I've been surrounded by beauty products especially since I started my Japanese blog a few years ago. I've tried more than 200 products sent from PR companies, and of course I've bought many products myself too. But there are not so many products I have repurchased. Or that I'm sure I will repurchase. Today I'm going to talk about the products I really really love.
Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micelle Solution
I had a small travel-size bottle which I took about 6 months to use up. I wrote my thoughts about the product HERE before so I'm not going to ramble about it here but there is nothing like this product. It never burns my eyes or irritates my skin. I didn't like the smell at the beginning but now I'm completely used to it and don't notice any smell even. It's such a gentle makeup remover!
Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser
You can read my detailed review about this amazing cleanser HERE. When I used up the first bottle, I was so sad and decided to buy as many bottles as I can next time I would go to the U.K.. And I did. I bought two of the 200ml tubes with two of their toner and one jar of their cream. Also my sister in law gave me the tiny tube of the cleanser and recently she's sent me 100ml bottle as well. I don't know how and when I would be able to finish them all but now I feel secure. Their cleanser is not something I use every single day but I use it at least 2-3 times a week. It makes my skin feel so soft and smooth that nothing else does. I also love the herbal scent.
Pangea Organics Facial Mask
I wrote a full review of this product HERE last year, I apologise for the blurry photos. Apparently you cannot buy it from Vitacost anymore which sucks because it was much cheaper on Vitacost. Hopefully it will be back in stock someday soon. This face mask is just amazing. It doesn't have a pleasant scent but it does its job. This mask was the first one I'd felt a huge difference on my skin immediately. If you haven't tried it before, try it. Buy it. You won't regret.
It's a 10 Miracle Leave In Conditioner plus Keratin
This is what I'm going to repurchase once I've finished the current bottle. As I mentioned HERE before, this is such a great leave-in conditioner which makes my hair soft and silky. Although my hair is now much healthier as I chopped 20cm of it last month, still my hair tends to get tangled easily. I spray this leave-in conditioner focusing on the ends before blow-drying. It doesn't weigh down my hair at all but definitely makes them much more manageable and less frizzy. Also it smells heavenly.
Caudalie Divine Oil
This oil is just Divine as it claims. It's such a beautiful product that I don't want to live without. First of all it smells so good. I cannot describe how good it smells but it's one of the best smelling products I've ever used. Secondly it's such a light oil which doesn't make my skin greasy or oily at all, even in summer. It sinks into my skin quickly while leaving this heavenly scent like perfume. Now they've come out with the body scrub and tanning-lotion, and I'm dying to try them out. Let me know how they are if you've tried them!
It's kind of like a common sense now that Argan oil is very good for your skin. Some people say it doesn't sink in enough to protect your skin from sun and free-radical damage but it's said it has antioxidant effect. I sometimes use pure Argan oil on my face as a mask after cleansing, just to moisturise and hydrate my skin. I use nail oil which contains Argan oil too and it works like a miracle. But one thing I hadn't tried yet was to use it on my hair. Until I received these amazing products from the brand called "Silk".
Silk is an Australian beauty brand. They have some different range of haircare products and the ones I've tried are called Repair series. They contain Keratrix to prevent split-ends and
breakage, Argan and Macadamia oils to nourish hair and free from sulfate.
The result is just amazing. It makes my hair feel like silk just like the brand's name, without weighing it down. It gives volume in my hair which never happened by the use of shampoo and conditioner only. I mean to give volume in my hair, spray or wax powder is required usually, but with this shampoo and conditioner, I don't even need anything else. And it makes my hair tangle-free which is another great thing those products have brought! The only downside to me is the scent. It smells like melon but not strong enough to leave the scent in my hair. I wish it was a bit stronger :(
I apply this Argan oil after blow-drying my hair to add extra shine. Apparently it's not a pure oil but it works really well. You can use it on your body, face and hair but I only use it in my hair just because the scent is pretty strong. It smells like muscats which is so nice. It's a fruity, fresh and clean scent! I love this scent so much but just don't feel like applying it on my face.
Anyway the combination of their shampoo, conditioner and this oil makes my hair so silky, soft, smooth and shiny....everything you expect from a very good haircare product. The shampoo and conditioner are about 3600yen each which is pretty pricey but worth it for sure. You can check out their products on their website HERE.
Moroccanoil Light Oil Treatment for Fine and Light-Coloured Hair
The products from the brand Moroccanoil were the ones I had been dying to try out but couldn't because of the price. Their products are quite pricey and I wasn't keen on spending that much money on something I wasn't even sure if I would like. So the opportunity to try out one of their products came, I was very excited and thought it was a good chance to know if I would like their products or not.
The product I tried is this small sample of Moroccanoil Light Oil Treatment which is targeting fine hair like mine. It's perfect because I heard some people saying that the original was too heavy.
Apparently this product has "the ability to restore
over-processed hair damaged by environmental factors and chemical
procedures" which sounds very familiar to me. I colour my hair every 3 months, and I perm once or twice a year. My hair is dry and damaged, and in need of a really good hair treatment.
The formula looks like this. Some people seem to be a bit confused but basically this oil is full of silicone and a little bit of argan oil. Argan oil itself is a naturally-derived oil but it's mixed with other ingredients like silicone, artificial perfume and colouring. So if you are looking for a natural hair oil, this one is not for you. If you are looking for a nice scented hair oil which makes your hair silky and smooth instantly, you will love it!
It smells like a mixture of floral perfume and vanilla. It reminds me of Divine Oil from Caudalie, the scents are not identical but they have this similar musky yet feminine scent to it. It smells amazing and I love how subtle it is when I put it on my hair. It's not overpowering at all.
As a little bit goes a long way, I think this tiny bottle would last for months and months. I still have the hair oil from Macadamia but I prefer this one just because I like this scent better. I no longer use Macadamia one as it's more like a winter-scent to me.
Oh sorry I was rambling about the scent and forgot to mentioned how it makes my hair smooth. It gives this shinning effect on my damaged hair without weighing it down. It doesn't make my hair feel softer particularly but definitely makes it shinier. Also it shorten time to blow dry when you apply it on your wet hair as oil absorbs water or something like that...
I'm now interested in trying out some of their products as I liked this hair oil so much. Have you tried anything from the brand? What's your favoruite?
Alterna Bamboo Translucent Dry Shampoo $14.70
I hadn't been using dry shampoo at all as I was washing my hair every single day which is normal in Japan. And I was told that I needed to blow dry my hair every time I wash my hair otherwise my scalp would get itchy and releases unpleasant smell. Yuck. Of course it encouraged damage on my hair and I wanted to change the habit.
I asked my hairdresser whom I totally respect and have known for more than 10 years that if I should stop washing my hair every single day. He said "You don't necessarily have to wash your hair every day, you can wash it every other day. But your hair could get greasy after 2 days especially in summer time in Japan it's pretty humid and that would make your scalp gets greasier". So I decided not to wash my hair when I'm off from work and do not meet anybody.
I really wanted to try Batiste Dry Shampoo but they didn't ship to Japan unfortunately and I decided to purchase this Alterna Bamboo Dry Shampoo from Vitacost.com as dry shampoo is not sold in Japan.
Alterna recently welcomed Katie Holms as a brand spokesperson and business associate. They don't use harsh ingredients in their products and mainly use naturally-derived ingredients.
This dry shampoo doesn't contain Talc, Sulfates, Parabens, Gluten, Phthalates, Sodium Chloride, Synthetic Color, DEA, TEA, Paraffin, Mineral Oil, Petrolatum and PABA.
I love this dry shampoo because it really is translucent and doesn't leave the white residue on my hair. You might be able to find a bit of the powder in your hair if you look into it carefully, but nobody would do that so don't worry! It does freshen my scalp and hair with a very fresh scent of watermelon or cucumber.
And it's so true that people say dry shampoos give volume in your hair!! I was impressed that it gave me such beautiful volume and it made my hair so easy to manage. What's your favourite dry shampoo?
Not Your Mother's
Knotty To Nice Conditioning Detangler $5.99
I know I talked about a similar product which was "It's a 10 Miracle Leave-In Conditioner with Keratin" HERE, but I actually purchased this product at the same time as I purchased the one from It's a 10. At that point my hair was super damaged because of a weird hair treatment I had at my hair salon before going to London, then my hair was exposed in cold dry air for 2 weeks there, and it was completely dried out and damaged when I came back to Japan. So I was desperate to find a perfect hair treatment as you can imagine.
I heard some American YouTubers raving about this particular product and I thought I wanted to try. It's not a pricey product but you can get 15% off on Vitacost which makes it even cheaper. This hair treatment has keratin which repairs your hair. I use it on my wet hair and blow dry as usual.
You can see the difference in this photo, can't you? On the left hand side is my hair without this product and the right is my hair with this product. It looks more shiny and smooth. The one from It's a 10 is more effective but this one does a good job especially considering the price.
But the only downside of this product is the smell. It smells like a bathroom deodorant or something, which I mean is a very artificial and cheap smell. I really don't like it and I was very disappointed when I found that out because I liked the scent of their Salt Spray! It's a 10 Miracle Leave-In Conditioner smells 10 times better and works slightly more effectively so I don't think I would repurchase this product.
Have you used anything from Not Your Mother's?
It's a 10 Miracle Leave In Conditioner plus Keratin $20.99
I think it was about 6 months ago when I found out that everyone was raving about the leave-in conditioner from this brand It's a 10. Although the one which seems to be the most popular one comes with a pink lid, I ordered this one with an orange lid from Vitacost because they didn't have the pink one.
This spray works as a heat protectant as well as a deep conditioning treatment. It has keratin which smooths hair, eliminates frizz and restores shine. Apparently this leave-in conditioner makes your hair soft and bouncy.
I dried my hair without this conditioner which is shown left. (It's wavy because I have been having my hair permed for more than 10 years, not because it's damaged...) You can see how frizzy the ends are and it obviously looks really dry. On the other hand, my hair looks much smoother and more hydrated in right with this conditioner on.
It really does make my hair soft and bouncy as it claims and I'm totally in love with this product. I don't even want to dry my hair without it! Another thing I love about it is the scent. It has this floral yet fruity, sophisticated scent. It doesn't smell like a cheap drugstore product (though I love drugstore products most of the time) and it smells a bit more like a high-end product if that makes sense. I don't have enough vocabulary to describe the scent but it smells gorgeous.
It's not the cheapest leave-in conditioner in the world but definitely the most effective that I've ever tried. I'll repurchase it again when it's ran out. Have you tried anything from It's a 10?
Today's post is going to be all about "How I'm preparing my skin and hair for summer". I feel like we skipped spring this year because it was kind of chilly in April and then suddenly it got pretty hot and humid. I started wearing sunglasses lately after having my eyes sunburned. I started wearing my favourite shoes I only wear in summer. I definitely feel like summer is just around the corner!
Not Your Mother's Texturizing Sea Salt Spray
This is my essential to create the beachy loose waves. I spray it on my hair when it's still wet and dry it with hairdryer like I always do. It definitely gives texture on my hair without making it crunchy. It does dry my hair a little bit so I usually try to put some leave-in conditioner or hair oil at the end. I'm thinking that I might try not to use hairdryer in the summer and instead I put my hair in a bun after spraying it and leave it dry for stronger waves. I love the scent of coconut which isn't overpowering at all. Love love love this product!
Parasola Sunscreen Spray
I picked it up in a drugstore just because it looked pretty. I was looking for a sunscreen spray because it's easy and none-greasy, but they all looked so boring except this one. It can be used on your face, body and hair -literally from head to toe- and also it smells nice. It doesn't have the sunscreen smell and instead smells floral like a perfume without being overpowering. Once you start using a sunscreen spray, you cannot go back using a sunscreen lotion. It's super easy to use, you can reach your back easily and it doesn't feel sticky on your skin even in hot weather!
Nourish Golden Glow Toning Soufflé
I received this product in winter. Although I was very impressed with the product I couldn't use it because obviously my skin wasn't showing much at all. It's got light golden particles
which evens skin tone while giving it a sun-kissed glow. It smells so good of frankincense and myrrh which I love.
Just as the name "Soufflé" indicates, it has got this light moussey texture which is very unique. It's not sticky or greasy on my skin at all but it does feel hydrating.
I hope you can see the golden shimmer in this photo. It's absolutely gorgeous, isn't it? It never makes you look like you're wearing obvious glitters all over your body. I am so looking forward to wearing it on my arms and decollete in the summer!
Weleda Deodorant Spray Small Citrus
You don't necessarily have to use it on your armpits just because it's called "deodorant spray". This refreshing citrus-scented spray can be used all over your body! It smells citrussy and herbal which is perfect for summer! It contains alcohol which feels chilly and refreshing on your skin.
Vera Wang Princess foamy body polish
Because it's super humid in summer in Tokyo, walking outside for 3 minutes would make me sweat a lot although I don't sweat too much generally. But I don't have to worry when the all parts of my body smell good, and to make it happen, using the good-smelling body wash is the easiest way! It smells AMAZING and leaves my skin smooth. It smells a bit lighter and fresher than the actual perfume which is ideal in hot weather!
Devita Solar Protective Moisturizer
This SPF30 moisturiser is perfect underneath makeup. It doesn't leave my skin greasy or sticky at all as it sinks in quickly. Another good thing is that it doesn't contain paraben and is 100% vegan, no wonder why it's so popular on Vitacost!
Etvos Mineral UV Powder SPF40
Etvos
is a Japanese beauty brand specialised in making "mineral" makeup
products. This mineral UV powder is very handy as it has a mirror on top
and you don't have to carry your brush or puff around as it's got this puff
on top of the lid inside. It's so easy to reapply sunblock on top of makeup with this product. It's kind of impossible to reapply normal sunscreen lotion on top of makeup during the day but with this product, you don't have to worry about melting your makeup with sunscreen. It's such a smart idea isn't it!
So these are my summer essential products! What are yours?
In April I've used up quite a few products. Or maybe since I started writing monthly empties posts I've been encouraged to finish up products rather than keep them all in my tiny apartment. It feels satisfying somehow to finish up beauty products and judge whether it was a good product or not.
Redken Scalp Relief Dandruff Control Shampoo (REVIEW)
This was my 2nd bottle and I'm so sad it's finished. I don't have dandruff but I have a really sensitive scalp which gets irritated quite easily by using shampoo which my scalp doesn't like. At worst it gets itchy that keeps me awake all night so I am very picky when it comes to choosing the right shampoo. And this shampoo from Redken is the best so far. It lathers well, it makes my hair and scalp very clean but doesn't make them dry. It contains glycerine which moisturises the scalp. It has a very subtle herbal scent which is pretty nice and I really enjoyed using it. I would love to repurchase again but as YEN is much weaker now I'm trying not to shop much on feelunique and lookfantastic lately...so when YEN gets stronger I'll definitely buy a new bottle.
The Body Shop Rainforest Shine Shampoo and Conditioner
Apparently this shampoo is a best-seller on The Body Shop UK website, but I absolutely hated this series. Before they changed the whole haircare series, they had shampoo and conditioner with honey and I loved the scent of them. So one day I went to the shop and asked for it then they said it was discontinued and instead they had new haircare series, and they recommended this one because it smells similar to the honey one I loved. But in my opinion it doesn't smell the same and the scent doesn't even stay on your hair. Also it's pretty drying and makes my hair frizzy and basically it doesn't do anything to my hair. I just don't like it and I'm not going to repurchase, ever.
LebeL Trie 5 Hairspray
I think I bought this about a year ago after my hairdresser used it on my hair at the hair salon. It smells like green apples which is brilliant but it doesn't do much on my hair. I don't think I'm going to repurchase it but I might have a look at a bit stronger hairspray from the same brand because it smells so good.
Terracuore Jasmine and Honey Body Scrub
Terracuore is a Japanese organic beauty brand which has fields in Italy to grow the herbs which are included in their products. Terracuore is my favourite Japanese beauty brand and their products are very good. Although they are pricey and I can't buy them often. This product was given to me by them when I had a business meeting with them but actually it's 5250yen which is about 35 pound / $52. It's ridiculously pricey but it's VERY good. It contains Jasmine essential oil which are derived from more than 13800 jasmine flowers. I was expecting a strong jasmine scent but it's much softer and sweeter, and surprisingly NOT overpowering. This creamy body scrub contains crushed apricot seeds which exfoliate your skin gently, and believe me it does make my skin so so so soft. And it leaves the pleasant scent on my skin. What more do you want? Another great product from Terracuore I've tried.
Jurlique Rose Moisture Plus Moisturising Cleanser
This was sent from my lovely fellow blogger Mel from The Beauty Dispensary a few months ago. Since the day I received it I had been using this cleanser every single morning. It's such a gentle cleanser with pleasant rose scent. I think I should have used it in the summer time because foaming cleanser tends to strip natural oils on your face and obviously in summer your skin produces more oils than in winter. I really enjoyed using this cleanser, and also I loved the chic packaging so much. Thanks Mel!
Pangea Organics Facial Mask (REVIEW)
The best face mask I have ever used. I literally cannot live without it. Whenever I feel my skin is dry or dull, I use this face mask at night. Immediately I feel the difference on my skin and the next morning my skin feels glowing again. It smells a little bit weird but now I'm used it and I'm more into the result it makes on my skin. I cannot explain how and why it works so well, but trust me, it really does work. I introduced this face mask to my readers on my Japanese blog, and some of them actually tried and they all loved it. If you haven't tried it yet, you definitely should. It's amazing and of course I repurchased it again.
Jason Apricot Scrubble
(REVIEW)
I loved this scrub! It's such a gentle face scrub you can use every day. I only used it 2-3 times a week but it was enough to make a huge difference on my skin. It makes my skin so silky and soft with such a fresh and sweet apricot scent. You would be very surprised to feel your skin after you've used this product, it's such an amazing face scrub. I love it but I'm not going to repurchase now because I have some other ones to use up. I strongly recommend this product if you're looking for a gentle face scrub.
Bourjois healthy mix serum (REVIEW)
I decided to bin it although there's a bit left in the bottle because it's getting old. I used up like 80-90% of it and I liked it very much. Mine is shade 52 Vanilla and it's slightly darker but matches my skin tone OK. It doesn't feel heavy on my skin and I really liked it. I've got the new version of Healthy Mix Foundation and I'm totally in love with it. The review will be coming soon!
BIODERMA Sensibio H2O (REVIEW)
I don't need to explain what it is because you all know what it is. I loved it, although I didn't like the weird smell at the beginning. It takes everything off without being harsh on my skin. It didn't irritate my eye areas which is great, and I'm dying to repurchase but for now I'm not going to just because it's expensive here. I will buy tons when I go to Paris. Someday...
Weleda Wild Rose Day Cream (REVIEW)
This product was sent by my another lovely fellow blogger Zanka from Zanka Talks Cosmetics. As the name is not in English, I don't know what exactly it says but I assume it's a day time moisturiser. I was using it in the morning before putting makeup on anyway, and it worked really well. It smells amazing, of natural wild rose which was pretty soothing in a busy morning. Thanks Zanka so much!
PAUCE Cleansing Butter
I LOVED this cleanser so much! It's got this buttery texture and it melts on your skin turning into an oil consistency. It removes all my makeup including eyeliners and mascara. I didn't even need my BIODERMA to remove my eye makeup because it took off literally everything. And it left an oily feeling on my skin even after rinsing it for more than a minute, and this oily feeling turned into a whole new moisturising feeling after I dried my face. It's such a good cleanser to take makeup off and I'd love to repurchase if it wasn't this pricey. What a shame.
Skin Repair Moisturiser™ Normal/combination
Another product I loved so much. Although I have dry / sensitive skin, this one worked really well during winter. I couldn't stand the smell at the beginning but I think it faded after a few weeks since I opened the jar because at some point I wasn't bothered by the smell anymore. Now I'm using a new
jar and it stinks and I realised that it wasn't me getting used to the smell, it was the smell faded by time. Other than that it's such a nice cream which really is effective. I'll keep repurchasing their products until I find a better brand which I doubt :)
Phew, it has become such a looooong post, you must be bored. Thanks for reading!
Big Sexy Hair FIRM VOLUMIZING HAIRSPRAY
I always wanted a hairspray which gives volume on my hair without making it crunchy. But I didn't have a good experience with the ones I'd tried. Either they made my hair crunchy or did nothing. So I wasn't expecting too much from this product. But believe me, this is the best hairspray to give soft and natural looking volume.
I spray it after I've dried my hair completely (as I wash my hair every morning). I lift the top of my hair and spray underneath, and then instantly my hair looks so much better. It lifts my hair and holds it all day. When I spray it too close to my hair then it makes it a little bit crunchy but when I spray it from 20-25cm distance, it gives perfect volume to my whole hair. And of course I touch my hair and the wind messes it up sometimes during the day, but still it holds the style I created in the morning somehow.
I have no idea how it makes this miracle happen but one thing I can assure you is that I cannot live without this hairspray!! I can run my fingers into my hair, or shake my hair if I want to, without worrying about ruining my hairstyle. The volume you get in the morning by this hair spray won't go away.
Have you tried anything from this brand Sexy Hair? Apparently they have many other products for different style like Short Sexy Hair or Healthy Sexy Hair. Let me know if you have tried them!
Pure & Basic Anti-Dandruff Natural Shampoo $5.09
Although I love Redken Scalp Relief Dandruff Shampoo, I cannot spend 10 pound every 3 months on my shampoo. Well, usually I can but not now especially considering the fact I spent so much in London in March, and I continued shopping in Japan through April. So I decided to purchase this one instead as it's much cheaper.
Before moving on to the product review, let me make it clear. I don't have dandruff. But then you might be wondering why I got shampoo to prevent dandruff. The reason is that I've got really sensitive scalp and it was kind of out of control. Anything I used on my hair, it irritated my scalp so bad and it started hurting as I scratched it so much. Then I found the one from Redken, which really relieved my scalp. I found that those kind of shampoo has glycerine in it and that could be the ingredient which has been calming my scalp down. Anyway, if you are suffering from itching or sensitive scalp, you might as well try Scalp Relief Shampoo from Redken. It really worked.
Moving on. This shampoo is from this American brand called Pure & Basic. According to Vitacost, this product is "A unique botanical blend of Rosemary Extract, Tea Tree Oil, and Canadian
Willow Herb rids hair of pesky flakes while stimulating and
moisturizing your scalp to help relieve itching. Leaves hair soft,
manageable and flake free". Interesting.
The texture is a thick gel which I found a bit hard to lather up unless you add some warm water while washing. As long as you have wet your scalp enough, and keep adding warm water on your palms while lathering it up, you won't have any difficulties. It lathers really well and it relaxes me with the scent of essential oils. It smells herbal and fresh.
It leaves my hair squeaky clean but once I apply conditioner or hair treatment on, it becomes soft and silky again. They have conditioner as well but I decided to use mine as I have like 3 bottles of conditioner here. It doesn't itch my scalp at all which is great and I like how it cleans my scalp and hair.
I like Redken one better but this one does a very good job too! If you are looking for shampoo which is gentle for your scalp but cleans it really well, you should give it a try!
Aussie Miracle Shine 3 Minute Miracle £4.99
I have talked about Aussie before (HERE) when I tried their products for the first time. I really liked their Colour Deep Treatment because it lifted the roots of my hair up, which gave my hair volume without a styling spray. I really enjoyed the product besides the peachy scent it had -it smelled a bit too artificial and childish if that makes sense. Because I loved how it made my hair so shiny and voluminous, I was going to pick up tons of 3 Minutes Miracle in England. I ended up getting only 3 bottles as my suitcases were packed, but at least it'll last about 10 months hopefully.
So, I decided to pick up two bottles of this Miracle Shine hair treatment as it smelled much better than the other ones. It smells perfumy and feminine. It's got this unique floral scent with the fruity scent which is kind of like strawberries. And also another reason why I picked this one up was because it was new. I believe it was out in February which doesn't sound new but what I mean is that it was the newest series!
It has the same texture as Colour Deep Treatment, but as I mentioned earlier, it smells much better in my opinion. And also the difference I personally felt was that it's a bit heavier than Colour Deep Treatment on my hair, not that it weights down my hair but it feels more moisturizing. As my hair is damaged and super dry, I cannot tell you that I noticed a big difference in terms of shine but so far so good.
I guess it might work better when I pair it with the shampoo from the same range but as I like Redken shampoo, I didn't get any shampoo from Aussie this time. Do you use their shampoo? Do you like it? Or would you rather pair it with your own shampoo? Let me know! :)
Although I was away for 2 weeks, I used up quite a few products during the month of March. Some of the products are talked about here in the past, some of them aren't, but anyway I'm going to get started!
Giovanni Smooth As Silk Deep Moisture Shampoo
Giovanni Smooth As Silk Deeper Moisture Conditioner
These are the samples which came with a book which was sent to my company. I wasn't interested in Giovanni though I have heard of many good reviews, but decided to give it a try. Although they're supposed to be "Deep(er) Moisture", they didn't feel like moisturizing at all. Maybe just because my hair was too dry and fine, but they tangled my hair and didn't give shine to it. The scent was OK but wasn't strong enough to stay on my hair which was disappointing. I didn't understand why people are raving about them, but please let me know if you know any other series of Giovanni which might be suitable for my dry, damaged and fine hair!
Leivy Double Moisturising Body Shampoo ( full review)
I loved this shower gel so much that I used it every day. At first I thought the scent was too old-fashioned as it reminded me of my grandma's makeup table. But once I was used to it, I was in love with it. Especially the scent left on my skin after having a shower was amazing. It smells fresh and clean yet powdery and feminine. Also it's pretty moisturizing which is perfect for winter. I got it as a PR sample and thought of purchasing it but I don't think I would any time soon just because I've got many other shower gels waiting to be opened.
Foot Scrub
I don't even remember the brand of this foot scrub but I'm sure I got it as a PR sample as well. I didn't like it at all as the texture was just weird. I can't be bothered to describe how weird it was because it was such a terrible product which is not worth talking about. I don't mean to be rude but it didn't do anything to my feet and didn't smell nice either. What's the point of using a body scrub which doesn't work?
Balance me Radiance Face Oil
The best face oil ever. Full stop. I got this sample when I purchased their body cream and eye cream on lookfantastic.com. It's such a light oil which sinks into the skin really quickly without making my whole face greasy. It's very moisturizing and makes my skin soft and smooth. Obviously I don't recommend using it in the morning before putting makeup on but it's a perfect oil to use at night. When my skin felt dry, I put one pump of the oil on my palm and gently patted on my skin and I could see the difference the next morning. Another good point of this product is that it doesn't have a weird smell. The actual product is 30pound for 30ml which isn't the cheapest in the world but I don't think it's overpriced as a little goes a long way. The bottle could last almost a year (only if it allows you to)! Now they have a special offer on lookfantastic.com where I put the link above, check it out!
"Balance Me Radiance Face Oil is a light, absorbent 100% natural radiance
enhancer with powerful Amazonian buriti nut oil. Combats congested
skin with conditioning moringa and camellia oils that work with calming
Roman chamomile, yarrow and benzoin to enhance the radiance of skin of
all ages and types. The perfect skin pick me up, this highly
concentrated formula has a delicious orange blossom aroma, skin is left
calmed and balanced."
Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic
I loved this toner so much! I kept this small bottle for special occasions as it was kind of like my secret weapon! Whenever I felt my skin was dehydrated I put about a tea spoon of this toner on my organic cotton wool pad from The Body Shop and wiped my skin gently. Once I wipe the whole face, I place the cotton pad on the dry areas and gently push the cotton pad so that the toner seeps through it and skins into my skin. I usually keep doing it for more than 5 minutes, I found it soothing even! That's my quick cure of dry skin!
Rosa Centifolia Cleansing Gel (from the travel kit for normal skin)
I bought the travel kit for normal skin on lookfantastic.com about 6 months ago. I decided to take this cleansing gel with me to London. I mainly used it in the morning as I didn't expect it to remove my makeup. Overall it's an OK product but I don't think I would purchase the full-size bottle. It's got a runny, loose gel texture which I'm not a big fan of. The rosy scent isn't too bad as it's not overpowering at all and I found it quite soothing but that was the only thing about this product which impressed me.
SUSY N.Y. Nail Volume Gloss
This is my 2nd bottle of this product. I'm totally in love with this top coat as it gives a shiny and glossy finish to my nails! I remember it's about 1,000yen which isn't too bad considering the fact it lasts at least 3-4 months. It gets gloopy after a few months so I need to add some thinner liquid. I've used top coats from many different brands from OPI to Seche but this one is the best so far. I'm going to repurchase for sure!
THREE Glam Touch Lip Gloss in Summer Sounds
THREE is a Japanese skincare / makeup brand. I love the concept and their chic and sophisticated packaging designs, as well as the products themselves. This colour is called Summer Sounds which was one of the limited colours which was sold in the summer 2012 (or 2011, not sure). It's a perfect pink beige which brightens up the whole face. It's shimmers in it which reflect lights beautifully. I loved the plastic applicator which was much easier to apply on my lips than a sponge applicator. The formula is in a perfect consistency, not too greasy yet moisturizing. I dropped by the duty-free shop at Narita airport hoping to purchase another colour the other day, but unfortunately none of the colours they have now could beat this colour. This was the best lip gloss I'd ever used.
Lancôme Virtuôse Divine Lasting Curves & Length Mascara
I loved this mascara so much and was wearing it every single day until I got Loreal Volume Million Lashes Mascara. It separates my lashes as well as creating voluminous lashes. And it's so easy to remove just with warm water without a trace although it doesn't smudge at all during the day. It's a very good mascara which I would love to repurchase...only if I was richer!
Sorry this post became pretty long and boring, I should learn how to write simpler and shorter reviews! Let me know if you've used any of those products I mentioned here!
