Weekend Haul-Kiehl's, Dr Bronner's and Daiso

Went to Hampstead and bought a swag of stuff. 

Amongst the high end stores is an independent pharmacy and they stock lesser known but quality products. Like Dr Bronner's. I bought a huge bottle of the rose liquid soap since it's the best value for money. I've heard about it's multitude of uses (even for brushing your teeth-ew!) and figured if it's no good for my hair, I could use it for my laundry and kitchen floors.

I tried it as a shampoo. It's concentrated, runny and smells more like geranium than rose. I made sure to use a 10p sized amount and scrubbed with plenty of water. 

People have complained that it's dried their hair out but not for me. I like how it's made with organic ingredients and that it's SLS free. While it suds up well, it leaves a terrible residue in my hair. I'm now using it as bathroom cleaner and body wash.

Also bought two products from Kiehl's and they gave me three complementary deluxe samples, toiletry bag and more samples. I got the Ultra Facial Cleanser, Kiehl's Baby and samples were Creme de Corps (lush but expensive), Rare Earth Deep Pore Daily Cleanser and a new product, CDC Soy Milk & Honey Whipped Body Butter (smells and looks delish). 

And since I was wondering around the Japan Centre in Piccadilly Circus, I bought this cute Japanese peel off mask. The brand is Daiso which is dirt cheap in Asian countries but I paid three times more for it here. It's black and thick as tar. As for it's effectiveness, it leaves your skin softer (I'm guessing because dead skin flakes and fine hairs are removed.) but it's not good at removing blackheads. Pore strips do a better job and it's not as messy. Will not be buying this again!

Ultrasonic Contact Lens Cleaner-The Best Invention Ever

...For those who wear contact lenses!

I have rigid gas permeable lenses which I don't wear that often. They're are a pain to clean and uncomfortable to wear. I get cloudy protein deposits so my optometrist says I need to give them a really hard clean.

So I bought this from Amazon for £17 including shipping and now I have a quick and easy cleaning regime.

Here's what I do:

1) Fill the chamber with saline solution.
2) Remove lens and secure them in the lens basket.
3) Plug in machine (in my hallway because there's no powerpoint in the bathroom) and turn it on. It has two settings, one for daily cleaning which runs for two minutes. And "super clean" which runs for 6 minutes for a weekly clean. When it's on, you can hear a faint hissing/fizzing sound.
4) Back in the bathroom, I rinse my lens case with saline and fill it with conditioning solution (or multi purpose solution).
5) Unplug the machine when the cleaning cycle is over. Pop the lenses in the case and chuck out the saline solution.

So there you go, no mindless rubbing and the whole process takes less than 3 mins. All I need is saline and conditioning solution. You could even skip protein removal because the machine really blasts them clean. I don't have to handle the lenses as much so I'm less likely to lose them. (Or break them which I've done once.)

You can use this machine for all types of contact lenses. I love it so much, I'm wearing my lenses more often now. They feel comfortable and super clean. Much cleaner than I could ever get them myself!

Revlon Iced Mauve 151 Nail Polish

Years ago I was infatuated with a Japanese girlfriend's nail polish. It was different to most pinks, elegant rather than girly. The HG. I loved it so much, she gave me the bottle and I used it until it could no longer be revived by thinner. 

Sadly I still can't find a dupe to this day but this is close. The original is dustier and paler. 

Revlon Iced Mauve is an old classic. I bought this from a discount beauty store for 4 AUD. 

The formula is good but it could dry faster. No streaks. One coat is enough for opacity. It takes a few days to start chipping and that's without a top coat. This will be my new staple.

Biotin For Hair & Nail Growth

Pardon the silly outfit. I just wanted to show you the longest my hair has ever been and I think it's because of biotin. I was trying to regrow it after it thinned out due to stress.

However for few years now my hair's been the same length as below. The ends are dry and brittle. I had highlights and those areas are the first to split so regular trims are a must. I miss having longer hair so I'm taking biotin again.

I take a minimum 1000µg or 1mg a day after food. There are super doses of the stuff like 5mg but I think that's excessive. Some people have reported breakouts when they take too much.

I can already notice my nails growing faster and it's only been a week. So in case you're wondering, I think biotin works!

Will post again in a few months time to show results.

L'Oreal Telescopic Explosion Mascara

I was mesmerised with a girlfriend's eyelashes. They looked so long and full, especially for an Asian girl. She had dolly-lashes! The secret was apparently L'Oreal Telescopic Explosion Mascara so I could'nt wait to try it for myself.

This mascara does a great job of separating lashes but only after a month of use. This is because it's dried up a little or the excess product has been used up. The first times I used it, the wand carried too much product and made my lashes clump like crazy.

But as you can see, it certainly volumises and makes lashes noticeably fuller. My lashes looked bushier but not much longer. I'm guessing my girlfriend's just blessed with really long lashes. The downside is that it flakes after a few hours and because the ball is so small, it takes alot longer to apply. More hassle when you're in a rush, but the payoff is that you can easily get to the ends of your lashline for a fanned effect.

I've found the best way to apply it is up and down. (ie, holding the wand vertically.)

The brush is very similar to Givenchy Phenonmen’Eyes Mascara if you're looking for a dupe.

Korea-Skincare and Makeup Central

Hello from Korea! I got to spend one night in Seoul and the shopping here is amazing.

If the prolific cosmetic stores are any kind of measure, Korean women love their skincare and makeup. How cute are the shop fronts of Etude House and Holika Holika?

In the shopping district where I stayed, there was lots of Missha, Skin Food, The Face Shop, and similar shops. Almost one each on every street!

Most products have super cute packaging. My favorite shop was Etude House because their products were most unique. Got a haul of stuff, erring on the side of practicality. I bought pore treatments and an eyelash serum which I hope can perform miracles. They were kind enough to throw in a few freebies too. Spent less than £20 in there but got suckered at the airport when I wanted to try a snail product.

Yup, you heard me right. The latest skincare trend in Korea is the use of snail slime. I'm not sure of the benefits but just about every brand is pitching this ingredient in their skincare. Despite the mark up at the airport, I bought Missha's Night Mask Treatment with added snail. Will post a review soon!

Lanolips Ointment 101 and Rose Balm Intense Handcream

When Lanolips came out with their first batch products, I thought who the heck would want to pay that much for lanolin. Did it really make a difference if the main ingredient was "medical grade"?

I resisted Lanolips but with its marketing (winning awards and plentiful positive reviews), I caved and bought these from Priceline. They came gift packaged with a patent pink cosmetic purse for $19.95

The ointment is just pure lanolin. What makes it different to cheaper lanolin is that it's highly refined so there is no smell or colour. It looks like Vaseline really. Just as thick and greasy but feels silkier in texture. It's all natural, very moisturising, and plumping. It can also be used on very dry skin so it's uses are versatile.

The handcream is heavy duty. Its thick and smells clean, like you've just had a rose bath. It does a terrific job keeping hands soft and supple. It sinks right in and a little goes a long way.

These are perfect for bedtime so you wake up to super soft skin. It feels luxe using them so they are worth the premium price. Handcreams come and go but I'll defo buy more ointment when it runs out.

Fresh Aloe Vera - Nature's Skin Saver

Hello from the land of Oz!

Mum and I did some gardening yesterday and she got rid of our aloe vera plant. However being the resourceful person I am, I kept a few of the leaves and stored them in the fridge.

Aloe vera is great for skin, as long as you're not allergic. It relieves just about any skin ailment but it's commonly used for sunburn.

I peeled a leaf to reveal gooey flesh and rubbed it on after a shower. It's cooling, watery and dries quick. It felt a bit sticky and itchy as it dried but afterwards, my skin was mega-soft.

And because I had a stomache ache, I chopped up the gel (making sure there was no skin remaining) and mixed with water and a squeeze of lemon juice. Tastes better chilled, but surely enough my stomach calmed down shortly after I drank it. Marvelous!