Jill Stuart Berry Scrub N

The Jill Stuart Berry Scrub N comes in a 100ml clear tube with a silver screw top cap. A translucent orange-colored gel with specks of darker-colored abrasives, this provides very gentle exfoliation. It heats up upon rubbing, but like most similar products, the heat lasts for a mere 3 seconds, which probably does not benefit the skin in any way. 

I like the fact that this scrub is fragranced, but a pet peeve of mine which happens with this scrub as well, is that it doesn't foam. Hence, I have to either wash my face with the Jill Stuart Cream Face Wash before using this scrub, or to save time, mix them in a ration of 1:1, which of course, brings the already mild exfoliating action down to almost nil.

Jill Stuart Cream Wash

The Jill Stuart Cream Wash comes in a 125ml salmon-colored plastic tube with a silver screw top cap. Just a little bit of the white-colored cream cleanser will give you lots of foam. Although it leaves skin ultra clean, it does not dry it out. 

A good cleanser for oily or combination skin but nothing spectacular. If it had the signature Jill Stuart fragrance, I would probably repurchase.

Astalift Jelly Aquarysta

The Astalift Jelly Aquarysta comes in a 40g red plastic jar with a screw top cap. Rather pricey at $148, the jelly contains nano ceramides and soluble collagen to plump the skin, improve clarity and refine the pores. It also claims to boost the efficacy of any other skincare that is applied thereafter.

The texture of the jelly is similar to watery konnyaku, and changes from a semi-solid to liquid upon application. It is perfect for oily skin as it absorbs completely within a minute, leaving the face matte. It has a faint rose scent which disappears completely once the jelly is completely absorbed.

Shiseido Rosarium Rose Hair Pack

I fell in love with the Shiseido Rosarium Bath and Haircare line a couple of years ago, when I spotted it at a skincare and cosmetic store in Japan. Initially, I bought it because of the pretty rose print. Then I discovered that I liked the scent too. Not natural by any means, it is an artificial sweet rose scent that is rather strong but thankfully does not linger.

The cream is pink, and it washes off cleanly. In fact, for people with dry skin, the shower cream might not be suitable as it does strip the skin of moisture, but once in a while I need to slough off all the oil and grime and experience that squeaky clean feeling.

The shampoo performs similar to the shower cream in that it can be drying, but the hair pack does its job of conditioning the hair. That said, it is still more suitable for normal hair and for regular use. A light conditioner that does not weigh the hair down.

It is not expensive at around $24 a tube, and usually you get a discount at the store, putting the entire Rosarium range at around $12-20 per item. For a product by Shiseido and with such a delightful print, I'm contented.

Boots Complexion Refining Toning Lotion (The Power Of Botanics)

The Boots Complexion Refining Toning Lotion comes in a long plastic bottle with a screw top cap. Acne does improve after a few uses, and pores are temporarily less obvious, though if you have really oily skin, it will still get shiny during the course of the day.

The 150ml bottle of sea green liquid has the kaolin settling at the bottom and has to be shaken well before use.

After shaking, you'll get a powdery dull green liquid which you'll dispense onto a cotton pad and swipe across your face as you would any other toner.

The liquid has a slightly spicy scent due to the rosemary leaf extract which helps to reduce inflammation. Kaolin helps to absorb excess oil, while the glycerin hydrates.

Laneige Multi Cleanser (Professional Makeup Remover)

The Laneige Multi Cleanser comes in a 180ml squeeze tube with a screw-top cap. Although it claims to be a makeup remover, I prefer to depend on my cleansing wipes or cleansing water to do a better job.

The light pink pearlescent cream has the typical Laneige scent, and a small amount produces a sufficient amount of foam for a thorough cleansing. There are beads in the foam, but they are too tiny and mild to produce any effect and cannot be considered a scrub at all. It cleans really well though, even for oily skins, without leaving the skin dry or taut.

Dr Hauschka Eye Solace Soothing Compress

Unlike the Dr Hauschka Rhythmic Night Conditioner, the Eye Solace comes in a box of ten 5ml plastic vials. This makes it safer when breaking the seal to release the liquid within.

The rose-scented solution contains eyebright extract to tone, fennel seed extract to reduce puffiness, woundwort extract to heal, camomile to soothe, and damask rose oil to moisturise the skin.

A single vial has enough liquid to saturate two cotton pads, which you place over the eyes for 5-10 minutes, and then some. It works well to soothe and hydrate the eye area but not much else.

The Faceshop Arsainte Eco-Therapy Multi-Care Cleansing Foam

When I reviewed The Faceshop's Arsainte Eco-Therapy Tonic With Essential, I mentioned that it's my favourite range from the brand. Not least, because of the mellow grapefruit scent.

The flip-top squeeze tube of Eco-Therapy Multi-Care Cleansing Foam contains 140ml of white creamy cleanser that has a similar scent, and will leave your face soft and really clean, without any tautness. Surprising, considering that a pea sized amount of the cleanser produces more thick foam than most other cleansers.

The unique feature about this cleanser however, is that it can be used as a purifying wash-off mask as well. Just leave it on for 2-3 minutes then rinse it off. I've not tried that though, since I find it a little weird to be using soap as a mask.

Naruko Magnolia Brightening and Firming Spray

The Naruko Magnolia Brightening and Firming Spray is a mist that comes in a 120ml plastic spray bottle. The diluted milky solution is dispensed as a moderately fine mist, and can be used on top of makeup. It absorbs well, without leaving behind any stickiness.

It contains Naruko's patented phytoferulin complex, as well as tranexamic acid which has superb whitening properties. One thing I dislike about the spray though, is its pungent scent, probably magnolia, which smells very green, and which I can't seem to get used to.

The box can be crafted into a pen and paperclip holder.

Naruko AMPM Super Hydra Skin Wakeup Pack

The Naruko AMPM Super Hydra Skin Wakeup Pack comes in a cardboard tube. The actual product is packaged in a white toothpaste-style tube with a red screw cap, and looks like some medicinal first aid product due to the red cross on the packaging.

The tube contains 50g of clear moisture booster, to be used on the face in the mornings and on random dry patches of skin whenever it occurs. It absorbs extremely well on dry dehydrated skin, but on oily skin or in humid weather, this might leave a slightly tacky feel, especially after the first few uses.

The scent is that of peppermint with a hint of lavender. It contains sodium hyaluronate and ceramides to hydrate, niacinamide to soothe inflammation and improve skin texture, d-panthenol to heal the skin. It is animal cruelty-free but it does contain parabens, alcohol and glycols.

The Faceshop Arsainte Eco-Therapy Tonic with Essential

Arsainte Eco-Therapy is my favourite range of skincare from The Faceshop, and the Tonic With Essential is my favourite product from the range. It comes in a 145ml clear glass bottle with a pump dispenser. I use this as I would a toner after cleansing with the Multi-Care Cleansing Foam, but it does not merely tone and/or hydrate the skin. It lightly moisturises it as well. Which is really conveninent, if I need to skip moisturiser due to lack of time, or just to let my skin breathe a little more at night.

The golden palm oil floats at the top, and you would need to give the bottle a good shake to disperse the oil before dispensing the tonic onto a cotton pad.

Instead of water, bamboo extract is used for the base. It also contains mung bean and camomile extract to fight inflammation, Japanese white birch extract to re-mineralise to skin, grapefruit and horse chestnut extract to tone, lavender flower to balance and heal, blackcurrant leaf extract to slow the aging process, opuntia extract and sodium hyaluronate to hydrate. The scent is that of mellow grapefruit, and you would have to like the scent in order to use this product, as it is rather strong and lingers for quite a while.

Naruko Oil Out Acne Tea Tree Targeted Treatment

The Naruko Oil Out Acne Tea Tree Targeted Treatment comes in an amber glass bottle with a screw cap. It contains 2% salicylic acid and 0.025% sulphur which is effective against acne.

The opening is small enough for the salmon-colored, powdery liquid to be dispensed drop by drop, though if i have a bad flare up, I just drench a cotton pad with the mixture and swipe it over my entire face except the eye area. It smells predominantly of spearmint, and the menthol leaves a cooling sensation on the skin.

Like other products from Naruko, the Oil Out Acne Tea Tree Targeted Treatment contains phytoferulin, a blend of 11 different plant and herb extracts, and is free from parabens, artificial colors and scents, and is animal cruelty-free.

The box can be made into a pencil holder, but as always, I prefer to use it to hold the original product instead.

A bright mix of greens to soothe tired eyes :)

Jill Stuart Bath & Body Travel Collection

Since there were only two sets available at the Jill Stuart counter, the boy decided to get them both. One of it is the Jill Stuart Bath & Body Travel Collection, consisting of a body cream, a body milk, and a shower gel. The three items come in a clear mini tote with a rope handle, and the brand in repeat print.

I have already used a sample packet of the body milk, and I love it. It smells fruity and absorbs perfectly, unlike some body milks which leave the skin sticky or tacky. Perfect for our humid weather!

The full ingredients list for the Jill Stuart Bath & Body Travel Collection.

Happy Girl! @ the Luxasia Warehouse Sale 2011

Happy because I missed the sale in 2010 as I was in Phuket.

The warehouse sale is at Tai Seng this year, a couple of bus stops away from my place. I reached the warehouse about 9:40am, and the queue was already super long. About a hundred men and ladies in front of me. As usual, an auntie in her 50s, who arrived after me tried to cut my queue. Somehow I have this 'easy to bully' kind of look.

The warehouse space was huge and kind of empty if it wasn't for the crowd. With the rush, you are going to get some items you want, and forfeit others in the process. I got myself a Perricone starter set (expiry date is in a few months time), a Ren Rose Otto Bodycare set (consisting of a scrub and bath oil boxed in beautiful de Gournay wallpaper print), Guerlain limited edition 6-color eyeshadow palette in Rue De Rivoili, Guerlain Or Imperial Face and Body Powder (super cute), Decleor Night Balm in Iris, and a 75ml Chloe EDT. All of the items I got were sold out within the hour!

I did not see any Jurlique products. No Annick Goutal skincare either, just fragrances. Bummer. Decleor balms ($19) and oils ($27) ran out pretty quickly. There were a couple of REN facecare starter kits, but these sold out by the time I was done with Perricone and Chloe, which took me less than 10 minutes.

I wanted to get a couple of Bvlgari perfumes for the boy but they only had aftershave lotion and emulsion.

Any mishaps? Besides the usual shoving and pushing and elbowing (which wasn't that much luckily), I got sprayed on the neck and chest by a lady who did not see the need to aim the nozzle of the perfume bottle properly before spraying. Thank God the perfume did not stink.

The crowd at the Guerlain counter was horrid, with 3-4 rows of people pushing up on each other just to catch a glimpse of what's on the table. Kisskiss lipsticks and lipgloss were going for $15. Lipgloss essence was $20. No meteorites unfortunately. I think they also had the precious eyeshadow palettes in #29 and #2, but all were snapped up very quickly. These palettes weren't cheap at $50 each.

There was a promotion for DBS/POSB card members. Those who spent at least $200 got a free CK body moisturizer, which was fully redeemed by 11am, that's how crazy the sale was.

Cosmetics and Skincare Promotions in Taipei

While planning our trip to Taipei, I expected to haul mainly Taiwanese cosmetics and skincare like Dr Wu, My Beloved One, Naruko, Shills, Majiami etc. Surprisingly, what attracted me most were major departmental store brand like Jill Stuart, Anna Sui, Bobbi Brown, SkII and Darphin.

The second half of October and first half of November seems like a really good time to do some major hauling in Taipei as there are sales going on in almost all major departmental stores.

Here is the Jill Stuart promotion going on at the A8 Shinkong Mitsukoshi departmental store in the Xinyi district.

Every purchase of a perfume set (full sized perfume + travel sized spray) entitles you to a fabric covered jewellery box. I thought the box was ceramic or porcelain, in which case, I would have gotten myself a set.


Quad blush, lip gloss duo compact and travel perfume spray set.
Hand cream, lip scrub, lipgloss, mini eye cream set.
Quad eyeshadow, eyeliner, eye jelly and travel-seized mist set.


Loose powder, foundation, mini base set with a fabric evening pouch.
Pressed powder compact, day care essence, mini base set with a fabric evening pouch.


I got myself one of the Jill Stuart promotional sets consisting of the face wash, berry scrub and a travel sized mist, a loose powder blush, quad blush, and loose powder in #03 shimmer, just because it was pink in color! These 4 sets below can only be gotten at A8 Shinkong Mitsukoshi.


The GWP that came with spending at least NT5000 was an acrylic container for cotton puffs (huge!), and either a travel-sized shower gel (85ml) or body cream (50g). Considering that Jill Stuart isn't available in Singapore, and tourists get a 5% tax rebate in addition to an NT500 Shinkong Mitsukoshi voucher for spending at least NT5000 in a day, it was a pretty good deal.


Anna Sui is cheaper in Taiwan than in Singapore.




I got myself the promotional set of a loose powder and cheek color for NT1400. I choose #200 for the loose powder just because it was purple in color. I know. The promotional set also comes with a purple Anna Sui tote bag with ice cream prints.


I got myself another loose powder, this time in #700, at the airport. Partly because we were trying to rid ourselves of our remaining Taiwan dollars after a yummy dinner of beef noodle soup. It cost only NT1070 (S$46), which is still cheaper than what you'd pay in departmental stores here when they have a 20% discount. I also got a bottle of rather expensive nail polish remover for NT370, but with the heart-shaped bottle that's purple and made of glass, I just couldn't resist.

I was intending to get something from Darphin too, but decided that it's still too expensive. The picture below shows the promotions they were having.

As for SKII, they were having a really good deal with 2 essence-in foundations and a 30ml bottle of essence going for about S$130 or so . Unfortunately, the limited number of sets sold out before I could get my hands on one of them. Not surprising, considering that it was a fantastic deal.

As for departmental store brands, I got myself a couple of items from Naruko and Integrate. Here's part of my mini haul.





TAIWAN HOLIDAY LINKS

Getting from the Airport to the Town Centre
Airport Bus

Accommodation
A review of the reasonably priced City Inn Hotel

Food
Great Yakiniku Dinner Wine and Dine
Best Fruit Smoothie at Agnes B Cafe
Dining Cute @ Hello Kitty Cafe
Best Breakfast @ New York Bagels
Best Spaghetti and Fruits Tea @ Afternoon Tea Cafe
Ice Cream Toast @ Dazzling Cafe, opened by a socialite
Best Mala Hotpot Supper @ Ximending

Night Markets
Shida Night Market
Shilin Night Market
Raohe Night Market
Jianguo Flower and Jade Market

Shopping Malls & Bookstores
Eslite, Shinkong Mitsukoshi

Main Attractions - Places that you can't miss
Danshuei Old Street: Eat while you walk
Jiufen: Traditional Alley
Shifen: Lighting A Wish Lantern
Beitou Hot Springs: Soak your troubles away
Yehliu Geopark: Amazing Rock Formations by the Sea