New layout + Quick update!

Hi Domokies, it's been a while~! I've been busy with work but we've finally managed to find some time to have a photoshoot, and change the layout. Tell us what you think about it and what we can improve on as well.

Domo returned from a family holiday in Korea recently. So stay tuned for an exciting travel log of her trip.
^ w ^ (Domo is seated beside me and she says "It's not that exciting, actually." and also "I've recently became a barrel again.")

As for myself, I have been sewing fat cats, working like a kami-sama and trying to grow eye bags. I've got a couple of DIY posts in the backlog that's way overdue, but fear not! Ghostbusters are here. (But fear furbies, they will be the cause of an apocalypse.) I mean, my new year resolution would be to blog more often, is what I'm trying to say.

Alas, the end of the world hath not befallen us, but the year draws to a close. For those thinking 'WTH have I been doing this year?!', take heart, for we are the survival of a (non-existent) zombie apocalypse.

Domo here, I think Cookie has gone nuts from editing the layout all day. She has short circuited or something.

Anyway, happy new year in advance (and a belated happy new year if you're reading this after 1 Jan). We wish everyone future zombie survivability and a good year ahead. Stay human! (I SAID 'HEALTHY'.)

Goodnight! (depending on your timezone)

Love,
Cookie, and Domo

Product Review : L'Oreal Youth Code Boosting Essence

Hello hello! I've been slacking today T^T But I saw this product on the Watsons sale and I simply HAVE to review it now.

This is a product that has been raved by plenty and mentioned as a dupe for a certain product.

Presenting...

The L'Oreal Youth Code Boosting Essence! (Usually mentioned as a dupe for the Lancome Genefique Youth Activator. I have not used that thus I am unable to provide a comparison.)

This is... In a sense, a serum for your serum. SERUMCEPTION. Okay not really unless you use two serums like me. Otherwise, take it as a primer for your facial cream. Of course it's also supposed to be a serum that provides you with the above effects as well.

Apologies in advance here as I'm honestly not a pro in this aspect and can only show you what L'Oreal says.

Here's the ingredients list for those of you who understand the various names above. (I only understand very basic ones)

So... Let us talk about the usage. It doesn't specifically mention how much you're supposed to use each time other than using this twice a day. This product looks like this.

A simple glass bottle with...

A dropper. When assisted by the SA, I was told that one drop would be sufficient for my entire face. That, I have found to be untrue as I have a fat face. Fat face needs more than one drop. The dropper only picks up a little amount of product each time and I have found that the best amount is just fully pumping out whatever the dropper can pick up. (Please do not strictly follow by this as sometimes it picks up slightly more as shown in the picture. Adjust accordingly to how fat your face is :P)

For the texture, it's amazing! It's a rather liquidy serum that spreads super easily on your face and absorbs a few seconds later. This will be a great product for the oily skin peeps as most products that have any anti aging properties at all are usually somewhat greasy, even if slightly. This absorbs like a dream and leaves skin feeling hydrated and plump.

Here's the product on my skin.

Huuhuu, don't be mistaken, this is just one drop!

Absorbs without leaving any hint of dewiness or oilyness on the skin. Perfect!

It's better if you have two hands to compare the before and after but my camera isn't the best so you'll have to either trust me / google for more reviews / go to watsons to try.

I've been using this for more than a month and it's safe to say that I adore this product. I'm not sure if my other skincare products have gotten better with the usage of this serum but this by itself is already doing a wonderful job. It's no wonder so many beauty bloggers love it! I also did not get clogged pores or any breakouts from this. My skin's really nice right now :3

Regarding the scent, it's a very mild floral scent that goes away shortly after application. Nothing much, acceptable to me.

I can't say that everyone would like this because well, everyone's different. I've yet to see a product that is 100% loved by people. This one usually retails for $39.90 if I'm not wrong but during the Watsons sale, this goes for just $29.90. One bottle will last you for about 3 months or so with daily usage as I'm only about 1/3 through with mine. (Alternatively if you're still not a Watsons member, Guardian will do too :) Use Passion card!)

***UPDATE***

I'm sad to say, this product is no longer of use to me. Initially, I had just finished my doctors medicine so I wasn't prone to breakouts at all. I also didn't know that this product was causing me to have oil seeds and zits till I was experimenting with another serum and realized my breakouts stopped. I have now stopped using it as it is not suitable for my skin. Ratings have been edited.

Texture : ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (Almost instantly absorbed.)
Scent : ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ (A pretty normal scent, nothing overwhelming. Just okay with it.)
Effectiveness : ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ (Works well with smoothness and plumping but broke me out :<)
Overall : ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ (If it didn't make me breakout, I would give it more stars.)

Love,
Domo

Product Review : Lush Mint Julips Lip Scrub

Hello Domokies! So... I've reviewed a chocolatey face mask, a delightful shower gel and a yummylicious shampoo. Now here's a review of something you can actually EAT. Kind of ish. I don't really mean for you to gobble the entire product down though. I'm going to be reviewing for all you lovelies today, a tasty lip scrub!

SLIGHT OT HERE. Because I've entered a singing competition, will you lovelies help show a little support by voting for me here?

https://apps.facebook.com/likeperformingsonysg/contests/294794/voteable_entries/60875588

I know it isn't the best singing ever and admittedly I let my nerves get to me as I was alone and the only one singing in Mandarin. Give a little vote for my courage as I went there on a whim! Every vote means a lot to me (Yes I know this isn't the president elections) but because you need to be within the top 15 voted entries to have a shot at the finals, gimme a lil help!

Back to the yummy treat for your lips!

It's the Lush Mint Julips Lip Scrub!

Comes in a little glass pot that I personally find to be adorable. Still convenient to carry out due to its size.

Why is it tasty? Because the main ingredient is Castor Sugar. Plus the Vanilla Extract and Peppermint Oil, this really does smell like Mint Choco(Non existent chips)!

Here's how you use it. Now before I purchased this, I actually read online that some people actually scoop out a ton of product to use on their lips. I find that I have no need for that. I'll tell you how I do it later. In the mean time, here's what the product looks like.

It's slightly yellowish and looks packed with sugar. Guess what? It is! But it isn't all just that, you can feel the slip in it so it's actually easy to pick up the product without the sugar falling all over the place due to all the oils in it.

Just gently press your finger(s) on the product and you'll be able to pick up some!

Imagine the back of my hand is your lips okay. You basically just smear it all over.

Lush SG says :

"Our fabulous lip scrubs are here to keep your kissers sweet. When you use Mint Julips, you’ll find yourself craving a bowl of mint-chocolate chip ice cream. It’s made with refreshing peppermint oil, which will make your lips feel soothed and tingly, and sweet vanilla extract to lock in moisture and protect your lips. Simply rub it over your lips when they’re feeling the need for some sugar." - Taken from Lush SG Website HERE.

So for this, I don't immediately start scrubbin at my lips after getting some product on my finger. What I do is that I usually smear till my entire lip is coated in it and let the oils soften my lips a lil bit. Then I place a tissue near my chin to catch the sugar fall outs. You can skip this step if you're doing it in the shower. After the tissue step, I start to gently rub in circular motions from the outer corner of my lips to the center. After the circular motions "massage", I just slide my fingers left and right on my lips for one last scrub. Then you can eat it off. Yes it's edible, it tastes sweet. The SA at Lush told me to eat it off too so basically this product will come in handy when you're out as you don't have to wash it off. Just scrub, lick and eat.

BUT. I am sorta OCD about not eating ANY lip products. I love the looks of lip glosses and lip sticks on my lip but I am super careful about not eating them by accident. I never ever lick my lips when I've a lip product on. Same goes with this product. Plus I'm not so keen about eating my own lip flakes, even if they're sweet. So I wash it off. I know that most people are fine with eating this product though so no worries for you as long as you're not like me!

This product helps if your lips are not extremely/severely chapped. It'll get rid of those tiny lip flakes but not the major ones. So to conclude, it'll help on the slightly bad lip days. It also plumps up your lips a little after using and I suspect that is due to the Peppermint oil. Lips feel soft and moisturized after the scrubbing session but I must warn that your lips will dry out if you do not follow up with a lip balm. It's the same with exfoliating your face. After removing the dead skin, you must protect the "fresh/raw" skin! Okay bad example but idk what else to call it.

Moisturizing factor : ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ (Helps plump and moisturize but only lasts awhile w/o a lip balm.)

Scent : ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (Can you tell? I LOVE MINT CHOCO!)

Effectiveness : ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ (Works but not for severely chapped lips.)

Overall : ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ (I quite like this product, but I know that you can DIY such a product yourself just in the kitchen so it isn't a must have.)

A little pot will last you for a  long while, despite that fact that it only has 25g worth of product! It isn't a must to own, but I'm a sucker for nice smelling stuff. A 25g pot will cost you £5.25 in the UK and 20SGD in Singapore retail outlets. Once again... The price increment is... I would say acceptable for this product but wait till you see the shampoos/conditioners.

TBH, many people consider Lush to be already expensive in the UK, as seen in most blogger reviews, UNLESS, sponsored by Lush. However, consumers aren't usually sponsored are they? So in SG... It's even more expensive :/ But then again Lush products are more of luxury products that you can do without so I am assuming that the people purchasing are usually okay with indulging.

Love,
Domo

Disclaimer : I bought this with my own $$$! (Yes I'm one of those who tend to have impulse purchases T^T But not always okay!)

Product Review : Lush Curly Wurly

Annyeong! Sorry for not posting for nearly a week. Was working and had two jobs on a certain day too. Shag TTM. My back was breaking to the point that I couldn't bend it yesterday so I took a long rest and here I am, all recharged and ready to blog!

Today, I'm reviewing a shampoo that I've purchased and it's from.... Lush. Lush has like really uniquely scented products so I'm actually quite into them for the moment :x IMPULSE PURCHASES ANYONE?

Ta dang! Lush Curly Wurly! Do you like coconuts? I love eating and drinking their juice... But on my hair? Never thought of it till a really pretty and nice SA, Felicia, from Lush SG gave me a sample of this shampoo. I asked for something that smells more pleasant and will help rid the frizziness of my hair.

A pretty fat tub that contains 220g worth of product.

Well as the name suggests, it was sorta created for peeps with curly hair. However, Felicia said that you don't need to have curls to use this shampoo for it'll help moisturize and nourish your hair, thus somewhat taming the frizz as well.

Here's the ingredients list for those of you who can understand.

As mentioned in the picture earlier on, this shampoo is indeed stuffed with coconuts. In fact the texture of this product is unlike most of your liquid shampoos. This actually feels solid and you can grab a little ball of product with your fingers. It's squishy though so it's like... You just gotta feel it to know it.

Lush SG says :

"Absolutely gorgeous, preservative-free coconut and vanilla shampoo to calm curls and tame tangles. Curly Wurly makes thick, unruly curls behave. It’s bursting with nutritious coconut and heaps of natural butters to help nurture dry hair and eliminate frizz." - Taken from the Lush SG website HERE.

What do I think? Well, what do you think? I bought a tub of it! To be honest, it did smell a little overwhelming in the pot when I took a whiff. But because of the sample given, I took it home, shampooed in it and had coconuts floating around me all day. It leaves a tasty coconut scent in your hair that lasts for nearly the whole day and you just feel so delicious lol.

It really moisturizes your hair too because when I washed it off, I could feel the softness already! I've read a lot of reviews about how some dislike this shampoo due to the coconut bits getting stuck in their hair. Problem easily easily solved. I used Lush American Cream conditioner with this and all the coconut bits just washed away. I guess some people are too lazy to condition but for hair like mine, one day without conditioning is just asking for trouble. Also, to make it easier for this shampoo to lather well, I recommend spreading the product evenly in your hands then mixing with water to lather on really wet hair.

The two things I hate about this is the packaging and the price. I'd much rather squeeze/pump shampoo out from a bottle than gouge it out with my fingers. I understand that this shampoo probably wouldn't ooze out easily like the usual liquid shampoos due to the desiccated coconut but then again, the desiccated coconut doesn't serve much purpose so why not get rid of the coconut bits and put this in a regular shampoo bottle? Oh dear Lush, please consider as I'm not the only one hoping for that.

The price... It's only £9.75 if you get it from the UK... About 20SGD? Whereas if you were to get it from Lush retail outlet in SG, it's 34SGD. I have a job, I spend somewhat wisely, so I can still afford a $34 shampoo to indulge in. But as a staple..? I'd probably have to consider quite awhile. Nevertheless, I've bought my bottle and I've been using it daily, so most likely, I'll repurchase.

Application : ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ (Mafan ah! Doable but just inconvenient.)

Effectiveness : ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (It's good to me!)

Scent : ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (I like coconuts. BUTBUTBUT, would still prefer other scents!)

Overall : ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ (It works well, it smells great, but price y u so high?!)

On a side note, HERE's a give away that you peeps can consider taking part in. Not hosted by me though!

Cheers,
Domo

Disclaimer : Oh my I've forgotten about this in previous reviews. This shampoo is paid for with my own $$$!

Product Review : Lush Twilight Shower Gel

YES SAY HI TO HARDWORKING DOMO. For now~ *Coughs*

I will be scheduling a series of Lush reviews as I've been completely in love with some products from them such as this one! The previous one not as much but this one's great :D

I actually meant to do the shampoos first cause I didn't want them to clump together but this one's limited edition. So I'll be doing this first of course. Otherwise how can anyone get it if it's no longer available?!

Presenting~~~ The Lush Twilight Shower Gel!

It's a lavender shower gel with a twist!

Contains very fine shimmer particles. Not sure if you've spotted it in the first picture but I've taken a bling bling one in an attempt to emphasize the sparkles.

See plenty of white spots in there? Those are actually the shimmer particles suspended in the shower gel.

How to use? Lol, the instructions is up there!

Lastly this is the ingredients list for people who er... Have great knowledge on stuff like this. (I don't so I can't help anyone :/)

Lush SG says :

"To our Twilight Bath Bomb fans, we heard your requests. Here it is, a Twilight shower gel, so you can lather up in iridescent purple lavender and tonka bubbles. If you haven't smelled this fragrance before, you're in for a treat! It's slightly sweet with the perfect herbal balance. Wonderful to use in the evening before bed, especially on cold, winter nights. Dreams do come true!" - Taken from the Lush SG website HERE.

My say :

This smells really really amazing. For those of you who like PURE lavender scents only, this is not for you. As I've mentioned, this is a lavender shower gel with a twist. I think it's because of the tonka absolute, thus adding a really sweet note to this shower gel. The description says its only slightly sweet but to me, it's quite overwhelming. Like 50% lavender and 50% tonka sweetness. It'll hit you the moment you flip the cap, in a good way for me at least. It's pleasantly sweet to me, along with that slight soothing lavender scent to relax your mind.

I use roughly about a 50 cent coin amount and it lathers easily to cover my entire body. It comes out as a beautiful deep dark shimmery purple liquid. I wouldn't say it really looks like a night sky but it's fun to use. I mean, ITS SPARKLY. And it washes off completely so no worries there on turning into an Edward Cullen. If it stays on your skin... You're probably not very clean D: I think. Cause mine washed off effortlessly and completely.

Scent : ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (I love this scent, but not my no.1 scent~)

Ease of lathering : ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ (I'd say average, not extra foamy or dry)

Pretty-ness : ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (Weird point to evaluate but not all shower gels are this pretty!)

Overall : ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (I love it, it's only available for Halloween and I'd indulge in a lil bottle!)

This costs £14.95/500g if you get it from the UK, which converts to roughly slightly above 30sgd? However in SG... It costs $54/500g. Sad TTM. However like I've said, as it's only available for Halloween, I think it's okay to spend $17 for the 100g one and enjoy a little. Use it for days when you feel like you need to pamper yourself. If you're super rich and willing to spend, this wouldn't be a problem for you!

XOXO,
Domo

Product Review : Lush Cupcake Fresh Face Mask

Hi :D I actually did this review on the same day as the Shunji Matsuo Hair Treatment and scheduled it for today because I'd be working. See... I'm slowly getting hardworking right? Gradually... Turtle-ishly...

SO. During the period of time that we were MIA, my skin turned really bad. I confess that most of the reasons were due to my own laziness though. And usually when I'm home, I don't wear any sort of make up on my face. Contrary to popular beliefs that wearing make up causes your skin to grow lotsa zits, I actually grow more zits without make up. When I have make up on, I do not touch my face at all. Also my powder helps to control the sebum secretion.

Thus when I keep going without make up, I'd touch my face here and there, poke it when I'm bored and pat it too. My sebum secretion is also crazy and makes my T-zone reflective.

So here's what I got to save myself from the oiliness!

The key selling point for me is the CHOCOLATE! I pretty much love a chocolate anything so this was practically screaming my name.

Here is the ingredients list for the sensitive skin peeps. It's a little blurry though T_T So you might want to refer to the Lush website HERE!

With the main ingredient being Rhassoul mud and cacao powder, you must have expected the mask to be of such color. Looks more accurate in the picture below though.

The texture is a little chunky as you can see, probably because of all the mud it contains.

Here it is on my face! Just a thin layer all over will do. Leave it on for 10-15minutes till the mask is dry. Then when you wash it off, don't simply splash water all over. Wet your hands and rub gently in circular motions. I feel like the little chunky bits help to exfoliate a little.

You'll get this! Ok, I'm not referring to the huge eye bags, the crooked nose and the strangely twisted face shape. I think the camera made it weird. LOOK AT THE SKIN! Just focus on the skin will do please :)

Lush SG says :
"Chocolate heaven for oily and teenage skin. Its action removes excess oil and calms breakouts. Rhassoul mud cleans and soothes, linseed, cocoa butter and cocoa powder soften the skin. Balancing peppermint, spearmint and sandalwood oils complete this effective and delicious experience. Apply to clean skin, avoiding the eye area. Leave for five to ten minutes, and then rinse away with warm water. Keep chilled." - As taken from the Lush SG website.

My say :
It's actually not as chocolatey or cupcakey as I expected it to be when I took a whiff of it in the store. It smells really sweet, somewhat overwhelming actually so it may not be for everyone. There's actually a more floral note to it than candy sweets. It's strong in the pot, strong while on the face but lingers around lightly after washing off. I like the washed off scent the most.

The mask itself is actually really creamy in texture. However when you use it straight out from the fridge, it gets a little lumpy and hard to spread around the face. Thus I recommend for all users to let it melt a tiny bit before spreading it all over.

What I've noticed with this mask is that it does suck the oilies out, but not those more stubborn blackheads. For those you'll still have to use those peel off strips or something that works the same way. Despite what it does, it's actually not drying on the face. I have combination oily skin and after using this, my cheeks felt comfortable even without anything on. My skin felt cleaner and softer at the same time. My zits were also less red so I guess it works for the calming breakout part!

To conclude, it's good if you can stand the smell and the price. If you're living in the UK, hooray for you because you can get it at £5.95/75g. This converts to around $12 or so. But because fresh face masks are made without preservatives, you can only buy it in the Singapore Lush which sells this at a whopping $25/75g. It's like double the price. Personally, I will not repurchase as this $25 tub will only last you for a month before it expires. I will stick to my other clay/mud masks >___< (IF IF IF, I'm from the UK, I would repurchase. Not for SG because the price is not worth it.)

Texture : ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ (Creamy but lumpy when fresh out from the fridge.)

Effectiveness : ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (It does what it says AND doesn't dry my skin.)

Scent : ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ (Not really my favorite scent but still bearable.)

Overall : ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ (Stars off for the texture, scent and how it's super OP in SG~~)

Cheers,
Domo

Event : A Hair Makeover at Shunji Matsuo Hair Studio

Hello hello my Domokies! Okay don't shoot me yet :/ I forgot how to use photoshop to adjust the lighting of the pictures SOOOOOO I finally stopped procrastinating and got down to it today! (So don't assassinate me, I'm trying!)

Some time ago, I got invited for a hair makeover at Shunji Matsuo, presented with the option of perming, rebonding, coloring, hair treatment or a simple haircut.

I've actually gotten addicted to bright colors and have gone to my usual hairstylist for my colors so I decided to just get the hair treatment done at Shunji's. Besides, you hair will never die from a few more hair treatments as compared to perm/rebond/color.

Here are some pictures of my hair before the treatment.

If you look closely, you can see a mini helmet of frizzy hair surrounding my head. Here's a close up for those who are unable to see it.

Yea I'm pretty sure you can see all the hair sticking out now. Pardon the color though, this was taken in a toilet with strange lighting.

With that I headed off to Shunji Matsuo for a hair pampering session and here's how their new interior looks like!

Really nicely lit but not glaring to the eyes. Their design seems to revolve around wood and somehow that provides a more calming environment? Better than concrete walls all over imho.

This is their hair dye selection. This will probably explain where all the Shunji Matsuo ambassadors get their crazy hair colors from. There're so many colors! Also explains why they like to change colors, sticking to one is boring :P

Snuck a shot of these peeps doing their hair. I also had a picture of where they do the hair treatment with the steaming thingy but there were people lying there and it was kinda unglam to snap their pics.

I was recommended to try the Arimino Botanical Garderns Treatment for my dry frizzy hair and so that was what I did.

Here's how I look like after, with the color of my hair looking more appropriate with the lighting in the salon.

They blew dry my hair so there were less frizzies.

If you compare this picture to the one before, the hair is very much tamed.

Want to try this for yourself? Head down to Shunji Matsuo :D New fans/customers can register and receive 20% off with a minimum spending of $100~

P.S. I haven't done a post in a really long time, so let me know if you have any feedbacks!

Love,
Domo