Are the whitening agent effective?

Mirror, mirror on the wall, when can I see a fairer me?

One brown spot is slowly whitening, from the middle of the round spot.  So, it looks rather like a ring. How odd and unusual can pigmentation be?

I was told I need to use a few bottles to slowly see effect.  It's only my first bottle of Extreme-C and the second bottle of Concentrate, so it means I need to have more patience.

Is creamy cleanser better than soap cleanser?

Before switching to Dermalogica about 14 years ago, I was a Clinique user for quite a number of years.   I used Clinique's soap cleanser (I think it was No.2) and I liked it because of the fresh and clean oil-free feeling on my face after cleansing.  I didn't have much problems then. 

Probably due to hormonal change, I noticed the tightness on my face each time after cleansing.  And my skin seemed to get more dehydrated that it started to peel, especially on my nose area.  Recommended by my sister, I went to a Dermalogica saloon. From then on, I've been alternating their creamy cleanser with the gel cleanser along with other brands. I had stopped using Clinique's soap cleanser since then.  The results were gradually seen as I don't have anymore peeling skin. 

Well, it has been 14 years and I think I will not switch products, unless I am undergoing another hormonal change.....(hope not so early)

My collection of Swarovski jewellery - Part 4

I like this Swarovski cross pendant for its simplicity and colour. To bring out the colour, this simple yet elegant piece is often worn with a dark-coloured blouse. I normally wore this with a black blouse.

Is this the side-effect of whitening powder?

I had my usual facial session the other day.  When it came to the application of exfoliant, I felt a slight stinging sensation on my face.  Normally, the beauty consultant would pre-empt me that I may have that feeling if my skin is dehydrated. 

I usually have that feeling too but just a little.  This time, the sensation was much greater and it was on most part of my face particularly on both my cheeks.  It was quite uncomfortable that I had to request the consultant to remove the exfoliant when she suggested it.

How could my skin be dehydrated and react to the exfoliant in that manner when I had been diligently using my skin hydrating mask more often? As expected, the consultant commented that my skin is sensitive.  In fact, she asked me to use mask more often.  Not wanting to disagree with her, I obligingly nodded my head. 

I have a strong feeling that the 'powerful' Extreme-C is the culprit.  Why not when the only thing different that month is I've started using this whitening product?  Could it be I've applied too much of it on my spot areas? Well, I thought perhaps a little more will whiten it sooner.

Local X-brand skincare products versus imported ones

Which one would you choose?  Are you a sucker for expensive imported skincare products? Or you are a user of any local X brand products such as Loreal, Nivea etc?

Are local products really effective in getting rid of common problems such as wrinkles or pigmentation?  If local products cost only a fraction of imported products, would they be as effective?  It just keeps reeling in my mind the effectiveness of such products when we can see famous celebrity such as Michelle Reis being ambassador for Loreal.  If these products are really effective, it's ironical that they don't burn a hole in women's pockets. 

How can those imported products compete with these more affordable local ones? Whatever is the reason, I stick to my own range of products which I have been loyally using for the past 15 years or so.  Having sensitive skin, I will never change products unless really necessary. 

When can I go back to my yoga again?

Next year, perhaps. With the first half of my day devoted to my kids, it's impossible that I can enrol myself to any yoga session.  And, I only prefer morning yoga although there are afternoon and night sessions offered by centres.

I desperately need one before my body go permanently 'out-of-shape'.

Powdery whitening product

Extreme C, in powder form is my latest whitening product and THE most expensive one I've ever bought.  Five years ago, I wouldn't bat an eyelid on such expensive product. But, now I need one desperately.  My face is becoming spotty for the wrong reason.

This product is supposed to be for spot areas only.  I was advised not to turn on the fan when I am applying it for fear of being blown by the wind.  So precious....every grain counts..

Hopefully I can see real results.

A gift from an ex-colleague

This pair of ear-ring is a gift from an ex-colleague. She was the one whom I bought those Swarovski jewellery from.  This simple piece was made by her. 

Farewell to My office wardrobe series - Part 3

I would celebrate if I could still fit in this piece of dress.  This dress was bought something like 10 years ago to usher in the Chinese New Year.  It's a rather 'Chinese' dress, as you can see from the oriental wave feature at the hem of the dress.  I also like the Chinese feature being balanced with some fiery red flowers (red is a prosperous colour for Chinese) and yet not so oriental. 

In the office, I wore this under a black cardigan or jacket.  A nice piece for formal as well as casual functions too. 

My collection of Swarovski jewellery - Part 3

 This choker with only a small piece of Swarovski bead around the pink Czech beads makes heads turn when worn with a matching dress. I used to match this piece when I wore either a purple or a pink top.  I remembered having inquisitive eyes falling on my choker to figure out the design of the pale pinkish beads surrounding the bigger pink Czech beads in the centre.

Attention is on the four-piece pink beads weaved together in the centre.  By the way, this choker looks demurely beautiful on a wearer's slim neck.  On days when I 'over-indulged' in binging, I would stay away from having this on my meaty neck.  It just took away the shine of this marvelous piece.

Freebies of cleanser

Two bottles of UltraCalming Cleanser worth about RM170 each bottle when you renew your membership. What a deal! What's the catch here? The products move too slowly, that's all I can think of. In all my 14 years as a member, I've not enjoyed such good bargain.

What chemicals do you put on your face every morning?

1. Cleanser
What a nice and fresh feeling when you cleanse your oily face with this cleaning agent? And I love gel or foam based one which gives a 'cleaner' after-wash feeling.

2. Face Oil
Optional but I love the scent of this oil.

3. Multi active toner
One fundamental chemical for the face.

4. Firming booster
Something I bought quite some time already and have not been using.  Supposed to firm up stubborn lines. Perhaps, it's timely to use it to conceal those lines surfacing before they deepen.

5. C12 concentrate
To be applied on discoloured areas or all over, it takes a few bottles for effect to be shown but I have yet to see this as this is only my second bottle.

6. Multi-vitamin power cream
Claims to work wonders for the eye area but I apply on areas where creases appear deeper, not necessarily the eyes.

7. Moisturiser
A must-have for my dehydrated face (as labelled by my beauty consultant). I should apply more if I sleep in an air-conditioned room, so they say.

8. Sun block
I never leave home without this at daytime. I will come back with more unsightly pigmentation if I choose therwise.

My sweet indulgence



Emm...this is newly added to my list of sweet stuff I love.  Bought this from Cold Storage, Berjaya Times Square.  At RM7, this is certainly not cheap to add to the waistline.



Sunblock spray

Be careful if you are using this kind of sunblock.  As this is sprayed on the skin, there may be a possibility of uneven or incomplete protection.  Compared to application on the skin which is easily controlled, spraying may not be so easy to use.  My other half used this for the first time and as a result his skin was unevenly tanned.  Obviously, some patches were not protected from the ray.

Red, red foam

It has been more than two weeks since I gave my hair a highlight, a red one. I was in for a shock when I had my first hairwash. The foam was pink in colour! Thinking that this might happen in the first few washes, I sort of accepted it.

Even my hair towel has red stain on it. According to the stylist, this would normally happen for the first two weeks.

My collection of Swarovski jewellery

This is a clear crystal Swarovski pendant which goes nicely with any colour blouse as it reflects the colour of its background. Here, it appears as orange.

So, I need not worry if I have matched the wrong colour. As with most Swarovski pendants, this never fails to capture anyone's attention especially by its clarity.

Raging red

"Why use this colour?'" , "Your hair is red" , "See, her hair is red"...

These are the remarks I invited after my colour highlight. Seriously, I may get a little embarassed if this is my first time. Having this colour for the second time already, I am not surprised with their comments.

In another month or two, the hue will change to copper, which will then be more 'natural' than this 'eye-catching' colour.

More protection for my sensitive soles

Of late, I've been diligently applying lotion on my heels right after my shower and wear these soles covers. The lotion absorbs very fast into my skin and the covers serve to prevent rubbing of the lotion onto surface of the floor as well as keep my soles from drying.

The effect thus far is not flawless soles but the sights of cracking heels are less.

Affordable casual wedges

Originally sold at RM29 per pair, I got them for RM25 per pair from a sub-urban mall. They are only about two inches tall and suitable for casual wear. These were sold by those seasonal Thai traders. Those nicer and sweeter coloured ones were sold out and I even saw one pair with a unique design being kept under the table.

Apparently, those were already booked by another customer.

Skirt at RM3!

I guess no one would believe me if I tell them the skirt (one piece la!) costs RM3 each! When I happened to pick up one of the skirts, the price tag attracted me as it only costs a meagre RM10!
So, I picked all the three colours available.

I was in for another pleasant surprise when I paid for it at the cashier. He told me RM12 and with total disbelief, I paid for them. The next logical thing for a shopper to do is to search if there are more of such unbelievable bargains. There are only 3 colours, if there are 5, I would undoubtedly grab all. And, all the other skirts were not my cup of tea. So, I went home smiling in my heart as though I've just gotten a windfall.