I was going through my daily dose of beauty blogs, when I came upon this question that Blogdorf Goodman asked – “What was your favourite lipstick in college?”

I thought I’d answer it here, and at the same time, would love to hear what your early favourite lippie was.

Believe it or not, I only started wearing lipsticks when I entered college at the age of 17-and-a-half. I didn’t even buy my first lipstick. It was a gift from my mum. Okay, it was actually from one of her GWP (Gift-With-Purchase) cosmetic packs, and she gave the lippie to me. I loved how sheer it was, and yet gave me that hint of colour when I wanted it.

I wore it everyday during my first couple of years of college, that I actually ran out. Nicked my next one (and the one after that) from my mum 😉 This was one of the very very few lipsticks that I actually wore over and over again.

It was Clinique’s Almost Lipstick in Black Honey.

Apparently it’s a very popular shade of lipstick by Clinique. It’s definitely been selling for years (I first started wearing it in 1998). I haven’t worn it in ages though, but I remembered what a lovely shade it was. I’m going to get myself one at Clinique sometime soon. Walk down memory lane once more, wouldn’t you say?

What was your favourite lipstick when you were in college? Or when you first started wearing lippies?

I picked this up at Sephora during my honeymoon on impulse. Hey what can I say? The cute, vintage tin caught my eye 😉

Description:

Indulge your sweet tooth as you soothe dry, chapped lips with Rosebud’s newest, strawberry-scented lip balm. Following in the Rosebud tradition of simple, easy to use products, this vintage-inspired tin contains a combination of rich emollients that lock-in moisture and banish dryness after only one application.

Ingredients:
Petrolatum, lanolin alcohol, synthetic wax, natural and artificial flavour

I have a thing for strawberry lipbalms, ever since my mother got me my very first lipbalm at the age of 11, when we were in the US for a holiday. I don’t normally use lipbalms that I have to use my finger to apply on, so I was really hoping I’d like it when I popped this into my shopping basket.

I’m happy to report that it’s a great lip balm. The scent of artificial strawberries may be a tad overpowering when you sniff the open tin, but upon application, the taste is yummy. It glides on very smoothly, and keeps my lips moisturised all night long. I don’t normally like to wear flavoured lip balm when sleeping, but for this, I’ll make an exception.

Even though the balm looks pink, it does not leave any colour on the lips. I really like how vintage-looking the tin is. Looks like something my mother used back in 70s!

Rosebud Strawberry Lip Balm is available at Sephora at US$7.

What I like about it: Moisturising lip balm, cute tin

What I did not like about it: Have to use my fingers to apply. The strong scent might be put-offish to some. Plus it’s not available in Australia.

When I was stocking up on Eucerin’s Hydro-Balance Refreshing Hydrating Cream (it has replaced my Clinique’s Moisture Surge. I’ll talk about this in a future post), Eucerin’s latest range of skincare products, Hyaluron-Filler, caught my eye. And since it contains hyaluronic acid, which I have yet to try, I thought I’d give this a go.

I’ve been using this for over a month now, so I think it should be all right for me to review this moisturiser.

First of all, what the heck is hyaluronic acid?

Hyaluronic acid* (also known as hyaluronan) is a naturally occurring biopolymer, which serves important biological functions in bacteria and higher animals including humans. Naturally occurring, hyaluronic acid may be found in the tissue of higher animals, in particular as intercellular space filler.

The effect hyaluronic acid seems to have on the skin is at the level of promoting the formation of collagen. These are the fibres that firm the skin. Hyaluronidase, an enzyme that breaks down collagen fibres, is produced by free radicals and UV radiation. These factors breaks down fibres of collagen can cause premature wrinkles and sagging of the skin. Focusing on hyaluronic acid, it would seem reasonable therefore, that reducing the free radicals is a major key to reducing the hyaluronidase enzyme and secondly to promote normal levels of hyaluronic acid in the skin.

Scientific mumbo-jumbo aside, it plumps the skin from inside out, making it appear smoother.

Okay, now back to the review.

When you remove the cover of the moisturiser, you’ll find it sealed with aluminum foil. I find this a very hygienic way of packing the cream in to avoid contaminants, because I’ve seen people (okay, me included. Sometimes *gulp*) at the stores removing the cover to give it a sniff and a feel before buying.

The texture of the cream is quite thick and rich for the skin. Which made me wonder at first if this was good for oily skin, because I was afraid it might break me out, as my skin cannot take creams which are too rich. It did break me out, after using it for a few days. I persevered on with the cream, determined to find out if it actually works.

Over a week on, the pimples were gone, and I started to notice a difference in my skin. The dry, peeling skin at the corners of my mouth were gone. The skin was hydrated. The cheeks do appear “plumper” and smooth. This was all great news for me.

A while later, it broke me out once more, on my forehead. That was when I realised that I’ve been using a little too much of the moisturiser on my skin. As I have a very oily T-zone, I cut down the amount of cream I slathered on the area (just a touch of the finger on the cream was enough), whilst maintaining the same amount on the cheeks.

Once I got the amount of cream right on my face, I started getting smoother skin. I use this only at night, and when I put it on, my skin will look very oily. However, the very next morning, the shine on my T-zone is gone, and I wake up with, believe it or not, visibly smoother skin.

Oh I kid you not.

Who do I recommend this for?

I’d recommend this for those with dry skin and stay for long periods in an air-conditioned room. I would not recommend this for those with oily skin in a hot and humid climate because it’s far too rich. It works for me here because the humidity is relatively low and I can thankfully get away with it.

A snag about this cream though – I do not like the smell. It smells something like processed soy beans, lots and lots of soy beans. Now I love soy milk, but this is just meh. But I’m sucking it up because it works for me, and I’m determined to at least finish the jar to come to a final conclusion on whether I’d repurchase or not (I most likely will).

Eucerin Hyaluron-Filler Wrinkle Filling Night Treatment (50ml) is available at Malaysian drugstores like Watsons and Guardian, and is sold at RM98.

What I like about it: Good night cream which hydrates the skin, making it appear fuller.

What I did not like about it: The smell. Too bean-y!

You can also read more about Eucerin’s Hyaluron-Filler range and hyaluronic acid on Viva Woman.

*Source: Hyaluronic Acid – The Latest Craze In “Natural” Skin Care?