Kaki Shopping

With a name as long as that, I was beginning to wonder if this lotion would live up to its name.  I’ve heard a lot of good things about this lotion and I was incredibly happy when I got the chance to sample this lotion for myself.  The people at Hada Labo sent me a tiny 9ml bottle of the Super Hyaluronic Acid Moisturizing Lotion to sample and they were also kind enough to include a 3g sachet of the Moisturizing Cream.

The Super Hyaluronic Acid Moisturizing Lotion is to be treated like a toner.  So I applied it after cleansing my face.  I currently use the Dermalogica toner which does not require a cotton pad, so similarly with the Super Hyaluronic Acid Moisturizing Lotion, no cotton pads were required.  I simply poured a small amount into the palms of my hands and patted it onto my face, starting with my cheeks, then forehead, then nose, chin and neck.  Because the lotion is rather watery at first, I had to perform this patting motion for about 30 seconds at least, before it actually got absorbed into my skin and surprisingly, after that, my skin felt really soft and supple to the touch!

Here’s a list of benefits listed for this amazing lotion:

* Instantly hydrates skin and helps preserve its optimum moisture balance.
* Replenishes and locks-in moisture for complete hydration. Skin feels significantly soft and supple.
* Helps improve dry and dehydrated skin, leaving it silky smooth.
* Skin pH balanced. Low irritation.
* Free of fragrances, mineral oil, alcohol & colorant.

The sample bottle of 9ml lasted me about 10 days, and I used it twice a day, morning and night.  I find this incredibly economical, because the 170ml bottle of Super Hyaluronic Acid Moisturizing Lotion retails for RM40.90, which means one bottle could last me about 19 weeks or so, which is close to 5 months.  That’s what I call stretching your ringgit!  It’s easily available too, at all Guardian pharmacies nationwide.

Another thing which I absolutely love about this Super Hyaluronic Acid Moisturizing Lotion is that it’s completely FRAGRANCE-FREE.  It actually feels like applying water to your skin and after that I use my moisturizer as per normal.  By the way, the Moisturizing Cream sample that I was given was also to be applied using the patting motion, but I only had enough for about 2 uses, since it’s only a small sachet.  It’s also fragrance-free though.

Bottomline, if you want a toner/moisturizing lotion that truly works and you don’t want to burn a hole in your pocket, the MY Hada Labo Super Hyaluronic Acid Moisturizing Lotion is your solution.  With 1 bottle sold every 4 seconds in Japan, you’ll never go wrong, I’ll bet!

Have you tried the Super Hyaluronic Acid Moisturizing Lotion yourself, and what was your experience with it?

By the way, Hada Labo has also released an Arbutin Whitening Range, which I bet would appeal to all you people out there who would give an arm and a leg for porcelain WHITE and FAIR skin.  Go check out their Facebook page now.

Hey y’all…I know I have been MIA for the longest time ever.  It’s not that I have eliminated shopping from my system (horror!!).  It’s just that, well…I’ve been keeping a rather low profile on the shopping front and haven’t been shopping just as much as I would have liked.

Nevertheless, I am back now…hopefully with more frequent updates and news on shopping, bargains, reviews and whatnot.

The weekend’s almost here, and today, I have TWO hot shopping highlights.

The first one is for all of you out there who are into mineral makeup.  Your favorite mineral makeup store, Loving Minerals, is on sale, baby!  From now through September 15 2010, just use the code LMHRD to enjoy a discount of 10% off your total order.  Whether you need makeup for Hari Raya, or even if you are stocking up for Christmas or New Year, now is always a good time to get your makeup fix!

Photo credits

Next, I’m so loving the new GAP Black Magic pants.  It looks really good in the advertorials…I’m wondering if it’s because the model is tall and slim…in any case, I’m waiting for October when I will get my RM50 birthday discount voucher (YES!  Because I am a GAP member), and just maaaayybe, I’ll drop by and give the Black Magic pants a try-on.

Photo credits

When I won a month’s worth of Madara Regenerating Night Cream, I was very eager to try it out…more so because it was organic more than anything else.  My regular night cream product is Estee Lauder’s Advanced Night Repair, or what most people call “magic in a little brown bottle”, and I was not sure if I had wanted anything else to replace it, since it was working very well for me.

Still, I am always game to try something new…

Well, I’m glad I gave Madara Regenerating Night Cream a try.  Not only did I like it tremendously, I did feel as if the Madara Regenerating Night Cream worked just as well as the little brown bottle did!

The Madara Regenerating Night Cream was not too heavy, yet provided enough moisture to LOCK into your skin, so that my face felt rejuvenated after just one night’s application.  There is a certain floral scent to this cream, but it kind of fades away after a few minutes.  I like it that the scent was not too overpowering.  And if someone like me, who cannot stand stuff with scents is okay with this one, then everyone should be fine with it.

The Madara Regenerating Night Cream is packed in a sleek chic bottle, with a pump and plastic cover, so it preserves the contents after repeated usage.  The downside of this is of course, I could not tell how much of the night cream was left, apart from feeling it getting lighter and lighter in my hand.

According to the product description, this cream speeds up cell renewal and prevents the skin aging process.  I did feel as if my skin had been given that extra boost of renewal after several applications, and that’s always a good sign.  I guess it must have been the combination of all the natural ingredients in the bottle that did the work.  This night cream contains tomatoes, barley sprouts and seaweed, among other ingredients, and also includes hyaluronic acid which is a water-binding ingredient.

I use just a little bit (a little more than a pea size on the entire face), and I suppose this cream could be used on its own, after applying your usual toner, but I used it under my normal moisturizer too.  My skin is a tad dehydrated, and because I sleep in an air-conditioned room, I like to infuse extra moisture in it.

All in all, I feel the Madara Regenerating Night Cream does its job wonderfully!  It repairs all the damage caused by stress and the harsh environment, and hydrates with plant vitamins and antioxidants.  An extra plus point is that this cream is organically certified. :)  Some skincare products contain the caveat to “Keep out of reach of children”, but this cream did not, which I found rather comforting because it meant that I could apply the cream all over my face and neck and not worry a single bit when my kids kiss me goodnight.

So…what’s the damage, you ask?

Surprisingly though, the Madara Regenerating Night Cream is reasonably priced at RM148 for a 50ml bottle and can be purchased online from Bodybar Skincare.  Comparing it to the Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair which costs at least RM200 for the same amount, I’d say the Madara Regenerating Night Cream is an absolute steal!

My wish is for Madara to develop a coordinating eye cream that does the same thing the Madara Regenerating Night Cream does too.  I am apprehensive about applying the Madara Regenerating Night Cream around my eye area, because its richness might be too much for the delicate skin around the eye area.

Would I buy this night cream again?  Most definitely YES!  And I am very happy I found it.

Now, how would YOU like to experience this wonderful Madara Regenerating Night Cream?

Read on for more…

I received a surprise package on Friday when I got home.  Well…not exactly a surprise, cuz I was expecting it…BUT I hadn’t expected to receive it this early.

I placed my order with Benefit Cosmetics online on March 20 2010, and I received confirmation that my order had shipped on March 23 2010.  It was expected to arrive sometime toward the tailend of April, but lo and behold, here it is now!  And I am VERY pleased!

Not only did everything arrive in perfect condition, I had them all shipped to me free of charge!  Don’t miss out on their next FREE international shipping offer…just become a fan of the Benefit Cosmetics Facebook page.  I used the recent promotion code which entitled me to free international shipping on orders of $85 and above.  (By the way, ALL international orders of $115 and above qualify for free shipping with the coupon code WORLD115 all the time)

They have included 2 free samples with my purchase too:  I got High Beam and Stay Don’t Stray.

I can’t wait to try out my new playthings!

I recently made an online purchase at Body Bar Skincare.  Actually part of the reason was because I had a promotion code that was expiring soon, and being the self-professed shopaholic that I am, I wanted to make use of it.

If you have not heard of Body Bar Skincare, it is a delightful little online store that sells organic and natural products.  Since my family and I are already eating organic food whenever possible, it only makes sense that what I put on my face and body is organic too!

Body Bar Skincare has a motto that is very catchy, in that

“If it’s not good enough to eat, it’s not good enough for your skin!”

And that is just so true, I feel.  Because why would you put harmful ingredients on your skin anyway?

The site carries a few brands of organic skincare products, but I only ever tried the Madara line. I’ll be reviewing two of the products I purchased in a future post, so stay tuned!

Meanwhile, let me share a little something about my shopping experience at Body Bar Skincare.  Overall, I found navigating the site very easy. Each product had a clear and detailed description, with the ingredients in it, and also the  number of units available.  After adding the products into the shopping cart, checking out was a breeze too.  Actually, you’d be surprised that the organic products sold at the store is actually quite reasonably priced!

There’s also a discount coupon lookup feature, which I used to double-check my coupon’s validity.  I thought that was cool…

Oh, and shipping is waived for purchases above RM250

Also, email responses were quite fast, and they were very obliging and helpful in their replies, knowing me…I ask LOADS of questions…hehe.  This is very comforting, because it really helps in purchasing skincare products online.  So ask away, and I am sure you will be pleased…as was I

On the whole, a very pleasant shopping experience…although it would have been good if they update the order records with the tracking number of the parcel and change the status accordingly.  I received my order a LONG time ago, but it still shows up as Pending.

Body Bar Skin Care is accessible online as well as in retail stores, at several locations in Malaysia.  So if you’d like to see the products before buying them, there’s an option for you too.

I am very happy with the products I am using from Body Bar Skincare, and I know that if you are an avid organic user, you would be too!  Do check it out, and I am sure you won’t be sorry!