Pond's Intense Moisture Cleansing Foam Product Review

The first time I ever tried a Pond's product was 2 years ago when I was in Hong Kong. I needed a cleanser so I popped into my favourite drug store in Hong Kong SaSa to buy a bunch of skin care that I needed during my stay there. I usually buy anything which will last me for the whole duration of my holiday, nothing too pricey and something that doesnt weigh a lot incase I end up staying over at my friends or family's place. I dont like heavy or bulky packaging, it makes the bathroom look so busy and it's annoying so I try to keep it as simple as possible.

Looking at this bottle, its clear liquid inside, for 165ml of the product at just $54hk , its a real bargain!
The simple packaging and light container really did make me curious. There were different types to suit different types of skin but for me, the intense moisture one was the most suitable for me as my skin was slightly dehydrated due to the humidity in Hong Kong!

It claims to:

•  Formulated with mild formula and
• wonderfully moisturise the skin
•  deeply nourish and plump the skin
•  skin emerges infinitely regenerated. Your skin can be renewed, refined, resilient and radiant upon using it. 

I couldn't wait to take it home to use it!! It sounded so perfect for what I needed and for such a good bargain price I couldn't refuse to buy it!!

 My most favourite part of this product is the foam! yes - the foam!! The cleanser comes out from the pump which is situated at the top of the bottle, and it comes out like a foam!
What I have in my hand is just 1 pump of the cleanser! A little goes a long way!

The foamy cleanser sits nicely on my skin, so soft and I love using it in the cold winter season as my skin is super sensitive and it doesnt irritate it. Infact, it loves my skin even more at those kind of seasons!!

One bottle lasts me for atleast 3 months when I use it day and night which means I am spending less than $20hk per month day and night!! BARGAIN!





I also purchased another bottle in the same collection but for whitening as I like to use whitening products during the winter to lighten my dark spots or scars and prepare for when my skin starts tanning again. I use to suffer with oily skin and therefore had lots of spots/pimples, and of course - I use to pick them !! Which has now resulted into scars!! It's just one of those ' I wish I didn't do that' phase....

To be honest, when I used this whitening one, I didn't see any huge whitening effects, I used this with some skin whitening face masks and I could see some slight difference in colour but nothing too dramatic, but that could possibly be because I was also using other skin whitening products with this cleanser.

There is also a foamy effect from the pump for this product!

Pro's:

• I love the soft gentle cleanser rich foam
• each bottle lasts for a while
• affordable drug store product
• smells nice
•  not too heavy to carry
• simple packaging
• gentle for my extra dry and sensitive skin in the winter season

Con's:

• unable to buy from UK but there are other Pond's products available in UK
• does make my skin feel dehydrated after using it sometimes
• does not melt make up effectively therefore I advice to use a make up remover before using this cleanser

This is one of my most enjoyable cleansers I have ever used in my life - even though it does not always give my skin the right amount of moisture! I am so glad I found this and I buy a few bottles when I go back to Hong Kong! I highly recommend this for beauty junkie lovers! 

Korean Snail Slime Face Masks

Snail slime face masks

Who ever would have thought you create snail slime extract face masks?! People in south Korea swear by using snail slime products!!

I am not a dermatologist, I just enjoy looking after my skin and ensuring it is maintained looking well.

I guess there's people in this world who would try anything to look good by looking younger or treat old scars. One of them being me by the way lolz. 

By using snail slime extract, it is actually quite a beauty craze at the moment in some countries especially in Asia. People would use snail slime products such as hand cream, face masks, night cream, serums. 

I have tried the Holika Holika snail hand cream , and a few face masks from Korea and I quite like the results!

I got these face masks for my birthday from a friend and I was very reluctant to try them. Infact, I was scared but I really wanted to see what it would do for my skin! After reading up so much reviews about them in magazines and beauty blogs, I didn't want to miss the opportunity! 

I expected it to be really slimy, cold and gooey but it actually isn't. Some have no scent, and some have a strong scent. I don't actually know how much of the snail slime is actually in the face masks as there are a lot of fake products out on the market!

I like certain brands of skin care, I like to read up on ingredients before purchasing any product that I use on my skin. I would rather know what I am putting on my face rather than trying the products before knowing. The skin is important to me therefore I do make sure I am using the right ingredients to maintain its good state as much as I can. 

Snail slime claims to:

•  Helps to reduce the visible signs of skin-ageing
• Refreshes & rejuvenates 
• Excellent skin-regenerating properties
• Helps to stimulate cell growth, restore optimum skin-moisture levels and improve elasticity
• Suitable for all skin types 
• have a complex mix of proteins, glycolic acids and elastic that that protect the skin from damage, infections and harmful UV rays

So why wouldn't we want to try this?!
I have sensitive, dry-combination skin and there has not been any problems for me, my dry patches of skin on the face has felt more moisturised and plumped, the skin tone is more even, less redness and not caused me to have break outs or redness. The fine lines are diminished after a few masks, but not straight away - it's an on-going fix up. 

From the ones I have tried, I do favour the TonyMoly ones the best. The masks cover majority of my face and it feels nice and cool on my face. I love using a face mask atleast once a week, especially after a hard days work and I just need a fix up to help my face feel moisturised.

I think it is a wonderful idea to get a beauty junkie a mixture of high end face masks, or ones with good ingredients that would benefit the skin so much more than wasting your money on products with poor ingredients. I would recommend giving TonyMoly ones a try. The first ones I used was TonyMoly ones and ever since, I have compared the rest to those ones and am glad I did!!

You can get snail slime products from healthy stores such as Holland & Barrett, SaSa, or online.
I will be reviewing some snail slime face masks soon!!

Holika Holika Green Detox Cleanser Product Review

This is a product from Holika Holika collection.
I was so excited to try this as it was a detox cleanser!
I bought this in Hong Kong, Causeway Bay back in December 2012. I started using it whilst I was in Hong Kong and I brought it over to England with me.

I use it every night in the shower on my face and wherever I have spots, which is mainly on my back. I guess a lot of people have that problem too but don't talk about it right?

Unfortunately this product is discontinued now, not too sure where you can purchase it from unless you go to Korea where it is manufactured from!

This product comes in just one size, it was roughly about UK £5 which is very affordable for 75ml of product, it lasted me for about 4 months using it every day in the shower.

It claims to:

•  Green complex fermented with chlorella extract makes skin clear 
•  Olive oil ingredient removes makeup clearly
• Green tea relaxes stress and creates lively face

(found from Korean online store )

I love the smell of this, its a strong smell of sweet green apple, even though I did expect it to smell like green tea?  But I didn't recognise a hint if green tea at all.
The cleanser is slightly discoloured, lotion is very watery-like and doesn't seem like it sits in the skin. I have tried this on a piece of cotton pad and soaked it on my face, it hasn't felt like it benefited my skin at all. If anything, it has given my skin a reaction, sometimes red patches.
I have also tried this on my pimples and it hasn't made it go less red, it feels like it hasn't done anything to it either.

I think this is a fun item to try but with no benefits. It totally isn't isn't suitable for me because I can't see any good changes to my skin.
It has made my bathroom look interesting with the korean text all over it, but I sadly don't understand korean but I made sure I asked the shop assistants at the store how to use it.



I have tried to use this to remove my make up but it defiantly is not a make up remove product. Maybe just on lipstick but defiantly not for mascara!



Pro's:

• gorgeous fresh sweet scent
• the design of the bottle makes it feel like it is a very natural and good benefit product

Con's:

• the consistency is too watery and slides off the skin like water- makes me wonder, how much of this product actually sits on the skin and benefits my skin?!
• the product starts forming bits at the bottom of the bottle when you keep it still for a few days
• hard to find to buy
• not a great make up remover

I won't be purchasing this again and won't go through the stress of trying to find it because it simply did not benefit me at all. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone because even though it is an affordable drug store product price, save the money and buy something worth your while!

Superdrug Samy Fat Hair Thickening Shampoo & Conditioner Product Review

 

My hair use to be thick but due to stress and bad health, it has thinned out a lot over the years and I really do miss having thick hair again *sigh* We always want what we can't have don't we?

I try and buy hair thickening products to make it thick because for me, I think my hair is boring. It's so flat and lifeless, but straight and shiny.

One of UK's famous and easily accessible drugstore is Superdrug , you often hear UK beauty/make up guru's talk about this store. They sell the majority of the make up brands, skin care at affordable prices - they don't sell the designer items though. It's very family friendly. I remember when I started getting pocket money, I use to love going in Superdrug because it had so much choice and items for me to test out and discover!! Was defiantly a childhood favourite store and still like going in there nowadays!

I chose to buy this shampoo and conditioner set because it was sulphate free, and it was to thicken the hair. I have been cutting down on buying sulphate hair products for the past year or more because the sulphate damages the hair and can cause hair loss and that isn't what I want.

Each bottle is £5.59 and they are 300ml each which would last me for a good 2-3 months. 

I wash my hair every single day so I go through bottles of hair products quite quickly!
 Also my hair is very long so I need to look after each strand of hair hehe!

It claims to:

• thicker, fuller, stronger, healthier looking hair.

Pro's:

• affordable price for a big bottle of shampoo/conditioner to last for atleast 2 months (depending on how often you wash your hair and the length of your hair)
• makes the bathroom look interesting with the bright red bottles living in there

Con's:

• makes my hair so sticky after washing it out
• the lotion is thick gel like and it does not sit in the hair well, it just glides off
• the scent reminded me of soap and I don't favour that in my hair but it didnt last long in my hair which was good I suppose!

 I used both the shampoo and conditioner together to get maximum results, I even tried to use different shampoo/conditioners to see if it would make my hair any different but unfortunately it didn't. Infact, it made my hair feel very unmanageable and uncomfortable.

The lotion comes out from the top of the bottle which means you would need to tip the bottle upside down, when it comes to using it at the very end, it would be abit diffficult to get every last drop out! unless you fill it with some water then shake it all out! 

Sometimes there are offers on this range like buy 2 for a certain price or buy one get one free. It is also usually a huge sell out so it is difficult to get hold of sometimes.


Unfortunately I won't be buying this again, I bought the whole range to try but they didn't give me the results they promised so no point in repurchasing again. I couldn't wait to finish using the shampoo and conditioner to be honest!

I also bought the hair wax, volumising moose and spray hold. If anyone is interested in buying them off me then let me know! I would be happy to sell them at a discounted price! 

Schwarzkopf got2b Heat Spray Product Review

I quite like using Schwarzkopf products for my hair, it feels soft and more manageable. I have tried the shampoos, conditioners, and volumising sprays for my hair, they all have strong scents to it, some pleasant, some too strong for me.
I don't often had problems with my hair, it's hardly oily/greasy, dry or tangles, the only problems I have is that the hair goes lighter in the sun and also I have split ends as I am growing it out. I do trim it every few months myself and maintain it's length as best as I can.

I air dry my hair majority of the time, my Grannies and mom always tells me not to air dry it as it can give you headaches, I have always done it as a kid and I don't suffer from headaches. I have some friends who have got to blow dry it straight away and they say they get headaches if they don't but for me, it's quite the opposite.

I blow dry my hair if I am in a rush to go out or go to bed. I really really dislike blow drying it because it dries my hair out and it takes me about 25-30 minutes to blow dry it as it is so long, I also try to give it a break every 5 minutes to let the hair cool down. I also try using the cool air option but it makes my face so cold and I feel too tired from it lolz so I try to avoid it!

I use heat protecting hair sprays to protect my hair from using heat appliances and prevent having more split ends and also so the hair does not dry out as quick. I also spray the hair spray before I head out into the sun (if we get any that is). The last thing I want after being in the sun, is my hair to break or burn.
If I use my GHD's to curl my hair or hair curlers, I always make sure I thoroughly spray my hair with heat protecting spray. Just imagine using 180-260oC heat on the hair without protector? You can smell the hair burning and the hair actually is falling apart!!!

I bought the Schwarzkopf got2b Guardian Angel to try as it was advertised everywhere!! I love the bottle shape, the pretty design, I couldn't wait to have it in my bathroom lol.

For aboutt £4.10 you get 200ml of the product which lasted me about 2 months which is quite cheap over the period of about 8 weeks. I have long hair which means I tend to use hair products quicker than others with shorter hair. I use about 5-6 spritz of spray each time on my hair from top to bottom.

If you are like me, who love playing with the hair then protecting it is also an important task, especially when
The product comes out from a pump spray at the top, I don't favour this pump because the product comes out unevenly. I use the spray after I wash it, when my hair is wet, I spray it on my hair then I use my fingers to distribute it evenly as possible.




Pro's:

• cute design bottle
• budget friendly

Con's:

• the product does not disperse evenly from the pump
• made my hair feel abit sticky
• the smell is very strong even after the hair is dried
• made my hair feel damaged further
• not available in all supermarkets or drug stores

This product claims to protect the hair up to 220oC, am not sure how much of this I can believe as I have seen and felt the results on my own hair. If I use my GHD's or hair curlers then it is set to 220oC maximum so this is a great spray to use if it really does protect the hair up to 220oC.
I won't be purchasing this product again, I could see that it damaged my hair even more. My hair would feel and look a lot dryer than if I didn't use it, and it damages my hair which defeats the object of using it.

Neutrogena Visibly Clear Cream Wash Product Review

I was super excited to try this Neutrogena face wash! The fact that it had grapefruit in and it was pink really excited me and I couldn't wait to go home, finish my current face wash and start using this one!

I first discovered Neutrogena when I was a late teenager and I can still remember my first product from the brand was one face wash to help with my pores, and it was brilliant! It made my skin feel refresh and clean, also squeaky!

Alot of supermarkets and drug stores sell Neutrogena but not this range. I found this range at Boots so every time I ran out of the cleanser, I knew exactly where to go.

I have tried the whole Neutrogena range for my face and this one is my favourite product!

For £4.49 there is 150ml of the product, which lasts me about 3 months when I use it day and night.
I love the smell as it smells of grapefruit, I love how soft it feels on my skin, it foams up nicely and sits gently on my skin.
The cleanser is not too watery, it's like a silky thick liquid. I make sure my face is wet with warm water, I then put this to my face wash brush and it all over my face every morning and before bed.


It promises to:

• fight against spots and blackheads

My skin is not acne-prone fortunately, it's combination-dry and very sensitive when its cold. I have large pores and black heads on my nose area. After using this, my pores felt cleansed, and my black heads are less visible, definitely made a difference to my black heads.
I also have redness around my nose area due to hormones, this cleanser has helped to calm it down slightly as they are not as bright.


Ingredients include:

[PR-009722] : Aqua, Cetyl Alcohol, PPG-15 Stearyl Ether, Polysorbate 60, Steareth-21, Salicylic Acid, Glycerin, C12-15 Alkyl Lactate, Cetyl Lactate, Stearyl Alcohol, Citrus Grandis Fruit Extract, Panthenol, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Menthol, Xanthan Gum, Myristyl Alcohol, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Chloride, Isopropyl Alcohol, Alcohol Denat., Cocamidopropyl PG-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate, Disodium EDTA, Glycolic acid, Lactic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, BHT, Benzalkonium Chloride, Parfum, CI 16035.

The fact that this product contained alcohol put me off, I don't like to use alcohol based products on my skin, especially my skin as it dries it out so much and can make the skin age quicker.

Pro's:

You can stand the tube on the lid

• refreshing feeling on my face
• gentle formula
• great for super sensitive skin like mine!
• the lid is at the bottom of the tube which means you will get majority of the product from the bottle as you can stand it on the flat bottom lid.

Con's:

• skin has patches of dry skin afterwards sometimes
• sometimes it makes my skin feel like it's striped the natural oils away therefore my skin squeaks when I rub it
• my cheeks feel really tight
• does not eliminate make up effectively 
• contains alcohol

I did enjoy using this cleanser, mainly in the summer time due to it's refreshing smell and feeling afterwards. I purchased this about 3 times before, sometimes the drug stores do special promotions so that is why I pick them up.

Pierre Hermé Macaroons

I treat myself every now and then when I have worked extra hard, it gives me more courage to do what I do and remember to not let the dream snatchers affect me.

I have an addiction for macarons or 'macaroons' as we pronounce them here in the UK.

Macaroon's are small sweet meringue-like treats filled with genache in different flavours and pastes such as peanut butter, butter cream, nutella, jam. The outer shells come in different flavours such as tea flavours, fruit flavours, chocolates, flower scents.

My favourites are green tea, black sesame, earl grey tea, hazelnut.

I always buy macaroons whenever I travel, I just like the idea of eating macaroons in different cities. It's a nice luxurious thing to do when I am relaxing. I like to eat mine with a cup of green tea or ice cold water on a hot day.

I have never tried Pierre Herme macaroons before so I decided to purchase some from the London Selfridges store.

I was in London for the day for a business meeting so I thought I would treat myself.

Pierre Hermé

 The bag is quite pretty and luxurious feel to it.

Pierre Hermé

 I love the way the logo was printed on the sides of the bag.
It's not too big and not in your face, it's just humble and simple.

the box

There are different boxes to chose from depending on how many macaroons you chose to buy.

I decided to buy 7 as I didn't want to buy too much to eat and not appreciate them as much.

All 7 macaroons fitted in this cute box.

 

7 macaroons in different flavours

The main flavours I chose were rose ones, I like the taste and smell of rose, I just think it's so unique and precious. I also chose the green tea and salted caramel one as it's also a fun flavour to try!
The one that really caught my eye was the Mandarin Orange Olive Oil & Red Berries flavour!! I really couldn't wait to take them home to try!
They all sit in a thin piece of grease proof paper to keep the box nice and clean.

The macaroons are so plumpy, the ganache is more buttery than I thought but the shell is so crispy, even after 2 days ( I store them in the fridge to seal the freshness) of purchasing them.
I have to admit, the flavours are not as intense as ones I have tried previously, but still very precise with the shell and the nuttyness in them. ( I know nuttyness isn't a word but you get what I mean right?)

I love the sides of the presentation box, just oh-so-cute!! London themed - I will never forget where I purchased these from!

I am going to keep my box and re-use it!

Great gift ideas for someone who loves collecting cute boxes, macaroons, and enjoy a treats!

Holika Holika Syn-Ake Night Cream Product Review

I first discovered Holika Holika in Hong Kong December 2012 in Causeway Bay. The brand originates from Korea, and there is a store in a mall in Causeway Bay Hong Kong which sells a range of the Holika Holika products from skincare to make up.

Holika Holika is an exclusive brand in Hong Kong, any brand from Korea is hard to find outside of Korea due to it's law about copyright and licensing. I felt very happy to be able to purchase it and bring it back to England to continue using.


Syn-Ake peptide products are a huge craze in Asia and have been the last 2 years or less, I wanted to give it a try and see what the hype was all about so I purchased a few items including this wrinkle focus cream.

Syn-Ake is an alternative to botox in a bottle, it's basically a copy of snake venom, to help freeze the wrinkles on the skin but without the pain of injections.

I first heard about the use of snake venom in skin care about 4 years ago when I found out celebrities such as Cheryl Cole, Victoria Beckham and Kate Moss using it. There were reports of long queues for these kind of products in the beauty market due to its high quality for the skin.

For 50ml of the product in this fancy jar, it has lasted me about 5 months use every single night.
It wasn't too expensive, less than about $200hk, I was really excited to buy it and I even bought one for my mom as a gift.

It promises to:

• Take care of wrinkles softly
• Give soft texture like velvet for the skin
• Promote elasticity and hydrate the skin

The active ingredients are , EGF (Epidermal growth factor), adenosine, hyaluronic acid. 
Essentially, to help maintain moisture and help cellular turnover while you sleep.


I apply a thin layer of this to my entire face and neck in an upward and outward motion after I have taken my make up off, cleansed, toned, applied serum then this as a night cream. I always wait about half hour until I can sleep, this gives the skin time to absorb the product.

There is a heavy scent to this product, even when it's absorbed to the skin. At first I enjoyed the scent but then after a few months, I realised the scent was so strong and the product was so sticky on my skin. Usually after I apply any product to the face, I tap it in to help with the circulation and massage the skin, but after applying this night cream, the skin felt like it was thicker as it was covered with this cream even applying a thin layer. I also noticed my face became red at times and itchy, I stopped using it and changed my night cream for my face.
I would not recommend this to those who have sensitive skin as the perfume is so strong and it did irritate my skin.

Pro's:

• pretty packaging
• tub looks nice in my room
• screw off the top lid to reveal product and you can scoop out the product without wasting any of the formula
• affordable price

Con's:

• sticky formula even after applying a thin layer
• scent too strong
• big tub for 50ml of product 
• hard to find Holika Holika outside of Korea

The lid reminds me of snake

Holika Holika Syn-Ake Night Cream

 I personally didn't enjoy using the product after about 3 months, it literally sat on my skin and didn't do anything but irritate my skin. I am happy that I got the chance to try it and share my experience!

XOX

NaPCA Moisture Mist vs Bio Oil

It's so important to know what we use on our skin because our skin is the largest organ we have to protect our organs, our cells, our brain.
Our skin can tell us how healthy we are, how hydrated or dehydrated we are.
The colour of our skin can determine how healthy we are, the texture can tell us how well looked after we are.

I moisturise atleast twice a day, once in the morning, and then after my shower at night before I go to sleep.  Even more in the cold, winter seasons because having smooth, supple, hydrated skin makes the skin look younger! I moisturise my hands more than anywhere else on my body as I wash my hands alot, I work in a hospital therefore hand hygiene is impeccable.
Everyday our skin goes through the tug and pulling, scratches, damages from UVA/UVB rays, allergy reactions, being in unclean environments, or using products which aren't right for us can show up. We may scar from the skin damage we go through, or we might have bruises or minor scratches. The skin will heal quicker if you use the right product, sleep a good amount, eat the right amount of nutrients etc.

I discovered Nu Skin and their products early this year, I really enjoyed reading up on the benefits of the products and understanding their ingredients in each product. I use a wide range of the Nu Skin products including Galvanic Spa which really helped to change my skin, you can click here for more information.

I really enjoy using the NaPCA Moisture Mist Spray whilst I use my Galvanic Spa because it really locks in the moisture of my Galvanic Treatment Gels . I also use it to set my make up, before I sleep, after I washed, toned and cleansed my face if my skin feels dry, it's great for the hair whenever I feel like my ends are getting abit dry from blow drying it. I also spray it lightly on my hair before I go out in the sun to lock in my hair's natural moisture, it's great for the body after I moisturise I spray a light spritz in an X shape across my body and that's enough already.

The mist spray pump is different to any other product bottle pumps because it spreads evenly in the air and the liquid does not leak out of the bottle like some I have tried in the past. This makes sure your NaPCA Moisture Mist spreads evenly after just one pump. You can see this in the air how fine the particles are giving the product an even flow on your skin and not waste any product.

Strawbeefull NaPCA moisture mist from Nu Skin

For just less than £13, there is 250ml of the product which has lasted me 3 months now and I use it every single day to set my make up, refresh my face after it's been washed, I use it with my face Galvanic Spa , Body Galvanic and also on my hair before heat gets onto it. It's very universal to me and that's what I love about it.

dried apricots, 2 empty sample bottles, NaPCA mist spray, bio oil, marker pen

I demonstrated the use of Bio Oil with the Nu Skin NaPCA Mioistuire Mist by using dried apricots as an example of the skin.

02/05/13 09:50am

In one bottle I added nothing but Bio Oil  and in the other bottle I added nothing but NaPCA Mist Spray with the dried apricots. I left them in my dark cool kitchen overnight and within 6 hours I could see the difference! Within 8 hours the dried apricots were transformed!

02 05 13 18:00

As you can see, I wrote the date and time of when I poured in the lotions into these bottles.

At 18:00 this was the result.

The one on the left containing Bio Oil was soaking the dried apricots and they remain the same shape and size. Whereas the one on the right containing the NaPCA Mist has transformed the dried apricots into plumpy apricots making it grow back to its original size.

Can you imagine what this does to your skin?!

almost 9 hours later the result

It contains:

Water (Aqua), Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Aloe barbadensis Leaf Juice, Sodium PCA, Sodium Lactate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Fructose,  Glycine, Inositol, Lactic Acid, Niacinamide, Urea, PPG-5-Ceteth-20, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Methylparaben, Sodium Benzoate.

Which means:

•  Hyaluronic acid - an effective humectant that helps maintain ideal moisture levels - which is why the dried apricots plumped up and returning to its original shape. The moisture is absorbed into the
  cellular structure of the dried apricot.
• Humectant sodium PCA - helps to establish and safeguard essential moisture levels.

I have tried bio oil in the past, probably about 10 bottles and it doesn't give me adequate results. I don't want to waste more money on products that don't work on my skin and I like researching into products that I use to know I get the best out of what I buy.
Ensuring my skin has the right amount of moisture can help reduce the appearance of fine lines/wrinkles. Applying additional moisture or helping the skin maintain the water normally present will leave the
skin’s surface and appearance much smoother and softer. I want healthy looking skin from inside out - don't you?!

It's All About The Cupcakes!!!

I never use to like cupcakes, I just liked to look at them and take photos of/with them.
As I grew older, cupcakes became a luxurious delicacy to me because as easy as I think it is to make them, the whole process of decorating them is actually very difficult for me. No matter how many times I try, I just can't make them look precious.

I enjoy cooking, I cook at least 1-2 times a week, I cook a variety of meals from Japanese to Mediterranean salads. Baking - I get so fed up but I keep trying.

Here is what I have tried making with some friends.....

As colourful as I could make them, they did not taste good. That's why I appreciate cupcakes so much more!



Cupcakes are very popular nowadays, especially when it comes to occasions to celebrate, but the taste of the cupcakes is very important too.

For me, I like the cupcakes for the texture of the sponge, the filling, the fine detail of the icing and how sweet the icing is.
It may sound silly but sometimes the icing is just too sweet and it puts me off! So I wont purchase or recommend them to anyone, even if they look pretty!






I have found an amazing cake decorator, who makes the most prettiest cup cakes and cakes which taste absolutely amazing! They taste as good as they look!
Gourmet Gastronomy makes cakes for all occasions, alsorts of colours, decorations, suprise styles, cookies, macaroons, desserts.


Here are some of the ones I have tried before.

 

The presentation boxes are high quality, the cupcakes don't melt, (to a certain degree)  the styles are amazing and they stay fresh for a few days. I stored mine in the fridge for a whole week!

This box lasted me for a whole week and I ate them slowly because I just appreciated every single effort, time, love that's been put into these cupcakes. I can taste all the effort in them!! 

I loved the box that came with these cupcakes, the presentation was so precise and high quality.

Can you believe all of Gourmet Gastronomy pieces are hand made?!?!?! YESSS!! It's true!!

The high quality of the cupcakes don't compare to any other I have tried in the past. Perfect for a gift, treats, occasions, suprises, anything! 

If you are looking for a WOW gift then here is my high recommendation! 

The friendly service makes your order much more appreciated, Gourmet Gastronomy really do take the time and effort to understand what you want and try to meet your needs.

Have a browse at Gourmet Gastronomy website or go to the facebook fanpage and check out more photographs and information! There are details of prices, how to order, etc, unfortunately there is no delivery service as the high quality pieces need to be handled with care. 

Unfortunately this is only available in the UK, in Yorkshire Bradford.

Shiseido Eudermine Product Review

I never thought about using Shiseido products because it seemed so over priced and not hyped as much in the UK but when I am in Hong Kong , everyone is talking about Shiseido ever since I was a little girl.
 It is very difficult to get hold of some of the products in the UK, even in major department stores in London don't stock, and shipping it over to the UK has a hefty charge so I don't bother buying it unless I am back in Hong Kong.
In Hong Kong, Shiseido is easier to buy products from than UK because it is an asian brand therefore easily accessible from Asia.

I was introduced the Shiseido Eudermine last year by one of my best friends over in Hong Kong who loves high end skin care such as Shiseido and really enjoys using the Eudermine toner.

I believe the luxurious Eudermine has been around since 1897 and alot of young teenagers in China have started using it and not stopped, therefore their skin is alot more smoother than those who have not been introduced to the product - must be their holy grail secret?!

This has got to be the most luxurious toner I have ever owned in my life! It looks so pretty in my bathroom and so luxurious on my skin! 
 EEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!

My best friend had a small sample bottle of the Eudermine and she highly recommended it to me. I tried it for a week and I noticed a change in my skin. It felt much smoother to apply my make up and I felt like my dark scars weren't are dark. 
For my birthday I received a full size bottle of Shiseido Eudermine toner and I was sooooooo greatful!! * Thank You Eva * 

It promises to:

• maintain hydration and moisture
• tone the skin 
• suitable for any skin tone
• safe to use day and night

I have combination skin, mainly dry than oily. My t-zone isn't really oily but it isn't dry either. I had some dry patches on my nose and flaky lips, (was too lazy to scrub them for a few weeks to be honest) and after blotting the eudermine on those areas, I found my skin was smooth the next day and make up was much more easy to glide. Essentially it's a toner and moisturiser at the same time. Personally for me, I like to apply a night cream before bed to help my skin cells repair quicker and knowing I won't wake up with dry skin is a major thing for me. During the winter time, I would still wake up with dry patches of skin, so I had to use a thicker night cream on top of the eudermine.

Shiseido says that Eudermine adjusts to climate to keep the skin's moisture level regardless of the time of year or where you live. I have used this in all seasons and it works well for me when it's warmer than colder. Not sure why though? Maybe it's because of the other products I have been using with it. I go through a range of skin care products to help maintain my skins flawless look as much as I can but the Shiseido Eudermine has definitely been my favourite during the cold seasons!

Eudermine has not caused any redness, any irritation, any flakiness nor any problems with my skin so far.  
There is  rose/lillies-like scent to this which I like, it reminds me of rose-water, to help with the hydration of the skin. 

The bottle is huge, it contains 200ml 6.7fl. oz. of the product in the bottle in a thick red glass. The lid is a screw-off lid and the toner comes out the nozzle when you tip it upside down or shake it out of the bottle onto the cotton pad.

Pro's:

• makes my skin smooth
• my lipsticks/make up just glide on
• the scent doesn't stay on the skin until it sinks in 
• dries quick on the face and not drip off the face like some toners do

Con's:

• heavy duty glass bottle
• if the bottle drops, then the whole thing is smashed

I use a piece of cotton pad with the Shiseido Eudermine because it doesn't waste the products on the fingers or hands and its more gentle on the skin and not too heavy handed.

 I love the fact that this toner does not dry out my skin like ones I have used in the past, it maintains the skins hydration and makes the skin smooth.
Toners usually strip off the skin, essentially strip off the skins moisture levels, whereas the Shiseido Eudermine moisturises and softens the skin protecting the moisture levels. To me, it's a  hyaluronic acid solution, but with no stickiness or film at all giving me smooth skin!

The ingredients isn't all natural but not too bad either. 

Ingredients: Water, Butylene Glycol, Alcohol Denat, Methyl Gluceth-10, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Betaine, Methylparaben, Phenoxyethanol, Cyclodextrin, Sodium Hexametaphosphate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Potassium Carbomer, Fragrance, Peg-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Xanthan Gum, Acaylates/c10-30 Alkyl Acaylate Crosspolymer, Arginine HCI, PCA, Magnesium Chloride, Calcium Chloride. 

Even though it contains alcohol, it doesn't irritate my skin as bad as some toners I have tried in the past. The moisturised results wins me over completely! Some bad toners I have used in the past has made my skin bumpy, have pimples, cause redness, gives my skin a burning sensation (due to the amount of alcohol in the product) and makes my old scars alot more visible defeating the object of a toner! The Shiseido Eudermine protects my skin making it supple and luxurious.

This is a great luxurious gift for someone who appreciates high end skin care and loves making the bathroom look interesting!