Review: Boots Zingy Berries and Cream Shower Gel

I love anything berries. I came across the Boots Zingy Berries and Cream shower gel while I was in Bangkok. I was on the lookout for a shower gel to use while I was there as the shower gel that was supplied by the hotel that I was staying at was cheap and nasty.

The Boots Zingy Berries and Cream shower gel smells heavenly and it lathers up nicely with loads of suds. It was on sale (reduced from 120 Bath to 490 Bath).

This is definitely a love for me. In fact, I loved it so much that I went back and purchased two more bottles to take home with me.

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Boots Zingy Berries and Cream Shower Gel
250 ml/ 8.4 fl oz

Made in UK

Normal Retail Price:  120 Bath (I got mine for 490 Bath as it was on sale. I got a further 5% Tourist Discount from Boots and it ended up costing only 466 Bath)
Available from: Boots Thailand

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How I Reward Myself for Running

This is how I reward myself at the end of a run. It can get to be really hot out there in the heatwave. I find that I look forward to running more when I reward myself. So, I reward myself with a luxurious shower gel at the end of my run. A nice cool shower is something that I look forward to at the end of my run. 

I've recently been refraining from signing up for runs as (1) they are pretty pricey, (2) the weather is unpredictable and there is no guarantee if the runs are really going to happen (quite a number of runs were cancelled last year due to the poor air quality as a result of the haze) and (3) I figured that  I would be better off spending the money that I would have spent on the run registration on a reward of my choice.

At the moment, I'm using the Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Shower Gel. I only have to use two pumps of the product for my shower, no kidding. It may be a tad pricey where I live. but I figured that it is a worthy reward for my hard work! I love the sweet limey scent. 

I'm currently window shopping for my next workout reward which I'll purchase when this one finishes. I simply love browsing for my next reward. Half of the fun is the browsing, if you ask me! It makes running fun and something I look forward to, even in the super hot weather that we're getting here!

Review: Valiram Friends & Family Sale 2016

Seeing that I was on the lookout for my next bottle of body mist I thought that I would see what I might find at the Valiram Friends & Family Sale today. The sale is being held in JW Marriot and runs from April 1-3, 2016.

The sale wasn't spectacular, really. I only purchased a Bath & Body Works body mist, a Victoria's Secret body lotion and five Victoria's Secret thongs.

A body mist, a body lotion and frilly things :)

The queue to pay was super long but since I was in no hurry, I patiently waited. I found it strange that the priority lane for platinum Maybank credit card holders was long as well (so much for priority, huh?). 

Anyway, I would most probably be giving this sale a miss in the future unless of course, I run out of my toiletries again.

Empties | February 2016

... and these are my February 2016 empties.....

1. Bourjois | 123 Perfect Foundation in No. 55 | 30 ml | Made in France
This worked really well for me while I was in London recently when I found that my staple Catrice Photo Finish foundation was too dry for me in the winter. I was glad that I packed this foundation along for my trip.

I enjoyed using this foundation. The colour matched my skin well but unfortunately, the Bourjois 123 Perfect foundation range seems to no longer be available in Malaysia :(

I tried looking up for this product on the Boots website but the darkest colour that they had was no. 54 :(

2. Fa Deodorant | Pink Passion | 150 ml | Made in Germany
I love the scent. I purchased this in Dubai as part of a set of three. It claims to protect for 24 hours.

What I love most about it is that it doesn't leave any mark on my clothes.

Fa used to be sold here but sadly, this brand is no longer available here... :(

3. TRESemme Shampoo | Luxurious Moisture for Dry or Dull Hair | 500 ml | Made in EU
This shampoo worked well for me. It didn't dry out nor make my super sensitive scalp itch. The only reason I have not repurchased this shampoo is because I had been eyeing the Timotei shampoo for quite awhile now and wanted to try it out.

4. Nivea Anti-Perspirant | Extra Whitening | 60 ml | Made in Thailand
I got this as a freebie when I purchased a full sized Nivea anti-perspirant. It is the perfect travel size and I took this one on my London trip. It claims to work for 48 hours.

My one issue with all Nivea anti-perspirants is that they all leave a white stain on my tops :(

5. Dr Fresh Velocity Dental Floss | Waxed | 130 yards | Made in China
This was something that I picked out from Village Grocer out of curiosity. It did what it was supposed to do. If I remember correctly, it was cheap for the length of floss in the package.

6. Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser | 250 ml | Made in Canada
This is a super gentle cleanser that doesn't leave my skin feeling tight like most other cleansers do (you can read my review on this product here). I loved this cleanser and have since purchased the 500 ml pump bottle. Love!

Empties | January 2016

These are my January empties:

1. Tesco Loves Baby | 30 Gentle Baby Wipes 

I use these as makeup remover wipes.

2. St Ives Oatmeal & Shea Butter Body Wash | 400 ml

Love the smell and it's paraben free!

3. Rimmel Gentle Eye Make Up Remover | 125 ml

I've had this for years. It's an okay product, not really great at removing waterproof eye makeup though.

4. Daiso Silk Facial Oil Blotters

A must have in my handbag (especially in this hot and humid weather).

5. Tesco Everyday Value | Facial Cotton Pads | 100 pieces

Does the job, love the price.

Earth Care | Feet for a Queen Rosemary Avocado Healing Foot Balm

I purchased that Earth Care Feet for a Queen Foot Balm the same time that I purchased the Earth Care Orange Tea Lip Balm (read about it here). I simply love the lemon grass scent of this balm. 

I have to be honest though that the texture of the balm of the tester that I tried is much different than the texture of balm that I purchased. The tester balm was super soft while the balm that I purchased is kinda hard. Hmmmm........

Getting the product out of the tin can get to be a tad of a challenge. I have now resorted to scraping a tiny bit of the balm off with my finger nail and applying it to where I want it on my feet. 

I normally apply this balm on my feet just before bed. I like the feel of the balm on my feet but is it making my feet smoother or improving the texture of my feet? Hmmmm.... I can't really say, to be honest.

I treat this more as a feet pampering product. Results? None that I can see nor feel the difference after using it almost daily for almost four weeks now.

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Earth Care Soaps | Feet for a Queen Foot Balm

30g

RM18.00

Purchased in the Christmas Stall in The Curve

Made locally with organic products

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Wilko Fruits Chocolate Orange Fragrance Explosion Body Butter Review

I purchased this product out of curiosity while I was in London. This is a Xmas limited edition product. It smells wonderful, just like chocolate orange, which I absolutely love. It was on Christmas clearance and was dirt cheap --- just 50p!

So, what is it like? Well, not great, I'm afraid. This body butter is not like the soft whipped butter consistency that I am so used to but instead is more like hard butter just out of the fridge. The texture is hard and you really need to dig in hard to get any product and when you do get some out, it is crumbly and can actually fall off your fingers :(

It takes some serious rubbing to work the product onto the skin. I guess, this is one case where you get what you pay for. 

I'm so glad that I stuck by my buy one first rule and purchased only one tub to try out the product first before deciding on buying more.

The smell, however, is simply wonderful. I will, however, persevere and finish up this product as I hate to see it go to waste.

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Wilko | Fruits Chocolate Orange Fragrance Explosion Body Butter
100 ml

Made in China

Normal Retail Price:  £1.00 (I got mine for just 50p as it was on 50% off)

Available in Wilko, UK

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Soap & Glory | The Righteous Butter Review

The first time I smelt the scent of Soap & Glory's The Righteous Butter, I loved it. The second time around (and this was on the same day, mind you) that I smelt it, I thought that the smell was too strong (which explains why I never got around to buying it; the price is also pretty steep where I live for a body butter).

Then, I went to London and saw the Christmas gift limited edition of The Righteous Butter on sale after Christmas. The tub of The Righteous Butter is in a pretty pink tin drum designed to be hung on a Christmas tree. In fact, it was going at half price and I have to admit that I was pretty difficult for me to pass up the opportunity of trying it out but guess what --- I walked away from it since I thought that the scent is a tad too strong for my liking. At that time, there were many drums of The Righteous Butter on the shelve at the Soap & Glory section of half off products.

But at home, I found myself thinking about it and visiting the Boots website to look at it. I went back to Boots two days later and guess what? The shelve was empty!!! I searched Boots high and low and after some time of persistent searching, finally found one abandoned drum sitting on another shelf in the store, clearly having been discarded by another shopper. I quickly grabbed it, feeling lucky to find it.

The strong smell of The Righteous Butter doesn't last long, so that's okay with me. The texture is thick and feels wonderful when applied onto my skin right after a warm shower especially in winter when it is dry. Would I buy it again? I've yet to decide on that one as I find the scent a tad too strong for my liking.

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Soap & Glory |The Righteous Butter
200 ml

Made in the UK

£5.00 (Normal Retail Price), I got mine for £2.50 (Half Price After Xmas Sale at Boots, London)

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Empties October 2015

These are the products that I finished in October 2015:

1. Fa Pink Passion Deodorant | 150 ml

I purchased this  in a set of three in Dubai two years ago. I like the floral fragrance. Expect to see this product reappearing again in the future as I have two more bottles to go through.

2. Guardian Wet Wipes | Sea Breeze | 10 Sheets

This was a freebie that was given to me during one of the health fairs in Mid Valley last year, I think. I found the sheets rough and I much prefer the Tesco Loves Baby Moisturising Wipes over this one.

3. Tesco Loves Baby | 30 Moisturising Baby Wipes

These wipes are sold in twin packs and this is the first pack that I have finished using (you can read my review on this product here). I used this as makeup remover wipes and it does the job! It also smells nice. I'm using the second pack now :)

4. Sunsilk Smooth & Manageable Conditioner | Trial Sachet | 6 ml
This product has a strong chemical smell and it really didn't do anything for my hair.  

Empties July 2015

These are the  product empties for July 2015:

1. FA Deodorant Purple Passion
I purchased this in a pack of three on one of my trips to Dubai. It keeps me smelling divine :)

2. Benefit Maybe Baby Body Lotion 200 ml
This is the second tube which was purchased on ebay years ago and which I rediscovered in my closet recently. I really love this product and am so sad that it's been discontinued :(

3. Simple Clear Skin Oil Balancing Moisturiser
I used this as a makeup remover.

4. The Body Shop Vitamin E Moisture Cream 15 ml
This is another product that I discovered sitting in my closet. This was a freebie that came with the purchase of other products from the Body Shop. This is another product that I used as a makeup remover as I don't use moisturisers and I hate to see a product go to waste.

5. Daiso Silk Facial Oil Blotter
This is one product that I keep repurchasing over and over again.

Empties June 2015

These are the things that I finished in June:

1. Guardian Facial Squares 100 Pieces

2. Lux Soap in Magical Spell 

A frugal solution that costs a fraction of the shower gels that I used to purchase although I still do enjoy treating myself to shower gels from time to time.

3. Body Shop Japanese Cherry Blossom EDT 50ml

This came as part of my birthday gift set from my sister a few years ago. The gift set consists of a shower gel (which was the first to be used and finished), a body lotion, a body mist spray and an EDT (just finished) which all came in a gift basket. 

It's an okay scent and not something that I would purchase for myself.

4. Daiso Silk Oil Blotters
My favorite oil blotters that I've repurchased this product a zillion times!

Empties: March & April 2015

These are my empties for March and April:

1. Johnson's Baby Lotion
I used this as a makeup remover.

2, Simple Purifying Cleansing Lotion
I sometimes have a reaction towards this product and it doesn't really remove makeup as much as I'd like it to :/

3. Benefit Maybe Baby EDT 50 ml
Love, love, love the scent. This is something I discovered sitting in the dark corner of my closet. It was something I purchased and forgot about until years later! This product has sadly been discontinued :(

4. Nivea Invisible Anti-Perspirant
Does this work? It still left marks on my black clothes :(

5. Daiso Silk Oil Blotters
My favorite oil blotters which is always a repeat buy.

Empties: February 2015

Just thought I'd share with you my empties in February 2015:

1. Minnie Mouse Cotton Facial Pads   150 pieces
Purchased this in Guardian while it was on sale. Thought that the packaging was cute.

2. Daiso Facial Oil Blotters
I use the ones in the box at home. Not brilliant but it does the job, so I can't complain.

3. Daiso Facial Oil Blotters
I usually have a pack in my handbag for use throughout the day when I am at work. This isn't the kind that I would normally purchase at Daiso but they were out of my regular ones and I was desperate for some!

4. Nivea Anti-Perspirant Spray in Energy Fresh   150ml
This is one of my repeat buys from time to time.

5. Clear Anti-Dandruff Shampoo   350ml
I've had this for AGES!!!

6. Benefit's Maybe Baby Body Lotion   200ml
Purchased this years ago and forgot all about it until I rediscovered it recently. I simply adore this product. It's a shame that it has been discontinued :( And oh, it's got tiny shimmers in it that can only be seen when light shines on your skin. I love, love, love the scent!

7. Marks and Spencers Peach and Almond Bath   500ml
This was my treat purchase last Raya. While the product is good, the scent isn't something that I am likely to repurchase. The bottle is pretty and I'm saving it to be used for other products that I buy in refill packs.