Juice Beauty, The Organic Solution

They say you are what you eat and the saying also applies to what your skin 'eats'. Did you know that the skin absorbs 60% of what is placed on it? Of course that doesn't mean we have to stop our skincare regime and go all naturale. It's all on finding the right products with the right ingredients for your skin~

Few weeks ago, I collected a Juice Beauty box from Tammy from OnlyBeauty. The box reminds me a lot of the beauty box hype that's invading the blogsphere XD;; The brand Juice Beauty isn't new to me as I've heard about their store opening in The Gardens back in 2010 but it has never really occurred to me to try out their products.

Tadaaahhhh my Beauty Box! :3

When I first got the box, I squealed cuz it looks so cute like a vintage lunch box!!! :D

Summary of Juice Beauty's brand info

The box even has a handle so you can carry it around! :D

Juice Beauty's mission is to bring high efficiency, authentically organic and pleasurable beauty solutions to people worldwide. What makes Juice Beauty so special is that their products have 100% certified organic juice base which brings the total organic content up to 98% in every product. Because of their high organic content, Juice Beauty's organic products is also believed to give better age defying and blemish clearing results compared to conventional products.

I won't bore you with anymore statistics so to read up more on Juice Beauty, please head to http://www.juicebeauty.com/ haha. For a brand that started in 2005, they have quite a wide product line ranging from skin care to hair care and even makeup as well! Onward to revealing the box contents! :D

Juice Beauty goodness all in a box :)

Products inside the box

1. Cleansing Gel 
2. Oil-Free Moisturizer 
3. Blemish Clearing Serum
4. Stem Cellular Repair Moisturizer 
5. Stem Cellular Eye Treatment

Thank you OnlyBeauty for the goodies! *O* Upon opening the box, I could immediately smell the citrus scent from the products <3. Super love the scent compared to the fragrant flowery kind of scents :D. Today during my shower, I tried the cleansing gel

Nice travel size :D Should probably leave at bf's house and use it when I stayover hehe

Juice Beauty Cleansing Gel, a refreshing blend of certified organic, antioxidant cherry and lemon juices, purifying botanicals and soothing cleansers to gently remove impurities to clarify and balance, while protecting skin's natural moisture.

Surprisingly it has an open-close pump! :D Makes it perfect for travel as it prevents the contents from leaking into your luggage.

Only need this much for my face :)

Oh yes no kidding, I only needed that much for my face as the gel spreads pretty easily. Color kinda reminds me of a more concentrated fruit enzyme, even the smell smells like the fruit enzyme my mum used to have at home haha!

After cleansing, my face doesn't feel tight or have the 'squeaky' effect which is good :). My current cleanser was giving me problems since I always feel like there's slight oily residue after cleansing but I've always ignored it since it does a good job of balancing my face oil. Lets see if Juice Beauty can help balance my face oiliness too hehe <3

Note: Products were provided by OnlyBeauty but whatever I've expressed here is entirely based on my own understanding and opinion. Again, thank you OnlyBeauty for the opportunity :) Do join their member's circle at http://www.onlybeauty.com.my/ as there's lots of opportunities to get samples to try before you invest in the full-sized product.

K.I.S.S.ed by Kinerase®

Little A, there was once, a girl by that name,

Whose niche for adventure drove them insane,

She had lived for her heart, for that was no doubt,

And whatever she wondered,

She thought with a pout.....

OnlyBeauty - Your One Stop Freebie Site

Oh yes you saw that right, FREEBIES. I've always love the idea 'Try Before You Buy' that was implemented by Kiehl's whereby customers can take home samples of the product for a proper trial before buying the full size product. It makes the customer feel good when they invest in a full size product knowing that it will definitely give results!

After I was introduced to Kiehl's concept, I started looking for samples to try before buying the full size product as I had very sensitive and acne prone skin :D Unfortunately not many brands carry the same ritual. Either the brand doesn't carry samples or suffer under the scrutiny of the salesperson for the next 15 minutes if you request for one >_<. Others would use the samples as an extra bonus for their customers if they purchase anything. I mostly get the scrutinized.... can't help it if I don't doll myself in skin tight clothes and heels when I visit the counter =_=. Feel paiseh asking for sample when they give me that look ;__; but I don't want to pay RMXX and not get the results I want.......

Now thanks to a group of people who understand those concerns of mine (and tons of other females XD), I introduce to you OnlyBeauty an online beauty portal that provides the latest beauty information, promotions, product workshops and yes, FREEBIES~!!!!

OnlyBeauty's site. They've went through a revamp comparing to the last time I visited the site. Feels a lot of more user friendly now :P

Freebies listed for the day :D

Just sign up on their website and you'll be one step closer to getting those freebies! Of course, nothing comes free without a little effort~ Once you've registered an ID on OnlyBeauty, you can apply for your desired sample by clicking on the 'Apply Now' button. Then just kick back and stalk the Successful Applicant List, praying hard that you'll get the sample you applied for! 

No need to spend time and money to travel and ask for sample,

No more bottles of dusty skincare bottles rotting at the corner of your room,

and best of all.....

No more suffering from the judging glares of the salesperson ಠ_ಠ

Check out the participating brands from OnlyBeauty! Not only they give out freebies for drugstore products, they also have counter product samples!!!! hohohohoho~

Some of the participating brands

Counter brands included :D

Follow OnlyBeauty on their Facebook as well to get the latest beauty news and also get the chance to participate in their product workshops! :D. Remember the hands on session with René Furterer I went 2 weeks ago? Yeap that was organized by OnlyBeauty and you can join the fun as well by stalking their facebook! :D

Facebook: OnlyBeauty

Nature Republic's Member Service

Hey all! Just want to share some news from Nature Republic as I've been a fan of their products, especially their Trouble Spot Clear Patch which sadly has been discontinued T_T. Anyways, just to update you guys regarding their membership upgrading service which is from 5th Oct to 11th Oct:

For current members, just bring your old NR card to be replaced at any nature Republic Outlet and get a RM5 voucher to be used in their store! Better be quick as there's only 3 days left :D

Left: Old member card, Right: New member card + my RM5 voucher :D

Gonna miss you *sniffs*

To be honest, I prefer the old card design =/ really gonna miss it *sniffs* TT___TT. Oh, forgot to mention that the member card gives you 10% discount for any purchase in the store :D I've manage to save quite a bit with the member card as I used to get the Trouble Spot Clear Patches for my pimples. Sadly it's discontinued now T_T but I'm still getting stuff from Nature Republic. One I'd recommend is:

Soothing and Moisturizing Aloe Vera Gel

This is one of the best sellers in Nature Republic and it's only RM30+ for a 300ml tub! I've had this for a few months and I've no idea how to finish it! I love this product as its both moisturizing and soothing so it's suitable as a moisturizer for my face :D The texture is a lot thinner compared to the 100% Aloe Vera's that you get from Watsons and Guardian so it doesn't feel very thick and clogging my face. I'm using this as a moisturizer, lotion and even to soothe my friend's sunburns during the Hari Belia event XD;;

Here's a rough guide by Nature Republic on how to use the Aloe gel :D Hmm... gotta try it as hair treatment next :P

And guess what....? :D

They're having a MEMBERS DAY!!! :D

YEEEAAAAAHHHHH!!!!! Members day is pretty soon too!!!! This Friday to be exact WOHOO!!! Planning to buy their Bamboo Series Eye Cream to try :D

Follow Nature Republic on Facebook to get more updates!! :D

Nature Republic Malaysia

If  knew their members day was soon, I would've saved the RM5 voucher for then *sniffs*

Bought 2 masks at RM5.90 each :D

Esmeria Alpine Willowherb Range Review

Today has been a great day so I decided to blog a bit about Esmeria's Alpine Willowherb range. I took quite a long break from blogging since I was having trouble expressing myself and my busy schedule can't allow me to sit down and mull over what to write. Anyways, I received my long awaited samples from Esmeria and when I meant long awaited, it was to the point I've forgotten that I requested for those samples XD;;

The samples arrived in a customized packing just the right size for the sachets and the RM5 voucher. Way to go to tempt me to purchase the product ><

Esmeria is the first Malaysian Ecocert certified skin care brand. their aim is to have personal care products that are both eco-friendly and affordable! I requested my sample through their website and you'll have to answer the quiz which prescribes a suitable range for you. My skin is forever oily as far as I've known so it's no surprise that I got the Alpine and Willowherb range.

The Alpine Willowherb range is for Oily and Acne skin and the range comes with the 3 basics, cleansing gel, toner and moisturizing solution. I'll only be reviewing the cleansing gel and moisturizing solution.

Alpine Willowherb Purifying Cleansing Gel

Cleans and purify oily and acne prone skin with Esmeria's Purifying Cleansing Gel.
Gentle amino acid and sugar derived cleansing agents remove sebum from the skin without stripping away natural moisture.
Alpine Willowherb reduces oiliness calms sore and irritated skin while New Zealand Totarol extract offers powerful anti-blemish action.
This purifying cleanser soothes and reduces oiliness.

First thing that I noticed was that the sample sachet I receive was made from paper so I gave it +2 points! Firstly, it's recyclable and secondly, it's MUCH easier to tear the sachet off since our hands will be wet by the time we want to open the sachet to use. 

The gel texture was a lot smoother compared to other gel cleansers I've used. I suspect it's because of the aloe vera leaf juice which was one of the ingredients that made the gel 'glide' easily over my face. The way I described it seems funny but it's the best I can do =(. The sachet I received last about 3-4 days and within that period, I noticed that my face looked less red and my pimples shrunk a little =). It didn't help much with the oil controlling as my face was back to being oily after 2 hours.

Alpine Willowherb Purifying Moisturizing Solution

Soothe and purify oily and acne prone skin.
The wholesome combination of Aloe Vera, Alpine Willowherb and New Zealand Totarol Extract offers soothing, long lasting moisturization, a reduction in oiliness and helps prevent acne.
Esmeria's Moisturising Solution delivers non-oily, pure moisturisation.

I love the smell of the moisturizer as it's very mild and smells like those aromatherapy oils used during massage. It helped lull me to sleep 8D. So instead of applying it right after toner, I apply it right before going to bed lol. Other than that, there's nothing much I can talk about the moisturizer XD;;

For those who are interested to try Esmeria's skin care range, Esmeria Organics is having a promotion at Watsons, Sunway Pyramid. From October 24 to October 30, bring in a conventional (non natural e.g product with SLS, Parabens. PEG, Synthetic Fragrances & Colorant etc) skin care product and exchange Esmeria Organics Travel Facial Skin Care Set worth RM39.90 for free!!

or

Bring in a conventional (non natural e.g product with SLS, Parabens. PEG, Synthetic Fragrances & Colorant etc) skin care product and exchange Esmeria Organics Travel Facial Skin Care Set worth RM39.90 for free!!

Refer here for details of the promotion.
Esmeria Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/esmeriaorganics

Review: SebaMed Starter Pack

This is god sent! I bought this after I trashed Vichy and I've been promised good results so far! =D

SebaMed is a German brand of of Sebapharma GmbH & Co. KG which manufactures skin products have a slight acidic PH of 5.5. On average the pH value of the skin is 5.5. The slightly acidic pH value of the skin surface wards off germs and pathogens. Today, SebaMed is sold across 70 countries and some dermatologists recommend this brand besides Simple.

Imagine my horror when I compared the pricing in other countries to how much we can get it in Malaysia. In Thailand, I heard the price is as high as a counter product in Malaysia and in the USA, it's almost dollar for dollar price @@;; As for Indonesia, I read people are complaining how expensive the product is.

The kit costs RM25.90, pretty much the same as Vichy's starter pack and comes with a complete set of cleaner, toner and moisturizer UNLIKE VICHY >_>

Clear Face Teenage Cleansing Liquid (50ml)

Product features: 

• Effectively penetrates the pores for mild pore-deep cleansing


• New antibacterial active ingredient Montaline® C40 is a coconut oil derivative


• Protects against lipid erosion during cleansing, provides a hydrating and smoothing effect


• Panthenol supports the regeneration of the inflamed skin


• Kills bacteria within 5 min.


• Can be used on wet or dry skin


• Noticeable improvement of the “skin feeling” of the complexion


• pH value of 5.5 stabilizes the acid mantle

Indications: 

• Especially suited for cleansing in inflamed forms of acne (Papulo-pustulous acne)


• Also recommended for cleansing of dry skin and in adult acne


• Clinically tested

They call it a cleansing liquid but to be precise, it's foam =/ I was a bit worried since I've heard people complaining that foam cleansers in general tend to dry their skin. Thankfully, nothing serious happened :3 my face is still purging oil like an oil plant, ok not so bad but I still need to wipe my face in the middle of the day. The cleanser comes in a pump bottle with a cover so... no leaks yay!

The foam feels very gentle on my face =3, about 1 1/2 pumps was enough to cover my face generously with lather. The directions said to leave it on for 5 mins, you can feel the bubbles start top pop on your skin~~ =D Overall I didn't have any problems with this products and I get the squeaky clean feel I've always wanted! *w*/

Clear Face Teenage Deep Cleansing Toner (50ml)

Product features: 

• Witch hazel soothes irritated skin and has an astringent effect to contract the pores


• Removes excessive oil, sebum and dirt particles from the skin and disinfects it with alcohol


• Cucumber extract and hydrolyzed silk provide moisture to protect the skin against dehydration


• Panthenol supports the healing of acne lesions


• Allantoin smoothes the skin and makes it supple


• Can be used on wet or dry skin


• Tones and refreshes the skin


• pH value of 5.5 stabilizes the acid mantle

Indications: 

• Especially recommended for oily and combination skin to remove excessive oil after cleansing the skin


• Best suited for the use on the problematic T-zone


• Dermatologically tested

First thing about this toner.... IT BURNSSSSS OH GOD IT BURNSSSSSS >A< And I normally pop out my oil seeds before I bathe so after I shower, I apply the toner and start writhing in pain on my bed and hug my bolster tight tight =(. Shouldn't be that painful unless you have big cysts that you scratch out like me. No pain no gain as they say and I'm not complaining since my skin complexion seems better.

Clear Face Care Gel (10ml)

Product features: 

• Panthenol supports the healing of acne lesions


• Hyaluronic acid increases the moisturizing binding capacity of the skin


• Aloe barbadensis soothes irritated skin


• The pH value of 5.5 biologically inhibits the growth of acne bacteria


• Allantoin smoothes rough scaly skin


• No oils and emulsifiers


• No perfume


• No colorants

Indications: 

• Well suited for the care of all types of acne-prone skin

This gel is quite light but I find that it doesn't glide that smoothly on my skin. It feels a bit sticky and takes quite a while to get absorbed into my skin. I find my Garnier Aqua Defense glides more smoothly on my skin so that tub lasted more than a year where as SebaMed's Care Gel needs around the size slightly bigger than a 10 cent coin to cover my face.

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Overall Results:
After my skin care regime, my face always feel a bit sticky. Most probably due to the moisturizer but when I wake up, my face looks so fresh and my pimples are healing bit by bit. Progress is slow but it's there :3, my cysts are slowly shrinking and clearing up. Only thing left is the blood clots that seem to be much fonder of my face than the cysts were. Will probably see a derma on this once my cysts are gone.

Also, I haven't had a single breakout in the past 2 weeks! How great is that!!! =D One range that finally solves my pimple problems and prevents breakouts!!! Best part is this sample pack might take a while to finish since they were so generous with the quantity! My only complaint about this product is... the bottle isn't transparent!! so I can't tell when it will finish!! XD;; But it's a small problem I can live with if it is solving my face problem :3

PS: this post was drafted since last Thursday but I was just so lazy to complete it or do my research

Review: Vichy Normaderm Starter Kit

After experiencing Artistry, I decided to opt for a more affordable brand of skin care to experiment on. I noticed quite a few starter kits when I was at Watsons so decided to check it out. 2 of the brands that were on my list had starter kits =D It was between SebaMed and Vichy, both priced the same! I decided to try Vichy first since a few of my friends have been raving about it non-stop.

The pack has 5 items:

Vichy Thermal Spa Water (50ml)
This item is already RM18 8D. Recognized for its medical properties in favoring cellular exchange and in stimulating the skin's defense mechanism. It is also used in dermatology to strengthen the skin's tolerance and sooth skin.

Nothing much to say about this product as it works just about the same as my Avene Thermal Spring Water. Only difference is that it tastes a bit salty o_O

Normaderm Purifying Cleansing Gel (30ml)
Deeply cleanses and unblocks pores while removing impurities, sebum excess and unclogs pores. I love this cleanser compared to Artistry's cleansing gel hoho~ cuz it gives me that slight squeaky clean feel =D Yes, that squeaky clean feel is a must have for me when I use any cleansers otherwise my face feels so greasy after a few hours >_>.

Normaderm Imperfection Prone Skin Lotion (30ml)
Gently eliminates impurities and reduces sensitivity and redness. I'm guessing to apply this after cleansing? =/ There's not much mentioned about this product on the web =/ so I was confused wondering whether it's suppose to be a moisturizer or a toner? D:

Normaderm Refine Total Pore Resurfacing Essence (3ml)
Formulated with dual-action effect: Pore micro peeling + pore firming for a visibly pore-free skin. Pores are recontracted. Either Vichy is confident that users will be able to see the results with one application OR they're just plain stingy. I didn't manage to see the results and was even more shocked when the sample was enough for only ONE application =_=.

Normaderm Chrono-Active Anti-Imperfection Care (5ml)
Normalizes sebum production while you sleep and evens out complexion. I'm guessing this is a night cream?

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For a starter kit.... they have a hell lot of products to apply! There's no direction of which to apply first. I STILL don't know whether the lotion is a toner or moisturizer or just something similar to the Hada Labo lotion. The names given to each product (the additional ones) is a bit confusing =( and to top that up, my pimples show no sign of recovery and news ones were starting to bloom. Also, my face feels greasy at the end of my skin care regime using this pack.

So end of the day, this pack is a no-no for me D: thank god it was only RM25.90.

Fate of My Face Lies in Artistry

I finally bought it and now I'm horribly in debt to Jared yay! I got this out of desperation to give my face a fresh start. I couldn't rely on Dermadex cuz that thing is some really strong shit. The whole set consisted of a cleanser, toner and moisturizer. I picked up the pimple gel as well since my acne problem is insane.

I hated how the distributor marketed the products to me though. If it wasn't the 90 day money back guarantee, I would've been really pissed. Put that aside, my main concern is my acne problem now. All my previous skin care stuff shall be locked in the cupboard for the next month *w*

Hope my skin condition will improve a little before my photoshoot ._.

Baviphat Meets Its Twin!

Right now I'm using St Ives Apricot Scrub and Baviphat's Peach Peeling gel to exfoliate my skin X3 Baviphat is quite new in Malaysia and it's a brand of super affordable Korean cosmetics and skincare! *w* Surprisingly they have counters in Parkson Pavilion and Sg Wang which gave me the impression that they're dead expensive so I googled up and checked the prices in Korea and Singapore. OMG cheapness!!!! and then I discovered their masks are only RM49.90 a tub! Got Ying Ling to grab a tub for me during the BonusLink Parkson Sale and I've been using it every day :3

Comes in a super duper cute tub <3

The peeling gel itself looks so edible! It smells so good and it looks like some ice sherbet. I bet you if I leave this lying on the table with a spoon, someone will sure pick it up and EAT it!

The gel is really gentle on my skin so I'll use the Apricot Scrub 1-2 times a week and the rest of the days I'll stick to the peeling gel :3 I've no idea whether to consider this a con or not but after using it, I'll be walking around smelling of peaches which makes me hungry!!! DX

Again, this isn't a proper review, I made this entry as I've found something interesting today. I was walking around Tropicana after watching Toy Story 3 and I stepped into SASA. Spotted some familiar colourful tubs on the shelves and when I took it to examine, lo behold the packaging is horribly similar to Baviphat's!

Tadaa! I asked permission from the SA whether I could take picture of it but she said no. WHO CARES 8D

It's a total copy! The brand is Sasatienne and it's only available in SASA if not mistaken. Price is slightly cheaper compared to Baviphat, RM39.90. If anyone is planning to try it, do let me know 8D I'll steal a bit to compare!