Facial Oils

If you’ve never heard of The Inkey List, let me change that!

December 27, 2018 Paris B 10 Comments

I find it interesting and not a little intriguing how one very affordable brand caught the world’s imagination by storm a few years ago (The Ordinary), while this other new brand – The Inkey List – has quietly crept into the beauty scene without much hullabaloo.

Aside from the few reviews I’ve done of some noteworthy items from The Inkey List, and some posts I’ve come across from some UK bloggers, there hasn’t been a lot of fuss about the brand.

I think it’s a pity, because I think it’s a great little single-ingredient, very affordable brand.

I picked up quite a few items from The Inkey List a few months ago, and I’d already told you about two of my favourites – the Turmeric Moisturiser and the Hyaluronic Acid serum.

This post will serve more as an overview of the products I’ve tried, what I think of the brand in general, and why I think you should take a look, if affordable, effective skincare is what you’re after.

Cheers! It’s always happy hour for your skin with Leahlani Champagne Serum and Aloha Ambrosia Elixir

October 15, 2018 Paris B 2 Comments

Last year, I was very enamoured by a natural brand of skincare – Leahlani. I tried the famed Leahlani Mermaid Mask which I enjoyed using and will consider repurchasing. I also tried the other famed product, Siren Serum which I found wanting. Along the way, I had also acquired the Leahlani Champagne Serum and Aloha Ambrosia, which I’d been using off and on for a few months.

There was a lot to like about Leahlani. The products are natural, and are handmade in Hawaii. It was a lovely little indie brand with a beautiful aesthetic, intriguing products, and their products smell and feel divine. They were a pleasure to use.

Sometimes, I don’t know if I’m just being terribly picky, or if I’m a little cynical, but I tried so hard to like the Leahlani Champagne Serum and Aloha Ambrosia, but found one them coming up short – which was it? 🙁

A skincare routine should not be complicated : Focus on the 6 Pillars of Skincare

September 24, 2018 Paris B 27 Comments

I mentioned once before that we are in the Age of Skincare in the beauty world, and with it comes many self-proclaimed experts. Rather, sometimes, people confuse enthusiasts, like me, with an expert, which can lead to all sorts of problems.

But what I’ve really noticed, from following such experts and enthusiasts, it’s this – A skincare routine is now made out to be far more complicated than it used to be.

But it doesn’t have to be.

I’m not saying of course, that the original 3-step skincare routine popularized by Clinique should be the way to go. While those 3 steps form the basic pillars of a skincare routine, I do believe that they can be supplemented and further strengthened by additional pillars.

I just don’t believe that you have to think so hard about it, nor believe that a complicated, multi-product, multi-layered skincare routine will be the best thing for your skin 😛

5 Niche and Cult Skincare and Beauty Brands to consider trying at Caliata

November 22, 2017 Paris B 13 Comments

This post is written in collaboration with and kindly sponsored by Caliata.com

About a month ago, I introduced you to Caliata.com, an online beauty store based in Malaysia. What made Caliata stand out from other websites I’ve come across, was their brand selection (and the fact that their founder is very passionate about skincare and beauty herself). As I scanned the range of brands and products they carried, I found my excitement mounting. Here, finally, was a local online store that carried beauty, especially skincare, brands and products I like or have been curious about, but could only get online from overseas!

As a beauty and skincare buff, I’d tried, or am familiar with most of the brands carried by Caliata. They are primarily niche or cult brands, that aren’t necessarily easily available on mainstream websites, or stores. For some of them, if you haven’t been keeping your finger on the cult skincare pulse, you may not be familiar with the products or brands at all. So, I thought I’d share with you a sampling of 5 of these niche and cult skincare brands that stand out on Caliata. If you have tried any of them, I’d love to hear your thoughts too, because I may have sampled, but not tried them all! 🙂

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