DHC After Bath Hair Treatment (Oil Type)

DHC, or Daigaku Honyaku Center, you may be surprised to know, started in Japan as a translation center. The company is more famous now for its ventures into cosmetics, vitamins, and healthy food. See the US website here for more fun facts. As it is hard to find DHC brick and mortar stores even in Asia, I chanced upon their UK website when in England and saw a discounted offer on this popular hair serum. (Thank you S, for this.)

The After Bath Hair Treatment Oil is a hair conditioning serum enriched with virgin olive oil, squalene, and shea butter. It promises to add shine and tame frizzy hair without weighing it down. The sturdy box it comes in is so beautifully done I kept it with me for quite some time to admire. The font and colors are well-coordinated, adding a dreamy quality to the packaging. The shining stars, seemingly dancing and twinkling, give off a magical effect to the overall design.

Neither did the plastic bottle allow itself to be upstaged. A pale pink lotus encapsulates the body which rounds itself up again at the bottom. I'd say this must be my favorite DHC among all its products.

The directions state to use one to two pumps of the oil and massage on clean hair (dry or damp). I personally only use this oil on the lower half of my hair. Half a pump is sufficient, as I found one full pump to be too heavy for my fine hair to handle. There is a light scent to it; nothing to fuss about.

Since I don't have time to wait for my hair to dry in the mornings, I use this mostly on wet hair. It does not feel oily or weigh my hair down as long as I am careful with the amount used. When my hair has dried, I do feel like it has an extra bounce and softness. It is also a tad shinier than when I do not use it. Sometimes it tames the frizzy strands, but most times it doesn't. It can't give the sleek-straight effect a good blowdry does. On the occasions which permitted me to, I found this best used on damp or dry hair, where the good effects were multiplied, and hair was actually less frizzy. Overall, this hair serum is a hair vitamin foremost, and a tress-defrizzer next. Hence the name -- Hair Treatment.

Peering into the box. The heavily-padded carton makes sure the item is shipped safely and arrives intact.

Dior 5 Couleurs Eyeshadow Palette in 834 Rose Porcelaine

Happily, happily, my grubby hands ripped open the box that was my birthday present. Imagine my delight to receive my very first -- lo and behold -- Dior 5-Colour Eyeshadow Palette in 834 Rose Porcelaine (thank you 大姐 and 三姐)! I spent the next few hours ogling and ooh-ing the lovely thing.

Dior eyeshadow palettes are one of the most established in its category. From the numerous awards the shadows have won, they clearly have a firm grip in the cosmetics industry. The box comes in a beautiful midnight blue with a holographic CD logo stamped grandly.

The palette is protected with a velvet pouch, with CD again printed up front. 

It is obviously a dirt-magnet but nothing that a good wash can't take care of.

The most beautiful thing about this palette is the case. The CD logo comes to life at certain angles when it hits the light, as if glowing from within.

Under normal conditions this is how it looks like. The case carries a substantial weight and bespeaks pure luxury.

The plastic protective cover is clear, sturdy, and actually serves its purpose unlike those of old versions of Lunasol palettes where the thin film of plastic just slides and slips off on to the floor each time it is opened (very annoying).

Rose Porcelaine 834 is part of Dior's Spring 2012 New Look Collection, a campaign that pays homage to Christian Dior's first New Look runway show back in 1947. This nostalgic incarnation certainly adds a special touch to the product.

The colors from bottom left clockwise include a plum violet, a candy pink, a beige white, and a cool light pink. In the center is a warm-toned baby pink.

Standing like guards on opposite ends of the palette are two sponge tip applicators. The separate receptacle for each applicator keeps it clean and hygienic. It is a very nice, well-thought out design.

Above, the eyeshadows are swatched in similar order (from bottom left clockwise and then the middle). As can be seen, they apply very sheer. I am starting to think that the Rose Porcelaine name was derived from its glassy finish.

This is essentially an extremely cool palette that does not work well with my warm skin tone, which could also be one of the reasons why I have a hard time making the colors show up on my lids. The texture is satiny soft, and while build-able, are not as velvety as Urban Decay's formula. As most of the main colors are very light, the look I was able to create made my eyes look even more convex, which is not the most flattering result. 
Though it may take certain skin tones to make it work, Rose Porcelaine 834 can give a natural, clean, elegant look that does not compromise on quality and texture. The shadows stayed on my lids well throughout the day without creasing (under Lunasol Eyelid Base (N)). Paris of My Women Stuff created a beautiful look in her review.

An introduction to Dior eyeshadows. 

Various ways to maximize the use of 5-Colour Eyeshadow Palette.

The rear is a visual treat itself.

Ingredients list.

Product identification.

Bottomest bottom.

CARGO Blush in The Big Easy

CARGO Cosmetics' look may be far from those of polished brands from big cosmetics companies, but its edgy, urban image is no less appealing. Founded in 1995 by Hana Zalzal, a civil engineer and an MBA graduate, Cargo's Canadian roots has spread to 11 countries and 1,400 stores. While Cargo is widely available in some parts of the West, it is virtually impossible to find in Asia -- a fact which may contribute to its mainstream-and-niche image. (Thanks to 三 姐 for helping me purchase this in Canada.)

The box comes in silvery-bronze hue that just knocks one off in a calm, inexplicable way. There is something tantalizing about the simple font and layout. It's a visual experience not commonly seen in makeup brands.

I spot some Arabic! The Big Easy supposedly got its name for being such an easy-to-use, universal shade.

Cargo's fame shot up when it housed lip glosses in tin cans, at the time when they were almost all packaged in tube form. The great advantage of having one person fuse her business savvy and engineer's brain is some quality product and original design.

The packaging feels lightweight and sturdy, not an easy combination to achieve. The cover removes smoothly and slips right back on seamlessly with no sound produced or even a flicker of a struggle. The large round open pan makes swirling brush and picking up product breezy, one reason why Cargo blushes are a favorite of makeup artists in film sets.

The powder is so soft that some particles rise up when swirling the brush (as can be seen on the upper part of the can). It melts right on the skin like soft butter, is easy to blend, and stays on the whole day. Dare I say it takes the place of the memory of my beloved NARS blushes?

The Big Easy is a peach-pink shade, leaning more on the peach side. I'm not much enjoying scented products as of late, and I really do like that this blush is not fragranced.

It has some soft sheen to its finish. It is not too pigmented that it's hard to control or layer color, nor is it too sheer.

It is a shade that would suit many skin tones. I find it's best paired with warm or neutral looks. The finish is natural, the color is easy to build up, and it didn't cause me any breakouts. It seems this high-quality blush can do no wrong -- except that it surprised me that such industrial-looking cans contain possibly the best blushes I've come across -- which makes me adore the stark simplicity of the packaging even more.

The sticker label.

Bottom part of the carton.

Ingredients list. 

Sofina Jenne Two Weeks Trial Kit II (Moist)

Sofina is part of the giant corporation Kao, which carries many brands under its belt. Among Sofina's comprehensive lineup covering a woman's entire lifetime, Jenne is a two-year-old (to date) drugstore brand focusing on 20's skin care. I intended to purchase the Sofina Jenne Trial Set I (Fresh [for oily skin]), but alas, after placing my order, adambeauty went out of stock and so opted for the Sofina Jenne Trial Set II (Moist [for dry skin]) instead. 

It came in a clear bag containing a sunscreen (8g), lotion (30ml), and a jar of its star product, a moisturizer in jelly form (10g).

The Sofina Jenne Day Protector II SPF24 PA+++ comes in a squeeze tube with a lovely lace pattern signature of the Jenne line. Like the Sofina Jenne UV Day Protector SPF50+ PA+++, it is highly fragranced (floral).

The 8g surprisingly lasted me over a month. I brought this tiny tube with me on a trip to England, when the winter weather was just about to wane. I thought this richer sunscreen can help with the dryness of the cold weather for my oilier skin type.

The soft, light cream texture of this is a lot easier to handle compared to the liquid consistency of its counterpart, the UV Day Protector SPF50+. Although it contains alcohol, I didn't experience noticeable irritation from using this. It has a soft, light feel and finish. It's one of those rare formulations that you know just won't clog your pores. It also did an adequate job in protecting my face from the winter/spring sun, which can be hiding behind the clouds one moment and shining brightly overhead the next.

It's easy to spread and dries to a dewy finish. However, even in the cold weather, my skin still found this sunscreen too rich, as it started oiling up in retaliation. Another lesson learned is that sunscreen does not replace moisturizer, even if it is intended for drier skin types applied on oily skin types. When it comes to sunscreen, it is still best to stick to your skin type's character no matter the weather.

The Sofina Jenne Lotion II is a skin conditioner that is applied after washing the face and before moisturizer or sunscreen. Again, this is highly fragranced, but the redeeming factor is it is alcohol-free, which is short of a miracle when it comes to Japanese lotion formulations.

Japanese lotions are different from Western brands' toners in that they are meant to soften the skin, not remove excess dirt, which should have already been done with the Japanese method of double cleansing (cleansing oil + face wash). Softening the skin makes it more receptive to the effects of the subsequent application of serum/moisturizer. Some also use lotions as a mask. One way is to soak cotton pads with lotion and laying the pads thinly all over the face.

I didn't experience any stinging feeling with this lotion, but I developed several red patches after application. The patches disappeared in the morning, however I would be wary of this lotion as the patches usually indicate sensitivity to some ingredient in this product. Also, I find no joy in using toners or lotions as I do not see any visible results from using them, not to mention the added cost and step in the routine. For sensitive skin, less is more. 

Above is the Sofina Jenne Jelly Moisturizer -- the reason why I bought this trial set in the first place. It contains ceramides which make up the heart of the ingredients. Another plus is that it has no alcohol.

One thing to note is the Jenne line is fragranced, and the Jelly Moisturizer is not exempt.

It is clear type and jelly-like indeed, not like the creamy consistency of most moisturizers. There seems to be a "jelly/gelly" trend in the cosmetics market, as other brands have featured the same type of product in their lineups. This moisturizer is not so easy to apply because of its jelly texture. The amount of product required for application seems to be much more than conventional creams. It also didn't hydrate my skin effectively; many parts of it were left feeling rough. The finish is filmy and sticky and not very comfortable at all. Overall, this would be a basic moisturizer for people with normal skin-types, but I cannot recommend the Jenne line to sensitive skin-types.

The description at the rear.

The pictogram is a nice touch.

Ingredients for Sofina Jenne Lotion II.

Ingredients for Sofina Jenne Jelly Moisturizer.

Ingredients for Sofina Jenne Day Protector II. Ratzillacosme has a list of the ingredients in English here. 

Organix Renewing Moroccan Argan Oil Shampoo

It has been over two months since I started using Organix's Renewing Moroccan Argan Oil Shampoo (thank you 大 姐), and would have to differ from Makeupalley's low rating on this.

This was purchased in Australia by my sister, however the brand is locally available in SM Watsons and Landmark. Organix's hair and body care range is quite extensive -- offering different variants of shampoos, conditioners, serums, etc. Its products don't contain SLS (sodium laureth sulfate) and they also emphasize their eco-friendly packaging. The plastic of their container feels softer compared to other brands; it is more of a squeezable type of plastic.

The opening. The shampoo has a light buttery yellow shade and smells slightly sweet.

Many reviews state this shampoo made their hair dry, but not in my case. My towel-dried hair feels soft and looks shiny after this shampoo. I also like the fact that this lathers really well, as opposed to many SLS-free shampoos I've encountered. Most importantly, it left my hair feeling really clean without drying it out. The simple ingredient list is another plus, aside from the affordable price tag for an organic brand. I wouldn't mind exploring more of the other ranges from this brand in the future.