Innisfree Its Real Squeeze Mask (Cucumber) review

Dear Beauty Diary,

Today I shall review sheet masks from Innisfree! Sheet masks are the craze in Asia and even more popular than the masks that come in jars. In fact, a few years ago, I thought that sheet masks were the only type of masks for a long time, hehehe. Anyway, sheet masks are a great pick me up for your skin. I use them once a week. I have tried sheet masks from a few different brands, but I was just meh with them. Nothing that made me want to repurchase. Until I found the Innisfree sheet masks!

Innisfree has a few different ranges of sheet masks, but I shall be reviewing the sheet masks from the Its Real Squeeze Mask line. They have many different fruits, berries and herbs, such as Aloe Vera, Honey, Bija, Kiwi, Strawberry, etc. You will definitely find one that suits your skin! I've used up my Rose and Tea Tree ones, so I'm left with this cucumber one to review. Its quite affordable, at $2 for each mask. The mask comes dripping with serum, there's 20ml worth of serum packed into each mask. So much serum that you don't need to worry about your face drying out with the mask on, even if you have dry skin.

One of the top ingredients in the mask is glycerin, so it makes your skin very supple and moisturised. The mask is also very cooling and refreshing on the skin. Results last for a whole day! Your skin just feels so rich and moisturised after using the mask. I have never used a mask that gives me such results before, most masks leave a gel type serum after use. The Innisfree masks seem to leave a cream type serum after use, it is very thick and rich. Super moisturising and I love it.

Ingredient list.

Downside to the product is that all the masks from the Its Real Squeeze Mask line contains alcohol and butylene glycol as one of the top ingredients. I have found that the only masks that do not contain alcohol is the Shea Butter and Rice masks. I have quite sensitive skin, so the alcohol tingles my face. Also, pure alcohol smells terrible. It has a sharp stinging smell. While these masks are scented, the alcohol smell is still overpowering. They smell terrible.

Furthermore, even though there is very little research done on the comedogenic effects of butylene glycol, after years of experimenting, I have discovered that butylene glycol breaks me out. I have read reviews of others breaking out from some of these masks, and I suspect its butylene glycol.

If you do not have sensitive skin, I would recommend using these masks, as the effects are great. Love the glycerin and love how moisturising it is. I still use this mask once a week even though it has butylene glycol, just because I love how soft, plump and moisturised it makes my skin feel. Currently this is my favourite mask, but really wish they would take out the alcohol and butylene glycol. If anyone has masks to recommend that are super moisturising, yet do not contain the 2 ingredients I mentioned above, please say so in the comments, I would love to try! ^_^

Innisfree Green Tea Fresh Cream review

Dear Beauty Diary,

I'm back with a whole lot of Korean skincare and makeup reviews! To kickstart all the Korean goodies, I shall start with Innisfree, one of my favourite Korean brands.

Firstly, let me tell you a short story about my skin. I have normal to oily skin. In the past, I tried creams from Etude House, Mizon, Za, Hada Labo, etc etc (that was so long ago that I can't remember xD) even dermatologist recommended creams. All didn't work. It left a greasy layer on my face which made my skin super dry, sticky, and it kept evaporating which made my skin very uncomfortable and in serious need of more moisture. Very unhappy skin. That put me off chemical laden skincare, and I turned towards natural skincare. I tried brands like Sukin and LUSH. Wow I loved them, my skin drank up all the natural oils, but natural butters (shea, cocoa) broke my skin out! So I had to continue searching. Enter Badger. I LOVE Badger. No butters or comedogenic oils in their skincare, which explains why I used up 2 bottles of their damascus rose face oil and 3 bottles of their unscented face oil. I've been using Badger for about 4-5 years now. However, my skin got too used to Badger, so it wasn't as effective for me anymore. I would definitely use Badger again in the future, after a few rotations of different brands. Anyway, I started the search again. Enter Innisfree, which is known to use natural ingredients from Jeju Island in Korea.

I couldn't decide which range to use, as there are so many different ranges in Innisfree. Thus, I decided to pick them based on their ingredient list - the more natural, the better. Struck out all creams with silicones, they do nothing but sit on your skin to give you a glossy, dewy Korean skin look. Looks pretty, but is very greasy. Enter the Green Tea Fresh Cream. No silicones, very impressed. It also contains 84.2% green tea extract. Green tea is good for the skin and body as it is full of antioxidants.

I got my Innisfree Green Tea Fresh Cream at $25 ($17.88 USD), very affordable. This cream is meant for oily skin. They also have the green tea balancing cream, which is for combination skin, and the green tea moisture cream, which is for dry skin. It comes in a plastic tub with 50ml worth of product, which is going to last you ages as you just need a finger dab each application. By the way, you can bring back the plastic tub to Innisfree after you are done with it, they will recycle it. And you also get $1 back for your recycling efforts.

The product comes in a light gel form. It is colourless and the texture is similar to aloe vera gel. Feels very lightweight. However, it is very moisturising, which surprised me! It goes on smooth as a gel, but as you massage it in, it takes on a rich oil texture. I love oils and how fast they sink in and their moisturising ability, which made me very happy with this cream.

The gel is colourless, I swatched it in the middle of my hand, hopefully you can see it.

This cream did not leave me dry at all. Honestly, it was a tiny bit sticky at first when I was massaging it in, but the feeling disappeared once I patted it in. After it sinks in, there is no more sticky feeling. It is not greasy and does not leave a shiny look on your face. It just leaves your skin smooth and moisturised throughout the day. My skin has become softer and smoother after using this cream, and I am so happy with the results. This cream should only be used in Summer and Spring, it will not be enough for the cooler Winter weather. Perhaps I will use my Badger oils then.

This cream has a very strong fresh scent. It smells like a forest after the rain, fresh and strong. It is pretty pleasant, but sensitive skin users beware, the smell is quite strong. Anyway, here is the ingredient list that I have retrieved from the Innisfree website, look how natural it is.

The Green Tea Extract (84.2%), Propanediol, Glycerin, Tangerine Peel Extract, Prickly Pear Extract, Orchid Extract, Camellia Leaf Extract, Eugenia Caryophyllus (Clove) Flower Extract, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Extract, Grapefruit Extract, Orange Extract, Tangerine Extract, Tromethamine, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Butylene Glycol, Carbomer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Water, Disodium EDTA, 1,2-Hexanediol, Fragrance

Overall, I am very satisfied with this cream. It is light but super moisturising. Sinks in fast, no sticky or greasy feeling. Ingredients are very natural which makes me feel so proud of Innisfree. No breakouts at all. Highly recommended!

The Body Shop Pinita Colada body scrub review

Dear Beauty Diary,

I'm here with another product from The Body Shop Pinita Colada range! So excited for this range, and all the products smell so yummy, like a true pina colada. The Body Shop Pinita Colada range is inspired by the iconic pina colada, a cocktail made of equal parts pineapple, coconut and white rum. Also happens that I love pina colada, and had to grab all the Pinita Colada products when it launched. Alas, its only limited edition, so grab it while you still can. I also bought The Body Shop Pinita Colada body butter, which you can read my review here.

I got The Body Shop Pinita Colada body scrub for $36.90 ($27.46 USD), which I think is quite pricey for a The Body Shop product. However, you get 250ml worth of product, which is more than the usual 200ml pots that The Body Shop does for its scrubs, to account for the price difference. By the way, I love the new body scrub packaging, it comes housed in a little plastic jar. Its so aesthetically pleasing! ^_^

Fusion of pineapple with coconut

Super cute jar packaging!

The Body Shop Pinita Colada range contains specially formulated products just for the hot summer weather. Here's what The Body Shop says about the Pinita Colada body scrub:

Turn your shower into a beach party with Piñita Colada Body Scrub. Blended with real shredded coconut this exotic exfoliator with a deliciously tropical scent helps reveal smoother, summer-ready skin.

• Deliciously tropical scent
• Reveals smoother, fresher skin
• Lifts away dead skin cells

Yes its true, this product contains real shredded coconut inside. Lots of it. In fact, the shredded coconut is the 'scrub' in this scrub, its small and gritty and does all that scrubbing for you. You can see some yellow bits suspended in the scrub, those are the small flakes of shredded coconut.

Let's face it. This product doesn't have a huge scrubbing action going on. You're scrubbing yourself with coconut shreds, how much scrub action is that going to give you. So for those with really dry, flaky skin, and if you're looking for a scrub with superior scrubbing power, this ain't the scrub for you. Let me kindly direct you to The Body Shop Cocoa Butter body scrub, that is one coarse scrub.

The Body Shop Pinita Colada body scrub has a medium scrubbing power, the coconut shreds are fairly gritty, so they do some sloughing of your dead skin cells. But its not gritty enough for a really good scrubbing session. I personally quite like this, as this means I won't end up over-scrubbing myself, which isn't good for your body either. Just use this more frequently that your usual coarse scrub, perhaps 2 to 3 times a week.

As for the texture of this scrub, its so lovely. Its an air-whipped cream with coconut shreds suspended in it., to give you a fair, even scrub. The cream is so light and fluffy, it feels so luxurious using it. And that smell. When you use it in your bathroom, your whole bathroom is going to transform into a tropical beach paradise. Its so juicy and fruity! Juicy being the keyword. So delicious.

Hello to lovely light cream scrubs!

You don't really need much scrub each time you use it. A fair amount should be enough to cover your whole body. After rinsing off the scrub, I found that it left a thin oily film on my skin. I think its to moisturise your skin, but I did not quite like the feeling. It felt quite greasy in my opinion, so I washed it off. For those who like moisturised skin, this is good news for you, as the thin film will keep your skin hydrated. My body did not feel dry at all after using this scrub.

Here's the ingredients if you're interested:

In a nutshell, this is one cool scrub. Scent is really strong, of sweet coconut with strong hints of juicy pineapple. Also, I did not get any dry patches or irritation from using the scrub. Highly recommended! ^_^

What are your opinions on the Pinita Colada body scrub? I would love to hear from you in the comments! :)

The Body Shop Pinita Colada body butter review

Dear Beauty Diary,

After such a long hiatus on my blog, I am finally back into the blogging world! Did you guys miss me haha. Anyway, I am back with a more HD camera, so better photos for you guys. *celebrates* I am also trying to take prettier pictures with a nicer background, so maybe you can tell me what you think about the updates in the blog? :)

Ok anyway, moving on to the main part of this post - The Body Shop Pinita Colada body butter. The Body Shop Pinita Colada range has 4 products - body butter, body scrub, shower gel and body sorbet. I only got the body butter and body scrub. Click here to read my review on the Pinita Colada body scrub. :)

I dislike shower gels from The Body Shop, as they are "soap free", but this means that you're left with a thin layer of the shower gel on your skin even after rinsing. This thin layer is supposed to be moisturising, but you showered with it, its meant to be rinsed off. The ingredients in it are also meant to be washed off, I don't feel so comfortable leaving it on my skin. >.< I also didn't get the body sorbet, as the ingredients in it are so dubious. Sorry if I'm offending anyone, this blog has a focus on products that use quality natural ingredients. Among the first 3 ingredients, PEG-8 appears. PEGs are really bad for your body guys. Do you really want to moisturise your body with synthetic chemicals produced in a lab, or use natural oils derived from nature.

Do you guys like cocktails? I know I love a pina colada. ;) What better way to celebrate my favourite cocktail by slathering myself in it. The Body Shop Pinita Colada body butter costs $30.90 ($22.99 USD). It comes in a standard sized tub of 200ml. This is going to last you a long time haha.

Pretty packaging, describes a pina colada perfectly - a mix of pineapple and coconut!

Here is the description of the product from The Body Shop:

Smooth on sunshine with Piñita Colada Body Butter. With a deliciously tropical scent this rich yet lightweight cream intensely hydrates skin for 24 hours making it the perfect post-beach body treat.

• For normal to dry skin
• 24 hour hydration
• Deliciously tropical scent

The Body Shop Pinita Colada range was made for summer weather, and so the body butter is very light and runny. It jiggles around in the pot when you shake it. Its definitely one of the lightest body butters by The Body Shop. Second lightest in my opinion. Lightest will definitely be The Fuji Green Tea body butter. The body butter is very light and smooth, so its really easy to remove it from the pot and to spread it over your body. It spreads really easily, unlike some of the others like the Argan Oil body butter that takes some time to work into your skin.

Really light, jiggly texture.

You don't really need much product to cover your entire body. Just a thin film is enough in my opinion. However, this product sinks in pretty quickly, but my skin is still left supple and soft even after the product has sunk in. The Body Shop also claims that this product provides 24h moisture, so that's good news. I did not experience any dry patches or itchness after applying this product, so it works! As long as you have normal to dry skin, this product should moisturise well enough for you. Its summer, you don't want your body to feel all sticky with body butter out in the sun. Urrgh that feeling.

However, if you have really dry skin, get another body butter instead. And no, this product isn't suitable for winter, it sinks in way too quickly to be suitable for the harsher winter climate. Get the Argan Oil one for winter. :) Hehe I really like the Argan Oil one for colder weather, its so luxurious.

Scent wise, its a straight up pina colada. Lovely scent. Like all The Body Shop products, the scent is really strong and anyone in the same room as you can smell you. That is a good thing in my opinion, they will come up to compliment you on your fragrance choice. ;) Its a lovely blend of juicy coconut with strong hints of pineapple. Its a very tropical fragrance, and reminds me of a beach vacation.

 If you like pina coladas, and you like moisturing your body, get this body butter. ^_^

What are your opinions on The Body Shop Pinita Colada range? Drop me a comment, I would love to know! :)

Mentholatum - Sunplay Water Kids (sunscreen lotion) review

Dear Beauty Diary,
I stumbled across a sunscreen recently and bought it solely because of the cute chick hopping on the bottle. Its the Mentholatum Sunplay Water Kids sunscreen lotion! I got it for about $14 (USD $11.20) at Guardians, which is really budget friendly for a sunscreen.

A whole row on the shelf was dedicated to Mentholatum sunscreens - there's the one for sensitive skin, the one for sports, the one for a refreshing feeling, etc. I chose the one for children, since I wanted the sunscreen to be the most natural. (Its not a natural-based product though!)

Cute design, but very small bottle.

Small opening to squeeze out the lotion

From the ingredients list, I can tell that this is a chemical sunscreen. It means that this will sink into your skin and absorb the UV rays instead of letting the UV rays damage your skin directly. I'm ok with chemical sunscreens, I've no issue against them. It is very light and runny texture, it actually comes out of the tube as a liquid. However, I should mention that this particular sunscreen left a powdery and slightly oily feeling on my skin after I let it sink it. I don't really like the experience of applying it due to its texture.

This is enough to cover your whole face. As you can tell, its a very runny, water-based lotion.

I went out to a water-theme park with my friends recently, and had to apply sunscreen on my entire face and body since the sun was scorching hot. I brought this sunscreen along with me. I used up a quarter of the bottle just applying the sunscreen to my body. :( That's not very good, why do I need so much product? Furthermore, the bottle contains so little product!

The packaging did not say that this product is not meant to be applied on the face. Since I only had this bottle of sunscreen with me at the water park, I decided to slap some onto my face. It left the same powdery, grainy feeling on my face, and left my face slightly oily, but I could see it shining back at me in my reflection, there was just so much excess oil there. Not a good look!

I guess oily-skinned people should not use this sunscreen, it'll leave you looking even oilier. Perhaps this product is best suited for those with dry skin. However, do take note of the powdery texture I mentioned earlier, especially if you are considering to buy this sunscreen. I didn't really like that texture...

I had quite some trouble removing the sunscreen. I used an oil based make-up remover and lots of tissue paper, but I still had that oily, powdery feeling on my face. I got really fed-up removing it, since it was such a pain in the ass to remove. I think I just ended up using my regular face cleanser to harshly remove this sunscreen lotion. >.<

Along with the fact that I turned red and a few shades darker after playing in the sun, I have come to a conclusion that this sunscreen is just not compatible with me. It didn't protect me at all from the sun, even though I applied generously (I even used up a quarter of the bottle!).

Overall, I don't think there is much to be said about this product. Truthfully, its quite a meh product to me. It just doesn't do its job as a sunscreen. I won't be recommending it, and there are many other sunscreens out there in the market.

Tried it? What are your thoughts? Any nice sunscreens to recommend? :) I'm always on the lookout for a good sunscreen!

Badger Damascus Rose Antioxidant Face Oil review

Dear Beauty Diary,
I'm going to share about one of my favourite products ever. Its the Badger Damascus Rose Antioxidant Face Oil! I love Badger and I love almost everything that comes from Badger. Badger manufactures 100% organic products, and those products that are not organic are 100% natural. I got this bottle for $27 (USD $21.59), which is I think is really affordable.

I realised that Badger hardly does any face products. They do more on body and aromatherapy. The only face products they have are lip balms and the Damascus Rose face range. I visited their website recently and found out that they have included some new face products, such as the Seabuckthorn (for combination skin) and Argan (for normal skin) face oil. Well, I have the Damascus Rose face oil with me, which is meant for mature skin. Not really meant for my skin type, but I got it when they haven't released the other face oils. This oil still does a really great job for me though!

Such pretty packaging!

Product description (click to enlarge)

This product contains 29.5ml worth of oil. It may seem pretty little compared to the 40-50ml sizes that oils from other brands come in. Let me tell you that this oil is plenty for your face. I have been using it for 4 months now and I am less than a third through the bottle. And can we give a shout out to the packaging? Its so pretty! The font is beautiful, the arrangement and layout is perfect, and the rose colour of the packaging mixed with the gold accents on the bottle makes it simply divine. Pretty packaging just makes me love products even more.

Ingredient List, you can see the USDA Certified Organic label on the packaging too! :) (click to enlarge)

Here's the ingredient list of the product. They are all natural ingredients, and have been organically grown and harvested. You can see the USDA Certified Organic label on the packaging. I love how simple yet effective this product is. Badger used a base oil, jojoba oil, and included skin beneficial concentrated essential oils like lavender, rose and chamomile. Jojoba oil is a very light oil that sinks into your skin very quickly, so its suitable for all skin types. Lavender, rose and chamomile essential oils are all very calming and soothing, perfect for those with sensitive skin.

Since jojoba oil is the base oil, this product sinks in really quickly, and you do not need to worry about it being too oily for you. Everything just simply sinks in! This oil provides lots of moisture for those with dry skin. Now don't fret, oily skin people, this oily works for you too. I used to have oily skin, but when I started using this face oil, my skin changed to normal. I'm really happy about this.

You don't need much product to cover your entire face. I only use half a pump on my face. I use it morning and night, and my skin feels so much smoother and softer. After applying this product, my skin actually sort of glows! Its a truly wonderful product.

Swatch of the beautiful golden oil

Recently, I started using this oil for my hair. In fact, I feel that this oil is better than many hair oils out there in the market. This oil sinks in and keeps my frizzy hair straight and calm for the rest of the day. And it doesn't feel heavy at all on my hair. It just sinks in and you won't even notice that the product is there after applying. My hair just smooths out and feels so light and tamed. Ahh, bliss.

This face oil has a very strong scent. Its all from the essential oils though, promise! No perfume has been added into this product, otherwise it can't and won't be USDA Certified Organic. The rose scent is the most prominent, but I can smell a hint of lavender in it. After applying to your face, the scent disappears, so it should be fine for those with sensitive noses. The scent is really nice though, so no issues. :)

Overall, I think that this face oil is bliss in a bottle. I love it! It sinks in immediately, moisturises so well, has made my skin glow and smells divine. I don't think I will ever stop using this face oil. Trust me, once you start using it, you won't be able to stop. The Badger Damascus Rose Antioxidant Face Oil is totally worth every cent!

Click here to find out how I use the Badger Damascus Rose Antioxidant Face Oil in my skincare routine!

What are your thoughts on this face oil? Do share in the comments! :)

My Bodycare Routine

Dear Beauty Diary,
If people have skincare routines, why can't I do a similar post on my bodycare routine? So I have put together a few products which I use on my body. I have done posts on my skincare routine and a what's in my shower post, click to read if you're interested. :)

LUSH Sweetie Pie Shower Jelly, $12 (USD $9.60)

I love the diverse range of soaps and shower gels LUSH offers. They have so many great scents! When I heard of using jelly to shower, I just had to get one of the LUSH shower jellies. I prefer the sweet scent of Sweetie Pie over the refreshing one of Whoosh, so I got myself a tub of Sweetie Pie. Its really a jingly piece of jelly. Its quite hard to use in the shower, so I cut mine up into many tiny little pieces and use a piece each time I shower. It smells like blackcurrant syrup, and leaves a nice layer of moisture on my skin every time I use it. By the way, this product really works. It lathers up and cleanses really well. ;)

The Body Shop Cocoa Butter Body Scrub, $30 (USD $23.99)

For those days that I want to get rid of all that dull, rough skin, I whip out The Body Shop Cocoa Butter Body Scrub and get the scrubbing going. This body scrub is pretty rough and harsh and will buff away all that dead skin cells. It is very scrubby and a little goes a long way. While it is really scrubby, I feel that its not all that good at moisturising. You definitely need to follow up with a body lotion after all that intense scrubbing. This scrub smells delicious though! It smells like a chocolate cake, made with dark chocolate - it isn't a sweet chocolate scent. Click here to read my full review on The Body Shop Cocoa Butter Body Scrub.

The Body Shop Honeymania Body Scrub, $30 (USD $23.99)

As you can see, my Honeymania Body Scrub from The Body Shop has received a lot of love from me. Ohhh I just love the scent of this scrub so much! It smells like flowers and honey. Its really gentle too, so I use it very often throughout the week. Its pretty moisturising, especially when you're washing off the scrub. The scrub turns into a milky lotion, which I leave on my skin for a while to double up as a moisturiser. I would recommend this scrub to those who have sensitive skin. Its really gentle and isn't all that harsh to your skin. Click here to read my full review on The Body Shop Honeymania Body Scrub.

LUSH Ro's Argan Body Conditioner, $58 (USD $46.39)

Sometimes, I use the LUSH Ro's Argan Body Conditioner in the shower. Its a body conditioner, so it has to be washed off in the end. If I don't feel like applying body lotion that day, I would use this little pot of rose goodness. I apply soap to cleanse, wash it off, towel dry, then apply this body conditioner. I personally feel that it takes quite some time to sink in. I usually wait around in the shower and read a book or so for 20 minutes while I wait for the product to sink in. Then I wash it off and towel dry. It is quite oily and leaves a film on your skin though, which I don't find very comfortable. Thus I only use this on a whim. It is worth mentioning though, since the scent is just so sweet and smells like vanilla ice cream with rose petals.

LUSH Celebrate Body Lotion, $43 (USD $34.39)

Close up of LUSH's Celebrate Body Lotion

Can you see, can you tell? I love my LUSH Celebrate body lotion so much! It smells like a tangy orange, and sniffing it always makes me feel positive and happy. No wonder, citrus oils have the ability to energise you up. LUSH's Celebrate body lotion is packed full of citrus oils - Brazilian orange oil, cognac oil, lime oil and orange flower absolute. This body lotion is also super moisturising. It has almond oil and cocoa butter to leave you feeling buttered up. Almond oil is a rich, thick oil that takes some time to sink in, and is the first ingredient (and thus is in highest concentration) in this body lotion. That's good news eh? I'm almost done with my pot of Celebrate body lotion!

Burt's Bees Almond Milk Beeswax Hand Creme, $18 (USD $14.40)

I have been trying out this Burt's Bees Almond Milk Beeswax Hand Creme for the past couple weeks now. I only need around a finger swipe of it to cover my hands. It smells like cherry with a hint of almond in it. I'm neutral towards the scent, I don't particularly love it, but I don't mind the scent at the same time. Is that weird? I guess you have to go up and sniff it to decide for yourself. This is a very rich hand cream and takes around 10 minutes to sink in completely. However, while it moisturises my hands nicely, I feel like I need to say that I find the texture a little weird. It's very hard, almost like a hard butter, and doesn't spread easily in your palms. I presume that's due to the high concentration of kaolin (aka. clay) present in the hand cream. Its odd to have kaolin in hand cream, but who knows? Apart from the texture, this is a nice hand cream to have around.

Badger Sore Joint Rub, $13.90 (USD $11.12)

This Badger Sore Joint Rub is a balm for your tight and sore muscles, but I included this in my Bodycare routine since I use it almost daily. Look, I've already hit pan! I get sore muscles quite often (too many reasons to list haha), and I used to toss around in bed since my body ached so much I couldn't fall asleep. This balm has been great to me. I scoop a little of it out, rub it on my sore muscles, and massage it in. It has a texture of a soft balm, so it melts relatively easily when you rub it in. I must stress that its really important to massage the balm in for you to feel its effect. I think your blood will flow better and let you better feel the relaxing effects of the balm. Your muscles will tingle for a good while after using this balm, but oh it makes all those knots go away. ^_^ It smells delightfully of ginger, and has a warm cinnamon scent. It moisturises nicely too, what a nice surprise! It being USDA Certified Organic too simply makes this balm one of the products that I hold closest to my heart.

I guess that's all for my Bodycare routine. What a long post, whew I'm glad we finally made it to the end. What do you think of the products I use daily? Hopefully, my post has inspired you to try out some of the products I've mentioned!

Do you have any recommendations for me to try? :)

What's in My Shower

Dear Beauty Diary,
I decided to do a post on what I use in my shower. I'm a pretty boring person when it comes to showers, so please bear with me. You can click here to view the posts I did on my skincare routine and my bodycare routine! :)

MVNE Organic Shampoo, $23 (USD $18.40)

I became paranoid when I discovered that many many shampoos contain harmful and harsh ingredients that may cause cancer in the long run. So I switched to using organic shampoo. This one is by MVNE, a Japanese brand. I like how its organic, but I dislike how its so drying on my hair. It just strips my hair of all its natural oils and leaves it in a big fluffy mess after every shower. I have to tame my hair by applying lots of hair oil on it. I didn't need hair oil till I started using this shampoo... I'm planning on switching to another shampoo once I'm done with this bottle. Any recommendations on organic shampoos?

LUSH Sweetie Pie Shower Jelly, $12 (USD $9.60)

I love the diverse range of soaps and shower gels LUSH offers. They have so many great scents! When I heard of using jelly to shower, I just had to get one of the LUSH shower jellies. I prefer the sweet scent of Sweetie Pie over the refreshing one of Whoosh, so I got myself a tub of Sweetie Pie. Its really a jingly piece of jelly. Its quite hard to use in the shower, so I cut mine up into many tiny little pieces and use a piece each time I shower. It smells like blackcurrant syrup, and leaves a nice layer of moisture on my skin every time I use it. By the way, this product really works. It lathers up and cleanses really well. ;)

Biore Marshmallow Whip Facial Foam for acne prone skin, $12 (USD $9.60)

I use this facial cleanser on my face when I bathe, so is it considered as being part of my shower? Anyway, I've been using this cleanser for years now. I prefer a foam cleanser, and this one foams up so beautifully. The foam is very packed and spreads on my face very smoothly and evenly. It removes oil and dirt though, so it is a little drying. However, it doesn't completely strip my face dry. You'll need to follow up with a moisturiser after using this cleanser.

LUSH Ro's Argan Body Conditioner, $58 (USD $46.39)

Sometimes, I use the LUSH Ro's Argan Body Conditioner in the shower. Its a body conditioner, so it has to be washed off in the end. If I don't feel like applying body lotion that day, I would use this little pot of rose goodness. I apply soap to cleanse, wash it off, towel dry, then apply this body conditioner. I personally feel that it takes quite some time to sink in. I usually wait around in the shower and read a book or so for 20 minutes while I wait for the product to sink in. Then I wash it off and towel dry. It is quite oily and leaves a film on your skin though, which I don't find very comfortable. Thus I only use this on a whim. It is worth mentioning though, since the scent is just so sweet and smells like vanilla ice cream with rose petals.

By the way, I included my body lotions in my Bodycare routine, since I don't moisturise right after a shower...

The Body Shop Cocoa Butter Body Scrub, $30 (USD $23.99)

For those days that I want to get rid of all that dull, rough skin, I whip out The Body Shop Cocoa Butter Body Scrub and get the scrubbing going. This body scrub is pretty rough and harsh and will buff away all that dead skin cells. It is very scrubby and a little goes a long way. While it is really scrubby, I feel that its not all that good at moisturising. You definitely need to follow up with a body lotion after all that intense scrubbing. This scrub smells delicious though! It smells like a chocolate cake, made with dark chocolate - it isn't a sweet chocolate scent. Click here to read my full review on The Body Shop Cocoa Butter Body Scrub.

The Body Shop Honeymania Body Scrub, $30 (USD $23.99)

As you can see, my Honeymania Body Scrub from The Body Shop has received a lot of love from me. Ohhh I just love the scent of this scrub so much! It smells like flowers and honey. Its really gentle too, so I use it very often throughout the week. Its pretty moisturising, especially when you're washing off the scrub. The scrub turns into a milky lotion, which I leave on my skin for a while to double up as a moisturiser. I would recommend this scrub to those who have sensitive skin. Its really gentle and isn't all that harsh to your skin. Click here to read my full review on The Body Shop Honeymania Body Scrub.

And that is all for my What's in My Shower post. Yup, I don't use much products, as I like to keep my showers as short as possible. You may be surprised that I don't even use hair conditioner, since I don't really like the thought of sitting around in my shower waiting for products to sink in. I use hair oil to moisturise instead, but I'm thinking of featuring that in another post (since I don't really use it in the shower...).

Do you have any wonderful products you use in your shower? Share them below so that I can try them out too! :)

My Skincare Routine - natural and affordable

Dear Beauty Diary,

I am finally doing a post on my skincare routine! I'm not sure if you are interested to see what products I use, but I still decided to carry on with this post. I personally love to find out about other people's skincare routine. You can find out about products which you would not have tried otherwise. If you have the same skin type as others, you can also see which products work for them, which may also work for you. :) So let's get on with the post!

First off, I have normal, acne-prone skin. My skin is not dry, but neither is it oily. Its normal, but gets slightly oily whenever I'm stressed. And I break out quite a lot. Those small kinds of red bumps. >.< So here are the products I use, to keep my skin happy and to keep the acne at bay. Don't worry, I refuse to spend a ridiculous amount on skincare, so the products I use are mostly quite affordable.

Biore Marshmallow Whip cleanser for acne skin, around $12 (USD $9.60)

I've been using this cleanser for years now. I prefer a foam cleanser, and this one foams up so beautifully. The foam is very packed and spreads on my face very smoothly and evenly. It removes oil and dirt though, so it is a little drying. However, it doesn't completely strip my face dry. You'll need to follow up with a moisturiser after using this cleanser.

LUSH Tea Tree Water toner water, $16 (USD $12.80)

I don't use those traditional kinds of toner, where you pour a little onto a cotton pad and swipe your face. I realised that many of them contain harsh ingredients and are quite drying. I also don't like the idea of drying out my face right after cleansing my face. So I use the LUSH Tea Tree Water toner, which is a spray on mist. The mist is quite heavy though, and dispenses quite a lot of product at once. The mist is cooling and refreshing, and I pat it into my skin after spraying. It contains tea tree water which helps to battle blemishes, so I got it for my acne-prone skin. Its a nice toner but I don't see much improvement in my skin. I use it just to allow the other products to absorb better into my skin.

Badger Damascus Rose Antioxidant Face Oil, $27 (USD $21.59)

Ladies and gentlemen, this is the star product of my skincare routine - the Badger Damascus Rose Antioxidant Face Oil. You can read my full review here. Its mainly made up of Jojoba oil, along with lavender, rose and roman chamomile essential oils, which are all very calming and great for sensitive skin. Jojoba oil is a very light oil that absorbs easily into the skin, which makes this oil suitable for all skin types. Don't be intimidated by the sound of a face oil, thinking that it'll be too heavy for you. Nope, this face oil is very light and it has a texture that is similar to the Kiehl's midnight recovery concentrate. It just sinks in and leaves my face feeling slightly dewy and plumped. I've been using this for months and it just lasts and lasts. Fantastic face oil!

LUSH Celestial Facial Moisturiser, $43 (USD $34.39)

Recently, I entered a LUSH store and had a very convincing salesgirl guide me around the store, so I ended up getting the LUSH Celestial Facial Moisturiser. The LUSH website says its very light, but I personally feel that its a little too heavy for daytime use, I use it at night after using the Badger Rose face oil. It spreads easily and you only need a finger dab to cover your entire face evenly. It leaves a nice layer of product on your face, which takes a few minutes to sink in completely. It is a great product though, since it leaves my skin feeling so soft, matte and supple the next morning.

Badger Pink Grapefruit Lip Balm ($8, USD $6.40)  and Chinoshio Baby Balm $19 (USD $15.20)

I alternate between these 2 lip balms. I usually use the Chinoshio Baby Balm, and I prefer it over the Badger Pink Grapefruit one. However, it comes in a pot and I have to use my fingers to apply it. So if I don't feel like washing my hands prior to applying lip balm, I'll just use the Badger one. The Badger one is moisturises well and is USDA Certified Organic, but I feel that the Chinoshio Baby Balm eliminates all dryness immediately upon application, which I like very much.

Truth be told, the Chinoshio Baby Balm isn't even a lip balm. It is a moisturising body balm for babies and is a 100% natural product. However, since it is a balm, there's no harm in using it on my lips. So I got one in a sample size just to use on my lips. The balm just magically dissolves away all dry skin on my lips. This is saying something, since the dry skin usually just accumulates on my lips into hard, disgusting skin (TMI? >.<).  Its amazing and I simply adore the Chinoshio Baby Balm. This is quite hard to find though, it being a lesser known Japanese brand. Maybe you can search for it on Ebay if you're interested.

LUSH Mask of Magniminty, $26 (USD $20.80)

Twice a week, I use the LUSH Mask of Magniminty face mask. I use it as both a mask and a scrub. There's lots of honey (yipee its one of the first few ingredients, so it has a really high concentration) and kaolin in this mask. Honey moisturises, while kaolin sucks up all the impurities in your skin. What a fantastic duo! There's ground up aduki beans in the mask too, which is really hard, so I use it to scrub away at the dead skin cells on my face. There's peppermint in the mask, which is what makes your face tingle in a refreshing sort of way when applying the mask. Peppermint helps to banish blemishes, so why not? Haha the more the merrier! My skin always feels clarified after using this mask, and I'm already halfway through this pot!

Whew, I finally finished writing this post. That was quite a list of products eh? I prefer using natural products, so many of the products here are almost 100% natural, if not organic (with the exception of the cleanser. Anyone knows of any natural facial cleansers that cleanse well?). This skincare routine has helped me to prevent breakouts, though I still have some pimple scars. Hopefully they will go away with time. On a whole, I'm really happy with my current skincare routine and I feel that these products work really well together.

By the way, I did similar posts on my Bodycare routine and a What's in My Shower post. Click to read my reviews and see the products I've used. :)

What are your thoughts on some of the products mentioned? Any recommendations for natural products? :)

The Body Shop Honeymania Cream Body Scrub review

Dear Beauty Diary,
What's creamy, soft, scrubby and yellow at the same time? The Body Shop Honeymania Cream Body Scrub! Hahaha. xD Yes, it is a fantastic body scrub. I got it on sale at The Body Shop for $20 ($15.97 USD). It has 200ml or 192g worth of scrub inside.

Here we see the usual packaging of The Body Shop body products. I love how the body butters and body scrubs are all placed neatly into a cute tub! I love tubs just for how appealing they look haha. However, it is not the most practical of packaging. Especially for this body scrub, when it comes into contact with water, the scrub will turn into a slushy and runny texture. So to keep my scrub clean and fresh, I transfer a little into a smaller tub everytime I wanna use it.

I dug out some of the exfoliator to transfer into another pot.

Texture of whipped up exfoliator

The Body Shop does great body scrubs in a few different textures. I personally like the rougher ones like Coconut and Cocoa, cos they really get down and buff away your dead skin cells. However, the Honeymania one smelt so great, I just couldn't resist getting myself one. *Someone stop me please, I already have the Cocoa and Peach ones half-used at home.*

The Honeymania body scrub is very gentle, so if you're looking for a scrub with some great action going on, this is not the scrub for you. However, I think this is an interesting twist to The Body Shop's body scrubs. It being so gentle allows me to use it on a daily basis. It's so gentle that its perfect for using it daily - I use it daily and my skin didn't react.

I feel that it's best to use this scrub on slightly damp skin. Not on skin that is dripping with water. The scrub will sort of dissolve in water, so I use it on damp skin as I still want some of the scrubby effect.

The scrub turns into a lotion when you rinse it with water, so it can also moisturise your skin. I find that it leaves my skin soft and smooth after using it. Don't need to moisturise after getting out of your shower! :)

This scrub smells absolutely divine. Its not a straight up honey scent, but its more of a floral scent with a dash of honey in it. I love how my bathroom smells after using this! The scent will linger on your skin for a while too, and you'll smell like a walking honeycomb with daisies stuck all over you. :)

Overall, I think this scrub is great. Not the harshest, its really gentle, which makes it great for daily use. The scent is awesome as well. Go to the nearest Body Shop and give this product a whiff! I don't think you'll be able to step out without getting yourself a tub. (Just like how I bought it after a sniff).

I also got the Honeymania body butter and lip butter, so now I have a happy little family of Honeymania products... ^_^ Anyway, click here if you're interested to read my Honeymania body butter and lip butter reviews!

Tried the Honeymania body scrub? Yay or nay?

Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm with Vitamin E & Peppermint review

Dear Beauty Diary,
I have a famous lip balm to review today! Its the all the favourite from Burt's Bees! I couldn't really find Burt's Bees around, so when I spotted it in Sephora, I was going crazy. But the price was really jacked up, sighs. I chose to get the lip balm in tin form, since it has more than double the amount of product for the same price. This tin of 8.5g of lip balm cost $8.00 ($6.44 USD).

Here's the product description:
Our signature Lip Balm formulated with Beeswax to naturally help protect lips, antioxidant Vitamin E to moisturize, and Peppermint Oil to sooth your lips.

Comes in a little tin of 8.5g

While the tin form contains quite a huge lot of product, I find the tin quite troublesome to use. Its quite difficult to open and close it! I have to pry and pry at the tin, which leaves my fingers feeling quite painful. And my nails get chipped opening this tin. That's the main downside of this lip balm for me. What do you feel? Any similar experiences with the tin?

Ingredients, which are mostly organic

It is a white lip balm

Ok this is a little weird, is it just me? I feel that the lip balm can get a little gritty over time. I used it for the first few days and everything went well, it was very smooth and glided nicely across my lips. However, after a few weeks, the lip balm sort of turned *slightly* lumpy. This is worth mentioning, in case this bothers you.

Other than that, this lip balm is great. It has a true peppermint smell, and leaves a refreshing tingly feeling on my lips right after application. The feeling goes away after some time, so don't worry. Sensitive people be careful though, the peppermint may be too strong for your liking, as peppermint is a really strong essential oil.

Its quite moisturising. I don't have very chapped lips at the moment, and after application, my lips look plumped and moisturised. It works! :) You don't really need much product at one go too. Just a swipe with your finger is enough to cover your entire lips and good enough to moisturise well.

However, I noticed that this lip balm takes some time to sink in. I apply it before bed, but I wake up the next morning and realise that there is still some residue left on my lips. Most of the lip balm has sunk in though. Unfortunately, the residue leaves a white cast on my lips... Not the most forgiving thing!

On a whole, I feel that this lip balm is just intermediate, you don't really need it in your life. It does its job, but has some unforgiving points like the nail-chipping tin it comes in, and the white cast it leaves behind. There are many other awesome lip balms out there, so I suggest you give this a pass. >.<

Have you tried the Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm?

What are your thoughts? :)

Badger Anti-Bug Shake and Spray (insect repellent) review

Dear Beauty Diary,
I've hardly hardly hardly ever come across a product I LOVE so much. Its the Badger Anti-Bug insect repellent! Its $22.90 ($18.04 USD) for 118.3ml, which is pretty pricey for an insect repellent. But this is no ordinary insect repellent. It is 100% natural and organic. It is even USDA certified organic. So all the base oils and essential oils in the product are all certified organic.

There are very few stores in Singapore that sell Badger products. In fact, after extensively hunting around, only Unity stores sell Badger goodies. And only very few, especially big, Unity stores sell Badger products. You can see me constantly stuck in these few Unity stores, foraging around the Badger shelf, sniffing and trying on every Badger product tester. So far, only the Unities at Amara Hotel and West Gate (or is it JEM?) stock Badger products. Le sigh.

In Badger's Anti-Bug range, the insect repellents come in a few different forms. There's the one in the tradition Badger tin, and there's also one in a stick form for you to slather on. I guess some people prefer it in these forms, since the spray form (the one I'm reviewing) requires shaking before each spray. The hard ones don't require shaking of any sort. There's also a sunscreen with the Anti-Bug essential oils in it. Dual function this stuff is, you get sun protection and no bites with one product. Great for saving money.

This comes in a spray bottle, so you need to shake it thoroughly before spraying. The scary thing about spraying is that you don't know when the product will get carried by the wind into your eyes. So I always close my eyes when spraying haha. Other than that, the spray is really good. The mist comes out fine and even with just one pump.

Here's the product description:

• Repels insects naturally with the pleasant aroma of Citronella, Rosemary, and Wintergreen essential oils.
• Laboratory tested to repel mosquitoes and stable flies.
• No synthetic chemicals, DEET or petroleum products.

Good For the Skin. Bad for the Bug.^®  Badger’s Anti-Bug Shake & Spray is a totally organic & natural bug spray repellent. Using pure essential oils to naturally keep bugs, mosquitoes and insects away from you and your family. Based on our effective and popular Anti-Bug Balm formula, this organic Shake &Spray bug repellent naturally repels insects with the pleasant aroma of Citronella, Rosemary, and Wintergreen essential oils. Badger Shake & Spray contains no DEET, petroleum products, or synthetic chemicals, and has been independently lab tested for efficacy - so it's safe and effective for the whole family! The sturdy, lightweight aluminum bottle is easily recyclable.

Look at the ingredients, they are all organic and very safe ^_^ Paradise for organic lovers like me!

Its 100% certified organic

As you can tell, the product contains natural ingredients that are all organic. The essential oils are in pretty high concentration, so I suggest trying out the product first to see if your skin can take it. Usually, everyone, even those with sensitive skin, will be able to use the product. :)

After spraying, the product leaves a cooling feeling behind on the skin. Its a mix of oils and water, so spreading it out is just like rubbing water into your skin. By the way, the soybean oil in the product will moisturise your skin very well, leaving you with soft, smooth and supple skin. Its a bonus product, you keep bugs away, while pampering your skin with hydration. ^_^

Swatch of the insect repellent

You really don't need much of this spray to keep yourself away from the bites. I usually give each arm two sprays, and each leg 3 sprays. After spreading the product out, it covers every inch of my skin. I feel so safe! Safe from itchy bug bites and knowing that I'm treating my skin to only the best and safest ingredients. xD

Oh yes, this product actually keeps bugs away! Surprise surprise. Natural essential oils can help to keep bugs away too, you know. Everyone somehow has this assumption that only chemicals from ordinary insect repellents can keep insects away. When my family went to Pulau Ubin recently for a walk in the thick of the forest, I insisted that they should use the Badger Anti-Bug spray. They didn't believe that it would work, so they used their own repellents which were choked full of harsh chemicals. In the end, they still got many nasty bites, while I was the only one without a single bite. Man I do not kid you. Funny how I was wearing shorts and a plain old shirt that day too. This incident just made me love Badger even more. ^_^

This product has a very strong lemongrass and citrus smell. Oh, I can smell lime in it too. Sometimes, I get a whiff of a fresh, minty peppermint smell. I guess the peppermint is included as a 'perfume', since not everyone likes pure citrus scents. The scent itself is very natural, its like something you can find from nature, unlike the perfumes and scents nowadays that are man-made. To me, the scent from the Anti-Bug Spray is absolutely lovely, and reminds me of my summer days spent frolicking around in ponds, nature trails, etc. :)

By the way, Badger says that their Anti-Bug spray can last you for up to 4 solid hours! So remember to spritz on again after those 4 hours. This insect repellent is safe, natural, organic, moisturises well, smells lovely and keeps the bugs away. What more can you ask for? This is a must-have. You need it. Just grab it, you won't regret it. This definitely gets a huge approval from me. :D

Tried it? Share your thoughts! :)