Uguisu No Fun Hydrating Soap

Uguisu No Fun Hydrating Soap

Uguiso No Fun is a traditional beauty product. Uguisu no fun is a Japanese term means "nightingale feces". This product is literally made from a nightingale called the Japanese bush warbler (cetitia diphone). Who's poop was harvested in nightingale farms in Japan, it is dried in a dehydrator and it is ground until it turn into a powder in a special container that continuously working for 18 hours. The Uguiso no fun is a two hundred year old product and still used up to now. 

At first, I'm quite hesitant to use a soap bar to wash my face. I've never ever tried using a soap to wash my face except for the Acne Aid since it is considered as a medical soap. I came into a point that I'm so desperate as NO facial wash was able to cure/heal my pimple/acne. So I thought why not give it a try since the product is already known in the world.

Uguisu No Fun Hydrating Soap contains poop of the nightingale which produces a lot of minerals that is used to make beauty products, such as protein, fat degrading enzymes, and a whitening enzyme that could whiten the skin and can even out the skin color.  

My REVIEW:

Pros:

1)Not easy to melt and would definitely last long

2) Nice scent that could calm your skin

3) Made my skin tone even

4) Works well on pimple/acne marks, gently and slowly heals acne/pimple

5) Very effective for oily skin, it keeps your skin smooth

6) Although it gently dries up the acnes but it DOES NOT peel your skin

7) My skin became moisturized 

Cons:

1) Soap Bar (would make some people quite hesitant to try it)

2) Not commercialize well

3) You can only buy it online

Overall, I'll give it a 5/5. 

Because it really lessen my pimple/acne marks and control my skin from producing too much oil and it made my skin moisturized and silky smooth to touch. I also love the whitening effect of this soap to my skin. 

Check Uguisu No Fun Hydrating Soap at www.uguisushop.com.

Lancôme Rouge In Love Lipstick 340B Rose Boudoir

Lancôme Rouge In Love Lipstick 340B Rose Boudoir

I got this as a very generous gift back in December (thank you!) after it was pinned on my Pinterest wishlist for over a year. Lancôme Rouge in Love lipsticks were launched a couple of years ago and there are 31 shades available. Rose Boudoir is in the Boudoir Time or B group, which are cocktail shades.



340B Rose Boudoir is vivid pinky-coral with a creamy finish that is very, very similar to Bourjois' Fraise Remix and a colour that is more suited for spring/summer time. It's not just the colour that is similar, but also the formula. I've often said that Bourjois' Rouge Edition lipstick are the best formula I've tried and Lancôme Rouge in Love feels almost spot on. It's another pigmented, lightweight formula, but Lancôme's feels just a touch creamier. I need one, maybe two swipes for full intensity, however, I also like to blot it and wear it as a sort of a stain. Like that it gives that lovely flush of colour that really brightens up the face (wearing it like that here). It doesn't dry out my lips, nor does it settle in lines. It is slightly rose scented, but it's barely noticeable.




There are no outrageous claims on this lipstick, but a rather down to earth promise of a 6 hour wear. I'd say it lasts about as much, but of course, if you eat or drink in the mean time you might want to refresh the colour, though itfades evenly without leaving a ring of colour, so it's completely up to your own preference of whether you like that half-worn off or the full intensity look.





The tube is heavy, metallic and daintily chic. It's smaller than most lipsticks, though it still holds 3.4g of lipstick which as much as the Bourjois one and 0.4g more than a MAC lipstick.


As far as dupes go, I'm always very conservative with that word, but Fraise Remix and Rose Boudoir are incredibly close. Fraise Remix is pinker, however, I tried them side by side on the lips and I don't notice much of a difference. Pink About it, on the other hand, is less pigmented and matte. (The lipstick on the right in the second picture is Maybelline's Shocking Coral, which is much pinker.)




I don't know the exact price because it was a gift, but I believe it was about 28€ in Müller (I'm guessing). It's 27.30€ on Feel Unique.


If you ever wanted to treat yourself with a good lipstick, these are incredible, however, the drugstore range offers another gem formula, Bourjois' Rouge Edition that feels almost exactly the same for about a third of the price, it's just the colour range that is different.

Have a great day!

Essie After School Boy Blazer and Maybelline Colorama 103

Essie After School Boy Blazer and Maybelline Colorama 103

Two navies for you today. Anyone who's not a nail polish enthusiast would most likely regard these two as dupes, however there are differences between them.


Essie After School Boy Blazer is a dark, inky navy with a cream finish. It's superbly pigmented, though thicker than other Essies I own. One coat is enough for full opacity, however, I apply two on nails where the first coat is uneven.

Essie After School Boy Blazer :




Maybelline Colorama 103 is another navy, but one that is leaning slightly to purple and has a frosty finish. It's less vibrant than most navies I've seen due to a grey hue. The pigmentation is much weaker than Essie ASBB's. The first coat is sheer and it needs two or even three coats for full opacity.


Maybelline Colorama 103 :




Maybelline 103 is lighter than Essie, however, from far away, the two look very close. I also don't notice a difference in how long they last, but then all nail polishes last super long on me. I believe Essie's ASBB was a limited edition, but if you still find one, I'd highly recommend it as the formula and the colour are amazing. You might like Maybelline more if you're looking for something that doesn't look almost black.


Essie After School Boy Blazer and Maybelline Colorama 103 on the ring finger.
Have a great day!

Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquer Eclipse

Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquer Eclipse

Since I fell in love with Rimmel's Kate Matte Lipstick in 107, I've been on a search for a similar shade in a matte lip cream form which is my favourite formula to wear. I didn't find a matte version yet, however, I stumbled upon a post about new shades of Apocalips by chance (is it just me, or did this launch go mostly unnoticed in the blogging world?) and the deeper shade called Eclipse landed in my cart in minutes.

I already own the shade Stellar which is an absolutely gorgeous, bright pink-coral and it landed in my Best Buys in 2013post. Apocalips are very pigmented liquid lipsticks with a glossy finish that gets more satin/matte when it's wearing off. The doe foot applicator is excellent for a more precise application (you'll notice in my review for 107 how difficult it is to apply nicely based on my lip swatch, but I managed to get some nice results with this one). The applicator has a small depression on one side of the applicator where the product gathers, so there is no need to dip the applicator in the tube several times. Due to the pigmentation, it's better to apply it gradually. I apply it in dots, then spread the product by rubbing my lips together and fix the edges with the applicator. I'm not a fan of a shiny finish, so I almost always blot it and I'm left with a matte finish, but there is enough intensity left for my taste. I also love wearing this as a stain as shown in the last picture. I apply a dot of product and rub it in with fingers. What's left is a nice berry stain that is very everyday appropriate.

Eclipse is a deep burgundy, a very vampy colour and perfect for autumn/winter if you're into such shades. Compared to Rimmel's 107 it's more red/burgundy and less berry. When I saw it in the tube, I thought this is not what I expected. It looks different in the tube than on the lips, almost a bit grey and brown.

What bothered me most at Stellar was the horrible scent, but it looks like they fixed that problem since Eclipse has a much more mild and a bit different version of the scent. 

It lasts so long on the lips and leaves a lovely stain behind. Like Essence matte lip creams, it does transfer on the glass when you're drinking, however it does survive a meal well enough, providing you don't eat anything greasy. It looks great as it's half worn off since it fades evenly. It doesn't dry out my lips at all.

(A prime example of my hair misbehaving, but I'm wearing a matching cardigan - my favourite at the moment.)

As a stain. It's a bit more burgundy and not as intense, but my camera picked it up as too pink.

Rimmel is available almost everywhere with a notable exception of Slovenia. You can get Apocalips lip lacquers on Feel Unique, All Beauty, Fragrance Direct and Asos. I paid 7.49€ on Feel Unique.

I've been feeling über crappy today, but writing this post made me feel so much better, so I hope you enjoyed it and have a great day!

Clarins Gentle Exfoliator Brightening Toner

Clarins Gentle Exfoliator Brightening Toner




About two months ago, when I set out to revamp my skin care routine, I bought this toner that so many people rave about. I declared war on dry patches (my nemesis) and this gentle, hydrating toner with AHA's ticked all the boxes when it came to my needs. I've been using it for almost two months now and I can honestly say that I notice a visible change in the state of my skin (by the way, you can read my first impression here). It contains glycolic, tartaric andsalicylic acid, however, it is amazingly gentle. It says to use it 1 or 2 times a week and to avoid the eyes, but I use it everyday as a part of my night routine (to lower the pH) and it never felt like I was over-exfoliating.


It differers so much from other toners I used, compared to this they all feel like overpriced fragranced water. It's like a really gentle lotion and I never felt any stinging, even if the skin was broken. Despite the high content of alcohol, it is not at all drying. In fact, I find it really moisturising, and in these hotter months, I could easily skip moisturiser (but I don't). It is definitely gentle enough to be used everyday. I have used it over the eyes once to see the reaction and it was absolutely fine (keep in mind my skin in far from being sensitive).


I notice my skin is brighter, clearer and smoother (especially the forehead. It's been a long time since it was this smooth). The red patch under my lips from old blemishes has significantly faded. It was probably the combination of REN's Resurfacing AHA Concentrate with this that made it happen, but I don't need to use a concealer anymore because a light foundation/BB covers it now. The only problem area remaining are the blackheads on and around the nose.


The packaging is a simple off-white plastic bottle and is ok, but it could have a more practical lid that flips rather than the screw-off one. The scent is a gentle, medicinal one.

It is a lovely, exfoliating, hydrating toner and I really enjoy using it. The price is step, however, I've been using it for two months now and there is still well over 3/4 left. I paid about 30€ in Müller for it (regular price is 33.95€), but it is worth it.



Have a great day!

I Fancy My Fantasies

I Fancy My Fantasies





I've gone a bit fragrance crazy recently as you may have noticed. But I found this great UK based web store that offers fragrances for really low prices. I ordered all three fragrances and some S Factor stuff from cheapsmells.com and they all arrived in four days (although one package is still missing, but I blame our post service. Fingers crossed it arrives soon!). After loving my Euphoria for so long, I just wanted some more sweet and young and candy like scents (I was a bit inspired to go in this direction after I purchased Escada Magnetism, which I absolutely adore), so I picked three 30 ml bottles of Britney Spears Fantasy, Midnight Fantasy and Jessica Simpson's Fancy. Apart from Fantasy I never had the chance to test the other two so I purchased them in blind faith I might like them. And guess what - I do.





Midnight Fantasy is actually my least favourite out of the three, but still I quite like it. I adore the dark blue packaging (dark blue is one of my favourite colours) and I love the crystals adorned bottle. I know many find it a bit tacky, but I really like it. The scent is the least sweet out of the three, I get mostly fruity notes rather than vanilla. On me it smells like a mix of blueberies, plums and sour cherries, the drydown is a bit more vanillary, but it is fresher and more sour than the original Fantasy. It lasts about a half of day on me.


Fantasy is my absolute favourite. I like it almost as much as my beloved Escada Magnetism. I don't like the pink bottle, but that's not really that important. What's important is the super lovely sweet smell. The funny thing is that about three years ago I picked up a bottle and tested it and it smelled horrible on me (everyone agreed), but now it's so lovely (again everyone agree, lol). I guess my body chemistry has changed. On me it smells of kiwi and lichee mixed with vanilla and white chocolate (the dry-down is more vanilla and white chocolate that fruity), just super sweet and candy like. It lasts longer than Midnight Fantasy since it is a stronger scent. I think I'll wear it all year round, I really don't find it too sweet even now when we have 35 degrees weather. My cousin pointed out that Magnetism and Fantasy smell the same to her, but to me they really don't. I mean they are in the same floral fruity gourmand group of fragrances, however Fantasy is sweeter and doesn't have those green and caramel notes that make Magnetism so fantastic.


Fancy is the strongest out of the three. Initially I smell apricots and pears mixed with vanilla, but the dry-down is a darker vanilla scent with caramel. It not super sweet like Fantasy, it more sharp. I do get a hint of flower notes(gardenia and jasmine). Staying power is really good, it lasts almost a day on me. I find the bottle quite pretty, but the box with Jessica's image is a bit much. I find Fancy a bit strong for summer, it more appropriate for autumn/winter/spring time than summer.


Thanks for looking!

Balm Balm Frankincense Deep Cleansing Balm

Balm Balm Frankincense Deep Cleansing Balm

My skin loves cleansing balms. Before I started using them, dry patches were my eternal nemesis, but I haven't had a single one in months and my skin is definitely more balanced out. This is my solid cleansing balm and my second cleansing balm in general, the first being Balance Me Cleanse and Smooth Face Balm. Despite the not so good first impression for which I lay the blame entirely on the awful scent, this has become one of my favourite cleansers ever.





Texture: It's a solid balm that is so smooth and soft. I scoop out about a fingernail sized amount and while massaging it into the skin, it just melts into an oil. It stays solid even in my always-warm bathroom, unlike the Balance Me, which was always so runny I really needed to be careful when pouring it out of the tube (there was never any squeezing required at all), but Balm Balm melts only on the actual skin.


Performance: It cleanses the skin well and breaks down the make up, including the waterproof mascara. It's one of the rare cleansers I've used that tackles the stubborn layers of waterproof mascara I wear, but it doesn't remove it completely as I still wake up with a bit of panda eyes if I don't follow up with Maybelline's Makeup Remover Waterproof.I remove the balm with a wet flannel that also provides some gentle exfoliation. My skin is left soft and balanced in a sense that the drier areas are moisturised and the T-zone cleansed. It makes my skin more normal and never leaves it tight or oily.


Scent: Keeping in mind that scents are subjective, I find it awful. It smells strongly of incense and citrus, so the overall effect is like being in a church on a holiday at the moment when the priest is swinging that smoke thingy (yes, that would be the technical term) while you're sitting next to someone wearing a D&G Light Blue. I genuinely dislike it and it kind of lingers, but thankfully the longer I'm using it the less I notice it. But honestly, they could have an unscented version.





Packaging: It comes in Balm Balm's standard, brown glass 30 ml jar that they sell all of their other balms in. It's dainty and cute, though I'd prefer it came in a bigger size as well. However, I like that they offer a small size because is handy for anyone who wants to try balm cleansers first, before committing to pay 40+€ per pot (looking at you Emma Hardie) or need something small for travelling. I've had it for over a month and used up about a half or 2/3, but I'm not the one to pile on skincare.



Ingredients: Looking at the ingredients, I must say this is so simply made. Some sunflower oil, shea butter, beeswax, jojoba oil, marigold extract, frankincense extract oil and grapefruit peel oil. It looks like it's easy to make at home if you're into such things, but it would take a lot of experimenting to get the quantities right.
Price and availability: I bought it on Feel Unique for 10€ (30 ml).


I love the texture and the performance of this balm cleanser, but it's a crying shame that it smells so strong, especially since the scent is not exactly pleasant. Also they could offer a bigger version of it as well. But all in all, it's a fantastic balm. I still love the Balance Me and considering it's cheaper per ml plus it smells so much better, I'd probably still choose it over this one. Though, I must admit I prefer the texture of Balm Balm's one as it feels so luxurious to use, so I would repurchase it.


I wish someone came up with a balm like this one in bigger size and for an affordable price (so not something that costs one month's food budget), maybe even with such a lovely scent that Balance Me has.


Have a great day!