Showing posts with label Avene. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Avene. Show all posts

Tuesday, 12 March 2013

Decluttering 102

Some more things that I used up =P 





Lierac body scrub - it an okay scrub. I am not a huge fan of the scent. The scrub itself, like a lot of french pharmacy brands, is much more fine that other scrubs I have used. It is more like a true exfoliant I supposed. I got this from Winners, so this is not something that I can get on a regular basis. But I am partial about repurchasing this anyways.

Opalen - my acne treatment, 0.1% adapalene gel. It is essentially the same as Differin, just a different brand name. I used this or Differin in the night time to treat my acne. I do not know why I ever stopped using adapalene as my acne treatment of choice, but I will always have one on hand from now on. This is not something you can get over the counter (not in North America at least), it has been prescribed to me by my dermatologist.

Bioderma hydrabio moisturising concentrate - bought this on a rim while it was on sale. I have tried the toner form the hydrabio line so I am confident in this line that it will not irritate my skin. Turns out, I love this hydrating serum! Absorbs quickly and my skin feels moist and supple after using it. Definitely on my repurchase list for the future.

H2O+ night oasis oxygenating energizer serum - another hydrating serum, but one that I don't really fancy. I do not like the scent and do not think it did much to my skin.

Dior hydra life skin energeizer pro-youth hydrating serum - I used my optimum (shoppers drug mart reward program) points on this product and I do like how it feels when I use it. I don't think it is like absolutely amazing but it is definitely luxurious. I am just not sure if it is worth the price tag? Probably will not repurchase anytime soon.

Skinfood nail polish - just too old, I have to toss it away.

Avene spring water spray - I kept this in my purse for refreshing in the mid day. I think it's okay, not like now other people rave about it. And now that I love the Caudalie beauty elixir so much (but probably triple the price...-.-), I don't think I will repurcahse this anytime soon, plus, I can't bring this Avene spray on the plane with me because of its packaging.

Bonaza enzyme mask - I love this mask! If you are from Asia, you might have heard of this brand. It is a gel mask that clarifies, moistruizes and brightens your skin. The only down side is you have to apply it for 40 minutes so I only use this when I know I have time for a night time pamper. It is wonderful for an emergency treatment as well (when your skin is not in a good shape and you need something that will boost your skin in one night so you look 10 times better when you wake up). I will repurchase when I am back to Hong Kong next time.

Shiseido pureness gentle cleansing sheets - oil-free, alcohol-free, this product is truly gentle. I do not prefer cleansing sheets over my cleansing oil, but out of the few cleansing sheets I have tried, this one is the best in terms of how it made your skin feels.

Skindinavia makeup finishing spray (original) - it really keeps my makeup last longer so I now keep a bottle of this thing in my makeup stash at all times. Because Skindinavia is not readily available here in Canada, I purchased the Urban Decay one for now, and they are from the same maker as far as I know. I do not notice any difference between how the two performed either.








Wednesday, 1 August 2012

How many lip balms can one girl have?



I am sure we all feel the same - there can never be enough lip balms. Summer or Winter, Spring or Fall, lip balm is a must all year round. I don't know about you, but I rarely finish an entire lip balm because I always want to try new ones. So inevitably, a mini collection has formed......

(Left to right) 
Smith's Rosebud Salve 
Jurlique Love Balm 
Avene Cold Cream Lip Balm 
Lip Ice Strawberry Lip Balm SPF 15 
DHC Lip Cream 
Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm Lemon 
Elizabeth Arden Lip Protectant Stick SPF 15 
Vaseline Petroleum Jelly Rosy Lips 
La Roche-Posay Ceralip Lip Repair Cream 
Maybelline Baby Lips Anti-oxidant Berry (with SPF)
Evie Plumping Rose Lip Therapy (Day, with SPF) 



My handbag staple right now is the Elizabeth Arden lip protectant, which is essentially their ever so famous 8-hour cream in stick form plus SPF. This is a brilliant idea because it is so much more convenient than applying the 8-hour cream. I also love the DHC lip cream but it doesn't have SPF so it would be more suitable for Fall/Winter months. It is definitely on the top of my list because I actually have gone through one before (the rare one!!!) and this is my 2nd tube of it. However, it is not available here in Canada and I will need to stock up when I am back to Hong Kong. Another one that I can only get from Hong Kong is the Evie lip therapy. It smells absolutely amazing and is packed with essential oils: almond sweet oil, avocado oil, hazelnut oil, jojoba oil, just to name a few. By looking at the ingredients you already know how amazing this lip therapy is, not to mention it is organic. It leaves a slightly more oily/shiny finish than the other two mentioned above so I wouldn't recommend putting a lip stick on top, at least not immediately or you can blot some off before apply your lip colour. 

I keep some of these lip balms at my nightstand for the convenience of applying before I go to sleep. The one that I reach for the most (frankly the only one I reach for) is the La Roche-Posay Ceralip. I've always adore La Roche-Posay and I used to keep re-purchasing their hand cream (I still love it but I'm just too busy with trying new things now). This Ceralip comes with a set with the hand cream and at first I didn't love it. I thought it was too thick for my liking, but the truth is I haven't found a right use for it. Ever since I started to use it at night before I go to bed, I have completely fallen in LOVE with it. It is so nourishing yet non-greasy and for me, it is just perfect as a bedtime treatment. 

An obvious disappointment is the Avene cold cream lip blam. I enjoyed the Avene cold cream hand cream so I was expecting this to be just as good. Arghhhhh, I really just don't like it. The worst part is it leaves a white film on my lips and this is clearly not attractive. It also didn't do much for my lips so I am not even sure if I will enjoy using it as a night treatment. Overall, this product is C- for me. 


Stay tuned for Part 2, which will be my mini collection of tinted lip balms. =)