Kaki Shopping

I am a long term sufferer of cracked heels, and believe you me, I have tried everything.  Well, almost… At one point, I even resorted to slathering on THICK lotion and wearing socks to sleep.  Worked for a while, then when I got tired and lazy of wearing socks, the cracked heels came back to haunt me.

Hence it was with great interest that I read Pinkelle’s review on Rosken’s Skin Repair Dry Skin Cream.  She claims it works wonders within 2 weeks to a month.  And since I had tried everything, including those creams specially targeted for cracked heels (but did not work), I bought myself a tub of Rosken’s when I stopped by the pharmacy.  After all, what had I got to lose?

I have been using it every night (almost!) for about a month now, and I am happy to say that this cream really does work!  It’s not as thick as those other creams for cracked heels, but this one does its job well.  I normally rub it on my legs after my shower…okay, I TRY to remember to do it, and right before I hit the sack, I rub some on my heels and feet, and also some on my hands.  See, this cream is so versatile you can use it all over your body!

I especially liked the effects of applying the cream after the fish spa foot therapy I had, though it would have felt even better had I applied it IMMEDIATELY after the therapy and not wait a few hours after.

But I digress.

Rosken is definitely the Dry Skin Specialist they claim to be, and a tub of this cream retails at just RM25.70.  I’m quoting the price from Guardian Pharmacy, but you can get it anywhere.  In fact, I happened to take a brochure back from Guardian just yesterday, and found out that Rosken now has a Skin Repair Feet & Heel Balm (RRP: RM23.90).

Oh, and I forgot to mention that it has quite a light scent that does not overwhelm like some of the other creams I have used.  Another reason why I think this is so good.  Thanks for the fantastic recommendation, Pinkelle!

One of my very favorite accessories is a quaint little necklace with a shell-shaped pendant, which I purchased from a quaint little store called Beads Zone several months ago. Not only has this unique pendant invited many interesting remarks and comments, I simply love this necklace for its versatility, as it goes with everything I wear.

But wearing this necklace all the time does seem like overkill to me, so I did what any normal person would do. I hopped back into Beads Zone yesterday, hoping to find an equally, if not nicer, necklace to add to my wardrobe.

I spotted a few which I liked, but they were rather pricey, at close to RM30 per piece. At the other end of the spectrum, there were some which were on promotion too, priced at “2 for RM10″ and “3 for RM10″. But none of them caught my eye. In the end, after trying on a few, I ended up selecting one costing RM15.90. This one had a flower-shaped pendant with a smaller floral center made of sea shell material. It had chunky beads on its side too.

Of course, being the frugal person that I am, I asked the salesperson if there was a discount. And she said that a 10% discount would be given if I was a privileged member.

“And how do I become a member?” I asked.
“Oh, you will need to purchase a minimum of RM50 to be eligible for a 2-year membership,” was the reply.

Since I was not prepared to make such a big purchase, I bought the necklace for the regular price.

Depending on the response I get from wearing the necklace, I might consider signing up as a member. You see, Beads Zone has Members’ Day sales off and on with supposedly HUGE discounts, in fact these are the upcoming ones this month:

But you know, if you’re a Penang blogger like me, you can just take the shortcut and blog about Beads Zone to earn yourself a free 2-year membership. Gosh, does that mean I am already qualified? Woohooooo……..SCORE! …Although I am not sure how they will ascertain if a blogger is a Penangite or not… never mind, as long as I get to enjoy the discounts on Members’ Day!

Who’s up for some freebies?

How does the following sound to you?

- A FREE Clarins trial product
- A FREE skin consultation with Clarins professionals
- A complimentary makeover!

All you have to do is take the Clarins Hydra Quench Challenge, and you’ll be entitled to an evoucher, which you then print and bring to the Clarins counter of your choice to claim your freebies.
And it’s also a very simple challenge: you just gotta keep clicking at some silhouettes on the screen with your mouse to keep the “moisture level” indicator up. Just keep clicking for 30 seconds and you’ll be rewarded with the evoucher.

Go try it now! I just did…and I’ll be claiming my stuff at Clarins soon…. wheee!!! Another makeover!!! And a free Clarins product too, which I am quite sure would be one of the products from the new Clarins Hydra Quench Multi-Climate range, which Clarins claims are the first self-adjusting moisturizers that protect in extreme heat or chilling cold. I’ve always wanted more moisture for my skin, so I’m more than ready to try them out.

I’m in need of a lipstick right now. More accurately, I am looking for something that can double up as a lipstick, lipgloss and yet provide me the moisture I need for my somewhat dry lips. After reading the review for the Revlon Renewist Lip Color, I think this is one lipstick I ought to check out, not so much for the lipstick in itself, but more so for the ProCollagen Moisture Core, which is touted to boost moisture by up to 80%. Sounds interesting enough.

Here’s a close-up shot of the core which I took from My Women Stuff:

However, I’m not gonna run out and buy myself one of these lipsticks just yet. Well, not until the results of this giveaway is announced anyway. My Women Stuff is having a giveaway for 1 Revlon Renewist Lip Colour lipstick (color: Naturally Revealing) and 1 Colorstay lip pencil. To see the exact shade of the Naturally Revealing color, please visit the Revlon site.

Quick, go check out the details and submit your entry by 12 noon on Thursday 22 May 2008.

 As I was flipping through my May 2008 copy of Malaysian Women’s Weekly, I saw the full page ad for the latest Revlon foundation: the Revlon Age-Defying 2-way Foundation with Botafirm.  This reminded me of the first ever giveaway that is currently happening at My Women Stuff.

I’m always game to try new products, and am ever ready to get free samples from cosmetics and perfume counters.  But what’s even better than getting free samples?  Why, free PRODUCTS in regular sizes, of course!

So I’m hoping to land myself the Revlon foundation prize.  The contest is so simple.  It’s a lucky draw where there will be only ONE winner who will walk away with a Revlon Age-Defying 2-way foundation in the shade 06 - Natural Beige!  All you need is to send an email to mwsgiveaways@gmail.com with “Revlon Foundation” in the subject header.  But hurry though…the contest ends 12 noon on 10 May 2008.

For further details about this cool giveaway, check out the terms and conditions for qualifying. 

I’ve actually already submitted my entry - have you?

Here’s the loot I got from whatgreatskin.com!

Remember I said I requested for many samples when I made my purchase with them? Well, I didn’t get all of them, but I am still elated, nonetheless…look how generous they were with the samples! Some are even new products that have not been launched in Malaysia yet!

This is definitely a great site to shop for VERY affordable Dermalogica products at a VERY very special price! Yay me!

Yippeee! *clicks heels in delight*

I found a site that sells Dermalogica products way cheaper than StrawberryNET. Check out whatgreatskin.com! Dermalogica recently had a worldwide price increase on all its products with effect from April 1 2008, and the outlets in Malaysia are now selling the products at 8-10% more expensive than before. Sigh…this was what led me to this great site in the first place, after a friend of mine recommended that I check this site out.

Just to prove my point on how cheap the products in whatgreatskin.com is, here is a price comparison on some of the products:

Skin Hydrating Masque 2.5oz

Malaysian retail price: RM172 (USD53.75)
StrawberryNET price: USD40.50
whatgreatskin.com price: USD26.95

Skin Hydrating Booster 1oz

Malaysian retail price: RM245 (USD76.56)
StrawberryNET price: USD60
whatgreatskin.com price: USD36.95

Extra Rich FaceBlock spf30 1.7oz

Malaysian retail price: RM217 (USD67.81)
StrawberryNET price: USD55
whatgreatskin.com price: USD37.95

Essential Cleansing Solution 16.9oz

Malaysian retail price: RM219 (USD68.44)
StrawberryNET price: USD48
whatgreatskin.com price: USD35.95

I know!! I couldn’t believe the vast price difference myself too! Definitely worth the while getting if you are a Dermalogica user.

The bad news though is that whatgreatskin.com only ships to USofA, and not to Malaysia. Though if you know of friends, relatives or bosses visiting Malaysia from The States, just have the products shipped to them (shipping is free for purchases above USD49) and get them to bring the products back to you. Another great feature about this site is that upon checkout, there is a section for you to fill up product names which you would like to receive samples for. I do admit I was pretty greedy in doing so, but I can’t wait to see if they will give me everything I ask for. *rubs hands with glee*

Too bad whatgreatskin.com only sells three major products though: Dermalogica, Cellex-C and Bioelements.

If you are ever traveling and find yourself in transit in Singapore’s Changi airport, count your lucky stars! That’s a shopping haven, and for some travelers who have been cooped up in the airplane cabin for hours, retail therapy is soothing and really relaxing. To add to the benefits, items sold in Changi airport terminals are way much cheaper than those being sold in retail outlets, the main reason being that the items are all duty-free. 

Take Nuance-Watson, for example. I never fail to stop by this outlet whenever I am in the Changi airport terminal. (by the way, the link I have provided lists the outlets in the Changi airport, but they have not updated it to include the outlet in the newly-opened Terminal 3 yet.

Anyway, when my hubby was on his way back from India last weekend, I asked him to get me the Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair combo (comprising the Advanced Night Repair 50ml + Advanced Night Repair Eye Recovery Complex 15ml) from Nuance-Watson, on condition that the price is less than USD128. I got this price threshold from checking the item on StrawberryNET and applying the 3-item discount of 5% PLUS the 2nd purchase additional 1% discount.

And whaddya know? Hubbs came back and presented me with the combo I specified, bought from Nuance-Watson at just SGD139! That converts to just just under USD103!! What a big load of savings!

I wonder if they have Dermalogica products as well…

Those of you who are already members of the Aster Spring/Leonard Drake membership program would have received a letter informing you of the latest Love Reward membership updates.  I decided to find out more details by popping by the Aster Spring outlet just 2 days ago.

So the deal is the existing rewards program will be discontinued as of April 1st 2008.  This means that you will no longer be able to accumulate points for your spending on either products or services after this date.  In place of the Love Reward program, all members will now receive 5% service rebates every 6 months based on the total half yearly spending at all Aster Spring and Leonard Drake skin care centers.  The 5% rebate accumulation will begin May 1st 2008.  It is not stated if purchases made in the month of April will qualify for the rebates or not, though.

Things you should note:

• With your existing reward points from the Love Reward program, you can choose to convert them to vouchers (which can be used for services and/or products) using the formula RM600 = 1 RM10 service/product voucher.
• If you choose NOT to convert your existing reward points, they will automatically be converted to rebate vouchers for services only (5% of total expenditure).  By the way, in the letter I received, it is stated that the rewards will be converted to rebate vouchers for product and/or service purchase, but that’s not what the center told me two days ago.  They firmly stated ONLY SERVICES.

For more information and special requests, you may contact the Client Service Careline at 03-78096666.

You know how some of us religiously take multivitamins orally every morning? Well, apparently the vitamins from these supplements works in our bodies to strengthen us internally and its final destination is our skin! When that happens, most of the vitamin goodness would not be that potent anymore. This is where Dermalogica’s Multivitamin Power Concentrate plays its part.

I discovered this product immediately before Chinese New Year this year, and I am glad I did. This wonderful product comes in a silver container and it contains 45 individual capsules. These capsules look like tiny silver bullets, and within each capsule is a unique skin treatment that delivers a concentrated dose of pure vitamins A, C, E, and F to help firm and strengthen the skin, and help reduce the signs of premature aging. It also includes a mini silver container for you to bring these capsules along if you’re travelling.

What’s great about these capsules is that the vitamins are applied directly to the skin after cleansing and toning. It smells odd at first though, as if you are applying your crushed multivites to your face. The serum-like application is absorbed almost immediately and although you may feel like it is a little bit on the oily side, your skin will feel thoroughly refreshed in the morning. You don’t even need to apply it every day, because the effect of the application of one capsule will last three whole days! However in my case, I want my 45 capsules to last as long as possible, so I apply it only once a week.

So how much does this cost? At Leonard Drake and Aster Spring outlets in Malaysia, it costs RM259, but on StrawberryNET is costs just USD62.50 (RM202.50). It would cost cheaper if you purchase a minimum of 3 items from StrawberryNET though, i.e. an addition 5% discount of your total purchase. And if you are a first-time customer on StrawberryNET, you will also get free STILA makeup with purchases exceeding USD25.