Review of Garnier Skin Active Clearly Brighter Daily Moisturizer SPF 15

Review of Garnier Daily Moisturizer

Hello, beautiful people!

Hope you are enjoying whatever season you are on now.
I know some of you are enjoying the freezing snow, endless rain, or even balmy sun.
Here in Jakarta, Indonesia, we have a melange of sunshine and heavy pour.
Well, the beginning of the year is typically like this and we usually have more rain as the Chinese New Year is coming.

I have been enjoying the tropical weather of Jakarta.
Yet, my skin need some adjustment obviously after moving from colder place like New York City to forever-humid Jakarta.
That's why I need a good day-to-day sunscreen.

Now, I have been routinely using Estée Lauder Crescent White Full Cycle Brightening Milky Emulsion (read the full review by clicking it :)) as well as Garnier Skin active Clearly Brighter Sunscreen.

Let's read my take on this on the review of Garnier Skin Active Clearly Brighter  Daily Moisturizer SPF 15.

PRODUCT INFO

This product is one of the collection from Skin Active series, particularly Clearly Brighter variant. There are 5 different products from this series and the one I have is the daily moisturizer with broad spectrum SPF 15.

Clearly brighter

It comes in a plastic bottle with pump on top to help us adjust the liquid as needed.

The weight is 2.5 fl oz/75 ml. For me it's enough for approximately 3-4 months of daily use. It also has its expiry date printed clearly on the bottle.

The pump on top of it...

As I read it from the website, www.garnierusa.com, it claims that it will brighten and smoothen our skin. " Clinically proven results.* In 1 week, reveals two key dimensions of brighter looking skin: radiant, more even skin tone and improved skin texture, even reduces wrinkles. *In a clinical test."

THE INGREDIENTS

Again, the website says:

"Active ingredients Purpose 

Avobenzone 3% .................... Sunscreen

Octisalate 5% .................... Sunscreen

Octocrylene 5% ................... Sunscreen

Inactive Ingredients: water, glycerin, silica, dimethicone, PEG-100 stearate, glyceryl stearate, octyldodecanol, ammonium polyacryloyldimethyl taurate, ascorbyl glucoside, benzyl alcohol, benzyl salicylate, capryloyl salicylic acid, caprylyl glycol, citral, dicaprylyl carbonate, dimethicone/vinyl dimethicone crosspolymer, disodium EDTA, geraniol, limonene, linalool, nymphaea alba flower extract, palmitic acid, phenoxyethanol, phenylethyl resorcinol, sodium hyaluronate, sodium hydroxide, sodium palmitoyl proline, steareth-100, stearic acid, tocopherol, xanthan gum, fragrance."

the look of the moisturizer

THE PRICE

I bought this at CVS New York City and the price is USD 15,-
I haven't really look for it here in Jakarta but I guess I saw it online.


THE PACKAGING

Too bad I lost the box but this product certainly comes in a sturdy box in white and green nuance, signature of Garnier. The bottle itself is pearly white with green pump on top of it. The pump is good, so that it's easy to control the flow of the liquid from the bottle.

I have other product from the same series that I will review later. It's Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel - Cream fro dry skin. the packaging is pretty much similar to this daily moisturizer.

Wait for this review!

HOW TO USE

To use this product, pump the product (approximately 1 - 2 pumps are enough) and apply it liberally to your face and neck. Do it 15 minutes before being exposed to the sun. 

Easy peasy, right!

HOW I FEEL

I like the fact that it feels light and not stick on my face. 

It doesn't have any particular smell and there is only a faint, lovely hint of flower but not too strong. So it's good!

I usually put it after the serum, with a short break in between. It absorb quickly to the skin and you can feel the moisturizer working, It keeps my skin fresh and moist. After 2 months of intensive use, I can see my skin tone is brighter and healthier. Unfortunately, I don't have the 'before' photo, but I can assure you that I feel the result of wearing it diligently. 

no filter..nothing but the daily moisturizer.. 

So, that what I have about Garnier Skin Active Clearly Brighter Daily Moisturizer  with SPF 15 .
So far, I have no complaints and happy to use it and repurchase it. It's not too expensive and it's 

What do you think?
Do you think you will try this as well?
What is your favorite daily moisturizer?
Share it freely in comments, please.


Reference:

Garnier USA: 
https://www.garnierusa.com/about-our-brands/skinactive/clearly-brighter/clearly-brighter-brightening-smoothing-daily-moisturizer-spf-15

Review Lancome Color Design - All Done Up

Hello, beautiful people.

Back to my review and this time I have one of my mom's and my favorite lipsticks from Lancôme Paris. I bet you have heard of this brand before, right? Very well known for its skin care products, Lancôme has been launching many series of lipsticks, including the last three collections I reviewed on my YouTube channel and here.

Let me start with All Done Up from Lancôme Paris Color Design. 

Lancôme Paris Color Design comes in 42 shades and different finish, including cream, matte, shimmer, 

The packaging

Lancôme has long been known for its premium products and you can easily recognise that from their packaging. This lipstick is wrapped in beautiful, sturdy box in shiny silver, with embossed brand's name and Lancôme signature rose on top of the box. It's very pretty indeed. 

here's the packaging

The swatch

Here is the swatch for you to see.

The shade of this one is more like shady pink, so it's not too bold yet it's beautifully freshen your look.

the lips swatch for All Done Up is the pink one on the left side :)

The texture

This lipstick is creamy, very moisturising and has a bit glossy effect.

It says it has sensational effects, a lip color with smooth hold.

It claims to "deliver long-lasting color and wearability", as well as providing full coverage and lasting shine with one application. Moreover, you don't have to worry about dry lips, as it has non-drying formula that makes your lips comfortable all day long. 

I have to say I do agree with that. It is comfortable and full coverage only in one application. Yet, it doesn't stay too long which is fine by me.

I guess it will be perfect for your daily use, as the shade is pretty much neutral and likeable, plus it's not too heavy as it's not matte or long-stay.  it is also transferable.

Very moisturizing

The ingredients

As for the ingredients, here's what I pasted from the box and the website:

Polybutene, bis-diglyceryl polyacyladipate-2, octyldodecyl neopentanoate, isostearyl isostearate, triisostearin, cera microcristallina / microcrystalline wax / cire microcristalline, peg-45/dodecyl glycol copolymer, polyethylene, disteardimonium hectorite, tin oxide, calcium aluminum borosilicate, calcium sodium borosilicate, silica, alumina, synthetic fluorphlogopite, polyethylene terephthalate, acrylates copolymer, octyldodecyl/ppg-3 myristyl ether dimer dilinoleate, bht, [+/- may contain / peut contenir, ci 15850 / red 6, ci 15850 / red 7, ci 15850 / red 7 lake, ci 15985 / yellow 6 lake, ci 19140 / yellow 5 lake, ci 42090 / blue 1 lake, ci 45380 / red 22 lake, ci 45410 / red 28 lake, ci 75470 / carmine, ci 77491, ci 77492, ci 77499 / iron oxides, ci 77891 / titanium dioxide, mica.

The price

I bought this one for USD 25 before taxes, so around USD 28 after the taxes.

I would love to repurchase but perhaps I can try other shades in matte finish.

So, do you think you will like this lipstick as well?

How do you like the shade?

Will you buy it?

Mmuaaah

Reference:

Lancôme Color Design - https://www.lancome-usa.com/makeup/lips-and-nails/lipstick/color-design/

 day-to-day 

Perk Service at Sephora Times Square, New York City

Perk Service at Sephora New York City

Who loves pampering oneself?
You know , like getting a massage, facial, manicure and pedicure, and more?
I DO!
I really do!
And one of my favourite spot to do so is Sephora.

I guess many of you know what Sephora is and probably are already becoming one of their Beauty Insiders, be it the first tier, VIB or VIB rouge.
As I love skin care, perfume, cosmetics and other beauty products so much, I have been VIB Rouge , the top tier membership in Sephora, since 2015. That means that I have spent approximately USD 1000 per year in order to be VIB Rouge and maintain that status yearly. There are times when some friends ask me to buy some products for them as well in Sephora so that helps me keep my VIB Rouge.  So, as the VIB Rouge, you have many benefits which include free full make-over, extra discount and free samples, as well as free 3-day shipping.  Not to mention free gift for your birthday, which works for any tier of membership.

One benefit I love to use in Sephora is the free skin care consultation and free facial known as the Perk Service, when you spent at least USD 75 on skin care.

So the Perk Service is basically a facial, using Perk machine exclusively prepared for Sephora. We will have the machine help us cleaning the dead cells from our face the put serum into our face in a more effective way. Before we start the treatment, our face will be cleaned thoroughly in order to make sure that the skin is clean.

just cleaned my face

Then using the machine with a small vacuum tube at the end, the beauty expert from Sephora will clean our face using that device so that more dead cells are wiped out. it feels ticklish but it's comfortable at the same time. I love it because you can really feel that your face is cleaned and you can see how many dead cells were taken during the process.

the serum

After it's done, 2 tubes of serum will be applied to our face using the similar device from the Perk machine.  Wait for a while to get the serum properly absorbed then we can put any skin care product after that. 

some of the product I tried

I tried the serum from La Mer then some moisturiser from Dior.
I kept my skin bare and healthy just like that for couple of hours.
And it felt really good!

Then I applied my usual routine - powder, eye brows, eye liner, blush on and lipstick. 
For sure I felt so good and fresh!

clean and fresh indeed!

with Erika who helped me

So, that's my experience with the Perk Service from Sephora.
I will ask around whether they have the similar service in Sephora Indonesia so that I can do it regularly.

What is your favorite beauty treatment?
Do you like facial as well?
Where do you usually do it?

Review Sephora Favorites Give Me Some Nude Lips

Taraaaa…
I'm back with the review of my favorite lipsticks.
This time is I have Sephora Favorites Give Me Some Nude Lips, particularly the Spring Collection.

Have I told you that I am a big fan of Sephora?
I guess I have, right?
And frankly, I have had sooo many collections of beauty product, particularly lipsticks

Before we go further, feel free to watch the full review of Sephora Favorites Give Me Some Nude Lips, particularly the Spring Collection, on my YouTube video.
And tell me what you think!

Sebenarnya produk yang ingin aku review di sini sudah lengkap aku sampaikan di video YouTube yang lumayan panjang, alias 24 minutes. But I hope it's fine because I do try and review each and every lip samplers we have in that package.

So, let's start our review!

Sephora Favorites Give Me Some Nude Lips is a special collection of lip samplers curated by Sephora. Obviously, this one consists of samplers with nude shades, from some of the most-favorite and most-wanted brands sold in or through Sephora.

The one that I have here is from Spring collection of 2018.

This collection has 5 lip samplers and 1 full-size lipstick.
To start with, here's the swatches.

Here's the swatches..

Let's start with the lip samplers, shall we?
Then later you can tell me your favorite!

Tarte - Tarteist quick dry matte lip paint in exposed

Tarte - tarteist in Exposed

This lip sampler of Tarte - Tarteist is pretty much the nude collection with matte finishing in this collection.
It  comes in a small tube, weighting 0.034 oz/ 1 mL.

As the name suggested, Tarte Tarteist quick dry matte lip paint really dries quick!

I love the matte finishing but the shade is too pale for me. 

Nars Lipstick - Orgams

Such a provocative name :). Nars in Orgasm 

This lip sampler is small, with the weight around 0.05 oz/ 1.7 g. Enough to check whether this shade is perfect for you. 

I love this kind of nude because it has reddish tint on it.

But still the finishing is not matte so 

Hourglass - Girl Lip Stylo in Futurist

This lip sampler is cute, reminding me of the chubby stick from other brand.

The color is super nude and it has more moisturizer on it.

It has glossy finishing and it does not really stay.

For me, it feels like a lip gloss.

Buxom Full-On Lip Polish in Sugar

Buxom Full-On Lip Polish in Sugar is sooo good because it has mint sensation on it

The weight is about 0.07 oz/ 2 mL, so it is small like other lip samplers.  

It also has metallic and glitter finishing, so perhaps it will be perfect for 

Smashbox Be Legendary Liquid Pigment in Mauve Wife

 Smashbox Be Legendary Liquid Pigment in Mauve Wife is my fave!

Although it comes in small package, only 0.17 oz/ 5 mL, but I love the shade.

Perhaps, it is safe to say that it is the BOLDEST of the nude collection we have here.

As mauve is pretty much darker, it looks good on me.

Urban Decay Vice Special Effect in Fever

This one is the full size lipstick in this collection.

Weighting about 0.16 oz/ 4.7 mL, Urban Decay Vice Special Effects in Fever, as the name suggested, gives an extra glittery effect to your lips.

I guess it will be perfect to put it on top of your lipstick so that it has shimmering and glittery effect.

The price of this collection is USD 28 before taxes (depending on where you buy it, but in NYC it becomes around USD 31 after the VAT) and I bought it in Sephora Herald Square New York City.

Repurchase? Maybe not.. And not because it's not good but because I rather buy the full size of my favorite ones.

So, how do you like it? 

Which one is your favorite collection?

Will you buy this one?

Review of Estee Lauder Crescent White Full Cycle Brightening Milky Emulsion

Introducing Crescent White Full Cycle Brightening Milky Emulsion

Who wants to have healthy, glowing skin?

I bet all of us want it.

Some might want it badly, like me!

I have been an avid lover of skin care products, particularly those which are safe, skin-friendly and show effective results. After series of treatment that I have to go through for my breast cancer, particularly  the chemotherapy, I have been suffering from super dry skin and hyperpigmentation, which resulted in dark spots on my face. As my oncologist informed me previously, this is part of the side effects of chemo as well as the medicine I took in order to make sure that cancer does not return to my system. It doesn't look that bad bad but it's still sad to see them spreading over my cheeks and forehead.

Aku memang pecinta skin care, apalagi semenjak menjalani kemoterapi di tahnu 2014 dan 2015. Meskipun aku tidak pernah memiliki kulit mulus sejak muda #emangudahtuamba tapi aku perhatikan kulitku benar-benar menderita sejak kemo. Kulit wajah terutama, yang bukan hanya kering dan terkelupas namun juga penuh dengan bintik hitam. Dokter oncologist aku memang sudah mengingatkan bahwa dampak dan efek samping dari kemoterapi memang banyak, termasuk hiperpegmentasi di kulit wajah. Ini yang sering membuatku sedih kalau melihat kulit wajah dari dekat. But, hey.. we can always find something to work on it.

So, with that in mind, I have tried to look for products that can help me address this issues.

It is not always that easy to find one though.

Some are too strong for me as it has alcohol in it or the active ingredients are simple unsuitable for my type of skin. Some are good but extremely expensive. Some are just simply a big No-No.

But then, of all the products I have tried, I fall in love with this one from Estee Lauder!
Introducing Estee Lauder Crescent White Full Cycle Brightening Milky Emulsion.

Estee Lauder has long been known as one of the leading companies with visionary ambition and believe that every woman is  beautiful. Established in 1946, the company continues to provide beauty products which help women across the globe express their beauty and confidence. Another thing I love about this brand is its commitment and endless support to the campaign of breast cancer, along with special attention on  sustainability, citizenship and employee well-being.

Well now, here's my review of Estee Lauder Crescent White Full Cycle Brightening Milky Emulsion.

Name of the product:
Estee Lauder Crescent White Full Cycle Brightening Milky Emulsion

Here's what it claims

Claims:

This milky emulsion claims to be 'a powerful brightening facial emulsion' , which help us get brighter and clearer face. The milky texture is absorbed fast and refreshing. It also contains natural elements which boosts the daily cycle of our skin. It also prevents and reduces dark spots and discolouration (just like what I need!) and thus makes skin smoother, clearer and have translucent complexion. Moreover, it protects skin from harmful damages which mostly take place during the day and maximise the power of the night cycle to revitalize the skin. It is also dermatologist and ophthalmologist - tested and most importantly, non - acnegenic and will not clog pores. 

One of the main reasons why I try this is because it focuses on the dark spots and discolouration. Those are two pressing  issues  I have with regards to my face. 

Besides, this product is created for and tested on Asian skin in Asia.

Seperti yang saya baca di kotak produk ini, bintik-bintik hitam di kilit wajah pada dasarnya diakibatkan oleh berbagai partikel jelek dan merusak yang terakumulasi di kilit wajah pada siang harı dan terbentuk menjadi bintik hitam saat malam harı. Karen itu, Estee Lauder, dengan teknologi terbarunya memanfaatkan siklus alami kulit untuk melakukan regenerasi dengan menggunakan formula yang lembut namun efektif dari bahan-bahan alami. Hasilnya, kulit akan lebih cerah, sehat dan translucent. Plus produk ini memang diciptakan untuk kulit Asia dan dites di kulit wajah Asia juga.

Price: USD 110,-

Aku belum tau persis berapa harganya untuk produk ini di Indonesia.

Packaging:

I love the simple, yet chic and elegant packaging. The color of the bottle is pearly white with touch of silver at the edge.  The logo of Crescent White is silvery circle. It has smooth triangle form with cap and Estée Lauder seal on the cap for new product.
What I have is the 3.4 oz or 100 ml so it's quite big.

The packaging

Where to buy:
You can definitely buy it directly at esteelauder.com or through leading stores such as Sephora and Macy's. I personally bought it Macy's New York City.
Saya sempet lihat produk ini ditawarkan di toko online Indonesia tapi lupa apakah ready stock or out of stock.

How to use:

Pour adequate amount of the emulsion, pump it as needed. 
Remember, it's tick and rich so 2 pumps are enough for me. 
Apply it over your face and smooth it using your fingers.
I love doing a little massage while applying it.

It is suggested to use it day and night.

Testimony:

In love with its milky texture

I have to say that as the name suggested, the product is milky and rich.
I feel the skin instantly moisturised once I apply it on my face.
It is fast absorbing but, depending on your skin type, it may take a while to be fully absorbed. In my case, I usually wait for 10 - 15 minutes to ensure that the whole emulsion is well absorbed before applying other products such as serum or moisturiser. 

I have been using this product for the last 3 months, using approximately using more than half of the 100ml bottle. Too bad I am not always that diligent to use it AM and PM but I always use it in the morning. And yes, I do notice the development! My skin is brighter and healthier, plus some of the dark spots are reduced, although not completely gone. Well, I am being realistic and as long as the skin is healthy, I will continue. 

No filter .. My healthier skin now, using only the milky emulsion...too bad I forgot to take the 'before' photo :). You still see the dark spots here and there but much better.

The only notes I have here is that the emulsion is quite thick and in the warm temperatures of Indonesia, even in the morning, it can be a bit sticky and hot. I make sure I do it in an air-conditioned room. Moreover, it's quite pricey, apalagi jika kita rajin menggunakan di pagi dan malam hari menjelang tidur, agar efektifitas full cycle yang ditawarkan produk ini. I use the whole bottle in around 3 months. 

Nevertheless, all in all, I love this product!
I am already repurchasing my 2nd bottle and will stick to it for a while before I try others.
So, that's my review on Estee Lauder Crescent White Full Cycle Brightening Milky Emulsion.

Will you try the same product as well?
Or you have similar product you have been using as well.
Tell me what you think.

Resources: 

www.esteelauder.com
www.ebates.com