Etude House Missing U, I Can Fly Eastern Grass Owl Hand Cream

Originally I thought that I could do without a hand cream from the latest Etude House Missing U, I Can Fly series as I have an unnumbered amount of hand creams decorating my bedside table. Well, my resistance was for naught when I read the article below:

We always cook up excuses after buying the latest products but this time around, knowing that a part of the profit will be allocated to the UNEP Korean Commission justifies the purchase. I only wish that the percentage of the profit donated is revealed?

The Eastern Grass Owl's plight is voiced by SHINee's Onew in the commercial film. He is not favourite member by far and the jar pales in comparison with the others. So why did I choose it?

From left:
✤ Kakapo: Sunny sunny apple scent
✤ Eagle Owl: Berry berry cherry scent
✤ Cerulean Warbler: Sweet cotton candy scent
✤ Eastern Grass Owl: Peach peach peach scent

According to the promotional blurb, the Eastern Grass Owl cream is designated with a peach scent. Since I adore peaches, I decided to be sensible and go for substance over looks. Haha!

Name: Etude House 에뛰드하우스 Missing U 미씽유 Eastern Grass Owl 가면올빼미 Hand Cream 핸드크림
Price: ₩ 5,500 for 30 ml
Release: November 2012
Made in: Korea

The real deal however did not live up to my expectations. It smells like sweet baby powder. In fact, I can't detect anything remotely peach-like from the aroma.

Its unique blend of organic ingredients (shea butter, asiatic pennywort, aloe, lavender, lemon verbena, marshmallow root and chamomile) and 4-free formula (no parabens, sulphates, ethanol and mineral oil) makes it a super rich, luxurious treat for the hands.

The texture feels like a solidified cream yet once it leaves the pot, it melts into my hands. It spreads easily. More is better in regards to this hand cream. Using a little product is insufficient to meet my needs.

With - Without

This cream has pretty good staying power. It lasts throughout the night without having to reapply. It helps my hands bounce back from daily wear and tear leaving them smooth and soft to touch. I also started using it on my elbows and knees.

The only downside besides the scent, is the slight film of oil left but after a while it eventually sinks in. I bought two other variations because I like Eastern Grass Owl even though it pales in comparison to the marvel that is L'Occitane's Cherry Blossom Hand Cream (smells awful though).

In addition, they were on sale for US$ 3.90 shipped each so, I would be doing myself a disservice if I passed up!

The full ingredient list:

Part ②

(Source: Promotional images are from facebook.com/etude.sing/)

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Linden Leaves Essential Facial Moisturiser With Calendula And Comfrey

The Linden Leaves brand was born in New Zealand and with it, products made from the highest quality ingredients and this includes air-dried, natural Pacific Ocean sea salt and 23kt gold flakes.

Linden Leaves has long been favoured when it comes to body care products especially the Aromatherapy Synergy Body Oils and now they have expanded their repertoire with facial care.

The new range has twelve products, and I will review Essential Facial Moisturiser with Calendula and Comfrey in this entry and what I consider to be the star product in an upcoming post. Please stay tuned for that!

The perfect balancing act for all skin types! This daily moisturiser has an extremely clean and non greasy texture which feels light on the skin and yet offers an intense moisturising effect.

Formulated with nature's aid to hydrate, balance and protect the skin from everyday environmental stresses for a fresh, youthful appearance. Suitable for all skin types. (Source: lindenleaves.com/)

Name: Linden Leaves Essential Facial Moisturiser with Calendula and Comfrey
Price: RM 165 for 50 ml
Made in: New Zealand

Calendula oil (gentle skin nourishment), comfrey extract (skin nutrition and cell regeneration) and neroli essential oil (brightens and improves skin elasticity) are some of the key ingredients for Essential Facial Moisturiser. The result is a product that is a pleasure to the senses. Sensitive noses need not worry, the smell is not at all overpowering and will only linger on for a while.

The 50 ml bottle will last a few months even when used twice a day.

The formula runs towards the creamy side and is easy to blend as long as you use one pump. In spite of the slightly thick consistency, it absorbed easily into the skin after some slight massaging. It bears some resemblance to a sunscreen due it leaving a slight whitish cast on my skin (due to the white coloured cream).

It works a treat at keeping my skin hydrated, soft and supple. It is also not greasy so it is good for daytime use. Plus, so far, my skin has not protested or reacted to the essential oil components.

Before.

After.

However, as I age, I tend to gravitate towards a richer moisturiser for nighttime use. A little extra boost (something that firms the skin while increasing elasticity and smoothing fine lines) is needed and this moisturiser lacks that.

I would recommend it for daytime use, to people with lesser woes than myself or for younger skin to keep it looking at its best.

The full ingredient list for Essential Facial Moisturiser with Calendula and Comfrey:
Aqua (Water/Eau), Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Extract, Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Wheat Straw Glycosides, Glycerin, PEG-40 Stearate, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame/Sesame Oil) Seed Oil, Calendula Officinalis (Calendula) Flower Extract (and) Glycine Soja (Soybean/Soja) Oil, Symphytum Officinale (Comfrey/Comsoude) Leaf Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary/Romarin) Leaf Extract, Essential Oil of Citrus Aurantium Var, Amara (Neroli) Flower Oil, Citral*, D-Limonene*, Farnesol*, Geraniol*, Linalool*, Ascorbic Acid, Phenoxyethanol (and) Ethylhexylglycerin.
*essential oil component.

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Dolce & Gabbana Pour Femme Eau De Parfum

This year, Dolce & Gabbana gives their all time best sellers a stunning new look and a new scent. It is all about going back to the roots - traditional shapes, pattern and fabrics; back to passion, back to true Sicilian values. Before I start with the review of Pour Femme, let's get behind the scenes on the sizzling campaign masterminded by Mario Testino... I hope you enjoy!

And now, the video:

Name: Dolce & Gabbana ドルチェ & ガッパーナ Pour Femme プールファム Eau de Parfum オードパルファム
Price: RM 305 for 50 ml
Release date: 1.11.2012 (Malaysia)
Made in: UK

Pour Femme is attired in a simple, elegant and quintessentially Dolce & Gabbana bottle. Coincidentally, the peach coloured liquid and burgundy cap matches my view of it, which shall be revealed below.

I consider Light Blue Dreaming In Portofino as one of my favourite scents, and I am delighted to add Pour Femme to my collection. If I compared Light Blue Dreaming In Portofino to a cool crisp day in spring, Pour Femme would be a blazing hot day in the height of summer.

The fragrance opens with delicate hints of neroli, raspberry and green mandarin. They are then wrapped up in a bouquet of floral fancies consisting of jasmine and orange blossom. The finishing touches come from guimauve, vanilla, heliotrope and sandalwood, which gives the perfume a sweet yet sensual scent.

It starts off strong but the scent mellows down and then fades. Very quickly. My only gripe is that it lacks longevity for an Eau de Parfum as it needs refreshing every few hours.

This fragrance is not what I reach for on an everyday basis. I prefer to save it for occasional evenings out *teehee*

It is available in three different sizes - 25 ml for RM 216, 50 ml for RM 305 and 100 ml for RM 383 - and is accompanied by a body lotion (RM 143 for 200 ml) and a shower gel (RM 135 for 200 ml).

The full ingredient list for Pour Femme Eau de Parfum:

Disclosure: Press sample.

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Gmarket Fashionista

Gmarket, how I love you! I managed to scrounge up some warm weather fashion picks thanks to a few sellers that have yet to obliterate them from their listings. Winter has arrived in many countries yet it is still warm as a pie fresh out of the oven in Southeast Asia.

ღ Mint top

Top (주)라라엘 | Shorts 리얼코코

Seller: (주)라라엘
Colour: Mint 민트
Estimated weight: 0.37 kg

ღ Black top

Outerwear 더 나크21 | Top (주)라라엘 | Trousers H&M | Necklace Taobao

Seller: (주)라라엘
Colour: Black 블랙
Estimated weight: 0.37 kg

ღ Dark purple cardigan

Outerwear 니트빈 | Top Uniqlo | Shorts H&M

Seller: 니트빈
Colour: Dark purple
Estimated weight: 0.46 kg

ღ Ivory shorts

Top (주)라라엘 | Shorts 리얼코코

Seller: 리얼코코
Colour: Ivory 아이보리
Estimated weight: 0.62 kg

ღ Green tea latte

Seller: (주)천마하나로
Selection: Green tea latte 녹차라떼
Estimated weight: 0.50 kg

The 20% off on fashion items was the icing on the cake!!

Anyone shopped on Gmarket recently?

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Essence Hot Winter Drinks Review: Apple Cinnamon Punch, Caramel Hot Chocolate, Gingerbread Chai Latte

I came to know about Essence's annual Winter Edition hand creams last year and have been hankering for a trio ever since.

Thanks to Hana, I finally got to experience the joy of owning a set of these limited edition hand creams. They made quite a journey before reaching my doorstep as Hana hails all the way from Czech Republic.

Do you prefer hot chocolate, chai latte or punch? With the new essence trend edition "24h Hand Protection Balm – Hot Winter Drinks", the cold winter months are sure to turn into a real pampering experience in October until December 2012. Softly fragranced combinations of aromatic hot drinks and wintertime delicacies such as caramel, gingerbread and cinnamon create the flair of cozy coffee shop visits. (Source: essence.eu/)

(Source: essence.eu/)

Name: Essence 24h Hand Protection Balm – Hot Winter Drinks
Price: 35 Kč for 75 ml
Made in: Poland

To start with, the creams sink in quickly despite the thick consistency. My hands feel moisturised and slightly softer to the touch for an hour or so. I had the impression that they do not provide enough moisture, and I was right. The constant reapplication relegates them to day hand cream category.

Personally, I prefer to use hand creams before bed, but they are not emollient enough for that (I wore them to sleep and I woke up with my hands feeling really parched).

The properties of the creams are about the same. The most notable difference is of course in the aroma. All three scents fill the room right off the bat. With the right scent, it would be heavenly but if I were forced to drown in a foul fragrance with no end in sight, I can't imagine what drastic measures I would take.

ღ Apple Cinnamon Punch
The more I smell it, the better it gets. At first, it was downright awful with a capital 'A' but once I got used to it, it brought up memories of a scented candle that I used to light. I can't recall the brand or the name now...

The full ingredient list for Apple Cinnamon Punch:

ღ Caramel Hot Chocolate
It has a sweet chocolate scent but falls short when compared to the perfection that is last year's Raspberry Chocolate Cookie.

The full ingredient list for Caramel Hot Chocolate:

ღ Gingerbread Chai Latte
This scent is a blend of spices and a hint of tea. Out of the bunch, it smells most like the warm glow of Christmas.

The full ingredient list for Gingerbread Chai Latte:

There are so many better performing hand creams in the market so I can't recommend them. Will this curb my longing for next year's Winter Edition hand creams? No. Haha!

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Burberry Beauty Lip Cover Sepia Pink Review, Swatches, LOTD

Lip Cover was released in July 2010 and since then has become a must-have in makeup pouches everywhere.

Burberry Beauty's Autumn/Winter 2012 collection saw the release of more Lip Covers. The collection also comprises of a new Velvet Foundation and three additional shades to the Sheer Eyeshadow lineup.

(Source: us.burberry.com/)

Name: Burberry Beauty バーバリー ビューティ Lip Cover リップカバー Sepia Pink No.32
Price: RM 96 for 3.8 g
Release: August 2012
Made in: Italy

The lipstick has a lot of little details that you come to expect from designer brands that have made a foray into beauty products.

The iconic Burberry check pattern etched onto the lipstick bullet and the tube is very sleek. The self-aligning magnetic closure provides a satisfying click sound when I slip the lid back on.

It has a nice heft that I usually associate with high end products. However, I find it to be unnecessarily clunky and don't even get me started on the reflective gunmetal grey casing. Here is how it compares to another fingerprint magnet, Lunasol Full Glamour Lips S, which is also ensconced in a square tube.

Yes, despite all the complains, the packaging is indeed très chic!

Sepia Pink is rosy toned mauve taupe. It looks unremarkable when swatched but I promise that you will love it on your lips. I would imagine it being flattering on both fair and tanned skintones.

It looks very natural on my pigmented lips which brings the term my lips but better in beauty blogging lingo to mind.

It feels very moisturising on and glides easily with a lot of slip. It even works well on lipbalm free lips. Colour payoff is pretty decent with two swipes yielding considerable coverage.

Since it is so creamy and all, it doesn't resist eating or drinking. You will certainly need to touch-up afterwards. On its own, it will last an hour or two maximum before wearing off.

Do I need more Lip Covers? Beyond a doubt, yes! I tend to favour glossy and moisturising formulas and this lipstick definitely fits the bill. And once I factor in the pleasing aesthetics... it is really a no-brainer.

The full ingredient list for Lip Cover Sepia Pink:

Disclosure: Gift.

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