Review: Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum (Gen 2)

Name: Xiaomi Mi Robot Roborock (Gen 2)Price: $399SGD Rating : 4.5/5Web link : Link

I have to admit, trying to review this is really difficult as I’m no expert in home appliance reviewing. However, I have been using this product for slightly more than a year now and I think I’m at a good place to share my opinion about it. While I have not gone to the extreme which some tech reviewers go through to extensively test the functionalities of the equipment, I will be sharing with everyone how this equipment fared in normal everyday life.

I will also not be going through the technical specifications of the equipment as you can easily read those in Xiaomi's official website or on the Qoo Sales page. 

The Most Lightweight & Greaseless Sunscreen Ever : Nik's professional Aqua Sun Protect SPF 50+ / pa+++

Name: Nik's professional Aqua Sun Protect SPF 50+ / pa+++

Price: $30 SGD

Volume: 15ml

Rating: 4/5 stars
Website: LINK

Niks Professional is a skin care brand that originated from a Doctor's office. The first branch of the clinic was opened in the eastern side of Singapore and I've even been there once! I vaguely remember the queue being so long that after queuing for an evening, I still didn't managed to see the doctor and had to return the next day. I've never waited this long to see a doctor before but I guess the snaking queue attest to it's quality.

Here's a little about the brand itself 

" Niks Professional is an integrated medical skin care provider, incorporating family dermatology and aesthetic medical services, skin care products, facial treatment and medical camouflage service under one roof and a single NIKS brand.
We own and operate three medical clinics in Singapore focusing on family dermatology and aesthetic medicine. Our clinical services are complemented by a portfolio of some 200 quality medical skin care products. Our products are conceptualised and developed in Singapore and made in the finest factories in the United States and Europe. We brand our products and services under one unified, consistent NIKS brand. All our products satisfy stringent regulatory requirements in the United States and Europe, and are regularly updated to reflect advances in skin care technology. We are also active in paramedical camouflage cosmetics." 

Let's jump straight into my simple review.

Review: Loreal Elseve Extraordinary Oil

Product Name Loreal Elseve Extraordinary Oil

Size : 30ml - 100ml 

Cost : $17.90 ‐ $28.90 (Buy from Qoo10)

Rating:  5 star

So after having my hair short for more than 2 years, I've finally started growing them out in 2018. Since long straight hair doesn't quite fit my face, I also went ahead and permed them. 

My hair is remarkably resilient against hair dye but it doesn't do as well with Digital perms. It was quite a nightmare to get my hair in order after I first dyed them last may 2018. I tried a few hair products which didnt do much at all. Then I came across a sample satchet of Loreal's Extraordinarily Oil in my beauty stash and decided this was the best time to bust it open. Best decision ever. 

Packaging 

There are a few variant in the packaging but they all come in the same glass bottle with a pump head. The packaging is simple and utilitarian. 

Cost 

Going at $28.90 for 100ml in our local Watsons or Guardian Pharmacy is a tad bit steep. But you can always rely on the Internet and small scale neighourhood Beauty Stores to sell them at nearly half the price. 

Buy the same oil from Qoo10 for just $17.90!

Scent/ Touch

By far, I've only tried the High Shine (pink bottle )and Sublime Enhancer (orange bottle) versions of the line. I would describe both oils to be pleasantly scented and leaves a relatively light residue on the palms. The Sublime Enhancer is significantly less scented. 

Personally , I find the rose version to have a denser/heavier oil than the Sublime Enhancer . However they both apply onto the hair and washes out of the palms almost just as easily.  

High Shine Vs Sublime Enhancer  

As I've mentioned above, the Sublime Enhancer is less viscose compared to the High Shine version. It barely leaves any residue on the hand compared to the High Shine. 

However, the High Shine version is my preferred choice as it suits my permed hair and lifestyle better. 

Usually, I wash my hair in the morning and leaves the house with wet hair. High Shine fits my lifestyle better as it requires lesser product to fully coat wet hair and keeps the curls somewhat intact. Keeping the curls intact is a big deal as anyone who has ever permed their hair before would know. Those curls don't last if you don't make the effort to keep them in some sort of curled/twirled fashion everyday. 

I use roughly 2 - 7 pumps of oil depending on how generous I feel that day and how much time I have to work the product into ringlets of it's own. I usually separate my hair into 2 or 4 bundles and twirl them into ringlets before allowing them to dry naturally.

With the default oil, my hair feels lighter and fresher but my curls are noticeably looser and messier. The upside is the oil doesn't transfer onto head as much as the High Shine version so my scalp stays fresh longer. 

I would recommend the default oil for someone with unpermed hair that requires some tender loving care without weighing it down. 

Overall Impression 

Spoiler alert, I absolutely love this product. After perming my hair, my head has been a constant cosplay of Hermione Granger from Harry Potter. The big and bushy version of the first movie - not the subsequently subdued and tamed Emma watsons version. 

The other products I've tried always felt greasy on both the palms and the hair. And to make matters worse, they don't even get absorbed by the hair - doing absolutely nothing for the state of my locks. 

Extraordinary oil on the other hand, goes onto the hair with ease and gets absorbed quickly. The product smoothens the appearance of my hair and locks down the shine in my hair. It makes my hair looks naturally glossy and healthy while taming it. It does not weight my hair down or feel icky like some hair product does. 

A small tip here , it is always easier to apply oil on wet hair as it ensures even distribution and smoother applications. So if you ever have problem ensuring an even application on your hair, make sure to wet your hair a little before applying. 

My hair is still a far cry from the hair you see in shampoo commercial but anything it has, I attribute it to this oil. If you have frizzy, damaged and permed hair like me, get this! 

.

Review: The ORCHID Skin Orchid Flower Aqua UV Sun Gel SPF30 PA++ 5

Name: The Orchid Skin Sun Screen SPF 30 PA++
Price: $40 for 3 ( 60 ml)
Rating: 2.5/5
Weblink: Qoo10

Kose Babyish High Moisturising mask (50 sheets)

Name: Kose Babyish High Moisturising mask
Retail price: SGD$19.90 (50 pc )
Quantity: 50 pieces
Rating: 2.5/5

I bought Kose's Babyish High Moisturizing mask (50 sheets) at my local department store recently because I thought they were selling it at $15.50. Turns out the promotion price was only applicable if you purchase another $15 worth of stuffs. Anyway, here's my short review of the product.

Packaging

It's a 50 piece mask pack. It's basically a big aluminium Ziplock bag with 50 sheets of mask all stacked together in the watery essence. Pretty standard pack mask design though some might worry about the air-tightness of the Ziplock and worry about leakage or premature drying.

I say, just be sure you've fully pressed the Ziplock down. Unless very intense pressure was applied on the bag, it's unlikely to leak though I've been careless enough to allow that to happen haha.

50 sheets of mask piled together while soaking in the Essence. This is how they roll.

The bulk mode of the packaging might put some people off as questions about hygiene and product (mask Essence) distribution can be raised. I'm personally not too bothered by that since I always wash my hands before applying face masks. While Essence distribution is indeed a worry factor for bulk facemasks - remember you also pay much lesser per piece so imho, it all evens out. But each to its own. I personally enjoy bulk facial masks as they forces/ encourages me to keep using them Everyday.

Texture & effect

The facemask seems to be made out of some thin paper fabric. Quality and moisture retention ability of the face mask is average. The quality of the masks are definitely below say, Leaders Insolution masks. The masks tends to be on the slightly dry side and my forehead is a little too high to be fully covered. The mask feels cheap (sorry) and doesn't fit the face as well as I hope.

But the fit isn't too much of a problem as I always wear my face masks with DAISO's silicon face mask on top of it to keep everything in place. If you haven't tried the DAISO Silicon mask yet, and you're a big facemask junkie - you need to check it out. It is such a game changer!

The essence from the facemask is watery and tends to drip a lot when worn.

Unlike many of my other face masks, I often remove the mask after an hour or so to a "just-as dull" face. Because the mask was not able to retain as much Essence, the skin starts to feel a little dry after an hour. The skin is slightly plumped after the treatment but nothing to rave about.

Conclusion

Overall, there's nothing to boast about here. Kose's babyish high moisturising face mask borders on the disapproval zone.

With a label that claims (and a few others) to be topping the popularity chart; I'd say I was more than a little disappointed. While I understand it's only meant to be a daily maintenance face masks and is cost at only 39 cents each - it is still the most under performing facemask I've ever used.

Unless your skin is super dehydrated and unable to retain its own moisture which forces you to face mask every day (like me) , or your skin is super good and you just need some basic hydration, otherwise I say just give this product a miss. Spend your time on something better.

Since I'm stuck with this product now, Ive devised a way to make it work twice as hard. I apply a layer of sleeping gel mask to my face before slapping the mask and the result is a brighter and more hydrated face when I remove the mask.

Hope this review was helpful. Please leave me a comment and let me know what you think or what you want me to review next time !

Review: Heme Baby Q Silicon Sponge

Nme: Heme Silicon Sponge
Retail price: SGD$9.90  
Rating: 4.5/5

I’ve been wondering for a long time if there could ever be something that can replace a makeup sponge in application while being super convenient to maintain. And apparently, I’m not the only one lamenting the inconvenience of our old fashion sponges because someone came up with the idea of using silicon to apply foundation! I’ve tried this sponge for a few days now and here’s my quick review!

 

Review : Innisfree Super Volcanic pore clay mask (first impression)

Name: Innisfree Super Volcanic pore clay mask
Retail price: SGD$22.60 (full size)
Volume: 100ml
Rating: 3/5

I've been breaking out non-stop after my first trial with the Cledbel face lifting mask and serum. It might not be the product that's against my skin but rather my skin itself being sensitive for no good reasons. But my skin has been feeling dehydrated, dry and congested recently. I've even taken to applying a hydrating face mask almost every night to combat the acne and skin discomfort.

Decided to give this mud mask a try since I was so impressed by Belif's mud mask the last time I tried it. Maybe this would become my holy grail, who knows? I've only ever used this product once because it's a sample and I can only have one try with it xD.

Review: Cledbel Face Lift Solution, Super Miracle Lifting Mask

Name: Cledbel Face Lifting Mask
Price: $32.90 (Buy on Qoo10)
Volume: 70ml
Rating: 1/5

I've been conscious about my smile lines for the longest time so when I saw Cledbel's face lift solution promoting on Qoo10 last early november, the beauty product enthusiast in me perked up.

Review: Pool Party Hostel (Siam Reap, Cambodia)

Name: Pool Party Hostel
Address: #0568, Group 5 , Vihear Chin Village , Svay Dangkum Commune, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Website: Booking.com

I stayed 4 nights at the Pool Party Hostel in Siam Reap and here’s my little review.

Review: Omo White Plus Soap Mix

Product name : Omo White Plus Soap Mix
Price: $5.50 + $1.70(shipping) (Qoo10 link)
Rating: 2/5

And so this whitening soap was making its round on Qoo10's digital newsletter and caught my eye. This is a whitening soap from Thailand that appears to be making waves in taiwan. Many Qoo10 buyers commented that whitening was observed after just one use and I decided to try it out.

I had just received a tan from a two weeks tour to Cambodia and Thailand and was desperate to get it off. I also have tan lines on my body that tattle taled my every day dressing styles so I thought this product was perfect for me.

Price & Packaging

At $6.60 a bar (that's how much I spent before it's current sale), the soap stands on the slightly expensive side for me. I started using the soap on 25th September and after a month of every day use, the soap is almost spent. Might not be the best value for money product.

The packaging is cute and the rainbow coloured soap is Instagram worthy. There are small black sesame seeds (or what looks like one ) dotted within the soap.

Texture & Fragrances

The soap smelt like old, dried Pandan leaves - which I'm not a fan of. But it is mild enough to overlook.

I placed my bar in a netted bag which I used to foam it up and bring all over my body. It doesn't take much effort to create foam but the quality of the foam is not very dense. I'm guessing it has a very high soap content.

Effects

My skin feels dry after showering and needed substantial amount of body lotion to soothe the dryness. My skin instantly brightens up after I apply body lotion.

Unlike the YouTube review video here, I didn't bother letting the foam sit on my skin. Since this is a cleaning product, I think it is unlikely there is any significant ingredients worth soaking in. Not to mention prolonged contact with cleansing foam will only aggravate dryness.

Here are some pictures of my legs for your references. Please don't laugh at my stubby short legs. I admit that my legs did look somewhat fairer in the subsequent pictures but like I mentioned, I was tanned after a holiday. Given near a month of wait, it was only natural that my skin would slowly regain its fairness so it's hard to pin the credit to the soap.

Conclusion

To be honest, I don't think I noticed any significant whitening. I didn't bother taking photos Everyday because I was too lazy and I doubt it would have mattered.

To a certain extent, my legs actually looked worse after the soap. The soap bar seemed to have made my skin dehydrated and dull. Overall , not recommended.

Review: Four Seasons House (Seoul)

Name: Four Seasons House
Address: 39-5, World Cup-ro 5-gil, Mapo-gu, Mapo-Gu, 121-885 Seoul, South Korea
Website: Booking.com

I spent 3 nights at Four Seasons House when I was in Seoul this april and this is my short review of the place.

Review: Flatana Botanical Mayouncin Super Serum

I can't remember how long I've been using this product but I've gone through at least two bottles of this essence. I started using it when it was still using its old packaging more than a year ago.

Name: Flatana Botanical Mayouncin Super Serum
Price:  S$19.90 (Qoo10)
Volume: 30 ml
Rating: 2.5/5

The seller on Qoo10 claims that this serum consists of 87% pure botanical mucin and 99.7% of high purity botanical extracts. The product claims to help in oil controlling, moisturising, firming , elasticity, wrinkles and whitening. I always try to review a product after I've properly tested it to avoid hazy and unreliable reviews and I'm mighty glad I did it with this product too. 

Review: Etude House Baking Powder Pore & Bb Deep Cleansing Foam

So I decided to finally try that sample packet of facial cleanser I've had it in my arsenal for God-knows-how-long . I'm not sure what piqued my interest in it but it did and I'm thanking my lucky stars (aka God) for that. The sample satchet was so old I worried it might have expired but thankfully it didn't hehe.

The product amazed me enough to purchase a full sized tube and here is my review after a few weeks of use.

Name: Etude House Baking Powder Pore & Bb Deep Cleansing Foam
Price : USD$9.80 (website), Qoo10 price
Rating : 4.5/5
Size: 150ml

Packaging

The packaging is simple. Just a brightly coloured squeeze tube with a nice, stable foundation. It stands well on its own and that's all I can say about it.

Texture

The cleanser is opaque white and has micro beads in it to help exfoliate. The beads are small and doesn't scratch like some old school exfoliator does. After some massaging the beads seem to melt away.

The cleanser foams up very well and only needs a tiny amount to clean the entire face.

Effect & Usage

It leaves the face feeling squeaky clean without stripping it of it's moisture like some old foam cleansers. I've been avoiding foam cleansers like a plague for the longest time but it seemed like science have came out with new formulas that not only cleans extremely well but moistures too. In fact the skin actually feels supple enough for me to go buzzing around after washing - sans moisturiser .

Of course I don't recommend you do that often because it's best to follow up cleaning with proper skincare procedures. Especially since that is the time your skin absorbs products the best.

The official website says you can use it to remove everyday makeup and it received glowing reviews for that. I haven't actually tried that as I found it hard to clean the areas around my eyes without getting the foam into my eyes haha. Can someone enlighten me? Am I supposed to remove makeup around the eye with makeup cleanser and cotton pad seperately XD?

The amount of foam you create however, will directly affect the squeaky /dry effect on the face. For people with sensitive skin, I recommend getting your hand on a sample satchet like me to test it first. I also only use a tiny pea amount which I concentrate mostly on my T-zone.

Most of the time my face feels clean and nice after the wash and my skin doesn't feel like it's been stripped of it's natural moisture. But there are days that I feel like I overdid things and experienced a day or two of tautness which needed to be compensated with face masking or serum. I try to avoid applying serums these days unless I absolutely have to as they seem to break me out.

Someone on Instagram commented that after going thru a quarter of the tube, it started to dry her skin out a lot. So I alternate this with my Cetaphil cleanser to avoid drying my sensitive and dehydrated skin. Even though this is supposed to be a mild exfoliating product, it's better to be careful.

Conclusion

I highly recommend this cleanser to people with acne prone skin or suffer from blackhead and whitehead problems. My blackheads and whiteheads problem improved significantly after using this product and avoiding serums. My skin is almost acne free now except the occasional zits.

At just USD $9.80, this 150ml product will last a loonnngggggg time. This is my new holy grail!

Review: Hi Busan GuestHouse

Name: Hi Busan GuestHouse
Address: 15, Haeundaehaebyeon-ro 221beon-gil, Haeundae-gu, 48093 Busan, South Korea
Website: Booking.com

I stayed 3 nights at Hi Busan guesthouse when I was in Busan. The hostel is walking distance from Haeundae beach. The hostel is very cosy with fairly good amenities, nice big shower rooms, free simple breakfast and a cat. However the location is a little far off from the other attractions other than Haeundae Beach and the dorm rooms is a tight squeeze. But the staffs are pretty and friendly and I had a good time there.

Review: Pure Smile Face Masks (Japan)

Name: Pure Smile Face Masks
Bought from: Japan Drugstore
Price: S$4.19 (¥324) (Qoo10)
Rating: 4/5

My skin has been feeling pretty happy after the Pore Shrinking treatment at CNP much to my relieve and joy. But starting from a few days back, my skin suddenly took a turn for the worse. Suddenly the itch and redness is back and I have no idea why! I’m still trying to find the culprit but before that, time for some skin SOS! The only thing to rescue the skin now is a lot of face mask and some serum.

In this blog entry, I’ll review the Japanese face mask collection called Pure Smile. It is a drugstore face mask with a range of benefits and price tags. However I'm only going to blindly review the funny faces ones as those are the only ones I've tried. 

According to the english wordings at the bottom of the masks, it seems like the funny face mask are all designed to contain collagen, Hyaluronic acid and Vitamin E. Sorry for the unexpectedly long introduction , let's jump straight into the review. 

Review: Su Moisture Cream (The Orchid Skin)

Name: Su Moisture Cream
Price:  35,000 Won (SGD$40.80)
Volume: box of 100 ml
Rating: 4/5

As a Budget traveller who travel minimalist style - South Korea was one of the few countries I travelled to with the intent to bring something back. Being an avid fan of Korean skincare products , I wasn't going to come home with a empty suitcase so a shopping trip was scheduled on the last night of my trip. 

I was actually pulled into the shop by an overly enthusiastic salesgirl in Ehwa Women university’s shopping area. I had already spent most of my bucks in TheFaceShop so I wasn't too keen on buying more. But the power of persuasive sale is strong here as I walked away 50,000 Won poorer –_-;;

Review: Etude House Pure Water Baobab Moist Cream

Name: Etude House Pure Water Baobab Moist Cream
Price: SGD$16.7 (Qoo10)
Volume: 60ml
Rating: 4.5/5

My skin was going through a painful recovery earlier this february. My skin has a history of sensitivity and is easily affected by environmental elements so I wasn't sure what happened at first. Thankfully, I soon narrowed it down to a facial cleansing brush I had purchased recently. It worked fabulously the first few days but after a week, my skin suddenly became red, irritated and painful. Applying my usual Hada Labo Koi Gokujyun Whitening moisturiser and all my other skin care products over my irritated skin was scorching. I had in my naivety, over scrubbed my face which in turn, caused the skin to be irritated, agitated and sore. I quickly ceased usage after realisation.

Soon after, a friend casually passed me a jar of Etude House's BabBao Moist Cream insisting it is very hydrating and will help my condition. The sample jar she passed me lasted me slightly more than a week. I liked it enough to get myself a full sized Jar when I went to Korea last month. 

 

Review: SKII

Name: SK-II Facial Treatment Mask
Price: SGD$189 (Qoo10)
Volume: box of 1
Rating: 3/5

I’ve had this prized baby in my arsenal for one and a half year. I bought it on a whim on my flight back from Sydney, flamed on by the $50 savings. A box of 10 would cost me $189 in Singapore but on air, it cost just $139. I was flying with Scoot in case any of you is curiuos.

I was cajoled into splurging on it due to it’s overwhelmingly positive reviews online and it’s non-stop marketing campaign. If this indeed is a miracle product then I’m not gonna miss out! After all, my dehydrated and lacklustre skin could do with some boosting.

Review: Belif Peat Miracle Revital Mask

Name: Belif Peat Miracle Revital Mask
Price: SGD$58.40 (Qoo10)
Volume: 50gm (Jar)
Rating: 3.5/5

I met up with an old friend recently and she passed a few sachets to me. They were Belief’s Peat miracle Revital Masks, a skincare line from Korea that focus on it’s use of natural ingredients and honest products. While I’m not big on Mud masks due to my sensitive skin, there are days where I need them to fight the gunk in my pores.

 

Pore shrinking in Korea

I went to CNP skin laser clinic for a laser treatment when I was in Korea last month. I had an Intracel treatment that promise to shrink the pores, lift the skin and improve the overall texture. I went to the new branch in Yangjae. As you can see, it's really cosy and professional looking. 

 

There’s even a coffee and tea machine that I wasted no time in trying, hehe.