Racinne USA

** Advertorial **

Wanted to share the whole story with you guys before I shared my personal experience with these skincare products that I'm about to review...

Around the same time last year, Racinne (USA) brand manager contacted me to do a blog review for their new skincare line that is formulated in Korea with patented ingredients such as SH-DP-9 and plant stem cells after seven years of dedicated research. Plant Stem Cells?! At that time, I was using La Mer and you know what makes La Mer so crazily expensive yet incredibly effective? The answer is Marine Plant Stem Cells. Therefore, I was thinking perhaps Racinne could be a viable alternative solution for my forever-thirsty-looking skin in Boulder, CO. So I said Y.E.S. and then I received three full size products in less than 2 weeks... 

#1 Racinne Ultimate Aqua Blanc Series


#2 (from left to right)
Racinne Aqua Blanc Brightening Cream
Racinne Aqua Blanc Tonic
Racinne Aqua Blanc Boost

I dutifully tried them for a week and really thought about writing a full review because I absolutely love them. Unfortunately I've to constantly delay this well-deserved review due to motherhood, moving, settling down, preschool hunting and surviving in a big city (there goes the perfectly convenient excuses). So long story short and fast forward to today... It's been almost year, I know, I feel awful for being such lousy blogger too, but I'm not talking about dragging the product review, I mean I've been using Racinne for almost O.N.E year!!! Guess you can't find a better skincare review than this, and guess what, I finally ran out of them about two weeks ago (^__^)V


#3 Love them so much that I brought them along on my recent trip to L.A. thus all photos were taken in Santa Monica as well.


#4 The Aqua Blanc Brightening Cream has a very lightweight texture yet moist enough to keep my skin hydrated throughout the night.


#5 Highly recommend this one! The gel-cream like Aqua Blanc Boost really helps reduce and lighten the dark spots on my forehead (acne due to hormonal changes during menstrual cycle), to be completely honest, it works but the result doesn't happen overnight, I use it for a year (must-have for my morning beauty routine), so I'd say persistence is the key, it sure will gradually restore a glowing facial complexion (*^__^*)


#6 The Aqua Blanc Tonic is my favorite for this summer, especially when the weather in L.A. was over 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38'C).


#7 I even use it as a face mist (although I usually apply it as toner/face lotion, as shown on the pic above, lol), spray it on my face and neck with makeup on; it instantly soothes and calms my skin, absolutely refreshing beyond words.


#8 Yay to beautiful, younger-looking skin! Also to my awesome Sony Nex 7's Soft Skin mode :p

Now, great news for BS readers in the U.S. region! Freebies for you~~

You get to try any T.W.O of Racinne sample packs for F.R.E.E! Simply pick your choices from H.E.R.E and use the promo code "RacinneBeauty" at checkout. Limited 1 redemption per customer.

Give it a try, you sure won't regret it ;)

Thanks Racinne, and once again, sincere apology for this super duper late review; I look forward to sharing my beauty journey with you in the near future ❤❤



Enjoy,
Bev

Right On Board

Hello,

Thank you for the uplifting and warm messages on my official "comeback" posting, they really means a lot to me. You know what, in 7 years of blogging (roughly, ya, we've been virtual friends for that long), I can somewhat conclude that I'm not a dedicated blogger, I stop blogging from time to time; however, if I'm really in the mood I could do 2 posts in a day. Emotionally driven? Maybe. But I love the fact that I'm still able to stick with my true self after all these years, though I've doubts about myself sometimes. This is my personal space and I find solace in the act of blogging, thus I want to keep it the way it is and the way I like it. Each time I took a long vacation, BS readership decreased at least 80%, but each long break made only the most genuine readers remain, like you guys.

That's something worth smiling about :)

And those are the people I want to share my life with :)

Knowing this also makes me feel more comfortable sharing things about my personal life, my family, and my baby especially...


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We're on our way to Asian Art Museum. It's a free admission day and there's huge discount on the special exhibition (cha-ching), so we decided to take advantage of that. The historic building behind us is the San Francisco City Hall, gorgeous architecture, perfect backdrop. Also loving BB's outfit as much as my Chun-Song-Yi (千颂伊) hair (minus the awful ombre). Look at that volume, it requires zero styling thanks to the never-before shared awesome haircare products that I've been using, in fact I haven't washed my hair for 2 days, can you believe it? Still smell fresh though :p

Now, only those who read the text get to know the ultimate secret, hoho. It's the Alterna Carviar Anti-aging Series. These products deserve a full blog entry as I have more story to tell... To those who are eager to give your hair a lift naturally may place your order now, you won't go wrong with these, and I usually ordered mine from skinstore.com. Nope, this is not an advertorial, I'm just too eager to share my favorite shampoo with you guys. To those who already have beautiful bouncy hair, hate you all, life is so unfair!

And to those who don't care a bit about having bouncy hair, you may stop reading at the second last paragraph, which I know you can't cause you already reading this sentence. Ya, that sucks but that's life too :p

Have a wonderful week ahead everyone. Till then.



Love,
Bev

Vitamin C Injection Review

Promise is a promise (although it's overdue :p). So here comes the review for the most frequently asked question ever--the Vitamin C injection I got in Malaysia (M'sia).

I always wanted to try out this super popular beauty procedure (also very very common in Taiwan) ever since Barbie Hsu (Da S) revealed her skin whitening secret. See, I say I "want" that means it's not really a need because back then, before I gave birth, my skin was always in superb condition, zero blackhead, pore-less and pimples only visit me once in a blue moon. In very rare occasion I did encounter skin problem like shingles and red spots due to allergic reaction, but most of the time my skin was problem-free and even smoothly sailed through the rough hormonal changes during pregnancy.

Things changed 360° after my baby was born...

Dry skin, dull complexion, blackheads, whiteheads, and worse, my face has exploded with acne before and during each menstrual cycle!!! I hate PMS acne because it never stops, and it leave scars and marks! A.R.G.H!!! Then things got even worse when I was in M'sia, thanks to jet lag and the super humid & hot weather. I bascially looked like sh*t during CNY, I swear; Vit C injection had become a need than a want. Anyway, fast forward to 2 months after I received the 3rd Vit C injection, I see improvement despite the fact that many people still doubt and question about its effectiveness and side effects, I experience it first-hand myself.

A brief photo diary before I dig into the details, these pictures do not tell much and most of you may have already seen it on my FB, but I must include them to make this post more creditable, lol.


#1 My sis took this one for me as she accompanied for the first treatment.

Ya, ya, now you think I have flawless skin and fair complexion after seeing this pic... N.O.P.E, it's just my super awesome makeup skill manipulating you.


#2 Posted a pic on FB and my friends thought I was sick, how caring!


#3 As I stated that time, I really can't tell much except softer & smoother skin, but who doesn't want to have baby-soft skin again? So I went for the 3rd dose.

And...

Taa Daa...


#4 I got fairer! Like instantly after the next day! I went out yum cha with my BFFs and they were amazed :D Also, if you're a BS fan I'm sure you notice that my knees are always in darker tone (because I'm a 黑肉底), but not in this pic, woo hoo!


#5 Then just when I really feeling the awesome effect I restarted my career and failed to catch up with the treatment... The ideal plan was a 10-week course, one injection every week but I dragged for about a month until the 4th dose :(


#6 And the last one in May. The total of 5 injections, IV drips to be accurate.

So, do I find it effective? Hell ya, I wish to complete the course once a year. Do I recommend it? Yes and No, it really depends on your need and I guess you should talk to the doc instead. How long will the whitening effect last? Vitamin C is soluble and to be honest, it doesn't last very long, probably a week or two after each treatment. So don't solely rely on the Vit C injection, healthy diet and lifestyle are always the golden rules for beautiful skin! Never forget good skincare products too!

I did it at a very down-to-earth clinic, Klinik Mediviron Taman Dawn, Negeri Sembilan, with Dr. Chuan Kar Kan. Speaking of Dr. Chuan, he is actually an old neighbor of mine, ok, my bad, I didn't quite recognize him but my mum insisted we're friends, so ya, hilarious reunion at the clinic when my mum sought him out for consultation and that's the time I learned his clinic offers Vitamin C injection.

Now, the geeky part. The Vit C injection actually comes with 2 forms, you can either take a jab or a drip, it's really up to you but I think drips allow greater absorption; it doesn't just contain Vitamin C but also Glutathione (an antioxidant).

About the price? I verbally signed up a course so I got a special rate for my determination, being poke once a week is not fun after all. Thus you have to seek for consultation first, feel free to tell Dr. Chuan about me or my blog, you may scope some "special" treatments, who knows, some of my friends are seeing him now ;) Oh, before I forgot, you need to request a special cream from Dr. Chuan, he gave me this super awesome cream that will temporary numb my arm after the first injection because I've zero pain tolerance. Phew, that made the experience less painful and sooooooo much better, hehe.

Alright, guess I just have to stop here, am scarifying my beauty sleep for this sentence, moreover tomorrow is gonna be a long Monday. Go ahead and leave me a message if you have more question, see ya!



P/s: Please bare in mind that this posting is not an advertorial; I'm just sharing my personal experience and always remember, what works for me might not work for you ;)



Take care,
Bev

Being A Vainpot

Being a vainpot is really not fun at all, it used to be but not after having a baby... There are so many beauty regimes to follow every day and yet so little time to do so. Nowadays, it's super common for me to knock out without any lotion or cream as I don't even have much time to rest, just let the guilt set in :'(

But!!! That doesn't mean I give up on chasing the youth fountain, I'm just taking some time off now and then :p Here, my beautiful report card that compiles with some of my current fave beauty products and also a super duper effective microcurrent facial toning device! Although it takes me so long to share, I'm sure you won't mind it at all ^___^V


#1 The Givenchy Photo Perfection Liquid Foundation which I adore so much! H.E.R.E is a pic of me wearing it for the very first time, flawlessly & effortlessly beautiful~~ I mean the foundation itself lah of course...


#2 Also, I bought the Givenchy Eclat Matissime Fluid Foundation the day before I departed. They are both equally great, although I think this one suits M'sia weather better; I personally like its airy & radiant matte effect ;)


#3 The Benefit samples that I received from Sephora as birthday pressies are super awesome! Highly recommend these two, especially the Benetint! Loving my rosy cheeks every day~~


#4 When it comes to defining Asian eyebrows, Kate eyebrow palette is irreplaceable. Restock it right away once I got home.


#5 Last but certainly not least, I'd like to introduce the ultimate beauty device that I'm having love affair with... NuFace Trinity Microcurrent Facial Toning Device, the only handheld microcurrent device with FDA approval. These all come in with a classy hard box but I eliminate it to save luggage space for BB #worldsbestmom


#6 Very user friendly and ergonomic.

To be frank, I was a little hesitate before getting one and was debating between the Nuface and the NuSkin device... After giving it some serious thoughts, I think nothing beats return policy & customer protection in the U.S., thus I ordered one and got it right in time, right before the week I went home. Thanks Nuface for making me a very satisfied customer since then :D You should really check out its website or google this cool technology because it really works!

Now, hold your jaw as I'm gonna show you the breakthrough result... After using it on one side of my face for about 5 mins, followed by the guide/instruction available online...


#7 Wooooo Hoooo... It's quite obvious, isn't it?


#8 A teeth showing pic :p


#9 Super closed-up. It helps tightening the pores and minimizing fine lines too~~

Btw, every single pic here is fresh from Siew Bak (my iPhone 4S), took them 40mins ago (yup, at midnight) and with zero retouching, but I did use Camera360 (an iPhone app) to make my skin appears to be more "presentable," hehe... And, bare face of course but wearing FreshKon cosmetic lenses~~


#10 Ohh... Almost miss this out... Brands Berry Essence with Grape Seed Extract is one of many nutritional supplements that I'm consuming now, love fueling my skin with lots of vitamins & antioxidants :p

Supple and healthy skin can be made/maintained as we age, my very own beauty philosophy lah. Thus, the next beauty topic on BS is going to be the Vitamin C injection that I'm getting lately, wakaka... Can't wait to share it with you, so stay tuned!


P/s: Jeez, it's 1.36am now, I work overtime today! Will revise this posting tomorrow, gonna catch some beauty sleep before it's toooooo late, 24 mins to go... N.I.T.E!!!



XOXO,
Bev



 

Oh My Baby Bump

Remember the maternity photoshoot I did couple months ago which Chean prohibits from publishing on BS? I just asked him again for the 873867437843 times if I can blog about it, and he said N.O.P.E as usual! A firm reply; he doesn't want anybody to see my belly. Those were pregnancy shots my lord but he just doesn't seem to understand that. Then I spent 20 mins explaining the importance of this post and how it will save hundreds mums-to-be & mums who're suffering from stretch marks, of course he didn't buy the idea and eventually, I manja-ed and he finally gave in & said: "ok la, go blog la,"

See, I fight for you all. LOL... No la, I really want these photos to be part of BS, they're simply too precious to be excluded from my online diary ;)


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These pics (zero touch up, only color adjustment, you can see the veins & pores) were taken all by myself (yay, tripod is my best friend) when I was 33-34 weeks preggie and aww... Bao Bao was in me that time! Miss those special moments together. The socks that were once too big for her can no longer fit her growing feet. Ahhh... I need to end this post asap & rush to cuddle her in my arms.

Okok, now that you've seen my baby bump & I'd say I did have healthy & supple skin even though it got pulled every week by Bao Bao's rapid growth, proud & loud.

And here's the ultimate secret of my stretch mark-free pregnancy (^__^)V

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#10 It's the result of hard work. I apply the lotion, the oil all over my body, twice a day, from chest to toes to eradicate every single chance of stretch marks appearance. Prevention is better than cure, always.

Hope this post will help every mums-to-be to escape the blight of stretch marks throughout the already stressful pregnancy, but if you already have stretch marks, don't be upset, that's what makes you a real woman. Try Clarins Tonic Body Treatment Oil, I'm still using it everyday for toning & shaping purposes & it improves my postpartum skin texture wonderfully.

Good luck mums!!!



p/s: I tried Clarins Stretch Mark Control too but I'm not sold; the cream shed into balls if you apply multiple layers on your skin.



Warmest regards,
Mama Bev

Drugstore Products Review

#1 Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipsticks: 1) 202 crush, 2) 170 Alarm ★★★★✩
Love its soft & smooth texture, quite pigmented but not super long-lasting. Go for it if you're looking for a boost of subtle color at a reasonable price point. Worth every penny ;)


#2 Fresh Sugar Kisses Mini Lip Duo ★★★★✩
A complimentary birthday gift from Sephora. Fresh is not really a drugstore brand but judging from the fact that I got these for free, I might as well do a quick review on them. Cute packaging, pleasantly scented with SPF 15, pretty hydrating and moisturizing for daily lips protection. Would recommend them :)


#3 Carmex Moisturizing Lip Balm (Original) ★★★✩✩
Extremely affordable, unscented, and I personally enjoy the minty tingling sensation :p It's kinda refreshing. However, it won't promise an instant healing effect on chapped & dried lips, unlike my all-time-favorite Kielh's Lip Balm #1. Still, I love having them sitting around every corner of my house so that I can just snap & apply whenever my lips need a little comfort.


#4 CoverGirl Cheekers Blush Natural Shimmer 103 ★★★✩✩
Perfect for a neutral touch in summer, not too glittery yet it brings peachy shines to your cheeks. Easy to blend and quite pigmented. Be careful while handling it, it's quite fragile, I dropped it on the floor right after I bought it and the blusher almost popped out @.@


#5 CoverGirl Bronzer Copper Radiance 102 ★★★✩✩
Bought this to go with CoverGirl Cheekers Blush Natural Shimmer 103. A great bargain, and I adore its natural sun-kissed glow. Won't use it everyday, but definitely worth a try~~


#6 Vasaline Healthy Hand & Nail Conditioning Lotion ★★✩✩✩
Bought this at Safeway months ago because I forgot to bring L'occitane hand cream with me. I'm one of those hand cream fanatics who can't live without hand cream, and I usually stuff all my bags with a travel size tube (and lip balm too), will go crazy and super insecure if I don't have them in my bag @.@ Anyway, I'm just ok with Vasaline hand lotion, a bit too greasy and most importantly I do not appreciate its scent. Will try my best to finish it but won't buy it again.


#7 DUO eyelash adhesive: 1) Clear-white, 2) Dark-tone ★★★★✩
Essentials and they both work equally great to me, depends on my eye makeup of the day of course! Dry quickly, hold all day long, easy to apply and remove. Falsie lovers, go get them N.O.W!


#8 Eyebrow Pencil with Brush from Daiso, Taipei ★★★★★
It deserves 5 stars, no doubt, it's my current favorite eyebrow pencil! The brush comes in handy while shaping the brows and the shades precisely matches my skin tone & eye color. A.R.G.H, I wanna stock it up so bad!!! Do we have this in Daiso Malaysia? Or Daiso U.S?


*Side Note*
Cut down a lot on skin care and cosmetic products ever since I got pregnant, missing facial mask, body scrubs, bubble bath, essential oil massage, and all those chemical-heavy self-indulgences that I used to abuse :p Just couple more weeks to go before claiming my vain life back. Muahahahahahahaha...

Hope you enjoy this simple review still~~



Warmest regards,
Bev

How to look younger in 10 days?

Is this possible? I mean, to really rejuvenate, regenerate, regain youthfulness in such a short time? I'm not convinced but during my trip to Taiwan, Shanghai and even when I was living in M'sia, I noticed that the aggressive advertisements of beauty & skincare products really did a good job in coaxing consumers into trying their products, ya, just like what I've just accomplished, successfully luring you into clicking and reading this page.

Well, I'm not saying those products do not work nor ineffective at all, but experiencing the positive changes and results in just 10 days? That's way over-promising for anti-aging products. 2-3 months, yes. Again, it depends.

Don't be too disappointed and don't even thwarted what you are working on right now, most of the anti-aging products work well, even if it's doesn't meet its promises--to make your skin as youthful as a teenage gal--it's still able to keep your skin from dehydrating, that in long run will reduce premature wrinkles and fine lines. See, no harm at all.

But I do have some tips to share since people often thought I look younger than my age, Y.A.H.O.O!!! (those who have said that to me includes the uncle who sells roti & veggies to my mum, all the neighbors, uncles & aunties that live next door as well as across the street, my hairdresser, the beautician & her colleagues, manicurist and her regular customers, and too many to mention). So, I guess I'm qualified enough to provide valid alternatives that would hopefully enrich your beauty journey.


#1 Bare skin and proud!


#2 Fruits! Plenty of them. I've been eating fresh fruits every single day ever since I moved to Boulder. Orange, apple, peach, grapes, strawberries, blueberries, kiwifruit, tomato (tomato is a fruit, go google it!)... Displine yourself to eat at least one or two kinds of fruit every day for good health and good skin.


#3 Resveratrol is a compound found largely in the skins of red grapes; it is also one of the most useful antioxidant vitamins ever. I personally experienced its powerful effect in 3 weeks, brighter skin tone and it helps to diminish the appearance of dark circles too. Love this!!!


#4 M'sians, I'm sure you are familiar with it but I still need to briefly elaborate its beauty benefits. So, in Asia, many older people drink American ginseng tea as a beautifying agent, because it refines the skin and helps counteract dryness, wrinkles and other age-related skin problems (via essortment.com). I don't drink this every day, just whenever I feel like it and usually after hot bath. Super calming and soothing though~~


#5 Bought 5 of them at Watson during promotion, finished 3 bottles, left two now. Each Shi Tzu beauty drink contains 10,000mg of sheep placenta extract, 5,000mg of fish collagen, and 5,000 of bird nest essence. Tasted pretty decent, recommendable ^^V


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#7 Speaking of collagen, I truly think that Kinohimitsu Collagen beauty drink is an awesome gift from heaven because I can barely stand the taste of bird nest soup now. Sigh, long story. But ya, I can't drink bird nest anymore, it gives me nausea even just by thinking/looking at it. Sigh T______T

So throughout my beauty journey in these years, I came to understand that there's really no short cut for it. You need to work hard, eat smart, spend wiser, and begin your beauty journey as earlier as you can in your 20's.

Good luck, gals! Let's stay beautiful together~~



The bravest beauty warrior,
Bev