Review : M.A.D Minerals 100% Pure Essential Argan Oil

Product Description
Argan Oil helps to nourish your skin and hair naturally, while also assisting in free-radical protection.
100% Pure Organic Argan Oil  100% Natural  100% Vegan  100% Gluten Free 100% Additive Free 100% Preservative Free

Argan oil has been shown to naturally contain the following beneficial ingredients:

• Vitamin E (Tocopherol)
  Antioxidant, free radical scavenger, improves skin's water-binding ability, boosts the effectiveness of your sunscreen, and heals dry, damaged skin. Argan oil contains 200-300% more Vitamin E than olive oil.
• Essential Fatty Acids
  Includes high levels of fatty acids which are essential to the health of your cellular membranes – keeping the skin firm and elastic while improving moisture retention.
• Oleic and Linoleic Acids
  Critical in the formation of prostaglandin, which acts as a natural anti-inflammatory and healing agent.
• Natural Antioxidants
  Protect your skin from environmental factors like chemicals, pollution, and sun damage – preventing free radical damage and giving your skin that hard-to-achieve "glow."
• Squalene
  Naturally produced by your skin, it functions like Vitamin E as an important antioxidant, reducing signs of aging. Also has many wound healing and antibacterial properties, excellent for eczema, psoriasis, and acne.
• Polyphenols
  Fight sun damage and photoaging with UV protection. Promote skin repair with anti-inflammatory, anti-septic, and free-radical fighting properties.
• Ferulic Acid
  A very rare antioxidant that's highly valued as it actually becomes MORE potent when exposed to sunlight.
• Sterols
  Help prevent skin aging by promoting moisture retention as well as optimizing the function of the skin barrier.
• D-7 Stigmasterol
  Very rare and highly regarded for treating skin diseases and healing wounds and compromised skin tissue.
• Triterpene Alcohols
  Recent studies show topical application may offer potent anti-inflammatory benefits, making them effective for speeding healing of a variety of skin conditions.
  
  

How To Use:

Pump a tiny drop in the palm of your hand or fingertips, rub hands together for even distribution and massage into face, hands, hair or body. (preferably gently massging in circular motions) The skin should not feel oily after application, if it does, then you have used too much.

So Many More Uses:

- As your daily moisturizer (it can be applied before makeup)
-Apply to split ends of your hair
-To condition cuticles
-As a body moisturizer
-For soothing rough patches of skin on elbows, knees and feet
-As a bath oil

I purchased a 30ml bottle from Mad Minerals for US$10 several months ago and has been using it mainly for the hair and ocassionally for the body. Less is more, and it took me some time to correct the quantity needed for my hair length, as initially, I used too much and my hair turned greasy by end of the day.

The argan oil comes in an opaque bottle with a pump dispenser that will spritz out the oil contents in a messy way. Sometimes it works well, sometimes it requires several depressions.

Argan Oil conditions my hair well and made it healthier and shinier. My hair is in a relatively healthier condition compared to before, due to my daily hair maintenance so I cannot comment on the split ends condition as I no longer have that since I trimmed off all the damaged tresses ends.
This argan oil is not the main contributing factor to my healthier hair condition as I uses other hair products in rotation, depending on the day's event and the state of my hair, however it does contributes to the overall hair health.

I have not use it on the face though, because I like to keep my hair and skin products separately and since I started using it for the hair, I keep it reserved for that.

For the body, it gives off a slight sheen on the skin after application and I only use it twice so far so I cannot comment on its efficacy.

Ingredient: 
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil (100% Pure Certified Organic Argan Oil) Cold Pressed (non-chemically extracted and non-refined), virgin (produced from unroasted kernels)

Source : Mad Minerals

O.P.I Lincoln Park After Dark Suede

Picked up this purple shade from Hong Kong a while back. This is from the OPI’s Fall 2009 Suede collection. Looking at the shade on the bottle itself, this is a medium purple shade with glitters in it. The final finishing is a matte shade which is something I am not comfortable with.

There is a disclaimer tag that comes together with all Suede collection stating
- it does not wear as long as original OPI Nail Lacquer
- do not use top coat, drying products or hand lotion when wearing Suede

I like the colour when it was first applied on, glossy beautiful purple until it dries to a matte finishing and that's when my love for it dies.

I layered it with Coffret D'or PK153 and that made it more alive. I have the best of both worlds. The shade, the finishing and the glitters.

Lincoln Park After Dark Suede has a thin and runny texture that requires several layers for the level of opacity I preferred. It has a cooling feel which probably explain why it dries pretty fast. I don't have the ingredient list but I suspect it could be alcohol. I like that it dries up fast but I certainly hope its not alcohol though I have less concern on it since its used on my hands once in a blue moon.

On another occasion, I layered Seche Vite, a top coat on top of O.P.I Lincoln Park After Dark Suede to give that glossy finishing as the O.P.I Lincoln Park After Dark Suede alone is too matte and boring.

Unfortunately, removing both polishes with a cheap Watsons Nail Polish remover proved to be quite a pain, making my fingers dry and flaky. I may have to try a better nail polish remover next time.

O.P.I Lincoln Park After Dark Suede scored 3.2 from 21 users on Makeupalley.

Review : One Love Easy Does It Cleanser

Product Description
It turns out a little cleansing goes a lot farther than you think. Often times, our best efforts at clear pores clear out our skin’s natural defenses, too. With a unique combination of organic Chilean soap bark, cold-pressed apple oil and vegetable glycerin, Easy Does It lathers into a soothing, non-drying foam that cleans, softens and helps to protect face, body and hair.

When I first came across the brand online, I was immediately drawn to its simple, chic and feminine packaging. After I found out that One Love Organics specializes in 100% pure, waterless and preservative-free organic skin care products, it prompted me to order the trial kit via a colleague who was travelling to the States on a business trip.

This multi-purpose cleanser claimed to be gentle enough for sensitive skin yet powerful enough for oily skin and can be used for the face and body as well. Sounds intriguing?
The cleanser in the trial kit is packaged in a cute tiny bottle that is good enough for a week's usage as a little goes a long way due to its foaming texture.

As mentioned before, my skin does not take well to most types of foaming cleansers but since this product claimed to be gentle enough, I took a gamble and tried it for 5 days. The runny texture foams slightly with light suds and was alittle drying during my first usage and pose no problems during subsequent usage but the broken capillaries on the wings of my nose were redder than normal, which isn't such a good sign.
From the first day of usage, my skin turns softer and smoother, clean and fresh. I like the hint of natural citrus scent too. I just wish the foaming suds can be removed, to reduce the drying effect, if any.

I stopped using it for the face and change it for the body instead. It is a mild "shower gel" for the body, without much suds but with a slight hint of dryness though.

Ingredients :
Aqua (Water), Glycerin, Sodium Coco-Glucoside Tartrate, Sodium Hydroxypropylsulfonate Laurylglucoside Crosspolymer, Sodium Cocoyl Hydrolyzed Amaranth Protein, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Lauryl Glucoside, Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus (Apple) Oil, Quillaja Saponaria Bark Extract, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Sodium Hydroxypropylsulfonate Decylglucoside Crosspolymer, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Sodium Lauryl Glucose Carboxylate, Lonicera Caprifolium (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Lonicera Japonica (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract

Source : One Love

Review : Lifecella Gel Sheet Mask for Eye Contour Collagen

Product Description
The delicate eye area needs special attention. For smoothing and firming of yours, look to the Gel Sheet Mask for Eye Contour Collagen. Collagen improves elasticity around your eye area while Hyaluronic Acid keeps skin smooth and plump. Vitamin A incites natural cell turnover. And dead skin cells are removed for a brightened complexion. Fragrance-free and Color-free.

Containing 5 pairs of eye masks which are sealed separately in a box, the white cresent moon patches are pasted on a flimsy piece of paper and detached to be applied on the undereye area.
It is dry and adhered snugly and firmly on the undereye area. I failed to see any improvement though.

 Source : Bellabox , Blushmeup

My Beauty Diary 2-Step Spring Mountain Cherry Blossom Mask + April Cherry Blossom Creamy Gel

Product Description
My Beauty Diary Mountain Cherry Mask is a 2 Step Spring Pack with April Cherry Blossom creamy gel, that provides extreme brightening and whitening effects. Suitable for all skin types ,especially for sensitive skin. This will help to moisturize, brighten and renew the skin. My Beauty Dairy Japanese Cherry Blossom Mask delivers the following benefits: Whitening and refreshing Japanese Somei-Yoshino Cherry Extract perform triple functions including whitening, soothing and firming. Blended with Extracts of Lemon and Kiwi, it refreshes and softens skin. Soaked in thread of Sakura aroma, skin appears pinky white. Brightening and soothing Extracts of Arnica and Aloe soothe, repair and nourish skin. After use, skin glows with freshness.

Touted to be used for brightening, re-hydrating and refining large pores, this mask comes in 2 products -  Mountain Cherry Blossom Mask (23ml) and April Cherry Blossom Creamy Gel (2ml). A friend gave me a sheet of this mask to try out since we are all MBD fanatics.

Heavily saturated in the essence, the strong cheery scent hits you as you pulled out the sheet mask from its packaging. It is still dripping as you layered it on the skin. I dislike the messiness it creates since I like to multi-task when I am having a mask treatment.

The gel is a good consideration for those who use a night moisturizer on a daily basis. For me, I prefer to skip the moisturizer every time I have a mask treatment as I thought it will be an overdose for my delicate skin. Since this sheet mask is a 2-step treatment, I was "forced" to follow thru, in order to see the effect.

The gel is a light pink cherry-scented moisturizer that goes on light with a slight silicony texture. The 2ml content is more than enough to last for a couple of days.

The sheet mask, together with the gel made my skin feels soft and supple. Note that I use a scrub prior to the mask application to get rid of dead cells and for better mask essence absorption.

Source : Amazon