Be My Homemade Honey Buns, I'll get you high on Coconut-flavoured cotton candy~

Honestly, Honey Buns aren't really a thing over at Singapore. For us folks, it's more of the Nasi Lemak, Roti Prata, Laksa, Durian, Chilli Crab etc thing that is going on. But on the other hand, I know honey smells nice and awesome and this was going on sale at an offer price together with the Coconut Lotion near Christmas season a few years back. I am a slut when shower gels are on massive discount a.k.a shower gels shopping spree for me~

And let's face it, I am a rather slowpoke when it comes to using shower gels whether it's cheap or expensive. In short, most women are more of the shoe slut, handbag slut, jewellery slut type but I am personally of a shower gel slut type. Yeah, I collect shower gels and take forever to finish them. Anyway, I gave the Coconut Lotion to my mother back when she was still alive. Since I couldn't find it in her stash now, I'll presume she finished using it.

Homemade Honey Buns Recipe

The recipe was on the bottle, and I thought there might be folks who are curious enough to try their hand at making real edible homemade honey buns, so here is the recipe in all it's glory~

Ingredients:

• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• ¼ cup water
• 4 tbsp. Butter, softened
• 1 lb. Frozen White Bread Dough (thawed)
• 2 tsp. Honey
• ½ cup chopped Pecans

Method:

• Combine ⅔ cup brown sugar with water and 2 tbsp. butter in saucepan.
• When melted, spread into baking dish.
• Roll dough, dusting with remaining butter.
• Sprinkle with brown sugar, honey and pecans.
• Roll up, pinching the seam tightly.
• Cut into 12 pieces.
• Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.

Note: I do not have an oven at home, hence I am unable to post up a photo of these homemade honey buns. But if anyone is curious enough to try and wants their 5 minutes of fame, comment with the respective link below at the end of the post and I will link it back to your FB, instagram or whatever platform the photo is on~

A look at the list of ingredients that went into this bottle of Homemade Honey Buns 3-in-1 product.

I personally love how there is a peelable seal present. I mean, I could have bought it for god knows how many years ago before I finally get to using it. And because it is sealed, it is still legitly considered "fresh" until it is opened. And you only need to worry about using it fast (or slow) depending on how much longer it will "expire". So yeah, products should have this type of seal on them!

Looks like very concentrated honey to me and the scent is so heavenly. Although the scent didn't linger long enough after using it as a shower gel. I didn't use it on my hair due to my worrying concerns regardiny my scalp. But I doubt the scent will actually linger on even if it is used as a shampoo. Bath wise, well.. I don't have a tub at home, so yeah haha 😅

It doesn't take much effort to get foam and a tiny bit of bubble out of it. Thankfully, it doesn't feel drying after using although I wouldn't deem it moisturizing either. It's just the scent that makes you feel good because it smells deliciously sweet.

Facts about Honey Buns

• A honey bun is a sweet roll of Canadian or Swedish origin, somewhat similar to the cinnamon bun. A honey bun is a fried yeast pastry that contains honey and a swirl of cinnamon in the dough and is glazed with icing.
• Honey buns are extraordinarily popular in prison, and particularly in the Florida penal system. For example, some inmates use the pastries as the base of a makeshift birthday cake, one which “involves squeezing a peanut butter packet over the icing, topping that with crushed cookies, then applying a finishing touch of crushed peanut M&Ms or a melted chocolate bar". Honey buns are even used as a mode of currency in Florida prisons.
• Made from dough leavened with yeast and rolled into a coil, honey buns are traditionally deep-fried then coated with a layer of sugary white icing. High in calories, honey buns contain significant amounts of both carbohydrates and fat.
• The original Honey Bun brand was founded in Jamaica in 1982 by Herbert Chong, now Executive Chairman, and Michelle Chong, now CEO of the company.
• For all their sweetness, honey buns have a history of involvement in prison violence. In 2006, at the Kent County Jail in Michigan, inmate Benny Rochelle dragged his cell mate off the top bunk, killing the man, when he could not find his honey bun.

Note: These honey buns are getting a little too "violent" to be continued further... 😥

Technically, Sephora did carry quite an extensive range of the shower gels, bodyy lotions, etc particularly during or near Christmas season, explicitly more choices if I have to phrase it properly. But I was personally kinda drawn towards the Homemade Honey Buns 3-in-1 and besides, what can go wrong with anything that states "Honey" on it's packaging right?

The scent is really nice, deliciously sweet to be exact but the scent didn't really linger long enough. For other types and brands of shower gels, the scent may not be that strong but it does linger a little bit longer that puts me in a good mood. This product just made me feel giddily happy, only when I am using it in the shower. As soon as I stepoed out of the shower, that feeling of happiness just went "poof".

The product itself is a 3-in-1, which means you can use it as a shampoo, shower gel and/or bubble bath. I used it solely as a shower gel due to my scalp concerns, the product itself thankfully didn't made my skin feel dry but it doesn't feel moisturizing enough either. It just smells heavenly and super delicious, makes you feel like you just had a temporary sugar high and that is about it.

But the fact that the recipe looks real enough for aspiring home bakers to give it a try may make up for it's other lack thereof. Maybe on a personal note, I should have tried choosing a scent that I really really love and want to try 😥

P/S: I won't include the price I bought this at, the exact location etc as I actually purchased it more than 4 or 5 years ago at Sephora JEM. And because I haven't been inside any Sephora outlet in years, I cannot be certain if they still carry this line of products, if the price is still the same or whatsoever. But what I can tell you is that I bought this 3-in-1 Homemade Honey Buns Shampoo, Shower Gel & Bath as a bundle with the Coconut Body Lotion and I do recall it costs less than SGD$50 as a 2 in 1 bundle.

However, if Sephora or Philosphy wants to send me retail-sized samples for this range to try/test and review, I would gladly do it in a heartbeat. Only the retail-sized bottles yeah~ 😉

La Roche-Posay Toleriane Ultra Light is gentle + calming + moisturizing for my stressed skin [Sponsored]

I was among one of the lucky 50 testers chosen to receive, try and review La Roche-Posay Toleriane Ultra Light from Try And Review. La Roche-Posay Toleriane Ultra Light comes in a 40ml (1.35fl oz) bottle and for the first time, I feel a little atas from using this. This product is really beneficial to my skin as my skin is seriously really an angsty teenager in disguise, no kidding!

But first, do kindly allow me to explain a little in detail about how angsty my skin is.

Basically, whenever I use new skin care products within the first 2 weeks, I always get pimples. Reason being my skin is trying to get used to a new product, hence the pimple reaction. However, the problem lies in the fact that the product may promise to help clear acne or is gently, soothing and calming to the skin. And the appearance of pimples from using a product that claims otherwise just seems and feels counter-productive.

And prior to trying out La Roche-Posay Toleriane Ultra Light, I already had a acne scar from around 1.5 weeks ago plus a clogged pore where I successfully extracted something that looks like a huge pre-pimple yucky thingy, where I can use these 2 red irritated spots as a means of gauging this product's effectiveness.

8 Facts about Moisturisers

• According to archaeologists, moisturizers entered the scene around 10,000 BC. Prior to this in 35,000 BC the wheel was invented, by people with dry hands. Geography determined the type of moisturizer that a culture used. So really, there was not a “first moisturizer” but cultures suddenly began using what they could, in order to make moisturizers.
• After our skin loses moisture as we gradually age, it also loses elasticity which can result in wrinkles and fine lines. Moisturizers help by locking in liquid or draw or water from the innermost part of the skin, keeping skin looking hydrated.

• Not all moisturisers are the same type. Because of the various skin types that we have, there are also various moisturizers that work for everyone. For example, if you have sensitive skin, avoid moisturizers that are loaded with fragrance(s). If you have oily skin, avoid products with added oils and other ingredients that are bound to clog pores.
• What was used often varied, some cultures used oils, like olive oil, while others used animal or plant-based fats. The Witch Hazel found in facial washes was first utilized by Ponds Cream in 1846. While the Petroleum Jelly used in Vaseline was invented in 1872. It is said that the inventor Robert Chesebrough found oil field workers using a thick jelly on their wounds. Soon afterwards, he invented Vaseline. Other moisturizer ingredients throughout the centuries include but are probably not limited to: honey, bread, egg white, vinegar, ginger, Vermillion(which has traces of mercury), old wine and lard, milk, castor oil, pig fat, strawberries, and benzopyrene.
• Moisturiser isn’t just for your morning beauty routine only, because it works a lot better at night when you are asleep without any activity going on. Cleanse your face every night and apply moisturiser, and it will have more time to be absorbed and hydrate the skin better.
• Our skin cannot become dependent on a moisturizer. If you think your skin is dry, moisturizing is the best thing you can do for it. Wind, cold temperatures and heated houses in the winter (if you happen to live in a country with 4 seasons #IAmJealousOfYou ) can all dehydrate the skin, which can cause eczema to flare up and make the skin itchy and dry. Prevention of this dryness by moisturizing is the single most important factor in protecting the skin from the elements.
• Massage is beneficial for more than just our backs. A facial massage helps stimulate fibroblasts (or cells) in the skin to release collagen and restore elasticity that's lost as we age. Many facials offer massage techniques as part of the treatment. So, don't just rub-a-dub that expensive moisturiser onto your face in under 30 seconds, take the time to massage the product into your skin, even after it looks well absorbed. Add the fact that our face actually do have muscles, that is how our smile form on our face, so get that massaging going to show your face some love too.
• And for those of us who either have to wear makeup or loves to wear makeup (since makeup is like a women's warpaint on her face), moisturising is definitely important. You know those little lines under your eyes where your concealer creases? Those will look worse if you don't hydrate your face before applying base makeup. Makeup sticks to dry areas on the skin and even seeps into fine lines. For best results, wait for about five minutes before using foundation so your moisturizer or primer can properly absorb into the skin first.

Note: These facts do not belong to me, I sourced them from the Internet. Copyright goes to whoever wrote them first~

A list of the ingredients used for La Roche-Posay Toleriane Ultra Light and truthfully, it looks really straigtforward and unfussy. Normally, previous skincare products I have used will have an even longer list of ingredients.

The product itself is white with a creamy texture, but make no mistake, it's one of the best I have ever encountered. Looks rich but goes easy onto my skin. Besides, it's preservative-free, paraben-free, fragrance-free, alcohol-free, colorant-free and lanolin-free. What more could my angsty skin ask for?

As you can see in the giphy image above, the texture and consistency looks so rich and creamy but it glides and sinks into my skin so easily and best of all, it doesn't even feel greasy, oily nor sticky at all. Just utter bliss 😍

You can see in the image above where there are 2 red spots on my forehead, just above my eyebrow. One is a acne scar while the other one is a closed up pore after I have manually extracted a blackhead/pre-pimple thingy. And after continually using this product for 2 weeks, I can happily say it is one of the best facial moisturiser I have ever used. Definitely going to buy the retail version when this bottle runs out 😆

Words, I mean english words can't even describe how much of a god-send this product is. It's like, you see something that sounds, feels and looks like your skin will love and appreciate but you don't dare to try it because simply because you have nevet tried any of the product's line before.

Despite smart phone being prevalent, which makes checking out product reviews easier prior to purchasing it, your mind will still go "But my skin problems is still slightly different from the next person.." And this is where Try And Review comes into the picture, I get to try something I have never ever try before and it's like 90% of the time, I am so glad I got to try stuffs that I end up liking and considered/definitely will be buying #ThankYou #TryAndReviewAsia

Reliability

• Who should use this: "Toleriane Ultra-Light is suitable for combination to oily-prone skin, face and eyes."
  And add in the fact that my skin sometimes behaves like mad, with thr sensitive issues and constant flare-ups from environment etc, this product is really really good for my skin.

• What does this product promise(s): "Relief in 1 minute. Day after day, skin's sensitivity is reduced and long-lasting comfort is restored. The 1st care treatment with Neurosensine to intensely and durably relieve the everyday reality of ultra-sensitive or allergic skin. An ultra-soothing non-oily daily care, it also combines La Roche-Posay thermal spring water for its natural soothing and anti-irritation properties."
  And I can personally inform you that this product lives up to it's promises. I have used it for a good 2 weeks (Sorry, TryAndReview 😔) and up till now, my skin hasn't reacted badly wih any side effects and my skin just feels so calm and soothed daily.

• Where can you get this: You can buy this product online from Lazada at SGD35.90 for a 40ml bottle. The La Roche-Posay Toleriane Ultra costs SGD39.90 from Lazada as well.
  Alternatively if you prefer to "touch", hold the product in your hand while standing in line, La Roche-Posay products are available at Changi General Hospital, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, National Skin Centre, National University Hospital, Singapore General Hospital, Tan Tock Seng Hospital as well as major Guardian, Unity and Watsons retail pharmacies.

• Why you should try this: If you have sensitive and angsty skin like mine that just flares up and unable to get used to products that keeps claiming to soothe the skin, this might be a good try for you.

• How good is this product: Personally? I love this product so much and I am upset at myself for not knowing or even trying to find out more about this product. The redness from my skin is always "resolved" when I wake up in the morning and those 2 scars from my forehead didnt't even react badly to this product at all. In fact, this product really promise and delivers on it's claims. No allergic reaction, no oily or sticky afterfeel, calm and relaxed skin. And my skin actually felt so hydrated and moisturized without any bad aftereffects. Ah~ I love French products now ♥️♥️♥️

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Oil-free
• Preservative-free
• Paraben-free
• Fragrance-free
• Alcohol-free
• Colorant-free
• Lanolin-free
• Calm, relaxed, relived and soothed skin 😚

Cons:

• None from me

Ratings:

Convenience: 10/10 - Easily to apply, and the nozzle is twist and turn. If you need to use it, twist it open anti-clockwise and dispense. To lock and prevent accidental spillage, twist back in a clockwise direction. No need for lids, caps, blah blah yah yah

Effectiveness: 10/10 - Promises and delivers, 'nuff said!

Packaging: 8.5/10 - I was turning the box around trying to look for the English instructions, I am just that bad at looking for instructions 😆

Price: 8.5/10 - The Ultra Light costs more than the Ultra, it's a given since Ultra Light is more for oily-prone and sensitive skin.

Overall Rating: 9.5/10 - Definitely will be getting this once more when the current bottle I am using runs out 😘

My Experience with Samyang Foods Cheese Buldak Bokkeummyeon (Hot Chicken Flavour Ramyeon with Cheese) 😲

For all you instant ramen and ramyeon fans, we are always spoilt for choices when it comes to the instant noodles department. There are always brand new choices and varieties from almost all over the world, with a plethora of different tastes to satisfy each and every different tastebuds and choices out there. But after a while, the choices start to make you go "Meh.. not enough to spice things up"

Well, I can understand that to a certain degree. My choices in instant noodles fluctuate throughout the years, from insisting on being loyal to one particular brand and type to finally trying everything on the market. Life is too short to stick to just one variety, might as well just go forth on an adventure with instant noodles. At least at the end of the day, one can proudly say "I have conquered everything single brand of instant noodles from Year 199X to Year 2xxx".

Today, I am going to revisit my experience with Samyang Foods Cheese Buldak Bokkeummyeon although my first taste of Samyang Foods ramyeon actually started with the Spicy Chicken Roasted Noodles. My late mother was curious about the latest instant noodle craze couple of years back where everyone was trying the spiciest instant noodle ever to graced this planet. Found it at NTUC, bought it, tried it and almost remodeled the toilet due to explosive erm... pooping 😅

Anyway, here's a little look at this Samyang Foods Cheese Buldak Bokkeummyeon that I am going to show~

The packet ramyeon itself comes with 2 condiments, mainly the sauce (left) and the cheese powder (right). For those of you who have tried the original Spicy Chicken Roasted Noodles, I won't go into the details about the sauce since first timers will probably have a bad stomache from trying it for the first time until youcdecide to tackle it again the next day. It looks unassuming until you literally eat it with the cooked instant ramyeon. Whereas the powder cheese is a brand new thing to me. I'm not really a cheese person, so I am fine with this amount of cheese powder due to being lactose intolerant.

Cook the instant ramyeon according to the instructions on the pacakaging. For me, I cook it like regular instant noodles but I skipped the part where the instructions stated to transfer the cooked ramyeon to a skillet and stir-fry it with the sauce. I simply transfer mine to a serving bowl, drizzle just enough of the sauce to coat the ramyeon thoroughly before sprinkling the cheese powder on top.

Seriously, I found out that if you were to empty the entire satchet of sauce in, the explosive stomache issue is going to happen. But if you were to just add enough sauce, it's not that bad. Honestly, never trust American folks when it comes to taste-testing food of any type since they go all out and just make food taste bad. (Think adding ridiculous amount of wasabi in shoyu and killing the delicate taste of the nigiri sushi, that's what I am talking about...) Follow the Asian folks, we know exactly the type of shit we are doing to make food enjoyable 😎 I mean... I love my white friends equally as I love my African-American counterparts, but one does not make food taste sloppy and yucky, food is sacred!! 😤

7 Instant Noodle Facts

• Buldak Bokkeum Myeon is known for being one of the spiciest ramyeon available in the Korean market and gained popularity due to the Fire Noodle Challenge, a viral challenge where people film themselves attempting to complete eating a bowl of Buldak Bokkeum Myeon.
• In November 2016, Samyang Food obtained a halal certificate for Buldak Bokkeum Myeon from the Korea Muslim Federation Halal Committee. This means that our Muslim friends can also join in the spice-fest Samyang Foods have to offer. Yay~
• Back in the old days, instant noodles was considered a luxury item which only the rich are able to afford as it was 6 times the cost of fresh udon noodles.
• Instant noodles were invented by Taiwanese-Japanese inventor Momofuku Ando (born Go Pek-Hok) of Nissin Foods in Japan. They were launched in 1958 under the brand name Chikin Ramen. In 1971, Nissin introduced Cup Noodles, the first cup noodle product. Instant noodles are marketed worldwide under many brand names.
• You can find instant noodles in almost every corner of the globe, familiar brands may have different packaging or even difference in tastes to suit the demands and tastebuds of different people. But you will still be able to find a brand you are familiar with most of the time.
• Cheese Buldak Bokkeummyeon has a Scoville Heat unit of 2323, that's roughly half the amount of spiciness in their original Spicy Chicken Roasted Noodles but the heat is deadly for those with low tolerance for spicy food or weak/ill stomachs.
• Studies show that cultures that eat the most spicy food have much lower incidence of heart attack and stroke. Potential reasons: Chili peppers can reduce the damaging effects of LDL (bad cholesterol) and capsaicin may fight inflammation, which has been flagged as a risk factor for heart issues. So, go ahead and pile on that chilli, but only what you can handle.

Note: All facts are gathered from the Internet, I do not claim ownership to any of them.

The lowdown

Time for the taste reveal!

Personally, I found that the taste, especially the spiciness level is almost exactly the same as the original one I have tried. There's nothing different about the spicy level as claimed by so many folks out there. I am personally not so sure about the chicken flavour since it is so spicy that all I can taste is spicy instead of chicken AND spicy although I can assure you that I didn't get a bad stomache from eating this on a nightly basis. But I did need a big glass of cold water at the end to calm my tongue down.

The spiciness literally starts out as mellow in your mouth and the first 2 to 3 bites was so-so. Until the spiciness slowly explodes all at once in your mouth, after that, it's a matter of trying to keep calm and finish the remaining noodles like a normal sane person or chew the ramyeon once and swallowed the remaining unchewed parts 😂

The heat brought forth by the spicy sauce is literally the lingering type that slowly dissipates over time until you didn't even realize the spiciness aftertaste has long disappeared from inside your mouth. If you thought accidentally swallowing a teaspoon amount of wasabi is already bad, this spiciness is like the maniacal and diabolical younger sibling masqueraded as a normal chiili-sauce that goes "I'm just a normal instant noodle sauce 🤓"

All in all, I have no regrets when it comes to trying out more instant ramyeon by Samyang Foods, on the contrary, I shall demand them to make more tongue-numbing creations to sate my curious tongue. Yep! #NoRgrets

The rating

Price: 7.5/10 - Depending on where you can buy it. The supermarket (NTUC) in my neighborhood sells it at S$5.95 for a pack of 5 but the Korean import mini mart at my workplace sells the same exact pack of 5 for S$6.90 instead and both shops are found inside the same mall..

Spiciness: 10/10 - Although more than what my chilli-abused tongue can handle, the spiciness and heatness is really kickass, in my opinion. Samyang Foods promised, and deliver they did 😉

Taste: 7.5/10 - To be honest, I just didn't taste the chicken but since I did managed to taste the cheese powder, it's still quite okay.

Shiok-ness: 11/10 - Spicy as F*** but I'm not complaining and I kept eating it on a nightly basis 😂

Overall Rating: 9.5/10 - What more can I ask for when it comes to spicy and heaty instant noodles. The regular brand I used to eat that is from Nissin just doesn't compare to the heat-freeze my brain gets every night 😳

The Body Shop Fuji Green Tea ™ Refreshingly Purifying Cleansing Hair Scrub for Cleaner Scalp

As we all know, a good hair and scalp scrub product really goes a long way to getting all that gunk off your scalp and hair and ensuring your hair looks healthy, glossy and with less hair loss. Personally, I have really flaky scalp for as long as I remembered, it should have been roughly 10+ years around the time when I was working in a cafe. Oh! The days when I was so tired to even wash my hair to the point I went 3 to 4 days without even washing my hair.

It didn't help that my hair was so long back then, the ends of my hair actually reached my butt crack and that was the only time my hair was the longest. Add in the fact that working in a cafe is essentially a solid F&B job. And this translates to sweat, sweat and more sweat. And grime, gunk, whatever thingamabob was accumulating on my mostly ignored scalp.

And I was so young back then, clueless about hair products other than just shampoo. (You can just go ahead and call me a bimbo, since I was such a klutzy bimbo back then. But with brown hair.) It didn't help that I didn't know I should massage the shampoo into my hair and scalp back then. So, you can only imagine how flaky my scalp was at that point. And silly me thought it was only dandruff, only to use so many different types of dandruff shampoo and realizing none of them works. All that accumulated gunk and grime on my scalp throughout the years only encouraged my scalp to get so flaky as time passes.

And did I mentioned that I wasn't that Internet savvy as well? The Internet 10 years ago to me was simply checking friendster, MySpace and similar websites. But fast forward 10 years to now, beauty products are literally the biggest thing amongst female bloggers, YouTubers and consumers everywhere. Plus another factor. Smart phones! It is really easy now to check out a product's customer feedback and reviews prior to spending cold hard cash on a product that may or may not work.

Anyway, when I first read, saw and heard about this product, I know I need to give this a try due to my scalp condition. But first, I requested for a small sample pot to give this a try as I personally have read reviews about how coarse the salt itself is but yet at the same time seemingly gentle on the scalp as the product itself gradually starts to dissolve as soon as you add water to it.

In short, I have tried the sample pot and the actual retail product that I bought myself for a couple of weeks, almost close to a month now. I started out using this product at least 2 times a week since my hair looks massively oily when I sweat a lot, hence more flaky "results" to test this product on. By the 2nd or 3rd week from using this product, I lessened it to once a week usage and I can say the results are good for me and my scalp especially.

9 Facts about Green Tea & Hair Scrub

• Hair Loss: Green tea contains a high amount of anti-oxidants that actually helps to promote hair growth. The catechins in it have 5-alpha-reductase inhibiting properties that help block DHT (Dihydrotestosterone), one of the key causes of hair loss. It can also help to promote the growth of new hair and prevent common problems like dry scalp and dandruff.


• Vitamin B2, C, E & Polyphenols: A natural remedy that is essential and helpful for hair problems such as dryness, split ends etc, and most hair conditioners contain this essential vitamin. It also helps to soften hair, leaving hair less brittle.


• Anti-inflammatory Properties: Which proved to be very helpful in stopping hair loss gradually overtime.


• EGCG or Epigallocatechin Gallate: This can be found in green tea, which is a very good component for stimulating hair growth.


• Treating excessive scalp flaking & dandruff: Green tea has good antiseptic properties, making it helpfully essential in reducing inflammation, which helps prevent and even cure dandruff and psoriasis. In fact, green tea is thought to aid in exfoliating dry flakes that are usually formed due to the dandruff presence in one’s hair.
  
• Clean & Balanced Scalp: It encourages strong hair follicles, so you get lustre locks and a full head of thick hair, instead of lacklustre locks and a head of thinning hair


• Scalp Buildup: Our scalp is very similar to our skin, albeit with more oil glands and hair follicles. This means thar sebum and dead skin cells can build up, causing oiliness and flaking, particularly if you’re prone to dermatitis or psoriasis. A build-up of sebum and dead skin cells blocks the pores, and leads to increased shedding.


• Massaging: At least 10 minutes in the shower as it leaves your hair super clean, removing flakes while maintaining the pH value and moisturising the scalp. If you use shampoo or hair scrub with salt in it's list of ingredients, be sure to follow it up with conditioner.


• Using Hair Growth Tonic: If you suffer from hair loss throuhout the years, using a hair scrub prior to applying hair growth tonic is beneficial as a hair scrub essentially cleanse your scalp of grime, gunk and buildup which ensures your hair follicle is now clean and more ready to receive the nutrients easily.

The Body Shop Fuji Green Tea Refreshingly Purifying Cleansing Hair Scrub is a new, nature-inspired approach to haircare. This invigorating scrub shampoo blends Japanese green tea, mint menthol, salt crystals and Community Trade honey from Ethiopia.

Massage onto the scalp to help stimulate blood flow and whisk away impurities like dust, smoke, sweat and styling residue. This purifying hair scrub will make your scalp feel instantly refreshed, help reduce build-up on hair and scalp and leaves you and your crowning glory feeling revitalised with a healthy-looking shine.

The Body Shop Fuji Green Tea Refreshingly Purifying Cleansing Hair Scrub is enriched with Japanese green tea and Community Trade honey from Ethiopia. Definitely 100% vegetarian and formulated without silicones, and mostly importantly, not tested on animals.

The Store Manager told me that it is best to give the pot a thorough stir prior to using it for the very first time as it contains not just salt but also liqiud. Stirring the pot first ensures the entire pot of product is well-mixed evenly. But for the benefit of this blog post, I decided against stirring it to give readers a first look at how the product looks like inside the pot.

Personally, I found that the so-called coarse salt that everyone talks about isn't really that visible although it did really feel coarse , it doesn't scratch or hurt my scalp at all. The product actually looks a little like coarse white glue but literally melts as soon as you add in a little water and start massaging it up.

The scent is simply heavenly, a large whiff of Japanese Green Tea that instantly calms your mind and nerves. Scent do play an important part just prior to a shower session, such as this product. The scent of green tea instantly relaxes me in mind and body, and as such, showering time can become a spa-like experience without having to break the bank for a session at an actual spa. And not forgetting the mint, it actually cools the scalp after usage, further letting your scalp and hair feel more relaxed.

In the giphy video above, you can see the The Body Shop Fuji Green Tea Refreshingly Purifying Cleansing Hair Scrub is easily spreadable and massagable as soon water is incorporated in. Just a little small amount, roughly the size of a 5-cent or 10-cent coin amount is enough to work up a rich lather, depending on how much buildup you have on your hair and scalp prior to using this product.

4W's & Reliability

• Who should use this: For people whose hair type range from normal to oily hair and scalp to moderate scalp buildup. If your scalp have a lot of buildup, you might need to use it more regularly to eventually see and feel the results and benefits.


• What does the product promise(s): Hair feels clean and purified with a healthy-looking shine, and I can attest to it. Previously, I washed my hair at least 2 times in a row simply because my scalp still feel like there's something leftover stuck on it. But after using this, my hair and scalp seemed to feel as if I had dropped off and kick away a heavy burden on my head. And my hair definitely looked so much nicer, healthier-looking and it smelled so Zen.


• Where can you get this: You can buy The Body Shop Fuji Green Tea Refreshingly Purifying Cleansing Hair Scrub from any The Body Shop outlet throughout Singapore at S$29.00 for a 240ml (352g) pot. Alternatively, You can request for a small sample pot to try-test at home to gauge if you have any allergies to it or if the product might be a little too coarse on your scalp.


• Why you should try this: If you have spent time, effort and money trying to find that perfect hair scrub to give your hair and scalp a thorough and refreshing cleanse, this is definitely the one product you cannot afford to miss.


• How good is this product: On a personal note, I find that this product really cleanses my hair and scalp from accumulated buildup.And as of now, I haven't been scratching at my scalp unnecessarily for almost month already. Although the downside to this product is that it leaves my hair really dry. But I think it's worth it as my scalp has never felt so clean before.
• Long-lasting fragrance on my hair, no further need for perfumed hair spray

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Really cleanses my hair and scalp
• The scent is really nice, it is relaxing and soothing for me
• My scalp actually feel less itchy since 90% of buildup has been scrubbed away
• Extremely gentle on the scalp despite the product looking coarse

Cons:

• As much as it effectively remove buildup from my hair and scalp, the ends of my hair ended up being dry, hence, a good hair moisturiser is needed due to the oil-removing contents

Ratings:

Convenience: 10/10 - Due to the fact that I can have my own spa experience in the comforts of my home. Plus the fact that a little goes a long way means this product can last almost a full year for me

Effectiveness: 10/10 - For the first time in my life, for the past 10-ish years at least, I didn't scratch my scalp endlessly as soon as I sweat a little. So yeah, this product is really effective for me

Packaging: 8.5/10 - Well, I was expecting a slightly sturdier container. But then it's The Body Shop, so plastic containers are pretty much the norm

Price: 8.5/10 - Seems a tad expensive but if you are using this at least once a week only, it can last for quite some time. But if you have lots of buildup on your scalp that you need to continuously use it at least 2 to 3 times a week, or if your entire family is using it, it won't last long. But since I am using this alone, I find the price reasonable for an effective product

Overall Rating: 9.5/10 - I'm glad The Body Shop came up with such a innovative product and I sure hope it's a permanent product so I needn't have to scramble to find an alternative if they suddenly stopped production. 7/10 review webites I visited had an overall majority of positive comments prior to buying this product, which made me all the more determined to give this product a try. Also, the cons itself are relatively few and not that hard to tackle, so it's still a highly recommended product from me.

Activa Well Being Sleep Extended Release

I was recently chosen to be part of the lucky 1000 users on Try And Review to give this Activa Well Being Sleep Extended Release a try and review it as well. This sample pack comes with 30 capsules, making it last a total of 15 days. But well, one thing lead to another and my butter fingers give this product a 4.0/5.0 by mistake while the written review was glowing so much about this product. Hence, this blog post aim to correct this mistake I made on the Try And Review website. My username over there is @Riih by the way :D

Here's a close-up shot of the actual snooze happy pill :D

Took me quite a while to "release" the contents of the capsule

Verdict:

To get started, I have really bad insomnia for a few years already, and believe me when I said I have tried everything. From warm milk and honey to light reading before bedtime, nothing works. Luckily, I received an email from Try and Review and decided to apply for a chance to try this product in the hopes of alleviating my problem with my insomnia.

After trying this out for half a week, I find myself sleeping better. The first time I took only 1 pill as I thought it would work too well and I just barely managed to get some decent sleep throughout the night. But from the second evening onwards, I took the recommended 2 pills and I actually slept throughout the night without any fuss or problem at all.

Normally, I would toss and turn around a lot at night and my brain just crazily went into overdrive, preventing me from effectively sleeping. If the weather is too humid or too frigid cold, I cannot sleep properly as well. Weather/Room condition(s) is also a double edge sword as well. But this product really helps me, and for the first time, I felt my brain actually stopped going into overdrive, insteading gradually relaxing which thus enables me to fall asleep easier and faster :D

Honestly, I wouldn't mind paying the recommended price as I find this a really reliable product with no visible side effects at all»

Convenience: 5.0/5.0
Effectiveness: 5.0/5.0
Packaging: 5.0/5.0
Price: 5.0/5.0
Overall Rating: 5.0/5.0

Steamed Herbal Chicken Soup

So, I cooked Steamed Herbal Chicken Soup to bring to work the other day and I cannot stress enough how the taste is actually rather similar to the one my mother used to make. Mind you, mothers are different from daughters in a way that when mothers go out to buy chinese herbs to make herbal meat-based soup, they just do it.

Daughters tend to go "Err.... uncle... I need xx gram of this herb, that herb..." And the person doing the selling would be like "O_o We don't sell it like that hor...." Yep, totally awkward. But on the other hand, you can buy prepackaged herbs from supermarkets like NTUC for example and from those old-school chinese medicinal halls that you can find at, near or around neighbourhood shops and close to wet markets.

Anyways, here is the list of ingredients you need and the method to preparing it.

Ingredients:

• Astragalus Membranaceus (北芪)
• Boxthorn Fruit (杞子)
• Dioscore Opposita (淮山)
• Codonopsis Pilosula (党参)
• Polygonatum Odoratum (玉竹)
• 1500ml water (Subject to change)
• Whole Chicken or 500g of meat of your choice

What is it good for:

• Improve health
• Relieve tiredness

Method:

1. Prepare either a whole chicken, if you are cooking this for an entire family. Or around 500g of meat of your preference if you are cooking it for just 1 pax.

2a. If you are cooking for a family, just simply double boil the whole chicken and herbs in 1500ml of water on a stove-top for 2 hours.

2b. If you are cooking for 1 pax, place a large piece of aluminium foil on a plate that can withstand high and constant heat. And place the 500g of meat, followed by the chinese herbs on top. (Refer to imsge below.)

3. Top with half a small teacup of water if you want a stronger taste or a small full teacup of water if you are afraid the taste is too strong or maybe because you want a little more liquid as it can also be an actual steamed soup.

4. Fold the aluminium foil over the meat and herb and place in either in a double boil pan. Or top up watr halfway inside the rice cooker pot. Set the rice cooker to Cook (if your rice cooker has Cook or Steam option) and let it cook for between 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes.

5. Best served with fluffy cooked white rice but can be consumed on it's own.

Hiruscar Anti Acne Range Review [Sponsored]

This review is proudly sponsored and brought to you by Sample Store. Any external images, if used, solely belong to their respective owners and not to me. I only re-link and use them as part of this review.

Note that all views presented here are of my own and whether the product is sponsored or not, it's honest throughout. Only that effects will vary on the individual when applied.

Before I start off with anything, kindly allow me to share about my previous acne woes a couple of years back. Basically, my pimples love to stay as an angry big red spot on my face where it will take weeks before it finally figures out what it was supposed to do. Normal pimples roughly take at least a week, if longer, just a week and a half before it turned from a red spot to a yellow-head spot, got busted and essentially healed up in under a week leaving only a small acne scar to remind us to be more mindful when taking care of our skin. But mine, my pimple just essentially turned into an idiot where it literally swelled up to a large red angry blob. And make itself unwelcome on my skin for almost 2-3 weeks long. Don't ask me why my pimples are jerks or douchebags, I seriously don't know. All I am aware of the fact that due to my pale as a ghost complexion, such big angry red pimple blobs (if that is even the politically correct way to address an unwelcome and angsty pimple) literally makes it presence unwelcome for weeks on end, and it really does a huge damage to my self-esteem, to be awfully honest.

And trust me when I said I have tried everything, from home remedies I found on the Internet, to guzzling more plain water than the recommended intake, to drugstore products. Sometimes, I luck out cos I happened to drink a little more plain water or get a little more sleep, hence making it seem like whatever I am trying at the moment seemed to work. But most times, it's just a monthly gig for the pimples on my face to do it's worst. The heck! In fact, the appearance of such pimples on my face is even more regular than my menstruation cycle =_=" Although, at the end, I am seriously thankful that these annoying pimples didn't leave ugly and unsightly looking scars on my face despite its initial red, huge spot that first showed up.

But now, I can actually say Adiós Amigo to these annoying pesky pimples from being jerks anymore, thanks to this Hiruscar Anti Acne Range.

What is this Hiruscar Anti Acne Range. you may wonder? Do kindly allow me to explain in Hiruscar's words:

Hiruscar Anti-Acne is a dermatological skin care formulated especially for acne prone skin. It is lightweight and is quickly absorbed into the skin. Our products are also gentle and does not dry out your skin. It can be conveniently used under makeup! It contains MPS (Mucopolysaccharide Poly-Sulphate) for maintaining skin moisture, Aloe Vera to soothe redness and salicylic acid for its anti-acne benefits.

And you know what? Number 1 is that, upon using this range, you can see acne improvement in as little as 2 days. It reduces pimples and lightens spots without drying the skin. And number 2, my skin has been pimple-free for the past several months now, so I was a nervous wreck prior to writing this review. I mean, how on earth am I supposed to showcase this anti-acne range without a pimple on my face. Lo and behold! A pimple finally decided to grace its appearance on my face just roughly 3 days ago. So yeah, um, Sample Store, my humble apologies for this slow-poke blog post. I sincerely blame my skin for the lack of a pimple until just a few days back. (Yeah, blame the pimple!! >_<)

Step 1: The Cleansing

A look at the ingredients of this cleanser, for those of you who need to know what goes in there :D

Hiruscar's Anti-Acne Pore Purifying Cleanser contains:

• Salicylic Acid - Sloughs away dead skin cells
• Aloe Vera - Soothe redness
• MPS (Mucopolysaccharide polysulphate) - Maintains skin moisture
• Moringa Seed Extract - Removes impurities & protects skin from pollutants
• Sebum Controller - A complex of amino acid, vitamin complex, zinc gluconate and caffeine to reduce excess sebum on skin

This cleanser is a gentle formulation that deeply cleanses without drying the skin, while at the same time removes excessive dirt and sebum and balances the skin’s moisture.

You can see from the image above that this cleanser is in a clear gel formula. And the best part? This cleanser is a sulfate-free, oil-free and coloring-free formulation. Don't believe me when it's absolutely sud-free (to make all the terms seem even simpler)? Go on and check out the giphy image I've uploaded just below.

Verdict: And I rub and dub, and rub-a-dub-dub like my life depended on it, and Voilà! No suds a.k.a sulfate-free. And true to its claim, my skin doesn't feel oily immediately and hours after using the cleanser despite the fact that my skin tend to get a little more oily and "glossy-looking" since my body heat tend to be a little higher than normal folks. And don't get me started on the scent of the fresher at the same time. This cleanser smells so fresh. imagine freshness like a beautiful warm day when the sun decides to go a little easy on the rays and you can see yourself strolling through a field of flowers. minus the sweating that usually comes with it. My face actually felt clean, not the squeaky clean effect. But more like the freshly cleansed but still looking boing-boing type of clean. And as I previously mentioned, my body heat tend to be a little higher than normal people, so most mornings after I wake up, my face looks as if I was stuck ina sauna room a little too long.

Step 2: Tone & Moisturize

A look at the ingredients of this serum, for those of you who need to know what goes in there :D

Hiruscar's Anti-Acne Pore Purifying Serum contains:

• Salicylic Acid - Sloughs away dead skin cells
• Aloe Vera - Soothe redness
• MPS (Mucopolysaccharide polysulphate) - Maintains skin moisture
• Chamomile Extract - Soothe and condition irritated skin
• Artichoke Extract - Prevents dryness and enhances skin’s moisture
• Allium Cepa - Antiseptic extract which prevents scar proliferation
• Larycil - Mushroom extract that has astringent, pore tightening and moisturizing
effects

This serum is a light-weight moisturizer for acne prone skin that reduces excessive sebum which can cause acne formation. It tightens pores and actually has a light and non-greasy texture.

You can see from the image above that this serum is runny in texture (the first time my hand didn't shake so much during a hand-based photo shoot :D ) and is milky colour. This serum is a lightweight moisturiser with a unique formulation that is light and non-greasy, which ensures fast skin absorption. Colorant-free and alcohol free so you can be rest assured that it won't leave a milky-white stain on your skin after usage and because it is alcohol-free, our skin won't feel that weird dryness that is present in products such as sun lotion, to quote for example.

Verdict: The serum is more runny than the cleanser, but at the same time, it glides onto my skin rather well due to it's runny texture. As for the scent, I was a little surprised when I detected a slight herbal scent, rather "contradicting" when compared to the cleanser's fresh scent. Not that it's bad in my opinion, although on a personal basis, I was still thinking it should smell fresh as well. Bottom line, I'm not too concerned with its herbal scent, unless it's the sour and funky type :P On a personal basis, I love the fact that the serum is so lightweight in texture, it doesn't feel as if I have to take forever to keep gently rubbing into my skin just for it to be absorbed. This serum definitely stayed true to its promise of ensuring fast absorption. Immediately and hours after application, my skin still doesn't look oily or have that weird oily sheen most moisturising serum does.

Step 3: Treat (Woohoo! The hero of the range!! *inserts superhero humming*)

A look at the ingredients of this spot gel, for those of you who need to know what goes in there :D

Hiruscar's Anti-Acne Spot Gel contains:

• Salicylic Acid Sloughs away dead skin cells
• Aloe Vera - Soothe redness
• MPS (Mucopolysaccharide polysulphate) - Maintains skin moisture
• Vitamin C - Lighten dark marks
• Chamomile Extract - Soothe and condition irritated skin
• Artichoke Extract - Prevents dryness and enhances skin’s moisture
• Allium Cepa - Antiseptic extract which prevents scar proliferation
• Larycil - Mushroom extract that has astringent, pore tightening and moisturizing effects

This spot gel help reduces acne problems like blackheads, whiteheads & pimples while salicylic Acid for anti-acne benefits. What's more, it contains Vitamin C derivative to lighten acne spots and dark marks while MPS helps to maintain skin’s moisture.

You can see from the image above that this spot gel has a slightly thick texture and clear in colour.

Verdict: This spot gel felt a little cooling when I applied it to my pimple and since pimple(s) tend to look red and angry, therefore it contains a little heat. This results in pimple(s) ripening into a yellowish spot that irks at you to pop it, because it is human nature to pop pimples when it finally turned yellow in what seemed like forever. Hence, the slight cooling effect actually helps in calming down the "heatiness" of a pimple. As for the scent, once again, it smells herbal although the scent is really faint. What I personally so love about this spot gel is that it is clear in color. This means that if you need to put on makeup prior to stepping out of the house, you don't need to spend extra time and effort (and wasting makeup) to ensure that pesky little pimple which has been covered in skin-tone color gel looks the same skin color tone as the rest of your face. I'm sure many of you regular readers of my blog would have read about my experience with this particular pimple cream brand that starts with the capital letter O that looks so orangey on my skin that either I have to slap on extra layers of powder or simply don't apply it. Yep. This is one of the many reasons(s) why I call this product the hero of the range. Immediately and a few hours later after application, there was no after-oily sheen seen at all on my pimple.

Pimple Alert! The pimple I got before trying out this Anti-Acne range. Also, pardon for my crappy selfie shots, not really a selfie-type of person XD

The only pimple that is visible on my entire face is this little one just a couple of centimetres away from my mouth. I tend to get pimple at all these weird places... bleh!

The lone pimple finally sprouting a yellow head. Honestly, my pimples were never this "well-behaved" prior to using this anti-acne range. So yeah, this is definitely a brand you need to check out if you have acne woes :D

Weird-looking selfie shot specifically taken in the late afternoon near the kitchen window to emphasize the disappearance of this pimple. (Wakakaka~) Woohoo!!

Where to buy Hiruscar Anti-Acne Range products?

You can buy these wonderful products at either Watsons or Guardian Pharmacy outlets, depending on whether you have a Watsons membership card or a PAssion card for Guardian Pharmacy outlets :P And the prices are actually affordable, I mean come on, it's a little price to pay to get rid of pimples fast, effectively and without scarring wor~

• Hiruscar Anti Acne Pore Purifying Cleanser - S$14.90
• Hiruscar Anti Acne Pore Purifying Serum - S$39.90
• Hiruscar Anti Acne Spot Gel - S$19.90 (This hero costs only S$19.90 *grins* )

Alternatively, you can redeem a sample over at Sample Store by clicking this link

I will also update this post again within a week to see if the pimple shows back up or if there's any side effects as it's just too soon and early to..um.. celebrate. Considering my issue with pimples :D