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Archives for July 2007

Kanebo Blanchir Brightening line – an overall review

July 27, 2007 Paris B 7 Comments

blanchir

The Kanebo Blanchir skincare line is marketed as a medicated whitening line. The medicated part of it is, I would assume, related to its skin whitening properties. However, Kanebo is quite careful not to highlight it as a “whitening” line but more of a “brightening” line of skincare. They don’t profess to whiten the skin, but instead, aim to make the skin more even toned and translucent. In my view, that is far better than walking around with a white face.

According to the little bit of English on the site, this is the write up about Blanchir:

The Medicated Whitening Skincare Brand, BLANCHIR is compounded with oriental plants “Firethorn”.
It protects skin from intensity of the sun and ultraviolet rays that can cause spots and freckles, and it keeps the skin healthy.

The packaging is red, in line with the key ingredient used in this line of skincare, called the kakyoku berry or Firethorn berry, which is said to be favoured by the legendary Chinese beauty Yang Kwei-Fei. I got curious about this miracle berry, so I checked it out online.

Kakyoku firethorn berry

The Kakyoku or Firethorn berries are little bright red berries that grow on a thorny bush. These berries are edible when cooked, although supposed to be very bitter. Some sites say that the Chinese have been taking this for centuries as a herb, but more for beauty purposes than medicinal. I’m not quite sure how true that is.

I have been using the products from this line quite exclusively for about a month now, to test it out. An overall review gives this line a rating of 4.5 out of 5. I’ve found that my skin responds well to this brand and is smoother and more even toned. Some of my acne scars have lightened somewhat and some recent dark marks caused by acne too have lightened. My skin feels more moisturised and overall, looks better than it was before. I have freckles on my cheeks that are quite dark. I don’t think anything can fade those, but they haven’t been as noticable.

I cannot vouch for its whitening properties because as I said, it isn’t meant to whiten so much as brighten. In any event, I am naturally quite fair so any whiter and I would be a ghost. Hehe… But in all seriousness, I can’t see myself getting any “whiter” than I already am. However, there is a discernable brightening effect, in that my skin does not appear to be as dull as it was previously.

From the Japanese Blanchir site, I extracted a picture of what I think are some of the ingredients used in this line of skincare.

blanchir2

I can’t recognise anything except the kakyoku berry and erm… a carrot? I’m not quite sure what a carrot is doing in there, but I guess something works.

On a previous occasion, Tine of Beautyholics Anonymous wrote about her experience with this line of skincare. She also mentioned that in Japan, this line is sold in drugstores! I’ve never been to Japan but she has, so I’ll take her word for it. 🙂 All that said, a quick calculation from the Yen price to RM tells me the pricing is approximately the same and might even be cheaper here in Malaysia. The girls at the Kanebo salon tell me the Japanese ladies here in Malaysia buy many of their products here even though they go back to Japan often, because it sometimes works out cheaper for them here.In Malaysia, Kanebo Blanchir products are available from all Kanebo counters in department stores. Price wise, I’d say they are in the mid-high price range as prices of the products range from RM125 upwards.

In the coming week, I will be writing a series of reviews on the different products I use and have used from the Kanebo Blanchir line, so if you are interested in trying this line out, do look out for the reviews soon.

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A tisket, a tasket, put it in a Purseket

July 26, 2007 Paris B Leave a Comment

I was over at Beautyholics Anonymous reading about the Jen Groover Butler bag that comes with compartments. I was racking my brains thinking about where I’d seen something similar, when Geekchic’s comment reminded me.

purseket

Its similar to the Purseket.

I’d come across the Purseket a about a year back. People were touting its usefulness for getting the insides of your bag organized so you never have to rummage around in it for what you want. As their tagline says “Dig in your garden, not in your bag“.

I’ve found problems with bag organization most prevalent in roomy bags like the Louis Vuitton Speedy. All it has is 1 large compartment where your stuff goes in higgeldy-piggeldy. Needless to say, I lose things in there all the time – phones, keys, pens….

The purseket is designed with pocket compartments where you can stick all your various things into. It then folds around the sides of your bag, leaving the middle portion for you to put your bulkier items. It comes in a few sizes to fit different sized bags. You can also move it easily from one bag to another which makes it easier for you to rotate your bag usage. I find it so much of a hassle rotating my bags that I’ve been neglecting some of my babies. This would make it so much easier.

I wanted to get one, and saw that it comes in many lovely designs to suit your personality. I clicked to order a medium sized one for US$20. Reasonable, I thought. Then, I tried to have it shipped to me in Malaysia.

Firstly, there are no options on the site that tell you whether they ship internationally. Secondly, when I input all my details to have it shipped to me, I found out that it would cost me over US$75!!! Excuse me?! I don’t need it sent to me by UPS. Its the only shipping option too. Its not very heavy and should be able to reach me by normal airmail with maybe additional Registered Mail tacked on. It won’t come up to US$75 for 1 purseket.

Regretfully, I exited the site. Maybe I’ll get a tailor here to sew me one, or maybe I should take up some tailoring skills…

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Should I get a Canon Powershot camera?

July 26, 2007 Paris B 4 Comments

I know I’m supposed to be reviewing 2 brands of blushes upon request from readers. I have run into a slight problem however. My camera has decided not to work, and I wanted to take pictures of the colours I had for better representation. The LCD screen has gone blank, and I can’t get it to take any pictures at all. Oddly though, it can still playback from the memory card and I can view the pictures on the LCD screen. So, I think its only the photo taking function that’s dead. It was a Canon Ixus 400 and honestly I did not know that digital cameras had such short life spans.

I had been playing around with my sister’s Olympus, but I think I prefer the user friendly interface and camera taking capabilities of the Canon. I have been looking to try the Canon Powershot for a while now. Something like this maybe?

Canon Powershot

Or this? hehe… I like that this looks like an SLR camera – makes me feel professional. But I don’t think I relish lugging around a large camera when I travel, and I’m scared of losing it.

Canon Powershot

Does anyone have any thoughts on the Canon Powershot as a camera?

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Is using Toner necessary?

July 26, 2007 Paris B 16 Comments

I’m sure most women are familiar with the age-old mantra when it comes to skincare: Cleanse – Tone – Moisturise. So, we all grow up thinking we have to follow this 3 step skincare programme. But have you really thought about the middle step – Tone? The texture of a toner is usually clear and liquid and you are advised to soak a cotton pad with it and then to wipe it all over your face.

I found a good article on About.com that addresses this issue of whether Toner is really necessary. Although they give the yes-sayers and no-sayers to whether toner is necessary, their conclusion is that toner is not really a necessary step – not in the way we were taught anyway.

I was told that using a toner was an important second step after cleaning, as it helps remove whatever residual dirt there is on the face, while helping the skin close the pores. I have tried many toners over time, from Simple to Estee Lauder andhonestly, I never saw a need for this second step.

I figured after a while, that if the cleanser was not doing a good job cleaning my face of the dirt, it can’t be a very good cleaner anyway! Also, I wasn’t quite sure about the pores opening and closing like a swing door. So, I decided to skip this step. It did not help that the many toners I tried made my skin feel squeaky clean and dry, and I felt I had to apply on thick moisturiser to restore the moisture. Most toners contain some level of alcohol which contributes to the drying effect, and helps it dry out faster on the skin. I found that even though I skipped the toner step, I did not end up breaking out more than I should. So, I decided to leave it out.

In Japanese skincare however, you will notice that they too have a middle step of a watery liquid. This however, does not perform a “toning” function as promoted in western brands. The Japanese have a regime of double-cleansing and double-moisturising. Double-cleansing usually involves using a cleansing oil followed by a foaming cleanser. Then, they recommend double-moisturising, which is the watery liquid lotion followed by a cream/liquid moisturiser.If you have tried Japanese skincare, you will notice that the lotion (mistakenly referred to as a toner by many) actually makes your skin feel hydrated after applying, unlike toners that usually have a drying effect.
However, as pointed out in the About.com article, don’t throw away your toner just yet. If you find that it works for your skin, by all means continue using it. Maybe something in it works for you.

The only concession to a “toner” that I presently use is the apple cider vinegar toner to control my spots and occasional breakout. Its the best remedy I’ve found thus far, and the cheapest too!

So tell me: Do you do the whole cleanse-tone-moisturise regime or are you like me and only cleanse-moisturise?

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My Women Stuff by Paris B

Welcome to My Women Stuff, a beauty blog based in Malaysia, written by veteran blogger, Paris B. What you can expect is honesty, critical views & a healthy dose of shared life lessons sprinkled amongst beauty product reviews. What you shouldn't expect is a page filled with unnecessary narcissistic photos. MWS is a blog for those who love to read, because we love to write! Read More about MWS and Paris B

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✨HELLO✨ Not everyday I wear something decent ✨HELLO✨
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So I was having a little think about how sustainab So I was having a little think about how sustainable my skincare routine is and wrote something on the blog - www.mywomenstuff.com 
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