Review: Skincare: Kanebo Impress Concentrate Mask N
I have been wanting to try something from the new Kanebo Impress line. I got my opportunity when I went for my regular facial and purchased the Kanebo Impress Concentrate Mask N.
The mask comes in a sealed foil pack with one Impress essence soaked paper mask inside it. When you open the foil packet, be careful because there is quite a lot of excess liquid.
The mask is a regular paper mask that you unfold and then apply onto your face. I find that chilling it in the fridge for a couple of minutes makes it feel more relaxing as its then very cool.
The essence has a slight scent that isn’t unpleasant. The texture has a slightly slimy feel to it, but in a good way. It feels nice and cool on the skin and you can leave it on for up to 20 minutes. After that, any excess liquid/essence can be used on your neck or arms so as not to waste it.
I found that my face felt awesomely soft after using this. It did feel rather sticky though and I found that rather off-putting. In an air-conditioned room however, it was nice because then your skin doesn’t feel dried out. I follow up with the usual toner and night moisturiser. The skin feels and looks glowy the next morning, which was great. I don’t know if the effects get better with more regular use though I would expect so.
One piece of mask retails at RM55 and a whole box of 6 is RM330. Pricey but I’d say it’s quite regularly priced for a product of this nature from a department store brand. Available at all Kanebo counters that carry the Impress line and all Kanebo beauty salons.
Pros: Feels nice, skin looks glowy
Cons: Scent, stickiness, expensive
Rating: 
To Coach or not to Coach?
When I was last at my regular hairdressers, I was flipping through a magazine and saw a bag from Coach that really caught my fancy. It was the Coach Ergo Leather small hobo. I own 2 Coach leather bags myself (purchased online before Coach came into Malaysia) and I love them both.
I loved the chocolate colour of the bag and I love hobo shaped bags because they slouch beautifully and don’t get out of shape. In fact, this bag looked so similar to one bright yellow Coach one I presently own that I pondered the merit of even wanting it.
So, 2 weeks ago, I popped in to the Coach boutique at The Gardens at Midvalley to check it out in person. This bag costs about RM1060 or so and looks just as lovely in person. I loved the feel of the leather. Coach’s glove tanned leather is wonderfully soft and supple and smooth to the touch. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that for a designer bag, you can’t get a better deal than a Coach for leather. Most other luxury designer leather bags are upwards of RM3,000.
However, upon sighting the Ergo leather bag, I knew that I could not get it simply because it was too small. I carry a lot of junk around in my bag and just fitting my wallet, mobile phone, makeup pouch and keys alone, would take up all the space there is. I am not one for small bags and I would not pay over a thousand ringgit for that. I might consider it at US$198 though! Anyway, it was with great regret that I replaced the Ergo small hobo on the shelf.
And then, my eye fell on the Coach Ergo Leather Tote.
This one retails at RM1750 for both the leather and signature canvas print versions. I am not sure why, but I was absolutely captivated by it. It sat well on my shoulder and was a good size for me to lug my things around both on a week day and on a weekend. I liked the inside lining which is that of a bright striped print satin-feel cloth which was unexpected coming from a somber looking exterior. I loved that contradiction!
However, I balked because the bag has no zip closure. It is open at the top and only closes with a clasp. I am paranoid about bags without any zip closures despite owning one or two. Most of these bags are held close to the body so it isn’t all that bad. I tried to convince myself that the design wasn’t all that pretty. You have to admit that it looks useful and practical but can hardly be called a “pretty bag”. And yet…. there’s something pulling me towards it…
This one comes in leather in 2 colours here - Black and Tobacco (brown) and the signature canvas print comes in black and dark brown. Considering that its only US$328 (RM1,049.60) the price here is pretty steep. Then again, its imported so I guess there’s that too, unless I can get someone to buy it in the USA for me (doubtful). Sigh… still wondering if I should get it… 
White Bath whitening foam bath from Beauty TCM
I was approached by Beautytcm.com to review a sample of their product - White Bath shower cream. Its the 2nd bottle in the picture above, labeled White Bath. BeautyTCM as I found out from their website, is a Malaysian company that originally started out with hair care products in particular hair loss products.
However, as my hair isn’t thinning, I opted to try the whitening body wash instead. It promises to have “immediate results” in that the skin will immediately look lighter upon using the shower cream.
The product comes in a white bottle that looks rather like a milk bottle. The cream is a white liquid and only very little is necessary as it is very emollient. The fragrance added is rather strong so if you are allergic to scent then you might have a problem with this. I would have preferred if they stuck to smells from the essential oils that seem to have been included in the product. It washes off easily and doesn’t make the skin feel dry, which is good.
The results are supposed to be immediate but I’m afraid I was unable to test this claim, as I am very fair to start with. While I did see a little lightening when I tested it on my hand (washing one hand with the cream) I cannot say for sure because my skin tone is naturally very light. Maybe prolonged use will help?
The White Bath shower cream is available from Beautytcm.com and retails for RM48 per bottle. I can forsee it lasting quite a while because you really only use very little. If skin whitening is your concern, then you might want to give this one a shot.
Review: Makeup: Bourjois Little Round Pot Powder Blush
Bourjois is a french brand of drugstore cosmetics but don’t be fooled by the idea of them being drugstore. They are a sister company of Chanel and have been around since the 1800s! The Little Round Pot blush quality is really awesome and that is a great compliment coming from someone who loves blushes. I was first introduced to them by a friend and I have loved every single one I’ve tried.
I used to have more, but these are the only 4 blushes I have left. The blushes tend to be shimmery although there are one or two which are matt for those that prefer it. I kept these 4 because they are my favourite colours. Lilas D’or and Rose D’or have gold shimmer which aren’t over the top and are really pretty on the cheeks. The shimmer in Rose de Jaspe and Rose Frisson are less obvious. They look pretty similar in the photo but don’t on the skin which justifies me keeping them all 
The blushes come in a round domed shape. They are baked instead of pressed and I found that they tend to form a layer on the top of the blush after a while. A quick brush with a stiff brush usually removes the layer and the blush is as good as new. The quality is very similar to that of Chanel Joues Contraste blushes and are even similar in style. Chanel Joues Contraste blushes are more finely milled, I find but for the price difference, you’d expect it!
Bourjois pot blushes come in a plastic container where the colour of the container matches that of the blush inside. That makes it easy to identify the exact colour you want when you have a bunch of blushes in your drawer. There is also a brush included which I find useless so I just throw them away as they do nothing but sit on the top of the blush and rub against it.
Bourjois is presently not available in Malaysia. I got mine mostly from the UK where they retail for something like GBP6.25 at Boots. Price isn’t all that cheap after conversion but for the quality, its awesome. Nearer to home, its available in Singapore too and usually goes on discount up to 20%.
Pros: Nice colours, good selection, shimmery, packaging reflects colour inside
Cons: Not available in Malaysia, brush is useless, surface hardens
Rating:
