Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops Serum Review

I admit that I bought this due to the over-hyped reviews on the product. A lot of comment says that this product gives an immediate glow after just one night of application. The Glow Recipe brand pride itself as a clean beauty brand. The ingredients that are used in their recipe are natural and gentle on the skin. This Watermelon serum (the full name is such mouthful, I thought I’d just call this as Watermelon serum), has been a best seller under the Glow Recipe umbrella. 

Brand: Glow Recipe

Product name: Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops

Purchase from: Sephora, Cult Beauty

Price: RM160/40ml 

Made in Korea 

Why Luxury Brands Keep Increasing Their Prices

 

Last week I posted a series of price comparison of Louis Vuitton bags price hike, and I received questions on why. Why do they do that? If you are a frequent luxury shopper, you know that this is an annual event. Sometimes, the luxury brands increase their prices as much as twice a year. 

There are various factors why they do that. 

A. One reason, which is easier to comprehend would be lack of raw materials. A lot of luxury brands in holding on to their traditional craftsmanship, still using the conventional ingredients to produce their goods - such as cowhide leather, gold, silk, etc. The supply of these ingredients are deteriorating. 

B. Also, we are hit with the global supply chain crisis (thanks to Miss Rona), that makes every process more time-consuming, directly increasing the cost especially on transportation.  

 

The two reasons are the more tangible problems that we, as a consumer, would understand. Granted if problem A and B cease to happen, the luxury brands will still continue to increase the price. Here is what they don't tell you. 

C. The classic economy demand-supply curve does not apply to luxury brands. In fact, it is the opposite. Every time luxury brands increase their price, the demand hikes up higher. A good example would be the Rolex watch. I dare to say, the brands are increasing their price to increase the demand for their goods.

D. They want to give a sense of value to the previous buyers. Imagine if you purchase a bag at $1000 two years ago, and it still cost the same today - this will stop convincing buyers to continue purchase their goods. Luxury goods are made to last a lifetime. It gives the perception of "good investment" to consumer. If I purchase a bag at $1000 two years ago, the same bag might cost $1500 today. I could sell the bag at $1000, making no loss while enjoying the product for 2 years and the buyer can also save $500 from the current price. With the $1000 and a little top up, I could score a newer bag. This is perhaps the actual reason for the brands to keep increasing the price. They want to keep the flow of the buying-selling in secondary market and indirectly pushing for sales of their new products. 

I hope this gives you insights of why luxury brands keep increasing their price. On the next post, I will talk about handbag investments. Come back next week if you are interested to learn more. 

November 2021: What's in my trash

The last time I posted on beauty products I completed/toss out was back in January 2020. I can't tell what happened in between because it seems like just a blink of an eye and we fast-forward to a year and a half later.

This is going to be a long post, with so many products empties that I have used up and also I did a little spring cleaning to toss out those I don't want to use further. 

Spoiler Alert: Dior 2021 Beauty Advent Calendar Revealed

Really, there’s no secret to the content of the Dior advent calendar. When you purchase it, there’s already the product description on the outside. And also, if you're a Dior fan, it is also quite hard to dodge the unboxing videos on social media. I'm guilty of posting up the unboxing video almost the next day after I gotten the advent calendar. Not to spoil the fun and destroy the spirit of advent calendar, but the excitement is another level that I can't contain. 

I'm going to be very honest with the review here. So, click on to read the unexpected:

Natasha Denona Mini Nude Palette Eyeshadow

I received this as a gift from my friend. I wouldn't think of buying an eyeshadow in the middle of a pandemic when we have nowhere to dress up for. But this gift is well received and I begin to love it after the first swatch.

Brand: Natasha Denona

Product Name: Mini Nude Palette

Purchase From: Sephora

Price: RM109

Size: 0.8g each pan

Price: RM21.80 per pan 

Made in Italy

2021 Christmas Beauty Advent Calendar (Malaysia Edition)

Typically, Malaysia does not get the stock for Christmas Beauty Advent Calendar, unless there is additional leftover stock. Only a few brands do the advent calendar sale in Malaysia. However, we see growth, more beauty brands are bringing their advent calendar into the Malaysian market. 

Here are some of the advent calendars you may get in Malaysia, with no promises though, as they are extremely limited. 

La Mer The Replenishing Oil Exfoliator

 

As long as we are stuck in lockdown mode, I will continue to drop my review on skincare. There is literally no chance (or no motivation) to try out new makeup products. 

The La Mer Replenishing Oil Exfoliator works hand-in-hand with the Cleansing Foam which I talked about in the previous post. I use this exfoliator around 2-3 times weekly, right after my regular cleanser with the La Mer Cleansing Foam.

Brand: La Mer

Product name: The Replenishing Oil Exfoliator

Purchase from: Sephora, La Mer 

Price: RM470

Size: 100ml

Price breakdown: RM4.70/1ml

La Mer The Cleansing Foam

 

When I was much younger, I always think that a face cleanser is something I shouldn’t spend much on. So I stick to drugstore brands and even picked up the cheapest I can find. But now I have a totally different perspective. 

If you ever going to invest in your skincare products, you should invest it in the cleanser. An effective cleanser is really the only thing that you need. Since it is also the first step in any skincare regime, you should pay attention to your skincare performance - do is clean your skin thoroughly, will it harm your skin (some cleanser contains ingredients that might strip off your skin), does it retain the moisture level of your skin? 

I really never give much thought to cleansers until I bought the La Mer The Cleansing Foam. I purchased this out of curiosity and it was also the time La Mer debut in Sephora, so I thought I would give it a try. This is when it changed my perspective of facial wash entirely.

Brand: La Mer

Product name: The Cleansing Foam

Purchase from: Sephora, La Mer

Price: RM385

Size: 125ml

Price breakdown: RM3.08/1ml

Drunk Elephant Sweet Pitti Deodorant Cream

I have never thought of reviewing a deodorant on my blog because it is generally a product that we don't pay too much attention to. But, I am so excited to share with you how fantastic this deodorant is. Not just sharing the information, I actually bought a few for my friends too, so they can try it for themselves. 

Drunk Elephant is still a new skincare brand. They pride themselves as a clean skincare brand, i.e. using minimal ingredients on the product and also mindful of its packaging materials. Because of their philosophy, I think it is worth it to try out the brand. If their product works, then I'll stick to it, and this deodorant will be one of them that I'll stick to for a long time. 

Brand: Drunk Elephant
Product name: Sweet Pitti
Purchased from: Sephora
Price: RM69
Size: 60ml
Price breakdown: RM1.15/1ml

CS12 Miracle Mask

CS12 is a well-known indie skincare brand in Hong Kong, but surprisingly it is actually a Malaysian brand. I have been seeing a lot of hype about the Miracle Mask, which is a sheet mask, especially in magazines and social media. I tried to get it sometime at the end of the year, unfortunately, it was out of stock. That resulted in me contacting the owner of the brand to reserve it for me when they have it in stock. I thought she had forgotten about my request, surprisingly, last month she contacted me and told me the mask is back in stock. 

Brand: CS12

Product name: Miracle Mask

Purchase from: Directly from CS12 website

Price: RM218

Size: 7 sheets; 30ml per sheet

Price breakdown: RM31.15 per sheet

What To Do If You Don't Like Your Perfume

If you are an avid perfume collector, there bound to be a few scents that you regret buying. Or perhaps, it's a gift but you are too embarrassed to return the present. Here are some tips on what you can do with the fragrances that you don't like.

Let me know what are the perfumes that you dislike in the comment below.

LUSH Mother of Pearl Bath Bomb & Jasmine Cream Bubble Bar

 

I was so thrilled to try out the latest LUSH's Bath Bomb and Bubble Bar - Mother of Pearl and Jasmine Cream respectively. These two releases are limited edition in conjunction with Mother's Day. The bath bombs provide skin benefit (depending on the types of bath bombs you choose), meanwhile, the bubble bar gives the luscious bubble foam. So, the two have different functions, hence I put both into my bath for a self-pampering time that I deserve.

New In: DIOR Forever 3 New Makeup Must-Haves

The most important part of makeup lies in the skin. The perfection of flawless skin is the base for all types of makeup whether you want to go for a no-makeup look or a full runway fashion show makeup. Hence, I’ve invested a bit in the new Dior Forever range - Dior Forever Skin Veil SPF20 Primer, Dior Forever Fluid Foundation & Dior Forever Cushion Powder to achieve the flawless skin illusion. 

Continue reading to discover further.