A few days ago, I received some awesome products from Innisfree in conjunction with the launch of their brand new website - www.innisfreeworld.com

This is an international website, that ships worldwide (which means you'll be able to order to Malaysia!) and has only just been launched. I received a few things, and I wanted to show you guys what they look like and what I think of them, so you guys can decide if you want to get in on the goodness :)

First up are the Always New Auto Liner and the Skinny Long Long Cara

The liner comes in a twist-up packaging that keeps it nice and sharp without the need for sharpening (in fact, don't use a sharpener on this liner because it will damage the pencil!). I received a brown colour, which I don't normally use, but I liked adding this to the waterline underneath my usual black liner, to help give my smoky eye a softer, more blown out look. It looks fantastic and pigmented, and lasts a really long time and does keep a nice, almost sharp tip that helps me with drawing more precise lines when I need to.

What I really like about this liner is that it's pretty damn waterproof/water-resistant. I washed my hands after swatching this and tried to wash off the liner, but it just wouldn't budge. Some soap and a bit of vigorous rubbing later, it's still pretty prominent on my arm. Me likey.

The Skinny Long Long Cara was actually a bit of a disappointment for my upper lashes, but I love the fantastic tiny brush for catching all my lower lashes. It manages to catch all my almost non-existent lower lashes and defines them prettily without weighing them down or making them clump. If you've got more defined lashes than mine, or if you like natural-looking lashes, you'll love this because the finish is wispy, light, and very natural.

If you're interested in purchasing these products, I've got good news for you! Innisfree is offering an awesome promo where you get 50% off in a 1-for-1 purchase offer from 20th to 30th April, 2016. Here's the link to the promo if you're interested in ordering!

Another product I received (and a longtime favourite, actually) is the No-Sebum Mineral Powder. It absorbs oil so easily, blurs imperfections, and is super finely milled. This is my favourite powder for setting the undereyes because it's so fine and thus doesn't settle into the fine lines under my eyes, nor does it cake the concealer. Perfect for that, and so affordable, so you can bake to your heart's content!

Finally, there is the Real Fit Lipstick.

The lipstick feels so comfy on the lips, contains botanical oils to moisturise your lips, and provides a nice subtle wash of colour (it's pigmented, but not super pigmented, so I would recommend using a lip liner underneath to increase the intensity of the colour, and to even out your lip line). I barely feel anything when I'm wearing this lipstick, it's that comfortable. As far as colours go, the colour I received is the #12, a nice muted pink.

Overall, Innisfree products are absolutely fantastic. I highly recommend their lipsticks, their eyeshadow singles, their highlighters are to die for, and their skincare is just fantastic. Please do yourselves a huge favour and check out the website - you'll love their products! :)

Innisfreeworld.com

I've skipped two months of this (eep!). It's been difficult trying to balance blogging, YouTubing and transitioning into a new job, but I'm trying my very best to get blogposts and videos out for you more frequently. Here's what I've been trying out this month!

1. Innisfree Orchid Enriched Cream & Gel

These are a brand new, anti-aging line from Innisfree. Their scent smell lovely (albeit a bit strong) and they are very hydrating on the skin. I've seen a definite improvement in the firmness of my skin, though I think this might be more suited to girls with dry skin types, because my oily skin doesn't love the richness of both the cream and the gel. If you've got only moderately oily skin, try the Gel instead - it's much lighter but works just as well as the cream. I like to rub it between my fingers for a bit, and when I apply it to my skin, it just melts and absorbs really quickly.

2. Dr Jart+ Dermaclear Micro Water

This is Dr Jart's answer to the Bioderma Micellar cleansing water. It cleans makeup right off your skin, and very efficiently too. With other cleansing waters (I currently use the Bioré one, and have tried many others) I find that they don't remove makeup as well, and there's always something left over for my cleansing brush or a last piece of cotton to clean up. With this Micro Water, I find that it only takes two cotton squares to completely remove the makeup from my skin. It performs beautifully, and in case you're not familiar with cleansing waters, these are makeup removers that aren't at all oily, and cleanse the skin without the need to wash them off with water. Dr Jart+'s Dermaclear Micro Water is rated #1 on the highly acclaimed 'Get it Beauty' TV review show, and retails at counters for RM89.

3. L'Occitane Almond Velvet Serum

May was a month that saw many new formulations including this lovely bottle of L'Occitane body serum. L'Occitane is a favourite brand of mine, as some of you may already know, and I die for the scents in their products. This Almond serum has a soft, sweet scent and the lightest of textures so you can moisturise your skin without having to suffer the oily feeling that comes after. It's supposedly anti-aging, but since I'm not quite sagging anywhere just yet (and hope never to! ;)) I am not the best judge. Nevertheless, this stays on my bedside table for faithful application each night. Prevention is better than cure, right?

4. Number 76 Ultrasonic Premium Hair Treatment

Okay, the offer for this treatment came at just the right time, because my hair was going through hell in the week leading up to my appointment! It was dry, coarse, and hard, and I was beginning to lose all hope for healthy, lustrous-looking hair. Number 76 is famous for this treatment, and their ability to impart fabulous colours into anyone's hair. I walked in skeptical nonetheless (as a beauty blogger, you tend not to believe everything that's written on the press release) and was pleasantly surprised a few days after to find that even after a couple of washes, my hair retained its softness. It's still a little bit dry at the ends (nothing's a miracle worker), but it's definitely in better health than it was before the treatment. It makes me wonder whether if it might be wise to book in further, repeated treatments.

5. La Mer Skin Tint

La Mer recently released their Skin Tint - the answer to casual, effortless skin. This reminds me of a tinted moisturiser, with its moisturising texture and light coverage. It's best suited to someone with dry skin, since it's extra moisturising, and dry skin types generally need less coverage. On my own skin, it held its own quite well, but needed a significant amount of touching up, since it is quite an emollient product and products like this tend to slip and slide around on my oily skin if left to their own devices. On a dry skin, this would perform beautifully - covering any slight imperfections and giving the skin a radiant finish. An alternative use for this product is as a primer - this would provide an amazingly beautiful base for a mattifying foundation, giving it a more healthy glow instead of a caked-on appearance.

6. Benefit Porefessional License to Blot

This is brand new to my makeup arsenal and I'm already liking it! The Porefessional Agent Zero Shine powder didn't perform as well for me (my oiliness still showed a couple of hours after application), hence the lack of mention of it on this blog, but this blotting stick outperformed and outshined that product in every way. It's easy to apply and travels easily as well (compact, lightweight and most importantly, in stick form), whilst I was trialling this I popped it into my handbag without any weight issues (I hate heavy handbags) and only needed one touch-up throughout the day. It comes in a wax-like formula, and the stick is triangle-shaped so you can get it into the little nooks and crevices between your nose and eyes. All you need to do is swipe with the stick, then smooth everything out with your fingertips. No more shine.

In my latest New In article, I mentioned that Innisfree has just arrived on Malaysian shores, and I am, quite frankly, bat-shit excited (pardon my French).

One of the many, many reasons why I'm so enamoured with the brand is their cult-favourite Super Volcanic Pore Clay Mask. 

Product

This is a deep cleansing mask from their iconic Jeju Volcanic Clay range and as with all Innisfree products, is all-natural and free of parabens, artificial colouring and fragrances, mineral oils, animal products, etc. It deep cleanses, absorbs excess sebum, exfoliates, and tightens pores.

The product itself is a greyish coloured cream that tightens and hardens as it dries down on your skin. It smells earthy, kind of like freshly potted plants, and feels cool against the skin.

You leave it on for 10 minutes, and then - here comes the interesting part - you're meant to roll it off your skin in slight rubbing motions. This helps to exfoliate your skin and remove the dead skin cells.

Packaging

This comes in a plastic tub that's light, sturdy, and convenient to pack and store. I love the earthy tones on the jar and the cool metallic bronze on the lid, and natural packaging (the box is 100% recycled paper). You can also return the packaging to Innisfree to contribute to their recycling movement!

Performance

But why buy the product unless it works, right? So here's how the Super Volcanic Pore Clay Mask worked on me.

Upon removing the mask, my skin was slightly red (from the rubbing) and tingly (from the mask's cooling effect). My pores were immediately less obvious, and my skin more radiant.

Within a couple of days, I was breaking out a little bit. This is actually perfectly normal with clay-based, deep cleansing masks, as they draw most of the gunk in your pores to the surface of the skin - simply remember to treat your skin well with an anti-acne serum (or a toner with salicylic acid) to get rid of the spots.

Within a week, my skin was back to normal, healthy, and clear! I had cleaner, less obvious pores, and clearer, more luminous looking skin.

Overall I'd say this is one of my favourite deep cleansing masks, sitting right up there next to my Simplicité Exfoliating Face Treatment. It retails for RM52/100mL at Innisfree stores.

A few of you might remember that a while ago, I started this series called 'New In', where I share with you products either new to me, or new to the beauty industry. All these products are ones I've tried and tested, and I wanted to share with you my reviews on them because that's what a beauty blog is for! :)

So here's the next installment of 'New In', featuring some Dior, some La Mer, and some exciting brands that are completely new to me. Enjoy!

1. Dior Capture Totale Le Serum

This luxurious bottle is brand new to the Dior skincare family, and I am so excited to be able to share it with you. On me, this lightweight serum simply made my skin firmer and plumper, but on my parents, whoa! It smoothed down fine lines, reduced sagginess and increased the firmness and overall health of their skin. It's one of those products that my parents fight over to make sure that the other doesn't use too much of it.
I have the same complaint I have of all Dior skincare - I don't like its artificial fragrance, but it's something I'm willing to overlook if it continues to perform with such promising results.

2. diptyque eau de lavande perfume

After I received this perfume, I happened to read about it in an article on an online magazine. The article was about fragrances that 'turn a guy on' (sorry, it's very early in the morning as I'm typing this, and I can't figure out a less-vulgar, yet not-so-formal way of saying this), and hails lavender as a great turn-on-er of men (again, I apologise for the lack of grammatical prowess). diptyque eau de lavande was recommended for its authentic, musky scent.

I thought the article was interesting, but I was sold by this fragrance way before the article came along - it's deep, earthy, and just so beautiful and mature - nothing like the light, girly flower scents that most major perfumeries produce. I am a huge fan of these kinds of fragrances, but I must admit that they're not for everyone. If you're ever near a diptyque counter, head over and try this on first - it just might surprise you.

3. Scrubidoo

I must admit that the reason why I even agreed to try Scrubidoo is because the people over at Scrubidoo HQ are total sweethearts. I love their approach to PR, and I really appreciate people like that! That being said, I also love their product and that's why I chose to share it with you guys. I received the coffee scrub to trial, and it made me really excited because coffee granules are known to help reduce the appearance of cellulite. Now the thing about cellulite that most people either don't know or choose to forget, is that it can happen to anyone. It's genetic, and it happens when the body chooses to store fat in a different way. Even a skinny girl can have fat, and that's why cellulite could happen to just about anyone.

So I tried the scrub out, and sadly nothing happened to my (already barely visible) cellulite. It did, however, completely rid my skin of dry flakes, plus it moisturises the skin whilst it exfoliates, so my skin was left feeling silky smooth and almost buttery once I was done. These scrubs are made fresh and therefore have an expiry date, so be warned that you will need to be consistent with your use of these products if you're gonna get your money's worth (I like it because it forces me to be diligent with caring for my skin!). You can get Scrubidoo at www.scrubidoo.com. The Just Coffee Scrub retails at SGD$17.90 for a 220g packet.

4. La Mer Illuminating Eye Gel

Now you guys know that I love La Mer. I love their PR, I love the luxuriousness of the brand, heck, I even love the beautiful aquariums at the brand's counters. I'm a huge fan of their Moisturising Soft Cream, but I just couldn't bring myself to love the Illuminating Eye Gel. I know that I'm always harping on about wrinkles around my eye area, so let me premise this review by saying that I do read what the product is meant to do and I know that this eye treatment doesn't target wrinkles, so that's not what I looked for when I trialled this!

What I like about this eye gel is that it's much lighter than the other La Mer products, so if you find  other La Mer products too heavy for your skin, this might still work for you. My eye area is particularly sensitive towards heavy eye creams, and I tend to develop milia around my eye area with most eye creams, but not with this one! I love the way it hydrates the skin around my eyes and sets it up perfectly for undereye concealer, without making the under-eye area too oily or slippery.

However, I found that this eye gel didn't brighten up my eye area at all, so I don't think this is something I'd repurchase.

5. Sulwhasoo Luminature Essential Finisher

This brand, spanking new product really caught my attention when I heard about it. Sulwhasoo is a brand that stays true to its Korean heritage and roots, so it's no surprise that this product was inspired by a skincare product created and used 1,500 years ago by Korean royalty. It is a 'skincare finisher' - a product that seals in your skincare to aid the absorption of said skincare and to prevent damage caused by external pollutants. It is chock-full of antioxidants (Sulwhasoo has patented an optimised complex of ginseng and green tea for this - called Locsamhyo™ - and packs a punch equivalent to 5 roots of ginseng and 110 cups of green tea per bottle) and helps to keep the skin clear and luminous.

I honestly don't even know if such a skincare product is necessary, though it certainly has shown some benefits - my skin does look brighter and more luminous, and makeup sits beautifully on top of this product. My skin always looks like it's glowing when I use this product underneath my foundation. I'm in love with the finish, and it looks like I'm not the only one, because this product has broken the record as Sulwhasoo's most successful product launch.

One thing I noticed when I used this, though, is that my skin gets quite oily by noontime whenever I have this product on. It's nothing a quick powder touch-up won't fix, but it's something to take into account before you purchase such a pricey product. This launches in January 2015 here in Malaysia and will retail at RM280 per 80mL bottle.

6. Innisfree
This is more of a general overview of a brand that's brand new to Malaysian shores - Korean eco-beauty powerhouse Innisfree. This is a brand that gives back and makes the effort, with forest conservation efforts, all-natural skincare, and recycling and reusing policies that would make a hipster proud. I am in love with almost all their makeup products (try their powder highlighter - it's my favourite product), and have recently developed an obsession with their masks. Their first store opened in Sunway Pyramid (good thing too, cause I'm always there) and I'm sure there's more to come!

I'm a huge fan of the idea of eco-friendly, organic products. However, I wasn't so sure that they would work effectively on the skin entirely on their own, without a little help from their chemically produced brothers. I found the perfect opportunity to test the efficacy of organic/eco-friendly/all-natural products with this range of skincare, haircare and body care products that I recently purchased or was gifted, so here's what I thought of the lot!

1. Jason Body Wash

I was intrigued by this product not only because of its name (also my fiancé's name), but because I'd heard of this brand before many times - it's always mentioned in reviews and magazine articles when people talk about eco-friendly products. Honestly, there's not much you can say about body wash. It smells good, it's not harsh on my skin (i.e. no overly dry, squeaky skin feeling after I step out of the shower). If it was available in Malaysia, I'd repurchase it simply because it's eco-friendly and sensitive-skin-friendly. Maybe one day, when I go to the US and have enough baggage space for another bottle.

2. Physicians Formula Organic Wear CC Cream

I'm a huge fan of Physicians Formula eyeliners, as you've probably seen in countless posts and YouTube videos, so I was very interested to try their Organic Wear products. There are a whole bunch of products in this range, but the CC cream stood out to me in particular, because it felt very comfortable to wear, and I'm always on the lookout for gentler products since I wear foundation almost all day, most days. This was great - didn't clog my skin and didn't cause any breakouts even with prolonged wear, however it was a little bit sheer for my liking. I don't have the best skin and when I wear foundation, I always look for something that's got a medium to full coverage, so I can hide most of my acne scars and blemishes before I start concealing. If you've got better skin, this is a great, skin-friendly option for you.

3. Blissoma Smooth A+ Perfecting Serum

This is a fantastic product, great for most skin types, and it smells like heaven in a pump bottle. Watch out for a more detailed review, coming soon!

4. Organic Instinct Natural Conditioner and Shampoo

Organic Instinct (now re-branded as Natural Instinct, if I'm not mistaken) is a haircare and skincare brand from Australia, and proudly exclude over 400 potentially harmful ingredients from their products, which are formulated using the best essential oils and certified organic extracts. The Conditioner and Shampoo are as you would expect of a vegan-friendly product - not too much lather, very gentle on the skin and hair, and lightweight. I found that this did wonders for Jason and my virgin hair, but now that my hair is coloured, I've had to move on to other colour-friendly products. This is still a great product that I would highly recommend for younger children and adults who don't need damage-care shampoos.

5. Melvita Nectar Bright Brightening Eye Contour Serum

Melvita is building its name and getting to be very well-known, and I've seen this especially so amongst Malaysians. With Melvita Boutiques in major shopping complexes here in Malaysia, you can head in-store to check out this amazing, lightweight serum. It targets dark eye circles and brightens them using a combination of 4 flowers. I am still using this and have seen pleasing results, as my eye area really is considerably brighter. I find that I don't need to use so much concealer in my undereye area anymore, and that is great for me, because the tiny lines under my eyes can cause concealer to crease. The use of this serum plus a light, thin application of brightening concealer is all I need now! To apply, just drop one drop of the light, pearlescent liquid and rub between your ring fingers, then apply in a circle around each eye.

6. Innisfree Jeju Volcanic Liquid Nose Pack

I bought this based on online recommendations and reviews when I went on holiday to Korea, and boy, am I glad I did! I love pore strips, and I love that satisfying feeling you get when a good, effective pore strip cleans out those nasty whiteheads and blackheads on your nose. Living in such a humid country, blackheads and whiteheads become a persistent, never-ending problem, and I'm glad I found something that cleans out my pores well. It doesn't hurt that it's so affordable, too! To use, simply smear a thick layer over your nose (a good tip that will help with removal is to make sure that the edges of your 'strip' are thick - that way it will be easy to lift and pull at it to remove), wait for the whole thing to dry, then peel it off.

7. PHB Ethical Beauty Skin Repair Gel

This is one of my favourite products at the moment! It has a gorgeous, natural lavender scent (I hate fake-smelling lavender!), and is infused with aloe vera to help repair the skin, and lavender to soothe the skin. I found a great way to test the healing properties of the gel - when I get back from an extraction facial, my skin is all red and angry from where my facialist has removed the blackheads and oil seeds, so I smooth a thin layer of this product into my skin for the next few days, right before my moisturiser. I know this works because the scars usually take a few days to heal, but with the use of this gel, they now heal within a day or two! The happy news is that PHB is available in Malaysia, and they have stores in KL, so do go and try out their products! I have been sniffing around their store in Fahrenheit, and I am itching to try their Rosemary & Lavender body wash!

8. Blissoma Peace Evening Calming Creme

If you haven't realised already, I am crazy for natural scents. Skincare with artificial scents now give me a headache, and anything with a rich, natural essential oil scent just puts me on an aromatherapy-high - which is exactly what Blissoma products do for me. The fact that this is an night cream makes it all the better, because it calms and relaxes me so much when I apply it at night, and it really helps me sleep. This cream is rich, and jam packed with herbs and minerals to help your calm your skin down, moisturise it, and improve your cell turnover while you sleep. I love that you really can't use too much of this, and it really absorbs into your skin quickly and easily. I don't like waking up to greasy skin, so this is great because when I wake up, my skin looks velvety smooth - no greasiness!

9. Blissoma Refine Clay Renewal Treatment

Argh, I love the smell of Blissoma products! This one is by far my favourite, both in scent and in function. This product helps to absorb oiliness and sebum from your skin, detoxing and clearing away the dead skin cells as it sits on your skin. It is a great anti-acne mask, and I love using it particularly during that time of month, when I get breakouts and extra oily skin - this is a lifesaver!

10. Korres Lip Butter in Pomegranate

I haven't tried many Korres products, but the brand is famous when it comes to organic beauty products. I know of so many people who have raved about the lip balm, so I decided to get myself a tub from Luxola. I like it, but I don't love it. It smooths the chapped skin on my lips, but doesn't do much else. 

11. Aveda Dry Remedy Shampoo and Conditioner

Another fantastic brand (albeit a little pricey), I haven't yet met an Aveda product I don't like. This shampoo and conditioner saved my hair at a time when I didn't know what else to do with it! I had frizzy ends, and hair that had a wave it in stubbornly not wavy enough to be sexy and not straight enough to be sleek. This product helped to seal in moisture, so I had hair that was much shinier, and also helped it settle, so it looked straighter. In Malaysian weather it did weigh my hair down a little bit if I didn't wash it everyday, but using it in drier air like Melbourne was fantastic - my hair looked shiny and healthy. This is one of my favourite shampoos, and by far the best if you're looking at natural, plant-based products.

Clean skin is vital to your skin's health. We've all read the magazines and watched the makeup shows and vlogs telling us never to go to bed without removing makeup. Well, what they don't tell you is that you not only need to remove your makeup, you need to remove your makeup well. That way, your skincare is able to absorb into your skin, and your pores aren't blocked out by leftover makeup.

One surefire way to clean your skin effectively is by double-cleansing. You do this by first removing your makeup with a cleansing oil, and then cleansing your face once again with a cleanser (preferably a cream based cleanser - like the Simplicité Plant Gel Cleanser, a hybrid gel/cream cleanser).

So...cleansing oils.

They've been around a while now, and most people already know what cleansing oils are thanks to the famous Shu Uemura cleansing oils. If you haven't heard of cleansing oils, they are oils (duh!) that you use to cleanse your skin and remove your makeup and sunscreen. They are extremely effective but gentle on the skin, and they remove even the most difficult of waterproof makeup. Cleansing oils can be used on all skin types.

How to Use Cleansing Oil

While a lot of people know about cleansing oils, not everyone knows how to use them correctly, so please read this because it might change the way you use cleansing oils, and more importantly, what cleansing oils can do for you!

1. Make sure your skin is dry. With most oils, you'll need to have completely dry skin in order for them to work properly.

2. Massage the oil into your skin. If you are removing makeup as well, you can massage the oil directly on top of your eyes and lashes, to remove any eye makeup and mascara.

3. Now here's the important part. Wet just your hands, then massage your skin. You will feel the oil on your face thin at first, and then thicken again. This means the oil is emulsifying - and this emulsification process is very important if you want to clean your skin properly! I know most people just rinse the oil off at this point - I've done it before myself - but you need to make sure that the oil emulsifies so your skin gets cleaned well.

4. Repeat step 3 at least twice.

5. Rinse everything off with water.

6. Follow with a cleanser. This step is more important than you think, because some cleansing oils contain mineral oil. Mineral oil can clog pores, so it's important to follow with a cleanser to completely remove all traces of your cleansing oil before moving on to your skincare.

Best Cleansing Oils

Here are some cleansing oils I personally loved! All pictured above:

1. Innisfree Olive Real Cleansing Oil - This is a Korean, olive oil based cleansing oil that is smooth, effective, and natural. It is also affordable, which is great, because there aren't a lot of cleansing oils out there that are both affordable and effective at the same time.

2. Senka Perfect Oil - Another affordable cleansing oil, hallelujah! Senka's cleansing oil is one of the most effective cleansing oils I've tried - it is not as thick as the other oils, but removes makeup like a dream.

3. DHC Cleansing Oil - I used this cleansing oil for a really, really long time and absolutely loved it! It's olive oil-based, like the Innisfree oil, and cleans the skin quite well too. I like that it's gentle on the skin, and even if I get some in my eye, it doesn't get irritated at all.

4. Shu Uemura Porefinist Skin Purifier Cleansing Oil - this one is my most recent discovery, and a new favourite. I like it because on top of being just a cleansing oil, this one also cleans pores well (hence its name). It is formulated in such a way that the oil is able to get into your pores and clean them better than other oils, and I am actually witnessing a significant improvement in my skin.

Now that you know the ins and outs of using a cleansing oil, get on it! It will do absolute wonders for your skin :)