Shiseido Kesho Wakusei

8 May 2007 | Tine

I shared this with Paris a while back, and thought it might be interesting to share with you ladies too.

Conveniences stores (konbini) in Japan really live up to its name – they really ARE convenient. You can get almost anything there (well, stuff used in case of emergencies, I mean; you obviously can’t get yer pots and pans there) e.g. toiletries of all kinds in case you’re stuck at a particular town/city, missed the last train home, and have to put up a night nearby. Oh, and you can also get a full range of makeup.

Shiseido came up with a konbini range, just to be sold at convenience stores – Kesho Wakusei. The makeup and toiletries such as facial wash, toner, moisturiser, etc are sold in small containers, making it more convenient for the Japanese to carry ’em around. Facial wash, toner and moisturiser (and sometimes even a mask) are sold in a plastic case, giving the the women of today the full 3-step skincare routine. These skincare sets are 1000yen a piece.

I do not know the quality of the makeup range, but I reckon it can’t be bad, since it’s from Shiseido. I only bought a lipstick from the range. It was quite good; the lipstick glides quite nicely on the lips. I wanted to try more, but due to language problems (I was asked a lot of questions when I only bought ONE lipstick! And all the time, I had no friggin’ idea what the cashier was going on and on about), I stuck only to one lipstick.

900yen

900yen

800yen

1000yen

The lipstick which I bought is shown in the final picture. It’s quite cool; it looks like a pen, and you swivel the bottom for the lipstick to show.

All in all, it’s quite an interesting concept which appeals to the working ladies of Japan. Too bad we don’t have it here. Maybe someone should introduce a makeup and skincare range for our 7-Elevens and D-Limas :p

Another popular konbini brand is DHC, but I’ll leave that to another day.

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Review: Babor Cleansing Mild Peeling

8 May 2007 | Tine

Beauty experts recommend that we exfoliate our skin once a week to get rid of the dead skin cells from our face, and how right they are. However, there’s a limit to how much we should use it.

When I was much younger (ouch!), I used to use Kao Biore’s scrub (anyone used that?) every day, and man, even though I scrubbed my face lightly, doing it everyday really took a toll on my young, pimpled skin, causing it to break out even more. That kinda scared me off scrubs for a while.

I didn’t really get into the once-a-week scrub routine again until my cousin Bee gave me a 50ml tube of Babor’s Cleansing Mild Peeling exfoliant over a year ago to try it out. Babor‘s a German brand; it was definitely my first. German beauty product, that is.

It has finely ground husks of peach kernels (the exfoliants I normally come across use walnut kernels, which are a little harder), and sesame oil, which aren’t harsh on the face. I like it that the hard bits are very fine, and when you rub it against your face, it doesn’t scratch. I’d lightly rub the scrub on my skin, in a circular motion, and when after rinsing, my face feels clean and nicely exfoliated, without the raw feeling. A small amount, once a week, does the trick. And, my skin didn’t break out, which was even better (yay!).

This cleanser is a salon product; it is not sold at drugstores nor at departmental store counters. My tube of the mild peeling cleanser is about to finish; unfortunately, I have no idea where to restock. Bee, some help? I checked on the Internet for Babor stockists in Malaysia, and this is what I found:

Luxor Beauty World Sdn Bhd
Penthouse, Menara Luxor
Tropicana Golf & Country Resort
6B Persiaran Tropicana
47410 Petaling Jaya
Selangor

Yeah I know, this isn’t much of a review since I can’t tell you where to get it unless you go to the stockist directly, but if you do come across the scrub at your facialist’s (I’ve seen a few advertisements of beauty centres who do use Babor products; sadly, none in Penang), you could give it a go. It is suitable for all skin types.

What I like about it: It’s a mild and non-scratchy (I like it that the kernels are very fine).

What I don’t like about it: Not easily available.

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How To Apply Two-Way Foundation & Loose Powder

6 May 2007 | Tine

Note: I actually wrote and saved this for my other blog, but since I now have this, I thought I’d post it here instead.

Picked up a leaflet when I was buying a couple of hair clips at Sinma. Thought I’d scan and share it here, for the benefit of those who ain’t too sure about the method of application. Honestly, I have never used the two-way foundation as a makeup base before (no idea how to), so it was pretty useful for me too.

Two-Way Foundation

As a makeup base

1. Dampen the sponge with water, and squeeze it to dry.

2. Dab 1/4 of the sponge with foundation. Apply it evenly, using outward movements from the T-zone area to the other parts of the face.

3. Even out the foundation around the nose area with outward movements.

4. Apply the remaining foundation to the area above the lips and eyes.

For touch-up purposes

1. Dab 1/4 of the sponge with foundation.

2. Apply it around the T-zone.

3. Dab 1/3 of the sponge again with foundation and apply with downward movement around the nose and chin.

4. Fold the sponge into half, and smooth it evenly around the eye area.

Loose Powder

1. Fold the facial puff into half after dabbing it with loose powder.

2. Next, even out the loose powder on the facial puff.

3. To avoid the foundation from drying out and causing wrinkles to show, apply the loose powder around the eye area after applying the foundation.

4. Finally, spread the loose powder on the face lightly and evenly in an upward movement.
(Actually, I’d recommend sweeping the loose powder downwards with a face brush, as to “cover” the pores, giving it a more covered and flawless look)

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My Daily Skincare Routine

6 May 2007 | Tine

Before I go on with more reviews on skincare products, I thought I’d give you a glimpse of my daily skincare routine, just to give you the 411 about my skin type, and the stuff I use to keep it in good condition (well, I try :)).

I have combinational skin; with the occasional breakout at the T-zone area. I use these daily, and they are the ones which work best for me (so far).

Morning
Olay Clarity Fresh Cleanser (for oily/combination skin)
Kanebo FairCrea White Power of Clear
Clinique Clarifying Lotion 2 (for combination skin)
Cellnique Pro Sebum Gel
Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel
Clinique City Block SPF 15 Oil-Free Daily Face Protector
Kanebo Sensai Total Lip Treatment

Evening
Olay Clarity Fresh Cleanser (for oily/combination skin)
Kanebo FairCrea White Power of Clear
Clinique Clarifying Lotion 2 (for combination skin)
Cellnique Pro Sebum Gel
Loreal RevitaLift Double Lifting Extreme Re-tightening Gel & Anti-Wrinkle Cream
Bio Essence Bio-Energy Eye Bag Vanishing Serum
Kanebo Sensai Total Lip Treatment

(Price range – RM10 to RM280)

Oh boy, sounds like a handful, huh? It only takes me 10-15 minutes a day for each routine though. I got used to the 3-step skincare routine (cleanse, tone, moisturise) since I was 12, and now, if I miss a step, I don’t feel right.

I use a facial scrub once a week, and a mask too, if I’m not lazy. I should be more hardworking with the masks; after a scrub, it’s good to treat the face with a nice, cooling mask (suggest that you keep your facial masks in the refrigerator; they last longer, and they feel good on your skin). Melts your stress away, as they say 🙂

I currently use the Bio Essence Eye Bag Vanishing Serum as an eye cream, but I think I’m going to change to another eye cream when this is finished as I don’t seem to see any improvement to my lines and eyebags (the latter’s a big problem area for me). Any recommendations?

Stick to the 3-step skincare if this is a little too much for you. It scares me sometimes that I put so much creams, gels and lotions on my face, but I guess I got used to it, and it’s a little difficult to come off the routine.

The 3-step skincare should do it, and remember that it’s never too early to start. Over-the-counter skincare products like Olay or Simple (this is not bad, as their range is light and unscented) work just fine if budget’s an issue.

Okay now, repeat after me, ladies. Cleanse, tone and moisturise!

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