricer but the good thing is that the company offers a Customer Loyalty Card for your first purchases over S$30. This membership is free and entitles you to a 20% discount off their products during your birthday month and mine is coming up soon! (^o^) So yeah, I’ll be heading back very soon!

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I recently received the Juice Beauty Perfecting Foundation and Refining Finishing Powder complimentary from Juice Beauty in US and I have to say that they impress me more than their skin care range. I know that the company launched their ColorCare makeup range sometime last year but I don’t seem to have seen them in our Sephora here. Either they are not here yet, or I’ve missed them completely.

Made with certified organic ingredients
Most of you are probably quite familiar with Juice Beauty’s line of organic skin care products, which are up to 98% certified organic. Their ColorCare makeup range follows the footsteps of their skin care line in using certified organic ingredients such as aloe juice, plant oils, fatty acids and fruit extracts combined with an antioxidant blend of goji berry, açaí, kiwi, blueberry, grape, pomegranate, cranberry, strawberry and raspberry. Other ingredients include minerals such as mica, iron oxides, titanium dioxide and ultramarine to add color. The products are preservative free, and meet the qualifications of the California Organic Products Act mandating products labeled organic to contain at least 70 percent organically produced ingredients.

Juice Beauty Perfecting Foundation 30g US$35

This Perfecting Foundation is described as being packed with organic ingredients that will leave your complexion looking refreshed and perfected. The combination of organic aloe juice, fruit extracts and minerals provides a cream to powder finish that will wear all day, while giving you a perfect airbrushed look and feel. There’s a sweet orange scent to this foundation that I found refreshing. The color that works for me is ‘organic ivory’ and what I like about this foundation is that it is lightweight and easy on my skin. The staying power is good as it doesn’t melt even under hot weather conditions. I think those with little blemishes and pigmented spots will find this coverage good enough for their skin. However, it is not able to conceal my blemishes very well and I might do better with a correcting concealer under this. I also found this a little difficult to blend with my fingers compared to the usual liquid foundation. Other than Organic Ivory, this foundation is available in two other shades – Sand and Tan.


Juice Beauty Refining Finishing Powder 10g US$22

This Refining Finishing Powder is described as being packed with organic ingredients that will leave your skin refined and flawless. The combination of organic plant powders, fruit extracts and minerals creates a lightweight matte finish that will wear all day, while giving you an airbrushed look and feel. Well, the powder works well with the foundation all right but by itself, it doesn’t create that flawless look though. The good thing about it is that it feels like a mineral powder and hence is very light and will not cause any caking. I like to pat some of this powder over the Perfecting Foundation because it does complete that slightly airbrushed, matt look. I’m using the Organic Ivory shade and the other two shades available are Sand and Tan to compliment the Perfecting Foundation.


Medium coverage with dewy glow
So here’s a picture of me and my boy posing his cheeky whatnots. I am wearing the Juice Beauty Pefecting Foundation and Refining Finishing Powder in Organic Ivory and I think the foundation and powder does a decent job of a medium coverage with a touch of dewy glow. I didn’t use any concealer in this picture and I kind of like wearing this look on most days when I don’t need that much coverage. I’ve also put together a shot of the coverage on my hand and yeah, I think it does give a someshat refining touch to my skin.

Overall summary
As I mentioned, I do like the complexion products as they are lightweight and do a decent enough job for daily wear. But even though the range is made with certified organic ingredients, there are some stuff in them that I do not really like – such as beeswax and zea mays starch. However, I’m generally less picky about makeup products in terms of ingredients as I’m more particular about their coverage and wearability so I’ll let those pass. Maybe I’ll try to get hold of the correcting concealer and see how much better that product increases the overall coverage.

For more information on the Juice Beauty ColorCare range, check out their website or sign up their newsletter for updates and promotions.

Sacred Earth, Infinite Sky

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I recently received the Juice Beauty Perfecting Foundation and Refining Finishing Powder complimentary from Juice Beauty in US and I have to say that they impress me more than their skin care range. I know that the company launched their ColorCare makeup range sometime revlon age defying smoothing powder last year but I don’t seem to have seen them in our Sephora here. Either they are not here yet, or I’ve missed them completely.

Made with certified organic ingredients
Most of you are probably quite familiar with Juice Beauty’s line of organic skin care products, which are up to 98% certified organic. Their ColorCare makeup range follows the footsteps of their skin care line in using certified organic ingredients such as aloe juice, plant oils, fatty acids and fruit extracts combined with an antioxidant blend of goji berry, açaí, kiwi, blueberry, grape, pomegranate, cranberry, strawberry and raspberry. Other ingredients include minerals such as mica, iron oxides, titanium dioxide and ultramarine to add color. The products are preservative free, and meet the qualifications of the California Organic Products Act mandating products labeled organic to contain at least 70 percent organically produced ingredients.

Juice Beauty Perfecting Foundation 30g US$35

This Perfecting Foundation is described as being packed with organic ingredients that will leave your complexion looking refreshed and perfected. The combination of organic aloe juice, fruit extracts and minerals provides a cream to powder finish that will wear all day, while giving you a perfect airbrushed look and feel. There’s a sweet orange scent to this foundation that I found refreshing. The color that works for me is ‘organic ivory’ and what I like about this revlon age defying smoothing powder foundation is that it is lightweight and easy on my skin. The staying power is good as it doesn’t melt even under hot weather conditions. I think those with little blemishes and pigmented spots will find this coverage good enough for their skin. However, it is not able to conceal my blemishes very well and I might do better with a correcting concealer under this. I also found this a little difficult to blend with my fingers compared to the usual liquid foundation. Other than Organic Ivory, this foundation is available in two other shades – Sand and Tan.


Juice Beauty Refining Finishing Powder 10g US$22

This Refining Finishing Powder is described as being packed with organic ingredients that will leave your skin refined and flawless. The combination of organic plant powders, fruit extracts and minerals creates a lightweight matte finish that will wear all day, while giving you an airbrushed look and feel. Well, the powder works well with the foundation all right but by itself, it doesn’t create that flawless look though. The good thing about it is that it feels like a mineral powder and hence is very light and will not cause any caking. I like to pat some of this powder over the Perfecting Foundation because it does complete that slightly airbrushed, matt look. I’m using the Organic Ivory shade and the other two shades available are Sand and Tan to compliment the Perfecting Foundation.


Medium coverage with dewy glow
So here’s a picture of me and my boy posing his cheeky whatnots. I am wearing the Juice Beauty Pefecting Foundation and Refining Finishing Powder in Organic Ivory and I think the foundation and powder does a decent job of revlon age defying smoothing powder a medium coverage with a touch of dewy glow. I didn’t use any concealer in this picture and I kind of like wearing this look on most days when I don’t need that much coverage. I’ve also put together a shot of the coverage on my hand and yeah, I think it does give a someshat refining touch to my skin.

Overall summary
As I mentioned, I do like the complexion products as they are lightweight and do a decent enough job for daily wear. But even though the range is made with certified organic ingredients, there are some stuff in them that I do not really like – such as beeswax and zea mays starch. However, I’m generally less picky about makeup products in terms of ingredients as I’m more particular about their coverage and wearability so I’ll let those pass. Maybe I’ll try to get hold of the correcting concealer and see how much better that product increases the overall coverage.

For more information on the Juice Beauty ColorCare range, check out their website or sign up their newsletter for updates and promotions.

Revlon age defying smoothing powder

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I’ve abandon my regular watch for this lime green Imazine ION mary kay eye defining pencil Sports Watch that I bought at The Central in Bangkok. As a matter of fact, I’ve been wearing it 24/7 for the past 10 days just to find out if it really provides the many health benefits that it touts. Apparently, this watch is made with high grade silicone infused with both Tourmaline and Germanium powder, which during wear emit negative ions and far infrared. So just wearing it will promote blood circulation, enhance body facilitation of oxygen, improve concentration and focus and help recovery from sports fatigue. Seriously? And it cost me only about S$20?

Ultra light sports watch
Well, I really don’t feel a difference and I actually fell sick when I returned from my trip. My focus hasn’t been clearer either as I still make some ludicrous mistakes. It says that this will also help to relax tense muscles but again, I don’t feel anything. Okay granted, it might have helped me feel more relax because it’s so light I barely feel it’s on my wrist and that’s why I’m not removing it yet. And it’s kind of eye catching – my nephew thought I was wearing a jade bangle when I saw him last week. (O_O)

Available in different colors and sizes
The Imazine ION Sports Watch only weighs 10 grams and is water resistant to 10 meters. It’s pretty fun looking and comes in many fun and bright colors. My bestie got the pink one. It’s also available in sizes from XXS, XS, M, to L, which means men also also wear this. Actually the XXS fits me perfectly but I got mary kay eye defining pencil XS because I found XXS difficult to put on as this isn’t very elastic. The band is made of silicone rubber but it’s quite a good quality one as I haven’t had a rash from wearing it even though I’m quite sensitive to rubber on my skin.

Retail price may vary
I understand this watch is designed by Jupiter Project in Korea but is really made in China. So this is why it is cheap. There are lots of other brands beside Imazine and I saw some retailing for US$20 or more. But I also saw the Imazine ones being sold very cheaply although I have no idea if they’re the real stuff.

Spot the difference
To spot the real Imazine Sports Watch, I was told that there is a blinking sign that says IMAZINE in the watch. Okay, I see that in mine but I really don’t think it makes that much of a difference because if you know how the manufacturing in China works, all of them are really the same. The only difference lies in the brand, the packaging and the price. They probably get it from the same source anyway.

Dress up the watch with watch skin
If you are keen to get this, you can easily do a search online to mary kay eye defining pencil find the sources. I’m not posting any links here because I didn’t buy mine online. I’m also not sure if these are available at any stores in Singapore. In hindsight, I should have gotten the pink one and the white one. Maybe I’ll hunt around for cheaper deals and I might also try to get one of those Popochos Watch Skins to dress up the watch.

Mary kay eye defining pencil

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Here’s something I got from the Chatuchak weekend market almay truly lasting color moisture rich lipcolor in Bangkok – a packet of herbal mask and scrub dry mix. Some of the ingredients are new to me and I had to ‘google’ for them to find out what they are. And while this is stated to be for the body but going by the ingredients, I tried it on my face too and it’s pretty pleasant.

Keeps skin clean and clear
According to the description on the pack, this is said to help the skin clean, clear, smooth, soft, and prevent pimples. In addition, it will help balance the skin and improve the firmness. Ingredients include: Cassumunar, Tumeric, Andrographics Paniculatac, Seven Golden Stick, Cassod Tree, Rhinacanthus, and Tiger Herbal.

Ingredients in the herbal mix
Aside from Tumeric, I’ve not used the others before and based on my quick find on the Net, Cassumunar is actually a kind of ginger, while Andrographics Paniculatac appears to be a herb. Seven Golden Stick might more accurately be Seven Golden Candlestick, while Cassod Tree, Rhinacanthus and Tiger Herbal seem to be some sort of leaves or plants. Like I mentioned, I’m not familiar with these ingredients but they all seem to work together to provide benefits for skin, be it in terms of clearing impurities, moisturizing or rejuvenating.

Can be used in multiple ways
It is recommended that the dry mix be used with milk, yogurt, honey or water. Because I almay truly lasting color moisture rich lipcolor wanted to try it on my face, so I used it with honey as a mask for 20 minutes before washing off. I didn’t add a lot of the powder but I realized that by adding more, this can become a scrub too. And for the curious, this mixture has quite a strong herbal smell.

Rose quartz massage stick
I also bought this rose quartz massage stick but I haven’t started using it (although my boy has been rolling his face with it!). Rose quartz gem apparently improves circulation and is rejuvenating. It is also said to be able to help heal scars and improve the complexion. Well, I’m not so certain of those benefits but one thing I’m sure is this tool is great when used for a warm manuka honey facial massage!

Almay truly lasting color moisture rich lipcolor

Borghese fango active mud for hair and scalp 17 6 oz

Almay glow healthy bronzer Sedu Pro Ionic Ceramic Tourmaline Flat Iron (1" with free heat proof pouch, Hair Straightener, Free Shipping, 30 days money back guarantee - on sale at $108.99

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Recently, I bought some nail polishes from Zoya and I was surprised to learn that the brand is considered as natural. I never knew! Actually, it’s not surprising considering that I’ve always favored OPI nail polishes and hence, have never looked at the legions of other brands in the market. However, this is changing because this year, I am keenly seeking more natural alternatives for my nails and my first find was the Karma Organic non-toxic nail polishes. In fact, it was that first find that spurred me to check out if there is such a thing as a natural nail polish.

Free of carcinogenic ingredients
Like I’ve mentioned, even though the Karma Organic nail polishes are said to be natural, they still smell like normal nail polishes to me. What I know is that they are 3-free, which means the nail polishes are free of Toluene, Formaldehyde, and Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP) and it seems that most so-called natural nail polishes are in the same category. These three are widely considered as carcinogenic ingredients and hence, are supposedly bad for health and particularly should be avoided by pregnant or nursing mothers.

Science of 3-Free
In brief, Toluene is a solvent that was used in many nail polish formulations to dissolve other ingredients and make a nice smooth, easy-to-apply polish. Formaldehyde, or more precisely tosylamide formaldehyde resin ensures that the polish adheres to the nail’s surface to make the polish tough and resilient. Finally, DBP acts as a binder and improves the durability and the ability of nail polish to last a long time without chipping. Persephone Magazine has a good article on the Science of “3 Free” Nail Polish if you want to find out more about the characteristics of these three ingredients and the harms they can cause.

Possibly less toxic with less chemicals
In my own opinion, you can’t call a nail polish natural just because they do not contain these three ingredients as the nail polish can still be laced with many other chemicals. I mean, if they smell like paint, then they are not natural to me. But perhaps, they are less toxic than the usual as they may contain less chemicals commonly found in regular nail polish.

Water-based and not solvent-based
What I did find out is that some of the brands of nail polishes that call themselves natural or even vegan are water-based and not solvent-based since they do not use toluene and typically, this means they should not smell as nasty as the usual nail polishes. On top of that, some of them are free of camphor, xylene, and even artificial colors but use only FDA approved colorants or natural colorings. They still use a small amount of plastic, usually in the form of co-polymers but in essence, these group of nail polishes marketed as “natural” minimize use of synthetic ingredients and chemicals. Some even claim to be hypoallergenic and hence, would not cause irritations to the skin or nails.

Safer to use
So in comparison, these group of nail polishes are odor free, non-toxic, biodegradable, and safe for pregnant women to use. Unlike chemical-based traditional polish, they are said not to cause cancer, birth defects, reproductive issues, allergies, or yellow, discolored nails. So as a whole, they are touted as great for people with chemical sensitivities, allergies, and those who are not currently using nail polish due to harmful chemicals and vapors. Colors could be limited though, compared to the usual brands.

Examples of more natural nail polishes
I found a couple of nail polishes marketed as “natural” and here are examples of their ingredients for an idea:

Suncoat Water-based Nail Polish
Main ingredients: Aqua (water, ~65% in formula), acrylate copolymer / styrene-acrylate copolymer (~28% in formula) Other ingredients (all under 4%): propylene glycol n-butyl ether, dipropylene glycol dibenzoate
Pigments/colorant: may contain [+/-] mica (CI 77019), titanium dioxide (CI 77891), ferric ferrocyanide, iron oxide (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), chromium oxide (CI 7728 , carmine (CI 75470)

May be harder to remove
As you can see, some of them are more natural than the others. And it should be noted that while these contain less chemicals, there are some reports that such natural nail polishes are not as lasting or that they are harder to remove. This is particularly so because the film that is formed by the water-based system becomes more difficult to dissolve as time passes. I also found out that if they’re water based, they might be less likely to thicken and if they should thicken, then we should be using water to dilute the polish instead.

OPI is 3-free since 2008
Anyway, I read randomly from many sites that OPI is a 3-Free brand since 2008. How you can identify an OPI with the 3-Free formula is by the green lettering on the label. Bottles with black text have the old formula. So my new “The One That Got Away” under the Kate Perry OPI collection is completely 3-Free while my old “SOHO Nice To Meet You” is not. Well, I certainly didn’t know anything about this back in 2002/2003 when I was pregnant and then nursing. I just used whatever were in my stash and then, all my OPIs had the black lettering labels! And my boy is fine, thank you very much! (^-^)

Dior Rouge Dior Haute Couleur Lipstick

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Woah…what’s this? It’s an automatic vibration handheld massager that will work on its own intelligence to penetrate that anti-aging cream into your skin and stop when the cream is fully absorbed! Sounds like a neat idea? Well, I thought so when I was first introduced to this product by Beauty Finest. In fact, I cover girl trucheeks blush thought it’ll be a great tool for my eye area, which definitely needs extra help. So is it that neat? Read on to find out!

It’s intelligent
This auto vibration massager has a name – the Hermippe Wrinkle Care Massager and it is made in Korea. What is unique about this massager is that it is created with the latest ‘Emotional Technology’, which allows it to operate automatically when the massage head comes in contact with the skin surface. What it does is that it would adjust automatically to our skin conditions and the amount of skincare applied. Hence, a strong vibration is generated initially on contact with the skin cream or serum and as the ingredients are absorbed into the skin, the intensity of vibration gradually becomes weaker and will automatically cease when the applied cream is fully absorbed.

It’s handy and convenient to use
Measuring 10cm in length, it is handy and fits into my palm and so I can easily hold it in my hand to massage my serum or cream. The massage head is quite small as it measures about 1.5cm in diameter and so I use this to massage my eye cream into my eye area. It can also be used around the nose and mouth too but I don’t use it in those areas. What I do is to dab some eye cream around my eyes and then hold this massager with the head resting on my eye area. It will auto detect the eye cream and begin with strong vibrations. Interestingly, the vibration will gradually weaken as described and then stop once the cream is massaged in. I tested it on dry skin and there was cover girl trucheeks blush absolutely no vibration! Pretty clever I must say.

It’s time consuming
However, I find this gadget quite time consuming too. Obviously, massaging takes some time and what used to be a 1 minute application can now be extended to 5 minutes. So it can become a hassle on busy days. This is why I couldn’t use this every day but only at times when I have the luxury of time. It is also the reason why I only keep it to my eye area. In addition, because the eye area is so delicate, so I need to be careful to lift up the massager when moving around the area rather than dragging it along, as I initially did. I would recommend that you do this in front of a mirror the first time so that you know how the entire massage works.

It’s good for fine lines
I would concede that my eye area seems to look a tad better with the fine lines softening since I started using this, bearing in mind that I did not change my eye cream. So it might have helped in terms of the product penetration. But it did not get rid of the lines completely nor did it do anything for my deeper lines. I guess the results will vary with individuals plus as I’ve mentioned, I did not use this daily. Would I recommend buying this tool then?

It’s low maintenance
I was given the Hermippe Wrinkle Care Massager complimentary from Beauty Finest for review. The price is S$78 and that might be a tad pricey for some of us. But’s it’s basically low maintenance as it uses a 1.5v AAA alkaline battery and I’ve not found the need to change the battery even though I’ve used this product for over a month now. I might buy it out of fancy but the thing is, I’ve realized that this is not a tool for busy people with little time to spare. cover girl trucheeks blush For all we want to do is to slap on our oil, serum or cream, tap a little and be done with the entire beauty regime. So chances are, I will stop using this tool after the initial excitement wears off. But that’s just me.

It’s available internationally
For those interested to find out more about the product, check out the info at Beauty Finest’s website. International shipping is available. Do note that although the website shows a number of colors, only the silver one is available if you order from the company.

Cover girl trucheeks blush

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Recently, I wrote an entry on SLS-free foaming facial cleansers under $40 but the Sukin Foaming Facial Cleanser didn’t make it to that list at all. It’s strange that I left it out, considering I was raving about it so much in 2008 and I used about six to seven bottles of it then. So what happened? Well, the cleanser was doing a decent job for me but I simply got bored with the cleanser and in economic terms, you can call this the law of diminishing marginal utility.

Law of diminishing marginal utility explained:
Principle that suggests the consumer derives less benefit or satisfaction from each additional unit of product or service consumed or used.

In simple terms, I was getting less extra benefit or satisfaction from buying and using each bottle of Sukin Foaming Facial Cleanser – never mind it was actually doing a fine cleansing job for me. And in layman’s terms, we say we are bored, or sick, or satiated and can’t carry on using the same product anymore.

Promotions to offset DMU?
Actually, I think the diminishing marginal utility for this product set in much earlier because the last batch of that cleanser I bought was due to a promotion, where I got two at a special price. I probably would have abandon ship earlier had it not been for the promotion. I suppose the marketers factor in the law of diminishing marginal utilities and that’s why frequent promotions are necessary to entice customers back to buying their products.

New formulation or packaging to offset DMU?
Sometimes we wonder why a new packaging or formulation is required when a product is doing well. Well, perhaps it is due to this law of diminishing marginal utility. Companies cleverly change their packaging or tweak their formulation just so that consumers will think they are buying new products although in essence, probably very little has changed. In this manner, the demand will continue.

Products don’t work or is it DMU?
I was also thinking about how so many women have been griping that their products don’t work after awhile. We have examined that before and we sort of concluded that products may have reached their optimum performance level. However, I do wonder if it could also be due to the law of diminishing marginal utility.

Is DMU universal?
Anyway, I’ve been thinking hard if this law of DMU is universal. I do change products frequently but that’s also because I’m a beauty blogger and I need to try different products. Right now, the only product that I’ve kept on repurchasing is the Marie Veronique Organics Moisturizing Facescreen. I have used like maybe 5 bottles, including the old formulation and am still thinking of purchasing it. However, I wonder what would happen in the face of new products I intend to try. Will I eventually lose interest in this one too?

Has this happened to you?
Does the law of diminishing marginal utility apply to your purchasing choices? Do you change products simply because you got bored with it? Or have you stuck with a beauty product for ages and have not considered changing it. Tell me…I’m curious to know!

Liquid foundation Share: what’s your nail color for this X’mas?

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I brought a whole range of travel size hair and body products given complimentary by Copa Cabbana during my trip to Bangkok. I wasn’t so keen to use the toiletries provided by the hotel since they’re unlikely to be anything of natural formulation and I thought it would be a good time to test out some new products as well.

Free of parabens and sulfate
Those who are participating in the Viva Woman VivaBella Giveaway would have some ideas of their products if you’ve visited their website. Products from Copa Cabbana are handmade in small batches to retain the freshness and quality. They are also paraben and sulfate free plus they are also said not to be animal tested. The company sent me their Jet Set in lemongrass scent, which comprise a shampoo, a conditioner, a body lotion, a body wash and bath crystals in 60ml bottles.

Body care
Because of the numerious products reviewed, I shall not be listing the full ingredients but you can find some of them on the website. What I love about this range is the scent, especially from the shampoo and the body lotion. Even my bestie loves it. However, not all the products are filled with the scent even though they are all made of lemongrass – the scent was barely noticeable in the body wash for example. In terms of performance, I think they are fine and I would rate them as above average as they did what they promise. I can’t find a full size bottle for the body wash but the Lemongrass Body Lotion is available in a bigger size bottle of 120ml at HK$86 (~S$14) or 250ml at HK$120 (~S$19) and I think that’s something I might want to get later because the scent is simply uplifting! The bath crystals were also pretty uplifting in terms of the scent but I only could use it once as a leg soak for the crystals were insufficient for the big tub in the hotel!

Hair care
The shampoo smells great but it didn’t work well for my hair type as I don’t know if it was the shampoo or the conditioner that made my hair flatter than usual. They might work better for those with normal hair and need more conditioning than volume, as in my case. Full size bottles at 250ml are available at HK$110 for the shampoo and HK$105 for the conditioner – around S$17 or S$18. Also available are two other choices – one in their Copa Cabbana signature scent and the other in tea tree oil.
Entire Jet Set Series:

Best selling hand cream
On top of the Jet Set, I was also sent their best selling Cantaloupe Hand Cream rich in Vitamin C, E & F and the Body Lotion Fig Tree. I don’t find the body lotion exceptional probably because the fig tree scent did not appeal as much to me. The good thing though is that the body lotion feels comfortable on my skin and does not add greasiness. This is also true of the hand cream is nourishing for my hands and yet, it doesn’t leave any oily trace. My hands feel comfortable using this hand cream and I also like the idea of getting some natural sunscreen from the avocado butter. The hand cream has a rather sweet fruity scent and is very pleasant to my nose. Price is HK$110 (~S$1 for the 150ml tube. The Body Lotion Fig Tree in 250ml is HK$120 or around S$19.
Cantaloupe Hand Cream:

Body Lotion Fig Tree:

Overall summary
Performance wise, I think the range does a decent job although I would not rave that they are exceptional. However, I feel that body care products do need to make one feel good upon application and this I think the company did well because of the choices of scent used, especially that of lemongrass. So I would give them more credit on that feel good factor. Plus, their prices are quite affordable but of course, you need to consider the international shipping charges that will be incurred. If you’re in Hong Kong, you can enjoy free shipping for purchases over HK$780. For more information, check them out on their website.

About our ads Do you wash brand new makeup sponges?

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I bought a number of fashion items while in revlon colorstay overtime lipcolor Bangkok and my prized purchase has to be this tote bag that I picked at the Chatuchak weekend market. If you have followed me over at the Viva Woman Facebook Page, then you might have seen pictures of it I took at the store. My bestie bought the green one while I got the red one. The reason why I like it so much is because it’s so versatile as I can use this bag in four styles. The picture you see above is the big tote or beach tote style.

The bag can also be buttoned at both sides to create a neater looking square tote. Okay, maybe it’s not exactly square but don’t fault me on that. To me, it looks squarish enough.

I don’t know what to call this shape so have randomly called it a bucket tote. It’s quite a common shape, and it’s achieved with the inner clips on both sides. Okay, kind of nice, and still functional enough as my hand can reach into the bag easily. revlon colorstay overtime lipcolor

This shape is achieved by clipping too but the difference is that both sides are folded to the back. It’s one of the styles the I can do with the bag but I’m not liking this style for it looks a little odd to me. Plus, the opening is quite small to get my hand into the bag.

Yeah, the square tote is my favorite style of the four. It’s still roomy enough for my usual stuff and I can lug this casually or for work if I like. The bag is made from fabric but we were told that it is waterproof. Well, I don’t know as I’ve not tested it in the rain. revlon colorstay overtime lipcolor All I can say is that the workmanship is quite impressive. And more importantly, the bag was purchased at quite a bargain – around S$36 – but don’t ask me which store because I forgot to take note. I can only say it’s at the clothes and accessories section. :-p

Revlon colorstay overtime lipcolor

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Okay, I have a concern that is bugging me and I wonder if you ladies can help me out? You know those makeup sponges that come with the compact powder foundation? Do you wash them prior to using? Well, I never did. In fact, I have never given it a second thought and I just use them brand new, unwashed. And I will add that this has happened for many years. However, of late, I started thinking about this again because I’m now using these sponges quite frequently and I wonder if I should wash them prior to usage.

The thing is, I wash ALL my makeup brushes prior to using them even if they’re brand new. So why is it I never thought about washing makeup sponges before using them? The only explanation for me is that most of the sponges comes packed in a plastic wrapper and so my impression is, they’re clean. But are they really that clean? Why do I think they’re cleaner than the brushes? Afterall, nowhere does it say these sponges have been sterilized.

Actually, I started washing my brand new sponges prior to using them now. Even though I never had any problems using them unwashed, but it gives me peace of mind and it’s just a small effort. So what do you think ladies? Do you think I being paranoid? Or are you all already washing brand new makeup sponges and I’m the only late bloomer in this area? (>.<)

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