Bag of Love: April Bag

Yeay! I received my April edition of Bag of Love safely in the mail yesterday. ^_^

Delivered by Airpak

Since this time around the bag was sent out without a box, the package arrived flatter (compared to the March edition). I could feel outlines of bottles from the outside - hmmm, no bubble wrap this time? Hope my products did not get damage during transit.....

The goodies! ^_^

Thankfully, all products were intact. Phew! All the products were in the bag except for the Burt's Bee's full sized lip balm (yeay!) and the packs of Lunasol Smoothing Make-up Base. Looking at the card that has the list of products for this month, I suspected that both the lip balm and make-up base are the "gifts" which are given to those who subscribed for 3 months at a time. hmmmm.... I do appreciate the lip balm... Not too sure about the samples of make-up base.

Let's take a closer look at the products for the Month of April 2013.
First off, the bag....

Nice, simple canvas bag.

As mentioned by Bag of Love, the bag is going to be different each month. And different it is for the month of April. Bag of Love provided their subscribers with a "green" bag in conjunction with Earth Month. I do love the simplicity of the bag and how it is made of canvas - very "raw", very earthy i guess? ^_^ There is a "Bag of Love" tag on the inside....

 Second item, a full sized Definite Contour Brush.

I had loved the full sized high quality Definite Face Blending Brush in the March Bag of Love. It is exciting to get another brush from Definite.

Next is a BB cream from Nuxe called Nuxe Brightening BB Cream SPF30/PA+++ (15ml). I am aware of Nuxe but had never tried any of their products before. So I am excited to try this 1 out and love how it has SPF.

Then there is this 15ml tube of Decleor Hydra Floral Moisturising Cream. Again, I am aware of the brand but had never tried their products or facial services before. Additionally from Decleor, there is a voucher which allows me to try out their Signature Aromaplasty Facial for MYR98 (Normal Price: MYR230) plus 2 complimentary samples upon skin consultation.

         "A multivitamin treatment with delicious and surprising texture with 100% natural flax seeds, wheat germ and sunflower seeds. Suitable for all skin types, Aromaplasty is an all-round customized beauty treatment, leaving the skin feeling soft, velvety smooth and radiant. Type of Aromessence to suit you: Essential, Purity, Soothe, Radiance, Anti Aging"

Also included is a bottle of The Body Shop Deep Sleep Dreamy Pillow & Body Mist (60ml). This product reminds me of the lavender oils that my mum used to apply on my bedsheets and pillow to help me have a good night sleep. Directions: "Spray onto body, pillow or sheets before bedtime."

The hair product for this month is a 50ml bottle of Phytovolume Volumizing Shampoo. I had always wanted to try Phyto products and now I am able to!

Last but not least, a small 7ml sample of Burt's Bees Richly Replenishing Cocoa & Cupuacu Butters Body Lotion. ^_^

Above are the 2 products I received for subscribing 3 months at a time - Burt's Bees Lip Balm with Vitamin E & Peppermint (I love Burt's Bees lip balms!) and Lunasol Smoothing Makeup Base.

The following are items in the April 2013 edition of Bag of Love:-

• Definite Contour Brush, Full size, Retail: MYR88
• Nuxe Brightening BB Cream SPF30/PA+++, 15ml (MYR120 for 30ml)
• Decleor Hydra Floral Moisturising Cream, 15ml (MYR271 for 50ml)
• The Body Shop Deep Sleep Dreamy Pillow & Body Mist, 60ml (MYR59 for 100ml)
• Phytovolume Volumizing Shampoo, 50ml (MYR88 for 200ml)
• Burt's Bees Richly Replenishing Cocoa & Cupuacu Butters Body Lotion, 7ml (MYR62.80 for 170ml)

(Note: I did not include the 2 extra products as these are only included in the bags of 3-months subscribers for this month.)

So in conclusion, I am again satisfied with the goodies I received for a monthly subscription of MYR39.90. Worth every cent! Those who are on the fence about subscribing, what are you waiting for??? ^_^  Click here for their website for more info.

xoxo

Just Bought Products: Benefit's Moisture Prep Toning Lotion & Oil-free Remove It Makeup Remover

Hi there! Just wanted to share 2 products that I recently purchased this month of April. The first one is Benefit's Moisture Prep Toning Lotion. I was looking for a new toner and recall how much I loved this toner when I had it in a sample size. Since the Benefit counter at 1 Utama was having a promotion (buy 2 products and get a decent-sized sample), I picked up the Benefit's Oil-free Remove It Makeup Remover as well.

Reviews will be up after I have a good use of these products. Can't wait to indulge! xox
 

Dove Refresh + Care Invigorating Dry Shampoo

A hair product that I have been loving for the past month or so is this dry shampoo by Dove. (I know my Malaysian readers might not enjoy this post as this product is not available in the country but hey, no harm in knowing what is available outside right? ^_^)

I have been told a few times by different people that one is suppose to wash your hair every other day (as daily washing dries and damages hair). Now this may be more tolerable during winter. It wont be comfortable at all if you live in a humid, tropical environment where you will most likely be shampooing on a daily basis and more often than not, you will find that your hair gets oily and limp even before the day is up! (ewwwwww!)

My awareness of dry shampoo availability in Malaysia is quite limited (both drugstores and hair salons). However, I have noticed dry shampoos by many different brands on the aisles of Shoppers Drug Mart, Wal-Mart and Rexall in Canada for a good few years now. Most come in a pressurized can (like hairsprays) and cost between CAD6.99 to CAD14.99. I bought this Dove Refresh + Care Invigorating Dry Shampoo for CAD6.99 at Shoppers Drug Mart.

"Directions: Shake well before use. Hold 20-25cm from hair. Spray directly onto oily roots. Rub in using palm and brush out. "

Pros:
1) Invisible on the hair.
          Some dry shampoos leave a white powdery residue on the hair. I have seen a couple of brands that have dry shampoos for blonde and brunette separately. This product is suitable for any shades of hair.

2) Refreshing smell.
          I love the smell of this dry shampoo! The smell is not too strong yet it is able to leave your hair smelling refreshed. I could not really describe the exact smell, but it is similar to the "typical" Dove product smell (those who have used other products from Dove will hopefully know what I am talking about!)

3) Gives hair volume and texture.
          As I spray the product at the roots of my hair (as per the instructions on the can) and gently run my fingers through to spread the product out, my hair feels less greasy and regains some volume. In addition, I find that it also gives my hair texture. For example, I will spray some product in the evening before heading out for dinner and find my hair perfectly textured for a top knot that looks effortless. 

4) No scalp reaction. (yeay!)
          I am happy to report that my scalp tolerates this product well. No itchy, stinging or red scalp.

Cons:
1) Hair not as "flow-y".
          Although the product leaves no visible residue, you could feel some light residue (almost like when you use a light hairspray). Now please do not expect the flow-ness of traditionally cleaned, shampooed hair. Dry shampoo is not a replacement for your wet shampoo. It simply absorbs the oil so that your hair will not feel greasy and limp in between washes.

2) Not so portable
          The can I have is quite big to carry around in my handbag. It will be nice to have it throughout the day so you can refresh your mane whenever you want. I guess you could leave it in the car (but since I am currently in a hot, humid place, leaving pressurized cans in the car is not a good idea).     

In conclusion, definitely a keeper on my list. And at CAD6.99 for 142g of product, you can't go wrong. Dove Refresh + Care Invigorating Dry Shampoo is available in Canada at Shoppers Drug Mart, Wal-Mart and Rexall.

Reminder: Product that works for me may not work for you, and vice versa. =)

L'oreal UV Perfect 12 hour Long-lasting UV Protector with SPF 50 UVB/UVA PA +++ Mexoryl Filters, Anti-dullness

It has been 3 months now since I changed my holy-grail daily sunblock from Neutrogena to L'Oreal. The reason for the change was simply because I could no longer find my beloved Neutrogena sunblock in any of the local drugstores in my area. I wonder if it has been discontinued. Anyways, even though I was a little skeptical about the substitution, I must say that it has been quite a successful one.

The top 3 things I look for in a daily sunblock are (recap):
1) OK for sensitive skin: I have really sensitive skin (and eczema). Since sunblock will definitely have some "heavy-duty" ingredients, I have to make sure it wont cause break outs or more importantly, it wont cause an allergic reaction.
2) consistency: I prefer a more liquid-y form of sunblock to use on my face as this will definitely feel a lot less heavy.
3) finished effect: no-no to the white pasty finish you get with the typical body sunblock you use at the beach.

Screwed cap, pointed "nozzle" (similar to the Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Complete UV Waterlight Lotion)

L'oreal UV Perfect 12 hour Long-lasting UV Protector with SPF 50 UVB/UVA PA +++ Mexoryl Filters (Anti-dullness) fulfilled 1) & 3) with ease. My skin was able to tolerate the product well - no break outs or redness. The product also provides the similar finish that I love from the Neutrogena sunblock - healthy and glowing (thanks to its Anti-dullness properties).

Creamier consistency and purple tinged

One definite difference is the texture. It is not as liquid-y but has more of a creamy consistency. That being said, I was impressed with how light it still feels on the face! And I think the creamy texture also leaves my skin more moisturized and dewy looking. Yea- I think I will use dewy instead of glowing. Healthy and dewy. ^_^

Right out the bottle, the product appears slightly less purple than the Neutrogena. (Many "brightening" or "anti-dullness" products are often purple - I guess purple counteracts dullness as green does to redness and so on).

Notice the brightened area?

In conclusion, I am very happy with the L'oreal UV Perfect 12 hour Long-lasting UV Protector with SPF 50 UVB/UVA PA +++ Mexoryl Filters (Anti-dullness). Will I call it my new holy-grail daily sunblock? Possibly. ^_^ I have gone through 2 and a half bottles over a 3-month period. At MYR39.90 for 30ml, L'oreal UV Perfect 12 hour Long-lasting UV Protector with SPF 50 UVB/UVA PA +++ Mexoryl Filters is available at all major drugstores such as Guardian, Caring and Watson.

Reminder: Product that works for me may not work for you, and vice versa. =)