Origins Checks and Balances Frothy Face Wash

I got this really good travel size sample from Sephora and finally got the chance to try it a few weeks ago.  Overall, I like this cleanser very much.  I had an allergic reaction (I know again) a few weeks ago in my lower chin, and I couldn't put anything or use anything in that spot.  The cleanser I was using was out and I had nothing else in stock (yes, surprise!) except for this, so I had no choice.  But I was genuinely impressed with this cleanser, it felt good on my sensitive chin, no compliant. 

Origins products are also known for using natural ingredients, no wonder my skin likes it.  I really need to stick with these type of products, I had such a bad experience with Bliss eye gel, will share later!!!

Anyways, back to this wonderful cleanser.  It's a white creamy texture and lathers into milky foam with water.  The smell is probably the only thing that mildly turns me off at the beginning, it's minty to the point where it reminds me somewhat of a toothpaste scent. But I can deal with it and have gotten used to it now.  I read in some reviews that people didn't like the squeaky after-clean or that the skin felt dry after using it.  I personally like the squeaky clean feeling, I hate those so-called milky cleanser where my face still feels oily after washing it. And the dryness that some people complained about it, well it didn't happen to me.  And the best part is.....the price!  It's very affordable, $19 for 5 oz and you only need a little bit each time so the tube will go a long way.

The Origins line is definitely reasonably priced so I will for sure try out their other products!  I hope you all enjoy this cleanser just as much as I do.

 

• Consistency  
• Creamy, foamy
• Feels Clean
• Yes, maybe dry for some people but not for me
  
• Mild
• Works great on Sensitive Skin
• Scent
• Minty, peppermint
• Price 
• $19.50 (5 oz) at Sephora
• Rating (out of 5)
• 

L'Oreal Youth Code Daily Treatment Eye Cream

I ran out of eye cream and decided to give the drugstore brand eye cream another try, got to watch the budget during the holidays!  There were so many to choose from but the "New" formula on the package attracts me, plus it has a special applicator, so I picked this over the others.  According to the instructions, you are supposed to use the applicator to apply the eye cream around your eyes, so I did.  While it does feel nice and cool using the applicator on my eyes but it was almost impossible to evenly spread the cream.  I still ended up using my finger tip to make sure it's all smooth on my eyes.  

Now if you read the back of the package, immediately after using the cream the skin will become smoother and deeply hydrated.  Unfortunately, my skin was exactly the same as before applying the cream, not hydrated at all.  :(  The problem continues...I then tried to apply a bit more around the corners of my eyes because I have more fine lines there.  I noticed that the cream turned into white powder, no wonder my skin is still dry!  It wasn't absorbed into my skin at all....UGH!!!

Take a wild guess what happens to this eye cream.....yes, you got it, I returned it!  What a waste of time and money!

• Consistency  
• Creamy to powder
• Moisturizing
• No
• Fine line, Dark Circles, Puffiness Reduction
• No
• Price 
• $19.99 at Target 
• Rating (out of 5)
• 

New toys

I got two new toys tonight, can't wait to try them out. Stay tunes for review!

Yu-Be Moisturizing Skin Cream

I have a bit of OCD when it comes to washing my hands, so my hands are dry all day long. I have little bottles of hand lotion all over my house, office, cars, purses to keep my hands moisturized.  And I've been searching for a good bedtime hand lotion so I don't wake up with dry, cracked and itchy hands. I got a small sample of the Yu-Be Moisturizing Skin Cream from Sephora and after trying it, I like it enough to purchase the regular jar size.  

I use this as a overnight treatment because this is not cheap compare to your drugstore brands hand lotion.  And it does have a weird odor, menthol/camphor scent but it does dissipate after a minute or so.  Also, it feels very greasy at first but it's quickly absorbed to your skin, so it's not that bad.  These are also the reasons why I choose this as a bedtime treatment cream instead of a to-go hand cream.  But don't get me wrong, I really do feel my skin has improved and I don't wake up with itchy-dry hands!

• Consistency  
• Thick cream, glycerin
• Sun Protection
• NO
• Scent
• Similar to Vicks VapoRub; menthol odor
• Price 
• $25 (2.75 oz) at Sephora and Drugstore.com 
• Rating (out of 5)
• 

AMOREPACIFIC Natural Protector SPF 30/PA+++

I received this sunscreen sample from my recent Sephora's purchase. I had previously tried AMOREPACIFIC Treatment Enzyme Peel and Rejuvenating Crème samples, which I love and are on my potential-to-buy list.  AMOREPACIFIC is supposed to have combined Asian botanicals and science and I'm always more fond on skin care products engineer from natural ingredients.  And so far, this line works well on my sensitive skin, definitely another reason why I'm keeping an eye on this line.  However, overall the AMOREPACIFIC line is more expensive when compared to Clinique, Lancome, DDF etc.  So I do want to try out as many products from AMOREPACIFIC before deciding where I want to spend my money.

The sample is a pretty good size and using on just my face, it lasts for about one and half weeks.  The sunscreen lotion is creamy and of a pale pink color, it goes on smoothly and evenly over my face.  I like the fresh scent smell because most SPF lotions I have tried in the past have a distinct sunblock scent to it, so definitely a plus.  Now, contrary to what most reviews I have read online, people claimed that this is non-greasy.  I would have to disagree because I can definitely see a layer of shine after I use this lotion, but it's not as bad as a regular beach sunblock.

I'm almost done with the sample and as much as I like the idea of AMOREPACIFIC, I'm not so sure about this particular sunscreen lotion.  It's definitely not cheap considering it's $65 for 2 oz.  I use sunscreen lotion everyday and all over my face and neck, I'll go bankrupt if I have to use this on a regular basis, so until I win the lottery, I think I will stick with my Biore SPF 30.  :)

• Consistency  
• Creamy and goes on smoothly, slightly greasy
• Sun Protection
• SPF 30/PA+++, the more + the higher protection so it provides better coverage
• Scent
• Clean fresh, very light flower scent and doesn't contain the typical sunblock scent
• Price 
• $65 at Sephora (2 oz)
• Rating (out of 5)
• 

Vive la crêpe!

My boyfriend and I decided to have a little New York getaway trip this past weekend. The plan was to quickly hit Chinatown to get some grocery items and off to Mitsuwa festival. Sidetrack story: We were late to the September Hokkaido Fair at Mitsuwa and the special event ramen noodles were sold out, so we wanted to get there early this time. We did get there earlier this time, around 1pm, got in line and damn it, still sold out! UGH! OK, back to my crêpe story.

We parked the car somewhere in SoHo and started strolling down to Chinatown. The weather was surprisingly pleasant, cool and sunny. It was a nice comfortable walk and my eyes were just swimming around checking out the stores and locked on to the word crêpe in one of the window displays. I tapped my boyfriend and told him about it, he had wanted crêpe for dessert the night before but we were too full and just couldn't shove in any more food. We hadn't had breakfast yet and Mitsuwa was still a couple hours away, so he said, "let's go try it." Hehehe....I was actually smiling from within, I love crêpe and I was getting hungry!

It's a small cafe with a couple of tables, a window-facing bar table and there were a few people around the tables enjoying their coffee. It's a nice cozy setup, definitely a good ambiance. The cafe has both savory and sweet crêpes but is a no brainy for me, I always get the sweet ones. I ordered the Nutella with Mixed Berries and the chef started cooking.  He was very generous with the berries, the berries covered up a good portion of the crêpe. And yes, the price is expensive, it's $9.25 including tax almost $10 for just a crêpes, I didn't order anything else. But when the chef handed the crêpes to me, I have forgotten about the price. It's huge, definitely enough for my boyfriend and I to share! The thickness is perfect, not too thin or too thick. It's crispy on the outside and soft in the inside enclosed in a paper sleeve. There are plenty of berries in every bite, the Nutella had warmed up to the right temperature but not too sweet at all...it's perfect to taste!

We were licking our fingers when we were done, and that's how you know something is good enough to share! What can I say, that's the perfect breakfast to go along a morning walk down the SoHo streets! :)  Below is the website to the cafe and some pictures. Bon Appetit!

• Rating (out of 5)
• 
Vive la crêpe!

Clinique Take The Day Off Makeup Remover

I'm not sure what happened over the weekend but I got an allergic reaction earlier this week. My face, especially the skin around my eye area were red and itchy.  I applied very basic eye makeup in the morning (I don't want to scare people at work without any makeup on...LOL), just a thin eye liner and mascara.  But do I pay the price at night when I try to remove my makeup using my regular make up remover, I will not forget that burning stinging sensation!

So I searched my collection of samples and found the Clinique Take The Day Off Makeup Remover. I got it awhile back from Sephora but never get around to try it.  (Oh! Totally off topic, don't just shop online, always sync up your purchases with online special offers or promotions to maximize your samples!  This is the best way to try out new brands and products, especially on expensive skin care products.)  I dabbed a little first to make sure it doesn't sting and I was relieved, it worked even on my irritated skin, all clean!

But of course, to really test the quality of the remover, I had to try waterproof makeup.  My skin condition is almost fully recovered, so I decided to use a waterproof liquid eyeliner and a waterproof mascara yesterday.  I got home last night, shake the bottle a bit, saturated a cotton pad, slowly wiped the makeup off and voilà, both the eyeliner and mascara disappeared!  When I run out, I think I might just have to buy a bottle from Sephora!  :)

• Mild
• Works great on sensitive skin
• Waterproof Makeup
• Yes, removes both waterproof eyeliner and mascara
• Price
• $8.50 - 1.69 oz at Sephora
• $18.00 - 4.20 oz at Sephora
• I know I know...drugstore brands are much cheaper so I won't give a perfect rating.
• Rating (out of 5)
• 

Oh! I took two photos so you can see the bottle and the color of the content clearly, couldn't accomplish both in the same picture.

Maybelline XXL Volume Mascara Waterproof - Very Black

So I returned the L'Oreal Voluminous and bought the Maybelline XXL Volume intead, and I am so glad I did! Let's get right into my experience of using it. In order to achieve the volume, make sure you do a good job sweeping the microfiber basecoat all over, from base to tip.  If you look in the mirror and you are scared with the look, then you did it right.  For Halloween makeup, you can stop right there...LOL.  Then, you want to cover all of your white lashes with the black microfiber topcoat.  I usually do both eyes with the basecoat first then follow the topcoat.  However, according to Maybelline website, you should apply your topcoat immediately, before your basecoat dries out.  But it didn't seem to make a huge difference to me, so you have to experiment with it and settle with the method that works best for you.  Also, I applied multiple black topcoat to give a more dramatic look.  Again, it all depends on how much volume you are looking for.  


While I do like the basecoat because it seems to help my lashes to stay pointing up, it is also the disadvantage of this product.  It is a very laborious task, you have to make sure you cover each and every one of your white lash evenly, otherwise the lashes look weird with random white spots.


But overall, better results than the L'Oreal Voluminous and I'm satisfied with the mascara so it's a keeper for me.  I'll see if I can take some pictures of the steps, I'm not very good at taking pictures of myself zoom in, but I promise I will try.  :)

Have a Happy Halloween and Happy Birthday to my best friend, Yin Yin!!!!

• Volume  
• Pretty good, the more topcoat, the better.
• Microfiber basecoat
• Seems to help keep my lashes up. 
• Microfiber topcoat
• Good dark color but need to evenly cover up all white basecoat.
• Price 
• $8.99 at CVS 
• Waterproof 
• Yes
• Rating (out of 5)
• 

L'Oreal Voluminous False Fiber Lashes Waterproof - Black

I see all these great reviews online but I must be missing something because I don't understand what's so great about this mascara.  Any one of my Rimmel or Revlon Grow Luscious mascaras will blow this away, it's terrible.  In fact, it is so bad, I want to see if CVS will let me return it.

• Voluminous 
• Nope, it's so light, I have to reapply it like 3-4 times and still no volume.
• False Lashes
• I thought is supposed to give you that fake lash look which means show more longer lashes....again NO. 
• Price
  
• $9.49 at CVS, so not worth it for me. 
• Waterproof 
• Yes, the only good thing about this product!
• Rating (out of 5)
• 

Ming Ming took some beautiful pictures of Moby!