I’ve actually never heard of Loreal’s Happyderm range. This range isn’t available in Malaysia (well, not yet anyway. I’m not sure if they’ll bring it to Malaysia). Oddly enough, I found this in the Loreal Paris Canada website, but not the USA, UK or Japan sites.

There isn’t much to the Happyderm range though, compared to the other more popular ones. There were only the cleanser (for normal/combination and dry skin) and the moisturiser. Since I’ve never tried any of the Happyderm range before, I thought I’d check the cleanser out. I bought the one for normal/combination skin.

Description:
1st skin exhilarating cleansing mousse with Phyto-Dorphins(TM) to boost the skin’s well-being
Effective cleansing agents perfectly purify your skin and remove makeup.
A 100% indulgent whipped cream texture to awaken the senses.
Smoothes easily onto your skin, and rinses away in just one step.
Supremely soft, does not dry your skin.
Deliciously invigorating, with an exhilarating fragrance.
Tested under ophthalmological conditions

How to use:
Morning and/or evening, apply to damp face and massage with light, circular motions
Rinse
One light press per application

To be honest, I don’t really have a high opinion on mousse cleansers. I think the amount dispensed is pretty wasteful when you actually don’t need all that much cleanser on your face.

On the cleansing side, I like it. Apart from all the promotional bull-hockey about exhilarating the skin and all that (yeah, was I supposed to feel “high” from washing my face?!), my skin did feel real soft after cleansing. The skin didn’t feel tight at all. It also removed all my makeup well.

The instructions say that I should do a light press per application. This is what a light press produces:

Good Lord, that’s a LOT of cleanser per wash! After rubbing the hands together, there was a lot of lather built up. But I reckon there isn’t much cleansing agents in bit of foam, because it just didn’t feel soapy. I bought this a couple of weeks ago, and I think there is still more than half of the cleanser left in the bottle. I think.

Nevertheless, it IS pretty fun washing my face now, despite the waste. I feel like I’m having ice-cream! :p

Loreal’s Happyderm Skin Exhilarating Cleansing Mousse is sold in Priceline at AUD14.35. I find it cheapest in Priceline, as other pharmacies and supermarkets sell it at a slightly higher price.

What I like about it: Cute mousse, leaves my face feeling soft and clean after a wash.

What I did not like about it: I’m still skeptical on how long this is going to last me, since a lot is used per application. Will update when I finish the bottle.

April 3 marks the release of the limited edition designer collection for Target in Australia. It was designed by Zac Posen, which will be available at more affordable prices. Target has had previous designers for their Designers for Target line before, such as Issac Mizrahi, Stella McCartney, etc.

Just to show you what kind of clothing items will be available from the Zac Posen for Target line, I took a snapshot of a page in the April issue of InStyle Australia.

There’s a genuine replica (oxymoron, I know, but if Zac Posen did the replica, would it still be a fake?) of the dress Katherine Heigl wore to the 2007 Emmy Awards. It will be available in Target for AUD299.99. It’s one of the highlights of his collection for Target.

I’ll be in Chadstone on April 3 for the launch, just to see how well-received it will be (or not). A countdown is already going on in the store, giving the hype. This should be interesting. I might even find something for myself 😉 I just hope it won’t rain on that day though, or else it will be too cold and wet to walk a half hour. Fingers crossed!

Zac Posen for Target is available in the stores shown in the Designers for Target website. Some stores will have limited range of the collection, and some the full range.

I’ve never used mineral makeup before, and as Priceline is just a few doors away from my flat, I was pretty excited to try this one out.

Description:
– Powdered minerals provide the coverage of a foundation but the soft, light feel of a powder.
– Perfect skin without the heavy, mask-like feel of many traditional foundation products, and allow skin to breathe.
– Safe for even the most sensitive skins and provides natural sun protection.
– Light to medium coverage.
– Contains Aloe and Vitamin B5 to soothe, condition and protect sensitive skin.
– Contains no unnecessary fillers, no unnecessary preservatives, and is oil-free and fragrance-free.

Ingredients:
Active Ingredients: Titanium Dioxide (3.0%), Zinc Oxide (5.0%). Inactive Ingredients: Talc, Boron Nitride, Dimethicone, Copernicia Cerifera (Camauba) Wax, Cetyl Dimethicone, Trimethyl Siloxysilicate, Triisocetyl Citrate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Tocopherol, Panthenol, May Contain:, Bismuth Oxychloride, Iron Oxides

Even though it contains mineral makeup ingredients, but from the ingredients, you can see that this is not a pure mineral makeup.

I have rather mixed feelings about this one. It’s not bad, but not all that good either. Anyways, here’s my take on the mineral foundation:

PACKAGING
Contrary to a lot of comments about how bulky the foundation is, I’m actually quite pleased that it has a brush incorporated into the packaging. I think it would be quite swell to bring this around when traveling because it sure beats having to carry an extra kabuki brush and making sure it (the brush) doesn’t get smushed in my cosmetic bag. I’m also glad that it’s very easy and non-messy to apply (you know how mineral foundations can sometimes be a pain in the bum to apply; your dressing table gets more powder than you do!).

The bristles are pretty coarse though. Still, it didn’t bother me that much; I’ll just use my own brush when at home, and bring the whole package (hehe!) with me when traveling. I gave the brush a bit of a wash and conditioned it, so it’s not that harsh on the skin :p

FOUNDATION
This is the part where I have mixed feelings about. The powder went on really well and makes my skin look flawless (without the cakey, foundation-y look). It stayed on pretty long too (I wore it to a barbeque for a whole afternoon, and it didn’t run). The minerals also provide a sunscreen with a SPF of 19. Any product with sunscreen is good in my books.

I would be absolutely delighted with this product if not for the fact that after an hour or so, I looked very SHINY. I had to use quite a lot of facial blotters when I used the mineral foundation just to eliminate the shine when I was outdoors.

A reader alerted me on one of the ingredients used in Loreal’s mineral foundation, bismuth oxychloride, which is known to produce shine, and also clog pores. So far, I have no problems with clogged pores with this mineral foundation (but then again, I don’t use it every day) but I just can’t stand the shine. I have an oily T-zone, and by the end of the day, the “T” just blinds me if I don’t blot. Okay, I’m exaggerating there, but you know what I mean.

You can read more about bismuth oxychloride here. Bear in mind that the very-popular Bare Escentuals mineral foundation also contains bismuth oxychloride.

As the foundation contains bismuth oxychloride, I’m reluctant to use this on a daily basis, but I wouldn’t mind using it once in a while, or bringing it with me when I’m traveling. I’d just have to remember to bring a lot of oil blotters with me :p

Loreal Bare Naturale Powdered Mineral Foundation is available in eight colours – Soft Ivory, Light Ivory, Nude Beige (I bought this one), Creamy Natural, Natural Beige, Buff Beige, Sun Beige and Classic Tan. You can get it at Priceline (and other pharmacies) for AUD33.95.

What I like about it: Gave me a flawless look without using a lot of foundation; handy packaging when traveling.

What I did not like about it: Shine, shine, SHINE! *shudder*