Fables in Fashion

Pros:

• Functions as both a light cleanser & toner
• Easy to use pump
• Does help remove makeup
• Leaves skin feeling fresh and clean

Cons:

• n/a

Price: $240HK

Rating:

Where: Lane Crawford

_{Look Sefie! I’m reviewing a used product!!! *end in joke*}

Whilst in Hong Kong I ran out of my usual toner and so during lunch headed down to Lane Crawford to find myself a new one (did I mention how I loved being able to just walk into a departmental store and feel like I was getting value for money!?)

Anyways, I came across this product, thought I’d give it a go and have officially fallen in love! I know it is suppose to be a cleanser, but it feels like a toner to me because you’re suppose to leave it on the skin, so I’ve tagged it as a light cleanser because it doesn’t actually do a great job at say removing makeup.

How I use this is I make sure to first take a makeup remover to my face, then cleanse it with a foam cleanser, THEN I apply 3 pumps of this to a cotton pad and apply to my face. It does a fantastic job at removing every little last trace of makeup my remover and cleanser missed And it leaves my skin feeling prepped for serum!

Unfortunately I haven’t been able to find an exact match of this in Australia, I THINK Lancome’s Galateis Douceur Gentle Cleansing Fluid may be the same thing only under a different name? The packaging looks exactly the same, but having never purchased this from Australia I can’t say for sure Either way if you get a chance to try this, highly recommend it! It’s a staple in my skin care routine now

Pros:

• Scent-less
• Absorbs into skin quickly
• Leaves skin moisturised and soft

Cons:

• Can be slightly greasy for people with oily skin

Price: $28AU / $17US for 125ml

Rating:

Where: Kiehl’s or David Jones.

I purchased my original bottle of this earlier this year because it’s known as Kiehl’s signature body moisturiser and I’ve always had trouble with how dry the front of my legs can be. I know, it’s… really strange O_o

Anyways, I found this moisturiser to be surprisingly good for people with either pretty dry skin or for colder weather, I’d consider this product to be a cross between a cream and lotion, so not that watery. Hence it can be a bit heavy for some people to use in the summer, really personal preference if you like having the “moisturiser” feel on you.

The main thing I like about this moisturiser is the lack of scent, it does smell like cream, but there is no added scent or fragrance which I love. It goes on smoothly and leaves my legs feeling nice and soft, just make sure to wear shorts for a bit or something first because if you wear clothes over the too quickly it can rub the product off.

At the moment Kiehl’s has released a number of limited edition versions of this moisturiser in collaboration with a fashion houses Zimmermann, ksubi and Sass & Bide. The idea is if you buy a bottle of this limited edition range the proceeds go to charity. Sass & Bide’s version goes to The Shine Collective, a charity helping under privileged children in Barbados, ksubi’s proceeds help War Child Australia and Zimmermann’s version goes to the Starlight Children’s Foundation (I’m seeing a children trend here).

The limited edition version are priced the same as the standard version, product is exactly the same just different label on the bottle.

The colourful bottles you see photographed were provided to me by Kiehl’s, mini versions and a 75ml bottle. I still prefer my original 125ml bottle because I find the smaller bottles harder to get product out of. So personally would go for 125ml or above, else you’ll waste more time squeezing the bottle than slathering yourself in moisturiser!

Pros:

• Contains SPF
• Moistursing for combination to dry skin
• Leaves skin feeling hydrated
• Subtle scent
• Can be applied as a makeup base

Cons:

• Formula can be thick for people with oily skin

Price: $12.99AU 100ml

Rating:

Where: Supermarkets, Pharmacies and Priceline.

I think I managed to score a mini version of this moisturiser during a swap with the MBBE girls and was excited to give it a shot. To me, Palmer’s is a known brand for pregnant ladies or anyone wanting to find either a good lip balm or find a good cream to help eliminate / prevent stretch marks.

My skin is terribly problematic at times, it’s true combination, it’s both oily, normal and dry! (yay for me ). I found the moisturiser to be on the thickbu side, but despite that texture, it didn’t leave my oily areas feeling any oilier, at the same time it didn’t completely hydrate my dry patches. It did help, but it wasn’t an “all day / 10 hrs” sort of thing.

Immediately after applying my skin does feel like it has “something” on it, but after a few minutes the formula absorbs into the skin and I’m left with nice soft hydrated skin that takes to makeup well. It does at least keep my dry patches moisturised for a good few hours (I do have special medicated cream for my dry skin!) I think if you find the formula too thick, applying it right after your toner will help a lot!

Over all, it a great basic moisturiser, the additional sun protection is a much needed bonus. My tube was 15ml and lasted me 3 weeks using it every single morning straight, so 100ml will last a good few months depending on how much you use. Definitely recommend this moisturiser to people looking for something during the day who has dry to normal / combination cream

Pros:

• Hygienic packaging
• Little goes a long way
• Can be used alone
• Leaves skin feeling moisturised
• Smooths skin over time

Cons:

• Strong smell
• No major changes to skin

Price: $105AU 30ml / $150AU 50ml

Rating:

Where: Estee Lauder, Myer and David Jones

To me, serums have never been an essential part of my skin care routine, but I continue to use them hoping that their continued use will prove beneficial.

This particular serum is one of Estée Lauder’s most popular products, so I was super excited when I discovered that Estée lauder had provided it for the MBBE girls to use, hence it was in my goody bag

I’ve been using this for several months now, and am about 50% of the way through this bottle, I was given the 50ml bottle and so far I plan to finish it up So good enough to finish~

Generally speaking, this is a lovely product. I use it after toner and before moisturiser at night, and have noticed some slight improvements in my skin. For example, foundations appear to apply smoother, but the difference is ever so slight as I’m fortunate enough to have relatively good skin.

I have no idea if this would be far more beneficial for someone with more problematic skin, but I can vouch that it at least hasn’t caused mine any harm. All in all, it’s an expensive, luxurious product and if you can spare the cash, give it a go~ I find when in a rush, this works great as a light moisturiser that I can substitute my traditional moisturiser with and I feel more relaxed after using it

Pros:

• Very lightweight
• Tube packaging
• No offensive scent
• Contains high levels of SPF

Cons:

• Doesn’t appear improve skin much

Price: $35AU / $28US

Rating:

Where: David Jones and Myer.

I know many people say eye creams are non-essentials in most skin care routines, given that the ingredients used in eye creams is practically the same as your facial moisturiser. So sue me, I like to indulge I found this little baby whilst in the airport at duty free, I haven’t really had much exposure to the Clarins brand before so figured I’d give it a shot and see what it’s like.

It’s a nice cream, feels very light weight, and I love that it’s in a tube packaging (hygienic ftw!) and because it is so liquid, you need only the tiniest amount to pat just under your eyes and brow bone area. I use this every morning since it contains SPF 30+! I’m an SPF junkie

But after months of use, I really can’t see much, if any difference to the skin under my eyes. I went through a period where I stopped using it and after 2 months went back on it, and nope! No difference. Not sure if that’s the intended result though so can’t really comment. Still, it’s a nice cream to use if you can shell out the money for it I like that the Australian price isn’t THAT far off from the American price, so that’s a half plus in my book (only half cause I still don’t understand why it costs more at all! Why??)

Pros:

• Very moisturising
• Light weight
• Deliciously fruity scent
• Rolls all the way up and down

Cons:

• Slightly odd shape

Price: $6.95AU

Rating:

Where: Bloom Cosmetics, Boost Juice stands, David Jones and Myer.

My most ordered drink at Boost is the Watermelon Crush, so I was really amazed when the lovely people at Bloom sent me this particular flavour to try out! Seriously, how uncanny :O

It smells almost exactly like Watermelon Crush, it does have a bit of a “balm” smell to it (you’ll know what I mean if you use lip balms), but it’s very minor and helps distinguish it from the actual Watermelon Crush drink.

Love this balm hands down, it’s moisturising, non-greasy and lasts around 4-5 hours on me without food. Every time I get a new lip balm I always wind it all the way up to see if it will smoothly wind down, and it did. Passed that test!

At $6.95, if you’re a fan of boost drinks or just want a true fruity lip balm that applies clear, this is certainly meant for you. Other available flavours are Strawberry Squeeze, Berry Bang, Mango Tango, Banana Buzz and Tropical Storm, I’ll be sure to try all of them when I next get to a Bloom counter

Pros:

• Elegant packaging
• Moisturises lips throughout the night
• Has a herbal subtle scent
• Leaves lips with a slight sheen
• Contained SPF

Cons:

• Leaves a wax like residue

Price: ~$19AU

Rating:

Where: David Jones or Myer

I remember reading about how Victoria Beckham raved about how much she loved the Eight Hour Cream by Elizabeth Arden, and so whilst I was travelling earlier last year I decided to pick up a little gift set of the same cream, and with it came this cute lip balm.

The one you see in the photo is actually my second tube, I have about less than 1cm left of my first tube. The first thing I noticed was the herbal scent, which I actually didn’t like at the start. I found it to be too over powering, but over time I got used to it and now I’m rather fond of it.

The product has a slight peachy tint to it, but when applied it goes on clear. The product does feel rather thick and almost wax like on the lips, which is why I only ever use this at night before I go to bed. I’d imagine it would be way too heavy for the day time, unless worn alone. Pity because it contains SPF which is ideal for day time use.

By the next day my lips feel moisturised but still slightly waxy. So it’s certainly not the perfect lip balm, but it does quite a good job none the less. I’d be keep to find a lip product that could do the same if not better job without the SPF component.