Belli Skincare Face Wash, Eye Cream, Hydrator: For Glowing Skin

Belli Skincare Face Wash, Eye Cream, Hydrator: For Glowing Skin

Treatment Cosmetopia Digest   Tuesday, August 02, 2016

A couple of years ago, "glowing" skin meant oily in my book, and I was doing all I could to make my skin as dry as a desert. Harsh treatments; little hydration. A huge protest later, my skin got its message across - the glow comes from within as fresh skin is revealed, is a sign of health as dead cells are cleared away, and can be achieved with active ingredients such as alpha-hydroxy acids, which increase the rate of cell turnover and replacement.
The world of skincare acids can be daunting. One of the gentler AHAs out there is lactic acid, which occurs naturally in our bodies. American brand Belli Skincare incorporate lactic acid in their products.

Scroll down for review of Belli Skincare Facial Wash, Eye Cream and Healthy Glow Hydrator - a harm-free, pregnancy-safe range for glowing skin.

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10-Step Skincare Routine Guide, Tutorial: Why, What, How To

10-Step Skincare Routine Guide, Tutorial: Why, What, How To

Tutorials Cosmetopia Digest   Tuesday, July 12, 2016

Ten points before we go any further:

1. This is not about a typical Korean skincare routine. I use a mixture of mainstream and Korean brands. 
2. Nor is it a strict 10-step skincare routine. You will find suggestions with just four products. Or even 12 steps.
3. This regimen is only at night. I have a life. My morning routine is a condensed 4-5 step version and includes SPF. That is for another post. 
4. Do not wake up tomorrow and decide to pile on 10 products at one go. Step by step. Introduce one product into your routine at a time. Build up to it gradually. I began with no/three steps.
5. There is no panacea out there. Some things work for some people. So include whatever suits you in your *-step routine.
6. Your mileage may will vary. Read that again. And again. Customise the routine according to your skin type. Skip/combine/split up/add steps.
7. You can use spot treatment, hyaluronic acid, a rinse-off mask, a sleeping pack, and a sheet mask on the same day you use Vitamin C. You can add every step you can think of and do a 20-step routine. Entirely up to your skin. 
8. My skin type is acne-prone, and very oily (the kind where countries think of replacing their oil export deals with my face).
9. An FAQ post will be posted tomorrow. Detailed posts on each step are also in the works.
10. Verbose post ahead. 

Scroll down for the Ultimate 10-Step Skincare Routine Guide and Tutorial.  

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Best Skincare Discovery And Starter Sets

Best Skincare Discovery And Starter Sets

Treatment Cosmetopia Digest   Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Ever invested in expensive skincare, only to find that the product does not work for you, or worse, breaks you out? I bought two bottles of Lancome Visionnaire as soon as it came out, after all the hype about the international waiting list. Wham - my face was an explosion in a fireworks factory. Luckily for me, I was able to palm them off on my Mum who was not affected adversely by the product.
Most brands do not give out samples these days unless you buy something from their counters first, which means you try-when-you-buy instead of try-before-you-buy.
Fortunately, several brands now offer discovery kits with trial sizes of their key products, so you can actually go through a whole routine for a couple of days, before deciding to invest further. Plus, these are ideal for travel.
Here are a few sampler kits that I have tried over the last few months - individual reviews to follow later. These would also make nifty gifts for Mothers' Day, birthdays or special occasions. Everything shown here ships worldwide.

Scroll down to know more about nine of the best skincare discovery and starter sets available. 

Klairs natural soap int'l giveaway from Wishtrend

Klairs natural soap int'l giveaway from Wishtrend

Wishtrend Cosmetopia Digest   Sunday, September 07, 2014

Klairs is a brand I discovered thanks to Wishtrend, the Korean beauty box and skincare retailer that ships worldwide. In December 2013, I had bought two Wish Boxes, which you can see here and here. Both contained Klairs products and I loved using them. Their latest Cleansing box, which is equally brilliant and reviewed here, contains a Klairs cleansing foam, which I am currently using. 

Now here is a chance for you to win something from Klairs - your choice of their Be Clean Natural Soap, from Wishtrend. This is a recent launch, and worth $10.90 per soap. There are five types of soaps - cleansers, more than just soaps - for the hair, face, body, hands and feet. Having tried a couple of Korean bar soaps, I can definitely say they are great to use. You can check out more details, including ingredients of each soap, here. Incidentally, if you want to order something from Wishtrend now, you get $5 if you sign up through this link, and 10% off on using the voucher code WISHSEP2014. Alternately, if you want three Klairs Black Sugar Scrub samples instead of 10% off, use code WISHGIFTSEP2014.

Here are more details about the Klairs Be Clean Natural Soap giveaway from Wishtrend.

Products used in my face cleansing routine

Products used in my face cleansing routine

Treatment Cosmetopia Digest   Tuesday, July 08, 2014

Being saddled with a super-oily face that is ready to step in the moment worldwide fuel supplies run out, I am always looking for cleansers that will help control the slick somewhat. So far, I have not found anything that controls oil permanently. The most I can achieve, with good cleansing, followed by a mattifying primer, oil-free moisturiser and mattifying foundation, is four hours or so - with a blotting sheet or two.
At the same time, I want my face cleansers to be gentle, and not to strip my skin of all moisture. My skin is sensitive to a few things, which means not many products make the cut. Plus, I am prone to breakouts, so I tend to rotate products  accordingly - when I have breakouts, the acne-controlling cleansers play a key role in my regimen, whereas when the weather is dry, the gentler cleansers are used. That is why I have all these products in that little mirror cabinet above my wash basin - no, I do not use all those products at once.

Here are the face cleansers, scrubs and makeup removers that are part of my cleansing routine.

Harnn Water Lily Detoxifying Face Wash review

Harnn Water Lily Detoxifying Face Wash review

Skin care Cosmetopia Digest   Saturday, April 12, 2014

This is the second post in my Saturday Sample Review series. Today, I have the Harnn Water Lily Detoxifying Face Wash from my Vanity Trove Box. I have finished the 10ml bottle they sent me and here are my findings.
Harnn Natural Home Spa is a Thailand-based luxury skin and hair care brand that sells around the world. Their USP is:

"A holistic approach to well being by using natural active ingredients to restore the natural balance between body, mind and environment."

For some reason - name, packaging or product range - it reminds me of Thann, also a Thai luxury brand that I love.

Soap and Glory skin care haul from Boots ME and quick thoughts

Soap and Glory skin care haul from Boots ME and quick thoughts

Soap and Glory Cosmetopia Digest   Monday, January 06, 2014

I was delighted to find Boots outlets in the Persian Gulf and even more chuffed to find they carried Soap & Glory. It was a great opportunity to stock up on essentials. Unfortunately, I find that Soap & Glory is phasing out that superb pink packaging in favour of a more serious-looking white. Whyyyyy? The pink WAS Soap & Glory. I picked up as many of the pink tubes as I could find, all with expiry dates in 2015 and beyond, but it is a losing battle. Boooo. Here are the skin care products I hauled from Soap & Glory:

Lush Herbalism face cleanser review, usage tips, photos

Lush Herbalism face cleanser review, usage tips, photos

Skin care Cosmetopia Digest   Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Having hit pan with Lush Aqua Marina Face Cleanser which I reviewed here, I picked up Herbalism in my August Lush haul. And yes, I like it much better than Aqua Marina - primarily because Herbalism claims to be a herbal cleanser for oily and problem skin and the quantity of oil produced by my face rivals that of some countries in the Middle East. I have been using Herbalism on alternate evenings since I bought it - with and without the Konjac sponge which I reviewed here - and have almost hit pan.

Here is my review of Lush Herbalism face cleanser.

International beauty box: My September 2013 Glamabox is a work of art

International beauty box: My September 2013 Glamabox is a work of art

Subscription box Cosmetopia Digest   Monday, October 07, 2013

When I saw spoilers of the September 2013 Glamabox, I was more excited about the box itself than the contents! The box is designed by French artist Agnes Boulloche and is Alice-in-Wonderland themed. Isn't it gorgeous? It is just a little larger than the Glossybox and is equally sturdy and strong enough for heavy-duty storage and rough handling. This one is a collectible!
Glamabox is based in Hong Kong, and is well known in Singapore and Taiwan. Each item is handpicked by founder and international fashion model Lisa Selesner, who tries them first. The box costs HKD118 a month (That's Hong Kong Dollars. Google for exchange rates).  Postage varies, depending on your exact city/location, registered, EMS or speed post options - you need to ask by emailing them here. Please do mention that you heard about this from or were sent by Renu of My Beauty Junction!

Review, use and photos of the white Konjac sponge, my HG cleanser and exfoliator

Review, use and photos of the white Konjac sponge, my HG cleanser and exfoliator

Skin care Cosmetopia Digest   Monday, October 07, 2013

If you're tired of all those face scrubs, exfoliators and deep cleansers that promise the moon, but don't make your skin show the slightest improvement, perhaps you need a natural Konjac sponge in your life! No, not exaggerating here.

Here's my detailed review and experience with the original or pure white Konjac Sponge, including detailed usage tips and photographs.

Review: Burt's Bees Soap Bark and Chamomille Deep Cleansing Cream

Review: Burt's Bees Soap Bark and Chamomille Deep Cleansing Cream

Skin care Cosmetopia Digest   Sunday, September 08, 2013

I've absolutely been loving the Burt's Bees Soap Bark and Chamomille Deep Cleansing Cream for a while now. I had got a deluxe tube in one of the famous Burt's Bees kits last December and had forgotten about it, but during a bad breakout phase in June, I began using it once a day.
Packaging: The usual Burt's Bees white tube. No complaints here.

What's in my shower?

What's in my shower?

Tags Cosmetopia Digest   Wednesday, July 10, 2013

My shower routine involves a mixture of products every few weeks, and I don't really wait for a set to finish before I switch around. I was tagged by Tshering of TiTi's Corner for this post, so you can see my bath and body products-of-the-moment for yourselves!
The bathroom's main colour scheme is blue, and it is marine-themed. I've got dolphins on the wall, waves on carpets and toy fish that grow in size when you drop them in water on my shelves. Incidentally, interior decorating is one of my passions and this is where I began experimenting. I've designed five (much better) bathrooms after this. Here are a couple of the shelves:

May empties

May empties

The Body Shop Cosmetopia Digest   Monday, June 03, 2013

I keep wondering how other people manage to finish so many products in one month. I need a few months to even reach half-way, because, at any time, I've got around four moisturisers, four shampoos, six or so lipsticks and so on open. I'm proud of the six I used up in May, thanks to liberal application! 
From right:

Lush Aqua Marina cleanser review, photos

Lush Aqua Marina cleanser review, photos

Reviews Cosmetopia Digest   Sunday, April 21, 2013

I had been eyeing the Lush cleansers for a while and caved to Aqua Marina, because of the pink-and-green combination. Don't be taken in by the looks! It looks much better than in the photograph. The Lush label says "Inspired by mermaids"!
I can't remember how much I paid for it, but what they do is, weigh it out and stuff it into the Lush black pot, ruining the pretty shape. While 100gm is the standard, I asked for a full roll.

Here is my review of Lush Aqua Marina cleanser.

What's in my travel make-up bag?

What's in my travel make-up bag?

Travel Cosmetopia Digest   Sunday, March 10, 2013

I'm weird. Here's proof. No one else carries such a mad variety of stuff while travelling (please tell me you do, too, someone, and keep me sane).
My trusty Gillette bag busted after 15 years' service. I had filched the bag when my dad received a Gillette set as a Christmas present. Now I went around, found the cheapest and largest possible bag and proceeded to fill it up with randomness. I stuff it into my suitcase or backpack, which almost busts as well with all the other things I carry, and I'm all set for a week-long break.
I can't be bothered to carry different bags for toileteries, make-up, hair/bath/body and so on, so everything except medicines/first-aid goes into one giant bag. I've used this bag for the first time now and it's so crammed, I give it a survival period of three trips.

Here's what the front zipper holds:
Two toothbrushes (after the time I misplaced my solitary toothbrush and had to go OUT to buy one without brushing my teeth).
A Nivea chapstick and a Vaseline lip salve.
A shower cap.
A pair of tweezers and a cuticle remover.
A tiny tube of toothpaste for "emergencies" (read below).
The Body Shop cuticle oil.
A Maybelline lip liner which I don't like.


Inside the bag are:
A quarter of a tube of toothpaste (remember what I said above about "emergencies"? Further proof of weirdness).
Make-up brushes (in foldable purse).
Nine eyeliners (pencil, liquid and one gel). Yes, nine.
A Bourjois blush, the smallest I could find.
Bourjois neutral eyeshadow palette, Rimmel Glam' Eyes quad in Smoky Noir, Max Factor and The Body Shop eyeshadows.
A detangling comb (which reminds me - there's a hairbrush in my handbag).
My HG Shiseido Sheer Mattifying Compact Foundation and a back-up (L'Oreal La Poudre).
Origins lip gloss in Wild Flower and Max Factor clear lip gloss.
Two mascaras (one revolving) and a hair clip.
Lancome Genefique deluxe sample and Lancome Genefique Yeux deluxe sample (love both).
Maybelline make-up remover deluxe sample and Dior Capture Totale sample (eye cream).
Garnier eye roll-on (light) and Chambor concealer (I use both as eye concealers).
A four-way nail buff and Benzoyl Peroxide 5% for acne
Vaseline hand cream, Colgate dental floss and a razor.
Estee Lauder Nutritious Vita-Mineral Foundation deluxe sample (I use the Shiseido compact mostly).
Laura Mercier Shine Control translucent setting powder (HG! I keep this in my handbag for touch-ups).
Sunblock (I pour Shiseido into a tiny case of a sunblock brand I picked up in Singapore).
Estee Lauder Double-Wear Stay in Place Lip Duo in Mega Mauve.
Estee Lauder sample bottles of Day Moisturiser Lotion and Matte Effect Primer (refilled when depleted).
Travel-bottles (some purchased, some sample bottles and some from hotels) filled with:
Foot cream, sulphate-free shampoo (TBS), conditioner (Herbal Essences), hair serum, hair oil, pore refiner (EL), body lotion (TBS), my Brevoxyl face wash, shower gel and a sample vial of perfume (Estee Lauder Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia)

I forgot to pack the foot scrub, the foot file, the face scrub and the face mask... next time!

Now bring on the brickbats!

Prescription face wash

Prescription face wash

Skin care Cosmetopia Digest   Sunday, February 24, 2013

Today's was going to be an Oscar-special mani post. Sadly, only I knew that what I had painted on my nails were golden Oscar statuettes. To the rest of the world, it looked like blobs of sand on my black polish, so I decided to skip the post altogether.
In late January, I had a bad skin reaction to SLS in my anti-acne face wash and went howling to my derm with the top layer of my cheeks eaten away. I was put on Cetaphil (no cleansing except with water at first) and, now that my face looks human, she said I could use a creme face wash which would keep away the breakouts as well as be mild on me.
This is Brevoxyl Creamy Wash - contains 4% benzoyl peroxide. I've been using the face wash twice a day for about 10 days now and I love it. After washing my face with it at night, I apply BP (5%) when I have spots, which is about once a month or so. Not much lather to the face wash. It is very creamy - but very effective as a cleanser. My face is spotless, literally. Doesn't over-dry the skin either, but my face stays matte for a longer while than usual. Brevoxyl is made by Stiefel Laboratories, North Carolina.