Finally I have had enough of these dust-accumulating trash. These are all the items for face and I will talk about empties of body and hair care products in a separate post.

Keep reading to find out what I have used up and which I will repurchase.





Senka Perfect Watery Oil

This used to be my holy grail make-up remover until I finally got bored of it after countless repurchase and decided to try something new. It completely removes even waterproof makeup and emulsifies really quickly. I had used it around the eye area and it worked fine without causing any discomfort.

I really hate it when cleansing oil takes a long time to emulsifies because boy ain't nobody got time to emulsify+rinse your face 4 times every time you need to have the make up removed. Yes I am talking about the Shu Uemura cleansing oil. *rolling eyes.


Repurchase?
I used to repurchase this again and again but I am now loving the Bobbi Brown cleansing oil, which has become my HG cleansing oil.





L'Oreal Gentle Lip and Eyes Make-up Remover

The is probably the one of the best eyes and lip make-up remover from the drugstore. It is effective in taking off waterproof make-up and gentle on the skin. It is also great for the lip as some make-up remover can be really drying. It is those kind of bi-phase make-up remover hence it contains oil but not overly oily.


Repurchase?
Yes





Repurchase?
No





Balance Me Pure Skin Face Wash

This is the best cleanser I have ever come across. I had tried cleansers from more premium brands like SK-II, Sulwhasoo, Dior etc and I still come back to this because it smells amazing, works great and is very affordable. What else can I ask for?

This is the only cleanser that give zero tightening feeling every time I use it. Like, NOT AT ALL.

I am not one who splurges on cleanser as it does not stay on the face for long. Hence I do not need a cleanser that claims to provide fancy properties like anti-aging, whitening etc and comes with a hefty price tag.


Repurchase?
Yes
 




Kiehl's Calendula Herbal-Extract Toner

This toner is great for calming down the skin and it is my go-to toner whenever my skin becomes problematic and I knew it will not deteriorate my skin further. It does not provide any special functions apart from calming the skin and light hydration but it is something so gentle and mild that my skin can rely on when it is vulnerable to any external stresses.

It is another necessity that will always be readily available on my vanity.


Repurchase?
Yes



Albion Exage White White Crystal Milk

I had repurchased this product once because my skin felt nourished while using it coupled with the Skin Conditioner. However, it is the application process that put me off. This was supposed to be used right after the face was cleansed and followed by the Skin Conditioner, as this crystal milk allows subsequent products to absorbs better. However, I find it hard to incorporate serum from other brands into this routine because I felt like the serum was just sitting on top of my skin and was not absorbed well. I could not apply the serum first because this crystal milk was applied with a cotton and I had the perception that my serum could be wiped away.

That said, this product together with the Skin Condition did offer excellent whitening properties with regular use. I really loved how my skin looked when I was using these product and now I am a little tempted to go back to them.


Repurchase?
Maybe





Albion Facial Cotton - L

This is the large cotton designed to be used with Albion skin care products. It can also be separated into multiple pieces when saturated with Skin Conditioner which can then be used as mask. However there was always lint on my face when I wiped it with the Crystal Milk. I had since switched to the Muji cotton pad which works equally well if not better.


Repurchase?
No





COSRX One Step Pimple Clear Pad

The name suggests that it is meant for pimple but I used it mainly for its chemical exfoliation property since I am mostly relying on the Origins Spot Remover when it comes to acne.

This pad works like a charm because in just 2-3 days I could already feel that my skin has become significantly smoother. It is something that I always make sure is available on my vanity although I do not use it every day.

I had tried the Mild Peeling Lotion from Hada Labo, which is also a mild chemical exfoliator, but it was not as effective as this pad.


Repurchase?
Yes





Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum

This serum makes subsequent product absorbs better and my skin has become more refined with regular use. It is nourishing yet has a lightweight texture and absorbs really quickly.

I stopped using it after finished the second bottle so that my skin does not 'get used to it'. I have just incorporated it back to my routine lately and fell in love with it all over again.


Repurchase?
Yes










Bobbi Brown Extra Eye Repair Cream

This is a pretty pricey eye cream but it had lasted a freaking year so it ain't that bad.
I knew I was not supposed to use it for so long after open but I did make sure there was no change in consistency, color, smell... etc before I decided to continue using.


This eye cream had this amazing smell and that was also a reason why I bought it. I read somewhere that it was good for under-eye fine lines but unfortunately it was not for me. It was a good eye cream that keeps your eyes moisturized but it did not erase any fine lines nor dark circle.



Repurchase?
No






Aesop Parsley Seed Antioxidant Eye Serum

I have a mixed feeling for this product.

I loved the scent but I was not sure if it is a right thing to pay so much for a product which takes a long time to see effects. This is an eye serum that aims to provides antioxidant effect but to be honest I am not sure how I could check the efficacy of an antioxidant? It probably slows down aging process but it is gonna take a long time to see the results. Also, I would need to add on another eye cream because it was not moisturizing enough.

Oh boy. Ain't nobody got time for two eye creams seriously.


Repurchase?
No





Hada Labo Gokujyun Water Gel

Upon writing this only did I realize I still have one jar in my drawer lol.

To me it is actually as good as the Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil Free Gel Cream but at only a fraction of its cost. It is a little less hydrating than Kiehl's' but for the price it's actually a pretty good deal.

I have dehydrated combo skin and I liked that this water gel absorbs well into the skin and keep it hydrated, although not for long. My skin will still be oily the next morning and the degree of oiliness is the benchmark for me to determine how hydrating/moisturizing a product is for my skin.

Personally I find it works well as a face primer before makeup as it absorbs well and provide sufficient moisture for the foundation to adhere well.


Repurchase?
Yes





 

This is the oil-free vesion of the popular Ultra Facial Cream from Kiehl's. I got the 150ml jar after I was done with the 75ml jar because I quite liked it. It applied nicely and absorbed well thanks to the gel cream texture. However, I find the hydration a little insufficient hence I started looking for alternatives and never repurchased this gel cream again.

As mentioned earlier, the Hada Labo water gel had worked equally well hence I was reluctant to fork out more money for a moisturizer like this.


Repurchase?
No





Hada Labo Koi-Gokujyun White Gel

I was drawn to this product when I was looking for a moisturizer that has SPF. I liked how it feels on the skin but unfortunately it reacted with other skincare products that I was using back then hence I did not even consider repurchase after I was done with it.


Repurchase?
No





Repurchase?
Yes










Saborino

I love love love this mask! It hydrates the skin instantly which is great especially in prepping face for make-up. It claims to be a replacement for cleanser, skincare and hydrating primer but I think that is too big a claim lol. Yes it can but probably only for normal skin type.

There are not much essence on the sheet mask since it's supposed to be used for 1 minute only but I normally left it on for 2 minutes and the mask still remained pretty moist.

This is great for those who want quick hydration because while it can never be as good as those masks that you leave on for 15-20 minutes, it is definitely more hydrating than just patting some toner onto the skin.


Repurchase?
Yes





La Roche-Posay UVIDEA XL Aqua Fresh Gel SPF50 Pa++++

This was my go-to sunscreen whenever I needed to stay outdoor for a longer period as it is proven to be effective in some researches in Taiwan and there are also countless good reviews of it. To be honest I had not personally experienced the effectiveness because I do not go under the sun for long and I stay indoor most of the time. However, I did not grow darker so I think it is effective to a certain extent?

It is a little heavy as you can feel the film that formed on face after application but I was willing to tolerate it for its efficacy. This Aqua version is better suited for combo skin as the other variation, the UVIDEA XL Melt In Cream SPF50 Pa++++, is even more heavy.



Repurchase?
I had repurchased this twice and stopped doing so after I tried the Allie UV Long Keep Gel as it has very quickly become my favouritestest sunscreen. I will repurchase only if I can't get my hands on the Allie.




Innisfree Perfect UV Protection Cream

I got this in Korea and did not like it. I believed this product was designed for use in Korea because Korea climate is generally dry and this sunscreen is pretty rich even when it is designed for oily skin. I found it too much for our Malaysia climate and I would need to skip my moisturizer else it could be too heavy to my liking. Also, I noticed that there were increased number of clogged pores when I was using this.

As the name suggests, it has creamy texture, is non-greasy and easy to spread. My face looked glowy but the oil peeked through after a while and nobody likes an oily face.


Repurchase?
No






Kiehl's Ultra Light Daily UV Defense

True enough, the texture of this sunscreen was pretty light when I tried a small amount on the back of my hand. However, it became pretty heavy on the skin when I applied the amount required for the stated protection. I dreaded the application everyday because the feeling on my face was just unpleasant. My skin also became oily rather quickly whenever I used this sunscreen.


Repurchase?
No





 
 Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence

I had repurchased this sunscreen countless time before I learnt that some drugstore sunscreens were ineffective in terms of sun protection. When I first read about this I was like,

WHATTTTTTT??????

That was when I started using the La Roche-Posay sunscreen lol.

True to its name, this sunscreen is very watery and feels like a moisturizer. It leaves nothing on the face hence I would always apply a generous amount to make sure that the claimed SPF can be met.


Repurchase?
Maybe. I will look into the sunscreen ingredients and may give it another shot because I really like the texture. Also it is wallet-friendly - an important factors when it comes to basic necessity like sunscreen which depletes really quickly!

This is really late but I thought I should probably document this Hauliday because I went overboard (again).

okayyyyy

I placed a couple of orders during the Black Friday Sale period on Beauty Bay, Cult Beauty, Tarte, Lookfantastic, Mac, Target, Sigma and Sephora. Stuff that I got during my trip to Hong Kong and Taiwan are also included since they were purchased around the same period.

Now only did I realize I really bought A LOT opppps.



This was my first ever purchase from Beauty Bay. I was lucky to have placed order when the Black Friday sale had just started because 2 days later there was a virtual queue to get into the website! Even when I finally got into the site, many popular items were already sold out.

I managed to meet the free shipping requirement so the package was sent to my directly. It came in a sturdy cardboard box and everything was securely bubble-wrapped. They also filled the void spaces with papers so the items do not move around which often leads to damages.




Everything was shipped alllllll the way from the UK and they did not even use a proper box. There were essentially just 2 pieces of cardboard to sort of wrap up the contents. I really appreciate that there was additional bubble wrap for the more fragile item like the Jouer powder highlighter.

The Ordinary Serum Foundation gives this really natural finish but unfortunately it did not work well on my combo skin under this climate. Also I finally bite the bullet and got the (really expensive) by Terry Hyaluronic Hydra-powder which I am excited to see how it wears.

I had worn the Huda Beauty liquid lipstick once and was surprised that I did not like it. I should probably give it another chance since it was so highly raved about.

The Becca primers are also something that I had been wanting to try. I was so happy that they came in deluxe sizes!

For the Jouer highlighter in Citrine, that's intense. Highly recommend if you are looking for a highlighter that can blind someone miles away.
This was the package from Lookfantastic. I did not know they were under the umbrella of The Hut Group so it took me a while to figure out what the contents were fml.

If you give a close look, he packaging design was quite interesting and secure. Part of the box had to be torn off in order to open so it makes it easy identify if the package had been tampered during transit.

These are my 4th, 5th and 6th tube of the Balance Me Pure Skin Face Wash. I bought 3 during the last sale and it was time to replenish my stock. Yes they are that good.

However, they recently revamped the packaging and I did notice slight difference in the scent. Not too sure if they made changes in the formulation too. Nonetheless it still works great and I will definitely repurchase until I get sick of them lol.

I got the really good deal of 3 for 2 and there was additional 25% discount so that brought the final price to around 50% off.



Placed order for this Whisper of Guilt set when I learnt that it had been sold out at my local Mac store. Mac really nailed it this Christmas (2017) because the entire collection was so stunning.



Purchase from sephora.sg.




There are times when I want to get outta house quick and powder foundation will be a better option than liquid foundation since there is no need for setting. After checking out several reviews, this foundation seems to fit my needs better and I hope it will work well. Yes it is still sitting in my drawer.....

Finally the last batch. This entry is so long I kinda regret doing it.

Beauty haul from Hong Kong.

Eye brow pencils, eyeshadow quad and the eyelash curler are all the bestsellers of Excel which SO many people raved about. I had wanted to buy them previously but never did because they were so pricey I was not sure if they worth it. This time round I finally bit the bullet (again) because I kept seeing great reviews of them I had to try them out. The brown Excel handheld mirror was a gift with purchase.

I love the Giorgio Armani Lip Magnet so much that I bought another shade #403 at the airport. Highly recommend if you are looking for liquid lipstick.



Okay I am officially out of vocabulary so that is all from me! *turns around and look at stuff I bought over the weekend....

LASTING POWER
"The Armani secret to stay perfect on the go. More than a Cushion compact, a must have accessory for face to be beautifully perfect anytime and anywhere.

A next generation makeup essential that brings together a truly advanced formulation, a sleek, travel-friendly compact foundation with a professional applicator.

Skin is instantly transformed with one simple gesture. A high-tech essence-in-foundation formulation - the essential accessory is complete. Supreme coverage, comfort & silk glow: with the precision of a couturier, formulators of MY ARMANI TO GO CUSHION COMPACT, strikes the perfect balance between tailor-made, buildable coverage and a light, “no make-up” sensation. 

Giorgio Armani Essence-In-Foundation Cushion with SPF 23 comes in 6 shades from yellow beige to pink beige and sandy tones, matching very light to medium complexions. "