The first ever Soap & Glory product that I had enjoyed using and repurchased is the one and only Flake Away. It is also the cheapest body care within the brand (RM39) until I went to Sephora to repurchase a third tub. The price shoot up to RM55! I didn’t repurchase any since then and I’ve been missing Flake Away scent so so much. I can’t remember how or where I found out that Flake Away contain Soap & Glory signature Original Pink™ fragrance. So what else? I went amok with everything that has the exact scent!

When I was at the Sephora Black Card event, I grabbed a bottle of Clean On Me™ Creamy Clarifying Shower Gel. I was looking high and low for The Righteous Butter™ Body Lotion and there was none. I went back the next day with my mum to search again and I only managed to find the mini tub of The Righteous Butter™ Body Butter (RM19). I used the mini tub so moderately, as if it’s the most precious thing in the world. Then luck was on my side. I managed to purchase another bottle of Soap & Glory Clean On Me™ Creamy Clarifying Shower Gel (RM48) and The Righteous Butter™ Body Lotion (RM65) during the first Black Card Private Sale 20% OFF back in October 2014. Everything seems more worth it with 20% OFF isn’t it?

I’ve always said that I’m not a body lotion or a body butter girl. I find it to be uncomfortable having a sticky body the whole day or night. Soap & Glory completely changed me. Every night after shower I find myself eagerly wanting to slap on The Righteous Butter Body Lotion.

I find it so cool that every product under the Original Pink category bears the same scent. Other brand tend to make every item within the same scent category slightly different but based on my experience using four different products under Original Pink fragrance is that everything smells the same. At least to me . The scent lingers on the whole night and the whole morning the next day until I shower. Clean On Me™ Creamy Clarifying Shower Gel foams up very well. I only use two pumps on a shower loofah. The pump is not the deep type. It doesn’t pump up a whole lot per pump. Between The Righteous Butter™ Body Lotion and Body Butter, I’d choose The Righteous Butter™ Body Lotion. It is lighter and doesn’t feel too heavy on the skin even for someone like me who is not a fan of applying body lotion. This one I use generously. One pump for every section lol. The Righteous Butter™ Body Butter on the other hand is not bad though. I like how smooth, light and super moisturizing it is on the skin. It can be a lil tacky the next morning but I still like it. In fact I’ve bought a set of Soap & Glory Holiday 2014 set – Full Clean Ahead (RM51), which contain a full size tub of Body Butter *excited*

What I like about Soap & Glory bottle product is that the half litre (500ml) can really last a very long time. Like I said, I use one pump for each section of my body which means I’m using seven pumps each night and you know what, I’ve only used up the bit on top like what you see on the first and second photo above since end of October 2014. The shower gel will most probably finish up first but I doubt I’ll be able to use the body butter soon

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored review. I bought the product on my own.

The post Soap & Glory Original Pink™ Fragrance Favourites appeared first on Street Love. by Fiona

Regulars of Guardian pharmacy would notice a strange looking rack near the check out counter with lots of pastel color bottles in a clear plastic wrapping and stuck on what seems to be a tray that was inspired from egg tray. That strange looking rack with funky bottles which I first reported on my Instagram is Lipidol, a brand new skincare oils by Union Swiss, who is the makers of Bio-Oil.

The whole of the brand only consists of six types of skincare oil and everything is retailing for RM24.90. What I have with me is not all six products but just the Cleansing Body Oil, something that I thought would easily hit all the right marks.

You know how I always talk about water and oil level balance in order to keep a healthy and well hydrated skin? Well, apparently the founders of Bio-Oil are on the same page with this when it comes to the overall skin of the body, not just the face but the whole body from head to toe. Beauty oil has always known to be a favourite among those who believe in its efficacy and that includes me. If you recall I do love to “oil myself up” before bed . Lipidol want to be the first company to come out with a full oil-based skin care products in order to help the skin to retain moisture thus creating a healthy skin. Remember well-moisturized skin = healthy skin = problem-free skin?

Lipidol have succeeded in gaining all the attraction due to the way it was packaged, marketed and sold. I bet you would stop at the Lipidol rack trying to get your heads around on what exactly does all the pastel looking bottles are for. I have no idea what it was when I spot Lipidol. There was no description, no proper product name on the rack to at least tell me by first impression what it was and the price tag on the rack were all in short form. It’s really not that hard to gauge what each Lipidol product on the rack is for, really. The company decided to name each six products by it’s function i.e. Cleansing Face Oil, Cleansing Body Oil, After Shower Oil, Sunscreen Oil, After Shave Oil and Overnight Face Oil. A little name tag would be good.

Still on the packaging (because I find the concept fascinating), the bottle is kept clear to showcase the oil color as that’s what differentiate each product and even the cap has been put a lot of thought in it. You will find ribbed surface on the side of the V-shaped cap so that you can grip + twist better with oily hand. Brilliant!

Because Lipidol are so persistent with everything clear for it’s bottle, even the stopper on the mouth must be crisp clear as well. I remember Justin Letschert, CEO of Bio-Oil / Union-Swiss who flew in from South Africa shared during the media launch that the supplier gave them what deemed as the clearest plastic in the industry to them but he jokingly said that obviously not everyone had the same understanding of the term ‘clear’. Finally they managed to come out with a stopper for the bottle that is as clear as the bottle’s body.

I’m a fan of shower oil but what we can find now is quite costly to use every single day so I reserved it for maybe twice a week pampering. Lipidol gave me a cheaper alternative and I was extremely thrilled by it from the price stand point so you bet I have high hopes on it. Cleansing Body Oil works the same manner as a bar of soap or shower gel i.e. to wash off dirt, minus the foaming action. Typically oil is suppose to work better on the skin as it’s able to clean without stripping the skin’s natural oily layer so skin stay moisturized. As for the consistency, I find this Lipidol one to be similar as to the higher end version.

Don’t laugh but I do get people asking me how to bath with oil. It’s the same question I got some time ago on using facial oil. Basically it’s the same application method as to a normal shower gel. All you need to do is to lather all over damp skin and rinse. Do not expect any foaming action because you will get none. Rub hard enough and you might get a teeny bit? The shower oil will emulsify into a milky texture once in contact with water. Oh wait. Now I remember. The concept it just like makeup remover oil

What I don’t like is the scent. You must have known by now my nose is not tolerance to anything that smells bad. I won’t say the smell of this is bad, just that lime or anything citrusy is not my absolute favourite. Lipidol carefully curate each product and the color to be as close as it’s purpose and lime is what they said to be something that a user would want to smell fresh and clean right out of shower. To a guy maybe yes but to me, it’s not what I want to smell like. But the good news is, the scent wears off after rinsing. I don’t smell anything after that and usually my body lotion would have already covered it all up if it does.

Here comes the ingredients list.

You will find it hard to read because simplicity is the overall concept of Lipidol. There is no sticker label on the bottle. Even the Lipidol logo is embossed onto the bottle. There are description and ingredients printed on the bottle due to statutory regulation. So if you must know the ingredients, please click on this link

Lipidol carries only six oil-based skincare products at the moment. Each product is priced at RM24.90. Lipidol wanted to maintain a standard price for every single product which I think is a good thing. You will also find that each product are packaged in sealed plastic wrappers as an environmental friendly effort to stay away from paper carton box.

Disclaimer: Press sample.

The post Lipidol Cleansing Body Oil: There but not quite there yet appeared first on Street Love. by Fiona

Hada Labo has always been a skin care brand in my memory. Remember their “patting” lotion aka Super Hyaluronic Acid Moisturizing Lotion? Then somewhere end of last year 2012, we have witnessed Hada Labo venturing into base makeup with the launch of Air BB Cream. This year, Hada Labo once again stepped out of the comfort zone and released two Hada Labo Hand Cream – Deep Moisturizing Hand Cream (Rose) and Whitening Hand Cream (Lavender).

I will start with individual review of both hand cream separately before comparing both hand cream at the bottom of the post :). First up. My mum’s favorite, which is also my favorite!

Deep Moisturizing Hand Cream – Rose (RM19.90 / 50ml)

The name said it all. This Deep Moisturizing Hand Cream is for those that are suffering from dryness on both hands. Did you know that your hand gave your age away if not properly taken care of? I have seen extremely beautiful girl with super dry, dark hands! I guess I have the reverse one LOL.

So. This hand cream contain Hyaluronic Acid, Super Hyaluronic Acid and Oat ß-Glucose that works by penetrating deep into the layers of the skin to infuse them with moisturization. Hyaluronic Acid is not only important for the face but dry hands too.

The tube itself is somehow soft and feeling fluffy to touch. The surface is matte which is great for a hand cream. It doesn’t come with a flip-cap but instead comes with a normal screw-cap. A bit troublesome so usually I’ll close back after dispensing, before spreading the hand cream with both palm.

What I like about this hand cream is the rose scent. I’m a huge hugeeeee fan of anything that bears the rosey scent. It is infused with Bulgarian Rose Hydrosol and also 3-kinds of Rose Essential Oil. What? Did I read wrongly? So much of rose ingredient? All that is actually essential to promote emotional balance, soothe and calm the skin as it will also prevent any skin irritation and at the same time relaxing.

The goodies doesn’t just end there. It also contain Vitamin E which is well-known for it’s effectiveness in anti-oxidant. Australian Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil for it’s moisturizing properties and it’s ability to restore smoothness back to the skin.

You don’t need a lot per use. See the dollop below? I use about that amount each use. I also smooth some from my palm to both of my elbow. I wouldn’t want to have smooth hands but dry and flaky elbow

The smell is invigorating, just as I expected it to be, just the way I like it. It doesn’t have that artificial rose scent. Thanks to the Bulgarian Rose in it…it does smell like one expensive rosey hand cream. It does leave a layer of cream on top but not greasy at all. My hands are not super dry to begin with. I have a habit of washing my hands regularly. So applying hand cream after that is already a routine for me. I can still fiddle with my iPhone after applying this hand cream

Here is the ingredient list for those that are interested.

Since I have two Hada Labo hand cream, I gave this to mum despite the fact that I personally would prefer to keep the rose one. But I always give mum the best that I can provide so she is now happily using this hand cream at night before sleep. I checked with her from time to time and she said she is loving the hand cream. Also because I think mum need moisturizing more than me since her hands are more drier and wrinkled than mine.

Whitening Hand Cream – Lavender (RM19.90 / 50ml)

Besides moisturizing our hands, keeping it youthful and fairer is also a part of the routine. Hada Labo recognized the need in a whitening hand cream so this hand cream is created for those that are in need of it. To be honest I never thought of having a fairer pair of hands before. It just never occur to me because so far all hand cream in the market has always been targeting on moisturizing.

Whitening Hand Cream is also infused with Super Hyaluronic Acid, Arbutin which is a natural double whitening agent as well as Lavender Essential Oil all the way from Europe to restore skin fairness and smoothness as well as maintaining it. This hand cream also have the ability to calm, soften the skin and also relaxes the mind thanks to the Lavender Essential Oil.

The tube packaging is the same with above Deep Moisturizing Hand Cream. It comes in a white, matte, soft tube with flip-cap. Be careful with the unscrew and screwing back the cap in place because I have a few incident where my cap just flew off! Hehe

Oh, I just need to mention this. The hand cream doesn’t just ooze out. The suction is quite good. I guess I know why now Hada Labo uses this type of soft tube

Besides the whitening properties and effect, Vitamin E and B5 is also included in the hand cream which is a great help in repairing dry skin.

From my experience, Whitening Hand Cream is more thicker, creamier and slightly more greasier than Deep Moisturizing Hand Cream. This is perfect for the elbow too. I have this tube right next to my bed. Applying this hand cream is usually my last beauty routine before dozing off. After taking care of my hands, I always smooth this hand cream onto both my elbow every night before going to sleep. If you happen to bump onto me, remember to ask me to show you my elbow. I have smooth even-toned elbow which I give credit to this Whitening Hand Cream.

Like I said, this version of hand cream is more creamier. It is more greasier than Deep Moisturizing but having said that, I can still fiddle with my phone after that…playing Jelly Splash with my hands full with hand cream. The hand cream is easily absorbed in so I’m not so worry about the texture.

The scent is quite pleasant. Some product that are infused with Lavender oil smells artificial but this one just doesn’t.

I know what’s on your mind. You must be wondering what’s the difference between both hand cream eh? Here is the dollop and swatch comparison.

There is no major difference. Just scent, texture and function that’s all.

Which hand cream would be your favorite? I like rose one but loving the lavender version as it gave me a smooth and fair elbow

Disclaimer: Product was sent to me for review consideration. This doesn’t affect my judgement in the review in any way.

The post Review: Hada Labo Hand Cream, Moisturize and Whiten Your Hands With Natural Essential Oil appeared first on Street Love. by Fiona

Are you a fan of chocolate milk drink? Yes? Then this review is for you

I love chocolate. Not so much on chocolate milk because I can get quite jelak (satiated in English) if consumed too much. On one random sample redemption at Palmer’s roadshow back in May, I bought the Cocoa Butter Formula with Vitamin E Body Scrub because the sales girl that attended my request were very nice and polite to me. It is very rarely nowadays to encounter such an excellent customer service eventhough I am just there to redeem sample. And of course coincidently I ran out of body scrub

When I ask to try out Cocoa Butter Formula with Vitamin E Body Scrub on the back of my hand, I wasn’t aware that this is made from cocoa. The strong cocoa scent immediately rushed into my nostril, as if slapping me back to my senses. There and then…I realized I may like chocolate as food but not for my body care.

The jar is a huge one but it’s a standard size, just like The Body Shop’s. It’s clear so the content is visible from the outside. Looks oh so tempting eh?

Unscrew the cap and you will find another protective separator made from clear, thin plastic. I can only assume the scrub is too runny that a separator is needed to hold the content in place. Imagine what will it be if the separator is not there. Oh gosh. It would be so messy!

The scrub is just as how I expected it to be – runny. I’m not a fan of the texture. It is just too runny. I have to be careful so that I don’t spill it everywhere. Because I use this after my normal shower, when my body is still wet…once I slap on and start scrubbing this Cocoa Butter Formula with Vitamin E Body Scrub, I find the walls and floor in my bathroom is all spattered with the scrub. It’s really one messy routine

However, the scrub comes with loads of generous cocoa beads. I’m also not a fan of the strong chocolate scent. It’s too overwhelming. Even for chocolate lover like myself.

I asked the sales girl on how long should I scrub my body. She told me to scrub and scrub until the cocoa beads broke into smaller pieces. I must warn you. The beads is quite harsh. You might not like it if you are into softer scrub. Me on the other hand like the scrub beadss. I have a philosophy on scrubs. A scrub is suppose to be like how scrub should be – feeling the beads. To me it’s like a spa massage.

Do I smell like chocolate milk shake? You bet I do. And I’m not liking it. It’s too overwhelming. Usually I’d just quickly get the routine done asap and rinse the scrub off asap. Even rinsing would take some time due to all the scrub beads that is all over my body.

Do I still smell like chocolate milk after rinsing? Hmmm just a bit thank God lol.

Eventhough I don’t quite fancy the scent nor the runny texture, I actually quite like the scrub because of the generous cocoa beads. It does exfoliating job pretty good and left me with a softer skin. However I don’t think so I’d repurchase it. I would prefer something else that smells better

Here is the ingredient list.

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored review. I bought the product on my own.

The post Review: Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula with Vitamin E Body Scrub, May Smell Like Chocolate Milk Drink But Not Chocolicious Enough For Me appeared first on Street Love. by Fiona