Showing posts with label Swisspers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Swisspers. Show all posts

August 2013 Empties

July 2013 Empties

Priceline Skincare Goodie Bag 2013 + Recent Skincare Haul

Showing posts with label Swisspers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Swisspers. Show all posts

Friday, 20 September 2013

August 2013 Empties

(BETTER LATE THAN NEVER)
September calls forth flowers bursting in full bloom and.... an August empties post!
I'm so glad that we've hit Spring in Australia; loving the much warmer days albeit it's been a bit windy in Sydney at the moment.

Having farewelled winter a few weeks ago, you can sure guess that last month's empties sure packed a a tad more skincare products than usual. This year, I exerted extra effort in adhering to my winter skincare routine. To my satisfaction, I did not experience winter skin symptoms such as itchy skin, all good!

So, let's check out the empties shall we?!


Glam Eyes Manicare Accent Lashes Black - Eva Lashes
"2 half length ready to wear instant luscious-looking lashes with pre-applied adhesive"
I received these falsies in a goody bag last year and sometime during August had a play around with them. Prior to this experience, I've never worn them before so when I did try to apply these falsies on, I failed horribly. It was quite a hilarious moment; I had the notion that these would be pretty easy to apply because they're demi lashes, so how hard could it be?! Mind you, I had my laptop open to some instructional YouTube video...But you know what they say - practice makes perfect.
Oh, I do like this brand - it's easily accessible at Priceline and other stockists.

Cedel Dry Shampoo For Dark Hair
I won this shampoo with other cans of hair products through a Facebook competition.
Having tried Batiste's dry shampoo, I was curious to see how this would perform. I liked how it was easily concealed in my black hair but a few improvements can be made to the formula and fragrance. I prefer Batiste over this brand even though it does leave my hair with grey-white residue.


Sukin Certified Organic Rose Hip Oil (50 mL)
Rose hip oil entered my life last year when I was looking for a natural alternative for face and body oils. I found the Trilogy Rosehip Oil and after trying that progressed onto the Trilogy Rosehip Oil Antioxidant+. I found the former worked better for me but you know me, being the Asian that I am, sought to find a cheaper alternative. Sukin Certified Organic Rose Hip Oil will you please come forward?! Rose hip oil, liquid gold, fatty acids or whatever you may wish to call it, worked wonders for me. I apply a few drops on my face before bed and wake up to plump glowing skin. During winter, I like to top it up with my all time favourite moisturiser (described here). This oil is super versatile - you may use it for dehydrated skin, to treat scars and pigmentation, as a light anti-aging serum, as a moisturiser... the possibilities are endless! If you've never tried rose hip oils, I must impart you a word of caution - the smell may be off-putting; very distant from the fragrance of roses I can assure you! Recently I purchased my fifth 50mL bottle from the Chemist Warehouse, despite my inner yearning to venture into trying other brands such as Kosmea - the producer of the "best rose hip oil". Oh please, try me!

Bio-Oil (125 mL)
I got hooked onto this product after consulting with a friend about which products to use on scars. The next week later, I hopped into Priceline and sought out the smallest size available (60 mL). This is my third bottle so far being the second largest size (125 mL). Using this oil religiously on my face and body, my scars have faded significantly. The disappearance of some of my pimple scars on my face have been my best result attainable from this product to date. I'd like to describe my relationship with Bio-Oil to be ambivalent. The pleasant calming scent and skin plumping properties have sure won me over. This product actually works but after a few months of use, it seems I've reached the efficacy threshold and there have been limited improvements in my skin.  Now, let me remember what I said during my last break-up, (I kid!) "it's time for a break", "it's not you, it's me" Bio-Oil. I find you to be a bit expensive and luckily, I've finally met your much affordable doppelganger (I'll be doing a review soon on that one!).


Olay Complete Defence Daily UV Moisturising Lotion SPF 30+ Broad Spectrum (75 mL)
Back in high school, I was obsessed with Olay products after a good friend of mine introduced me to their classic moisturiser. I really do like this SPF included lotion but it did made my face very shiny - very typical of 'sunscreens'. This lotion is feels very cool and moisturising but beware applying this near the 'danger zone'. My eyes were in agony. That is all.

CoverGirl CG Smoothers Tinted Moisture SPF 15 (40mL)
Before the BB, CC, DD, EE, FF....ZZ cream era, what's a girl gotta do if she does not like foundations? But say, she wants light coverage, hydration and a bit of SPF? Then you give her a tinted moisturiser of course! I really liked this tinted moisturiser; ultra light, ultra natural, ultra this, ultra that! Enough said! Unfortunately, all good things come to an end; I don't see this product as frequent as before and I've moved onto those BB creams for now.

Swisspers Cucumber Refreshing Facial Cleansing Wipes (25 wipes)
I got this free in the Priceline skincare goodie bag a few months ago. For a more detail into the contents of the bag and what I did to redeem the offer, click here. These were much milder and calming than the other variants I've tried (i.e. pomegranate, green tea) but I won't be repurchasing these; I've stopped using facial wipes altogether (for my face). I now purchase $1 facial wipes to pop in my bag so I can clean my hands when I get into a 'sticky' situation out and about!

And that concludes my empties post!
I know the posting of this post is late; I had a lot of assignments and errands that kept me occupied throughout.
Nevertheless, I hope you enjoyed this post!




Friday, 9 August 2013

July 2013 Empties

I welcome August, with another empties post from the previous month, July.
Originally planned to be posted on the first, I've engaged in a tumultuous relationship with work and illy constructed uni schedules, which retarded the release of posts.
Aside from that, I must admit, I enjoy constructing these empties posts, as the process enables me to evaluate on the finished products. Consequently, I enter a phase of rumination; involving the circulating queries, should I repurchase this? Did it work for me? Can I find a more suitable alternative?

I also find this process to be on the hilarious side. Never, did I consider putting so much effort in critiquing products, questioning it's performance.

Well here it is.
Let me present to you, those who've finally made it to the finish line, the empties of July 2013!

(would you look at that!)


Palmolive Naturals Revitalising - Peach Kernel Oil with Vitamin-E & Rose Water Shower Gel (500 mL)
This is a one of my favourite shower gels, being possibly the third bottle I've finished. Despite the large illustration of a peach on the bottle, it doesn't smell anything like peaches. Expect a heavenly scent, quite hard to describe. It lathers well and makes me feel refreshed and relaxed. In addition to the positive points, it's inexpensive and is of great value for money. And if you're wondering, the gel of a colour that matched the lid of the bottle (pale orange). When the time comes, which involves myself languishing for that lovely scent, I'll be repurchasing this product until then.


Biorè Skin Preservation - Clean Things Up Nourishing Gel Cleanser (200 mL)
I received this cleanser amongst other skin products from Biorè's Skin Preservation line, after winning a competition on Facebook. This cleanser "purifies and conditions without disturbing skin's natural moisture balance". This pretty much sums up the product's performance. A great everyday cleanser that will remove your makeup and environmental impurities. The pump dispenses just the right amount of product for each use, so you can use the product more efficiently, without any product going to waste. This bottle lasted me for quite a long time; I had this product since last year! The only thing I disliked was the scent; it's a fresh and clean scent (for some reason, it's just not up my alley). Unfortunately, I will not repurchase because of the scent.


L'Oréal Elvive Smooth-Intense Anti-Frizz Shampoo (250 mL)
This is one of my favourite shampoos.
It helps my hair stay smooth and soft, consequently, helping me achieve "straighter" looking hair (albeit, I have naturally straight hair). Another reason to love this shampoo, is of course, the scent! I'm quite inept when it comes to describing scents but you can expect the same scent in other products in the Elvive Smooth-Intense Anti-Frizz range.


Ophelia Cotton Tips (200 pack)
Purchased this from good old ALDI. These 100% cotton tips are great for fixing up your eye makeup and are inexpensive. A cheap beauty essential!


Swisspers Spa Facial Cleansing Wipes with Pomegranate Extract (25 wipes)
These pink facial wipes (yes, they are indeed pink!) does a decent job at removing makeup without drying the skin. I was first attracted to the pink packaging and how these are "coloured" wipes. The actual wipe is durable and quite soft. Additionally, the pomegranate fragrance is quite pleasant and overall I had an "okay" experience with these wipes.
I will not be repurchasing these because I do feel that these wipes "stung" my face, on the rare occasion of course.

Swisspers Green Tea Calming Facial Cleansing Wipes (25 wipes)
I did a little review on this product in this post.
In summary, I think these wipes are the opposite of "calming" because they stung my face quite a bit. I did not experience any redness or rashes but I feel these wipes can be a bit harsh on sensitive skin. I've read a lot of positive reviews but do steer clear if you have the mentioned skin criteria (or "young" skin may I add).


Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen Lotion SPF 30+
I received this generous sunscreen sample among four other different product samples from Neutrogena a few months back. I am quite in awe how this 14 mL sample lasted me for months, considering I apply this on under my makeup everyday. This sunscreen lotion breaks away from the stereotype that sunscreens are greasy, cakey, and are hard to blend. Application is smooth and a dewy finish is achieved. The consistency of the product is just right; it definitely gives a "lightweight, clean feel". What more could you possibly want from a sunscreen? Besides increasing the amount of SPF. But hey, Neutrogena has released a sunscreen from this range with an SPF 50+ so you can't complain here!


Essence Stay With Me Long Lasting Lip Gloss in 07 Kiss Kiss Kiss
This product was from one of my random purchases. Hello to the (pleasingly pigmented) bright red lip gloss that can be found at Target and Priceline for merely $3.50. Forget the stickiness commonly associated with lip glosses and expect a smooth and moisturising application. If you have a sweet tooth, you might have to restrain yourself...This lip gloss is indeed "candylicious".



Maybelline Define-A-Lash Volume Mascara
Unfortunately, this product did not fare well with me. An average mascara that yielded no volume for my straight Asian lashes, but hey, you can expect a clump free finish to your lashes. Ladies of other ethnicities may encounter a much more positive experience. I must give credit to Maybelline for their unique mascara wands that differentiate them from your typical wand; this wand resembled a caterpillar! A word of caution though, if in a rush, you could easily damage this fragile, wiggly yet flexible wand. One must insert it back into the tube, oh-so-meticulously to avoid breaking off the tip.




Softlips Lip Protectant Fruit Fusion in Orange Sunrise (2g)
After finishing up the vanilla flavoured lip balm from this brand, I picked this orange flavoured one, thinking I'd have the same enjoyment in using it as the former. It must've been on the spur of the moment, when I carelessly purchased this without considering if I actually like citrus based scents/flavours. Well, forshadowed earlier, you can deduce that I did not enjoy this product at all. Nevertheless, I still used it until I've reached the finish line (much to my relief) so I can finally dispose of it without those pangs of guilt. Expect your average lip balm but with much less product, infused with the scents of citrus fruits.


Gaia Skincare Pink Grapefruit & Jasmine Foaming Cleanser
(With certified organic green tea, gotu kola, chamomile)
This is a sample sachet of a cleanser that claims to be suitable for normal/combination skin, formulated with sensitive skin in consideration. After just a single use, I found that this is a great cleanser and is perfect for my skin type (combination/sensitive). I highly endorse "natural" skincare products because of the claims they are associated with e.g. pure, natural, organic, free from soap, sulfates, petrochemicals, artificial fragrance, paraben preservatives and the list goes on!
The only downside is you can forget expecting those lush artificial scents. This cleanser emits a herbal scent that is quite received with other natural skincare products.


Pantene Pro-V Clinicare Single Dose Intensive Treatment Programme Rinse Off Treatment
I like the scent and that's pretty much it. I did not notice any difference to my hair; my hair is already semi-smooth and conditioned prior to using this product. Maybe, those lacking a bit of a conditioning boost will benefit from this. This product serves to be a mediocre conditioner for me.


Colgate Plax Fresh Tea Mouthwash
Finished a bunch of these samples.
I've posted up a detailed review here. To sum it up, this is a great tasting mouthwash minus the sting factor associated with alcohol mouthwashes (because it's alcohol free!). I've already repurchased a 500 mL bottle of this.

And that's it!
I'm impressed with the number of products I've used up this month.
Quite frankly, it was fun and I can't wait to finish up more products so I can construct this month's empties post!

After thoughtful consideration, I'm eager to construct a monthly favourites post as well - so I can reflect on the products I've been loving this month!
But I'll see what I can do!

I hope you enjoyed this post.
Have a beautiful day everyone!


Saturday, 22 June 2013

Priceline Skincare Goodie Bag 2013 + Recent Skincare Haul

I don't know if you've seen the recent blog posts on the free skincare goodie bags at Priceline when you spend over $60 on selected skincare brands, but, I had to make a post on my views and the haul I did to get the bag!














So initially, I was going to pass up on this tempting deal, since I have a plethora of moisturisers and cleansers filling up every nook and cranny (seriously!) But then I realised I was out of facial wipes; what a great excuse to spend $60+ on skincare! Facial wipes are such a convenience when I'm too lazy to properly remove my makeup and cleanse my face.

So off I went to my nearest Priceline and got myself a few skincare goodies to trial around with. My total ended up being around $62. Not bad, I say!

The "haulage":


(From left to right)

1. Swisspers Green Tea Calming Facial Cleansing Wipes (25 wipes)

- Got these because I'm a sucker for anything associated with green tea! These claim to remove "make-up & waterproof mascara". Upon first application, it stung my face. However, I still use these because I haven't broken out yet. The stinging isn't as "painful" as the first application, but my face has that "tingling" feeling. I think this is too concentrated for my preference. It claims to have green tea, aloe extracts and vitamin E. I know I should stop using it, since the pain reaction is a bad sign but I really want to finish this off (luckily my face is still "intact" lol). These are quite good at removing my face makeup, but not so much eye makeup. I really love how soft and durable the facial towels are...But unfortunately, I won't be purchasing these in future. Oh, another thing, I did look up the reviews for this product online before  making the purchase, and so far I haven't come across anyone experiencing the stinging. How strange!

2. Swisspers Spa Facial Cleansing Wipes with Pomegranate Extract (25 wipes)

- Got sucked into buying this because of the pink packaging. Also these are "coloured wipes", which really intrigued me! The product claims to be rich in antioxidants which is a bonus! It "cleanses, tones and moisturises without drying". I haven't tried these yet, but I'm hoping it won't sting my face. It's funny because I used to buy those $1 facial wipes from Coles/Woolworths and they worked fine (though the softness and quality of the towels can be improved).


3. 2x Nivea Pure & Natural Facial Cleansing Wipes (25 wipes)


- These are a little pricer than the Swisspers brands, but unlike the Swisspers brand (which are made in China), these are made in the Netherlands. I got attracted to claims on the packaging:

They're free from parabens, silicones, colourants, mineral oils and alcohol. The ingredients used in these; 95% of them are from natural origin (great!), they're biodegradable, they contrain bio argan oil and aloe vera. Last and not least they claim to do everything plus they are suitable for sensitive eyes/skin! I haven't tried these yet but I got 2 packets on a whim for the sister and I.

4. Palmer's  Cocoa Butter Formula Cocoa Body Scrub (200 g)


- Also needed a body scrub, 'cause it's Winter and I wanted to give my skin a treat.

I tried this out yesterday in the shower and my, it was such a luxurious experience! For those who love chocolate, I'm sure you'll agree with me that this product smells divine! Think cocoa guys! I really love that this product is saturated with crushed Cocoa beans! However, I have to say, this feels really buttery (from the shea butter) and moisturising but it's not that great at exfoliating. I prefer a stronger exfoliant. I will repurchase this in future though! Great skincare product for Winter in my book! 


Lovely...

5. Yes To Carrots C the Body Carrot Rich Moisturizing Body Scrub (200 mL)


(Blended with Carrot Seed Oil, Carrot Juice, Pumpkin, Sweet Potato and Dead Sea Mud. Paraben Free). Wow, sounds like a scrumptious lunch for the skin! I couldn't resist such a scrub. I'm excited to try a variety of products to find what works best for me! (This product is not tested on animals).


6. Avène Thermal Spring Water (300 mL)


- I needed a product to make my total at least $60 to get the goodie bag.

This was on sale for $19.99 (a bit crazy) but you can get it cheaper at the Chemist Warehouse when they have a sale! See my review on this product here.

And now, the moment we've been waiting for...




That's all the products in the goodie bag!

The products were enclosed in a shiny, black, sturdy Models Prefer tote (with a pink lining inside). Great usable bag for my mum so she can carry the groceries more efficiently!

Most are full sized items! Items in the bags can vary in shades and product types.
I'll be sharing these around with family and friends.

So, did you get one of these generous goodie bags? What products did you get to get the offer? I'd love to hear what you got!
If you haven't done so, and you're interested, you can still get them online or instore!

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