Murad Essential- C skin care line

I've actually started to use this range after I read such a good review about this line on Youtube from a Youtuber named VioletArtistry. She mentioned about how Murad skincare line has helped her with her acne and so on and so forth.

So, I decided to try the range. I bought these product at Singapore cause these line are not easily available in Malaysia. I managed to try the whole products from this range and cause currently I didn't use any of these products anymore, I don't have the pictures of  the content from the actual product. Sorry about that.

Basically these line is for people who are concern with uneven skin tone, wants a brighter skin and to help with those pigmentation and age spots. The main active ingredients in the skin care line is vitamin C but it also packed with other anti-oxidants such as vitamin A and E.

Do I like these line? As I mentioned before, I no longer used this line. I found that its quite expensive, not easily available, and the only products that I like from these range is the Essential-C moisturizer and the Active Radiance Serum and the rest are to me just okay. When I first used this, I like it a lot. It doesn't cause any breakout and it does make my overall skin brighter but I found that after a prolong used (>3 months), my skin just doesn't respond to it anymore. Maybe because it so used to the level of vitamin C and that's when I decided that I wanted to try something else. I found that the Active Radiance serum is actually good quite when used with the Essential-C moisturizer. When I started these duo together that I think it has given me the best effect. The serum is absorb quite easily and non-oily as well.

The Murad Essential-C cleanser is to me quite average. It has a gel texture and has like orange-y colour scrub particles that sort of melt when you start washing your face. It cleanse well and doesn't dry my skin out but not a must in this range.

The Murad Essential- C toner is the one that I hate the most. Simply because it make a different but not a good one. Maybe because the toner is too moisturizing and hydrating that its just too much for my skin. I think for those of you who has oily/combination skin, you might want to skip this like totally. I actually gave it to my mum who has dry skin and she also think that its too hydrating. This actually make my skin oilier and cause breakout which is weird  because once I stopped this and resume with the rest of the products, I don't get breakout any more. The only thing that I like about this is that it come in a spray but that's it.haha

The Murad Essential-C moisturizer is quite good I think. It has spf 30 and its lightweight and it absorb well onto skin without leaving any oiliness which I like and I think its the star product from this line. 

I've also tried a sample size of Essential- C Daily Renewal Complex which to me is packed with silicone and actually didn't quite like it cause its just sit on my face and feel 'heavy'. The other products such as the sunscreen,  AHA/BHA exfoliating cleanser and the eye cream are just okay to me. 

All in all I think these line is actually quite good for people who wants a brighter looking skin because that's what exactly the result I get from these line but as I said after been using these for a while it just not as effective to me but I think this line is best for prevention. Not sure how this product worked for pigmentation issue because I don't have a lot of pigmentation but I just wish to have a brighter skin

For those of you who are interested to find out more about the rest of Murad skincare line and pricing, check out their Malaysia website at www.murad.com.my/

Body Care

Today I just wanna make a simple post about body care. I don't have complicated body care and like the face, I do all the important steps , cleansing, exfoliating and moisturizing. I love to go to spa and get my self pampered with a good massage, scrub and milk bath but my last few spa visits were terrible and I just decided that rather than spend a lot of money at the spa, I just have to be more discipline with my body care routine.

I'm not too crazy about body wash but I can't use regular soap because it dries my skin out like crazy. I used liquid or gel body foam usually. Recently I started using a body wash from The Body Shop called the Shea Shower Cream and I quite like it. It doesn't foam very well but it leave my skin feeling moisturized and smell quite nice too.

Actually I'm a big fan of body scrubbing. I love and love scrub. I scrub almost everyday and I've a few scrubs to choose from. My favourite non-expensive scrub is from Putri Binari Susu Beras scrub because the scrub is not too harsh for my skin and quite moisturizing too. The consistency of the scrub is not too grainy and some people may not enjoy it but I think its just enough to exfoliate the outer layer of the skin and the milky flowery smell of the scrub is quite nice too. You can get this easily at any store and cost about RM13 I think.

My other favourite scrub is from Body Shop as well called the Cocoa Butter body scrub. Its a little a bit more expensive but its actually nicer than the scrub from Putri Binari. The grainy scrub is actually much more coarser and when you start rubbing it on your skin, it doesn't disappear and it leave your skin smell so nice with the sweetness of the cocoa butter. Yummylicious!

The other scrub from Body Shop that I owned is from the Spa Wisdom Range, from Ximenia salt. The Body Shop SA persuade me to buy this as they said it will help to brighten my skin especially the folded skin area. I actually not a big fan of this scrub because its too 'soft' for my skin. Once I rubbed this on my skin, the scrub seemed to melt away and despite it make my skin soft, I don't feel that it exfoliate enough. If you are use to quite grainy scrub, this is probably not for you (and me!). I'm not sure about the brightening effect, maybe because I'm using a few different scrub at the same time but I would probably would not be buying this one again. Not to mention the glass container and it just so much hassle to open it. I just hope that it doesn't broke before I finish it ;)

The cheapest but quite as good scrub is from Bunga Tanjung. The good thing about it is that its so dirt cheap but I didn't quite like it because the smell of the scrub is not too nice. Like some thick bittery 'jamu'. Everytime I used this my husband will definitely notice it and the smell linger in the bathroom and on my skin too. Sometimes I mixed the scrub powder with  a little bit of milk and honey to 'dampen' the smell but not too much success.haha!

Okay, this the last product that is probably the most cheapest of all the other exfoliant that I've just mentioned. In my previous post, I mentioned about physical exfoliation and I've been using this 'special' brush especially on the thick skin areas such as the knee, foot and elbow. When I was a little girl, my father love to brush our foot with a wooden brush that my mum also used to wash our clothes. And somehow I quite enjoy it.hehe. I've tried to use that wooden brush again but the quality of the brush is too bad and the bristle fell off like instantly. And since then I've been searching for many other body brush/sponge/loofah and the list goes on but nothing beat this brush. Its a 'kiwi' brush, the one you used to 'kiwi' your shoes. I bought this for like RM 4+ and its the best. The bristle is so dense and its not too harsh and trust me it will get rid every single layer of your dead skin cells and it lasts a long time too!

I'm not too fussy about body moisturizers as I tend to buy cheap moisturizers. I use body moisturizers quite often and layer it thick. I usually just buy any of the Nivea body cream which is quite moisturizing but doesn't leave my skin feeling sticky and oily. I also have the one from Body Shop which I just use it on my hands at night because its too sticky and every time I put it on my body at night, I struggle to sleep cause its just uncomfortable but I think people with very dry to mature skin will love this. 

That's all about my care. Do you have any favourite body care products?

New Life

I feels really bad for not putting up any update in this blog. Seems like forever since I last post on this blog. I even forgot the password. *sigh*

So many things had happened since I my last entry. Many seems has long fade my memories. This entry mainly to simplify many of those sweet and bitter moment.

I made a major change in my career. There was definitely a moment where I clearly said to myself that this is the end of it but in my heart I truly love this job and now I am a working mum again. I recently moved to Singapore with the whole clans but only managed to stay for almost 3 months due to the expensive cost of living. We decided to move back to JB where I drove back and forth from JB to Singapore everyday *another sigh* but we are much better off in JB. Sometimes I lost count of how many times we actually moving houses. As my husband said, we are the 'nomad'..hehe


I guess its never easy to get back on your job after a long break. Both mentally and physically challenging to me. I guess the hardest things I had to do as a full-time housewife was planning my weekly meals menu but now everyday there are always new things to learn, novice skills to acquire and the lists goes on. I am thankful that I have the husband that has been very supportive and understanding and remains calms and collected during our greatest predicament. Always my greatest strength and source of comfort


We actually just went back from a one-week holiday. I used my annual leave last week and we both had a great time at Pangkor Island Beach Resort and then Taiping and lastly Cameroon Highlands. Wish my holiday was longer.


I tried and tested a lot of beauty products. Some great and cheap beauty steals like Safi Rania Gold and much expensive Murad products. I'll try to post as many reviews after this in this blog

I hope that its not too late to wish Happy New Year to all. May all our wishes and resolutions come true. InsyaAllah..

Review of Avon Eye Creams and cleanser

After I finished my Olay eye cream, I decided to try out the eye creams from Avon. And I'm hooked. I tried the Anew Clinical Eye Lift after reading many good review on this eye cream and I like it a lot. I'm on my 3rd jar now. I bought the other eye cream, Advanced Eye Perfector  because it was sold so cheap at my local Avon store (RM10) and I like it too. Now I'm using both and loving it!

Avon ANEW Clinical Eye Lift

Product Description:

Visibly lifts the brow bone, upper and under eye areas. Includes Upper Eye/Brow Bone Gel and Under Eye Cream.
 
Brow Bone/Upper Eye Gel with Dimensional Lift Technology is formulated to firm brow bone area, to help provide an instant lift and to instantly help the brow bone area feel tighter

Under Eye Cream with Derma-Refine Technology and Sweet Almond Extract to instantly minimizes visible under eye shadowing. After 4 weeks, reduces dark circles & crepiness

As you can this product has two separate compartment. The first compartment is the brown/orange gel for the upper eye and the yellow cream for the under eye area. The orange gel contains Sweet Almond Extract, Caffeine, pomegranate juice with olive, coffee and fennel extract. It helps to tighten the upper eye area and prevent sagging. The yellow cream contains Shea butter, sweet almond extract, coconut and pomegranate juice, olive, grape and carrot extract, Biotin (vitamin B7) and Ceramide to help with dark circles and fine lines. 

I loved this eye cream and I can see myself using this for a long time. It absorb really well on the skin and it instantly reduce the appearance of dark circle and brighten the under eye area. I can't really tell the effect of the upper eye gel because I don't have any problem on that area but for this just take away all my fine lines instantly. I think this helps my under eye area a lot. I noticed the appearance of my dark circles and fine lines has reduced since using this. This eye cream doesn't mix well with compact powder foundation. You need to put on a liquid foundation/concealer on top of your eye creams first before your compact powder. I wish this come in tube or pump because its not very hygienic to dip your fingers inside the jar. The smell is neutral to me. Not frangrance-y or chemical-y to me. I always bought this when there is promotion. Usually around RM45+-RM55. You can get much cheaper if you're an Avon member. This last me quite a while. Maybe a good two months with frequent use. This is the first Avon product that I actually love and will continue using ;))

Avon Solutions Advanced Eye Perfector with Peptides

Product description:

For normal/combination skin. This soothing gel refreshes and revives the eye area. Minimizes the appearance of under eye bags and helps brighten dark circles. Hypoallergenic. Dermatologist-tested. Fragrance-free.

The eye gel comes in orange in color and the smell is refreshing. This contains Witch Hazel Extract, Sweet Almond, Bitter orange and Sunflower seed extract, Caffeine, Vitamin A, B and C. The ingredients are equally as good as Anew Clinical Lift and it absorb well too. I like this eye cream but probably not as much as Anew Clinical Lift. The difference is that this eye cream take a bit longer to absorb compared to the Anew eye cream. This is a cheap replacement for my Anew eye but equally good. I actually put this in my refrigerator and once I put this under my eye, it instantly cool down my area, reduce the appearance of dark circles and fine lines.

Avon ANEW Perfect Cleanser

 

I actually got this cleanser for free with my Anew eye cream purchase. I actually don't have much expectation for this cleanser but I like it. This cleanser come in a clear gel and it foams and take off my makeup really well too. I was using the L'oreal Hydrafresh Cleanser (also in green tube and clear gel) at the same time and I find that Avon cleanser is way better than the L'oreal cleanser. This cleanser make my skin so soft and non-drying. My face felt a bit tight and drying after cleansing with the L'oreal cleanser. All in all, I like this cleanser a lot and might come back to this again and again. 

Review of Artistry Essentials Polishing Scrub and Artistry Skin Refinishing Lotion

Here is a review of other Artistry products that I've tried. The Artistry Essentials Polishing Scrub and Artistry Skin Refinishing Lotion.

Artistry Essential Polishing Scrub

Product Description:

The Polishing Scrub is a new formulation that gently exfoliates the skin. Its refreshing fragrance is a treat for your senses. A transparent blue foaming gel with dual exfoliation beads and a refreshing tangerine-berry fragrance.

I bought this together with the rest of Artistry Balancing set after reading good reviews on this product. The scrub contains hydrogenated jojoba beads and smells nice. The scrub has blue and white spherical beads in transparent gel. I tend to go for scrub with spherical beads because its more gentle compared to harsh scrub like Apricot scrub. It foams well and the scrub is not as harsh to me. I like this scrub but I don't really see any improvement with this product. In fact after I used this scrub more than 2 times a week, this scrub cause some redness on my face from over-exfoliation. The problem is that this scrub doesn't get rid a few dry flakes around my nose. An okay scrub but a bit overprice I think.

Artistry Skin Refinishing Lotion 

Product Description:

Artistry scientists learned that Oat Extract is very effective at increasing cell turnover without acids. Time Defiance Skin Refinishing Lotion contains Sugar and Algae with Oat Extract, all three ingredients act synergistically to dramatically increase  cell turnover.

Time Defiance Skin Refinishing Lotion contains patent-pending specialized Oat Extract and an exclusive Sugar derivative complex and Algae Extract. It also contains Nutrilite-approved green tea extract and exclusive artistry Hydrolipid Matrix.

I was so excited to try this serum because of its best-selling reputation. This is the serum from the Time Defiance line, the anti-ageing line from this brand. And this cause clogged pores and breakout on my face. What a disappointment! The one thing I like about this is the packaging. The luxurious-looking golden cap and the pump. Hygienic and its easy to dispense the serum. One pump is enough to cover the whole face. The smell is okay. The serum has a creamy yellow color. This serum has the typical silicone-y feeling. It absorb well but this make my face so oily and since I broke out from this serum, I stopped.I have high expectation on Artistry but nothing special. Its quite over-price and for the price, I can easily find something better and cheaper than Artistry. So long Artistry!!

Review of Origins High Potency Night- A- Mins

I watched this video on Youtube from  Beauty Consultants (Ada and Arlene) on their HG night cream, Origins High Potency Night- A-Mins. Since I was looking for a good night cream, I decided to try this. I've never tried anything from Origins line and was excited to check out this line. I had no luck finding a good night cream before because all the night cream that I've tried were causing too much oiliness on my face and causing so much discomfort and difficulties to fall asleep at night. Most of the time I ended up washing my face and sleep with nothing.

Product Description:

Let the hypnotic aromas of nature’s nightcaps summon the sandman. Newly-formulated with extra vitamins (including B-complex, C, E and A), extra minerals and exfoliating extracts, this mega moisture cream fortifies skin’s own nocturnal nature to help it repair damage done by day and rebuild itself to face tomorrow. Worn out cells are gently released to reveal brighter, more youthful texture and tone. Skin awakens rested, renewed and richly replenished.

So, onto this lotion. This is the lotion version of the Origins High Potency Night- A-Mins. They also have the cream version for dry skin. Since I have combination skin, I decided to try the lotion instead. The first thing I like about this lotion is the smell. SOoo divine. It has a citrus-y smell, like those in aromatherapy oil. I fell in love instantly. This lotion absorb so well on my face. Doesn't leave a sticky oily feeling. I don't have any trouble falling asleep with this and my face wasn't too oily when I woke up in the morning. In fact I noticed that this lotion make my skin soft and glowing in the morning. The packaging is hygienic. Its a bit difficult to get the product out from the small hole especially when not much left in the bottle. It has all the anti-oxidants that are important for the skin. Almost the perfect night cream. The problem was that this broke me out after a few weeks. Arrgggghhh... I was so in love with this night cream but once I stopped using this, my face cleared up.  Maybe this wasn't the right lotion for  my skin but I think its worth trying especially for those who still looking for a good night cream. So the hunt for my HG night cream continue!!

Review of Artistry Product (The Balancing Set)

Today I'm going to review Artistry products from Amway that I've been using for the past few months. I decided to try this because I wanted to find a cheaper skincare replacement for my SK-II. Artistry is a brand from Amway, one of the famous MLM/direct-selling in the world. Artistry products are not readily available at any local stores/pharmacy and you need to contact one of the Independent Business Operator (IBO) or contact Amway Headquarter directly. So, looking at the range of Artistry product, I decided to try the Balancing series, for normal/combination skin. I bought the Balancing Lotion first because I'm not sure whether this brand will be suitable for my skin or not. It works very well for my skin and so as the whole set. Here is the review of the rest of the Artistry product I used.

Artistry Balancing Set

Product Description:
Exclusive Tri-Balance Complex (unique phytonutrients and natural micro-sponge technology) in the Balancing System helps balance and normalise the skin’s water-to-oil ratio with 3 unique compounds: Dessert Hydration Complex, Balancing Matrix Complex and Hydrolipid Matrix (HLM)

Dessert Hydration Complex: A blend of naturally derived botanical ingredients to enhance skin’s moisture content and help hold it in.
  
Balancing Matrix Complex: Featuring Acerola Cherry Fibre that helps control shine and reduces the appearance and production of surface oil.

Hydrolipid Matrix: Humectant / emollient combination designed to maintain optimum moisture balance.


Artistry Balancing Lotion 
 

 

Product description: Unique micro-sponge and mattifying powders absorb excess oil and diminish shine, and oil production and balances moisture levels all day long. Enhancing the skin’s own natural protection mechanism, this lightweight lotion offers unparalleled protection to shield and defend from environmental assaults and UV rays with a patent-pending complex – Aura of Protection.

On Artistry Balancing Lotion, I liked this lotion because it absorbed well, smell really nice and and this helps with a few minor breakout I had. Despite what it said about controlling-oil properties, I'm not sure whether this lotion does that. It leaves a dewy finish but this lotion doesn't control my oil production as well as I wanted. I looked really oily after 2 hours or so. And fortunately this doesn't cause any breakout on my skin. Overall I like this lotion very much because it has SPF 15 protection and it gave a good moisture on my face.


Artistry Balancing Cleanser

Product description: Natural cleansing agents gently whisk away excess sebum, dirt and debris without stripping the skin. This cleanser/exfoliator-in-one clears and clarifies as it evens tone and texture. Surface dullness is improved, leaving skin revived and refreshed immediately after cleansing.

Move on to Artistry Balancing Cleanser. This is also a good cleanser. It cleanse really well and smell nice too. It has a gel consistency and removed my make-up well. It was quite difficult at first to work with this cleanser because it doesn't foam as well as I like. So, instead on using the cleanser directly on my face, I rubbed the cleanser between my palms and it foams really well after that. Quite a nice cleanser to me.


Artistry Balancing Toner

Product description: This unique toner optimises the skin’s own ability to control oil throughout the day. Revealing clearer, smoother skin ready to receive the benefits of the Balancing Lotion, it leaves skin feeling refreshed, toned and with a fresh matte finish.

The Artistry Balancing Toner is a bit strange to me at first. This toner has two parts, a clear green solution on top and white solution on the bottom. You need to shake it well before using this. It smells really nice too. The problem is that this toner doesn't exactly do what it suppose to do which is to control oil. I see no difference using lotion with or without the toner.  I think you can find a cheaper drug store toner easily to replace this toner. Nothing that special about it

All in all, I think this is a great simple 1-2-3 steps of skincare for combination/oily skin. However I don't think that this system delivered the best for controlling oilies and breakouts. It doesn't give you that flat matte looks but not the best at controlling oil either. Garnier oil-control lotion beat this up easily. And because these products are not easily available at the store, I felt not worth it to continue using it. Its a good essential line especially for younger people but not sure about the anti-ageing benefits of this product long-term. To me this provide a good simple moisture which I can simply replace with other cheaper and easily accessible products.