Ibyang
Ibyang

Health and Well-being

Beauty Stash: Spa Line from Imperial Leather

I’m loving the Spa Line bodywash of Imperial Leather. So far, I’ve come across the Korean Spa, Bali Spa and Japanese Spa. Imperial Leather’s bodywash comes with triple moisturisers, is rich and creamy, skin-friendly and soap free. 
Imperial Leather Body Wash
The Korean Spa bodywash is a moisturising shower cream with Pomengranate and Hibiscus milk. The Bali Spa has Coconut milk and Tiare flower. The Japanese Spa is made up of Jasmine and Green Tea. All three  have refreshing fragrances that doesn’t irritate the skin. The moisturising cream leaves my skin soft and smooth. 
This is not a paid post.

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Beauty Stash: The Clarisonic Mia 2

Since I’ve been married, I never had the discipline to have facials. Other than being turned off by expensive costs of having facials here in Australia, I’d rather spend my time doing other things. However, I’m aware that it is important to take care of one’s skin especially as one gets older. Then I discovered a skin cleansing gadget called Clarisonic Mia which cleans the skin more thoroughly by using a patented sonic frequency of more than 300 movements per second.  For weeks, I studied the information in their website and read lots of reviews from beauty bloggers around the world. Then I thought of giving myself this as a Christmas present when I saw a good deal online. After two weeks, my Christmas pressie to myself arrived!

There are a few kinds of Clarisonic Mias but I chose the Clarisonic Mia 2 which has 2 speeds, a one-minute pulsing T-Timer and a protective travel case.
Beauty Stash: The Clarisonic Mia 2

It also came with a 30ml Clarisonic Refreshing Gel which works well with my skin as it’s gentle, doesn’t leave my skin oily and doesn’t cause me to break out.

Beauty Stash: The Clarisonic Mia 2
The Clarisonic Mia 2 comes with a sensitive brush head (they have a variety of brush heads you can choose from) to easily introduce one’s skin to sonic cleansing. It is advised to change the brush head every three to four months.
Beauty Stash: The Clarisonic Mia 2

Charging the Clarisonic Mia 2 for the first time took 24 hours. I was very happy when the light finally signaled that it was fully-charged. 

Beauty Stash: The Clarisonic Mia 2

The main reason why I opted to buy the Clarisonic Mia 2 (I really could have opted for the cheaper and basic one) was because of the protective travel case. Since this gadget is for personal grooming, I like that my Clarisonic Mia will be kept clean whenever I travel. 

Beauty Stash: The Clarisonic Mia 2
Beauty Stash: The Clarisonic Mia 2
I’ve used this for almost a week now and I’m loving it. Here are a few reasons why:
  • The first time I used it, my skin felt cleaner, softer and tighter. 
  • The brushing feels gentle on the skin and yet I feel as if I’ve had a mini-facial.
  • It gets rid of blackheads on a daily basis!
  • It seemed to have made my pores smaller, resulting to a less oily skin.
  • It gives my skin a natural pinkish glow and even if I’ve worked all day, my face doesn’t look tired. 
I’m very glad with my Clarisonic Mia 2 and I consider this the best present I’ve ever given to myself. 

If you want to know more about Clarisonic Mia and their products, please check out their website.

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Lemon and Cucumber Water

Here’s something refreshing and healthy…Lemon and Cucumber Water!

Put a few slices of Lemon and Cucumber in a jug, add water and then leave inside the fridge overnight. I do this every night after we’ve had dinner so that the following day, we’ll have a few glasses of Lemon and Cucumber Water to drink.

Lemon and Cucumber Water
Benefits: {source}

Lemon

  • High in Vitamin C and B, phosphorous, carbohydrates and protein.
  • Helps fight rheumatism, colds and swollen gums.
  • Contains flavanoids which promote growth enzymes that detoxify carcinogens.
  • The antioxidants in lemon juice detoxify harmful antibodies such as bacteria.
  • Studies show that lemon juice helps cure kidney stones, relieve bloating and inflammation such as arthritis.

Cucumber

  • Nutritional sources include protein, carbohydrate, sugar, fructose and starch.
  • High in potassium, contains phosphorous, magnesium and calcium.
  • Provides Vitamin A, beta carotene, Vitamin C and lutein.
  • Relieves appendicitis.
  • Helps cleanse kidneys, improve skin condition and lower blood pressure.

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Beauty Stash: Organix Cherry Blossom Ginseng

The Husband considers me a Shampoo-and-Conditioner Collector because whenever I find shampoos on sale, especially ones I have not tried before, I buy them. The Husband calls our bathroom, much to my embarrassment, a museum for shampoos and conditioners. 

My love for shampoo and conditioner (S&C) stems from the fact that I love my hair. I can’t afford to go to salons and have treatments (it’s just so bloody expensive here!) but I have it regularly trimmed and styled by my trusted Korean hairstylist every two months. At home, I’ve somehow collected different brands of  (S&C) because I use about 3 kinds of S&C in a week–my hair is healthy that way. 

The things I do to have healthy hair: 
(1) I do deep conditioning treatments at home.
(2) During winter, I only wash my hair with water on days when I don’t go out.*
(3) During summer, I wash my hair with baby shampoo on days when I don’t go out.*
(4) I sometimes apply Argan Oil to give additional hair moisture.
(5) I almost never use styling products.
(6) I avoid colouring my hair since I turned 25 years old.  

*I use baby shampoo or wash my hair with just water as a way to rest my hair and scalp from harsh chemicals.

I’ve always wondered when I’d be able to try Organix. I’ve seen it in supermarkets and read good reviews about the brand but I find it a bit costly. When I dropped by the chemist a few weeks ago, I saw big bottles of Organix on sale AND it has a Cherry Blossom Ginseng variant. I couldn’t resist so I bought it.

What I love about the Organix Cherry Blossom Ginseng S&C:
  • It has all the ingredients I’m fond of: cherry blossom, ginseng and rice milk
  • It smells wonderful
  • It leaves my hair soft and hydrated ALL DAY!
  • It doesn’t contain lauryl/laureth sulfates and parabens.
I hope that by the time I finish these bottles, they’d go on sale again. I’ve come to love Organix and would love to try their other variants.
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Beauty Stash: Murad

I mostly write about home, food and travel but this year, I’ve made two regular features on the blog, Beauty Stash and Style Musings, because like most women I’m also fascinated with beauty and style, and both topics are essential in living a charmed life. In Beauty Stash, I share finds and tips on grooming and staying beautiful.  Style Musings was formerly known as Fashion Fridays but it has evolved into sharing my thoughts on style and design. I hope you will enjoy these two features as much as I enjoy writing about them.

I have mentioned in a previous entry that it was only when I moved to Sydney that I followed a skin care regimen. While I did start putting skin care products when I was a teenager, it’s when I was 28 y/o that I stopped jumping from one product to another. It was all thanks to Murad. 
Beauty Stash: Dr. Murad
Growing up, I’ve battled with acne for most of my teenage years. It comes and goes. I even had a theory before that I seem to get an attack of acne every four years.  When I turned 25, the breakouts lessened but I was aware that I need to find products that will suit my skin needs, especially that I’m not getting any younger. So when I moved here, I seek professional help, had a few session of facials and went home with Murad products to maintain the health of my skin.

I exclusively used Murad (as in no other skin care product touched my skin) for three years. Their products are a bit expensive but I soldiered on because I wanted my skin to get better. It was all worth it as my skin did improve. I still have acne scars but  at least my skin texture has improved, it is less sensitive and it’s not as oily as it used to be. 

Murad Products I’ve Used:
Refreshing Cleanser.  A gentle but thorough cleanser. It’s perfect for my sensitive skin. I feel like I’m washing my face with milk. It also keeps the skin hydrated.

Skin Perfecting Lotion. One of the best moisturisers I’ve used so far. It’s very light but my skin stays hydrated during the day. Perfect for daytime use and when indoors.

Perfecting Day Cream with SPF30. Similar to what I felt with the Skin Perfecting Lotion but only this has SPF. Moisturiser and sunblock in 1. After learning that it’s a must to put on sunblock ALWAYS, I switched to this.

Perfecting Night Cream. Moisturiser for night time. 

Energizing Pomegranate Moisturizer SPF 15. One of the moisturisers from Murad that I used just because I got tired of the Skin Perfecting Lotion. Great for daytime as this has SPF15. I love wearing this during summer as it has cooling effects on the skin.  This is also best for combination skin as it keeps the Tzone and dry zone areas of your face balanced.

Essential C-Cleanser. The last cleanser I used from Murad. This didn’t sit well with me as I noticed it gave me a pimple of two after I use it. Although it felt light and mild, I don’t know why it didn’t work well with my skin.

If you noticed from the products mentioned, when I acquired my Murad skin regimen, I basically did two steps: cleanse and moisturise. While it is common that toning is part of skin care, I was told by professionals that it is not necessary. And it worked for me. I’m grateful that their advice saved me time and money.

I have stopped using Murad for sometime now. While I can afford their products and a few drops is all it takes to get you skin cleaned and moisturised (a tube it last loooong time), I find it a bit expensive. Murad has given me better skin and now I’m able to use other products without being prone to pimples.

Based from my experience, I’d highly recommend Murad for those who have sensitive and problematic skin. Ask a professional about Murad before making the switch.
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