5 Products I'm on the Fence About

I thought I would love each of these products, but for whatever reason, I haven't been feeling them. While none of the products are completely abysmal or things I actively despise, my opinion ranges from still undecided (with the potential to be swayed in the positive direction) to mild dislike and the certainty that I won't be repurchasing. It's not so much these products weren't "worth the hype", but rather I feel they're not suitable for me, or I had inaccurate expectations of how they'd perform. I don't necessarily regret purchasing them, but they simply didn't turn out to be the fabulous, must-have additions I envisaged.

l-r: Illamasqua Naked Rose, Sleek Rose Gold

Illamasqua Powder Blusher in Naked Rose
Since my full review in April this year, I haven't worn this blush once. Let that be indication of how inclined I am to reach for it. I just don't think the colour works on me, an issue compounded by the fact I find it nearly impossible to get the application right. It's so pigmented that I have to be super careful with the amount and placement, otherwise it looks ruddy and overdone. Basically, too much work for something that mainly makes my cheeks look red and patchy. It's such a shame that I don't get along with Naked Rose, because it looked so promising the first time I swatched it in person. I was so excited when I bought it and planned on getting a tonne of use out of it. For me, NARS Douceur is the closest to what I thought Naked Rose would be.

Sleek Blush in Rose Gold
Frequency of use even worse than Naked Rose. Since I bought this early last year, I don't recall ever using it. Maybe once or twice playing with my makeup at home, but to the best of my knowledge, never outside the house. Once again, it's a case of the colour simply not working for me, combined with unreal pigmentation making application a daunting task indeed. Rose Gold was one of those products that I absolutely needed and coveted with a burning, sleepless intensity back in the day. As soon as it arrived at my doorstep and I tried it on, I quickly realised we simply weren't meant to be. This is just way too red on me. The shimmer is also on a whole 'nother level, making it difficult to pull off unless you want to sport glistening, reflective cheeks packed with gold shimmer. The shimmer is what makes it special, but not suitable for the daytime, i.e. the majority of occasions that I wear makeup.

Nivea Lip Butter in Vanilla & Macadamia
It's true, these do smell scrumptious, this flavour particularly. But when I think of "lip butter", I think of the Korres ones, or even the Revlon ones, though they're closer to moisturising lipsticks. I expect a plush, cushiony, thick, comfortable and hydrating texture. These aren't like that at all, which honestly surprised me the first time I used them because I'd read so many glowing reviews about how amazing they were. They're more like Vaseline. White Vaseline. The product sits on top of the lip (rather than sinking in) and feels like a waxy coating. It also has a white cast which can look unsightly if you use too much. I will not be repurchasing.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo
Another product I purchased because I kept seeing this touted as some skin care wonder product and of course, I needed to get my greedy little hands on it. I honestly don't know what I was expecting when I bought this. This is recommended for "mild to moderate acne-prone skin", which doesn't really describe me. I get some pimples now and then, particularly after consuming whole packets of Kettle Chilli chips, but I wouldn't say I've ever had any acne issues. Regardless, I thought it might be a good treatment to keep spots at bay and refine my skin (minimise pores, even out texture). I first experimented using this as an all-over serum under my regular moisturiser before foundation. I didn't notice anything particularly different when I did this, so eventually I just couldn't be bothered. Then I started to use this more as a spot treatment over any breakouts I had. That was a bit more effective, as the next day the area had generally diminished and become less inflamed, but it hardly cured all, and it certainly didn't make everything disappear completely, even over the course of weeks. I think this is a nice, soothing, non-irritating lotion (though personally not moisturising enough to be used on its own), but I just haven't found any kind of noticeable success with it. I have no idea how to use it in a consistent enough manner that I would see results.

Caudalie Beauty Elixir
I do like this and it's undoubtedly in the "nice to have" camp, but at the same time, I'm a bit iffy about it. If we look past the absolutely gorgeous packaging and the hype it's received, what is it anyway? As far as the ingredients list reveals, it looks to be water, alcohol and a bunch of essential oils. Alcohol is the second ingredient. Perfume is the fourth! I can never spray this directly onto my face as invariably, a tiny amount will get into my eyes and sting like crazy. I have to adopt the Lisa Eldridge trick and spray it on my hands first, rub them together, then press my hands all over my face. The instructions on the bottle suggest to apply the Beauty Elixir before your moisturiser. Maybe I'm just a skin care ignoramus, but when I've remembered to do this, I couldn't see how it made any difference whatsoever. If anything, it made my skin feel a bit drier and tighter before I slapped on my moisturiser (unless that's a good thing?). I think it does fare a bit better as something to use over makeup to refresh it and inject a bit of glow back into the face, and also as an instant mood/sensory booster due to the invigorating herbal, menthol scent.

What's in My Makeup Bag

Rather than doing an updated What's in My Bag post, I thought I'd feature what's in my makeup bag instead. There's still some overlap in terms of the products, but the main difference is that I have a makeup bag now to house all my various tidbits in one place rather than needing to rummage through the debris at the bottom of my handbag. Every now and then, I'll forget to zip up the makeup bag, and invariably everything will fall out and my bag contents will become a mess again. Some things never change.

I'm using this free makeup bag that came with a Bourjois gift with purchase from Priceline in November last year. It's a flat, zip up bag with a white-lined interior that holds a lot more than expected. I like that it's purely functional and hardy (a must in the rough terrain of my handbag) — there aren't any embellishments (apart from the gold exterior) or superfluous details. The zip opening runs along the whole width of the bag and it's not made of plastic/stiff material, so it's easy to rummage through and stuff things inside. While it's roomy enough to hold both the mini Klorane dry shampoo and Avene Thermal Spring Water (just), I usually leave those two outside the makeup bag so that it's not too bulky and bursting at the seams.

As usual, I have way too many lip products. I normally will have at least two Korres Lip Butters — Jasmine for a bit of balmy nourishment, Mango for something with a bit more colour and a potential cheek tint. Maybelline Baby Lips in Relieving Menthol is an absolute must as it's the only thing that works to alleviate dry lips craving a bit of soothing, minty hydration. I've gone through so many tubes, I probably could've bought five pots of By Terry Baume De Rose with the same amount of money. The now discontinued Revlon Beyond Natural Protective Liptint in Pink Rose is deeply underrated. It's kind of in the same family as a Clinique Chubby Stick or tinted lip balm, but with greater pigmentation and more comfortable and moisturising on the lips. I like to have a couple of other lip options that I'll move in and out in my bag depending on my mood or current interests, especially if I'm planning to go out at night after work. Right now, there's Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Crush (I hate that the lettering on the outside rubs off so easily) and Revlon Matte lipstick in Strawberry Suede, because I'm all about wine and orangey-reds at the moment.

Spritzes, mists, sprays. There's one for every occasion here. I have the Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist, though I'm really more in love with the smell than what the actual product does. I'm a bit wary of anything where alcohol is the second ingredient, but a careful inspection of the rest of the ingredients list reveals lactic acid and marshmallow root, rose, grapefruit and aloe leaf extracts that seem potentially useful (but really, what would I know). Spraying this also tends to feel more like I'm being attacked with a hose than subjecting my face to a gentle, fine mist. That's where the Avene Thermal Spray comes in — I'm addicted to this stuff. It's a godsend for when I've sat in front of a computer in a dehydrating, air-conditioned office for 8 hours and my face feels like it's about to melt off. I spray this on any skin irritations that might arise, when my face feels weirdly hot, when I need a refreshing, cooling pep up, when my eyes feel tired, when my makeup feels gross nearing the end of the day. I try to convert other people onto it as well. I'm that person pushing them to try it because trust me, it's sooooo nice. It disperses such a light, perfectly distributed mist — kind of like when you're on a sight-seeing tourist boat a few metres from the base of a famous waterfall (Maid of the Mist pleasure-seekers, you'll know what I mean). A small bottle of the Klorane extra-gentle dry shampoo with oat milk is at hand for any emergency touchups to my perpetually greasy roots.

A few more essentials: mirror, blotting paper, a small tub of Nivea Soft to smooth over any dry patches, Listerine PocketPaks (very thin, super minty, small sheets that you put at the roof of your mouth to freshen your breath). There's my favourite hand cream at the moment (only because I've run out of Jurlique rose one): Crabtree & Evelyn Pomegranate, Argan & Grapeseed Hand Therapy. This was a freebie with Women's Weekly a few months ago and it's lived in my makeup bag ever since. The smell just makes me happy. There's my beloved Kai perfume oil which I dab onto my wrists for an instant pick-me-up or whenever I feel like smelling it/smelling of it. I've decided that I really should get my hands on the EDT as it's the only perfume that's excited me for a very long time. Lastly, I have the Maybelline Fit Me concealer in Sand. Said to be similar to the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer, this is the only makeup item in my bag excluding lip products. I use this to touch up my skin after a long day if I'm going out at night. I usually dab a bit on my hand, then use my fingers to apply this around the sides of my nose, corners of my mouth and any blemishes that I might have. It sinks into the skin decently when it's first applied, but I find that it does wear off and start to cake slightly as time goes on. I'm not head over heels for it, but it'll do for now.

August Favourites

I kept it simple this month, concentrating more on skin care (or what little I know of it) than makeup. While I change up my nail polish sometimes 3-4 times a week, I rarely deviate from my regular face, except in what items I use to achieve more or less the same look (e.g. if I'm going for a cream over a powder eyeshadow, or a pencil over a felt tip eyeliner). A few of these products have been items that I've been consistently using and can always rely on, but that I haven't bothered to specifically feature before in a "Favourites" post.

Apivita Express Beauty Mask With Carrot
I received two sachets from the Priceline skin care bag, and I've used up one in two separate uses (I just sticky-taped the edges to seal the packet after the first use). When I first put this over my face, it stung slightly around the nose and upper lip area. But after a while, the mild stinging subsided and I was left with a calming, slightly minty, soothing feeling. After 15 minutes, the mask had absorbed into the skin considerably, and washed off in warm water relatively easily. My skin felt smooth and supple, properly cleansed. I loved that there was a minty feeling for a while after I'd washed the mask off and lightly moisturised. It gave a slight glow to the complexion and made my skin look smoother, clearer and brighter.

Nivea Soft
I've featured this moisturiser before in the only skin care post I've done on this blog, but this past month has made me realise just how much I appreciate this humble and unassuming product, especially after I'd acquired the elusive and much hyped Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentrè. I may be missing something, because I find Nivea Soft just as good, if not better. For one, this is like a good drink of water for parched skin. Being winter right now, I've had quite dry skin and it was only after switching to Nivea Soft and using it generously at night that I found the condition of my skin start to improve. It's the best moisturiser for working into small areas of my face that have flaked after applying foundation. It smooths the dry patch over and makes it melt away. I don't know what's not to love. It's cheap, readily available, multifunctional, and actually works. If it had SPF, I'd use it in the day as well.

St Ives Apricot Scrub
I don't know why I didn't buy this earlier, as I had run out of an exfoliator ages ago, but just couldn't be bothered to buy another one. Thank goodness I finally managed to pick this up, because it's been a godsend for my skin. I'm convinced that exfoliating with this every 2-3 days and using Nivea Soft liberally has restored my skin from its dry and blemished state, and made it such that I can actually wear Make Up For Ever HD foundation without it looking like a patchy, flaky disaster.

l-r: Shimmering Slate, Bourjois Liner Feutre, Jemma Kidd, bronze in Sleek Storm, Bad to the Bronze

Savvy by DB Luxury Liner in Shimmering Slate
This brand recently underwent a refresh of their product line, and while I've yet to try any of their newly released items, I'm a big fan of their original Luxury Liners (I have all 6 colours). Shimmering Slate is my go-to eyeliner on the weekend when I don't want to use up my liquid eyeliners that I reserve for the weekdays. I line my upper lashline with this, or dot the lower lashline and then blend with my Ecotools smudge brush (from their 6 piece eye set). It's super creamy, impressively pigmented and doesn't budge.

Maybelline Color Tattoo 24 Hour eyeshadow in Bad to the Bronze
I previously complained that though Bad to the Bronze was the clear standout from the five Maybelline Color Tattoo cream shadows I'd bought, it was still a touch too frosty for my taste. I take it all back. I've been wearing Bad to the Bronze, darkened up slightly with the bronze in my Sleek Storm palette, every day for the past two weeks. Quick, easy and failproof. The trick is to use a flat and stiff eyeshadow brush to apply it. Too much product, and it can be too shimmery. But a thin layer gives a beautiful taupey bronze sheen that lasts in intensity all day. I've been using the concealer brush from the Ecotools Bamboo 5 piece set and it works like a charm.

Bourjois Liner Feutre in Noir
I love this. It's the closest to an eyeliner HG that I'll probably ever have. I've briefly mentioned it before, but time has only intensified my appreciation of it. I ran out after using it for a few months and had to resort to my Revlon ColorStay Liquid Eye Pen which was passable, but definitely inferior. Thankfully, I managed to utilise this Bourjois voucher to replenish my supply for $14 ($10 off its usual price). I find the stiff felt tip a lot easier to control and more precise than pencils, which are always blunt when you need to use them and forever need sharpening, or gel eyeliners, which are fiddly and require an angled eyeliner brush to apply. I also prefer them to liquid eyeliners that have a thin brush, as I find it a lot harder to paint my line when the brush is floppy and soft.

Jemma Kidd Dewy Glow All Over Radiance Crème in Rose Gold
It's taken me a while to warm to this, but I'm fully converted now. Earlier in the year, I went through a highlighter phase, and the All Over Radiance Crème was firmly at the top of my wishlist. When I first tried it, I wasn't particularly enthused. I was expecting major, J-Lo type of glow to my cheekbones, but I found that it was a lot subtler than I expected. I've come to realise that there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. This month, I've been reaching for this the most out of my entire highlighter collection. It's just a lovely quality product. The texture is so smooth, it's not oily or thick and it looks beautiful over a flawless base.

Face, Body and Hands

This year, along with the Beauty Bag, Priceline has also released both a hair and skin care bag. I passed up on the hair one (mainly because I don’t do anything with my hair except wash it every couple of days and spray some dry shampoo in between washes), but this skin care one was just so stuffed with goodies, I couldn't resist. In order to claim one, you need to spend $50 on skin care across the participating brands (which include Avene, Dove, Neutrogena, Nivea, Sukin, Biore, Vaseline, Palmer’s, Yes To Carrots and others).

My bag contained 20 items housed in a Models Prefer black patent mock croc tote. There’s all the skin care I need for the next couple of years in here. Body lotion, hand cream, face cream, face treatments, face masks, face mist, blemish sticks, cleanser, facial towelettes, perfumed deodorant and sunscreen. Granted, I probably wouldn’t actively go out and buy any of the contents (except maybe the Avene Thermal Spring Water), but I guess that’s the appeal of a freebie bag: being able to sample so many full-sized products that I normally wouldn’t purchase.

Here’s what’s inside (and my thoughts on a few):

Apivita Express Beauty Mask With Carrot

Avene Thermal Spring Water (50ml)
It’s really just water (and nitrogen) in a can, but somehow I kind of love it. Spritzed on, it feels genuinely refreshing and calming, and adds a touch of dewiness to the skin if used as a makeup setting spray. The nozzle is a thing of wonder because it disperses a truly fine mist.

Biore Clean Things Up Gel Cleanser

Dove Silky Nourishment Body Cream

Innoxa SOS Skin Tissue Oil Aerosol
This is an oil in an aerosol that you can use on either your face or body. It claims to moisturise dry skin and minimise scarring, stretch marks, wrinkles and uneven skin tone. I’m not convinced about rubbing oil into my face, but it doesn’t seem any greasier than a rich cream, so we’ll see how it goes.

Neutrogena Ultimate Sport Sunscreen Lotion SPF 30+
Pleased about the inclusion of this because I’m lacking a good sunscreen. It’s something that I usually neglect as an individual step (relying instead on the SPF in my day cream), because sunscreens I’ve tried are usually greasy, chalky and leave a white cast. But this one feels light and non-greasy, like I could substitute it for my daily moisturiser.

Nivea Intensive Nourishing Hand Cream
Pretty standard hand cream infused with the Nivea Crème smell, which I find unpleasantly pungent and overpowering.

OXY Emergency Zit Blitz Gel
I just realised it says at the top “engineered for male skin”. You’re supposed to apply the gel directly from the tube at the first sign of a spot appearing. I've been having minor breakouts fairly consistently, so I'm curious to see if this will work the next time I get a pimple (which can't be too far off).

Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Fragrance Free Body Lotion
I wouldn’t say this is completely fragrance free, it smells like a much lighter version of the rich, buttery and chocolatey original. I don’t mind the scent of the normal one, but this fragrance-free version seems a bit fresher and lighter.

Playboy Play It Rock Body Spray
Not a fan of the scent. I sprayed it on my hand to test it and then wished I hadn't.

Pure Therapy Intensive Moisture Repair Gel
Not sure how much use I’d get from this as it’s a treatment for those with very dry and flaky skin.

Puretopia Glowingly Smooth Body Polish

Softlips Vanilla SPF 20

Skinvitals Hydraflex Flex-Cloth Face Mask

Sukin Facial Moisturiser (125ml)
I have a 50ml bottle which was another freebie. Wish it had SPF because then I could use it as my daily moisturiser. Otherwise, I sometimes use this at night, but it’s not my preferred choice. I like the feeling of my skin drinking up moisture from my cream (especially in winter), but this is quite watery and light.

U Little Beauty Hand Cream

Vaseline Total Moisture Aloe Fresh SPF 15 Daily Light Lotion

Witch Blemish Stick
Same purpose as the OXY Emergency Zit Blitz Gel but in the form of a stick rather than a gel, and with witch hazel.

Yes To Cucumbers Soothing Hypoallergenic Facial Towelettes
I’ve heard good things about these towelettes and they’re also an Allure Best of Beauty 2011 Award winner, so I’m looking forward to trying them out.

One Infallible, One Not

A few things I bought on Sunday, determined to go out despite the dreary weather. I'm trying to be more selective about my beauty purchases because I already have too much. I'm determined not to purchase any more lipstick for a while (as much as Maybelline ColorSensational Fuchsia Fever and cheap, discounted Revlon Beyond Natural Protective Liptints were calling out to me), but I haven't been so stringent with my two other big weaknesses, eyeshadow and nail polish. I ended up taking home a new night cream, two eyeshadows and one complimentary eyeshadow brush. And two wool hats in forest green and chocolate from Dotti that were $7 each, even though I have enough hats to run a costume shop.

Target was having 50% off all Nivea products so I figured I might as well take advantage of such a large discount. The shelves were practically cleared by the time I got to them, but there were a few scattered items here and there, including a couple of remaining boxes of Nivea Visage Daily Essentials Rich Regenerating Night Cream. I've been alternating between Nivea Soft and Elizabeth Arden Perpetual Moisture 24 Cream for my face at night, and was looking for something more specifically labelled as a night cream. Though this is said to be for dry and sensitive skin, I found it odd it's scented with that familiar Nivea Creme fragrance. In fact, I'm not entirely sure it's all that different to Nivea Creme. It feels on the light side, yet it's also somewhat greasy (if that makes any sense). It does seem to get soaked up by the skin to leave it feeling softer and more moisturised. I'm not a big fan of the scent though, and I don't sense any particular difference between this "night cream" and the ordinary moisturisers I've been using.

Also at Target, there was 40% off L'Oréal, and I couldn't resist one of the new Color Infallible eyeshadows in Metallic Lilac (037) from the L'Or Electric Collection for Cannes Film Festival 2012. There were two other new shades available, Cosmic Black (which seemed too similar to Bronze Goddess, but with more gold glitter and less shimmery olive gold pigment) and Magnetic Coral (a really pretty orangey coral, but totally unwearable). I now have 6 of these Infallible eyeshadows, and I remain seriously impressed by just how intensely pigmented and shimmery they are. I just wish they were a little easier to manage, as I often find that brushes don't pick up pigment as well as fingers, and unscrewing the lid and removing the conserver just to get to the pigment can be quite fiddly. Metallic Lilac is a blueish, silvery grey with cool lilac tones. It's similar to Flashback Silver, which is lighter, more silver and less blue/purple. The eyeshadow came with a free flat eyeshadow brush that seems purpose-built for these little pots. I haven't tried it yet, but I have high hopes.

I also picked up this Revlon ColorStay Mineral Eyeshadow in Midnight Garnet (03) from Kmart for $6.05. I hate to say bad things about Revlon, as I have something of a love affair with their products usually, but I'm going to go on a little rant about this eyeshadow. This thing sucks. Sucks. It could be the worst eyeshadow I've come across. I had to literally scratch a chunk of the eyeshadow out just to swatch them on my hand. Even then, it was powdery and chalky, like I had put a bit of condensed flour on my hand and was desperately trying to rub some colour from it. I'm not sure what possessed me to buy it, because even if the pigmentation and texture were excellent, I already have countless similar shades. But I remember reading ages ago someone raving about the brown in this trio being particularly gorgeous, so I was hoping to be impressed. Maybe it's the mineral nature of these shadows, but they're very sheer and flat in dimension. The two lighter shades barely show up, and I even went to the effort of trying them wet, something that I almost never do with my eyeshadows. To top it off, the glue that seals the mound to the base has dried up, so it's completely loose in its mold. I could potentially make the dark brown work if I really tried or wanted to go for a barely-there look, but the colour itself is nothing extraordinary and I have plenty of superior eyeshadows that don't require as much effort. This one's going to be buried somewhere alongside all my other abandoned eyeshadows that I've bought and barely touched again.

Night and Day

If there's a single rule I adhere to when it comes to skin care, it's the importance of changing it up. No matter how effective a product is, I always find that it doesn't work as well if I use it nonstop for a few weeks. Once I switch to another product (often returning to ones I've neglected or put aside), my skin generally appreciates and responds positively to the shake up. I'm truly unfussy about the creams I put on my face and haven't really tried any higher end or specialised skin care brands. I just need SPF in my day cream and pretty much anything will do for my night cream (though bonus points if there's some hocus pocus marketing buzzwords in the ingredients so I can delude myself into thinking "science" is working its magic on my skin while I sleep). Here's a few products I've been rotating:

Day creams

Dove Energy Glow Brightening Moisturiser I bought this cheaply at Priceline when it was on sale. I'd been using and liking Dove's Energy Glow Night Cream, so I was hoping that I'd feel similarly about the day lotion. While the formula is quite similar, I don't tend to use this one in the mornings. Firstly, the artificially sweet scent is cloying and off-putting. There are shimmery particles in this which do give a brightening effect, but I'm not convinced that I want my moisturiser to be glittery. If there's one thing I do like, it's that there is a slight white cast to this lotion which effectively lightens the complexion.

Dove Essential Nutrients Day Cream The product I continue returning to, I've used this for years and gone through numerous jars. It's very moisturising in a way that can exacerbate oiliness of the T-zone, so I usually just use this on my cheeks. I appreciate the fact it has a light scent in contrast to Energy Glow. It also makes a great base for foundation because the moisturising properties of the cream eliminate any dry areas and really help to absorb the foundation into the skin and blend it smoothly.

Neutrogena Healthy Defence (Combination/Oily) This was a freebie with InStyle a couple of months ago which I thought was a good deal since the moisturiser retails for $17 and the magazine was about $8. Initially the main thing that attracted me to it was the high SPF. I'm used to relatively thick creams so I found the runny and thin consistency of this lotion a bit unusual. This isn't all that moisturising, but it is genuinely effective in terms of minimising oil production during the day. It's light and quickly absorbed without any greasiness. It forms a kind of slipperiness to the skin which helps foundation to absolutely glide on. I use this around my nose, chin and forehead, but Dove Essential Nutrients on my cheeks. Because I'm weird like that.

Night creams

Nivea Soft I've used this since I was a kid. The perfume is a little too strong and it's extremely greasy, but it's just easy. When I can't be bothered, I'll take a generous dollop of this onto my palm, rub my hands together, close my eyes and massage my whole face. Instant hydration, and then I get to sleep. At the end of 2010 while I was in Shanghai in the midst of a terribly dehydrating winter, Nivea Soft was nothing short of a lifesaver. I keep a small jar of this in my bag in case I notice my foundation has become a little cakey on parts of my face. A dab of this rubbed over the area removes any unsightly dry patches.

Dove Energy Glow Night Cream An old favourite and one I repurchased constantly, but I think it's been discontinued so I'm most likely down to my last jar. Somehow, the scent of the Energy Glow night cream isn't as overwhelmingly sweet as the day version. While the day lotion can get a little chalky and I really need to work it into the skin for it to be absorbed, the night cream is more moisturising and readily absorbed. It's still relatively light for a cream and non-greasy. I wish they still made this one.

Elizabeth Arden Perpetual Moisture 24 Cream Picked this up a while ago at Chemist Warehouse while it was on sale for $19.95 (RRP is $80 or something ridiculous). Considering it was only a few dollars more than the Dove and Nivea I normally use, I decided to give it a go. At first it seemed a lot like certain cheaper hydrating/cooling/cucumber/"aqua" type lotions I'd used in the past. But after using it for a few months, I find it really works in bringing dry skin back to life. This has been my go-to night cream of late, though it's not marketed as such. It's seriously hydrating but still light, non-greasy and quickly absorbed. You really only need a small amount for the whole face. I also like that it has a refreshing, green scent that isn't sickly sweet or overpowering.