Essence Review And Swatches: You Belong To Me, In Style, Rich & Pretty

I tried my best to resist picking up more nail polishes from Essence but as usual I had to walk away with something:

Name: Essence Colour & Go Quick Drying Nail Polish
Price: RM 6.90 for 5 ml
Made in: France

53 You Belong To Me is a light aqua blue with silver shimmers. It is not the most opaque colour out there and the finish needs more finesse (uneven and streaky)... nevertheless, it is a colour that I would happily sport all year long.

From left: one to three coats

77 In Style is one of the streakiest nail polish that I ever had the pleasure of using. Yes, the deep blackened teal shade is lovely but application wise, it is a mess.

From left: one to three coats

82 Rich & Pretty is the star out of the three shades reviewed in the entry. The silvery gold shade is amazingly pretty, it applies evenly and it is appropriate for all occasions. Score!

From left: one to three coats

Like Essence polishes? Check out Part I if you want to see more!

November 2012 WonderBox

A few days ago I had the privilege of uncovering my numero uno WonderBox. It is a new beauty subscription service in town and it promises five premium cosmetics and beauty product samples for RM 39.90 (including delivery) a month.

The boxes are dispatched on the 20th of each month and WonderBox promises that they will reach your doorstep before the 25th.

Once open, you are greeted with a glossy product information card.

The contents are nestled amongst brown shredded paper:
① Sampar Vivid Radiance Serum, Lavish Dream Cream and Glamour Shot | RM 23.25, RM 21.15 and RM 14.42

② Office Makeup USA Hydra Radiance Lip Gloss Mini Combo | RM 138

BW01 - BW02 - BW03 - BW06

③ Jurlique Moisture Replenishing Day Cream | RM 59.63

I would have liked the box to come with at least one full sized product à la Glossybox Korea. I am madly in love with their boxes and I have yet to see a product that I would not want to receive. Glossybox Korea has set up a standard of epic proportions and I hope to see WonderBox matching up in the near future.

That said, the stellar service provided offsets any misgivings. The box in this review is actually my second box as the first box arrived with a damaged item. Shortly after my private message went through on Facebook, the WonderBox team immediately issued a replacement box along with an apology. I had to share this because they handled this thorny situation so gracefully.

You might want to give WonderBox a look if you are a beauty junkie interested in trying new products. Otherwise, you can always save aside the money to buy something high end that you have been wanting for a while!

Disclosure: Press sample.

TheSkintopic

TheSkintopic is a newly-established company focused on retailing selected New Zealand beauty and lifestyle products. The brands distributed include: Olive & Tebe, Linden Leaves and Wild Ferns.

The products from these brands are formulated without harmful ingredients, parabens, artificial colours or preservatives and none of their formulas are ever tested on animals.

I took a few photos of the kiosk at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur for your viewing pleasure, so without further ado, let's get to them!

ღ Olive & Tebe

Olive

Tebe

ღ Linden Leaves

Skin care

Foaming shower gel

Shower crème, body lotion

Body oil

The body oils combined. It smells amazing!

Vegetable soap and comforting hand cream

Reed diffuser

ღ Wild Ferns

Kiwifruit

Lanolin

Manuka Honey

Even the men aren’t excluded at theSkintopic with two displays dedicated to their needs.

Tebe

Lanolin for him

As you can see, there are plenty of testers milling about, and there is even a sink for the beauty consultants to demonstrate a regimen on your hand.

If you happen to be in the area, stop by and give this kiosk a look!

Address:
Lot P5.12.00, Level 5,
Pavilion Kuala Lumpur,
168, Jalan Bukit Bintang,
55100 Kuala Lumpur.

Telephone:
03-2142 9988

Get Your Glam On

As the seasons change, so should the contents of our wardrobes and Misses Dressy is certainly keeping ahead of the pack by rolling out new arrivals for spring!

Here are some of my personal picks whether you are looking for evening dresses,

Alberto Makali | US$ 1,378.00

Terani | US$ 767.80

cocktail dresses,

Jovani | US$ 500.00

Jovani | US$ 700.00

and prom dresses for those of you still in school.

Jovani | US$ 640.00

Sherri Hill | US$ 748.00

Whatever your tastes, preferences or budget, the dazzling array of designs, hues and sizes in MissesDressy will surely appease your fashion sense.

(Source: Images are from missesdressy.com/)

Disclosure: This blog post was sponsored by Misses Dressy.

My Beauty Diary Review: Strawberry Yogurt Amino Acid Cleanser, Vanilla Soufflé Face Scrub, Chocolate Truffle Sheet Mask

I was running low on both cleanser and exfoliator and by chance recalled that I have an unopened box of My Beauty Diary Sweet Teatime Mini Set (甜蜜午茶迷你組) in my drawer.

ღ Strawberry Yogurt Amino Acid Cleanser

Name: My Beauty Diary 我的美麗日記 Strawberry Yogurt Amino Acid Cleanser 草莓優格潔顏乳
Price: NT$ 109 for 90 ml
Made in: Taiwan

The cleanser is ensconced in a tub with a twist cap. Not the most hygienic packaging, which is why My Beauty Diary enclosed a little spatula in the full sized version.

It foams nicely and has little exfoliating bits that does nothing for me. It cleanses well but it does not leave my face soft and plump like my HG cleanser.

The full ingredient list for Strawberry Yogurt Amino Acid Cleanser:

ღ Vanilla Soufflé Face Scrub

Name: My Beauty Diary 我的美麗日記 Vanilla Soufflé Face Scrub 香草去角質舒芙蕾
Price: NT$ 269 for 120 ml
Made in: Taiwan

Vanilla Soufflé Face Scrub changed my perspective on peeling gels. It is amazing!

It is basically an exfoliator with a peeling effect in mousse form. After some gentle massaging on a dry clean face, the mousse forms eraser-like shavings.

My skin has never felt so smooth or bright. I am in awe and rightly so!

I immediately went out and got the full sized can. SaSa had a 46% discount for it but it is still considerably more expensive than retail in Taiwan. I can't for the life of me, understand why My Beauty Diary is so expensive in Malaysia.

The full ingredient list for Vanilla Soufflé Face Scrub:

ღ Chocolate Truffle Sheet Mask

Name: My Beauty Diary 我的美麗日記 Chocolate Truffle Sheet Mask 松露巧克力面膜
Price: NT$ 219 for 1 box (23 ml ×10)
Made in: Taiwan

Price: ★★★★★★★ RM 2.28/sachet
Scent: ★★★★★☆☆ chocolate ice cream
Moisturising level: ★★★★★☆☆ +18.7%
Whitening degree: ★★☆☆☆☆☆
Recommend: Yes. It helped to moisturise my face and the scent is just out of this world yummy. I would suggest to those watching their weights to stay away; you would immediately crave for ice cream and that just beats the whole point of eating healthy. It absorbs a little slower than the Earl Grey Tea & Macaron variation, which is my favourite My Beauty Diary mask, but the essence does sink in eventually.

The full ingredient list for Chocolate Truffle Sheet Mask:

(Source: Promotional images are from 7net.com.tw/)