Archives for August 2009

Shu Uemura – the Famous Five go to Japan

Paris B 31 Comments

When Shu Uemura unveiled to us their Iconic 5 products, I could not help but stifle a most impertinent giggle. You see I’d used or am still using 4 out of 5 products already! What does that tell you about Shu Uemura’s marketing eh? 🙂

shu iconic 5

The only product I’d not tried was the Shu Uemura UV Under Base – a makeup base which I’m told can also be used daily even without makeup to counter external aggressions. Personally, I wouldn’t quite because it did not do much to either offer coverage or even out skin tone. It makes a lovely base for makeup though so if you’d like something light, apply this mousse base and then use some loose powder over and you’re good to go!

One item I’d been using for years and years is the Shu Uemura Eyelash curler. Of all the eye lash curlers I’d tried, this is the best to suit my eye shape. I like the eyelash curler and yes, I’d say its an iconic product and well deserving of its title. I will not venture to say that it will suit everyone because I know of some people who do not like it or for whom it pinches due to their eye shape. Eye lash curlers are a personal thing.

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Ask & Answer : Suggest a good Body Lotion with Sunblock?

Paris B 15 Comments

ask us!

Reader Sylvia wrote to me about her difficulty finding a sunblock for the arms and body that is moisturizing yet effective in its sunblocking properties. Her note is as follows:-

Dear ParisB,

My mom and I have jumped into the sunblock bandwagon lately. Drugstore brand sunblock are everywhere such as Sunplay and Banana Boat, however, these sunblock are dedicated for prolonged outdoor sun exposure and they are waterproof AND without the mosturising effect for the skin. They also have high SPF such as SPF 30 and SPF 50. What we are specifically looking for are body lotion with SPF15 or higher up to SPF25 only, with priority mission to smooth and hydrate the skin and secondary to protect skin from UV rays. Preferably, the body lotion has to be affordable for everyday usage at drugstore price. A definite plus point is that it has nice fragrance and not smell like sunblock at all. It must not be tinted too. It has to be accessible in Malaysia.

Currently the body lotion I am using are L’occitane Honey Miel & Lemon Cintron Cream, L’occitane Rose Pearlescent Cream, Clarins Energizing Hydra Wear and Nivea Whitening Milk, all of them without SPF.

I also have stock up on these, also without SPF: L’occitane Luminuous Cream with Olive tree extracts, Enchanteur perfumed hand & body lotion, ~H20+ Natural Spring Body Balm, Crabtree & Evelyn India Hicks Island Night Smooth Body Lotion and The Body Shop Papaya Puree Body Lotion.

So there, I bought them because I am such a sucker for scented body lotion. But just only now I realized that why not get scented body lotion that also protect me from the UV rays, so I get more value for my money!

Hoping to get answers from you at the soonest as I am getting darker each day as applying these lovingly scented body lotions do no good to protect me from UV rays.

Cheers,
Sylvia

My answer was simply that I knew of none – no body lotion that has effective sunblocking properties. If it smells good and moisturizes the skin, chances are, it won’t contain sunscreen.

I was of no help because I don’t use body lotion in the day, only at night (and then, only if I remember). In the day, I usually just use my Australian Cancer Council sunscreen on my arms, which isn’t as drying as the other sunscreen brands I’ve used.
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Spotted : Maybelline Angelfit Double Perfector, L’Oreal True Match Makeup Base and Pond’s Age Miracle

Paris B 22 Comments

While rooting around in Watsons and Boots in Bangkok the past 2 days, I came across some unfamiliar products by Maybelline, L’Oreal and Ponds that caught my interest.

Maybelline AngelFit Double Perfector – Concealer & Highlighter

maybelline angelfit double perfector

I was intrigued by this product under the Maybelline AngelFit line. AngelFit appears to be an Asia exclusive line and I’ve thus far been quite impressed by most of the products under this.

The new one is Angelfit Double Perfector, which is a dual-ended tube containing a concealer and highlighter. The Concealer has a sponge tip applicator while the highlighter has a brush applicator. I dithered for a long time whether to buy it but decided not to because it came in only 3 shades and the concealer in the lightest 02 shade was a little too dark and yellow for me. The highlighter is a iridescent pink tone that promises to work decently well. I hope it comes in soon and that I  find a colour match! It was about THB320+ (approx RM32+). Update: News is, its not coming into Malaysia. Not sure why but we’ll see eh?
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Review: Dior DiorSnow Sublissime UV Ultimate Whitening UV Base SPF50 PA+++

Paris B 24 Comments

If you have been reading this blog of mine long enough, you might have realised that I love my sunscreens and that I’m a mad scientist when it comes to slapping things on my skin.

diorsnow sunscreen UV base

I’d read lots and lots of articles saying that Zinc Oxide is the best blocker for UVA and UVB rays so when I found out that the Dior Diorsnow Sublissime UV Ultimate Whitening UV Base had Zinc Oxide I pounced on it. Ok that’s a mouthful so I’ll call it the Diorsnow Sublissime UV Base sunscreen instead.

Dior has made this sunscreen cum makeup base in 3 shades – translucent (normal), Mauve (anti dullness) and Beige (tinted). I picked it up in the white and mauve formula during the Dior sale this year. The manufacturing date was 2008 so I figured I’d be ok.

DiorSnow sunscreen has Zinc Oxide but is not thick

The active ingredients for the Translucent SPF 50 PA+++ as stated on the tube are Zinc Oxide 19.41%, Octinoxate (Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate) 7.50%. As for the Mauve SPF35 PA+++ the active ingredients are Zinc Oxide 15.75%, Octinoxate (Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate) 5.50%. That is a pretty high percentage of Zinc Oxide in there!

Despite having a high amount of Zinc Oxide as the active ingredient, the texture of the Diorsnow Sublissime UV Base sunscreen is not thick and it does not leave a white cast on the skin. In that sense, it was nice going on the skin. There is a slight scent but it did not bother me much.
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