[Review] Josie Maran -100% Pure Argan Oil Light

My acne is getting worse, my mood has been down and my search for mild yet effective skincare for ultra sensitive skin continues. Sometimes it’s just so hard I skip putting anything on my face though I know I must still moisturize at the least. 

In the peaks of my skin’s dryness I bought Josie Maran’s Argan Oil Light to try. It’s my first time using oil as skin care and I must say I’m pleasantly surprised. So here goes. 

Brand:  Josie Maran
Product:  100% Pure Argan Oil Light
Size:  15ml
Price:  US$16 
Type: All-natural oil for skin and hair
Website: Sephora website for Josie Maran 

THE PACKAGING



I bought the smaller 15ml to try. There is the standard 50ml size too but this smaller size is great for travel. 

I love the design. It’s simple and classy in a glass bottle and dropper system. 







Love these small symbols all saying good stuff:

• Natural ingredients
• Argan oil
• Recyclable 
• Paraben free
• No synthetic fragrance
• Gluten free
• Vegan
• Cruelty free

When you have acne skin, it’s great to have all-natural products without anything synthetic. I won’t want to risk it by doing more damage to my skin 😦

THE PRODUCT

Argan oil is produced from the fruit kernels of the “Argania Spinosa” or Argan tree, endemic to the Northern African country of Morocco.

Rich with antioxidant phytochemicals and essential fatty acids, argan oil is about 80% unsaturated fat by composition, of which about 32% is essential linoleic fatty acids and 47% oleic acid.

What it is:
An ultralightweight, quick-absorbing version of Josie’s cult-favorite 100% Pure Argan Oil. 

What it is formulated to do:
A featherweight version of the world champion of oils, 100% Pure Argan Oil Light moisturizes deeply and absorbs quickly, leaving a semi-matte finish. Produced by Moroccan women’s co-ops, this top-grade Argan Oil is extracted from the nut of the argan tree, then first-cold-pressed to protect its healthy, hydrating properties. Wear it under makeup or instead of makeup, and fear not if your skin is oily. This must-have oil actually reduces sebum production, so it is ideal for all skin types, especially breakout-prone and sensitive. 

What it is formulated WITHOUT: 
– Parabens 
– Sulfates 
– Phthalates 

What else you need to know: 
“I’ve been asking chemists for years if there was a way to get an ultralightweight version of Argan Oil. After years of development, using a proprietary process we are able to release the lightest elements of Argan Oil while still maintaining all the amazing skin benefits. This new, ultrafast-absorbing version is the perfect partner to my classic 100% Pure Argan Oil.”—Josie Maran 

Research results: 
Argan Oil is clinically proven to significantly improve skin. In a 4-week consumer study: 
– 86% agreed skin felt and looked more hydrated and supple 
– 84% agreed skin felt and looked smoother 
– 82% agreed skin felt and looked more radiant 
– 84% agreed skin texture improved 
– 81% agreed skin felt more balanced 
– 80% agree skin felt calmer and soothed



With all the good claims and raving reviews, I had to try and I went for the Light version of this brand.  The last thing I want is my face to feel more greasy and gunky. 



THE TEXTURE AND SCENT



Love the dropper system. Perfect for dripping dots of oil just how much you want it. Simple and effective. No mess at all. 



To my surprise, the texture is really light! Almost flows like water. A lot of toners and lotions are so much thicker than this. Loveeee the lightweight texture!

Although it is an oil, I won’t use the word greasy to describe it at all! It may feel slightly so at first but it’s so lightweight it blends into your skin so quickly and really does not leave any sticky or greasy feel (see last pic). 

I can also feel how moisturizing and calming it is on troubled skin, just what you need when you have angry red spots. Almost like a healing agent but with all the skincare benefits your face needs. 

The scent is also mild and natural. Although not fragrant like aromatherapy oils, it is still a calming mild scent that I like. 

MY VERDICT

Pros:

• Ultra lightweight texture. And I really mean ultra. 
• 100% All-natural oil. No synthetic stuff at all. Good for any skin type. 
• Calming, moisturizing and healing. Suitable for even acne or oily skin. 
• Absorbed into skin very quickly. No greasy or sticky feel. 

Cons:

• Still oil texture so I don’t use it everyday when I’m in hot and humid Singapore. It’s great for dry weathers or as an in-flight moisturizer. 

Overall:

I’m so glad I gave this a try. This really changed my impression about using oil as skincare and I might give other raved about oils (like coconut oil) a try too. I like to put this under eyes or areas extra dry with fine lines or wrinkles when I don’t want to apply on the whole face. It really feels like it deeply moisturizers the area despite the lightweight texture. 

My search for acne prone moisturizers still continues though. Let me know if you’ve tried really good ones!

[Review] YSL Rouge Volupte in #13 Peach Passion

Its been so long since my last post! Today I want to review a YSL lipstick that I hauled recently in USA 🙂 I think this is probably the most famous lipstick in the world and finally I own one of it! 

Brand:  YSL
Product:   Rouge Volupte – Silky Sensual Radiant Lipstick
Shade:   #13 Peach Passion
Price:   US$36
Type:   Lipstick
Website:   YSL

THE PACKAGING

  

  

I love EVERYTHING about the packaging!

Classy elegant gold reflective casing. Beautiful YSL engraved detail. And my fav part is, the background colour of YSL engraving matches the lipstick shade!  I dislike lipsticks where I have to turn over to squint at the label in minute font size 2 to see what shade it is…. Certainly YSL folks understand the pain to come up with this clever design! 

Also, it won’t steer you from getting more of the same range cuz the displaying different shades just makes your vanity pretty ^^

THE PRODUCT

  

Quoting from YSL: “An object of desire, this award-winning lipstick is wrapped in a romantic, elegant gold case that exudes luxury. Each signature shade saturates lips in captivating color that’s intensely pigmented, and imparts an irresistible glossy shine. The long-lasting, comforting formula is highlighted with a unique Color-shine Complex that leaves lips visibly smoother, plumper and more radiant. Light, silky texture smoothes on a veil of satiny, sensual color that’s altogether alluring.”

An object of desire – how true! Seriously, a luxury to have 🙂

  

The texture, just like the name, is silky sensual. It glides on your lips SO smoothly and it feels SO moisturizing! 

This is seriously one of the most moisturizing lipsticks I have! Almost like butter. 

The scent is also a pleasure and very mild. Nothing too strong to remind me of anything but I like it 🙂

THE SHADE

  

I love the name of the shade. Peach Passion. 

In natural daylight (pic above), you can see how it exudes a gorgeous peachy colour! Not too bright, not too dark. Just right and perfect for spring!

  

It looks gorgeous with flash too! The pigmentation is certainly rich enough to show colour but makes you look naturally beautiful!

  

I love how it adds colour to my lips yet achieving such a natural look! I am a fan of neutral natural makeup 🙂

Certainly the choice for my daily work days and also any casual outing. The shade matches my skin tone (MAC NW/NC20) so perfectly that I can also use it as a nude shade where I want a smoky night look. 

Notice it also looks very smooth on my lips, not accentuating my chapped lines – thanks to the moisturizing formula!

There are not many days in a week (or month) that I sport a hot red or flashy pink lipstick, so this was such a gooooood buy for me! I use it almost daily for any occasion XD

MY VERDICT

 Pros:

• Elegant gorgeous packaging. Whipping it out of your bag exudes luxury!
• Super moisturizing and buttery texture
• Does not accentuate lip lines or chapped lips
• Rich pigmentation (yet looks natural!)
• Gentle mild scent
• Lasting power pretty long at 5 hours or so. But I love to take it out for touch ups as it is just a joy to look at these lovelies!

Cons:

• Pricey. You can get Korean lipsticks (also good quality) at probably half price. 
• In very hot and humid weathers (like Singapore), lipstick could become too buttery so beware not to store it at places with high heat. 

Overall:

I LOVE THIS!!!!! Holy grail quality. 

Now I wanna get the whole range. Sheez. 

  

Semi Smoky Look x Cafe Brunch

Hi everyone! So I tried out a semi smoky look for my weekend brunch in a cafe.  Weekends are like my best chance to try smoky looks since I don’t really go clubbing or partying at night XD  This is also my first post relating to a cafe so I’m excited!

So first, the look!



For the face: 

• Concealer: Shiseido spot concealer foundation in S100
• Base / Foundation: Laneige BB Cushion Pore Control in #21 
• Finishing powder: Innisfree Mineral Ultrafine Pact pressed powder

For the cheeks:

• Coffret D’or Smile Up Cheeks in #12 Nudy Peach

For the brows:

• Étude House Play 101 Pencil #42
• Innisfree brow pencil in #3 

For the eyes:

• Eyeshadow: Naked 1 palette – Sin all over lid, Gunmetal in outer corner, up to crease line, and also under eye outer half, Creep to smudge eyeliner and Virgin under eye inner corner
• Eyeliner: Étude House Play 101 Pencil #1 and Clio Penliner in #KillBlack

For the lips:

• Maybelline Babylips balm
• Laneige Silk Intense lipstick in #36 Beige Chiffon 

What do u guys think of the look? It was my first time adventuring into Gunmetal and Creep on Naked 1 palette and I LOVE it! Can’t wait to wear it again!

So I had brunch in Natick Mall, Massachusetts in their newly opened PAUL Cafe originated from France 🙂





Wow 125 years history! Gotta be good. 

I ordered Cafe Latte and Eggs Benedict with smoked salmon. I swear that every time I see Eggs Benedict on a menu, I will order it 99% of the time. 





Even looking at the pics as I post makes me hungry. The latte is not so sweet – which is good. The eggs are great too, though I think it can’t beat my favorite eggs Benedict place – Sarabeths. But definitely still better than a lot of places in Asia that I’ve tried. 



The best moment of eating eggs benedict – the yolk oozing out haha. 



I really enjoy sitting at cafés to just relax, people watch, read blogs on my phone, blank out into space and dream of setting up my own cafe someday. 

Leaving USA in a couple of days and although the food portions here are wayyy too large, I’ll miss the different atmosphere and lovely people here 🙂





USA Haul 2015

My first haul post! So lucky to be able to come Boston and all these were hauled at Natick Mall, Massachusetts 🙂

Haul #1 – Estée Lauder



Actually all I got was just the Advanced Night Repair – the rest are free goodies! Just awesome, right? ^^

There is a special Estée Lauder x Lisa Perry collaboration and those goodies are not for sale! Only comes when you purchase above a certain amount (which I did) 🙂



Simple circles. Bright bold colours. I like it~ makes me feel all ready for Spring 2015 ^^



A closer look at the Eyeshadow palette. Love the packaging! Fits perfectly in the matching pouch. 



Very wearable light-to-dark neutral colours. Mixture of satin, matte and shimmer textures. Very excited to try!

Haul #2 – Sephora



I can never resist not walking into a Sephora, regardless of which country I am in. 

Sunk into a few wants:

• Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil Light.  Argan oil is all the rave now and my skin has been really sensitive and angry lately. Hope this helps to calm and moisturize it…
• YSL Rouge Volupte in #13 Peach Passion.  I love peachy coral everyday type of colours and been eyeing this for a while.  Really buttery and creamy texture. And lasting power not bad! 
• Beauty blender.  Needs no introduction. I just had to get and try. 
• Clinique dramatically different moisturizing lotion +.  A best seller from the brand so..  the free mini mascara and chubby lipstick provides yet another reason to get lol. 

Haul #3 – Drugstore (Maybelline)



So so raved and used by most Korean beauty youtubers I am following. I didn’t see it in Japan or Singapore, so I can’t miss this in USA! 

Noticed there is Instant Age Rewind for Eraser Dark Circles and another for Eraser Dark Spot.  Hmm not sure if there is any difference in texture or pigmentation.. in times of doubt, just get both LOL XD

Haul #4 – Bath & Body Works



Gonna travel abit this year so bulking on shower gels.  Hotels tend to provide body bar soap but it’s just so much easier with shower gel.. 

Great buy – 3 for $12. And all the fragrances are so yummy. 

Haul #5 – Abercrombie & Fitch



Abit on apparel haul on top of beauty stuff~~ I love the styles of this brand but just sooo expensive outside US. There was a sale going on so just had to grab a few pieces ^^

Ok I am broke now! I’m so excited to try the beauty stuff~ lemme know if you’d like to see a review on anything! 

[Travel] Business Class Perks

I am fortunate to be able to travel from Singapore to Boston on Business class via Singapore Airlines A380 flight.  It’s my second time traveling on Business class, and once again experienced the many differences (vs Economy class) and wanted to share on it 🙂

The airport lounge

Business class travelers get access to airline airport lounges which is great if you want a quiet corner to relax and enjoy some coffee/tea and light refreshments. Free of charge, of course. This is especially handy if you have a longer wait to your flight departure. 

For me though, I didn’t even have the chance to visit the lounge at all as I was too busy beauty shopping! Haha. Maybe next time 🙂

The boarding priority

Regardless of airline, Business class travelers and of course First class and airline members of Silver/Gold/Platinum/what-have-you always get to board the plane before Economy class. I guess the queue is shorter that way and you get to relax inside the plane much earlier. 

You’ll be served with drinks (like champagne!) right after you get seated! 



The seat!!!

This must be the best part and most significant difference from Economy class!!



Super wide, comfy leather couch. Almost twice as wide as the one in Economy class. And 2 pillows!

Notice this is a single window seat which is ideal for single travelers. You get BOTH the window and the aisle. Win-win totally 🙂



Centre has 2 seats so either seat gets aisle access as well. Another view of how wide the seat is :)



Lottttttsss of leg room and luggage space.  



Gosh, I love this part. The side has storage space too! Large enough to fit most handbags and up to 10kg. 



The seat is also fully reclinable to transform itself into a flat bed!  Essential to get that beauty sleep every girl needs, especially onboard a long haul flight. Blanket, eye mask and special inflight socks provided 🙂



…and of course, the food!!!

This is definitely another clear differentiator. Let me have the pictures do the talking~





The 2 meals I had for the Singapore-Frankfurt leg. Oh so gorgeous and tantalizing, right?!

All food served on tables covered with tablecloth and real cutlery – as in glass plates, stainless steel fork, spoon and knives. No plastic cutlery breaking on you. And they serve in 4-5 courses, one after another, not all at one go in a tray like Economy class. 





The 2 meals for Frankfurt-New York leg. Once again, so delicious that I find it quite unbelievable to be inflight food. The steak is tender and warm, where even some ground restaurants fail to achieve. 

Frankly I feel it’s too much food when you only sit and watch movies, but hey who can resist? XD

The drinks selection

A suuuuper extensive drink list!!!









My favorite part is that they offer an extensive range of gourmet coffees and teas. Not to mention teas from TWG! I’m not a fan of alcohol so these really made my day 🙂

The service and equipment

The service is supposed to be the same regardless of seating class…but come on, of course there is some difference. 

The cabin attendants address you by your last name, not Mister or Madam. And I think they got to memorize your face as I notice they still greeted me by my last name while I was away from my seat doing some walking along the aisles or fumbling for a toilet lol. 



You get a pretty large wide screen in front of you – your most key entertainment for the next XX hours. And Singapore Airlines movie options are awesome 🙂

To the right, you get some space for specs or small stuff; and various USB and other ports to plug in your phone or computer for play or work. I use it simply to charge my iPhone. But if you have an AV jack you can even play your own media on the screen! 

To the left, you get a mirror and a tray to place drinks n snacks. 



Even the headphones are a different class. Quality soooooo much better and leather rims make it so much more comfortable to wear. 

The price

Of course, all the perks above come at a price. A Business class seat from Singapore to USA is about SGD 9-10k while Economy class is about 3-4k.  We are talking about 24 hours or more flight time here so….

Regardless you usually pay 2-3 times more for Business class. 

Overall 

Obviously paying 2-3 times is not cheap but if it is a long haul flight (anything more than 8 hours), the investment is worth it unless affordability is your key priority. 

I travel to Japan frequently (that is about 7+ hours) on Economy class and I always get back or neck aches with the seat setup and inability to rest well. Sleeping is mission impossible. 

And once you’ve experienced Business class, it’s hard to revert easily to Economy class. You know why.