Innisfree Bija Anti-trouble Skin with Torreya Seed Oil and Green Complex Review

WHAT IS IT: Innisfree Bija Anti-trouble Skin with Torreya Seed Oil and Green Complex

THE PRODUCT(S):

Innisfree Bija Anti-trouble Skin with Torreya Seed Oil and Green Complex: Natural originated salicylic acid, natural originated alcohol presents you with a clear complexion as it exfoliates dead skin cells that cause skin trouble and removes impurities left inside pores. A toner made from natural Jeju torreya for treating blemished skin! The outstanding healing effects of the torreya seed oil help troubled skin. Contains natural salicylic acid for exfoliation and blemish care. The naturally fermented alcohol soothes skin. 100% Natural essential oil: The scent of pine, juniper berries, and the forest comforts your mind and body.

Despite the bottle looking all blue on the outside, this toner is actually a clear liquid instead of the blue we expect it to be.

VERDICT: Scent-wise, there's a strong scent of alcohol with a hint of herbal tonic in it although the herbal tonic scent is more towards lemon grass scent. For those of us who are sensitive to the scent of alcohol or whose skin is sensitive and allergic to alcohol, this product might actually do more harm than good. Although funnily enough, part of the product describes this product having the scent of pine, Juniper berries and woods and most reviews for this product I have come across have a varying difference when it comes to the scent. And at the same time, it's a toner made from natural Jeju torreya, which means it should smell more like torreya instead. But personally, I don't find the scent too "dramatic" in terms of the difference in scent.

Upon using this toner, it gives a refreshing and clean feel to my skin after using it. And to be honest, a toner is essentially a liquid that delivers beneficial ingredients directly onto the skin after cleansing. And depending on the formulation of the toner, it can also "close" or minimize pores and smooth the texture of the skin, ready for the application of moisturizer and/or makeup. Although toners containing alcohol can be somewhat controversial towards certain toner users as alcohol can be drying. But at the same time, the drying part can actually clear the skin of any excess sebum on the spot to ensure sebum doesn't mess with the moisturizer that follows soon after.

For me, this toner helps to control oil and sebum on my skin without making my skin feel too dry after using and luckily for me, the toner doesn't irritate my skin too much especially when pimples are present. And upon using, I can feel and see my skin brighten up a little although I doubt it helps in the whitening department though. I mean, I haven't heard of any toner that whitens complexion. Complexion whitening tend to be products in the serum or moisturizer range, as far as I am aware. And personally on my skin, it actually feels a tad hydrating instead of the usual dryness I encountered when using other brand toners.

Sometimes, when my skin feels too oily and shine-reflective, I just use this to clear off the excess sebum on my skin. But I don't recommend continuously using the toner throughout the entire day repeatedly just for the sake of getting sebum off your face though. I tend to use it only when my face and skin actually feels "heavy" from the serum and I want a quick refresh on my face to feel better. It does help dry out the whiteheads, on a side note. As I've noticed less whiteheads showing up on my skin after using this product for the past 1.5 years.

PRODUCT RATING: ✓✓✓

WHAT I THINK: Although this toner contains alcohol, I personally find that it doesn't over-dry my skin at all. In fact, my whiteheads are noticeably lesser after using this toner. It hydrates and also reduces the amount of sebum on my skin as my skin condition is of the combination type. Whitening wise, I don't really see much difference but it actually brightens up my skin a little after using.

WHERE TO REDEEM SAMPLE: You can pop by any Innisfree outlet and enquire for sample sachets to bring home and try it out before committing to this product on a permanent basis. Or alternatively, there should be opened sample bottles in their outlets. But I still recommend asking for sample sachets that you can bring home and try instead.

Why not like my Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/PuNiaosProductReviews to be informed of latest samples I found, which is duly updated? Also includes updates to health, beauty & lifestyle tips regularly. It will definitely save you the trouble of having to hunt them down :)

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Six Amazing Beauty Hacks

It is with no surprise that beauty has now fast grown into a multi-billion-dollar industry over the past few decades. And as most us women know, the multitude range of hair products, various skin potions, and wonderful cosmetics available at any drugstore or mall is just enormous to count with just a calculator. In this infographic below, the kind folks at Ogle School reveal 6 amazing beauty hacks that you can instantly and easily raid your pantry and kitchen right about now and get gorgeous instantly.

Courtesy of: Infographic Journal

I don't know about you all, but out of the 6 featured in the infographic I posted above, I am currently following all of them except for the Vaseline one. How about you all pretties?

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The Face Shop: Herb Day 365 Cleansing Foam Peach Review

WHAT IS IT: The Face Shop: Herb Day 365 Cleansing Foam Peach

THE PRODUCT(S):

The Face Shop: Herb Day 365 Cleansing Foam Peach: A natural hydrating facial foam wash-Formulated with peach extract & nine kinds of herb extracts-Penetrates deep into pores to remove impurities & buildup that can cause clogged pores & blackheads. Provides moisture & nutrition to skin-Leaves skin soft clear elastic & youthful looking. Perfect for all skin types. To use, simply apply a moderate amount & massage onto wet face. Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water & follow with daily day or night skincare regimens.

Personally, I like the fact that most Korean beauty products almost always comes with a foil seal. In the event I only start using this after buying, for example 3 months ago, the foil seal ensures the product doesn't get contaminated in any way. Useful and helpful for folks like me who likes to sniff existing on-hand beauty products every now and then.

As you can see here, the cleansing foam itself comes in a light pink pearlescent color that shimmers a little here and a little there when you tilt your hand left and right. That shimmery feeling~

It suds up rather decently and have this wonderful peach scent that isn't too heavy. In fact, it's actually light and mild only before you apply it to your face/skin to use.

VERDICT: Let's start with the scent of this product in slightly more detail. The Face Shop actually has 6 more scents/flavors to this range, but I think Peach is probably more of a better choice in terms of scent. I can't remember what the other range smells like, they were't that bad to be honest. But Peach just smells gentler and warmer, if you get what I meant here. The scent is really light and mild, instead of overpowering, to quote for example, Tea Tree which distinctively has this menthol-minty scent to it, making it obvious what exact scent or product it is. The scent slowly dissipates upon contact with the skin, without lingering on obsessively.

Anyway, I was browsing around The Face Shop at Bukit Panjang Plaza, wandered into The Face Shop roughly 2-3 weeks after it opened solely for the main purpose of being able to shop or browse in peace without pesky humans gushing over everything and ending up not buying anything. (They take up a lot of standing space by just standing at the same spot going "Ooh!" and "Aah!") Anyway, the sales staff who attended to me was patient in hearing me describe my skin woes and problems and lament on not knowing what products to correctly use for cleansing my skin. I think most sales staff probably will cut you off right after the very first sentence you said to them and immediately start recommending. Or maybe I just luck out and encountered a patient sales staff or probably because I said the next sentence fast enough so she can't "cut" in, I'm not sure though ^^

I was in the market for at least 2 different types of cleanser, 1 for day and 1 for night usage. I wanted a cleanser in the daytime when my skin is a little more prone to showing bedsheet marks after getting out of bed, while at the same time being gentle without making my skin feels overly cleansed which some cleansing products always managed to do. I like that this cleanser cleanses my face well without making my skin feels taut and dry after using. And it also leaves my skin feeling soft and the best part? When I do have pimples, it doesn't irritate the pimple as it is a really soft cleanser. It's just a matter of not using too much force when cleansing your face.

To be honest, this is one of those few and rare cleanser products that I've been continuously using for the past year without changing it. But be warned, no copious amount of "foam" nor "foaming" was noticed when using this. It actually feels and behaves more like a cream cleanser instead of a foam cleanser, it just lathers up nicely only. And the "herb" part in the product's name hints at the 9 different herbs it contains:

• Marronnier - Tightens pores
• Soapwort - Cleansing
• Lady's Mantle - Anti-aging and astringent
• Sage - Anti-aging and helps clarify skin
• Rooibos - Antioxidants
• Camomile - Reduces redness
• Borage - Moisturizing
• Centaurea Cyanus - Astringent and antioxidant

Sure, this product isn't exactly a heavy-duty cleanser like those that comes with micro-beads for exfoliation. But as my skin is liable to angsty moments with pimples like a teenager denied fast food and junk food, I personally like that my skin feels so clean and fresh, and SOFT LIKE A BABY'S without the usual tightness, dryness and tautness I mostly get with other facial cleansers. I also noticed that because it is a soft and gentle cleanser, if you do take the time to slowly and gently massage into your skin, it still gives that clean, fresh and gentle feeling to your skin. Unlike other brand's facial cleansers that seems to work against what it promises if you attempt to massage and cleanse your skin slightly longer. Maybe it's just me who appreciates facial cleansing and shower times, but I do assure you, it is what I described above.

PRODUCT RATING: ✓✓✓

WHAT I THINK: Gentles on your skin even when pimples are present, cleanses quite well and leaves your skin feeling soft, cleansed and clean. And sometimes I wear light makeup, I find that this product is able to cleanse off the light makeup I have on my skin and once again, no tightness, no tautness nor drying sensation observed on my skin after cleansing. Still that clean, gentle and soft feeling.

WHERE TO REDEEM SAMPLE: No sample for redemption. Not that I've encountered any samples for the other scents in the range I didn't buy. But I believe you are able to give this product a try right at their retail outlet, just ask if you can. And also, each scent/flavor is meant for different skin problems, but most of them are suitable for oily to combination skin.

Why not like my Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/PuNiaosProductReviews to be informed of latest samples I found, which is duly updated? Also includes updates to health, beauty & lifestyle tips regularly. It will definitely save you the trouble of having to hunt them down :)

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Product Reviews versus Sponsored Reviews

Honestly, I really wanted to put up a product review today. But in light of this peculiar comment I received during my past year hiatus, not once, not twice, but 3 times about a Sponsored Review post (Peripera Peri's Lip Tint Crayon in No.1 Fruit Pink [Sponsored] Review]) I had done in February 2014. And considering the fact that her comment showed up last year in 2015, set my mind into working and thinking. Thankfully, not the unthinkable but more of the unfathamoble. And I believe every and any blogger who has a blog and have at least 1 or many sponsored reviews should write about and place it somewhere on their blog as a permanent link to deter such weird commentators from asking even weirder questions. But just a quick update before I proceed: I deleted all 3 of her comments so I definitely have nothing to show to back up this post, but as this is the first time I received such a ridiculous comment, I am bound-by-beauty-blogger duty to actually talk, discuss and share about it, in the event this girl (or a boy in disguise?) decided to comment once more.

~Image Source: iHomeschool Network~

I logged into my Blogger account on the 7th April this year sometime just after 12 noon, intending to focus on the topic about Singapore bloggers receiving letters from IRAS, "requesting" (request sounds better than demand lol) to pay taxes for doing sponsored reviews on their blogs and the big hoo-ha brewing around this topic. And I noticed I had 4 comments, in which 3 of them were all from the same person commenting on that one single post. A closer and detailed look at her comment just sort of had me bursting out in laughter for a good 5 minutes and wondering, "Did this person just returned from another planet to Singapore last year?"

In her comment which I had since deleted on the 7th April, she sort of "demanded" to see a proof of receipt to prove the sole fact that I "bought" the Peripera Peri's Lip Tint Crayon in No.1 Fruit Pink from Tampines to review. All sorts of things went through my mind all at once, ranging from:

• Doesn't she realized it's a "Sponsored Review"?
• Does she even know what the phrase "Sponsored Review" mean?
• Is she even legally an earthian to ask such a weird question?
• What the heck receipt she is talking about?

~Image Source: Shutterstock~

By now, most of you my dear readers and fans are probably thinking the same thing as I am thinking? Seriously? Is she for real?

I mean, it isn't that hard to try and Google for the differences between Sponsored Reviews and Non-Sponsored Reviews or a.k.a Product Reviews. Really, it isn't that hard? Uncle Google is just a URL link away on your desktop. And the answer is just a sentence away as well, it's not that hard, isn't it? And before I go on even longer than I need to, here's a short introduction on the differences between a Sponsored Reviews and Non-Sponsored Reviews or a.k.a Product Reviews.

What is a Sponsored Review

A Sponsored Review or a Paid Post is when you write a blog post and you get remuneration for it, in other words, you are paid for writing something and the rewards is either money or the product itself. Or more specifically, a Sponsored Review is when a company send you a product for you to try, test, review and then write about it on your blog, thereby generating buzz, activity, interest, pageviews and whatnots to both your blog and that company's blog. While a Paid Post is when either the company contact/request you to write a certain topic or you reach out to the company to request for an opportunity to write about something that company endorses and at the end get paid a small (or big) amount of money depending on how popular or unpopular your blog is.

What happens in a Sponsored Review is that, the company decides your blog is a good fit for their company's product that they are intending to launch and hence you (and probably a few more other bloggers) are mailed their soon-to-be-launched product to test it out, try it out and then write about that product on your blog. Pro? You get to keep the product after testing, trying and reviewing it, hence the "Sponsored" in Sponsored Review. You don't need to return it back. Besides, who wants a lipstick back after you have used it for a week at most? The only thing companies can do with the used product is mostly disposed of, due to hygienic reasons or in the rare case, get sent to a retail outlet as a sample piece for interested shoppers and browsers to swatch on the back of their hands. But I personally stick to "disposing of", because Ewww!.. Do you want to use a lipstick that I have used for almost a full entire week already? Nope? Neither would I..

And in the course of writing a Sponsored Review, bloggers are not necessary needed to list out the various shades of that particular product that they are reviewing, only the actual product that they were sent for reviewing. For example, to reference the (Peripera Peri's Lip Tint Crayon in No.1 Fruit Pink [Sponsored] Review]) post. This lip tint crayon comes in shades of 3 only, namely:

• No. 1 Fruity Pink
• No. 2 Fruit Orange
• No. 3 Fruity Mint

As personally, I have really dry cracked lips that bleeds on sight when lip crayons, lip tints, lip sticks are involved, applying one means a rather arduous process of applying and re-applying moisturizing lip balm on my lips continuously within a span of 30 minutes until my lips feels and looks sufficiently hydrated before I can proceed to apply whatever lip product I need to, have to or want to. Therefore, it's impossible for me to request more colors (or flavors) or even remotely buy the "missing" other 2 shades for the sake of being able to review all 3 products in the same range, but under different color shades. However, if a blogger loves the product upon trying the sponsored product and wants to give some love and shout-out to the company for giving them the chance and opportunity to review their products. Moi? I'm just thankful and honored that Lifestyle Post - Brand Advocates Network gave me and my humble blog the chance to write a sponsored review for them and I still cannot thank them enough, even now.

Cons? Despite being given a sponsored product to review, try, test and blog about, bloggers on their side have to introduce the product as best as they can with their own personal viewpoint on it. And at the same time, inform their readers where they can purchase or swatch the products if they are interested in it despite probably never going to the locations stated where said product can be purchased. No where in my Sponsored Review did I anyway state that the sponsored product itself was purchased or gotten from the purchase locations listed at the bottom of the post. And because it is a Sponsored Review, bloggers who are selected to try, test and review about it need not have to pay a single cent as the company itself mailed out the product to the respective bloggers for reviewing. Hence, the "Sponsored" in Sponsored Review, get it?

In accordance with FTC regulations you should always mention that it’s a sponsored blog post, usually at the end of the post with a byline such as:

“This blog post is sponsored by (Name Brand Here).”

Even if you are not legally bound to disclose that you’ve been paid to publish a post, you should. Trust and authenticity are important and your readers will soon become disillusioned and jaded if you mislead them, whether intentionally or accidentally.

What is a Paid Post

As the heading above states, a paid post is when you are being paid a measely few cents to a measely few dollars (I'm talking about less than USD2.00 here, mind you!) to even worse, *gasp!* a few measely points for writing a blog post on a topic they want you to write about. The thing with Paid Post is that, beggars can't be choosers when so many millions and billions of bloggers want a share of that Paid Post pie that companies dangled in front of them. They're paying only a few cents and that's the only Paid Post assignment you can get from them, nothing more and nothing less. You of course grab that chance or opportunity, and as the saying goes, little goes a long way. In fact, way too long to get the big dollars. That's why I prefer Sponsored Reviews to Paid Post, as I get to choose the products I want to test, try and review instead of having to write about something I probably have no interest or no clue in. And take my word for it, don't ever do Paid Post blogging unless you have too much time to spare when you could have used that same amount of time to write up quality content that you are more adept and comfortable with.

Now, if a company approaches you to do a write-up promising monetary gains, that's a whole different story altogether. As depending on your blog stats and such, you can easily negotiate say, USD5.00 or SGD10.00 (if you are trying to be a humble Singaporean blogger) for a blog post consisting of a fixed amount of words-per-count. If you are a famous blogger, walala~, you can easily ask for up to a few hundred dollars to blog whatever the company wants you to blog. But if your blog is in the vicinity of virtual unknown entity, just be glad that you are able to get at least bwtween SGD5.00 to SGD30.00 at most. We all want to be as big as XX or BQQ, don't we all? Sigh...

To sum it up, if you're a nobody blogger, you're just risking the chance of underselling yourself and your blog because companies can and will do that. I've learned the hard way from my main blog before and it was years before I even managed to reach a miserable USD20.00 in my PayPal account (-_-)"

In accordance with FTC regulations you should always mention that it’s a sponsored blog post, usually at the end of the post with a byline such as:

“This blog post is sponsored by (Name Brand Here).”

Even if you are not legally bound to disclose that you’ve been paid to publish a post, you should. Trust and authenticity are important and your readers will soon become disillusioned and jaded if you mislead them, whether intentionally or accidentally.

What is a Product Review

As stated on the World Wide Web, a Product Review in electronic commerce terms meant that product reviews are used on shopping sites to give customers an opportunity to rate and comment on products they have purchased, right on the product page. Other consumers can read these when making a purchase decision.

Kindly allow me to break it down further for you, if you're a little unsure or a first-time blogger to the world of blogging.

Say, Riih randomly went window-shopping and jalan-jalan into Sephora because she was feeling bored and wanted to look-see around at some girly stuffs to feel upbeat and energetic once again. Window-shopping turned into a actual shopping-for-something mood, and Riih decided that she wants to buy a Bliss Fabulips Foaming Lip Cleanser because she is tired of wiping lipstick off her lips and causing her lips to bleed and crack and dry up. After buying and using the product, Riih realized "Omigosh!! This product is sho aweshome!!!!" and therefore decided to write about this wonderful product on her own blog or website, sharing a good find with her readers and fans.

The above scenario is what dictates a Product Review. I buy something with my own money, liked and loved the product so much that I want to talk about it and share my buy(s) with people I care about, in this case, my readers and fans. As the product is not sponsored by Sephora nor Blissful, but bought with my own money, therefore, it is just simply as it is called, a Product Review. Along the way, I will include (necessarily) where I bought the item and (not necessarily maybe a receipt to prove that I didn't borrow it from a friend or acquaintance just for the sake of reviewing. Besides, if anyone is reading that post happened to be in JEM Sephora, they can simply pop inside and see for themselves whether the product is there or not, another way to "prove" I didn't lie about purchasing or not purchasing it.

And lastly, before I sign off this post, I would also like to clarify something else as well.

The Peripera New Peri's Tint Water No. 1 Cherry Juice (left, small bottle) and Peripera New Peri's Tint Marker No. 3 Pink Stain (right, marker-looking) was bought with my own money around a week AFTER I reviewed the Peripera Peri's Lip Tint Crayon in No.1 Fruit Pink product and paid with a credit card, I don't keep receipts because I throw them away but I still remember which credit card I used to pay for these 2 above-mentioned items at Takashimaya Watsons.

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Samples Received & Redeemed: January - March 2016

Before I started this off, a little bit more information on this long-awaited post. The reason why it's dated January to March 2016 is because towards the start of this year, I know I need to put up this post. But at the same time, I am still a little unsure how soon I will start blogging back on this space, although hopefully, I don't wish to take too long either. It's also partly because, as I have already mentioned in at least a post back that sample redemption seemed to have taken a back burner sometime from when I went on a un-announced hiatus and I was rather confident the samples I can get my hands on for the first 3 months of 2016 is going to be little by comparison to the samples I first got my hands on when I first started blogging here.

And because the samples I can get my hands on for the start of 2016 is rather little, chances are that, I will and definitely forgot exactly when I got them, so simply put, I'm just going to label this post as samples collected from January to March 2016 instead of the usual monthly. But rest assured that next month onwards, I will get it back to a monthly sample acquired post or as we all know it, the monthly sample ritual. And before I start, I would also like to clarify that most sampling activity featured for the samples in this post will most probably be over. But honestly, less talk from me and onwards to the sample which everyone is long waiting for~

Kustie Lavender Shower & Bath Gel @ 100ml

I first saw this in it's full retail size glory in Watsons last year, but then, I didn't wanted a big bottle of shower gel back then as I've never tried this before, especially shower gel that claims to have flower petals in it. So, I sort of bypass this. But a year later, Watsons came up with a travel-size version of this and I instantly grab a small bottle of the Lavender one without any hesitation. Lavender has the benefit of treating insomnia, nervous stomach, and anxiety. And at the same time, Lavender can be used as a treatment for flatulence, colic, and depressive headaches, and many modern herbal practitioners use the herb to treat migraines in menopause.

The most important part of Lavender? It has a long history of use in natural remedies and as a natural scent and perfume. It’s calming scent makes it soothing to the respiratory system and it is often suggested to be diffused to calm coughs and colds. Many massage and beauty products use lavender for its scent and its supposed ability to promote relaxation and stress relief, though this has not been well studied. In alternative medicine, use of lavender essential oil or lavender salves is sometimes recommended for muscle pain or aches or to promote restful sleep. (As quoted from Wellness Mama)

Besides, how many shower gels have boasted of real hand-picked flower petals? Not much from my personal encounters and experiences, so it's like a small travel-size luxurious treat I can have without burning a hole in my pocket. Not that Watsons stock up much expensive products in the first place :D

WHERE TO REDEEM SAMPLE: No sample for redemption. However, small travel-size versions of shower gels tend to get snapped out rather quick at Watsons (at least the one at my heighborhood), so good luck if you intend to find the same exact travel-size version. But hey, the actual retail size version isn't really expensive too, might as well get the big one and treat yourself lavishly to the wonderful scent of Lavender and flower petals.

Kleenex Moist Toilet Tissue @ 8 sheets in a pack

Kleenex Moist Toilet Tissue - Contents of Sample Pack

When I first saw this commercial online (I haven't watched television in like, 4 years+. So, I cannot confirmed nor give a date on when it should have appeared on the television), I was a little mystified in all senses. I mean, I understand the part where after the shampoo session, none of the shampoo were washed off. It's more like, how does a human's head get compared to a human's butt all in one context is the entirety that baffles me. In my humble opinion, they should use a scene from a baby's diaper changing session to better reference this new product.

The real actual method to promote this product is to have a baby diaper changing scene where after wiping a baby's bottom with toilet paper, the second final step is to use this moist toilet tissue to ensure the baby's bottom is thoroughly wiped clean as the human eye is prone to over-looking parts of a baby's poo poo. It's just typical human nature to over-look this part. Then, the final step to dust a layer of baby powder on said baby's bottom to ensure dryness until the next poop session progresses. This, I would have understand at the first video outlook that it is a product made for human butts.

To be honest, from when I first saw the video until I received the sample version of this product and opened it up to take a peek at the usage instructions, I was still very convinced it's a lie that it's for human butts. I kept thinking its actually for when you decided to wash your hair with shampoo, but got tired and lazy from washing off the shampoo and hence, decided it's a good idea to wipe off the shampoo with this product. Sorry Kleenex, you did the commercial wrong. Or rather, Kleenex, please fire the person who came up with the commercial as that person doesn't understand your products in the first place T_T

WHERE TO REDEEM SAMPLE: Sampling activity is over. However, take note this is a product meant for human butts instead of human heads when purchasing the retail version.

Summer' Eve sample product kit

1. Summer's Eve Feminine Wash for Normal Skin @ 5ml
2. Summer's Eve Feminine Cleansing Wipes for Normal Skin @ 1 Wipe

Sometimes, I think Summer's Eve is a much more better cleansing wipe product for our female bits then other brands, cos Singapore is "Summer" all year round and the "Summer" in "Summer' Eve" really reflects that well. Plus, it's mostly "summer" in our female bits most of the time too, not that I want to emphasis this part -_-

WHERE TO REDEEM SAMPLE: Sampling activity is over.

Moist, Diane featuring Hebe as it's Spokesperson. I like that Moist, Diane products looks so luxurious but yet affordable at the same time.

Moist, Diane Shiny Shampoo Extra Shine @ 10ml
Moist, Diane Shiny Hair Mask Extra Shine @ 10g

The first time I saw Moist, Diane was inside Tokyu Hands, it was a off-day from my ex-job and I had also received my bonus. So I was thinking of splurging myself a litle on Japanese products to feel pampered like a princess although I ended up only buying a cute-looking makeup remover and pore peeling pack. Too much "feast" for my eyes and senses, literally as the "princess" in me wants everything there while at the same time, I don't want everything there as not every product is suitable for me to use LOL

Anyways, I would gladly purchase the Conditioner and Hair Mask instead as my hair and scalp has gradually gotten used to another hair care brand and I really don't want to mess it up by using another brand new product until my hair and scalp condition has settled down.

WHERE TO REDEEM SAMPLE: Sampling activity is over.

John Frieda Full Repair Strengthen + Restore Shampoo @ 50ml
John Frieda Full Repair Strengthen + Restore Conditioner @ 50ml

John Frieda was originally conceived by John Frieda a.k.a Alan Howard Frieda, a British celebrity hairstylist and founder of hair salon and hair product businesses. The hair product business was acquired in 2002 by Kao Corporation, Japan. So essentially, the pro-Japanese wave personality in me is ecstatic that Japan has another product. despite not originally conceived by them, but yet has another award-winning product up their sleeves. Take that, Korea! But on a serious note, this product does sounds like it has a really long history with hair and has also established itself with fashion magazine cover shoots, judging by the glamorous Caucasian model photos I see on their FB page.

WHERE TO REDEEM SAMPLE: Sampling activity is over.

Que Origin samples I received.

Que Origin Lavender Shower Bath @ 10g
Que Origin Lemongrass Shower Bath @ 10g

I first got to know about Que Origin via FB, subsequently joined one of it's contests and promptly forgot all about it. Until just a few months back while browsing around and saw that one of my favorite beauty blogger (her link is listed in my "BLOGS I ♥") had this post on Que Origin. And being Singapore, contests kinda gets known by us simply because we love to share the news of new sampling activity and contests. And when I checked my email, I realized that I was really a few hours away from redeeming my so-called complimentary Que Origins shower bath sets.

All went well at the check-out page, until I realized that although the website and email received claimed that it is "free", I still have to pay for shipping costs. Now that my friends, is not free no matter how you look at it. If you say it is free, it means free shipping as well. If I have to pay for shipping, then it's not entirely free, isn't it? And besides, they held the contest and picked only that many winners, not the entire country. Hence, I am really sure that it wouldn't kill them to do a little good by forgoing the shipping charges for the folks who supposedly "won" in their contest.

Needless to say, I simply forgot about getting the so-called free complimentary shower bath gels when I still have to "pay" for something. In return, they ended up sending another email urging for my mailing address so they can send me the sachet samples instead, which conveniently comes free without any shipping. In other words, they are sort of "cheating" with the tagline "free" when it isn't :(

WHERE TO REDEEM SAMPLE: Sampling activity is over.

Nivea sample, which I belived I have redeemed from The Sampling Store

>br> Nivea In-Shower Skin Conditioner Whitening x 2 sachets @ 10ml each

Honestly, I really hate and detest the current The Sampling Store sample redemption procedure. I don't even know if there's any more free samples left to redeemed. The old platform was easier and relatively simply to look at and understand. The current platform is more like a "Request" and/or "Redeem" button that you click on that doesn't let you know if there's still samples remaining or exactly how many samples remain. It's like, for all I know, there's only that final sample left and subsequently, I didn't know there are at least X amount of people logged in at the same time as me and all of us clicked that horrid button at the same time. How ah?

And besides, the not-so-clear "Fully Redeemed" button at the top left of the image is so easily over-looked that it may take a few pages until the person trying to redeem the sample finally sees it and realized "Wow! Waste of my time requesting so many things only to realize there's nothing left because it's fully redeemed"..

WHERE TO REDEEM SAMPLE: I believed it's also fully redeemed since they had so many fully redeemed samples. They should at least remove images for samples fully redeemed to save us the grief from thinking there's something left only to find out nothing is left. Or at the very least, slap the "Fully Redeemed" image right across the product itself, which will make seeing it even clearer.

I got to know about this sampling activity on Facebook.

Physiogel Hypoallergenic Calming Relief Gentle Cream Cleanser @ 10ml
Physiogel Hypoallergenic Calming Relief Face Cream @ 5ml

Pamphlet detailing various Physiogel products in it's range and a Contest sticker thingy

Luckily, my skin doesn't get red most of the time. But when pimples are about to show up, the red spots are the tell-tale sign, so let's hope it works for me before the pimples decides to make a special appearance.

WHERE TO REDEEM SAMPLE: Go over to https://freeinmyskin.com/sg/sample.aspx and fill in the form. Wait for sample to show up in your mailbox. As the page is still working at the time of this post's release, I think the sampling activity is still on-going for now.

Why not like my Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/PuNiaosProductReviews to be informed of latest samples I found, which is duly updated? Also includes updates to health, beauty & lifestyle tips regularly. It will definitely save you the trouble of having to hunt them down :)

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Singapore Bloggers to Pay Tax to IRAS?

~Image Source: FetchScape~

In a weird way, I am glad my work was so demanding to the point that I was too tired and exhausted to blog here for the past year or so. As most of us by now would have known, especially those of you who blog whether on a regular or irregular basis that IRAS has sent out letters to some big name bloggers in Singapore asking them to pay taxes for writing sponsored blog posts. And as some bloggers pointed out in our local newspaper report, the reason why bloggers take on sponsored reviews/products is solely for the main reason of creating content.

To phrase it in another way, if you were to see me posting only and only samples on this blog, would you lose interest in what I write? Probably. Because anyone else can do the same. But if I were to include sponsored posts on products given to me on a complimentary basis, there's something new I bring to my blog, other than blogging solely on samples only. And to tell the truth, I personally feel that sample redemptions seemed to have slowed down quite a margin ever since I went on a year plus hiatus. When I first started out on this blog, there were samples left, right, front and back, no matter which part of the Internet I go to. But now, it seems that online FB contests are the rage to me.

Worst type of online FB contest are those that ask for votes, as it's easy for the same group of people to cheat repeatedly before the rest of us honest contest junkies found out that they are cheating the system. And that isn't the so-called "worse-case scenario". Upon being caught and reported, these cheaters would blatantly look for means and ways to turn the tables back on you who dared to report their cheating ways, instead of repenting and playing fair. But enough of this old issue, as I'm rather way past these type of contests. I'd prefer the type of contests where winners are picked by the group of people who hold these contests, so that players who play fair know that cheating is not allowed in any way. Not that there is a way to cheat, as long as it doesn't involve "votes".

Back to the issue of paying tax for writing sponsored products.

This letter could very well come our way too in the near future, especially my way too, if we were to indulge in sponsored products blogging. I still think I could be a niche in this world of beauty products blogging, as my primary source of materials actually comes from samples most of the time. From now on, I guess I should probably include products that I bought on my own, as I've usually done since the start of this blog. Or in other words, I've successfully averted receiving a IRAS letter, no doubt thanks to my old job which I have quit a few months back. Just on the path of finding a part-time job instead, which is nearer to my home would meant more time being able to spend on this blog and with my loyal fans who haven't yet ditched me while I was busy trying to "heal" myself by resting more.

In future, I would still be blogging via using samples but also on products I've bought myself. no doubt. But another way to combat not having receipts of any kind for sponsored product blogging would be to have a list of what sponsored product(s) one has written before. I have this inkling something like this might happened, hence the Sponsored link above where I can keep track of what sponsored products I have reviewed previously. This isn't really a foolproof idea, no matter how you look at it, as a sponsored product doesn't come with a receipt in the first place. Whoever has heard of a sponsored product that comes with one anyway, not that I personally have heard of ever since I started blogging on my "still-on-hiatus" main blog since early April 2007 :o

But to have a page where you list your various and all sponsored products sent to you for blogging makes it easier to keep track of things. The heck! I even tag product name of the product I am blogging about as a label for easy searching and referencing, although the down point to this method is that your labels just keep getting bigger and bigger over time as you keep on blogging more and more LOL

This issue can be a boon or a bane to some of us, if you look at it from another viewpoint. Those of us bloggers who only seemed to get that few sponsored products for blogging once in a while would probably rejoice, as this means those lucky enough to keep bagging sponsored product reviewing has to *ahem* "pay" their dues as they seemed so lucky. But at the same time, those who are lucky enough to get sponsored products for reviewing could probably use the IRAS letter as a bragging rights in another way, to maybe gain more publicity for their blogs, which in turn meant more ad revenue for their pockets though. (Admit it, most of us probably flock to these big-name bloggers blog's just to see what they say about getting that dreaded IRAS letter.)

I'm kinda stuck in between these 2 viewpoints I have thought up as personally, I'm glad I am not too popular to be blogging free beauty stuffs on a really regular basis, while part of me still want my blog to be famous, but in a good way because I know I can bring quality writing to the sponsored product I am tasked with testing, reviewing and writing. Ah~ the woes of a beauty product blogger who cannot decide whether she wants her blog to be well-know or not @_@

To sum this issue up, I personally think it is unfair to ask bloggers to pay taxes just for reviewing sponsored products. Because the bottom line is, everyone wants to be the lucky one to get their hands on a new product and share their viewpoints on the pros and cons of it. Hence it's called "Sponsored Review" for a good reason, as the product is sent free only to a selected few bloggers. And also for companies who held these sponsored products reviewing projects only want the sole purpose to drum up good reviews and good hype for a soon-to-be launched product that will be released in Singapore, and hopefully stay as a much needed commodity for a long-term basis. No companies would want to do this sponsored review projects if the product itself isn't going to be a permanent fixture in the Singapore market.

And to the Singapore government, please lah! This is actually a way to boost the economy also. See? Companies wants to launch new products in Singapore, but need a group of people to review, try and write about their experiences in using it. Normal people who just don't blog, but take pleasure in reading comments on whether this new product will work for them or not. Normal people and people who have tested the sponsored products wants to buy said products, means Singapore is earning from that imported product somehow. It's actually a 2 way win-win situation no matter how you look at it. Just scrap that IRAS letter to bloggers who bothered to review and write sponsored products, not penalised them for it :(

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Semi-Hiatus until the end of 2015.

As most of my readers are aware, I've not been updating this blog for the past few months. Was kinda brainstorming here and there a little until my job dropped a bombshell, from a 6-day work week, 8 hours daily to a 5-day work week, 10 to 12 hours long on some days. One thing led to another and I just conveniently forgot quite a lot of things, especially this blog. It's tiring, and I feel like a zombie almost on a daily basis and it would be most rude and insulting to post up new blog posts with a half-assed feeling. It's even worse when the post itself lacks a lively "voice" telling you the wonders and joys of a product and/or sample that went through trial-and-test before it gets unveiled.

It didn't help that I fell sick too often and most days, I'm just too tired after work to actually have the time to sit down and prepare a blog post. (Yes, I write my blog post on the spot. Not pre-write days in advance and schedule them to go live on different dates and times. Although I am looking at this option as a possibility for next years new posts in the event my job schedule is way too overboard to even consider humane) Off-days and Rest-days are even more precious now as it means I get to sleep in a little longer instead of worrying that I cannot wake up early or on-time. It's frustrating when your boss thinks "Oh~ You all get 2 off days now instead of the previous 1-off-day-a-week". It gets even worse when the people who planned job schedules, where instead of just planning for a daily 10-hour work shift where it is less tiring, decides to give you a 8-hour shift, immediately followed by at least one or two 12-hour shifts. It's as if people are planning work shifts for droids and robots, instead of humans.. If you all get and understand my drift -.-"

Meanwhile, I'll continue my semi-hiatus on this blog until the end of this year to adjust to a newly retarded phase of work and hopefully by the start of 2016, I'll settled a little more comfortably in my new work shift hours and be able to churn up almost daily blog posts once more :)

Meanwhile, stay happy, energetic and postive and see you all in 2016 :D

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Monthly Topic #33: The Parent Trap

Living with your parents is tough when you're 25 and still being treated like a child.

~Image Source: Kezia Noble~

It's 11am, Sunday morning. Bang... bang... bang... goes my door, followed by the piercing pitch of my mother's voice yelling "Wake up! Come on, wake up! Look at the time!" How many times have I been startled from slumber in that manner after a late night out? How many times have mother and daughter descended into the same old Sunday morning wrangles? To be honest, I've lost count. I'm already 25, single and earning my keep as an account co-ordinator with an advertising agency. But finding my own place is still a pipe-dream, as I struggle rather miserably with my personal finances. I know there's that old saying "beggars can't be choosers", but beggars have a right to privacy and are allowed certain liberties at home aren't they? I keep trying to impress the fact on my parents, but they just don't seem to listen.

Take my mother, for instance. She still hasn't recognized that I am no longer 12 years old. I'm guessing she finds it hard to let go. I could never broach the subject of moving out, having my own space or even making my own decisions. The very suggestion of me leaving home would be absolute sacrilege to her. To impose such a though would have catastrophic consequences. God forbid such unpleasantries, I want none of that. So I hold my tongue and grumble to friends instead. And then there are my father's etched-in-stone house rules:

» No boys allowed home (which has caused many nerve-wrecking episodes when I've to attempt to sneak boyfriends out in broad daylight).

» No friends allowed in the family home without prior permissions.

» Home by 7:30pm for dinner every night.

» No smoking or drinking in the house.

» No vacation plans to be made without consulting my parents first. And, definitely no vacations with boyfrends.

»No loud music.

» Home by 3am after clubbing.

» No phone calls after 11:30pm because I should be asleep by then.

I know I sound like a complete ingrate, but I'll remind you again that I'm a working woman in her mid-20s, and all I want after a hard day at the office is to head back to my very own little sanctuary for some peace and quiet. I don't hate living with my parents, but I wish they'd ease up just a little. Of course, I realize it's not always the parents who are at fault. There are always two sides to every story - I'll admit that I'm a total pain to live with sometimes. After all, none of us are perfect, we're all only human.

Eventually, I will pack my bags and fly from my parents' nest. And that's both a desirable and scary prospect. I'll finally consider myself brave enough to face the social responsibilities and unknown realities of living in the adult world, all the stuff my parents have been shielding and gingerly guiding me through for the past 25 years. When that day comes, I'm sure they'll be nothing but incredibly supportive and proud of me.

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Monthly Topic #32: Wanna Be A Sex Bomb?

Here are some suggestions for making the best bed-rocking moves known to man.

~Image Source: Harper's BAZAAR~

Once you've been in a loving relationship for a long time, the sex can become a little, well, routine. It'll be OK, good even, but nothing either of you would describe as the missing chapter of the Karma Sutra. In fact, it's probably similar to the time before, and the time before that... So we thought we'd ask some sexpert guys for advice on how to spice things up. Once you've read the article, you'll be thinking: "I can't do that." Well, we're not suggesting you incorporate every single one of these tips in your bedroom book of tricks. What we are saying is that - and studies back us up on this - making one small variation to your standard routine can make sex an unforgettable experience all over again, because no doubt he'll want to reciprocate in kind. Just remember that you should try something new at least three times - the first time you'll be worried about whether you're doing it right, the second time you'll be thinking about how to make it work for you as well, and by the third, you'll be able to make it your own. So, here we go:

1. My ex used to flash parts of her body at me when we were out in pulic, like a bit of inner thigh. It used to get me so horny.

2. Guaranteed to get me hot is a phone call at work from my wife telling me exactly what she wants to do to me that night - or what she wants me to do to her. I have to pretend I'm talking to a client, so I try to act all cool and collected, but by the time I meet her, I'm almost ready to burst.

3. If she decides to swallow, it's best if she doesn't make a big deal out of it by groaning or quickly wiping her mouth on the pillowcase or the sheet. She should extend the moment instead, by slowly making her way up to my face with little kisses. That way, I can also feel her breasts brush against my body.

4. I used to love it when my ex would spiral her tongue up and down the side of my torso. I wish more women would do it.

5. Tell him you're not wearing underwear when you go out. I guarantee that he won't be able to think about anything else.

6. This move doesn't have a name, but it's a real treat watching my partner rub herself with oil, and then use her naked body to massage mine by rubbing up and down it. I'm instantly ready for business.

7. Don't underestimate the power of a good hand job. Even if she's not sure how fast or how slow, when to loosen her grip and when to tighten it. I'm more than happy to show her how. Just remember, we don't produce a natural lubricant, so make it smoother with a bit of saliva.

8. Men are visual creatures, so I love it when my partner strips for me, teasing me by taking each item off slowly and sexily. I just go wild.

9. You know how multi-tasking is about doing two or more things at once? Well, I like a woman who can do that in bed. So, if she's sucking on my nipples, she might also be cradling my balls, or, if we're having sex, she'll continue to kiss me. It's hot.

10. I don't know many women who like the way they look, but that doesn't mean sex should always be in the dark. So me tip is: let us leave the lights on occasionally. It's great to see her body and it's even better to watch her react to what I'm doing.

11. My nipples are incredibly sensitive, so there's no better sensation than having them licked and then gently blown on - alternating between hot and cold just sends shivers up my spine.

12. Ear-piercing orgasms and creaking beds are great but, for a change, I occasionally like to try doing it as quietly as and with as little movement as possible. It reminds me of sneaking girls into my bedroom when I was young and hoping my parents wouldn't hear. It still has the same illicit thrill.

13. You know what's cool? When my baby wakes me up in the middle of the night because she's gotta have it and she's gotta have it now.

14. Nothing gets me hornier than a woman undressing without saying anything. My partner once did that while I was on the phone, and I just kept losing track of the conversation.

15. My partner once pretended it was her first time, saying we could do anything but 'the deed'. We were so hot and sweaty by the end of it, we both reached orgasm - without intercourse.

16. You know that line of hair from the belly button to the pubic bone? Well, it's called the 'happy trail', and nothing makes me happier than having my wife licking it quite hard down to the base of my penis, before moving back up again.

17. One night I'll never forget is when my partner rubbed some strawberry-flavored lubricant on my nipples. She blew on them and it felt like I was on fire from them being all hot and tingly. Even now, when I smell strawberries...

18. Bring me to the edge then stop, then doing it all over again. It's like taking two sensual steps forward and one back, but I know my final climax will be incredible.

19. Look at me in the eye just as I'm about to orgasm.

20. It's simple: ask for seconds. That tells me how much she wants me.

21. I'm not vain, but a compliment now and then doesn't go astray. Sure, it's no whizz-bang move, but it always make me feel great.

22. Most girls don't realize how good it feels but, if she can squeeze her vaginal muscles when I'm inside her, it just blows my mind - especially when she starts out squeezing slowly, and then gradually speeds up.

23. Women are paranoid about how they smell but I don't want to taste soap and perfume when I'm down there, especially as her natural flavor is so incredibly sexy.

24. It may sound weird, but I melt when she licks, tickles and darts her tongue in and out of my ear, and it's great when she alternates the tempo and stops what she's doing and I can hear how excited she is from her heavy breathing.

25. I love it when my partner keeps her clothes on. Feeling something smooth and soft graze my body makes me desperate to get underneath it. Every now and again, she even keeps her G-string on. I pull it aside and we just go for it.

26. There's nothing better than a woman who's willing to take complete control and direct every one of my moves, telling me exactly what she wants me to do, when and who. It's really sexy to feel like I'm some kind of extra in our own personal pleasure show.

27. It's not just the foreplay and sex for me... what happens afterwards is just as important. When we're just lying there and she runs her fingers over me really gently. It keeps that loving feeling lingering for just a little bit longer.

28. My partner once put a ribbed condom on me inside out, and the sensation of those ridges along my penis during sex was absolute heaven. I've got a warning though: I wouldn't recommend it unless you have a back-up form of birth control, because unless you're ready to embrace parenthood, it's not a risk you want to take.

29. A woman who can make putting on the condom part of foreplay has my vote. My wife has even mastered the technique of slipping it on with her mouth by using her tongue to unroll it over my penis. It gets me hot just thinking about it.

30. Trim each other's pubic hair. The sensation of an electric clipper against my skin does amazing things a little further south.

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