rinnah’s consumer views|what a consumer really wants and thinks about products and services

Tagline : Lash curler no longer required

Description : New Lash Power™ Curling Mascara holds a curl for up to 24 long hours. Celebrate dramatic curl achieved through a formula that stretches lashes to their limits and a wand that scoops up, lifts up every last lash. Won’t smudge, flake or smear. Lasts through rain, sweat, humidity, tears, yet removes easily with warm water. Ophthalmologist tested. Appropriate for contact lens wearers. Allergy tested. 100% fragrance free. Formulated for Asian eyes.

Colors : Black Onyx, Dark Chocolate

Packaging : 6ml

Recommended retail price : MYR 75

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My review :

This review originally appeared on my old blog on 15 May 2008.

I got my hands on a free travel-sized sample of the Lash Power™ Curling Mascara in Black Onyx and immediately put it to the test.

The packaging for the travel-sized sample is a plain gray plastic tube, which does not resemble the real thing, which is a matte silver slim tube.

The brush head is small and slightly curved, which I suppose is meant to help you “catch” every last lash for the curling effect. I like that the brush is teeny enough to reach the fine lashes at the corners of my eyes, unlike previous mascaras which I’d used that had big chunky brushes. But of course, brush size is a matter of personal preference and also depends on what you want your mascara to do. If you’re going for volume, then a bigger brush would work wonders. But if you prefer length like I do, then a smaller brush allows for better control. (Note: Since I received a travel-sized sample, I’m not sure if the original packaging brush size is the same – the Clinique counter I visited did not have an opened sample.)

The first few swipes of the brush resulted in lengthening of my lashes, but defining the curve took a little bit more work since I don’t use a lash curler to assist me. A colleague who analyzed the end effect for me said that the curl was not as visible as she expected it to be, but I think it’s because the major effect of this mascara on me is that of length rather than volume and curl. There is some noticable difference when I look closely in that my lashes are curling upwards but only towards the end. However, it did do a nice job of “opening up” my eyes without seeming overly mascara-d, which is a look I try to avoid at all costs, and looks very natural. I did find the first application to be a little clumpy right out of the tube and it required multiple swipes of the brush to even out the distribution on each lash. (Not sure if the reason is because it’s a sample?)

This mascara dried nicely and instantly, so I did not end up smudging my lower lashes when I blinked. The staying power is commendable as even after 12 hours, my lashes still looked as they did when I first applied the mascara. Nice!

And for those who like me have found removing mascara (especially the waterproof type) a huge hassle even with make-up remover, I think I’ve found my perfect product. Like the claims say, it removes easily and simply with warm water. I used warm water from my shower, splash splash and voila, the mascara began to remove itself just like that. Of course you will have to rinse a few times to make sure that the last vestiges of mascara are fully removed, but this is the easiest time I’ve ever had in removing mascara (and oh yes, it removes cleanly – no stray lumps clinging onto my lashes at the end). Needless to say, I love this aspect of the product.

Yes factors : Nice length achieved, small brush head for reaching corners, excellent no-smudge staying power, easy to clean
No factors : Minimal curl achieved contrary to product claims, seems a bit clumpy when first out of the tube, careful application with a steady hand required

Read other blogger reviews here :
Renee

Tagline : the perk-me-up pink powder

Description : Start your day the “perk-me-up” way, and keep them guessing how you look so pretty this early in the morning. Dust on our soft, pink, perk-me-up powder for instant radiance and a youthful appearance. It’s the perfect shade of pink that brightens everyone’s complexion without looking powdery or chalky.

Tips and tricks: Sweep the brush across the powder a few times, then tap off any excess. Brush lightly on to the apples of your cheeks in an outward motion. For the final touch, lightly brush all over your complexion.

Packaging : 10.0 g net wt / 0.35 oz

Recommended retail price : USD 28 (online) / MYR 129 (local)

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My review :

Having heard so much about this product of Benefit’s from a number of beauty bloggers, I decided to give this a try-out when fellow blogger Paris Beaverbanks invited me to join in on a group online order (purchases above USD 100 from Benefit online get free shipping). I’m not sure how fuss-free the whole order process was since I was not the one shopping, but the delivery turnaround time was pretty quick.

I was very happy to note that my Dandelion arrived in perfect condition – the packaging was intact (just like brand new!), with no traces of having gone through international shipping, which was a major concern of mine because the powder is not packed in a plastic case like other brands but instead in a sturdy cardboard box. Other reviews which I’ve read (see below for links) assure me that the box will stand up to repeated daily use and not suddenly cave in on me one day when I’m using it. That’s a great relief to know but I’m not too sure that I want to carry my Dandelion around with me in my bag, knowing how prone I am to rummaging around for my keys and what-not inside.

Once you open up the box, there is a brush provided by Benefit on top of the pink colored powder. Having used it, I prefer to use a brush with softer bristles simply because it feels better on my skin and less poky/scratchy. So unless I’m rushed for time, I grab my blush brush and use that instead.

Dandelion is also lightly scented, so you get a nice pleasant fragrance when you open up the box, but you don’t smell anything after you have it on – an important plus point for my sensitive sinuses!

Now the thing that confuses me about Dandelion is whether to classify it as a highlighting/brightening powder or a blush. You see, it works both ways for me but the way I use it may not work for everyone.

I generally dust on Dandelion all over my face, after my foundation/finishing powder but before my blusher. I find that a single sweep of Dandelion gives a lovely tinge to my skin, a hint of did-she-or-did-she-not have make up on kinda look. If I want to use it as a blush, I just keep on layering Dandelion on until I get a pale pinky glow on the apples of my cheeks. It looks very natural and not at all like a blush so if you’re looking for an extra pop of color, Dandelion is not the product you need.

Dandelion is a staple in my make-up arsenal whenever I need that extra glow and I’ve gotten compliments on how well I’m looking when I use it as a highlighter all over my face. In fact, I’ve even used it for wedding dinners with minimalist eye makeup and still looked more put-together than my make-up efforts for past dinners.

Since I’ve had a good time with Dandelion, I just might pick up Georgia and see whether that suits me too.

Yes factors : Lovely highlighting effect, minimal effort required – just dust and go!
No factors : Brush feels poky/scratchy, prefer more conventional packaging, local price a bit on the high side

Read other blogger reviews on Dandelion here :
Paris Beaverbanks
Tine

Note: This post is back-dated to 23 August 2008.

When I’d first heard of this warehouse sales, my first thought was that of dismay as it was a 1 day only sale. I had a scheduling conflict in terms of an exam scheduled for that very day at 10:00am, which happened to be the time that the warehouse sales began. I figured that all the good stuff would be snapped up before I could even possibly hope to get there. Luckily, I was proven wrong.

After insanely rushing through my exam in record time (I wonder what the results will be like?) I drove over to the Parkroyal Hotel, which was where the warehouse sales was being held. Saw a number of people evidently leaving the sales with plastic bags of stuff, and my heart sank. The lack of any queue as I headed up to the first floor was even more discouraging! Apparently the organizers only opened the doors every 20 – 30 minutes or so, and I arrived with perfect timing to get in without even having to wait. Yay!

My colleague was a bit disappointed because she’d asked me to get her Ralph Lauren Romance perfume, but there was only Ralph Lauren Rocks available then. The Biotherm stocks rapidly dwindled too, but there was plenty of Lancome skincare around. Pity that my favorite Lancome mascara was not available in black, but only in odd party/funky colors. Still, I got my hands on some Lancome lipsticks and grabbed a couple of Lancome skincare items for mom and myself, plus a Biotherm moisturiser.

It was a far better set-up than the previous warehouse sale I’d attended just a week earlier and I was pretty happy with what I got. Definitely one of the warehouse sales to put on my list for next time!

I’m such a sucker for sales, especially warehouse sales. Haha. So when I heard about this warehouse sale of branded fragrances and cosmetics happening in the area near my office, of course I had to go and check it out. No pictures of the sale though, as I didn’t bring my camera along.

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Like the flyer says, brands on sale are : Givenchy, Ferrari, Paul & Joe, Esprit, Loewe, David Beckham, MNG, Versace and others. I targeted to check out Givenchy and Paul & Joe as I wasn’t too interested in the other brands.

Even though I was there at 12.00pm on the first day of the sales, already some brands had sold out. Givenchy makeup was available in limited quantity only, as was Paul & Joe and some of the better shades available were finished. The more well known brands of perfume were selling out fast but there was still ample stock of lesser known branded perfumes (I can’t remember any of the names, that’s how unknown some of the brands were).

I was there only out of curiousity but I still ended up getting something anyway. Here’s a shot of my stash below – I Loewe You perfume (50ml) and Paul & Joe eyeshadow in a pale nude-y pink (09).

I’ve been to other warehouse sales held at Corus Hotel before and I have to comment that the organizers could have put more thought into the whole setup. Firstly, instead of having the entrance immediately as you come up the stairs, they made that the exit instead. Inside the ballroom, the setup was very spacious and quite well segregated. I would like to suggest that the organizers make coffee beans available as after less than 5 minutes in the area, I couldn’t really tell the difference between perfumes – they all smelled the same! However, the cashier queue area sucked. There were three cashiers but the processing took too much time and the queue snaked its way into the browsing area. It is not very fun to try to see what products are available because the payment queue is blocking your path.

If you don’t mind the selection of brands available, this is a good sale as far as the price goes. But if you’re picky about the brands you use, you may as well skip the sale and save your time.

Well, it seems as though Clinique Malaysia is cotton-ing on to the trend of viral marketing through blogs because they’re running this contest for local bloggers (all bloggers mind you, not necessarily beauty bloggers only).

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All you gotta do to enter this contest is write about your personal experience with the famed Clinique 3-Step Skin Care System, post it on your blog, and submit your blog URL to them. Easy peasy, right?

The best 3 entries will win Clinique hampers worth MYR 600.00, which is quite an attractive prize in my opinion. The only catch is whether or not your blog entry is good enough to be considered for the prizes. ;o)

The contest runs between 18 July to 07 August 2008 and the winners will be announced on 15 August 2008 at the Clinique Malaysia website.

If you’re interested in finding out more details of the contest, head on over here.

Disclaimer : No, I am not being paid by Clinique to promote this. I wish though! LOL.

I can’t think of a better way to re-launch my reviews (and other consumer-related stuff) blog at this new domain than to blog about this year’s Estee Lauder Staff Sales. )

Firstly, I have to thank my fellow blogger Beetrice for the invite to the Estee Lauder Staff Sales. I didn’t know that I was holding on to a Willy Wonka Golden Ticket until I read about the good bargains, crazy queues, massive hordes of people and some near-obsessed females practically begging on different blogs/forums for an invite. Some of these coveted free but limited invites were also being sold for a nice sum (enough to feed my little Kelisa with one tank of petrol) before the event day.

I had originally planned to be there early, say around the ungodly hour of 6.30am, exactly one and a half hours before the doors were scheduled to open at 8.00am. Kiasu? Yes. I am female AND Malaysian after all. Haha. I was a bit late but all was good in the end because I arrived at exactly the same time as Beetrice, around 6.55am. The sight that greeted me was nothing short of amazing/shocking. I wonder at what time did these people start lining up?

Due to the overwhelming size of the crowd and possible crowd control issues, I’m glad that the organizers opened the doors early. Even though the sales was only supposed to begin at 8.00am, by around 7.30am they were already letting the people in. And, the lines moved quite rapidly and without incident, save for one or two people who tried to jump queue by hopping over the barricades. Ish. Malaysians never do learn, do they?

Didn’t manage to take any photos inside the Grand Ballroom because I was too busy trying to grab the stuff I wanted. *grin* Best-selling stuff went really quickly and there was limited stock too. Bobbi Brown sold out within half an hour and the better/popular skincare products for Clinique and Estee Lauder also finished quickly. I just managed to sneak one of the last few jars of Clinique’s Repairwear Contour firming cream for my mom. Needless to say, mom was quite happy with that and the two Clinique lippies that I gave her (the colors suited her better). As for me, I bagged myself a nice enough stash of 6 glosses (Clinique & M.A.C.), Estee Lauder’s Idealist skin refinisher and DKNY’s Be Delicious perfume. Let’s just say that the damage to my credit card was quite hefty. Hehe.

I think overall this year’s event was pretty well organized and I would go again next year if I managed to get an invite. When I left around 8.40am (approximately 1 hour after I got in), the queue to go in now stretched down the stairs and all the way out onto the street. Yikes!

Pictures and reviews of the products bought will be done as soon as I can draft ‘em!

Edit : Beetrice has also blogged about the sales (and her loot) here!