2009 Beauty Review: Goodies I’d keep buying

It’s the end of year and time to do some kinds of review. (despite my lack of new objectives…)

After being a beauty editor, I encountered numerous beauty products every day. Some of them make me wonder why they can be popular but some work so impressively that I’d LOVE to buy again.

Giovanni

Frizz Be Gone

I wear short hair now but bought this amazing hair end oil when I had long hair.

The most attractive point of this hair care is its rather natural ingredients. The brand offers organic hair care, which is quite rare on the market. The hair oil doesn’t smell strange with artificial fragrance.

The oil smoothes hair VERY well. It spreads well and is not oily at all. Just a few bits will do for each use. It saves my frizzy hair end.

For Beloved One

Melasleep Whitening Blemish Balm Cream

What a hit brand among Taiwanese beauties these years! The gel masks and BB cream from For Beloved One are very famous.

This BB cream smells a pleasant breeze of rose fragrance. Girls loving rose scents must love it.

The color tone is very natural, a lot sheerer than common foundations. You can freely spread a few layers without a cakey complexion. Just a minor con, the translucent texture makes a lighter coverage. Yet it’s fine for people with just some acne occasionally.

Gals as lazy as me may just spread a thin layer and then dab some loose powder to set.

Thursday Plantation

Tea tree medicated gel for acne

Just can’t stop praising this fantastic acne gel even if I have already talked about it in a previous entry. My face is likely to develop acne during pre-menstrual period. This acne gel becomes a must-have for me at this time. After using once or twice, the troubled area is repaired for a large extent. At least no huge inflamed acne has appeared!

Beauty Diy

Job's Tear & Licorice Water Brightening Treatment

A HERO toner developed by the beauty professional Niuer. It’s sold crazily online.

For whitening effect, I think it’s just mild. Yet, the hydrating effect is quite impressive. With its friendly price, this treatment toner is super ideal for a quick mask. Have a simple moisturizing mask every other day. I found my skin moisturized and pores less visible.



[ Only a little amount of my loved goodies is left! ]


Well, hereby, wish you guys a happy new year! Welcome, 2010!

Eye Saver after Christmas: Lifecella Eye Mask

When you read this post, it’s probably after a joyful Christmas. After X’mas parties and gatherings, you washed off makeup and…saw a dull tired complexion and dry lines around eyes? My way to renew my face is applying nourishing eye mask.

To effectively nourish your tired eyes, you need an eye mask with a generous amount of essence. On this point Lifecella’s eye masks have done a good job!

Hisamitsu
LIFECELLA
Milky Lotion Sheet Mask CoQ10 Squalane for Eye Contour

Masks from Hisamitsu (or Lifecella) are always one of the best-sellers on Sasa.com. Many users have positive feedbacks and reviews on them. The mask sheet texture is said to be comfy and the essence very rich. The most attractive point is its budget-friendly price.


I’m using the CoQ10 eye mask these days, considering the ingredients. The texture is rich and thick making the eye mask excellent for dry freezing winter.

Just a short note: This eye mask has been recommended by hosts from a Taiwan television show as well.

Pros:

-Super rich amount of essence, you can put on the mask for 20 mins
(Some gals may store the eye mask in refrigerator for next time use. This sounds a bit “dangerous” to me as I’m concerned about germs. )

-The cutting and shape of the eye mask sheets are PERFECT! They’re in a curvy U shape fitting the eye contours very well.

-LOVELY price! This brand offers different promotional packages frequently.


[ Open the packing…Wow! Lots of essence inside ]


[ Two masks attached on the different side of film ]


[ Fit the end of eyes well ]

Cons:

-The eye mask has done a fantastic hydrating job in an instance. It erases dry lines. Yet, if you’re looking for something removing raccoon eyes or under eye bags, this mask is just the best option.

Good Hand Cream you may have missed

What I keep buying in winter includes warming underwear, hydrating mask and hand cream. Honestly Hong Kong is not a dry place but if you stay in office all day long, the air conditioning dries your skin. My hands feel dry especially after washing in winter. Hence you can always see a hand cream on my office desk. :>

There are quite a lot of hand care choices on Sasa.com, including Crabtree & Evelyn’s, Jurlique’s and Vaseline’s. Beside these well-known hand cares, you may have missed these nice hand treatments just because their brands are less discussed.

Papilio
Hand Massage Essence

Sasa.com Price: US$12.60

An excellent hand massage treatment made in Japan AND, reasonably priced. Its ingredients sound great as well: botanical extracts such as ginseng and licorice root while it’s free of colorant and fragrance.

I guess the only con is that it’s rather a small tube. I didn’t use it often. Just a few times a week for a complete hand massage. After massage, my hands did RECOVER.

Why is hand massage necessary? You’ll know if you work at office all day, sitting still in front of a PC, moving your mouse and typing with keyboards…How tiring!


Easy Simple Hand Massage
1.Spread a suitable amount of hand massage essence on palms, fingertips and nails.


2.On the back of hand, pressure in circular motion towards the fingertips.


3.From the fingertips, gently rub towards the back of hand.


4.Massage between the fingers.


5.Gently pull the fingers towards the back of hand to loosen.
6.Repeat on the other hand.

Part Hartmann
MENALIND Hand Cream

Sasa.com Price: US$8.40

An intensive dry hand treatment from Germany, besides the hit Herbacin Wuta Kamille Glycerin Hand Moisturizing Cream. Compared to Herbacin’s, Hartmann’s Menalind Hand Cream is less discussed and yet so satisfying to users that many of them re-purchase this fantastic cream.

Like many other hand creams from the West, Hartmann’s Menalind Hand Cream has a rich texture. Luckily it’s super easy to absorb. Moreover, since the producer is mainly a medical & rehab company, the hand cream formula richly contains active ingredients.

What I like most about this hand treatment is its large tube size priced less than 10 US dollars. The amount is more than enough even if you use it a few times a day throughout the winter!

False Eyelash and Makeup Sponge Cleansing Tips

Coming is the season for parties and gatherings! I guess even those who seldom wear makeup will use a bit of mascara or foundation in this special period.

For healthy skin, remember to remove makeup clearly. This helps your skin survive the Christmas and New Year parties.

Besides removing makeup, note the hygiene of makeup tools. They can harm your skin with gems. Here I’d love to share tips to clean these tools well. Clean them after each use to keep your skin away from dirt and gems.

To clean False Eyelashes

Fake eyelashes seem a must-have for Christmas party looks. Yet, they can get messy after a day wear with mascara and dirt. Here is how to clean false lashes after each use:


1.Remove the false lashes with cleansing oil and pick out the glue residue.


2.Soak the false lashes into eye makeup remover or foaming cleansing with water.
3.Soak for a few minutes to clean the mascara residue.


4.Take out the false lashes and brush with a clean eyebrow brush (or even tooth brush!)


5.Wipe and press dry with a tissue.


6.Put the lashes back to the package to let them set.
7.When the lashes get dry, brush and set the lashes with eyebrow brush or lash comb.

To clean Makeup Sponge

If you don’t wanna waste the sponge after using it once, clean it to prevent acne due to gems inside the sponge.


1.Soak the used sponge into a bowl of clean water.


2.Mix with some cleansing foam, makeup remover or soap. Press the sponge gently. (NOTE: Never pull or squeeze the sponge.)


3.Wash with clean water.


4.Press dry with a tissue or tower. Let the sponge dry naturally.

My Confession :>

I know how important it is to keep the makeup tools clean. Yet I often feel too tired to wash them arriving home late. I just remove my makeup and go into bed in an instance. How I try my nest: wash the tools the next morning!

My Christmas Shopping List: X’mas Sets

As usual I am thrilled at those holiday makeup looks from the top brands and their just-released fascinating Christmas skincare sets. Cheap, beautifully packed, rich in contents…how attractive! The hand treatment sets from Crabtree & Evelyn are my favourite----I LOVE its rose hand treatment.

Yet this year my shopping list is updated with a few more lovely Christmas sets. They are from brands less famous than Crabtree & Evelyn but still they look gorgeous and are budget-friendly.

X’mas Holiday Extra: Nice Christmas Sets

NATIO
Wellness Sunrise

Sasa.com Price: US$25.70


【WELLNESS Shower & Bath Gel】(275ml)
【WELLNESS Body Lotion】(240ml)
【NATIO Shower Cap】
【NATIO Gift Bag】

A golden set from an Australian brand, NATIO. In fact its anti-acne products have received lots of positive feedbacks.

To be frank I am most impressed by the golden shower cap! I am a bit tired with the shower mop that goes with the usual Christmas shower sets. This set looks refreshing and luxurious to me. :]

I like that the shower gel contains antioxidant-rich pomegranate and purifying geranium to soften skin. And its scent is fresher than the usual floral scents.

SASATINNIE
Ribbon Dance Merry X’mas Set

Sasa.com Price: US$8.80


【Ribbon Dance Strawberry Shower Gel】(220ml)
【Ribbon Dance Strawberry Body Lotion】(220ml)
【Mesh Sponge】

If you prefer something youthful instead of the old floral scents, this set makes a good choice.

The strawberry scent is young. The price is lovely. Absolutely a nice gift for classmates or your teenage relatives.

VC Organic
Oil Control & Whitening Set

Sasa.com Price: US$38.50


【Tea Tree Foaming Face Wash】(200ml)
【Orchid Soul Healing Oils】( 10ml)
【Tea Tree Oil Control Facial Mask】5pc
【Lemon Whitening & Brightening Facial Mask】5pc

Even if this set is not especially made for Christmas, its package and contents are nice enough to make a nice set to senior or office workers under great pressure.

You can get 10 clarifying face masks and an elegantly scented healing oil! Orchid oil can clarify, combat bacteria and help anti-aging. This relaxing oil makes the set much more worthwhile.


What will or have you got for this Christmas? Welcome to share your shopping list!