Review: Yes! Nurse Protect Your Lovely Hands

A few months ago, I was given the opportunity by the lovely peeps from The Love Jars to try one of the products they carry called Yes! Nurse Hand Cream.

I have a history of love-hate relationship with hand creams and honestly, I have yet to find a good brand which is worthwhile to keep. This is why I always rely on my body oils instead to keep my hands supple. Weird but it works for me. When this opportunity arose, I was a bit worried because I am not sure if this is able to meet the expectations I have regarding hand creams. Well, let's see if it does.

Brand 

All the best things in life started with a story. Apparently chocolate bars were created by a Doctor and his sons in the early 18th century after using it as a medicinal product. Boy do we wish we they were still prescribing chocolate today!

We do however have our own unique tale to tell. Yes! Nurse was co-founded by a young paediatric nurse at the beginning of 2009. Having been signed off work with dry, cracked and sore hands, she noticed that many of her colleagues were suffering in the same way.

Trying numerous hand creams with little or no effect she decided to research and develop a unique formula that actually worked.

Guided by nurses across the UK, she co-founded Yes! Nurse and developed an intensive moisturising hand formula that specifically combats the daily routines faced by nurses. 

Yes! Nurse is now a rapidly growing cult brand and quick becoming a trusted favourite of nurses, busy mums and beauty fanatics alike from across the UK.  Yes! Nurse offers a powerful ‘Super Moisturising’ formula crammed full of essential Omega’s, antioxidants and natural actives –  together designed to soothe, hydrate and revive tired skin all day long.

Source: www.yesnurse.co.uk

Product Description

Yes! Nurse's Hand Formula is a fast absorbing, non-greasy emollient. It actively hydrates and replenishes the skin's natural defences against the harsh effects of constant hand washing.

Directions

Apply a pea-sized amount to clean, dry hands regularly throughout the day, and massage well into the skin for at least 30 seconds.

Ingredients

Aqua, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Mel( Active Manuka Honey ), Cetearyl Alcohol, Propylene Glycol, Sucrose Stearate, Panthenol ( Vit B5 ), Sweet Almond Oil, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Phenoxyethanol, Glyceryl Stearate, Glycine Soja, PEG 100 Stearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride Passiflora Edulis Seed (Passionflower) Oil, Punica Granatum Seed (Pomegranate) Oil, Wheat Germ Oil, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexyl Glycerin, Parfum, Tocopheryl Acetate( Vitamin E ), Salix Alba ( Willow Bark ) Extract, Citric Acid, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Limonene, Coumarin, Linalool.

My Experience

I was greeted with this lovely sight when I open the package! I find that the little gestures and effort from The Love Jars is just lovely and it does make the receiving customer feels warm and appreciated.

The consistency of the hand cream is semi-thick, with a lovely mild 'baby-powdery' scent. As advised, I use a pea-sized amount and massage it well into my skin. I am surprised that it doesn't leave my hands feeling tacky or sticky. It just leaves a thin film of protection, which then slowly sinks in after several minutes. I am not sure if others have the same experience as me, I had experiences with the L'occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream, which leaves my hands feeling tight and uncomfortable ( even with generous amount ).  I am glad that this does not leave your hands feeling tight.

My hands are subjected to constant washing, sometimes up to 5-6 times a day with a disinfectant liquid. Because of this, my hands are always dry and tight and no amount of lotions or hand creams I have used were able to give me the nice, moist hands. So this is where my body oil comes into play. It is the only way for me bring back moisture to my hands.

Now with this hand cream, I was taken by surprise on how it replenishes moisture back to my hands almost immediately, making my hands feeling comfortable. However, it does not give you the whole moisture protection with just one use and the feeling would just slowly wear off after 2 hours. In my case, I need to reapply after 3-4 hours to keep my hands feeling comfortable. One thing I like about this hand cream is that it does not hinder your everyday routine. Some hand creams would often leave an overly slip, due to silicones, which makes it a hassle just to grab things with your hands.

Overall 

This hand cream definitely does what it says and has given me protection to my hands for the past one month or so. This is a keeper for me and has met the expectations I have on hand creams. If I have to gripe about something, well...it's the size! I wish these will come in bigger tubes as with the existing size, it will last me to 3 months max. Apart from my gripe on the size, I may have found the hand cream, which is worthwhile for me to invest in the long run.

I am glad to finally see companies like The Love Jars, who are committed to bringing in good, interesting and award-winning products to our shores. We need this in our country! Do visit them at www.thelovejars.com

This item was sent to me by PR for review consideration. This review is based on my honest and personal experience with this product and is not influenced by any parties.

Review: Phytopanama Daily Balancing Shampoo ( Oily Scalp )

Phytopanama Daily Balancing Shampoo ( Oily Scalp ) 200ml

A couple of months back, I was told by a hairdresser that my scalp is prone to oiliness and that is one of the main causes of my 'on off ' dandruff affair. This new revelation has taken me aback because all the while, I thought my scalp was normal! Anyway, I was advised to use a shampoo, specifically for oily hair, and use it alternately with my normal shampoo.

I have decided to go back to Phyto, since their Phytoapaisant Soothing Treatment Shampoo did quite good for me.

Product Description 

Rich in quillaja bark extract, PHYTOPANAMA helps regulate excess sebum production. Quillaja bark is rich in saponins and known for its oil absorbing qualities. Recommended to refresh and purify an oily scalp. PHYTOPANAMA is gentle enough for everyday use. Hair is left fuller and softer.

Ingredients

Quillaja saponaria bark extract, water, disodium laureth cocoamphodiacetate, sodium lauryl sarcosinate, disodium ricinoleamido mea-sulfocuccinate, potassium undecylenoyl hydrolyzed soy protein, cocamidopropyl betaine, zanthoxylum alatum fruit extract, xylitol, junipers communis fruit oil, lactitol, polyquaternium-7, glycerin, fragrance, methychloroisothiazolinone, methylisothiazolinone citric acid. 

My Experience 

The product is housed in a screw top aluminium bottle, which is great against accidents in the bathroom. The shampoo is very, very runny ( too runny in fact ) and smells lemon-y. Because of the watery consistence, it makes it very difficult to control the amount that you need. I would usually pour two times the amount unto the palm of my hands and quickly pour it unto my hair.

To make the product work effectively, I noticed that my hair needs to be thoroughly wet. I start from my scalp and work my way to my hair ends. This shampoo makes minimal foam and if your scalp is 'super' oily, you may need to shampoo your hair the second time. ( I had to shampoo my hair twice at the first two uses and subsequently reduce to one time ) You definitely have to follow up with a conditioner with this shampoo as it tends to make your hair feel squeaky clean.

In the first two weeks, my scalp feels revitalized and light. The amount of oil secretions on my scalp has been reduced a lot after using the shampoo close to 4 months. It is very noticeable, thus making my scalp feels balanced and I itch less. My hubby also experience the same thing and one thing we both agreed on, there was less shedding of hair.

Though this shampoo is said to be fine for frequent use, I personally like to use it as a 'treatment' shampoo, twice a week, alternating with my regular shampoo because I find that if I use it 4 times a week, it tends to make the scalp too 'dry', resulting to unwanted flakiness. So I find it best to reduce the amount of usage per week and this helps to really balance the condition of the scalp.

Overall 

This is a great shampoo to use alternately with a normal shampoo as it really helps in controlling excess sebum production. My scalp definitely feels lighter and revitalised. Comparing with the Phytoapaisant, Phytopanama gives the hair a better manageable texture than the former. This does not make my hair dry nor straw-y. Though I like it, some may not because this shampoo has minimal foam and the shampoo is too runny.

The other day, my hubby made a visit to our regular hairdresser and she mentioned that my hubby's hair is much fuller and healthier. ( My hubby's hair is very fine and little ) She mentioned that the possibility may be the switch in hair care products. My hubs agreed with her because when he was using those drugstore bought shampoos, he noticed he sheds more hair and his hair goes limp come mid-day because of his oily scalp.

This item was purchased by me for my personal purposes. This review is based on my honest and personal experience with this product and is not influenced by any parties.

Review: Clio's Eyeliner Range

From Top to Bottom: Gelpresso Waterproof Eyeliner Gel Liner in Chic Navy

Gelpresso Waterproof Eyeliner Gel Liner in Beige Shine

Waterproof Turnliner Twistturn in Urban Khaki

Waterproof Pen Liner in Kill Black 

As I have mentioned before, one of my essentials for makeup is my eyeliner. I pretty much stuck with my Lancome Artliner for many many years and never thought of abandoning the ship until I found these. I initially started with the Gelpresso Gel Liner in Chic Navy and the Pen Liner in Kill Black. The Chic Navy had me with one swipe, followed by the Kill Black. And then...they were having some sales at Watson's with 15%-30% Discounts and I knew I had to get more of these!

Gelpresso Waterproof Eyeliner Gel Liner 

Personally, I much prefer liquid eyeliners with felt tip than pencils. I had many bad experiences with the pencils as most it kinda drags your eyelids when you try to draw a good line and most smudges easily, giving you the dreaded panda eyes. 

However, with this gel liner, it glides on so effortlessly and the pigmentation is good! I love, love the Chic Navy as it is a good alternative to the boring black and somehow, it makes my eyes more noticeable. The staying power is very good as well, last at least 3 hours on my oily lids with very, very minimal smudge. However, on days where I would apply them at the lower rims of my eyes, it can only last 2 hours at most.

For the Beige Shine, I only use it at my inner corner of my eyes or at my lower rims to lighten or highlight.

I have tried to shoot a few samples on how it looked like on my eyes but I failed miserably. So, I am giving you some pictures from website instead.

One thing I like about this eyeliner is that it comes with a built in sharpener, located at the end of the pencil itself.

Waterproof  Turnliner Twistturn

I bought this when they were having some discounts and the mechanism of it is pretty cool. All you need is just twist the bottom part of the pen liner and it will automatically dispense the right amount you need at the felt tip.I like it because it minimises wastage.

I bought Urban Khaki and I definitely don't regret it. It is a very nice colour and a good alternative to brown. I usually wear this alone, on my subtle makeup days and it pays off well. The pigmentation is good and this one last me almost the whole day. No kidding. I did detect some minimal smudges but considered reasonable, especially on my oily lids. Now, I am eyeing on Stage Navy if it's on sale again!

Waterproof Pen Liner

Now, this is the one that kicks off the whole series for Clio. This is a classic one and it is the 'blackest black' liner I have encountered.

I love the felt tip and I actually prefer this to Lancome's. It glides easily, making it effortless to draw a nice winged line. Because it is so black, it defines your eyes so beautifully. I can bet that many will comment how pretty your eyes will look by just wearing this.

On oily lids, this lasts remarkable well, reaching 5 hours perhaps ( provided that you are not under the scorching sun ) with minimal smudges. There's only one thing which I have to comment about this, is that you'll need to wait ( at least 10 seconds ) for it to dry well before opening your eyes, otherwise, there will be some smudges above your lids. For the 'drying time' efficiency, Lancome is much better.

This item was purchased by me for my personal purposes. This review is based on my honest and personal experience with this product and is not influenced by any parties.

Review: Ren Hydra-Calm Cleansing Milk

Ren Hydra-Calm Cleansing Milk 150 ml

Oh my....It certainly has been ages since my last review..and I have so much more products to catch on. Not wasting any more time, I'll just go straight to this review. I purchased this  last year and has been using this since September last year. Yes, that's 6 months and let's see if this is a keeper or a one time off.

Product Description 

A gentle cleansing milk designed to leave more sensitive or delicate skin purified, fresh, calm and soothed.

  -Gently removes dirt, pollution and make up.

  -Skin purified, calm and soothed.

Ingredients

Anthemis Nobilis (Chamomile) Flower Extract, Cetearyl Ethyhexanoate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil, Cetearyl Glucoside, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Myristyl Myristate, Glycerin, Ribes Nigrum (Black Currant) Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Foeniculum Vulgare (Fennel) Fruit Extract, Oryzanol, Bisabolol, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract, Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate, Citric Acid, Xanthan Gum, Citrus Nobilis (Mandarin Orange) Peel Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Cinnamomum Linalloliferum (Ho Wood) Leaf Oil, Anthemis Nobilis (Chamomile) Flower Oil, Limonene, Citronellol, Geraniol, Linalool, Tocopherol.

My Experience 

The cleansing milk is semi thick, not as thick as Antipodes and not as runny as Eucerine. It's somewhere in between which I love.The wonderful floral base scent is lovely and light.

I usually use this only at night and followed by another gel cleanser. I am surprised by it's texture and it's feels good on the skin when used. After rinsing off, it really makes my skin feels clean and nice, and it does not leave any greasy film on the skin. I like the scent too as it kinda prepares you before your sleep.

I have been using this every night for 6 months now and surprisingly, there are still some product left in the bottle, which can last me another 2 months.Talk about economical! By the way, I find that using just a pea size is sufficient enough to do a good cleanse.

May I make a mention again on their wonderful packaging. The inside of the bottle has this 'vaccum pack' mechanism, which just squeezes out every single bit of the product when it comes to an end. I like it as it prevents wastage and you can easily tell how much product you are left with.

I also find this very good for my sensitive skin. I had a flare up recently and I am so glad that this product didn't further aggravate the condition. It also didn't cause any peeling and I find this product very moisturising to my skin after cleansing.

Overall 

I find absolutely no fault with this cleanser and I do recommend this to those who have sensitive and dry skin. I can safely say that this is a staple in my routine and I have found one cleansing milk which I adore! It is very likely that I am going back to this one once my bottle is finished.

This item was purchased by me for my personal purposes. This review is based on my honest and personal experience with this product and is not influenced by any partie

Review: Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Multi-Usage Dry Oil

Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse 100ml

This item is one of the popular 'must-have' items should one visit any french pharmacies in France. Due to its immense popularity, it is pretty obvious that I must give it a try, especially when I am a lover of oils.

Product Description 

Huile Prodigieuse is a dry oil with unique superactivated formula combining 30% Precious Plant Oils and Vitamin E to nourish, repair and soften face, body and hair. Face and body are left beautifully soft and moisturised, whilst hair is supple and glossy. This oil is suitable for all skin and hair types regardless of age ( from 36 months onwards )

Ingredients

Coco-caprylate, dicaprylyl ether, macadamia ternifolia seed oil, sweet almond oil, hazel seed oil, camellia oleifera seed oil, parfume, tocopherol, borago officinalis seed oil, olive fruit oil, sunflower seed oil, roesmary leaf extract, hypericum perforatum flower/stem extract, tomato fruit extract, benzyl salicylate, linalool, limonene, citronellol, geraniol.

My ExperienceThis oil is housed in a nice limited edition glass bottle with a spray nozzle. This looked quite luxurious actually and would make any dressers looked lovely and elegant.

Though it says that it is suitable for face, I used this mostly for my body and hair. For my body, I use this right after my shower as oils usually absorbs well on damp skin.( Not wet ) True as it says, this is indeed a dry oil as it absorbs very quickly, leaving my skin feeling nice and comfortable. Unlike the MVO Anti-Aging Body Oil or the Weleda Body Oil, this Nuxe Oil does not make your skin sticky or oily at all. If I need to compare, Nuxe Huile is deemed more suitable for our weather condition ( perfect for summer ), where else, MVO Body Oil and Weleda is more suitable for colder weather because it is quite 'heavy'.

On hair, this needs to be applied only on hair ends after blow drying your hair. I love this because it does not weigh down my hair at all and tames my hair ends well. Love it!

About the scent, this oil smells strongly of jasmine. I am sitting on a fence here as I usually do not like heavily scented oils but strangely, this oils seems to prep me well before I go to sleep. My hubs like the scent and well....I am ok with it I guess.

Overall 

This oil is good to have, should you like any multi purpose products but for me, it is not a must have item. It is good if you like your skin to be grease free and personally, I find this suitable for our weather condition is Malaysia. Overall, this oil does help in maintaining moisture of your skin in air-conditioned rooms and helps to tame and condition your hair ends well.

This item was purchased by me for my personal purposes. This review is based on my honest and personal experience with this product and is not influenced by any parties.