Haul | The Body Shop

I didn't abandon this blog everyone! I've just been in and out of hell but now that my schedule has loosened up (with the submission of 2 huge projects just yesterday), I'm here with a quick post about my latest impulse splurge, and a little secret to go along with it.

Let's first establish this: I purchased every single item pictured for less than $120. Yup, the little secret's out - TBS is having a MASSIVE sale.

But we all know companies don't just hold giant sales for no reason; the products that were marked down were manufactured sometime in 2012 or 2013. More important than the manufacturing date to us though, is the expiry date. So I asked the salesperson exactly that, and what she told me was that most beauty/ skincare products have a shelf life of 3 years succeeding their manufacturing date. 

Thus, most if not all these items will expire in 2015/ 2016, which is perfectly fine by me because I use up my skincare items fairly quickly. Having said that, I'm still using a body butter from TBS that I bought 2 years back and FORGOT TO OPEN (I'm a huge hoarder) that has supposedly been "expired" for a month now and it still smells and functions perfectly fine.

I'll go into the details of the sale later on in the post, but now, I officially present you my loot:

I'll go through each item from left to right, with my first impressions (either from swatching or having already tried them) and prices.

1) Vitamin E Sink-In Moisture Mask

I have to admit I was drawn in by the term 'Mask', they so loosely used; this functions pretty much like a moisturizer. It has the texture of watery jelly and actually wobbles when you shake it in the jar. I do like it though; it's not oily at all, really does 'sink in' and it does well on the moisture meter.

Usual Price: $32.90

Got it at: $19.90

2) Warming Mineral Mask

At first glance, it's just a clay/mud type mask with yet another fancy name. Well stop right there, lemme tell you this stuff is freakin' magic. It claims to warm up the face, which opens up the pores and allows for all the icky stuff to be drawn out. And it works. This mask lovingly enveloped my face in a warm hug and it felt so damn good. I mean, I know it's just a chemical enthalpy reaction (wow look at me go) with water (the product is meant to be used on a damp face) that produces the heat, so it may be slightly gimmicky, but it's already leaps and bounds above your standard clay mask in the sense that you actually can feel it work real time. I don't care; I love it. (who sang that in their heads?)

Usual Price: $30.90

Got it at: $16.90

3) Vitamin E Eye Cream

I am already using this eye cream but since it's marked down, might as well buy backups right? That is how much of a product hoarder I am - I buy backups and backups of backups. Suddenly the word 'backup' looks strange. Anyway, it's a good eye cream for everyday use - it's hydrating and lightweight and doesn't claim to work on anything in particular; it's an all rounder and I like it.

Usual Price: $30.90

Got it at: $19.90

4) 100% Natural Lip Roll-On (Mint)

Err, to be honest, I don't know why I bought this because I don't need a lip roll-on; I don't even know what exactly it's supposed to do. I tried it on already though, and it's like a mix of a gloss and a balm - like a serum for your lips? I do adore it's smell and taste; it's a subtle mint, not the overpowering toothpastey kind but the "ooh that's real nice" kind. The best part about this though, is how it leaves a cooling sensation on the lips. Now wouldn't that make you fun to kiss?

Usual Price: $14.90

Got it at: $9.90

5) Strawberry Body Butter

This is yet another backup since I'm in the midst of clearing my old tub now (yes the one that's supposedly expired but works just fine). All of TBS' Body Butters are divine by the way, they're of the perfect consistency and texture and they mostly smell great, although I have a friend who once told me she cannot stand their scent because they're too overwhelming. I on the other hand love a good, strong scent to my body butters - if others can't smell it then might as well use an unscented one right? My favourite one of all time? That's right, strawberry.

Usual Price: $30.90

Got it at: $19.90 (all scents are going at this price except for Peach, which is going for $15)

6) Tea Tree Blemish Gel

Another thing I didn't want that badly, but I thought "that's kinda neat", and so it came home with me. It's basically a clear gel with tea tree oil (that's said to be anti-bacterial and good for dealing with blemishes, hence 'Blemish Gel') and a lip gloss doe foot applicator. 

Usual Price: $18.90

Got it at: $12.90

7) Vitamin C Radiance Kit

These products are award winning, so I decided to give the kit a try. It comes with a Vitamin C Serum, which feels more like a primer than a serum (similar to the feeling of Tarte's Clean Slate Poreless 12-hr Perfecting Primer), and a microderm abrasion kit, which is basically an atas exfoliation method IMO, but what do I know, right? 

Usual price: $69.90

Got it at: $5 (with purchase) YES YOU READ RIGHT, SIXTY-NINE-NINETY TO FIVE BUCKS.

8) Tea Tree Skin Clearing Toner

I currently don't use a toner, in fact I don't even really know what toners do, because back when I used to use one I felt like it didn't do anything for my skin. Anyway, I decided to give this one a go since my skin is for some odd reason transitioning to being oily when I previously struggled with extremely dry skin. Now I can blot 2/3 times a day and my face constantly feels like a used frying pan wtf. Anyway this stuff kinda burns, so it's not the most pleasant thing to use, but I know tea tree oil stings open wounds/ blemishes, so I guess it's normal (?) 

I'll have to try it out a few more times before I can form a solid opinion on this though.

Usual price: $24.90 for 250ml (which adds up to $11.95 for 120ml if we were to speak quantitatively)

Got it at: $10 for for 2 60ml bottles

Total nett worth: $241.25

Total amount spent: $114.40

Total amount saved: $126.85

*crowd cheers*

I also feel the need to throw in a short disclaimer that I'm not a rich, spoiled kid that can just casually fork out hundreds of dollars shopping on a whim, although I am fully aware that that is exactly what I did.  However, it wasn't like I just picked up anything I fancied and paid. I had to put back more than half the items from my initial basket because I knew I couldn't afford them so it wasn't just "casual" spending y'know? There was so much consideration involved and my heart ached at the counter too ugh. 

Anyway, everyone should also note that I got these items from Jurong Point, and that is where the sale is - in the open area of the 'old' Jurong Point, Level 1, and not in the store itself. Also, I think different items go up on different days, and this sale is only up till this Sunday, 21 Sep 2014. So y'all have a 3 day window ok!! All of these items (except maybe the Vitamin C Radiance kit) are still available in stores for their original prices, and those would of course, be manufactured much more recently.

If you've been eyeing something from The Body Shop but couldn't justify getting it... Well nothing justifies unnecessary purchases more than ridiculously slashed prices, so you know what to do ;)

Much Love, 

Denicia

Review | Clarisonic Mia 2

Heylo. Haven't been writing for awhile; I just had the craziest week and school hasn't even started yet. But I'm back with a review of the Clarisonic Mia 2!

You've heard of it, right? Of course you have. It has taken the skincare world by storm ever since it's debut. 

I got mine as a gift from the boyfriend (special shoutout to Bryce; without you this review post would never have been possible *sheds tear). What it is: an electric cleansing brush specially designed for the face. 

Let's get straight into the review then.

Packaging

The box the Clarisonic Mia 2 comes in is not pretty. It's designed more to convey information than to make a lasting impression. Fair enough, given most people wouldn't splurge 200 bucks on a face brush without information to show that it's actually worth it. Enough about the box though, because I think the Clarisonic Mia 2 itself looks so damn pretty.

Mine is in a gorgeous baby pink, and it has a sleek handle that just invites you to "come hold me". It looks so damn good. The Clarisonic Mia 2 comes in a variety of colours, including a hot pink, a lilac and my personal favourite, turquoise. However, I think Singapore's Sephora only carries white, black and baby pink; I'm not complaining, I think baby pink is darned fetching anyway.

Functionality

If you're wondering how the Clarisonic Mia 2 charges, that's how. Don't take my word for it, but I think it's uhh, magnetic charging? What that means is basically, hole-less charging. Also, this makes the Clarisonic Mia 2 100% waterproof, so you won't to worry about wetting it or using it in the shower.

The Clarisonic Mia 2 also comes with a 'Sensitive' brush head, which means its bristles aren't stiff or too abrasive. It doesn't rotate (like those car washes at petrol kiosks), but the brush sorta wiggles in place. It also has two settings, which can be toggled with the arrow button that basically mean "wiggle" and "wiggle faster".

Also, if you purchase one from Sephora, you get a mini Clarisonic cleanser to go along with it, but I don't care much for that.

How to use it

Once you activate the Clarisonic Mia 2, the entire brush head starts wiggling in intervals of 20 seconds, 20 seconds, 10 seconds and 10 seconds corresponding to forehead, nose and chin, and each cheek respectively. There'll be 2 short beeps in between each section to signal for you to move on to the next.

Here's a simple chart I drew to explain the above (largely because I had nothing better to do):

Thus, one cleansing session lasts a grand total of 1 minute.

How I use it

I wet the entire brush, dispense some facial wash onto it, place it against my forehead and press the start button. I then go through the entire routine pictured above before washing my face and the Clarisonic Mia 2.

I primarily use it on the normal speed setting and I hardly ever increase its speed, and when I do, I can't tell a difference in the way it cleanses my face except for the fact that the brush just wiggles faster.

Do I like it?

I'll start with the things I don't like about it, because there are very few and largely insignificant. 

1) Even with a 'Sensitive' brush head, the Clarisonic Mia 2 was sometimes too abrasive. I learnt the hard way to not press the brush against my face too forcefully (that doesn't equate to a deeper cleanse). I also do not recommend using it more than once a day, nor do I recommend using it after you've exfoliated your face. I don't have particularly sensitive skin, so I use it every night. However, if you do have sensitive skin, perhaps a different, gentler brush, or usage once every other day would be more befitting. 

2) On the surface, it has a shitty battery life. One full charge lasts approximately 20 uses; i.e. 20 mins. It takes 18 hours to fully charge a Clarisonic Mia 2. Therefore, 18 hours of charge time corresponds to 20 minutes of usage. I was quite disappointed when I realised this, but I also realised shortly after that I only had to charge my Clarisonic Mia 2 once every 20 days, then it wasn't so bad.

3) Face wash gets into my eyes way too often. Since you wet the brush before using it and start with your forehead, this meant that soap infested water would drip down into my eyes at the very start of my cleansing routine - not fun. I make an extra effort to flick off any excess water before hitting the start button, and pay a painful price when I get sloppy. Thankfully, the start button also functions as a pause button which allows me to wash my eye midway through a cleansing cycle should I get soap in it.

Once again, those tiny little shortcomings don't affect me all that much, although they are worth considering before you splurge on a Clarisonic Mia 2. Moving on to the the reasons I absolutely love this darl'.

1) It feels hella good. Nothing feels better than a good, vibrating face massage after a long day with your face marinating in makeup or sweat or a combination of both of the above. It feels nice, and you know your face is getting a good cleansing.

2) I actually see a difference. Before this pink bundle of joy came along, I cleansed my face by using an oil-based makeup remover and sometimes followed up with facial foam using my fingers. Now, I use the makeup remover and always follow up with facial foam on the Clarisonic Mia 2. And let me tell you, the brush head almost always changes colour to match my foundation shade after I'm done, even if I've used makeup remover prior to my wash. This means that there was almost always residual makeup leftover that wasn't properly washed off.

3) I think that my skin has shown an improvement over the past 2 months of using it. It may just be the placebo effect, I can't say for sure that oh the Clarisonic Mia 2 has done wonders for my face, oh praise its inventors, oh happy day - but what I can say is that I've noticed subtle differences in the texture and condition of my skin since I've started using it. There've been less dry patches, less whiteheads and my skin just feels cleaner and smoother.

I love it.

I won't say that you absolutely must have a Clarisonic in your skincare routine; it's more of a luxury, but once you start, there's no going back. It is something that makes my cleansing ritual complete, and it has become an indispensable part of my every day skincare routine. Whether or not it's worth the splurge is up to you. It makes a fine gift for any skincare lover (or any lover for that matter *wink) though.

The Clarisonic Mia 2 retails for $215 at all Sephora outlets, along with a variety of Clarisonic brush heads.

Much love,

Denicia

Review | Innisfree Green Tea Pure Sleeping Pack

Innisfree made its way from Korea to Singapore not too long ago and has been gaining popularity since. I for one have developed quite a liking towards the brand myself. I don't own too many things from them, but I do love to poke my head into an Innisfree store whenever I happen to pass one.

I've been trying out this sleeping pack for the past 5 months or so, and today is judgment day for the Innisfree Green Tea Pure Sleeping Pack.

What is a sleeping pack, you ask? It's the last step of your skincare routine at night and is meant to keep your skin hydrated throughout the good few hours you're snoozing away. So, without further ado, let's get into the judgment part, step by step.

Packaging

It comes in an 80 ml tub - which by the way, there is more than enough tub for 80 ml of product, but let's put that aside for now. 

Its innards:

As you can see, I've already used quite a bit of the stuff. 

The packaging of the product is pretty standard, tub with a screw on lid; I mean, how fancy do we expect a sleeping pack to be, right? I gotta say though, I do like its simplicity and sleekness and uh, I guess they chose a nice shade of green..? (yay good job Innisfree)

My gripe with this however, is the fact that the tub may be slightly misleading in the sense that you may think you're getting a lot more product than you actually are. This is also what I meant by "more than enough tub" - this tub could be reduced in size by ~20% and still hold the same amount of product. Having said that, 80ml is by no means little. It has lasted me the past 5 months and will probably last another few, so this is a small issue (if at all one to begin with).

Smell

This product is HEAVILY SCENTED so if your skin is sensitive to fragrances, I suggest you give it (and pretty much the entire line) a miss. I'd say it smells chemically, but in a good way. I'm not sure how exactly to describe it's scent; it's definitely nice smelling though. Another thing is that the sleeping pack smells more invigorating than relaxing and I'm not sure if I wanna be invigorated right before I hit the sack.

Texture

It basically comes in the form of a gel with white microbeads.

I'm not exactly sure what the microbeads are... Is it the "green tea complex" that it's said to be enriched with on the tub? Well even if it is, I don't know what green tea complex is but it's probably good for the skin... right?

Anyhoo, the microbeads aren't abrasive in any form and dissolve quite effortlessly with a light rub.

Something to note is that this sleeping pack differs from the standard Korean skincare products as it is slightly more greasy. But give it some time, it'll settle in and then tah-dah, not (so) oily skin. I do actually like the slightly greasy consistency though; I like to think its forming a protective barrier on my skin that prevents moisture from being taken away by the air-con.  

How I use it

I basically go ahead with my nighttime skincare routine after I cleanse - serum, eye cream, spot treatment, moisturiser. I wait for everything to set, that is, my face should be dry and smooth to the touch, before I smooth a layer of the sleeping pack over it. I tend to be quite generous with this because of my protective barrier theory and also because it feels nice and cool.

Do I like it?

Yez, I do. I have dry skin that will form dry patches when not properly moisturised. Sometimes even moisturiser doesn't cut it at night. 

What I've noticed with this product is that when I wake up, I can still feel it on my face, but in a good way. Sometimes this means that I wake up with slightly greasy skin (from the sleeping pack), but that isn't much of an issue as my morning face wash removes all the product so I can follow up with my morning skincare routine. But what this means is hydrated skin and definitely no dry patches in the morning, which is great because then makeup also goes on smoothly. 

I'd recommend this if you sleep in an air-conditioned room or have dry to normal skin. To see if you really like the product though, definitely go to an Innisfree store yourself to try the testers they provide.

The Innisfree Green Tea Pure Sleeping Pack retails in stores for $21.

Their products are mostly reasonably priced and psst, spend a certain amount and you get free gifts. They're also generous with their samples which is great.

Innisfree Singapore

Takashimaya S.C. #B2-34/35

+65 67336728

Plaza Singapura #01-63/6

+65 6336 3179

Much love, 

Denicia