No poo update 1

From my first post on No-Poo: http://beu-tilicious.blogspot.com/2011/11/shampoo-wary-noo-poo-for-your-hair.html

UPDATE 4 dec 2011: i've actually started no-pooing since nov 18th, i'm into the beginning of my third week now. I also changed my pet dog's shampoo and am very happy with my dog's results.
But my own hair is still a mess, .........sigh a long way more to go.


Update: 30 dec 2011: Aaargh, no pooing is frustrating! During these few weeks, you can't believe how greasy my hair looks. Not only the scalp but the entire length of hair. Mind you, my hair is about 7 inches past shoulder length so it's a pretty horrible sight to behold.


Baking soda, vinegar.

I went experimenting with different concentrations of baking soda solution and also the vinegar rinse solution. I experimented with different ways to dilute or use them, different ways to apply them. I bring in black teas, chamomile teas, rose bud tea, aloe vera gel, honey etc and anything i can muster to wash my scalp with.

Let me tell you, the baking soda burnt my scalp! ouch! i tried using less and less but still it burnt. I had no other choice and had to abandon baking soda. I also did not like the vinegar rinse, it leaves my hair even more greasier and lankier. I never had "normal" looking hair in the days with baking soda/ vinegar  :-(



Liquid Castile soap

I was really discouraged. But not wanting to give up i thought i'd go low-poo instead of entirely no-poo. I sought out an SLS-free all natural castile soap to wash my hair. Castile soap only contains oils like jojoba, olive oil and other good oils made into soap without chemicals so its all natural.
I bought Melrose brand castile soap....................Failure once again. It never foamed and left greasy terrible gunk in my hair! the only part that feels and looks "washed" is the front part of my hair!! The crown right up to the back is still a greasy plunk of mess. I tried all sorts of ways to wash my hair, mixing the soap with water in a squeeze bottle, sudsing it in my hands before applying to my hair, applying straight to the scalp......... heck, nothing worked. I even rinsed so well parting and lifting each section of my hair so the water can rinse it well.



Shampoo Bar

Geez, next up i tried shampoo bars. I introduced a bar of JR Ligget's shampoo bar to my scalp hoping and crossing fingers that this will be it, this will work! Wow, my first wash was excellent. The shampoo bar foamed up so nicely it felt great! how i miss the suds when i was using the baking soda solution there were no suds and you just have to scrub your scalp pretending that there was suds.
My hair came up puffy, clean and shiny!! yay! i thought i found it! i thought this is it. JR Liggett's shampoo bar did it! i was going to kiss the shampoo bar and toss all out those bottles and accessories in my bathroom filled with different mixtures and solutions of baking soda, lemon juice, vinegar etc.

To my great horror, the next day after the wash, my crown was oily, greasy and sticky!! yup, it was sticky! sticky with a greasy residue left by the shampoo bar. I thought i'd stick with it another day and the next day, my hair's dry, brittle, sticky with residue. Eeeew!
I quickly washed it with another round of JR Liggett's and the result.............terrible sticky grease residue all over scalp and hair. I was itching away. It's as though i did not clean my hair for a year!.

Darn, i'm ready to give up and reach for my hidden SLS loaded shampoo way in the depths of my wardrobe. I hid it there for the just in case. This is so discouraging.

Anyway, I thought of an idea. Since baking soda can clean better than the castile soap, but the castile soap gives a better foam effect and helps in cleaning the scalp, I'll try mixing these together. I experimented with different proportions of each and at last, finally, came up with a solution that is workable. It's not fantastic, but still workable and helped me to stay on path.

My recipe
I squirt 4-5 squirts of castile soap into an empty squeeze bottle, fill up half way with rose tea, drop in 1 drop tea tree oil, fill up with water and a final pinch of baking soda. Shake up till dissolved and section by section i squeeze the mixture into my scalp till totally covered. The rest of the mixture i squirt onto the lengths of my hair. Then i start massaging my scalp like i'm shampooing. I add more water from my shower and voila! The solution starts to foam and suds on my hair! Magical! At last i have suds from the castile soap!
I finish with a conditioner rinse of diluted lemon juice only at the ends of my hair to avoid greasiness on my scalp.

This is now working for me and my hair looks clean and feels clean after more than 1 month of greasy hair. I'm trying to cut down the days i need to use this "shampoo" to wash to perhaps 2-3 days instead of daily. This is isn't the best but it works to keep my hair clean. I don't get shiny, bouncy, full of live hair, but at least it looks cleaned and i can walk out of the house with confidence.

I will continue to look for other ways to boost my scalp care without all the loaded chemicals.

Available for purchase: Charm Infinitely Whitening Cream

With numerous requests as to where i purchased my Charm infinitely Whitening Cream,
i am now offering it for purchase over the internet. I only have a few limited units on hand.

Payment method: Paypal for international buyers

Postage: Normal Air Mail (charges will apply, will be calculated based on the country to be shipped to)

Price: RM170 excluding shipping fees

Summarised roughly translated version: "The packaging is too cute! and caught my attention on the first glance. I don't really like lotions/emulsions but the winter has left me with dry skin. I am looking for a suitable moisturising/emollient product for my skin, and found Charm. Texture is light and moisturising, not sticky. My skin is usually dry and easily flakes/peels. With Charm, this dryness and flaking has much improved. My skin was dull and sallow from insufficient sleep, but after only 1 week of usage, it has brightened up! Day or night, with just the use of Charm, my skin care problems are solved. With just Charm alone, there is nourishment, moisturisation, and whitening properties. It is very suitable for lazy girls like me. I particularly like the faintly sweet scent that perks me up and relaxes my senses."




My Previous post:
Charm Infinitely Whitening Cream.
This is a whitening cream. It has been strongly raved in taiwan, so i thought i'd get a tub to see if it lives up to its ravings.
Introducing the CHARM Infinitely Whitening Cream- 30g
Nature Bright Formula, Patent Whitening Actives, Herbal Extracts, Pearl Powder.

It's a multi-fuction cream - moisturising, nourishing, whitening, refining texture.
Contains natural and biochemical whitening actives to brighten your skin tone. Green tea extract and tocopheryl acetate to fight free radicals, WSK (Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract, hayluronic acid and polyquaternium-51 to moiturise skin.
It also depresses the formation of melanin and prevents freckles and spots.
Here's the functions on the box: 

 

Comes in a classy diamante lilac-pink tub 30g. Very pretty................: 

It also encloses a spatula for easy scooping. 

Here's a shot on the white cream like texture: 

Korean skin care review: History of Whoo HwanYu Go

History of Whoo's most prestigious and highly luxurious line of skin care; Hwanyu line.

Consists of three products:
Hwanyu Cream,
Hwanyu Essence and
 Hwanyu eye cream

From LG's website:

Hwanyu  line is a product line created through a three-year joint study of Oriental medicinal materials and blending technologies conducted by researchers at the LG Life Science Research Center, professors of Oriental medicine and a group of Oriental medicine practitioners.



The line contains some sixty Oriental medicinal ingredients, including the rare snow lotus. It helps to regulate the skin’s metabolism and rejuvenates skin to make it bright and radiant.



Hwanyugo means “return to the skin of youth,” A blend of over 60 kinds of Oriental medicinal ingredients, including snow lotus, which blossoms only every seven years, 35-year-old wild ginseng harvested in the deep valleys of Gangwon Province, Siberian young antlers and dongchunghacho, regulates the skin’s metabolism and maintains its balance.



Snow lotus, a rare plant, is considered a very valuable Oriental medicinal plant because it is found only in the Xinjiang Uighur region of Tibet and in the Himalayas and can be gathered only in July and August when the flowers have bloomed. It is blended with 60 different Oriental medicinal ingredients and featured as a key ingredient in the premium cream that restores health and youth to one’s skin. 

Only 35-year-old wild ginseng – known as an herb of eternal youth for Emperor Shi Huang of Qin of China - collected in the wild valleys of Gangwon Province will be used to enhance the skin’s defensive mechanism and improve a wilting appearance. Wild ginseng also repairs dry skin that lacks vitality and nourishes aged skin. 

Given that this is the highest-priced product introduced by LG H&H, only about 10,000 products will be sold annually targeting a limited number of VIP customers, including famous figures desiring the finest quality premium cosmetics. 


Various Oriental medicinal ingredients such as dongchunghacho, reishi mushroom, pine mushroom and fleece flower root work together to improve the skin’s metabolism and create more radiant and firm-looking skin.



The design of the vessel for WHOO Hwanyugo Cream was inspired by a traditional Korean earthenware jar. Metalwork has been used to engrave a Chinese phoenix in its lid. The image of a Chinese phoenix soaring high with its wings fully extended, clutching a cintamani (a magical jewel) under its chin was borrowed from an ancient gilt bronze incense burner from the Baekjae Dynasty, national treasure no. 287, to symbolize the gracefulness and prestige of the premium cream. 


Jin-seok Kim, manager of the WHOO BM team at LG H&H, said, “Based on professional and scientific efficacy, it embodies the value of the finest quality premium cosmetic in Korea. Through first-rate marketing and product quality targeting a limited number of specific customers, the brand’s value will be enhanced by its scarcity.” 

The hwanyugo or hwanyu cream sells for 60 ml, 680,000 won!! Talk about expensive!

From the whoo website:
We extracted ingredients of 'Gihyeoljeong' which are the key materials of Hwanyu and about seventy ingredients of traditional Oriental medicine as if we boil down the best medicine. Such ingredients will remove complex trace of time on your skin because they were compounded through principle of "Masters and Servants". which controls the essence inside and outside of the skin and enhances the efficacy of medicines, and removes toxin and makes such ingredients penetrate deep into the skin.

My experience:
A very luxurious cream that smooths on like silk! i really really love the texture and the smell/scent is heavenly! No perfumes or odd artificial fragrance, just an oriental herb scent that is very relaxing. I find inhaling it while smoothing it on clears and relieves the mind. It's like aromatherapy, soothing.
Just a small amount will suffice. I usually use half a pearl's size or even less; but that's because the cream is just too precious, too scarce, and too darn expensive!
However, i find that because it is so potent, that little bit is more than enough to nourish the skin. Too much and one might find yourself breaking out in no time.
This cream is highly soothing to my sensitive skin and at any time i feel like a dry draught i smooth a little on and voila! It instantly soothes and calms my skin. My skin tends to get irritated with bumps and itchiness whenever there is a dry spell. This is a skin saviour literally.
I can feel my skin drinking in the luxury of a silk river, and in a few minutes while the cream sinks in, my itchiness and sometimes "raw" feeling, is toned down. By the next morning, my skin is back to being nice and soft.
Sometimes, when my skin is particularly stubborn and highly irritated, it takes about 2-4 days using the hwayugo for it to calm down.
This stuff is potent!! and deserves HG status for my sensitive skin.
Well, if you use it long enough on a daily basis, it promises to take 10 years off your skin!! Astounding!

However, i cannot afford the luxury of using it everyday and thus, not able to reap the highly raved anti aging benefits of this potent and scarce cream............ what a pity!
I only use it on an occasional basis whenever irritation rears up. It's my SOS.


Do note that I have sample sizes of this cream, not the full size. I also have the essence and eye cream in samples sizes, both of which i have also used.

Since its hot and humid in my country, i only use either the cream or the essence alone, and never both together, it's just too much for my skin to handle.

The essence works just as well as the cream except it is less creamy. Sometimes i prefer to use the essence when my skin is oilier, other times i normally have preference for the cream.

Tip: Since i only use very little each time, warm that little bit between your fingers and let it melt. Then pat the melted cream on your face. I usually dab at the areas that need nourishment/soothing most and then i try to spread it out over my face by sweeping my hands over my skin and lastly, cup your hands over your face to promote absorption. The scent is very relaxing.
If there is any left, dab it under your eyes where wrinkles are prone!

Highly recommended for those who can afford it and i am absolutely 101% sure of its anti aging benefits. Will it erase 10 years from your skin? well, maybe not 10, but i'm sure it'll do wonders for your skin!

Rating: 10/10!

Flower Boy Ramyun Shop: Jung Il Woo's nose

Flower boy Ramyun Shop, zeroing in on Il Woo's nose!

EEEEEYAAAA! I'm thoroughly enjoying this series ! so much! It's been a while since i've gotten so hooked onto a kdrama. I think the last one was secret Garden.
I'm done up to ep 12 now and waiting for the subs to be released for ep 13-14.
Next week will be the finale of the drama, ep 15-16. Oh! i'm already starting to feel the pangs of missing it.

The story and plot is rather cheesy but i must say, the script and directorship are well presented , enough to captivate its targeted audience. Of course, Jung Il Woo is the main captivating ingredient in this "ramyun", melting in your mouth with each scene he is in.

Jung Il Woo also starred in "the return of Iljimae" but that one could not capture my attention even with his oh-so-dashing good looks. I gave up in ep 8 or 10. I think it's because "the return of iljimae"s plot/story is not well written and poorly presented. The directorship and scenery were great, but somehow, the story and progress of the plot was boring. Even with such yummy to-die-for eye candy as Jung Il Woo, "the return of iljimae" is a failure for me.

So with the above paragraph as evidence, it is not just because of Jung Il Woo's presence that makes "flower boy ramyun shop" a pure winner. The presentation of the albeit-weak-storyline, is the winner! Bravo to the director and script writer for bringing it out in such lively fashion.


Back to the main topic, Jung Il Woo's nose:

Ah, when it comes to celebrity snoop out, i keep picking on their appearance. Jung Il Woo, in my opinion, touched up his nose!!!!!!!! The first episode of Flower Boy Ramyun Shop had me staring and re-staring at him, not just because of his boyish looks, but because there seemed to be something off, something different, something slightly "strange" about him,.............. after much hesitation, i zeroed in on his nose. And yep, it's his nose alright.


In the his past dramas, "unstoppable high kick season 1", "Lady Castle", "the return on Iljimae" and even "49 days", his nose was super prominent. It's big, but i must say, sits so well on his pretty face. His nose is the highlight of his face. The fact that his nose is so ruler straight and high, the "bigness" of it brought the nose out. It stood out to me the minute i laid eyes on him. And for his role as Scheduler in "49 Days", he lost plenty of weight and that made his nose even more prominent and bigger. I really really like his nose and thinks it is just perfect with a capital "P".

In Flower Boy Ramyun Shop, there is a very minor difference and may even go unnoticed to the naked eye. But it bothered me.His tall and straight and prominent big nose has been reduced in size and the bridge is also narrower. The Nose is now smaller, less prominent and no longer can be classified as "big".

Alas, i much prefer the big nose, and the prominence of it. It's indeed a very subtle change and perhaps my eyes are playing tricks on me, but Jung Il Woo's nose is smaller now and less protruding. It's quite obvious to me as i played back some episodes of "49 days" and compared it with "flower boy ramyun shop".





Here's a pic of him in Aug 2011, and it may look like his nose is recovering from surgery perhaps??

Hehehe, maybe i'm just being picky that's all.

Jung Il Woo's still good looking , hopefully he won't do anything to his pretty face and become "feminine".

Gmarket haul 14

The Box:

Bought some make up stuff from Blooming Ocean:

Blooming Ocean Multi Powder Pact:
Their brand of compact powder with spf50PA+++. Comes in a blue container complete with puff and an extra as well.
Shade #2 i chose and even this was very fair.

Blooming Ocean shimmering booster base, spf 34PA++

shimmers, moisturize and boosts the look of dullness. With 100% alaska glacial waters.
It also contains anti wrinkle and whitening ingredients.





Blooming Ocean Mild sun Milk SPF29PA++

This is a non-chemical sunscreen with 100% alaska glacial waters and again with anti wrinkle and whitening properties. I bought this looking at the description. Since i have sensitive skin, a mild and non-chemical sunscreen would be good.





Blooming Ocean Cashmere Touch bb cream spf27Pa++
comes in 2 shades , 1 and 2. I got No.2 which was still very fair.

Very soft and light touch bb cream with 100% alaska glacial waters with anti-wrinkle and whitening properties.



Flower Eglips lipstick in #25.

This is a very pretty orangey tinted red lipstick and its perfect for the Korean bare lip look! Just dab some on the centre of the lips, slightly blend out and your lips will look so naturally strawberry-kissed!
However, this lipstick has glitter in it.





Some full sized free gifts from the seller.

Blooming Ocean Matifying Sun Primer SPF34PA++ in two Shades No.1 and 2, full cover blendable BB cream spf37PA++ in no. 1, Honeyed lip gloss in ivory.
Note: The matifying sun primer is an oil control sun cream, the Full cover BB cream has glitter in it and the shade given is very fair (not for me). The honeyed lip gloss is also full of glitter, it's pretty good as a free gift.




Konjac Sponges for general cleaning. I use it on my face and it can be used on the body as well.

Terra.P Lifting Solution Firming Up Mask, wash off type.

It's a gooey texture like liquid gum. Milky white in colour.

It comes with a spatula for scooping out the mask. This stuff is pretty good. It does give the face a "lifted" and "firmed" feel and it hydrates pretty well. Overall, am happy with this mask. The only complaint is the texture. Messy to handle as it's like honey, which leaves hands, spatula and tub with a sticky gooey mess.



The Saem Chaga Fermentation Liposome 100 Serum:

Formulated with fermented mushroom extract (chaga) as the base, this serum boasts excellent antioxidant power! This is the full size serum and it comes in this heavy pump dispenser bottle 80ml.




The Saem Dr. Beauty Cell Repair special set.
Comes with Cell repair cream and a tube of eye cream.

A large tub with gold cap. 50ml.

The texture of the cream is like heavy creamy yellow coloured butter. It does leave the skin slightly greasier than normal. I would not recommend this to oily skin types. The scent is also heavily fragrant.



The eye cream, with EFG and snail complex. 20ml tube.

This has the exact some heavy fragrance as the cream, same yellowish colour, but the texture is much less heavy and easier to spread and absorb.



Free make up zipper bag from The Saem.

With some little samples sized freebies in it:

Nature Republic Hibiscus 3D firming tox essence:

Comes in a pretty purple bottle.

Ohui's intensive sunblock cake spf50.
I bought a sample size to try.

A white balm as seen in the pic below:

 Overall, this cake is pretty good. Does not aggravate my sensitive skin and impart a "whitening" effect to the skin without being too cakey and downright white. Nice.



DHC stuff: Platinum silver Nanocolloid cream, lotion and essence in sample packs.

20 packs of Coenzyme Q10 natural essence mask sheets.
In my opinion, after using a number of korean mask sheets (even the free ones from sellers), this is the worst of the lot. For me, it deserves to be in the trash can.

This mask irritates my skin and leaves it bumpy and itchy! And i'm stuck with 20 of these!



VOV's Daily Fresh wash off pack:

I bought the wrong ones, as i thought these were sheet masks. I was so surprised to open one and gooey stuff comes out. Oh dear, i much prefer sheet masks in such packaging than wash off masks. It's difficult to store the unused portion for the next usage.


A freebie mask sheet: